Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Ebony and Ivory ❯ Eye-Contact ( Chapter 10 )

AN: I'm trying very hard to keep Yuki and Kyo in character. Please let me know if I'm doing a good job. I really do think Kyo wants Yuki's acknowledgement and attention almost as much as he wants to beat him, even in the canon. After all, it's no fun hating someone who doesn't seem to care how you feel. However, I don't think he's prepared to actually receive that attention. ;-)

 

AN 2: By the way, this is going to end up being a pretty long story, I think. The updates will get slower after a while, but I promise to upload at least one chapter a week, and more if I get a lot of people interested. And don't worry—I will stay with this story until it's finished. I promise! So please keep reading and reviewing! :-D

 

 

CHAPTER 10: Eye-Contact

 

Weeks passed, and neither boy said anything about the piano incident. Kyo and Yuki got along as well as usual—which, of course, was not well at all. But there was something that made it different. Kyo found himself not wanting to fight with Yuki the old way, and the feeling bothered him. He felt like he ought to actually challenge the rat to competitions, not simply yell at him every five minutes in hopes of goading him into them. And he had no idea why.

 

Was Yuki acting different? Kyo lay on the roof, trying to recall. Yuki had to be doing something differently—he felt sure of it. Because one of them was messing with how things normally were, and it definitely wasn't Kyo. But what was it?

 

Sighing, Kyo got off the roof and went in his window, then went to Yuki's room. Yuki was studying. He decided to experiment. Watching to see what was different, Kyo stepped up to the doorframe. “Um…” he started. Yuki looked up, then around, setting down his pencil.

 

“Yes?”

 

Kyo stood for a moment, trying to figure out some excuse while recovering from his shock at Yuki's response. As soon as Kyo had spoken, Yuki had given him his full attention. No “Go away, stupid cat” or even an “I'm busy, Kyo”. And he had been doing this a lot lately.

 

Yuki cocked his head, looking a little confused. “Do you want something, Kyo?”

 

“Why… are you being so nice all of a sudden?” Kyo asked at last.

 

Yuki blinked. “Nice? When?”

 

“Like… now.”

 

Yuki still looked confused. “All I did was ask if you wanted something.”

 

“Yeah, but…” So this was what was different. Yuki had been acknowledging Kyo. Making eye-contact, even, like they were… equals. Why? Then Kyo suddenly remembered his own words: `You know, at least I look at you when you talk to me.'

 

“You're… teasing me, aren't you?” Kyo asked now.

 

“Teasing you? What are you talking about?”

 

“Because of what I said at Saito-san's house. About looking at me when I talk to you. You're teasing me.”

 

The confusion vanished, and Yuki's eyebrows raised ever so slightly, like he was surprised that Kyo finally noticed. Then his brow furrowed in confusion again for a moment, and then into… disappointment? Yuki's shoulders slumped a little. “You had a point,” he said. “I decided you were right. It wasn't fair of me to treat you like that.”

 

Kyo stared, then straightened himself up a little, incredulous. “Yeah right. What's your game?”

 

Yuki had looked away for a moment, but now looked back, annoyed. “What? You don't think it's possible that I might listen to one of your criticisms and try to change?”

 

“Frankly, no.”

 

Yuki sighed, and looked away. Then he suddenly looked back at Kyo, angry. “You're mad at me, aren't you?” he asked.

 

Now it was Kyo's turn to be confused. “What? I'm always mad at you.”

 

“So is that it?” Yuki asked, standing up, suddenly agitated. “You just want to hate me, don't you? It doesn't matter what I do! I could treat you like a king and let you win every fight, and you'd still hate me just as much!”

 

Kyo backed away a little. It wasn't like Yuki to get this upset. “I… that… shut the hell up!”

 

“No!” Yuki stepped forward quickly and grabbed Kyo by the collar before he could get away. “What is with you?” he asked, biting off every syllable. He was standing uncomfortably close, and Kyo was too frozen with shock to try and move away. “What do you want?” Yuki asked, his face completely serious. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to pay attention? Do you want me to be upset that you hate me? Do you want me to ignore you so it's easier for you to hate me? What do you want?”

 

Kyo bit his lip. Yuki could beat him to a pulp in this temper. “I… I don't know,” he managed to say.

