Childhood Memories - Chapter 03
Title: Childhood Memories
Author: Viv
Genre: drama/angst/romance/humor
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Fruits Basket [manga]
Pairing: Yuki/Kyo
Disclaimer: *shakes head* of course they're mine, like, DUH!
Summary: “… Shigure. Why in the world do you have a book on magic?” [multi-chaptered: (01) (02)]
“When I grow up, I’ll become strong!”
“I’ll become strong too, so that I can protect myself.”
“You don’t need to become strong!”
“Why not?”
“Because when I’ll become strong, I’ll protect you!”
“Really?”
“I promise!”
- - -
When Yuki slowly awoke from his sleep, the first thing that occurred to him was that something seemed different.
His eyes remained closed, disorientation filling his mind as he realized that his bed seemed warmer, much warmer than it usually was when he would wake up each morning. He had never remembered feeling this comfortable before.
And then he thought he felt something brush against his cheek and quickly realized that there was a soft breeze over his face and that if he’d open his eyes, he would surely be greeted by sunlight.
Which lead him to wonder why in the world his window was open and the curtains pulled away.
The boy’s purple orbs eventually fluttered open.
And his eyes instantly met a pair of wide crimson colored ones.
And then it took him a moment to remember that he knew of only one person with red eyes and it was-
‘Kyo.’
The teen was suddenly completely awake as memories of the night before came rushing back into his mind.
‘I’m in his room.’
Abruptly, Yuki sat up and kept staring at the child before he noticed that little Kyo’s eyes contained a mixture of awe and happiness. The older Sohma hesitantly smiled at him.
“Koneko, did you sleep well? You’re up already?”
Chibi Kyo nodded his head and smiled sweetly, before shyly adding: “Yuki-chan is pretty when he’s sleeping.” A small blush appeared on his cheeks. “Yuki-chan is very pretty right now too.”
The silver-haired teen blinked a few times at his cousin and when Kyo’s words finally sunk in, crimson also stained his cheeks as his eyes widened.
But Yuki still couldn’t help himself from smiling warmly at the redheaded boy.
Kyo giggled, relief seeming to spread through his features, as he quickly jumped onto Yuki, wrapping his short arms around the latter’s neck and burying his blushing face into the crook of his neck. The nezumi, in turn, pulled the child closer and fondly rubbed his small cousin’s back.
Yuki more than welcomed the warmth provided by the small bundle in his arms, for it had been so long since he had really touched or been touched by anyone so gently and lovingly. He had craved for this warmth all his life and of all people to give it to him, it would’ve been Kyo!
Yet as Yuki looked down at the orange strands, he could only remember how his cousin has seemed terrified last night, despair and hurt evident on his cherubic face. At the back of his mind, the youth knew that such an expression should not have had a place on the face of a child of this age.
‘Or of any other age, for that matter.’
He slightly pulled, already sensing a tiny lost, as he tilted young Kyo’s face up to look at him.
“How old are you, koneko?”
Kyo blinked before releasing Yuki’s neck and holding up six fingers.
The adolescent grinned.
“You’re so tiny, koneko.” He teased as Kyo turned as red as a tomato and pouted adorably.
“We need to get some good food into this small body of yours!”
At this, the child stopped pouting and nodded determinately.
“Shishou always says that I don’t eat enough. Mama never let me have snack, you know, and father always scowled me for eating too much…” sadness seemed to tint his voice, before it brightened, “but Yu-chan, H’ru-chan and Kag’ra-chan and even Momiji always give me some cookies and stuff. And Gure, Yame sneaked in some candies for me. And Tori gave me an apple whenever he saw me! They always say that I’m too skinny! But shishou is taking care of me now, and he always gives me plenty of food! He says that one day I’ll be strong. Do you think so Yuki-chan?”
Wide red orbs looked up at him and Yuki chuckled.
“I think he’s right, koneko.”
