The Skylark and the Cat Chapter Eleven

Lunch, same day of previous chapter

"Ikuto," I began, "I realize that you're a supposed 'cat,' but do you like small animals?" I asked as we sat down for lunch.

"Hmm... define small animals," he said, getting out his food.

"Like... birds, rodents... hedgehogs," I replied.

He considered for a moment. "Well, Yoru likes to chase mice- which is awfully cliche, but I guess I don't really mind them. Hedgehogs are cute. Why?"

"Just wondering," I said. Ikuto suddenly leaned over as someone came on to the roof, then chucked a potato chip. I watched the person turn around, and looked back from them to Ikuto. The man was giving me a meaningful look, and suddenly, the student and their friend turned and left the roof. Ikuto sighed, and leaned back.

"Heh. Want something done, do it yourself..."

"What was that all about?" I asked. Ikuto fidgeted for a moment.

"I passed a note around the school to tell everyone to leave us alone on the roof," he replied. I arched a brow.

"Everyone?"

"The entire homeroom class all passed it on to their second period classes, and then all of those people told their third period classes," he told me. "That's how."

I held back a smile, and said shortly, "Thank you."

"... Actually, Kyoya, I had a reason," Ikuto said, looking away. "For doing this."

"Mm, I don't mind," I said, "I'm just glad that you were making sure that there weren't any crowds..."

Ikuto blushed lightly when he looked back at me. "Kyoya, my reason..."

I looked up. "Hn?"

He suddenly came in, and everything happened so fast-

The first thing I identified was his essence, his body so close, much too close, his midnight eyes perfectly aligned with mine, making me feel eclipsed. Then, the second he closed his eyes, I was able to recognize his lips on mine, moving slowly, and his hands against the wall, trapping me inside the cage of his arms.

That's about when I understood that this... that what he was doing...

That it was a kiss.

An act of intimacy. An act that people who are... MORE than friends commit.

And it repulsed me that I was being kissed by a man, a man who I hadn't known for much longer than a week, at that.

A man who I'd only begun to open up to.

A man named Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

I wanted desperately to push him back, I wanted that more than anything else, because he was throwing me off balance with this sudden, new move. And then his tongue, hot and wet, left his lips and brushed over mine. I refused to move, and Ikuto brought his hand to my cheek, and caressed it. My heart was racing, and I could tell that I was blushing; I knew that I was on the verge of succombing to the warmth.

That was when I managed to push him back, even though my hold on his shoulders was weak, and my hands were trembling slightly.

"Ikuto, that...," I began, panting slightly, "that's not... you shouldn't be... I... just..."

I couldn't seem to find my voice. I was so stunned, so disgusted, so angry, and yet, so relieved. Why? He had finally done something instead of continuing to hide his feelings from me. But of course, more than anything, I was confused.

I had been a coward not to immediately shove him away, and I had been stupid to allow him to kiss me.

But why was I so weak?

Why was I so powerless?

What was holding me back?

"I'm sorry, Kyoya," Ikuto whispered, "I... needed to."

I looked up into the midnight eyes. "You love that Amu girl," I said flatly. "Don't try to weave yourself into me, too."

Yes, that was right. I needed to tell him how I felt about this.

But even I knew that 'Amu' was just a stupid excuse.

An excuse for my lack of strength.

"Kyoya, Amu turned me down a long, long time ago," Ikuto told me. "And she's Tadase's girlfriend now."

In a flare of anger, I said, "I'm not someone you can just use for comfort and throw away, Ikuto, you better go to a doctor and make sure your head's on properly. Look at me, Ikuto. I'm a man."

"I know that," Ikuto replied quietly, "I've always known that."

"No. The first time you saw me, I was a girl to you. I suppose that image got stuck in your perverted feline mind, hm?"

At that point, I hardly knew what I was saying, I was just coming up with excuse after excuse not to admit how my heart raced- how positively I'd reacted to him.

"Kyoya, please, listen...," Ikuto said, "this morning, I was so angry. I was so upset with you... and then... what you said to me back there..."

I frowned. Had he taken my minor act of friendship in a way that was unspeakably different? Had he taken it as, pardon me, but, affection? I stood up. "This is what you cleared the roof for?" I asked. "So you could kiss me?"

"Kyoya, you're just..."

"What? I'm just what?" I asked, glaring at him. "You've crossed the line, Ikuto. I don't want to love. I don't need to love. I don't want anything to do with someone who loves me. So you better get it all in order, because I'm not gay, and I don't love you."

With that, I left the roof, even though something inside me screamed not to. I began to get a headache as I couldn't block out Ikuto's heartbroken face, his cat ears lying flat as he asked himself why he wasn't good enough-

I clutched my forehead, reaching the bottom of the stairs, and growled, "Get over it," to myself. "He can't manipulate me like that."

And I kept walking.

-End Chapter

Short, but a fast upload! Hehe~ And it just took off, like this! *airplane noises*