A/N: I'm getting really busy and I might not update as quick as usual. I'm glad you enjoyed the Filler/"Bonus Chapter"! Sorry for the delay! :P But thank you for being patient and for the reviews!

In a Fruits Basket - Chapter 9: Nicknames

Recap:

He gave me a look then asked, "Have you ever heard of a place called 'Sohma House'?"

I stared back, blinking in shock. "Would that mean... you're a Sohma?" I asked, playing dumb. I tried to hide my excitement, but failed.

He nervously answered, "Uh, yes." He cleared his throat. "So you've heard of it?" Hatsuharu casually leaned backwards, falling back on the lush grass.

"Oh, that's great! My name's Arya Nadeshiko and I -"

"Wait, they're coming," he cut in and pulled a rope out of his jacket pocket.

His jacket was long, with white fur near the neck-line and the hood. With the white hair, piercings, and outfit, he looked pretty cool. A bit intimidating, but cool. And even better - he was so nice! Hatsuharu took the rope, tied it to one side of the street and pulled it back to the other side. He crouched down beside me, tightly holding the edge of the rope in his hands.

Kyo and Yuki came from around the corner, and were running at amazing speed towards us. Kyo had a weird grin on his face as he ran, and to my surprise he was actually beating Yuki by a few steps. Just as Kyo reached the rope, Hatsuharu pulled it, causing it to lift, and trip Kyo. He fell on his face. It smashed against the road.

"Got him," Haru simply said.

I cringed. It was incredible how Kyo didn't even get a nosebleed. He just lay there like a dead man. I rushed up to him and placed a hand on his back. He was breathing.

"Kyo?" I said softly.

"Miss Nadeshiko?" Yuki panted and stopped to give me a look.

Kyo jerked up. I flinched and moved back. He turned to face me and glared. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled in my face. "Dammit! I was winning and everything!"

"If I hadn't have tripped you, you wouldn't have stopped now, would you?" Haru said, standing up.

"Haru?" Kyo gasped.

He ignored Kyo and looked over his shoulder. "By the way, what I did there was very dangerous and if it had been anyone other than Kyo, they would've been hurt pretty badly, so don't try this at home," he murmured.

"Don't try it here! Who are you even talking to?" Kyo snapped.

I snorted, then covered my mouth with my hand. Haru was talking to the "fourth wall"? Does one even exist right now?

"So now it's Haru." Yuki sighed, "They just keep showing up, don't they?"

"It's fine, I'd be happy to meet more of your family members!" I grinned nervously.

"You honestly don't have to," Yuki mumbled, then turned to face Haru. "Shouldn't you be at school?" he questioned him suspiciously.

Haru paused. He stretched his "yeah", as he looked to the sky, remembering his trip here. He rambled on about how he planned to get here. "... then I was swept away into the heart of the dark ever wilderness and it took me three days to find my way out." He finished and closed his eyes, deep in thought.

Yuki sighed again. "Why don't you just say you got lost?"

Kyo wiped the sweat off his forehead. "His sense of direction is as crappy as ever," he grumbled.

"He's lucky enough to run into us," I replied, smiling. I looked behind us, seeing the rest of the boys from our class catching up. "We're in the middle of the road. Might be best to move out of the way," I suggested.

"That might be wise." Yuki's eyes lit up. "Oh, this is Hatsuharu. He's still in his third year of middle school, one year behind us." He gestured to Haru, who was staring into my eyes. Yuki introduced me. "Haru, this is Miss Arya Nadeshiko."

I gave a shy smile and bowed. Haru bowed back while saying, "Miss Arya Nadeshiko, it's a pleasure to meet you."

I felt so flattered. He was so friendly and polite! I bowed once more. "No, the pleasure's all mine! And please, just call me Arya."

Haru cocked his head to the side and there was a weird glint in his eyes. He gazed into mine, making me feel a bit awkward. It was like he was searching for something, or he was trying to figure something out.

"So what did you come for anyway?" Kyo snapped at Haru.

"To fight," he replied plainly. His voice echoed in the tunnel where we stood. The cars roared by above us.

"Who comes all the way here to fight?" I mumbled under my breath. Yuki chuckled softly, then switched his attention back on the arguing boys.

"I was planning to challenge you at the New Year's banquet but you decided to skip, so I've come to you," Haru added and grabbed Kyo by the collar. "Now let's do it."

"Hold on, I'm right in the middle of something here in case you haven't noticed!" Kyo protested, trying to pull away.

"I already wasted three days looking for you!" Haru argued.

