Hey, peeps, it's been a while! Oh, how I have missed you! But I've been really busy...spring break is exhausting me:) Yesterday at a friend's house I finally saw EuroTrip...oh my God, that's the funniest damn movie ever! But that's another story entirely...
Hope you like this chapter...uh, yeah. This part is AU, but only because Akito is a man. Yeah...okay here you go!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Haru and Kyo both shot up in bed, startled. The incessant banging would not stop. Quickly they got dressed and walked into the main room (Kyo had a slight limp…ahem…); the noise came from the front door.
"I'll go first," Haru said. Kyo nodded and followed him to the door, but his face paled as it swung open.
"Akito-san!" they both yelled. Akito stood before them, a maniacal smirk plastered across his face.
"I knew it all along," he whispered, clutching Kyo's arm. "My little monster, why did you run? Why would you disobey me? You vile creature!" He reached up and wrapped his hands around Kyo's neck, digging his sharp nails into his throat.
"Akito, no!" Haru screeched, lunging at him. Akito slapped him away, and Kyo - despite his choking - grew furious.
"Don't...touch...Haru!" He smacked Akito across the face and fell to the ground coughing. Akito lost it.
"You dare to tell me how to act!" he screamed. "That's it! For your insolence, I will make your precious idiot cow suffer!" He raised a long, sharp knife over his head and took aim for Haru's heart, but Kyo was quicker.
"HARU! GET DOWN!" he yelled, shoving Haru to the ground. The blade pierced straight through the middle of Kyo's back; he screamed in agony as it tore through his flesh, and Haru gasped in horror as Akito yanked it out again. Blood seeped from Kyo's wound like a crimson river, dripping onto the carpet into a pool.
"KYO!" he shrieked. He rounded on Akito, his black side dominating immediately. "You son of a bitch! I'll fuck you up!" He grabbed Akito and literally threw him out of the house, locking the door. Akito left as quickly as he had come, and Haru returned to where Kyo lay in a crumpled heap.
"...Haru?" Kyo said, looking up. Despite the pain on his face, it turned to a genuine smile. "You're okay...I'm soglad...he didn't hurt you..." He coughed up blood, and it spurted out onto the ground.
"Shhhh," Haru whispered, gathering him in his arms. "Don't speak, baby kitten-chan..." He removed Kyo's bloody shirt and carried him into the bathroom, trying to clean his wounds as gently as possible.
"Mnh," Kyo whimpered in anguish, clutching Haru around the neck. "...aaaaahhh..."
"I know, kitten-chan," Haru choked out, hating to see his kitten in such pain. He placed soft, tender kisses on the nape of Kyo's neck, whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Kyo let out a soft mewl that sounded just like a kitten, and Haru let his tears fall; they rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto Kyo's neck. He quickly wrapped Kyo in bandages to stop the bleeding, and then he picked him up and laid him on his bed.
"Haru," Kyo cried, the agony tearing through him so badly it felt as though his body was being ripped into shreds. Haru snuggled tightly against him and kissed his ear, nibbling the tender skin so gently that it almost tickled.
"It's okay," he soothed. "I'm here now kitten, I'll take care of you."
Kyo gazed up at Haru weakly. "Ha...ru," he said softly. "Please...help me..." Blood poured from his lips; quickly Haru wiped it away, but more flowed in its place. Kyo's eyes filled with tears of sorrow.
"It's no use," he sighed. He didn't want to leave Haru - not now, not like this. Haru's stormy grey eyes grew wide, and he clutched Kyo's hands in his own, their fingers entwined tightly.
"No...no, kitten, don't say that! You'll be okay," he said, trying to smile in spite of the tears pouring from his own eyes. "You...you have to be. You're my kitten...we're supposed to be together forever..."
Kyo nodded and finally let his tears fall. "I know we are. And I'll always be with you...I gave you my heart, and I'm never taking it away from you." By now, Kyo's breathing was ragged and harsh, and he choked up more blood. The agony tore through him so badly it felt like his insides were going through a paper shredder.
"No, Kyo, listen to me...you can't leave! Please hold on, baby! I can't live without you!" Haru cried, cradling Kyo's head in his arms. He began to panic. "You can't go! You just can't..." He looked at Kyo through his tear-filled eyes. "I love you too damn much to let you leave me now."
"Shhh," Kyo murmured, stroking Haru's cheek comfortingly. Haru kissed his fingertips and fell silent.
"It's my time, Haru...everyone has to die at some point. I'll finally be free...from everything. This curse...the pain, the suffering...Akito..."
"But you're leaving me behind..." Haru's heart split into two pieces. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you!"
"I know. Me too..." Kyo sighed. His breathing was slowing down now. "But I promise you...that I'll always be here...always. Because I love you," he whispered, "more than life and love itself."
Haru leaned down and choked out his farewell. "And I love you, kitten!" He lifted Kyo's chin and placed on his lips the most tender, heartbreakingly passionate kiss of his life. Kyo smiled into his lips and closed his eyes.
"Haru...goodbye," he purred. Blood poured from his lips, and he took his last breath. Haru felt his tears fall again, and he clutched his precious lover's now wilted form.
