'She's downstairs... waiting...'
Kyo hopped down from the roof to head towards the kitchen for the normal, routine breakfast. He already knew what was going to happen, how everything would look, feel, sound... It was like a broken record repeating over and over and over again with no one to fix it or stop it.
"Ah, ohayo, Kyo-kun!" came her bright cheery voice as always.
Kyo took a glance up and saw Honda Tohru, standing in the kitchen, smiling like she always had. He fought back a light blush.
"Ohayo," he echoed blankly.
"How are you this morning, Kyo-kun? It sounded as if you were having trouble sleeping last night."
'Yeah, because I was too busy thinking about you.' "It's nothing. Forget about it."
"Oh... okay." Tohru's face fell.
'Why can't I ever say anything to make her happy?'
"Oy, baka neko, why don't you get out of the way?"
In an explosive rage, Kyo spun around and faced his cousin, Yuki. Sleepy- eyed Yuki who never really seemed to wake up in the morning. He blinked at Kyo with a look of disgust in his eyes.
"K'so, nezumi! One day I'll beat you, you got that?!"
"Yeah, sure. Keep wishing." He pushed past a fuming Kyo and looked into the kitchen. "Honda-san, is breakfast ready?"
"Almost, Sohma-kun!" She smiled brightly.
Stricken by that smile once again, Kyo's burning simmered and he pouted at his place at the table where the inu sat. Shigure looked up at Kyo, grinning comically.
"Ah, Kyo-kun. Ohayo," he greeted brightly.
"Shut up, baka Shigure," Kyo snapped irritably.
Shigure pouted. "But I didn't say anything. I only bid you a good morning."
Kyo stood up suddenly. "I said shut up! Geez! Forget it, I'm leaving!"
At that, Kyo stomped off for his schoolbag and into his shoes. He slammed out the front door and fumed his way through the woods towards the school. The more he stomped, the more he realized his stupidity. He mentally kicked himself numerous times.
'Baka! Baka! Why the hell am I so stupid?! What did I get so pissed off for?! Shigure didn't do anything... Yuki just pisses me off anyway...'
His steps slowed as he realized the source of his frustration.
'Because... she...'
---
Tohru and Yuki finally made it to the school gates. Yuki glanced down at Tohru, who was unusually quiet through the entire trek. Her expression was lost in deep thought, like she was thinking about something utterly complex.
"Honda-san, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Ah?" Tohru looked up at Yuki's face and smiled half-heartedly. "I was just thinking about what made Kyo-kun so stressed this morning. He didn't even have breakfast."
"Oh." A little annoyed at the mention of Kyo's name, Yuki pushed a strand of hair away from his eyes. "That stupid cat was just being a nuisance like he always is. There's no need to worry about him."
They weaved their way through the halls of the school, dodging the Yuki Fan Club, and meeting up with Uo and Hana outside of the classroom door. Both parties met the other's gaze.
"Yo, Tohru-kun and Prince Charming," Uo greeted casually.
"Ohayo, Uo-chan, Hana-chan!" Tohru greeted brightly. "Have you seen Kyo- kun?"
Uo looked up in surprise. "Eh? I thought he'd be traveling with you two like he usually does. He run away or something?"
Yuki sighed. "Something stupid like that."
A few strands of Hana's hair stood on its end. She glanced up suddenly and looked towards the door of the classroom. The other three stared at her.
"I can feel Kyo-kun's waves in the classroom," Hana reported quietly.
At that, Uo shoved open the door to reveal all empty desks but one in the back corner by the window. Sitting in the lone desk was a single figure with bright orange hair.
"Kyo-kun!" Tohru ran over, half-relieved, half-anxious.
"Oy, Kyon!" Uo shouted over at him. "Did you ditch Tohru this morning or what? Why are you here so early?"
Kyo sat up and sent a sharp glare at Uo. "Shut up, Yankee! You're voice is annoying so early in the morning!"
"What?!" Uo moved up, face-to-face, with Kyo. "Try me, Orangey, and I'll wipe the smirk off your face."
"Bring it on! I won't lose to you!"
Feeling the sparks of a fight coming, Tohru panicked and jumped between them. "Ah, Kyo-kun! Why didn't you have breakfast today? Is something bothering you?"
