Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction / Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Neko no Yume - Cat of Dreams ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I own neither Natsuki Takaya's `Fruits Basket' nor Matsuri Akino's `Petshop of Horrors'.

Gee...only one review...? ::sigh:: C'mon, I won't melt if somebody tells me they don't like a specific something. I might blubber in private for a few minutes, but I'll get over it. ,'=]

Enjoy!

2-24-07 EDIT--EEP! Caught one typo, then added a word here--then two more there; then a whole section jumped out and bothered me. Next thing I knew, I'd added 500 words! Sheesh. Nothing too major; mainly clarification.

Chapter 2

 

Yuki was the first person to notice that Kyo was speaking to, and just generally treating his new `pet' as if she were human. The first time Yuki saw an indication of this, he had been walking down the upstairs hall of Shigure's house and saw his orange-haired cousin in his bedroom, standing there, talking and waving his arms for all the world as if he were discussing something with someone in fierce whispers--but the only other living being in his bedroom had been Yume, curled up on the middle of his futon and staring up at him with calm, attentive black eyes.

 

Yuki had smirked and written it off as his hot-tempered cousin finally snapping, talking to himself like a fool; or perhaps practicing arguing--as if he needed help being a contrary idiot! The Zodiac-cursed Sohmas had a special affinity with the animals whose curse they bore, true; but that didn't bestow human intelligence on the creatures. The rat-cursed boy snorted at the thought of holding any sort of meaningful conversation with the rats he was `gifted' with understanding. None of the animals of the Zodiac curse actually spoke, in anything like human words; the cursed Sohmas were simply given to understand the simple emotions and intentions of their curse animals, as well as being able to project their own meaning in the same manner when speaking to the creatures.

 

The next evening, Yuki's attention had been captured by the way the black feline seemed to be responding to Kyo's words. She would nod her head, or cock it questioningly...and Kyo would act for all the world as if he were speaking to a human being. Who was responding intelligently. It was rather like hearing half of a telephone conversation--of an argument on philosophy. An animated, disturbingly interesting argument on philosophy, with quite well-thought-out points of view.

 

The now distressed rat's eyebrows rose as he sidled quietly away, feeling his hackles standing at attention with his disquiet at this oddity. He gave his cousin odd looks for a couple of days afterwards, as he tried to deal with the discovery that the `stupid' cat was quite capable of intelligently arguing the finer points of the human condition.

 

--With a cat.

 

A cat that had been paying studious attention, looking for all the world as if it had been answering him back; arguing, and intelligently--if Yuki only had the ears to hear its manner of speech.

 

Further now-careful observation proved to Yuki that whatever else that black cat might be, it was intelligent as any human--and understood Japanese quite well, thank you very much. Out of a morbid kind of curiosity, he began speaking to it as if it were human, himself--so long as he thought there was no one there to catch him at it. He couldn't get vocal answers out of it, other than normal feline sounds of inquiry, encouragement, agreement or denial; but the creature was quite clear in its body language, if you bothered to pay attention.

 

It also seemed to take obvious pains to be clear in answering him, as if using `baby talk' with the poor, disabled human. He swore he saw amusement in its too-black eyes.

 

Kyo had given him a rather sharp look the first time he walked into the kitchen and caught Yuki speaking to Yume as if she were a human girl. Surprisingly, that look held no anger--just an intense kind of questioning, with thoughts moving quickly behind those red eyes. When the expected explosion didn't happen, Yuki frowned at him in puzzlement. The rat would have expected at least some form of snide ridicule from the cat, if not his usual anger.

 

But Kyo merely looked away, discomfited. Then he left; without a word, or even a glare. Yume had cocked her head curiously after Kyo, given one long, slow blink, then settled herself more comfortably on the chair she had chosen for napping, choosing to ignore Yuki's presence. He'd been too confused by Kyo's lack of reaction to pursue her attention, instead ending up tending to his garden for the rest of the afternoon in an effort to soothe his flustered nerves.

