Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.

A/Ns: The following has been co-wrote with my dear, dear friend, Ali. 50% credit goes to her, and I would like to send out a HUGE shout-out of thanks to her. ^^ Love ya much, Ali-chan! Thanks for the help!

Blood, I've wept

Chapter One

End the beginning

The night was dark, and felt almost heavy, closing in on him as Yuki Sohma walked through the woods surrounding Shigure's house. He was, once again, on his way to go pick up Tohru Honda from her work, but he had a bad feeling about going out on this night. Of course, if he didn't want to be out, he certainly didn't want Tohru out, on her own. And so, he shoved these concerns to the back of his head, and set out to get her anyway.

His feet tread lightly against the dirt path. He was careful to keep his pace quick. And quiet. His hearing felt almost hyped, as he strained it, listening carefully. His heart pounded unpleasantly in his chest, and he could feel his blood pulsing in his ears. Hatori was going to absolutely kill him; next time he checked the Rat's blood pressure.

A twig snapped somewhere behind him, and he spun around, looking almost frantically around behind him. Nothing.

Feeling thoroughly foolish, at this point, he started to turn back, and continue his course. But before he had a chance to, a hand closed over his shoulder. He tensed for a second, but then relaxed again. It was probably just Kyou trying to scare him, or something. He opened his mouth to confront the Cat, but before he could get any words out, he felt a searing, piercing pain in the nape of his neck. His vision started to blur and fade, and then black.

When Yuki came to, the first thing he noticed was that the pain was gone, so was his former anxiety. Then a new fear set in. God knew what had just happened. What if it had been a snake? What if he was poisoned and dying? What if he was already dead? Could snakes grab your shoulder like that? Could the dead have worried inner monologue?

Pushing these frantic thoughts to the back of his mind, Yuki knew where he needed to go. To a place he had avoided like the plague for so many years: to the main Sohma estate. Hatori was a doctor. He might know what had happened to Yuki, even if the Rat didn't. As he ran, he barely even noticed (and certainly didn't pay attention to) the facts that he was neither breathing, nor could he feel his formerly pounding heart.

When he arrived at Hatori's, the only thing he could do was stand there, banging on the door. He didn't dare stop, for fear the doctor hadn't heard him the times before.

Hatori would have never admitted that he had been asleep, but asleep he had been. At some point, he had drifted off into slumber, still at his desk, his duties as the Sohma family doctor not yet complete. At first, he hadn't even noticed the persistent assault of flesh to wood on his front door, but when it didn't stop, he managed to draw himself out of that sleep he would never have admitted to be in to begin with.

Groggy and only half aware, he half stumbled over through his thankfully clean house to the door. If it had been a mess, lord knows he might have tripped and died in his half-awake state. Pulling the door open, he felt an amazing amount of irritation, until he saw who was outside. Yuki's fist was caught in his hand, as confusion registered in his eyes.

"Yuki-" he started to inquire on the Rat's presence at the Main House. It wasn't exactly a secret how much Yuki hated being there. But before he could finish, the silvery-purple haired boy interrupted him, his tone quiet and panicked.

"Help me." He whispered, fear shining in those so-hard-to-read eyes. The moon glinted off of two pearly white things against the abyss of his mouth, but Hatori didn't really pay attention to it, at the time.

Hatori didn't even hesitate then, ushering the boy in. It had to be important for Yuki to seek him out at the Main House. The boy despised doctor's visits almost as much as he hated the estate itself. Or, rather, the noticeably influential presence that was Akito. Sitting Yuki down on the couch, moving to flip the light on. Squinting disdainfully against the assault on his poor eyes, Hatori returned to Yuki, hand automatically moving to the younger's forehead. No fever. In fact, the boy seemed to be unusually cool. Almost cold, even. Was it possible that he had hypothermia? Maybe…

"What seems to be the trouble?" He questioned his cousin, examining the younger's eyes with some concern. There was something different about them. But, it was only when he opened his mouth to reply, did he feel any noticeable amount of anxiety for Yuki. Fangs? No. That couldn't be. Though, it would tie in with the abnormally low body temperature, difference in the boy's eyes, and…not breathing. As Yuki answered his question, he moved to check the Rat's pulse. Nothing. But…it couldn't be! That was impossible. Vampires didn't exist, and that was all there was to it.

