A story for Red Tigress' challenge. I'm using Yuki Sohma and his mother, from Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket.

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"There was something I wanted. Loving parents. A home that no one would ever want to leave. A happy home. A warm place with everyone smiling at me. That was all I wanted. That and nothing else."

How often was it that Yuki had thought that? The words came back to him quickly as he approached his parents' home in the Sohma estate. He held the cell phone contract between the tips of his fingers, having read it over a hundred times on the walk there. There was no loophole, no way to avoid having to get it signed by a parent.

So he prepared himself. He prepared for his words not to reach her. For the color to be sucked out of everything. Even though it was his own home, he'd been there so rarely, he didn't remember the colors of the walls or the kind of furniture.

But the lettering on the nameplate was red. Yuki knew that, and felt strange looking at the red characters that spelled out "Sohma." Wasn't he red? Or something like that? He'd have to ask Manabe later. He had no time to remember stupid things like color assignments.

He didn't even have to knock on the door for it to open up. One of the maids that he didn't remember. A little older than him. She blushed at his face, too.

"I'm here to see my mother. It won't take long at all." He informed her, wondering to himself if his face was that good-looking. Yuki had never thought of himself as charming or a prince.

When he was allowed in, though, his thoughts shot back to his mother.

If he made a list of five things he was grateful to her for, would he be able to fill it up?

"Yuki, what do you want? I'm very busy, you know." She sighed, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"I'd like you to sign this cell phone contract."

"And why do you need a cell phone?"

Yuki hadn't thought about her asking that. He struggled to find an answer, wondering if she'd even accept it, before finally finding one that even she might think was appropriate.

"I'm the President of the Student Council. I patrol often, checking on other clubs. It's very hard to reach me just by looking around to find me, with the school being as big as it is. It would be more convenient for the other Student Council members to just communicate with me via cell phone."

The room was silent for a moment, and Yuki resisted the urge to look down at his feet and apologize for suggesting something so outlandish. He did close his eyes, but opened them when he felt her tug the contract from his hand.

Yuki watched his mother look it over, watched her set it on the table, watched her pull a pen from her purse, and watched her sign it. He hardly believed it.

"... I signed it. This is all you need, right? For the cell phone contract?" She handed it back over to him, and he looked to make sure it was in the right place.

"Yeah... will Dad be getting home late tonight, too?" He asked, hoping just slightly to see his father, who had been less a part of his life than she had.

"Yes. He and I are both very busy. Is this all you wanted?"

"...Yeah. I just needed a parent's signature. Thank you." He folded the contract in half, his eyes closed again. He missed the look that she gave him. Surprise over being thanked, of all things.

As if she knew that she had abandoned him and wasn't deserving of it.

"Madame, it's almost time for you to be going out." The maid from before softly interrupted, standing in the doorway.

"Y-yes. I know." Yuki's mother rose from her feet, watching her son shoulder his schoolbag.

"Then, I'll be going home, too-"

"Yuki."

Yuki looked up at her, not expecting what she said next.

"Don't.... don't use it wastefully."

He'd never expected such a motherly expression from her. 'Don't use it wastefully.' As if she was... worried that he'd be wasteful.

Perhaps she cared a lot more than he thought. She was still his mother, after all.