Chapter 11
Akito sits outside on the porch of the secondary Sohma House.
"I can't believe I have to live here!" Akito grumbles.
He had to live with Shigure while his room was being redone.
He can't exactly occupy a room with one wall missing.
Still, her form was quite impressive. Or should I say scary?
I stare at the forest, hoping that she would come walking to me. Of course not.
This isn't a fairy tail...
She probably hates me now, and will never come back, no matter how much I want her to.
What was with the marks on her back?
My thoughts trail off, when suddenly, I see a white tail.
Inari?
I don't grab my shoes or anything, I just run after it.
The fox continues to run, hiding itself beneath the underbrush.
Inari?
I follow it, ignoring how much strain this puts on my body.
It stops at the end of a cliff. It doesn't have blue marks...its not Inari.
I turn around, wanting to go home. Tears well in my eyes.
Which way was home? I bet Inari would know!
I walk back in the direction I came from, then stop abruptly.
There in front of me was a clearing. I walk towards it, as though an outside force was pulling me.
I push aside the branches, and before me I see...
...a group of foxes.
I sigh. No Inari.
Why did I think it would be easy to find her among all of this? I turn around and was about to leave, when I see a sliver of blue. I snap my head back, sure that my eyes weren't deceiving me.
There, behind a rock, was a fox, with only its tail peeking out. Clearly it was trying to hide from something, or someone...
Inari?
Akito carefully walks up to the rock, aware that the other foxes were growling slowly.
"Inari?" I call out.
I watch the tail swish, and I'm sure that's her.
I break out into a full sprint, my body full of energy.
I rush up and peek behind the boulder, and there before me was a small fox cowering weakly.
"Akito?"
I reach up, picking up Inari, making sure that this isn't a hallucination.
Suddenly, she jumps out of my hands.
"Don't look at me! You saw what I was like! You should just leave me! I was so ugly...I was a monster." She says, her fox eyes welling up with tears.
Inari, I-i can't think of what to say. There's so Mich I want to tell you, I don't know what to say.
I kneel down next to her.
"Inari, its okay. Akito-sama has seen worse..."
I lie through my teeth. Last time she couldn't figure out I lied, so I'm hoping it's the same this time too.
"Really?" A small voice whispers.
I take the bracelet of my hand, and as it jingles, Inari looks up expectantly. She was reacting to the familiar sound.
"Want it?" I ask, as I taunt her.
She nods.
"Then come here!" I say with a smile. I was so glad I found her, that honestly I couldn't care less if the world blew up.
She walks up to me with small steps, and climbs onto my lap. I pat her head, and she whimpers.
I slip the bracelet on her paw, and I hear her say words I never thought I would again.
"Akito, I still love you..."
Smoke rises, and she transforms.
I expected myself to grit my teeth, but instead I breath a sigh if relief.
"Of course. This just means the fun hasn't ended." I say with a smirk. She transforms into a human...naked.
We both blush, as she jumps into the bushes.
"Um, maybe I should've waited till I'd, um...gotten clothes..." She says nervously, her voice high-pitched.
"Yeah" I mumble, taking off my shirt.
I shake my head, the things this girl is making me do.
I hand her the shirt, and she puts it on. It was maybe 2 sizes too big. The perfect to cover her, um, ahem, areas.
She comes out the bush, and blushes at the sight of me shirtless.
I smile, she's so cute!
"Let's go home, Inari."
We start walking.
She smiles, "Isn't the Sohma house a little too far, and um, burnt?"
I have a sudden recollection of the monster she became. This practically, naked, shy girl, turned into an enormous, white fox, that spews fire.
I shudder a bit. Great to have her back...
"Actually, while my room being, ahem, fixed, I'll be staying with Shigure."
She blushes harder, "You mean, I'm going to be living with y-y-you?"
Was she scared? I don't think I've heard her mess up that much recently. But when I glance at her face, she's smiling.
Right, right, she loves me. I keep forgetting.
"So, the game continues..." I think out loud.
"You won't win!" She says with a grin.
I'm not sure I want to anymore.
Wait, no, I take that back. Of course I want to win! I'll prove her wrong! I'll prove that she doesn't love me!
Soon we're at the house, and Tohru comes rushing out.
"Inari-chan! You're back!" She exclaims.
I groan. Well, obviously she's back. She's standing right there!
As Tohru reaches for a hug, I pull Inari back slightly, by the edge of her, well my shirt.
Her hair is brushing against my face, as I glare at Tohru.
'Mine.' I mouth to her, subconsciously.
She stops immediately, and nods.
Inari smiles at Tohru.
"Maybe I should go change..." She says shyly.
Her ears turn red.
I lean in, and whisper, so only she can hear, "I liked the view back there, though. I wouldn't mind watching that scenery again"
She turns super red, as she scurries inside.
Great to have my toy back.
Toy, Playmate, Friend, Lover, their all the same to me.
How would you know? You've only ever had a toy, a voice seems to say.
Doesn't matter either way. I treat all of them the same...
What if your toy is your lover?
There's no fucking way I love her. Not now, not ever. Not in this lifetime, or the next...
Right?
Later that evening, I spot her sitting on the porch. She was alone, and in thought, so I decided this would be the perfect time to bring up her blue marks. I take a seat next to her, as I speak "Inari, how come you have blue marks on your back when your in fox form?"
Seems startled at my voice, then blushes.
"Its not just in fox form, even in um, human form too."
My eyes widen, even in human?
"Can, I, see it?"
Inari blushes more. She nods.
She lifts up her shirt, and I blush at the sight of her bra hook.
But beneath it there were magnificent blue swirls, that spread across her back, some leading into her stomach. The cerulean color looked great against her skin, yet it appeared painful. I'm surprised I never notiuced when she put on her bracelet.
"Each time I lose control, lightning strikes me, and the pattern grows. I've been struck four times now..."
Her curse was nothing like Kyo's, it was much, much, worse.
I gently place a finger on a blue line, and she winces, then shudders. I know it must hurt, but I can't help but move my fingers around her back, my fingers itching to touch her more, to feel every inch of her.
I sigh. Her pain was beautiful.
*Time skip*
The next morning we were all seated at the table, ready to eat breakfast.
I had put the embarrassing events of yesterday behind, my face blushing at the memory. Akito saw me naked! I was so excited that he'd come for me, that I just put on the bracelet.
The last meal I had, was with Ayame. I was looking forward to this breakfast! My dinner with Akito hadn't allowed me to even swallow a bite, and then, I was too tired to find food in the forest where I spent the night, until yesterday evening, when he came to pick me up. I was so excited, I didn't eat anything. Now I was starving.
Everyone turns to looks at him, as Akito walks down the stairs. He looked grumpy as usual.
He sits on the stairs, refusing to come near us any further.
Shigure walks up to him.
"Akito-sama, you should eat your breakfast after you take your medicine!"
He hands him a pill.
"No. I don't want medicine."
Everyone stops what their doing, and stares at him.
Shigure looks nervous, "But, Akito, your medicine!"
Akito looks smug.
"No way. I don't want to eat that!" He spits his words.
I turn to look at him, hoping that I could convince him.
"Akito, just take the medicine. Then you can join us at the table!" I hope I sound cheerful enough. His refusal to take medicine, and his attitude towards living her was really getting on my nerves. I just wanted to eat!
"I will. Only if Inari will do something for me!" He says with a smirk.
