Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Revelations ❯ Confrontation ( Chapter 13 )

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

Yuki pulls Kyo's teeth...
Heh--no, not really; though getting secrets about the neko's third curse out of Kyo is about as much effort as if he were yanking on Kyo's teeth!

(re-upload--gotta make MSWord quit automatically replacing "1/2" on me, MediaMiner chops the chapter file off at that character every time...!! ::gnashing teeth::)

Anime/Manga: Fruits Basket Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.29.2005 | Updated On: 08.19.2005 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 517 | Status: Completed

DISCLAIMER--Aww, do I gotta say it again??Sheesh! No, they ain't mine. Happy now? ::wanders off, grumbling::

not mine, never been mine, wanna buy `em but can't afford `em...WAAAH!! Almost done borrowing `em for now, though...

Though I have a nearly insatiable urge to yank it sideways into a crossover with Ranma 1/2, from about halfway through my Chapter 10. I actually have some of that written, as I was trying to get Ranma outof my head for a while. I have a couple Ranma fics rattling around on my computer, and one of them just hopped over and started eyeing this fic... ::snort:: It's just jealous I haven't put it up anywhere to be read yet.

I don't think Shigure would survive the damage to his precious house, if Saotome Ranma stopped by! Ye gads, the poor inu would have a stroke the first time he saw a ki attack. And we all know Hibiki Ryoga, at the very least, would show up!

Heh. Kyo would likely start drooling, though, while Yuki would stare at Kyo with that blank expression he can get, maybe with an eyebrow showing signs of annoyed twitching...

Though it could make the Sohmas look at their own curses in a different light. I mean, they can go days without transforming, easy--while the poor Jusenkyo-cursed folk are such water magnets, they sometimes can't go a single lousy hour. And changing back is not automatic, but requires finding hot water, which isn't always guaranteed available! Plus, the Jusenkyo-cursed can get stuckin their cursed forms!

Whoa! Sca-a-ary!

::racing off to grab a broom, the better to swat encroaching rabid monster aquatranssexual plot-bunnies that sometimes have a suspicious resemblance to little black pigs, or tiny girls with red hair in a pig-tail...Shudder!!!::

Chapter 13 - Confrontation

Yuki hadn't yet told the others about Kyo's third curse; the life-link between neko and nezumi. He'd decided to let Kyo tell that one, if he wished. They currently thought his healing had simply been through some magical property of his second curse. Hatori was the only one who truly realized that the neko should by all rights have been dead days before Yuki discovered what had been done to him, but he had been too distracted by the thought of the curse's cure to dwell on it.

The dragon had also been rather uncharacteristicly superstitiously worried that figuring out the magic just might un-do it.

Yuki had decided to confront Kyo himself, that evening after all the others had left, to see if the neko would say anything else about it. Yuki had gotten a chance to see the Sohma Clan records, and had noticed that the Neko- and Nezumi-cursed Sohmas of the past had not always died at the same time.

Something had obviously kept Kyo alive, in spite of what Akito had done to him--but how did the neko know what it was...and that it was Yuki's well-being, specifically, that he was supposedly tied to? And how did that curse happen?!

Yuki bided his time, carefully bottling up his impatience with his cousins as they showed signs of lingering well past even vaguely reasonable hours. He was beginning to be afraid they'd all be staying the night when Hatori finally noticed the time, and decided the youngest of them needed to be in bed--two hours ago! Kisa and Jiro went mostly willingly, being tired enough that they'd been dozing off anyway; but Momiji looked like he would be protesting all the way back to the Honke. Loudly.

Haru gave a deceptively gentle smile and casually grabbed a handful of the back of Momiji's shirt, hauling the suddenly squeaking usagi up so his toes dangled off the ground, and headed towards the door. A sharp shake and a definitely Black-tinged glare straight into Momiji's eyes, along with the growled words, “Shut it! I'm tired!” made the boy suddenly shut up, at least temporarily. Haru's bland smile returned as everyone sweat-dropped, staring after the two.

