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Kyo entered the classroom that was pretty empty for the most part, it was a little while before the bell, Marley wasn't even here, so it was a clear how early Kyo had gotten there. A few of his male classmates were gathered around one desk, and he just continued to his desk and put away his bag.
"Man, I think the perfect date... I'd take her to an amusement park... we'd share cotton candy, and then she would cling to me as we rode the rollercoaster." A boy with long shaggy black hair enthused,
"Nice!" The two other boys gave him a thumbs up.
"Then, we would have ice cream, and she would get a little on her nose." The first boy continued, and this made the boy with short light brown hair nod vigorously.
"ooo the ice cream is a nice touch."
"I think I would take her to a movie. She would wear something extra cute, and I would tell her how pretty she looked... I can just picture her saying... 'I wore it just for you.' in that cute accent."
"hmm or maybe... a picnic. Everything she made with love, even cutting the sandwiches in cute heart shapes and then getting embarrassed."
"Oh! What about a summer festival. Can't you just picture her in a yukata, her hair all done up?"
"Dude you're totally forgetting. The ultimate summer date... a day at the beach."
The three boys seemed to be drifting away into some sort of dreamland, and they had yet to notice Kyo judging them from his desk.
"What the hell are you guys doing?" The orange-haired teen finally dared to ask though he already felt like he wasn't going to like the answer. All three boys jumped as if they hadn't even noticed that he was there listening.
"Well, summer is almost here! The theme is fireworks, watermelons and girls!" Kyo's friends cheered, and Kyo wondered why he had friends like this in the first place.
"..."
"Were imaging the perfect date to take Marley-San on." One boy said with no shame, and the other two got panicked looks on their faces.
"DUDE! NO! He's gonna kill us!"
"What? It's not like they're dating. Are you?" The guy asked as he smirked up at Kyo, and for whatever reason, he wanted to throw him out the window.
"What kind of stupid-ass question is that? Of course, I'm not dating her!" Kyo snapped, his entire face going red as the three boys watched him.
"See? No harm in us having our summer fantasies." The shameless boy shrugged, and all the boys dropped their jaws, it was either he was
There was something in Kyo that made him feel uncomfortable. What were they doing talking about her like that? He glared at them and told them to knock it off before sitting down in his desk and glaring out the window.
His mind started to wander as his eyes caught a few yellow butterflies fluttering about. What would the perfect date look like anyway? Not that he cared or really thought about things like that. But still, his mind had started to wonder...
Marley and Kyo sat across from one another, finishing up a meal she had made. She had made his favourite salmon dish just for him while she ate some sort of tofu dish. She was wearing a simple white apron over her orange t-shirt dress.
"Thanks for the meal. I'll wash the dishes." Kyo offered as he got up and went to gather the dishes. Marley was quick to start pulling up her long, thick hair into a bun and offered to do them.
"No, you relax, I'll get it." Kyo told her to sit back down and continued on and got started on the dishes.
It didn't last long as Marley snuck into the kitchen and stood beside him at the sink.
"Together?" Marley asked as she took a wet dish from his hand and dried it. Kyo just smiled and let Marley have her way.
"Together."
"And then... why don't you pick a movie for us to watch?" Kyo suggested, feeling confident that would be what she would want to do. As expected, Marley gave an excited smile and mentioned some movie he had never heard of before, but he looked forward to whatever it was.
Ever so slightly, Marley moved closer so that her bare shoulder was lightly touching his, Kyo looked over and noticed the blush on her cheeks as she stayed concentrated on the dishes before her eyes peeked over and met his, a slight pink blush on her cheeks.
"WHAT AM I THINKING?!" Kyo jumped up and tried to shoo away the images, not understanding where his brain went for that moment, and this caused the boys at the other table to jump and stare at him as Kyo had hit freak out.
"Why is he screaming?"
"He startled me."
"Good morning." A cheerful voice broke through the chaos, and all the boys came to a halt to turn and look at the pretty immigrant who stood in her summer uniform, her hair kept out of her face with a few cute purple barrettes that matched her eyes.
"Good morning Marley-San!" The boys who had just been having date fantasies all shot up out of their seats as she addressed them. All their faces red as if they had been caught with their hands in the cookies jar.
"Is everything okay?" Marley asked as her eyes looked over all the red faces, including Kyo's, but all their eyes were avoiding her, and she had to wonder what she had done. Marley wondered what she had interrupted.
"Just... sit down already." Kyo groaned, and Marley just shrugged but did as he said, not before sending another smile to the boys, causing them all to go even redder and all giggly. Marley just figured that everyone must be in a good mood. Well, everyone except for Kyo who kept grumbling about who knows what.
It wasn't until lunch that Kyo came out of whatever world he was in and really looked at the girl who sat in the desk in front of his.
"What's up with the hair?" He asked as he noticed the lack of curl and waves in the white blonde's hair.
"Oh, Hana straightened it Saturday night." It had taken forever, but Hana proved to be stubborn enough to straighten out all of Marley's long hair. It's been fun and different, but the girl was looking forward to washing her and having it go back to its natural state.
Kyo took a look and gently tugged on it, a slightly miffed look on his face. Marley studied his face and wondered what was wrong.
Did he not like it?
All of a sudden, Marley felt self-conscious as she fidgeted with the rings on her hands. While she didn't exactly love the feeling of her straight hair, she thought it looked kind of cute. It wasn't ugly on her? Was it?
"Is it stuck like this now?" Kyo asked, clearly unfamiliar with hairstyling and how it worked.
"No, it'll go back the moment I get it wet," Marley explained, and the boy gave a slight nod.
"Not a fan of straightened hair?" Marley asked, tilting her head a bit, but Kyo shrugged, pretending he didn't really care.
"It doesn't matter to me..." But Kyo tugged on the hair again and unknown to Marley, he was already missing the way the white-blonde locks would bounce.
