Furuba @lgbtfurubanet ship reqs 6, Tohrin! I care them 🥺, bi gfs unlimited. Reqs for this were an irl and someone from Twitter.

This drabble is to fulfill a @lgbtfurubanet request for genderqueer Akito! Male pronouns are used throughout, as per my personal headcanon.

-

“You share my hobby, Akito-san!?”

Ritsu's words had rang in Akito's head since the day he'd first worn makeup and a woman's kimono.  He remembered his instant denial, how annoyed he'd been, and it took a long time to understand just why.

None of this felt like a “hobby.”

He'd told the former Zodiac that he was going back to being who he really was, and at first, it seemed true enough.  He'd only been pretending to be a man all this time.  So he put on dresses and felt like a woman in love when he went on dates with Shigure, and all the while, it was like playing a song in the wrong key.  The notes were almost right, but not quite, and the longer the song went on, the more jarring it sounded.

In a fit of rage, he ripped apart the most recent dress he'd worn, one made of sky-blue fabric with cloud-colored laces, and he went into the depths of his closet and put on a simple black shirt and pants. The dark colors comforted him, and so did the fit of it- for a while. He told Shigure to stop calling him his girlfriend and he left his bottles of makeup unused for months, and still the melody of his life was wrong.  Flat, off-key, hollow.

“I don't know who I really am,” he admitted to Shigure miserably one day.  “I guess Ren ruined me.”

He wasn't a man, sure, but he wasn't a woman, either.  He liked male terms, but when he watched the sappy romantic movies Shigure dragged him to, he always identified with the heroine.  He didn't want to keep his dresses locked away and unworn, but he didn't want to be mistaken for a woman.  At the same time, he didn't like the feeling that he was forbidden to appear as one.

“Ren's not half as powerful as she'd like to believe,” Shigure said.  “And you can know something without knowing the words for it.”

It was an enigmatic and frustrating response, but that was the best Shigure ever gave Akito.  But the next day, he discovered a book left lying carelessly open in his sitting room, where Shigure had visited him the day before.  Akito ignored it, because Shigure was prone to leaving his things here and there like he owned the whole estate or at least wanted to prove a point, and besides, she didn't care much for fiction, especially the kind Shigure liked.

But Shigure didn't appear to retrieve it and in a moment of boredom, Akito picked it up and read a few random pages.  Then he kept reading, soon absorbed.  This wasn't Shigure's dramatic erotica. This was a story about someone like him.  A whole type of person Akito had never known existed.

Not a man.  Not a woman.  Not something in-between, but their own self, lived unapologetically.

After that day, spent quietly reading and thinking, Akito didn't keep any of his clothes locked away, and he didn't divide them up, either.  He might wear pants with nail polish, or a dress the day he had his hair cut short again.  He still didn't have all the words to describe himself, but it no longer felt like a race to discover them.  The song that accompanied his life reached a reverberating chorus, and every single note was right.

Merry Christmas @merriberri ! I’m your secret Santa for Fruits Basket ✨ Hope you enjoy the gift 💕

With less than two months to go, it’s time to start thinking about Pride Month! LGBTFurubaNet is launching an event that we hope you’ll participate in. 

For this event, every few days we’ll be celebrating a different part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum with the Fruits Basket characters! How are we going to celebrate? With fan content, of course!

What are the dates?

June 1st: Free Day June 2nd - June 5th: Lesbian June 6th - June 9th: Gay June 10th - June 13th: Bi June 14th - June 17th: Trans June 18th - June 21st: Queer/Questioning June 22nd - June 25th: Intersex June 26th - June 29th: Aro/Ace June 30th: Free Day

What kinds of fan content should I make? Anything you want! Most people will probably be creating fanart and fanfiction, but all content is welcome as long as it’s Fruits Basket and pride-themed. How should I post my fan content? When the day celebrating the identity your work focuses on arrives, post it to Tumblr under the following tags: FurubaPride2020 LBGTFurubaNet Also be sure to tag it with whatever identity you’re posting under. Ex: Aro/Ace, Lesbian, Trans, etc. What if I want to write about an identity that’s not listed? Many identities can exist under larger umbrellas. For example, you may want to write about a demisexual character, in which case you can tag it with ‘Aro/Ace.’ However, you might feel like the identity that interests you doesn’t fit into the acronym at all. If so, you should post that content on the ‘free days’ at the beginning and end of the month. 

What about identity categories that are controversial? The LGBTQIA+ community doesn’t always agree about how to categorize everything. For example, some people think that nonbinary identities fit under the trans umbrella. Others disagree, and do not feel that nonbinary people are necessarily trans. A similar controversy exists regarding whether to place pansexuality under the bisexual umbrella. If you are creating content about a character with such an identity, you are free to tag it however you wish. You can choose a broad category that you think fits, or you can use a ‘free day.’ Should I use warnings? 

Please do! If your content contains any common triggers, please let your audience know ahead of time by including trigger warnings and putting any challenging content under a cut. Can my piece contain more than one identity? Of course! However, you should only tag with identities that the work is primarily focused on. Use your judgement! What should I do if I have questions? Send a message to one of your friendly mods, sunmoonandspoon or hatsuwuharu.   Image Render Credit: Sarah

a couple secret santa requests for @lilyntlrs !! happy holidays i hope you're having a wonderful day!!

"You are strong, because you want to remember. And you will, you will remember. The sad moments, the happy moments. All those things that have made you the person you are today, because you two were together. And what a beautiful person, you are, Momiji. I’m proud of you.”

Gift exchange for @not-a-princess-but-a-queen​, who headcanon Momiji living with Hatori for a while.

The caption is me making myself cry.

MERRY XMAS! @lgbtfurubanet​

Bonus:

For @lgbtfurubanet Gift Exchange! I got @ironmarkrose! One of their ships were Kyo x Tohru and they wanted some playing in the snow and baking! I'm sorry it's late but still technically in time!!

Tohru woke up slowly and stretched herself awake. Humming to herself she got dressed and made her way into the kitchen, noticing as she did that the house was strangely quiet. Frowning, she started the kettle, glancing out the window to see that it had snowed a fair amount. Turning to the sliding porch door she realized the back yard and trees were all covered in a blanket of glittering white. As she looked closer, she saw a splash of red from Kyo's coat out near the woods.

Frowning, she pulled the screen door open, and called out "Kyo! I'm making tea!"

"I'll be there in a minute!" The familiar voice yelled back

Satisfied, Tohru closed the door and made her way back into the kitchen. By the time Kyo made his way back inside, Tohru had two mugs steeping and a plateful of eggs.

"Good morning!" She hummed as they took their places in the living room. "Where is everyone today? It's so quiet."

"Shigure is at the Sohma estate and Yuki is with Kakuru studying or something. It's just us."

Tohru smiled and clapped excitedly. "Great! I've been meaning to get some baking done, it'll be easier if I don't have to worry about lunch for us all as well. Maybe I'll do that today!"

Kyo simply shrugged and started eating, watching the snow outside blow. Tohru watched him with a small smile, eyes dancing to see him so relaxed. Once they were done with their food, Tohru rummaged around the kitchen to see if they had any ingredients. Coming up a few short, she bit her lip to gauge the amount of snow on the ground.

Turning to see Kyo leaning on the doorway watching her, she hummed and eyed him hopefully. "Do you think it's safe to go to the store? We're short a few supplies.

Kyo raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "It's done snowing, and they should have had time to clear the roads by now. Woods might be slippery though."

Tohru considered it before nodding to herself. "If you think town will be good, I think we should risk it. If you want to join me, that is."

Kyo simply nodded, and shrugged. "Better bundle up"

After they were bundled up against the cold, they were making the way through the woods. Feeling playful, she eyed the fresh glittering snow, and scooped up a palmful, aiming at the bright red jacket ahead of her and threw.

Kyo's shout echoed through the woods making her giggle. With that, she was off running through the woods until they reached town, his shouts calling out to her.

After shopping and heading back inside they both ended up in the kitchen, Kyo joining her as they measured and mixed and poured. Eventually the room was filled with delicious smells as they sat and chatted. By the time it was done, night had fallen and they were struggling to stay awake.

.....

Yuki quietly slipped inside, shutting the door behind him and slipping out of his shoes. Hanging his coat and hat up, he made his way to the living room before freezing as he took in the sight before him. Tohru and Kyo were asleep on the table, both resting their heads on the surface. Tohru's hand was outstretched and brushing the sleeve of Kyo's shirt, while Kyo's hand had curled around her wrist in his sleep, fingers brushing the inside of her wrist.

Shaking his head, he turned out the lights and made his way to his room, but not before taking a cookie from the plate between them

@servantofdreams 🍙🎁😾 Kyoru in Studio Ghibli style for you!

How To: CHristmas (Akito/Tohru)

This is my part of the @lgbtfurubanet gift exchange/Secret Santa for 2019! It’s a little late, but I wanted it to be perfect.

How To: Christmas

For @supersonicgrandma​

LGBT Furuba Net Gift Exchange

Akito Sohma had no idea what Christmas was.

Okay that’s not entirely true. She (and she was still getting used to calling herself that) was always so distracted by the preparations for the New Year’s Banquet every New Year (especially since the clan had to have a celebration for the calendar new year AND the Chinese New Year) that she had only ever seen Japan’s Christmas celebrations on television or in passing on a drive somewhere within the estate. Even then, some of the Inner family were staunch in not celebrating another religion’s holiday, even if Japan’s version lacked most of the religious context and was largely commercial and for lovers. So as long as she had lived Akito had never once celebrated Christmas.

