Chapter 14: Of Truce and Rivalry

A little Kyoru moment..lol. Just to amuse my sister who loves Kyo to pieces.

Yuki knelt down and clasped Kyo's limp hand to his chest. "Please wake up. Open your eyes, my love."

The neko didn't stir.

"Don't…leave me." With that, Yuki bent down to kiss him.

Kyo opened his eyes and jumped up from the bed. "This_is_stupid!"

Yuki got up, an annoyed look on his face. "Shigure, those mushy lines…you wrote that on purpose, didn't you?"

The novelist couldn't stop laughing long enough to answer his question. Tohru, on the other hand, wiped a tear from her eye.

"It's so…touching. The prince and princess' love is so steadfast!" she whispered.

"Hey, it's only a school play. No need to get this emotional!" groaned Kyo.

Yuki glanced at his watch. "Twelve more minutes before the bell. Let's go."

"What gave you the right to give orders around here?" yelled the neko, pissed. "I'll go to school when I want to!"

The nezumi crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Well, surely the school won't wait for a superlative degree idiot like you."

"God, you're so self-righteous and bossy that you make me sick-" Kyo's words were cut off when Tohru suddenly hugged him. He instantly poofed into a cat.

"What the-" It was then Tohru's turn to change into a rat.

"That should stop the bickering!" said Tohru.

"Way to go, Tohru-kun!" cheered Shigure.

"Please stop fighting, you two," she pleaded. "If we want Shigure-san and the others' efforts not to go to vain, then declare a truce between you so we won't have a hard time in the rehearsals."

"A truce?!" screamed the feline. "Never!!!"

"Honda-san, if we could have managed a truce or something then our differences wouldn't have escalated into this," said the mouse quietly.

"Then I'll give you two something to inspire a truce," said a voice from behind.

Tohru then felt an arm lay on her shoulders. The animals before her hissed in anger.

Ayame looked at his brother and Kyo, then at Tohru. "My beautiful kidnapped princess, if your two suitors won't make peace then I'll take you away with me to a place they would never find and never return you to them!"

Everyone gasped.

"Aya, you can't be serious! You can't take the light of our home away!" cried Shigure.

Yuki glared at his brother. "Don't you dare lay a finger on Honda-san!"

Kyo was outraged. "Suitors? What do you mean suitors?"

Haru came into the room. "G'morning! What's for breakfast?"

Tohru looked nervous. "Ah, you guys! The food would turn cold if we don't eat now."

Ayame smiled smugly. "So either you two act nice towards each other, or I'll take your flower home."

"I want a steaming bowl of ramen," said the cow, sitting on the floor.

The neko groaned. "Look, I don't give a damn about what you're saying, you gay! Just please take note that I'm not her suitor!"

Ayame laughed. "Kon kichi, you really are in love with the hime!"

The feline was glaring lethally at the man already. "I'll scratch your eyeballs out!"

"Balls? Did I hear balls here?" asked Shigure.

Yuki sighed. "Suddenly, I feel lost in my own house."

Kyo went ballistic. "I'm not! I'm not!"

"Geez, no need to sound so defensive," jeered Haru as Tohru handed him a bowl of steaming hot noodles.

The cat's fur raised. "Are you saying that I'm lying?"

"In not so many words," said Haru, putting his bowl down. "Honda-san, will you come here for a moment please?"

"Ah sure!" She appeared by his side. She nearly jumped when Haru stood up and tipped her chin up to him. He then leaned down to kiss her.

"Stop it!!" yelled Yuki and Kyo at the same time just as they transformed into humans.

Haru paused, his lips just a few inches away from Tohru's. Instead, he kissed her forehead. "Thank you for helping me with my demonstration, Honda-san."

Her face was crimson red. "Ah…!"

Shigure chuckled. "Haru, you should have told me about your idea, then I could have gladly given my cooperation to you!"

Ayame grinned. "Cheating right in front of me, 'Gure?"

Shigure laughed. "Oh, admit it. You like to do the demo yourself too!"

"Stop making fun of her!" yelled Kyo and Yuki at the same time.

"See?" said Ayame. "You two can actually synchronize with each other since you have a common denominator." He glanced at Tohru, who was obliviously picking up the boys' clothes.

Haru took the clothes from Tohru. "I'll give it to them."

"Thank you, Ha-kun!"

As the two got dressed, Tohru cheerfully asked them to go to school with her. "Or else, we'll be late!" she finished.

"Right!" agreed the two, then froze.

"Stop being a copycat!" snapped Kyo.

"You're the real copycat, stupid cat!" retorted Yuki. "Why should I imitate someone like you?"

"Why you-"

Ayame waved his finger. "Uh, uh, uh! No fighting, boys! Or else…"

The two shut up immediately.

"OK, as long as you get out of my way, we'll get along fine," grumbled Kyo.

"Same here," said Yuki, face bored.

They looked ahead at Tohru who was talking with Uo and Hana.

"You'll do anything for her, won't you?" remarked the neko, voice unusually quiet.

"And you will too, right?" replied the mouse. "Or else, you wouldn't have agreed to this ridiculous truce."

Silence.

"I can't help it. She's so kind that letting her down would make me feel so evil," admitted Kyo, oblivious to the fact that it was the first time that he opened up to anyone, let alone to his nemesis.

"She's truly special," agreed Yuki.

