Chapter Ten: Fights and Warnings

I laughed inwardly as Arisa ran from the table covered in juice. I don't know how, who or what made her glass do that, but whom ever did, I am terribly grateful. I looked up at Akito who was glaring at Arisa's retreating form with his trademark pose; hand on his chin. Eventually Saki came back in without Midori, I suddenly felt a bit of guilt for some reason and I really don't know why. Yuki and Momiji haven't come back either, although I don't even know were they went off to.

It was too quiet since they left, but soon enough Haru started taunting Kyou again, Tohru went back to being busy in the kitchen again I could hear Arisa swearing in the bed room as she tried to clean her shirt. Slowly I edged away from Akito making the gap in between us larger, but he edged closer.

After a long pause Midori came back in, her head hanging low, she didn't speak to any one. Momiji came in next but halted when he saw Akito and me, but he fell back to normalcy and went over and bothered Hatori. Yuki followed soon after, his eyes grew wide at the sight of Akito.

"Oh hello Yuki." He smiled pleasantly his grip on my arm getting tighter, "Come sit down we are all talking." He tilted his head in a genuine sign of agreeable behavior. Yuki stood there a moment before snapping back to reality. Since Arisa wasn't around he took her spot by Midori.

"Hello Akito... What brings you here?" He asked wearily.

Akito took a deep breath, "Just paying a visit to my family," he looked at me briefly "And friends. Thought we all needed to get to know each other again." Akito Sneered and Yuki froze.

"We should all play a game!" Shigure announce trying to loosen the tension in the room. "Let's play 'Spin the Bottle!'" He smiled even after Hatori smacked the back of his head.

"Idiot..." he muttered quietly.

"What's 'Spin the Bottle'?" Yuki and Akito asked at the same time. We all looked at the two, were they joking? But apparently not, the two looked around completely clueless. Hatori cleared his throat before going into a scientific analysis of the situation.

"When large groups of people join together in a circular fashion, placing a bottle in the center. The bottle is usually 16 oz and in most cases an old glass coke bottle-"

Shigure looked up at him. "Ha'ri, that's not how at goes."

"No of course not!" the silver headed Aya chimed in, "You sit in a circle and make-out!" He seemed really proud that he had told every one the false information.

Shigure turned to Aya, "Remember all those years ago when we played?"

Aya perked up all bubbly "Of course, how could anyone forget..." Hatori sighed as the two went on about their game, but everyone pretty much ignored them.

"I don't think that that game is a good choice." Yuki said melancholy as Arisa came back into the room. She stared at him sitting in her seat but he didn't move, so instead she went and sat on a bar stool by the kitchen.

"So," I could feel the teasing coming on, "Has she measured your neck yet?" Arisa asked Akito and I looked down at my lap. I could feel him tensing through his sleeves.

"No. Not at all." He said flatly, but Arisa wasn't going to let me get away with this so easily.

"I'd watch out for her if I were you, girl's got issues, and they say she's killed a teacher before-"

Akito jumped to his feet pulling me up along with him. He turned to Arisa who had shut up when he rose, "You should hold your tongue when you know not of what you are speaking!" He snapped his eyes changing. I looked up at him, and well, I guess this is what you would call his maximum fury.

Arisa immediately jumped in her seat, looking back at us, "Your just as stupid as she is!" She shouted waving a spoon around. Tohru grew nervous and tried to get her to calm down but she wouldn't listen. "Think your better then us or something?!" She stood up and Haru grabbed her arm.

I half expected Akito to go knock her into tomorrow but instead he smiled letting his arm slide down off of me but he grabbed my hand again. He sneered at Arisa and we walked past her heading back into my room. We didn't stop until we had passed through the door to the outside and were on the porch again, but then he did something I wouldn't have expected in a million years.

He laughed.

He laughed like a hysterical maniac, he let go of me and fell to his knees laughing. I didn't know what to do or how to react at all. One minute the guys pissed off the next he's dying of laughter.

"Uh... Akito?" I looked down at his laughing form with perplexity. He tried to calm down and look at me.

"If only she knew!" he started laughing again. "She would be shuddering at the sight of me if she knew." He went to his feet again still holding himself but calmer, "Your right, she doesn't like you very much. I'll see to it that that changes." He popped one of his fingers on the support beam and smiled.

"What do you-" I started but he put one hand up to my mouth to shush me, and a finger on his.

"Shhh! It'll be our little secret. See you at the banquet tonight." He grinned a twisted smile and walked off towards his house shoving his hands into his pockets. I practically fell against the wall. What did he mean by 'I'll see to it that that changes?' What was he going to do? For that matter what could he do? Slumping down to the floor I watched as the creepy Akito headed to a corner. But before going around it he turned to me smiling again.

