Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Musouka ~ Dare to Dream ❯ In Some Small Way ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: The song `In Some Small Way' belongs to Celine Dion! Not me!

 

Chapter Eight

 

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.

 

Sally Sanotomono - Year 1934

 

The Elephant

 

In Some Small Way

 

“Good morning Aunt Kita,” Yuri greeted happily the next morning. Kaede had stayed over the night, with a few mishaps of accidentally walking in on Kyo in her sleep. To Yuri and Eriko, it was obvious why she did such things at night. For the Holiday Curse, not only did the Tiger sense other emotions; it was also what people call `Yin-Yang'. While she was Yin, the light side (even though she is mischievous in this side of her soul), her Yang took over at night, making her mind take over her body completely, so in other word. Her Yin side was nothing compared to her Yang side, during Yang Kaede, she often sleepwalked to schools and did graffiti, vandalized peoples yards, shoplift, and so on. Than wake up in the morning unknown to her how she was dirty and had things she didn't have the day before. But even if she did realize she had another side, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

 

“Good morning Yuri-chan,” she said with a slight smile. After Yuri invited her in, Kaede, whom was in the kitchen finishing her meal, sighed and walked out of the kitchen with a slight wave.

 

“She's an obedient one isn't she?” Tohru asked Eriko.

 

“She doesn't like the thought of leaving her friends alone for too long.” Eriko answered.

 

“Bye Yuri, sorry for the trouble,” Kaede said, she was wearing her clothes from the day before, except this time, she had them washed and her hair was hanging loosely this time, but it only reached her shoulders.

 

“No problem,” Yuri assured. Kita smiled from her younger relative's politeness and thanked Yuri, than they turned to leave.

 

“I'll come and visit again soon all right!” Kaede shouted before she jumped into the passenger seat and they drove off. Yuri waved than shut the door. She and Eriko had already gotten ready for their parents to come by. It shouldn't be too long now.

 

“I suppose we'll be seeing you again of Christmas I suppose, unless we're stranded.” Shigure said as Yuri sat at the table. “The news said that we're suppose to have heavy weather for the next few days, hopefully it'll hold off till after Christmas, or if luck will have it, after New Year's. We can't be late to the party at the Sohma estate for the-” Yuki and Kyo kicked him under the table; hard.

 

“What was that for?” Shigure whined as he rubbed both shins.

 

For nearly spilling our cover, Yuki hissed mentally.

 

For being a damn idiot! Kyo growled.

 

“Well, if you can't make it, we'll be fine. And besides, we would rather have you not come at all if it meant risking catching the flu or something.” Yuri said.

 

“You are so sweet Yuri, you remind me so much of Tohru-chan-” Shigure babbled on, Kyo finished eating and walked out of the room without anyone noticing. Eriko left soon after, followed by the rest.

 

“It's a shame that you and your sister have to leave, even though we'll be seeing each other again. It'll become harder afterwards,” Yuki said to Yuri as he, Yuri, and Tohru walked out of the room. Shigure scrambled to his office again.

 

“Yes, it will be indeed,” Yuri said in agreement. None of them saw Eriko peer at them for a moment, then go out the door and walk around the house till she spotted the ladder.

 

At least it's not rotting like the other one, she mentally laughed as she climbed it, her fear of heights would come later. At least the traffic inside her mind was keeping her from looking down.

 

“There you are,” Eriko said suddenly.

 

“DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT!” Kyo demanded, every part of his body bristling. Eriko climbed off the ladder and sat on the roof, feeling slightly uncomfortable when she looked a little beyond the edge of the roof, at the icy ground.

 

“I thought you didn't like heights,” Kyo pointed out after calming down enough to notice her actions. He laid back down with his hands behind his head.

 

“I just now remembered that,” she growled. There was an awkward silence, one Eriko never experienced, but she didn't like it at all. Kyo must not have liked either since he started up a small conversation.

 

“I suppose you're leaving huh?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. He shut his eyes and prepared for a smart retort, and simply received `Yeah…'. He opened his right eye slightly to look at her; there was something about her he couldn't place, something that had been nagging at him since she arrived. It seemed so strange, like he knew her. But of course, it was just a feeling, not a real thing.

 

“Well, we are going to see each other again on Chriss…mas,” Slightly flustered, he waited again for a snappy correction. Yet he was again given a dull, un-sarcastic `It's Christmas,'. “Are you sick or somethin'? You suddenly seem out of character ya know?”

 

“Maybe it's because…” she searched for the right words, never had she been so soft, usually she never bothered to look into her vocabulary and speech skills. She guess this was one of those occasions. “…there's something nagging at me,”

 

“I think I know what you mean, ever since you arrived it's been bugging me over and over again. Something's telling me that there's something about you, I just can't place.” Kyo said, sitting up, his arms going behind him against the roof for support.

