Title: Perfect Happiness
Haru has gone through severe times. But now they're are over and he's in love. Eventually the others find about everything. What will happen when they do? Rated T: M M relationship, and some other things, please read alot better than summary.
Disclaimer: I don't own fruits basket. Closest to owning it I've ever gotten is owning a copy of volume 8. Of course it'd be 8 (Haru's).
Chapter 4- Feel Good Inc.
Knox kissed Haru softly on the lips, frowning. "My poor Ox had a bad day today?"
"I had to go over to Shigure's," Haru nodded and snuggled closer to him. Haru loved Knox's apartment, especially his bed: It was big and comfy. At the moment, that's where they were—lying snugly on his bed.
Knox frowned again and wrapped his arms around Haru as if to shield him from all the harsh cruelty in the world. Haru buried his face in his chest and they stayed that way for what seemed like forever. Knox stirred reluctantly.
"There's still stuff I need to do today," he said as he sat up, glancing at Haru, "You want to come too?"
"Don't I always?" Haru asked back as he, too, sat up.
"Well, you've had stressful day…" Knox started to say.
"But I like going with you," Haru said happily, hugged him. The hug alone was enough to make Knox quit asking, and it made him smile happily also.
Soon they both were outside in the cold night air, walking down the street, not needing any words between them.
"Where are we going?" Haru asked at length, interrupting the silence.
"Cyrus'," Knox explained quietly, "business."
"Anyone I know?" Haru asked thoughtfully as they rounded a corner, the small pub now in sight.
"I don't think so," he said, "I don't get many repeat customers."
Haru smiled wryly, "Do you blame them?"
Knox only gave his own small grin in response.
The pub itself was small, shabby and made of red brick. A neon sign saying 'Cyrus' with the 'y' burnt out hung over the entrance. The inside wasn't much better with the stench of cigarettes filling the room. They had two pool tables that definitely had seen better days, and the bar counter itself was full of scuffs and dents. There were several tables, in relatively better shape, with four ugly chairs centered around them.
Cyrus stared at them as they came in. Knox returned the look and he quickly went back to wiping out mugs. Knox looked around the bar and one man at the bar that seemed to hold Knox's attention. Deciding that this guy was it Knox pointed to him and Haru's gaze followed his finger. The two companions took the seats on either side of the man, wedging him in place. The man looked at Haru, then at Knox and all the color drained from his face. The poor guy knew he was in trouble.
"Mr. Jones," Knox stated. A cold and calculated tone underscoring his voice. Knox stared straight at him, and the guy bit his lip, "You know what we're here for so why don't you just save yourself the trouble." Knox continued with that venomous tone.
"I... d-don't..." the man started to say but Knox coldly cut him off.
"You don't have it?" He said it so eerily calm that the man shrank back in fear. Knox looked like a wolf ready to strike its prey.
Mr. Jones bumped into Haru as he tried to leave. The cow merely pushed him back into his seat.
"Come on now," Haru said flatly, "if you owe someone you just don't run away." Haru was acting like he was scolding a small child.
Knox nodded, an evil grin playing across his lips. His teeth shone pearly white; even in the dim light.
"I don't have it!" He gulped, fear plaguing his voice.
"Then what should we do about it?" Knox asked casually, too casually, "You had 'til today to get it… What've you been doing all this time, gambling it all away again?"
The man just stared at him in reply, too afraid to answer.
"I think someone needs a refresher course," Knox growled lowly, staring holes into the man. Without any warning, Knox grabbed the poor guy, slamming a fist into his ribs, followed closely by a sickening crack from the freshly broken rib. He was knocked to the ground with the punch and Knox's grin widened cockily. Mr. Jones sputtered, coughing up some blood. He stared up at Knox, wild-eyed as he attempted to get up. But Knox hadn't quite finished with him: there were two more punches, and one landed on his cheek, the other in his gut, causing him to go flying again. He cringed, too hurt and terrified to get up the ground. Knox lifted a foot and swung it, crashing into his already broken ribs. By this time, he was bruised and bleeding. No one in the bar paid attention or said anything; they knew better.
"Next time you wouldn't be so lucky," Knox said coldly, giving the man one last malicious glare before he and Haru made their exit.
Haru glanced at Knox as all of his hard, cold edge immediately melted away. Knox wrapped his arms around him and Haru smiled, returning the half-hug. Something about the whole situation reminded Haru about the time they'd first met—although Haru didn't see why he remembered that now.
Flashback
Haru sat on his knees on the sidewalk of some unknown street. It was pouring rain and he was already soaked to the bone, but he made no motion to move from where he was at: Staring straight ahead into the nothingness. That was all that concerned him at the moment. He was going to catch the death of cold. Good. That's what he wanted. He made an uneasy laugh. To die from a cold! Yeah, right, life was too cruel for that.
Shivers racked his whole body, but he ignored them. Every now and then a person would come into view, just rushing past, umbrella in hand. No one stopped, why would they want to? Maybe to stare at him, wondering if he was crazy. It seemed like hours since the rain had started and Haru was starting to lose consciousness. He waited for the deep, dark folds of the unconscious to swallow it up. Before slipping away entirely to the blackness, he swore he saw someone bent over in front of him. But by then it was too late to tell if he knew the person or not. And who knows—maybe he was just seeing things.
Haru awoke with a start. The first thing he noticed was being very comfy and warm. Where was he? He tried to think back to the last thing he remembered… sitting on the sidewalk in the pouring rain, but that didn't explain how he got here, or where here was. Deciding to open his eyes didn't help his confusion. He was in some unknown room with a big, black, thick silk comforter completely surrounding him. The bed itself was an exceptionally large canopy bed, made out a dark wood that Haru didn't quite recognize. The overall feeling of it was big, comfy, and warm. Haru decided that he liked it very much.
Just then, there was the sound of a door opening and closing and Haru turned in the direction in which the noise had come from.
End Flashback
"You're smiling. What are you thinking about?" Knox asked curiously, effectively pulling Haru out of his thoughts.
Haru looked at him deviously for a second. "Nothing," he teased playfully and continued to smile at Knox. He shook his head, not buying a word of it, "Just you."
The smile that played on Knox's lips was one of his best. And Haru loved it.
"We're going back to the bar now, right?" Haru asked as they crossed one street and Knox nodded, "Good, I want some Heineken."
Knox laughed at his bluntness.
End chapter 4
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