Desiderata
By fallen-angel-b
Rated: M
Summary: When Hatsuharu and Yuki Sohma are suddenly and unexplainably drawn to each other, something unbelievable happens. Could their new relationship be the key to finally putting an end to the family curse?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and this fic. Everything else is property of whoever created Fruits Basket.
Pairings: Haru/Yuki, Kyo/Tohru, Kagura/OC
Note: I just realised, depressingly, that fanfiction decided not to allow my link to the Carbon Leaf song to appear on the website. Grr…how irritating! No matter, though, I'm sure it isn't terribly difficult to find if you are at all bothered looking it up # grins #
I would also like to apologise again for the wanky layout of last chapter. I assure you it's not my fault. Blame technology. I hope it wasn't too difficult to read and I really am sorry if it was annoying.
Please note that this chapter contains several more original characters. I know not many people like this, but I thought to myself, 'Bugger it, this is my story and I'm going to do it anyway!'. I kind of couldn't write this story without them anyway, as they become far more significant in later chapters. But just letting you know in case you simply can't stand original characters of any kind and would rather not read this chapter.
Warning that this chapter contains sexy bits (blush/giggle/blush). If you are uncomfortable or don't like reading that sort of thing than I suggest skipping the latter part of this chapter. If, however, youare into that sort of thing, than please enjoy!
Chapter dedicated to Watermeluhn, whose review helped me to come up with a theme for this story and inspired me to write this chapter faster!
Chapter Ten – Defining Perfection
Haru couldn't help but feel mildly surprised when he found Yuki waiting for him after school by his locker after school the day after they parted at the sports field. He knew, as this was the only day of the week in which Yuki had a free afternoon, they had already made vague plans to spend time together, but considering what had happened the last time they met, he hadn't been entirely sure of what to expect when the final bell rang for the day…
"Stay over tomorrow night?"
Haru cringed inwardly a little every time he thought about it what he had said during the heat of the moment when they had taken shelter under the bleachers from the torrential storm. It wasn't that he didn't want Yuki spending the night with him – quite the opposite, in fact – but he was irritated with himself for asking something of the other Sohma that was so obviously out of the question. There was no chance of Yuki ever spending a full night at Sohma House. The place held too many disturbing memories for him…and right under Akito's nose, too. Although Yuki had agreed at the time, he'd remained oddly quiet during the walk home after the storm had died down, and Haru couldn't help worrying that perhaps Yuki felt pressured into doing something he wasn't ready to handle.
Despite the impressions he'd left on Haru, however, Yuki was still waiting for him, as diligently as ever. Haru didn't even dare to consider this meant Yuki was keen on the overnight plan after all. Rather, he supposed, they would spend an afternoon together as per usual. Although it wasn't everything he wanted, just being with Yuki was always enough in itself.
"I didn't think I'd see you today," Haru admitted as he reached his locker and began changing his shoes.
To his amusement, Yuki actually looked stunned by this confession.
"Of course not," the older Sohma rolled his eyes, "like I'd have anywhere else to be. I'm sorry to tell you but you're stuck with me this afternoon and probably for the rest of your life too."
Haru laughed. "Sounds good," he said teasingly, "but did it ever occur to you that Imight have plans?"
Yuki rose a single, slender eyebrow at him in response, arms folded casually across his chest as he leaned on the adjoining lockers.
"Are these the kinds of plans I would want to know about?" Yuki said, and Haru smirked when he heard his boyfriend sounded a little annoyed.
"Probably, seeing as you're included in them. Kagura rang me last night. She had some of her friends from college are meeting for coffee this afternoon. I thought I'd go. I haven't seen her since the carnival."
Straightening up from tying his shoes and stretching, Haru grinned at the confused expression that graced Yuki's lovely features.
"Uh-huh," Yuki replied slowly, keeping his arms folded squarely across his chest, "and how am I included in those plans, exactly?"
"Well, you're invited too, of course," Haru stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world (and to him, it was), "that is, if you'd like to come with me."
"I would," Yuki smiled back at him, "just as long as you're sure I'm not turning into your perpetual, unwanted tag-along."
"No way. You should always feel welcome wherever I go."
The smile on Yuki's face broadened visibly, and instinctively Haru took a step closer to him, only to step backwards again suddenly when one of Yuki's classmates passed them in the corridor, startling them both by calling out in greeting as he went. The unconscious action did not go unnoticed by either of them, and for once Haru had to look away as Yuki blushed. He jammed his hands protectively in his pockets and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Do you want to get going, then?" Haru said once the intruder's footsteps could no longer be heard.
Yuki nodded, still smiling, although much more reserved than before. He wasn't sure what irritated him the most, himself or Yuki, but he ignored it for the time being. Adjusting the strap of his schoolbag over his shoulder, Haru fell into step beside his boyfriend, and was content to relax into an easy conversation as they ventured into the outside world.
Since the storm the day before, the weather had been temperamental, beginning with dismal grey clouds and a depressing, drizzly rain in the early morning and ending up with almost clear blue skies in the late afternoon. A cold, biting breeze lingered in the frosty, late-autumn air, a constant reminder of the onslaught of winter and the bad weather that was soon to come. Although the city would remain dry well into the evening, none doubted that it wouldn't stay that way for long. It was only a matter of time before easterly winds brought the storms upon them again.
Yuki shivered as the wind went through his school uniform, walking closer to Haru than was necessary to ward off the cold. He wished he could take Haru's hand, but the streets were crowded with shoppers and school students making their way home, and he knew it would be impossible for him. It was hard enough to avoid accidentally crashing into a member of the opposite sex without losing Haru in the process. The last thing he needed was to find another way to possibly make a spectacle of them both. Just imagining all the scrutinizing, disapproving gazes fixed on him made him sick.
It was with relief that they finally left the streets and entered the warmth and security of the small café. The scent of ground coffee beans and freshly baked cakes overwhelmed them the moment they stepped through the door, powerful enough to make any person's mouth water. But it was the atmosphere that proved most alluring. The walls and furniture were all in rich shades of reds and browns, with customers relaxing together around intimate coffee tables on the cushy, pinstriped couches, talking in politely soft tones over gentle background music. Yuki smiled to himself as he took it all in. He didn't normally come to places like this, finding them to be far too 'western' for his more traditional taste, but he had to admit there was something comfortable and serene about it that made him surrender to the fact that Kagura certainly knew of good locations in the area.
It didn't take him long to spy the older, female Sohma, sitting towards the back of the café on a particularly worn-looking couch, surrounded by people Yuki didn't recognise. Even from a distance, she looked especially pretty that afternoon, in tight-fitting denim jeans and a bright orange turtleneck jumper. Her long brown hair fell neatly to her shoulders, and there was a definite rosy colour to her cheeks. When she caught sight of the new arrivals from across the room, she gave them a wide smile that reached the large grey orbs of her eyes.
