Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Furuba Love Stories ❯ Ayame and Mine ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.

Chapter 9: Mine and Ayame

Setting: Working late one night at the shop.

A/N: Forgive me. This one is super silliness, unlike my more characteristic angst :P

"Mine, has the new Chinese silk come in?" Ayame peered at the opposite end of the back room expectantly, where his assistant was unloading the newest shipment. He could hear her rustling around in the freight boxes.

Popping her head out of the storeroom, Mine smiled and proffered a bolt of vibrant orange cloth. "Right here, Boss. It came with tonight's delivery. Do you want to start on Mr. Yamada's robe now?" She unfurled the tangerine silk and draped it over the nearest mannequin. Then she stood next to it with her hands behind her back, waiting for instructions. Usually Ayame conducted the fittings.

"No, no, I'll leave the robe completely up to you. I'm going to do the ordering for the week." Taking a seat at the desk, Ayame gracefully moved the mountain of papers in front of him and swept his long hair behind his shoulders. He wasn't exactly sure where to start, but nothing was impossible for him.

"Boss?" Mine waited until he spun in the chair to look at her. "You want me to do the whole thing by myself? Are you sure? And are you certain you know how to do the orders?" Her tone was respectful, but quizzical. She knew that her employer was much more effective as the creative genius, not the accountant.

Ayame waved her off with a dismissive hand. "I'm sure they aren't too hard, and I have faith that I have taught you well enough to be able to make a man's robe without my help. Of course it won't be as elegant as my work, but you'll learn over time. Practice makes perfect," he chimed.

Mine nodded determinedly and pushed up the sleeves on her school girl attire. Mr. Yamada was a rather large man, so she frowned ponderously at the huge length of fabric before she began pinning and unpinning it, trying to get the shape right.

Ayame smiled secretly at her from his seat and turned back to the task at hand. His papers and orders were sitting in a tall stack on the desk in front of him, calling to be sorted through. Usually he was the one pinning the garments and Mine took care of the papers, but he had decided to switch with her tonight. After ten minutes of staring at numbers and drawing design ideas in the margins of the pay stubs, he grew slightly bored and rose to stretch. He could see that Mine was moving along rapidly in her work. The main part of the robe was pinned already for sewing, and now she was cutting a matching sash and handbag.

"I wanted to explain why I've taken up your job tonight, and why you're in charge of Mr. Yamada's robe," he said, breaking the silence. "You would never become a worthy protégé of the great Ayame Sohma if you didn't learn every aspect of the business. Besides, when you leave me to start your own shop, I'll need to know all of the details of the paperwork, like billing and buying and other things that I've always put into your capable control."

In her characteristic manner, Mine laughed giddily at Ayame's comments. "Leave you? What are you talking about, Boss?"

Ayame threw his arms wide in a theatrical gesture of sorrow. "One day I'm sure you'll be near my own talent, and naturally you'll feel the need to head out on your own, forging your own destiny in the fast-paced world of design." As he finished, Ayame mocked swooning and fell back into his chair.

Mine rushed to his side, although she didn't look worried. Instead she kneeled down before him and took his hand in hers. "Boss, I'm not going to leave," she said with a reassuring smile. "It's an honor to work with the greatest designer in the city, and besides, I think we make a great team."

"Really?" he asked, suddenly gaining back all of his typical zest. Without warning he leaped from his chair, grabbing Mine's hands and dragging her up with him. Then, mindful of the curse, he spun her around in a dizzy circle, laughing wholeheartedly. "Oh, Mine, that's wonderful! I hate numbers and writing! I'm an artist! Hahaha, no more paperwork!"

"That's my job, so that you can do the important stuff," Mine laughed back in her matter-of-fact way. "I knew you wouldn't get rid of me."

Ayame finally let go of her hands to twirl in one final flourish of his own. Bowing low, he told her, "I would never voluntarily get rid of you. Your abilities are far better than the average person, almost as phenomenal as my own. Naturally, I didn't think that you would want to stray from my mentoring, but you never can tell."

Instantly motionless and serious, Ayame stood in front of Mine and catch her eyes. "Honestly, though, Mine, you are a woman after my own heart. Your design ideas, however different than mine at times, are showing improvement. If everything keeps going this way, and you make sure that I don't have to take care of the business matters anymore, perhaps I'll let you open up your own line in the store, with my approval of course. We'll call it 'Ayame Presents Creations by Mine.'"

Before Ayame could react, Mine jumped excitedly at him, arms reaching to embrace him. Years of living with a curse gave Ayame an instinctually quick reaction time, but she was even quicker. He managed to clasp her wrists and pull his chest backwards, but the awkward position sent her head reeling into his. Unexpectedly, their lips smacked together in a strong kiss.

Both of them were frozen, Mine with shock and Ayame with the worry that her momentum would continue to send her chest into his. The transformation never came, however, because her body was still not touching his. Their only point of contact was his grasp on her arms and their startling kiss. Ayame's lithe body twisted to the side so he wouldn't fall to the ground, and in doing so their kiss was broken. Not knowing quite what to say for the first time in his life, he bowed to Mine once again. "My apologies, Mine. I didn't intend for that to happen. It's just that I don't allow people to embrace me."

Shrugging, Mine smiled at him. "That's okay, Boss. Just like our motto, everyone has his or her own secret fantasies and desires. I won't try to hug you again."

"Mine," Ayame began. He had never really thought of the girl other than a precious commodity in running his business, but something in the kiss had changed that. Mine was the perfect girl for him, understanding and completely free of judgment. Having a curse put a serious damper on love, even to someone hopelessly romantic like himself. Despite the fact that he made his living off the romantic fantasies of others, he had never really experienced the feeling for himself. Setting up Yuki with Tohru was more his style than setting himself up. But here was a girl who had been under his nose the entire time, endlessly looking for his approval and admiring him for himself. A curse wouldn't throw her off at all, not that he was particularly planning to tell her about it. But he had faith that if his secret ever did come out, his shrewd assistant wouldn't miss a beat. He loved her, and the thought made him guffaw while delightedly clapping his hands.

Grabbing her this time by her upper arms, Ayame swung Mine around again, and as he did so he leaned his head down to hers to kiss her again. He was sure that he was marvelous at it even if he hadn't practiced much. Mine accepted his kisses willingly, so Ayame knew she felt the same way. How could she not? He was, of course, the most talented designer in all the city.

Again Ayame let go of Mine, but this time it was to prance over to the desk and call his old friend. "Tori-san! I'm getting married! Tell Gure-san for me, if you would. I have to go make a beautiful gown now." Throwing down the receiver, he ran past Mine, who was still standing in the middle of the room, an almost frightening zeal in her expression. Ayame flung some white material onto a spare mannequin and set to work.

"Boss?" Mine asked as she bounced up and down. "Are you making me a wedding dress?"

Not looking away from his work, he squealed with laugher. "No, I'm making one for me!"

A/N: Um, yeah. I'm sorry to anyone who was hoping for some deep and insightful Ayame chapter. I just couldn't do it. Besides, the last few have been kind of downers, so I was trying to lift my spirits a bit. Like I said, I have a penchant for writing angst. I don't usually start out that way, it just happens.