CHAPTER 4: Letting Go

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. Please rate and review! I wonder if people even read these chapters..

I woke up with a huge headache in Hatori's office. Hatori was looking over some documents but he turned to me as he heard me wake me.

"Rise and shine," Hatori said with his monotone voice.

"What.. What happened?" my head was light.

"You passed out."

"How?"

Hatori didn't answer but I soon recovered my last bits of memory. I was being choked by Akito and I'm guessing I just passed out after.

"How's your neck feeling?" Hatori asked.

"It's… hurting."

"That's expected. You should rest some more. I don't think Akito's even awake yet."

I saw his clock, it was around 1 in the afternoon. I'm guessing it was the next day after the incident.

"Hatori… why is Akito like that, he thinks he can control everything. He thinks everyone around him is his bitch!"

Hatori laughed, "it's just the way he was raised… He is the god of the zodiac curse…"

"Yeah but it makes no sense. You don't need to hurt people for them to accept and obey you… you can achieve the same results through kindness.."

But then I imagined Akito being nice all the time and it kinda scared me.

"He does love you though Misa… he cried himself to sleep last night."

"He… he did?"

I was shocked. It takes a lot for Akito to cry. He must've been really frustrated.

"I'm going to check up on him too, his health hasn't been in best shape. Don't stress yourself too much too."

Hatori smiled, patted my head, and left the room.

My eyes soon closed and I ended up going back to sleep.

- Hatori's Point of View -

I went inside Akito's bedroom to drop off his medicine but I saw him on the floor, staring outside as if he was waiting for something.

"Thank you Hatori, you can put them on the table."

I was about to leave the room until Akito called out to me.

"Hatori… what do you do when you love someone so much that it hurts them…"

I was startled. Akito barely asked me for help or advice in anything, but I knew the perfect answer to this one.

"You let them go. If it's truly love then trust that they'll come back."

"I'm not going to let her go…"

His answer was as sharp as glass.

"I don't know what's wrong with me Hatori… I wish I knew how to love her properly. I wish I could be who she wants me to be but I just can't… I'm just not fit to do this.. to love…"

I remained speechless. It was hard to respond to an inquiry like that.

"I don't even know if she knows that I love her that much that it hurts me as well."

Akito looked at me with helpless eyes. He was confused, he was tired of not only living but himself.

"When you love someone.. or at least when I loved someone, their happiness was worth so much more than mine… and if I had to suffer for my significant other to be happy, than I would gladly do so…"

Akito stared at me with confusion, he knew I was coming from experience. He knew the relationship I had with Kana… in fact he was the reason why my relationship with Kana never happened. But I never held it against him, I couldn't. He was Akito, it was his nature to be cold hearted and selfish. It was just strange seeing that he actually desired to change.

"Are you saying I should let her go and be happy even if it'll hurt me….?"

I nodded.

Akito sighed. "I figured you'd say some crap like that… but I'll try it. I'll try putting her happiness before mine. Is she with you Hatori?"

"Yes, she's sleeping in my office."

Akito got up and walked out of his bed room without a word of what he was about to do.

- Misa's POV -

I woke up to my bed shaking, the first thing I saw were Akito's dark eyes. He was calling my name.

"Misa, get up."

"H..huh? Aki.. Akito… are.. are you mad?" I was too drowsy to clear my husky voice.

"I don't want you in my house anymore. Pack your things, you're going to be living with Shigure from now on."

I couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"You heard me, I want you out of my house."

Was I dreaming? or was he being seriously? I should be happy right now, Akito's finally letting me go! But I didn't necessarily want to leave yet.

"Pack your stuff, Shigure's picking you up in a few hours."

I jumped up from the bed, "WHAT? So soon!"

Akito refused to meet eye contact.

"… What's going on Akito… what's wrong…"

He didn't answer me. I reached out to touch his face but he backhanded me leaving my right cheeks as pink as a peach.

A rush of emotions filled me. Confusion. Anger. Sadness. …. and soon apathy.

"You know what Akito? FUCK YOU!" I pushed the blankets off me and stood infront of him eye to eye.

"I don't know if you see this as punishment or something but to me it's a fucking dream come true," I left him with the coldest look I have ever given anyone but at the same time it was such a battle to make sure a tear wouldn't fall form my eyes.

I went back to my room to start packing my clothes and necessities. Hatori came in to ask how I was doing.

"I feel like shit but it's okay. I'm finally getting away from that monster."

"Don't see it that way Misa…"

"Hatori, he's the fucking devil in human form. He thinks he can play with my emotions like they're toys! One day he tells me he loves me," I tried to fight the tears and from my voice from becoming weak, "and the next day he beats me down to the ground. I don't understand.. I don't understand anything! I'm so tired of it..."

I failed, tears started pouring down my face and I felt like such a child. I tried to position myself so Hatori wouldn't see but Hatori didn't need to see to know what was going on.

Hatori approached me to lend me a shoulder to cry on. I embraced him for a good ten minutes until I manned up and stopped crying.

"Sometimes when you love something so much, you have to let it go…"

I knew Hatori was coming from experience with Kana… he had to let her go for her to be happy, despite leaving him in misery.

But I didn't want to let Akito go. I loved him, or at least I thought so… Why would I want to let go of someone I love… or on second thought maybe the distance would be good for us, if there was an "us" anymore.

I heard Shigure's voice across the hallways, he was here earlier than expected. Hatori rolled his eyes, "I kinda feel bad that you have to live with that thing who calls himself a writer." I let out a small laugh.

-Akito's Point of View-

"I'll be coming over from time to time to check up on her.."

"So what's the point of letting her live with me if you're gonna be checking up on her every so often… I'm sorry if I sound rude Akito but I think you should figure yourself out before you start figuring this relationship out."

He didn't understand. Misa's my entire life, I can't just allow her to freely live without some watching over…

"We'll see.. but I am visiting, you'll just never know when and how often."

I saw a look of disgust in Shigure's eyes, it irritated me, he wanted to say something. "Spit it out Shigure, what do you have to say?"

"Akito… I know you may know of love but I don't think you know how to display love… or even be in love… love is pure and unselfish yet you hurt Misa just because it gratifies you to see her crawling back, despite the amount of pain you cause her. There's only so much a person can handle, she won't want to return anymore if this keeps going on."

"If I break the bird's wings, it'll stay."

"It'll die."

"Don't talk to me about love as if you know all about it. The closest thing you can get to it is your stupid novels."

It gave me pleasure to see the hurt in Shigure's eyes, it was nice to win.

But Shigure did have a point, I couldn't play with Misa forever and not expect her to break. This is why I knew this move would be good.. for the both of us.

Hatori came through the door and interrupted, "Misa's outside waiting for you Shigure."

Shigure nodded, stood up to bow in respect, and left. Hatori asked me if I was going to see her off but I didn't answer. I didn't want to, I had a good view from my porch.

After both Shigure and Hatori left I saw Misa outside with her small backpack. I almost forgot that Misa barely had any articles of clothing since she remained in the estate most of the time. Her skin was so pale against the sun too. It was then I realized that I have kept Misa caged up.

I saw her leave the gates of the Sohma estate and my heart literally pounded against my chest. I yelled out for Hatori.

My legs were giving out on me, it was hard to focus my vision to see if Misa would turn around and come back or if she would even turn back to get a last glimse of the house.

She didn't do either and everything soon became white.