Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Ebony and Ivory ❯ Trying to Understand ( Chapter 12 )

AN: I have no idea what time of year it was when Yuki left the Main House. I am completely making it up to suit the story. So don't kill me if you know it to be otherwise. By the way, for anyone who's curious, it's springtime right now, in the story.

 

AN 2: Thank you again for all the wonderful reviews! They get me excited and keep me updating quickly. :-)

 

 

CHAPTER 12: Trying to Understand

 

Kyo sat in class, trying not to doze off, wondering why it had to rain today. It was Wednesday—piano day. Yuki had told him last time that he could come this time, and Kyo had been looking forward to it the entire week since last time, even when he fought with Yuki, though he couldn't understand why.

 

Yuki had been merciless last time. He had confused the life out of Kyo, and teased him, and actually laughed at him. And yet… and yet… Yuki had also played with him, and had smiled. Those smiles had been genuine. They terrified and confused Kyo, simply because they made absolutely no sense, but… they felt good, somehow, though Kyo would never have admitted it to anyone, even Shishou.

 

At the same time, Yuki's strange behavior made Kyo wildly curious. The rat never acted like that. Even now, sitting in school, he was completely proper, dignified, reserved, and generally prince-like. But last Wednesday he had been mischievous, forward, random, and ruthless. Where had the prince-sama gone?

 

But now it was raining. Kyo would be damned if that stupid rain was going to stop him from going this time. He wasn't that much of a wimp. He tested his endurance on the long, dreary walk home, even to the point of actually being able to reassure Tohru that he felt fine. He could handle the walk to the piano, easily. But then he got home, and felt himself nodding as the afternoon dragged on. Would Yuki wake him up if he decided to take a nap? He sighed a little. Well, Yuki hadn't seemed to mind having him last time. He had seemed to enjoy teasing Kyo at least, unless even that was just more messing with Kyo's head.

 

Kyo went upstairs to his room, but first went to Yuki's. The rat was doing homework, and Kyo knocked on the side of the doorframe. Yuki turned around.

 

“Hi. What's up?”

 

Kyo paused for a moment, wishing the rat would stop being so damn friendly when it didn't make any sense, then took a few steps in. “I was… going to take a nap. Mind waking me up when you go?”

 

Yuki blinked. “Go?” Then he understood. “Oh. I was going to go tomorrow.”

 

Kyo frowned a little, feeling a vague sense of disappointment. “Oh. Why?”

 

“Because it's raining, and I didn't want to have to carry you home when you transformed,” Yuki replied, right on beat. Why couldn't Kyo come up with comebacks like that?

 

“What the hell, you damn rat?! Like I would ever…” Kyo stopped, partly because he ran out of energy and partly because Yuki had turned around and smiled. It was so sudden that Kyo glanced behind him to see if Tohru had walked in. But it was only him.

 

“You don't need to swipe at every feather I wave in front of your face, stupid cat,” Yuki said, still smiling.

 

“S-shut up,” Kyo stammered. “Quit being so weird, damn it! I hate you, with all of your damn teasing! It's not funny!”

 

Yuki didn't respond, but his smile faded a little, so that it looked almost… sad. “You know, Kyo, you don't need to keep reminding me,” he said quietly, and then turned back to his homework. Kyo's fire was out as though smothered by a wet blanket. Disappointed, he went to his room to take a nap.

 

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

 

“You should probably go home,” said Yuki's voice around the corner, talking to someone. “Kyo will be mad if he sees you here, you know.” Kyo froze, wondering who on earth Yuki was talking to, and why he, Kyo, would care. “It's okay,” Yuki continued, “I don't think he'll come back.” Then he laughed a little. “Oh, well if that's the way you want it.” He paused for a moment. “Well, as long as you're here, would you mind giving me some advice?” The person still didn't answer. Yuki didn't seem to mind. “I'm trying to understand a very stubborn cat,” he said. “The problem is, I'm not sure he understands himself.”

 

Now Kyo had to look, and as soon as he did he understood. Yuki was sitting with a cat in his lap, petting it. Kyo slumped a little, and then almost laughed. “Traitor,” he said.

 

Yuki jumped, and turned to him. “Me or the cat?” he asked.

 

“Both of you.”

 

Yuki rolled his eyes. “A dog was cornering her, and I chased it away. She's got a collar and license, so I guess she must have gotten lost in the rain. I hoped you'd know what to do.”

 

Kyo picked the cat up by the nape of her neck and cradled her in his arms for a moment, looking at the license tag. “You've got a home to go to, right?” he asked. The cat purred, and Kyo set her down. “Well, then, go home. Your street's about two lights down that way,” he said, pointing. The cat went in the direction he specified. “You weren't talking about me, were you?” Kyo asked Yuki without turning around.