 

It had admittedly taken Yuki a couple of days at first to deal with the primal sense of pure fear that rose up and tried to choke off his breath, whenever Kyo's new `pet' stared at him with what his curse absolutely insisted were hungry black eyes. The Rat's spirit within him was absolutely terrified by that shadow-spawned creature, and refused to be reassured by Yuki's continuing victories in the once more infrequent fights with a much more self-possessed Kyo. The Cat-cursed boy's now greatly calmed temper didn't help a bit; the Rat's spirit became quite paranoid at this unusual behavior.

 

After all, if the cat could control his ferocious temper, he'd quit handicapping himself whenever he fought Yuki. And for all Kyo had never won once for as long as they'd been fighting, Yuki was very well aware that his annoying cousin was actually his better at martial arts, by a fair bit. When he wasn't too angry to think straight, anyway. Which was why Yuki had always taken great pains to set Kyo's fiery temper alight at every opportunity, ensuring the fool cat would get angry at the mere sight of his most hated foe. Kyo's gullibility in this matter fueled Yuki's arrogant disdain for his cousin, even as his jealousy over the cat's seemingly easy way with other people made it easy to constantly insult him in ways both subtle, and not.

 

Yuki was disturbed to realize, once he started treating the black cat as he would a human, that he was also beginning to understand Kyo more than a bit better--because he had started unconsciously noticing the Cat-cursed boy's body language, instead of concentrating on just his words. For that matter, he simply found himself actually looking at Kyo for a change, at his expressions and silent mannerisms; instead of simply ignoring the fiery-tempered boy as much as possible and only responding to his usually un-thought words, as had been the rat's habit in the past.

 

Yuki had never paid that much attention to Kyo, before...he really didn't know all that much about the cousin he supposedly hated so much. For instance, he'd never noticed that Kyo's face could show so much sad longing, when the cat looked at friends or family groups out enjoying themselves together; or that he could have such a tender, caring expression as when he looked at Tohru--always and only when her back was turned to him. Or that Kyo could take on such a look of tight-jawed anxiousness; suppressed fear, even, whenever Akito's name was mentioned. The rat had always thought the idiot cat was rather unaffected by their Clan Head's threatening presence; probably because he so very rarely was permitted even a glimpse of Akito, and was forbidden to come to the Main House except for the annual New Year's celebration, for his ceremonial exclusion.

 

Kyo certainly always egged the rest of them on to defy the Clan Head whenever he saw them showing the least signs of cowering before their `god'. Yuki had come to believe the cat felt none of the overpowering fear and compulsion to obey their `god' that the rest of them accepted as part of their sorry lot in this cursed life.

 

The rat was dumbfounded to see the cat look so astonishingly worried when Hatori unexpectedly showed up to take Yuki to the Main House for a mandatory `visit' with Akito. That was definitely worry in those crimson eyes, that the cat was quite obviously--to someone who was bothering to pay any attention at all--trying to cover up with professed anger and disinterest. The way those crimson eyes couldn't seem to keep from flicking glances towards him and Hatori as the dragon escorted the rat out of Shigure's house, as well as the shadow with the hint of orange about the head that appeared to stare out of that upstairs window after them as Hatori drove them off--bothered Yuki.

 

It bothered him even more, when that shadow was still there when he returned, several hours later. Tohru had apparently been persuaded to go to bed instead of waiting up for him; but the cat kept up his vigil until the rat was back in the house. Kyo quite obviously hadn't wanted him to know that the cat had waited up. Which led Yuki to wonder just how many times Kyo had done the like, that he had never known about.

