Okay, I'm doing this in like, five minutes, so forgive my really bad foreword thing.

I'm going on a 4th of July (American Independence Day) Road Trip!

LOTS OF BEER! WOOOOHOOOO!

Underage drinking is BAD. Just for the record and my younger readers.

BUT we're bringing my friend's mom, who's the "supervisor"

Psh.

There's Beauty in the Breakdown

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Mahiru watched Akito leave. She sat by the wall, stunned, unmoving, until she heard Momiji's voice from Akito's bedroom. She stood and numbly walked into the room, seeing a terrified Momiji and a smiling Akito. She imagined that the expression the Bunny was wearing was identical to the one she had worn herself when Akito had called her in to talk to him for the first time. Well, the first time he was fully awake anyway. A mixture between panic and…well, panic. She cleared her throat, watching both the males start slightly.

"Hey Momiji-kun, I didn't see you at school today." Mahiru tried her best to be normal, given the circumstances. They just stared at her until Mahiru went to give Momiji a hug. There were mixed reactions to that. Momiji relaxed, but Akito's stare turned into a full fledged glare.

'Okay, I'm guessing he's the jealous type.'

She gave him a smile, trying to calm him. It didn't really work.

"What do you want?" Akito's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"I…I wanted to talk to you about M…Momo." Mahiru felt Momiji trembling under her arm. She sighed. Momiji had told her about Momo, and Mahiru really felt for him. She knew what it felt like to not be able to hug your sibling, no matter how much you wanted to.

"What about it?" Again, Akito's voice set Mahiru on edge. She fought down the fear growing inside of her. 'It's just Akito… gosh.'

"Her." Mahiru corrected.

His glare intensified.

"Sorry." Mahiru became very interested in a spot on the wall.

"Well…I… can I tell her?" 'Aw, poor Momiji' Mahiru remembered her friend's rabbit, which bolted at the first thing that spooked it. She knew Momiji was trying his best not to let his animal get the best of him.

"Tell her what?" Akito's voice was slower and softer, but the menace was still evident. Mahiru shuddered.

Momiji looked at the floor "Everything." he said quietly.

Akito smirked and strode closer to the Rabbit, ignoring Mahiru. "Aw… poor bunny missing the rest of his family? Rabbits usually have big families, don't they? But you… you were abandoned. The freak of the litter, natural selection. Your mother didn't accept you, what makes you think your sister will? Has finding a new sister who understands you gone to your head? Well, what do you think she knows?"

'Wait a second, is Akito dissing me?'

"Do you think her opinion matters?"

'Okay, I'm guessing he's the really jealous type.'

Mahiru was about to open her mouth, letting her annoyance with the God be known, when Momiji burst out "Shut up!"

"Huh?" Mahiru turned to the Rabbit. He was standing, staring at the ground, fists clenched.

"Don't talk about Mah-chan like that!"

Akito looked just as stunned as Mahiru. But as Mahiru felt a rush of affection for the Bunny, Akito looked like he was going to murder someone.

Mahiru decided she wouldn't lose a second little brother "Thank you." She turned to Akito "Seriously. I didn't do anything. He wants your permission for something important to him, so you decide you're going to insult me? Where does that make sense?"

Akito's glare faltered.

"Why can't you just support him? My little brother is dead, so I can't hug him. But Momo is alive! Momo wants to get to know her brother. She wants to know the truth. What's the harm in telling her? If she gets hurt by it, then it's fixable. You don't seem to have problems erasing anyone's memories."

"Maybe I should erase yours." Akito snarled at Mahiru with surprising vehemence.

"Maybe you should." Mahiru countered, although her voice came out more taunting than insulting. Damn all his practice.

"Maybe I will…" Akito's eyes gleamed. Mahiru felt the terror of him she had felt when she first moved in resurface.

Momiji bowed "goodbye" and ran to the door.

"Tell her, everything you think she should know." Akito said, not needing to shout, his voice carrying just fine.

Momiji turned, stunned, but then came to his senses and left before the God had a chance to change his mind.

Mahiru shook her head at the God, at a loss for words. She turned and followed Momiji, stopping at the door, not even bothering to turn around to say "Maybe you should."

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Mahiru walked unsteadily down the hall, and found herself in the kitchen before noticing where she was going. She slid into a chair with a glass of ice water, which she held against her head. "Oh, God." She sighed, unable to think.

Okay, that moment was over.

'What was he thinking? Why did he turn on me? What did I do? Jerk! What a big, fat, stupid JERK! I didn't do anything! What a fricken psycho. Maybe he really should.'

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Akito stood in his room, dumbfounded.

What didn't she understand? She was his! Not the Rabbits! She said she loved him. Maybe she had lied.

For some reason he couldn't bring himself to believe that.

Maybe there was something that he didn't understand. He prayed that the strength would last for a while longer as he went after her.

Akito found her in the kitchen, sitting at the table, an icy water glass pressed against her temple. She was slumped over, looking ready to pass out.

He knew the feeling.

Akito went to the table and sat down next to her. She seemed to not notice him for a few minutes. He could feel his strength slowly ebbing.

"What?" she mumbled.

"Why are you angry?" he asked, annoyed.

She heard the genuineness in his voice and looked at him in surprise "What is wrong with you?"

He glared at her. What didn't she understand!

"You just randomly started insulting me! What did that have to do with anything! It really hurt." She finished softly, her gaze dropping from his. "Why?"

"You are mine." He replied simply. Why didn't she realize that?

"Yours how?"

"… You love me. Not him. Or anyone else." It really wasn't a difficult concept. His irritation intensified. Now she was just being difficult.

"But I do love him. And I love Haa-san, and Haru nee-san." Akito felt his shock and hurt showing on his face "And I love you too." She added "In different ways, but I love you all."

"You said you loved me. You can't love more than one person." Akito countered.

"Who told you that?" She seemed genuinely surprised.

Akito tried to remember, only coming up with one answer "My mother."

"Your mother told you that." She apparently thought the idea was funny. "Well, I've never met your mother, but she sounds like a crock-"

"Yes you have." Akito interrupted her, his anger bleeding into his voice.

"I have? When?" He saw her face scrunch slightly, trying to remember any women she had met from the Sohma family, apparently failing "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Was there something wrong with her?

"When?" She honestly didn't know.

"Just now." He did his best to be patient, but the fury was slowly building.

"Momij-?-oh." He saw her face register her shock "That was your mother?"

Akito nodded, holding back the urge to slap her.

"Oh my…"

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Okay, I won't be back till Wednesday, so have fun without me. I'll know I'll be missed. :)