Chapter 4
from when Kano was guided into the kitchen…
"I didn't ask to see the kitchen." he smirked at Shigure. He scratched the back of his messy head of hair, and smiled nervously.
"No, but I needed an escape. Thank you for playing along Kano. Oh, do you mind me calling you that? Or would you prefer Mr Fukazawa?"
"It would be Fukazawa sensei, but I would like it very much if you called me Kano." Shigure raised a brow, making Kano blush slightly. "Everyone else does." He added.
"Well then Kano, I would like to compliment you for surrounding your sister Suzu with such interesting and good friends."
"Ah."
"Oh yes Mr Kano, I have sniffed out your little secret. Travelling with three sisters does sound more innocent than travelling with one sister, and two other girls…" but smirked. "Oh you fiend."
"I confess, we are actually a travelling brothel show on our way to the nearest red light district. I am hoping to bring in a good crowd of paying customers before the end of winter." He placed his palm over his head and pretended to swoon against the table.
Shigure laughed his head off. No one had recuperated after one of his humorous jokes like that before! And to turn it round like that! Usually they just smirked or laughed (Aayame) rolled their eyes and frowned into one hand (Hatori) or blushed madly and denied it (everyone else). No one had played along before.
Then he got this strange sensation. It was like something in his chest was being tugged towards the younger man. Something…deep. Familiar. Something he liked. Before he knew it, he found he was actually physically closer to him, gazing deep into his eyes.
Kano gulped at the sudden closeness, blinking his dark magenta eyes against the intent gaze of grey brown ones. And something else caught his attention.
Shigure had him trapped against the table.
"A ha! I knew there was a reason I liked you." Shigure stood back normally again, feeling a link between them and finally knowing what it was. "You were born in the year of the Dog, weren't you?"
Kano blinked, wondering what relevance that had. But in actual truth…
"Yeah, I was. 1989."
"That makes you 24?" he smiled. "Interesting."
"Really?" for a moment both men looked at each other, sizing the other up and calculating what the best move to take next would be.
"You know, Yoko and Tohru had a wonderful idea. Since you have been driving for so long, and you must be tired, I've agreed that you should all stay for dinner."
"But it's still morning."
"And your point is?" He smirked.
"Is that a formal invitation, or a suggestion?" Shigure simply smirked. "Or do I have any say in the matter?" Kano leaned back against the kitchen table with his hip, and folded his arms over his tracksuit jacket.
"I already said to Yoko you could stay. She seemed thrilled." He then laughed. "As did Kyo. He just about challenged her to a 'duel' in the back garden as soon as he heard she would be staying for a while. She was eager too. You know, I've never met anyone who seemed as obsessed with martial arts as Kyo before. But I bet Yoko can match him blow for blow. Am I right?" well, I suppose Haru is close, but he has to go dark Haru first, and he isn't even sane then.
"Well, I have personally seen her competitions and she has a really really mean right fist." He reminisced to the ceiling. "I had a bruise on my gut for about two weeks after I made the mistake of saying she could practice on me. I wondered why Suzu was so eager, she probably knew what she could do." Both men laughed. Too bad she couldn't have knocked her Dad about a bit, might have stopped him from… he cleared his throat. "Well, on behalf of the group, we would love to have dinner with the Sohma family." He paused. "And Ms Honda." Shigure nodded, and leaned over on the table with the small of his back, and his elbows on the table, very lose to where Kano was leaning.
"Actually, Ms Nakamura let slip that you were quite the chief in the kitchen." he said slyly.
Kano chuckled and smiled right at him, Shigure getting that little bit closer.
"I'm a bachelor living with my kid sister, who manages to burn everything she touches until it is no longer fit for human consumption. I had to adapt."
"Is she that bad?"
"She burnt milk once. Milk, burnt."
"Ha! She would fit in here just fine then. Only Tohru knows how to cook here." He then bowed his head. "Present company excluded, of course."
Kano opened his mouth with a smirk, about to ask about his culinary skills, but turned to see Takara walk in with Tohru.
"-but you are the guests! You haven't let me lift a finger since we met, and I really need to make it up to you. You don't need to do this. It was just a map."
"And breakfast." Kano added, catching on to the conversation. But why is my being 24 interesting? He couldn't help but wonder. "Speaking of which, I am starved."
"Oh, I will get your breakfast right away! Let me cook it!" Tohru pleaded with bright blue eyes. "Waffles and fruit right?"
"The fruit is for Takara, and I see no problem in you making our breakfast." Tohru made a move to get on with it. "On the condition you let me cook dinner." Shigure closed his eyes and nodded with approval.
"But-"
"Oh please Tohru I insist." Kano swerved over to her with his most dashing smile and snaked his arm around her waist like it was natural. "I won't take no for an answer."
"Oh, my." Kano then pulled the biggest puppy dog face and pouted with his bottom lip out. Takara sweatdropped, rolled her eyes and frowned into one hand, and Shigure fell over comically, muffling his chuckles in his hand.
"Oh, well, if you really want to then-"
"Perfect!" Kano hugged her head to his chest, and then left her swiftly to raise a brow at Shigure, who was still on the floor. "Are you quite done?" but he was smirking.
"Yes, wait, chuckle, there, done." Shigure got to his feet again, and brushed his grey kimono off. "Right, what is there to do now…"
"Map?" Kano asked.
"What? Now? no, later. After dinner later."
"But-"
"Come, I'll show you my office. Tohru said you had money trouble, yes?"
"Yes, the guy in the shop said my Yen was 'fake'." Shigure started to leave the kitchen, leading Kano after him helplessly.
"Well, I have a friend…"
They were both gone, leaving Tohru and Takara to transport the bags from the hallway, to the kitchen.
"Oh, I can't remember writing down to get 6 tubs of rice." Tohru cocked her head to one side and put a finger on her chin in thought. Takara reached into the open bag and peaked off a red sticker. It said 'buy one get one free' in bold yellow sale letters. "Oh, I forgot all about the sale. We got twice as much as normal thanks to the sale." Tohru beamed at her with a bright smile. "Great minds think alike." She giggled, and Takara smiled back warmly. They were quiet all while they unpacked all the hopping, and Takara got on with taking the rice into the store cupboard, while Tohru started cooking waffles.