Tohru Honda loved Christmas.

Not for religious reasons, just for the nice atmosphere and cute decorations. She loved the brightly lit trees, the pretty wreaths, the angel motifs, the cakes - but it was all a little bittersweet now. A Christmas cake seems so much bigger without her mother to eat it with her. At least she still had her two best friends to celebrate with, and the Sohmas too now! And secretly, there was one Sohma in particular Tohru was hoping to spend the holiday with...after all, Christmas is for lovers.

“A Christmas present for Akito?” Shigure blinked in confusion while Tohru blushed. When she and Akito had begun dating, it caused quite a stir, and the (now-former) Zodiac members were still warming up to the idea. Still, it was still awkward for Tohru to ask them for dating advice.

“Yes, well...I know we haven’t been dating very long, but it’s Christmas, so I just thought...maybe it would be nice to knit her a scarf, or cook something for her. And since you and Kureno-san are the ones who know Akito-san best, I figured...” Tohru trailed off. Things had been a little tense with Shigure since Tohru and Akito got together - Akito had been hesitant to tell Tohru all the details, but Tohru had learned that they had been...romantically (?) involved in the past. Luckily, Shigure's jealousy tended to manifest in snarkiness and passive-aggressive remarks...which were things Tohru was good at pretending to be oblivious to (and occasionally she really was).

“Actually, the Sohma family doesn’t usually celebrate Christmas. I don’t think Akito has ever experienced it. She's so busy with preparations for the Banquet, I can't imagine her doing anything Christmas related.” Shigure shrugged, and Tohru looked up in surprise.

“Really?! If that’s true, then...ah! I know what to do now! Thank you so much, Shigure-san!” Tohru bowed deeply before rushing off to her room to plan. Shigure watched her go off, surprised that she hadn't been discouraged.

“Ah...damn, I can't bring myself to be mean to her. I'm the one who got her involved in the whole curse business for my own reasons, anyway. And, well…" he sighed, "I have no doubt whatever she plans will make Akito happy".

“Akito-sama, Tohru Honda has arrived.” Akito looked up from her paperwork at the maid who had entered the room. Tohru stood behind her carrying a small bag, looking excited about something. Akito immediately straightened up and cleared her throat.

“Thank you. You may go now, Tomoe.” The maid bowed and walked away, but not before Akito noticed her give a sneer in Tohru’s direction. She made a note to have Shigure look into her. Meanwhile, Tohru entered the room, bag in hand.

“Akito-san! Are you free on the 24th or 25th? Either would be fine.” Akito looked at her girlfriend (!) in confusion, not expecting this.

“Of this month? For the rest of December I have nothing but preparations for the New Year’s banquet, especially since,” she takes a moment to think out her next few words, “it will be the first one since the curse broke.”

Tohru’s smile falters, but just for a second, “Ah, well...I was wondering if maybe you would like to spend Christmas together! Shigure-san told me you had never celebrated it before.”

This caught Akito off-guard, “Christmas..?”

“Yeah! We could go look at the lights and decorations around town, and all the trees! Oh, and eat Christmas cake - either the strawberry decorated ones or a more traditional chocolate yule log! And there’s snow coming, so we could have hot chocolate, and I wanted to show you the Christmas market that the small business district is putting together, to sell homemade gifts!” Tohru babbled on with sparkles in her eyes, momentarily getting lost in nostalgia. Meanwhile, Akito felt her cheeks get a little bit warmer.

Akito Sohma had a secret.

Okay, she had like, 20 secrets, but this was different. She was a sucker for cute and sweet things. Cakes, stuffed animals, lovey-dovey couple things...Mogeta...she could only dream of them in her former life, but now that she could live as herself (whatever that may be, she was still getting used to wearing women’s clothes), the temptation to indulge herself in her guilty pleasures was harder to ignore.

‘Cakes...pretty lights...chocolate...doing couples things with Tohru…’ Akito daydreamed for just a few seconds, and yet it was enough to completely vanquish her hesitation.

“...I can’t promise you all of the 24th, but I will definitely take off the 25th. Besides, Shigure’s been slacking on dealing with those maids.” Tohru gasped and then beamed, taking Akito’s hands in hers out of sheer excitement.

“Really?! Oh thank you so much Akito-san! Let me know what time to meet up and I’ll get everything ready by then!”

“C-Calm down, jeez! This is only because I’m curious about what all that stuff you said was!”

Christmas Eve ended up being a little hectic. Akito, determined to keep her promise to Tohru, spent most of the day dividing her tasks to Shigure and the servants (at least, the ones she trusted).

“For the last time, Shigure, if either of the zodiac for the year-passing dance either cannot or will not attend the Banquet, what do you do?”

“Bribe them--”

“No”

“Have Kyon take their place--”

“NO”

“...have Aya disguise himself--”

“SHIGURE”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Relaaax, Miss Clan Head, leave it all to your trusty attendant. Besides, shouldn’t you be worrying about wrapping whatever gift you have for Tohru-kun for Christmas? We wouldn't want to be 3 for 3 with bad relationships.” Shigure lightly goaded, but it failed to get him the reaction he wanted, because Akito just blankly stared at him.

“...what gift?”

“...Akito you’re supposed to give your lover a present on Christmas. Tohru’s been working on something in her room ever since she got you to agree to spending it together.”

Akito Sohma had never personally picked out a present for anyone in her entire life. Even obligatory gifts to her family were chosen by maids and then presented to her for approval. But this was different...this was for Tohru. Akito had to do this alone. The moment Shigure brought it up, she rushed out and asked her diver to take her to the commercial district of the Sohma compound (after double checking that she had her money with her).

But now came the dilemma of what to get. From the sound of it, Tohru was making something herself, but Akito didn't have a creative bone in her body.

"Okay...what does Tohru like? Cooking...maybe a cookbook? Argh, but then those three would probably get to eat her meals first! What else...something to help her at work? A nice apron or...ugh, no! Momiji is always bothering her at work!" Akito griped and mumbled, looking through a little shop in the Sohma estate - according to her driver, this was usually where the maids would buy gifts for Sohma business partners when she ordered it. As she was looking through the scented candles (girls like things that smell good, right?) someone came up beside her and gasped.

"O-oh my goodness! Um, hello honorable Clan Head, c-can I, uh, h-help you find anything?" Akito looked up at (presumably) the owner of the store, a skittish Sohma she didn’t recognize, with thinning hair and smallish eyes.

"...I need a present for my--" she hesitated and cleared her throat, "--for an...acquaintance. A young woman, a few years younger than me."

The man seemed to brighten up slightly as he began leading Akito to the counter, "Oh, well, we do have the limited edition Christmas Mogeta stuffed toy pair! They're meant to be purchased together for couples, but you can buy them separate as well. Very popular with children and teen girls!" He pulled up two Mogeta plushies - one with reindeer antlers and a little blue present box, and the other with a Santa hat and a little pink present box. The man explained that the presents were detachable with velcro, so the Mogetas could “exchange” gifts. Akito was in love with them immediately.

"They're perfect," she cooed at the plushies, dropping her guard and smiling only to see the Sohma staring at her, "A-ah, I mean...I will buy the set, please."

Meanwhile, Tohru was hard at work, with a checklist of "Essential Christmas Experiences" to make sure Akito got to have.

"Looking at Christmas lights...that's at night so it'll be last, and we can do it walking back to the Sohma estate. The Christmas market opens at noon, and I saved up a bit of money just in case there's something she likes. Um, what else...ah, playing in the snow would be nice but the weather says otherwise. And of course," she held up a mess of red yarn, "a handmade scarf from a girlfriend!"

'Or at least, an attempt at a scarf…' Tohru took a deep breath, imagining a sweet, fluffy winter wonderland dream as she went back to working on her knit and purl.

Akito insisted on being the one to pick up Tohru for once, if only so Tohru didn't have to deal with the rush if preparation going on back at the estate. She waited at the bottom of the path, at the sidewalk before the entrance to the mountain. They were going to be driven to the main festivities area, but Tohru had asked that they spend most of the day walking. Akito's health was better than it had been, but still not perfect (years of sitting around moping and monologuing in a dark room will do that to you), so they were going to take it slow.

"Akito-san! Merry Christmas!" Akito looked up and saw Tohru coming down the path, wearing a large coat and thermal leggings along with boots and a scarf with fuzzy pom poms on the ends, which bounced as she walked. Akito blushed and turned her eyes down at her feet.

"M-Merry Christmas," "You, uh. Your scarf. It's nice." Tohru let out a sort of squeak or scwak noise and quickly moved the bag she was holding behind her.

"Eh?! S-Scarf--oh! Oh, right, my scarf, haha..." Akito raised an eyebrow in confusion. Tohru was no master liar, that was for sure, and this sort of reaction meant she was surely up to something...but whatever it was, it could wait until after their date.

The moment the two of them stepped out of the car, Akito gasped in awe. The first stop on Tohru's Christmas Extravaganza was something Akito had always wanted to visit - a sweets cafe.

"Normally, eating a Christmas cake would be saved until night, but if we tried to do this then we'd risk them being sold out. Hope you don't mind."

"No! No, not at all. There's less people here right now so it's less crowded, too. I've…" Akito paused and blushed a little, then returned full gaze at Tohru, making her heart skip a beat, "I don't get to have Western food often, so...do you have any recommendations? I'm not sure what to order."