“Shishou says that when I’m strong enough, he’ll teach me martial arts. I want to be strong so that I defeat everyone when I’m older! Yu-chan said that he wanted to become strong that he could protect himself but I told him that he didn’t too.”
“Why is that?”
“Because when I become strong, I’ll be able to protect him and everyone else that I care about. Kyoko-san told me that when you love someone, you will do anything to protect them from hurting. She made me promise to always take care of those who are special to me. She’s really nice and smart and I want to become strong, especially for her, shishou and Yu-chan.”
The rat stared at Kyo, speechless at the fierceness in his cousin’s voice.
And then he noticed the slight trembling of Kyo’s lips.
“But Kito-san took Yu-chan away… I knew Yu-chan was scared and didn’t want to go and that Kito-san was mean to everyone but- but I couldn’t do anything…”
Was this really only a child? Young Kyo, despite the innocence, childishness and naivety that seemed to radiate from him, was much more mature than he looked. His small voice hinted of hurt and pain, and fear and bitterness sometimes slipping through yet he still insisted on taking the task of shielding from those he cared about from any harm.
He had never known this Kyo.
Yuki hugged the child closer to him, his eyes slipping tightly shut with suppressed emotions, and he smiled softly into Kyo’s hair.
“I wish I had a friend like you when I was your age, koneko.”
The young boy sobbed. “But I’m no strong enough to do anything, Yuki-chan.”
“Hush, don’t say that koneko. Remember, you promised that you would become strong… and when you do, you’ll be able to save Yu-chan then.”
“Rea- Really?”
“Uh hum.”
“Will- will Yuki-chan help me?”
“Of course I will.”
And even if Yuki hadn’t wanted to, he wouldn’t have been able to refuse after taking one look at those large, hopeful eyes streaked with tears.
“You’re a really good friend koneko. I still wish I had a friend like you.”
“You have me now, Yuki-chan.”
- - -
Fifteen minutes later and Yuki was on the main floor, sitting at the low table quietly watching TV and carefully sipping a hot cup of tea. Kyo was resting comfortably in his lap, a mug of milk clasped between his small hands and frowning as Mogueta - on the TV screen - threw a pair of scissors at his ‘enemy’… an orange toothbrush.
Yuki sweatdropped.
‘Why on earth are we even watching this?’
“Yuki-chan?”
“Um?”
“Can we watch something else?”
Letting out a sigh of relief, the older Sohma immediately grabbed the remote control and started flicking through the channels.
“Ooooh, I want to watch that!”
Yuki paused and when he noticed what had caught the kitty’s attention, he grinned.
“You like watching cooking shows, koneko?”
“Hai!”
“Want to become a chef later?” Yuki teased.
Chibi Kyo shook his head.
“Shishou’s cooking is horrible. We always have to get someone else to make us food. I want to learn how to cook and surprise shishou one day!”
Gray strands of hair gently swayed around as Yuki laughed, patting the redhead’s messy mop of hair.
“Sohma-kun! You’re already up! Oh I’m so sorry, I haven’t prepared breakfast yet!”
And out of the corner of his eyes Yuki saw a blur of green and pink rushing past his back before it suddenly froze just at it was going to step into the kitchen and the mouse recognized Tohru.
“Soh- Sohma-kun… Who is that?” the onigiri girl stuttered, staring blankly at something in Yuki’s lap.
“Oh, that,” he waved a hand in dismissal, “is just Kyo.”
Silence.
Wait, wasn’t it a someone in his lap, and not a something?
‘Oh. Shit.’
And a shriek answered his thought.
“KYO-KUN!”
‘OH. SHIT.’
Little Kyo looked up, startled, and almost dropped his mug when he heard someone screaming and effectively taking his attention away from the cooking show he was watching.
Then he blinked at the pale, pale, pale, wide-wide-wide-eyed gaping girl.
