Hiya! SakuraBubbles here. WOW guys!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS!!! They seriously made me so happy. Jessiegurl43953, you really, really rock. So do your stories, man!! EE!! And Trena, here is the sticker I promised for recognizing the reasoning for this fic's title. ::hands you a sticker::
Ah, there are too many reviews to thank but they were all VERY, VERY appreciated. Upon Julia's request, instead of saying "OMFG BOYSEX, IF YOU DON'T LIKE DON'T READ' in the middle of the fic, I'm going to warn you with a little symbol. That symbol… shall be… "/-/-/-/-/-/" this. When you see that and you don't like yaoi pairings, skip to where you see the symbol again. Hopefully, none of you will have to be stupid enough to regard those… but that's how some people are. ::shrugs::
Yeah and um…. The scene is kinda long. It wrote itself, I swear.
Kyo/Tohru scenes too. They get a bit sexy in later chapters, but let me tell you—I have a feeling that those two would be a little more awkward about the whole sex thing. Tohru is just so fargen clueless and Kyo is… well… Kyo. Haru is just a horny little bastard, and that's why we love him.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket nor the characters depicted below. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows OR heat up the candle wax for Haru and Yuki to use later if they so desire. Shove it, flamers.
Chapter Six: Oushi
Ayame had stayed for dinner that night, which Haru, as he usually did thanks to Tohru's broken arm, had prepared. Afterward, Ayame bade them all farewells, as he had to return to the shop. Tohru thanked him for the dress and he said that she was worth a thousand dresses. She smiled at him before he and Shigure headed out. Shigure had decided to walk him to the train station.
"It's hot," said Shigure to his companion. Ayame nodded.
"It sure is… do they go back to school soon?"
"Yes, in three more days."
Ayame smiled. "Lucky dogs."
"I should take offense to that…" said Shigure, but he was only kidding. Ayame looked to him as Shigure asked, his tone suddenly serious, "What did Tohru-kun tell you, if anything?"
"… I didn't really want to ask… but I felt compelled to. She told me about what she and Haa-chan talked about."
"Ahh… Haa-kun gave Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun a lecture. It was quite bold and noble of him," Shigure commented.
"She told me that she's in love with Kyo-kun."
Shigure stopped and looked at his silver-haired friend.
"She… she did? … Kyo-kun?"
"Yes. It was one of the last things she said to me. I asked her why and she said that after seeing his true form, she wanted to be with him at all times, even though she is scared that he will change back…"
"It wouldn't be any help if I was too scared of him or too overprotective. I simply want to love him like he loves me… I want to be his pillar of strength, if he'll let me. If he does change back, I want him to see me as Tohru… the one who will love him always… and I want him to remember that, and be able to change back. I want to continue… being with him… always."
"That girl is strong enough for all of us…" said Shigure softly. Ayame agreed.
"So… it'll be Kyonkichi-kun then?"
"I suppose so. If you don't mind me saying, I was sort of rooting for him. It'll be wonderful for him to be accepted by her."
"He's always been accepted by her," Ayame reminded him. Shigure nodded, smiling.
"One of the first things that she told me was that she loved the cat from the zodiac. Who knew it'd actually end up being true?"
Ayame chuckled.
"I was rooting for my brother… but more so I just want Tohru-kun to be happy."
"And finally, maybe Kyo-kun can be happy, too."
/-/
Now that he had a couch to sleep on, Haru was lying on the couch downstairs staring up into the ceiling. He rolled to his side, then back to his other side, then onto his back again. The couch was too comfortable. It was also very hot downstairs, which was unusual. If Yuki even dared to say that he was cold… not that he was there anyway. Haru felt the lump in his pillow that happened to be his stuffed rat "Yuki-chan." He was tempted to bring it out and hold onto it through the night but he, wisely, decided against it.
Who knew that he'd get a chance to hold the real Yuki again?
Haru didn't hear him come downstairs at all, but that was thanks to Yuki trying to be as quiet as possible. He smiled as Haru discovered him.
"Hey…" said Haru. Yuki sat down on the cushions.
"Can't sleep?"
"Not a wink."
Yuki put a hand on either side of Haru's head, resting it on the pillow below him. Haru blinked.
"Ah?" was all he managed before Yuki leaned down and kissed him right on the mouth. That was twice now that Yuki made the first move. Dammit… I'm supposed to be the dominant one here…
"What was that for?" Haru asked, trying to feign disapproval.
"To help you get to sleep, maybe?" Yuki offered an explanation, brushing his hair behind his ear to get it out of his face. He moved himself so that his body was hovering above Haru's, his only support being his palms besides Haru's head and his legs (from his knees down) on the sides of Haru's legs. Haru reached up and cupped his hand on the back of Yuki's head, bringing him back down for another sweet kiss.
"I also… should thank you, I guess…" Yuki continued.
"Thank me?"
"Yes. You were crying today, weren't you? With Honda-san?"
Haru nodded quietly.
"I thought so. She told me… everything."
"Everything?!" Haru asked in alarm. Yuki kissed the side of Haru's neck and spoke softly into his ear, "After dinner she told me everything. She's choosing Kyo."
For some reason, Haru felt a stab of pain in his heart. Yuki…
"It's all right, though," said Yuki as if he read Haru's mind. "I realized something today. … Well, I realized a lot of things today. But one of them was that I've been neglecting someone who cares very much for me."
"Yuki, don't," Haru whispered. "Don't start showing an interest in me simply because you feel an obligation to. That's the worse thing you could do."
"Did I say that I was going to?" Yuki asked. "I'm doing this for myself. It was me who invited you into my bed last night. And it's me who is joining you in your bed tonight."
For half a second, Haru was grateful to the darkness for hiding his blush, but then he realized that Yuki could probably see it anyway.
"Haru… it's not fair to you, what I've been doing. If I truly never cared about you, I would have told you to back off, right? I was denying it all the while… I never had the strength to tell you to go away… You were always… looking out for me. And I was too arrogant to notice…"
He sighed hotly against Haru's neck, causing the young man to crane his chin up, exposing more of his neck instinctively.
"I think… I think I might just love you, Haru…" /-/-/-/-/-/
A look of relief, peace, and of pure passion washed over Haru's face as he hugged Yuki to his body, running his hand through the boy's hair and speaking about his own affection for him. Yuki let himself go and they kissed again, want and need taking over. Haru's hands were caressing up and down Yuki's back, making him arch ever so slightly at the touch. His own hands surprised him as they reached under Haru's shirt, exploring and feeling everything around.
Haru arched his hips up to meet Yuki's and set off a spark that eventually ignited something Yuki thought he would never do and Haru only dreamed of. Yuki gasped when the two of their hips met (or more accurately, their arousals) and Haru stammered out Yuki's name.