After going over the menu, Tohru ordered a strawberry white mocha latte and Akito ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream (and was enamored with the mini marshmallows), and the two of them shared half a Yule log cake and half a strawberry Christmas cake, for the best of both traditions. Akito tried to convince Tohru she could have the strawberry decoration and ended up cutting it in half so Tohru would stop insisting. Once they had both finished and were quite satisfied, they set out for the next destination.

"So what's next, Tohru?" Tohru giggled and pulled Akito by the hand, taking the lead and leaving her beau to look at her as if through shimmery 90s shoujo anime vision.

"The Christmas market! It was at its busiest yesterday so today it shouldn't be as bad. Oh, but if the crowd gets to be too bad, let me know and we can take a break on one of the benches, I packed a blanket so they won't even be cold!" Akito chuckled as Tohru gestured to her bag for emphasis, revealing a small cotton blanket with a snowflake pattern. Akito couldn’t help but laugh.

"You really went all-out, huh?"

"Of course! I want your first time celebrating Christmas a happy memory after all!" They exchanged smiles, and there were words that went unspoken, but not unheard:

‘We both have bitter memories behind us, so now that we’re together, let’s make some happier ones.’

The market was bustling, but there was so much to look at that Akito almost didn't notice. There were ornaments made of fine glass, little felt Santa dolls, a Bonsai "Christmas tree" which Akito bought to have as an annual decoration...so many stalls and craftspeople! But one stall made Tohru stop in her tracks.

"Why'd you stop so suddenly? See something?"

"Akito-san, look! A photo booth! There's even Santa hats to put on, and a stuffed reindeer…" Akito looked where Tohru was pointing and sure enough, there was a stall with somewhat gaudy signage advertising “XMAS PHOTO BOOTH”, with pictures of people posing happily in Santa hats and elf ears.

"Photo booth...is it one of the ones where you do it yourself?"

"Looks like this one is. Do you want to try it? The price is really cheap!."

"Huh--well, I mean...as long as it’s a do-it-yourself one. I don’t like formal photo sessions.” They approached the stall and watched a group of middle-schoolers scurry out of it, each with a roll of photos in hand and laughing happily.

“Yep, definitely an automatic one! Haha, they even have little red noses to look like Rudolph.” Tohru laughed at all the seasonal props as she entered the booth, Akito hesitantly following. The two of them selected the “couple” option, which revealed a selection of stickers in the shape of hearts and cupids. They started off shyly, with stiff poses (especially since Akito had only been photographed for Sohma clan reasons). But Tohru steeled herself and in an effort to encourage Akito, put on one of the Santa hats and offered another to her girlfriend.

“It might be silly, but...we could be silly together?” She smiled, with pink cheeks, and Akito’s heartstrings were less “pulled” and more “absolutely obliterated”. Soon they were taking picture after picture: Santa hats, mini-reindeer, magical girl poses...and for the final snap, Akito pulled Tohru into a hug.

After turning absolutely red from head to toe, the two of them retrieved their photo rolls (Tohru paid, since Akito bought the Christmas bonsai tree for herself earlier) and returned to perusing the market. Eventually, Akito spotted a particularly crowded area.

“What’s that over there?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s an ice rink! Do you want to--”

“Absolutely not,” Tohru balked at Akito’s sudden interjection, and Akito quickly realized her mistake, “Ah--sorry, that...came out too aggressive. I’m not very athletic, I’ve always hated sports. But if you want to go, you can.” Tohru shook her head and hands frantically in response.

“No, no, I’m actually relieved that you don’t want to! I’m...well, you already know I can be a bit…” she trailed off, making a face and gesturing the action of someone falling over. Akito couldn’t help but smirk a little.

“Clumsy.”

“Ahaha, yeah. So I’m not very good at sports either, though I try my best. Ice skating though, that’s beyond me. I can’t even manage to stand on the skates!”

“Pffft...now I’m imagining you trying to go out on the ice in slippers or something and falling all over the place!” She laughed into her hand and turned away, leaving Tohru to huff and blush indignantly.

“That’s so mean...even if you are right!” Akito finished chuckling and ruffled Tohru’s hair, watching as she tried to fix it with her static-clung mittens still on.

“Alright, I’m sorry. Where’s the next stop? It’s almost dark.” Tohru smiled and pointed to the only part of the market they had yet to investigate, which was busier than the rest had been.

“The last section of the market is all food stalls, so I thought we could have dinner here and then look at the lights on the walk back!”

Food stalls were too chaotic for Akito to handle, so she waited with the bags while Tohru ordered a variety of street food. While she sat and watched the crowd of couples, families, and friend groups, a sense of yearning overtook her.

‘So this is what I was missing all those years. Not just all the Christmas celebration, but just the act of enjoying time spent with someone else, somewhere else. I wanted this so badly, for so long, and all it took for me to find it was-’

“Akito-san!”, a shout pulled Akito out of her reverie and she looked up to see Tohru returning with several containers of food, “I’ve got some food for us to start with, so try whatever you’re interested in! There’s takoyaki, fried chicken, mochi…oh, and we can get drinks from a vending machine.”

Akito picked up a skewer of vegetables and meat (pork, she guessed) and glanced it over, “Is all street food served on sticks?”

“A lot of it is, because it’s convenient. Here, try some roasted sweet potato, it’s nice and warm!” Tohru held the sweet potato, still steaming with heat, up in front of Akito’s face. She momentarily blushed, but leaned forward to take a bite. Tohru, who had been expecting Akito to take it from her hands, half-squealed with surprise and was soon blushing for, what, the millionth time? How did Akito keep making her heart pound like this?

“Huh...that really is good!” Akito beamed, and Tohru lit up. They sat together and ate all sorts of street food, Tohru always stopping to explain what something was if Akito had never had it before.

As they were finishing the food and cleaning up, Tohru looked up and gasped, tapping Akito on the shoulder.

“What, what’s wrong?!”

“Akito-san, look! They’re turning on the Christmas lights!” Akito quickly turned and looked up, the breath leaving her as she found herself being slowly surrounded by hundreds of shimmering lights. One by one, then all at once, the place was illuminated. Some of the display was covered in delicate, soft white lights, while other parts had cheerful multicolored bulbs. Some were plain strands, some were patterns, others were wreaths or statues or words...it was as if she had been transported to another dimension.

“This...this is amazing, Tohru..!”

“It really is! It’s like fireflies suspended in the air!” Tohru stood first, taking in the atmosphere before turning back around to Akito, whose world seemed to slow as she watched the lights make Tohru’s hair gleam with reddish streaks and face glow with warmth.

“Akito-san, can we go to the main Christmas tree before heading back?” The question made Akito gulp and come back to reality. She stood and grabbed her bag, with Tohru’s present inside, then took Tohru’s hand.

“Y-Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

The main Christmas tree of the event space was the largest, and a real genuine pine tree to boot. It was all done up with strands of multicolored lights, traditional ornaments from across the world, and a giant golden star at the top. The area around it was packed, mostly with couples, but Akito was determined to give Tohru her gift here - after all, under the tree is where you’re supposed to exchange presents, right? It took some pushing and shoving, and a great deal of Tohru reminding Akito to breathe, but eventually they made it underneath the absolute giant of a tree.

“Oh wow, it’s so beautiful! Thank you, Akito-san, I hope you’re not pushing yourself right now.”

Akito shook her head, doing breathing exercises less for the crowd and more for building up her courage, “No, I...I wanted to do this. For my own reasons.” Tohru smiled gently and moved closer to Akito, pulling her own bag in front of her.

“Well, as long as we’re here...I, um, want you to have this!” she reached into the bag and pulled out a beautiful (if a little too long) bright red scarf, “It’s a scarf I made for you. It might not be very good, but...Merry Christmas, Akito-san. Thank you for spending it with me.” She smiled and carefully wrapped the scarf around Akito’s neck for her, as she looked at it with wide eyes.

“...thank you. This is...this is perfect, Tohru. I’ll take care of it.” she smiled as she held the end of the scarf in her hands - Tohru had even put pom-poms at the end, just like her own scarf. Just then, Akito had a realization, “Ah! Right, I, um. The whole reason I wanted to make it to the tree was so I could give you this.” she opened her own bag and handed the gift box over awkwardly, “It’s not handmade or anything, but...I hope you like it. Merry Christmas.”

Tohru took the box and gasped after she looked inside, “It’s Mogeta..! No, two Mogetas! They’re adorable! Oh, Akito-san, I love them!” She squealed, hugging the box tightly. Akito’s face burst into a shade of crimson even brighter than her new scarf.

“L-Love---uh, well, I’m glad you. Like them. Yeah.” she pulled the scarf over her face to hide her intense blush, which made Tohru blush because of how cute it was. Really, together they were kind of an awkward disaster.

After exchanging gifts, they made the slow walk back to where they would be picked up by Akito’s driver. They would have walked the full way back, but it was late and Akito was starting to feel the full exhaustion from the day now that the adrenaline was gone. On the way they enjoyed the lights, talked about anything and nothing (“The scarf is a little big because I liked knitting so much that I ended up spacing out while doing it, haha!” “That’s alright, I forgot that presents were even a thing until Shigure reminded me.”)...and finally, the car arrived - Tohru didn’t feel comfortable in the full-blown Sohma clan limo.

The drive back was mostly silent, but it was a cozy sort of silence. Nothing was said because it didn’t need to be. At one point Tohru nearly fell asleep on Akito’s shoulder, and she would have let her but had insisted that Tohru be dropped off first.

As Tohru got out of the car, she turned back around to Akito.

“Thank you again so much for spending Christmas with me, Akito-san. I hope I made your first one a good memory.” Akito gave a slightly tired smile in response.

