Mini-glossary of Japanese words/phrases used in this chapter and roughly
translated English equivalent:
hai - yes
iie - no
ne - hey / right
arigatou gozaimasu - thank you very much
sumimasen - excuse me/ I'm sorry
onsen - hot springs
tabi - Japanese socks with a split in them for the large toe so that they can be worn comfortably with sandals
ano - umm, a sound expressing hesitation
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CHAPTER 6: Silken Bonds
"What?"
The word was hoarsely gasped as she stared at him in disbelief, certain she had heard wrong, that her ears were playing tricks on her because it was absolutely impossible to her mind that Akito could have said what she thought he just did. But the cruel enjoyment she found within that dark gaze trained upon her face caused a sinking feeling within her as fear stole over her that, no, her ears had not been mistaken, she had heard correctly the first time.
"Must I repeat myself?" His eyes narrowed, an unpleasant gesture, as temper swirled in their depths. "You know how I hate that."
"Hai, but-"
She broke off, wincing in pain at the sudden sharp tug on a strand of her hair. Fearfully, she took in that furious dark gaze that bored into her and tilted her head to try and relieve the pressure brought about by his tight grip on her hair as he kept the tension taut to an unpleasant level that caused her scalp to ache with his cruelty, an unmerciful thing that she had awakened without meaning to.
"Don't argue with me," he hissed angrily. "Or are you going to break our pact so easily?" He gave another sharp tug. "Answer me!"
"Iie," she replied quickly, blinking back tears of pain. "I won't break it."
Pulling her hair, he drew her closer until she was practically leaning over him, volatile gaze never releasing hers. He whispered to her harshly, "Don't forget it. You for them. It's a simple trade, really, don't you think?"
She gave a slight nod, muscles trembling at the effort to hold her body arched over him in the uncomfortable position she was in as she listened to his words.
"You should be grateful, really," he told her. "Here I am, being kind enough to offer you a way to repay them after all they've done for you, after what all the Soumas have done for you by taking you in when you had nowhere else to go. And they," he spat out, "those ungrateful relations of mine will be let off easy. They don't deserve it after how they've been behaving but, as a gesture of my benevolence, I'm willing to let it go. But," he said, voice suddenly turning soft and caressing, "that all depends upon you, now, doesn't it? And you will uphold your end of the deal, won't you? Ne, won't you?"
She nodded, swallowing hard.
"Good girl." He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "I told you last night and I'll tell you again; it's not fair for me to uphold my end of the bargain if you don't do a good job of keeping your own. I didn't have that many conditions, really. They're not that difficult to stick to, ne?"
She shook her head in reply.
"That's right." He gave her a happy smile. "Remember to do everything I say and it will all work out just fine. Remember," the look on his face turned fierce, "until I say that it's over, you're mine to do with as I see fit. Isn't that right?"
"Hai," she whispered hoarsely.
His expression was pleased as he regarded her and, as a reward, he released her hair, allowing her to sink back into a more comfortable sitting position. He enjoyed the distress etched upon her features, proof of the effect that he had on her. She was so much fun to play with and she belonged to him now. He'd won and taken her away from the others, taken the one who had turned them against him and put her under his power. He was the victor and he relished in pushing her ability to keep the promise she had made to him to the limits. He was very, very eager to see how much she could take.
"Now that that's settled," he said, tone hardening, "take off your clothes."
He watched silently with dark mirth as she bit her lip nervously, refraining from further protests, while her trembling hands came up and paused at the top button fastening her shirt closed. Her face was pale as her gaze darted anxiously around, no doubt scanning the outer gardens where their position placed them in full view of anyone who might happen to venture by. Her distressed eyes flickered to his hard ones, meeting them before she gave a convulsive swallow and began to undo the row of buttons with fumbling fingers until the last one was undone. He observed her avidly and without mercy when she hesitated, darting another fretful look about their open surroundings before taking a deep, shuddering breath prior to shedding it off, leaving her torso bare but for the plain white bra that cupped her breasts. As he continued to stare, pink began to spread across her chest and face, replacing the paleness as her flesh shivered despite the warmth of the summer temperature.
"The skirt, too," he commanded.
She stood up slowly, flushed in frightened mortification, still darting nervous glances around the area while avoiding the dark gaze that remained intent upon her. With shaking hands, she undid the side zipper and slid the material of her skirt down. Then she stood there, clad only in her undergarments in the open setting, pulse beating frantically as she trembled. Wordless silence fell heavily between them until, going pale with anxiety once again, she reached behind her to unhook the clasp of her bra.
