A/N: Ok, so yea. Been all lazy and slackish as of late, but you know, I'm feeling a whole hell of a lot better now that I got an awesome new computer, more manga, more anime, and if all succeeds in plot, a WACOM TABLET! Yay! So yep. That's right. I'll finally be able to do some serious mad shit with it. SA-WEET! Oh! And like, not too long ago before putting this up, I read over the reviews I had gotten for Yuki Means Snow, and I realized something... I'm such an asshole for not updating that. But now that I'm feeling so much more typy-wypy! :D I WILL CLEARLY RE-WRITE CHAPTER THREE AND HOPE TO GOD THAT I REMEMBER WHAT WAS IN IT! Seriously, I really do must apologize for that story's lack of responce. :/ I know, I know. "No excuses!" I had Chapter three SO CLOSE to being updated, and I thought. 'Hey, why not update it after babysitting?' And that's when the cold hard reality hit me... Well... The phone call from my mom saying that the computer crashed was more cold.. But... REALITY SUCKS!

Shit. I'm rambling.

Disclaimer: ... :[ No.

Italics - Thinking/Emphisis

' ' - Emphisis as well

Underlining - Once again, emphisis... ( You see where I'm going with this? D: I think I'm maturing things too much. Lawls, Lawls. )

" " - Talking or quoting

Raindrops

Chp 1.

I remembered a time when I felt so greedy. That I finally felt alive. That it was the one reason to prove that I was human.

Sometimes, I'd be locked away into my room, so used to my pre-life that I had no idea that all I had to do was take that first step outside.

For years I felt so alone… So alone that I was just a waste of mind. A waste of human material, just something to fill in for others entertainment. I thought for a long time that, that was good enough.

That as long as people paid some sort of attention to me, that I'd had finally found a reason for my being here.

Thinking back when Akito would come and fill my head with ludicrous thoughts, I.. I wanted to believe them. I hate admitting it, but I did. I felt dirty. And I felt wrong for thinking it, thinking that every time I took a bath that I wouldn't be able to feel clean again.

I felt rotten to the core. That every thing anyone has ever said to me was a lie to make me work. To wined me up like a toy just for their pleasure.

I thought that moving away would make me feel better, but like I said, it only made me feel weak, made me feel like I was still nothing but a toy.

Then I remembered something else from my past.

I remembered being cold. Not just physically, but emotionally. Feeling everyone's eyes on me. It was long ago, when I was real young and I had wondered off and after overhearing the maids about someone being outside. I had let my curiosity get the better of me.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone out that night of the banquet. But I had a reason, a string of hope that maybe I'd find a way out of loneliness that I was brought into.

I thought his hair was pretty.

Pretty Orange. I remembered thinking to myself.

The main house had mainly deep, dark colors. Even when the sun would find a way in, it'd still make you felt choked or suffocated.

I believe that was my reason for liking the color of his hair or the matching blue, knitted jacket that clung to his body in the chilly air. I also felt relieved seeing a kid my age.

Sure there was Haru, but he kept his distance during that time, he'd still come to see me but it usually was always short and Momiji was always out and about enjoying his time following Hatori and the rest of the Zodiacs. I found it funny how Akito made sure that I was to have less visitors as possible. I hated it as much as I was developing my hate for him.

Kyo. The cat.

I guess I would never had found a way to learn what 'hate' was if I had never met him that night. If Akito hadn't came and told me about his mother's will. How she killed herself… How he felt just as much hate for me than I gained for him.

Heck, I felt even more horrible with knowing he hated me without even knowing me.

Despite the word coming from off my tongue, though, I never truly liked saying it. Maybe… Just maybe, it wasn't true.

That for some strange reason, I really didn't hate Akito. That I didn't hate Kyo. And that I didn't really hate my life.

That maybe I had just put selfish excuses down for the reasons I did. I could understand the pain it felt on Kyo for hearing that come from his mother's will.

That it was "… too painful." to be with him. I probably had the similarity, but the feeling of actually having a mother await you every time you had gotten an award, or when you come home from school, or even say 'I love you.'

I never had that. Not once…

And that's why I felt selfish. Thinking that I deserved that and that he at least had a mother who would pretend to say it. He even had Kazuma afterwards. He was like a father to Kyo, and the closest I had gotten was Shigure as my guardian.

Though I should be grateful. Ever since Tohru Honda had came into our lives and she bloomed quite expertly into a women around us… So was my feelings for her. She was the exact image I had wanted to feel when being with my own mother. And I loved her for that.

