Someone Who Cares an Awful Lot
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.
Yuki sighed as he set aside his new 'gift' from Haru. He thought it was suspicious enough when he suddenly received the gift in the mail, but this was worse than he could have ever imagined. He couldn't believe he was actually excited when it was brought to him. What did Haru take him for!?
A light knocking sounded on the far wall of his room. With a wary glance, Yuki pushed himself up off the floor and moved to the wall.
"Yuki?" A soft whisper called from the other side of the wall.
Yuki let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "Miss Honda."
Yuki pressed his hand against the rough splintering wall as Tohru's giggles reached his ears through the wall.
"Of course it's me, Yuki-kun. I always visit you on my days off."
"Yes I know." Yuki couldn't help the smile that spread over his lips. Her motherly tone always seemed to make him do that. "I'm glad you come to visit me, Miss Honda. I just wish you'd be a bit more cautious. I don't want anyone to see you and-"
"I know. I know. I am being careful! Must I tell you every time?"
Yuki's smile faltered slightly, his voice dropping into a low whisper. "I don't want anything to happen to you. If Akito ever found you- I just..."
"Yuki-kun? I can't hear you. Is something wrong?" Tohru's muffled voice broke Yuki of his not so pleasant reverie.
"Nothing." His voice cracked almost painfully and Yuki winced. "Nothing, just be careful."
"I will be." A light thunk sounded on the other side of the wall, sounding of metal striking wood lightly. A sound that brought him comfort now, instead of pain and heartache as it used to. He knew it meant Tohru had placed her hand over the wall, as he always did when being completely sincere.
"So." Yuki began, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "How is everyone?"
"Everything was strained for a while after you were taken. I think everyone is still a little shocked by what you did for us. Kyo the most though."
A light chuckle pasted through Yuki's lips. "Still? That idiot." Tohru giggled cheerfully. "You'd think he'd be more..." Yuki's words seemed to drift as he realized what he was about to say.
"Thankful?" Tohru finished for him.
Yuki couldn't find the words to answer as his eyes trailed to the floor.
"He is thankful Yuki-kun. He just- He just doesn't understand. Neither does any of the Sohmas. I explained a bit to him, but he is still confused." Tohru sounded almost thoughtful.
Yuki slumped to the floor, still facing the wall, his hand still pressed against the rough surface of the wall. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him what you did for us. How it was that he wasn't brought to the Main House and locked away for the rest of his life. He always thought it was strange that Akito had not held him to his promise, but no one had ever told him why." Yuki heard the pain in her voice and longed to comfort her.
"It was my choice, Miss Honda."
"I know that! But-" Tohru's words trailed off. "I just wish that no one had to be locked up. That Akito would just let you go." Tohru spoke softly, almost inaudibly through the wall.
"That won't happen. Don't think on it too much." Yuki tried to sound light hearted and comforting, though he felt he had failed terribly.
"I told him-" Yuki heard Tohru sniffle. "I told him that you did it for us. That you wanted us to be happily married after our engagement. That you wanted him to love and care for me like you never could." Tohru's voice broke, a sob following after her words.
The sound made Yuki's heart constrict painfully. He could how this was hurting her. He knew she would be crumpled on the ground, hands held tightly against her chest, head bent low. Yuki moved closer to the wall, his face nearly touching.
"Miss Honda?" He called softly, only sobs and sniffles answered.
Yuki pressed his forehead to the splintering wood, speaking softly. "Miss Honda. Please don't cry. Nothing is your fault. I am glad you found love and that he loves you back."
"But it isn't fair to you!" She sobbed. "Why must you suffer so we can be happy!?" She nearly screamed.
Yuki's lips turned up into a sad smile. "Akito must be entertained by someone, Miss Honda."
"But why you?" Tohru voice came in a strained whisper, obviously trying to hold back tears.
"Why not me?" Yuki whispered back.
A soft clicking sound came from the door of Yuki's room and panic flared as Yuki glanced quickly to the door before pressing close to the wall.
