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 7)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
A/N: As always, thanks to the people who reviewed! S. Wing, na, Danelle,
aurelie, Ru-chan, Sohma Risa, hcbenitez, schmusekatze, girlstarfish,
Black Mirror aka Little Wing and yamatoforever, that means you! ^___^
~~
Yuki had made his way to his garden where he was on his knees now, pulling the
weeds up angrily, as if ending the growth of the tenacious little things would
get some of his pent up emotion out. He felt bad that he was getting his school
uniform so dirty and Tohru would have to wash it. Usually he was meticulous
about using gloves and kneeling on a cloth in order to tend his garden, but
today he didn't care.
He sank his fingers into the dirt, pulling out the tiny little plants even as
they scratched his fingers. He ignored it. He was too preoccupied with thinking
about Kyou. He had smiled today, actually *smiled* just because Haru and Momiji
had given him a stupid little paper kite. And he had looked...good. Yuki
couldn't get it out of his head.
He supposed that the fact that Kyou wasn't jumping down his throat all the time
in anger was part of it. As long as Kyou was attacking Yuki with hatred and
anger, Yuki could push him away and insult him and treat him like dirt and
remember how Kyou had been so mean to him when they were kids, how he had
betrayed him. It wasn't fair that Kyou was being so nice. Of course, Yuki had
been gentle with Kyou ever since the accident. He had been scared that night,
genuinely scared.
He wondered if the feelings he had for the boy when they were both young were
still there, buried underneath. He started to rip the weeds out with abandon.
How could he? After so many years, how could he like Kyou? Kyou had betrayed
him, had blamed him for everything.
Yet, ever since yesterday, he found himself considering it. If he went back to
Akito, Kyou would get his bracelet back. And maybe no matter what he did, it
might be worth it. If it would make Kyou smile like he just had. Maybe it would
be worth it. Yuki wondered if Kyou might even afford him a smile like that if he
did it. Maybe they could become friends again...maybe. Yuki cursed under his
breath. He couldn't get that damned cat out of his head!
~~~
It hadn't taken Haru long to find Yuki, having followed him to the little garden
he knew that he and Tohru both tended to in their spare time. Haru had been more
than a little surprised at the sight that had met him though and it had been the
reason he had stayed hidden behind the trees, just watching Yuki in
astonishment. Yuki had always been the most calm and collected person he'd
known, so to see him on his hands and knees, viciously pulling up weeds with
little regard to himself or his pristine clothing was more than a little
frightening.
At first, Yuki had just been yanking out what few weeds there were that grew
around the immaculate little patch of vegetables, but now he was ripping out
chunks of grass and flowers as if unaware of what he was doing. His eyes held a
glassy, faraway look to them and it was then that Haru decided to make his
presence known. He cleared his throat so as not to startle Yuki, but the boy
either hadn't heard him or didn't care because he didn't look up or stop what he
was doing.
Haru walked over to him quickly and crouched down beside him, placing a hand on
Yuki's shoulder. He shook him gently, calling out his name and eventually, Yuki
turned to look at him, his expression surprised and confused as though he'd only
just noticed the fact that Haru was there even though the boy had been standing
next to him for the past minute or so. Haru glanced down at Yuki's hands, which
were filthy and streaked with mud and tiny flecks of blood. "You're a mess," he
announced simply, wondering what must have gotten Yuki so worked up to make him
lose his cool like that. "What are you doing?"
Yuki looked down, frowning. "I...I was just..." He sighed and wiped his hands on
his pants. "I was just doing some weeding." He smoothed the dirt over a little,
making it uniform and flat again. "I just needed to think. I suppose I got
carried away." Haru raised a calm eyebrow, eyeing the mess he had made. Yuki
began plucking weeds carefully again and laying them at the side of the garden.
He actually felt his calm returning with his mild younger cousin here with him.
As long as he was White, Haru was actually quite pleasant to be with. When he
was black, however, he was a pain in the ass, but Haru was usually a very
sensitive individual.
"I'm sorry, Haru. I got a lot carried away. I have a lot to think about," he
said demurely, trying to get his feelings out, instead of holding them in.
"Kyou...he seems fine, but I'm worried about him." He laughed suddenly. "I never
thought I would ever say that, but I am. We all think that we have it bad
because we're Juniishi, but we don't have to worry about the weather. If we just
stay away from the opposite sex, we can get by and live life, but if Akito
doesn't give the bracelet back, Kyou has no life." He started to thin the
lettuce for want of something different to do. "Or he doesn't have much of one."
He realized that he was beginning to pick at the lettuce violently, ripping the
leaves of harshly and he stopped, putting his head in his hand. "Can we leave
him to that, Haru? How long could he last living a half-life like that?" His
voice was rough and raw in his throat and he closed his eyes, trying to block
the smiling Kyou from his thoughts.
Haru just stared at Yuki in amazement as the older boy heaved a sigh and buried
his head in his hands. To hear him voice such concern about Kyou, who had been
his bitter enemy for so long now...Haru almost dared to hope that maybe the two
of them might be able to start patching up their broken friendship again after
this.
What had happened with Akito and Kyou had been terrible, but maybe it was just
the thing to make Yuki and Kyou finally get over their hatred of each other.
Haru remembered telling Momiji about how the two of them had been friends a long
time ago and how it had hurt him to see them suddenly turn into enemies. He
remembered when the three of them were children and how Kyou was always dragging
Yuki off on an adventure somewhere and how the two of them would come back
before curfew giggling and ruffled from play fighting.
Even when he was small, Yuki had always been excessively neat and composed while
Kyou would often be seen with tears in the knees of his trousers from rolling
around in the mud, or falling out of trees. Kyou had learned the hard way one
time that mice weren't really built for climbing trees the way that cats were
when he'd challenged Yuki to follow him up the big old oak tree at the bottom of
the garden. Yuki had only managed to get so far before falling and breaking his
wrist. Kyou had been beside himself with worry, but Yuki hadn't blamed him, had
only smacked him on the back of the head and told him to keep both him and his
feet on the ground from then on.
The end of their friendship had been so sudden and abrupt and Haru recalled that
it had been that he'd seen Kyou's true form for the first time. At first he'd
been terrified, had had no idea that this was what the cat's true form truly
looked like...but years later, he'd come to the realisation that although Kyou's
alternate form was dark and frightening, it was still Kyou under there, it was
still a young boy who was always shooting his mouth off and challenging anyone
who would listen to a fight. Just as he'd developed a deeper admiration and
respect of Yuki, so he had done for Kyou. Whereas his admiration of Yuki had
deepened into love, he'd never been able to get the chance to do that with Kyou
seeing as how the cat had been distanced from them for so long.
But now though...he was changed. They all were and Haru had a sneaking suspicion
that it was due in part to Tohru and how she had managed to help them all. That
and the fact that Kyou had had a near-death experience had somehow seemed to put
things into perspective for him. It was certainly making him think with a clear
head for once. Haru didn't think he'd ever seen Kyou so quiet for so long, or
seen him be so nice to them before. He knew that Yuki must have been just as
startled by him by the change in Kyou, if not more so. Yuki's shoulders were
shaking slightly and Haru squeezed his arm tighter.
"We won't have to leave him living like this for long," he said quietly. "We'll
get the bracelet back somehow. It's all of us against Akito. I don't know why,
but it seems to make him happy to see any of us suffer. What he's done to Kyou
is harsh, even by his standards. If only there was some way to stand up to
him..." He paused. "Shigure is the only one brave enough to do that though. Even
if I went to Akito myself to ask for the bracelet, he'd never listen to me. He'd
only mock me. It doesn't make sense though for him to keep hold of it for *this*
long. Surely in his eyes, Kyou has suffered enough. He has to give it back
eventually. He has to."
