Mini-glossary of Japanese words/phrases used in this chapter and roughly
translated English equivalent:
ne - hey / right
maa - 'well' or placating when strung together several times like saying 'now, now, now'
hai - yes
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CHAPTER 4: Painful Distance
"Now you two," Shigure addressed Kyou and Yuki when Hatori had gone, "why don't you two relax a little? There's nothing you can do right now since you agreed to wait a bit to see how things go, ne?"
As one, Kyou and Yuki turned away from the door the doctor had just exited from, after the discussion that had taken place prior to his departure, to glare at Shigure who was standing just behind them in the hallway. It was an angry glare, full of helpless frustration and dark distrust, and it had Shigure arching an eyebrow warily as he regarded them.
"What?" Shigure asked. "It's no use getting mad at me, is it? I didn't do anything."
Kyou and Yuki remained silent, still glaring.
"Maa," went Shigure, scratching his head thoughtfully. "It's understandable you feel hostile considering the circumstances but, really, it's not healthy to worry so much, ne?" He regarded them through half- lowered eyelashes. "I'm sure Tohru-kun would say the same if she were here, ne?"
Kyou and Yuki flinched.
"In any case," Shigure said as if he didn't notice the rising tension spiking the air, "you should do something to take your mind off of it for the time being. Ah!" His face brightened as if he'd come up with a brilliant idea. "Why don't we watch TV?" He chortled. "Aya was just telling me the other day about this great new program that had lots of comedy and-" he broke off when he noticed their actions. "Wait, where are you going?" He pouted. "Don't you want to watch TV with me? Ah," he sighed longingly, "it'll be so lonely just by myself."
"That's enough," Yuki spoke sharply, shooting Shigure's silly antics an icy gaze that clearly indicated he wasn't in the mood for such silliness. "I'm going to my room." His tone was as frigid as his gaze. "Don't bother me."
Without another word, Yuki turned away, leaving them behind.
As burning hot as Yuki's gaze had been icy cold, Kyou just glared silently at the dog in a heatedly furious manner before he too turned away, inadvertently traversing the same trail his rival had just taken just moments before.
Shigure just stood there standing, staring after them, taking note of how the two of them who were usually so at odds were now almost exactly in tune, their actions almost mirroring each other as they struggled against something other than themselves as they foresaw a greater threat, one that appeared to bind them closer, even if they weren't consciously aware of it. An unusual sight it was, and possibly a promising one that was sure to bring about a change, a major event that would shake the foundation of their lives as they knew it and turn everything upside down in a chaotic upheaval from which there was no going back to what had been set before. For there was no denying the tension that hung thick in the air, like a string drawn taut and ready to unravel as all threads did eventually, either from being worn away gradually over time or in a sudden snap brought about from being under too much pressure. No matter how strong, all strings came apart with eventually; it was only a matter of when.
Humming cheerfully, lips curled slightly as he headed for his own room.
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"Come in."
As he had been bidden a short time before, a brief span that seemed to stretch on endlessly in his mind, Hatori once more slid open the door to Akito's chamber, dimly illuminated only by the traces of moonlight streaming in through the open outer doors. Within that darkened room, Hatori was further disheartened at the sight before him, the bulk of the remorse he had pushed back on the trip back from Shigure's returning with a sudden vengeful rush. He could see that she was seated in the exact same position she'd been in when he had left her nearly two hours ago, huddled on the floor with unbound hair shielding the features of a bent head.
And beside her, rising from his seated position on the floor, was the cause of it all, Akito, beautiful darkness swathed in flowing colored silk.
For one fleeting moment, the silken rustling of his kimono was the only sound in the room, the swishing of the delicate cloth with each of his movements sounding much like the dry rustling of dozens of nesting snakes as their scaly skins glided and rubbed against each other in darkened confines. It presented a lovely, if sinister, sight.
"Hatori!" Akito cried in boyish delight at seeing him. "I was hoping it would be you. Really! What took you so long? I was expecting you back much, much sooner."
The cast of his face grew more callously cold, an icy mask that inspired chills of foreboding, as he made his way closer to the doctor, silky cloth trailing lightly along on the floor behind him with his every step. And Hatori merely watched, breath bated, as Akito approached in languid motion, a silky glide that was almost feminine but was deceptively weak, masking the true strength of the malice that lay beneath the pretty surface.
"Being so late," Akito chided playfully, smoothly. "You weren't doing anything behind my back were you? Hmmm?"
Hatori quickly shook his head, wanting to stave off one of Akito's bouts of fury that could be quick to ignite. Having had much practice in it, Hatori bowed his head, a sign of submissiveness that strove to appease a power hungry tyrant, and spoke humbly in hopes of placating the dark lord of the manor.