 

He held perfectly a couple hours later when nearly soundless footsteps padded down the hall and stopped right by his door. He'd easily heard the soft scrape of wood when it slid open a fraction several moments later, and saw through slitted eyes when a dark shadow quietly peered in at him. There was no way it was Tohru; much as he cared for her, Yuki knew very well how clumsy the girl could be...besides, she wasn't that tall. The shadowy figure sighed almost soundlessly, but still with audible relief that Yuki appeared to be sleeping peacefully, before quietly sliding the door shut once more and padding a too-short ways back down the hallway. Yuki just barely heard another door open, then close.

 

The stairs never creaked; there was no way he could convince himself it had really been Shigure. His mind didn't want to deal with the knowledge of who it had to be, checking up on him; but he forced himself to wrap his thoughts about the idea.

 

Noticing the way Kyo carefully avoided their usual fighting the next day, until he'd had a chance to see for certain through not-so-subtle observation that the rat wasn't at all moving as if he were injured, threw Yuki into so much confusion he nearly failed a test at school as he tried to convince himself he was imagining things. But every time he looked, that day, Kyo's eyes were on him--the concern stunningly clear for just a split second before the cat covered the emotion with a glare, or simply looked quickly away.

 

Yuki couldn't for the life of him figure out why Kyo would be concerned, when Akito called him to the Main House...it's not like the cat cared what happened to the rat!

 

...Right?

 

Kyo hated Yuki. The foolish cat didn't even know what Akito did to the rat!

 

...did he...?

 

Did...Kyo know? Did he...actually...

 

...care...?

 

Yuki spent several days in a state of constant indigestion, above and beyond the stress of that luckily `brief' meeting with a sicklier than normal Akito, as his mind and heart tried to deal with the profoundly disturbing thought of the cat's concern. He had seen the brief expression of relief on Kyo's face at breakfast the next morning, when the cat first laid eyes directly on the rat in the light of day...and confirmed that Yuki seemed uninjured, physically at any rate. The cat had quite obviously been worrying, in his own way; just as Tohru had been. Even the irrepressible Shigure had still been up when Yuki returned, late as it had been; immediately poking his head out of his study as Yuki came in the front door. The dog's dark eyes had been inscrutable until with a crude remark, he pulled his usual perverted idiot persona about himself like a cloak. If he hadn't been thinking so much about Kyo's unexpected and inexplicable concern, Yuki might have never noticed Shigure's not-so-obvious worry.

 

It had been rather gratifying, the relief at his safe return he'd seen in each of those three sets of eyes; even as he'd been embarrassed to have caused so much concern in the household. He'd wondered that morning just how long his cousins had planned on waiting up for him, even as he and Kyo indulged in a brief verbal spat to let off pent up frustrations. It didn't have anything like the level of animosity they'd once had for each other; he'd realized with a start of surprise that he rather enjoyed this pointed banter with his `enemy'. He didn't have to pull his verbal `punches'; Kyo could take his insults, and fling back some of his own. Yuki didn't have to be perpetually careful of what he said to Kyo; didn't have to think of too-polite inanities to cloak what he truly wanted to say. He could just--let it all out; all of his frustrations and anger.

 

He wondered if the habitually standoffish Kyo felt the same way. Not that Kyo ever appeared to spend any effort at restraining his sometimes acidic, un-thought comments with anyone, other than Tohru; but still. The cat was known to show regret for his hasty words, at times.

 

For a week afterwards, Yuki lay sleepless in his bed for several hours each night before finally falling into an emotionally exhausted sleep; unable to get the memory of Kyo's brief, unguarded moment of concern--or the follow-up relief the next morning, at the rat's safe return--out of his mind's eye.

 

The suspicion had come to him that the cat had purposefully insulted him that first morning, to help him blow off the stress from seeing their `god'. The thought scared Yuki, even as it sent quite the unwelcome warmth through him. Both that Kyo might do something like that, for anyone--and that Kyo was capable of thinking of doing it in the first place. The insult `stupid cat' was seeming farther and farther from the truth, lately. Yuki realized, the more he paid attention, that he understood even less about his Cat-cursed cousin than he'd thought.

