Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Just Like That ❯ One-Shot

A/N: So, just for the hell of it, I'm going to try a Furuba fanfic. The characters have completely taken over my life. I've turned into a rabid Yuki fangirl. ^^;;; Most people will see the pairing at the end and think, “Where did she get THAT from?” Well, I like it.

I do not own Furuba/Fruits Basket. Natsuki Takaya does.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Just Like That

 

Sakura petals blew across the yard, several getting caught in Tohru's hair. Yuki smiled at her and helped her pick them out. Strawberry juice stained their hands; they were ready to be picked, but not many were going to make it back to the house. The two of them walked along the dirt path, sometimes eating a strawberry or two.

Tohru's long pink dress swayed in the light breeze, allowing for the overheated girl to cool off slightly. Yuki stared at her from the corner of his eye, thinking of how beautiful she looked in the dress he had asked Ayame to make. It had proved difficult, but the task was well worth it in the end.

*Flashback*

“ `Tori-chan, you won't believe what Yuki just asked me!” Ayame said happily into the phone. “He wishes for me, his highly skilled and well-respected older brother, to make for him a gift worthy of Tohru-kun! ….Eh? `Tori-chan? Oh well, he hung up. So what is it you wish me to make?”

“A pink dress. Nothing too short or too flashy or too revealing or too… something you'd make,” Yuki said, trying to cover anything that would ruin the present.

“Oh, come now, Yuki-chan! That description is so bland, so plain. Surely you don't want Tohru to hate it,” he mused, unrolling part of a bolt of a pale pink material.

“I don't want her to look-”

“Now, now Yuki-chan. Why don't you look at some of Mine's works that are already pre-made so you can choose something similar,” he said, showing him to the back room.

“Mine! Please show Yuki some of your finest dresses. He's looking for an idea similar to his for Tohru's present.”

“Right away, boss!” Mine said cheerfully.

She disappeared for only a second before she came back with dresses draped over her arms and laid them out around the room. Not to Yuki's surprise, most of them were exactly what he had said he didn't want them to be.

“What do you think? How about this one for her?” Ayame asked, picking up a dress very similar to the one Mine was wearing.

“No!” Yuki shouted angrily, punching him it the back of the head for thinking like that.

*End flashback*

Yes, that had only been the beginning of the torment. From that moment on, the phone never stopped ringing, and he could never walk home safely from school. Tohru didn't suspect anything, even though she answered the phone and walked home with him plenty of times. Today was her birthday, and she had changed into the dress when he gave it to her. Back at the house, Tohru departed for the laundry room and Yuki went into the kitchen.

“What are you making, Yuki-kun? Something for Tohru-kun's birthday?” Shigure asked, poking his head inside the kitchen.

“I'm making a cake,” Yuki answered while washing off the strawberries.

“Ooh, what kind?” Shigure said, now interested.

“Vanilla with vanilla icing. And there will be strawberries on top,” Yuki said, cutting off the tops of some of the fruit he had just cleaned.

“Sounds delicious! I just wish it would turn out to be,” Shigure mused.

“Out,” Yuki said coldly.

“Huh?” Shigure said.

“Out of my kitchen. Your terrible mocking is throwing off my concentration,” Yuki said, turning to give Shigure a look of death.

“Fine. I'm just saying the truth,” Shigure said as he started to walk away.

A bowl flew across the room and hit the back of Shigure's head. The author held his head in pain and scurried off to the safety of his study. Yuki sighed and retrieved the bowl, placing all of the prepared strawberries inside.

~*~

“Wake up, Ha-san!” Momiji shouted from outside the door to the elder's bedroom.

Hatori grumbled and looked at his watch. It was already noon, and he hadn't gotten a present yet. He got up slowly and got dressed, greeting the hyper rabbit within five minutes. Aforementioned rabbit was sitting patiently just outside. His clothes were so brightly colored that it gave Hatori a headache to look at them just after waking up.

“Come on, Hari-san! We're meeting Haru-kun in 10 minutes!” Momiji said, bounding for the door.

Hatori didn't say a word; he just slipped on his shoes and followed Momiji towards the stores. They arrived in a short amount of time, but were for stalled nearly half of an hour waiting for Haru to show up.

“Haru-kun got lost, didn't he?! Now we're going to be late to Tohru-kun's party!” Momiji whined.

“Shut up! I didn't get lost, just confused,” Haru said in an annoyed voice.

“Let's go,” Hatori said quietly, walking past the two younger Jyuunishi.

They followed behind him but not in the same manner. Momiji was busy pointing out everything that caught his eye and Haru was busy getting annoyed at his antics. After 15 long minutes of window-shopping, Haru and Momiji had picked out their presents. Hatori was left pondering what would be a perfect present.

“Ha-san, look! Aren't these so pretty?” Momiji shouted.

