Title: Million Little Pieces
Author: Keir
Rating: R overall, for swearing, violence, and sexual situations
The Gist of Things: Haru's feelings are already known to Kyou, but now Yuki is making his known as well. What's a poor kitty cat to do?
A/N: Slowly the ideas come. Sort of a filler chapter? I guess. For later stuff. :3
italics - thought
"You have got to be kidding me!" Kyou slammed his hands down on the meeting table in the almost empty room. It infuriated him that they'd forced him to become part of the student council at the beginning of the year, having to work alongside Uotani and sit through meetings when he could be doing other things. Like sleeping. "No way!"
"It's already been decided, Kyonkyon. You haven't done anything to help in a school event this year; every council member has to help on some project. I had to be in the winter play because you refused. Now it's payback." Uotani grinned.
"You can't just sign me up for something, damn it!"
Uotani ignored him, waving a poster in his face. "I heard they're going to be doing it traditionally, as in shirtless. Do you think you can handle it, Orangey?" The blond girl leered.
The cat blushed bright red, glancing at Yuki and looking away. "That's just stupid!" he spat. It had been five days since all this mess had begun with Yuki and Hatsuharu, the end of the school week. The ox had insisted on visiting almost every day—only missing Tuesday to take Momiji out to a movie. And when the ox was around Kyou, Yuki insisted on being around Kyou. The cat had spent every night on the floor at Kazuma's dojo, trying to clear his head and get away from it all. It hadn't helped that to his sensitive nose his cousins' scents had taken over his room. Kyou found his mind wandering; he'd half been worried that when he crawled in his window that morning that the two of them would be there, waiting. Part of him felt a little thrill low in his belly at the thought.
"...ou! Kyou!" The cat startled from his reverie, almost falling over a chair. Yuki's face was close to his.
"W-what the hell!" he blurted, leaning away.
Yuki looked amused. "You've been staring off for a couple minutes now. Uotani got bored and left." He tilted his head to the side, a curious gleam entering his eyes. "What were you thinking about?"
He could smell the peppermint on Yuki's breath. "Nothing." His voice came out huskier than usual and he turned away. Yuki quirked a brow, picking up his briefcase and following Kyou out of the classroom. They ran into Hatsuharu, who stood leaning against the wall, the top of his shirt unbuttoned to show off his necklaces.
"So I heard you're going to be in—"
"Shut up about that already!" Kyou growled, stomping past. The ox calmly fell into walking beside him, Yuki on his other side. The cat thought how absurd it must look, like he was some kind of girl in a shoujo manga flanked by the two boys she loved. His cheeks flushed red at the thought and he sped up his walking; the others easily kept stride with him with their longer legs.
This is stupid, he thought. The both of them should be surrounded by girls. Haru and his J-rocker look and Yuki with his well-favored features. He momentarily thought of Yuki's fanclub also fawning over him and shook his head. They just think maybe I could end up an easier target and they like me just because I'm related to Yuki. I don't get it; they never liked me before and now both of them like me. And when did I start liking either of them? They're probably just fucking around with me. And why are they always following me around now? Like I'm some sort of stupid prize in their fight.
Shit! What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I stop thinking about this!
Hatsuharu and Yuki glanced at each other as Kyou continued to mutter and storm his way down the sidewalk. Suddenly the cat stopped and whirled around. "Why are you two following me!"
"We live together," Yuki said simply.
"I like staring at your ass." The ox said with a neutral face.
The cat hissed. "Well, go home! I'm going to Shishou's place."
"I'll get lost on my own," Hatsuharu said blandly, feigning his horrible sense of direction. It really wasn't that bad; sometimes he just liked to let people think he was dumb.
"Then have Yuki take you home!"
"I'm going to the dojo with you if Hatsuharu is."
"So I'll come with you. Then you can walk me home, Kyou." the ox said smoothly, silently implying the word 'alone'. Yuki shot his younger cousin a venomous look.
"Fine, do whatever you want!" Kyou yelled, stomping off down the street toward Kazuma's place; the other two followed.
Kyou walked out of Kazuma's private bathroom in the business office connected to the dojo. Kazuma had greeted them cheerfully and invited them to train as long as they liked. The three of them had stepped into the locker room and that's where all the problems began.
The cat had opened the locker to where his gi hung and begun undressing. His shirt came over his head and he had tossed it carelessly onto the top shelf. He had been undoing his pants when he noticed the silence. He turned around to find both Hatsuharu and Yuki staring shamelessly at him, studying the bunch of muscles that sat right above the edge of his pants. The cat had flushed bright red and begun shouting at them.
Yuki and Hatsuharu had started accusing each other of ogling Kyou first, acting as if the cat wasn't even there. The tension in the air had risen and the orange-haired boy had realized there was no way to undress down to his boxers around the other two without some kind of reaction.
