Title: How We Are, How We Were

Author: Keir

Rating: R overall, for swearing and sexual situations

The Gist of Things: This is just a series of stories on Haru & Kyou's relationship, switching back and forth between the past and the present; each chapter will be labeled according to the time reference, but not necessarily posted in a certain chronological order. It really has no purpose but to entertain, but then again, aren't all fics like that? Where this chapter opens up is with the two of them far into an interview with a girl from a shoujo magazine.

6/23/08 - Went back through and had to readjust ALL the text because they effed up crap like brackets and colons on FF. GRR.

'blah' - denotes thoughts

1 : Present : Journalists Are The Devil

Hatsuharu decided it would be prudent to cover his small smile, thus bringing his left hand up in front of his lips. His poor Kyou-chan was so vexed! But then again, his orange-haired mate should have expected such invasive questions; the interviewer was, after all, from one girly magazine or another. And who could resist asking such things of one of the most handsome men on the professional martial arts circuit?

Poor, poor Kyou-chan.

"W-what are you talking about you…you…woman!" sputtered the outraged male seated to Hatsuharu's right.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Mr. Sohma!" giggled the petite woman conducting the interview. "Perhaps your…partner might be able to enlighten our readers instead. Do you know what satisfies Mr. Sohma the most in bed, Mr. Hatsuharu?" the girl asked slyly, batting her eyelashes. "After all, you've both made it abundantly clear that you are, in fact, lovers," she stated, looking pointedly at the males' intertwined hands.

"As a matter of fact, Kyou's neck is most sensitive to certain…stimulation." Hatsuharu smiled winningly. His boyfriend snarled softly.

"If you breathe another word about that crap, you aren't getting any for a week!" Kyou hissed under his breath.

Hatsuharu wisely demurred upon further questioning of the subject.

"Hmm…of course, as I said before, your relationship is no secret. Do the two of you have plans for the future? You seem very close to one another; should fans be anticipating a wedding?" she teased. Her eyes fairly sparkled.

Kyou tugged at his hair nervously, unable to look at his interviewer. Hatsuharu gently squeezed his hand in reassurance, offering no answer to the question. Finally, the cat grudgingly spat out, "We're thinking about it."

The girl beamed, clapping her hands together. "How wonderful!"

"And don't put that we're going to have, say we're speculating! Speculating!" he growled.

"Of course, of course! Whatever you wish, Mr. Sohma."

The infuriated boy's lover lifted the tanned, calloused hand he held in his own pale one, gracing the knuckles with a light touch of his lips. Kyou's scowl softened slightly at the small concession that Hatsuharu understood how much willpower it had taken to be so open about their relationship.

The girl's smiled widened to impossible proportions as she witnessed the loving gesture. "How does a normal day go for you, if you both have no previous engagements to work?"

Blinking, Kyou tried to remember what they usually did together on the infrequent quiet days in their lives. Before he could respond, Hatsuharu broke in, "First, we wake up and cuddle."

"Haru…"

"I always have trouble getting him out of bed, even on the best of days, and he always has to drink straight from the milk carton before anything else."

"How cute!"

Kyou gritted his teeth. "And what about you? You always insist on going for a jog in the morning, but I always get dragged along because if I don't go, you'll get lost for at least a few hours!" he fumed.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Hatsuharu agreed with a smile. "I'm very directionally challenged," he admitted to the interviewer.

"You don't have to be so damn smug about it! You probably get lost on purpose!" Kyou accused.

Hatsuharu shrugged innocently, then returned to the question at hand. "Let's see, after our jog, we take a shower. Together, of course." he added with a wink. "Then we sit down to breakfast, which Kyou-chan makes with loving care. He's a wonderful cook." The girl nodded, her pen scribbling down everything rapidly.

The cat's right hand convulsed in a claw-like manner against his thigh. 'That idiot! What the hell is he thinking? He better not plan on going into detail about our sex, that perverted bastard!'

"I think mostly from then on, we just lounge about the home. Generally I sit down with a good book, and Kyou does several things, such as prepare lunch, work on his katas, or take a nap. If we're not doing those things, we're shopping or visiting family. At night, after our meal, we like to go to the roof of our building and stargaze. On occasion, we end up falling asleep there." Hatsuharu grinned, scooting closer to his lover while the orange-haired boy blinked at him.

'He makes us seem so normal, when I always feel so far from it. How does he do that?' Kyou pondered.

"Ah, you two are so down-to-earth, even with such hectic schedules. Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you any further; you've already been here an hour, after all."

As they left the building, Kyou exclaimed, "Finally! That damn girl asks too many questions!"

Hatsuharu smiled. "She is a journalist; they're required to be inquisitive."

"And you!" spat the cat, turning to jab an accusatory finger at his lover's chest. "You gave her all those stupid responses! If she'd asked about where and when we have sex, you probably would have told her! I should kick you out of my bed!"

Smiling, the ox took hold of the other's hand and led him silently to the car. He pushed the smaller boy against their vehicle, pinning Kyou against its smooth black surface with his hips. Cupping one cheek, stroking the cheekbone with his thumb, Hatsuharu leaned in and gently blew in Kyou's ear. "My Kyou-chan is so demanding," he finally said. "And so very, very sensitive." He ran his tongue over the susceptible neck before him, placing a hand on one thin hip.

"Oh, god…"

"Mm, do you remember the first time we fucked, Kyou-chan?" Brown eyes clashed lustily with crimson.

"Y-you mean when I first got the car?"

"No, the first time we were together intimately was in your room," Hatsuharu corrected, nipping the orange-haired boy in admonishment.

"Haru, that wasn't fucking," Kyou moaned.

"Sex doesn't have to have penetration, baby."

"Shut up, you asshole. Why are you asking that crap anyway?"

The devious black and white-haired boy pulled away, walking to the other side of the car. "I just wanted to know if you remembered." With that, he slid into the passenger's seat.

Kyou snarled, throwing himself into the car. "When we get home, I'm beating you senseless!" he said angrily as he started the car. His lover just smiled complacently.

A few minutes of silence stood between them, then the cat resentfully said, "After you fuck me mindless." He then bent to the task of getting home as quickly as possible.

Hatsuharu grinned. "I can't wait."

eh heh Yes, slow start off, and I hope it's appealing. I'm trying to get a feel of their relationship as I write. Anyway, next post will be the first experience that Haru mentioned here. MMmm…taste the citrusy goodness!