A/N: *dodges tomatoes* Eeh, onto the…thankiies? ._. *dodge* Haha! *smack* Shit.
Thanks To:
-my-forgotten-rose- - Oh dear, it has been a long time hasn't it. *sigh*
SakuraDagger15 – You are very much loved. :) Thank you!
SarahELupin - *whistle* I dunnooo…
watergoddesskasey – Thank you! :)
PersonOfDeath02 – Oh, I see. The '02' gave it away. :D
Princesscupcakes – I'm afraid Tsubasa isn't going to be elaborated on for another few chapters. I apologize! But I promise it would be so worth it. :)
Shnitzel – Your penname is making me hungry. :'( Haha! Anyway, wow! Three claps for you! *clap clap clap* Now YOUR review is the kind I've been waiting for all these months. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Anyway, since I fear the almighty-ness of *dun dun dun* ninja-pirates *insert gasp*, here's the next chapter! :)
A Special Thanks To:
VivaLaAmber, VampCraze1, viwy09, EdwardRocks17, and Shnitzel for adding this story to their Favorite Stories list; VampCraze1, The-Kiwi-Lover (I LOVE kiwis too!), EdwardRocks17, Princesscupcakes, NotSupposedToBeHere, Tomboyzrock, Shnitzel, and kakashi92 for adding this story to their Alerts list; and EdwardRocks17 for adding yours truly to their Favorite Authors list. :)
You all are loved very, very much!
Enjoy!
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Chapter 13: Dreading the Reunion
"Sigh…" Akane let out a cold puff of breath as she exhaled loudly. Ruo twitched at the irritating sound, the hand holding his bow's cleaning cloth clenching tightly. I swear, if she sighs one more time,Ruo thought to himself irritably. His upcoming competition was nearing, and the pressure of being one of the contestants was taking a toll on his usual care free persona.
'Sigh…" the red-head exhaled loudly again as she rested her cheeks, tinted red by the cold air, on her palm.
"God dammit, stop sighing, Akane." Ruo hissed out angrily, a vein pumping on the corner of his forehead. Akane looked up at where her older brother was sitting. Her hair was held in a high ponytail that day, her growing bangs hanging carelessly over the top of her eyes. She blew the red strands of hair away and gave a loud scoff.
"Jeez, what's got your panties in a knot?"
The vein only throbbed harder as Ruo's knuckles turned white from gripping the cleaning cloth tightly. At this point, Akane wouldn't be surprised if the poor white cloth disintegrated in his grip right there and then.
"It's your insane sighing every ten seconds that's bothering me," he answered seriously, his dark eyebrows kneading. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few calming breaths, a sign that he really wasn't in the mood to be disturbed. Akane knew that.
"I'm sorry, Nii-chan. I'm just really bothered," Akane refrained from sighing as she let her head drop to the cold wood of their kitchen table, "The stupid high school reunion is coming up, you see…" she continued, her voice muffled by her lips smooshed against the wood.
"Really?" Ruo perked up at the mention of Akane's reunion, "That means Sakura will be attending, right?"
Akane raised her head and smiled softly at her brother's reaction to the blonde's name. Ever since she and Sakura had patched up their friendship, Ruo and Sakura eased out their relationship too. And obviously, everything was going very smoothly. She hasn't seen her brother this happy in a long time.
"Yes, Nii-chan," she giggled lightly, "Your wovey-dovey Sakuwa will be going as well," she teased with little kiss-y faces. Ruo did nothing but chuckle at this. Turning serious, Ruo sighed a little as he placed the abused cloth and his precious bow down on the table.
"I don't see why you're depressed over a reunion. I thought you were into these kinds of things?" Ruo asked as he folded his long arms over his broad chest, "What's got you so bummed now?"
"BYOD," she stressed out with a growl.
Ruo blinked confusedly, "BYO…D?"
"Bring your own frikkin' date," she explained with a frustrated tone and rested her face on the table again, softly this time. "Who in the world would I bring to something like that?" she asked no one in particular as she closed her hands over her ears, as if shielding the problem from entering her mind.
"You could just not go, you know," Ruo suggested with a light shrug.
Akane raised her head to look up at her older brother, a scandalized expression on her face, "But…"
"Listen, Kane-chan, if you think finding a date would be too much trouble, then why don't you just skip out on this event?" Ruo asked again, picking up his equipment and returning it to its carrying case. "No event, no problem," he finished his suggestion with a nod and a clicking sound as the case of his bow closed softly, "Right?"
