A.N. For those of you who take time to read this, I apologize dearly for deleting all three of those last stories I had. I had to start new. Lots of things have happened, and I just had to erase that part of my life and start fresh. I hope you can all forgive me for being gone so long. Enjoy this new story! It takes place when Hatori, Ayame and Shigure are in high school! IT IS AU, so please keep that in mind.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.

Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! I'm glad to be back!

Dedication: This story is dedicated to a dear friend of mine. We'll just call her 'T' for now. Thank you so much, T, for being a wonderful friend to me. I hope you enjoy this.

XXX

Slender fingers pinched the pencil delicately between their grasp, quietly scratching the surface of the paper as they rushed to finish writing the words that needed to be said. Smokey shaded eyes stared at the pristine white paper in concentration as he attempted to finish the last words of this essay…so close…

"Ha-ri!" That voice…that voice full of vigor and vim snapped him out of concentration with a nasty hiss between his teeth.

Red twirled by in a graceful spin, where a slender butt dropped onto the table. Right on the paper he had been working so hard on. "Ha-ri, what are you up to? Why didn't you join 'Gure and I for lunch?"

Gnashing his teeth together, a vein popped dangerously on the young man's neck. Reaching up, he ran his fingers gently through his hair, ruffling the once symmetrical pieces to a wild bedhead look. "Because, Ayame. What have I told you about disturbing me when I'm working?"

Rosy lips popped out in a playful pout that only Ayame could manage to pull off. Was that a hint of sadness in his honey colored eyes? "You're no fun!" Throwing his hands dramatically in the air, he proceeded into his dramatic speech. "Why must you be so stuffy? We could have just had a fun lunch…ah, I get it. You were just intimidated by my gorgeous presence-"

"Hardly." Was his only answer as Hatori calmly pushed Ayame off his papers.

Undeterred, the snake continued his dramatics, "And so you just decided not so show! No need to be bashful, Ha-ri! I know my looks are purely stunning! And can leave the onlooker begging for more!"

Maintaining his serious expression as he packed his bags, he couldn't resist saying, "Begging for more relief."

Sighing in total loss, Ayame threw up his hands in the air once more, and headed for the door, "Let's go join Shigure, he'll appreciate the beauty I can offer. No need to be shy, Ha-ri, there's plenty of me to go around. I'm sure 'Gure wouldn't mind sharing me…"

"Let's go, Ayame." Hatori brushed past him, keeping his eyes straight ahead of him. If he felt even a twinge guilty at getting so cold with his friend, it didn't show in the least in his face.

Unaware he was being watched intently, he missed the sad smile that titled Ayame's lips. Pinching the bridge of his nose with slender fingers, silver locks fell around his face to mask the pain he was hiding. "No matter how hard I try, you can't just laugh…not even give me a smile. What do I have to do?"

Their steady footsteps echoed the nearly empty halls, both males kept their steady paces matched. As they rounded a corner, they saw the principal walking towards them. "Ah, Hatori, there you are. I was looking for you." A middle-aged, full haired man of a strict attitude, he was the last person Ayame wanted to see.

"Sir." Raven locks fell forward as he politely inclined his head. "What can I do for you?" His eyebrows knotted together in confusion as he caught a peripheral glance of Ayame slipping a little bit further behind him. What…?

A frustrated sigh puffed up his cheeks, "It's about your friend that's trying his best to hide behind you. It would seem he has insulted the Home Economics teacher about her fashion sense."

"For perfectly good reasons!" Hatori felt slender hands press into his back as Ayame leaned past him, staring intently at the principal, marigold eyes flashing in determination. "She dared to try to tell me that the fashions from the 1980's were still in! It was no-"

Hatori quietly lifted his hand and clamped it directly over the annoying mouth in his ear. "Not a problem sir. I will take care of Ayame. I apologize for his misbehaviors."

Feeling that familiar ache that plagued his heart and stomach, Ayame quietly dropped back and let his head hang. He could hear the tone of disappointment laced in in Hatori's voice. He hadn't meant to cause Hatori so much trouble.

"See that you do. I'm warning you, Hatori. If Ayame continues this behavior, he will be expelled. I will not have a rowdy delinquent in my school." Snorting in contempt, he turned on his heel and headed for the nearest door.

