Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Meeting Kuri ❯ Old Times ( Chapter 2 )

Prelude to Chapter Two…

Tohru: Hi! As you might have known, a beautiful woman named Kuri-san has shown up. Apparently she and Shigure knew each other during high school and were the best of friends!

Yuki: Best of friends?

Kyo: More like idiots gone wild…

Tohru: I'd like to know more about Kuri-san! I'm so happy that she's here with us!

Kyo: You're going to regret that, Tohru…

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Chapter Two: Old Times

Kuri sighed and ran her fingers through her devastatingly curly hair, closing her eyes as she dropped her arms to the rest on the soft sheets of Yuki's bed. Poor Yuki-kun. I stole his room… She thought, slightly guilty but then grinned, knowing that she had an excuse to see Shigure. She was so relaxed that she didn't even notice a gentle rapping on the door until she heard a soft voice on the other side.

"Kuri-san? May I come in, please?" politeness and humbleness were evident in young Tohru Honda-san's voice. She seems like a very sweet girl, Kuri mused to herself. I hope Yuki and Kyo don't get in a fight over her. It would probably break her heart…

"Yes," she replied, watching in amusement when Tohru tripped a bit as she entered the room, looking slightly unstable because of the tray in her hands. "Here, let me help you with that," Kuri offered well naturedly, seeing how the girl was struggling a bit.

"Oh no! I couldn't ask you to do that! You're a guest here!" Tohru exclaimed, nearly dropping the tray again from her spastic outburst. She gasped and grabbed a hold of it more securely and set it gingerly on the table next to the bed. She bowed humbly, her hair sliding over her shoulders to cloak her face as she apologized. Kuri giggled at her and sent her a warm smile when Tohru looked up in confusion and embarrassment.

"You're really cute, Tohru-kun," Kuri told her honestly, her kind smile making the high school girl's cheeks turn even more red.

"Oh not really!" She exclaimed shaking her head, a sheepish and embarrassed smile appearing on her cheeks as they glowed many different colors. While she did this, she nearly tripped and lost her balance but luckily was caught by Kuri at the last minute. Tohru looked up to meet laughing dark eyes.

"And clumsy too," The elder woman added, amusement rich in her pleasant voice. She helped Tohru to put herself to rights and thanked her for the tea. Tohru bowed simply and left the room, telling her that dinner would be ready soon. "Thank you, Tohru-kun. You are a very sweet girl," Kuri added before Tohru closed the door with her exit.

As Tohru walked down the hall, she passed by Shigure. The dog noticed her blushing face and stopped her; his eyes alight with some mischief. "What were you and Kuri doing back there?" he asked, his voice slightly cornering. It made Tohru jump a little bit but she knew Shigure was only joking.

"I took her some tea because I thought she might be thirsty and tired from her trip," She replied, smiling at him with self-accomplishment. She loved being a hostess and seeing other people's happiness.

Shigure chuckled. "What did she say to make you look so flushed? You're looking as red as a cherry out in a field of blossoms," he stated, his eyes taking on a dreamy, fantasy look. Tohru marveled at his poetic spirit but answered his question.

"She told me I was cute and that I am a very sweet girl. It was kind of embarrassing…" She whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips as her face flushed again. Shigure shook his head. Tohru, you are too modest.

"Yes, Kuri-chan always has been openly affectionate like that. Just wait until you get to know her better. Then the real fun will start," Shigure finished, smiling at her before he continued on his way to get to Yuki's room. His chest tightened briefly but he eased that option aside. Act as if that incident never took place, Shigure… Even though you really haven't been able to stop thinking about it since it happened… You hurt her so much… He pulled himself from his brooding thoughts and lightened his demeanor with his annoying innocence and knocked on the door, calling to `Kuri-chan!' in his high-pitched voice.

"Come in, Shii-chan!" she sang back, feeling uneasiness in her gut. She would be in the same room with him… In close proximity… All alone… She swallowed, her pulse racing but she knocked it back down. She would not bring herself to act like a schoolgirl. She wouldn't stoop that low… And there he was…

Handsome… Solemn… grinning like a hentai…- WHAT? "Shigure! Don't you give me that look!" she shouted, a playful grin plastering across her face as they role-played one of their more common disputes from the college campus.

"Look? What look?" He asked, his face feigning innocence. He then joined in with her laughter, trying to out power her in volume but Kuri refused to give up without a fight. They laughed as loud as they possibly could until they collapsed on Yuki's bed, side-by-side, breathless. Shigure started to roll over and Kuri did so at the same time and they met in the middle.

