Little Tiger

In Comes Tohru

There was rustling in the hallway. I jolted upright as the door swung open. My heart skipped viciously in my chest and I felt the hair on my arms and legs spring up. A few months alone in my apartment had made me jump whenever I heard a noise that didn't belong to me or Yaps.

I saw the gray eyes first. Then the gray hair. Then the green kimono.

"Good morning, my dear," Shigure said, propping his arm against the doorway. "Did you enjoy your stay at Casa de Shigure?"

Despite my new and irrational fear of noise, the silence inside my apartment was deafening. Shigure had called me the night before and asked me to come over because I hadn't visited him during my break at the salon earlier that day. I came over, desperate to leave my apartment, and brought Yaps along. He was on his collar and leash for a while, until he stopped moving entirely and I had to carry him the rest of the way. I conveniently stayed until well past midnight and Shigure offered to let me sleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms--the same one I had slept in a few months ago. 

"Sure," I replied mildly, grinning slightly.

Shigure padded into my room, lying down beside me on the futon, draping an arm over my waist. "You could have slept in my room," he said, smoothing my hair down, propping himself up on his elbow.

"You didn't offer it," I mumbled, my voice sounding dry and unused. 

"I was giving you the opportunity to ask instead." 

"I didn't get the hint," I replied, sitting up, my covers pooling to my waist. 

He put his hands behind his head, humming quietly. "Then I suppose I'll have to be more straightforward next time." 

I sat up and twisted my back until I heard a pop on both sides. "I suppose so," I parroted, raising my eyebrow. 

He leaned up to kiss me then sat up fully.  "Anyway, come downstairs. I made coffee." He kissed my temple then got to his feet. All Shigure could make was coffee, he couldn't get to anything else in the kitchen except for the coffee pot. 

Yaps was pawing at the door, wanting to use his litter box. That was when I remembered I had taken him over here without his litter box. He'd have to relieve himself with his collar and leash, like a dog. He was certainly big enough to be mistaken for a dog. I got to my feet and left the bedroom with Yaps trotting beside my feet. 

 Yuki and Shigure talking downstairs, their voices muffled underneath the floorboards. But there was another voice too. It was quite frantic and high pitched. I turned back into my bedroom to face the window, assuming the mysterious guest would be standing outside of the house. I glanced towards the far corner of the window and made out the top of the guest's head. She had long brown hair with yellow bows on either side. I could just barely make out her school uniform and I guessed she might be Yuki's classmate. She was so...jumpy. Curious to know more, I wandered out of my room, grabbing Yaps along the way, and padded down the stairs to get a better look at the scene. I poked my head into the living area, the porch in perfect view.

Shigure and Yuki had their backs to me, facing the girl.

"Miss Honda— Do you live around here? I didn't think we had any neighbors." Yuki put his backpack straps around his shoulders.

"Sort of. I was just exploring the area a little before getting to school. That was when I noticed this house--it's gorgeous." Shigure's house was gorgeous? Certainly not the inside of it...

"I see," Yuki said. "Sorry you had to run into him," he added, pointing to Shigure.

"Oh, no, really! Your cousin is very nice!" she exclaimed, obviously frazzled. "It was so nice to meet you, Shigure, really," she assured him.