Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Everything ❯ Familiar Face. ( Chapter 1 )

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

AN: Here's the second chapter, I was unable to update sooner so forgive me. In this chapter, Tohru will meet one of the Jyuunishi, but which one? I hope you're enjoying this story so far and thank you for your wonderful, encouraging reviews!




The gates of Tohru's home opened automatically as she approached the looming spires. She drove up the angled, gravely driveway towards the front of the western house, passing the shadowed trees as she neared her wonderful, comforting home. Stopping the car in front of the large house, she smiled as the door was opened for her by a servant.



"Good-evening Takagawa-san," he said softly as she stepped out of the ridiculously expensive vehicle. Her husband had bought it for her as a birthday present. She tried to give it back discreetly, but in the end gave up for fear of hurting his feelings.



"Good-evening," she replied, barely looking in his direction but offering a small smile as he stepped into the driver seat and drove the car away to the main garage. Her husband always insisted upon her using their driver, but she had always refused. After a long day at the office, she felt the need to have some solitude; some time to think. And so, she refused and told him that it was completely unnecessary--and she had been right.



Tohru walked up the long white-washed steps towards the glowing house--or mansion, as it would seem to another person--and smiled contentedly as the door was opened for her by one of the house servants. She thanked the servant and wished her good-evening before proceeding through to the main parlor and down the hall towards her husband's private office.



It was a nightly ritual of theirs to meet in his home office before proceeding to the dining hall to greet their son and have dinner. She didn't understand her husband's need to bring work home, but if it made him happy then she was not going to deprive him of it.



She tapped lightly on the towering wooden doors.



"Come in," a muffled voice came from inside.



Tohru opened the doors and looked across the room to find her husband sitting at his desk with his head bowed as his hand wrote imperative details down at a leisurely pace. He was so handsome, she thought to herself, as she continued to watch his concentrated features, so sharp and so refined that she felt almost ugly compared to him.



His jet black hair fell in copious long spikes down the sides of his face like a sparkling waterfall as the dim light from the lamp beside him shone softly upon them. They hid his left eye, the locks trembling as the muscle in his olive-skinned jaw tweaked from hidden thoughts. He looked so familiar to her, as if she had met him in a previous life, one that she seemed to have forgotten in this life. It was so odd, and yet comforting to her. Tohru considered herself to be a very blessed woman... Very blessed indeed.



She grinned suddenly and walked slowly towards the front of his desk before slamming her hands down against the hard oak, "Working hard?" She questioned loudly, soon laughing as she startled him into acknowledging her.



He jumped, dropping the pen as he looked up at her with a smiling countenance, "I suppose I was working hard," he murmured and suddenly it seemed as if his voice was familiar as well; from long ago...



She shook away the strange feeling and smiled brightly at her husband, "Takagawa Hitoshi, what have I said about working at home?" She reprimanded him softly, earning a small but loving expression from him.



"And what have I told you about working too late at the office?" He challenged.



Tohru sniffed delicately, "That's different, we had a lot of accounts to sort out this month. Sometimes I wonder if working in my husband's company is worth all this hassle; we can't even seem to find the time to see each other during the day so what is the point?" She said softly, still amused by the direction of their conversation.



He chuckled, "You mean our company," she rolled her eyes lightly but smiled again as he rose out of his seat and walked around the desk to embrace her, "But you're right," he continued as she pressed herself closely into his warm embrace, "We own this company and work in the same building but we still can't find time in the day to at least bump into each other."




"I suppose it's a good thing," she closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against his chest as his chin rested on top of her head. He was at least five inches taller than her, if not more and she was thankful for that; it made her feel warm and protected. "I do believe if we saw each other during the day, you would capture my attention to the point of distraction," she smiled and blushed secretly at her spoken words, as his large but soft hands rubbed her back.



He placed his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up towards his. They peered into one anothers eyes; ebony clashing with azure in a swirl of unspoken emotions. Her lips parted and before she could say anything, he captured them with his in soft yet probing kiss. After four years, her knees still trembled at his wonderful, heart-warming kisses; it was such a beautiful feeling that she almost always wanted to cry out from the happiness it gave her. They pulled away, breathless but content at the same time, never breaking one anothers gaze.



"What happened to my surprise?" She whispered hoarsely, licking her swollen lips. Tohru watched curiously as Hitoshi smirked and pulled away from her, holding out his arm in a gentlemanly fashion.