Time stopped…

Shigure's breath hitched in his throat when their eyes met. He took this opportunity to look her form over. She had always been a cute little thing… but now she was a blossomed flower, enriched by the sun's golden rays. Dare he think the truth at the moment… she was beautiful. Kuri… This can't be you… he thought, his mind heading deeper into the gutter as he fought back his inner thoughts.

Kami-sama… Why is he staring at me like that? Kuri thought, her tongue darting out to lick her lips that had grown so dry under his intense gaze. She cleared her throat and moved around a bit so she could escape his somewhat confused visage. Getting my hopes up again, Shigure, but I won't let you do it to me again.

"Tea?" Kuri asked to lighten the suddenly charged mood. Shigure nodded, slightly off in another world. As she poured the tea, the dog watched her shaky movements and knew it was because of two things. One, they had been in an awkward, if not sexually suggesting position and two, she had been in love with him all those years ago… and probably still was.

"So… How has artistry been, Kuri?" Shigure asked solemnly, his voice in the normal, somewhat cheerful tone.

"It's been all right. How has your dime store smut been selling?" Kuri asked, her voice laced with mischief. She winked at him when he sighed, a smile on his face.

"You never will get over the time when I asked you to read some of it that one time, will you?" Shigure mused, receiving the cup of tea that was offered to him. Kuri spluttered and fixed him a look of astonishment.

"Why did you even write that in the first place? It's one thing to write about lovemaking but a totally different thing to dissect every part and go into detail. If I had been an unsuspecting reader, I never would have thought that you were a virgin, Sohma Shigure!" Kuri shot back, a wry smile apparent on her lips when she saw him shake his head, an embarrassed smile on his face.

"I do read around…" He said quietly, his voice holding an air of wisdom. Kuri picked up her pillow and slapped him across the head with it, making him drop his cup of tea, the hot liquid splashing all over the floor. "Ohhh!" he whined, pretend tears falling down his face. "Look what you made me do, Kuri-chan! And I was just starting to enjoy my lovely cup of tea…"

"Oh, boo de friggin' who," Kuri mimicked and then giggled, settling on the floor to pick up the pieces of the broken teacup.

"Kuri?" Shigure said her name quietly as he sat on the bed, looking down upon her as she picked up the pieces.

"Hm?"

"I'm still sorry that I hurt you…" He finished, his voice heavy with remorse and pity. Kuri dropped all the pieces that she had in her hand, remembering the incident, her hands shaking. She looked up to see his gray eyes widen and his face grow worried and somewhat…sad but then she regained her scattered composure.

"What's there to be sorry about? You can't control matters of the heart, now can you?" she replied, her voice wooden. She clenched her teeth behind a closed mouth to bite back the tears that came at bay. With that, Shigure got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him. The instant the door shut, Kuri burst into tears, smashing the remaining pieces of the cup when she threw them into a corner of the room.

Shigure leaned against the door, staring up at the ceiling as he listened to her heartbroken and pain filled cries. He sighed, his chest heavy. I did that… I did all of that… He thought as he gracefully slunk down the stairs, pretending that nothing had happened.

"Damn it Shigure!" Kuri hissed through her teeth as she thought back to the day… the day she had loved and lost…

~

"Shiguuuureeeeee!" Ayame called from back on the sidewalk. Kuri, Shigure and Hatori all turned around to see him running towards them, his long and beautiful white hair glazing behind him.

"I think he runs that way on purpose…" Hatori mumbled, shaking his head in embarrassment. Kuri shrugged but patted him on the shoulder.

"But you've got to love him anyway, right?" She asked him.

"As much as one loves their bodily disorders, undoubtedly," The med student replied, a wry smile coming to his normally stoic face. Shigure ran forth to go and lock his arms around his beloved Aya's neck.

"Oh Aya! The day hath been long without thee, beloved," The dog recited, his eyes becoming dream laced.

"Dearest Shigure, I hath found thee," The snake replied, his elegant baritone voice sounding perfect. Kuri clapped sarcastically a few times and sighed, resting her head on Hatori's arm.

"When are they ever going to stop that? I know they're joking… but it makes me kind of… Jealous… in a sense…" Kuri whispered to the young doctor in training. His sea green eyes met hers with a question.

"Jealous? How so?" he asked, his deep voice sounding as emotionless as ever. Kuri tucked a lock of her short curly hair behind her ear and continued.

"I… I think I'm in love with Shigure, Hari," she whispered, her cheeks flushing and her heart pounding at her own realization. Hatori's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, as he looked her over, looking for signs of deceit.

