Disclaimer: Three words: Do. Not. Own.

Note: Hah, sorry guys, another cliffhanger;;

"Summer Rains"

Chapter 9

Things were slowly returning to normal around here, except for Yuki. His attitude had improved, and he did apologize to Tohru and Kagura (though who knows if it was sincere, the way he' been acting), but something was still off. He was still a bit distant; not as close to Tohru as before, less willing to tell her things. I felt it was my fault, in a way. He didn't want to get attached to her because he knew she loved me, not him. The way he saw it, that'd never change. So he was trying to save himself some pain, and she was hurt instead. Because of me.

But right now I had no time to think about it. Right now, Hanajima and that Yankee were over and I had to make sure I was careful and not be transformed in front of them. I noticed Hanajima would glance curiously (suspiciously?) over at Yuki every few minutes. I was sure she could see through that false cheerfulness of his. He'd donned his everything's-fine-and-dandy-in-the-world-of-Prince-Yuki demeanor that fooled all his fans at school so they wouldn't annoy him. Tohru played along, and if that Yankee saw through it too, so was she. Hanajima knew it as a fact everything was not fine, and she asked him what was wrong after making sure Tohru wouldn't be there to save him.

"Tohru-chan?"

"Hai, Hana-chan?"

"Would you mind making me some tea?"

"Me too, please." Uo said, raising her hand.

"And me," I said, guessing what they were up to.

"Sohma-kun?" Tohru asked him, pausing at the kitchen entrance.

"I'm fine, thanks." he said, favoring her with a smile.

Tohru retreated to the kitchen and Hanajima and Uo turned to stare at Yuki.

"Something's bothering you, Sohma-kun." Hanajima said. It wasn't a question, she knew.

"Nothing is," he insisted, retuning her stare.

I wondered how he could, she had eyes that seemed to see through you to your soul. Kind of creepy. Then again, Yuki's not exactly normal, and kind of creepy himself with those huge, emotionless violet eyes of his.

"Look," Uo said, slamming her palm down hard on the smooth wood of the floor, "cut the crap. Tohru may be playing along with you, and you've fooled everyone else at school, but it's so damn obvious."

"You've grown distant from Tohru-chan." Hanajima stated in that tone of hers that never gave away any emotion or what she really felt.

"Yea, you have. You've got a problem, Prince, and it's hurting Tohru-chan still even if it's not as bad as it was before. Isn't that right, orangey?"

"Yea, and I'd love to know what that is, Yuki," I agreed, ignoring the fact Uo had just insulted me. I called her "that Yankee," she called me "that orange-head." It balanced.

Tohru came back just then, and the four of us acted like everything was fine. Uo, Hanajima, and I thanked Tohru, taking our cups as she handed them to us. Then we all went back to acting, hiding behind false happiness and playing along with the false happiness.

I hadn't expected Uo and Hanajima to confront Yuki like that, but maybe I should have. They were very protective of Tohru, after all, and since his being distant was hurting her, they were going to solve the problem and put a stop to it.

But anyway, here I was, walking Tohru home from work, talking with her about Yuki, of all people.

"I want to know what's wrong with Sohma-kun…I want to help him…" Tohru was saying.

"I want to know too. He said that I have everything and don't know it, but that's not completely true, and the same could be said about him…"

"Hai," Tohru agreed with a nod, "he doesn't realize that he has a lot of people that support and accept him, like Hana-chan and Uo, chan, and Shigure-san, and myself, and you, Kyo-kun. But maybe you're not a good example because you really can't stand him." she finished with a nervous laugh.

"Still though, I do accept what he is. Even if I don't support him," I pointed out. There was really only one time I can ever remember worrying about him, and that was that day he'd gotten sick and we had to take him home courtesy of Hatsuharu's zodiac form. But of course I wasn't really worried, I was just afraid if something happened to him, I'd never get my chance to beat him, that's all.

…

No, I am not in denial, okay? Shut up.

"Mmm…I guess you're right, Kyo-kun. I wonder, is there a way we could make him realize how everyone--ah!"

Tohru had tripped over something, so I pulled her toward me to try and stop her fall, and she ended up falling on top of me, making me transform. Sometimes she seems a bit clumsy to me, and sometimes I swear she could trip over a grain of sand. But I don't mean any harm by it, it's just like she's cursed or has bad balance or something. In any case, upon realizing what happened, she apologized immediately.

"Kyo-kun! I'm sorry!"

"It wasn't your fault, and nobody saw, so it's okay." I assured her, then changed the subject, "What were you saying about Yuki?"

