*Okay... A lot of you wanted me to continue with this fanfic... so I'm going to. ^-^;; So I'm going have to juggle two fics now. It's okay, though... this fic shouldn't have as many chapters as Aite does. x.x; ... Well, if it does then it will be because of all you who review. n.n; There may be some OOCness in this chapter... but I honestly couldn't help it... x.x; And sorry if it drags on. o.o; Anyway, I still don't own Furuba. ^- ^;;*

Precious - Chapter 2 - Surreal

"NANI?!" Shigure exclaimed, throwing himself from his seat as he awaited an explination from Hatori. Ebony coloured pools stared at the man in disbelief as he tried to register what he had heard, as he tried to picture what it was that happened. "What do you mean, he's 'not coming back'?!" his voice was cracking, horrible sounds accompaning those that were soothing and calm as he tried not to flip out. The words Hatori had said surprised and baffled him to no end, the thought of Yuki being manipulated and tortured once more by the hands of the man he feared the most sent nothing more than a horrible chill up his spine.

"He's not coming back. He's wanted there and there's nothing you, Kyo or anyone can do about it. I can't even do anything. Do you understand?" Hatori was being firm, he wasn't going to let a situation like this affect him in the worst of ways - he didn't need any confrontations with one of his best friends, nor did he need one with Akito - he didn't need to meet the cruel hands of his 'god,' the one who ruled everything within the Sohma compound.

The dog sighed as he watched the red-head enter, both crimson hues wide, "Understand what?" He asked with a rather perky tone in his voice as he shuffled over to Shigure. Both brows had been raised and a hand had been placed rathe halfhazardly on his hip as he threw a curious glance in Hatori's direction.

"...Yuki's not coming back, I'm here to tell you two to get his things together so I can take them over."

"What?! Why isn't he coming back?!" The cat took a step forward and threw a fist around in the air as he demanded answers , brows furrowing in anger as he did this. "That kuso-nezumi! Is he too good for us?!" Fuming, Kyo shook his head in disbelief as he started pacing and gathering random things Yuki owned and had just laid about here-and-there. "Well fine, if he wants to be like that then let him! Cursed fool!" he muttered through pursed lips shaking his head in various directions as he continued to shout random insults that pertained - if not to Yuki's stupidity - for his own for allowing the boy to even think about visiting Akito... with that girl...

Shigure rolled his eyes as he watched the boy gather the things and, though silently for a change, he turned on his heel and headed for the boys room, feet patting rather gently on the wood surface and idle hands stantioned in the sleeves of his kimono. His head hung and his gaze downcast, he made his way up the stairs. "There's nothing we can do, I would keep silent if I were you. I knew what he was going to do with Tohru-kun, but I hadn't expected him to do this to Yuki." He paused and turned, cocking his head back as he tried to catch a glimpse of the all-too-calm dragon. Upon doing so, dark hues immediately narrowed and he sent a viscious and heart- wrenching glare in his direction. "How will he get him to forget her?"

Hatori falted, backing up against the wall nearest him as he tried to avoid the glare. He, however, didn't manage to do so and was left feeling as if Shigure already knew, as if he only wanted to hear it from the dragons own lips. "Selective memory loss," the words seemed to flow as if they were silky flower petals flowing down the streem, perched atop the watery mass before colliding with armies of sharp and unforgiving rocks to become torn and ravaged - left in ruins at some secluded and forgotten beach.

"Of all things I thought you wouldn't do, Hatori," Shigure barked, refusing to call him by 'Ha-san' - the name that usually spurred bouts of friendly affection and liking. The dragon didn't deserve it, he was thoroughly pissed. "...I never thought you would lower youself to that level." Hissing in a rather unnerving tone as the words spilled out of his mouth, he spun back around and headed up the stairs, leaving Hatori with no more than a crushed heart.

"I-I had... no choice..." Hatori muttered as a hand raised to place itself over the left side of his face, the pads of slender fingers working gently over the skin to trace his features. /It would have been worse if they would have remembered the way they were ripped apart. She made him smile, she made him laugh and enjoy everything... What would he be like if he remembered that? He's sink into his own distressed world and block everything out. I don't want him to go through what I went through, I don't want him to suffer through what I am.... But why are you doing this, Shigure?/

"Ah," Kyo started as he shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a cat and mouse plush keychain. Dangling it in the air, he stared oddly at it. "...I was going to give this to him... because I saw it and it reminded me of us... and I thought only an idiot like him would like it... so..." He suddenly ceased the dangling and lay it to rest in the palm of an open hand.