"Leave it."
Startled, she glanced at him to find him gazing at her with an impassive expression. She couldn't tell what he was thinking but was relieved at the command, nonetheless. It was discomfiting enough for her to stand before him as scantily clad as she was but she took comfort that she was, at least, still wearing something. It's just like wearing a bikini, she told herself. But no matter how often she repeated that thought to herself, it didn't stop her embarrassed flush at being practically nude from returning, especially when he rose up and began to circle her, the material of his loose kimono making light noises as it dragged upon the wooden floor as he walked around her.
Uncomfortable, she crossed her arms across her exposed chest, watching him warily.
He noticed her reaction and her obvious discomfort amused him, pleased him. He was silent as he circled her, knowing that it would only heighten the tension as the wordless quiet drew on while he eyed her, taking in the purpled blemishes that marred her flesh. His lips curved, remembering the delight he'd taken in marking her last night when he'd outlined the consequences in store for her if she failed to obey him to his satisfaction. He had pinched and twisted flesh, administering tiny stinging pains that had brought tears to her eyes, careful to place them only where skin was concealed by her clothes. The tiny bruises were a wonderful secret between him and her; no one would even think about them unless they were seen and Akito had taken great deal of glee when Hatori had seemed none the wiser.
Now, in the light of day and without the concealing barrier of clothing, the blemishes were clearly visible to his eyes; they spotted the tops of her thighs, moved up across her ribcage and chest, and speckled the contour of her back. It was proof of her subjugation to him and he reveled in the dark little secret branded on her flesh that was a sight only for him.
Except for the blemish on her cheek.
He hadn't really meant to but he'd lost his temper when she failed to concede to his initial demand. Before he'd thought about it, his fingers had flashed towards her face and gripped, never letting go until she gave in after he'd whispered of much worse things he had done in the past. But, once it was done, he'd been oddly pleased that there was one mark, at least, that was visible to the world, proof to everyone else of the claim he had over her. Now, it was plain to see that he had more right to her than anyone else.
He reached out a single finger to touch that trembling flesh that was now his property. He lightly traced one of the marks on her back and then pressed, smiling when she stiffened at the tiny pain that touch induced. The finger became a hand that pressed warmly against her back as he leaned in closer until his mouth barely brushed her ear.
"I could kiss them and make them better," he whispered huskily.
She quickly turned to stare at him, horrified and fearful, her face draining of color until it was sheet-white. While her reaction satisfied a part of him that had planned it, oddly enough, he was also unexpectedly irritated by it. The odd mix of emotions unsettled him, threw him off his usual balance, so he sought a distraction.
"The box in the corner." He gestured in the direction. "Go and open it."
Though startled at the abrupt command, she wasted no time in putting some distance between them and quickly scurried to the corner he indicated. She was slightly surprised that she hadn't noticed the fair-sized oblong box lying on the floor before since the room was so sparse. Of course, she'd had other things on her mind when she had first entered and cataloguing the room's contents hadn't been high on her list of priorities. Curious and a bit wary, she did as she was bid; she knelt down and cautiously lifted the lid and pushed aside the concealing tissue paper, gasping when its contents were revealed to her wide eyes.
It was a kimono.
Well, she almost certain that it was although it was a bit difficult to tell for sure considering how it had been lightly folded up to fit in the box. But the vibrancy and quality of the material visible to her gaze left little room in her mind for other possibilities of what it could be. The cloth was obviously silk which was a testament to the wealth of the Souma family to be able to afford the expense when the yukata, a Japanese summer kimono, was more commonly worn during this season and was usually made up of cotton or other synthetic fibers that also kept them easier to care for; few had the financial resources to continually maintain the use of silk kimono.
"Are you going to put it on or stare at it all day?" asked an irritated voice. "It's not going to do any good just staying in the box."
"Eh?!" She swung around to stare at him in alarm. "This is for me?"
He snorted in disgust. "Surely you don't think I'm going to wear something that pink."
"Iie, of course not." Her face flamed even as she looked back at the box in distress. "But I can't accept this."
"Oh?"
The word was drawled softly, dangerously with the beginnings of another rage as he silently approached her, but she didn't notice this change in mood. Her mind was too preoccupied with the box's contents as she frowned and began wringing her hands in agitation, all other worries falling away as her world narrowed to focus on the treasure before her. She shook her head, gazing worriedly at the silk cloth as she spoke.
"It's too much for me. I've never had anything this expensive. I can't possibly take it." She looked up at him with wide eyes. "It would take forever to repay back the cost."
He paused. "Repay?"
