Title: Equally Cursed and Blessed
Authors: Caer (caerfree@tde.com) and Triste (TragedyandComedy@aol.com)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, violence, angst
Pairings: YukixKyou, ShigurexHatori, HaruxMomiji
Status: Work in progress (part 3)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
Thanks to girlstarfish, Jin, mizuko and aurelie for reviewing!
~~
Yuki placed the pillow at the top of his makeshift bed while Tohru did the same.
They had silently decided to take either side of the table. More than anything,
Yuki wanted to lie beside Tohru, but that would have been too improper. It
wouldn't have worked either, since they needed to take turns watching Kyou and
so one of them would be out of bed anyway. That would be to his advantage
though, because it would give him the chance to sit close to her and watch her
sleep. Tohru had made some strong tea and put out some snacks for them so they
would stay awake.
Yuki watched her happily while she smoothed the hair on Kyou's forehead and
spoke quietly to him. She was so beautiful. He couldn't get enough of her warm
spirit, her boundless energy and her enormous heart. He loved her so much it
made him ache sometimes. Everything she did made him melt, made him feel at
peace inside.
She laid the yellow ribbon he had given her lovingly on the table and shook her
pretty long hair out, getting ready to brush it.
"Honda-san?" he said softly, smiling one of his rare true smiles at her. "Would
you let me brush out your hair tonight? Then you can get some rest and I'll take
the first watch."
"Of course!" Tohru said, smiling at Yuki happily. She handed him the hairbrush
and moved so that he could reach her properly. She closed her eyes and
concentrated on the feeling of the brush running slowly through her hair,
soothing her and making her feel sleepy. She fought hard to keep her eyes open
and fixed on Kyou. She knew that Yuki had volunteered to take the first watch,
but she wanted to keep an eye on poor Kyou for just a little while longer.
Thankfully, he had lost that awful bluish tinge to his lips and he felt a little
warmer at least. Kyou was always a fast healer and Tohru had absolute faith in
Hatori as a doctor, so she knew that Kyou would pull through.
"It feels...odd..." she said quietly. "Not to have you and Kyou-kun arguing all
the time. Not that I'm saying that arguing is a good thing!" she added hastily.
"But without it, everything just seems so...quiet." She gazed at Kyou worriedly.
"I hope Kyou-kun wakes up soon so that we can talk to him and make him feel
better. My mother always used to say that having people who care about you
around when you're sick is always the best and quickest way to get better."
Yuki smiled, savouring the cascade of her silky brown hair as it slipped through
the brush, and every once in a while, through his fingers, unknown to her.
"Honda-san, you're always thinking of others. I'm sure Kyou would like to know
you're with him. I promise that as soon as that stupid cat gets better, we'll
argue for your sake." She giggled a little at that, making Yuki smile again.
"Your mother sounds like she was such a kind person. I think she would be proud
of you."
Tohru fairly beamed upon hearing his praise. "My mother was the best!" she said
enthusiastically. "She was so wise and smart and beautiful. I'd love to be like
her someday," she added with a sigh. She yawned slightly as she concentrated on
the feeling of Yuki running the brush through her hair. It was making her feel
very relaxed, almost *too* relaxed and she struggled to keep her eyes open.
She was feeling exhausted what with a long day at school, her evening spent
working at the hospital and of course, poor Kyou's accident. She yawned again.
"I'm so sleepy," she admitted, glancing at her watch. "But it's only just turned
midnight. It's a long way off until morning comes and we have to make sure that
Kyou-kun doesn't get any worse."
Yuki smiled as he silently asserted to himself that if her mother was indeed as
beautiful and wise as Tohru said, then the lovely girl was already like her
mother. He stopped brushing, content. It had been relaxing to watch the sheen of
brown smooth out and to feel the calming stroke of the brush down his arm.
However, whereas she had become lethargic and sleepy, he felt relaxed and ready
to sit watch. He felt energized, as if he had just meditated for twenty
minutes. Of course, it was a sort of meditation, just not usually the sort he
engaged in.
"Maybe you should get some sleep." He put a hand on her shoulder and put the
brush down. "I'll keep a good eye on Kyou and I'll wake you if anything
happens."
Tohru stared at him for a moment and then nodded. She was feeling much too tired
right now to even stay awake, much less be of assistance should Kyou suddenly
take a turn for the worse. "I'll sleep for now then," she said slowly. "But
don't forget to wake me up when it's my turn to keep watch!" she told him
firmly. Yuki nodded and she smiled. She spread out her blankets and fluffed up
her pillow and then stood up to fetch the photograph of her mother. She placed
it down on the table, leaning closer to Kyou and bowing her head next to his.
"Mother, I want you to watch over Kyou-kun tonight with Yuki-kun," she said
quietly, closing her eyes. "Kyou-kun is very sick, but if you watch over him
like you always watched over me whenever I was sick, then I'm sure he'll start
feeling much better soon." She kissed Kyou's forehead, reached over and squeezed
Yuki's hand tightly and then lay her head down on her pillow. "Good night,
Yuki-kun," she said softly, closing her eyes. "Don't forget...to wake me when
it's time..." And with that, she was out like a light.
Yuki watched the rise and fall of her back as she slept. He reached a hand out
and pulled a strand of hair back from her face.
"Good night, Honda-san," he said delicately. She brought out such emotions in
him. It made him sad to think that he would never be able to hold her close or
even get very near her without changing into his mouse form. He fantasized about
it from time to time, but of course whenever he even got close to something like
that with her, POOF. The transformation was so erratic too. Sometimes, he could
hold her hand and touch her hair and he would change.
Other times, he could be rubbing her shoulders and nothing happened. He spent a
lot of time agonizing about what he could and couldn't do if they were to start
a relationship. Sometimes he wanted it very much...other times he didn't...for
her sake. She was such a loving and physical person. Was it fair to expect her
to stay with someone who could barely touch her, let alone get close like a
lover? He sometimes wondered how Hatori and Kana managed...then again they
hadn't in the end, had they?
Of course, there was another factor that kept him from a relationship with her
and that was Kyou. Tohru seemed to care for them both so much, and as much as
they both tried, she didn't seem to like one or the other better. Stupid cat. He
wasn't even nice to her and she still liked him as much as she liked Yuki! How
could someone attract people so much when he was just a bad tempered,
foul-mouthed idiot?
Yuki looked at the boy's pale face guiltily. He snorted. How could he feel bad
about feeling venomous toward the cat just because he was hurt? But the mouse
continued to stare. Kyou looked so peaceful, so small, so calm. He was actually
very good looking when he didn't have a constant scowl screwing up his face.
Yuki admittedly had caught himself staring at the fiery-tempered boy once in a
while with less than hatred. There was something beautiful about the energy that
Kyou exuded in his ire. There was something drawing about him.
Now, the energy was barely there as Kyou lay silent and pale on the cushioned
floor. He looked better now than he had in the car though and Yuki felt some
relief at that. Even if Kyou was a loud-mouthed, angry fool, he was still a part
of their little group at school and even Yuki would miss him. He hated him, but
he couldn't do without him.
Kyou shifted suddenly, his mouth opening on a pained whimper. His brow furrowed
and he moaned softly, trying to move. He was drifting somewhere between sleep
and wakefulness and he didn't like it. He hadn't been aware of much at all since
he'd fallen down the embankment and had gotten hurt...but at least he didn't
seem to be there anymore. It wasn't raining and he was warm. His body felt
strangely heavy though and he couldn't open his eyes. He didn't *think* he was
awake, but he could hear something...he could hear someone sniffling, someone
crying.
