*..Yay. Another chapter. Wh00t. Um... Not as much detail in this chapter as in the others -- for a whole bunch of reasons. Just bare with me! Yeah.. I still don't own Furuba... o.o;*

Precious - Chapter 4 - Subtle Changes
"Ah, ah... this is all working out so well..." Shigure exclaimed as he lazily scratched the back of his neck, dark eyes resting their glance on the dragon sitting across from him. "Wouldn't you agree, Ha-san?"

"You're sick, Shigure."

The dog pouted and hung his head as he leaned forward, "But… Ha-san, why would you say such a thing?"

"Because it's true."

Shigure shrugged at Hatori's comment and rubbed at his chin as he tilted his head to the side, "Regardless, she's gone - no one's keeping Yuki from Akito-san… nothing's keeping us from our goal."

"Us? I'm not involving myself. It's you, Shigure. You and you alone."

"You've already involved yourself," the dog stated as slender digits traced Hatori's jaw line, "Ha-san…"

. . . . . .

"That isn't how it's done! You'll scare all the birds that way!" Akito hissed as Yuki attempted to lure various birds to him while throwing a few seeds about rather carelessly. Resting a hand on his forehead, Akito sighed and bit his lower lip. "…Be gentle, Yuki. It doesn't take that much effort at all." Yuki's pathetic attempts to lure the birds hadn't failed to over joy the seemingly heartless man, and the way that silver-haired boy had never managed to fail in making Akito smile and light up always amazed him.

Yuki blinked and turned to face Akito, cheeks red with embarrassment as he dropped the remaining handful of seeds and began to fumble with the hem of his sleeves as his eyes were downcast. Violet hues stared oddly at the scattered variety of seeds and he slowly started to regret dropping them. "Gomen ne," he whispered as he sank to his knees, the unpleasant tone in the older mans voice hinting that he wasn't at all pleased. Yuki didn't need Akito mad right now. He didn't need this man releasing his anger on him, he didn't want to find himself waking in a pool of his own blood.

"Come here."

The mouse nodded and raised himself before shuffling across the cool earth beneath his feet, small hands grasping the smooth cloth of the kimono as he pulled it upwards. Taking a seat on the porch, he threw his legs over the side and allowed them to dangle, keeping his sight focused on the ground as if not to anger Akito any more.

Akito slid along the wood floor, bare feet patting rather softly against the wood as he neared the back of the boy…. And then he sat, placing a leg on either side of the mouse and letting them fall over the side, as well. Of course, he had to pull his own kimono up a rather large distance in order for this to be done, but when it had been he'd made it a point to get as close as he could get to the boy - preferably so that Yuki's back would be against his chest.

"Let me help you," he said as he took the boys hand and lifted it, carefully folding the fingers into the palm until only the index was left. He then whistled through pursed lips, a sorrowful melody escaping the cursed soul of the man as he did so - the song of crying angles, anguishing gods… Yet a rather heart filled, joyous song lay underneath…

This was the song that Yuki heard, the joyous one, not the one swimming in sorrow and hate. Violet eyes went wide in disbelief as a bird perched itself atop his finger, fluttering it's tiny wings a few times as it got situated and comfortable. It almost immediately began singing a song of it's own before it melted in Akito's and the two songs became one.

Akito had never managed in failing to shock Yuki now, the sheer happiness rippling through the air and all around them had come solely from the older man and how he happened to be acting. Yuki was reminded almost instantly of the time they spent at that little stream… with those ripened berries, the way Akito laughed and made Yuki feel comfortable. The way… he loved that side of him… It'd been days since that day, weeks even and Yuki loved thinking about this new side of his relative that he'd never seen before and he'd slowly come to realize that he was seeing more and more of that side every day.

Akito smiled, shooing the bird away before he wrapped his arms about the younger boy. "Was that so hard?" he asked in response to the boys bewildered look. Sighing inwardly, tightened his grip on the boy and tilted his head to the side. "Ah, if you want.. You can change out of this silly kimono, but I did think you would find it more comfortable…"

"I like it…" /This… is…/ Yuki didn't know what to think by Akito's affection, he didn't know what to make of the older boy's actions. He was used to Akito being overly affectionate sometimes, the way he spoke… and the way he touched the others. A gentle and seducing brush of his hand along skin… Akito did this with everyone but now… now it was different. Akito wasn't trying to get anything out of him, Akito wasn't trying to gain loyalty or trust or… well, if he was then he sure as hell was hiding it rather well. /…This almost feels like he means it. But that's not possible. He isn't capable of having feelings like that! Because even if there's that nice side… that evil side's always a second away…/

-:

"I've waited forever for this, Yuki. And now you're here… with me… and I don't want to care about anything or anyone but you. You're so precious to me."

