Title: Once You Go Black...
Written by: jolieXD
Summary: Sohma Yuki has been dealing with Sohma Hatsuharu's split personalities for most of their lives. He knows how to tame a Black Haru and he knows how to make a Black Haru. But it's no secret that Hatsuharu has feelings for the Rat. Could a couple wrong words create a Black Haru that even he can't control?
Disclaimer: I don't want to say it, because everyone knows I don't own Fruits Basket. d;
Warnings: Slash—boy&boy—but nothing explicit, I promise, because I don't want to have to have a higher rating than absolutely necessary on this story—like, at all. They annoy me. So, there will just be a hint here and there. Yep—for those who don't like the graphic content. However, for those who do... ;D Look closely, lovelies, and you may see—or not. It depends on if I feel like writing it. Soooorry.
Rating: T, for themes of homosexuality, as mentioned above, and—possibly—vile language.
Author's Notes #1: So... I'm sorely disappointed with the little Yuki/Haru fanfiction there is out there. I think that's all I need to say about that, since everyone knows Yuki and Haru is tempting—well, if you're one for slash, anyway.
Author's Notes #2: You'll probably notice that I do use honorifics (-chan, -san, -sama, -sempai, -sensei etc.) in this story, but not Japanese. Well, that's easy enough to explain: I'm not Japanese—so I don't pretend to be—and I don't know the language—so I won't pretend I do. I just use what the subbed anime-version tells me. :) 'Kay?
Author's Notes #3: And the end of A/N #2 brings me to A/N #3. Notice I said anime-version. Meanings I follow the 26 episodes, the 4 volumes or so (I own them proudly ;D), provided by FUNimation—or whoever. Sooo, that means no Sohma Isuzu (Rin) or Sohma Kureno, because I don't have the money to read the manga—and, let me tell you, I wish I did. -sighs wistfully-
Okay, now that's plenty of notes and whatnot. Let's get on with the story, already. Enjoy, lovelies!
XOXOXO
jolieXD
Once You Go Black...
Begin—One: Fan girls? Meet fan boy.
Sohma Hatsuharu was growling in the most peculiar way. Yuki wasn't sure if he'd switched to what the Sohma clan called Black Haru—a violent, untamed personality unearthed from the unexplored depths of the fifteen-year-old's mind—or if he was just annoyed. But, whatever it was, it was making Honda-san very nervous—as she much preferred the gentle, soft-spoken White Haru, like most of the Sohma clan—and the stupid Cat very mouthy.
A particularly giggly girl passed the cluster of Sohmas—and Honda-san, of course—in the corridor, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at Yuki, who held his head high with an effort—it was hard not to blush under the strange looks cast at he and Hatsuharu—and tried desperately to avoid the girls' gazes. Haru's growl grew into a snarl that Yuki could call feral, and, by the frustrated huff of breath that he knew came from Kyou, Yuki knew the orange-haired boy was ready to snap.
He did, of course, a moment later. Typically enough.
"Damnit, are you an Ox or a Dog?"
It was a low hiss, so that no one that didn't need to hear or understand the taunt didn't, but Haru's growling ceased all the same, though his eyes—dark with something Yuki didn't want to decipher—were still furious. He dipped his head toward Kyou, who glared back. Yuki didn't dare speak or continue on without the two boys, for Hatsuharu was certainly Black Haru now, if he wasn't before—Yuki could see the crazed glint in his eyes that confirmed that—and Kyou was sure to provoke the gray-eyed boy further, given the chance. But, when Honda-san saw the friction between the Cat and the Ox, she put out a hand.
"Kyou-kun, you know better than to—"
"You want to fight, Cat?—Is that it?" Honda-san looked startled to be talked over, but she knew better than to object to Black Haru and, looking at Yuki as if he would know what to do, stepped away and wrung her hands. She began again toward their Homeroom classroom on the dark-haired boy's nod, perhaps to announce to their teacher that Kyou and Yuki would most likely be late-coming.
"Yeah, I wanna fight," Kyou was saying when Yuki looked back to the Sohmas, crossing his arms in distaste for his distant cousins' actions. The Cat's teeth were bared in something that, if he were in Cat form at this moment, Yuki was sure, would be a hiss, "Let's fight." He raised his fists and fell into a defensive pose that showed he was prepared to take a hit—a pose Yuki saw often enough within their own home, let alone in public.
The Ox's laugh was short, mirthless and a tad maddened. He lunged, in the next moment, for the Cat, who stepped just out of his reach in time. He made another go for Kyou, who circled around him, a blow to the stomach.
"Haru." Yuki's voice was as soft as it was sharp—and it was sharp enough to draw attention to him—but somehow Haru heard him, mid-punch. His head twisted toward the Rat, gray eyes alive with a fury that shriveled and died when they landed on Yuki's frown, and his black and white hair whipped with him in the force and suddenness of his turn. Kyou seemed smart enough to cease his own attack when the other boy stopped, straightening to glare at Yuki with indignation in his reddish-brown eyes. "This is nonsense," The Rat told him, and Haru's eyes widened a fraction and then narrowed again before he broke out into laughter that wasn't nervous and wasn't gleeful and wasn't sarcastic. It was something else entirely, something only Black Haru could manage—something of a mixture of incredulity and madness.