"Hai." She bit her lip, a guilty expression on her features. "It's so beautiful; I can't just accept something as costly as this for free. It wouldn't be right."
He stared at her for a moment then frowned. "Don't be stupid; of course you can."
"But-"
"Shut up," he snapped. "Don't start thinking so highly of yourself; this isn't for you. It's for me." He scowled down into her confused face. "It offends my sensibilities to see such cheap clothes." He flicked a disgusted glance in the direction where her discarded clothes were puddled on the floor. "Especially on anyone keeping me constant company as you'll be doing. As long as you're here, you'll wear what I want you to. That's an order." His gaze hardened. "Understand?"
"Hai." She rose to her feet, clutching the box, and looked at him hopefully. "Then it's really okay for me to wear this?"
"Are you deaf as well as dumb?" he snarled. "I just said it was!"
"Sumimasen. It's just that I've never been given anything so," she searched for the right word, "elegant." She suddenly smiled and bowed. "Arigatou gozaimasu!"
He regarded her warily, disconcerted. He wasn't used to half-naked girls bowing to him in gratitude. Nor had he expected her to thank him with a sunny smile after everything that had happened up until now. It was as if she'd forgotten all of it in favor of concentrating on the now and the wonder of receiving such a luxurious item. Was she really that simple- minded? He hadn't thought much of what her reaction would be when he conceived of the idea to give her new clothes; he never worried about the cost of material objects so it had never occurred to him that such a casual gesture on his part would produce such a surprising response. Irritated at his unsettled musings and how the situation had turned unexpectedly, he snapped at her.
"Just put it on already!" He gave her a baleful glare. "Unless you want to walk around all day like that."
She startled and then flushed in embarrassment, feeling uncomfortable and miserable once again. She couldn't believe that, in her excitement over the new garments, she'd forgotten about her state of undress! Her mother would be mortified at her immodesty, she thought wretchedly as the idea of donning the silk cloth and covering her near nudity became more appealing.
Under Akito's watchful gaze that only served to fluster her even further, she gingerly removed the different silk pieces from the box and carefully laid them out on the floor. Then her face fell into worried lines as she looked at them; she wasn't sure she'd be able to put it on properly.
She knew that there was an art to wearing the kimono that was either passed down from mother to daughter or could be learned at one of the special schools that taught the proper techniques to wear one. But her mother had never been the kimono wearing type and Tohru had never had the time to attend one of the schools. Besides, there had been no point to it as they had needed their funds for other things than something as trivial as purchasing a kimono, even one of the cheaper ones. The closest she had come to wearing one was at the onsen that Momiji had taken her to with Yuki and Kyou where they'd been given yukata to wear but that had been much simpler as it consisted of only one layer and a belt, not the many parts laid out before her. She became upset at the idea that her lack of knowledge rendered her unable to wear the formal kimono with the proper technique it deserved, afraid that her fumbling attempts would only serve to ruin the expensive silk.
"Sumimasen," she said miserably, appearance downcast as she sat with hands folded in her lap.
"What now?" He was clearly exasperated.
"I've never really worn one of these before." She winced at the look on his face. "I'm afraid I won't put it on right."
"I should have suspected something like this from such a common person," he sneered as she flinched at the words. An inscrutable expression crossed his features. "There's no helping it. I'll do it." He bent down to pick up one of the pieces. "Stand up."
"Eh?"
She was shocked. Akito was going to help her dress? But when the dark gaze meeting her own turned icy at her hesitation, she remembered what he said about making him repeat himself and immediately stood, trembling in nervous anxiety. Though extremely uncomfortable at the situation, she bore with it in the hopes that she'd soon be clothed and Akito's anger was kept at bay.
"Watch carefully," he told her sharply. "This is the only time I'll do this. After this, you have to do it yourself."
"Hai."
She tried her best to ignore her state of undress by concentrating on his actions. Surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult a task as she found something oddly fascinating and soothing with the entire process and vaguely wondered if this was one of the attractions of the age-old Japanese traditional way of dress that allowed it to survive throughout the passing centuries, despite the modifications modern times with its changing tastes and trends had wrought upon it.
Whatever the case, she kept her attention focused upon him, avidly observing his movements as he settled the juban, the undergarment slip consisting of a white cotton top and skirt, in place on her body. She felt better immediately once the material was settled upon her because it meant that she was finally covered, no longer standing around in just her underwear, with the hideous bruised on her body out of sight. The knowledge made it easier for her to relax a bit and allowed her to completely focus her attention on the rest of the process.
Who would have thought it would take so long to get her to put something on?