But Kyo… I know I had stopped hating him. I never liked fighting in the first place so I had made it clear to him last year that I called it truce, that I didn't feel like it anymore and that I couldn't be bothered anymore.

That I was sick of it.

I didn't understand the look on his face, but before I remembered anything else, he just muttered a "Fine." and left it at that.

Now during our last year he's been weird. Always been making short conversation with everyone and as if I could choose a word. Sulking would be the best to describe his hands in pocket routine and seeing nothing but his back as he would disappear less than seconds.

Tohru's been worried more and more on him, like she knew something that I just didn't get. Shigure never answers my questions with any reasonable answer. Usually I'd get a hint, but he'd always get me when I just want to go smother myself into my pillow.

But it bothered me to no end. All these years, and he's just willing to let it all go? I'd expected at least a heated fight out of it, but yet. Still came none.

I'll even admit to being a bit paranoid when around him. Like, he'll come out of nowhere and attack me with my guard down if I wasn't careful. Yet, still no Kyo's usual antics. Just his moping self…

And then it dawned on me… How I had never thought of Kyo as an adult till now. The way he had matured from when he first started living with us with his loose, baggy clothing and boyish motives. Now it seems, as if he looks more like a man then the obnoxious teenager that was always pictured.

I don't know, maybe I'm just thinking too hard.

Another year, I suppose.

Maybe I'll finally have answers.

"So I see that they had came out with new ones, huh?" Shigure broke the silence over dinner. Tohru was busying herself trying to make conversation to lessen the tension and it must've gotten to the Dog's head.

"Uh-huh! New text books and even over-heads have been added to some of the classes. I know the Science wing gotten new lab tables and new flasks." She turned toward the boys. "Yuki-kun? Was that stuff expensive?"

The teen stopped in mid-action of popping a piece of sushi into his mouth and sighed. "Well… I know that it was a reasonable price. Really, the school had an easy pass on some discounts from last year's sale's."

"Yes. Come to think, you guys did make quite a hit with those chocolate rice balls. It was a good idea." Shigure grinned at Tohru who blushed instantly.

"Good idea indeed." Yuki, too, grinned. "We have you to thank, you know. In a way, you made it happen for those extra new supplies."

"Heh." She rubbed the back of her head with mild embarrassment. "O-oh. It was nothing. R-really." She blinked and glanced down at the orange haired teen. "U-uhm, Kyo? Would you like anymore? There's plenty."

She frowned a little when he just shook his head.

"Cat, you should be grateful enough to take seconds." He swiftly shoved in another piece of his meal and chewed silently as the orange head glanced up and narrowed his eyes at him.

They don't look like they used to… Yuki commented to himself when peeking from out of the corner of his eyes.

"Oh? And what are you? My mother?" He grumbled at him in a soft tone.

"No. But you should be more considerate than just shaking your head at someone." Yuki turned to return the same look. Mirroring Kyo's eyes with his own.

Tohru noticed it as well as the Dog. They knew the two had came to a silent agreement on fighting with each other and ever since then, the boys wouldn't fight as they had before. Though there were still fresh remarks and comebacks. Everything was a lot calmer and in Shigure's case, everything was a lot safer.

"And say's who? I don't have to listen to you, you have no control over me." Kyo just stared Yuki down, Tohru sighed and tried to lighten the mood.

"Uhm… I made desse-"

"I'm done."

Everyone stared at Kyo's back as he took his leave out of the room.

"There he goes again."

"Like he always do. To sulk."

"B-but…" She glanced at the remaining two and worriedly looked at Kyo's half eaten dinner.

"Honda-san? Don't worry for tonight." Yuki looked down at his food, not feeling quite hungry any more. "I pushed him tonight."

"Why, you hardly pushed." Shigure muttered mostly to himself as he rested on his hand, leaning against the table. "Though… I'm wondering what's getting to that boy." He side glanced at Tohru's paling face and grinned. "So! Tohru? You made dessert?"

Yuki blinked suspiciously at the two as Tohru nervously nodded, deep in thought and hardly spoken about her creation of pound cake she had made earlier that day.

"I'm… done as well." He went to stand up and lifted a hand to Tohru's returning attention. "No, no. Dinner was very lovely tonight. I'm just really exhausted. Probably student council. " He bade the two goodnight, apologizing for his lack of helping the girl out with dishes and headed up the stairs.

He stopped just before his own door to glance at the closed one across from his room as if it would give out answers, any at all. But yet, came none as he just shook his head and closed his door behind himself.

It's too early to talk. He thought.

