We're All Just Stupid People Doing Stupid Things in a Stupid World

XO'MagickMoon'OX

A/N: Welcome to the penultimate chapter of We're All Just Stupid People! I shall be so sad to see this story end, but hopefully it will be a memorable ending. :D Well, here is the dance chapter that you've all been waiting for. I hope you all like it, and if not, feel free to tell me so. But before we start, PLUSHIES!

Mokimo: A plushie of Yun-Yun and Kyonkichi in the posistion they're in when Yun-Yun falls on top of Kyonkichi in basketball (from chapter 25) and one of Yuki making a "cat" snowman, with Kyo looking on, blushing horribly. Next to Kyo is a smaller, less-than-professionally artistic "rat" snowman. I love that last one; it's so adorable:D

Shiro Ryuu: A pair of plushies: Kyo in a tux, and Yuki in a really pretty, shiny, sparkly, silver dress. XD I love the imagery, though you're right, Yuki would probably jump off a building before wearing that. Well, maybe if Kyo asked really nicely, he would...

kaesaku: Since you didn't request a specific plushie, I shall make one up for you! It will be a plushie of...Kyo in cat form reaching for a ball of yarn that Yuki is holding over his head, wearing an evil smirk.

iloveanimeguys: One of Kyo hand-cuffed to Yuki. Mwahaha, so kyute. XD

mangafreak: A Yuki plushie, to help you find your real Yuki plushie. :)

wingedthing: One of Tohru looking a bit dazed (not too unusual) with little bunny Momiji sitting on her head. Very adorable. :D

Vampirycent: A plushie of Yuki, Kyo, and Haru in chibi form all holding hands and blushing. Yes, that is incredibly kyute. I love those bishies!

golden-kitsunebi: One of Ritchan-san and Mitsuru-san (I think that's her name, but I'm not sure, either) eating takoyaki together. Those two do have some sort of chemistry. :) Though, Ritchan is too pretty for a girl.

Kyonkichi89: One of Yuki bouncing a basketball suggestively--ahem, with a suggestive face, as if to say "Remember, you wanted revenge, right?" and Kyo attempting to look mad, but only succeeding in looking turned on. They are complicated facial expressions for plushies, but anything is virtually possible, ne:)

WolfWarden: One of Haru when he is Black. I love the alternate personlaties, too. :D And Haru is my favorite character! -huggles your plushie- Ahem. -hands it back with sheepish smile-

For the next two chapters, I've also labeled the narrator, as some people were saying that it was confusing without the labels. I'll go back sometime and label all of the chapters. Anyway, enjoy!

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Kyo's POV

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The gymnasium was filled to the ceiling with life. I'd never seen it so decked out. There were streamers everywhere, falling serpentine-like from the ceiling, ranging in color from bubblegum-pink to rose-red to white and purple and glittering silver, all blending into a festive motley of Valentine's Day embellishment. The floor was littered with paper hearts and flower petals, as was the lacy tablecloth-clad snack table. The usual lighting was off. Instead, there were colorful strobe lights glancing off of the walls and familiar faces in a sensuous rainbow dance, teasing and goading people to come out and play. At the head of the gymnasium, the DJ was busy mixing the pop techno music that blared through the speakers behind him and two placed in the back corners, creating the illusion that the gym was encased in a bubble of melody and rhythm. Half of the area was cleared, saved for dancing, and the other half, back by the main doorway, was set up with round tables. I smiled amusedly at the roses standing in glass vases in the center of each, one per table.

"They really outdid themselves," I said to Yuki as we sat down at one of the aforementioned tables near the dance floor, setting our jackets on the chairs and dusting the snow from our persons.

"Yeah, they did." He was also surveying the gym, nodding satisfactorily with an awed glint in his amethyst eyes. "It was one thing to see it this afternoon, but now…just, wow."

"YUN-YUN!"

I saw Yuki wince as he was suddenly pounced on by a giggling, black-haired girl. "H-Hi… Toudou-san," he greeted, looking startled. He was probably afraid of being turned into a rat, but fortunately, the girl's overly exuberant greeting fell just short of an actual hug.

