.
.
The teacher was going over English review for the class, and this was a class that Marley always zoned out for, absently drawing in her notebook.
"What the hell is that?" Kyo whispered as he leaned forward over Marley's shoulder to see what she had been doodling.
Marley adjusted the paper so he could get a better look, but he just seemed more confused.
The doodle was a black dog wearing a taco suit, and then the dog had little glasses on. Marley had even used her highlighters to colour in the taco and its toppings. Underneath the dog was written in English.
'TACO SENSEI'
"What the-" Kyo tilted his head as if that would help him see it better, but he still felt lost.
"Its... a dog... in a taco suit..." Marley wasn't even sure of her drawing, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden as Kyo inspected the doodle. She also wasn't gonna mention that Shigure was the dog, worried about embarrassing him.
Or embarrass herself.
"A tako suit? How is that a tako?" Kyo slightly scoffed, shaking his head over the drawing. It definitely didn't look like any octopus he had ever seen, more like a sandwich.
"No, not that kind of tako, like a taco, it's a type of Mexican food?" Marley tried to explain, but it only made the Zodiac member ever more confused,
"You've never had a taco? Kyo, we're going to have to fix that." The girl was simply beside herself and was now craving Mexican food from her favourite late-night taco truck back in the states.
.
Now that I think about it... I haven't seen much Mexican cuisine here...
.
"Ehem." The forced cough made both Marley and Kyo freeze, and they looked up to see their teacher crossing her arms as she gave the two a disappointed look.
"Are we interrupting?" Mayu-Sensei asked as she stared down at Marley, and the class giggled as Marley and Kyo both went red. Kyo looked like he was about to yell something, but the white-blonde stood up, bowed her head, genuinely embarrassed over being caught and disturbing the class.
"Sorry!" Marley chirped, and the teacher just let out a sigh and turned to address her class.
"That's it for review. Oh, and If you haven't turned in your career goal form yet... get it to me before final exams." Mayu-Sensei reminded everyone, and the class responded with a less than enthusiastic 'Hai.'
Marley was surprised that there was such a thing, she didn't remember any of her teachers back in the states so interested in their students' career goals. The white-blonde still wasn't sure what she wanted to do.
"Parent-teacher conferences are right after summer vacation. Be sure to let your parent or guardian know. That's all. Dismissed." And with that, the students got up and gathered their things for the lunch break.
.
I guess I'll have to let Dadaji know... hopefully it's not too much trouble
.
Marley wondered if the Sohma Elder had already had some sort of idea of what he would want from Marley; in all honesty, that would make things easier if she could think off of what was expected of her. To have some sort of direction because she really hadn't given it too much thought. Not in a career sense, at least.
"Kyoooon-kyon! Have you decided on your career goal yet? Maybe a cat breeder?" Marley heard the conversation, Kyo's classmates teased him again, and the white-blonde had to stifle a small giggle.
"Shut up! None of your damn business-" Kyo argued but was interrupted when a foot shot out and kicked his desk, Marley jumped a bit in her seat at the brash act.
"LUUUUUNCH! I'M STARVIN', DAMMIT!" Uo groaned as she held her stomach.
"Uotani-San, are you upset about something...?" A classmate asked as he slightly cowered backwards.
"I'M HUNGRY! WHEN I'M HUNGRY I'M IN A LOUSY MOOD!"
"But why did you kick Kyon-Kyon's desk?" A classmate asked as he inched away with his friend, slightly afraid he would be the next victim in Uotani's rage.
"'COS IT WAS AN EASY TARGET!" The irritated blonde yelled, and Marley was grateful that her desk was spared in Uo's hungry rage. But she also felt terrible for Kyo, who always seemed to Uo's target.
.
Poor Kyo... but it is the littlest bit entertaining
.
"Hey... thank your lucky stars you were born a girl, delinquent... if you were a guy, you'd be dead already!"
"I did it because I was a girl, numb-nuts!" Uo argued, giving back the fighting energy, and the two were in each other face.
"Anybody want anything from the vending machine?" Marley asked as she brought out her small silk purse to make sure she had enough coins.
"Ah, can ya grab me a melon soda?" Uo asked as she and Kyo backed away from each other.
"Sure." Marley nodded, making a mental note while also wondering what a melon soda tasted like. Because she had melon bread recently and she did not think it tasted like melons.
"Go and help her, Kyon-Kyon." Uo teased, and Marley had to roll her eyes as she knew Uo was only trying to push Kyo's buttons.
"No way! Why do I gotta-" Kyo was about to argue, but amethyst eyed girl was quick to interrupt.
"That's okay, I can handle it. I meet you guys out on the grass." Marley smiled as she got out her lunch and Tohru quickly offered to take her lunch for her, so she wouldn't be too burdened. Marley promised to grab Tohru a milk tea, the two girls chatted for a moment, Tohru insisting she was fine and Marley insisting it was no trouble.
The two probably could have gone on forever, and Kyo groaned and used his hand to move Marley's head towards the door, practically dragging her along.
"Enough already..." The boy complained, and Marley let out a giggle as she swooped out of Kyo's grip and walked beside him instead, walking out the door together.
"Those two kill me." Uo crossed her arms and let out a huff.
"What do you mean, Uo-Chan?" Tohru asked as she balanced both her and Marley's bento boxes.
"How long it's taking for the two to get together." Uo wiggled her eyebrows at the group. Yuki let out a sigh and shook his head, choosing not to take part in the conversation while Tohru looked out the door the two had just left.
"Your such a romantic Arisa. Where does this come from?" Hana asked, and Uo just grinned as if she had some sort of secret before her stomach growled, reminding her of her hunger, and the ex-gangster was ready to take down another desk. Hana directed her to get her lunch so they could go outside and enjoy it.
.
..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
.
"Here."
"Thanks..." Kyo accepted the small milk carton from Marley, who only smiled and insisted it was no problem before turning back to the vending machine and proceeded to look for something.
"What are you doing?" Kyo asked as he watched her look through all the rows as she softly muttered to herself.
"Where is the melon soda... I've never gotten one, so I'm not sure... what I'm looking for..." Marley said, and Kyo looked as well, only to realize that it was practically in front of her. The boy let out a sigh and took the back of her head in his hand and faced it towards the green can.
"Oh! It was hiding from me." Marley laughed as she put in the needed coins and pressed the button to pick the drink. She also picked out a milk tea for Tohru, chocolate milk for herself and then one final thing.
"Coffee?" Kyo asked as Marley balanced all the drinks in her hands.
"Yeah, it's for later. I'll need the caffeine boost." Marley took a deep breath as if that would help prepare for the long day still ahead.