Hatori was about to dismiss the comment as just another one of his hyper moments, but decided against it and looked. Momiji was looking at a jewelry display that was shining brilliantly with aid from the Sun's rays. Hatori stared as if trying to burn a hole in the glass. Haru took the initiative to push the dragon into the shop. Momiji smiled at his triumph and followed Haru inside.

“May I help you, sir?” the clerk asked.

“Yes. I'd like to buy that there,” Hatori answered, pointing to an object in the window display.

“Wonderful decision, sir. Let me just take that in the back for you and have it cleaned up,” the clerk said, taking a set of keys over to the box encasing the expensive objects.

Hatori stared as the man disappeared into the room behind the wall. His expression seemed unchanged, but hidden in his eyes was a satisfaction greatly surpassing anything he'd ever felt before. Haru took note of this, but didn't mention anything. Momiji was too busy having the female clerk let him try on many different kinds of earrings. She seemed to be having more fun than him, taking extensive amounts of time to pick out and admire each pair.

As soon as Hatori had retrieved and paid for his present, Momiji had to bid farewell to the overly enthusiastic clerk and thank her for the free pair of plastic teddy bear earrings. They exited the shop and walked in the direction of Shigure's house.

~*~

A loud scream was heard as a very frustrated Kyo stormed down the stairs. He ignored Shigure's whining about his habits of breaking the house and slammed open the kitchen door. Yuki looked over, unfazed. Splotches of flour rested on his nose, his hair, and his clothes, and Kyo doubled over in laughter, forgetting his anger for a brief moment. This annoyed Yuki, earning the cat a lump on the back of his head.

“Baka neko,” Yuki mumbled.

“It's not my fault you look like a failure of a chef,” Kyo said.

“What did you bother me for?” Yuki asked, returning to mixing the cake batter.

“I don't know what to get Tohru for her birthday,” Kyo answered, defeated.

“So the incompetent cat finally admits he is inferior and comes to his better for advice,” Yuki said nonchalantly.

“I never said anything about being inferior to you! I'm just pissed `cause I don't have a present for her!” Kyo shouted.

“Must you be so loud?” Yuki sighed. “I'll compromise with you. If you can keep Honda-kun away from the house until 2:00, then I'll find you a present for her. She's out buying things for tonight's dinner, so you better hurry up.”

“Fine, but this doesn't mean I'll return your favor,” Kyo said as he ran off to catch Tohru at the market.

“Baka neko,” Yuki mused.

He poured the batter into a pan and put the pan in the oven, making sure to set the timer for less than the suggested baking time. He then looked at the counter and saw what chaos he had made. Taking a rag, Yuki proceeded to clean the surface, not wanting Tohru's cleaning to be undone.

After finishing, he realized that he now had to think of a present that Kyo could give to Tohru. He didn't want to leave the cake when only Shigure was home but didn't know what else to do. A knock at the door saved him temporarily from the fix he put himself into.

“Hi, Yuki-kun!” Momiji shouted and ran inside, slipping off his shoes quickly.

Haru and Hatori followed in after, taking their time with their shoes. Yuki lead them into the room where the party was going to take place. Presents were placed in a pile in the corner and everyone sat around the large kotasu.

“Long time no see, Yuki,” Haru said, breaking the silence.

“You just saw me in school yesterday,” Yuki pointed out.

“I know,” Haru said.

The oven began beeping and Yuki ran into the kitchen. He removed the cake and smiled, seeing as it wasn't burnt for the first time in his life. He placed it on the counter to cool and returned to his company. Shigure had come out of his reclusive state to join everyone.

“Something must be wrong, Yuki-kun. I don't smell a cake burning,” Shigure said in amazement.

Haru nodded, knowing Yuki lacked baking skills. Yuki became annoyed and hit both of them.

“Must you be so mean, Yuki-kun?” Shigure asked, rubbing his injury.

Yuki left to finish icing the cake. Another knock at the door broke the new silence. Shigure answered the door and brought Kisa and Hiro to the “party room”. They added their presents to the pile and took a seat at the kotasu. Kisa was smiling, whereas Hiro looked more annoyed than anything. Soon after, Ayame arrived and went straight to the kitchen.

“Yuki-chan! How wonderful it is to see you again!” Ayame said.

Yuki ignored him and continued placing each strawberry on in a delicate fashion. Ayame blinked and peered over his brother's shoulder. Taken aback at the sight of a not-burnt cake, Ayame stepped away slightly.

“I'm impressed! `Gure-chan told me that you were no good at cooking, but he must be terribly mistaken. It looks lovely!” he said, following Yuki to the refrigerator.

Yuki continued to ignore him and returned to his seat at the kotasu. Ayame pouted, but only briefly before following him and seating himself between Yuki and Hatori.

