/And I have returned! ^^ I don't think I will be finished with this chapter today, but I hope so! (Edit: I didn't, I fell asleep working on this) So, I'm sorry for the huge delay. I was on a super long vacation. I actually just got back today and I'm super jetlagged still. Caution, OOC-ness inside... Oh, Akito is a male here since it's based off the anime and I finally came up with an age for Yuki! He's 20 so you guys can figure out the rest./
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I want to own everything though. Maybe I'll spare Takaya-sensei when I take over the world so she can give me rights to Fruits Basket... someday.
O.O
When Hatori had arrived a quick glance was spared at Haru before turning his attention to the young man coughing on the couch. With Haru hovering over the sickly boy he couldn't deliver proper medical attention. He moved Haru aside and told him to fetch him water and a towel, if possible. Haru had quickly moved from his position and head straight toward the kitchen area. Hatori quickly assessed that Yuki was fine and that he would only be needing a short amount of rest. As Haru was getting the supplies that Hatori had asked for, Yuki started to cough again.
"Hatori? Will he be okay?" the usual stoic face of Haru had a hint of anxiousness asked. He had returned with a small cup of water and a towel just as Hatori had requested.
"He'll be fine. He just had a mild panic attack and fainted because of all the stress," Hatori had said while taking the cup and water, "I would like you to watch over him and make sure he takes the medicine I asked you to take over earlier this afternoon,"
"Are you sure?" Haru asked worried that another asthma attack could happen when Hatori left, "He won't die?"
"I'm sure he won't be dying anytime soon Hatsuharu," Hatori said as he began soaking the towel in the water he had received earlier," Please monitor his health when I leave. And also make sure that you call me if his condition becomes worse," When the doctor had finished placing the wet towel on Yuki's forehead, he moved towards the door and spared one last glance to the young men inside.
"I'll be taking my leave now," he said before he shut the door. As soon as Hatori left, Haru shifted towards the sleeping figure. He noticed that Yuki's face was slightly flushed. He moved his right hand to check the towel on Yuki's forehead and felt that it was warm. He thought to himself and quickly realized that he would be needing to re-dip the fabric in cool water.
He sighed to himself. 'Will Yuki ever get better? He was doing so well, I guess things don't work out the way people expect them too...' Haru ceased his bitter thoughts when he heard a small knock at the door. He quickly set the still warm towel on Yuki's couch as well as the refilled cup of water and moved toward the door. He peered though the spy hole and saw a familiar figure.
'Kagura? Why is she knocking? She usually just uses the key I gave her. She probably lost it. Oh well.' He unlocked the door and slowly opened it, to see Kagura's face right in front of him.
"Haru! I didn't know you were here! Well, that doesn't matter, I needed to bring you back with me anyway," her voice breaking the awkward silence.
"I can't Kagura, I need to watch Yuki," He said pointing to the still sleeping figure on the couch. Kagura peeked over his shoulder and saw that Yuki was sprawled over the couch looking slightly pink. Her eyes widened and tried to make her way until Haru gripped her forearm.
"What's so important anyway? I'm sure Yuki and I can skip," Haru asked in his usual monotone voice, "Besides, Yuki probably won't be attentive for any of it, since he has a fever anyway,"
"Well, um... I can't tell you. Tohru asked me to keep it a secret, but she wants everyone there. So! No exceptions!" Kagura said pointing straight at the ill person on the bed.
"Tohru? I wonder what she needs to tell everybody, a mystery," he continued while still gripping onto Kagura's arm, "So everyone else is coming? Even Ritsu?"
"Yes, yes everybody! Now come on and just carry Yuki on your shoulders. You're strong enough anyway. I still need to get everybody else before Tohru calls again," She said as she removed herself from Haru's grip when he moved to get Yuki, "I'll probably be late by the time I stop by at Shigure's,"
"Now that I think of it, Hatori will be there so he can take care of Yuki," He said stopping in front of the unconscious boy and resting a hand on his chin, "Alright, let's go Kagura,"
"Good, I thought I was going to have to drag you two out of here," She said with a small smile on her face.
O.O
"Hatori, that girl will be making the announcement today, correct?" a voice said with as much strength it could muster.
"Yes Akito, I do believe that she intends to tell everyone today," Hatori answered back as he handed Akito some medicine.
"Good, I presume that my precious rat will be attending as well as the stupid cow that seems to hover over him every second," Akito spoke in a malicious tone after gripping the medicine bottle with his left hand.
"I am not sure, when I assessed Yuki earlier he had a slight fever, but the chance is still very likely," Hatori answered and stood up from his crouching position after he assessed the head of the family. He took a step towards the door, but Akito's voice stopped him.