"Ne…? Oh! I wonder if there is a way we can get Sohma-kun to realize how he has a lot of people that do support and accept him," she said, gathering up my clothes and picking me up as well.

"I wonder how we would do such a thing," I said, mostly to myself, "he can't even see there are people who care about him. I'm not even sure he realizes how much you care about him sometimes. Especially lately."

"You mean, with how distant he's being, Kyo-kun?"

"Mhm. Exactly."

"I think that…ano…Since he found out he thinks everyone's turned against him for some reason."

"You mean, about us?"

"Hai. I think he believe that now that I love you, and you love me back, that I won't support him anymore, and maybe--"

"But that's stupid," I blurted out, not really meaning to interrupt her, "why would you stop supporting him just because of me? He knows you don't play favorites."

"I know, Kyo-kun, but I think he thinks I'll leave him…Leave him alone like he was before…And he doesn't want that…"

Tohru suddenly looked as if she was about to cry, and I would have hugged her, or at least put my arm around her shoulders, but I was still a cat, so I just nuzzled her arm, purring softly.

"Don't cry, Tohru, we'll find a way to help him," I told her, not believing I had just agreed to help Yuki. Tohru really is a miracle worker.

"But what if we can't? What if he never comes out of this sort of depression he's in? I…I miss the Sohma-kun I used to know, Kyo-kun…"

"Hey, hey, you're suppose to be the optimist, remember? You sure are being negative. I told you, we'll find a way."

"Really, Kyo-kun?"

"Tohru, would I lie to you?"

"Nope!"

"Well then, there's your answer." I told her, smiling the best a cat could, and she smiled warmly back. The moment would have been perfect if I hadn't transformed back just then.

"I really can't catch a break, can I?" I muttered to myself.

Tohru just laughed as she turned around quickly and held my clothes behind her back for me to grab.

"Oi, Kyo-kun, Tohru-kun! Welcome home!"

That was the first thing we heard as we walked up to the house as Shigure called out his greeting.

"You have visitors!" he informed us with that so-cheerful-it's-scary smile of his after we returned his greeting.

"Visitors?" I questioned, "What the hell are you talking about?" I hoped he by 'visitors' he didn't mean 'family members.'

"Hana-san and Uo-san are her to talk to Kyo-kun," Shigure explained patiently, "and Tohru-kun too, of course."

"But I told Kagura-chan I'd be over again since I had a day off to help her with her project!" Tohru exclaimed in a distraught tone of voice, "I can't let either of them down!"

"Project?" Now I was thoroughly confused. Hanajima and that Yankee wanted to talk to me, and Kagura's got a secret project?"

"I know, Tohru-kun, calm down," Shigure told her, "they said they'd talk to you when you got home when I explained you were going to help Kagura. They said just call before you leave the main house and they'll come to walk you home and talk to you then. By the way, do you know where Yuki is?"

"Oh, he's visiting Haru-san today! Kagura told me he was planning to when I talked with her yesterday. Haru-san and Sohma-kun to come over."

"A project…" I said, mostly to myself, still trying to figure out what Kagura could possibly be up to.

"If you're so curious, Kyo-kun, go over there," Shigure told me.

I glanced over at Tohru for some help.

"I don't know, she's never mentioned it until yesterday," Tohru told me with a sort of sympathetic look, "so I don't know either. Sorry, Kyo-kun!"

"Well, I don't want to go over there if Yuki's over there. I'll end up starting a fight."

I didn't think I could be near him without wanting to punch him in the face with all that's been going on lately, and the last thing I needed was to cause a scene at the main house and have Akito mad at me. Then again, it's not like I'd ever given a damn about what Akito thought before, so I really don't know why I didn't want to go. I think it was because even though Kagura had forgiven me, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy around her.
Walking into the living room, we said our hellos to Hanajima and Uo, and when Tohru left we got down to business.

"I assume you're wondering why we wanted to talk to you," Hanajima said in her usual indifferent tone.

"Well, yea," I answered, "why me?"

"You see, orange-head, as well all know, the Perfect Prince Yuki has got some serious issues," Uo said, "and we're going to find out what they are."

"And what about Tohru? Shigure said you'd talk to her, and she'll just deny everything and try to protect Yuki."

"No doubt of that, orangey."

"But," Hanajima said before I could say anything, "she won't know what we're up to. We'll just tell her to leave him alone for awhile, give him time to work it out. And she probably will. That is when we strike and implement our grand master plan."

I could just imagine Hanajima and Uo rubbing their hands together and laughing evilly. Scary.

"So what is our 'grand master plan?'"

Mischievous grins worthy of the Cheshire cat himself spread across both of their faces.