Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or anything else, and seem to be making no progress in such a happy direction, no matter how many times I put Kyo and the others on my wish list ::pauses to sob softly:: anyway, don't sue me, 'cuz I have nothing to give you anyway, except maybe some dead pencils, which you can have for free if you'd like to go through my garbage

Warning: fluffy cotton candy and citrusy goodness. Shounen-ai, yaoi, whatever. The rating is for safety measures, I don't know what the rest of this is going to be like.

Thin Line

Ch. 1 – Breathless

The silver-haired Prince of Kaibara High lay comfortable stretched out on his bed, reading a new book. He was thoroughly enjoying his rare afternoon with the house to himself; Shigure had run off to visit Hatori – and escape his editor – and Honda-san was at work. Even the stupid cat had managed to find somewhere else to be. It was perfect, and Yuki was relishing the thought of several hours of peace and quiet.

A sigh of contentment had barely escaped his lips when the blissful stillness was shattered by the slamming of the screen door and a pair of feet stomping around on the ground floor.

Yuki's jaw clenched and his hands tightened on his book.

Great. Now he's home. The cat's very presence was irksome. He was loud and obnoxious and stubborn, with a temper that matched his fiery red hair and a sharp tongue that went well with his quick crimson eyes. But despite all that, or maybe even because of it, he had friends, real friends, to laugh and fool around with, to talk to. It was so easy for him. Maybe he couldn't be part of the zodiac, maybe he couldn't be accepted by the Sohma family, but he was accepted by everyone else.

Yuki knew he was jealous, and he hated the cat for making him feel such a petty emotion. He knew both the jealousy and the hate were beneath him, but he couldn't fight it, and that made him hate the cat even more.

The noisy footsteps climbed the stairs and drew closer along the corridor.

Yuki felt himself tense as they neared his door, seemed to pause just outside, then resumed their trek down the hall, even louder than before. As the cat's door slid open and slammed shut again, the silver-haired boy released the breath he just realized he had been holding. With an effort, he made himself relax.

With an effort? Why would it take an effort? Why on earth was he so tense anyway? The cat wouldn't dare come in Yuki's private room, had never even had the nerve to open the door. He might yell from outside, but he would never actually break the sanctity of Yuki's bedroom. No matter how badly he wanted to fight.

So was it the possibility of a fight that had made Yuki so tense? Impossible! The cat couldn't touch him – not that he ever really tried, but still, Yuki was sure he was stronger than the stupid cat. So why

Whatever the reason, Yuki decided, it was the stupid cat's fault. And that's the end of it.

Having come to a conclusion, Yuki turned his attention back to his book.

He was just settling back into the peace and calm he'd felt before the cat's disruptive return when he heard noise from the roof. The sounds were soft – if it hadn't been for the deep silence that permeated the rest of the house, Yuki never would have heard them. But he could hear them, and they were slowly, slowly, slowly driving him insane.

With an irritated growl – a sound more commonly heard from the cat, which Yuki did not appreciate hearing from his own throat – the silver-haired Sohma threw his book forcefully aside and rolled off his bed, too upset for the bother of being graceful when no one else could see him anyway.

He marched to his door (a Prince never stomps) and yanked it open. He practically stormed to the roof's ladder, which he climbed swiftly.

The angry words on his lips died as he came over the edge of the roof.

There, lying on his back, staring up at the sky, was Kyo, hair blazing brilliantly in the light of the setting sun.

Yuki felt the breath catch in his throat. Much as he hated the cat, he had to admit that the picture before him was beautiful.

He must have heard the soft gasp, because the flaming head turned towards the sound. The half-dreamy expression on Kyo's face immediately darkened.

"What the hell do you want, you damn rat?" came the low demand.

Yuki opened his mouth to respond, then paused, suddenly uncertain what to say…

A/N: I haven't finished an outline for this one yet, just lots of bits and pieces, so no clue where it's really going. If you've got ideas or requests, feel free to share! They don't do anyone any good sitting in your dirty little heads, they're much better off in mine ::laughs:: kidding! Kidding! I'd love to read your work too, but I always appreciate help on mine, even if it's just reviews… hey, what do you know, reviews! While we're on that subject, PLEASE REVIEW! They HELP! Really they do. Even if it's criticism. Just, please, be fair. If you don't like the pairings or whatever, TOO BAD! If you have a problem with my technique, or something, though, please let me know. Constructive criticism is as appreciated as praise (or nearly as appreciated!) Thanks for reading!

(Oh, and the chappy title "Breathless" is a song by the Corrs!)