Title: Equally Cursed and Blessed
Authors: Caer (caerfree@tde.com) and Triste (TragedyandComedy@aol.com)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, violence, angst
Pairings: YukixKyou, ShigurexHatori, HaruxMomiji
Status: Work in progress (part 4)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
Thanks to aurelie, mizuko, girlstarfish, yamatoforever, Kato-chan and
Violintide for reviewing!
~~
Yuki sat in the living room, giving Kazuma, Tohru and Kyou some space. They
didn't need him around anyway and Kyou would just get frustrated if he was
there. He sat against some cushions, watching the television quietly, trying to
calm down. Akito. Akito had taken Kyou's bracelet. Obviously, he had not caused
the landslide, but Yuki wondered about that even. People who went against the
head of the Sohma clan tended to have bad things happen to them, things that
defied nature. Could Kyou have said something wrong or refused Akito somehow?
Or maybe he had tried to get the bracelet back? Yuki had heard a story about a
woman who had defied Hatori's father, the former head of the clan...and ended up
falling to her death the next day.
Yuki closed his eyes. Kyou had only said that Akito had taken the bracelet, but
Yuki knew how Akito was. He knew that he had said things to the cat. He had
always been disgusted by Kyou and made it well known. He never ceased delighting
in saying cruel things when Kyou was near during the New Years celebrations. He
had done much worse. Yuki tried to keep the visions of Akito's cruel eyes out of
his head.
"You're my best friend, Yuki. You'll stay with me forever. I won't let anyone
take you away from me."
Yuki closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about this. He just hoped with all
his heart that Shigure could get the bracelet back. Kyou wouldn't be able to
function without it. He wouldn't be able to even go to school for fear the rain
would come suddenly. Yuki suspected the transformation scared Kyou just as much
as it scared anyone else if not more so.
The vengeful cat stank of evil. You could feel it, oozing off of the horrid
form, the same way you could feel the heavy power pressing down whenever Akito
was near. To look upon it was terrible, but to be trapped within it? Yuki used
to think that the evil spirit was a part of Kyou. His mother had told him as
much, saying that the cat's heart was evil inside. But when he had been close to
the creature, he could tell...he had known that Kyou was in there and not a part
of the form he took on. Tohru had made him realize that.
A hand on his shoulder made him look up. Haru was looking down at him with
concern and Momiji was smiling.
"Are you okay, Yuki? We have to go soon so we can get our homework done."
Yuki nodded and got up stiffly.
"Yes, I'm all right. Thank you. Thank you for coming." He put a hand on Haru's
shoulder and met his eyes with sincerity, trying to convey that he really meant
it.
In the kitchen, Kazuma and Tohru sat next to Kyou. Kazuma still held the boy's
hand, not wanting to let go. He felt helpless right now.
Kyou stared at Kazuma and Tohru who were sitting silently next to him, both with
almost identical expressions of sadness on their faces. "Don't look like that,"
he said, rolling his eyes although it only served to aggravate his headache even
more. "You'd think somebody had just died." He fixed his gaze on Tohru. "You
should be walking into walls and wearing that silly smile on your face. You
don't have to look like someone just stole your favourite socks."
Tohru nodded eagerly. "I'm sorry, Kyou-kun!" she said, bowing her head. "I just
want you to get better faster! I'm sorry if my sad face is hampering your
recovery!"
Kyou sighed and squeezed her hand fondly. "Stop apologising. You're starting to
sound like Rit-chan-san."
Tohru just giggled. She looked up suddenly to see Haru and Momiji standing in
the doorway and Momiji waved. "Oh, are you leaving now?" Tohru asked in dismay.
"Yep. Sorry to leave you so soon, Tohru." Momiji smiled and bowed, his hands
out, making him look like a court jester. "We have a lot of homework and Papa
and I are going out tonight since I missed seeing him last night." He smiled
joyfully, and then he looked at Kyou, his smile faltering just a little.
"Eh, Kyou? Get better fast 'kay? It won't be the same without you picking on me
all time! And we can come and see you tomorrow too!"
"I can hardly wait," said Kyou sarcastically, but he smiled at Momiji slightly
to let the younger boy know that he meant no harm. He looked over at Haru who
was standing beside Momiji patiently and his smirk widened. "Watch your back,
cow," he said. "I may be out of commission for now, but it won't be long before
I start kicking your ass again."
Haru just gave a small smile in return. "I look forward to it," he said softly.
"Until that time, just let yourself heal. Come, Momiji," he added, tapping the
smaller boy's shoulder.
"Wait!" cried Tohru, squeezing Kyou's hand tightly before letting it go. "Let me
at least walk you to the front gate," she added, rising to her feet. "Yuki- kun?
Would you like to join us?"
Kyou glanced at Yuki who was standing apart from Haru and Momiji and his eyes
narrowed. "Actually, I'd like to speak with Yuki," he announced, feeling
everyone's gaze turn on him. "But just for a moment."
Yuki looked at the cat in surprise? "What? Me?"
Kazuma looked hard at Kyou, judging what he should do. He stood up. "Perhaps we
should all take a walk you to the end of the road. I for one could use the
exercise." He looked at them all in his soft, commanding way, using his
influence as Haru's instructor and his leverage as the adult in the house to
herd them out of the room. Various goodbyes were heard as they all stepped
outside the house.
