He removed the blanket and kissed Akito face. He put his underwear and looked at his watch, he could allow himself to stay here again for a few hours. He turned his attention on Akito sleeping form and smiled contently by the sight of the red spots he has left all over her white skin. They were back to their lovable routine, him breaking into her house when the night fall and leaving before the sun rise. Sadly, he couldn't come see her every night and she wasn't hiding the fact that she hated it. He understood that she was scared he might never come back, she had nothing for reassuring herself.
It was the best he could do, until the day he will take her away from this cave and run away under the sun. He yawned and stretched his arms, not noticing reddish marks from their love-making that Akito had engraved with her nails, and decided to take a look around while she was asleep. He opened her closet, wondering if she only has male clothes and underwear, making a face when he saw the obvious answer: Ren was controling her life until her way of dressing.
He thought that the moment they will run away, he will buy her as many dresses and skirts and clothes she wanted to wear, those who will pleaser her. He couldn't wait to see her happy and free of every bond that was maintaining her in that state. He came to an evidence, since the day he had understood he was finally with the goddess he wished to be with since he was a little kid; that evidence was that the curse was breaking, it was ineluctable, and Shigure wanted to be by her side when it will break. He refused the idea of her going through this alone and locked in this house way too cold.
Shigure sighed and put his forehead down against the wood of the shelf. He noticed in the darkness a shape and moved his hand up on it to take it out. His eyebrows went up "A box?" he muttered to himself before opening it. He was welcomed by a sweet smell and saw different trinkets. He put his hand on a paper and read a few words, recognizing Momi-chan handwriting, he put it away, deciding it was way too personal for him to read without her authorization. It was just a few words -probably from his youngest cousins- saying how much Akito was important to them.
He pulled out a necklace and recognized the present he gave her. Call him possessive, but when he was seeing her wearing it around her delicious neck, he was pleased by the feeling saying that this person was taken, that she was his. Like a dog marking his territory. The worst of this feeling was that he knew it was something from him and not from the dog's spirit, and that he was conscious of it. Wanting to know more about the treasures in this box he continued to rummage in.
He pulled out funny little toys -he was sure he had exactly the same when he was a still a five-year-old; a perfume, withered flowers. He smirked when he saw volumes of light novels, recognizing some as those he had written and then, his hands found more papers that were at the bottom of the box. He felt under his hands of writer that the papers were older. He thought at first it was like another pile of document but his attention has been caught when he read in spite of him the first word written, the title. "The caged-princess."
It was old, but the way the letters were written, the content of the story. No doubt, it was his. It felt awkward to read his first works. He found the wording so clumsy, inexperienced. It was bad, really. He was probably twelve or thirteen when he had written it, but it was so gauche from him that was now writing more seriously. Yet, a little boy in him jumped of joy and ran around aimlessly, excited and cheering loudly, like a big scream. She had read the stories he had written just for her and nobody else.
Licking unconsciously his lips and his fingers trembling in emotions. His heart was beating way too hard for his comfort in his cage, he sorted out more of those papers and his eyes widened in rediscovering his very first story, about parfait. Shigure couldn't help but palming his face, blushing in embarrassment. He was so absorbed that he did not heard Akito waking up and crawling over him until she wrapped her naked arms around his chest, he jolted in surprise and looked at her.
They both stayed silent and she moved even closer, sticking her soft breasts just against his shaped back. She rubbed them without noticing and she went to rest her cheek on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, composing himself, he has to or they would be doing it again and they already used all the condoms he had brought tonight. She let her fingers wander around his chest lazily, she was still a little dizzy from her nap. "You wrote it, didn't you?" Her voice was deep and drowsy. Shigure felt goosebumps all along his body as her breath touched his ear. He was so sensitive here, did she know? Oh, she probably did, by the way she was all on it, kissing, whispering, licking when they were having sex.
To answer, Shigure just smiled and kissed her forehead. She languidly shifted her body over his, moving like a cat and sat on his laps. He gently rested his wrists on the little of her back after putting the papers on the floor. They rubbed their noses and she put her face back on the crook of his shoulder, her breath tickling him. "You know when the maids found me, they have been very rash on me." He told, reminding of his youth. Akito made a little sound as she nodded. "Yeah, I know I heard them"
"Aha- You did?" Shigure confused smile grew wider and he felt a sweat drop slid on his temple. She nodded again before yawning. "Yeah…I never had the end of the story, how it does finish?" she asked, sleepily. He made an awkward smile, to be honest he did not remember how the story ended at all, it was a long time ago and he never put the hands back on the papers he hadn't sent to her. He was already shocked that she had indeed received the paper planes.
