Release Some Tension
Chapter#3: foreboding
Yuki continued alongside Shigure, ignoring his cousin's pointless babbles he insisted were conversation. "It was a shame you missed out on Momiji's exquisite performance last year Yuki, he had on the most beautiful seasonal kimono!" The inu gushed starry eyed, and resumed his conversation with himself while the nezumi dragged his feet deep in conflict with his own emotions. "This year it will be Ritsu's turn, which will be entertaining." Shigure gave a dashing bemused glance over toward Yuki with his hand sheltering his mouth in a gossip like manner.
"Will you shut up!" Yuki mumbled firmly under his breath, but loud enough to cue in his cousin. The zodiac dog smiled even wider, ignoring Yuki's comment.
"Have you noticed a certain trait Soma males have in common...well, some more than others?" Shigure paused and proceeded even after the silent brooding response he had gotten. "the gift, the curse of femininity. Take me for example!" They reached the horizon of the unpaved path and turned out onto the extension road. "Dashing, handsome yes. But in a sense I guess you could say I am in fact somewhat feminine, I'm very nurturing that is a female quality isn't it?"
"Lechery is not not a form of nurturing." Yuki snapped glaring, giving the inu full attention for the first time since they left, his irises a dark, more electric violet.
"Why I never!" Shigure sulked dramatically as he did a ridiculously flamboyant twirl with his gloved hand over his mouth. The nezumi refocused his gazed ahead of them once again, and rested uncomfortably back into his thoughts. "Momiji and Ritsu; both presumably male...take their femininity to a new level." His voice become a poor excuse for stern, "Drag. These boys feel more comfortable in clothes of the opposite sex than in the ones they were made to wear!" Shigure continued his rant as they crossed the ghostly intersection, absent of all vehicles and pedestrians. "And as far as you are concerned Yuki, physically you are the most delicate and girl-like of us all."
The rat tensed, Shigure's antics were more nettlesome than usual. Wasn't it enough that he was going to the damn banquet? Wasn't it frustrating enough that he couldn't spend the evening and watch the sunrise with Tohru? Why did Shigure have to torment him?
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The boards on the ladder creaked beneath her feet, then groaning as she slid down the rest of the way. "Tohru!" The neko cried from above, hunching over the edge of the roof with his paws dangling and small orange ears slumped down on each side. "I didn't!" The rest of his plea was muffled by the walls of the kitchen. Tohru's hand slapped fluidly against the counter top, as her knees struggled to keep locked in place.
Not long after she heard a stealth thump from the wooden floors boards just beyond the door. Clearly no longer in his zodiac form, she closed her eyes as the sound of his reluctant foot falls ceased at the closed doorway. There was a brief moment of silence, as Tohru awaited his next move with her blood coursing through her veins, pumping quicker, harder than her breath. The creaks grew in the opposite direction with obvious hesitation.
The brunette exhaled sharply unsure of what she emotion conflicted her, which of many. She waited a few seconds longer then disappeared in the direction of her bedroom upstairs. You'll always be alone Kyo, thus the burden of the zodiac cat. The unwanted one, and you are foolish to think otherwise.
The moon umbrellaed over Kyo slumped back, it rose behind him protectively, watchfully. The rays of silver lunar light washing over him while the cool night breeze caressed his naked shoulders. Son, It's not that I'm ashamed of you. That's not why I keep you here, by my side Kyo. You see, you're just so cute I just—I want to keep you all to myself!
Even after all these years, he could hear his mother's strained laughter, trying her best to convince him, convince herself. She has haunted him ever since, from the day of her death her lonely spirit left her mark and stayed alongside him. Kyo's heart had become overwhelmed with grief, had it not been for him—she would have undoubtedly had a normal, carefree life. That is the curse of the Zodiac, of the Soma family. Everything his calloused hands touched crumbled to pieces, had he yet again tarnished something he cared for? And that is the curse of the Zodiac. After all they've been through this past year, he felt as if he was back at square one.
-
"Why young master Yuki, it's so nice to see you!" One of the main house's maids cried joyfully, except she had spent most of his life caring for him and the other Soma children, more so then doing household duties.
