Aishuu Offers:
Secrets of the Sohma 
Mbsilvana@yahoo.com
Disclaimers: Fruits Baskets is most assuredly not
mine. It belongs to Takaya Natsuki.
Credits: This has been brewing since I wrote "Smile,"
a Momiji piece� I wanted to do an in-depth piece on
Momo� Two other Momo oneshots deserve credit for
inspiring me to actually GO with this: One is Xandra�s
"Family Matters," and the other one is "I Have a
Secret" by maeyan, which actually came out while I was
writing this� but it helped me keep motivated. It
seems everyone sees Momo as one of the great Sohma
secrets.

~*~*~*~*~*~
Part One: Whispers
~*~*~*~*~*~

When I was thirteen, I first became aware of how
exceptionally beautiful and entrancing my cousins
were. 

It sounds odd that I never realized that before,
but... it never was a consideration for me. I was a
member of a large clan, and though my father was
important to them, I was not. My mother seemed to be
despised for some reason, and this hatred was carried
onto me. 

A young child's heart sees more clearly then the mind
of an adult. 

Still, I was always used to having my multitude of
family swirl around, with me, always, but not quite,
being a part of them. I bore the name Sohma, but was
not one of them. I didn't know why, but I didn't let
it worry me. I was beautiful and popular with my
classmates, and people who met me adored me on sight.
Then... I started to grow up, and when that happened,
the girls in my class grew with me. 
It is natural enough, I suppose, to have a crush on
the relatives of your friends. They are safe to
practice on, since there's little chance of anything
developing, and they usually have a sense of
familiarity. That wasn't exactly the case with my
friends, but it's the principle of the matter. 

It was family day when it began. I had just entered
middle school, and was nervous. Mama was back in
Germany visiting her family, and Papa had promised to
attend, but he had received a call from one of the
business branches in Kyoto. I had assured him that I
had friends I could spend the day with, which was the
truth, but I still felt lonely. 

I walked into the school, and smiled at my classmates.
Some of them had their families with them already, and
others were waiting for their parents to arrive. I was
the only one who was going to be alone. It was not... 

A tap on my shoulder interrupted my brooding, and I
spun around, expecting either Hisae or Nakuru, my two
closest friends. To my surprise, a pair of sky blue
eyes stared into mine, looking at me with curiosity.
"Momo-chan?" the woman said, and I blinked for a
moment before I recognized her. 

The small woman standing in front of me had just
become engaged to one of my cousins, and was due to
marry him in a year or so. In fact, he was standing
next to her, and his lavender eyes were looking at me
guardedly. There was no love or affection present,
just something... watchful. 

"Honda-san!" I exclaimed, and I wondered if something
was wrong with my father. 

She smiled at me, and it was like the sun had forced
its way through the clouds. "Your father couldn't
come, so we came in his place. Since Yuki is acting
Clan Head, we figured it'd be acceptable... if it's
okay with you?" she asked, and her voice grew
concerned. 

I blinked, unable to believe what I was hearing. I
didn't understand clan politics, but I knew that Yuki
was currently the most important member of the clan
until a new head was appointed. It had been two years
since Sohma Akito had died, but no one seemed to be in
a hurry to replace him. I didn't see why they just
didn't make Yuki the permanent Clan Head, but father
told me things didn't work like that. "I- I'd like
that..." I answered. 

Her smile grew wider, and Yuki nodded. "I'll get the
others," he said, and he moved to the hall. 

"Others?" I echoed. 

"Well... Since your father couldn't make it, we
thought it'd be better to have more of your cousins in
his place. That way you wouldn't be so lonely," she
explained. 

I watched in amazement as Yuki reappeared moments
later, leading in two other people that I knew to be
important family members- Hatsuharu and Kyou. Both of
them interacted quite frequently with many of the
important clan members, so I was confused as to their
sudden interest in me. I had seen both of them at some
point, but I was surprised they would come see this
distant cousin they were supposed to outcast. 

Mama was gaijin, and so was I. It was the only reason
I could think that the Sohma family hated us so. 

Still, Haru gave me a soft smile and looked around my
class. "Oi, Yuki," he said. "Your princely nature is
going to overwhelm the locals," he teased. 

Yuki sighed. "I thought I was done with all that when
I graduated." 

"Well, at least they don't have time to form a fan
club," Haru said, blinking silver eyes over at the
clan head. 

"Wanna bet?" Kyou said sarcastically, arching an
eyebrow towards where three of my classmates were
standing. 

I followed his gaze, and noticed three of the girls
most prone to crushes gathering to stare at my
cousins. I knew that they were younger than most of
the guests for family day, but I hadn't realized how
outstanding they were. Yuki's silvery hair was the
perfect foil to his violet eyes, and no one could ever
miss Kyou�s red hair and fascinating cinnamon eyes.
Haru, too, was attractive in a wilder way, with his
white and black hair, and his colorless clothing.

I looked at my friends, and wondered exactly what they
were going to do to my cousins. The love-love looks in
their eyes worried me, but... I pushed it aside. For
the first time in my life, members of the Sohma clan
were making an attempt to accept me as one of their
own, and I was going to enjoy it. 

