The Cat and the Skylark

Chapter 10

The next day, I found Kyoya's apartment, and I couldn't help myself. I approached the house, and character changed, before hopping up onto the trash can. I peered in the window, and gasped. Kyoya seemed to be sleeping, and that... horse... guy or whatever... was sitting on the bed, leaning over, almost as if to kiss Kyoya. I felt jealousy burning in my heart, and anger, too.

'That dirty bastard!' Yoru cried, making me even madder. 'How dare he mess with OUR Kyoya!'

I leaned against the window as I realized that the prefect was waking up. The prefect said something to Dino, and the blonde gave his reply, clearly complimenting the prefect. But just as I leaned in a little closer to press my ear to the window, something poked me in the ankle, and I yelped, stumbling back. The trash cans crashed to the ground, as did my head, and I saw a cute little hedgehog, which must've been what poked me. I was about to help him away, when his spines expanded, jabbing into my hands. I stood, then hurried on out of there, but soon felt dizziness taking me over, and I wavered, before collapsing. My head and arm were sore from hitting a few rocks from my fall, my hands twinging from the wounds in them. I sighed, my vision a little blurry, when a gorgeous voice broke through.

"Did Mukuro beat you up and dump you here?" My attention snapped behind me, to the source of the sound, and I found Kyoya standing above me, watching me with those eyes that now comforted me a bit. But I quickly realized he was waiting for a reply.

"Uhh, yeah, yeah, that's what happened, haha," I laughed nervously.

"You're laughing after being given a beating?" Hibari snickered. "Damn, you're weird." He paused for a moment, leaving me hurt, but then, he said quietly, "Are you all right?"

"I guess... It wasn't that bad," I replied. Kyoya suddenly dipped in, and suddenly sniffed my neck, his nose actually brushing against my throat. I felt my face catch fire. "Kyoya?" I whispered.

"You smell like garbage," Kyoya spat. I glanced away, thinking hard, then came up with an idea.

"My dad got me cologne," I lied.

"Your cowardly father who ran away? Or your bastard of a stepfather? Or was it your mother?" the ravenette snapped. I looked down, ashamed for some reason, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"My mother's dead, Kyoya," I sighed. "My stepfather did."

"When did she die?" Kyoya asked, clearly a tad insensitive. I had thought that we were alike in at least this manner.

"I was nine," I murmured. "Kyoya, I don't want to talk about this."

"Weakness," the prefect spat. "I don't care about my parents."

"You weren't stuck with a bastard after they died!" I protested, my eyes starting to water. "And didn't they die when you were really young?"

"I was eleven, Ikuto," Kyoya shot back. "And they didn't give a damn about me." I was on the verge of breaking down right there, and I clenched my fists.

"Well my parents did!" I yelled. "My parents loved me! My father was the only one who I remember putting a hand on my shoulder, and saying everything was going to be okay! And my mother was a sweet woman who was heartbroken when he left! Stop acting like it's so easy to forget that love!"

There was a temporary silence, me just barely holding back those bitter tears, when Kyoya made it even worse. "Why would someone who loved you ever-so-much decide to walk away, hm?"

"Shut up," I muttered. "You don't know what it's like...!" I was so disgusted. How dare he challenge me like that! I thought we were friends! I raised my arm to slap him hard, but his hand closed around it, keeping me from the only momentary satisfaction I could get.

"We're going to be late," he said. "Let's go." I tried to let go of Kyoya's remarks, and instead thought about later.

"Take your cello home today," I mumbled. "I'll help you practice... it's Friday." Hibari grunted in agreement. But moments later, he decided to go out and attack me again.

"Parents aren't that great."

"They take care of you, they feed you," I argued. "What's NOT great about them?"

"They abandon you and never care when you have real problems," Hibari said. "Feh. Personally I think you're just their fool."

"Huh?"

"You're the idiot who fell into their game," the prefect snickered.

"No, I'm not!" I replied as we approached the school. "Hell, Kyoya. If anything, you're the idiot!" I would've been fine ending it there, but...

"Oh, really?" he said, in such a snide tone.

"Yes, really!" I shouted, standing in his way. "You push everyone away, you're insensitive, and you don't know when to shut up!"

Kyoya stood up taller as he snarled back, "If I weren't the way I was, I'd be naive and stupid, just like you! You think that the whole world will just bow down to you, just because you're freaking parents left you! News flash, Ikuto! My parents left me, and no one has ever cared! The world doesn't work that way!"

"Your parents died, Kyoya!" I snapped. "And don't think like that! I never asked for anyone to bow down to me. If anything, I want to be left alone!"

"You're an idiot!" Hibari repeated, harshly. "You can't stand to be alone, and you know it!"

"Well, maybe I can say the same about you! You bastard!" I shouted. I clenched my fist, and swung it back to hit that jerk square on the face, when two people latched on to each of my arms and pulled me back. I was full-on crying at that point, but I don't think anyone noticed my tears. I couldn't believe him. Kyoya... beautiful, tsundere Kyoya... was absolutely heartless. "Ikuto, calm down!" shouted Amu's voice.

"Ikuto-niisan, please!" which must've been Tadase. I was still enraged, and I whirled about.

"That jerk thinks he can just step all over me!" I snarled. "He deserves a hard, HARD hit for all of it."

"Calm down, Ikuto," Amu said, her voice suprisingly scolding. "You don't need to pick on him. He just transferred here, so he's probably under a whole lot of stress."

'Stress?' Yoru repeated, astonished.

"Yeah, Ikuto-nii. Amu's right."

I was frustrated. Even... my friends? "Fine, damn it! But you guys ought to know that it's his fault, harping on my dad like that."

"Ikuto," Kyoya began, stepping towards me. "I'm sorry, okay?" I was taken back slightly. Wasn't it a bit late for that apology? But then, seeing the apology in his face, I felt my heart throb with sadness, and my gaze softened.

"I'm sorry, too," I whispered, "and I forgive you."

"Don't worry about me," Kyoya returned. "I... I wasn't hurt like you were." He then reached forward, and his hand landed gently on my shoulder, giving it a slight, warm rub as he breathed, "Everything's going to be okay." I felt so much admiration for this extreme tsundere-ness as my body completely relaxed beneath his hand.

"If you say so," I murmured. I glanced back at Amu and Tadase. "We're... we're cool, you two. Thanks."

"Really, you just get so upset so easily. You're such a loose cannon," Amu sneered, before leaving.

"Heh, I could say the same to you," I tried to answer as she walked away. The bell rang, and Kyoya and I headed in for class, me brushing against him the entire way, nearly purring for him as we went.

-End Chapter

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