Wool and Leather

The following morning, Haru left Momiji's house quite early, unable to stand the cranky Yuki, and a very angry Kyo. It was only six in the morning and they were already fighting.
“ Hatsuharu?” He heard his mother call as he removed his shoes.
“ Yeah, mom?” He stared up at her, swaying slightly. Momiji had kept him up late by attempting to read them all ghost stories.
“ Hiro came by last night, he said he had something for you.” She said, peeking out from the kitchen. “ Whatever it was, he left it in your room.”
“ Thanks.” He called as he hurried up the stairs towards his room, eager to find out what Hiro had left for him. He turned on the light to his room, and kicked a pile of cloths out of his way. He spotted a tiny black box upon his nightstand. He approached it slowly, reaching out and picking it up. He opened the box and took out the necklace. He stared wide eyed at it's magnificent blue color. He held it up to the window against the sunlight, fascinated with the way it shimmered against the light. It almost looked like an ocean trapped within the stone.
“ Haru?” He jumped and nearly dropped the necklace. Yuki stood in his doorway, holding his favorite white coat. “ You left your coat.” He said, holding it up to him.
“ Thanks.” He said, placing the necklace upon his desk.
“ Where did you get that from?” Yuki asked, eyeing the necklace.
“ Hiro gave it to me.” Haru said, smiling slightly.
“ It's nice.” Yuki said, surveying it with interest. Haru sat upon his bed with a sigh. “ Is everything okay?” Yuki asked, seating himself beside him.
“ It's just...” Haru hesitated a moment, looking up at Yuki. He and Yuki had always been close friends, he knew Yuki was someone he could trust. He just wasn't sure if he was ready to admit it yet.
“ It's about Hiro isn't it?” Yuki said, smirking slightly.
“ I...” Haru sighed, there was no point in denying it. “ I just...I had a dream...About him.” Haru said quietly. “ I can't stop worrying about him...”
“ The bullies, right?” Yuki asked, rising from the bed slowly.
“ Yeah...I'm afraid he'll get beat up again, and I wont be there to stop it.” Haru said, shaking his head.
“ I see.”
“ Yuki...I want to...Protect him..” Haru said slowly, staring down at his feet. He heard Yuki give a quiet sigh. “ Is that...wrong of me?”
“ I don't think so.” Haru looked up at Yuki, feeling more confused than ever. “ He's your little cousin. You should feel that way.” He said with a gentle smile. Haru nodded, returning the smile. “ I have to head home now. I'll see you later.” Yuki said, heading towards the door. Haru waved to him, then turned back towards the scribbled note upon his nightstand. He smiled at Hiro's handwriting. It wasn't bad, but it was somewhat messy. He stood and put the necklace on, staring down at it. He was rather fond of the color blue, even though most of his cloths were white or black. He decided to visit Hiro later as he headed down to breakfast. He wasn't exactly sure about what he'd say to the lamb, he just knew that he wanted to see him as soon as possible.

Haru knocked upon the door to Hiro's house. It was around mid-day and he figured now was a good time to pay Hiro a visit.
“ What?” Hiro opened the door cautiously, glaring up at him. “ Here, just come in. My mom is still at work.” Hiro stepped aside, allowing Haru into the house.
“ Pardon my intrusion.” Haru said quietly, kicking off his shoes and placing them neatly beside Hiro's.
“ Are you hungry? Or thirsty?” Hiro asked, heading towards the kitchen. Haru eyed him for a second. Hiro was being unusually courteous towards him. It wasn't like the lamb at all.
“ I'm fine.” Haru said, smirking slightly. He followed Hiro up to his room, remaining silent. It was the first time he had seen Hiro's room. Unlike his, the room was tidy. The books upon Hiro's shelf were organized and aligned perfectly, and his bed made, not a wrinkle in the covers. Haru seated himself upon the bed, staring lethargically at Hiro.
“ Did you come here to stare at me?” Hiro snapped, frowning angrily.