“It warms my heart to see all of us here around this kotasu for a common purpose. Wait, we're missing two people besides Tohru-kun, aren't we? Where are Kyo-kun and Kagura-kun?” Ayame said, looking at the unoccupied space.

“Kagura-kun isn't here yet and the baka neko is keeping Honda-kun out until it's time,” Yuki answered, being the only one who knew.

“Finally you've acknowledged my presence! Is it that you've realized that no matter how much you try to hide it, deep down you-” Ayame was cut off.

“No,” Yuki interrupted.

~*~

“KYO-KUN!” a familiar female voice shouted from down the road.

“Perfect…” Kyo mumbled under his breath.

Tohru and Kyo turned around just in time to see Kagura tackle Kyo to the ground. She was about to start beating on him when she noticed Tohru standing next to them. She got off of Kyo and brushed herself off.
“Hi Tohru-kun! Shopping for groceries?” Kagura asked.

“Yes, actually we just finished. Kyo-kun had suggested that we go to a place to eat lunch since Sohma-kun and Shigure-san are both very busy. Would you like to join us, Kagura-kun?” Tohru asked.

“What?!” Kyo shouted, getting up.

“I would love to. Thank you,” Kagura replied.

Tohru smiled and started walking towards a restaurant, making small talk with Kagura. Kyo followed behind, annoyed and afraid for his life. He checked his watched and sighed, seeing as there was still plenty of time to eat. They went to a sushi bar and Kyo became a bit happier. They ordered their food and waited patiently for it to be made.

“Itadakimasu,” the three said once they received their plates.

“Tohru-kun, is that a new dress?” Kagura asked.

“Yes, Sohma-kun gave it to me,” she answered before putting her unagi in her mouth.

“It looks lovely on you,” Kagura said and smiled.

Tohru swallowed, blushed, and began saying modest phrases but making no sense in the process. Kagura laughed, and Kyo smiled inconspicuously. Their meal lasted for an hour because of Kyo's insatiable appetite. Every time they thought they could leave, he asked for more sushi.

“Damn, we still have half an hour left… It only takes 15 minutes to get back,” Kyo thought to himself.

Kagura saw the strain in Kyo's eyes and took the hint to think of something else to do.

“Tohru-kun, would you mind accompanying Kyo-kun and I to the dojo? I think I left something there and Kyo-kun wanted to ask Kazuma-sensei something. Isn't that right?” Kagura asked, looking at Kyo after.

He nodded his head vigorously. Tohru accepted and the three of them walked to the young dojo owner's place. Once they arrived, Kazuma took Kyo into the back and Kagura picked up her bag. Tohru and Kagura both sat and talked while they waited for Kyo and Kazuma to be done. Five minutes passed before Kyo walked out and Kazuma bade the trio farewell.

~*~

“Does anyone have a spare present that the baka neko can give to Honda-kun? I promised him I'd find him a gift if he kept her away from the house,” Yuki asked the table of familiar faces.

“How about my latest novel?” Shigure asked, holding aforementioned item.

“I don't think that would be… appropriate for Honda-kun,” Yuki said.

Haru suddenly rose from the table and walked out of the room. Every eye followed him and stared at the place where he disappeared. Soon after, he returned with a beautiful flower hairpin. All of the jyuunishi stared at the gift from nowhere.

“I bought this a long time ago for… someone and never had the guts to give it to her, so I hid it in Sensei's study,” Haru answered their bluntly obvious stares.

“This will do just fine. Honda-kun will love it. But are you sure you want to part with it?” Yuki asked.

“It's not like I'm going to wear it. Unless you want to model it for me, Yuki-kun…” Haru trailed off.

Yuki sweat dropped and took the present from Haru to wrap it. The company around the kotasu remained quiet as he left and was still the same once he returned. Yuki added the present to the pile in the corner and resumed his spot. Once he did, Kyo's loud voice could be heard from the grounds outside the house.

“Well, it's not my fault you ran into him! And put your clothes back on,” the cat shouted.

“Why must you be so mean, Kyo-kun?!” Kagura shouted back.

The door slid open and the exchange of shoes was heard. A massive shadow formed outside the door to the room where the rest of the jyuunishi were gathered. Tohru slid the door open and nearly fell over in shock.

“Eh? Nani?” she said.

“Happy Birthday, Tohru-kun!” everyone said in unison.

Yuki took his cue to get up and walk into the kitchen. The lights were dimmed and Yuki returned with his cake now adorned with three candles shining brightly. The room erupted into a chorus of “Happy Birthday” and Tohru sat down opposite the cake, still shocked.

“Blow out the candles, Tohru-kun!” Momiji shouted once the song was done.

She obliged, but not before making a wish first. Everyone clapped and Yuki handed Tohru the knife so she could cut the cake. Her eyes began to tear but she quickly wiped them away and then made the slices.