 

“Hm? When?”

 

“About wanting to understand a cat?”

 

“Of course I was talking about you. How many other cats do I know?”

 

“You want to understand me?” Kyo asked, looking.

 

“I want to understand why you're so interested in me all of a sudden,” Yuki said, shrugging a little. “Want to go inside?”

 

Kyo sighed a little, and followed his cousin. “Damn rat, can't you just tell me what's what?”

 

“Of course not,” he replied. “What fun would that be?” He gave Kyo a gentle smile, and went and sat at the piano. Kyo hesitated for a moment, then went and sat right near Yuki. A soft smile spread across Yuki's face, and he began to play. It took a minute for Kyo to recognize it as the first song he'd ever heard Yuki play. The music was sad and sweet, and seemed to yearn for something unattainable. Or maybe it was Yuki's face. What did Yuki want? `I'll answer that once you've answered my question.' Kyo sighed. That damn rat.

 

“Kyo,” Yuki said presently.

 

Kyo had been closing his eyes, but now he opened them and looked. “Yeah?”

 

“What type of music do you like? In general, I mean.”

 

Kyo shrugged. “I don't know. Never really thought about it. I guess I like piano music.”

 

“Well there are a lot of different types of piano music.”

 

“Beats me,” Kyo said. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Just curious. I was wondering what you'd like to hear me play.”

 

“What, so you can play just the opposite?” Kyo asked, putting a hand on his hip.

 

“No.” Yuki sighed a little. He played again, for about ten or fifteen minutes more, then stopped. “You ready to go home?”

 

Kyo blinked. “Huh? We only just got here!”

 

“We've been here for a while. And I don't owe it to you to stay for a full hour, you know,” Yuki replied, beginning to pack up his books. Then Kyo noticed that his hands were shaking.

 

“Yuki…” What was up? Was Yuki suddenly nervous again? “Yuki, I told you, I'm not going to care if you make mistakes or whatever.”

 

Yuki stood still for a moment, then looked at him. “No, you wouldn't, would you?” he asked quietly. Then he smiled, one of the warmest smiles Kyo had ever seen on his face. “Thank you.” He sighed a little, turning away. “It's the anniversary today,” he said suddenly. “Of when I left the Main House.”

 

“It is? So?”

 

“Ak…” He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. “Akito… said he was going to come and visit, for dinner. When Honda-san isn't there.”

 

“Well, then why don't we stay here? You don't want to see him, right?”

 

“But then he'll try to find out where I've been.” He sighed again. “I'm not sure when he's coming.” He closed the piano bench. “But… he won't stay for too long. And I think… Honda-san left something for dinner… so it should be good.” His voice was unusually quiet. His face was solid ice, but his eyes were troubled.

 

“Still, it sucks,” Kyo said.

 

Yuki smiled a little. “Yeah.” He shrugged. “I suppose personal visits from the head of the family are one of the privileges I get for being the rat.”

 

“Privileges?”

 

Yuki closed his eyes, still with a hint of a smile. “I was being sarcastic.” He sighed again. “Want to… go to the library?”

 

“The library?”

 

“That's where I said I'd be. Maybe…” He shook his head. “No. Let's just go.”

 

Kyo raised an eyebrow as he followed Yuki out. “Why are you acting like a girl?” he asked.

 

Yuki stopped and closed his eyes. “Thanks,” he said, this time not sincerely at all. “I needed that.” He didn't say a word for the rest of the walk home, even when Kyo spoke to him.

 

Yuki continued “acting like a girl” through dinner. He was completely passive, even when Akito sat beside him and stroked his hair, but the terror in his eyes was almost tangible. Why was Yuki so afraid of Akito? It was like he was afraid to let Akito touch him, but more afraid to pull away. Meanwhile, Akito asked him questions about school, and his job with Saito-san, and Yuki did an exceptionally good job of covering up anything to do with the piano. Much better than Kyo would have done in his position. All the while, he kept freezing at Akito's touch, which Akito seemed to find sadistically pleasant.

 

It all made Kyo feel slightly sick. He didn't know how he could stand watching it, and was relieved when Akito sent him to the roof, saying he couldn't bear to be in the same room with “that monster”. After Akito left, Kyo came in, and Yuki went up to his room and didn't come down for the rest of the night. At last, Kyo went up, not really knowing why. He knocked on the door.

 

“Honda-san?” came Yuki's voice from inside.

 

“No. It's me.”

 

The sound of a sigh came through the door. “I'm really tired, Kyo.”

 

“Can I just come in for a minute?”