"My rat will finally be with me again. And all I had to do was to take a small gamble with that cat. Delightful."
Hatori closed the door gently and stepped into the hallway gently.
O.O
Kagura and the two men accompanying her set out to the main house. The air was slightly warm yet the coloring of the clouds suggested that rain was a distinct possibility. Kagura looked over her shoulder and saw that Haru was carrying Yuki on his back while Yuki's hands where loosely wrapped around his neck. Yuki was still sleeping and unresponsive at the moment while Haru had a peaceful expression. Kagura sighed happily and brought her hands together. It was the only moment that she had seen the two of them like this for a while. She paused for a moment as she felt a small drop of water hit her face.
"It's raining, we better hurry up and get Shigure," said Haru while gently trying to shield Yuki from the raindrops.
"Maybe I can call Hatori and ask him if Shigure is at the main house already," Kagura spoke while placing her hands in her pocket and taking out her cell phone, "He's been there a lot lately and I'm sure almost everyone is there already since I called them earlier,"
When she turned and looked at Haru for agreement, she saw that he was under a building's awning. She ran over to where the two where and shook off the raindrops on her cell phone.
"Why didn't you tell me that there was shelter over there? My cell phone got wet," Kagura said in a annoyed tone and put back the small cloth that she had used to dry off her phone into her pocket.
"You seemed to deep in thought and Yuki would have ended up getting sicker," Haru said while checking over Yuki.
"Well, okay. Let's stay here while I call Hatori," she said flipping open her phone and searching for Hatori's phone number. She continued to scroll down the list until she saw Hatori's office number in between Ayame and Haru's.
'Ah there it is! Now all I have to do is call!' She pressed down on the call button and waited for Hatori to pick up. The dial tone finally let up as Hatori answered.
"Sohma Office, Hatori Sohma speaking," came Hatori's reserved voice.
"Hello Hatori! You know that the announcement is today right?" Kagura said while moving closer to the young men.
"Yes I did, are you asking if that idiot is here already?" Hatori replied quickly.
"Yes, actually," Kagura said giggling slightly afterwards.
"Well then, he is here and I'll be heading to the room for the announcement shortly," Hatori said and shuffling was heard on the line before he continued, "Will Yuki and Hatsuharu be attending, Kagura?"
"Oh, yes! They will be coming. Haru said something about Yuki being sick and wanting you to check on him again,"
"Very well. Tell him that I'll still be at my office," Hatori spoke quickly and hung up the line.
Kagura stopped the call and faced Haru.
"Hatori said that he can check on Yuki again in his office once we get there,"
"Mm. Then let's get going. The rain seems to have lightened up and we should be able to get there before it starts getting heavy again," Haru said picking up Yuki and settling him on his back once again and the trio head off in the direction of the Sohma household.
It was about four minutes into their trek that Kagura spoke once more.
"Haru, I know you know something that I don't about Yuki. Can you tell me?" she said in a small voice. She kept her hands inside of her pockets and shifted them to reach for her cell phone.
"You're right, but I don't think I should be the one to tell you," Haru said after a long silence.
"Well, okay," Kagura said as she removed her phone once again from her pocket and checked her messages. She looked up and saw that the two had continued walking once she stopped.
Tohru: Hello Kagura! Kyo and I are going to announce it really soon and we'll wait for you, Yuki, and Haru since you guys are the only ones left other than Hatori. Oh, Kisa needs me! I'll see you soon!
She quickly typed back and closed her phone and ran over to where Haru and Yuki were standing in front of the main house.
Kagura: We're at the gate! Can't wait for the announcement!
O.O
"Kyo! Kyo! What are you and Tohru announcing?" a blond figure said while jumping all around a certain carrot top.
"Shut up damn it! You'll find out when the rat and Haru get here with Kagura," said Kyo in an annoyed tone as he tried to brush off the younger man beside him, "You're too old to be acting like a child, so quit it!"
"But, Tohru said that I can talk to you since she's a little busy right now!" Momiji exclaimed while continuing to bounce around Kyo.
"Yes Kyonkinchi, I do believe our beloved Tohru told Momiji he could talk to you," said Shigure and Ayame as they walked upon the two who were bickering.
"Gah! You two perverted bastards," Kyo said while still harassing the blond.
"Aah! I am hurt Kyonkinchi! Saying that me and 'Gure are perverted bastards," Ayame said while sporting fake tears.
"Aya, please stop with the waterworks. You know that I will never hurt you," Shigure said while moving in on the possessed snake.
