Chapter 18: One Rainy Day

Akito watched lazily as the dark, forbidding clouds hid the birds in flight momentarily before the flying creatures were once again revealed.

"Yuki was blinded momentarily by the witch, but he shall see the light of the situation again." A malevolent smile formed on his lips. "Or the darkness."

He turned to Hatori. "I'm taking a walk."

"I'll come with you."

"No," he said flatly. "I will walk alone."

He stood up and gathered the hem of his robe. "It's a great day to feel the breeze."

"It's going to rain. Hard," Hatori pointed out.

This was dismissed by the clan head's dismissive shrug.

Tohru looked out at the window forlornly. The wind was getting harsher, meaning she had to cancel the picnic she planned for everyone.

In the living room, Shigure sighed audibly. "The weather! Hah! Just as unpredictable as a woman!"

She tried her best to sound optimistic. "Then let's eat inside!"

Kyo snorted. "Puh-leeze, Tohru. You know we can't roast barbecue indoors."

"Oh, I forgot."

Yuki got out of his room, wearing a raincoat. "I'll be back," he said before heading out of the house.

"Where's that mouse going?" Kyo wanted to know.

"To his secret base," she replied, her eyes following him worriedly. The wind might destroy his garden! But that's nothing compared to him catching cold, or worse, fever!

Haru was thinking the same thing. "He's got a history of weak lungs."

Tohru sprang into action. "I'll follow him!" She got up hurried out of the house.

"Tohru!" yelled Kyo.

"It's a mother hen instinct," said Haru. "She acts without thinking when it comes to her chicks."

"You've got the same instinct too, only I doubt if you any brain to think with at all," muttered Kyo. "You shouldn't have told her about Yuki's health. Now she's worried!"

"She deserves to know," said Haru gently.

Kyo clenched his fists then got up.

Tohru tucked a wet strand of her hair behind her ear as the wind slapped mercilessly across her cheek. "Yuki-kun! Yuki-kun, come back here! You might catch a cold! Yuki-kun!"

She was about to go the garden when she heard a thin voice call her name. She looked over the trees and saw a man standing in the middle of nowhere, holding a black umbrella.

"Honda Tohru-san, I presume?" He began as he strode towards her. "I heard you call Yuki's name so I knew at once it was you."

"Ah…"

Upon closer inspection, she found out that he was not very old - in fact, he was a handsome young man that reminded her of Yuki! However, what caught her attention was the steely glint in his cold eyes.

"Would you like to share my umbrella, Honda Tohru-san?" he asked politely.

But I do not even know him! Her mind cried.

He seemed to read her mind. He suddenly broke into a grin. "I'm Sohma Akito, the clan head."

The clan head!

Sohma Akito!

"Let's look for Yuki together, ok?" he offered kindly.

But he acts so kindly and friendly…maybe I just imagined what I felt when I looked at his eyes.

"T-Thank you," she bowed and walked under the shade of his umbrella as the rain started to fall harder.

"Akito walked alone? Why did you let him?" asked Kagura as Hatori lit his cigarette.

"I'm not that stupid. I'll fetch him later. He was dead serious when he said that he must go out on his own," said the doctor calmly.

"Fetch him? So you know where he went!"

"Yes."

"Tell me then."

"He came to see Honda Tohru for himself."

"So how did you end up in Shigure's house?" asked Akito as they tread on the rocky path together.

She narrated how Yuki found her living by herself in the property owned by the Sohmas and how she served Yuki as his personal attendant.

"So what are the duties you do for him?" he pressed.

"Ah…" She couldn't remember anymore, since she was used to Yuki treating her not as a maid but as a friend.

But the person before him interpreted it in another way. "Are you ashamed to share to me the things you do for him?" he asked, his voice sounding a little urgent.

"It's not that, Sohma-san!"

"Call me Akito."

"Akito-san, it's not that! It's just that…well, they're just your usual activities. I wash the plates, I cook, I do the laundry, and I keep the house tidy."

"I don't want to know the things you do for the house. What do you do for Yuki? Dear Yuki, who never liked close contacts with the opposite sex?" he pressed further.

I sense danger! She looked around her, but it seemed that they had gone way off course, and was far both from Yuki's base and Shigure's house! She was alone with this man. She was defenseless.

She winced suddenly when she felt his hand grip her shoulder.

"Answer me," he said hoarsely.

She shut her eyes, wishing this was all a nightmare. That the moment she opens her eyes, everything would disappear.

His rough shaking made her eyes flap open again. "What are you in Yuki's life?!!!" he yelled as the rain fell harder.

She felt her eyes well up with tears. "I'm…his friend."

The roaring thunder swallowed the words Akito uttered next.

"Nezumi!!!"

Yuki turned around and saw his cousin, Kyo, running towards him in alarm. "What?" he snapped.

