A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the delay...
Recap: Akito has just appeared with the good doctor at Shigures' to take the beautiful flower to Sohma House indefinitely.(Shivers)
Also, for those of you who like 'Kare Kano,' please check out my new story called, "Tempest Desire," which centers around Arima and Miyzawa. Arima has finally released the demon within. MUAUAUAUA!
BTW (for those of you who don't know and are curious): denpa waves are the electrical waves that Hana uses to both read and shock people with.
Thank you for your comments!
DestinyOverRidden: Thanks for your constant support! You make me really want to finish this story. hehe
AnimeBunny: Emotions are what makes anime and manga so realistic. Thanks for noticing my particular efforts toward everyone's feelings. I don't want there to be just one or two main characters. I want to write about them all. It's exhausting…
ayame-skaa: I hope you continue reading! This does get a little heavy now and then! I'm sorry!
Fuji: I'm so glad I found a fellow Shigure lover/worshipper (yes…I do worship him). Hehe. I hope you continue to read. I will address the novelist eventually…so don't you worry.
kawwaikitsune: I'm so glad you are still reading! It does start off slow, but that is how a lot of anime is—I was trying to be too precise I suppose. I'm a sucker, I know. haha
Cadringiel: Thanks for the compliment—although I am not sure that I deserve it. Hope you like the new chapter!
Disclaimer: I work for a law firm so I know how these things work.
(begrudging sigh) I don't own FB, nor do I make any money off of this menial excuse for a story. (sniffle) P—promise you won't sue me?
The Plum on Her Back
Ch 6: And Then There Were Three
The wicked laugh hung tensely in the air. Yuki instinctively froze as Akito's dark eyes sought him out. He fought his subconscious self, wanting to stop the events from occurring around him. But those piercing eyes drained every ounce of fervor from him body, until he remained barely standing. The head of Sohma House stood with satisfaction. "Come Hatori. Let us leave these pitiful men to wallow in selfish misery."
"A—Akito," spoke Shigure, struggling to meet his gaze. "You won't try to harm Tohru, will you?"
A gleam of amusement entered Akito's eye as he scrutinized the earnestness in the dog's inquiry. Tohru witnessed a recollection of an incident she could not understand. His steely gaze now turned to the onigiri in the arms of his faithful doctor. Those dark, piercing eyes considered her a moment. "I will not harm her," he admitted before turning to leave, Hatori at his heel. However, he stopped at the door a moment later. "Take her to the car," he commanded the dragon softly. With his back still turned, he left them with a few lasting words. "No. I will not harm her, but who is to say she will not harm herself? After all, she did that all on her own the first moment she interfered with the Sohmas." His yukata swished with the movement of his legs as he closed the shoji.
Shigure ventured to the window to watch the car pull away. "Well boys. That'll be a sure checkmate for us. It looks like our queen has fallen."
Yuki scowled at him, and left the room wordlessly. His feet were heard on the stairs.
Kyo met Shigure's eyes, a rapid thought process inhabiting his solemn features. "Yes," he nodded. "But, lucky for us, the queen can always be taken back."
-
The next day, Yuki briskly entered his first class at school. His violet eyes searched the room with an evidence of panic. It was not until he spotted a solitary figure, the very person he was seeking out, that his heart fell to rest.
Tohru sat by herself at the windowsill. She was alone. He had come to school in a rush, hoping Akito did not plan to remove her completely from his life. Yuki glanced at the clock only to realize he had arrived sooner than he expected. And what about her? Had she come this early to escape whatever kind of torture Akito might have already inflicted upon her? Surprisingly, she appeared unruffled and composed. The morning light reflected on her shiny hair as she gazed out the window. Her long lashes squinted to shield the brightness.
"Miss Honda?"
She looked up, a smile already in place. Immediately tears sprang into her eyes. "Yuki!" She rushed toward him, fully intent on giving him a hug, but stopped before she could execute the act. His curse, she thought. I am so stupid. Tohru frowned, but recovered quickly. "Oh! Yuki! I'm so happy to see you."
"What did I miss?" rushed in a disheveled Kyo.
Tohru turned, her smile growing. "Kyo!"