“No, thank you, Tohru. It was the most fun I’ve had in...maybe my whole life.” she reached her hand out to give Tohru’s own a squeeze before departing for the Sohma compound, “Goodnight.” But when she went to let go, Tohru’s grip held. She was looking down, with a deep red flush over her face.

“G-Goodnight...um…” she slowly looked up, locking eyes with Akito, “A-Akito..chan.” And before Akito could respond, she let go of her hand and ran up the path, disappearing into the mountain. As she was still processing what just happened, the driver laughed under his breath and began the trek back to the estate. Completely dumbfounded, Akito sat in the backseat, covered her mouth with the handmade scarf...and screamed into it like a little girl.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

-EternalRavenDreamer

The Right Gift For Hatori

This is my gift for @truesymphony​ from the LGBTFuruba Network Giving & Receiving Holiday Exchange. I hope you like it!

Summary: Hatori is having trouble getting over losing Kana. Ayame can't stand to see his best friend in crisis over the holidays, so he tries to figure out the perfect gift to bring him out of his slump. And no, the perfect gift is not a bedroom full of glitter balloons, no matter how much Ayame wishes it was.

~`~`~

“Wait wait wait wait wait. We’re getting totally off track. Aya, remember what your goal is. Do you really think that filling Hatori’s bedroom with glitter balloons is going to accomplish that goal?” “But of course, Gure-san! Who wouldn’t be swept away by the majesty of hundreds of twinkling lights? It’ll be like waking up in the Milky Way!” Ayame flips his hair. Shigure leans backwards in his computer chair and sighs. “That’s what you would like. You have to think about it in terms of what he would like. Think it through - is he actually going to appreciate it, or is he just going to be annoyed that his room is filled with garbage that he has to clean up?” “Who could possibly be annoyed by something so beautiful?”

“Aya, answer my question.” Shigure runs his fingers through his hair. “Which one?” Ayame bats his eyelashes. “What is your goal?” “To help Tori-san have a nice holiday even though he’s depressed about losing Kana?” “A noble goal indeed - but not one that glitter balloons will accomplish. If you make plans with yourself in mind, you’ll only burden him.” Ayame sniffs. “I guess you know him better than I do, then?” “Yes, I do. Not because we’re closer - I’m pretty sure he likes you better than he likes me. But Aya, I know everyone better than you do. I probably know you better than you do.” “You do not!” “Yes, I do. Case in point, I knew that you weren’t going to think about what Hatori would want while you were planning this, so I took the liberty of compiling some suggestions for you.” “That’s not knowing me better than I know myself, that’s predicting my behavior. I also knew that about me, Gure-san.” He flops down dramatically onto Shigure’s bed. “What are those suggestions?” Shigure pulls a spiral notebook out from his desk drawer, and hands it over. Ayame clutches it to his chest. “I’ll leave the rest to you,” says Shigure. “Just remember that the goal isn’t to tire him, but to relax him.” ~`~`~As he waits at the bus stop near Shigure’s house, Ayame flips through the notebook. The thin, slippery pages are difficult to turn, and the contents aren’t easy to deal with, either.None of Shigure’s ideas have any pizzazz, so it’s hard for Ayame to get excited about them. Bringing him dinner at home and then leaving would be a lot more interesting as a trip to that fancy restaurant that just opened up where the employees and patrons dress like Victorian nobles, and a gift certificate to a local spa would be much better as a trip to Hawaii. With his beloved Hatori so depressed, all Ayame wants to spoil him. He has the funds to drown him in seasonal goodness, so why should he be limited? Isn’t the best way to shake somebody out of a funk to get them to go out and experience life?But Shigure isn’t wrong. While Hatori would look delicious in regency dress, he would find it trivial and irritating at the best of times. Right now, when he’s mired in grief and wracked with eye pain, is not the best of times. And while a trip abroad sounds like a great way to relax to Ayame, for Hatori there are far too many questions to consider. Who will care for his patients while he’s gone, how will Akito react to a defection? Hatori would be too stressed out to enjoy the trip. What, then, can Ayame do for Hatori? He loves him more than almost anybody in the world, and while he can’t change the trauma he just endured, he can at least ease the pain. But not if he doesn’t consider Hatori’s needs. As Ayame steps onto the bus and sits down, he realizes something else: Shigure isn’t entirely right, either. Yes, Hatori needs something relaxing that won’t trouble him, but he also needs something that will sufficiently distract him. Dinner at home + leave him alone = opportunities to mope. Hatori needs to keep his brain active so he won’t ruminate on how he would have spent Christmas with Kana.Ayame looks out the window, scanning the shops they pass. He sees nothing that piques his interest until a woman darts across the street with a pair of red ice skates slung across her back. He leaps up, white hair flying wildly around him, and darts off the bus at the next stop. To go through with his plan, he’ll need the bus in the other direction.~`~`~“Gure-san, prepare to be amazed! I found the perfect gift for our beloved Hatori.”  He presents his gift with a flourish, smiling as hard as his lips will allow. The gift, which is displayed on Ayame’s worktable at the back of his store, is a pair of ice skates - but not just any ice skates. Ayame had purchased a plain but well-made pair from a local shop, and had taken them home for some modification. Knowing that Hatori doesn’t like flashy things, he’d added some simple designs. Both skates were periwinkle blue. On the left skate, Ayame had engraved a group of seahorses, and on the right skate he’d created a dragon. The designs were highlighted with cobalt and navy inlays, and the white laces were replaced with colors that matched. “Besides the skates, I bought him a seasonal pass to the local skating rink,” says Ayame proudly. “These are beautiful - you did the designs yourself?” Shigure picks up the Dragon skate and examines it. “I wasn’t blessed with artistic brilliance to keep it to myself, was I?” “I cannot imagine a universe in which you would keep your brilliance to yourself.” Shigure laughs, then turns serious. “Has Hatori ever even been ice skating before? I remember you and I going out skating when we were kids, but he always turned us down in favor of studying.” “Exactly! He’s been under an obscene amount of pressure for his entire life. First he had to dedicate every moment to becoming a doctor, then he had to actually be a doctor, and once he finally finds somebody that brings him genuine joy, he has to give her up.” There’s physical pressure building behind Ayame’s eyes, and pretty soon it’s spilling out in the form of tears. He hopes that they’re sparkling and that he looks elegant, but he has a feeling that his face just looks puffy and damp. “I just want him to be happy,” Ayame says, threading his fingers together. “Ice skating is something fun that he’d never choose to do on his own, but it isn’t something that he’d find troublesome or ridiculous. Also, it’ll force him to get out of the house and do something. He needs a distraction, don’t you think?” “Yeah, I do. You might get a little resistance, but I think this is a thoughtful gift.” Shigure ties the laces into neat little bows, and places them inside the skates. With a grin, he says, “I’m sure what you’re getting me will be equally thoughtful?” With a booming laugh that swallows his tears, Ayama says, “Gure-san, I’ll be giving you my body, of course!” “Ah, of course. The greatest gift you could possibly give me.” ~`~`~Though buoyed by Shigure’s affirmation, Ayame is still nervous about giving Hatori his gift. Since Akito blinded Hatori and forced the end of his relationship with Kana, Ayame has barely seen him. Aside from his job, which apparently cannot be paused for any amount of time, Hatori has been alone in his house, not doing much of anything. Once, Ayame invited himself over, and found Hatori laying in bed surrounded by empty bottles of beer. He hadn’t wanted help cleaning up, and he hadn’t been happy about what he said was an intrusion. Ayame is used to rejection - he gets it all the time from his brother, and his mother too. It stings, but he never lets it stop him from doing what he knows is right for the people he loves. Not if there’s a chance that he could surprise and delight them. But it does sting. Ayame knows that he’s often seen as ‘too much’ by the more subdued people in his life, and he doesn’t want to be ‘too much’ for Hatori. He wants to be exactly the right amount. If Hatori shuts the door in his face, he’ll smile through it, but he will be hurt. How could he not be when he loves him so much? When Ayame dresses up in a sparkly outfit and threads tinsel through his hair and heads to Hatori’s house with his gift in tow, he knows he’s risking psychic injury. He does it anyway.Hatori opens the door after Ayame knocks three times and calls his name. His face is unshaven, and his visible eye is ringed and bloodshot. The other one is heavily bandaged. He’s wearing plaid pajama pants and a white t-shirt with the logo of his medical school emblazoned on the front. It is one of the only t-shirts he owns - usually, Hatori favors a more formal style. After taking a deep breath, Ayame puts on his most dazzling smile. He says, “Greetings, Tori-san! It is I, your very best friend in the whole wide world! I have come bearing the glad tidings of the season!” He holds out the skates, which are packaged in a blue carrying case and wrapped in sparkly silver paper. “Oh,” says Hatori, rubbing his injured eye on the heel of his hand. “Right - it’s almost Christmas, isn’t it. I haven’t been keeping track of time. I didn’t get you anything.” “That’s perfectly all right! I know that this has been a trying time for you. I don’t need anything from you except for you to open my gift.” “I can do that,” says Hatori, his voice deflated. “Do you want tea or coffee or something?” Ayame isn’t in the mood for a drink, but he agrees to tea on the grounds that it will give him an excuse to spend a little more time with Hatori. He walks into the living room, which is littered with used tissues, dirty clothes, and, once again, empty beer bottles. He clearly hasn’t cleaned at all since the last time Ayame was here, and he hasn’t been letting servants in, either.While Hatori fixes the tea, Ayame collects the garbage into a plastic bag, and puts the clothing in Hatori’s laundry hamper. Once he’s finished, he sits down on the couch.“You cleaned up,” Hatori says, handing Ayame his tea. It smells like peach matcha, one of his favorite flavors. “Of course I did,” says Ayame. “I know you like to keep a clean house.” “I would have cleaned up myself, if I knew you were coming.” Hatori crumples onto the couch. “I’m not judging you, Tori-san.” Ayame sighs. “I know what you’re going through. I just want to help, that’s all.” After a tense moment in which neither one of them says anything, Ayame hands Hatori the present. He opens it carefully, making sure not to tear any of the wrapping paper. After unzipping the carrying case, he pulls out the skates and looks them over, his expression utterly blank. “Do you like them?” asks Ayame, his heart in his throat. “Of course you do, how could you not? They’re exquisitely designed by none other than yours truly!” “They’re very nice,” says Hatori, turning them over in his hands. “I’m not sure how much use I’ll have for them, but I appreciate the artistry. Thank you for thinking of me.” “Oh, but you will have use for them. Look at the card.” The card, which is hand painted and dotted with gold and silver leafing, contains the season pass to the skating rink. Hatori squints at it. “You can go whenever you want until the rink closes in the spring,” says Ayame. “I’d be happy to accompany you whenever you’d like, but if you’d rather go alone, that’s fine too.” “Hmm,” Hatori says, zipping the skates back into the bag. “I appreciate the effort, but I really don’t have the time for something like that right now. Maybe you should give this all to someone else who will be able to use them.” “Who else would I give dragon skate to? No, Tori-san, I’m giving them to you. You don’t have to use them right now or even think about it, but I want you to have that option. You need to get out of the house and do something fun, and I think you’d like skating if you gave it a chance.” “I don’t even know how to skate.” Hatori takes a sip of his own tea. “I’m more than happy to teach you!” “This time of year is extremely busy - everyone gets sick at least once, and I have to deal with. I don’t have time to skate.” “But you have time to lay around your apartment and drink?” As soon as he says it, he wishes he hadn’t. Obviously that’s taking things much too far. Hatori will be angry, and the whole endeavor will have been a waste.But Hatori doesn’t react with anger. Instead, he says with a sigh that Ayame is right. “I haven’t been handling the whole Kana thing especially well,” he says. “If one of my patients were acting the way I am, I wouldn’t allow it to continue. I’d probably want them doing something active on top of a whole lot of other lifestyle modifications. I should have the same standards for myself.” “That’s the spirit!” says Ayame, pumping his fist into the air. Then, quieting down, he says, “I know this isn’t easy. I just want what’s best for you, that’s all.” Hatori unzips the bag and takes the skate with the dragon on it out. “This is beautiful. The least that I can do to thank you is go skating.” ~`~`~ Even though Ayame wants the alone time with Hatori, he invites Shigure as a matter of course. Shigure says that he has an upcoming deadline and declines. This is almost certainly not true, but Ayame doesn’t question it.Instead of pajama pants, Hatori is dressed in his usual suit and coat. He’s also shaved his face and combed his hair. It’s nothing like Ayame’s outfit, which is a sparkling turquoise bodysuit, but Ayame never expected Hatori to wear something like that anyway. All Ayame wants is for Hatori to look life himself. Aside from the eye bandage he does, and for that Ayame couldn’t be happier. “I know I look like a professional, but I’m not actually any good at ice skating,” says Ayame, laughing into the back of his hand. “I thought you said you’d be able to teach me?” Hatori steps onto the rink, gripping the walls with both gloved hands.  “Of, of course I know the basics! It’s actually quite simple - all you have to do is put one foot forward, glide on it, then catch yourself and do the same thing with the other foot.” Ayame steps onto the rink and demonstrates. He tries to brake and fails, so he stops himself by grabbing the wall. “You’re supposed to be able to stop by turning your foot sideways, but if that doesn’t work, you can just do what I did.” Hatori doesn’t reply, but steps onto the ice and glides forward. When he tilts his head to the side, Ayame can see the hint of a smile pricking at his lips. “You’ve got it!” Ayame yelps, skating over to his friend and linking arms with him. “Keep this up, and you’ll be an Olympic champion in no time.” 