 

“Why?” Kyo didn't answer, and at last heard Yuki say, “Oh, go ahead.” Kyo opened the door. Yuki was lying in bed on top of the covers, still dressed, and he turned to Kyo. “Yes?” He still looked slightly shaky, like he had just woken from a nightmare.

 

“Are you okay?” Kyo asked.

 

Yuki shrugged a little. “What do you care?”

 

Kyo suddenly felt a little warm. “Well, I don't really, but…”

 

“Then why are you asking?” Yuki asked wearily.

 

Kyo hesitated. He remembered his sick feeling at the dinner table, the desire to push Akito away from Yuki, like Tohru had done that one time. It was all just… disturbing. Like watching someone salt a slug. “Akito's not… he's not… in love with you, is he?”

 

Yuki looked at him as though he'd suggested that Rin was in love with Ritsu. He laughed a little, mirthlessly. “No, it's nothing like that.” He sighed again. “I'm going to go to sleep, Kyo.”

 

“Um… okay.” Kyo left the room, wondering suddenly why on earth Yuki had agreed to let him in.

 

He went to his room and began getting ready for sleep himself. He remembered Yuki's comment suddenly, about not owing him the piano. It was true. The rat didn't owe it to him at all. This led Kyo back into his incessant train of thought. Why was Yuki being so nice to him lately? Letting him listen to the piano was just the beginning. The rat was listening to Kyo, and acknowledging him as a family member. He was teasing him mercilessly, but it wasn't really mean teasing. More just… what had Yuki called it? Waving feathers in front of his face. Almost… playing.

 

On impulse, Kyo suddenly went back to Yuki's room and knocked lightly on the door. “Who is it?” came Yuki's voice.

 

“I forgot to say happy anniversary,” Kyo said.

 

There was a pause, and then a sudden short laugh from inside. “Thanks,” Yuki said, and then there was silence. Kyo wasn't exactly sure what had made him do that sort of thing, but he was glad he had. That was the only real sign of happiness Yuki had given all day. Not that he cared, but… Wait. Kyo had made him happy? Kyo blinked at the thought, and stopped on the way to his room, looking back at Yuki's door. He could make Yuki happy? Him? The cat? Almost no one could make Yuki happy. Why on earth…? And didn't Yuki hate him? What was… this was weird. Really weird.

 

Then Kyo remembered something else. When Yuki had been talking about Akito in the temple, something about the library… he had asked if Kyo wanted to go to the library. He could have gone to the library himself. There was no reason at all for Kyo to go, unless… unless Yuki for some reason wanted his company.

 

“Kyo-kun?” Kyo turned around to see Tohru smiling at him. “Is Yuki-kun… already asleep?”

 

“I think so,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Had Tohru known that Akito was coming? No, probably not. Yuki wouldn't have wanted her to worry.

 

“Is Kyo-kun going to bed now?”

 

Kyo shrugged. “Not really. I don't think. Are you going to be up for a while?”

 

“Um… I need to prepare breakfast.”

 

“Then I'll help you.”

 

“Oh, but…”

 

“Tohru,” Kyo said, gently but firmly.

 

Tohru stopped, and smiled. “Thank you so much!”

 

Kyo smiled back, patted her head, and went to help. “Hey,” he said after a while, “Yuki hates me, right?”

 

“Beg pardon?” she asked.

 

“That damn Yuki. He hates me, right?”

 

“I… don't know. I think that's something Kyo-kun should ask Yuki-kun.”

 

“Well yeah, but he won't answer my questions anymore. Not that he ever did. But he's suddenly… listening to me and stuff. I don't know.”

 

“Does that… bother Kyo-kun?”

 

“Well no… I guess… but still, it's weird, right?”

 

Tohru smiled. “Maybe Yuki-kun is trying to understand Kyo-kun better!” she said cheerfully. Trying to understand a very stubborn cat.

 

“But why would he want to do something like that, if he hates me?” Kyo asked.

 

“Maybe he doesn't hate you.”

 

Kyo was a little frozen at this comment. Yes, it had occurred to him, but… he hadn't expected anyone to concur. Of course, this was Tohru the eternal optimist, who had wanted Yuki and Kyo to be friends since she had first come to live with them, but…

 

Kyo put himself in Yuki's position as he cut up vegetables. If he could do something cool, and suddenly Yuki found out and wanted to watch… a scenario that would never happen, but still… if Yuki suddenly wanted to watch, even though he didn't like him or anything… how would Kyo respond? Probably something along the lines of “Are you out of your mind?!” topped off with a few swear words. And he certainly wouldn't change his mind either.

 

Kyo sighed. He had to face it. Yuki certainly wasn't acting like he hated him.