Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Punishment ❯ Coded Conversations ( Chapter 8 )

Punishment
Chapter 8: Coded Conversations

       It was lunchtime in the school courtyard, a time of relaxation, frolic, and most notably food. Kyou and Tohru were the first to meet outside under a blossoming cherry tree. Tohru held a lunch she had packed for herself in her arm.

       "Eh...what do you mean, Kyou-kun?" she asked as she opened up a container to reveal its splendour. "Rice ball?"

       He took a rice ball from her but did not eat it. Instead, he fiddled with it in his hand in nervousness. "What I mean to say is...ah hell, Tohru, I like you." Yes, Kyou had taken Arisa's advice, despite telling her to mind her own business.

       "I like you too, Kyou-kun." Tohru beamed, missing the message completely. She nibbled on one of her handmade snacks.

       "I don't think you get it. I don't like you in the way that you like a friend. I like you more than that, more than anyone else, even that damn rat."

       "Kyou-kun..." She could feel her face burning up in light of his confession, and brought one hand to her forehead. She started babbling in a way that could barely be understood even by her own mind. "I don't know what to say! I have never had anyone say anything like this to me before. ...Are you sure? I'm so plain and klutzy, and not that interesting either - ah, I - and you must see all my annoying habits since you see me so often! How can I deserve your - "

       "Hey, Tohru! I wouldn't have brought it up had I known I'd get this sort of reaction from you. You don't have to answer me right now, you know. Think about it, alright?"

       Tohru nodded, the blush still visible on her cheeks. "I feel honoured to know that you like me, Kyou-kun. I've always loved the cat."

       "Don't say it like that!" Kyou matched Tohru's blushing level.

       "Ah, young love!" Sohma Momiji, his little German cousin bounded into the cozy scene with a cute plastic lunch box in tow.

       "Argh, I hate every thing that comes out of your mouth!" Kyou grumbled, tousling his hair roughly.

       "Wah, Tohru, Kyou's being mean to me!" Momiji tattled, though Tohru clearly saw the entire event and didn't need to be told.

       "This is going to be a long school year." Kyou finally gave in and ate his salmon flavoured rice ball.

* * * * *

Would you tell, should you speak, could you say?

That the love that you feel's come of age?

* * * * *

       Upon leaving the math classroom. Saki called smoothly to Haru, "Thank you for your help."

       "Whatever for?" He shifted head slightly in order to see her out of his peripheral vision as he walked.

       "Just your advice. About not letting those girls walk all over me."

       "Ah, that. In moderation, projecting a little reason for them to fear you wouldn't do any harm, right?"

       "It does seem to be considerably better than living out the rest of my school days being irritated by irksome people." She paused, pulling back some of her long black locks. She couldn't just end the conversation this way.

       He solved her problem for her by suggesting that they join Tohru, Arisa, and the other members of the Sohma family out in the courtyard. She agreed, meeting up with the others and also the 'little boy' who had defended her in class. She learned that he was a kind hearted childish boy, and enjoyed his company.

       It was a good day.

* * * * *

Everyone's a star that shines.

But all we see in life are the sirens.

Should I tell, could I speak, could I say?

All I see is mystery, now obey.

* * * * *

       As the days passed by, Saki could tell that Hatsuharu was struggling with the math work. While she hadn't done very much work outside of the classroom during her previous year, she still felt that she had enough experience to be of some assistance. She couldn't resist asking him if he needed a hand, but he replied blandly that it was the poor environment that hindered him.

       She could understand it well, 'poor environment' was an understatement. The squeals of the younger girls around her chatting was not the ideal working atmosphere, and the teacher didn't seem to care very much about noise as long as he was able to concentrate on his book. "I need the right setting. But even so, I am not exactly great at school work."

       She wasn't sure how it had happened, but by hook or by crook, she had been invited to Haru's home on Friday night to work on homework together. She wasn't sure what was going on in her head, which was allowing herself to get roped into unnecessary situations. However, she wanted to learn more about the electric signals of the interesting Sohma Hatsuharu, and something told her that she would be learning a mouthful.

       Saki promised herself that she wouldn't let herself get too close to Haru's secrets.

