Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Gone Full Circle ❯ A Skating Adventure ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Gone Full Circle

Ali the Co-Authoress Note: This is just a short chapter full of fluffy goodness.

Chapter 8: A Skating Adventure

A few weeks after both these incidents (Haru talking with Hatori about Yuki's visit to Aaya's shop, and Yuki being sick.) Kyo was running late, and was, sadly, still down in the lockers when the bell rang. It was then, that Haru walked up behind him, and grabbed him from the collar before he could finish changing out of his street shoes, and started dragging him toward the door.

"Come on." Haru ordered simply as he dragged. "I'm ditching, and I want company."

"W-wait!" Kyo, obviously, protested. He was being dragged off street shoes, bag and everything, after all. "What the hell, you're going to get me in trouble!"

"You're already late." Haru stated as the second bell rang. "Missing all together won't make THAT much difference."

"Ah!" The cat pursed his lips. Haru did make a good point. And it wasn't like he really WANTED to go to school. "Where are you going?"

"It's a surprise." Haru stated, finally pausing to let Kyo get to his feet, rather than drag him on his ass the whole way.

Kyo gave him a dry look. "I bet you get lost."

"Not true." Haru protested, holding up a folded piece of paper. "Momiji gave me a map." The red head blinked at him, but just opted to follow the ox in a rather sulky silence.

"Yes!" Haru muttered triumphantly, when they arrived, looking between the building they were in front of and the paper in his hand. "This is the right place."

"You're... Kidding... Right?" Kyo stared at the building. Worry was quite evident on his face. Kyonkichi's emotions are cute like that. Open like a book.

"You're athletic enough." Haru shrugged, grasping his older cousin's hand to drag him inside the skating rink. "It'll be fun."

"I... Uhm..." The red head sighed helplessly and allowed himself to be pulled inside. They paid the little fare and when they got their skates, Kyo-chan disappeared back into the locker room for a long time. He claimed he didn't want to stay in his school clothes. But the real reason? He couldn't skate. So, even though he really did change into the clothes he had had in his bag, for when he went to train later, most of the time was spent staring at the vile skates.

"Kyo," Haru poked his head inside, looking at the still un-skated boy. "They won't bite you." Kyo whined quietly to himself before picking up the things and padding out in his socks. In his socks, shorts, and a ridiculously small T-shirt. (All of them are that ridiculously small size... Leaving that little strip of pretty tummy exposed.) And, we must note, he's not wearing the skates.

Haru simply stared at him for a minute. “I promise they won't?" He offered.

"I know that." Kyo replied sharply. But it faded as he sighed and set to getting the skates on. This really sucked. Oh well, when he stood up his problem become abundantly clear. And it wasn't that he was worried they'd bite.

"Hey!" Haru yelped, automatically moving to catch his cousin as he started to fall. "You could have told me you didn't know how." He realized a moment later.

The blush that painted over Kitty-cat's face was adorable. "I--" he distinctly remember Haru saying he was athletic enough and would be fine.

Haru simply sighed, and helped the other straighten up. “Come on." He muttered shortly, moving his hands to the elder's shoulders to keep him upright for the time being, but not actually taking them off. Those shoulders slumped a little in temporary defeat and the great skating lessons began. Kyo was oddly bad at this. We'll just blame it on this being his very first time on skates. "I am honestly surprised Shihan never took you to do this." Haru commented, catching Kyo less than gently under the arms as the kitten started to fall, again.

"I've never had any great urge to go before." The cat tried to explain, though it was a bit grumbly. They were just lucky the rink was empty with everyone else at work or school right now. "And can you HONESTLY imagine Shishou bringing me?"

"Not now that I know you're this bad at it." Haru snorted. "Shihan would have had you ready to go pro in an hour. Or, at least able to stand up on your own."

"Gah, bite me." The poor creature sighed. This was Haru's bad idea gone wrong, anyways. Either way, Haru half pushed Kyo back into balance. However, the next time he fell, it wasn't quite so convenient for Haru to catch him. This initiated the first of Kyo's many falls onto his ass. By the end of this little episode, it will be quite bruised. Kyo rolled his eyes from the wooden floor and muttered. "This is ridiculous." He was going to at least manage to stand up dammit! Haru circled him and halted right in front, watching him with interest. It was vaguely obvious that Kyo didn't want his help this time. With some cursing, and some serious work, the red head did manage to his feet. And he managed to stay upright. But moving was a bit more irritating. He was more than determined now and managed to go for a little while, but. He is a beginner, though and more falling occurred. And, as it must, there happed one such time when the ONLY way that he could fall was, yes, right on top of Haru, landing both of them in an awkward situation. Now, in his mind, Kyo doesn't really blame Haru. The ox is only trying to help and catch him. You know, to keep him from further injuring his pretty little backside. But, also in his mind, this does not classify the current situation as helping.