13th and final Furuba @lgbtfurubanet pride month req, Akitohru for an irl! *buries face in hands*

Here’s my Furuba Secret Santa gift for the lovely @kumeko !! To read it here, look under the cut!

Yuki woke up, naturally, to the smell of food wafting through the house. His hair rumpled and his pajamas twisted around his body from squirming in his sleep, he sat up and stared into space for what could have been a few seconds or a couple of minutes. Then, he finally built up the will to get out of the bed, push his feet into slippers, and pull on a warm robe over his pajamas. He finger-combed his hair and fixed his bangs before stepping out of his room and drowsily following the smells down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

At nearly halfway through the day already, Shigure was out galavanting somewhere. Yuki wasn’t sure he necessarily wanted to know exactly what the guy was up to. Kyo was probably out on some mountain trying to punch a tree in half or whatever muscle headed freaks like him did for fun.

He wondered if Tohru had made breakfast for everyone. While he’d never seen Kyo try to cook, the guy was so damn awful and literally everything else that he couldn’t imagine the guy knowing how to even work a rice cooker. It was already closer to lunch than breakfast. Part of him hoped she hadn’t made it so he wouldn’t look so rude as to sleep through it all. 

Tohru was humming and stopped when Yuki shambled into the room, rubbing his eyes. “Oh! Good morning, Yuki!” She said with a smile. “I hope I wasn’t making too much noise. I didn’t wake you up did I?” 

Yuki was too tired to feel competent enough to dispel Tohru Honda’s nearly constant anxiety. At least not properly. He wondered if green tea had any caffeine in it. 

“No, you’re fine.” He replied slowly as he blinked awake a bit more and just watched the girl for a bit. 

Tohru went back to smiling. “Oh, good! Did you sleep well?” 

“Huh?” Yuki asked, moving around the kitchen to find the green tea. “Oh, yes. Your food smells good.” 

“Thanks! I’m trying to make a lot because Arisa tends to eat and eat and eat.” Tohru chirped. “Let me know if I’m in your way at all.” 

“Uotani‘s coming over?” Yuki asked as he started looking for the box of green tea.

“Oh, yes! She and Saki are coming over for Christmas today.” 

“Ah,” Yuki said, taking a moment to register that

Wait. Christmas was generally a holiday for lovers in Japan. Maybe some families would celebrate with their kids, but it was mostly a romantic thing. 

“Um, Miss Honda, can I ask why you’re having a Christmas celebration with your friends?”

“Well, because it’s fun!” She replied. “Mom always used to invite them over before, so we decided to keep the tradition going. Just because we’re missing a member doesn’t mean we aren’t each other’s family.” 

Yuki was trying to understand, but it was still early, and he was still too tired and hungry to think clearly. 

“Family isn’t limited to bloodlines. It’s about relationships, I think.” Tohru continued. 

“I see,” Yuki replied softly. “Well, I’ll try to stay out of your way, then.”

“Yuki, do the Sohma’s celebrate Christmas?” Tohru asked curiously. 

“It all depends. It varies from branch to branch. My parents never celebrated it with us, and there wasn’t anything special done for Christmas in the main house. So, I’ve never really done anything special for it.” Yuki replied honestly. 

“Oh? So you really don’t have any Christmas memories at all?” Tohru asked with a frown. 

That wasn’t totally true. Yuki had Christmas memories, all of which he’d love to forget. There were all those Christmases he’d spent shut away in the main house, coughing, but trying not to cough too loud. When the main house was still new and foreign, he’d asked an elderly maid about Christmas dinners and gifts. 

“What do you need with presents?” the woman had said. “Just ask for what you want, and if you deserve it, you’ll get it.” 

That turned out to be a lie. Or some sort of cruel prank. Maybe the judge of how much he deserved had been Akito, rather than any of the adults around, who’d simply look at him with pity and move on with their days. 

Then there came all the Christmases where he’d look out the window of his room in the main house and watch the older Sohma kids talk and laugh about the things their parents gave them, the things they would give the girls in their class, or each other. Ayame always got Christmas gifts. It took Yuki a while to realize that they weren’t from their parents. 

“No, not really,” he replied to Tohru. He didn’t feel great about the lie, but he didn’t want to tell her the truth, either. 

“Do.. do you want to join us?” Tohru asked as Yuki finally found the green tea box. It did have caffeine in it. 

“I wouldn’t want to impose. It’s alright, Miss Honda. But thank you.” He replied. 

“You wouldn’t be imposing at all. Besides, we always have room for one more!” Tohru insisted. “Are you sure you don’t want to?” 

Yuki really wanted to. He had nothing else to do but study that day and he really didn’t want to do that. He’d spent the better half of the previous night bent over a textbook that one more work about Freudian theory might make his head explode. 

A special meal with Tohru, who he liked to think he knew pretty well, and her friends, who he barely knew at all, sounded like a good way to break the monotony. Plus, Tohru’s food was always pretty good. And, maybe for just a few hours on a Sunday, Yuki could pretend that Tohru was his family. 

“Actually, I think I will join you.” Yuki decided, making Tohru’s face light up like a Christmas tree. 

“I’ll make plenty of food for everyone, then!” Tohru declared with a look of fiery determination in her eyes. 

“I’ll stay out of your way, then. I wouldn’t be much help.” Yuki said as he stood by the electric kettle. 

