Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Under a Cherry Blossom Sky ❯ Through the Woods ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

UNDER A CHERRY BLOSSOM SKY
A Fruits Basket Fanfic

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess


AUTHOR'S NOTE: I so love this pairing, and they need so much more love than they get in the fandom. A romantic and sometimes funny story. This chapter told from Machi's point of view. WARNING for LEMON content in later chapters. Hint of LIME here. Possible SPOILERS for those not familiar with the end of the manga. A Standard Disclaimer follows the chapter.


Chapter 2 - Through the Woods


I helped Yuki prepare dinner. It was always fun cooking with him. We've learned a lot from each other. And Tohru-kun. It was something creative. Something...romantic. That was the part I always looked forward to when cooking. Yuki being romantic.

But this experience was a far cry from romantic.

"Smells yummy."

"Isn't that too much spice?"

Yuki sighed. "No. It's exactly what the recipe calls for, nii-chan."

"Can you add some more leeks," Shigure asked. "It's not like Kyo is eating with us tonight."

"Machi isn't big on leeks either," Yuki replied.

"Really?"

"Maybe she just wants her breath fresh for when she kisses our Yuki," Ayame commented.

My turn to sigh. "I really don't like a lot of leeks in my stew."

"Is it done yet?"

Especially with his brother and cousin hanging over us like children. While we had discussed marriage and children through the course of our relationship, we didn't plan on becoming parents this early.

"Could you please set the table and have some tea," Yuki said. "It'll be done soon."

Some chaperones they were turning out to be.

I moved closer to him, adding the last bits to the pot after checking the recipe sheet the old woman at the store had given us. It looked all right, but it smelled delicious.

He muttered an apology. The fifth in as many minutes. I tried to smile, squeezing his arm as I moved past him to turn off the rice cooker. I wanted to tell him it was okay, but couldn't find the words. We've faced many challenges in our five years together. We could get though this.

"Yuki! I should make you an apron for the kitchen."

"He does make a cute chef. Ne, Kuragi-san?"

I acquiesced with a sigh. And a smile. Shigure wasn't wrong about that. "Yes, he does."

"An apron makes sex in the kitchen so much more exciting. Right,
Gure?"

"Depends on who's wearing it, Aya."

I heard Yuki choking behind me and turned quickly to look at him, make sure he was okay. I patted his back until he nodded. The last comment was uncalled for.

True, but uncalled for.

Besides, we'd hear much worse as the meal dragged on. I couldn't wait for it to end. And even after it did, the "adults" still acted like kids.

"Is the water too hot for you, Aya?"

"You're too hot for me, Gure!"

I now understand Yuki's insistence to have his own place after high school.

"Should I towel you dry, Gure?"

"Would you?"

At least they washed and dried the dishes.

Our original sleeping arrangements changed once Ayame and Shigure-san showed up. As discreetly as possible, my suitcase was moved into another room. If either of the "adults" saw it, they didn't comment. Thankfully.

"Aren't they so precious, Aya?"

"You just want to eat them up. Yum!"

"Did I see tongue?"

"Yuki! You dog!"

Again, the "adults" acted like children when Yuki kissed me goodnight. Had I not been so close to Yuki and in his embrace, I'd have slapped both of them.

And no, there was no tongue.

I was glad when I closed the door to my room. Here I could not be annoyed or angered. Here, I could be relaxed. Myself.

Here, I was without Yuki.

It felt...odd.

As I lay in bed, I hugged my pillow to my chest. He was only across the hall, but I missed him. My heart was crying, my body screaming.

How long had we gone without sex? Several weeks? A month? It was not a big necessity in our relationship, but when I couldn't have him is when I craved him the most. Tonight was no exception, especially after the teaser this afternoon.

Don't get me wrong. I love Yuki's family. They're the closest thing I have to the real thing. My parents sent me away because they believed me to be a threat to my baby brother. I'd done nothing wrong, and they pushed me away. I still care for them, and I do so love my brother, but a part of me moved on once I met Yuki's family.

They had welcomed me warmly, with open arms. Ayame and Shigure were no exception. They love Yuki, care about him, and wish him well. It's very clear to see. And they accepted me so easily, not an easy task for an angry little girl most of her classmates made fun of. I think that's how I made it onto the Student Council. As a joke.