" 'Gure, you really know how to make me feel so much better," Ayame said as he moved in closer and whispered, "But, you do tend to hurt me in bed,"
"Aya, why don't we see for ourselves if I really do hurt you in bed," Shigure whispered again, but still loud enough for Kyo and Momiji to hear. Suddenly the little 'yaoi' scene ended and the two flashed a thumbs up and said "All right!" to each other.
"You guys are disgusting!" Kyo exclaimed while finishing off with a muffled voice, "and still perverted bastards,"
"And I see that you're still a loud jerk," said Hiro stepping into the group along with Kisa.
"Why you! You're still an annoying brat!" Kyo retaliated.
"Umm Kyo, do you know where sissy is?" a small voice asked.
"Huh? Tohru? I think she's trying to find out where Kagura is with the rat and Haru," Kyo asked the younger girl.
"Thank you! Come on Hiro, let's go find sissy," Kisa said while lightly dragging Hiro along with her.
O.O
"Kagura, you can go on ahead. I'll just bring Yuki to Hatori. Can you tell Tohru that?" Haru said as he stepped inside of the Sohma main house.
"Alright! I'll see you inside!" Kagura shouted as she bolted to the building where Tohru mentioned the announcement would be held.
Haru sighed tiredly as he felt Yuki shift, and made his way to Hatori's office. 'Maybe I shouldn't have let Kagura go by herself. I have no idea where I'm going. Well, too late. I'll just be on my way.' Haru wandered the halls of a random building he entered. He eventually stumbled upon a maid.
"Hey, do you know where Hatori Sohma's office is?" Haru said while holding onto Yuki as he continued to shift.
"Umm, I believe his office is located in the building directly across from here. If you would like I can accompany you to his office," the maid replied without making eye contact.
"Uh, it's okay," Haru said as he turned around and continued to the exit, "Thanks, I guess,"
"No need for thanks," the maid said quietly as she resumed her work of sweeping away the dust and grime.
He eventually found the exit of the building and searched for the supposed building. He spotted a pristine building and walked closer to it. He searched for any sign of the building belonging to Hatori and saw a small sign displaying the words 'Hatori Sohma: Sohma Medical Practitioner' He stepped forward and opened the door with a free hand.
"Hatsuharu, come in," Hatori's voice came from a room off to the side. Haru obeyed and moved inside the room where he had heard Hatori's voice. He saw that Hatori was sitting beside a small patient bed and cigarette was recently burned out since he had sensed the faint smell of smoke. Haru set Yuki on the patient bed and noticed that Yuki had been conscious and was now sitting up. Hatori grabbed his stethoscope and placed it on Yuki's pale chest. He listened closely and searched for any signs of weakened bronchial tubes. He removed the stethoscope and set it gently on Yuki's back. He repeated the same procedure as before. As this was happening, Haru was standing off to the side yet still kept his eyes on his two older cousins. He paid close attention to how Yuki would keep his head down even when Hatori asked various questions regarding his health. Hatori continued to ask questions and Haru started to space out until he glimpsed Hatori heading towards him. Hatori signaled him to come out of the room with him.
"Hatsuharu, I was unaware that Yuki had been in a condition like that of Kisa," Hatori said with seriousness in his voice. He removed a cigarette from his coat pocket and lit it before continuing, "Why didn't you tell me? This could have been very important information,"
Haru seemed to think carefully before proposing an answer. "I have no idea," Haru finally confessed. Hatori looked unconvinced with that answer, but still went along.
"Yuki may be in the same state that Kisa was once in. Like I said then, Yuki's words are still there, but he is mentally shutting them off," Hatori took another drag of his cigarette before continuing, "I don't know how he'll behave when he learns that Miss Honda is here,"
Haru contemplated his elder's words for a short moment before deciding to speak up, "Mmm. Then we should find out," Haru ended the conversation with these words and headed inside and tried to get Yuki's attention. He soon figured out that it would be no use and instead placed Yuki on his back again. He stepped out of the room and saw that Hatori had been waiting for the two in the first room Haru had entered. The three left together and soon found themselves walking closer to the supposed event.
O.O
Kagura opened the door slowly and saw the complete and utter chaos that was unfolding in front of her. Shigure and Ayame seemed to be harassing Kyo and Momiji, Ritsu looked like he was about to have a small 'Sorry!' fit, Kyo and Momiji were arguing, and Kisa and Hiro nowhere in sight. It was a little startling to her, but she had grown used to seeing her family members out of control. She stepped in shyly and almost rushed over to give Kyo a hug, but decided against it. Instead, she went over to the group of four who were now having a heated argument by the looks of it.
"SHUT UP DAMN IT!" Kyo yelled suddenly when she silently stepped in.
