Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, all credit goes to Takaya Natsuki. This story is written just for fun, no money made.

Warning: There are some hints of smut, but I think it's bearable.

Here we go!

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For want of a horse

Chapter 7 – Missing

The sun was already setting as Haru sat at his desk, a few books laying open in front of him, even though his thoughts were miles away from homework. He was daydreaming again, chewing absentmindedly on the end of his pencil. A knock on the door interrupted his reverie.

"Haru, Isuzu-chan's on the phone." His mother smiled at him and handed him over the wireless phone. With a wink she turned and left his room again. Even though he had never talked to his mother about his relationship with Rin, she clearly knew something was going on.

She often commented on how very much more balanced Haru acted ever since they had been on this business trip during summer. And of course she was right. Haru had been more balanced, his black side hadn't emerged in a long time now. Most likely it had something to do with finally being able to express his love for Rin. Maybe it something to do with getting laid on a regular basis as well. Of course he couldn't tell his mother about that, although she clearly suspected it. But then, he didn't know how his mother would react if she knew that her son was having sex – suspecting and knowing were two different things altogether.

"Hey, horsey." He smiled as he put the receiver to his ear. It was rare that Rin would call him, most of the time they were together anyway. The sound of her voice never failed to make his heart skip a beat, even now when they were together for almost 4 months.

"Hey yourself. Are you busy right now?" She laughed, but he could hear an underlying tension in her voice.

"I'm studying for my test, but I guess it can wait… Where's the fire?"

"At Gure-nii's." Haru was silent for a moment, trying to think about what could be so urgent at Shigure's place.

"Could you give me a hint? I'm not following right now…" She huffed at the other end of the phone and Haru had to suppress a smile. Rin wasn't known for her patience, but then she was the horse.

"Not on the phone. Can I come over? Kagura and her parents are out anyway, so I could stay a while and help you with your studies." She would do this quite often, helping him in his studies. That was one of the advantages of having a girlfriend who was two years ahead of him - and Rin was good in school, even though she'd often tell him that she hated most classes. It wasn't that Haru was bad at school, but sometimes his thoughts tended to drift and he wouldn't catch the teacher's explanations.

"Sounds good. Shall I pick you up?"

"No need." He frowned a little. Although they were on Sohma property and no strangers should be around, he still didn't like her to run around in the dark on her own. Besides, it was cold outside. It was December after all.

"So when will you be here?"

"How about right now?" The doorbell rang and Haru laughed before he broke the connection and ran downstairs to greet her. His mother had already opened the door and Rin grinned up at him, holding a brand new cell phone in her hand.

"Shall I make you some tea?" His mother asked. "I guess this may take some time? Why don't you stay for dinner, Isuzu-chan?" She smiled at her invitingly and Rin nodded hesitantly.

"Thank you… It's just…"

"I know, dear. You don't like to eat in other people's presence. No problem at all. I'll bring you something up to Haru's room and you both can eat there, okay?" Haru grinned at Rin. He had told her about how he suspected that his mother knew something about them. She now threw him a nervous glance, before she bowed politely to his mother.

"Thank you very much. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." His mother just laughed at her.

"It's not an inconvenience. Just as long as you both are happy." She gave Rin a gentle motherly smile that made Rin clearly uncomfortable. "And now, off you go. You better concentrate, Haru. Those studies are important." She gave her son a severe look before she left for the kitchen.

"Well then. Let's go upstairs." Rin practically dragged him to his room, throwing the door shut behind him before she threw herself on his bed. For a moment Haru just stood there, admiring the vision of his lovely girlfriend on his bed, remembering their first time as lovers. But then he could see that she was almost exploding with news. If Rin got all excited about something it really had to be something important, although he still didn't knew if it was good or bad news.

"So what is it?" He sat himself down on the bed beside her, close enough so that their legs were touching.

"You won't believe it. Hatori-san told me when I had a check-up this evening. You know that Kyou's back and lives at Gure-nii's place?" He nodded. They had talked about it before. Haru had been worried about Yuki, but since neither of them hadn't heard any bad news it must have worked so far.

"Well, Kyou is not the only new inhabitant there. There's a girl, I think the name was Honda Tohru. And she knows about the curse." Haru's eyebrows shot up at that and he stared wide-eyed at Rin.