 

Yuki narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together, then suddenly pushed Kyo away. “Well, figure it out!” he shouted. He went back to his desk and sat down with a sigh to do his homework.

 

Kyo got to his feet, shaking a little with relief. “What do you want?” he asked. He had never been so confused or freaked out in his entire life. Since when did Yuki give a damn about him?

 

Yuki stopped writing, and gave a small sigh. “I'll tell you when you tell me,” he said quietly.

 

“Don't you want me to hate you?” Kyo asked suddenly. Yuki had never complained about Kyo's hatred before. In fact, he seemed to use it to his advantage.

 

“Of course,” Yuki replied, still not looking at him. “It's fun to have someone follow me around all day and rub my face in everything that's wrong with me and my life.” It took a second for Kyo to realize that he was being sarcastic.

 

“Don't you hate me?”

 

Yuki didn't respond.

 

“Hey, answer me, damn it!”

 

“I told you, I'll tell you once you've answered my question.”

 

Kyo stood for a moment, then took a few steps closer. Yuki turned to him with an unreadable expression. For some reason, Kyo's mind jumped back to the piano, and that beautiful music, and Yuki's face. He suddenly wanted to hear it again. Not that he would ever admit that to Yuki in a million years.

 

He walked away, and felt Yuki's gaze follow him. He was vaguely surprised that he had come away from that uninjured. But he didn't get it. Why was Yuki suddenly interested in what Kyo wanted? He'd never cared before. Now, just because Kyo had told him to look at him, the damn rat was suddenly paying actual attention. And reacting.

 

What Kyo found the most confusing was Yuki's anger. Of course he had been angry at Kyo before, plenty of times, but… but this was a different sort of anger. Usually the anger was controlled, and Kyo only saw it when Yuki was especially violent with him, or in the rat's biting comments. He couldn't remember Yuki ever… yelling at him.

 

Kyo sank into his desk chair, thinking. Yelling meant you had lost control. Never before had Yuki been so angry with him that he lost control. Kyo had cut that deeply? He hadn't even done anything! He was usually much worse to Yuki. It was like the anger had always been there, hidden underneath his perfect mask, and Kyo had somehow triggered the release. Talk about scary. But why was Yuki so angry? Yeah, Kyo hated him, but Kyo had always hated him. Had he always been angry about that? Why hadn't he ever said anything? Not that it would have mattered, but… What did Yuki want, then? If he didn't like the way things were, what did he want? At last, Kyo sighed and shook his head. Curse his stupid catlike curiosity. What did he care?

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>& gt;>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

“Shishou?”

 

He turned to Kyo. They had just finished up their lesson. “Yes?”

 

“Can we go again sometime, to Saito-san's house?”

 

His Shishou blinked in surprise. “I suppose. But why? You hardly even talked to him while we were there.”

 

Kyo shrugged, ignoring his master's implied scolding. “I don't know.”

 

“When would you like to go?”

 

“Sunday sometime.”

 

“Oh.” Kazuma smiled. “You mean, when Yuki has his lesson?”

 

“Damn it,” Kyo muttered. “Am I really that obvious?”

 

“To me you are,” his Shishou replied, scruffing his hair. “You know, you could simply ask Yuki if you can go.”

 

“Yeah right. Like he'd ever let me.”

 

“He might.”

 

“I'm not going and telling him I like his music. What do you think I am, an idiot?” Yuki's question had been on the forefront of his mind for days now, and he definitely didn't want to make things even weirder than they were already. He hated Yuki, whatever Yuki might think of that. And he definitely wasn't going to suck up to that damn rat just to listen to music.

 

All the same, he followed Yuki to his lesson on Sunday. Or at least, he started to. As soon as they were in the woods, Yuki turned around, half shocked, half annoyed. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I'm coming with you. There's nothing better to do.”

 

The rat stared. “You're coming with me. And what, you just decided this? I'm going to my lesson, and you can't come.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Yuki gave a short sigh of frustration. “Because you can't! Why would you want to, anyway? I'm not even doing much yard work today. I'm just playing.”

 

“That's fine.”

 

“I don't play for other people. Go home.”

 

Kyo folded his arms. “No. I want to come with you. That's what I want.”

 

Yuki narrowed his eyes. “Are you looking for a fight? If you beat me, you can come.”

