Disclaimer: Fuburu (Fruits Basket) is not owned by me. If it was, I'd already have finished remodeling my home, not waiting to pay off the cards. It is owned by Natsuki Takaya.

Everyone slowly piled out of the room. As Haru started walking past Yuki, Yuki grabbed the bottom of his suit shirt. "Not you." As Tohru turned to ask Yuki a question, the door was suddenly shut in her face.

Oh well, I'll catch up with him later. Back to her joyful self, Tohru walked on to her first class.

Yuki and Haru were staring at each other, neither willing to break the contact first. Finally Haru blinked very slowly, almost seductively and Yuki smiled. "You did a good job ushi (cow)." He clamped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I thank you for being forward thinking enough to realize the long-term consequences of Kagura's actions."

Haru grinned slightly. "Anything for my dear class president." He leaned closer. "You know that we can't…I'll have to be with Kagura." They both laughed. "Yeah, I know, but we're about as serious as the Mabudachi Trio." Haru turned to walk out, but Yuki put a hand on his chest.

"Haru…"

"Hmmm?" His eyes were at half-mast. Although they joked about their attraction, Yuki was the first person he'd ever felt the feeling of love for, and sometimes it was hard keeping the different types of love separated in his mind.

"Don't hurt Kagura. Don't turn black on her and do anything you'll regret later, because you will regret it." Haru was no longer humored by the conversation.

"What do you want me to say? Want me to promise to never touch Kagura?" He looked at Yuki and sighed. "She's an adult, and I'll have to touch her to get us both out of this predicament without everyone figuring out it was a spoof." Yuki opened his mouth to speak, but Haru put a finger on his lips, stopping his speech. "I can't promise not to hurt Kagura, but I will try my very best not to do it for foolish reasons." He removed his finger and tucked both hands back in his pockets. "There are bigger stakes than her feelings here."

"Do you have feelings for her?"

"Not like Kyo does. I don't know which one of them will suffer the most." He turned to walk out the door. "My tastes run to the more ordinary."

He was halfway down the hall before Yuki figured out his meaning. "You stay away from the Onigiri!" Haru raised a hand, but Yuki had no idea if it was in acknowledgement, or as a kiss-off.

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The Secondary bell had just rung when Yuki slid into his seat behind Tohru. Sliding a silent hand under her hair, he smiled to himself as she shivered slightly and started to turn her head to glare at him. "Don't move." He whispered while caving in on his need to give her a relaxing head rub. Although the teacher couldn't see what he was doing, she figured something was going on when Tohru suddenly moaned as he hit a very tender spot.

"Honda-san, why don't you come up here and solve this equation." Tohru blinked in confusion, she was as limp as a dishrag and her head was just about as empty. Kyo hissed at her as she walked by and it helped bring her back to the present. She went up to the board, took the chalk, and stared at the problem until she figured out what was going on. Slowly she worked through the problem, making sure to show all of her work so the Sensei would have no reason to question her further. Finishing up, she put the chalk back on the tray, bowed to the teacher, and waited to be excused to sit back down.

"Good Job Tohru. I don't know what was going on back there…" she sent a glare at the grey headed boy who was acting all innocent "but at least you were paying attention." Tohru almost cried in relief when she was dismissed, and sent a grateful look at Kyo for snapping her out of her daze.

After class, Yuki waited on her. "Gomen Honda-kun." Tohru looked at him in confusion. "For getting you in trouble. I just wanted to give you a neck rub, you looked really tense earlier."

Tohru blushed, it was embarrassing enough that he'd touched her neck, if he knew she'd moaned because it felt good, and not in the relaxing way, she would never be able to speak again. "Oh no Yuki-san. I am sorry for making noise and getting you glared at."

Yuki smiled secretly, that little noise was worth much more than a glare to him. Knowing that he had a semester to work the kinks out of her neck made him feel good. Realizing he'd have to do it in such a way as to keep her quiet raised the stakes a notch and gave him a true challenge. Casually putting his arm over her shoulder like a guy would do to another guy, he walked with her out the door. "Don't worry about the glare, I didn't have to do the math problem." They parted in the hallway to go to PE since males and females do not exercise together.