"Busy day?"
"Taking Kisa to ballet, and then I'm dropping in on an advanced class," Marley said the last part as if it some sort of math test and not a dance class.
"You look nervous."
"Do I? Well...All of the dancers in that class are so amazing, I feel like I'm struggling just to keep up." Marley sighed as she looked out the window as she and Kyo walked through the halls, a few students looking their way and whispering, but the two didn't even notice.
"Aren't you like... really good?" Kyo asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean... I've seen a video or whatever. You seem... like your good." Kyo rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of the few times that he'd seen Marley in action. He'd always been impressed, not that he ever told her.
"There's still a lot for me to learn. And I'm not as committed as some of the others in the class." Marley admitted. There was a time when she lived and breathed dance, but lately, she could feel herself struggling to keep up with the others, and she knew it was because she wasn't there every day like others.
"Feel like you're always at dance..." Kyo thought back to the other night when he had dropped by he felt a twinge of disappointment as Marley still wasn't home and wouldn't be till late due to some party, Momiji and Haru had been hanging out at her place. Apparently, they were 'bird sitting' for Marley since she was worried that her cat would try and break into the still injured bird's cage.
Marley tilted her head at Kyo, eyeing his pout and then let out a small giggle.
"Haru mentioned you came by. Sorry, Dadaji and I were at a charity gala." She explained, she had gotten all dolled up and introduced to many different Sohma members and business partners. It had been a long night, and honestly, Marley wished she could have been anywhere else. But she still had come fun waltzing with her grandfather.
And she had even met a Zodiac member's parent, but it had been slightly awkward, and Marley wasn't sure if she should bring it up or not.
"... whatever." Kyo who was glaring at the side, a small blush on his cheeks
It was too bad that Marley had a late night. Otherwise, she would say that Kyo could come over for dinner or something.
.
It really is too bad...
.
"Are you looking forward to summer break?" Marley asked as she took in the beautiful sunshine, she was definitely looking forward to spending more time enjoying it.
"I guess." Kyo shrugged.
"Any plans?"
"Probably just training at Shishou's." He admitted, he really never had any plans for breaks. Whatever happened, happened.
"Well, if you're interested, Momiji and I were hoping to take a beach trip. You should come too!" Marley mentioned that they were still in the early planning stages, but the day beach trip turned into a week-long trip down south to one of the Sohma resorts.
.
Should start inviting people soon...
.
"Count me out." Kyo immediately turned down the idea, but that hardly deterred Marley. She wanted her friends to enjoy the beach with her, the more, the merrier.
"Aww, but it'll be so much fun." Marley wanted to make fun summer memories with everyone.
"I hate the water." Kyo shot it down.
"Well, there's more to do than swimming! We can play beach volleyball or make sandcastles. We could even bury someone in the sand. Oh! We can race the waves!" Marley tried to talk up the trip, hoping something would entice the boy to come along. It was always more fun when the orange-haired boy was there.
"Race the waves?" Kyo questioned; to him, Marley was making very little sense today, but he still tried to understand none the less.
"You know? The waves come up on the sand, and you run away before you get wet." Marley was now trying to demonstrate what she was talking about while running back and forth in the hall, and Kyo just watched.
"No?"
"... Now I really don't want to go." Kyo grumbled, causing Marley let out a sigh, her lip slightly pouting as she tried to figure how to get Kyo out there, and his orange eyes studied her expression. Giving in without her really even trying.
"Oh, god. Don't make that face... I'll go, I'll go. But I won't go swimming." Kyo told her, and Marley's large eyes lit up.
"I'm so happy! It's gonna be so much fun." Marley had a bright smile on her face as she walked along, and Kyo watched her as they walked side by side, wondering if him coming really made such a difference to her.
"Yoooo! Over here." Uo called over as Marley and Kyo stepped outside. She was waving, her blonde hair up in a bun. Marley walked over and passed Uo the green can of melon soda, which she grinned and thanked her for and Tohru offered to pay for the milk tea, but Marley quickly waved her off before sitting down on the grass by Yuki and then Kyo took a seat to the free spot beside her.
"It's been too long since we've all had lunch together. Huh?" Tohru pointed out as everyone settled in on the grass and opened their lunches.
"That's true..." Hana agreed, already munching away on her lunch.
"It's been hard to find the time when we're all so busy." Yuki pointed out. It was scary to think about; they were only teenagers, but their lives were already becoming so full that it was hard to even get together at school for lunch. It made Marley think about what could happen if they didn't see each other at school.
How would it be when they left school and started to get jobs and have families, would the group still see each other now and then? Marley hoped so.
"Tohru-Kun, have you already turned in your career goal form?" Hana asked before biting into her perfectly prepared
"Yes." Tohru nodded with a bright smile, Marley felt a vibration from her pocket and pulled out her phone. It was a notification that she had been tagged in a photo.
Opening up the social media, she was met with a photo of herself, wrapped in silks in the air. It was from the small photo project Marley had done for an upperclassman, and there were a few shots to flip through.
Marley's amethyst eyes looked over the photos, letting out a small sigh. It's not that she didn't like or not like the photos. In fact, there was only one thing on her mind as her shoulders sagged the tiniest bit.
.
Mama would have really like these...
.
The white-blonde shut the social media app without leaving a comment or even giving the post a 'like.' She put it away, trying to pretend that she hadn't seen it, but both grey and orange eyes had caught small sight of the photos but didn't say anything.
Instead, the three Sohma's turned their attention back to their friends who were still talking about the career goal forms.
"Hmm, yes, I know I should... but I haven't done mine yet," Hana admitted.
"Neither have I.' Career Goal'? How the hell should I know? Hey, Tohru, did you put what I figured you did?" Uo asked, and the cheery brunette nodded.
"I want to get a job... and be able to support myself." Tohru smiled softly at her lunch, feeling confident in her answer, it was the final promise.
"How about you, Marley-Chan?" Tohru asked, curios what the white blonde's ideas for the future were.
"Um, I was planning on going to college for dance... I guess it's the same..." Marley said a little off handily, clearly not all that keen on the idea anymore.
"There's still lots of time for me to decide, though, right? But in there any job in particular Tohru?" Marley shrugged, trying not to be stressed about her next step in life.
"Ah, no, I'd be happy with any job." Marley raised an eyebrow at the answer. It was true that she had no concrete plan, but she was surprised that Tohru didn't even have a specific job or a better idea.
.
I wonder... what could I see Tohru doing? Maybe like a kindergarten teacher or... a chef?
.
Honestly, it was more fun to think of what her friends could do with their lives rather than her own. Less pressure.
