Lord Cynic: "Well, I'm definitely two things: too lazy to update anything, and too impatient to wait before posting this. Alas, I wanted to get something else posted during my school break (and 3 school-filled weeks left of my final term of high school… yee!). As you can tell, my current fix is Fruits Basket. I already have up to 5 of the manga (there's up to 10 in the local bookstore), and I own and have watched the entire anime series (although I'm guessing they're going to make a 'second' series to finish off the manga?).

Now, I shall attempt to deliver the background to this series of one-shots. Well, besides adding yet another to my long list (well, the two Chrno Crusade one-shot series), I'm biting my tongue once and for all. As you could probably tell from my first Fruits Basket one-shot, I'm primarily a Kyoru fan. However, I have absolutely nothing against Yukiru, and I can actually see it working. Therefore, I'm starting this series of Yukiru VS Kyoru to, one, please both sides of that spectrum, and two, attempt to open up my mind more. I'm very single-minded when it comes to pairings, but through this, I'm hoping to be able to accept more possibilities.

Prior to this first posting, I actually wrote 3 pairs of one-shots already. I've been updating my Live Journal with those entries, so it'll be a cinch to post them here. However, I'm gonna post in 3-day intervals, then we'll see how it goes from there. After the three pairs, I'm gonna get off my lazy carcass and hopefully finish off a few of my other chaptered stories. One can definitely be done in one more chapter, but the rest will be trickier. Plus, my attention span sucks, so keep that in mind.

Oh, for posting purposes, I'm beginning with the Yukiru you will soon encounter. The Kyoru will follow, and it'll continue in that pattern. As for the title of this collection… well, I'm very, very sorry!"

Lord Cynic: "I don't own Fruits Basket. Go stalk Natsuki Takaya instead. I think she'll enjoy the company… heh, heh…"

The Rat, The Cat and the Rice ball

He doesn't deserve her

The cat doesn't deserve her attention. He doesn't deserve her concern. He doesn't the way her head tilts in confusion when she doesn't understand something.

Most of all, he doesn't deserve the twinkle in her eyes when she serves him his preferred salmon instead of leek like the rest of the house. He doesn't deserve any of it.

Why should he? When that stupid cat first arrived, not only did he cause the dining table to make a cut in her forehead, but he also yelled at her when she did nothing wrong. His temper calmed down considerably during the time he'd spent in Shigure's house, but he is still irritable. In fact, he is downright impossible. He'd lash out at the smallest thing, and would never take the time to think about the things he said.

And yet, she took a liking to that feline. Perhaps it was because she is the self-proclaimed Year of the Cat Fan Club. Perhaps it was because she always feels sorry for everyone, even if she did nothing wrong. Perhaps it was because she always looked for the best in people.

But what is best about the irritable Kyo? Not only is he rude, unmanageable, and downright violent. He is also the stupidest person on Earth who doesn't realise what he has, and that what he wanted was not the best for him. He doesn't understand how well he has life, how much he doesn't have to hide anything from people. He doesn't understand what it's like to be idolised for entirely the wrong reasons. Most of all, he doesn't understand how it feels to be the play toy for the crazy head of the house, and how it feels to suffer the trauma of it for the rest of his life. Truly a foolish creature.

But after all that, when she smiles at that… cat… he can see the warmth that she never showed towards him, Yuki, the rat. All the time she spends on the roof, talking to that cat, she could be talking with him instead. He cares about her more than anyone, even if it took him a long time of knowing her existence to realise how special she is. He is the one who is gentle with her and knows what she likes and doesn't like. So, why can't she look at him the same way she looks at the cat?

Yuki sighs. Maybe it just isn't meant to be. Even though she knows more about him that he lets anyone get away with, even though he's shown her countless times how wonderful she is to him, she chooses the cat. Even though that idiot is tactless, inconsiderate and brash, she finds something she couldn't find in him, the rat. Maybe he was too hesitant in showing her what he felt about her. Maybe Yuki's greatest strength, his tranquil and placid nature, is his greatest weakness. Maybe, in the end, she just feels that the cat is the one whom she feels most comfortable with.

Well, that moron better make sure he keeps her as happy as she can possibly be. If he hurts her one little bit, he will pay for it. If he is unfaithful to her in any way, he will pay for it. If he becomes too cowardly to tell her everything he can about him, he will pay for it. But, if she should one day find he isn't the one, then Yuki can come to her rescue. He can give her everything she needs, and more. He, who hoped that she would be the one to be by his side, can make her feel like the most precious person in the world. Because she is. To him, she is more precious than life itself.

No, that stupid Kyo doesn't deserve her. But she deserves happiness, and if it's with the cat, then so be it.

Lord Cynic: "Edited to make more sense. Thanks, helpful reviewer."