Morning! I'm doing a 30themes thing for LJ, and this is my first submission! Yay for me! Follows my normal style I s'pose, but the criteria was the first challenge theme (laughter), and the theme of the community (smirks). So, this is my Kyo/Yuki theme 1 for 30Smirks.

Fandom: Fruits Basket

Title: Strings

Author/Artist: AndrAIa

Theme: 1. Laughter

Pairing: YukiXKyo

Rating: K/pg-13

Disclaimer: Own, I do not, the wonderful works of Natsuki.

Summary: "There seemed to be some apparent force on the earth which had set itself in the idea that Kyo Sohma was never to be allowed a normal day." - Aia

Strings

(Me again. I called it 'Strings' because it seemed appropriate considering there's some 'being' controlling how his day goes. (looks around) ha, I just realized that would be me)

There seemed to be some apparent force on the earth which had set itself in the idea that Kyo Sohma was never to be allowed a normal day. It watched constantly over the pussy cat and smiled serenely as another day's work was done once it had caused some form of anti-normality action to take place if not to, than at least in the presence of the red head.

"Kyo-kun, you may go home now. Shigure-san says that you were feeling sick this morning too." the principal looked at a pale and generally sorry looking Sohma, who at the moment before answering, sneezed so hard that he almost tumbled off the small office chair. "Arigatougozaimasu..." he sniffled, standing up and excusing himself from the room. As soon as he was out in the long echoing hallway, another sneeze forced him to double over. His eyes were watering as he sniffed hard and walked down the empty hallway to the exit.

The cold walk home was nothing but deplorable to observe. A frost-affected cat was one thing, but a frost-affected cold-stricken Kyo Sohma was downright pathetic. Every once in a while Kyo would sneeze violently, shaking his body into spasms which echoed with pain due to stiff limbs being jerked around. He even let out a soft whimper when a cramp in his lower back became a byproduct of his sneezing attack.

The house was no more comforting than the walk home, for the house was cold and damp, not necessarily the best atmosphere for a cold in itself. He trekked up to his small room, which had once been a double closet than a single room. As such, he now had two doors side by side that had once lead to two separate hall closets. The small futon in the corner and the bamboo rug on his floor posed to be the only furnishings besides a short dresser and lamp for lighting. It was dark in the room constantly due to lack of windows, but Kyo liked it better that way. During this season he rarely escaped up to the roof anyway.

Kyo stood in the middle of the cold and barely lit room, racking his brain to wonder where Shigure's bedroom heater had gone to since it wasn't in the most logical place: Shigure's bedroom. He tramped back out again and pushed Yuki's door open, knowing he was safe when the rat wasn't home to find him. The heater was plugged into the wall and facing the larger futon, the spacious room being much lighter than Kyo's, but at the same time, more grey to match the weather outside.

Kyo nabbed the heater with a quick jerk to pull the plug out of the wall, then hurried back into his room. He turned it on to full blast and began to strip down from his wet clothes. He hadn't noticed it on the way home, but the snow had collected on him, finally settling into his clothes to further freeze him to the core.

He waited a few moments, the heater warming up enough to where he felt confident in taking his clothes off without having his extremities drop off. To further assure his warmth, he sat down directly in front of the heater, tossing his change of clothes onto the futon hurriedly so he could change quickly.

First came the shirt, which sailed across the room in a fury-filled fit when it wouldn't pull off from around his head. He basked for a moments in the heat from the red hot heater and sighed in relief, enjoying the searing pain of cold skin meeting extreme heat so abruptly. He pulled off the pants and once again sat in the heat of his sole source of warmth, turning his back to face the heater now.

When his back had warmed thoroughly, he pulled himself back around to face the heater. The new shirt that he had haphazardly tossed on the futon had slipped down beside the wall and the edge of the metal posts to his dismay. Kyo growled and leaned back, reaching his hand beneath and into the inner workings of the futon in order to locate the fallen shirt.

Fingertips brushed cotton, so he leaned in closer, aching to reach the shirt and remove himself from the cold steel bars of the underside of the futon. He thrust his hand farther in, shoulder bracing against the couch bed. A sudden creeeeeek shot warning into Kyo's mind, but it was to late, the bed folded down, trapping Kyo's arm between two bars with a crunch, and folding him in half so his nose touched his knees.

For a few moments Kyo sat in utter shock at this predicament. His arm was being crushed by heavy steal rods, and he was defenselessly pinned down by his own bed. How he had even managed this situation was forgotten instantly, and the only thought that came to mind was to escape from the iron jaws of the old futon. There was certainty his wrist had snapped and crushed for the feeling in his hand was only slight pain since it was beginning to go numb already. He pulled a bit, only causing a shooting pain in his arm.

