A/N This is my first attempt at writing M/M anything, so if it's bad, I'm sorry. Also, there are a few things to keep in mind.

It takes place in a universe where Toru's not around Either the boy didn't meet her again or something happened to her and nobody talks about it, it's open to interpretation. Also, if Kyo sounds a bit OOC , it's because of what he's been through.

If still interested, then buckle up, this is going to be a long one.

Happy reading :-)


Yuki Sohma tossed and turned in his bed on this New Years' night, his mind being anything but quiet.

After the majority of the banquet had concluded, he excused himself, claiming to Akito he was tired, the thunder and lightning storm tonight not making things easier.

It seemed to Yuki once he got into bed the unusual weather outside seemed to set his mind a buzz and now, he couldn't turn it off. He opened his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. If he was being honest, he wasn't really that tired, he wanted to get away from Akito.

Even though he had his own master bedroom and they slept on the other side of the house from each other, Akito still made it his mission to torture and manipulate Yuki whenever he could, sometimes daily. So when it got worse for him, like tonight, he would make up an excuse and escape his torment. Most of the time ending up back in his room.

The lightning flashed and the thunder roared outside Yuki's window, surprisingly though, there was no rain. The thought of this made Yuki smile. He regretted it instantly, feeling a knot form in his stomach.

Yuki flipped away from his window, trying to outrun the spark his mind was sure to start. Sure enough, no matter what he was doing or thinking, his mind kept drifting back to this. From under his covers, Yuki stared at his bedroom door and smiled slightly, thinking back to the one person he wanted to be with right now. The one person who haunted his nightmares and blessed his dreams. The only person Yuki genuinely loved.

Kyo Sohma.

Ever since the two of them were kids, the rat and the orange cat seemed to hate each other's guts, but secretly admired one another from afar. Most days of their youth was spent brawling it out whenever and wherever their tempers flared.

That changed about halfway through Yuki's seventeenth year when he witnessed firsthand how Kyo was treated by the other members of the Sohma Clan, afterwards, Yuki confided in Kyo, and he begrudgingly told Yuki how he felt. Slowly, the two became friends and over time became a couple.

Some nights while living with Shigure, Kyo would sneak over to Yuki's room when he couldn't sleep. The same could be said for Yuki, but he would go to Kyo's room when it would rain for different reasons.

During the last quarter of their secret relationship, Yuki could sense Kyo was holding something back from him. After about a week of Yuki prying, Kyo relented and told him about the confinement that was to be his fate.

Outraged, Yuki spent the last two weeks of his freedom doing everything he could to change the fate of the one he had come to love, but it was no use. When Yuki turned eighteen, he was forced to return to the main house to live out the rest of his life, and in December of that same year, Kyo returned to serve the Cat's fate.

Yuki hadn't seen Kyo since his last night at Shigure's house, about seven years ago. Because Kyo came to the estate on a different day than Yuki, he didn't see his love at all when the fated day arrived.

Yuki didn't know where the Cat's Room was, but it wasn't like he hadn't tried to locate it. Every chance he could, Yuki would search the main house as well as the grounds to no avail. Even after all these years, all Yuki knew about the place was it was somewhere on Sohma property. He still continued to search, never wanting to give up or lose hope.

The sudden sight of lightning and the loud boom of thunder snapped Yuki out of his thoughts.

This time something strange had come with the weather forces. Yuki felt as though an invisible hand had come out of the thunder or lightning, took a hold of his arm, and now was leading him somewhere. A second later, he softly got up and walked towards his bedroom door, pausing for a second to take his jacket off the hook and put it on.

"Why would I be needing a coat?" He thought and asked the mysterious force that was leading him. There was no answer.

Yuki quietly stepped out into the hallway, knowing most of the others were still at the house celebrating the new year. He heard the sounds of muffled conversation and laughter coming from the banquet room and quickly ran the other way.

Yuki felt his heart rate quicken as he continued to follow the unknown force to wherever it wanted to take him, the number of corridors becoming dizzying. He kept looking back over his shoulder, knowing Akito could be on to him at any moment.

After what seemed like hours of running, Yuki turned down a dark hallway. The invisible hold on his hand loosened and let go without warning. Yuki looked around as he walked down. The hall had looked to be abandoned for some time. The rooms to the right side of the wall were dark and the windows over the entranceway had thick screens covering them, preventing any outside light from getting in. They couldn't, however, stop a flash of lightning from going through.

The sudden flash of light startled Yuki. He stumbled, causing him to hit hard against a section of the wall. The wall made a loud thud as it collided with Yuki's back and shoulder and oddly… a metallic vibration. It was a sound so small no ordinary human ear could detect.

Yuki looked closer at the surface, A bit further from where he had hit, there appeared to be a thin slit or a seam going down one side of the wall, almost like there was a hidden shoji.

Yuki's breath hitched and his heart started beating even faster against his ribcage. As quietly as he could, he slid the shoji open to reveal a barred metal door on the inside. From outside the main house, the thunder boomed again.

"This can't be. Could it?"

Another bolt of lightning flashed through the windows, this time lighting up space beyond the door. For a second, Yuki saw the light stream off a head of muddy orange hair before the room went dark again. Yuki's eyes widened and his stomach dropped.

After seven long years, he had finally found the Cat's Room.

Taking a step forward, Yuki took the bobby pin from his pants pocket and began picking at the lock. Yuki learned this trick as a way to sneak extra food for himself in his first year back at the main house. These days though, there wasn't a lock that he couldn't pick.

After only a minute, Yuki heard the lock to the Cat's Room unlock. He took the pin out, placing it back in his pocket, and opened the door. it opened with a slight creak, but Yuki was sure no one could hear it.

He raced inside, rushing towards the love he hadn't seen in a long time. Kyo was face down on the floor, so Yuki knew he didn't see him come in. He called out to him softly.

"Kyo." The orange-haired man flinched, but he didn't move or look up. Instead, his body began to tremble, and he started to whimper.

"Whatever Akito has been doing for these last seven years must've done a number on him. Kyo never used to whimper," thought Yuki.

With the help of the bit of light shining in from the section of the wall being removed, Yuki could see why Kyo didn't move. He couldn't. His limbs were shackled to the floor. Apart from that, Yuki could also see Kyo was completely naked, even though the temperature outside was almost at freezing point. Yuki averted his eyes as much as he could.

"Kyo," Yuki called to him. Kneeling down at Kyo's side, Yuki reached out and lightly touched Kyo's shoulder. At his name being called a second time Kyo's trembling and whimpers only worsened. "Shh, it's not Akito, it's not Akito. It's me, I'm here."

Kyo stopped whimpering when Yuki's voice registered, he turned his head, just enough for Yuki to catch one of his love's brown eyes. "Yuki is it really you?" he asked. His voice sounded hoarse like it hadn't been used for a while, but Yuki just gave him a slow smile in return.

"Yes Pet, it's really me. I've finally found you," Yuki replied, his heart skipping a beat when he used his old nickname for him. Yuki made his way around to face Kyo, taking one of his hands in one of his own. Yuki's eyes snapped open slightly. "Ooh, your hands feel like ice."

Kyo responded by taking Yuki's hand and placing it against his face for a bit of warmth. "The rest of my body isn't much warmer either, but I've got no choice."

After a few more moments of this, Yuki took his hand back gently and calmly stood back up. He then removed his coat and draped it over Kyo's body, which the man then wrapped it around himself as best he could. Kyo raised his brows and turned to face Yuki as much as the chains would allow. Yuki met his gaze.

"I'll be back," said Yuki. "You try to stay warm."

Kyo turned back around and laid his head on the floor. Yuki ran out of the room, leaving the door open and the shoji slid back to allow Kyo to get a bit of fresh air and light. Yuki heard another roar from the thunder as he did a quick mental check.

From here he was sure there was a back way into the kitchen without anyone seeing him. At least that was his hope, seeing as that was where he was heading.


Yuki snuck over to the fridge and softly opened it. His eyes quickly landed on the two small containers of Kisa's applesauce but stopped himself from taking one. Yuki felt his chest tighten. He took in a pained breath and closed his eyes. Kisa's mom would always bring her applesauce for New Years, It was her favorite thing to snack on.

Could he really take one from her?

Yuki's eyes popped open when he felt a small tug on the back hem of his shirt. He quickly turned around, only to find Kisa looking at him. She had her arms reaching out, but not towards the applesauce but towards the juice pouches which were a few shelves above and out of her reach. Yuki got one and handed it down to her. She nodded her head in thanks, not wanting to be heard by the adults.

"Hey Kisa," Whispered Yuki, "can I?" He then asked, tapping his index finger on the foil lid of the applesauce. Kisa understood and nodded. Yuki took one of the containers, being sure to thank Kisa in the morning.

Kisa turned around and headed out the kitchen the same way Yuki had come in. Yuki softly shut the fridge with his free hand. He then quickly grabbed a spoon and was about to head back to Kyo when he caught sight of the microwave. Yuki stopped and looked at the container.

"No one should be eating anything cold on a night like tonight." Yuki felt his heart sink at his next thought. "Plus, just how long has it been since Kyo has had something warm to eat?" Yuki looked back up at the microwave, a tightening feeling forming in his chest again. Yuki sighed and the pain in his chest dissipated.