That was Akito's irritated thought as he picked up the outer layer, the silk kimono, and placed it on her, making sure that the back seam was centered. He had imagined giving her the box and letting her deal with donning its contents, sure that she'd rush with all haste to put them on after being stripped of her own clothes. He had never entertained the idea that he'd end up doing it himself. It was an oversight on his part, thinking that she'd know how to put on the traditional garments like everyone else he usually had contact with. Of course, he could have pawned her off on someone else, one of the servants perhaps, who would have shown her the proper way to wear the kimono but had deemed this the fastest route to take rather than taking the time to find another person to do it. Besides, he found himself vaguely resistant to letting her body be seen by someone else the way he had.
He gave a short sigh of disgust at how he was temporarily playing lady's maid; it was so beneath him and was glad there was no one else around to witness it.
He was scowling and Tohru absently wondered what he was thinking as she watched him wrap the right side of the pink silk over her body and then overlapped it with the left before adjusting the white slip beneath so that it showed evenly around her neck just under the kimono collar. The kimono was long as it trailed on the floor until he pulled the material up, gathering it above her waist, until it was ankle length. Then he began on the obi belt that consisted of several belts. He started with the first one, the koshi-hime belt, which was of pale lavender silk that he tied below the excess material. After rearranging the material to his satisfaction so that it covered the belt, he wrapped the next one, the date jime belt made up of a dark purple and gold floral patterned silk, around so that it concealed the koshi-hime belt and then tied it off. Then he took the braided cord, the obi-jimi, of a pink color several shades lighter than the kimono and tied it on top of the obi, finishing it off.
He stood back and surveyed her critically, seeing how the pink of the kimono, complemented with the vibrant purple and gold blended design around the hem and by the obi belt, made her appear more feminine and delicate. But there was something missing and he dug around in the discarded box until he found what he was looking for hidden under the tissue paper that had cushioned the kimono.
The tabi socks.
"Ah!" Tohru exclaimed when she saw what he held. "I can do that."
Akito's annoyance at having to help her dress was patently obvious to her and she felt that having to do something as menial as assisting her with putting on socks would only make it worse since it wasn't an action that a person of his elevated status should perform, especially not for someone like her. She leaned down to do it herself only to realize that she couldn't; the kimono restricted her from bending down the way she needed to in order to put on the socks. The miserable expression returned to her face when she grasped the fact that even that simplest of tasks was beyond her abilities at the moment. A sound of disgust drew her attention and she found him glaring at her with a put upon look on his face as went to finish the job himself.
"Sumimasen," she apologized dismally.
"Stop apologizing," he snapped. "It's getting irritating."
"Sumima-" she broke off at his sharp glare. "Hai," she amended.
"Hmph," he snorted. "Remember this and put the tabi on first next time."
"Hai," she replied, making a mental note to do just that.
She tried not to fidget nervously as he straightened and stood back to examine her again. Despite the tense situation, she couldn't help but feel awed that she was really wearing something so beautiful. Had the circumstances been a little different, it would have resembled one of her dreams where she was dressed like a princess complete with a prince by her side. However, the current prince spoke unprincely words that spoiled her fantasy.
"In the right clothes," he commented, "you're not so ugly after all."
Not knowing what to say to that, she opted to remain silent.
In the kimono, Akito thought, she made a fetching sight, far from being ugly as he had once told Shigure she was. Pretty in pink, she would have been a perfect vision if not for the blemish marring the smoothness of her cheek. Oddly irked by the sight all of a sudden, he frowned over this strange reaction. If he didn't know better, he would swear that he almost felt regretful.
But, of course, that was ridiculous since he hadn't done anything wrong to be regretful about.
Suddenly he felt tired and only wanted to be alone for a while, to rest and recover from whatever fatigue that was plaguing him to make him think such odd and unsettling thoughts lately. But he couldn't do that while she was here, not the one who seemed somehow to be connected with his unsettlement, so he waved a dismissing hand, indicating that he wished her gone from his presence, for the moment at least.
"That's all for now," he told her. "Go back to your room. Come back here after lunch."
"Hai," she said. Then she hesitated, nervous. She knew that to question him or to be in his presence any longer than necessary was dangerous but, still, she paused, trembling anxiously as her eyes flickered towards her discarded clothes still lying haphazardly on the floor. "Ano, what about my clothes?"
"Leave them," he barked harshly, patience at an end. His eyes snapped at her. "Get out!"