"Oh! We finally got a destination for our class trip!" Marley remembered, hoping to change the subject and get her mind away from what Kyo thought about her hair.
"Man, I really don't wanna go." Kyo groaned, leaning back in his seat while Marley brought out her lunch.
"Aw why not?"
"It's just more time I gotta spend with that damn Yuki." The orange-haired boy complained, he thought the universe was out to get him.
"It's not like it's just you two on the trip. Our entire grade is going." Marley shook her head over the deep rivalry the two had, it really was a bit much.
"What's so great about Kyoto and Nara anyway?" Kyo scoffed, really not getting how just going to a different part of Japan could be exciting.
"Well the temples look gorgeous, and apparently the deer bow to you when you bow to them! And the bamboo forest looks like something you would see out of a movie. And there all these charming dessert cafes in Kyoto. And there's this one shrine that has a like a thousand of those red torii gates." Marley was about to go on and on about things she had heard about their destination til, and Kyo finally interrupted.
"You sound like one those damn travel agents."
"Well... Bapu actually told me a lot. He used to take trips with his mother when he was young. He really wanted to take Mama and I." Marley admitted as she subconsciously put her hand over her locket, a smile on her face as she thought of how excited her step-father had been to take her and Mama on a trip.
He wanted to take them to to a temple called Kiyomizu Dera and drink from the Otowa waterfall. There was a market where he and his mother had visited and shared a taste of everything they could find. He wanted them all to climb to the top of the Inari shrine through all the red torii gates.
There was even mention of a boat ride down the river in Arashiyama. Marley had the scrapbook full of ideas they put together, she had a lot of spare time in the hospital, and it was kind of fun piecing together all the things they could once she got out.
"Ah I'm sorry! I just meant... I've heard so many stories, and even though I'm not going with them, I'm thrilled I get to go with everyone. I can even say a prayer for them at every temple, then... It's kind of like they're with me." Kyo watched as her eyes kind of glazed over, a fleeting moment where he saw that she was still mourning over the loss. All the future things she was missing out on doing with them, the memories she wanted to create with them.
"Well I guess if I have to go... but don't expect me to be happy about it." Kyo sighed, but Marley just got a determined look in her amethyst eyes and stared Kyo down.
"I'm going to make it my mission to get you to have a good trip." She promised him, and Kyo could only roll his eyes and then rested his chin on his hand, subtly imagining what Marley would drag him into doing.
"... so you wanna see the deer, huh." Kyo figured that was something she would be excited about.
"Yes! I would love to get a selfie with one! That would make for a great picture." Marley gushed.
"Careful, one might mistake your hair for food." Kyo joked, and she actually looked a little concerned as looked at her hair and honestly wondered if the deer would try to eat her hair.
Would they mistake it for hay or something? Do deer eat hay?
Marley's phone went off, and she reached down to check it. Kyo watched as Marley's eyes read the text, and a massive sigh of relief left her glossed lips.
"What's up?"
"Well... Gimli caught a bird last night, and we had to take it to the vet." Marley explained as she slightly looked away and scratched her cheek, feeling guilty over her cat, who thought he was a hunter on the vast savannah.
Kyo couldn't stop the laugh that made it through his lips. He could just imagine the giant cat bringing her the 'gift' and Marley having a near heart attack as she rushed to try and save a small bird. Most likely calling Hatori first to ask him to save the bird before he drove them to the vet.
The scenario in Kyo's head was not far off from the truth.
"Stop! It wasn't funny!" Marley tried not to laugh as she pulled on Kyo's sleeve who just continued laughing at her and the bird's misfortune.
"Well I assume the bird is fine. What's gonna happen next?" Kyo asked, shaking his head at the girl's antics.
"Oh well, I was going to pick him up after dance, it'll be a week or two till it can properly fly again. But the vet is giving me a cute little birdcage and some bird feed."
"... you've already named it haven't you..." Kyo sighed, and Marley gave him a slightly guilty smile.
"Alright... let's hear it." Kyo shook his head, but he couldn't help the soft smile as Marley slightly blushed and looked to the side.
"…. Zazu..."
"And who is Zazu?" Kyo was willing to put money on that it was a character from some movie he had never seen.
"The bird from The Lion King?" Marley tried to get Kyo to recognize the name, but the boy just shrugged, and Marley's eyes went wide.
"WAIT! You haven't seen the LION KING!" She jumped up and put her hands on his desk as if he had just told her that he'd never seen the sun.
"I told you. I didn't watch the cartoon crap." Kyo defended himself, but Marley was still looking at him pity.
"Kyo, we have to! It's my favourite!" Marley grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and tugged it vigorously. Kyo wasn't sure if Marley saying something was her favourite held much weight, she seemed to have trouble picking a 'favorite' movie.
"Whatever..."
Kyo would deny it, but he was curious about what movie she was talking about, she had yet to show him anything terrible. Plus, half of the fun of watching movies with Marley is her getting excited over sharing her favourite parts with him.
She was already on a tangent about the film, and he couldn't catch a full sentence. Something about an evil uncle, a pig and a meerkat raising a lion, and he was sure she was trying to quote the movie.
"I laugh in the face of danger! Haha," She cried out, and a few people looked over, but she didn't seem to notice, a proud smile on her face.
"... you're an idiot.."
Marley only giggled, and the rest of their regular crew came over for lunch, asking about what they were talking about. This led to a conversation about favourite movies they had all watched as children. Kyo didn't really have much to add, so he just ate his lunch as he listened.
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Even with the sun setting, the summer air was still warm, and Marley's body was still all worked up from a hard-core ballet class she had joined. And also, she was running around with her new little friend in a small white wire cage, chirping along.
Definitely gonna have to stick my feet in a bucket of ice when I get home.
Marley had to make one stop before heading home. Akito seemed to like little birds, and she wanted to show her friend her new house guest.
