Yuki stared at Haru flatly, his expression blank. "No," he said simply.
Haru smirked, not put out by his cousin's response. Though Yuki looked calm with the blank expression he wore, his eyes were narrowed as his delicate brow furrowed. "Why not?" the Ox countered back.
"Because I don't want to," Yuki said, turning on his heel and walking away. His grip on the grocery bags tightened as he adjusted his hold. Why he would ever decide to allow Haru to accompany him to the grocery store was a mystery to him. But Shigure had insisted that the pantry was empty and that he needed the ingredients for his pickled radish and curry dish for dinner.
Joyful. Maybe Yuki could skip this meal.
He could hear Haru keep up with him, and he sighed, knowing that his cousin would be persistent. To be honest, Yuki was surprised that Haru had even considered coming up to him with such a suggestion. He had to have known what Yuki's response would have been in the first place! After all...
...there was no way he was getting his ears pierced.
Haru shrugged. "I just think it would be interesting." He glanced at Yuki. "I got my ears pierced. It's no big deal."
"Because you are you, and I am me," Yuki said, picking up his pace slightly. "And it is a big deal. Or have you forgotten the status I carry as the Rat?" Here, he shot Haru a warning look, his expression slightly annoyed. "I can't just go around getting my ears pierced. It's unseemly."
Haru paused, eyes flickering downward for a moment. "Do you think I am unseemly?"
Yuki faltered for just a little bit before sighing. He closed his eyes as he collected his thoughts. "Unseemly on me," he clarified. But even then, he knew what he had truly meant before.
"You know I value your honesty, Yuki," Haru said softly, his eyes focused on the young Sohma.
Yuki glanced down briefly. "Fine. I do think it is unseemly, which is why I do not want to do it. But I am also...worried about being judged by others for getting my ears pierced. At the same time, I envy you for your boldness in going out and getting your ears pierced and not caring what others think." Though, to be honest, Yuki was sure that no one noticed the piercings as they were too distracted by Haru's hair. But he wasn't going to point that out.
Haru blinked before a smile stretched across his face. "Aw, c'mon Yuki!" he declared, wrapping an arm around Yuki's shoulders. "With your pretty face, the earrings will probably compliment your cute looks."
"Don't call me cute," Yuki grumbled, squirming out of the Ox's hold. "And that's another reason why I don't want to get my ears pierced; too many people already mistake me for a girl!"
"I think it's adorable," Haru stated.
"Not when men hit on you when they mistake you for a girl!" Yuki exclaimed, exasperated.
Haru came to an abrupt halt, his gaze suddenly fierce. "Men have...hit you?" he demanded, his tone dark.
Yuki rolled his eyes as he continued onward. "Not hit as in the physical hit," he amended. "Just some flirtation. Like at the store a few minutes ago. The cashier mistook me for a…Haru? Haru!" Too late did Yuki realize that his cousin was already turning back toward the small store, his Black Haru persona raging as he charged across the streets. "Haru, wait!" Yuki shouted, dropping his bags and racing after his cousin. He yelped when a car screeched to a stop in front of him. His breaths came out in short gasps as he struggled to race after Haru. His first fear was that Haru would get lost easily. After all, the crowd was really thick, and he would bet that Haru would become confused. His second fear was that Haru would actually find the cashier and beat him to a pulp.
"Why me?" Yuki panted as he ran. "Why me?" Already, he could feel his lungs straining from the frantic running and shouting, and he cursed himself for such a weak body. Just up in the distance, he saw Haru enter the store.
More like crash into it. Yuki sincerely hoped that no one had called the cops.
Yuki stumbled into the store, leaning against the wall with a hand to his chest. He breathed in deeply, wondering where his destructive cousin had gone off to. But no sooner had that thought crossed his mind did he find his answer. His gaze was immediately drawn to the gathering crowd as his ears picked up the shouts of an enraged Ox.
"Was she your girlfriend? I didn't know she was your girlfriend!" the cashier said, trembling as Haru held him in a chokehold.
"He is my COUSIN!" Black Haru bellowed, shaking the man like a rag doll.
