Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Revelations ❯ Foe--or Friend? ( Chapter 2 )

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

Thanks, for the comment, Sapadu! That's what I've been thinking.

DISCLAIMER--They ain't mine...BWAAAAAAAH!!! sniffle-snuffle!! But I want `em!!

Chapter 2 - Foe--or Friend?

Kyo spun around in surprise when his door slid open practically as soon as he'd shut it, and Yuki of all people calmly stepped into his room before closing it again. He lost his loose grasp on his sense of balance and collapsed to the floor next his futon, staring with eyes tight-squinted with pain, while Yuki knelt in front of him, looking troubled.

Holding out the bottle of aspirin to him.

“What the hell--?!”

“Take it; you're acting especially foul today, you must need it. --We need to talk, Kyo.”

The neko blinked, suspicion creeping into his thoughts. Since when did the nezumi use his name, instead of `baka neko?'

Between his surprise and what rainy weather always did to him, his mind was feeling way more than half asleep. And Yuki was quite right about the headache--it felt like the top of his head was about to explode all over the room; just about his worst ever, it was so bad there were little sparkles of light all about the edges of his vision. He was not feeling up to a chat with that kuso nezumi just then! He let his eyes squint again in an effort to lessen the pain as he asked guardedly, “What about?!”

“About what happens in four months, two weeks, and four days; and why I never knew about it...”

Kyo froze in shock for a split second, a faint trace of fear flickering across his quickly wide-opened eyes; then he recovered enough to start spluttering, “Wha--who--how--?!”

`How the hell'd he find out about that?! Shimatta!!'

Yuki didn't let him finish. As the nezumi spoke, he set the cup of water down and popped the lid off the aspirin, then calmly reached out and grabbed Kyo's hand, pressing two pills into his palm and folding Kyo's fingers over them. He then held the cup practically under Kyo's nose, clearly expecting him to hurry up and take the pills.

“--About how somebody who can hand Black Haru his head on a platter without breaking a sweat, can't seem to win a fight against me--when I have to work at holding my own against White Haru, on my best day, when he's being oh-so-careful not to hurt me...”

Kyo's face went sickly as Yuki spoke in his soft voice. He popped the pills in his mouth and chased them with the water automatically, trying to think of a way out of this. It would be so much easier without the damned pain in his head! Not that plain aspirin would help all that much, but it might at least dull the sharpest edges of the pain a bit. If the pills didn't come right back up, along with what little he'd eaten--the headache already had his stomach knotted, and this little chat was far from helping.

He was most definitely not up to this!

Yuki narrowed his eyes, intense gray staring into nervous, almost panicky red. “And let's not forget why a certain baka neko has practically made a career out of saving this `kuso nezumi's' hide, all the while pretending to hate me...”

`Uh-oh!' A cold chill chased through Kyo's guts. This wasn't good; Yuki wasn't supposed to notice those things...! Kyo felt a sickly, sort-of-grin slip over his face as he fought down a sense of impending doom, while rubbing at the back of his neck with the hand not locked in a death-grip on his bedding. His wildly scattering thoughts refused to sort themselves out through the pain. “Ah...h-hey, Yuki, I think you're comin' down with somethin', maybe we better call Hatori? I mean--you're h-hallucinating--! Heh, where could you be comin' up with these insane ideas?! A-heh...”

Yuki slammed his hands palm-down on the floor to either side of Kyo's knees, making the neko jump as his red hair stood straight on end, almost bushing like a scared true-neko. Yuki leaned forward until they were nose-to-nose, causing the now wide-eyed neko to bend unreasonably far backwards in the process.

***

Yuki bit back the nearly hysterical urge to sneeze, just to see Kyo overbalance and fall backwards... It was rather funny, the way Kyo's wide red eyes were almost crossing, trying to meet his.

“I heard you and Hatori, earlier today,” Yuki admitted quietly, staring intently into Kyo's eyes.

Kyo flinched, and looked down and away; though not before Yuki caught the look of self-loathing that flashed across his features. Kyo's carrot-red bangs shadowed his eyes as he pushed himself back, out of the uncomfortably close position. He wouldn't meet Yuki's eyes again as he settled himself cross-legged squarely on his futon.

