WARNING: This story contains minor yaoi, which means boy x boy love. If you are not comfortable with this, than you are more than welcome to leave. Do not say that I didn't warn you.

T h e - N e x t - D a y
Unlike yesterday, when rain and clouds ruled the sky, the sun happily made it's way to freedom, though the tense air was not at all cheery, for the memory of that moment haunted everyone; if it were mere sight, or just a phone call, the moment when Yuki attempted suicide.

It was natural for a Sohma to commit suicide. To be truthful, who would really want to live with a dreadful curse, day by day, knowing that you could never fit in with human society? But this had to be different. Yuki was acting far too odd, and they all knew it.

In the main gates of Sohma territory, a young man with both black and white hair made his way down the brick path to make his leave. His clothes were especially accessorized, like any other day. He kept his hands in the hem of his coat pockets, as if pissed about something.

" Haru! Haru!" a youthful voice called out to the young man. He didn't reply nor stop, but when the owner of that voice tugged hold of his arm, he made no refuse to get free. He simply looked away.

" Haru, don't be in such a hurry, the others still need to get ready!" Sohma Momiji argued with his flesh and blood, Sohma Hatsuharu. Momiji was much smaller than Haru, and even looked slightly feminine, but even so, he and Haru were the same age.

Haru simply looked at the boy in anger, which probably meant that he averted to his darker personality, "Black Haru".

" I'm not going to wait that long!" and with that said, he shoved off Momiji's grasp, stomping through the gates and into the world awaiting him. Momiji, left standing there, sighed sadly, and hurried back inside to retrieve the others.

Walking through the crowds of people on the sidewalk, Haru pushed passed them without a second glance. His eyes were narrowed, and teeth were clenched. He felt like strangling his precious Yuki, and killing him himself for even trying to do such a thing as suicide.

" Oh, is that so? Oh dear. Okay, see you until then." Shigure spoke into the phone, and with a dazed smile, he set it back down into its case. Tohru, just finishing washing some breakfast plates turned to her friend with a curious look.

" Who was that, Shigure-san?" she asked, not being able to hide the anxiousness in her voice. They were about to go and visit Yuki, for visiting hours were about to start down at the hospital.

" Ha-san just informed me that Haru ran off to the hospital by himself…" Shigure sighed, acting like his old, childish self.

Tohru looked startled as she took the light pink apron off from around her neck. " Do you think he will be okay? He doesn't have the best direction skills…"

Shigure blinked. He hadn't thought to tell Hatori that, though, most likely, his old friend must have already known, so it wouldn't matter. Shigure then tilted his head upwards, as if he would see through the ceiling. Kyou was staying up on the roof again, probably waiting for both Tohru and himself to come out since the cat didn't have a watch on him.

" Well, are you ready?" Tohru suddenly asked, smiling at Shigure as she slipped on her shoes at the doorway. Shigure looked dazed for a moment, but then he nodded, following close behind her.

" It's a good thing it isn't raining any more, ne?" Shigure hummed in a merry way as he looked past his shoulder, seeing Tohru and Kyou following him closely on the forest path that leads to the city. Shigure didn't own a car, and Hatori's vehicle was already full with Sohma's, so they really had no choice but to walk.

Tohru simply looked up at him with a sad smile, but said nothing. Kyou completely ignored him, looking away with his hands in his pockets.

Feeling defeated by the depression in the air, Shigure sighed, looking back ahead. He's eyes seemed to turn into an empty shade, as he got lost in his own thoughts.

' There sure have been a big turn in events, hasn't there? Yuki…I was wondering…when you would finally break…' Shigure closed his eyes, keeping his arms inside of his kimono. A gentle breeze blew past the three of them.

Behind the novelist and his thoughts, Tohru stole a glance from the cat, which was looking more out of it by the passing second. Could such a sight of Yuki trying to kill himself have really scarred him? Was he offended that he couldn't have a match with the rat? So many questions bobbled in Tohru's mind, yet she could never find enough courage to ask any of them.

" What?" Kyou asked out of the blue.