At that moment, Yuki staggered forward, gasping weakly. "H-Haru," he gasped before falling to the ground, feeling his lungs strain for air. Despite the weak cry, Haru had heard and had come rushing to Yuki's aid, dropping the now black and blue cashier.
"Yuki," Haru said worriedly, hovering over him. "Yuki? Here! Take your inhaler!" Yuki fumbled with the inhaler desperately as Haru shoved it into his trembling hands.
"Whoa, is she alright?" he heard someone ask. Yuki would have snapped at that person if he wasn't struggling to breath. However, he did manage to let out a strained yelp when Haru lifted him up with ease.
"Come on my fragile mouse," Haru grunted, ignoring the stares they were receiving as he carried Yuki away. "Let's go home."
Yuki took in a deep breath with his inhaler before speaking. "Haru," he said, pointing in the other direction. "Home is that way."
Haru stopped, looking back. "Oh. You sure?" With a shrug, he abruptly turned the other way. "Alright. See, if you had piercings, you would look more manly."
"Getting my ears pierced will not make me look manly!" Yuki exclaimed, indignant. "Nor does carrying me around make me look any manlier. Put me down!"
Gratefully, Haru had not brought up the subject of ears piercings ever again, and Yuki did not think anything of it. However, that would all change with one visit from a slithery brother who just happened to drop in for a friendly visit. But it wasn't like Yuki dwelled on the topic for too long.
If he was being honest, he was curious what it would be like to wear earrings.
He shook his head rapidly. Like the seeds he was placing in the ground, Haru had planted the first seeds of curiosity in Yuki's head.
"Ridiculous," he muttered as he gathered his gardening supplies. "Men shouldn't get their ears pierced." He huffed. "That's it. There's my answer."
It was in that moment when Yuki had been walking back from his secret base, tending to his plants, that he was assaulted.
"BROTHER!" the excited shout had proclaimed, causing the younger Sohma to blink, startled.
Yes, he would call his brother's presence 'assault.'
"Ni-san?" Yuki exclaimed, trying to escape his brother's overly affectionate embrace. "Where did you come from?"
Ayame giggled boistrusly. "Why, from heaven my darling! Where else?" His embrace only tightened, as did Yuki's chest from the pressure. "I was on my way to see Shigure! What are the odds that we would run into each other? It must be destiny!"
Destiny his foot. But eventually, Yuki had managed to escape Ayame grasp, but he did not escape the Snake's presence. Instead, he had to suffer the walk back with Ayame's needless prattling.
"You are so perfect," Ayame gushed. In that moment, the Snake looked as if he was going to burst from sheer pride. Pride from what, it was unknown. Yuki could tie a knot and Ayame would still insist on creating a collage dedicated to the 'historical' moment.
"So prim, so proper," Ayame continued, his voice rising with volume. Yuki feared that he would indeed go deaf if this continued on. "Why, you follow the rules like a proper gentleman. One might even say that you are so subservient."
Yuki blinked. "I...I am not subservient!" he exclaimed. "And where did you even learn that word?" He didn't think his brother's vocabulary was that big!
Ayame hummed. "Oh, yes you are! You are subservient. And I learned it from Mine! She's teaching me a lot of things. Like the word dogmatic. You're like that too!"
"Ni-san," Yuki all but growled. "Subservient is someone who takes orders unquestingly, while being dogmatic means someone who lays down the rules. They are both different definitions! How can I be both?"
"Because you follow the rules and lay them down for everyone else to follow. You are adamant on being perfect," Ayame insisted. "It's in your nature!" He squealed. "My perfect little brother! You are a perfect man, just like me!"
Yuki growled. "I am not like you," he hissed.
"Oh, of course you are," Ayame insisted. "Even Akito thinks so!"
Yuki nearly froze right there at those words. But just as quickly, he snapped right back out of them. "Right," he muttered. "The perfect man."
Ayame blinked. "OH!" he squealed. "My BROTHER agrees with me!"