"Yeah, but Tohru... you could always just get married?" Uo wiggled her eyebrows, and Tohru looked a little lost for words, a small blush covering her cheeks.
"Oh, no... in that case, I should go to college so I can get a better job to support her..." Hana sighed, and Uo raised an eyebrow and asked what she was going to do with Tohru.
"Umm, even if I did get married, I'm sure that will be far in the future..." Tohru shook her head, feeling a little flustered over the idea.
"What about you Marley, I'm sure that old man of yours is gonna make sure you'll be well taken care of. He'll probably interview everyone boyfriend of yours till he's satisfied." Uo teased, but she was actually checking out a particular hot head sitting next to Marley to see his reaction, but he seemed to be angrily sucking milk out of the tiny straw that the milk carton came with.
"I really would love to get married one day; I'd be fortunate to find someone." Marley smiled, a slight blush on her cheeks. Marley's life had seen so many changes in the last few years, but she still had the dream of falling in love and having a beautiful wedding. She even embarrassingly had some idea's in a scrapbook back at home.
"Wouldn't it be a kick if I got married first?!" Uo laughed, and then Kyo foolishly made an offhanded comment.
"Pfft. Nobody wants you..." This resulted in Kyo being hit over the head by Uo, and he hissed over the pain.
"... that wasn't a very nice thing to say..." Marley told him as he winced from his head as Marley asked if he was okay.
"Well, marriage aside... I have met a guy at my job who seems pretty decent." Uo revealed, and this left the girls shocked.
"Wh..what?"
"This is the first I've heard of it..." Hana even put down her chopsticks for this exciting reveal.
"What is he like?" Marley asked, eager to hear the gossip. She had yet to hear her friends speak of any romance in their lives.
"Hmmm... He kind of reminds me of Tohru." Uo pointed at the brunette, and this left everyone a little confused.
"Huh?"
"Reminds you... of me?" Tohru blinked owlishly, wondering what Uotani meant.
"Then I'd definitely like to get a look at him..." Hana nodded her head as she closed her bento box.
"I'm sure he isn't anything like your imagin' Hanajima. I didn't say he looked like her." Uo corrected.
"... Hmmm Reminds you of Tohru? I bet he's very kind and a total cutie." Marley offered up, and this caused Tohru to softly blush.
"Well... more like he's a bit of an airhead and a klutz." Uo was naming other Tohru's traits, and Marley couldn't help but giggle as she tried to envision this male version of Tohru.
Maybe Uo would introduce them to him one day.
While the girls tried to get Uo to spill more details. Two Zodiac members got lost in themselves, the burden of their curse and their futures weighing heavy on their young shoulders.
.
..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
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Career Goals... the path... You should take... Prospects... The future...
My future...
Kyo stood at the outdoor taps outside the dojo, letting the water run as he was caught up in his mind. He had questions, but he didn't know how to bring it up as he stared at his Shishou, who was talking to a few other students.
"Yes, all right. Then I'll see you here tomorrow morning at ten." Kazuma smiled down at his young, eager students.
"Thank you, Shihan." The students bowed.
"See Kunimitsu for the rest of the instructions..." He told them, and they bowed again before running. Kazuma looked over his shoulder and caught a familiar stare.
"Hmmm? What's wrong, Kyo? Is there something you wanted to talk about?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
"Huh?! How did you know?!" Kyo practically jumped out of his skin, wondering how his Shishou knew so much.
"Ever since you were little, you would always stand behind me and stare every time there was something you wanted." Kazuma was picturing a young Kyo hiding behind a tree, waiting for Kazuma to be done for the day so that he would play.
"Wha...?! That's a lie! I don't have a wimpy habit like that!" Kyo denied, his face pink.
"Haha, okay, let's leave that aside for now. So? Isn't there something you want to talk about?" Kazuma asked his son, and the boy stared hard before backing down.
"... It's nothing. I'm going back inside. You hurry up and come in too, Shishou!" Kyo again denied as he stomped off, and Kazuma let out a little sigh, hoping that he would ask when he was ready.
On the other side of town, another Sohma member was having her own troubles with grappling with the future
.
Will I be able to do something with my life... I get this vague feeling that I need to be doing something... But I don't know what...
This anxiety... is suffocating
.
The white-blonde misstepped, and I nearly collided with another dancer. The girl glared but then continued on, and Marley just sighed and tried to subtly jump back in, but she felt a firm grip on her shoulder that kept her back.
"Hey. Marley-San, everything alright?" The choreographer and instructor pulled her aside. Trying to be discrete from the other students who were continuing on with the choreography.
Takagi Himari was a strict but sympathetic teacher and put a lot of care into the studio and its students. She was shorter than Marley, but she was still intimidating, her electric blue choppy bobbed haircut giving the woman a bit of delinquent vibe.
But she was anything but a delinquent, the woman was an accomplished choreographer. Marley felt horrible for not fully taking advantage of learning from her in this class. It was frustrating because Marley loved the song choice and loved the combos being used, but she felt distant. She was standing right there but felt miles away. Her eyes travelled to the other dancers who were continuing on, wishing she could keep up.
.
What do you want from me? Why don't you run from me?
What are you wondering? What do you know?
Why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me?
When we all fall asleep, where do we go?
.
"I just... I don't know." Marley admitted, crossing her arms and taking in a large breath as student and teacher talked over the music.
"You're thinking too hard, your off on every other beat. You're all over the place. That's not like you." The woman crossed her arms and stared up at Marley, a sternness in her eyes, but there was a slight warmth that only came from a concerned teacher.
"I think I'm just tired. Do you mind if I leave early?" It was an odd request on her end, but the teacher was very familiar with the hard-working girl and was sure that she wouldn't leave early to be a slacker.
"Get some rest kid, don't worry so much." Takagi-Sensei winked before ordering the class to take a quick water break.
The white-blonde snuck out, only saying goodbye to a few people as she slipped out the door and onto the sidewalk. She texted Sousuke, a Sohma family driver, that she wouldn't need a ride and would walk instead, the night was still young, and the walk might do her good, the evening air felt fresh plus it was pleasantly warm out.
Stepping through the massive main gate, Marley ran a hand through her hair. All this talk of the future made her uneasy. The exhausted girl just let out another sigh and continued on, dragging her tired body through the inner part of the estate and feeling a huge sense of relief when she finally got home.
"I'm home!" She called through the house as she turned to her parents' picture on the shelf, giving them a hello before stuffing her denim jacket into the front closet.
