"It's a stupid idea you know." Hatsuharu stood over Akito listening to every word she had said to Yuki, "You can be really stupid sometimes but…" His voice trailed off a bit. He put his arms around her pulling her into his chest. "I'm sorry that everything goes this way for you, it's like since you were small I've always had to clean the blood off your face, it's not really fair for you." Haru closed his eyes holding the shaky Akito tighter, "It's not your fault you know, you didn't do anything wrong."

Akito let out a small noise before she looked up at Hatsuharu, "I did do something, something bad, about the worst kind of something I could have done." She proceeded to tell him about the things she had said to Akito in the rose garden, it made her head feel heavy to think about it.

"So…" Hatsuharu took a moment to pull all of his thoughts together after what he had just heard. "Yuki told you everything?" Akito stiffly nodded listening to Hatsuharu, "And you tried to stand up to Kiada?" Another stiff nod followed by a short round of coughs, "That was really, really stupid Akito." That wasn't exactly the reaction Akito was expecting.

"Hatsuharu San…I" Akito turned around burying her face in Hatsuharu's stomach; she wasn't planning on crying, no, she just wanted to feel his warm body against her face. Haru's arms clasped behind her back holding her tightly, "I'm sorry, I was just…I didn't know what to do I was actually afraid of her…Just like when I was little, I was afraid."

"It's okay though," Hatsuharu smiled a bit starring down at Akito putting one hand on her mop like orange hair, "Just calm down for a minute okay, now do you really have to go see her tonight?" He made it obvious that he had been listening in on Akito's conversation with Yuki.

"Yeah, I do, I have no choice in the matter, she is kind of…" Her voice quivered a bit but she managed to hold back all of her emotions, "If I don't go tonight then tomorrow will just be worse and I might not get to see Nagi." Nagi was the only person who had ever made Sohma house anywhere near pleasant. Iriko was always inside studying or painting but Nagi would always find Akito, he was…awesome…

"Alright, would you like me to-" Akito promptly cut Hatsuharu off.

"No Haru, you need to stay here, I promise I'll be alright, don't worry about me, I'm perfectly capable of taking in Kiada's abuse without you rushing in every time you feel she has gone to far."

Akito knew why she was going to see Kiada, not that she would ever tell Hatsuharu. If Hatsuharu found out that it was because of him Akito was getting hurt then her would pretty much go crazy. He had worked so much to protect her and keep her safe, and if he knew it was his fault…. He would never be able to forgive himself.

"If you're sure, hey maybe you can go see Shigure, you saw him once the other day didn't you?" Hatsuharu smiled watching Kiada sigh and roll her eyes a bit.

"You know Hatsuharu, there's only so much Shigure I can take in one week," She smiled for what seemed like the first time in ages, "He always makes fun of me, me and my fighting techniques, and how much I look like my dad, and then he talks about how I act a whole lot like him. Shigure San says that I am hot tempered, but I'm not." Hatsuharu laughed a bit, Akito wasn't terribly happy about being made fun of, "And What might I as is so Funny Hatsuharu? You know my dad beat you so many times, and I have been getting lessons from him at the dojo so why don't cha just stop with your laughing huh?"

"I'm sorry it's just…."

Nar: Alright this chapter really short, I had a fever of 101 so don't blame me for the length &$!!!! Alrighty then…. Millie loves you all!