It had seemed like years before Yuki had managed to escape his brother. He had raced home in that moment, ignoring his burning lungs and how difficult it was for him to breath. But the safety of Shigure's home was quite promising. Funny how he considered Shigure's house 'safe.' But, when Yuki had arrived, he was not in the best of moods.
Yuki stomped into the house, glare fiercely. "Dogmatic," he growled under his breath. "I am not dogmatic."
Shigure looked up from his newspaper with a smirk. "Oh? Who's being a dog? I will have you know that I have been on my best behaviour today...so far."
"I don't think you're a dog, Yuki," Haru said simply, and it was then that the Rat finally noticed the Ox's presence. Haru chewed on his apple, looking thoughtful. It was then that Yuki noticed with a brief moment of surprise that Haru had another piercing in his ear.
That Ox never stopped.
In that moment, Yuki came to a decision. It was risky, but the seed that Haru had planted in his mind began to take root.
Dogmatic.
Subservient.
Ayame and Akito thought so. They thought of him in such a way that would be easy to be controlled. That was the last thing he wanted. Yes, maybe this line of thinking was borderline on rebellion. But who was he really rebelling? His parents didn't care what he did anymore. But Ayame would surely faint from shock at the risk his 'darling' little brother was taking.
Just the idea caused him to smirk.
Yuki strode forward, grabbing Haru by the shoulder and dragging him away. "We need to talk," was all Yuki said, ignoring a smirking Shigure.
Haru rightened himself up, standing in front of Yuki with a small frown. However, his frown turned into a smirk as he leaned back against the wall lazily. "Whatever do you want to talk about?" he asked. "You do know I treasure the time we spend together."
Yuki barely resisted rolling his eyes. First his brother, now Haru. Although, Haru's presence was slightly more bearable. "Haru," he started, fidgeting a bit. He would have to be fast before his brother recovered from the knocked out state Yuki had placed him in. Yuki steeled his resolve and looked his cousin straight in the eye. "I want you to take me to get my ears pierced."
To say Haru was ecstatic was an understatement. Yuki didn't think it was possible for anyone to float from sheer pleasure. But Haru managed to prove him wrong.
"I know a guy, and he's one of the best," Haru assured Yuki as he led the young Sohma into the garage. A very dark, musty garage. In fact, Yuki had been the one to lead Haru to the location. Haru had simply given him the directions, and it had been up to Yuki to decipher his cousin's scribbles. Haru was hopeless when it came to directions, so of course it was up to Yuki to lead themselves to this new place that Haru had obviously visited numerous times.
Yuki looked around uneasily, noting the cars placed around with at least four men tending to the vehicles. The squinty glares that he received from the rough men, along with the way the crowbars were being wielded, caused him to rethink his rash decision. "Um, Haru," he started uneasily. "Are you sure this is safe?"
Haru did not look concerned. "Eh, of course it is. Piercing your ears is not dangerous at all." He looked at Yuki with sincerity. "If you are scared, you can hold my hand. I will be with you every step of the way."
Yuki glared at him. "Not about the piercings. I meant the shop! This place looks pretty rough." Rough was an understatement, but he dared not speak what was on his mind. Especially when he was outnumbered by tall, rock hard looking men.
Haru glanced around, as is seeing the cramped space and the dim lighting for the first time. "I'm pretty sure it's safe," he said. "I come here all the time."
"Okay, how about legal?"
Haru frowned. "It's not illegal to pierce ears."
Yuki wasn't so concerned about that as he was about the tough looking men fiddling with the cars in the garage. Cars with missing license plates. Good feeling was gone.
"Haru," he started. "Are you sure about this guy's business? These cars look," here, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Stolen."
Haru looked around. "Huh, he told me he got them for free." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. Besides," Haru continued striding toward a door. "Báo is really cheap when it comes to my suggestions." With that, he knocked on the door roughly. No sooner had he done that then did it swing open to reveal a rather short and stubby man in a white stained shirt. The man squinted at Haru behind his thick bushy eyebrows before he smiled crookedly. "Eh, my Haru! What can I do for you son? Another piercing? Or," here, he smirked and flexed his red and blue inked arms. "You looking for a paint job?"