 

If Kyo...really had always known what Akito was doing to the rat; even if he hadn't done anything about it, any more than any of the rest of the family had ever done anything--as if there was anything the outcast, despised cat possibly could have done...

 

If Kyo didn't truly hate Yuki--

 

It just--upset Yuki's entire world-view. It was like finding out the sun really orbited the Earth, instead of the other way around; as if water would suddenly start falling upwards, and snow come only in the middle of summer. It wasn't--right!!

 

Though it wasn't as disturbing to Yuki as finding a strange and beautiful young woman with long, long black hair and even blacker eyes sitting calmly on his bed one evening, legs curled demurely under her as she waited patiently for him, leaning comfortably propped by one slender arm.

 

Yuki stopped dead in his doorway, frozen with eyes wide and jaw dropped, hand still on his door; a faint, sweetish scent of incense tickling at the edge of his attention as his wits deserted him in a sudden rush of disorientation. The stranger-girl stared unblinking back at him with an impassive, porcelain-skinned face, keeping still as a statue. Yuki forgot to breathe for a few moments until his lungs started to burn with the lack of air, his vision blurring.

 

There was something so decidedly feline about her that the Rat's spirit within him quailed, nearly sending him scurrying from his own bedroom. Yuki grit his teeth and stiffened his spine, violet eyes hardening; determined that he wouldn't be scared out of his own room by some strange girl who shouldn't even be in the house in the first place! Taking a deep and steadying breath, he slid his door closed behind him and stepped closer to face her; trying to ignore the strange sense of familiarity he found while looking into her obsidian eyes.

 

“Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?”

 

She cocked her head curiously to one side, shifting her legs a bit to settle herself more comfortably on his bed as her long locks shifted about her with seeming life of their own. One slow, languorous blink of those impossibly black eyes sent a thrill of fear chittering through his curse. Yuki clamped his lips tightly as he fought the urge to shriek in a strange mix of fear and frustration, holding himself steady with a fierce exercise of pure willpower as he stared back at her.

 

“Why are humans so slow...and so blind?”

 

Her voice was soft and low, with a purr to it that Yuki had somehow been halfway expecting. His eyes flicked towards Kyo's room for a second as his agile mind started connecting seemingly unrelated bits of information and feelings. It made no sense--but then again, what could a boy say, who was himself cursed to change into a rat? He was hardly one who could deny the existence of magic of any sort. The Rat's spirit seemed in terrified agreement with his sudden understanding.

 

Working at keeping his breathing steady, Yuki thought his voice stayed remarkably calm when he said, softly, “Yume.”

 

The sound she made as she cocked her head the other way was identical to the soft, questioning prrrrt? Kyo's new long-haired black cat would make when her name was called. She gave him a long, slow blink as Yuki realized this really was a human form that Kyo's cat could apparently take on at will. It certainly explained why Kyo had been treating her as human since he brought her home!

 

A boy who turns into a rat with a simple hug from any girl had no business getting hysterical over a cat who could take on human shape. Yuki repeated that thought to himself three times before the humor in the situation got the better of the Rat spirit's fear. After all, Yume had been living with them for a month, and had yet to show signs of wanting to have Rat for dinner; she wasn't likely to have changed her mind now, especially as well as Kyo kept her fed.

 

He hoped...!

 

A shiver rippled up his spine and down his arms before Yuki shook off the bemusement trying to wrap about his mind. He wanted to know why Yume had chosen to show him this form, at this time. He ignored the silent question in the back of his mind--was this really a cat who turned into a girl; or was it a girl who turned into a cat? It didn't really matter, all things considered; Yume was whatever she wished to be, by her actions. He just hoped he could get some answers out of her. He took a deep, steadying breath and determinedly gathered his scattered wits.

 

“What do you want from me?”

 

Yuki's instincts all shrieked when Yume almost poured herself off his bed and onto her feet. He didn't know of any human body that could move with such mesmerizing, fluid grace! Her hair all but floated after her like a cloak as she stepped close, putting her now quizzical face mere inches from Yuki's. It took a deal of effort for him to not step back from her unnerving, unblinking gaze.