Kyo cornered Yuki as he entered the locker room. "Stay away from Tohru. If you don't, I swear I'll take you out back and this time I won't lose. Dammit Yuki, I know what that sound means." Yuki looked at him with wide innocent eyes. "And quit looking at me with those virgin eyes of yours. It might work on the Prince Yuki Fan Girls, but it doesn't work with me. I know EXACTLY what runs behind those soul bulbs of yours. After all, we share the same basic thoughts when it comes to a certain rice ball."

Yuki ignored him, not wanting to admit that the Neko had the same feelings he did. No way does he care for Tohru with the same intensity as I do. After all, his feelings are divided between Tohru and Kagura. Yeah, whispered the inner demon in his soul, but his pure form only wants one, and it's NOT the pig. Slamming his locker in an almost never seen emotion, Yuki headed out to run on the track.

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Kagura was fighting her own demons. She was a twenty-one year-old woman trying to act like a fifteen year old. She looked the part, but could she be convincing enough to play the part?

Currently there were three third-year girls standing around her desk wanting to know how she'd met and started dating the sexiest guy in the school. She was afraid to say anything for fear it would contradict what Haru was saying. After the fourth inquiry, one girl sighed.

"You act like you're scared. What, does he beat you?" She leaned on the desk a little further.

Only when he's in his black mood and I bother him. She thought.

"Black mood? He really beats you?" Kagura didn't realize she'd voiced her thoughts.

"Yeah, but I fight real hard. He doesn't get too many punches in." She smiled with devilry in her eyes.

"I would hope you'd fight back. What a bastard!" Two of the girls walked off in disgust while the other two stepped in to comfort the poor abused girl.

Kagura looked up as she heard one of the other girls tell two huge guys that Haru was an abusive boyfriend and needed to be taught a lesson. "Oh wait! I think you misunderstand!" She tried to get up and make her way over to the two girls that were talking to the boys, but the other two were delaying her.

"It's okay Kagura-san. You don't have to be afraid anymore. Those two guys play on the men's rugby team. They'll teach Haru a lesson he'll never forget. Even a sexy man like Haru has no excuse for hitting such a delicate flower."

Kagura's forehead hit the table as she muttered. "You don't understand, he's my sparring partner. We're both learning Kendo. That's what I mean by beating me. He wins, but not by much."

"What?" The two other girls had returned and finally heard the entire story. "Oh no! And we just sent Ayo and Marcus after Haru!" Kagura looked up to see the backs of four girls as they ran out the door to try and stop their brute squad.

"Damn, I better find Haru before they do." She grabbed her bear backpack and headed in the opposite direction.

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Haru was standing against the wall, eyes closed, wishing he could pick up the bad habit of smoking. It would certainly help my bad-boy reputation. Too bad I know exactly how harmful it is for me. The rest of his class was in line to get lunch. Haru was waiting for the line to end. It was bad enough that he was the zodiac ox, he didn't have to stand in line like so much cattle. Just as he was beginning to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his face, it went away and he shifted slightly when the air in front of his nose moved. Opening his eyes, he dodged the blow aimed at his jaw. "What the…?"

Standing in front of him were two of the biggest guys at the school. "What do you need with me, and who threw the punch?" He was beginning to feel Black Haru course through his veins.

"We're here to teach you not to disrespect women who are smaller and weaker than you." Ayo punched his hands together while Marcus advanced on the cornered ushi.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Haru was going to lose it if they didn't stop soon. "I'm not disrespecting anyone except Kyo. He doesn't deserve my respect, he's done nothing to earn it." That's not exactly true, but they don't need to know that.

"We're talking about Kagura, asshole. Such a sweet little thing."