To Yuki's dismay, Haru actually looked interested. "Not today Báo," Haru said finally.
The man frowned, obviously disappointed. "But his curious gaze fell on Yuki. "Who's the girl?" he asked.
Yuki bristled while Haru ignored the offensive comment. He gestured to Yuki. "My cousin would like his ears pierced."
In that moment, Báo turned his squinty gaze on Yuki once more. He eyed him up and down, and Yuki shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Báo grunted. "He wants his ears pierced?" He glanced at Haru once more before shrugging. "Alright. Let's get him strapped up."
Yuki blinked. "Strapped up?" he squeaked.
Yuki was adamant that Haru not hold his hand during the entire ordeal. Instead, he sat patiently in the stiff chair as Báo got up close in his face, trying to make sure that everything lined up. To his relief, Báo didn't actually strap him up. Yuki wrinkled his nose at the smell of oils and cigarette smoke, but he did try to keep his expression neutral.
"Don't want one earing higher than the other," Báo explained as he touched Yuki's ears. He took ahold of Yuki's left ear and marked a small spot with a purple pen before repeating the process on the next ear. He nodded. "What do you think, Haru? They even?"
Haru examiend Yuki's face. "They look even," he admitted. He smiled. "Perfect. That's why I always come to you."
Báo grunted. "Don't you forget it. Although, if you wanted, you could always pierce your ears at home." He smirked. "Not at all safe though."
Yuki blinked. "Really?"
Haru shrugged. "Yeah, but I'd rather have a professional do it. To do it at home means you have to numb your ears with ice and pierce it with a needle." He frowned. "I would never do that to you. It's too painful."
"Good to know," Yuki muttered.
"Smart lad," Báo stated. He shook a finger at Yuki stiffly. "Whatever you do, do not move, or I will not be held responsible for the consequences."
That alone caused Yuki to sit upright, rigged. He did not even flicker his eyes around the smelly space as he heard Báo rummage around his desk. "Now where did I put my gun?" he heard the chubby man mutter.
"Gun?" Yuki demanded, alarmed. "Wait, what gun-gah!" In that moment, Yuki stiffened up as he felt the blood rush to his face. He sat there, frozen and stiff as he felt the small, delicate earring shoot into his ear. He let out a breath when the pain somewhat subsided. "Th-that wasn't so bad," he said.
"Next one," Báo said suddenly, causing Yuki to look up worriedly.
"Next one-?" Yuki demanded, and this time, Haru gripped Yuki's hand. Yuki was too shocked by the unfamiliar pain in his ear to pull away.
"Done!" Báo exclaimed, satisfied. He presented Yuki with a small, clear bottle. "Put this on a cotton swab and dap your ears around the earrings twice a day for two months. Do not attempt to take out the earrings during those two months, or they'll close up. Right?" He beamed as he shoved the bag at a blinking Yuki. "Come back again when you want another ears piercing! Or a nose piercing! I haven't done those ones in a while. And Haru," here, the man shook a finger at the Ox. "I'll see you later, and we can talk about the ink, right?"
Haru smirked as he guided a staggering Yuki out the door. "Count on it, Báo, and thanks."
Yuki was in such a daze that he actually allowed Haru to hold his hand as they walked down the streets. Finally, he reached out a hand to tentatively touch the earring on his left hand, feeling the cold metal touch his fingertips. A small smile crawled up his face before he let out a choked, nervous laugh. The sound caught Haru's attention, who stopped and gave Yuki a concerned look.
"I can't believe I did that!" Yuki said with nervous giggles. "I actually got my ears pierced!"
Haru smirked. "It looks good on you Yuki."
Yuki stopped and tried to catch his reflection in a mirror in a nearby store, though he could not see much in the blurry, dark glass.
"Here," Haru said, pulling out his phone. Yuki blinked when Haru snapped a picture, his smirk growing. "For a memory."
Yuki held out his hand. "Let me see," he said.
Haru held the phone protectively. "Na uh. You'll just delete it."
"Haru!" Yuki exclaimed, tugging at his hair in frustration. "If anyone sees it-"
"You'll see when we can get home," Haru said simply. He glanced over. "Or go look in that car's rear view mirror.