The boy grinned back at her with that luminous expression that he so seldom permitted. It took her a moment, but she soon noticed his school uniform. Kyo's right pant leg was still not pulled down properly, and the tie around his neck was a knotted mess. Tohru giggled, causing the cat to glance down in confusion. He looked up, sheepishly. "I—I was in a hurry this morning."
Tohru laughed again. She really did seem so happy. Was it because of them? Yuki wondered. "Miss Honda?"
"Yes."
"Um—"
"Well! Did they hurt ya? Did they feed ya? Talk, woman! Tell us what happened when you got to Sohma House." The cat beat him to it.
Yuki shot him an unsettled look before giving his attention back to Tohru.
"Everyone was quite nice. Even Akito. He asked a lot of questions about you guys, especially you, Yuki." The rat's eyes fell to the floor. "I was put to bed as soon as we got there—and this morning I wasn't allowed to cook. So, I hurried to school, hoping you two would come early." Her eyes brimmed with more tears. "And—and you did."
"What's with all the melodrama?" Uo stepped inside, a few other students spilled in after her. In a matter of minutes, the room would be swarming with the rest of the class. With a clenched fist, the only blonde stalked toward her best friend and the two boys she had been living with for the past year. "You guys do something to Tohru? Why is it that she always seems to be crying around you two?"
-
Tohru knew she had to tell Hana and Uo. They were bound to figure it out sooner or later. What with Hana's meticulous denpa waves, and Uo's thug-like strength, one of them would force it out of her eventually. Although neither would harm her, her conscience told her it needed to be done. She just didn't know how she would explain to them that they would not be able to visit her at Sohma House.
"You are what?" Hana asked with wide eyes. "But I don't understand, Tohru. I thought you were happy at the trash-novelist's house?"
Tohru balked at the word trash. "Well, I uh—was. I mean, I did love it at Shigures'. It's just that the Sohma's wanted to offer me a—um—better job. So I am working with their doctor, Hatori. You met him once or twice, I think. Yeah—and they suggested I live at the main house so that I can assist him more closely. He is very busy." Tohru repeated the lines Hatori had given her.
"Tohru, I didn't know you wanted to become a nurse. Or—no—a doctor? Tohru, are you interested in medical school?" Uo was astonished.
Their nervous friend smiled, thankful that what Hatori had said worked.
However, there was still one more to convince. Hana watched her closely. Tohru tried to ignore the prying eyes which could unveil the smallest of pretenses. She is lying again, thought Saki. What is it with this family that draws her further and further away from us? Hana pretendedto smile. "A new job? Good for you, Tohru."
-
When the last bell rang, signaling the end of classes, Tohru hurried toward the door. She had promised Hatori she would come home immediately after school. The onigiri felt awful for lying to her best friends. But she had, after all, told Hana and Uo a half-truth. She was not doing janitorial work anymore. She really was working with Hatori as his secretary or—uh—apprentice.
Her thin frame moved down the hallway, hands clasping her book bag tightly. All of the sudden, she felt someone tugging her. Tohru was pulled into an empty classroom. Her mouth began to squeal, but a familiar, "Shhhh," cut the sound short. "It's Ok. It's me, Kyo." Tohru searched for the face belonging to that voice. " I'm just glad you didn't clobber me like that last time you thought I was a stalker."
Tohru blushed and looked up at the cat. He smiled down at her, an expression of guilt surfacing as he did. "Um—uh—Tohru," he gulped. "I'm really sorry for hurting you yesterday." She noticed his eyes flicker to the bruised jaw that she had carefully covered with make-up. "I was a jerk."
Tohru was about to profess something that most likely would have contained a lot of stuttering, but Kyo went on before she could begin.
And—uh—I just wanted to tell you that if you don't really want to go back there, you don't have to. What Yuki said last night is right. If Akito is gonna be such a big baby and throw a fit about it, I would—uh…" Kyo hesitated. "I would um—you know. You and I could live somewhere else—um—together for awhile until things cool down."
Tohru watched him, not understanding.
"You know—since—I am the cat and all, and therefore not considered an actual member of the zodiac. I could care less about following his commands anyway. And—with this one—he has just gone too far. Someone needs to put their foot down." Kyo finished, looking both relieved and exhausted that his speech was over.