Yuki shook his head, grateful for Haru's comfort even though it sounded hollow
to ears. The rainy season was fast approaching and Yuki couldn't imagine what it
would be like for Kyou. They were now in their senior year and if Kyou had to
miss the rest of the semester, he wouldn't graduate. Whatever had happened to
make Akito take Kyou's bracelet, he had it now and he was using it as leverage
to get Yuki back. He was stubborn enough to keep it for a long time to get Yuki.
Akito was always obsessed when it came to him for some reason and the mouse
couldn't understand why. Ever since he was young, he and Akito had been close,
but soon Akito horded Yuki's time rather than enjoying it. If Yuki stayed away
too long, Akito would punish him. The beatings became more severe, and Akito
finally ordered that Hatori take his friends away. It had started with the
accident, but every time he made new friends, Akito ordered and Hatori always
did as he was bid.
Eventually, he only had his cousins to play with and most of them were dealing
with their own horrors. Plus, they didn't live in the main house like the family
of the mouse got to and everyone stayed away from Akito. It got worse because as
Yuki had become more afraid of Akito and avoided him more, even his own mother
hit him when he refused to go see the head of the clan. He didn't understand at
that age that there were fates and punishments tied to those who refused to do
what Akito said.
Still, he had tried to stay away, and the beatings had gotten even worse. Akito
would lock him in a dark room for hours on end, never to leave unless he called.
One time, he had been locked in there for three days. That was when he had
gotten sick. Hatori would do what he could to keep Yuki well, but Akito
continued with the beatings and the torture. One day though, Akito had tried to
do more than just beat him. That was when Shigure had taken Yuki away from all
of it.
He had been thirteen at that point and dreadfully sick. Shigure had been very
kind to him and Hatori would visit and make sure he was getting better, even if
Yuki didn't want him there. He returned to Kazuma's dojo to continue his
training and that was when the fights had started. Kyou had avoided Yuki for the
most part before since there was enough classes that they could go at different
times. But eventually there had been a tournament and Yuki and Kyou ended up as
the last fighters. The animosity was so thick that Kazuma had to warn them of
harsh punishment if they fought too rough. Yuki won. Even though he had started
two years later than Kyou, he had a natural talent for fighting. Ever since
then, the anger and hatred had just built. They each had their reasons. Kyou
continued to challenge Yuki and Yuki gladly beat him down.
When Tohru came, their fighting lessened. However, their malice had
remained...until three days ago. Yuki shook his head. He didn't understand. Kyou
was acting so strange, so docile. Of course he was still weak. Once he had
recovered, that fire that everyone loved about Kyou would come back. Or would
it? If he didn't get the bracelet soon, not only would his life outside of the
Sohma influence be ruined, but he would spend a good two and a half months as
the horrid creature that lived inside of him. What would that do to him?
Haru squeezed his shoulder, calling his name and Yuki jerked back to the
present. He looked at Haru, confused.
"I think...I have to..."
He made up his mind.
"Akito wants me to come back, Haru. That's why he won't give the bracelet back.
I need to go. I need to try to get it back."
Haru's eyes widened in shock. "Go back to the main house?" he gasped. Yuki
hadn't been back there since Tohru had gone to challenge Akito. That had been
different though, Shigure and Hatori had been in there with him, as well as
Tohru. If Yuki went to Akito to get the bracelet back, then that meant facing
him alone, without help or reassurance from anybody else. It was a brave thing
to do...but also stupid. Akito was always so unpredictable; there was no telling
what he would do, or when he would decide to flip out.
The best thing Shigure had ever done had been to take Yuki away from the main
house and Haru had hoped that after that, everything would be okay. And so it
had been for a while...at least until now anyway. He didn't know everything that
had gone on between Yuki and Akito, but all he needed to know that for some
reason, Yuki was deathly afraid of Akito. No one else had ever brought out such
a strong reaction from Yuki, or such a bad one and Haru didn't like it. Still,
as much as he didn't want to admit it, Yuki was right. Although he trusted
Shigure and believed in what little power he seemed to hold over Akito, he'd
already been refused the bracelet back.
There was no way that Akito would listen to *him*...but he had this strange
obsession with Yuki that Haru didn't like at all. Still, Kyou *needed* his
bracelet back and Yuki might be the only one who would be able to talk Akito
into returning it. But he still didn't like the idea. "Then I'll go with you,"
he said, frowning. "Even if it's just to stand outside the door or something. I
don't want you to be near him while you're on your own. I don't trust him at all
and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to pull something on you like he did
with Kyou. I want to be there too, just in case something goes wrong."
Yuki shook his head, turning and smiling up at the kind boy. "No, you don't
understand. He wants me there alone, and he won't settle for seeing me once. I'm
a big boy, Haru, I can take care of myself." He smiled and ruffled Haru's hair.
"Besides, I'm the mouse, remember? I'm supposed to be the clever one. I'll
figure something out."
Haru stared at him, refusal in his eyes and Yuki sighed. He was really a sweet
boy and a good friend. They hadn't had many chances to play as kids since Haru
lived at the outer edge of the compound, but Haru had always treated him with a
lot of respect. Even when the tall boy was black and driving Yuki crazy with his
brazen advances, he was still loyal to the people he cared about. Yuki almost
wished he could take Haru with him, but he really had to do this alone,
although...
"Haru, why don't you come with me the first time, eh? You can wait outside, but
I think I'd like to have you there."
Haru nodded and smiled in relief. He didn't like Akito at all, but at least he
hadn't done anything to hurt him. He could only ever remember being alone with
Akito twice; once when he was a young child and again fairly recently when Akito
had been looking for sport and had decided that it was his turn to be picked on
for once. Haru had hated having to sit opposite Akito in that dark room while
Akito had made fun of him in that silky, eerie voice.
The thing that had angered him most though was that he hadn't been able to do
anything about it, hadn't been able to fight back because Akito was the head and
no one was allowed to disobey him, not even Kyou who was treated as an outcast.
Haru thought back to Akito sprawled gracefully in a small patch of sunlight, his
back to him as he set about belittling him and lowering his self-esteem some
more. "The cow has always been something of a comedian...isn't that right?"
It wasn't though, Haru thought to himself grimly. The cow wasn't stupid and
neither was he. Yuki had been the one to assure him of that. It just seemed that
Akito was so intent upon undoing all of the things that Yuki had said to him.
Yuki had been the one to calm him down, to unlock the shackles of his mind.
After that first meeting with the mouse, Haru had been able to bear the teasing
and the taunting because he knew that out of all the people around him, Yuki was
the one to believe him and not treat him as though he was some sort of retard.
Yuki had done so much for him. The least Haru could do in return would be to go
with him while he went to visit Akito. When he himself had gone to speak with
the head of the Souma clan, Hatori had waited outside for him and had warned him
not to lose his temper or do something he might regret. It had been his way of
showing that he cared, that he was concerned for him and it had been just enough
to get him through the meeting with Akito.
He dreaded to think of what might have happened if he'd suddenly gone into Black
Mode before Akito. Thankfully, Hatori's concern had helped him get through it,
just like Yuki's acceptance had helped him get over his hatred. If only he would
be able to do the same thing for Kyou as he had done for him...
"So it's settled then," he said, forcing himself to sound cheerful. "I'll go
with you and wait outside while you talk with him." He rose to his feet and
pulled Yuki up with him. "Let's get you cleaned up," he added, gesturing to
Yuki's hands. "And let me put some band-aids on those cuts while I'm at it."
Yuki smiled, looking at his hands. They probably looked worse than they were,
but it was nice of Haru to be so concerned. He let go of Haru and brushed
himself off and they headed back up to see how the other two were doing.
