Hi guys, first fanfic ever, sorry if there are some mistakes as I don't have a beta. I proof read a couple of times but my spelling is notoriously bad and I may have skipped some errors. Anyways, please enjoy ~
Kyo inwardly groaned batting at the thick branch dangling in front of his eyes.
"Don't even think about it!" he snarled dangerously at the grey striped feline meowing longingly from outside the green foliage he had hid himself in. Behind the persistent cat were around a dozen more equally loud meowing ones, all clambering desperately to reach Kyo. Backing further up, he tried unsuccessfully to distance himself from the group, glaring menacingly from under the wet leaves.
This was all the kuso nezumi's fault. The damn prince had stupidly organised a meeting with the student council that night, forgetting that Tuesdays were his days to walk Tohru home from her part-time job.
"I'm so sorry Honda-san" Yuki apologised, "It's been so busy trying to organise the budget for this terms school trip that it slipped my mind."
"Teh," Kyo snorted from his spot under the tree, "Just like the kuso nezumi to double book."
Before he had time to react Yuki had already expertly flung three perfectly sliced pickles into Kyo's open mouth. Ignoring the sounds of Kyo choking, he stared guiltily at the carefully prepared bento that Tohru had packed for him, picking at it half-heartedly. This was the third time in a fortnight he had been forced to stay back because of council duties and although they really did need to finalise the budget he didn't want to give up his time walking Tohru home.
"I can reschedule it to tomorrow night when Kyo's free to take you?" he offered.
Tohru's eyes grew wide in alarm. "No!" She waved her hands in panic and resolutely shook her head. "It's such an honour that the teachers trust you with such a big responsibility! Yuki-kun can't let down the council. Please don't worry about me, I'll be fine walking on my own! I look forward to attending the trip Yuki-kun and the student council have been working so hard to prepare."
It was hard to argue when she put it like that, but still..
"Well you can't go alone." Arisa interjected, lazily flicking her hair, "Can't the author guy pick you up?"
"Yes." Hanajima agreed, "Who knows what kind of perverts might find Tohru tonight, tired and defenceless from a full day of school and work.
Yuki nibbled awkwardly on his lunch while Kyo paused from spitting out the remains of the pickles. Trouble did have a way of following Tohru, they both thought, and if a pervert did manage to bump into her...they shuddered at the thought.
"Shigure is having dinner with Ayame-san and Hatori-san tonight." Tohru provided, "And I couldn't possible ask that of him. Shigure-san is always so busy working on his novels, it would be rude of me to waste his time for something so silly."
Yeah right, both the boys thought, Shigure did about as much work as a real dog.
"And Kyo has training at the dojo tonight," she continued, "Thank you for looking after me, but really I'll be fine!"
She smiled brightly at the group while a distant bell rang signalling class had resumed. Dusting themselves off and gathering up the rubbish they headed inside. Pausing at her side while she collected her things, Kyo gently bumped the top of her head with his fist.
"Hey." She looked up and tilted her head cutely in question. "I'll pick you up tonight. I was only supposed to help Shishou with the younger kids. He won't miss me if I leave a little early."
Tohru started in surprise. "K-kyo," she stuttered, "You don't have to do that! Those kids must really look up to you and Kazuma-san must need his top student–"
"It's nothing!" he burst out, flushing from her praise. "You'd probably hurt yourself or something dumb like that if you're on your own."
Looking at the flustered cat, Tohru smiled gently. "Arigatou gozaimasu Kyo-kun."
Tohru's face was suddenly too much to handle as she looked at him with those eyes and that smile. No-one ever looked at him like that. Flustered he quickly looked away inadvertently meet Yuki's eyes who stared back at him with a glare.
"Hurry up or we'll be late." He snapped and stalked off after Hanajima and Arisa. Kuso nezumi, it was all his fault.
Kyo's mood had only continued to darken as he left the dojo that night to find it had started to rain. Perfect, he thought as he raised his hood over his head and started towards the Sohma building where Tohru worked. Maybe it was the rain blurring his vision or the hood partly obscuring his sight, but when the gaggle of young girls running under a cute mouse print umbrella, complete with little grey ears, bumped into him as they hurried home, he failed to react in time and before he knew it the heavy weight of his clothes were suddenly piled on top of him.
"Sorry mister!" one of the girls called out, though they didn't stop in their flight and continued running along most likely trying to get home before the rain got any worse.
Kyo had quickly jumped into the nearby bushes before he transformed back and ended up naked on the street. The cats sensing him had showed up a few minutes later and had since been trying to clamber through the thick branches of the bush to reach him. All he needed now was to transform back and find himself naked, stuck in a bush surrounded by hysterical cats while the heavens above laughed at his situation and mock him with their rain. No doubt the damn prince was in on it and persuading them to send down lightning next.
