Weight of it All By Rachel

Chapter 2—Pleasant surprises

"You are sure?" Hatori asked the man in front of him.

Akito stood up, the shoulder of his robe falling around him. A lazy smirk greeted the doctor from the one eye he could see out of. Of course he was sure. Akito never did anything he wasn't sure of.

"I am. And Hatori?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want them to know I'm coming. I want it to be... a delightful surprise." He let out a short laugh that echoed in the empty room.

Shigure let out a sneeze. Yuki gave him a surprised look for it had broken the unnerving silence in the room.

"Eh. Bless you."

"Oh. Thanks. Hmm... someone must be talking about me."

"Huh?" Yuki gave his older cousin an estranged look.

"You know, people are known to sneeze when someone else is taking about them."

"Oh."

Shigure gave Yuki a concerned look as the younger boy stared at the closed door probably seeing the woods beyond it. He had been distant ever since everything happened with Kyou. He was slowly reverting to the icy temperate he'd been before Tohru had shown up. And after the dramatic events this morning his brain seemed slow on the up take.

After Shigure interrupted whatever had been going on, on the roof, Kyou had run off. The dog hadn't been too worried. This was typical behavior of the orange haired youth. Tohru's reaction, however, was not typical. Instead of going after him or over worrying herself about it, she had simply vanished to her room.

"Hmm... I wonder when Kyou will be back." The dog wondered aloud.

"You mean he's not back yet?"

The two Souma's looked up at Tohru who had just entered the room. It was obvious she had been crying, but that was no longer the case.

"No Tohru, I'm afraid he's not. You know him. He'll probably be back by dinner, and even then he'll be sulking on the roof."

"If he's not careful he'll wear a hole through it." Yuki muttered.

"Well, I guess its lunchtime, a little past in fact. I'll go make us some food. Maybe Kyou will get hungry and come back to eat."

"Just like a real cat," the read once again muttered, a cold smile crossing his pretty face.

Tohru had missed the comment, being as she had already started lunch in the kitchen. She didn't understand why Kyou had lost his temper with her. Was it so wrong for her to want things to go back to the way they had been? She knew some things were different. She knew that relationship perceptions had changed too. But in time things should have been able to pick up a normal beat again. Tohru also couldn't shake the feeling that she had said something wrong.

Hatori pulled into the closest parking spot to Shigure's house. They had a bit of a walk ahead of them. He was glad that he had checked Akito before hand and made sure he was well enough. If the head of the family had the slightest signs of a fever Hatori would have forbid him to go. Or tried to at least. If Akito had really wanted to go then Hatori would have had to let him go.

Akito stepped from the car and breathed in the fresh air. He liked it out here more than the Souma house. The Souma house stank of the same people day after day. It reeked of sickness and the curse hovered about the air stifling and trapping. The air out here was different. It was fresh, clean, new; it held a sense that all was right. He liked this air.

"Shall we, Hari?" he offered, voice full of childish amusement. He held out his hand to the older man and Hatori, taking it, led him carefully through the forest.

When they came upon the house Akito ran forward. It wasn't exactly that he was excited to see them; it was more that he wanted to see their reactions. Especially hers. That was the reason he was there after all. He threw open the door, breathing heavily. He had already over-exerted himself.

Surprised eyes met him, blinking. It looked like they were in the middle of lunch. 'Good. I'm feeling a bit famished.'

"A—Akito. What a... surprise." Shigure said recovering quickly. He gave him a cheerful smile.

"It is, isn't it? I was a bit surprised myself when he suddenly decided to come here." Spoke Hatori, appearing behind his main patient.

"It seems I'm in time for lunch" Akito hinted, smiling at Tohru.

She seemed to snap out whatever trance she had been in. "O—Oh! Please join us. I-I'll go make some more." She scrambled up to hurry back into the kitchen, but Shigure stopped her.

"Here have Kyou's. He's not here, so he won't be eating it. Hari, you can have what's left of mine." 'I don't think I'm hungry anymore.'