 

Kyo frowned. If he didn't accept the challenge, the rat would beat him to a pulp anyway. “Fine.” He threw himself at Yuki, who won within three minutes, and then walked away.

 

Kyo picked himself up, scowling, and went home. He'd find some way. He wanted to hear the music, and he was irked that Yuki wouldn't let him. Sure, it made perfect sense that Yuki should be able to decide, but… and if he hated Kyo, but… Still! He was being a total jerk, tantalizing Kyo like that, and then literally kicking him in the face.

 

At last, Kyo decided to be logical about this. The damn rat had to practice more than just when he was at Saito's, right? So he probably went somewhere during the week. Kyo decided to watch. Sure enough, Yuki mysteriously went “out” on Wednesdays, saying he was going to the library. Kyo followed the second time he noticed this, this time being careful not to be seen. Yuki went to an old temple and went inside. Kyo waited a few minutes, then followed. There was an area outside the central court where Yuki was, and Kyo skirted around the area until he found a closet that also had a slotted door that opened to the main court. Perfect.

 

Kyo relaxed as he listened and watched. Yuki's face was so… un-Yuki-like. It was like he was a completely different person. Kyo let the music settle into him. It was soothing, beautiful. He wondered if he would fall asleep, but realized that he was too entranced with the piano. Or was it hypnotized? He couldn't tell.

 

Yuki went every week. Every week, Kyo followed him. It wasn't until the fourth week that he got caught. Upon entering the closet, something had fallen over onto Kyo. The music had promptly stopped. Kyo couldn't get away fast enough, and Yuki opened the door. He simply stared for a second, and then his face became dark. “What the hell are you doing here!?” he shouted.

 

Kyo tried to get to his feet, and Yuki grabbed him by the collar. “I…” he started. “Um…”

 

Yuki pushed him away violently, and kicked him hard into a pile of mops and brooms. “How dare you?!” he shouted. “Didn't I tell you not to follow me? Who said you could come here and spy on me? What, do you think you can just do anything you want? How did you find out about this place, anyway?!”

 

“Look, I can only answer one question at a time,” Kyo whined. Damn it, that had hurt. “I…”

 

“If you dare tell Akito…”

 

“I'm not going to tell Akito!” Kyo said. “I already said that. Would you calm down? I hate Akito even more than I hate you. I'm not going to help him.” Especially since you're scarier right now, he silently added.

 

Yuki stood still while Kyo picked himself up, arms folded. “Then what are you doing here?” he asked, his voice calm but extremely angry.

 

Kyo rubbed the back of his neck. “I just came to listen to the music.”

 

“I told you that you couldn't!”

 

“I know.”

 

“Then why are you here?”

 

Kyo shoved his hands into his pockets. “You're not my parent. I don't have to obey you.”

 

Yuki glared at him. “So what, you only wanted to listen because I told you not to?”

 

“No, that's not… I mean… I… Hey, let go! Ow!” Yuki had grabbed his arm and was dragging him across the court. He stopped at the door and gave Kyo a push.

 

“Get out!”

 

“This isn't your temple!” Kyo said, righting himself. “I can be here if I want to!”

 

“It is my music!”

 

“So go play somewhere else!”

 

Yuki narrowed his eyes, then turned around and walked back to the piano. He started gathering his books.

 

“Hey!” Kyo said, running back. “I didn't mean…”

 

“Get out of here, you stupid cat!”

 

“I want to listen to you play!”

 

“I said no! Get lost!”

 

“Fine, you damn jerk!” Kyo shouted. “Keep your stupid music all to yourself! Be a stupid, antisocial, stuck-up idiot who thinks you're god! See if I care! It's not like I liked it or anything, anyway!” He turned around and ran out, then slowed to a walk when he got to the street. “Damn it!” he said to himself. Now he couldn't even go and hear from the closet. Not that he even cared. He had to have been out of his mind when he thought the music was good. There was no way that rat could make anything Kyo would ever dream of liking. All Kyo'd done was listen! What was wrong with that? Why was Yuki's music such a sacred cow?

 

He finally got home and walked in the door. “Ah, Kyo-kun! Welcome back! Lunch is—”

 

“I'm not hungry!” Kyo shouted back at Tohru, then immediately stopped, guilt-ridden. That damn rat. Now he was even making Kyo lash out at Tohru. “No, I'm sorry. Sorry.”