"Well good afternoon, Hatsuharu Sohma," the young woman said teasingly as she embraced him, kissing his cheek, "you, my friend, are late."
"Give us a break, we had to walk all the way from school, you know it's impossible for to use the subway when it's so packed," Haru replied in a low voice, "turned out the streets are almost as bad. It gets so crowded at this time of day…"
"You need to hurry up and get your driver's license, kid," Kagura teased, "I don't think transforming into a cow on the middle of the train is really a good look."
"Neither is transforming into a boar in the middle of gym class," Haru reminded her snidely of an incident that had occurred during her high school days.
Kagura merely smirked and whacked him on the arm. "You shut up," she said simply.
Yuki watched this small exchange and contemplated, curiously, how he had missed witnessing Haru and Kagura develop into such good friends. When she'd trained in martial arts with them as children, Kagura had always been next to indifferent to both Haru and himself, only having eyes for Kyo. Since the only initial contact they'd had with each other had been at the dojo, Yuki supposed their friendship must have developed after he left the main house, and, in conjunction, martial arts. Haru never seemed to have much patience for Kagura when they were younger, tolerating her at best, but when Yuki thought about it more, he supposed now they were older there was a lot the two of them had in common – for a long time up to and including, he considered not without a lump of guilt forming in his throat, a shared sentiment of unrequited love. Perhaps it was this, more than anything, which had brought them so closely together. He wondered how Kagura would react when inevitably she discovered that Haru's love was not so unrequited after all…
"Glad you could make it, Yuki. Haru told me you might be coming," Kagura beamed, greeting him with a hug and kiss on the cheek as well.
"Sorry to be such an imposition," Yuki returned the gesture a little more awkwardly than his boyfriend had. Despite having known her nearly all his life, Yuki had never felt particularly close to Kagura. He had bonded with her once some years ago, on that fatal night during Kazuma's last visit when Kyo and Tohru ventured into the woods while the two of them remained behind. Although it felt like an eternity had passed since then, it was a moment Yuki was sure neither of them would ever forget, and something that linked them together in a silent understanding of one another.
"Don't be stupid," Kagura shook her head dismissively in a way that made Yuki think of Haru, "now come over here and let me introduce you to everyone."
For the first time, Yuki properly noticed the five others sitting around Kagura's table, who Haru was proceeding to greet like a group of old friends. They seemed quite older than him, making him feel small in his school uniform: a huge bear of a man who had to be at least six foot tall and twice as wide took up almost one whole couch on his own, with deep-set features, curly brown hair and a wide, mischievous grin; another young man sat next to him, strikingly short in contrast, although next to anyone else he would have appeared close to average height, with spiky black hair and the friendliest face Yuki had ever seen; a sombre youth with a neatly cropped pudding-bowl haircut, a pasty face and a smart attire, whose shy smile failed to reach his serious dark eyes; and a giggly, cheerful looking girl with long, wavy black hair and highly expressive facial features.
The one who stood out the most, however, was the young woman who sat sedately by herself to one side. She was dressed differently from the rest of her peers, who – all but one – presented themselves fairly casually. Her baggy black jeans were ripped deliberately at the knees, held securely to her slender waist by a spiky black belt. Her tight-fitting black shirt was ripped in places all the way down the long sleeves and gaped slightly at the front where a gothic cross hung off a silver chain. Her short black hair was cut at odd, uneven angles, yet it framed her face remarkably well. Beneath the bangs that nearly masked her entirely from view, was the most beautiful face Yuki thought he'd ever laid eyes on. It was a face with character…expression…depth, enigmatic but also perfect and picturesque at the same time. Stunning blue eyes stared out at him, accentuated by heavy eyeliner and the chalk white powder on her face. She was the only one who didn't smile, resting a biker's boot very similar to the ones Haru owned on the edge of the table, arms protectively crossed over her stomach.
Kagura introduced each of her companions respectively, "Kenta Nagano, Atsuo Yamada, Masato Shimane, Megumi Akasaka…and Shiho Hinnatoki."
Yuki smiled and inclined his head politely towards each person in turn. Kenta and Atsuo beamed back at him while Megumi waved enthusiastically. Masato and Shiho each nodded once in response, their expressions serious. Hatsuharu, meanwhile, had dropped casually into a chair and was gesturing for Yuki to join him. Yuki obliged, awkwardly climbing over Kenta's beefy legs, much to the amusement of his new acquaintances. While he blushed and fidgeted into his seat, Kagura took her place on the adjacent couch beside Shiho. It was then that Yuki noticed the definite division between male and female in the seating arrangement. Apart from Megumi, who had Atsuo's arm around her shoulders, male and female sat at opposite sides of the coffee table, most likely the unconscious effort of the Sohmas.
"Yuki, we've heard a lot about you," Atsuo began with a warm smile, "what's the relation between you and Kagura?"
"No real relation," Yuki replied, finding it easy to converse with the well-natured young man. There was something special about Atsuo, he noticed even then. It was as if a kind of positive energy seemed to constantly radiate from him in waves. Yuki could literally sense it in the room.
"Ah, so same as Haru," Megumi continued with an infective exuberance to her tone, "interesting. Not so many distant relatives are so close."
"Well, we're pretty special," Haru replied, casting Yuki a sidelong glance that caused him to grin.
"You could say that again," Kagura added, "hey Yuki, Haru told me you're interested in being an artist now."
"Really?" said Yuki, turning to Haru with a quizzical expression on his face. He was surprised Haru would think this kind of thing was worth mentioning. He felt his boyfriend studying the contours of his face, trying to work out if he'd accidentally said the wrong thing or not. He cast him a sincere yet fleeting smile to assure him that everything was all right.
"Not only that, but he says you're quite good at what you do too," Kagura went on.
"N-Not really," Yuki stammered, feeling his cheeks reddening. He was more than receiving a lot of attention, but he couldn't quite get used to the idea of other people praising him over his newfound hobby when it was something so personal to him.
"He's very good," Haru continued, not without a hint of pride in his tone. Yuki felt himself blush deeper.
"Megumi's an artist too," Kenta put in, the broad grin never once leaving his face. His voice was startlingly deep.
Megumi smiled graciously back at her friend, "I dabble with a bit of drawing every now and then, but none of them are any good. All the little people look like they've got legs for arms and arms for legs so the end result doesn't actually end up making much sense."
"There you go – her pictures don't make much sense. Spoken like a true artist," Atsuo said in jest.
"You know, just because no one understands you, doesn't mean you're an artist," Megumi replied, "isn't that right, Yuki?"
"I'm not sure whether I agree or not, but I have to admit that's a nice turn of phrase," Yuki said lightly.
"Oh, I'm full of them; you haven't heard the best of me yet."