Yuki just stood in the doorway, staring at Kyou uncomfortably. "You're looking
better than you did," he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay," Kyou said shortly. Yuki was still standing over at the other end of the
room and he frowned. "Damn mouse...come closer," he muttered. "I can't have a
conversation with you standing all the way over there." He was thankful when
Yuki only chose to move closer, not point out the fact that he'd never had a
problem making himself heard before.
Kyou was silent for a while, trying to think of the best way in which to say
what he was trying to get out. Yuki was staring at him expectantly and for some
reason that made him feel uncomfortable. He looked away, reaching over and
rubbing his left wrist unconsciously. "Thanks," he mumbled, still not meeting
Yuki's eyes. "Thank you for...for what you did...last night."
Yuki was surprised. Kyou was...thanking him? He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Well, Tohru would be sad if anything happened to you," he replied nervously,
leaning against the doorframe. He looked out the open door, watching as Kazuma
and the group disappeared around the bend in the road. He looked back, noticing
that Kyou was still quiet, looking away from him.
"And...it wouldn't be the same," he stuttered, staring at his shoes as he tried
to say what he felt. He was always bad about expressing his feelings. "It
wouldn't be the same without you, Kyou. So...so just get better."
Yuki felt frustrated. He had hated the pathetic cat for so long, for a number of
reasons. He had promised himself never to get close to anyone again, especially
Kyou. He hated that Kyou was being so damn hard to hate lately. Why couldn't he
be a hostile asshole like he usually was? Why couldn't he just keep things
simple?
Kyou raised his eyes to see that Yuki was avoiding looking his way as the mouse
kept his gaze trained on his shoes rather than on him. For some reason, that
just made Kyou feel tired rather than angry with Yuki. It had taken him a lot to
utter out those words of thanks to the person he usually disliked most in the
world, but at least it was over now. He'd said his thanks, now he and Yuki could
go back to hating each other...right?
Kyou sighed in frustration. The effect of the drugs were starting to wear off,
leaving him more alert of his surroundings, but also more aware of his injuries.
He preferred it that way though. He hated the very idea of being drugged even
though he knew it must have been necessary considering the condition he'd gotten
himself into last night. He felt the blood drain from his face at the memory of
Akito and he rubbed at his wrist again, feeling naked and vulnerable without his
bracelet. "Who else saw me last night?" he asked suddenly, his voice sounding
hoarse even to his own ears.
Yuki watched as he agitated his bare wrist almost harshly, turning the skin a
bit pink. Yuki took a deep breath and sat down cross legged next to the boy,
putting a hand down to still the nervous hands.
"Stop," he commanded softly, finally meeting Kyou's red eyes. "No one
else...just Hatori, and only for a few minutes. Then you changed back. Yuki
remembered how angry he had been with the doctor and how he had reacted to Kyou,
even though he himself had reacted that way once. It didn't seem fair. Kyou was
right, it wasn't his fault. Yuki swallowed his pride for a moment.
"I don't care, you know."
Kyou simply stared up at him in shock, letting himself go limp and allowing Yuki
to stop him from rubbing at his wrist. "I know," he said simply. For a while,
they just sat there in silence and Kyou was surprised when Yuki didn't move
away. He clenched his fingers around Yuki's hand without realising it and closed
his eyes. "Do you think they'll get it back?" he asked softly. He didn't really
care if Yuki decided to answer or not. Right now, he just wanted someone to talk
to and anyone would do. It didn't matter if it was Yuki, just as long as someone
else was there to keep him company, Kyou told himself.
Not for the first time in his life, Kyou felt guilty. Why was it that he was
always the one to cause trouble, the one who was always treated like an outcast
just for being what he was? Kyou didn't like it anymore than the rest of them,
but it wasn't his fault. If it was anybody's fault, it was Yuki's. For some
reason though, Kyou couldn't bring himself to summon up his usual hatred of the
mouse. Not now. Not when Yuki had watched over him all night, not when Yuki had
helped him when no one else would.
Yuki stared at the hand on his. He looked at the tightness in Kyou's face. He
was afraid. That bracelet had been on his arm all his life, since birth,
protecting him from changing, and Akito had taken it. That was something he
liked to do to people; take away their sense of security, to constantly remind
them not only who was in control, but what they were. He had taken Hatori's
love, Yuki's friends, Haru's happiness, and little Hiro's confidence. The few
times he had gotten near Kyou had been to amuse himself with Kyou's pain. Yuki
placed his other hand on Kyou's.
"I don't know, Kyou. Akito..." Yuki swallowed. "He usually listens to Shigure.
But, if he doesn't want to, he won't. I wish I could say he would. Even if he
doesn't though, we'll figure out a way. I'm sure there's something we can do to
get the bracelet back. I don't think he'll keep it forever. It wouldn't make
sense."
"Nothing he ever does makes any sense," Kyou muttered darkly. He let out a
shuddery breath and tried to relax his body. He'd gone tense again at the
mention of Akito and he tried to calm himself down again. Hatori had warned him
not to move about too much otherwise he'd pull his stitches free. Kyou fumbled
with the hem of his tee shirt and lifted it slightly, staring at the torn and
bruised area with morbid fascination.