And he promptly turned his head into Yuki’s neck and clutched the latter’s shirt.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice muffled. Yuki blinked down at the top of his head and frowned.
“Honda-san, could you please not look so shocked, I think you might be scaring Kyo.”
“H- hai! I’m sorry!” Yuki smiled at the brunette and turned his attention back to the child in his arms.
“Hey, koneko, it’s alright, she’s a good friend.”
By then Tohru had recovered and walked over to the two Sohmas before crouching down and smiling brightly - and sheepishly - at the chibified redhead.
“Hi, I’m Tohru Honda!” she held out her hand.
Kyo hesitantly put his tiny hand into hers and when he realized that both Yuki-chan and the girl were smiling, he visibly relaxed and beamed at her.
“My name’s Kyo Sohma!” he giggled.
Which lead to Tohru squealing and fussing over how cute and adorable he was.
Only then-
“Tooooooohruuuuuuuuuuuu, my pretty flooooweeeeeeer! My lean and well-defined stomach is crying for your good fooood! And you know I can’t write on an empty tummy, my lovely housewiiiiife!”
To which the petite girl answered by turning horrified again and barrelling her way into the kitchen.
Yuki felt a nerve popping on his forehead but before he could react, the door had already slid open and Shigure was leaning against the wooden doorframe, grinning and daintily waving his hand around as if greeting a crowd of admirers.
‘Or maybe he had just been spending too much time with Ayame.’
And then the teen froze when he remembered that-
“Oooooooh, now who is this little fellow here? Hey there, little cutie!”
Yuki threw his cup of tea at Shigure, hitting the man smack dead on the nose.
“You’re going to scare him, bastard.”
Rubbing his nose and crying crocodile tears, the dog of the family casually strode over and leaned down to get a better look at the boy in his younger cousin’s lap and Yuki tensed.
There was a moment of silence.
And then dark-haired man grinned jovially.
“Kyo-chaaaaan! Is that youuuu? Long time no see, squirt!”
Yuki blinked.
---
September 27, 2005
Author: Viv
Genre: drama/angst/romance/humor
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Fruits Basket [manga]
Pairing: Yuki/Kyo
Disclaimer: *shakes head* of course they're mine, like, DUH!
Summary: “… Shigure. Why in the world do you have a book on magic?” [multi-chaptered: (01) (02)]
“When I grow up, I’ll become strong!”
“I’ll become strong too, so that I can protect myself.”
“You don’t need to become strong!”
“Why not?”
“Because when I’ll become strong, I’ll protect you!”
“Really?”
“I promise!”
- - -
When Yuki slowly awoke from his sleep, the first thing that occurred to him was that something seemed different.
His eyes remained closed, disorientation filling his mind as he realized that his bed seemed warmer, much warmer than it usually was when he would wake up each morning. He had never remembered feeling this comfortable before.
And then he thought he felt something brush against his cheek and quickly realized that there was a soft breeze over his face and that if he’d open his eyes, he would surely be greeted by sunlight.
Which lead him to wonder why in the world his window was open and the curtains pulled away.
The boy’s purple orbs eventually fluttered open.
And his eyes instantly met a pair of wide crimson colored ones.
And then it took him a moment to remember that he knew of only one person with red eyes and it was-
‘Kyo.’
The teen was suddenly completely awake as memories of the night before came rushing back into his mind.
‘I’m in his room.’
Abruptly, Yuki sat up and kept staring at the child before he noticed that little Kyo’s eyes contained a mixture of awe and happiness. The older Sohma hesitantly smiled at him.
“Koneko, did you sleep well? You’re up already?”
Chibi Kyo nodded his head and smiled sweetly, before shyly adding: “Yuki-chan is pretty when he’s sleeping.” A small blush appeared on his cheeks. “Yuki-chan is very pretty right now too.”
The silver-haired teen blinked a few times at his cousin and when Kyo’s words finally sunk in, crimson also stained his cheeks as his eyes widened.