Akane attempted to hide her disappointment and gave a small smile of defeat, "I guess so," she stood up from the table and headed towards the apartment's living room, "Anyway, I'll go out for a walk, okay?" she exited the kitchen quietly and grabbed the first coat, boots, and gloves she found.
Ruo followed his younger sister with his eyes, sighing as he saw the obvious disappointment on her face, "Damn BYODs," he muttered to himself as he lifted his bow's case from the table and retreated to his room.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Akane walked slowly towards the nearby park, her gloved hands buried deep inside the cream colored coat. Her breath came out as white fog and she unconsciously shivered as the cold December air blew against her body.
Come to think of it… Akane thought softly. "This is where Hatori-san and I first met," she whispered to herself quietly and giggled as that fateful day's events replayed itself in her mind. She reached the pedestrian lane and took a step off the sidewalk. Akane cautiously looked both ways and after seeing no oncoming cars, made her way across the street with a skip in each step and a small laugh bubbling in her stomach.
I can't believe how much happened when they arrived in our lives, she thought with a shake of the head, "Those Sohmas…are something,"
"I know we are,"
Akane visibly jumped ten feet high at the sudden voice from behind her. Well, not really. But you get it.
She turned so fast that the risk of her neck breaking was high, and held her hands outward in a defensive position, "Who's there?" Akane shouted at the shadows, the lack of illumination obscuring her view of the mysterious new comer's face.
"It's just me, Yoshikuni-san," the man's deep voice said and finally, stepped out of the shadows.
"Hatori-san…" the red-head sighed with relief, letting her…err, threatening hand down to her side, "You scared the crap out of me," Akane said with a frown, placing a hand over her heart as the doctor approached her.
"I apologize," Hatori said with an apologetic nod, "I just saw you on your way here and…" Now that I think about it, what am I doing here? Hatori stopped mid-sentence as the thought entered his head. Luckily, Akane didn't seem to notice his lack of an excuse.
"Just don't come up behind me like that," Akane reprimanded with a frown, "And with your brooding looks and freaky long hair I might have mistaken you for some psycho stalker," she said, more light-heartedly this time.
Hatori saw no humor in the joke.
"Right," Akane muttered with a sweat drop.
"Anyway," Hatori continued with his eyebrow raised, "What in the world are you doing here at this time?" he asked as he walked passed the red-head and took a seat on one of the many near-by benches. Akane blinked blandly before following the doctor to the bench.
"Well, I just wanted to let go of some bad thoughts," she said recalling her disappointment about not being able to go to her high school's reunion, "And besides," she added as a-matter-of-factly, "It isn't even dark yet."
Hatori looked towards the horizon and observed the orange and red splattered sky, announcing the sun about to set. "I know, but still," he said emptily.
Akane made no comment at this and just stared at the sky with him, "I can't go to this reunion I was excited for…" she muttered dejectedly.
"And why exactly can't you attend?" Hatori asked, giving Akane a curious look.
Akane blushed at his question. Great, now he'll think I have a hard time getting dates…Akane sighed mentally and gave Hatori a blank stare, "I can't go 'cause a date…is…" Akane's explanation drifted as she continued burning holes into his face with her eyes.
"Y-Yoshikuni-san…?" Hatori blinked at her, a little bit scared of the mischievous glimmer that suddenly appeared in her eyes. "I do not like that look on your face."
"Hatori-san, what are you doing tomorrow night?" the young woman leaned over to the tall doctor, her face so close to his own that her cold breath hit his hard facial features. "You free?"
Hatori leaned back at the dangerous proximity of the red-haired vixen, "No." Akane's eyes froze a little before she broke out into a loud ringing of laughter.
"I see, I see," she muttered, wiping an invisible tear from her eye, "Alright-y then, I guess it's up to either Shigure or Ayame then," Akane sighed a little. "I was hoping for the sane one too…" she glanced back at Hatori, dramatic tears glistening in her green pools, "But…I guess I'd have to take one of them instead," a few tears fell, "Since you're busy…" a sniff, "…and all."
"It's not working, Yoshikuni-san,"
Akane snapped her fingers frustrated, "Darn, I knew I should have taken acting lessons instead of violin!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Thanks for the ride, Hatori-san," Akane waved at the doctor as he drove away from the façade of the apartment complex. She frowned a little as she pushed the door open, though appreciative of the warm sensation tingling over her cold-stricken body. The young woman pulled out her cell phone from her coat pocket and dialed Shigure's house number.
After a few rings, someone finally answered, "Hello?"
"Hello, may I please speak to Shigure? Tell him it's Akane." the red-head responded over the mouthpiece as she ran to catch the elevator, "If he isn't busy that is. If he is, kick him, then tell him it's me." she continued with a small snicker.