"That's your own damn fault!" Kyo countered, "You're the one who got lost!"

"Forget I said it, let's go!" Haru said, getting impatient.

Yuki started to get worried. He raised a hand and spoke out, "Hey Kyo, maybe you should just go ahead and do what he says before-"

"No, and I mean no! Now get out of here, I'm busy!" Kyo said and turned away. Before Kyo took another step, Haru smashed his skull right into the back of Kyo's neck. He yelled in pain and fell to his feet, clutching onto his neck.

"Kyo!" I gasped and tried to step forward.

Yuki stretched an arm in front of me, stopping me from going any further. He gave me a weak smile. "You wouldn't want to get in there."

"You make me sick. You and your pathetic whining," Haru said coldly. "You're not a man, you're just a little kitty cat who's too scared to fight! Y'know what?" Haru stepped forward and leaned towards Kyo. He cackled in his ear, "You can go to hell!"

I gasped in shock. No way. I can't believe it!

As Haru laughed like a maniac, Kyo took the opportunity to send a kick straight at his jaw. Haru staggered back, then the fight began.

Yuki sighed once more. "He just had to bring out Black Haru."

Black Haru! I should've been scared, but I was actually really excited! Right before my eyes was Black Haru! He was insane! I forced myself not to burst into laughter. Instead, I lightly touched Yuki's arm. "What do you mean 'Black Haru'?"

"You see, Haru's pretty easy to get along with, but once he snaps, he's uncontrollable," he explained. "That's our nickname for him when he's like this. Black Haru."

"So, like Kagura?" I commented.

Haru came up to us and grabbed Yuki's chin so he could face him. Their faces were only inches apart. It didn't seem to bother Yuki, though.

"Not at all," Yuki said. "He's a thousand times worse."

"Yuki, are you comfortable? Enjoying the show?" Haru purred, "Hope so, 'cause I'm coming for you next!"

"Is that a fact?" Yuki retorted.

"What the hell," I mumbled. Crap, I shouldn't have spoken.

Haru faced me and ran his fingers through my hair, punching the wall beside me so I wouldn't move away. I flinched at his touch. He smirked and breathed, "Worried, are you, Arya? Don't be. After I'm done with Kyo and Yuki, I'll make sure you -"

"Speaking of Kyo -" I began nervously. I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts.

Hell, was I wrong! He was hilarious from afar. But up close... Up close he's frickin' scary!

"Yeah," Haru replied and turned around. "Get up Kyo-!"

He was sent back by Kyo's fist. "I've been up, where the hell were you?" Kyo shouted and gave me a quick glance before turning to glare at Haru.

"I'm right here. Come on, fight," Haru taunted.

Yuki coughed the third time. It sounded much worse. Like he had something lodged in his throat and chest. I looked at him and asked, "You okay?"

He simply smiled and said, "It's nothing."

"You look sorta dizzy and you were coming down with a cold this morning," I reminded him. "And you ran! Are you sure?"

He was already swaying a bit. I took his arm and wrapped it around my shoulder. Luckily, he didn't transform. He kept his arm there.

"Don't want you falling over," I said.

"Thank you." He smiled again. I felt my face burn. "Miss Nadeshiko, this fight will last hours. You could go back to class if- if..." He trailed off. His grip on me loosened, and he let go of me. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Yuki," I gasped, "Yuki, what's wrong?"

The sound of panic in my voice caused Kyo and Haru to stop fighting and face me. I ignored them and put a hand on Yuki's back, just like I did before when Kyo fell. The big difference was, Yuki wasn't breathing at all. My heart skipped a beat.

"Yuki!" I begged, "Breathe! Just keep breathing!"

His back expanded as he forced the air down his weak lungs. His breath was quick and was hardly getting an oxygen in.

After the agonizing minutes of listening to Haru and Kyo's conversation over their fight, I lost my patience.

"Damn," Kyo cursed under his breath, "I guess this means the endurance run is over too. That really bites. I was winning."

"Hey, Yuki's kinda dying over here!" I snapped. "We need a way to get him to Shigure's house!"

Haru looked at me in surprise. "Well, we could take a taxi, but it would be a real pain if he -"

Poof!

I didn't mean to do it. I was just losing my patience and I was worried for Yuki. I grabbed Haru and that split second before I touched him, I saw his jaw drop. I hugged Haru and since he was so tall, my head was perfectly placed right on his chest, and my arms around his waist. For the moments I had my head on his chest just before he transformed, I heard his heart beat. It started to quicken, then poof! In front of me was a cow.