 

“Why does he love you?”

 

Yuki's mind blanked. His eyes closed for a moment, then popped back open as he shook his head slightly. His mouth worked for a moment, until his voice finally came out as barely a squeak. “...what...?” He was concerned that his ears didn't seem to be working properly; Yume couldn't possibly have meant what he thought he'd just heard!

 

Interestingly enough, though Yume's human form didn't have eyebrows, Yuki could still clearly sense one going up in disbelief as those depthless obsidian eyes blinked at him. He swallowed, hard; then asked, “Who--do you mean?”

 

Yume leaned back from him a bit, standing straight and unconsciously proud as her eyes bored disdainfully into him. Yuki's breath came a tad easier at the added distance, though her expression somehow irritated him more than it should. The Rat's spirit was all but completely convinced that the cat-turned-human was about to eat Yuki, right now!

 

“He--whom I chose as Master. He loves you...all of you...though you have done nothing to earn it, and do not seem to appreciate it. Why?”

 

Yuki stared at her, a shiver of fear quivering through his mind as he began to wonder about his own sanity. He fell back on life-long beliefs and attitudes in defense. “What are you talking about?! Kyo hates me--always has, always will; just as I hate him! And who is `all of us'?!” He glared at the strange girl, the beginnings of anger clenching his jaw and his fists, his breath speeding up and shortening as his asthma started to kick in from stress.

 

Obsidian eyes slowly blinked as they stared at him, measuring. Her head cocked slightly as she ghosted sideways a step or two, Yuki automatically turning to keep facing her. Instinct and the Rat's spirit forbade him to let her be unwatched at his back. Curiosity and puzzlement grew on her delicate features, as she realized his confusion was not feigned.

 

“You--all of you Sohmas. His blood-kin.” Her eyes narrowed slightly with a touch of anger. “The Others have told me, he goes to see That One when the moon hides her face--and always comes back...hurt. Sometimes, That One only beats him. Sometimes...it is...worse.” That depthless gaze bored into Yuki's very brain, making him shift back a step without even realizing it, even as he quickly realized who `That One' surely had to be. With that venomous emphasis on the words, it could only be one person; whose mere name sent a thrill of terror through Yuki's veins as he remembered his own past encounters with the Sohma Clan Head. Yume was speaking again before his disoriented mind could grasp the meaning of `the moon hiding her face', or who `the Others' could be.

 

“None of you have done anything to foster his loyalty, or his regard; yet he is willing to suffer for you, to bear the brunt of your scorn--just so you cursed ones can have a scapegoat, someone worse off than you to make you feel better about yourselves. He could easily win any fight with you; but he purposefully holds back--has no intention of winning. He refuses to answer me why; refuses to admit it, even to himself. So I ask you: Why is it so important, that you two be enemies?”

 

Yuki blinked his confusion, silent with the force of it; wondering at his own sanity yet again. His mind refused to understand exactly what she was saying; instead focusing on the impossibility of Kyo ever mastering his volatile temper enough to beat him in a fight. Even if the cat had been unreasonably calm lately. Even if Yuki knew very well that Kyo was his better at martial arts, when the cat's temper wasn't controlling him.

 

Was Yume trying to tell him--Kyo's temper had always been a ruse? An excuse for his losing? That made no sense!

 

Before he could organize his thoughts enough to find his voice, Yume's face took on a mildly disgusted expression and she snorted, delicately; turning away from him. She took a step towards the door before swinging back around, hair swaying wildly about her as she glared at him.

