What a surprise.

I shifted from my position on the bark, averting my gaze from the smiling group of three.

"Tohru Honda-san really has an effect on them, doesn't she?" I mused, leaning forward so I almost looked like I would fly off the branch, seeing how I was just barely putting  weight on my feet.

"She does," my companion agreed, folding his hands. Unlike me, he sat like the gentleman he was, eyes aimed downwards like mine. "To see them smile in that way...it's been a long time."

I cocked my head to the side, briefly allowing my dirty-blonde hair to spill into my vision before I huffed them out of the way.

"It has. But no matter, Akito-san said we need to wreck their friendship soon. They have very little time. Won't we have a bit of fun, Satoshi-kun?"

Satoshi brought a hand through his hair, eyeing me through obscuring bangs. "I don't see why you find amusement in such things," he retorted, dry humor clear in his tone. "But I expect behavior like that from you, it'd be strange if you acted any differently, Capricorn."

I  scoffed at the 'nickname' as I reached over and swatted him on the arm. "Likewise for you, Aquarius," I replied. "If you didn't act like Mr. Rock-And-I-Know-It-All, I would sent you to a mental hospital."

He had nothing to said to that. Hah!

"Stay quiet," he said after a moment of silence, holding up a dark-skinned finger to shut me up. I shrugged, made a zipping motion with my hands and lips before settling down on the tree branch.

Allowing my legs to dangle in open air, I studied the orange-head as he passed beneath me. Kyo, Akito had said. That's his name. Kyo Sohma, the cat of the zodiac.

He seemed upset, almost tired. I could understand why; it was lightly drizzling and cats hate getting wet. His bright-colored hair was plastered to his forehead in clumps despite having an umbrella clutched in his hands.

He was my target. He was my prey.

I had no care for the girl, Tohru, or the other boy, Yuki.

Maybe I cared a bit for Yuki. Kyo hated him with a burning passion.

As they passed below, I spotted Yuki's eyes flicking upwards, almost noticing us in the trees.

"Naive~" I sang, pushing myself off the branch to land on the ground. "Don't you think so, Satoshi-kun ?"

The said personage nudged his glasses up a bit, peering intently at me then at the direction the trio had headed in. "I predicted the Rat would've been more clever. After all, according to legend...he did trick the Cat."

I scoffed, the image of Kyo appearing in my mind. "The Cat doesn't seem that smart. It must of been easy."

Satoshi flashed me a look. "We were here to observe and observe only, not to make smart comments about the person we're observing."

I raised my hands in surrender, sending him a dark smile before a large droplet from above splattered on the bridge of my nose.

I cringed backwards into the shade of the tree and rubbed at the skin. "I hate water," I complained. "Did you bring an umbrella? I didn't."

He raised an eyebrow before snapping open an umbrella, coming near as it hovered over my head.

"Thanks."

"...Next time, bring one," he turned his head away from me and started walking.

I shrugged before I hurried after him, trying to match his long stride.

"Satoshi-kun, why are we going to Shigure-san's house?" I admit, I sounded like a little child when I said that. I was younger then the Rabbit of the Zodiac, but only by a few months.

"We'll introduce ourselves. Nothing too major or complex for your one-track mind of yours, I hope."

I frowned before swatting half-heartedly at his arm. "Hey! I do not have a one-track mind!"

The look he gave me was one of pure disbelief. "If you say so," he replied simply as he made his way up the steps to face the door. "You're such a child."

"Shut up."

He did so; but I didn't believe it was because I told him to. He raised a hand to know on the wooden frame, but the doorway swung open on its own.

I came face to face with an impassive expression.

"Hatsuharu Sohma, am I correct?" Satoshi asked, and the teen nodded.

The Ox.

His expression was carefully neutral, but I could see a trail of blood encircling his right arm. "Yeah. That's me."

"My name is Satoshi Tanikara. This is Rika Tanikara," he nodded towards me.

"Okay. Is there a r-"

"Toshi!" Shigure Sohma appeared behind Hatsuharu's shoulder, who gave him a blank expression then moved out of the way.

"I told you not to call me that."

I snickered.  "Toshi-chan~"

Satoshi slammed his foot down on mine without removing his gaze from Shigure's face. I bit back a hiss of pain before smiling at Shigure. Despite his tall form, I could see a tuft of orange poke out.

"-we're not really related." Satoshi finished, risking a glance at me.

"No, we're not," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. To even think I was related to him...disgusting. People always thought we were siblings or dating. But we were just partners.

For now, anyways.

Shigure reached over and ruffled my hair. "High-school?"

"Yeah. First-year."

"Hatsuharu and Momiji are going to their first-year as well. You met Haru, but Momiji..."

"I don't mind if we don't meet them," Satoshi cut in, sending him a glare. "May we meet Yuki and Kyo?"

Shigure blinked in surprise. "Yuki-kin and Kyo-kun?" he echoed. "You sound like you've met them before."

Shoot. "Oh, no," I said, flicking a hand at him. "We haven't. Just... with Akito-san and all..."

He frowned, but quickly covered it up. "Come along now, Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun are right over here..."

Satoshi discarded his shoes at the door, walking after him with light footsteps.

I brushed at the side of my cheek as I felt a water droplet land on it before hopping inside.

"Discard your shoes, please," Shigure called from who-knows-where, and I obeyed, kicking them off into the abyss they called a closet.

Yuki appeared before me, his misty purple-silver eyes widening in the slightest at the sight of us.

"I know you two."

"Oh, do you really?" I drawled.

"Yes. I saw both of you in the tree this afternoon."

Satoshi froze from where he was pushing up his glasses, then closed his eyes. "Yes, we were," he confirmed. "Memorizing school grounds, we start next week."

Huh, didn't expect him to roll with it.

"No. But that's not it...with Akito-san, too..."

A/N~

Whee Fruits Basket
The reason why Satoshi called Rika Capicorn is a secret. But think of the Sohma curse, and turn the animals to the signs of the space Zodiacs.
So, yeah. They have a curse, but different a tad bit.
Don't Satoshi and Rika get along amazingly? XD

~Rio