A/N: I have recently been pointed out that I as spelling Tohru wrong. Thanks for the correction. I haven't been thinking properly between being sick and studying for exams I kind of just let my brain relax while I'm writing. But thank you for pointing that out!
Disclaimer: Do I really need to go through this?
It was the next day and the normally immature Shigure actually got a shred of responsibility and remembered that Kyo was supposed to stay in bed all day. Tohru fretted about Kyo being by himself all day since Tohru had work after school again and Shigure was spending the day with Ayame. Shigure offered to change his plans and have Ayame come to his house so they could look after Kyo but Kyo had flat-out rejected that plan. Yuki would come home but only after school was over and that was a full eight hours alone. Tohru even came up with the idea that she should stay home from school to look after Kyo but the whole family insisted otherwise.
Eventually Yuki stepped in and said that half his day was filled with student council meetings that he didn't really need to attend anyway because it was just preliminary. Yuki offered to come home early if it would help ease Tohru's worrying. That left Kyo four hours by himself in which they would just have to count on Kyo staying bed and not needing anything urgent. This seemed all they could do to satisfy Tohru even though Kyo insisted he'd be fine by himself for the entire day. In the end, he was getting a lot of alone time with Yuki which he didn't think would be good for him after that weird dream, or not-dream, he still wasn't sure.
So the three drugged him with a lot of cold medicine and left him alone. Kyo was relieved, thinking that maybe now he could figure out the whole situation with Yuki. Kyo had looked for evidence that the scene had happened but there really wasn't much to go by. The glass of water Yuki had brought him, or Kyo thought he brought him, wasn't on his nightstand where he had previously set it. But Yuki could have easily brought it downstairs when Kyo was sleeping. But why would Yuki do that? What if Kyo had woken up from a coughing fit and needed that water? But maybe Yuki hadn't thought about it. Or maybe Yuki had felt weird about the scene as well and had plotted to make Kyo think it had only been a dream.
That was ridiculous. In fact, his whole logical process depended entirely on a glass of water and that was ridiculous. Kyo kept battling with himself about this and in the end, Kyo decided to go downstairs and see if Yuki had brought the glass down to be cleaned.
It wasn't until after Kyo got downstairs and looked at the empty kitchen counter did Kyo realize that this idea had been stupid as well. Of course Tohru washed the dishes every night so any hope of evidence was completely erased. Kyo became furious at what should have been a simple task. People are supposed to know the difference between dream and reality, right? So why couldn't Kyo figure it out?
He punched the wall in frustration, completely forgetting his weakened state and all the medication he had taken. The collision of fist and wall didn't really hurt Kyo but he had put a lot of energy into that swing. Kyo leaned on the wall and tried to steady his breath. He ended up sliding to the floor and was totally for taking a short nap right there. But then he remembered that Yuki was coming home early and Kyo wasn't supposed to be out of bed. Kyo pulled himself up and leaned on the wall until his vision steadied. He kept one hand along the wall in case he needed support and he slowly made his way to the staircase. A gentle drumming pattern on the roof alerted Kyo that it had begun raining. Was the whole world trying to force him to go to sleep right here?
Finally Kyo made it to the stairs and began climbing up on all fours, but by then the rain, meds, and sickness had taken their toll and Kyo couldn't help but lay his head down.
In the distant part of his mind that was still functioning, Kyo realized that he needed to get back to his bed. However, the rain was drumming a tender lullaby and the stairs were so soft. If people weren't supposed to sleep on stairs then why were they so soft? This was the last thought that crossed his mind before he drifted off to sleep.
Yuki had gotten permission to skip the student council meetings just as he knew he would. He normally would have stayed at the student council meetings no matter how boring they were because he considered it a lot better than being in the company of a certain cat. However, he had promised Miss Honda. The only reason he had suggested the arrangement was because it would help ease Miss Honda's mind.
Well, that wasn't completely true. It also had something to do with the way Kyo helplessly sniffled in bed. Or maybe the way Kyo's eyes expressed his discomfort so openly. Whatever it was, it made Yuki feel overridden with guilt for how he had hurt Kyo , even if it was unintentional. Every time Yuki looked at the sickly Kyo, Yuki felt an unwanted wave of compassion.
And yet, when he wasn't near Kyo, Yuki convinced himself that the incident wasn't his fault. How was he supposed to know the cat was sick? It's not like he let it show or anything. When it came down to it, it was really all the cat's fault.
Yuki opened the door and was debating on whether he should just stay downstairs and not see Kyo. After all, as soon as he did, Yuki would want to take care of Kyo and end up being nice to him. He glanced at the stairs as if to help him with the decision and there was the cat in question.
What was Kyo doing out of bed? Yuki began freaking out. He rushed over to make sure Kyo was still breathing. He found himself reassured by the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. So what had happened? Did he pass out? Or maybe he had knocked himself unconscious from tripping on the stairs. Yuki decided he'd bring Kyo to his bed and then call Hatori
` It was when Yuki began shifting Kyo into his arms that Kyo finally stirred. Yuki remained frozen as Kyo looked around blurrily. Yuki's heart rate skyrocketed when Kyo leaned into Yuki, snaked his arms around Yuki's neck, and insisted on nuzzling into Yuki's neck as well. As much as Yuki wanted to shove Kyo away, this position did make it easier to carry Kyo up the stairs.
