Stupid Lies and Foolish Games
Chapter 9
By: Catrina
A/N:
00-00-00-00
"Shigure, I thought it was only supposed to be a couple weeks. Next Monday will be a month." Kyo was exasperated talking to the dog. Really the first couple weeks had been okay. Everyone was on their own schedule and all so busy with classes starting and the younger two were excited. But it was getting old quick.
"I'm sorry Kyo, but the family just doesn't see why there needs to be an added expense when all 4 of you are doing okay."
"We only have one shower Shigure; do you know how early we have to get up to get ready?"
"But you are on routine then" The dogs voice was chipper, but then turned serious. "I understand Kyo but the Sohma family is the one that is paying the bill, and they just see another apartment as an unnecessary expense."
"But…"
"You can't win this one, Kyo. You might want to have a discussion with your roommates about your new living arrangements."
"I am not having fun sharing a room with a cow every night. He 'moo's'."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Shigure, believe me when I say you are ruining my life." Kyo hung the phone up without listening to the response. He knew it wouldn't be good anyway.
Momiji had run into the same problem Yuki had when they were going to move on campus. So the family pulled strings and now he had permission to live off campus. And well Haru did what he wanted to and always got away with it, so he was happy here, mooning over Yuki. He and Yuki hadn't had a real minute to themselves since this started. He just wasn't sure if there was anyway to get around it. He didn't make enough money at the restaurant to get his own apartment, and even if he did it would look crazy if Yuki started staying there all the time. So that really wasn't an option anyway. Sometimes Kyo really wondered if the gods were against him.
He knew that he didn't deserve this kind of punishment. Kyo glared at the phone as though it was the source of all his problems and then went back to his room.
"Hey." Haru mumbled while still reading.
"Hey. I'm headed to work, I'll be back late."
"Man, when do you study?" Haru did glance up when he asked that question.
"When I get up at the crack of dawn to shower." Kyo told him grabbing a sweatshirt. It was a starting to get a little cold at night.
"Oh, did you call Shigure?"
"Yeah."
"That doesn't sound promising."
"We'll see, I guess. Later." Kyo walked out leaving Haru staring after him. Something was different and he just couldn't put his finger on it. He wasn't happy about being stuck with Kyo and Momiji, he didn't mind living with Yuki though… but even Yuki seemed on edge. He and Kyo were both acting a little strange, but then they had lived together for almost year, when he and Momiji came to live with them… And they were both creatures of habit, maybe they just didn't like that disturbed.
That must be it… really what else could it be?
00-00-00-00
Yuki came back to the apartment late in the afternoon, Kyo would be working, and they would eat whatever was handy and then go to bed. Kyo had been coming home late, and really late on Friday and Saturdays. He was sure that Kyo was doing it on purpose; he had said that he was going to, but this was going on too long. Last week he had not seen Kyo for 4 days straight and that was not what he considered an even somewhat healthy relationship. But with Yuki tutoring in the early morning, and him working at night it really didn't work. Yuki was the first one up and he was leaving as Kyo was waking to shower, before both Haru and Momiji. The last time he had seen him was when his pupil cancelled early that morning and he and Kyo had talked before classes.
But tonight he wanted to try stay awake to see him. He heard the rabbit's steady breathing, and knew him to be asleep. It was odd how a sound like someone breathing could almost hypnotize you to sleep. He was lucky that Kyo dropped his keys as he was coming in or Yuki would have slept right thought Kyo coming home.
Carefully Yuki snuck around Momiji and opened his door. He walked down the hall and caught Kyo taking off his shoes. The keys that he had dropped were sitting on the table and he picked them up. The jingle caught Kyo's attention.
"Hey. What are you doing awake?" Yuki like surprising Kyo, not that it was hard to do.
"I was waiting up for you." Kyo smirked a little as he walked forward. He ran a hand down Yuki's hair.
"You look like you just woke up."
"Well I was in bed." Yuki had finally gotten used to sleeping alone again. It didn't mean that he didn't like it.
"Everyone else asleep?"
"Well Momiji for sure. He was asleep when I left the room. Haru went to bed early tonight, so I assume he is."
Kyo's lips touched his lightly and this is the first time in a long time that Yuki could remember kissing him. He returned the soft kiss, their lips clinging together.
"Miss you." Kyo stated softly and Yuki smirked at the blush that spread across Kyo's cheek at the confession.
"Me too. I wish that were around more."