"Where's Tohru?" the neko asked, for the first time not making a retort on his usual greeting.

His forehead creased. "Isn't she with you in the house?"

"She went out to find you." He looked at the jacket he was holding. "And the idiot she is, she forgot to take anything to protect her from the rain."

"Well, she's not with me," he said, his voice even although he was starting to panic inside.

"It's not like her to just decide to stroll in the woods when it's pouring cats and dogs! Even she couldn't be that stupid."

Yuki immediately felt the need to see Tohru again. "I'll look for her in the north. Try the south part of the woods."

"Right!" The two boys split directions at once.

Akito's mouth left hers. She saw him smile snidely upon seeing the bleeding lower lip he caused.

"Soft and sweet…had Yuki ever felt its honey-sweetness, Tohru dear?" he murmured in a low, evil voice.

She collapsed on the muddy ground, leaning weakly on the rough bark of the tree.

Her lips hurt…she could taste blood.

But what shook her more was the venomous taste Akito left in her mouth. She felt so sick that she wanted to throw up there and then. The poison of his obsession with Yuki.

He picked up the umbrella that was beside her. "Give Yuki all my love with those lips, Tohru-chan. Good day." He started to walk in the opposite direction.

Okaasan…I've never felt this fear in my whole life. I've never felt so low and pathetic. I've never felt so hated like this before.

Then she couldn't continue her conversation with her mother anymore. She was too weak. She was too tired.

Never. Never. Never.

The rest of her thoughts were drowned in the sobs that finally escaped her throat and were now sending her whole body in helpless violent trembling.

For the first time since her mother died, she was crying her whole heart out.

Yuki was trudging on the muddy soil when he saw a black umbrella ahead, with a familiar-looking man holding it.

His heart stopped beating.

The man drew nearer, and now Yuki knew that he couldn't possibly be wrong.

Akito approached him with a gleeful smile. "Yuki!"

"W-What are you doing here?" he asked, finding his voice.

"I want to see you again." Akito stepped closer towards him, and he stepped back. "That is not how I expected you to react, Yuki. After all, it's been quite a while since we last saw each other. I missed you terribly!"

"W-What do…you want?" He tried to fight off the desperation overwhelming him.

"You're a lot stronger now, Yuki. And much more stubborn." Akito looked at him testily. "It's because of that girl, isn't it, Yuki?"

He couldn't speak. Tohru! I can't fall to pieces now! I must find her!

"I knew it," said the clan head. "I met her awhile ago, and I couldn't see why you changed because of her. You were always so obedient and submissive, Yuki. What happened?" he asked softly, but there was razor-sharp edge in his voice.

Met her!

"What did you do to Honda-san?" he yelled.

"Let's say, I talked to her."

Fear crossed his face. "Where is she?"

Only a smile spread on Akito's face.

"Where is she?" repeated Yuki, but Akito started to walk away.

"I'll see you in the play, Yuki," he said before leaving.

Yuki looked at the woods where Akito came from. He ran towards it. "Tohru!!!"

She felt that her eyes ran out of tears already, but she still wanted to cry. She couldn't entertain the thought of dying in the rain because of hypothermia, nor could she think of the fever she may contact.

But at the back of her mind, she told herself that she must dry her tears and compose herself.

Find Yuki-kun.

But then she heard his voice calling her name. She looked up just to check if her ears weren't cheating her.

It was him. He was rushing towards her, face clearly worried. "Tohru!!!"

At the sound of his familiar gentle voice, she found herself sobbing again in relief and joy.

He knelt before her, alarmed. "What did Akito do to you?"

"Take me home, Yuki-kun," she begged, voice choked by tears.

"I will, Tohru, I will." He long to gather her into his arms and tell her that she's safe, but he was afraid to turn into a mouse, the animal she detests.

Kimi o kanjiru suru. To touch you. To make everything all right. But I can't.

He then noticed the blood on her lips. "Tohru?" He wiped it gingerly. "Tohru, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does, Tohru." He continued to brush her lips with his thumb. "It does, because you are important to me. Because I want to protect you at all times."

"Yuki-kun…" She reached out and buried her head on his chest.

He poofed into a mouse, but Tohru didn't even freak out. Instead she took him and nestled him against her tear-stained cheeks. With his nose, he dried her falling tears.

She smiled down at him tearfully. "Thank you, Yuki-kun."

"Thank you too, Tohru," he replied.

Because you got over your fear of mice for me.

Because you helped me overcome my fear of Akito marginally.

"Let's go home," she said.

Home.

"How was your visit?" asked Hatori as he opened the car door for Akito.

The clan head didn't reply. He was too busy thinking about Tohru. About Yuki.

She's a nuisance. She must go.

tsuzuku