"I don't know, exactly." Yuki confessed slowly, pausing before continuing. Hatori felt a small sense of dread when he spoke what he did next. "But something bit me."

It couldn't be. It defied all logic. But then, so did the Zodiac Curse, and Kyou's True Form. Maybe it wasn't such a long shot?

"It's…going to sound ridicules." Hatori had no problem admitting to him, spotting the bite marks. Yes, it was the most likely guess they had. "But…how much do you know about vampires?"

Yuki blinked at him, as though processing what he had just said. "You're joking." He raised an eyebrow at him. Hatori shook his head. God only knew, he wished he were joking. He felt like an idiot for even suggesting it. "A vampire? Hatori…that's crazy!"

"I know." He sighed, shaking his head, but he still grabbed Yuki's hand and pressed his fingers to his pulse…or, rather, lack-there-of. "But it's all I can think of, as an answer."

Yuki was still staring him like he'd grown an extra head, but simply repeated weakly, " A vampire?" To which he received a nod.

"There's…nothing I can do." He informed the other quietly, deciding to go with the assumption that he was correct with his vampire theory, for the time being. "Go home, get some rest, call me in the morning and tell me how you feel."

"Go home? I can't go home!" Yuki sounded out right appalled with the entire concept. "I can't let her see me like this…!"

Hatori understood what Yuki was saying. He must be feeling how he had felt before Kana had found out about the Zodiac Curse. But that didn't change the fact that he needed to go home…eventually. Damn his sympathy, it was going to get him in trouble one day.

"Does anyone…know where you are?" He asked finally, after a long pause for his inner monologue. Yuki shook his head in response. How would anyone know? "One night." He agreed finally. "You go home tomorrow." Yuki slumped back against the couch in relief. "I'm going to…call Shigure and tell him where you are."

Stupid dog was probably worried already. Or, he didn't know that Yuki was gone. It was tough to tell which way it would go with him. Either way, he could use an update on the Rat's whereabouts; so, Hatori sat down at his desk, picked up his phone, and dialled his childhood friend's phone number. Waiting for the ringing to end and for that absurdly cheerful voice to greet him.

***

The dog pounced upon the phone on his desk quickly.

"Hellloooo?" He cooed, in as predicted, a wretchedly happy voice. "Haa-san? To what do I owe the pleasure of such a late night call?" Gure raised an eyebrow on his end of the phone even if the doctor couldn't see. "You're not calling because I need a check-up are you...." Shiver, pain, needles, sadistic best friend.

"No." Hatori stated, closing his eyes tiredly, leaning back in his chair. "Yuki showed up at my house a few minutes ago. He's not feeling well, I'm going to keep him here overnight for observation." It wasn't exactly a lie...just not the whole truth.

"Hmmm?" Shii blinked, pulling the phone's cord with him as he went to peer around the house. He saw one grumpy cat watching TV, and the onigiri wasn't home from work. But hey, what do you know! No Rat.

"Yuki-kun's... at the main house?" he repeated making sure he'd heard that correctly. "I hadn't even realized he'd left here..." he murmured sweatdropping slightly; you could hear it in his voice.

"I had a feeling you might not." Hatori too sweat dropped, but, unlike Shigure, masked it out of his tone. "Hence this phone call. He's very upset right now." Hatori continued, making sure not to look at the very pale creature on his couch. "I'll take him back to your house in the morning." He continued, sounding perfectly calm. "And explain my theory on his problem to you then."

"Haa-san!" the dog chirped, "You make it sound oh-so-serious!" And we shall all twitch at his perkiness. "Ooooh weeeellll.... I guess I shall see the both of you in the morning. I shall try to quell my excitement, at seeing you again Haa-san, until then." That was about half sarcasm, about half seriousness.