"Megumi would like to think she's a bit of an intellectual," Atsuo half-whispered jokingly to Yuki, receiving a slap on the back of the head from his girlfriend as a response.
"I'm a third-year university student majoring in psychology, what else would I be?" said Megumi in a mock-serious tone, causing everyone to laugh.
"Of course the realintellectuals are Masato, Shiho and Haru," Kenta put in.
"What do you mean realintellectuals?" Megumi sulked, only to be slapped on the back of the head by Atsuo.
"Everyone knows Masato's brains have almost grown too big for that thick skull of his," Atsuo said in jest, "and have you seen him practicing his kata? It's pretty unbelievable."
"I don't know when that became a deciding factor in what makes an intellectual, but thank you all the same," Masato replied evenly. His tone was very serious, almost completely empty of all emotion. At the same time, Yuki couldn't say that there was anything boring or monotonous about the way he spoke.
"You study martial arts?" Yuki queried, turning to the stone-faced young man with interest.
Masato nodded, "Mostly karate and jujitsu, but I have studied various other forms throughout my lifetime."
"And all that spiritual mediation and study," Kenta put in, "that's got to count for something on the intellectual scale."
"Masato once took on intensive training and study with Buddhist monks. He even took a vow of silence that lasted a whole year, or so I've heard, but this was a while before I met him," Haru explained quietly to Yuki, who was somewhat reminded of Kyo in his serious approach to martial arts.
"Alright, I'll pay that," Megumi held up her hands in defeat, "but what about Shiho? How is she more intellectual than me?"
The girl Shiho rose a single, shapely black eyebrow at her accuser. It was then that Yuki noticed, for the first time, the way that Kagura seemed to look at her.
"I have mixed feelings about being an intellectual," she said as she reached for her cup of coffee. Her voice was a serious as Masato's had been, but it was difficult to tell whether or not she was joking. She offered a half-smile that made her face all the more beautiful. Yuki considered that she would be a very interesting subject to draw.
"Up all night cooped up in her room," said Atsuo, "of course she's an intellectual."
"Yes, we intellectuals must keep anti-social hours," Shiho continued in much the same way, "It does us good."
She leant back in her seat, this time with Kagura's arm casually resting on the back behind her. Neither of them complained or moved. Yuki studied his old acquaintance carefully. This was a side of her he had never seen before. Everything from her behaviour to the way she looked was different to what he saw of her when she was with Kyo and the others.
"Shiho, Shiho, Shiho," Megumi laughed and shook her head, "what are we going to do with you?"
"Sometimes I myself don't know what to do about being an intellectual," said Shiho, "it's difficult. Do you agree, Hatsuharu?"
Haru laughed, "If Megumi's not an intellectual than I certainly am not one."
"Oh come off it," Megumi pulled a face at him, "you're the one person whose name was mentioned that I wasn't going to argue."
"Haru's read more in his lifetime than most of us put together," Kagura added, "and he's mature for a high school student…most adults, too."
"That doesn't really define anything," argued Haru, and Yuki could tell the compliments were making him a little edgy. He was glad Haru was getting attention well deserved.
"Don't be modest;" said Megumi, "we all know you're one of a kind."
"My one and only," Yuki added quietly so that only Haru could hear. He felt a surge of pride wash through him; similar to the way he supposed Haru must have felt when he was complimented on his drawing…proud to be Haru's boyfriend.
"You all should know by now that compliments are wasted on me," Haru chastised.
Kenta cast him a snide smirk, "So why are you beaming like an idiot?"
"Enough out of you," Haru muttered as his companions chuckled, turning instead to Yuki, "Yuki, you want a coffee?"
"I don't drink coffee," Yuki replied, "but tea, perhaps."
Haru smiled and got to his feet, "Okay, back in a second."
Sensing his boyfriend was now at ease in the group, Haru set off to buy drinks at the counter, narrowly avoiding Kenta's now deliberately extended legs as he went.
"It's amazing how little things can make such a big difference," Atsuo mused as they watched Haru approach the counter from afar.
"What do you mean?" asked Yuki.
"I know what you mean, love," Megumi answered her boyfriend than turned to Yuki with a smile, "Haru's different today…more, I don't know, alivethan usual. Probably because you're here. Atsuo wasn't lying when he mentioned that we've heard a lot about you. Haru talks about you a lot, you know."
"Still not over you, believe it or not," Kagura rolled her eyes, "I keep telling him it's time to move on."
"It's a little more complicated than that, Kagura," Atsuo said softly, sparing an awkward glance at Yuki.
Kagura only shrugged, "If I can do it than so can he."
For the first time since the conversation had begun, Yuki couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable. He wished he were able to tell Kagura that Haru needn't'move on' at all. Even if this wasn't true, it wasn't the sort of talk he felt he needed to hear. He didn't blame Kagura for touching on a difficult subject – she had never really been known for her tact.
"Maybe we should change the subject," Atsuo suggested, seeming to sense Yuki's discomfort.
When Atuso glanced at him Yuki decided he would take the opportunity to ask the question that had been on his mind from the moment he'd sat down.
"So, apart from Kagura, how long have you all known Haru?"
"Three years," Masato was the first to bring the answer to mind.
"It feels like longer than that, though," said Megumi, "a lotlonger."
"Kagura introduced Haru to us towards the beginning of college, when we all first met," Kenta informed him, "except for Shiho; she only came along at the beginning of this year."
"The resident newbie," Kagura teased, causing Shiho to glare at her. Shiho ice blue eyes made for the most intimidating of death stares. Kagura, however, appeared unthreatened, and poked the smaller girl in the stomach, resulting in her loud process and an immediate play-fight.
"Not anymore now the famous Yuki has graced us with his presence," Masato pointed out, giving Yuki another one of his shy smiles.
"Yes, Yuki, we owe you for saving us from impending boredom," said Atsuo.
"It's been so long since I had someone knew to pick on," agreed Kenta, "although Shiho will always be good for a laugh."
"Hey!" Shiho exclaimed as Kagura continued to attack her, with Megumi now stepping around the coffee table to assist.
Yuki laughed as he watched the raucous play out, feeling himself at ease. Haru returned with their drinks, reaching out to lightly and affectionately touch his arm just as he sat down again. He knew his boyfriend was glad he was having a good time, and gave him more to smile about when he commented on the surprisingly good taste of the tea.
Already, he was fond of the small, obviously very close group of friends he'd become acquainted with. Unlike with most of the people he'd only known a short time; he felt he could relax with Haru's friends. He could tell they were an open-minded group, accepting and respectful of one another despite their differences. There was no pretension anywhere amongst them, leaving the dynamics refreshingly genuine.
