Disclaimer- I do not own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does. Enjoy.

Chapter 5. Imprint

Dinner was a quiet and somewhat awkward affair.

This was, of course, what Yuki believed. Shigure, on the other hand was reveling in it, and all the tenseness that Yuki perceived seemed to have gone over the dog's head. The dog took it upon himself that he should be the one to dutifully fill up all the silent gaps between all the chopsticks picking and chewing.

While Kyo was eating somewhat heartily at his meal, Shigure would use any chance he got to tell Kyo about how awesome his Shigure-nii was. And the worst of it was that the cat seemed to have believed a whole portion of lies that Shigure was practically spoon feeding him.

Yuki wasn't sure if he felt pity for the cat for being so gullible or not.

Like, "Oh, this one time, they wanted me to be on the news to show my beautiful face and everything because one of the daily magazine named me as one of the hottest looking writer out there."

Shigure practically did all the talking during the whole eating with Hatori occasionally chastising him when he got out of hand.

Kyo himself hardly spoke, only periodically sending Shigure tentative smiles when Shigure said something that prompted an answer of some form.

Both Yuki and Haru have never seen the cat give so many smiles before. It was almost foreign to see Kyo smiling, even if it was a subdued, shy one.

Yuki couldn't help but feel somewhat miffed that the stupid cat seemed to have suddenly become obsessed with the dog. Maybe it was Shigure's easy going nature and lazed lassitude that had tamed the cat's nerve.

When dinner had started, Kyo did not verbally speak it, but he obviously wanted to sit next to Shigure and stay as far away from Haru and Yuki as possible. He had quickly took to the table's edge as soon as the novelist had sat down. When Shigure had suggested he sit next to Yuki and Haru, since there was more elbow room there, Kyo had made a fearful glance their way before shaking his head furiously.

Shigure had laughed, thinking it was cute, while Hatori looked somewhat worried.

Yuki had frowned when he saw that. The rat couldn't help but wonder that even though the cat had lost all of his memories, his mind had unconsciously registered the derisiveness in their past relationship. After all, it was quite common that Yuki would send the cat airborne and through the rice paper door at least three times a week - you couldn't forget that feeling that easily.

With dinner over, Hatori had pulled Shigure to the side to have a conversation that only they were allowed to be privy to before telling Haru to wait for him in the car. Haru nodded at the two as his way of farewell and gave Kyo a lingering glance, before leaving out the door.

So, like that, Yuki had found himself sitting at the table with empty dishes next to a fidgeting Kyo.

Yuki just stared while Kyo drummed his fingers along his glass of milk while trying to pretend that he was oblivious to Yuki's gaze.

Yuki didn't know what to say. He knew he should be nice to Kyo, after all, Kyo could not remember anything, and it wouldn't be fair for Yuki to just blow cannons at something that didn't even have a halfway decent gate to protect it.

Yuki internally sighed and wished that Tohru was here. She could break anybody's barrier and place anybody in an easy ambience with just her smile.

The clock above them ticked loudly between all the silence.

It was half past ten, the day had been dreadfully long.

He cleared his throat and tried to sound as civil as possible. "Are you tired?"

Kyo looked at him. "A little."

"I could show you your room." When Kyo nodded, Yuki shifted to his knees and started to gather the empty dish trays since he knew Shigure certainly wouldn't be doing it. Seeing this, Kyo quickly followed his actions and quickly piled up the dishes before disposing them in the trash after Yuki. Yuki was somewhat reminded of a child mimicking their parent's action, and couldn't help but feel odd at the comparison. This Kyo was just so...young.

They passed by Hatori and Shigure in the hallway, and he informed that he'll show Kyo his room. Shigure just nodded and gave them a dismissive wave as he turned back to Hatori to continue an important conversation in hushed voices.

Yuki lead Kyo to his door and stood there and waited when Kyo swung his door open in careful trepidation. The rat followed the cat into his room, when Kyo shuffled his way in there and stood in the middle of it, just eyeing everything in sight, but not daring to explore with his fingers.

"This is my room?"

"Yes."

"I can sleep on the bed?"

Yuki looked at Kyo oddly, but Kyo wasn't staring at him, he was staring at the bed. "Of course. Where else would you sleep?"

"The floor." Kyo whispered quietly, looking somewhat puzzled at his own words. "I should sleep on the floor, shouldn't I?"

"Don't be silly, Kyo-chan," Shigure trilled as he came in from the doorway, walked pass both his cousins, and sat down on the bed before petting it, indicating Kyo should to. "The floor would be too cold."

Hesitantly, Kyo complied and sat down next to the dog.

"Comfy?" Shigure asked as he watched Kyo run his hand over the covers in an experimental gesture

"It's nice."

"It's yours."

