Disclaimer: You think I own any of this? (dies laughing)

Note, 1: This is one of my first attempts at writing the Fruits Basket characters. Please forgive me if anyone seems too out of character. Advice is always appreciated; just don't be mean or uppity about it.

Note, 2: I don't like curse words. Nor am I certain that my parents would allow me to type them. Therefore, all swearwords will be written as follows: -CENSORED-. The strongest words I'll ever type out in this fic are: dang, shoot, and crud.

Verisimilitude

Nineteen: Safe

Shigure, hearing the sound of the apartment door opening at about five in the morning, snapped his eyes open. Ha'ri's back!

Dying to know if the dragon had found Kyo and Yuki, Shigure leapt out of bed and sprinted into the main living area.

"You found them!" Shigure blurted out merrily.

"Shh," Hatori hushed with a tired glare. "Can't you see that they're sleeping?"

"Oh, right, right," Shigure whispered.

Noting that Hatori was having quite a time carrying both boys, Shigure decided to help. Seeing as Yuki was clinging to Hatori's shirt in his slumber, the dog decided that it would be much easier to just grab Kyo.

"Are our little cherubs alright?" Shigure asked. He thought that Yuki looked quite beaten, and Kyo rather pale.

"Other than the fact that Yuki doesn't trust me and Kyo's memory has been erased, yeah, they're fine."

"Say what?!"

"Shh!" Hatori hissed. "Would you rather have a dead Kyo or a memory-less Kyo? It was either this or having Yuki and Kyo in Akito's hands. I… I made a deal with Akito. I erased Kyo's memories, so now everyone who lives in this apartment is completely safe for one year."

Shigure looked down at the cat that he was holding and squeezed Kyo lightly, in something of a hug. "Ha'ri, I'll tuck them in. You just go straight to sleep—you can use my bed and I'll take the couch."

"No," Hatori shook his head. "I have to check and clean Yuki's wounds. By the time I'm finished that, it'll be time for everyone to get up. So I'll have to make breakfast and get the kids ready for school. You're going to your classes today, too."

"But—"

"No 'buts'. You're going."

"But I—"

"Yes, you are so going."

"Ha'ri! Listen to me! It's Saturday—I don't have classes on Saturdays. Nobody has classes on Saturdays."

"Oh," Hatori said quietly. Saturday already? That meant that he hadn't slept in… oh… say… about four days.

"Go on to bed, Tori," Shigure suggested. "I'll take care of everything."

"No," refused Hatori. "If Yuki needs bandages, you'll more than likely end up making him look like a mummy. You go ahead and tuck Kyo in. Let me know if he wakes up."

He turned and set Yuki down on the couch as Shigure let out a sigh. The dog then carried Kyo into the bedroom and settled him in his bed.

Glancing around to make sure that nobody was listening and that Kyo was still asleep, Shigure leaned down and whispered to the cat, "Thanks, kid." He gave him a brotherly (or, rather, cousinly) kiss on the forehead.

Shigure then heard a rustling sound from the other end of the room and, looking in that direction, noticed that Momiji had just sat up in his bed. Knowing that the bunny would probably start clapping and shouting that Kyo had returned, Shigure lunged over and clapped a hand over the nine-year-old's mouth.

"Shush!" Shigure hissed. "Don't wake everyone up!"

"M-m-MM! M-m-MM!" hummed Momiji happily through Shigure's hand. He bounced around slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Shigure whispered. "Yuki's back, too."

"Mm?"

"Yeah, for real."

"M-m-m-MM! M-m-m-MM!" Pausing for a moment, Momiji mumbled, "M-m-m-m-m?"

"Yeah, Ha'ri's here."

Momiji let out a little squeal.

"Sh! …You gonna be quiet now?"

The blond-haired boy nodded enthusiastically, so Shigure removed his hand and wiped it off on his pajama bottom. Next thing he knew, however…

"KYON IS BACK! YUN-YUN'S BACK! HA'RI'S BACK!!!"

Shigure slapped his hand back over Momiji's mouth, but too late—the damage had already been dealt, as was evidenced by Tohru leaping straight up into the air and Haru falling out of his bed with a loud crash. Kyo, fortunately, slept on. Hatori, unfortunately, heard the racket and came to investigate.

And a peeved, fatigued Hatori is more of a force to be reckoned with than usual.

"What are you…?" Hatori trailed off, looking first to Tohru (tangled up in her sheets and looking very confused) and then Haru (flat on his face on the floor). The dragon glared at Shigure before kneeling down to help Haru off his face.

"Not my fault," Shigure muttered immediately.

"Haru, are you alright?" asked Hatori, ignoring the dog.

The traumatized expression plastered to Haru's face was a clear reply.

"Here, get back in bed," Hatori told him, half-lifting Haru onto his mattress.