With a start, he realised that it was he who was crying and that only made him
even more confused. He wasn't hurt anymore; he couldn't feel anything...so why
was he crying? "I'm sorry," he murmured, drawing in a shaky breath. "I'm so
sorry...Mama, please..." He tried to move again, but he couldn't. Everything
felt so heavy and he couldn't open his eyes. He knew something bad had happened
though and it made him feel scared and uneasy. His mouth was working, so why
wasn't the rest of him? He uttered a small sound of frustration, but his fear
began growing even more. He must have transformed somehow...he always felt this
way whenever his bracelet came loose and the cat's other form took over. But
he'd never felt this bad before. And where was his mother? He called for her
again, but she didn't answer.
Kyou started feeling worse and he called for her again, a sinking feeling
emerging in his stomach. Why wasn't she answering him? She was always saying how
much she loved him, how she'd always protect him from anything bad...so why
wasn't she here now when he needed her? Didn't she love him anymore? Had she
finally decided to get rid of him because he was so evil? Kyou moaned again and
tried to move, but he couldn't...all he could manage was a slight twitch of his
hand as he called out for his mother and kept calling for her, feeling so afraid
and alone...
Yuki looked up, almost dropping his tea. He had been catching up on some of his
homework when he heard Kyou mumble something. He set the cup down and moved
closer to the boy, his algebra forgotten. Kyou's head rolled on the pillow as he
talked in his sleep. He looked troubled. Yuki guessed he must have been
dreaming. He leaned closer and heard the choked call quietly escape the sleeping
cat's throat.
"Mama, don't go 'way. M'sorry."
Had he been dreaming about his mother? Yuki felt his coldness toward Kyou return
and stared at him dispassionately. Kyou's mother had committed suicide when they
were both nine years old. Of course everyone said it was because of Kyou's
curse, and they were probably right. It hadn't happened very long after the
horrible incident at New Years when Akito had ripped Kyou's bracelet from his
wrist during a storm, causing the monster to appear, attacking the guests,
including his own mother and tearing into the forest. No one had seen Kyou for
years after that. He had just stayed with Kazuma in the mountains.
That incident, though, had somehow ended their young friendship. Yes, Kyou and
Yuki had been friends once. At least, that's what Yuki had thought...but he had
been betrayed. He recalled the cat's screamed curses at everyone at the funeral,
blaming Yuki for everything. Even now, Yuki could remember his screams...
"I'll kill that mouse and then I'll kill myself! Will that make you all happy?"
Yuki's hatred began to rekindle at that memory and he quickly pushed it away. He
thought he had gotten over some of those childish angers, but they still burned
fresh in his mind. He stifled them and brought himself to the present though as
Kyou's murmurs were getting louder and he didn't want Tohru woken. He put a hand
on Kyou's arm and one on his head.
"Kyou, shhhh. It's all right. You're dreaming."
The cat's head seemed warm now and Yuki grabbed from the basin Tohru had set out
and blotted some of the sweat off his damp temple.
Kyou moaned again, frowning when he felt something cool placed on his forehead.
He felt hot...when had that happened? His head hurt and he couldn't bring
himself to open his eyes even though he could hear sounds around him, could hear
someone's voice speaking to him. "Mama?" he said hopefully. "Where are you?
I..." He drew in a shuddery breath and then suddenly, his eyes fluttered open.
It took him a while to notice at first since everything was so dark, but he
could soon make out dark, blurry objects.
He squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of them, trying to figure out where
he was. He felt safe though, so he didn't worry about anything other than where
he was and who was with him for the time being. He still couldn't move though
and he felt like crying in frustration. He could feel someone's soothing voice
speaking to him, but he couldn't see who the speaker was. He could feel soft,
gentle hands stroking his hair and his heart lifted. "Tohru?" he murmured
hopefully.
"Tohru's asleep," Yuki said softly. "She's here though, so don't wake her,
Kyou." He felt some of his coldness slip away at the mention of Tohru's name. He
let the past slip back to where it belonged and remembered how scared he had
been earlier, holding the bleeding boy in his arms, afraid that he would die.
"Shhh." He began to massage his fingers in Kyou's hair gently.
Kyou's brow furrowed. If it wasn't Tohru, then who was it? He tried to make his
brain work, but everything was too dark, too foggy and he couldn't think
straight. His nose twitched and his lips curved in recognition of the scent he
managed to pick up. "Yuki..." he mumbled. He could hear Yuki shushing him and
trying to calm him down, but he just started getting more and more agitated.
Kyou was getting more and more confused. Why was Yuki suddenly being so nice to
him? Why wasn't he kicking his ass all over the house?
He could feel Yuki stroking his hair and murmuring softly and though he couldn't
figure out why he was acting so caring toward him all of a sudden, Kyou couldn't
help but feel more relaxed. His eyes were starting to grow heavy again and he
blinked furiously, trying to stay conscious. He called Yuki's name again,
fighting to keep himself awake.
"Yuki...it's not...my fault," he managed to get out, feeling the pull of sleep
trying to drag him under again. For some reason, it made him feel panicked
rather than comforted and he shook his head, suddenly feeling as though he had
to tell Yuki something, had to keep talking to him before he went out cold
again. "It's not...it's not my fault," he said brokenly, raising his hand
weakly. Everything was growing dark again, but he didn't want to go back to
sleep. "It's not...Yuki..."
"Shhh. I know, Kyou...it's okay. I know."
Even though he didn't know. Yuki had no idea what Kyou could be talking about,
but he didn't want the cat to be sad or in pain, especially in this condition.
Plus, his cries were getting loud and they threatened to wake Tohru. Yuki leaned
down, taking Kyou's hand in a strong grip and holding it while he cradled Kyou's
head in his other hand and tried to use his body to block the frantic murmurs
from getting too loud. He leaned close to Kyou's ear and murmured, "Don't be
sad, Kyou. It's okay."
As the boy calmed and seemed to drop into a relaxed sleep, Yuki sighed in
relief. He wondered if Kyou's dreams had anything to do with what might have
happened today, or if he was just having fevered dreams from the drugs and his
ordeal. He wondered if Kyou dreamt of his mother often. He moved to pull away
from the boy and go sit back down with his homework but Kyou made a pained noise
and clasped his hand tightly.
Kyou felt himself being surrounded by warmth and for a brief moment, he was
content. He couldn't understand why Yuki was being so kind to him and what he
must have done to deserve that kindness, but then there were a lot of things he
couldn't understand just now. This time when he felt the pull of sleep, he
stopped resisting it and he let his eyes slip shut, feeling safe now that Yuki
was nearby. If there were anything out there that would hurt him, Yuki would
take care of it, he was certain.
He still resented the fact that Yuki was still better at martial arts than he
was, but right now, Kyou doubted he'd be much of an opponent in a fight. Yuki
could handle it though. He might try and think of someway to get him back for
having to look out for him, but at least for the time being he was there. Kyou
began growing agitated though when he felt that warmth moving away and he
tightened his grip on Yuki's hand as much as he was able. "No!" he cried. "Yuki,
please don't leave."
