Sometimes It Be That Way

Hidden Intentions

Kyou was doing something unlike himself. He was wandering around aimlessly with no particular destination in mind. He looked up from staring at his lethargically moving feet and noticed that the park he had accidentally fallen asleep at the other day was just a brief distance away, so he decided to go sit down on one of the swings.

Kagura had showed up at Shigure's house earlier that day. She had immediately pounced on him without warning, unless you count her elongated hollering of his name, and proceeded to strangle the life from him. He managed to slip away and make a break for it when she had her back turned. It was a damn good escape, he thought.

He really didn't want to be anywhere near her for a long time. Hell, for all time if he had his way.

Taking a seat on one of the swings, he pulled back a bit and let himself swing forward and back, dragging his feet on the ground as he did so. Kyou had nearly pushed the incident with Kagura two days ago out of his mind, but seeing her again, back to her normal self, had brought back the unwanted memory. It played in his mind over and over again, serving to remind him of what he was and what everyone would always think of him as.

"Kyou, I have to tell you something," Kagura meekly said to him. He had blinked in response at the tone of her words. "The reason I wanted to be with you…in the beginning, was because I always thought of myself as a monster, but you were more of a monster than I was."

It was like a slap in the face to Kyou. Kagura obviously had more to say so he waited for her to continue. He didn't know if he wanted her to, his heart felt like someone had driven a knife into it and was slowly twisting it to make him suffer.

"But it changed, my feelings changed. I really love you now, and I always will, not just because you're a monster."

She may as well have ripped his heart out. He felt a bitter smile on his lips as he told her it was alright, he understood.

He didn't understand though. He didn't want to see her or hear her voice for a long time. Having to see her again today was enough to kill his somewhat amiable mood and revive the feeling of loneliness he was destined to suffer from forever. Because she was right.

Kyou sighed, closing his eyes, trying to forget what could not be forgotten.

"Oi," Kyou stopped swinging at the simple word, his eyes shooting over to the speaker.

"What," Kyou's voice dripped with menace, how dare the ushi interrupt his thoughts? "No, wait, let me guess, you're lost right?" Yeup, that was definitely sarcasm Kyou heard laced in his words.

"Maybe, maybe not," Was the docile reply as Haru took a seat on the swing next to his, tactfully avoiding his death glare.

Haru had been lost of course, but his lousy sense of direction did manage to lead him to the fiery eyed boy. He had considered just continuing his pointless wandering, but the look on the neko's face decided Haru against it. Kyou appeared ready to cry. Haru had never seen him look quite like that before and thought the neko could use a bit of company to take his mind of whatever was eating at him. Haru had an idea of what the matter was.

"What's wrong Kyou-kun?" Haru asked in an attempt to get right to the heart of the issue.

Kyou's eyes narrowed and the side of his lips turned up in a sneer. "None of your goddamn business," Haru's eyebrows raised, his face bore a hurt expression. Kyou turned his own face away and started swinging again.

"If something's wrong, you can tell me Kyou-kun," Haru gently continued.

Kyou stomped his feet on the ground, stopping the swinging motion. "Don't call me Kyou-kun damnit!" The orange haired boy yelled.

Haru raised an eyebrow at this, "Koneko-chan then?" This earned him a punch in the arm.

"Just call me by my name for god's sake!" Kyou exasperated.

Haru smiled as Kyou sighed heavily and resumed swinging. "Kyou?"

"What,"

"Would you care to join me for a movie?" Haru asked.

Kyou turned his eyes to look at the ushi in wary question, "What?"

Haru's gray eyes followed Kyou's red ones as the neko continued to stare at him while still swinging. "Well, I can't find the theatre," Haru began, eliciting a grunt from Kyou. "and one of my favorite old B-flicks is playing."

Kyou stopped swinging suddenly and rolled his eyes, asking whatever kami was listening to give him the patience required to deal with the ushi. "Fine, but you're paying baka ushi."

Haru grinned happily at the moody neko, looks like he just got his first date with Kyou.

•••

Kyou munched on some popcorn waiting for the movie to start. The theatre was relatively empty, there was only a few other people waiting to see the movie besides Haru and himself. Good to his word, Haru did pay for his admission and bought him some snacks to boot.

"This better be good baka ushi," Kyou muttered, tossing another piece of popcorn into his mouth.

Haru chuckled, "It's a classic Kyou! I can't believe you've never seen it!" Haru said smiling at him.