"So, Momo-chan," Tohru said, cutting through my
discomfort, "can you tell us a little about what's
going on today?" 

I pulled on my fuku's skirt a little, before stealing
a glance at Haru. Haru was watching me closely with
half-lidded eyes, and I wondered why it felt like he
was judging me for... Something important. 

"Well, there are going to be some events, and the
third years will be putting on a play, but I wasn't
going to go to that. My class is holding some races,
and family members are..." I trailed off, realizing
that they might not be that willing to help me. 

"Encouraged to participate?" Yuki said softly. "I'll-"


"It's a challenge! I'll beat you!" Kyou crowed loudly,
wearing a smug smile on his face and pointing a finger
at Yuki. 

Yuki rolled his eyes. "I thought we were beyond this?"


Haru's smile seemed to turn sly, and he rested a
familiar hand on Yuki's shoulder; somehow, it seemed
very intimate to me. "It doesn't matter, Yuki; it's
not just a dog you can't teach new tricks," he said
softly. "Besides," and this time, he spoke more loudly
over his shoulder, "you know that there's no way
you'll defeat Yuki." 

Kyou punched the wall he'd been standing next to,
cracking the paint. For some reason, my eyes fell the
simple peace beads he was wearing on his wrist. For
some reason, they struck me as out of place. Kyou
seemed to notice where my attention had wandered to,
for the next second, his arm was down, and the
long-sleeved blue shirt he was wearing was covering
it. "Yuki cheats," he muttered. 

Tohru seemed on the verge of a panic attack.
"Eto-eto!" she was saying, bouncing back and forth
between the three cousins. 

Haru looked at the others. "They'll be fine, Tohru,"
he assured her. "You know it's only when they aren't
fighting you need to worry." 

She gave me a smile. "Well, I guess they'll both play
with you!" she said, smiling, and she took my hand.
"Do you want to show us around the school? Or maybe
introduce us to your teachers?" 

I nodded. "My teachers are in the next room. They're
letting students bring their families in..." 

"Let's go," Yuki said. "Haru... Kyou..." 

"I'll be good," Haru promised. 

"I won't." 

"Kyou-kun," Tohru said, and her liquid blue eyes
turned to him. "Kagura would be most upset if you
embarrass Momo-chan." 

His eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't..." 

"She wouldn't, but I would," Yuki said almost
cheerfully. 

I watched the interplay carefully, like a moth
circling the flame. I longed for the closeness they
had, but I worried that it was going to burn me. The
Kagura they were talking about must be Sohma Kagura,
and apparently, the rumors of her and Kyou's
relationship had been true. 

For years, it was well-known that Kagura had wanted
Kyou, but now he apparently reciprocated... I was
happy for her. I didn't really know her, but I was
always happy when people found love together. "Let's
go," Yuki said, dropping the playfulness of a moment
before and studying me. "We'll speak to your
teachers..." Something about the way he said that made
me wonder if it was really such a good idea. He was
Clan Head, and I knew that the Sohma Clan was
powerful; if he took offense... 

Tohru's smile reassured me as she offered me her hand.
"I can't wait to see your school! My mother loved
school very much, and I liked it... I was almost sad
to graduate..." 

"I wasn't..." the three men said in unison, and I
couldn't help giggling. I tried to muffle it, but Haru
just sighed. 

"Go ahead and laugh. If you try to keep it in, these
two will drive you mad." He waved a finger between our
cousins, who both gave him black looks. 

I gave in and burst into peals of laughter as we
arrived at the door to the teachers� room. Taking a
deep breath, I forced myself to find some semblance of
composure before bringing in my relatives. 

Yuki seemed to retreat behind a mental wall of ice,
while Kyou's eyes flared. Haru and Tohru both looked
at me reassuringly, and I walked over to my teacher. 

"Sakurada-sensei?" I said, trying to get her
attention. "Excuse me, but my family is here to meet
you." 

My teacher, a woman in her mid-thirties, looked away
from the small clique of teachers she was with. Her
face went slack in surprise when she saw my cousins,
and I could see that their sheer presence had taken
her aback. "Y-yes, Momo-chan," she said. "Introduce
me?" A faint blush came to her cheeks, and I wondered
if she was another woman who would sign up for the
Sohma Yuki Fan Club. She was only thirty, so it wasn't
entirely unreasonable. 

"Sensei, these are my cousins, Sohma Hatsuharu, Sohma
Kyou and Sohma Yuki... And Yuki's fianc�e, Honda
Tohru," I said. Something about the way she was
staring at them made me nervous. "My father couldn't
come today, so they came instead. This is
Sakurada-sensei." 

"Feel free to call me Hoki," she said, offering her
hand to Yuki, apparently enthralled. 

Yuki handled her masterfully, nodding his head
regally, though he ignored her hand as though it was
not there. "You have our thanks for taking care of our
cousin," he said, and he rested a hand on my shoulder
for a brief second, making me almost melt in
happiness. 

He liked me! He called me his cousin! my thoughts
screamed. I gave him a dazzling smile, and a bit of
the ice he had assumed right before entering the room
melted away briefly. 