Tohru beamed. "You would do that for me, Kyo?"
He glanced around nervously. Her voice had risen significantly in volume. What if someone heard? He attempted to focus on her again. "Um—yeah. But only for a little while. You know—just until things cool off. Like I said." Why did she have that goofy grin on her face? What was wrong with her? Didn't she ever get self-conscious about looking so dense?
Her grin contained itself. "Kyo, that is so kind of you. I can't believe you would risk Akito becoming angry with you just for my sake." Her words faltered. "But, I think it is best I try to remain there for a while. I—I really want Akito to trust me. I don't want him to view me as a threat."
Kyo moaned. "He's as nutty as they come, Tohru. Nothing will convince that loony that the whole world isn't against him. You don't have to torture yourself this way."
Tohru smirked, bravely. "But—I do."
Kyo watched her turn away from him. But just as she opened the door to go, she looked back at him, brightly. "Oh! I don't mean to be rude or anything. I would—uh—give you a hug or something. But—you know—there is the curse—and oh—that would be too forward. And I would be too embarrassed. And, well—you know."
Kyo silenced her with a surprisingly tolerant wave of his hand. He, then, shut the door she was holding open, reached out and hugged her warmly. Moments later, a popping sound occurred, and Tohru stood in the classroom alone, except for a peculiarly orange cat that she grasped gently to her chin.
-
Yuki paced back and forth outside, impatient with ill feeling. Where was she? Had he missed her already? Maybe he should just go to Sohma House. The zodiac rat had nearly made the decision to head toward his childhood home, when he heard Tohru's sunny voice in front of him. "Yuki!" she rushed at him, her cheeks rosy and eyes blinking with enthusiasm.
The onigiri was blushing immensely. She looks so happy to see me, he thought with a flutter in his chest. Behind her, Yuki detected a flash of orange. A cat? Was it Kyo? Of course it was Kyo. Who else embodied that stupid looking color? That bastard had done something to Miss Honda. Yuki watched the bushes the cat had vanished behind, distrustfully. "Miss Honda, are you OK? Was that—was that Kyo?"
The girl turned even more crimson. "Uh—yes. We were chatting for a bit," she announced as her gaze burned into the ground.
"I see." Yuki wrestled with his temper. "Well then. You have had your time with Kyo. Allow me to walk you to Sohma House."
Green eyes flashed full of appreciation. "Really? I mean—Oh no, Yuki! You don't have to! Really. I will be fine on my own!"
The silver head titled, already missing the constantly flustered onigiri, and clasped her hand in his own. She stopped talking, surprised. "At least let me do this," he pleaded.
She nodded thankfully. "You—well, all of the Sohmas—always take care of me. More than I think you know."
He beamed, and guided her away from the school.
Kyo watched from the bushes, unable to hold down the hissing sounds that released from his cat lips. That damn rat! Who did he think he was? He felt an itch behind his ear, and cried out in frustration. "What now?" he asked, swiping his hind leg on the irritating tickle. The boy, or rather—cat, was mortified. No. It can't be that! Anything but that! Not…flees!
-
Yuki hesitated at the Sohma House gate. Inside, Akito would be waiting for Miss Honda, and possibly him. Tohru fixed her eyes on her escort. "Well—Yuki—thank you for walking with me." There was an exchange of smiles before she turned to push the heavy, wooden obstruction open. With effort, it budged from the exertion of her strength. She is a tough one, Yuki thought.
He was about to proceed to Shigure's house, when he heard a low, monotonous voice. "Yuki. So you came after all."
Yuki's throat drained of all moisture as he struggled to swallow. A proverbial fear swarmed his body, leaving his knees unsteady. "A—Akito." He dared to look at the person before him.
Tohru had agonized over this the entire walk back to the house. She had decided not to tell Yuki just how much Akito had spoken about him. It would do nothing more than upset him.
"Come Yuki. Do not be rude. Some tea." Akito turned away from the two and paced himself with even steps back to his private house.
Yuki followed cautiously. Behind him, Tohru panicked.