"Please excuse me for taking so long," he said quietly. "I stopped to put her things in the room you assigned her. I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted to be bothered by them."
Akito immediately scowled. "And how would you know that?"
He glared coldly as the furious atmosphere about him seemed to mount to a dangerous degree, spiking higher and higher with each passing second, prelude to something much worse about to come and spill forth into the darkened room. It sent chills prickling across Hatori's skin upon witnessing it, feeling it with the instinct for survival that lay inherent in any living being that longed to escape that which sought to destroy or devour.
"Do you really think you can just presume to know everything on my mind?" Akito hissed. "Perhaps you have delusions of being the head of this clan to take the initiative by just assuming what I want like that. You really think I'm going to let this go, having you be so presumptuous as to act on what you imagine I want you to do?"
Then, suddenly, he shrugged it off and gave the doctor a pleased look.
"You were right. I'd rather not be bothered with such trivial details. Good thinking to be commended for. But try not to be so presumptuous on my account in the future, ne?" Akito's features turned sharp once more. "It's a good thing to keep in mind. Now," he said, abruptly switching tracks, "I'm sure putting her things away couldn't have taken that long. Her room is right next to mine after all." He smirked. "What else could have detained you? Well? Answer!" he demanded when he determined the responses to his questions weren't fast enough in coming.
Hatori drew in a small breath as he prepared himself, warily bracing himself for whatever reaction Akito would instigate at his next words. But answers were what he'd been ordered to give and he did as he was commanded.
"I also had to take the time to answer everyone's questions." His gaze flickered to the huddled girl. "About her."
"Oh?" The pleased smile stretched across his face as Akito murmured, "Is that so?"
"Hai."
"And how did they take the news?"
The excited expression on Akito's face as he asked was like that of a young child expecting gifts from Santa on Christmas, eager and edgy but confident that he'd get what he wanted in the end. It was all Hatori could do to keep his face as impassive as he could, trying to hide the disgust he felt at this entire situation and the people involved in it, including himself for pandering to it.
"They weren't happy," he bit out, tone harsher than he meant it to be.
Although Akito raised a brow at it, he didn't say anything, much more interested as he was in finding out about something else that consumed his thoughts. He leaned in a bit more, eagerness lighting up those dark eyes of his, excited in a horrible way that he had mastered to perfection.
"Ne, Hatori," Akito said, "tell me exactly what their reactions were. And don't leave anything out. I'm sure Tohru-san is just as interested in what her friends had to say. Isn't that right?" He tilted his head. "Ne, Tohru-san?"
A tiny shiver was the only answer she gave.
"Ne, Tohru-san?" he said again, this time more forcefully, the tone growing colder and harder than it had been before, flicking like a whiplash in the silence of the room.
"Hai."
The feminine voice that floated in the room was faint and subdued, barely audible, and Hatori damned himself more for his part in making it that way, for being a party to the dampening of such a bright spirit. But whereas Hatori abhorred it, Akito took great joy in it, seemed to wallow in it, throwing a satisfied glance in her direction which she couldn't see, huddled with her back to them as she was, before returning his attention to the silent doctor and the answers he held.
"See, Hatori? Tohru-san wants to know, too. And it would be terribly rude to ignore the wants of a guest, wouldn't it, Hatori?"
Hatori shuddered at the cold enjoyment on Akito's features but gave the reply expected of him. "Hai."
"Good, very good," Akito murmured, a wealth of satisfaction in those words. "Now, tell me what happened. What did they say? How did they react?" He smirked as he slid a sly glance in Tohru's direction. "How did Yuki react?"
There was no helping for it, Hatori told himself repeatedly when he caught the slight stiffening of Tohru's crouched form. He tried to keep uppermost in his mind the thought that the important thing was to keep Akito satisfied. And so, Hatori answered all of Akito's questions, giving the Souma family head the answers he wanted to hear, watching as he seemed to grow more and more content at hearing how others were made to suffer because of his actions.
Somehow, it never failed to both amaze and horrify Hatori to see how someone could derive such pleasure in inflicting emotional damage on other people. To Hatori, it seemed that Akito thrived on it, feeding off others' painful distress, happiest when watching those around him fall into agony by his machinations. Observing the obvious delight the head of the Souma family took when hearing about the strained reactions of his former victim, Yuki who Akito had once dragged into the darkest depths of despairing torment that still left their scars even to this very day, chilled Hatori to the core. It made the doctor fearful of the treatment that awaited Tohru at Akito's hands, hands that could turn painful or soothing depending on whatever whim decided to strike him.
Akito was capable of many whims, unpredictable and dangerous.
