It was the sound that first called to his attention. He thought it was a bird at first that was complaining about the rain that pelted to the ground so hard that the heavy drops bounced back up causing a look of 'raining up'. Sluggish from the weather, he remained around the same area to become bothered by it. With a sigh he let his feet carry himself closer to the odd chirp that gradually became weaker. When it stopped he had found himself off the road home and in the unfamiliar woods that he could only guess was part of a park. Red eyes slowly rolled around the area as he continued to drag his tired feet through the moss and mud. A yellow sack caught his sight, tucked under a bush, nestled amongst broken sticks and branches. An odd smell was in the air, one that he was all too familiar with. His jaw switched from tightened to relax in a nervous reflex. The odd bulges in the plastic set a twisting coil in the pit of his stomach as he gingerly approached. Kneeling down he found the sack to be tied shut, closing off the contence from prying eyes.
Letting his umbrella slide down his shoulder and rest upon his head, he reached down - taking hold of the knot and untying it. With a quickened pulse, he pulled open the plastic, parts of it stuck to fur, flesh, and bone. He held down the bile that crawled up his throat at the broken bodies, a few bloated from the recent hot weather. The teenager found himself shaking as he let his breath slowly hiss out from between his teeth. He pulled the sack out off its forgotten grave, at least he could give the little ones a decent burial. That was when something moved. Eyes opened in amazement when some of the fur moved and gave another chirp, so very weak as little eyes tried to open. Tan hands dug into the decay, mindless of how some of the bodies squished and popped under his skin. Pulling the battered tiny being out of the mess, he quickly cradled it to his chest. Standing up he ran off as fast as he could, the suffocating weather surpassed due to the urgency that thrummed through his body.
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"Kyou-kun!" Tohru's brilliant smile nearly blinded him when the cat walked through the door. She paused as an grotesque sent swept passed her as he hurried by. Dirt and unidentifiable objects clung to his shirt and skin, "Kyou...kun?"
He was already up in his room door closed and locked as he sat on the floor. He glanced to his hands, his usual tan skin blanched from what he had seen. Tired eyes closed only to see himself digging holes and placing tiny bodies into the earth. There was a low knock on his door.
"What?" he sighed as he rested his head in his hands and grimaced at the smell and rotten film in-between his fingers.
"Kyou..."
The cat found himself frowning, Why was the ox knocking on his door? The redhead's sensitive hearing picked up the sound of his cousin's hands being placed on the door.
"Can I come in?"
"Why Yuki dump ya and now you want your old friend back?" he found his normal bitter tone to be more of a dead one.
There was a silence on the other side before an odd ticking sound came from the knob, "Maybe."
"Maybe? What the hell do you mean by maybe! You fucking stabbed me in the back to just-" he was suddenly pushed as the door was forcefully slammed open. Crouched on all fours Kyou glared over his shoulder at a certain stoic someone who had a hair pin and a sliver thin screw driver in his hand. He gave a sigh, he had no energy at all, it was all spent. After he found out about Tohru and Yuki he couldn't seem to get out of his funk then today happened. He slumped against his floor finding it unusually soft, "What do you want Haru?"
The ox watched the boy that had his back to him, he really was worse off than himself. At least when he figured it all out he had already been resigned to the fact that Yuki didn't like him that way... He took a step in, "Someone gave me a call, said... you needed some cheering up."
Kyou's eyes had closed as sleep started to slowly take hold of him, "You mean Tohru called you to check up on me because I haven't talked to her in a week."
Haru slowly closed the door behind him, he spoke over the soft click of the door, "A whole week huh? How bad was the let down?"
"You tell me. What would it feel like when you're in the middle of the confession only to have her say 'oh! by the way Yuki just asked me to be his girlfriend, isn't that great!'?" He sighed as his body relaxed more, he had to remember to go back tomorrow with some flowers.
"I see," grey eyes watched as breath started to even out on the boy on the floor. He could only imagine what it would be like to never be able to confess your feelings, all of it still bottled up inside now poison as you watch the one you love run around happier than you could ever make them. Keeping quiet and staying away would be the only way you could truly be able to show your love for them after that... like Hatori and Kana.