"I'll pass." Hatori replied.

Akito frowned slightly. He didn't appreciate being stuck with leftovers. Especially the cat's leftovers. It was an insult to all he was. He took it anyway though. It would help him get his strength back. He hadn't realized how weak he was getting. Taking a bite he realized it was better than he expected. He thought it would be burnt and brittle and he was pleasantly surprised. He even forgot the insult in the food.

"This is surprisingly delicious Miss Honda. You are a wonderful cook. You'd make a good housewife." Tohru blushed at his comment and stammered out a 'thank you.'

"Yes, Tohru is a magnificent chef. I'd suggest she open her own restaurant if that didn't mean she'd have to stop cooking for us." The cheer in Shigure's voice was forced and that happy-go-lucky smile never faltered. Truth was, he was worried. It wasn't often Akito made surprise visits. If fact, it was more like never. And the fact that he had Hatori with him did nothing to calm his nerves. Perhaps Tohru had pushed Akito too far. Had Akito punished Hatori for not erasing her memories sooner? Shigure somehow doubted that though.

Hatori could practically read his friend's mind. After all the writer wasn't very hard to predict. He was worried that they were there to do something to the girl. Maybe they were, maybe they weren't, Hatori wasn't sure.

Yuki kept taking calming breaths. Being around Akito still scared him. It always would. It's why he originally moved in with his cousin. Akito hadn't taken very lightly to the fact that Yuki hated being a Souma. He didn't like the fact that Yuki wanted out of the family. So Yuki was beat heavily for this. Ever since, he had been frightened badly. He would freeze in place anytime Akito came near. He was trying to very hard to calm down at that moment. It had recently been made more difficult after he had tried to hurt Tohru.

"I'm glad you, uh, like it," Tohru responded to the earlier compliment. "So Akito, sir," she felt compelled to show him great respect, "What brings you all the way out here? It wouldn't have been any trouble for us to come visit you at the house."

Truthfully Tohru was worried about why they were there as well. The last time she'd seen Akito he had hurt her. She probably would have been worse off if it hadn't been for Yuki and Shigure. 'No. It was what you told him. You have that impact on people.' It was obvious though that he hadn't been very pleased with her after last time. Now he was here enjoying lunch with them, engaged in a forced cheery conversation with Shigure. Something was definitely amiss, even she could understand that.

She looked over at Yuki to gave his reaction and froze. He was quivering slightly and he seemed scared. Tohru had completely forgotten that he didn't like Akito. How could something like that have slipped her mind?

"Yuki..."

At the sound of his name everyone else glanced over there. Akito smiled slightly. "Yuki, you've been quiet. Aren't you happy to see me?"

He didn't know how to answer that question. No, he wasn't particularly happy that he was there. Yet some part of him didn't mind it either. It was the curse. It was because of who Akito was. In a way, he was God.

Taking another calming breath, he plastered on his cold Prince Souma smile and repsonded rather smoothly for how he was feeling. "Of course Akito." Inside though his head was reeling.

"Good," Akito replied. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes and gave everyone an uncharacteristic grin, "I hpe you're all happy to see me. I want you all to move into the main house. Even you, Tohru."

End chapter2

Yey! Plot. And a cliff hanger. Imagine that. Anyway, I'd love to get reviews from my lovely readers. It's nice to know what you all think. And how you think I could be better, or whether or not you think I'm a goddess. -Giggle-

Thanks to:

animeprincess1452-- Thanks you for the reviews so far. I'm glad you like my stuff. I have a new fan! -Victory sign. Snuggle-

Chiharu Ylliana: Sorry to blackmail ya. I'm not doing it anymore. Although feel free to review anyway. And I figured everyone would understand the sarcasm thing, but I also know there are some who wouldn't and I didn't want to be asked stupid qustions. .6

And to my other two reviewers. I love you too. Thank ya all very much!!!