There was that meek smile again that Yuki was not used to seeing.

Something about that smile made Yuki feel off. Heartache would be too strong of a word, but the smile that Kyo gave Shigure when he said it was his, just made Yuki feel gloomy. There was just something sad about how grateful Kyo was at the notion of having his own bed.

Shigure gave Kyo a soft smile, before bouncing off the bed.

"Okay, Kyo-chan, time to go to bed." Shigure pressed down on Kyo's shoulder and forced him to lay down. "We will deal with the important matters tomorrow."

Yuki would have never thought that he would see the day where Shigure tucked Kyo in without Shigure being knocked insensible by a flying fist or Kyo was unconscious from a beating. It was definitely an odd sight, but Shigure flowed through the motion so smoothly and comfortably that it made it seemed like he had been doing this to them ever since they moved in. Kyo had tensed at the action, but he didn't push the dog's hands away.

Shigure gave Yuki a cheeky grin when he caught sight of Yuki's disbelieving look.

Yuki couldn't help but feel that Kyo looked oddly young under the bed sheet and looking at them without the usual anger.

"Where will you be?"

"I will be in my office, Kyo-chan." Shigure pointed down the stairs for emphasis. "The one where Hatori-nii and I were sharing secrets earlier."

Kyo nodded in understanding.

Kyo didn't ask, but Shigure decided to share the information anyway. "Yuki will be right across your room so no need to be scared."

Kyo frowned slightly at that. "I'm not scared, Shigure-nii."

Shigure just hummed, thoughtfully. "Of course not."

Before Kyo could say more, Shigure bid Kyo a goodnight and stood at the door and eyed Yuki and Kyo expectantly. After a while, the rat had understood the dog's unspoken words, causing him to turn to Kyo and exchanged awkward goodnights before Shigure closed the door. When had he ever said goodnight to Kyo? Always to Tohru and sometimes to Shigure, but to Kyo? Just no.

They were standing next to Yuki's door, a few feet away from the cat's, when Yuki inquired about Kyo's previous behavior. "Kyo's acting odd."

Shigure gave Yuki a goofy smile. "Kyo has always been odd, Yuki, even before he lost his memories. Just less violent now."

"He asked me if he was supposed to sleep on his bed or on the floor." Yuki casually looked down the hallway at the cat's now closed door. "Even someone who lost their memory should know they should sleep on a bed when provided one."

"Kyo wasn't always provided a bed and he wasn't allowed to sleep in one when he did have one." Shigure was no longer smiling, and his face was somber again. Yuki was surprised when Shigure didn't even bother to hide behind his jolly facade like he usually did.

The rat gave the dog an incredulous look. "What are you talking about?"

"Kyo's father did not like him. He took away Kyo's bed when he was young and made him sleep on the floor like an animal." Shigure's eyes turned somewhat glazed as he recalled the past telling. "Eight months later, he brought the bed back into his room, but he wouldn't allow Kyo to sleep in it. He would beat him if he found him in it. His father always told him that only humans were allowed to sleep in beds and he wasn't one of them."

Yuki couldn't believe his ears. "I...how do you know of this?"

"Akito." It was Shigure's turn to stare at the closed door longingly. "Apparently, Kyo's father gave Akito regular updates on how he mistreated Kyo, because he knew of Akito's distaste for Kyo." Shigure chuckled darkly at the mention of the man. "He thought he could win Akito's favor by mistreating Kyo in Akito's stead, especially when Akito encouraged it. I became an unwilling ear when I came to visit Akito. Taking away Kyo's bed was one of the many ways he mistreated Kyo albeit one of the lighter ones. If he was lucky, he was allowed a blanket. His mother was always too frightened to do much."

Yuki couldn't imagine constantly sleeping on the floor, especially during the cold winter months. He winced as he mentally imagined a five year old Kyo sleeping on the floor, shivering and trying not to get frostbite to enter his phalanges from the cold, ceramic floors.

Now that he thought about it, Kyo had always hated winter. Once, Tohru had asked what season he liked the best to which he just grunted and gave an apathetic shrug and told her they were all the same except for winter. He told her he hated winter which only caused them to have to listen to Tohru talk about how winter wasn't too bad, because of snowmen and sledding in the snow. Yuki had always assumed that he hated it because of the snow reminded him of the rain, but maybe it was more than that. Maybe, when it was winter, was when it it reminded him the most of the time he was treated like an animal by sleeping on those icy floors.

Shigure sighed tiredly. "I guess subconsciously he still has a lingering feeling that he should be sleeping on the floor."

Yuki cleared his throat, pretending that he didn't really care. "I suppose so."

Shigure was back to his jolly self in an instant. He flashed Yuki a pleasant smile, before turning around and started to hum something off tunely while descending the steps. "No more time for bedtime stories, Yuki. Time to go to bed. Goodnight!"

