Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fruits Basket or any affiliated characters... How sad.

---

The four students walked inside their home and were surprised to see who was awaiting them.

"Panda?" Shinkei said, running to his sister, "Panda! I missed you!"

The girl, looking a bit younger smiled. She had black hair that was tied back with pearls into loops. She had deep, sea blue eyes that showed her innocence. She was quite skinny and, although pale, very beautiful.

"Hello, Shinkei," said Panda in a quite, sweet voice, "I'm happy to see you,"

"Let me introduce you," Shinkei said, "You already know Seijitsu, that is Tohru, and that's Hatsuharu!"

Hatsuharu smiled, "You may call me Haru,"

Panda hesitantly smiled and looked to the floor.

"I assume you've met Shigure, Yuki and Kyou?" Seijitsu asked.

"Yes," said Panda in a shy, weak voice.

"So Kyou and Yuki are here?" asked Shinkei.

"...Yes," said Panda. She clasped her hands into her chest and stepped back, "I'm going to... Clean..."

Panda hastily walked into the kitchen and shut the screen.

"Is she okay?" Tohru asked Shinkei.

"Yes," Shinkei said, sighing, "She's extremely shy, it'll take her awhile to warm up to us. Be nice, okay guys?"

"Alright," Haru said, "I just hope Shigure doesn't get too nice, you know how he gets around girls..."

"I think she'll be okay..." Shinkei said.

---

Meanwhile, Kyou was laying on the roof, ranting about his suspension.

"Dammit!" Kyou said, clenching his fist, "I got suspended! It's all Yuki's fault! Damn rat!"

Some fifteen minutes later, Tohru appeared on the roof.

"Kyou?" she asked, "Are you okay?"

"No..." Kyou said, turning away.

"Well, maybe, you can apologize to Yuki."

"No! I'm not talking to that damn rat! Why are you trying to help me, anyway?"

"Because," Tohru said, "No one deserves to be angry or sad..."

"Whatever." Kyou said. "I'm going in the house. Bye."

With great agility, Kyou jumped into a window on the side of the house and into his room.

'Maybe I'll just take a shower to cool my nerves...' thought Kyou as he took a deep breath. He walked down the hall and into the bathroom, shutting the screen behind him.

Kyou turned the shower on, undressed and stepped in. He stood still, letting the hot water pour over his tense body.

'Yuki... Now he's got us both suspended... I really want to defeat him... He's so strong...' Kyou thought, 'But it's not his fault for fighting... It was mine. Even though I want to defeat him... I don't want to hurt him...'

While Kyou showered, Tohru walked down the hall with some towels. Little did she know, Kyou was already in the bathroom.

Little did Kyou know, he never locked the door.

Tohru stood in front of the screen, slowly putting her fingers in the nook of the door.

"Tohru, where's the cabbage?" Shigure's voice shouted from the kitchen downstairs.

"In the cupboard on the left," shouted Tohru, "Can you find them?"

"No," Shigure yelled.

"I'll come down, then," Tohru said back.

"Miss Honda?" Yuki said, who was in the hallway, "Do you need help with anything?"

"Sure," Tohru said, "Can you put these towels in the bathroom for me?"

"Of course, Miss Honda," said Yuki, taking the towels. Tohru rushed downstairs to help Shigure.

'I wonder where Kyou is... I hope he doesn't hate me...' Yuki thought, 'I really hope he's okay...'

Yuki opened the door and dropped the towels. There he saw Kyou.

All of Kyou.

And Kyou saw Yuki. But he didn't turn away. Kyou stood still, frozen. He stared at Yuki. Both of them felt the blood rushing to their faces.

Yuki's jaw was ajar, he was speechless. He didn't turn away either. He admired Kyou's body. And although he didn't want to believe it, Yuki had a feeling inside of lust for Kyou.

"Yuki..." Kyou said. 'He's still looking at me... What is he thinking?'

"Kyou..." said Yuki. 'Kyou... He's so beautiful... But why isn't he hiding himself?'

Yuki and Kyou stood still, staring at each other for a while.

"Yuki?" Kyou said, "Are you okay?"

