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Enjoy!

It was a bright and sunny afternoon in a city somewhere in Japan. School had just ended for first year student Tohru Honda. Tohru was just your normal sixteen year old student who lived a normal life and was just trying to get through it without her mother.

Tohru had just finished shopping for dinner that she has to prepare for herself and her family. It wasn't much and she only had enough to buy rice and some bread. She knew her aunt and her cousins would not like eating leftovers from last nights dinner but right now money was tight for her since she still has to pay for her tuition. She hope they would understand.

While she was on her way home, Tohru stops walking and looks to the side where there was a dark alleyway. Laying on the floor was a small black kitten with long pointy ears and a long tail. Following her instincts, Tohru ran to the cats side. She puts her bag down and looks down at the cat.

It was small and by how skinny it was, it properly fainted by dehydration and starvation. 'Poor thing.' she thought. 'Alone without a home. Maybe I should take him home.' with a nod, Tohru picks the small cat up and after she has it comfortable in her arms, Tohru picks up her bag and continues her walk home.

'I hope grandfather doesn't mind having a cat around the house.' she thought to herself.

"Uhh...what is a cat doing here?" Suki, Tohru's cousin, asks her that evening. Tohru looks over her shoulder and smiles. "Oh Suki-chan, can you put some water in a bowl please?" she asks her.

Suki lifts her shoulder off the rems of the door. "You do know cats aren't allowed here right?" she reminded her arrogantly.

Tohru looks up at her and her smile fades. "I..I'm sorry." she apologizes. "It's just, he was lying there in the alleyway alone. I couldn't bring myself to leave him there." Tohru explains to her. She gently strokes the cats back as he slept.

Since she found him, he hasn't woke up. It worried Tohru since she knew he had to eat by how skinny he is. She was concerned for his health but right now she couldn't do anything until he woke up.

Suki rolls her eyes at her cousin. "Seriously why bother? Its properly dead anyways so I don't see why you would keep it." she walks to the kitchen. "Put it back where you found it and finish making dinner." she orders her in a commanding tone.

Tohru looks at the cat and sighs softly. She didn't want to leave him alone in the alleyway so he can die from starvation and hydration. If she takes him back, he'll die and she couldn't live with herself if that happens.

But she was worried her grandfather wouldn't allow her to keep him. Her cousins and aunt already showed their dislike towards the cat, how would he react?

Tohru strokes his back and hears him purr in comfort. Tohru smiles. "I hope grandpa allows you to stay with us." she tells him. "I would be happy if you could." she closes her eyes while she smiles and adds, "I never had a pet before but I always wanted one when I was little."

"Tohru! Are you coming or what?" Suki shouts. Tohru jumps in surprise when her cousin yelled at her. She quickly recovers and she stands up.

Tohru walks to the door and with one last look at the sleeping cat, she tells him, "I'll be back with a bowl okay?" after that she leaves.

Dinner began and Tohru was in the dining room sitting with her aunt, her two cousins and grandfather. She's been living with her fathers family ever since her mother died a couple of months ago. Her grandfather has been welcoming since the very beginning but Tohru was sad to say it wasn't the same for the others.

They mistreated her and rarely payed much attention to her. Tohru wouldn't lie and say their attitude towards her didn't hurt her. It did and she wished they would get along but, that's easier said than done considering the fact they wanted nothing to do with her unless it came to chores.

Everyone ate in silence as they ate the meal Tohru made. Tohru's grandfather hums and says, "My, this meal is delicious Kyoko-san!" he tells her with a smile.

Tohru smiles in appreciation. "Thank you grandfather. I'm glad you like it."

One of Tohru's cousins, Makoto, groans in disgust. "This is the same dinner we ate last night." he says looking at the plate of curry in disgust. "Honestly Tohru-chan couldn't you have made something differently tonight?"

"I-I'm sorry Makoto-chan!" Tohru apologizes, a sweat rolling down the side of her head. "I didn't have enough money today to buy anything besides rice." she explains to him. "I'll make something to your liking once I get my paycheck I promise!"

He scoffs. "Don't trouble yourself." he says and continues to eat his meal.

Tohru nods a little.

"Oh right, Tohru." Suki speaks. Tohru looks at her. "Wasn't there something you wanted to ask grandpa?" she reminded her, a teasing smile on her lips. "You know, about a pest?"