He went over and set the spoon down on the counter below. Yuki carefully removed the metal foiling covering the applesauce, not caring to see do it yourself fireworks inside the house. Placing the plastic container in the microwave, Yuki could hear most of the adults in the other room talking, the loudest of all being his older brother, obviously.

The door to the microwave closed with a loud pop. At the same time, Ayame's voice increased in volume. As he punched the time in on the keypad and started heating the applesauce, Yuki said a silent prayer.

"Aya. For once if you keep talking for a bit longer, I will be grateful."

With every second that the microwave counted down; Yuki felt as though time was slowing. His foot began to tap impatiently.

After what felt like forever, the microwave finally beeped but Akito and the others hadn't heard it thanks to Ayame. Yuki Carefully took the plastic container out with one hand, trying hard not to burn himself. He grabbed the spoon with the other and quietly raced back towards the Cat's Room.


"Kyo, I'm back," Yuki called out softly as he walked through the threshold of the door. "And I brought you some warm applesauce."

Kyo flinched and lifted his head at the sudden voice but then relaxed. He watched Yuki as he came around and set down. "What? That was so risky. Why would you even do that?"

Yuki adjusted himself and dipped a finger in the top of the applesauce to check the temperature. In the time it took Yuki to run from the kitchen, the top of the sauce had cooled a bit but it was still hot enough to eat.

"Because it's cold out tonight, and I figured you hadn't eaten in a while, so…" Yuki trailed off, dipping the spoon in, and holding it towards Kyo.

Kyo's lips parted and swallowed his first bite of the pulp. He sighed as the warmth from the food hit his stomach. Yuki could see a bit of light had come back into his love's eyes. "This is nice of you."

Yuki took the spoon from Kyo's mouth and started to prepare another bite for him. "Well, If you want someone to thank, Thank Kisa. It was her applesauce," he said holding the spoonful out to Kyo.

"Be sure to thank her for me," Kyo told him before taking another bite. Yuki nodded. Once Kyo had swallowed, he quickly turned towards the opened door to his room and back to Yuki, his face and voice turning serious. "Listen, Yuki. After I've emptied the container, I want you to take it, and forget you found this place."

Yuki's brows drew together. "I don't understand," he responded as he placed the applesauce on the floor.

"I mean, it's not like I'm not happy with you bringing me this. In fact, I'm grateful," Kyo admitted as his eyes went misty, "but the last thing I want is for you to get caught by Akito and punished." Kyo then stared off into the distance but it looked to Yuki like he wasn't looking at anything. "After all, you don't know what it's like to experience Akito's full wrath."

Yuki's eyes narrowed. He gently placed one of Kyo's hands back into his and gave it a soft squeeze. "Yes, I do. I told you, I..."

Kyo shook his head. "No you don't, not like I do," he firmly interjected as he cut him off as he came back from wherever he was to look at Yuki. "Being locked in that dark room while having Akito break you down mentally or getting hit by his whip once or twice. That, that's nothing. But this… This I wouldn't wish on anyone."

Yuki let go of Kyo's hand and picked up the applesauce container again, not wanting it to get too cold before Kyo had a chance to finish it. "How do you mean?" Yuki scooped up some more of the sauce.

Kyo's face went ashen in the dim light of the room. "I get beatings, sometimes once a day, others twice," Kyo replied as he opened his mouth and swallowed. Yuki felt his face heat up from anger, but he let Kyo continue. "He used to use the whip on me daily, now he does it with his fists."

Yuki felt something catch in his throat. "Does it still hurt from the…"

"No," Kyo replied, "those wounds have healed. In the beginning, I used to scream out because it hurt but now, I've gotten used to it."

Yuki felt sick. For a while, after he came to stay at the main house, he could've sworn he heard Kyo's screams through the walls at night. Now he knew why. Yuki decided to ask him something else.

"Do the servants bring you food?"

"Barely, and when they do it's always rotten." Kyo replied as he looked at the plastic container which was now almost empty. "I haven't had anything for about three days, till this." As Yuki gave Kyo the last bite and set the container and spoon down, he noticed a slight blush spread through Kyo's face as he turned away.

Yuki cocked his head. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," replied Kyo., his voice sounding stern, but his tone said otherwise.

Yuki started to gently skim over Kyo's hand with his thumb, his face softened, and he gave Kyo steady eye contact. "Pet, you know you can trust to tell me anything. You of all people should know this."

It was silent for a long moment. The thunder rumbled and lightning flashed from outside once more. Yuki finally heard Kyo sigh as he turned back to face him, his chin trembling slightly. "The water's frigid. I had to take freezing cold showers, even in winter. Nowadays since I've been shackled to the floor, the servants don't let me get in the shower. They just dump a bucket of water on me and leave." Kyo's body shivered. Yuki's heart hurt as he remembered how much Kyo loved his hot showers. A single tear trailed down Kyo's face and his eyes were now slightly red. "What's worse is I'm not even allowed to go to the bathroom, I have to go right here."

Yuki bit his lip and his face contorted. "Are you laying in your own…"

"No," Kyo replied, "The servants do clean up after me a few times a day." He then smirked slightly, "it's about the only reason they come in here on a daily basis." Kyo's smirk fell as his eyes started brimming with tears and his breath hitched as he adverted Yuki's gaze. "The beatings and everything were bad enough, but that was the thing that finally broke me. It felt as though my humanity was stripped away," a light sob escaped Kyo's lips and more tears streamed down his cheeks without him being able to stop them. "Words can't describe the level of shame I feel."

Kyo's last words made Yuki's heart sink lower than it had ever been. Akito had truly broken him.

After a moment, Kyo's sobbing stopped as he turned back to face Yuki again. He blinked a few times, chasing the tears in his eyes away, though the trails down his face remained. "If I've disappointed you, Yuki, I'm sorry."

"Why would I be disappointed?" Asked Yuki.

Kyo's chin trembled as he stared into Yuki's eyes. "I don't understand how someone as great as you could ever want to stay with someone like me…" Kyo stopped as he felt tears welling up in his eyes once again. "Fact is, you spent seven years trying to find me, you found me in here broken…I wasted so much of your time I…"

Sensing his love was on the verge of tears again, Yuki took Kyo's face gently in his hands before he could turn away from him in shame. He gave Kyo strong eye contact. "Pet. Those seven years were worth it to me. My only regret is not looking in this spot first, " replied Yuki, using his thumbs to gently wipe away Kyo's tear trails. "The burden of the Cat spirit wasn't your choice to bear, nor the Rat mine. It was forced on us. You're the closest member of the clan that knows how I feel. The more I spent time getting to know you, the more I realized how amazing you were. That's why I searched for you. You are the most incredible person on the face of this earth, and now that I'm here, I'm going to do everything in my power to change the cat's fate and get you out of here."

Kyo's eyes lowered to the floor but his head kept still as a line spread across his face. He let out a heavy sigh "Doubt that. Akito has the power, we don't." Yuki released Kyo's head from his hands. "He has said that I am to be bound to this room and chains until the day I die," he let out a quiet sigh before continuing. "As I said, you should leave and never come back after tonight."

Choosing to ignore Kyo's last statement, Yuki looked down at one of the chains on Kyo's arms. "How long have you had them on, the chains I mean?" He asked, wanting to change the subject.

"About three years," he answered.

Yuki reached over and tried to grip his fingers around one of the cuffs. "Are they painful?"

Kyo shook his head slightly. "No," he replied.

Yuki couldn't understand how that was possible. While Kyo was replying to him, Yuki tried to lift the cuff off the floor. It was so heavy; he couldn't move it an inch. Just how Kyo managed to move at all was a mystery.

The chains jingled as Kyo turned his head to look at Yuki, he wore a slight smile on his face. "Yuki, I'm glad you found me," he then smirked. "You know, sometimes at night, you have come to save me, but then when I open my eyes, it always turns out I was dreaming."

Yuki gave Kyo a gentle grin in return. "Hey, you shouldn't give up hope so easily. I could still save you tonight. It is New Year's after all."

Kyo's smirk dropped and his eyes fell to the floor again. "Let's be reasonable Yuki, this is the way it's always been. I mean the only way you could get me out of here is by using a magic wand or a wishing well to change Akito's mind, and I doubt the clan has something like that lying around," Kyo said, but Yuki wasn't paying attention.

He was zoning out staring at the opposite wall, something the young man had said had sparked an idea inside of Yuki's head as another bolt of lightning flashed outside. While he didn't have a magic wand, he did have something in his favor. It was something he had this night only, though he'd never actually used it.

Yuki got up abruptly and ran back out of the room and up the hallway. "I've got an idea," he called back to Kyo as he ran.

His stomach felt tight as he headed straight for the banquet room as fast as his legs could carry him. He had only one shot at this, just one chance and he hadn't risked it before, but for Kyo's sake he decided to take it, though part of him also felt trapped by what he was about to do. Yuki felt his heart palpitate and his lungs start to burn the closer he got.

''Bronchial tubes, don't fail me now.''


After only a few minutes, Yuki was standing outside the shoji of the banquet room, though to him it felt like more than that. His lungs burned, and at the moment he was trying to stifle another round of coughing. To him, it felt as though time was slowing down. Yuki knew in order to have a chance of changing the fate of Kyo, he would have to do the one thing he swore to never do… Make a deal with Akito.