But Yuki still couldn’t help himself from smiling warmly at the redheaded boy.
Kyo giggled, relief seeming to spread through his features, as he quickly jumped onto Yuki, wrapping his short arms around the latter’s neck and burying his blushing face into the crook of his neck. The nezumi, in turn, pulled the child closer and fondly rubbed his small cousin’s back.
Yuki more than welcomed the warmth provided by the small bundle in his arms, for it had been so long since he had really touched or been touched by anyone so gently and lovingly. He had craved for this warmth all his life and of all people to give it to him, it would’ve been Kyo!
Yet as Yuki looked down at the orange strands, he could only remember how his cousin has seemed terrified last night, despair and hurt evident on his cherubic face. At the back of his mind, the youth knew that such an expression should not have had a place on the face of a child of this age.
‘Or of any other age, for that matter.’
He slightly pulled, already sensing a tiny lost, as he tilted young Kyo’s face up to look at him.
“How old are you, koneko?”
Kyo blinked before releasing Yuki’s neck and holding up six fingers.
The adolescent grinned.
“You’re so tiny, koneko.” He teased as Kyo turned as red as a tomato and pouted adorably.
“We need to get some good food into this small body of yours!”
At this, the child stopped pouting and nodded determinately.
“Shishou always says that I don’t eat enough. Mama never let me have snack, you know, and father always scowled me for eating too much…” sadness seemed to tint his voice, before it brightened, “but Yu-chan, H’ru-chan and Kag’ra-chan and even Momiji always give me some cookies and stuff. And Gure, Yame sneaked in some candies for me. And Tori gave me an apple whenever he saw me! They always say that I’m too skinny! But shishou is taking care of me now, and he always gives me plenty of food! He says that one day I’ll be strong. Do you think so Yuki-chan?”
Wide red orbs looked up at him and Yuki chuckled.
“I think he’s right, koneko.”
“Shishou says that when I’m strong enough, he’ll teach me martial arts. I want to be strong so that I defeat everyone when I’m older! Yu-chan said that he wanted to become strong that he could protect himself but I told him that he didn’t too.”
“Why is that?”
“Because when I become strong, I’ll be able to protect him and everyone else that I care about. Kyoko-san told me that when you love someone, you will do anything to protect them from hurting. She made me promise to always take care of those who are special to me. She’s really nice and smart and I want to become strong, especially for her, shishou and Yu-chan.”
The rat stared at Kyo, speechless at the fierceness in his cousin’s voice.
And then he noticed the slight trembling of Kyo’s lips.
“But Kito-san took Yu-chan away… I knew Yu-chan was scared and didn’t want to go and that Kito-san was mean to everyone but- but I couldn’t do anything…”
Was this really only a child? Young Kyo, despite the innocence, childishness and naivety that seemed to radiate from him, was much more mature than he looked. His small voice hinted of hurt and pain, and fear and bitterness sometimes slipping through yet he still insisted on taking the task of shielding from those he cared about from any harm.
He had never known this Kyo.
Yuki hugged the child closer to him, his eyes slipping tightly shut with suppressed emotions, and he smiled softly into Kyo’s hair.
“I wish I had a friend like you when I was your age, koneko.”
The young boy sobbed. “But I’m no strong enough to do anything, Yuki-chan.”
“Hush, don’t say that koneko. Remember, you promised that you would become strong… and when you do, you’ll be able to save Yu-chan then.”
“Rea- Really?”
“Uh hum.”
“Will- will Yuki-chan help me?”
“Of course I will.”
And even if Yuki hadn’t wanted to, he wouldn’t have been able to refuse after taking one look at those large, hopeful eyes streaked with tears.
“You’re a really good friend koneko. I still wish I had a friend like you.”
“You have me now, Yuki-chan.”