“I don't know what you're talkin' about.” Soft, monotone; no fire at all. Almost--sad. Quite unlike the Kyo that Yuki knew, even taking into account the obvious rain-induced headache.

Yuki sat back on his heels, numbed by the confirmation Kyo's behavior was giving him. Kyo had been trying to protect him, all these years. They likely had been best friends when they were little. But only Kyo could remember it.

Which was worse? Finding out you'd forgotten something that important, that somebody had been messing around in your head, with no way of telling how much they'd changed--or being the one to remember everything; seeing your friend all the time, but not allowed to let on that you even know him; instead having to pretend you hate him?

Yuki bit out a curse that caught Kyo's immediate, shocked attention. He added a few more for good measure, mainly directed at Akito, though a couple were aimed at himself and his own willful blindness. Kyo just stared at him, dumbfounded; he'd obviously had no idea the well-mannered Yuki even knew some of those words!

“Uhh...h-hey, you--ah, you better not let anybody catch you cussin' out Akito that way--”

“--Why? Why am I supposed to hate you, why must the neko and the nezumi fight? Why must Akito ruin everything for everyone else--?!!”

***

Kyo most definitely had no idea how to handle a teary-mad nezumi, whose fists were trembling at his sides and looked like he was on the verge of a major asthma attack. At least, not when it wasn't him that Yuki was so mad at.

If Kyo had been feeling even a tiny bit better himself, he'd have picked a fight, to help Yuki work off some of that anger--but the medicine hadn't touched his headache, and he knew the kuso rain had his reflexes shot to hell even worse than usual. There must be one nasty thunderstorm shaping up...anyway, either Yuki'd do him serious injury before realizing it; or he'd hurt Yuki, if his body responded to a threat by trained instinct, without his mind doing the usual interference with his reflexes.

Which meant--gaah!--he'd have to talk. Not his strongest skill, talking. Yelling, now, that he could do--insults and cussing and riling up somebody. Those could flow out before he was even really aware of his mouth being open. Whenever he tried to think about what he was saying, when he tried to talk about anything that meant something--then he stuttered and stammered and the words just came out completely wrong from what he'd meant, usually sounding a whole lot harsher too. It had become a reflex.

Though Tohru's gentle presence in their lives had been teaching him better. Being around her calmed him enough to be able to think clearly before opening his mouth, at least some of the time now, and had softened the sharpest edge off his speech. She was slowly but surely taking away the anger he'd spent so many years building into a wall about himself.

So he ran a shaky hand through his hair, stopping to tug at the roots in frustration; grimacing and looking wildly about the room for a second in hopes of inspiration, trying to ignore the way moving his eyes made the world spin about him while shooting fiery splinters of agony behind his eyes.

There was no help for it--he'd have to give Yuki at least part of the truth. He wasn't in any shape to come up with a believable lie, and the nezumi looked likely to stick to him like glue until he got some sort of answers. So Kyo took a deep breath and gritted his teeth before looking Yuki in the eyes and saying, roughly, “Look--it's better that way; better for both of us. I'm gonna be locked up, damnit! The only person who's gonna remember I'm still alive ten years from now, is gonna be the poor fool Akito sticks with slidin' a food tray under my door! I might as well be d-dyin'. I--” Kyo looked down, bangs hiding his eyes again, as his voice cracked.

He cleared his throat, hands fisting on his knees and his body strung so tightly from the tension he thought he'd ring like a bell if he was hit. He grit his teeth and tried to continue, sharp pain now clutching at his heart as well as his head, “You've seen it. My--true form. You know what I am. Even T--Tohru--” His breath caught painfully on her name. “Even Tohru can't really accept it; even she's--scared of me...” `Just like
Mother was...'