Yuki froze. That woke memories in him that he didn't want. He stared at the cat
in shock, wondering if Kyou even knew what he was saying. For a few seconds he
wanted to jerk away, but Kyou's voice had brought back that same feeling as
before, so long ago, when they were children and Kyou had said those same words
to him. He looked over at the distraught figure and settled back down, clasping
both his hands around that of the cat, which held to his like iron and sighed.
"Okay, Kyou. Don't be afraid. I'll stay."
He sat there for the rest of the night, not even bothering to wake Tohru when
her time came. It wasn't like he would have slept anyway.
~~
When Kyou finally came to, it was to hear hushed voices around him. He frowned
in disapproval. They were obviously the kind of voices people used to talk with
when they were trying to be quiet, but often ended up just being as loud as they
had been originally. Kyou wanted to tell them all to shut up and go away, but he
was feeling too tired and his head hurt. He growled under his breath when he
heard yet another voice whispering to someone in too loud a tone. His mood
darkened even more when he recognised the voice as Momiji's. Great, just what he
wanted to hear first thing in a morning, Momiji's whiny voice shrieking out
about how he wanted pancakes for breakfast or something.
Why was Momiji over here anyway? Kyou couldn't remember him coming over the
night before...but then he couldn't remember much at all. Eventually, he was
able to recognise other voices...he could hear Tohru speaking, telling Momiji to
quiet down. He could hear Shigure as well and if he had the energy, Kyou would
have rolled his eyes. Why were they all in his bedroom, anyway? Blinking his
eyes open sleepily, Kyou stared up at the ceiling. "Would you all just keep
quiet?" he said in a sleep-thickened voice. "I'm trying to sleep!"
"Kyou!"
Kazuma had already seen Kyou's eyelids fluttering as he came out of his sleep.
Though he had been there to hear how Tohru and Yuki had found him and how Hatori
had patched him up, he had done nothing but watch the convalescent boy, praying
silently for him to open his eyes and show signs of life again. He was walking
to the boy even as he mumbled at them to be quiet. He knelt next to his adopted
child and took one limp hand in his own while placing the other hand on Kyou's
bony shoulder. He could sense the others gathering around him
"How do you feel?" He smiled at the boy as he watched those red eyes clear and
take note of his surroundings and then fix on him.
Kyou turned his head slowly on the pillow and his eyes widened when he saw who
was kneeling next to him. "Shishou..." he whispered, feeling the man take hold
of his hand and squeeze tightly. "What...what are you doing here?" He smiled
tiredly. The last person he'd expected to see here was his karate master and
adopted father. Not that he was complaining at all. He didn't get to spend
nearly enough time around Kazuma these days. Kyou jumped suddenly though when he
felt a cool hand raise his tee shirt and gently run over his side. Tilting his
head, he saw the familiar face of Hatori sitting opposite Kazuma and gently
dabbing at his stomach and side with something. "Hatori..." he said hoarsely.
"What...why..."
"You need to keep still, Kyou," Hatori told him quietly. "Don't move around too
much, otherwise you'll pull the stitches loose." He took Kyou's chin in his hand
and made him look at him, checking his pupils.
Kyou stared back at him blankly. "Stitches? But..." Hatori ignored him though
and just asked how he was feeling. "I feel fine," Kyou muttered. "Just
tired...and sore..." He squinted down at the place where Hatori had raised his
shirt and his eyes narrowed at the sight that met him. It was then that he began
to remember things in bits and pieces...walking back home in the rain...Akito
taking off his bracelet... "Oh, God!" he gasped, panicked. "My bracelet!" He
fumbled at his left wrist frantically. "Where...my bracelet! I need it!"
Hatori and Kazuma both moved quickly, holding him down. Kazuma grabbed his
wrists and pushed them away from each other.
"Kyou!" he snapped, making the boy stop, looking up at him with wide, almost
frightened eyes. He returned Kyou's gaze calmly, trying to assure him. "Please
try to stay calm and don't move or you'll hurt yourself."
Kyou stared up, not moving, but very close to panic.
"You're with friends, Kyou. Remember. Now we need you to tell us what happened
so we can help you. Yuki and Shigure looked half the night for the bracelet and
couldn't find it. Did someone rob you?" Kazuma smoothed down Kyou's hair in a
comforting gesture. "Did you get in a fight?"
"No," Kyou said shakily. He tried to tug his hand away, wanting desperately to
feel the reassuring beads of the bracelet against his skin. "He took it...I need
it back! Shishou! I need it!" He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the
tears. When he opened his eyes again, he turned his head and saw other people
hovering nervously around the edge of the room, staring at him in equal parts
fear and concern.
His gaze fastened on Yuki and Tohru and he felt his panic rising again. "Don't
look at me!" he hissed, turning his head back and trying to hide behind Kazuma's
hand. Now that the events of last night were coming back to him, he remembered
Yuki and Tohru finding him, remembered how angry and ashamed he'd felt just to
know that they had been nearby while he was in his monstrous form. He reached
out for Kazuma's hand and squeezed it weakly. "He has it," he whispered, closing
his eyes in exhaustion. "I want it back."
Kazuma didn't see the widening eyes of the children behind him because he didn't
understand the meaning of that particular 'he' that Kyou was talking about...but
Yuki did, Momiji did and Haru did. 'He' was only said in that particular way
when talking about one person. Neither did Kazuma see the pained look flash
through soft brown eyes behind him. He did hear Yuki's breathing speed though,
and Haru's gasp of surprise. Kazuma looked up to see a confused look in Hatori's
eyes, but a rather dark expression in Shigure's. He didn't understand.
"Who, Kyou?" He squeezed the limp hand in his and held Kyou's chin, trying to
keep him focused. "Who took it? Tell us and we'll get it back."
Kyou shook his head, not wanting to mention his name. He knew how it affected
Yuki even to hear Akito's name and though he and Yuki weren't exactly the best
of friends, even Kyou wasn't so cruel as to bring out Yuki's worst fear. Kazuma
kept holding his chin in his hand and wouldn't let him look away. Kyou realised
that he was only trying to help, that he was only being concerned, but right
now, he just wanted to be left alone. He looked up to see Shigure walking over
and gently tapping Hatori's shoulder, whispering something in his ear that Kyou
couldn't catch. After a few moments of tense silence, Kyou finally sighed in
defeat. "The bracelet...I think he's keeping it...at the main house."
Kyou's eyes slid shut in weariness. Kazuma's own widened in realization and he
tried to control his anger, not wanting to present such a dark energy around
Kyou for fear of it interceding in his healing. He didn't need to spring into
action though as Shigure stepped forward, taking that step for him.
"Kazuma, can you stay here with them? Hatori and I are going now." Kazuma
nodded, noting the furious look on Hatori's face.
"Yes," he replied. He knew better than to demand that they get it back, for
Akito did what he pleased and no one defied him. Yet, Shigure seemed to have a
power over the boy that no one else did. If anyone could get it back, he could.
They disappeared into Shigure's room, presumably so Shigure could change, but
there was harsh whispering behind the thin doors. Kazuma just sighed and closed
his eyes, trying to gather his wits about him. He held tight to the hand of the
one who had become so dear to him and took deep soothing breaths.
Momiji stared at the commotion, but paid little attention. He backed silently
away, almost falling off the porch, but stepping down backwards in a clumsy step
before making himself scarce.
