3 weeks after the banquet!
"Haru I think were lost." Said Lira wrapping her coat tighter around her.
"Were not lost." Haru said as they crossed the street
"Yes we are! Haru we've been walking for hours! Why don't we just ask for directions?"
Haru didn't answer he just took Lira's hand and lead her down the road
"What is it with boys and asking directions?" thought Lira
Haru lead her to a road where the saw a bunch of kids running past them
"Hey girl, do you know Yuki or Kyo Sohma?" asked Haru as one of the girls bent down and tied her shoes
"Yes I know Prince Yuki and his anger management cousinKyo!"
Lira gave Haru a sideways glance thinking the same thing "Prince Yuki?"
"Well do you know where they are?" Lira asked.
"Oh well they should be coming son. Were having an endurance run today. Girls go first so boys should be coming soon." The girl then got up and ran off with the other girls.
"We should wait here then." Said Haru leading Lira across the road
They both lay down in the grass, Haru put his arms behind his head and Lira laid down next to him
"So there's been something on my mind Lira and I've been wanting to ask you this question for awhile."
"Go ahead and ask Hatsuharu." She said closing her eyes
"Alright, what will you say to Kyo when you see him?"
"I don't know…I don't know if I really want to see him…all I know is that I'm still in love with him, even if I do hate him."
"Oh are you alright?" said a girl with her hair tied back into a ponytail, she couldn't stop sliding down the hill and Lira stood up and grabbed her hand
"We're fine are you alright?"
"Yes thank you!"
"Do you know Yuki or Kyo Sohma by any chance?
"Yes,I live with them. I'm Tohru Honda."
"Oh it's good to finally meet you, I'm Lira Sohma and this Hatsuharu Sohma."
"Oh! I've heard so much about you Lira! Are you looking for Kyo?"
"Yes we are looking for Kyo." Said Haru getting up and tying a long piece of string to the pole on the other side of the pole. Then he came back to where Tohru and Lira were. Lira pulled Tohru down as Haru sat on the side waiting for Kyo and Yuki.
"Here they come." Said Haru
Lira looked up and felt her heart pounding and anger build up inside her. There he was running in front of Yuki was Kyo. She felt the urge to jump up ad tackle him right there. However she stayed where she was. Haru pulled on the string making Kyo trip over the string and Yuki stopped running just in time.
"Kyo!" Tohru shrieked getting up and running over to him
"Lira, Hatsuharu, what are you two doing here?" said Yuki as Lira got up and walked over to where Haru was now standing.
"Waiting for you two." Lira replied looking at Tohru take care of Kyo's wound. "You two didn't come to the new years eve party so we came to see you ourselves."
"I wanted to challenge Kyo to a fight and I invited Lira to come along."
"Well it's good to see you both again. Especially you Lira." Yuki said giving her a small smile
"Lira…" said Kyo getting to his feet, Lira looked over at him and smirked at him "Lira…she looks amazing" Kyo thought as his eyes traveled over her body "she looks exactly the same except for her hair…it's gotten longer and her eyes they don't have the brightness and warmth they use to have…their cold. I'm probably the reason for that." Kyo ran a hand through his hair and said "Lira, we need to talk about"
"Don't waste your breath Kyo. I only came because I wanted to see Tohru. Your fight is with Haru, not me." Lira walked over to the other side of the road. Yuki and Tohru followed her.
"Lira, wait just a damn minute! GAH!" Haru came from behind Kyo and kicked in the back "What the hell is your problemHaru?"
"Come on Kyo I didn't come all the way down here to hear you and Lira's problems. I came to fight you."
"This is going take a while." Lira sighed sounding disappointe
"Maybe you should go ahead Miss Honda." Suggested Yuki watching Haru and Kyo fight
"I can't your sick and Kyo is" Tohru started but Lira cut her off.
"Yuki your sick? You shouldn't be out here then." Lira felt his forehead "you do have a fever do you feel okay?"
