Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ A Caged Heart ❯ Clear as Mud ( Chapter 13 )

Author's Note:

 

For those who have constantly been irritated by my short chapters - though I don't know how 500 words are considered short at all - here is a little something for you.

 

And though I am sick of saying it, even though this plot is mine, the characters are not, and they will never be. Unless I get amazingly rich and buy it off whoever owns them.

 

Clear as Mud:

 

“Ugh…” Kyo awoke, cold and lying on the muddy - wait a minute - that wasn't right at all! It wasn't muddy, and it was far from cold. And there seemed to be a heavy weight of sorts numbing his left arm.

 

He shook his head, in attempt to clear it. It didn't quite help - it gave him a bit of a headache, actually. Trashing that idea, he opted for the easiest option - opening his eyes.

 

At first, that didn't seem too helpful either - everything was blurry. But slowly his vision returned, and he was able to make out shapes…

 

Then logic kicked in.

 

He was in his bed! And wearing clean clothes, at that. And as for that weight…

 

“Kyo! You're awake!” Tohru, relieved, lent forward to hug him, but stopped when she remembered what would happen.

 

“How…how did I get here?” His voice croaked. He was still quite weak.

 

“You changed into a cat when you fainted, and Yuki did too - well, not a cat, I mean he is that rat and all - and so anyway Shigure and I just carried you guys in and put you in bed. It actually made everything easier - I mean, if you guys were your normal size you are now it would've taken ages to carry you guys, and - well, yeah - ehehe…” Tohru stopped herself, realising that she was babbling.

 

“Ah.” So that solved the first question. But it also raised another - “… my clothes?”

 

“Oh, they're in the wash -” Tohru's voice cut off suddenly, and she laughed embarrassedly, waving her arms around. “No! I mean, it wasn't me, or anything…”

 

Kyo's eyes widened with horror when he thought of the other possibility.

 

“Shig-”

 

“No!!! Don't worry - we called Hatori when you and Yuki got knocked out. He looked after everything. ” Tohru laughed.

 

Kyo sighed with relief. It was still a bit weird - Kyo preferred to be the only one who changed his own clothing, after all - but in the end, anyone was better than that perverted canine. And Hatori was a doctor. Plus, it was either that, or still being naked, with Tohru sitting right there…

 

“Kyo?” Tohru questioned, worried when Kyo turned bright red and started coughing.

 

“Oh - um - don't… worry…” He looked away, trying to think of something to change the topic. “Uh… how's the rat?”

 

“Yuki? Oh, he's okay.” The worry disappeared and her eyes twinkled. “But I bet he'll never forget that fight!” But before Kyo got the breath to ask why, her eyes flicked back to worry, and she continued on.

 

“Oh, that was such a scary fight! I was so worried about you guys - you could've really gotten hurt! Shigure was so upset - I mean you pretty much destroyed the dining room, and we'll have to rebuild the front door from scratch - but then when we saw that you two were unconscious, he stopped worrying about that and started worrying about you guys instead! Hatori said that with all the damage you two have done to yourselves, you'll probably be in pain for a few more days.”

 

And speaking of pain…

 

“Tohru?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You're… sitting on my arm.”

 

“Oh-my-gosh!” She leapt up. “Oh-my-gosh! I'm so sorry! Are you ok? I'm really sorry!!!”

 

*************************************

 

Tohru soon left - he was still weak and needed to recover, needed to sleep.

 

Oh, how nice it would be to sleep… to sleep and dream… dream…

 

Kyo's closing eyelids suddenly snapped open.

 

An outbreak of mixed noises had erupted from below. What was going on down there?

 

“Woah… did he really do that?” An awe-filled voice coming from downstairs. But whose voice? It was slightly muffled through the floorboards, but Kyo thought it sounded quite familiar…

 

“Aww… come on, let me see!!! I didn't get to see it!!! Lemme see!!!” A particularly whiny voice. Momiji, maybe? Wait - what was he doing here? And just what were they on about?

 

“Hahahahahahahaha!!!!” The peal of laughter continued on and on endlessly, drowning out all the other voices, so Kyo was unable to find out just what was happening. But what was so damn funny?

 

He lay there, stewing. He had to rest. He was weak. He needed to regain his health. He had to stay in bed. Stay in bed and sleep. Sleep. Rest. Get better. Stay in bed. Doctor's orders. Rest. Stay in bed.

 

“What the hell are they on about??!!”

 

Curiosity finally getting better of the cat, he threw back the covers and stood up abruptly.

 

Then fell down again.

 

“Ah damn…”

 

*************************************

 

With his plan of storming downstairs thrown out the window, no one noticed Kyo when he limped down the stairs and into the corridor.

 

Everyone was lounging around in the dining room - or what remained of it. Now it was mainly piles of broken wood, a two-and-a-half-legged table and a fantastic view of the garden - the roof just barely being held up. At least they didn't have to worry about that hole in the door anymore.

 

He saw Tohru first, politely asking if anyone wanted a snack. Shigure, too, laughing his head off about something. And Momiji whining - so he was right after all! Then Hatori, contained as usual, and… Hatsuharu? Ah, he must have been the first voice.

 

And there was Yuki, sitting on a pile of what could have once been the front door, an ice pack in his hand. He looking noticeably tired, and particularly tired of being pestered. As he very well should be, with all the racket that surrounded him.

 

“Come on, come on!!! I wanna see!!! Come on, please??? Please?? Lemme see!!!”

 

“Hahahaha!!! Hahahahahaha!!! Bwahahahaha!!!”

 

“I really have to train more. I mean, if he could do that…”

 

“Uh… so, no one wants a drink at all? A snack or something?”

 

“Thank you, Tohru, but I think we shall manage perfectly fine.”

 

Yuki turned, and suddenly all became clear.