There was no hesitation this time as she scurried to obey, quickly exiting the room, pulse pounding in her throat at her scare, and leaving him alone with his thoughts, whatever they may be.
hai - yes
iie - no
ne - hey / right
arigatou gozaimasu - thank you very much
sumimasen - excuse me/ I'm sorry
onsen - hot springs
tabi - Japanese socks with a split in them for the large toe so that they can be worn comfortably with sandals
ano - umm, a sound expressing hesitation
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CHAPTER 6: Silken Bonds
"What?"
The word was hoarsely gasped as she stared at him in disbelief, certain she had heard wrong, that her ears were playing tricks on her because it was absolutely impossible to her mind that Akito could have said what she thought he just did. But the cruel enjoyment she found within that dark gaze trained upon her face caused a sinking feeling within her as fear stole over her that, no, her ears had not been mistaken, she had heard correctly the first time.
"Must I repeat myself?" His eyes narrowed, an unpleasant gesture, as temper swirled in their depths. "You know how I hate that."
"Hai, but-"
She broke off, wincing in pain at the sudden sharp tug on a strand of her hair. Fearfully, she took in that furious dark gaze that bored into her and tilted her head to try and relieve the pressure brought about by his tight grip on her hair as he kept the tension taut to an unpleasant level that caused her scalp to ache with his cruelty, an unmerciful thing that she had awakened without meaning to.
"Don't argue with me," he hissed angrily. "Or are you going to break our pact so easily?" He gave another sharp tug. "Answer me!"
"Iie," she replied quickly, blinking back tears of pain. "I won't break it."
Pulling her hair, he drew her closer until she was practically leaning over him, volatile gaze never releasing hers. He whispered to her harshly, "Don't forget it. You for them. It's a simple trade, really, don't you think?"
She gave a slight nod, muscles trembling at the effort to hold her body arched over him in the uncomfortable position she was in as she listened to his words.
"You should be grateful, really," he told her. "Here I am, being kind enough to offer you a way to repay them after all they've done for you, after what all the Soumas have done for you by taking you in when you had nowhere else to go. And they," he spat out, "those ungrateful relations of mine will be let off easy. They don't deserve it after how they've been behaving but, as a gesture of my benevolence, I'm willing to let it go. But," he said, voice suddenly turning soft and caressing, "that all depends upon you, now, doesn't it? And you will uphold your end of the deal, won't you? Ne, won't you?"
She nodded, swallowing hard.
"Good girl." He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "I told you last night and I'll tell you again; it's not fair for me to uphold my end of the bargain if you don't do a good job of keeping your own. I didn't have that many conditions, really. They're not that difficult to stick to, ne?"
She shook her head in reply.
"That's right." He gave her a happy smile. "Remember to do everything I say and it will all work out just fine. Remember," the look on his face turned fierce, "until I say that it's over, you're mine to do with as I see fit. Isn't that right?"
"Hai," she whispered hoarsely.
His expression was pleased as he regarded her and, as a reward, he released her hair, allowing her to sink back into a more comfortable sitting position. He enjoyed the distress etched upon her features, proof of the effect that he had on her. She was so much fun to play with and she belonged to him now. He'd won and taken her away from the others, taken the one who had turned them against him and put her under his power. He was the victor and he relished in pushing her ability to keep the promise she had made to him to the limits. He was very, very eager to see how much she could take.
"Now that that's settled," he said, tone hardening, "take off your clothes."
He watched silently with dark mirth as she bit her lip nervously, refraining from further protests, while her trembling hands came up and paused at the top button fastening her shirt closed. Her face was pale as her gaze darted anxiously around, no doubt scanning the outer gardens where their position placed them in full view of anyone who might happen to venture by. Her distressed eyes flickered to his hard ones, meeting them before she gave a convulsive swallow and began to undo the row of buttons with fumbling fingers until the last one was undone. He observed her avidly and without mercy when she hesitated, darting another fretful look about their open surroundings before taking a deep, shuddering breath prior to shedding it off, leaving her torso bare but for the plain white bra that cupped her breasts. As he continued to stare, pink began to spread across her chest and face, replacing the paleness as her flesh shivered despite the warmth of the summer temperature.
"The skirt, too," he commanded.
She stood up slowly, flushed in frightened mortification, still darting nervous glances around the area while avoiding the dark gaze that remained intent upon her. With shaking hands, she undid the side zipper and slid the material of her skirt down. Then she stood there, clad only in her undergarments in the open setting, pulse beating frantically as she trembled. Wordless silence fell heavily between them until, going pale with anxiety once again, she reached behind her to unhook the clasp of her bra.
"Leave it."
