Alicia's Diary

Haru didn't come in for a few days. He'd bring Kyo to the door and, when I asked him to come in, Kyo would shoot him a look and he'd quickly make up a pathetic excuse. Upon the fifth or sixth day of this (I forget how many days it was), I invited Haru in again. As had happened all the times before, Kyo shot him a look and Haru replied, "I promised Kisa I'd take her and Hiro to the park today." However, unlike the times before, I didn't let him walk away.

"That's a god damn lie and you know it," I said angrily as I grabbed his arm. "Come on in. You're staying for once." With that, I dragged him inside. "Now, Haru-kun, be a dear and wait here while I go have a talk with Kyo, will you?"

"Alright," Haru nodded as he walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Kyo, come with me," I pulled him out into the kitchen. It seems the kitchen has become the place for most of the major events nowadays. Without another word, I smacked him across the face.

"What the hell was that for!?" Kyo placed a hand over his swollen cheek and felt blood trickling down.

"For treating Haru like that! He loves you so much that he's willing to do anything for you and then you turn him away at the door!"

"I didn't turn him away," Kyo objected.

"Everyday, when I ask him to come in, you shoot a death glare at him! You turn him away!" I argued back. "Now tell me, do you really love Haru?"

"Well… yeah."

"Then why do you treat him the way you do? Have you ever even let him hold your hand?"

"Well… no."

"You have some things to rethink here- like what it means to truly love somebody. It means to put their feelings before your own, so think about it. Do you ever put Haru's emotional needs before your own?"

Kyo's eyes went wide as he just began to realize all the smiles Haru gave him when he was forced to leave had been forced smiles. He dropped down in the chair behind him like he had just been shot in the chest. "No, I suppose I don't."

"Now listen," I walked around behind him and wrapped my arms around him. "I believe we had this discussion before… but I also believe we need to have it again. It's okay for you to love Haru. It's okay for you to show it too. I won't let anyone harass you two in this house, so you have nothing to fear here, Kyo. So, do you understand what I just said?"

"Yes, of course," Kyo, still wide-eyed, nodded weakly.

"Now, you want me to tend to this or shall I ask Haru to?" I chuckled, wiping the blood from Kyo's cheek.

"I think…," Kyo suddenly snapped out from his shocked state and into a new state that certainly wasn't normal but was still conscious of the words he spoke. "I think I'd like to sit in Haru's lap while you patch it up. Is that okay?"

Hardly sure that I had heard right, I asked him to repeat, only to receive the same words again. "We'll ask Haru if he'll let you, okay?" I smiled. "Come on." I led Kyo away to the kitchen door to find it ajar, Haru's grey eye staring back at me from the opposite side. "Hey Haru-kun. You came running when you heard the slap huh?"

The only response was silence until he kicked open the door. When I hit the floor from being thrown back by the force, it dawned on me that Haru had gone Black…

"Who gave you the right to hurt my kitten like that?" Black Haru stepped through the now open doorway.

"Haru, I--" I attempted to solve the problem with words first.

"Don't you dare make up some lame excuse," Black Haru growled.

Kyo suddenly got up from where he had fallen on the floor beside me and walked over to Haru. Haru stared at him and Kyo stared silently back for a minute before a smile cracked his face and he said, "You shouldn't spaz out like this so easily. She was doing you a favor, y'know. It was a favor for me too, I guess."

Haru's look suddenly softened and White Haru reemerged. I was amazed that a few simple words stopped him. "Kyo?" he blinked.

"You went Black again. You need a little more self-control, Haru," Kyo laughed softly.

"Oh God, I'm sorry. Did I do anything?"

"Well you knocked me and Alicia to the floor but other than that, no. Will you do me a favor, Haru?"

"Of course, Kyo. What is it?" Haru raised his one hand to touch Kyo's cheek but then retracted it upon the thought that Kyo might not like that entering his head.

"Can I…," Kyo blushed a bit. It was a truly adorable scene. "Can I sit in your lap while Alicia fixes my little scratch?" he asked, wiping the fresh blood from his cheek.

Haru's eyes widened for a second but then his eyes softened and he smiled. "Of course, Kyo-kun." Then he turned to me, "Can you mend it in the living room, Alicia?"

"Yeah sure. Just let me grab the first aid kit," I walked over to the cabinets and pulled out the first aid kit. Then I followed Kyo and Haru (who were holding hands! How cute!) out to the living room. Haru sat down on the couch and Kyo sat in his lap. I sat beside them and opened the kit.

