Shigure sat back with a sigh, a thoughtful frown on his face. He stared outside his window, the silence of his home allowing his muddled thoughts to roam around with no clear direction at all.
This situation would be a perfect opportunity for him to write. Boy, wouldn't his editor be pleased with that. She just might die of fright.
As entertaining as that thought was, he still did not feel like writing. It was much easier to just sit around and be lazy.
Kyo, Yuki and Tohru were all out, leaving him alone in his large house. They all had families themselves to deal with now, new lives they had begun on their own from their torn up childhood. It amazed him how those three in particular had managed to build something good out of all the tragedy they had experienced. But Tohru had always managed to look at the bright side of things, expressing her gratitude for the blessings she still had in her life. She was an influence to them all, inspiring Yuki, Kyo and Shigure in particular. He found that he missed her radiant spirit now that she was a wife and mother. Though Tohru always came to visit whenever she could, bringing her new family with her.
He could not help but grin as his thoughts drifted away to everything and nothing in particular.
Strangely, he found himself thinking about Akito.
She was like a raging, unpredictable storm. Strong, fierce and violent. Yet, she was also like a thin, beutiful vase. Shining and sturdy, yet fragile and sharp. Capable of inflicting harm with a tiny prick.
He could write poetry with this thought in mind. He should branch out.
He chuckled as he sipped at his drink, wondering idly why Akito had always stood out to him. None of the other women truly stuck to him. Maybe it was because Akito was different, maybe it was the curse. Maybe it was how she influenced him, both positively and negatively. Or maybe it was the fact that she was a challenge that he met head-on. She was unpredictable and they both toyed with each others emotions in twisted, sometimes cruel ways.
Did he have regrets about some of those ways?
Maybe.
Alright, he certainly did now that he was dwelling on those unpleasant thoughts. His actions had led both himself and Akito to this long road of heartache and misunderstanding. But he was never one to take the simple way out. The easy, quick way, yes. But never the simplest way.
But now, the curse was broken. There was no 'god.' No Zodiac or vengeful spirits hanging over them all and keeping them from what they wanted.
Save for the scars they all bore.
There were some things not so easily forgotten.
There were some things not so easily forgiven.
Some actions would never be forgiven, just as scars would scab over, but always stay visible.
But, he wanted to try. He wanted to strive for a better tomorrow and leave the damaged past behind. He would always remember the damaged past as a reminder of the mistakes he made the actions to avoid. But he was determined to never lose sight of what he wanted for his future.
Strangely, or not so strangely as he thought about it, he saw Akito in that future he wanted.
She had emerged from her biggest secret; strong and determined now that the curse was gone. She was the Head of the Sohma family, also striving to reach out and make a change as herself. As the woman she was born as.
He smirked, remembering when she had first came out dressed in a kimo. He nodded to himself, smiling as he thought about how good she had looked.
And she was continuing to grow her hair out, which he liked.
Maybe he should learn from Tohru and start thinking of the blessings he still had in his life. He was alive, he had good, loyal friends. He had a home, a job. He got to eat.
The curse was gone. Couldn't forget that important bit of a blessing.
And Akito was extending an olive branch to him, which he readily took. What a blessing that was!
They had grown over the years. They were taking their time, trying to mend together as wells as apart. It was a positive sign that Shigure took. A sign that things were going right.
But, there was one other blessing he wanted to add to his life. A permanent one.
With a smile, he reached for the phone, dialing the number he knew by heart. He held it to his ear, waiting patiently. He smiled when his call was answered after the third ring. "Hello Akito darling," he cooed into the phone with a grin, hearing her exasperated sigh. "So here's a thought: Everyone is already off and getting married, making little families of their own. So I was wondering; where does that leave us? Why don't we stop wasting time and elope already? What do you say?"
"I think you should open the door right now before I freeze to death from this chill," came the snippy response.
Shigure froze at her response, glancing outside before dropping the phone and rushing to the door. He flung it open to reveal Akito, who was snapping her phone shut with a wry look on her face. She stared at him with her dark eyes, her black hair pushed back to reveal her sharp features. She rolled her eyes at his gaping expression.
"Fine," she sighed, looking at him. "Let's elope."