"Maybe he kept the bracelet because...he didn't think I was going to live," Kyou
said softly, more to himself than to Yuki. "After he'd had his fun, he always
threw it back to me later on. But the way he looked when I fell..."
Kyou was brought back to reality when he felt Yuki squeezing his hand and
rubbing it gently. He still couldn't figure out why Yuki was being so kind to
him when they were supposed to hate each other, but he felt far from turning his
nose up at it. He would have felt better if it had been Tohru comforting him
like this...but Yuki wasn't too bad. Kyou never would have guessed the mouse
could be this kind to anyone other than Tohru.
For years, he thought he'd had Yuki all figured out, but now all the mouse
seemed to be doing was to throw him for a loop. Kyou couldn't pinpoint the exact
time when things had been changing slowly from black and white to shades of
grey. It made him feel uneasy that he and Yuki weren't fighting as often as they
used to. They argued constantly, but now that Kyou thought about it, he spent
more time beating up Haru than he did Yuki. Idly, he wondered why that was. "Do
you think...that everything happens for a reason?" he asked quietly.
Yuki felt faint looking at Kyou's wound and quickly covered it, feeling queasy.
He pulled the blanket up higher on Kyou's thin frame, but kept a hold on Kyou's
hand.
"I don't know anymore," Yuki said quietly. "I used to think that there was no
reason. No reason for this curse, no reason for the way Akito treated us. He's
gone mad. He just seems to get worse. Hatori's father was supposedly mad too.
If there's madness, is there reason? But then Tohru came, and things seemed to
get better. I'm afraid though. I'm afraid that our reason is pain. That the
reason she's here is so Akito can take her away from us and make us hurt even
more. But then she beat him...and she's still here. So maybe..."
He looked down at Kyou and realized that he was being stared at. Kyou looked
very beautiful when he wasn't angry. He looked softer somehow. Yuki shook his
head, pulling his hand away in protest. He was not going to go there again.
Besides, he could see Kazuma and Tohru returning through the trees.
"Sorry,I'm just babbling.." He looked away, angry with himself.
Kyou felt somewhat disappointed when Yuki pulled away, but he let him go, his
hand falling limply back to lie on the blanket. "You can babble if you want to,"
he said gruffly, looking away. "I don't mind...if you do that. You talk sense.
You talk the truth. So stop acting like Tohru already by apologising for who you
are." He felt a blush of anger and embarrassment rising in his cheeks and he
tightened his hold on the blanket.
Why couldn't he ever say the things he wanted to say? The words always tended to
get mixed up somewhere before leaving his mouth and it often made him
frustrated. He wished he could be more like Tohru in that respect. She had no
problem at all in speaking about what she was feeling and her emotions were
always so simple and true. "It's okay..."
The words warmed Yuki through. It seemed almost like something Tohru would say,
except short and to the point, not flowery and pretty like she would have put
it. Yuki smiled.
"Thank you," he said. "And...don't worry about your bracelet, Kyou. We'll
figure out a way. The weather is supposed to be mild for the week, so just
concentrate on healing. Tohru is coming back too. If you like, we can sit down
with you and help you do your homework? We got it for you today and if you do
the work, we can write it for you. That way you won't fall behind."
Kyou was taken aback completely by Yuki's sudden smile. The only other person
he'd ever seen him smile like that at before was Tohru and it made his stomach
feel quivery. He was always so used to Yuki's glares and general cold
expressions that he was more than a little surprised to see that smile directed
toward him. He was also more than a little shocked at Yuki's offer to help out
with his schoolwork and for a moment, he couldn't think of anything to say.
"I...I...thanks," he said, cursing himself silently when he felt his cheeks
colouring again. "For being so nice. You didn't have to be, but...thanks."
Yuki messed with the blanket, frowning.
"Well, it's just because you're hurt, but you're welcome." He got up quickly and
went out to tell Tohru what they were going to do. He needed to get away from
Kyou. He was feeling strange about him now. They hadn't talked so sincerely like
that since...but that was the past. But he honestly did want to help Kyou,
because he was family, and because it was Akito who had done this. He scared the
hell out of Yuki, but somehow, he would find a way to get that bracelet back.
Soon.
~~
The air was thick with tension. Hatori and Shigure both sat still, watching
Akito as he gracefully poured a pitcher of fresh water into his birdbath.
Several birds sat at the porch railing, watching him. He walked back slowly,
putting the pitcher on the floor in the corner. He looked outside, watching the
clouds as they moved slowly across the blue of the sky.
"Some people in our family have gotten too bold lately it seems," he said
slickly. "I know what you want. I'm afraid it's impossible though." He slid
gracefully onto his stomach, in a patch of sun on the porch and held his hand
out as a stray bird hopped down to rest there. "Kyou must learn to remember his
place in this family," he said, sadly. "He will be punished for a while. He is
welcome to stay where his predecessor stayed until I decide that he has learned
his lesson."
Shigure moved to protest, but Akito's next words stopped him cold.
