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 5)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and commented on this fic so far!
~~
Hatori pushed the sliding door open quietly and peered inside. Kyou was still
lying on the makeshift bed that they'd made him and his face looked peaceful,
his eyes closed in what Hatori assumed was sleep. He closed the door behind him
carefully and walked slowly over to Kyou, kneeling down beside him and feeling
his forehead for fever. Kyou was always a fast healer and this time was no
exception. Hatori had been concerned that there would be lasting damage, but
thankfully, that wouldn't be an issue.
He was relieved not only for Kyou, but for himself. He didn't think he'd be able
to take much more guilt. He'd spoken to Kazuma already and as he had expected,
the karate master hadn't been very happy to hear the news. After assuring Kazuma
that he and Shigure were doing everything they could to work on getting the
bracelet back, Kazuma had told him quietly that he would be taking a walk in the
garden and to watch over Kyou while he was gone.
Hatori knew that Kazuma must have been feeling as angry and frustrated as he was
right now, but no good would come of rushing into a situation that they weren't
prepared to deal with. As he brushed Kyou's tousled bangs away from his
forehead, Hatori could only hope that Shigure was having an easier time dealing
with Yuki.
Kyou came back to consciousness as he felt something tickle his head. He
wrinkled his nose and pulled away from the touch instinctively before opening
his eyes slowly. He had actually been sleeping very soundly which was
ridiculous. He felt like all he had done forever and a day was sleep. He
remembered that Yuki and Tohru had been helping him to do his homework, but he
didn't remember getting it done. He must have fallen asleep while they were at
it. He supposed it made sense that his body was sleeping more in order to heal,
but it irked him anyway because he was used to being up and about. Usually, he
was pretty energetic, with interspersed frequent catnaps during the day, but not
sleeping all the time like this.
He finally recognized Hatori staring down at him and he wondered how much time
had passed. It seemed quite a bit, since it was now dark outside, the crickets
chirping in the warm weather. "Hatori?" he slurred tiredly, trying to wake up.
"Where is everyone?"
As his eyes adjusted, it seemed to him that Hatori must be here for a reason.
Kyou remembered now that Shigure and Hatori had gone to the main house to talk
to Akito and he suddenly became nervous, reaching for his bare wrist
instinctively under the covers.
"Kazuma is just outside taking a walk in the garden," Hatori said quietly.
"Shigure and Yuki are talking upstairs and Tohru is making a start on dinner. No
one's going to leave you, Kyou. We'll take care of you." He lowered his eyes to
the floor and he didn't speak for a long moment. "As you probably remember,
Shigure and I went to see Akito today." He saw Kyou flinch slightly even at the
mere mention of the head of the Souma clan and he felt his mood darkening even
further. What was it with Akito getting his fun out of scaring the wits out of
these kids? Hatori hated him almost as much as he hated himself.
"We talked to him. Or rather he reaffirmed his position as head of the clan and
what measures he would take to reinforce that should anyone 'disobey' him." He
couldn't stop the way his features schooled themselves into a frown as he
stressed that word. "In short, he refused to give the bracelet back." Kyou's
eyes widened in panic and Hatori placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent him
from trying to get up. "Don't upset yourself too much. Shigure and I are working
on a way to get it back. I personally will not rest until I have that bracelet
safe and back to you. I know you must be getting sick of people telling you
this, but the weather for this week is going to be mild, so all I can ask for
you to do is to stay strong until we figure out a way to get back what you
need."
Kyou heard Hatori telling him to be calm, so he tried, but all of a sudden, it
felt like ice water was running through his veins. He was starting to shake
almost imperceptibly. He clutched his wrist tightly even as his heart threatened
to pop out of his chest. He knew he wouldn't give it back, he knew it! But it
was like the breakdown was put on hold because he had held the slightest hope
that Shigure might be able to get it back.
He wanted to get up and run. He wanted to do anything but lie here. He wanted to
run away, find a desert somewhere and just fade away. He wanted to die. He
wanted to be anywhere but here. He couldn't be without the bracelet. He
couldn't! It kept him from changing. It kept him from being the freakish monster
that everyone hated so much. It kept him from being so afraid. He had only
transformed very few times in his life, but it scared the Hell out of him every
time it happened. It was powerful and oppressive and evil and rotting and vile.
He realized his breathing was becoming erratic and he turned away from Hatori,
digging his nails into his arm where the bracelet usually rested. He wanted to
beat his own head against the table but instead he punched it hard, letting out
a short, anguished cry of anger. Hatori grabbed his hand.
"Why?" Kyou said weakly. "Why? I didn't do anything." A single tear built up in
his eye and he buried his face in the pillow, turning to the table. "Leave me
alone." He just wanted to crawl into nothing and die. If Hatori would go away,
maybe he could. He could just run out the front door and get away. He pulled his
hand away, crossing his arms at his chest and curling up. "Just go away," he
whispered. He wasn't angry with Hatori, but what could he do? He was just like
the rest of them, wasn't he? Did he even care?
"I'm not going anywhere," Hatori said firmly, leaning over Kyou and pulling on
his shoulder gently, trying to make him lie on his back again. Kyou resisted at
first, but eventually, he allowed Hatori to pull him out of the defensive little
ball he had curled himself into. Kyou kept his head turned away though and still
wouldn't look at him. Hatori couldn't really blame him. He couldn't even begin
to imagine the pain and anguish Kyou must be going through right now.
He paused for a moment, uncertain, but once he'd made up his mind, he rested his
hand gingerly over Kyou's, relieved when the boy didn't yank his hand away.
Hatori had never been particularly close to Kyou or Yuki, neither had he really
had the chance to interact with them before. He was used to being guardian to
Momiji and Hatsuharu, but he'd never taken the chance to get to know the other
two very well.
"Kyou, I know that you're angry right now. I also know that you must be feeling
scared. To be honest, I'd be worried if you weren't. It's okay to be scared
though. I'm sure that Tohru would tell you that too if she was here now. I told
you already that we're going to get that bracelet and we will, somehow. All you
have to do is stay patient and just concentrate on healing."
Hatori tightened his grip on Kyou's hand. This wasn't going as well as he'd
hoped. He was used to dealing with Momiji's hyperactivity and Haru was never a
problem except for when he was in Black Mode. Hatori had just never been the
type to hold someone and utter soft reassurances that everything would be okay
and as much as he wanted to be that sort of person, he knew that it would
probably never happen. He just wished that he could be a little better at this
whole comforting thing though.