Smirking, he sized her better on his laps and kissed the top of her hair. "Here, let's sleep right?" he proposed and she shock her head slowly "No…" she answered in a yawn, gripping around his neck like a child cuddling their teddy bear. Like a kid, she refused to sleep when she was obviously tired. Well, Shigure already knew she was throwing tantrum. She groaned when he lifted and brought her back under the blanket. She clung to him, forcing Shigure to stay by her side.
"I hate it" she muttered and he blinked. "Hm, what?" he asked. Akito fluttered her eyes, forcing them to stay open. "Time, we never have enough of it" she replied and Shigure smile dropped. He sluggishly rested his chin on his palm. That was true, they could never enjoy their time together, time was played with them and always separating them. He frowned, maybe it was time to bring the subject. "Akito" he called and she rolled her head to him. "You know…I might find a way to do it." He said and she stood silent before straightening to his level, the eyes fully awake. "What?" her voice was so small and fragile that Shigure instinct begged him to take her away now and protect her.
He moved his hand to her face and took her by the chin and made one of his most foolish expression, the one he always made to hide his true feeling. Here, it was uneasiness, the fear to be rejected… "Akito…Let's elope?"
Akito pupils narrowed in shock and her mouth went agape. "…What?" she asked in a breath. He tilted his head, his smirk going wider. "Let's go far away? To Kanazawa? Or Nagoya? I already found some houses we could live in you know?"
She frowned "You kidding right?" she spat, her face showing a mix of anger and disgust. Aah, Shigure already know it was going to happen. But a man can hope, couldn't he? It was hurting a bit but he didn't let his smile fail. Shigure was going to be mean, but she needed to hear it, so they could have a future together. "Well, you plan to stay imprisoned here the rest of your life? You know that I won't be able to sneak here in secret forever, one day Ren will find out." He explained plainly.
She made a face as slapped and pulled the blanket up to cover her chest. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" she furiously threw. He frowned. "Why do you want to stay here? You have nothing waiting for you Akito, I mean it, it's-"
"It's not true! Why are you saying that!" she suddenly stood up and walked to the window. "I'm god! I have to stay here for them!" She yelled and Shigure was scared she could wake up the maids. He turned his head to the door but he heard no rushing steps. He removed the blanket and passed his hand through his hair. "Really Akito? When you didn't even notice the bond between you and I when we met? Same for Ayame…" he reminded and he could saw her plant her nails in the skin of her hands. "It's not the same! You told me we already met when I was a baby! I'm sure if I were to meet the others, I would feel it!" she turned around. Shigure sneered.
"Why are you laughing?! It's true!" she rushed on him and this time, it was on his shoulder that she planted her nails. He simply looked away, he was laughing in spite of irritation and absurdity of the situation. He never saw a damsel in distress deciding by her own to stay in the tower. "You're…you're doing like her!" she spat. "You're as mean as her! Belittling the bond! You understand nothing! Nothing!" she moved away and when Shigure tried to make her understand, she pulled her hands on her ears. It irritated Shigure, so she didn't want to heard the truth huh?
"Get out! I don't want to hear you anymore!" she talked and she looked so, so fragile that way that he felt again that need to take her away once more. But she wasn't ready. Shigure sighed and started to put his clothes back. Akito stubbornly stared away, hugging herself and ignoring his presence. A bitter smile crawled on his lips and he gently wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "I will come back later." He whispered in her ear.
He slid the door and walked out of her room to her garden. The moon was full that night, Shigure would have find it pretty if it wasn't for the way Akito rejected him. Why she couldn't understand, open her eyes? He walked to the tree that was hiding the rope ladder Tohru have slid in secret here and climbed it before jumping to the other side of the wall. When he was younger, he always felt that wall was so high, like it was the biggest obstacle between Akito and him. He was so wrong.
He went back to his home. The Sohma estate was quiet at night, it was pleasurable, worth the freezing weather. Once he arrived, he threw his geta in the gekan and switched on the light. Kureno had moved out the same day Shigure had sneaked into Akito's garden. It was way more convenient when he was at Akito's the night, his cousin wouldn't ask him where he spent the night. He put water to boil and headed to his office. Lighting a cig, he sat at his desk and eyed the last chapter he wrote.