"It… might be serious." He started, switching ears. "Or mildly irritating." Yes, serious if Yuki burst into flames in the morning. That might be difficult to explain...

Shigure snorted, almost unable to be serious here. "Oh try to be a little optimistic Haa-san." he waved as the resident female entered the house, but soon returned his attention to the phone. "He's not gushing blood all over your house is he?"

"Well...no." It would be hard to gush blood if he didn't have any blood, now, wouldn't it? "Nevermind. I'll explain tomorrow." He added before hanging up. He was going to go to bed, and hope that Yuki wasn't a pile of ashes when he woke back up.

He stuck his tongue out at the phone before going back into his study and hanging it up. Gure glanced down briefly at the pad of paper he was SUPPOSED to be writing in.

"Haa-san has me completely distracted now," he hummed as he put it away. "Once I'm distracted there's nothing to do but go take a bath." At dinner, if Kyou had cared where Yuki was he didn't ask, and Tohru was answered vaguely and without incident.

The next morning, he had to admit, Hatori was relieved that Yuki was still very much in one piece. After showering, dressing, and fulfilling the less-than easy task of waking Yuki up to go do these things as well, they set off. Yuki also had to admit, he was half expecting the whole way over, to start steaming and experiencing a great deal of pain. But this didn't happen. Maybe Hatori was wrong?

Shigure had gotten up at some odd hour. Why? Because some odd stroke of brilliance had struck him and he actually felt like working. Woes be to anyone who distrupted the creative flow! Also know as Kyou.

"SHIGURE!" No answer. "ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE GODDAM DOOR?" Keep working, no answer. An irritated Kyou, apparently, was who was going to answer the door. He had some rather unpleasant things to say to whoever it was. But they flitted away when he actually opened it and saw who it was.

"Yo- Hatori..." he said, then peeked over at Yuki "The hell rat boy?"

***

Hatori pushed a reluctant Yuki past Kyou into the house. "If Yuki wants you to know, he'll tell you what's going on." He stated to Kyou simply, taking off his shoes and stepping into the house, now ushering Yuki down the hall to Shigure's office, knocking on THAT door now.

"Kyou---" Shii grumbled getting up. But his expression changed to one of those abhorrently cheerful ones. "Haa-san! I'd forgotten you were coming!" The dog stepped aside to allow his two sour faced cousins into his study. Leaving a bewildered Kyou out in the living room.

Yuki was now officially pouting, as Hatori pushed him down into a sitting position.

"Open your mouth and show him." He ordered Yuki, receiving a stubbornly shaken head in response. "Yuki..." He was using a warning tone now. "He needs to know, so that proper measures can be taken." Finally, with a slightly slumped posture, Yuki opened his mouth widely, exposing two clean, pearly white fangs.

He stared at them for a moment. Gure's face was temporarily void of all expression. But then came the laughter. It started as a small snort, and progressed until he was doubled over, and leaning helplessly onto his desk.

"No pulse, not breathing, and the obvious." Hatori ticked off. Yuki looked thoroughly disgruntled that Shigure found this so very amusing.

"Why aren't you a pile of ashes outside Yuki-kun?" The dog asked, in between his fits of laughter. He looked up, and saw the look on Yuki's face and it only made him laugh harder.

"Bite me." Yuki grumbled, not even seeing the irony. Even Hatori had to bite back a snort of laughter at that sulky command.

Gure could tell the words had affected Tori as well. The situation was funny enough already, but it was twice as amusing if it was getting to the stoic doctor-sama as well. There was a high possibility Shii-chan would asphyxiate from this. "S-s-someone's... already beaten me to that Yuki-kun!":

"I really don't see how this is funny." Yuki glared at him, blushing darkly. This really was embarrassing for him. It was one thing to be bitten by a snake and slowly getting your guts melted via acidic assault, but just humiliating when some bastard turns you into a European myth. He had a right to pout, damnit!

