Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Rising Affections ❯ Kisses ( Chapter 17 )

AN: Hallooo….anyone there?...echo..cho..o… Sorry this took so long to update, and even now I only have part of the whole kissing booth experience finished. There have been some personal issues and family stuff taking my time so I am a bit behind right now, but I haven't completely forgotten about it.

 

And on with the story…

 

Finally the big day arrived. The booths were readied early so that everything was in place when the customers started to arrive. Things wouldn't get into full swing until just before noon anyway. It was a great opportunity to work the bugs out of each attraction. One of those bugs could have been how to man the kissing booth, but after some debate the night before, they decided that it would be best to have each work a somewhat long shift, leaving enough free time for each of them to take in some of the carnival as well. They pulled straws and Kitomi was the “lucky” one to get the first shift.

 

`Oh man, why do I have to go through with this? I have a girlfriend too. I hope she believes me that this was not my idea!' Kitomi thought to himself as he neared the hideously feminine decorated kissing booth. His least favorite person in the whole wide world was flitting around wearing a heavily embroidered lavender hapi coat over flowing silky looking pants that resembles a skirt in a deeper shade of purple. His silver hair was whipping around in a shoulder length braid behind him as he attached even more pearly white balloons to the exterior, making the booth look as if it were about to float away in a cloud of white feathers and helium filled latex. Not surprisingly he was flanked on both sides by his friends? Cousins? Either way the three were always together so counted as one big annoying creature in his mind. It still steamed him that he had been chosen vice president after losing the election. If only Ayame's running mate hadn't moved away just barely a week after their victory, and instead of holding another election so soon the faculty had just stuffed Kitomi into the vacancy. Having to work along side of him made his blood boil. Even though he had to grudgingly admit he wasn't left having to do all of the serious work, and Ayame was actually better at the job than he would have ever believed possible. The fact that Kitomi was constantly being stuck as some sort of babysitter to keep the flamboyant boy from getting too carried away with his ideas annoyed him to no end. The same outgoing confident nature that won Ayame the election made for endlessly embarrassing and uncomfortable moments during student council meetings and school assemblies for Kitomi. At least Omi would also be working the booth with them. They had been friends for a while now and he could use the quiet boy as a buffer from the insane Sohmas.

 

 

Across the way a chorus of delighted squeals could be heard as the senior basketball team peeled their shirts off with deliberate slowness, readying themselves for their contribution to the events- a parking lot car wash. More than one of the team members shot a smug look across the grounds toward the ornately decorated mass of white feathers silver glitter, imported Italian carnival masks and pearly balloons that was the Senior Class President's kissing booth.

 

“So that is what they meant when they said we would have a tough time getting the girl's' attention.” Omi mused out loud.

 

“What? They don't honestly think this mere display of skin can compete with the romantic delight of a kiss bestowed upon those fortunate enough to have bought a ticket by what I humbly acknowledge are by far much better looking specimens of the male of the species?” Ayame stated in a loud and dramatic voice.

 

“What would they gain by detracting from our business? We are here after all for a common goal.” Shigure said equally loudly, but less dramatic.

Hatori turned and walked into the draped off portion of their booth shaking his head and muttering “idiots.”

 

“Ah, of course, and there is no rule that a girl couldn't have her vehicle scrubbed by the working class, and enjoy a blissful moment over here with the elite as well.” Aya added with a flourish that encompassed himself and his fellow booth members. He gazed back over at the jocks, noting some of the smug looks turning sour. “Score one -zero in our favor.” he mumbled to himself scanning the crowd and noting how many of the female visitors were now eyeballing his booth.

 

“Do you have to be so dramatic?” Kitomi asked. “It's bad enough I am stuck working with you on this insane project, but you have to turn the weirdness level up before it even opens?”

 

“Well, they started it.” Ayame huffed.

“Kitomi the customers are lining up. Maybe you should go open the booth now.” suggested Shigure.

“And remember to keep track of your tickets.” Ayame added. “And Kitomi, smile; you will scare the girls away with that sour face. Remember, whoever gets the most kisses wins!”

 

Kitomi grumbled his way to the front of the booth and stuck his head through the window to see. He found a set of twins standing there. They both had shoulder length dark hair and would have been identical except one had blue eyes while the others were a deeper violet shade.