Haru gave a huff through his nose, well unlike Hatori he wasn't going to let Kyou just waste away. And it wasn't like he had stopped being friends with his cousin, their relationship had just changed a degree, he was pretty sure he could change it back... or at least that's what he hoped for.
He paused, there was an odd smell in the room... usually Kyou's room was so void of everything that nothing ever got the chance of picking up strange odors. Taking another sniff he discovered that it was rather nasty and by the pungency it had to be rather close. A deep frown formed his lips as he came closer to the slumbering cat. Squatting down, a pale hand reached out to a shoulder with specks of dirt decorating it. The bi-haired youth half leaned and half pulled taking in the sight of the one below him. Letting go of the shoulder he reached up brushing his fingers through the grime that rubbed off into orange hair when Kyou had run his hands through the fiery locks at some point. Haru couldn't help but think of how much pain was flowing through the cat if he believed he deserved to sleep in such a condition. The usual Kyou, the Kyou he knew, would have taken a bath immediately while cursing about what had happened.
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Kyou was barely aware of the warmth that surrounded him. At first he tried to pull away from it, instinctively trying to keep a hold of that familiar cold grasp that coated his body since he was a child. It was the only thing that he knew of that told him that he was alive. But when searing hot arms held onto him, he twisted and pulled close to them. Wrapping around as something sloshed against his skin, the feeling of cloth gently running down his arm, the grime of horrors being removed to be replaced with the clean sent of soap.
He had barely opened his eyes, leaning his head back to feel a chest. Haru's face was the only thing in his vision. He briefly wondered why the ox was so close to him, why he felt wet all over and how come those gray eyes swam with so many emotions.
"It's okay Kyou," a wet hand came up to brush at his dry hair not even pausing at the clot of flesh that clung on to him. "It's okay."
His eyes stung again, his vision blurred as hot tears welled up but remained unshed. He leaned farther into the strong chest, even if this was a dream it felt so nice to hear those words, even though they were not the words he truly wanted to hear.
"Sorry," the cat's voice was nothing but a pained whisper as he closed his eyes, finding him self drift back into blissful sleep. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry."
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When he woke up the next day he felt sore all over, mostly in his hands. He could explain the hands though, he had nothing to dig with when he made the grave except for his own fingers. The events of last night came flooding back as he sat straight up. Quickly looking over to his clock he found that it was already past noon, a small panic rushed through his body before he stopped in the middle of fighting to get his covers off of him. He... was in bed. With further inspection his body was clean and he was dressed in pajamas. He patted his hair to find it washed and brushed. The cat was at a loss of what had happened until the door to his room opened.
Hatsuharu leaned against the door frame with a small tray of snacks and tea held in one arm. He gave a tender smile, "Good to see you awake."
Kyou's cheeks reddened at the memory of the bath, the usual subtle blush very bright in his paled state. Hatsuharu had bathed him, changed his clothes, his current state obvious evidence that it wasn't a dream and no one else would have been as kind.
"The fever back?"
"Huh?"
The ox walked up to the side of the bed, placing the tray on the end-table. Leaning over he ran his hands over Kyou's hair, pulling back his bangs and placing their foreheads together. He closed his eyes concentrating on the difference between their body temperatures before pulling back and ruffling orange hair in a way he remembered doing when he was a child. The sweet memories of sneaking up behind the cat and playing with his hair to get a gentle noogie in return seemed so far away, yet with in his reach when they were like this.
"W-what the hell was that for!"
Haru's face split into a smile, that was the tone of voice he was used to the kitty having. "Ha'ri came by earlier to check up on your health. He said you have a cold that's trying to advance into pneumonia. So no school until your better."
"I'm not sick! And why aren't you in school yourself?"
"Got suspended for throwing a desk through the window," he gave a half shrug. "And you /are/ sick."
As if to prove his point on his fitness the redhead threw his blankets up as he started to stand, "I'm fine!"
"No you're not!" the sudden out burst of anger stopped the both of them. He had never sounded so agitated before, not even black Haru rose his voice in such a tone.
The two stood at a stalemate, wide red eyes staring into started gray.
To Be Continued...