"She's a brilliant student.... I'm sure your uncle is
proud of her." 

Yuki smiled, and the temperature in the room seemed to
drop in about ten degrees. "The relationship is more
distant than that- Momo is my third cousin, Kyou's
second, and I think... Haru's second as well," he
said, and his voice was sharp enough to cut. 

"She's my fourth," Haru said. "Her father is the Sohma
Shuichi of Ryu's line, not Tatsumi's." 

Sakurada-sensei blinked, but she was too stubborn to
pull back. "That... distant?" she said. "You... must
have a very large family...." 

"You try drawing the family tree out sometime," Kyou
was arguing with Haru. "I think you and Momi- Momo...
Are more closely related than that." 

"We number in the hundreds," Yuki told sensei as Haru
was telling Kyou to shut up. "Momo-chan... Can you
take us outside, so we can see some of your school,
and perhaps some of what your classes are offering?"
Though it was phrased as a question, I recognized the
subtle command in his voice. 

"Hai, Yuki-oniisama!" I replied, moving for the door. 

Kyou laughed as I led them down the hall. "Oniisama?
Wouldn't that just make Ayame-" 

"Shut up," Yuki said shortly. 

The school was bright and festive with decorations we
had hung up, and as the day progressed, I gradually
relaxed in their company. 

Yuki was distant sometimes, but there was a gentleness
to his demeanor that I liked. Kyou was always on the
verge of an explosion that never quite boiled to the
surface, and he seemed to take a positive delight in
irritating Yuki. Tohru was one of the sweetest women I
had ever met, and her gentle moderation of their
squabbling kept them in line with a subtle skill I
couldn't help but appreciate. They were all
fascinating, and people kept trying to get their
attention, and I was proud to be with them.

Still, it was quiet Haru I found myself drawn to. He
wasn't the most beautiful -that was Yuki- or the
nicest -that was Tohru, and while his appearance was
wild, it was Kyou who was the outrageous one.
Something about Haru, though, drew me... His silver
eyes seemed to watch every move I made as though he
was memorizing them. I had good instincts for people,
Mama had always told me, but Haru... Confounded them. 

I wondered why it was like he both loved and hated me,
even though he didn't know me. 

The celebration continued, and Yuki stood well in the
stead of my father. My classmates watched me enviously
as I spent time with my family, and we explored all
the activities offered. 

It turned out neither Yuki or Kyou participated in the
family races, simply because the other families sent
older fathers, and neither had the heart to defeat
them. I had no doubt that one of them would win. Kyou
was a martial arts sensei, and something about Yuki
gave the impression that he was breathtakingly
competent at whatever he chose to undertake. 

The food that Tohru had brought for our lunch was
amazingly delicious, and at that time, my classmates
began to appear. Yuki acted oblivious to their clumsy
flirtatious, and Kyou was impatient with them. Haru,
though, flirted right back with them, giving some of
them weak knees. Their parents on seeing their
susceptible daughters repaid him with dark looks. 

I loved it. I loved being a part of the Sohma family
after being apart from them for so long. Finally,
though, it was time for the day to end. I walked them
to the gate, and smiled at them shyly. I hated to see
this day end. I bowed to them. "Thank you so much for
coming here! It really meant a lot to me!"

Kyou just shrugged. "Someone asked us to. You�re a
sweet chibi, Momo-chan� not a problem."

"Kyou!" Yuki snapped sharply, and Tohru�s eyes were
wide. 

"What Kyou meant was that you�re family! Anything for
family!" Tohru said, smiling happily, though there was
something strained to it. "We had a lot of fun!" She
picked up my hands in her own and gave them a squeeze.
"You need anything while your mama is away, call the
main house and let us know!"

She looped her arms through Yuki and Kyou�s and
dragged them off, interrupting our good-byes.

I watched them go, feeling thoroughly confused, and I
was standing again alone with Haru. 

He looked down into my amber eyes, and apparently he
decided to say something. "You�re a sweet child,
Momo-chan� but we didn�t do it for you�. Or for your
parents. Someone close to us was worried that you�d be
lonely today� and since there�re reasons why they
couldn�t come themselves, we came in their place." He
studied my face carefully, and I felt as though I had
passed some sort of inspection. Then he bent low and
whispered in my ear. "The Sohma family has many
secrets, and many people are hurting because of them."
A moment later, Haru straightened and walked off,
without another word.


~*~*~*~*~*~
END CHAPTER ONE

Notes: An in-depth Momo fic� fun.  Set about five
years after the series ends, so the crew is about 21
or so.

The Sohma family tree� well, I�ve never seen a
diagram, but I�ve assumed that it�s fairly extended.

Sakurada-sensei is one of the oldest in-jokes in
fandom� in seems ALL shoujo fans name teachers that in
honor of Takeuchi-sensei�s recurring Sakurada-sensei.

Thanks to Lyra and Xandra for editing.


=====
Sing what you can't say
Forget what you can't play
Hasten to drown into beautiful eyes
Walk within my poetry, this dying music...
My loveletter to nobody
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/quicksilver/

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