A little annoyed at breaking the fight, Kyo responded with a slight edge in his voice. "Of course something's bothering me! Why the hell would something not be bothering me?!"
Tohru jumped at the sound of his voice. 'Why is he so angry? Did I say something wrong?'
Sensing Tohru's anxiety, Kyo sat back down heavily and looked at the opposite wall. A few students were beginning to file into the classroom, talking and laughing. For a while, nothing was said in the group of four in the back corner by the window. (Yuki had to attend to a sudden council meeting in another classroom.)
"Just forget what I said, alright?" Kyo muttered. "I'm... sorry..."
'Humph. That's the first time I've ever heard Orangey ever say "sorry" or something like that,' Uo thought to her. 'I wonder what's eating him.'
The loud voice of the class rep broke the awkward silence between them.
"Stand! Bow! Sit!"
---
'Great. I already have a bad feeling about what the house is going to be like.'
Thinking ahead, Kyo began to slow his steps from an easy-paced walk, to a stroll, to a trudge, and finally, to a halt. He stared at the ground, blankly. The earth seemed to swirl underneath his feet. He sighed as her face grew in his mind once again.
'Chikusho! This is really starting to piss me off!'
"U-um, Kyo-kun?" a voice called.
Kyo jumped. It was rare, actually an almost never, that anyone could sneak up on him, especially when he was surrounded by silence except for the woods noise. He turned and saw her eyes glittering anxiously back at him. He felt blood rush up to his cheeks.
"Oy, what are you doing here?" Kyo asked. As an afterthought, he added, "Where's the damn rat?"
"Sohma-kun is working at the groceries right now. He's buying new vegetable for his base," she informed. Then she became fearful again. "Ano... Kyo-kun..."
Annoyed, Kyo raised an eyebrow and a slight tone of his voice. "What?"
"If you want to talk to me about what's wrong, I'll listen. I may not have an answer to your problems but..." Tohru's spirit raised some. "... but I'm sure it will make you feel better if you talk about it."
'I can't stand it. I can't stop thinking...'
Kyo turned his head back down the path. For a long time there was nothing but silence. Then he broke it with an unwavering statement.
"It's you."
"Eh...?" She obviously didn't understand.
Kyo turned to look at Tohru again. "It's you. You're being everywhere I look, everywhere I turn... just your being is bothering me. And since you're everywhere, I can't think of anything... but you." He looked at the ground. "It pisses me off. I don't know why, but it's irritating to me."
"Ano... I'm irritating?" Tohru tried to clarify.
Kyo burst at her, rage swimming through his voice. "No! That is... I mean..." He bowed his head, glaring at the ground as if it were to blame. "It pisses me off that I can't be near you, that if I do then I'll just transform. And then you're always everywhere with that damn Yuki so I can't even –"
"Kyo-kun..."
Before Tohru finished her sentence, she found herself being embraced by his arms, enveloped by his warmth. But no sooner did she feel that... =POOF=
Tohru dropped to her knees and looked at the cat on the ground before her. He still glared at the ground, glared at him, the body that he had become. Tohru watched him through worried eyes.
"I can't even show you how I feel. I can't even tell you. When I try, I can't speak. When I try, I transform. And so I can't show you, tell you what it is because it's impossible..."
'He...' Tohru thought to herself. 'He is in chaos...' (quote Hanajima from Fruits Basket Volume 3; English version courtesy of Tokypop)
For a long time the two stayed in the same place, immobile, speechless. Only the sounds of the forest assured both that they were in a state of reality.
=POOF=
Kyo returned to his normal form, naked, as always. Tohru jumped up, fretting, and turned away. She rested her head on a nearby tree, not facing Kyo. But the cat made no move to redress him. He continued to glare at the ground.
"So... now you know what's bothering me. Happy now?" he asked bitterly.'
"Kyo-kun... I'm... I'm happy you opened up to me," Tohru said. "I'm happy you told me your feelings. I felt that what happened this morning was my fault. Actually, it was my fault, but it wasn't how I thought it would be my fault... I-I mean..."
Kyo, amused by Tohru's confusing statement, let out a small laugh. Surprised, Tohru grinned as well.
'Ureshi... Kyo-kun.'
AN: If my Japanese is wrong, then... well, you'll know that I don't normally speak Japanese. Duh.