 

“You don't know. Do you.” Her gaze went scornful, then pensively. “It has something to do with That One. He doesn't trust That One; and you cursed ones all are bound...like chained dogs.” Her eyes snapped back into focus, angry determination clear in them. “He will not answer; and you cannot. So--I will simply meet That One for myself, when next he goes.” She nodded sharply with her decision, spinning gracefully and all but flowing from Yuki's room as he stared after her, mind still too stunned to think clearly. His emotions were a mess--a writhing mixture of anger, confusion, disbelief; a strange, heart-felt ache; denial...

 

Yuki suddenly started and took an involuntary step after Yume, alarm ringing through him as her words truly registered in his mind. She wanted to meet Akito?!? That was impossible! Human or cat, Akito wouldn't allow it; she would only get Kyo punished for trying, and maybe--his mind whispered the thought--maybe Akito would become angry enough to have Kyo locked up!

 

Wait--why should he care if Kyo was punished, or even locked up?! It was the stupid cat, after all! Wouldn't it be wonderful, not to have to worry about the cat attacking him at any moment? Not to have to watch him get along so easily with strangers, as Yuki could not? Except--now that he'd been paying attention, it certainly seemed like Kyo gave a damn about Yuki's visits to the Clan Head; the cat was worried about the rat, his supposed worst enemy. How could Yuki not be at least a little concerned for the cat's welfare, in return? Even if Kyo obviously didn't want Yuki knowing about his concern?

 

Yume's words about Kyo's curse making the rest of the Zodiac-cursed feel better about themselves came back to him. Was that...the true function of the cat-cursed, the reason he was traditionally locked away? To be despised by the others cursed by the Zodiac, who could then feel superior to the poor fool who was suffering under the cat's dual curse, as well as being caged for merely being born at the wrong time?

 

“It's not my fault! It's not my fault!!”

 

Echoes of child-Kyo's voice raised in that anguished cry during his mother's funeral ricocheted almost painfully through Yuki's mind. He couldn't really blame Kyo for trying to pin the blame for his miserable life onto the rat-cursed, when he thought about it; everyone else certainly tried to blame the cat for all of their troubles...and the Rat was the one who supposedly tricked the Cat into missing God's Banquet, in the old Zodiac story. He doubted he could have handled the crushing despair Kyo must live with on a daily basis for anywhere near this long; he was barely handling the curse of the Rat's spirit without falling to pieces!

 

Who did Kyo have to look to, assuring him things could be worse--but weren't? Who would even try to say it to him?

 

Yuki's lips drew tight over his teeth as his expression firmed with determination. He purposefully walked out of his room and after Yume, chasing after the bit of black hair he saw disappearing into Kyo's room before he could change his mind. By the time he stood in the doorway, the familiar long-haired black cat had leapt up and settled herself comfortably in her usual spot right in the middle of Kyo's bed.

 

The cat-cursed boy gave Yume a startled look from his spot rummaging in a drawer, a neatly folded shirt in one hand, before turning to find Yuki standing in his doorway. Crimson eyes narrowed as a sneer curled his lip.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Ignoring Kyo's unencouraging tone, Yuki stared at Yume, who stared oh-so-innocently back at him as only a cat can manage. “I just had the most...interesting...conversation.” Violet-gray eyes rose to meet confused, intense red that were shrouded in what could easily be confused for an angry expression, but was actually just nervous defensiveness. A surge of contrariness surged through Yuki as he struggled to form the words for what he wanted to know. He ended up loosing his tongue only to blurt out, “Why do you always let me win?”

 

The rat clearly saw the almost terrified shock that flashed across his cousin's face as the cat jerked back in surprise, before Kyo shuttered his eyes behind a flare of anger that was halfhearted, at best. Kyo's breathing went strained and his muscles tensed, his body unconsciously moving the rest of the way into a defensive ready position as Yuki took a rather aggressive step towards him, never breaking his gaze. The cat couldn't seem to find any words to say, especially not with the rat suddenly so close in his face; looking so...stressed.

