Note: In Japan, they drive the same as in Britain, on reverse sides of the
road; therefore, the driver's side is on the right, not the left.
Note 2: I tried to keep Akito as much IC (in character) as possible in this chapter, but he still may be a little OOC (out of character). Gomen.
I stared dreamily at the only photograph of Akito I had. It was a picture taken only recently by Hatori. He was in dark purple robes of delicate white flowers pastelled across it in clusters across the beautiful, dark fabric; it suited him quite well. Akito looked quite well with the infamous stoic facade on his face, and his hair neat and its usual length (it had been cut shortly after he recovered). He looked quite handsome. And I was going on a date with him tonight!
Everything had happened so quickly over the past weeks! Only a few months ago, Akito had fully recovered from sickness, then he told me that nothing had changed between us, and then he asks me to go out with him! Of course I wasn't going to refuse, I was half-crazily in love with the guy, and besides, this is Akito we're talking about, the Sohma family Head.
I turned my head from the picture at my desk where I was sitting to look at the clock. It read 5:35. I sighed, trying to contain my excitement, and stood. Not knowing whether this was a casual occasion or not, I put on a light pink sweater and an informal white skirt that reached to my knees. I took extra care in my makeup, putting only a very light layer on. I made sure my hair was neat and orderly and I put hairspray on, and that I looked positively perfect!
I glanced at the clock one more time now. This time it read 6:40. Before I left my room to go downstairs to wait for Akito, I took a small wad of 500 yen and stuffed it in my bra; it always pays to be prepared.
I didn't really know what to look for of means of transportation since Akito didn't drive and never had; Hatori usually took him places. Finally, at 6: 55, a black car drove up, though it was not Hatori driving. I waved goodbye to Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo, and approached the car nervously. Surprisingly, Akito was sitting on the right side in the driver's seat! I nervously opened the door of the car and slid in. Akito was wearing black creased pants and a sweater; he looked quite distinguished, very Akito-ish. He turned his head to acknowledge me, but not in an unpolite way.
"Hello Akito," I said shakily, trying to sound cheerful. "But didn't you say you didn't drive?" I said.
"After I recovered, soon after Hatori got me a learner's permit. I'm still learning, but I can drive well enough," Akito said casually. Akito put his hands on the steering wheel before he started the car, but suddenly stopped. He turned to me and leaned forward, kissing my roughly on my mouth, pushing me back on the seat. He pulled away abruptly and started the ignition as if nothing had happened. I currently was a helpless flop in the seat next to him and blushing furiously, replaying the scene that had just happened over and over again in my mind. Suddenly remembering, I put my seatbelt on. Akito though, did not. Akito began to drive, his eyes focused intently on the road. His eyes didn't move at all from the road, and his eyes held a far-off look in them, almost as if he didn't see the road in front of him; but since he wasn't swerving violently, I knew he did see it.
"Akito, where did you have in mind to go?" I asked him.
"Let's see a movie," he suggested.
"Wow. Really?" I said. He nodded.
"What do you want to see?" he asked me.
"Um...I don't know. Why don't we see when we get there," I suggested. I blushed slightly, this was so unlike Akito; he was being nice, considerate, affectionate. Just thinking these thoughts made my cheeks burn lightly.
Minutes later, we pulled into the theater parking lot, with a few other cars parked here and there over the space of the lot too. We got out of the car and I straightened my hair as we approached the theater. We bought our tickets and went to sit down in the individual theater we were assigned.
We ended up seeing some gory, political drama. The opening scene began with an old politician dying in bed in the late 1600's. His grandson, Keda, becomes a politician as well, but before fights in a long, fantasized war when he is older.
Half way through the movie, I picked up a handfull of popcorn and raised it to my mouth, while staring at the screen during a rather bloody battle. Shijo, a comrade of Keda's, was suddenly shot out of nowhere in the leg. Blood immediately began squirting from the wound after he fell. I dropped the popcorn at my mouth, into my lap. I looked to my right at Akito. Akito was next to me, staring at the screen intently though I could tell he was seeing nothing of this movie. I turned back hesitantly to the screen.
~political drama~
I became aware of a probing sensation at my neck. I panicked as I became very aware that Akito was kissing my neck. I tried to move away.
"Stop Akito," I whispered. He ignored this and pulled me back, continuing to probe at my neck with his lips. He moaned. "Stop Akito," I hissed and tried to pull away again. But Akito refused to give up. He moved to my lips and began kissing me there instead. I continued to struggle to stop him. "Akito, no, wait," I said, trying to keep my voice low. I suddenly found myself pushed to the floor of the aisle we were in. I landed with a thud, and unsurprisingly, Akito was soon on top me, kissing me passionately on the lips. "Akito, stop! We're...in...public," I begged. Some old couple from a few rows ahead looked behind them.
"Crazy kids these days."
I tried to push Akito away and just do something, but he was relentless. Somehow at moments like these, it seems my life is taking some incredibly wild turns.
"Akito, please," I continued to beg hopelessly.