Haru didn't notice Momiji's disappearance at first, but when he turned round to
suggest that they leave Kyou alone with Kazuma, Yuki and Tohru for a while, he
was startled to find only an empty space where Momiji had been. Haru nudged
Yuki's arm and murmured that he was just going out for a moment before setting
off in search of the missing boy. He found Momiji easily enough in the garden
and he frowned when he saw that the blond was sitting under a tree, hugging his
knees to his chest protectively.
He knew that Momiji was a sensitive boy and easily upset when he sensed other
people's pain. Kyou's implication that Akito was probably the culprit where the
stolen bracelet was concerned had probably shaken Momiji up too. Haru walked
over quickly and knelt down beside him, tapping his shoulder to get his
attention. "Momiji. Is something the matter?"
"It's my fault," Momiji whispered in a shaky voice. "It's my fault that Kyou's
hurt." He hugged his knees tighter, burying his face and hiding. "When I went
home yesterday, after the fight, I was telling Kisa about that boy who likes
Kyou. I was so loud. I even said he kissed Kyou...and I didn't see...Akito
standing at the door, listening."
He started shaking. Everything seemed to be going wrong lately. Why was he such
a nuisance to everyone? A hand rested on his knee, but he pulled away, hugging
himself even tighter. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to be touched and
held. He was just a whiny troublemaker. He started crying again and he hated
himself for that too. Why couldn't he just act grown up like everyone else? Why
couldn't he do things right?
"Kyou always says I'm too loud. He's going to hate me," Momiji said haltingly.
"I didn't mean to tell. I didn't mean it."
Haru sighed, tugging on Momiji's arms and pulling him close. Momiji resisted at
first, trying to pull away, but Haru was determined and soon, he had Momiji
resting against his chest. Haru ran a hand over Momiji's back soothingly,
feeling it hitch with every shuddery breath he could. He knew that Momiji was a
very tactile person and that he needed human contact for warmth and reassurance,
just like they all did. He also knew how desperately Momiji wanted to be close
to Tohru, how he wanted just for her to hold him close and tell him that
everything would be all right, just the way he'd longed for his mother to do.
Unfortunately, Tohru was a girl and even though she was more than happy to hug
Momiji, there was of course the curse to be reckoned with and being hugged in
animal form just wasn't as good as being close to someone as a normal human
being. He was here though and he may not be as good as Tohru when it came to
discussing feelings or being touchy-feely, he could at least offer Momiji what
little comfort he could. He didn't want to feed Momiji with false words and
promises that everything would be all right because the boy deserved more. He
deserved the truth, but Haru would do his best not to do or say anything to hurt
Momiji.
"You shouldn't blame yourself for something that was out of your hands," he said
quietly. "Yes, Akito overheard you talking to Kisa, but if anyone is at fault
here, it's him. You didn't know that he would be listening and you definitely
couldn't have known that he would do what he did to Kyou. You didn't tell Akito
to do all of those terrible things. He did it himself. You didn't push him into
doing anything and you know how much he dislikes Kyou. Akito doesn't really need
an excuse to make any of our lives a misery; he just goes ahead and does what he
wants. Not even someone like Hatori can hold him back when he decides on
something, so you shouldn't feel so bad. Kyou might look in bad shape now, but
he'll get better, I promise. If it makes you feel better, you can apologise to
him at a later time. Kyou might be a hothead, but he isn't cruel. If he's enough
of a man like I think he is, then he'll accept your apology. Right now though, I
think all of us just wants to get this mess sorted out and put everything behind
us so that we can move on. What do you say?"
Momiji nodded quietly, sniffling. What a depressing week it had been. It was
bad enough that he had gotten into a fight and then gotten Kyou beaten up as
well, but everything seemed to be going wrong. At least it seemed that way. His
emotions had gotten strange lately and he found himself depressed more often
than he used to be.
He finally gave in completely and snuggled up to Haru, burying his nose in the
boy's neck. Haru was always so nice, so calm, when he wasn't black Haru. He was
always trying to make sure that the cousins in the main house stayed close,
initiating hugs with Hiro and Momiji and holding Kisa while he read her stories.
Momiji loved affection, though he didn't get a whole lot of it because of the
curse, but he found himself liking being with Haru more and more. Sometimes, he
even had less than innocent thoughts about him.
He took this chance to just relax his body into Haru's and absorb the quiet
affection and care from the well-meaning boy, breathing in Haru's clean, rugged
scent.
"Thank you," he whispered. He was still worried about Kyou, and he was still
pretty sure Kyou would be very angry, since the cat didn't seem to like him much
anyway. Still, he had been so nice yesterday, protecting the scared rabbit. Deep
down, the blond knew that Kyou had a good heart.
Haru rested his chin on the top of Momiji's head and patted his back gently.
"Things will work out," he said softly. "They always do. Kyou will pull through;
you know how strong he is. Even I can't beat him. The only person who can do
that is Yuki, even though that only seems to make him even more angry." Haru
sighed. "Did you know that Kyou and Yuki actually used to be very good friends?"
Momiji raised his head, his eyes wide in disbelief and Haru smiled. "They
weren't always like this, you know. There was a time when they hardly ever used
to fight at all. The three of us were always playing together, but Yuki and Kyou
were especially close when we were young. That's why it makes me so sad to see
them fighting all the time. Despite their differences, they are actually very
similar. Haven't you noticed that they often say things at the same time and
that they even finish each other's sentences? But human beings will always be
cursed with stupidity, even people like us. Sometimes, we're too stubborn to see
what's in front of our own eyes."
He smiled at Momiji again, squeezing him affectionately. "Don't be so sad. A
smiling face is what suits you best."
Momiji smiled, his sad mood dulling. Haru always said the right things. He was
so caring. Did he know how soothing and wonderful he was? Momiji found himself
staring into those grey eyes. Haru was so beautiful. He had the palest skin.
Gathering his courage, the rabbit moved forward and kissed Haru softly on the
lips.
"Thank you, Haru!" He hugged him again before Haru could say anything, he felt
himself being dragged back toward the house. "We should make sure that Yuki is
okay!"
Haru blinked in surprise at the kiss, but had little time to dwell on it as
Momiji leapt to his feet and pulled him up with him, dragging him back into the
house. He had long ago resigned himself to the fact that Yuki would never be
his, in spite of how much he had hoped and wished. Deep down, he knew that he
was not the one for Yuki. Maybe Tohru? Haru honestly didn't know. She seemed to
love both Yuki and Kyou equally, so to pick one over the other would be unjust
and cruel. He couldn't know for sure though. Life was a funny thing and even the
wisest person couldn't possibly predict everything that was going to happen.
Momiji's kiss confused him a little, but he wasn't upset by it. Momiji was a
very affectionate person and although he'd never kissed Haru before, he supposed
he shouldn't be all that surprised that Momiji had just chosen another way of
showing his affection. Haru didn't mind at all. He was just happy that Momiji
was happy. He was tired of seeing people growing old, bitter and with regrets.
The last thing he wanted was for Momiji to be one of them.
He had been truthful when he'd told the rabbit that a smile suited him best. In
spite of what Momiji might think about himself, his cheeriness was what kept
other people going. His happiness was the infectious kind, the best kind there
was and Haru smiled to himself as he followed Momiji inside the house, squeezing
his hand reassuringly.