But if I'd never been on the Student Council, my relationship to Yuki wouldn't exist. He'd be a prince, and I the quiet, crazy one. We'd still be two relative strangers wondering this world.

I don't deserve him. I truly don't. Yet the gods have blessed me with his love. His understanding. His compassion. His body....

I can't imagine life without him. Cliche, I know, but it's the truth.

Spending one night without him -- one more night without him -- hurt like hell. But I suppose it's a small price to pay.

And the sex would be even more exciting later.

Think of something else. Think of something else!

I squeezed the pillow even tighter, moaning into the pillowcase. The beginning of our sex life was like the birth of a demon. I didn't know Yuki had it in him. I had no idea I had it in me! Craving him was like craving a forbidden fruit. Forbidden fruit? Not only is that worse than cliche, it was the truth of the evening.

I forced myself to believe that tomorrow would be better. That we'd have the romance I know I craved. That Ayame and Shigure would just suddenly disappear.

Sleep did not come easy.

And morning came too soon.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

"Would you like breakfast?"

I was surprised to find Ayame and Shigure in the kitchen. I knew Ayame was an early riser, but Shigure's freelance lifestyle made me believe he usually slept in. Both were dressed and ready to go for the day, too.

"You're both up early," I stated without thinking. "Do you have plans for today?"

"Aya wants to go shopping this afternoon," Shigure said, sitting a glass of milk before me.

"The locals have such wonderful textiles up here," Ayame replied. "I'm hoping to find something for my summer collection."

"I'm hoping to find a pretty girl," Shigure added with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

I smiled, only because I knew it would be a chance for Yuki and me to be alone. Thank goodness.

"Egg omelet?"

"Thank you, Ayame-san," I said with a nod.

His cooking is as unique as his costumes. That's all I can say. But it was delicious.

When I was finished, I placed my dishes in the sink and excused myself to take a bath.

"I'll do the dishes when I'm done."

"Thank you, Machi-san," Ayame said with a broad smile.

"You may want to wake up Yuki while you're upstairs," Shigure added. "It's getting late."

"Okay." Gladly.

The better start to the morning put me in a good mood. His family can be really nice when they're acting normal. My good mood even allowed one final comment from Ayame as I made my way towards the stair.

"And so the princess will wake the prince with a kiss!"

"I need to put that in a book."

Glad to be out of earshot, I knocked lightly on the door to Yuki's room. When I received no answer, I opened the door just enough to peak inside. The room was quite bright, sunlight streaming through the window. It rained down on rustic furniture, Yuki's suitcase and the bed.

Which was empty.

That's when I heard running water.

Closing the door, I walked a few more steps down the hallway to stand before the bathroom door. It was closed and I could hear movement inside. I knocked to be sure.

"Yuki?"

The door opened eerily to reveal one Yuki Sohma. His hair was disheveled. His eyes darkened by...I don't know. Lack of sleep? He moved in a zombie-like fashion, too. This was all very typical of his morning routine. Just takes him a little while longer to wake up in the morning, that's all.

But unlike his typical behavior, he grabbed my arm and pulled me inside.

It happened so quickly, there was no time to argue. The door closed and I found myself pressed against it. And when I did finally find words, my lips had already been covered by his.

We both groaned into the kiss. It was relief and need all in one. I didn't hesitate to respond, framing his face in my hands. His hands undid the buttons of my nightshirt. I let the material slide down my arms and flutter to the floor. Now we were even. His chest was already bare; his skin smooth to the touch. The rest of him was covered with an easily removable towel.

The kiss broke for air and we smiled at each other.

"Good morning," I whispered.

"I need you," he whispered back.

With only one thought, we moved toward the shower. We've showered together often. It's very romantic and sensual. Sometime we'd have sex, sometimes not. But every time was a saturnalian experience.

And with both Shigure and Ayame downstairs, we thought we were safe. Well, Yuki was still caught in his morning trance. I thought we were safe

"Yuki! Your breakfast is ready."

"Damn...."

I'm also known to be wrong from time to time.

The bathroom door began to open and in a panic I jumped into the shower stall to avoid being seen. Yuki, who was definitely more awake now, grabbed my shirt from the floor and threw it in after me.

"Ah! You're going to shower?"

"Yes," Yuki answered. His voice sounded strained as he purposefully turned away from his brother. "I'll be down as soon as I'm done."