Startled, she glanced at him to find him gazing at her with an impassive expression. She couldn't tell what he was thinking but was relieved at the command, nonetheless. It was discomfiting enough for her to stand before him as scantily clad as she was but she took comfort that she was, at least, still wearing something. It's just like wearing a bikini, she told herself. But no matter how often she repeated that thought to herself, it didn't stop her embarrassed flush at being practically nude from returning, especially when he rose up and began to circle her, the material of his loose kimono making light noises as it dragged upon the wooden floor as he walked around her.
Uncomfortable, she crossed her arms across her exposed chest, watching him warily.
He noticed her reaction and her obvious discomfort amused him, pleased him. He was silent as he circled her, knowing that it would only heighten the tension as the wordless quiet drew on while he eyed her, taking in the purpled blemishes that marred her flesh. His lips curved, remembering the delight he'd taken in marking her last night when he'd outlined the consequences in store for her if she failed to obey him to his satisfaction. He had pinched and twisted flesh, administering tiny stinging pains that had brought tears to her eyes, careful to place them only where skin was concealed by her clothes. The tiny bruises were a wonderful secret between him and her; no one would even think about them unless they were seen and Akito had taken great deal of glee when Hatori had seemed none the wiser.
Now, in the light of day and without the concealing barrier of clothing, the blemishes were clearly visible to his eyes; they spotted the tops of her thighs, moved up across her ribcage and chest, and speckled the contour of her back. It was proof of her subjugation to him and he reveled in the dark little secret branded on her flesh that was a sight only for him.
Except for the blemish on her cheek.
He hadn't really meant to but he'd lost his temper when she failed to concede to his initial demand. Before he'd thought about it, his fingers had flashed towards her face and gripped, never letting go until she gave in after he'd whispered of much worse things he had done in the past. But, once it was done, he'd been oddly pleased that there was one mark, at least, that was visible to the world, proof to everyone else of the claim he had over her. Now, it was plain to see that he had more right to her than anyone else.
He reached out a single finger to touch that trembling flesh that was now his property. He lightly traced one of the marks on her back and then pressed, smiling when she stiffened at the tiny pain that touch induced. The finger became a hand that pressed warmly against her back as he leaned in closer until his mouth barely brushed her ear.
"I could kiss them and make them better," he whispered huskily.
She quickly turned to stare at him, horrified and fearful, her face draining of color until it was sheet-white. While her reaction satisfied a part of him that had planned it, oddly enough, he was also unexpectedly irritated by it. The odd mix of emotions unsettled him, threw him off his usual balance, so he sought a distraction.
"The box in the corner." He gestured in the direction. "Go and open it."
Though startled at the abrupt command, she wasted no time in putting some distance between them and quickly scurried to the corner he indicated. She was slightly surprised that she hadn't noticed the fair-sized oblong box lying on the floor before since the room was so sparse. Of course, she'd had other things on her mind when she had first entered and cataloguing the room's contents hadn't been high on her list of priorities. Curious and a bit wary, she did as she was bid; she knelt down and cautiously lifted the lid and pushed aside the concealing tissue paper, gasping when its contents were revealed to her wide eyes.
It was a kimono.
Well, she almost certain that it was although it was a bit difficult to tell for sure considering how it had been lightly folded up to fit in the box. But the vibrancy and quality of the material visible to her gaze left little room in her mind for other possibilities of what it could be. The cloth was obviously silk which was a testament to the wealth of the Souma family to be able to afford the expense when the yukata, a Japanese summer kimono, was more commonly worn during this season and was usually made up of cotton or other synthetic fibers that also kept them easier to care for; few had the financial resources to continually maintain the use of silk kimono.
"Are you going to put it on or stare at it all day?" asked an irritated voice. "It's not going to do any good just staying in the box."
"Eh?!" She swung around to stare at him in alarm. "This is for me?"
He snorted in disgust. "Surely you don't think I'm going to wear something that pink."
"Iie, of course not." Her face flamed even as she looked back at the box in distress. "But I can't accept this."
"Oh?"
The word was drawled softly, dangerously with the beginnings of another rage as he silently approached her, but she didn't notice this change in mood. Her mind was too preoccupied with the box's contents as she frowned and began wringing her hands in agitation, all other worries falling away as her world narrowed to focus on the treasure before her. She shook her head, gazing worriedly at the silk cloth as she spoke.
"It's too much for me. I've never had anything this expensive. I can't possibly take it." She looked up at him with wide eyes. "It would take forever to repay back the cost."
He paused. "Repay?"
