Author: Hae-jung Lee
Rating: PG-13 
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, sadly. This is my first fan fiction, well, first written piece actually, so I hope you will find this story enjoyable :)

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CHAPTER 2

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"Let's eat!" Shigure chimed happily with the others so that they can let their taste buds dwell in the delicious food that Tooru had prepared for them.

Kyo couldn't help but let his mouth water at the sight of such a valued meal. He hasn't had a home cooking meal since...well, he couldn't recall actually. Scooping up the light noodles with his eager chopsticks, he slurped it down hungrily while putting mushrooms in his mouth anxiously. Oh but sabu sabu was so much better than left over pizza and store bought instant meals. Looking up from his bowl, he realized that all three members of the household were staring at him.

"You looked like you were about to eat your bowl for a second" Yuki said faintly.

"How about I eat your filthy head you scum rat!"

"It was merely a joke. There's no need for crudeness."

Silence fell over the dinner table as Tooru sat there, fidgeting in her cushion and feeling utterly helpless. Yuki had often spoken of Kyo many times in the past, she remembered. She always heard the disappointment and anger in his voice with a hint of sadness. She had hoped that if they were ever reunited, that it would be a happy one. Yet it seems as though Kyo was still bitter and held an intense grudge against Yuki.

"Would you like for me to make you more, Souma san?" Tooru suggested at last with a sweet smile, "I'm pretty sure you were famished and I would love to make some more for you on your journey back home."

Kyo glanced at her and glanced back at Yuki just in time to see those purple eyes soften at her remark. Yuki, he realized, was in love with Tooru. Or so it seemed for why else would he smile and look at her so sweetly. It was nauseating.

"Thank you, but no." He finally said between gritted teeth. I must not loose my temper, I must not loose my temper, I must not loose my temper.

Tooru smiled plesantly, her eyes flashing with something unreadale. "Well, will you mind staying for a little bit longer? I hope to be friends."

"Why would you like to be friends?." Kyo asked her rudely. What exactly was she to Yuki? Why did she care so much for his well being? He was in no need for pity nor was he lacking any 'friends' in the first place.

"Er...that is, I would like to get to know you...everyone should have friends, you know?" Tooru gave a nervous, quivering smile.

Kyo looked at her hard until her gaze fell first, "Sure, why not? But, can I ask you a...personal question, Honda san?"

"Of course! Oh and please call me Tooru" She grinned widely.

"Are you and Yuki together? Or are you two just fuck buddies?"

To his surprise, he saw Yuki spewing the water he was drinking out of his mouth and nose. Aghast at such a rude remark, Yuki quickly cleaned up his mess, his cheeks flaming. What was this idiot thinking, Yuki thought frantically to himself. It was like being in high school all over again.

"No, we are not," He answered for the shocked Tooru. "Although she is by far the sweetest person I have ever met by far, she isn't a rude, loud, hot tempered dog like you."

"You dare have the nerve to call me a dog? Take a look at yourself and this family and dare call me a dog again you ungrateful bastard!"

"Ungrateful?" Yuki managed to cry out, "ungrateful?! I have tried to help you in the past but all you did was shove it away!"

"Helped me in what way? Helped me by ridiculing me and making me feel lower than dog shit."

"Can we please stop dogging on the dogs, please?" Shigure asked, smiling somewhat for having the family back together again.

"I tried to make you realize your mistakes," Yuki argued, ignoring Shigure's remark. "I didn't want--"

"Just shut up! I don't know what you're trying to pull by acting like some sweet, considerate person in front of a girl. You were always a flirt, weren't you? You liked how all the girls flaunted themselves on you, didn't you? Calling you 'prince'...I bet you did them favors, huh? It's always the innocent looking ones that are the most kinkiest. Hah!"

Yuki could no longer hold his anger as he grabbed Kyo by his collar and slapped him hard across his face. Kyo looked up at him teasingly, his lip busted somewhat but no blood seeped through.

"Is that all? A bitch slap?" He laughed cynically, "you are such a hypocrite. Complaining of who I slept with when you were the one who was also fucking around. Being a self righteous bitch my ass! Come on, hit me! Hit me until blood spurts out of my mouth like you did last time. Beat me in front of your whore until I am left dead at your feet."

"STOP IT!" Tooru flung herself in front of Yuki before he could charge and ram all his anger onto him. "Please, stop it. Both of you. I don't know what happened between the both of you during your childhood but I do now know that it was horrible. Family members should not fight like this. Family is not about fighting or envy or hate...that is not the way it's supposed to be..." She felt tears brimming over her lids but she fought them back off.

She turned to face Yuki and held his face in her hands, looking into him deeply and murmured something to him. Yuki sagged against her, panting and whispering an apology over and over. Kyo sat back down, suddenly tired and feeling drained.