"…and Yoko, the other girl I came with, ran off to the back garden after that orange head."
"Kyo."
"Yeah, that one." Suzu and Aayame had found themselves walking out the house entirely and walking in the woods.
It was strange, how comfortable she felt with him. Their arms 'snaked' around each other's slim waists as they walked together, quite innocently, and Suzu had no problem talking to him in the slightest.
And even better! He hadn't flirted with her outrageously, at all!
"And the rest is history, isn't it my dear?"
"Yep. And now we get down to business." She looked through her ruffled midnight fringe at him, and saw his golden eyes glimmer at her.
"Oh? Business?" He tried to sound innocent.
"Yeah, like the real reason you brought me away from the house and everyone else, smooth talked yourself to getting me comfortable and talkative, and warm up to you. So." Suzu stopped, and Aayame stopped with her. But they didn't take their arms back.
"And so my plot as been uncovered." Aayame chuckled behind one hand very femininely. "How did you know I wanted more than to converse with you on how you arrived here?"
"Remember when you said you could 'sssssmell' your own kind?" she turned into him, noticing him step back ever so slightly and look down the very small gap between their torsos. But she brushed that aside. Suzu then leaned up on her top toes, one arm around his waist still and holding his other hip, and her other hand over his hand, on her hip. She got so close, her lips were inches from his. "I can ssssmell my own kind to. I know you are up to something, because I know I would be up to something if I offered a 'little stroll' and a conversation as boring as 'how did you get here?'" She then smirked and dropped back to her feet, moving his arm around her shoulders, and keeping her arm where it was.
"Ah, I can not trick a trickster, it seems."
"Yep, now spill it."
"Very well." He cleared his throat. "How you noticed the 'tension' between dear Yuki and myself?"
"You mean the daggers speeding across the room at the speed of light?"
"Ah…yes. I will not pretend that our past history has been the typical ones of brothers, but I fully intend to breach the gap between by dearest brother Yuki and form a bond with him so strong, the GODS will be jealous!" he fluttered his eyes dreamily, like that was all he wanted.
"And so…? Where do I come into this?" she saw his eyes focus on her again, golden and gleaming with a million schemes brewing in their depths.
"You, my dear Suzu, come in here, in the home of my brother and child hood friend Shigure…and Kyo I suppose…" he lifted her chin and smirked down at her. "I intend for you to aid me improve my dear brother's love life. As I do not yet have a bond with him, he will not allow me to assist him in any way."
"Are you talking about Ms Sunshine?"
"Is it not obvious how she unknowingly intoxicates his every breathing moment!" he said dramatically. "Oh, oh woe is me. Unable to even give him any brotherly advice on the matter."
"And you want me to?" she still had her eyebrow raised, not liking the sound of this.
"I want you, a fellow snake, to act as the hand of divine intervention."
"No."
"No?" he blinked at her.
"No, you want me to be a kick up the backside and the one to shove them together until they wake up one day in the same bed, wondering why it took so long." She blinked at him boredly. "Am I right?"
"My dear." He grinned, cupping her cheek and leaning closer. "it seems we are not only on the same page, but authors of the same book."
"Well." She bumped her hip into his, both turning to walk back to the house. "We are both snakes."
"Indeed."
"And I will see what I can do in a few hours."
"I have the sneaking suspicion my dear, you will be spending more than a few hours in this delightful house."
"Huh?" she raised a brow, before Aayame grabbed her shoulders forcedly, and yanked her into an embrace.
POOF!
……………
……………
……………
"HOLY SHIT!"
From the moment Kyo and Yoko entered the garden.
"Alright Ms Nakamura, let's dance." Kyo jumped back, and lowered into his favoured stance. His right foot back, his left forward, and his left hand up for defence and judging distance. A grin like you could never believe was plastered over his face, and it didn't look like it would be budging any time soon.
Nor did the mirror image grin on Yoko's face.
She loved this, the thrill of the challenge, the opportunity to test her opponent, and herself.
Yoko mirrored his stance, literally, her right arm forward and her left foot back. They stood about a meter apart, and waited, judging up the other fighter. "You stance is quite interesting. Are you taking an offensive strategy?"
"And why would I tell you that?" Kyo chuckled, and inched closer. Yoko smirked, and did the same. "Ready to go down, Kyo-kun?"
"I'm no boy." He stated smugly. "All man."
"Ooo, all man huh? Figures you would have an ego to match your large head."
"Ooo, tough talk. Them there's fighting words." He lowered even more, calculating his next move.
"What else can I do when you're too chicken to attack me?" she winked at him. This was usually a good ploy to use in competitions, to either unnerve or falsely reassure your opponent, and throwing off their guard. But it didn't seem to be working on Kyo.
She wants me to attack first? He raised a brow. But her stance is offensive. Shouldn't she want to attack first? Unless she plans to counter it somehow… "Hurry up, I want to fight, not stand around and chat." You are not going to anger me into tripping your trap Yoko.
"I might not want to attack you first. You'll have to attack me." But before he could blink, she had done just that.
Yoko had closed the gap and brought her left leg round with such a force, it swept both his feet from beneath him and sent him back to the ground. Yoko placed her foot on his chest, smirking though her rebellious cinnamon fringe and fixing her high ponytail. Her amber eyes twinkled with mirth, and she wagged her finger at him, although he couldn't see her finger from her long olive green sleeve.
"Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." Yoko yelped as Kyo grabbed her ankle from his chest, twisted his body and brought her down to the floor with him. Yoko faced him, and was greeted with a fist barely touching the end of her nose.
"Be careful when giving advice, when you should be watching your opponent's next move."
"Touché." Both rolled away and sprang to their feet. "Time to get serious?"
"Yes, it is." And their giddy facades vanished, leaving an exterior of focus. Kyo let off a mighty yell, before charging right at her. Yoko stood her ground, and waited.
She caught his right fist and pushed it with her left, away from its intended target, her stomach, and hooked her right fist round. He ducked down, barely, and used his lower position to bring his right leg up to thrust his knee into her side. Yoko grunted painfully, not one to give her opponent the satisfaction of hearing her scream or yelp, but crippled over, recoiling from his attack. His knee had successfully tenderised all the muscle just under her ribs. She had to fight the urge to concave her body over to protect it. Fuck! It stung.
