The Letter | By : Neonna Category: Fruits Basket > General Views: 968 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, or any of the characters in this fic. Nor do I make any money off this piece. |
A/N: I do not own Fruits Basket, or any of the characters, and I do not make a profit from writing this piece.
I use fanfiction mostly to practice a certain writing technique. This piece was born out of the need to practice keeping characters true to their personalities, and what better way to practice than with someone else's characters? This piece is not perfect of course, but I hope that I got relatively close. I also realize that due to its content, this chapter could most likely find a home on other, more tame fanfiction websites, however I do plan for pairings to come later. Next chapter to come soon.
The Letter
Breakfast shouldn't exist. Morning shouldn't exist. Period. Why couldn't the world learn to start after noon?
Yuki sat at the table, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Tohru could be heard in the kitchen making breakfast, and clanging dishes. Kyo sat across from him staring at something in the newspaper, and Shigure was nowhere to be seen. For the author to miss one of Tohru's meals, he must have gotten his sleep schedule reversed again. Yuki covered his mouth while he yawned, and brought his head down to rest on his arms on top of the table. Perhaps he could get a few more moments of sleep...
“Oh, Yuki,” Tohru said. “A letter came for you. Here you go.”
He lifted himself from the admittedly comfortable table, and took the letter from her with a thank you. He inserted a finger in a corner of the envelope, and tore the paper. The sound of the ripping envelope seemed to echo in the quiet house. He paused. Tohru hadn't returned to the kitchen. Instead, she continued to stand in front of him, staring.
“Miss Honda?” Yuki said.
“Yuki. What if it's from the university? Open it,” she replied.
That was right. He hadn't forgotten his application, but it had been sent out so long ago. His pulse spiked, and any traces of sleep were banished. He tore open the envelope, and wrangled the letter free, less gracefully than he had hoped in front of Kyo. In the seconds it took to read the letter, it was as though someone had hit the pause button. No one moved, and no one seemed to breathe either.
“I got accepted,” Yuki finally said.
The play button was hit again. A smile spread on Tohru's face, and Kyo flipped a page in his newspaper.
“Oh, that's so great!” Tohru said. “We should have a party to celebrate.”
“Thank you.” Yuki smiled back. “But I couldn't ask you to go through all that trouble-”
“Yeah! A party!” Kyo suddenly burst to life, and was on his feet so quickly that his newspaper fell apart all over the floor. “Just what I need to get even with you, Rat-Boy! A party has food, people, games, and alcohol. In other words, you're going to get wasted!”
During Kyo's rants there really was nothing to do other than watch. Yuki's eyes were drawn back to the letter still in his hands. It was a relatively prestigious institution that was close enough to allow him to continue living at the house with Tohru, Shigure, and even Kyo. Everyone seemed to expect great things from him.
“Don't wait up for me,” Kyo continued on, but he was barreling for the door with the same output of noise normally reserved for a steam engine. “I'll come back with the best supplies this house has ever seen!”
“Kyo comes up with some interesting ideas when he's excited, doesn't he?” Tohru said. “He didn't even wait for breakfast. Well, you'll still stay, won't you Yuki?”
“Of course, Miss Honda. Thank you.”
--------------------
University. Where would that life lead? Perfect grades, perhaps a stint as school president. It could be fun, like high school, but on a bigger scale. What happens after graduation? A high-paying job, and then what? People would praise him like they always had, but what is it he wanted?
“Ah, I thought I would find you out here,” Shigure's voice snapped him from his thoughts. The writer was strolling up the hill with his hands tucked into the arms of his yukata.
Yuki had retreated to a new spot in the trees that surrounded the house that he hoped to use for a garden for that years growing season.
“Look who decided to get up,” Yuki said.
“Well, you know a writer's mind goes to work when inspiration is at its best.” Yuki's mind was too preoccupied to think of a snappy comeback. Shigure brushed the stray twigs from a patch of grass beside Yuki, and sat down. “Tohru told me about your acceptance letter, and the party her and Kyo plan to host tonight.”
Yuki said nothing.
Shigure wore a knowing smile. It was a smile that he wore when he was about to ask a question that he already knew the answer to. “What is it, Yuki?”
“Nothing.”
“You don't have to go, you know. If you don't want to.”
Yuki had to duck his head, and allow his hair to fall in his face to hide his surprise. Shigure was more insightful than he let on. Once Yuki's composure had returned, he raised his head again.
“You have spent your whole life attempting to gain the approval of others,” Shigure continued. “When you were young, at the main house it was no different. You left the main house so you could start living life on your own terms, but now you are beginning to fall back into that bad habit. The question is, who is it you are trying to impress?”
Shigure allowed the question to hang in the air until it crawled inside of Yuki's head, and began to spin around like a dog chasing its own tail.
“And you know, if you are spending all that time studying poor Tohru will be in this house alone with Kyo.” Shigure's tone went from being sincere to playfully chiding. “I wonder how much closer the two of them will get without you here.”
Yuki got to this feet. Shigure could only be serious for a moment. Once he decided to give someone a hard time, it was best to leave him to his own devices. He could go on for hours.
Yuki made his way back towards the house. Who am I trying to impress?
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