✔Summer Rain |Fruits Basket| HatsuHaru Sohma

8- Blossoming

"It would be so wonderful if you came back soon Mei!" Shigure waved out the door as the girl skipped down the stairs to the road.

"Bye Chiyu-san!" Tohru waved along side him, a cheery smile on her face as she shut the door behind them.

"My my-" Shigure chuckled, rubbing his hands together in a sinister fashion. "Boys!" He exclaimed. "May I have a word with you? Tohru, be a lamb and make us some tea will you? I'd like to have a word with these two."

"Of course!" She nodded, rushing off towards the kitchen, ever oblivious to Shigure's high and mighty attitude.

Kyo and Yuki looked at each other, a clear disdain for the request evident in both their eyes. None the less, they followed Shigure into his office and shut the door behind them.

"What's this all about?" Kyo asked, crossing his arms and leaning lazily against the wall.

"Yeah, you've been acting odd all night. And that's saying something for you." Yuki agreed, sitting down on the floor beside the door.

"Can't I ever just talk to my dear family?" Shigure asked, ignoring them in favour of his computer. "It would seem-" He started, pushing up his glasses. "We may be seeing the beginnings of a budding romance."

"Would you skip the writer dramatics?" Kyo snapped. "Who are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about our lovely Mei and Haru of course!" Shigure grinned. "Don't tell me you two are so oblivious to love you can't even see it with your own eyes!"

"Of course not!" Both boys shouted, a red flush to their faces.

"Why must you be so dimwitted?" Yuki frowned. "What nonsense are you going on about now?"

"Then you must have seen it as well?" Shigure crossed his arms, a sneaky smile on his face.

"Seen what exactly?" Both boys looked at each other and then at him cluelessly.

"I will admit, my dear Hatori pointed it out to me first. I didn't believe him however, I needed to see it with my own eyes. And sure enough, there it was! A blossoming romance between two unsuspecting young lovers!" He looked at the boys for an engaging response, but was met with blank stares. "Oh you two, don't make me spell it out for you! Our dear Haru has two sides, dark and light. And it seems, that our dear Mei has brought about an entirely new side of Haru we've never seen before! And judging by the reactions I saw tonight, he's brought about a new side to Mei as well."

Yuki frowned, heavily in thought. It was true that Haru's attitude hadn't been quite dark or light in Miss Chiyu's presence, and Miss Chiyu definitely lost her calm front when Haru was around. But that didn't mean there was any romantic subtext, Haru was just a difficult person to be around at most times.

"You're crazy." Kyo shook his head. "There's no way an airhead like him and someone so uptight like her could ever possibly get together."

"Besides, he would know better than to get involved with anyone who could learn the secret. It would be too dangerous." Yuki nodded.

Shigure blinked. How was it, that two people as smart as the boys in front of him, could be so stupid. "What about Tohru?" He grinned slyly.

No it was the boys turn to stare at him. How in the hell could they have forgotten about that?

"This isn't about her." Kyo responded. "We're talking about Haru. He's smarter than to just invite an entire stranger into his life. In case you've forgotten, Mei isn't a space cadet like Tohru. She's extremely aware of everything. She'd discover the secret in no time at all."

"I hate to agree, but he's right." Yuki agreed. "Miss Chiyu is probably the most aware person I've ever worked with. She's probably already started to put the pieces together that something's not right."

"You boys are young. You underestimate the power love has on young hearts!" Shigure explained, his dramatic author side pushing through. "Love knows no boundaries! Those two may not understand it yet, but I feel that we may have found an unknowing addition to our little family! Mark my words boys! One of these days, it shall happen!"

*****

I locked the door behind me quietly and slipped into the kitchen. The TV was playing loudly in the sitting room, and mom was sitting quietly with a cup of tea in her hands at the table. "I'm home." I said cautiously, grabbing some juice from the fridge.

"I see that. What did the doctor say?" She asked, turning her head just enough to catch my eye.

"The same thing every other doctor has said in the past. No majour damage." I replied. "He's Sohma-san's cousin."

"Oh really? That's good then. At least we know he's not some crackjob like some others." She answered proudly. For some reason she really admired Sohma-san and Makato, the latter I had no idea why. But as long as it was good with Sohma-san, it was okay with mom.

"That boy from the other day-" I stared at the back of her head. "He's also Sohma-san's cousin."

"The white haired one? That walked you home?" She turned around. "It's a shame he's not like Yuki, such a sweet boy. Smart too. If it will help you grow in your studies, i'd like you to hang around Yuki some more. He could encourage you to learn more and study often. I think it would be good for you to have a partner like him."

"I'll bring it up to him at school tomorrow then, if that's what you wish." I started for the stairs.

"It would make me very happy, thank you for being so considerate dear."

"It's no problem." I mumbled bitterly. I had nothing against hanging out with Sohma-san, but her encouraging it made me want to do it less. I shut the door to my room and sat down on my bed, pulling out my phone. I'd meant to grab Haru's number from one of the other Sohmas, but it'd completely slipped my mind during the dinnertime chaos. I guess I'd just have to get it tomorrow when I spoke to Sohma-san, which would be one of the most awkward conversations I'd ever had in my life.
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Word Count: 1074 Words