Hatori abruptly shook himself and strode quickly after them, Kisa and Jiro on his heels. Rin chuckled and shook her head before following them. Kagura sighed deeply, giving Kyo a hesitant, lingering look; then she also left, to walk home with Rin.

Ritsu abruptly leapt up and chased after them, realizing his parents were going to be worried absolutely sick about him; apologizing profusely the whole way out. Compared to the relative quiet the monkey had maintained all evening, it was almost a relief to see him act more normally, even if he was still abnormally subdued. For him, anyway.

Kureno gave Kyo a deeply respectful bow, obviously causing the neko a great deal of distress, then quietly left on his own. Kyo stared after him for some time, his face troubled.

Ayame and Shigure stared at the preoccupied neko for a few minutes, then looked at Yuki, who was staring with a worried expression at Kyo. They looked between the two boys a couple more times, then looked at each other, devious grins splitting their faces. Shigure leapt to his feet and opened his mouth--

“Don't even think it, pervert!”

--only to have his feet yanked out from under him by an annoyed nezumi, whose attention had been caught by the abrupt movement. Yuki didn't know what the inu had been about to say--didn't want to know!--and his patience had about run out. He was determined to talk to Kyo, alone, before they went to bed for the night. If only those two bakas would leave them alone!

Shigure gave his best wounded puppy look, placing one hand dramatically on his chest. “Yu-ki-kun! Oh, the lack of respect in young people these days--OWP!!”

Yuki glared at the inu, who was now nursing a lump on his crown. The nezumi let his arm slowly fall back to his side, releasing his hand from a fist, after bopping Shigure on the head. “You are just so full of it!”

Shigure's reproachful look didn't bother Yuki in the least, he just glared right back at the inu. Ayame, who'd been snickering on the couch behind Shigure, found himself receiving the full force of his little brother's best evil glare. Suddenly realizing his health might be in jeopardy, he leapt to his feet as his eyes widened. Draping himself over Shigure's shoulder, smiling slyly the while, he whispered something in the inu's ear.

Shigure's eyebrow twitched once, twice; the corner of his mouth quivered for a moment. His eyes tracked sideways to meet Aya's slit-eyed, anticipatory gaze, the both of them now with matching smarmy smirks that quickly bloomed into full-blown grins.

A couple nearly incoherent excuses later, and Yuki and Kyo were the only people left in the room, both sweat-dropping boys staring at the afterimage of the disappearing pair. The bang of Shigure's door echoed through the house.

Kyo was the first to recover, turning a sudden full-body shiver into a stretch as he stood up. “I so don't want to know what the hell those two are up to now.”

Yuki nodded, then shook his head to clear it of the unappealing images of his brother and cousin that kept wanting to play before his eyes. He did not need that kindergarten of image stuck in his brain before bed, thank-you-very-much!! Realizing that he and Kyo were now alone, Yuki decided it was time to try asking his questions.

“Kyo...”

The neko hesitated on his way to the stairs, probably figuring what Yuki was up to. It wasn't like the nezumi hadn't already tried to question Kyo; he just hadn't pushed very hard for answers...yet. The neko knew very well that Yuki's patience would only last so long. Besides, his cousin did deserve something of an answer.

Kyo slumped after a moment and, obviously reluctantly, turned back. The glower on his face covered up any nervousness he might have felt. He sprawled over the couch, refusing to look at his cousin; he kept his red eyes firmly on the floor as he asked in a tired-sounding voice only slightly shaded with the old, habitual animosity, “What do you want now...?”

Yuki took a breath, fighting back the surge of annoyance Kyo's attitude brought out in him. He was not going to let the neko goad him into getting angry and forgetting his questions! When he was certain he had himself under control, he settled in the chair by Kyo, close enough to see at least part of the red-head's face.

“I'd like to know something about--your third curse. The one--that...ties us together.”