And when Hatori's account of the events back at Shigure's house was over, Akito began to laugh. There was a chilly sort of triumphant glee to that sound, piercing in its intensity within the quiet of the darkened room, still but for the actions of the one they were gathered here for. It held a harsh, abrasive quality that made the girl draw her legs tighter to herself while the doctor cringed at that sight and the laughter that echoed in his ears. As abruptly as the chilling noise had started, it stopped. The source of it letting out a little sigh of contentment as one arm draped in silk languidly came up to brush away a wayward strand of dark hair resting on his face, a gesture that bespoke of carelessness and a freedom from any worries.
"Ah, well," Akito said airily as he turned to stare at silent girl. "It worked out as I predicted. In the end, they stepped aside, just like I knew they would. You see, don't you, Tohru-san? It's just like I told you, isn't it?" He smirked. "When it comes down to a choice between you or me, I'm their family, their head, their god. Of course they chose me, chose to fall into step with my desires." He tilted his head. "It's too bad, isn't it? They abandoned you, left you alone like I told you they would, turning their backs without a word."
"That's not true!"
Hatori wasn't the only one temporarily frozen at his outburst. He couldn't believe it himself. The words had just popped out before he could even think about them, fueled by his growing anger at the harsh barbs Akito had been throwing at the defenseless girl who had, in his opinion, already undergone too much in too little time. But every impulse has its consequences, especially if one was a Souma, as Hatori knew full well and should have known better than to give into his impulses in such a fashion. Especially since he had already pressed his luck too often this night. Watching the gathering storm begin to brew around Akito, Hatori knew he needed to defuse it somehow before it broke and burst upon them all, raining all kinds of venom and destruction that they weren't yet prepared to deal with.
"Time." Hatori flashbacked briefly what Shigure had told him. "Give it time."
But Shigure's words weren't the only ones he remembered. There had also been the threat from Yuki backed up by Kyou's own glowering expression.
"We can wait for a little while, but not for long. If things don't change soon enough," Yuki's gaze grew cold, "then we'll see what we can manage to do on our own."
Those words echoed in Hatori's mind, remaining unvoiced for to speak them would be to make the devil before him, trembling in barely contained fury, lose complete control. The carefully edited version of accounts he had related to Akito in order to keep him mellow was on the verge of falling apart due to his own impulsive outburst and he needed to find a way to quickly put the situation back on more stable footing. And Hatori began thinking as fast as could to come up with a solution as Akito advanced on the doctor in brittle precise steps that brought him closer and closer until he was standing a hair's breadth away.
"What. Did. You. Say." Akito's eyes, frozen chips of ice, bored into the doctor as he bit out the words to his question, one by one.
Hatori swallowed hard, forcing back the fear brought about by having such a malicious presence so close at hand. "I meant that they were worried. They asked questions about Tohru-kun staying here indefinitely. Because she has responsibilities other than taking care of the house." Hatori slowly relaxed as he spoke, continuing with a little more confidence. "Even though she doesn't have to worry about school since it's summer break, she still works part-time for a living. She has to worry about how to meet expenses."
Akito continued his piercing stare, searching for what Hatori didn't know but he kept his face as neutral as he could, partially holding his breath as he waited for the Souma head's next movements. When the rage seemed to leak out of the kimono clad figure as he slowly drew back, Hatori gradually allowed the tense muscles of his body to loosen. But Hatori kept his gaze trained warily on the dark-haired figure, watching as Akito calmly drew up one side of the silken garment that slipped off his shoulder, looking almost carefree as a slight smile graced those coldly pale features.
"So," Akito said, tone indicating a dark kind of amusement. "They're worried are they?" He let out a light little chuckle. "How nice to know."
The words were drawled out with all the blissful satisfaction that brought to mind a predatory tabby cat that had struck success with his hunt and was rewarded with swallowing a plump little canary for his efforts. Thin lips curled as thoughts flickered rapidly within those dark eyes set into that beautiful wintry pale face. Hatori remained silent, able only to watch and wonder at whatever ideas bloomed in that sequestered dark mind that seemed to bring about such chillingly strong delight that the doctor could practically feel the force of it vibrating off of Akito in massive waves. But the vibrations suddenly dissipated, shrugged off by Akito as he gave a little sigh, slanting Hatori an arched look.
"If that's what they're worried about, you have my permission to tell them not to bother. The company she works for is under the Soumas, isn't it?" He waved a dismissing hand. "It's easily taken care of. If it's about expenses, reimbursement can be arranged so that she's paid whatever she would have earned working for the duration of time that she stays here. And she can have her job waiting for her when she leaves." He smiled again. "If she leaves. After all, it's too soon to tell how the cards will fall, isn't it? Tohru-san and I are only just starting to get to know each other. Aren't we, Tohru-san?"
