Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ !! Strange Events !! ❯ Ch. 3 + 4 ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: This is a fic I wrote down for my own sake, so my mind could rest atleast for a while. Being obsessed with an anime cannot be good for anyone, as ideas keep swirling in the back of ones heads all the time, even when sleeping. ><

Therefor I wrote this, so I can rest easily. I do not expect anyone to read or rate, that must be entirely up to you. I'm just glad I wrote it, and by doing so, getting it out of my system. There might be typos, but I don't care. I'm Norwegian, my English grammar isn't the greatest, but I try, and who cares what the world thinks ~_^

I have seen the anime, and read the manga, but this fic separates from the manga, and is more related to the anime, after episode 26.
I know Akito's a woman in the manga, but the anime never got as far as to reveal that. And thus, Akito's a man. A man I tell you! *shakes fist* ^____^''

Fruits Basket does NOT belong to me!
Kirin Nimato is my OC, and my way of joining the Fruits Basket world. RawR! ^_^


- - -

S t r a n g e E v e n t s - # 3


Hatori leaned back in his chair. Shigure had called him last week regarding a girl whom he suspected knew of the Juunishi curse. Back then he had told his childhood friend that it was impossible, which, in most aspects, was true. The only person outside the Sohma family that knew, was Tohru, and Hatori knew that the girl would much rather die than reveal their gruesome secret. He had even managed to reasure Akito that Tohru was no threat to them, to him. But could it be that the girl that had ran over Kyo, was real? And not just an unfortunate event that had a lucky turn-out? He closed his latest patient's journal-map and exhaled.


The girl he had come across in the park hadn't seemed like a cluts. Decent, and responsible for two young boys. It did bother him a bit to think about how cruel the world was. That young woman could have had a carefree life with all the wonderful opportunities the world had to offer. The oldest of her boys...she must've had him when she was nothing but a child herself. He shook his head. In his years he had learned that life was all but fair. And now he would have to leave his office in town, to go back to the Sohma Estate. Akito had allowed him to open up his own office in town, but he had made it crystal clear that he was only allowed male patients. Risk nothing. Hanging his white coat on the back of his chair, he prepared to go home.


"KAI~!!!!" The voice pierced the voice-filled air. He turned, only to see a grocery carriage rushing down the main street. The wares were secured in bags, but the baby boy looked extremely fragile where he sat among them."Stop that carriage! Someone PLEASE! My little boy!!" And there she was. The young woman from the park. What a coincidense...


Knowing Akito would never have approved of such rushed actions, Hatori threw himself into the street, avoiding the passing car by pure luck. The carriage scrambled towards him, and he heard the sound of shrieking brakes and honking from cars that tried to avoid hitting the escaping object. His pulse raged as he reached for the handle of the carriage, made contact, and clenched his fists around it. His whole body jerked as the carriage stopped. He did it.


He hurried to secure the grocery carriage, pulling it after him to the sidewalk. Her sobs reached his ears before he could actually see her, then she suddenly appeared, launching herself in his direction. Emotional females, he thought dreadfully, preparing for the worst. However, she swiftly stepped around him and picked up the now wailing boy, cradling and hugging him close to her chest while she kissed his red, tear streaked cheeks.


"Thank you, thank you!" She sobbed, looking at Hatori through her tears. She trembled violently before her knees gave way underneath her and she slumped to the ground. The worst part about it all was people's lack of interest, he realized, they only pushed past them, not offering a second glance to the scene that unfolded.


Hatori got the grocery bags, and she got to her feet, still trembling and cradling the baby to her chest. She followed him as he lead her away from the street and into the park, which was just a few yards away. In a shaded corner of the green area, he put down the grocery bags and she slumped to the ground, still clinging to the precious cargo she carried in her arms. It was a beautiful day, so he didn't mind sitting down for a while himself, relishing in the sun for a few moments before he turned his attention back to the strangers.


"Someone pushed the carriage..." She suddenly said, speaking with a voice that cracked with every word she uttered. He didn't say anything, although he had a few questions in mind.