Tohru gasped softly, and her cheeks flushed a deep pink, realizing he must have caught her starring. She shook her head, looking away in embarrassment. " I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself, it's nothing, really!" she apologized, hoping he would except it and not get annoyed.

Kyou paused for a moment, and then sighed in a troublesome way. " Don't worry about it…" and the conversation ended there.

Obviously, Hatsuharu and the other four, Sohma Hiro, a cocky boy with a loud mouth, followed by a very shy and yet almost weak Sohma Kisa, whom were around the same age, Kagura, Momiji and Hatori, the one who had to drive them there all arrived at the Hospital before Shigure and the other two came.

" I want to wait for Kyou-kun, first." Kagura added sadly as they were about to enter the main entrance of the hospital.

Haru turned around and glared at her. " I want to see Yuki, now." The cow clenched his fists and began to walk inside by himself if needed so. Kagura's face fell, and Hiro, the year of the sheep crossed his arms with a grunt.

" Man, what a stuck up--" before Hiro could continue any further with his distant insult, Hatori calmly closed his eyes and covered to boy's boy with his hand. A moment passed, he took his hand away. " Not in front of Kisa, Hiro. Shall we follow him, then?" Hatori added, looking to the others.

Hiro grunted and took Kisa's hand as she offered it when they all walked in. He could never deny something from Kisa, the year of the tiger.

Haru dashed through the hospital halls, ignoring odd looks the nurses and other assistants were giving him. He finally came to Yuki's door. It read: "D - 774" in the center of it, graved into a small metal frame substance. Taking a breath, and placing his hand on the knob, he opened the door.

His eyes widened at the sight he saw. There he was, his beloved Yuki, lying in a hospital bed, unconscious. What also surprised him was that Sohma Ayame, the year of the snake was there, sitting beside his younger brother while holding the youth's cold hand, rubbing it as his shoulders shook. The snake's back was facing Haru, so at first, he didn't even notice that the boy was there.

Haru felt himself return back to "white" as his arms suddenly felt weak, and his face looked heartbroken.

" Yuki…" he felt himself say aloud, nearly scaring Ayame to death. Startled, the beautiful looking man turned in his chair to look at who had disturbed him and his brother. Haru was not as surprised as he thought he would be to see Ayame with tear-stained cheeks.

Some of the snake's strands of silver hair stuck to his cheeks as he desperately tried to wipe them away. " Haru…I didn't expect anyone to come for quite some time…sorry…" he said, blinking a few times to get full vision.

As if the cow didn't even hear his relative, Haru sub mindedly walked over to Yuki's bedside, opposite from where Ayame was sitting. The bandages Yuki had were slightly red, thus needing to be replaced. His velvet bangs covered most of the wrappings around his skull, so the wound didn't look as serious as it actually was.

Yuki's breathing somehow had stabilized more over night, so the nurses must have decided to replace the boy's air mask with small tubes that lead up through his nostrils instead. This way, it was more convenient to see the prince's clear face.

For a long time, Haru just starred at his childhood friend, taking in every detail about the rat that he could find. He felt like he was going to be sick, but he controlled it. Ayame noticed Haru's shocked behavior, and his eyes lowered to his younger brother yet again.

" The doctors told me that Yuki's coma should only last a few more days…it…really shocked me." Aya explained, still wiping away the tears. The man was still mentally destroyed after hearing about his brother's incident. The moment he got the phone call, he broke down. Yuki was the most important thing to him, and to even think of loosing his brother to death would be imaginable.

By this, Haru looked down. His silvery, and yet natural bangs covered his eyes as he clenched his fists. He was so angry, so full of emotions he didn't understand. He thought for a moment that he was going to break down and cry, like Ayame that was until a few blurry forms appeared in the doorway.

Those forms being Momiji, Kagura, Hiro, and Kisa, stood somewhat shocked. Hatori however was not there because of the fact that he had to run to his office, and retrieve a few things to check up with Yuki, even though he had the day off today from work.