When she stepped away from him and held her side, pain written clearly across her scowling face, Kyo became worried. Yuki and Haru were guys who knew how to take a hit. Was he so eager for a new opponent, that he forgot Yoko was just a girl? Had he gone to far? "Yoko? Do you want to stop?"
"Ha". She panted. He had really knocked the wind out of her. "If you think (pant) that that's the worst hit I've ever had, you'd be very much mistaken." She forced her hand away from her throbbing side, and lowered back into a stance.
"I think we should stop." Fuck, I can't believe I got so carried away. She hasn't even hit me yet. She obviously isn't as good as she said she is.
"I don't." Yoko's amber eyes were still twinkling. She hadn't lost interest in the fight yet, she seemed eager to continue. Kyo sighed. If I knock her about a bit more, maybe then she will see she isn't good enough to fight me.
This was a disappointment for Kyo. He thought this could have been a chance to try his technique with a new style of fighter. But he was wrong, it seemed. He didn't even lower into his stance, he just stood there.
This infuriated Yoko. Why isn't he taking me seriously anymore! It was just one hit! I'm not done yet! She growled angrily, and charged at him instead. Kyo misread this as an act of desperation, and put his hands in his pockets to side step her.
Too easy. He thought.
But at the last second, he only just got his arms up to block a round house kick, and push her back. His red eyes were open wide with shock. If that had hit him…fuck! Yoko's confidence rose with his obvious look of surprise, and went in for the kill. She flicked out one of her long legs, sneakily hidden beneath baggy brown combats, and drove an Ura Mawashi kick, hooking for the side of his head.
Kyo stepped to the side and blocked with his forearm…
…leaving his body right open.
Yoko used the momentum Kyo had helped her to create with her leg falling down to the ground, to coil her left arm back, and hurl her tight fist deep into his gut.
Kyo stumbled back gasping for air, which was currently knocked out of him. He cradled his stomach, swearing blind he could still feel the imprint of her hand there.
Yoko jumped back, ignoring the pain that combination had caused in her side. Damn him. Damn boney elbows. But she was chuckling. No one had gotten through her defence like that before in a long time.
Kyo was a third stunned, a third winded brutally, and a third impressed. Yeah, so the damn rat had hit him like that too, but this was different. Kyo had seriously brushed her off as noting, but she stood up to him and made her abilities known, stuck it right to him.
Kinda like me and Yuki. He then chuckled breathlessly.
"Good move."
"Thanks. You're not bad yourself." Both fighters had landed a hit on the other, making the score 1 apiece.
"Time for the deciding round." Kyo licked his lips and brought his fists back into their guarding position. Yoko did the same, and their eyes connected once again.
Amber on Red.
They stood still, gathering their strength silently whilst observing the other for any sign of weakness. With a soft chirp of a bird, they sprang like potent coils, crashing into each other with blow after blow of furious punches, and relentless kicks.
Gak
Blocked.
Upper cut.
Blocked.
Knee thrust.
Blocked.
Trebble fist.
Blocked.
Roundhouse kick.
Grabbed, and span round for a surprise attack.
Dodged.
It went like this, both Yoko and Kyo panting heavily and using their thirst for battle and adrenaline as fuel. Neither relented, neither showed any sign of stopping.
And then Yoko panicked.
Kyo managed to somehow interlock his fingers with her, and started pushing her backwards.
Shit! I can't grapple! But that didn't mean she was about to give in. instead, she grit her teeth and pushed her entire upper body forward, trying to use the imbalance of weight to push him back. Because she knew, if he got her to the floor, she would be helpless. Her art didn't do floor work, and grappling was an illegal technique at her competitions. It looked fun, but she didn't know how to do it.
If this fight went to the floor, she was done for.
Kyo vaguely registered that her chest was getting closer to his, but in the heat of battle, he thought nothing off it.
He had gotten into stalemates with Haru, and close calls with Yuki (before he was beaten), and saw this situation to being just like those.
He didn't even register than her being a girl, and him being a cursed Sohma Zodiac member, with her chest getting closer to his, as bad. He was actually looking quite forward to feeling the pressure of her body in the struggle, so he could push back for more leverage. Because truth be told, his wrists were starting to hurt from the angle Yoko had forced them into. They staggered around on the spot, both trying to turn the table in their favour, when-
"HOLY SHIT!"
Kyo snapped his body towards the trees in the wood, still holding Yoko's hands in his, pulled her twisted body into his with the sudden jerked movement, and…
POOF.
Yoko stumbled for her balance, her arms suddenly being empty. As a reaction to the sudden movement and her aching side, she wrapped her arms around herself almost instantly after being surrounded by a sudden cloud of smoke. But she couldn't remember there being any smoke machines or cigarettes anywhere, and it didn't smell like cigarettes.
When her arms wrapped around her as much as they could, she felt she was holding something else, not her middle.
The smoke cleared, and her amber eyes widened.
The black T shirt, the green utility trousers and black belt, the trainers. They were all cluttered around her feet, and she looked to the fury, breathing, orange bundle in her arms.
Upon close inspection, it was an orange cat with the cutest pair of red eyes she had ever seen. At first she smiled like a little girl, loving animals, when she made a shocking connection.
Kyo has orange hair, the cat has orange hair.
Kyo has red eyes, the cat has red eyes.
Kyo disappeared, leaving his clothes, and the cat appeared.
Kyo vanished…the cat appeared…
"BLOODY HELL!" She yelled, stepping back, despite still holding 'Kyo' in her arms.
While she stared at him, she heard a crash from inside the house, in one of the top rooms, and blinked madly at the cat.
He knew, somehow, he just knew, Yoko knew the truth.
"Look Yoko, I-"
"AH! You spoke!" she gulped. "And you're a cat!" she looked around in panic, as if hoping someone would come and tell her everything she saw, hadn't happened. "Oh God, I'm so sorry! Did I do this!"
"Well…kinda…but-"
"Shit!" Kyo blushed madly when Yoko held him tight to her chest with one arm curved round him, and started to fist at his clothes with the other hand. Wow, are there breasts under here? Kyo blushed even more, finding his head and become nestled between the two large mounds. With all that baggy clothing, she didn't look like she had any! And the cat head, went red. "Fuck. How? But, just how?"