Authors: Caer (caerfree@tde.com) and Triste (TragedyandComedy@aol.com)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, violence, angst
Pairings: YukixKyou, ShigurexHatori, HaruxMomiji
Status: Work in progress (part 3)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
Thanks to girlstarfish, Jin, mizuko and aurelie for reviewing!
~~
Yuki placed the pillow at the top of his makeshift bed while Tohru did the same.
They had silently decided to take either side of the table. More than anything,
Yuki wanted to lie beside Tohru, but that would have been too improper. It
wouldn't have worked either, since they needed to take turns watching Kyou and
so one of them would be out of bed anyway. That would be to his advantage
though, because it would give him the chance to sit close to her and watch her
sleep. Tohru had made some strong tea and put out some snacks for them so they
would stay awake.
Yuki watched her happily while she smoothed the hair on Kyou's forehead and
spoke quietly to him. She was so beautiful. He couldn't get enough of her warm
spirit, her boundless energy and her enormous heart. He loved her so much it
made him ache sometimes. Everything she did made him melt, made him feel at
peace inside.
She laid the yellow ribbon he had given her lovingly on the table and shook her
pretty long hair out, getting ready to brush it.
"Honda-san?" he said softly, smiling one of his rare true smiles at her. "Would
you let me brush out your hair tonight? Then you can get some rest and I'll take
the first watch."
"Of course!" Tohru said, smiling at Yuki happily. She handed him the hairbrush
and moved so that he could reach her properly. She closed her eyes and
concentrated on the feeling of the brush running slowly through her hair,
soothing her and making her feel sleepy. She fought hard to keep her eyes open
and fixed on Kyou. She knew that Yuki had volunteered to take the first watch,
but she wanted to keep an eye on poor Kyou for just a little while longer.
Thankfully, he had lost that awful bluish tinge to his lips and he felt a little
warmer at least. Kyou was always a fast healer and Tohru had absolute faith in
Hatori as a doctor, so she knew that Kyou would pull through.
"It feels...odd..." she said quietly. "Not to have you and Kyou-kun arguing all
the time. Not that I'm saying that arguing is a good thing!" she added hastily.
"But without it, everything just seems so...quiet." She gazed at Kyou worriedly.
"I hope Kyou-kun wakes up soon so that we can talk to him and make him feel
better. My mother always used to say that having people who care about you
around when you're sick is always the best and quickest way to get better."
Yuki smiled, savouring the cascade of her silky brown hair as it slipped through
the brush, and every once in a while, through his fingers, unknown to her.
"Honda-san, you're always thinking of others. I'm sure Kyou would like to know
you're with him. I promise that as soon as that stupid cat gets better, we'll
argue for your sake." She giggled a little at that, making Yuki smile again.
"Your mother sounds like she was such a kind person. I think she would be proud
of you."
Tohru fairly beamed upon hearing his praise. "My mother was the best!" she said
enthusiastically. "She was so wise and smart and beautiful. I'd love to be like
her someday," she added with a sigh. She yawned slightly as she concentrated on
the feeling of Yuki running the brush through her hair. It was making her feel
very relaxed, almost *too* relaxed and she struggled to keep her eyes open.
She was feeling exhausted what with a long day at school, her evening spent
working at the hospital and of course, poor Kyou's accident. She yawned again.
"I'm so sleepy," she admitted, glancing at her watch. "But it's only just turned
midnight. It's a long way off until morning comes and we have to make sure that
Kyou-kun doesn't get any worse."
Yuki smiled as he silently asserted to himself that if her mother was indeed as
beautiful and wise as Tohru said, then the lovely girl was already like her
mother. He stopped brushing, content. It had been relaxing to watch the sheen of
brown smooth out and to feel the calming stroke of the brush down his arm.
However, whereas she had become lethargic and sleepy, he felt relaxed and ready
to sit watch. He felt energized, as if he had just meditated for twenty
minutes. Of course, it was a sort of meditation, just not usually the sort he
engaged in.
"Maybe you should get some sleep." He put a hand on her shoulder and put the
brush down. "I'll keep a good eye on Kyou and I'll wake you if anything
happens."
Tohru stared at him for a moment and then nodded. She was feeling much too tired
right now to even stay awake, much less be of assistance should Kyou suddenly
take a turn for the worse. "I'll sleep for now then," she said slowly. "But
don't forget to wake me up when it's my turn to keep watch!" she told him
firmly. Yuki nodded and she smiled. She spread out her blankets and fluffed up
her pillow and then stood up to fetch the photograph of her mother. She placed
it down on the table, leaning closer to Kyou and bowing her head next to his.
"Mother, I want you to watch over Kyou-kun tonight with Yuki-kun," she said
quietly, closing her eyes. "Kyou-kun is very sick, but if you watch over him
like you always watched over me whenever I was sick, then I'm sure he'll start
feeling much better soon." She kissed Kyou's forehead, reached over and squeezed
Yuki's hand tightly and then lay her head down on her pillow. "Good night,
Yuki-kun," she said softly, closing her eyes. "Don't forget...to wake me when
it's time..." And with that, she was out like a light.
Yuki watched the rise and fall of her back as she slept. He reached a hand out
and pulled a strand of hair back from her face.
"Good night, Honda-san," he said delicately. She brought out such emotions in
him. It made him sad to think that he would never be able to hold her close or
even get very near her without changing into his mouse form. He fantasized about
it from time to time, but of course whenever he even got close to something like
that with her, POOF. The transformation was so erratic too. Sometimes, he could
hold her hand and touch her hair and he would change.
Other times, he could be rubbing her shoulders and nothing happened. He spent a
lot of time agonizing about what he could and couldn't do if they were to start
a relationship. Sometimes he wanted it very much...other times he didn't...for
her sake. She was such a loving and physical person. Was it fair to expect her
to stay with someone who could barely touch her, let alone get close like a
lover? He sometimes wondered how Hatori and Kana managed...then again they
hadn't in the end, had they?
Of course, there was another factor that kept him from a relationship with her
and that was Kyou. Tohru seemed to care for them both so much, and as much as
they both tried, she didn't seem to like one or the other better. Stupid cat. He
wasn't even nice to her and she still liked him as much as she liked Yuki! How
could someone attract people so much when he was just a bad tempered,
foul-mouthed idiot?
Yuki looked at the boy's pale face guiltily. He snorted. How could he feel bad
about feeling venomous toward the cat just because he was hurt? But the mouse
continued to stare. Kyou looked so peaceful, so small, so calm. He was actually
very good looking when he didn't have a constant scowl screwing up his face.
Yuki admittedly had caught himself staring at the fiery-tempered boy once in a
while with less than hatred. There was something beautiful about the energy that
Kyou exuded in his ire. There was something drawing about him.
Now, the energy was barely there as Kyou lay silent and pale on the cushioned
floor. He looked better now than he had in the car though and Yuki felt some
relief at that. Even if Kyou was a loud-mouthed, angry fool, he was still a part
of their little group at school and even Yuki would miss him. He hated him, but
he couldn't do without him.
Kyou shifted suddenly, his mouth opening on a pained whimper. His brow furrowed
and he moaned softly, trying to move. He was drifting somewhere between sleep
and wakefulness and he didn't like it. He hadn't been aware of much at all since
he'd fallen down the embankment and had gotten hurt...but at least he didn't
seem to be there anymore. It wasn't raining and he was warm. His body felt
strangely heavy though and he couldn't open his eyes. He didn't *think* he was
awake, but he could hear something...he could hear someone sniffling, someone
crying.