“ No...I wanted to thank you.” Haru said, reaching into his shirt and holding up the necklace.
“ Baka...Don't thank me.” Hiro sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “ I owed you one anyways.” The lamb seemed to have great difficulty with this sentence. Haru found it difficult to contain his laughter from the look upon Hiro's face.
“ How are things at school?” Haru asked, changing the subject.
“ Fine...” Hiro said, his arms still crossed. He shifted his weight awkwardly and stared back at the ox as if expecting something from him.
“ If you need me...I'm always here.” Haru said, smiling gently.
“ Okay...” Hiro averted his gaze and stared down at the floor, his cheeks turning a tinge of pink.
“ When I was speaking with Yuki this morning...I realized just how worried I was.” Haru said, placing the necklace back into his shirt. Hiro frowned at the mention of Yuki's name.
“ You talk with Yuki a lot?” Hiro asked, glancing up at Haru.
“ I guess...I trust him the most.” Haru said with a nod. Haru was surprised to find that Hiro looked somewhat upset with his choice of words.
“ You like Yuki...Don't you?” Hiro asked quietly, looking somewhat hurt.
“ I like Yuki, a lot.” Haru said, watching as Hiro let his arms fall to his side.
“ It's always...Tohru Honda...Or Yuki...” Hiro said, gritting his teeth together. “ It's like I don't exist.” Hiro turned his back to Haru. “ Even the cat seems to receive more love than I.” Haru sat in silence, frowning. Hiro was at that difficult age, where it was hard to still consider him a kid. Haru ran a hand through his hair, wondering when he stopped seeing Hiro as a child. He was only thirteen years old.
“ Don't say that.” Haru said, lifting himself from the bed. “ There are so many people that love and care for you.”
“ Don't lie, Haru...” Hiro sighed, balling his hands into fists. “ Even you know it's true...” Haru could see Hiro's shoulders quivering from where he stood. The scene before him tore him apart. He felt as if someone had locked an iron vice around his heart. Without a word, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his younger cousin. He felt Hiro's tiny frame tense against his. Hiro turned towards him, frowning slightly.
“ I don't lie.” Haru said, kneeling before Hiro and brushing a few stray strands of hair from his face. He could see all the color rising to Hiro's cheeks. Before he could stop himself, he was leaning forward, closing the synapse between them. He gently pressed his lips against Hiro's. Hiro gave a start and pulled away from him immediately.
“ Haru...” Hiro's eyes were wide. The poor boy looked petrified. Haru was instantly stabbed with a white hot dagger of guilt.
“ I'm sorry.” Haru stood abruptly, quickly heading for the door. “ Stop!” He felt Hiro collide with the small of his back, grasping his arm tightly. “ I was...Jealous.” Haru's heart skipped at beat at Hiro's words. “ I wanted you to look at me...Not Yuki...” Haru turned and slowly reached down to run his hand through Hiro's hair. He felt Hiro tugging at the front of his shirt, urging him downward. Haru knelt once more, taking Hiro into his arms. The boy smelt sweet and fresh, like chamomile. Haru took a long breath to steady himself. Hiro stared up at Haru, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. The look was something between adoration and awe. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Hiro's once more. He pulled Hiro closer, holding him tighter. He felt Hiro's lips part slightly in a silent gasp. Haru took the chance to delve his tongue into Hiro's mouth. The boy tasted just as sweet as he smelt. He ran his hands up Hiro's shirt, gliding his hands across the smooth skin of his stomach. His whole body gave a shudder as Hiro let out a quiet moan.
“ Hiro! I'm home!” Both Haru and Hiro gave a start as the sound of the front door slamming shut rang through the house.
“ Mom's home...” Hiro said, looking up at Haru with flushed cheeks and an innocent stare. Haru stood and adjusted his coat, covering the bulge that had begun to grow in his pants.
“ Oh! Hatsuharu's here?” Hiro's mother greeted him as they descended the stairs.