With more than a pinch of anger, Hatori felt the words fly from his mouth, his brain in no control. "Sir, Ayame is hardly a delinquent. He could certainly be doing worse. And Ayame is indeed right, that woman has terrible fashion sense." Hearing a whispered gasp of shock made his cheeks color with a tinge of rose. Had he just spoken out of term?

Meeting the nasty glare head on, you could see the spark between student and adult. Narrowed chocolate brown clashed with stormy gray as they battled it out in a silent show down. Finally breaking the stare, the principal cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Watch yourself, Hatori. You're my best student. Don't ruin it on a brat like him." He disappeared into the nearest room, shutting the door with an angry snap.

Taking a deep breath, Hatori reached up and pinched his nose, feeling the pulsating headache begin. "Ayame. Why are you trying to sneak away?"

A guilty silence was his only reply. He heard some quiet shuffles approach him again, and waited to see if the snake had anything to say to this. Sucking in a refreshing breath, his eyes slipped opened and he looked dead on at his friend.

Before he could even say a word, whispered words reached his ears, "He's right, you know? I'm nothing but trouble for you. Because of me, you've been unable to get the student council position you wanted, and the teachers seem to be treating you worse…"

Grunting, he turned slightly and reached out with his bag. Thumping the ashen head lightly, he shook his head. "Idiot." Without another word, he took off down the hall, like nothing had just happened.

Wide sunny eyes stared after him, shock marring his features. "Ha-ri…" Snapping himself free from the revere, he took off after his friend, realizing he was far down the hall from him. "Wait for me!"

Steely bluish gray eyes watched from the shadows, a sweet smile tilting his lips. "Oh you two, almost there." Pushing himself from the wall, Shigure slipped into the nearby room. "Best take a short-cut to beat them there…"

XXX

Once again, there was the continuous sound of pencil to paper. The young man was bent over it, concentrating highly on finishing his work. The clock continued a steady glow of red numbers reading 9:30 PM.

Just as he finished writing down the last answer to his homework, he felt his thoughts consume themselves with a certain face. A face of a young man with fair hair and sweet golden eyes.

Soft sighs began to fill the room. Why couldn't he stop thinking on that deliberately bratty boy? Each thought he had was being consumed by the snake and his annoying talk of being gorgeous and fashion statements he was sure to set.

The thought of him taking four hours to select an outfit made a small smile grace Hatori's lips, which he immediately shook off. Letting his silent mask hide his pleasure, he let his mind continue to wander.

Something plagued in his thoughts, a nasty little feeling that made him anxious. Placing his hand on his desk, he pushed himself up and started to pace. Why was he feeling so distraught? He had been feeling this way since the incident with the principal. What could possibly make him feel this way…?

He had noticed Shigure's behavior was off as well. Not only was Ayame saddened much easier than normal, Shigure seemed to be a lot quieter. And his eyes continuously were flicking back and forth between Ayame and himself.

Little secretive smirks would tug at the dog's lips as he watched the two...his eyes swimming with an emotion that made Hatori almost uncomfortable.

Almost like hunger…

Snapping to attention, a harsh ring brought him to reality. Plucking up the telephone, he cleared his throat and answered, "Moshi Moshi?"

"Ha-ri?" Innocently curious, but infinitely sad sounding, Ayame struggled not to just cheer at hearing his crush's voice. Crossing his legs, he pressed the phone closer to his face, waiting anxiously to hear a reply.

A soft sigh filled his ears, was it a sigh of relief? Anger? Irritation? "What is it, Ayame? You do realize it's late, right?"

Using his index finger, the snake made a curly q around it with the phone cord and let it spring away to keep his mind busy from wandering too much. "Yes, I know. I just…I wanted to call and say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for getting you in trouble. But…" Trailing off into silence, he waited with bated breath.

The pregnant pause lasted for quite a while, until finally a soft, "But what?" Was given in reply.

"But I wanted to thank you. You didn't have to defend me like that…" Amused chuckles made him stop, "What's so funny, Ha-ri?"

"You're an idiot, Ayame. You really are." The words were spoken fondly, and kissed with a tinge of something more than that…something much more. Something hidden there that didn't quite fit…

Ayame couldn't resist, his mind told him to do this. "Ahh, I may be an idiot. But I'm truly a beautiful idiot. Wouldn't you agree? Oh come now, Ha-ri, don't be shy! I know you have admired me from afar for many, many days! I can be over there in just a few minutes!"