Just the thought of that filled him with dread, making the tightness inside his stomach worse and spread to his chest. For a split-second Yuki felt like he wanted to run back to his room and hide. To add to this, he tasted bile and held his hand up to his mouth to keep from throwing up where he stood. Yuki closed his eyes.

With the strike of lighting from outside came an image of Kyo shackled in the Cat's Room for the rest of his life. From within him, Yuki felt the pain in his lungs and chest lesson and his chest become lighter. With the thunder only a second later, he opened his eyes and swallowed the bitter tasting substance that had settled in his mouth.

''I have to do this. Even though it might cost me a lot, to get Kyo his freedom, it's worth It,'' he said to himself as he felt a jolt of confidence.

Even though his body had started to tremble he reached out for the shoji. He sighed, pausing only to stop his hand from shaking, Yuki readied himself and opened it.

In the room were, Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame. The three musketeers seemed to be having an in depth conversation with each other. They appeared to all be in a circle, and in the center of the circle like always was Akito, though, Yuki knew Akito couldn't stand Ayame, so he was probably trying to grin and bear it.

When they heard Yuki enter, all four turned to face him. Akito seemed to be the one most intrigued by Yuki's sudden return with his brows raised and his head cocked slightly. When his cold eyes contacted Yuki's, he felt the pain in his chest and lungs return a bit but because of his new resolve, he was able to fight through it.

After a moment, Akito was the first to break the silence.

"I thought you had turned in for the night," he said those words like he was curious, but they were laced with inquiry.

"I did..." Yuki's throat was now dry, he had to pause in order to stifle a small cough, as the rat spirit inside him was begging him not to defy God, the one closest to him, but still, Yuki stayed strong. "I did, but I couldn't sleep because of the storm, so I went exploring around the house."

Akito gave Yuki an inquisitive look, clasping his hands together and giving him the look of a praying mantis about ready to strike. "So what do I owe the pleasure of your return?"

The words of Akito's reply made Yuki's skin crawl, he couldn't believe he was about to do this, but it had to be done, there was no other way around it. "I would like for you to grant me a New Year's wish."

At Yuki's reply, the room fell into shocked silence, the three Zodiac members gave each other all glances. The tension was so thick, Yuki could cut it with a knife. Akito was the only one in the room who was sitting still, but Yuki could tell that even he was contemplating his words.

This time it was Shigure who broke the silence. "Yuki, you've never wanted your New Year's wish granted before, what makes this year different?"

In response, Yuki gave him a second of stern eye contact, at least with Shigure, he could openly defy him without getting into too much trouble. "That's not your concern anymore, this is just between Akito and I."

At this remark, the three members looked towards Akito to see what he wanted to do. It seem that Yuki's comment had sparked something inside Akito's eyes. After a moment Akito spoke.

"Leave us." All at once the three members began to file out of the room. At first Shigure was the only one who didn't want to leave Akito's side. Seeing this, he turned and whispered. "You too. Wait outside with the others, I'll summon you back to my room when I'm done here." Shigure nodded and bowed his head in respect.

When Ayame passed his little brother in the entryway, he looked Yuki in the eye. It only took a moment for him to understand what was really going on, what Yuki's true motives for being here were. Yuki saw a gleam in his brother's eyes. Within a split second, Ayame walked past, followed by Hatori, and finally Shigure. After Shigure had closed the door behind him. Yuki turned and readied himself for the moment he had been dreading, being alone with Akito.

"Well Yuki, are you going to sit?" Yuki turned and looked and saw that Akito was gesturing to the spot across from him

Yuki felt sick. Even though his stomach felt empty, Yuki was sure the bile from earlier was going to make a reappearance all over the floor, but again he thought of Kyo and it dulled down. He trudged over with his legs feeling heavy and set cross legged on the floor where Akito had directed him.

With a moment more of silence, Akito spoke to him again. "So, what is it you want to make a New Year's wish for?"

Yuki could see swirls of darkness and evil inside Akito's eyes. He swallowed nervously. Yes, he was scared, but there was no turning back now. "It's like this," he began as a bolt of lightning flashed from outside, "while I was exploring around the house, I stumbled across the Cat's room and…and Kyo."

Akito lifted his head slightly in intrigue as the thunder sounded. "Go on."

"Well, I want Kyo to be free. That's my wish, that's all I'm asking."

At Yuki's words Akito's eyes widened, at the same time, his body posture perked up fully. "Well, that was something I wasn't expecting." He then fixed Yuki with a predatory gaze. Yuki felt his stomach roll, but this time there was nothing stopping it. "tell me this, why would you of all people want that monster to regain his freedom when you know how it's always been done? Furthermore, why would you go so far as to use your New Year's wish on him of all people? Unless there's something you've been keeping from me."

At that moment, Yuki's already heavy and rolling insides became rock hard. It had come down to this, he looked down at the floor and spoke. "It's because I like him."

When Akito didn't respond after a second, Yuki mustered up the courage to look up, only to see Akito giving him a questioning look with one of his brows cocked.

"You mean as a friend?" Yuki shook his head; he knew this was coming and let out a slow sigh to ready himself for what he was about to reveal. Yuki looked Akito directly in the eye.

"No…as a partner." Yuki closed his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose in order to try and stifle the headache that being with Akito for this long gave him. "Look, we fell in love the year before we came back here. We dated in secret, Haru and Ayame are the only zodiacs who know if it makes you feel better. I have spent the past seven years trying to find him, and now that I have, I will do anything to get him out, any…" Akito held his hand up to silence him. Suddenly, Yuki could sense there was someone on the other side of the shoji.

"I understand Yuki, but I can't grant your wish." Akito's words deflated Yuki. "Kyo will remain locked up for the rest of his life, that's how its always been, and I don't want to tempt fate by breaking tradition." Akito then fixed Yuki with an evil grin. "Besides, you're a member of the Zodiac, you belong to me, and I don't want to share you with anyone else." Yuki felt a sore lump form in his throat, Akito reached out to him and placed it gently on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Yuki, but your New Year's wish is denied. Now, you're dismissed."

Without a seconds hesitation, Yuki got to his feet and began to walk back to the shoji. Once his face was out of Akito's sight, Yuki smirked himself, feeling warmth start to radiate through his body and the hardness of his insides dissolve. Even though he ran this scenario through his head many times while running to this room, he didn't think it would go this well. He had Akito right where he wanted him. Admittedly though, this next part of his plan still made him feel a bit hollow.

After he took a few steps, Yuki let out a sigh and started walking back towards Akito with his head lowered. When Akito noticed, he looked up.

Yuki bit his lip and said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. " I'll come visit you every day."

At Yuki's words, Akito's eyes gleamed slightly. "Go on."

"For the past seven years, I've been trying to avoid you as much as I could, like earlier tonight," he admitted, "but if you were to grant my wish tonight, I'll stop running from you. Whenever you need me, I'll come and let you do whatever you want to me. Even if you want to abuse me mentally or physically, or just lock me in the dark room for hours. None of that will matter anymore, as long as you let me be with the one I love."

Akito listened to what Yuki had to say and then turned away, seeming to contemplate things. After a few seconds, he turned back and gave Yuki another stern look.

"You promise?" Yuki lowered his gaze to the floor and nodded.

"Yes, take the rest of my freedom for his." Akito let out a reluctant sigh.

"Alright, fine, you have a deal." After the two of them shook hands, Akito spoke up again. "I'll have one of the servants turn on the light in that hallway." Yuki bowed respectfully.

"Thanks Akito, I really appreciate it." Akito quickly got to his feet and turned his back.

"You have my leave to go." Yuki turned and started walking away again. Just as he put his hand on the door handle, Akito spoke up from behind him, "and Yuki, I want to see you in the morning."

Yuki felt his stomach drop and turned around slightly to find Akito looking over his shoulder at him. He replied simply, "understood, before walking out of the room.

When Yuki closed the shoji behind him, it felt as though all the weight of the world had just come off his shoulders if only for a moment. This was made even more true when he heard a voice speak.

"Is it true, did you finally find him?"

Yuki turned and was not surprised to find Haru leaning against one of the pillars of the shoji. Yuki's chest loosened for the first time since entering the banquet room. He walked over with his eyes shimmering slightly and nodded.

"Yes Haru, I found him," he replied before embracing his best friend in a hug, feeling as though he needed it as he let the feeling sink in "The entrance to the Cat's Room is behind a false wall in an adjacent hallway." Yuki stayed silent for a moment before letting out a sigh and releasing Haru.

Haru's brows furrowed as he took a fist and placed it against his chin. "I'd take it you've seen him already, is he okay?"

At this, Yuki adverted Haru's gaze. "No. Though I couldn't see much of anything since it was dark, I do know he's shackled to the floor and bear boned. I'll know more when I get him out of there." Haru straightened up.

"Do you want me to come with you?" When Yuki shook his head, Haru softened his tone. "What do you need me to do?" Yuki looked back at Haru with a small smile spread across his face.

"You go get our bathroom ready," Haru nodded in understanding. "You know what to do, we've had seven years to prepare. Go."

"See you in a few minutes."

Without another word, Yuki's legs ran back down the path where he had come from. all the while in his mind, he sent out the same silent message on repeat.

''Hold on Kyo, your punishment's almost over.''


Yuki came running through the doorway of the Cat's Room. The light in the hallway had already been turned on just before he showed up. With this added, he could now see Kyo clearly.