“Thank you so much, everyone. I would have never guessed you had anything like this planned,” she said while passing the plates around the table.

“We made sure of that,” Kagura said, looping an arm around Kyo.

“I'm happy that I could spend my birthday with all of you. That's the best gift I could ever ask for,” Tohru said, wiping her eyes again.

“Then what are we to do with all these presents?” Ayame said with fake despair, pointing to the pile.

“Uwah!” Tohru gasped out.

“Why don't you open them after we eat?” Yuki suggested.

“That would be nice,” Tohru replied.

The dessert was eaten with many compliments. Both Shigure and Kyo obtained lumps on the backs of their heads for daring to make fun of Yuki. Laughs, stories, and more were shared throughout the time of dining. As soon as all were finished, Yuki took the dishes and silverware into the kitchen to be washed. Momiji took that opportunity to get his present and hand it to Tohru.

“Ok, I'll open this one first,” she said and tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was a rice ball mould to make heart, star, cubic, and spherical rice balls. “Uwah! Thank you so much!”

Kisa followed Momiji's lead and retrieved her present. Everyone else took the hint and got their gifts. One by one, the gifts were slid across the table and Tohru opened each, nearly dying from happiness each time. She received a plush tiger from Kisa, a picture frame from Hiro, wind chimes from Haru, a bikini from Shigure, a summer dress from Ayame, and the hairpin from Kyo.

Hatori was the last to present his gift. He was able to just hand it to her, being as they were seated beside one another. Tohru peeled of the binding tape slowly, as to not damage the beautiful box. Finally she removed the cover and gasped at the radiance of the object before her. All except for Hatori, Momiji, and Haru gathered to see what it was. There were several “ooh”s and “ahh”s from the crowd behind Tohru.

She lifted the necklace from its box and unhooked the latch. Hatori helped her close the latch once it was on her neck. The thin gold chain rested softly on her skin. The diamond-rimmed heart resting on her chest reflected the happiness from inside of her. Without thinking, Tohru gave Hatori a hug and thanked him just before a loud “pop” was heard and a sea horse was lying where Hatori once sat.

~*~

“I hope you all can visit again soon!” Tohru said as their company left.

Slowly each person made their way out, wishing Tohru a happy birthday once again. Hatori still hadn't changed back yet, so he remained under the protection of a blanket in the next room. Yuki was busy cleaning, Kyo had gone to bed, and Shigure had retreated to his study to brainstorm ideas for his latest novel. Tohru sat with Hatori, not wanting him to be alone.

“I think your present is just wonderful. But why did you spend so much money on me?” she asked.

Hatori looked at her with eyes much more welcoming than usual and said, “That I cannot disclose to you. This has happened once before to me and I will not let it hurt someone I care for again.”

Tohru's eyes widened as she absorbed these words. She knew just what he meant and just what he was implying. At that moment, Hatori changed back to a human. Feeling an overwhelming happiness, she leaned over and kissed him. Hatori's eyes now began to tear at the feeling he hadn't known for more than 10 years. A loud crash was heard just outside the door and the two looked up to see Yuki above a shattered dish.

“I-I'm sorry H-Honda-kun. I was j-just going to ask Shigure-san a q-question and I t-tripped,” Yuki stuttered out as he bent down to pick up the pieces of broken glass.

“Let me help you, Sohma-kun. You'll get hurt if you use your hands,” Tohru said as she retrieved a broom and dustpan.

Yuki watched her sweep the fragments away before disappearing into Shigure's study. The aforementioned man saw the immense pain in the other's eyes and offered him a seat right next to him. Yuki sat without blinking. Shigure put his arm comfortingly around the smaller one.

“You can cry. Kyo-kun is upstairs sleeping,” the author suggested.

Yuki allowed himself to break down in hysterics. Shigure checked to see that the door was fully closed, as to not let Tohru hear the boy's sobs. He grabbed his box of tissues and offered it to Yuki, who took several.

“Heartbreak is unbearable, but it's, unfortunately, something we must all learn to cope with. She's chosen her suitor and there's nothing any of us can say to change her mind. You don't want her to be unhappy do you? Plus, `Tori-san's life would be shattered again, just like that plate,” Shigure said wisely.

“I know… I just wish it didn't have to be this way…” Yuki said between sobs.

“Kyo-kun's not going to take this well either. But then maybe he'll learn to appreciate Kagura-kun a bit more,” the elder said.

Yuki nodded in agreement and leaned his head on Shigure's shoulder. The two of them sat like that for a long time. Though they were silent, feelings, thoughts, and secrets were shared between them.

*~*~*~*~*~*

I thought that would be a good way to end it. Kind of conclusive. Please review, this is my first for this fandom.