"She does what?" Rin nodded at him.

"You heard right. She knows about our curse. They didn't erase her memory and as far as I heard they aren't planning on doing so. And what's best: She has Akito's permission to stay there." Haru hadn't expected that kind of news at all.

"She has permission from Akito? To stay at sensei's place? With Yuki there? You know, favoured one and everything…" Rin nodded again. Her eyes told him that she thought the exact same thing.

"I think, Akito is planning something, but even Hatori-san doesn't know anything." Haru looked at her searchingly. He could see worry in her eyes, but then it was not every day someone lived to remember about the curse. A sudden plan formed in his head.

"I'm going…" He stood up, but was immediately drawn back on the bed by Rin.

"Don't. Not now. You can wait this remaining two days until new year's eve, then you'll see Yuki-kun at the banquet anyway." He sighed and turned on his bed, so he was laying with his head in her lap, closing his eyes as Rin stroked her hand through his hair.

"You are right of course. What only would I do without you?" They shared a tender smile, before Rin leaned down to give him a soft kiss that soon turned into something more. A soft knock on the door had them jumping apart in surprise.

"Haru? Dinner's ready." Then his mother opened the door and set down two plates on his table. Isuzu-chan sure was a good actress, but Haru most certainly was not. She smiled to herself as she took in her son's flushed expression and his slightly swollen lips.

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"Sensei?" Haru came out of the shadows as he saw Shigure climb the few stairs to the entrance, dressed in his most formal yukata – he was all alone.

"Ah, Ha-kun. Good evening." He bowed politely to him even though there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Where are Yuki and Kyou?"

"They're playing hooky, you could say." Shigure laughed shortly. "Do you wanted to see them?" He stared at Haru searchingly. Shigure really was a mysterious one, no one could really tell what he was up to. Haru sighed. So they skipped the new years banquet - a meeting with Akito… for that girl most likely. She had to be something, then, if they were willing to incur Akito's wrath.

"Actually, I wanted a fight, so I thought I would end this year by sparring with the cat", he said. There was no need for him to tell Shigure that he wanted to see this Honda-girl for himself to make sure she could keep their secret. And he wanted to know if she was good for Yuki's broken soul. Ever since he had met Yuki for the first time, he had seen the hurt in his eyes and he didn't want to see him getting hurt even more.

His attention was suddenly fixed on a conversation behind him as he heard Kagura and Rin talk about the school they would be attending in three months. It always was like that. His attention was inevitably drawn to Rin's voice whenever she talked. He listened quietly and only after some long moments did he notice that Shigure had talked to him the whole time.

"So you'll have to come visit us soon, right?" Haru stared at him or a moment, then nodded shortly. "And now I guess, we should go inside. After you, Ha-kun." With a sigh Haru turned and went to join the other Juunishi. His gaze shortly met Rin's across the room. He gave her a reassuring smile and she turned to Hiro again who had sat himself down beside her.

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"Isuzu-chan? Hatsuharu's mother is on the phone for you." Rin sighed and stood up from her bed to open the door for Kagura's father. She took the wireless phone from him and bowed in thanks shortly. Then she closed the door again and answered the phone, wondering what could be so urgent that Haru's mother would actually call her. Maybe he was sick? She hadn't seen him for two days but she knew he was busy with his studies and his martial art lessons.

"Hello?"

"Oh Isuzu-chan. Thank god you're there." Rin wondered if she had been crying by the tone of her voice.

"What is it? Did something happen?" Her voice sounded strange as well all of the sudden, almost as if she was afraid.

"I don't… It's Haru." She sobbed suddenly. "We haven't seen him for two days now. He's missing. The school called a few minutes ago, asking where he has been this last 2 days. We haven't talked to the police yet, but…"

"I'm coming over. Please don't call the police yet." She hung up without another word and ran downstairs in a hurry, only stopping to inform Kagura's parents where she was off to. Then she was running down the familiar path to Haru's home and within minutes she was there, not even out of breath. There were some advantages in being the horse. She rang the bell and the door opened almost immediately, revealing Haru's red-eyed mother.

"Come in, Isuzu-chan. I'm sorry I called you in such a state, but I'm really worried." She sniffed and pressed a crumbled handkerchief to her eyes.

