The Rat\'s Bride

'Cause I've done
everything I know
to try and make you mine
And I think I'm gonna love you
for a long, long time
"LONG, LONG TIME"-Linda Ronstadt
XXX

Yuki's Crimes to Date:

Yuki had taken to sneaking into Tohru's room late at night, watching her in the moonlight, kissing her lips.

He sometimes looked through her underwear drawer.

Last week three boys in the locker room had been talking about Miss Honda in a terribly barbaric manner, saying the shy ones always broke out in the loudest screams. He told them she was a friend of the Sohma family and was thus engaged to a member of the clan. Such talk would end only in such male getting back to them with an answer about screams and their respective volume.

He watched the way her Lolita dresses made her look young and pure. He imagined her dressed as a maid, serving him, pretending to be proper at the dinner table, running her foot up his leg.

He had his brother make her a few more daring outfits, spilling bleach on her clothes when he asked to help her with the laundry.

He was in love with her but too afraid to tell her.
XXX

"I didn't try out," Yuki said, face going white. "It is a lovely offer but I cannot condone such things. My fellow students have worked hard to gain this role. I am sure this is an oversight. The drama club will surely be up in arms over this."

"You see Yuki; people wish to see you kissed. The drama club begged for you. They told everyone you would be Nabunga Oda in the school play," Mrs. Rukia said, folding her hands on her desk. "We have sold more tickets this year than ever before. You must be in the play. There is simply no other way to keep face."

"But Madam Principal, you cannot force a student to enter a play against their will. It is simply unheard of."

"Well, yes, that is something. But no fear, we have thought of everything." Rukia leaned towards the handsome young man. "This is why we have brought your cousin and girlfriend here. You are the only students who have no agreed to take part in the school festival."

"Tohru is not his girlfriend." Kyo's face scrunched up. "And I don't want to be in the damn festival. It's stupid."

"You see, we have a new bylaw. Every student must take part in the school festival or fail this year. It is part of your civics grade. We think it shall better you all...as artists of Japan."

Yuki had no desire to be the topic of this year's school festival. He would never hear the end of it.

"Kyo-san, there have been many comments by the students on who is to be the General. You are popular despite your negative attitude. We require, if you would like us to overlook the fights and your pending dismissal, to be in the play as well, as the General."

Kyo looked perplexed. His face became red. "Fuck no. Hell no. I won't be second to that damn rat."

Tohru looked surprised. "You want Kyo and Yuki to be in the play? That's wonderful. You two will be wonderful." Kyo looked over at the brown haired girl and sighed.

"Fine, but no bowing."

The principal looked overjoyed.

"What about Miss Honda?" Yuki asked.

"Well, the Drama Club has asked that she play the marsh maiden." The principal looked out the window.

Tohru's face remained blank. "What is the marsh maiden?"

Kyo leapt up from his seat. "She is not playing some monster."
Yuki, for once, agreed with the cat. "I cannot let that happen, Madam Principal."

The principal looked shocked. Yuki was not one to talk back to authority.

"Why is that, Mr. Sohma? And Kyo-san sit down before I regret allowing you to stay at my school."

Yuki addressed the teacher with a charismatic smile. "I feel very strongly about this, Madam Principal. I would like to know who the female lead for the play is, since you have insisted I play the role."

"Ah, Upperclassman Minagawa Motoko, She is a lovely girl. She will make a great bride." The principal smiled, her red lipstick smudged across her white teeth. "She has nominated herself in charge of the play and the drama club has relented." Rukia's face became white, as if she was remembering some tragic event.

"I take this to mean that the play is a romance." Yuki smiled brighter. "And you said earlier there is a kissing scene."

"Yes," Principal Rukia murmured, her eyes filled with stars.

"The students are looking forward to it."

"If I am required to kiss someone, then perhaps I should be allowed to choose my lead." Yuki folded his own hands, leaning towards the principal. "I get horrible stage fright. I would like to work with someone I know well. Who will not declare herself my girlfriend the moment the play is finished. I would hate to be sick the night of the play and have to cancel."

The principal looked pale for a moment. "Miss Minagawa is a lovely girl. You must know how hard she has worked to memorize her lines."

"There is time for another girl to memorize all four lines," Yuki said. "Miss Minagawa knows the whole play if I am not mistake. She wrote it. The swamp maiden has almost three pages of dialogue. It is not enough time for Tohru to learn, especially with her after school job and her duties to the Baking Club. I could not have my dearest friend made to be a monster because of spiteful girls. You know my family is very close to Miss Honda, she might even become a member of the family one day. My guardian Akira-dono would be very displeased to learn you shamed one of our dear members by making them the victim of bullying. If all three of his dear cousins were to be leads in the play, we might be able to donate some costumes to be used. But if not then I will repeat this semester."

The principal nodded, more afraid of the Souma family than Minagawa's wraith. "I think Miss Honda would make a lovely bride. I insist."

Yuki nodded. "You are a wise woman, Madam Principal; I look to you for inspiration sometimes. You do treat us all so well."

"Just let me write it down. I shall make it official with the board tomorrow." The principal swooned. "Miss Honda will play the Bride of Nabunga Oda."

Yuki stood, bowing low. "If that is all." The principal stood, bowing low.

"Yes I am sorry. Please ask your dear uncle if he would be willing to donate anything for the play."

Kyo looked shocked before he sputtered. "Tohru is not kissing you, you, you rat." But Yuki was gone and Tohru was frozen.

The principal rubbed her temples. "Leave, all of you."

With that the two teens left, Tohru red with embarrassment.

xxx
Author's Note: Please if you read review.