"Good Evening Marley-Sama." A younger maid with a bobbed hair cut bowed as Marley slipped off her white sneakers.
"Hey! How are you." Marley smiled as she walked up to the maid, who was very polite and smiled back. Nothing like that mean head maid who had her bun on too tight.
"I'm good, thank you. Are you here to see Akito-Sama?" She asked as she offered to take Marley's things, but the white-blonde insisted that she was fine.
"Just wanted to drop by and introduce my new little house guest!" Marley was already ahead of the maid and was opening the sliding door to Akito's room, not bothering to knock as she had gotten used to just walking in.
"Hey I-"
"Kureno?" Marley asked as she slightly squinted at the scene until it dawned on her what she was witnessing. Marley stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes caught sight of Akito laying under a man, their naked bodies entwined in the low lights of the large room.
"MARLEY!" Akito screamed as she tried to cover herself up, her jaw and Kureno's dropped open in shock.
"I AM SO SORRY!" Marley slammed the sliding door so hard she was sure she splintered it a bit. In her panic, she ran down a random hallway, holding the birdcage to her chest as she ran.
When she finally came to a stop, Marley took a breath and processed what she had seen.
Akito and Kureno... I would have never guessed... I can't believe she never told me... or maybe it's new?
Embarrassed and a little traumatized, Marley leaned against the hallway wall, and a burst of laughter left her lips, fanning her face to try and get rid of the bright red she was sure was all over her cheeks.
"Sorry little Zazu, I hope you aren't too traumatized." Marley lifted up the cage and apologized to the little sparrow who was hopping around the bottom of the cage, chirping now and then.
The look on those two's faces when she walked really had been priceless. Again she started thinking of the two and Akito's angry, embarrassed face, and Marley began laughing again.
"Well, you look like your enjoying yourself." A woman's voice called out, and Marley looked up from her crouched position and into deep dark eyes.
"Oh. Sorry! I hope I wasn't bo-bothering you." The giggly girl apologized as she tried to get her laughter under control, wiping away a few stray tears.
"Hmm. Marley, right?" The woman asked, and Marley calmed down a bit and gave a proper look at the woman who was looking at her.
Long straight dark hair that fell around her in curtains, skin as white as paper and large deep dark eyes. The woman was dressed in a long black nightgown with a deep red pashmina slipped around her shoulders. She was indeed very beautiful, but there was something off. The woman appeared to be in her 40's, and there was something eerily familiar about her.
"Um yes. Sohma Marley. It's nice to meet you." Maley gave a little bow as the woman seemed to chuckle as Marley introduced herself.
"Sohma Ren." At the mention of the name Marley finally realized who she was speaking with.
Akito's mother... the two look so alike I can't believe I didn't see it...
"Come. I could use a little company." She disappeared back into the room she had popped out of, her long black hair flowing behind her.
Marley looked around as if hoping someone would get her out of this. She had never heard a good thing about Akito's mother, and being alone with her made Marley a little nervous. But she didn't want to be rude.
Maybe...this will be fine.
The teen stepped inside, and the woman was already lounging comfortably on the mat, the deep red scarf slipping off one of her shoulders.
"What is that?" Ren asked, pointing to the small bird hopping on the bottom of the cage.
"Oh, my cat brought this guy back from a hunt, I'm looking after him till he feels better..." As Marley told the story, Ren seemed to be bored, and it made Marley feel bad about even bringing it up.
But... then again... She was the one who asked...
"How about you pour me some sake." The woman lazily ordered, and Marley looked around and spotted the bottle of sake next to a few small cups.
Marley carefully poured one and handed it to the woman who didn't even thank her, just simply took a small sip and savoured the taste before returning her ice-cold gaze to Marley.
"How are you enjoying your life with the Sohma's?"
"I'm enjoying it very much. I feel fortunate to have a home here." Marley smiled, being very honest as she did feel undeniably grateful to be here with them, even though the circumstances that made it happen were unfortunate.
"Your hair. It's almost as beautiful as my Akira's hair." The older woman mentioned. Her eyes had caught Marley's figure before and always locked onto the way her hair shined, while before it was only the colour, but now that I was straightened, Ren could only think of her late husband. The only one who she had loved in this world and she had nothing left of him.
Marley recognized the name of Akito's father, she had seen a picture of him, and it was true her, and the late head of the Sohma clan did share a sort of similar hair colour, but that was all. Honestly, Marley was happy to remind Akito of someone she loved, even if it was something as simple as hair colour.
"His hair looked as if it been woven by the gods themselves. Soft to the touch, and it almost glimmered in the light." Ren sighed, clearly lost in her own mind as she reminisced about her late husband.
Marley knew that Akira was Akito's father, who had passed away due to disease when Akito was just a young child. She had been told he was a kind man, and she knew that Akito missed him dearly. It wasn't hard to figure out that Akira was possibly the only parent Akito truly had. The only thing that Marley knew about Ren as a parent was that she and Akito didn't get along. And that Ren had wanted Akito to be raised as a male.
For whatever reason.
Ren reached and grabbed a chunk of Marley's hair. It wasn't the gentle touch, more like the way someone would grab onto a thing of weeds before they tugged them out.
"I have been very curious about you. You've caused quite a stir." Ren sighed as she inspected the hair, playing with it and Marley watched as Ren looked at her hair with a soft fondness, despite the stronghold.
"I'm not really sure what you mean." Marley felt extremely uncomfortable, and it felt like the room was getting smaller and smaller.
"Well first. You and your Mother dragged away one of the finest bachelors in Japan. Only to return years later, and now you are the ward to one of the most influential men of the Sohma clan. If not the most." Ren laughed as she was re-telling some great joke she had heard on a comedy special.
