/a yellow ribbon/

Yuki couldn't concentrate on his work. The numbers on the spreadsheet had been dancing in front of his eyes till he just couldn't take it any more. Now he had left his 'office', as he called the largest room in his apartment, and he was wandering round the Sohma gardens.

Everything was pristine here – all the gardens were well-tended, with bright flowers of every colour arranged in the many flowerbeds. Yuki remembered his own little garden that he'd kept secret behind Shigure's house – he wondered if it was all overgrown now, the place that he'd given so much love to utterly forgotten.

Although it was mid-afternoon the weather was cold and bleak, and Yuki had forgotten his coat. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, willing the warmth back into them. It might seem unpleasant, this weather, but at least out here the air was fresh. He also didn't have to see any of those dreadful spreadsheets.

Yuki turned a corner and stopped still – he had been walking without really noticing where he was going, but he certainly hadn't intended to end up at the small, austere looking building in front of him. It had been a very long time since he'd last been here – more than ten years. It looked smaller, somehow, than before… but maybe that was just because he was bigger now.

More out of curiosity than anything else he slowly walked towards the cat room. The ground closest to it was bare, as if no plants could bear to grow there. Yuki thought he could feel waves of sadness emanating from that place… an overwhelming feeling of self-hatred and despair. He placed one hand on the stone wall and just stood there, thinking that whatever went wrong in his own life, that stupid cat had been far more unlucky.

Yuki opened his mouth to speak – to whisper some words of comfort to the boy he'd always despised – but a voice rang out from behind him.

'Yuki! Get away from there! Get away!'

The rat spun round, an icy coldness clutching his stomach. It was the voice he feared above all others – and there in front of the rat, an expression of the deepest fury on his face, stood Akito.

The god strode towards the terrified rat, his dark red kimono billowing around him. Cold grey eyes emitted the most passionate anger Yuki had ever seen. The violet-eyed boy felt a panic inside that only Akito could cause. His instinct was to flee… to run as far away as he possibly could… but he could not escape from the wrath of his god.

Akito struck Yuki's cheek with the back of his hand. 'I told you to go!'

Wordlessly Yuki fled the clearing, his face smarting from the blow.

It had been Hatori's task to deliver Rin's son to his foster-parents. As with all commands that Akito gave him the doctor carried it out without complaint, silently adding it to the long list of things on his conscience.

However now something inside him believed that this might not last… this seemingly endless cycle of sadness that was part of a juunishi… he knew now that it was worthless to dwell on self-pity, worthless to wait and hope that things might get better – if he wanted happiness he had to seize it himself, and not let it go. Just as he should have done with Kana, all those years ago.

Maybe it was finally time for him to stop following the orders of his sadistic god and to start acting on his conscience.

Yuki lay on his bed, fear still gnawing at a distant corner of his stomach. He knew Akito would not let this rest – what the god so clearly regarded as a gross invasion of privacy. Hated memories battered at his mind, and his imagination twisted them into fears of what Akito might do this time.

But it wouldn't – it couldn't – last… he knew better than to believe Akito's poison anyway… the worst that could happen to him would be physical pain… he could get over this.

Out of the corner of his eye the rat noticed a scrap of white paper, lying on a pile of books on the floor. Tohru's note! Yuki hadn't looked at it so far today – was he giving up already? Desperation rose inside him, and he rocked back and forth on the bed, trying in vain to control his feelings. He had to keep believing – for Tohru's sake – he had to right whatever wrongs she had been dealt.

A harsh rap on the outer door announced the moment he had been dreading. Shakily the rat manoeuvred himself off the bed and out into the larger room, towards the door.

'Yuki-san?' One of the older maids stood there, her white hair scraped back into a bun. 'The master wishes to see you in his apartments. At once, please.' Her tone indicated that refusing was not an option.

Yuki granted her a weak smile and followed her out into the corridor, locking the door behind him.

