Hey all! Chapter 2 is up! Sorrie my chappies are so short, but hopefully this way I'll be able to update more often. Oh yes, cookies to my one (yes one!) reviewer! For all you other people, don't think that just cuz I'm a newbie I don't know that you've read and haven't reviewed. I know what 37 hits means! Please review b/c it really helps me out. Thanks .

Disclaimer: Nope, still haven't found a loop hole in those darn copyright laws. I do NOT own Fruits Basket. The plot is, however, by yours truly, a.k.a. Drey (wooo that rhymes!)


When Yuki saw the horrified expression on Kyo's face, he knew something was wrong. Why was the idiot looking so shell shocked? Probably aghast that he'd picked a girl's name. Yuki rolled his eyes. Bringing his attention back to class, he realized the teacher was finished passing around the basket. She told the students to meet with their partners for the last few minutes of class.

The prince looked up in surprise as he realized that someone was approaching his desk. Kyo.

"Oh Lord, don't tell me," Yuki scowled. Kyo just nodded, dejected. He knew the other boy's reaction was only to be expected, but for some reason, it stung. Yuki really was cold.


Shigure glanced up from where he sat on the couch, feeling a sense of impending doom in the air. Distractedly, he removed his pen from its firmly lodged position on his top lip under his nose and folded his crossword. He heard the door open and watched bemused as Tohru scurried past him into the kitchen, muttering something about ice crystals.

"Tohru?" he called worriedly, noting her flushed cheeks and heavy breathing. She seemed to have run the last few blocks.

She looked at him with wide eyes and said faintly, "Does it seem cold to you?"

"Er, no, not particularly," Shigure responded, puzzled. But the distracted girl had escaped to the kitchen once again.

A split second later, the door opened again with much greater force this time. The boys had arrived and upon their entrance, the room did seem to become about ten degrees colder.

"You think I can help whose name I drew for this freakin' project!" snarled Kyo, all depression resulting from Yuki's chill attitude replaced by familiar anger.

"Leave it to the stupid cat to do something so completely idiotic," Yuki said loudly, looking seriously hacked off and completely ignoring Kyo's question.

"Don't call me stupid, you damn rat!"

Shigure waved his hands and laughed nervously, still without a clue as to what was going on. "Now Yuki, Kyo, please. Do you have to be so loud?"

Both boys turned as one towards Shigure, eyes blazing and hair seeming to blow in an invisible wind. "Shut. Up."

"Ah, um, please…" said Tohru tentatively, having regained enough composure to emerge from the kitchen. She moved hesitantly toward Yuki and Kyo, who looked like they were about ready to lunge at each other, as if to stop them from coming to blows. Always the dtiz, Tohru failed to successfully walk and talk simultaneously and tripped on a floorboard. On her way down, she grabbed Kyo who promptly transformed in a puff of orange smoke.

"Good job," Shigure chuckled. "Way to break the tension, Tohru." Tohru laughed too, in a relieved sort of way, for Yuki and Kyo had both stopped yelling.

"Sorry Kyo," she said to the orange kitty in her lap whose tail was still fluffed up in alarm.

For some inexplicable reason, Yuki felt a twinge of jealousy at Tohru's position, holding Kyo in her lap like that. He shook his head, amazed at himself. How could I possibly think that, especially about him? He was relieved when Kyo left Tohru's lap, obviously embarrassed at where he'd landed and muttered, "I'd better go, er, change."

He headed upstairs to his room. Just as the door closed, Yuki heard a faint 'poof' and saw an orange tendril of smoke escape through the crack under the door. Yuki was a bit shocked to feel a slight blush crawl across his nose and cheeks. What was wrong with him?


"Come in," Kyo called in response to the hesitant knock on his door. He looked up from the book he was reading and blinked in surprise. There in his doorway, looking decidedly awkward, stood Yuki.

His violet eyes stared at his feet as he said, "Thought you might need these," thrusting Kyo's clothes at the other boy. It was all he could do to keep himself from looking up at Kyo's flame-colored eyes, but he was afraid of what he'd see there.

But when the cat spoke, there was no anger in his voice, just surprise, curiosity and perhaps a hint of gentleness. "Thanks." He paused, unsure, and then said, "Look, I'm sorry for getting us into this mess."

This time, Yuki did look up into Kyo's face. "It wasn't your fault," he said,unable tobelieve these words were actually coming out of his mouth.

Kyo looked genuinely surprised, then smiled, merely saying, "So I guess we'd better get stated on that project soon."

Yuki could only manage a small nod before retreating quickly to his own room next door.