Marley poked her head into her grandfather's office, he seemed too hard at work, going over paperwork, and she decided to not bother him. Slipping out some of her school stuff out of her bag, she stared at the blank career form and sat at the living room table.
"What do I want to do?" The girl asked herself as she stared down at the empty form, expecting something to magically pop in her head.
"What do you think, Zazu?" Marley asked the small bird who was preening himself in his cage, safely hanging from the ceiling as to not entice Gimli.
The bird chirped as if to say 'how am I supposed to know' and returned to preening his feathers, and it gave the white-blonde an idea.
"Mhhmmm I think some proper TLC is in order, hair mask it is." Marley's hair was feeling a little on the dry side anyway, and maybe a nice coconut oil mask would do the trick. She went to the kitchen and put on the kettle before looking for the jar of coconut in the pantry.
Placing a large tablespoon of coconut oil in a bowl, Marley then popped into the microwave for a brief moment before carrying the bowl of warm oil to the upstairs bathroom.
Marley changed her clothes before she got started, slipping on a large tea shirt and comfy shorts, settling down for the evening. The teen brushed out her long hair before dipping her hand into the bowl of oil and running her fingers through her hair, taking her time to evenly coat her hair.
Once she got every bit of hair, she threw up her hair in a top knot, the sweet smell of coconut enveloping her. Popping out her contacts, she slipped back into her room to grab her glasses, and as she was about to leave her room, she spotted a thick violet book with white polka dots on it.
.
What do I want...
.
2 years ago, this would have been easy. Go to college, hopefully on a scholarship, join a dance company. That's why Marley had spent hours training in ballet when she was back in the states. All her 'free' time was spent training, wanting to become better. Marley hoped that if she practiced and did well, she could earn a scholarship and, therefore, not have her parents go into debt over trying to pay. She had dreams of performing something with her Mother to share what they had in common. Marley had cherished the time her Mother spent teaching her aerial silks, but now... doing it felt...
.
... hollow.
.
A little over a year ago, Marley didn't think she even had much of a future to look forward to. Now she felt pressured to do the right thing with it but also wanted to fully enjoy it if she could.
What do I want... for my future now?
Her amethyst eyes stared at the book; her concentration only broke by the kettle's whistling sound. She slipped it out of the shelf and brought the book with her downstairs.
Marley hurried to take the kettle off the heat and poured the hot water into the large teapot. Marley felt herself be comforted by the nostalgic smell of the cinnamon and cardamom as she steeped her tea. It always felt like she was back in her great grandmothers' kitchen whenever she made chai, and as it mixed the coconut smell in her hair, Marley could just picture her Naniji in the kitchen with her.
.
What would she say?
"Follow your heart Beta, you'll always have your family to support you"
Are you all watching me? Can I make you proud...? what does my heart want?
.
Her phone went off, and she looked down to see her phone light up, and Kyo's grumpy face with a sparkly cat filter popped up.
A call from Kyo?
"Hello? Kyo?" Marley spoke into the receiver, uncertain as to why he was calling.
"Yeah, it's me." The boy's voice felt lower than she excepted, but Marley couldn't fight the small smile that broke out on her face.
"This is odd, you never call, what's up?" Marley was used to the odd text now and then. It usually was about homework or letting her know that he got home when he left at night, but she never expected to get a call from the boy.
"What? No! Just- Forget it..." Kyo mumbled, on the other end, and Marley waited for him to say something, but he was silent, so the girl tried calling out his name.
"Kyo?"
"You gonna be up for a while?" The boy asked, Marley could hear other voices in the background but couldn't place them.
"Yeah." She still needed to have dinner and do some homework, and it was still pretty early in the evening for her.
"Okay." And with that, he hung up. Marley looked down at her phone with a perplexed look but sent a text asking if he was okay.
While her tea steeped and she waited for a reply, she decided to take a look at her scrapbook.
'Marley's Adventure Book' In her Mama's handwriting was on the front along with little doodles of flowers and butterflies that her mother had drawn. Marley lovingly brushed her hand over the cover, stopping on a strange little doodle of a lion that had somehow made it in. It was Bapu's little contribution.
He had said it was supposed to be 'Shere Khan', Marley's favourite stuffed animal she had had since she was a child, but honestly, Yuuto's drawing looked more like an overly fluffy cat than a lion.
Opening the book, the first page was filled with a collage of pictures from magazines, mostly travel images.
'Places to see' and then flipping it again the first place was France.
Things like, go to the Eiffel tower and eat crepes, but there was also a picture of a quaint café. It was were Mama and Bapu had their first date, and Marley had always been curious. They had always wanted to go back to Paris and bring Marley with them. Marley now figured she would just have to make the trip alone.
Flipping another page was Japan and pictures from all over the country, including Kyoto and Nara. Marley would be able to tick that off the list this fall, which was nice.
The next page was Egypt. The pyramids, the Nile, the markets. And then there Italy, featuring marble statues and Margherita pizza. Other places included Australia and New Zealand. India was on the list as well, but more personal reasons were on the page.
Marley wanted to go back to the village she had been born in and see the farm again. She had also wanted to visit her Mother's home and be there for Chandra as she tried to reunite with her parents.
Turning the page again she was brought with the title of 'Things to Do'
It was things like: Go cliff jumping, bowling, visit a karaoke bar, visit Tokyo Disneyland, go to the beach. It was about 4 or 5 pages of scrapbooked activities, mostly cut-outs from magazines that Mama' borrowed' from the hospital lobby.
"Ah, open-air hot spring. I can mark that off." Marley realized as she dug out a pen and put a little checkmark to the activity along with a happy face, the hot springs trip was undoubtedly one to remember, the Sohma's certainly had a way of making things memorable.
.
Hopefully, we can all go again
The book was filled with activities big and small. The list started because her mother wanted to try and give her something to look forward to.
Things we would do... together
Marley flipped a page again, and it was a picture of her and her mother in simple work out gear, both posing in separate aerial silks.
-Do A Silk show together -
Well... there goes that plan
There would be certain things she could do without her parents, and then other dreams would simply be impossible. She was tempted to rip out the page
There was more to the scrapbook, a little section that her parents had never seen. She had jokingly done it with Isuzu when she was in the hospital. The black-haired beauty would talk about her romance with a certain boy, and it had gotten Marley thinking of other dreams that she had.
.
The last section was actually titled 'My Future' In Marley's own handwriting.
The first few pages of this section were various pictures of flower arrangements, foods, different extravagant bridal lenghas, Indian desserts and other things from a typical Indian Wedding.
It was fun explaining to Isuzu all the different traditions of Indian weddings, from fashion to the food and the ceremonies. Marley teased that Isuzu would be her maid of honour and be in charge, making the unsocial girl groan.