He was particularly intrigued by the way Kagura acted in this setting compared to the way she had acted at the carnival earlier in the year. He realised that neither personality was fake…they were both just different faces of Kagura. He had felt that way himself, divided by the various personalities her had to undertake each day. Watching Kagura so at ease within both sides of herself made him wonder if perhaps Haru and Miskaelah had been right all along – that all the aspects of his personality were a part of him. Surely, they were, but…
…if only he could make them feellike him.
As conversation progressed, Yuki came to learn more about the group of friends surrounding him. Atsuo and Megumi were, in fact, engaged and living together in an apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo while they finalised their studies, with plans to move to the far less populated and much more scenic area of Izu where they would run their own business and start a family, beginning this time next year. Masato was studying philosophy, planning on joining the Buddhist monastery permanently once his education had been completed. Shiho was only half-Japanese and an aspiring journalist, with wit to match a sharp tongue (when she rarely chose to speak), and for some reason was the butt of nearly all jokes. Kagura was often the first to attack and defend her, and Yuki soon learnt that everyone pretended not to notice the way the two women looked at each other. Haru acted as a sort of pacifist between arguments, and despite consistent playful teasing about his age, was by far the match of all six others in maturity and intelligence. Kenta was training to be a massage therapist. He also practiced martial arts in his spare time – and had recently been dumped by his girlfriend.
"Don't let it bother you, Kenta," Megumi tried to reconcile him when he unexpectedly put his head in his large, leathery hands and moaned at the mention of the ex-girlfriend's name, "You'll find someone much better."
"Thereis no one better," Kenta replied, his voice muffled by his enormous hands, "she was perfect."
"Nobody's perfect, Kenta," Haru reasoned, resting his shoes up on the coffee table beside his now empty cup.
"She has really beautiful eyes…" Atsuo mused aloud, but caught himself when both Kenta and Megumi glared at him and added hastily, "but aside from that she's an ugly whore. Haru's right, no one is perfect."
"She was perfect to me," Kenta lamented, hiding his face away again. Atsuo patted him gently on the back while Megumi and Kagura watched on in sympathy. Masato remained as detached as ever. Yuki accidentally met eyes with him but turned away swiftly, a feeling of awkwardness returning to him. Silence fell upon the group for the first time since they had all sat down…
"How so?" Shiho suddenly intervened.
All eyes turned to her, none having expected her response. Even Kenta lifted his head to stare at her blankly. Shiho remained undeterred, watching Kenta as though expecting an answer. When none came, she sighed impatiently.
"How is she perfect to you?" she asked, sounding genuinely interested, "I'm not trying to undermine you, I'm just curious to know…what sorts of things define perfection."
More silence followed this. Yuki wondered if Shiho always asked such difficult questions.
"Perfection is love," Kenta eventually answered, "Haru isright. No one person is perfect and it would be wrong to ever expect them to be. But being in love…that is truly perfect."
"Why?" Shiho prompted, confirming Yuki's earlier suspicions. She didask hard questions.
"Because love makes you feel complete," said Kenta, "and things that are perfect are always complete."
Shiho pursed her lips, forehead creased as she thought to herself carefully.
"I don't know…if I necessarily agree," Shiho paused so as to get her mind around her words, "you're still in love with her, aren't you? And right now, you are not together. So you are in love, yet you do not feel complete? I think there's got to be something more to it."
Yuki turned back to Kenta. The young man did not appear enraged or irritated by such criticism. Rather, he gazed pensively into space as he contemplated her words.
"There's many different ways of defining perfection," Haru pointed out, "perfection is only what each individual perceives it to be. To some, the most irrational thing or person might be perfect. There doesn't have to be a logical reason behind it. Since when are emotions reasonable anyway?"
"Good point, as always," Kagura murmured, not without a hint of cynicism to her tone as she glanced at the girl sitting beside her.
Shiho still seemed unconvinced, "I just don't think…there really is such thing as true perfection."
"Maybe not," Haru argued, "but what has truth got to do with the way most people perceive the world?"
When no one could answer him, Masato spoke into the silence.
"Buddhist philosophy teaches that perfection can be achieved after longs years of study and meditation, in the form of nirvana. In order to truly appreciate nirvana, one must first understand what it means to suffer. So not only is perfection considered a state of eternal bliss and happiness, it is, ironically, the product of misery and hard work. All Buddhist followers aim to reach nirvana. I may not have yet experienced this total perfection, but to me, being with the people I care most about, like here and now, is perfect enough in itself."
"Well shucks," Atsuo beamed at Masato as everyone laughed.
"I once met a woman who told me that humanity's perfection is defined through its flaws," said Yuki, Masato's thoughts on spiritual awakenings taking him back to a candlelit tent what seemed like an eternity ago.
"So someone doesn't have to be perfect to be seen as perfect in the eyes of another," said Megumi, "I like that. It's kind of like what Haru was saying. It also explains how I manage to put up with you!"
At this, she whacked Atsuo on his thigh, and he yelped so loudly nearly the whole café turned to look at him.
"I think I agree with everyone to some extent," Atsuo said once all the laughter had ceased, "but to me, Megumi will always be the most perfect thing in the world."
As the couple exchanged a tender kiss, Kenta, who had cheered up significantly once the conversation and steered away from his ex-girlfriend, now looked the most miserable Yuki had yet seen him. Although he felt terrible for what the older man was going through, he found it hard to sympathise. He knew exactly how Atsuo felt when he looked at Megumi. It was the same way he felt whenever he looked at the person sitting directly beside him.
"Even when she does abuse me!" Atsuo added as they broke apart, earning himself another slap on the back of the head from his beloved.
"So what did you think of this afternoon?" Haru asked as he and Yuki walked home in the early evening,
Yuki smiled to himself in contentment. The suburban streets were almost abandoned at this time of day, younger children having already been called inside by their parents for dinner. In the absence of pedestrians, Yuki even felt happy and comfortable enough to take Haru's hand, a gesture which had given the other Sohma obvious pleasure. The weather remained the same as it had been in the afternoon, clouds kept well at bay, and the prospect of a beautiful autumn sunset just on the horizon. Yuki let the cold wind wash over him, allowing himself to relish in the moment. It felt like a long time since he had been so relaxed.
"You never told me you had friends outside of school and the family," he remarked.
"I don't know why that is, we're all pretty close. Well, Masato and Shiho tend to keep to themselves a lot more, but on the whole it's like one big happy family," Haru cast him a wary glance, "you sure you didn't mind coming along?"
"No, I had a good time," Yuki said quickly, "I didn't know you and Kagura were that close either. I saw a side of her today I don't remember ever seeing before."
"Kagura and I started being friends not long after you left the main house," Haru explained as Yuki had suspected, "We used to go halves on packs of cigarettes…talk about you and Kyo…"
Haru smiled when Yuki scowled in disapproval, "It's like I keep saying…people are a thousand shades of grey."
Yuki fell into a reverie as he walked, thinking back to what Kagura had said earlier about having moved on…to the way in which she had looked at Shiho.