"Then I would have to pretend that I still don't like you, and I hate living with you. You know as well as I do I can't lie to save my life." Yuki stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Kyo, just enjoying the warmth. Kyo's arms wrapped around him and for just a moment they stood there.
"What if we tell them, what do you think would happen?" He laid his head on the cat's shoulder and tried to think it through.
"Haru would be pissed and come after my head."
"Momiji would be okay I think. He has always been more mature then most give him credit for. But sooner or later, Haru needs to get over me… maybe this is what he needs."
"Are you going to be saying that when Kagura finds out and comes after you?"
"…"
"I thought so. But really the keeper of the curse is young and growing in a house that has Tohru living in it. I don't think that she will grow up twisted and cruel. We don't have to worry about Akito. What is there to hide from?" Kyo asked.
"I don't know. I'm not ashamed, or embarrassed so I'm not sure why we would need to hide it. I wonder how Ayame and Hatori do it? Everyone knows that they are involved but they have never really said, and they seem to be left alone…"
"I'm not sure; he's your brother, talk to him." Ayame and Yuki had grown closer, but still not like brothers should be.
"He would see it as a bonding experience…"
"And he and Hatori have been together for quite while. But we were all so used to seeing them together that it didn't matter." Kyo stated.
"I'm just not sure that I can get the courage to ask him."
"You can always ask him up for tea, and if you're comfortable you can ask him, besides, I think he already knows." Kyo thought back to when Ayame was here, there was something off about that visit.
"Me too. It's just the way he was the last time he was here."
"If he knows, then Hatori knows and maybe even Shigure…" Kyo went on. Yuki pulled away and took a good look at Kyo, he looked tired and a little rumpled. Yuki grabbed his hand and walked with over to the couch. Yuki sat down and then he pulled Kyo down on the couch so that he was laying on the couch and his head rested in Yuki's lap. They spoke in soft tones for a few minutes before the conversation started to drop off and the two just enjoyed being around each other, however as Kyo start to drift off, he woke both himself and Yuki and they both grudgingly went to their separate rooms.
Yuki woke late that next morning to an empty house, and while he didn't want to he picked up the phone, and in 10 minutes his brother was on his way… Yuki had never realized that he was so loved by his brother… maybe that was something that he should stop taking for granted, just like having Kyo around all the time…
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Ayame was surprised to say the least. He looked over at Hatori.
"He wants to see me." Ayame looked a little worried, "He sounded serious to."
"Yuki always sound serious." Hatori told him, as he watched Ayame nervously pace as he quickly got ready then brushed his hair and braided it over his shoulder.
"Can you take to me the station so that I can catch the train?" Ayame asked and when he turned those silver green eyes on Hatori, he knew that he would deny the other man nothing. Anything to ease his mind…
"You could have given yourself a little more time…" Hatori started but was quickly interrupted.
"He called to ask me for tea, that has never really happened before, what is something is wrong. What if he and Kyo are over and he doesn't know what to do? What if he …"
"Stop with the 'what ifs'" Hatori stood and placed calming hands on his shoulders. "Stop thinking the worst, keep working at it and Yuki will love you as much as the rest of us do."
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Always say what I need to hear. It's what made me fall in love with you in the first place."
"I hope it was more then that."
"It was everything about you." Ayame assured him.
"Let's get you to the station."
Yuki jumped in the shower and got ready quickly and then waited for his brother. Even with his brother leaving immediately he knew that it would be a while, so he was surprised to hear the knock on the door so quickly. Yuki opened the door and there was his brother looked very worried.
"Are you okay?" Ayame asked as he rushed forward and looked over his brother.
"Yes, fine, I'm sorry to worry you."
"No, no it's fine, just an over active imagination. How are you?" Ayame asked as he wrapped his brother in a big hug.
"Please don't tell me you were imagining my untimely death…"
"Oh no, you called so I knew you were alive." Ayame said with a smile and Yuki just shook his head.
"I need to ask for your seriousness please."
"Of course, if necessary. Is this a conversation for here or elsewhere?"
"Elsewhere." Yuki locked the door behind him and they started the walk, it was warm and but breezy and storms were expected tonight, but the sun was still trying to shine. The two of them walked in silence, but Yuki was aware of all the stares that they were receiving, but he didn't blame them, even he could see that his brother was more beautiful then ever. When they finally made it to a small coffee shop they placed their orders and sat down.