The dog choked momentarily and began coughing. "Y-you're right, Yuki-kun!" He snorted once more before finally at least ATTEMPTING to stop laughing. Even then it took probably another five minutes. There was no way to hide that grin of his though.

"So Haa-san what exactly is the problem? So he's a--" he paused almost laughing again "a vampire. Big deal."

"Well, last night, I was concerned about him bursting into flames." Hatori seemed to have regained his composure far before Shigure had. "So, now that that doesn't appear to be a problem, YOUR only problem is figuring out a way to feed him." Yuki didn't even bother asking why Hatori knew all this. "And, his concern is figuring out how and when to inform Honda-kun and Kyou if his little problem."

"I guess," Shigure sighed, moving to actually sit on top of his desk. "But it still doesn't seem like my problem." A real responsible adult is he! "He can just go into the city, drink someone's blood and come back. Right Yuki-kun?" He looked over teasingly at the vampire-rat.

Yuki frowned at him. He hadn't even thought about that. "Human blood?" He wanted to confirm, his tone uncomfortable. The idea was rather cannibalistic, wasn't it?

"Yes Yuki-kun!" the dog was going to laugh again... But a warning glance from Hatori stopped him. "That is what vampires usually eat. Unless I'm wrong, Haa-san? I don't think I am." He sounded offended at the thought that HE, of all people, might be wrong.

"Usually." Hatori nodded in agreement. Yuki looked flat out nauseated at that. He wasn't too keen to consume human blood, after all.

"Haa-san, is the one who's studied European culture..." Shigure conceded getting up to pluck some seemingly random book of one of his many shelves. "But I've read enough of that Rice woman's books to know, that once you get hungry enough. That expression on your face will change." Gure hummed a little flipping through the book. "But then again, maybe she's not the most reliable, all her vampires seem to be just as blood starved as they are sex crazed."

Yuki still seemed to be unbelieving of his statement. Noticing this, Hatori put in, "You could try animal blood, I suppose. But some of your cousins might not exactly appreciate that." It would seem rather insulting.

A small giggle escaped Shigure as he imagined someone like Kagura's reaction. The older turned an appraising eye upon the boy.

"Yes, animal blood might work. But as Haa-san has previously stated. There is one other problem:" the dog flashed another teasing smile at his cousin, "Whatever are you going to tell our sweet little flower Tohru-kun?"

Yuki tensed at that, giving him a slightly pleading look. "Do I have to tell her anything?"

"I suppose not," he said rubbing his chin as if actually thinking about something. "But it's a hard thing not to notice, she will worry about you." Shii-chan laughed about something else as well: "Even if she doesn't notice, Kyou-kun most definitely will."

Yuki cursed. Violently. "Stupid cat." He had forgotten, Kyou tended to spend most nights outside. And, it wasn't as if he could buy a bottle of blood at the market and keep it in the fridge.

This was too amusing!

"Yuki-kun, now, now," he admonished jokingly "It's not Kyou-kun's fault." he had to pause around some more giggles that threatened to erupt. "And even if you find a way to sneak in and out, the fangs just aren't going to hide themselves." The dog mused to himself.

Oh...yeah, he hadn't thought of that. "Well then, they can explain themselves too." He snapped, thoroughly irritated.

Shii shrugged off the boys snapping with a wave of his hand.

"It's not my fault either. Do whatever you want." he waved a finger at him too though. "But I'm sure Tohru would appreciate you just telling her. And even if he won't admit it Kyou too."

He let out a small moan of distress, offering both of them an odd look. "You REALLY think so?" Hatori nodded, looking to Shigure for backup.

"Honesty is the best policy Yuki-kun." he quoted simply. But honestly, Shigure was through with this conversation. "Now that that's all sorted out! Haa-san! Tea? Yes? No? Maybe?" The dog pulled the dragon off, protests and all to get said tea.

