Cat of the Zodiac

Chapter 1

Darkened Destiny

A/N: So this is my first story…ever.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that are in this story.

And all the animals feasted until morning…all except the cat who had been tricked.

Kyo Sohma sat on the roof top of Shigure's house. It was a cold winter night, but he had nowhere else to go. He was forced to stay here by Akito's orders, even if that damned Yuki lived here too. Kyo sat up and looked at the full moon above him. Even if he had to stay with Yuki, the one thing that always made him feel content was there too… her.

Tohru Honda had just moved into the Shi's house a year ago, but the other Sohmas, his cousins, said that she was like his tranquilizer. But they would have said that she was the same for the Rat. His anger rose as he thought of how that stupid rat had stolen his place in the Chinese Zodiac, and how he lost every epic battle they had. One time, Kyo even tried to attack Yuki in his sleep, but he still lost.

The wind picked up.

Kyo stood up and faced the moon. "This year, I'm going to beat that damn rat!"

As if laughing at him, the wind howled. Kyo sat back down and closed his eyes.

At the base of the ladder that lead to the roof, Tohru stood looking up at the moon. "Wow, it sure is a beautiful night. I bet Kyo's up there, and he's probably going to catch a cold."

She slowly made her way up the ladder, taking each step with precaution. Eventually, she made her way up and narrowed her eyes. At the far side of the roof, Kyo sat watching something. Tohru walked slowly over to Kyo and sat down next to him.

Kyo didn't look at her, as if he didn't know she was there.

She looked at him with her large brown eyes, which were usually closed because she was smiling. "K-Kyo?"

"Waaah!" Kyo jumped back in surprise. "W-what are you doing way up here?! Weren't you in the house cooking or something?!"

"Yes, I was, but I was worried about you…so I came up here to see if you caught a cold." She replied looking at him.

She was always worried about other people, and never of herself. Whenever Yuki would get sick, she always took care of him and stayed by his side until he got better, but she only did that because she didn't want anyone to get sick. Right? Thinking about it made Kyo want to…to get sick too.

Even when she was cooking, or cleaning, she only worried about how everyone else wanted it done, and never how she wanted it. What made Tohru this way? Why did she always care for the ones around her and never about herself?

Then again…she did always lose the people who she loved most…. So was this her way of trying to say that…she didn't want to lose…Kyo?

"You know…" Kyo said, keeping his eyes on her, "you should worry more about yourself. Let yourself be sad sometimes. I mean, I like that you worry about other people, but what about you? You need someone to worry about you too."

Tohru's eyes widened, and then closed. A few tears escaped before she opened them and gazed at Kyo.

"Why are you crying?" the cat yelled at her.

"It's just that," she paused. "hic I never really thought of that before."

Kyo leaned close to Tohru, and took hold of her chin with his right hand. Her eyelashes fluttered open and a surprised expression washed over her face. "Kyo…"she whispered.

Kyo paused, and withdrew from his position. He looked away, and began muttering curses at himself. I'm such an idiot, why did I do that? he thought to himself. Tohru still had her expression on her face, but then smiled.

Kyo was trying to tell her something. Was it he wanted to change something about their friendship?

No. That couldn't be it. Kyo's heart was not ready for that kind of relationship. He was in the stage of self-discovery, and so was Tohru.

"L-listen, about what just happened…" he began to stammer, covering his eyes. "forget abo—"

He didn't have time to finish. Tohru had thrown herself extremely close to him. So close, that their nosed where nearly an inch apart. Smiling, she cupped Kyo's left cheek and caressed it. Kyo was speechless.

"Were you trying to say that…" she stopped and closed her eyes. "…you have feelings for me?"

Kyo didn't say anything. He just looked at her thought. Maybe he did have feelings for her… but what difference would it make? He wouldn't be able to hold her, to cuddle her, or to show her how much he loved her.

"Kyo…" Tohru's cheeks were slightly pink. She displaced her hand and took hold of his.

Kyo didn't know what to do, should he tell her? Should he say that he…loved her?

Tohru felt Kyo's discomfort. She opened her eyes and looked at his. They displayed his emotions, the ones he had been hiding, the ones that he had let out, and even the ones that he was thinking of. But none of them were understandable. Even his face showed something Tohru couldn't exactly understand it either.

She mistook his expression for fright and withdrew. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be saying all this. I must go set up for dinner." She stood up and walked slowly away, and climbed down the ladder.

"What just happened?" Kyo asked himself, touching his cheek where Tohru had caressed it. "What was she trying to tell me?"