"Answer my questions please, yes or no only..." Yuki wanted it to be as simple as possible and he figured this would decrease his embarrassment. He couldn't look his brother in the eye anyway.
"Okay…" Ayame took a sip and really started to wonder what this was all about.
"You and Hatori are together?"
"Yes."
"As…" Yuki blushed and spoke so softly that Ayame barely heard him. "Lovers?"
"Yes."
"And you know about Kyo and me right?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for you're honestly."
"Of course." Ayame said with a wide smile. "Now what is this about?"
"How does everyone know that you are together with you never announcing it?"
"Everyone can recognize love, Yuki…"
"We aren't in love," Yuki interrupted, for the first time looking up, he registered the surprise on his brother's face, but it was only there for a second.
"Maybe I should say this in a different way? You don't have to do anything; you don't have to say anything. Just be yourselves, people recognize when two people have a connection, whether it be lust, love, or friendship. Being with Kyo makes you who you are, and when you guys aren't yourself, it makes people aware in a different sense. When you are the way you like to be, everyone will be more comfortable. People who know you really well may ask 'when did that change' or 'when did you two start to get along' and then you just be honest. Things did change when you moved in together. Relationships change. If you would have asked 6 years ago if I would have been with Hatori, I would have laughed at you. But now he's the center of my life."
In the time they had been talking, their coffees had appeared and Ayame took a sip of his before waiting for his brother to look up. He was surprised slightly when Yuki said they weren't in love, but they might not be…or Yuki was in denial.
Yuki stirred his coffee as he thought over his brother's words. They were simple really, don't do anything different, and don't say anything different.
Just be yourself.
Hadn't Tohru told him that before?
"That's it?" Yuki asked looking up.
"Shigure asked of course, but he knew both of us so well, I think, he knew before we did. But he had a right to ask."
"Well that's easy."
"Harder then you think. How's your coffee?" Ayame asked a large smile on his face.
00-00-00-00
Kyo walked in as the phone was ringing. He grabbed it quick and rushed out a greeting.
"Kyo?" He recognized the dog's voice immediately.
"Hey Shigure. Are you calling to tell me that more people are coming to live with me?" Kyo spoke sarcastically, but at this time last year, he was living happily by himself. And now he shared what used to be his place with most of his family.
"No, no more people joining you, however, I did talk to the elders. They do understand that you are in tight quarters. In the same building you are in now, but a couple floors up there is a larger three bedroom apartment with two full bathrooms."
"But let me guess all four of us move up there together."
"Yeah. The land lady is a friend of one the Sohma's so she will let you move up to that apartment with out increasing your rent."
"Seriously… I'm never going to get rid of them?" Kyo couldn't disguise the gloom in his voice. He didn't want to continue this way.
"Is it really so bad?" Shigure asked, for the first time really hearing despair in the younger man's voice
"I don't think that you understand. I thought with Akito's death we weren't going to be subject to the whims of the family?"
"Well we aren't made out of money." Shigure stated.
"What about a cheap one bedroom apartment? Never mind, I'll look on my own. Thanks." He hung up before Shigure said anything.
He only made so much money but his boss had always said just to let him know and he could have more hours. Kyo wondered if he could make enough to support him and Yuki. He had just gotten a raise and a bonus… maybe instead of buying a something for himself or Yuki he would see if it could help him get a little one bedroom apartment.
Apartment shopping he found was depressing, everyone wanted more money then he had. Yuki wasn't really in a position to help, but Kyo knew that he would if he really asked him to. They only thing that he found that was actually in his price range seemed to be invested with bugs, the apartment had his cat sense on edge. He came home that afternoon, then went and got ready for work and left. He'd try to come home early and see if Yuki was awake.
00-00-00-00
Momiji woke when he felt an extra presence in the room. He barely opened his eyes but he already knew that it was Kyo. Even though everyone said that Kyo never possessed the grace of the cat, he did walk with the stealth of one. He shook Yuki awake the rat woke slowly grumbling but they both snuck out of the room. If Momiji had been in a deeper sleep he would not have heard them. They didn't shut the door behind them, most likely worried that the sound of the door latching would wake him, but now Momiji was curious. He crawled up on all fours and crawled close to the door. They were talking in hushed whispers, but he could still hear them.
"I got a call from Shigure today. He said that they found a three bedroom apartment for us to move to. All four of us."
"Four?"
"Yeah, they said that they see another apartment for those two as an added expense."