~~
"Is she gone yet? Can you see her? Is she hiding in wait ready to throw me into
Hell for not delivering my latest manuscript?"
Hatori sighed and continued walking towards the house, ignoring the way Shigure
was grabbing onto his jacket from behind, walking so close behind him that he
kept stepping on his feet and tripping him up from time to time. He'd opened his
door earlier that afternoon to find Shigure huddled there and gazing up at him
pleadingly, looking for a place to hide from his poor, tortured editor.
Hatori had tried his best to get through his daily work, but Shigure had been
more of a hindrance than a help, draping himself over him while he tried his
best to catch up on paperwork and then seating himself in his lap when he
realised the doctor wasn't paying attention to him. Eventually, Hatori had had
enough of his foolishness and had taken Shigure back home. He needed to check up
on Kyou anyway. "She's not here," he said tiredly. "Even she doesn't have enough
patience to wait over five hours for a manuscript that you're not even half- way
through writing yet."
They slowed as they saw Kazuma at the door, a puzzled look on his face as he
looked at the note in his hand. His other arm held a small bag of groceries. He
looked up and smiled, bowing slightly, careful not to dump the contents of his
paper bag. He stepped off the front porch and walked out to meet them.
"Your front door was locked, but I thought I heard a tuba in the back. Does Yuki
play the tuba?" he asked. It seemed a rather bulky, graceless instrument for the
reedy, poised boy. "Anyway, I found this note on the door from your editor. Does
she always write to you in large red text? It was stuck to your door with a
knife."
Hatori smirked at the way Shigure's face paled upon seeing the note and the
knife. "Someday she won't be using that knife just to stick notes to your door,"
he said mildly, taking the keys from Shigure's still-shaking hands and opening
the door. Kazuma stepped in behind him, quickly putting away the few groceries
he'd brought. Hatori carried his bag into the living room and was surprised to
see it empty.
He would have panicked if he hadn't seen the door to the porch wide open and he
peered outside, sighing in relief when he caught sight of Kyou's familiar red
hair. It looked as though he'd been taken outside, but by whom, Hatori didn't
know. The only one who was with Kyou right now was Momiji and there was no way
he could have carried the redhead outside. Yuki and Haru must have been the ones
to do it then. Hatori frowned, annoyed momentarily, but then he let it slip to
one side. It was probably good for Kyou to get some fresh air and as long as he
hadn't been hurt, then he didn't suppose that there would be any problems.
Besides, Kazuma had been talking about getting him outside for a while even if
only for a few minutes. Kyou was sitting with his back to him, but the
surprising thing was the way that Momiji was snuggled up to him. Whenever those
two were around each other, they always acted like siblings, Kyou pushing Momiji
around and Momiji wailing that Kyou was picking on him. It was nice to see them
looking so peaceful and so Hatori just stood there in silence for a while,
watching them.
After putting away the groceries and putting some tea on to boil, Kazuma had
also paled upon seeing Kyou gone from his resting place. He looked up, only to
see Hatori, staring out at the back yard. When he moved forward, though, he
caught sight of his loved one, resting against a tree, Momiji cuddled up with
him. Shock soon became a warm smile as he saw how close the cousins were. Momiji
looked to be asleep and Kyou was staring up at the sky.
Once again, Kazuma felt content that he had left Kyou here to heal, rather than
letting him hide in the dojo for the rest of his life. Every time he talked to
him, Kyou seemed to be a little warmer, a little more open. He still had a long
way to go, but to see him actually tolerating Momiji seemed a big step for now.
If this incident didn't get any worse, maybe it would actually end up
strengthening Kyou's ties to his cousins. Above everything else, he wished so
much happiness upon the boy he loved so much, who had become just as much a son
to him as someone of his own blood. He still worried a little.
"Hatori-san, do you think he's okay out there like that? Should we bring him
in?"
"Not just yet," Hatori said quietly. "Give them a minute more." He placed his
bag down on the porch and sat down next to it. "The weather is still warm. Let
him enjoy it for a little while longer. From the way he's sitting now, it
doesn't look as though he's in any pain, so that's a good sign. I think we'd
better be the ones to carry him back in though, rather than Yuki and Hatsuharu."
He had only just started wondering where the other two might have gotten to when
he caught sight of them making their way out from behind the trees. Haru was
hovering behind Yuki anxiously, taking one of his hands and blotting at it with
a handkerchief. Yuki just shook his head in mild exasperation and pushed Haru
away gently. They stopped abruptly when they saw Kyou and Momiji resting and
they both smiled. Kyou became aware of their presence and he nodded awkwardly at
them, probably embarrassed at how they'd found him. It was then that Hatori
decided that it was time for Kyou to come inside and he called out to let the
boys know that he was here.
Momiji jerked awake, looking up.
"Hari, Hari!" He danced up to Hatori and took his hand. "Come see the kite we
made! We made Kyou a kite! Look, look!" He dragged the man out to meet the other
boys, Kazuma following them out. Shigure also came out. He too had seen the boys
out his bedroom window after he had gotten changed. "Look!" Momiji said loudly,
"We put all our Juniishi forms on it! Um...it doesn't fly too well, but that's
because there wasn't much wind, but Kyou got to see the sky he likes to stare at
all the time anyway!"
Yuki wiped his hands off on his already soiled pants, his mood lightening,
seeing everyone together. "We thought Kyou could do with some sun." He didn't
look directly at Hatori. "It's not any trouble is it? The idiot cat looked like
he was going to come out here on his own if we didn't help him out."
Shigure put his head on Hatori's shoulder, smiling, his eyes closed. "I'm sure
it's fine. Kyou, Kyou, you shouldn't molest young boys like Momiji so!" He knelt
down and hugged the blond. "Such a sweet innocent soul, and to be lured by such
a sex fiend."
"What?!" Kyou screeched, glaring at Shigure in disbelief. "How *dare* you accuse
me of such a thing! If anybody's the pervert around here, it's *you*!" His scowl
deepened even further when he saw that Shigure was laughing at him and Kyou
'hmmph'd' in annoyance, turning his head away from the idiot dog. How Hatori
could stand him, he'd never know. He looked over to see that Yuki was smiling
slightly and for some reason, rather than it making him angrier, it seemed to
calm Kyou somewhat.
He frowned when he saw the state of Yuki's uniform though and he looked up at
Yuki, confused. He didn't have too much time to ponder it though as Hatori and
Kazuma chose that moment to pick him up and carry him back into the house. It
was less painful having the two older men carry him than it had been when Haru
and Yuki had brought him outside, but he was grateful to them anyway. Yuki had
been right, he probably would have crawled out by himself had they not been
there to offer him help.
Once he was settled back in the living room, he let Hatori check his wounds and
was pleasantly surprised when he saw Kazuma reappear with the tea he'd forgotten
all about. Kyou felt like smiling again, but he didn't dare while he was around
so many people, even if he felt comfortable and at ease with them. He just
nodded to Kazuma as he knelt down on one side of his while Momiji sat down on
his other side, chattering on to Hatori and pointing to the kite that Kyou still
held in his hands.
"Shi-chan, isn't Tohru coming tonight? She's making dinner, right?"
Shigure took Momiji's lapels and dramatically sobbed against his shirt. "Alas,
Momiji-kun, Tohru-kun had to take someone else's shift tonight. She left some
stew in the fridge, but I'm afraid there is no one to fix it! Kyou-kun is
injured, and Yuki can barely find the kitchen let alone make anything in it." He
put a hand to his head, shaking Momiji. "We're all going to starve!" Then he
jumped into Hatori's arms. "Unless Ha-san stays. Ah!" He stood up on his own,
walking to the phone. "If we're all here, I might as well call Aya!"