With a huff, Yuki did just that. He really hoped that the owner of the car would not come in at that moment to see him kneeling next to the car. How awkward would that be?
Kneeling down, he looked at his reflection and noticed with a brief flicker of surprise how much the diamond studs transformed his face. He looked completely different with the earings. They looked fragile, yet they complimented his pale complexion so well and made his purple eyes stand out more.
"Like I said," Haru said, causing Yuki to turn to stare at him with a small smile. That smile vanished, however, when Haru snapped another picture.
"You look good," Haru said with a smirk as he put his phone away.
Shigure had been struck speechless when he saw Yuki with his new accessories. Throughout dinner, the Dog would not stop staring at him. It got to the point that Yuki felt rather unnerved at the silent attention he was receiving.
"What?" he finally asked, slamming his fork down and glaring at Shigure. He pushed his plate of pickled curry away, which was not too hard at all as the meal itself was disgusting.
Shigure folded his hands and leaned forward. "You look different," he mused.
"You don't say," Yuki said sarcastically.
"Oh well," Shigure said with a wink. "I'll figure it out eventually."
"Whatever," Yuki mumbled. He looked back down at his food with a grimace. "Can we eat takeout next time? Your cooking makes me want to vomit."
Later on, Yuki did indeed feel like he was going to vomit. He was normally not an early riser in the morning, but the sudden stomach ache and the urge to throw-up sent him running from his room and to the bathroom.
Nothing came up, but that did not ease the feeling of panic as he gasped into the toilet, feeling his stomach churn. Was he food poisoned? That darn Dog had finally served him something dangerous!
"Yuki?" he heard someone say, knocking on the door.
Speak of the Devil.
"You alright?" Shigure asked, poking his head into the bathroom hesitantly.
"I think you poisoned me," Yuki moaned. He clutched his stomach, wanting to rest his head on the cold floor. But the nauseating feeling was still there, and he stayed where he was. He wished something would happen so that the pain would stop. But nothing emerged from his stomach and into the toilet, and that caused the panic to settle in once more.
Shigure's eyes flickered over to Yuki before he smiled. "I think Haru has some explaining to do." He said nothing else as Yuki shot him a weak, curious gaze.
Yes, Haru had plenty of explaining to do. Yuki was not at all gentle with his interrogation when the Ox had managed to come and visit.
"Oh, did I forget to tell you that you might experience a moment of nausea after getting your ears pierced?" Haru asked innocently.
Yuki scowled as he glared at his cousin over the table. "Huh, maybe before I decided to get my ears pierced, you should have said 'side-effects may include nausea, dizziness, strokes, heart-attack'." He huffed. "Anything else I should know? Am I allergic to the gems in these earrings?"
Haru shrugged. "Just that you should use up that bottle on your ears twice a day. Twist the earrings too so that the flesh doesn't stick to the earing." He smiled. "If this makes you feel any better, than I have something for you." Here, he slid a pink package across the table to Yuki.
Yuki frowned as he fingered the package before opening it. Inside was a box containing two silver earrings. The silver links were about an inch long and glittered in the dim lighting. They looked so fragile, yet elegant.
"They're made specifically for men," Haru spoke up. "If that helps."
Yuki chuckled as he smiled at the gift before looking at Haru. "Alright, thanks," he said finally. Though he was a bit hesitant to wear the earrings. He was just fine with the small silver studs.
Haru beamed. "You'll have to wait two months before trying them out," he reminded Yuki.
"I know," Yuki assured him. That'll show Ayame! He was not dogmatic at all!
Yuki had to admit that the earinning were not that bad of an idea, but there was always a feeling of uncertainty in the pit of his stomach whenever he saw his reflection in the mirror.
But he would always shrug at the thought. If he ever regretted his decision, he could always take them out. The holes in his ears would close up nice and easy. A quick fix.
He was a bit apprehensive about what his family's reactions would be, but as time went on, the apprehension faded. In reality, he had forgotten to be worried.
But a certain Rabbit brought that all crashing down one day.