"All shall be revealed later," he said mischievously before directing her towards the dining room where their son was waiting their arrival.



As they walked out of the room, she squeezed his hand, "I really should start cooking more often. I feel awful that we make the cooks do everything, morning, noon and night; it just feels wrong."



"I should think that after four years of living in this house, you would have been used to giving orders to the servants," he remarked casually.



Tohru laughed at his comment, "I will never be comfortable with it," she replied honestly, "I mean you're talking to the girl who managed to live in a tent!"



Hitoshi snorted, "I still find it hard to believe that you couldn't stay with your grandfather."




"Kasaan! Tousan!"



They separated as they entered the dining room, looking down at their son as he bounded towards them with an endless stream of energy that only he seemingly to obtained. Hitoshi watched with a secret smile as his wife leaned down and captured their three year old son in a loving and warm embrace; her long lustrous locks tickling his son's nose, making the young boy laugh and sneeze as she kissed the top of his head.



Gods, how he loved her...



She had come a long way from being the bashful, blushing twenty-one year old woman who had worked in his company as his secretary, many years ago. There was never a day that went by when he was not thankful that he had hired her.



True, she had a degree in accountancy, but she applied for the secretarial job because, as she told him, money was tight and she desperately needed a job. On the day of the interview, he had been tempted to refuse as she had no skills in being a secretary but something stopped him as he looked into her bright, vivacious green eyes. He didn't have the heart to send her away and so he gave her the job. At first she was clumsy around the office but rather talkative and soon he began to grow comforted by her mere presence as they spoke of things he never dreamed of saying to another person. She had become an outlet for him.



As the year passed, he unknowingly fell in love with her.



It was the subtle gestures and bright smiles that seemed to send his heart soaring. Every time he thought of her, he smiled so idiotically that his peers would often tease him about his affection for the young woman. There was an age difference between them, albeit a minor one of six years, but it was enough for his friends and colleagues to tease him mercilessly. He ignored them and fell deeper in love, with the woman of his affection apparently being none the wiser.



At the end of their first year, he finally managed to blurt out his feelings, to which her reply was, "I was wondering when you were going to tell me, I was beginning to think you'd decided not to."



He simply laughed and had taken her in his arms. They married not too long after and the rest, as they say, is history.



Now twenty-six, with a child, she had grown into a wondrous person, loving and kind, caring yet she would always have an air of innocent youth surrounding her; it was one of the things he loved most about her. Her ability to remain oblivious but intuitive when the time called for her to do so.



"Tousan!" Hitoshi withdrew from the happy memories and deftly placed his hand upon the black-haired boy.



He ruffled the soft locks lovingly, "I hope you haven't been giving Nagi-san trouble, Toshi," the three year old replied by shaking his head.



Hitoshi leaned down, picking the boy up and placing him on his personally claimed dining chair, opposite his wife and adjacent to his own chair. He manoeuvred himself to the head of the long dining table, frowning inwardly at the oddity of such a piece of furniture, as the empty rows of chairs stretched down the room. Tohru was right, sometimes their lives were far too extravagant for just the three of them.



"He was no trouble at all Master Takagawa," their house-keeper's voice spoke out from the doorway.



He watched through hooded ebony eyes as Tohru settled herself beside him on his right hand side and Toshi squirmed restlessly in the seat to his left. He was surprised his son wasn't tired from the day's event of attending his private nursery.



"I'll take your word for it Nagi-san," he replied, chuckling and shaking his head as each course of dinner was brought out one after another by their servants.




Dinner was a peaceful event, with only the sweet ramblings of their son to fill the quiet moments. After dessert, they gathered in the comfortable, cozy lounge room.



Toshi was playing with his toys on the cream carpeted cashmere floor whilst his mother and father were curled up against one another on the large lounge chair watching the evening news.



Tohru sighed and finally looked up at her husband with anticipation and questioned him, "What is this surprise you have for me?"



"Surprise?" Toshi squealed in delight at his mother's words, looking up at them with anticipation. Tohru laughed quietly before awaiting Hitoshi's response.



He smiled, "We have been invited to the Tohoku region, by a very prestigious family that owns many of the industrial businesses in that region. They're having a business banquet for associates linked to the family. This is the first time they're having this form gathering, they are a rather private family. It's supposed to be the affair of a lifetime; apparently, their whole city is buzzing with anticipation," he remarked thoughtlessly.