Kyo flinched, though he tried to hide it. Yuki kept his eyes fixed on what he could see of the neko's expression, wishing beyond hope that his stubborn cousin would just tell him, and not make him drag the information out word by word.

Yuki was especially determined to learn if there was anything he should be careful about doing, or not doing, that might affect this third curse. And was it two-way? Would it change that way at some time in the future? How were the two of them bound by it? More questions just kept swirling about in his head the more he thought about it.

Kyo's next words nearly made Yuki fall out of his chair in surprise.

-.-.-.-.-.-

The neko sighed heavily, glancing over through lowered lids at the tense nezumi settled on the edge of Shigure's chair. He kept his face mostly down, his expression masked in annoyance as he watched Yuki from the corners of his eyes.

He really didn't want to talk about this. It wasn't exactly a bad memory, or anything, but... Yuki wasn't going to be happy once he'd heard it. Kyo had never regretted the choice he'd made, back when they were little kids; but he'd never intended for anyone to ever find out about it. All the knowledge would likely do was make Yuki feel bad, anyway; it wasn't like there was anything either of them could do about it, not now.

He sighed again, gritting his teeth as he gathered his thoughts. He knew Yuki would be able to pry all the details out of him eventually anyway...and he was tired. They were so...close...to a cure...! What harm was there, really, in getting it all out at once?

“After my mother--died, all her things eventually came to me. Among `em was this book, the Neko's Diary. It's got entries from every Neko-cursed Sohma since the very first...”

Yuki's shocked expression made Kyo stop and grin for a moment. When Yuki had cranked his jaw back up where it belonged, Kyo went on, “Don't get your hopes up--the thing doesn't really say anything about how the family first got cursed; it's mainly just learning to deal with it, plus a few entries about things that each neko felt really strongly needed to be passed down. Uhm...a couple of them are...kind'a short; there were a couple nekos that were locked up practically as soon as they were born.”

Kyo kept his eyes on the floor, not needing to see Yuki's face just then to know its expression. He'd been horrified, too, when he read those few entries.

“I'm not sure anybody else can even see the damned book--if Shishou had read it, there's no way in hell he'd ever have passed it on to me, not while I was only seven years old! And I can only lay hands on it when I'm alone--if somebody else is within fifty feet of me, I can't even find it, the damned thing just disappears into thin air on me.

“Anyway, the--third curse--it supposedly started out as a sort of blessing, on the Clan's best warrior. I guess, when the Jyuunishi Curse was laid on us, the `blessing' got tied into the Neko-curse, or somethin'...” A brief roll of an eye didn't catch the expected skeptical look on Yuki's face; he looked thoughtful, instead. Kyo raised his head to look straight at his cousin, a bit surprised.

Catching his look, Yuki raised an eyebrow and calmly asked, “Well...aren't you the best martial artist in the whole Clan? That would qualify you as our best warrior, you know.”

Kyo blinked at him, too bemused to say anything. Finally, he shook his head and looked away, keeping Yuki in the tail of his eye at all times. He still wasn't used to relating that well with the nezumi! He coughed slightly, embarrassed.

“Yeah...well... This warrior would have a kami approach him in his dreams, and offer him a choice. He'd pick one person to--link with, whose life would...be the limit, to his. Then that warrior wouldn't ever have to worry about dying from his own wounds during a fight; and--if he chose the Clan Head he was protecting, he wouldn't have to worry about committing seppuku if he failed his lord.” Kyo had a grim smile at that.

He paused, gathering his thoughts. There really wasn't that much more to it--just the most embarrassing part. A glance at Yuki showed him waiting, expectantly, eyes glued to the slightly nervous neko.

Kyo sighed, lowering his head. “You wouldn't remember this--but a few months before Akito made Hatori take your memories of me...right after he'd taken the memories of those kids who saw you transform at that party, I made you a promise. `To protect you all that I can, forever and ever, and after that too; even if Akito makes you forget all about me...' Then he did; and I have, as much as I could get away with. It's not like I could come out and do anything openly; not--with Akito bein' like he is.