Kyo hopped down from the roof to head towards the kitchen for the normal, routine breakfast. He already knew what was going to happen, how everything would look, feel, sound... It was like a broken record repeating over and over and over again with no one to fix it or stop it.
"Ah, ohayo, Kyo-kun!" came her bright cheery voice as always.
Kyo took a glance up and saw Honda Tohru, standing in the kitchen, smiling like she always had. He fought back a light blush.
"Ohayo," he echoed blankly.
"How are you this morning, Kyo-kun? It sounded as if you were having trouble sleeping last night."
'Yeah, because I was too busy thinking about you.' "It's nothing. Forget about it."
"Oh... okay." Tohru's face fell.
'Why can't I ever say anything to make her happy?'
"Oy, baka neko, why don't you get out of the way?"
In an explosive rage, Kyo spun around and faced his cousin, Yuki. Sleepy- eyed Yuki who never really seemed to wake up in the morning. He blinked at Kyo with a look of disgust in his eyes.
"K'so, nezumi! One day I'll beat you, you got that?!"
"Yeah, sure. Keep wishing." He pushed past a fuming Kyo and looked into the kitchen. "Honda-san, is breakfast ready?"
"Almost, Sohma-kun!" She smiled brightly.
Stricken by that smile once again, Kyo's burning simmered and he pouted at his place at the table where the inu sat. Shigure looked up at Kyo, grinning comically.
"Ah, Kyo-kun. Ohayo," he greeted brightly.
"Shut up, baka Shigure," Kyo snapped irritably.
Shigure pouted. "But I didn't say anything. I only bid you a good morning."
Kyo stood up suddenly. "I said shut up! Geez! Forget it, I'm leaving!"
At that, Kyo stomped off for his schoolbag and into his shoes. He slammed out the front door and fumed his way through the woods towards the school. The more he stomped, the more he realized his stupidity. He mentally kicked himself numerous times.
'Baka! Baka! Why the hell am I so stupid?! What did I get so pissed off for?! Shigure didn't do anything... Yuki just pisses me off anyway...'
His steps slowed as he realized the source of his frustration.
'Because... she...'
---
Tohru and Yuki finally made it to the school gates. Yuki glanced down at Tohru, who was unusually quiet through the entire trek. Her expression was lost in deep thought, like she was thinking about something utterly complex.
"Honda-san, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Ah?" Tohru looked up at Yuki's face and smiled half-heartedly. "I was just thinking about what made Kyo-kun so stressed this morning. He didn't even have breakfast."
"Oh." A little annoyed at the mention of Kyo's name, Yuki pushed a strand of hair away from his eyes. "That stupid cat was just being a nuisance like he always is. There's no need to worry about him."
They weaved their way through the halls of the school, dodging the Yuki Fan Club, and meeting up with Uo and Hana outside of the classroom door. Both parties met the other's gaze.
"Yo, Tohru-kun and Prince Charming," Uo greeted casually.
"Ohayo, Uo-chan, Hana-chan!" Tohru greeted brightly. "Have you seen Kyo- kun?"
Uo looked up in surprise. "Eh? I thought he'd be traveling with you two like he usually does. He run away or something?"
Yuki sighed. "Something stupid like that."
A few strands of Hana's hair stood on its end. She glanced up suddenly and looked towards the door of the classroom. The other three stared at her.
"I can feel Kyo-kun's waves in the classroom," Hana reported quietly.
At that, Uo shoved open the door to reveal all empty desks but one in the back corner by the window. Sitting in the lone desk was a single figure with bright orange hair.
"Kyo-kun!" Tohru ran over, half-relieved, half-anxious.
"Oy, Kyon!" Uo shouted over at him. "Did you ditch Tohru this morning or what? Why are you here so early?"
Kyo sat up and sent a sharp glare at Uo. "Shut up, Yankee! You're voice is annoying so early in the morning!"
"What?!" Uo moved up, face-to-face, with Kyo. "Try me, Orangey, and I'll wipe the smirk off your face."
"Bring it on! I won't lose to you!"
Feeling the sparks of a fight coming, Tohru panicked and jumped between them. "Ah, Kyo-kun! Why didn't you have breakfast today? Is something bothering you?"