* * * * *

Circles me, circles you, circles all.

Enchants, tantalizes, and enthrals.

All we see is mystery, all in all.

* * * * *

       "I'm afraid of hurting Yuki-kun," Tohru blurted out. "I can't help it, but I feel guilty! I don't want him to feel bad. I won't be able to spend as much time alone with Yuki-kun if I agree to date Kyou-kun. I'm sure that he wouldn't want me to be alone with Yuki-kun at all. I don't want to lose him as one of my friends. But if I say no to Kyou-kun, I'll be hurting him! And would he still want to be my friend if I hurt him like that?" Tohru's mind was spinning.

       Arisa and Saki stared at her for a moment. They had been eating a snack in Saki's room after school on a Thursday afternoon in comfortable silence when Tohru's burst of worried had popped out.

       "Ehhh?!" Arisa freaked out. "Kyou did it? I didn't think he'd actually gather the courage!"

       "Huh? You knew, Uo-chan?" Tohru asked her in amazement.

       "Of course, Tohru-kun," Saki admitted gently. "We all know that Kyou and Yuki adore the ground you walk on."

       "Just Kyou-kun," Tohru corrected, "there's no way for Yuki to feel that way too. Right?"

       "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Tohru." Arisa smiled. Of course Tohru wouldn't notice such a thing.

       "You really think so?" Tohru's eyes showed a deeper panic now. "Ah, that's even worse! I hope it's not true, because that means that I would be hurting him even more than I thought! Uwah!"

       "Tohru, Tohru, slow down. You shouldn't just date someone because you want to make the most amount of people happy. You should date him because you love him, right?" Arisa explained. "This is about you and your feelings." She was starting to feel like such a girly girl, being involved in all this 'emotion-filled crap' as she liked to call it.

       "Yes, don't think about who you are hurting for a moment. Think about who you love the most." Saki agreed.

       Tohru closed her eyes for a moment. "It is.. Kyou-kun, but I don't want to hurt Yuki's feelings."

       "I think that this is a situation where you need to look deep in your soul to discover what your path is. You've got make the decision on your own, otherwise you may regret your choice, Tohru-kun."

       "Yes, you guys are right." She still had her eyes closed, deep in thought.

* * * * *

Imagine this, if it all falls in place.

And the love under will comes as grace.

All you'll see is mystery, face to face.

* * * * *

       Friday afternoon arrived quickly, so she hurried to meet Haru afterschool. Saki, wearing her dark cloak, carried the leftovers of a small bagged lunch in her hand and a knapsack on her back. She had already been to her locker so she stood at the top of the stairs and watched as students walked down the stairs below the guardrail. It was much too soon for him to be out of class and up to the second floor.

       Students in small groups walked by, some on their way to club meetings and others just wandering the halls aimlessly. The hallways were starting to thin and become less noisy as the students quit chatting and left the building for home. She started to wonder what was taking so long. She pulled out a deck of cards from her pocket and sat down to play a quick game of solitaire to pass the time. She concentrated on the cards, searching for the eight of spades from the deck.

       A part of her hoped that neither Tohru nor Arisa would come looking for her, She decided that for now, she would like to keep their homework session a secret.

       She glanced up when she heard the sound of footsteps going by. It was some of those fan club girls....Minami, Mai, and Mio. Their ringleader wasn't with them, thankfully, but that didn't stop Minami from hissing, "witch," as the three girls sauntered by with their elitist attitudes.

       Saki remained motionless as they passed by and headed down the stairs. As soon as they were on the steps she stood and opened up her lunch bag. She recalled Haru's words. In moderation, projecting a little reason for them to fear you wouldn't do any harm, right? She pulled out half of her sandwich, tearing the crust away. She grinded the bread between her fingers in quick motions until her hand was filled with bread crumbs and broken up pieces of lettuce and ham. She leaned over the guardrail.

       "Death from above," she muttered loud enough for them to hear her 'curse' as she released the crumbs over the heads of the girls below her. Mai, the girl with darker hair, had done a fast twirl in front of the others as she spoke in giddy bursts about an encounter with Yuki, so she had managed to evade the attack. Large crumbs fell softly around the girls, most of them landing in their hair. Minami was the first to react as a piece of lunch meat fell to the floor directly in front of her face. She stopped in her tracks and looked up to see the expressionless face of Saki staring down at them over the railing.