"Hai," came the faint whispered reply after a moment's pause.
"That's right," Akito murmured, dark eyes fixed intensely on her figure. "We've still got much to talk about, you and I." Then he turned back to Hatori, airily waving a hand in her direction. "It's getting late and I need my rest. Remove her."
The abrupt switch had Hatori blinking but he wasted no time in getting her out of there. He had her up, head still bowed and hair concealing her features as it fell forward, and almost out the door when Akito's voice halted them, freezing them in place warily.
"Wait!" came the sharp order. Akito stared hard at Tohru's back. "Just a reminder. Tohru-san should remember our promise, ne? Because it's very rude to break a promise. You know what the consequences will be if you go back on your word, don't you? Don't you?" he repeated sharply.
Her head bobbed once in agreement.
"Good." He made a shooing motion with one hand. "You may go now."
Although Hatori was aching to ask what promise was made between the two, he knew this wasn't the time to inquire about it, if ever there would be. Hatori guided her out as quick as he could, sliding the door closed behind them, immediately feeling safer with that fragile barrier between them and the monster who ruled on the other side. He let out a relieved breath as he led her further away, and yet not so far as he merely took her to the room set aside for, next to Akito's.
He stood at the doorway of her new room, unlit but for the moonlight trickling in through the window, with her beside him and stared at that space, empty but for the futon laid out on the floor and the few bags containing her meager belongings. To him, it seemed such a barren place, not fit for the sunny girl who had come to brighten the shadowy existence of the Jyunnishi.
Doubts returned to him again about the wisdom of leaving her here, no matter what Shigure said, to suffer who knows what at Akito's hands. So thinking, he turned to the silent figure whose head was still bent as if in shame. He spoke to her in a low voice, careful to be as quiet as he could since they were right next to Akito's room and the dividing walls and doors, constructed of wood and paper as they were, did little to muffle the sounds of conversation.
"I can still take you out of here," he offered softly, not really sure he would truly be able to accomplish such a task.
At those words, she slowly raised her head and Hatori was able to see her face for the first time since he'd first brought her into the Honke and left her in Akito's care. He bit back a gasp at the complete change those once optimistic features had undergone as his eyes ran over them in the dim lighting of the room.
Whereas once the creamy skin of her face had been smooth and unblemished, now it was marred by the angry purplish color of a bruise that was taking hold, courtesy of Akito's pain bequeathing hands. But that wasn't the worst of it, Hatori thought. No, the most terrible thing were her eyes, once so sparkling and brimming with life that they could light up an entire room no matter how cast in shadows it may be. But that shine had been dulled to the blank glassy gaze that stared up at him now as a faint trace of her former bright smile tried painfully to work its way across her lips while her words came out low and a bit hoarsely.
"To still worry about me like this, Hatori-san really is kind."
He wasn't, Hatori wanted to say, guilt rolling over him at her words. Although she had suffered, was still suffering, she was still trying to comfort him, even though he was the one who had brought her here in the first place. In the face of her miseries, he couldn't bring himself to ask about the promise Akito had mentioned, instinctively knowing that it would only pain her more and he didn't want to place any more pressure on her than there already was.
"I'm not kind," he muttered. "But I want to do whatever I can to help you."
Tohru closed her eyes and shook her head. "Please, don't try." Her voice was soft. "It will only make things worse. For everyone."
"But-"
"Please." Her gentle murmur forestalled any protests he had been about to make. One hand came wearily up to rub at her forehead. "I'm a little tired. Although I know it's rude of me to ask, could Hatori-san please leave so I can rest?"
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
"Hai." She summoned up a pale mirror of her usual reassuring smile. "It's what I want."
Hatori sighed. It was against his better judgment but if that's what she said, then he couldn't do anything about it short of kidnapping her and spiriting her away himself. It was an impossible situation all around, he thought as he stepped out of the room while she moved further in. One hand on the door, prepared to slide it closed, he paused to look at her, her back facing him.
"Then I'll be leaving."
"Hai," she said, never turning around. "Good night."
"Good night," he said softly, sliding the door closed behind him, leaving her standing in the middle of her darkened new room.
Alone.
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In the distance, farther away, in two separate rooms of the same house Kyou and Yuki laid in the dark as the quiet of their surroundings pressed around them, laying shadows to play across them as they stared at nothing, still as they were consumed by their thoughts. They pondered the same things, unknowingly, alone and yet not alone in their thoughts as the same longings and desires flowed through them, urging them towards some course of action that they couldn't take.