Haru pulled at the elastic top of Yuki's boxers hesitantly, wondering what the older boy would do. A jolt of pleasure was sent through him as Yuki squeezed a nipple in reply to Haru's prior action.
"Nnng…"
Yuki grinned and sat up for a moment, stripping off his shirt. Haru quickly did the same and then arched up to meet Yuki in another kiss, carefully sliding his hands up the sides of Yuki's chest. Yuki shivered as his bare skin connected with Haru's.
"Don't tell me you're cold…" muttered Haru, his lips still close to Yuki's.
"N-No…"
Haru grinned and allowed Yuki to push him back down to the couch, deciding to let him be a bit dominant. He once again began to touch Yuki's bare back, loving the warmth that was emitting from him. His skin was so smooth and his own hands were so rough. He almost wanted to ask Yuki how it felt, but he decided to keep that for later.
Yuki was sucking tenderly on Haru's neck when he felt Haru's hand reaching under his shorts. He threw his head back and arched his hips back up.
"You don't like—"
"N... no, I do… it just surprised me…"
Haru decided to be a bit slower and he found that Yuki preferred this pace. He made a mental note of it and kept one hand on the side of Yuki's hip and the other on his chest. Yuki brought his head up to kiss Haru on the lips before saying, "I didn't say that you had to stop…"
Haru rather liked this dominant Yuki and he grinned, obliging most happily. He reached under his boxers slowly, both to obey Yuki and torture him. Yuki let out a gasp when Haru wrapped his hand around his erection and shut his eyes. Haru began to move his hand up and down and Yuki found that it was hard to move, yet very easy to pant.
"This is what you want?" Haru asked, his lips rubbing against Yuki's ear. When Yuki gave him no answer save for some heavy breathing, he tightened his grip for half a second so Yuki managed a small yelp of affirmation. Haru hushed him with a kiss and continued what he was doing, more so when Yuki started to shudder. They both knew exactly what was coming, no pun intended.
"Ahhn…H-Haru…" Yuki stammered, quivering above him, barely able to hold himself up. Haru noticed this and sat the both of them up, kissing hungrily at his neck, moving his hand faster. Yuki threw his head back and arched his back, the sweat on his stomach touching Haru's. Yuki felt a searing white hot something coarse through his body and he released himself with a muffled cry, since Haru had forced his mouth over Yuki's in order to hush him a bit. They couldn't have anyone interrupting, not if they had gotten this far.
"Haru…" Yuki breathed after he had calmed down a bit. Haru removed the older boy of his only piece of clothing along with his own before slowly letting him lie down on the couch. Haru didn't do anything right away, for he found he enjoyed kissing Yuki's exposed and sweat-ridden chest almost as much. Yuki's hands found Haru's face and made him look over to him. He was still panting a tiny bit.
"I really do… love you," he said to him. Haru smiled.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me…"
Pointing down to Haru's erection, Yuki said, "Oh, I have an idea."
Haru chuckled and leaned over, kissing Yuki's collar bone tenderly. When Haru rubbed up against him, neither of them could hold back a moan, one moan cracked a bit from minor exhaustion. Haru's gray eyes met with violet ones and they knew at once that they both needed this.
Badly.
Haru pushed one finger in after a nod from Yuki and the first thing he thought was that was warm and very tight. The first thing that Yuki thought was that it hurt just as much as it felt… amazing… Haru hesitantly moved his finger around and then inserted another digit carefully. Yuki arched his back in response and Haru decided to keep it at this for a bit. His other hand was drawing circles on Yuki's heaving stomach, occasionally reaching up to caress one nipple.
Yuki finally once grabbed at Haru desperately, looking up at him with large purple eyes. Haru knew what he wanted and withdrew his fingers. He looked down and wondered… ah shit… what about lube?
"No lube?" asked Yuki and this surprised Haru a bit. How did he know?
"Well… no…"
Yuki smiled pleasantly and sat up, scooting back on the couch a bit in preparation. He kissed Haru on the cheek once and then leaned down, taking him abruptly into his mouth.
"Nnng!!" was Haru's reply to this action. "S-so… aaaahn…" He couldn't do anything; he was completely paralyzed. Jeez… has he done this before?! He couldn't believe this one bit… here was Yuki, the boy he had loved for so long, giving this to him so willingly. As his head became heavy, he found he could no longer take it and pushed Yuki back up before allowing him to finish what he had barely begun. Yuki made a noise of confusion before being pinned back down, his shoulders on the armrest.
"Haru—"
"I'm trying my best not to go black," Haru told him as he positioned himself. "I wanna remember this."
Yuki thrust his knuckles into his mouth to halt a holler from escaping as Haru thrust something else into somewhere else. Haru stayed still, letting Yuki get used to this, even though all he wanted was to… well, he would soon enough. His thoughts were similar to when he had tried it with his fingers, but it was so, so much better. He had his palms down on the sofa on either side of Yuki's chest.
Yuki told him nothing to say that he was ready; he simply moved his hips up against Haru's. Without hesitation, the younger man slowly thrust in and out of him, careful of what made Yuki wince and what didn't. He didn't want to hurt him.
Too much.
He wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the head of Yuki's erection and the older boy gave out a gasp. Haru decided to match his thrusting rhythms with his hand and did this well. Soon, however, Yuki found that he was thrusting his hips toward Haru just as much as Haru was thrusting into him. The pace was quicker and Yuki was finding it hard to focus on anything besides the two things happening to him at once. Not that he would want to.
Haru eventually wrapped his free, left arm, around Yuki's shoulders and gained power from his grip. Yuki no longer held back his cries of pleasure and Haru didn't bother keeping his moans low. They didn't care who heard them. All that mattered to them was the one right in front of him, thrusting against or into one another.
"Aah… aaaAAa…"
It was becoming unbearable and in a shout, Yuki lost it, arching against Haru and becoming limp after letting go. Haru's thrusts were more sporadic as he no longer had any control, but enough to keep him white. He moaned loudly and collapsed onto Yuki when his vision became obsolete.
"Aaahh!!"
He released into him, panting and sweating. He removed himself slowly but still laid on top of Yuki.
"Did I… do okay?" asked Haru after a bit of catching their breaths. Yuki swallowed in mixed pants.
"Yes… very much so…" /-/-/-/-/-/
Haru nuzzled his head against Yuki's neck, intertwining his fingers with the other boy's. Yuki ran his other hand through Haru's hair and was surprised to find it soaked with sweat.
"Did you go black?"
"No," Haru smiled into his neck. After a bit he told him, "I love you, Yuki…"
"I know you do. And if… I denied my love for you now… I'd look awful, wouldn't I?" Yuki managed to chuckle. Since when was he so tired?
Oh… right.
