"Gah." Kyo Sohma muttered, head resting on his hands as he sat at the low table. The Jyuunishi dog blinked at him in bemusement.
"Why are you whining now?" He inquired with a tilt of his head. "Is it because Tohru-kun and Yuki-kun are out shopping? You could have gone too, you know." He said in what Kyo fully believed was most likely the most irritating tone he could muster. "Oh, dear Tohru-kun could have brought meeeee... as opposed to mean, nasty kitties." Kyo scowled.
"That sounds positively criminal. And you just want to escape your editor." He pointed out. "Mi-san, I believe, is going to maim you one of these days." Shigure shrugged.
"She wouldn't do something like that. She loves my literature."
"You mean your smut?"
"Forget not, Kyo-kun, that smut makes the world go 'round!" Shigure sang out, and Kyo wondered how Hatori could possibly be related to this moron. "But on a more serious note," He started, "What's going on with you today? You didn't want to go shopping with Tohru-kun, didn't try to escape from Kagura's clutches; Hell, you haven't even picked any fights with Yuki-kun today. Are you sick? Should I call Hatori?" The Cat shook his head violently at the very mention of a doctor.
"No!" He snapped. "There's nothing wrong with me." He insisted. At these words, Shigure shook his head and got to his feet, before pressing a large hand gently over the place where Kyo's heart was.
"Maybe you aren't physically sick. But I don't think you're feeling well at all." Oddly somber words from the normally so happy-go-lucky Jyuunishi dog. Acting upon pure instinct, Kyo backed away, scowling fiercely at his cousin, who had a purely blank expression on his face.
"Get off my ass!" He demanded, voice coming out in a hiss, as if he had just been burned. Shigure sighed and came closer, ignoring the Cat's odd movements, and took the Kyo's wrist in his much larger hand, noting vaguely how small Kyo really was. The Cat had never been very big, but he had never really noticed it before now.
"I don't think so."
"What's your deal?!" Kyo growled, trying to wrench his hand away. "You've never been like this before!"
"Well, I've never had real reason to worry about you." Shiguire answered, eyeing Kyo evenly, deep brown-black eyes searching, for what, neither was quite sure.
"Oh, and you do now?!" The orange-haired boy spat, eyes spitting red flames. "What's brought this on? What's the occasion?" Shigure sighed again, noting that a wild, frightened expression had plastered itself onto Kyo's features; the boy still making futile attempts to take his hand back. Sounding deadly serious, the Dog responded.
"Kyo, you don't understand." He said quietly. "I may not be the best person there is, but I've never needed an excuse to care about you. " Silence. Complete and utter silence. Then, "Come here, Kyo." No response from the defiant 'Baka Neko'. "Kyo, don't make me force you over here." And it was true; Kyo was about as far away from Shigure as he could get, eyes never once leaving his relative's face.
His breathing was ragged, as if he had just run a marathon, but strangely enough, the Cat allowed himself to be gently pulled over with little resistance, almost as if he were giving up. Now quiet, Shigure put an arm around his younger relative, almost cradling him. As it was, should it be a shonen-ai manga, some perverted fangirls would be getting some rather explicit ideas. The boy's head rested against Shigure's chest, and the elder had one arm around his waist, the other resting on the side of his head, lightly running long fingers through his hair.
"Why do you do this to yourself?" He asked, semi-long orange strands twined in his fingers. "You don't need to torture yourself to get a point across you know."
"Oh, really." The voice that came out of Sohma Kyo was so meek-sounding that it would have put the lovely Ritsu to shame.
"Yes. Really. If you're hurting, you don't have to keep it hidden-"
"I do." Kyo said firmly. "I do have to." And he refused to say a single word more than that short statement. Shigure said nothing, only continued to stroke the boy's hair in a slow rhythm, fingers easily slipping right through the soft strands. Slowly, the crimson-brown eyes fluttered shut, and Shigure could only imagine how much pride it was costing Kyo to do this. To allow himself to be held and protected. To show his fears. To allow himself to be cared for.
The Dog truly cared much more than he let on, and was also truly worried about his little cousin, who was so down in the dumps lately that he couldn't help babying him just a little bit. Honestly, he felt that Kyo needed this, before he seriously hurt himself, and Shigure would damn himself before he allowed the little kitty of the zodiac to get hurt. There was always a special bond between zodiac members and while Kyo wasn't technically a member he was cursed and he was family, so close e-damned-nough!
"See Kyo, I understand you more than you think I do." Shigure murmured quietly, and his eyes widened slightly as he head the front door open and the familiar voices of Yuki and Tohru float through the house. "Oh, crap." He cursed lightly, and scooped the now slumbering Kyo up in his arms to go 'zoom!' up the stairs, just as the two younger ones began walking through the house.
"Shigure!" Yuki called, standing at the foot of the stairs, eyeing Kyo's closed door. "Baka Neko!" No answer. Quickly, Shigure gently set Kyo down on his bed, where the boy promptly curled up in a ball, as cats are prone to do.
"Shigure-san! Kyo-kun?" Tohru's voice echoed him, and with a soft ruffle of the Neko's hair Shigure quickly ducked out of Kyo's room, stepping out into the hallway where he was visible.
"Helloo!!" He cooed cutely, waving like some rabid, scary chibi. "Hello Yuki-kun, Tohru-kun. Did you have a good trip?" He asked. Tohru beamed.
"Yep!" She said with a grin. "We had lots of fun." Then, she looked around. "Where's Kyo-kun?"
"Yes, where is the Baka Neko?" Echoed Yuki.
"He isn't feeling well. I made him go upstairs." Shigure answered, then lightly took Tohru by the shoulder, stopping her from turning immediately and walking upstairs. "No, Tohru-kun. Leave him be for a little while."
"But Shigure-san--"
"No. Leave him be for a bit." The Jyuunishi Dog insisted, and patted her shoulder. "He'll be alright, just give him some alone time."
"Alright.." Tohru said hesitantly, "Then.. I'll go make dinner. Okay?" Beaming , Shigure nodded. "Okay! Yuki, would you like to help?"
"Alright." The Rat answered sweetly. "I'd love to help you." And with that, the two walked into the kitchen. Shigure sighed.
"Odd." He murmured quietly to himself.
"Kyo-kun, Kyo-kun, I don't understand you. I thought you always knew I loved you most."