He had told Kyou that it was okay to be scared sometimes, but Hatori himself
felt like a coward for not admitting his own fears. He was afraid that Kyou
would reject him and hate him for everything he'd done even though he probably
deserved it. He was afraid for Yuki if it meant that he would be going back to
the main house to try and talk to Akito. He was also afraid for Shigure. His
mind cast back to what Akito had said to him that morning for being out of line
and he shuddered. Erasing Kana's memories had been the worst thing he had ever
done, but if he ever had to do that with Shigure, he didn't think he'd be able
to continue living anymore.
Shigure always looked up to him, always called him the strong one, but that was
far from true. Why was it he never felt strong? He was only weak. He never had
been able to stand up to his own father and he wasn't able to stand up to Akito
either. Both Kyou and Yuki were much stronger than he would ever be. "I
know...that this won't mean anything to you...but I'm sorry. It probably won't
change anything...but I truly am sorry."
Kyou looked at the doctor. The man's eyes were still calm and clear, but there
was pain in that look. He looked like he really cared. Someone like Hatori
wouldn't bother to say something like that unless he meant it. It made Kyou feel
weird. No one had ever held his hand or touched him this much in his life, but
after Yuki and Tohru and Shishou doing it too, he didn't feel like pulling away.
He hated to admit it, but he needed the strength that he had gotten so far from
others. He was afraid...more afraid than he had ever been in his life. Without
that bracelet, he'd be trapped, forever in the main house. He couldn't go to
school anymore for fear of changing in a sudden rainstorm.
At least for now, he was hurt and didn't have to worry about missing school, but
what would he be if he had to stop going? What kind of life would he lead? Would
he spend the rest of his days in that cage that Shishou's grandfather had lived
in? Legend had it that before the bracelet, the vengeful cat had been banished
to live in the mountains by itself. Kyou felt fearful tremors pulse through his
spine. He didn't want that. He didn't want to leave Tohru, or Shishou, or
Shigure...or even that stupid mouse.
He had spent so much of his life pushing people away because of the hatred he
received as a child and not wanting people to think he cared. But maybe he
did...he didn't know. But looking into Hatori's eyes, he knew that this would be
a bad time to be selfish. He needed to be strong for Tohru at least...and show
that damn mouse that he wasn't just a baby.
"I don't know why you care," he ranted sullenly. "It's stupid! You're really
smart, and a good doctor, you take care of Momiji and that stupid cow, and my
stomach hardly hurts at all, so don't worry so much." Kyou closed his eyes,
feeling dumb. He never said things the way he wanted to. He tried again. "The
curse isn't your fault either. And...he does what he wants. He likes to pick on
me, so I should be used to it."
He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms, turning away. He hated getting all
gushy and it was making him feel self-conscious. "So, I'll deal with it.
Somehow...even if you don't get the bracelet back."
Hatori felt the corner of his lips quirk up into a tiny smile in response to
Kyou's words. "We'll get it back, Kyou," he said firmly. "One way or another. I
promise you that we will try our best." He patted Kyou on the shoulder and then
pulled away. "I care about you and so does Shigure. Tohru cares and although
Yuki would never admit it, he does too. Why else do you think they were all so
worried about you? Why would Yuki have gone to all that trouble to help you when
you were injured? Even though you're busy trying to push people away, they still
care about you. Don't ever forget that."
In spite of Kyou's kind words though, he still couldn't help but feel guilty
when he remembered how he'd reacted upon seeing the cat's true form for the
first time. Looking down at Kyou now though, he realised just how foolish he'd
been to be frightened and disturbed by it. This was Kyou in front of him, just a
young, confused boy who had probably been even more frightened than he had been.
"People do care about you," he said again softly. "And with good reason. You're
very brave, Kyou. Braver than I'll ever be." He stopped talking suddenly,
feeling more than a little ridiculous. "Shigure should be the one telling you
this," he muttered awkwardly. "He's always been better at this parenting thing
than I have."
Kyou snorted in reply, though sleepily. "That stupid dog would just talk for
three hours about nothing. When you say things, they mean something. You're not
just talking to hear yourself talk." He grimaced and moved back so he was laying
flat on his back. Twisting around so much was getting painful. He was also
getting tired again. The painkillers he was on as well as the stress he was
feeling was probably what was making him so lethargic.
Hatori's words seemed to weigh heavy with so much truth. Kyou remembered bits
and pieces of Yuki comforting him when he was still in his other form, and
holding him close in the car. Haru and Momiji had come to visit too! Kyou had
that feeling again though, like being immersed in warm water. Was Shishou right?
Was it healing? Was he really that jaded and out of touch with reality that he
didn't understand people anymore? Maybe they really did care, but he was afraid
to accept it. What if he did and it was all false?
Still, he soaked in Hatori's kind words and held on to them because they were
like a buoy to cling to in stormy seas right now. He said that he would be okay,
but he had no idea how. Hatori was right, though. The weather was okay right now
and it wouldn't do any good for Yuki or Tohru to see him whining like a scared
baby so he needed to be brave. He remembered that Hatori had had to endure a lot
of pain as well. Kyou couldn't even imagine having that sort of power and being
forced to erase Tohru's memory. He remembered Tohru's story, about the rice
balls and the umeboshi.
"You're brave too," he said sleepily, his eyes drooping. "You just can't see it
because it's on your back." He yawned, fighting to stay awake.
Hatori was startled by Kyou's words and he stared down at the sleepy boy in
shock. Kyou was staring back at him, blinking rapidly and Hatori knew he was
ready for rest right now. Their little talk on top of everything else had
probably succeeded in tiring him out and if there was anything Kyou needed right
now as much as he needed reassurance, it was rest.
"You should get some sleep," he said gruffly, deeply touched by what Kyou had
said. "I'll stay here until Kazuma comes back." He pulled the blanket further up
and tucked it under Kyou's chin, placing his free hand over the boy's eyes and
closing them gently. "Sleep," he commanded softly, removing his hand to see that
Kyou was already relaxing, his breathing slowly evening out.
As he watched Kyou sleep, Hatori promised himself that he would do his best to
protect Kyou. He hadn't been able to protect Kana, but maybe with Kyou, he had
been given a second chance, a chance to redeem himself somehow. He just hoped
that somehow, he would be able to prove himself worthy enough to receive Kyou's
praise.
~~
Shigure closed the door behind him and stared down at Yuki. The young teen
was sitting on the edge of his bed and his posture was relaxed, but Shigure
knew better. Yuki was watching him intently and Shigure decided not to beat
about the bush for once. "Ha-san and I just got back from seeing Akito," he
said quietly. "It seems as though our great leader was not in the best of
moods this morning. We asked for the bracelet back and he refused." He
paused for a moment. "He seems pretty intent on beating up poor Kyou-kun for
as long as he can. It doesn't look as though he'll be giving it back anytime
soon and there's only so long that the weather will stay clear. Ha-san tried
to reason with him, but as usual, he wouldn't listen." Shigure bit his lower
lip, wondering how to tell Yuki the next part. "He also asked about you."