"Yun-Yun, how many times does Kimi have to tell you to stop calling her that! It's Kimi."

I saw the upwards quirk of his lips as he smile affectionately at her. If I had been anyone else, I might have been jealous. But I knew that that particular smile was nothing like the ones I was often given.

"Hey, there you guys are!" I felt a hand land strongly on my shoulder, and turned to see Uo and Hana behind me. Hana went to Tohru's side and took her hand, Uo doing the same with the opposite hand.

"Yun-Yun!"

And then that guy—Manabe, I think his name was—joined us. He had a girl on his arm, and was smiling happily. He seemed a little more mellow than usual, and I wondered if the girl had anything to do with it. She must have been his girlfriend.

"So, Yun-Yun," he said, his smile taking on a devilish air, "where's your date? You brought Honda-san, didn't you?"

I saw Uo and Hana exchange devious glances, ones that said that they both knew who Yuki had really come to the dance with. I scowled at them, and they caught it. In return, they just grinned.

"No, I did not come to the dance with Honda-san," Yuki said tersely, pulling out a chair and sitting down. Tohru, Uo, and Hana did the same, followed by Kimi. The girls started some animated conversation. Yuki looked a little sulky, with his chin propped in his hands. Manabe and his date had apparently wandered off, and sure enough, when I looked I saw them on the dance floor. Manabe's girlfriend had probably dragged him away so as to keep him from feeding Yuki's temper any more kindling.

I put my hand on his shoulder and, getting his attention, said, "You want something to drink?"

He smiled and replied, "Sure. Whatever you're having."

I nodded and left towards the snack table. So far, so good. But the night wasn't over.

I weaved back to our table with two cups of soda in hand. Sitting down, I handed one to Yuki. I saw him pick it up and scrutinize it for a moment, as if checking for poison, and then take a sip. I just laughed at him. He was so adorable. However, as he set his cup back down and began idly tracing circles in the tablecloth with his fingertip—something I'd come to find was a nervous habit of his—I asked him, "What's wrong?"

"Hm?" He looked up, his gaze coming somewhat back into focus. "Oh. Nothing."

I grinned. "Yuki, do you really think you'll get away with lying to me of all people?"

He sighed, letting a small smile slip across his lips, and conceded. "Right. It's just…a feeling I have."

I leaned forward concernedly. "What feeling?"

"It's a little…quiet, don't you think?"

I narrowed my eyes and listened. I had to argue that it wasn't quiet, not with the music blaring from the speakers and the people chatting and laughing and shouting to be heard over it. "Uh… Yuki, what are you getting at?"

He shook his head and laughed dryly. "I'd have expected my fan club to attack by now."

"Oh. Ooooh." So that's what he was getting at. I looked around the gym and spotted a few of the girls who were usually all over Yuki, but now they seemed to be guardedly keeping their distance. It was very…unnerving. "Ah, don't worry about it," I nonetheless told him. "Don't question your blessings, right?"

"Hah, blessings. A word that rarely crosses a Sohma's lips." His smile turned sickeningly wry. It made me worried. I wanted so badly to just lean in and kiss his worries away, but I was hesitant. Despite our decision to come out with our relationship, taking the first step was…difficult, to say the least. So instead, I opted to take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze, offering him a smile that I tried to make reassuring.

Tohru, Uo, Hana, and Kimi rose from their seats then, stopping in their vibrant discussion only to continue it as they made their way to the dance floor. I watched the four of them begin to move to the music, smiling and flushed and happy. Why was it just so easy to be happy like that? And, if it was so easy, why did it seem so difficult for Yuki and me? Why couldn't we get out there and be happy in the midst of our friends? Why could we only be happy in the confines of our privacy?

I took a deep breath, turning to face Yuki. "Do you want to get out there?" I asked.

He looked up, eyes sparkling in a way that made my heart give a delightful throb. "You mean…go out there, and dance? Together?"

I nodded shortly. "You know that we don't know how to dance."

"Yes."

"You know we'll make fools of ourselves."

"Yes."

"You know that there's a good possibility that we might accidentally transform."

"Yes."

"You know that after we get out there, things might take an ugly turn."

"Yes."