"Hai." She bit her lip, a guilty expression on her features. "It's so beautiful; I can't just accept something as costly as this for free. It wouldn't be right."
He stared at her for a moment then frowned. "Don't be stupid; of course you can."
"But-"
"Shut up," he snapped. "Don't start thinking so highly of yourself; this isn't for you. It's for me." He scowled down into her confused face. "It offends my sensibilities to see such cheap clothes." He flicked a disgusted glance in the direction where her discarded clothes were puddled on the floor. "Especially on anyone keeping me constant company as you'll be doing. As long as you're here, you'll wear what I want you to. That's an order." His gaze hardened. "Understand?"
"Hai." She rose to her feet, clutching the box, and looked at him hopefully. "Then it's really okay for me to wear this?"
"Are you deaf as well as dumb?" he snarled. "I just said it was!"
"Sumimasen. It's just that I've never been given anything so," she searched for the right word, "elegant." She suddenly smiled and bowed. "Arigatou gozaimasu!"
He regarded her warily, disconcerted. He wasn't used to half-naked girls bowing to him in gratitude. Nor had he expected her to thank him with a sunny smile after everything that had happened up until now. It was as if she'd forgotten all of it in favor of concentrating on the now and the wonder of receiving such a luxurious item. Was she really that simple- minded? He hadn't thought much of what her reaction would be when he conceived of the idea to give her new clothes; he never worried about the cost of material objects so it had never occurred to him that such a casual gesture on his part would produce such a surprising response. Irritated at his unsettled musings and how the situation had turned unexpectedly, he snapped at her.
"Just put it on already!" He gave her a baleful glare. "Unless you want to walk around all day like that."
She startled and then flushed in embarrassment, feeling uncomfortable and miserable once again. She couldn't believe that, in her excitement over the new garments, she'd forgotten about her state of undress! Her mother would be mortified at her immodesty, she thought wretchedly as the idea of donning the silk cloth and covering her near nudity became more appealing.
Under Akito's watchful gaze that only served to fluster her even further, she gingerly removed the different silk pieces from the box and carefully laid them out on the floor. Then her face fell into worried lines as she looked at them; she wasn't sure she'd be able to put it on properly.
She knew that there was an art to wearing the kimono that was either passed down from mother to daughter or could be learned at one of the special schools that taught the proper techniques to wear one. But her mother had never been the kimono wearing type and Tohru had never had the time to attend one of the schools. Besides, there had been no point to it as they had needed their funds for other things than something as trivial as purchasing a kimono, even one of the cheaper ones. The closest she had come to wearing one was at the onsen that Momiji had taken her to with Yuki and Kyou where they'd been given yukata to wear but that had been much simpler as it consisted of only one layer and a belt, not the many parts laid out before her. She became upset at the idea that her lack of knowledge rendered her unable to wear the formal kimono with the proper technique it deserved, afraid that her fumbling attempts would only serve to ruin the expensive silk.
"Sumimasen," she said miserably, appearance downcast as she sat with hands folded in her lap.
"What now?" He was clearly exasperated.
"I've never really worn one of these before." She winced at the look on his face. "I'm afraid I won't put it on right."
"I should have suspected something like this from such a common person," he sneered as she flinched at the words. An inscrutable expression crossed his features. "There's no helping it. I'll do it." He bent down to pick up one of the pieces. "Stand up."
"Eh?"
She was shocked. Akito was going to help her dress? But when the dark gaze meeting her own turned icy at her hesitation, she remembered what he said about making him repeat himself and immediately stood, trembling in nervous anxiety. Though extremely uncomfortable at the situation, she bore with it in the hopes that she'd soon be clothed and Akito's anger was kept at bay.
"Watch carefully," he told her sharply. "This is the only time I'll do this. After this, you have to do it yourself."
"Hai."
She tried her best to ignore her state of undress by concentrating on his actions. Surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult a task as she found something oddly fascinating and soothing with the entire process and vaguely wondered if this was one of the attractions of the age-old Japanese traditional way of dress that allowed it to survive throughout the passing centuries, despite the modifications modern times with its changing tastes and trends had wrought upon it.
Whatever the case, she kept her attention focused upon him, avidly observing his movements as he settled the juban, the undergarment slip consisting of a white cotton top and skirt, in place on her body. She felt better immediately once the material was settled upon her because it meant that she was finally covered, no longer standing around in just her underwear, with the hideous bruised on her body out of sight. The knowledge made it easier for her to relax a bit and allowed her to completely focus her attention on the rest of the process.
Who would have thought it would take so long to get her to put something on?