"Wonderful! Can you do me a favor then?"

"What's that?"

"I need to go into town this afternoon and--"

"Aya, you have your own car."

"Yes, I know. But yours has a bigger trunk."

Yuki sighed. "Fine, fine."

"Thank you!"

He sighed again as I stepped from the shower, my nightshirt covering my torso once more. "I don't get it...."

I kissed him again and when we parted I said, "It's all right. Get ready then eat." I smiled. "His cooking is pretty good."

"You sure?"

We kissed again, this time more passionately. But I pulled away. It was ridiculous that we had to "hide", but knowing his brother and cousin, I wasn't willing to take the chance of being caught.

It was my turn to be apologetic. I left him to shower alone. He didn't argue. The intense sexual moment was gone anyway. And we both needed a moment to collect ourselves.

I sat in my room until I knew he was done in the bathroom. While I've grown much as a person, I'm still a loner at heart. It was a chance for some peace and quiet, and to read the novel I'd been slowly processing for nearly a month. A requirement for my literary studies.

And yes, I was avoiding the terrible twosome downstairs.

Dressed in a short sleeved silk blouse Yuki had bought me as a present, I donned another pair of blue jeans. Something new to my wardrobe. I like them because they're comfortable, and unlike the skirts I was used to wearing, gave me a sense of self. Of confidence.

It didn't hurt that Yuki liked them on me either.

I grabbed another pair of shoes and headed downstairs with my book. I wasn't prepared to be social, but I was more mentally relaxed to deal with whatever Ayame and Shigure were going to throw at me. I greeted them as I stepped into the living area, sitting my shoes by the door and moving to sit in one of the plush chairs there.

They both welcomed me with quiet hellos and sly smiles. I wanted to tell them that their imaginations were better than the reality of the situation -- I would know -- but I didn't feel like bursting their bubble. I think Shigure was checking me out, too. Normally I didn't care, but I think my own frustration made me leery.

"Yes?"

"You're wearing jeans," he stated simply, sipping some tea.

"Thank, Yuki," I answered, opening my book.

"No, thank me," Aya said with a smile. "Yuki would have no sense of style without his beloved brother. Ah! There he is!"

Yuki was freshly dressed, offering a smile to all as he walked into the kitchen. "Good morning."

"You're breakfast is cold! I'll warm it for you."

"Thank you."

"Something to drink?" That was me.

"I'll get it, thanks," Yuki replied.

The conversation was relatively normal, even as we made our way north of town. It was rather pleasant, and I once again hoped that things would return to normal. The warehouse Ayame had mentioned was actually part of a mill, and better than an hour outside of town.

"Wai! So much shiny! And the perfect color!"

"Aya, wait up!"

This was Ayame's element. Not surprisingly, it was like watching a kid a candy store. He spoke at length with the shopkeeper and workers about the texture of the fabrics, they dyes and colors, and even their weights. Shigure followed him around, clearly uninterested, but said nothing.

Yuki and I walked around. We stood close together, holding hands on occasion. The store held little interest to us, but it was nice to be able to be together without being mocked or made fun of by his relatives. We made small talk while walking around and Yuki managed to sneak a kiss on me, behind a large rack of industrial strength materials.

He was much more relaxed. There was a lot less tension in the air overall. The open air and change of atmosphere did much to brighten both of our moods.

"Ah! Yuki, I could make you such a wonderful outfit out of this brocade. What do you think?"

"I do like the color."

"I think the pattern suits you."

"And I could make a beautiful dress for Machi from this!"

"Red is a good color on you."

"You think?"

I'd like to say the trip north was good for all of us. But when we stopped for lunch in town, things changed all over again. And not for the better.

From the moment we left the town restaurant, I felt Yuki withdraw into himself. He could be a very private person, I knew. But Tohru once said he would ball up his feelings until they exploded. Granted he never yelled or cursed as Kyo did, but until those feelings came out, he just wasn't pleasant to be around.

As we exited the car and headed into the house, I caught him by the arm and gently pulled him away from the door.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. "I know this is turning into a bigger spectacle than you originally planned."

His smile fell very short of its usual brightness. "It's all right. We just have to get through tonight."

"I know, but Yuki...."

He moved away then, opening the door for me. "Let's start dinner, shall we?"

I tried to smile but failed. "Sure."