Hearing a distant rumble he cursed the rat again and planned how he would attack the guy as soon as he returned from his damn meeting. However he was only halfway through imagining sending Yuki flying through the door when the electronic doors of the Sohma building opened with a swish. Tohru looked around obviously searching for Kyo when her eyes fell on the cats. Ignoring the rain she stepped out from under the buildings shelter and towards the bushes.
"Hello there little kitty cats." She bent down and patted the stripped grey one that Kyo had been warily watching. "What are you all doing in the rain?" She turned to look under the shrubs to where all the cats seemed desperate to reach and came eye to eye with a furious Kyo.
"Idiot!" he snapped, "What are you doing talking to them. They can't understand you!"
He angrily crawled out and briskly shook the debris off his fur. "Hurry up and get my clothes and pick me up before someone sees us."
"Ehhh!" Tohru was frozen in shock, her eyes wide as saucers. "Kyo!"
"Of course it's me stupid!" His ears went back, he felt guilty for yelling at her. It wasn't her fault after all but the rain was making him so irritable and combined with the events of the night he had lashed out before he could help it.
"Just pick me up so we can go home." He sighed.
Tohru shook herself out of surprise and quickly gathered up Kyo's clothes, folding them neatly into her bag before bending down and scooping up the grumpy cat.
She sighed inwardly as she absently stroked his wet fur. Today had been a long day. The surprise quiz in class today showed that even with Yuki-kun's help Tohru was still struggling with the new equations they were learning. And work today had been a complete circus. Kanzaki-san had called in sick, while Motomura-san had injured her ankle but unable to afford a sick day had come in anyway. Tohru, not about to let the injured women do the work had buzzed around the whole building doing the job of three people almost entirely by herself. But it looked like Kyo had had an even more eventful day, she thought as she looked down at the cat that was now slowly falling asleep from her gentle patting and the rhythmic, even rocking of her steps.
"Well, looky what we have here." A greasy voice said breaking Tohru out of her musings.
Looking up she saw two men in dark clothing steadily advancing up the street towards her.
"Maa, Fujiko, looks like this girly's lost." Said a second equally greasy voice. "Why don't we help her and her little kitty home eh?"
"Oi." Kyo said, waking up. He blinked sleepily wondering why they'd stopped and where the noise had come from. His eye's lighted upon the two men creeping closer and he was instantly awake tensing up in Tohru's arm. Shit, shit, shit! He thought, the predatory look in their eyes was zeroed in on Tohru and she was starting to look panicked. Normally he could kick their asses or scare them off but in his cat form the best he could do was scratch at them.
"Aw look, the kitty thinks it's a good idea." They both laugh cruelly, "Come on pretty, come with us and we'll make sure you get home safe."
"I-It's okay!" Tohru says shakily, "I know my way home."
Kyo's fur bristled as the men continue to laugh, his brain quickly ticking quickly over their choices. If they run they wouldn't get far. Tohru's clumsiness along with the rain would easily allow them to catch up. He could jump them when they got close enough and scratch out their eyeballs, but these were two full grown men and the rain had sapped him of a lot of energy. But if these bastard's dared lay a finger on Tohru...
"Eh Fujiko, she knows her way home." The second man jeered, "What a smart girl you are. Why don't you help us find our way home then. It's real close."
They were within reach now and Kyo was disgusted when the street light lit up their twin expressions of lust.
"I'm sure you two will manage."
Kyo paused mid pounce and looked behind the men where another figure had appeared hidden in the shadows. He knew that voice.
Stepping closer Yuki lowered his umbrella and looked icily at the surprised men. "I think it best if you two gentlemen head on home now. I'd hate if something, unpleasant, were to happen to you both."
"Y-Yuki!" Tohru's face was a mixture of surprise and relief as she clutched Kyo in a death grip.
"You little punk!" the one named Fujiko snarled, "You don't scare us!" He lunged forward but Yuki was too fast.
Walking past the immobile Fujiko on the floor and ignoring his friend who was bolting down the path, Yuki stopped next to Tohru's frightened form .
"Honda-san," He opened the umbrella over there sodden bodies. He was shocked when he had been met with the scene of a soaking wet Tohru and juunishi Kyo being harassed by those two low lives. He shuddered at what would have happened if he hadn't shown up on time. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry I wasn't able to get here sooner."
"Kuso nezumi! What the hell are you doing here?" In all honesty Kyo was glad for Yuki's sudden appearance. He had no idea what he would of done short of jumping out of Tohru's arms, waiting to transform back and fighting those bastards in the nude.
