Haruka's Fanfiction

This was the result of a fifteen-minute word challenge. The challenge word is stated at the end of the ficlet. Not necessarily canon.

Crop Stop (Fruits Basket)

By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)

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Yuki looked out the window and smiled. It was a perfect day for gardening, and today was special – it was time to bring in what he had grown.

Donning his gardening gloves, Yuki went downstairs. As usual, he was the last one up, and they even had visitors already. Hatsuharu and Ritsu were chatting with Shigure, while Kyo gave Momiji a noogie that may or may not have been deserved.

“Good morning, Yuki-kun!” Shigure said cheerfully. “Did you want breakfast?”

“Or lunch?” Kyo suggested dryly.

Yuki didn’t even bother glancing at the orange-haired boy. “No, thank you. I have work to do.”

“Have fun!” Momiji waved.

Yuki left the noisy house and took his time strolling out to his garden, anticipating at least an hour of uninterrupted peace.

However, when he arrived, he received an unpleasant shock.

Everything was gone. The fruits and vegetables had already been dug up and taken away – there was nothing left but freshly-turned earth.

Yuki dropped his spade and ran back to the house. “Shigure!” he cried. “There was a thief! In my garden – it’s all gone!”

Shigure waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry, Yuki-kun! I remembered you saying you were bringing it all in today, and we decided to both help you out and have fresh food for breakfast.”

Yuki stared at him, then down at the empty plates and bowls. “The carrots?” he asked.

“I ate them!” Momiji announced with a wide grin.

“All of them?!” Yuki said incredulously. “What about the snap peas?”

“They were delicious,” Hatsuharu replied softly.

“The leek?”

“We mixed it into our rice,” Shigure told him. “Except for Kyo-kun, of course.”

“Leek, yuck.” Kyo made a face.

Yuki’s eyes narrowed. “The strawberries?”

“Shigure-niisan and I shared them,” Ritsu answered, cringing slightly. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Shigure slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Don’t start apologizing, Ritchan,” he advised. “After all, the food was grown to be eaten, right, Yuki-kun?”

Technically, yes, Yuki sighed internally. He truthfully thought that the real joy was therapeutic – creating something with his own hands, the satisfaction of seeing it through to the end, and digging it up himself. Now he didn’t even get to see the results, let alone taste them.

“Sensei, I can’t torture him any longer,” Hatsuharu said apologetically. “He looks so sad.”

Yuki coloured. “I’m not sad, I’m angry! Why would –“

“Yuki-kun, relax!” Shigure laughed. “We were playing a joke on you! We didn’t really eat the food at all – it’s in the kitchen.”

“Shii-chan thought it would be funny,” Momiji said.

Yuki was relieved, even if he was still disappointed that he couldn’t have harvested the food himself. He went to the kitchen and sure enough, there were big piles of carrots, peas, and strawberries.

“Hey!” he cried and stomped back to the living room. “Where are the leeks?! Don’t tell me you really ate all of those!”

“Nah.” Kyo grinned mischievously. “THOSE I threw away!”

Moments later, he had joined them in the garbage.

--

(Word challenge - Harvest)

(2005)

Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya.

This fic is not to be re-posted.