Disclaimer: Shouldn't you know this by now?

"Summer Rains"

Chapter 3~

I arrived early, so I stood outside waiting for Tohru. When she came out five minutes later, there was a hurt look in her eyes. Of course, it disappeared when she saw me, but it was there just the same. She must have been wondering what was wrong with Yuki as well.

"Oi, Kyo-kun!"

"Oi, Tohru."

"Where's Sohma-kun today?" she asked, looking up at me.

"He wasn't feeling too well." I told her. Sure, I probably shouldn't have lied, but like I was gonna tell her he basically refused to come after her.

"Oh…I hope he's all right," she said, turning her gaze to the ground.

"Tohru."

"Hai, Kyo-kun?"

"He's not mad at you, you know."

She looked up at me, like she was amazed I had known what she was wondering.

"Kyo-kun?"

"I know he's been kind of a jerk since Saturday, not answering you and things like that…But it's not your fault, okay? I think I did something to piss him off."

"But Kyo-kun, you haven't even done anything…What if it really is me?"

She didn't sound that upset, just a little worried, but when I looked over to her to answer, I could see the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. I guess I was kind of too much in shock to say anything, and truthfully, I didn't really know what to do.

"I…I wanted to become his friend and get to know him better...Kyo-kun…but now…what if he hates me? I must have done something…"

"Tohru, you couldn't upset somebody or make them hate you if your life depended on it." I told her, hoping for a laugh. It didn't work though, much to my disappointment.

"I guess it must have been something really bad. Maybe he's still upset I transformed him in the school hallway the other day."

"That wasn't even your fault!" I protested, "And besides, it's not like anybody saw him! What the hell would he have to be mad about!"

"It's because I'm always doing things like that, without thinking, I mean. If only I would pay attention to what--"

"Knock it off!" I practically yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders. I think I might have scared her a bit, but this needed to stop. Damnit Yuki, don't you think of anyone but yourself? You're torturing the one who loves you…

"Tohru, please, just stop it, okay? You didn't do anything and it's not your fault he's being such a dumbass."

"But Kyo-kun--"

I don't know what I was thinking, as a matter of fact, I don't think I was. But I pulled her into a tight hug anyway, ignoring the fact I'd soon be a cat.

"It's not...your fault…okay?"

That was what I told her before turning into a cat, and she caught me and held me in her arms.

"Kyo-kun…thank you…"

By the time we'd got back to the house, I'd transformed back, so nobody but Tohru and I would know what happened, and I wouldn't get yelled at for being careless and just letting myself transform like that.

"We're home!" Tohru announced, opening the door.

"That's good timing, Tohru-kun! Dinner's on the table."

"I'll be right back! I'm going upstairs to put my stuff away!" she said, running up the stairs.

"Did you explain, Kyo-kun?" Shigure asked me as I stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Yea, I did. I'm not too sure she believes me…"

"Ahh, well you've done all you can, ne?"

"I guess…I wish I could do more, though."

Yuki walked in at that moment, and I merely threw a glare in his direction and walked out, planning on going up to the roof again. I wasn't hungry, and I don't think I could stand to look at him for more than five minutes without punching him in the face.

"What's his problem?" I heard Yuki ask Shigure as I reached the back door. I paused a moment, waiting to hear the reply.

"His? What's yours?"

I never thought I'd hear Shigure take sides against Yuki, he preferred to remain neutral, after all. I could almost imagine the surprised look on Yuki's face. Smirking to myself, I continued on to my sanctuary from the world.

As I lay on the roof, finally starting to relax, though I was still pissed off about Yuki upsetting Tohru like that, I glanced up into the starlit sky at the moon. There was something strangely comforting to me about looking up at the moon. I guess maybe because it's always been there and hasn't seemed to change.

Soon, I heard someone climbing up the ladder I used to get up here and figured it was Tohru.

"Oi, Tohru. I--" I stopped short, staring in surprise. What the hell was Yuki doing up here?

"Oh, it's you," I said flatly, "what the hell do you want?"

"Tell me, what was Shigure talking about?"

"What Shigure's talking about? What are you talking about, stupid rat?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, baka neko. What's Shigure doing telling me I'm the one hurting Honda-san?"

What? Was he playing innocent now? That damn little…

Before I even realized what I was doing, I'd already smacked him across the face. He glared at me with a look that said 'what the hell was that for?'

"Damnit Yuki, how can you not see what you're doing to her?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You can't see that your pushing her away is destroying her? She thinks you hate her!"

"Why would she think that!"

"You tell me, you idiot!" I yelled, standing up, "You can't just keep pushing her away like she doesn't mean anything to you and expect it not to affect her!"

He didn't say anything, he just looked at me like I was crazy. How could he not realize it?

"Do you have any idea how goddamn obvious it is there's something wrong with you? She asks you what's wrong, and you just say it's nothing! You're too much of a coward to at least tell her you don't want to talk about it! You used to tell her everything and now you won't tell her anything! What do you mean 'why would she think that?'"

"You don't understand what's wrong!" he yelled back, "You don't and you never will!"

"I don't want to! She's the one that needs to! Not me! I don't give a damn about you and I never will! But I'm not going to sit by while you do this to her!"

He swung at me and missed, and I felt my fist connect hard with his jaw. It'd never felt so good feel a hit connect before. This was beyond my dream of beating him, this was defending Tohru in some way.

After that hit, he'd retreated, and I was left alone on the roof again, now upset, but somehow feeling better than before. I don't know if he was feigning innocence about hurting Tohru or not, but I don't know how he couldn't have seen it. I used to think he really understood her, but now, I'm not so sure. His only excuse, I supposed, would be that he was too wrapped up in his own problems to notice anything else. But still, what was his problem anyway? He'd been acting strange lately, ever since he'd accused me of faking sickness so Tohru would take care of me.

What the hell was going on? Was Shigure right? Was Yuki jealous of me? Feh, but why be jealous of the cat? I'm just an outcast anyway. I'm not part of the Zodiac and I've got an extra curse in addition to being turned into a cat when hugged. Everybody in the family basically hates me, except for a select few. I'm shunned because I had the bad luck to be born with the curse of the cat. What's he possibly got to be jealous of? However bad it may be for him right now, he hasn't got room to talk. He's having a rough time, I've had a rough life. He's the one who will never understand.