Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ A Caged Heart ❯ Otherwise Occupied ( Chapter 5 )

Author's Note:

 

Apologies for the short chapter. But no fear - the next one's extra long!

 

Oh - and just in case anyone thinks otherwise, I did not buy Fruits Basket since the last chapter, so it's still not mine. I'm just borrowing.

 

 

Otherwise Occupied:

 

“You seem to be... otherwise occupied today, Tohru.” observed Hana, over lunch the next day.

 

“I...do?” Tohru hesitated, worriedly.

 

“Yes. It isn't too obvious, but you haven't been as focused as you usually are.”

 

“Not that she ever is that focused, banging into doors all the time.” commented Uo.

 

“True, but there seems to be something... different.”

 

Tohru blushed.

 

“Is there something else on your mind, Tohru?” asked Hana.

 

“Well... not really, I guess...” Tohru started to go very red, a small, secretive smile on her face.

 

Hana and Uo exchanged sidelong glances.

 

“I bet something happened with the Prince. Something those fan girls wouldn't want to know...” said Uo.

 

“Or the novelist. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried something, with electric waves such as his.” commented Hana, spooning rice into a bowl.

 

“No, no!” cried Tohru, waving her arms about wildly in attempt to shut them up. “It's not like that!"

 

“Or maybe both of them...” Uo looked at Tohru, a calculating look in her eye. “But I didn't think she would go for that sort of thing...”

 

“She wouldn't.” stated Hana. “Nor would the Prince. The writer, however...” Hana tilted her head slightly.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Or maybe something...else...” Hana stared at Tohru, eyes unblinking.

 

At that moment, Kyo happened to pass behind them, ignoring them completely, headed in the direction of another table.

 

There was a faint creak of a chair being pushed backwards.

 

“Hey, Kyo-kyo! You up for losing another game, cat-lover?” taunted Uo, waving a deck of cards.

 

In an instant Kyo was back.

 

“Shut up! And it's not as if I even like cats! It's not my fault if they follow me around -”

 

“Aww, poor little Kyo-kyo's upset!”

 

“Don't call me Kyo-kyo, you Yankee!”

 

“Ouch, that hurt!” mocked Uo.

 

“Oh, it's on!” he shouted, slapping the desk top. “It's on!!!”

 

“Ooooh, I'm shaking in my boots! Bring it on, carrot-top!”

 

Less than a minute later, Uo and Kyo were well into a game of Rich Man - Poor Man (Uo winning, of course). Tohru still sat there, frozen, with a deep blush on her face.

 

“Or someone else...”

 

Tohru spun her head. There sat Hana, calmly sipping a bowl of miso soup.

 

*********************************

 

 

“So,” said Uo, as her and Hana headed home that day. “Did you find out what was up with Tohru while I was busy beating that carrot-top to a pulp?”

 

“No.” Hana smiled. “Nothing... new.”