Sorry it took so long, guys. I had finals, and then craziness, and business... I know, these are awful excuses. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Shigure almost felt sorry about going to Akito, but not really. Of course he'd take the news to her. Yuki must have known that.
He knocked gently on the door.
"Who is it?" Her voice was snappish and harsh, always a ticking bomb, ready to explode in anger.
"Now, now," he slid the door open and stepped inside. "That's not very nice."
"I don't have to be nice to you."
"Then don't whine when I return the favour."
"You have to be nice to me." Akito stuck her lower lip out childishly. "It's part of the bond."
"I don't have to do anything I don't want to do," Shigure replied, just as childishly.
"That's obvious. You're so mean. Go away." She turned her back on him, dismissing him.
He didn't go anywhere. "I have something to tell you."
"Is it about that woman?" she spat out the words.
"It's about Yuki."
"Oh. Well, what is it then?"
"He's, uh," Shigure paused.
"What? Got a girl or something? Spit it out."
"That's exactly what happened. He's found a girl."
Akito went very still, then turned to face Shigure, her face white. "Does she know?"
He nodded.
"Who is she?"
"Kuragi Machi, freshman in his school, treasurer on the Student Council."
"That," Akito said, her face turning dark. "Is not acceptable. At all. He's mine. He's the rat; he belongs to the zodiac, not to any girl. No, it's not right; he needs to be reminded where his true loyalties lie." She began to pace along the black room, her steps loud and harsh on the wooden floor. "I'll give him a choice. Yes, he must decide for himself who he is." She came up beside Shigure, and he shivered slightly at her cold stare.
"I shall go to your house this afternoon."
"Are you sure?"
"No," she whirled around abruptly, stalking back to the window. "Bring Yuki here. And his girl. I want to meet them both."
"And if he won't bring her?"
"That's fine," Akito waved one hand dismissively. "I really just need to see him today, and then this Kuragi Machi in the future at some point." She put a hand to her head, wincing a little. "Go, please, and get Hatori. I don't feel well."
"Nothing I can help with?"
Akito shot Shigure an annoyed glare. "No."
Yuki was not looking forward to the conversation he and Machi needed to have. Now that she knew... Well, he had to make sure she realized just what she was getting into. It wasn't about him anymore, but the Sohma family as a whole, and how one particular Sohma would react to the news.
He was reminded of when Tohru had found out about the curse. Her plea that he would, if she forgot her memories, still be her friend. He found himself smiling at the memory. Tohru had taken that remarkably well. He couldn't guess at Machi's reaction. She was still unknown in many ways, though he probably understood her better than most. Still, his understanding was limited, and he guessed that no matter how long he knew Machi, there would still be areas that he didn't quite get.
Yuki sighed, sitting nicely in his room and worrying about talking to her was fine, but it couldn't last. He had to talk to her. He had to warn her, explain to her just what she was messed up in. He knew Akito well enough to know that this wasn't going to end well.
So why had he done it? He had seen what had happened to Rin and Kisa. He had witness the bruises, had seen the splatterings of blood on the floor. Why, if he truly cared for Machi, would he endanger her that way?
It was because it was different. She was part of a different, newer life. Akito, he was at the Sohma house. At school things felt different, he relaxed and lived life a little bit more normally. That was a mistake; one he would have to never make again.
You can't relax into a routine, he told himself. You don't have the luxury of being attracted to a girl. You can't live a life outside like Shigure does, because your life is wrapped up in the curse and the very heart of the Sohma estate.
But he needed to tell Machi. He liked her- By the zodiac, he liked her a lot- but he needed to break it off, explain to her why, explain to her how evil Akito could be.
Besides, he thought, she probably won't remember it.
Which was the point. It was the hardest thing to swallow- that by the end of the week, she probably wouldn't remember him. Rats, thinking like that... it hurt.
He had reached her flat, and paced a bit before the door. Nervous about speaking to her. He finally stopped. It needed to get done. He felt almost exactly as he had yesterday, standing here and worrying about telling her the truth of the curse. Yet this truth, the truth that the Sohma head was borderline insane and would probably beat one of them, or erase her memories was a much harder truth to tell.
He reached up, knocked on the door once. Machi opened it, looking more put together than he had ever seen her. She was wearing a plaid skirt, that was a little wrinkled, but not much. Her white blouse didn't have a single stain on it, and her hair was nicely combed, with a plaid headband keeping it out of her eyes.
She had a light twinkle in those very eyes. "Hi!"
She was excited to see him, and that hurt. "Hi," his voice was soft and not nearly as excited as her's.
She frowned at his tone. "What is it?"
"Can I-" he gestured to the door, and she stepped aside, letting him in. "It's..."
