Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Furuba Love Stories ❯ Haru and Rin ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.

A/N: This is just a random idea I thought up while procrastinating in updating "Divine Intervention." Each chapter will be a one-shot of a different FB couple. The chapters won't be related at all, except in their WAFFiness. There won't be any shounen ai or really bizarre match-ups (eg. Shigure/Hatori or Kagura/Tohru's grandfather), just normal Furuba couples like Tohru/Kyo, Tohru/Yuki, Haru/Rin, Hiro/Kisa, Ayame/Mine, Kyo/Kagura, Uo/Kureno, Hatori/Kana, Shigure/Mii, etc. I might even throw in some non-suggested ones like Hana/Hatori, almost any male Jyuunishi/Tohru, or Yuki/Kagura. You can request couples if you want, but I'm really just going to write whichever one I'm inspired to at that moment. Should be fun and mushy!

Chapter 1: Rin and Hatsuharu

Setting: After Rin gets out of the hospital the first time, when she and Haru are about 11 or 12. Chapter 79 in the manga will give you a good idea of the situation. We've seen what Rin thinks, now what about Haru?

Hatsuharu walked briskly to Rin's window. This was becoming something of a ritual for him. Every time he could get away during the night, he would come to Kagura's house to see if Rin might be able to come out with him. Sometimes Kagura was in Rin's room, trying to be friends with her by doing her hair or playing a game, and sometimes Rin was too nervous about being caught to come out, but the majority of the time Haru could convince her. Haru smiled when he saw that Rin's light was on, and Kagura was nowhere in sight. Perfect. Keeping to the shadows, he crept to her window and tapped softly. Rin's hair looked so light and feathery as she spun to face him at the window. He loved the way she let it fall about her in no particular order. That was just like her personality, doing whatever she pleased but staying delicate in the process. Rin was stubborn on the outside, like him, but inside she was vulnerable. Haru liked being protective of her when she opened up to him, and he liked that she didn't show that side to anyone else.

"What are you doing here?" Rin asked when she lifted the window open. She always asked that, like it was the first time he had ever knocked on her window at night.

Haru indulged her like he always did. He never got mad at her for asking the same silly questions. "It's such a nice night, I thought you might want to go on a walk with me. C'mon." He stretched his hand out to her.

Rin looked at Haru's hand like she didn't understand. "But it's so late, and what if I get caught. No, I can't go." She shook her head decisively, causing her hair to flutter about her again.

Haru smiled at the statement, which he had heard plenty of times before. "I didn't walk all the way over here for you to turn me down. It's not that late, and you know Kagura and her parents sleep like the dead. You were still awake, anyway. Please?" He waved his outstretched hand a little to encourage her to take it.

Rin bit her lip in thought. "Well, I guess it'll be okay, but just this once. And we can't stay out too late." She took his hand and let him help her onto the sill.

Grabbing Rin's waist to help her off the ledge, Haru couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Rin asked self-consciously.

"Nothing. It's just that we always have this same conversation. You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough!" she said angrily, crossing her arms.

Hatsuharu laughed again. "You know, you're very cute when you're angry," he said teasingly, leaning into her.

Rin backed away from him with a "Hmph," but her heart wasn't in it, and she belied herself with a fierce blush.

Haru changed his smile to one of mirth to one of sincerity. Grasping her hand in his, he led her off to the spot he always took her to, on a lonely hill just outside the Honke. The walk wasn't far, but it took them away from the threat of being caught out this late. Children were supposed to be in bed, but many of the adults were still up and about. Haru had left a blanket there, hidden in an old tree stump, so they could sit on the ground and look at the stars. Rin seemed to enjoy doing that on these hot summer nights, and Haru was willing to enjoy anything that Rin did.

"Haru?" Rin asked as he shook the blanket out to free it of bark and dirt.

"Yeah? What is it?" Haru spread the blanket on the ground and sat down next to Rin before she answered.

"Why- why do you like me so much?" Rin blushed and looked up at the stars, away from Haru's eyes.

"I don't like you." Rin turned to look at him, stunned. "I love you," he continued. Now he was making her blush worse.

"No, Haru, don't say that!" she pleaded as her eyes filled with tears.

Haru gently raised his hand to her shoulder. "Why not? It's true. Isuzu, I love you. Don't you love me, too?"

At that, the dam broke and Rin's tears burst forth. "I can't! We can't!" she wept, leaning into Haru's chest. She was wracked with sobs.

"It's okay, Rin. It's okay to love and be loved. Don't you think you deserve that?" he said soothingly yet angrily while stroking her long tresses. "Everyone should have that!"

"Not me!" she wailed, throwing her arms around his neck.

Haru wrapped his arms around her, as well. "Fine, you can say that, but it's not going to stop me from loving you. I won't love anyone else, ever," he added firmly.

Rin's voice was muffled by Haru's shirt. "What if I say that I don't love you back? Then will you stop loving me?"

"No! I don't believe you anyway, you idiotic girl. I know you love me. Why else would you come out here with me night after night?"

"Because I'm using you," she responded unconvincingly. Haru laughed at her, causing her to pull away and look at him with a puzzled expression.

"You're a really bad liar," he said with a grin. That made her temper flare. "Oh, the cute angry face again."

Rin stood to leave in a huff, but Haru pulled her back down and swept the fingers of his free hand through her hair. "Stop it! What are you doing?"

"This…." Haru saw Rin's eyes widen and then slowly close as he cupped her cheek and placed his mouth over hers. He closed his eyes, as well, and reveled in the tenderness of her lips, the way she trembled beneath his touch, the way the breeze brought the fragrance of her hair to his nose, and above all the sweet taste of her.

She didn't have to say that she loved him because he already knew. All that mattered to him was Rin. With Rin was where he belonged, where he wanted to be. Someday he would be enough for her. Someday she would understand that they were supposed to be together, forever. Rin and Haru.