Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba. If I did, I wouldn't have to waste three seconds of my life writing this D:... I'M THE OPPOSITE OF A LIFESAVER... hm... those taste good :D

This is more of a... necessary chapter then anything else. I realised that it had been like, a month since Kyo moved in, and I did say he was graduating in a month. That being said, Hatori and Kyo must be FREEZING. I'm going by Australian seasons instead of Japanese seasons. -headdesk- Did anybody else notice that Hatori and Kyo were using their aircon during winter?

Oh I'm so dumb.

They're probably icicles.

Anywho; read, enjoy and please review :D


Chapter Twelve: Graduation

Kyo groaned at the invading objects that Hatori was poking him with. For one, there was his stethoscope, for another there was the paddle-pop stick, and third and foremost there was his prying hands.

Honestly, Kyo should have known better then to think of hands feeling down his shirt to check his temperature as kinky, but Kyo couldn't help those kind of thoughts, especially about the doctor who was doing it.

This was Kyo's third day in bed, and he was already showing a great improvement. Hatori had been able to go back to work that day, after he had felt Kyo to seem that his temperature had fallen to a dull warmth. He'd told the cat to go to sleep and had then simply left for work, like he normally would have.

Kyo, however, had been lying in bed with his eyes open, feeling lost without the space beside the bed not being occupied by a practised doctor. For the first time in his life, Kyo found that he was missing somebody.

And it felt weird.

When the fourth day came, Kyo couldn't take it anymore; he wanted to get out of bed, he wanted to walk around and most of all he wanted Hatori to be there; Hatori's pillow just didn't suffice for a decent substitute.

Sighing, Kyo pulled back the covers – he was still in Hatori's bed, Hatori had insisted on taking the mattress; Kyo was sick after all. Kyo paused for a moment... did he really want to leave the comfort – and smell – of Hatori? Then again...

Kyo looked down at the mattress, his mattress, which Hatori had been sleeping on... and flopped down onto it, rolling around on it happily like a little school girl. Oh, he loved Hatori's smell.


Another week passed, and Kyo found himself sitting in front of the school podium, with a graduating hat perched upon his head. The day had snuck up on him so fast that he hadn't even noticed until Hatori had mentioned it over dinner the night before.

Suddenly, what would have been a big deal to Kyo wasn't; he found himself calmly walking up to the Principal to receive his high school certificate; and he found that the clenching feeling in his stomach that he got whenever he thought about finishing high school was gone.

Stray eyes moved to the back of the guests, where Hatori stood leaning against the wall, for once in his life looking thoroughly bored. That man... that man was the reason that Kyo's fears had subdued; he was the reason that Kyo was able to walk up here without fearing the day after, and he was the reason that the day after would never come.

He was the reason that he wasn't going to the cage.

As he descended the stairs back to his seat, Kyo felt the familiar butterflies flutter into his stomach; but this time he didn't mind as much... until Uotani leant across Tohru and asked; "Why're you blushing, Carrot Top?"

And Kyo hastily whispered back; "I AM NOT BLUSHING, YANKEE!"

"Pfffffft." She continued, a grin still in place; "You're as red as a tomato!"

"I AM NOT!" Kyo glared, and finished with a 'humph' and crossed his arms over his chest. He made a mental note not to think about Hatori in public.


"Congratulations, Kyo." Hatori said, tapping Kyo on the shoulder as he exited the door with the rest of his graduating class to meet overly-proud family; Hatori, who was standing in his doctor's coat and looking... well, like Hatori. Which meant that he held no emotion on his face what so ever.

"Thanks?" Kyo replied; not quite used to being... was the right word, complimented? Well, he wasn't sure, and he sure as hell wasn't sure how to respond to them. Therefore, he stood there like an idiot until Tohru came shuffling towards them happily. "Kyo-kun! ... Oh! Hatori-san! Did you come to watch Kyo-kun graduate?" She smiled overly happily; "Kyo-kun, I can't believe we graduated!"

"Yeah, it's a miracle that you did." Kyo said in a mocking manner, and Tohru almost burst into tears until he stressed; "I'm joking, Tohru, joking."

"Ah!" She said after an awkward silence befell them all; "Kazuma-san's looking for you, Kyo-kun."

"Shishou?" Kyo blinked, before wondering almost blindly away from Hatori and Tohru.

Hatori watched Kyo's fleeting back. He felt nervous all of a sudden; during the time that Kyo had been staying with him, it was a well known fact throughout the Sohma Main House that Kazuma was infuriated with Hatori – and Akito, but that was never voiced – and therefore, felt strong hatred towards both men.

Hatori sure hoped that Kazuma wouldn't say anything potentially bad... and influential to Kyo.


"Shishou!" Kyo grinned, running up behind the silver haired man who was looking around aimlessly; "Shishou!" he repeated until Kazuma turned around.

With a big grin on his face, he enveloped his foster child. "Kyo! I'm so proud of you!"

"I didn't see you at the ceremony." Kyo's voice sounded muffled through the fabric of Kazuma's clothes.

Kazuma laughed in return; "Ah, well, I was mixed with all the adults in the chairs... so I would probably be rather hard to find."

He released Kyo, hands still on his shoulders and added with almost malicious intent; "I hear you're living with Hatori now."

Kyo blinked; "Uhm... yeah..."

"He hasn't done anything to you, has he?" Kazuma asked hurriedly, bending down so that he was eye-level with Kyo; "You know you can always tell me, right?"

"He hasn't done anything." Kyo nodded in affirmation. "It's almost like you think he's the kind of person that would do something like that."

"Oh," Kazuma continued; "Believe me, I'm sure he is."

Kyo gulped.