Sorry for the late update. I was grounded....again. Anyway here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Still don't own Fruits Basket. That's Natsuki's. But Kat is mine and mine alone. Don't try to steal her.
Chapter 3
"And sleeping beauty returns," Shigure mused when they had reached his house. Kat ducked her head bashfully and blushed before following everyone into the living room.
"I'll get you some dry clothes, Hanaroshi-Sohma-san," Tohru told her before ducking out of the room. This statement drew Kat's attention to her clothes, which she noticed were still damp. She shivered involuntary and rubbed her arms.
"Are you okay?" Yuki asked when Kat sneezed. Kat nodded her head before sneezing again.
"But your face is red," Momiji pointed out.
Worried, Kyo placed his hand on Kat's forehead. "Whoa, you're burning up!" Kat knocked Kyo's hand aside and replaced it with her own. She then threw an apprising look at Kyo when she realized it was only a little warm. Kyo sighed at her nonchant way but said nothing.
"Are you sure you're fine?" Yuki asked again. "I could get you something if you want?" Kat sighed and shook her head. At that moment Tohru walked into the room.
"Hanaroshi-san, here you are." She handed Kat the clothes, a plain cotton blouse and a short plaid skirt, and Kat left to change, reluctantly, into the clothes. When she came back she was greeted by a mocking smirk from Kyo, who noticed that she was constantly tugging on the skirt in an effort to cover her legs.
"Hey, hey," Momiji called excitedly, bouncing around the room and drawing Kat's attention away from Kyo, who she was glaring at. "Let's watch a movie!"
"Oh, what a wonderful idea," Shigure cheered, appearing from out of thin air. Kat stared at the older man in wonder. The other day he had seemed calmer and more mature, but now he was acting like a toddler. "I have the perfect movie we can watch."
"Uh, sensei?" Haru asked from his perch on the arm of Yuki's chair. "Don't you have a manuscript to finish?" Shigure froze at this then turned to look at the younger boy.
"Maybe." He admitted.
"So maybe you should go finish it instead of watching a movie with us," Yuki told him, not bothering to look at his guardian. Shigure sighed in defeat then retreated from the room.
"Ano…Momiji-kun, what are we watching?" Tohru asked, glancing quickly at the door Shigure just exited before turning to look at the blonde boy.
"My friend let me this really funny movie." He told her, pushing the tape into the VCR, then bouncing over to the couch to sit next to Tohru.
"This should be interesting," Kyo mumbled sarcastically, producing giggles from Kat.
"Somehow this picture seems a little suspicious?" Shigure commented when he had entered the room a few minutes after the movie ended. Yuki turned to look in the same direction as Shigure, shock flitting across his face.
"But how can this be possible," Tohru asked, when her attention was also drawn to where the Sohmas were staring. Shigure shrugged in answer.
"I really don't know, Tohru-kun. I've never seen this before."
"Shouldn't we wake them up," Haru asked. "I think Kat-san's parents might be worried if she doesn't come home today."
"Oh, you're right Haru-kun," Tohru agreed. She then looked back at the sleeping pair, biting her lip. "But they look really tired."
Kat and Kyo were both asleep on the couch where they had been sitting together. Kat was curled up at Kyo's side, her right arm hung off the edge of the couch and the other was curled up to her face. Kyo laid next to her, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist and keeping Kat from falling off the couch.
"We don't have to wake up the cat," Yuki told Tohru, sneering the word cat. "I can take Ms. Hanaroshi home." Tohru's face lit up at Yuki's suggestion.
"Ah, wait, we still have a problem," Shigure told them. Confused, everyone watched as he pulled at Kyo's arm. Before he could free Kat, however, Kyo tightened his hold on her. "It seems our little cat doesn't want to let go," Shigure concluded. "Sadly we'll have to wake them both up." Although he said it, Shigure didn't seem sad at all. On the contrary, he seemed to relish the idea of waking the two up. However, he never got a chance to try for at that moment Kyo stirred in his sleep. His eyes fluttered open to find five pairs of eyes staring back at him. Startled, he released his hold on Kat and sat up, quickly pulling her back against him before she could hit the floor.
"What the hell are ya'll staring at?" he demanded, pulling Kat onto his lap. Everyone stared at him in shock.
"Uh, Kyo? Do you even realize what you're doing?" Haru asked. Kyo blinked, confusion clear on his face before looking down at Kat, who he had cradled to his chest. A hot blush stole across his face and he pushed Kat away so that she was curled up on the other side of the couch.
"Looks like Kyo-kyo's crushing on Kat," Momiji sang, before receiving a hit to the head from Kyo.
"No I'm not." he muttered.
"Actually Kyo-kun, we were just about to wake Hanaroshi-san up." Tohru explained. "It's getting pretty late and we thought Hanaroshi-san's parents might be worried."