Hatori was quick to pull the phone from Shigure's hands, setting it back down
onto the table it stood on and, grabbing Shigure's ear, he began yanking him in
the direction of the kitchen. "Inviting Ayame to be around a sick person is
about as intelligent as letting loose a bull in a china shop," he said sternly,
ignoring the sound of Shigure's protests, not letting him go until they reached
their destination.
He released Shigure, completely oblivious to the hurt pout on the other man's
face as he sat about turning the stove on to heat up the stew that Tohru had
left for them. There looked to be enough to go around for all of them as long as
he made a little something to go with it. He carried the pot over to the stove
and let it simmer, stirring it from time to time.
Shigure came up to him and hugged him from behind, inhaling the scent of the
stew. Hatori's stomach grumbled suddenly and he frowned, glad that Shigure
wouldn't be able to see his blush of embarrassment. He hadn't eaten all day,
he'd been so busy trying to get his work done while Shigure spent his time
whining about his latest book or trying to get his attention by balancing
pencils on his nose.
Yuki watched them wistfully through the door. He missed Tohru. She had been
working especially hard the last three nights and Yuki wondered why. It wasn't
like her to take extra shifts when someone was sick. He hoped she wasn't trying
to get money to buy Kyou something. It was just like something she'd do, but he
knew Kyou wouldn't be too happy about it if he found out. Well, he was sure she
had her reasons.
Strangely enough, watching Shigure and Hatori gave him a funny feeling in the
pit of his stomach. He couldn't quite figure it out. He decided with a wistful
sigh that he wanted to hold Tohru that way. Such a simple embrace and yet he
would never be able to do that with any woman unless it was a Juniishi. Kagura
was not his type, and she was away at college already, though she still stayed
at the main house. Rin was beautiful, but she kept to herself so much. That and
there was also the same problem; she just wasn't his type. Other than that, the
only ones left were his cousins.
Yuki suddenly blushed. He turned quickly. "I'll uh...go get changed." He headed
up the stairs.
"Yuki-kun," Shigure lilted at him. "Bring down some clothes for Kyou too. He's
getting smelly."
Yuki headed upstairs, ignoring the cat's curses at that comment. He closed the
door and sat down on the bed, pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his blouse. He
looked at himself in the mirror.
"What are you doing?" he whispered. His reflection gave no answer.
~~~
Downstairs, Momiji decided to use his unbearable cuteness to sit on Haru's lap
while he talked to Kyou. Any excuse to get near the boy. Besides, he had
looked like he was planning on following Yuki and the mouse looked like he
needed some time to himself, so Momiji had one arm draped casually on Haru's
shoulder while he was tucked up sideways on the other's lap.
"Kyou, maybe when you're feeling better, we could go to the hot springs again! I
told Papa that you were hurt and he said we could. Then we could take Tohru and
get a bus! And Haru-chan and the two lovebirds in the kitchen could go too!"
Kyou was taken aback a little at Momiji's offer and for a moment, he just
stared. He and Haru had already gone to the trouble of making him that kite and
now they were offering to take him back to the hot springs too? He was starting
to feel guilty. He'd never gotten gifts like this when he was ill before...then
again, he never usually liked to have anyone within a fifty mile radius of him
when he was sick. Had the accident he'd had really been so important that it had
seemed to change everything lately, including the way he was thinking and
acting?
It was all too weird. He was being nice to Momiji...Hell, he was being nice to
Yuki too, but then they were being nice to him. Was that how it worked then?
When you were nice to someone, they'd be nice to you in return? The only person
who had ever treated Kyou with real kindness had been Kazuma and then later on,
Tohru. He'd been overjoyed that those two people alone were so kind to him, but
the thought that Momiji, Yuki, Haru or anyone else could be so nice to him was
just...mind boggling. He suddenly realised that Momiji had taken his silence as
rejection and he reached out and poked his arm.
"No, it sounds good," he said awkwardly. "I guess it'll be a while before I can
go out there...but it was nice of you to ask." He watched as Momiji beamed back
at him and wiggled closer to Haru. Haru was just sitting there and smiling
serenely as he always did whenever he was in White Mode. He wondered what it was
like to be able to express your affection for someone you liked so freely, like
Momiji did with Haru and anybody else that he liked, like Shigure did with
Hatori.
Kyou had been a little overwhelmed by the way people had wanted to touch him,
hug him or even hold his hand lately. He couldn't deny the fact that he liked
it, but he was afraid that he'd get used to it. He'd spent so long without being
touched that if he started getting used to it now, then people might not want to
hug him anymore or hold his hand and he didn't think he could go back to being
the way he was if that happened. So maybe it was just better for him not to grow
used to it, or even to start expecting it.
Still, it would be nice having someone to show him affection on a regular basis.
At least he had Tohru who would always give him whatever affection she could.
Tohru was the one person who always stayed true with her affection and her
loyalty never wavered. Thinking about Tohru in that way always made him
depressed though, so he shook it off and turned his attention back to Momiji,
trying to think of something to say. He'd never had a normal conversation with
the younger boy as they'd always been too busy tormenting each other and he
tried to think of how he could start a decent conversation. "So...how long have
you had that tuba thing anyway? I didn't even know you played."
Momiji smiled. "Papa bought it for me when I started school with you! This is my
third year, but I've been taking private lessons too. Hari takes me every week.
He makes sure I practice, even when he has a headache." Momiji smiled brightly.
"But then he makes me practice in the garden!"
Shigure came out, setting plates on the table. "Loud boys need loud instruments.
Momiji-kun goes well with a tuba, ne?" He grinned at the younger boy, earning a
huge smile in return. He looked at the table. "Eh, Kyou-kun, you take up too
much room lying that way," he pouted. He looked around as if he didn't know
what to do, then he grinned, laughing. "I guess Ha-san and I will have to
squeeze together!"
Yuki came back downstairs, tossing the change of clothes at Kyou, careful to
keep them from landing on his stomach. "Shigure, stop being a pervert. Some of
us want to eat."
Hatori began ladling the stew into the dishes that Shigure had brought out and
once everyone was served, he sat down, Shigure quickly seating himself in his
lap with a giggle. Hatori sighed, but didn't push him off. If he did, he would
have nowhere to go and even idiots like Shigure deserved to eat supper. Even
with Shigure perched in his lap and Momiji in Haru's lap, there was only just
enough space at the table what with Kyou lying down the way he was.
He watched as Kazuma helped him sit up a little, pushing the bowl toward Kyou,
but letting him eat in his own time. Even though he was injured, Kyou was still
fiercely independent and Kazuma was aware of this, instead choosing to wait
until Kyou asked for help. Momiji was digging into his meal enthusiastically,
occasionally spilling some of his stew on Haru who didn't seem to mind all that
much.
Hatori sighed inwardly. It didn't look as though Tohru was going to be back
until it was late, so maybe it was best for him to launder Yuki and Haru's
clothing before she got back. Shigure in the kitchen was always a recipe for
disaster, so it was best that he do it. "How long is Honda-kun working tonight
for?" he asked suddenly. "I might as well pick her up from the hospital seeing
as it'll be dark by the time she gets out." Sometimes being the responsible one
like this bothered him. It was like looking after fifteen little kids, not a
group of teenagers and a couple of grown men, but it wasn't as though anyone
else was about to do it.
"Waah, Ha-san, does this mean you're not staying? I guess that Haru and Momiji
need to go home, but I'll be all lonely and cold by myself!" Shigure nuzzled
into the other man's neck, causing him to blush profusely. Haru smiled and
Momiji started to laugh. Kazuma just stared at Kyou, who was staring at them and
then his master, and then he actually cracked a small smile. It was almost
unnoticeable, but Yuki caught it. Such a small thing, but it strengthened his
resolve. He would get that bracelet back from Akito no matter what.
