Spring Part 1: Morning Bells Are Ringing, Ding Dang Dong!

A/N: So here we are again! Welcome back to my faithful readers and welcome to those who have just joined us. If this is the first story you've seen by me, please visit my author page to find part one of this story as this is part three of an ever-expanding story arc. You'll want to begin at the very beginning, a very good place to start with House Room 1: Spring is Coming. This story begins a few days after House Room 2: On the Road to Okinawa.

Spring has sprung and this story focuses on the Sohma's Hanami festival, a festival devoted to the appreciation of flowers, and specifically cherry blossoms. The compound's cherry blossoms are about to bloom and Ayame and Mine have been called to plan the festival that will pay homage to those beautiful pink blossoms. As we know, the Mabudachi trio have all begun relationships that are in different stages of bloom. So let's go and see where each loving couple finds themselves at the beginning of this beautiful spring. I had meant this to be the first part of the last installment of this series, but that idea was blown out of the water as you'll find out! So expect at least one more after this. But that is in the future.

I do not own Fruits Basket, or the characters found within.

Ayame Receives a Call (Lemon)

Following the unprecedented success of the fashion show that blasted both my oeuvre and Shigure's relationship into the stratosphere, Mine and I arrived back home to her comfy apartment above my shop as I was nowhere near ready to expose her to the scrutiny she would inevitably receive when I brought her to the compound. I was guiltily enjoying the option of removing myself from their eyes, whereas Gure really didn't have that option given he was tied to the compound by his guardianship of his small household. But that luxury didn't last long as, after an especially late night attending a party thrown in honor of my latest collection of kimonos, (it WAS a working party as I got several orders) I received a call at 9am from Kureno asking if I had made plans for the upcoming Hanami, or Cherry Blossom Viewing Party. Mine looked at me blurrily but wishing to give her the option of going back to sleep, I kissed her on the forehead, grabbed my robe, and walked into the living room.

Gathering my thoughts, I answered, saying, with more energy than I felt,

"Ah Kureno! Good morning! And how are you this beautiful day?"

"Good morning Ayame. I'm sorry to wake you. I know you keep different hours than I do. But I hoped to talk to you about the upcoming Hanami. Our cherry trees are almost ready to bloom, so I'm hoping to schedule the festival for next weekend."

I had totally lost track of the time as the humdrum life I had led filled with turning calendar pages had been turned on its head. But I clicked back to that mindset and thought, yes, it was time to honor our beautiful cherry trees. I usually dialed in the preparations for that celebration as the blossoms were really the stars of the show and spring was a busy time for bridal gowns. But as I thought about it, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to possibly facilitate bringing families together. I was no Pollyanna however, and I knew that my efforts would likely be ignored as usual. But I hoped I would help make inroads between the Zodiac members and the rest of the family.

So, I said,

"Yes, I'm sure that Mine and I can have something ready for next weekend."

"Well, that's wonderful. I will be sure to pass the word on to expect a gorgeous display as always. Oh, and feel free to bring Mine. It would be a great time for you to introduce her to the family as everyone will be in a festive mood."

"Thank you."

By the time I had gotten off the phone, I was feeling a bit excited about the prospect of the Hanami. Perhaps it was the kind words of Kureno, or perhaps I was warming to the idea of the sweet scent of the cherry blossoms bringing us all together, but I was almost looking forward to the event. So, when Mine walked into the living room to see where I had gotten to, I caught her up in my arms saying,

"We have a tall order to complete my love!"

"Did we get another order for maid dresses? We just can't seem to keep those in stock!"

"Well, yes actually, I gathered several special orders last night. But no, this is about the family's Hanami. We need to create a fabulous display! A display to end all displays! A display that rivals the sweetness of the cherry blossoms and serves as a balm for wounded souls!"

"That's a tall order."

"I know. That's why I'm glad you're here to help."