"Kyo, I did it, I got you your freedom," Yuki said in a light voice, wasting little time in getting the bobby pin from his pocket.

Kyo lifted his head when he heard Yuki's footsteps and turned his head when his words registered. "No you didn't," he said, not believing the words at first, but when he realized Yuki wasn't kidding, his jaw fell slightly to the floor and his eyes went wide. "How'd you do it, what did you do?"

Yuki got down on one knee and looked him in the eye, which he could see now were dull and had dark circles under them. "I just used my New Year's wish. Now hold still, I've got to unlock your cuffs." Yuki found the keyhole and started picking.

Kyo then adverted Yuki's eyes for a second. "What did you have to give up?"

Yuki's blood went cold, but he knew he couldn't lie to Kyo. "What little freedom I had left," he replied without even thinking about it.

"What," Kyo exclaimed, "why would you do that?"

Yuki looked towards him and replied sternly. "Because as I told you earlier Pet, what little freedom I did have wasn't and isn't important to me, what is important is in this room."

In less than two minutes, Yuki had unlocked all of the cuffs, making sure to give each wrist and Ankle a slight rub with his hand as he did so before removing it from the shackle.

Once Kyo's limbs were free and the cuffs were off to the side, Yuki spoke. "Okay Kyo, slowly roll onto your back."

Kyo did as he was instructed, though his muscles did pop in protest The action also caused Yuki's jacket to come off. Instantly, Kyo started shivering again. Seeing this, Yuki covered him again while also taking Kyo into his arms and exiting the room for the final time.

As Yuki walked back up the hallway, he looked down at Kyo. His hair was stuck to his forehead and was a muddy brown color instead of the fiery red that Yuki loved to run his fingers through. Yuki also noticed upon picking him up that he felt lighter than a feather, his body feeling like glass.

Without a word, a single tear fell from Kyo's eye. Yuki felt humbled.

If Akito had shattered Kyo after seven years of being in the Cat's Room, it was up to Yuki to put him back together again.


As Yuki crossed the threshold of his room, he could hear the sound of the heater from the bathroom running and the wind from the storm howling outside. During the time he had been freeing Kyo, the nights storm had subsided, leaving mostly strong wind with a few thunder and lightning bolts thrown in.

When he came around the corner that led to the bathroom, Yuki could also hear the sound of the shower running. Seeing the door, Kyo's body started to tremble.

Yuki looked down and pulled the jacket covering Kyo's frame even tighter around him. "It's okay," he whispered.

In the same second, the shower turned off and Haru emerged from the bathroom, he said in a soft voice.

"Kyo." For a moment, Kyo's eyes met Haru before he turned away again.

Looking up to face Haru, Yuki asked. "Is everything ready? Is the water…"

Haru cut Yuki off. "Everything's been prepared, bring him in."

Haru opened the bathroom door again and Yuki stepped inside with Kyo. Once all three of them were inside, the door was shut again. The temperature inside was perfect and the lights were already dim. Yuki wanted to put Kyo on the counter at first but decided against it when he thought about Kyo taking a tumble.

Haru put the toilet seat down and Yuki set Kyo on top of it. As he began to remove the jacket, Yuki asked Haru. "Did you have trouble finding everything I hid?"

Haru shook his head. "No, once I thought like you, everything became easy to find," he replied. "I Have to say, Yuki, you and your brother had an amazing system going on."

Yuki felt all the tension in the rest of his body release at the thought of his older brother and all he'd done to help him. his tiny smile returned for a second. "Because he was the only one, I told apart from you."

As carefully as he could, Yuki pulled the jacket away from Kyo and tossed it aside, but it in no way prepared him for what he saw underneath.

Kyo's skin was pale, almost to the point of being translucent. The surface of his body was also dotted in bruises and old scars. Apart from that, Kyo was also thin, making him appear as much like glass as he felt. So skinny in fact, his juju beads that had once fit him perfectly, now struggled to stay around his wrist. Yuki also saw his limbs had red raw skin on them, proving the cuffs were indeed causing pain, though Kyo had denied it earlier, but Yuki didn't hold it over his head.

He reached out gently and cupped the side of kyo's face with his hand. Kyo leaned into it slightly. "Let's get you cleaned up hmm." Kyo adverted his gaze from the shower door, his eyes looking a bit nervous but nodded, that's when Yuki noticed how dehydrated Kyo's skin felt, he scowled slightly. "Oh my goodness, your skin's so dry pet. I'll take care of it after you get out."

Haru opened the shower door. Yuki picked Kyo back up and stepped in. Once inside, Yuki couldn't believe his eyes. In the center of the room was a large marble slab, just to the side was a shelf lined with an array of soaps, shampoos, bathing mitts, washcloths, scrub brushes, and both washing and massaging sponges.

Haru had gotten everything he had hid and laid it all out beautifully.

Yuki brought Kyo over to the slab and set him down gently. "Stay here, okay."

He stepped back outside the shower and began to strip everything but his underwear, at the same time Haru spoke. "I'll be right out here. If you need anything, just yell."

Yuki turned towards his best friend with his eyes filled with an inner glow. "Thanks Haru."

When Yuki returned and closed the shower door, Kyo looked up at him and spoke. "Just curious, what's with the slab?"

Yuki felt his face get warm. "It's for when I'm sick and I let the servants wash me, because as you know, I don't feel like doing anything when I'm ill," Yuki replied as he rubbed the back of his neck, "but that's the only time I use it. Mostly, I come in here to shower and scrub off." Walking over to the shower control, Yuki was about to turn the handle to where he liked it but then remembered that Kyo liked it a bit warmer. Yuki turned back to face him. "I would start laying down if I were you."

Kyo shook his head. "I'll sit." Yuki turned back towards the shower and turned it on. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuki saw Kyo flinch at the sound, adverting his eyes from the water and looking down at the floor. Yuki looked over his shoulder as Kyo spoke. "When you rinse me off. Don't leave the water on me for too long, I don't want to get too cold."

Yuki tilted his head and pursed his lips as he tried to figure out what was wrong. It took about a second for it to click together.

''Does he actually think that…''

Yuki took the portable shower head from the hook. As he walked over, Yuki could hear Kyo starting to whimper and his body tremble just like before, when Yuki first found him. He came over and put his free hand gently on Kyo's shoulder. Kyo flinched again at the sudden touch.

In a calm voice, Yuki spoke. "Pet, you're going to be fine. This water's not cold, I can tell you that much." A second later, he switched the shower head to a gentler setting and held it so the warm water flow gently down Kyo's shoulder. Kyo's tight muscles went slack, and his eyes softened, he let out a slow sigh. Yuki waited a moment before speaking again. "No more cold water throwing, not on my watch."

Yuki raised the showerhead so the stream would go down Kyo's back. Once his love's body was good and rinsed, Yuki left the showerhead on the slab with Kyo and walked around to the shelf, he was about to grab one of the bathing mitts but thought against it, instead he grabbed just a bar of soap.

Yuki walk to the other side of the slab so that Kyo's back was now facing him. He put a bit of soap on his hands and lathered then together before putting them gently on Kyo's back.

The soap didn't feel abrasive to Yuki's hands, it instead felt gentle as he lathered the surface of Kyo's skin. It didn't have a rich lather, so it wouldn't get much of the filth off but that wasn't the point. No, the foaming soap and sponges would be taking care of that in a few minutes. For Yuki, these first few moments were about one thing, physical contact, Yuki wasn't sure how long it had been since Kyo had any positive physical contact, but he guessed it had been a while.

Yuki continued to rub up to Kyo's shoulders, the were so tight he couldn't get his fingers in between the blades. Kyo suddenly fell forward. Yuki hurried back around and caught him, resting his head against his own shoulder. Kyo had his eyes closed with a slight smile spread across his face. Kyo then let out another sigh, as he did, he spoke.

"You have no idea how many times I've dreamed of you doing this, thank you."

For the second time that night, Yuki felt heaviness in his limbs. There was so much he could say, but the only thing he could do was lean down to Kyo's ear, lightly scrub his face with the soap as he did so and whisper.

"I think you should really lay down on the slab. Your muscles don't have the energy, and the last thing I want is for you to fall."

Kyo nodded and with Yuki's help, he laid down on the surface of the slab, his back facing up.

Yuki walked back over and selected the soap, a sponge, and a scrub brush before returning. When Yuki popped the top of the foaming soap open, Kyo turned his head and gave him a look.

"I hope you're not just doing this out of pity, you know I hate that."

Yuki shook his head. "No pet. For the past seven years, you've been through hell inside that room, every day you've had to fight just to stay strong. Now, you're warn out, your body is tired and sore. This is my way of helping you recharge so we can start our new lives together."

Kyo turned his head back around. "I just wanted to be sure" he let out another slow sigh. "Thanks for this."

Yuki then smirked though Kyo couldn't see it. "Besides, this time come next year, you're going to have trouble finding something to top this."

Kyo chuckled, trying to hold back a wave of full-blown laughter. "I don't even know if I can," he replied before letting lose, his body tensing up. It was the best sound Yuki had ever heard though it did sound a bit raspy.

After a few moments, Yuki spoke again, this time calmer. "Alright Kyo, I've got to finish and get this filth off you. Just try to relax okay." Kyo nodded and close his eyes as Yuki leathered up the soap and rubbed it on his back.