Clamping a hand over his eyes, Hatori struggled not to hang up the phone right then and there. "If this is going to be our conversation, then say goodnight, hang up and talk to yourself in the mirror. Because I really don't want to hear this."

"But I already know how fabulous I am, I don't need to flaunt it to myself! I must get the proof I need, come now, Ha-ri, don't you think I'm at least pretty? What with my impeccable fashion sense and stunning perfection in looks…"

"You're right. Don't talk to yourself. That requires a mirror. I would feel bad for the mirror when you cracked it by showing it your face." And he said that so calmly, and so uncaringly. "Now goodbye, Ayame."

Offended gasps reached his ears, making a vein pop out on his forehead. He was going to have health problems at this rate…maybe with some luck, one day one of these veins would burst from the pressure and he'd find some relief in hell…

"How rude!" Affronted, golden eyes looked straight on in a mirror. "I'm looking in a mirror right now, and it's grateful to be reflecting my beauty!"

"That mirror must be more blind than my grandfather." With that, a click and steady buzz of the disconnected line filled Hatori's end, making Ayame chuckle slightly. Clicking his phone back into place, he grabbed his red satin pillow and hugged it to his chest, burying his face in it.

This was going to be a long few weeks.

XXX

A room shrouded in darkness weighed with a heavy blanket of tension. Sweat poured, performing races down the young man's face, crow black hair damp with the salty substance. Legs kicked out in flares of distress, soft whimpers erupted from his throat.

No one heard, no there to hear or even to care. The house was completely empty. Blankets tangled in damp messes around his slender body, constricting him.

Feverish yelps replaced the whimpers as he bucked his body and with an electric jolt, he shot up straight, his hair flying everywhere. Gray eyes were wide with terror as he grabbed at his lamp in desperation.

Soft yellow light filled his room, showing there was nothing there to be afraid of. Soft pants filled the room as he sat there and stared at the empty space. Slowly he pressed his palms to his eyes…why was he suffering through these?

Throwing his legs off the bed, he untangled himself and shuffled to his window. Leaning against the frame, he let the cool breeze kiss his skin. "I'll have to take care of this…somehow…" The whispered words were carried into the wind, and hopefully up to Inari's ears for help.

Hearing the phone's shrill cry, he shuffled from the room to the nearby stand. Wearily pulling it free of it's place, he placed it against his ear. "Moshi Moshi…"

"I see you had another one." That voice…that cold, malicious voice. It sounded almost pleased to hear his pain, pleased to hear his agony and weariness from struggling with these plagues of the night.

Lips marring in curled disdained, Shigure found himself unable to keep the little growl of distaste from his voice. "Don't you know it's rude to call someone so late, Akito?"

"Is that anyway to talk to the person who shows concern to call you in the first place?" There was not a hint of concern in that sick tone. A little cough echoed from the other side of the phone, and Shigure, for once, felt no pity at how weak Akito was. That bastard could rot in hell for all he cared.

Voice hardening to cold flint, Shigure struggled not to slam the phone right down on his house-hold leader. "It's not concern if you are about ready to laugh with sadistic pleasure."

"Tsk, tsk. Now you know better than to tease me like that, Shigure. Wouldn't want me to hurt your precious Ayame and Hatori, now would you? I have no reason to hurt them, but I could easily find one…after all, Ayame does cause a lot of trouble in school. And Hatori is rather nasty to me when around my company."

A little growl made Akito smirk in even more sadistic pleasure. He was purposely playing with Shigure's buttons, and he knew that was dangerous, but what would he do? "You harm one hair on their heads and I'll make sure you don't live to harm another soul."

"Oh really? Is that a threat now?"

"No. That's a promise." With that, he slammed his phone back on the hook and let those four cold words settle in for Akito.

Pale lips parted in a truly maniacal grin, "Don't you worry, Shigure. I will make sure to do everything I can to push those buttons of yours." Slender fingers picked up a green fan and he began to fan his face. "That is a promise as well."

No one slept well that night.

XXX

A.N. I know it's a bit short, but this will be a longer story! I hope you enjoyed! ^_^ Sorry if it's not the best, I'm still shaky from lack of practice.