"But…" Yuki, Momiji noticed, seemed to be waking up fairly quickly. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
"Well, I talked to my boss; I can go to full time nights whenever I want to. And I got a bonus for being there for a year. But I just looked around and I couldn't find anything that was decent."
Momiji was a little confused. He pulled the door open a little farther and he could see the two of them sitting at the table each of them on a side of a corner facing each other. They were sitting really close to each other heads bowed.
"Well then that's not an option…" Yuki paused for a moment, parts of his brother's conversation going through his head. "I think that we should look at the apartment."
"Huh?" Kyo hadn't know what to expect however that was not it.
"Yeah, we should look at it and like it…"
"What are you scheming?" Momiji could hear the question in Kyo's voice.
"And then we should convince Momiji and Haru that you and I should share a room."
"Okay genius, how is that going to work?" Kyo waked away and went in the kitchen. Momiji could hear the tap water running. He then heard the clank of two glasses as they were set down. When he got the courage to peek, he saw Kyo leaning against the counter and Yuki still sitting at the table, with his hands wrapped around the glass Kyo had put down in front of him.
"Simple we have the most similar schedule, wake up and usually go to bed at the same time. Or we used to until you started to hide at work." Yuki was glaring at the other boy.
"What do you want me to do? Hang around here and watch Haru moon over my boyfriend all night and not be able to do anything about it?" Boyfriend, that word made all of this make sense. Momiji wasn't sure when it had happened but the relationship between these two had obviously changed. For the better as for as he was concerned, and why they were hiding it from the family, that made sense to, Haru and Kagura, were two of the reasons he could think of, and he was sure that there were more then just those.
"It hasn't been that bad…"
"You're too used to it." And Kyo was right, Yuki was used to it, even he got sick of watching Haru stare at Yuki with love in his eyes.
"I think that while we are supported by the family we need to understand where they are coming from. Look what they have allowed us to do. We are in universities, studying what we want not what they want. And we have the freedom to do as we please for the most part. Let's see the apartment and then become roommates."
"Okay, you have obviously had a change of heart. What did Ayame say to you?" Kyo sounded amazed.
"Really just to be ourselves. Not be out front and rude and like holding hands and laying over each other, but he said that whether we try to hide it or not people will sense a connection. Let's say we move in to that other place and room together, they will notice that something has changes. Maybe we should just let it happen. We won't be ridiculed or made fun of. Maybe Kagura and Haru will just leave us alone."
"Aren't you being Mr. Optimistic?" Momiji heard the sarcasm in the voice and could tell this wasn't Yuki's normal roll.
"I don't want to try to deceive anyone. And we all know that you really aren't that good at it. So maybe this is the best road to go."
"So that's the plan?'
"Yeah."
"Not sure if I like it."
"Well the other plan is for you to stop being a coward and instead of hiding at work we make up excuses to both be out of the house at the same time. You know movies, dinner, things like that." Momiji could almost hear the blank expression on Kyo's face. "That though never even crossed your mind did it?" Yuki asked Momiji heard the exasperation in the voice and had to stifle a giggle. That was just too funny.
"Well I guess I can do that too…"
"Idiot."
"What did you call me?"
"Idiot."
"Come over here and call me that in my face." Momiji heard the scrape telling him that the chair was being pushed away from the table. He peeked back out the crack in the door to see Yuki walking forward to stand in front of Kyo. Maybe they still fought, Maybe that would never change.
"One more time.'
"Idiot." Momiji watched in slight horror….which then turned into embarrassment as Kyo pulled the other boy into him, covering Yuki's mouth with his own. Yuki reached up and grabbed Kyo's hair obviously trying to take control of the kiss. He could feel a blush staining his cheeks as he pulled away from the door to go back to his futon. He had a hard time getting to sleep that night, even after Yuki came back in and shut the door.
00-00-00-00
"Okay guys what do you think?" Yuki asked as they all looked over the apartment. It was similar to the one they were in. Already furnished with western style furniture. When you first walked in you had a combined living and kitchen area with an island separating the two areas. Then down the hall there was a master bed room on the left that was larger and had its own bathroom and on the other side there was two smaller bedrooms with the second smaller bathroom at the end of the hall. Kyo looked it over trying to remain optimistic. It looked like it would still be a tight fit.
"Yuki and I could share the master bed room." Haru noted peeking in the door.