“I think you’ll be great! I’ll teach you. It isn’t that hard if you work with a friend.” Tohru replied. 

Yuki nodded and sipped his tea. Only one person really needed to know what was going on while cooking, right? They would be okay as long as Tohru knew what she was doing and what to tell him. 

Tohru had gone all out. Soon, Yuki had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, waiting for Tohru’s orders as she set a cutting board, knife, and mound of soba dough down on the countertop. 

“Have you ever cut soba before, Yuki?” Tohru asked, still smiling at him. 

“No, never.” 

“Then this will be fun! Here, I’ll show you how first.” 

Yuki stepped closer to Tohru, suddenly extremely aware of how close he was to her and how much smaller she was than him. 

Actually, Tohru was smaller than her friends, too, right? Were her friends just tall or was she shorter than average for a girl? He’d have to ask later when it wouldn’t sound weird or out of place. 

“We want to cut the noodles so they’re nice and thin. They’ll get thicker when they’re cooked, so we need them thin. Otherwise, they’ll be kind of chewy and more like udon. Okay?” Tohru guided, cutting the first few slices to show Yuki about how thin to cut. 

“Alright.” Yuki nodded. Surely he could handle cutting the dough. 

Tohru smiled at him and went to work on cutting her own vegetables. Yuki looked down at the thin slices she’d made and worked slowly and carefully to copy them while making sure not to chop his own fingers off. 

“I think I’m done.” He said a few minutes later. 

Tohru looked up and walked over to look over his cutting board. “They look great! Thank you, Yuki!” She replied with a happy grin. 

Yuki couldn’t help but feel intensely proud of himself. Not only had he managed to do a little bit of cooking for himself, but he’d done it well. Feeling more awake, and more confident in whatever cooking ability he had, Yuki kept close to the girl. 

“Do you need help with anything else?” he asked. 

“I do, actually. Can you help me bread the karaage? Then, we can decorate the house a little bit before Uo and Hana come over.” Tohru replied. 

“Okay. What do I need to do?” Yuki asked. 

Tohru happily and patiently walked Yuki through the process of breading the chicken. All her words were soft and gentle and she was quick to praise the things he did well and help him with the things he didn’t. 

Yuki watched the smaller girl work as she showed him how to bread the chicken perfectly. She was so nice and sweet to him, but it wasn’t as if she was doing it out of pity. It felt more like she really and truly cared about him. He silently made an oath to never do anything that might make her change her mind about him. He couldn’t imagine living in a world where Tohru didn’t like him. 

Yuki did as she showed him, smiling contently as she complimented his technique. Maybe he really could do this cooking thing after all. Maybe he could continue to practice and work hard and, one day, he’d be able to be completely self-sufficient and live on his own. He could make his own food and never need to rely on his family for anything else. 

He wished Tohru was his family. 

If only he’d been born as her brother. He wondered how different he would be if that was his life instead. He’d probably be an even better version of himself. He’d probably be more confident and happy all the time. He’d probably like himself. He definitely wouldn’t be cursed. He could hug Tohru whenever he wanted to thank her for how wonderful she was to him.

“That looks perfect, Yuki! Thank you!” Tohru gushed when he finished with the chicken. “I think Kyo and Shigure underestimated you, you know. You can cook if you just know how to.” 

Yuki smiled softly at that. “Thank you.” he replied, genuinely happy.

“I’m going to wash my hands and get some paper, but maybe you can help me make paper snowflakes and paper chains to decorate a bit.” Tohru said, smiling back at him. 

“Alright. Though, I don’t think I’ve made either of those since I was little.” Yuki replied. 

“It’ll be fun, then! A blast from the past!” Tohru said, grinning brightly at him. 

“I guess so.” Yuki hummed.

He took a seat at the warm kotatsu and watched as Tohru rummaged around before returning with construction paper, scissors, and some tape. 

“Okay! I think this is everything we need.” She hummed, sitting down next to him. 

Yuki nodded and took a piece of paper, trying to remember exactly how to make a paper snowflake. It had been almost a decade since the last paper snowflake he’d made. He was sure you needed to fold it up first. Then, he was pretty sure there was a special way to cut it to make the designs, but he wasn’t entirely sure what it was. 

“I always loved Christmas when I was little. Mom would always get us fried chicken on the way home from work and we’d sit and eat and watch TV. Then I’d open my presents from her and go to bed.” Tohru hummed as she worked on cutting her paper. “There was one year when I was a kid that I really wanted one specific doll. But I didn’t think I would get it because every time I’d go to the store to point it out to Mom, it was never there. I didn’t think she’d know which one I really wanted. But then, on Christmas, I unwrapped my presents and there was the doll! I asked Mama how she knew, but she said it was a secret.” 

Yuki listened to the story attentively as he tried to cut his paper like Tohru. She unfolded her paper to reveal an intricately patterned paper snowflake. On cue, Yuki opened his paper to compare, revealing that he’d accidentally made a chain of paper people rather than a snowflake. 

Tohru blinked at that before starting to laugh behind her hand. “Did you mean to do that?” she giggled. 

“No, I thought I was cutting a snowflake,” Yuki replied honestly, confusion written across his face. 

“Well, it’s perfect.” Tohru hummed. “I’ll get some markers and we can draw scarves and hats on them and make them Christmas people.” 

Yuki smiled and nodded. Someone else probably would have called him weird or dumb. Tohru just giggled and played along. He took a marker from her when she got back and got to work by her side as they decorated and drew on the paper people.

“They’re so cute!” Tohru gushed when the last person had been drawn in. She pointed to one with a smiling face and little mittens on. “This one can be you.” 

“That’s me?” Yuki asked as he sipped his tea. 

“Mmhmm.” Tohru nodded. “I’m this one in the pink holding your hand. Because I’m with you even if we’re paper.” 

Yuki felt his face flush bright red at the words. Tohru just giggled and hugged him tightly, only realizing what she’d done when Yuki had reappeared as a small grey rat buried in a pile of clothes. 

“I’m sorry!” She said. “I’m so sorry! I just wasn’t thinking, I guess. It just felt right in the moment.” 

“It’s okay.” Yuki reassured her. 

The hug, even though he could only enjoy the warm embrace for an instant, had been perfect. It was tight and warm and secure. He could have stayed there for hours, just being held and listening as the girl praised him for his tiny culinary feats. Tohru stayed with him as they waited for him to turn back, which thankfully came just as the doorbell rang. 

“Oh! That’s Uo and Hana. I’ll try to stall them so you can change.” Tohru said, covering her eyes with her hands to give the now nude Yuki a sense of privacy. 

“Alright, thank you,” Yuki replied, waiting until she’d left the room to stand up and pull on his pants. 

He listened as Tohru greeted her friends and let Arisa and Saki into the house. He quickly pulled on and straightened out his sweater and hair before the pair of girls walked into the room. 

“Huh? The Prince is joining us?” The blonde girl asked as they got to the kotatsu. 

“Yuki’s never had a proper Christmas before, so I told him he could join,” Tohru explained cautiously. “I hope you don’t mind.” 

“Nah. Just don’t eat all the karaage, pretty boy,” Arisa said with a small smile to Yuki. 

“I didn’t intend to,” Yuki replied.

Tohru took care of the cooking and, when the food was done, Yuki helped her bring everything over to the table for them all to eat. When the food was set out and everything was ready, he took a spot at the table.  

Sure, a big Christmas meal with Tohru and her two friends he didn’t know so well was awkward. Considerably awkward. In fact, he had half a mind to retreat to the familiar comfort of his bedroom. 

But, then, Tohru looked over at him with a big smile, and her face was so bright and warm. It was like he was sitting next to the sun, and he couldn’t imagine ever even thinking about moving. If that dinner was anything like a normal family meal at Christmas, then he had to have been given the strangest family ever. Yuki would take it gladly. 

New Traditions

Some time had passed since the curse had finally broken.  Everyone had begun to mend and finally move forward.  It was a new chapter for the Sohma family.  It had been good for everyone.  New relationships began to blossom and old ones were renewed.  Akito had finally accepted herself and now was trying to live her life as herself.  She had been especially close with Tohru.  The two women would get together every week to talk over tea.  Akito was trying hard to be better and it showed in everything she did.  Because of that, Akito had extended out an invitation to celebrate the holidays together.  They had done this in the past but this time would be different.  Everyone was going to enjoy.

The days leading up to Christmas had been stressful.  Akito was working hard to truly make things special.  Shigure insisted that she was worrying too much but she didn’t think so.  After all, it was going to be the first time everyone got together in a long time and more importantly, it was the first time that they had gotten together without any hostility.

Time moved very quickly and soon it was the night before everyone was suppose to arrive.  Akito had done most of the work herself since Shigure was always missing when she needed him.  It left her feeling achy and tired.  She was trying to shove down her annoyance as she headed up to her room. 

Shigure was there waiting in bed with his glasses on reading over what was most likely a draft to his new book.  A scowl formed on Akito’s features as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

“You could have helped.”  Akito said as she glanced back at him.

“Why bother?  We don’t even know for sure if anyone other than Tohru will come.”  replied Shigure without even looking up from his papers.  “Not everyone is ready to be forced to gather here again.”

Her features instantly softened going from anger to pain.  Deep down she knew he was right.  They had forgiven her but that didn’t mean that they wanted to make up.  As much as she wanted to make amends, she could no longer force them all to come there and listen to her.  

“They are our family.”  Akito spat back.  Right now she didn’t need this.  She was trying but it wasn’t enough.  She moved to get up but she felt a hand wrap around hers holding her still.

