Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Karing For Kisa ❯ Lies, Secrets and Midnight Listenings ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own it, nor do I wish too.

Warnings: OOCness, maybe a little language… oh ANGST.

Notes: Thank you to my beta, Shia, for doing an awesome job!! Yay!

XXXXX

The truth was; Kyo wasn't missing Yuki at all. You'd have to be a fool to believe what Hatsuharu said. Or a very little girl. But even she wasn't fooled.

At the festival, Haru had pulled him aside, asking where he had been. Kyo hadn't wanted to tell him, but since he had already told the ox of his fears, he told him anyway. He'd been at the main house the entire time, `talking' to Akito. He'd finally been allowed to leave, and he only went to the park to find them, before heading back to the little house to sleep for a couple hours.

He didn't get up until supper time the next day.

Which left Tohru very flustered and worried, yet the cat wasn't saying a word. She knew that Haru knew too, from the glances and words and looks he was giving the cat at the table where he had finally come down just to eat a bowl of soup broth before disappearing up onto the roof. Haru followed soon after, more on his own whim and curiosity than Tohru's pleading and begging that he find out what was wrong.

Kyo had told him a couple weeks ago, that he'd been getting messages and phone calls from Hatori about Akito. The `God' wanted him back.

Kyo had refused the first six times he'd been ordered to come to the main house, but had finally been forced to when Hatori had picked him up at school. He'd come home late that night, sliding in the bedroom window, bruised and bloody as his cousin fixed him up and listened to the whole story.

Akito was insisting that he come to the main house. He thought it was about time he lived up to his promise and locked Kyo away for good. That he needed to protect the family and he rest of the world from his evil ways and the demon inside him.

As they expected, Kyo had resisted. For now, he was just to come to meetings with Akito, nearly everyday, to `talk'. But with Akito, you don't talk, you listen. Standing in Akito's presence made you that much more of a foul human being just because of what you are. No, you're not human. You're the scum of the earth, lower than low, worthless, a waste of air, time and space. More than that, you were told that you were a demon. A freak that didn't deserve to live, much less be happy or find love.

And he was starting to believe it, even if by just a little. Because he knew, some of it was right. He did have a demon hiding in him; One that would mercilessly kill and harm innocent people. Probably just for the sport of it.

Kyo found himself coming home more and more often with bruises people normally wouldn't be able to see. He bled and ached and even cried a few tears. But he never gave up. He kept fighting. For all the bad things in his life, there were always more good things.

At night, in the dark, Haru would bandage him, and rub salve into his bruises, and bring him water and food, and listen to him. He listened to the horrid things that Akito spit at him, listened to the reasons why he resisted, never making a sound when he was hit, or thrown into a wall, or held under water, or strangled until the world went black.

He was in love.

XxXxX

It seemed that the drugs that they had “secretly” been giving Akito when he met with Kisa weren't working. Or, maybe that had just been a one time thing. Any way you put it or tried to explain it, the bastard was back to his usual heartless self.

Haru hid his worry from the cat, instead, just listening to him when he told him of everything. He still refused to tell everyone else what was happening, no matter how many times they asked him what was wrong with the other boy.

He was sure Shigure knew; if the change in his attitude every time Kyo was brought up was anything to tell by. He swore; that if the damn dog had anything to do with it if Kyo got locked up, Haru would personally see that he lived to regret it.

But he never spoke of it to anyone. He just watched over everything, making sure nothing was revealed that shouldn't be, and worry wasn't placed where it shouldn't be. He went through the daily routines. Walking Kisa to school with Kyo, who only grumpily got out of bed because Tohru begged him, and he would do anything for her, sitting through classes he had no interest in, picking Kisa up after school, minus Kyo, because Hatori had already gotten him, listening to her talk about her day and finally sitting down to dinner, where questions would be asked when Kyo walked in late half way through the meal.

Apparently he had been forced into a lot of school activities lately.

Eventually, he didn't have to say anything about it - or rather, not about it - any longer. Because they soon learned what exactly was going on.

XxXxX

While they did their best to hide it and say nothing, there was one other person who knew their `little' secret. They just didn't know she knew. And she really hoped they wouldn't find out.

You see, no one notices when a little girl creeps out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, but ends up sitting outside her father's door, straining to hear the whispered words inside.

The tiger hadn't been too happy when they decided to give her Yuki's old room, since she wanted to stay with Tohru, but apparently that wasn't proper or something. But now, she couldn't have been happier to have it.

It turns out that Kisa was a really light sleeper. After nearly four years on her own, one couldn't expect otherwise. She could hear the window being shoved up in the next room, and the light thump of the cat hitting the floor. And then the tell-a-tale sound of Hatusharu going into the bathroom was her main tip off. Once he was back in the room, it was safe to move.

She had been doing this since Kyo's odd behavior at the festival a month ago.

Another two weeks passed, with Kyo coming in later and later, almost always abused every night. It was a miracle he was still coming home. It was then that she was discovered. Usually, she waited until she heard Kyo come in and Haru step out to get a wet washcloth and a towel. When the door was shut again, she would slip over and take up her position, listening intently to hear as much as she could. Once the whispered words stopped, and the two inside were back in their beds, she'd sneak back to her own. This made for a very tiring and long day the next day, but after a month and a half of doing so, she was used to it.

Until the night came that Haru had to make a second trip to the bathroom. Looking up with fear and apprehension, Kisa met her father's grey eyes, which seemed to glow in the darkness around them.

“Kisa?” Haru asked. “What are you doing?”