Yuki lunged and caught at Kyo's shoulders, shaking him, forcing him to look up into angry gray eyes.“I don't believe that!! That's not your `true form,' that's just another part of your curse! You're right, I do know you--for all I've been trying to fool myself for all these years, likely with a little help from Hatori's power. You're just about the kindest person I've ever known--including Honda-san! You just try so hard to hide it behind all that anger and bluster--”

Kyo's vision grayed out as the pain in his head reached a skull-splitting peak that chased all coherent thought from him, leaving just the desperate longing to simply pass out and be done with it. Yuki's words faded out to white noise; he couldn't concentrate enough to understand them. Never, in his whole life, had he felt any pain so intense--

***

Yuki's startlingly intense anger drained away to surprise, words failing him, when Kyo's face crumpled and the neko tore himself away, turning his back. The surprise turned to concern when Kyo wrapped both arms about his head and started rocking slowly from side to side, desperately trying to choke back a pitiful, pain-filled mewling.

Yuki bit his lip, looking down at his own hands. He could plainly tell the feelings Kyo had just been struggling with--though if it hadn't been for that horrible headache, he knew Kyo never would have broken down anywhere that another living soul could possibly see him. The obviously excruciating pain, on top of a lifetime of accumulated stress, plus--quite likely--a fair bit of greatly building fear, would be enough to make even Buddha break down.

Then Yuki's expression firmed into determination, and he moved up next to Kyo, wrapping one arm about his shoulders. He pulled the tormented neko over into a hug, refusing to let go when Kyo struggled weakly. After a moment, Kyo stopped pulling away, and instead clutched at Yuki's arm with one hand, the other still tightly clutching at his head. The neko turned his face into the nezumi's shirt and all but convulsed in wracking, heartbroken, strangled sobs, so full of pain they brought tears up in Yuki's eyes, too.

Yuki just hugged him like a brother, gently kneading with one hand first at the back of Kyo's tension-corded neck, then working up his scalp, in hopes of helping ease the pain at least a bit. The muscles were almost literally knots under the neko's skin, they were so tight; it was a small miracle they weren't cramping up.

Yuki murmured nonsense things in an effort to help Kyo calm down and get himself under control, before he made himself pass out. Crying that hard could only make that headache much worse.

Not to mention the embarrassment factor when Kyo got himself under control again, for the both of them. Ten years of enmity had engrained some pretty strong habits into them both--Yuki wasn't at all certain he could keep Kyo talking to him, if they started fighting as they normally did. And there were answers he still wanted--needed--from the neko.

Though--he'd never seen Kyo like this; he'd never seen anyone so obviously suffering. He was beginning to think he should call Hatori; the aspirin had obviously not done a thing to help Kyo. He needed something much stronger.

***

It took a while for Kyo to calm down enough to speak, just before Yuki could decide to call for Hatori. He never stopped shaking, though; Yuki could feel the tremors ripple through the wiry, lean form tucked against him like a lost child. When Kyo finally spoke, it was in that odd, whispery monotone that was so--so un-Kyo-like. If Yuki closed his eyes, he'd easily be able to believe it was someone else entirely speaking.

“There's only one window in the Neko's House; a window with bars on it. I remember the first time Akito took my bracelet, and dumped me in there for the week...if it hadn't been for that window, I think I'd'a gone nuts. Nobody's allowed near the building, except for the one who slides the food tray through the slot under the door; and I didn't--didn't know if he'd ever be lettin' me out again. Akito w-woul--”

Kyo gulped a breath, an especially violent shiver coursing through him. Yuki frowned when he went on, wondering just what Kyo didn't want to tell him. He was certain the neko had abruptly changed his mind on what he was about to say. They way he'd frozen for a split second; the slight, flinching twitch away from Yuki--

Akito would--what?! Yuki wasn't sure he wanted to know. His imagination already had his stomach upset enough that he was regretting what little he'd eaten.

“Akito...doesn't want anybody to see me--h-he--wants me forgotten. He doesn't even come--u-usually...” Yuki paled; he suddenly had a good idea of exactly what Kyo didn't want to tell him. It wasn't at all like Akito to not torment a helpless victim; mentally, physically, or both. Or any other way he could think up. And he hardly ever stopped with mere words, if he could get away with more. “...not until he lets me out--and he, he never says how long he's keepin' me in there, each time.”