"I trust your relationship is going well, Shigure-san, Hatori-san? I'm glad. I
would hate to see it destroyed by something as simple as disobedience." He got
up and moved over to Hatori, sliding cold fingers through the man's hair. "Don't
be sad for the creature, Shigure...after all, it's just the cat. Go home." He
leaned in and whispered in Hatori's ear. "Take care of each other." He stood. "I
will return the bracelet when I feel that things are as they should be."
Hatori watched as Shigure and Akito rose, but he stayed kneeling, bowing his
head respectfully. "Akito-san," he said softly, not looking up. "Is there no way
you would...reconsider this decision?" he asked hesitantly. In no way did he
wish for Akito to suddenly decide that he had changed his mind about his and
Shigure's relationship, but still...this was harsh, even for Akito.
Ever since he had seen the cat's alternate form last night and the way that Yuki
had glared at him, he'd been feeling shaken and if anything, he owed it to Kyou
to try and get his bracelet back. Not only for the way he had reacted that
night, but also for what he'd before that, many years ago. His gift to erase
people's memories had always been more of a curse to him and he had hated
himself for having such ability.
Until recently, he had believed that it was his punishment, but ever since he
and Shigure had been growing closer together, he had been slowly able to come to
terms with it. What he still wasn't able to come to terms with though was the
way he always obeyed Akito's orders, even if it was against what he wanted. Even
if it was at his own cost, he still went ahead and did it.
He guessed that years of conditioned learning from his own father, the former
head of the Souma clan was hard to break. Even though this was Akito standing
before him and not his father, he still acted like the respectful, obedient
person he had been shaped to be and he hated himself for it. "At least you could
tell us the reason why you came to reach such a decision?"
Akito's frail hands fisted in the man's hair and pulled harshly. "Do not
question my reasons, Hatori." He leaned down, pulling harder. "Or I will make
you erase Shigure's memory too. I know that you won't disobey me." The bony hand
became gentle again and slid through his hair softly.
"Hatori."
Shigure looked down at his lover and shook his head imperceptibly. This wasn't
the time. They would just have to wait for now.
"Let's go home."
Hatori got up, bowing and moved to put his shoes on. Shigure saw the pain in the
man's eyes as he turned and felt the helplessness even more as he saw his
partner and friend turn to go. Shigure turned back to Akito, taking his elbow,
the question in his eyes. Akito smiled.
"Of course. You will tell Yuki that I said hello." He slid inkily out of
Shigure's grasp. "Tell him I miss him. I would be very grateful if he would come
and see me. That would please me most."
Shigure stared at Akito, barely suppressing the anger he had inside. Then he
turned and put his shoes on, dragging Hatori out. Akito watched them go.
"Soon, Yuki. You will come back. I told you, you couldn't be happy without me."
Once they got to the car and got in, Shigure let his head hit the steering
wheel, rather hard. "I'm a fool," he said quietly.
Hatori stared over at him and sighed. "We could be here all day arguing over
which of us is the bigger idiot," he said tiredly. "But for now, let's just call
it quits and say we're even." He stared out the window pensively and tugged at
his collar, loosening his tie. "What do you suggest we do now? He wouldn't even
listen to me, but then that's not surprising," he added bitterly. "He could keep
that bracelet forever, or at least until he's finished having his fun and who
knows how long that could take? Kyou needs that bracelet back desperately, but
there's no way we should force Yuki to come back here just to see Akito. Even if
he did, there's no saying that Akito would give the bracelet back. You know how
he is. I don't like the idea of him coming here anyway, but what else can we
do?"
He pulled his tie off completely and crumpled it into his fist. "Tell me I'm not
the only one who's feeling so helpless right now."
"I was always a step ahead of him. I could always tell what he was going to do.
But I fell right into his trap." Shigure looked at Hatori sadly. "Now he has us
as leverage. He literally has me by the...well, you know." Shigure laughed, but
he wanted to cry. He lifted his head enough to let it drop and hit the steering
wheel again.
"He wants Yuki back. That's what he's wanted since I took him away from there.
He'll give the bracelet back, I know that...but first he wants his toy back."
Shigure said, matter of factly. "He's taken all our power away. We'll have to
tell Yuki. It will be hard enough telling Kyou that he has to live without the
bracelet."
Hatori stared at Shigure sadly, catching his head before he could let it drop
back onto the steering wheel. "Don't beat out what little brain cells you have
left," he said, but he rubbed the back of Shigure's neck gently. "Let's get out
of here. We won't be able to get anything done by just sitting here and
complaining about what we can and can't do. I'll be the one to tell Kyou about
the bracelet and try to hold Kazuma off from killing Akito. If he needs someone
to blame, he can blame me." He slipped his hand over Shigure's and squeezed
briefly before letting go.
Shigure raised his head and looked at Hatori helplessly, nodding. He couldn't
help but admire Hatori's ability to deal with everything. He stayed at the main
house, and somehow he endured whereas he and Ayame had run long ago. Shigure
felt like a coward, escaping into his novels and his little house. Hatori was
the one who seemed to stay strong for them, even with everything he had been
through. Even now, he was able to be strong when Shigure just felt like folding
up and disappearing.
"You're amazing, Ha-san," he said, squeezing the stoic man's knee, before
putting the car in reverse and backing out. He didn't back out though, but
rather went forward, almost driving into the garden.
"Um, Ha-san? Maybe you'd better drive."
