His eyes stayed fixed on mine, demanding that I explain, daring me to run away. I'd never seen Kyo like this before, a deep frown set into his forehead, causing me to hold my breath in anticipation of his next action.

I was stuck.

Could I really afford to tell the cat? Explain everything? Every detail? That's what he wanted, I could tell. Just by looking at the way his eyes were a frictional mixture of concern and anger. His jaw clenched at my silence as I continued to study his face, yet I still said nothing.

I tried desperately to get him to realise my pain. I searched his eyes, trying to send him the message I couldn't and wouldn't say out loud.

It was uncomfortably still in the kitchen, the only sound I could hear was the faint hum of the refrigerator.

Kyo still had a tight hold on my wrist and I came to terms with the fact that my message hadn't got through to him.

There was no way out of this.

Kyo continued to say nothing, the fixed stare stayed straight into my eyes and never broke contact. Perhaps he was trying to send me some kind of message too? How alike were we? The cat and I…

I felt a slight squeeze around my wrist, not a painful one, it felt more reassuring than anything else. I took one last look at his beads, black and white against the tanned skin of his arm.

I suddenly felt something rumble inside my stomach and chest, a pressurised bubbly burst of pain that wracked my body causing me to gasp and violent, hot tears fled down my cheeks.

I collapsed to my knees, my wrist still in Kyo's grasp, I sharply twisted my hand in his and grabbed his wrist. His grip didn't loosen, which I was grateful for as I hung my head worthlessly, letting my blood-red hair cover most of my face, I sobbed hard.

'Akane-'

'I'm sorry….Kyo I'm sorry…' I struggled to speak. My eyes stung and my neck was beginning to burn irritably.

No, Akito you are not stopping this. I am going to tell him whether you like it or not.

My tears splashed on the hardwood floor beneath me. I lifted my head slowly, squinting through my rats-tailed hair to look up at Kyo's face and see a flash of concern cross his eyes.

For some reason the lights had turned off. Maybe it was a power cut…but then, the fridge was still running? I shook my head violently, squeezing my eyes shut. I didn't care for stupid little observational facts. I was just trying to distract myself from the fact I had to tell Kyo the truth. The whole truth.

I returned my gaze to the ground again and breathed out slowly. Feeling a little better, I started to get up. I suddenly felt an arm around my waist, helping me to stand.

'Th-thank you.' I nodded quickly and turned to the other room. 'Lets sit down.'

It was warmer in there than the kitchen and it felt more comfortable to sit at the kitatsu than on the kitchen floor. Kyo sat opposite me and stared down at the table-top.

I breathed out slowly again, closing my eyes for a second. I had to gather as much confidence as I could to be able to say this properly and so that Kyo could understand. I really didn't want to have to say it twice.

'Kyo, I know that you want me to tell you everything. Every detail-'

'Yes. Because if you don't then…then I'll see it.' he cut me off but spoke quietly.

'See what?' What was he saying?

'I'll be able to see that you didn't tell me everything. I…I can tell, ya know. I've learned to be able to read people easily. It helps, ya know, to get a better understanding of the people around me.'

'What do you mean?' How was this relevant?

'Well, if you sit here tonight, and only tell me a part of the truth then I'll be able to tell. It will be obvious in your mannerisms, your speech, even the way you cover things up with lame jokes.' the corners of his lips turned up as he spoke the last few words.

I hesitated but eventually reached over the table and held his hand. His head snapped up to meet my eye-line and I saw him. I saw the boy that I once knew. The boy who was shunned and bullied by everyone, even his own family. The poor boy who's mother had disappeared, and left the blame of her death heavy on his shoulders. The boy who came across as arrogant and snappy, but secretly had a weaker, crumbling side to him that he never let show.

I realised it now. As i stared into his ruby eyes I could see the face of the seven year old boy staring back. I knew now, why Kyo found it easy to read people. He had been through so much in his life already, and he knew how it felt to keep things from everyone. To keep his feelings and opinions hidden. Purely because if he let them out, he would be blamed for everything.

I remember when he moved to live with Kazuma. I was stood out in the gardens of the main house, lazily tearing a leaf into thin, green strands and then tying the strands into a long thread and wrapping it around my left wrist.

I remember watching him walk out of the estate all by himself. I was about to follow him but I must have been distracted by something, the memory was hazy. However, I do remember asking Haru where the 'cat-boy' was after a few days.

'Gone.' was all the ox said before walking away from me. I was left standing there, confused out of my mind and curious as to where Kyo had disappeared to.

I winced, remembering the name that I used to call him by. I squeezed tightly onto Kyo's hand, as I remembered all those times he had walked past me in a corridor or through the gardens and I hadn't even acknowledged he was there. I felt so cruel. I squeezed harder and tighter until I heard a faint 'Ow' from somewhere.

I realised it was Kyo and quickly snapped back to the present.

I leapt over the table in one quick move and clung onto Kyo's neck, my tears soaking through his shirt.

'I'm sorry Kyo, I'm so sorry, I didn't realise, I was dumb and stupid. I'm sor-'

'Shut up.' he said bluntly, but he didn't remove my arms. Instead, he lifted a hand to rub my back. I buried my face into his shoulder and cried again.

Why did I behave like I did? I was nine! He was only seven and I acted as if he was invisible. I felt awful.

~xxx~

It was about half an hour later. I was sat back on my own side of the table and Kyo was lazily drawing circle on the wood with his finger.