"Why does Yuki have his ears pierced?" Momiji asked. "He looks like a mädchen!"
Haru looked up with a small frown from the cards in his hands, but Yuki ignored the Rabbit as he shuffled the cards in his hands. "Yuki's not a magician," Haru stated.
"Mädchen," Yuki corrected. "It's in German." While he had informed Haru what language the word was in, he did not feel inclined to tell Haru what it actually meant.
Momiji bounced over, looking at Yuki with wide eyes. "I think I want my ears pierced," he proclaimed.
"No," Yuki said simply.
Momiji frowned. "Why not?" he whined.
"Because you don't need to get your ears pierced," Yuki said.
"But you and Haru got your ears pierced!" Momiji exclaimed.
Haru shrugged. "People thought I was weird, so I went and got my ears pierced."
"That makes no sense," Yuki said, glancing at Haru with a frown.
"Alright," Momiji started. "Then why did you get your ears pierced Yuki?"
Yuki paused. "People thought I was dogmatic, so I got my ears pierced."
Momiji giggled. "That makes no sense!"
"I would not recommend getting your ears pierced," Yuki said with a tired sigh. He glanced up at Haru from his cards. "Any threes?"
Haru sighed, throwing the card down. He shot a look at Yuki. "Why can't Momiji get his ears pierced? And how come you wouldn't recommend it?"
"If Yuki is getting his ears pierced, then I want to too!" Momiji chirped.
"Don't jump off a cliff for me," Yuki stated as he got up from his seat. He nodded to Haru. "I'll be right back. Don't get into any mischief."
Haru's smile should have been a warning, but really, Yuki was only gone for five minutes. How much trouble could the Ox and the Rabbit get into?
Apparently, a lot.
After Yuki was done, he checked his earrings in the bathroom mirror before leaving, and frowned. While he would not advise Momiji to get his own ears pierced, he could not justify why he got his own pierced. Was it to prove a point? To prove his brother wrong? Was it to finally step out of the perfect little Rat's box and be a little rebellious?
He didn't really know anymore.
Leaving the bathroom, Yuki strode back to the table, only to see that Haru was nowhere in sight.
Neither was Momiji.
It was no cause of concern, until Yuki heard Momiji's strained voice coming from the kitchen. His frown deepening, Yuki made his way in that direction. He could only imagine what his cousins were trying to do. Maybe Momiji was looking for some candy. If so, then he had come to the wrong house.
Stepping into the kitchen, Yuki froze, his eyes wide as he took the scene before him.
There Momiji was leaning over the counter with Haru hovering over him while pressing ice to the blonde's head. In Haru's one free hand was a long silver needle.
"To do it at home means you have to numb your ears with ice and pierce it with a needle."
"Haru!" Yuki said sharply. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Hi Yuki!" Momiji said cheerfully, somehow waving to the Rat as he smiled brightly at him. "Don't mind me. Just getting my ears pierced!"
"It's a simple procedure," Haru said, though he did not move the needle down any further at Yuki's glare.
"I thought you said you would never do an in home ear piercing," Yuki snapped, striding forward. "Momiji, are you sure you want this?"
"Yep!" Momiji said brightly. "The ice is supposed to dull the pain so it won't hurt. It won't hurt much, right?"
"Wrong," Yuki said bluntly. He looked at Haru. "You can't just pierced his ears! What if you hurt him? What about his dad? Have you thought about what he would think about this?"
But Momiji merely grinned. "It'll be a nice surprise!"
Yuki shook his head. "Nope. No, no. Haru is not piercing your ears." With that, he swiped the needle from Haru.
"Aw!" Momiji whined, straightening up and dropping the ice. He clutched his ears, which were still dripping wet and red from the ice. "Then you pierce my ears Yuki!"
"No one is piercing anyones ears," Yuki said firmly. He pocketed the needle as he stared both of his cousins down. "You got it?"
Haru glanced at Momiji who was staring at him with wide, watery eyes. The Ox blinked before turning to look at Yuki who was staring him down. With a sigh, Haru nodded, placing a hand over his heart. "I promise that I will not pierce Momiji's ears."
