Hi all,
A/N: Again, everyone, thanks for your comments. They are fuel for me to keep going you know. o_-'
Rating: R Couple: KyouxTohru Summary: Six days left, and things are getting restless......
********************************* Chapter 3
Kyou stood on a dark street, turning his head from one side to the other to examine the shadows around him. He knew something was coming. He could feel a presence approaching. A wind ruffled his sweats and his t-shirt, moved through his orange bangs. Although it was fully dark, his eyes adjusted preternaturally quickly to the lack of light. He was used to that, being able to see in a dimness that would leave most humans stumbling around blind. Waiting, he narrowed his eyes, the irises expanding.
There. There it was. A solidness, a shape, was taking form in the shadows ahead. There was something crouching in the darkness.....Kyou squinted to make it out but the shape was darker, denser, than the shadows around it.
"Who's there?" he asked, stepping forward. He took another step, still trying to see. The wind blew toward him again, carrying a stench he was well familiar with.
"No......It can't be....." He stepped back. Just that suddenly, he saw the creature crouching just a few feet away from him. Most of its reptile body was still concealed by darkness, but Kyou knew he was looking at the creature that had made his life hell. The vengeful cat spirit.
The creature raised its head and looked at him out of large, purple reptile irises. A faint hint of light made the eyes gleam.
"You!" Kyou whispered. "Demon!" He backed up, poised on the balls of his feet. His body was caught on the cusp of the fight-or-flight instinct. Here was the reason he was an outcast from the Souma family. Here was the reason his mother had killed herself, the reason Akito hated him, the one thing he had hoped Tohru would never discover....
Fight.
Or flight.
His muscles tensed to almost unbearable heights, each nerve pulled taut, waiting for...what?
"Kyouuuu....." The voice made him jerk, made him pull back another foot. Did he sound like that, like tortured eagles screaming?
"No!" Frantically, Kyou backed up as the monster slowly brought one huge, elongated limb forward. The claws at the end of that limb....Kyou couldn't move his eyes away. How had Tohru seen past it? How had she ever had the courage to TOUCH....?
"No, dammit!" he shouted. "I'm dreaming! Shit!" Wake up, idiot, he told himself. Wake the hell up!
And he came awake, shot upright, gasping as though he'd run a hundred miles at top speed.
"What the hell was that?" he whispered out loud. He ran a hand through his hair and stared down at the blanket covering him. It was nearly morning, he realized. He could hear birds chirping outside his window.
He looked outside, and let the pearly dawn light wash into his eyes and soothe the nightmare away.
********
Tohru smiled at the early morning light as she walked down the smooth wooden stairs to the kitchen, hiding her yawn behind slim fingers as she decided what to make for breakfast. Morning was a special time of day, she often thought, before everyone woke up. The soft silence of the possibilities of the new day was something she enjoyed. She turned the corner and stopped short in mid-yawn. She lowered her hand in surprise.
Kyou stood at the counter, making rice balls. He turned around and smiled at her.
"Hey," he said. "I woke up early. I hope you don't mind."
"Wha....ah....no! Not at all!" Tohru rushed forward, trying to stop from blushing. It was the oddest thing. She'd been dreaming of Kyou all night for some reason. She'd dreamt that he had caressed her arm from elbow to wrist, his touch feather-light. Even in her sleep, she'd broken out in goosebumps. She'd dreamt other things, too, things she resolutely thrust to the back of her mind as she said, "Please, Kyou-kun, let me."
"Don't be an idiot," Kyou said affectionately. He swatted her hand away. "You have to make breakfast, anyway. I might as well help since I'm up."
Tohru jumped away from him as though his touch had burned her. Kyou experienced a moment of doubt. His nightmare still fresh in his mind, he searched her face, looking for signs of revulsion or disgust. He exhaled when he found none.
"Why did you wake up so early, Kyou-kun?" she asked, washing her hands.
Kyou frowned at her back. "No reason," he said. "Just didn't sleep too well."
The honey-haired girl looked back and smiled at him, then turned away to make soup. Kyou walked to the refrigerator, pulled out a carton of milk, and swigged it, his eyes drawn back to Tohru. He couldn't help it. His gaze lit on her hair, tied in two neat braids, and followed the narrow slope of her shoulder down to her slender waist, lingered on the sweet curve of her hip and followed the line of her legs down to her neat ankles and tiny feet.
Tohru felt his gaze like a firebrand. Even as she stirred the pot on the stove, she could feel Kyou's gaze travel warmly across her skin as though he had replaced it with his fingers. Or his mouth.
