A/N: W00t! I have a new pc! It's laptop! I'm so happy. I never thought I'd actually get a laptop. Anyway, sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I'll cut the babble short and just get on with it.

Thank you:
Envysloyalservant
XwildfiregirlX
Kazalvr
DarksLight
half-demon628
Hearbrokenalloveragain
Akuma Memento Mori
KrisXD
Laurena
Asagi Nanami
For your wonderful reviews!

Thank you:
Heartbrokenalloveragain
half-demon628
Dragon Fairies
Asagi Nanami
Akuma Memento Mori
For adding this to your favorites!

Thank you:
XkisaXsohmaX
Inu-Ice-Dragon
Jimmee
Heartbrokenalloveragain
Laurena
For adding this to your alerts list!

Thank you all so much! A Kyo plushie to XwildfiregirlX for continuing her support (and to go with her Yuki plushie). A Yuki plushie to Heartbrokenalloveragain for reviewing and adding this to both favorites and alerts. Virtual cookies to Akuma Memento Mori, half-demon628 and Asagi Nanami for reviewing and adding this to their favorites.

Dedication: This fic is dedicated to DarksLight, and this chapter is dedicated to Heartbrokenalloveragain for the same reasons she got a Yuki plushie for.

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Warnings: See last chapter.

Blank eyes, Dried tears, Chapter 3

Yuki watched out the corner of his eyes as the cat got up and left the table. He knew that the crimson-eyed boy was going to the roof. He finished the last of his soba and stood, fake smile firmly in place. He thanked Tohru for the meal, then walked to the front door. Putting his shoes on, he went outside. He walked into the nearby trees, looking back as he entered them and seeing the silhouette of the cat on the roof. He continued on, arriving at his secret base, his garden. His smile instantly caved, mask dropping. He collaspsed onto his knees, then sat on his heels. He thought about why he was in such pain, and his thoughts brought anger with them. If he wasn't a member of the juunishi, then he could be free. If he wasn't the nezumi, he could be himself, and not act like everyone expected him to. If he wasn't part of the Sohma family, he wouldn't have to act like he hated the orange-haired neko. If it weren't for the Sohma family, he could do what he wanted to do, take charge of his own life, be free.

If he wasn't the rat, maybe Kyo wouldn't hate him.

As he thought, his anger grew. With a feral snarl, he stood suddenly, pivoting on one foot and sending a kick into a nearby tree, which snapped and went flying from the force. The silver-haired boy crumpled back onto the ground. He wanted to be free. He wanted to be able to hold the crimson-eyed neko in his arms, and keep him safe from the people that hated him. He knew how much torment the orange-haired boy went through at the hands of the other family members, at his own hands, even. It hurt him so much to cause the other boy pain. He wished he could take the neko's pain away. But he couldn't. He couldn't even take his own pain away, let alone someone else's. Damn the juunishi, damn the Sohma's, damn the whole world!

Angry tears fell from his amethyst eyes again. The pain grew, it was splitting his already tatter soul into even tinier pieces. Wearily, he stood. Walking back to the house, he fixed his mask in place. As he neared the house and left the trees, he saw the shape of the orange-haired neko, still sitting on the roof. He looked away, and walked into the house, taking off his shoes. Once in his room, he colapsed onto his bed. Closing blank eyes, he fell into a sleep that was plauged with nightmares, memories of the past.

-TBC-