 

“Hi I am Kimiko and this is my sister Himiko.” The blue eyed twin said with a giggle.

The other twin twirled her finger in a circle and said “That's wrong I am Himiko and she is Kimiko.” they both giggled again after that leaving Kitomi blinking in confusion. “Either way, here are our tickets, we get a kiss now.” Himiko continued, leaning over and giving Kitomi a peck on the lips. He had been caught off guard, he hadn't expected the girl to be so forward, but this was what he was here for after all so he smiled and looked at Kimiko expectantly.

“My turn.” she said leaning up and also giving him a quick peck then turned to Himiko.

“Well what do you want to do next?” the twin asked her double.

“I hear the chess club has an acrobatics display on soon.” the other answered.

“Nerds in tights?” The first asked, “We're all over that. Let's go.” she said enthusiastically as they walked out of earshot.

 

Gintori Yasunaga led his family into the gate of the school grounds. The carnival was well under way and the sights and smells lent themselves to a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. With no detectable reason for it, he got the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He hung a little closer to his wife and children as he scanned the area for any obvious ill wishers and caught what could have been a flash of familiar silver hair out of the corner of his eye. No! no, no, no, no, No. no way was he going to reopen that investigation. Just as he decided this, a dark haired boy ran across his field of vision chasing after another boy who was shirtless and looked terrified. “Oh come on! It is for charity after all.” The pursuing boy was saying “You should show the president your support, just one little ticket; Please?” the boy pleaded as he dogged the other's every move waving a fistful of paper tickets before him and laughing. He finally had to stop, bending over to catch his breath and letting his quarry get away. “I guess he really didn't want a ticket for the kissing booth, here take one on Me.” the boy chuckled, placing a ticket into Mrs. Yasunaga's hand as he walked back the way they had come.

 

Hatori sat on the hard metal folding chair, one of the four supplied for the booth members not up front in each shift. He flipped slowly through a book trying to decide if he was going to read it or just skim through for the information necessary to answer the questions his teacher would ask in class next week. Suddenly Ayame came bolting into the booth closing the flap behind him and peering out through the gap between the tarps in a highly suspicious manner.

“What is going on?” Omi asked, looking up from the math homework he had been diligently working on.

 

“Did you say something you shouldn't have to the basketball team?” Hatori asked mildly.

.

“Oh no, it isn't that,” Ayame said with dismissive wave, not actually denying the accusation, “I was over at the edge of the parking lot discussing the merits of our different approaches to attracting customers, when you will never guess who I saw walking their way into the carnival grounds.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Guess.”

 

“No, I won't guess. Tell me.”

 

“You are right; you wouldn't guess it in a million years. I saw our old friend Officer Yasunaga. I don't think he spotted me. Shigure is keeping an eye on him for us. We had probably better stay put until he gives us the all clear.

 

“Are you in trouble with the law?” Kitomi asked, leaning back through the curtain separating him from the `lounge area' in the back of the booth.

 

“No.” Hatori said placing a finger across Ayame's lips and giving him a `shut up, now' look. “We are not being sought by the police. We have met this particular officer, though and would not like to remind ourselves or him of the incident.”

 

Kitomi was trying to figure out how best to use this information to his advantage when Omi spoke up, startling the rest who had pretty much forgotten he was there.

“Kitomi you don't want to spend the whole day here with your girl in town today right? And Ayame and Hatori don't want this cop to see them, so I propose that if you Kitomi stay up there until the officer leaves then you should be free to go and spend the rest of the day with your girl. Four of us can manage this booth no problem.”

“Would they agree to that?” Kitomi asked skeptically.

 

“Of course,” Ayame added, tapping a finger on his chin as if in thought, “if Officer Yasunaga decided he wanted more information from us about said incident we would be unavailable, and you would be stuck here all day.”

 

“Ok you have a deal.” kitomi said returning to the front of the booth. `But one of these days I would love to hear the full story behind it.' He muttered to himself.

 

“No!”

“But dad, we already have the ticket.” Kyomi Yasunaga was trying with all of her eleven year old might to wheedle her way into stop at the High school kissing booth.

“I said no.” her father reiterated.

“It is for charity.” She sang imitating the boy who had given her mother the ticket in the fist place.

“Not even for charity.” He stated gruffly.

“Please,” she begged bring her most powerful weapons to bear… the big eyes. “I promise only one kiss and on the cheek.”

