"Careful next time." Kyo warned me with his eyes and then walked back in the house. That was strange and I was speechless. This Kyo was much different. Yuki frowned again, helping me up.
"Are you alright?" Yuki asked.
"…I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look pale… did he hurt you?" Yuki caressed my hand lightly, then kissed it. I found myself blushing at his touch.
"No really, I'm okay." I answered again, "I was just being clumsy. If Kyo wasn't there at the right time I would have fallen." Honestly that wasn't a big deal, I just would've hit the ground, nothing major. But even if I tried to tell Yuki that, he wouldn't listen. He was that enthused about me and my safety.
"But Miss Honda… "
"Yuki, I'm fine." I smiled, "I will go make dinner. It's getting kinda late." Yuki said nothing else, instead he smiled back and followed me back to the house. Still how… did he do that?
Chapter 2 - Kyo Sohma
Kyo.
Yes, he was much different. More calm and sane than ever before. He was taller with a longer neck and an elegant face that gleamed upon me. I was so used to him having a tan skin tone that I recognized his paleness right away but unlike his pale skin, his ruby eyes never changed color. In fact, they shimmered daringly with each glance he took. In pure darkness, anyone could have seen them from a mile away.
"Yeah, who else would it be… heh, I guess you finally forgot me." he held his hand in front of me to pull me up. His hands were icy cold to me. He stood back, I could tell he was keeping his distance. I didn't blame him. In the past, I was always clumsy and would bump into Kyo which, ten times out of ten, caused him to transform into a cat.
…But, his appearance wasn't all that I was struck by. Kyo seemed to dress differently then he used too. The boyish Kyo would've taken a plan white shirt and baggy pants any day but I could see now that he had matured into a young man. He wore a simple collared long sleeve shirt with black pants and candy cane black dress shoes. He carried a black suit jacket over his shoulder.
This was classy. At least it was for Kyo's style. Actually, the word was cute and I wanted to say something about it but it seemed that I couldn't get out the words.
"Didn't ya?" he asked again.
That's when I realized that I had been staring too long without answering his question. I felt like an idiot. OH NO! He's gonna think I have forgotten him when I haven't!… that's all my mind was feeding to me.
"I haven't forgotten you." I finally blurted nervously. "I was just… um… oh I'm so sorry… I don't want you to think I have forgotten you… because I didn't! I know your name! You are…"
"Stop." Kyo growled, almost scaring me out of my shoes. "Damn it, I see you are still jumpy and nervous as ever." he looked around us, "Where's that skin rat head punk?"
"Sorry…" I sighed, "And uh… you mean Yuki? Well he's back at the garden. We were planting more vegetables. We do that often now… haha, like every day almost." I found myself rambling.
The pale man glanced at me again. "And still talkative." he frowned.
"Sorry."
He lightly shook his head, "And quit saying that. It's such a dumb word… you're not dumb are you?"
My actions didn't help that assumption. "Um…" I paused like it was the most complex question in the whole wide world. "W-well…" My voice cracked annoyingly and I could hear Kyo laugh.
"Never mind." his ruby eyes beamed at me for the first time and I could hear him chuckle lightly again. That's all he did before walking off into the distance. I wanted to follow him, I was lost anyways and he was probably going back to Shigure's house. There was a tiny voice, perhaps my conscious, telling me to go after him.
So I did.
"Eh, wait up Kyo!"
He turned around just enough to reveal one ruby eye under those thick orange bangs of his. "What?"
"Where are you going?" I asked him and then moments later I reached for Kyo's arm, the one that usually held the beads. It must have offended him because he pulled away from my touch. He held his arm close to him glaring at the beads. That childlike pout never seemed to disappear after three years. Till this day, I could tell that those beads still haunted him and he hadn't changed that much after all.
"I'm going back to that godforsaken house." he admitted, his eyes catching a glimpse of something behind me. Kyo walked away without saying another word. Then a hand settled on my shoulder, Yuki's hand.
"Even towards you, he acts that vile, it's sick…" Yuki glared at Kyo then sighed at me.
"What?" I wondered, "I'm sure he didn't mean it… that's Kyo…" By now, if I wasn't used to Kyo's moods then something was wrong but Yuki never saw it that way.
"He should say sorry…" Yuki demanded aloud, watching Kyo ignore him from a distance and saunter off to Shigure's house. "I don't care if he act like that on purpose. It's about time he learned respect."
I stared at the door Kyo went into. I knew that Kyo heard Yuki's every word but chose not to say anything back. That was weird to me. Three years ago, Kyo would have said something back without thinking. Maybe Kyo matured enough not to pick fights or continue arguments with Yuki anymore.
…It confused me… just a little bit. Why would Kyo come back? Why did he leave in the first place? Where did he go…?
I guess you could say that I was still surprised that he even came, found me and then stood in my presence like I was dreaming. I don't know why I made a big deal about him. I mean it was just Kyo but an older and more mature, elegant version.
Suddenly I could hear a door slamming, "WHAT'S THIS? WHAT THE HELL HAVE THEY DONE TO MY ROOM!" Kyo's voice rang loudly from upstairs.
"Hm… maybe not so elegant like I thought…" I smiled. I and Shigure didn't do much to his room. We just cleaned it up, straightening his closet and putting all his belongings, he left, away neatly. I was sure he was throwing the fit because he saw the pink flowers I left in his room for decoration. Teehee.
Yuki raised a brow at me. Did he overhear me?
