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The Fox and The Rabbit	By : naturechild02 Category: Manga Misc > General Views: 4788 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Fruits Basket, nor do I make any monies from this fanfic. For entertainment purposes only.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
“Oh come on, it cannot be that bad.”
“It is actually,” Yuki groaned.
“Inedible,” Shigure added as he walked by the kitchen. He winked at Aimi as he scurried by. Yuki turned to give him the evil eye, and possibly throw something at him, but the old lecher was gone.
Aimi sighed and rolled her sleeves up. “Well, time to learn!”
“Couldn’t we just wait for Honda-san to return…” Yuki started but Aimi whipped her head around at him.
“Yuki-kun, I’m surprised at you! She has school and then work afterward and you want her to rush home and cook for all of us too? We can give her a break for one night! No wonder she is always behind in her studies.”
Aimi’s outburst had Yuki’s cheeks flaming. He hadn’t thought about how much Tohru must push herself to take care of the house and her own personal endeavors. The girl was always so cheerful as she washed clothes, cooked, washed dishes, cleaned the floors and everything else she did around the house. She never once complained. He felt guilty that he never thought to lighten her load on nights that she worked.
“You’re right,” he relented.
“Of course I am,” Aimi said, smiling and sticking her tongue out. “It is time you learned anyway. You have no trouble growing a lot of your ingredients, cooking is just the next step. Tohru left everything laid out and ready for her return. This will be easy. Just watch and do as I say, okay?”
“Hm.”
“Oh come on! What if you marry a girl who also can’t cook very well? What will you do then, eat take-out forever?”
Yuki’s face reddened. “I guess so.” As if he could ever imagine being married!
Kyo wandered in from time to time as they prepped and cooked, glancing their way as he got a drink but saying nothing. Aimi only smiled at him before he left. She knew he was watching Yuki, looking for an opportunity to berate him for his lack of cooking skills. But she wasn’t going to give him the opportunity this night. Though she usually found their arguments laughable, she was not in the mood for violence tonight. Yuki worked diligently, doing everything she instructed. If he floundered, she was quick to step in with a helping hand and words of reassurance. He was nervous at first but grew more relaxed as they worked.
“There. It will be done soon. Go take a break, Yuki-kun.”
“Actually, Honda-san will be getting off before too long. I should go pick her up.” Yuki washed his hands and surveyed the kitchen. Well, he hadn’t burned anything and the smells were certainly enticing. Perhaps he had been helpful to Aimi after all though he knew in truth she had done most of the real work.
“Go on then,” Aimi shooed him out just as Kyo stepped back in. His eyes scanned Aimi before he blurted “That is an ugly dress.”
“Really? But it is so comfortable,” Aimi looked down and fingered the loose cotton material.
“It doesn’t suit you at all. You look like an old lady,” Kyo said thoughtlessly and Yuki’s face scrunched up in anger.
“Don’t say that, stupid cat! You’ll make her cry!”
But they both started at Aimi’s outburst of laughter. She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes. “Oh my! I suppose I do look ancient, huh? You would be the one to point it out, too.”
The boys were dumbstruck as they watched her. Could nothing offend this girl?
“I didn’t really mean, um, you know,” Kyo flushed and tried for an apology but he was unable to get it out with Yuki so near.
“It is alright, Kyo-kun. I’m not angry. I just shop for comfort and not style. Never really had a reason to look nice outside of school, I guess.”
Tohru was surprised and grateful at the sight of the meal waiting for her when she returned. Everyone washed up and sat down together, chatting idly about school as they ate.
“A couple of our cousins will be starting high school soon,” Yuki remarked.
“Oh, what are they like?” Aimi asked.
Yuki filled her in about Momiji and Hatsuharu, Tohru chiming in once in a while to say something positive about the boys she had already met.
“They sound interesting!”
“Annoying is more like it,” Kyo mumbled.
“Ah, there will be so many little Sohmas at your high school soon. It takes me back to my own high school days with Ayame and Hari,” Shigure sighed dramatically. He was ignored by all.
“Dinner is wonderful, Aimi-chan!” Tohru beamed.
“Thank you, but Yuki helped too. He isn’t a completely lost cause in the kitchen. He just needs some encouragement.” Aimi elbowed Yuki playfully, causing him to nearly choke on his mouthful of food. He grimaced and shook his head but she only laughed.
After dinner, Yuki, Tohru and Aimi studied together then separated to prepare for bed. Aimi donned her green long-sleeved pajamas and Tohru slipped on her yellow ones. They laughed and giggled as they brushed their teeth and hair.
“Tohru-chan, I wanted to go up to the roof for a few minutes before we went to bed. Would you care to join me?”
“Oh, uh, yes!” Tohru said, slightly confused but happy to accommodate her friend.
Aimi was unusually silent as they climbed to the roof. Her expression was solemn as they carefully sat down beside each other and gazed at the stars. Tohru wondered at her friend but decided to give her space and remain quiet. If Aimi needed to talk, surely she would open up on her own. No need to poke and prod.
After almost ten minutes of silence, Aimi leaned back on her hands and whispered softly. “There is much in this world that humans cannot understand. There are feelings of awe and wonder at the unknown. But there is also fear. And hatred. Too often these last two win out over human hearts.”
She turned to Tohru, a watery smile gracing her lips. “I have faced this hatred so many times before. The strength of it scares me. Just because you cannot understand something does not give you the right to hate with such venom. Such ill intent. But it is a lesson humanity does not wish to learn.”
Rising to her feet, Aimi leaned forward, her neck bending until her chin nearly touched her pajama top. She blew a huge breath out. And before Tohru’s eyes, the warm air escaping Aimi’s lips became snow drifting down to the rooftop. Squeezing her eyelids shut, fearing her dear friend’s reaction, Aimi asked what she knew she must. It was all out in the open now. No turning back. “Does this scare you?”
There was a moment of silence.
A warm, frail hand slipped into Aimi’s. “It’s beautiful,” Tohru said. Eyes shooting open, Aimi glanced up to find Tohru smiling at her. A warm, loving smile that melted her heart and loosened the knot of fear in her stomach. A large part of her had hoped that Tohru would still accept her but it was so hard to cling to that hope when so many had hurt her before. Now she saw that her friend would never leave her. Tohru would never betray her trust or purposefully hurt her. Aimi’s instincts about the girl had been right all along.
Leaning down, she hugged Tohru, holding back the tears that wanted to flow. She had never felt such joy, such acceptance from another person her age in her life. It was freeing. It was wonderful.
“Thank you,” she gasped and the tears fell. Tohru shushed her and rubbed her back soothingly. “It is okay, Aimi. Being different doesn’t have to mean being alone. I don’t understand your power but I know you would never hurt anyone. You don’t have to tell me about it either, if you don’t want to. Just know that I’m here if you need to talk. I’ll keep your secret.”
Aimi pulled away and smiled at her. Sweet Tohru. It seemed that she was the keeper of everyone’s secrets. Should she tell her that she knew about the Sohmas curse? Perhaps not, it might cause her to worry unnecessarily. No, Aimi would keep their secret too. No need to cause problems where there weren’t any.
“You’re the best.”
“You are too kind, Aimi-chan. But we should get in, it’s getting late and we have school tomorrow.”
“Of course.”
They fell asleep clasping hands like old friends. Aimi felt more peace in that moment than she ever had before. But she feared it wouldn’t last.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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The Fox and The Rabbit