Just a rotten fruit 2

After those long hours at work I could finally head home. It was dark out and I expected to find Tohru in her Tent, either sleeping or doing homework. Of course I never dreamed of coming back to the tents to find them buried under a mountain of dirt and gravel.

'What is this?!' I asked myself running up to the mound of dirt. 'Please say Tohru's not under there! I already lost mom and dad!'

Backing away from the tents I quickly ran to the river hoping to find my little sister there. "Tohru!" I shouted wanting to find her. Nearing the river I felt my heart rate increase tenfold. She wasn't there, I had no idea where Tohru was and I felt miserable.

I coughed heavily and felt heat radiate from my face, "Damn it!" I nearly chocked from coughing so hard, "I can't get sick now! I need to make sure Tohru's okay!" I struggled but managed to search the woods for about 15 minutes. That small amount of time did me no good I couldn't find Tohru and I felt like collapsing, "Tohru!" I sobbed, clutching my burning chest. She wasn't here and I didn't know where to look, then a thought crossed my mind, 'Sohma-kun… he might know, and if not he might be able to help me search.'

I ran as quickly as I could, but in my current state it was a very slow pace. As soon as the Sohma residence came into sight my vision began to blur over and I felt sweat drip form my brow. Sliding down a small slope I clomped up to the Sohma's front door, 'Tohru… please be here…'

I rested my forehead against the cool wooden door taking slow jagged breaths. Just as I was about to knock on the door it seemed to have vanished without my realizing, causing me to collapse into someone's arms.

"Akihiro-san?!" a voice asked worriedly. My mind was so fogged I couldn't tell who was speaking. My throbbing head rested against the unidentified man's chest and a frigid hand was placed on my forehead, "Shigure!" the person shouted seemingly frightened.

"Yuki, what is it—OH this doesn't look good… I'll call Hatori."

"Yes, you do that. I need to get Akihiro-san a futon and some ice."

My half lidded eyes couldn't see much, but what I did see brought me great joy. As the person holding me to a different room I noticed a familiar mop of brown hair.

"Tohru," I cried quietly, tears pricking my eyes. She was okay oh thank Kami-sama and all things holy!

"Akihiro-san please, can you try to stand? I'll put down a futon for you right next to Honda-san."

It was hard but I was able to stand for a minute before collapsing onto the soft set of blankets that were on the floor.

"Tohru," I muttered happy to find my sister safe.

Yuki's P.O.V

I frowned and sat beside the sleeping Hondas'. I had never seen Akihiro-san look so broken down before. It was almost like he was ready to snap, like he was ready to give up. Shigure joined me beside the siblings, informing me he called Hatori, out other cousin who was the dragon of the Chinese zodiac. Now that I thought back on it didn't Akihiro say he was born in the year of the dragon?

"Yuki, are you alright?" Shigure asked.

I snapped out of my thoughts and nodded, "I'm fine; I just hope Hatori gets here soon. Akihiro-san doesn't look too good. He must have been worried sick when he couldn't find Tohru."

"Yes that is true." There was a knock on the door causing Shigure to smile and pat my head, "I bet that's Hari, Now don't worry your pretty little head, I'm sure Akihiro and Tohru will both be fine." Shigure stood up and answered the door. "Hari!" I heard Shigure shout happily, "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Shigure who is sick? You never told me who, just that it was an emergency." A cold voice said.

"OH Hari it is an emergency! He looks awful! Let me take you to him"

Shigure and Hatori entered the living room (Puppet: Not sure if it is considered a living room or den.)

"Shigure…" Hatori growled, "Why do you have two outsiders here? They don't know of the curse do they?"

"No Hatori they don't." I informed my older and more mature cousin, "They were camping in the forest but a landslide buried their tents. We're letting them rest here because both have fevers, but the male, Akihiro seems to be in much worse shape than Tohru."

Hatori sighed but excepted my explanation, "Alright, I'll examine them and make sure they aren't sick with something contagious."

I smiled gratefully at Hatori, "Thank you Hatori, now if you'll excuse me I think I should go and dig up the Honda's things now."

"That's okay, but be careful and don't over work yourself."

I waved at Hatori before heading towards the door, "will do, and please make sure Akihiro-san and Tohru-san are okay."

"I will."

With that I left Shigure's house and called out my rats to help me collect the Honda's things. Quietly I sighed, "This is going to take all night."

