Disclaimer: Same as before :P Kyo (and all of FB) isn't mine.

A/N: I've had this sitting around for like ever! Sorry guys I'll work harder to put them once my muse comes back :)

"Hatori will not see to this monster; he is to leave the estate immediately," Akito ordered coldly, leaving the room in a flourish of silk. Kyo panted and moaned as he struggled to stand. Something about the way the boy would totter and fall to his knees pulled at Kureno's icy heart. Deciding to carry the boy out to avoid Akito's wrath, Kureno made to move towards the child. This startled Kyo who thought he hadn't been swift enough in his exit. "No! No…please," Kyo begged in a delirious whisper as he crawled over to where his battered shoes had been tossed. Kureno turned away in silence when the boy continued to the exit in the same humiliating manner; it wasn't for him to save the cursed child from a fate pre-decided.

Kyo weighed his options once he sat safely under the awning of the Sohma estate entrance. It was agony to try and walk and his bones ached in premonition of an imminent storm. Realizing, however, that the only safety offered now would be under his father's roof, Kyo grit his teeth and pulled on his shoes. His eyes filled with tears as he fought to fit his feet into the raggedy sneakers. Feet throbbing, Kyo used the railing to limp down onto the side street.

The pain was all consuming as he walked and it required almost too much effort to put one foot in front of the other, but Kyo pushed on. He was so preoccupied that when someone collided with him, he found himself falling back onto the cement. Upon being startled, the other child began to cry. Kyo panicked when he saw the boy's mother rushing towards them, her eyes furious at the scene. Unable to rise and flee the scene, Kyo apologized to the boy towering over him.

"How dare you touch my child, you disgusting creature!" the woman screeched as she snatched up her son who had, miraculously, stopping bawling. Kyo realized, despondently, that they must be part of the Sohma family if the woman recognized him. The orange-haired boy stayed on the ground as insults and accusations rained. Flinching at the hatred in her tone, Kyo wrapped his arms around himself. Finally, the woman stopped to pull in a breath and glared, having had expected a parent to show up by now or the child to have said something. When silence ensued, Kyo stuttered an apology refusing to make eye contact with the terrifying woman.

"Filthy feline," she said in a huff as she maneuvered around Kyo, "no wonder your parents left you."

Suddenly, Kyo felt sapped of energy. As the drizzle began to pick up, the child used the wetness of the rain to hide the tears that fell from his eyes unchecked and trudged on home. Sometimes, he thought, life was rather unfair.

By the time Kyo arrived home, he was done. There was not an ounce of power left in him. When his father opened the door, it was all Kyo could do to take another step in the house. As the boy collapsed at his feet, Katsuhiro stared in shock at his son.

What was he supposed to do with the boy? At first there was anger. How many times had he told Kyo he couldn't sleep where he wanted so why was he disobeying him now? Then there was a pause: the boy never disobeyed him. As Katsuhiro continued to stare at the soaked child, a wild thought crossed his mind. With excitement, Katsuhiro imagined Kyo was dead. Now all he had to do was throw the body out and continue living in peaceful bliss. But the shallow rise and fall of the boy's back smashed his hopefulness. With rising anxiety, it dawned on him that Kyo was sick and unconscious. Was he expected to care for the boy? Katsuhiro scoffed at the idea and turned to leave, resenting the fact that Akito hadn't kept the boy for a few more days, maybe even a few more hours. He was in no hurry to get Kyo back; no one was in any hurry to get Kyo back.

An hour later, Katsuhiro returned to find Kyo in the same uncomfortable position he had collapsed in. Now, the boy's breathing was raspier and more difficult as if he couldn't draw in all the air he needed. Katsuhiro's apprehension grew when he realized he would have to move the child. When Kyo was awake and well, he had no problem being barbaric with the boy, however now, now Kyo was vulnerable. Squatting before the boy, Katsuhiro turned the child on his back and flinched.

Kyo looked every bit the hideous monster he was accused of being. His matted orange hair stuck to his face, he had a bruised nose and split lip, even his hands and knees looked skinned. Pulling the battered and soaked sneakers off his feet, Katsuhiro was shocked to find the soles bruised and swelling badly. When Kyo was awake he looked so mature but it almost pained Katsuhiro to stare at the blatant innocence that decorated his son's young face now. Abandoning the tattered shoes, he picked Kyo up gingerly planning on depositing the boy in his room so he could proceed to forget about the child.