After all, they had promised to wait.
But they didn't want to.
ne - hey / right
maa - 'well' or placating when strung together several times like saying 'now, now, now'
hai - yes
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CHAPTER 4: Painful Distance
"Now you two," Shigure addressed Kyou and Yuki when Hatori had gone, "why don't you two relax a little? There's nothing you can do right now since you agreed to wait a bit to see how things go, ne?"
As one, Kyou and Yuki turned away from the door the doctor had just exited from, after the discussion that had taken place prior to his departure, to glare at Shigure who was standing just behind them in the hallway. It was an angry glare, full of helpless frustration and dark distrust, and it had Shigure arching an eyebrow warily as he regarded them.
"What?" Shigure asked. "It's no use getting mad at me, is it? I didn't do anything."
Kyou and Yuki remained silent, still glaring.
"Maa," went Shigure, scratching his head thoughtfully. "It's understandable you feel hostile considering the circumstances but, really, it's not healthy to worry so much, ne?" He regarded them through half- lowered eyelashes. "I'm sure Tohru-kun would say the same if she were here, ne?"
Kyou and Yuki flinched.
"In any case," Shigure said as if he didn't notice the rising tension spiking the air, "you should do something to take your mind off of it for the time being. Ah!" His face brightened as if he'd come up with a brilliant idea. "Why don't we watch TV?" He chortled. "Aya was just telling me the other day about this great new program that had lots of comedy and-" he broke off when he noticed their actions. "Wait, where are you going?" He pouted. "Don't you want to watch TV with me? Ah," he sighed longingly, "it'll be so lonely just by myself."
"That's enough," Yuki spoke sharply, shooting Shigure's silly antics an icy gaze that clearly indicated he wasn't in the mood for such silliness. "I'm going to my room." His tone was as frigid as his gaze. "Don't bother me."
Without another word, Yuki turned away, leaving them behind.
As burning hot as Yuki's gaze had been icy cold, Kyou just glared silently at the dog in a heatedly furious manner before he too turned away, inadvertently traversing the same trail his rival had just taken just moments before.
Shigure just stood there standing, staring after them, taking note of how the two of them who were usually so at odds were now almost exactly in tune, their actions almost mirroring each other as they struggled against something other than themselves as they foresaw a greater threat, one that appeared to bind them closer, even if they weren't consciously aware of it. An unusual sight it was, and possibly a promising one that was sure to bring about a change, a major event that would shake the foundation of their lives as they knew it and turn everything upside down in a chaotic upheaval from which there was no going back to what had been set before. For there was no denying the tension that hung thick in the air, like a string drawn taut and ready to unravel as all threads did eventually, either from being worn away gradually over time or in a sudden snap brought about from being under too much pressure. No matter how strong, all strings came apart with eventually; it was only a matter of when.
Humming cheerfully, lips curled slightly as he headed for his own room.
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"Come in."
As he had been bidden a short time before, a brief span that seemed to stretch on endlessly in his mind, Hatori once more slid open the door to Akito's chamber, dimly illuminated only by the traces of moonlight streaming in through the open outer doors. Within that darkened room, Hatori was further disheartened at the sight before him, the bulk of the remorse he had pushed back on the trip back from Shigure's returning with a sudden vengeful rush. He could see that she was seated in the exact same position she'd been in when he had left her nearly two hours ago, huddled on the floor with unbound hair shielding the features of a bent head.
And beside her, rising from his seated position on the floor, was the cause of it all, Akito, beautiful darkness swathed in flowing colored silk.
For one fleeting moment, the silken rustling of his kimono was the only sound in the room, the swishing of the delicate cloth with each of his movements sounding much like the dry rustling of dozens of nesting snakes as their scaly skins glided and rubbed against each other in darkened confines. It presented a lovely, if sinister, sight.
"Hatori!" Akito cried in boyish delight at seeing him. "I was hoping it would be you. Really! What took you so long? I was expecting you back much, much sooner."
The cast of his face grew more callously cold, an icy mask that inspired chills of foreboding, as he made his way closer to the doctor, silky cloth trailing lightly along on the floor behind him with his every step. And Hatori merely watched, breath bated, as Akito approached in languid motion, a silky glide that was almost feminine but was deceptively weak, masking the true strength of the malice that lay beneath the pretty surface.
"Being so late," Akito chided playfully, smoothly. "You weren't doing anything behind my back were you? Hmmm?"
Hatori quickly shook his head, wanting to stave off one of Akito's bouts of fury that could be quick to ignite. Having had much practice in it, Hatori bowed his head, a sign of submissiveness that strove to appease a power hungry tyrant, and spoke humbly in hopes of placating the dark lord of the manor.
