Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Oh, Baby! ❯ Oh, Baby! ( One-Shot )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

OH BABY
A Fruits Basket Challenge ficlet

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess


CHALLENGE: Playing house (week 39)

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
For as many series as I see and read, this was the only pairing that made any sense. >.< Told from Kyo's point of view. Touch of lemon. A Standard Disclaimer follows the story.




Why the hell did she agree to this?!

She should have said no. How difficult is that?! N-O, no. Why'd she have to be so nice? And to that kid of people! I guess it's because Kisa asked...but still!

Babysitting?! Is she mad?!

And here I am, drying the freakin' dishes so she can keep the kid amused.

Dammit! This was not how our evening alone was supposed to go. With Shigure gone and Yuki staying late at school, we were supposed to have a quiet evening at home. Just the two of us. These occasions are so rare as it is!

Instead, the little brat had to get in the way.

She is more bearable than her brother. I have to give her credit for that. And it's not her fault her parents' went out for evening. Not her fault that Hiro and Kisa happened to plan a date for the exact same evening.

But did Tohru really have to agree to baby-sit? Nice or not she has to have a limit. Yeah, right! Knowing Tohru she didn't even give it much thought before giving her consent.

Baka.

Drying the last plate, I sit it aside and head for the doorway. There I pause, hearing a happy shout from the kid. Tohru is smiling brightly, one hand tickling the baby. It looks very natural. Almost as if....

Why, dammit? Why am I thinking things I shouldn't?

Making my way to the sofa, I pray the few hours go quickly. Tohru and the kid play on the floor. All kinds of stuff too. Blocks, books puzzles, cars. You name it, it was on the living room floor. The kids is laughing, having a good time. Tohru, too, is enjoying herself, stacking the blocks as high as they'll go before they get knock down by the brat.

I focus on the television, flipping through the channels in hopes of a distraction. Watching them play on the floor is almost...painful. The television doesn't look much better.

Maybe there's a sports match on somewhere.

Nope.

A cooking show? They make some good stuff some of the time.

Nope.

What about that crazy guy from Australia? He has to be on here somewhere.

Nope.

"Kyo-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're not watching anything, maybe we could put in a video. You know, keep her occupied."

Sure, why the hell not. It's gotta be better than watching golf.

UGH! Then again I could be wrong.

"Baby Einstein?"

"Hai." Tohru is overly excited about this video. "It's about colors and shapes. It's supposed to be very educational for children."

So we watch this "educational" video. Tohru joins me on the couch with the baby in her lap. The kid seems pretty happy, eyes glued to the TV. Tohru is also riveted by the combination of music and color. She repeats what the TV says and gets baby talk in return. Satisfied with this, she congratulates the brat and continues with the next word.

All the while I feel this fist gripping my heart. I'm thinking about those things again. The things I shouldn't be thinking about.

My future.

Our future.

She knows how I feel. Took me forever to tell her. Didn't help that I thought she was on the brink of death, either. But I confessed my feelings, and she told me she loves me. I never thought I'd hear those words from her.

Since then, I've caught myself thinking...strange things. My future is already decided. I made a deal with a devil, and I'll have to own up to that promise. I'll have to go away. I'll never be able to see her again.

Yet, I can't help but imagine what life would be like if I could stay. If I could make a different future, with Tohru. I'm even contemplating a family. Me?! I've never given so much thought to anything, including what I plan to do tomorrow! It's almost too much!

Seeing her so close, even handling the brat, it makes my heart ache.

I always knew Tohru would make a good wife and mother. She has all the right qualities. Caring, loving, self-sacrificing. Seeing her interact with a kid only solidifies what I know. My heart flutters and my head starts giving me these images of her with OUR child.

Does that make me sick? A pervert? Or is that normal?

"Kyo-kun?"

"Huh?"

"Are you all right? You're staring."

"Gomen." Had I really been staring? At her? Must've because she's blushing slightly. She turns back toward the TV, her hold on the child in her lap relaxing slightly. The kid's still occupied with the movie, so I decide to go for broke.

"Ah!"

She's surprised when I lean forward to kiss the spot between her neck and shoulder. Her body jumps, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She sighs as I work my way up to her ear. Her shoulders shake as I suckle on her earlobe. It's odd to me that she enjoys it, but what works, right?

That's the moment the brat decides to make a fuss.

"Oh!" I pull away as Tohru checks to see what's the matter. Nothing appears to be seriously wrong. One minute she's happy and the next she's not.

"Tohru?"

"She's fine, I think. But--! Oh wait, the tape stopped."

That it did. Static filled the screen. Definitely not as exciting as the shapes and colors on the video. Even the music was better.

"I'll get it." Slightly frustrated I get off the couch to rewind the movie.

"There's a second one we can watch," Tohru chimes in.

Sighing, I hand her the first tape. "Give it here."

Smiling in her usual way, she gets up to get the second tape. I watch her move out of the corner of my eye. Standing beside me, she takes the video, placing the second in my hand. Then she places a quick kiss on my temple before going back to the couch.