Unfortunately, taking in the sparsely decorated room, Katsuhiro couldn't bring himself to place the child on the cold wood floor. Even with the sheets and the raggedy blanket, he couldn't imagine Kyo being near warm enough. Somehow, he didn't think Akito would be too pleased if Kyo died.

Sighing, Katsuhiro tried to contemplate his bed and immediately shunned the thought because that really was asking too much. Going back downstairs, he placed the boy on the couch in the TV room. Under normal circumstances, Kyo wasn't allowed on the furniture but this was hardly normal, Katsuhiro reasoned.

Changing Kyo was an issue in and of itself. Kyo barely owned any clothes and most of them were quite dilapidated Katsuhiro found out soon enough. The warmest clothes he had managed to find were an itchy green sweater that was too big and a pair of black sweat pants with no existing cuffs and strategic holes at the knees. But then, the father reasoned, this was an unwanted boy and the clothes were by extension, an unneeded expense.

Katsuhiro switched on the TV wanting to forget about Kyo for a while. Yet, the boy's scratchy breathing was all Katsuhiro could hear regardless of how high he turned up the television. He wanted to strangle Kyo. Walking over to the boy, Katsuhiro couldn't help but take in the flushed face and before he could stop himself, his hand had brushed the child's cheek. Kyo stirred ever so slightly and Katsuhiro yanked his hand as if his son's fever had burned him. Deciding to call Hatori to deal with the brat instead, he began dialing.

Katsuhiro soon learned that Kyo wasn't allowed Hatori's services; he was only mildly surprised. Not knowing what else remained in his power to do, Katsuhiro abandoned his efforts and turned in for the night, leaving Kyo in the sitting room.

In the early hours of the morning when the rain finally stopped, Kyo woke with the chills. He felt horrid because everything hurt and his head was throbbing in pain. Despite being disoriented, Kyo realized he was on something soft and scrambled to wakefulness, afraid of his father's reaction should he be spotted on the furniture. Feeling around, Kyo identified the couch that sat in his father's home and immediately sought to remove his person from it. Sitting up, however, caused a strong wave of nausea to overtake him. Without thinking, Kyo turned to the side and vomited on the floor. As the dry heaving finally subsided, Kyo opened teary eyes to look at the mess he'd created and the alarm set in.

As if to make matters worse, Kyo heard the echo of his father's steps coming down the stairs. Before he could do anything, the sitting room lights came on and Kyo saw his life flash before his eyes. His father was going to kill him. Kyo tried to swallow his nervousness and wrung his clammy hands as he turned to face his father who now stood behind him, the vomit in clear view.

Katsuhiro took in the look of pure guilt and fear on his son's face and the spread of chunky vomit behind him. Before Katsuhiro could say anything, process the situation or even have time to get angry about it, Kyo began to sob as he hurried to get off the couch.

"Moushi- moushiwake gozaimasen**, otou-san. Gomennasai, hon-honto ni*," Kyo blubbered between tears tensing up for the expected reprimand. When no punitive verbal or physical chastisement transpired, Kyo was shocked but his racing heart calmed. He looked up at his silent father and down at the mess he'd made. Not wanting to wait for an order, Kyo rushed to clean up.

Katsuhiro deposited himself in the armchair and watched in silence as Kyo limped and stumbled away to grab some dirty towels and a bucket of water. On his hands and knees, Kyo scrubbed the floor clean. Relief washed over Kyo when the chore was finally completed. He washed up in the bathroom downstairs and deposited himself on the floor beside the couch careful not to touch the fabric.

Not wanting to test his father's patience further, Kyo folded his knees close and wrapped his arms around them. Resting his chin on his knees, Kyo apologized without making eye contact in case his father didn't want to look at him. Katsuhiro heard the boy apologize again, explaining he didn't know how he had gotten there because he knew he wasn't allowed. He promised he would never do it again. When Katsuhiro was silent, Kyo swallowed nervously and trailed off, hoping his apology would suffice for his mistake.

It was atrocious what this child had to endure for being different. It was disgusting how mature he was acting. And it was horrifying how repulsive Katsuhiro found his own son.

"You will be staying with master Kazuma from tomorrow onwards."

**Moushiwake gozaimasen – very formal – "I have no excuse"

*Gomennasi, honto ni – formal – "I'm sorry, really."

It's a long chapter and not the best but… R&R Pwease?