"Real Nice", [Fruits Basket, Arisa/Kureno, PG]
Title: Real Nice
Author: eternalsayonara
Rating: PG
Warnings: Uo's POV
Word count: ~1200
Summary: Fruits Basket, Kureno/Arisa: Feathers - "Star-crossed lovers."
Whoever says that it's romantic to have a star-crossed lover needs a beating, if you ask me. Being a star-crossed lover is all right if you’re in a play or something, but in real life? Not that fun.
I guess you could say that it’s all Tohru’s fault. Don’t get me wrong, I love her. I mean, who else would be friends with someone like me? She’s too nice for her own good. But that’s how I got into this whole mess in the first place.
I’m not a nice girl. I’m a bit better now that Tohru’s in my life, but when I was younger? It’d make your ears bleed to hear the things I did back then. Gangs, skipping school, stealing, vandalism, and violence-I did all of that and more.
My gang was it for me. We called ourselves The Ladies and had a long tradition. We had a lot of fun together, you know? Terrorizing people, starting trouble, letting everyone know who we were. I had a deadbeat dad and an absentee mother-my gang was all I had. The Ladies were my friends, my sisters, my blood, my family: the only things I really knew I could count on. Do you know what it takes for a girl like me to leave something like that?
A clumsy ditz with an armful of booklets. That’s how I met Tohru. She was carrying a whole stack of booklets high enough that she couldn’t see where she was going and literally bumped into me at school. She-of course-freaked out and bowed in apology, sending her booklets tumbling to the ground.
And that, ladies and gents, was the beginning of the end.
Because of Tohru and Kyoko-san (her mother, my idol), I cleaned up my act. I guess a part of me still wanted to be like the Red Butterfly, even if she did end up all domesticated. Whatever. I quit my gang, started going to school again, took better care of myself and my old man. Even started a couple part-time jobs. Who knew an ex-gang member could clean up so nice, right?
They made me want to change. And I did. I didn’t realize how much I had left the old me behind until I met him. That jerk. It didn’t help at all that I met him just like I met Tohru.
The night I met him, I was working at the convenience store as a stockgirl. I was placing some cans on the shelf when someone bumped into me from behind. Normally I’d cuss out someone who’d be stupid enough to bump into me, but I was in a good mood-and I needed the job. I turned around to see some guy carrying dozens of items in his arms.
I told him to put his items in a basket-he couldn’t see where he was going at all. He thanked me for my advice, bowed, and proceeded to spill his items all over the floor. I couldn’t stop laughing! I thought-hoped, really-that Tohru was one-of-a-kind, and here was some stranger acting just like her. Was there really someone else in the world that acted just as she did? I couldn’t believe it.
He was embarrassed, but laughed along with me. I thought about him a lot after that night. He had a real nice smile. I wanted to see it again.
And then one day I thought I saw him down the street. I didn’t think-I just ran after him. The girls in my gang would have laughed themselves sick to see me chasing after a guy.
It was him, though. I was so happy to see him again, just for a moment. I was surprised that he remembered me, really. But he did, and invited me to lunch to apologize for the mess he made. I couldn’t say no to a free lunch with a guy I had been wanting to see again. Come on, would you?
He introduced himself as Kureno. By the middle of lunch, I knew I was in trouble. It was kind of like that time I tried riding one of the older girl’s motorbikes. I lost control of it and was going way too fast. I knew I was in danger and could end up with my brains painting the pavement. But I couldn’t stop and I felt really exhilarated, really alive, you know? I don’t know why I didn’t leave right then. Maybe it was my low blood-sugar level; I get crazy when I don’t have something to eat.
As he told me more about himself, he explained that he never did pointless things. And that he was happy with his lonely life. I couldn’t think straight after he told me that. I thought that our chance meeting at the convenience store and again on the street really meant something. None of that lovey-dovey crap, I mean, but like he was meant to take part in my life, even for just a little bit. That if I could make him smile again, my life would mean something. That I had done something worthwhile for once. I was happy to meet him, and thought he felt the same. So when he told me that it was just a random, pointless thing to him, and that he was happy, I was angry without even really knowing why.
I finally had the sense to storm out of that restaurant. He came chasing after me, calling me by my first name. Who the hell does that? Anyway, I wasn’t crying, but he caught up to me and apologized for his words. He told me that he was happy that he had the chance to see me again, and that he had been thinking of me, too.
It was exactly what I wanted to hear. It made me feel like Tohru hadn’t wasted her time being my friend after all or something. Or like I was finally more than just an ex-gang member, I don’t know. I stood there like an idiot and forgave him while he smiled-a real smile-and accused me of blushing. I kicked him for good measure, but I was still so damn pathetic. I would have beat myself up if I could. He touched my head softly, feather-light, right behind my ear, and left.
I thought about him a lot afterward. Kind of like a disease where it itches and itches, but there’s nothing you can really do to get rid of it, except rest. So I tried to forget him. When I didn’t see or hear from him for a while, I got tired of waiting around for him to show up. As Kyoko-san said, it was time to move on. I quit my job at the convenience store so he couldn’t find me again. What was the point, anyway?
Like I said, it was all Tohru’s fault. I got soft because of her. I can’t say I regret it, because I know I’m happier with my life now than I ever was in my gang. But some things you can’t entirely leave behind, after all.
I spent most of my life trying to toughen myself up, trying to get strong enough so I wouldn’t need anyone else. But with Tohru, I began to smile more. I began to find more things to smile about. And I wanted to see other people smile more.
