Disclaimer: don't own anything
A/N- Word like :italics: are flashbacks of Kyo's.
: Chapter 2:
Nightmares awaken him and reluctantly he opens his eyes expecting the tall, older man to be standing above him with a cold, violent glare in his dark blues. Blinking back his confusion, Kyo stares at the boy curled up against him and he sighs in relief. He gently caresses Haru's cheek and glances up at the door when Shigure opens it then he yells, "Get out." Quietly he slips from the bed and stands in front of the mirror that Haru must have hung up. He idly traces the marks on his chest and with a disgusted look on his face he slams his fist into the mirror. "Kyo," Haru mumbles then he feels the boy's arms wrap around his waist and he mutters, "When did I become so weak?" Lips ghost over his neck causing him to stiffen and fearfully he pulls away. "Relax, kitten," Haru whispers in his ear reminding him that both of them were older now and he holds back the purring that accompanies the trembling. "Your not weak, somebody just had you under his spell," Haru adds while Kyo shrugs on his t-shirt and the pale teen buttons up his black vest. "Kyo, do you even know how long you've been gone," Haru asks studying him through the shattered mirror and he shrugs saying, "A few months." Shaking his head, Haru corrects him, "You've been gone for almost a year. Momiji and I have graduated already, that's part of the reason I was able to move into here."
The air is stifling as they sit at the table with their breakfast in front of them. "Sleep well, Kyo," Shigure jokingly asks and blankly he glances up without responding. "I think you had a very good sleep," the dog says slyly before he beams at Tohru. "Well, I sure hope you can get him to speak, you two looked so cozy, after all I'll be gone with my beloved Ayame for a few days while Tohru is spending the weekend out of town with her friends, and Yuki is going away somewhere." Nervously he licks his lips and glances around before he snaps, "Shut up. I slept as well as I could with him breathing down my neck like a dumb ass." He storms out of the room leaving the others staring at the place he had sat at only moments before. For a little while everything seemed so normal, like nothing with that man had happened, but then the searing pain in his arm reminds him that he had been betrayed.
"Kyo, do you want to talk about something, like what's bothering you," Tohru asks with concern shadowing her eyes and he shakes his head muttering, "I shouldn't have come here." He stands up, stretches out lazily, and winces when the shirt snags on one of the newer slashes on his back. "You should go talk to Haru, I think you comment hurt him," she says and guilt fully he looks up at the already graying sky. "Fine, but I have to go soon. It's not safe for me to stay here much longer and I don't want to get caught in the storm," he agrees but when he strides inside the slender boy walks right past him without even a glance.
"Why are you here," Haru asks when he enters the bedroom and with a shy smile he says, "I guess I wanted to say goodbye. I really should get back before he gets really mad at me." He inwardly cringes when Haru shrugs then pushes past him as if he's invisible and he says, "I can't give him the chance to hurt you; he's a dangerous man." Finally the teen turns to look at him and he winces when the boy growls, "Do you have any clue what the hell we went through when you ran away?" Quickly he begins walking away and firmly states, "None of you cared about me in the first place. I'm only the cat to all of you. The hideous, vile creature that you all hate." When the youth raises his hand, Kyo cringes and backs away as he vividly recalls the man's large fist connecting with his face repeatedly. "Stop it, I wont hit you. All I want is for you to listen to me and tell me what he did to you. I wont get hurt and neither will you," Haru says cupping his tanned face and reluctantly he looks into the boy's gray eyes before asking, "Do you want me to stay?" The teen nods enthusiastically then licks Kyo's bottom lip and obediently he parts his lips allowing the younger boy's more experienced tongue to enter his mouth. "I think you should move back in and sleep in my room," Haru says pushing him towards the bed. "I don't want to go back there, really I don't, but what if he comes here and forces me back," Kyo mutters while curling up on his side feeling the full effect of the gray clouds that loom above them threatening to release their forceful tears at any moment. "Don't worry about it, we're both strong enough to beat him," the teen says curling up behind him and protectively hugging him.
After awakening from his nap, Kyo sits up and watches as Haru picks up the shards of glass on the ground. : Blood spilled onto the wooden floor, as a vase lay broken on the ground. His body was sprawled out on the crimson stained shards and he covered his face to protect it from the man and his vicious attacks with the long whip. Glass was everywhere and so was his blood leaving behind stains of his defeat: Rubbing his eyes to remove the last traces of sleep and to escape the memories, Kyo slips from the bed and runs a nervous hand through his orange strands.
They wave the other occupants of the house off and Kyo heads inside asking, "Did you actually miss me?" The teen nods, pulls him onto the couch, and says, "We all missed you. Where did you go? Why come back now? Who hurt you? Kyo, tell me what happened to you." He shakes his head desperate to escape the youth's questions. Standing up, he searches for an escape. I don't know why I let him hurt me! Why does Haru keep pestering me with these questions? I don't want to think about that. The man's words haunt him even now as he sits miles away from the dreadful house. He still doesn't know how the man had found out about his love for Haru, but he remembers what he threatened. "If you tell anyone then I'll kill both of you," echoes through his mind while he fights back the tears. Vividly he recalls the bruising grip on his wrist and the forceful kiss that had sealed the threat. "No one wants you, they'll only play with you. You're nothing to them. You're my life I love you. I'll take care of you if you're good and silent."