"I can reach Kyo's cheek from here," Haru said. "Can I do it?"

"Kyo?" I turned to the strangely contented and relaxed cat. He gave a soft nod. "Okay then Haru. Here's the antibacterial spray and a cloth to clean the blood up with," I handed the bottle and cloth to Haru. He wiped up the blood and then sprayed some of the antibacterial spray on the wound. I handed him a second cloth and he gently wiped up the fluid dripping down. "Here's a bandage. It should be big enough," I handed Haru a regular-sized band-aid. "There was a lot of blood but it's really a small cut." Haru nodded in agreement and placed the bandage over Kyo's cheek.

"Kyo… would you mind if I kissed you?" Haru asked.

"Alright but don't get used to it. I have an image to maintain," Kyo said jokingly. He was beginning to sound normal again.

Haru leaned forward and placed a kiss on Kyo's bandaged cheek and then another kiss on his ear. Kyo shuddered softly at the pleasantness of the kisses and a smile briefly crossed his face before he smothered it and replaced it with his usual rough look.

"What made that cut anyway?" Haru asked.

"Well Alicia bitch-slapped me and-- how DID that cause a cut!?" Kyo stared at me angrily.

"Sorry, I forgot my ring was turned in," I turned the ring so the jewel was on the outside, hoping I was discrete enough that they wouldn't ask.

"What's that?" Kyo blinked at the ring. "An engagement ring?"

"He finally asked you, hm? It's about time," Haru murmured.

"You know?" I looked at him, surprised. Didn't think anyone from the Sohma family knew I had even been dating.

"You didn't know?" Haru blinked. "I've been living with him for a month now. He invited me to share his apartment with him and I accepted."

"Imagine that," I laughed. "I didn't think you guys even knew each other."

"We barely knew each other when he asked me to move in. He had heard about the hazing I had to put up with living at Sohma house so he invited me to live with him despite the fact that he barely knew me. He's a nice guy. You two will be happy together."

"Thanks Haru," I smiled in return.

"Somebody, clue me in here," Kyo insisted.

"Alicia's engaged to my roommate," Haru said.

"Congrats," Kyo muttered. It was a short and uninterested reply but I could still detect a bit of sincerity.

"Thank you, Kyo-kun," I said.

"Hey, can we eat? I'm hungry," Kyo asked.

"Of course, Kyo-kun. You want some rice balls?" I offered.

"What's in them? Not leeks, right?"

"Of course not. I had a ton of beef sticks and white rice left over from when Ha'ri and I ordered from the Chinese restaurant down the block for lunch. Then I decided to make rice balls with shredded beef stick on the inside. It's pretty good," I insisted.

My words were met with a death glare from Kyo. Then I noticed Haru's paler-than-usual face and the wheels started turning in my head.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry Haru-kun!" I covered my mouth. I wanted to smack myself.

"It's okay," he insisted with a weak forced smirk.

"Um… well… since that's a no, how do you feel about eating barbequed chicken, Kyo?"

It was a rather pleasant day, despite its many problems, I must say.

Tohru: I… don't get it. Why'd Haru go pale?

Alicia: --;; Of course you don't get it. You're a dumbass airhead. Think about it- what did I offer Kyo to eat?

Tohru: Beef stick rice balls!

Alicia: And what zodiac animal is Haru?

Tohru: A cow!

Alicia: Now, why would a cow be upset by the idea of his boyfriend eating beef?

Tohru: ………………………………….

Hiro: Forget it. If we wait for this stupid girl to process it, we'll be here forever.

Alicia: Let's wait and see how long it really takes…

Hiro: Fine.

(Five days later)

Tohru: ………………………………….

Hiro: (playing 5000 Rummy with Alicia) Rummy in the deck! (pulls an ace out of the deck and rummies it on Alicia's aces) (discards)

Alicia: You're good but not good enough. (puts down 10, Jack, Queen and King of spades) (discards) I'm out.

Hiro: (counts up points) I got 50.

Alicia: (does likewise) 85.

Hiro: (adds scores to the tally) You win. You've reached 5000.

Tohru: ………………………………… Ah! I've finally got it!

Alicia: Time!

Hiro: (Looks at watch) 5 days, 8 hours, 12 minutes, and 37 seconds.