As Marley flipped through her dream wedding collage, a voice broke through.
"Yo."
Marley let out a small scream as the voice startled her, and she slammed the book shut to turn and see Kyo standing on the porch and staring down at her, an eyebrow raised at her suspicious behaviour.
"Kyo, you surprised me." Marley felt flustered, her heart racing.
"Clearly." He teased, and Marley felt her cheeks go warm, but she only laughed and asked if he wanted some tea.
"Sure." Kyo said as he slipped off shoes and stepped into the room, making himself comfortable on the floor.
"What's up?" Marley asked as she moved to place Kyo's mug down on the table.
"Long day. Shishou really kicked our asses today in training." Kyo shrugged as he stretched out on the tatami mat.
"Is that... That Karate kid movie on your shirt?" Kyo asked as he peeped an eye open and inspected the shirt, he recognized which surprised both the teens.
"YA! I love this shirt." Marley pulled on the shirt a bit to show it off, a giant smile on her face. Kyo softly laughed, it was comical how happy she got over something so simple, and the look of her in a clearly over-sized shirt made her look so small.
"How's Kazuma doing?" It had been a while since Marley had seen Kazuma, she wondered if the man had made another attempt at cooking.
"Huh? Fine, I guess... He cut his hair short, which looks better." Kyo said as if it was no big deal, and Marley's jaw dropped.
"What! But he has such beautiful hair?! Why would he do that? What a waste!" Marley grabbed the bun on top of her head as if something was going to come out and just chop it off.
"A waste? He ain't a woman." Kyo scoffed, but even he had to admit it was a little strange to see his master without his long hair.
"I know a lot of men with long hair...but why did he cut it?" Marley asked as she wondered why he would make such a drastic change.
"Why? Just being a doting parent. That's all." Kyo shrugged it off as nothing, but even he found it hard to get used to.
While Marley had no idea what cutting off his hair had to do with being a doting parent, she smiled none the less. It was cute seeing Kyo call his Shishou 'a doting parent' and caught a small smile on his lips. The relationship between Kazuma and Kyo was precious, a true bond made from love. Marley was so happy that Kyo had a parent like Kazuma.
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"What are you so happy about?" Kyo asked, curious about the soft smile on Marley's face.
"You and Kazuma are just very cute is all." Marley said with such sincerity in her eyes, it sent Kyo's heart into palpations because all he heard was 'cute.'
"What?!" Kyo sat up, his face red, and his cat ears practically sprang up, but Marley was just smiling, unknowing how her words held so much power.
And it only got worse for the poor Cat of the zodiac.
A growl broke through, and Kyo's face slowly turned redder as Marley looked at where it came from.
"Hungry?" Marley tried to hide her giggle but did a poor job.
"Shut uP! I'm STARVING!" Kyo yelled, and Marley started laughing, but then her stomach growled, and Kyo smirked at her.
"... I forgot to have dinner too... Would you like to stay for a late-night meal? I can cook up some mac and cheese." Marley got up and headed into the kitchen.
Kyo let out a huff and was going to lay back down but kept his eyes on Marley, who was walking around in the kitchen, getting stuff together, music softly playing from the stereo in the kitchen.
.
What is it you want?
You can lie but I know that you're not fine (oh yeah)
Every time you talk
You talk 'bout me but you swear I'm not on your mind
You can pretend you don't miss me (me)
You can pretend you don't care
All you wanna do is kiss me (me)
Oh what a shame I'm not there
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The boy got up off the floor and walked into the kitchen, slowly making his way to the counter where Marley was working away.
"What do you need me to do?" Kyo asked, he was standing so close he could smell this slightly sweet scent, Kyo couldn't place what it smelt like, but he liked it.
"You want to help?" The white-blonde asked as she brought out the dishes she would need for the pasta dish.
"It'll just get done faster or whatever..." Kyo washed his hands, and his eyes briefly looked over at Marley, and she felt her stomach do little flips, excited that he wanted to help her.
"I would love the help! It'll be more fun. Do you mind shredding the cheese?" Marley did a little demonstration til Kyo insisted he could do it, and the two fell into a rhythm, and Kyo would ask what she needed from him now and then.
Soon all of the noodles were in a casserole dish with the cheese sauce Marley had made, and the mixture of shredded cheese was layered on top along with bread crumbs.
"Should be ready in about 15 minutes..." Marley set the timer on the oven as Kyo rewashed his hands. Marley walked back to the sink and started filling it with hot water, placing dirty dishes inside.
The two teenagers were still thinking about their unknown futures. Both wondering what the other had in mind. Kyo kept thinking about the book he had just flipped through, and Marley's mind was brought back to the career form.
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"Oh, so Kyo. What is your career goal? If you don't mind me asking." Marley asked as she peeked at Kyo as she handed him a clean dish for his to dry.
"I … I don't know if it's possible but... I guess if there was something." Kyo took a glance at Marley and then let out a sigh as he knew he had her full attention, her large eyes taking him in.
"Inheriting Shishou's dojo would be it." He admitted, but the look on Kyo's face kept Marley from getting excited for him. He already looked defeated, as if the rug had been ripped out from under him.
"The truth is, I wish I could, but... I'm possessed by the cat spirit, so no matter what I do. Even if it's something I really want, and Shishou agrees. If the Sohma family doesn't like it, the plan gets stopped in its tracks." Marley listened intently to him, even turning off the tap and putting down the dish she had been cleaning.
"When it comes to stuff like that, there's nothing that can stop them. Hell, someone like me would-" Kyo completely paused in his movements, his saffron eyes glaring down at his wrist.
"Nah, scratch that. It's got nothing to do with you." Kyo shut himself down, but Marley grabbed his hand, a gentle yet secure grip on his wrist that held his beads.
"Don't!" She cried; Marley never wanted to hear that again. Marley hated that tone, she hated that look in his eyes. Like it was already over before it began. If there was anything she could do to help, she would do it.
"I... I know I'm new... I know that maybe there's still a lot I need to figure out. But if there's anything I can do to help something come true for you. I can at least stand for your dreams." Marley had a determined look in her eyes, her large purple eyes looking deep into Kyo's orange eyes.
"Because... you have dreams and I would... Want you to follow them. No matter what they are..." She trailed off.
"Then what are your' dreams?'" Kyo asked, wanting to know what was on her mind while also trying to ignore the sound of his heart beating in his head. Marley's hand was still on his wrist, her fingertips barely brushing against the red and white beads.
"Hm?"
"I imagined you probably had something in mind. What is it?"