"A pest?" Yuki, Suki's and Makoto's mother, ask in confusion.

"Yep. Tell them Tohru." Suki says.

All eyes were on Tohru. Tohru fumbles uncomfortably around in her seat. She bites her lower lip and looks at her grandfather.

"Grandpa, today when I was coming home from the supermarket, I found a cat in a alleyway." she tells him as she looks at the table and rubs her hands together underneath it. "A-and I was wondering if I can keep him." then she quickly adds, "But only if I have your permission!"

"A cat?" Yuki says. Everyone, including Tohru, looks at her. "You found a cat in a alleyway and you decided to bring it here!?"

Tohru nervously nods. "Y-yes. But I only brought him because he was alone and was properly starving! I didn't want to leave him there to die!"

"Tohru, you know the rules of this house. No pets allowed!" Yuki reminded her in a hostile tone. "You can't just bring in a stray without our consent. You have to take the cat back where you found it." she tells her.

"B-but Yuki-chan I-"

"Are you defying the rules of this house?" Yuki asks her. Tohru looks down. "N-no..."

"Then you will allow the rules that have been given to you like everyone else in this house. Do I make myself clear?"

Tohru slowly nods, frowning in disappointment. 'Why can't I explain to them properly the reason why I can't leave him there alone? Can't they understand the struggle this cat must have gone through alone?'

"Now now Yuki, don't be so harsh on Kyoko-san?" Grandfather scolds his daughter. "Father you of all people understand why we can't keep a cat in the house." Yuki tells him.

"We hardly have room as it is, especially with all these people living here."

"Oh we could make room for one cat." Grandfather tells her. Looking at Tohru, he tells her, "You may keep the cat Kyoko-san."

Tohru smiles in happiness. She claps her hands together in delight. "Really grandfather? Oh thank you!" she hugs him earning her a chuckle from him.

"I promise to look after him. You have my word." she tells him.

"I'm sure you will." he says.

Behind them, Yuki and her kids scowl unhappily.

After dinner was over and she was done with the dishes, Tohru quickly runs to her room to check up on her cat.

He was still sleeping on her pillow. He was laying flat on his back, his tail was in the air swinging left to right. Tohru giggles seeing the position he was in. He looked very adorable. She runs to the side of the bed and kneels down to face the sleeping cat.

"Guess what? My grandfather allowed me to have you stay here! Isn't that great?" she says excitedly. He only rolls to his side. Tohru giggles and she suddenly remembers something, "Thats right! Grandfather gave me something to to give you."

She takes something out of her pocket and shows it to the cat even though he was still sleeping. "Its a collar." she says. "According to grandfather, they had a family cat before I was born. He kept this collar in case he decided to get another cat. He said I can give it to you since you'll be staying with us for now on."

Tohru gently picks him from her pillow and rests him on her shoulder. She takes the collar out and slowly hangs it around his neck. When she clips it on, Tohru holds him high in the air.

"It fits you very well!" she says. "You look very cute, especially with the bell." she pulls him down and holds him in her arms. She cradled him as if she were holding a baby.

A small smile graced upon her face. "I'm going to name you Kuro." he only purrs in response.

"Welcome to your new home Kuro."

It was nighttime and Tohru was peacefully sleeping in her sleeping bag when she noticed Kuro wasn't sleeping on her pillow. Tohru wakes up half asleep and sits up, looking around her room, wondering if Kuro had run off while she was sleeping. She crawls out of bed and wonders outside her room, searching for him.

"Kuro, where are you?" She asks tiredly in a whisper. Tohru walks to the kitchen that was connected to the living room. When she walks there, she was confused, wondering why fridge was open. But what confused her the most was who was in the fridge.

Looking inside the fridge was a boy who looked a few years older then her. Noticing that someone was in the kitchen with him, said teen looks at her.

He has blue long shaggy hair with a matching blue jacket with the black hoodie resembling cat ears. He had a bored expression on his face and bags underneath his eyes. That's what shocked her the most. She's never seen red eyes on anyone such as his.

"Who-who are you?" She asks him.

The boy sighs and looks away from her. "This is going to be so troublesome, I could just die." He says before looking away.

"K-Kuro?" Was all Tohru managed to say before a bright flash of light appeared.