"Miss Honda! You must leave! Go now!" He whispered ferociously.
Yuki listened intently to hear Tohru gasp and then the sound of fading footsteps not a second before the door was pushed open and a figure stepped into the room.
Yuki's hands clenched into a fist as he felt those cold eyes on his back.
"Yuki." The voice spoke coldly.
Yuki pushed himself off the floor and faced the figure.
"Akito. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" Yuki asked numbly as Akito crossed the room to him, cornering him like the rat he was.
"I thought it was about time I came to see you. Don't tell me you didn't want to see me?" Akito asked playfully, yet coldly as he took Yuki's chin with his fingers, pulling the younger boys face to his.
"How could I not? It's only been two days since your last visit. And here I thought I was forgotten." Yuki snapped lightly.
Akito's eyes grew hard as he dug his nails into the soft flesh of Yuki's chin. "Clearly I should visit more often to train that tongue of yours." Akito spat as he slapped Yuki to the floor with a thud.
Yuki's hand moved instinctively to his stinging cheek. "Train me you say? You can't change something unless you care enough, Akito." Yuki spat Akito's name as if it were venom in his mouth.
Akito turned to face him and Yuki braced himself for the inevitable beating that was to come. Instead Akito crouched to the floor beside him.
"And what would make you say that I do not care enough?" Akito asked softly, eyes burrowing into Yuki's violet ones.
Yuki's words came before he could stop them. "Because you don't care. You've never cared! The only thing you've cared about is yourself! You think only of yourself! What would make you happy, reguardless of what it does to someone else! You locked me in here for the rest of my life because you can't stand to not have something that belongs to you! Something you can call yours!"
Yuki was breathing heavily by the time he had finished speaking. Akito just watched him, as if he'd said nothing at all.
"And what's wrong with careing only for me?" Akito asked seriously.
Yuki stared up into Akito's face, baffled, as he lifted himself off the floor. "What's wrong with it!? You hurt everyone you know! Then you become angry because no one loves you! How could you be loved when you do nothing but bring pain!? If you ever cared, you wouldn't want to lock anybody up! You wouldn't beat a person unconcious! You wouldn't demand someone be by your side every moment of the day! Somebody may actually want to like you if you weren't like you are! But you won't every change! Because you're God, and everything is as you want it to be."
He was in for it now. Damn was he in for it now. What was wrong with him? Why was he saying all this now? It was only going to bring him hours of pain. Yet, why didn't Akito look angry? He looked more thoughtful than anything.
Akito turned away from Yuki, pacing the length of the room with a hand pressed to his chin thoughtfully.
"So..." Akito started. "You're saying, that if I stop demanding everything and everybody, that I'll be loved?" Akito questioned, still lost in his own thoughts.
Yuki couldn't believe what he was hearing! Shock seemed to move his feet backwards, causing him to slip on something and fall to the floor. His eyes were instantly pulled to what had tripped him. The gift that Haru had sent him was still lieing on the floor.
A copy of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss lay open and Yuki glimpsed the quote he had thought so stupidly offensive only minutes ago, yet now, it seemed to make a bit of sense.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.
Yuki picked the book off the floor and held it close to his chest before looking up to Akito, who now was looking at him from across the room.
"It would be a start, Akito." Yuki spoke seriously.
Akito's expression never seemed to change from an odd sort of calmness as he crossed the room to the door and pushed it open, seeming to pause only for a moment.
"Then go. I release you, Yuki Sohma, from your promise to me to stay by my side."
Yuki could do nothing but stare at Akito, even as he crossed the room, pulling Yuki to his feet and leading him out of the darkness of the cage he had thought he would die in.
Only one thing going through his mind.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.
THE END.
Before you ask, yes this was inspired by The Lorax movie. I finally got to watch it for the first time today and the quote from Dr. Seuss at the end just kinda triggered something in me. It may seem stupid, but it did.
I hope you enjoyed this one-shot as much as I have.