So he had fled and changed elsewhere. He walked out into the dojo proper, breathing a sigh of relief to see the others already there and practicing katas. Kazuma was on the other side of the room putting some elementary school children through their paces. He walked over to the wall and drew a shinai from the rack, moving off to the side to practice kendo katas(1). The shinai's tip whistled through the air with precision, Kyou's muscles bunching and extending under his gi.
"You're doing it wrong," a warm whisper hit his ear, making him jump. He jerked away.
Yuki came up behind him again, adjusting his elbows and the slant the shinai was held at.
Kyou's anger blazed; he hated it when anyone but Shishou corrected his form. "I know how," he spat. "I've been doing this longer than you!" The cat had picked up kendo a full year before his cousin and the rat was better at it than him, ranked one level higher. It nettled him.
Yuki's own ire rose. "I was just showing you what you were doing wrong."
The orange-haired boy sucked in a breath then hissed it out. He leveled his shinai. "Fight me, bastard!"
The rat's eyes went flat as he chose his own weapon from the rack. He squared off against Kyou, the tips of their shinai touching to acknowledge the duel. Yuki knew they should be wearing the protective padding but Kyou had made him so angry he didn't care any more.
They began their deadly dance.
Kyou pushed forward, testing Yuki's will. The shinai rubbed against each other for a moment before he thrust forward, Yuki easily turning it. They resumed their ready position, standing still and waiting for the other to move.
Yuki thrust and while the cat deflected, brought his blade to bear in a downward slash. Kyou danced backward on the balls of his feet, slashing with his shinai.
Hatsuharu never broke his stream of katas, but he kept his eyes on the fight. He hadn't protested when Yuki had broke off his katas to approach Kyou; he was interested to see what the rat would do. He was particularly angry that Yuki hadn't insisted they wear protective equipment; the rat knew how the cat got in the heat of the moment and he should have been the level-headed one. The two older cousins fought quick and hard, Kyou particularly graceful in his footwork. The cat was pressing the rat as much as possible, blade moving swiftly through the air. To anyone else it may have seemed that Yuki was weaker as he continued to defend, but Hatsuharu knew better.
Finally, as Kyou pushed forward with a thrust, Yuki danced out of the way and lashed out, the side of his shinai striking Kyou's Adam's apple. The cat fell to a knee, gasping and coughing, a hand at his throat. The rat pulled back to deliver a blow to his opponent's shoulders, but Kyou's foot lashed out, hooking around his legs. Yuki sprawled; the cat leaped forward to deliver a punch, but the grey-haired boy grasped his wrist, using the momentum to flip his cousin. The orange-haired boy yelped as Yuki held him pinned on his stomach with a knee on his kidney, the cat's arm stretched awkwardly out behind his back. One swift move from Yuki would dislocate the shoulder.
"Enough!" Kazuma's voice rang out. Yuki jerked Kyou's arm, startled at the sudden command, causing the cat to cry out in pain. Kazuma's expression was stern as he stood over them and the grey-haired boy released his opponent. "You know I've banned you two from your competitive fighting here. Neither of you are wearing the proper equipment for such a spar, and think what kind of example you're setting for the young students."
Kyou blushed and bowed his head as he rubbed his shoulder. "Forgive me, Shishou." Yuki simply looked down without saying anything.
"I think a week's break should cool overly hot heads. And Kyou, you must sleep in your own bed tonight." Yuki shot the cat a look but Kyou avoided his gaze. He'd had no idea the other teen had been spending his nights at the dojo.
Hatsuharu took a cleansing breath and bowed to Kazuma as the master passed. He straightened, staring at Kyou's back thoughtfully as the cat racked his weapon. Yuki was a fool if he thought to win Kyou that way: provoking him, making him feel inadequate. The ox's lips twitched. Fine by him if the rat wanted to go about seducing his prey all wrong; it made his job that much easier. He knew how to work Kyou, when and where to apply pressure, when to back off and seem nonchalant. The only problem was controlling himself, keeping his lust in check.
He'd made that mistake once already; he wouldn't repeat it. The news that Kyou was leaving his bedroom at night was also very interesting. What better way to corner his little kitty cat than by moonlight? He smiled to himself as he went to clean up.
(1) Kendo is "the way of the sword." Think fencing almost, but meant for a heavier blade. Shinai are the "blade" used in kendo, though they are not your traditional sword as they are made out of bamboo. If you don't think they hurt, think again: I've been hit with one and it left a huge welt. Katas are the particular forms and movements practiced in any martial art.
A/N: What is kitty-kitty Kyou stuck doing because of Uotani? I shall reveal next chapter. X3 Will you all be sad if it isn't particularly indecent? :D