"So, do you want to go out there?" I asked again.

"Yes."

No hesitation, such brave certainty, such steadfast determination. He really wanted this. And so did I. I took another deep breath and rose to my feet, holding out my hand. In a gentlemanly way, I said, "Care to dance, my love?"

He laughed and blanketed my palm with his slender fingers, and I reflexively curled my own around them, pulling him to his feet. I felt the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention, but ignored the sensation. Nothing mattered right now. We were on a one-way track, and there was no going back . I was enjoying the ride, but anxiously anticipated what we'd find at the end. I had the frightening suspicion that our track was leading us straight into a brick wall.

There was a pause in the music as the DJ changed the song, but quickly it fizzled to life again over the speakers.

"I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me,
I still feel your touch in my dreams."

We weaved through the dancers, locating Tohru and the other girls. They smiled at us and Uo pulled us forward until we were next to them, still moving to the music as the electronic tinkering played over our heads and threaded through the throng, pulling and pushing to the whims of the demanding techno beat. A slave to the music. That's what you become by stepping onto the dance floor.

"Hiya, Yun-Yun!" Kimi shouted, bouncing around animatedly. Yuki laughed and shook his head amusedly.

I slipped my hands around Yuki's waist and turned him to face me.

"Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why,
Without you, it's hard to survive…"

"Ready to make a fool of yourself?" I whispered in his ear. I delighted in the way he shivered against me.

"More than ever," he replied. And then we started dancing.

"'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling,
And every time we kiss I swear I can fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast?
I want this to last, I need you by my side."

I had never danced before. I knew that Yuki had, at the Zodiac banquets, but this was my first time. Ergo, he had much more grace than me. Actually, he always had more grace than me. But that was besides the point. Everything really seemed besides the point then, because we were together, and we were in public, and it was just…besides the point. There was no point. There was never a point, not when I was with Yuki. There was just…existence. And what a euphoric existence it was.

"'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static,
And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so?
I can't let you go, I want you in my life."

It was so hot out there. Partly because of the confined tangle of bodies, and partly because Yuki's mouth was precariously close to mine, teasing me with his breath and the unspoken promise of an impending kiss. Yuki's body was also close to mine, nearly pressed flush against me, with just a scant inch between us. That inch would easily be breeched when the separation got to be too much. I took his hand and spun him away from me, as far as was possible. He bumped into someone and offered a shouted apology with an underlying laugh before stumbling back into my arms. It was an awkward dance, but a dance nonetheless. There were no planned steps, no formalities, no rules. Just motion. As life should be, with no guidelines to follow, to define yourself by, no pattern to measure and cut yourself out to.

Yuki turned and pressed his back to my chest, looking over his shoulder at me and grinning coyly. He slid sensuously against me, making sure to press his hips into mine just long enough to make my breath hitch before jumping back and facing me again, coy smile still in place. I wrinkled my nose at him, but my lips curved upwards regardless of the Yuki-induced heat crawling beneath my skin. I grabbed his wrist and pulled him close, still moving. We seemed to be perpetually moving, unable to stop. Like I said: slaves to the music. My mouth hovered next to his ear, and I whispered, "Do you think it wise to seduce me in the middle of the school gymnasium?"

He looked at me and kissed the tip of my nose, so quickly it almost seemed as if it hadn't happened. He giggled and said, "Well, we've come this far, why not?"

I laughed, feeling so elated at that point that I didn't think I'd ever stop smiling. There was something wet beading at my forehead, and my face was flushed (for more reasons than one), and everything was just so amazingly…well, amazingly fun.

The techno beat suddenly dropped out of the music, replaced with a slow sort of melody, and I took that opportunity to envelope Yuki in my arms and kiss his forehead as we, too, slowed our pace.

"Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky;
They wipe away tears that I cry."

And then the beat started pulsating to life again, but not enough to grab anyone's attention. I moved my hips in just the right way to make Yuki gasp and tightened my embrace for a second before letting him go, still holding lightly onto his wrists as we started dancing with a slight added fervor.

"The good and the bad times, we've been through them all.
You make me rise when I fall."
'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling,
And every time we kiss I swear I can fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast?
I want this to last, I need you by my side."