"Haru… we can't… stay like this though…"
Haru giggled, imagining the scene that would befall the house if Haru didn't wake up first and they were discovered. But Yuki was so loud that he would be surprised if no one gave them any odd glances in the morning. They decided that they would use their last bit of strength to at least get their boxers back on and then the blanket could cover the rest.
They fell asleep in an instant after getting comfy on the couch, Yuki wrapped up in Haru's arms.
Miraculously, no one had heard them, or at least if they did, they were being polite about it. The two boys didn't really sense that anyone was hiding their knowledge; however, Shigure kept looking at Yuki with a sly smile and a glimmer in his eye all day…
/-/
The days leading up to the day back to school from vacation were less eventful than the ones prior to them. That isn't to say that nothing happened… for example, the two blooming couples were getting cozier with each other and Kyo and Yuki only played around, never seriously fought. Haru spent the last few nights of freedom with Yuki, simply talking and falling asleep together. Kyo and Tohru didn't exactly spend their nights together but they definitely spent the majority of the day with each other.
The four of them had never felt so relieved and free in their lives. Everything was finally at peace.
… For a time.
"Tohru," called Arisa, waving a hand. Tohru looked over to who was calling her.
"Uo-chan!"
"Tohru-chan…"
Tohru smiled happily as she saw Saki standing next to Arisa.
"Hana-chan!"
Saki smiled a tiny bit and then stared at Tohru's arm. "Oh… your ulna is broken…"
Although she was boggled as to how Saki knew that it was specifically her ulna, Tohru replied, "Yeah, it doesn't really hurt much anymore… I fell down."
"Fell down? Tohru, you have to be more careful…" said Arisa, bopping Tohru on the head lightly. Tohru nodded in response. Saki suddenly looked around, catching some signals.
"I see… a cow… in your future…"
Yuki blushed at hearing it and Haru's mixed hair stood on end as they passed them. Saki was staring at Haru intently. Tohru freaked out.
"U-uh… yeah, we're having uhh… uhh… steak for d-dinner… Y-yeah! Some s-steak!" Haru froze, turning pale.
"Steak?" his mouth was gaping. Haru was a very heavy vegetarian, for he was indeed a cow… Yuki held him up, looking to Tohru with wide "ohmygodwhatdowedo" eyes. She freaked out even more.
"Aaaah, I mean…"
"Tooohru!!!" yelled a high voice. Tohru turned and saw Momiji running up to her, arms wide. Kyo managed to stop the rabbit from crashing into Tohru and making a big disaster.
"Waaah! Kyo-kun hit me!"
"Shut up you stupid brat!"
Tohru sighed but was happy anyway. She felt so very happy back with her friends, although, she thought as she gazed at Kyo, vacation was a lot of fun, too.
/-/
At the end of the school day, they all met outside. Tohru had promised Arisa and Saki that she would spend the afternoon with them since she had hardly seen them over vacation. As they were leaving, however, Momiji learned that Kyo and Tohru were a bit more than friends… and that fact made quite a scene.
"Eeeeh?! Kyo-kun and Tohru are dating now!?"
Saki and Arisa halted, Tohru blushed and flailed her good arm, Kyo grabbed Momiji's head, threatening to crush it like a melon, and Yuki tipped over into Haru's arms. Wonderful… dammit Momiji…
"… You…" started Arisa, turning slowly. "You… orange… headed… BASTARD!!"
She ran for him, her elbow forward. Tohru once again freaked out.
"Aahh!! Uo-chan! Stop!"
She would only ever obey Tohru, so she did indeed stop. Saki stood next to Arisa.
"Tohru-chan… we will test him now."
So she and Arisa grabbed Kyo by the arms (and luckily it wasn't enough of an action to change him into his cat form) and pulled him back into the school. The others stood outside, quite confused.
"Uhhh…" Haru let out, blinking. "What the hell just happened?"
"Momiji… opened his big mouth…" said Yuki. The rabbit clutched the hat he had on.
"Yuuuuki… please don't be mad…"
Yuki looked to Tohru. "Honda-san, are you all right?"
She turned to him, her face very red and replied, "W-Well… I'm more worried about Kyo-kun…"
Once the trio was inside, Saki and Arisa thrust Kyo away, staring down at him.
"I had a feeling… that it was going to be you…" said Saki, looking at Kyo with no expression on her face. Arisa had her arms crossed.
"Feh… stupid carrot top. What the hell does she see in you?"
"Shut up, Yankee!" snapped Kyo. You have got to be kidding me…
"Uotani-san, wait…" Saki said, putting her arm in front of Arisa. "Let me finish. One night a long while ago, Tohru-chan nearly lost it all. She almost lost something very precious to her. I could sense it. Seeing her there in the rain—"
"She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! It's all over! There's no hope!"
"—I knew that something horrible was happening. When Uotani-san tried to keep her back, I had to do something. Although it hurt the both of us, we knew we had to let her go. Only I knew the source of the problem—you—and knew that she had to go to you. She had to go to the place where she belonged. As I saw her walk away, tears fell down my face and I screamed in agony. I had lost… willingly to you."
Kyo listened and stared at her, remembering that horrible night. The lengths Akito would go to hurt people… but luckily… it had backfired and brought Tohru and Kyo even closer.
"Uotani-san and I love her very much," Saki continued. "You can take that in whatever form you'd like… but you must understand that I have already accepted defeat."
"I, on the other hand, have not," Arisa barked. "I want to know your intentions for her."
"What do you mean?"
"… Have you touched our precious Tohru-chan?"
"T-touched?!"
"… You know what I mean."
"We haven't even kissed yet!!"
Arisa looked away from the incredible living cherry named Kyo and to Saki. Saki nodded. "He's telling the truth."
"What are you, a lie detector?!" yelled Kyo, picking his head up and relieved to feel it cool down. Saki simply nodded. Arisa went on.
"How do I know that you will truly care for her?" she asked coldly. Kyo's hands balled up into fists but he tried his best to stay calm and do it their way.
"Because I love her! I would never do anything to hurt her, not after all this time. She… she makes me feel like I can do anything, even beat that damn ra—that damn Yuki. I wouldn't be able to go on if she wasn't smiling at me or… if she… left us… I don't know what I would do. As for my intentions for her… of course I'd like to kiss her but I'm certainly not the type of guy who would go around using women. Especially not her. I love her. And if I need the two of you to give me permission to date her, then fine!
"May I? May I take her from the two of you? Please… I just want to be with her. This is my only chance at happiness. I almost lost her… twice now. I don't want to lose her again."
Arisa was impressed by his words and Saki was smiling, knowing that the only vibes coming from the strange boy were vibes of love.
"Well, well, orange head," Arisa began, running a hand through her hair. "I suppose… that you can have her… for now."
Kyo took a deep breath and then nodded. Saki's eyes trailed from Arisa's face to Kyo's.