Authors: Caer (caerfree@tde.com) and Triste (TragedyandComedy@aol.com)
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, violence, angst
Pairings: YukixKyou, ShigurexHatori, HaruxMomiji
Status: Work in progress (part 4)
Disclaimer: Nope, still not ours.
Thanks to aurelie, mizuko, girlstarfish, yamatoforever, Kato-chan and
Violintide for reviewing!
~~
Yuki sat in the living room, giving Kazuma, Tohru and Kyou some space. They
didn't need him around anyway and Kyou would just get frustrated if he was
there. He sat against some cushions, watching the television quietly, trying to
calm down. Akito. Akito had taken Kyou's bracelet. Obviously, he had not caused
the landslide, but Yuki wondered about that even. People who went against the
head of the Sohma clan tended to have bad things happen to them, things that
defied nature. Could Kyou have said something wrong or refused Akito somehow?
Or maybe he had tried to get the bracelet back? Yuki had heard a story about a
woman who had defied Hatori's father, the former head of the clan...and ended up
falling to her death the next day.
Yuki closed his eyes. Kyou had only said that Akito had taken the bracelet, but
Yuki knew how Akito was. He knew that he had said things to the cat. He had
always been disgusted by Kyou and made it well known. He never ceased delighting
in saying cruel things when Kyou was near during the New Years celebrations. He
had done much worse. Yuki tried to keep the visions of Akito's cruel eyes out of
his head.
"You're my best friend, Yuki. You'll stay with me forever. I won't let anyone
take you away from me."
Yuki closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about this. He just hoped with all
his heart that Shigure could get the bracelet back. Kyou wouldn't be able to
function without it. He wouldn't be able to even go to school for fear the rain
would come suddenly. Yuki suspected the transformation scared Kyou just as much
as it scared anyone else if not more so.
The vengeful cat stank of evil. You could feel it, oozing off of the horrid
form, the same way you could feel the heavy power pressing down whenever Akito
was near. To look upon it was terrible, but to be trapped within it? Yuki used
to think that the evil spirit was a part of Kyou. His mother had told him as
much, saying that the cat's heart was evil inside. But when he had been close to
the creature, he could tell...he had known that Kyou was in there and not a part
of the form he took on. Tohru had made him realize that.
A hand on his shoulder made him look up. Haru was looking down at him with
concern and Momiji was smiling.
"Are you okay, Yuki? We have to go soon so we can get our homework done."
Yuki nodded and got up stiffly.
"Yes, I'm all right. Thank you. Thank you for coming." He put a hand on Haru's
shoulder and met his eyes with sincerity, trying to convey that he really meant
it.
In the kitchen, Kazuma and Tohru sat next to Kyou. Kazuma still held the boy's
hand, not wanting to let go. He felt helpless right now.
Kyou stared at Kazuma and Tohru who were sitting silently next to him, both with
almost identical expressions of sadness on their faces. "Don't look like that,"
he said, rolling his eyes although it only served to aggravate his headache even
more. "You'd think somebody had just died." He fixed his gaze on Tohru. "You
should be walking into walls and wearing that silly smile on your face. You
don't have to look like someone just stole your favourite socks."
Tohru nodded eagerly. "I'm sorry, Kyou-kun!" she said, bowing her head. "I just
want you to get better faster! I'm sorry if my sad face is hampering your
recovery!"
Kyou sighed and squeezed her hand fondly. "Stop apologising. You're starting to
sound like Rit-chan-san."
Tohru just giggled. She looked up suddenly to see Haru and Momiji standing in
the doorway and Momiji waved. "Oh, are you leaving now?" Tohru asked in dismay.
"Yep. Sorry to leave you so soon, Tohru." Momiji smiled and bowed, his hands
out, making him look like a court jester. "We have a lot of homework and Papa
and I are going out tonight since I missed seeing him last night." He smiled
joyfully, and then he looked at Kyou, his smile faltering just a little.
"Eh, Kyou? Get better fast 'kay? It won't be the same without you picking on me
all time! And we can come and see you tomorrow too!"
"I can hardly wait," said Kyou sarcastically, but he smiled at Momiji slightly
to let the younger boy know that he meant no harm. He looked over at Haru who
was standing beside Momiji patiently and his smirk widened. "Watch your back,
cow," he said. "I may be out of commission for now, but it won't be long before
I start kicking your ass again."
Haru just gave a small smile in return. "I look forward to it," he said softly.
"Until that time, just let yourself heal. Come, Momiji," he added, tapping the
smaller boy's shoulder.
"Wait!" cried Tohru, squeezing Kyou's hand tightly before letting it go. "Let me
at least walk you to the front gate," she added, rising to her feet. "Yuki- kun?
Would you like to join us?"
Kyou glanced at Yuki who was standing apart from Haru and Momiji and his eyes
narrowed. "Actually, I'd like to speak with Yuki," he announced, feeling
everyone's gaze turn on him. "But just for a moment."
Yuki looked at the cat in surprise? "What? Me?"
Kazuma looked hard at Kyou, judging what he should do. He stood up. "Perhaps we
should all take a walk you to the end of the road. I for one could use the
exercise." He looked at them all in his soft, commanding way, using his
influence as Haru's instructor and his leverage as the adult in the house to
herd them out of the room. Various goodbyes were heard as they all stepped
outside the house.
