This is the second version of first Fruits Basket story. I've added a second part.

Year of Love

Kyo stared up at the night sky, mentally berating Yuki. 'That damned rat! How dare he embarrass me like-' "Kyo?" Kyo jumped, gasped, and blushed, all at the same time, and then turned to face Yuki, who was indeed the one who had called out his name. "What are you doing up here, you damn stupid rat?" Kyo growled. Yuki frowned slightly, but continued to carefully make his way across the roof towards Kyo. "Well, Tohru and Shigure were getting worried, so, I volunteered to come get – oh!"

Yuki had lost his footing and was now falling. Without thinking, Kyo jumped up and grabbed Yuki's wrist, pulling him into a tight embrace with one arm and using his other hand to try and grab something to stop their falling. He finally managed to grab of something just before they reached the edge. They both just lay there; Kyo trying to regain his breath and Yuki, still wrapped in Kyo's embrace, tried to calm his rapidly pounding heart. "Oh my-! Yuki, Kyo, are you alright?" They both sat up and found Shigure staring up at them worriedly.

Kyo was the first to respond. "Yeah, we're fine. I was just saving this damned rat from breaking his neck." Shigure seemed frightened. "Maybe you two should come down before you actually get hurt." Kyo nodded in agreement and stood; using the arm he had hooked around Yuki to pull the rat up onto his feet. "Come on, I'll help you across so you don't fall again. Next time, I might not be able to catch you in time." Yuki nodded and followed quietly, Kyo's arm keeping him steady.

When they were both on the ground again, and Shigure was ushering them inside, Yuki glanced at Kyo, who was looking away in a different direction. 'He said next time he might not be able to catch me. Why'd he even bother to catch me this time?' He wondered vaguely as Shigure checked them for injuries and then finally ushered them into the kitchen to have dinner.

…

Dinner was a quiet affair that night. Well, more quiet than normal. Shigure was still going on about pointless things, and Tohru was talking about things. But Kyo and Yuki weren't arguing with each other, or even so much as saying a word to each other. 'T-that stupid cat. What is his problem? Ever since we got down from the roof, he's been ignoring me. It's not like I did anything wrong. Or is he sorry he caught me?' Yuki glanced over at Kyo only to find the cats eyes glance off somewhere else and his cheeks color slightly.

'W-Was he watching me? Well, guess I'm one to talk, I'm watching him now.' Yuki realized the irony of it and averted his own gaze. Shigure seemed to have gotten over his worry for Kyo and Yuki and fell back into his favorite pasttime. Teasing Kyo and Yuki. "You know, you two have been extremely quiet. Did something happen between you two up on the roof. Yuki was about to scold Shigure for even thinking such things, but Kyo beat him to it. "Nothing happened, you dumb mutt. Yuki fell and I caught him, that's it."

Yuki turned his gaze back to Kyo. The cat was still looking away from him, and he seemed kind of irritated. Shigure chuckled. "Oh really? Is that all? You two were holding each other pretty tightly when I came out. And Kyo, you escorted Yuki across the roof, your arm around his waist the entire time. Sounds like something happened! What do you think Tohru?" Shigure turned to Tohru, the girl sputtering and trying to say the right thing. Kyo stood up angrily, nearly knocking over the table.

"Dammit, Shigure, you sick bastard! Quit twisting everything so that it sounds like one of your perverted novels! Ah, I'm going to bed!" The angry cat stormed off. Shigure looked wounded and poor Tohru was obviously confused about what was going on. Yuki too was confused, but for different reasons. 'Why is that stupid cat getting so upset? Nothing happened, and Shigure knows that. He was just teasing.' Yuki supressed a small gasp so as not to draw Shigure and Tohru's attention.

'Unless… No, that's impossible… But, what if… He's upset because something didn't happen?…' Yuki stood rather hastily, one of his knees banging on the edge of the table. This startled both Shigure and Tohru. "Oh, Yuki! Are you okay?" She asked. "I-I'm fine, Miss Honda. I'm going to go check on Kyo." Yuki told her before dissapearing up the stairs, leaving a confused Tohru and Shigure behind.

…

Yuki hesitated at Kyo's door, wondering whether to knock or just walk away. He was just starting to turn away when the door opened and discovered a rather angry looking Kyo standing just beyond it. "You've been standing there for quite some time now. Do you want something or what?" Kyo asked heatedly. Yuki bit back a string of insults. "May I, um… May I come in?" Kyo shrugged and stepped aside. Yuki was shocked that the cat had given in so easily but he walked in. Kyo shut the door and walked right past Yuki, crashing on his bed.

"So, what do you want, you damn rat?" Yuki felt some of his patience ebbing away. "I-I came to thank you for earlier." Kyo had been lazily watching him as he spoke, now the cat turned his head towards the window. "Yeah, well, whatever…" He trailed off. Yuki felt angry. "Listen here you stupid cat! It's very embarrassing for me to stand here and say things like this!" Kyo sat up, glaring at Yuki. "Yeah, well, now you know how I feel!" He said in a vehement hiss. All the sarcastic retorts died in Yuki's throat and left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"What?" Kyo rubbed the back of his neck in an embarrassed way. "Well, sometimes my temper gets the best of me and I wind up saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, and when I do, I get kind of embarrassed." Kyo had turned his back to Yuki so that the rat wouldn't see the light blush on his cheeks. Yuki sighed and sat down on the bed with Kyo, pressing their backs together. "We've known each other for years, yet we know so little about each other." He felt Kyo's shoulders tense up.