Yuuto had left the Sohma family behind, but that was only because that back then, they had been entirely unwelcoming to Marley and her mother, Chandra. It had been tough for her Bapu to leave his childhood home, but she felt certain that it had been his choice. Chandra never forced Yuuto to do anything he didn't want. Marley even remembers all the fights they had about it. In the end, Yuuto would have done anything for Chandra, even if it meant leaving the Sohma clan behind.
"And to the think, the only position that actually matters in this clan is being dropped down to someone who doesn't even share any Sohma blood." She sighed before taking another shot of her sake, finishing her cup and gesturing Marley to fill it up.
"Well... I mean... Dadaji might not even pass it down to me, there are many other Sohma's would be better. And Akito is still the head of the clan." The young woman slowly refilled the cup, keeping her eye on the liquid rather than the dark eyes that seemed to be analyzing her every move.
Marley felt like she had a long way to go before truly becoming part of the family. Sure, she had been officially adopted, and she loved the Sohma's, but she wanted to do something for them, give something in return for all that they have given her.
I just have to find something I can do for them.
"Please, it's common knowledge that that child is nothing but a figurehead. It's that old grump of a man that actually runs this family. And you're his ward. This world really is full of surprises." Ren seemed to be talking down to her, her voice dropping lower as she grabbed Marley's face and inspected.
"It really is too bad. You might have actually been considered quite pretty if you had been born with a little Japanese in you." The woman teased the smell of alcohol on her breath that made Marley try to breathe through her mouth and not her nose. There were rumours about Ren, how unstable she was, and Marley didn't want to start any trouble. But her words still hurt.
Marley knew she was far from Japanese beauty standards, she was too tall, her hair was strange, and she was considered 'too dark.' Marley wished Yuuto was her real father and that she could have looked more similar to her parents. But she had no control over her genes and reminded herself to be happy with what she had given. Two parents who loved her, which made her luckier than most.
Marley now really wondered what Akito had been put through if this was her mother.
"I should really get going..." Marley tried to move away, but Ren had grabbed hold of her hair, holding it hostage.
Just at that moment, the door came open, and a maid stepped in, shocked to see Marley there.
"Marley-Sama, we were wondering where you had wandered off." The young maid who had greeted her at the door looked nervously around the room. Marley got the feeling that she definitely wasn't supposed to be here. And she was happy to get out of here.
"Oh, sorry, I got a little lost -"
"I found her talking to herself in the halls. Odd little creature." Ren chuckled as she continued to run her hands through Marley's hair, loving the way it shined in certain lights as it reminded her of the one she had loved most in this world.
"Um, yes, and Ren-San was just."
"Yes, we were just... Getting to know each other."
"Oh, but I really should be going. Thank you very much." Marley honestly wasn't sure what she was thanking Ren for when all the woman had done was insult her, but she didn't know what else to say.
"Hmmm. Fine. But perhaps one day you'll come to visit me again. They really let me have no fun." Ren let go of the lock of hair she had been holding hostage, letting it slip through her long fingers.
Marley really wasn't sure what to say. But something in herself wondered if maybe that Ren was just lonely.
"Oh! Here, Dadaji always has one of these with his sake. He says it really compliments the flavour, but I don't really get it." Marley was looking through her bag for the dessert she picked up from the convenience store. It was her favourite, but she figured that maybe Ren shouldn't be drinking on an empty stomach.
"Mitarashi danjo?" Ren asked as she glared down at the package.
"They're my favorite" Marley brightly smiled, her hair catching the light of the lamp, giving it a sort of ethereal glow.
"Marley-Sama."
"Ah sorry. Have a good evening Ren-San." Marley waved goodbye to Ren, offering a smile before being guided away.
While it was a kind gesture. It was wasted on the woman who looked down at the snack, wondering how she could use the seemingly stupid girl for her own gains.
"She fits in with the rest of those freaks..." Ren chuckled to herself, throwing the gift into the far corner, leaving it for the maids to clean later.
The maid led Marley through the house, mentioning it would be best not to mention to Akito that Marley had met Ren. The white-blonde agreed since she knew that the topic was a highly sore spot and did not want to upset anyone unnecessarily.
The young maid opened the door to Akito's apartment, and there she was, arms crossed and tapping her foot at Marley. The girl only placed the birdcage on the table and tried to think of a way to start a conversation.
"Sooo... I guess Kureno came and went?" Marley teased, winking at Akito shamelessly.
"MARLEY!" Akito scolded at her before calling her immature. The girl tried not to laugh. She really did. But she let out a giggle, and Akito's face went red as she lifted a floor pillow form the ground and threw at Marley, who didn't even bother dodging.
"You-...You and Kureno?!" Marley didn't know why she found it so funny, but she laughed into the pillow Akito had thrown at her.
"Shut it!"
The white-blonde knew it was her fault for just walking in without knocking, and she would apologize later. But she couldn't help the next thing that came out of her mouth.
"Maybe next time a sock on the door?"
Marley practically heard the crack in Akito's teeth as she grinded them, and she could feel Akito's cold glare, but honestly, it was worth it.
"That's it, I'm going to shut you up for good." Akito chased Marley around the room, who just ran ahead and laughed while the bird in the cage chirped at the two girls.
The maids opened the door to bring the girls tea and decided not to intervene in the chase, letting the two tire themselves out as they just left the tea on the table for them when they were ready.
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"Big trouble! Big trouble! We've got big trouble!" Momiji popped his head into the classroom, where his older cousins were all huddled in the back corner.
They didn't seem too concerned over his announcement, too wrapped up in their trip planning. The girls were looking through a magazine while Kyo stared out the window, his back tense, and Momiji could picture his orange cat ears up.
"We've got our own big trouble right here." Uo informed Momiji that she sat across from Hana, looking through a tour guide to the top 100 restaurants in Nara and Kyoto. Momiji tilted his head, his own problems forgotten as he became curious about what was going on.
"We were just talking about group activities for the class trip." Tohru said as the boy made his way to her side.