"She really is well and truly over Kyo now, isn't she?" it was a statement rather than a question, but came out sounding like one nonetheless.
"I was wondering how long it would take for somebody from the family to notice, actually. It has been two years now since she stopped being so besotted with him."
"Sheacts like she still loves him," Yuki frowned, contrasting his more up-to-date images of Kagura with those of her at the carnival.
"I think some part of her always will love him," Haru said thoughtfully, "but at the same time I think she knows it isn't meant to be."
Remembering what Kagura had said to him when they were alone together in Shigure's house scarcely two years ago, after Kyo had changed into his true form and taken off into the night, Yuki finally understood.
"Do she and Miss Hinnatoki always look at each other like that?" Yuki asked more quietly, sensing this was something he needed to proceed to with trepidation.
Haru sighed, eyes fixed dead ahead of him, "All day, and every day."
Yuki only nodded. Somehow he knew this was a topic he wasn't supposed to pursue.
"Well, I like your friends very much," he continued on a lighter note.
Haru turned to him and grinned, "They are great, aren't they? I think you could make a sitcom based entirely around that whole group dynamic."
"It would be highly successful," Yuki laughingly agreed, "you could set most of it in the café. We'll call it, 'The Coffee Club'…."
They continued on, discussing in-depth what the sitcom would be like and which archetypal everyone would play. Some time passed before Haru suddenly stopped walking, letting go of Yuki's hand.
"What?" Yuki questioned, perplexed.
"We missed the turn off for your place ages ago," he declared, "damn…my sense of direction screws things up again. Why didn't you tell me?"
Yuki blinked at him, bewildered.
"I didn't think I wasgoing home."
Haru stared back, just as equally bemused, "Where else would you go?"
"To your place," Yuki stated, his tone solemn, "or would you rather I didn't now?"
Despite this clarification, Haru still felt confused. Was he to take this to mean Yuki was planning on spending the night with him after all? Yes,he realised with a mixture of shock, concern, and even some excitement, he's serious…
"Yuki, you do recall I live at the main house, don't you? The same main house Akito lives in?"
Yuki merely rolled his eyes, "Yes, I am aware of that after over nine years of friendship, what do you think? Now do you want me to stay over, or not? You seemed keen on the idea yesterday."
"I was…caught up in the moment," Haru mumbled embarrassedly when Yuki laughed at his reaction, "Yuki, this is serious. Of course I want you to stay over, it's hard to think of anything I'd like more tonight. But in reality it's too dangerous."
All amusement instantly left Yuki's tone as he reached out and took the other Sohma's hand again.
"I'm willing to take that chance."
Large, bright eyes filled with love and adoration gazed into his, melting his resolve to keep them both out of trouble. Haru wasn't used to having to be the careful one. That was Yuki's job, while he was more accustomed to reckless kinds of behaviour. More than anything else, he yearned to just take Yuki up on his offer, whisk him straight up to his bedroom and – fuck rationality! Why did everything always have to be so complicated?
"I don't know if you're really thinking this through. It's not going to work," Haru replied, treading over each word carefully, "Anyway, there are other options. I could…stay over at your's…"
He wasn't sure how he expected Yuki to react, but he was sure he didn't expect him to frown the way he did.
"Well that would be a waste, seeing as Shigure went to all the trouble of getting Akito out of the main house for a couple of nights," Yuki continued in a pensive tone that reeked of suspicion.
Haru couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"He what?"
Yuki smiled serenely, "Shigure is taking Akito down to the family baths for a short stay. He's convinced him that it will greatly benefit his health. Oh, and he's even managed to talk Ayame into going too, which is excellent news for me. It's like killing two annoying birds with one stone…now if only he could somehow convince that stupid cat to go with them…"
As he listened to his boyfriend go on, Haru's mind was racing. He didn't think he could believe a word of it, but he wanted to so badly. It was far too good to be true.
"Yuki, how? I mean…what did you do? Did you tell Shigure about…?"
"All I had to do was mention that I wanted to spend the night at your house, and Shigure immediately said that it was a 'funny coincidence' because he was planning on taking Akito away at the same time," Yuki could no longer hide his own exuberance, "It's like you said, Shigure is far more observant than he looks."
Haru laughed to himself, still shaking his head it disbelief, "You're amazing. Do you realise that?"
"I'll pass that on to Shigure when he gets back."
Haru could only grin, marvelling at how the person he knew best could manage to surprise him more than anyone else. The thought made him want and love Yuki more.
"Come on, then," he leaned in to whisper seductively in his would-be lover's ear, "Let's make the most of this night."
No matter how he might have prepared himself for it, Yuki was positive he could never prepare himself enough for walking into Sohma House after two whole years of avoiding it at whatever means possible.
As far as he could tell, nothing had changed during his absence. In fact, everything was much the same as it had been during his childhood. Gardens ridiculously neat…ponds filled with fresh, clear water and healthy fish…no tiles missing from the roofs of all the little houses that lined the little streets within the huge Sohma front gates…everything polished, trimmed and scrubbed to a shiny, presentable finish. It was perfect. It was eerie. It was filled with dark memories. It was not his home.
But it was Haru's home.
They used one of the side entrances rather than the main gate, both agreeing that even in the present circumstance it was best to exercise caution. Haru led the way casually and confidently, passing streets, secret passageways and gardens they had both played in as boys which Yuki would have stopped to get a better look at if left to his own devices. They moved quickly, not wanting to be seen in plain sight or draw any unwanted attention upon themselves. It seemed to take no time at all before they reached Haru's house, a small, sturdy building indistinguishable from all the others that surrounded it. Yuki wouldn't have been able to tell which one it was if he hadn't come knocking on that same front door more times than he could count in years gone past.
Haru rummaged through his bag for the house key while Yuki waited beside him on the porch, anxiously glancing over his shoulder more often than he meant to. He wished that in reality he was as brave as he had sounded when he told Haru he was 'willing to take a chance', but Sohma House made him edgy. Standing so close to the large tree in Haru's street made it feel like he had been sitting under it just yesterday rather than six years ago. A boy of twelve…bruised…sobbing…defeated…
Using memory-suppressing skills he had been working on almost all his life, Yuki hurriedly shook these images from his mind. He knew he would feel much better once he stepped inside Haru's house. He tried to focus instead on much happier recollections of being inside that house. The cramped, cosiness of all the cluttered furniture…the smell of Haru's mother's cooking…
"Damn lock…" Haru muttered as he jammed his key into the door and jingled it around before it swung back on its hinges with a loud creek, "finally!"