"Let me see him." He he reached out slowly.


Although he could see she was unwilling to let go of her baby, she handed the boy to him. Close to his 'mother's' heart, the toddler had fallen asleep. The peaceful face was still stained with his own and the woman's tears, but other than that, he appeared to be healthy and in good shape.


"He was lucky." He said softly after a quick check-up.


"Thanks, doctor." She mumbled, taking the sleeping boy back into her arms, letting him rest in her lap, while she leaned back, and ran her hands across her face. "I never said I was a doctor.."


She didn't seem to take notice of his challenging tone. "But you are, aren't you?" She replied simply, her eyes glued to the sky now. Hatori's expression revealed nothing.


"How old is he?" He decided the toddler would be a safer subject than how's and why's. Her gaze fell upon the little one in her lap and she smiled gently, if only for a breief moment, then the frown was plastered upon her face again. "Just about 8 months...." Her slender hand stroked the soft golden locks. "Mika is five, growing on six...he's at his Nana's house. Today would be just me and Kai-kun...I promised him I would take him shopping last night." She wiped some newly appeared tears from the corners of her eyes. "And see what mess we ended up in..." Her voice failed her and she fell silent, biting down hard on her bottom lip.


"You ended up in alot of mess at a far too young age, it seems." He said with sympathy.


"Ara?" She blinked at him with her huge green eyes. "At a young age? I'm twenty, I can't call it too young..." She rubbed the back of her head while waving her other hand absently.


Hatori frowned. "I meant you were too young when you had your first, it must've been hard." Again she blinked, this time dumbfounded, at him, and he wondered for a second if she had any reason left in her head.


"Oh..." She looked as though a lightning bolt had struck her all of a sudden, because she sat up straight in an instant. "OH!" She rose to her feet, awakening the little boy, who began to whimper in protest. "Oh, no! No, no. Hussshhh, Kai-kun. Shhh." She placed him on her hip while reaching for the plastic bags. "I need to go home." She said stiffly.


He got up, too. "I didn't mean to offend you, miss." He apologized politely, had he struck a nerve?


"Oh, it's not that." She smiled awkwardly.



"Then.." He began, but was cut short.



"I bought ice-cream...." She sweat-dropped and looked utterly miserable. "And it's already melted..." She held up the bags, which dripped with liquified popsicles.



Hatori tried to say something again, but somehow she managed to cut him short again.



"They are my little brothers." She murmured, looking at him intently. "Our parents died a few weeks ago...."


She sighed afterwards looking at the bags. Hopefully some of the groceries would be edible when she came home.



"How come you didn't hug me after I stopped the carriage? Most other would've..." He just had to ask. There was something that he wanted to confirm.


She shook her head and gave him a gentle smile. "It would've created quite a scene, and people would go crazy." She said.



"Why do you think that?" He asked, arching an eyebrow, walking closer. When he was as close as he dared come, she stepped away from him, saying: "I just know."


She shrugged at him and turned to walk. She didn't like being questioned. She had nothing to defend herself from, not here, not now.


"How do you know?" What was this?! What twisted game was she playing? For how long had she spied on the Sohma family, to know this?


She only tapped her chin with her index finger, smiling at him again, and was it just him, or was it a secretive smile? He searched her eyes. There was something he couldn't describe in those deep green irises.


"I just...know." She said, again, but to him, her voice was a whisper in the wind, and she swiftly averted his gaze, not holding the eye contact for more than a few seconds. Why was that?


"Why don't you join us for tea?" She tilted her head, and his teeth clenched. He didn't want tea, he wanted answers. To protect the Sohma family's secret, he was willing to walk quite a far distance. He opened his mouth to reply, but she had already turned to leave. He threw a glance at his watch. He needed to get back home at once when he thought about it.


"I can't today." He called to her retireing form, and she looked at him over her shoulder, smiled, and waved. "Thank you, Hatori-sama!" Then she had disappeared out of the park.