“Well…” looking at the booth he had to admit it looked pretty harmless. In fact the only visible part of the boy manning it was his head poking through a hole cut in the decorated front panel.

“Unless you think mamma wants to kiss the nice high school boy instead.” Kiomi added with a bright smile, rocking back and fourth in place waiting for the answer she wanted.

“Ok, you win.” He sighed, liking the thought of his wife kissing a stranger even less than letting Kyomi have her moment and the bragging rights to her friends that would surely come with it.

 

“Oh no he is heading this way.” Ayame said standing back from the entrance and moving nervously into the shadow of the front drape with Hatori. “Omi, I could use a drink. Could you go get some bottles of water for all of us please?” Hatori asked the boy.

“Yes, of course.” Omi answered almost too quickly glad he was being given the chance to stay out of whatever trouble they were about to be a part of. “And Kitomi?” he asked quietly.

“Will be fine where he is.” Hatori answered in a way that left no room for argument.

“Well then I guess I will be back with the water.” Omi said with a quick wave as he exited the booth.

 

As soon as the flap shut Ayame leaned as if boneless against Hatori. Neither said a word but they both drew comfort in the contact and soon Hatori had an arm protectively wrapped around Ayame as they waited, hoping to avoid trouble.

 

 

Kitomi looked down to see a young girl with a mass of dark ringlets and big chocolate colored eyes looking back at him appraisingly.

“I got a ticket, but I had to promise my daddy to only get a kiss on the cheek to use it.” she said.

`That is so cute.' He thought to himself as she obediently turned her cheek to him and tiptoed so she could get her kiss. He leaned over and managed to plant a solid peck on the proffered cheek even though it was difficult reaching down to someone so short through the small window in the front of the booth. And uncomfortable with her father glowering at him the whole time, but the simple kiss seemed to mean the world to the girl, she giggled and blushed a bit as she thanked him politely and hurried back to her family. Somehow even with the bad mood he had been in all day he found himself smiling and waving goodbye to the little girl as she grabbed her parents by the hand and started to drag them toward the food court.

 

“Oh, this is even better than I imagined.” A familiar voice startled him.

“Yui?” he said turning to see none other than his girlfriend standing in front of him, and she had a camera. “Omi said to bring a camera and that you were going to be working at the school fair, but a kissing booth?” She asked laughing and snapping pictures.

 

 

Hatori could hear Ayame's heart beating and he was pretty sure it wasn't only the fear of being caught by the off duty officer at the moment. Truthfully his own heart was beating a bit fast and his stomach doing fluttery things just from cuddling together while sitting next to each other as they were. After all it was still a rare thing for either of them to be held by anyone. With the memory of the relaxed playfulness of the evening before, it was comfortable and nice.

 

They separated quickly as the tarp draping the back of the booth opened admitting a beam of bright light from outside. Shigure came through the opening into the stall “the coast is clear now” he said. “I must apologize, I thought for sure giving Yasunaga's wife a ticket was the perfect way to keep the guy away from the kissing booth. Apparently I underestimated the `daddy's little girl' factor a bit there.” He finished, absently scratching the back of his head.

 

The booth drape opened once more as Omi returned. “Here is the water.” He said handing out the bottles. “I saw that officer heading for the parking lot I think it is safe for you to come out now.”

 

 

 

Ayame got up front just in time to see Kitomi holding a handful of tickets, making out with a fairly good looking girl. Hopefully his girlfriend the way they were going at it; hot steamy open mouthed, tongue tasting very non-chaste kissing.

 

“Uhm, Kitomi.” Ayame said tapping him on the shoulder from behind “Thank you for your help, but we can't have people think we are selling that sort of kisses here. Even though I personally am charmed and encouraged by this demonstration of romance fresh blossomed and potent, I don't believe the faculty would find it as inspirational as I do. So maybe you and your girl should run along now. I believe it is my turn at the window anyway.”

 

Without another word Kitomi ducked into the booth and reemerged next to Yui and they ran off, hand-in-hand for parts unknown.

 

 

Ayame stepped through the curtain, checking if anyone was waiting in line. There stood a set of twins. They both had shoulder length dark hair and would have been identical except one had blue eyes while the others were a deeper violet shade.

 

“Oh! Can you kiss me like he kissed her?” Himiko asked.