"Sorry about that," I sighed.

"Moo..."

"Ugh," I grunted, trying to lift Yuki without making him transform. "Kyo, help me," I told him.

"Wha-? Why do I gotta do it?" Kyo asked.

"Haru's a cow. I'm a girl. Do I need to explain more?" I said. "Now help me, please."

Kyo sighed and helped Yuki up. He put an arm around him and helped him sit on Haru. I rushed up to them and carefully cupped my hand under Yuki's head, and slowly placed him on the back of Haru's neck.

"Okay, let's go, Haru," I said softly. I grabbed onto his neck and made sure my hip touched his side so he would stay a cow until we got back.

"Shigure, we need to call Hatori. Now," I ordered, as I looked at Yuki who was sleeping in his bed. We all crowded around him.

"Well, let's see what's wrong with Yuki first -" he began.

"But we -" I cried.

"Arya," Kyo said, and grabbed my wrist, giving it a hard shake. "Calm down. He'll be okay."

"It was just a mild attack," Shigure said and held a thermometer by his face. He squinted, trying to get a better look at the numbers. "He still has a slight fever, but he'll be alright. We'll just let him rest here. Sorry to scare you, Arya. You could go back to school now, if you want."

"I couldn't. I should stay and watch over him," I said and knelt beside his bed.

"Well, we could call Hatori now," Shigure said. "Kyo, would you-?"

"Why is it always me?" Kyo groaned.

"And while you're at it, you should call Mai," Shigure added.

Before Kyo could say anymore, a small "poof" interrupted him. "I'll call them," Haru said calmly, rising from the smoke. He began to walk. "Where's the phone again?" Just before the smoke lifted, I made sure to turn away and cover my eyes.

"Dammit, put some clothes on first!" Kyo called out to the naked teenager.

"He's going to have to come back if you say that, y'know," I mumbled.

"Why?"

"'Cause his clothes are here." I pointed at the black clothes that were on Yuki's bed. We heard Haru's footsteps coming back.

Kyo yelled, not wanting to get another glimpse of naked Haru. "Haru, don't!" He balled up his clothes and threw it down the stairs.

"Actually..." A grin appeared across Shigure's face. "Just call Hatori. I'll pick up Mai, then get your things while I'm there, okay, Arya?"

"Sure. Thank you," I said and watched him go down the stairs towards the door.

He's definitely going for the high school girls. I could hear it now. He's singing that little song of his.

Haru hung up the phone and let out a long sigh.

"What- what did Hatori say?" I asked. Is he back to White Mode?

He replied softly, "He sounded mad."

"So," Kyo spoke out.

He was sitting next to Haru. He slid up the wall, until he was standing. He faced Haru and narrowed his face, slightly pouting his lips. He's been doing that look a lot lately. I've come to realize that. I ended up coming up with a name for that expression he wore. His "I-don't-give-a-damn" face. He usually did that when ever I had to give him a long explanation for something, or if Yuki spoke to him.

"Wanna finish our fight?" Kyo asked, still wearing the same expression.

"Mm... Nah," Haru replied.

Kyo's jaw dropped and a yelp escaped his mouth. His expression instantly changed.

"You've gotten strong, Kyo. I think I need more training," Haru added, walking away.

Haru was caught in a head lock seconds later, with Kyo's arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Haru flailed his arms around. After I broke them apart, I hissed, "Yuki's still asleep, so shut your faces!"

"Don't attack him while he's passed out, Kyo," Haru teased.

"Shut up!" He yelled, "The day I beat that damn rat, it'll be fair and square!" He stared at us with fury in his eyes. "Hell with it, I'm going back to school!" He stormed off, slamming the door as he left.

"Kyo?" A voice asked from outside. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business, woman!" he yelled.

"What the hell, I was trying to be nice!" The voice yelled back. "Yeah, you better run! Run off to school, jerk!"

"What's that?" Haru asked.

The door slammed open with the same force Kyo shut it with. The young girl's wavy hair blew in front of her bright pink face. "Damn, it's cold!" She exclaimed.

I sighed, placing my hand over my face. "That's... Mai."

"So Shigure picked you up?" I asked. "So... where is he?"

"Still at school. I believe he's getting your things," Mai answered.

"Huh." I pursed my lips. I didn't believe it one bit. It doesn't take that long to get my bags and textbooks. "Mai," I began, "This is Hatsuharu. He's a Sohma and a member of the Zodiac."

"Nice to meet you, Hatsuharu." Mai bowed her head.

"Likewise." Haru also bowed.