And then the rhythm came back full-force, setting the dance floor ablaze with energy once again. If I'd been in my right mind, I might've noticed that the energy I claimed to have felt ignited wasn't as passionate as it was a few minutes ago. But that, of course, was besides the point.

Everything was besides the point.

"'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static,
And every time we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so?
I can't let you go, I want you in my life."

The song was drawing to a close, and we were still dancing, moving with an ardor that was so new to me, yet becoming familiar. With growing audacity, I felt Yuki's furtive hands skate around my hips to my ass and grab it. My teeth came together almost painfully to trap the moan that wanted so badly to escape my lips. Then his hands were on my shoulders again, and he was smiling in a way that was far too innocent to even be considered innocent. I heard Uo's bark-like laugh beside us and made a mental note to glare at her later. Yuki followed Uo up with his own bell-like laugh, and I couldn't help but smile. I liked dancing, especially with Yuki. We'd have to do it more often.

"'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling,
And every time we kiss I swear I can fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast?
I want this to last, I need you by my side."

With a final, electronic ripple, the song ended. The energy bubbling up inside of me knocked down the now-fragile walls of my inhibitions, and I leaned in to capture Yuki's lips with my own. He dipped back a little from the surprise of the kiss, and I held him around the waist to keep him from falling. His eyes closed as he succumbed to my mouth and returned the kiss. I could feel his lips fighting to bow into a smile, but being unable as preoccupied as they were. And then I pulled away and his smile made itself present.

And that's when we noticed the very pregnant silence.

There was a good three-foot space around us, Tohru, Uo, Hana, and Kimi. Everyone else, it seemed, had backed off. The music had been killed. Apparently, the last song had ended and the DJ hadn't started up a new one. Maybe someone had told him to stop. I felt heat rise in my face under the attention of the entire rest of the students who were staring at us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yuki bite his lip nervously.

We'd hit the brick wall, it seemed.

Someone came forward then, separating from the crowd and approaching Yuki. It was Manabe. "So, this is who you brought to the dance, eh, Yun-Yun?" he said with that same old smile on his face, gesturing at me. "What happened, couldn't find a girl?" he teased.

Yuki blushed furiously, stammering, "N-No… I, uh, that's not…"

Manabe laughed, patting Yuki on the back. "Calm down, I was kidding."

"That's disgusting!" someone in the crowd shouted. And then, a person parted from the crowd with a small group of girls in tow.

And just like that, they speared the blissful bubble I'd been previously floating on, and I crashed painfully to the ground.

I heard Yuki draw a sharp breath, stuttering, "M-Minagawa-san?"

"Minagawa?" I asked, looking over at him. "You know her?"

"They're cousins!" the girl, apparently Minagawa, continued. The girls behind her nodded in agreement. "They shouldn't be…doing that! It's just wrong!"

"P-Prince Yuki, how could you?" one of the girls sobbed overdramatically. I scowled at them. Who the fuck did they think they were?

Oh, right. They were the Prince Yuki Fan Club. Of course they'd be upset. But this…was just going too far.

"It's just wrong!" another girl shouted, glaring at us.

"Yeah, it's sick!"

I could feel the tension hovering like some noxious gas over the crowd. A lot of them were nodding and murmuring in agreement, and more than half of them really did look sick to their stomachs. They were not a happy bunch. I was speechless, and instinctively reached an arm around Yuki, pulling him protectively against me. He was trembling.

"It's going to be okay," I murmured. "Just don't lose it." I didn't know if I was trying to reassure him or myself. It was probably both.

He nodded.

"It's all Kyo's fault!" some irritating female called.

"Yeah, he probably seduced Prince Yuki into it! Prince Yuki would never do something so…revolting!" the blonde standing behind Minagawa agreed, her arms folded across her bosom. I had never seen such a venomous look aimed at me.

"Poor Sohma-kun!" one of the others cried.

"Quiet," Minagawa spoke up, raising a hand to silence her minions. "This has been going on for a while, right under our noses." She smiled wickedly, sounding proud for some reason that I couldn't discern. "I caught Prince Yuki in the bathroom a while ago trying to cover his hickeys, ones that Kyo-kun had given him. And wasn't there a rumor going 'round that Kyo had hickeys of his own, and refused to tell anyone where they'd come from?"