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 7)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
A/N: As always, thanks to the people who reviewed! S. Wing, na, Danelle,
aurelie, Ru-chan, Sohma Risa, hcbenitez, schmusekatze, girlstarfish,
Black Mirror aka Little Wing and yamatoforever, that means you! ^___^
~~
Yuki had made his way to his garden where he was on his knees now, pulling the
weeds up angrily, as if ending the growth of the tenacious little things would
get some of his pent up emotion out. He felt bad that he was getting his school
uniform so dirty and Tohru would have to wash it. Usually he was meticulous
about using gloves and kneeling on a cloth in order to tend his garden, but
today he didn't care.
He sank his fingers into the dirt, pulling out the tiny little plants even as
they scratched his fingers. He ignored it. He was too preoccupied with thinking
about Kyou. He had smiled today, actually *smiled* just because Haru and Momiji
had given him a stupid little paper kite. And he had looked...good. Yuki
couldn't get it out of his head.
He supposed that the fact that Kyou wasn't jumping down his throat all the time
in anger was part of it. As long as Kyou was attacking Yuki with hatred and
anger, Yuki could push him away and insult him and treat him like dirt and
remember how Kyou had been so mean to him when they were kids, how he had
betrayed him. It wasn't fair that Kyou was being so nice. Of course, Yuki had
been gentle with Kyou ever since the accident. He had been scared that night,
genuinely scared.
He wondered if the feelings he had for the boy when they were both young were
still there, buried underneath. He started to rip the weeds out with abandon.
How could he? After so many years, how could he like Kyou? Kyou had betrayed
him, had blamed him for everything.
Yet, ever since yesterday, he found himself considering it. If he went back to
Akito, Kyou would get his bracelet back. And maybe no matter what he did, it
might be worth it. If it would make Kyou smile like he just had. Maybe it would
be worth it. Yuki wondered if Kyou might even afford him a smile like that if he
did it. Maybe they could become friends again...maybe. Yuki cursed under his
breath. He couldn't get that damned cat out of his head!
~~~
It hadn't taken Haru long to find Yuki, having followed him to the little garden
he knew that he and Tohru both tended to in their spare time. Haru had been more
than a little surprised at the sight that had met him though and it had been the
reason he had stayed hidden behind the trees, just watching Yuki in
astonishment. Yuki had always been the most calm and collected person he'd
known, so to see him on his hands and knees, viciously pulling up weeds with
little regard to himself or his pristine clothing was more than a little
frightening.
At first, Yuki had just been yanking out what few weeds there were that grew
around the immaculate little patch of vegetables, but now he was ripping out
chunks of grass and flowers as if unaware of what he was doing. His eyes held a
glassy, faraway look to them and it was then that Haru decided to make his
presence known. He cleared his throat so as not to startle Yuki, but the boy
either hadn't heard him or didn't care because he didn't look up or stop what he
was doing.
Haru walked over to him quickly and crouched down beside him, placing a hand on
Yuki's shoulder. He shook him gently, calling out his name and eventually, Yuki
turned to look at him, his expression surprised and confused as though he'd only
just noticed the fact that Haru was there even though the boy had been standing
next to him for the past minute or so. Haru glanced down at Yuki's hands, which
were filthy and streaked with mud and tiny flecks of blood. "You're a mess," he
announced simply, wondering what must have gotten Yuki so worked up to make him
lose his cool like that. "What are you doing?"
Yuki looked down, frowning. "I...I was just..." He sighed and wiped his hands on
his pants. "I was just doing some weeding." He smoothed the dirt over a little,
making it uniform and flat again. "I just needed to think. I suppose I got
carried away." Haru raised a calm eyebrow, eyeing the mess he had made. Yuki
began plucking weeds carefully again and laying them at the side of the garden.
He actually felt his calm returning with his mild younger cousin here with him.
As long as he was White, Haru was actually quite pleasant to be with. When he
was black, however, he was a pain in the ass, but Haru was usually a very
sensitive individual.
"I'm sorry, Haru. I got a lot carried away. I have a lot to think about," he
said demurely, trying to get his feelings out, instead of holding them in.
"Kyou...he seems fine, but I'm worried about him." He laughed suddenly. "I never
thought I would ever say that, but I am. We all think that we have it bad
because we're Juniishi, but we don't have to worry about the weather. If we just
stay away from the opposite sex, we can get by and live life, but if Akito
doesn't give the bracelet back, Kyou has no life." He started to thin the
lettuce for want of something different to do. "Or he doesn't have much of one."
He realized that he was beginning to pick at the lettuce violently, ripping the
leaves of harshly and he stopped, putting his head in his hand. "Can we leave
him to that, Haru? How long could he last living a half-life like that?" His
voice was rough and raw in his throat and he closed his eyes, trying to block
the smiling Kyou from his thoughts.
Haru just stared at Yuki in amazement as the older boy heaved a sigh and buried
his head in his hands. To hear him voice such concern about Kyou, who had been
his bitter enemy for so long now...Haru almost dared to hope that maybe the two
of them might be able to start patching up their broken friendship again after
this.
What had happened with Akito and Kyou had been terrible, but maybe it was just
the thing to make Yuki and Kyou finally get over their hatred of each other.
Haru remembered telling Momiji about how the two of them had been friends a long
time ago and how it had hurt him to see them suddenly turn into enemies. He
remembered when the three of them were children and how Kyou was always dragging
Yuki off on an adventure somewhere and how the two of them would come back
before curfew giggling and ruffled from play fighting.
Even when he was small, Yuki had always been excessively neat and composed while
Kyou would often be seen with tears in the knees of his trousers from rolling
around in the mud, or falling out of trees. Kyou had learned the hard way one
time that mice weren't really built for climbing trees the way that cats were
when he'd challenged Yuki to follow him up the big old oak tree at the bottom of
the garden. Yuki had only managed to get so far before falling and breaking his
wrist. Kyou had been beside himself with worry, but Yuki hadn't blamed him, had
only smacked him on the back of the head and told him to keep both him and his
feet on the ground from then on.
The end of their friendship had been so sudden and abrupt and Haru recalled that
it had been that he'd seen Kyou's true form for the first time. At first he'd
been terrified, had had no idea that this was what the cat's true form truly
looked like...but years later, he'd come to the realisation that although Kyou's
alternate form was dark and frightening, it was still Kyou under there, it was
still a young boy who was always shooting his mouth off and challenging anyone
who would listen to a fight. Just as he'd developed a deeper admiration and
respect of Yuki, so he had done for Kyou. Whereas his admiration of Yuki had
deepened into love, he'd never been able to get the chance to do that with Kyou
seeing as how the cat had been distanced from them for so long.
But now though...he was changed. They all were and Haru had a sneaking suspicion
that it was due in part to Tohru and how she had managed to help them all. That
and the fact that Kyou had had a near-death experience had somehow seemed to put
things into perspective for him. It was certainly making him think with a clear
head for once. Haru didn't think he'd ever seen Kyou so quiet for so long, or
seen him be so nice to them before. He knew that Yuki must have been just as
startled by him by the change in Kyou, if not more so. Yuki's shoulders were
shaking slightly and Haru squeezed his arm tighter.
"We won't have to leave him living like this for long," he said quietly. "We'll
get the bracelet back somehow. It's all of us against Akito. I don't know why,
but it seems to make him happy to see any of us suffer. What he's done to Kyou
is harsh, even by his standards. If only there was some way to stand up to
him..." He paused. "Shigure is the only one brave enough to do that though. Even
if I went to Akito myself to ask for the bracelet, he'd never listen to me. He'd
only mock me. It doesn't make sense though for him to keep hold of it for *this*
long. Surely in his eyes, Kyou has suffered enough. He has to give it back
eventually. He has to."