Yuki sighed and fingered one of his new fangs. Yes, they were indeed too long to simply hide. So, he stood up, and went off to go find Tohru and Kyou. Experience told him that they were both up, and probably together too. And he was correct! "Um...Honda-san?" He peeked into the living room, where he found them. "There's something you should...probably know."

The girl looked up quickly from where she'd been speaking with Kyou.

"Oh! Yuki-kun! I thought you were still asleep! Good morning!" Tohru turned to face him, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm rambling now... Yes? What is it? Is something wrong?" The cat on the other hand kept his mouth faithfully shut.

"Sort of..." he nodded slowly, sitting down in front of her. He was careful to speak to her, but loud enough for Kyou to hear as well. "See, I was going to go pick you up at work last night...and...something bit me..." He felt like an idiot for talking like this. "You're probably going to think I'm crazy, but..." For the second time in half an hour, he opened his mouth to 'show off' his fangs.

The poor onigiri went white as a sheet. Like Shigure she began to laugh, but it wasn't the same. It was a thin nervous laughter. Kyou got up, and at first it seemed like he might try to push Yuki away from her, but he just put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Tohru?"

"Oh dear," she confessed in between her odd little sounds. "I'm so sorry Yuki-kun! If you hadn't been coming to get me..."

"No!" He shook his head quickly, automatically backing away from her, to make her feel better. "No...it's not your fault. Not at all." His gaze flickered to Kyou, jading his reaction, but a second later was back on Tohru, as he stood up completely. "I'm...sorry. I knew it was a bad idea to tell you." He mumbled, turning and exiting the room quickly. If this lost him his best friend, so help him...

Kyou snarled "Yuki! Don't you dare just drop this on her and leave!" The girl tried to protest "No! Really Kyou-kun! I hadn't meant to upset him! Oh dear... Please everyone it's okay! Don't fight!" She pleaded. But the cat ignored her for the most part, following the rat about half way, then stopping, crossing his arms moodily over his chest.

Yuki halted in his retreat, leaning against and sliding down the wall, his eyes closed against the morning light. "What do you want me to do?" He asked Kyou quietly, opening his eyes again to look wearily at him. He hadn't slept well the previous night. "I scare her. I can tell. And... I don't want to do that..."

"Shut the fuck up you stupid rat." the cat replied immediately, storming closer. He was gonna hit this son of a bitch, so help me god!

"Kyou-kun! PLEASE!" Tohru squealed again, doing that obnoxious running over and grabbing him thing. The onigiri was on the verge of tears as she cradled the neko in her arms. "Oh dear... Kyou-kun I'm sorry. But Yuki-kun is still our friend. Don't hit him! Oh no..."

"I'm sorry, Honda-san." Yuki murmured softly to her, successfully managing to ignore the cat in her arms as he spoke. "I shouldn't have just...dropped it on you." He should have thought over his explanation over more. Or...followed his gut instinct and not tell her at all. It would have been easier if she had just found out on her own...

"No Yuki-kun! Please! I'm the one who's sorry! I shouldn't have reacted like that! It wasn't how I really felt. I'm glad you told me." She smiled her sweet little smile even though her eyes were watery. "Uhm, and thank you too Kyou-kun, I know you were just trying to help. But please no fighting? We're all friends." The creature bristled in her arms and remained silent. Yeah, they're ALL friends.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and Yuki closed his eyes quickly to calm it. It didn't last long, though, and he was fine again in a few minutes, eyes open again.

The cat shook mildly in irritation.

"Tohru, could ya lemme go and tie my clothes around my neck." he requested shortly. The girl complied, but watched him go up the stairs sadly. "Yuki-kun, he really does think of you as a friend..." she murmured softly "I wish I knew why he won't admit it."

Yuki knew why. Because he was the Rat and Kyou was the Cat. That was reason enough within itself. But he didn't say that, he didn't have the chance to. The scent of blood reached his nose, and a pang of fear shot through him. Scrambling back up to his feet, Yuki darted out of the house. Out in the woods, the smell wafted away and was lost. Damnit all, he didn't want to hurt anyone!

