AN: Hey guys! Thanks to those who reviewed !! Sorry for the long wait. I was actually debating if I would continue with this thing. I'm pretty busy; I was in Florida for a while. Anywho, I dunno if I'll be updating this very often, I'm very sorry. But here's another chapter, because I felt guilty, haha.

Rescue Me

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It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, the trees swayed tranquilly with the wind, the birds chirped in delight, frolicking through the skies, and the lovely scent of sakura blossoms drifted through the wind- , and Sohma Hatsuharu was not happy.

Actually, he was very far from happy.

Haru stalked through his room, his hand ruffling his hair in frustration. He couldn't think. What had he done? What in Kami-sama's name possessed him to kiss Yuki? Oh, god. He had kissed Yuki.

Haru abruptly sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, his tousled hair covering his gray eyes which were filled with regret. He clenched his fists.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!" He whispered harshly. He'd always imagined his first kiss with Yuki to be perfect and amazing. After a day of fun with only him and Yuki, he would sit with him on a bench in the park, and finally confess his feelings for the violet-eyed nezumi. And then, Yuki would confess that all along, the feelings were mutual, and then Haru would capture his soft lips in a kiss, and then, as they kissed, the first snow of the year would begin…

Haru shook his head. Kagura had forced him to watch too many soap operas with her.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

He could still see Yuki's face, filled with shock, and his whispered words…

"I…I know you didn't mean it, you were just in your black mode. It's okay…"

How could he possibly think he didn't mean it?

After all these years…ever since he had first met Yuki and declared his biting hate for the nezumi…

Haru stared at the silver-haired figure in the window. It was the rat. The reason why he had been ridiculed and taunted. But somehow, the rat seemed…more fragile than he'd thought he'd be. Haru shook his head. All the years of torment and anger seemed to accumulate inside of him.

"I hate you!!"

"It's all because of the nezumi that the ushi is made fun of! All because of the dirty, cowardly nezumi!" Haru screamed, his breath becoming ragged.

The boy facing him was silent for a moment.

"Is that so?" he asked quietly, his eyes downcast.

Haru's gray eyes widened. This was not the reaction he had expected.

"Are you…really?"

"Are you really…stupid?" Violet met gray.

He was stunned. No one had ever asked him that before. It hadn't even occurred to him…that, after all the years of people mocking him, calling him stupid and used, that…he wasn't.

He wasn't stupid. He wasn't.

"No…no, I'm not…stupid," Haru whispered.

Why was he angry?

Why was he angry at this small boy, when the ones that had called him stupid were the adults, and not him? When he hadn't even spoken to this boy before?

"Okay…," the boy said softly.

Haru looked up in wonder.

"…I thought so," he spoke, a small smile upon his lips. His silver hair was slightly ruffled; the wind softly stroked the tendrils.

Haru suddenly felt light, as if the shackles on his mind were released by those few words.

Was this really the boy he had hated all his life?

He was far, far from the using, devious mouse the adults had described.

Were the adults wrong to describe him so, just as they were wrong when they called Haru stupid?

Haru looked into his eyes. Yuki's violet eyes were timid and warm, though slightly tinged with an ancient loneliness. He was still smiling serenely at Haru, despite his angry and hate-filled outburst.

The answer was yes. This boy was the complete opposite, nothing like the nezumi.

The hate in Haru's heart melted.

…That was the day he had fallen in love with Yuki.

Haru sighed as his eyes fluttered open.

After all that, how could Yuki possibly think he didn't mean it?

Could it be…that Yuki couldn't possibly consider being with Haru? That the thought of being with him was so unreasonable and ridiculous, that Yuki automatically rejected it?

Haru couldn't think of any other reason. He clenched his hair in despair, curling into himself.

If that was so…if that was so, Haru had to verify it.

If he didn't he might just go insane.

Haru carefully gathered himself and stood, his mind made up.

He would tell Yuki everything.