He crossed his room to his bed, pulling back the sheets and the one blanket before shedding his shirt and tossing it off to the side. He thought he heard something, stopping for a minute before shoving his pants off to toss along with the shirt.

Yuki turned towards the knocking on his door. He sighed inwardly and told them to hold on before shrugging on his night pants and shirt, only buttoning one of the buttons as he opened the door to an even more startled teen.

"Cat-"

"Look…" The teen fumbled for words, looking anywhere but at Yuki. "It's just… I haven't been in the right mood as of late." He finally looked up and gave a sideways frown. "Tohru… wasn't much upset when I left… Was she?"

Yuki blanked but leaned against his door a little. "Well… She wasn't all that crystal calm about it."

"Agh, I know. But… she didn't… cry… did she?" He hesitated and for an unknown reason, the worriment he felt radiating from off the cat, bothered him.

Yuki twitched. "She didn't cry. No." He sighed for the up tenth time that night. "Why…. Uhm. Never mind." He shook his head while as the cat raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's nothing. Good night, Kyo." Yuki moved so as to close the door but blinked widely up at the slightly taller teen who had managed to shove his foot into the doors path.

"No. If we're going to make this whole "truce" thing work. We might as well get shit off our chest. What did you wanted to say?" Kyo didn't let go of the door, nor did Yuki for that matter. "Your not the only one whose been all up in thoughts." He narrowed his eyes and peered closer than he'd normally would. "What's gotten into you?"

"Me?" Yuki huffed slightly and stopped his notions on retreating. "I've been fine these couple months. It's you whose been all moody lately."

Normally, before, they'd never had this kind of relationship. To Yuki, it felt more relievable but still he kept up his cold guard, just for the sake of habit.

"Pft, don't you go picking me into a fight. At least I can admit that I've been acting strange. You've been hiding in your room and only coming out whenever those kids from your council come and get you. Or whenever it's time to eat."

"Like you don't do the same? So what? I have a life too you know. Has it ever occurred to you from last year that I had enough work to do other than just homework? So what do you think this year is about?" He defensively added the last in suspicion. "More in importantly. Why is it that everyone know what's wrong with you and I--"

Kyo blinked at him, waiting for a continue, but when it never came, his eyes turned into something Yuki never seen in the cat.

What... what is that?

Yuki shook his head. "I've just been more busy than last year." He tried horribly to drop the subject. "Sorry if my business is interrupting your life." He folded his arms over his chest.

Kyo glared suddenly.

"Hey, look, I have my own reasons, I only asked 'cuz everyone else've been jumping down my throat wondering what the hell's the matter with you." He juts his thumb towards himself. "Like I would know! Like I'm your damn keeper!" He grind his teeth to hold in any more shouting in case someone over heard them.

Yuki stood, hardly phased by Kyo's response.

"Whatever. At least I'm trying." The cat turned and went to walk off but stopped short, startled at feeling someone reach out and grab at his wrist.

Yuki looked down at the wrist he had latched onto. He felt a slight pinching, turning the wrist in his palm a little to see the beads on the tanned boy indenting into his skin.

"Wh-what?" Kyo hardly wanted to feel weak in front of the rat, but anything that had to do with those damned beads, he just wanted any escape even if that meant showing his weakness in front of his ex-enemy.

"I'm… Sorry…." Yuki let the words rest at bay on the tip of his tongue before looking up, letting go the now falling limb to its' owner's side. "I'm sorry… If I offended you."

Kyo blinked in astonishment. Never had he heard the boy utter anything similar to that. It was, as if to Kyo, not a trick. It sounded more sincere. Like it actually was meant to be an apology.

Yuki just watched the boy in front of him turn towards him and shove his hands into his pockets.

Kyo scoffed.

"You didn't offend me, rat. I just got mad." He looked away and then looked back with a stifled yawn. "Well. This time, g'night." He nodded his head before he trudged his way back into his room, shutting the door quieter than he had the first time.

Slowly examining what had happened during the conversation. Yuki reached up to rub his forehead, feeling slight warmth. He must be really exhausted.

"Oh well… Tomorrow's another day." He smiled slightly, looking down at the hand that had clasped Kyo's arm. He felt it tingle before shrugging the feeling off.

A/N: I really would like to thank all my readers who had reviewed Yuki Means Snow. I really didn't expect to get that many reviews out of two chapters of that story, but it did! And yay! And I'm thankful!

-hands out milk and freshly baked cookies-

So yea, hopefully this'll be an 'Ok' story and I'll make sure to get my butt up and onto gear! RaW!