Yuki smiled back, and nodded. "Yes, Ms. Yuka it's a pleasure as always." The old woman grimaced as she stood beside the large sliding door, Shigure watched quietly until she directed her attention towards him.
"Ay, Shigure. How has the past year treated you?" Yuka Soma exclaimed warmly, her eyes squinted as they normally did forming small crows feet at the far sides under her bottom lashes.
The inu unfolded his arms from his kimono sleeves and extended a hand onto her small shoulder. "Very well Yuka, and I must say you are looking as lovely as ever." The elderly woman giggled gingerly, Yuki turned away to frown.
"Oh dear, you are too kind to an old woman." Yuka retreated back passed the door, "But please come in you two, everyone has just begun to seat for the banquet."
Shigure and Yuki continued down the hall, leaving the maid back at the entrance. When the nezumi determined they were safely out of hearing distance he spoke, "I don't want to be here." The zodiac dog fixed his glance ahead of them on the decorated doors to the banquet hall, remaining silent.
"But you know just as well as I do, if you hadn't come for a second time...well Akito might act rashly."
"Yes, that's precisely why I've come. Out of fear, more than anything else." Yuki faulted as Shigure placed his hands on the two wooden handles of the door.
"This is definitely in Tohru's best interest." For a moment, a ominous silence passed between them. Then the inu pulled the two door handles in towards them, colorful light and buzzing of many different conversations from inside poured out. Yuki took one of hesitant look behind him, as if Tohru Honda had been looking back at them with that gleeful smile, waving energetically like she did when they departed. Sighing deeply, he closed the doors rear of him.
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Tohru laid under her thick plush pink comforter, her head peaking out on top of the pillow. Oh mom, what do I do? I was never prepared for this, any of this at all...undoubtedly every time her heart had spoken, her mothers words always came like rain during a long dry summer. This time there was no answer, she knew in her heart there was none because Kyoko had rarely spoken anything on the subject of men. Now, all she had was the picture sitting on her night stand and the words once spoken locked inside of her. "What do I do about Kyo?" Tohru uttered so quietly not even the Soma's animal sensitive could have picked up on it.
-
Morning greeted the night, as it took its shift for the first time in the new year. The sun had enveloped fully over mountainside, as the banquet finally came to an end. The Soma's who weren't one of the twelve animals began to clean up the plates while the zodiac members left through in direction of the hallway, all with full bellies and smiles except for one.
"I'm glad you came this year Yuki." Hatsuharu said softly, letting a smile escape his lips.
Yuki said nothing as they shuffled down the corridor, something catching his eye he stopped abruptly. "Kyo?" The neko was seated with his legs criss crossed along the wall, his eyes closed solemnly. His red irises burst behind his eye lids at the mention of his name, especially by the rat's voice. "Why the hell are—you're supposed to be back at the house with Miss Honda." There was no trace of anger, just immediate concern for the friend that wasn't present.
Kyo left his hand fall that supported his chin. "Shut up you damned rat!" He yelled hostilely, raising to his feet. Yuki was a bit taken back, very quickly his frustrating evolved to anger. Haru stared blankly at the two as they magnetized closer. "It's none of your business if I stay home or decide to come here!"
"I don't care what you do, but what about Ms. Honda!?" Yuki's fist tensed down beside his waist, the zodiac cow eyes followed from Yuki to Kyo's eyes as they faulted at the mention of Tohru. "You make everything difficult and refuse to come to the main house, and then you suddenly appear when you were clearly supposed to be looking after her!"
"Ahhh, Kyo I'm glad you decided to come after all." Shigure's unpleasantly pleasant voice chimed in, he put an arm around both the cat and rat. "I knew you wouldn't miss out on seeing your future bride!" The inu grinned shamelessly as he pulled both of them along the hall, suddenly Shigure appeared a lot stronger than normally; as both of them tugged and flailed about.
"WHAT?!" I wonder why Kyo came after all? Haru thought briefly, Kyo's furious protest brought him back to the scene at hand. "Dammit Shigure you bastard! Let me GO!"