A red hot feeling on Kyo's lower half suddenly informed him he had just planted the sole of his bare foot onto the heater face. The smell of burning flesh hit him instantly and he kicked the heater away in surprise. It sputtered across the floor and faced the bed, now pointing away from Kyo. The cold crept along his skin like death trying to creep upon a victim. It started at his legs and went up his arms, up his hips, torso, chest, then his shoulders. A shiver ripped through him as soon as he felt his shoulders freeze up from a soft cold breeze that came from no apparent ventilation. He hung his head and heaved a defeated sigh. The forces were against him today, and the being in control of his life had decided on a nasty prank for his(her) own amusement.

o0O0o0O0oo0O0o0O0oo0O0o0O0oo0O0o0O0oo0O0o0O0oo0O0o0O0oo0O0o0O0o

Yuki pushed open his door and walked in to set his books down, brushing a bit of snow from his hair as he did. The chill that ran up his spine at that moment brought to his attention the fact that it was just as cold in the house as it was outside. After removing the small white flakes, which more of melted than brushed, he arranged his travel belongings in a pile on his desk for easy access later. The cat hadn't come prowling yet, or else he really had been sick and had gone straight to bed. Thinking about what options Kyo had other than being on the roof freezing or sleeping, he absently reached over to turn Shigure's heater on.

Fingertips stretched and stretched, Yuki leaning his body over and waiting for the cold nobs to reach his touch, but nothing. Finally, in exasperation, Yuki shot a glare over to where the heater should have stood, only to see a bare outline on the rug where it had been. Yuki sighed, a splinter of annoyance jabbing his side. He walked out calmly enough though, and traveled down to what used to be the hall closet. He knocked quietly, hoping that if the cat was asleep he could sneak in and steal the heater back. No answer, meaning Kyo was gone, or he was flat out asleep.

Yuki pushed the door back, eyes searching fervently along the floor for his heater. He spotted it quickly, due to the red burning glow, and took a step in to retrieve his lost property. Mid strive though, his heart gave a sudden double beat at seeing a bare foot sticking out from beneath Kyo's futon, motionless and pale. He stared at the leg in silence, breath caught and chest pounding. It was like a bad horror film, and he was the unsuspecting victim.

"K-Kyo?" he prayed that it was Kyo, whole and alive beneath the bed.

"... Can you please push the bed up?" a weak nasal voice pleaded ashamedly from beneath the bed.

Yuki dropped two his knees, relief having washed over him. "Kyo what..." he stared at his cousin for a moment. The naked red head was hunched forward with his face in his knees, his arm twisted back awkwardly and his butt sticking out with a pink blush, which soon covered his whole body.

"Stop staring and get me outta here! My wrist is broken and I'm freezing!" Kyo snapped angrily at the gawking Prince.

It started in his stomach, jumping lightly, then his chest began to vibrate with a humming, his throat choked on the laughter which finally made it out of his nose. Yuki clamped a hand down over his mouth and nose to try and avoid the hysteria that had built up in his body from the site before him.

Kyo turned his head away so he wouldn't have to watch. This gave Yuki the go ahead to burst into untamed laughter, rocking backwards off his feet and landing on his rear, still rocking forward and back with mirthful and merciless laughter. There was no holding it back now even if he'd wanted it to. He rolled onto his side and curled up to just stare at Kyo a bit longer. Kyo on the other hand, had turned three shades of red and was no about as crimson as his hair. Yuki fought to control himself, for Kyo's sake, and stifled the rest of his laughter with great will power.

"Kyo, I'm sorry..."

"Shut up. Get me out. I'm freezing." He muttered darkly, his nose stinging and his pride losing another chunk.

Yuki crawled forward and gave a hard shove on the bed, Kyo giving out a sharp yelp. The rat jumped in surprise at the yell, hurrying to help Kyo free his wrist. They both looked at the limp and bloody hand, a pang of guilt striking Yuki's heart. He felt bad for laughing so much when Kyo really had broken his wrist.

He leaned forward, wrapping Kyo in thin arms in an attempt to comfort and provide warmth at the same time. "I'm sorry..." he whispered again, still staring at the wrist, "We'll call Hatori." he assured.

Kyo closed his eyes and rested against Yuki's shoulder, just delving in the fact he could move freely now. Having been trapped beneath his bed for a good hour, he suddenly felt like he was floating. A small chuckle escaped his lips, making Yuki pull back to look at him. Kyo's eyes gazed up to his cousin through strands of red mangled hair. "You know what? That's the first time I've never gotten mad at you for laughing at me." He mused, letting the rat prince pull the helpless cat to his feet.

Yuki smirked, discretely pulling the naked body adjacent to his still clothed one, then rubbing with his hips to tantalize. "Oh?" Soft fingers trailed along cold, but soft, skin. "How could you get mad at me after Saturday's little play date anyway? " The smirk deepened as Kyo's body heated up at the thought of it.

Kyo had to smirk also. "That's probably why. So do I get another night like that since you laughed at me so ruthlessly?" Kyo purred, wrapping his uninjured arm around the slim waist before him.

Yuki leaned forward and bit at the exposed neck just above the collarbone. "Mmm... if Kyonkyon is good until then, maybe." with a one final nip at the cold skin, Yuki turned and went in search for the phone.

Kyo watched him leave, the smirk still remaining on his lips. "'Maybe' always means yes." He stretched as far as he dare in the cold air, then looked down at his naked nether-regions. "It's cold out."

-Aia