Mine Dances Like a Cherry Blossom on the Wind

He was so filled with glee that it was simply infectious. Soon we were waltzing across the floor. Unfortunately, the room wasn't that big, so we ended up flopping on the couch, but I landed softly in his arms.

"What has you so excited my love?" I asked as he held me close.

"We're going to make the cherry blossoms dance!"

"Hai!"

"But first!" he said, with a boyish grin, "I'm going to make you dance!"

And with that he whirled me into our bedroom and laid me down on our bed. Undoing the buttons of my nightgown he said, somewhat frustrated,

"There are a lot of buttons on this aren't there? Who designed it? He should be taken to task."

"You did actually. And I think that might be the general complaint for that collection."

"Duly noted."

After the buttons were finally opened, and the silky material shed, he covered my body with kisses that went ever lower. He paused, saying,

"Your skin tastes as sweet as cherries."

I jokingly said,

"That might be the bubble bath from last night."

He smiled in remembrance.

"Ah yes, the bubble bath! Someday we will have a tub long enough for the both of us. But seeing you festooned in the bubbles was enchanting. It was like you were a water nymph rising from her secret pool and I was lucky enough to see you emerge. It was inspiring. I can picture you wearing a dress made of opalescent bubbles that would swirl around you. Your veil would be a frothy concoction that would burble down the aisle. And your hair would be festooned with a coral tiara."

We looked at each other. He was describing a wedding dress. A haute couture wedding dress out of the pages of Vogue, but a wedding dress, nonetheless. We were quiet for a moment. He looked at me shyly and said,

"Someday."

I looked into his golden eyes, and I fell even more in love. Outwardly he was like a tornado that swept you up, giving you little choice but follow him or be bowled over. But inwardly, he was a quieter soul. I wondered what had happened to him to create the larger-than-life persona that wrapped him in a protective cocoon. For it made him fill a room with a personality that gave people little room to strike at him.

I held him close and said,

"That would be beautiful."

"I think that might be a bit over the top even for me, but perhaps we could create something a little less editorial. Although that would be a showstopper!"

Turning back to the theme of the festival to come, I said quietly,

"Perhaps you could sew me a dress out of cherry blossoms."

His eyes grew large, as if seeing a vision.

"You'd be a vision in pink."

He kissed me then and all visions of the future were replaced by my growing feelings of ecstasy as his lips traced the contours of my body. He finally reached my center, and he brought me over. I buried my hands in his long silky hair and rode through the waves of my orgasm. He rose and cradled me, and we held each other quietly, bowled over by the height of emotion brought about at that moment.

Aya Dreams

In that moment I knew I would ask Mine to marry me, but I wanted to wait until Hatori made his intentions to marry Mayu official, as I knew he had a harder road to walk. it seemed cruel to jump ahead of him. For while I felt no need for my parents to pay attention to me, Tori-san was forever seeking his father's approval. I was also nervous that I was further along the road than Mine. I put a pin in those thoughts, saw my beautiful cherry blossom princess laying before me, and, after pausing to put on a condom, I entangled myself with her, whispering,

"I love you Mine."

She whispered back, "I love you Ayame."

Hatori Receives a Call

The phone rang while I was getting ready for work. As it was the first day of Mayu's Spring break she watched me lazily from our bed. I paused to kiss her forehead while I picked up my phone and wished I could join her in bed instead of making my way once again to the hospital where I would spend hours tending to the sick. I really wanted to be on the same schedule as her and was still waiting to hear from the university about scheduling an interview for the medical school professorship. So I tried to keep my disappointment from my voice when I heard Kureno's voice instead of the hospitals HR department. .

"I know you have a very busy schedule Hatori and want to spend as much time with Mayuko this week, but I was hoping that you would be able to attend the family's Hanami next weekend."