"Where are you going? Where? Where?" Momiji bounced over and tried to get a look at the magazine, interested in what everyone was talking about.
"It's in the fall, but we're going to Kyoto and Nara!" Tohru informed him, an excited smile on her face.
"The cliché." Uo groaned, clearly it was not her first pick.
"Yes, the cliché..." Hana echoed as she turned the page.
"Lucky! I wanna go with you!" Momiji whined, feeling left out already. He wanted to go and have fun times with his favourite people and make new memories.
"You may be able to if you pay your own way..." Hana suggested as she continued to flip through the glossy pages.
"I'll do it! I'll pay my own way!" Momiji cheered, excited at a new adventure.
"DON'T COME!" Kyo snapped as he turned around to yell at Momiji. He was already high strung enough at the moment, and he didn't want to deal with the overly-cheerful Momiji on the trip. He gave a huff before turning back around, crossing his arms.
"Aww! What are you so mad about?" Momiji asked, genuinely wondering what had him in such a mood.
"He doesn't like the way the groups are divided up." Uo smirked, enjoying Kyo's torment a bit too much as usual.
"In other words, he's with Yuki, right?" Momiji giggled. It really was too predictable why Kyo was upset.
"I'm not going along with it! Quit tryin' to stick me that damn Yuki every time! Group activities aren't even mandatory!" Kyo scoffed, he really couldn't believe his luck. It was unfair in his eyes.
"I know, but it's fun having you around." Uo said as she lightly smiled up at Kyo. The orange-haired teen raised a brow skeptically, not trusting such an earnest remark from the ex-gangster.
"I get my kicks from mocking you." She finished, and Kyo felt his mood dampen even more.
"What am I? A toy?" Kyo asked, and to his annoyance, the two girls nodded, which only infuriated Kyo more.
"Oh! For cryin' out loud! Whatever, I ain't gonna be no part of it-" Kyo grumbled but was stopped in his rant when a green folder was smacked into his face,
"KYO! YOU DUMMY!" Momiji scolded as rubbed the folder against Kyo's hair.
"YOU get to go with Marley and Tohru! Don't be so selfish!" Momiji reminded him.
"I only wish I could go! I wanna eat deer crackers-" Momiji continued on, and as the girls could only watch as the static electricity made Kyo's hair stick the folder that Momiji had been rubbing into his face.
"Those are only for the deer." Uo commented but didn't lift a finger to stop them.
"You don't wanna do that? You don't wanna do stuff together with Marley and-" Momiji didn't even get to finish his sentence when Kyo interrupted him.
"Stupid! Obviously, I-" Kyo cut him off and then looked around the room for the white-blonde he swore had just been there a few moments ago.
"... WAIT!? Where is Marley-Chan?" Momiji asked as he too noticed the missing girl, he had been too distracted by the talk of the school trip.
"She actually went to your class, mentioned she needed to ask you something. -" Hana was interrupted by the class door sliding open and in came Yuki who Momiji and Tohru happily greeted.
"Hello, Yuki-Kun. Did you have student council duties?" Tohru asked, cheerfully smiling at him, which returned and nodded.
"Momiji-Kun, weren't you saying that there was 'big trouble'?" Tohru reminded him, remembering the announcement he had made before they had dived into talking about the fall school trip.
"OH! That's right! It's terrible! Haru turned black and is rampaging in our classroom." Momiji informed with a bright smile on his face, but his eyebrows looked a little guilty, feeling bad for getting distracted.
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The class was in shambles, windows broken and toppled desks and papers littered the ground. Marley had come to return the phone charger Momiji had leant her. What she found was the class in shambles and all the students and their teacher out in the hallway.
They had told her that Hatsuharu had simply snapped, and Marley promised she would try and calm him down. She knew Haru could be a little scary when he went dark, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. Marley knew he was a kind boy who was just going through heartbreak, she knew he was taking it hard, but she never imagined he would snap like this at school.
"Haru... You need to breathe. Just -" Marley spoke softly, hoping to calm him down just a little bit.
"DON'T... tell me... What to do. I'm just letting loose." He kicked over another desk, and it flew past Marley into the wall behind her. The girl took a deep breath and made the resolve to move forward.
"Haru. Please. I'm here. You can talk to me." Marley asked again, trying to keep her voice level and be confident. Marley had made it through much worse than this, she could make it through Haru getting his frustrations out.
"Yeah... Is that you wanna do?" Haru's dark eyes raked over Marley's form, liking the determined look in her eyes, and he even smirked as he walked up to her.
The boy advanced forward, moving much closer than Marley expected, and she stepped back only to be stopped by the back wall. Even with the wrong move, Haru could transform, and that would be a disaster with all the students in the hall watching.
If she was honest, all she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and squeeze him because when Marley was upset, all she wanted was to be held, but that wouldn't work. So, Marley had to try something else. All she had were her words.
I hope it's enough...
Marley placed a hand on his chest to keep some distance, but he grabbed it and clenched with little to no tenderness. Holding it too tightly and making her let out a wince, but that only seemed to edge him on more.
"I know you're upset... I know your hurting. But all this... this isn't going to help. Just ...we can talk, or we don't even have to talk. Let's go and get some air, it'll help you feel better." Marley was trying to think of anything, but she was coming up with nothing. She had met the darker half of Haru a few times, but this was different. Marley stood her ground and figured that if Haru had to get something out, she could at least be there for him. In all honestly, she wasn't sure what else to. It wasn't like she could just leave him like this.
"You wanna make me feel better? Then let me have my fun with you." Haru smirked, his breath mingling with Marley with how close he was getting, still mindful not to fully embrace her, but it was getting dangerous.
"Let me do whatever I want to you." Haru proposed, and he watched as Marley's eyes widened in shock.
"What?" Marley barely let out a sound, uncertain of what she was hearing.
