A/N: Hey. A Yuki/Kyo fanfic, because I got the urge and the inspiration…and because the plot bunnies just wouldn't shut up.
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and all it's lovely dysfunctional characters are property of Takeya Sensei.
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Yuki found he loved to watch Kyo get angry.
He loved to watch the curve of his hand when clenched into a fist. His eyes always trailed - if only for a moment - down to the crescent imprints of his palm left from his nails. Yuki enjoyed the flush that covered his face, cheeks brushed over with rage at little things - always such little things. Yuki could only glance at him and he'd lose it.
Their fights were fun. As the Prince of the school, no one really touched him, and Yuki felt deprived of the simple act of physical contact. Tohru-san was the only one who gave him a touch - a hand clasping his unassumingly, a clumsy or impulsive hug. And Kyo, oddly enough.
Interesting how the only two people who didn't think twice about touching him were those two.
Tohru, who he cared for so deeply.
Kyo, who he spent every moment of every day fighting.
It was like he was something breakable; look, fawn over, but don't touch.
Yuki knew he had slender legs, that he had slim fingers, and a pretty face and a graceful figure. He knew that all the things, the flattering words, the gratifying compliments were all true, on some superficial, unimportant level. But every time he looked at his hands, he felt the need to wash them, every time he took a shower, his skin couldn't seem to get clean enough. The mirror did not show what everyone else seemed to see - because if it did, then Yuki wouldn't feel the need to look away.
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Kyo rolled over, and found he was on top of the roof, still in his school clothes since yesterday, dew soaking the navy blue uniform and dampening his hair. The sun was peeking over the houses and buildings, making him narrow his eyes. Annoyingly, his muscles ached, and he guessed it was caused by sleeping on a slanted surface. At least he hadn't rolled off the edge.
There was a stomping noise, and he glanced to the side to see the ladder shaking with each step, and a disgruntled face appeared. Yuki glared at him, lavender eyes cold. "What the hell is the matter with you, stupid cat?"
"What's it to you where I sleep, rat?" Kyo snarled back, pushing himself into a sitting position.
"When Tohru found your room empty, she panicked, dumbass." Yuki spat.
You sonuva- "…that's not - I didn't - for the love of god, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." He choked out, because he had no clue as to what to say to that. He hated making Tohru sad, or nervous, or worry; it wasn't his fault he fell asleep. "Don't say it as if I tried to make her worry over me."
Yuki didn't even need to think. "Next time, be more considerate." And he disappeared with a single thump as he landed on the ground.
Kyo, after several minutes of seething, followed.
From the deepest pits of hell to the gods above, he hated that damn rat. With every ounce of energy he had, he hated him, he hated his perfectness, his manners, his fake smile, his - his - everything, it all just drove Kyo insane being near the bastard.
Kyo wished he could hate him more, wished he hated him until he couldn't stand, until he passed out from the sheer loathing, so he could sleep and rest and just not think anymore.
And one day, someday, he would tell the flawless Yuki Sohma that; that he hated him, not just the automatic declarations of anger he carelessly flung out, but that he really hated him.
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The chance to do so was not far away. In fact, it happened not two days later. Shigure was out, after being hounded/begged/stalked by his editor for the latest manuscript, the dog had disappeared for the day. Tohru was on an outing with Hana-chan and Uo-chan, presumably shopping or some such.
This left Yuki and Kyo alone in the house. Something ridiculous would have happened, like drawing a line across the house for keeping on opposite sides, had either been in the mood. Except it was raining, and Kyo wasn't simply pissed off at being left with his object of disdain, he was grumpy and sullen. Yuki was completely annoyed; he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. Usually he would be happy for Kyo to shut up, but right now, the cat's touchy attitude annoyed him to no end. So what if it was raining? It was water; get the hell over it and move on with your bitchy life already. He kept shooting Kyo disgusted glances, waiting for the cat to snap, because they were sitting (Kyo on the far side of the room, Yuki on the other) in tense, boring silence.
"What?" Kyo finally hissed, actually hissed, as Yuki scowled at him.
"What what?" Yuki deadpanned.
"You keep glaring at me, you-…you damn bastard." He was concentrating on not flopping over and just going to sleep, because if he did that, it would be giving in and somehow, it was like letting Yuki win.
"Why on earth would I even spend time glaring at you, you idiot?"
"How the hell should I know, you asshole?!" Kyo forced out in one breath. Really, they didn't need tape or a line, they wouldn't go near each other if the walls were caving in. And yet, they were both on their feet, not moving, but shouting nonetheless.
"What the fuck is your problem?"
"It's raining, you moron!"
"So what? Get over it! It's rain, it's water! You drink it, how's it bother you now?"
"I DON'T KNOW! It's always been like this, or are you too stupid to realize that until now?!"
"That's rich, coming from you, you stupid cat!"
"You're such a prick, you condescending rat!"
"Ooh, big word for you!"
"ASSHOLE!"
"MORON!"
Neither knew what they were even arguing over now or when they had moved; they were just screaming because the other was screaming back, clutching the other's collar, digging nails in to rip the cloth and skin beneath.
And Kyo noticed how the weather wasn't even on his side, he was tired and furious and the rain provided some light that made Yuki seem all the more ideal and the rage was an ache in his chest, squeezing his lungs, and he finally lost it.
"I hate you! I fucking hate you, I've always hated you so much!"
"And I hate you back-"
"BUT YOU DON'T GET IT!" Kyo was screaming louder; his throat was protesting, the air scraping along his lungs, but he kept drowning out the other's voice, kept screaming, and he would keep screaming until Yuki understood. "You don't get it, because I hate you! I've hated you forever, I hated you before you were born, I hated you before I was born, the moment my existence was carved into life, it was there, etched into my mind and my heart and with every fiber of my being I HATE YOU SO MUCH THAT I CAN'T STAND IT!"
There. Now Yuki would get it, would see that he wasn't someone who could be dismissed, wasn't just some petty revenge, that he really, truly hated Yuki like nothing else.
Yuki, who's expression was unreadable, unreachable, said, in the most infuriatingly calm tone ever spoken on the face of the earth, "and I still hate you more." And with that, he let Kyo go, who tore his hands back as if it hurt to touch the other boy.
And even though it was still raining, Kyo turned and bolted out the door, because he would rather be in Hell than spend another moment in his cousin's presence. He forced his feet to move forward, despite his utter exhaustion, despite the burning in his eyes, and ran until he was so deep into the forest behind their house, he had no clue where he was. All he knew was that he was finally alone.
"You goddamn bastard!" He screamed, abusing his voice box further. "You wretched son of a bitch! I hate you! I! HATE! YOU!" And all the screaming went strait to his brain with a rush of blood, the rain like a million tiny flames stabbing and burning his skin and it was all too much that he gave in and collapsed on the cold, wet ground.
Yuki, meanwhile, stood there, wanting to wreck every inch of the damn house, and yet unable to move a single muscle. Kyo was just such an unbelievable idiot. It was just so Kyo.
You idiot… "I hate you more."
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Edit: This is so old, it's not even funny. Like…months. Lots of months. Could be taken as slash, or general. Just threw this up here, so no, I haven't been working on it all this time. It's just been sitting there, so, here it is.