The Hanami. Well, as familial obligations went, it was innocuous. We all sat around in our familial units and appreciated the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Those who were dating prepared special bento boxes for each other and engagements were announced. I felt my nerves rise as I knew that this was the perfect time to approach my father about my grandmother's ring as he would be forced to be civil. Sohmas did not make a fuss in public. He might also be in a festive mood thus making him a bit more positively inclined towards me. So, I turned to Mayu and asked,

"Would you like to go to the Sohma's Hanami, or does your family celebrate?"

"We often go to the city's festival as we don't have any cherry trees on our property, so I would love to see the trees on the compound."

I assured Kureno that we would be there and hung up. Sitting down beside her, I said,

"It's nothing spectacular. Aya always puts on a lovely show, and the chefs outdo themselves with the food every year. And those that are dating give each other bento boxes to share."

I paused for a minute and said,

"And I plan on telling my father about us. He will be in a good mood then."

Mayu Calls Kana

He looked so nervous. So, in efforts to calm him, I smiled and said,

"Well, I'll finally be able to give you a bento box! And if it's inedible, we can share yours!"

He smiled at me and said,

"I'll be sure to make it big enough for two!"

He kissed me, looked at his watch, said,

"Damn! I've gotta go. See you tonight love."

"Are you sure you can't play hooky?"

"As much as that's tempting I need to make good impression with my supervisor. I'm still waiting for an interview."

"You're right. I'll see you tonight."

And I kissed him, reveling in the domestic bliss of the moment.

I then decided to call Kana so that I could learn to make Tori's favorite foods. I was happy to see him smiling when he left. He had looked very nervous. I almost wanted to say to him we didn't need his father's approval. But then I remembered he had mentioned something about a family ring and figured it must be something about that. I looked at my left finger that still had the twist tie wrapped around it. I loved it and would always cherish it. But I imagined that the ring he was thinking of held just as much sentimental meaning for him as I couldn't imagine him fussing over a mere object. That just wasn't Tori. I called Kana asking if we could meet to talk about her upcoming party and so that I could get a lesson on how to make Tori's favorite sushi. I also was brimming with the news that he had asked me to marry him. She was excited to hear from me as we hadn't seen each other since I had gotten back from Okinawa. We made plans to meet that afternoon.

Shigure Gets A Call

Following my successful book tour, Chris and I decided to take a few weeks to relax before returning to the real world. Aya and Tori and Tori's assistant Eichi surprised me by saying that they had taken up parenting duties for two weeks, giving me plenty of alone time with Chris. It was so decadent! The two of us walked on the beach, toured the shopping districts where fire eaters and dancers performed, visited Shurijo Castle, lingered in the hot tub, and generally acted like tourists without a care in the world. We fell deeper in love as the days rolled gently by. The compound was so far away. My family, while not necessarily forgotten, wasn't in the forefront of my mind for once. The only regret we had was that the early cherry blossoms had already gone by.

On a particularly languid morning, when we had decided to get breakfast in bed and lay like kings in our regal suite, I received a phone call. Looking at it, I nearly let it go to voicemail, but something in the back of my head said that I should answer. It was Kureno.

"Shigure!," he said, "I know you're on vacation, but I wanted to give you some good news! We have retrieved your sketchbook. It took a bit of convincing, but the tabloid was made to realize that it was in their best interest to return it."

I felt such relief! I felt such gratitude! I felt like I would agree to anything that Kureno asked of me. So, when he continued by saying,

"I'd love to give it to you during the family's Hanami next weekend,"

I said,

"Oh of course! I'd love to go!"

Chris looked at me questioningly and then my heart dropped. Chris. Would Chris be welcome? I was silent for a time and Kureno clearly understood as he said,

"Everyone is invited this year. Ayame and Mine will be there. As will Hatori and Mayuko. It is only fitting that Chris should be there as well."

"As my friend?"

"He's welcome in any capacity."

I admired his optimism. But as Kureno had been nothing but kind to me, and as he really seemed to want to have us all there, I asked Chris,

"Would you like to go to the cherry blossom viewing party at my family's compound this weekend?"