As Yuki went to work, he felt a sudden warmth all over his body at what he saw. The water was going down the drain and taking the grime from Kyo's body along with it.


Over the next hour, Yuki scrubbed and then washed Kyo until there wasn't a spec of filth to be found. Even his red hair was back, though Yuki used a whole bottle of shampoo to make it so, still he had to give himself a pat on the back as he smiled, turning the shower off.

''I don't think even Akito gets this lucky.''

Yuki turned to Kyo, now sitting back up on the slab. "Shower's done."

Kyo opened his eyes and yawned, the memory of the shampooing still on his face.

From outside the shower, Haru spoke. "Are you bringing him out or…" Though Haru couldn't see him, Yuki smirked at the door like the answer should be obvious, "or are you taking him through the doorway in the back of the shower?"

"I'm taking him through the doorway," Yuki replied. Kyo turned and looked, seeing that there was indeed a door located in the back corner.

"Thought so, I'll go around and meet you guys."

Before he could ask Yuki, what was going on, Yuki picked him up and started caring him towards it.

Kyo's eyes widened at the sudden action, he cut them over. "Woah, Yuki where are you taking me?" Yuki didn't answer.

Just as they walked up to it, the door opened, and Yuki saw Haru on the other side and smiled. Haru smiled back and then looked down at Kyo.

"Feeling better, at least a little bit?" Kyo nodded his head. "Good that's what we wanted to hear. Come on in, everything's set."

Yuki stepped through the doorway, revealing a second bathroom, one with a cooler shade of marble and a large soaking tub instead of a shower.

"This is where I'm taking you Pet, to my little hide away, " Yuki finally replied, he then continued with Haru. "Dang, I can't believe you had the time to set this up as well. Did we really take that long?"

"No," Haru shook his head, "to tell you the truth, it didn't take me that long to find the stuff you and your brother hid. After I got it all together and put away in the shower, I ran through to here and got the tub prepared."

Yuki stopped, turning and bowed his head slightly. "Thanks again Haru, and not for this, but also for everything you've done for Kyo and I tonight."

In response, Haru put a hand to his chest. "There's no need to thank me, I know he's the one that makes you genuinely happy. If there's any thing I can do to help you or him out, I'll gladly do it," he then moved slightly into Yuki's personal space placing a hand on his shoulder, "and besides, I'm quite fond of Kyo too. I've missed having him around."

At this Yuki felt tears welling up in his eyes, he started to walk towards the tub again with Haru following. As they got closer, Kyo could see the black marble tub was full and had swirls of steam rolling off the top, he could even smell a sweet relaxing aroma.

After a moment batting away his tears, Yuki asked. "I'd take it, Epsom salts in, heaters turned on?"

"Yep. Water's been sitting there for a good hour and a half, still warm to the touch," Haru nodded again, "I also threw in some lavender and chamomile bath oils for relaxation, I thought they might help."

"Geez, you really did think of everything," Yuki stated.

"Well, a little birdy did tell me what he secretly liked, so that also helped." Yuki smirked again but didn't say anything.

When they got over to the tub, Yuki gently placed Kyo inside, letting the water gently cradle him as he settled. As much as Kyo tried to fight it, a satisfied sigh slipped its way out of his mouth. Yuki saw Kyo close his eyes and his muscles become loose all at once. Yuki felt warmth on the inside.

Haru then spoke after a moment of watching Kyo as well. "You going to stay in here with him?"

"Yes, I'll stay," Yuki replied as he grabbed a stool and drug it over to the side of the tub, he then reached a hand out to Haru and shook his.

After a moment of shaking his hand, Haru wrapped Yuki up in an embrace, patting him on the back. After a second, Haru pulled away from Yuki without letting go, keeping one arm wrapped around him.

"Hey Kyo, If I were to ask nicely, would you be willing to share?"

"Not on your life," Kyo groaned in annoyance.

In response, Haru just chuckled slightly. "Alright, I'll get out of here and let you kids have some time alone. I'll be waiting in y'alls room when you guys come out ," he said as he started walking towards the door opposite the one they went through to enter. As he opened it, Haru turned back to face them. "Oh Yuki, before I forget, hot towels in the warmer on the counter, should be ready in about thirty minutes."

"Okay, got it Haru," Yuki replied as he looked towards the towel warmer.

With one last nod, Haru ducked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Yuki then set down on the stool, as close as he could to the tub and spoke softly to Kyo. "I figured after that long shower; you deserved a nice soak as well." He then reached over to the silver button located on the corner closest to him, Firing up the tiny jets. Kyo let out another slow breath and reached his hand towards Yuki. He gently took it in his own, skimming the surface with his thumb once more. He then felt a slight squeeze. "Go ahead and let your mind and body relax Kyo, it's alright, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

With those words, Kyo seemed to enter a new state of peacefulness, letting the water, jets, and everything else go to work.

If someone hadn't discovered heaven on earth yet, Yuki was sure Kyo just found it.


They stayed like that for about fifthteen minutes until Kyo opened his eyes and groaned. "Never would I have imagined your room would be this big."

The sudden words startled Yuki, until then he had thought Kyo had fallen asleep, but he replied. "Believe me, it didn't used to be," he then paused to reflect. "Shortly before I returned here, Akito expanded my future room to include this, said it was a birthday present, but I wouldn't and haven't let him in here, no matter how many times he asks."

"So, you haven't used this thing?" Kyo raised his eyebrows.

Yuki shook his head in response. "Oh yeah, I've used it lots of times, I've just never used it with someone. Notice how this tub is only big enough for two? I told him I was waiting for someone special, took me seven years, but I got him here."

Kyo's eyes then shifted away for a second. "Well, sorry I was late. You know the Cat's always late."

Yuki used his other hand to brush alongside Kyo's cheek. "No need to apologize," he said, "better late than never."

Kyo's eyes shifted back to Yuki. "Thank you for never giving up on me, I…"

Kyo was cut off when a gong rang out over the entire estate. Kyo startled, causing the man to jump and prop himself up with one arm. In less than a few seconds, he was breathing heavily, and his eyes were wide, looking for a way out. Yuki turned for a moment, but then relaxed when he realized what it was. He turned back towards Kyo and lightly grabbed his forearm.

"What was that?" Kyo asked as he looked back at Yuki, inhaling and exhaling quickly.

"Calm down Kyo," Yuki replied softly, "everything's fine. It's just the New Year's gong, that just means the banquet and the holiday's almost over."

After a few seconds of catching his breath, Kyo's eyebrows raised with intrigue. "Oh, well if New Years is coming to an end. "What are you going to wish for, can I ask?

In response, Yuki gave Kyo strong eye contact as he felt his heart fluttering inside his chest. "Pet, my one New Year's wish has finally come true, I finally have you." After a second, Yuki raised his own brow. "What do you wish for Kyo?"

Kyo rolled all the way over, so that now he stood on his knees inside the tub, starring across from Yuki. A slight blush made its way into his cheeks. "I thought it was obvious," he replied. "Can you kiss me, Yuki?" Kyo then asked, his ears turning red.

At Kyo's request, Yuki felt his heart hammering even faster, the warmth from it flooding his system. Was this really what he wanted? It was so simple, and yet…Yuki then thought about it. Of course it was. They had been apart for so long, that was probably the only thing they both wanted. With all that he had been through, he deserved all the love Yuki could give him. Kyo deserved that much it least.

With a bit of hesitation, Yuki slowly leaned in close, his eyes shining. He stopped and grinned slightly. "Thought you would never ask. Wish gladly granted," he replied before closing his eyes and pulling Kyo's mouth to his.

Yuki felt Kyo jump a bit and grab on to the head of the tub to steady himself, but Yuki kept his hands on Kyo's face, his lips feeling like silk as they glided under his. Yuki's heart was beating so fast, he worried it was going to burst from his chest as he continued to take Kyo in for a few more precious seconds.

When the last gong sounded Yuki pulled away slightly. To his surprise, his lungs weren't burning or out of breath, they were buzzing, as if wanting more. Kyo opened his eyes, the blush and smile still there on his face. The two of them set in silence, until Yuki remembered something, giving Kyo a devilish smirk.

"Oh yeah, Kyo, we're in the middle of my three-part plan of what to do when I found you. You're on part two."

The blush and smile slowly fell from Kyo's face as Yuki's words clicked. "Wait, part two. Yuki what all have you got plan for me?"

Yuki placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder giving him a reassuring look. "You let me worry about that Pet. All you have to do, is roll back over and let the bath loosen your muscles up a bit more in order to make my final job easier," he replied as he tilted his head, "but I promise you, you're going to love it."

Kyo fixed Yuki with a look of consideration before turning back around, so his back was now facing the head of the tub once again.

If Kyo had liked part one and part two of his plan, Yuki was sure his love was going to like part three most of all.


Yuki let Kyo soak for another few minutes, until he heard the timer of the towel warmer go off. A few moments later, Yuki picked Kyo up gently, letting the water go down the drain. Kyo was then dried off with a warm cotton towel, which he leaned into. Yuki then picked Kyo back up and started heading towards the door Haru had gone out previously.