Tohru watched him go mildly shocked. She stood in the doorway contemplating what she should do. But Shigure spoke up from where he'd been watching the whole thing and spared her the trouble.

"He'll be back Tohru-kun." he assured her taking a sip of his tea. "I promise, no need to worry." He wasn't actually positive about that, but whatever. The dog left her with that and went back into his study.

After he went up the stairs, Kyou crawled through the window in his room then onto the roof. This is where he awaited his transformation, his clothes laying unused beside him. He saw Yuki darting off and wondered at it.

'Eh... I'll go see what the morons up to when I change back.' he figured.

Yuki sat there, alone in the woods, for a good while. In fact, he almost fell asleep out there, but he didn't. He managed not to. Starting back for the house, he almost ran into Kyou, but managed not to do that as well. Though, he did drop down into an automatic defensive position. Call him paranoid; he had needed to do this every time he'd seen Kyou since he was three.

"Fucking chill out rat boy." he admonished rolling his eyes. "I saw you running out of the house from the roof." A nice glare was directed at Yuki. "You didn't do something mean that would worry her... Like say... running out on her?" Duh, he was referring to Tohru.

"Well...not exactly." Yuki shook his head, hesitantly dropping the stance. "But...I had to get out of there. Right then."

Kyou sighed in annoyance. "And now I'm just waiting for a good reason." he was still glaring. "And goddamn it, how stupid do you think I am. Aren't vampires supposed to have increased reflexes? God, I'm not going to attack you right now."

Now he was picking at Yuki's hesitation to drop the stance.

"Actually, I have a perfectly good reason." Yuki muttered defensively, crossing his arms grumpily. "Something was bleeding." He stated simply. "And, as for the increased reflexes, vampires are also supposed to be damned to the night and burn up in the sun. Do you see any flames?"

"Hell I don't know!" the cat replied defensively. "I just remember that from the few pages I read in one of Shigure's vampire books." he shivered at the memory. "I got a few pages in and they started screwing each other. That Rice or whatever chick is screwed up..." Then he got back on topic. Kyou snorted "OH, and did our lovely little blood sucker find what was bleeding?" Sarcasm, yay!

"Why do you think I left?" He spat, irritated. "I didn't want to find it." Maybe if he never started feeding on blood, he wouldn't need to?

"I do not claim to know the inner workings of your fucked up little mind Yuki!" He raged, just about to raise a fist against the little bastard.

"What the hell are you so mad about?" Yuki demanded, ready to catch any punches or kicks that flew his way.

He twitched. "I'm going to go tell Tohru that you're all right." was what Kyou decided would be best. "She's always fucking worrying about you anyways." The cat turned and was on his way back to the house.

He wasn't even going to guess just how it happened, but the next thing Yuki knew he was in front of Kyou again. "You never answered my question, stupid cat." He pointed out, leaning against the nearest tree.

Okay, you know what just happened? That did not sit too well with him. "Don't pull any shit with me rat." Kyou snarled quickly. "I don't have to answer anything."

"You know what?" Yuki simply shook his head,

"I don't care. I don't need this. Fuck off." He spat, feeling another one of those waves of dizziness. Hell, watch it be blood loss, He grumbled silently to himself.

"What the hell do you think I was doing?" He grumbled going past him again. He was silently praying that Yuki wouldn't do that moving really fast thing again. It was unsettling, and it terrified him.

Not exactly sure just how it had happened the first time, Yuki wasn't exactly going to try it again. Once he was sure that Kyou was well inside, he set back off for the house. Hopefully Shigure had bandaged or cleaned up whatever it was that had been bleeding before. He wanted to go inside, and head straight up to his room. Yes...that was the plan.

If Shigure had known something was bleeding, he probably would have! He'd given Hatori many cups of tea, and then returned to writing. He is sometimes motivated, I promise. Then of course was the sound of Kyou's approach. The loud opening and then the equally loud slamming of the doors made him cringe and fear for his houses safety. But when he did not hear Yuki follow behind him he was at ease.