Cooking together tonight didn't just lack a little of its usual appeal. It was gone completely. Watching Yuki cut the vegetables was like watching a robot. All he did was go through the motions. He never looked at me. Never even spoke.

And all the while the two "adults" continued their play. Even after we sat down to eat.

"It was nice to see old lady Kanohei again."

"I can't believe her youngest granddaughter is getting married, Gure! She had such a crush on me."

"A spring wedding is lovely in these parts, with the cherry blossoms just blooming." Shigure winked at me. "Don't you think, Kuragi-san?"

"It's something I've given little thought to--"

"Oh you must have a spring wedding," Ayame exclaimed. "So beautiful!"

"There have been several weddings here at the lake house."

"Oh, I call dibs on the wedding kimonos! They'll look spectacular!"

Yuki's eyebrow twitched as his brother continued to ramble. "You're rushing things just a bit, Ayame-san," I said.

"A bit? As usual he's gone too far!"

The explosion happened so quickly even Ayame and Shigure didn't have time to think. Yuki shot up out of his seat next to me, his angry energy spreading. It rippled across the table like an explosive after effect.

"I'm no longer hungry," Yuki stated flatly. His anger was clear on his face. "Please excuse me."

I frowned, on the verge of tears. "Yuki?"

"Eh?!" Ayame stood up as his brother walked toward the door. "Yuki! Wait!"

But it was too late. The door had closed with a loud BANG. Silence hung in the air like a dark cloud. He was really upset.

I glared at Shigure, who'd initiated the final conversation. "Was it something I said," he asked.

"Yes. It was."

Both men looked at me in surprise. I only hope I looked as upset as I felt. My heart just walked out the door and he asks such questions? I could forgive him for being a pervert, but not for being an idiot.

"It was only a joke...."

Yet, I ignored the author and focused squarely on Ayame. He seemed the "mastermind" behind all the goofing off and general merriment. I knew that he could be outrageous most of the time. Actually, he was outrageous ALL of the time. I always wondered how Mine-san could deal with him...until I realized she's crazy too.

"We were just playing," Ayame muttered.

"Are your brother's emotions only a plaything to you?"

Ayame's eyes grew wide. "N-no! Of course not!" He was flustered. A first to see, at least for me. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt Yuki!"

Deep down I knew he was right. He loved his brother, without a doubt. He just needed to show it in a different way.

But in the moment, I was too upset. "But you just did."

"I didn't mean to--!"

"What can we do to make it better," Shigure chimed in.

I didn't even have to think about it. "Leave."

Again, both men were surprised. "Wha--?"

"Yuki went through the trouble of planning this," I said angrily. "And all you two can do is plan to ruin it."

"This wasn't really planned...." Shigure muttered.

"What kind of a brother are you?!"

Ayame puffed out his chest, clearly insulted. "A good one!"

"Then be a good brother," I replied, standing from the table. "And leave him alone!"

I could feel their eyes on me as I walked to the door, but I said nothing as I opened and closed it behind me. At least I didn't slam it.

I felt only a little remorse for speaking up. But I couldn't let it go on any more. Whether they intentionally meant to hurt Yuki or not, they had. I wasn't going to stand by and just watch.

I sighed, pushing myself away from the door. As I did so, I could hear Shigure and Ayame still talking. I was stunned at what they said.

"And there you have it."

"So we do."

There was a pause before Shigure stated, "I guess Yuki doesn't need you to protect him anymore."

Ayame's smile was apparent in his voice. "I guess not."

"She's a spitfire, that one."

"She is!" Another pause. "I'm jealous, Gure. I want someone like that to protect me."

"I'll always protect you, Aya."

"Ah Gure! I knew I could count on you!"

"Shall we go into town for a few drinks, visit the locals?"

"We shall!"

I rolled my eyes. Then smiled. I couldn't help it. Was that what this was all about? Someone to protect Yuki? I'd never really thought of that. I always believed he was protecting me. But maybe...I'd managed to return the favor. If only this once.

Feeling as if the night was looking up, I walked away from the lake house to search for Yuki.


~TO BE CONTINUED~


DISCLAIMER:
Fruits Basket is the property of Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA - TV TOKYO - NAS - Fruba Project and licensed by FUNimation Productions (anime) and Tokyopop (manga) for distribution in the US and Canada. All characters are used here without permission. No money is being made from this story, so please do not sue.