Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ NECTAR ❯ My Karu, My Love! ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. They belong to Takaya Natsuki.

Hello again: Thanks for reading this far, and for all your kind reviews.

Once again, thank you to Smiling Onigiri for taking time out of her busy schedule to edit this chapter.

I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. Read on:

NECTAR

Chapter Nine: My Karu, My Love!

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KAKERU *

`Ugggh!' I thought as I walked through the empty school hallways and stretched my arms tiredly towards the ceiling. `6:10! I'm almost a whole hour early. What was I thinking?'

"Yun Yun," I whispered to myself, what I had been thinking about was Yun Yun. I had lain in bed the entire night, tossing and turning and thinking about Yun Yun. I hadn't wanted to be late, in fact I couldn't wait for the student council meeting to start, so I had gotten up too early, gotten ready too quickly, and here I was.

"Only a complete bonehead would think of coming to school this early for a silly student council meeting." I said out loud and then shrugged, because I really wasn't here for the meeting anyway, was I?

Pushing open the door to the student council room, I was happily surprised to find Yuki sitting inside, already hard at work in front of the computer.

"Karu," he said, and smiled knowingly. "Isn't it a bit early for you to be out of bed?"

Feeling my face grow warm, and realizing, in awkwardness, that his comment had actually caused me to blush, I walked up behind him and glanced at the computer screen. He was looking over the notes from the meetings he had missed.

"Good morning," I said softly, and leaned down to wrap my arms around his neck.

Bringing his hands up, he stroked my forearms lovingly before gently grasping and removing them. "Not here, Manabe. Not while we're in school, okay?"

I bristled for a moment, my feelings hurt. Then I smiled and wrapped my arms around him again. "It's early though, Yun Yun. We're the only ones here."

"Yes." Yuki agreed, and turned his head to place a small kiss on my lips. "But I still don't feel comfortable with it. Is it all right if we don't?"

"If that's how you want it," I agreed. Pulling myself away from him, I made a noisy show of walking to the other end of the table and seating myself.

"You don't have to sit so far away, though," Yuki complained.

"Yes," I told him, "I do."

The truth was that I felt rejected. Even though I understood Yun Yun's reasoning, that didn't make it hurt any less. A moment later, when we heard footsteps in the hall, Yuki looked at me and smiled condescendingly as if to say `See, I told you so!'

The door flew open and Kimi, Machi, and Naoto walked in.

"What, all three of you together," I asked, "And all so early?"

"We met for breakfast!" Kimi said happily, and giggled.

"We had things to discuss." Naoto added with a smirk.

Machi, who stayed silent, looked at me in open hatred, which was relatively normal.

`Machi's in her usual bad mood, but that shrimp Nao's awfully happy. Just what were those three really up to, anyway?' I wondered suspiciously.

"Good morning Kimi, Naoto, Machi." Yuki said warmly, only to be shot down by Machi with a look of pure and honest repulsion, and that's when it hit me.

`NO!' I realized miserably and looked towards Kimi, who avoided my gaze. `She told them! Fuck! Kimi's told them about us! Yun Yun is going to flip when he finds out.'

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YUKI *

`Shit!' I thought to myself as the other student council members seated themselves around the table. `I think I've made Kakeru feel bad.'

It can't really be helped though, can it? Things are what they are with me, and Kakeru will need to understand how it is, right up front. It was possible for me to be, and in fact I very much wanted to be, Kakeru's lover, but I came with a clause. Under no circumstances could anyone at school, or in my family, ever find out about us. I had worked hard to earn the respect of my schoolmates, so I certainly couldn't allow them to find out that I was gay. Additionally, there was Akito to think about.

Later today, at lunchtime perhaps, I would need to talk to Kakeru. It was only fair that he knew what he was getting into, and if it was too much for him to handle, then I suppose I would need to end things immediately, before I got more involved... before someone got hurt.