When Yuki reach it, Haru opened it again, knowing he couldn't let go of Kyo. When Haru saw them, he gave them a look, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Took you guys long enough. Did you get in a New Year's smooch? I noticed it got quiet in there for a moment." They exchange glances before Kyo shot Haru with a death glare, Yuki just turned away for a second. This told Haru all he needed to know. "I've got the room ready." Yuki looked around the room. Not much had changed since earlier that evening except a towel laid on the side opposite the one, he slept on, and an extra bottle warmer located on top the dresser.

As Yuki brought Kyo over to his side of the bed, he turned to face Haru. "Heating pad turned on as well?"

"Yes," Haru replied, giving Yuki a questioning look. "If you want, I put a change of clothes out for you and him, we can dress him before you lay him down."

Yuki shook his head. "No," he replied politely. "I will dress him but not right now. For what I'm about to do now, I really need as much of his skin as possible."

Haru understood. "Very well then."

Yuki then placed Kyo on the bed, another slow breath escaping his lips, having been years since sleeping in a bed or anything remotely comfortable.

Yuki then bent down to Kyo's ear. "Roll over onto your stomach for me, okay Pet." Kyo nodded and slowly rolled over, wincing as his muscles once again popped in protest. Yuki then pulled away and faced Haru. "Tell you what, I'll go change before I get started."

Haru nodded. "I'll watch him."

Yuki nodded himself before disappearing back into the bathroom to change. He came out wearing his comfortable night gown, which he wasn't in before. In his hands was the stack of Kyo's clothes. As Yuki walked through the doorway, he noticed the second warmer on the dresser. He placed the stack of clothes on his bedside table before walking over and checking in with Kyo.

"Comfortable?"

"Mhm," Kyo replied in a mumble as he nodded slightly.

"Good," Yuki then said in a calm tone.

He walked back over, wanting to know what was new on the dresser top. He saw that another bottle had been placed down and plugged up. Yuki felt a prickle in his neck and a want to know more. Looking over, Yuki saw that the first one was still plugged up as well. Like the first one which held a bottle of lotion, the second one had a bottle in it as well. Upon turning the device off and opening it, Yuki discovered it was a bottle of oil. He turned back to face Haru.

"Did you put this in here?"

Haru shook his head. "No, it was here when I came back to get the room ready," Haru replied, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't put it in here?"

Yuki shook his head. "No, I just had the lotion."

Yuki looked back at the bottle and took it in his hand. For the most part it looked to be a bottle of fractionated coconut oil, but Yuki could tell an herb had been added, giving it a greenish tent. Now curious, Yuki took off the cap and gave it a whiff. The smell of earthy mint hit his nose and instantly he knew what it was.

Kyo was going to get a treat tonight.

As Yuki put the cap back on, he became puzzled again. If Haru hadn't brought it in, then who did? He knew his brother made something like this for kyo.

''Could Ayame have?''

As he thought to himself, Yuki turned the bottle over and got his answer. Immediately, his blood ran cold. On the very top of the bottle, just below the cap was a note.

Happy New Year's. This is my gift to you and Kyo, remember not to use too much.

P.S. You're not the only one who has to hide a big secret or someone they love.

Even though this product was made by Ayame, the handwriting on the note was definitely Akito's.

Yuki knew he would have to ask about it in the morning, but for right now, he had more important things to do.

The first thing he did was pop the top of the bottle and squeeze a pea sized amount into his hands. Rubbing then together, Yuki walked over, knee crawling on the bed to get to Kyo. Yuki cupped his hands, placing them in front of Kyo's nose.

"Kyo, sniff the scent on my hands. Breathe it in."

With some caution, Kyo sniffed the scent on Yuki's hands. Kyo's eyes then dilated as his whole body went limp on the bed and all his muscles went slack. In the span of a few moments, it appeared as though Kyo was floating on the mattress.

Yuki pulled his hands back and asked. "Good stuff?"

Kyo let out a relaxed sigh. "Mm, that's the good stuff," he replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Yuki looked up to find Haru giving him a confused look, but also smirking at him. Haru then gestured to Kyo with a slight cock of his head.

"Catnip?"

"Catnip," Yuki confirmed, getting off the bed and walking back over to the dresser.

Yuki got to work, pulling out the measuring spoons and special bowl from the top drawer. Sliding the bowl over to the first bottle warmer, Yuki put a few pumps of lotion into it. Since the lotion was warm, it was somewhat melted. Then he popped the top of the oil open again, being careful not to spill it as he poured out one tablespoon and put it in. Yuki then stirred it together for about a minute.

Yuki brought the bowl over to the bed and set it down. Haru looked over at it then back to Kyo and smiled.

"Whoa. Oil and lotion mixed; you must've landed in the right place Kyo." He looked back up towards Yuki as he let out a sigh himself. "Alright, I should probably get out of here and give you two your privacy for the night."

Yuki turned to face Haru and slightly bowed his head. "Okay. Well, umm. Thank you for helping with Kyo tonight Haru and throughout all these years. I never could've done it without your help."

Haru took Yuki's hand and shook it, giving it a little squeeze. "It was no trouble. As I told you earlier, I would move mountains for you and Kyo," he then straightened up, "and also, congratulations on finishing your quest. I can't believe after seven years, you still never gave up, that shows something." Haru released Yuki's hand and put a hand on his shoulder. "Look after him, he deserves it."

With one last nod from Yuki, Haru walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

As Yuki was walking over towards Kyo's side of the bed, he heard a slight tinkling on the roof. It had started raining, just a drizzle. He got on the bed moving the bowl closer to him.

"Pet, is the rain bothering you?"

Kyo dug his face out of the pillow. "A bit, but the catnip is helping," his voice sounded less muffled and more relaxed. He then got a huge smile on his face.

"What?" Yuki asked as he grinned himself.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've had even a whiff of Catnip?"

"Hmm," Yuki thought about it for a second, "I'm guessing, since our last night at Shigure's?"

"Exactly," Kyo replied.

"I'm glad you're happy Love," Yuki replied on the verge of chuckling again, "because I'm going to do the other thing, I did the last night at that house."

Kyo's mental cat ears perked. "Really?" He took his face out of the pillow.

"If you want me to," Yuki replied, now with a full smile on his face. "I've got the lotion all warmed up."

"Of course," Kyo responded, "I'm done having all this tension."

"In that case, you lay your head back down on that pillow and try to relax as I go to work." Kyo did what he was instructed and laid back down."

Yuki put some of the mixture on his hands. Though it was still warm, Yuki still rubbed them together a moment before placing them on Kyo's neck, near the base of his skull. Kyo flinched at the action but then sighed. Though the bath had clearly helped, Kyo's muscles felt as tight as all get out.

"Aww. Pet your neck's so tense," Yuki said as his fingers began to kneed their way down. "I'm guessing your shoulders are not that much better." From deep within him, Yuki felt something flutter in his heart. "I can't even begin to imagine how painful this must feel, " he then commented.

Continuing down, Yuki found the tightness in Kyo's neck was nothing compared to his shoulders. So much so, Yuki had to deepen the pressure. This caused Kyo to groan and flinch slightly. This also made Yuki realize this was also where some bruises were located. He lightened the pressure as he heard Kyo speak.

"Geeze, why do these hurt the most?"

"It's because you wore those heavy chains for so long," Yuki replied. "Since your hands and feet were restrained to the floor by a very heavy weight, you had to struggle to move, that tension went into your neck, and eventually down into your shoulders. Just hang in there, I've got to get through this. Breathe." Yuki increased the pressure again, leaving his hands on the spot. As Yuki heard Kyo wince again and take in a sharp breath, Yuki lowered his gaze as he felt the tightness in his chest return. "I'm sorry," he then replied somberly.

After a few moments Yuki felt the tension in Kyo's shoulders release, feeling the heat start to spread throughout his upper back. At this time, Kyo's body relaxed again as his breathing became easier.

He let out another soft sigh. "Ahh, that feels better," Kyo said, the Catnip oil helping as well. The tightness inside Yuki's chest dissipated as his gaze looked back up towards Kyo.

"It's feeling better?" He confirmed. "can you feel the heat?"

Kyo nodded. "Yes, I can feel it."

"Good, this means I'm winning the fight," Yuki said with a soft but happy tone. "Now Kyo, give me your arm." Kyo complied and Yuki put Kyo's arm gently behind his back, giving him better access to the shoulder blade itself. While Yuki rubbed, he looked up at the lotion trail starting from Kyo's neck and noticed how quickly it was disappearing. He lightly chuckled. "Your skin's also enjoying this, it's soaking the lotion right up."

"Mm, I can kind of feel that as well." Kyo responded.

"Can you?" Yuki asked, sounding intrigued. "Well, it is winter, so your skin gets dry, even under normal circumstances. If you want, I can do this for you when needed, or at least get to the places you can't reach."

"Hmm, I think I'd like that," Kyo replied. "What about the…"

"Massage?" Yuki cut Kyo off. "Pet, it's going to take along time for you to reverse what the confinement has done to you. Whatever you need I'll be there for you."

"You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours," Kyo chimed.

Yuki chuckled again. "That's what I'm here for."

Yuki finished with one of Kyo's shoulders and returned Kyo's arm to his side. He repeated the same process on the other shoulder blade before continuing down to Kyo's back.

As Yuki's hands glided over the surface, he softly spoke. "Alright Kyo, it's been a while and you need to guide me, is it…" He trailed off, exploring.

"Hah," Kyo suddenly sighed softly as Yuki's hand rubbed over a spot on his back. "I didn't know how much I needed this."

