✔Summer Rain |Fruits Basket| HatsuHaru Sohma

24- Kisa

  We walked a little further until we got to the overpass at the crossroads, settling down on the bench.  I reached up and tugged my hair into a pony tail to get it out of my face and sighed.  "What do we do now?"

  "I didn't really think that far ahead-"  He stared at me spacely.

  "Of course not."  I tilted my head back against the cool concrete, feeling the oncoming of a sneeze.  "Fuck- I think I'm already getting the sniffles."

  "We should head to Shi-sans, it looks like the rain is letting up a little bit."  He said softly.  "Are you fine to walk?"

  "Its just some water."  I nodded.  "I'll be good."

  We started down the road towards the mountain as the rain tapered off into a drizzle.  I yawned, taking a moment to look at the bundle in Haru's arms.  Kisa was a tiny tiger, no bigger than a grown cat.

  "Ah- it's Yuki."  He said suddenly, stopping.

  "Haru!"  Tohru's voice came from my left.  "Mei-chan?  Hatsuharu-san?!"

  "What are you guys doing in the rain?"  Haru asked as we approached the two.

Yuki asked, looking me up and down.  "Mei-san, why are you wet? What are you doing?"

  "Its kinda a long story-"  I looked between him and Tohru. 

  "We were looking for something.  I was looking for this one."  Haru pulled down the coat to show Kisa more clearly.  "Kisa Sohma, Tiger.  Her bites hurt."

  "Oh!  So she must be the zodiac tiger!  Nice to meet you!  I'm Tohru Honda!"  Tohru reached out and Kisa latched her teeth around her fingers.

  "Oh-"  I frowned.  "Tohru-chan?  Are you okay?"

  "Y-yes! It's just a little bite!!  Let's get home!"  She started walking, holding her injured fingers to her chest.

  "Uhm-"  I bit my lip, looking after her.  "Are we sure she's okay?  That looks like it hurt-"

  "Kisa-"  Haru sighed.  "Don't bite Honda-san."  He started walking, and Yuki and I reluctantly fell into step beside him.

"Mei-san, how did you and Haru run into each other this morning?"  Yuki asked curiously, looking over at me.

  "Uh-"

  "We slept in the park last night."  Haru looked over at him.  "It started to rain."

  "You slept in the park?"

  "Yeah-"

  "With Haru?"

  "Uhuh-"

  "You didn't try anything, did you?"  That was directed at Haru.

  "What?  No he didn't- We looked at the stars until he fell asleep!"  I reassured him.  "Don't worry Yuki-san!"

  "I think that sounds like fun!"  Tohru cheered.  "Did you have fun?"

  "Yeah."  I nodded.  "It was a lot of fun!" 

  We made our way up the stairs to Shigure's home, stopping for a moment to take our shoes off in the doorway.

  "I'll get the medical supplies for your wound, Honda-san.  Mei-san, Haru, go into the living room with Shigure."  Yuki pointed, making his way to the bathroom.

  I settled down at the table, taking a towel from Shigure as I sat, watching Kisa crawl into the corner of the room to hide.

  "Oh no!  You got bitten!"  Shigure said when Yuki returned with the medical supplies.

  "It surprised me!"  Tohru gasped as Haru wrapped some bandages on her fingers.

  "Kisa, come here and apologize."

  "Yuki-kun, Satchan doesn't talk."  Shigure spoke up.

  "She can't talk."  Haru agreed.

  I sat quietly at the table, listening while they talked about Kisa's history.  Most of it was stuff he had told me on the search to find her, selective mute because of bullying.

  Kisa didn't seem to like this because she jumped up onto the table and bit down on Haru's bicep.

  "That hurts.  What, are you mad?"  He seemed completely chill about the situation.  "Telling me not to shoot my mouth off?  Yeah right.  You know how worried I've been?  Your parents are looking all over for you right now."

  She ran off and my eyes went to the wound on his arm, which dripped blood.  "Should I- do you want that cleaned up?"

  "You're way to calm sensei."  Haru sighed.

  "Haa-kun, did you quietly turn dark?"  Shigure asked, walking around me.

  "Uh-uh.  Just Grumpy from the pain.  Don't know what to do with Kisa." 

  "You seem really worried.  I didn't know you were so close."

  "Jealous?"  Haru and Shigure both spoke, making Yuki slam his fists down on the table.

  "I just feel like I have to help her, because she reminds me of you.  When you stopped talking for a while.  You curled up in a corner and went silent.  That was the only way you could protect yourself. You could stay sane."

  "Shut up!"  Yuki stood up abruptly, making me jump.  I'd never seen him like this, nor has I ever heard anything about what Haru was saying.

  "Do you have to get so worked up?"  Shigure sighed, and Yuki stormed out of the room in anger.

  "I'm sorry- am I missing something?"  I asked curiously, watching Yuki walk away.  "Yuki-san's never acted like that- is something wrong?"

  "No, nothing's wrong."  Shigure waved a hand.  "Just being dramatic as always."  He stood up, sighing.  Alright you two, have fun in here."

  I glanced at Haru, who was poking at his arm with a cotton ball.  I moved in front of him, grabbing the bandage from the floor.  "You should stop the bleeding-"  I frowned, reaching for his arm.  "Does it hurt?"

  "Duh."  He hissed as I cleaned the spots.  "Sorry you had to see that.  Shigure doesn't know his limits."

  "I'm starting to think none of your family does."  I wrapped the bandage around his arm and tied it off, falling back on the floor with a sigh.  "So what's going to happen with Kisa now?"

  "Dunno."  He flexed his arm to make sure the bandage stayed in place.  "Its up to her mom what she decides to do next."

  I stood up, grabbing the towel from the floor and wrapped it around my neck.  "I'm gonna head outside for some fresh air, I need to clear my head."

  "Alright, I'll find you some fresh clothes since yours are wet."  He disappeared from the room before I could reject his offer and I sighed, heading out into the warm afternoon air.
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Word Count: 1047 Words