- - -
Fifteen minutes later and Yuki was on the main floor, sitting at the low table quietly watching TV and carefully sipping a hot cup of tea. Kyo was resting comfortably in his lap, a mug of milk clasped between his small hands and frowning as Mogueta - on the TV screen - threw a pair of scissors at his ‘enemy’… an orange toothbrush.
Yuki sweatdropped.
‘Why on earth are we even watching this?’
“Yuki-chan?”
“Um?”
“Can we watch something else?”
Letting out a sigh of relief, the older Sohma immediately grabbed the remote control and started flicking through the channels.
“Ooooh, I want to watch that!”
Yuki paused and when he noticed what had caught the kitty’s attention, he grinned.
“You like watching cooking shows, koneko?”
“Hai!”
“Want to become a chef later?” Yuki teased.
Chibi Kyo shook his head.
“Shishou’s cooking is horrible. We always have to get someone else to make us food. I want to learn how to cook and surprise shishou one day!”
Gray strands of hair gently swayed around as Yuki laughed, patting the redhead’s messy mop of hair.
“Sohma-kun! You’re already up! Oh I’m so sorry, I haven’t prepared breakfast yet!”
And out of the corner of his eyes Yuki saw a blur of green and pink rushing past his back before it suddenly froze just at it was going to step into the kitchen and the mouse recognized Tohru.
“Soh- Sohma-kun… Who is that?” the onigiri girl stuttered, staring blankly at something in Yuki’s lap.
“Oh, that,” he waved a hand in dismissal, “is just Kyo.”
Silence.
Wait, wasn’t it a someone in his lap, and not a something?
‘Oh. Shit.’
And a shriek answered his thought.
“KYO-KUN!”
‘OH. SHIT.’
Little Kyo looked up, startled, and almost dropped his mug when he heard someone screaming and effectively taking his attention away from the cooking show he was watching.
Then he blinked at the pale, pale, pale, wide-wide-wide-eyed gaping girl.
And he promptly turned his head into Yuki’s neck and clutched the latter’s shirt.
“Who are you?” he asked, his voice muffled. Yuki blinked down at the top of his head and frowned.
“Honda-san, could you please not look so shocked, I think you might be scaring Kyo.”
“H- hai! I’m sorry!” Yuki smiled at the brunette and turned his attention back to the child in his arms.
“Hey, koneko, it’s alright, she’s a good friend.”
By then Tohru had recovered and walked over to the two Sohmas before crouching down and smiling brightly - and sheepishly - at the chibified redhead.
“Hi, I’m Tohru Honda!” she held out her hand.
Kyo hesitantly put his tiny hand into hers and when he realized that both Yuki-chan and the girl were smiling, he visibly relaxed and beamed at her.
“My name’s Kyo Sohma!” he giggled.
Which lead to Tohru squealing and fussing over how cute and adorable he was.
Only then-
“Tooooooohruuuuuuuuuuuu, my pretty flooooweeeeeeer! My lean and well-defined stomach is crying for your good fooood! And you know I can’t write on an empty tummy, my lovely housewiiiiife!”
To which the petite girl answered by turning horrified again and barrelling her way into the kitchen.
Yuki felt a nerve popping on his forehead but before he could react, the door had already slid open and Shigure was leaning against the wooden doorframe, grinning and daintily waving his hand around as if greeting a crowd of admirers.
‘Or maybe he had just been spending too much time with Ayame.’
And then the teen froze when he remembered that-
“Oooooooh, now who is this little fellow here? Hey there, little cutie!”
Yuki threw his cup of tea at Shigure, hitting the man smack dead on the nose.
“You’re going to scare him, bastard.”
Rubbing his nose and crying crocodile tears, the dog of the family casually strode over and leaned down to get a better look at the boy in his younger cousin’s lap and Yuki tensed.
There was a moment of silence.
And then dark-haired man grinned jovially.
“Kyo-chaaaaan! Is that youuuu? Long time no see, squirt!”
Yuki blinked.
---
September 27, 2005