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"Ah! Kyo-!"
Poof!
"Gah! Did you seriously just trip on nothing? Can't you watch where you're walking?!"
The now-cat looked around frantically from behind the school. There were no windows, and no one saw. A small sigh of relief left him. Tohru sniffled gently as she gathered the boys clothes and bracelet, folding them all neatly. It was lunchtime and the two had decided to take a stroll around the school grounds. Or so, Kyo asked for the walk, and Tohru happily agreed. But now, the girl was pouting apologetically on her knees. He wasn't angry, per se, just, surprised.
"I'm so sorry Kyo, I swear I didn't do it on purpose!" she hugged the clothes to herself. Kyo bent his ears back and pawed up to her, gently pressing his toe-beans to her knee so he could console her to the best of his emotionally-distant-cat-self's abilities.
"Just, stop apologizing. It's not, er, I know it's not your fault. And it's not like anyone else saw, so we can just wait until I transform back."
Of course, it wasn't going to be that simple. Of course, just like the boy was cursed with the Cat Spirit of the Zodiac, so was this damn situation because just as things seemed to be going relatively fine, and like it would all fix itself -
"Hey! Tohru! Why'd you go off without us like that?"
Girl-and-cat alike stiffened in absolute panic. Kyo looked over and saw Tohru's friends walk up. Without hesitation, the brunette stuffed his clothes in her bag and scooped him into her arms, pressing him to her torso, hugging him.
Her reasoning was logical. He knew that. This was one of the better options, given he couldn't just run away and then transform back without his clothes, or rely on hope that his transformation would last long enough for Tohru to evade her friends, or whatever else may have crossed their minds. But this. This was too much. He wanted to hiss and yell and squirm free because being held like a baby or some kind of animal was too embarrassing. Of course, something he would never admit to himself, is that it also felt nice being held so closely by her. If cats could blush, he would be.
Kyo reasoned to himself that as long as he acts like a normal cat, they'll be none the wiser, and it'll all be over soon, anyway.
"Oh! Uhm, I just needed to get some fresh air is all!" Tohru giggled nervously.
"You're not getting sick are you? Those Sohma boys better not be overworking you!" the blonde ex-delinquent checked Tohru's forehead temperature, before making direct eye contact with one of the Sohma boys in question.
"Oh, no! They're-"
"Where the heck did you find this cat?!"
Kyo's fur absolutely fluffed, his tail growing in size as he stared at his classmate. He felt so SMALL and helpless and nervous. What if she knows?
"Ahh, this is actually our new cat who - er, must have, followed us to school! Hahaha! You silly kitty!" Kyo glared up at Tohru, don't call him a silly kitty-
His attention was immediately averted from her comment to the hands now wiping themselves all over him, and his ears, and his tail, and even under his chin. The stupid girly giggles and coos that rang in his ears, who the hell do these people think they are, they didn't even ask him!
He felt the arms that were holding him gave him a gentle scritch on his chest, and he purred in response. It felt so nice and soft and- dammit! He can't control these stupid feline functions, how the hell was he supposed to stop purring anyway!? And it's not like he tried to ask any other cats. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Ah, but he had to admit, it did feel nice. That is, until he heard the person he was being victimized under giggle sweetly,
"Hehe, you really like that, don't you Ky- uhhh- kitty!?"
She needs to stop talking. This idiot needs to stop in general. Stop. Petting. Him.
"Oh, what's its name anyway?" Hanajima finally spoke up, giving his back soft, long strokes.
"U-Uhm.. I think it's,-"
"Princess."
All three girls and cat looked up to see the voice came from Yuki Sohma. Holy hell, did Kyo ever want to scratch this bastard's face in.
"Princess?" Arisa echoed.
"Mhm. I checked this morning before school, turns out this cat is a girl. Isn't she cute~?" the Prince's voice had a slightly mischievous lilt to it.
Kyo swallowed back all the screams and growls. Who the hell is he calling a girl?! He's the girly-boy here! What's most frustrating is that he was in Tohru's arms, meaning he couldn't do anything at all to argue. All he could do was glare. And from that slittled-pupil glare, was coldness, and death, and murder, and wishes that this stupid rat boy would just leave. Kyo lowered his head at his rival, ears bending flat against his head. He did his best to intimidate his rat counterpart, however, the cat was met with a smile so sweet, it was sickening. A smile paired with narrowed, equally sick eyes. Kyo couldn't help but let out a cat noise of anger, he hissed and growled at the stupid boy in front of him.
Tohru gasped, instinctively holding him warmer and closer to her, as if to protect the cat. It was like, she forgot he was even a person. Yuki's smile grew.
"It's okay, kitty-"
"Ha! It looks like the Princess doesn't like the Prince, hey? What did you do to the poor thing this morning?" the blonde giggled and ran her fingers through his fur.