 

Tohru, who had looked stricken for a moment, now cautiously approached. “Did something… happen?”

 

Kyo sighed. “I'm just sick of being treated like… like everyone's so much better than me. I don't even care.” He sighed again. “I'm going up to the roof. Sorry I yelled at you.”

 

“Oh, it's completely okay! Call me if you need anything!”

 

“Thanks,” Kyo replied. He went up to his room, through the window, and up to the roof. He lay back, temper cooled. Amazing. How did she do it?

 

That damn rat. What was with him? He'd been acting so weird lately, ever since Kyo had caught him playing piano at Saito's house. Why couldn't he just act normal? Of course, the normal Yuki wouldn't let Kyo listen to the piano either. No, the piano was too good for Kyo. Why on earth would the rat ever deign to play something for the cat? “Damn jerk,” Kyo whispered. Why hadn't he seen that Yuki would never let him listen? He sighed. Well, at least he had this consolation. Yuki wouldn't rub this in his face, because he couldn't talk about the piano at home.

 

At last, Kyo heard footsteps approaching the house, and he peered over the top of the roof to see Yuki looking absolutely miserable. His face was filled with self-loathing, and his shoulders were slumped. A minute later, Yuki was out of Kyo's sight. He climbed in his window and listened at the top of the stairs, itching with curiosity. The rat almost never looked like that. Kyo felt almost a sense of triumph.

 

“Are you all right, Yuki-kun?” came Tohru's concerned voice.

 

“Yeah,” came Yuki's voice, in a don't-worry tone. “Just… a rough afternoon, that's all. But it's all right.”

 

“I wonder if there's something in the air,” Tohru said. “Kyo-kun was also upset when he came home.” Kyo rolled his eyes and mentally bopped her on the head.

 

Yuki gave a long sigh. “Yeah. I guess he would be.”

 

“Beg pardon?” The rat said nothing. “Yuki-kun, are you really okay?”

 

Yuki sighed again. “Yeah. I just… don't like myself very much right now.” He paused. “Is Kyo in his room?”

 

“Um… I think he's on the roof.”

 

“Thank you, Honda-san. Don't worry. I'll be inside in a little while.”

 

“Okay,” Tohru said hesitantly. Kyo scrambled back out to the roof, now practically dying of curiosity. He lay back again, nonchalantly.

 

“Kyo?” came Yuki's voice at last. Kyo started and sat up.

 

“What do you want?” he asked angrily.

 

The rat looked a bit surprised and confused, and then uncertain. Was he surprised that Kyo was angry? Or… that he was more curious than angry. Was Kyo that obvious? “I… um… can I come up?” Yuki asked hesitantly.

 

“Of course,” Kyo said. “It's not like it's my roof.”

 

Yuki winced, and climbed up. “Look… I'm sorry.”

 

Kyo sniffed, folded his arms and looked away. “Yeah, right. Whatever.”

 

“Really, I am. You're right… I… I was just shocked and… I don't get it. If you don't like the music, why were you spying on me?”

 

“I wasn't spying on you. I was just listening.”

 

“Why?”

 

Kyo still didn't look at him. “`Cause it's cool. I never saw anybody play piano before.”

 

“I thought you said you didn't like it.” Yuki sounded confused.

 

Kyo shrugged, not turning. “So I lied. I do that sometimes.”

 

There was a pause. “You mean… you do like it?” Yuki's tone made Kyo turn and look. Yuki looked flabbergasted.

 

“Why do you think I risked getting beaten to a bloody pulp?” Kyo asked, putting a hand on his hip.

 

Yuki still looked shocked. “You like my music?” He sounded almost awed.

 

“How many times you want me to say it, you damn rat?” Kyo snapped, then turned away again. There was a long silence, and at last Kyo snuck a glance behind him. Yuki was looking at his hands, but now met Kyo's gaze.

 

“I'll think about it,” he said, then started to climb down from the roof.

 

“Think about what?” Kyo asked, confused.

 

“Whether I'll let you come and listen,” Yuki replied from the ground, and then he went inside. Now it was Kyo's turn to be flabbergasted. He hadn't expected Yuki to give him the time of day, let alone consider letting Kyo come with him. Why on earth would he? Yuki hated Kyo. Didn't he? He did, right?