Shigure moved shifting closer to her so his lips hovered inches above her neck.  “You can’t force them to love you, but I love you.”  his lips brushed against her skin causing her to relax against his chest.  He wasn’t trying to hurt her, he only wanted her to be realistic.  There were no guarantees when it came to the others.

“I will be here and we can celebrate our first Christmas together.  After all these years, I think I have earned it.”  His voice was firm yet warm.  It was clear he was excited for it even if no one else was.

She gave a grunt in response as she moved to curl up with him.  Not that was was willing to say it to him, but he did make a good point.  She finally had the opportunity for a real celebration with Shigure.  She needed to focus on that.  It wasn’t going to be easy but she was going to try.

her hand traveled along the nape of his neck to rest against the base of his neck.  Finger drug along his scalp raking through his hair.  If nothing else she could enjoy this moment right here.  Her lithe frame shifted to rest against him and she pressed her head to his chest listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.  In that moment everything else disappeared and she felt content to let go of everything.

Soon Shigure looked down to see her peacefully asleep on his chest.  He loved her with every fiber of his being but even he forgot sometimes just how fragile she could be.  He hadn’t truly realized how much this had meant to her.  He laid there for the longest time just watching her.  First an hour passed, then two then three, he had tried to sleep but his own thoughts kept him up.  he was racking his brain trying to figure out how to make sure everything went over well for her sake.  

The sunlight soon crept through the curtains and Shigure knew he would not be resting anytime soon.  he carefully wriggled out from her grasp to get to his feet.  he gave her one finally look before padding to the phone.  For the next hour he called each of their family trying to find out who was coming.  he was mostly greeted with angry grumbles since it was so early but after they calmed down he had explained how Akito was looking forward to spending time together with all of them.  He hoped that it would reach them and he would be able to give his girlfriend the gift she wanted most in the world.

The sound of footsteps caused him to hastily hang up the phone and he scrambled to get to the kitchen trying to pretend he was doing something else.  Soon Akito stood behind him eyeing him like he was up to no good; though in all fairness he usually wasn’t doing anything “good”.

“Good morning.”  Shigure’s voice was cheery as he leaned down to kiss his love.  “I finally got something done on my book.  Mit-Chan is going to be so happy!”  he said as he moved to begin a pot of tea.

“Not that you will give it to her on time.”  Akito huffed as she looked at him.  “Though if you got that done that must mean you can actually help me today.”

A small bead of sweat rolled down Shigure’s head at that.  he didn’t want to do that but he didn’t see how he was going to get out of it.  he quickly began to think of all the possible excuses he could come up with.  There were none that Akito was going to allow him to get away with.  “What do you need?”  he asked clearly unamused by the idea of actually having to work.

Akito rolled her eyes as she moved to set two glass out on the tray.  “I asked everyone to be here for gifts at one.”  she informed him though she was beginning to question if anyone would show up.  No one had said they were coming.

He gave her a nod then went over to the fridge to fumble around for something to eat.  Neither of them cooked so usually it was left up to the help but today was a holiday so he wasn’t expecting much aside of them.  “We can put in the food around that time too.”  he said poking at some mystery container in the fridge.  he knew it was bought for this so he had left it alone for now.

They continued with their morning settling on a cold breakfast.  It hadn’t been satisfying but the promise of a nice meal in the evening made it worth it.  Shigure just kept thinking about that.  At the very least Tohru would show up and save the day.  That girl never could let anyone down.  Not even Akito.

One O’clock crept up and no one had arrived.  The disappointment was clear on her face.  Shigure had truly tried everything he could to avoid it.  he wanted this to be a good experience.  He wanted their family to mend.  Clearly it was too soon.

“We can still celebrate together.”  Shigure said as he hugged her from behind burying his face against her shoulder.  It was a small gesture he was hoping would help at least a little.  But by the way she was tensing, he could tell it hadn’t done that.

He stood there just holding her.  He felt her shoulders starting to shake and he knew she was beginning to cry.  That broke his heart.  He had never been the best though everything he had done was for her.  after a moment he felt her turn to him.  her face nestled against his chest as she cried.  the tears began to make his shirt damp causing it to stick to his skin.

Silence overcame them.  Nothing Shigure said would easy the feeling inside of her.  His usual snappy comments would only make it worse.  He reminded there trying to comfort her.

Another hour passed, then another and another.  The sky had began to dim and even Tohru had let her down.  There seemed to be nothing that would make this better.

With all hope lost, Akito began to clean up the festive decorations and gifts.  If no one was going to come then they werent going to get them.  She had began to shove things in a heavy duty trash back.  This day was the worst and she just wanted it to be over.

“Akito-San?”  A soft voice called to her causing the woman to turn around.  There standing in the living room was Tohru, Kyo and many of their family.  They were late but they were there.  “Sorry we are so late, we had to get something ready for you.”  The cheeriness in her voice caused Akito to tremble.  It was clear she was struggling to stay composed.

“Yeah some idiot didn’t make his train.”  Kyo grumbled shooting Yuki a rather dirty look.  

“Whatever, you could have came without us.”  The silver haired boy said rolling his eyes as he pulled Machi inside.  “Not like you ever did me any favors anyways.”

Akito’s eyes moved along the group gathered in their home.  She had been so worried for nothing.  She had to remind herself to never listen to Shigure again.  “It’s fine.”  

“Here let me help.”  Tohru said as she walked over to take the bag from her friend’s hand.  She began to pull out the gifts handing them to Kyo.  he made his way over to the table placing them all out in an orderly fashion trying to make it look nice.  It wasn’t.

Shigure had slithered his way into the group and was standing beside the doctor giving him a look.  “you could have came sooner.”  he said as he looked at his oldest friend though Hatori simple gave a small grunt before walking over to the others.

his phone calls may have saved the day or maybe it was Tohru.  Whatever the reason they were all together.  That was all Akito had wanted and now they could really celebrate.

“What about food?”  Shigure asked causing Akito to give him an evil look.  It was reminiscent of before the curse broke.  If he were anyone else, it might have sent chills down his spine but instead, he knew it meant later would be rather interesting.

Tohru looked around then began to Akito.  “Let’s go cook together.”  She offered as she held her hand out.

Soon they were in the kitchen busying themselves.  the house began to smell like heaven as everyone gathered to catch up.  There were stories of University from Yuki and news of wedding plans from Hatsuharu and Momiji talking about his plans in business.  It seemed everything was finally falling into place just as it should. 

It was clear to Shigure he was the reason for this.  Taking in that girl really had been the best decision he had ever made.  she touched them all and it carried through making everyone better.

“It’s time to eat!”  Tohru called and the Sohmas scrambled around the table to sit together.  For the first time, everyone was included and the cat took his place beside Tohru.  Laughter filled the air as everyone talked and discussed more plans.  This was better than any banquet they had every pictured.

“After this we get gifts, ja?”  Momiji said looking to Akito.  After all, he had been eyeing them all night.

Akito’s face softened as she looked over to him.  “yes.”  Of course that was what they wanted.  This was a new tradition.  Them actually getting something that they would enjoy from one of these gatherings.

“There isn’t anything for you though.”  Kisa spoke softly looking to Akito.

“I have my gift already.”  Came the reply as Akito gaze around the table to the family that had gathered to celebrate this joyous day together.  It was all that she really wanted.

Tohru’s hand found Akito’s and she smiled.  “This is a lovely gift you have given us already.  I’m so happy.”  Tears flowed down the brunette’s cheeks as she squeezed her hand tightly.

It the first Christmas that began a new tradition for the Sohmas.  Each year they would gather like this and enjoy food and fellowship as their family continued to grow. 

@lgbtfurubanet & @gaymirajane

Ace time!!  From JUNE 26TH TO JUNE 29TH post creative content that centers around asexual characters. We want your fanart, your fanfics, your mood boards, your fanmixes, your comics, and whatever else you’re inspired to create.

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Reposting-

lgbtfurubanet:

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WHAT ABOUT IDENTITY CATEGORIES THAT ARE CONTROVERSIAL? The LGBTQIA+ community doesn’t always agree about how to categorize everything. For example, some people think that nonbinary identities fit under the trans umbrella. Others disagree, and do not feel that nonbinary people are necessarily trans. A similar controversy exists regarding whether to place pansexuality under the bisexual umbrella. If you are creating content about a character with such an identity, you are free to tag it however you wish. You can choose a broad category that you think fits, or you can use a ‘free day.’ SHOULD I USE WARNINGS?

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Title: umeboshi

A/N: For @pinkthespianlesbian, for the Fruits Basket SS held by @lgbtfurubanet. I don’t think I managed to fit all of your prompts together (and Momiji realizes she’s trans in this fic a bit earlier than your headcanon because I missed that line about 3rd year. XD), but I hope you enjoy this anyways!

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i.

 “It’s a romantic story,” Momiji chirped, leaning back on the school steps. It was a cloudless, warm spring day and she was happy they were finally in their summer uniforms. Kicking her feet in front of her, Momiji leaned back and stared at the bright blue sky. “My parents met in Germany, when they were students.”

 “Oh.” Tohru clapped her hands excitedly. On another person, this would seem sarcastic, but every action she did was always painfully earnest. Her eyes were bright as she leaned eagerly toward Momiji, already knowing how the story will go and still wanting to hear about it. “Was it love at first sight?”

 “Da!” Tohru was infectious and Momiji’s smile grew even wider. She leaned closer to Tohru, until their shoulders bumped. There was something thrilling about being this close to Tohru, about this casual nearness that she could have that almost none of the other zodiacs could have. She felt a brief pang of pity for Kyo and Yuki.