"Kat's parents?" Kyo mumbled. He then lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you." Confusion clouded Tohru's eyes but Kyo didn't bother answering the unspoken question. "But you're right. It is getting late." Kyo then sighed and shook Kat's shoulder. "Oi, Kat, wake up." Kat didn't even twitch so Kyo tried again. "Kat! Kit-kat!" Kat's eyes flew open as soon as the words left Kyo's mouth, and she shot up into a sitting position. Her eyes searched to room before landing on Kyo, tears welling up and threatening to spill over.
"Hey, you okay?" Kyo asked, worry coating his words. Kat nodded her head quickly, blinking away the tears, before smiling up at Kyo. Kyo looked uncertain for a minute but didn't push her. "Well, come on. I'd better get you home."
Kat tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What?" Kyo asked. "You are going to school tomorrow, right? Or are you skipping again?" Kat shrugged her shoulders and Kyo shook his head.
"Honestly Kat, do you really think your mom would like you skipping school?" Kyo asked quietly. Kat's eyes widened as tears welled up again, and then she shook her head and sighed in defeat. "Didn't think so. Now come on." He held out his hand, which Kat took, and the two of them left the room, both forgetting about the company they had.
"Well," Shigure muttered, rubbing his jaw. "That was interesting."
Yuki walked aimlessly through the empty hallways of the schools northern wing. Everyone else were either outside or in the south or west wing setting up for the cultural festival. As the school's student council president there were many things Yuki had to do, and on the top of the list was to find a banc to play for the talent show. His original closing act had to cancel when their bass player broke his wrist. It was while he was thinking over his options, which weren't much, that Yuki first heard the music. The sweet melody peaked is curiosity and Yuki followed the music to the music room at the end of the hall. Inside was a grad piano and at its keys was Kat Hanaroshi. She paused in her playing before starting the song again, plucking at the keys with sure fingers. And, mush to Yuki's surprise, she began to sing.
Making my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces passed
And I'm home bound
Staring blankly ahead
Just making my way
Making my way
Through the crowd
And I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder....
If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight
It's always times like these
When I think of you
And I wonder
If you ever
Think of me
'Cause everything's so wrong
And I don't belong
Living in your
Precious memories
'Cause I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder....
If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight
And I, I
Don't want to let you know
I, I
Drown in your memory
I, I
Don't want to let this go
I, I
Don't....
Making my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces passed
And I'm home bound
Staring blankly ahead
Just making my way
Making my way
Through the crowd
And I still need you
And I still miss you
And now I wonder....
If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass us by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you...
If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
If I could
Just hold you
Tonight
Kat broke off and hit the final key, which hung in the air and bounced around the room. Yuki could still hear it in the silence that followed. The silence was finally broken when Yuki stepped forward into the room, his shoes echoing loudly. Kat gasped and spun around quickly, jumping off of the bench. She calmed down a little when she recognized Yuki but then started panicking again.
"Um…" Yuki started, but before he could get the words out Kat ran past him and out the room. "Wait!" he called after her, but she disappeared around the bend. Sighing, Yuki turned back around to look at the grand piano. He walked slowly toward it and ran his fingers across the smooth white keys, before pressing down on a random black one. The sharp pitched rose out of the piano and lingered in the air.
"What a beautiful voice," he mused.
The cafeteria was a constant loud buzz of noise that managed to drift its way to Kat's ears, where she sat under one of the school's large oak trees, four feet away. She picked absently at the lone piece of bread on her tray, her eyes trained on something far away.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" The question jarred Kat out of her dreamlike state, and she turned to look up at Yuki, who was giving her a small smile. Kat's cheeks flushed red and she shrugged. She was fine with Yuki's company as long as he didn't talk about what he heard earlier. "Sorry, if I'm bothering you," he continued to say, making small talk. "I just wanted to avoid my fan club." Kat spared him a sympathetic smile, and then went back to picking at her bread, throwing a few crumbs out for the gathering birds. Then she sighed. What was the point in acting like a mute if he'd already heard her sing?
"I don't really mind," she mumbled. She felt Yuki's shock before she saw it, and she couldn't help but feel a little smug. "What? So I can sing but I can't talk?" Yuki's face flushed red and he was saved from answering by the appearance of Tohru, followed by Momiji and Haru.
"Hanaroshi-san, Yuki-kun, I was wondering where you'd gone." Tohru was saying, a relieved look on her face.
"I just wanted to eat in a quiet place." Yuki told her, giving her a brighter smile than the one he'd given Kat earlier, and Kat couldn't help but wonder about that.
"I thought you said you were giving you groupies the slip?" Kat inputted, surprising three more people with her sudden will to talk. Yuki chuckled.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Kat nodded numbly. She was starting to get uncomfortable with talking, not being used to talking to more than one person.
"Where's Kyo," she suddenly blurted out, cutting Momiji off. She flushed again when everyone turned to stare at her curiously.
"Um…I think I saw Kyo-kun in the classroom a while ago," Tohru offered helpfully. Kat nodded and went back to picking at her bread, placing a piece into her mouth absently.
"Kat?" Kat looked up to see Kyo making his way over to their group, and a smile spread across her face.