"Listen, don't panic!" he begged.
"Fuck that! If this is the highway of panic, I just turned off onto the free way of hysterical!" she then looked around again, ignoring Kyo's protests to be put down. "What to do, what to do…Kano! He will sort this out!"
"What? No! No one else can know! Wait, stop damn it-" but he was ignored.
With Tohru and Takara in the kitchen.
"Takara, could you ask Yuki if he wants anything to eat? I know it is hard work at his school meetings. I wouldn't want him to get too hungry before dinner."
Without thinking (on both accounts it seems), Takara stopped what she was doing and went to look for Yuki.
With Yoko, Kano, and especially Suzu, Takara could get across to them what she needed to say or ask as easily as saying it. They had known each other for so long.
But as soon as she opened Yuki's bedroom door…and saw him looking at her expectantly…
She realised what a mistake she made.
"Can I help you? Takara, isn't it?" Yuki put his minutes folder down on his desk from the meeting, and walked closer to her.
But she didn't say anything.
It was as if she couldn't say anything. "Takara?"
She took a deep breath. I can't just rely on using Suzu to talk for me all my life. I am a big girl, 18 years old. I need to do this. She then looked to Yuki with determination, before walking right up to him. "…Takara?"
She first picked up the folder, opened it, and pointed to his meeting agenda. "A Pink common room?" Takara then read what she pointed to with a raised blonde brow, and then tried again. She pointed to the word meeting. "Meeting? Oh, my meeting." She nodded frantically. She then started to fan herself with her hands, like it was really hot, and then knock on the door. Come on, hard, I'm trying to say hard, work. "Erm…open a door?"
Yuki didn't know what this girl wanted, and he really wasn't in the mood for this. The arrival of his brother always made him escape from the rest of the house (and him) and always, always put him in a more than agitated mood.
More like a fowl mood.
But he never let it show, wearing his polite smile and blanking his emotions from everyone.
Except Tohru. I never have been able to hide my feelings from her. And she always cheers me up. A smile, a real one, traced his lips, before he focused on Takara again.
And she was now jogging on the spot. "I really can't be playing charades, I have a lot of work to do and-" Takara pointed at him vigorously. "What? was it something I said?" she nodded. "Erm…" the sight of Takara looking at him so desperately, and urgently was really unnerving. "I think I'll just have erm, pass." He hoped that would get this strange girl away from him.
Why won't she just say it?
Takara was getting no where, and she knew it. She bit her bottom lip and ran a hand through her hair. What now? she then looked to the folder, and slapped her head. Der, of course! Write it down! She then proceeded to grab Yuki's hand, with a few protests, ignored that he seemed to be keeping his body as far from hers as possible by walking side ways on, and dragged him over to his desk to look for a pen and paper. She finally found a single sheet of paper, and a pen. But his desk was cluttered with his school stuff, and she really didn't want to move anything important. And she couldn't ask him to move it, obviously.
So instead, she quickly pressed the sheet of paper against Yuki's chest and started to write.
Yuki was sweating buckets by this point.
One false move and she might hug me. I pray to any God up there that nothing happens to make either of us slip or turn. Please don't let anything happen.
Takara was just finished off, when-
"HOLY SHIT!" echoed from the woods near the house, and all through the house. Closely followed by a noise that sounded even closer saying-
"BLOODY HELL!"
And it all seemed to happen in slow motion.
Yuki snapped towards the window in alarm.
Takara, startled, covered her hands over her head, leaving her entire body wide open.
Yuki's body was still twisting as he tripped over his own feet.
And what do you know, the unthinkable happened.
POOF
Takara was left in Yuki's room, white cloud like smoke dissipating all around her, alone, with something clinging for dear life to the front of her dress…
If she could have, Takara would have screamed as she saw a fluffy grey rat with purple eyes gripping desperately to her dress between her breasts. She calmed her breathing and cupped the little rat in her hands. poor little guy, he looks so scared…wait…where's Yuki? She looked down at the floor in front of her. Wasn't he just wearing those…Yuki is either capable of spontaneous declothing…or… Takara looked to the rat, raising her cupped hands in line with her nose.
It was plain obvious to Yuki she had drawn together all the necessary dots to create quite the accurate picture from the way she was looking at him.
"Now please, don't scream." And she didn't.
she just jumped nearly into the roof of his bedroom, still holding him, and bumped upon landing smack bang into his desk, sending his inbox outbox tray crashing to the floor.
"CRASH!"
Just coming out of Shigure's office…
"…so you see, your money isn't fake, it's just out of circulation. The Yen you're carrying is old money, where the new Yen has different markings on them." Shigure chuckled, placing his hand on Kano's back. "The only thing they are good for, are selling to someone who collects ancient or out of commission coins."
"Well, that explains it. I knew there had to be a logical explanation why my money wasn't acceptable." Kano smiled, glad some part of this shambles had been cleared up. His stomach growled, and he smiled upon entering the kitchen. "MMmmm, waffles." He licked his lips at the sweet scent of cooked waffles consumed him, joined loosely by the smell of melted chocolate and syrup.
Shigure saw him wet his lips, and had to look the other way. "That smells delectable, Tohru. My, you are just wonderful, you know that?" Kano wrapped an arm around her waist, and held their hips together. A dashing, and alluring smile graved his lips and his dark magenta eyes twinkled. "We will have to get together some time and see what we can 'cook up'." Tohru blushed profusely, dropping the spatula she was flipping the waffles with. Kano then laughed, and looked over to Shigure, who seemed to be looking away from them both. "I'll just go call the girls and-"
"HOLY SHIT!"
"BLOODY HELL!"
"CRASH!"
Kano, Tohru, and Shigure sweat dropped. The three thought very different things concerning what the sounds could be.
Tohru: oh I hope no one got hurt! If Yuki and Kyo got too rough and went too far, I would never forgive myself for not being there to stop them! Please be ok!
Kano: if Suzu has broken something, or someone again, I swear I'll have to retire early from the shame. He frowned into both his hands with a whine. After all these nice, good people have done for us, Suzu has insulted Shigure and might have broken something. And knowing my luck, it'll be expensive!