Yuki just stood in the doorway, staring at Kyou uncomfortably. "You're looking
better than you did," he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay," Kyou said shortly. Yuki was still standing over at the other end of the
room and he frowned. "Damn mouse...come closer," he muttered. "I can't have a
conversation with you standing all the way over there." He was thankful when
Yuki only chose to move closer, not point out the fact that he'd never had a
problem making himself heard before.
Kyou was silent for a while, trying to think of the best way in which to say
what he was trying to get out. Yuki was staring at him expectantly and for some
reason that made him feel uncomfortable. He looked away, reaching over and
rubbing his left wrist unconsciously. "Thanks," he mumbled, still not meeting
Yuki's eyes. "Thank you for...for what you did...last night."
Yuki was surprised. Kyou was...thanking him? He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Well, Tohru would be sad if anything happened to you," he replied nervously,
leaning against the doorframe. He looked out the open door, watching as Kazuma
and the group disappeared around the bend in the road. He looked back, noticing
that Kyou was still quiet, looking away from him.
"And...it wouldn't be the same," he stuttered, staring at his shoes as he tried
to say what he felt. He was always bad about expressing his feelings. "It
wouldn't be the same without you, Kyou. So...so just get better."
Yuki felt frustrated. He had hated the pathetic cat for so long, for a number of
reasons. He had promised himself never to get close to anyone again, especially
Kyou. He hated that Kyou was being so damn hard to hate lately. Why couldn't he
be a hostile asshole like he usually was? Why couldn't he just keep things
simple?
Kyou raised his eyes to see that Yuki was avoiding looking his way as the mouse
kept his gaze trained on his shoes rather than on him. For some reason, that
just made Kyou feel tired rather than angry with Yuki. It had taken him a lot to
utter out those words of thanks to the person he usually disliked most in the
world, but at least it was over now. He'd said his thanks, now he and Yuki could
go back to hating each other...right?
Kyou sighed in frustration. The effect of the drugs were starting to wear off,
leaving him more alert of his surroundings, but also more aware of his injuries.
He preferred it that way though. He hated the very idea of being drugged even
though he knew it must have been necessary considering the condition he'd gotten
himself into last night. He felt the blood drain from his face at the memory of
Akito and he rubbed at his wrist again, feeling naked and vulnerable without his
bracelet. "Who else saw me last night?" he asked suddenly, his voice sounding
hoarse even to his own ears.
Yuki watched as he agitated his bare wrist almost harshly, turning the skin a
bit pink. Yuki took a deep breath and sat down cross legged next to the boy,
putting a hand down to still the nervous hands.
"Stop," he commanded softly, finally meeting Kyou's red eyes. "No one
else...just Hatori, and only for a few minutes. Then you changed back. Yuki
remembered how angry he had been with the doctor and how he had reacted to Kyou,
even though he himself had reacted that way once. It didn't seem fair. Kyou was
right, it wasn't his fault. Yuki swallowed his pride for a moment.
"I don't care, you know."
Kyou simply stared up at him in shock, letting himself go limp and allowing Yuki
to stop him from rubbing at his wrist. "I know," he said simply. For a while,
they just sat there in silence and Kyou was surprised when Yuki didn't move
away. He clenched his fingers around Yuki's hand without realising it and closed
his eyes. "Do you think they'll get it back?" he asked softly. He didn't really
care if Yuki decided to answer or not. Right now, he just wanted someone to talk
to and anyone would do. It didn't matter if it was Yuki, just as long as someone
else was there to keep him company, Kyou told himself.
Not for the first time in his life, Kyou felt guilty. Why was it that he was
always the one to cause trouble, the one who was always treated like an outcast
just for being what he was? Kyou didn't like it anymore than the rest of them,
but it wasn't his fault. If it was anybody's fault, it was Yuki's. For some
reason though, Kyou couldn't bring himself to summon up his usual hatred of the
mouse. Not now. Not when Yuki had watched over him all night, not when Yuki had
helped him when no one else would.
Yuki stared at the hand on his. He looked at the tightness in Kyou's face. He
was afraid. That bracelet had been on his arm all his life, since birth,
protecting him from changing, and Akito had taken it. That was something he
liked to do to people; take away their sense of security, to constantly remind
them not only who was in control, but what they were. He had taken Hatori's
love, Yuki's friends, Haru's happiness, and little Hiro's confidence. The few
times he had gotten near Kyou had been to amuse himself with Kyou's pain. Yuki
placed his other hand on Kyou's.
"I don't know, Kyou. Akito..." Yuki swallowed. "He usually listens to Shigure.
But, if he doesn't want to, he won't. I wish I could say he would. Even if he
doesn't though, we'll figure out a way. I'm sure there's something we can do to
get the bracelet back. I don't think he'll keep it forever. It wouldn't make
sense."
"Nothing he ever does makes any sense," Kyou muttered darkly. He let out a
shuddery breath and tried to relax his body. He'd gone tense again at the
mention of Akito and he tried to calm himself down again. Hatori had warned him
not to move about too much otherwise he'd pull his stitches free. Kyou fumbled
with the hem of his tee shirt and lifted it slightly, staring at the torn and
bruised area with morbid fascination.
