Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Meeting Kuri ❯ The Artist has Returned ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One: The Artist has Returned

A felt tipped paintbrush slid across a purely white canvas as the artist who was painting a work of art moved her arm to complete the full stroke. She looked a it a moment, put her paintbrush under her nose and scrunched her lips up so she was basically sniffing it and rubbed her chin in thought. "It's missing something," she thought aloud, placing her hands on her hips before she dropped the paintbrush into her hand once again and started to dab in many different colors, splattering them on the canvas in an unbelievably artistic way. "Yes! ACCOMPLISHED!" She said in cheer, her voice rising slightly as an innocent grin plastered across her lips.

Now then. To see what I've painted, she thought to herself, her chocolate colored eyes scanning her masterpiece but she sighed and dunked her paintbrush into murky colored water in distress and flopped back into her chair. She had painted another picture of him… His cloudy gray eyes holding an air of wisdom and mischief, the sly curves of his full lips, his long, tapered hair that shined even when there was no sun… She groaned. She was doing it again! She missed him!

No Kuri! He was only your best friend… At least… that's how he felt about you all those years ago… Kuri sighed and ran a shaking hand through her disheveled, pale blond hair, her fingers tracing over her voluptuous curls. She closed her eyes and thought back to his goofy smile, his `guilt-trip' tone of voice and when they used to sing… She laughed out loud at the memory of it.

While he would sing, "High school girls! High school girls! All for me, High school girls!" she would repeat him except with her version. "High school boys! High school boys! They're all to young and they play with toys." He then would give her the weirdest look before bursting into laughter, tears coming to his eyes because he would laugh so hard.

Kuri sighed. It had been too long. Nearly seven years… I should have forgotten about this by now! Except… I really had fallen hard for him and it hasn't gone away… She brushed a curl behind her ear and jumped when the phone rang, clutching a hand to her chest to still the shock she had just endured. She put herself to rights and answered the phone, smiling when she heard the voice of her distant cousin, Momiji.

"Kuri! Kuri! You'll never guess what's happened at Shigure's house!" His young, chipper voice came through at the other end. Kuri giggled, not in the least surprised that he would just call her out of the blue like this. It was what he often did.

"What's happened at Shigure's house?" She asked him, genuinely wanting to know. If it had to do with Shigure, most of the time she was interested.

"A girl moved in! A girl who isn't part of the Sohma family!" Came the reply and Kuri nearly dropped the receiver. A girl? A girl moved in with him? Her mind started conjuring up images of this girl and tears came to her eyes but she choked them back. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions.

"A girl, huh?" She said softly, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

"Yeah! She's really cute too! Her name's Tohru. Tohru Honda, and she's a really good housekeeper for Shigure. It was funny `cuz he tried to get her to wear one of those silly maid outfits, you know the ones that are cut so that her toosh would stick out and he'd see her panties? She fainted at that," Momiji said, laughing a bit in remembrance. Kura wanted to hang up the phone and forget totally about everything the little rabbit had just said but she clamped down on it.

"Really… How old is this Honda-san?" Kuri asked, her voice slightly impatient now. She heard Momiji make a sound of confusion on the other end.

"Hey, you sound mad now. What's wrong, Kuri?"

Kuri eyes flew wide as saucers as she realized she had been sounding a bit harsh. "Oh! Nothing Momiji!"

"She's not old enough to be Shigure's type if that's what you're thinking. She's as old as Yuki and Kyo and they both have the hots for her," The little rabbit figured out and told her honestly. A weight had been lifted off of her chest at his soothing words and she let out a deep breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "You should go to the house and meet her! She's really nice!"

"I might just do that so I can see my friends again and meet this Tohru. I have to go, Momiji so I'll be seeing you around," Kuri said quickly, wanting more than anything to go and stop by at Shigure's house… to see his face again, no matter how awkward it might be.

"Kay, so I'll see `ya!" Momiji said and there was a click on the end of the line, indicating the end of the call. Kuri set the receiver down on the telephone to reset the line and dialed a number she had long memorized but had not called in years. The ringing sounded in her ear and she felt her hands get clammy, a lump generally started to form in her throat.

"Hello?" came deep yet gentle sounding reply. At first she couldn't recognize the voice but it seemed familiar somehow…

"Shigure?" she asked stiffly, not knowing in truth who it was on the end of the line.

"I'm sorry, no. This is Yuki Sohma. Who is this?" It was the rat boy she had seen so long ago! What did he look like now?

"Yuki-kun! My, you sound different from the last time I saw you. You might not remember me but it's me, Kuri Sohma. You know, `Yuki, you look like a-`"

"-Breath of sunshine on a gloomy day. I remember you, Kuri-san," Yuki said in recognition, his voice becoming a little less formal but still polite and sweet. "How have you been?"

"I've been all right… Um… Is Shii-chan there?" Kuri bit her lip, feeling the burden that had been dissipated slowly return.

"No, he's out right now driving Mii-san, his editor, crazy," Came the good-natured reply.

"Oh… I see… Well, I was wondering if I could stop by and meet this mysterious Tohru Honda-san. Momiji called me about it just a few minutes ago and I really am curious. Akito is letting her live there with you?" She asked, toying with the phone chord for lack of anything else to do.