That was Akito's irritated thought as he picked up the outer layer, the silk kimono, and placed it on her, making sure that the back seam was centered. He had imagined giving her the box and letting her deal with donning its contents, sure that she'd rush with all haste to put them on after being stripped of her own clothes. He had never entertained the idea that he'd end up doing it himself. It was an oversight on his part, thinking that she'd know how to put on the traditional garments like everyone else he usually had contact with. Of course, he could have pawned her off on someone else, one of the servants perhaps, who would have shown her the proper way to wear the kimono but had deemed this the fastest route to take rather than taking the time to find another person to do it. Besides, he found himself vaguely resistant to letting her body be seen by someone else the way he had.
He gave a short sigh of disgust at how he was temporarily playing lady's maid; it was so beneath him and was glad there was no one else around to witness it.
He was scowling and Tohru absently wondered what he was thinking as she watched him wrap the right side of the pink silk over her body and then overlapped it with the left before adjusting the white slip beneath so that it showed evenly around her neck just under the kimono collar. The kimono was long as it trailed on the floor until he pulled the material up, gathering it above her waist, until it was ankle length. Then he began on the obi belt that consisted of several belts. He started with the first one, the koshi-hime belt, which was of pale lavender silk that he tied below the excess material. After rearranging the material to his satisfaction so that it covered the belt, he wrapped the next one, the date jime belt made up of a dark purple and gold floral patterned silk, around so that it concealed the koshi-hime belt and then tied it off. Then he took the braided cord, the obi-jimi, of a pink color several shades lighter than the kimono and tied it on top of the obi, finishing it off.
He stood back and surveyed her critically, seeing how the pink of the kimono, complemented with the vibrant purple and gold blended design around the hem and by the obi belt, made her appear more feminine and delicate. But there was something missing and he dug around in the discarded box until he found what he was looking for hidden under the tissue paper that had cushioned the kimono.
The tabi socks.
"Ah!" Tohru exclaimed when she saw what he held. "I can do that."
Akito's annoyance at having to help her dress was patently obvious to her and she felt that having to do something as menial as assisting her with putting on socks would only make it worse since it wasn't an action that a person of his elevated status should perform, especially not for someone like her. She leaned down to do it herself only to realize that she couldn't; the kimono restricted her from bending down the way she needed to in order to put on the socks. The miserable expression returned to her face when she grasped the fact that even that simplest of tasks was beyond her abilities at the moment. A sound of disgust drew her attention and she found him glaring at her with a put upon look on his face as went to finish the job himself.
"Sumimasen," she apologized dismally.
"Stop apologizing," he snapped. "It's getting irritating."
"Sumima-" she broke off at his sharp glare. "Hai," she amended.
"Hmph," he snorted. "Remember this and put the tabi on first next time."
"Hai," she replied, making a mental note to do just that.
She tried not to fidget nervously as he straightened and stood back to examine her again. Despite the tense situation, she couldn't help but feel awed that she was really wearing something so beautiful. Had the circumstances been a little different, it would have resembled one of her dreams where she was dressed like a princess complete with a prince by her side. However, the current prince spoke unprincely words that spoiled her fantasy.
"In the right clothes," he commented, "you're not so ugly after all."
Not knowing what to say to that, she opted to remain silent.
In the kimono, Akito thought, she made a fetching sight, far from being ugly as he had once told Shigure she was. Pretty in pink, she would have been a perfect vision if not for the blemish marring the smoothness of her cheek. Oddly irked by the sight all of a sudden, he frowned over this strange reaction. If he didn't know better, he would swear that he almost felt regretful.
But, of course, that was ridiculous since he hadn't done anything wrong to be regretful about.
Suddenly he felt tired and only wanted to be alone for a while, to rest and recover from whatever fatigue that was plaguing him to make him think such odd and unsettling thoughts lately. But he couldn't do that while she was here, not the one who seemed somehow to be connected with his unsettlement, so he waved a dismissing hand, indicating that he wished her gone from his presence, for the moment at least.
"That's all for now," he told her. "Go back to your room. Come back here after lunch."
"Hai," she said. Then she hesitated, nervous. She knew that to question him or to be in his presence any longer than necessary was dangerous but, still, she paused, trembling anxiously as her eyes flickered towards her discarded clothes still lying haphazardly on the floor. "Ano, what about my clothes?"
"Leave them," he barked harshly, patience at an end. His eyes snapped at her. "Get out!"
There was no hesitation this time as she scurried to obey, quickly exiting the room, pulse pounding in her throat at her scare, and leaving him alone with his thoughts, whatever they may be.