Tohru blinked before her own smile spread across her face, "Really? So, we're going?"



"Yes," he replied, "We should leave tomorrow morning if we wish to arrive by the evening."



The following morning was a Friday, so Tohru was ecstatic that her weekend would be taken up by this trip, "But what about Toshi?" She asked, frowning mildly.



"That's all been taken care of, I spoke with his nursery teacher this morning and he'll be coming with us."



"Yay!" the cry form their son came.



Hitoshi smiled inwardly before glancing sternly at his son, "Provided that he does his coloring homework," he tried to hold in his laughter as Toshi pouted but nodded sullenly in agreement. The boy hated the word homework. It always seemed to bring an amusing change in him.



"Oh how wonderful!" Tohru chimed in effortlessly as she clasped her hands, "I've been wanting to get out of the inner city bustle of Tokyo for some time and this weekend will be the perfect chance to relax," granted that their house was in the suburbs of Tokyo, commuting back and forth every day was beginning to wear her down.



Hitoshi raised an eyebrow, "We're meant to be staying for a week."



"A week?!" She cried out, gaping at him and sputtering as she spoke, "B--but what about w--work and.. We can't just leave for a week without informing--"



"Relax Tohru," he interrupted, "I've taken care of everything," he reached out and clasped her hand in his, offering her a comforting squeeze. She settled down, but still seemed slightly on edge.



"This is all so sudden," she whispered to herself, but slightly pleased beneath her panicked demeanor. She needed a break from the hectic life of Tokyo, it would be wonderful to go to the region of Tohoku, "Where in Tohoku does this family live?" She questioned curiously, keeping an eye on thier son who was quietly playing by himself.



"They live in Fukushima, but their main port of business is in Sendai," he watched closely as his wife's eyes grew rounder.



"I used to live in Fukushima!" She blurted out in surprise.



He was startled himself, "Didn't you live in Mito before coming to university in Tokyo?"



"No," she replied thoughtfully, "I went to a high school in Fukushima but then during senior year I transferred to a school in Mito..." She trailed off, her eyes growing distant and murky with past memories and thoughts.



"Why?"



"I can't recall why," she said softly, sighing, "What's the name of the family?"



"Sohma."



The word echoed around in her mind, stirring an emotion deep within her stomach. She had heard of that name, not in the business sense, but knew of it in a familiar manner, as if she should feel something towards the name. She knew that their company was associated with that family, but only today had the name seemed remotely familiar.



"It's amazing," she muttered, "I used to go to school with two of my closest friends in Fukushima. When I announced I was leaving, we all cried together and promised we would keep in touch. We never did, it was just too difficult..."



Hitoshi frowned; his wife had never mentioned this to him before. Her past had not been very pleasant and she had not wanted to divulge much information about it, save for talking about her mother. And he never asked, deciding not to pry into the pain of her past. This was the first he'd heard of her friends.



"Perhaps you could try to find them again, if they have not moved," he encouraged, wanting more than anything to see his beautiful wife happy and smiling.



Tohru blinked profusely at his words, "I'll do that," she squeezed his arm before breaking out into a contagious smile.




Tohru stepped out of the black limousine and looked up at the extravagant hotel apprehensively. She turned to her husband as he stood beside her, cradling their sleeping son in the crook of his arm. "Is this where we're staying?" She asked slowly as they walked towards the entrance, their bags trailing behind them with the hotel concierge service.



Fukushima... The city held painful memories for her; it was the place where she had lost her mother. Her heart. Her face fell slightly as she followed her husband slowly.



Hitoshi nodded, acknowledging the tension in his wife's shoulders. He hoped she would be all right, "This is also where the banquet will be held; in the main hall," he pointed through the large glass doors towards the venue of the banquet.



She sighed, shaking her head as they entered the cool surroundings.



From a distance, she watched as her husband checked them into the hotel. At that moment, she took the opportunity to wander quietly around the hotel lobby, observing the various, decadent paintings that were mounted upon the pristine walls. They really were quite beautiful.



"I hear that they're all going to be here." A feminine airy voice towards her right caught Tohru's attention. Her gaze fell upon two cleaners of the hotel, who were grinning and talking quietly as they set about cleaning the marble floor of the lobby together.



"Why would they all come?" The second woman asked, strangely excited by whoever the conversation was about, "I mean, most of them aren't even part of the business aspect of the family so why would they feel the need to?"