A soft masculine chuckle was the reply she got, "Very well, Yoshikuni-san,"
"Ah, Yuki-kun!" she exclaimed as she exited the elevator once she reached her floor, "It's good to hear from you, how are you?"
"I'm quite fine, thank you. Oh," he said suddenly. After a small shuffle on the other line, the teenager's voice came back, "Shigure is here."
"Was any kicking needed?" Akane asked, her voice a little too hopeful to be one of concern.
"Sadly, no."
"Darn," she replied with a click of her tongue, "Anyway, thanks Yuki-kun."
Another shuffle.
"Aaaah, Kane-chan!" Shigure's exuberant voice sounded over the line, "To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your oh-so-wonderful voice this particular evening?"
"Listen up you dog," she chuckled a little, "Are you free tomorrow?"
"Why, yes, I believe I am!" he replied excitedly, "Is little Kane-chan asking me on a date?" Akane sweat dropped as she entered her apartment door, she could practically see his sly expression over the phone.
"I suppose I am," Akane said with a sigh, "Will you? Please? I'm desperate."
Shigure babbled loudly, "Why, Akane…" he sniffed loudly as he shouted over the phone, "Are you saying I'm a last resort?" he cried dramatically, his hand pounding on…Akane didn't really care.
"Yes,"
"Oh, you meanie," Shigure whimpered, "But fine, for a fine creature such as yourself, I'd gladly be the last resort!"
Akane rolled her eyes before smiling widely, "Thank you, Shigure-san,"
"Anytime, anytime,"
Akane pressed the 'end' button and flopped on the couch. She exhaled deeply before kicking off her boots and pulling her gloves from her stiff fingers, "I'm going," Akane muttered to herself as she stretched her arms over her head with a wide smile, "Yay."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Akane looked at herself doubtfully in the mirror. Her black mini-dress and pumps were all good, but something was missing. Her eyes trailed over her hair, falling over her back and shoulders in thick waves, no jewelry save for a thin silver bracelet Ruo had given her for her 18th birthday. The black dress was very simple, it hugged her body perfectly and ended just a few inches above her knee.
Everything was simple that night, so what was missing?
Her eyes trailed over to her bed, the long velvet box she had once hurled across the room as if it had been the worst of the worst now sitting there innocently in a small corner under her bed. She walked over to the bed and reached under it, a jolt of electricity passing through her hand once connecting it with box's soft exterior. Akane pulled the box out from under the bed and lifted the cover up, the small diamond glinting against the light.
"I'm sorry for tossing it so carelessly…" she whispered as a few tears escaped her closed eyes. She unlatched the clasp of the necklace and placed it over her neck.
I can't… Akane stifled a sob as she place the necklace back in its box, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth as more sobs racked her body.
"Kane-chan!" Ruo called as he opened the door and stumbled in carelessly, a playful smirk taking place on his lips, "Someone's here to-" the happiness in Ruo's voice seemed to die out as he saw the current state of his sister. "Akane are you, okay?" Ruo ran to her from across the room and held her by her shoulders, "Why are you crying?"
"Nii-chan…" she mumbled out in between tears. It was then that Ruo found what Akane had been holding in her hand, he stared shell-shocked at it before shaking himself back into his senses.
"Akane," he said seriously, prying the long box from her fingers and placing it on the nearby desk, "You don't have to. If you can't…you don't have to force yourself." he said pulling the small girl into a tight hug, "Not yet."
Akane nodded after a few minutes and moved back to wipe her eyes, "I'm sorry,"
Ruo smiled sadly at her than ruffled her hair a little, "I came up here to say that your date is here, or rather, your dates." he said grabbing a hold of her hand and pulling her out of her room. "But if you want I can just tell then you aren't feeling well…?" he asked softly, looking unsurely at the box that still sat on the desk.
"No, no," Akane said as she wiped a few more tears, "I'll go- wait." the red-head stopped walking as she gave her older brother an incredulous look, "Did you just say 'dates'?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Loud music burst into Akane's ears as the loud club-like songs played from the speakers beside her. She looked over at Shigure and Ayame, yes, Shigure AND Ayame, not just Shigure—the one she had invited—nope, there just had to be an 'and Ayame' after that.
Why…why, oh, why? She hissed at herself as she banged her head a few times on the table. She looked over at the two Sohmas, a traumatized expression inhabiting her face as she witnessed them dance crazily to the upbeat music.
Bang, bang, bang.
"Yoshikuni-san," Akane snapped her head to glare at the tall man sitting next to her. "You might get even more mentally inept than you already are if you keep on banging your head like that."
