Battered But Not Broken

Escape and Comfort

Chapter 10

-Akito's Room-

You're mine now.

Tohru gasped awake, jerking herself upright as the cold chuckling voice echoed in her mind. Sweat caked her hair to her skin as she breathed heavily, holding her head in her dainty hands. She sobbed softly, aware of the still sleeping man beside her. She gently pulled herself from the sheets and pulled a kimono tightly over her naked flesh. She made her way to the blinded window, her body protesting every move, screaming out in pain at her.

Sunlight fell heavily through the blinds as a soft wind blew. She sat down on the floor, resting her arms on window sill and looked through the tiny slits of the blinds and onto the Main Estate's grounds. Birds chirped softly in the orchid tree, greeting a happy day but Tohru couldn't enjoy the sun's warmth or the bird's songs. Tears trickled down her face steadily now as she thought of what she had done, of what everyone would say if they knew. Her mother must be so disappointed in her, so ashamed.

She buried her face in sleeve of the kimono, muffling her sobs.

Why was it so easy? It hurt, but I didn't want to fight him. Why couldn't I fight him? She screamed at herself in her mind. What is wrong with me, Mom? Why was it so easy? Why why why why why why why!

Suddenly hands wrapped around her wrists and held them away from herself as body pressed firmly against her back. She felt herself tense.

"Why were you doing that?" The voice demanded, sounding angry.

She looked up slowly, finding Akito looking down at her.

"W-what?" She asked, genuinely confused.

His grip on her wrists lessened and he turned her hands so they faced her. She found, with a start, that her fingernails were tipped with blood.

"How did-"

Akito's hands slid from her wrists to her arms as he turned them to her, showing slits through the silk and bleeding cuts on her both of her arms, just above her elbows. Tohru looked from her nails to her arms and back again.

"I don't remember doing that." She said softly.

Akito's voice came out as a whisper. "Was being with me that bad?"

She looked up into his black eyes,expecting anger, but instead saw sadness in their depths and felt her heart constrict. She gently pulled her arms from his grasp and faced him as she placed her hand on his cheek. Akito closed his eyes briefly and nuzzled into her hand, before holding her gaze.

"No. No it wasn't. I-" She couldn't hold his gaze as she felt herself blush as she whispered. "It was my first time is all."

Akito smiled lightly, not one of his mean, menacing smiles, but a happy and genuine one. "It wasn't my first with a woman, but it wasn't far from it."

She saw the skin over his high cheekbones flush slightly and she couldn't help but smile, but it quickly faded. She could see him fall back into his usual self and she flinched away, making him glare at her.

He hands circled her wrists again as he ripped her from the floor and out of the room, nearly throwing her on a servant woman.

"Wash her. She's disgusting." He turned and left without another glance at Tohru.

-Kyo's Cage-

Kyo woke with a fuzzy feeling in his head. He rolled over and found a cold patch of floor He grunted a not so pretty word as his eyes cracked open slowly.

It was daylight out, and damn did it fucking hurt. He scratched the back of his head and winced in pain.

"What the hell did I do?" He questioned himself as he sat up.

The table was moved just below the piece of the roof he could move and panic struck him. He leaped to his feet and quickly moved it back into it's place, hoping no one had noticed.

His panic didn't fade though. He felt like something had happened that he needed to remember, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't surface. He was still tired, which struck him as unusual too. He wasn't a morning person, but it looked like it was well past morning.

Something was very wrong. And he needed to remember what.

-The Hospital-

"Haru? What are you doing here?" Yuki looked up at the younger teen, stunned. "Akito wouldn't have given you permission to be here, I know he wouldn't.

"I didn't ask." Haru stated.

Yuki pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "He's going to kill you."

"No he's not. He won't even find out. Apparently he had company last night that didn't leave. Some girl. That's what the servants were talking anyway."

That sent a shiver up Yuki's spine. "I feel sorry for whoever got stuck with him."

Haru shrugged. "I don't care as long as he leaves us alone."

"You're right." Yuki agreed and instantly felt selfish.

"Oh Yuuuuukiiiii!" Ayame came back, singing his way into the room, holding a bag of fast food. "My mission was a success! Oh, Hatsuharu is here." He observed out loud.

"Hey." Haru answered.

Yuki was staring at the bag. "Would you just hurry up and bring it over here? I'm starving for real food."

"Oh right!" Ayame crossed the room and pulled a sandwich from the bag and handed the rest to Yuki as he took his seat.

"Thanks." Yuki pulled two sandwiches from the bag, Haru eyed one, and some fries from the bag.

Yuki sighed and tossed a burger to Haru as he opened the other. Haru caught it skillfully and mumbled a 'thanks' before he started eating as well.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Hatsuharu?" Ayame questioned, smiling as he watched Yuki eat, it was getting on Yuki's nerves a bit but he held it back.

"I had an idea." Haru answered as his bored eyes lazily made their way to Ayame.

"What kind of idea?" Yuki asked after swallowing a bite.

"Of how to get you out of here and keep you away from the Main House." He stated, his attention back on his sandwich.

Yuki felt himself stop breathing as his eyes darted across the room to his brother, who had paled.

"W-what?" Ayame asked.

"Yea. No one wants Yuki to return just to get beat up some more. Me and Momiji were thinking and he remembered some place him and his Dad would go, just the two of them. They never go there anymore and we checked the other day, no ones staying there. It needs a bit of cleaning up, but other than that, it's perfect."