'I know why you want me to tell you.' I said simply. 'I know that it's for my own good, not yours. And…I thank you for that.'

He looked up.

'I'm sorry for causing so much stress and fuss.' I said quietly. 'I guess I'll talk now.'

He sat up and looked out the sliding door which he had previously opened to let some air in.

'My,' I swallowed. 'My tattoo, is very similar to your beads. You guessed right. But, I guess you can say its not really a proper tattoo..' I trailed off as a hand reached behind my neck and rubbed over where the red markings were on my skin.

'Stop rubbing it.' Kyo said quietly and I guiltily dropped my hand onto my lap again.

'I'm gonna start from the beginning, if that's okay?'

'Yeah, whatever you need so you can get this damn thing off your chest.' he looked out the door again and I breathed slowly.

'Well, my mother never wanted me. Not really. She always wanted a boy, a boy that she could raise as a gentlemen and that all her 'friends' could be jealous of. But when she gave birth to me and saw my appearance and hair colour, she knew that she couldn't even pass me as a boy, so she decided to try again. And the second time, she got her baby boy.' I spat that sentence. 'She got Akito.'

'What the-?' Kyo said rather loudly. 'You're Akito's sister?(!)'

'Shhh! Yes, I am. But believe me, its nothing special.' I sighed and twisted my fingers together. 'When Akito was born, Mother was so happy that she fawned over him all the time, and gave him everything he wanted. When he was at the right age, she told him about the curse and that he was destined to born a God. He was a little confused at first, as was I. I was left, ever since Akito was born, my Mother grew further and further apart from me. I'm not sure what it was exactly, but something to do with the gradual abandonment caused my body to go into shock. At first it was a mental thing, I would shout and scream one second and be crying violently the next, the same with laughter and happiness. But it eventually started to affect my breathing and my lungs, then my heart, and that caused my blood to start to thin too. I was taken to Hatori's father many times, but he said the only option was a blood transfusion.'

'What? No! I will not let that girl have anything to do with my son! Especially not his blood! He is special and I refuse to let him waste his own blood on that child!'

'I remember it very clearly. She kept refusing every time he suggested it, until he told me to visit him alone one day. He said that he had managed to trick Akito into taking a blood test and that he would give me the transfusion I needed.

Other Sohmas commented on my appearance before the transfusion happened. They said I was a living ghost, I had tight, pale skin, heavy bags under my eyes, thin lips and I was apparently dangerously skinny too.

I was glad that Hatori's father had decided to take matter into his own hands. I remember waking up after the transfusion and thinking that I would finally be normal again. Well, as normal as I could.' I paused. Breathing heavily, I angrily wiped away a tear as I noticed Kyo staring straight at me again. I decided that if stared back, then I wouldn't finish the story. So I blinked and wrung my hands before continuing.

'But when it happened, I screamed so loudly. So loudly. No one came, I was in the house alone. I remember the feeling…the hissing of the burn at the base of my neck, the horrific pain that it sent through my body… the way it made my every limb go numb. It only lasted a couple of minutes but it left behind, what you call the tattoo.' I turned around on the cushion so I was facing away from Kyo. I lifted my hand and pointed to the swirling red patterns across the base of my neck. 'This is the 'bond' Kyo.' I said, still facing away from him. 'Everyone else's bonds are invisible, but mine. Mine is plain, and clear for all to see. Notice it's the same colour as my hair?'

I felt Kyo's presence right behind me and I turned around slowly to see he was knelt behind me now. My gaze dropped to the floor and I shifted to face him again.

'What else do you want to know?' I said quietly.

'Anything you have left to say.' was all he said.

~xxx~

'So that's what the mysterious pains are.' I said light-heartedly. 'Akito has somehow found a way to use the bond between us to punish me for returning. To punish me for trying to become a part of his family once again.' I felt my eyes prickle and begin to blur again. This constant crying was beginning to anger me. I slammed a fist on the table and shouted. 'Except its my family too! I was part of it once! Its mine too! Its not my fault! Its not my fault!'

Kyo had grabbed me and I was desperately trying to get out of his hold. 'Its. Not…my…fault!' I continued to shout as I wriggled and squirmed in his arms. 'ITS MY FAMILY TOO!' I shrieked loudly. I slowly began to lose energy and sank against Kyo. I was tired now. Finally.

Kyo lifted me up and laid me on the ground, a cushion beneath my head. I immediately calmed and snuggled into the soft material.

'Wait…Kyo.' I said, my eyes were closed and my breathing was quiet. 'I still…have to tell you…where I went…' I said softly as I felt my head loll even thought I was lying down.

'No Akane, you can tell me another time. It's ok. You've worn yourself out. I'm sorry for putting this on you.' he pushed some of my hair out of my face and began to stand up.

'No.' I reached out and clasped his trouser leg in my fist. 'Please, it's not….not your fault Kyo.' I sighed sleepily.

He crouched again and I dropped my fist, letting my fingers open gently.

He leant forward and kissed my forehead. 'Its not yours either, remember that.' he said and pulled a cushion towards him before lying down himself.

'Thank you…Kyo…I guess we're more alike than we thought.' I felt my eyes closing again. 'Your more like a brother than Akito will ever be.' I whispered before feeling myself fall asleep. I didn't stay awake to hear what Kyo said after that.

So I hope you liked this chapter. I hoped it started to explain some of Akane's past and helped show her new relationship with Kyo. I felt that it needed a sensitive chapter so there it was.

Please review! I will love you forever!