With a start, he realised that it was he who was crying and that only made him
even more confused. He wasn't hurt anymore; he couldn't feel anything...so why
was he crying? "I'm sorry," he murmured, drawing in a shaky breath. "I'm so
sorry...Mama, please..." He tried to move again, but he couldn't. Everything
felt so heavy and he couldn't open his eyes. He knew something bad had happened
though and it made him feel scared and uneasy. His mouth was working, so why
wasn't the rest of him? He uttered a small sound of frustration, but his fear
began growing even more. He must have transformed somehow...he always felt this
way whenever his bracelet came loose and the cat's other form took over. But
he'd never felt this bad before. And where was his mother? He called for her
again, but she didn't answer.
Kyou started feeling worse and he called for her again, a sinking feeling
emerging in his stomach. Why wasn't she answering him? She was always saying how
much she loved him, how she'd always protect him from anything bad...so why
wasn't she here now when he needed her? Didn't she love him anymore? Had she
finally decided to get rid of him because he was so evil? Kyou moaned again and
tried to move, but he couldn't...all he could manage was a slight twitch of his
hand as he called out for his mother and kept calling for her, feeling so afraid
and alone...
Yuki looked up, almost dropping his tea. He had been catching up on some of his
homework when he heard Kyou mumble something. He set the cup down and moved
closer to the boy, his algebra forgotten. Kyou's head rolled on the pillow as he
talked in his sleep. He looked troubled. Yuki guessed he must have been
dreaming. He leaned closer and heard the choked call quietly escape the sleeping
cat's throat.
"Mama, don't go 'way. M'sorry."
Had he been dreaming about his mother? Yuki felt his coldness toward Kyou return
and stared at him dispassionately. Kyou's mother had committed suicide when they
were both nine years old. Of course everyone said it was because of Kyou's
curse, and they were probably right. It hadn't happened very long after the
horrible incident at New Years when Akito had ripped Kyou's bracelet from his
wrist during a storm, causing the monster to appear, attacking the guests,
including his own mother and tearing into the forest. No one had seen Kyou for
years after that. He had just stayed with Kazuma in the mountains.
That incident, though, had somehow ended their young friendship. Yes, Kyou and
Yuki had been friends once. At least, that's what Yuki had thought...but he had
been betrayed. He recalled the cat's screamed curses at everyone at the funeral,
blaming Yuki for everything. Even now, Yuki could remember his screams...
"I'll kill that mouse and then I'll kill myself! Will that make you all happy?"
Yuki's hatred began to rekindle at that memory and he quickly pushed it away. He
thought he had gotten over some of those childish angers, but they still burned
fresh in his mind. He stifled them and brought himself to the present though as
Kyou's murmurs were getting louder and he didn't want Tohru woken. He put a hand
on Kyou's arm and one on his head.
"Kyou, shhhh. It's all right. You're dreaming."
The cat's head seemed warm now and Yuki grabbed from the basin Tohru had set out
and blotted some of the sweat off his damp temple.
Kyou moaned again, frowning when he felt something cool placed on his forehead.
He felt hot...when had that happened? His head hurt and he couldn't bring
himself to open his eyes even though he could hear sounds around him, could hear
someone's voice speaking to him. "Mama?" he said hopefully. "Where are you?
I..." He drew in a shuddery breath and then suddenly, his eyes fluttered open.
It took him a while to notice at first since everything was so dark, but he
could soon make out dark, blurry objects.
He squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of them, trying to figure out where
he was. He felt safe though, so he didn't worry about anything other than where
he was and who was with him for the time being. He still couldn't move though
and he felt like crying in frustration. He could feel someone's soothing voice
speaking to him, but he couldn't see who the speaker was. He could feel soft,
gentle hands stroking his hair and his heart lifted. "Tohru?" he murmured
hopefully.
"Tohru's asleep," Yuki said softly. "She's here though, so don't wake her,
Kyou." He felt some of his coldness slip away at the mention of Tohru's name. He
let the past slip back to where it belonged and remembered how scared he had
been earlier, holding the bleeding boy in his arms, afraid that he would die.
"Shhh." He began to massage his fingers in Kyou's hair gently.
Kyou's brow furrowed. If it wasn't Tohru, then who was it? He tried to make his
brain work, but everything was too dark, too foggy and he couldn't think
straight. His nose twitched and his lips curved in recognition of the scent he
managed to pick up. "Yuki..." he mumbled. He could hear Yuki shushing him and
trying to calm him down, but he just started getting more and more agitated.
Kyou was getting more and more confused. Why was Yuki suddenly being so nice to
him? Why wasn't he kicking his ass all over the house?
He could feel Yuki stroking his hair and murmuring softly and though he couldn't
figure out why he was acting so caring toward him all of a sudden, Kyou couldn't
help but feel more relaxed. His eyes were starting to grow heavy again and he
blinked furiously, trying to stay conscious. He called Yuki's name again,
fighting to keep himself awake.
"Yuki...it's not...my fault," he managed to get out, feeling the pull of sleep
trying to drag him under again. For some reason, it made him feel panicked
rather than comforted and he shook his head, suddenly feeling as though he had
to tell Yuki something, had to keep talking to him before he went out cold
again. "It's not...it's not my fault," he said brokenly, raising his hand
weakly. Everything was growing dark again, but he didn't want to go back to
sleep. "It's not...Yuki..."
"Shhh. I know, Kyou...it's okay. I know."
Even though he didn't know. Yuki had no idea what Kyou could be talking about,
but he didn't want the cat to be sad or in pain, especially in this condition.
Plus, his cries were getting loud and they threatened to wake Tohru. Yuki leaned
down, taking Kyou's hand in a strong grip and holding it while he cradled Kyou's
head in his other hand and tried to use his body to block the frantic murmurs
from getting too loud. He leaned close to Kyou's ear and murmured, "Don't be
sad, Kyou. It's okay."
As the boy calmed and seemed to drop into a relaxed sleep, Yuki sighed in
relief. He wondered if Kyou's dreams had anything to do with what might have
happened today, or if he was just having fevered dreams from the drugs and his
ordeal. He wondered if Kyou dreamt of his mother often. He moved to pull away
from the boy and go sit back down with his homework but Kyou made a pained noise
and clasped his hand tightly.
Kyou felt himself being surrounded by warmth and for a brief moment, he was
content. He couldn't understand why Yuki was being so kind to him and what he
must have done to deserve that kindness, but then there were a lot of things he
couldn't understand just now. This time when he felt the pull of sleep, he
stopped resisting it and he let his eyes slip shut, feeling safe now that Yuki
was nearby. If there were anything out there that would hurt him, Yuki would
take care of it, he was certain.
He still resented the fact that Yuki was still better at martial arts than he
was, but right now, Kyou doubted he'd be much of an opponent in a fight. Yuki
could handle it though. He might try and think of someway to get him back for
having to look out for him, but at least for the time being he was there. Kyou
began growing agitated though when he felt that warmth moving away and he
tightened his grip on Yuki's hand as much as he was able. "No!" he cried. "Yuki,
please don't leave."