Yuki looked down at the floor. "I see," he said. Poor Kyou. It wasn't fair.
He still couldn't understand quite why Akito had attacked the cat. He never
did something without a reason. It wasn't just about him being crazy. Then
Shigure's last words sank in. Shigure didn't have to say anything else. It
was pretty obvious what that meant. "I suppose he offered to give the
bracelet back if I came back. But why should I? What do I care about the
stupid cat?" The questions were voiced almost in a whisper.
Of course, it seemed obvious that Kyou would not be able to survive this
way. He was strong, but what kind of pain was this, to feel so trapped? Very
few Juniishi survived to be very much older than fifty. The loneliness of
the curse was unhealthily degrading. Most of them had been very sick as
children because of the pain and the loneliness they endured. Yuki himself
had spent a good deal of his time sick. Even Kyou had been very ill after
his mother's death. It was a common effect of children that were not touched
and held by their mothers to get sick and die, just as it was common for
trapped animals to get sick and die. How would this affect Kyou, to feel so
lonely, so completely cut off again, so trapped? How long could he take it?
Then Yuki thought of something else.
"I think that Tohru would be very sad if Akito broke Kyou, wouldn't she? Is
that what he wants?" Yuki stood, enraged. "What did he say, Shigure?"
"Actually, he didn't mention Tohru-kun at all," Shigure replied, surprised.
"He seemed to be rather upset about our 'disobedience' as he put it,
although I can't think of anything that Kyou might have done to upset him
lately. He hasn't even seen Kyou for months anyway, so I still don't
understand why he's so intent on bullying him like this." He sighed and
leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and wishing
he could just get out of this stuffy, awful suit eventually.
Yuki laughed painfully. "Oh, he always knows how to cover all his bases
doesn't he?" Shigure said nothing to that.
After he and Hatori had returned from the main house, Hatori had gone
straight to Kazuma and Kyou while he had taken Yuki upstairs, away from
where Tohru might hear. He didn't want her to be any more upset than she
already was. "You know that the last thing I want is for you to go back over
to that house just to see him, but I don't know what else we can do. I think
I lost my last bargaining chip when Akito learned of mine and Ha-san's
relationship. It seems that I no longer have any influence at all over him
now he knows where to hit me and hard." He laughed bitterly.
"Have you told Kyou yet?" Yuki asked quietly.
"Ha-san is telling him now," Shigure replied. "He volunteered to let both
Kyou and Kazuma know how everything went. Which as you know, was not very
good," he added ruefully. "Ha-san did try to stand up to Akito, but you know
how terrified he is of him." His expression darkened. "The thing is, we
don't even know where he could be keeping the bracelet. We can't even snoop
around to try and look for it because he'll already have guessed that we
might try that. I don't know how he does it, but he just *knows* things. At
this moment in time, I really don't have any fantastic ideas. Ha-san is
thinking about going back to the main house tonight and although I don't
really like the idea, at least if he stays close to Akito, that might stop
him from trying to pull anything else."
Yuki nodded. He got up and looked out the window. He was afraid now, deathly
afraid. Kyou must be afraid too, so afraid. Now Akito, for whatever reason
wanted Yuki to come back. It didn't make sense. Why was he using Kyou? Yuki
hated Kyou. Akito knew this. He was there when Kyou had pushed him away.
"It doesn't make sense, Shigure. I don't even like Kyou. I don't want him to
suffer, but I can't go back."
His hands were shaking. He pressed them against the glass to make them stop,
watching as the pressure made the tips of his fingers turn white and leave
traces of evaporation where they were. He thought of Kyou, bleeding and
close to death in his arms in the car. Thought of his pain as he turned away
from them knowing they had seen his true form.
He also remembered the months before he himself had left the main house. He
remembered the whippings, the pain, and the constant fear. He remembered the
way Akito looked at him.
"Don't ever turn away from me again Yuki. You're my best friend remember?"
"I can't go back," he whispered weakly.
Shigure stared at Yuki for a moment without saying anything. Yuki was
standing with his back to him and gazing pensively out the window, but
Shigure didn't miss the way his fingers clenched so hard that his knuckles
turned white. "No one said you had to go back," he said after a while. "No
one's forcing you to do anything that you don't want to do. We'll just find
some other way to get the bracelet back...somehow." He forced himself to
smile again, trying to lighten the mood somewhat. "Well, I'm going to check
on Ha-san and Kyou-kun, see how they're getting along. Feel like coming
along with me?"
Yuki shook his head, still gazing out the window. "You go ahead. I'll come
down later," he replied quietly.
"Suit yourself," Shigure said with a shrug. "Just don't stay up here to
brood all day. After all, you don't want to worry Tohru-kun anymore than you
already are doing," he added slyly. He ruffled Yuki's hair affectionately,
knowing how much the boy hated it when he did that, but even getting one of
Yuki's glares of death was infinitely better than seeing him mope around
like this. He grinned widely and left the room, closing the door none too
quietly behind him. He quickly made his way down the stairs and into the
living room where he found Hatori sitting quietly by Kyou. "How's the
patient?" he chirped, ignoring Hatori's warning frown.
Shigure sat down beside him and Hatori's frown deepened. He leaned over to
place a hand over the writer's mouth in an attempt to keep him quiet. "He's
sleeping," he said sternly, rolling his eyes at Shigure's best impression of
a kicked puppy dog. "The last thing he needs is you disturbing him by
bounding around the house and shrieking your head off."
He looked down at Kyou again and his expression eased into a more relaxed
one. "I told him about the bracelet," he added quietly. "He took the news
surprisingly well. He's scared...I know he is even though he won't admit
it...but he's going to be okay. It looks as though he's going to make a
fairly speedy recovery, so I won't have to stay over here much longer. Just
keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything to overexcite himself
and I'll probably come over again just to check on him tomorrow evening."
Shigure eyed the sleeping teen warily. He would be okay for now, but would
he be able to hold up if the fall storms started kicking in? They needed to
get the bracelet back somehow and Akito wasn't interested at this point.
Knowing him, he probably felt guilty about Kyou's accident, but Shigure
could tell that Akito was orchestrating something. What exactly, he didn't
know. He sighed and took Hatori's hand.
He kissed Hatori's palm gently. "Get some sleep Ha-san. Tohru-kun will want
to stay with Kyou again tonight, which means Yuki will too. We'll call you
if anything happens."
Hatori nodded, squeezing Shigure's hand and then rising to his feet, pulling
the other man up with him. "Take care of him," he said, nodding to Kyou. He
pulled Shigure into a brief hug and then moved away again, stepping out into
the hallway to gather his things. He let Shigure walk him to the front door
and was about to lean in to kiss him goodbye when he caught sight of Tohru
watching them curiously from where she stood in the kitchen. Hatori sighed
and settled for placing his hand on Shigure's shoulder for a few seconds,
murmuring a soft goodbye before getting into his car and driving back home.
