'Sup! Welcome to The Petals of My Heart!
Full summary:
After Tohru talks to Akito (in the anime's last episode) he decides to accept her offer of friendship. As they draw closer so does the end of Akito's life. Will it end in heartbreak? Or will it be a happy ending?
Shigure called her a flower on many accounts. After meeting her I'd have to agree that she is something bright and pretty. After meeting her I can feel my heart beating. It's as if she has brought me back to life. For once in my life I want to share with someone, the petals in my heart.
-Akito Sohma
The phone rang in Shigure's house and Kyo picked it up.
"Hello?" he asked boredly.
"Is Tohru Honda there?" asked a woman on the other end.
"Yeah, who is this?" Kyo retorted.
"Akito requests Miss Honda's presence at the main house today as soon as possible. Please send her, if she has to she may bring one other person. That is all."
The woman hung up and Kyo dropped the phone on horror. Kyo ran to Shigure to tell him the news. Shigure sat in thought as he went over the last visit to see Akito. Last time he had ordered Hatori to suppress Tohru's memories.
Tohru came into the kitchen humming a happy song. She went into the fridge to get the ingredients for this morning's breakfast.
"Tohru," Shigure started. "Akito wants to see you again. He says that you can bring one other person. I suppose they're for support."
"One other person?" Tohru repeated.
Tohru cracked open the eggs as she thought. Her mind wandered up the steps and into Yuki's room.
Breakfast was done being made and the table was ready for everybody. Yuki was the last to come down the stairs and sat at his usual spot.
"Yuki," Tohru breathed.
Shigure and Kyo looked up from their meal and listened.
"I'm going to see Akito today. Would you come with me if your not too busy?" Tohru continued.
Yuki thought about what it would feel like to see Akito again after that incident and quickly understood that she may be extremely frightened to attend the meeting on her own, nor did he wish her to go alone. He nodded and she smiled. After breakfast they left the house for the main house.
Akito sat in his room with his birds waiting for Tohru's arrival.
"Did she really think that she could change anything? I am the core of the curse. She will suffer I promise you," Akito said to himself.
"I highly doubt it. You know that she is the only one. She is destined to save us," his alter ego snickered.
"The day Tohru Honda saves us is the day I die," he spat.
"Perhaps. We are to die soon. At any moment we could just die and we can do nothing to stop that."
Akito's face twisted into a sad one, his sadistic smile gone. There was a knock at the door and Tohru entered with Yuki behind her. The two kneeled down side by side in front of him.
"Yuki? So good of you to come," Akito whispered as he approached them.
Yuki sat still as Akito put his hand on his back and touched Tohru.
"An interesting choice, Honda," Akito breathed. "You both must be wondering why I asked Honda here."
Akito placed his arms around her and Tohru cringed in fear a little bit.
"The truth is, Tohru that I can't get you off of my mind. You seemed to have offered me the silly thing you call friendship the last time you were here. I'm taking that offer. Stand up and walk around freely. You can see me anytime you like. That is, if you think you can break the curse. Speak."
"I- I know that I can't break the curse but, I want to try and I want to be your friend, Akito. Share your pain with me," Tohru stuttered.
"Maybe another time," he said glaring at Yuki. "See me some other time."
Yuki and Tohru got up and left. Akito watched them walk off and thought about the road ahead.
"Miss Honda, I'm not sure but I think that this is a good time to tell you," Yuki muttered.
"Yuki, why can't you call me Tohru?"
Yuki thought for a moment and slowly said," I was afraid to show you that- I love you, m- no Tohru." Yuki smiled his warm smile and Tohru was amazed a boy had never said that he loved her before.
Tohru returned the smile and blushed a little.
"I see. Well, I'm sorry but I don't know what I feel."
Yuki's smile faded a little and force a laugh, "Of course, Miss Honda."
"Call me Tohru."
"Alright, Tohru."
Akito watched the two so happy.
Kyo sat in his room reading when Yuki came in.
