The Missing Zodiac [A Fruits Basket FanFiction]

Chapter 17

"You're a guinea pig, right?" Akito has asked me, sitting across from me. "Then eat it."

I looked down at the sandwiches that lay on the platter nervously, not knowing what to do in a situation like this. My brother had never made anything for me to eat, let alone wanted me to eat in front of him. But, per his will, my small hand had reached out and held the substance in my hands. I had inspected it softly before placing it back down on the tray.

"What are you-?" Akito began to question but was cut off when I picked up the knife that was brought in with the platter to cut the sandwich in half. I began to cut away at the crusts of the bread, putting them intricately off to the side as I kept shaving at the bread. Eventually, I had held it up again, but this time, it was in the shape of a haggled star. I had displayed it off to him, and he raised a brow. "A star? Interesting. Why did you make it into a star?"

Offering a small smile, I spoke: "It'll make it taste better." I then had lifted it and took a bite out of it. I didn't know how it tasted initially, but it did eventually taste good. And the star shape made it more fun to eat.

This, of course, made Akito scoff as I took another bite. "Geez, you weren't supposed to like it!" He let out a disappointed huff as he looked at the star-shaped sandwiches that were now on the tray. Reaching out, he quickly snatched one up before inspecting it over. He had taken a hesitant bite out of it, pausing for a moment before continuing to chew it. He glanced off to the side, a light tone of pink on his upper cheeks as he took another bite.

I smiled at him, giggling softly before swallowing the bite that was in my mouth. "See? The star shape makes it better." I explained to him. He didn't reply, just continued to glance off to the side and eat his sandwich.

In the end, we had a pile of crusts, a few stray crumbs, a dull knife, and an empty tray.

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"I would've never thought of this before.." Shigure spoke, taking another bite of the sandwich he was holding.

I snapped back to reality, offering a small smile before nodding my head. I lifted the sandwich to my lips and began to nibble on it softly as I began to come back to reality. Then, the sliding of a door in the distance had echoed through the halls and into my ears. The noise was followed by a bright and cheerful voice in a feminine tone "We're home!"

Shigure had replied from his spot across from me while shouting happily "Welcome back! We're in the living room!"

"We're?" The familiar cool-toned voice had replied, questioning Shigure's choice of words. Shigure didn't get a chance to reply before the three other residents of the home had walked into the entryway of the living room. They practically gawked at my presence in the living room before them, standing frozen for a moment. The first person to move was Tohru, who had dropped the school bag she was holding to rush over to my side. She had dropped down onto her knees, wrapping her arms around me and embracing me in a tight hug.

The next thing I knew, after a large puff of smoke had dissipated, Tohru was holding me as a small guinea pig and was doing so tightly. She had stayed like this for a second before mumbling through a whimper "Thank goodness you're safe..."

The two boys had just looked on with surprise before Kyo had asked a hesitant "Not trying to be rude or anything...but what exactly are you doing here?"

"Oh?" Shigure had piped up "I thought I told you. Morumotto will be living with us now."

Yuki had sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head side to side in disdain as he replied with a simple "You failed to mention it."

"Living with us?" Kyo interjected, "Won't Akito get all upset over it?"

"Nope! Akito approved this little change himself. Hatori explained the choice he made over the phone to me then brought her over the next day, which happens to be today!" Shigure spoke, leaning one of his elbows against the table while his other hands made various motions that didn't necessarily connect with his words. I cuddled more into Tohru as she held me close, not wanting to be reminded about the way that Akito seemed to reject me completely.

In response, Tohru held me closer. "So..." She began "Is she going to go to school again too?"

"Yup, her uniform is already upstairs and ready to go and arrangements have been made!" Shigure replied.

This made Tohru smile in reply, seeming to be excited that I would be able to attend school with her and the others again. "That's great! It'll be so fun to go to school with you again Motto!" She spoke as she looked down at me.

I looked back up at her, having forgotten how cheerful she could really be. "I'm...." I mumbled softly "I'm exited too!"

But, for some reason, the words that seemed to come from me didn't seem genuine. I knew they should have been, but they simply just didn't. A part of me couldn't accept the situation just yet.