When it Rains it Pours

All through class Yuki had been perplexed by what Shigure could possibly find so funny. So much so he couldn’t help from constantly looking over at Kyo, even more puzzled by the cat’s behaviour. When he wasn’t so madly doing his work that he was well ahead of the class he was staring into the blackboard like it held all the mysteries of the world. At one point he was writing so fast and angrily that Yuki swore he was going to snap the pen.

Because of this distraction the rat really didn’t get very much done which, consequently meant he had a lot of homework to do. Walking out of class idly chatting to Hana, Uo, and Tohru he only just recognized Haru out of the corner of his eye as the ox stormed past the door.

“Will you damn well move already?” growled Kyo from behind them. When they moved out of the way he quite quickly stormed off. Yuki realised now what Uo had meant. Storming certainly did seem to be the flavour of the day.

Staring after Kyo he decided it wasn’t worth worrying about and quickly agreed to join in on a game of Rich man Poor man.

**

Kyo stormed through the empty corridors, not really caring where he was going nor who saw him. Rounding a corner he crashed straight into someone, sprawling himself on the floor.

“God damn it why don’t you watch where you’re going you idiot?” he cursed at the person getting to his feet to confront them. He froze when he saw Hatsuharu standing there instead of some idiotic student.

“I’m… sorry…” he mumbled as he stared into the black eyes.

“Kyo… I…” Haru took a step forward, never once taking his eyes from Kyo’s.

Reaching up to place a hand on Kyo’s face and draw him in, they were interrupted mid gesture. Snatching his hand back to his side Haru turned to the voice.

“There you two are, I made you lunch Kyo. There was way too much though so I have a lot left if you want some Haru.” Tohru beamed as she reached them from down the hall. “If you’d like you could come and sit with us.”

“Why thank you Miss Honda,” Haru answered with all of his usual charm directed at Tohru. Kyo wanted to die.

With a glance at Kyo, Haru walked after Tohru giving the cat no choice but to follow. For the first time that day he didn’t storm. It was more of a march, a slow unhappy march like that of someone who knows that at the end of it they’re going to be shot dead. Marching wasn’t Kyo’s thing.

“So what were you two doing any way?” Came Tohru’s sweet voice.

“We just ran into each other,” replied Haru in the same neutral voice he always used. Reaching the quad they crossed the grounds littered with students, until they were where they always sat.

“Tell me Tohru, how did you make the storm master walk here?” queried Uo, not bothering to look up from the game of cards. Tohru stammered over her answer while Kyo scoffed down the food she had given him.

Finishing the last few bits he noticed Yuki out of the corner of his eye. The rat was watching him rather intently.

“What the hell are you looking at?” he asked turning to face Yuki.

“I was just trying to figure out what Shigure found so funny. Do you have any idea, Kyo as to why he couldn’t keep a straight face and be in the same room as you?” The calm, uncaring tone in the rat’s voice annoyed the cat no end.

“How the hell should I know? What, do you think he could have told me when he could hardly breathe?” he growled back, wondering the answer to the same question.

“I shouldn’t have expected an answer from a stupid cat. Never mind I’ll ask him when we get home.”

“Why don’t you go to hell you damn rat. How the hell do you expect me to know what’s wrong with that stupid dog?” he yelled, jumping to his feet.

“Kyo…” began Haru, but Kyo cut him off quickly.

“And don’t you even bloody start.” With that Kyo once again stormed off kicking everything that wasn’t firmly stuck to the ground.

**

Haru didn’t come to school the next day, nor the day after. Kyo half thought about going to Sohma house and finding out why, but that would be too suspicious. Besides there was no way he could do that… it would be like admitting he cared.

When Haru didn’t turn up at Shigure’s for almost three weeks, nor did he turn up at school, Kyo began to worry. It wasn’t like Haru to miss school. Sure, he might not give a rat’s ass about Kyo but school was a different matter. Neither was the weather helping much. Two days before hand it had begun sprinkling, now the storm was full blown. Sluggish and worried, Kyo had been living in less than a good mood, spending most of his time in his room or on the porch. Nor had Shigure’s odd mood improved matters… some days Kyo would swear he knew. Other days he knew he didn’t. At this point in time he couldn’t give a damn if the whole world knew.

Sitting at the table trying to eat the lunch Tohru had prepared for him he ignored the knock at the door. Shigure had answered it directing whoever was there towards the room he was in. Yuki sat across from him, one of his study books in front of him while he happily munched away on his lunch. Sometimes he really hated that damn Rat. Consequently Yuki was also facing the door and was the first to see who it was that had entered.

“Haru, you haven’t been at school for awhile,” came the rat’s voice making Kyo give a start even as ice crept through his body.

“Yeah, I… haven’t been feeling well. Hatori told me to get out of the house,” he replied as he took a seat between them both not even looking at Kyo.

“So you walked here in the rain? That doesn’t sound the wisest thing to do if you’ve been sick.” Yuki remarked in his calmest tone. Something had been bothering Yuki for almost a week now, before the rain had started Kyo and him had almost been back to their usual habits.

“No I’m okay, besides I wasn’t in the rain that long.” Haru shrugged it off, looking to Kyo for the first time.

“I still don’t think its wise, after all Hatori…”

“I’m sure he can look after himself Yuki,” sneered Kyo, hating the patronising way the rat was speaking.

“I’m only checking, Kyo, in case he isn’t. After all, you can’t look after yourself, can you?” Yuki fixed him with a look that pushed the comment home, defining its exact meaning.

“Fuck you rat boy, you know I can’t help this… so why don’t you just back off. Since when did you become a doctor?” He didn’t pursue the argument further, though there were a lot more things he would have added to the sentence. The storm prevented it.
Even the small outburst he had allowed himself had taxed him badly.

“Why don’t you just crawl off to bed, I’m sick of the sight of you,” sneered Yuki, the contempt heavy in his voice. This wasn’t like the rat, he was never like this.

Kyo knew he couldn’t win a physical fight and there probably wouldn’t be one, but he wasn’t going to sit there and be insulted because Yuki was in a bad mood.

“What, and you think I like sitting here with you?” he sneered in reply, not knowing what he could really say to the comment. A silence stretched out between them all. Tohru walked into the room and froze, Shigure behind her. Looking up again after he had returned his attention to his half eaten lunch, he saw a look on the rat’s face he had never seen before. Kyo knew that look he had seen it all his life, Yuki really was disgusted to be looking at him. Furious and disgusted, that was why everyone including Haru merely stared at the rat.

“You are disgusting; you have to be the most disgusting thing I have ever seen.” The rat whispered, echoing words Kyo had heard years ago when the family had seen him for what he really was. The words cut to the bone. Remembering who had said them, he latched onto a single phrase that would hurt Yuki just as much.

“If that’s the case, you fucking rat, then why don’t you crawl back to Akito so he can lock you in that wonderful room that he keeps just for you. I’m sure he misses you.”

All the colour from Yuki’s face drained away and the rat went pale.

Then everything became a blur. One minute he was sitting there hoping the bastard got what he deserved. Next there was rushed movement and then pain exploded through his face as fist connected heavily.