Author's Note: Meep. Merry Christmas, everyone! Sorry this update took so long. Ergh, it would have taken less time if this darn QuickEdit would be more cooperative.

Title: Neko to Inoshishi
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Some spoilers, I guess. I'll try not to have too many specific ones, though.
Summary: Kyo falls for the one girl who has always wanted him, Kagura.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket… darn…
Setting: This story takes place after episode 26.

--- - setting change
italics - emphasis
italics - thoughts

-Unusual Feelings-

Sunday morning began with a heavy downpour. Shigure had shut himself up in his study for the day, while Tohru decided to clean the whole interior of the house. Kagura sat by Kyo's bedside, waiting to see if he needed anything. Yuki remained in his room after breakfast.

Right before lunchtime, Yuki received a visitor as he stood at the window.

"Yun-chan," called a voice from the doorway.

Yuki turned away from the rainy scene outside. "Kagura."

"Yun-chan, what do you think about when you look out at the rain?"

"I remember when shihan last came here." Yuki looked curiously at his cousin. "What do you think about?"

"I think about how terrible Kyo-kun feels when it's raining." Kagura smiled at him. "You shouldn't be up. It's cold today, and your bronchial tubes might—"

Yuki returned to looking out the window. "I'll be all right. Just a few more minutes."

Kagura nodded. "I need to get back to Kyo-kun."

"Why do you care about him so much?" The question came out before Yuki realized it. "He's never done anything but yell at you."

"You're wrong."

Yuki frowned in puzzlement, but he did not ask for an explanation.

Kagura smiled, her mind no longer in the present. Kyo hadn't always found her annoying. They used to play together as children. He had looked up to her. Until the day she saw the cat's true form—when shame and fear overpowered his affection for her. She had cried for him, and perhaps a little for herself, that day.

The smile faded, then brightened again as Kagura brought back the sweet memories—the ones that gave her hope. "I'll find him again."

---

The next day, Monday, Kyo was finally pronounced healthy enough to go to school. Yuki, however, was still feeling a bit weak, so Shigure gave him some medicine and ordered him to stay in bed for the rest of the day. Kagura helped Tohru prepare breakfast.

"Tohru-kun, I'll take this to the table," Kagura said, holding a plate of food in her hands. She had just reached the table when she suddenly felt very weak. "Tohru-kun, I—"

"Kagura-san!" Tohru rushed forward to catch her friend. "Ah!"

"Eh? Another sick person?" said Shigure, putting down his newspaper. He shook his head. "Kagura must have overworked herself taking care of Kyo-kun."

"Don't blame this on me!" Kyo shouted. He had already been wondering if it was his fault that Kagura had fallen ill. To have someone nearly say so aloud was just too much.

Shigure looked surprised for a moment. "No one said it was your fault." Then he lifted a finger in the air as if he had just thought of something. His trademark grin appeared on his face. "Ah, perhaps you feel guilty, Kyo-kun? After all, causing a poor, innocent girl to contract a disease is not the best way to repay her for taking care of you while—"

"Shut up!" Kyo hit Shigure on the head and stalked out of the room.

---

Kyo carried Kagura up to his room, since he had already had the disease, and no one wanted Tohru to get sick by sharing a room with Kagura. He put the unconscious girl in his bed and drew the covers up to her chin. Then he returned downstairs.

Meanwhile, Tohru was rushing around in the kitchen, fixing up a tray of food and water for Kagura's later use. She was just about to take the tray upstairs when she saw Kyo coming down the stairs.

"What are you doing?" asked Kyo.

"I'm taking this to Kagura-san," Tohru said.

"Do you want to get sick too?" Kyo said harshly. "I'll do it," he said more softly. "Don't get too close to that damn Yuki either, or you'll get even sicker than you did last time."

Tohru stared at the orange-haired boy. "Kyo-kun…"

Kyo took the tray from her and went to his room. He put the tray on the table and looked down at the sleeping girl in his bed. Kagura looked oddly frail, and Kyo found himself hoping that she would wake up and act as she always did. He immediately brushed this notion aside, instead thinking, Why can't she always be like this? She's not annoying when she's unconscious.

---

After school, Kyo went directly home, while Tohru went to her part-time job. Upon entering the house, he was accosted by Shigure, who was wearing a suit instead of his usual attire.

"Kyo-kun, I need to go out for a few hours. Yuki's fine by himself, but you'll need to watch Kagura while I'm gone."

"What?!" Kyo tried to protest, but Shigure was already gone.

---

Kyo sat in a chair next to his bed. He had been watching Kagura all afternoon, but she hadn't done anything more than roll over and mutter sleepily to herself. As the hours dragged on, Kyo found himself beginning to doze off. He sat up quickly, though, when he heard loud rustling of the covers. Kagura was trying to get up.

"Kyo-kun, I'm going to—"

The boy immediately grabbed the wastebasket by the door and thrust it in front of Kagura. About two seconds later, sounds of vomiting could be heard. Disgusted by the scene, Kyo began to look away. However, he glanced at Kagura and noticed that her hair was getting in her face. He sighed loudly and used his free hand to gather the girl's hair together and hold it in place behind her head.

When Kagura was done, Kyo let go of her locks.

"Thank you for holding my hair back," Kagura said. "Otherwise it'd be covered in—"

"It's your fault for leaving it down," Kyo retorted quickly. "I just didn't want you to make more of a mess for me to clean up." He crossed his arms and returned to his chair.

Kagura went back to sleep, dreaming of a cute orange neko.

---

The next day, Kagura was still bedridden, but she awoke just as Shigure was about to take a break from watching her.

"Shii-chan." Kagura coughed and sat up. "Where's Kyo-kun?"

Shigure turned around. "He'll be back soon."

"Where is he?"

"He's at school, but he should be home in less than an hour."

Kagura replied drowsily, "I miss him."

"Sleep, Kagura." Shigure smiled and shook his head. It was amazing how much Kagura's thoughts revolved around Kyo. Even when she was sick, the first thing that came to her mind had something to do with the loud, brash boy. Some would call this infatuation, but Shigure knew that much deeper feelings lay behind the girl's devotion to Kyo. These feelings were pure and good, and Shigure often thought that the Sohma family needed more of them.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Review if you dare.

Replies to:

Luna: I'm glad you wrote those comments, because I was thinking some of those things myself. Actually, the main reason I was concerned about the slowness was that if Kyo and Kagura were to really get together in the series, it would be just as slow as it is here, and we all just want those two to be happy together, don't we?