[Fruits Basket] Haru/Rin, #2 Title: Keeping Watch Author: Ysabet MacFarlane (ba087@chebucto.ns.ca) Pairing: Sohma Hatsuharu and Sohma Isuzu (Rin) Fandom: Fruits Basket Theme: #2 (news; letter) Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Takaya Natsuki and Hakusensha; English-language versions by FUNimation (anime) and Tokyopop (manga). Notes: Set during vol. 5 of the manga; no additional spoilers as long as you know who Rin is. ********* Rin was half asleep when Haru found her, dozing on the bed in the small room Kazuma kept for her. "You're late," she mumbled when he sat down beside her. "What time is it?" "Almost six. Sorry." He bent to kiss her forehead, smoothing her hair back. "Push over?" She made room for him with a sigh, eyes drifting shut again. "If you're gonna sleep, you probably shouldn't leave the front door unlocked." "You don't have a key. Anyway, no one comes back as far as the house but us and Kunimitsu-san and Kyo--" A yawn was smothered behind her wrist. "I didn't get much sleep last night." She reached for him without looking, running her hand over his arm, and froze when she touched the bandage on his right bicep. "What happened?" she asked, instantly awake and peering at it. Haru shrugged, leaning back on his elbows. "This really cute girl kissed me, and she kinda used her teeth." He shot her a sidelong glance, watching the flash of alarm settle into long-suffering resignation. "But don't worry, she's too young for me." "If you're too much of a brat, I'll remember that _you're_ too young for _me_," she retorted, pulling her hand away. Instead of replying, Haru peeled the bandage back to show her the half circle of tiny scabs, and she winced. "Ow. Kisa?" He covered it up again and lay down completely, bunching a pillow under his head. "Yeah. She's a Sohma, all right. Didn't like me telling Sensei and Yuki what's going on with her." Rin looked blank, and then slightly abashed as he continued, "Did you know she's been having trouble at school?" "Most of the family gossip never gets to me," she said, not quite managing to keep from sounding defensive. "What's going on?" "That's 'cause you're like a typhoon even when you're quiet." Haru moved closer, kissing her cheek to take any sting out of the observation. "No one ever forgets you're there." She made a skeptical sound but curled up against him while he filled her in: how Kisa had been treated, how she'd responded, where she was. By the time he finished she was rigid with anger, heart pounding against his. "I didn't know." "Not much you could've done," he said easily, shifting her weight to a different part of his arm. "I think she's scared of you. She's sure scared of everyone else." "How is leaving her with Gure-nii supposed to help?" Haru shook his head. "Well, her mom's a wreck, so being home obviously isn't working for her right now. And Honda-san's taking care of her." "Huh." *That girl again* went unspoken as Rin hid her face against his shoulder, absolving him from pointing out yet again that she hadn't even met Tohru. *You pick the weirdest things to be stubborn about,* he thought, trying not to wonder whether mentioning Kisa's mother had been a mistake. Rin swore it didn't bother her to talk about anyone else's parents, but wasn't always convincing; something about the way she was holding on to him felt more fragile than usual. "So that's my day," he said, kneading the back of her neck. "Tell me how things've been with you?" **************** He was almost used to not being able to spend time with her every day, although sometimes he was sure he was aware of each individual moment when she wasn't with him. Even sleep was no reprieve from the constant vague ache in his chest that stopped only when she was in reach, but it was a familiar sensation he could deal with. What was hardest to handle was seeing her in public, trying to remember how to act around a girl he'd been close friends with since childhood, bound by nothing stronger than worry and affection. Rin handled it better than he did, long since used to withdrawing into herself when other eyes were on her, but it made it hard to find anything to talk about when they knew other people might be listening. So it was a surprise to find her waiting for him three mornings later, leaning over to blot dew from the grass with her fingertips. Her hair trailed down almost to the ground; he watched the way it moved in the wind until he realized her attention had shifted to him. "I've got a letter," she said, straightening up and tossing her hair back over her