"I... I don't know, actually... I guess I just... I wish I knew. It used to be that I was training to get a scholarship to a decent school and then work hard to help out my parents, but..." Marley tried to put together a sentence, it was hard when she honestly didn't have an answer. Everything had changed, which meant she had to as well, didn't it?
She had to move forward; she knew that. But it was so much easier said than done.
"But they're not here anymore... and you're not even in America anymore." Kyo bluntly put, and Marley nodded as she felt her throat close up.
She did have dreams. Even the scrapbook to-do list. Those were all things she dreamed of doing with her parents, even down to getting mehndi done with Mama for her wedding day and dancing with Bapu for the father-daughter dance.
"I... just don't know what I'm supposed to do. People keep saying that since I'm Dadaji's ward that I'm going to inherit his spot, but I don't know what that means. What can someone like me even do... do I go to college? What do I take? Am I... am I going to be able to dance and do this 'job' whatever it entails? I want to move forward, but... there are still things I would like to fix, but I don't know how..." Marley admitted as a flash of green eyes went through her head, the heartbroken look in his eyes. A look she had tried everything to do to avoid only for it backfire.
Marley thought of the person who she had hurt and wished that she could back and change her mistake or at least apologize, but maybe this was part of her punishment.
"And I just... wish they were here to help me, to give me advice, to scold me even. I'd take anything. Oh, I'm sorry I know you didn't come here to just see me cry." Marley had finally taken back her hand and was now trying to fan her face to keep from crying.
"Well... I think I'm getting used to it... at least you didn't cry in the food." Kyo sighed, biting the inside of his cheek.
"Ju-just ignore me..." Marley insisted as she lifted the collar of her shirt to try and hide her face.
"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Kyo told her as that's something he never would be able to do.
"I bet- I bet Kazuma is waiting... he wants you to talk to him. I remember... Mama and Bapu could always tell- when I-I had something on my mind. And they always wanted to talk through it with me... Rather than me holding it in." Marley told him through her sniffles and cries.
"He's a doting parent that's waiting for you, and if you don't say anything, hiding yourself from him hurts him too. I'm sure... I'm sure he wants more than anything to know what's going on in your life." Marley was now hiding her head in her T-shirt, and the sight was slightly comical.
"Such a crybaby." Kyo smiled as he pulled down the shirt, and Marley's head popped out of the neck.
"I'm sor-" Marley was interrupted before she could apologize.
"I got it... I'll talk to him... just don't worry so much about me. Worry about yourself and how you're gonna get that grump of a grandfather to school for meetings." Marley actually giggled at the comment while Kyo brought his hand back and leaned back on the kitchen counter as he watched Marley hiccup a little as her tears started to calm down.
"You've got your own 'doting' grandfather to talk to... I bet he's waiting for you to talk to him too. That's better." Kyo smiled as he reached and wiped away one last tear, and Marley felt her stomach do summersaults.
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"Guten Abend!" Momiji's cheerful voice broke through the kitchen, and Kyo jumped to the far side of the kitchen.
"Ah Marley-Chan, your eyes are all red. Did Kyo say something mean?" Momiji was quick to accuse his temperamental cousin, and this made said boy practically hiss.
"I DID NOT! God Dammit-"
"No, Kyo was actually helping me with something." Marley told Momiji as she now smiled down at him.
"But your better now, right?" The Rabbit asked, slightly pouting as he hated the thought of one of his favourite people being upset.
"Mhhm. How was your day Momiji?"
"It was great, I got to hang out with Tohru at her job! It was lots of fun." The excited boy spun on the spot, a smile that could brighten a dark room plastered on his face.
"I'm sure Tohru was happy to have you there to help. we're about to have a late dinner, would you like to join?" Marley
"Yes, please!"
"I'll get you a cup of tea. Why don't you relax while you wait for dinner?" Marley kissed the top of Momiji's head before turning away and getting a cup for the boy, and Kyo watched as the younger Zodiac member seemed to pause and get a blissful look on his face from the soft, affectionate gesture.
"Let's get out of the way..." Kyo picked up the blonde from the back of his shirt, but Momiji went pretty willingly, a little smile on his face.
The two sat down, and Momiji immediately looked at the scrapbook left on the table.
"Wow, this must be Marley-Chan's."
Momiji flipped through the book and stopped on a page.
"She'll get to cross this off when we go to the beach." Momiji happily pointed to a page, and Kyo leaned over and saw a doodle of a watermelon being split open with a bat of some sort.
Kyo peeked back into the kitchen, where he caught Marley wiping her hands on her apron and taking a deep breath before she disappeared from his sight.
"So what's the big deal with the book?"
"Marley-Chan made it while she was in the hospital. It's... all the things she wants to do with her life." Momiji spoke softly as he continued to flip through the pages a bit more before closing it, holding his hands to heart and closing his eyes as if he was saying a small prayer or a thank you.
"Kyo! Let's make this a great summer!" Momiji proclaimed, a broad grin on his face.
"Yeah yeah..." Momiji continued to talk Kyo's ear off while the Cat of the Zodiac decided to flip through channels, his eyes glancing at the book now and then. Kyo wanted to know what did Marley wish to do with her life? What had she dreamed about when she was trapped in that bed?
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..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
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Marley peeked into the office of her grandfather, watching as he read over documents and stamped a few things. The teen watched, wondering if it was okay to interrupt Tetsuo looked up and caught her gaze before she could say a word.
"Who's over? I heard voices." The man simply said as he removed his reading glasses.
"Oh, Kyo and Momiji came over... I hope we weren't too loud." Marley swayed a bit in the doorway of the office.
"No, nothing like that. Can you open that window?" The man gestured the far window Marley walked over and slid the window open, letting in the sound of crickets. The white-blonde fidgeted with her locket as she continued to watch the old man.
"I was able to find out about the summer house, you can use the one in the Kochi prefecture. It'll be a long drive, make sure to book the shuttle bus. I imagine all the kids will be going with you..." He raised an eyebrow at Marley, knowing she was most likely trying to get as many as her friends involved as she could.
"You don't want to come?" Marley asked, slightly disappointed but hoping not to show it too much. She knew her grandfather was an important man and didn't want to pester him too much.
"The beach was. never my thing.." He said. Tetsuo has his beach memories, and now he felt he was too old to be sitting on the sand in the hot sun or swim in the ocean, he was starting to feel his age.
"Dadaji... Um... I was just thinking... My teacher gave us these career forms things" Marley called asked as she sat down to the opposite side of the desk, picking up a few pens and placing them back in the red lacquer holder.
"Hmhmm."