"Hatori-san?" Tohru whispered, still partially fallen over from her unexpected wake-up call. "You're back?"

Hatori nodded quietly, "Apparently." He normally would not have said that aloud but, as we have established quite plainly, Hatori was in desperate need of a good night's rest.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" she continued softly, righting herself and then clasping her hands together in delight. "Are Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun here, too? Are they alright?"

"Everything's going to be fine, Tohru-kun," Hatori assured her wearily. "Kyo's in bed, please don't disturb him. I have to go back to Yuki now. Shigure can explain it all to you later, once everyone is completely awake."

"Me?!" Shigure blurted.

"Shh, yes, you," Hatori replied, pulling the blankets up to partly cover Haru, who was now staring wide-eyed at the dragon.

"Why?"

"A, it's your punishment for not being able to keep everything quiet in here; B, because I'm going to be way too tired to speak anymore after I finish with Yuki. I'll take care of Kyo, though—I don't want you to explain things to him the wrong way and end up scarring him for life."

Business taken care of, Hatori turned around and all but stumbled from the room.

Shigure, following Hatori, began, "Ha'ri—hey, Yun—Ha'ri, I—"

"Shigure," Hatori sighed.

Hatori put a hand on the writer's back and guided him to one of the chairs at the dining table. He gently pushed Shigure into a chair while still standing up, himself.

"Allow me to enlighten you on a few matters. A, you are wasting your words on Yuki." Indicating the boy lying on the couch, he continued, "He's still asleep, no thanks to that riot you created.

"B, I know what you're going to say. I need sleep, right? I know that. And I am going to do so as soon as possible. The sooner, the better. And the more you help out, here, the sooner I can sleep, right? Are you still with me on this?"

Shigure nodded.

"Good. Now, you know what I want you to do?"

"Um… take care of the kids and let you know when Kyo wakes up?"

"Very good," Hatori confirmed. "I'm going to finish cleaning and bandaging Yuki right now. While I do that, you're going to…?"

"…Take care of the kids and let you know when Kyo wakes up."

Hatori nodded, slowly and deliberately. "Excellent, Shigure."

"Even if you're sleeping?"

"Hm?"

"Should I let you know when Kyo wakes up even if you're sleeping?" Shigure clarified.

"Yes. Now, you're going to…"

Standing up, Shigure repeated again, "Take care of the kids and let you know when Kyo wakes up."

"Good boy." Hatori patted Shigure on the back. "Now go to it."

Shigure nodded and headed back to the bedroom. Before entering the room, however, he paused for a moment and turned around. He commented, "You know, sometimes I get the feeling that you think of me as nothing more than another kid."

"You know, you are absolutely correct," Hatori replied, with an ever-so-slight smirk.

With another little nod, Shigure went into the bedroom.

As soon as the dog was out of earshot, Hatori muttered to himself, "I'm half dead and I'm still in charge around here…"

-

Hatori carried Yuki, who was still sound asleep, into the bedroom. Most of the bandages were covered by his pajamas, and the only definite signs of injury were a long strip of bandage wrapped around his forehead and the slightly troubled expression on his face.

"I'll tuck 'im in," Shigure whispered, holding out his arms. "Just go to sleep—use my bed. It's not like I'm gonna sleep anymore today, anyway."

"Thanks," Hatori grunted, handing the rat over to his cousin. "Remember to… wake me up… when Kyo wakes… up…" he spoke slowly, between yawns. He was almost at the bed when he collapsed.

Tohru, Haru, and Momiji were still awake, too excited by the others' return to go back to sleep. Tohru clapped a hand over her mouth as Hatori fell, Haru stared silently through wide eyes, and Momiji shrieked, "Ha'ri's dead!"

"Zip the lip or I'll do it for ya," Shigure glowered, quickly tucking Yuki under the covers of the mouse's bed before attending to Hatori.

"Come on," the dog said, pulling Hatori off the floor. "Off to Sleepyland. You remember that place, right? It's where overworking, obsessive peeps like you go when you forget to rest for a few days."

Shigure looked to the three others in the room who were awake. He said, "Well, if you aren't gonna sleep anymore, what're you doing in a bedroom? Grab some clothes and take showers. One at a time," he finished with a grin.

So the trio collected their outfits and left the room, Tohru blushing madly at Shigure's final comment. Haru had wanted to kick, punch, or otherwise injure Shigure on his way out, but didn't do so for fear that the dog would let Hatori clunk to the floor.

"Here we go," Shigure announced, mostly to himself, as he lay Hatori down on the mattress. "When you wake up, you're my patient."

He snickered, somewhat evilly. This was going to be fun…

…Well, except for that part about Kyo having had his memories erased…

…And that Yuki was probably pretty weak and in need of attention…

…And that Hatori might need a while to completely recuperate…

…So where was the fun? This was going to be such a drag!

Shigure sighed. Fun? He thought not.