" Ah! Ayame's already here! When did you get here Ayame?" Momiji chirped as he hopped over to the young man, smiling up at him in a childish way. The snake blinked, and half smiled. " Just a little before you did…I couldn't wait to see Yuki…" he replied, in a non-hyper type of tone like his usual kind.

" Baka! This is no time to be acting all happy and cheery, didn't you even care to look at Yuki?" Hiro raged slightly louder than he meant to, feeling annoyed by the fact that Momiji was acting so happy when a they had almost lost a family member.

Momiji frowned, turning to Hiro who was now in front of him, followed by a sad looking Kisa. " I was just trying to brighten up the mood…Ayame looked so sad…and like he said, Yuki will get better!" Momiji insisted, as he stole a side-glance at Yuki.

Hiro grunted, folding his arms as he took a seat in a metal chair, starring at Haru now, not wanting to get emotional if he dared to look at Yuki. " Hey…" he mumbled, noticing that Haru was looking uneasy, as if he had averting to "Black Haru", but that wasn't the case.

Haru's mouth started to slowly move as if he was possessed, but no words came out. Hiro blinked, slightly freaked out by this and left Haru alone as the ox continued to angrily stare at the rat.

Meanwhile, Kagura folded her hands up close to her chest, as if concerned. " I'm going to wait for Kyou-kun out in the hall." she warned the others quietly, and before she left, she looked at Yuki in a worried way. Momiji watched her leave, and wrinkled his nose as well and took a seat, putting his palms under his chin as he starred at the rat.

" I wonder why he did it?" Momiji thought allowed, receiving glances from the others. Ayame looked away, wanting to avoid the question, Kisa didn't say anything, and Haru still remained quiet. The rabbit knew Hiro wouldn't comment, so any reply would've been wishful thinking.

Suddenly, the five Sohma's heard a yelp of fear come from Kagura down the hall. Curiously startled, Hiro and Momiji popped their heads of the room, to see that the carrot-top cat had slumped against the hospital wall, falling to his knees with his hands on his head, teeth clenched. Tohru was bent over, trying to see what was wrong with Kyou, and Kagura immediately went over to her lover, stunned with concern.

" What the hell's wrong with him?" Hiro asked to no one in particular as his eyes went wide. It wasn't like Kyou to just fall on his knees like that, as if he had the worst headache on earth.

Afar, Kyou kept his eyes tightly shut and started to grip at his hair as images from the previous night flashed through his mind without warning, causing pain everywhere.

The night was cold, and the rain was even fiercer. Nearly hysterical, Kyou ran as fast he could through the mud and branches of the Sohma forest, with a half dead boy in his arms. While panting, Kyou hesitantly looked down at the red body in his arms.

' Damn it…he feels so cold…he's loosing so much blood…why won't it stop? At this rate…he'll…' the cat thought, and all the while, Yuki felt like a mere rag doll in his arms.

" NO--" Kyou yelled a little too loud, leaning his forehead against the tiled floor in a bowing motion as more flashbacks came, and each one hurt even more. It had felt like a year had passed since that night, but yet it was only the previous day.

" Kyou-kun? What's wrong?" Tohru asked frantically with a hand slightly rubbing Kyou's back, with some hope in the back of her mind that was helping his mysterious pain.

' This hospital…is it…making me…?' Kyou drifted in and out of his thoughts, without even realizing the others were trying to talk to him.

Aoi's Corner

Eh…okay, this chapter didn't exactly go as planned. I was hoping to put in Yuki x Kyou fluff, but I ended up putting in some Haru x Yuki slashing instead (That pair is not a major couple, by the way, in my story at least.), I sort of felt like I would be going to fast with the story if I immediately put in some Kyou x Yuki.

Wow, what a crappy cliffhanger. Hah. I guess I made Kyou look sort of pathetic making him convert into shock and pain all of a sudden, just when Shigure and the gang arrive at the hospital. I'm actually very sleepy right now, so I could think of nothing else. But! I promise I shall put in some Yuki x Kyou stuff. Please review! Your comments just make these chapters fly by faster!

Please excuse any errors I make in this story. (;-;)