Shigure's P.O.V.

Yuki had left to dig up the landslide leaving just Hatori, the two unconscious Hondas' and me home.

"He seems different." Hatori said suddenly, surprising me

"Do you mean Yuki?"

"Yes, I don't think I've seen him act this way towards Outsiders"

I smiled, "I know what you mean…" I paused, a solum expression on my face, "I just hope that they don't find out about the curse and completely reject him…"

"I hope they don't find out period." Hatori continued his examination of Akihiro.

"So how is he?" I asked kneeling next to Hari

"Not too good. He has a high temputure, his breathing is jagged like he's struggling, and he seems very stressed which won't help him heal quickly."

"Poor Akihiro" I stayed by the older Honda's side to change his forehead towel when it goes warm. Hatori had left about two hours ago and Yuki popped back with some things in his hands.

"How is he?" Yuki asked obviously tired

"Not too good. Now get some rest Hari told you not to work too hard, or you will also get sick."

"Fine, but I'll finish in the morning."

"Do as you wish when the time comes."

The next morning Akihiro's P.O.V.

I wake up to Tohru yelling, "NO! I OBJECT!"

"Tohru!" I shout shooting off the futon I was once sleeping on. I quickly lunged and attacked Tohru with a bear hug. "Oh my god TOHRU! I'm so glad you're okay! When I saw the landslide wreckage I thought I had lost you!" I was going to continue my rant but I felt weak and almost collapsed to the floor, but someone caught me under my arms keeping me from slamming my head onto the hard wooden floor.

"Akihiro-san, please take it easy, you're sick and have a serious fever!"

Ignoring Yuki's words I turned towards my also sick sister and ask, "Are you alright, you aren't hurt are you?"

Tohru shook her head, "I'm fine, but Yuki and Shigure-san are offering a place for us to stay until the renovations at grandpa's is finished. What do you think?"

I was about to decline the offer but I thought about Tohru, how she's so kind, selfless and she's my sister. I couldn't just let her sleep in the cold when there was a place willing to house us. "Tohru."

"Yes?"

"We're staying." I could see Tohru was about to protest so I continued, "We are both sick. This place is safer than the woods. You could have been killed yesterday! I'm not taking any risks!" Turning to the two Sohma's and bowed, "Thank you for allowing my sister and I to stay here."

Shigure chuckled, "There's not a problem, well there is one… We need to decide sleeping arrangements."

"Sleeping arrangements?" I asked from my spot I took on the floor

"Why yes! We don't want you sharing Tohru's room, and Akito told us we have to keep one of the guest rooms open in case of… stuff happening"

"Why can't I share Tohru's room? I'm her older brother! I'm not gonna make a pass at her!"

"But what about her privacy?" Shigure egged on irritating me.

"FINE! I'll sleep on the couch! Or under the table or something!"

"Why not just share Yuki's room? You're both guys after all." Shigure smirked

I glared at the black haired Sohma, "What about the whole privacy thing?"

"Oh Yuki wouldn't mind, would you?"

Yuki looked like he was gonna say something but he bit his tongue, "You know what fine. Akihiro-san let me show you my room so you can get more rest. You are not going to school with that fever you have."

"But Yuki…" I protested as the younger boy dragged up the stairs, "I'm fine!"

"You are not; you're sick and need to rest! Please Akihiro-san. Your temepture will get worse and you'll worry Miss Honda."

I sighed in defeat and entered Yuki's room.

The room was very bare and neat which was surprising comparing it to the rest of the messy house.

"Akihiro-san you can use my bed for now, we'll bring another up soon."

"Aki." I said sitting on Yuki's bed

"What?"

"Just call me Aki. Not Akihiro-san. If you must add the 'san' part that's fine, but saying Akihiro-san over and over must be tiring

"Whatever you say Aki-San, now get some rest." Yuki walked out of the room leaving me alone.

I crawled into Yuki's bed and was about to fall asleep when a loud crash make me jump out of the bed. "What in god's name was that?" Opening Yuki's door I walked down the hall and I opened the door to what I believed to have been Tohru's new room.

Only to find a boy with firey orange hair standing in the middle of a pile of debris, "Are you ready for me to break your neck… rat-boy?" the boy asked rolling his shoulder.

Rat? What the hell has this boy been smoking?