 

“Same here,” she said back.

 

“Well, where do you go to school?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

 

“At a private school not far from your home,” she answered.

 

“Does a name go with this `private school,'?” he asked.

 

“There's a reason why it's called private,” she snapped slightly, she caught her self and than looked away slightly.

 

“Nothin's that private! Well! Yeah there is! But private schools aren't that private!” Kyo shouted.

 

“Do you believe secrets need to be private?” Eriko asked.

 

“Huh?” This question was unexpected, he would have instantly would have said yes, but his lips wouldn't let him. Of course he thought secrets were private! He had his own set of secrets himself like the Cat's evil spirit, being the outcast of the Zodiac, the death of his mother, and other things he didn't want to mention.

 

“I don't, well really, I'm not really sure. I guess it depends on that secret, whether you can tell someone you can really trust or not tell anyone if you think it's best to keep it to yourself.” Eriko explained.

 

Or a secret that's dangerous to know, Kyo thought.

 

“Can you say we're friends?” she suddenly asked, making Kyo almost fall over.

 

“How can you call us friends if we fight all the time!” Kyo asked loudly.

 

“I don't know, it just feels right. I guess instinct leads people into friendships, not what your mind likes or dislikes in a person.” Eriko answered.

 

“So you're saying that you feel like we're friends?” Kyo asked.

 

“That's what I said,” she snapped slightly.

 

“…” Friends? Yeah, it does kind of feel right, but it feels stronger for me, Kyo thought, remaining silent.

 

“You know, maybe we will see each other more and more after Christmas,” Eriko said.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Instinct,” she answered.

 

“Do you depend on instinct all the time?” he asked sarcastically, sitting up more.

 

“Almost all the time,”

 

“So why don't you tell me if it's going to snow anytime soon?” he asked, smirking.

 

“Probably tomorrow, a lot of inches I'm guessing.” She said, making Kyo bristle.

 

“I was being sarcastic!”

 

“I know, but I thought I would answer you anyway.” Eriko said. Yet again, another awkward silence fell over them like a thick, inaudible blanket. The heavy, gray clouds kept the sun from peering down at them, making it much more colder.

 

“Maybe we should go in,” Kyo suggested as a slight breeze came. Eriko nodded, but when she edged towards the ladder, she stopped and looked down.

 

“You go down first,” she suggested quickly, huddling into a ball, making Kyo roll his eyes.

 

“For someone you acts so ecstatic like you, it's surprising that your afraid to take a few steps down the ladder,” Kyo said with a smirk.

 

“What does it matter to you?”

 

She's returning, “Once I get down the ladder, I can't leave you up here by yourself, and I bet bribing won't work, neither will coaxing-”

 

“Do that and I would humiliate you,” she warned.

 

“Don't worry about that, I would never do anything of the sort.” Kyo growled.

 

“Good, so how do you think I'm going to get down? Leaping off the roof?” she scoffed.

 

“That wouldn't be such a bad idea,” Kyo said, Eriko jumped when he picked her swiftly. “You're not such so dense after all eh?” Kyo smirked as he jumped off the roof and landed on both feet. The falling from the roof to the ground made Eriko believe she left her stomach on the roof. But when she noticed Kyo was still holding her, she quickly made him put her down.

 

“Well, at least you're down,” he said before turning around, she sensed his face burning up. She felt a blush creep up onto her cheeks as well. A few seconds later, they both heard the arrival of a car; it was Eriko's parents since they both heard them thanking Shigure as they helped Yuri put Eriko's and Yuri's suitcases into the back.

 

“Come on Eriko, we'll see them on Christmas.” Yuri said cheerfully as she spotted them behind the house, Eriko nodded and Yuri hurried back over to the car.

 

“Well, bye than.” Kyo said quickly, about to walk into his home from the back.

 

“Sayonara,” she said quietly enough for Kyo's cat ears to reach.

 

“Don't sound so down, it's not like the last time we'll be seeing you,” Kyo said quickly.

 

“Fine than, good bye baka,” she said in her usual tone, avoiding any playfulness or kindness. She simply vanished behind the walls corners before Kyo let the truth sink in, she'll always be that way, maybe that was why he liked her. Not being afraid to show someone your true colors is something anyone would want to do, especially him, the Cat.

 

Good bye, Eriko, he thought as he turned and than opened and shut the shoji door behind him.

 

“Enjoy your stay?” Sarah asked as Eriko climbed into the back next to her sister after saying a slight good-bye to Shigure, Tohru, and Yuki. Dikatou informed her that Shigure, and all the other people they had met were allowed to come over for Christmas.

 

“It was excellent,” Yuri said, immediately going into the events (skipping the part when they had to walk to their house). Eriko just looked out the window, what would happen if it snowed and had everyone stranded in their houses for a few days. They wouldn't be able to shop for their new friends, or be able to see each other again for the next few days that maybe might be weeks, or months, or years, or possibly never.