Once he reached the main house, he was greeted by Momiji who was
enthusiastic as ever and he nearly stumbled when the blond boy threw himself
at him, squeezing him around the middle so tightly he thought his air supply
was going to be cut off. "Did you and Hatsuharu manage to make something to
eat last night without wrecking the kitchen?" he asked cautiously.
Momiji smiled brightly, standing with his hands behind his back, eyes
closed. "Nope! But we cleaned up the mess. Hari, Hari! Kyou's all right, isn
't he? Is he okay?" At Hatori's soft nod, Momiji clapped joyfully. "Yay!
Haru and I made Kyou a kite so he won't get bored. We'll take it over
tomorrow...cause Kyou will get lots of get well cards from school and we can
bring those too!" The hyperactive blond made a huge circle in the air,
indicating how many 'lots of presents' there would be as he hopped from one
foot to the other. "Haru's fixing popcorn right now and we're going to watch
a movie. Can he stay over, Hari? Please, can Haru stay?" Momiji tugged on
the tired man's arm lightly, his soft brown eyes pleading.
"Yes, he can stay," sighed Hatori, taking Momiji's arm and guiding him
inside the house. "But you're not staying up too late. You both have school
tomorrow." He allowed Momiji to drag him into the kitchen where he found
Haru emptying out bags of popcorn into two large bowls.
"Ah, Hatori," he greeted quietly. "Momiji and I were just about to watch a
movie. You're welcome to join us if you wish. We have more then enough
popcorn," he added, gesturing to the snacks. Haru was secretly grateful that
he and Momiji had finally managed to get the kitchen cleaned up before
Hatori had returned. At first, Momiji had been upset when he found out that
Hatori would be staying over at Shigure's house, but he had soon cheered up
when Haru suggested that they make cookies together. The only problem was,
neither of them had really known *how* to make the cookies and all they had
ended up making was a lot of mess.
They had finally called it quits and decided to order take-out instead and
had cleaned up the kitchen as best they could. He stared more closely at
Hatori and noticed that the man looked tired. Not that Haru could blame him.
He must have been up all night tending to Kyou. Haru knew though that
however bad a mood Hatori was in, he could always be brought round by a pair
of large, pleading brown eyes coupled by a huge, hopeful smile. He smiled to
himself when, after Momiji's fifth tug on Hatori's arm the doctor finally
relented.
"So what movie are you watching?" he asked finally, taking one of the
popcorn bowls from Haru before Momiji could get into it and spill the
contents all over the floor in his enthusiasm.
Momiji went to take the other bowl of popcorn, but Haru had grabbed that and
the two were moving toward the living room. Momiji stared at his empty hands
and swung them back and forth, following them.
"It's scary! It's called 'Watcher in the Woods' and we can watch it cause it
's Disney, but it's all scary. Bette Davis is in it and she has weird eyes
and lots of circles and...stuff."
He scrambled to the VCR, popping the movie in and letting Haru and Hatori
sit down. Naturally, they sat on either side of the couch and Momiji took
full advantage of it by crawling in between them and snuggling his head into
Hatori's lap, while settling his feet on Haru's. He hugged Hatori, glad to
have the older man back. It was always a little scary being alone in the old
house. That was why he had invited Haru. He was scared of Akito slinking in,
but he was also afraid of ghosts now, though he never used to be.
Hatori placed the bowl of popcorn in front of Momiji and held it steady so
that the boy wouldn't knock it over whenever he reached for a handful.
Hatori didn't much care for popcorn himself, but he knew it didn't matter.
No doubt it would only take Momiji about five minutes to empty the whole
bowl by himself. Once Momiji finally made himself comfortable, Hatori leaned
his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes. He was grateful for the
fact that Haru had turned the lights off before they had got settled, that
way he could close his eyes and doze a little while the other two watched
the movie.
He'd banned Momiji from watching anything higher than a PG-13 rating ever
since he'd started having nightmares when he'd found Haru's borrowed copy of
the Exorcist that time. After that, he'd given Haru strict instructions to
put away all of his videos where Momiji wouldn't find them. The last thing
he needed was Momiji trying to sneak into his bed again after having another
nightmare about make-believe demons from Hell or whatever it was that
frightened him these days.
Momiji snuggled closer to Hatori, smiling as he felt the man falling asleep.
Hari worked so hard for all of them. The small blond boy revelled in the
times when they could actually get him to sit down and take it easy with
them. He acted so cold, but he was a part of their family too. Even though
Momiji's father was very loving, he also had another family to attend to and
couldn't take time to do the little things for Momiji, like pick him up from
band practice and take him to the park.
Momiji could tell by the change in Hatori's breathing that he was already
dozing off, even though the opening credits hadn't even played. He loosened
the arm he had wrapped around Hatori's stomach and began to eat the popcorn,
watching the movie with rapt attention, the popcorn filling his buttery
fingers and then his mouth as if on automatic pilot. He wiggled his feet in
anticipation and Haru put a hand on them to keep them still.
Momiji's attention suddenly strayed from the movie a bit. He and Haru had
always been close, but lately Momiji was developing a definite crush on the
boy so that every little touch was suddenly special, when a year ago, it
wouldn't have meant anything. Momiji smiled, enjoying the moment. This was
wonderful.
Haru kept Momiji's feet still with one hand while reaching for a handful of
popcorn with the other. He glanced over at Hatori and even though the room
was dark and he only had the light of the television screen to see with, he
could tell that the man was either asleep or getting there. Haru smiled to
himself and tapped Momiji on the shoulder, tilting his head toward Hatori
and placing a finger to his lips. Momiji giggled and munched on another
handful of popcorn, trying not to drop any in Hatori's lap.
Haru spoke up while the opening credits were still running, but softly so as
not to wake Hatori. "What do you say we go and visit Kyou tomorrow after
school to give him that kite we made?" he suggested. He remembered
comforting Momiji in Shigure's garden and decided that it would be good for
him to speak to Kyou again. The thing with Akito was still eating him up
pretty badly and Haru knew that he wouldn't feel completely better about it
until he spoke with Kyou.
Momiji felt his mood droop a little. He knew he needed to talk to Kyou. He
felt terrible, but he was afraid of what the temperamental boy would think.
It would be nice to take the kite to him though. They had spent a lot of
time making it and if he could get outside, it might be fun. He sighed and
nodded, turning back to the movie, trying to think of what he was going to
say. He felt a little better when he felt Haru's gentle hand on his
shoulder. He just hoped that Kyou didn't end up hating him.
