Author's note:
Currently a one-shot but might make it into a multi-chapter.
Next chapter would be on the investigation of the relationship, the aftermath of Shigure & Akito. And definitely will need to cover how Hatori & Reiko got together XD
I kind of started in the middle. Whoopsy.
Reiko A. Souma belongs to a friend of mine.
All Fruits Basket characters belongs to Natsuki Takaya
*~REVIEW WELCOME~*
Let Me Be Your Wings
It had been a morning of meetings with Akito. The God had found out about Hatori's relationship with a Zodiac Outsider (one whom carried the curse but was not part of the Juunishi circle such as the Cat and the Butterfly).
Hatori took most of the heat; being who he was and all he stood for as a Doctor. He would not allow harm come to those around him, he wouldn't allow Reiko to be hurt by the God. But that didn't prove effective. He was able to prevent any physical harm come to her by shielding her and taking the impact. The emotional and mental harm was something he couldn't stop.
****FLASHBACK****
It wasn't unusual for Hatori to come visit Akito so early in the morning. It was usually at this time that he schedules her visits so she was always the first patient he saw. However this morning was different. This morning he had been summoned by one of the Maids.
Inside the Main House he saw Shigure sitting at the kitchen table drinking green tea. Hatori looked at him questioningly. "Ah Hari!" the dog greeted him. "Shigure. Does Akito wish to speak with you too?" he asked.
Shigure chuckled lightly, "No no. She kicked me out of our bed. I thought you were here for her medical?"
"No. That's tomorrow morning."
Shigure's chuckling grin wavered into a sober state. "I wonder what she wants?"
"As do I." Hatori nodded slightly before taking his leave, careful not to keep Akito waiting any longer than necessary.
Shigure couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at this situation. Akito never normally summoned Hatori unless it was a medical reason. And the fact that Reiko Souma, their esteemed Zodiac member, had also been summoned earlier than Hatori.
Lifting his knuckles to Akito's door, he gently rapped them against the wooden frame, making his appearance known.
"Come in." Came the curt command from the God. Hatori stepped in closed the door behind him. He held back his surprise at seeing Reiko kneeling on the ground in respect of Akito.
He glanced momentarily at her through cold green eyes. Assessing what he could of the situation. She seemed tense – no surprises there. Anyone summoned by the God would be tense. But her pink eyes looked at him with fear. That was something he never saw in her eyes and it only had him at a large concern.
"Akito." The doctor greeted, shifting his eyes to the Gods.
Akito stood up from where she was sitting. "Ahh Hatori! The man of the hour. "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here so early? And why Reiko is here too?"
Hatori knelt down on the spare cushion beside Reiko, careful to keep a space between him and her, but enough closeness to allow him to shield her from any thrown object. "Is everything alright?" the doctor asked. He didn't look at Reiko since he first made eye contact with her. She understood. He had to keep up appearances. He had a respected place within the Juunishi.
"Butterflies are such fleeting beings. Their wings...crumpled and torn so easily..." the God paced back and forth as she muttered out her musings, only to stop short in front of Reiko. She grabbed the girls hair roughly, yanking her head back to forcefully face her. "Lose your wings! You have no place in this family!" She let go of Reiko's hair, disgusted.
Reiko fell on her hands, her breathing coming out in short, shaky breaths. Other than that, she didn't dare mutter a word. She didn't dare look at Hatori.
Hatori gasped and straightened up when the God took a hold of Reiko. Should the God go any further, that's when the Doctor would intervene for medical purposes. But for now, Hatori had to know his place.
Akito turned to Hatori, eyes glaring with rage. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot. Just like a dragon has no quarrel with a butterfly!"
Hatori frowned, not understanding what she meant. Did she mean for him to snuff out the butterfly? To be rid of her? Respected place or not, he would not allow that to happen.
"And you! My doctor! My dragon! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME! HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE THIS FAMILY WITH SUCH A WORTHLESS CREATURE!"
Whilst Akito was screeching away at Hatori, Reiko couldn't help but shrink back in her shell; she was rendered completely helpless as to what to do. She couldn't go against the God. No one could.
Akito grabbed Hatori's hair and yanked him over to where a vase stood on a shelf. Akito grabbed it down and smashed it against the ground, grabbing a shard she held it against Hatori. Her rage had consumed her entirely. Hatori did his best to keep the God's focus on him and off of Reiko, but also to keep himself from being in harm's way as well. He knew one quick stab to the throat, and his was beyond saving.