Machi eyes lost their joy and got that dead quality that they usually had in school. So he's come to his senses.
"I- uh-" he rubbed his forehead.
"Be blunt," Machi said, her tone more demanding than either had heard before. She looked startled at it.
Yuki had to smile. "Okay, the head of our family is insane."
Machi raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"He's insane, and jealous, and violent."
"I... see?"
"He doesn't like most of the people in the family, but he hates everyone outside of it more." Yuki could see it wasn't getting through to her. "It's not been unknown for him to beat someone, well, special to a family member."
Now she got it. Her eyes widened and she backed away a step, bumping into a dresser. "You're saying that I'm in danger, aren't you?"
Yuki gave a nod. "You'd be best to stay away from our family completely. When I talked to you yesterday, I told you the truth, but only half of it. I turn into a rat when hugged, but that's the least of all evils. Our family is dark, and twisted," he felt tears coming to his eyes, and it maddened him. He would not cry. He would not be a wimp. Everyone in his family already thought that he was one, but he wouldn't let Machi see it. "There's so much death and so much pain in our family. You don't want to have anything to do with me-"
A hand came out of nowhere and slapped him on the cheek. He shut up, startled. Machi stood before him, anger pouring out of her. "No! You don't get to say that! You don't get to make that choice! You think my family isn't twisted? It is. Maybe less than yours, but it is, and I'm not going to let fear keep from you, when you're the only person I've ever met you actually understand or care."Her rant ended, and she turned beet red, suddenly embarrassed. "I-" she began, no doubt about to apologize.
Yuki smiled gently, reached out, and gave a lock of her hair a little tug. "You," he said his voice not above a whisper. "Are a wonder."
Machi looked at him miserably. "I really would like to hug you right now."
"I'd really like you to hug me right now."
They just stared at each other, then Yuki cupped her face.
"Does kissing make you a rat?"
"I'm not sure. I've never tried."
While it was Yuki who had taken the first step forward, it was Machi who took the final leap. She reached up, taking great care to keep her torso from touching his, and then pressed her lips to his. He returned the kiss hesitantly, but when he realized nothing had happened, he kissed her back with more urgency, moving forward. The two came in closer contact and then...
POOF!
A cloud surrounded him and when it cleared, Yuki the rat was looking up sheepishly at Machi who had somehow grown to a giant size. She came down to her knees, and cupped her hands holding them out to him so he could climb in.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"It's okay." She gave him a kiss on top of his furry head, then made a face. "But I think I prefer you in human form."
Yuki gave a little chuckle.
It was then that someone began banging on the door. Quick as a flash, Machi grabbed Yuki's clothes, threw them in the bathroom, and then put him on top of them. She closed the door and ran to answer the front door to the flat.
The person standing before her looked slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. He was tall, had black hair that was somewhere between long and short, and had a smirk on his face that looked like it never left.
"Hello, Kuragi-san," he said pleasantly. He spoke so pleasantly that it made Machi nervous.
"Yes?" Her voice was guarded.
"Do you, perchance, have my little cousin here? He goes by the name of Your Princliness, though his real name is Yuki."
"Who are you?" Machi asked, Yuki's words of the insane Sohma head coming to her memory. This person didn't look dangerous, but he did look a little insane.
"Oh, goodness, where are my manners? Of course, I'm Shigure Sohma," he stuck out a hand for her to shake that she ignored.
"And," his face lost its smirk, and Machi truly began to feel afraid. "I'm sorry, but you and Yuki need to come with me. There's someone... that you need to meet."
He reached out and grabbed Machi's arm, holding on with a strength that she would never have guessed he had. She struggled against his grip, but found it was no use. She opened her mouth to yell, but a handkerchief was stuffed into it.
A tell-tale "POOF" sounded from the bathroom, signalling that Yuki was human once more. He came out, dressed completely. "Shigure," he growled. "What are you doing?"
Shigure seemed genuinely sorry. His eyes held sincere pity, which shocked Machi. "I'm sorry, Yuki, but Akito wants to meet her." He began to drag her out the door and towards the car. Where were the neighbours? Where was everyone? The apartment building seemed dead. Machi willed someone to look out their window and try to help, but there was no one there.
"No," Yuki followed them and attempted to kick Shigure who, by some miracle, dodged and shoved Machi in the car. "I'm not letting her go without me."
"Good," Shigure said. "Because Akito wants you too."
Those words, Akito wants you too, were like a magic phrase. Somehow, despite his hatred and fear for Akito, Yuki knew he'd never be able to disobey. Despair filled him, but he got into the car next to Machi, and took off her gag while Shigure began to drive sloppily, making it far too clear that he had no license.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured into Machi's ear, his hand tightening around hers. "I'm so, so sorry."