"However… if you ever, ever hurt her…" she warned, her braid flapping in a non-existent breeze. Kyo backed up fear clearly etched onto his face.
"D-don't waste a worry on it…"
/-/((By the way, I looooved that scene sooo much. I love you Kyo!!))
Momiji had just finished doodling a bit on Tohru's cast when Kyo stepped out, Arisa and Saki backing him. Haru pushed himself up from the grass and Yuki looked over from his spot next to Momiji. Kyo was grinning oddly as though he had a gun pressed to the back of his head and was being forced to look happy.
"Tohru-chan," beckoned Saki. Tohru stood and looked at her friend.
"Hana-chan?"
"We approve," said Arisa, pushing Kyo forward. Because he wasn't expecting that at all, he tumbled over. Yuki held back a laugh from habit. Tohru nervously chuckled as Kyo helped himself up.
"He's a good boy, despite his looks," Arisa went on. Kyo glared at her but said nothing. Tohru went to him.
"You okay?"
"You… have scary friends."
Tohru laughed but was grateful to Saki and Arisa for caring about her so much to make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her. Even though it was Kyo and he would never hurt her anyway. After a bit, they exchanged farewells; Tohru started to walk home with Saki and Arisa when Kyo called her over.
"Hey… when are you going to be home?"
"Seven, I think."
He nodded his head approvingly. "All right. I suppose I'll cook for those morons." He gently tilted her chin up and took a small breath inward.
Yuki watched them as they shared their first kiss. A few days ago, seeing this would have made him rip Kyo's face off, but now he just smiled, happy for Tohru, rather, the both of them. He felt Haru's arm wrap around his hip and yet neither of them said anything. Yuki leaned back into Haru's warmth as Momiji watched both couples in awe. Kyo sighed after Tohru had long since walked away.
"Ahem," he made them aware that they weren't the only people in the schoolyard. Yuki giggled softly as one of the members of the Prince Yuki Fan Club stared at him, her eyes shaking with confusion. Haru let go of him and turned.
"Let's go home."
As they walked, Yuki's mind was on many different things. After they bade farewell to Momiji, Yuki spoke.
"Kyo… I need to tell you something."
The three of them stopped walking. Kyo turned around, having been walking in front of Yuki.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I suppose I should congratulate you…" Yuki said, his hand in his gray hair. Kyo blinked.
"Congratulate?"
"Yes. You finally won against me."
"… She's not some tourney prize," Kyo said, his eyes to the sidewalk beneath his white shoes. Yuki nodded.
"Yes, I suppose you're right…" His purple eyes softened. "Kyo… that night when Honda-san saw you… as… as—"
"That monster," Kyo finished bitterly. Yuki continued, "… That night, I realized it. I stood back and watched as she saved you from… yourself. You tried to keep her away but you knew that you couldn't. Eventually, she healed you, and you were yourself again. I stood there, watching you and her… and realized for the first time that I was going to lose her."
Haru felt a bit uncomfortable but did his best not to show it. He promised both Tohru and himself that he would never be jealous.
"You hugged her tightly that night and I saw that, unlike mine, your love for her was pure," said Yuki. "Only she could have saved you that night. Kagura-san would not have helped… even she knew it. Only Honda-san could bring you back. Only Honda-san and her love for you could bring you back."
Kyo closed his eyes slowly, remembering when he had just become human again and how he had hugged her, the both of them crying. It had felt so great to him, not just because of how she felt against his bare chest or how soft her hair was when he stroked it… but because it was her… Tohru…
"Tohru… Tohru…"
"The reason I continued to fight you after that day was because… I wasn't ready to lose her," Yuki confessed.
"I'm sorry, Yuki, that it had to be this way," said Kyo nobly. Yuki shook his head.
"For a while, I thought that Honda-san could be my princess. I was willing to protect her at all costs—I even fought against Akito-san to keep her safe. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I… I don't think I would be able to love her as much as you do, Kyo."
Kyo was surprised at his statement.
"Really?"
"You are always looking out for her well-being."
Kyo looked away again. "So are you…"
"No… no I'm not. I'm selfish, Kyo." Haru felt Yuki's eyes on him, but he ignored them, finding a nearby butterfly something much more interesting to watch. "… I think that if Honda-san chose me instead, I would one day hurt her. … As if I haven't already."
He smiled up to the sky. "She belongs with you, Kyo."
Kyo couldn't help but feel sorry for him and bit his lower lip.
"…"
/-/
That same day, Shigure had visited the main house to see Akito, for the head of the family had beckoned him there. Hatori had just come back from picking Momiji up from school.
"Shigure…" he spoke. Momiji waved to the dog.
"Shii-chan!"
Shigure smiled and walked over to them. Hatori asked about why he was here.
"Akito-san wanted to see me about something," Shigure replied, fumbling with his tie. Momiji giggled.
"I wonder if it has anything to do with Tohru-kun and Kyo-kun…"
"I have a feeling it might be…" Shigure said, his eyes distant. Hatori shoved his hands into his pockets.
"… Akito still hates her."
"Naturally."
They said nothing more on the matter and Shigure found himself in Akito's room. Akito was lying down in front of him, but not facing him. He hardly did.
"… It has come to my attention… that Hatsuharu is living with you in your house," Akito spoke. Shigure hid his surprise. This… isn't about Tohru-kun?
"Yes… temporarily. He's only staying to help with the housework until Tohru-kun has healed."
Akito already knew about the broken arm so he said nothing about it.
"I'm also aware that he has gotten rather close to my Yuki-kun…"
Shit…
"How close?" asked Akito, his kimono slipping off of his shoulders.
"I-I'm not sure."
"Liar. You fool… you should know better than to lie to me," Akito said, turning his head and fixing his sleeve.
"They've… they've already gone and… well, you know. I overheard them. It seems as though Yuki-kun is very much taken with Haa-kun now."
"Shut up. I don't want to hear anymore about how that fucking slut has contaminated my dear Yuki…" Akito hushed him. "Tell the both of them that I'd like to speak to them at the end of the week and no later."
Shigure winced, but agreed.
As he left the premise, he walked past Kagura yet said nothing to her. She grabbed his sleeve.
"Shii-chan?"
He turned and looked surprised. He hadn't even seen her as he passed by.
"Oh! Kagura, I didn't see you."
"How are you?"
"A bit… tired…"
Kagura giggled and asked about Kyo.