Yuki made it to the door, only to turn right back around and return to the shelter of the trees. Yep...nothing to do but wait now. Wait and try not to pass out...

At some point Ali will figure out what's bleeding. But until then Tohru's going to wait nervously on the couch. Yeah, Shigure had said Yuki would come back.... Kyou had come back. That was good. But the house was still sans one vampiric Yuki. She got up and peeked out the front door looking for his return.

"Yuki-kun...?" she called out sadly. If he didn't return soon she'd have to send Kyou....

Yuki blinked up at her, and exited the woods, right to the point where he was at the edge of the clearing that Shigure's house set in. He didn't dare move any further toward the house, he could already smell it. He was almost afraid that if he returned to the house, he would find it. And if he could it, he wouldn't be able to not consume it. And if that happened...would he be able to stop?

Some more anxious waiting occurred. Tohru was thoroughly concerned now. She went with her first initiative and found Kyou. Begged him to get Yuki. He did it with great reluctance. The cat went just inside the tree line, and waited for a moment to see if the rat would spare him the trouble of finding him again.

"Rat boy, just get your pansy ass in the house."

"No." Yuki replied stubbornly, sitting, quite comfortably, at the foot of one of the many surrounding trees.

"Tohru's going to have a heart attack." He scolded darkly. "Yuki, quit being an ornery little slut. Vampire's drink, eat, whatever it is they do, it's blood. Don't care if you smell it, you're going to have to have some eventually. Get over it."

"I don't want to." The Rat meant it too. Because he felt sure that if he started, eventually, he'd need to feed off of live prey and that was something he wanted to avoid. "I don't want to kill anything."

Kyou made a disgusted noise in his throat.

"I'm sure between Shigure and Hatori they can think of some other way to go about it Yuki." Okay, he had to admit, to himself at least, maybe not to Yuki, he did feel bad for the rat. He didn't want to make anything more difficult for the rat. "But nothings going to happen if ya just sit out here." He just wanted to help.

"Exactly!" Yuki pointed out, finally looking up at him, though, he wasn't sure if Kyou could see him or not. "Nothing will happen if I just stay out here."

"Don't be an ass. Eventually you'll get too hungry to just sit out here. You should do it now while you still have some control..." The cat's thoughts flitted to the horribly naive onigiri back at the house. "Before you accidentally hurt Tohru or somethin'."

Yuki noticeably cringed at the thought of hurting Tohru, and, once again accidentally, used that super fast speed thing again, ending up a few feet past Kyou. This earned a relatively violent curse from him. He wished he knew how he was doing that. It would be pleasant to have some form of control over recent developments in his bodily functions.

He shivered as the rat did that thing again. What bothered him most was the whimper, the fucking whimper, that ripped itself from his throat. Kyou tried to cover up the frightened sound he'd just made: "You goin back or what?"

Yuki's ears twitched slightly as the sound reached them. Looking back at Kyou, he noticed the apprehensive look. He was scaring Kyou now? Great. Just fucking perfect. If he was scaring Kyou, just think what he must be doing to Tohru! God, he wished that he knew just how he was doing that. Then he could figure out how to stop.

"Hey rat," he barked for his cousin's attention. "If you're not gonna go back on your own, I'll figure out some way to get ya, even if I have to chase down your ass and drag you."

"I'm going." He relented, reluctantly. He was very careful to keep his pace...normal, and only lost control over it once, and only for about three feet. Upon reaching the inside of the house, however, he lost it again, and soon found himself very much in front of the source of that coppery smell. Utterly alone in the room, he didn't even bother to hold back. True, he didn't exactly want to do it. But, as Kyou had pointed out, he didn't have much of a choice, now, did he?

It felt good, with the still warm copper flavoured liquid seeping through his mouth. It felt too good, really. But once he started, he found he didn't want to stop. Didn't want to stop until it was all gone. But, half way through his little...snack, the sound of footsteps reached his ears, and he froze in his action. Damn, he should have known this was too easy.