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 5)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and commented on this fic so far!
~~
Hatori pushed the sliding door open quietly and peered inside. Kyou was still
lying on the makeshift bed that they'd made him and his face looked peaceful,
his eyes closed in what Hatori assumed was sleep. He closed the door behind him
carefully and walked slowly over to Kyou, kneeling down beside him and feeling
his forehead for fever. Kyou was always a fast healer and this time was no
exception. Hatori had been concerned that there would be lasting damage, but
thankfully, that wouldn't be an issue.
He was relieved not only for Kyou, but for himself. He didn't think he'd be able
to take much more guilt. He'd spoken to Kazuma already and as he had expected,
the karate master hadn't been very happy to hear the news. After assuring Kazuma
that he and Shigure were doing everything they could to work on getting the
bracelet back, Kazuma had told him quietly that he would be taking a walk in the
garden and to watch over Kyou while he was gone.
Hatori knew that Kazuma must have been feeling as angry and frustrated as he was
right now, but no good would come of rushing into a situation that they weren't
prepared to deal with. As he brushed Kyou's tousled bangs away from his
forehead, Hatori could only hope that Shigure was having an easier time dealing
with Yuki.
Kyou came back to consciousness as he felt something tickle his head. He
wrinkled his nose and pulled away from the touch instinctively before opening
his eyes slowly. He had actually been sleeping very soundly which was
ridiculous. He felt like all he had done forever and a day was sleep. He
remembered that Yuki and Tohru had been helping him to do his homework, but he
didn't remember getting it done. He must have fallen asleep while they were at
it. He supposed it made sense that his body was sleeping more in order to heal,
but it irked him anyway because he was used to being up and about. Usually, he
was pretty energetic, with interspersed frequent catnaps during the day, but not
sleeping all the time like this.
He finally recognized Hatori staring down at him and he wondered how much time
had passed. It seemed quite a bit, since it was now dark outside, the crickets
chirping in the warm weather. "Hatori?" he slurred tiredly, trying to wake up.
"Where is everyone?"
As his eyes adjusted, it seemed to him that Hatori must be here for a reason.
Kyou remembered now that Shigure and Hatori had gone to the main house to talk
to Akito and he suddenly became nervous, reaching for his bare wrist
instinctively under the covers.
"Kazuma is just outside taking a walk in the garden," Hatori said quietly.
"Shigure and Yuki are talking upstairs and Tohru is making a start on dinner. No
one's going to leave you, Kyou. We'll take care of you." He lowered his eyes to
the floor and he didn't speak for a long moment. "As you probably remember,
Shigure and I went to see Akito today." He saw Kyou flinch slightly even at the
mere mention of the head of the Souma clan and he felt his mood darkening even
further. What was it with Akito getting his fun out of scaring the wits out of
these kids? Hatori hated him almost as much as he hated himself.
"We talked to him. Or rather he reaffirmed his position as head of the clan and
what measures he would take to reinforce that should anyone 'disobey' him." He
couldn't stop the way his features schooled themselves into a frown as he
stressed that word. "In short, he refused to give the bracelet back." Kyou's
eyes widened in panic and Hatori placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent him
from trying to get up. "Don't upset yourself too much. Shigure and I are working
on a way to get it back. I personally will not rest until I have that bracelet
safe and back to you. I know you must be getting sick of people telling you
this, but the weather for this week is going to be mild, so all I can ask for
you to do is to stay strong until we figure out a way to get back what you
need."
Kyou heard Hatori telling him to be calm, so he tried, but all of a sudden, it
felt like ice water was running through his veins. He was starting to shake
almost imperceptibly. He clutched his wrist tightly even as his heart threatened
to pop out of his chest. He knew he wouldn't give it back, he knew it! But it
was like the breakdown was put on hold because he had held the slightest hope
that Shigure might be able to get it back.
He wanted to get up and run. He wanted to do anything but lie here. He wanted to
run away, find a desert somewhere and just fade away. He wanted to die. He
wanted to be anywhere but here. He couldn't be without the bracelet. He
couldn't! It kept him from changing. It kept him from being the freakish monster
that everyone hated so much. It kept him from being so afraid. He had only
transformed very few times in his life, but it scared the Hell out of him every
time it happened. It was powerful and oppressive and evil and rotting and vile.
He realized his breathing was becoming erratic and he turned away from Hatori,
digging his nails into his arm where the bracelet usually rested. He wanted to
beat his own head against the table but instead he punched it hard, letting out
a short, anguished cry of anger. Hatori grabbed his hand.
"Why?" Kyou said weakly. "Why? I didn't do anything." A single tear built up in
his eye and he buried his face in the pillow, turning to the table. "Leave me
alone." He just wanted to crawl into nothing and die. If Hatori would go away,
maybe he could. He could just run out the front door and get away. He pulled his
hand away, crossing his arms at his chest and curling up. "Just go away," he
whispered. He wasn't angry with Hatori, but what could he do? He was just like
the rest of them, wasn't he? Did he even care?
"I'm not going anywhere," Hatori said firmly, leaning over Kyou and pulling on
his shoulder gently, trying to make him lie on his back again. Kyou resisted at
first, but eventually, he allowed Hatori to pull him out of the defensive little
ball he had curled himself into. Kyou kept his head turned away though and still
wouldn't look at him. Hatori couldn't really blame him. He couldn't even begin
to imagine the pain and anguish Kyou must be going through right now.
He paused for a moment, uncertain, but once he'd made up his mind, he rested his
hand gingerly over Kyou's, relieved when the boy didn't yank his hand away.
Hatori had never been particularly close to Kyou or Yuki, neither had he really
had the chance to interact with them before. He was used to being guardian to
Momiji and Hatsuharu, but he'd never taken the chance to get to know the other
two very well.
"Kyou, I know that you're angry right now. I also know that you must be feeling
scared. To be honest, I'd be worried if you weren't. It's okay to be scared
though. I'm sure that Tohru would tell you that too if she was here now. I told
you already that we're going to get that bracelet and we will, somehow. All you
have to do is stay patient and just concentrate on healing."
Hatori tightened his grip on Kyou's hand. This wasn't going as well as he'd
hoped. He was used to dealing with Momiji's hyperactivity and Haru was never a
problem except for when he was in Black Mode. Hatori had just never been the
type to hold someone and utter soft reassurances that everything would be okay
and as much as he wanted to be that sort of person, he knew that it would
probably never happen. He just wished that he could be a little better at this
whole comforting thing though.