A little annoyed at breaking the fight, Kyo responded with a slight edge in his voice. "Of course something's bothering me! Why the hell would something not be bothering me?!"
Tohru jumped at the sound of his voice. 'Why is he so angry? Did I say something wrong?'
Sensing Tohru's anxiety, Kyo sat back down heavily and looked at the opposite wall. A few students were beginning to file into the classroom, talking and laughing. For a while, nothing was said in the group of four in the back corner by the window. (Yuki had to attend to a sudden council meeting in another classroom.)
"Just forget what I said, alright?" Kyo muttered. "I'm... sorry..."
'Humph. That's the first time I've ever heard Orangey ever say "sorry" or something like that,' Uo thought to her. 'I wonder what's eating him.'
The loud voice of the class rep broke the awkward silence between them.
"Stand! Bow! Sit!"
---
'Great. I already have a bad feeling about what the house is going to be like.'
Thinking ahead, Kyo began to slow his steps from an easy-paced walk, to a stroll, to a trudge, and finally, to a halt. He stared at the ground, blankly. The earth seemed to swirl underneath his feet. He sighed as her face grew in his mind once again.
'Chikusho! This is really starting to piss me off!'
"U-um, Kyo-kun?" a voice called.
Kyo jumped. It was rare, actually an almost never, that anyone could sneak up on him, especially when he was surrounded by silence except for the woods noise. He turned and saw her eyes glittering anxiously back at him. He felt blood rush up to his cheeks.
"Oy, what are you doing here?" Kyo asked. As an afterthought, he added, "Where's the damn rat?"
"Sohma-kun is working at the groceries right now. He's buying new vegetable for his base," she informed. Then she became fearful again. "Ano... Kyo-kun..."
Annoyed, Kyo raised an eyebrow and a slight tone of his voice. "What?"
"If you want to talk to me about what's wrong, I'll listen. I may not have an answer to your problems but..." Tohru's spirit raised some. "... but I'm sure it will make you feel better if you talk about it."
'I can't stand it. I can't stop thinking...'
Kyo turned his head back down the path. For a long time there was nothing but silence. Then he broke it with an unwavering statement.
"It's you."
"Eh...?" She obviously didn't understand.
Kyo turned to look at Tohru again. "It's you. You're being everywhere I look, everywhere I turn... just your being is bothering me. And since you're everywhere, I can't think of anything... but you." He looked at the ground. "It pisses me off. I don't know why, but it's irritating to me."
"Ano... I'm irritating?" Tohru tried to clarify.
Kyo burst at her, rage swimming through his voice. "No! That is... I mean..." He bowed his head, glaring at the ground as if it were to blame. "It pisses me off that I can't be near you, that if I do then I'll just transform. And then you're always everywhere with that damn Yuki so I can't even –"
"Kyo-kun..."
Before Tohru finished her sentence, she found herself being embraced by his arms, enveloped by his warmth. But no sooner did she feel that... =POOF=
Tohru dropped to her knees and looked at the cat on the ground before her. He still glared at the ground, glared at him, the body that he had become. Tohru watched him through worried eyes.
"I can't even show you how I feel. I can't even tell you. When I try, I can't speak. When I try, I transform. And so I can't show you, tell you what it is because it's impossible..."
'He...' Tohru thought to herself. 'He is in chaos...' (quote Hanajima from Fruits Basket Volume 3; English version courtesy of Tokypop)
For a long time the two stayed in the same place, immobile, speechless. Only the sounds of the forest assured both that they were in a state of reality.
=POOF=
Kyo returned to his normal form, naked, as always. Tohru jumped up, fretting, and turned away. She rested her head on a nearby tree, not facing Kyo. But the cat made no move to redress him. He continued to glare at the ground.
"So... now you know what's bothering me. Happy now?" he asked bitterly.'
"Kyo-kun... I'm... I'm happy you opened up to me," Tohru said. "I'm happy you told me your feelings. I felt that what happened this morning was my fault. Actually, it was my fault, but it wasn't how I thought it would be my fault... I-I mean..."
Kyo, amused by Tohru's confusing statement, let out a small laugh. Surprised, Tohru grinned as well.
'Ureshi... Kyo-kun.'
AN: If my Japanese is wrong, then... well, you'll know that I don't normally speak Japanese. Duh.