"You can come with me and give it to him yourself, if that's what you're hinting at," Hatori stated as Shigure made his way back in to the room with armfulls of Yuki's things. The dragon had seemed to have pushed everything back with a small gesture - a simple wave a hand and all the words exchanged between he and Shigure had melted away. Noting the pout on the dogs face, he gave a slight nod and took a few of the things from his arms, "You can come too. You know what's expected of you both. Don't protest or do anything that would result in an even worse situation. Well," he then paused as he turned and headed out of the building, "Let's go, you know how impatient he is."

"Hai," the other two called out in unison as they followed the dragon, Kyo occasionally glancing at the keychain he held. Shigure, having noticed this, simply sighed and tilted his head to the side. "You're going to miss him too, eh? As much as you hate him... I think you're going to be hit the worst."

"Miss him?!" Kyo retorted, fingers curling around the keychain as he shot an offensive glare in the dogs direction, "Hah! I'm glad he's gone!"

"Sure you are, I'm sure someone out there believes you..." Shigure stated in a sing-song voice as he waved a finger in the air. "It's okay, though..." he started as he hung his head and his hand found it's way back into a sleeve, "I'm going to miss him, too. But that doesn't mean we can't visit him!"

"You... knew about... what he was going to do to her?" Kyo asked, crimson hues sparkling as he waited anxiously for an answer, his past harsh and offensive demeanor fading into a gentle and worried one as the dog simply nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Shigure took a deep breath and slowed his pace, "I didn't want you to start throwing a fit and taking it out on Yuki. I know how much you adored Tohru- kun and I knew that you'd blame it entirely on Yuki if you found out about it... Now just keep quiet, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

. . . .

"Ah, they should be here soon, my Yuki..." Akito mused as he ran his fingers through Yuki's hair, his head tilted casually to the side as he did so. "You'll be staying in my room, is that okay?" he asked, tugging slightly at the silver coloured filaments entangled with his fingers.

"H-hai..." Yuki choked as he winced at the slight pain he received at the tugging and then sat up, violet hues casting their gaze to the ground as he did a slight turn and situated himself between the others legs. Leaning back into Akito, he cocked his head back and raised a brow, "Will I be able to set all my things out?"

"Ah..." he paused as he looked down at the mouse, both brows furrowing as he pondered the idea, "...Su--..." He fell silent as the trio entered the room, both Kyo and Shigure raising brows as they noted what was before them. "You're back."

Hatori nodded as he nudged the other two further into the room, "They decided to come along." Standing patiently off to the side, both arms appeared as if they had been glued to his sides as he attempted to dodge more harsh glares directed at him from the none-too-pleased Shigure. /...I had to.../ Facing the wrath of Akito was far worse punishment than harsh glares from one of his best friends - but worse only in the physical sense, Shigure's harsh silence and tear-inducing glares ripped at his heart and slowly, painfully tore it piece-by-piece. ...But he noted something was off key, something wasn't quite as it should be...

Akito nodded at this, "Help them put your things away," he whispered as he ordered Yuki to his feet. Reveling in the anxiousness of the boy to do as told, a grin tugged at his lips as he wached the mouse. "It will be nice having him around... I wont be as lonely." He spoke of this only after Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure had left the rather empty room - leaving he and Hatori alone.

"You do understand that it will take a while for him to adjust, don't you?"

"Ofcourse. But I'm willing to deal with it, he's been good so far. I expect nothing than the best from him."

"He wont ever love you."

Dark eyes narrowed and Akito shot Hatori nasty glare as he pondered what the man said, "Don't speak of such things. You don't know for certain. If I were you then I'd keep my mouth shut." The boy had been ruffled by the dragons words and he curled up into a little ball after laying himself down. Hatori was probably right, and Akito knew this... but he was willing to try and earn the boys love by offering his own to the mouse.

. . . .

"Here," Kyo snorted at he dangled the keychain in Yuki's face, "...take it before I change my mind. I-I was going to give it to you for your birthday or something but I figured I'd give it to you now." He looked rather embarrassed, his face red and those crimson eyes of his wide as he urged the silver-haired mouse to take it.

Yuki was startled by the cat's offering and he hesitated as he took it from Kyo's hand, violet hues narrowing somewhat as he looked it over. Slnder digits then worked around the metal ring that held the two plush animals and he gently pried the mouse from it's home before he offered it to the cat. "Here," he started as he took one of Kyo's hands and placed the plush in an open palm, "For you... so whenever you get mad you can yell at it and it will be as if you're yelling at me... Because I know how much you like to blame me for things I've had no part in."

Both Kyo and Yuki stood facing eachother for a few seconds before the cat huffed and turned on his heel, flashing back to what Shigure said if but minutes before. "I don't blame you for everything, kuso-nezumi!"

"You do so, baka-neko."