Shigure: oh no, I heard a crash! He didn't seem at all bothered about the two shouting voices before hand. The main house won't pay for any damages or the insurance for the house anymore thanks to those two rascals! He whimpered with watery puppy dog eyes. I'll have to pay for the damage myself, and cancel my monthly order of 'Maid Mandy' and 'Dirty Donna' R rated mangas to pay for it…cries how will I live if I don't find out if Dirty Donna decided to strip tease Corny, or if Maid Many dusted her racks with her blue thong, or red French undies?
All were distraught, and were soon greeted by the makers of the noises, last, to first.
Takara bumbled into the kitchen, holding something in her cupped hands for all to see that made Shigure sweat drop, and stop breathing.
There, in her hands, was Yuki.
IN HIS RAT FORM!
"Takara, what are you doing with that mouse?"
"Rat." Shigure corrected, behind one hand and looking away from his gaze.
Well this isn't good. Shigure thought, and looked to Tohru. She had just taken the pan off the hob, and seen Yuki in Takara's hands.
"O, er, oh!" she said nervously. "Y you found my dear pet!" she hurried forward, and tried to take Yuki from her. But the determined blonde stepped back, and used her height advantage to hold Yuki out of Tohru's reaching grasp. She shook her head at them all, and started to mine words directly at Kano.
He could understand her.
"…what do you mean he spoke?" both Shigure and Tohru froze solid.
"What? Spoke? A rat? No, impossible!" Tohru insisted, reaching up for Yuki.
Poor Yuki. Throughout this, he was getting rather motion sick from being manhandled like this. It was time to make a stand.
"T Tohru." He said groggily, not feeling very well. "She knows."
"Yuki, Yuki, Yuki". Shigure shook his head with every word. "Why will you not think before you speak? Before, we could have denied it and pieced things back together, but now." he threw his hands up, brought them back to run through his hair, and turned his back. "I'll ring Hato-"
"KANO!" Yoko scuttled into the kitchen. Literally.
"HAY! WATCH it! Do you want to make me throw up a hairball?" Shigure whimpered, turned to face the inevitable, and buried his face in his hands.
"Kano I don't know what I did but I did it and all I did was get pulled against him and then we were surrounded by smoke and Kyo vanished and left his clothes, but he didn't because he turned into a cat and here he is and I don't know how to change him back and I really really didn't mean to do it!" Yoko panted, waiting expectantly for the mature Kano to rescue her from her predicament. Kano looked to her, seeing she was serious, and with the voice coming from the cat's lips he heard only moments before…he believed her.
Takara nodded her head furiously, and shoved Yuki back into his line of view. Letting him know that was just about exactly what had happened to her.
"Not another one! Kyo, you are as bad as Yuki! Why couldn't you keep your mouth shut! Now they will never think this I the result of sleep deprivation or ventriloquism!" he moaned, exasperated.
But Yoko was jogging on the spot, thrusting her arms forward and shaking the orange cat, Kyo, like a rag doll, for Kano's inspection.
"Stop that! I'm gonna hurl!" he hissed.
Kano leaned forward, settled his dark magenta eyes on Yuki, who huddled into Takara's hands, and then to Kyo, who was now being held still. Kyo sweat dropped, not liking the examination he was getting.
"Yuki?" he pointed to the rat, looking at Takara. She nodded. "Kyo?"
"A huh, a huh!" Yoko nodded, wired with panic still.
"And they turned into animals?"
"When I bumped into him."
"Hugged, it's when our torso's touched."
"Kyo!" Shigure barked. "NOT helping!"
"What? she saw, she knows, what can I do?" He pouted, and Yoko held him more comfortably in her arms. "Purrr, much better."
"S Sorry." She stuttered, looking at him gingerly. "I didn't mean to."
"I forgive you." he said smugly.
"Stupid cat." Yuki spat."
"What was that for, ya damn rat!" the hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he hissed to Yuki. Yuki's rounded purple eyes elevated with the raising of a sarcastic brow, and he sighed, boredly.
"For you being a total idiot."
"You got yourself hugged first!"
"I didn't go into an explanation and worsen the situation, like you just did."
"Damn rat, let me at him!" Kyo hissed angrily, struggling in Yoko's teddy hold to claw at Yuki. But Takara, conscious for his safety, had cupped Yuki to her chest and turned with her shoulder to shield him. Yuki stuck his tongue out at him, and Kyo just hissed even more.
"You loser."
"When I get my hands on you!"
"Get your hands on who Kyo?" Suzu walked in, and leaned with her hip against the door frame. Much like her brother likes to.
"Yuki! That damn rat!"
Then there was silence, and Yuki rolled his eyes.
"You idiot."
"Shut up!"
"Leave him alone Yuki, I already knew it was you." everyone swung their heads round at the calm headed, cool and collected Suzu.
A very scary combination.
They then noticed she had a certain silver accessory the Sohma's knew all too well…
"Aayame! You too!" Shigure pined. "I can't even leave you alone with a girl and you go and reveal yourself! And the rest of us, might I add!" he barked at the snake, who was perfectly content with Suzu scratching his chin lightly.
"MMmmmm sssssso nicccce."
"Like that?"
"Oh Yessss. More to the left, pleasssse." She did. "Mmmmmm." If he was a cat, he would be purring.
Speaking of cats.
"Ha! Your damn brother got himself hugged too!"
"Oh the shame…" Yuki sighed.
"So I am guessing this is a Sohma thing." Kano spoke at last, and seemed just as calm as Suzu about this. "A hug, and you change? Right? With all Sohmas?"
"Well-"
"Like you?"
"Well I-"
"Right." Kano pulled on Shigure's robes and yanked him into a tight embrace. Everyone sweat dropped when nothing happened, and Shigure blushed madly like a tomato. And so did Kano, at being proven wrong. "Erm, I thought-"
"I know." They slowly pulled out of the hug, neither looking at the other man. Well this is embarrassing. "It only works with the other gender. "You could hug any of the boys, and nothing happen. But when the girls hug a male Sohma-"
"They get in touch with their wild side." Suzu said with a cocky smirk. "Am I right?"
"Yesss, clever girl."