"Speak of the devil," Yuki murmured, receiving a glare from Kyo.
"Where were you?" Kat demanded, drawing Kyo's attention away from Yuki. Kyo blinked at Kat, confusion clear on his face.
"Oh? So you're talking to other people now?" There was just a hint of teasing in his voice and Kat immediately caught it. She stuck her tongue out childishly. "Just asking," Kyo said in his defense.
"Jerk," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Kyo sighed and sat down next to her.
"Are you not eating today?" Kyo then asked when he noticed Kat's empty tray littered with bread crumbs.
"Leave me alone," she muttered sullenly, although she couldn't help but notice the concern in the orange haired boy's voice.
"Shame on you Kyo," Momiji scolded, popping a lollipop in his mouth. "You shouldn't tease Kat like that." He wagged his finger at Kyo.
"Kyo threw the teen a glare. "No one asked you." Kat rolled her eyes.
"Just drop it Kyo."
"Um…Yuki-kun, how's preparation for the talent show going?" Tohru asked in an attempt to change the topic.
"Well, everything's going good. I just need to find a new closing act." Yuki told her.
"What happened to the band you had scheduled. I heard they were awesome," Haru inputted. Yuki sighed and shook his head.
"The bass player broke his wrist."
"Huh, too bad for him. Can't play a bass on a bad wrist, and base players are rare." The group turned to look at Kat in surprise.
"How do you know that?" Yuki asked. Kat lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
"Well, a bass is hard to play. It's much easier to get an electric guitar." Yuki thought about that.
"Hanaroshi-san, do you play the bass?" he asked.
"Yeah, I play a lot of stuff. You didn't think I only knew how to play the piano did you?" Kat asked. Then a suspicious look crossed her face. "Why do you want to know?"
"Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble—"
"No." Kat said, cutting him off. She shook her head to further her point.
"Oh come on Kat. You could do it," Kyo urged, poking Kat with his elbow. Kat turned to glare at him. Then a thought occurred to her.
"Okay Yuki, I'll do it," Kat agreed. A relieved look crossed Yuki's face but disappeared at Kat's next words. "As long as you all join me."
"Oooh!" Momiji cheered. "It'll be like a rock band!"
"But Hanaroshi-san," Yuki protested. "None of us know how to play any instruments."
"That's alright," Kat told him. "We've got about six weeks till the festival, I'll teach you how to play." Yuki groaned and Tohru and Momiji cheered excitedly.
"Whoa," Haru explained, for once showing emotion. "Check out that bike!" The group paused at the school gate, looking in the direction of Haru's gaze. Haru whistled and shook his head, envious. "I'd love to meet the person who owns that. Wouldn't you," he pulled his attention to Kyo, waiting for an answer. Kyo shrugged, and turned to look at the bike. It was a sleek silver motorcycle, its composition suggesting that it was made for speed.
"Aw, those helmets are so cute," Tohru squealed, drawing Kyo attention to the two silver helmets on the leather seats. Stuck to the back of them were two cats, one orange and the other white. Kyo smiled at that. Tohru always was a cat lover.
"I don't think so," Yuki mutter, too low for Tohru to hear.
"Hey, look, it's Kat." Now Kyo's attention was drawn away from the bike and to the girl who was just exiting the school building. She didn't seem to notice the group, her topaz eyes trained on an object not in their direction. For a moment, Kyo caught an exasperated look on her face, as she walked toward the motorcycle, where a couple of students had started to crowd.
"What do you think she'd doing," Momiji asked as Kat pushed through the swarm of people. She stopped next to the bike and reached into the pocket of her black blazer and pulled out a key, which she pushed into the bike. It roared to life and the students back away.
"Hold up." Haru said, his eyes lighting up with surprise again. "Kyo's girlfriend owns the bike?!"
"She's not my girlfriend!" Kyo shouted balling his hands up into a fist. Kat then turned to look at the group, almost as if she had heard Kyo over the roar of the bike's engine. A slow smile spread across her lips and she jumped on, riding the short distance toward the group.
"Hello, Hanaroshi-san," Tohru greeted.
"Hey."
"So, you ride a motorcycle, play the bass, and wear all black," Haru asked and Kat turned to look at him confused. "Kyo, I just might be in love with you're girlfriend," he then said, producing a blush from both Kyo and Kat.
"How many times must I tell you that she's not my girlfriend?" Kyo yelled, throwing his hands up in frustration.
"You know Kyo, yelling all the time is a sign of anger management issues," Kat pointed out. Yuki's lips pulled into a smile.
"I might be in love with her too," he said jokingly. Kat giggled.
"So we all agree," Haru asked.
"Agree on what?" Tohru asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.
"We're all in love with Kat!" Momiji yelled, grabbing Kat's hand. Kat blushed furiously and Kyo grinded his teeth. Kat noticed that and a playful smirk crossed her face.
"Awwww, it's okay Kyo, I love you more," she said, nudging him in the side. Now it was Kyo's turn to blush and the group broke out laughing.