Akito's part of the building was far larger than Yuki's three rooms. As the maid led the rat through the outer rooms he noticed the familiar dark furnishings and the lack of beauty. Akito seemed to be sustained by the dark… it was all around him, and inside him; it was what made him. Perhaps there's dark in me too, Yuki thought. Perhaps that's why I can't do anything right.

The elderly woman had stopped by a closed door. She held out a hand, indicating that Yuki should go in. Hesitantly he opened the door.

No sooner had he entered then it was shut behind him, leaving Yuki alone in the room. It was furnished in much the same way as the rest of Akito's domain, the few items of furniture plain and dark-coloured. Despite the unwelcome situation he was in Yuki couldn't help but wonder why Akito did not want more extravagance here – he was the god, after all, and if he were to ask for it he would get it.

'Yuki.'

The voice came from behind him, quiet, emotionless, like a statement. The rat wheeled round and saw Akito emerge from a connecting room, sliding the door closed. The god walked slowly over towards the first of his juunishi, the only sound in the room his bare feet on the wooden floorboards. Lovingly he held his right hand up to Yuki's face, caressing it, gazing into those deep purple eyes.

Yuki looked at the young man before him in amazement. This person was acting completely different from the Akito who'd confronted him before. But inside he was still wary – he had far too much experience of Akito's mood swings, of the way he would manipulate his juunishi. Akito's face was closer now, much closer to his own, and Yuki laboured hard not to flinch away. It was strange, he was nearly a head taller than the frail god and still he felt awed by Akito's presence.

The god looked at Yuki sorrowfully for a moment, before releasing him. The younger man let out a relieved breath that he did not realise he had been holding – and he regretted it as soon as it left his lips, for Akito had heard it and there was an unreadable expression in his face.

'Are you really so very scared of me, Yuki?'

The rat looked at him in surprise, struggling to form an answer in his mind. 'No,' he said finally, 'I'm not scared.'

'Good.' The god began to circle the room, looking out of the wide glass window. 'Why did you go to that place today?'

'I…' The sudden change of subject took Yuki by surprise and so he stumbled over his answer. 'I didn't mean to.'

'It's hardly the kind of place you can stumble on by accident,' the god said, amused. He picked a small object up from a table Yuki hadn't noticed before, hidden in the shadows of the room.

'It really was by accident,' Yuki said sincerely. 'I was thinking… so I didn't notice where I was going.'

'Liar.' Akito was wrapping the object around his hand, and then unwrapping it again. 'Did Shigure say something about it? Tell me!' he cried, when Yuki did not respond.

'No – nothing!' Yuki backed away till his back touched the cold stone wall. 'It was an accident that I –' His words were cut off when Akito slapped him with his free hand. 'No, really!' Yuki cried, and to his shame hot tears were stinging at his eyes. 'I didn't mean to! I didn't!'

'You're pathetic,' Akito said coldly. 'Cringing like a child – you're an adult, Yuki. Have a bit more self-respect.' He lifted the hand he had just struck the younger man with and gently wiped Yuki's tears away. 'Look,' he said suddenly, resting the object he was holding against his ebony hair. 'Does it suit me?'

Yuki let out a gasp. Clasped in Akito's pale hand was the yellow ribbon he'd given to Tohru as a return present, nearly four years ago. 'Where did you get that?'

Akito's feminine mouth was twisted in an amused grin – he was enjoying this. 'It's mine. Do you like it?' He didn't give the rat a chance to answer as in one fluid motion he let the ribbon fall to the ground and stepped forward, capturing Yuki's mouth in his own.

/end of part 8/

AN: Sorry if some characters got a little out-of-character, I do try my best to keep them in character. If you think I went very badly off-character can you let me know in a review? It'll help me write better in the future. :)

This chapter was told mainly in Yuki's POV, which is why Yuki refers to Akito as – well, never mind. You all probably know already. evil grin If not, it'll be in the next chapter. As I said before, I am trying to keep this canon, so if you don't want to know the infamous ch97 spoiler, don't read on. However, if (most likely!) you already do, feel free to read on (when I write more, that is!) And please review:D