"Yuki," Haru was smiling encouragingly, as if that would persuade Yuki to allow this fight to go on, and his voice was light and skeptical at the same time—somehow, "Come on." His gray eyes flickered across the sea of students, who were edging around Kyou and Haru and Yuki fearfully, accusingly, as if he expected them all to bear witness in court or something of the sort. He viciously gestured at Kyou with an arm, which, wisely, the Cat watched warily. "You heard what he said." It was a growl and simultaneously a plea.
Slowly, Yuki shook his head, uncrossing his arms to pass a hand over his face to mask his irritation. White Hatsuharu was returning—he could hear the hurt seeping into the Ox's voice—but if he didn't end this now, it would only begin again later when Yuki wasn't around to stop it. "No. Go to class, Haru."
"Yuuuki—" This one was a whine, one the Rat could imagine from Momiji. Yuki only shook his head again, though, sighing.
"Now, Haru."
Hatsuharu straightened and opened his mouth to object, a hand lifting from his side to scratch behind his left ear, a habit he'd recently picked up only in the presence of Sohma Yuki, and then, sensibly, closed it again after a moment. He bit his lip, lowered his eyes, and nodded somewhat. He passed Yuki without words, but the Rat could swear he felt Haru's hand brush his own as he did so.
Violet eyes turned and watched the Ox go. White Haru was there, for now, and that satisfied Yuki. He tried hard to ignore the extra stares from his peers, anew with silent praise and awe, as he turned to Kyou, told the gaping redhead that even stupid Cats should know it was time to go to class, left.
Hatsuharu was approaching, looking determined and dragging a grinning Momiji behind him as he came. Yuki sighed; he'd gotten through school rather well, meaning—without much mention of the younger boy's episode from that morning. And he'd been hoping to end it on that note—not with Haru.
Why were they still here, anyway? Yuki had the unnerved feeling that Haru had been watching him throughout his meeting.
All the same, the Rat pointedly looked away from the approaching Sohmas and over to Tohru and Kyou—waiting both patiently and impatiently with Uotani- and Hanajima-san across the street.
He'd just been released from the Student Council meeting—a surprisingly short one, which consisted of no more than assuring concerned teachers that rules against fighting in the corridors were being enforced, with the few members in charge of monitoring the halls—that they'd promised to wait around during so that they could walk home together afterwards. It had obviously been Honda-san's suggestion, but there wasn't a chance in Hell that the stupid Cat would allow her to wait—alone, only to walk home with the Prince of Kaibara High—alone.
Honda-san seemed to see Haru and Momiji advancing, as well, because she was looking past both her best friends and Yuki and worrying her lip with concern. Kyou looked wary, fingers twitching in his pockets as if he were ready to drag Tohru off for home without the Rat. Yuki rolled his eyes at the Cat, who only scowled in return.
And then he was forced to face Haru when he felt a gentle touch claim his elbow.
The Rabbit, free from Hatsuharu's clutches upon arrival, danced around the Rat and the Ox, alternating between chanting words, words that Yuki couldn't quite make out through the small boy's laughter, and happily humming a tune in time with the chant throughout the verses when it seemed he could think of nothing else.
"Hello, Haru," Yuki said, instead of addressing Momiji for the moment. Haru returned the greeting with a small, contented smile, as if he were relieved that Yuki didn't look angry. And, Yuki had to admit that he didn't feel angry, either. So he felt no need to frown back. Besides, a smile like that on Sohma Hatsuharu was contagious.
At the smile that the Rat was sure was he felt spreading across his lips, Haru's eyes alit with delight. And, suddenly, he was grinning and throwing his arms around Yuki, bouncing on his heels merrily. Eyes wide and the smile gracing his mouth gone as quickly as it came, Yuki struggled against the other boy.
"Haru, really! Could you have picked a more inappropriate time?" He hissed. Yuki knew he was blushing—he felt his face aflame with heat.
In the background, he could hear Kyou's and Uotani-san's laughter—who, despite their usually disagreements, obviously united in that this one was amusing enough to laugh together without attempting to beat each other to bloody pulps for imitating the other—and, out of the corner of his violet eye, he saw Momiji skip away to join Honda-san and her friends. "How nice," Yuki thought he heard Hanajima-san mutter to the brown-haired girl beside, whose cerulean eyes were a fraction wider than he though natural.
"Yuki-kun isn't mad at me!" Haru sang, blissfully unaware of their audience. It harshly brought Yuki from his thoughts of his friends and back to his own predicament.
Said boy sighed and ceased his resistance, rolling his eyes. Making Hatsuharu angry by pulling away now would do no good, Yuki supposed.
Besides, the sighs of utter envy from the girls on Student Council around them were a little amusing.
End—One: Fan girls? Meet fan boy.
for my own purpose, really, but if anyone's interested:
Date Chapter Was Started: August 16th, 2006
Date Chapter Was Finished:August 17th, 2006
Date Chapter Was Posted: August 18th, 2006
Ending Notes: Tell me what you guys think, okay? I need to know if I should continue this—or if I should even come up with a proper outline. d; I know this is a short beginning chapter, but I don't want to go too very far into the plot without knowing if people will actually read it.
Thank you in advance! (:
XOXOXO
jolieXD