"Shut up Aayame, ya big girl!" Kyo hissed.
"Now Kyo, that isn't very nice." Tohru said softly, looking to Takara again. "…can I take Yuki now?" Takara blinked at her with emerald eyes, having to think before she realised she wanted the rat in her hands. It was all so bizarre! People turning into animals. But fascinating on a scientific front. Do their body parts simultaneously compress themselves? Is the transformation triggered on a cellular level? Or is it the hormones and pheromones from the opposite sex in close contact that stimulates the response?
Yuki really didn't like the way Takara was looking at him, like she was mentally dissecting him bit by bit.
"Tohru." He called, and scampered to the edge of Takara's fingertips, and jumped into Tohru's waiting arms. It felt right to be there, snuggled up against Tohru's underappreciated bosom…
"So what do we do now? Swear an oath of allegiance to the Sohma household? Or write it in blood?" Suzu asked as if she had simply remarked on the weather.
"BLOOD? NO!" Yoko squeaked. "I am giving NO blood!"
"Same here!"
"No one asked you." Suzu glared at him, her steely pink magenta eyes putting him in his place. So very, very familiar…
"Humph." Kyo sulked. "If ya gonna hold me, at least hold me properly." Yoko blinked at him, and then nodded. She couldn't believe this was Kyo, a human, a boy, the same guy she was fighting with moments ago.
A cheeky smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
"I suppose I win our fight then." She waited, and was rewarded.
"WHAT!"
"Well, it's only right. Victory on account of feline metamorphosis." It was just strange. With all the tension and worry she had built up, mixed in with the gob smacking surreal news of their…erm… 'condition'….all she could do was laugh!
"Grrrrr."
"I thought you were a cat? Not a dog." Kyo hissed at her teasing, blushing madly. "Awww, I bet you're just a cuddly widdle kitty cat really."
"Hay, wait, what are you doing!" Yoko turned him onto his back, curved one arm to support him along his spine, and tickled his stomach and chest with an impish grin on her face.
"Who's a widdle kitty cat? Kyo's a widdle kitty cat."
"I swear, HA, if you don't (laugh), stop that right now, I'm gonna (louder laugh)." But he was unable to finish his failing threat, from her relentless tickles. Yuki sniggered, loving how Kyo could manage to laugh, and blush from his furious embarrassment at the same time. And from anger, thanks to his taunting laugh.
"I never knew you could multitask Kyo. Embarrassing yourself, and being embarrassed about it at the same time. Well done, stupid cat." He chuckled.
"Yuki…that was mean." Tohru frowned, and suddenly Yuki felt his 2 inches.
"Tohru I didn't-"
"AAAA!" Shigure toppled over as Suzu saw fit to run at him, Aayame coiled around a potted plant and watching in mirth as Shigure was hugged, and POOF.
Suzu stood hugging a large greyish black dog and looking to Kano.
"Ah, so it is all Sohmas. Thought so."
"Then why did you hug me if you knew that already!" Shigure sweat dropped at her calm face. She shrugged.
"Just to check I guess."
"You guess?"
"A huh." Suzu then turned to her brother. "Hold." Kano found himself struggling for balance as the large dog was thrown at him, literally.
"Hay! I may be a dog but you don't need to treat me like one! I'll call animal cruelty hotline!" He said dramatically. And Kano chuckled.
"Oh yes, straight on to the RSPCA." Aayame added, as Suzu retrieved him and put him back around her neck.
Yuki and Kyo looked outrage.
"This is no time for joking around!" Kyo hissed, and then continued to purr as Yoko bounced him like a baby gently, and clawed at his back like she would the neighbour's cat. And Kyo seemed to approve greatly. "A little more to the left. Ah, that's it." His purring deepened.
"The stupid cat's right for once. 4 more people now know of the curse!"
"Chill out." Suzu said simply, as if he was blowing the situation out of proportion. "I'm not about to sell you all to the circus. Though at the moment, we could probably use the money." She chuckled when his eyes almost bugged out of his head. "Hello? Kidding?"
"…not funny."
"Ok, so let me just recap everything here." Kano spoke over them all, stopping their bickering. "All the men in your family are cursed to turn into animals every time a girl 'hugs' them?"
"And the girls change when men outside the family touch them." Shigure added. Kano lowered him to sit on his hind legs, and knelt next to him. He didn't even want to think what he looked like right now, listening intently to a talking dog. "But only the zodiac Sohmas. Not all the family."
"So only 12 of you change?" Yoko did the math. "Just into Zodiac animals? Then what the hells is your excuse!" she looked down at the Kyo, who stopped purring when she stopped stroking him and stuck up her brow at him quizzically. Meanwhile Kano whispered to Shigure.
"So Aayame knew that Suzu was born in the year of the snake. Did he knew the same way you knew I was born in the year of the dog?"
"I could sense it. I can tell who are Dogs and who are not." There was something else in that, but Kano didn't recognise it for what it was. He just laughed.
"I'm the cat, der." He rolled his eyes.
"Erm, the cat isn't in the Zodiac, der." Yoko retorted, and Kyo scowled.
"I would have been if it wasn't for that stupid rat!"
"Come again?" Yoko blinked, trying to ignore that Kyo was hissing and trying to struggle to claw at Yuki again.
"Oh, I was confused at first too." Tohru chuckled. "Before the Zodiac calendar was created, the Zodiac animals were the Dragon, Rat, Horse, Rooster, Monkey, Dog, Rabbit, Snake, Ox, Boar, Sheep, Tiger, and the Cat. And they were all invited by the Gods to a great feast in their honour."
"But the fucking rat told the cat the feast wasn't until the following day and left him to sleep while the rest of the Zodiac animals went to the feast and Honour the Gods. The Cat was punished for his dishonour, and kicked out of the Zodiac." Kyo spat, all his hatred for Yuki bubbling over and made him bare his fangs murderously at the rat. Yoko was actually quite aware of this, and took a step further away from Yuki, who looked blissfully unaware.
Or he just didn't give a damn. "That's why the Cat isn't in the Zodiac, even though it was one of the original blessed animals, and apart of the Sohma curse. My life has been a living hell thanks to that damn rat, and one day I'm going to beat the living DAYLIGHTS out of that BAS-" Kyo's hissing mouth was covered abruptly by Yoko.
