Chapter 10
Disclaimer: Fruits Basket and its characters are the property of Natsuki Takaya
Tohru stifled her sobs so as not to wake the others. She never imagined her first kiss would come from Akito. The clan leader claimed it as a right. She didn't know what made him act like that. It frightened her.
She had dreamed that her first kiss would be with someone she loved. Yuki and Kyo's faces appeared in her mind. She felt violated and couldn't stop crying.
Shigure couldn't sleep and decided to have a snack. As he passed by Tohru's room, he thought he heard crying.
"Tohru-kun? Tohru-kun, are you OK?"
There was no reply. He slowly opened the door and slipped in the room, knowing that he was a dead man the minute the boys found out. Tohru was curled up in a fetal position on the bed. Shigure sat on the bed.
"What's wrong Tohru-kun? Did Akito-san say something to you?"
Afraid of what Akito would do to him, she shook her head.
"Can you tell me what's wrong?"
Again she shook her head.
"Well a kiss can soothe away most pains. I know I'm not Yuki-kun or Kyo-kun, but I'll manage. I'm not a bad kisser or so I'm told,'' he said, jokingly.
She cried harder. Shigure stopped his banter and looked at her closely. Her hair was undone, her lips look swollen and she clutched the yellow ribbon Yuki gave her for White Day a year ago.
So Akito made his move, he thought.
"Akito-san kissed you, didn't he? What else did he do or say? Don't be afraid. You can tell me anything. Don't you trust me?"
She flung her arms around him and sobbed. Less than a minute later, she was now hugging a black dog. Tohru cried into his fur and told him what transpired between her and the clan leader.
Shigure was furious. That fool thinks he can break the curse by wooing their little flower. Not if I have anything to say about it, he thought. The dog placed a paw on Tohru's knee.
"Leave Akito-san to me. Now try to sleep."
She obediently lay down and pulled the covers up to her chin. She fell asleep before he changed back. Shigure donned his kimono and stood watching over Tohru. He kissed her on the forehead, exited the room and found himself facing a disapproving Hatori.
"It's not what you think Haa-san. Let's go to the kitchen and I'll tell you what happened."
By the time he finished, Hatori was as angry as he was.
"We can't let him do this Shigure. You need to keep Honda-kun away from him."
"He won't have her. Over my dead body."
Hatori gaped at the dog. Shigure never openly defied Akito before. Was it possible that the man who lived his life as a jellyfish had finally been caught?
"Do you love her Shigure?"
"Don't worry. I have no chance Haa-san. And as you so often tell me, it's against the law for a man my age to run after high school girls."
"You didn't answer my question. Do you love Honda-kun?"
"I used to think that the most important person in my life has always been myself. I don't think that anymore. I haven't for sometime now."
"You know Yuki and Kyo love her."
"I know and I won't stand in their way. But Akito-san will not use her to break the curse this way."
"Haven't you and Akito been using her before you found the scroll?"
Shigure laughed a bitter laugh. The dragon once told him that whatever result his earlier plan would bring, he better be prepared for the consequences. While Hatori predicted either one of the teens could let loose on him, Shigure wasn't prepared for the assault on his emotions. And the perpetrator was doing it unintentionally. The dog nursed an unrequited love for his young charge. And it appears Akito had also fallen for their pawn.
Except for the early morning incident, the ghost didn't appear again. Akito managed to get a few hours sleep and actually looked forward to breakfast. But what greeted him and the others was takeout food.
Shigure explained that he let Tohru sleep in since she was feeling under the weather. Akito quickly grasped the dog's meaning. So Shigure knew what happened this morning, he thought. Good. Still, Akito was disappointed not to have Tohru fussing over him again like she did at dinner.
He left with the dog and the dragon after eating. As soon as they were gone, Yuki and Kyo knocked on Tohru's door. Like Akito, they were skeptical of Shigure's explanation for her absence this morning. When they got no answer, they entered the room. They found her still sleeping. Embarassed, they prepared to leave quietly. Tohru chose that moment to wake up. She blinked several times as if unsure of what she was seeing.
A red-faced Yuki haltingly explained their presence in her room.
"Oy. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not like that dog,'' Kyo added.
"I'm happy you both were so concerned about me. Thank you very much."
Trust Honda-san not to think ill of others, Yuki thought. He saw she was holding onto the yellow ribbon he gave her. He was secretly thrilled. Kyo also spotted the ribbon and scowled.
"Has everyone eaten breakfast? I'm so sorry I overslept. I'm such a baka."
"Don't worry Honda-san. Shigure told us you weren't feeling well so he ordered breakfast. He left with Akito and Hatori."
At the mention of Akito's name, Tohru's eyes grew misty. She couldn't face him. Not yet. She wondered what Shigure would do and worried for his safety.
"Honda-san? Honda-san?"
"Eh?"
"I asked if you wanted to eat breakfast now."
"Perhaps later. I think I'll take a bath first."
"You didn't get a fever from all that cleaning and cooking yesterday, did you? That Akito isn't worth it. You stay in bed, I can make lunch."
Tohru was horrified. Now Kyo-kun was offering to do the cooking and she wasn't even ill! She jumped out of bed but stumbled on her way to the door.
"Watch out!"