"I'm so sorry, Kyo," he wept. "I wish it had been me..."
All of the zodiac-cursed Sohma family members couldn't help but stare at Haru's choice of clothing. They were used to his usual style, but he'd taken it to a new extreme.
Haru's entire body was masked by a black trenchcoat, save for his face and boots. He wore twice as much jewelry as normal, and had taken the liberty of piercing his own lip twice. Tears had streaked the thick black eyeliner under his eyes; but those were the worst of all. There was no emotion present in his eyes but guilt, sorrow, and such intense heartbreak that it pierced the hearts of anyone who dared make eye contact with the now-suicidal teen.
Haru held a single rose in his left hand. It seemed to be red; but upon closer inspection, the Sohma family members came to realize that it was actually a deep orange that seemed to have traces of crimson in it.
Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure immediately walked to where Haru stood. Tohru was distraught as well, though not as badly as Haru; Yuki seemed disturbed, and Shigure was deadly serious and obviously upset.
"Haru," Tohru whispered. He looked up at her, and she took his hands. "I...I don't know what to say...except that I'm so, so sorry." She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and he felt his own spilling down his cheeks.
"Thank you," he said, patting her head gently. Yuki, in a move that shocked even Haru, walked over and actually hugged him.
"Hey Haru," he sighed. Haru felt an emotional overload coming, and he began to sob.
"Hi Yuki." He cried his heart out into Yuki's shoulder for a moment before calming down again. Tears still fell, though not as rapidly. Shigure patted Haru's head gently.
"We're all very sorry about Kyo," he said. Haru nodded.
"Me too." He looked up. "It's starting...the funeral, I mean," he said quietly. They walked over and watched as a small box was lowered into the ground. Haru couldn't stand to watch, yet he couldn't bear to pull his eyes away. His mind remembered everything - their first hug; their first kiss; the first time they told each other, "I love you"; when they got back together after the long separation; when they had finally made love; when they fell asleep in each other's arms; their last kiss...
That last thought shattered Haru's strength, and he burst into hysterics. He didn't think he'd ever be able to stop crying at this point, and he didn't even want to try anymore. Kyo really had taken his heart; it hurt so much. He knew he'd never find another love again. He knew that his heartache was eating him away; he didn't even want to live anymore.
"WAIT!" he screamed before they could bury his kitten. Everyone looked up at him, and he stood up.
"Everyone turn around," he ordered through his sobs. They hesitated. "Please, just for a moment," he begged. Reluctantly they obeyed. Haru pulled out something from his pocket and pointed it at his head. That something was a gun.
"Please, everyone...forgive me..." He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
Haru's eyes fluttered open, and he looked around at his new environment. Where the hell was he? He was dead! So that meant...
"Hello?" A young woman approached him. "Are you Haru?"
"Yeah," he said. "Where the heck am I right now?"
"All the zodiac-cursed come to this place when their bodies can no longer function. It's the eternal resting place for them."
"Does it include the cat?" Haru cried. The lady smiled at him and nodded; Haru jumped to his feet and ran outside. He looked around for bright orange hair and saw a group of about six orange-haired kids sitting in a group together.
"Hey, have any of you seen a kid named..." Haru froze midsentence and looked at the eldest cat-cursed. "Kyo?"
"Hatsuharu...?" Kyo breathed, his crimson eyes growing wide. Tears of joy fell from Haru's eyes, and Kyo jumped up.
"Kyo-niisan, who's that?" asked one little girl. Kyo smiled as his own face became streaked with tears.
"It's him," he whispered. "It's my Haru-chan." Slowly he reached out and touched his lover's face, their bodies pressing together.
"I missed you so much," he said.
"So did I, koneko-chan." Haru linked his arms around Kyo's waist, pulled him closer, and gave him a hard, deep kiss. Another kid piped up.
"Kyo-niisan, does Haru-san have cooties?" he asked. Kyo smiled.
"No," he said. "He couldn't have cooties anyway...because he's perfect."
"Okay then! Can we call you Haru-niisan?" said another boy.
"Yeah, that's cool," Haru said with a grin. As the kids all talked about their new friend, Haru and Kyo remained in a tight embrace.
"I told you so," Kyo whispered.
"Hmm?"
"We'll be together forever."
Haru smiled through more tears and pulled Kyo close for another kiss. "Together forever..."
-sniffles- Ohmigawd, I killed them both off! I tried to make it pretty angsty, but I still need practice in that area, so please don't flame me because I'm already aware of it, thank you very much.
I've decided I'm not doing an alternate ending. I like how this ending turned out - not to be smug about it, don't get me wrong.
Thank you all again for sticking with me through this. This is the first multichapter fic that I've posted and completed, so it's sort of a historical monument for me. It's so sad to finish this because I've grown so attached to the characters in the ways that I altered their personalities a bit. I thought I'd never be able to finish this fic; word-wise, I believe it the longest one I have yet.
Keep an eye out for my other fics - I'll be updating soon!
Much love from your favorite evil yaoi-obssessed authoress,
-Kat-