Yuki shook his head, grateful for Haru's comfort even though it sounded hollow
to ears. The rainy season was fast approaching and Yuki couldn't imagine what it
would be like for Kyou. They were now in their senior year and if Kyou had to
miss the rest of the semester, he wouldn't graduate. Whatever had happened to
make Akito take Kyou's bracelet, he had it now and he was using it as leverage
to get Yuki back. He was stubborn enough to keep it for a long time to get Yuki.
Akito was always obsessed when it came to him for some reason and the mouse
couldn't understand why. Ever since he was young, he and Akito had been close,
but soon Akito horded Yuki's time rather than enjoying it. If Yuki stayed away
too long, Akito would punish him. The beatings became more severe, and Akito
finally ordered that Hatori take his friends away. It had started with the
accident, but every time he made new friends, Akito ordered and Hatori always
did as he was bid.
Eventually, he only had his cousins to play with and most of them were dealing
with their own horrors. Plus, they didn't live in the main house like the family
of the mouse got to and everyone stayed away from Akito. It got worse because as
Yuki had become more afraid of Akito and avoided him more, even his own mother
hit him when he refused to go see the head of the clan. He didn't understand at
that age that there were fates and punishments tied to those who refused to do
what Akito said.
Still, he had tried to stay away, and the beatings had gotten even worse. Akito
would lock him in a dark room for hours on end, never to leave unless he called.
One time, he had been locked in there for three days. That was when he had
gotten sick. Hatori would do what he could to keep Yuki well, but Akito
continued with the beatings and the torture. One day though, Akito had tried to
do more than just beat him. That was when Shigure had taken Yuki away from all
of it.
He had been thirteen at that point and dreadfully sick. Shigure had been very
kind to him and Hatori would visit and make sure he was getting better, even if
Yuki didn't want him there. He returned to Kazuma's dojo to continue his
training and that was when the fights had started. Kyou had avoided Yuki for the
most part before since there was enough classes that they could go at different
times. But eventually there had been a tournament and Yuki and Kyou ended up as
the last fighters. The animosity was so thick that Kazuma had to warn them of
harsh punishment if they fought too rough. Yuki won. Even though he had started
two years later than Kyou, he had a natural talent for fighting. Ever since
then, the anger and hatred had just built. They each had their reasons. Kyou
continued to challenge Yuki and Yuki gladly beat him down.
When Tohru came, their fighting lessened. However, their malice had
remained...until three days ago. Yuki shook his head. He didn't understand. Kyou
was acting so strange, so docile. Of course he was still weak. Once he had
recovered, that fire that everyone loved about Kyou would come back. Or would
it? If he didn't get the bracelet soon, not only would his life outside of the
Sohma influence be ruined, but he would spend a good two and a half months as
the horrid creature that lived inside of him. What would that do to him?
Haru squeezed his shoulder, calling his name and Yuki jerked back to the
present. He looked at Haru, confused.
"I think...I have to..."
He made up his mind.
"Akito wants me to come back, Haru. That's why he won't give the bracelet back.
I need to go. I need to try to get it back."
Haru's eyes widened in shock. "Go back to the main house?" he gasped. Yuki
hadn't been back there since Tohru had gone to challenge Akito. That had been
different though, Shigure and Hatori had been in there with him, as well as
Tohru. If Yuki went to Akito to get the bracelet back, then that meant facing
him alone, without help or reassurance from anybody else. It was a brave thing
to do...but also stupid. Akito was always so unpredictable; there was no telling
what he would do, or when he would decide to flip out.
The best thing Shigure had ever done had been to take Yuki away from the main
house and Haru had hoped that after that, everything would be okay. And so it
had been for a while...at least until now anyway. He didn't know everything that
had gone on between Yuki and Akito, but all he needed to know that for some
reason, Yuki was deathly afraid of Akito. No one else had ever brought out such
a strong reaction from Yuki, or such a bad one and Haru didn't like it. Still,
as much as he didn't want to admit it, Yuki was right. Although he trusted
Shigure and believed in what little power he seemed to hold over Akito, he'd
already been refused the bracelet back.
There was no way that Akito would listen to *him*...but he had this strange
obsession with Yuki that Haru didn't like at all. Still, Kyou *needed* his
bracelet back and Yuki might be the only one who would be able to talk Akito
into returning it. But he still didn't like the idea. "Then I'll go with you,"
he said, frowning. "Even if it's just to stand outside the door or something. I
don't want you to be near him while you're on your own. I don't trust him at all
and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to pull something on you like he did
with Kyou. I want to be there too, just in case something goes wrong."
Yuki shook his head, turning and smiling up at the kind boy. "No, you don't
understand. He wants me there alone, and he won't settle for seeing me once. I'm
a big boy, Haru, I can take care of myself." He smiled and ruffled Haru's hair.
"Besides, I'm the mouse, remember? I'm supposed to be the clever one. I'll
figure something out."
Haru stared at him, refusal in his eyes and Yuki sighed. He was really a sweet
boy and a good friend. They hadn't had many chances to play as kids since Haru
lived at the outer edge of the compound, but Haru had always treated him with a
lot of respect. Even when the tall boy was black and driving Yuki crazy with his
brazen advances, he was still loyal to the people he cared about. Yuki almost
wished he could take Haru with him, but he really had to do this alone,
although...
"Haru, why don't you come with me the first time, eh? You can wait outside, but
I think I'd like to have you there."
Haru nodded and smiled in relief. He didn't like Akito at all, but at least he
hadn't done anything to hurt him. He could only ever remember being alone with
Akito twice; once when he was a young child and again fairly recently when Akito
had been looking for sport and had decided that it was his turn to be picked on
for once. Haru had hated having to sit opposite Akito in that dark room while
Akito had made fun of him in that silky, eerie voice.
The thing that had angered him most though was that he hadn't been able to do
anything about it, hadn't been able to fight back because Akito was the head and
no one was allowed to disobey him, not even Kyou who was treated as an outcast.
Haru thought back to Akito sprawled gracefully in a small patch of sunlight, his
back to him as he set about belittling him and lowering his self-esteem some
more. "The cow has always been something of a comedian...isn't that right?"
It wasn't though, Haru thought to himself grimly. The cow wasn't stupid and
neither was he. Yuki had been the one to assure him of that. It just seemed that
Akito was so intent upon undoing all of the things that Yuki had said to him.
Yuki had been the one to calm him down, to unlock the shackles of his mind.
After that first meeting with the mouse, Haru had been able to bear the teasing
and the taunting because he knew that out of all the people around him, Yuki was
the one to believe him and not treat him as though he was some sort of retard.
Yuki had done so much for him. The least Haru could do in return would be to go
with him while he went to visit Akito. When he himself had gone to speak with
the head of the Souma clan, Hatori had waited outside for him and had warned him
not to lose his temper or do something he might regret. It had been his way of
showing that he cared, that he was concerned for him and it had been just enough
to get him through the meeting with Akito.
He dreaded to think of what might have happened if he'd suddenly gone into Black
Mode before Akito. Thankfully, Hatori's concern had helped him get through it,
just like Yuki's acceptance had helped him get over his hatred. If only he would
be able to do the same thing for Kyou as he had done for him...
"So it's settled then," he said, forcing himself to sound cheerful. "I'll go
with you and wait outside while you talk with him." He rose to his feet and
pulled Yuki up with him. "Let's get you cleaned up," he added, gesturing to
Yuki's hands. "And let me put some band-aids on those cuts while I'm at it."
Yuki smiled, looking at his hands. They probably looked worse than they were,
but it was nice of Haru to be so concerned. He let go of Haru and brushed
himself off and they headed back up to see how the other two were doing.
