Leave Me Stay
By SSS2 Megami-sama, AKA Falcon, or Salazarfalcon
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Okay, here's the story behind this baby. This was a request from Empress Satori, who reviewed on my story Love you Most and when she asked about it, I took it upon myself to write it as a challenge to myself. I don't really support this pairing but I really just wanted to see if I could write it. So, Satori, I hope you enjoy this, and I hope others do as well!
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Shigure couldn't sleep. Which, quite frankly, was odd, because, in general, the Jyuunishi dog could sleep through a hurricane. But there were other things currently on his mind at the moment, like a certain orange-haired cat. And it was at times like this that Shigure was disgusted with himself.
But it was true, Kyo had always been terrified of getting close to others due to his curse, and now that he saw Yuki and Tohru able to have a normal relationship despite it, he had been nothing but depressed. And indeed, Shigure found his thoughts traveling to the distraught boy constantly.
The truth was, the Sohmas of the zodiac were so spread out gene-wise that it was actually encouraged for members to find relationships within themselves. Shigure thought to himself that it really didn't matter, but the relatively new feelings of caring rather frightened him.
He'd never felt so strongly for anyone but Akito, or quite possibly Ayame or Hatori, but the feelings were different than what he felt for Kyo. He genuinely wanted to protect the Jyuunishi Cat, and seeing him in so much pain was always difficult for the emotional dog to bear. Indeed, Shigure was very emotional, and made many decisions based on them, which got him into trouble every so often.
"Shigure?" A quiet voice inquired softly from the doorway. Shigure shot straight up in his bed and blinked, wide awake. Kyo stood in the doorway, soft light from between the window shades casting an odd glow over his form. His light cinnamon eyes had since lost their glow and any form of spark, the tapered face held no expression, and a shirt that was far too large for him hung off the shoulder, giving the look of one who had lost a great deal of weight in a short time.
"Kyo-kun?" Shigure inquired, and the boy quietly walked over as sat himself cross-legged on the bed, not making a sound. "Kyo-kun, daijoubu desu?" No answer, save for an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
Shigure leaned forward and found his hand traveling of its own accord to rest on Kyo's cheek. The boy cringed. The Jyuunishi dog blinked, but didn't pull away. Kyo made a strange sound then, almost like a cross between a whimper and a meow, making to recoil, when a strong hand lashed out and grabbed his wrist.
"Kyo-kun, I know you're upset, but really, you need to take better care of yourself." Shigure said sternly, taking in the Cat's slight figure. "Just look at you…" He muttered to himself. Cinnamon eyes narrowed, and Kyo wrenched his hand away.
"Don't mother me!" He snapped.
"Well, why did you come in here then?" Shigure retorted, trying to escape the fact that Kyo was excruciatingly cute when he was angry. The boy scowled.
"If you must know, I don't understand why I came in here." A light pink color began to rise up in his cheeks, and the dog reached out, wrapping one arm around Kyo's shoulders to pull him close. Kyo struggled, but gradually gave into the touch, resting lightly against Shigure's chest.
"You poor, grief-stricken child.." The older man murmured in genuine concern, both arms secured around Kyo's waist. He could feel every movement he made, and it was unnerving that Kyo was so still when in the sort of position he that he was never really comfortable with.
"I thought she loved me." Kyo muttered, voice muffles slightly in Shigure's shirt. "Even when she knew what I was, she hugged me and said that she cared about me. I thought that-- I thought she--" He trailed off and didn't even try to stop the crystalline tears sliding down his cheeks. "I thought I had a chance, I did, but once again," Sniff, "The great, amazing, perfect Yuki saves the day. The one person I--" A dry, sarcastic chuckle. Shigure said nothing, simply allowed the boy to speak, feeling that this needed to be said. To let it out. "I can never win, I can't win, I can't win, I can't win, I can't win, why the FUCK can't I win?!!"
Silence.
"What makes him special?" A soft, quiet sob. "Why does he take everything I ever really wanted? What's wrong with me?" The cat rambled, alternating from tears to bitter laughter in seconds. Now, Shigure knew that it had nothing to do with Tohru anymore, and was going back farther than even he knew.
In a heartbeat, Kyo had jolted up and grabbed Shigure by the front of his shirt, getting right up in his face.
"What's wrong with me?" He demanded, "What the hell does Yuki have that I lack? Why is he more special than I am?" Shigure didn't say a word. "Damnit, Shigure!!" The boy shouted, "Answer me!!!! What's wrong with me?!"
"Nothing is wrong with you." The Jyuunishi dog said softly. Kyo's eyes were blazing with a fire that made them look almost crimson, and at the soft words he let go of Shigure's shirt, slumping forward.
"But there has to be…" He muttered.
"There isn't." Shigure insisted, running a hand gently through the orange hair in an attempt to soothe him. "Yuki is treasured by the Zodiac, but so are you."
"By who? Everyone else just wants to leave me, hurt me, or lock me up like some animal."
"By me," The dog's voice was quiet, "By Hatori, who used to take care of you; Haru, because you look out for him; Kisa, because you tried to help her. And Kagura, who loves you more than you know and wants you to be happy." The words were spoken calmly, and Kyo suddenly straightened from where he sat and hugged Shigure around the neck right then and there.