"But...why? Why don't you want to...makeout in a theater? Isn't that...what normal couples...do?" he asked, while still squeezing in a few kisses here and there.
"No!" I immediately realized I had said that too loud. "Normal couples don't do this sort of thing. And besides, uh...we aren't exactly official yet," I reminded him softly, thankful he had retreated for at least a moment. He hung his head, sighed and backed off completely, leaving only a very bewildered me on the floor, covered in kisses and popcorn. This was all too much to handle! Akito helped me to my feet.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked stoicly. I nodded.
"Yes, please," I said.
In the parking lot, after brushing the popcorn off my back, sitting in the car, I talked to Akito.
"Akito, if you had wanted to stay and watch the movie, we could have," I said softly. I felt guilty, as if I had ruined the date.
"No, I wasn't watching it anyway," Akito answered. I hesitated.
"Akito, did I ruin the date?" I asked shamefully. He turned his head to me.
"No. No, Tohru Honda, you didn't ruin the date if that's what you want to call it. But for every time I kissed you in there, I probably shouldn't be allowed to kiss you for two years," he said in a chillingly serious way.
"Uh...we'll still be kissing in two years?" I hadn't really thought about our future as a couple before, so two years seemed like quite a long time. "Aren't there any other girls you're interested in as well?" I asked him.
"No," he replied simply. "I don't know any other girls beside you, and even if I did, how could I trust them as I do you?" His eyes distracted from the road for a moment and he gave me something of what could be called a smile if such a thing existed for Akito. The moment was frozen in time forever in my memory. His eyes suddenly turned back to the road after that beautiful split second when our eyes met and he smiled at me. The image warmed my heart.
Suddenly, in the setting sun, Akito pulled into a parking spot by the side of the road and turned off the car. I waited for him to explain. We sat there for a minute before he began.
"A week ago, I told you nothing changed, didn't I? I lied. Instead of the lie being things had changed, the lie was that things hadn't changed. I needed time though. I could have died, and then recovering, and all the while you were there. How could you not get into my subconscious? You were many times the first person I saw in the morning. So, anyway, my words were not honorable." In other words, Akito just apologized. I smiled and reached over and hugged him. He did not stop me from embracing him and gently placed his hand on my arm.
"Aishiteru (lit: I am loving you), Sohma-kun," I whispered gently. "Akito..." I closed my eyes and reveled in my embrace around him. He said nothing.
~hug bugs~
Akito later dropped me off at home where I collapsed on the bed from pure exhaustion and being so overwhelmed with our first date. For now, life was just a tiny, little paradise knowing I could tell Akito I loved him freely, and knowing he at least, regretted he told me nothing had changed.
Note 2: I tried to keep Akito as much IC (in character) as possible in this chapter, but he still may be a little OOC (out of character). Gomen.
I stared dreamily at the only photograph of Akito I had. It was a picture taken only recently by Hatori. He was in dark purple robes of delicate white flowers pastelled across it in clusters across the beautiful, dark fabric; it suited him quite well. Akito looked quite well with the infamous stoic facade on his face, and his hair neat and its usual length (it had been cut shortly after he recovered). He looked quite handsome. And I was going on a date with him tonight!
Everything had happened so quickly over the past weeks! Only a few months ago, Akito had fully recovered from sickness, then he told me that nothing had changed between us, and then he asks me to go out with him! Of course I wasn't going to refuse, I was half-crazily in love with the guy, and besides, this is Akito we're talking about, the Sohma family Head.
I turned my head from the picture at my desk where I was sitting to look at the clock. It read 5:35. I sighed, trying to contain my excitement, and stood. Not knowing whether this was a casual occasion or not, I put on a light pink sweater and an informal white skirt that reached to my knees. I took extra care in my makeup, putting only a very light layer on. I made sure my hair was neat and orderly and I put hairspray on, and that I looked positively perfect!
I glanced at the clock one more time now. This time it read 6:40. Before I left my room to go downstairs to wait for Akito, I took a small wad of 500 yen and stuffed it in my bra; it always pays to be prepared.
I didn't really know what to look for of means of transportation since Akito didn't drive and never had; Hatori usually took him places. Finally, at 6: 55, a black car drove up, though it was not Hatori driving. I waved goodbye to Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo, and approached the car nervously. Surprisingly, Akito was sitting on the right side in the driver's seat! I nervously opened the door of the car and slid in. Akito was wearing black creased pants and a sweater; he looked quite distinguished, very Akito-ish. He turned his head to acknowledge me, but not in an unpolite way.
"Hello Akito," I said shakily, trying to sound cheerful. "But didn't you say you didn't drive?" I said.
"After I recovered, soon after Hatori got me a learner's permit. I'm still learning, but I can drive well enough," Akito said casually. Akito put his hands on the steering wheel before he started the car, but suddenly stopped. He turned to me and leaned forward, kissing my roughly on my mouth, pushing me back on the seat. He pulled away abruptly and started the ignition as if nothing had happened. I currently was a helpless flop in the seat next to him and blushing furiously, replaying the scene that had just happened over and over again in my mind. Suddenly remembering, I put my seatbelt on. Akito though, did not. Akito began to drive, his eyes focused intently on the road. His eyes didn't move at all from the road, and his eyes held a far-off look in them, almost as if he didn't see the road in front of him; but since he wasn't swerving violently, I knew he did see it.