Tohru stared down at her soup, trying to sort out her feelings. Why in the world was Kyou staring at her like that? Her first instinct was to check her clothes, see if she had misplaced her skirt or something.
"Aaaagh!"
Kyou choked and snorted milk up his nose.
"What? Tohru, what is it?!" he cried, leaping toward her, milk-carton in hand. Tohru swung toward him with a horrified look on her face. Oddly, her arms were crossed over her breasts, hiding her blouse from view.
"Ah! Ah! It's...ah...nothing!" she gasped. "Please....!"
"Why are you crossing your arms like that, then, idiot?" Kyou demanded. Tohru backed away from him as though she thought he'd pull her arms apart to check.
"Wh....well, ah....hahaha....I was stupid, I...spilled some soup on my blouse." Tohru was staring at him and blushing so fiercely Kyou thought her hair would catch on fire.
He frowned. "Well, then you'd better go up and change then, ne?" He elbowed past her to examine the bubbling soup. "Looks like you've left me to deal with it all....."
"Ah......oh, yeah!" Tohru looked horrified at that. "I'm so sorry! I'll be right back!"
She sped off before Kyou could say anything more. Her face still burning, Tohru ran up to her room and locked the door. She leaned against the door, gasping.
Kyou, oh, I'm sorry to leave you but......As her breathing went back to normal, Tohru straightened and walked to her mirror, then stared in chagrin at the way her thin blouse tented in two little peaks on her chest. She passed her palms over them, hoping the material would smooth out. But the feel of her hands on her breasts reminded her of Kyou's hot gaze again, and her nipples hardened even further.
"Oh, no," she moaned, sinking onto her bed. "How did this happen?" She knew, of course. Rising so early in the morning, she hadn't bothered with a bra, figuring she had plenty of time to change before the Soumas came downstairs.
"Oh, mom," she sighed. "I wish you were here. I don't know about these things."
And why on earth had she reacted to Kyou like that? Sure, her body experienced a pleasant ripple when Yuki decided to charm her, but she'd never gone on alert like this simply from one look!
Kyou....Tohru moved around her room, looking for another blouse to validate her spilled-milk excuse. She imagined him as he'd stood in the kitchen, so strong, so confident, so.....sexy.
Tohru blushed. If Uo-chan knew I'd thought that....
Her mind went back to Kyou. She loved the way he dressed. His style wasn't formal, like Yuki's style was. His clothes were sporty, casual, and she loved the way they hung on him, the way they clung to his shoulders.
Tohru mentally reined in her thoughts as she hooked her bra and slipped on another blouse. She had to go back downstairs and she couldn't possibly face Kyou with such wild thoughts in her head.
She walked back downstairs to find that the soup was done and the rice balls were neatly stacked. Of Kyou, there was not a sign. Another wave of guilt attacked her.
"Oh, no! Mom, Kyou-kun did all the work while I was changing upstairs!" She looked around for him, then heard sounds of him outside, practicing. "I'll have to make it up to him, somehow."
*********
"Good morning, Tohru-kun," Shigure said as he parted the curtain and entered the kitchen. "Something smells good."
"Shigure-san! " Tohru turned from the counter and bowed her head in embarrassment. "Actually, Kyou-kun did all the work. Sorry."
"Kyou-kun?" Shigure said, surprised. "No way. What's he doing up so early?"
"He said he couldn't sleep," Tohru explained, arranging food on a tray.
"Couldn't sleep? Really." Shigure stared at the floor for a second, then grinned at Tohru. "And how are our secret preparations coming along?"
"Secret preparations?" Yuki made his way under the curtain into the kitchen, dressed in a sharply pressed school uniform. "What are you talking about, Shigure?"
"We're going to have birthday celebrations for Kyou-kun!" Tohru smiled happily, her hands clasped and eyes closed as she thought of Kyou's reaction when he found out. "It's a secret."
Yuki looked thunderstruck. "Birthday.....celebrations.....for that stupid cat?!" His eyes were wide with disbelief. Then they narrowed with anger and he turned to his cousin.
"Shigure! Tell me this wasn't your stupid idea!" he demanded.
Shigure grinned at him. "You're so brilliant, Yuki-kun! It was actually Akito's idea."
"What?!" Tohru and Yuki both stared at Shigure in horror and some fear.
Akito-san's idea....Surely, he doesn't mean it- Tohru thought nervously.
Akito....what's he up to now?- Yuki almost felt sorry for Kyou. Wait, no he didn't.
"What twisted game is he playing now?" he whispered, thinking of the jyuniishii's dark-haired, pale leader.
**********
That's all, folks! Until the next update, anyway. Glad you guys are enjoying it! Please click that lil' button, review.