Ever since I have come here I have felt there is more going on then is being told. Akito's different compared to most of the Sohma's I've met, but something keeps nagging the back of my mind. I think he has a secret that he's not telling me.

Getting back to my feet I slid open the door and started to go rejoin the group of antagonistic people who I call 'friends', but instead I found Midori laying on her bed staring into space with Yuki sitting on mine. We blinked a couple of times at each other before Yuki finally said something.

"My brother Aya… Well, he, he made these for us." He pulled out two matching Kimono's covered in Zodiac signs. I stared at him then back at Midori who I noticed was already wearing one, so that Yuki, she and I would be matching.

"Why?" I scratched my head and sat down at the foot of the bed. Yuki sighed and lay down, obviously exasperated.

"Because he is my brother and he thinks he's helping us by doing this and if we don't wear them he's going to come and try to hug me some more." I nodded and saluted him. Some things are better not said.

I glanced back at Midori who was wearing the silvery kimono. It looked good on her. It had animals from the zodiac sewn onto it and black trim. It really was a pretty outfit. Yuki seemed to think so as well.

"Midori is having a hard time with Saki right now." He glanced at her as she rolled over away from us. "And I was wondering if you would like to join us at the banquet. Just us three to take our minds off of our relatives." He rolled his eyes when he said relatives.

"Sure, that would be great." I grinned as he handed me mine. I held it up and suddenly realized something. It looked about 3 sizes to small. "Yuki... It's..." I looked at him pleading that this wasn't really supposed to be mine.

"Oh yeah, you might want to stretch it out, he didn't know what size you were and he says its rude to make clothes to big when you're giving them to a girl..." He gave me an apologetic smile and walked out closing the door behind him. I pulled the little kimono on, barely able to breath I tottered around to the door to go talk to Yuki.

No one was in the kitchen or living room; apparently they had gone to get ready as well. Slowly I headed for the door, watching out for any shoes that had been knocked around (stupid Haru, its all your fault I fell!) The electricity had finally come back on; all of the clocks were set to the wrong times. I tried to reach up and grab my coat but the kimono was so tight I couldn't get it off of the hook, so I just pulled some ropes out of the pocket instead. Oh yah, I did pull my boots on even though they really didn't go with the Kimono at all.

I slid the door open gasping for breath I tried to climb down the stairs. But alas, I couldn't... I went head first down three steps, only instead of falling straight forward and into a patch of mud I fell to my left, right into a tree. (I curse this stupid outfit!) Putting my hands out, I stopped myself from slamming into it but I ended up doing an awkward balancing act, my feet on the top step while my hands on the tree.

"Having a hard time down there?" I looked up to see Yuki already in his Kimono sitting in the branch above me. I tried to answer him but I really couldn't, I was trying too hard to focus on not falling that and I couldn't breath. I wiggled a little to try and get my balance but I flailed my arms around wildly as I began to fall again but this time I felt Yuki grab my hand.

He pulled me to where I could catch my balance but didn't let go till he was sure I wouldn't fall again.

"Thanks," I muttered straightening myself. He smiled and leaned back against the tree. "What are you doing up there?" He briefly opened his eyes and looked down at me.

"Thinking about things..." I raised my eyebrows, what an informative answer I mean, damn that was flowing over with information! "You should be careful around Akito." He warned me and I turned back towards him.

"What do you mean be careful?" I was slightly shocked and I didn't hide it. He sighed but didn't bother to look at me.

"Akito, he isn't as nice as he seems..." I sharply turned on my heels leaving him behind in the tree, there was no reason to believe him that Akito was a mean guy.

But then there's no reason to believe he's that kind either.

For the rest of the day I tottered around stretching the fabric out to make it fit better, by the end of the day I could breathe and walk at the same time. I found Yuki and Midori waiting for me outside of the boys' house, I didn't bring up what we had talked about earlier and neither did he to which I was grateful for.

As we walked Midori seemed really quiet, she didn't really speak at all but Yuki kept tabs on her, tapping her arm here and there, brushing his hand on hers. Maybe I was just a big noticer of when people are trying to be overly friendly but then again, he kept putting his hand on either of our backs when we tottered so maybe I'm just paranoid or something. I probably am, I mean come on I'm 'crazy and all'. Or perhaps Yuki just liked to touch girls? For all I know he was that kind of guy!

At one point Haru and Kyou ran by, Haru looked incredibly pissed off; so did Kyou. Kyou kept shouting about how he would beat him till he cried for mercy and then Haru kept chattering about Kyou backing out of a fight.

But for the most part we walked in silence, for us tonight wasn't a night for parties.

TO BE CONTINUED