       "Just what do you think you're trying to pull, Hanajima?" Minami said as the other girls stopped and glared up at Saki in a defensive stance.

       She did not answer the question. Instead, she dealt out a warning. "Beware, fate is no longer in your hands," she called down to them in her most ominous tone, certain she would get a rise out of them.

       The girls studied each other's faces and knew. They had been cursed by the all-powerful 'She-Devil Electric Girl.' Minami screamed, remembering something that Motoko had said about the sort of things people like Saki could achieve if they wanted.

       Mio covered her face with her hands, worried that her face may have been twisting into some horrid being.

       nMai sighed in relief since she hadn't been hit by the sandwich particles. "I'm safe!" Minami and Mio ran the rest of the way down stairs towards the washrooms and Mai instantly called for them to wait for her.

       Saki pushed herself away from the railing and returned to her forgotten game of solitaire. She felt proud that she had come out on top for once. She didn't regret what she had done. Well, a tiny part of her felt sorry for the mess that the janitor would eventually have to clean up. She tried to study the cards again, her concentration gone after her victory.

       "You can move the nine of hearts onto the ten of clubs there," a voice from beside her pointed out as he joined her.

       "I thought you'd never get here," Saki said as she moved the pile of cards as Haru suggested.

       "You should know one thing about me: I'll get there eventually. Even if it takes me days to reach the destination, I'll be there as long as the person waiting for me doesn't give up on me. So you can always be slow and not worry about meeting me on time, because I'll wait the same way that I would want to be waited for," Haru stated mildly.

       "Ah." Saki nodded and she swept the cards into their box. "Understood."

* * * * *

So put your arm around her waist.

Remember old forgotten days.

The seduction is strong,

Under the white water siren's song.

All you see is mystery, and obey.

* * * * *

       They walked together in silence, and Saki wondered if Hatsuharu really knew where he was going. They walked around one street at least three times before he seemed to gain his bearings and led them on the right path. They eventually arrived at a large fenced off area with a magnificent, old looking door.

       Despite its old looks, it was electronically protected. Hatsuharu pulled open a metal cover beside it and punched in a security code. A loud click was heard, and he leaned in to pull open the door.

       He turned the handle, then stopped and looked at Saki. "Hey. Do you think you could put up the hood on your cloak?"

       She blinked, but did as he asked. Her hood successfully covered her long black hair. "Why?"

       "You could say that it just isn't becoming of a young man to bring a lady friend to his room on a Friday night. Your cloak already hides your figure, and your hood hides your feminine hair style."

       "Oh." Saki nodded, drawing the cloak closed in front of her body to hide any visible parts of her long school skirt. "Do I have to keep my cloak on inside then, to hide my gender from your parents?"

       "No, that won't be a problem. I live alone here, just near my extended family."

       "Are your parents...?"

       "They're still around, though I don't talk to them much. I moved here because one of my cousins wanted me to be nearby. They couldn't refuse, but they didn't seem to upset to lose me either."

       "I see." Saki didn't know what to say. As much as her father didn't like her in the family, she didn't send her off to live with her grandmother during her childhood. She felt compassion for his situation.

       "It doesn't matter. Let's go in." He then pulled the heavy doors open and led her inside. The massive doors had been a great indication of what was to be expected, but she was still amazed at the beautiful architecture. All of the homes were stunningly gorgeous in the style of ancient Japan.

       She noticed a bug in his hair. "Hold still," she demanded as she stood higher on her toes to pull the insect out, brushing her hand across his hair.

       "Thanks. Can you keep your head facing the ground?" Haru asked with one hand on the handle of the door.

       "But then I might trip since I don't know this landscape at all."

       "Don't worry, I'll lead you."

       She watched the ground under her feet numbly as Hatusharu led her by hand through the Sohma compound to his apartment.

* * * * *

Circle me, circle you, circle all.

Enchants, and delights, and enthrals.

