Yes, you shounen-ai/yaoi fan girls/boy, the chapter you've ALL been waiting for is finally here! The hotspring chapter. haha. It's not even Chapter 13 anymore, it's just 'the hotspring chapter' haha. Anyway, enjoy! And, omg, this chapter is over 3,000 words! Can you believe it?! I sure as hell can't. lmao.
Prelude:
And so, it was settled. The Sohmas took a trip to the Hot Springs, for Yuki's health of course. Certainly not to aid any possible relationships that may or may not be building. Definetely not to play cupid. Of course Shigure wasn't formulating mind tricks to play on Yuki and Kyo.
Hatori drove the group to the Hot Springs (which, due to obsessive calling and fussing, included Momiji)one warm Friday Morning. An entire weekend they'd spend bathing, relaxing, and enjoying each other's company.
"Some more so than others..." Shigure mumbled to himself as he looked through his newspaper during the car ride.
"What?" Hatori glanced over for a moment.
"Oh nothing. Nothing. Just my talking to myself." Shigure giggled a little.
"Comments like that is what results in no one trusting you Shigure."
Shigure sighed a little, "Now Hatori, I'm up to nothing mischevious. I swear. The Hot Springs is a place to relax and unwind. That's what I intend to do. And so does everyone else, right, guys?" Shigure turned in his seat to face the 4 teens sitting in the back seat.
"That's right!" Tohru piped up smiling.
"I'm gonna take a hot bath! Then Tohru and I are going to the game room!" Momiji said excitedly, "Right, Tohru, right?"
"Yeah. Bath, then games." Tohru smiled.
Shigure nodded, "Yuki? Kyo? How about you two? Have any Hot Springs plans?"
"Not really." They both mumbled in unison, then shot glances at each other.
Shigure chuckled to himself and continued looking at his paper.
Chapter 13
The Hotspring, as Shigure said in the car, was a place where one could relax and unwind. But with Kyo and Yuki's latest affections for each other, it was proving more and more difficult to relax. One would think that, by now, the two would just swallow their pride and come out with it, but stubborness is a common trait amongst the Sohma's, and Yuki and Kyo seemed to be prime examples of that particular trait. Another common trait? Persistance. And, right now, Shigure seemed to be showing that more so than anything. He was determined to get the cat and rat together. To Shigure, watching Yuki and Kyo was like watching a tv show where two people who obviously like each other refuse to get together. It's annoying!
On the first night of the Hotspring stay, Shigure was sitting in the room with his newspaper and his fan, glancing over the comics and twisting his fan in his fingers. Yuki, who had left the room about half an hour previously to go to the game room with Tohru and Momiji, stepped into the room and closed the door shut behind him, heaving a tired sigh.
"Alone, Momiji has enough energy. Throw Tohru in the mix..." Yuki shook his head and took a seat in a chair near the window.
Shigure chuckled, "That's Momiji for you. Absolutely adores Tohru."
Yuki nodded in agreement and stared out the window. Shigure peered over his paper at the rat who's eyes had glazed over, showing that he had gone into deep thought about only God knows what. Shigure, still in his determined mood, folded the newspaper and laid back on the couch.
"Can I have a word, Yuki?" he questioned.
"Hm?" Yuki looked over at him, "Sure. What is it?"
"It's about you and Kyo."
Yuki rolled his eyes and looked back out the window, "What about us?"
Shigure smiled a little. He's interested, "How long do you two plan on avoiding each other?"
"We're not avoiding each other any more than usual."
"Alright. Let's rephrase this then, how long do you two plan on avoiding the subject of - "
Yuki promptly stood up, "I really don't want to talk about this right now, Shigure."
"It's not going to just go away, Yuki." Shigure turned on his side so he was facing the rat.
Yuki sighed and rubbed his forhead. He realized that Shigure was not going to let the subject pass, so he sat back down and continued looking out the window.
