I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the character. R&R please! Spoilers for ch. 97. Please excuse any typos. Apologies in advance. Gomen!
Itsumo
Ch.1
He hates me. I don't know why I care, all of the Jyuunishi hate me. It's just...for some reason it's unsettling to know that he hates me.
He comes and takes care of me out of duty and obedience. He doesn't really care about me... I can see it clearly in his eyes. Years of emotional turmoil, hate, sorrow, and loneliness confined to two ice blue eyes, one of them unseen.
Let me introduce myself properly. I am Sohma Akito, God of the Jyuunishi and head of the Sohma clan.
This 'he' that I speak of... Hatori.
Sohma Hatori- the name easily rolls off my tongue and yet causes me so much pain. I seem to forget everything of importance, yet remember and regret everything that I've done to him.
He'll never forgive me. After three years he still hasn't blamed me for the past. I'm afraid that he never will, for that is the curse.
9:55 a.m. Hatori should be on his way over to give me my medicine and check up on me. You see, I'm frail and weak, so I become ill very easily. I take up a lot of Hatori's time, much to his dismay.
Hatori seems preoccupied during this daily routine.
"Hatori, is there something on your mind?" I ask almost casually. Quite a departure from my normal antics, I might add.
He jumps a little, almost as if he didn't know I was there. How silly.
"Not really, Akito-dono. Honda-kun just asked me earlier if I wished to come over for lunch as a thank-you gift for-" He stops short, realizing that he's probably said too much.
Honda-kun! What's with the familiarity all of a sudden?
"A thank-you gift? For what? I hope you aren't getting too close, Hatori. Remember the last time? Let her be a reminder," I say with a coldness that reflects in my eyes. I know I don't mean it. It's all fed by jealousy. My mother learned that lesson years ago.
A reminder of the last time; in other words, Kana. Three years ago, I sent her to work with Hatori as an intern. Big mistake.
For the sake of my sanity, I ended that relationship. Correction: destroyed it. In the process, I wounded Hatori, and made a fool of myself.
My Dragon had ignored me for three months; what was I supposed to do? I ordered him to erase her memories, but not after I made a scene.
Hatori and Kana came to my presence chamber; Hatori kneeled near me while she kneeled in the back, being the coward that she was.
"Kana and I wish to be married." Those words shot through my veins like Hatori's immunization shots. Painful, wretched, and icy cold.
I remember. Every part of me went numb and I couldn't move; or at least I thought so. Suddenly I heard a crash, and I see Hatori doubled over, clutching his left eye. I looked in my hands and found the neck remnant of my favorite blue and white floral china vase, and shards lying around Hatori. I hit Hatori. I actually hit my Dragon.
(Flashback)
I kneel next to Hatori, not quite sure of the damage I've done. "Hatori, what's wrong? Hatori, speak to me..." I can feel tears rising up to my eyes; something that I haven't felt in years. I can see blood on the ground, and I can hear running and shouting outside of the door. I look up at Kana, sitting there, shocked and too stupid to know what just happened.
The wooden door slides open to reveal Shigure, who stands there for a moment, looking from me, to Hatori, to Kana, and back to Hatori. Suddenly, he starts barking (no pun intended) orders.
"Kana-chan! Hurry and get Hatori out of here!" Shigure races toward me as Kana gets to her feet. He grabs me by the wrists, pulling me away from Hatori. "You're coming with me," he whispers in my ear. I'll go, just not before I say something. My rage spills over.
"IF HATORI GOES BLIND, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! IF HE CAN'T SEE, IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU!" Kana turns her head to stare at me. She's crying. She turns back to Hatori, only to see that he's standing up, staring at his blood-covered hand and slowly turning towards the door.
Shigure drags me to my room and picks me up to put me on my bed. My head's in his chest and I'm shaking violently. I'm crying. He thinks better of it and sets me in a nearby chair while he pulls back the dark blue sheets on my bed. He walks over and looks at me and then kneels down. "What happened?"
He knows well what happened, he just wants to see if I do. I can't speak, everything just comes out in pain-filled squeaks. He thinks better of his actions and just says, "I guess I'll just try again later." He picks me up and sets me on my bed, pulling the covers up to my thin shoulders, and tucks them in around me. I'm laying on my stomach, holding my pillow and sobbing into it. He gently pats my back and tries to assure me that everything will be okay. He stands up and walks out the door, assuring the servant outside that the blood wasn't mine and to keep watch while I sleep.
A few days later, I summoned Hatori to the main house. He was wearing an eye patch, and parted his hair to the right, letting most of the jet black bangs fall to the left in an attempt to cover his eye. He kept his head bent, and never looking at me. Despite my conscience, I decided to play with him.
"You know she wants to forget. You know that, deep down, she's just begging for you to release her. She wants to forget you, Hatori." I bent over and tugged at his black tie, pulling is face toward mine. he was facing me, but looking to the side. "Let it be your final act of love, Hatori."
(End of Flashback)
He did erase her memories. She cruelly left him to carry the burden of their past alone. He wanted no one else; needed no one else. He had taken to watching over Yuki and the others, looking for any indication of a repeat of the past.
The truth is, I love Hatori. I hate Kana for leaving so much behind for him to suffer with, and I hate myself for ever introducing them in the first place. Kana's married and happy, Hatori's alone and isolated.
Apparently, with this revelation, I've gone whiter than normal and I snap back to reality with Hatori one centimeter away from my face, cupping my bony chin in his ivory-skinned hand.
"Akito-dono? Are you feeling well? You have a slight fever..." I could see genuine concern in those bright blue eyes.
"Just call me Akito, Hatori. Just Akito."