"But Kyonkinchi! We want a sneak preview of what you're announcing with Tohru!" Ayame said jovially as he elegantly placed a hand on his hip. Momiji started to bounce around in excitement.
"Yeah Kyo! I wanna know too!" Momiji said happily. At the same time Kyo started yelling back at the three unaware of Kagura's presence.
"SHUT UP! DIDN'T I ALREADY SAY THAT TOHRU WOULD TELL YOU LATER?" Kyo yelled in frustration.
"I don't remember you saying that Kyo," Momiji responded and he finally noticed Kagura's presence in the group, "Kagura! You're here!"
"Hello!" Kagura said as she waved slightly. She was about to move closer to Kyo until she saw his expression and moved towards Momiji instead.
"Kagura! I thought my darling brother would be accompanying you, but I don't see him anywhere!" Ayame spoke dramatically as he kept turning to look for Yuki.
"Yes, that's what I thought too. I wonder when Yuki will grace us with his presence," Shigure said following Ayame's example.
"Yeah! When will Haru and Yuki get here, Kagura? Do you know?" the cursed bunny asked energetically. Kagura was beginning to become overwhelmed by all the questions hurling toward her at once.
"Yuki, Haru, and Hatori will be coming together, I think," Kagura finally answered. The others found that it was an acceptable answer and decided to go back to idle chit-chat.
The group of five continued to speak until they heard the door open with a loud creak. Ayame bound from his position and sauntered over to the frail looking young man draped over Haru's shoulders.
"Yuuuuki!" Ayame yelled happily until he realized that he was on Haru's back, "Yuki! My dear darling little brother! What happened to you?"
"He's sick." was the short, blunt answer that Hatsuharu gave before continuing on forward.
"Brother! What made you so sick that you won't even look up at your older brother's face?" Ayame said while following the two, "Brother wants you to feel better!" He was about to continue with his flailing until Hatori gripped the man's shoulder and told him to stay back.
"You can bond later. Right now I believe that there's a special announcement being held here," Hatori said while letting go of Ayame's shoulder's and continuing to walk further into the room.
"Hatori! Wait for me!" was all that was heard to the cursed cow and rat as they joined the others. When Ayame caught up with Yuki, he continued to talk to him even with the lack of response.
"Yuki, why aren't you answering? I would normally be caressing a bruise that you gave me when I wanted to bond with you!" was one of the annoying sentence's Haru had gotten when he zoned out.
"Never mind that, we should head over to Miss Honda who is with Kyo," Hatori's voice commanded. Haru noticed that Yuki rose his head slightly at the words, 'Miss Honda'. Yuki also seemed to flinch whenever his brother asked him more questions. Haru started moving from Hatori, Ayame, and Yuki were and made his way over to where Kagura and Shigure were standing. The other three followed after Ayame, eventually getting Yuki to move from his spot.
O.O
A/N: Hello! I just wanted to clear up a few things before I moved onto the next chapter. The curse still exists, but only for a few people. Well, more like most of them. But, why would I tell you which people? That would ruin the surprise. ^-^ Also, Rin and Kureno will MOST LIKELY NOT be present in this story since it's based off the anime version. As I said before, this story is a slight AU fic (well more like all AU, but whatever... XD) so future lives of the zodiac members are my figment of imagination. And I'm sure I own that. ^-^ Longest chapter I've ever written! :D May I celebrate? JK. Anyone still reading this? Write VANILLA CUPCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY AND BLUEBERRY FROSTING in your review if you are. Maybe the cupcake thing isn't working. Should I try Pocky? What do you think Yuki?
Yuki: I'm sure the reason they're not reviewing is because they hate what you're doing to me. I don't even have a speaking line yet!
NRSH: You know I love you, so why are you so mean to me? D: This is why you're suffering. And by the way, you're not supposed to talk! :(
Yuki: *pokerface* I don't even...
NRSH: Should I bring Haru here? Maybe he knows what to do. Haru!
Yuki: What are you doing? He's just going to steal your pocky, you know that right?
NRSH: What? Never mind! Go back into the story Haru!
Yuki: Readers, please leave a review. I think Rickie's going to have a mental breakdown if she doesn't get any criticism soon. And I don't want to see a psychotic authoress...
NRSH: *still clutching the Pocky* Haru, don't come any closer...
Yuki: *looks at authoress* Yeah. It looks like this will take a while...*facepalm* Haru just go back into the story. I'll be there soon... *whisper* I hope not...
REVIEW!
Hello Readers, I'm Tora, the beta for this story! Hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to leave a review or I'll have to deal with an insane NRSH! Thank you :)