"And... Umm... I was wondering if maybe we could sit down together at some point and just... Talk about it... And also there's parent-teacher meetings in the fall, will you be able to come?" The white-blonde finally asked.
"Of course, sweetheart. Just let me know the date." The man said as it was nothing but Marley as relieved that he didn't seem to be too put out by request. Tetsuo leaned back in his chair and relaxed a bit.
.
"Something smells good."
"Ah! Yes, we're having mac and cheese. Do you want me to bring you a plate?" Marley offered, assuming he was still busy with paperwork.
"I'll come out, I'm sick of looking over legal papers." He threw down his glasses on top of the stack of papers and tried to get up. Grunting a bit as he tried to make his body move, but he had been sitting down for too long.
"Need a hand?"
"Don't tell anyone."
"My lips are sealed." Marley promised as she gave her grandfather her hand, and he used to bring his body up off the floor, and the two walked out of the office.
Marley scurried to the kitchen and checked the timer before putting more water in the kettle. Momiji and Kyo were arguing about the remote until Tetsuo walked in, stole the remote from Kyo's hands, and started flipping through the channels himself as he made himself comfortable.
"How's school, boys?" He asked, and Kyo just shrugged and said that it was fine while Momiji boasted that he felt ready for exams.
The Sohma Elder nodded his head, and then a small smirk came on his face, and he found a particular movie playing. On the T.V was a comically large snake slithering through the water towards a boat.
"Kids, watch this... Marley, your favourite is on." Dadaji called out to the kitchen, and both Momiji and Kyo looked at one another and shrugged their shoulders, both not knowing what Tetsuo was up to.
"What- OH GOD! DADAJI! That's so mean." Marley had only taken a quick look before she covered her eyes and escaped back into the kitchen.
"What the hell just happened?" Kyo asked as he watched the old man chuckle before changing the channel to catch the last bit of a baseball game.
"Marley-Chan doesn't like snakes." Momiji let him know, remembering the first time that Marley met Ayame in his Zodiac form and fainted. Kyo didn't feel the need to ask questions, he wasn't a fan of snakes either. Snakes seem to cause nothing from problems.
On the other side of town, in a small boutique, a certain silver-haired Zodiac member gave a sneeze.
Marley finally returned to the living room when all three promised that there was no more snake on screen, and Momiji helped her set the table, and the four enjoyed the late-night meal together. Marley and Momiji gushed about the upcoming summer vacation and how they were ready to get exams over and done with.
Kyo couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips as Marley showed her doodle from class to Momiji. Tetsuo watched Kyo's gaze, following it to Marley, who was completely unaware and let out a small sigh.
The teenagers weren't the only ones who worried about the future.
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.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
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Green eyes glared down at a phone, a dead black screen. He had no way to even contact his sister, who was busy teaching workshops. And he was slightly exhausted over the jet-lag plus he hadn't been expecting this humid heat that was slowly killing him. His long thick hair wasn't helping either, and he was ready to shave it off.
"'Here's the address, you'll be fine.' She's says... I'm gonna kill her when I see her. If I ever see her again..." The tall teen kicked a stone on the ground and leaned back against the stone wall.
A pretty boy with grey hair and a cute brunette in white and blue uniforms passed him by, but Miguel hardly paid them any mind. It wasn't until the girl started speaking, and he heard her utter the words' Sohma-Kun.'
The boy's eyes popped open, and he stood up to see where that voice had come from. The uniformed teens were climbing up a long thing of stairs, so he went to hurry after them. As he climbed the stairs, the girl took a misstep and started falling back. The tall teen quickly opened up his arms and safely caught the falling girl in his arms.
"You okay, chica?" He asked, but the girl was still frozen in his arms, her heart hammering in her chest as her large brown eyes stared into a concerned green gaze. Tohru was looking into eyes that she could only describe as enchanting. Green with specks of hazel and thick dark eyelashes.
"I-I –I."
The other uniformed teen came down the steps, a worried look in his eyes.
"Honda-San! Are you alright?"
"Ah. I'm fine..." Tohru still hadn't taken her eyes off the handsome tanned stranger, now noticing the intricate tattoos on his well-toned arms, and Tohru was sure she had seen those eyes recently, but where?
"You should be careful, that could have been really nasty fall." The boy still had her in his arms, and Tohru could only nod her head, and he only sighed, carefully putting her upright on a step.
"Sorry, English. Um..." Tohru struggled, her face red and flustered. She had felt good about her English exam, but any English she thought she knew swiftly left her, leaving her sputtering. The stranger nodded and tried to use what limited Japanese he knew.
"... it's dangerous... be careful." He used simple Japanese, using the limited vocabulary that he picked up from watching Dragon Ball as a kid. The brunette continued to think about familiar face and where she had seen him.
"Ah! MIGUEL-SAN!" Tohru shouted as she finally remembered about the photo she had seen of him with Marley. She slightly butchered his name, but the stranger didn't hold it against her. The only thing that was different that this man's hair slightly went past his shoulders instead of the shorter hair in the picture.
"How do you know me?" He raised an eyebrow and almost wondered if it was a lucky guess somehow, and Tohru explained that they were classmates and friends with Marley. Yuki suggested going home and talking there rather than the middle of the stairs.
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The guest was given tea and an ice-cold glass of water that he chugged down, so Tohru quickly left to grab him another. Shigure took charge of the conversation as he was the most well versed in the English language in the household.
"So, you and your sister in Japan for a few weeks, and you're here to see Marley?" Shigure asked, somewhat excited about this new development, Summer was undoubtedly shaping up to be an exciting time.
"Yeah, I was told she was living with her step-fathers family now. I had the address on my phone, but it died. Are you guys not the Sohmas?" The guest asked, wondering if he had the wrong family.
"We're the Sohmas, but Its a very large family, and she actually lives in the Estate." Shigure explained, and Miguel nodded, readjusting again as he wasn't used to sitting on the floor for so long.
"Here you are." Tohru was determined to use her English, wanting to put Marley's tutoring to use and hopefully be better understood by Miguel.
"Thanks um." Miguel said as Tohru herself took a seat on the floor, placing down another glass of water on the table.
"Oh, my name is Honda Tohru. It is a pleasure to meet you." The polite Tohru bowed as she tested out he English, still self-conscious, but she wanted to try.
On instinct, Miguel reached out his hand for a shake, and Tohru picked it up quickly, using her two hands to shake his large hand, and he laughed.
"Miguel Angel Hernadez Flores." Tohru was able to take a better look at the many tattoos that covered his tanned arms, she could make out what looked like a few skulls but also florals like roses, it was slightly intimidating, but they were also beautiful.