"Kyo-kun? He's…"
He certainly wasn't going to tell her about Kyo and Tohru. He would have them accompany him back to the main house on Friday as well.
aAaaaah… Shit is going to hit the FAN, people. Yeah, scary next chapter. Bwahaha I'm so evil lately, aren't I?? ::laughs like Ayame:: HAHAHA. Speaking of Ayame… more Ayame in chapter………….. eight! Wow, lots of spiffy stuff happens in that chapter!! Yay! Please review, okay?? ::bows and runs away::
Ah, there are too many reviews to thank but they were all VERY, VERY appreciated. Upon Julia's request, instead of saying "OMFG BOYSEX, IF YOU DON'T LIKE DON'T READ' in the middle of the fic, I'm going to warn you with a little symbol. That symbol… shall be… "/-/-/-/-/-/" this. When you see that and you don't like yaoi pairings, skip to where you see the symbol again. Hopefully, none of you will have to be stupid enough to regard those… but that's how some people are. ::shrugs::
Yeah and um…. The scene is kinda long. It wrote itself, I swear.
Kyo/Tohru scenes too. They get a bit sexy in later chapters, but let me tell you—I have a feeling that those two would be a little more awkward about the whole sex thing. Tohru is just so fargen clueless and Kyo is… well… Kyo. Haru is just a horny little bastard, and that's why we love him.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket nor the characters depicted below. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows OR heat up the candle wax for Haru and Yuki to use later if they so desire. Shove it, flamers.
Ayame had stayed for dinner that night, which Haru, as he usually did thanks to Tohru's broken arm, had prepared. Afterward, Ayame bade them all farewells, as he had to return to the shop. Tohru thanked him for the dress and he said that she was worth a thousand dresses. She smiled at him before he and Shigure headed out. Shigure had decided to walk him to the train station.
"It's hot," said Shigure to his companion. Ayame nodded.
"It sure is… do they go back to school soon?"
"Yes, in three more days."
Ayame smiled. "Lucky dogs."
"I should take offense to that…" said Shigure, but he was only kidding. Ayame looked to him as Shigure asked, his tone suddenly serious, "What did Tohru-kun tell you, if anything?"
"… I didn't really want to ask… but I felt compelled to. She told me about what she and Haa-chan talked about."
"Ahh… Haa-kun gave Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun a lecture. It was quite bold and noble of him," Shigure commented.
"She told me that she's in love with Kyo-kun."
Shigure stopped and looked at his silver-haired friend.
"She… she did? … Kyo-kun?"
"Yes. It was one of the last things she said to me. I asked her why and she said that after seeing his true form, she wanted to be with him at all times, even though she is scared that he will change back…"
"It wouldn't be any help if I was too scared of him or too overprotective. I simply want to love him like he loves me… I want to be his pillar of strength, if he'll let me. If he does change back, I want him to see me as Tohru… the one who will love him always… and I want him to remember that, and be able to change back. I want to continue… being with him… always."
"That girl is strong enough for all of us…" said Shigure softly. Ayame agreed.
"So… it'll be Kyonkichi-kun then?"
"I suppose so. If you don't mind me saying, I was sort of rooting for him. It'll be wonderful for him to be accepted by her."
"He's always been accepted by her," Ayame reminded him. Shigure nodded, smiling.
"One of the first things that she told me was that she loved the cat from the zodiac. Who knew it'd actually end up being true?"
Ayame chuckled.
"I was rooting for my brother… but more so I just want Tohru-kun to be happy."
"And finally, maybe Kyo-kun can be happy, too."
/-/
Now that he had a couch to sleep on, Haru was lying on the couch downstairs staring up into the ceiling. He rolled to his side, then back to his other side, then onto his back again. The couch was too comfortable. It was also very hot downstairs, which was unusual. If Yuki even dared to say that he was cold… not that he was there anyway. Haru felt the lump in his pillow that happened to be his stuffed rat "Yuki-chan." He was tempted to bring it out and hold onto it through the night but he, wisely, decided against it.
Who knew that he'd get a chance to hold the real Yuki again?
Haru didn't hear him come downstairs at all, but that was thanks to Yuki trying to be as quiet as possible. He smiled as Haru discovered him.
"Hey…" said Haru. Yuki sat down on the cushions.
"Can't sleep?"
"Not a wink."
Yuki put a hand on either side of Haru's head, resting it on the pillow below him. Haru blinked.
"Ah?" was all he managed before Yuki leaned down and kissed him right on the mouth. That was twice now that Yuki made the first move. Dammit… I'm supposed to be the dominant one here…
"What was that for?" Haru asked, trying to feign disapproval.
"To help you get to sleep, maybe?" Yuki offered an explanation, brushing his hair behind his ear to get it out of his face. He moved himself so that his body was hovering above Haru's, his only support being his palms besides Haru's head and his legs (from his knees down) on the sides of Haru's legs. Haru reached up and cupped his hand on the back of Yuki's head, bringing him back down for another sweet kiss.
"I also… should thank you, I guess…" Yuki continued.
"Thank me?"
"Yes. You were crying today, weren't you? With Honda-san?"
Haru nodded quietly.
"I thought so. She told me… everything."
"Everything?!" Haru asked in alarm. Yuki kissed the side of Haru's neck and spoke softly into his ear, "After dinner she told me everything. She's choosing Kyo."
For some reason, Haru felt a stab of pain in his heart. Yuki…
"It's all right, though," said Yuki as if he read Haru's mind. "I realized something today. … Well, I realized a lot of things today. But one of them was that I've been neglecting someone who cares very much for me."
"Yuki, don't," Haru whispered. "Don't start showing an interest in me simply because you feel an obligation to. That's the worse thing you could do."
"Did I say that I was going to?" Yuki asked. "I'm doing this for myself. It was me who invited you into my bed last night. And it's me who is joining you in your bed tonight."
For half a second, Haru was grateful to the darkness for hiding his blush, but then he realized that Yuki could probably see it anyway.
"Haru… it's not fair to you, what I've been doing. If I truly never cared about you, I would have told you to back off, right? I was denying it all the while… I never had the strength to tell you to go away… You were always… looking out for me. And I was too arrogant to notice…"
He sighed hotly against Haru's neck, causing the young man to crane his chin up, exposing more of his neck instinctively.
"I think… I think I might just love you, Haru…" /-/-/-/-/-/
A look of relief, peace, and of pure passion washed over Haru's face as he hugged Yuki to his body, running his hand through the boy's hair and speaking about his own affection for him. Yuki let himself go and they kissed again, want and need taking over. Haru's hands were caressing up and down Yuki's back, making him arch ever so slightly at the touch. His own hands surprised him as they reached under Haru's shirt, exploring and feeling everything around.
Haru arched his hips up to meet Yuki's and set off a spark that eventually ignited something Yuki thought he would never do and Haru only dreamed of. Yuki gasped when the two of their hips met (or more accurately, their arousals) and Haru stammered out Yuki's name.
Haru pulled at the elastic top of Yuki's boxers hesitantly, wondering what the older boy would do. A jolt of pleasure was sent through him as Yuki squeezed a nipple in reply to Haru's prior action.