He stepped back to allow Yuki through first, following close behind and locking them back in securely. Nobody who lived at Sohma House ever left their doors unlocked at any time. Generations of experience left everyone in a mutual acceptance of the fact that it was simply safer that way, even with Akito gone. One could never guess when Akito might come back knocking at the door, wanting to punish them for crimes never committed…
Once inside, Yuki instantly felt all his muscles relax. Haru's house, too, was just as he remembered it, with the scent and taste of freshly made rice, prawns and soba noodles thick in the air. The sound of a woman humming to herself and fussing about with pots and pans could be heard all through the house, carrying down the cluttered, narrow corridor to the front door. Yuki followed the smell automatically, passing the small staircase and the door to Haru's mother's bedroom, and clambering over old books, boxes and Haru's bicycle as he went.
Pushing past the navy blue and white curtain, which hung in the doorway at the end of the hall, Yuki stepped into a messy kitchen and dining room space. Almost every available kitchen counter top was covered completely. A pot bubbled on a stove still stained with last night's meal while the rice cooker issued a continuos strand of steam. Dirty dishes were piling up beside an equally dirty sink while a mop rested idly in the far corner of the room. Every window was hidden from view by curtains firmly pulled shut to the extent of allowing no gaps to be seen, so that only artificial light could ever brighten the room. The back door leading onto the next street was locked just as securely as the front. Yuki knew exactly what he would see even if he could look outside: no garden, but rows of other houses on both sides of the street, all with their curtains closed and their doors locked just as firmly. It was all very well to be cosy, but the confinement made him a little queasy. He remembered all too well what it was like to live like this.
"Haru, is that you?" Yoriko Sohma called over her shoulder when she heard someone approaching. She turned around from the stove in one fluid motion so that her waist-long black plait of hair fell over one shoulder, warm dark eyes wide and her mouth gaping in shock once she saw who it was that filled her door.
"Yuki Sohma!?"
"Hello, Yoriko-San," Yuki said, offering a short, polite bow.
He was still trying to figure out what to say next after having not seen her for four years when suddenly she was upon him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He only had seconds to comprehend what was happening to him before he experienced the familiar tingling sensation throughout his body that always occurred before he changed…
"Oh goodness! I'm so sorry, Yuki, I'm such an idiot," Yoro fretted, her pale cheeks turning a dark shade of red, "I was just so excited to see you and I completely forgot."
"It's alright, Yoriko-San," Yuki said calmly, fighting to keep himself from blushing as well, "there are worst things that could happen."
He decided then that there was nothing quite as humiliating as being transformed into a rat in his boyfriend's mother's kitchen.
"Just make sure you don't end up accidentally squashing him," Haru joked as he emerged from behind the door curtain, having watched the whole incident play out.
"Shut up Haru!" both Yoro and Yuki exclaimed in unison, causing Haru to snigger.
"Why don't you do something useful and take Yuki and his clothes into my bedroom? He can wait there until he changes back," Yoro cast her only child a scathing look, "in the meantime, you can help me get dinner ready and do something about all this miss. Hurry up now, we have company!"
"Yes M'am," said Haru, still laughing as he scooped Yuki up and laid his clothes over his arm.
"Very mature, Mr Intellectual," Yuki said sarcastically as Haru laid him carefully on Yoro's double bed, placing his clothes at his side.
"You have to admit that was pretty amusing," Haru reasoned, "the joys of being cursed, huh?"
Yuki groaned, glad that at least in zodiac form Haru couldn't tell he was fighting to keep a grin at bay. It was always so hard to stay irritated at Haru for too long.
"Just get out so I can transform and get changed in peace."
"I don't know…maybe I'll stick around until you change back. It would save me all the bother of having to get you undressed later…"
"Haru! This is your mother's bedroom!"
"Just relax, I was only kidding," Haru replied, still managing to keep a straight face, "don't take too long though, okay? I don't want to face the Spanish Inquisition all by myself. You know she's going to have a million questions…"
"I can assure you I'm enjoying this a whole lot less than you are. I'll come out as soon as I can."
Haru nodded, smiling and closing the door on his way out.
As he waited in the darkened room, Yuki listened to the sounds of Haru and Yoro's family bickering, overcome with a sudden pleasant nostalgia. In truth, he held a great amount of respect for Yoriko Sohma. She was a strong woman, a relatively young single mother who had already suffered through the deaths of both her parents as well as her husband. She had married into the Sohma family without being aware of the curse, given birth to a child of the zodiac and raised him with all the love and affection she could give him even though she could never hold him. She was a remarkably open-minded person, accepting of most things, often joking that 'her son turns into a cow – nothing much can shock her anymore'. Trapped in Sohma House and in a dead end job, she worked diligently nonetheless so that both she and her son had an independent income from the Sohma family. Yuki remembered clearly a time when Haru was getting teased at school because of the peculiar colouring in his hair. When Yoro learnt what was happening, she went out and bought peroxide so she could bleach white streaks into her hair, just so her son wouldn't have to suffer alone. She'd kept the white streaks ever since, even when ignorant women at the drycleaner's where she worked scoffed behind her back.
Sometimes, during his childhood, Yuki had been jealous of Haru having a mother's unconditional love, as he had nothing of the sort to brighten his own miserable life at that age. But Yoro had made herself as much his mother as Haru's, adopting him as almost a second son before he had to leave the main house. For that, Yuki knew she would always hold a place in his heart.
Once he changed back, Yuki hastily pulled on his clothes and went to join the family in the kitchen once more. Straight away, he sensed that something had changed about the room. It took him a few long seconds to realise Yoro had opened all the curtains.
"Right on time, Yuki," Yoro said without looking up as she placed a serving of soba noodles on the plate Haru held out for her over the counter, "dinner is served."
"I was just telling Mum why you're here," Haru explained casually as her carried the plate back over to the table.
Yoro turned to him and smiled in a way similar to her son, hands on her hips and wooden spoon still in hand. There was a sticky substance splattered down the front of her pink plastic apron.
"So Akito's gone away…I haven't heard such good news in a long time. And I'm so glad you've taken the opportunity to come visit us!"
"I hope I'm not too much of an imposition, Yoriko-San," said Yuki, "I thought Haru would have told you I was coming."
"Please Yuki, how long have we known each other? Call me Yoro, everyone else does anyway," the woman said warmly, "of course you're never an imposition…although some warning wouldhave been nice!"
"There was a bit of a misunderstanding. I didn't know he was coming either until this afternoon!" Haru said defensively when his mother glared daggers at him.
It was remarkable how quickly her scowl could transform into a grin.
"It's fine, none of that matters now. The important thing is that you're here! I only wish you didn't have to see the house in such a state. The mess usually isn't this bad, honestly. A certain someone has been neglecting his chores as of late."
"You mean yourself?" Haru smirked at her, "shame mother, shame."
Yoro sneered as she hurled a wet dishtowel at him.