“I-I…um…I was just…” She stammered, not wanting to make him angry like he had been that one time.

“Just listening to our private conversation? How long have you been doing this?” He asked, glaring down at her.

“…Since the night of the festival. I wanted to know what was wrong with Kyo-kun!”

Haru sucked in a sharp breath, knowing he couldn't be angry with her now, since he would probably wake up the other three in the house. “Stay here.” He said before disappearing into the bathroom again. Coming back, he motioned for her to follow him into the room.

“He seems to have done his worst job yet.” Haru said, kneeling next to the futon where Kyo was spread out.

The cat had two black eyes, his bottom lip split in two places itself, the rest of his face bruised and swollen. His lips held a slightly bluish tinge to them, like someone who couldn't breathe. Kisa guessed this had been from nearly being drowned earlier. The most disturbing however, were the deep cuts and gashes all over his arms and chest, as if he had tried to protect himself, but hadn't always been able too. Carefully tearing what remained of his shirt the rest of the way off, Haru started to tend to the wounds on his chest.

“I don't know how he even made it back here. Hatori should be the one doing this.” The ox muttered angrily.

Kisa sat on the other side of the bed and stared. From what she knew, this was indeed the very worst that had been done, though being drowned nearly three times in one night was never a pleasant experience for a cat either.

“Yo. Kyo. Wake up.” Haru said as loud as he dared, lightly slapping the side of his already bruised face. “Wake up and talk a little with Kisa. She found us out.”

Kyo's dulled orange eyes flickered open slightly, trying to focus on his monochromatic cousin. “How…?" He began weakly, but let out a rough cough and pursed his lips together.

“How'd she find out?” Haru said, guessing the cat's question correctly. “Apparently, she's been eavesdropping on us every night since it began. She was worried about the way you acted at the festival. Not behavior I would recommend in a 5 year old,” He said, glaring at Kisa while he continued to work on Kyo.

Kyo's eyes flickered over to Kisa. “You …hiiisss ouch …shouldn't. Worry…about… gah!…me. I'll be fine.”

Kisa shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. “No! He keeps hurting you! I don't want you to be locked away!” She said, clutching his hand instead of flinging herself on him in a hug. “I know I shouldn't have, but you weren't you!”

Kyo winced. “I'll be fine. I just have to do what Akito tells me too. So, I might not see you for a long while, but it will be better then.” He rasped, taking a heaving breath.

Kisa just shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks now. “No. Please!”

“Shit! Kisa, hold this here. I'm going to have to stitch this one up.” Haru swore; pressing the girl's hands down on the towel, as he got up to find Tohru's sewing items.

Kisa could only nod as her hands were placed over one of his more severe wounds. This wasn't happening! He could die! Her sobs began to shake her body, but she still kept her hands firmly in place.

Hatsuharu came back; uttered one word not suited for innocent ears, and ran back out. Throwing open a door down the hall, he yelled. “Shigure! Wake up! Kyo needs help!”

“Wha? Huh?” The dog grumbled from his cocoon of blankets. “What's goin' on, Haru?”

“Kyo's injured. We gotta get him to a hospital!” Haru said, “Hurry up!” He grabbed the blankets covering both of his older cousins and ripped them off.

Shigure sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Where is he?”

“In our room. Kisa's in there too.” Haru told him urgently.

“What happened?” Shigure asked, finally picking up on it, and moving quickly out the door.

“You know what happened. Akito happened.” Haru spat out harshly, the icy glare of his grey eyes matching it.

Shigure just nodded once, entering Haru's room. “Kisa, move back please. I need to see.”

She shook her head, tears still falling. “N-n-noo! I don't want him to die!” She cried.

“It's going to be okay, sweetie, we won't let him. Please let me see?” Shigure pleaded. He could already tell the cat was not in a good state.

Kisa bit her lip, thinking. If they could help… get him to a hospital…slowly, she lifted her hands from Kyo's chest. Crimson blood stained her fingertips and palms as she pulled back. Seeing the blood lightly drip down her fingers only caused her to cry harder.

Grimacing, he lifted the towel, and blood seeped from the wound. Damn. Shigure examined the wounds, and was shocked. He hadn't known it would go this far, but he had known that Akito was up to something. Gently wiping the blood away with another towel, he pressed the new one to it. “Go call the ambulance. I don't think we can move him.”

Haru went quickly to do that, pushing past Ayame and Tohru standing at the door. Kisa looked up, eyes shining, and deep with her sadness.

Tohru was in tears herself, “Come here sweetie.” She said, holding out her arms. Kisa thought about it, but she couldn't leave Kyo's side just yet. Turning away, snubbing the one she called sister, she looked down at his ashen face.

Ayame had a deep frown on his face, and put an arm around Tohru's shoulders as Kisa refused her hug. Tohru leaned into the snake, drawing a tiny bit of comfort from the usually self-centered man.

Haru came back, telling them that the ambulance was on its way. Soon enough, they heard the sirens. Haru raced down to let them in, and Tohru and Ayame stepped back out of the way of the crew. A stretcher was procured, and Kyo was placed on it, Shigure and Haru following it down.

Kisa ran down after them, but was pulled back at the front door by Tohru, preventing her from flinging herself into the ambulance after the cat.

“No!” She yelled, stained hands reaching out for him as they shut the doors on the back, blocking her view completely. Then she screamed; the only sound heard in the night, a five-year-old girl's anguished cry.

“KYOOO!!!”

XxXxX