Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya. I'm not making money, just having fun.

Warning: Shonen-ai (but you know that now, don't you?)

A/N: Thank you, my little readers, for spending some of your time on my puny little ficlet… Hehehe. On a more serious note: this is very likely to slip into angst/drama, maybe even tragedy… I did set out to write a more positive fic than I usuall do, but I just seem to associate Shigure and Kyo with the "star-crossed lovers" theme… well. By the way, if you like this pairing I suggest you read "Kanashimi" by Au. That was the first fic I read with this couple and it pretty much started my passion for the Cat/Dog relationship.

Chapter Three

"Oh, licking your bloody lips, smiling and sucking your fingertips, oh lash me with your whip; I'm your slave…"

taken from "Dear Carniwhore" by For My Pain

Shigure was lying with his head in Kyo's lap under a blossoming tree in a far corner of the woods surrounding the Sohmas' house. Their mouths were still a little red and their lips still somewhat swollen, but their breaths were back to their normal cadence.

"Shigure?"

"Hmm?"

"How long do you think we can keep this up?"

"As long as we can keep it secret." The Dog said dismissively.

Shigure reached up like a hungry infant and was met with a mouth instead of a breast. He fed off the kiss and sighed, still with the taste of the Other on his tongue. He was hungry, more than ever, but he still dared not take what he craved.

It had been a week since their strange enlightening on the roof. Seven days of strenuous pretending that nothing had changed, that the spark in Kyo's eye was just some new idea of how to defeat Yuki, that Shigure must just have forgotten how to tie his obi properly and that that was the real cause of his chest being more and more visible, that his steadily warming smouldering gaze was just due to the warming of the air after such a long winter.

Looking up into Kyo's face, the writer saw again that wonderful innocent expression of trust and of caring. He realised for the first time that, while the nature of their playing had changed, the look in Kyo's eyes had not. Had the spark been there all those years ago, when the Cat was just a child? For he admitted it to himself now: he had desired this boy form the start. As sick as it was, as utterly immoral. He had always delighted in the texture of the skin, in the lines of the face, in imagining how the streamlined muscles would develop. He would never tell the Cat why, when they had visited the onsen a few years ago he had insisted on being the last to leave after having admired the view of the partition between the men's a women's baths for the half hour they had spent in there. And now, he was so close to possessing this boy, not quite man, not child any longer. So close…

He shivered and Kyo said

"Should we leave? It is getting kinda chilly."

"Not for me, no."

If only Kyo knew…

And Shigure had no idea that someone did know. This someone was watching their every move from the shadows.

Torhu set the steaming pot of stew on the table and started ladling it out. Her hands were trembling. She was exhausted from a long day's work but had refused Yuki's polite offer to order out for dinner to spare her the work. She was very happy with how the food had turned out: the flavour, the consistency and appearance were perfect. She watched the Sohma men eat out of the corner of her eye.

That was when she noticed Kyo and Shigure watching each other. Suddenly she became aware of the tension between them. It seemed so obvious now. Since when had it been there? What did it mean?

"Ano, is there something wrong?" she tried.

"What is it my dear Tohru-kun? No one has said anything…" Shigure answered with a smile.

"It's just that Kyo-kun and you seem a little, how should I say, well, you seem somewhat tense…"

Kyo's eyes snapped up at Shigure for a fraction of a second and went back to his bowl subsequently, but the Dog, having paid attention in his nonchalant way didn't miss a thing.

"You're imagining things." Kyo mumbled.

Yuki simply sighed.

Later that evening Shigure heard a knock on his study door. He simply gave a "come in" and turned back to his computer. He was bristling with electric energy as he heard but chose not to see the door roll open. He was however disappointed to find Yuki standing in the frame of light.

"Yes?" he said with upturned mouth-corners as he got up to turn on a light.

"I was just wondering, has Kyo read any of your books?"

"What? I don't know, probably not."

"It just seems to me that you two should get to know each other better." Yuki said quietly.

"What exactly do you know?" Shigure said, and now there was nothing but seriousness in his countenance.

"I came across you two when coming back from my garden this afternoon."

"I see."

"You should be more careful."

"Don't worry, I will."

Yuki sighed. He moved over to the window under the Dog's steady surveillance and looked out at the flowering trees and bushes in the garden. He turned back.

"It's disgusting you know." He uttered very very softly, as if afraid.

"I didn't think you cared enough about Kyo to be disgusted by something that's not actually your business." Shigure threw tersely.

"I'm not talking about the both of you, only of you. When will you tell him? Will you even tell him?"

"You knew." Shigure said flatly. Then "How?" and after "Did Akito guess?"

Yuki nodded.

"Get out." Shigure mouthed, now uncharacteristically angry looking.

Kyo was lying on the floor, feeling restless. He didn't dare go to Shigure's room. Not yet anyway. He opened his eyes when he heard his door roll open. Yuki came in and dropped a note on him and left saying:

"You should know."

Kyo rubbed his eyes, puzzled. He picked up the note and unfolded it. It read 'Ask Shigure for how long he's wanted what has now come to pass.'

End of chapter three.