Yuki couldn't find any words. The thought of not having to go back to the Main House, no, to Akito was just so, so- He couldn't even find a word for it.

"T- thank you." He stared at Haru, who nodded.

"Wait. What about Akito? He's sure to notice Yuki is gone." Ayame pointed out.

"We'll keep him from coming here as long as we can and who knows, maybe that girl will keep his attention for a while."

"Girl?" Ayame looked confused.

"Akito had some girl with him last night." Haru stated.

"Poor thing." Was all Ayame said.

"Tell Momiji it sounds great. I'll go as soon as I can get out of here." Yuki couldn't stop the smile that he felt on his lips.

"Alright."

-The Main House-

Shigure sat pouting on the porch outside beside Kureno.

"You never come to me, Shigure. Not unless something is wrong with Akito and there isn't. Is this about what the servants were whispering about?" Kureno questioned the older man.

Shigure had nothing to say to this, so he continued to fan himself, brows furrowed.

Kureno sighed and started to push himself off the porch.

"It's just not fair. It's bad enough he has you already. What's he need some girl for?" Shigure muttered, making Kureno look back at him.

"It's not your business or mine who he sleeps with. You're just mad because you think of him as your toy."

"He is mine." Shigure glared at him. "I don't see why he has you at all when he has me."

Kureno sighed once again and looked to the the sky as a nearby bird chirped by.

"Why don't you tell that to him, not me." Kureno finally answered.

"You know I can't, anymore than we could leave the house without his permission."

"Exactly." Kureno turned away and walked away down a stone path, leaving Shigure a little angry.

Shigure kicked a nearby pebble from his spot on the porch before pushing himself up and walked back inside, just in time to see loose brown hair disappear behind a corner.

Servants aren't allowed to wear their hair down. Shigure thought. He quickly paced down the hall and turned the corner. A small frame of a girl with long dark hair was pushing aside the shoji door to Akito's room.

He took off at a run. "You!" He yelled to her, anger seeping into his tones. He saw the girl tense and dash inside the room, slamming the door behind her just as he reached it. He banged a fist against the wooden frame.

"You bitch! Don't get caught up in your special treatment! Akito is mine!" Shigure huffed and turned to walk away, but a fragrance hit him. He instantly breathed deep, trying to decipher the two distinct scents.

Orchids and the underlying scent of strawberries.

Shigure chuckled softly before whispering. "I've got you now." He turned and left, keeping the scent in his mind.

-Akito's Room-

Tohru leaned heavily against the wall beside the door. Could that really have been Shigure? She'd never heard Shigure speak like that.

She slowly slid to the floor, her hands covering her face. She couldn't even think of facing Shigure, and he sounded so angry. Why? Did he know what she'd done? It sounded that way. But, for him to call her that, he must have been terribly angry with her.

Tohru heard foot steps approaching the door and panic surged. She gripped the door and held it in place, hoping Shigure didn't try to hard to open it. Shigure tried to open the door and violently shook it's light frame, trying to dislodge her she thought.

The struggling soon ceased and she breathed a sigh of relief, leaning her forehead lightly against the door.

Suddenly a fist broke through the paper and ripped upwards. She screamed and tried to scramble away, but the hand caught her by the hair, holding her in place.

"I-I'm sorry Shigure! I di-"

"What do you think your doing, Tohru." Akito's icy tone questioned.

She looked up as tears burned her eyes. "Akito?" She whimpered as the tears fell.

Akito's hands softened and withdrew his hand from the door and pushed it aside, kneeling in front of her. He placed a cool hand on her cheek and Tohru found herself holding it tightly in both her smaller ones. She pressed her forehead against his palm as she sobbed.

Akito didn't speak, only caressed his thumb over her head until she stopped. He pulled his hand back and lifted her chin.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, her voice noticeably trembling.

"What happened?" He stared into her eyes, just as she was staring into his.

I don't want to get Shigure in trouble. Akito will hurt him too. Tohru thought to herself. "I-I just" She started, not sure what to say.

"Don't lie to me, Tohru." Akito spoke soft but strong. She knew he would know if she lied.

She sighed, her gaze unable to hold his, fell to the floor. "Shigure saw me. He was really angry and it scared me. I thought it was he coming back."

Akito only looked at her for a moment before taking her by the hand and pulling her to her feet and along with him towards the now open window. He released her hand and sat comfortably by the sill. She stood where he had left her, unsure of what to do.

Akito's dark eyes, lit by the sun, looked up at her. "Come here." He beckoned, his hand out stretched to her.

She took it, only to be pulled roughly down into his lap. Her heart fluttered in her chest as his arm circled her waist and the other pushed her head back to lay on his chest. Akito rested his cheek on top of her head as his hand stroked her hair softly.

Tohru found herself relaxing back into Akito's firm, lean body and her eyes getting heavy. She fell asleep, her last thought of how Akito's always smelled of orchids. Beautiful orchids.

And so the lamb slept in the lion's grasp.

To be continued...

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For the beginning of this chapter I was listening to Avril Lavigne. God I love her music so much. It's so easy to write to. But I kind of wanted to make Akito sweet towards Tohru int he beginning of the chapter, but that was just too out of character in my mind. Siiiiigh. Why am I having so many couple thoughts with this story! lol Hatori and Tohru are still just too adorable together to me!

I'm not entirely sure of that last line there, I've just always loved those kind of quotes with the lion and the lamb. It's sweet.

Thank you all so much for putting up with my strangeness and continuously reading! R&R!

(Edited, fixed, whatnot on 8/8/13)