(A/N: After writing only Inuyasha Fanfics, I thought I'd try my hand at one for Fruits Basket. I hope ya'll enjoy it!)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Fruits Basket characters. ME NO OWNIE!
Summary: Tohru finds a cat at her work, and one rainy evening, it follows her home. As the kitten begins to occupy her time, a certain orange-haired boy begins to feel envious. But as the weather makes him sick, and a visit with Tohru's friends goes wrong, Kyo suddenly realizes how lucky he is to be a cat… (T/K)
- - -
Wishes and Whiskers
Chapter One: Rainstorm
- - -
Rain beat down fiercely upon the house; every contact a drop of plummeting water hitting the roof created small popping noises that sounded like explosions. The night sky was thick with black clouds that covered the stars and obscured the moon high above, allowing no light to penetrate to the soaked earth below.
From his window, he stared at the trail she would be taking to get back home, his deep amber eyes boring into the earthen forest path, every ounce of him aching and begging her to get home soon. His stomach turned as he stood, and a spell of dizziness almost sent him falling to the floor.
It was like that every time it rained.
First the anger, then the sickness, until nothing was left except little balance in his limbs that still felt like rubber nevertheless. He brushed his orange bangs away from his eyes, the sweat on his brow he felt making his insides turn all the more.
Come on Tohru… why aren't you home yet?
With effort, he made his way from his room and down the stairs, pausing only to stare through a window near the foot of the staircase, glancing hopefully through the shadows of the forest, eagerly searching and waiting for her to burst through at that very moment. Sighing, as his eyes found nothing, he made his way towards a study near the dining room, a growl forming in his throat as he pulled the door open in frustration.
"Shigure… do you think we should go get her?"
A young man looked up from the computer, his gray eyes underneath round spectacles piercing as they studied the orange haired boy through his thick black bangs. Smiling slightly, he stood up and stretched dramatically, his eyes closing as he shook his head.
"Oh, Kyo… I didn't know you had a heart!"
"You're so full of it!"
Shigure turned his gaze onto Kyo again, laughter in his eyes as he stared at the youth in his doorway.
"I'm quite certain our Tohru can take good care of herself. But, if you're so worried about her, then why don't you go and get her?"
Kyo's eyes flashed angrily; the amber in them turned into a darker shade of crimson.
"You know I can't stand the rain! Why not get that damn Yuki to do it?"
"Yuki's out protecting his garden…"
"Then why don't you?!"
Still smiling stupidly, Shigure made his way back to his computer and, with another dramatic sigh, plopped down on his cushion and stared at the screen intently.
"I promised my editor I'd finish this before tomorrow…"
"So you're done tormenting the poor woman?"
Surprise filled Shigure's face as he looked up at Kyo.
"Who in their right of mind would say something like that?"
With a groan, Kyo slid the door back into its place furiously behind him and headed for the front door. Calling himself crazy – and cursing the lazy members of the household – he took a deep breath and ran headfirst into the pouring rain outside. Almost immediately, he could feel his black T-shirt and tan pants begin to soak through, and it didn't take long before he felt like he was wearing a second skin.
"Tohru!"
He called her name desperately, but his voice was drowned out by the rushing winds that carried the pounding rain. Dizziness began to creep over his eyes, and he found himself stumbling. Taking a moment to recover under the protection of a forest pine, he stared down the trail, his sharp eyes catching every movement of the swirling wild forest surrounding him.
Stupid girl, where can you be…?
Light-headed and faint, he started down the trail again, though this time at a slower pace. He continued to call for her above the storm, and only paused to rest when he felt he would collapse.
It was at his last stop when Kyo suddenly heard the sound of running feet sloshing in the muddy earth. Not daring to hope, he glanced around the tree trunk he was underneath, and stared down the trail as the sound grew louder and closer.
A breath of relief escaped him as he caught the sight of brown hair and blue eyes making their way through the rain, followed by the outline of a navy and white uniform.
"Tohru!"
She looked up and smiled when she saw him, a strange feeling spreading through him as he fell into her eyes – a feeling destroyed a second later when he saw her sweater cradled in her arms and not covering her cold body. Shaking his head as she paused before him, he glared at her in exasperation.
"Put your jacket on you idiot! Unless you want to catch another cold!"
"Oh, I-I'm sorry. Well, you see I was going to put it on and… and-"
Tohru was cut off as Kyo sighed and grabbed her hand, growling something she couldn't hear. Then she found herself running beside him, a look of horror growing on her face as she saw him trying to keep from fainting.
"Kyo! Wait… you need to rest-"
"It'll only be worse if I stop and stand out here in this rain," he half shouted above the rushing winds. "Now come on. We need to get you home!"
Ten long minutes later, they stood shoddy and disheveled in the living room, all alone, covered in mud and drenched head to foot. Removing her shoes, Tohru wiped some of the mud from her face and clutched her jacket tighter to her chest. Kyo didn't look at her as he followed her example, taking a moment to catch his breath as another dizzy spell hit him.
"Thanks so much for getting me Kyo, but you know you didn't have too…"
He turned to look at her, and shook his head, ignoring the dull pain baring down on his temple.
"Don't be so stupid, ok? You had us worried sick, you know…"
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"Don't be."
"But the rain makes you sick… you really had me worried!"
"I'm fine… trust me."
He smiled awkwardly as he ruffled her hair, then slowly made his way up to his room, his heart lighter knowing she was home, and that she was safe.
- - -
"So, Tohru, it looks like you made it home safe and sound!"
Shigure peeked out from behind his door to smile at her, and she grinned back.
"I'm gonna go change, then I'll make some dinner ok?"
He nodded happily then disappeared once more into the study, leaving her all alone. Carefully cradling her bundle, she ran up the stairs to her room, stopping only once to fetch the small first aid kit from her bathroom. Once she set down the jacket, it began to move vainly, impatient to be free. Tohru unraveled the jacket from the small form, and gently held the individual within it in the crook of one arm, her free hand rummaging through the first aid kit.
The small creature mewled happily after she wrapped its swollen right paw, and rubbed its head underneath her chin as she stroked its soft fur. She could feel a collar around its neck and looked at the tag, trying to discover where the animal came from, but to her dismay found the gold plate rusted and scratched, the name and address upon it utterly unreadable.
Amber eyes studied her as she frowned, a questioning mew coming from it as she removed its collar to try and clean off the tag. Tohru smiled and scratched it under its chin, grabbing the warm form to her chest.
"Don't worry, I'll get you home soon. I promise."
The orange tabby simply began to purr its contentment as it curled up underneath her chin. She stared down at the cat's antics and her smile grew slightly, a sudden, relatively hopeless thought growing in the back of her mind.
Kyo's gonna love this…
- - -
(A/N: The end of chappie one! Oh, yay! I really like how this is turning out, and I'm excited to be doing this story. I hope ya'll enjoyed it too, and I'll try to update it ASAP! Until next time… R&R plz!)