“Then I read that part of the Neko's Diary, about the third curse...and...a kami popped into my dreams that night. I'd been worrying about how to keep my promise...so I chose you; and, well, here we are...” Red bangs hid Kyo's eyes as he kept his head down, a bit embarrassed.

That kami had looked very upset, and tried very hard to dissuade Kyo from choosing just then--but when he failed to change the neko's mind, the kami had suddenly smiled and approved, `blessing' Kyo with the `third curse'. The down-side was the not being able to die part; but that was also the up-side, since in conjunction with the Vengeful Cat curse, he could heal. He would be able to survive, to keep on protecting Yuki where he could.

Kyo wasn't sure he really wanted Yuki to know the part about him being able to sense the nezumi's strongest emotions, through their link. Especially negative ones; like depression, anger--and pain. That was the main way he could always tell when Akito was beating the nezumi, how he knew when to call in help. He didn't have to actually see it, to know what was going on.

Kamis! If he found out about that, Yuki might figure out a way to sense his emotions through the link. Granted, turn-about's fair play and all that, but still...!

-.-.-.-.-.-

Yuki sat back in his chair, slightly awed at the neko. That promise--! Yuki wasn't at all certain he could have kept a promise like that--not all these years, and not under all the pressure Kyo had been under! He felt vaguely ashamed of himself, for ever thinking anything bad about the neko.

Not that he could truly be blamed for it--not after Hatori took his memories away, and not when all his new memories of Kyo involved being attacked or picked on, in one way or another. In retrospect, he could see how very careful Kyo had to have been that no one would catch on, when he helped the nezumi in any way. If Akito had found out that Hatori couldn't affect Kyo's memories--

Yuki shuddered. Kyo might have immediately been locked up in the Neko's House. That wouldn't have done anyone a bit of good!

Kami-sama!--no wonder Kyo had been scared about being locked up; he'd have been stuck in there until Yuki died! When it got to be too much, he'd still have been forced to endure! Yuki shuddered convulsively as that thought ran through his mind, wrapping his arms about himself and hunching inwards.

Then a wiry-strong arm was wrapped about his shoulders, pulling him over against Kyo's ribs as the neko sat on the arm of the chair. “Oi, you kuso nezumi--cut it out, will you?!” Kyo's tone was almost gently chiding. The way he said `kuso nezumi' wasn't like a curse so much as a nickname, based off some private joke. “That's nowhere near as big a thing as what you an' the others are doin' for me, right now. Going against Akito ain't hard for me--he's never liked me in the first place; I didn't lose anything doing it, and it kept me too busy to feel sorry for myself all the time. You, though--”

Yuki felt it when Kyo's breath hitched; the solid wall of muscle against his cheek shuddered, slightly, as the embracing arm tensed. He closed his eyes as a wispy-faint touch briefly tousled his hair.

“The whole lot of you have everything to lose; and no guarantee of a cure for your curses, either. So--don't you go freakin' out on me, or anything! Tohru's the only one around here can get away with freakin' out!”

Yuki smirked at the frustration that crept into Kyo's voice. He made no move to break the hug yet, though. “Kyo...”

“Don't you dare say what I think you're gonna say, damnit!!”

An idea popped into Yuki's head, too good to resist. It wasn't often he felt the urge to tease. In his best imitation of Momiji's whiniest voice, he declared, “But Kyo-kun, I'm hu-u-un-gry-y-y!”

There was dead silence from the neko; just the impression of bristling fur. He'd tensed up so much it felt to Yuki like he'd turned to stone from shock.

Kyo's frozen reaction drew a snicker out of the nezumi. He opened his eyes and twisted to gaze with his best wide-eyed-innocent expression up at Kyo, who was staring down at him in flat-eyed exasperation, lips pursed (and twitching minutely at the corners, Yuki noticed with carefully concealed glee) and red eyes narrowed. The neko's fingers drummed absently on Yuki's shoulder, until Kyo caught himself.