"Nnng…"
Yuki grinned and sat up for a moment, stripping off his shirt. Haru quickly did the same and then arched up to meet Yuki in another kiss, carefully sliding his hands up the sides of Yuki's chest. Yuki shivered as his bare skin connected with Haru's.
"Don't tell me you're cold…" muttered Haru, his lips still close to Yuki's.
"N-No…"
Haru grinned and allowed Yuki to push him back down to the couch, deciding to let him be a bit dominant. He once again began to touch Yuki's bare back, loving the warmth that was emitting from him. His skin was so smooth and his own hands were so rough. He almost wanted to ask Yuki how it felt, but he decided to keep that for later.
Yuki was sucking tenderly on Haru's neck when he felt Haru's hand reaching under his shorts. He threw his head back and arched his hips back up.
"You don't like—"
"N... no, I do… it just surprised me…"
Haru decided to be a bit slower and he found that Yuki preferred this pace. He made a mental note of it and kept one hand on the side of Yuki's hip and the other on his chest. Yuki brought his head up to kiss Haru on the lips before saying, "I didn't say that you had to stop…"
Haru rather liked this dominant Yuki and he grinned, obliging most happily. He reached under his boxers slowly, both to obey Yuki and torture him. Yuki let out a gasp when Haru wrapped his hand around his erection and shut his eyes. Haru began to move his hand up and down and Yuki found that it was hard to move, yet very easy to pant.
"This is what you want?" Haru asked, his lips rubbing against Yuki's ear. When Yuki gave him no answer save for some heavy breathing, he tightened his grip for half a second so Yuki managed a small yelp of affirmation. Haru hushed him with a kiss and continued what he was doing, more so when Yuki started to shudder. They both knew exactly what was coming, no pun intended.
"Ahhn…H-Haru…" Yuki stammered, quivering above him, barely able to hold himself up. Haru noticed this and sat the both of them up, kissing hungrily at his neck, moving his hand faster. Yuki threw his head back and arched his back, the sweat on his stomach touching Haru's. Yuki felt a searing white hot something coarse through his body and he released himself with a muffled cry, since Haru had forced his mouth over Yuki's in order to hush him a bit. They couldn't have anyone interrupting, not if they had gotten this far.
"Haru…" Yuki breathed after he had calmed down a bit. Haru removed the older boy of his only piece of clothing along with his own before slowly letting him lie down on the couch. Haru didn't do anything right away, for he found he enjoyed kissing Yuki's exposed and sweat-ridden chest almost as much. Yuki's hands found Haru's face and made him look over to him. He was still panting a tiny bit.
"I really do… love you," he said to him. Haru smiled.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me…"
Pointing down to Haru's erection, Yuki said, "Oh, I have an idea."
Haru chuckled and leaned over, kissing Yuki's collar bone tenderly. When Haru rubbed up against him, neither of them could hold back a moan, one moan cracked a bit from minor exhaustion. Haru's gray eyes met with violet ones and they knew at once that they both needed this.
Badly.
Haru pushed one finger in after a nod from Yuki and the first thing he thought was that was warm and very tight. The first thing that Yuki thought was that it hurt just as much as it felt… amazing… Haru hesitantly moved his finger around and then inserted another digit carefully. Yuki arched his back in response and Haru decided to keep it at this for a bit. His other hand was drawing circles on Yuki's heaving stomach, occasionally reaching up to caress one nipple.
Yuki finally once grabbed at Haru desperately, looking up at him with large purple eyes. Haru knew what he wanted and withdrew his fingers. He looked down and wondered… ah shit… what about lube?
"No lube?" asked Yuki and this surprised Haru a bit. How did he know?
"Well… no…"
Yuki smiled pleasantly and sat up, scooting back on the couch a bit in preparation. He kissed Haru on the cheek once and then leaned down, taking him abruptly into his mouth.
"Nnng!!" was Haru's reply to this action. "S-so… aaaahn…" He couldn't do anything; he was completely paralyzed. Jeez… has he done this before?! He couldn't believe this one bit… here was Yuki, the boy he had loved for so long, giving this to him so willingly. As his head became heavy, he found he could no longer take it and pushed Yuki back up before allowing him to finish what he had barely begun. Yuki made a noise of confusion before being pinned back down, his shoulders on the armrest.
"Haru—"
"I'm trying my best not to go black," Haru told him as he positioned himself. "I wanna remember this."
Yuki thrust his knuckles into his mouth to halt a holler from escaping as Haru thrust something else into somewhere else. Haru stayed still, letting Yuki get used to this, even though all he wanted was to… well, he would soon enough. His thoughts were similar to when he had tried it with his fingers, but it was so, so much better. He had his palms down on the sofa on either side of Yuki's chest.
Yuki told him nothing to say that he was ready; he simply moved his hips up against Haru's. Without hesitation, the younger man slowly thrust in and out of him, careful of what made Yuki wince and what didn't. He didn't want to hurt him.
Too much.
He wrapped the fingers of his right hand around the head of Yuki's erection and the older boy gave out a gasp. Haru decided to match his thrusting rhythms with his hand and did this well. Soon, however, Yuki found that he was thrusting his hips toward Haru just as much as Haru was thrusting into him. The pace was quicker and Yuki was finding it hard to focus on anything besides the two things happening to him at once. Not that he would want to.
Haru eventually wrapped his free, left arm, around Yuki's shoulders and gained power from his grip. Yuki no longer held back his cries of pleasure and Haru didn't bother keeping his moans low. They didn't care who heard them. All that mattered to them was the one right in front of him, thrusting against or into one another.
"Aah… aaaAAa…"
It was becoming unbearable and in a shout, Yuki lost it, arching against Haru and becoming limp after letting go. Haru's thrusts were more sporadic as he no longer had any control, but enough to keep him white. He moaned loudly and collapsed onto Yuki when his vision became obsolete.
"Aaahh!!"
He released into him, panting and sweating. He removed himself slowly but still laid on top of Yuki.
"Did I… do okay?" asked Haru after a bit of catching their breaths. Yuki swallowed in mixed pants.
"Yes… very much so…" /-/-/-/-/-/
Haru nuzzled his head against Yuki's neck, intertwining his fingers with the other boy's. Yuki ran his other hand through Haru's hair and was surprised to find it soaked with sweat.
"Did you go black?"
"No," Haru smiled into his neck. After a bit he told him, "I love you, Yuki…"
"I know you do. And if… I denied my love for you now… I'd look awful, wouldn't I?" Yuki managed to chuckle. Since when was he so tired?
Oh… right.
"Haru… we can't… stay like this though…"
Haru giggled, imagining the scene that would befall the house if Haru didn't wake up first and they were discovered. But Yuki was so loud that he would be surprised if no one gave them any odd glances in the morning. They decided that they would use their last bit of strength to at least get their boxers back on and then the blanket could cover the rest.
