✔Summer Rain |Fruits Basket| HatsuHaru Sohma

16-Talk

"Oh!" I laughed, standing up. "I've got to be getting home! Mom will be back soon and I've got to be back before she is."

"Are you sure?" Tohru asked, standing up quickly. "Do you want someone to walk you home?"

"No, I think I'll be alright. It was nice seeing you, you too Kyo. Yuki, Haru, I'll see you at school?" I asked, slipping on my shoes.

"Yes, have a good night Chiyu-san." Yuki smiled, opening the door for me.

"Bye Haru!" I smiled, waving over Yuki's shoulder.

*****

Haru nodded, watching the exchange between the two quietly before Yuki shut the door behind Mei, his shoulder pressed against the door frame. He made eye contact with Yuki, who motioned for him to follow him out to the garden.

Yuki grabbed a flashlight and the two walked silently side by side, down the dirt path to the garden. Yuki busied himself with tending to the vegetation while Haru stood silently behind him. "So she knows now," Yuki said gently, eyeing his cousin cautiously for a moment before turning back to the garden.

Haru frowned, kneeling down. "Yeah." He agreed, running his fingers along a leaf stalk, bringing his fingers to his face and wrinkling his nose in disgust. "She does."

"What did Akito say?" Yuki asked, settling down into the dirt, patting the ground for Haru to do the same.

Haru snapped his head around to face Yuki, his features a dark glare. "They called her a toy." He growled lowly.

"What?" Yuki hissed, a frustration that suprised him in his voice. "A toy?" He huffed in annoyance, standing back up. "That bastard. After everything they put you through already-"

"Don't-" Haru started. "Bring it up." He frowned, standing back up ever slowly. "Don't bring Rin up."

"Do you," Yuki had to pick his words carefully. "Do you feel something for her too?"

Haru snapped around, his back to Yuki. "Of course not." He crossed his arms, a small twitch to his brow. "Why would you-"

"I only asked a question." Yuki said gently, reaching an outstretched arm to him. "Haru, we've noticed-"

"I'm not having this conversation with you Yuki." Haru frowned, turning back around. "Mei isn't part of the zodiac, I will not get closer to her than I already am. I'm not making that kind of mistake ever again. We're just friends, so don't bring it up again." He turned shortly on his heel and stormed off, leaving Yuki staring after him nervously.

Haru sighed. He leaned against a tree, brushing the hair out of his face with a huff and slid down until he was squatting against the trunk. Of course they'd left it to Yuki to confront him about whatever the hell was going on with him. If anyone could break him it was Yuki. He groaned, kicking at the dirt with his toe. "Fuck." He huffed, punching at the tree angrily.

Yuki frowned, watching his cousin disappear between the trees. He sighed heavily, gathering his belongings as he headed back up to the house. He knew it was no use getting Haru out here by himself.

"So?" Shigure asked when Yuki enter through the back door, his arms crossed and his eyes prying to get information from the poor kid. "What happened?"

"Nothing you idiot." Yuki huffed. "Its been a little less than a month, it's Haru, of course nothing happened."

Shigure's shoulders dropped, his lips forming a pout. "He didn't confess his undying love?"

"No."

"Really?" Shigure tapped his chin. "Let me go out and talk to him."

"Bad idea." Yuki turned the sink on, ignoring him. "He's gone dark."

"Nonsense!" Shigure didn't wait for an answer before rushing out the door. He wandered lazily down the path, humming a little tune to himself as he did. "Haru?" He called out, cupping his hands to his mouth. "Haru, come on out! I just want to talk to you for a moment."

"You'd better not come a set closer-" Was the only reply that came back, followed by a low grunt and the rustle of the leaves. "I told Yuki I wasn't interested in talking." Haru snapped, stepping out from behind a tree.

"Then we don't have to talk." Shigure hummed, ignoring Haru's request and walking closer.

"You have a deathwish huh, old man?" Haru grunted, cracking his neck. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Haru, I may be a bit older than you, but I'm not stupid. I know love when I see it." Shigure stood in his tracks, his arms crossed.

"Not you too-" Haru huffed. "Mei is not a member of the Zodiac, it would never work out."

"You'd never know until you tried it, would you?" Shigure cocked his head, a smirk on his face. All he had to do was plant the idea in Haru's head and it would all but blossom on its own.

"Name one time a member of the Zodiac fell in love with someone on the outside, and it didn't turn into a disaster." Haru huffed, running a hand through his hair.

Shigure opened his mouth to speak for a moment, then sighed. "You can't use bad experiences as examples of why not to do something Haru." He pointed out.

Haru crossed his arms, chewing at his lip. "I'm not getting involved with Mei. That's my final answer, take it or leave it I don't care." He shoved past shigure, not giving him a chance to answer.

Shigure stared at the ground silently for a moment, before a smile broke out across his face. He smiled all the way back to the house, much to the concern of Yuki.

"What did you do?" Yuki asked, following him through the house. "Where is he?"

"He ran off." Shigure shrugged, settling down onto the floor.

"I thought you said you could talk to him?" Yuki huffed, partially in amusement but mostly in annoyance. "Did you talk to him?"

Shigure turned his head over his shoulder, a cocky grin plastered across his face. "I talked to him. Don't worry about him, Yuki, he's already too far gone for her."
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Word Count: 1027 Words