Yuki held his tongue on the question of just how many times Akito had locked Kyo up, over the years. He didn't want the neko to stop talking yet. He knew there had been many times the neko had seemed to not be around, but nobody had bothered to speculate about where he might be. They'd usually just assumed he was hiding somewhere; or was up on the mountain with Kazuma-sensei.

`No--' Yuki flinched, his grip on Kyo tightening slightly, as he remembered his thoughts from back then.`Kami-sama! None of us cared to even notice when he was missing. He always came back, after all...

`...and we always grumbled and complained about it when he did...oh, Kami-sama, forgive us!' Yuki didn't notice when a tear suddenly slipped from his eye, rolling down his cheek to drip off his chin. The droplet sparkled for a brief, crystal instant before disappearing into the carrot-red hair below.

“--H-he...he had the window boarded over, after we skipped New Year's for Tohru's sake.” The shivering increased again for a moment; Kyo's hand fisted tightly in Yuki's shirt before loosening, he felt the fabric strain briefly. “That's where I was, those three weeks last January--Akito...was...showin' me the `improvements' he'd made. He's had the electricity pulled out--the heating, too, and the A.C... It's dark in there now.

“No more star-gazing. No more--no more runnin' through the woods, feelin' the wind on my face--no more s-sunshine... There's not enough room in there to do a proper martial arts kata, even. I--”

Kyo gulped a breath, his body impossibly tense. Yuki began to be concerned the neko was going to sprain something. “I--I don't know how Shishou's grandfather lasted twenty-five years, in there...h-he was probably thinkin' of the next neko to be born--tryin' to hold out long as he could, hoping to spare at least one generation. I've--gotta try for that, too... I-I've gotta--I--”

Kyo's unnaturally calm voice finally broke down into a very hair-raisingly feline wail of pain. “Oh, Kami-sama--! It hurrrtsss!! Make it ssssttoooppppp--”

Yuki's breath caught as it finally sank into his heart, just exactly what was going to happen to the neko. Kyo was one of the most active, physical people Yuki knew--the neko knew every square inch of the forest surrounding Shigure's home, he'd likely explored most of the mountain while he'd been up there with Kazuma-sensei; he'd been all over the Honke when they were kids, including up on the rooftops and in every tree on the property that could possibly hold his weight--and some that didn't.

Wide, open spaces; sunshine; martial arts--those were life itself to the neko. Being deprived of it all--with only occasional, abusive visits from Akito to break the mindless monotony--

When Akito had locked Yuki up, only once had it lasted more than a day or two; and he'd had frequent visitors, even if he hadn't appreciated them at the time. Hatori, Shigure, Haru; and--damn him!--Akito... When he went back to live at Sohma House after graduation, he'd still be able to pursue some sort of career, actually leave the grounds occasionally; possibly even marry, have children--though Akito's jealousy might forbid that option after all.

But to be locked up, in what was basically a box, forever more? With no one? Yuki shuddered in sympathy. He thought of promising to find a way to at least talk with Kyo, after he was consigned to the cage; actually opened his mouth to speak--and cursed himself for a fool and a coward even as he kept quiet, not knowing if he'd have the courage to risk being found out when the time came. He didn't want to raise Kyo's hopes, only to have them slowly and painfully ground down to nothing, if he couldn't keep that promise, for whatever reason.

There were still things Akito could do, to people Yuki, and Kyo, cared about...people like Honda-san. He'd have to find a way to protect her, most of all; Kyo would never forgive him if he placed her in danger, no more than he'd forgive himself.

He'd just have to find a way, and surprise Kyo.

How was growing up knowing you were going to be consigned to a living death, any better than growing up knowing you were going to die as a sacrifice for your family? At least when you died, it was over and done with! Why were they constrained to bow and scrape and obey Akito's every sick whim, when Kyo's fate was arguably much worse?!

Yuki hugged Kyo tighter, fighting back tears for both their sakes. What had their ancestors done, for the family to be cursed like this?!

***