"You should talk, your wearing a skirt and blouse. Plus I can tell that you're ill." Lira gave him a puzzled look and Yuki brushed her hand away off his forehead and took her hand into his "your ill Lira. Your heart has fallen ill and it's not going to get any better until you let someone take care of it."
"Your more important, Tohru how long has he been sick?"
"Just two days! I should've tried harder to keep him at home." Lira laughed a little
"Don't worry Tohru it's not you fault. Yuki's just stubborn."
"I can't believe she's Hatori's sister." Thought Tohru watching Lira smile at her "she seems so peaceful and carefree. She looks nothing like Hatori except they have the same eye color."
"Ah! Your part of the Chinese zodiac aren't you?" asked Tohru excited
"Yes I am. I'm the" Lira stopped when Yuki dropped to his knees so suddenly. "Yuki! Yuki are you alright?"
Yuki wouldn't answer he just seemed to have fainted
"Haru! Yuki's hurt!" Haru wasn't paying attention because he had turned into 'Black' Haru at this point " Hatsuharu! Yuki's not feeling well we need to get him back to Shigure's!"
Haru finally stopped fighting and walked over to Yuki
"We have to get him back to the house."
"Lira just said that! And what about our fight?" Kyo yelled stepping forward
Haru ignored Kyo and suddenly gave Tohru a mischievous grin
"Your pretty cute Tohru."
"HUH? I- I um" Tohru stuttered as Haru came closer to her
"Your cute enough to hug" Haru hugged Tohru and there was a pop and a puff of smoke.
"Ahhh! Hatsuharu!" yelled Tohru "You're the"
"Yes I'm the cow, now put Yuki on my back and Lira would you pick up my clothes please?"
"What about our fight?" Kyo yelled as he helped Tohru put Yuki on Haru
"We can always finish that later"
Lira picked up Haru's clothes as Haru and Tohru went ahead.
"Where's his shoes and cloak?" Lira asked out loud to herself
"I got them." Lira looked up and saw Kyo holding Haru's shoes and cloak "are you coming?"
Lira didn't answer instead she went ahead of Kyo and caught up to Tohru
"Where's Kyo?" Tohru asked when Lira got closer
"He's catching up." said lira looking down
"Lira do you hate Kyo?"
"I can't really answer that question Tohru. I love him but I don't think I'm in love with Kyo. Not anymore."
"Damn it Haru! Wait up!" yelled Kyo catching up
People stared as they all walked back to Shigure's house. No one's ever seen a cow before in the middle of the city. When they finally got into the forest and were half way home Kyo thoughts were going to explode out of his head.
"She hates me! She really hates me! It's written all over her face. She won't even speak to me…well earlier she did but not in a polite way, like she usually did. I missed her. Did she miss me? Even if we can't be together again, I want us to at least try and be on good terms. Even if she doesn't love me and may fall for someone else. I want her to be happy. I want her to smile…like she use too."
"Kyo." Lira's voice snapped Kyo out of his thoughts, her voice wasn't as cold but it still had no feeling to it "come on were behind."
"It's amazing, she still looks beautiful even if she looking at me with nothing but pure hatred." Kyo thought walking beside her. "So how was the banquet?"
"It was ok. Nothing exciting happened. I almost got kissed by Akito and danced with everyone."
"Wait! Go back! Akito almost kissed you?" Kyo yelled
"Yes, he would have succeeded if Hari and Haru didn't come." Kyo just kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish. She looked up at him and gave him a sly smile "what's wrong with Kyo? You jealous?"
" W-what? Why would I be jealous of that stupid pansy!"
"It's just a question, Kyo."
They both walked into the house arguing until Haru came downstairs naked and Lira shrieked and hid behind Kyo.
"What's wrong with you Lira?" Haru asked casually
"W-Well at least your back to white Haru." She stammered
"Put some clothes on Haru! What's wrong with you?"
"Well I can't you two are holding my clothes." Lira threw him his clothes and Kyo tried to get Lira off him.
"Lira! Get off! You know I hate people clinging to me!"