Shigure tapped his fan against his chin a few times, "Remember that book you were reading before? The one about the two boys living together?"
"Yes."
"Well, I finished reading it."
Yuki glanced over at the dog, annoyed, "You actually read it?"
"You said I could." Shigure smiled a little, "Anyway, the ending was pretty sweet. You might want to look for yourself."
"Judging by that smirk on your face, I really don't think I want to."
Shigure rolled his eyes a little and positioned himself on his back again, "You and Kyo always seem to think my intentions are bad. I swear, I'm up to nothing terrible. I just want you to read the last few paragraphs of the book. Is that so much to ask?"
Yuki rolled his eyes and stood up, "I'm going down to the baths."
Shigure sat up, "I think Kyo is down there."
"So?" Yuki crossed the room to where a pile of towels sat and took a soft white one off the top.
"Well, if you're going to talk to him, now would be as good a time as any to do so."
"There's nothing to talk about, Shigure."
Yuki made his way to the door and slid it open. Shigure grabbed, off the end table, the very book he'd just spoken of to Yuki and tossed it at him, hitting him square in the back. Yuki rubbed his back and whipped around.
"Shigure!"
"Take it with you." He said in a sing song voice and pointed to the blue paper-back book now on the floor.
Yuki mumbled something inaudibly and grabbed the book, then stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Shigure chuckled softly to himself.
"Alright, Aya, Hatori. You can come out." Shigure announced as he got off the couch.
Off in the corner of the room, a closet door slid open and Ayame stepped out, brushing a few locks of silver hair out of his face. Hatori, who had been hiding in the bathroom, stepped through the brown door and slid it shut behind him.
"I cannot believe I'm going along with this ridiculous plan of your's, Shigure. There is no possible way that my little brother is in love with Kyo." Said Ayame,
"Then what do you think is going on, Ayame?" Shigure's smile faded and turned to a serious expression, "It's the only explanation. As much as you wanted to see him with Tohru...I don't think it will turn out that way."
"This is your doing Shigure!" Ayame poked Shigure in teh chest, "You kept dropping those silly hints and you confused him!"
Shigure laughed, "Aya, please."
"Hatori, you're a doctor. Turn Yuki back to normal!"
Hatori rolled his eyes, "There's nothing I can do about it, Ayame. He's not sick. I fear, however, if Yuki is in fact...in love...with Kyo...I fear what Akito will think."
The air was tense. Not one of the elder zodiac members had pondered what would happen should Akito find out.
"Akito has a big enough problem as it is if a zodiac falls in love with someone." Shigure said quietly, "I can't even imagine how angry he'll be if he finds that not only are Yuki and Kyo in love...but with each other."
While the elder zodiac members talked in the room, Yuki was making his way down to the bath, book in hand. Shigure would never leave him alone if he didn't read the last few paragraphs of the last chapter, and so, as he walked, he had the book up near his face.
At the hotsprings the next night, the two finally came out with it to each other. In a long conversation filled with smiles, and few embarressed laughs, the boys came to accept the fact that they were in love, sealing the deal with a kiss. Alright, it was a bit more than a kiss, but the point is, they accepted it. Sure, people would shoot them down. First at school. Oh they'd have hell to pay. But it would pass. Then the matter of family accepting it. That would be hard. Explaining to the rest of the family that they're sharing a room and when it's closed, they don't want to be disturbed.
They would have many hurdles to jump, but at least they would be doing it together. It was a whole new path the two had started on, and only God knows where it would lead them.
Heaving a sigh, Yuki shut the book and proceeded to the bath. When he got there he took a deep breath and stripped his clothing off, then wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped over to the water. Gingerly, he got in, testing the water, then he sat all the way down and heaved a sigh. Closing his eyes, he layed his head back against the bath wall and let out a sigh.
"Shigure really needs to leave me alone about this...But he won't. Now that he knows the truth..."
"Truth about what?"