All we see is mystery, all in all.

All we see in life are the sirens.

This is ultra strong, this white water siren's song.

* * * * *

       They worked together at a low table in Hatsuharu's bedroom, their books spread out in front of them in disarray. The worked out their math problems as they listened to the pulsating beats of Hatsuharu's music of choice. Saki had never really listened to rock music before - although her mother did not openly say she could not, she let it be known that she did not exactly approve of it. But upon hearing it, absorbing the vitality of the melodies and lyrics, Saki decided that she enjoyed it very much.

       They worked without speaking for the most part, only talking to help each other with problems they did not understand. It was a cozy silence.

       Haru made a noise of puzzlement after tapping values into his calculator in time with the song's tempo. "This doesn't work."

       Saki leaned close to him, peering at his work. He shifted a little so he would not be in her space - she didn't seem to notice. "It's nothing, you just forgot to find the square root of the subtotal at the end."

       "Ah," he said, holding the page at a slightly different angle, comprehension dawning on him. "Thanks. I should have learned this method by now."

       "I have done it before, you realize, so I've had another semester for it all to sink in," she explained modestly.

       They fell back into their comfortable routines, Saki diligently scribbling out study notes in cursive, Haru nodding to himself as he read over an assignment. Haru suddenly turned a dial on the CD player by his side and the music faded into nothingness. He stared at the door, concentrating on something. She could sense his intensity - something was worrying him.

       "What is it?" she asked softly.

       He held a finger to his lips to hush her, then stood up. "Hurry, he's coming. Just do as I say, alright?" He picked up her books and piled them up under the table where they'd be unseen.

       "Who -" she began, but then fell silent. She would trust him.

       He slid open the door to his closet, and pushed the rows of hangers together, leaving a small space. "Sit in there, it won't be long."

       vShe crawled into the space and once inside, Haru pushed the clothes back to the normal positions. She was almost hidden. "Be back soon," he said as he slid the door shut.

       oSo there she knelt, enveloped between layers of Haru's clothing, all of which smelt like a lovely combination of lemon detergent and Haru himself. Intoxicating. Why do I feel so dizzy? She took a deep breath and concentrated, counting slowly in her head as time passed by.

       One.... Two.... Three.... Four....

       He spun the dial, returning the music to its original intensity to suggest normality in the room. Between the folds of the fabric and through the spaces between the slats in the closet doors, she watched as he settled back into his seat at the table. He picked up his pencil and started scratching against the paper's surface. He would look busy for whoever was coming up those stairs.

       She could only pray that she would remain unseen, that her eyes wouldn't give her away. She was being ridiculous, but the confines of the closet seemed to be closing in on her. Her wooziness did not seem to be going away. She closed her eyes and pressed herself against the door, continuing to count. She ignored the part of her that questioned his actions. Why would it be so horrible for that person to see them studying together? Was there really something wrong her being there? What was with this separate compound his family lived in; was it some sort of separate society for Sohmas alone?

       Twenty five.... Twenty six.... Twenty seven....

       There was a knock at Haru's door, and she opened her, her counting interrupted. She took in another deep breath, holding it in to keep herself absolutely still. She could feel her heart beating faster. Who was there? She could feel the person's energy already; it was similar to Hatsuharu's, but colder, disbelieving, and broken. Or maybe it was just her fear of what could possibly be coming through that door that was making her come to such melancholy conclusions so easily.

       "Come in, Hatori," Haru said solemnly, not looking up from his work.

       Saki leaned closer to the slats so she could see the door open, and saw a tall man step into the room, clothed in doctor's garb. He left the door open behind him. His actions didn't lead her to believe that he'd stay for long.

       "Just checking in," Hatori explained. "I have to be getting back to Akito soon."

       "Mm," Haru said, still writing on his paper to keep himself busy. He did not seem to be concerned in the least, so it must have been a regular occurrence.

       "Make sure you eat dinner soon. Remember you've got to make an appointment with me sometime, your annual checkup needs to be arranged."

       "I'll drop by your office later then."

       Hatori seemed to be satisfied and left the room and headed downstairs. Hatsuharu remained in his place until he heard the faint sound of a car leaving the driveway.