`Please understand, Kakeru.' I silently pleaded and stared across the table to where he was sitting with a very odd look on his face. Seeing me looking at him, he smiled, but it wasn't his real smile. `He really must be upset with me,' I decided sadly, but since I couldn't do anything about it at the moment, I peered around the table at the others.

"Well then, since we are all present and ready, why don't we go ahead and start the meeting," I told them.

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KYO *

"What the hell am I doing here?" I asked myself and sat up from the very small and incredibly uncomfortable futon in the middle of Hatori's living room floor.

"Good morning, Kyo." Hatori called over from his seat at the tiny kitchen table. Laying his newspaper aside, he stood and took two steps to reach his kitchen stove. "I've taken the liberty of making you something for breakfast. I hope you don't mind fried leeks."

"WHAT!" I screamed in outrage and jumped up from the futon. "Who in their right mind eats leeks for breakfast?"

"It was a joke, Kyo." Hatori said calmly, and a hint of a smile actually surfaced for a moment before quickly fading from his lips. "I thought it might make you feel more at home."

"Don't ever do that again! It wasn't funny!" I said bitterly and then took a couple steps, which put me at the kitchen table, where I took a seat. "Damn, this place is small. How can you even stand it?" I asked him.

"It isn't so bad. You'll get used to it." Hatori said and shoveled some eggs on to a plate, added a couple slices of toast, and turned to place it in front of me.

"Get used to it?" I wondered at his strange choice of words and looked up at him in curiosity as he took an empty cup from the shelf.

"I've made coffee, which is what I prefer in the morning, but if you'd like, I can brew a pot of tea as well."

"No, no!" I insisted. "I like coffee, coffee's fine. With milk and sugar, please."

"Very well," Hatori said, pouring a cup of coffee and quickly adding a spoonful of sugar and some cream, before sitting it in front of me and returning to his seat.

"Thank you." I said to him, and took a bite of toast. Picking up his newspaper, Hatori began to read.

"Um... Hatori," I interrupted after a moment of uncomfortable silence... at least, it was uncomfortable for me.

"Yes, Kyo?" He asked, and peered over his paper at me.

"Thank you for coming to get me from the police box and for letting me spend the night." I said, and took a sip of my coffee.

"Well, it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter. I couldn't very well leave you there, now could I?" Hatori said, once again sat his paper aside, and stood up. "Oh, I forgot the juice."

"You didn't have to come and get me," I argued.

"Certainly, I did." Hatori said, and pulled a glass pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice from his refrigerator. He then poured one glass and sat both the pitcher and the glass on the table in front of me.

"Well, I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you," I said angrily. "But those damn cops had no right to arrest me."

"You broke into Kazuma's home, Kyo." Hatori pointed out as he returned to his seat. "They thought you were a thief."

"Kazuma's my... my... well, anyway, I had a right to be there," I complained.

"Not without Kazuma's knowledge, you didn't." Hatori argued.

"I was cold, and I can't live in that house with that sleazy dog and... and... her.... I didn't have anyplace else to go!" I mumbled, slamming my chopsticks down and pushing my plate away. Then I stood up and walked towards the door. "Thank you for letting me stay here last night, I'm leaving."

"Sit down, Kyo," Hatori insisted, and I turned back in annoyance.

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" I shouted at him. "I'M OUT OF HERE!"

"I said, sit down!" Hatori repeated and stood up threateningly.

"WHY THE HELL SHOULD I?" I yelled, but returned to the table and took my seat anyway.

"Thank you," Hatori said calmly and sat back down. "Now finish your breakfast."

"Whatever!" I mumbled, and gave him an icy look, but pulled my plate back in front of me and picked up my chopsticks.

"It's been decided that you will live here, with me, for a while." Hatori casually informed me, and the chopsticks dropped from my surprised fingers and fell to the floor.

"What? You think I'm going to stay here, in this tiny hole in the wall, with you? Are you crazy?" I said, and stood up again.

"Really, Kyo, my home isn't that small, and it will only be until Kazuma returns, I spoke with him last night. He called me because the police had contacted him." Hatori told me, and I felt my anger rise.

