Author's Notes: Yeah... yet another chapter. So... This is when things start getting going! Fun, ne? Yesh! Okay... now that that is out of the way, you all can find information on whatever I'm working on in my Live Journal. Which is in my profile. Seriously, ya'll. Need some motivation over here... really... I've got the inspiration but no motivation. -sniffles- So sad...

Right. Now that I'm done with that, continue with the fic!

Disclaimer: I own no one. ...no seriously, I don't even own a manga--oh, wait... my sister does.

Caught in the Rain


Gathering Storm


It started to rain as she was walking back to her new place of boarding. She didn't mind the rain so much and just wondered what the two Soumas she was living with would want for dinner. Souma-kun... or Yuki-kun as she was slowly coming to know him as would probably like some leek soup. Shigure-san would want... well, he probably would love anything she served. It was an odd quality about him.

As she continued her walk, she remembered how they were both so kind to let her stay with them. It was a pretty normal set-up, though it was still only temporary. Still... she loved Yuki-kun and Shigure-san for giving her so much.

She smiled at those thoughts and was just about to cross the street when she heard a sound. Blinking, she looked around the area but saw nothing except other pedestrians. This puzzled her greatly until she heard it again--a poor, weak mewing noise.

Ah! A neko!

She looked carefully around the area to see where the neko could be hiding. Then the noise came again, and she followed the sound to a box that had been left beside the building she was standing near. Leaning her umbrella back slightly, she saw the building was a closed clothing store.

She blinked at the store before looking back to the box. Then she squatted near it, holding her umbrella over it as well, before peering into it.

She gasped a little at what she saw. "Oh... poor thing..." she said before reaching in and stroking the wet and cold neko's orange fur.

The neko barely opened its eyes before giving a pitiful mew. This encouraged the girl to pick it up out of the box, her umbrella propped on her shoulder. Cradling the poor neko, who began to purr at the warmth of her body warming its own, she then stood and headed off toward her temporary home.

"Don't worry," she told the now-content neko, "I know Shigure-san will let me take care of you."




"You say you found it in a box?"

She nodded at the man who eyed the orange neko sleeping in a small nest of hand-towels. "It was outside... near a clothes store... the one near my work..." She gave the man a worried look. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble, but it was just freezing there and I couldn't--"

"Maa, maa... daijoubou," said the man lightly, waving off her concerns. "I wouldn't mind a neko living with us. No need to worry, Tohru-kun!"

Honda Tohru beamed at this. "Arigatou, Shigure-san!" she cried, ready to hug him in joy, only to have the man raise a hand, stopping her.

"However," he said with a business-like tone, "you'll have to take care of him, Tohru-kun. He's your responsibility."

"Ah!" Tohru shouted with surprise. "Hai! Of course! Arigatou, Shigure-san!"

Shigure smiled before walking out of the room. He quietly went toward the phone and, after making sure Tohru was still worrying over the neko, picked it up, dialing a number.

"Ha-san? I've found him... iya, he's in his other form right now... well, Tohru-kun carried him all the way from Aya's store... hai, I'll call again later. Are you going to...? Ah. All right, then--"

"Eh?! Ah! Shigure-san!"

The man blinked before blankly saying into the phone, "I think he just woke up," and hanging up.

The scene that greeted him when he walked into the living room was something he was halfway expecting. Yuki, who had just come home, was sitting on the floor, his leg in the strong jaw of an orange neko. No matter what Yuki or Tohru did, the neko remained firmly in place.

Shigure blinked. "Ara... that hasn't changed very much," he said to himself.

"Shigure, get this baka neko off of me!" his cousin shouted, his voice mostly raised in pain.

"Ah..." the man stated wisely before Tohru started to apologize, "Sumimasen, Yuki-kun! I thought he was still sleeping! Please don't make this the reason why you want to throw him out! Maybe he was scared and thought you were a bad person!"

"Or a nezumi," Shigure muttered to himself before clearing his throat. "All right, Kyou-kun. Let him go."

The neko didn't move.

The man frowned. "Oi, Kyou-kun..."

This time the neko growled at him, taking all three of them aback. Shigure looked over to Yuki, who stared at the orange feline in surprise.

Kyou never usually answers like that... does he?

Tohru pulled at the neko futilely, tears in her eyes. "Please let go of Yuki-kun! He's a nice person, Kyou-san!"

The neko's ears twitched, and suddenly, Yuki's leg was free. The boy grabbed his leg in pain before noticing the cat was now hissing at Tohru.