 

There's a tree, standing there

 

In such an ordinary way

 

But as I, Look around

 

Everything keeps changing

 

It seemed like she known him for years, but it was just nearly five days ago that she meant them. She watched trees and other cars whiz by. There was something about him, no, it was about all the Sohmas, it had to have been bothering Yuri too. But right now, she didn't want to think; she just wanted to relax for once in her life.

 

There's a leaf on that tree

 

And it floats into a stream

 

Like everything, it gets carried away

 

To the sea

 

Yuri's right, heck, everyone is right except me, I do have feelings for Kyo. But why can't I confess them, are all beginning relationships like this? If they are, does Kyo feel the same way? She wondered, completely unaware of her parents and sister's chatter.

 

And if we give a little of our love away

 

Maybe meet in the middle every night and day

 

If we could hear just a whisper of what the heart needs to say

 

It could sure make a difference in some small

 

In some small way

 

“So Miss Honda, the snow melted some, do you want to come with me to the base to pick some things before it starts snowing again?” Yuki asked Tohru.

 

“Of course, let's get our coats,” Tohru exclaimed before hurrying off to fetch their stuff.

 

Kyo's going to be more quiet now, Yuki thought without much thought; he shook it off, why would he care? As long as he kept out of his hair he would be fine.

 

“Here's our stuff Yuki.” Tohru said, handing him his coat and shoes.

 

When they were out the door, they hurried into the woods.

 

In the heart lies the key,

 

That unlocks your destiny

 

Look within and we'll find,

 

Everything we're longing for

 

“I wonder, could they be too?” Shigure wondered aloud as he scribbled something on a piece of paper. “But she didn't say anything about them…” his hand went to the phone and dialed a number. Than he put the receiver to his ear.

 

“Hello Sunmei!” he greeted when the person on the other line picked up.

 

And if we give a little of our love away

 

Maybe meet in the middle every night, everyday

 

If we could hear just a whisper of what the heart needs to say

 

It could sure make a difference in some small

 

In some small way

 

Darn't all! I can't stop thinking about her! Kyo thought as he laid on his bed. Well, I suppose I do like her, but as long as no one else knows I'm fine! `Cause the last thing I want is for Shigure and Yuki to know! I'll never hear the end of it from that damn mutt! He than closed his eyes and sighed.

 

But it did feel nice to be so close to her, he admitted mentally. Remembering when he held her up and jumped off the roof. I guess having these strange feelings in your stomach just tells you that you like someone more than a friend, but does she feel the same way?

 

Ohhhhhh may you cherish each moment you live

 

And know all the love that you give will go on, and on and on

 

“We're home!” Yuri cried out happily, for once not aware of the fact that Eriko was saddened by seeing their home again. And for once in her life, Eriko was hoping that her nose and instinct were leading her wrong when they figured that it would snow tomorrow, but she had never been wrong before.

 

There's a sky, vast and blue

 

And it lies deep inside of you

 

Breath it in, let it out

 

Breath it in again

 

By nine, Tohru and Yuki had returned with several vegetables like leeks (making Kyo stay in his room), and others. Shigure headed to bed after a lively conversation, which he would not mention to anyone in or out of the household. By the time everyone was sound asleep, Kyo was staring up at the moon from his window. It was only a measly crescent.

 

If she does like me, would she like me for what I truly am? He wondered, his crimson melted chocolate eyes gazed up at the moon, as if it would answer back, an answer that would solve all his problems. Guess I'll probably never know, especially since Tohru knows already, I don't want another person to suffer the way she did…

 

And if we give a little of our love away

 

Maybe meet in the middle every night, everyday

 

If we could hear just a whisper of what the hearts trying to say

 

It could sure make a difference in some small

 

In some small way

 

Eriko was almost asleep in her former room, it was too quiet, usually Kyo would wake up and shout something or she would hear Shigure's scribbling downstairs if he decided to go to sleep late. But instead, she heard the soft, untroubled breathing of her sister's and parents breaths. It wasn't fair how certain people had to suffer, while others could rest peacefully.

 

Maybe I won't…no, it's impossible, no one has control over fate. How would I be an exception? Eriko thought, thinking about the former Foxes and how they ran away and never seen again. Not even their bodies were found.

 

And if we give a little of our love away

 

Maybe meet in the middle every night, everyday

 

If we could hear just a whisper of what the hearts trying to say

 

It could sure make a difference in some small

 

In some small way

 

If only I could stop it, everyone always calls me stubborn; maybe I'll somehow resist the attempt to run away! But, if the past Foxes were like me, than I don't stand a chance… Eriko thought, a small whimper broke from her lips as she went into a hard slumber. At least she knew she could enjoy this Christmas, if her impulse was wrong though…