"YOU SEE THIS?" Akito screeched "YOU DID THIS! YOU! YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF BUTTERFLY! IF HATORI WERE DROWNING, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WOULD YOU SAVE HIM? YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T EVEN SWIM! IF I WERE TO STAB HIM? WHAT WOULD YOU DO? NOTHING! YOU CAN'T EVEN STAND! YOU'RE NOTHING! NOTHING! WEAK! UNWANTED!"
Hearing something smash, Shigure got up from his place at the kitchen table and ran to Akito's room. What he saw was almost a flashback of the same situation with Kana. "Hatori!" he gasped aloud before finding the source of the problem. "Akito!" Shigure wasted no time in pulling Akito off of Hatori and expertly making her drop the shard of glass she threateningly held against the doctor.
"Take Reiko and go!" the dog ordered his friend.
Hatori wasted no time in going over to Reiko. He didn't even bother asking her if she was alright or whether she could walk or not. Judging by her state, it seemed as though her legs would fail in supporting her own weight. He scooped her up in his arms, and carried her out of the room. Her arms snaked around his neck as her body trembled in his hold. Her breathing came out in small gasps against his neck as she shut her eyes, hoping it would drown out Akito's voice.
"NO! SHE'S WORTHLESS! I FORBID IT!" It was obvious the God had found out about their relationship. But how? They were so careful in hiding it. They should have known this was coming. Hatori knew it was coming, but he had hoped that Reiko wouldn't be part of what had just went down. The investigation to how their relationship was discovered could wait. For now, Hatori's priority was getting Reiko to safety.
He made a mental note to talk to Shigure later. He knew it would not end well for the Dog helping the Dragon against Akito's orders. But the cousins would always stick together. That was the pact they had made as the 'Mabudachi Trio.'
****END OF FLASHBACK****
Now sitting at his table in the safety of his residence, Reiko had her small slender fingers wrapped around a warm cup of chamomile tea to help calm her nerves. Hatori, on the other hand, didn't need calming. He was used to such torture from Akito. But on this cold day, he did welcome the scolding liquid of hot coffee to warm his insides. Right now, his main concern was calming Reiko down.
Though the woman was strong on the inside, he knew that even the strongest people had a breaking point. And he could see Reiko's. He knew the moment he wrapped his arms around her from when he escorted her out of the Main House, she was shaking beneath his touch.
"I'm not weak Hatori." Her small voice cut through the silence that transpired between them. His green eyes snapped up from staring at his coffee to look at hers. Her pink ones were focused on the tea in her cup. She frowned slightly to keep the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes from falling. "I'm not! I refuse to be." Though her voice was slightly shaky, there was determination set behind it.
She couldn't look at Hatori. She had disappointed him. Hiding behind him like a coward against Akito. And now, she was spiralling in the same depths as Kana had done. Which added more guilt to Reiko. She should be stronger. But she couldn't find her strength. Not today.
Hatori could see it. Memories from the past flickered through reflections in his eyes. Akito had lashed out at him causing his beloved to spiral into a depression, and then he would lose her. He had hoped shielding her from Akito would work; he would live up to his promise by protecting what he had failed to protect with Kana. 'I was the one who should have been sorry. I was the one who couldn't protect her' those words from the past echoed through his mind. Since meeting Reiko, he had made a promise to himself that he would protect her above all else. He couldn't lose her.
If only Reiko had looked up to see the pain in his eyes and tell him how wrong he was for believing the turmoil his mind goes through every day.
Hatori reached over and placed one of his hands around hers that were on the cup, careful not to cause any spilling. "I know that, Reiko. Don't allow Akito's words get to you. What he said isn't true."
Pink water-filled eyes, full of hurt, snapped up to look at his green ones. "Then why? Why does he always have to point my flaws out? I can't bathe like a normal girl! I can't bat my eyelashes at you like normal girls do in the books! I can't even swim!"
While the words were pouring out of her mouth, so were the tears streaming down her cheeks. She took a deep, shaky breath and lowered her slowly rising hysterical voice,
"I am trying to improve myself. I really am trying." She emphasised the words before shaking her head and continuing on, "But it seems every time I try harder, someone tears me down more. Why, Hatori? Why do I try? Why do I even bother?" the broken questions thrown at him was enough to break his heart. He watched as broke down. She wasn't crying per se, more so tears were streaming nonstop down her face and she just didn't bother to stop it. It looked as though she had given up fighting her emotions and just allowed it to consume her body, remaining numb in the process.
She knew most of what she was saying were thoughts that momentarily fluttered across her mind every now and then, but she refused to dwell on it. What good would it do to dwell on the unfortunate side effects of being cursed? How would that be any way to live a life? She wouldn't enjoy life if she wasn't happy. She wouldn't have found Hatori's love if it wasn't for her living her life.
