The Tears of the Cat

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and all characters belong to Natsuki Takaya

Chapter 1- Worst Encounter

Yuki was feeling annoyed. Yes, Yuki Sohma cannot always keep his cool. He had an extra hard maths test today, something about trigonometry, x y lines and locuses. It was worth 50 of his final high school mark and he'd only just found out that geometry was on the test too. Restlessly he grabbed his bag and books and went downstairs for breakfast. He was disappointed that Tohru-kun had left early to meet her friends. He warmed the leftovers in the microwave and started to eat.

Kyo leapt noisily downstairs, schoolbag swinging from one hand, shoes stomping noisily. Yuki put his hand to his head. Kyo totally ignored him and headed for the fridge straight away. To Yuki it seemed like he was making everything as loud as possible as he opened the fridge, clattered around for the milk carton, ripped it open and let the milk gurgle down his throat, before wiping his mouth on his sleeve and banging the fridge door shut again. "Where's Tohru?" asked Kyo, pulling out a chair with a scrape and dropping his bag on the floor where Shigure would probably trip over it when he walked in.

Yuki sighed inwardly, willing himself to stay calm, it was a natural question to ask, he would have too if it was him in Kyo's place. "She's gone to school" he said shortly.

"Why?" asked Kyo.

"To meet her friends" said Yuki, he looked back at his notes.

"Oh" said Kyo, "did she leave breakfast?"

"No" said Yuki through clenched teeth.

Kyo hmphed and went over to the fridge again, rummaging around, looking for the leftovers. He frowned, there weren't any, but he was sure he'd seen Tohru packing some away yesterday night.

"Nezumi, where're the leftovers?"

"No idea, just shut up!" snapped Yuki.

Kyo glared then he poured cereal with even more milk and started to crunch at it.

Yuki glared at him through his fringe. Kyo glared back.

"Don't you need to revise?" said Yuki, "with your abysmal attention span you can't have learnt all the notes if you can't even pay attention to me in fights."

Kyo growled, "I don't need to revise, you're just a dumb rat."

"And if you weren't so dumb you'd realise that I'm trying to revise!"

"Yeah well, don't make out you're so clever all the time then!"

"Be quiet you baka!" glared Yuki.

"You're making the noise!"

"Just eat your breakfast somewhere else!"

"Why don't you go to school to revise?"

"This is my house!" yelled Yuki.

"It's mine too!" shouted Kyo.

"It was mine and Shigure's before you butted in your unwelcome nose."

"It belongs to the Sohma family!" said Kyo indignantly.

"It belongs to the Zodiac which fortunately, YOU are not a member of, so don't tell me what to do you baka neko."

"I will be part of the Zodiac! You wait and see!"

"You want a fight?" said Yuki menacingly, standing.

Kyo looked smug, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity getting Yuki's pretty lil head riled up like this. "Breakfast first" smirked Kyo, he downed some more milk from the carton, taking his time.

"You baka neko!" Yuki leaped towards Kyo, knocking him flat off his chair, the milk spilt on the floor. Yuki smashed his right hand into Kyo's shoulder and aimed his leg for a well placed kick which Kyo failed to block. Kyo got up and slipped on the milk, falling backwards against the table, he yelled, and then regaining balance, pushed back, kicking out at Yuki. Yuki deftly blocked the blow and sent his own into the neko's stomach. Kyo blocked the next blow then spun around so he wasn't trapped against the table. "Let's take this outside!"

"Fine!" said Yuki, he had to finish this quick or there wouldn't be any time left to revise and if he didn't revise he'd get cranky. They made it out onto the porch. Kyo turned to face Yuki who was already in mid kick.

"When" said Yuki, not breaking a sweat at all as his foot found its target, "will" he drove a hard punch into Kyo's chest. Kyo gasped and brought up his arms to defend himself, "you" Yuki slammed his leg against Kyo, "learn", Kyo went flying off the porch and crashed to the ground, he groaned in pain then slowly got up, keeping his guard up; "that"- slam- Kyo could see spots in the corner of his eyes, "you're"- punch- "not worthy"- kick- "of" – slam- "The Zodiac!"

Kyo could feel his chest burn from the punches, he was sure the skin had been torn off. But Kyo wasn't going down, no he wasn't, he mustered up some strength and sent an unexpected kick at Yuki who in his glory of words didn't block it.

Kyo smirked, he'd got him; he stood in a ready stance.

Then, fast as lightning, Yuki shot out at Kyo, his pride rather hurt from Kyo's blow. Yuki appeared out of nowhere, a yard from Kyo, driving his fist straight into the soft tissue of the solar plexus. Kyo gritted his teeth as he felt blood rising in his chest.

Yuki held Kyo's wrists in a lock, dodging Kyo's kicks.

Maybe Kyo would stop bothering him after this, maybe lay off Tohru too and just stop constantly wanting to fight him. Yuki sure didn't want to have to put with the goddamn cat for the rest of his life, so maybe if he defeated Kyo thoroughly enough now, he would stop his crazy attacks. Plus, there was something exhilarating about being able to fight to his strengths; he hadn't been able to do that for a long time.

Yuki slammed knife hands into Kyo's shoulders, either side of the collar bones, slamming him against the front of the porch, he heard wood cracking. He brought himself eye to eye with the cat, satisfied to see sparks of fear in those eyes, and said coolly, "just give up, you are a monster after all." Then with one satisfying punch to the head and a good strong kick to the middle, Yuki sent Kyo flying out over the grass. Turning, Yuki walked calmly back to the kitchen, ignoring the mess, grabbed his bag and books and left for school.

Kyo hit the ground back first, the grass did nothing to cushion his fall, he gave a silent sharp cry as his body shuddered. The pain in his chest was growing worse and worse, he curled up on his side, blood coughing uncontrollably out of his mouth. His fingers could feel the wet fabric of the front of his shirt; he could see blood on his fingertips which gradually grew numb. His shuddering slowed as he heard Yuki's shoes crunching along the gravel of the drive far away, and then his world collapsed into darkness.

Hmmm let me know what you think,

adieu