"And we all lived happily ever after." She said nervously. "So that is why your family is cursed to turn into animals, I think." In truth she knew the how, and some background, but she still didn't understand the why. Where their family like, involved with them in ancient times or something? She would have scratched her head, had she not been holding Kyo against her sternly. For Yuki's sake.
All the Sohma's sweat dropped when Shigure started panting, thumping his back foot on the floor and wagging his tail wildly behind him as Kano scratched behind his ears.
"OOoooooh yeah. Ruff, aooooooo." His tongue flopped out to one side, and he inclined his head into Kano's hand.
"Good boy, good boy." Kano scratched him more vigorously with a childish grin on his face.
Suzu raised a brow at him. "…what?"
"Nothing."
"Oh dear…" Aayame whispered to her. "I think you need to put me down now."
"Get out of here!" Yuki shouted to him, waving his little paws around in Tohru's hands. "For the love of God!"
"Why?" Suzu asked bluntly. Tohru blushed, and looked the other way. "Tohru?"
"Trust me, look away from Aayame after you put him down Suzu."
"Alright…" Takara didn't look away, curious if his transformation had another symptom. Yoko looked down at Kyo, who also looked the other way and looked very uncomfortable, regardless how she cradled him. Yuki buried his furry little face in his paws, and Shigure pushed his face against Kano's stomach, walking him backwards into the kitchen and around the corner.
"Shigure, wait-"
POOF
Suzu hadn't put him down quick enough, and now had a fully restored Aayame stood behind her, arms draped around her neck like he once was, and his silvery white hair fanned down at each side of her face.
Suzu's eyes were almost rolling out of her head they were open that wide. Her left eye was twitching, and her arms had bolted down by her sides, stiff. Her body looked like a lifelike mannequin, which might as well have had a sign around her neck saying, 'stepped out for a panic attack, be back once sanity has returned'.
But that would have been lying, because Suzu didn't do sane.
"Oh, dear. You know, I never did get the hang of predicting when I would change back. Allsorts of things effect our changes you know. Stress, mental and physical, and of course the torso to torso contact. But you never knew just when you'll change back." he laughed very camply, and rested his chin on her head quite comfortably, a clam smile on her face.
Oh if only Suzu was as calm as he was about this.
Because she had just remembered that they had left his clothes back on the dirt path. And she highly doubted they grew a new set when they changed back.
Which means…
"Are you naked behind me?" she squeaked. Aayame blinked, raised his head to look down at himself, and returned it to its perch in her lush black locks. "Well?"
"Yes, I do believe I am." Everyone else in the room saw his soft smile twist into a very amused smirk.
"Oh, well in that case could you please GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME AND PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON!" Suzu broke free of him and ran for freedom.
This however left him open for the whole room to see.
Eep!
Yuki jumped onto Tohru's face desperately, and made her stumble backwards into the chair where he fell onto her lap. The chair then collapsed backwards with Tohru on it, and sending Yuki flying up, and finally landing.
Between her breasts.
Kyo also jumped onto Yoko's face, but wrapped all his four major limbs around her head and used his body to block her vision.
"PUT YOUR FUCKING CLOTHES ON AAYAME YOU STREAKING FUCKTARD!" Kyo hissed, holding on for dear life as Yoko flailed her arms out and staggered around the room. You name it, she bumped into it, until tripped over the couch arm and fell back onto the floor behind it. So they were out of sight, like Yuki had done for Tohru.
But just as she was falling…
POOF
It seems the stress of Aayame changing and their secret being discovered was too much stress on the Cat, and ended poor little Kyo's change timer, just when he really didn't need it to.
Yoko hit the floor, and growled as soon as she felt her face was free.
"Kyo you idiot! What was that…for?"
Her heart skipped a beat, as her amber eyes connected with normal sized red ones, barely noses apart. And they were almost touching too.
Both sets of eyes were wide, because they both knew what had happened.
"Oh shit."
Kyo had landed in what could have been the press-up position over Yoko's sprawled out body, except he was on his knees to. "Fuck."
"…Kyo…are you-"
"Yes."
"And you are still ontop of me?"
"Yes."
"Why?
"If I move-"
"Right of course." He could fall on her, NOT GOOD, or everyone would see him, EVEN WORSE.
Wait, did I just say it would be better for him to fall on me naked, then let everyone see him?
…
……
No, impossible.
"Holy shit." What else is gonna happen!
But in the kitchen.
POOF
"AA!" Kano slapped his hands over his eyes. All he had been doing is sat on the floor, thanks to Shigure head butting him into the kitchen. The last thing he wanted was Kano to see Aayame in the nude.
For Kano's sake, of course. (AN: raises an eyebrow at Shigure. Yeah…right…)
He had only just guided him to side at the far side of the kitchen, on his backside with his back up against the counter, sat down to guard him and make him stay there 'till the coast was clear…
When he himself changed back.
On his hands and knees, within touching distance of Kano, completely naked!
It didn't matter that Kano had respectfully covered his eyes, he had gotten a decent look at him anyway.
"Heh…heh." He chuckled nervously. "Some first impression huh?" was all Shigure could say.
Thankfully, Kano laughed whilst shaking his head behind his hands, and knelt up. He kept his eyes closed, as he unzipped his tracksuit jacket and pulled it off.
Woof woof. Shigure smirked at what he saw. A toned, leanly muscular body with slender hips, wide shoulders, firm pecks and what looked like a ripple of abdominals too.
Kano threw the jacket over him, and waited.
"You got that on yet?"
"Hold on." Shigure stood up, and tied the arms around his waist into a loose bow at the back. it covered his 'shame', and that was all that mattered. "Good enough. I'm covered where it counts."
"Good." Kano got to his feet, and opened his eyes.
That kimono does absolutely no justice to him. He was slightly taller than him, with a wider waist, but it looked great as his waist dipped in ever so slightly, giving him a more Herculean look. He looked like a Demi-God at least. He might not have trained muscles like he did, but he was still damn buff. He wondered if he ran… "…very good."
And then remembered he was staring. "Ahem." Kano cleared his throat, looking down and kicking himself mentally. Way to go Kano. He must be as embarrassed as hell about this, and you just stared at him. Smooth. "Is, erm." Another cough. "Is it over out there?"
