Dog and Fool
By Kitsune Ears
Disclaimer:
Fruits Basket is not mine.
I love Akito as a girl, but for some reason Akito as a boy is a louder muse. You will see I mix anime and manga canon to my heart's content. Please induge me. :-)
Part one: Offering
God has been sick in the head and stomach since last week, a small, restless ball under the covers, tiny toes curled up in agony. God is only twelve and already has the eyes of an invalid. Shigore holds him close, never gagging at the stench of disease. Only a few hours ago he had pulled Akito onto his lap and rocked him to sleep, but now the boy is awake again and Shigore contents himself with holding his shoulders as his tired head thump onto his chest to the to the rhythm of pained spasm. Little God moans and curses deliriously, tiny hands fisting Shigore's best suit.
"Don't worry, Akito-san dear. I won't leave you. I will lie and use people for you. I will kill for you if necessary. Damn, I will even sing for you if that sends you back to sleep."
Akito should be upset, but the fever makes him laugh childishly until coughing prevails.
Hatori, who is passing by with a tray loaded with colourful , psychedelic pills and bottles, scolds Shigore because both of them take perverse pleasure on it.
"Shigore, if you want to kill Akito-san right away at least use something more merciful than your sense of humour."
Shigore shrugs and chants merrily. " Poor Haa-san, you are just being jealous because God loves me more."
Hatori casts him a dignified glare and proceeds to drug Akito to his heart's content. The needles poke, sting and mark the already offended forearm. Akito blinks away tears and clings closer to Shigore, tiny hands reaching and clutching with each metallic stab. Good cop and bad cop. Shigore and Hatori exchange their masks as if they were their real faces.
"Stupid Jyuunishi." Akito mutters deliriously, toes clenching and unclenching under the soiled covers. He presses his legs to his chest and turns to Hatori, his hoarse voice almost hopeful. "Hatori, am I dying?"
"I will bring you more painkillers." Hatori answers tersely and leaves the room.
Shigore pulls God up, resting his chin on the top of his warm head as he embraces him comfortingly. He presses his nose to the sickly wet hair, sniffing the familiar, soothing scent of ill child. "Ssssh, Akito. You know it's wrong to think about dying." Shigore intones the old litany as he brushes loose hair off the contorting face. "You must keep yourself alive for us. And we are very grateful. So grateful."
He grins charmingly:
"Besides, if you die I will die too."
The boy answers promptly to the old teasing. He smiles magnanimously through his torment and misery, tiny hands reaching for Shigore's chest, sensing his heart. "I won't let you die, Shigore...Maybe."
"Thank you, Akito-san." Shigore answers with equal amounts of love and cynicism, and neither is lost on the delirious but sharp boy. He holds the Sohma's precious scapegoat to his chest and starts rocking him gently once again, being careful about sore limbs and needle wounds. He wants to tell Akito his sacrifice is worth it. He wants to tell Akito he has lived a happy life, that he has loved, dreamed, travelled, been silly and written books of all kinds- so many things that would never be possible without Akito's suffering.
He wants to tell his God how truly grateful he is. But he knows this gratitude would only hurt Akito, who has nothing but indepted relatives to cling to. So he keeps quiet and rocks his God to sleep, pretending his meagre offering is good enough just because it's done out of love.
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Note: This is not my best fic by far, but doctor told me to stay in bed this week and it was fun to write. :-) There will be two more chapters. Nothing really happens beside character interaction, but I felt there should be more Shigore/male! Akito fics. And Hotori is always fun.