"Yes... I'm sorry for interrupting..." said Yuki. He picked up the towels and put them away. "Goodbye..."

Yuki shut the screen and stared into the hallway. He had just seen Kyou... A lot of Kyou...

And he was really turned on...

Yuki walked to his room and sat on his bed, still a little shaky. 'Why did Kyou let me look? Why did he stand there, motionless, instead of yelling or cursing?' Yuki wondered, staring at the floor, 'How come I'm so... Turned on? But, now that I think about it... I kind of like that neko...'

Kyou turned off the shower nozzle and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped himself in a towel and headed to his room. 'The rat... He saw me... And maybe... He likes me the same way...' thought Kyou, stepping in his room. The room was warm, for the summer sunlight was flooding in the open windows. Kyou dressed and exited his room.

At the same time, Yuki stepped into the hallway too. Kyou and Yuki stared in the quiet hallway.

"Kyou..." Yuki said, "I'm sorry about..."

"It's alright," said Kyou.

Silence...

"Well," Yuki said, feeling himself blush, "I'm also sorry for... the scene... at school..."

"It's fine," said Kyou. He never thought he'd be saying that to the rat... He also never thought he'd be attracted.

Yuki smiled and put his hands in his pockets. Kyou felt himself smiling too.

Tohru's voice rang out from downstairs, "Dinnertime!"

"Let's go..." said Yuki, walking past Kyou. Their shoulder's brushed – causing Kyou's face to redden.

---

Dinnertime was quiet. Very quiet. Nobody had anything to say. Yuki and Kyou desperately tried to avoid eye contact, and Shigure was trying not to laugh at Panda's futile attempt to use chopsticks correctly.

"Panda?" said Tohru, breaking the silence, "Would you like a fork?"

All eyes were on Panda, who blushed from embarrassment, "Oh, it's okay, I don't want to be a nuisance..."

"Nuisance?" Tohru said, "You aren't a nuisance, you just haven't learned how to use chopsticks yet..."

"I'm sorry..." said Panda, setting the sticks down, "I am too inadequate to dine with such nice hosts..."

"It's okay," Tohru said, shrugging the fact that Panda reminded her of Ritsu, "Everyone has to learn someday, right?"

"It's okay," Panda replied, "I'm not hungry anyway..."

With that, Panda stood up and left the room, hands clasped together. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Was it something I said?" Tohru asked in a weak voice.

"She'll get over it..." Kyou said, staring at his plate. Yuki looked at the neko and blinked.

Shinkei looked at Haru, but Haru was busy looking at the door.

"I wonder what's wrong," Shinkei said, "Panda's a naturally shy person, but..."

The whole room was silent for a second. Kyou and Yuki looked at each other, Shinkei looked at Hatsuharu, Seijitsu exchanged glances with Tohru and Shigure sighed.

"I'm going to talk to Panda," Hatsuharu said, leaving the room.

Shinkei was surprised. 'Haru? He barely knows Panda...'

Hatsuharu went outside to the back yard and saw Panda. She was sitting in the corner of the yard, staring at a flower in her hand. Haru walked to her and sat down next to her.

"Are you alright?" Haru asked, looking at Panda. She turned away.

"I'm... fine..." she replied weakly. Haru turned her around to face him.

"Panda... Are you sure?" Hatsuharu said. Panda looked deep into his eyes.

"... I don't fit in..." Panda said, "I'm afraid... That they'll dislike me..."

"Dislike you?" Haru said, "They don't dislike you at all! I mean, I certainly don't,"

Panda blushed and looked down. She felt a lump in her throat and a tear in her eye.

"You're lying..." Panda said, curling up.

"No, Panda," Hatsuharu said, putting a finger on her chin and lifting her head up. "Not at all."

Panda gulped and looked up at Haru. 'So he doesn't dislike me...' she thought.

Then, she felt his hand on her side. She looked deeper into his eyes. Then she felt it... The kiss. Hatsuharu's warm lips were on hers... She fell into the kiss.

Little did anyone know, Shinkei was looking out the window of his room. He felt a tear collect in his own eye.

"Haru..."