"Well, sit down and have something to eat. I want to hear what you've been up to all this time. It's been what…four years since I saw you last? And that was at New Years, too, and only briefly. How are Shigure and Kyo, and that charming young girl everyone's been talking about? Is she still living with you? So strange that Akito…oh, but let's not talk about that. No, Yuki, don't sit over there. Give that seat to Haru and sit up here. You're our guest of honour tonight!"
After three courses, lots of animated discussion, and just as much time dedicated to cleaning up (in which Yoro and Haru kept trying to push Yuki out of the kitchen whenever he attempted to help), Yoro finally suggested they retire to bed, bidding goodnight to them both at her bedroom door before leaving them to climb the stairs to Haru's bedroom on the second level of the house.
Until he saw Haru's room, Yuki had thought Shigure's bedroom was the messiest he'd seen, but he was utterly blown away when he saw the chaos and disorder that lay beyond Haru's door. Granted, the room was small, but every bit of available space was taken up by strewn clothing, books, paper, CDs, shoes, and various anonymous objects. There was more clothing hanging out of the half-closed draws in the chest under the window, and even more still draped over the edge at the top of the bunk-bed. Because he had no need for it, Haru had had the lower bunk removed completely so that he could replace it with shelves, in order to store all the books he owned. The bunk bed, taking up most of the space in the room, was now more of a bed mounted on top of a very large, very packed bookshelf.
Yuki walked slowly into the room as Haru strode ahead, leaving the door to slam shut behind him while he kicked aside some of his possessions carelessly in order to get to the chest at the opposite end of the room. Yuki ran his hand across some of the books lightly and read the titles. Still more books were piled up on the actual bed, which, to Yuki's surprise, was impeccably made. He supposed it was mostly redundant due to all the stuff covering its surface, and the much more convenient futon sofa with a blanket and pillow on it pressed up against the opposite wall.
Despite having always hated untidiness and enclosed spaces, Yuki felt completely relaxed. Everything about his surroundings reminded him of his boyfriend, even in the way things smelt. As if he'd done it thousands of times before, Yuki climbed up the short ladder and sat comfortably on the bed, his back against the wall and his shoes kicked off onto the ground below so they wouldn't dirty the streets. He stared around at the posters hanging on the walls (mostly crooked) of motorbikes and music bands he'd never heard of, before picking up a nearby book and only half-interestedly reading the blurb.
"That's a good one," Haru said to him, barely looking up from emptying the contents of his pickets into the coin bowl on top of the chest.
"If I asked you, you'd say allthese books are good," Yuki replied as he put the book aside, "Somehow, I doubt that can be true."
"You're right, that's not true," Haru said, "I have a 'hate' shelf on my bookcase where I keep all the novels I didn't like."
"Something in your room was actually organised?" Yuki feigned shock.
"It's just about the only thing that is," Haru grinned, nodding to the book that was still in Yuki's hands, "you should really consider borrowing that, you know. I think you'd like it."
"These days I don't think I'm going to have much time for reading," Yuki sighed, curtly reminded of the large work load that awaited him at school tomorrow.
A pensive look played about Haru's features, a tiny smile on his lips. He had opened the curtain to the only window in his room, directly under his desk. Behind him, the sun had almost completely set in a beautiful mesh of rich gold and reds. Yuki smiled to himself at the sight. If he were a better artist, and if he had means of freezing that moment in time, he would have loved to capture it on paper to remember it forever.
"You know, I'm going to have to culture you more if we are going to be seen together so much in public," Haru jested, "I'll assign you one book to read a week. How does that sound?"
Yuki narrowed his eyes, "Please Mr Motorbike-riding, mess-maker with multiple personalities, if anyone needs culturing, it's you."
"Ha! You know some might find that offensive."
"You know I'm joking, don't you?"
"Of course! No sane person could seriously call me uncultured.
Yuki laughed to himself. Despite how Haru looked and sometimes acted, he always managed to come off as 'cultured' all the same. He supposed it just came naturally to him.
"I find you perplexing, you know that?" Yuki couldn't help saying with a smile.
"Of course you do," Haru grinned back, "it's part of my charm."
Yuki sniggered. Taking a box of matches in hand, Haru lit the scented candle on his desk, closing the window so that the breeze outside wouldn't extinguish it, but leaving the curtains open.
"Smells like roses," Haru murmured more to himself than to his companion, gazing fixedly at the small flicker of light in the steadily growing darkness.
"How romantic," Yuki said dryly, though he truly meant it.
"Think so?" Haru said hopefully.
His grin broadened as Yuki nodded quietly, and he climbed up onto the bed so that they were sitting side-by-side.
"What're you doing?" Yuki asked him, not that he minded at all. Haru was sitting so close to him they were almost touching, and the smell of him mingled with the scent already coming from the candle was more than a little pleasing. Everything in the room suddenly seemed to get much hotter.
Haru turned his head and met his eyes, their faces so close their noses were almost touching. Without warning, he gently removed the book from Yuki's grasp and set it aside, leaning in mere inches further to capture his lips.
Tongues and lips burned like fire, sending a series of electric jolts through him, and Yuki knew this was exactly what he had been feeling he needed. Unconsciously his fingers tightened in Haru's hair and clenched the front of his shirt. He was quite convinced it was his own doing when he ended up lying down on the bed with books piled up around him, Haru on top of him and still exploring his mouth.
Yuki soon became lost to a wave of senses and sounds. The smell of the candle…Haru's lips and mouth…the way Haru's hands were sliding up under his shirt to caress his stomach almost tenderly, contrasting with the way they were kissing and making him shiver…
"I love you," Haru whispered, his voice a husky, desperate whisper in his ear.
Yuki was unable to reply, gasping as Haru began to lick and suck at his neck. The sensation was blissfully wonderful, causing him to arch his body towards Haru's with a desire for more contact, his hands automatically sliding around to Haru's shoulders to try and push his shirt off.
"Just relax, baby," Haru said with ill suppressed amusement. He took Yuki's hands in his again and guided them to the buttons at the front of his school uniform.
Yuki's fingers fumbled with the effort to remove the shirt as quickly as possible, pushing it back over his shoulders. He gazed reverently at his boyfriend's sculptured chest, muscles well-defined as a result of years of training, skin still pale yet a shade darker than his own, his whole body evenly toned. He watched Yuki with love evident in misty grey eyes. Yuki expelled all the emotion he felt in one long, breathy sigh. Had he ever beheld something so beautiful?
Haru undid the buttons on Yuki's shirt at a much slower pace, seeming to savour each second as each new inch of flesh was revealed. He pushed away the flimsy black material, hands moving across his now exposed chest in slow, massaging circles while Yuki waited in longing. Soon enough, he replaced hands with tongue, tracing all the contours of his skin.
It was then that realisation suddenly set in. For the first time since the beginning of their relationship, they were completely alone in a private place, where they wouldn't be interrupted for the rest of the night. Rather than feeling nervous or excited at this prospect, he felt his lips stretch into a smile that refused to go away, not even distracted by the wonderful things Haru was doing to his body. Before he knew it, he was laughing.