Yuki gently set Kyo on his bed and both seemed a little reluctant to let go. Eventually Yuki broke the connection but Kyo was still half asleep , so without realizing it, Kyo grabbed Yuki's shirt and yanked the rat onto the bed with him. Kyo then proceeded to use Yuki as a pillow. Kyo's arms stretched around Yuki's chest and Yuki felt himself turning red.
"I-I should go call Hatori," Yuki gulped. Kyo whined and pulled Yuki even closer. Gosh he was cute when he whined. Wait, did I really just think of Kyo as cute? And besides, last time Yuki checked, whining was annoying not adorable. Maybe he was starting to come down with Kyo's cold. That could be the only explanation as to why he had thought that. Besides insanity but Yuki really didn't want to be going insane. Although, if Yuki had a choice between that and liking the cat, at least he'd have a nice padded room.
"I really should go," Yuki tried again, knowing that the results would be the same. Kyo shifted until he was almost completely on top of Yuki and Yuki noticed the cat's breathing slow down even more, signaling he was asleep. Well, great. How was he supposed to get out of this one? The more Yuki tried to release Kyo's hold on him, the more entangled the two became. Eventually Yuki gave up and decided he had nothing better to do than go to sleep himself. Yuki breathed deeply and nearly laughed as Kyo's fiery orange hair tickled his nose. Yuki lightly rubbed his face into the cat's soft hair and before he knew it, Yuki was asleep as well.
When Kyo woke up, the first thing he thought was 'since when is my bed this comfy?' But it wasn't only comfortable, it was hard. That was a combination that didn't make any sense to him. His bed moved beneath him and Kyo instantly shot up into a sitting position. There beneath him was none other than the rat himself. And when Kyo had sat up, it put him in a position of straddling the rat with his hands placed firmly on Yuki's chest. Kyo became frazzled and made to get off the rat before Yuki woke up. However, all the moving around caused Yuki to awaken.
Yuki looked up at Kyo's bug-eyed expression and half-smiled, half-smirked up at the cat.
"Your bed is very comfortable," the rat stated calmly. He laughed as the cat became even more unnerved.
"You climbed into my bed just to test that?" Kyo yelled.
"On the contrary, you wouldn't let me sleep in my own bed. You insisted I be your pillow."
"Why would I do that?" Kyo became all the more crazed.
"Hmm. Don't you remember anything about last night?" Yuki teased, brushing his hand along Kyo's cheek. A delicate smile graced Yuki's face.
"What are you talking about?" Kyo practically squeaked. He scrambled off of Yuki and fell onto the floor where he leaped back until he was against the opposite wall. Yuki couldn't suppress his laughter anymore.
"Relax," Yuki snickered. "You were tired and when I carried you to bed, you pretty much fell on top of me. I couldn't get away so I had to be your pillow. But it is nice to see you get so wound up at those suggestions." Kyo stared at Yuki while processing this information.
"Stupid rat!" Kyo finally roared. "What was all that for, then?"
"Well," Yuki said, "with you putting me in such an awkward position I had to get back at you somehow." Kyo growled at the smirking nezumi followed by some coughing. Yuki's expression changed as he remembered Kyo was sick. And he had made Kyo yell which was probably worse for his throat. Yuki cursed his stupidity.
"I'll get you some water," Yuki affirmed, leaping off the bed and rushing downstairs. Kyo was sitting in bed when he returned and handed him the glass. Kyo furrowed his brow at the familiarity of this scene.
"Have you-have you brought me water before?" Kyo hesitantly asked.
"What?" Yuki paused at the odd question.
"Well, it's just that I had this dream, or I don't know if it was a dream because it felt so real. I was coughing and you brought me a glass of water…" Kyo trailed off not wanting to say what had happened next.
"Do you have dreams about me often, cat?" Yuki queried.
"Oh, shut up! It wasn't like that!" Kyo yelled. He coughed and took another swig of water, hoping it would stop the blush that was forming.
"I don't recall doing anything nice for you before this. And this is just a favor I'm doing for Miss Honda so don't get used to it," Yuki's eyes narrowed. Kyo nodded and Yuki took his leave.
Once outside the door, Yuki leaned against the wall and slid down, sighing in relief. So the cat did remember after all, but he thought it was a dream. That was for the best, anyway. It was a good thing the cat couldn't recall what had happened after he had fallen asleep…
Yuki brushed the hair away from Kyo's forehead, letting his fingers linger one moment to long for it to be an innocent touch. Kyo sighed blissfully and closed his eyes. Once Yuki was certain the cat was asleep, he hovered over Kyo, so close that he could feel the cat's warm breath on his face.
Yuki hesitated. He had been feeling weirdly about the cat ever since their fight that had put Kyo into this condition. To be honest, Yuki thought it had started long before that but he wouldn't let himself consider that possibility.
"Just do it," Yuki chided himself. "It will prove that these feelings are all wrong. Just temporary compassion due to guilt." Yuki leaned close to Kyo and slowly, oh so slowly, pressed his lips onto the cat's.
Yes, it was best if the cat thought it was a dream.
A/N: So that was my longest chapter yet. What do you think? Please clicky that button. You know you want to…