"Just stand there a minute you stupid cat! I still can't get use to you guys being naked! Please Kyo! I need you!"
Kyo relaxed and let Lira cringed behind him the words echoing in his head.
"I need you!"
"She needs me? No she's just saying it for the moment. She never needed me."
"All done, Lira can you call Hatori an tell him Yuki's ill." Lira let go Kyo and hurried off to find the phone.
"She's only staying for a month you know. It's already been three weeks. She'll be leaving on Feb 5th"
"So?"
"Just telling you Kyo."
"So are we going to fight are what?"
"No I got to go wait until Yuki's well."
"Who gives a damn about Yuki?"
"A lot of people, but there's someone on the phone right now who gives a damn about you. She's only here for a month Kyo. I suggest you make the best of it."
"He's on his way Haru! I'll go tell Shigure!" said Lira coming from the kitchen and running up the stairs
"I'm going to school"
"Why?"
"It's better than here." Kyo put on his shoes and ran out of the house.
Later that evening"What were they thinking playing old maid in this weather?" asked Haru a he knelt by were Shigure and Kyo were. Both Kyo and Shigure went to the school and ended up in a game of old maid outside and ended up with colds and turned into their zodiac forms because they're bodies grew weak.
"Well that's makes three people sick in this house." Lira said sitting next to Haru and Tohru sat next to her "they'll be alright Tohru don't worry it's just the flu."
"I-I know I'm just worried"
Lira looked at Kyo and gave a deep sigh "I'm worried as well, even if I don't show it." she thought
"Oh Kyo! You're awake! Are you all right?"
"Yeah, ugh…where's Lira?"
"Oh she's right…Lira! Where did Lira go?"
Hatori looked to the front door
"That women is going t make work harder for me, hold on I'll go get her."
"Hurry Hatori! Don't let her stand out in the rain!" Kyo got up ran ahead of Hatori
"Kyo, hold on! You've got the flu." Tohru ran out the house behind them a they saw Lira sitting on the porch with her head hung. "Lira! You got to get into the house before you catch a cold."
"Lira…you need to get in the house." Said Hatori
Kyo went over to her and put a paw on her skirt.
"Lira."
She pushed his paw away and screamed at him.
"It hurts Kyo. It hurts to look at you like this and not be worried. I have such a hard time trying to hate you! I can't hate you Kyo! No matter how hardI tryIcan't hate you!"
"I know, but I want you to hate me! I want you to make feel like he scum or disgusting piece of gum at the bottom of your shoe. I don't care what you do to me! As long as you're happy! I want you to be happy Lira."
Kyo turned back into his regular self and Lira tried to run away but Kyo caught her and held her in a tight embrace.
"You said you never make a promise you can't keep. You promised never to let go no matter what. Don't let go." He whispered in her ear.
"Lira I want to know if you want to stay here. Instead of going back to America. Shigure's got another room. You don't have to. It's just a question."
He let go of her and walked back into the house and Hatori followed him. Tohru walked over to Lira and Lira stood up shaking.
"Lii-san? Is everything okay?"
"He wants me to stay Tohru but I don't know if I want to."
Lira fell into Tohru's arms crying on her shoulder.
"Why is he doing this to me? Why does he want me to stay?"
"It's ok Lira. You just need time to heal. It just takes you a little while longer than others."
Tohru escorted Lira back into the house and Tohru sat on the couch and lira put her head in Tohru lap.
"I think that Lira really cares for Kyo mom and Kyo feels the same way about Lira. Lira's just not ready to forgive Kyo a let go of her hatred for him, but I don't really think that Lira hates Kyo mom. I think she just needs time to heal but she needs all the help she can get."
Tohru smiled as she saw Lira fall asleep in her lap. Kyo leaned on the couch and looked at Lira for a second
"Is she alright?'
"Yes she's just exhausted."
Kyo nodded and left
"I bet one day mom, Lira won't hate Kyo but instead she'll let him heal her broken heart, because he's the only one who can heal it." Tohru moved Lira's hair out of her face and smiled "it looks like I made a new friend again mom."