AN: Hello everyone! Personal notes: Selene Serenity –you are always so nice in your reviews, it always makes me so happy. And Girlwatershamen – I don't know if this'll come out on your birthday, sorry if it isn't. I tried, though! But Happy Birthday! (hands you a cake with pocky candles in it) Puffin –still very close, but it's more complicated than that!LOL! I'm so cruel aren't I??? You all just wait until you see what I have in store! Oh, some steamy scenes, but nothing more than pg-13, okay?

Chapter 10 – The Eclipse part 2

"Akito! Do you know why this is happening?" Hatori asked him. Akito seemed a little on edge, though. He had looked happy, but it was fading as all the eyes landed on him.

"Yeah, did we break the curse?" Kyo asked.

"Akito, tell us." Hatori urged on.

He felt nervous. Why were they all looking at him? Did he know the reason? He felt scared. Hatori stopped as he saw the expression on Akito's face. He had never seen him like that before. He looked like a completely different person.

"Don't ask me, I don't know!" He screamed, and ran the other way, down the stairs. But before any of them could react, Uo tried to run after him, but Hatori stopped her.

"We need to explain something to both of you. I'll get Akito." He turned to the three other kids. "Torhu, Kyo and Yuki will fill you both in." Hatori left down the stairs to see what was wrong with Akito. Tohru turned nervously to her two best friends. Uo looked distraut, and Hana looked at them plainly. Tohru laughed nervously, and rubbed her neck. This was going to be a while . . .

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Hana sat in silence after the long discussion. It all made perfect sense now. Those strange signals she always got around the Sohma boys. And when Yuki pulled away yesterday, he was just afraid of being transformed. She suddenly blushed at the thought of Yuki and his amazingly encredible mouth. She stole a glance at Yuki, whom she found to already be staring at her intently. His look was worried.

Yuki was worried about how Hana would take it. Would she be disgusted? Would she be indifferent? He thought he saw her blush, but it was very hard to tell on Hana. He hoped she wouldn't hate him. Her vacant expression was almost reassuring to him . . .boy, was that weird.

Uo was the one who was taking it the hardest. "Tohru, we're your best friends. You didn't trust us with this information?" She asked, and saw already she had discouraged and saddened Tohru.

"I'm so sorry, you two. I just couldn't tell you. If I did, then our memories would have just been erased. I just told you it had happened before to some of Yuki's friends when he transformed in front of them. Akito was also to blame for us not telling anyone."

Uo bit her lip. Akito. That guy . . . she somehow felt close to. "I'm sorry Torhu, I guess I'm just a little shocked. This is a lot to take in." Uo replied, and rubbed her temple. "Is that Akito guy cursed too?"

"Sort of. He holds the bulk of the Sohma curse for some reason. I don't know why, though." Tohru replied.

"Can he transform too?" Uo asked, and Torhu stopped and thought to herself. She didn't know that answer herself. Did Akito transform into a spirit if he was touched by a member of the opposite sex?

"I don't know. . ." Tohru said softly, and looked to Kyo and Yuki for support. They were oblivious as well. Yuki thought to himself, and Kyo pondered about this as well.

"I can transform." Came a soft voice from behind them. They spun to see Akito and Hatori at the door. They were all shocked, including Hatori. Obviously noone knew he could. "But it is not a spirit from the zodiac . . . it is something . . . else." He replied, and took a seat next next to them. "I'm sorry about my reaction before, I'm just not used to being . . . free of her."

"What are you talking about Akito?" Torhu asked.

"I was cursed with the angry spirit that originally placed the curse upon the Sohma family. She has gone away, though. I think it's because of the eclipse happening today, even though we can't see it, it's still there. So, if I am right, as soon as the eclipse is gone, so will this temporary cure. She'll be back within me again . . .controlling my every thought." He said, looking a little out of it, his eyes wide in fear.

Uo instinctively reached out and held his hand. Everyone was surprised by her boldness, and raised an eyebrow at this. Akito looked up into her eyes, and his eyes softened.

"You all have no idea what she has put me through. I almost never get a chance to be out, and when I am out, I feel weak, because she has made my body sickly. I don't remember sometimes what she has done. I remember blood sometimes, and fits of anger for reasons I can't see. I can't control her when she gets that way. Sometimes I can't tell if it's me or her out and in control. I get so confused sometimes, and angry myself. It's like I'm becoming her, and I can't tell who is getting angry, me or her. It's so confusing."

"So it was her who used to . . ." Yuki began to ask angrily, but his voice stopped. Akito looked up at him with pleading eyes that Yuki didn't even recognize. "It was always her who used to torment me? Do you remember any of it?! Why didn't you stop her, try and fight her more, so this curse wouldn't be like this? Can't you do anything about it?!" Yuki was getting frustrated. Akito was suddenly blaming someone else . . . all this time he had hated and feared Akito, it wasn't really him, it was the spirit possessing him?! He couldn't believe that!

"Yuki . . ." Akito looked scared. "I don't know . . ."

Yuki growled, and slammed down his fist. "I refuse to believe it! I don't believe you! You tormented me, and almost destroyed my childhood, and now try and blame a spirit within you! I can't believe something like that!"

"Yuki! Leave him alone! He said it wasn't him!" Uo exclaimed, and Yuki frowned, getting more shocked by her behavior. Why was she protecting him? She had just met the guy! Yuki settled down, and Uo did too.

"And what about you two, you seem very close all of a sudden." Kyo replied, voicing everyone's own thoughts on the two. "Do you guys know eachother or something?"