"And judging from the sound you just let out, I've found your spot," said Yuki as he rubbed the spot, feeling satisfaction.

The room then fell silent for a second. Though Yuki didn't know what, he could sense something was up with Kyo. Looking at him closely, Yuki saw his eyes were misty, just like they were in the Cat's Room. His mouth went dry.

''Am I doing something wrong?''

"Yuki, rubbing on my shoulders and back doesn't remind you of anything, does it?" Kyo chimed in, his voice sounding somber.

At Kyo's reply, Yuki felt warmth come rushing through his body and a tear roll down his face. As Yuki continued to rub down Kyo's back and listened to the rain on the roof, his mind drifted back to the night over seven years ago, when he made an important promise.


On the last night of Yuki stay at Shigure's, it was pouring down rain. He was busy taping up the last few boxes of his belongings to go to the main house. As he was taping the last one, he heard the door slide open and Kyo walk in. He had just come home from Kazuma's dojo.

Excited to see his boyfriend, Yuki put the tape down on top of the box and walked downstairs to greet him. As he came down the last few steps, Yuki composed himself, in case Shigure was around the corner. When Yuki reached the bottom, he was shocked by Kyo's condition.

He looked drained. His clothes were soaked, a few bruises dotted his face, and his eyes were dark. Apart from that, Kyo also looked like he was about to throw up.

Sure enough, Shigure was also there. When noticing Yuki, he looked up. "Done packing?"

Yuki nodded. "Just about."

"Well, you better hurry, you've got to be out of here by eight," Shigure then said with an evil smirk. "I can't believe this is your final night here. Oh, how time flies."

From in front of him, Yuki saw Kyo advert his gaze, breathing in sharply and going up the stairs, brushing past Yuki as he did so. As Yuki watched after Kyo, he saw how he was walking. He wasn't limping, but he was swaying from one side to the other. After Kyo made it to the top of the stairs, Yuki and Shigure heard a loud thud. Yuki was sure Kyo had hit the doorway of his room as he tried to enter.

Yuki turned to face Shigure, "I need to borrow the phone."

"Go right ahead."

As Yuki went to the phone, he waited until Shigure was out of ear shot before dialing the number. After a few rings, someone picked up.

"Hello."

"Hi Sensei, It's Yuki."

"Oh, hi Yuki." Kazuma's voice sounded a bit surprised to hear Yuki's voice on the other end, but still none the less pleasant. "Why are you calling, is Kyo okay?"

"Well, that's actually what I was calling about," Yuki replied, shifting his weight. "What happened today?"

"I don't know," Kazuma replied. "He arrived and started punching on some bags a lot harder than usual, that's all he did. A few times he punched the bag so hard that the returning force sent him flying. The last time this happened, it gave him a few bruises on his face."

"Did he say what the matter was?" Yuki asked intrigued.

"No," Kazuma sighed. "Every time I tried to ask him; he wouldn't tell me. After I doctored him up, I sent him home." There was silence on the line for a moment. "But maybe his mood as to do with tomorrows events."

Yuki felt a slight vibration in his chest as Kazuma's words and the sudden rainstorm clicked. Kazuma was the only person at the time besides Haru who knew.

Taking the phone away from his ear, Yuki then looked over his shoulder before speaking again. "Umm Sensei, do I have permission to use that special herb I'm growing in the shed?"

Kazuma let out another sigh, seeming to consider it for a moment. "Go ahead, but careful you don't use too much, I don't want him getting hooked on that stuff," he warned.

"Thanks Sensei," Yuki responded as he hung up the phone.

Taking his clippers from the kitchen, Yuki raced out to the garden shed, feeling the downpour of rain hitting his back.

''He's in a bad mood from our circumstances and the rains making it worse, it probably snuck up on him shortly after leaving Sensei's.''

Sliding the shed door open, he turned on the light. Far back in the corner, out of eyesight from most was a mini garden of catnip plants, housed in takeout containers and boxes, and being kept alive by heat lamps and grow lights.

He walked over and knelt down at one of the stalks that was ready and snipped a few leaves collecting them in his palm. Yuki quickly walked out of the shed.

Upon reentering the house, Yuki dashed back up to his room and rummaged around his dresser drawer until he found the bottle of almond oil. He then went down the hall to Kyo's room and knocked.

"Argh, go away Shigure," Kyo's voice sounded from the other side of the door. "I'm not in the mood."

Yuki slowly twisted the doorknob and open the door with his free hand. "Relax, it's just me Pet," Yuki said as he peeked his head around.

On the other side of the door, Yuki saw Kyo was lying on the floor with his arm covering his forehead and eyes, a tired expression on his face.

"Shigure hear you come up here?" Kyo asked, lifting his arm slightly so he could get a peek at Yuki.

"I don't think so," Yuki replied, walking into the room, and closing the door. He walked over and set the oil and the nip leaves on Kyo's dresser.

"I thought we did this after dark, and in your room."

"Figured the storm was bad enough, you deserved a house call."

"I could've made it to your room in a bit, you Rat," Kyo spat, but ran out of steam instantly.

Yuki smirked, though Kyo couldn't see it. "Oh please Kyo, you could barely make it to your room and your futon, let alone down the hall." Yuki then turned to face him. "So, headache?"

"The worst I've had," Kyo pulled his arm away from his eyes, "And the medication Master gave me isn't helping."

Yuki turned back and grabbed the leaves. "Well, look what was ready in my secret garden," he said as he gathered them in his palm and started to walk over with them. Kyo was already up when Yuki approached. Yuki cupped his hands and allowed Kyo to inhale.

"And Master gave you permission to use this on me?" Kyo asked as his headache dulled and his eyes dilated.

"Of course, I called and asked before I came up here." With his one free hand, Yuki inspected Kyo's shirt and realized it was soaked. "Alright, wet clothes off, lay on your futon. I'll put the leaves on your pillow," he said doing just that.

"What?"

"Here," Yuki said, helping Kyo to bring the wet shirt over his head, "I don't want you to catch a cold as I'm walking out the door.

"I can do it myself," Kyo protested, but before he could say anything more, Yuki had the wet fabric over his head.

Before long, they were lying on Kyo's futon and Yuki was rubbing down his secret lover's back. With another thunderclap, Yuki felt Kyo tense under his hands.

"Pet, you, okay?" Yuki's brows drew together as he lightened the pressure almost to the point of removing his hands completely. He then Looked towards Kyo leaning towards his face slightly. "Pressure too hard, did I hit a sore spot?"

Kyo shook his head. "No, it's not that," he replied, "it's just…" Yuki could tell there was more Kyo wanted to say before he trailed off but couldn't or wouldn't.

"Okay spill it, Kyo," said Yuki, giving the redhead full eye contact. "What's going on?"

Kyo let out a sigh. "They're taking you away tomorrow," he replied. "Akito's splitting us up for good, and to make matters worse, this is the last time I will see you alive. I'm frustrated, for the first time that I can remember, there's something happy in my life, and just like that the clan is going to take you away from me, just like they always do."

"So that's why you've been in a mood today," Yuki said starting to deepen the pressure again. "Sensei thought as much."

A second later, Kyo's body started to quiver as quiet sobs escaped his lips. "I really wish more than anything, this moment could last forever, I really do."

This time, Yuki removed his hands from Kyo's back and maneuvered himself so that he was facing him on the futon. "Pet, look at me." Kyo did as he was told and turned his head. When Yuki saw his love had tears running down his face, he quickly wiped them away. It hurt Yuki to see Kyo like this it was the sensitive side only he could see. "A love like ours can't be broken, and it can never die no matter how far or how long they separate us," said Yuki as he smiled gently, "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again some day."

"No we won't," Kyo sniffled slightly. "You remember what Akito, and I have told you. I am to be bound to the room until ether, the curse breaks, or I die, which ever comes first." Kyo turned and placed his head back on the pillow. "I'm sorry Yuki. You've tried your best, but as the cards fold, this will be our last night together."

Yuki closed his eyes for a second, a weight forming in his chest. He wanted the same thing, a way to make their last night last forever.

From somewhere deep within Yuki's mind, the spark of an idea began to form replacing the heaviness with heat.

"Says who?"

At Yuki's words, Kyo's mental cat ears perked. "What?"

"Who says this is our last night to spend together?"

"What are you talking about, Yuki?" Kyo asked, confused. "You know who…"

"I don't mean like that," Yuki replied, choosing to ignore his boyfriend as he made up his mind. "I'm making you a promise right now Kyo, I'm going to find the Cat's Room, get you out and change your fate, and I won't stop until I do, even if it takes me a lifetime."

"No you can't," Kyo quietly exclaimed. "You may be the rat Yuki, but Akito is still God, how are you going to convince him?"

Yuki pursed his lips as he thought for another moment. "I have no idea," he admitted, "but I'll find a way, and like you always like to remind me, I am a sly rat."

"You may get yourself hurt while doing this," said Kyo," or worse."

"Yes, I could, but even so, nothing's going to stop me from finding you and making sure tonight's not our last night together," Yuki said as heat flushed his face, "After all, that's one thing Akito won't count on." Yuki gently clasped Kyo's cheeks.

The action caught Kyo off guard slightly. "And what might that be?"

"My love for you," Yuki replied as he slowly brought Kyo's lips to his in a sweet kiss.