Especially him.
Author: eternalsayonara
Rating: PG
Warnings: Uo's POV
Word count: ~1200
Summary: Fruits Basket, Kureno/Arisa: Feathers - "Star-crossed lovers."
Whoever says that it's romantic to have a star-crossed lover needs a beating, if you ask me. Being a star-crossed lover is all right if you’re in a play or something, but in real life? Not that fun.
I guess you could say that it’s all Tohru’s fault. Don’t get me wrong, I love her. I mean, who else would be friends with someone like me? She’s too nice for her own good. But that’s how I got into this whole mess in the first place.
I’m not a nice girl. I’m a bit better now that Tohru’s in my life, but when I was younger? It’d make your ears bleed to hear the things I did back then. Gangs, skipping school, stealing, vandalism, and violence-I did all of that and more.
My gang was it for me. We called ourselves The Ladies and had a long tradition. We had a lot of fun together, you know? Terrorizing people, starting trouble, letting everyone know who we were. I had a deadbeat dad and an absentee mother-my gang was all I had. The Ladies were my friends, my sisters, my blood, my family: the only things I really knew I could count on. Do you know what it takes for a girl like me to leave something like that?
A clumsy ditz with an armful of booklets. That’s how I met Tohru. She was carrying a whole stack of booklets high enough that she couldn’t see where she was going and literally bumped into me at school. She-of course-freaked out and bowed in apology, sending her booklets tumbling to the ground.
And that, ladies and gents, was the beginning of the end.
Because of Tohru and Kyoko-san (her mother, my idol), I cleaned up my act. I guess a part of me still wanted to be like the Red Butterfly, even if she did end up all domesticated. Whatever. I quit my gang, started going to school again, took better care of myself and my old man. Even started a couple part-time jobs. Who knew an ex-gang member could clean up so nice, right?
They made me want to change. And I did. I didn’t realize how much I had left the old me behind until I met him. That jerk. It didn’t help at all that I met him just like I met Tohru.
The night I met him, I was working at the convenience store as a stockgirl. I was placing some cans on the shelf when someone bumped into me from behind. Normally I’d cuss out someone who’d be stupid enough to bump into me, but I was in a good mood-and I needed the job. I turned around to see some guy carrying dozens of items in his arms.
I told him to put his items in a basket-he couldn’t see where he was going at all. He thanked me for my advice, bowed, and proceeded to spill his items all over the floor. I couldn’t stop laughing! I thought-hoped, really-that Tohru was one-of-a-kind, and here was some stranger acting just like her. Was there really someone else in the world that acted just as she did? I couldn’t believe it.
He was embarrassed, but laughed along with me. I thought about him a lot after that night. He had a real nice smile. I wanted to see it again.
And then one day I thought I saw him down the street. I didn’t think-I just ran after him. The girls in my gang would have laughed themselves sick to see me chasing after a guy.
It was him, though. I was so happy to see him again, just for a moment. I was surprised that he remembered me, really. But he did, and invited me to lunch to apologize for the mess he made. I couldn’t say no to a free lunch with a guy I had been wanting to see again. Come on, would you?
He introduced himself as Kureno. By the middle of lunch, I knew I was in trouble. It was kind of like that time I tried riding one of the older girl’s motorbikes. I lost control of it and was going way too fast. I knew I was in danger and could end up with my brains painting the pavement. But I couldn’t stop and I felt really exhilarated, really alive, you know? I don’t know why I didn’t leave right then. Maybe it was my low blood-sugar level; I get crazy when I don’t have something to eat.
As he told me more about himself, he explained that he never did pointless things. And that he was happy with his lonely life. I couldn’t think straight after he told me that. I thought that our chance meeting at the convenience store and again on the street really meant something. None of that lovey-dovey crap, I mean, but like he was meant to take part in my life, even for just a little bit. That if I could make him smile again, my life would mean something. That I had done something worthwhile for once. I was happy to meet him, and thought he felt the same. So when he told me that it was just a random, pointless thing to him, and that he was happy, I was angry without even really knowing why.
I finally had the sense to storm out of that restaurant. He came chasing after me, calling me by my first name. Who the hell does that? Anyway, I wasn’t crying, but he caught up to me and apologized for his words. He told me that he was happy that he had the chance to see me again, and that he had been thinking of me, too.
It was exactly what I wanted to hear. It made me feel like Tohru hadn’t wasted her time being my friend after all or something. Or like I was finally more than just an ex-gang member, I don’t know. I stood there like an idiot and forgave him while he smiled-a real smile-and accused me of blushing. I kicked him for good measure, but I was still so damn pathetic. I would have beat myself up if I could. He touched my head softly, feather-light, right behind my ear, and left.
I thought about him a lot afterward. Kind of like a disease where it itches and itches, but there’s nothing you can really do to get rid of it, except rest. So I tried to forget him. When I didn’t see or hear from him for a while, I got tired of waiting around for him to show up. As Kyoko-san said, it was time to move on. I quit my job at the convenience store so he couldn’t find me again. What was the point, anyway?
Like I said, it was all Tohru’s fault. I got soft because of her. I can’t say I regret it, because I know I’m happier with my life now than I ever was in my gang. But some things you can’t entirely leave behind, after all.
I spent most of my life trying to toughen myself up, trying to get strong enough so I wouldn’t need anyone else. But with Tohru, I began to smile more. I began to find more things to smile about. And I wanted to see other people smile more.
Especially him.