Hatori took his hand away from hers, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed at the lack of warmth she now had from where his comforting touch had been.
Hatori stood up from his chair and walked over to her, crouching down beside her. Placing a hand on her thigh in comfort, his other hand on the small of her back partially keeping himself steady as well.
"Reiko, look at me." He murmured softly.
"I can't." Came the small choked reply from the butterfly. Pink eyes refusing to look into green ones. It was in this moment that the butterfly had broken wings.
Reiko never once complained about the side effects of being cursed. Sure it could be rather inconvenient at times, but she was always grateful for what life had to offer her. And having Hatori's love; what more could she want?
But it also didn't stop her from sometimes wanting to feel more 'normal' like other girls; to be able to enjoy a candle-lit bubble bath as a relaxant, to have have long hot showers, to be able to enjoy swimming in a clear crystal-watered lake. To be able to just spread her arms, close her eyes to the sky and just enjoy the summer rain falling on her face. She couldn't have these small things as butterflies don't like water.
She didn't need to be reminded that if someone were drowning, she wouldn't be able to save them. She was trying though. She was taking baby steps at the moment; she had been trying to take longer showers to help her body get used to water for longer periods at a time. But all her efforts seemed to be in vain.
Hatori was a little helpless at what to do for her. He couldn't force her to look at him so she could see he was telling the truth and that he believed in her. He knew that she needed more than a hug this time. She needed a ton of reassurance and he wasn't sure if he was doing this the right way. He could only try and hope that what he was doing, was working.
If Reiko wasn't so broken at the moment she would tell her dragon that everything he was doing was helping her, even if it didn't seem like it. The comforts from his touches and embraces, the words of encouragement and reassurance from his heart was all she needed. The fact that he continues to love her when she feels as though she doesn't deserve it, is enough for her.
Squeezing her thigh gently in comfort, he allowed the truth to overcome her words of self-hating;
"We all have flaws Reiko - " but he was cut off when she wailed through her guilt-ridden emotions. "I know! I'm not saying it's just me!" she covered her grief-stricken face with her hands as her words were drowned out by Hatori's gentle soothing.
"Shh, shh...I know, I know." Hatori hushed quietly, rubbing small circles on her back as he continued on from what he was trying to say. "But you shouldn't let one person break you down; especially when they barely know what you've been through and how far you've come. They have no right to dictate how or where you should be at in life."
Hatori never took his eyes off of her, even when she covered her face. Dropping her hands away from her face, she slowly turned to face him, her pinks eyes lifting to search his green ones. Silently confirming he meant what he was saying. Although she knew far better than to ever doubt him.
"You have come so far, Reiko. I cannot be more proud of you than I am now. You may not believe in yourself. But I do. And every time you fall, I will always be there to pick you up. This is my promise to you." He couldn't promise her marriage just yet. It was far too early in the relationship to do any proposing as such and he wouldn't do it whilst cursed – he had learnt that with his experience with Kana. But what he could promise her was to always be there for her.
And suddenly, Hatori found himself with Reiko's full weight as she flung herself from her seat into Hatori's arms. With her arms around his neck, she buried her face in her favourite spot of his neck; hiding her face from the world and just breathing in his musky scent of cologne with just the faintest hint of smoke. It was more welcoming and calming than tea. Not that she didn't appreciate her chamomile tea. It was what she needed at the time. But more than anything, she just needed her dragon. She belonged in his arms. It was her home. As though the numbness had finally left her, the dam of emotions finally broke. Gripping his shirt in her small fists, she wailed out her cries against his neck. Her body shaking with every cry she had in her.
Immediately his arms came around her, wrapping themselves around her small frame as he better positioned themselves so they were sitting on the floor. Hatori with his back pressed against the wall so he had support for his back, and Reiko curled up against him. He held her against his chest, his cheek resting atop her pink hair. He held her tightly, softly rubbing her back and arms as her body trembled with sadness. "It's okay...it's going to be okay...I've got you...I always will...Shh, shhhhh..." all the while he murmured sweet nothings to her. Little did he know, those sweet nothings were sweet everythings to her.
Eventually her body stopped shaking with cries and only trembled ever so slightly with each deep breath she took. "I lost my wings" came the whispered voice of Reiko. A metaphor that only the two would understand; losing her wings meant losing sight of what she believed in, losing hope.
Pressing a tender kiss to her temple, he whispered against her hair, "Let me be your wings."
The tea and coffee remained forgotten on the table as Hatori continued to hold Reiko for a long while. Together they remained in a warm embrace that only the two could ever experience something so special, that not even the God could tear them apart.