Cold Blooded
The shadow cloaked figure sat up, adjusting the lazily worn kimono. He turned slowly upon hearing the sliding wood framed door slide open and a barefooted visitor slip in silently. This was an unexpected guest. And his first thought would have been Hitori...But the voice proved other wise...
"Akito..." The figure sat before Akito, but with out any aire of repect for a man so important to the Sohma family.
"Brother Ayame...This is certainly unexpected...You never visit me, so what indulged you to do so?" Akito's voice was quiet and had quite a feel of authority to it.
"Don't speak to me as though I'm one of your familiars, you and I merely share a last name." The white haired snake of the zodiac ran a pale elegant hand through his long hair.
"This is quite a change in mannerisms. Where's your trademark livliness? Or is that something you only share to those foolish enough to believe that's who you are?"
"Well, I prefur to share a nicer side to those whose prescence I enjoy."
"Remember who you're talking to." Akito growled silently, clenching a fist. His out of control temper was threatening to spill over and most likely hurt the person who caused its eruption...The way he had done to Hatori, which blinded his left eye.
"Unlike the others, I have no fear of you Akito. You're a child. Bringing my purpose for coming...I wish to say this, Stay away from my brother."
"Who do you think YOU are to tell ME what to do? I AM THE HEAD OF THIS FAMILY."
A loud smack resounded through the room as Akito fell back on his elbows from the force of the impact from the other man's hand across his face. The sickly younger man stared at Ayame in shock.
"Head of the family or not, I could care less. I do believe I'm older than you are, and I do believe you are in no condition to fight against me should I decide to throw caution to the wind and let you feel my detest for you. I'm sure Yuki wouldn't mind seeing you gone. Ah, but you did that didn't you? Made him hate you? That's your fault"
"It's not my fault. I'm not to blame for HIS insolence! You should have been a better brother to him! Maybe then he wouldn't hate you so mych, maybe then he'd have listened to me and he'd never have been harmed. So it's your fault!" Akito screamed at the goldened eyed other sitting not ten feet from him.
"You tend to run off at the mouth when you're accusing people of such things, but let me tell you one thing, Akito, maybe I tend to be a little bit too loud, insensitive at times, obnoxious and perhaps a little unbearable, but at least I don't intice people into hating me. Who's going to miss you when you do die? Yuki won't. I won't. 'Tori-san, 'Gure-san, Kyounkichi-kun, are they going to morn your loss? You're a burden to those who actually try to get close to you and you hurt those who don't even do that."
"Shut up!" Akito's voice raised higher as he growled.
"What? Do my words sting? You know it's a bit of a twist of irony really. The snake happens to be a creature with out a true back bone...But it seems I'm the one to have a backbone strong enough to tell you what I think of you." The normally flippant man leaned forward grabbing Akito's chin in a vice grip. "You see I'm truely harmless and even a push over at times, but you know snakes do bite, and some are even deadly. For instance, a King Cobra can kill an african Elephant in a matter of minutes, just imagine what I could do to YOU...
Ayame stood lifting Akito to his knees. Golden eyes glared down at darker ones. There was no joking here. Ayame pushed Akito away forcefully, sending him to the floor. Akito pushed himself into a sitting position and shot an angry look at the snake.
"Don't make me have to metaphorically bite you Akito, you could wind up in a worse state than you already are." He spoke smoothly, with intellegence heavily loaded in his almost sultry, yet frightening voice. He turned the cold shoulder to Akito who was shaking in the middle of the barren room. Akito slammed a hand down on the polished floor as the sliding door indicated Ayame's departure.
"...N-..Niisan?" A quiet voice called Ayame's attention.
"Yuki." He stood back shocked. "Why in the world-?"
"Hitori-san..said...I...Why..?"
"Yuki, speak sentences please."
"Um...Why did you say that...to Akito...I mean...I heard..." Yuki shifted uncomfortably under his brother's gaze...This different side of his overly dramatic and quite egotistical older brother.
"Well, I can't erase the fears that plagued you...But I can stop them from continuing furthur. That's what brother's are supposed to do...I guess it took me long enough...But It's about time Akito feared something, instead of being feared. I supposed that's a cruel way to put it, but snakes ARE cold blooded are they not?" A small smile crossed the elegant face. "I suppose I'll go back to my shop. Do tell 'Gure-san to drop a line or visit. I'm feeling awefully neglected." The silver haired man dramatized reverting back to his normal behavior.
"I...will."
"Well I must be going as much as I'm sure you want to converse with yours truely. Oh, I almost forgot. When you see Tohru-san give this to her, I'm sure she'll look lovely. Mine made it specially for her, and who am I to hold such a splendidly made gift from such a charming girl." He pulled a silk ribbon from his pocket and handed it to his brother. He smiled and then walked passed Yuki, heading for the nearest exit.
"Um...Niisan..." Yuki called not even bothering to turn around.
"...Yes?"
"Um...would you...mind if I...visited you? Uh...brotherly bonding if you will?"
"That'd be nice..."
Yuki turned around and caught a glimps of his brother's smile just before the older man truend and left out the sliding door. Yuki remained standing there before Akito's door thinking to himself.
'Maybe...maybe we can be brothers after all...If we try...' Yuki smiled to himself ever so slightly. He opened the door and entered Akito's room. Akito was silent as he rememebered the feel of that hand clasped around his jaw...
Ayame stepped outside only to be met with a pair of dark eyes.
"'Tori-san!"
"What, may I ask, did you do?" Hatori asked suspisciouly.
"Now what could you possibly mean?"
"You NEVER show up at the Sohma main house unless there's something wrong, or it's the new years."
"You know me too well. Let's just say I made an attempt to rekindle some family ties."
"And what do you mean by that?"
"Let's just say that Akito won't be harming Yuki anymore." Ayame stepped down and walked passed Hatori. "I've decided to play the big brother seriously." Ayame continued to walk then suddenly stopped.
"Something wrong?"
"Uh...'Tori-san...Could you give me a ride to the shop?" He asked turning around slowly.
Hatori sighed to himself. "Ayame is still Ayame...Come on." He said motioning for his friend to follow him. 'But it's about time'. Hatori smiled very slightly at the fact that Aya was at least trying. 'I can't wait to see the day that those two are real brothers...'
"Come on 'Tori-san!"
"Is it nessessary to rush?"
Yuki watched the two leave smiling to himself slightly. 'One day...'
Owari
Leo: Okay, so how bad WAS it? Really?