"Please excuse me for taking so long," he said quietly. "I stopped to put her things in the room you assigned her. I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted to be bothered by them."
Akito immediately scowled. "And how would you know that?"
He glared coldly as the furious atmosphere about him seemed to mount to a dangerous degree, spiking higher and higher with each passing second, prelude to something much worse about to come and spill forth into the darkened room. It sent chills prickling across Hatori's skin upon witnessing it, feeling it with the instinct for survival that lay inherent in any living being that longed to escape that which sought to destroy or devour.
"Do you really think you can just presume to know everything on my mind?" Akito hissed. "Perhaps you have delusions of being the head of this clan to take the initiative by just assuming what I want like that. You really think I'm going to let this go, having you be so presumptuous as to act on what you imagine I want you to do?"
Then, suddenly, he shrugged it off and gave the doctor a pleased look.
"You were right. I'd rather not be bothered with such trivial details. Good thinking to be commended for. But try not to be so presumptuous on my account in the future, ne?" Akito's features turned sharp once more. "It's a good thing to keep in mind. Now," he said, abruptly switching tracks, "I'm sure putting her things away couldn't have taken that long. Her room is right next to mine after all." He smirked. "What else could have detained you? Well? Answer!" he demanded when he determined the responses to his questions weren't fast enough in coming.
Hatori drew in a small breath as he prepared himself, warily bracing himself for whatever reaction Akito would instigate at his next words. But answers were what he'd been ordered to give and he did as he was commanded.
"I also had to take the time to answer everyone's questions." His gaze flickered to the huddled girl. "About her."
"Oh?" The pleased smile stretched across his face as Akito murmured, "Is that so?"
"Hai."
"And how did they take the news?"
The excited expression on Akito's face as he asked was like that of a young child expecting gifts from Santa on Christmas, eager and edgy but confident that he'd get what he wanted in the end. It was all Hatori could do to keep his face as impassive as he could, trying to hide the disgust he felt at this entire situation and the people involved in it, including himself for pandering to it.
"They weren't happy," he bit out, tone harsher than he meant it to be.
Although Akito raised a brow at it, he didn't say anything, much more interested as he was in finding out about something else that consumed his thoughts. He leaned in a bit more, eagerness lighting up those dark eyes of his, excited in a horrible way that he had mastered to perfection.
"Ne, Hatori," Akito said, "tell me exactly what their reactions were. And don't leave anything out. I'm sure Tohru-san is just as interested in what her friends had to say. Isn't that right?" He tilted his head. "Ne, Tohru-san?"
A tiny shiver was the only answer she gave.
"Ne, Tohru-san?" he said again, this time more forcefully, the tone growing colder and harder than it had been before, flicking like a whiplash in the silence of the room.
"Hai."
The feminine voice that floated in the room was faint and subdued, barely audible, and Hatori damned himself more for his part in making it that way, for being a party to the dampening of such a bright spirit. But whereas Hatori abhorred it, Akito took great joy in it, seemed to wallow in it, throwing a satisfied glance in her direction which she couldn't see, huddled with her back to them as she was, before returning his attention to the silent doctor and the answers he held.
"See, Hatori? Tohru-san wants to know, too. And it would be terribly rude to ignore the wants of a guest, wouldn't it, Hatori?"
Hatori shuddered at the cold enjoyment on Akito's features but gave the reply expected of him. "Hai."
"Good, very good," Akito murmured, a wealth of satisfaction in those words. "Now, tell me what happened. What did they say? How did they react?" He smirked as he slid a sly glance in Tohru's direction. "How did Yuki react?"
There was no helping for it, Hatori told himself repeatedly when he caught the slight stiffening of Tohru's crouched form. He tried to keep uppermost in his mind the thought that the important thing was to keep Akito satisfied. And so, Hatori answered all of Akito's questions, giving the Souma family head the answers he wanted to hear, watching as he seemed to grow more and more content at hearing how others were made to suffer because of his actions.
Somehow, it never failed to both amaze and horrify Hatori to see how someone could derive such pleasure in inflicting emotional damage on other people. To Hatori, it seemed that Akito thrived on it, feeding off others' painful distress, happiest when watching those around him fall into agony by his machinations. Observing the obvious delight the head of the Souma family took when hearing about the strained reactions of his former victim, Yuki who Akito had once dragged into the darkest depths of despairing torment that still left their scars even to this very day, chilled Hatori to the core. It made the doctor fearful of the treatment that awaited Tohru at Akito's hands, hands that could turn painful or soothing depending on whatever whim decided to strike him.
Akito was capable of many whims, unpredictable and dangerous.
