Welcome to chapter #4 of Happy Days! Nezumi and Neko welcome you! Um, apologies for any inconsistencies within the last chapter - if you didn't notice it then tis best left so : ) Anyhoo, enjoy, and there'll probably only be another 2 or 3 chapters more, koi? Bye!
#Neko# & +Nezumi+
Happy Days
Chapter 4
It was early Sunday morning. Birds outside announced the arrival of the new day as golden sunlight flooded through the windows of Shigure Sohma's relatively intact house, sending pretty patterns across Yuki's floor. The calm of early morning was shattered as yet another shirt hurtled across the room trailed by a string of curses.
"You know, I think the idea is you wear the clothes first, then toss them on the floor."
Yuki stopped his searching momentarily so he could glare at the satirical bull.
"You want a hand with that?"
"What?" Yuki turned, startled, to find Haru next to him. As Yuki looked on Haru picked up a shirt and threw it to the middle of the room.
"Stop that!" Yuki yelled, scrambling to retrieve the shirt.
"Trust me, you wouldn't want to wear that one anyway, it's bright orange." The bull said matter-of-factly, looking at the rat in front of him. In reply Yuki threw the shirt on Haru's head, then flopped down on the floor next to him.
"I'll save you the trouble of looking at the hangers." The younger boy dusted his hands and climbed around Yuki to look into the wardrobe.
"How bout this one?" Haru presented the rat with a white shirt.
Yuki held it up.
"I got this one last year." He shoved it back into Haru's hands before tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear. "Besides, it makes me look too skinny."
Haru raised an eyebrow and stared at the other boy incredulously.
"What!"
"Nothing…" Haru sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to the wardrobe. He pulled out a perfectly ironed, blue shirt, handing it to Yuki. "This one?"
"Honda-san bought me that one last week," he held it horizontally and the shirt stayed absolutely straight. "I think she used a little too much starch." Sighing, the rat leant across Haru to return the shirt to the wardrobe. Near the back, a snow white fluffy collar caught his eye. Haru's eyes followed lazily as he waited, hands in pockets.
Yuki shuffled the item free of the hanger's grasp, pulling it out, slightly confused. Haru took the coat from him.
"My coat." He confirmed, smiling. "Remember? I must've left it here last year! When I stayed over after…" He trailed off as the memory returned to him. He glanced up to check on the rat, but he'd looked away.
"…after Akito…" Yuki finished, still averting his gaze. He felt a weight fall on his shoulders as Haru pirouetted the coat around him, gently raising the hood over his head. Yuki shut his eyes slowly, letting the soft white border fuzz stroke against his cheek, it's faint scent bringing the image of it's owner to mind.
Haru propped Yuki's chin up with a hand, tilting his head as the rat opened his eyes. The bull gazed at him honestly, his voice as delicate as that ivory fluff. Neko note: FLUFF!
"Yuki, don't do this for Akito, don't go to the effort - he's not worth it, only you are. You'll look beautiful in anything."
To me…he didn't add that.
He smiled and softly cupped the frozen boy's cheek, running his thumb along his cheekbone before walking away in the direction of the door.
"Finish up and come down to breakfast."
Yuki remained still for minutes after the other had left. Eventually, the Prince shrugged the coat off gently, a blank look on his face.
Haru's always been there for me…
The rat sat on the edge of his bed, Haru's coat grasped limply in hand. He gazed down at his bandaged fingers, recalling yesterday's events.
"Pull yourself together! Haru's right." Yuki stood, slowly. He reached for the heavily starched shirt.
How the hell am I supposed to wear this?
Yuki attempted to shake the shirt. Failing that, he proceeded to throw the shirt off the floor. Kyo walked past the open door as the rat struggled to make the shirt flexible. The cat looked on, a puzzled look on his face.
"You coming to breakfast or what, rat-boy?" He questioned, as Yuki dropped the shirt to the floor in defeat and walked towards the cat.
"You were beaten by a shirt?" Kyo remarked smugly as Yuki passed him.
"At least it's a better opponent than you." Yuki shot back.
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"Good morning, Sohma-kun, Kyo-kun!" Tohru smiled, wincing as she watched the two warriors enter; Kyo with awkwardly spiked hair and bust lip, the rat sporting a fresh bruise across one cheek. Kyo sat down silently. Yuki replied.
"Morning, Honda-san, Haru-kun." The bull had his back to the table. He turned to acknowledge Yuki. His eyes widened in shock as they absorbed the damage to the Prince's delicate features. Without a word he got up and left.