Kyo and Yuki tried to break her fall but ended up colliding with each other. Tohru fell flat on her face. They rushed to pull her up, all the while squabbling with each other. It was a scenario familiar to Tohru. She took comfort in it and basked in their concern.
They abruptly stopped their bickering when she kissed each on the cheek
"Arigato for always being there for me,'' she said and headed to the bath.
The gesture was so unlike her, the two looked at each other in disbelief. What was going on?
Akito didn't expect his loyal dog would bite the hand that feeds him. But bite he did.
Shigure sat across from his young leader without a trace of warmth in his face. Akito declared that Tohru would soon move into the main house. He made his interest in the girl clear. Shigure's response took him by surprise.
"I am Tohru-kun's guardian. I cannot allow her, a minor, to move in with you."
Akito pointed out to the dog the result of such a pairing. If he and Tohru wed, the curse would be broken. Shigure answered with one word. No.
"Don't be stupid Shigure. You want the curse broken as badly as the others. Why are you resisting me on this?"
"How do you know this would work? According to the scroll, until Koji does right by Maya or her blood, the Sohmas will continue to live and die cursed. Do you think forcing her descendant to marry you will pacify the ghost and repay the blood debt? You can't force people to love you ... And Akito-san, breaking the curse means losing your hold over the Jyuunishi. Nothing will bind us to you anymore."
It was the truth. Without the curse, they were free to leave him. And what would his purpose be then? He who was born to die for these 13 ingrates. But Akito couldn't stand being tormented by the ghost anymore. It was a choice between dying painfully or being alone and powerless. As usual, the cards fate dealt him stunk. He glared daggers at the dog.
"Tohru-san will live here from now on. End of discussion."
"You cannot do that without my legal consent. And I refuse to give it. Don't bother going to her grandfather. He's ceded his guardianship over to me."
"How dare you defy me!"
Despite his loss of weight and sleepless nights, Akito found the strength to attack Shigure. The dog didn't fight back as he was punched and kicked. Hatori and Ayame rushed in and pulled the furious clan leader off Shigure who now sported a black eye.
"Get out of my sight you animals!"
Akito was still boiling. "Stupid, ungrateful dog,'' he muttered angrily and smashed a vase. His pet bird flew off in fright.
As if on cue, the ghost materialized in front of him. She flashed an evil smile and passed through his body. Akito never felt such agony. He passed out.
In Hatori's office, a quiet Shigure sat as the family doctor checked him over. Aside from the black eye and a couple of bruised ribs, the dog came out of the attack not too badly injured.
Ayame hovered in the background. He was visiting Hatori when they heard the commotion. The dragon seemed to be expecting it but didn't explain. He knew the snake couldn't keep a secret so he kept quiet about the reason for the assault.
"Gure-san why did Akito-san attack you? You didn't ask to marry me, did you?,'' Ayame joked.
Shigure sighed and looked away. Ayame knew something was definitely wrong. Normally, the dog couldn't resist their old routine. He stood in front of Shigure.
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
If he told Ayame of Akito's plan, chances are the rest of the Jyuunishi would know by the end of the day, Shigure thought. He needed allies in this fight.
"Aya, it's quite simple really. Akito-san wants Tohru-kun to live here and eventually marry him. But I said no."
"Our princess to be imprisoned with the evil king? Most definitely not. The horror! It would ruin my little brother's romance. I applaud you Gure-san for your defiance! Bear your black eye with pride!"
Hatori sweatdropped. The snake draped an arm over Shigure.
"We must escort the wounded hero back to the castle where the prince and princess await!"
"What do you mean we?," Hatori asked.
'Tori-san, Gure-san must not drive in his condition. If you're too tired to do it, I can always drive all of us."
"Shigure can't drive and you've never driven."
It was Ayame's chatter that first alerted the teens to their arrival. Tohru took one look at Shigure and burst into tears. They all fussed over her and forgot the injured dog until he cleared his throat.
"A little help here, anyone? I don't think I can move without assistance," he whined.
Hatori shot him an annoyed look.
"Yes you can,'' the dragon said.
Tohru came rushing to Shigure and hugged him. One grunt of pain and a puff of smoke later and she was tenderly holding a black dog.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you got hurt because of me," she said in between sobs.
Yuki and Kyo looked perplexed. Hatori asked them to get inside the house. They left Tohru and Shigure alone.
"He wants you to live at the main house, Tohru-kun. He wants to marry you thinking this would break the curse. I don't believe it will."
"Don't worry. I won't let that happen. Unless of course you want to marry Akito-san,'' Shigure said slowly.
"But I don't love him."
The dog sighed in relief. He didn't think he could take it if his little flower fell in love with Akito. She scratched behind his ears and shyly kissed the top of his furry head.
"You're always looking out for me. Thank you."
He closed his eyes in bliss and thumped his tail. The beating was definitely worth it.
Hatori never saw the cat and the rat this angry before. He told them about the beating and Akito's plans for Tohru in order to break the curse. Ayame was silent for once. This was the first time he heard about the scroll.
"I'm going to kill him!," the teens said in unison.
"Stop copying me you idiot!"
"I said it first you stupid cat."
The dragon sighed. Ayame sneaked off and spread the news to the rest of the Jyuunishi.