He had told Kyou that it was okay to be scared sometimes, but Hatori himself
felt like a coward for not admitting his own fears. He was afraid that Kyou
would reject him and hate him for everything he'd done even though he probably
deserved it. He was afraid for Yuki if it meant that he would be going back to
the main house to try and talk to Akito. He was also afraid for Shigure. His
mind cast back to what Akito had said to him that morning for being out of line
and he shuddered. Erasing Kana's memories had been the worst thing he had ever
done, but if he ever had to do that with Shigure, he didn't think he'd be able
to continue living anymore.
Shigure always looked up to him, always called him the strong one, but that was
far from true. Why was it he never felt strong? He was only weak. He never had
been able to stand up to his own father and he wasn't able to stand up to Akito
either. Both Kyou and Yuki were much stronger than he would ever be. "I
know...that this won't mean anything to you...but I'm sorry. It probably won't
change anything...but I truly am sorry."
Kyou looked at the doctor. The man's eyes were still calm and clear, but there
was pain in that look. He looked like he really cared. Someone like Hatori
wouldn't bother to say something like that unless he meant it. It made Kyou feel
weird. No one had ever held his hand or touched him this much in his life, but
after Yuki and Tohru and Shishou doing it too, he didn't feel like pulling away.
He hated to admit it, but he needed the strength that he had gotten so far from
others. He was afraid...more afraid than he had ever been in his life. Without
that bracelet, he'd be trapped, forever in the main house. He couldn't go to
school anymore for fear of changing in a sudden rainstorm.
At least for now, he was hurt and didn't have to worry about missing school, but
what would he be if he had to stop going? What kind of life would he lead? Would
he spend the rest of his days in that cage that Shishou's grandfather had lived
in? Legend had it that before the bracelet, the vengeful cat had been banished
to live in the mountains by itself. Kyou felt fearful tremors pulse through his
spine. He didn't want that. He didn't want to leave Tohru, or Shishou, or
Shigure...or even that stupid mouse.
He had spent so much of his life pushing people away because of the hatred he
received as a child and not wanting people to think he cared. But maybe he
did...he didn't know. But looking into Hatori's eyes, he knew that this would be
a bad time to be selfish. He needed to be strong for Tohru at least...and show
that damn mouse that he wasn't just a baby.
"I don't know why you care," he ranted sullenly. "It's stupid! You're really
smart, and a good doctor, you take care of Momiji and that stupid cow, and my
stomach hardly hurts at all, so don't worry so much." Kyou closed his eyes,
feeling dumb. He never said things the way he wanted to. He tried again. "The
curse isn't your fault either. And...he does what he wants. He likes to pick on
me, so I should be used to it."
He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms, turning away. He hated getting all
gushy and it was making him feel self-conscious. "So, I'll deal with it.
Somehow...even if you don't get the bracelet back."
Hatori felt the corner of his lips quirk up into a tiny smile in response to
Kyou's words. "We'll get it back, Kyou," he said firmly. "One way or another. I
promise you that we will try our best." He patted Kyou on the shoulder and then
pulled away. "I care about you and so does Shigure. Tohru cares and although
Yuki would never admit it, he does too. Why else do you think they were all so
worried about you? Why would Yuki have gone to all that trouble to help you when
you were injured? Even though you're busy trying to push people away, they still
care about you. Don't ever forget that."
In spite of Kyou's kind words though, he still couldn't help but feel guilty
when he remembered how he'd reacted upon seeing the cat's true form for the
first time. Looking down at Kyou now though, he realised just how foolish he'd
been to be frightened and disturbed by it. This was Kyou in front of him, just a
young, confused boy who had probably been even more frightened than he had been.
"People do care about you," he said again softly. "And with good reason. You're
very brave, Kyou. Braver than I'll ever be." He stopped talking suddenly,
feeling more than a little ridiculous. "Shigure should be the one telling you
this," he muttered awkwardly. "He's always been better at this parenting thing
than I have."
Kyou snorted in reply, though sleepily. "That stupid dog would just talk for
three hours about nothing. When you say things, they mean something. You're not
just talking to hear yourself talk." He grimaced and moved back so he was laying
flat on his back. Twisting around so much was getting painful. He was also
getting tired again. The painkillers he was on as well as the stress he was
feeling was probably what was making him so lethargic.
Hatori's words seemed to weigh heavy with so much truth. Kyou remembered bits
and pieces of Yuki comforting him when he was still in his other form, and
holding him close in the car. Haru and Momiji had come to visit too! Kyou had
that feeling again though, like being immersed in warm water. Was Shishou right?
Was it healing? Was he really that jaded and out of touch with reality that he
didn't understand people anymore? Maybe they really did care, but he was afraid
to accept it. What if he did and it was all false?
Still, he soaked in Hatori's kind words and held on to them because they were
like a buoy to cling to in stormy seas right now. He said that he would be okay,
but he had no idea how. Hatori was right, though. The weather was okay right now
and it wouldn't do any good for Yuki or Tohru to see him whining like a scared
baby so he needed to be brave. He remembered that Hatori had had to endure a lot
of pain as well. Kyou couldn't even imagine having that sort of power and being
forced to erase Tohru's memory. He remembered Tohru's story, about the rice
balls and the umeboshi.
"You're brave too," he said sleepily, his eyes drooping. "You just can't see it
because it's on your back." He yawned, fighting to stay awake.
Hatori was startled by Kyou's words and he stared down at the sleepy boy in
shock. Kyou was staring back at him, blinking rapidly and Hatori knew he was
ready for rest right now. Their little talk on top of everything else had
probably succeeded in tiring him out and if there was anything Kyou needed right
now as much as he needed reassurance, it was rest.
"You should get some sleep," he said gruffly, deeply touched by what Kyou had
said. "I'll stay here until Kazuma comes back." He pulled the blanket further up
and tucked it under Kyou's chin, placing his free hand over the boy's eyes and
closing them gently. "Sleep," he commanded softly, removing his hand to see that
Kyou was already relaxing, his breathing slowly evening out.
As he watched Kyou sleep, Hatori promised himself that he would do his best to
protect Kyou. He hadn't been able to protect Kana, but maybe with Kyou, he had
been given a second chance, a chance to redeem himself somehow. He just hoped
that somehow, he would be able to prove himself worthy enough to receive Kyou's
praise.
~~
Shigure closed the door behind him and stared down at Yuki. The young teen
was sitting on the edge of his bed and his posture was relaxed, but Shigure
knew better. Yuki was watching him intently and Shigure decided not to beat
about the bush for once. "Ha-san and I just got back from seeing Akito," he
said quietly. "It seems as though our great leader was not in the best of
moods this morning. We asked for the bracelet back and he refused." He
paused for a moment. "He seems pretty intent on beating up poor Kyou-kun for
as long as he can. It doesn't look as though he'll be giving it back anytime
soon and there's only so long that the weather will stay clear. Ha-san tried
to reason with him, but as usual, he wouldn't listen." Shigure bit his lower
lip, wondering how to tell Yuki the next part. "He also asked about you."