Yuki froze. That woke memories in him that he didn't want. He stared at the cat
in shock, wondering if Kyou even knew what he was saying. For a few seconds he
wanted to jerk away, but Kyou's voice had brought back that same feeling as
before, so long ago, when they were children and Kyou had said those same words
to him. He looked over at the distraught figure and settled back down, clasping
both his hands around that of the cat, which held to his like iron and sighed.
"Okay, Kyou. Don't be afraid. I'll stay."
He sat there for the rest of the night, not even bothering to wake Tohru when
her time came. It wasn't like he would have slept anyway.
~~
When Kyou finally came to, it was to hear hushed voices around him. He frowned
in disapproval. They were obviously the kind of voices people used to talk with
when they were trying to be quiet, but often ended up just being as loud as they
had been originally. Kyou wanted to tell them all to shut up and go away, but he
was feeling too tired and his head hurt. He growled under his breath when he
heard yet another voice whispering to someone in too loud a tone. His mood
darkened even more when he recognised the voice as Momiji's. Great, just what he
wanted to hear first thing in a morning, Momiji's whiny voice shrieking out
about how he wanted pancakes for breakfast or something.
Why was Momiji over here anyway? Kyou couldn't remember him coming over the
night before...but then he couldn't remember much at all. Eventually, he was
able to recognise other voices...he could hear Tohru speaking, telling Momiji to
quiet down. He could hear Shigure as well and if he had the energy, Kyou would
have rolled his eyes. Why were they all in his bedroom, anyway? Blinking his
eyes open sleepily, Kyou stared up at the ceiling. "Would you all just keep
quiet?" he said in a sleep-thickened voice. "I'm trying to sleep!"
"Kyou!"
Kazuma had already seen Kyou's eyelids fluttering as he came out of his sleep.
Though he had been there to hear how Tohru and Yuki had found him and how Hatori
had patched him up, he had done nothing but watch the convalescent boy, praying
silently for him to open his eyes and show signs of life again. He was walking
to the boy even as he mumbled at them to be quiet. He knelt next to his adopted
child and took one limp hand in his own while placing the other hand on Kyou's
bony shoulder. He could sense the others gathering around him
"How do you feel?" He smiled at the boy as he watched those red eyes clear and
take note of his surroundings and then fix on him.
Kyou turned his head slowly on the pillow and his eyes widened when he saw who
was kneeling next to him. "Shishou..." he whispered, feeling the man take hold
of his hand and squeeze tightly. "What...what are you doing here?" He smiled
tiredly. The last person he'd expected to see here was his karate master and
adopted father. Not that he was complaining at all. He didn't get to spend
nearly enough time around Kazuma these days. Kyou jumped suddenly though when he
felt a cool hand raise his tee shirt and gently run over his side. Tilting his
head, he saw the familiar face of Hatori sitting opposite Kazuma and gently
dabbing at his stomach and side with something. "Hatori..." he said hoarsely.
"What...why..."
"You need to keep still, Kyou," Hatori told him quietly. "Don't move around too
much, otherwise you'll pull the stitches loose." He took Kyou's chin in his hand
and made him look at him, checking his pupils.
Kyou stared back at him blankly. "Stitches? But..." Hatori ignored him though
and just asked how he was feeling. "I feel fine," Kyou muttered. "Just
tired...and sore..." He squinted down at the place where Hatori had raised his
shirt and his eyes narrowed at the sight that met him. It was then that he began
to remember things in bits and pieces...walking back home in the rain...Akito
taking off his bracelet... "Oh, God!" he gasped, panicked. "My bracelet!" He
fumbled at his left wrist frantically. "Where...my bracelet! I need it!"
Hatori and Kazuma both moved quickly, holding him down. Kazuma grabbed his
wrists and pushed them away from each other.
"Kyou!" he snapped, making the boy stop, looking up at him with wide, almost
frightened eyes. He returned Kyou's gaze calmly, trying to assure him. "Please
try to stay calm and don't move or you'll hurt yourself."
Kyou stared up, not moving, but very close to panic.
"You're with friends, Kyou. Remember. Now we need you to tell us what happened
so we can help you. Yuki and Shigure looked half the night for the bracelet and
couldn't find it. Did someone rob you?" Kazuma smoothed down Kyou's hair in a
comforting gesture. "Did you get in a fight?"
"No," Kyou said shakily. He tried to tug his hand away, wanting desperately to
feel the reassuring beads of the bracelet against his skin. "He took it...I need
it back! Shishou! I need it!" He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the
tears. When he opened his eyes again, he turned his head and saw other people
hovering nervously around the edge of the room, staring at him in equal parts
fear and concern.
His gaze fastened on Yuki and Tohru and he felt his panic rising again. "Don't
look at me!" he hissed, turning his head back and trying to hide behind Kazuma's
hand. Now that the events of last night were coming back to him, he remembered
Yuki and Tohru finding him, remembered how angry and ashamed he'd felt just to
know that they had been nearby while he was in his monstrous form. He reached
out for Kazuma's hand and squeezed it weakly. "He has it," he whispered, closing
his eyes in exhaustion. "I want it back."
Kazuma didn't see the widening eyes of the children behind him because he didn't
understand the meaning of that particular 'he' that Kyou was talking about...but
Yuki did, Momiji did and Haru did. 'He' was only said in that particular way
when talking about one person. Neither did Kazuma see the pained look flash
through soft brown eyes behind him. He did hear Yuki's breathing speed though,
and Haru's gasp of surprise. Kazuma looked up to see a confused look in Hatori's
eyes, but a rather dark expression in Shigure's. He didn't understand.
"Who, Kyou?" He squeezed the limp hand in his and held Kyou's chin, trying to
keep him focused. "Who took it? Tell us and we'll get it back."
Kyou shook his head, not wanting to mention his name. He knew how it affected
Yuki even to hear Akito's name and though he and Yuki weren't exactly the best
of friends, even Kyou wasn't so cruel as to bring out Yuki's worst fear. Kazuma
kept holding his chin in his hand and wouldn't let him look away. Kyou realised
that he was only trying to help, that he was only being concerned, but right
now, he just wanted to be left alone. He looked up to see Shigure walking over
and gently tapping Hatori's shoulder, whispering something in his ear that Kyou
couldn't catch. After a few moments of tense silence, Kyou finally sighed in
defeat. "The bracelet...I think he's keeping it...at the main house."
Kyou's eyes slid shut in weariness. Kazuma's own widened in realization and he
tried to control his anger, not wanting to present such a dark energy around
Kyou for fear of it interceding in his healing. He didn't need to spring into
action though as Shigure stepped forward, taking that step for him.
"Kazuma, can you stay here with them? Hatori and I are going now." Kazuma
nodded, noting the furious look on Hatori's face.
"Yes," he replied. He knew better than to demand that they get it back, for
Akito did what he pleased and no one defied him. Yet, Shigure seemed to have a
power over the boy that no one else did. If anyone could get it back, he could.
They disappeared into Shigure's room, presumably so Shigure could change, but
there was harsh whispering behind the thin doors. Kazuma just sighed and closed
his eyes, trying to gather his wits about him. He held tight to the hand of the
one who had become so dear to him and took deep soothing breaths.
Momiji stared at the commotion, but paid little attention. He backed silently
away, almost falling off the porch, but stepping down backwards in a clumsy step
before making himself scarce.