 

Kyo glanced towards Yume, who was casually grooming her shoulder, ignoring both boys while projecting quite the determined air of innocence. Red eyes narrowed as the cat-cursed boy growled, quickly realizing his `pet' had both introduced herself to his cousin in the manner in which he was used to seeing her; and had raised questions in that analytical brain that he'd have the devil of a time to avoid answering. He turned back to Yuki, and his anger slipped from his mind at the look of confused dismay on the rat's face. He'd taken too long to try to answer. Yuki's voice when he spoke again was barely more than strangled whisper.

 

“So...it's true...! Why?!!” Hands fisting, Yuki took another step towards Kyo as his voice rose. The cat instinctively stepped back. “What do you have to gain, fighting with me all the time--only to lose?!”

 

Kyo squirmed within his skin and looked everywhere but at Yuki, desperately trying to think up a plausible excuse; soundly cursing himself for not spouting a denial right away. His silence had doomed any attempt to deny it; Yuki would never believe it now. A cold shiver rippled its way up his spine. He turned a downright venomous gaze on Yume, who stopped her attempt at unconcerned grooming and calmly met his eyes, not intimidated in the least by his anger. She'd done this to him on purpose, he knew. First she'd made him think about his fights with Yuki, that by all rights he should be winning--then made him consciously realize he did give a damn about his `hated' cousin's welfare. It had taken him until Yuki's last visit to Akito to understand why he'd never allow himself to win; not even to save himself from the cage Akito had ready for him after graduation.

 

Yume drew herself up to sit primly on his futon, watching him closely. Kyo snorted with disgusted resignation, knowing cats--most especially, this cat--much too well to ever think he could hope to influence her actions. Whatever he said to Yuki, Yume would quite clearly contradict him if it wasn't the truth. He wished he could damn her for ripping away the comfortable blanket of denial he'd been wrapped in...but knew he never would. Painful as it was, knowing his own motivations gave him a sense of peace he'd never felt before, bittersweet as it was.

 

“Tell me!!” Yuki was nose-to-nose with him now, glaring up the scant difference in their heights almost with desperation. The intensity in his violet eyes told Kyo he wasn't going to let this go.

 

Kyo wistfully considered lying, in spite of Yume; but knew he wasn't good enough at a straight lie to convince even Tohru, the most trusting person he knew. The only kind of lying he was any good at was through misdirection. He then considered making a break for the door, or just plain jumping right out his window--but this was his room; and besides, Yuki would quite possibly plant himself on Kyo's bed and wait for the cat to return, however long it took.

 

Not to mention what else that traitorous Yume might decide to tell him, without Kyo there to head her off!

 

Kyo had opened his mouth a couple times, still struggling to think of something to say, when a glaring Yuki reached up and grabbed a double fist-full of his collar, yanking Kyo nose-to-nose with him. The suspicious shine to angry violet eyes, dilated nearly black from the recent shocks to his system, shocked away the anger Kyo had been trying to dredge up. His own hands came up and gripped Yuki's wrists on pure instinct, ready to wrench them away even if it meant ruining his shirt...but he couldn't seem to find any strength in his arms when he realized that Yuki was trembling, ever so slightly; more upset than Kyo had ever seen him--at least when Akito wasn't involved.

 

Their gazes locked for a couple minutes, until Kyo's eyes finally slid sullenly down and to the side, his body slumping as his tense readiness deserted him. His lips tightened into a thin line as he carefully pried Yuki's hands from his shirt. The rat allowed it, still staring intensely at Kyo's face, but didn't back off at all otherwise. Still holding to Yuki's wrists, Kyo brought his eyes back up to meet that almost anguished gaze. He flinched, slightly; Yuki could almost see the desire to avoid answering in Kyo's face as the cat struggled to collect his thoughts.

 

Finally, Kyo stepped back, letting go of Yuki's wrists. His breathing was rough as he glanced once at an intently staring Yume, tension cording his muscles as his hands fisted at his sides. Yuki remained quiet, hoping his so-annoying cousin would give him an answer he could understand.

 

-.-.-.-