"It's okay." She shut the door behind her and steered Haru's mother into the kitchen to sit down. "Now please tell me what happened." Rin took a seat as well and waited impatiently for the explanation.

"Well, as I told you, Haru is missing now for two days. He left a note, here, telling us to call you if he wouldn't be back the next day." She handed the note to Rin. She read it, then sighed.

"You don't have to call the police." She looked up to see Haru's mother staring openly at her. "As he says in his note, he went to see Shigure-san's house. I promise, he just got lost. He has a knack for taking wrong turns. I'll go look for him." She stood up, but Haru's mother stopped her before she could leave.

"How would you find him? He could be anywhere…" She sniffed again.

"I've always found him. Haru knows that as well, that's why he told you to call me. Call it feminine intuition – I will find him, so please don't worry." Rin smiled shortly. "Do you have a bag though? And a rope? And something to eat. He's most likely hungry." Haru's mother stared at her as if Rin was crazy. Rin sighed again.

"I'm much faster in my juunishi form and I need something to carry my clothes. If you would be so kind as to bind the bag around my neck with the rope?" Haru's mother understood finally and she smiled before she hurried off to pick up the needed articles.

"Thank you", Rin said as his mother came back and handed her both a bag and a rope, holding a big sandwich box. "Where can I change? The garden?" Haru's mother nodded and motioned for her to follow her.

"But… Are you able to change by will? I though you'd only change when hugged by the opposite gender or when you body is weak…" She looked at Rin puzzled.

"Normally, yes. But I was always able to change back and forth at will. Haru always said it's because I'm so stubborn…" Rin smiled gently at the memory. They walked into the garden behind a group of trees and Rin changed. Even in her horse form she was beautiful, a proud black horse, dark fur and long mane gleaming in the sun. Haru's mother stared at her with awe in her eyes.

"Could you pick up my clothes and stuff them into the bag, please?" His mother did so and hung the rope around her neck, before stepping back. "And I would be grateful if you could call Kagura's parents to tell them that I'm staying here for the night. They don't need to worry. Please?" She nodded before she took a deep breath.

"Please bring back my son and take good care of him." They stared at each other for a moment, before Rin nodded her head as good as a horse could nod. Then she turned around and jumped over the small garden fence, galloping off into the forest.

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Haru sat on a stump on a clearing deep inside a forest he had never seen, his bike leaning against a trunk. Maybe he had run in circles – no, most likely he had. But even with this knowledge he couldn't find his way out and he was getting tired. Besides, he was hungry and it was cold, after all it was only January.

Yesterday evening he had been in a city at least, but the map at one information point hadn't been very detailed and somehow he seemed to have taken another wrong turn… or two. Now he was in this forest and his bike was getting on his nerves. The paths weren't even enough for him to drive and he had to push it all the time.

The sun had already started to set and he was confronted with another problem. Where would he spend the night? Last night he had just paused shortly, driving in what he believed to be the right direction back then. He sighed. Most likely he would have to spend the night sitting on a stump. Great, just great. Hopefully, his parents had called Rin by now…

He turned around when he suddenly heard the sound of hooves on sand and his name being called and he shouted her name in relief as he saw the familiar silhouette of his girlfriend in her Juunishi form running towards him. He sprang to his feet and ran to her. Before he could reach her completely they were surrounded by smoke as she changed back and then her beloved and very naked body flew into his arms. He held her close and enveloped her in his coat, his head resting on her shoulder as she clung to his shirt. For a moment neither one of them moved, only when he felt her shiver of cold did he let go to take off his coat.

"No, keep it. I have my own clothes here, I just need to get dressed." She picked up the bag, pulled out her clothes. Then she handed him the sandwiches. "Here, your mother made them. You must be hungry." He just nodded and kneeled down to devour the tuna sandwiches, while he watched her getting dressed hurriedly. When she was finished, he shoved one of the sandwiches at her and without protest she took it.

"How the hell did you manage to come here? Do you know how far this is from Gure-nii's house?" She took a bite of the sandwich and chewed while she threw him a severe look. He blushed under her stern gaze.

"I'm sorry." She huffed, but her eyes softened.