And just when Kyo thought his day couldn't get worse-
He felt the lift, and pull, being taken away by the one safety-net he had left in this messed up situation. The thought crossed his mind that as long as it wasn't another guy holding him, he should be fine, but he was turned around, and cradled on his back. Kyo tried to get back on his stomach at the very least, but this girl was surprisingly strong. Stupid, unfair size advantage. And to top it all off, ridiculously long bleach hair tickled and got all-up in his business. He swatted the locks out of his face. Screw her hair!
"Ooooh aren't you just the sweetest lil' Princess spitfire! Do you like my hair?" Arisa cooed. Tohru wanted to take the poor cat back, but didn't want to add to any suspicion. She laughed nervously in defeat. Yuki was useless in saving him, as always, instead enjoying this thoroughly.
"Can I hold her?" Hanajima held out her arms.
"Yeah, sure!" Arisa held the cat to the raven haired girl, surrendering her newfound love to her friend.
"...Mm. The cat's waves are stressed."
Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru all tensed, fur and neck hairs standing in unison from the three. Oh, crap. They forgot she could basically read people's feelings, and technically, Kyo was also a people. Would she catch on that the cat's waves are actually his? Hana took Kyo by his underarms, and held him out at arm's length, examining the how long his belly stretched out to be. His tail was back to being twice its size, the tip flicking. She wasn't wrong, he was very stressed. What if he transformed back in her hands?
"Oh, poor kitty-witty probably had a long day, heehee!" Kyo felt his nose suddenly get booped, by none other than the bleach-blonde delinquent. "Aaahhaha!~ I got to boop her nose!"
Uo and Hana giggled to themselves as Kyo scrunched his face and gave a small growl, what the hell was that for? Why are all these stupid girls harrassing him?! What did he ever do to them! Aw crap, he was running out of time, but why the hell did they just boop him?! These absolute morons, you can't just boop random people!
Kyo's inner battle was halted to a stop by the feeling of more hands pulling him out of the air and into the chest of someone who wasn't female-
No. Fucking. Way.
"Yes.. she's probably stressed from all the travel and being somewhere so unfamiliar. So, Honda-San and I should take her home," the rat looked begrudgingly down at the cat, who had his claws hooking and digging into the boy's uniform and hopefully his skin. Kyo knew that Ratboy was helping to save him from the dangers of transforming back, but being held and cradled like a literal child by the person he hates most in this world?
NOT happening.
Kyo hissed loudly up at Yuki, pupils slit and so ready to destroy this bastard. He hated Yuki's warmth with a burning passion.
"I can take hi- I mean, her!" Tohru spoke up, nervously peeling the angry cat from Yuki's shirt, and holding him into her chest. He was being cradled all over again, but at least this time, he was finally safe. Kyo nuzzled.
Wait, what?
"Alright, well we'll see you two in class when you get back! See ya!" Arisa grinned, both girls waving the pair-and-a-half off.
~~~
Poof!
"Eep! Gah! H-here are your clothes!" the now flustered girl held the still-folded pile out, bracelet on top. She didn't dare let her eyes open or head face his direction.
Kyo got dressed quickly, and his anger was back in action.
"Yuki, you bastard! Why the hell did you say I was a stupid girl named 'Princess' of all things?!" the orange-haired boy charged his rival, throwing rage-fueled punches. All in vein, as they were blocked, dodged, and then turned on him once Yuki kicked him to the ground.
"Ack! Dammit Yuki!"
"Because I wanted to watch you suffer, and that was the perfect chance."
"You almost had me transform in front of them!"
"They would've babied you regardless of your name and gender," Yuki shrugged, "not to mention, I believe I actually saved you from transforming back and being coddled over. I think you should thank me, you ungrateful cat."
Kyo pulled himself back up and hissed at the boy, "never on your life, stupid rat."
"Ah! Please stop fighting! I'm just thankful we made it out on time! And Kyo, I'm so sorry! If I hadn't have tripped, you wouldn't have been put into that situation in the first place!" Tohru bowed deeply, she sounded genuinely upset.
Both boys softened their stances. "N-no, I, didn't I already say to stop apologizing?!" the now-blushing and flustered cat mewled.
"Yes, Honda-San, if you accidentally tripped like you said, it really wasn't your fault!" Yuki chimed in, smiling as he touched her shoulder gently to encourage her to raise from her apologetic bow.
"Besides, that hell is over now… So you don't need to be sad about it anymore."
Tohru looked at Kyo.
"But, Kyo-"
"No buts! I've been through worse, you're fine! Seriously!" Kyo crossed his arms and looked away. The trio began to make their way back to school, continuing to gently argue back and forth of why Tohru should be sorry, why she shouldn't be sorry, and being grateful that it didn't turn into an even bigger mess like it did for her all those months ago.
Tohru finally smiled.
Kyo watched her and softly smiled too, suddenly remembering how warm her hold was and how pleasant she smelled, he became lost in his thoughts of her as she giggled with Yuki, until she turned to face him,
"And, Kyo, your fur is really soft."
If blushing loudly was possible, Kyo was definitely capable.
"Huh!? N-No it's not!"