The grey-eyed man sat there, stunned, before proceeding to maneuver Kyo into the perfect 'snuggle' position. The boy snickered. Grey eyes widened, before a smirk began to pull at Shigure's features, and he stuck his index finger straight into Kyo's side. The cat squeaked and (Though he would never admit it, EVER) giggled, burying his face in Shigure's shoulder, his whole body shaking with mirth.
The dog let out a barking laugh and leaned back, Kyo yelping as he landed flat on the man's chest.
"I hate you so much!" He panted between laughs, and Shigure ruffled his hair, watching in a strange glee as Kyo's eyes gained more light in them with every second.
"Suuuurrrreee, you do." Shigure teased him, and abruptly Kyo closed his eyes, going limp where he lay, head resting over the Jyuunishi dog's heart.
"Wow, I'm tired." He muttered.
"Well, go to sleep then." Shigure told him quietly, and blinked in seeing a pair of insecure cinnamon eyes staring him down. "It's alright, just stay here."
There was a cautious nod, and Shigure reached over to pull the blanket up over the both of them and clicked the light off. For several minutes, all that could be heard was Kyo's quick breathing, before it evened and slowed, giving evidence of sleep.
Oddly content, Shigure pulled Kyo close to him, tucking the boy's head under his own chin and holding him tight. It felt nice, he decided, to hold someone like he was now, and was surprised to feel his heart beating fast and a feeling he wasn't used to washing over him.
"Just look at you." He said quietly, eyeing the thin frame, "I've got to get more food in you." Then slowly, deliberately, he kissed Kyo lightly on the cheek, before drifting off into slumber.
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"Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun!" Shigure shouted the next morning, skipping merrily down the stairs, "What are you cooking for breakfast?" The brown-haired girl glanced up from the stove and smile apologetically.
"Gomen ne, Shigure-san, but all we have is leftovernabe (Japanese stew!), so I'm heating that up. I'll go shopping this afternoon, okay?" At the genuinely worried expression on her face, Shigure nodded, and blinked when she continued, "By the way, where's Kyo-kun? I went to check on him last night, but he wasn't in his bed."
"He was with me." Shigure said lightly, and Tohru went red.
"Uh… uh-huh?"" She asked, and the dog nodded.
"Yep, he spent the whole night with me." he drawled pervertedly, and the girl went darker, before brandishing a wooden spoon threateningly at him.
"Well, you had better treat him right." She ordered sternly. "I care very much about Kyo-kun, and if you hurt him, heaven help me--" She let the threat dangle, but it was enough to cause Shigure to raise a hand in the sign of peace.
"Can do!" He declared.
A huge grin began to spread of Tohru's features, and she rushed forward, grabbing hold of both of his hands.
"In that case, I'm so happy for you both!" She exclaimed, just as a rather sleepy looking Kyo came down the stairs, rubbing at his eyes. Tohru squeaked, beamed, and flushed at the same time and busied herself in the kitchen once more. The cat blinked in bemusement but sat down at the table anyway.
Several minutes later, Yuki stumbled down, his half-awake self. Tohru finished heating up the food, and they all sat down.
"Kyo-kun." Shigure ordered, receiving both a scowl from Kyo and a confused glance from Yuki, "Eat. Now."
Silent, Kyo rolled his eyes but nevertheless dipped his spoon into his stew and began eating, every so often sending dark, stormy looks in Shigure's direction. Suddenly, Tohru stood and took Kyo's hands in hers, face still a light pink.
"Kyo-kun, I'm very, very happy for you both!!"
"Say what now?"
"I wish you and Shigure-san the best of luck in your relationship!"
"WHAT?!" A bright red color, Kyo whipped around to stare wide-eyed at the Jyuunishi dog, who did nothing but waggle his fingers cheerfully at him from across the table whilst Yuki was forced to spit out a mouthful of stew. Slowly, one crimson eye began to twitch, and a vein began to throb in Kyo's forehead, before the kitty went 'BOOM'.
"SHIGURE!!!!!"
"What? You know I love you, Kyo-kun!"
"WHAT THE HELL??!!"
"Dai-i-su-ki!!"
-thud-
"Um, Shigure-san?"
"Hai, Tohru-kun?"
"I think Kyo-kun's unconscious."
"Why, so he is!" -smirk- "What a perfect opportunity!"
"A-a what?! Opportunity for what?"
"For this, my dear Yuki-kun. Wakie wakie, Sleeping Beauty!"
-smoooooch-
"Kyaa, Shigure-san!"
"Honda-san, avert your eyes!"
"SHIGURE!!!" -frustration mark-
"Um, Kyo-kun?"
"WHAT?"
"Shouldn't you be calling me Koi?"
-silence-
-blush--thud-
-blush--thud-
"Wai, kawaii!" -clapping- "Bravo, Shigure-san!"
-bow- "Thank you." -poke- "Um, Koi? Kyo-koi?" -pokepokepokepokepokepoke- "K'so."
-OWARI-
Yes, Shigure is VERY OOC (Bad Falcon!) but this is based off of the anime, not the manga. Manga Shigure's got some redeeming to do.