Yuki left his light off as he entered his room and rummaged through his closet. The moonlight poured in from the window, showing his shiny floor- complimentary to Tohru's weekly cleaning.

I can sleep on the bed?

Yuki silently changed and settled into his own bed.

Kyo wasn't always provided a bed and he wasn't allowed to sleep in one when he did have one.

He pulled the thick duvets over him and let the feathery pillow swallow him.

...made him sleep on the floor like an animal

No, he wasn't feeling sorry for the stupid cat.

...mistreatments...Akito encouraged it.

They were the cat and rat - enemies since the history of time.

If he was lucky, he was allowed a blanket.

He fisted his bed sheets in a death grip.

Comfy?

That's how it will always be.

It's nice.

But maybe it doesn't have to be that way with their past relationship now forgotten.

It's yours.

Shigure realized that he was more far behind schedule than he thought when he looked over his manuscript. With no Tohru in the house, there was no awaiting breakfast, and thus no floating, tantalizing aroma that was calling for him.

So, he didn't find his mouth watering the moment he woke up and didn't find his stomach instantly calling out for him to fill it.

Thus, he figured he should act as a responsible adult for once by completing about ten pages first before he would have to call a restaurant to deliver them breakfast. By that time, hopefully, Yuki and Kyo would both be awake.

It was promptly a quarter past nine when he slid the door of his study open with a yawn. With his stomach growling in hunger, Shigure was suddenly reminded of the conversation that he had with Hatori the night before he left after dinner.

"Shigure, do you know what imprinting is?"

"Like stamping my awesome name on all my books?"

"No, imprinting, Shigure. Imprinting in animals."

He was about to step out of his study, but stopped short when he saw Kyo sitting a mere one foot away from the threshold of the door with his knees pulled up to his chest and his hand petting a ...white kitten.

"When young animals form strong bonds with its caregiver and relies on them."

"Good morning, Kyo." Shigure said with a dandy pitch as he stepped all the way out.

"So, like a kitten with its mother?"

Kyo startled and sat up straighter against the wall. His hands momentarily stopped petting the purring kitten.

"Shigure-nii." Kyo whispered airily.

"How long have you been sitting there?"

Kyo shrugged slightly. "Almost two hours."

"Yes. It seems that Kyo imprinted on you since you were one of the first people he saw during his critical stage of not remembering anything."

Shigure arched an eyebrow at that. Shigure had been awake for at least an hour already, that meant that Kyo had been up before he had and been sitting here this whole time. He was surprised he hadn't heard Kyo the whole time he was writing especially with how loud that kitten was purring under Kyo's previous petting hand.

"He'll follow you everywhere."

"Why you sitting there, Kyo-chan?" Shigure asked slyly, though he was quite sure he already knew the answer. His answer was confirmed when Kyo turned a tinge red.

"No reason, Shigure-nii." Kyo mumbled into his knees as he started to pet the kitten distractedly, most likely embarrassed.

Shigure smile only grew wider. It seemed that Kyo had been waiting for Shigure to come out, but had been too scared to actually go into the dog's room or knock. Surely he must have known the dog was awake the instant he heard the typing, but he had adamantly just waited outside.

"He will want to be with you constantly until he gets used to everything."

The dog chuckled.

Kyo was still stubborn it seems, but it was endearing.

"Did you sleep well?"

Kyo nodded quickly, and Shigure wasn't sure if that was the truth or not. He decided to just ignore it for now.

"Kyo," Shigure watched as the cat started to knead Kyo's pants, but Kyo didn't seem to particularly mind. "If I'm awake you can come into my room. You don't have to wait out here."

Shigure never would have thought he would find the day where Kyo would sit outside his study so he could see him. Now, he was even telling him he could accompany him in his studies and stay there if he wanted. Shigure's studies were usually open to any guest, but, in the past, Kyo and Yuki would usually stray away from it. It was usually Tohru who would be the one who would stay with cookies and tea to just talk about random things and school.

Kyo just shook his head as an affirmative, and decided to change the subject as his face grew hot from embarrassment. "We have a pet cat?"

"Hmmm," Shigure stroked his chin and put on a face of fake, but heavy contemplation. "As far as I know, we don't."

Kyo pulled his hand away from the kitten, startled at the news. "Oh."

"She must be a stray. They seem to always find their way in."

Kyo assented at that. "I was just sitting here, waiting for-" Kyo stumbled with his tongue, and quickly tried to cover up his mistake. "I mean, I was just sitting here and she came out of nowhere."

The mistake was obvious, and poorly covered up, but Shigure didn't really mind.

Shigure reached down and grabbed Kyo's wrist and easily pulled Kyo up to his feet. He was happy when Kyo didn't draw away from him.

