As always, comments, constructive criticism, and praise, however faint, are all greatly desired and will be appreciated.

Fruits Basket belongs to Takaya Natsuki and Hakusensha; English-language versions by FUNimation (anime) and Tokyopop (manga). This piece of fiction is in no way approved or endorsed by any of the copyright holders.

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As soon as Kazuma stepped into the hall, he heard the commotion in the kitchen. There was a crash, followed by Kunimitsu calling, "Wait!" and the sound of a child crying. Kyou. The small boy had lived with them for a little over a month, and although he seemed to be warming up to Kazuma, he still tended to be a bit prickly with Kunimitsu. Kazuma hurried down the hall and stepped into the room.

A chair was tipped over. Kyou was, indeed, in tears, and Kunimitsu had him by the arm. Kazuma gave Kunimitsu a questioning look, and the older boy immediately let go of Kyou's arm and said, "I didn't mean to upset him, Kazuma-san." Kyou launched himself at Kazuma, wrapped his arms around Kazuma's legs, and started to sob in earnest.

Kazuma glanced at Kunimitsu once again and got a distinctively guilty look in return. What now? He quickly turned his attention to Kyou. He untangled the small boy's arms, knelt down, and gently took him by the shoulders. "Now, now, Kyou. What is it? What's made you so upset?"

Kyou's eyes were filled with terror as well as with tears. He pointed a small, shaking finger at the wall and said, "Th-that … th-there … the demon!" Kazuma looked to where he was pointing and saw nothing but an old stain on the wall.

"The demon?" Kazuma looked up at Kunimitsu. The older boy immediately dropped his eyes, and Kazuma could see color start to stain his cheeks. "I'm not aware of any demon, Kyou. Perhaps you could tell me about it."

"Ku-Kunimitsu said. He said there was a cooking demon in the wall! He-he said that you imprisoned it there, and that it's angry, and that's why you burn everything that you cook!" Kazuma was a bit taken aback at that, and it must have shown in his face, as Kyou's voice rose in a wail. "Can't you see it, Shishou? Can't you see its face? Kunimitsu said it's trying to get out!"

Kazuma looked at the stain again and sighed. "Indeed." He gathered Kyou into his arms and stood up. "Kunimitsu." The older boy's eyes met his. Kazuma gave him a level look and said mildly, "It seems as if you may have been indulging in a bit of creative storytelling, hmmm?"

"I was only trying to tease him a little, Kazuma-san. I didn't know it would scare him so much. Really." There was worry and genuine regret in the older boy's eyes, and Kazuma readily believed him. Kunimitsu could be mischievous, and he had given Kazuma a bit of trouble in his time. Despite that, Kazuma knew that the boy was genuinely good-hearted and didn't possess even a hint of meanness. "Besides, I-I thought it was kind of a good story." He gave Kazuma a tentative grin.

Kazuma bit his lip to keep from smiling. "Well. Did you hear that, Kyou?"

The little boy lifted his head from where it had been hidden in Kazuma's shoulder. He looked at Kunimitsu. "You made it up?" His small brows drew together in a frown.

Kunimitsu nodded. "I thought it would be a funny story to tell you. I wasn't making fun of you, and I didn't mean to scare you. Honest. I'm really sorry, Kyou."

Kyou looked at him, and after a moment, he nodded solemnly. "Okay." He turned to Kazuma. "But Shishou, if it's not a demon, what is it? And how did it get there? And why does it look like a face?"

"It's just a stain on the wall, Kyou," Kazuma explained. "I was attempting to make stir-fry, and, as Kunimitsu so aptly noted, I'm not a very good cook. The pan was too hot – the oil started to burn, and I tried to stir the meat and vegetables faster so that they wouldn't stick. Everything ended up flying out of the pan; it went all over the kitchen and some of it got stuck on the wall. It was quite a mess." He shook his head at the memory, and looked once more at the stain on the wall. "I never noticed that it looked like a face before you pointed it out, but you're right. It does."

Kyou shuddered. "I still think it's scary-looking." He hid his face in Kazuma's shoulder again.

Kazuma hugged him tighter and said, "Even adults get scared of things that they don't understand." As you well know. "The stain is nothing to be afraid of, even if it seems scary to you now. I'm sure that it will stop being scary when your body and your heart get bigger."

Kyou looked at him again, and Kazuma noted that the usual wariness in the small boy's eyes had been replaced with just the tiniest spark of trust. Finally. Kyou said hesitantly, "Do you really think so, Shishou?"

"Yes, I do." Kazuma gave Kyou a reassuring smile. "It's nothing to worry about." He paused. "What we do have to worry about right now, however, is dinner." Then he looked at Kunimitsu and said, as he did nearly every night, "Do you want to go out, or order in?"