Falling for Magic
By: Ochako107
Standard Disclaimer
A/N: This is an AU and has a little OOC-ness but it's all good. Remember to R&R Enjoy!
Chapter 1- It All Starts with a Little Magic
"He's so handsome..."
Tohru Honda couldn't help herself. She was no boy-crazy girl, but her feminine side couldn't help but admire the male specimen before her very eyes. The prince of her high school, Yuki Sohma, was sitting in the library reading a book like he did every day after school. He was every girl's dream... okay well maybe not every girl's dream but something a simple girl like Tohru could never have.
She sighed as she leaned her back against the bookshelf while staring wistfully at the ceiling. She longed to gain enough courage to go up to him and maybe become friends! But he might not like her...
Suddenly a tap knocked the daydreaming girl out of her thoughts. "Tohru? What are you doing over here?"
Tohru's head spun and she leaped on her friend. "Shh! Don't let him know I'm hiding behind a bookshelf spying on him! That would be so embarassing!"
"Okay, okay, sorry." Kagura, one of Tohru's friends, laughed speaking in a quieter tone. "But I just never thought I'd see you in this section of the library."
"Eh?" Tohru looked up to see she was in the suspense area with many frightening images and titles. She backed away from the shelf, embarrassed that she did seem awkward in such a place. Anyone who knew Tohru knew she didn't like scary things. "Sorry, I was just distracted."
Kagura looped her arm through Tohru's arm and began dragging her off to the door. "I noticed. You and every other girl at this school would love to get 'closer' to the Prince. It's a wonder why you didn't join the Yuki fan-club." The two girls turned around to see the Prince Yuki fan-club girls hanging around pretending to read books, but rather stalked Yuki like the paparazzi. Kagura and Tohru looked at each other and laughed.
"Well, I think it's every girl's desire to have her dream guy. I'm sure you do." Tohru said while checking out a few books and then leaving through the glass doors with Kagura.
Kagura nodded while keeping her eyes forward. "Mmhm..."
"It's just I think that...well..."
"Go on, Tohru, it's okay."
Tohru stopped walking and stared down at her shadow wistfully. How could one guy make her feel like this? He made her head spin and her mouth run dry. What did it take? "I just think that I couldn't be good enough for anyone like him."
"Why not? You're easy to get along with. If he got to know you better, I bet you he'd end up loving you." Kagura snapped her fingers with a grin on her face. "I know! Come here, look."
Tohru stepped closer to her friend while she dug around her stuffed animal backpack. The kitty bag seemed most childish, but it gave Kagura her extra flare. She kept it clean and used it with such care, one would think it was her baby.
"Damn, I can't find it!" Kagura began punching her bag brutally while Tohru stepped back from her mood-swinging friend. So much for her 'baby'. "Oh! Here it is! Lookie, lookie!" A little box fell out of the bag and she picked it up while handing it on an open-palm to Tohru. "This will be the answers to all our problems!"
Tohru looked inside questionally. "It's... a riceball?" Tohru peered down at the small snack with her eye brows knitted together. "Thank you, Kagura, but I don't get it. I mean, I could just make these at home."
"No!" Kagura snatched the box back while holding it to the sun. "It isn't just any riceball! This riceball is magical!"
Tohru's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands in joy. "Oh, wow, really?"
Kagura put a hand on her hip while giving Tohru the box again. "Yes! All you have to do is go up to Yuki and offer him this riceball. He will eat it and that will give you three days."
"Three days to what?"
"Get him to kiss you!"
Tohru gasped while turning beat red. "K-kiss me? Why would I...?"
"If he kisses you that will seal your relationship meaning he has really gotten to love you!"
Tohru stared at her friend as if she'd grown three heads. "Eh, Kagura, don't you think this is a bit... rushed? I mean why would he kiss me within only three days? No one can fall in love in three days and I... I don't really believe in all this magic stuff."
"Ohoho, on the contrary! With this magical onigiri, who knows what can happen! With just one bite, he will be smitten with you for three days. Within those three days, if he learns to love you, he'll kiss you and you'll have your dream man! Come on, Tohru, what's the worst that can happen?"