       "Ah, sorry, Saki-chan," he said as he got up, a half-amused smile on his face. "He is pretty easy to decieve." He slid the closet door open quickly, and Saki, who had been leaning on the wooden frame of the door tumbled forward into Haru, catching him by surprise.

       There was a noticeable change in his wavelengths. She crawled out and stretched out her limbs. "Much better, I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. May I ask why he came to visit?" She looked up and didn't see Hatsuharu at all. "Hatsu-" Only the form of a cow materializing in front of her from a cloud of white dust; a sturdy cow with deep, grey eyes that watched her facial expressions with as much dread as a cow could portray. His school uniform was in a messy pile around his four legs.

       "Cow...-san?" Saki said, puzzled, to say the least. When was the last time she had seen a cow? Down at her grandparents' farm, the last time she had spoken to her grandfa- there's no time to think of the past, she told herself. What am I thinking about at a time like this?

       She got down on her knees to look at the cow's eyes, She reached out with a tentative arm, brushing the cow's slightly shaggy hair out of its eyes. Or rather 'his.' The logical portion of her brain told her she was being silly, seeing as cows were the female counterparts of bulls, but she knew by her sixth sense, and also by her heart, that Hatsuharu's soul was still encompassed within the creature's body. The sense of touch confirmed her intuition; the feeling of her fingers against his fur was the same feeling she had gotten when she touched his human tresses earlier.

       She had known all along that there was something different about Hatsuharu that had attracted her to him and the other members of the Sohma family. To find out that he could take the form of a cow was amazing. This was his curse.

       He was scared, she could tell, turning his massive face away from her.

       "Hatsuharu, you are beautiful like this, do you realize?" Saki said soothingly, touching the side of his neck. "You don't have to be embarrassed in front of me."

       He didn't reply. She wasn't sure if he simply couldn't speak like this, or if he was too worried. "Don't worry, we all have secrets. I'll keep yours safe."

       He nodded, and suddenly turned around.

       "Something is wrong...?"

       Saki discovered soon enough as she got a glimpse of his backside as he transformed back into his human form before slipping on his clothes. She looked away quickly to give him his privacy.

       "Sorry." Haru said as he finished buttoning up his school uniform. He hung up his jacket and closed the closet door.

       "For what?" Saki asked.

       "For burdening you with this secret."

       "Then sorry for burdening you with mine back when we were strangers."

       "It's hardly a burden." Haru stated.

       "Then we agree that neither of us are burdening each other."

       "Un."

  & nbsp;    He stood up and offered her his hand. She accepted it, and allowed him to pull her up.

       Still holding one of her hands, he vocalized without a trace of a Japanese accent, "Arrete-moi si tu veux." She couldn't understand something as simple as the phrase, 'stop me if you want,' even after somehow passing the mandatory French class all students had to pass in middle school. It was humourous to him. Inside, he was grinning at Saki's blank expression, his eyes darkening.

       "Je ne sais pas," she replied. It was one of the few phrases she knew off by heart when it came to the French language; 'I don't understand,' was a very valuable phrase for a girl like Saki who rarely completed her daily homework.

       He leaned in towards her and pressed his lips against her mouth as his empty hand searched for hers. He expected her to try to stop him, and was surprised to feel her responding to him. He tried to keep his Black side harnessed. Saki's heart was beating heavily and her eyes fluttered open as he pulled back.

       "That's the toll for the secret." He pulled away, knowing that the kiss had been the second one that he had stolen from her.

       "I never collected for mine." Saki placed her arms on his shoulders and startled him again by initiating another. Telling him that it was okay, that his alternate form didn't matter, that she wanted to be closer to him, even if his curse wouldn't allow it.

       "I want to know more," she breathed, "about you."

       For the second time in a short while, she was carefully pressed against the wood of the closet door, only this time she had no qualms about it. She enjoyed every minute that she was allowed to spend with Hatsuharu, even with the more violent side of himself making appearances periodically. She didn't mind, feeling exhilarated by his ferocity and drive. She invoked light instances of her electric powers, which seemed to provoke him even more.