"And what, was he upset about it? Shit, I should have known he was full of crap, all that `you're my troublesome son' nonsense... I can't believe him."

"Now, now, Kyo, it isn't at all like that." Hatori said gently and patted my hand patronizingly, which I immediately pulled away. "Kazuma called because he was worried about you, not because he was upset with you. He didn't understand why you wouldn't have a place to stay, why you would need to break into his house."

"WELL, I'M SORRY! IT WAS A STUPID THING TO DO, OBVIOUSLY! IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S MY HOME OR ANYTHING! IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE A HOME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, and then to my utter embarrassment, I broke into tears.

"Yes, well." Hatori continued calmly and handed me a fresh napkin to wipe my eyes. "I spoke with Shigure as well, and I think I understand why you no longer want to live with him, but you're still young and you need adult supervision. Until Kazuma returns, you will be staying with me."

"But... but... this place it too damn small for two people... I'll just be a bother." I mumbled through my tears, and tried to get a hold of myself. Picking up my glass of juice, I took a shaky sip.

"Not at all, actually I think I look forward to your company." Hatori told me, and I nearly choked on my juice.

"That's crazy! Nobody likes the company of the cat!" I told him. "And what about Akito, he won't like it. I can tell you right now, he'll never allow it."

"Why don't you let me worry about Akito?" Hatori said, and although I had my doubts, I also knew I had no place else to go, and this was what my father wanted.

"Thank you," I said under my breath. Hatori nodded, then picked up his newspaper and went back to reading.

For the remainder of breakfast, we were both silent. When I was finished eating, I cleared the table and was about to start the dishes when Hatori stopped me by pointing at his watch.

"You don't have time for that. You need to get ready for school." He reminded me.

"School? I don't even have my uniform, can't I skip a day?" I asked him, because I really wasn't in the mood for school. Going to school meant seeing Tohru and seeing Tohru just hurt.

"No, you can't skip, not even a day, your schooling is very important. Now go ahead and take a shower. I need to walk next store to pick up Haru and check on Momiji, but I will drive you both to school today. We should have just enough time to stop by Shigure's house so you can change and grab a few things, but we'll need to hurry."

"Yes." I agreed, and took the seven steps that put me into Hatori's small bathroom. As I closed the door behind me, thinking about how bad my day at school was going to be, I suddenly remembered something that made me smile and gave me hope.

`Oh, yes...' I thought, `the thing Kimi told me, the thing I had always suspected. That disgusting rat is gay. By now that loud mouth girl has probably called every person in our entire school. Heck, she'd called five different people just in the short half hour we'd sat together on the roof. Precious Prince Yuki's reputation is surely ruined by now. The President and Vice President of the Student Council are lovers. Actually, yes... this day might not turn out so badly after all.'

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KURENO *

For the better part of my life I have been enslaved. I've existed exclusively to please Akito Sohma, and up until fairly recently it was a position that I've rather enjoyed. Have you ever tried to make a demon smile? It isn't very easy, but I am pleased to say that I am somewhat of an expert.

Akito, our family's personal demon, loves me. I alone have seen his smile actually reach his eyes. I alone have made him laugh from pure joy. I alone have watched him cry. I don't care what that little fool Yuki has to say about it, Akito Sohma loves me. Maybe not in the same manner that he loves Yuki, and most definitely not in the manner that I once wanted him to, but Akito does love me! And I love Akito from the depths of my very soul... but I'm no longer in love with him.

I am in love with another….

I saw him for the first time two months ago, around the same time that Momiji started coming around the main house and shamelessly flirting with Akito.

"You should go out on the town tonight, Kureno," Akito had insisted. "You must get tired of being stuck in this house all the time. Momiji was telling me about this, what did he call it... some kind of coffee place... I don't remember the name, but we can ask him when he arrives. You like coffee a lot, right?"

"Uh... sure," I agreed, because it really wasn't a choice. If Akito wanted his house to himself in order to entertain Momiji, then I would need to make myself scarce. I wasn't happy about it, though, because I didn't trust Momiji and because, at that point, I still wanted more from Akito than Akito was willing to give.