"So, Marley's not here?" Miguel asked as he turned back to the kimono-clad adult who had a giant smile on his face.
"I can take you to the Sohma Estate, I need to pop over there anyway." Plus, Shigure was very curious as to how Marley would respond to the guest from America.
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-.-.-.-.-.-.-..
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It was only an hour after Shigure and Miguel left that a loud slam was heard through the house and stomping footsteps.
"Ah Kyo-Kun. Your home early. Welcome home!" Tohru greeted him, but he just started going up the stairs, but he stopped midway, and the brunette was watching him with worry.
"Oi, what do you know?" Kyo asked as he paused in the stairwell, not even turning to look at Tohru.
"Hmm?"
"About that guy? The one Shigure brought to Marley's." Kyo snapped, clearly in a terrible mood, his shoulders tense, and his fists curled.
Tohru thought back to what Marley had told her about Miguel and felt a little flustered. The brunette certainly never expected Marley to have already had such a serious relationship so young.
.
"He... was my first time" Marley had confessed about Miguel, revealing a little bit of her past.
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"Miguel-San is a very dear friend to Marley-Chan." Tohru tried to explain, but the look in Kyo's eyes made her feel like she had said something wrong.
"Um Kyo-Kun, would you like anything for dinner?" Tohru offered as she hadn't gotten started on cooking yet.
"Not hungry." And with that, Kyo disappeared for the rest of the night.
The orange-haired teen escaped to the roof and laid back on the cold tiles, staring up at the sky. The sky was a mix of oranges and purple as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. It was a gorgeous evening, but Kyo wasn't enjoying it one bit. His mind going back to the event that he just witnessed.
A small bird was hopping about on the living room table, their little wing was still bandaged up, but he was still very energetic. Marley cooed and awed over the small bird as Kyo watched the bird hop onto Marley's finger, chirping and whistling before the white-blonde let him back onto the table.
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"Here, hold out your hand flat." Marley opened up Kyo's palm and had him lay it down on the table, determined to get her friend acquainted with her temporary house guest.
"He won't come." Kyo sighed as the brown and blue bird hopped around the table, actively staying away from him. He almost wondered if the bird knew that Kyo was cursed with the Cat spirit.
"Just give him a chance. C'mon little Zuzu." Marley encouraged, her next idea was to get some birdseed and try and coax the small bird into Kyo's hand. The two teens were so caught up in the little bird that they didn't notice two sets of footsteps stepping through the back garden.
"Yoo-hoo!" A cheery voice broke through, and Marley and Kyo both popped their head up to look out the back porch where a handsome dark grey-haired man stood.
"Shigure? The hell you doing here?" Kyo asked, not trusting him showing up here one bit.
"Ah Kyo-Kun? Is this where you been disappearing too?" Shigure teased, and Kyo was about to yell at him to 'piss off,' but Marley was quick to pipe up.
"It's nice to see you, Shigure. Can I get you a cup of tea?" Marley asked as she put away Zazu into his cage and stood up, ready to be a good hostess.
"No, no. I've actually brought a little surprise." Shigure gave a somewhat trickster type smile that he hid behind a paper fan. Marley tilted her head, curious as to what the surprise could be.
"Hey...Marley." A deep voice called out, and Kyo watched as Marley froze, her amethyst eyes gent wide as a figure stepped out from behind Shigure. Marley walked to the porch, not really believing who she was seeing.
The girl was strangely silent, not uttering a single word.
The tall, athletic-looking teen stepped forward till he was at the edge of the porch, finally stepping onto the porch and towering over the girl who backed up a little. He had long dark hair, multiple tattoo's running up from his forearms that disappeared behind his T-shirt's sleeves.
"You...you. Fuck, I don't know what to say.." He uttered, and then the tall teen wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him, holding her tight as if she would disappear if he didn't hold on tightly enough. Marley let out a shocked squeal, and it took a few moments for her to return the gesture. Wrapping her arms around the man's large frame.
"What are you doing here?" Marley pulled back, placing her hands on the man's chest as she leaned back a bit, looking up to meet the man's green eyes.
"Gabi got some deal teaching classes over the summer and also a few shows at a venue. It seemed like a good opportunity for a visit." He replied, and Kyo was surprised at how much he was able to understand.
"That's amazing!" Marley smiled, swaying back on her feet, and the two soon dived into a quick-paced conversation, speaking too quickly for Kyo or Shigure to pick anything up.
The two were so caught up in the conversation that Marley didn't even realize that Kyo had slipped out and over the fence.
.
Now Kyo had a name for the stranger that had been so close with Marley. There was an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, and he couldn't stop clenching his jaw.
Why should it matter that Marley had a friend visiting from America? It didn't matter at all. Not one bit. But still...
Why the hell am I so angry?
Kyo's pocket vibrated, and he pulled out his phone.
+1 new message from Marley +
Opening it up, he was met with a simple 'why did you leave? Everything alright'
Kyo didn't want to reply. But... he also didn't want her to keep asking as she tended to worry too much. So, he lied and texted back a simple 'just tired' and Marley told him to have a good rest and wished him sweet dreams.
The frustrated boy sighed and shoved the phone back in his pocket, unknowing that Marley was still looking down at her phone with a slight frown as Miguel was talking to his sister on the home phone. Her own complicated feelings stirring in Marley's chest like a storm.
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TBC
Notes:
TAKO is the Japanese word octopus while Taco is... well its a taco XD
Guten Abend - German for Good Evening
Songs:
Bury A Friend - Billie Eilish
Bitchen Broken Hearts - Billie Eilish
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Miguel is here, I repeat Miguel is here!
Wow, sorry I know it has been a while but I kept changing A LOT about this chapter, ended up writing certain things and then cutting it out and even cut out the Yuki Ayame peach scene cause... I just didn't feel like doing it sorry. There also might be some mistakes in here, I got REALLY lazy during editing so please forgive me and feel free to point it out and I'll go back in and fix it.
I hope everyone is doing well and thank you for reading, following, favouriting and leaving reviews. My heart beats so fast when I get to read a review and it makes me so happy so thank you, thank you, thank you. Virutal hugs and Kisses to all of you.
Also, I'm thinking about commissioning another fan art and was wondering if there are any certain Marley scenes you would love to see illustrated?
I am so behind in Fruits Basket, I even missed like three episodes, but that's okay. I'll get myself caught maybe when I've caught up in writing XD
I loved how people enjoyed Marley's vision of Shigure as Taco Sensei and I might have to make it a running joke lol
Also, Uotani here representing people who just want Marky ship to sail already like god damn.