“Oooohhh!” Tohru’s hand pressed against the steps as she steadied herself, her hand overlapping Momiji’s slightly.

 A jolt of electricity ran through Momiji and she swallowed. It was a very brief pang of pity for her rivals. As they said, all’s fair in love and war. Gathering herself, Momiji continued, using the story as an excuse to hold Tohru’s hand entirely. “The second their hands touched, writing appeared on their arms like vines! They were soulmates! They didn’t let go of each other once, not even when they ate.”

 Tohru stared at their clasped hands and squealed. “Awww, that’s so cute!”

 Momiji would practically see the hearts flying off her. She nodded sagely. “It gets better! They used the words as their wedding vows.”

 “Awwwwwww.” Tohru hummed, almost bouncing as she thought about it all. She didn’t let go, her hand radiating warmth that shot straight to Momiji’s core. “That’s such a cute story. Mom never found her soulmate but she and Dad were very happy anyways. Actually, right after they got married, Mom dragged Dad to the tattoo parlor and forced him to tattoo her name on his wrist.” She chuckled. “They got their own versions of the soulmate words.”

 “Really?” Momiji blinked. She liked that idea. Liked it a lot. The control it gave, the ability to chose, she liked everything about it. Breaking into laughter, she reached around with her other arm and hugged Tohru, careful not to let go of their clasped hands. “That sounds just like her.”

 “That’s what Uo-chan and Hana-chan said too,” Tohru said proudly, wrapping an arm around Momiji. “Though Mom told me the tattoos hurt more than expected and they both spent the week crying.”

 Momiji snorted. “Somehow, that also sounds like her.”

    ii.

A less romantic story, one that Momiji was reluctant to tell Tohru, was how her mother rejected her at a hug. How her mother had gone mad until the only solution was erasing her memories and erasing Momiji’s place in them.

 It was funny, now, that her mother’s touch would no longer transform her. That it was her father instead who turned her into a rabbit. Would her mother have kept her memories if she’d known this would happen? Or would she have seen that as another failure, another mark against her monster of a child?

 Not that it mattered either way. Her mother would never know. Instead, Momiji would wear her dresses and pad her chest and grow out her hair, each change making her look more and more like her mother. It was hard to hide it now; her father wouldn’t let her hang out at the company anymore.

 All that she had left was her name, Momiji, the only link to a family that no longer existed. Maybe she should change. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.

    iii.

The school was brimming with life, the school fair bringing students and visitors through each of the classrooms and hallways. It was a dangerous time for a Sohma and Kyo was already hiding on the roof, both scared and angry with the horde that invaded his home. Not that it helped much, considering the mob of cats that swarmed the roof, catching everyone’s eyes.

 At least that made things a little easier for the others. Yuki didn’t have to hide in the back of every classroom even and Haru didn’t have to destroy everyone he bumped shoulders with and Momiji…

 Well, Momiji got to enjoy a date with Tohru. A kinda one-sided date, for now, but a date nonetheless. She bounced forward as she and Tohru strolled through the halls, taking in the other class’s events. “What do you want to see first?”

 “I don’t know.” Tohru smiled happily, her eyes jumping from one door to the next. There was a haunted house, a café, an art gallery—the possibilities were endless. And overwhelming. “They all look so fun! What do you want to do?”

 “Me?” Momiji slowed down her pace till she was walking side by side with Tohru. Her arms hung at her side, her hands barely brushing Tohru’s as they walked. A jolt of electricity ran through her at each touch and she swallowed. “Maybe we could do the haunted house first?”

 “T-t-the h-h-haunted h-h-house?” Tohru stuttered, her expression freezing. Stiffly, she squared her shoulders and marched toward it. “S-s-sure.”

 It was cute. Too cute. Momiji tried not to laugh too much and offered, “If you’re too scared, we can do something else.”

 “N-n-no, I’m f-f-f-fine.” Tohru smiled once more but it came out more a grimace than anything else. She looked like a robot as she moved, her knees and elbows locked into position. “L-let’s g-go.”

 Well, if Tohru was going to be so brave, Momiji couldn’t slack off either. Nodding, she reached out and grabbed Tohru’s hand. No more of that brushing nonsense. Her skin felt like it was on fire and Momiji was certain her ears were turning several different shades of red, but she’d done it.

 She’d grabbed Tohru’s hand. And if Tohru didn’t pull away, was still smiling at her brightly, she could take that as a victory, right?

    iv.

 Momiji washed her hands, letting the cool water soak into her skin. They still burned, even now, hours after Tohru let go, hours after they’d parted.

 Ok, it was about time she’d admitted it. To herself, at least, if to no one else.

 This wasn’t just a crush anymore. No, this was love. Momiji was in love with Tohru.

 She sighed softly, leaning forward to rest her forehead on the bathroom mirror. After all those months of teasing Yuki and Kyo for being dense, this all felt highly ironic. Momiji wasn’t even sure if she was going to confess to Tohru (sorry for calling you a coward, Kyo) and even worse, there was Akito to deal with.

 Maybe Akito wouldn’t care as much. He’d hated it when Momiji had started transitioning but then it’d became a new cage for him to keep her in, a new barrage of insults to hurt her with. Suddenly, she’d realized just how much harder it was for Kisa and Rin.

 How much harder it would be for her, going forward.

 The cool glass didn’t make it any easier to think and Momiji’s hands were still burning like they’d been seared. Like Tohru was imprinted on them. Maybe she was. Lifting her hands, she stared at them blankly, taking in the small ridges on her knuckles, and the growing thickness of her fingers. The lines on her palm that turned into words, wrapping around her wrist—

 Words.

 Momiji blinked. There were words tattooed on her wrist. Her soulmate marks. She rolled back her sleeves frantically, trying to read the characters engraved on her skin. How had she missed this earlier? Had she bumped into someone at the fair? U-m-e-b-o-s-h-I, it said.

 Umeboshi.

  There was only one person that could mean, only one person whose soulmate words could be that.

“Tohru,” she murmured to her skin, kissing the mark softly. Momiji’s heart leapt to her mouth and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. Her soulmate was Tohru.

 She could fight Akito, if it was for Tohru.

 She could fight anyone, if it was Tohru.

 They were soulmates and Momiji would one day tell their adopted kids, It was a romantic story, a story about two people who stayed together and never forgot anything, even the bad things.

    v.

Or it would have been a romantic tale, if not for Tohru’s extremely puzzled look as Momiji asked her if she’d gotten her soulmate writing. She’d waited as long as she could, waited for class to end, for her bodyguards to go home (Kyo was harder to force away than Yuki), waited for them to finally be alone and sitting at their usual spot on the school step, before asking.

 All in vain, it seemed.

 “My soulmate marks?” Tohru blinked, confused. She glanced around as though to make sure no one else was around. “Me?”

 She’d almost forgotten how dense Tohru was. “Yes.” Momiji nodded eagerly, taking Tohru’s hands into her own. Rubbing her thumb against Tohru’s wrists, she was slightly disappointed the marks hadn’t appeared in the same place, but that was fine. It was rare enough to find one’s soulmate, let alone to find one with an identical mark. Her parents had been lucky. Quieting her mind, Momiji peered up at Tohru’s eyes and asked again, “Have you found any words on you?”

 Tohru frowned, thinking heavily on it. She twisted her lips, her expression growing sterner and sterner with each moment that passed. The moment she turned into a hardboiled detective, she sighed and shook her head. “Not one.”

 “Really?” Momiji’s heart plummeted to her shoes and she almost dropped Tohru’s hands in surprise. Was it possible to have a one-sided soulmate?

 “Yes.” Tohru nodded solemnly. “It would be wonderful to have a soulmate but I’m not sure I have one.” She chuckled sadly. “It might be too wonderful for me to have.”

 And maybe Tohru didn’t have the mark and maybe the umeboshi meant some other kind do-gooder or some guy with an obsession with pickles, but that didn’t matter. Momiji was used to life not going her way. Was used to having to choose her own path.

 Kyoko had made her own soulmate.

 Momiji could do the same.

 “You have a soulmate, Tohru,” Momiji answered softly, leaning closer.

 “I do?” Tohru’s eyes widened in surprise. “Who?”

 “Me.”

 She’d make sure to not tell their kids how awkward their first kiss was, how they’d bumped noses and laughed about it after.

    vi.

“And that’s how your grandmas fell in love,” Mitsuru murmured, ruffling the hair of her son. “It’s a romantic story, isn’t it?”

 Aki bit his cheek, taking it all in. He swayed side to side as he came up with his question. Because there was always a question with him; at four, there was still too many things he didn’t know. Mitsuru knew that, knew that she’d done the same to Momiji and Torhu when she was little, but that didn’t make it any easier.

 After a few minutes, he finally asked, “Granny didn’t have a mark?”

 “Actually…” Mitsuru laughed awkwardly. Leaning closer, she stage-whispered to her son, “It turned out, Grandma Tohru did have a mark.”

 “She did?” His mouth fell open in surprise.

 “Her face looked just like yours when she found out.” Mitsuru nodded. Reaching around, she patted her son on the middle of his back. “Right there. Just where the umeboshi in a onigiri is, that was where her mark was. So of course she didn’t see it herself—Grandma Momiji was the one who spotted it and told her.”

 “Umeboshi?” Aki jumped up and down. “Just like in her stories!”

 Mitsuru nodded. “Yeah, just like in her stories.”

 There was something fitting about that, when all was said and done.