((A/N: Chapter Four! Yay! I would like to say now that I do not own Fruits Basket nor Do I Own "Naked" by Avril Lavigne. I do own Kathy and Sarah though! ((evil laugh)) Even if Sarah hasn't shown up in the story yet.. Also, I'm really sorry for the wait!.. I really am! I'll try my best to update A LOT more this weekend!

To Those Who Reviewed:

BakaDen: It is pretty hard to imagine, really. I remember rereading my first chapter for spelling errors, and thinking, 'No one's going to like this..' ((laughs)) I guess everyone thinks little of their own writing, though. A good writer always thinks they can do better. (I'm still pretty bad though) It's only the beginning of most of your stories though! There'll be plenty of time to add more!.. At least your not like me, jumping in and adding fluffiness in the first chapter. ((laughs again)) everyone keeps telling me to stop beating myself up. Am I really that mean to me?

MoroTheWolfGod: You've been reading my fruits basket fictions for a long time, and some how, every chapter you still ask for more. so, thank you.

Kat R. Fair: ((laughs)) no thanks. the 'silly dance of the happy pervert' statement just amused me. You like where it's going? I'm glad. I'm worrying myself to death with the question of whether or not everyone's still enjoying this story. I've never had anyone say that they hated one of my stories, but I've had a couple that totally bombed. '

Kathy: Wow, I never really expected to hear from a reader by the name of one of my characters. (some part deep down inside of me may have been hoping for it though)

Well, here it is!))

Chapter Four

((Kyo's POV))

I wake up in the morning, put on

my face. The one that's gonna get

me through another day.

"Haru!" I called franticly through the small apartment. "Haru!" I called again, worry practically dripping from my rising voice. 'Where is he? Had he left long before I woke up?' The questions continued to fly into my already stressed out mind. I remembered falling asleep on the couch, even though Haru said I could use the bed.. I remembered falling into a dreamless sleep.. Then waking up and looking for the ox, only to find that he was gone. I sat down on the couch and covered my face with my hands, as old memories began to play themselves in my mind's eye.. 'With one swift flick of the knife, my shoulder began bleeding nonstop.. Yet, he only continued to stare down at me. No more lust filled those cold black eyes. Only satisfaction and disgust. I would have thought the two emotions impossible to see combined, when looking at any other person, but the man before me did many things no one would expect.. Cold hands shoving my to the floor broke me out of my thoughts. "Get dressed." thin figure above me demanded. "Or stay and rot in here.." And with that, he left.

Doesn't really matter how I feel inside.

This life is like a game sometimes. But

then you came around me...

((Haru's POV))

I was very lucky that Ms.McRaven(1) had a car.. And that she was willing to drive me around and help me on my quest to find a job. "I'll need to show you where the school is too, right?" She asked. There was a short pause before I answered,"No.." She glanced over to me with a confused expression, then smiled. "You're gonna to have to finish school.. Or you won't survive in a place like this." I was about to respond, but the car came to a sudden stop. "Here it is." She stated, then added,"The school.." I decided there was no point in arguing. I wondered what Kyo would think about attending the new highschool.

The walls just disappeared. Nothing to

surround me, keep me from my fears. I'm

unprotected. See how I've opened up,

Oh, you've made me trust...

After failing miserably my attempt to find a job, I decided it was about time to check up on Kyo, so I asked Kathy to drive me back. The drive seemed to take forever and when we finally arrived home, I practically flew up the stairs. I unlocked the old wooden door that led into our apartment and walked in quietly, only to find Kyo right where I left him - on the couch. I knew he'd been up, though, because he was dressed in day clothes instead of the pajamas I'd loaned him. I slipped off my shoes and jacket and tiptoed toward the chair facing Kyo's makeshift bed. He looked so peaceful.. At that moment, I couldn't imagine those gentle features contorted into those of rage as they had been so recently.

I've never felt like this before. I'm naked

around you.. Does it show? You see right

through me and I can't hide.

((Kyo's POV))

I knew someone was watching me. I could feel their eyes burning through the darkness that surrounded my sleep filled mind. Their gaze was making me uncomfortable, but I couldn't bring myself to move from my position, or even open my eyes. I'd stayed up all night, tossing and turning over nightmares of Akito. I sighed in annoyance when I realized how pathetic, how weak I was being. It angered me more than anything that someone like Akito, who I swore I would never let hurt me, could get to me like this. I was just proving everything he'd told me that night.. But I wasn't going to let him break me. I was going to be strong. I was going to survive.

I'm naked around you and it feels so

right.. I'm trying to remember why I was

afraid to be myself and let the covers fall

away. I guess I never had someone like you,

to help me, to help me fit in my skin...

That thought alone was enough to bring me the strength to open my eyes, which seem so heavy. As the world began to come into focus, I noticed the tall figure sitting before me. Jewelry glowing in the sun's light, and hair positioned in a way that stated that he was victim to the citiy's strong winds. "Where were you?" Was the only question my hoarse voice could ask. I watched as the ox's lips grew in a small smile. "Ms.McRaven drove me to a couple of places." He paused. "I was looking for a job.." I began to sit up and my muscles protested very painfully. "She showed me the school we'd be attending." His last word sent shivers down my spine. "School?" I asked in horror.

I never felt like this before. I'm naked

around you. Does it show? You see right

through me and I can't hide. I'm naked

around you and it feels so right.

((Haru's POV))

"I'm going to take a shower.." He muttered and slowly left the room. I could tell he wasn't to fond of the idea, nd needed some time to think. I knew it was cruel of me to force such a subject as school on him during a time like this, but just like Ms.McRaven said, we wouldn't survive without an education.. I heard the shower start up and leaned back in my chair.. We'd ran away from everything that was important to us. Our friends, our family(if you'd even call them that), our homes - everything.. There weren't many happy memories to run away from, but the few we had, I was positive that we'd never forget. I thought for a moment longer, then realized that Kyo didn't bring anyclothes into the bathroom(2). I thought that I'd better get him some, since he wasn't really the type to walk around naked.

I'm naked. Oh, oh yeah.. Does it show?

Yeah, I'm naked. Oh, oh.. Yeah, yeah..

I'm so naked around you. And I can't hide.

((Kyo's POV))

"Damn bracelet.." I cursed as I attempted, for the tenth time, to seperate the black and white beads and the shower handle it somehow got caught on without accidently slipping the bracelet off of myself ((A/N: sounds confusing, huh?)). Warm water sprayed down my bare back, tracing the scabs I knew had formed. Somehow, the stupid bracelet'd wrapped around the shower handle as I turned up the warm water. It would have been easy to untangle the two if it weren't for the odd position they were in. It made them impossible to my arm without taking to bracelet off. I other words.. I was scewed.. "Kyo!" I heard Haru's voice call from behind the door. I jumped from surprise and heard a small 'snap'. "Shit!" I yelled as I watched the beads of my broken bracelet fall from the metal handel. The door opened at my curse and Haru ran into the room. I backed away as pain began to stream down my body, replacing the water of the shower.. 'No!' I thought. 'Please no! Not here - Not infront of Haru!..'

You're gonna see right through baby..

((A/N: My first real cliffie! Yay!

(1) Haru's polite, so he calls Kathy 'Ms.McRaven'.

(2) The bedroom was in a different direction than the bathroom, so Haru knew that Kyo didn't visit it to pick up his clothes.

Well, Please review and tell me what you thought!))