"Yeah, well, with all our fighting and what not… Doesn't exactly give us any quality time with each other." Yuki nodded and leaned a little heavier against Kyo. The cat bent forward a little, but made no complaint. Neither one of them would admit it, but they were enjoying this moment. No punching, no kicking, no yelling, no sarcastic, witty banter… Just silence. Silence and understanding. A sudden knock at the door startled them both. "Kyo? Are you in there?" It was Shigure. "Yeah, I'm here. What do you want?"

Shigure must have been taken back by the dark and angry tone in Kyo's voice because it was a few seconds before he answered. "Well, no reason to be ill with me. I just wanted to ask if you'd seen Yuki." He sounded upset, but he probably wasn't. "He's in here with me." Kyo informed him. Another pause. "You two aren't doing anything you shouldn't be are you?" They could both hear the perverted glee in his voice. Kyo exploded. "Shigure! You sick bastard! Go and write your next perverted novel or harass your editor!"

"Okay, okay, I get the message. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Kyo stood up, not noticing that Yuki, who had been leaning heavily on him, fell backwards on his bed. Yuki listened as Kyo strode across the room, wrenched open the door, and chased Shigure down the stairs. He heard Kyo's loud rant, a loud thump signifying that Kyo had caught up with the perverted dog, and the Tohru's voice as she checked on Shigure. When Kyo came back, he discovered Yuki lying just as he had left him.

"You were right." Came Yuki's quiet voice. "What are you talking about?" Kyo asked, walking over to him and peering down into his face. Yuki gave him a half smile. "Don't you remember what you said earlier, up on the roof? You said the next time I fell, you might not be able to catch me. I guess you were right." Kyo mentally railed himself for saying something so stupid. He visibly jumped when Yuki's arms circled his neck, pulling him down. "But I guess I can forgive you this time." Yuki said, pressing their lips together lightly.

Even though it was only the barest brush of lips, Kyo's eyes were wide. Kyo didn't realize it, but he was now straddling Yuki. "Yuki…" Kyo was silenced by another kiss. "Uh-uh, no talking allowed." Yuki told him before pulling him into another kiss. Kyo gasped as he felt Yuki's cold hand slip under his shirt and slide up and down his back. Kyo ground his hips against Yuki's, causing the rat to squirm in pleasure. They were used to fighting and hating, but this was something new to them, an experience that they never wanted to end.

Just as things were heating up between them, another knock at the door interrupted them. Kyo's head snapped back, abruptly ending the kiss. "What is it?" He shouted at the door and whoever was behind it. "I-I'm sorry Kyo! I d-didn't mean to disturb you! I just w-wanted to tell you good night." Kyo was silent for a moment. "Wait! T-Tohru, I'm sorry. I thought you were Shigure." He finally managed to croak out. "Oh, it's okay. Shigure was up here not long ago right? He made you mad because I heard you yelling at him for calling you and Yuki lovebirds. You hit him pretty hard. Well, good night Kyo. And good night to you too Yuki."

They both said goodnight and listened to Tohru's footsteps as she padded off to her bedroom. Kyo climbed off Yuki and walked over to his window. "Kyo?" Yuki questioned, sitting up. Kyo ran his fingers through his sunburst orange hair, letting his hand settle on the back of his neck. "Um, maybe you should go on to bed too. I mean, well, I'm not chasing you off or anything, but we do have school tomorrow." It took a moment before the words sunk in. "Oh, o-of course. I'm sorry." Kyo spun around, hands dropping to his sides.

"Sorry for what?" He asked. Yuki stood, averting his gaze from Kyo. "For…thinking that you could ever enjoy my company. That you could ever…love me." The last words were whispered, but Kyo's sensitive ears caught them. "Hold on a second Yuki." He strode across the room and caught the rats' wrist in tight grip. Yuki looked surprised. "Kyo, let me go." He told the cat, twisting his arm to try and free it. Kyo tightened his grip slightly, trying not to hurt Yuki. "I won't let go until you hear me out." Yuki squirmed a bit more, gave a sigh of defeat, and locked his eyes with Kyo's.

"Okay, what is it?" Staring into Yuki's big, violet eyes was slightly intimidating, but Kyo took a big breath and began talking. "Yuki, you don't have to be sorry for anything. I'm the one who should be apologizing. Almost everything I say comes out the wrong way. I really do want you to stay. And I'm just not use to loving or anything like that. So, if you're willing to have a little patience with me, I'd like to try being in a, you know, a relationship. If you want." He said, shrugging. There was silence, and Kyo could feel his face heating up.

Until Yuki smiled, a real smile, and moved forward to press their lips together in a short, chaste kiss. He stroked Kyo's cheek as he pulled back. "I'd like to give being in a relationship a try as well. Now, goodnight Kyo." Kyo watched as Yuki left and heard the rat walk a short ways down the hall to his own room. "Damn it," Kyo sighed, raking his fingers through his hair and turning towards the window. A storm was raging outside; big, thick drops of rain pelting the glass. "What kind of hell have I gotten myself into?"

TBC…

Due to requests to continue, I decided that this shall no longer be a oneshot! Instead, I shall continue it.