Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ The Small Things ❯ The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship ( Chapter 2 )

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship:

 

Someone sniffed.

 

The someone sounded unquestionably female.

 

Agent Smith didn't know how she knew, but she just did. It was one of the many tricks she had picked up during her service at the Agency, like the ability to be aware of your surroundings when blindfolded, gagged, ear-plugged and tied really tightly to a chair.

 

She silently stepped towards the tree, and peeked around the side.

 

There, stood a young girl in the sunlight, trying to compose herself and dry her eyes.

 

Perfect.

 

“Hello there.”

 

Startled, the girl pivoted quickly. Agent Smith smiled, rather impressed. Lightning reflexes, ability to efficiently locate the source of a sound, gracefulness…

 

But then she saw the eyes.

 

A pair of utterly bewildered, panic-stricken, `Oh my god, there is an evil, homicidal, lunatic-werewolf-murderer-spider-monster-thing right in front of me and it's going to tear me limb from limb into little bite-size pieces and eat me whole at the same time!!!' eyes.

 

Ah, yes. They would definitely have to work on that.

 

“Eep!!! Umm, what - ehh, I'm sorry, who -”

 

“Agnes Smith.” Agent Smith interjected, sighing inwardly. It was yet another nervous-rambling type. She hoped it would be worth it.

 

The girl blinked.

 

“Eh…”

 

“Don't worry, my real name is far more flattering.”

 

“Oh. Okay. But, um -”

 

“Yes, well. I wanted Lynn Bond, but what can you do?”

 

“Umm, I don't -”

 

“Precisely.”

 

“Oooh-kay… Umm, do I -?”

 

“No, probably not. But I heard you need a place to stay. Right?”

 

“Yes, but how -”

 

“What's your name, then?”

 

“Oh, I'm so sorry!!! I'm Tohru Honda, it's a pleasure to -”

 

“Please wait a minute.” Agent Smith turned her back to the girl, tapping a button on the earpiece of the frustratingly bright blue headset, still apparently not seeing the veil as an obstacle at all. “Hello?”

 

“…Hi?” Tohru tilted her head slightly, somewhat baffled.

 

“Shh!” The agent stepped away and cleared her throat. “Search: Honda, Tohru.”

 

“Umm… What -”

 

“I said be quiet!!! Yes, that's right. Miss Honda, Tohru.”

 

Now completely at a loss, Tohru watched wordlessly as the peculiar woman in black mumbled and muttered incoherently under her breath, occasionally nodding. Finally, the oddity turned again to face her, smiling faintly.

 

“It's done. And I'm sorry about your mother.”

 

The girl only looked more confused, and a tad sadder. She blinked back a few tears and took a deep breath, but her lips remained tightly fastened. Agent Smith was very pleased. Obedience was the one thing you needed to last in the Agency - everything else could be added. Or taken.

 

“You may speak.”

 

“Ok. Umm, I was just wondering...” Tohru paused, trying to figure out which question was puzzling her most. “How - wait, what's done?”

 

“Oh, just everything.” Agent Smith laughed. “A home, a job, money - your entire future, pretty much.”

 

“…But, I don't -”

 

“Any minute now, your grandfather will come looking for you, offering you a place to stay. You will say yes, but you will refuse to let him pay for your school tuition. You will insist that you get a part-time job. As a cleaner. But do try to keep it casual.”

 

“Ehhh???”

 

Suddenly, an elderly man approached them, eyes hooded. Saying not a word, he embraced Tohru tightly. Agent Smith raised an eyebrow. It was either the girl's grandfather, or a damned straightforward chap. You could never tell these days. But the girl hugged him back, so she presumed that the man was an acquaintance of… some kind, so it didn't really matter.

 

“Your mother was a good woman. A bit high-spirited, but noble. Now, Tohru, are you all right?” He stepped back to get a good look at her, furrowing his brow fretfully.

 

“Yes, Grandfather. Thank you.” Tohru looked down, hurriedly wiping her eyes dry.

 

Feeling that she was intruding in on a family moment, Agent Smith tried to subtly slip away, but the old geezer had pretty good sight for someone that ancient.

 

“And who is this?” he inquired, with a rare, genuine politeness.

 

Tohru looked back and forth between her grandfather and Agent Smith, slightly flustered.

 

“Umm, well, you see, this is, umm - my friend, Lynn.”

 

The woman in black blinked, slightly taken aback. Well. That was a new one. It was usually `Just some person I know', or `An acquaintance from the office'. Or at the very least, `I have absolutely no idea - call the police quick!'

 

The old man smiled.

 

“Well, hello. I thank you for comforting my grand-daughter.” He bowed slightly, then turned to Tohru. “I came to ask if you wanted to live with me.”

 

Tohru hesitated for a moment, doing her best not to look at Agent Smith, then burst into an explosion of `thank you's and `I couldn't possibly's, while her grandfather laughed good-naturedly, insisting that it was nothing.

 

Agent Smith, now very, very impressed, coughed subtly.

 

“Right!” Tohru exclaimed, stamping her foot down firmly and raising a fist high in the sky. “I will get a part-time job and pay my school fees myself!” She smiled at her grandfather. “That way I won't be bothering you too much. You're being too nice as it is.”

 

“Tohru! It wouldn't be a problem at all to pay for your school fees - I don't mind-”

 

“No, no, no! I insist!”

 

“If you're sure-”

 

“Oh, I am! I'll work really, really hard, Grandfather - don't you worry!”

 

“All right, Tohru.” He smiled, shaking his head. Such a determined little child. “But if you ever need help, just ask. Oh, Tohru - where are you going to get a part-time job?”

 

Tohru paused, trying to remember what her odd new friend had said.

 

“Um… I'll clean! Yeah! It's good, honest work!”

 

The newly-dubbed Lynn held back a snort. The grandfather still looked a bit skeptical - best to be on the best behaviour.

 

“But where -”

 

“There's a building nearby, and I know some people who work there. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her.” The strange agent smiled.

 

“Ah.” The old man looked at Tohru, who nodded quickly in confirmation, then turned to Lynn, grateful. “That's wonderful. Thank you.”

 

“It's not a problem, sir.”

 

“Well, then. Tohru, we shall be leaving soon. I'll meet you down there -” He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the entrance of the graveyard. “- in a few minutes, and then we can go and pick up your things. It was nice meeting you, Lynn.”

 

“A pleasure, sir.” Lynn bowed politely.

 

“Thank you so much, Grandfather.” Tohru beamed, hugging him again.

 

He smiled, then drifted off into the distance.

 

There was a brief, slightly awkward silence between the two young women standing beside the tree atop a small mound-like hill, towering over the rest of the graveyard.

 

“Well… Umm… I like your hat.”

 

“Thank you.”