~~
"Is she gone yet? Can you see her? Is she hiding in wait ready to throw me into
Hell for not delivering my latest manuscript?"
Hatori sighed and continued walking towards the house, ignoring the way Shigure
was grabbing onto his jacket from behind, walking so close behind him that he
kept stepping on his feet and tripping him up from time to time. He'd opened his
door earlier that afternoon to find Shigure huddled there and gazing up at him
pleadingly, looking for a place to hide from his poor, tortured editor.
Hatori had tried his best to get through his daily work, but Shigure had been
more of a hindrance than a help, draping himself over him while he tried his
best to catch up on paperwork and then seating himself in his lap when he
realised the doctor wasn't paying attention to him. Eventually, Hatori had had
enough of his foolishness and had taken Shigure back home. He needed to check up
on Kyou anyway. "She's not here," he said tiredly. "Even she doesn't have enough
patience to wait over five hours for a manuscript that you're not even half- way
through writing yet."
They slowed as they saw Kazuma at the door, a puzzled look on his face as he
looked at the note in his hand. His other arm held a small bag of groceries. He
looked up and smiled, bowing slightly, careful not to dump the contents of his
paper bag. He stepped off the front porch and walked out to meet them.
"Your front door was locked, but I thought I heard a tuba in the back. Does Yuki
play the tuba?" he asked. It seemed a rather bulky, graceless instrument for the
reedy, poised boy. "Anyway, I found this note on the door from your editor. Does
she always write to you in large red text? It was stuck to your door with a
knife."
Hatori smirked at the way Shigure's face paled upon seeing the note and the
knife. "Someday she won't be using that knife just to stick notes to your door,"
he said mildly, taking the keys from Shigure's still-shaking hands and opening
the door. Kazuma stepped in behind him, quickly putting away the few groceries
he'd brought. Hatori carried his bag into the living room and was surprised to
see it empty.
He would have panicked if he hadn't seen the door to the porch wide open and he
peered outside, sighing in relief when he caught sight of Kyou's familiar red
hair. It looked as though he'd been taken outside, but by whom, Hatori didn't
know. The only one who was with Kyou right now was Momiji and there was no way
he could have carried the redhead outside. Yuki and Haru must have been the ones
to do it then. Hatori frowned, annoyed momentarily, but then he let it slip to
one side. It was probably good for Kyou to get some fresh air and as long as he
hadn't been hurt, then he didn't suppose that there would be any problems.
Besides, Kazuma had been talking about getting him outside for a while even if
only for a few minutes. Kyou was sitting with his back to him, but the
surprising thing was the way that Momiji was snuggled up to him. Whenever those
two were around each other, they always acted like siblings, Kyou pushing Momiji
around and Momiji wailing that Kyou was picking on him. It was nice to see them
looking so peaceful and so Hatori just stood there in silence for a while,
watching them.
After putting away the groceries and putting some tea on to boil, Kazuma had
also paled upon seeing Kyou gone from his resting place. He looked up, only to
see Hatori, staring out at the back yard. When he moved forward, though, he
caught sight of his loved one, resting against a tree, Momiji cuddled up with
him. Shock soon became a warm smile as he saw how close the cousins were. Momiji
looked to be asleep and Kyou was staring up at the sky.
Once again, Kazuma felt content that he had left Kyou here to heal, rather than
letting him hide in the dojo for the rest of his life. Every time he talked to
him, Kyou seemed to be a little warmer, a little more open. He still had a long
way to go, but to see him actually tolerating Momiji seemed a big step for now.
If this incident didn't get any worse, maybe it would actually end up
strengthening Kyou's ties to his cousins. Above everything else, he wished so
much happiness upon the boy he loved so much, who had become just as much a son
to him as someone of his own blood. He still worried a little.
"Hatori-san, do you think he's okay out there like that? Should we bring him
in?"
"Not just yet," Hatori said quietly. "Give them a minute more." He placed his
bag down on the porch and sat down next to it. "The weather is still warm. Let
him enjoy it for a little while longer. From the way he's sitting now, it
doesn't look as though he's in any pain, so that's a good sign. I think we'd
better be the ones to carry him back in though, rather than Yuki and Hatsuharu."
He had only just started wondering where the other two might have gotten to when
he caught sight of them making their way out from behind the trees. Haru was
hovering behind Yuki anxiously, taking one of his hands and blotting at it with
a handkerchief. Yuki just shook his head in mild exasperation and pushed Haru
away gently. They stopped abruptly when they saw Kyou and Momiji resting and
they both smiled. Kyou became aware of their presence and he nodded awkwardly at
them, probably embarrassed at how they'd found him. It was then that Hatori
decided that it was time for Kyou to come inside and he called out to let the
boys know that he was here.
Momiji jerked awake, looking up.
"Hari, Hari!" He danced up to Hatori and took his hand. "Come see the kite we
made! We made Kyou a kite! Look, look!" He dragged the man out to meet the other
boys, Kazuma following them out. Shigure also came out. He too had seen the boys
out his bedroom window after he had gotten changed. "Look!" Momiji said loudly,
"We put all our Juniishi forms on it! Um...it doesn't fly too well, but that's
because there wasn't much wind, but Kyou got to see the sky he likes to stare at
all the time anyway!"
Yuki wiped his hands off on his already soiled pants, his mood lightening,
seeing everyone together. "We thought Kyou could do with some sun." He didn't
look directly at Hatori. "It's not any trouble is it? The idiot cat looked like
he was going to come out here on his own if we didn't help him out."
Shigure put his head on Hatori's shoulder, smiling, his eyes closed. "I'm sure
it's fine. Kyou, Kyou, you shouldn't molest young boys like Momiji so!" He knelt
down and hugged the blond. "Such a sweet innocent soul, and to be lured by such
a sex fiend."
"What?!" Kyou screeched, glaring at Shigure in disbelief. "How *dare* you accuse
me of such a thing! If anybody's the pervert around here, it's *you*!" His scowl
deepened even further when he saw that Shigure was laughing at him and Kyou
'hmmph'd' in annoyance, turning his head away from the idiot dog. How Hatori
could stand him, he'd never know. He looked over to see that Yuki was smiling
slightly and for some reason, rather than it making him angrier, it seemed to
calm Kyou somewhat.
He frowned when he saw the state of Yuki's uniform though and he looked up at
Yuki, confused. He didn't have too much time to ponder it though as Hatori and
Kazuma chose that moment to pick him up and carry him back into the house. It
was less painful having the two older men carry him than it had been when Haru
and Yuki had brought him outside, but he was grateful to them anyway. Yuki had
been right, he probably would have crawled out by himself had they not been
there to offer him help.
Once he was settled back in the living room, he let Hatori check his wounds and
was pleasantly surprised when he saw Kazuma reappear with the tea he'd forgotten
all about. Kyou felt like smiling again, but he didn't dare while he was around
so many people, even if he felt comfortable and at ease with them. He just
nodded to Kazuma as he knelt down on one side of his while Momiji sat down on
his other side, chattering on to Hatori and pointing to the kite that Kyou still
held in his hands.
"Shi-chan, isn't Tohru coming tonight? She's making dinner, right?"
Shigure took Momiji's lapels and dramatically sobbed against his shirt. "Alas,
Momiji-kun, Tohru-kun had to take someone else's shift tonight. She left some
stew in the fridge, but I'm afraid there is no one to fix it! Kyou-kun is
injured, and Yuki can barely find the kitchen let alone make anything in it." He
put a hand to his head, shaking Momiji. "We're all going to starve!" Then he
jumped into Hatori's arms. "Unless Ha-san stays. Ah!" He stood up on his own,
walking to the phone. "If we're all here, I might as well call Aya!"