"Come on... I'll make it fun." Haru smirked as he grabbed her chin and leaned in but Marley was shaking, her heart cracking. Frozen. She hadn't even noticed her classmates entering the room and laying their eyes onto the scene between her and Haru.
It didn't look good with Marley backed up against a wall and Haru trapping her there. The Cat of the Zodiac didn't wait for an invitation and tried to rush forward, but Yuki was quick to grab him.
"Damn rat, let me go." Kyo growled.
"We make the wrong move, and then he transforms? What do you suppose we do then?" Yuki scolded him.
"Haru, you need to calm down." Yuki tried as he also continued to keep Kyo back. He didn't like the look of the situation at all. Haru turned his head slightly to face Yuki but didn't remove himself from Marley's personal space.
"Ah worry wart princess Yuki here to save the day. Such a worry wart... Afraid I'll transform?" Haru smirked over at Yuki, but he didn't move from the position he was in with Marley. The white-blonde didn't take her eyes off of Haru though, determined to keep what little space she could between them, afraid if she made the wrong move, then all hell really would break loose.
"No. There's more to it than that. It's-" Yuki tried, but dual haired boy wasn't having any of it.
"Stupid... Stupid! Stupid! So damn stupid." Haru hit the space on the wall with his fist right by Marley's head. But she barely flinched, and this kept the boy's attention. He wondered what it would take to get something more from the girl.
"Wah, Marley's so brave. She doesn't even look frightened." Momiji told Tohru who wasn't so sure that was the case. Marley's face was neutral, but Tohru could see she was shaking ever so slightly.
"I could do it... right here... test out how far we can take it." Haru teased, tracing one hand up her neck and holding her jaw up as his eyes raked across her body, not caring how uncomfortable she was.
"Do you really think that would help?" Marley ventured, her voice was only loud enough that the white- and black-haired boy could hear. Brown eyes snapped back to hers and watched her intensely, and she continued on. Marley was trying to stay strong, but her eyes were beginning to burn with unshed tears, and her long nails were digging into her one clenched palm.
"You think that would make you feel better?" Marley challenged, staring him down, but Haru honestly liked that he saw a little bite to the usually happy-go-lucky girl. How much farther could he push?
"It couldn't hurt... they say the best way to get over someone is by getting underneath someone else, isn't that right?" Haru mused, a cocky smirk on his face as if he had said something truly profound.
"You're wrong. It would hurt. I don't believe you're the kind of person who would do that. I know you wouldn't want to hurt her like that." Marley used the freehand that she wasn't using to keep Haru away from her to squeeze his forearm, trying to bring him back to his senses just a little.
"She's the one who hurt me!" He spat at her, but Marley stood her ground. She had seen the two together. Marley knew about much Isuzu loved Haru, before she even met the boy Isuzu would go on and on about him during Marley's hospital stay. Also, going as far as to ask Marley's advice when the two first confessed to one another.
Marley had seen the ins and outs of their relationship, and yet she was as lost as Haru was when it came to the abrupt break-up. Isuzu would barely talk about it, the only reason that Marley knew about it was because Isuzu had cried her heart out to Marley in the hospital till she fell asleep as Marley comforted her.
She reminded herself that this was Haru just hurting, and maybe he just needed to let it out a bit. The heart can only take so much. The angry teen was not liking the reaction he was getting, he wanted something more, but Hatsuharu wasn't sure what he wanted. He just wanted to lash out and make someone hurt like he was.
"You wanna make me feel better, fine. Give. Me. You. That's what you do, right? So hungry for love that you let people use you?" Haru's words felt like daggers of ice into her heart. Marley's eyes widened as he spat those words, her eyes started to burn. Terrible mistakes coming back to haunt her.
How would Haru know that?
"... maybe your right though, what would I want with someone whose already been used." Haru chuckled, but even as he said it, his nose barely brushing against hers as she continued to use her hand to push against his chest.
The look on Marley's face was enough, even though he couldn't hear what they were saying, something in Kyo snapped, and he quickly forced his way out of Yuki grasp and leapt forward.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Kyo screamed as he threw a punch, and Haru was sent flying to the other side of the classroom. Kyo stood in front of Marley's still frozen form as if to shield her just in case Haru tried anything else.
"Hey are you-?" Kyo couldn't finish his question as he looked behind him, and both Momiji and Tohru were by Marley's side, watching her with worried eyes. Marley was standing there staring at the ground, her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes glazed over, and her face seemed a bit pale.
"I don't know what the hell you're so pissed about... but you keep Marley out of it." Kyo's orange eyes were glaring at Haru as he stood protectively in front of Marley, so Haru wasn't even able to lay eyes on her. A part of Haru knew he had gone too far. But he was too caught up in his dark self to see it.
He would rather push the envelope even more.
"You done acting tough pussy-cat?" Haru taunted as he got back up and readied himself for a brawl.
"Who's actin' cow-boy?" Kyo sneered, ready to give it his all.
"You, of course, showin' off in front of her! Why don't you try and break my neck then?! If you're so tough!" Haru goaded Kyo on.
"I'll do you one better, brat... How about I break every bone in your body?" Kyo grabbed Haru by the collar of his shirt, making sure to be anything but gentle, and Haru returned the gesture, excited to go all out.
Tohru wanted to step in, but honestly, the way Marley was so silent had become more of her main concern, the girl was still looking at the floor, not even paying attention to the fight happening in front of her.
It was like Marley had wholly checked out.
"That's enough, you morons." The fight was only put to an end when 2-D's homeroom teacher, Mayu-Sensei, dumped a bucket of water on them.
"Some teacher you are... why'd I get splashed too." Kyo groaned as he tried to shake off the cold water
"Because you were just as eager to throw a punch as he was." She explained, glaring at the two students.
"Ahhh... I feel much better." Haru had returned to his soft self.
