Title: Zodiac
Author: Celeste
Feedback: (Yes!) Rating: PG for shounen-ai WAFFYness themes
Pairings: Haru/Yuki shameless flirting (at least on Haru's part?)
Summary: Short, fluffy one shot- Haru reads up on the characteristics of the Jyunnishi.
Spoilers: Not that I know of, really.
Disclaimer: Not my characters, sadly enough (I would love to own Kyou and Shigure though, teehee).
Dedication: Drabbly gift-fic for Anrui… I hope it's not so OOC that it's completely repugnant. -;; Er, Merry late, late, late Christmas?
A/N: So I kind of noticed that some of the cursed Sohmas could really be born in their respective years cuz the age difference would be, well…huge, and they're in the same class and all that. So yeah. But then again, I could have just done all of the math wrong or something. -;; I'm not too good with numbers. Anyway, sorry for the intense, pointless fluff and OOCness. I'm out of practice. Aheh.
Word Count: 645
Distribution: Anrui's gift, I guess I'll have to ask her. :P

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"Look Yuki, the zodiac says we're compatible," Haru pointed out with a small, twinkling smile as he looked down at his place mat.

Yuki frowned, craning his neck to look at the picture the other boy was indicating. "You weren't really born in the year of the ox. And I wasn't really born in the year of the rat," the older Sohma responded evenly, finger indicating the list of years depicted beside the picture of the cartoon cow. "You weren't born in any of these years."

"Either way, it says oxes and rats are compatible with each other," the white-haired boy responded, putting his hand over Yuki's on top of the image.

Yuki turned slightly pink and withdrew his hand from Haru's touch. "Oxen," he corrected softly.

"Oh, okay," Haru responded easily. "Oxen and rats are compatible, then. It says so."

Yuki wasn't quite sure of Haru was seriously considering the validity of the Chinese Restaurant's cheap paper placemat or if his cousin was just playing with him as he was beginning to do more and more as time went by. The rat sighed and sipped his water, hoping the waitress would be back with their orders soon.

Haru continued to study the ridiculously gaudy placemat. "Hey, it says oxen are compatible with snakes too."

Yuki's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then I feel sorry for them."

"The oxen or the snakes?"

A small, quietly devious smile. "Both."

Haru's eyes sparkled though his expression remained sweet. "Good thing none of us were actually born in the same year anyway, right?"

At this point, Yuki was certain he was being teased. "Since I'm really a dog and you're a pig we're clearly incompatible then, aren't we?" he asked drolly before taking another sip of water to hide his small smile on Haru's responding expression.

Haru saw it anyway, and the initial surprise on his face melted into an answering smile that made Yuki look away for its softness.

"Let's see how it says dogs are then, shall we?" Haru asked, noting Yuki's slight discomfort. He turned back to the placemat. "Hmmm…it says that dogs possess the best traits of human nature…"

Yuki frowned and hid his mouth behind his hand. "Haru…"

"They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence…"

"Haru…"

The ox leaned in closer, a whisper of a smile ghosting tenderly across his face. "And they're very beautiful people…"

"You just made that part up," the grey-haired boy accused disapprovingly.

"No I didn't. It says so right here," Haru prompted, tapping the mat with his index finger. "See?"

Yuki scooted his chair back so he could lean forward and examine the culprit piece of paper more closely. "Where does it… Haru, it doesn't…"

The rat suddenly felt the other boy's hand on the side of his neck, thumb running up feather-light against his cheek. A gentle kiss was placed onto his forehead, a mere whisper of lips on skin, and then Haru withdrew before the older boy could appropriately react.

Yuki turned startled eyes on Haru, his face flushed with embarrassed surprise. "Haru…"

Non-repentant, the ox looked on his older cousin from across the table with the same gentile smile he'd graced him with earlier. "See? Beautiful."

Yuki's blush deepened, but he stubbornly sat back and gave the ox his most disapproving expression. "That was uncalled for."

Haru indicated the mat again. "Pigs deal with things honestly but impulsively," he revealed, eyes twinkling with a joyful sort of unrepentant mirth.

Yuki sighed, exasperated with the teasing but not honestly annoyed with Haru. "I'm never eating out with you again."

The ox's smile only broadened, unfazed by the older boy's embarrassed threat. He picked up a paper to-go menu from the holder in the middle of their table, folding it in half before pocketing it. "Ne, Yuki…next week, shall we get take-out?"

END