"Yeah, she's my older sister, Mai." I gestured to her.

"I'm year of the ox." Haru added.

"Oh! Wow! Me too!" Mai smiled.

He nodded his head. "Interesting."

"So, Arya saw your Zodiac form?" she asked, her eyes were bright with curiosity.

"In fact, she did. When Yuki had an asthma attack, she sprung right into action," he explained. "I've never seen anyone work that quick and clever."

A warm flush spread across my face.

"So how's Yuki?" Mai asked, loading some ice into a small pouch.

I answered, "He's still sleeping."

"The poor thing." She announced, "I'll take this up to him." She was going upstairs. I was going to follow, but Haru spoke out, "Arya, may I speak to you for a moment?"

I froze and spun around. "Sure."

"Has Yuki and Kyo been fighting often?" Haru asked, boiling some water.

"No, but they argue a lot," I replied. I got up from my chair. "Need help?"

"No thanks," he replied, and took the kettle and poured it into a cup with tea leaves. He began to mix, then blew on it before sipping. "Everything seems more relaxed between them."

"What, Yuki and Kyo?" I guessed.

"The way Kyo helped him up like that? Before, that wouldn't have happened in a million years. Even how they interact seems different." He inhaled the scent of his tea. "Maybe it's because you two are here."

"You think so?"

"Yes, but I haven't been here long enough to prove it." He passed me a cup.

I smelt the flavoured leaves. Herbal tea. With chamomile, lemon, and peppermint. Seemed different from the usual green tea we had. I put my lips to the rim of the cup and let a few drops hit my tongue. The flavours blended together. Warm and overwhelming. I thanked Haru.

"Arya, why does he call you 'Miss Nadeshiko'?" Haru asked.

"Yuki?" I said, "I actually don't know why he does." And I always wondered why he never used it when addressing Mai.

"I was surprised to hear him call you that. He wasn't the type to use nicknames," he murmured. His white hair fell over his gray eyes.

"Well, there's Kyo." I laughed softly. I tried my best to imitate Yuki's voice, "Stupid cat."

Haru laughed and nodded. "Yes, that's him. But, that's out of hatred. Yuki definitely doesn't hate you, Arya."

"That's a relief." I blushed.

"I think it's a nice nickname." Haru smiled.

"Th-thanks." I blinked in surprise. I stared into my tea and blew into it. I watched the air cause the water to bend in the middle, sending ripples around it.

Yuki called Tohru "Miss Honda" or "Honda-san", because he saw her as family. It was his way to show he respected and loved her. I blushed even more at the thought.

"You care a lot about Yuki, don't you?" Haru suddenly said.

I looked up to face him. I hesitated. "Yes."

"I can tell. The way you ordered us around like that before," he said.

"Oh, sorry about that." I chortled in embarrassment.

He chuckled, "No, I didn't mean it like that. I'm actually amazed. I've never seen anyone so worried for Yuki. The last time anyone was like that... Well, that was long ago. And that was me." He went serious. "I mean, he is my first love, after all," he admitted.

First love? I knew Haru wasn't the straightest guy in the story, but I also knew his love for Yuki was more like admiration.

"Although when we were kids, I couldn't stand him. I hated his guts." He squeezed the cup in his hands.

"Oh, how come?" I asked.

"Because he's the rat. You know the story, right? How the rat rode on the cow to the Zodiac banquet? I used to hate that story as a kid. The cow... What a stupid fool. Well, that's what the adults used to tell me. I know they were only half-joking when they said that, but still, I couldn't help but feel like I was the one they were laughing at." He gazed at the steam that rose from his tea.

I watched him across the table, gripping onto my cup, feeling its warmth in my palms. He continued telling his story about how he met Yuki. His choice of words, the smooth, deep tone he used as he spoke... They were all sincere. This must've been his serious side. I liked it. I couldn't help but stare at him in awe. It was amazing how strong his love for Yuki was right after that small moment they shared when they were kids.

He finished his tea and his story, let out a long sigh, and leaned back in his chair.

"Haru..." I began, "that's amazing."

"I was surprised too, seeing Yuki next to you with that little smile on his face. That was a first for me. He barely smiled back at the Main House," he said.

"Really, now?" I mused.

"You two care a lot about each other. You can almost feel it in the air," he commented. I felt my blood rush to my face. "And when you got Kyo to help out... That was unbelievable too."

"You were a cow, Haru. Who else was I supposed to ask?" I said.