"Do you? Glad to help. In exchange, come with me to the staff room." Mayu-Sensei pointed him towards the door before turning to check on her student.
"Marley-San? Are you hurt?" The concerned Sensei asked, and it took a few snaps of her fingers to get Marley to even respond.
"Huh? Oh um... No, I'm fine." Marley was saying she was fine, but she was shaking her head, and Mayu let out a sigh.
"Honda-San, why don't you walk her to the nurse's office." She ordered.
"Really I'm fine." Marley tried to wave it off, but the teacher gave a look that was not be messed with.
"Go."
It hardly left any room for an argument, and Tohru nodded, both her and Momiji taking Marley by the hand and leading her away to the nurse's office.
Haru caught a glance and looked like he wanted to reach out and say something, but it was Kyo's glare that kept him away, as well as Mayu-Sensei, who was leading him away in the opposite direction.
Everyone waited outside the nurse's office, Marley insisted she was fine, but the nurse thought maybe she should lie down for a bit. As she lay there, her mind was racing with what had just transpired. The words that had been said. And where they might have come from. Because there was only one way that Hatsuharu knew so much about her past.
Her friends waited in the hall outside the nurse's office, wondering what had happened to Haru to make him snap like that and what had been said to make Marley go so quiet.
"What happened to make Haru blackout for real... Momiji?" Yuki asked as he leaned back against the wall.
".. well, I wasn't watching him the whole time..." Momiji confessed, so he really didn't know what had happened.
"He seemed normal to me... But maybe something's happened recently? How do I put it...? He hasn't been himself lately.." Momiji pondered, he also had noticed it seemed like Haru and Marley have been speaking quietly amongst themselves lately, but Momiji had figured it was nothing.
It had made Momiji feel a little left out, but he hadn't worried much about it before. But after today... maybe something more had happened.
Speak of the devil. Hatsuharu was coming down the hall, head down and hands stuffed into his pants pockets.
"Haru, was she mad?" Momiji asked, hoping he wasn't in too much trouble.
"Mmhmm, she called my Mom too. I'm supposed to wait 'til she gets here..." Haru sighed, but he honestly didn't look too stressed about that. Haru's soft brown eyes looked at the door to the nurse's office as if he was debating going in.
Momiji made the decision for him.
"Marley-Chan's just resting right now." Momiji insisted as he stepped in front of Haru, killing any chance of him walking into the room.
"Ah... well... Knowing my Mom, what with putting on makeup and everything, she won't be here for another hour or so... Guess I'm gonna kill some time 'til then." Haru mumbled but not before looking at the infirmary door, a regretful look on his face.
"Well... see ya." And with that Haru walked away, Kyo just huffed, glaring at him as he left.
"Do you think it's okay to leave him alone?" Momiji wanted to go, but he also didn't want to leave Marley.
"I'll go." Yuki was already walking off in the direction Haru had gone.
"Sorry Honda-San, would you mind going home alone?" Yuki apologized to the girl.
"Oh... Yes... I suppose." But Tohru was still worried, not just for Haru, but Marley had looked absolutely shaken by what had happened. They waved goodbye to Yuki, who was already turning the corner away from them.
"Hey, you." Kyo called out to Tohru, who blankly looked up at him.
"huh?"
"Can you... take her home or whatever?" Kyo asked, unsure how to ask Tohru for the favour, but he figured that maybe Marley needed more of a gentle touch like Tohru to help with whatever had happened back there.
"Are you talking about Marley-Chan?" Tohru asked, and Kyo just nodded.
"Just... I don't know what the hell happened, but..." Kyo didn't want Marley going anywhere alone, she had looked as if she stepped into an ice bath to whatever Haru had told her.
"I'm gonna go check on her!" Momiji announced, having felt like he had waited long enough and burst into the infirmary and Marley apologized to the nurse who only commented on how cute the little blonde boy was.
"Marley-Chan. How are you feeling? Did they need to bandage anything? I can kiss it better." Momiji cheered as he bounced over to the bed she was in. Marley smiled and patted Momiji's hair, insisted there was no need for any more bandages.
The only real wound Marley had was from her own long nails, leaving small divots in her palm, which the nurse had already taken care of. Marley told Momiji that maybe a kiss on the cheek couldn't hurt, the boy smiled and laid a soft kiss to Marley's cheek, claiming it would make everything better.
Kyo and Tohru followed in, the brunette asked if she was okay and Marley insisted that she was fine.
"Oi. Next time black Haru comes out, stay away from him, okay?" Kyo told her as he glared down at her and crossed his arms.
"Eh?" Marley widened her eyes as if Kyo had said something completely unreasonable.
"He's dangerous when he gets like that." Kyo continued, already frustrated that she couldn't see it.
"No, he's not... He's just..." Marley was already defending the boy's actions, and it managed to piss Kyo off even more.
"You don't get it!" He yelled, and Marley shook her head and continued on.
"But I wouldn't want to hurt his-"
"He's the one who hurt you!"
"I'm fine, though, really!" Marley insisted, sitting up in the bed as if that made her point come across more clearly. Kyo clenched his jaw, trying to find the right words to say, but he couldn't find it him to let them out.
What right did he have? Marley and Haru had known each other longer then Kyo did, they always seemed close. Closer than Kyo liked. But seeing Hatsuharu caging Marley in like that, especially with that guy's temper... it really enraged something in Kyo, and he would have had liked to snap him in two.
"I DON'T WANT YOU NEAR THAT GUY!" Everyone looked to Momiji as he been the one to fill the small room with his loud voice, an angry look on his face. Even the nurse had jumped from her seat at her desk.
"I bet that's what Kyo wants to say." Momiji said with a big smile on his face, and the statement made Kyo go completely red, he just couldn't catch a break today.
"Momiji! You can get lost too! You don't know what I'm thinking twerp-" A hand took hold of his, and Kyo looked down at the girl sitting in the bed, her large eyes looking up at his.