"Honda-san--"

Shigure quickly put in, "Matte, matte! I think he prefers Kyou-kun."

Tohru started at this. "Ah!" she exclaimed before bowing to the neko. "Sumimasen, Kyou-kun! It won't happen again!"

Yet again to their surprise, the neko sat on his hunches, staring balefully at the girl bowing before him. His tail flicked back and forth in four slow ticks before he then stood and bolted away from her--

Only to be caught by the scruff of his neck by Shigure. The neko growled lowly at the man, who blinked. "Don't try to run away when you've caused trouble," he reprimanded before turning the animal to Yuki. "Now apologize."

The neko hissed.

Yuki frowned. "Baka neko, don't hiss at me. It's your own fault."

Tohru blinked. "Do you... two... know Kyou-kun?" she asked, puzzled.

Shigure's frown was more concerned than Yuki's when he answered, "He's a part of our family, basically."

The hissing feline then twisted his body and snapped at Shigure's hand. The man dropped him quickly, and before he could catch him again, the orange-coated neko had already sped down the hall and up the stairs.

Everyone blinked at the sudden departure.




"Kyou-kun! Kyou-kun!"

The neko didn't move from his hiding place. He wanted to stay away from the people in the house. They all smelled funny and almost familiar. It was mostly that girl that made him nervous, though. Something told the neko that a girl had no business in that house. Still, she was there.

And what was he doing there? He remembered the smell of rain and the feeling of being cold--

"Ah!" The neko started before bolting, running passed her. "Kyou-kun!"

A foot caught his tail, and he started to hiss and spit before being grabbed by the scruff of his neck again.

It was the one that had smelled like a nezumi.

"Baka neko," the nezumi-smelling boy told as he growled lowly, "don't try biting me."

The neko's ears flattened, and he grew still, somehow knowing this was a threat. The girl came over and beamed at him, making him let out an irritated mrow.

"Why did you run off like that, Kyou-kun?" she asked, so cheerful. "We've been trying to catch you for hours!"

And they had. It had been the inu-smelling one's idea. Something about a creature known as a 'Ha-san.' People and their weird words. Sometimes he felt like he knew what they were talking about, though.

To her statement, however, he replied with a growl until being popped on the head by the inu. "Maa, maa, Kyou," said the inu cheerfully, "it's not nice to growl at strangers."

Taking those words into effect, the neko then growled at him instead. What an idiot this inu was. Just like the others of his kind, no doubt.

"Eh? Oh, no, Shigure-san!" the girl objected, waving her arms around like a bird. "I'm sure he's just scared. He did wake up in a different place than where he fell asleep."

"That may be true, Honda-san," the nezumi said calmly, refusing to let go of the neko, "however, we know Kyou and he should know us. So his behavior is rather rude and odd."

But the neko didn't know the inu or the nezumi at all. In fact, he couldn't remember ever being treated like how he was by those two before. He certainly didn't know this girl--

There were sounds from downstairs, and the inu frowned. "Ha-san's here. Maybe he can say what's wrong."

The girl blinked. "I thought Hatori-san was Yuki-kun's doctor..." she said with some confusion as they all headed down the stairs, the neko being held still by the nezumi.

The neko smelled this 'Ha-san' before he saw it. He attempted to free himself from the nezumi's hold, but the strange new creature had already appeared and held him still. Another growl escaped him but this time in fright.

"How long has he been here?" the creature asked calmly as he studied the neko.

"About four hours," the inu answered. "Ara... He's been acting funny since he woke up, too. What do you think it is, Ha-san?"

"Hm..." The neko's ears lay flat on his head at the sound. "Tohru-san. I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave. Yuki. Give Kyou to her--and Kyou, put one scratch on her and you'll be put in a crate."

The neko growled again, signaling he'd obey. The idea of being locked up trouble him greatly, so he allowed the girl to hold onto him as they then left the room.



Author's Notes:
Okay, this is the most I have written thus far. The fun shall start after this chapter. Heh... neko Kyou is so cute -squees briefly- Aw! Hee hee! Anyway, if you're interested in this fic, I do plan to update soon. Who knows when, but sometime soon. -grins- You know me. I like to bounce around! Anyway... tell me what you think!

Neko = cat
Daijoubou = it's all right
Arigatou = thank you
Hai = yes
Iya = (informal) no
Baka = stupid/idiot
Sumimasen = I'm sorry/excuse me/forgive me
Nezumi = rat/mouse
Oi = hey
Matte = wait
Inu = dog