“ I have to go. I have a lot of homework to start on.” Haru said, hurrying to the door and slipping on his shoes.
“ Such a good boy. Keeping up with your studies.” Hiro's mom cooed from the kitchen. Hiro rolled his eyes and stood in the doorway. The blush still hadn't faded from his cheeks.
“ Can I see you tomorrow?” Hiro asked quietly, staring at his feet.
“ You can come over anytime you want.” Haru said, smiling down at him. “ I'll see you then.” He called as he pushed the door open and hurried outside. He let out a sigh as he walked back to his house, his pants still uncomfortably tight. It was a good thing Hiro's mom had come home, or he may of done something indecent to the poor little lamb. Or worse, his Black side might have ascended and then he wouldn't of been able to stop himself even if he wanted to. He increased his walking pace, hurrying home to fix the “problem” that was currently straining at his pants.

Hiro frowned, stressing over his unfinished homework. He had put it off until the end of spring break, and school was in two days. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't focus on his studies, which had never been a problem before. He had gone to see Haru once since they had kissed, and it was real awkward. They did kiss again, but it was brief and detached. Haru seemed jumpy, and cautious, which bothered him slightly. Hiro angrily scribbled out a math problem and crumpled the paper into a tiny ball. He nibbled the end of his pencil, trying to focus on his homework. He wondered if kissing Haru had been a bad thing. Haru was older than him, and in high school. He wasn't sure if Haru still looked at him like a child, or an equal. He sat forward and harshly banged his head on the desk, keeping his face firmly planted on his notebook. If Akito found out as well, he might get angry again like he had when Hiro had confronted him about Kisa. Kisa. Since when did he stop liking her? He felt a sudden detachment towards her since Tohru Honda had come into their lives. She stopped coming over to his house, and had stopped bringing him books or new video games to try. She always brought them to Tohru now. The thoughts were slightly depressing, though he couldn't help himself from getting giddy every time he thought of kissing Haru. He shook his head and resumed jotting down quick answers.

Haru paced his room irritably, glaring at the pile of finished homework upon his desk. He had gotten angry at it and flew through it with ease. Now that his homework was done, there was nothing to distract him from his newfound obsession. He had become quite disturbed with his current thoughts of the lamb. He wasn't a pervert, though the recent dreams he'd been having lately suggested otherwise. He fell face first upon his bed, staring blankly at the wall. There was sexual tension between Hiro and himself.
“ You mean to say you're positively lusting after the poor boy.” A voice in the back of his mind mimicked.
“ Shut up.” He said to himself, clamping his eyes shut. He listened to the silence of the empty house around him, trying to calm his nerves somewhat. It wasn't helping. He heard the doorbell ring, and almost flew off the bed. Hoping for any kind of distraction whatsoever. He hurried down the stairs and opened the door, only to find that it was the distraction himself.
“ Hi.” Hiro looked up at him, grinning sheepishly.
“ Uh...Hi.” Haru felt his cheeks go red, and turned to the side, letting Hiro enter. He watched as Hiro bent over to remove his shoes. God, why did the boy have to wear such tight shorts? Haru forced himself to look away at the wall, his blush increasing with full force. He lead the way to his room, careful not to act any different than usual, lest Hiro might suspect something.
“ Your room is so messy.” Hiro scoffed, kicking a shirt out of the way. Haru rolled his eyes and collapsed onto his bed, glaring down at the lump of dirty laundry at the foot of his bed. He kicked it off as Hiro came and sat rigidly in its place. There was an awkward silence where they stared at one another.
“ You come here for something?” Haru asked, raising his eyebrows.
“ I...” Hiro averted his gaze towards his feet. “ Wanted to see you.” Haru smirked and leaned back against the wall. He was in a bad situation. Home alone, with the object of his most erotic fantasies sitting upon his bed.
“ Is something wrong?” Hiro was looking up at him, concern written all over his face.