And when Hatori's account of the events back at Shigure's house was over, Akito began to laugh. There was a chilly sort of triumphant glee to that sound, piercing in its intensity within the quiet of the darkened room, still but for the actions of the one they were gathered here for. It held a harsh, abrasive quality that made the girl draw her legs tighter to herself while the doctor cringed at that sight and the laughter that echoed in his ears. As abruptly as the chilling noise had started, it stopped. The source of it letting out a little sigh of contentment as one arm draped in silk languidly came up to brush away a wayward strand of dark hair resting on his face, a gesture that bespoke of carelessness and a freedom from any worries.
"Ah, well," Akito said airily as he turned to stare at silent girl. "It worked out as I predicted. In the end, they stepped aside, just like I knew they would. You see, don't you, Tohru-san? It's just like I told you, isn't it?" He smirked. "When it comes down to a choice between you or me, I'm their family, their head, their god. Of course they chose me, chose to fall into step with my desires." He tilted his head. "It's too bad, isn't it? They abandoned you, left you alone like I told you they would, turning their backs without a word."
"That's not true!"
Hatori wasn't the only one temporarily frozen at his outburst. He couldn't believe it himself. The words had just popped out before he could even think about them, fueled by his growing anger at the harsh barbs Akito had been throwing at the defenseless girl who had, in his opinion, already undergone too much in too little time. But every impulse has its consequences, especially if one was a Souma, as Hatori knew full well and should have known better than to give into his impulses in such a fashion. Especially since he had already pressed his luck too often this night. Watching the gathering storm begin to brew around Akito, Hatori knew he needed to defuse it somehow before it broke and burst upon them all, raining all kinds of venom and destruction that they weren't yet prepared to deal with.
"Time." Hatori flashbacked briefly what Shigure had told him. "Give it time."
But Shigure's words weren't the only ones he remembered. There had also been the threat from Yuki backed up by Kyou's own glowering expression.
"We can wait for a little while, but not for long. If things don't change soon enough," Yuki's gaze grew cold, "then we'll see what we can manage to do on our own."
Those words echoed in Hatori's mind, remaining unvoiced for to speak them would be to make the devil before him, trembling in barely contained fury, lose complete control. The carefully edited version of accounts he had related to Akito in order to keep him mellow was on the verge of falling apart due to his own impulsive outburst and he needed to find a way to quickly put the situation back on more stable footing. And Hatori began thinking as fast as could to come up with a solution as Akito advanced on the doctor in brittle precise steps that brought him closer and closer until he was standing a hair's breadth away.
"What. Did. You. Say." Akito's eyes, frozen chips of ice, bored into the doctor as he bit out the words to his question, one by one.
Hatori swallowed hard, forcing back the fear brought about by having such a malicious presence so close at hand. "I meant that they were worried. They asked questions about Tohru-kun staying here indefinitely. Because she has responsibilities other than taking care of the house." Hatori slowly relaxed as he spoke, continuing with a little more confidence. "Even though she doesn't have to worry about school since it's summer break, she still works part-time for a living. She has to worry about how to meet expenses."
Akito continued his piercing stare, searching for what Hatori didn't know but he kept his face as neutral as he could, partially holding his breath as he waited for the Souma head's next movements. When the rage seemed to leak out of the kimono clad figure as he slowly drew back, Hatori gradually allowed the tense muscles of his body to loosen. But Hatori kept his gaze trained warily on the dark-haired figure, watching as Akito calmly drew up one side of the silken garment that slipped off his shoulder, looking almost carefree as a slight smile graced those coldly pale features.
"So," Akito said, tone indicating a dark kind of amusement. "They're worried are they?" He let out a light little chuckle. "How nice to know."
The words were drawled out with all the blissful satisfaction that brought to mind a predatory tabby cat that had struck success with his hunt and was rewarded with swallowing a plump little canary for his efforts. Thin lips curled as thoughts flickered rapidly within those dark eyes set into that beautiful wintry pale face. Hatori remained silent, able only to watch and wonder at whatever ideas bloomed in that sequestered dark mind that seemed to bring about such chillingly strong delight that the doctor could practically feel the force of it vibrating off of Akito in massive waves. But the vibrations suddenly dissipated, shrugged off by Akito as he gave a little sigh, slanting Hatori an arched look.
"If that's what they're worried about, you have my permission to tell them not to bother. The company she works for is under the Soumas, isn't it?" He waved a dismissing hand. "It's easily taken care of. If it's about expenses, reimbursement can be arranged so that she's paid whatever she would have earned working for the duration of time that she stays here. And she can have her job waiting for her when she leaves." He smiled again. "If she leaves. After all, it's too soon to tell how the cards will fall, isn't it? Tohru-san and I are only just starting to get to know each other. Aren't we, Tohru-san?"