"Let me see." Shigure might have been a dog, and he might be able to smell something coming from Kano he liked, but he was most definitely smirking like a fox. He turned suddenly, and looked over the side of the door. He then walked through the hallway door and looked round into the living room.
Kano almost squeaked in his throat as Shigure turned, showing him his firm ass quite clearly, and had to yank his own head to the side to protect himself from being A, caught looking, or B, caught looking and liking it. Shit. "Well." He chuckled. "Define over?"
Aayame was still stood in the nude in the middle of the living room, Tohru was on her back, with what looked like a frozen stuffed grey fur ball unwillingly nestled between her breasts, unnoticed as Tohru's head was spinning and seeing stars before her.
Suzu was hyperventilating, her hands on the windowsill and her head bent over, oblivious to the rest of the room.
Takara had a large blush on her face, but hadn't run off and hidden. She was 18 for God's sake. She wasn't a child. She just stood there patiently, holding her elbows with her eyes respectfully averted. Shigure had to give her her dos. She hadn't panicked like a headless chicken.
And he couldn't even see Kyo and Yo…ko…oh, there they are. Rascals. Shigure muffled an evil snicker in his hand, and found it hard to contain himself.
A pair of bare, slightly tanned feet, and one set of white trainers over hung with brown trousers, were poking out from behind the couch. They could have waited until we left for a little privacy. He joked to himself. Go Kyo, I never knew you had it in you.
Oh Shigure you evil git, go and help that poor boy. I bet he is sweating buckets over there. He told himself, and nodded. "I think you should wait here, please, and I'll tell you when it's safe. No body move!" he shouted to the room. A quick detour to the laundry room, and he was back, wearing one of his other light grey Kimono's and dark grey Obis, and more clothes bundled over his right arm. "Aayame, I know you have a divine body, but it is too good for everyone here to bask in. for their own sake, you need to safe their virgin eyes, and put this on." Shigure laughed as Aayame played the part of the martyr, and put on one of Shigure's robes.
"Those poor children, unable to comprehend and understand the perfection of my body." He said woefully, making Shigure chuckle and shake his head, as he handed out more clothes.
"Hold on back there, I'll be right with you." Shigure said slyly over the couch, receiving a bitter grunt as a reply. From Kyo, of course.
"Hurry up damn you." he spat under his breath.
"You know." Yoko gulped, focusing on his angled and defined face to stop her eyes travelling. He looked to her eyes again, realising she had addressed him. "You're quite strong. To hold yourself up like that for so long. Practice?" she squeaked.
"200 press ups every morning."
"Ah, I do 200, but I do sit ups."
"Really?"
"Yeah, every morning." Too afraid of silence, she added. "What do you do in bed? I mean before bed!" She then cursed mentally, and noticed the pink tinge his cheeks went.
"Erm, I, er, go for a run sometimes. I don't do much before bed." He then looked away from her, embarrassed beyond hell.
Oh great, now what am I supposed to focus on? She gulped. His hair, stare at his hair. She did this, as Shigure pealed Yuki (who was openly grateful, liar) and roused Tohru. Takara seemed to know what she was doing, and massaged her temples until her mind stopped spinning.
Meanwhile.
"You run before bed often?"
"Erm, sometimes."
"I'll do it with you if you like." His red eyes snapped back to her wide, and hers soon mirrored his shock. "Running! I'll run with you!"
"Oh, yeah, of course." He chuckled nervously. "What else could you mean."
"Running, obviously." They both looked in different directions, before looking back.
"Shigure!"
"Coming, coming." He patted Suzu's back as he passed her, seeing she had gotten her breathing under control, and quite calmly (and grinning) walked behind the couch and leaned with the small of his back against it. "Hello there you two. Having fun?"
"Just give me some bloody clothes and less smirking!" he growled, lifting up from her slightly.
"Ok." He dropped a large towel over them both. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
"WAIT!" but he was gone. "Fuck."
"I'll close my eyes. Just tell me when to look, k?" Yoko lifted her hands up from the floor, and accidentally brushed her fingers against both sides of his ribs. "Oh! Sorry!"
"Just." He didn't finish. She had covered her eyes and was waiting. That was all he wanted. Of all the fucking things I've had happen to me, this must have been the bloody worst! Barring things involving physical abuse, of course.
Kyo knelt up from her, wrapping the towel around his entire body, including his shoulders, and held it tightly in the middle in front of him, to make sure he was completely hidden now. For a moment, he looked down at her. Her hair cinnamon hair fanned out from her bobble on the floor, smooth and shimmering, her pale peach skin looking petal soft, and her rose lips closed, but still looking as lush as when he first saw her. Shame about the rest of her. But even as he thought that, his treacherous mind brought back images of the brief moment he felt her entire body pressed against his, and being nestled between large, rounded breasts… both of which were hidden beneath her ghastly oversized olive green jumper. Why does she wear that crap anyway? If I didn't see her face, I would have thought she was a guy.
Kyo finally got to his feet, and nudged her hip with his foot. "You can get up now."
"Oh, right. Thanks." Yoko jumped to her feet, dusted her self off, and marched straight to Suzu. "Never leave my side in this house again, understand?" she sighed, not even realising she had been holding her breath.
"If the deal goes both ways, deal." No more freaking naked grown men sneaking up behind me like that again, thank you very much!
After Shigure entered the kitchen again.
Kano looked round and smiled as Shigure came back.
"Safe yet?"
"As long as they used condoms."
"What!"
"Hmm?" he smirked, and Kano soon caught on.
"Don't scare me like that. My baby sister is in that room." He wiped his hand down his face, and the nodded. "Well, now that the craziness of the situation is over. What do we do now?" Kano walked over to him, and they entered the living room. Everyone was gathering back together again, and looking to the two Dogs to make the next decision.
"What do we do now?" he held his chin and closed his eyes. Following suit, Kano folded his arms, also thinking hard. Although, usually he didn't focus on anything to do with people who turned into animals, but then again, he hadn't ever seen animals turn back into naked people right before his eyes, men, on top of that. "Now Kano." He looked to the older man. "Now you have to stay here. And never leave again."