"And the play is so important to her so.." His voice trailed off. "…I'll do my best, even if it kills me to wear a girly costume or to be nice to you." With that, he ran ahead of them, jumping up and down the roofs of the houses.

Yuki vaguely heard Uo commenting on how cat-like Kyo's movements were, and Tohru's uneasy laughter. But he was still stunned by something he realized with his cousin's words.

"We may be as different as day and night, but we both care for the same girl, and that is enough for us to set aside our differences and act civilized towards each other, if only to make her happy."

Kyo looked back at Yuki, then at Tohru.

Cheerful, sweet, naïve Tohru.

No matter how hard he tried to avoid making contacts with her, he still found himself thinking of her constantly and more and more each day.

Shigure telling him that his animal sign was her favorite Juunishi animal sign didn't help bury his feelings.

And to think that just a few weeks ago, all that was in his mind was to defeat damn Yuki in a combat!

But now…

…suddenly fights and battles didn't seem as important as going home to find Tohru's dishes on the table, and Tohru's mark of neatness and organization in the whole house.

Yet there was still one fight left that he had to settle with Yuki once and for all. It would be very hard, since he knew that Yuki had set his own heart into it too.

A fight for Tohru's love.

Ayame put his sketchpad down and looked at Hatori. "So why are you telling me all of this now, 'Tori?"

The doctor lit a cigarette. "I know you are worried about Yuki, and I feel that it is only right for you to be warned about Akito's visit on the day of the school play."

Ayame's grip on his pencil tightened. "What should I do? I want to help him, but he won't let me. Do you think I should warn him about it? But what if it only disheartens him and make him lose his enthusiasm in the play?"

Shigure came into the room, bringing a tray of tea. "Talk to Tohru-kun. She always knows what to do."

Hatori blew a smoke. "Akito wants to meet Honda Tohru himself."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said the novelist.

Ayame sighed. "I hope he wouldn't hurt her in any way. I'm afraid it would devastate my brother, and he might never recover from that again."

"OK, three, two, one…ACTION!" yelled Mayu-sensei.

Kyo collapsed on the floor as several students surrounded him. "Please don't hurt me!" he lip-synched as a phony high-pitched voice floated in the auditorium.

Giggles echoed in the stage.

Just then, Yuki arrived in the scene, holding out his rolled script. He charged towards the students and did a choreographed fight scene. As swooning fangirls watched in adoration, Yuki triumphantly warded the "animals" away from the "princess".

The "prince" turned to Kyo, knelt down by his side and spoke gently, "It's ok. They're gone."

Kyo stared at his cousin blankly.

"Who are you," hissed Yuki.

Oh yeah! "Who are you?" asked the princess.

"It doesn't matter." Yuki gently helped him up and caressed his cheek with the back of his palm. "Take care, Princess," he murmured huskily.

Several girls were close to fainting. "Yuki-sama!!! Eeeeeeh!!!"

Kyo, eyes narrowed, mechanically laid his head on his cousin's shoulder. "When will I see you again?"

Yuki stared at him tenderly, then bent down to kiss his hand, and then left.

"Cut!" Mayu-sensei clapped enthusiastically. "That was beautiful!"

"That was freaky!" yelled Kyo.

Yuki rubbed his skin with a sanitizer. "No kidding."

Uo messed Kyo's hair. "Moving performance, princess! And that was just the rehearsal! What more in the real thing?"

"Shut up, Yankee!"

"B-But you were really great, Kyo-kun!" said Tohru.

"Don't rub it in my face!" he barked.

She winced, but she was determined not to be frightened. "It was really great, Kyo-kun. Y-You…must not feel shy with your role because…because as long as you give it your all in whatever role you play, the audience will love you!"

Shocked silence.

The neko broke into a smile. "You…really think so?"

Uo laughed. "Yeah, Tohru's right." Several students nodded in agreement.

A girl patted Kyo's shoulder. "You were cool, Kyo! It's nice to see you act femininely for a change!"

"Yeah, change is the spice of life!" Another boy agreed.

Hana nodded solemnly. "You were impressive back there, and you should be, for this is Tohru's brainstorm. If any of you dare to mess up the play, I'll…"

Everyone retreated away from Hanajima uneasily.

Tohru smiled. Mother, at last, Kyo-kun smiled at me again. He is not mad at me anymore, and it brings me such overwhelming relief. My favorite Juunishi animal and I are friends again.

She then remembered Yuki. She turned to him to congratulate him too, but he wasn't there anymore.

Yuki-kun?

"Damn, why…why am I feeling this way?" Yuki asked himself as he leaned on the wall. Is it because Tohru acts much more in ease with Kyo? Or that his animal sign is her favorite Juunishi animal?

He shut his eyes.

I don't want to know anymore, or I might just hurt myself.

Kyo caught Tohru's worried eyes scanning the crowd. Immediately he knew whom the girl was looking for.

Damn that mouse! Why does everything goes so easily for him? He's got beauty, brains, respect, and deadly martial arts skills…

…and now….

…even Tohru?

Please don't make me lose this one out to him. He always wins, so can't he give just this one prize to me?

This is the first time I felt something so strong for a girl. I have never felt this even with Kagura. Please, dear Lord, let me win just this once.

Kyo shut his eyes tight.

I'm jealous. Insanely jealous, but I don't want to know why anymore, or I might just hurt myself.

Tsuzuku