When I turn to look at her, the second movie now playing, I'm certain I was dreaming. The child-like woman clapping and playing with the baby girl did not just give me a kiss. Nor did she wink. Oh, no, not Tohru.

Dammit...there I go again!

Getting off the floor I hurry upstairs. After a few minutes in the bathroom, and a quick cold shower, I make my way downstairs. The movie is still playing, but something has changed.

"Shhh...she just fell asleep."

"Asleep?"

Yep. The kid is out cold on the couch. She's covered with that darn blanket she loves so much. And what is that orange thing she's holding? A stuffed...cat? Did Tohru give that to her?

"Yuki will be home soon. I should finish cleaning up."

As she walks past, I clasp her wrist. In one movement I turn her and swoop in for a kiss. She must have expected it because her lips were parted and ready when they met mine.

"I really...should...finish the laundry. It won't take long." Rising on tiptoe she gives me another, brief kiss on the lips. "Will you keep an eye on her for a few minutes?"

"I think I can manage." Yeah, the kid I could manage. Now if I could just manage to get rid of the goofy grin plastered to my face.

Shit, I may need another cold shower.

Sitting on the floor by the TV, I turn off the movie and start channel surfing again. There still isn't a single thing worth watching, but I pause at a game show and decide it's better than nothing.

Now, I know it's only been thirty seconds or something, but I'm already feeling uneasy. There's nothing to worry about, right? The kid's sound asleep and I can hear Tohru in the laundry room. Curious I train my ears to listen outside. Nothing coming towards the house. Not a sign of the damn rat.

Then those damn thoughts get the better of me. The laundry room isn't far, and I can always listen for the kid to wake up. It wouldn't take but a few minutes, not that I want it to go by so fast. I mean, I don't want to hurt her and all. But the skirt she's wearing is short enough to maneuver and her blouse....

Now I know I need another cold shower!

"Waaaaaahhhhhh!"

Of course, a crying child works just as well.

How do you calm a crying child? I have no clue. I try telling it to hush, quickly checking to see if the child is hurt. No signs of damage. Is she hungry? Again?! And what is that smell!?!

Her tiny fingers latch onto my thumb as I whisper to her, fingertips gently massaging her stomach. She appears comforted knowing someone's close by, but her eyes are still closed. Was she still asleep? Perhaps she had a nightmare. It didn't appear to be over, either, as her face scrunched up and she let out an even louder yell.

I bite off a curse just as Tohru comes back into the room. I look at her like a stupid deer caught in headlights. She merely smiles, her fingers caressing the baby's forehead. The child is again appeased, but still fitful.

"Her diaper needs changed, I think," Tohru says.

Well, that explains the weird stench.

Tohru brings over the diaper bag Hiro left behind. After some searching she finds a diaper and a green box. Then she pulls out a little mat and spreads it out on the floor.

"Hand her here, will you please?"

Okay. I can do this without transforming. With one hand under the baby's head and shoulder and one under her back and bottom, I lift her off the couch. Gods she's so tiny! Was I really this small once?

She squirms a bit in my grasp, but says nothing till I lay her on the mat in front of Tohru. Then she begins to wail again. Tohru's quick to reassure the child that everything's all right, all the while stripping her so that her diaper can be changed.

As she undresses the child, I watch with mild fascination. She takes great care to be gentle. With one so small I suppose it's a must. Once her socks and pants are off, she carefully extracts the foul object. Not that I've never seen a naked baby before, but I'm still awed by the sight before me.

That is, before the smell sends my senses reeling.

"Will you throw this away, Kyo-kun?" She hands me the dirty diaper, folded neatly and ready to be discarded.

Yeah, thanks. I needed the distraction.

I quickly make my way into the kitchen to throw away the item. However I'm not so quick to head back. Instead, I lean against the counter, eyes closed and try to clear my head.

What the hell?! Why tonight? Why now? Why do I have to be thinking about the future? Graduation isn't too far away. I'm consigned to my fate. I know what's ahead of me, and there's no room for these thoughts.

No room for me to imagine Tohru as my wife.

Holding her in my arms.

Carrying my child.

Writhing naked underneath me.

Screaming my name.

Dammit, I AM a pervert!

A drink of water and I head back into the living. Tohru is playing with the baby. Someone else is there too. Home from school, he's still wearing his uniform. He appears happy, playing with Tohru and the child. Figures he'd manage to do something I can't, the bastard.

"Ah Kyo! Yuki's home."

"I can see that."

The rat doesn't seem to care that I've entered the room. He's too preoccupied with the squealing bundle of joy on the floor. Strangely enough, interacting with the kid seems pretty natural to him. I also hate to see him happy.

Jealousy is an ugly demon.

"Kyo, Yuki is going to finish some schoolwork and I still need to finish the laundry. Can you handle things here?"

"Sure." Although I'm really not. Sure, that is. But Yuki wonders away and Tohru heads back to the washroom.

"I'll only be a few more minutes," Tohru assures me. It does little for my confidence though.

So the brat and I are left staring at each other. She is cute, I'll admit. Especially when she's quiet.

But she's not that way for long.