Yuki looked down at the floor. "I see," he said. Poor Kyou. It wasn't fair.
He still couldn't understand quite why Akito had attacked the cat. He never
did something without a reason. It wasn't just about him being crazy. Then
Shigure's last words sank in. Shigure didn't have to say anything else. It
was pretty obvious what that meant. "I suppose he offered to give the
bracelet back if I came back. But why should I? What do I care about the
stupid cat?" The questions were voiced almost in a whisper.
Of course, it seemed obvious that Kyou would not be able to survive this
way. He was strong, but what kind of pain was this, to feel so trapped? Very
few Juniishi survived to be very much older than fifty. The loneliness of
the curse was unhealthily degrading. Most of them had been very sick as
children because of the pain and the loneliness they endured. Yuki himself
had spent a good deal of his time sick. Even Kyou had been very ill after
his mother's death. It was a common effect of children that were not touched
and held by their mothers to get sick and die, just as it was common for
trapped animals to get sick and die. How would this affect Kyou, to feel so
lonely, so completely cut off again, so trapped? How long could he take it?
Then Yuki thought of something else.
"I think that Tohru would be very sad if Akito broke Kyou, wouldn't she? Is
that what he wants?" Yuki stood, enraged. "What did he say, Shigure?"
"Actually, he didn't mention Tohru-kun at all," Shigure replied, surprised.
"He seemed to be rather upset about our 'disobedience' as he put it,
although I can't think of anything that Kyou might have done to upset him
lately. He hasn't even seen Kyou for months anyway, so I still don't
understand why he's so intent on bullying him like this." He sighed and
leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and wishing
he could just get out of this stuffy, awful suit eventually.
Yuki laughed painfully. "Oh, he always knows how to cover all his bases
doesn't he?" Shigure said nothing to that.
After he and Hatori had returned from the main house, Hatori had gone
straight to Kazuma and Kyou while he had taken Yuki upstairs, away from
where Tohru might hear. He didn't want her to be any more upset than she
already was. "You know that the last thing I want is for you to go back over
to that house just to see him, but I don't know what else we can do. I think
I lost my last bargaining chip when Akito learned of mine and Ha-san's
relationship. It seems that I no longer have any influence at all over him
now he knows where to hit me and hard." He laughed bitterly.
"Have you told Kyou yet?" Yuki asked quietly.
"Ha-san is telling him now," Shigure replied. "He volunteered to let both
Kyou and Kazuma know how everything went. Which as you know, was not very
good," he added ruefully. "Ha-san did try to stand up to Akito, but you know
how terrified he is of him." His expression darkened. "The thing is, we
don't even know where he could be keeping the bracelet. We can't even snoop
around to try and look for it because he'll already have guessed that we
might try that. I don't know how he does it, but he just *knows* things. At
this moment in time, I really don't have any fantastic ideas. Ha-san is
thinking about going back to the main house tonight and although I don't
really like the idea, at least if he stays close to Akito, that might stop
him from trying to pull anything else."
Yuki nodded. He got up and looked out the window. He was afraid now, deathly
afraid. Kyou must be afraid too, so afraid. Now Akito, for whatever reason
wanted Yuki to come back. It didn't make sense. Why was he using Kyou? Yuki
hated Kyou. Akito knew this. He was there when Kyou had pushed him away.
"It doesn't make sense, Shigure. I don't even like Kyou. I don't want him to
suffer, but I can't go back."
His hands were shaking. He pressed them against the glass to make them stop,
watching as the pressure made the tips of his fingers turn white and leave
traces of evaporation where they were. He thought of Kyou, bleeding and
close to death in his arms in the car. Thought of his pain as he turned away
from them knowing they had seen his true form.
He also remembered the months before he himself had left the main house. He
remembered the whippings, the pain, and the constant fear. He remembered the
way Akito looked at him.
"Don't ever turn away from me again Yuki. You're my best friend remember?"
"I can't go back," he whispered weakly.
Shigure stared at Yuki for a moment without saying anything. Yuki was
standing with his back to him and gazing pensively out the window, but
Shigure didn't miss the way his fingers clenched so hard that his knuckles
turned white. "No one said you had to go back," he said after a while. "No
one's forcing you to do anything that you don't want to do. We'll just find
some other way to get the bracelet back...somehow." He forced himself to
smile again, trying to lighten the mood somewhat. "Well, I'm going to check
on Ha-san and Kyou-kun, see how they're getting along. Feel like coming
along with me?"
Yuki shook his head, still gazing out the window. "You go ahead. I'll come
down later," he replied quietly.
"Suit yourself," Shigure said with a shrug. "Just don't stay up here to
brood all day. After all, you don't want to worry Tohru-kun anymore than you
already are doing," he added slyly. He ruffled Yuki's hair affectionately,
knowing how much the boy hated it when he did that, but even getting one of
Yuki's glares of death was infinitely better than seeing him mope around
like this. He grinned widely and left the room, closing the door none too
quietly behind him. He quickly made his way down the stairs and into the
living room where he found Hatori sitting quietly by Kyou. "How's the
patient?" he chirped, ignoring Hatori's warning frown.
Shigure sat down beside him and Hatori's frown deepened. He leaned over to
place a hand over the writer's mouth in an attempt to keep him quiet. "He's
sleeping," he said sternly, rolling his eyes at Shigure's best impression of
a kicked puppy dog. "The last thing he needs is you disturbing him by
bounding around the house and shrieking your head off."
He looked down at Kyou again and his expression eased into a more relaxed
one. "I told him about the bracelet," he added quietly. "He took the news
surprisingly well. He's scared...I know he is even though he won't admit
it...but he's going to be okay. It looks as though he's going to make a
fairly speedy recovery, so I won't have to stay over here much longer. Just
keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything to overexcite himself
and I'll probably come over again just to check on him tomorrow evening."
Shigure eyed the sleeping teen warily. He would be okay for now, but would
he be able to hold up if the fall storms started kicking in? They needed to
get the bracelet back somehow and Akito wasn't interested at this point.
Knowing him, he probably felt guilty about Kyou's accident, but Shigure
could tell that Akito was orchestrating something. What exactly, he didn't
know. He sighed and took Hatori's hand.
He kissed Hatori's palm gently. "Get some sleep Ha-san. Tohru-kun will want
to stay with Kyou again tonight, which means Yuki will too. We'll call you
if anything happens."
Hatori nodded, squeezing Shigure's hand and then rising to his feet, pulling
the other man up with him. "Take care of him," he said, nodding to Kyou. He
pulled Shigure into a brief hug and then moved away again, stepping out into
the hallway to gather his things. He let Shigure walk him to the front door
and was about to lean in to kiss him goodbye when he caught sight of Tohru
watching them curiously from where she stood in the kitchen. Hatori sighed
and settled for placing his hand on Shigure's shoulder for a few seconds,
murmuring a soft goodbye before getting into his car and driving back home.