“ N-no.” Haru stammered. Not very convincing.
“ Can I ask you something?” Hiro resumed staring down at his feet.
“ Sure.” Haru nodded, sitting up and crossing his legs.
“ Have you ever kissed anyone?” He asked, his cheeks going bright red. “ I mean before me.” He hastily added.
“ Nope. That was my first kiss.” Haru said, smiling at the memory of it.
“ Mine too.” Hiro said, also smiling. Hiro scooted a bit closer to him, an innocent yet mischievous look in his eyes. Only Hiro could manage a look such as that. He found himself drawn to Hiro, his body leaning forward of its own accord. He pulled Hiro into his lap, holding him tightly. Truth be told, he was afraid to go any further than holding his lamb. He feared that if they kissed again, it would be more than he could handle. Hiro gazed up at him, a look of concern in his eyes.
“ I'm not clueless you know.” He said, frowning slightly.
“ What do you mean?” Haru frowned back down at him.
“ I know you are afraid to touch me.” Hiro stared up at him, letting out a sigh.
“ That's not it.” Haru said, shaking his head. “ You're still young...It would be wrong of me to...” Haru turned away from Hiro to glare at the wall.
“ I'm not stupid or as innocent as you think I am.” Hiro sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “ I'm in middle school for crying out loud.”
“ Yeah but...” Haru stammered, glancing back at him. His stomach did a somersault as Hiro leaned forward and forcefully pressed his lips against his. With Hiro pressed against him like that, Haru wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back. Hiro's body was aligned with his in all the right places. He snapped then, all his self control leaving him at once. Haru seized the lamb and swiftly turned him onto his back, pressing him into the bed firmly. He began to unbutton Hiro's shirt with shaky fingers. Seeing the smooth, pale skin of Hiro's chest just made everything ten times worse. He couldn't stop himself from running his hand down Hiro's stomach and letting it rest upon his waist. He tried to regain his self control, but he was so far gone, it was a hopeless attempt. He began to plant gentle kisses upon Hiro's neck, enjoying the soft moans he received from his lamb. It was too much to resist as he slid his hand over Hiro's crotch. His whole body gave a shudder at the sound of Hiro's moans. Only when he looked Hiro in the eyes could he stop himself. The look of fear and hesitation reflected in Hiro's eyes made him feel as if a large bucket of ice cold water had been dumped onto him. He noticed the trembling of Hiro's tiny frame, and his chest tightened with guilt.
“ I'm sorry.” Haru sat back with a sigh, running his hand through his hair.
“ Why did you stop?” Hiro sat up as well, pulling his shirt back over him.
“ Don't force yourself to do things you don't want to because of me.” Haru said, shaking his head slowly.
“ B-but I want to!” Hiro cried, looking as if he were trying to convince himself.
“ You aren't ready yet. And that's fine.” Haru said, pulling Hiro into a loving embrace. “ We don't have to do anything.”
“ But...” Hiro protested, still trembling slightly.
“ It's alright.” Haru ran his hands through Hiro's hair, petting him gently. “ We don't have to do anything you're not ready for.” Haru slid off the bed, offering his hand to Hiro. “ Come on. I'll walk you home.” He said, smiling gently. Hiro stared at the floor, looking somewhat upset. After a long silence, he took Haru's hand, holding it tightly. As Haru walked beside Hiro, he was glad he was able stop. He wasn't sure how long he could resist, but he didn't want Hiro to look at him like that ever again. He cursed his black side. If only Black Haru didn't exist. Then he could be with Hiro without worrying about him. It was strange. He wanted to protect Hiro, but how could he protect him from himself? Haru let out an audible sigh. To be honest, the whole situation was quite ironic, Haru thought with a chuckle to himself. The cherry trees all inside the Sohma Estate were now almost bear, the cherry blossoms falling to the ground and withering as spring was coming to an end. School would start again soon, ending the best spring break Haru ever had.