shoulder with a practiced shake of her head. There was an envelope in her other hand, marked only with a name he couldn't make out as she turned it between her fingers. "It's for your other secret girlfriend." Haru stared at her in confusion, and amusement softened the stiff smile she wore for the benefit of anyone watching them. "The one who should be too young to be biting boys. Is she still at Gure-nii's?" "Yeah." He took the letter when she offered it to him, frowning at the precise, impersonal way Kisa's name was written. "Her homeroom teacher caught me on my way home last night." Rin's frown matched his, clashing with the singsong rhythm of her voice as she mimicked the teacher. "All 'oh, aren't you a relative of Kisa-san's?', like she wasn't waiting for me." "What was she like?" "Normal." Rin shrugged. "Looked like she couldn't imagine why Kisa was overreacting so much, but very properly concerned. Of course." "Cynic," Haru said, but his heart wasn't in the accusation. "Let me guess, you don't want to take it to her?" "Can you?" There were footsteps approaching behind him, loud in the morning stillness. Rin glanced past him and nodded a greeting. "I've still got a lot of studying to do for midterms, so it would be a big help if you took it over for me." The tiniest slide into formality was all that betrayed her nervousness. "Good morning, Uncle," she said to the man passing them--her mother's cousin, a close enough relation that he stopped to listen to their conversation. Haru sidestepped to make room on the path, offering his own greeting. Rin looked expectantly at the letter in his hand, and he glanced down at it, making sure the name was visible. "Sure, I'll take it to her. After school, if her teacher asks." "I appreciate it." She bowed quickly to the man watching them, and turned away with a wave. "It's nice that you young people are good friends," was the only comment their relative offered before continuing on his way. "Don't be late, Hatsuharu-san." "Uh, yeah. I won't." Haru nodded a farewell and tucked the letter in among his books. It was good that they'd been seen, he told himself firmly as he headed for school. Being seen acting appropriately casual together was important; it justified the number of times they were near each other in the open and carefully kept their distance, putting on their act for an audience of no one. The loneliness of the thought made him guiltily glad she'd made him responsible for the letter. With Golden Week ending, they hadn't even been able to set another time to see each other for longer than a few minutes, and it was comforting to have a concrete reason to visit Shigure's house and be surrounded by other Jyuunishi, away from the oppression of the Main House. He rubbed the still-sore bite Kisa had given him, wondering if she'd admit it if she was still upset with him. It seemed unlikely, but then the bite itself had been so unlike her... *They cornered her,* Rin had said as they were leaving Kazuma's house, touching the fresh wound through the bandage. *Everyone snaps eventually. She didn't need to take it out on you, though.* *Better me than someone who'd hurt her for it,* he'd replied, and Rin had fallen silent, suddenly as far out of reach as if she'd run away. It reminded him of the way Kisa had looked at him when he found her huddled under some shrubbery, golden fur conspicuous even through the dense green leaves. She'd shivered when he picked her up, a warm weight that took up no more room in his arms than an infant. The memory of that wordless trembling more than balanced the feel of sharp teeth breaking his skin. But Rin was no tiger-child to be bundled into his coat and carried to safety, even if he'd thought she might allow it. Rain started falling as he left the estate, heavy drops that startled him out of his thoughts when they hit his face. He stopped and looked up, blinking at the scattered clouds that covered less than half the sky. The grayness was suddenly replaced by the bright edge of a blue umbrella going over his head, and a brilliant mop of blond hair at his shoulder. "Ha-ru, you'll get soaked if we don't hurry." Momiji tried to frown sternly when Haru glanced down at him, but abandoned the effort and simply grabbed his hand. "Come on--it's supposed to be better by noon, but it's going to pour first!" Haru let himself be tugged along, the two of them moving in step easily despite the weight of their books and the distraction of the umbrella bobbing above them, and hoped the sun would come out before the day was over.