"I dare you to say that to my face!" Kyo retorted as he swung around and shook a fist in Yuki's direction. Veins throbbing in his forehead as he gritted his teeth. How dare that petty little mouse challenge him in such a way, how dare he... even think about doing such a thing!

"BAKA-NEKO! BAKA-NEKO! BAKA-NEKO!"

Shigure blinked, a sweatdrop forming above his brow as he watched the seemingly peaceful conversation go downhill. Sometimes he thought they bickered like lovers, constantly fighting over little and pointless things. They were like winter and summer - they collided with eachother, one couldn't stand the other... Yet, like the starting of spring depends on the end of winter... and the way spring grew into summer, the two couldn't live without eachother. He sighed as he left the room, slender digits wrapping around the soft fabric of Kyo's shirt before he proceeded to drag him away from Yuki... but met face-to-face with a rather puzzled Akito.

Kyo lost his balance and fell into a distorted heap on the floor, muttering some random insult directed at Shigure before he pushed himself up to his knees and hopped to his feet before he brushed himself off. Hanging his head, he shoved both hands in his pockets before he shuffled out of the room, sipping by both the dog and Akito as he did so. Shigure, as if on que, simply whispered an apology and exited behing the red-headed cat.

"Yuki," Akito started as he took those few steps needed in order to reach the younger boy. "Dinner will be done soon, you can finish putting your things away later."

Yuki nodded, mouth falling agape as he set his cat plush on a nearby nightstand. "I'm sorry," he admitted, hanging his head and casting his gaze to the floor as he noted the puzzled expression on the others face. Small hands were then grasped by icy ones and those violet hues shot wide open and he raised his head to meet the gaze of Akito with his own. Akito was cold... too cold and his touch made Yuki shiver and feel like wrapping a blanket around himself. He didn't want to go through this again, he didn't want to feel the pain that had been forced upon him at so young an age by the same man standing before him at this very moment.

"Yuki."

"I'm sorry."

"Yuki"

"I didn't mean to..."

"Be quiet!" Akito snapped, those icy hands of his tightening around those of the younger boys and he squeezed those little hands as much as he could as he vented his sudden spur of anger, dark hues norrowing as he furrowed his brows.

"I-itai..." Yuki winced as he slowly fell to his knees, resting his head on Akito's legs as he silently begged for him to stop. It felt as if his bones were being crushed, the pain was almost surreal and he could feel the tears welling up in those eyes of his as he shut them as tight as he could - so tight that his cheeks began to hurt. He hated this, the way those icy cold yet soothing hands turned on him the way a Black Widow turns on her new mate - unforgiving and bathing in the satisfaction of winning yet another 'battle' and getting what was desired.

Akito slowly released his grip, dark oculars going wide in shock as the mouse dropped his arms and allowed his hands to hit the floor and lay stationary. He sighed and placed a hand on Yuki's head, those fingers of his playing with the silvery strands they encountered. "It's your fault, Yuki..." he stated, his voice barely reaching more than a whispered volume as he spoke.

Yuki simply wrapped his arms around the legs of Akito as he listened, praying that the pain would go away... there was no doubt in his mind that he'd have a few bruises. Why he'd chosen to 'embrace' the legs of the other... he had no idea, it was just something he did because he didn't know what else to do but when he felt Akito bend and wrap his own arms loosely around as much of his as possible, he only tightened his grip and tilted his head back to - once again - meet the dark eyes of the boy.

"It's okay," Akito whispered again as he rested his forehead against that of the younger boy. "Next time... I'll try not to hurt you."

Hatori smiled at that, having overheard it as he stood in the doorway, and so - not wanting to disturb the two, turned on his heel and headed in the opposite direction. Dark eyes met those of Shigure who had lingered after Kyo had marched out and headed for home. Hatori scoffed and furrowed his brows, "That hurt, the way you acted earlier today. I thought you'd save that sort of thing for something you didn't know about."

Shigure shrugged and tilted his head to the side as he beckoned the dragon with the swift wave of a hand. "Ah, Ha-san... it was needed." A malicious grin captured those lips of his as he started forward and out the door, an eager arm wrapping about one of Hatori's as he drug him along.

"You're not as innocent as you seem - for you to do what you did was clearly and utterly disappointing. I wasn't expecting it from you."

"Nonetheless, Ha-san, I think it will be good for them both. ...But I'm surprised that you found out. You're so sneaky." And this was followed by silence as the two walked. Perhaps Shigure was right, perhaps it would be good for both Akito and Yuki... however, Hatori doubted very much that it had to be done this way.

*...Arrrrg... .; The end of the second chapter. It's long... x.x;; Hahaha... I have a feeling I'll need to write more chapters for this... I kind of did something with Shigure... It took a rather odd twist... -.-; And now I think I want to drag this on a little longer... x.x; Oh well. Please comment...*