Once he reached the main house, he was greeted by Momiji who was
enthusiastic as ever and he nearly stumbled when the blond boy threw himself
at him, squeezing him around the middle so tightly he thought his air supply
was going to be cut off. "Did you and Hatsuharu manage to make something to
eat last night without wrecking the kitchen?" he asked cautiously.
Momiji smiled brightly, standing with his hands behind his back, eyes
closed. "Nope! But we cleaned up the mess. Hari, Hari! Kyou's all right, isn
't he? Is he okay?" At Hatori's soft nod, Momiji clapped joyfully. "Yay!
Haru and I made Kyou a kite so he won't get bored. We'll take it over
tomorrow...cause Kyou will get lots of get well cards from school and we can
bring those too!" The hyperactive blond made a huge circle in the air,
indicating how many 'lots of presents' there would be as he hopped from one
foot to the other. "Haru's fixing popcorn right now and we're going to watch
a movie. Can he stay over, Hari? Please, can Haru stay?" Momiji tugged on
the tired man's arm lightly, his soft brown eyes pleading.
"Yes, he can stay," sighed Hatori, taking Momiji's arm and guiding him
inside the house. "But you're not staying up too late. You both have school
tomorrow." He allowed Momiji to drag him into the kitchen where he found
Haru emptying out bags of popcorn into two large bowls.
"Ah, Hatori," he greeted quietly. "Momiji and I were just about to watch a
movie. You're welcome to join us if you wish. We have more then enough
popcorn," he added, gesturing to the snacks. Haru was secretly grateful that
he and Momiji had finally managed to get the kitchen cleaned up before
Hatori had returned. At first, Momiji had been upset when he found out that
Hatori would be staying over at Shigure's house, but he had soon cheered up
when Haru suggested that they make cookies together. The only problem was,
neither of them had really known *how* to make the cookies and all they had
ended up making was a lot of mess.
They had finally called it quits and decided to order take-out instead and
had cleaned up the kitchen as best they could. He stared more closely at
Hatori and noticed that the man looked tired. Not that Haru could blame him.
He must have been up all night tending to Kyou. Haru knew though that
however bad a mood Hatori was in, he could always be brought round by a pair
of large, pleading brown eyes coupled by a huge, hopeful smile. He smiled to
himself when, after Momiji's fifth tug on Hatori's arm the doctor finally
relented.
"So what movie are you watching?" he asked finally, taking one of the
popcorn bowls from Haru before Momiji could get into it and spill the
contents all over the floor in his enthusiasm.
Momiji went to take the other bowl of popcorn, but Haru had grabbed that and
the two were moving toward the living room. Momiji stared at his empty hands
and swung them back and forth, following them.
"It's scary! It's called 'Watcher in the Woods' and we can watch it cause it
's Disney, but it's all scary. Bette Davis is in it and she has weird eyes
and lots of circles and...stuff."
He scrambled to the VCR, popping the movie in and letting Haru and Hatori
sit down. Naturally, they sat on either side of the couch and Momiji took
full advantage of it by crawling in between them and snuggling his head into
Hatori's lap, while settling his feet on Haru's. He hugged Hatori, glad to
have the older man back. It was always a little scary being alone in the old
house. That was why he had invited Haru. He was scared of Akito slinking in,
but he was also afraid of ghosts now, though he never used to be.
Hatori placed the bowl of popcorn in front of Momiji and held it steady so
that the boy wouldn't knock it over whenever he reached for a handful.
Hatori didn't much care for popcorn himself, but he knew it didn't matter.
No doubt it would only take Momiji about five minutes to empty the whole
bowl by himself. Once Momiji finally made himself comfortable, Hatori leaned
his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes. He was grateful for the
fact that Haru had turned the lights off before they had got settled, that
way he could close his eyes and doze a little while the other two watched
the movie.
He'd banned Momiji from watching anything higher than a PG-13 rating ever
since he'd started having nightmares when he'd found Haru's borrowed copy of
the Exorcist that time. After that, he'd given Haru strict instructions to
put away all of his videos where Momiji wouldn't find them. The last thing
he needed was Momiji trying to sneak into his bed again after having another
nightmare about make-believe demons from Hell or whatever it was that
frightened him these days.
Momiji snuggled closer to Hatori, smiling as he felt the man falling asleep.
Hari worked so hard for all of them. The small blond boy revelled in the
times when they could actually get him to sit down and take it easy with
them. He acted so cold, but he was a part of their family too. Even though
Momiji's father was very loving, he also had another family to attend to and
couldn't take time to do the little things for Momiji, like pick him up from
band practice and take him to the park.
Momiji could tell by the change in Hatori's breathing that he was already
dozing off, even though the opening credits hadn't even played. He loosened
the arm he had wrapped around Hatori's stomach and began to eat the popcorn,
watching the movie with rapt attention, the popcorn filling his buttery
fingers and then his mouth as if on automatic pilot. He wiggled his feet in
anticipation and Haru put a hand on them to keep them still.
Momiji's attention suddenly strayed from the movie a bit. He and Haru had
always been close, but lately Momiji was developing a definite crush on the
boy so that every little touch was suddenly special, when a year ago, it
wouldn't have meant anything. Momiji smiled, enjoying the moment. This was
wonderful.
Haru kept Momiji's feet still with one hand while reaching for a handful of
popcorn with the other. He glanced over at Hatori and even though the room
was dark and he only had the light of the television screen to see with, he
could tell that the man was either asleep or getting there. Haru smiled to
himself and tapped Momiji on the shoulder, tilting his head toward Hatori
and placing a finger to his lips. Momiji giggled and munched on another
handful of popcorn, trying not to drop any in Hatori's lap.
Haru spoke up while the opening credits were still running, but softly so as
not to wake Hatori. "What do you say we go and visit Kyou tomorrow after
school to give him that kite we made?" he suggested. He remembered
comforting Momiji in Shigure's garden and decided that it would be good for
him to speak to Kyou again. The thing with Akito was still eating him up
pretty badly and Haru knew that he wouldn't feel completely better about it
until he spoke with Kyou.
Momiji felt his mood droop a little. He knew he needed to talk to Kyou. He
felt terrible, but he was afraid of what the temperamental boy would think.
It would be nice to take the kite to him though. They had spent a lot of
time making it and if he could get outside, it might be fun. He sighed and
nodded, turning back to the movie, trying to think of what he was going to
say. He felt a little better when he felt Haru's gentle hand on his
shoulder. He just hoped that Kyou didn't end up hating him.