Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ A Caged Heart ❯ It Begins... ( Chapter 9 )

Author's Note:

 

All I have to say is that Fruits Basket does not belong to me!!!

 

That, and Chapter Nine has arrived.

 

 

It Begins…:

 

Shigure gasped.

 

Well, technically, it wasn't quite a gasp.

 

It was more of a dramatic intake of breath, which was soon to be followed by obnoxious and whiny complaining about being interrupted by such an irritating noise, and a tedious list of other just-as-irritating onomatopoeias, before the continuation of the previous ramblings, but with a little more oomph.

 

But then he saw who it was, as did Tohru and Kyo, and made a mental note to save his plan for a rainy day. Or tomorrow.

 

And then he gasped.

 

“Yuki!”

 

“…Yuki?”

 

“Rat…”

 

And so it was.

 

Yuki, Prince Yuki, despised by one and worshipped by hundreds.

 

Yuki, perfect Yuki, glorious in the purple perfection of his eyes.

 

Yuki - appearing to have some slight difficulties with an overly-large basket in his arms, full to the brim of strawberries and chocolate hearts, which, upon closer inspection, where all engraved with fanciful T's.

 

“Good evening.” He smiled charmingly, with that enigmatic look in his eyes - a particular look that made Kyo's blood run cold, especially when he saw who it was directed to. It made him want to just -

 

“Oh Yuki! I simply adore strawberries and chocolate!” squealed Shigure, of all people, leaping up and stepping forward. He paused. “But wait… you seem to have gone one letter too far …”

 

“That's `cause they're for Tohru, aren't they, rat?” accused Kyo, glaring intently at Yuki.

 

“What do you think?” Yuki's purple eyes sparkled.

 

“I know what you're thinking, rodent! I know exactly what's going through that damn head of yours, and it's not happening!” Kyo's anger mounted as he stood.

 

“Oh really?” He asked, feigning innocence. “And what precisely might that be?”

 

The cat remained silent.

 

“Uh - do you need any help with that?” offered Shigure, trying to smooth over another silent gap of snowballing tension.

 

“How nice of you to ask.” said Yuki, handing the basket over to Shigure, who dropped it to the ground soon after (who knew that strawberries and chocolate hearts could be so heavy!). Yet somehow, Yuki remained smirking, his glaring eyes still on Kyo.

 

Kyo, unflinching, tumbled through his thoughts. This, this cliché-like gift was an open act of - of what? he asked, knowing, but daring not to say the word.

 

Hearts for a heart. The pun was bittersweet.

 

Yuki was finally trying to make a bid for Tohru's affection - and it had been far more serious that any of Kyo's pitiful attempts. Too serious.

 

Time seemed to freeze as a dawning realisation, unattached to any doubts or hesitations, hit Kyo full-on.

 

`I have to do something.' he thought. `I have to actually do something. Anything. Anything for her.'

 

Kyo took a deep breath.

 

“Yuki.” he said, in a low, controlled voice.

 

“Kyo.” Yuki replied mockingly.

 

“You and me. Outside. Right now.”

 

This only seemed to make Yuki's smirk more arrogant. Shigure, fingers only inches away from a particularly delectable strawberry, paused questioningly.

 

“You aren't serious, are you?” Yuki laughed.

 

Once again, Kyo made no reply.

 

“Oh my god -” A laugh. “- he is serious! Look at his face! What a foolish, foolish cat.”

 

Kyo did not raise to the bait.

 

Yuki's eyes flickered to something more grim.

 

“You don't know what you're getting yourself into.” he whispered maliciously. “I will not go easy on you this time, cat.”

 

Kyo had already used well-worn-out clichés today. It wouldn't hurt to use another.

 

“Bring it on.”

 

A swoosh of clothing - and they were both gone.

 

Shigure, reaction slightly delayed, opened his mouth to interject - only to find it a bit too late.

 

A squeak escaped him, then he, too, followed.

 

No-one seemed to notice that Tohru was still seated, and had not moved since the entrance of the chocolate hearts.