"I only had my mother..."Tooru continued softly, looking directly at Kyo, "she was the only thing I had left. She was my family and when I lived with her, I saw that family is the most important thing to help us gain self esteem and assuredness of ourselves. Without family, we are empty souls walking endlessly on a bare, vacant road."

Kyo bowed his head low, feeling sick to his stomach. "I'm...sorry if I ruined your dinner, Honda san. I'm sorry for calling you a whore and I'm sorry for what you went through. But...you don't know me."

He excused himself, looking up into her blue eyes with an apologetic look before leaving the table to stroll around the garden outside so that he could think.

"What a fool!" Yuki finally yelled at last, biting his lip.

"Yuki, I think you know more than anyone of what Kyo went through," Shigure said lightly as he stood up from the table. "You know how sensitive he is when negative words are thrown his way."

"Are you defending him?" His purple eyes hardened as he looked the older man up and down. "Did you not just hear what he said? Did you not hear those filthy words and the...the mere madness of it all?!"

"Calm down," Tooru whispered gently, "There is nothing I can do to help him, Yuki. I just realized now that it is not my place to do so." She looked up into his eyes and stared deeply, hoping, "only you can...only you can clear this void in his heart."

Shigure smiled to himself, seeing how wise Tooru has grown. She has always been wise, of course, yet she made the right decision. Always thoughtful, always sweet for thinking of other's feelings before her own. She wasn't only worried for Kyo but also worried that Yuki might do something that he will regret later on in life. Kyo himself has changed, no longer fighting with his fists first. He still had to work on his manners and his temper but he saw that he has finally grown up a bit. He stood up silently from his table and entered his study, waiting patiently with a smile.

"I fear," Tooru continued sadly, "that he has never felt the love that I felt when I was with my mother. It was wrong of me to assume that everyone had the same support as I did. I feel...as though he felt like an outsider in his own family. Lonely with so many of you...I feel for him."

"Tooru, Tooru" Yuki whispered, "always so kind..." He lifted his deeple purple eyes in the direction of the garden, barely seeing the faint figure in the dark.

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How long have I been walking, Kyo asked himself as he grew drowsy and out of breath. After hours of thought and replaying of what happened over and over in his mind, he found that he was ashamed of himself. He had provoked Yuki's anger by lashing out at Tooru and he found that he went too far. Although he hated being proven wrong, he was indeed in the wrong. How could he go back there? How could he face Tooru who had been so kind to him? Why was he such an idiot? Lashing out anything that came to mind before thinking. He saw Yuki trying to change desperately...he saw the hurt in his face as he spoke one word after another and was disgusted in himself for even loving to see the pained expression on Yuki's face. Why can't I just let it go, Kyo questioned himself angrily. Why can't I just move on and leave everything behind?

Because you can't, a voice within him said. Look at all the things they said to you, of what they did to you, and what they think of you. You are nothing to them...you are just a home less child with nothing to his name. You will never be anybody. You are nothing.

He clutched his head and doubled over, feeling himself grow sick. He was confused, tired, and distraught. His head was throbbing and he felt his knees buckle underneath him. He didn't know what to think or what to feel. He just wanted to disappear. Coming here was a mistake...everything was a mistake. The Souma's were right...his birth was an absolute mistake.

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"Yuki?"

He opened his eyes slowly, focusing on a dark figure before him. He groaned inwardly before turning on the light. After a few seconds, he fixated his eyes on Tooru. His annoyance swept away as soon as he caught sight of her drenched clothing and worried look.

"What happened? Are you all right? What time is it?"

"I'm very sorry Yuki kun, but Souma san isn't back yet."

"Don't worry," Yuki finally replied with a yawn, "he'll come back to his senses and come back in. Or perhaps he went home already."

Tooru shook her head, her gaze was dead serious and Yuki found himself leaning closer. "I checked his car and and it's empty...it's already 4 and he's not yet back. And it's raining... I'm afraid he got lost in the woods or he got hurt."

Yuki relaxed back in his bed and smiled reassuringly, "you are so cute. Kyo walked through those woods a million times and he's a tough guy. He can handle it and I'm pretty sure he walked over to a pub or a club or something of that sort. If he's not here by the time we wake up, we'll go look for him."

He saw her smile somewhat but her expression still remained. Sighing, he slowly got up from bed, much to Tooru's delight. He put on sturdy shoes for their walk into the woods and turned to her with a sleepy grin. "Don't worry, Tooru chan. We'll find him."

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A/N: So, how is it so far? Please R & R, it will make me very happy to hear you voice your opinions. Again and again, thank you for reading 3.

Hae-jang Lee