"You," the red-head growled out menacingly, "I. Blame. You."
Hatori raised a slim eyebrow at her, "And why would you blame me of all people? I'm not the one dancing right now, am I?" The younger Yoshikuni thrust a long finger at his direction on poked him in the chest harshly.
"If you didn't lie about being busy and just accompany me, they wouldn't have had to come!"
Hatori stared at her blandly before giving and idle shrug, "Hn, I suppose it is my fault."
Akane's hands curled precariously around an invisible neck and wrung it out angrily, the fire in her eyes blazing almost as red as her hair, "I will murder you!" Just as she made an attempt at going for the stoic doctor's neck, two pairs of hands latched around her arms and pulled her back.
"Come on, Kane-chan!" Ayame's obnoxious voice wormed its way into my ear, "Let's dance!"
Akane stuttered as she was pulled away from Hatori and down to the dance floor, the snake and dog completely ignoring her shouts of complaints. Once they reached the dance floor, the two started going wild and throwing their hands every which way, but strangely enough, they didn't look silly at all. Akane looked nervously at them both as she stood stiffly in between them.
"I don't know how to dance," the red-head confessed as she moved backwards to the small corner she had found solace in. Well, the solace she can find with the speakers blasting in her ears. "So I think I'll just sit down and umm…drink. Yeah, drink. That sounds good," Akane turned on her heel and made a bee-line for the chair beside the stiff still doctor.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Shigure pulled at Akane's arm and pulled her into his arms. Akane's breath caught in her throat and stared up at Shigure's tall frame, "We'll teach you how to, won't we Ayame?" the dog teased slyly as he gave a smirk to his silver haired friend.
"Why yes, Shigure," Ayame matched Shigure's smirk with his own and gripped on Akane's free hand and pulled her towards him, "We are excellent teachers!"
Akane stiffened at their closeness. Personal bubble…personal bub- "Eek!" the young woman exclaimed as the two Sohmas thrust her hands from side to side, her feet moving in unison in order to keep her balance.
"Wait you guys," Akane complained as Shigure pulled her closer then pushed her away again, "I really don't know how to dance," she complained as Ayame lifted her off the ground and twirled her in the air. As she was turned round and round, she saw a woman approach Hatori from the corner of her eye. As the silver haired snake reconnected her feet with the floor, she turned around to glance at the corner the quiet doctor was in.
It would have been an understatement to say that she was shocked when she saw a small smile grace the man's lips. She looked up at the girl and recognized her instantly, the short dark hair in small loose ringlets and the pouty lips turning upward, no doubt to give Hatori a flirtatious smile.
So she of all people is the one hitting on him. Hn, so what? Akane shrugged off the feeling of jealousy as shock of seeing the doctor smile and turned to look at her dance partners, "Well? Let's dance, boys!"
The song changed to a sultry electronic beat that Shigure and Ayame instantly adjusted to. Akane slowly got the idea of dancing, and began moving in between the two on her own accord.
"Go get this feisty little demon some drinks, Ayame!" Shigure shouted over the loud drumming of the speakers, "It looks like the party's about to start!"
"Hell yeah, it is!" Akane shouted back, throwing her head back and laughing loudly as she jutted her hips side to side in time with music. When Ayame came back with drinks for all three of them, Akane downed hers in one gulp. She laughed at the shocked looks on the men's faces then collided her hips with theirs', not really caring about the future consequences of her present actions.
'I can have fun sometimes too, right?' was Akane's last coherent thought before giving in to the alcohol's strong influence.
"Paaaaarty!"
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"Hi there, Mr. Fishy…" Akane muttered as she stroked the head of the brass fish fountain lovingly, "Say, do you happen to know a Hatori Sohma?" she stayed quiet for a while as if waiting for the fish to answer, "Really? Oh! How wonderful, I'll tell him to visit you and your Uncle Lenny sometime!"
"Kane-chan?" Sakura asked disbelievingly. "Are you drunk?" she asked taken in her friend's dishelved hair, slightly torn dress and her pumps not on her feet, but clutched in her hands. Sakura crinkled her nose slightly. This floor is disgusting, Kane-chan…jeez.
"I dunnnooo!" Akane sing-songed with a snicker as she patted the fish on the head.
"How much did you drink, Kane-chan?"
"I lost count at…" she held up her fingers in front of her face and curled and uncurled them as if she was counting. Sakura stared blankly when Akane's eyes crossed as she 'concentrated'. "I lost count at thirteen," Akane snickered then escalated it into hysterical laughter, as if she had said the funniest thing in the world.