"He will form a habitual bond with you, Shigure."

The kitten scampered off into a different direction that probably led to the outside. Kyo didn't look too happy when it left and stared after it longingly.

Wanting to perk his younger charge up, Shigure said, "Don't worry. Cats are always coming and going around here especially if you're here."

Kyo looked a bit confused at the statement, but decided to not question it.

"Well, now that Kyo-chan is done waiting for Shigure-nii to come out of his room," Shigure couldn't help tease as Kyo's face once again burned red. "I better call for breakfast. Yuki will hit both of our heads if he wakes up to no breakfast." Shigure smile devilishly as he dragged Kyo with him toward the phone again. "All I do is work hard, and Yuki repays me by being nasty and breaking my well-earned house."

"How does he break the house?"

"He sends things flying and he's always hitting me when I don't deserve it." Shigure faked sob. "And he calls me perverse."

Shigure picked up the phone before pausing and looking at Kyo.

"What do you want for breakfast, Kyo-chan?"

"But, most of all, Kyo will trust you, Shigure."

"I don't know." Kyo answered distractedly as he happily bent down and started to pet the furry head of the white cat that had come scampering back from the laundry room with some dust mites clinging to its fur. It must have gotten lost. "I'll eat whatever Shigure-nii orders. I trust you."

The cord hung limply in Shigure's hold. "What?"

When was the last time he heard anybody say that phrase to him? It had been quite a while. Akito had said it to him once, but it was said maliciously, so unlike how Kyo said it in his innocence. There were few that trusted Shigure anymore, especially since people were always inclined to label him as the loyal dog sitting at Akito's feet. He may have done Akito's bidding, but it was for the sake of the family, even if people had to get hurt along the way.

Many didn't trust him, but Kyo had just said he did. It was said so offhandedly, that Kyo probably didn't even notice that it even came out of his mouth. And because it was said in such an offhanded manner, Shigure shouldn't be getting tripped over it, but he found himself doing it anyway. He could feel his heart twitching at the words. Maybe all that imprinting nonsense that Hatori was referring to was right after all.

Kyo pointed toward the kitten and laughed. "Look, she came back!"

Shigure felt his resolve tightened as he watched Kyo try to pick out the tuff of dust mites from the cat's coat.

"Don't do anything to jeopardize that trust, Shigure."

Kyo smiled up at him when Shigure continued to remain silent. "She came back just like you said, Shigure-nii!"

"Because if you do, he won't trust anybody anymore,"

He needed to make sure that Akito did not touch Kyo.

"And he'll be more messed up than he was before this whole ordeal."

"Shigure-nii?" Kyo asked worriedly.

After a moment, Shigure gave Kyo a weak smile.

"All will be okay, Kyo-chan." Shigure assured while Kyo gave him a confused look. "Shigure-nii will protect you."

A/N: Hi, guys! I bet some of you guys thought I was dead in a ditch or something. And probably half of you looked into your inbox and was like "Murky Water? What the heck is this about?"

I would like to apologize for being gone for so long. I have 13 different stories on fanfic right now, and I seriously did not update any of them since 2014 or longer. This is the first time I'm updating during 2015 and 2015 is almost over. Ha!

So, I hope you are glad that out of all those stories, this was the one that got struck with inspiration last night.

At the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, I hardly thought about my stories because of school and just my overall lack of motivation. Then June and July of 2015 rolled around, and I figured I should crank some chapters out since it's summer time and no school to drag me down now. But everything I was writing was literally just crap. I was so upset with how bad my writing had gotten that I wanted to burst into tears. After several failed attempts, I packed up my writing and didn't even attempt to write again until several weeks ago.

This was the only thing that came out halfway decent from the pile of drivel that I have been producing lately. I'm super rusty. I know this A/N is starting to become excessively long, but I felt that I owed you a reason for my extended absence.

School's back in now, so I'm busy again (hw, test, ugh), but I'm still trying for you guys. If I'm following any of your stories, then please update them, because I always get inspired to write when stories I love update.

I want to thank every single one of you who reviewed. Seriously. I read them over and over again, that I can quote some of them verbatim now. Lol. Some of them seriously made me laugh and let a few light bulbs go off. Don't worry, Kyo will experience some fluff with the other members, too. I wish my writing had gone up 100x, but sadly that's not the case. I'm working on it, though.

Personally, this chapter was uneventful. Bear with me?

What do you think? You like? You hate? Want to vomit?

Anyway, please R&R. Reviews inspire me and make me happy. No flames, please. Constructive criticism is welcomed. I would like to thank those who reviewed, followed, and favorited.

Reviews before this posted chapter: 50

(My goal is to have this number always go up after every posted chapter. So, help me bring it up. ^^)

10/18/2015