They fell asleep in an instant after getting comfy on the couch, Yuki wrapped up in Haru's arms.
Miraculously, no one had heard them, or at least if they did, they were being polite about it. The two boys didn't really sense that anyone was hiding their knowledge; however, Shigure kept looking at Yuki with a sly smile and a glimmer in his eye all day…
/-/
The days leading up to the day back to school from vacation were less eventful than the ones prior to them. That isn't to say that nothing happened… for example, the two blooming couples were getting cozier with each other and Kyo and Yuki only played around, never seriously fought. Haru spent the last few nights of freedom with Yuki, simply talking and falling asleep together. Kyo and Tohru didn't exactly spend their nights together but they definitely spent the majority of the day with each other.
The four of them had never felt so relieved and free in their lives. Everything was finally at peace.
… For a time.
"Tohru," called Arisa, waving a hand. Tohru looked over to who was calling her.
"Uo-chan!"
"Tohru-chan…"
Tohru smiled happily as she saw Saki standing next to Arisa.
"Hana-chan!"
Saki smiled a tiny bit and then stared at Tohru's arm. "Oh… your ulna is broken…"
Although she was boggled as to how Saki knew that it was specifically her ulna, Tohru replied, "Yeah, it doesn't really hurt much anymore… I fell down."
"Fell down? Tohru, you have to be more careful…" said Arisa, bopping Tohru on the head lightly. Tohru nodded in response. Saki suddenly looked around, catching some signals.
"I see… a cow… in your future…"
Yuki blushed at hearing it and Haru's mixed hair stood on end as they passed them. Saki was staring at Haru intently. Tohru freaked out.
"U-uh… yeah, we're having uhh… uhh… steak for d-dinner… Y-yeah! Some s-steak!" Haru froze, turning pale.
"Steak?" his mouth was gaping. Haru was a very heavy vegetarian, for he was indeed a cow… Yuki held him up, looking to Tohru with wide "ohmygodwhatdowedo" eyes. She freaked out even more.
"Aaaah, I mean…"
"Tooohru!!!" yelled a high voice. Tohru turned and saw Momiji running up to her, arms wide. Kyo managed to stop the rabbit from crashing into Tohru and making a big disaster.
"Waaah! Kyo-kun hit me!"
"Shut up you stupid brat!"
Tohru sighed but was happy anyway. She felt so very happy back with her friends, although, she thought as she gazed at Kyo, vacation was a lot of fun, too.
/-/
At the end of the school day, they all met outside. Tohru had promised Arisa and Saki that she would spend the afternoon with them since she had hardly seen them over vacation. As they were leaving, however, Momiji learned that Kyo and Tohru were a bit more than friends… and that fact made quite a scene.
"Eeeeh?! Kyo-kun and Tohru are dating now!?"
Saki and Arisa halted, Tohru blushed and flailed her good arm, Kyo grabbed Momiji's head, threatening to crush it like a melon, and Yuki tipped over into Haru's arms. Wonderful… dammit Momiji…
"… You…" started Arisa, turning slowly. "You… orange… headed… BASTARD!!"
She ran for him, her elbow forward. Tohru once again freaked out.
"Aahh!! Uo-chan! Stop!"
She would only ever obey Tohru, so she did indeed stop. Saki stood next to Arisa.
"Tohru-chan… we will test him now."
So she and Arisa grabbed Kyo by the arms (and luckily it wasn't enough of an action to change him into his cat form) and pulled him back into the school. The others stood outside, quite confused.
"Uhhh…" Haru let out, blinking. "What the hell just happened?"
"Momiji… opened his big mouth…" said Yuki. The rabbit clutched the hat he had on.
"Yuuuuki… please don't be mad…"
Yuki looked to Tohru. "Honda-san, are you all right?"
She turned to him, her face very red and replied, "W-Well… I'm more worried about Kyo-kun…"
Once the trio was inside, Saki and Arisa thrust Kyo away, staring down at him.
"I had a feeling… that it was going to be you…" said Saki, looking at Kyo with no expression on her face. Arisa had her arms crossed.
"Feh… stupid carrot top. What the hell does she see in you?"
"Shut up, Yankee!" snapped Kyo. You have got to be kidding me…
"Uotani-san, wait…" Saki said, putting her arm in front of Arisa. "Let me finish. One night a long while ago, Tohru-chan nearly lost it all. She almost lost something very precious to her. I could sense it. Seeing her there in the rain—"
"She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! It's all over! There's no hope!"
"—I knew that something horrible was happening. When Uotani-san tried to keep her back, I had to do something. Although it hurt the both of us, we knew we had to let her go. Only I knew the source of the problem—you—and knew that she had to go to you. She had to go to the place where she belonged. As I saw her walk away, tears fell down my face and I screamed in agony. I had lost… willingly to you."
Kyo listened and stared at her, remembering that horrible night. The lengths Akito would go to hurt people… but luckily… it had backfired and brought Tohru and Kyo even closer.
"Uotani-san and I love her very much," Saki continued. "You can take that in whatever form you'd like… but you must understand that I have already accepted defeat."
"I, on the other hand, have not," Arisa barked. "I want to know your intentions for her."
"What do you mean?"
"… Have you touched our precious Tohru-chan?"
"T-touched?!"
"… You know what I mean."
"We haven't even kissed yet!!"
Arisa looked away from the incredible living cherry named Kyo and to Saki. Saki nodded. "He's telling the truth."
"What are you, a lie detector?!" yelled Kyo, picking his head up and relieved to feel it cool down. Saki simply nodded. Arisa went on.
"How do I know that you will truly care for her?" she asked coldly. Kyo's hands balled up into fists but he tried his best to stay calm and do it their way.
"Because I love her! I would never do anything to hurt her, not after all this time. She… she makes me feel like I can do anything, even beat that damn ra—that damn Yuki. I wouldn't be able to go on if she wasn't smiling at me or… if she… left us… I don't know what I would do. As for my intentions for her… of course I'd like to kiss her but I'm certainly not the type of guy who would go around using women. Especially not her. I love her. And if I need the two of you to give me permission to date her, then fine!
"May I? May I take her from the two of you? Please… I just want to be with her. This is my only chance at happiness. I almost lost her… twice now. I don't want to lose her again."
Arisa was impressed by his words and Saki was smiling, knowing that the only vibes coming from the strange boy were vibes of love.
"Well, well, orange head," Arisa began, running a hand through her hair. "I suppose… that you can have her… for now."
Kyo took a deep breath and then nodded. Saki's eyes trailed from Arisa's face to Kyo's.
"However… if you ever, ever hurt her…" she warned, her braid flapping in a non-existent breeze. Kyo backed up fear clearly etched onto his face.