A/N: Again, everyone, thanks for your comments. They are fuel for me to keep going you know. o_-'
Rating: R Couple: KyouxTohru Summary: Six days left, and things are getting restless......
********************************* Chapter 3
Kyou stood on a dark street, turning his head from one side to the other to examine the shadows around him. He knew something was coming. He could feel a presence approaching. A wind ruffled his sweats and his t-shirt, moved through his orange bangs. Although it was fully dark, his eyes adjusted preternaturally quickly to the lack of light. He was used to that, being able to see in a dimness that would leave most humans stumbling around blind. Waiting, he narrowed his eyes, the irises expanding.
There. There it was. A solidness, a shape, was taking form in the shadows ahead. There was something crouching in the darkness.....Kyou squinted to make it out but the shape was darker, denser, than the shadows around it.
"Who's there?" he asked, stepping forward. He took another step, still trying to see. The wind blew toward him again, carrying a stench he was well familiar with.
"No......It can't be....." He stepped back. Just that suddenly, he saw the creature crouching just a few feet away from him. Most of its reptile body was still concealed by darkness, but Kyou knew he was looking at the creature that had made his life hell. The vengeful cat spirit.
The creature raised its head and looked at him out of large, purple reptile irises. A faint hint of light made the eyes gleam.
"You!" Kyou whispered. "Demon!" He backed up, poised on the balls of his feet. His body was caught on the cusp of the fight-or-flight instinct. Here was the reason he was an outcast from the Souma family. Here was the reason his mother had killed herself, the reason Akito hated him, the one thing he had hoped Tohru would never discover....
Fight.
Or flight.
His muscles tensed to almost unbearable heights, each nerve pulled taut, waiting for...what?
"Kyouuuu....." The voice made him jerk, made him pull back another foot. Did he sound like that, like tortured eagles screaming?
"No!" Frantically, Kyou backed up as the monster slowly brought one huge, elongated limb forward. The claws at the end of that limb....Kyou couldn't move his eyes away. How had Tohru seen past it? How had she ever had the courage to TOUCH....?
"No, dammit!" he shouted. "I'm dreaming! Shit!" Wake up, idiot, he told himself. Wake the hell up!
And he came awake, shot upright, gasping as though he'd run a hundred miles at top speed.
"What the hell was that?" he whispered out loud. He ran a hand through his hair and stared down at the blanket covering him. It was nearly morning, he realized. He could hear birds chirping outside his window.
He looked outside, and let the pearly dawn light wash into his eyes and soothe the nightmare away.
********
Tohru smiled at the early morning light as she walked down the smooth wooden stairs to the kitchen, hiding her yawn behind slim fingers as she decided what to make for breakfast. Morning was a special time of day, she often thought, before everyone woke up. The soft silence of the possibilities of the new day was something she enjoyed. She turned the corner and stopped short in mid-yawn. She lowered her hand in surprise.
Kyou stood at the counter, making rice balls. He turned around and smiled at her.
"Hey," he said. "I woke up early. I hope you don't mind."
"Wha....ah....no! Not at all!" Tohru rushed forward, trying to stop from blushing. It was the oddest thing. She'd been dreaming of Kyou all night for some reason. She'd dreamt that he had caressed her arm from elbow to wrist, his touch feather-light. Even in her sleep, she'd broken out in goosebumps. She'd dreamt other things, too, things she resolutely thrust to the back of her mind as she said, "Please, Kyou-kun, let me."
"Don't be an idiot," Kyou said affectionately. He swatted her hand away. "You have to make breakfast, anyway. I might as well help since I'm up."
Tohru jumped away from him as though his touch had burned her. Kyou experienced a moment of doubt. His nightmare still fresh in his mind, he searched her face, looking for signs of revulsion or disgust. He exhaled when he found none.
"Why did you wake up so early, Kyou-kun?" she asked, washing her hands.
Kyou frowned at her back. "No reason," he said. "Just didn't sleep too well."
The honey-haired girl looked back and smiled at him, then turned away to make soup. Kyou walked to the refrigerator, pulled out a carton of milk, and swigged it, his eyes drawn back to Tohru. He couldn't help it. His gaze lit on her hair, tied in two neat braids, and followed the narrow slope of her shoulder down to her slender waist, lingered on the sweet curve of her hip and followed the line of her legs down to her neat ankles and tiny feet.
Tohru felt his gaze like a firebrand. Even as she stirred the pot on the stove, she could feel Kyou's gaze travel warmly across her skin as though he had replaced it with his fingers. Or his mouth.