"Your mother was about to call the police. I could stop her though, but you should better call her tonight, so she knows you're still alive." She looked around. "There's a small city over there. Maybe they have a hotel or something where we can spend the night." They packed the bag and Haru pushed his bike, while they walked a short distance. How he had missed that there was a city he didn't know.

They found a small hotel and asked for a room for one night. The receptionist gave them both strange looks when they arrived with nothing but a small bag as luggage, but he directed them to a room without questioning them.

After he got rid of his cloak and shoes Haru let himself fall onto the bed as they entered their room, but Rin went to the phone and called his mother.

"Yes, I found him. He's fine… Yes, at a hotel… Tomorrow… Of course, one moment." She gave Haru the receiver.

"Hi mom… I'm alright, don't worry… You know me mom, I even get lost on the way to Rin's home sometimes… Yes, I'll be back tomorrow… I will. Night, mom." He broke the connection and laid the phone aside. Then he sank back into the pillows with a sigh, closing his eyes. He smiled when he felt the mattress shifting and Rin laid down beside him, her head on his shoulder, her breath caressing his neck and he shivered in delight.

She kissed his shoulder and pushed his shirt aside. Her still somewhat cold hands made contact with the warm skin of his abdomen and he groaned as he felt his body's powerful reaction to her soft caress. It always was like this, she would touch him and he would melt like butter in the sun. Of course he had learned his lessons by now, he knew how to make her moan and how to make her squirm beneath him and he knew the angles that would make her cry out in pleasure when she came.

Their sex life was vivid with Haru still in an age where passion burns high and often. And Rin never was far behind. In fact she would initiate it more often than he would. Sometimes they would still experiment, trying new positions or new caresses. Last week Rin had caressed him with a feather and it had made him hyper-sensitive and finally had triggered his orgasm with nothing more but the sensation of her warm breath caressing the tip of his penis. It had been incredible and of course he had returned the favor. He still got a hard-on as he remembered how forceful she had come, crying out his name in her passion, as he had passed the feather's tip over her clitoris.

Now she was lying beside him and he could feel the familiar fire building inside of him. He gasped as she touched her hand to the fly of his jeans and moaned as she pressed down, his hips thrusting upwards on their own accord.

"Rin." She stopped her sweet torture as he caught her wrist, turning to look at her. "Please don't…" She looked at him searchingly and he knew that she tried to figure out if she had offended him in any way. He shook his head.

"It's not that. I just… Just want to be in best form, when I meet Kyou." By the expression on her face he could tell that she wasn't following him. He sighed. "Listen. I would love nothing more than to let you take me right now, right here and have your wicked ways with me all night." He grinned as a soft blush crept up her cheeks. "But you know how I am. My black side will be soothed down and I can't fight like I can when I'm not satisfied… sexually." She stared at him.

"So you mean to tell me that you want to be sexually frustrated so you can turn black on Kyou?" It sounded somewhat stupid even to his ears when she said like this, but then she got it right.

"Yes…" She burst out laughing and he couldn't help but smile at the sweet sound of her ringing laughter.

"I'm sorry", she said still giggling. "It just sounds strange… But it's okay. Whatever you want." She leaned back into her pillow and smiled at him. "Then let's just sleep." He nodded at her but drew her back into his arms.

"Of course this doesn't mean that I don't want you close", he mumbled into her hair and then they both settled down comfortably for a night in each others arms.

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End of Chapter 7

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AN: So here is chapter 7. This story is turning longer and longer…. I planned a 14-chapter story, now I already have 25. But I will finish this story, even if it kills me. I'm always completely depressed when I find a really good story only to discover that it has been abandoned… Sniff. Of course I don't know if this story is "really good" but just for those few of you who always leave nice reviews, I'll finish this! I promise!

Oh, for those of you who wonder about their ages again: Haru's 15 (his birthday was in summer) and Rin is 17.

I hope you liked this chapter. Please make me happy and leave a review.

A short note on this chapter:

I don't know if Rin really can change into her Juunishi form by sheer will, but please just bear with me. There are some hints in the story that Rin is able to change back into human form by will though. I.e. see chapter 61, where Tohru meets Rin for the first time and Yuki comes to see her change back.

Until next time, Joey-chan