"What do you think your doing?" Kyo asked quietly.
"I want to try it as well."
"What?" Kyo choked a little.
"Kyo, who did decide that the cat and the rat had to hate each other? You see Tohru has become somewhat friends with Akito."
"Say what?"
"I thought we could be friends," Yuki whispered.
Kyo gave Yuki a weird look.
"Are you for real? We've always hated each other! Why change now?"
"Because, if Tohru can do it then so can we. Akito can kill her and she's trying and I want to try to for Tohru. It would make her happy if we became friends."
Kyo thought for a moment and replied," Only for Tohru."
Yuki smiled and left.
"That was weird," Kyo thought.
Days continued to fly by and Tohru always left early to see Akito. Yuki and Kyo fought less but still argued a lot. Shigure felt his heart warm watching these new beginnings. Shigure gazed at the picture on his desk of a woman that he could never have but still smiled.
"Akito?" Tohru called and Akito came inside.
"Hello, Tohru," he said with a smile.
"I brought you some fruit. Is something wrong?" Tohru asked carefully.
"I have six months left in my life. After that-" Akito retorted sadly.
Tohru embraced Akito as he began to cry. A switchblade knife was in his hand and he tried to flip it open but something was stopping him.
"What is this?" he thought. "This woman has come into our family and is trying to change this. I have to make her suffer. Physical and mental wounds!"
"Akito, I know it was fast, but I'm starting to really love you," she cried.
Akito now realized why he couldn't hurt this girl no matter how much he wanted to. Akito closed his eyes and felt his heart beating inside his chest. This was love. He was in love with Tohru Honda. This was the only person who could really love him; she was indeed the one to break the curse. Everyone else was afraid of him that's why they listened to him. She listened out of love, not fear.
Tohru returned home with her eyes red from crying over Akito's short life span. Yuki and Kyo looked up from the TV and ran to her side.
"What's wrong?" Kyo asked urgently.
"What has Akito done to you?" Yuki demanded.
"Nothing, Akito didn't do anything to me. But, he'll be gone soon and I'm just starting to know him, I'm just starting to love him."
The word love struck Yuki's heart and it sank. Yuki turned and went to his room Kyo, his new friend followed him while Tohru ran off to get dinner started.
"Yuki?" Kyo called over.
They went into Yuki's room.
"What's up?"
"She loves him, Kyo. There's no way that she could ever love me the same way. I can tell apart the love for her friends, the love for her mother, and her love for Akito. She sees him everyday and her friends sparingly. She only sees us everyday because we live together," Yuki burst.
Kyo watched a man let his emotions take over. Only Tohru would be able to help Yuki.
An hour later Kyo came downstairs to eat dinner with Tohru and Shigure.
"Where's Yuki?"
"He's not hungry," Kyo grunted. "He said not to bother him, he doesn't feel well."
"Oh," Tohru sighed.
"Tohru, there are five settings. Even without Yuki there should be four. Is someone else here?"
The doorbell rang and Tohru jumped up to get it.
"Hello," they heard Tohru say.
"Good evening, Tohru," came Akito's voice.
Akito came into the dining room and looked down on Kyo and Shigure with a smile. Tohru was close behind him and they seated themselves next to each other.
"A-Akito, this is a pleasant surprise," Shigure greeted.
Kyo remained silent and watched Tohru carefully. Right away he could tell that there was a different love that Tohru showed Akito. The way she let him hold her, the way she spoke to him. She was happier than usual. Shigure watched as the evil head of the family warped into something warmer, full of love.
Akito was different somehow. He let himself feel emotion for the first time since he was told that he was born to die. Shigure felt slightly delighted that Akito was saved. It's just too bad that it came at the end of his short life.
Tohru and Akito disappeared somewhere after washing dishes. The house was full of laughter with Akito in it. Tohru and Akito sat hand in hand watching the sunset. Akito found himself with the knife again but this time it flipped open without warning. His arm seemed to move by itself and-
I'm never sure where to leave you hanging… See yah next time!