"No, but . . ." Akito tried to say, as he looked over to Uo. She looked at him, a little confused herself. They were still trying to work through that themselves.

"I think we do . . . maybe." She said, and he nodded.

"That's a bunch of bull." Kyo said, and stood. "This is going to drive me insane! We should focus on the matter at hand! We are free from the curse for at least a day, and we're sitting around talking about Akito! Shouldn't we be out hugging all the girls we can find?"

Kyo's lecherous words obviously hit Tohru hard. She wanted Kyo for herself, and now he was talking about hugging other girls! Did he even think about her? She stood up and walked out of the room, silently beginning to cry.

Yuki and Hana both shook their heads and said, "You stupid cat!"

Just then the power cut off, and the sound of the rain grew heavier against the roof.

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Shigure's mouth was becoming increasingly desperate, and his hands were everywhere. Mii was a little overwhelmed by his boldness, but she hadn't refused him either. She enjoyed the feelings he was making her feel. Her robe fell slightly off her shoulders, and his mouth moved to the newly exposed bare flesh. His lips ran along her collarbone, and up her neck. Her mind had been racing with thoughts about the future and the consequences, and the rest of the book launch they were obviously missing, and the storm and . . . but suddenly it melted away as his hand found the tie to her robe and opened it. His hand slipped inside, and she couldn't help but tremble, a small gasp escaping her lips.

His mouth stopped against her neck, and his hand froze on her belly. What was wrong? He was frozen solid in place, except for his heavy breathing. She could feel his fast heartbeat against her own chest. "Shigure?" She whispered. She reached up to stroke his head. He pulled away from her, and was frowning.

"Mii . . ." He tried to say, but his voice was breaking. "I can't . . . I can't do this to you. I'm taking advantage. I'm sorry. . . ." He tried to stand, but she grabbed his arm. "Mii, please, I feel horrible enough for doing this to you . . . you must think I'm a jerk."

"Shigure . . . why? Was this supposed to be a one time thing?" She sat up, still holding his arm.

He looked down at her hand. He couldn't even look her in the eyes. If he looked into them for even a second he would be drawn in again. He loved her eyes. But he couldn't . . . what if this was only temporary? What if he couldn't hold her again after today? And was she right, was this a one time thing? Did he really consider her a one night stand?

"Shigure, tell me!" Her heart went out to him. She didn't like seeing him upset. It was so unlike him. "I'll be that if you want me to—"

"No! Never . . . that's why . . ." He looked up. He had done it. He looked into those soft brown eyes. He felt a tear again drop from his eye. "I want to keep you, Mii, but I . . ." He said, but his voice failed him. "I don't know for how long I can . . ." His damn voice just wouldn't work! "I don't know how I . . . would . . ." He shook his head, and pulled away from her hand. He stood on legs he couldn't even feel, and started to walk away.

He gasped as he felt her grab him and hug him from behind. He looked down at the small arms and hands that were wrapped around his chest, under his arms. He could feel her tears on his back through the thin fabric of his shirt. "Damn you, Shigure!" She cried into his back. "Don't run away again! You've done it to me so many times, don't you know by now that I know all of your tricks? I won't fall for this one too! Dammit Shigure . . . don't you see . . . I love you." She confessed. She didn't want a reply from him, scared of what he'd say.

"But you'll only be hurt. Or worse . . ." Shigure said shakily. The feeling of her hugging him was bringing him to tears again. It felt so good, but it also hurt inside to know that it might not last. And her words. He never thought someone would say those things to him. he never thought he'd have the privledge. "You don't want to be involved with me, Mii, trust me, you don't."

"Shigure . . . I'm not going to let go. You asked me to hold you forever! Shigure, I said that I loved you, and I meant it! Why do you have to be so stupid?" She sobbed into his back. "You can be so stupid sometimes!"

He had heard her cry lots of times on account of him, but this time it was different. She was crying because she loved him, and that he was trying to leave. How could he do this to her? He loved her too, but this was all wrong! The curse could be back at any moment, and then he'd have to face Akito eventually. He couldn't do that. He couldn't! Her hands, though . . . her hands were locked tightly around him, and he didn't feel like pulling away.

He reached around and turned in her arms, so that he could hug her too. She cried into his chest, her arms around him, her hands resting on his shoulder blades. His arms went around her small body and he lifted her in his arms, and set her down on the bed again. He kissed away the tears until she stopped, and then captured her mouth in his again. They were so soft. His tongue gently rubbed against her lips until she opened her mouth wider, and he deepened the kiss so intensely, she gripped his shoulder in support.

He pulled apart for breath. He grazed her neck and then worked his way up to her ear and nipped at it. "I'm sorry I'm so stupid. I love you too." He said, and she smiled happily at the words, and brought his head up and kissed him again.

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awww! but yeah, 'neko baka!' Kyo's dense isn't he? lol. anyway, was this a good chapter? it was a little long, yes, and Akito's story is really hard to tell. does it make sense even a little? okok! Everyone is bugging me about Kyo/Tohru. I'm sorry! I am a little partial to Shigure, as I said in the first chapter. But i was planning on getting to the Kyoru thing soon . .. really i was... sure.... do not fret people, Kyoru will be joining the others soon. i promise! but it's a little hard! it's been done so many times before! i don't want it to be so much like all the other fanfics you've read. i'm having trouble finding a new, creative way to get them together. but i'm trying! really! bear with me, and please review! ps look at my profile for a special hint and prize!