"Okay Yuki, if you say so," Kyo retorted, sounding unconvinced. "Just promise, you'll never give up on me."

"You can count on it," Yuki replied as he took the rest of Kyo in. He then felt his heart and stomach flutter as he made up his mind about something else. "To prove it to you, I'm going to give you the one thing tonight Akito will never have. Akito may have the rest of my life after tonight, but you'll be the only one to have this," as the words left his mouth, Yuki blushed slightly.

Yuki didn't have to tell Kyo what he meant, be knew by the longing look in Yuki's eyes. "You want to, you will?"

"If you want me," Yuki simply said.

Kyo nodded in approval but didn't say anything as he set up slightly. Yuki brought Kyo's face back to his for another kiss, this time more passionate. Yuki's heart pounded as he moved his hands to Kyo's shoulders and deepened the kiss. He felt Kyo's hands moving up his arms, moving down towards the buttons of his shirt as he did so. Undoing the buttons, Kyo started to bring Yuki's shirt down, but stopped abruptly and hesitantly.

"Wait," Kyo said softly, breaking the kiss off and giving Yuki stern eye contact. "You also have to promise, you won't get hurt or killed while looking for me."

"Only if you promise me, you won't stop fighting," Yuki remarked, sounding out of breath.

"You better believe it," said Kyo as he finished removing Yuki's shirt and leaning back, allowing Yuki to get on top of him.

All the while, the sounds of mother nature was helping to disguise the magic that was happening right under everyone's noses.


Yuki was snapped out of his thoughts when a lightning bolt flashed through his window. That night happened so long ago and yet the memory was still fresh in his mind as if it happened last night.

"Reminds me of our last night at Shigure's," said Yuki, finally replying to Kyo's question. "That was the night I vowed to change your fate."

"You kept your promise," Kyo said, sounding a bit humbled. "You saved me."

While he was zoned out Yuki's hands continued to work down Kyo's body, now approaching his legs and feet. Yuki's hands made quick work of Kyo's atrophied legs, being sure to glide over them gently. When Yuki got to Kyo's feet, he made sure to give each ankle a slight rub, just like he did upon first removing the cuffs, only lasting a bit longer than before.

"Mmm," Kyo hummed, "still a bit sore."

As gently as he could, Yuki traveled down to Kyo's feet, satisfied that they weren't as tense as other places on Kyo's body.

"I remember that as well, when we made our love internal," Kyo then said, his voice suddenly sounding far away. "I can still feel it in my bones and heart. When it got bad inside the room, that was the one memory that kept me going. Deep down, I wanted to still believe you were searching for me, but I slowly started to give up hope, until tonight."

At Kyo's admission, Yuki didn't do anything for a moment but remove his hands from his love's ankles. Finally, He got up and put his lips up to Kyo's ear

"Turn over, so I can do your front," he simply said in a whisper. With some help from Yuki, Kyo was able to roll, now laying on his back.

After Yuki made sure Kyo was still comfortable, Yuki greased his thumbs with some mor of the mixture before continuing on to Kyo's temples. Yuki's eyes popped open.

"Oh my gosh, Pet," he quietly exclaimed, "your head's pounding." Yuki could actually feel the pressure in Kyo's skull pulsing through his fingertips, as if it were about to explode.

"I told you, the catnip's help…" Kyo replied, but trailed off once Yuki's thumbs started to rub his head in circular motions. "Ha."

"So I'd take it this is still pretty much the only thing that helps?" Yuki asked softly as he concentrated on Kyo's forehead.

"Mmhm," Kyo sighed, his eyes now three quarters of the way closed. "Was back then, same way now."

When Yuki could feel the throbbing inside Kyo's head was lessening, he slowly began moving his fingers outward towards each other. Using the rest of the mixture from his thumb, Yuki placed it in his hands before rubbing his hands together.

"I'm going to get your face and cheeks a little," Yuki said as he gently connected his hands to Kyo's face. "See if I can help counteract that dryness as well." Kyo leaned into his touch.

There was a long moment of silence While Yuki softly rubbed around the face and cheeks of the one, he loved. It gave Yuki's heart a floating sensation to see Kyo's facial features again, as if all his burdens had been removed for the first time in his life. The moment was cut short when Kyo's eyes began to tear up abruptly.

"I'm sorry, Yuki," he said as tiny sobs escaped from his mouth. "I'm sorry, I couldn't keep my half of our promise, I gave up on you ever finding me, I'm…" Kyo was cut off when Yuki's other hand caressed the other side of his face.

"Pet, look at me, look at me, " Yuki said calmly, his insides filling hollow again. "I don't care if you gave up on me along the way. In fact, if I was in your shoes, I would've given up long before you ever did," he admitted as a lightning bolt flashed, getting farther apart. "But you kept fighting till the end, that's what matters."

"I love you, Yuki," Kyo said softly as his tears halted. Yuki felt the hollowness inside him dissipate into warmth.

"It is our love for each other that has gotten us this far, Pet," Yuki remarked, bringing Kyo's head to his, "and I love you too." Yuki then gave Kyo a gentle peck in between the eyes.

Yuki's heart felt weightless as warmth then infused through the rest of his body. His eyes gleamed slightly.

''That was our first I love you.''

Leaning Kyo's head back slightly, Yuki's hands glided down Kyo's neck before coming to rest on the front side of his shoulders

Kyo hissed and flinched at the return of the tightness. Yuki looked up at him, his mind coming back down to earth. Yuki tilted his head and gave Kyo strong eye contact as he deepened the pressure slightly.

"Breathe deeply for a moment, Pet, I've got to get through this once again," Yuki repeated as he began kneading the sore and tight muscles. Something inside Yuki's stomach clenched. He didn't like putting Kyo in pain, especially after all he had been through, it made him feel guilty. Apart of him wanted to stop, but another part of him knew it would get better in a moment. "It's from you lying on your stomach and that hard floor for so long with no way of getting up."

Hearing Kyo sigh and let out a deep breath after a few long seconds made Yuki sigh mentally.

"Thanks, Yuki," Kyo said in between breaths, "that was a difficult one for me."

'"For you and me both.''

With his job done there, Yuki worked his way down Kyo's chest stopping abruptly over the spot where his heart was located. For how skinny Kyo was, Yuki was surprised at the powerful beat thumping against his hands. His eyes glowed

"Your heart is so strong," Yuki said with a loving smile, "just like you." Yuki's comment made Kyo blush but he didn't say anything.

Yuki then traveled down to Kyo's stomach, feeling how flat and empty it was, knowing that would soon change.

Yuki was also relieved that most of the hard part was over, all that was left to do was just rub. Even so, he still adverted his eyes when reaching and going down Kyo's legs out of respect. They could now enjoy being in each other's company.

While Yuki went to work on Kyo's feet, making sure to deepen the pressure and gently get between every toe, he noticed Kyo's eyes getting heavier and his body becoming more relaxed as the minutes ticked by.

Seeing Yuki was almost done, Kyo finally spoke. "Yuki, I'm…tired," he said as he yawned and rubbed his eyes his voice sounding a bit more groggy.

Stopping, Yuki's face upturned, and he smiled again. "Of course you are," he replied softly but sweet. "Of course you're tired, how could you not be Pet?" Yuki then got off the bed taking what remained of the mixture with him and setting the bowl down on the dresser. "Give me a moment, there's still one more thing I have to do," Yuki then remarked, walking around to the bedside table where Kyo's clothes still set folded and grabbed them.

As Yuki dressed Kyo, his love cocked his brow. "Yuki, what if I have to use the bathroom?"

"Don't you worry, Pet, he replied thoughtfully, feeling his own fulfilling tiredness take hold. "Just let me know and I'll get you there." As Yuki got the red shirt over Kyo's head, the nights storm finally subsided, leaving behind nothing more then the sound of soothing rain on the roof. "There you go having clothes again feels good, doesn't it?" Kyo nodded, letting his body get used to the soft fabric.

Yuki removed the towel from under Kyo, resting him down gently before throwing the cloth elsewhere. He then pulled back the covers on his side of the bed and got in, moving over until the point where him and Kyo were spooning.

Yuki gently encircled his arms around the waist of the one he loved, his head slightly feeling lightheaded and airy as he took in Kyo's scent, waiting for sleep to take it's hold on him. He closed his eyes.

"Yuki," Kyo said instantly, "I'm tired, but I'm afraid to fall asleep," he admitted. "What if Akito comes for me in the night and puts me back in that place?"

"Don't worry, Pet," Yuki replied softly but didn't open his eyes, his breath fanning the back of Kyo's neck. "I'm here with you and I'm not going to let that happen." Yuki thought about something. "Besides, when you fall asleep, I'll be there when you wake up. After you wake up, you're going to get some warm breakfast. Then, if Hatori gives me the go ahead and if you're up for it, I'm going to spend all day showing you how much I've missed you over these last seven years, he added.

"Really," Kyo muttered, his voice sounding hopeful, "you promise?"

"Yes love, it's a promise," Yuki quietly confirmed. "Don't worry, nothing's ever going to separate us again."

"Good."

Slowly the cat and the rat fell asleep, their minds quiet and comforted by each other's presence, there breathing slow and even, but also powerful, like rain and thunder.

The End.


A/N Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you liked it. Before I go, if you think I this story's missing a hashtag or a sequel, tell me in a comment.

Thanks guys :-)