-
As the two men settled across from each other in the house, Tohru noticed the resemblance. It wasn't in the rich, beautiful eyes, or style of haircuts, but in the way they moved. Their elegance was a privilege to behold. It made her wonder just how much time the two had spent together during their childhood. The head of the house titled his head up slightly toward her. "Tea, Tohru?"
She understood, and quickly bustled out of the room at his command.
When she was gone, the older Sohma looked toward the other with a bemused expression. "Tell me Yuki,"he leaned forward. "How have you been?"
"Akito, what you are doing to Miss Honda. It's wrong. She is not a part of this family." He swallowed hard, his throat still dry.
"Aww. Well isn't that sweet. Miss Honda, you call her? Is that your pet name for the little harlot?"
Yuki was stunned. How could he dare to mumble something that was such an obvious lie? It was not long before the rat felt his temper rise. "Akito! This is not a game. This is an innocent person's life we are talking about. You do not own her."
"And what about you, Yuki? Do you own her?" Yuki was silent. "That's what you would like, right? To own her—own her smile," he leaned over even more. "Own her heart, her body, her flesh?" There was a dangerous reflection that transpired behind the stone-like emblems that were his eyes. Akito's face was so close that Yuki felt a soft breath on his skin. "It is your wish, is it not?"
The rat could not find words. He remained silent, and uncontrollably embarrassed.
"And what will you do, I wonder What will it do to you when you find out that I will have her before you do?" Akito snickered malevolently as he provoked fear into the boy he considered his counterpart. "After all—I can hold her in my arms. I have that ability. You, however, will never be able to feel Tohru's warm body against your own. You will never be able to completely become one with her." He stood up. "You are cursed," he spat down at him.
Yuki covered his ears and eyes tightly. No! His mind shouted at him. No! He wouldn't! He wouldn't! But as he forced himself to look at the man who stood before him, he knew there was nothing he would not do.
"Why?" the word was said through clenched teeth. "Why? She has done nothing to you!"
"Ah, but she has. She has done so much for this family. Everyone is about to burst at the seams with all the wonderful things she does. I simply want to pay my respects."
"But…you can't," he choked.
"I can," Akito reaffirmed. "And I will." The shudder that passed through the rat was exactly what Akito needed to feed his hunger to dominate the boy. "Of course," he went on, now whispering icily into his ear. "I would be willing to let her off the hook…if you were to take her place."
Akito's threat conquered Yuki's body as he struggled to move. It was a second before the head of the household relaxed his cheek against the Prince, rubbing it softly against his pallid skin. Suddenly Yuki jerked away, unable to control the angry tears that sprang to his eyes. "You are sick!"
Akito was up and, with surprising speed, he snatched Yuki's wrist firmly. There was an amused twinkle that surfaced in the perverse, dark eyes. "I'm so glad you understand my pain." His lips folded into a sadistic smile. "I have been sick my whole life to save this families' pathetic existence. Every day, my body visibly dies a little more, crippling my mind so that it can only form the bitter, calculating thoughts you make an effort to stifle now. I will die so that you can live your disgusting lives. Every breath I exhale is one more I provide for you and your egocentric cousins so that you can survive in this world fawning over that—trivial girl." Akito's hands slipped behind the rat's back so that he was now embracing him. Yuki felt harsh, cold lips against his ear. "Oh yes, dear Yuki. I am sick. I am sick of this house and the confinement it provides." Their eyes locked. "But most of all, I am sick of this vile, waste of a family!" He spat, throwing him ruthlessly at his feet.
Yuki knew that this action would be followed by a series of physical blows that would more than likely land him in the infirmary for Hatori to care for. Just then, Tohru peered in, uncertainly, a tea tray balanced in her hands. Without looking toward the girl, Akito said. "Tohru, leave it there on the table, and please show Yuki out. When you return, I should like to have some tea...with you."
A/N: Well—I hope this wasn't too terrifying for anyone (sheepish grin)
So! Any ideas? What will Akito do to Tohru, do you think?
And which do you prefer for pairings? Keep in mind that Shigure is out of the question. He, of course, belongs to yours truly…tee hee
Well—see ya next time for Ch 7: Echoes of a Promise – Taking One's Place as a True Member (Could this be about Kyo, do ya think?) -gasps-
PLEASE R/R!