"Akito, where did you have in mind to go?" I asked him.
"Let's see a movie," he suggested.
"Wow. Really?" I said. He nodded.
"What do you want to see?" he asked me.
"Um...I don't know. Why don't we see when we get there," I suggested. I blushed slightly, this was so unlike Akito; he was being nice, considerate, affectionate. Just thinking these thoughts made my cheeks burn lightly.
Minutes later, we pulled into the theater parking lot, with a few other cars parked here and there over the space of the lot too. We got out of the car and I straightened my hair as we approached the theater. We bought our tickets and went to sit down in the individual theater we were assigned.
We ended up seeing some gory, political drama. The opening scene began with an old politician dying in bed in the late 1600's. His grandson, Keda, becomes a politician as well, but before fights in a long, fantasized war when he is older.
Half way through the movie, I picked up a handfull of popcorn and raised it to my mouth, while staring at the screen during a rather bloody battle. Shijo, a comrade of Keda's, was suddenly shot out of nowhere in the leg. Blood immediately began squirting from the wound after he fell. I dropped the popcorn at my mouth, into my lap. I looked to my right at Akito. Akito was next to me, staring at the screen intently though I could tell he was seeing nothing of this movie. I turned back hesitantly to the screen.
~political drama~
I became aware of a probing sensation at my neck. I panicked as I became very aware that Akito was kissing my neck. I tried to move away.
"Stop Akito," I whispered. He ignored this and pulled me back, continuing to probe at my neck with his lips. He moaned. "Stop Akito," I hissed and tried to pull away again. But Akito refused to give up. He moved to my lips and began kissing me there instead. I continued to struggle to stop him. "Akito, no, wait," I said, trying to keep my voice low. I suddenly found myself pushed to the floor of the aisle we were in. I landed with a thud, and unsurprisingly, Akito was soon on top me, kissing me passionately on the lips. "Akito, stop! We're...in...public," I begged. Some old couple from a few rows ahead looked behind them.
"Crazy kids these days."
I tried to push Akito away and just do something, but he was relentless. Somehow at moments like these, it seems my life is taking some incredibly wild turns.
"Akito, please," I continued to beg hopelessly.
"But...why? Why don't you want to...makeout in a theater? Isn't that...what normal couples...do?" he asked, while still squeezing in a few kisses here and there.
"No!" I immediately realized I had said that too loud. "Normal couples don't do this sort of thing. And besides, uh...we aren't exactly official yet," I reminded him softly, thankful he had retreated for at least a moment. He hung his head, sighed and backed off completely, leaving only a very bewildered me on the floor, covered in kisses and popcorn. This was all too much to handle! Akito helped me to my feet.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked stoicly. I nodded.
"Yes, please," I said.
In the parking lot, after brushing the popcorn off my back, sitting in the car, I talked to Akito.
"Akito, if you had wanted to stay and watch the movie, we could have," I said softly. I felt guilty, as if I had ruined the date.
"No, I wasn't watching it anyway," Akito answered. I hesitated.
"Akito, did I ruin the date?" I asked shamefully. He turned his head to me.
"No. No, Tohru Honda, you didn't ruin the date if that's what you want to call it. But for every time I kissed you in there, I probably shouldn't be allowed to kiss you for two years," he said in a chillingly serious way.
"Uh...we'll still be kissing in two years?" I hadn't really thought about our future as a couple before, so two years seemed like quite a long time. "Aren't there any other girls you're interested in as well?" I asked him.
"No," he replied simply. "I don't know any other girls beside you, and even if I did, how could I trust them as I do you?" His eyes distracted from the road for a moment and he gave me something of what could be called a smile if such a thing existed for Akito. The moment was frozen in time forever in my memory. His eyes suddenly turned back to the road after that beautiful split second when our eyes met and he smiled at me. The image warmed my heart.
Suddenly, in the setting sun, Akito pulled into a parking spot by the side of the road and turned off the car. I waited for him to explain. We sat there for a minute before he began.
"A week ago, I told you nothing changed, didn't I? I lied. Instead of the lie being things had changed, the lie was that things hadn't changed. I needed time though. I could have died, and then recovering, and all the while you were there. How could you not get into my subconscious? You were many times the first person I saw in the morning. So, anyway, my words were not honorable." In other words, Akito just apologized. I smiled and reached over and hugged him. He did not stop me from embracing him and gently placed his hand on my arm.
"Aishiteru (lit: I am loving you), Sohma-kun," I whispered gently. "Akito..." I closed my eyes and reveled in my embrace around him. He said nothing.
~hug bugs~
Akito later dropped me off at home where I collapsed on the bed from pure exhaustion and being so overwhelmed with our first date. For now, life was just a tiny, little paradise knowing I could tell Akito I loved him freely, and knowing he at least, regretted he told me nothing had changed.