"Thank you... for worrying." Marley said softly, a genuine light in her eyes and Kyo felt any rage he had moments ago, gone. Kyo reached forward and slightly tugged on a lock, watching it bounce and curl as he let go.
"... whatever...I gotta get going. Don't wanna be late to the dojo." Kyo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Don't push yourself too hard." Marley smiled and let go, and Kyo nodded before he shared a quick look with Tohru. The brunette nodded, knowing what her mission was with a determined look in her eyes.
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Yuki stood by his with his cousin, who was slumped on the floor, back leaning against the wall as he tried to figure out what he was gonna say.
"Honda-San seems to be walking Marley-San home..." Yuki commented as he looked out the window and watched the two girls walk together off school grounds.
"Haru... what happened?" Yuki asked once more, returning his attention to his usually kind-hearted cousin.
"I was dumped..." Haru finally admitted, and Yuki wanted to immediately ask by who, but the white- and black-haired boy continued.
"I didn't feel anything at the time... But the days went by. I got more and more irritated. And when I thought about it today, it pissed me off and... I just snapped." Haru admitted, the feeling of shame settling in as he realized the cruel things he had brought up. Marley was only trying to be there for him, and he had pushed and pushed. As if it was some sort of sick game. His dark half could be a real bastard.
"Did Akito-" Yuki asked but was quickly interrupted by Haru.
"We'd kept our relationship secret. Marley was the only one to know, but those two tend to tell each other everything it seems." Haru explained. Marley probably knew more about Isuzu than Hatsuharu. While he would sometimes get jealous of their close relationship, he was also grateful that Isuzu had someone like Marley in her life.
It was because of their close friendship that Haru knew certain things about Marley that Isuzu had shared with him. Intimate details that he had used against her out of his anger. Deep secrets he had thrown into the face of the girl who did nothing but help those around her.
Haru knew he was gonna have to apologize to her but didn't even know where to begin.
"Although I think Sensei might have caught on." Haru mentioned, Shigure always seemed to know everything that happened in the Sohma Family.
"This is actually the first time I've told anyone... Since .. we are fellow members of the zodiac." Haru revealed as Yuki continued to listen intensely, not wanting to miss a detail.
"She got hurt... And she changed. I'd go visit her in the hospital, but she'd duck out of her room. Suddenly it was like I didn't know what she was thinking. Then she dumped me... out of the blue." Haru could remember the words she used; he would never forget them. They seemed to taunt him.
"I don't need you anymore... I'm just sick of you."
"And I got no idea why. No idea... but even so... I wanna see her so bad it hurts." Haru confessed as he leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling tiles. He was already picturing walking along beside her again, her hand fitting perfectly in, her rare smile that made him feel like he was weightless.
My feelings of wanting her... are not light enough... To give up on her so easily.
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The two girls walked along the path to Shigure's home. Tohru kept peeking over at her friend, who still felt so far away, her eyes looking down at the ground as they walked. Marley let out a defeated sigh.
I feel like I've been at the wrong places at the wrong time... I need to lock myself in a room and just stay there for a bit. Be out of everyone's way.
While Akito and her had laughed about her walking in her and Kureno, Marley still felt terrible and embarrassed. She never even told Akito about meeting her mother, worried that she would make the deceivingly sensitive girl upset.
And now Marley was sure that she had only made the Haru situation worse. Apparently, Kyo and him and gotten into a fight, but Marley couldn't even remember it, too caught up in her thoughts to realize what had happened in those few moments. Haru had said words she never imagined coming from his mouth, but one sentence was on repeat like a broken record.
"... maybe your right though, what would I want with someone whose already been used."
What exactly did Zuzu tell him … was that how they really saw her? Would others see her that way?
"Marley-Chan? Are you alright?" Tohru called out to her, Marley hadn't even realized she had stopped walking.
"Just... tired. Sorry I don't mean to be so out of it." Marley apologized and threw on a smile, the last thing she wanted was to make Tohru worry over her, she had caused enough trouble for the week.
"What no! Umm, what would you like for dinner?" The brunette asked as Marley looped their arms together, walking down the path together.
"Anything you make will be delicious I'm s-" Marley was interrupted by a distressful call.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A screech ripped through the air, and both girls jumped and held onto each other, unsure of what kind of creature could make that kind of noise.
"It ripped... the bottom of my paper bag ripped open..." What looked like a woman in a beautiful green kimono was staring down at the books on the ground, their broken bag still in hand. Marley jumped into the action, completely forgetting about her problems at the moment.
"Ah I'll help!" The white-blonde was already on the ground, putting the books together, and Tohru soon jumped in.
"Me too!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I always, always do this..I can't seem to live without causing problems for everyone! I know I should be ashamed of myself for even existing on this Earth. I'm SORRY!" The stranger apologized as they repeatedly bowed their head, their long, light brown hair blocking their face.
"Hey, everything's alright. It's only a few books. It's nothing really, we all need to lend each other a hand now and then." Marley insisted as collected the books while Tohru agreed, smiling up at the stranger in the green kimono.
The kimono clad figure stopped apologizing and then really took in who had stopped to help, recognizing the accented voice and wavy white-blonde hair. They timidly called out Marley's name, making the white-blonde stop her actions and look up from her kneeling position into wide grey eyes.
"Ritsu?"
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To Be Continued.
Sorry, no notes today, or at least none I can think of.
Hello!
Peachie here :)
I really am sorry about the long delay and I hoped I didn't make anyone think I was abandoning this story. We still have a long ways to go and I am COMMITTED as long as the readers are in it with me XD
Thank you to everyone for the support it means a lot, I cried reading the messages/reviews from you guys. Happy tears, I swear!
Please enjoy this chapter and it would mean a lot to me if you would leave a review, I really love reading what you guys think 3
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