"Yes but I don't know what his intentions are. He's also let that stupid cat move in here also," Yuki's voice grew stern and somewhat ill tempered for a moment. Kuri's eyes widened again. Had Akito switched his curse with a mental disorder? Surely Shigure's house must have been in pieces! She chose not to talk any more about the topic because she wanted to cut straight to the point.

"I was wondering if it wouldn't be much trouble if I could maybe stay there with you all for a few days. It's kind of lonely here in Kyoto," She said honestly, her lungs feeling heavy.

"I'm sure it would be all right. I don't think Shigure would care. I know the rest of the occupants of this house would have no trouble with it. Honda-san would probably offer you her room if we would let her," Yuki replied. She could hear the smile in his voice and started to have thoughts that possibly Yuki really did find Tohru Honda-san attractive and amazing.

"Well, that'll be great! I'll be there in a couple of hours but don't tell Shigure or anyone else! I want it to be a surprise appearance. Forget that I even called you about this. Ciao, Yuki-kun!" Kuri laughed and hung up the phone, hastily running through her house to gather her things, stuffing her suitcases.

This is great! I'll get to see how much Yuki-kun has grown, I'll get to see Kyo-kun and then I will get to meet this Tohru Honda-san… And I will see… Shigure… Her cheeks warmed slightly but she pushed the feelings back as she packed in her lingerie and her brush into a compartment on her suitcase. She left her house, grabbing her purse on the way out and went to catch the next train so she would get to Shigure's house the quickest way possible.

**

"Shi… Shigureeeee!" Mii cried, her eyes large and liquidy when he had Tohru hand her his latest manuscript that had been due. "Why do you always torment me like this! I'm going to die from a stroke or something!" she bawled when he poked his head out of the sliding door.

"There there now, don't cry Mii. At least I gave it to you, right?" He told her, his voice mocking sympathy and care as he continued to tease her. He was about to say more when she let out another wail that pierced his ears. He winced and came outside and patted her on the back. "I'm sorry, but you're such a good sport with my jokes! You really are. If you want me to stop, I'll stop," he told her seriously, his mouth set in a determined line.

"Really?" she asked him, her voice shaky from crying as a slight smile escaped her lips. Shigure nodded but then started to laugh.

"For today!" He let out a chain of hysterical laughter before he went inside, sliding the door behind him as he heard Mii shout a frustrated sound at him and drive away. "What fun, what fun," he mumbled in a singsong voice as he crossed into the kitchen.

"Tohhhhruuuuuu! What's for dinnnnnner?" He sang in his high shaky voice before he calmed and rubbed his growling stomach. "Ooh, I've certainly been active today, looking for all of the possible ways to make fun out of Mii."

"Yes, you were," Tohru said with a slightly disapproving smile but she then fixed her gaze upstairs. "It's awfully quiet up there… I wonder what they're doing?" She asked quietly, rubbing her wet hands on her apron.

"It's hard to say. Sleeping maybe?" Shigure replied half-heartedly as he raided through the pantry and was very displeased to find that there was nothing there. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Tohru made a slight sound of interest as she went to go and answer. She slid the door open and saw a woman probably in her middle twenties holding many suitcases. She cocked her head to the side but immediately started to bow, introducing herself.

"So you are Tohru Honda-san?" The woman asked politely, she bowed also. "I'm-"

"Kuri?" Shigure asked, his voice and expression one of shock and… something else. Embarrassment maybe?

Tohru looked between the two of them, very confused but immediately apologized for not inviting Kuri in because the two of them new each other. "Knew each other? She was my best friend at Tokyo University!" Shigure exclaimed as he called for Yuki and Kyo.

"Watch where you're going you stupid rat!" they heard an overly aggressive voice yell and then heard some violent sounds that ended with Kyo rolling down the stairs, hitting his head on the wall. "Ow! DAMN IT!"

"Kyo!" Tohru exclaimed in worry, running to his side but he shoved her off. The high school girl, being the pushover that she was, backed away with a confused smile on her face.

"Boys, be dears and carry Kuri-chan's bags up the stairs would you? She'll be staying in your room, Yuki," Shigure proposed, watching as Yuki came down the stairs. Kuri's face flushed in embarrassment at her sudden barging in act but it couldn't be helped. She tried to apologize but the polite rat stopped her but sent a skeptical look to Shigure.

"My room?" Yuki mumbled but shrugged and bowed to her. Kuri was ecstatic, telling him how handsome he had become and told both him and Kyo that she would be just fine carrying her own bags.

Well, everything seems to be going all right now… But… Kuri looked behind to Shigure and saw that his expression had become solemn and unreadable when their eyes met. She didn't hold his gaze long because too many painful memories of her rejection by him resurfaced so she smiled at him to cover it up. His lips turned up slightly and he nodded to her as he hid his arms in the cloaks of his kimono sleeves. Still trying to look like a writer Shigure… You'll never grow up, Kuri thought as she followed the troupe of teenagers up the stairs to her room, Kyo and Yuki arguing the entire time.

(A/N:

Please Read and Review! Hardly anyone ever does my stories and this is the second OC that I've ever developed for Fruits Basket. Please! Tell me how you like it! I need to know or I won't update this fic anymore and I'll delete it! I need support from my readers! Lol… Ok maybe I got too carried away with that… Sorry but please review if you can!)