"I don't really care for this sorta thing…too many people…usually," Kyou conceded, since he didn't have to worry about bumping into a girl in the sparsely attended theatre.

The lights dimmed as the movie began. There were no previews to endure for twenty or more minutes since this was a one day only showing. Kyou's eyes focused on the screen, and he noted that yes, this was going to be a cheesy B-flick, just like Haru had said.

Kyou was currently puzzling over the guy with one of his hands chopped off who was being dragged along in a stockade of sorts. He was trying to figure out why the guy didn't just pull the missing appendage through the hole that held his right arm, since it wasn't like there was anything keeping it there. He whispered to himself that the guy was stupid.

Haru moved his mouth close to Kyou's ear to whisper back, "It's a movie, don't worry about the details, just enjoy it," Kyou grunted in response as a flashback scene started. He found himself chuckling as the main character started his own maniacal laughter as he chopped his hand off with a chainsaw.

Haru glanced down at Kyou as the ruby eyed boy started giggling to himself at Ash's antics and well placed one-liners. Kyou's grin stretched his face, and Haru noted that he looked extremely cute when he was smiling like that. Haru figured he'd have to get Kyou to watch Evil Dead II with him sometime.

By the time the unlucky bastard from Henry's army was tossed into 'the pit' Kyou was thoroughly engrossed in the flick. Haru took the opportunity to sling his arms over the back of the unoccupied chair to his left and Kyou's seat. Kyou didn't notice, and if he eventually did, Haru figured he could just say he was stretching out. Kyou didn't need to know his intentions at this moment in time.

Haru chuckled as Ash landed in the pit following the geyser of blood that had Kyou shaking his head in amused disbelief. "This is so corny," Kyou whispered to Haru, receiving a muffled laugh in response from the white and black haired boy seated next to him. Haru wasn't ready for the surprise when Kyou screeched as the first of the deadites popped out of seemingly nowhere. Kyou clamped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment, and Haru could see the blush staining the neko's cheeks. He knew he should be watching the movie, but the reactions that were coming from Kyou were just too cute to pass up.

"Sorry," Mumbled Kyou apologetically.

"It's okay," Haru whispered back with a grin.

It was when the second deadite lunged from the rocky wall that Kyou's popcorn fell from his lap and the neko's left hand grabbed the side of Haru's black shirt in an unintentional death grip.

Haru was very happy to be sure. He couldn't wait to make the neko see more B-flicks if he scared this easily. If Army of Darkness could educe this sort of reaction from Kyou, Haru figured that a Friday the 13th flick would have the neko in his lap, or at least clinging to him. He wished Kyou would do that now, but when Ash started raving about his 'Boomstick' Kyou removed his hand to cover the unabashed laughter that ensued.

As the movie continued, the other patrons of the theater joined in Kyou's enthusiasm and by the end of the flick the few people scattered around were cheering Ash on.

Haru didn't actually watch the movie in its entirety, but seeing Kyou smile like that was worth it.

•••

"I'm glad you liked it Kyou," Haru grinned at the ecstatic neko who was ranting on about the movie as they walked back towards the main house. Kyou had told him that he would walk him home so that Haru's bad sense of direction didn't have him wandering around all night.

"His lines were so corny!" Kyou's eyes shown with mirth. "They didn't even show how he got back home! That sorta bugs me…"

"That bugs you?" Haru queried thinking of the rest of the unexplained happenings in the movie. "Well, I guess I'll have to show you the alternate ending."

Kyou paused, "Eh? There's another ending?"

Haru grinned down at the confused neko, "Yeup, the apocalyptic ending. That one was the S-Mart ending. It's the better of the two," Haru gently tugged on Kyou's sleeve to urge him along and snap him out of his thoughtful reverie.

The continued on in silence until the main sohma house came into view. Haru paused when Kyou stopped walking.

"Uhm, thanks for the movie," Kyou told him eyes downcast on the ground.

Haru smiled and tilted Kyou's chin up so that he could look into those expressive red eyes. "Thanks for going with me Kyou," Haru tapped Kyou's nose with a smile for the neko, then turned and walked to his home.

Kyou was startled for a moment, and he watched as Haru walked away from him before shaking his head to clear it and turning to make his own way home.

His mood considerably lightened by the simple act of kindness, Kyou would sleep soundly for the first time in a while. Even if his dreams were filled with a guy bearing a chainsaw hand chopping through legions of deadites, the smile wouldn't leave his face that night.