Yuki sneered, "That's not possible. I wont believe it! What about everything you did to me in the past?!" Yuki slid off the porch, small feet hitting the ground before he turned on his heel to face the startled Akito. "What about… what about…" both brows furrowed as he tried to remember what he couldn't… a piece missing… /Why can't I… remember what it is?/ Trembling hands were brought up to his face as violet hues watered, both brows furrowing as he glared at Akito. "What did you… do…? Why can't I remember?! Why can't I remember what I know I should?!"

Akito gasped, the expression on his face fading from startled to one of anger and betrayal. "Why are you accusing me of doing something?! I did nothing! Maybe you don't remember it because it never happened in the first place!"

"You LIE! He would never erase someone's memory without you telling him to! I know it! I can't remember it… There's nothing there… like before… the first time. You did it again!" Yuki retorted as he stood there, eyes wide as his gaze fell to the ground. His arms fell to his sides then, and he slowly shook his head. "I hate you… I hate you…"

/How does he know this…? How was he able to figure that out?/ Akito sneered, dark eyes growing rather dim as they emitted waves of hate and distrust, as if all the anger he happened to be feeling was directed at Yuki and Yuki alone. Slipping of the porch, he slowly made his way over to the boy, an icy hand grasping silver filaments as he stopped. "Don't you ever think you can speak to me like that. Must I remind you of what it's like to step out of line?" he hissed as he yanked the boys head up, empty eyes meeting wide and shocked violet ones. Akito shivered at the sheer joy of seeing all that confusion and fear. "You're being far too courageous, Yuki. Do you know what happens to everyone else when they treat me the way you just did? Don't you know? Can't you remember?!"

Violet eyes narrowed as he made an attempt to get away from Akito, and this action was returned with a rather tear jerking slap from Akito's free hand. "I don't… I don't care… you're ruining my life… I can't take this… You're not my god, you're not going to rule over me as if you're some hateful king who cares for nothing but his own pleasure! You.. You sicken me! You LIED to me!"

Akito grimaced and tossed the boy aside as he released his grip on the mouse, gray eyes shimmering as he watched the boy hit the ground and roll over onto his stomach. "Don't you ever speak to me like that," he stated rather casually as he took the few steps needed in order to reach the boy and, bending over, he once again grabbed the boy by his hair and pulled him up. "EVER again."

Tear filled violet eyes shut as he winced, both hands grasping the sides of his head as pain rippled through his skin, enveloping his whole body in a cloak of mind-bending torture as Akito punished him. Tears began to flow rather freely from those closed eyes of his as he tried to close the gap between Akito and himself, hands falling from his head to grasp on to the silky fabric of the older boys kimono. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to, please forgive me…" he whispered as slender digits curled tightly around the fabric and he rested his head against Akito's chest as he repeated his apology.

Releasing his grip, Akito simply sighed in response to the boys apology and wrapped his arms around the frail figure before him, "You didn't need to remember someone like her, anyway. You would have been hurt if you had."

/So it's true… and my heart's left wondering if what he says is a lie… That side of him I saw not too long ago, that smiling and laughing side of him… I want to see that more often… as long as that side of him doesn't betray me the way this side does… I love his kind and gentle hands, not those that are tinted with hatred and malice…/ Yuki sighed and buried his face into Akito's chest as he thought, "But you.. You said you wouldn't hurt me next time…"

:-

"Yuki?" Akito asked as he gave the boy a gentle shake as a hand raised rest itself on the mouse's forehead. Dark eyes shut as he hung his head, his hand falling from the rather heated skin to the boys collarbone. The mouse had a fever, and a rather violent one, at that… though from what, he didn't know.

Violet eyes fell half lidded as he leaned back into Akito, small hands reaching up to grasp the single hand rested on his collarbone as he tilted his head to the side, glossy tiers parting as he whispered a few little words, "…I'm so cold…" The feverish boy then closed his eyes as Akito proceeded to lay him down. /…I don't know why…/ Yuki thought as he turned onto his side, slender digits wrapping around the fabric of Akito's kimono as he attempted to pull him down, /…I could have gotten sick.. Or even… how… but even so, even so… the way he holds me sometimes…/

Akito blinked as he'd been pulled down, and almost immediately felt Yuki 'cling' after he'd situated himself on the floor. Gray eyes fell shut as he wrapped his arms around the boy, slender digits massaging small circles into the pale flesh that lay beneath the silky material that clothed the mouse as he pulled Yuki closer, reveling in the soft coos he received from the tired and feverish boy.

/…It's this side of him… that I'm falling for…/

*That is IT. No more of this chapter. I was being driven insane. X.x;;; I hope you liked it… Ahahaha. O.o; Whatever.*