Tohru stared down at her soup, trying to sort out her feelings. Why in the world was Kyou staring at her like that? Her first instinct was to check her clothes, see if she had misplaced her skirt or something.
"Aaaagh!"
Kyou choked and snorted milk up his nose.
"What? Tohru, what is it?!" he cried, leaping toward her, milk-carton in hand. Tohru swung toward him with a horrified look on her face. Oddly, her arms were crossed over her breasts, hiding her blouse from view.
"Ah! Ah! It's...ah...nothing!" she gasped. "Please....!"
"Why are you crossing your arms like that, then, idiot?" Kyou demanded. Tohru backed away from him as though she thought he'd pull her arms apart to check.
"Wh....well, ah....hahaha....I was stupid, I...spilled some soup on my blouse." Tohru was staring at him and blushing so fiercely Kyou thought her hair would catch on fire.
He frowned. "Well, then you'd better go up and change then, ne?" He elbowed past her to examine the bubbling soup. "Looks like you've left me to deal with it all....."
"Ah......oh, yeah!" Tohru looked horrified at that. "I'm so sorry! I'll be right back!"
She sped off before Kyou could say anything more. Her face still burning, Tohru ran up to her room and locked the door. She leaned against the door, gasping.
Kyou, oh, I'm sorry to leave you but......As her breathing went back to normal, Tohru straightened and walked to her mirror, then stared in chagrin at the way her thin blouse tented in two little peaks on her chest. She passed her palms over them, hoping the material would smooth out. But the feel of her hands on her breasts reminded her of Kyou's hot gaze again, and her nipples hardened even further.
"Oh, no," she moaned, sinking onto her bed. "How did this happen?" She knew, of course. Rising so early in the morning, she hadn't bothered with a bra, figuring she had plenty of time to change before the Soumas came downstairs.
"Oh, mom," she sighed. "I wish you were here. I don't know about these things."
And why on earth had she reacted to Kyou like that? Sure, her body experienced a pleasant ripple when Yuki decided to charm her, but she'd never gone on alert like this simply from one look!
Kyou....Tohru moved around her room, looking for another blouse to validate her spilled-milk excuse. She imagined him as he'd stood in the kitchen, so strong, so confident, so.....sexy.
Tohru blushed. If Uo-chan knew I'd thought that....
Her mind went back to Kyou. She loved the way he dressed. His style wasn't formal, like Yuki's style was. His clothes were sporty, casual, and she loved the way they hung on him, the way they clung to his shoulders.
Tohru mentally reined in her thoughts as she hooked her bra and slipped on another blouse. She had to go back downstairs and she couldn't possibly face Kyou with such wild thoughts in her head.
She walked back downstairs to find that the soup was done and the rice balls were neatly stacked. Of Kyou, there was not a sign. Another wave of guilt attacked her.
"Oh, no! Mom, Kyou-kun did all the work while I was changing upstairs!" She looked around for him, then heard sounds of him outside, practicing. "I'll have to make it up to him, somehow."
*********
"Good morning, Tohru-kun," Shigure said as he parted the curtain and entered the kitchen. "Something smells good."
"Shigure-san! " Tohru turned from the counter and bowed her head in embarrassment. "Actually, Kyou-kun did all the work. Sorry."
"Kyou-kun?" Shigure said, surprised. "No way. What's he doing up so early?"
"He said he couldn't sleep," Tohru explained, arranging food on a tray.
"Couldn't sleep? Really." Shigure stared at the floor for a second, then grinned at Tohru. "And how are our secret preparations coming along?"
"Secret preparations?" Yuki made his way under the curtain into the kitchen, dressed in a sharply pressed school uniform. "What are you talking about, Shigure?"
"We're going to have birthday celebrations for Kyou-kun!" Tohru smiled happily, her hands clasped and eyes closed as she thought of Kyou's reaction when he found out. "It's a secret."
Yuki looked thunderstruck. "Birthday.....celebrations.....for that stupid cat?!" His eyes were wide with disbelief. Then they narrowed with anger and he turned to his cousin.
"Shigure! Tell me this wasn't your stupid idea!" he demanded.
Shigure grinned at him. "You're so brilliant, Yuki-kun! It was actually Akito's idea."
"What?!" Tohru and Yuki both stared at Shigure in horror and some fear.
Akito-san's idea....Surely, he doesn't mean it- Tohru thought nervously.
Akito....what's he up to now?- Yuki almost felt sorry for Kyou. Wait, no he didn't.
"What twisted game is he playing now?" he whispered, thinking of the jyuniishii's dark-haired, pale leader.
**********
That's all, folks! Until the next update, anyway. Glad you guys are enjoying it! Please click that lil' button, review.