Kyo looked shaken when he spotted Yuki.
"Um, hi," he said, nervously.
"Hi. Why're you here?" answered Yuki nonchalantly.
"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, making himself comfortable beside his cousin.
"I needed some air. Now you tell me."
"Well," Kyo started, hesitating for a minute before continuing, having decided to tell the truth. "I was checking to see were you okay, and you weren't in there so I wanted to make sure you were alright."
"Oh. Well, thanks."
Funny how they were making a habit of sharing these uncomfortable silences.
"Um, should you be out without a coat?" asked Kyo timidly.
Yuki looked down and noticed he wasn't wearing a coat.
"Oh, I guess so. I forgot."
Kyo took off his coat and handed it to Yuki.
"Kyo, it's okay. It's not that cold, really. You don't have to."
"I want to," said Kyo, not sounding like he'd be swayed easily.
"Okay," said Yuki reluctantly, giving in and putting it on.
It made him a lot warmer, and it was comfortable. He inhaled deeply. It smelled familiar… like Kyo. He liked the smell.
He found himself drifting off, and slumped to one side, and ended up leaning on Kyo with his head on his surprised cousin's shoulder.
"Thanks Kyo…"
Kyo rested his head on top of Yuki's. His hair was even softer than it looked.
"Any time, Yuki."
Yuki woke up in bed again. Did he dream going outside? No, he was still wearing Kyo's coat. He looked around the darkened room.
Did Kyo walk home without his coat? Then Yuki spotted him on the chair beside his bed, fast asleep, and almost falling off. Yuki took off the coat, smelled it one last time, and then left it on Kyo's lap. He mumbled in his sleep.
It was eleven o'clock. Yuki decided it would be best to wake Kyo and head home.
"Kyo? Kyo, wake up."
Kyo opened his eyes and blinked sleepily. Why was Yuki waking him up?
"We should head home."
"Yeah," said Kyo rubbing his eyes. "What time…?"
"Eleven. Does Shigure know you're gone?"
"No. But I said I'd come by to make sure you get home, so if he's awake, he'll probably assume I'm here."
"We should head home anyway," reasoned Yuki, pointedly taking his coat off the hanger and putting it on.
"Yeah," replied Kyo, taking his coat from his lap and pulling it on as well.
Kyo stared moodily at his feet during the walk, aside from a few anxious glances at Yuki whenever he thought it was getting a little cold.
He didn't pay much attention to where they were going, and when Yuki noticed, he took advantage of it.
Kyo only copped on when he looked around and found himself in the middle of a slightly familiar forest. When he recognised it he swore quietly and seemed to decide that the forest floor was very interesting.
"You remember then?"
Kyo didn't respond.
"I know you do."
Still, he showed no sign of acknowledging Yuki.
"Do you remember what I asked you?"
Kyo, Yuki noticed, was looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
"What would you say if I asked you now?"
Kyo's eyes darted back to the ground.
"Kyo…"
"I… I mean it's… it's not like anything changed since then…" he said quietly, stumbling over his words.
Yuki laughed bitterly.
"Ten years, and nothing's changed? So Tohru had no impact on you whatsoever? Do you expect me to believe that?" he said.
Kyo shook his head.
"It's just… between us… I'm the cat and you're the rat. That's the way it is, the way it always was," said Kyo, walking in the direction he knew Shigure's house was in.
Yuki watched his steps speed up until he was sprinting away.
Neither of them knew it, but at the same time, they both made a solemn vow to the overcast, grey sky.
"That's the way it is, the way it always was, but not the way it's always going to be."
Sammy: at typewriter Dear Reader(s),
Hello!
…
I really cannot think of anything to say. Oh, now I remember!
I bet you can't wait to find out about that forest, can you?
Don't worry; just a chapter and a bit to go and you get two flashbacks! Yay!
I have two of the later chapters done already; I just have to lead up to them.
Thank you sooooooooooooooooo much for reading my trash! I feel so loved!
Thanks for caring!
Thinking of you,
Sammy
Yuki: pops head 'round door Hey, Sammy-kun, Kyo and me are gonna go skip around meadows together, you wanna come?
Sammy: Anything for you, Yuki!
Yuki?