His eyes dilated and the world spun around him. He hadn't told her his name.


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S t r a n g e E v e n t s - # 4


Yuki sat on the porch of Shigure's house, although it was wrong to call it Shigure's. It was Sohma property. Shigure had simply decided to live there. And Yuki with him, followed by Tohru and Kyo. They had become a family, the four of them. And although Yuki hated to admit it, Kyo was alright, for a cat. High-school wasn't anymore. They had graduated, and all three teens had done well on their final exams. Tohru had really been brave, she had studied harder than anyone he knew of. She had stayed up late at night, taking notes, and she had woke up early in the morning to discuss possible answers to the tests with both him, and Kyo, and then gone back to her notebook to write down the new inputs. The mouse smiled to himself. A brave girl, indeed.


She had changed, little by little, their Tohru. After she discovered Kyo's dark secret, his true form, she had begun to take life more seriously. True, she still went into apologetic frenzies, and maybe she still was a bit naive for her age, but none the less, she was more grown up. At age nineteen, it was obvious to all who saw her, that she was, in fact, a beautiful young woman. Even Yuki could see that. Yet...Yuki had always seen how beautiful she was, from the moment he got to know her, not as only a classmate (before she had started living with them, she had just been one in the crowd), but as a friend.


The summer this year was exeedingly hot. The mouse could've sworn the air stood still. There hadn't been a gust of wind all day, and if he fetched a knife, he could cut himself a nice slice of steaming air for his bread. Leaning his head back, he allowed the sun to shine down upon his face. He had always had pale, flawless skin. But maybe, just maybe, he would gain some colour, even a slight tan, if he just stayed in the sun long enough.


Giggling woke him up, and he opened his eyes, meeting the mirthful, island blue, orbs that belonged to none other than their very own Tohru. "Yuki-kun, would you look at yourself?!" She giggled, and pulled him to his feet. Still a bit groggy from his light daze, he followed her mindlessly as she dragged him upstairs and into the bathroom. There, she positioned him infront of the mirror and giggled again. And he opened his eyes wide, his jaw dropped all the way down to his chest, as he stared at his reflection. He wasn't a mouse anymore! He was a lobster! "Gh...g...g....!!!!!!" He stuttered, and Tohru quickly soaked a small towel with cold water. "Ne, Yuki-kun, you should know it's silly to fall asleep in the sun.." She commented, as she carefully tended to his blazing skin. His cheeks were burning with embarrasment.


Tohru chirped happily around him as she prepared dinner. He had decided that the longer he could stay out of sight from Shigure and Kyo, the longer he spared himself from the mockery he knew would come. "I hope you don't mind, Yuki-kun, but I picked some of the strawberries from the Secret Base." Her voice made him pay attention to her instead of his own misery, and he smiled at her, as she held up a large bowl filled with the delicious red berries. "Not at all, Tohru-kun, they look marvellous!" Even smiling hurt his scolded skin. Apparently she noticed his discomfort, because she dove into the fridge, fumbling around with the contents, until she 'Ha'ed' and pulled out an almost transparent tube, with some transparent liquid in. "I knew this would come in handy one day." She hummed, and walked over to Yuki.


The Aloe Vera gel Tohru had gotten him, really helped. It soothed the itchy, tender skin on his face and neck, and he relaxed, sitting in a corner of the kitchen while she prepared the meal. "I'm sorry, Tohru-kun, for not helping..." He said with regret. She basically did all the work around the house. The three males rarely helped out. Instead of complaining, she seemed to brighten at his words, like she always did, and she shook her head. "I do enjoy doing it all, you know." She explained, as she whipped the cream that would, later, go with the strawberries. "This...is the one thing I can do right."