The first woman sighed in annoyance, "Don't you see? This is the first time that the Sohma family is having this type of banquet! They're a private bunch by nature so having something so public is bound to have caused a raucous of some sort that made the head of the family decide that every Sohma in the family should attend--"



"Everything ok?"



Tohru jumped and turned away from the gossiping women to face her husband and son, "I'm fine," she replied wearily, "The journey was a little tedious so I'm feeling a little tired," she smiled as she looked at their son sleeping against his father's chest. "I'd say someone else is tired too."



Hitoshi looked down and grinned, "Here," he said softly, handing the slumbering bundle to Tohru as well as their hotel room key, "Take him and go up to the room. The banquet doesn't start for another four hours, so you'll have plenty of time to rest and get ready."



She took Toshi in her arms and held him closely to her chest, "What about you?"



"There was a message for me at the front desk; I'm supposed to be meeting Yamamoto Akitaroh in the bar, you remember him right? You met him at an annual business gala a few years ago."



Tohru nodded in recognition, "What could he possibly want with you?" She questioned in confusion.



Hitoshi chuckled at the endearing expression on his wife's face, "He wants to introduce me to a few members of the Sohma family that are already here. He's acquainted with two them on business deals and they seem to be interested in our company. Apparently, none of the Sohmas hold shares in technological produce."



"That's strange," Tohru mumbled thoughtfully, "You would think that they would own everything by the way people are talking about them," she leaned close to kiss her husband's cheek, "Will you come to the room to change?"



He smiled as she drew her lips away from his cheek, "Of course," he said, squeezing her free hand, "And remember, we're in presidential suite 2006."



Tohru rolled her eyes dramatically, "Couldn't you have booked a normal room?" She watched in amusement as Hitoshi laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the two cleaning ladies and the rest of the staff present on the ground floor. She blushed furiously, "I'll take that as a no," smiling, she quickly escaped from her husband and his teasing laughter.




The night seemed to be dragging for Tohru. She had never enjoyed these business banquets. It was all about which company had the most income to brag about and that never seemed to sit well with her. Luckily, Toshi was asleep in their hotel room, being looked after by the nanny service that was offered to them. It was one less thing for her to worry about.



She sighed and shifted her weight to her left foot, swirling the contents of her glass around as her husband stood beside her and spoke with fellow business men opposite them.



"I must say Hitoshi, you are lucky to bring your wife along with you, mine never seems to enjoy these type of events."



Tohru looked up from her drink as the western, gray-haired gentleman spoke. She gave him a small smile as he winked at her. Most Japanese men were very formal and would never think to do such a thing, but Tohru was glad that there was someone at the banquet who wasn't so stand-offish. It warmed her heart to see other people around her happy.



Her husband chuckled, "I'm afraid my wife despises these events as well, she only comes along to keep me company."



The group laughed, causing Tohru to blush. She was never very good in dealing with crowds; she left that up to her husband. She lightly touched her husband's arm to attract his attention, "I'm getting another drink," she mumbled softly, moving away quickly as he nodded.



Weaving in and out of the crowds that had formed, she reached up unconsciously to brush away the few tendrils of hair that fell across her forehead annoyingly.



Tohru lowered her hand, only to find that the silver bracelet she had been wearing, was latched onto something. She gasped and looked down, seeing that her bracelet was snagged upon the sleeve of an elegant tuxedo.



"I'm sorry," a soft, manly voice murmured. She could feel his gaze upon the top of her head and so with an embarrassed blush painted across her cheeks, she raised her head to meet his eyes.



The warm violet eyes widened considerably as she peered up into their murky depths. She gasped again and began to apologize profusely, "I'm so sorry! I should have been watching where I was going..." She trailed off as the man stood frozen in shock, still staring her with disbelief and... Pain? He looked strangely familiar but...



She frowned, "Did I hurt you?"



When he didn't reply she continued to apologize, desperately trying to free the bracelet from the cuff of the man's sleeve.



He blinked and before she could be humiliated further, she smiled weakly and started to turn away to return to her husband's side.



"Wait!" He cried, latching onto the wrist that had been snagged against his sleeve.




It was official; he was in hell. Business hell. All he could see were the moving mouths of corporate rookies, congratulating him on the success of his business. He didn't know why Akito wanted to arrange such a gathering. But far be it from Akito to do something so far-fetched.