Yuki's heart jumped to his throat and his eyes flew open at hearing the familiar voice. Yuki's big purple eyes blinked a few times as he saw Kyo's red eyes looking back at him.
"H-how long have you been sitting there?"
"About 15 minutes now." Kyo cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"Just...wondering."
Right, Shigure said he was down here. I can't believe I forgot so quickly. It was that stupid book.
Yuki settled himself back down in the water and gazed up at the night sky.
They would have many hurdles to jump, but at least they would be doing it together.
Repeatedly Yuki thought that one sentence to himself. He couldn't push them away now matter how hard he tried.
It was just a book...but this book...It's insane how much like my life it is. If I don't acknowledge that, Shigure will never leave me alone…I'll never stop thinking about it either. I'll loose my mind Why does this have to be so complicated…
"What's up with that look?"
Kyo was staring at the expression of deep thought on Yuki's face. At the sound of his voice, Yuki dropped the expression and turned away, still meditating on the prospect of a relationship with the cat.
"Yo, rat, what's up?"
And Kyo put his hand on Yuki's shoulder, sending a tingle down Yuki's spine and causing his cheeks to tinge pink. Just that one little touch made Yuki's stomach lurch. As for Kyo, he could have very easily pulled his hand away after not getting a response from the rat, but he left it there. He squeezed his shoulder a little, then moved his hand over some, closer to his neck, closer to ear, into his hair. Kyo loved the way he felt. The way Yuki shuddered as his hand traveled up his neck. When Kyo realized where his hand had drifted, he pulled it away and slammed it down into the water.
Damn it! I need to stop this. This wrong. This is so wrong!
"I'm going upstairs." Kyo stood up.
"Kyo, wait!"
Without even thinking, Yuki reached up and grabbed Kyo by the arm and pulled him back down into the water.
"What is it? I want to get out."
Now Yuki had to say it. He hadn't even been thinking when he called for Kyo to stay. Yuki sunk backwards, almost completely submerging himself in the water. His pulse was racing and his heart was pounding. The pressure of the moment was killing him. It was now or never and Yuki couldn't even decide.
"What's wrong with you?" Kyo questioned moving over to the rat.
"N-nothing." He stuttered, his voice partially muffled by the water, "Nevermind, you can leave."
Kyo sighed and sat back down, shaking his head, "No. Nevermind. I'm fine."
Yuki bit his tounge, halfway dissapointed that Kyo hadn't gone upstairs and taken all the pressure with him. He resurfaced and leaned against the wall of the bath, staring at Kyo who stared right back at him. Niether one blinked or said anything for a moment.
"W-What the hell are you staring at?" Kyo said, trying to sound angry.
"You." Yuki said simply, then covered his mouth, "I mean...nothing."
"Tsch." Kyo looked away from the rat, "Whatever."
Yuki meditated longer on the idea of a relationship. He thought back to the two kisses they had shared. Both of them, now that he thought back on it, felt right.
"Am I...an idiot?"
Kyo looked over at the rat, "'Scuse me?"
"Am an I an idiot?" Yuki repeated, "To be thinking about this so much...?"
"You are an idiot, but I don't know what you're talking about or what you're thinking about." Kyo leaned his head back.
Yuki sighed. Kyo wasn't getting the message obviously. And he probably wouldn't if Yuki didn't elaborate. Unfortunately, Yuki REALLY did not want to.
Why does he have to be so stupid...
He took a deep breath, "I keep thinking about these incidents. 2 kisses, one accidental, one intentional. I blush, you blush, I get nervous, you get nervous. Shigure seems to know what's going on. I think I know what's going on, you're the only one who doesn't. Or...maybe you do and you just won't...I don't know what I'm saying anymore."
"You're to damn analytical..."
Yuki just looked at him, "I'm surprised you even know what 'analytical' means."
Kyo held back a groan, "Seriously. You're thinking to hard about this...the more you think and try to reason, the more confused you're gonna get."
"And you have all the answers? You know exactly how we both feel?" Yuki said in disbelief.