He obviously caught the vibe that this wasn't a simple,

"Oh, would you like to come to this super casual fun family event" and took a moment before quietly asking,

"Do you want me to be there?"

Chris Commiserates

I watched the emotions play across his face. Nerves, love, frustration, and sadness fought for control of his face. He finally looked at me with confusion and said quietly,

"I'm not sure I want to be there."

I understood his hesitancy. I thought back to when I was dragged to see my grandmother as a child to learn about my Japanese heritage. While this should have been a wonderful experience, and while I eventually found my own way to Japan, those monthly meetings were painful as I was far from the perfect grandson she looked for. She never shied away from telling me so and I was served bitterness with every cup of tea I consumed; felt the sharp dig of her comments with every stroke of kanji I wrote; and heard her shrill voice every time she heard my New York accent "taint" my recitation. I was only able to impress her with my ability to play the shamisen. In those moments, she laid aside her disappointment and honored my talent. However I saw Kureno's call as an olive branch for Shigure, something I was never given with my own family. So, I said,

"I think we should go."

Shigure looked at me, said,

"I think you're right,"

And he told Kureno we'd be there. After he hung up, he held me close. I asked,

"What have I said yes to?"

"Beautiful ambiance, great food, and good friends."

"Really?"

"Well, that's what I generally go for. Sometimes I purposefully say hi to my parents to make them squirm. But most often I just hang out with Tori and Aya."

I kissed him on the forehead, which calmed him. I then said, reassuringly,

"Well, we have a little more time in paradise before reality hits. And I plan to make the most of it."

I then pulled out a condom and made love to Gure. And as we lay entwined in each other's arms he said,

"I'd like to introduce you as my boyfriend. At least to my close family. To hell with everyone else. Although almost everyone who matters knows. I'd just like to say it out loud. For me."

His gray eyes, which normally danced with merriment, were so serious. I saw my own thoughts mirrored there: Love was love. And when allowed to bloom and grow, it found a way even in the darkest of situations. I kissed him deeply and just as I was going to ask him something that had occurred to me, he turned the conversation silly by saying,

"Just think, we'll be able to experience each other's cooking for the first time! Tradition states that dating couples exchange bento boxes as signs of their love. I'm not promising great culinary feats with mine to be sure but it will be given with love."

I smiled and said,

"Does it have to be made by hand or could I order you one, like the Nikko maizoukin?"

"You'd spend $150,000 yen on a bento box for me? I mean, sure, that would be great. The wooden box is gorgeous, but some of the food is covered in gold, which is silly as it doesn't taste like anything. So, it's a bit extravagant, even for me. I wouldn't say no though. I'd love to keep my pens in a hand carved box like that."

"Actually, I would have had to put the order in a week ago, so I'm afraid that isn't going to happen. But trust me, a professionally made bento box might be better than what I could make. My grandmother's chef tried to teach me how to make sushi, but it was disastrous."

"Well, as I was likely going to have my friend Tohru make your bento box, store bought is a-ok. Oh, what were you going to say? I think I interrupted you."

His lopsided grin was back. Bu I chickened out and decided it could wait. Rather, I asked,

"Should I wear the fox kimono?"

He smiled devilishly and said,

"Definitely. And I will be sure to introduce you to my parents."

"Really?"

"Well maybe not, as that would require me to speak to them, but we will be sure to walk by them. I'm sure they know about Mr. Fox by now."

I held him close as I chuckled. I understood that wish to antagonize his parents. Before I finally left home, I often left my photos from the Village Voice tacked to the fridge like my schoolboy drawings. My parents were not impressed.

Shigure Hopes

Chris's words gave me a bit more hope that things wouldn't be so bad. After all, my chosen family would be there which was all that truly mattered to me. I snuggled next to him and dozed, pushing the event far away from my thoughts.

A/N: Well that's Chapter 1! I hope you enjoyed it. As always R and R and I remain, Acta!