Black Haru was beginning to get the upper hand. "Stay away from the pig. She's not your type. I'm the only one who understands her issues, and if I disrespect her, that's between the two of us. You have nothing to do with it." He was no longer leaning against the wall. Now he was standing in an offensive stance.

"We're making it our business to have something to do with it. Quit calling her a pig, and leave her alone."

"Ah, I see the Zoo let the gorillas out early this year. Let me use little words so you can understand. Kagura is MINE." Probably not the smartest thing to rile up the two meanest sons of bitches in the place, but White Haru was no longer doing the thinking.

The biggest problem with Black Haru, besides his lecherous nature, was his inability to fight well. Within a minute, Ayo had Haru pinned with his arms behind his back, and Marcus was punching him repeatedly in the abs. Just as he broke free, Kagura flew around the corner.

"No! Don't hurt him!" She put herself in-between Haru and Marcus, and Marcus barely caught his arm to prevent punching Kagura.

Marcus looked at the sweet little kitten of a girl. "Why Kagura? You said yourself he beat you."

"You what? Dammit, Kagura, what kind of trouble are you making for me now?" He struggled against Ayo, but he wouldn't let him go. "What story have you told this time?"

"It's not a tale. You do beat me, regularly." As Marcus cracked his knuckles, Kagura turned and looked the goon in the face. "At kendo. He's my kendo sparring partner. That's what I was trying to tell the girls, but they didn't let me finish. He's a better fighter than I am, and he regularly beats me when we spar."

"So you're saying that he doesn't abuse you?" She looked so cute with her big dark eyes looking up at him so pleadingly.

"Of course not." Suddenly she realized what Marcus was saying. Getting right in his face, she started screaming. "DO YOU THINK I'M THE TYPE OF GIRL WHO COULDN'T WHIP HIS ASS IF HE TRIED TO HURT ME?" Marcus blinked twice. This kitten had claws. She could handle herself, and he didn't want to be in the middle of these two's love lives. Nodding at Ayo to release Haru, Marcus looked at Kagura.

"Miss Kagura, you need to be very careful how you say things here. Haru has a reputation as a bad player, and if you don't want your boyfriend beaten up regularly because of you, you need to phrase your words carefully. Make sure everyone knows Haru isn't harming you emotionally or physically, or else next time you might not be able to save him from a beating." With that said, he turned and walked back into the building.

"Haru…" She really wanted to talk to him about what just happened. When she finally got the nerve to look at him, what she saw scared a year off her life. He had turned completely black. Backing up, she started apologizing. "Gomen. Gomen nasai, sumimasen…" Haru was now stealthily walking towards her. When did he learn to saunter like that, his hips move in an almost indecent manner…wait, what am I thinking?

Before she could turn and run, a strong hand snaked out and grabbed her upper arm, yanking her to him. "You told them I beat you? Do you not understand what that means here?"

"I do now." She had hoped it would work, but apparently that was not acceptable enough of a response for him.

"What do you propose we do about my predicament? I can't walk back into school black."

Kagura shrugged her shoulders. "What do you normally do?"

He framed her face with his hands, running a thumb over her chin. "You don't need to know what I usually do to turn white again. The other option is to have the shit kicked out of me by a better fighter." He thought for a second. "You're not a good enough fighter to get away with that. Plus if we got into a fight here, it would only lend credibility to your earlier story."

"What's the first choice?" He looked at her like she'd just grown three heads. "Oh come on, I'm not a baby."

Haru completely ignored her last statement. "Where are Tohru and Kyo right now?" Kagura checked her watch.

"PE. Girls have badminton, boys are running track." He nodded at her answer.

"Track it is. Come on, you can watch, just don't interfere." Releasing her arm, Haru marched them both to the track.

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A/N: I have rated this M (mature) for all of the following reasons: innuendo, violence, language, suggestive situations, sexual situations. IF any of my chapters overstep my rating, would someone please let me know? I am not worried about it at Chapter 2, but the story builds as it goes along, and so do relationships. I do not want to lose my FF account because my idea of R/M is different than FF. Thank you in advance. -TK