"What? Miss Honda?"
OH CRAP "Nothing Yuki." I smiled again, "I will go start dinner?"
"Okay. And I will take the rest of the fruits and vegetables inside."
"Right." without thinking, I tripped over my two baskets that still remained on the ground from Kyo scaring me the first time.
"MISS HONDA!"
I gasped.
Yuki tried to grab for me but it was too late. Another set of hands caught me. Wait huh? I looked up to see that it was Kyo… again. This time, he had his hands and only his pale hands, around my waist. He still, somehow, remained to keep his distance while breaking my embarrassing fall. I was in shock, my heart beated so loudly, it sounded like it was about to burst out of my chest.
For a minute I could feel our presences becoming one, like he was part of me. It was a weird feeling but it came and left me so quickly. Then Kyo eased me to the ground. It was weird that he came to my rescue after being in the house and I was sure he was in the house because I and Yuki both heard him yelling. He was so fast, I didn't even hear him coming, how much less, see him.
"Thanks…" I was so stupid. I could have said more but Yuki wouldn't have liked that anyways. In fact he glared at Kyo.
"Heh, I guess we can't joke about those slow catlike reflexes anymore, huh Kyo?" I joked, dusting off my gardening dress."
"Careful next time." Kyo warned me with his eyes and then walked back in the house. That was strange and I was speechless. This Kyo was much different. Yuki frowned again, helping me up.
"Are you alright?" Yuki asked.
"…I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look pale… did he hurt you?" Yuki caressed my hand lightly, then kissed it. I found myself blushing at his touch.
"No really, I'm okay." I answered again, "I was just being clumsy. If Kyo wasn't there at the right time I would have fallen." Honestly that wasn't a big deal, I just would've hit the ground, nothing major. But even if I tried to tell Yuki that, he wouldn't listen. He was that enthused about me and my safety.
"But Miss Honda… "
"Yuki, I'm fine." I smiled, "I will go make dinner. It's getting kinda late." Yuki said nothing else, instead he smiled back and followed me back to the house. Still how… did he do that?
I acted like nothing happened after that. Kyo's heroic act left my mind in an instant. My way of not over thinking things and overwhelming myself. Hours later, dinner was ready.
"Ah, that sweet smell…" Shigure sighed, throwing his arms up like a cute school girl. I giggled at him placing a bowl of my famous beef stew in front of him.
"I hope you enjoy guys!"
"Oh I will dear! I won't waste not an ounce of this lovely dish!" Shigure began slurping.
"It's hard to believe that he's the older one…" Yuki sighed, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, "Sometimes he acts like he's five."
I laughed again. "If he didn't act that way, I would've thought something was wrong."
"Hm. You do have a point there." Yuki agreed with me, then noticed something. I watched him gaze upon the staircase, eyes fixated on nothing. "Where's that stupid cat?"
"Oh… well I have no idea. I called him down for dinner. I guess he never heard me." Maybe he wasn't hungry anymore. I couldn't see why because Kyo was always hungry.
"Stupid cat… his food will get cold." Yuki sighed again.
"That's okay, I can just heat it up when he's ready to eat."
"Either way, it won't be wasted." Shigure chuckled. "I'll make sure of that."
"Stop talking about me… like I'm not even here." Kyo's voice rang loudly again, startling me. He glared at everyone, even me, as he sat down. He said nothing else, only taking a sip of the lukewarm stew in front of him. Was this really Kyo? Yuki and Kyo always argued but the way Kyo remained calm prevented all that. In a way he was almost like Yuki.
…Eeek, how scary. I wasn't used to this and it was only day one of Kyo being back. "I hope you like it Kyo. I thought it would be a nice welcome home gift."
Kyo glanced at me. "Thanks." he said, lightly pushing away the bowl.
"So Kyo," Shigure pushed away his empty bowl, "I wanted to ask what you have been doing for the past three years? Anything good?"
"Not really…" Kyo frowned. Something bothered him and I could see that he wouldn't share it. At least not to the three of us. I didn't blame him, I wouldn't share my feelings either if I was him. Three years was a long time but at the same time, it was like he was just meeting us for the first time. It was silent until Shigure spoke again.
"Nothing huh? Not living on your own? No college… no… girls?" Shigure laughed, "I would have thought something among those lines."
For one thing, I knew, Kyo hated school. It didn't matter what kind. I could never see him living on his own and the thought of a bunch of girls scared him. Maybe his curse made him that way. Whatever the case, he sighed. Then began responding to Shigure's comment.
"I liked a girl… but I ruined It." he admitted.
That was surprising to me. I mean, was he talking about me? Or someone else? Then I thought, it couldn't have been me. Kyo never admitted that he liked me. Even when Yuki and I confessed our feelings, Kyo still never said anything. So there was another girl he liked.
"Oh? And where did you meet her…?" Shigure asked him.
"Around campus…" Kyo admitted.
"College… I'm guessing?"
"…Yeah." Kyo seemed bothered by Shigure's questions but he didn't ask him to stop or throw a hissy fit. "It's over though. She was dumb and I was an Idiot." Kyo pushed his bowel further away from him and got up. "I'm going to bed." I watched Kyo angrily get up.
Going to bed at 8pm? Man Kyo must have been really upset. He didn't even want to eat. I worried that he would leave again and not tell us why. At that moment, he looked like he would of. "I'm sorry it didn't work out…"
"Night." Kyo replied back to me, ignoring what I said and walking up the stairs.