Kagura watched her friend excitedly as Tohru stared at the box.
What was the worst that could happen? If Yuki didn't end up falling in love with her it wouldn't matter anyway-- she'd be back at square one- alone and love-sick. She would never know what might have been if she didn't try. Even with the help of magic.
Tohru got a determined look to her face as she pumped a fist into the air.
"I'll do it! For love!"
Kagura pumped a fist into the air as well. "For love!"
The following day, Tohru found herself hiding behind the biology books in the library.
"Okay... You can do this." She smoothed out her spring dress unconsiously while pulling stray hairs behind her ear. She whipped out the blue box from her bag and stared over at Yuki, typing away at his laptop. Would he really fall for her? She shook her head and began walking his direction with all the courage she could gather within.
She tried to ignore all the Yuki-fan girls' stares as she walked over. Tohru was sure she would be on the most wanted list if Yuki ended up liking her. Let alone kissing her!
"Hey, watch out!"
Tohru looked up at the yell and suddenly found herself bumping into a warm body, her box flying up into the air and the rice ball flying out.
"Oh no!" She called while making a grab for it. Suddenly another hand reached out and caught the snack in mid-air making Tohru blink and follow the hand up to it's owner's face.
"Eep!" Tohru's eyes bugged out. He was scary!
The other boy was a head taller than Tohru. He was dressed like a stereotypical bad-boy: his buttons half undone and dark colored clothes that read 'mess with me I KILL you.' His unruly orange hair brushed against his forehead, framing his intense-amber eyes. His features struck her as such a contrast to Yuki that she felt hypnotized by the color as she continued to stare up at him. She knew who this person was. Yuki Sohma's cousin; Kyo Sohma.
"H-hello, Sohma-san."
"You're Honda, right?"
"H-hai, Tohru Honda."
He held her gaze while half smirking. "Hey, I caught it." He said continuing to stare right back at her. His lips were set in a tight line.
"Erm... so you did." Tohru blinked and raised the box to his face, he in turn, looking down at it. "Could you... give it back? It was sort of a present for someone."
The boy looked at his hand and then at the box when his face softened. She was surprised when she felt herself breath out. How long had she been holding her breath like that?
Kyo saw Tohru's upset features and sighed, "I don't think you'd want this onigiri though. My hands were all over it. Here, I'll keep it and give you a fresh one."
"No, really! It's okay!" That was her magic riceball!
The boy took a shoulder strap off his lean shoulder and pulled out a fresh riceball from his bag, handing it to her. "My family owns a snack and tea shop and this is wrapped so don't think I poisoned it or anything..." He ploped the snack into her hand.
Holding the ball in her hand, Tohru waved her hands up frantically. "No! I don't think that you did that, but I need that onig...!"
To her horror, the strange boy took a wholesome bite out of her magical rice ball. She could feel lightning bolts hit her at every which way, her only chance with Yuki gone. Gone down this Kyo Sohma's throat and proceeding to be digested.
Had she been Uo, she'd already punched him in the gut and forced him to spit up any morssel of the rice ball. Had she been Hana, this incident may have lead to someone's death already.
But no, she was Tohru Honda and she stared at him, her mouth hanging open to simply gawk as he chewed and swallowed.
Kyo swallowed the last bit of the rice ball when suddenly his attention directed back to Tohru, his eyes suddenly pinning her down. The look sent shivers down her spine. What had she done?
"Say, Tohru. Ya wanna go get something to eat?"
"...Eh?"
"Come on, I know a little place down the street." He gently pushed her by the small of her back and began walking to the exit of the library, pulling her farther and farther away from Yuki, who was watching her along with half the entire library. So much for a dream guy. She turned around to take one more glance at Yuki, worry filling her eyes. Kyo Sohma was the last person she'd ever dream of going out with.