"Ah, this is truly delicious Tohru-kun!" said Shigure cheerfully, mouthing a couple pickles.

"Yes, Honda-san. It's delicious." Smiled Yuki.

Tohru just smiled sweetly looking at Kyo, who looked quickly away.

There was an awkward silence that not even Shigure could handle, being the happy dog.

"I'm finished." Kyo said, getting up.

"Okay Kyo, try not to mess up the kitchen to much while you put your dishes in the sink." Laughed Shigure, grabbing the last piece of fish. Yuki watched as Kyo walked up the stairs.

"That was odd. He's usually a motor mouth." He said once Kyo disappeared.

"I'll go talk to him once I'm finished." Tohru said, tinged with a bit of concern.

Tohru knocked on Kyo's door. There was no response. " Kyo? Kyo, are you in there?"

She became concerned and knocked once more. Still, there was no response. "Kyo, I'm coming in."

Tohru opened the door to find Kyo sitting on his bed. His hands were covering his head and he sat in a squatted position. Tohru's heart beat fast, with every beat screaming in her head. She put a hand on Kyo's shoulder. "Kyo? Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah…yeah…I'm fine." Came a small voice.

Sadness and worry wept through Tohru's body. She knew that what she had done earlier had upset Kyo. "Kyo, please look at me. I know you are angry with me for what I did earlier, but please, please just look at me."

Kyo stayed still for a few moments. His body began to move. He sat slouched, but his head was still in its droopy position.

Tohru hoped, wished, that if she helped him, by becoming his friend he would open up to others around him, even if it wasn't her. But somehow, he didn't seem to understand what she wanted him to do.

Frustrated, Tohru forced her hand to gently pull Kyo's face to look into hers. Their eyes lined up, and both didn't know what would happened next, but somehow, Tohru, in a shaky voice, managed to say, "Kyo, please, for my sake, tell me…tell me…what you want most in your heart…"

Kyo's eyes widened and gleamed with strange emotions that Kyo had never felt, and yet Tohru's words had set them free. She was asking him to tell her, to reveal everything he ever wanted. She was asking to know something from him, that he didn't even know himself. Was it possible? Could he tell her what she most wanted to know?

The day she had come into his life, everything seemed to be different. He was different. Little by little, he found that he was able to tell her, to tell everyone, what he felt inside his heart. She made him feel free. And all she wanted in return was…was…to know what he most wanted…

Kyo moved his face closer to Tohru's so that their foreheads were touching and their lips were centimeters apart. He closed his eyes, as the feel of her hand and her breath flowed through his body and soul. He moved his left hand and held Tohru's as she began to close her eyes. A smile swept onto her face.

Kyo smiled softly whispered, "What I want most in my heart…." he paused to open his eyes and look at Tohru's angelic face. "…is to…hold…you…"

Tohru's eyes quickly opened. Her face cheeks pinched slightly pink. She gently squeezed Kyo's right hand and leaned closer to him. A few tears streamed down her face, but she managed to whisper back, "I'm sorry you can't do that…" she paused and looked Kyo in the eye. "but you can have this…"

Tohru leaned closer to Kyo and brought his head up with her hand and captured him in a tender kiss. Kyo's eyes were still opened from bewilderment, but he closed them again in Tohru's touch. To Kyo, it was everything. He may not have been able to hug her, or cradle her, but she showed that she did not care. All she wanted was for him to love her. And he knew that Akito would have killed Tohru if their love was discovered, but he did not care right now. He would protect Tohru from Akito; he was much stronger. Tohru would inspire him. Tohru would love him, and that was all he needed.

Tohru pulled back, smiling and eyes still closed. Slowly, they opened and revealed bright chocolate brown eyes. Kyo watched as she opened them.

Her hands moved to Kyo's face, and held his cheeks. "I…love…you…"

Kyo grabbed her hands and gently squeezed them.

Tohru closed her eyes and leaned to Kyo's right ear. She quietly whispered, "Someone I know said to me…that I should care more about myself…but now…I just have to worry …about us…"

Kyo watched Tohru in bewilderment. She loves me, she really does love me…thought Kyo. Kyo sat for a moment and suddenly threw his arms around Tohru and transformed. Tohru coughed at the smell of smoke and picked up the orange cat in her lap.

"You can sleep in my room tonight…I'm going to hug you all night, so you won't transform…"she whispered in the cat's pointed ear.

The cat seemed to smile and simply said, "Meow…"

And the forgotten cat of the Chinese Zodiac, finally had someone to whom he can tell his deepest desires…