"Well...no."
The boys let out sighs as they found themselves hitting a brick wall in the conversation. Leave it to the two biggest idiots of the Sohma family to have such a hard time addressing this issue. Annoyed, Kyo let out a sigh and climbed out of the bath, only to feel Yuki grab his arm. When his eyes met a pair of vulnerable, questioning, lavender eyes, Kyo was nothing but a puddle inside. Slowly, he sank back into the bath and, in a matter of moments, their faces were a few centimeters apart.
Hesitating only for a moment, the two allowed their lips to gently touch. It was awkward at first to be kissing sincerley again, but both admitted to themselves that it felt a lot better than an accidental kiss or a kiss in freezing snow. Yuki allowed Kyo to capture his lips in a more passionate kiss and put his arms around his slender waist. Hearts racing, stomach's lurching, palms sweating, the two were aware that it was right. There was nothing wrong about it.
As the two shared their kiss, the elder zodiac members were watching the scene through the window of their room. Shigure was smiling so very broadly, a mixture of guilty pleasure and happiness for the new couple. Ayame gazed down at the bath, an expression of shock and disapproval on his face.
"My dear, darling brother...this isn't right..."
"You can't stand in the way of love, Aya." Shigure said smiling softly and staring down at the two in the bath.
"If it involves my brother, I most certainly can!"
Shigure tore his eyes away from the window to the infuriated Ayame. He had never yelled like that before. Well, actually, yelling was something Ayame did on a daily basis. Yelling angrily, however, was very rare. Shigure stared Ayame in the face, inwardly questioning what the snake would do in response to the situation.
"I won't have it." Ayame growled.
"Why are you so against it, Aya? Shouldn't you be happy for your brother?" Shigure said putting a hand on his shoulder
"If it were Tohru he were down there with, then yes, very. But Kyo?" Ayame smacked Shigure's hand away.
It was so unlike him to oppose a relationship. One would think that he, of all people, would support Yuki. What with their being brothers and all, but Ayame was so against Yuki being in love with a boy, he would not be swayed by any reasoning.
"I'll be back in a moment." Ayame said and stormed to the door and threw it open.
"Aya, don't you dare go down to them!" Hatori shouted, "Yuki will never forgive you."
Ayame didn't listen. And he wouldn't listen to anything until he was sure that all of Yuki's possible affections for Kyo were gone.
Yuki and Kyo had long passed kissing by the time Ayame was making his way downstairs. They'd moved from lips to neck and were touching various parts of each other's bodies. Still in the water, Kyo was straddling Yuki's lap, his lips grazing the rat's neck. Yuki bit down hard on his lip with every kiss the cat delivered. The very idea of a hickey was beginning to scare him, (What will people think if they see it?) but there was no stopping Kyo as he proceeded to nip at the rat's neck. Once the deed was done, Yuki released his lip and let out a somewhat satisfied sigh. Kyo pulled himself closer to Yuki and pressed their lips together once more. Yuki's hands grazed Kyo's back and down to where his towel was tied securely around his waist. His fingers fumbled with the knot a little, but it wasn't long before it came off and sunk to the bottom of the bath. Kyo blushed, opening his mouth to speak, but Yuki silenced him instantly with his lips. The boys were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't even notice Ayame stomp into the bath area.
"Kyo Sohma, unhand my brother this instant!"
Now, don't get mad at me for that ending! Alright, it couldn't be all perfect. I mean, seriously, you should know by now that no story I write is all happy-go-lucky and let's-have-sex-in-the-bath. hehehe.
Anyway, I never want to read this chapter again! Ever. Not ever ever EVER again. I revised it so many times that I can't stand looking at it anymore. lol. But, I know you all liked it, so leave reviews to tell me how much and maybe I'll bring the REAL DEAL NC-17 scene in sooner. :winkwink: Critique is welcome, Reviews are love, and flamers will be sent to their fiery graves.