"Baka neko," Yuki said looking down disdainfully at Kyo, "I won't even ask how you managed to get yourself like that and leave Honda-kun to fend for herself. I thought the whole point of you walking her home was to make sure nothing happened to her. But I guess we could expect as much from you."
"Don't you pull that prince act on me! If you hadn't double booked tonight I wouldn't of had to leave training early and bump into those girls!"
"Only a clumsy idiot like you would have walked into a group of girls."
"That's it you and me! Right here right now!"
"Tempting, but how am I suppose to fight a cat?"
"Don't get smart with me you damn rat!"
"Ano..."
"Tohru-kunnnn," Shigure's voiced sing-songed.
Three heads snapped to the road where Hatori's sleek black car had pulled up. "What are you two doing here?" Shigure pouted, "I wanted to be the one to rescue Tohru-kun from the rain."
"Gure!" Ayame's head poked out from the backseat window to bop alongside Shigure's, "But what if I need rescuing?" He's hair waved in the rain wind poetically while the drops of water slapped against the glass of the window before sliding to splatter on the road.
"Then I would be there in a heartbeat!" Shigure reached out towards Ayame where they clasped hands, staring lovingly into each other's eyes before breaking apart and bumping thumbs. "Yosh!"
"Settle down you two." Hatori's calmly voiced from the driver's seat, "And do you three plan on standing there all night? I have enough on my hands without having to deal with colds."
"Ah arigatou gozaimasu Hatori-san for picking us up. But how did you know to come get us." Tohru asked once they were all seated in the car.
"Shigure here was saying how tragic it was that no one was able to walk Tohru-kun home and when it started raining I decided it might do to come get you." Hatori said turning the wheel slightly as they rounded a corner. "Also I had enough of these two for a night."
"Ha-san! So mean!"
"We were fine on our own!" Kyo's day was, if possible, getting even worse. After having to explain why he was in his cat form it was decided he should stay that way until they reached Shigure's so Hatori wouldn't have to make two trips. For once he was grateful for his orange fur as he shifted awkwardly on Tohru's lap. Yuki kept shooting him glares like he was some kind of pervert while Shigure had that annoying knowing smile plastered on his face.
"Please," Yuki intercepted, "Before I showed up all you could do was lie in Honda-kun's arms and me-ow." He drew out the last two syllables mockingly and giving Kyo one of his more demeaning prince smirks.
As the two continued to bicker with the occasional jibe from Shigure and Ayame and threats of walking home from Hatori, Tohru absently stroked the raging cat on her lap thankful for having so many kind people look out for her.
As Hatori pulled up in the drive beside their house and the occupants began to orderly pile out of the car, except for Kyo who was a flash of orange as he bolted inside and into his room, Tohru suddenly cocked her head in thought. "Ah Hatori-san, Ayame-san have you eaten dinner yet?"
"We were actually deciding on what to order when it started to rain and we decided to come get you." Hatori answered only now realising how hungry he actually was. He's stomach gave an embarrassing gurgle but thankfully no one heard over the rain.
"Oh then as a thank you for picking us up please stay for dinner. It's a bit late but with Yuki's council duties, Kyo's training and my part-time job we've adapted to eating late."
"Honda-san, are you sure?" asked Yuki panicking slightly, "You've had a long day are you up to cooking a big meal?" He'd had a long day too and wasn't sure if you could handle Ayame tonight.
"Oh no its no trouble!" She assured him sliding gracefully out of the car, "I made stew last night so Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun and Shigure-san would be able to heat it up when I'm at work on Thursday and not have to wait for me to come home."
Smiling cheerfully she turned to Hatori and Ayame, "But there's plenty and I can always make up some more by then so please come in!"
"Gure! You're absolutely right!" said Ayame, slinging an arm over Tohru's surprised shoulders and steering her towards the front door. "She makes an absolutely adorable house wife, but Tohru isn't there anything a little more appetizing than stew? I'm afraid I've had a rather long day."
"Now Aya don't think about stealing away my little bride!" Shigure said, waggling a finger at Ayame.
"Honda-san!," a horrified Yuki stalked over to them pulling Tohru through the house while simultaneously grabbing Ayame's hair and flinging him over to land at Hatori's feet.
"You asked for it. Now both of you behave." Hatori said to the dazed Ayame before snuffing out his cigarette, following Yuki and a confused Tohru inside Shigure's house.
"Don't worry Aya," Shigure picked up the snake who now sported a comically large lump on his head, "I'll tend to your wounds in my private study."
Hatori sighed, the promise of Tohru-kun's cooking the only thing stopping him from turning around and driving home as the he heard the two behind him happily chanting "yosh!".
Crispito
Peace&Love