Hikari was shivering in fear, it was her first client and he looked ruthless. Everything about that man scared her, his smell, his skin full of scars when it wasn't covered with tattoo. He was showing her his back while he was removing his clothes. She gulped in fear, unable to look away from the image of the furious Bato Kannon. Hikari was more used to see the bodhisattva under their female form, sweet and gentle the Jutei Kannon. Bato looked like a demon and it was so scary, scary. She wanted to run away, but she told herself that she needed to get used to it. She made her choice and she hoped her father was grateful.
Her client turned around and told her to undress. Holding a sob, she slowly unbuttoned her shirt but the man wasn't patient enough and tore the clothe before tossing her body violently on the mattress. He was moving too quickly and she was really scared. It was different from when she was with Mamoru. He was sweet, caring for her. That man did not even take his time to touch her body to stimulate it and directly entered two fingers in her; it hurt, it hurt a lot. She screamed and tried to get him off but he forcefully pinned her wrists above her head and slapped her thigh.
"Listen here bitch, I don't have the time, so do your job properly!" He said, threatened, and then he entered her. Hikari felt tears gathering around her pretty and black eyes. It was hurting her so much she felt humiliated and she felt like she was starting to become dehumanized. She hid her face behind her hands and cried as quiet as she could. She tried to imagine that it was Mamoru between her legs but never he had hurt her. Everything was different and she couldn't try to fool herself.
The man came inside and then tossed her like an old sock. He scratched his belly and left bills on the table and then left. Hikari rolled over the bed, hugging herself in some sort of comfort. She cried loudly, calling for her father or Mamoru. But neither of them will come, she was trapped in that place forever, that was the choice she had made and it was already too late to regret. Her boss knocked at the door and entered. He asked her to clean herself and to prepare for her next client.
Shigure put the paper back on the desk, contemplating the story he had created. Writing a rape wasn't what Shigure enjoyed writing the best. For somebody like him who liked sex, it was a sickening thing to talk about. However, he needed to see for himself what was the consequence of choosing to sacrifice themselves for somebody who don't care would be. He wished Akito could read it, but she will probably won't understand. It frustrated Shigure that she was prioritizing the cursed above him. He wanted her to care about him only, as he cared about her only. She was his whole world, and this, since the day she has been conceived.
Anyway, he was already aware that he won't let he and Akito end that way. He will probably need to be patient, but he will take Akito away from this place. She was probably scared because here was all she knew, it was here that she had everything she was attached to, her family, her zodiacs, her whole life but…Shigure was not different. He will even lose more than Akito by leaving. But Shigure was ready to do this sacrifice. He wasn't like the Mamoru in the story, he will rescue his damsel, he will take her away, even if she was against it.
He remembered what Akito has told him earlier about the bond. He smiled bitterly, him, belittling this, that link she, yes, shared with all the zodiac, but also himself included? Ah, she really misunderstood him, hasn't she? Yet, it was funny how she was ready to claim she feel these bonds when she hasn't batted an eyelid when she first met him that day in the parc nor when he presented her Ayame. So, who was she kidding?
Ren has been probably insulting her and the curse for years. That was probably why she over-reacted tonight. He could understand her. For years, Hatori has told him to stop running after a girl he was seeing in dreams. Ha! His friend must have been so annoyed by the irony of the situation when he had found out. Shigure was sorry that he didn't have the chance to see it. But the fact was that between all the members of the zodiacs, Shigure was the one who could understand what she was feeling the best. He always has been sensitive to that bond with her.
…However, even if Akito hasn't batted an eyelid when she met him, he hadn't done better. Hell, she has given him her name and then she said to him the more blatant lie. Akito written with Autumn and Door, and he believed it! When all the facts had been here, just in front of him! A lonely girl who have to masquerade as a boy, even if the world was a big place, that kind of situations were exceptional. But more of all, those were more reasons for Akito to leave this family.
He put his attention back on the chapter. After writing it, Shigure needed to write the 'good ending'; the ending he hoped Akito will choose. He will have to convince her and it was hard to be patient when he already knew their time was running. Ren must already feel that something was happening behind her back. He heard thing about how the family wanted her to give the power back in Akito's hand. A part of him wanted to go at the woman and tell her that he desired to take his daughter away, assuring her to stay the chief. However, he knew better that she would refuse and the family needed somebody gentler and wiser. Ren wasn't that person; he will have to break her.
Smirking, Shigure took a drag of his cig and then pen and paper. He had to work on his own happy ending.