Regardless of my personal feelings, as was always the case, I did what was asked. I went into town to the coffee house Momiji had suggested and that was where I, quite literally, fell in love.

He was lying on a couch, sleeping with his legs sticking out, and I was searching for an empty seat in the overly crowded room. Spotting a waitress carrying a very full tray of coffee cups and tea pots rushing towards me, I quickly stepped out of her way in order to avoid the collision, and inevitable transformation, that was about to occur. When I did, however, I backed right into his outstretched legs and ending up falling backwards and landing safely, but painfully, on the hard cement floor.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry!" The reckless waitress apologized and took my hand to help me up. He, the boy whose feet had tripped me, hadn't even woken. He was apparently out cold.

"Rikku!" The waitress called out. "Karu has tripped this poor gentleman. Get over here quickly!"

"WHAT?" Another woman, Rikku I presumed, had shouted and rushed out from behind the coffee bar.

"I'm fine!" I insisted, and quickly stepped to the side when Rikku reached out her arms, because I feared she might try to hug me. Instead, she grabbed each of my hands and looked up into my eyes.

"You're sure? You're not hurt? You're fine? So you won't be suing me, or anything crazy like that?" She asked, and I shook my head quickly.

"No, no! Of course not! I wouldn't do anything like that, even if I had been hurt, which I wasn't," I insisted.

"Really? That's good news. So you're okay, there's nothing you need?" She asked.

"Well, actually," I admitted as I looked around the over packed room, "I don't suppose there's a place I might sit?"

"A seat!" The woman squealed, and stared about the crowded coffee house before pointing to the edge of the couch that my assailant was sleeping on. "You can sit there. Don't mind him. When he's like this you can't wake him up, anyway. A growing boy needs his rest, or so he says. He performed for us earlier tonight. It's too bad you missed it, he's very talented, our Karu is."

"Really?" I asked doubtfully and stared at the small available space next to an unconscious mass of thick dark hair and lovely porcelain skin.

"Yes, yes, really. My nephew won't mind. He's a very friendly boy, and you're a cutie, he won't mind at all. So sit, and what can I get you? Coffee? Tea? Whatever it is, it's on the house. Oh, and you must try our cake." Then she quickly took my order and rushed off.

That night, I sat and watched him sleep... for hours... and somehow, strangely enough, I realized that I was in love.

I had hoped I might get an opportunity to speak with him, but although I waited around hopefully until the coffee house was ready to close, Karu didn't wake up.

Since that day I have returned to the coffee house five times - whenever Momiji visited, Akito would send me away - unsuccessfully trying to find him. Although I've become friends with the coffee house's owner, I have not had the nerve to ask about him, but every once in a while, when I was particularly lucky, the subject would come up on its own.

His given name is Kakeru Manabe, and he is a high school student, much too young for me, and a poet. I also know that he's quite good at karaoke and his family is well off, on his father's side.

After Akito's recent incident, I lost all hope of having time to return to the coffee house. I was very disappointed that I would probably never have the opportunity to actually meet my beautiful poet, and I decided I should give him up. Imagine my surprise when he showed up here, at the main house, crawling under our fence and looking like that guy from `The Matrix'. The only problem was that he didn't come to see me. He came to visit Yuki.

Yesterday when I brought Yuki's breakfast, I had intended to inquire about his relationship with Kakeru. One of the servants had informed me that they were witnessed hugging goodbye in the hallway, but that didn't mean anything, did it? Friends hug each other, don't they? Yes, it happens all the time on television, so it doesn't mean a thing... or so I hope.

Breakfast didn't go so well. Instead, Yuki slashed open my heart, telling me that Akito did not care about me, that I was nothing more than Akito's toy. It isn't true. Yuki is wrong. He's just a spoilt, self-serving little rat....

He doesn't deserve Akito, but he can have him....

In exchange for Kakeru Manabe.

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Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think. See you next chapter.

YTR