"Maybe he kept the bracelet because...he didn't think I was going to live," Kyou
said softly, more to himself than to Yuki. "After he'd had his fun, he always
threw it back to me later on. But the way he looked when I fell..."
Kyou was brought back to reality when he felt Yuki squeezing his hand and
rubbing it gently. He still couldn't figure out why Yuki was being so kind to
him when they were supposed to hate each other, but he felt far from turning his
nose up at it. He would have felt better if it had been Tohru comforting him
like this...but Yuki wasn't too bad. Kyou never would have guessed the mouse
could be this kind to anyone other than Tohru.
For years, he thought he'd had Yuki all figured out, but now all the mouse
seemed to be doing was to throw him for a loop. Kyou couldn't pinpoint the exact
time when things had been changing slowly from black and white to shades of
grey. It made him feel uneasy that he and Yuki weren't fighting as often as they
used to. They argued constantly, but now that Kyou thought about it, he spent
more time beating up Haru than he did Yuki. Idly, he wondered why that was. "Do
you think...that everything happens for a reason?" he asked quietly.
Yuki felt faint looking at Kyou's wound and quickly covered it, feeling queasy.
He pulled the blanket up higher on Kyou's thin frame, but kept a hold on Kyou's
hand.
"I don't know anymore," Yuki said quietly. "I used to think that there was no
reason. No reason for this curse, no reason for the way Akito treated us. He's
gone mad. He just seems to get worse. Hatori's father was supposedly mad too.
If there's madness, is there reason? But then Tohru came, and things seemed to
get better. I'm afraid though. I'm afraid that our reason is pain. That the
reason she's here is so Akito can take her away from us and make us hurt even
more. But then she beat him...and she's still here. So maybe..."
He looked down at Kyou and realized that he was being stared at. Kyou looked
very beautiful when he wasn't angry. He looked softer somehow. Yuki shook his
head, pulling his hand away in protest. He was not going to go there again.
Besides, he could see Kazuma and Tohru returning through the trees.
"Sorry,I'm just babbling.." He looked away, angry with himself.
Kyou felt somewhat disappointed when Yuki pulled away, but he let him go, his
hand falling limply back to lie on the blanket. "You can babble if you want to,"
he said gruffly, looking away. "I don't mind...if you do that. You talk sense.
You talk the truth. So stop acting like Tohru already by apologising for who you
are." He felt a blush of anger and embarrassment rising in his cheeks and he
tightened his hold on the blanket.
Why couldn't he ever say the things he wanted to say? The words always tended to
get mixed up somewhere before leaving his mouth and it often made him
frustrated. He wished he could be more like Tohru in that respect. She had no
problem at all in speaking about what she was feeling and her emotions were
always so simple and true. "It's okay..."
The words warmed Yuki through. It seemed almost like something Tohru would say,
except short and to the point, not flowery and pretty like she would have put
it. Yuki smiled.
"Thank you," he said. "And...don't worry about your bracelet, Kyou. We'll
figure out a way. The weather is supposed to be mild for the week, so just
concentrate on healing. Tohru is coming back too. If you like, we can sit down
with you and help you do your homework? We got it for you today and if you do
the work, we can write it for you. That way you won't fall behind."
Kyou was taken aback completely by Yuki's sudden smile. The only other person
he'd ever seen him smile like that at before was Tohru and it made his stomach
feel quivery. He was always so used to Yuki's glares and general cold
expressions that he was more than a little surprised to see that smile directed
toward him. He was also more than a little shocked at Yuki's offer to help out
with his schoolwork and for a moment, he couldn't think of anything to say.
"I...I...thanks," he said, cursing himself silently when he felt his cheeks
colouring again. "For being so nice. You didn't have to be, but...thanks."
Yuki messed with the blanket, frowning.
"Well, it's just because you're hurt, but you're welcome." He got up quickly and
went out to tell Tohru what they were going to do. He needed to get away from
Kyou. He was feeling strange about him now. They hadn't talked so sincerely like
that since...but that was the past. But he honestly did want to help Kyou,
because he was family, and because it was Akito who had done this. He scared the
hell out of Yuki, but somehow, he would find a way to get that bracelet back.
Soon.
~~
The air was thick with tension. Hatori and Shigure both sat still, watching
Akito as he gracefully poured a pitcher of fresh water into his birdbath.
Several birds sat at the porch railing, watching him. He walked back slowly,
putting the pitcher on the floor in the corner. He looked outside, watching the
clouds as they moved slowly across the blue of the sky.
"Some people in our family have gotten too bold lately it seems," he said
slickly. "I know what you want. I'm afraid it's impossible though." He slid
gracefully onto his stomach, in a patch of sun on the porch and held his hand
out as a stray bird hopped down to rest there. "Kyou must learn to remember his
place in this family," he said, sadly. "He will be punished for a while. He is
welcome to stay where his predecessor stayed until I decide that he has learned
his lesson."
Shigure moved to protest, but Akito's next words stopped him cold.