The head of the family finally realized that it would be foolish for all the Sohmas, especially the Jyuunishi, to attend and so Yuki alone was ordered to attend and mingle...Along with Akito. The fear he felt for the man had subsided many years ago, but there was still an apprehension that he could not wash away... It was at that moment that Yuki felt a tug on his sleeve.



He looked down upon hearing a feminine gasp and sighed with relief. At least she hadn't fallen against him! He gazed at the top of the woman's brunette head before speaking, "I'm sorry," he murmured.



As the woman raised her head to meet his eyes, he felt the noisy clatter of people around come to an abrupt halt.



Tohru. Honda Tohru.



She was standing right in front of him!



He gaped at her, unconscious of the apologies falling from her lips.



Kami-sama... It really was her! But how--how was she even here?



A pain that had been buried within his heart for nine years resurfaced as he gazed into her azure eyes. Eyes that he had fallen deeply in love with many years ago, but never found the courage to express his love.



The ache in his heart grew as she turned to leave and he couldn't help himself, "Wait!" He reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could move away; afraid of letting her go for fear she would disappear forever.



She turned to face him with an adorable, startled expression that caused the strings of his heart to tug in silent melody.



"Honda Tohru-san?" He said breathlessly, before she could move away from him.



Tohru looked at him with a bewildered expression, "H-hai, but how did you--?"



"--Sohma Yuki, from Kaibara High, Class 1D" he persisted, interrupting her.



He searched her face for any form of recognition, and exhaled with relief as a spark in her azure depths was ignited, "Prince Sohma Yuki?" She repeated, speechless from the direct introduction. Yuki winced inwardly at the school nick-name that many of his 'fans' used. He didn't dislike the name; it was just a painful reminder of the past that he could not forget--of the past she had moved on from.



"Hai, Sohma Yuki. How are you Honda-san?" He couldn't believe he was actually speaking to his first love. His only love. Akito had taken her away from them and it seemed that fate had returned her to him! A tremor in his heart awakened the soul that was slumbering within him for the past nine years.



"I'm fine, thank you," she smiled brightly at him, however eyeing his fingers around her wrist at the same time. Yuki dropped the hand in embarrassment, "How are you?" She asked enthusiastically.



At her enigmatic smile, he couldn't help but respond in the same manner. It was always like that around her; somehow he just couldn't stop smiling like a fool. "I'm very well thank you Honda-san," he said softly, lowering his head discreetly to take a better look at the woman before him.



She seemed more... Grown up; more womanly than he could ever have imagined her to be. She looked truly stunning in the black silk dress that hugged every curve of her long-limbed body. The sleeveless cut and chinese collar accentuated her features so magnificently, that Yuki thought he was looking at fine portrait by a renaissance artist.



He blinked, barely hearing her response, "I'm sorry, what was that?"



She smiled at him, in turn causing him to smile, "I said, I'm not a Honda anymore!" She laughed and the smile that had been forming on his lips, froze. Was she--?



"I don't quite understand," he replied quickly, praying to Kami-sama that his train of thought was wrong.



"Honda is--" She was interrupted as a man that Yuki didn't recognize, came and stood by her side. Upon looking at the stranger, if he didn't know any better, Yuki thought that the man was a spitting image of a younger version of his cousin Hatori.



"There you are! I've been looking for you," The stranger said softly, smiling and watching Yuki with interest and mild suspicion.



Tohru turned to the man with an even wider smile, "Hitoshi, I'd like to introduce you to Sohma Yuki-san. He and I attended the same high school many years ago before I moved to Mito."



Yuki looked at the man with equal suspicion before offering a small smile.



"This is my husband, Takagawa Hitoshi," she gestured towards the older man, linking her arm through his as she looked up at him affectionately.



As before, the noise around him subsided and all he could hear was the pounding drum of his heart. The man stretched his hand out and before Yuki could stop himself, he was shaking the hand of Honda--no, Takagawa Tohru's husband.



Yuki never thought he could feel such heartache before. He was finding it difficult to breathe with each second and was also feeling.... Betrayed. Betrayed by the only woman he had ever loved. But then, she'd done nothing intentionally because she didn't know who he was. She didn't know about the curse or any of the other Sohmas; so was it really betrayal?



One word danced precariously in his thoughts; why?



"Yuki, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"



He had been so caught up in his thoughts, that Yuki didn't notice the person standing beside Tohru's husband... Akito.