"Hai," came the faint whispered reply after a moment's pause.
"That's right," Akito murmured, dark eyes fixed intensely on her figure. "We've still got much to talk about, you and I." Then he turned back to Hatori, airily waving a hand in her direction. "It's getting late and I need my rest. Remove her."
The abrupt switch had Hatori blinking but he wasted no time in getting her out of there. He had her up, head still bowed and hair concealing her features as it fell forward, and almost out the door when Akito's voice halted them, freezing them in place warily.
"Wait!" came the sharp order. Akito stared hard at Tohru's back. "Just a reminder. Tohru-san should remember our promise, ne? Because it's very rude to break a promise. You know what the consequences will be if you go back on your word, don't you? Don't you?" he repeated sharply.
Her head bobbed once in agreement.
"Good." He made a shooing motion with one hand. "You may go now."
Although Hatori was aching to ask what promise was made between the two, he knew this wasn't the time to inquire about it, if ever there would be. Hatori guided her out as quick as he could, sliding the door closed behind them, immediately feeling safer with that fragile barrier between them and the monster who ruled on the other side. He let out a relieved breath as he led her further away, and yet not so far as he merely took her to the room set aside for, next to Akito's.
He stood at the doorway of her new room, unlit but for the moonlight trickling in through the window, with her beside him and stared at that space, empty but for the futon laid out on the floor and the few bags containing her meager belongings. To him, it seemed such a barren place, not fit for the sunny girl who had come to brighten the shadowy existence of the Jyunnishi.
Doubts returned to him again about the wisdom of leaving her here, no matter what Shigure said, to suffer who knows what at Akito's hands. So thinking, he turned to the silent figure whose head was still bent as if in shame. He spoke to her in a low voice, careful to be as quiet as he could since they were right next to Akito's room and the dividing walls and doors, constructed of wood and paper as they were, did little to muffle the sounds of conversation.
"I can still take you out of here," he offered softly, not really sure he would truly be able to accomplish such a task.
At those words, she slowly raised her head and Hatori was able to see her face for the first time since he'd first brought her into the Honke and left her in Akito's care. He bit back a gasp at the complete change those once optimistic features had undergone as his eyes ran over them in the dim lighting of the room.
Whereas once the creamy skin of her face had been smooth and unblemished, now it was marred by the angry purplish color of a bruise that was taking hold, courtesy of Akito's pain bequeathing hands. But that wasn't the worst of it, Hatori thought. No, the most terrible thing were her eyes, once so sparkling and brimming with life that they could light up an entire room no matter how cast in shadows it may be. But that shine had been dulled to the blank glassy gaze that stared up at him now as a faint trace of her former bright smile tried painfully to work its way across her lips while her words came out low and a bit hoarsely.
"To still worry about me like this, Hatori-san really is kind."
He wasn't, Hatori wanted to say, guilt rolling over him at her words. Although she had suffered, was still suffering, she was still trying to comfort him, even though he was the one who had brought her here in the first place. In the face of her miseries, he couldn't bring himself to ask about the promise Akito had mentioned, instinctively knowing that it would only pain her more and he didn't want to place any more pressure on her than there already was.
"I'm not kind," he muttered. "But I want to do whatever I can to help you."
Tohru closed her eyes and shook her head. "Please, don't try." Her voice was soft. "It will only make things worse. For everyone."
"But-"
"Please." Her gentle murmur forestalled any protests he had been about to make. One hand came wearily up to rub at her forehead. "I'm a little tired. Although I know it's rude of me to ask, could Hatori-san please leave so I can rest?"
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
"Hai." She summoned up a pale mirror of her usual reassuring smile. "It's what I want."
Hatori sighed. It was against his better judgment but if that's what she said, then he couldn't do anything about it short of kidnapping her and spiriting her away himself. It was an impossible situation all around, he thought as he stepped out of the room while she moved further in. One hand on the door, prepared to slide it closed, he paused to look at her, her back facing him.
"Then I'll be leaving."
"Hai," she said, never turning around. "Good night."
"Good night," he said softly, sliding the door closed behind him, leaving her standing in the middle of her darkened new room.
Alone.
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In the distance, farther away, in two separate rooms of the same house Kyou and Yuki laid in the dark as the quiet of their surroundings pressed around them, laying shadows to play across them as they stared at nothing, still as they were consumed by their thoughts. They pondered the same things, unknowingly, alone and yet not alone in their thoughts as the same longings and desires flowed through them, urging them towards some course of action that they couldn't take.
After all, they had promised to wait.
But they didn't want to.