Yuki sat down quietly, Tohru stood looking back and forth between him and Kyo and the door Haru had just left by. The cat twitched at the heaviness hanging over the room. A low growl rose in his throat and he followed Haru's exit.
"Kyo-" Tohru began, before being cut off by the Prince.
"Just leave him, Honda-san."
"But, what's going on?" Tohru sat back down, puzzlement spread across her face. Yuki sat opposite her, in silence. He looked down at the table, picking at his rice. She sighed, crossing her arms on the wood and resting her chin on them, getting a better look at the boy's face.
"It's not Kyo-kun, is it." she asked quietly.
Yuki shook his head.
"…and not school…"
He shook his head again. She smiled grimly.
"…love, then."
Yuki stabbed harder at his rice.
"Yuki…" Tohru leant forward and placed her hand over Yuki's in a reassuring manner. He stopped massacring the rice and mover the bowl away, instead placing both hands in Tohru's clasp, sighing heavily.
"You know…" Yuki phased out as the girl launched into one of her speeches. Instead, he found his last trail of thought.
…Haru has always been there for me…always supported me…
Suddenly, the far door of the room burst open, flooding everything in brilliant white light. With a loud 'neigh!' a moonlight white horse galloped in, rearing up on its hind legs and pawing the air, its grey speckled muzzle piercing the atmosphere again with its loud call. The stallion's rider jumped down with practiced ease, a sword in one hand as he stepped forward towards Yuki. He thrust the blade into a scabbard at his hips and used one hand to tilt up the grid of his pewter helmet, revealing--
"Haru!" Yuki cried dramatically and the bull held out a gloved hand for him to take, crimson cape billowing around him in some non-existent wind. The rat slid his hand into his knight's and Haru brought him up to his feet, the hand releasing Yuki for a moment to circle his waist and bring him close. Silver armour gleamed around the Prince's vision, but all he saw was the other's face drawing nearer. A thrilling gasp caught in his throat, his hands tangled. The knight spoke his name huskily, and Yuki was lost, adrift on some heavenly cloud. He was so, so close.
"-and that's what my mum always used to say!" Yuki blinked, feeling like he'd just been kicked off afore-mentioned cloud and landed on hard ground. Real, hard ground. The room was completely normal, there was no horse, no bright ethereal lights, no Haru…
…Damn, even in my dreams we're interrupted…
He raised his eyes to the girl that now stood, poised determinedly with a clutched fist, eyes alive and cheeks flushed. Tohru smiled down at him.
"So you see, you have to face your fears, because if you don't - you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Yuki smiled. She's right…
Tohru took Yuki's hand and sat back down.
"You're right Honda-san." Yuki smiled at the girl - who felt relief at seeing the Prince happy for the first time in days. She leant forward and rested her chin on their joined hands, the rat in turn rested his upon her head. They sat in a comfortable silence. Well, that is, until…
"Yuki?"
The rat's eyes shot open. Curses…
Haru stood in the doorway - shock evident upon his face.
"Move, idiot." Kyo pushed Haru aside and was stopped in his tracks. He stuttered.
"T-Tohru?"
…double curses! Alas, this be an unfortunate predicament…
"Hello, Haru-kun, Kyo-kun…" She trailed off under the glare of Kyo (TM), before his gaze drifted a couple of centimetres up to Yuki.
"YOU." He spat venomously.
Oh sh--
Kyo pounced forward in anger, intent on his target. So intent, in fact, that he failed to notice Haru grabbing hold of his shirt, pulling him back and effectively launching him in the direction of the nearest wall.
"The hell are you playing at!" Kyo shouted, recovering instantly and brushing the fresh graze on his arm. Haru faced him solemnly, cold. Yuki got up; clearly, a fight would break out lest he interfered. Striding briskly forward, he grabbed hold of the Bull's arm, speaking in an agitated voice.
"Haru, give it a rest--"
Haru threw him off. The rat looked shocked at the harsh action, and at the way the bull narrowed his eyes at him now.
"No Yuki. You can't control me. You can't use me and just throw me away like that."
Yuki blinked, opening his mouth to speak. But it was too late.
"Go to hell, Yuki."
Haru spoke coldly, walking steadily from the room.
Cold. His eyes were so…
…he doesn't love me.
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Well, that does it for this chapter - tell us what you thought! Merci! I think it went a little iffy at points, but bare with us, koi?
Till next time!