Silence reigns over the house as the two teens cook an easy lunch. "Do you want to practice your fighting," Haru asks trying to rouse some conversation from the neko, but the boy wordlessly shakes his head. His ruby eyes gaze out the window staring at the spot where he had once gone through all his moves. Haru lets his orbs move over the slender boy noting the changes. He's thinner, almost too thin, his hair is longer, and his behavior is odd, Haru muses while he forces his hands to stay on the spoon and not on the teen.
"After lunch we should fight, for old times sakes," Haru tries watching the teen's eyes as they light up then dull again. Shaking his head, Kyo adds some vegetables to the soup they were making and carefully he approaches the fridge. I can't fight anymore; we met because I was fighting off a gang that was trying to hurt a little girl. :'Wow, that was great,' the man had said pushing his blond hair back and he had lost himself in those blues. 'Would you go out on a date with me,' the man had added with a shy smile and those blues twinkled with hidden promises: : "Are you going to get something from the fridge or just wait for it to magically open," the gray eyed teen asks with a small smile and he waits for Kyo to yell or hit him, but the boy only opens the door to grab for the milk. Kyo idly glances at his hand where the man had slammed the fridge door closed upon it and closes his eyes telling himself that he was free.
"You know that Akito thought about searching for you," Haru states casually while he stirs their lunch and Kyo rolls his eyes saying, "Should I be thankful that he thought about me or that he didn't try and find me?" "He doesn't care what we do anymore, he can't. He died shortly after you went missing. Someone started the rumor that he was secretly in love with you and when you left he died of a broken heart," Haru adds hoping that the neko would show some form of emotion and he sighs with disappointment when the boy's facial expression doesn't change.
"I'm trying to make you happy, but you're not responding. What do you want from me? You already have my love, I don't know what else you need from me," Haru says as he dishes out two bowls of soup and he watches Kyo tense when they hear a knock on the door. Standing outside the door is a gorgeous man with blond hair that falls in front of his deep blues. "I'm looking for Kyo, have you seen him," the man says and his senses heighten with alarm warning him that this was the man Kyo feared. "Please, Domenic; let me stay for a few more days. I just want to see my family and pay my respects to the head," Kyo whispers while looking at the ground then fearfully he raises his eyes to the man's pleading with him. Haru barely represses the urge to strangle the man when he touches his kitten's orange hair. "Okay, honey, but you should come home and get some clean clothes to wear. I'll bring you right back," the man says while he rubs his thumb against the boy's bottom lip.
Helplessly Kyo glances at Haru pleading with him to do something. "I'm sorry, but Kyo must go to the main house today. He has clothes here to wear for a few days. The next few days will be filled with meetings, and there isn't one that we can get out of. I'm sorry, sir, for the trouble this may cause you," Haru lies hoping to buy his kitten some time so that they can figure out a way to escape this man. "Fine, but I want to talk to him then," Domenic says with his eyes already turning steely and his voice taking on its dangerous, icy growl. "Okay, we'll talk but I have to get ready soon," Kyo mumbles weakly taking the man's offered hand and trying not to wince when it crushes his he follows the man towards the woods with only one last glance at Haru warning him to stay there.
"So, is that the man you're screwing now? I always knew you were a whore." Shaping his head, Kyo stammers, "N-no, that's Haru, he's my cousin." With a chuckle, Domenic shoves Kyo down onto the floor only allowing him to get onto his hands and knees, and says, "What did I say about back talk, honey?" Shivering with fear, Kyo mutters, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just didn't want you to be mad at me." Stroking the boy's back, Domenic growls, "He wants you, Kyo. I can see it in his eyes. You're not worthy of him, though. Do you really think he'd want you if he knew the truth? You'll only hurt him, darling. I'm the only one who understands you." Tears sting his crimson eyes as the man roughly undresses him and he begs, "Please, not this." The man bites his ear and he can feel the blood running down his neck before the man yells, "Shut up, whore. You belong to me. You're nothing but a toy to be used. I own you and you better not forget that."
Haru runs outside as soon as he hears Kyo's screams and he slowly walks up to the sobbing boy. "Kitten, where did he go?" He feels the headache coming on and knows that his other half wants out for revenge, but the trembling teen shakes his head whispering, "I deserved what I got." Lovingly Haru picks up the teen and carries him back into the warm house just as the clouds release their flood of tears. "You can take a nice, warm bath while I call Hatori," he says as he turns on the water and rocks his beloved on his lap not caring about the blood staining his pants. "No doctors. I deserved my punishment. I'm his toy to be used as he sees fit." Setting the boy into the water, Haru kisses his forehead and whispers, "I'll be back soon." Franticly Kyo reaches out to him and yells, "Haru, if you call any doctors then I swear I'll leave and I'll hate you forever." Sighing Haru pauses at the doorway and states, "Then hate me."