"Um, Haru?" Momiji started as he followed his cousin into the shop. In fact, Haru had to tell Momiji where the shop was so that he wouldn't get lost, and it had been the Ox who had followed the Rabbit up to a certain point. "I'm really glad that you are doing this, but I never thought you would break a promise to Yuki!"
"I'm not breaking my promise," Haru stated. "I promised him that I wouldn't pierce your ears." He knocked on the office door before stepping back. "Good thing I know someone who can."
In that moment, the door flung open to reveal a short, frowning man with thick eyebrows. Báo blinked as he stared at Haru with Momiji beaming at his side. "Another one?"
"I can't believe you got your ears pierced!" Yuki grumbled, glaring at Momiji.
Momiji merely smiled. "I like it!" he exclaimed.
"I'm even thinking of getting my ears pierced," Shigure admitted with a sly smile. He hummed thoughtfully. "Hm, maybe I should get a belly button piercing."
Yuki groaned, banging his head on the table. "Hopeless," he muttered. "You're all hopeless."
"Has Ayame seen you with your ears pierced?" Shigure questioned.
At the mention of his brother's name, Yuki looked up with a frown. "No," he said simply. Now that he thought of it, he thought it was odd that the one person who he was trying to prove wrong was the last one to notice his change in appearance.
But Shigure merely smiled. "Oh well. That'll change soon enough."
Before Yuki could even open his mouth to inquire what that meant, the back door was flung open.
"GURE-SAN!" Ayame shouted as he swept into the room. "Your beloved cousin is here! And greetings from heaven to my beloved, most treasured BROTHER! I am so thrilled to be-" The Snake cut off abruptly when he stared at Yuki with wide eyes. His mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish, obviously struggling for words.
Everyone was silent as they took in the scene. In that one moment, Ayame straightened up with a bold smile. "I shall be right back!" he declared before dashing out of the house.
"Wha-Wait! Aya!" Shigure called. "You've only just gotten here!" But the Snake was long gone. The Dog leveled a glare at an indifferent Yuki. "You chased him off!"
Yuki raised an eyebrow. "How did I do that? Because I would like to know for the future."
"With your unmanly earrings!" Shigure exclaimed.
"I doubt that's what tipped him off," Yuki muttered as he drank his tea. Though he could not stop the smirk crossing his face.
That smirk would vanish soon enough in the next two hours. Haru bore witness to the tragedy itself.
"YUKI!" Ayame called out as he burst into the room. "To declare our brotherly bond, I too have gotten my ears pierced!" he declared joyfully, twirling around, his red robes swirling at his ankles. "I always knew you had it in you! My little rebel brother! I am so proud of you! Now we can be twins with our earrings!"
Everyone was stunned silent, staring at the Snake. Haru glanced at his cousin with concern. "Yuki," he started. "Don't panic-"
Yuki's horrified expression widened considerably. "Get them off, get them off!" he shouted frantically, clawing at his ears.
"Yuki!" Haru started. "Take a deep breath and think about what you are doing."
Yuki glared at him. "I am separating myself from my brother." With that, Yuki tore off the earrings desperately.
And Haru could only stare as he let out a soft sigh of disappointment.
To Haru's complete and utter dismay, Yuki did not even re-consider putting his earrings back on. Within a year, the holes had closed back up again, leaving tiny pinpricks on his pale ears. Only Haru could actually point out that the scars were still there, and he was almost angry at Ayame for ruining that special moment.
At least he still had the pictures of Yuki with his earrings.
A picture he was willing to share with Tohru, who was now living with the Sohma's.
It was one sunny morning that Haru decided now would be the best time to show Tohru those precious pictures. He smirked, sitting down right next to her. "Hey Tohru," he said innocently, pulling out his phone. "You wanna see a picture of Yuki with his ears-?" He never got to finish his sentence as Yuki, with surprising speed, tackled him to the ground.
"HARU!" Yuki exclaimed, struggling for the phone while the Ox just laughed as Yuki wrestled with him. "I told you to delete that!"