"Yeah!" some guy in the crowd piped up.

Someone else stuttered, "T-They were from Yuki-kun? Eww! That's gross! Th-They're…cousins!"

There was a feverish murmur circulating the gym now, people whispering behind their hands and others talking outright, but all were staring at us like we were some newfound species on display at the zoo, one of the lowest life forms they'd ever had the misfortune of laying eyes on. It was pretty fucked-up. No, it was very fucked-up. I thought I was going to be sick; my head was already spinning. Yuki didn't seem to be faring much better, and if I could've, I would've done anything to make things all right again. I was starting to think that maybe we really should have just ended this whole thing after our stupid fight. It was all stupid. I couldn't stand it. I—

"YO!"

Silence fell swiftly over the gymnasium at Uo's commanding shout.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU IDIOTS?" she continued. Seeing that she had their attention, she continued, still fuming. She laid her hand on my shoulder and said, "These are your friends, right? Why in the hell would you be treating your friends like this? Who the fuck cares if they want to kiss each other; it's a free world, isn't it? Shouldn't they have the right?"

Minagawa glared at Uo. "Stay out of this, Yankee. It's none of your concern."

And Uo stomped right up to Minagawa and threw a right hook across her carefully kept face, causing a gasp the flare across the room. "This is all of my concern, you bitch. These guys are my friends, and I'll be damned if I'll let you talk shit about them."

"Yeah!" Manabe stood beside Yuki, Kimi with them. "What's wrong with you? They haven't done anything wrong."

"But they're—"

"Cousins?" Manabe finished. "Yeah, I know. It's kinda cool that if they want to get married, one of 'em won't have to worry about changing their last name." He gave a lopsided grin, and I just gaped at him. What the hell was that all about? Wait, he was supporting us. I probably shouldn't worry about his idiotic randomness right now.

"But…they're both guys!" someone else shouted.

Oh, I knew that was going to come up sooner or later.

Like a lock-on missile, Uo located the speaker and shut them up with a slap across the face. "Moron!" she shouted.

I noticed now that there were more people standing behind me and Yuki. I recognized some of them as my friends. Minagawa was looking startled by the turn of events. I smirked at her. She pulled angrily at a lock of her long, auburn hair and yelled, "But…it's so wrong!"

"Minagawa-san," Yuki spoke up politely, though I could hear the anger lacing his words. "That's enough," he said, glaring heatedly at her.

She gaped at him. Yuki, her idol, her god, her prince. She obviously hadn't expected him to turn on her, despite the fact that she was the one instigating. It appeared that her world was suddenly crumbling around her as tears filled her eyes and she ran out of the gym. Good riddance. Some of the girls ran after her, others stayed and looked uncertain. As I looked at the doorway that Minagawa had just departed from, I saw our teacher standing there. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, and she was smiling. Smiling. She winked at me, and I grinned.

Everything was going to be okay.

Suddenly raised back up to my pedestal in the clouds, I wrapped my arms tightly around Yuki's waist and kissed him briefly, before parting and leaning my forehead on his. It seemed that the protests had died. In the end, our friends were behind us. Tohru, Uo, Hana, that Manabe guy (who was now eternally on my good side) and his girlfriend, Kimi, and a host of other people whose names I would make sure were forever committed to memory after tonight. Life was good. Life was great.

Life was perfect.

Someone yelled to the DJ to start the music back up, and it once again roared to life. The tension in the air had been completely dispersed, and now we were all at ease, just out to have an incredibly good, memorable time. And now, we were free. Yuki and I were free. There was nothing to stop us.

Yes, life was absolutely, positively, totally and completely perfect.

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A/N: So, there it was. Minagawa's entrance was kind of diluted, but it couldn't be helped, I guess. And hopefully this chapter didn't seem awkward, as I know it might have. The image of Yuki and Kyo dancing like that was just too adorable for me to resist! I tried to make it enjoyable; I'm hoping I succeeded. Anyway, review please! Only one more chapter to go!

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