Hatori was quick to pull the phone from Shigure's hands, setting it back down
onto the table it stood on and, grabbing Shigure's ear, he began yanking him in
the direction of the kitchen. "Inviting Ayame to be around a sick person is
about as intelligent as letting loose a bull in a china shop," he said sternly,
ignoring the sound of Shigure's protests, not letting him go until they reached
their destination.
He released Shigure, completely oblivious to the hurt pout on the other man's
face as he sat about turning the stove on to heat up the stew that Tohru had
left for them. There looked to be enough to go around for all of them as long as
he made a little something to go with it. He carried the pot over to the stove
and let it simmer, stirring it from time to time.
Shigure came up to him and hugged him from behind, inhaling the scent of the
stew. Hatori's stomach grumbled suddenly and he frowned, glad that Shigure
wouldn't be able to see his blush of embarrassment. He hadn't eaten all day,
he'd been so busy trying to get his work done while Shigure spent his time
whining about his latest book or trying to get his attention by balancing
pencils on his nose.
Yuki watched them wistfully through the door. He missed Tohru. She had been
working especially hard the last three nights and Yuki wondered why. It wasn't
like her to take extra shifts when someone was sick. He hoped she wasn't trying
to get money to buy Kyou something. It was just like something she'd do, but he
knew Kyou wouldn't be too happy about it if he found out. Well, he was sure she
had her reasons.
Strangely enough, watching Shigure and Hatori gave him a funny feeling in the
pit of his stomach. He couldn't quite figure it out. He decided with a wistful
sigh that he wanted to hold Tohru that way. Such a simple embrace and yet he
would never be able to do that with any woman unless it was a Juniishi. Kagura
was not his type, and she was away at college already, though she still stayed
at the main house. Rin was beautiful, but she kept to herself so much. That and
there was also the same problem; she just wasn't his type. Other than that, the
only ones left were his cousins.
Yuki suddenly blushed. He turned quickly. "I'll uh...go get changed." He headed
up the stairs.
"Yuki-kun," Shigure lilted at him. "Bring down some clothes for Kyou too. He's
getting smelly."
Yuki headed upstairs, ignoring the cat's curses at that comment. He closed the
door and sat down on the bed, pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his blouse. He
looked at himself in the mirror.
"What are you doing?" he whispered. His reflection gave no answer.
~~~
Downstairs, Momiji decided to use his unbearable cuteness to sit on Haru's lap
while he talked to Kyou. Any excuse to get near the boy. Besides, he had
looked like he was planning on following Yuki and the mouse looked like he
needed some time to himself, so Momiji had one arm draped casually on Haru's
shoulder while he was tucked up sideways on the other's lap.
"Kyou, maybe when you're feeling better, we could go to the hot springs again! I
told Papa that you were hurt and he said we could. Then we could take Tohru and
get a bus! And Haru-chan and the two lovebirds in the kitchen could go too!"
Kyou was taken aback a little at Momiji's offer and for a moment, he just
stared. He and Haru had already gone to the trouble of making him that kite and
now they were offering to take him back to the hot springs too? He was starting
to feel guilty. He'd never gotten gifts like this when he was ill before...then
again, he never usually liked to have anyone within a fifty mile radius of him
when he was sick. Had the accident he'd had really been so important that it had
seemed to change everything lately, including the way he was thinking and
acting?
It was all too weird. He was being nice to Momiji...Hell, he was being nice to
Yuki too, but then they were being nice to him. Was that how it worked then?
When you were nice to someone, they'd be nice to you in return? The only person
who had ever treated Kyou with real kindness had been Kazuma and then later on,
Tohru. He'd been overjoyed that those two people alone were so kind to him, but
the thought that Momiji, Yuki, Haru or anyone else could be so nice to him was
just...mind boggling. He suddenly realised that Momiji had taken his silence as
rejection and he reached out and poked his arm.
"No, it sounds good," he said awkwardly. "I guess it'll be a while before I can
go out there...but it was nice of you to ask." He watched as Momiji beamed back
at him and wiggled closer to Haru. Haru was just sitting there and smiling
serenely as he always did whenever he was in White Mode. He wondered what it was
like to be able to express your affection for someone you liked so freely, like
Momiji did with Haru and anybody else that he liked, like Shigure did with
Hatori.
Kyou had been a little overwhelmed by the way people had wanted to touch him,
hug him or even hold his hand lately. He couldn't deny the fact that he liked
it, but he was afraid that he'd get used to it. He'd spent so long without being
touched that if he started getting used to it now, then people might not want to
hug him anymore or hold his hand and he didn't think he could go back to being
the way he was if that happened. So maybe it was just better for him not to grow
used to it, or even to start expecting it.
Still, it would be nice having someone to show him affection on a regular basis.
At least he had Tohru who would always give him whatever affection she could.
Tohru was the one person who always stayed true with her affection and her
loyalty never wavered. Thinking about Tohru in that way always made him
depressed though, so he shook it off and turned his attention back to Momiji,
trying to think of something to say. He'd never had a normal conversation with
the younger boy as they'd always been too busy tormenting each other and he
tried to think of how he could start a decent conversation. "So...how long have
you had that tuba thing anyway? I didn't even know you played."
Momiji smiled. "Papa bought it for me when I started school with you! This is my
third year, but I've been taking private lessons too. Hari takes me every week.
He makes sure I practice, even when he has a headache." Momiji smiled brightly.
"But then he makes me practice in the garden!"
Shigure came out, setting plates on the table. "Loud boys need loud instruments.
Momiji-kun goes well with a tuba, ne?" He grinned at the younger boy, earning a
huge smile in return. He looked at the table. "Eh, Kyou-kun, you take up too
much room lying that way," he pouted. He looked around as if he didn't know
what to do, then he grinned, laughing. "I guess Ha-san and I will have to
squeeze together!"
Yuki came back downstairs, tossing the change of clothes at Kyou, careful to
keep them from landing on his stomach. "Shigure, stop being a pervert. Some of
us want to eat."
Hatori began ladling the stew into the dishes that Shigure had brought out and
once everyone was served, he sat down, Shigure quickly seating himself in his
lap with a giggle. Hatori sighed, but didn't push him off. If he did, he would
have nowhere to go and even idiots like Shigure deserved to eat supper. Even
with Shigure perched in his lap and Momiji in Haru's lap, there was only just
enough space at the table what with Kyou lying down the way he was.
He watched as Kazuma helped him sit up a little, pushing the bowl toward Kyou,
but letting him eat in his own time. Even though he was injured, Kyou was still
fiercely independent and Kazuma was aware of this, instead choosing to wait
until Kyou asked for help. Momiji was digging into his meal enthusiastically,
occasionally spilling some of his stew on Haru who didn't seem to mind all that
much.
Hatori sighed inwardly. It didn't look as though Tohru was going to be back
until it was late, so maybe it was best for him to launder Yuki and Haru's
clothing before she got back. Shigure in the kitchen was always a recipe for
disaster, so it was best that he do it. "How long is Honda-kun working tonight
for?" he asked suddenly. "I might as well pick her up from the hospital seeing
as it'll be dark by the time she gets out." Sometimes being the responsible one
like this bothered him. It was like looking after fifteen little kids, not a
group of teenagers and a couple of grown men, but it wasn't as though anyone
else was about to do it.
"Waah, Ha-san, does this mean you're not staying? I guess that Haru and Momiji
need to go home, but I'll be all lonely and cold by myself!" Shigure nuzzled
into the other man's neck, causing him to blush profusely. Haru smiled and
Momiji started to laugh. Kazuma just stared at Kyou, who was staring at them and
then his master, and then he actually cracked a small smile. It was almost
unnoticeable, but Yuki caught it. Such a small thing, but it strengthened his
resolve. He would get that bracelet back from Akito no matter what.