Haru didn't notice Momiji's disappearance at first, but when he turned round to
suggest that they leave Kyou alone with Kazuma, Yuki and Tohru for a while, he
was startled to find only an empty space where Momiji had been. Haru nudged
Yuki's arm and murmured that he was just going out for a moment before setting
off in search of the missing boy. He found Momiji easily enough in the garden
and he frowned when he saw that the blond was sitting under a tree, hugging his
knees to his chest protectively.
He knew that Momiji was a sensitive boy and easily upset when he sensed other
people's pain. Kyou's implication that Akito was probably the culprit where the
stolen bracelet was concerned had probably shaken Momiji up too. Haru walked
over quickly and knelt down beside him, tapping his shoulder to get his
attention. "Momiji. Is something the matter?"
"It's my fault," Momiji whispered in a shaky voice. "It's my fault that Kyou's
hurt." He hugged his knees tighter, burying his face and hiding. "When I went
home yesterday, after the fight, I was telling Kisa about that boy who likes
Kyou. I was so loud. I even said he kissed Kyou...and I didn't see...Akito
standing at the door, listening."
He started shaking. Everything seemed to be going wrong lately. Why was he such
a nuisance to everyone? A hand rested on his knee, but he pulled away, hugging
himself even tighter. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve to be touched and
held. He was just a whiny troublemaker. He started crying again and he hated
himself for that too. Why couldn't he just act grown up like everyone else? Why
couldn't he do things right?
"Kyou always says I'm too loud. He's going to hate me," Momiji said haltingly.
"I didn't mean to tell. I didn't mean it."
Haru sighed, tugging on Momiji's arms and pulling him close. Momiji resisted at
first, trying to pull away, but Haru was determined and soon, he had Momiji
resting against his chest. Haru ran a hand over Momiji's back soothingly,
feeling it hitch with every shuddery breath he could. He knew that Momiji was a
very tactile person and that he needed human contact for warmth and reassurance,
just like they all did. He also knew how desperately Momiji wanted to be close
to Tohru, how he wanted just for her to hold him close and tell him that
everything would be all right, just the way he'd longed for his mother to do.
Unfortunately, Tohru was a girl and even though she was more than happy to hug
Momiji, there was of course the curse to be reckoned with and being hugged in
animal form just wasn't as good as being close to someone as a normal human
being. He was here though and he may not be as good as Tohru when it came to
discussing feelings or being touchy-feely, he could at least offer Momiji what
little comfort he could. He didn't want to feed Momiji with false words and
promises that everything would be all right because the boy deserved more. He
deserved the truth, but Haru would do his best not to do or say anything to hurt
Momiji.
"You shouldn't blame yourself for something that was out of your hands," he said
quietly. "Yes, Akito overheard you talking to Kisa, but if anyone is at fault
here, it's him. You didn't know that he would be listening and you definitely
couldn't have known that he would do what he did to Kyou. You didn't tell Akito
to do all of those terrible things. He did it himself. You didn't push him into
doing anything and you know how much he dislikes Kyou. Akito doesn't really need
an excuse to make any of our lives a misery; he just goes ahead and does what he
wants. Not even someone like Hatori can hold him back when he decides on
something, so you shouldn't feel so bad. Kyou might look in bad shape now, but
he'll get better, I promise. If it makes you feel better, you can apologise to
him at a later time. Kyou might be a hothead, but he isn't cruel. If he's enough
of a man like I think he is, then he'll accept your apology. Right now though, I
think all of us just wants to get this mess sorted out and put everything behind
us so that we can move on. What do you say?"
Momiji nodded quietly, sniffling. What a depressing week it had been. It was
bad enough that he had gotten into a fight and then gotten Kyou beaten up as
well, but everything seemed to be going wrong. At least it seemed that way. His
emotions had gotten strange lately and he found himself depressed more often
than he used to be.
He finally gave in completely and snuggled up to Haru, burying his nose in the
boy's neck. Haru was always so nice, so calm, when he wasn't black Haru. He was
always trying to make sure that the cousins in the main house stayed close,
initiating hugs with Hiro and Momiji and holding Kisa while he read her stories.
Momiji loved affection, though he didn't get a whole lot of it because of the
curse, but he found himself liking being with Haru more and more. Sometimes, he
even had less than innocent thoughts about him.
He took this chance to just relax his body into Haru's and absorb the quiet
affection and care from the well-meaning boy, breathing in Haru's clean, rugged
scent.
"Thank you," he whispered. He was still worried about Kyou, and he was still
pretty sure Kyou would be very angry, since the cat didn't seem to like him much
anyway. Still, he had been so nice yesterday, protecting the scared rabbit. Deep
down, the blond knew that Kyou had a good heart.
Haru rested his chin on the top of Momiji's head and patted his back gently.
"Things will work out," he said softly. "They always do. Kyou will pull through;
you know how strong he is. Even I can't beat him. The only person who can do
that is Yuki, even though that only seems to make him even more angry." Haru
sighed. "Did you know that Kyou and Yuki actually used to be very good friends?"
Momiji raised his head, his eyes wide in disbelief and Haru smiled. "They
weren't always like this, you know. There was a time when they hardly ever used
to fight at all. The three of us were always playing together, but Yuki and Kyou
were especially close when we were young. That's why it makes me so sad to see
them fighting all the time. Despite their differences, they are actually very
similar. Haven't you noticed that they often say things at the same time and
that they even finish each other's sentences? But human beings will always be
cursed with stupidity, even people like us. Sometimes, we're too stubborn to see
what's in front of our own eyes."
He smiled at Momiji again, squeezing him affectionately. "Don't be so sad. A
smiling face is what suits you best."
Momiji smiled, his sad mood dulling. Haru always said the right things. He was
so caring. Did he know how soothing and wonderful he was? Momiji found himself
staring into those grey eyes. Haru was so beautiful. He had the palest skin.
Gathering his courage, the rabbit moved forward and kissed Haru softly on the
lips.
"Thank you, Haru!" He hugged him again before Haru could say anything, he felt
himself being dragged back toward the house. "We should make sure that Yuki is
okay!"
Haru blinked in surprise at the kiss, but had little time to dwell on it as
Momiji leapt to his feet and pulled him up with him, dragging him back into the
house. He had long ago resigned himself to the fact that Yuki would never be
his, in spite of how much he had hoped and wished. Deep down, he knew that he
was not the one for Yuki. Maybe Tohru? Haru honestly didn't know. She seemed to
love both Yuki and Kyou equally, so to pick one over the other would be unjust
and cruel. He couldn't know for sure though. Life was a funny thing and even the
wisest person couldn't possibly predict everything that was going to happen.
Momiji's kiss confused him a little, but he wasn't upset by it. Momiji was a
very affectionate person and although he'd never kissed Haru before, he supposed
he shouldn't be all that surprised that Momiji had just chosen another way of
showing his affection. Haru didn't mind at all. He was just happy that Momiji
was happy. He was tired of seeing people growing old, bitter and with regrets.
The last thing he wanted was for Momiji to be one of them.
He had been truthful when he'd told the rabbit that a smile suited him best. In
spite of what Momiji might think about himself, his cheeriness was what kept
other people going. His happiness was the infectious kind, the best kind there
was and Haru smiled to himself as he followed Momiji inside the house, squeezing
his hand reassuringly.