"You're so modest, Arya." He replied, "But never mind that. You were so worried for Yuki that you even snapped at me in my Black Mode. Which leads to me asking, how did you know I was going to transform? And even more important, how did you know my Zodiac form was going to be able to carry Yuki back home?"

It was like he was interrogating me, throwing questions at me that I couldn't answer. I couldn't tell him I already knew. I bit my lip, then I drank the last of my tea. "Your hair," I finally answered.

"My- my hair?"

"You said you were a Sohma, so I thought, 'Hey, maybe you were a member of the Zodiac'. And your hair's white and black like a cow." I lied. "I could tell it was natural, so that's how I came up with that idea. I have an eye for dyed hair."

"I've noticed," he said and reached for my hair. He grabbed a few locks, the coloured ones, and gave me a small smile. "It's nice on you."

I pulled my head back, making my hair slip out of his fingers. "Thanks! Yours is pretty cool, too."

"Arya!" Mai whined, coming downstairs.

"Yes?" I asked in a depressing tone. "And please, be quiet! Yuki's still asleep."

"Well, after I placed the ice beside him, I went to our room and it's a mess!" she cried.

"I know. This morning I was in a rush and I -"

"That's not a good excuse! I want it cleaned now," she ordered.

"Stop trying to sound like our mom!" I retorted. I forgot our lives were different here. The words hit her harder than they should've.

"Uh- just- just shut up!" Mai stuttered.

"Mai, I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"

"Just clean it up now," she said, and stormed off.

I almost forgot Haru was there. I sighed. "Sorry you had to see that, Haru."

"It's okay," he said. "I'll help you, if you want."

"Naw." I waved my hand. "I'll clean it up later."

"It's odd," he began. "You two, in some ways, are a lot like Yuki and Kyo."

I laughed in embarrassment. "You said before that they're fighting less because we're here. How can that be, if they're just being exposed to more fighting? And even worse, fighting that's similar to theirs!"

"Well, maybe that's just it." Haru shrugged his shoulders. "When they see you two, I don't know... Their perspective on things change."

"Maybe," I mumbled.

"Hey." Haru suddenly got up, surprising me.

"What?" I asked.

"I wonder how Mai's doing." He was already on his way upstairs.

"Wait up!" I called after him and grabbed his shoulder. I had to get on my toes to reach for him.

He looked over his shoulder and grinned, "Has anyone ever told you that you're really cute?"

"C-cute?" I stuttered in shock. Cute sounded so strange coming out of his mouth.

"Yeah." He smiled. He ruffled my hair. My scalp still tingled after his hand left. "You kind of remind me of someone I know. She's small, just like you."

"Hey, I'm older than you," I warned him.

"Does it matter, Miss Nadeshiko?" he teased. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. "Anyway, speaking of nicknames..."

"Who's speaking of nicknames?" I asked nervously.

"Well, since you brought it up, Arya..." he began. That was a clever move, Haru! He spun around and pulled me close to him. He whispered, "When Yuki wakes up, how about you try calling him by his nickname once? I'll bet it'll cheer him up."

Yuki's eyes fluttered open, his long eyelashes brushing against his cheeks when he closed them.

"Miss Nadeshiko?" He breathed and began to rub his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, sitting next to him.

He shot up, nearly hitting his head against mine. "That's right! I was- I hope I wasn't any trouble-"

"It's okay, Haru carried you back here," I said, trying to calm him down.

"Oh, well, thank you, Haru," Yuki replied.

Mai walked up to him and gave him a pack of ice. "How's your chest feeling?"

"I'm fine." He exhaled. "So, Mai, how'd you get here?"

"Shigure picked me up from class." She smiled. "How about I make everyone a snack? How does some nice sushi sound?" Her footsteps faded as she went to the kitchen.

There was a small pause. "And what of Kyo?" Yuki asked.

"He went back to school," Haru replied. "And while you were asleep, I was telling Arya about why I like you."

"Is that all you can think of -"

"She seemed interested." Haru cut in.

"Yes and Haru made some wonderful tea," I added. I remembered what Haru told me before. Nicknames. "You should try it some time..." I took a deep breath and continued, "Prince... Yuki."

"Sure, maybe it'll calm- Ah..." He gasped, realizing what I just called him.

Poof!

Yuki became a rat and landed on his bed with a soft thud. I sighed and stood up. My eyes met Haru's. My black eyes narrowed at the stormy gray ones. "Never again, Black Haru."

"I'm not even -"

"I know. I'm just calling you by your nickname," I said and stepped closer to him, and purposely made my shoulders touch his chest.

Poof!