"That's not a good idea. You wake up later then he does and go to bed way later. You'll keep him up and you guys will disrupt each other's sleep." Momiji was the one, who spoke peeking in the bedroom himself, it was nice. For a moment he thought of suggesting that he and Haru could share it, but that was just as bad as Haru's suggestion. "Yuki and Kyo should take it."
Momiji glanced back at the dead silence of the apartment to see all eyes looking at him. Two stares were in shock while the other suspicious.
"What?"
"Are you crazy?" That was Haru.
"Why that suggestion?" That was Yuki
"Huh?" That was Kyo, ever the articulate one…
"It just makes sense, you two lived together before we moved in, your schedules match, and you're just as used to each other as we are." Momiji stated pointing a finger between Haru and himself.
"What do you think Kyo?" Yuki asked. And if the rabbit hadn't seen what last night he would have thought that they were actually thinking it over. Kyo was standing next to Momiji and he lightly dropped a fist on the rabbits head.
"It makes the most sense… I don't have to like it thought."
With that settled Kyo made the call and Shigure got everything signed. They were moving the next day.
Since they were just moving a couple floors up, Yuki wasn't doing his most organized packing. He threw the stuff in his desk in a box and was pulling out one of the dresser drawers when Momiji walked in.
"I saw you." Momiji stated. After two awkward days the rabbit decided that he should just come clean. He didn't like pretending any more then the others. He was forced to do that with his mother and little sister… he didn't want to have to do that here.
"I was wondering if you did… you obviously heard us.' Yuki didn't even look up but Momiji saw his hands pause their work and start moving again at a slower pace.
"Yeah…"
"So awkward…" Yuki drew the word out as he stood up and look Momiji in the eye.
"Just a little bit… but its okay, I don't care. And even I did have a problem with it you shouldn't care. I like it." Momiji spoke with conviction.
"Really? It doesn't bother you even a little?"
"No… you know me," Momiji had a huge smile on his face, "Any bit of happiness that you can get, grab it and never let it go."
"Thanks, that means a lot." Yuki smiled at him in return, realizing that he had been right; Momiji was far more mature that most of them most of the time.
"Who else knows?"
"Ayame and all my friends."
"Huh? Why do they know?" This came out as more of a whine and for a moment Yuki was taking back his earlier comment that Momiji was mature.
"It's a long story, they helped me move, and then well…. It's a long story." Yuki really didn't want to hash it all out again.
"But you don't want Haru to know?"
"I'm just not sure how he will react. He's been infatuated with me for so long."
"I'm sure we can ease him into the idea. After all you can't hide love." Momiji's smile froze when Yuki did.
"We're not in love."
"Huh?" Momiji didn't know what else to say.
"We aren't in love. We are compatible and just want to be able to do what we want."
"Compatible?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"And for the last month, you've just missed your compatibly?" Yuki tilted his head in thought trying to think that question through.
"Yes."
"Huh."
"What that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Momiji raised is hands in a placating gesture almost like 'I'm not guilty.' Momiji picked up the box that he had just packed and exited into the hall. He had to stifle a laugh.
He had never actually considered that the rat was a moron when it came to emotion…
00-00-00-00
"Are you sure you can live in the same room with Yuki?"
"I'll manage."
"How?"
"I've already been doing it for a year."
"But how?"
"Compromise, moron."
"How so?"
"I cook, he cleans…'
"You make Yuki clean!?"
"An example." Kyo rolled his eyes. This was one thing he would not be missing. Sharing the room with Haru…. When he was in black mode he was just quiet and off to himself, unless chasing after Yuki, but now as normal Haru, he was just annoyingly inquisitive. "If it doesn't work then I'll trade rooms with Momiji." Kyo already knew that it would work.
"Why not me?"
"Because every night you would try to sneak into his bed." Kyo explained exasperated. "Do you have everything?"
"Yes." Kyo looked across the hall to see the other room empty and the bathroom as well. The kitchen was cleaned out and the apartment was empty except for what wasn't theirs to begin with.
He was going to miss this place.
So many things had happened here, things that had changed his life.
His first time on his own.
His first time having friends over for movie nights.
His first time answering only to himself.
Then living with Yuki.
Then being with Yuki.
But this was going to be a new stage of his life, a new stage of his relationship with Yuki, and his other cousins.
He was looking forward to it.
He left the key on the counter and closed the door behind him.
00-00-00-00
It seems like the end, doesn't it... In case anyone is wondering… I got new computer for Christmas. YAY! I'm not promising regular updates… but at least updates
Thanks for reading
Cat