"I trust your relationship is going well, Shigure-san, Hatori-san? I'm glad. I
would hate to see it destroyed by something as simple as disobedience." He got
up and moved over to Hatori, sliding cold fingers through the man's hair. "Don't
be sad for the creature, Shigure...after all, it's just the cat. Go home." He
leaned in and whispered in Hatori's ear. "Take care of each other." He stood. "I
will return the bracelet when I feel that things are as they should be."
Hatori watched as Shigure and Akito rose, but he stayed kneeling, bowing his
head respectfully. "Akito-san," he said softly, not looking up. "Is there no way
you would...reconsider this decision?" he asked hesitantly. In no way did he
wish for Akito to suddenly decide that he had changed his mind about his and
Shigure's relationship, but still...this was harsh, even for Akito.
Ever since he had seen the cat's alternate form last night and the way that Yuki
had glared at him, he'd been feeling shaken and if anything, he owed it to Kyou
to try and get his bracelet back. Not only for the way he had reacted that
night, but also for what he'd before that, many years ago. His gift to erase
people's memories had always been more of a curse to him and he had hated
himself for having such ability.
Until recently, he had believed that it was his punishment, but ever since he
and Shigure had been growing closer together, he had been slowly able to come to
terms with it. What he still wasn't able to come to terms with though was the
way he always obeyed Akito's orders, even if it was against what he wanted. Even
if it was at his own cost, he still went ahead and did it.
He guessed that years of conditioned learning from his own father, the former
head of the Souma clan was hard to break. Even though this was Akito standing
before him and not his father, he still acted like the respectful, obedient
person he had been shaped to be and he hated himself for it. "At least you could
tell us the reason why you came to reach such a decision?"
Akito's frail hands fisted in the man's hair and pulled harshly. "Do not
question my reasons, Hatori." He leaned down, pulling harder. "Or I will make
you erase Shigure's memory too. I know that you won't disobey me." The bony hand
became gentle again and slid through his hair softly.
"Hatori."
Shigure looked down at his lover and shook his head imperceptibly. This wasn't
the time. They would just have to wait for now.
"Let's go home."
Hatori got up, bowing and moved to put his shoes on. Shigure saw the pain in the
man's eyes as he turned and felt the helplessness even more as he saw his
partner and friend turn to go. Shigure turned back to Akito, taking his elbow,
the question in his eyes. Akito smiled.
"Of course. You will tell Yuki that I said hello." He slid inkily out of
Shigure's grasp. "Tell him I miss him. I would be very grateful if he would come
and see me. That would please me most."
Shigure stared at Akito, barely suppressing the anger he had inside. Then he
turned and put his shoes on, dragging Hatori out. Akito watched them go.
"Soon, Yuki. You will come back. I told you, you couldn't be happy without me."
Once they got to the car and got in, Shigure let his head hit the steering
wheel, rather hard. "I'm a fool," he said quietly.
Hatori stared over at him and sighed. "We could be here all day arguing over
which of us is the bigger idiot," he said tiredly. "But for now, let's just call
it quits and say we're even." He stared out the window pensively and tugged at
his collar, loosening his tie. "What do you suggest we do now? He wouldn't even
listen to me, but then that's not surprising," he added bitterly. "He could keep
that bracelet forever, or at least until he's finished having his fun and who
knows how long that could take? Kyou needs that bracelet back desperately, but
there's no way we should force Yuki to come back here just to see Akito. Even if
he did, there's no saying that Akito would give the bracelet back. You know how
he is. I don't like the idea of him coming here anyway, but what else can we
do?"
He pulled his tie off completely and crumpled it into his fist. "Tell me I'm not
the only one who's feeling so helpless right now."
"I was always a step ahead of him. I could always tell what he was going to do.
But I fell right into his trap." Shigure looked at Hatori sadly. "Now he has us
as leverage. He literally has me by the...well, you know." Shigure laughed, but
he wanted to cry. He lifted his head enough to let it drop and hit the steering
wheel again.
"He wants Yuki back. That's what he's wanted since I took him away from there.
He'll give the bracelet back, I know that...but first he wants his toy back."
Shigure said, matter of factly. "He's taken all our power away. We'll have to
tell Yuki. It will be hard enough telling Kyou that he has to live without the
bracelet."
Hatori stared at Shigure sadly, catching his head before he could let it drop
back onto the steering wheel. "Don't beat out what little brain cells you have
left," he said, but he rubbed the back of Shigure's neck gently. "Let's get out
of here. We won't be able to get anything done by just sitting here and
complaining about what we can and can't do. I'll be the one to tell Kyou about
the bracelet and try to hold Kazuma off from killing Akito. If he needs someone
to blame, he can blame me." He slipped his hand over Shigure's and squeezed
briefly before letting go.
Shigure raised his head and looked at Hatori helplessly, nodding. He couldn't
help but admire Hatori's ability to deal with everything. He stayed at the main
house, and somehow he endured whereas he and Ayame had run long ago. Shigure
felt like a coward, escaping into his novels and his little house. Hatori was
the one who seemed to stay strong for them, even with everything he had been
through. Even now, he was able to be strong when Shigure just felt like folding
up and disappearing.
"You're amazing, Ha-san," he said, squeezing the stoic man's knee, before
putting the car in reverse and backing out. He didn't back out though, but
rather went forward, almost driving into the garden.
"Um, Ha-san? Maybe you'd better drive."