       Of course, she was willing to use it in stronger doses whenever he stepped out of line.

       The pencil alongside his books on the table were not touched, and neither were Saki's things which had remained stashed underneath the table.

       She had promised herself that she wouldn't get too close to Hatsuharu and learn his secrets. But she wanted to. She wanted to know him deeply and thoroughly, no matter what the consequences. With little reserve, she allowed herself to listen to him, to touch him, to become drawn in by him, and she allowed him the same rights towards herself.

       He nudged her towards the comfort of the bed, and she allowed herself to be steered there. The concept of time didn't exist as she was told about the curse of the Sohma family and the problems it entailed between intimate moments shared between the two. She was warned with great emphasis to beware of Hatori, for he could remove Sohma Hatsuharu from her memory.

       Without even realizing that she had fallen asleep, she woke up to the sun in her eyes, covered in a blanket. She was in a bed which wasn't her own, and when she sat up, she noticed Hatsuharu lying at the across the end of the bed on top of the blanket, so not to disturb her. She glanced at a digital alarm clock, and its flourescent green light screamed out 5:30 AM. She realized that it must have been Saturday morning, and all she was wearing was her lacy black bra and the skirt of her uniform.

       Her mother was going to kill her. She had never been so reckless in her life.

       She sat up and buttoned up her blouse which at some point had been removed, then pulled on her socks which she found beside the bed. Running her fingers through her hair, she tried to make herself presentable before reprimanding herself. Appearance shouldn't matter. She shook Hatsuharu gently until he woke up with a fighting reflex. Upon seeing her face as his eyes gained focus, he immediately apologised.

       "I've got to go. I shouldn't be here."

       He rolled off the bed and stood up. "I know. You've got to be careful when leaving the compound."

       "We should study together again next weekend." Haru suggested with a slight grin on his face.

       "Yes, let's." Saki bowed. "Until we meet again." Forgetting that she had brought her cloak with her and leaving her notebook and backpack behind, she turned to leave Haru's small home.

       Haru stopped her, handing her his favourite jacket. It was the one that he had worn when they first met at the bus stop so long ago. "Don't catch a cold."

       "I'm sure I won't now."

       Barely conscious of her footing on the slick dew of the morning coating the grass, Saki ran out of the enormous Sohma compound. She did not want any unexpected encounters on this, especially after being warned to keep away from the man Haru mentioned. She ran towards the gate without looking back - it was the idea that if she didn't see anyone, no one would see her either. Childish, she knew, but she did not reflect on this point for more than a few seconds. She only concentrated on her current goal: the gate.

       They had shared something together. However, neither of the two had noticed the door opening a sliver and closing again softly during Hatsuharu's transformation the night before, which could only lead to more problems.

       It seems that phase two has started already, before I even had time to realize that phase one had taken place. I always wondered how these sort of situationd in romance novels could ever take off without careful planning. Apparently, things that happen are beyond my control. Things seem so static, but looking back, I can tell that things careened out of control without me being conscious of it.

       eOr maybe not. That knowledge may have just passed me as well. How do I know, and how will I learn? This is senseless, going on like this. I should allow things to come towards me with open arms, to be prepared for the tasks at hand.

       She shuddered in the cold air of the morning, even while wrapped up in the warmth of Hatsuharu's jacket. She smiled, just thinking of his wry smile warming me up a little. She chastised herself for acting so foolishly, but for the moment, she allowed myself to enjoy the comfort of the opulent fur collar against her neck and chin. So warm....

* * * * *

The seduction is strong,

Under the white water siren's song.

* * * * *

Author Notes: Chapter 8; Completed June 28th 2004, Revised and Uploaded July 2nd 2004.
Ah, this chapter was far too long, so I hope you survived! Over 5000 words for one chapter, most of the others were only 3500-4000 words or so. Couldn't help it though! Hope you enjoyed the much requested SakiXHaru interaction there. I had to up the rating to PG13 for implied such and such. XD
Thank you all for your kind reviews! You're all wonderful! *passes out some snacks
Altered Excerpts from "White Water Siren" by The Tea Party; Fruits Basket characters to N.T. at Hana to Yume Comics