"Really," He replied to her after a short time as the two of them observed the dog and the snake as they talked and `flirted' a short distance away from them. He turned to face her, his expression softened to look a bit warmer and comforting. A sarcastic and witty smile appeared on his lips as he chuckled a bit. "You do know what you're getting into if you tell him, right?" he asked gently, watching as she nodded securely, letting out a shaky breath.

"Yes… But," she started, a goofy smile appearing on her face, "we won't have to worry about… the complications that most members who are not included in the curse have to face with if their lover turns into an animal when they hug or make love," Kuri finished, crossing her arms as Shigure started to come over to them again. "No! He's coming over here!" she hissed to Hatori.

"I'll leave," he offered, his voice impassive as he turned to go but Kuri stopped him and gripped his shoulder. She shook her head, her chocolate orbs begging him to stay with her until she felt the time was right.

"Don't go. I'll tell him when I feel like I'm ready to," she whispered in his ear and left his side when Shigure was in front of them. She laughed and interlocked her arm through his like they always did and they `frolicked' around the campus. Hatori watched them in amusement and a twinge of annoyance.

It's about time, Kuri, Hatori thought as he turned to head back to his dormitory.

**

"That was wonderful food," Shigure chimed as he flopped onto the futon of his room that he shared with Ayame. Kuri giggled and patted her own stomach, signifying that she was indeed full and that she felt the exact same way. She plopped down next to him and let out a sigh. She squirmed around a little bit and purposely cuddled up to his body, knowing that he wouldn't care.

"Shigure," Kuri whispered, watching as he turned to meet her eyes. She swallowed and felt like crawling into a hole but didn't. She took a deep breath and continued.

"What's wrong, Kuri-chan?" He asked her, seeing that she was struggling to talk to him about something. He reached up and moved two short, curly wisps of her blonde hair behind her ears and continued to observe her, her hair silky beneath his fingers.

"I… I…" She stuttered. Come on Kuri! Be strong! Be a woman! Tell the man you love him! She roared inwardly, wanting more than anything to let him know how she felt. She stopped and rubbed her hands over her face gingerly as she tried to continue. This was a lot harder than she had thought it would be. She loved Shigure with the depth of her being… Everything about him…

His soft and solemn expressions when he was thinking…

His general calmness in most situations…

The way he wined when something didn't go his way or he was trying to con someone into doing something…

The way he was able to hold her without her transforming…

She was able to be herself without feeling like an inferior like she had with a boy in high school…

Shigure was her everything. He was a handsome, kind and strong Sohma who she had been a friend of for years. Now… to tell him…

"Kuri?" He questioned her softly, his soothing voice bringing her out of her brooding thoughts. Her lip trembled briefly before she could get a damper on it. Just tell him… Tell him… she told herself over and over again… but the words would not flow.

Having no other alternative, Kuri placed her hands on his cheeks and leaned up to press her mouth to his. She felt him stiffen immediately as she tangled her fingers in his hair and moan into his mouth. His arms came to encircle her as he leaned her back so she was lying down on the couch with him on top of her. He groaned when she shifted her legs, teasing him slightly but Kuri was shocked when he quickly pulled away and hopped off the couch, looking flustered and goaded.

Shigure was panting lightly as he looked her over, confusion, disbelief and uncontrolled lust shining in his eyes. Why had he stopped? What was happening?

"Kuri…" He said softly, almost a whisper as she stood; looking a bit bewildered her self. She went to touch him again but he avoided her caress and kept his distance.

"Shigure? What-" She started to ask but he cut her off, his eyes speaking for themselves.

"No Kuri. I'm sorry. You are my closest friend… but I can't touch you like that. I don't want to touch you like that… I'm so sorry…" He rasped, his hand going to touch his forehead. Kuri felt anger and hurt rise up in her chest.

"Then… Why did you kiss me back like that? What was the meaning behind it? You groaned like you wanted me!" Kuri shouted at him, tears burning in her eyes as her heart tore into pieces. Shigure approached her and took her chin in his hand, his eyes revealing nothing but remorse and guilt.

"Lust is a man's worst enemy," he told her gently, withdrawing when she slapped his hand away like he had the bubonic plague. She started to sob and wouldn't let him come near her.

"Shigure! I… I love you, damn it!" she wailed, her hands covering her face. She continued to cry out her sorrow and her heartache and stopped briefly when she heard him leave. He left… he's gone… she thought miserably. I… Chase him away… she started to shed tears again, bitterly and exited his room also, watching in anguish as he walked down the hall with his head down and his head in his pockets.

"Shigure…" she whispered, watching him walk away from her, never to be close to her for a long time…

~

(A/N: Yeah, that chapter was most flashback but I hope you enjoyed it! YAY! Now to update my other stories!)