"Haru." He glared darkly. "Wanna move your hands? Since they're a bit FAR south?" He ALWAYS knew Haru was a complete pervert...

"They're not on your ass." Haru frowned a little. No, not Kyo's ass just his exposed thighs.

The cat had to roll his eyes and started to work on squirming away. "I want your hands on me as LITTLE as possible." He elaborated, getting up.

"You're sweet enough to rot my teeth, Kyo." Haru muttered sarcastically. "And people wonder why you never get any." He added under his breath. The cat chose to ignore that comment. And actually, HE had to wonder how HARU got any. He was such a damn asshole.

"Hey, you're the one who decided to drag me here." He uttered in his own defense.

"And, I told you it would be fun." Haru reminded him. "I, for one, am having a wonderful time being better than you at something."

"Great, I'm paying for your amusement." Kyo sweat dropped irritably.

"I paid for your entrance fee." Haru reminded him, matching his sweat drop with one of his own. Kyo had meant the bruises on his butt. But, hey. At least Haru had lost something in this deal! Haru simply watched him from the floor for a moment, feeling his cheeks heat up before getting up.

"Damnit, I think you kneed my groin." He grumbled to cover up the blush, looking away quickly.

"Fair trade." Kyo hissed quietly before continuing to FORCE himself to fucking learn how to skate! He was going to be able to by the time they left! SO THERE.

"It's not MY fault you never learned how." That problem was remedied soon enough. After several more painful falls, Kyo finally. FINALLY. Managed to get a good flow in his step and skated around the rink slowly. Slowly. But he did do it.

Unfortunately, Haru never did get the chance to teach Kyo how to stop. And that wouldn't have been a problem if the next people to come in hadn't been female. Haru cursed softly as his cousin went sailing right for them. Poor Kyonkichi. This was not good and he really, REALLY needed to stop or be stopped. Now? Now would be...

"Shit---" He started to mutter, about to hold out his arms and simply shove the chicks away. (He had not problem with it, he beats girls up at school all the time. Remember?) But! A great savior wrapped an arm around his waist and he drew back into them as they stopped.

"Knew I forgot to show you something." Haru muttered, veering off toward the wall, which he caught in lieu of the brakes. "We should probably leave now." He added quietly. "There's only going to be more women coming in as the day goes on." Kyo had grabbed onto the arm around his waist without thinking and held it still.

"Ah," He murmured as he realized it was his cousin who had helped him, again. "Right." He pushed away from him quickly and followed his way along the wall to get off the wooden rink and onto the tiles of the other floor. Chairs awaited him so he could take his skates off in them. Haru really couldn't help the hurt that flickered across his face, but he brushed it off quickly enough, moving over to sit down in a chair not too far from Kyo's to take his own skates off. Once the two had their shoes they fled the ever-increasing number of the vile members of the opposite sex. (Okay, not vile. But they weren't in the mood to deal with EITHER of them potentially transforming.) "Do you want me to lead you home? Or is it on that map Momiji made you?" The cat offered as his own way of saying thank you. Normally, he would have just left Haru to get lost.

"Ah--" Haru paused for a moment, considering his words carefully. "I don't want to go home yet." he answered finally. "Can't I go with you? To Sensei's, I mean?"

"Doesn't matter to me." The red head blinked. "But yeah, you can follow me back." Haru just nodded, and did just that. Followed him. Trailing a few paces behind his older cousin, Haru followed Kyo in absolute silence. He was still brooding over that call that Ayame had given Hatori the other day. He really should have known better than to think he'd ever have a real chance with Yuki.

When they got to Shigure's, school was probably just getting out. The dog hadn't been expecting anyone for another half an hour and happily flounced away, from what he was ACTUALLY supposed to be doing, in favor of greeting his cousins.

"Kyo-kun! Haa-kun! Home so early? And together no less? Anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Such as?" Haru blinked, the joke just flying right over his head. Or, maybe he was playing along? It was hard to tell.

"Were you and the kitty-cat on a date, Haa-kun?" the mutt sidled over, whispering confidentially. "Don't worry you can tell me." But it wasn't very effective whispering, Kyo heard him and started heading for the stairs, looking a little bit more than annoyed.