"But you don't drink, Kane-chan," Sakura stated with an eyebrow raised, ducking as the drunken woman swung her hands around with the black pumps in hand, the heels threatening to poke the model's eyes out.
"Meeeeh," Akane waved it of with a hand, "There's an everything for the first-timers…or…no…was it…first everything for good timers?" she asked herself then laughed the 'riddle' off, "Whatever, more drinks anyone?!" she asked the crowd randomly, no one particularly hearing her offer.
"Okay, that's it," Sakura sighed as she gripped the redhead's thin arm and dragged her off to the crowd, "We're getting you to Hatori," she muttered as she maneuvered her way through the gyrating crowd, "And put your shoes on, Akane!"
"Heee…" Akane giggled softly as she slipped on the heels, "Whatever you say, Sa-ku-ra-chaaaaan!"
Sakura felt relieved when she finally spotted the three Sohmas over at the bar counter.
"- she just disappeared all of a sudden!" Shigure shouted in a panicked tone as he pulled at his hair, "What if some freak brought her home!?! Or what if she's passed out somewhere?! Oh God, oh no, oh no!"
"Is anyone missing a redhead?" the model called out as she neared the three worry-stricken men, "I found her about to make out with some fish fountain," she stated blankly as she held up said girl's hand.
"Heeeey, Mr. Fishy doesn't like being called a fountain," she argued with a small frown, "It hurts his feelings," she sniffed and rubbed her eyes as tears began to fall. "You're all so meaaaaan!"
"Alright, that's it," Sakura held her friend by the shoulders and pushed her towards Hatori's chest. The doctor quickly stepped aside to avoid a sudden transformation and flinched as the redhead crashed into the side of the bar's counter. Sakura sighed as she helped the drunk woman up, "You guys got her drunk, you fix her," she said with her hands on her hips, "I'll call in the morning to see how she's doing," And with a wave of her hand, she bid them farewell.
"But, wait!" Ayame called before the model disappeared in the crowd. He sighed remorsefully, "I guess it's up to you guys then…" Hatori shot him a stone cold look and pushed the crying woman towards the other two.
"You two deal with her, you're the ones that got her drunk enough to talk to a fountain," Hatori hissed out as the two made calming hand gestures.
"Mr. Fishy!" Akane sobbed out as more tears spilled over her cheeks. She kneeled in front of the doctor and started exclaiming loudly, "It's not Mr. Fishy's fault! Please! Take me instead!" she shouted as she opened her arms widely in a 'self sacrificing' manner.
Hatori sighed and picked the girl up from the floor, "You two go get the car. If I leave her here you'd just lose her again," Shigure and Ayame snuck secret glances at each other and nodded at the doctor.
"Right!"
The dark haired doctor stared at the sobbing girl in front of him, "Yoshikuni-san…" Akane looked up at the doctor when she heard her name and smiled widely at him.
"You're pretty," she said.
Then fainted.
Hatori moved his hands quickly to the small of her back and held her carefully away from his body, "This is…hard."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The three finally got Akane to lie quietly in the backseat of the car, her head resting on Ayame's lap. Shigure complained from the front seat, "Eeh, why does Ayame get to stay with Kane-chan?"
"Oh, don't worry my dear Shigure, you'll have me all to yourself once we get home," the snake said as he gave Shigure a longing look.
"My, that sounds wonderful my love…"
…
"Yes!"
Hatori rolled his eyes at the two as he pressed on the accelerator, "You two just shut up. You got me in enough trouble as it already is," he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, announcing of his current annoyance of his two friends.
"Well no one forced you to go," Shigure pointed out as he gave the doctor a smirk, "Admit it, you like Kane-chan, don't you?"
"You shoved the key in my hand, pushed me into the car and told me to go to Yoshikuni-san's house, how is that not forcing?" Hatori countered Shigure as he looked at him then to Ayame using the rear-view mirror.
"Ah, but Ha'ri, since when did you listen to us?" Ayame asked with a successful smile.
Hatori had no answer to this so he just let out a sigh, "I do not have any feelings towards Yoshikuni-san whatsoever, so please, just let me drive." He replied with an almost pleading look.
Almost.
Ayame held his hands up defensively and retreated back to looking out the window. She'd be good for you…Ha'ri.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I do not have any feelings towards Yoshikuni-san whatsoever, so please, just let me drive."
That was all Akane needed to hear, she clenched her eyes shut and rolled her face into the soft fabric covering the lap she had been lying on. She tried ignoring the pounding sensation that had begun to attack her head with, yet strange enough, that wasn't the pain that was bothering her at that moment.
End Chapter 13
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A/N: I want my PTM reviewers! :D