Kyo leaned back into his chair while staring out the window as Tohru took another bite of her strawberry ice-cream. She really didn't want to, nor felt like, eating anything but Kyo insisted. She left the spoon in her mouth as she licked up the sweet dessert while pondering on her current situation. Well, Kagura's magic onigiri did work at least. The boy was quite persistant even though she politely refused so many times while walking to this shop. Anyone else would have already went mad and sent her home, but Kyo kept silent and just kept walking with her.
She stared at him, this time gaining a little bit more of a view. He wore his school uniform the shirt untucked and buttons in disarray. Dispite Tohru's shock at seeing such peculiar features, she admitted that it suited him well. She pulled the spoon out of her mouth and let it clatter into the glass dish. She would be stuck with him for three days. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Kyo turned when he heard the clatter. "Are you done?"
"Yes. Thank you for the ice cream." Tohru smiled brightly and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, Sohma-san!"
Tohru grabbed her bag and began standing when Kyo's cool hand reached out to her hand. Her own hands were just as cold from eating the ice cream.
"Wait, I'll walk you home."
Tohru shook her head. "Oh no, that would be too much!"
He pulled his own bag on and stared at her with the same firm look. "Are you kidding me?"
She didn't know what to say to that, and simply let him be.
They walked in complete silence as they rounded a corner.
"So, Tohru, what do you like to do?" Kyo asked. "I mean... I don't see you at any clubs or anything. The only place I've ever seen you is in the library hanging around the horror books."
Tohru smiled. "Oh, I don't like horror books. I just..." She suddenly turned bright red not wanting to admit the real reason of her visitition to the library. "Nothing!"
Kyo put his hands into his pocket. "Right." After a few moments he spoke again. "You're into my cousin, aren't you?"
Tohru continued to blush with a small smile. "I supose so."
Kyo shook his head and Tohru looked up at him. He seemed so calm. All the stories she'd heard about Kyo, she didn't expect him so nice. A complete stranger would think he would be violent or something along that line. Nothing like Yuki-- he looked like the proper gentleman! These two were so different.
Kyo caught Tohru's stare. "Am I really that scary looking?"
Tohru quickly averted her gaze at the sidewalk. "No!"
"People don't know me. I don't really care what they think of the way I dress. It doesn't mean anything. If I wore my uniform straight it wouldn't change who I am so what does it matter anymore?" He looked down at her. "I'll let my mouth do the talking, not my clothes. You know?"
Tohru bit her lip. "I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover as my mom used to say." Kyo watched her. "Ah, my mom died a year ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry." They continued walking in silence. "My mom died when I was a kid."
Tohru spun on him. "Really?"
"Yeah, but it didn't bother me that much. I barely knew her." Kyo smiled. "My dad's a jerk so I don't go home much. I stay with my uncle. He's like a real dad to me. He owns a dojo and is a master."
Tohru couldn't help but find herself interested. "A master? Wow, he must be really good!"
"Are you kidding? He's the best one out there! And some day I'll be just as good as..." Kyo's face suddenly flushed and didn't continue.
Tohru cocked her head to the side. "You'll be as good as him?"
"Eh, yeah, but it must sound stupid."
"No, no! I think it sounds really cool! I would have never guessed you were into martial arts."
"What, you thought I was into street fighting?"
Tohru laughed. "Maybe, but I've learned that much more about you, Soh--"
"Kyo." Tohru paused in her step as Kyo stood infront of her. "It's just Kyo."
Tohru didn't know what came over her. Kyo was not her type, at least what she thought, but here she was, learning more than she ever thought she would about him. He was no street thug... although his bad-boy persona at school said otherwise. She found herself wanting to know more about this boy. Maybe they could become friends after three days. Besides...
"Okay, Kyo...-kun."
"Close enough." He ruffled her hair and contined walking. "Maybe I can teach you a little martial arts."
"Oo!"
...She had three days with him.
So? What do you think? This story is loosely based on this manga I read... um Romantic Egoist by Bisco Hatori, with some changes. This story was originally going to be a one-shot but seeing that it is about 35 pages long-- I thought it would be good to split it up. So R&R and I'll update probably tomorrow! Thanks so much!