"I don't think he thought it was." Haru frowned a little, speaking in a carefully low tone.

"I wasn't asking about him, was I?"

"I don't think it's a real date unless both parties are aware of it."

"Ah, of course! Of course." The brunette snorted and ruffed his hair teasingly.

"Maybe it's better that way." Haru shrugged, an odd look in his eye as he glanced up toward the stares where Kyo had stomped up. Yeah, it was. This was probably just a rebound thing, anyway. He didn't want to do that to Kyo. They had been friends, once.

"With Kyo-kun one never knows." Shigure smiled. Kyo HIMSELF was easy to understand. One of the easiest in the family, actually. But when it came to how people actually felt about the boy? That. That was where Shigure had trouble.

"I--I heard Yuki went on a date with Honda-san." He put in conversationally. "He must really like her."

"Tohru-kun is a very likable person."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I know what you meant, Haa-kun." The dog pointed out. "But I'm not sure that's how Yuki-kun feels about her."

"Nnngh, I don't know." He admitted, growling a little. "Ayame's usually pretty good about reading these things, right? He called Tori-nii and shared all the details." He grimaced. "ALL of them."

"Ah, that." Shigure sweat dropped. He had been making an attempt to assure his cousin. But that one did rather trump his argument.

"Yeah. That."

"Think what you will of it, Haa-kun." That was all his older cousin had to say.

"Maybe they were right." He sighed a little, walking idly over to the nearest window and looking out. "Maybe I really AM an idiot."

"Perhaps." Shigure agreed, laughing again. "But I don't think that's the case."

"How else do you explain it?" He wanted to know. "I must have been an idiot. Fooling myself for so long, thinking I might actually have a chance with him."

"Crushes have the most interesting ways of encouraging themselves." Shigure told him, sounding wise. "No one thinks you're an idiot, because it happens to most people."

"What people THINK doesn't change fact." Haru stated, tone a little louder than he'd planned, but he got it under control again without too much trouble. "If it wasn't Honda-san, it would have been somebody else. Even when we were little he'd shut me out."

"He shut everyone out, Haa-kun. You're taking that too personally."

"I couldn't help him." Haru pointed out coolly. "I didn't even know he was still on the grounds for a good year and a half, Sensei. How would that make you feel?"

Shigure clucked his tongue at the boy. "Haa-kun, really. No one else could help, or knew either."

"Tori-nii knew." He corrected. "And I was so--so stupid, naÑ—ve. I didn't even think to ask him."

"Well, Haa-san knew. But, he's a rather special case when it comes to Yuki-kun." The dog was actually struggling to explain this.

"Yeah," Haru snorted darkly. "Special." Damnit all, he had wanted Yuki to trust him that much. Yuki would talk to Hatori when he wouldn't even look at anyone else. Haru wanted to be that person. He'd given up his friendship with Kyo to have a chance to earn that trust, but no matter how much he wanted it he should have known it couldn't have happened.

"Ah, teenagers and crushes. It's always the same, all throughout the ages." Shigure murmured dramatically. "Don't worry, Haa-kun. You'll figure things out, and things will have to get better for you eventually. And if not, well. Que Sera, Sera I suppose."

"I'm not sure that's the way the real world works." Haru shrugged it off, turning on his heels and walking for the stairs. He didn't want to think about it, and with Kyo he wouldn't have to.

Kyo was lying tiredly on his stomach in the middle of the floor. It might seem an odd place to anyone else, but in true cat-like fashion he'd wanted to lie in the sunbeams coming through his window. He had his feet suspended in the air, and his chin resting on his arms, and he really didn't notice the ox looking for him. Haru knocked softly on his door when he reached it, waiting for response before going in. He didn't want to intrude, for whatever that was worth.

"Eh?" Kyo squinted open an eye and looked over his shoulder at the closed door. "Oh, yeah what?" He called, trying to sound annoyed even though he wasn't right now.

Haru cracked the door open, and peeked in. "Can I come in?" He wanted to know. "Sensei's being annoying." He lied in explanation to his request.

"Yeah, fine." He didn't want to condemn anyone to Shigure. But he did glance up at his clock. "Tohru and the rat should be home soon." The cat shrugged before letting his head fall back down to rest on the floor. For some reason, Haru didn't think talking to Yuki would help the whole `Let's Not Think About Him' ideal, so he just made a noncommittal noise and entered the room, sitting down by the door.