"What?" Haru asked in confusion. He sat up, one leg on either side of Yuki's slender waist so that he was straddling him, and looked down at him with pursed lips and a puzzled expression that was simply adorable. Yuki didn't think he could possibly have loved Haru more at that moment.
"Nothing," Yuki said simply, smiling as he reached out to hold both of Haru's hands in his, "I just never thought my first time would be on a bunk bed."
Haru spluttered, leaning forward to for a lingering kiss that seemed to hold all the emotion he felt.
"You don't mind, do you?" he asked softly, gazing into amethyst eyes glazed over with passion.
Disentangling one of their hands, Yuki reached up to touch Haru's cheek softly with his palm.
"No," he replied with a smile, "this is perfection."
They made love long until after the candle had burnt out, finally falling asleep just before dawn began to break across the distant horizon.
Note: Well, as you probably can tell, they have sex. I didn't want to include an all-out lemon as I am paranoid about this story being taken off the site for inappropriate content (yes, I know there are stories out there that are worse than this, but still) and plus, I'm not very good at writing them anyway. Perhaps I might write something a bit more…uh…detailed later on, but chances are I won't be game enough to. I know, I know…I'm a pussy. : P
Please also note that my Beta has not edited this chapter. This is my fault, as I was not entirely comfortable with my Beta/mother reading something I had written that implied sex. Blame me for any spelling or grammar errors.
Apologies again for the slow update. Had to take a few weeks off fanfiction to get ready for my exams. High school can be such a pain. Thankfully I am on holidays now!
Thanks for reading, please review!
Replies to Reviews
IloveMoony04: I know what you mean; I too struggle with wondering what to come up with in next review response that will sound just as cool as what you say. But nothing to fear – no writer's erectile dysfunction on my part! Man, OOC is what fanfiction is all about, in my opinion. If people wanted to keep the characters completely the same as the text, they wouldn't bother writing fanfiction. Or maybe they would…if that's what they're into, and who am I to judge? Personally, though, I like the stories out there that are constantly pushing boundaries, fanfiction or otherwise.
I must admit, original characters really get on my nerves though (despite having a lot of them myself!). Some of them can be really good, but others are just painful to read – 'Hello, my name is Mary Heather Ariel Huffington Ponyweather Sue,' said the young girl whose impeccable beauty and skill could be matched by no other, 'and my whole purpose in this story is so that the author can indulge in their own narcissistic tendencies.' – stuff like that.
I think your guesses on the plot can't be too far off. I myself have not yet read the manga (I might have already mentioned that but my memory sucks so you will have to forgive me!) and quite frankly I just can't be bothered. The only reason I get interested in popular culture is to find all the gay references, as lame as that sounds. My favourite for finding gay references is Harry Potter. Considering your username I am assuming you are a fan. It's just so great…the whole book is a gay allegory. Surprisingly though didn't much care when the whole Dumbeldore thing became public. I could kind of see that coming for a long time, but the seventh book just sort of confirmed it.
To get back on track, I completely agree with you about the manga. She tried to tie up all the loose ends in a way that just seemed too unrealistically perfect. Life just isn't like that, you know? But again you are right; the part about Kagura was good. It actually seemed plausible, and I think a whole lot of people can relate to her unrequited love complications. Hence why she is one of my favourite Fruits Basket characters. How did you like the Kagura in this chapter? OOC much? Perhaps.
I can totally see Yuki and Hiro skipping off into the sunset sometime. I think sarcasm often goes hand in hand with being a writer. Such is life for people like us XD
I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Never fear, plenty more happy moments and angst-ridden issues to come!!!
Anon: I have to tell you that reading your review made my day! I'm glad you liked the inclusion of the song lyrics as I was rather nervous about that. I like adding little quirks here and there to the characters I write about, such as making Yuki oblivious to popular culture and stuff, because I think it makes them more real somehow. Often though I think I might overdo it. I hope you know you are amazing too. Please let me know what you thought of the new chapter!
Jessiegurl43953: Yay! I'm really glad you like the story and the way I portray Haru and Yuki. Whenever I envisioned them being a couple, this is how I saw them, sort of tense and awkward at times while they are trying to work out their relationship. I hope the last part of this chapter met up to your expectations, reading over the make-out scene in the last chapter I've come to think that it is a lot better than this one, but this was the best I could come up with. Didn't end up going with a full lemon for the reasons I stated above. Maybe I will write one later down the track though…and no doubt next chapter will include some reflections on this whole 'first night' thing.
I know what you mean, about Haru and Yuki coming to accept these new developments in their lives after struggling to grasp with it so much in other chapters. I figured though, it sort of happened like chapter one when Haru just accepted those weird dreams and feelings he had at the beginning of this story. There's a reason for all of that too. Hopefully it will all get explained in two chapters' time from now.
Hope some of that managed to make sense. And yes, Yuki wriggling his toes is a nice picture! Please let me know what you thought of the new chapter as your opinions really help me to improve!
Lotus Head: Oooh, Yuki angst, you've got to love it! Can you picture him as an emo kid, all in black with a little fringe? It would just be to die for. Maybe I might write a story portraying him like that when I finish Desiderata XD
It's interesting to think of the characters in the manga being different to those in the anime. The characters in this fanfiction must seem awfully OOC to you then, huh? Is Haru portrayed any differently?
I decided to go with the lime in the end, taking on your great advice. I definitely do not want to get kicked of the site anytime soon. Urgh…I know what you mean! The website can be evil. It won't even let me do the equals sign so all the little smiley faces I posted last time came out with a mouth and no eyes! Curse fanfiction for constricting our means of online emotional expression!
I hope you liked the new chapter!
Allicat6: Really sorry about the huge paragraph in the middle. My wanky computer wouldn't let me save the document that chapter was typed on, so a lot of cutting and pasting was involved to finally get it onto the site, and when it was done it was less than perfect! I'm glad you liked the chapter. Am looking forward to writing much, much more delicious Yuki angst!
Billy the Kangaroo: I hope this chapter was alright. I didn't go with the all-out sex scene for the reasons I stated above. Maybe I'll write a proper one a bit later on, but I don't want to get in trouble with the site! Yay for shipped pairings! And yay for Haru and Yuki finally having sex (took me ten chapters and a prologue to finally get them there, but hey, at least they did!). Hope you liked the new chapter!!
Watermeluhn: I sat in front of my computer for ages wondering how to respond to such a positive review. Once again, I fear for my already inflated ego. But thank you so much! The reason I write this story is so that people can enjoy it, so please if you have any suggestions for improvement let me know. Your mention of the word 'Perfection' gave me the theme for this chapter. Please note that it is dedicated to you!