 

“As much as I would dearly love to cater to your wishes, I am afraid I can't. That kiss was definitely against school policy. Kitomi and his girl are just lucky none of the roving faculty spotted them. I can give a chaste kiss on the lips but no tongue, sorry.” Ayame told the girl.

 

“Awwww, but I know you would like to.” Himiko wheedled, giving him a cute pout.

 

“I am sure I would.” Ayame purred sexily, looking the way Kitomi and Yui had just left. “But still what kind of class president would I be if I tempted fate for a moment's ecstasy?” he mused tapping a finger against his lips. “No, I can't mess things up for the senior class trip no matter what.” He added in a cheerful voice turning back toward her and smiling agreeably. “I can only offer you a chaste kiss,” he stated, locking eyes with her and leaning forward. “But a slow, chaste kiss of undetermined length would be allowable, I think.” He said quietly as his lips settled onto hers pressing them together for several seconds before he withdrew. Himiko stood there for a few heartbeats with her fingers slowly making their way to her lips and a silly grin forming on her face.

 

“Hey it's my turn now.” Kimiko said elbowing her sister aside. “Lay one on me.” She told Ayame as she stepped to the front of the booth.

 

Ooo000ooo

 

Alagasia Jeremishou walked through the carnival grounds, her straight black hair swaying behind her at just below waist level. She was having a good day, so far she had found a nice handmade scarf at the crafts booth, and the food concession had a wonderful fried bread pastry that made a perfect late breakfast. Her boyfriend, her soon to be ex-boyfriend, had once again decided to hang out with his friends instead of going out with her. So, she was spending her Friday taking her younger brother to the carnival fund raiser for his school. She looked through the crowd spotting him over at one of the many game booths trying to impress some girl with his dart throwing skills. She looked away so he wouldn't think she wanted his attention for something and a booth caught her eye. The outside was decorated in White and silver and accented with both round balloons and feathers. The most striking thing was the person who's head she could see looking out through a window cut in the front of the booth. She found herself moving closer for a better look without even realizing it. That is until a tap on her shoulder got her attention.

 

“Excuse me, but is this the line for the kissing booth?” A young boy asked her. She turned and noting the short platinum blonde hair cut in a bob and deep blue eyes. She recognized him as one of her brother's first year classmates. “Toxa, hello, do you want to be in the line? I am sorry I just wanted a better look, the girl in the window, she is very pretty, that hair…”

 

“Oh! Sorry to interrupt,” Toxa said nervously waving hands bowing head apologetically. “But that isn't a girl it's the senior class president, Ayame Sohma, he is very beautiful though, you are right about that. He is also not afraid to be himself. I so admire that about him. I even heard he designed and made the clothes he is wearing tonight. He is so bold and confident. I just can't wait to meet him in person.”

 

“Don't you go to the same school?” She asked puzzled.

 

“Well, at school he has his friends around all the time, and many other admirers to contend with. I am not assertive enough to push through the crowd that surrounds him. This is my best chance for a moment of his time.” Toxa said brightly.

 

“Well, uhm… you said this is a kissing booth. Are you actually going to kiss him? I mean, you are a boy and don't you think everyone will think it a bit strange especially Ayame-san?”

 

“I am going to get a kiss from him. I lost a bet.” Toxa explained with a grin.

 

A loud uproar could be heard from across the parking lot. One of the shirtless basketball players was now standing directly behind a young lady with his right hand over hers, helping her to hold a large, sudsy sponge. His left hand was on her waist and their bodies moved in sink as he demonstrated the proper circular motion to use when washing a car.

Shigure looked like he was going to cry as he watched out of the back of the stall. “Life is unfair.” He muttered turning and sulking his way back into the booth.

Hatori nodded with a sigh, echoing the sentiment. Seeing that display was difficult; especially knowing that he could never hold a girl in that manner without transforming. Even worse, he was not happy about Ayame for flirting with the girls at the window. It was stupid and he knew it, but it felt pretty lousy when Ayame was kissing everyone but him. He felt a spark of rage as he watched Ayame expertly handle a problem situation with one of the freshmen boys who was in line due to some sort of lost bet. After a few moments reassurance that it wasn't a bother to him, Ayame gave the boy a peck on the cheek and sent the smiling and blushing little irritant on his way. `Lost bet my ass.' Hatori grumbled in his head.