"No, no, no. Don't cry," I say in a panic. What do I do? What do I do?!

Wait, the movie!

I hit play and the movie magically reappears. She notices right away. Crawling over to the TV, she plops her tiny butt onto the floor. The pictures draw her eyes and her attention is caught by the music.

It is kind of catchy actually.

So catchy that I find myself humming along. Sitting behind the child, I clap my hands -- and the kid's -- to the beat. She doesn't seem to mind either, her little body bouncing in tune with the music. And she's far enough away that there's no way she can trigger a transformation.

When the movie ends, she's still very happy. Crawling back over to her pile of toys, she starts playing with them at random. Occasionally she looks up, eyeing me. Then she goes back to playing. Does she think I'm going to argue?

With one eye on the kid, I start channel surfing again. Still nothing on, but I do catch a glimpse of that crazy Australian. So does she. Before I know it, she crawls over, sitting beside me and we watch him chase snakes together.

"Kyo-kun?"

"Hmm? Done with the laundry?"

"Hai." She blushes slightly. "I've been finished. I was just...watching you."

"Watching me?"

"Hai." Then she points to the floor. "She's asleep." A quick look tells me that someone's napping and we finally get some alone time. With Yuki still in his room, there's little chance we'll be disturbed.

"You sure."

Tohru nods, leaning in for a kiss. I allow it, titling my head back to keep her from leaning in too much. It doesn't last long, though, and she smiles as she pulls away.

"If you're tired, you can go to bed. Hiro's mother should be by soon."

"I'm not sleepy," I tell her, pulling her down for another kiss.

She's surprised, but doesn't fight it. In fact, she presses closer, opening her lips to allow for a deeper kiss. Both of my hands frame her face as her hands move to my shoulders to keep her steady. Fingernails dig into my skin and a light moan rumbles in her throat. One of my hands begins to move lower, but stops dead when a loud voice comes through the front door.

"Is anybody still awake? I'm home."

Just freakin' great! So the stupid dog had to pick NOW to come home. Tohru is quick to jump away and greet him. I wave my hand, keeping my eyes busy by looking for the remote. At least he wasn't loud enough to wake the baby.

"Waaahhhhh!"

Dammit!

Without so much as looking up, I lean forward to check the kid. Seems like Shigure's entrance scared her. I place my hand on her tummy and rub gently. She seemed to enjoy this when Tohru did it. Her crying stops and her little eyes open. She looks confused upon seeing me, but she smiles nonetheless. I manage a half smile in return, continuing to rub her stomach.

"Kyo? What are you doing to the poor child?"

"What does it look like?" My retort is not as sharp as it should be.

"Could you be just a bit quieter when entering the room?"

"Hai, hai." His typical response, although that was not my usual argument.

When I do finally look up I see Shigure walking away and Tohru coming in from the kitchen. She kneels next to me, the baby now giggling and cooing happily. She holds out an arm, extending a bottle in my direction.

"She may be hungry. Would you like to feed her?"

"Sure." Why not? It couldn't hurt anything to try. "But how--?"

"Like this." Tohru places the bottle in my hand and turns it over. She holds my hand at a certain level, making sure the bottle is angled. The baby takes care of the rest.

"This isn't so bad," I say at random.

"Kyo-kun is getting the hang of it."

"Yeah." Even the thoughts in my head don't seem that dirty anymore.

We'll, some of them anyway.

An hour later, there's a knock at the door. Tohru hurries to answer, the baby napping on her shoulder. It's Hiro's mother. She greets Tohru happily, receiving the baby and holding her as Tohru did.

As I gather up the toys and place them in the bag, I overhear Hiro's mother say, "I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all," Tohru replies. "She's such a wonderful baby. And Kyo-kun helped out."

"Really, it was no trouble at all," I say, handing her the bag.

"Arigato, Tohru-chan, Kyo-kun." Smiling, she turns and heads for the door. "The two of you will make good parents someday."

She has no idea what she's just said, I'm sure, but Tohru and I both blush. She's quick to utter an apology, something about getting ready for bed, and heads for the stairs. It is nearly eleven. And we do have school tomorrow.

I follow her to the stairs where she surprises me yet again. Standing two steps higher, she leans forward and places a quick, sloppy kiss between my lips and my nose. Blushing, she whispers a soft "good night" then dashes off into her room.

Life suddenly seems so different.

I scoffed at family in the past. I never had much of one growing up. Shisho was great, and he will always be a father to me, but...what I remember before that isn't so appealing. Why then do I want a family? Now more than ever!

I can come up with several answers. To prove that it's possible. To prove that I'm capable. To make Shisho proud of me.

To be committed to Tohru, and not to some hell bent future.

I may not be able to change my fate.

But I'm sure as hell gonna try.


~OWARI~

DISCLAIMER:
Fruits Basket is owned by Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA - TV TOKYO - NAS - Fruba Project and licensed by FUNimation Productions, Ltd (for distribution in the USA). All copyrights go to them and not me. All characters are used here without permission. Please do not sue. I have no money, although I would be happy to give away my bills. ^_^