“What did you think I was going to say, baka neko?” Still in a too-sweet voice, the insult sounding like a warped endearment.

Kyo snorted and smacked himself in the face with his free hand, drawing it slowly down to his chin before letting it drop to his side. “Okay, okay. What-ever...” A quick squeeze of Yuki's shoulders and he was standing again, staring down at his cousin with a half-way amused smirk, hands on hips. “You have any more questions, or am I fixing us something to eat now?”

Yuki stared him in the eye, thinking. Kyo was a master of misdirection...but he wasn't a liar, except by omission. If there was anything else to his curse, unless Yuki stumbled over it, the neko wouldn't likely bring it up on his own. But if asked directly, and held to the subject... The nezumi considered his words carefully. It had to be worded correctly.

“What else about the curse haven't you told me?”

Kyo flinched, slightly. Yuki smirked; he'd just known the neko was holding something back. That's why he hadn't asked if there was `anything else he should know' about the curse; Kyo obviously thought he didn't `need' to know everything about it.

Yuki waited patiently to see how Kyo would try to get out of answering.

“Ah, and here I thought you were hungry... Does this mean you don't want me cooking? Ain't it good enough for you, ya kuso nezumi?!” Kyo glared as he gave a shot at changing the subject, though by now he knew very well that the old tactics weren't working on Yuki. His damnable cousin just didn't get mad at him any more!

It was frustrating the neko no end--he hadn't been able to get into even a halfway decent fight with Yuki since his rescue, and he really felt the need for a good spar! Sneaking off to do his katas just wasn't as much fun.

Yuki's level stare didn't change by so much as a twitch of the lips. Kyo sighed in resignation, eyes rolling briefly heavenwards.

“Fine. There's just one thing I didn't tell you. The link lets me know when you're feeling really strong emotions--mainly stuff like anger, fear, pain--that sort of thing. Distance doesn't seem to matter.”

Yuki slowly flushed, then paled, then flushed again, as implications came to mind. `Strong emotions?'

Shimatta!!!

It took him several minutes to get control of the suddenly whirling maelstrom of his emotions. Seeing Kyo flinch and hunch in on himself a bit helped to focus him on the single emotion of anger; that Kyo could `read' him so easily, that the baka neko hadn't told him sooner; that he hadn't figured it out for himself...

Once focused, he dealt with the anger as quickly as he could. It wasn't easy; he spent several minutes arguing with himself, before finally being able to at least partially let it go. It wasn't Kyo's `fault,' not really; it was part of his kuso curse. And Yuki was well aware, after having talked with Hatori, that Kyo was definitely the one responsible for saving him from Akito beating him nearly to death, on many occasions. If this part of Kyo's curse was the means he'd used to know when Yuki needed help, well, then Yuki would just have to learn to deal with it. Somehow.

He suddenly realized he was feeling--ashamed? Yuki blinked in confusion. What was causing that?! When he concentrated on the sensation, he was unable to figure it out.

When he looked back at Kyo, the neko was staring at the floor, still subtly hunched in on himself. Looking just like Yuki--

--felt...??

Yuki's eyes got big as he suddenly realized that the link was two-way. Kyo could pick up on his strong feelings--and he could pick up on Kyo's. This would definitely merit experimentation!

But--not just then. Yuki wanted to think this discovery over in private, first. He had a feeling he'd always been picking up on Kyo's emotions, and just hadn't realized it. There had been times in past years when he'd...felt things, feelings that made no sense to him; faint, tenuous emotions that were easy to ignore.

Besides, he really was hungry; and Kyo was a really good cook. Plus, it was very late. There would be time to figure things out, tomorrow, when he wasn't likely to fall asleep in the middle of his thoughts.

-.-.-.-.-.-