"D-don't waste a worry on it…"
/-/((By the way, I looooved that scene sooo much. I love you Kyo!!))
Momiji had just finished doodling a bit on Tohru's cast when Kyo stepped out, Arisa and Saki backing him. Haru pushed himself up from the grass and Yuki looked over from his spot next to Momiji. Kyo was grinning oddly as though he had a gun pressed to the back of his head and was being forced to look happy.
"Tohru-chan," beckoned Saki. Tohru stood and looked at her friend.
"Hana-chan?"
"We approve," said Arisa, pushing Kyo forward. Because he wasn't expecting that at all, he tumbled over. Yuki held back a laugh from habit. Tohru nervously chuckled as Kyo helped himself up.
"He's a good boy, despite his looks," Arisa went on. Kyo glared at her but said nothing. Tohru went to him.
"You okay?"
"You… have scary friends."
Tohru laughed but was grateful to Saki and Arisa for caring about her so much to make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her. Even though it was Kyo and he would never hurt her anyway. After a bit, they exchanged farewells; Tohru started to walk home with Saki and Arisa when Kyo called her over.
"Hey… when are you going to be home?"
"Seven, I think."
He nodded his head approvingly. "All right. I suppose I'll cook for those morons." He gently tilted her chin up and took a small breath inward.
Yuki watched them as they shared their first kiss. A few days ago, seeing this would have made him rip Kyo's face off, but now he just smiled, happy for Tohru, rather, the both of them. He felt Haru's arm wrap around his hip and yet neither of them said anything. Yuki leaned back into Haru's warmth as Momiji watched both couples in awe. Kyo sighed after Tohru had long since walked away.
"Ahem," he made them aware that they weren't the only people in the schoolyard. Yuki giggled softly as one of the members of the Prince Yuki Fan Club stared at him, her eyes shaking with confusion. Haru let go of him and turned.
"Let's go home."
As they walked, Yuki's mind was on many different things. After they bade farewell to Momiji, Yuki spoke.
"Kyo… I need to tell you something."
The three of them stopped walking. Kyo turned around, having been walking in front of Yuki.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I suppose I should congratulate you…" Yuki said, his hand in his gray hair. Kyo blinked.
"Congratulate?"
"Yes. You finally won against me."
"… She's not some tourney prize," Kyo said, his eyes to the sidewalk beneath his white shoes. Yuki nodded.
"Yes, I suppose you're right…" His purple eyes softened. "Kyo… that night when Honda-san saw you… as… as—"
"That monster," Kyo finished bitterly. Yuki continued, "… That night, I realized it. I stood back and watched as she saved you from… yourself. You tried to keep her away but you knew that you couldn't. Eventually, she healed you, and you were yourself again. I stood there, watching you and her… and realized for the first time that I was going to lose her."
Haru felt a bit uncomfortable but did his best not to show it. He promised both Tohru and himself that he would never be jealous.
"You hugged her tightly that night and I saw that, unlike mine, your love for her was pure," said Yuki. "Only she could have saved you that night. Kagura-san would not have helped… even she knew it. Only Honda-san could bring you back. Only Honda-san and her love for you could bring you back."
Kyo closed his eyes slowly, remembering when he had just become human again and how he had hugged her, the both of them crying. It had felt so great to him, not just because of how she felt against his bare chest or how soft her hair was when he stroked it… but because it was her… Tohru…
"Tohru… Tohru…"
"The reason I continued to fight you after that day was because… I wasn't ready to lose her," Yuki confessed.
"I'm sorry, Yuki, that it had to be this way," said Kyo nobly. Yuki shook his head.
"For a while, I thought that Honda-san could be my princess. I was willing to protect her at all costs—I even fought against Akito-san to keep her safe. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I… I don't think I would be able to love her as much as you do, Kyo."
Kyo was surprised at his statement.
"Really?"
"You are always looking out for her well-being."
Kyo looked away again. "So are you…"
"No… no I'm not. I'm selfish, Kyo." Haru felt Yuki's eyes on him, but he ignored them, finding a nearby butterfly something much more interesting to watch. "… I think that if Honda-san chose me instead, I would one day hurt her. … As if I haven't already."
He smiled up to the sky. "She belongs with you, Kyo."
Kyo couldn't help but feel sorry for him and bit his lower lip.
"…"
/-/
That same day, Shigure had visited the main house to see Akito, for the head of the family had beckoned him there. Hatori had just come back from picking Momiji up from school.
"Shigure…" he spoke. Momiji waved to the dog.
"Shii-chan!"
Shigure smiled and walked over to them. Hatori asked about why he was here.
"Akito-san wanted to see me about something," Shigure replied, fumbling with his tie. Momiji giggled.
"I wonder if it has anything to do with Tohru-kun and Kyo-kun…"
"I have a feeling it might be…" Shigure said, his eyes distant. Hatori shoved his hands into his pockets.
"… Akito still hates her."
"Naturally."
They said nothing more on the matter and Shigure found himself in Akito's room. Akito was lying down in front of him, but not facing him. He hardly did.
"… It has come to my attention… that Hatsuharu is living with you in your house," Akito spoke. Shigure hid his surprise. This… isn't about Tohru-kun?
"Yes… temporarily. He's only staying to help with the housework until Tohru-kun has healed."
Akito already knew about the broken arm so he said nothing about it.
"I'm also aware that he has gotten rather close to my Yuki-kun…"
Shit…
"How close?" asked Akito, his kimono slipping off of his shoulders.
"I-I'm not sure."
"Liar. You fool… you should know better than to lie to me," Akito said, turning his head and fixing his sleeve.
"They've… they've already gone and… well, you know. I overheard them. It seems as though Yuki-kun is very much taken with Haa-kun now."
"Shut up. I don't want to hear anymore about how that fucking slut has contaminated my dear Yuki…" Akito hushed him. "Tell the both of them that I'd like to speak to them at the end of the week and no later."
Shigure winced, but agreed.
As he left the premise, he walked past Kagura yet said nothing to her. She grabbed his sleeve.
"Shii-chan?"
He turned and looked surprised. He hadn't even seen her as he passed by.
"Oh! Kagura, I didn't see you."
"How are you?"
"A bit… tired…"
Kagura giggled and asked about Kyo.
"Kyo-kun? He's…"
He certainly wasn't going to tell her about Kyo and Tohru. He would have them accompany him back to the main house on Friday as well.
aAaaaah… Shit is going to hit the FAN, people. Yeah, scary next chapter. Bwahaha I'm so evil lately, aren't I?? ::laughs like Ayame:: HAHAHA. Speaking of Ayame… more Ayame in chapter………….. eight! Wow, lots of spiffy stuff happens in that chapter!! Yay! Please review, okay?? ::bows and runs away::