It pained him to hear how little faith she had in her own abillities. So he got up, and came to stand by her side. "Tohru-kun is good at many things." He smiled at her. And it did earn him a smile in return. "And...I'm hilariously good at changing you all into animals.." She gave a half smile, holding the whip she had used for the cream up infront of his face. A small chuckle emitted from him, however short it was, it was still a chuckle, and he took the whip, running a finger across it, gathering up the remains of cream. The whip went into the sink to be washed later on, and he enjoyed the cream he had nicked as Tohru continued, high spirited as always. Must your spirit never break, Tohru-kun.


"Ahh, Tori-kun, welcome, welcome! I have missed you sooo~!" Sang Shigure. Yuki and Tohru stopped, and listened. Hatori had come for a visit? Yuki didn't need to look at Tohru to know what she would do, so he walked into the common room to see what the occasion was. it didn't take many more minutes before Tohru joined them with a tray of cookies, tea, and coffee for those who'd want that. "Yuki..." Hatori chose coffee, and sipped it carefully. "You were with Kyo the day the girl almost ran him over, am I right?" His forest green eye sought Yuki's deep purple, and he received a confirming nod. "Yes, but I didn't get a good look at her, really..." The younger Sohma replied. A few seconds of silence passed...


"WHAaaaaa??? Kyo was ran over??? Did he get hurt? Where is he? When??....DID HE TRANSFORM??!" Tohru waved her arms while her beautiful shaded eyes suddenly seemed too large for her face. Shigure and Hatori exchanged looks. Yuki had to manouvre the worrying girl down onto the floor before she ran into something, and he entwined his fingers with hers to give her something else to concentrate about. It obviously worked. The girl fell silent while her face flushed a deep shade of red. "Aww, don't you two match eachother wonderfully!" Shigure chimed teasingly, Yuki could only scoff at him.


"Last week, Tohru-kun. It was last week. You've seen Kyo since that, and he's fine. He left to visit Shishou today, if I remember correctly. And the real subject, the worrysome subject, is that, no: he didn't transform." Hatori sipped his coffee again, and Yuki nodded. "It's true. Kyo told me on the way back, that it was as if she had...known...she deliberately avoided slamming into him full body. I'm amazed at how fast her brain must've worked in order for her to direct her limbs with such accuracy." Tohru looked up from hers and Yuki's hands and tilted her head. "Someone outside the Sohma family knows about the curse?" She frowned. "But...how can that be?" Silence once again filled the room.


"Aaaaaah! I haven't told anyone! I'll swear on Mother's grave! Not even Uo-chan or Hana-chan knows! Please believe me!" She squealed loudly, before Yuki pulled her down once more. "We know it wasn't you, Tohru-kun." He whispered sweetly to her. "We Juunishi trust you with our lives, you would never deceive us, we know that in our hearts. Tohru-kun is the most reliable person in the world." He reasured her. She calmed, but only slightly. "I've met her, too." Everyone's eyes glued onto Hatori's shape. The dragon gave a small shrug. "I don't know how, I cannot explain it..." And so he told them what had happened the past two days. When he finished, there was three pair of worried eyes that rested upon him. "What if Akito hears this? He'll think it's all Tohru's doing, and we'll lose her." Yuki mumbled. Shigure was all tears at the thought of that, the salty droplets ran down his cheeks like a river. "My little flower! What will life be without you~?" He whined. "She's not your flower!" Yuki barked, before regaining his cool mask. "I will look more into it before informing Akito." Said the dragon, after finishing his coffee."Now, Yuki, let me look at that sunburn of yours."


"Well, Tohru-kun, you did a wonderful job at cooling the burns quickly. And the Aloe Vera gel you used will be more than good enough to heal and soothe the skin." Hatori placed a hand ontop of her chocolate coloured hair in praise, and she beamed. "Mother always used that to soothe my sunburns when I was little." She explained. Yuki smiled in relief. "So, Hatori, will the redness disappear quickly?" The older Sohma arched an eyebrow. "In a few days." The dragon replied, before he said his goodbyes and left. "Say, I wonder who this girl is..." Shigure mused afterwards. "Hatori said he would look into it before informing Akito...I hope he figures out what this is about." Yuki sighed. And the rest of the day went by eventfully.