"What do you think you're doing!?" Yuki began as Shigure held him steadier and continued to tassel them along side him.
"Now now children, this is no way to behave at a family gathering." Hatsuharu watching dubiously with round dark eyes, and a crooked grin. I wonder if Master has ever taught Shigure? Haru chuckled lightly and stalked at a safe distance behind the thrashing tangled trio.
-
Kyo lay on his back on the outside walkway his hands folded behind his head with his head barely reaching barely inside the loft, where Yuki and Shigure sat at the lowered table with tea steaming from their cups. Both of their posture upright and proper compared to leisurely neko, laying not too far from them. "In the morning we leave, see it wasn't so bad was it?" The inu spoke sternly with a small smile.
Yuki didn't respond, he twisted his neck so he could stare suspiciously at the back of the neko's head and arms. When his lips parted Shigure slurped as loudly as possible, directing the rat's attention back to him. "Yes, it was as bad as I imagined. But at least Akito hasn't asked to speak to me in private..." Yuki trailed off, his gaze still on Kyo.
"Alls well that ends well!" The inu sat down his teacup with a noisy clank. "But I'd say you both were quieter than usual this time around."
Kyo could feel his nemesis's stare on him like a cold, prickling draft. He fidgeted uncomfortably when Yuki's voice finally broke the eroding silence, "I've had a lot on my mind." It was so soft yet stone cold tone he took, it made the neko's throat dry as his thoughts wandered back to Tohru. "Did you do something stupid, cat?"
The orange top turned on his elbow, his ferocious blood pupils bore back at Yuki. "What the in the hell are you trying to say!" Under normal circumstances Shigure would have shrunk back with a nervous smile or try to instigate the situation, but this time he sat unobtrusively, no smile.
The nezumi sat the teacup down, "You show up in the middle of the night, when you were so against coming in the first place. I think you said something or did something to Ms. Honda, that's why you left so suddenly, isn't it?" Yuki's plum colored irises grew narrower, as Kyo's face contorted.
"You don't know anything you bastard!" The zodiac cat swept to his feet, both fist clenched in a bone fracturing grip.
"Why are you getting so defensive then, idiot?" Yuki spat, still sitting beside the table.
"I'm not!" Kyo brooded, turning quickly on his heel. Those damn eyes, he thought; they'll read him like a book if he looked directly at them for too long. The neko's gazed fell to the floor, he couldn't run away, not this time.
"If you did anything, I will make you regret setting foot into that house you...worthless cat." Waves so dense and oppressive negated the room, Hanna surely would have been overwhelmed or certainly fainted.
Shigure finally spoke, "Yuki lets not jump to conclusions. All jokes aside, Kyo may be irrational and sometimes impulsive but he's not some savage animal." His trademark grin slowly reappeared, the nezumi didn't speak but his gaze returned to the inu. "Besides, I bet right this minute our dear Tohru is prancing around the house in that delightful little maid uniform Aaya made especially for her. You know, bending down to dust off the desk I have in my office." The zodiac dog grinned lecherously with his hand folded to his chest. "Oh myyyyy--!" He was silenced when Yuki's teacup smashed into his head mid sentence.
"You make me sick." The rat retorted getting to his feet, "I'm going to sleep."
Kyo waited until he heard the slider door close some feet behind him until he slumped back down to ground to lay. "I think that makes two of us. Kyo you should really get some sleep too, I'm sure Yuki will want to get back fairly early tomorrow."
He responded with a hnh, and relaxed his head back down onto his arms. Kyo thought once more of the girl he had hesitantly became very fond of and closed his eyes, giving into slumber.
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A/N: I bet you're wondering what exactly happened on the roof, eh? Well, next chapter should answer most of your questions. I know its not that long, but I didn't want to continue on that much further, cause I wanna leave the rest for chapter four. And I do apologize for leaving this story without an update for a LONG time, I had to find a place in my life where I could have time for many different things; and I think this is the time. anyway please let me know what you think!! Thanks
Anime-Alee