Tohru's Demons

Chapter Twenty: Akito's Encounter


"Well... She's an interesting character, isn't she?" Shigure commented with a crooked smile.

"What exactly is she? Is she a demon like Artemis?" Momiji asked interestedly. Tohru gave him an apologetic smile and shook her head.

"If Millie wouldn't tell you, then I have no right to. She probably doesn't trust anyone enough yet to confide anything like that," she told him gently.

"She seemed pretty trusting to me," the Rabbit said glumly.

"Don't worry, Momiji-kun, it won't take her very long to get to know you."

"And then she'll tell you more than you really wanted to know," Artemis said as he rose to his feet and walked out the door. Raha passed by him as he left and jumped up on the counter, his teeth clamped firmly on the leg of a live spider.

"Rahallion, you're not going to eat that in here are you?" Tohru demanded with her hands on her hips. In answer, Raha slowly began pulling the spider apart and eating it on the spot, his red eyes staring her down insolently. Tohru made a face and turned away in disgust. Raha finished off the spider and let out a chirp.

"Now what?" said Tohru, obviously annoyed. Raha chirped again and bobbed his head. Tohru shook her head, reached under the counter and took out a bag of coffee beans. She put a handful of the beans on the counter before Raha and put the bag away again.

"That's all you're getting for today, understand?" Raha ignored her and began to quickly devour the coffee beans, sucking them up like a vacuum.

"What happens if he has too much coffee?" Momiji asked curiously.

"He gets like you on steroids and too much candy, except with a mouth full of teeth and a set of claws," Tohru chuckled teasingly, making Momiji laugh. It was about then that Yuki wandered in, trailed by Hiro, and sat down without a word.

"Morning, Yuki!" Tohru said cheerfully, handing him a cup of tea. He looked up at her slowly, picked up the offered cup and began drinking. Within seconds his eyes lost their sleepy glaze and he sat up straighter.

"This is the same stuff from yesterday morning," he said.

"Uh-huh! I made this batch, though."

"It's good, thank you, Honda-san," Yuki said, smiling at her.

"You're welcome!"

"Good morning everyone!" Ayame announced loudly from the door. The smile wiped off Yuki's face, and a cold, indifferent frown replaced it.

"Aaya! Good morning to you too!" Shigure greeted, overjoyed.

"Ha'ri, aren't you going to even say good morning to your best friend in the whole wide world?" Ayame pouted, turning a hurt look towards the silent Hatori.

"...Morning."

"Good morning, Ayame-san!" Tohru said. "Do you want anything for breakfast?"

"I would eat anything our wonderful Tohru-kun cooked!"

"How about some potato pancakes?"

Millie stared through the crack of a door into a dimly lit room. There was a boy inside. He was seated in a chair and hanging out his window, staring listlessly into the sky. The boy had dark hair and black, cold eyes. Everything about him told Millie to stay away, to not bother him, to leave. But she stayed where she was, peeking through the crack in the door, wondering if he was lonely.

Finally, when she could stand her curiosity no longer, she pushed open the door and marched into the room. Akito looked up slowly, turning hard, emotionless eyes upon her.

"What's your name?" she asked, walking right up to him.

"Get out."

"Not until Millie knows this boy's name!" Millie said cheerfully.

"I thought I told you to get out." Akito said quietly, a hint of a threat in his tone.

"My name is Millie. Are you a Sohma?"

"I don't care what your name is, and I don't want an interrogation."

"Millie will keep bothering you until you tell." Millie threatened, wagging a finger at him. Akito ignored her and continued to stare out the window.

"Do you turn into an animal?"

"Go away."

"Do you?"

"Go away."

"Millie wants to know."

"GO AWAY!!!" Akito yelled, suddenly leaping to his feet and knocking over his chair. Millie didn't even flinch. Instead she stepped up and wrapped her arms around the boy's waist.

Akito froze. Was this girl stupid? Didn't she know who he was?

"Millie knows who this boy is now. He is lonely, isn't he?" she asked quietly, looking up at him. Akito didn't know what to do. No one, especially a child, or whatever she was, had ever tried to hug him. Not even Shigure, who was the only person that could really be at ease, at least in appearance, around the Head Sohma.

"What....?" Akito managed to gasp.

"What's your name?"

"...Akito..."

"Akito is a Sohma. Akito is the Head Sohma, isn't he?"

"How did you...?"

"Akito did not transform when Millie hugged him." Suddenly Akito's eyes hardened. He gripped Millie's shoulders and shoved her roughly away. She'd only hugged him to satisfy her own childish curiosity, not because she cared. I'm such an idiot… to think she'd actually…

"Get out," he snarled, picking up his chair and returning to the window.

"Akito-sama? Everything alright?" Akito looked up to see Haru in the doorway. A slow, venomous smile spread across his face.

"Yes. You can go, and take her with you," he said quietly, nodding politely towards Millie. Haru held out his hand for the girl. Millie skipped over and took it, but before she left she turned and said cheerfully, "Millie will be back later to see Akito, okay?" And she and Haru were gone, leaving Akito to stare listlessly out his window.

Haru glanced down at the girl walking in step with him, grasping his hand, and staring up at him with wide, green eyes.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" she asked hopefully.

"What?"

"Have you ever killed anyone? Popped someone off? Gave them curtains?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh..." she said, looking disappointed. "Who are you?"

"Hatsuharu Sohma. Every one just calls me Haru, though. Who are you?"

"Millie. Do you turn into an animal?"

"...Yes. Artemis mentioned you. You're the one that translates all the old texts and stuff they bring in, correct?"

"That's right! Ding ding ding! Tell the man what he has won!"

"What have I won...?"

"Where is Haru going, Millie wonders?"

"...To the kitchen."

"But you're going the wrong way! The kitchen is the other way, silly! Millie thinks Haru is lost."

"Haru's... I'm not lost."

"It's okay to say so. Millie gets lost, too, sometimes. She wanders around for days and days, starving and alone and forgotten!"

"Uh..."

"What animal are you?"

"The Ox."

"Come, I shall lead you into the light!"

"Huh?"

"Millie will show you to the kitchen."

"Oh... um, what were you doing in Akito's room? He didn't... He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, Millie and Akito were just talking. Millie thinks Akito is very lonely."

"You may be right. But I don't think you should go back..."

"What does Haru mean, Millie wonders?"

"I mean, I don't think you should be alone with him. Just... stay away from Akito, okay? He's... he's not what you think he is."

"Akito won't hurt Millie. Haru doesn't need to his worry his head about her!" Millie said cheerfully, walking through the door into the kitchen. "Never fear for Millie and Haru are here!" she cried dramatically. "Millie has returned from the depths, and she brought a survivor!"

"Hello, good morning, Hatsuharu-kun!" Tohru said. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"Uhhh, sure..."

"Who is this?" Ayame asked, looking at Millie. Millie turned and eyed him curiously with the utmost of seriousness.

"Millie. Who are you?"

"Why, I am the great and wonderful Ayame Sohma!" Ayame said, sweeping her a theatrical bow. Millie looked delighted.

"What animal are you?"

"Animal...?" Ayame said, looking surprised and confused.

"Don't worry, Aaya, she's one of the people here that knows about the curse. Artemis told us about her, remember?" Shigure reminded him.

"But... a child?"

"Millie's three hundred and twenty seven this year," Momiji said with a smile. Ayame stared, and then blinked in surprise when he felt Millie tugging at his hand.

"What animal is Ayame?"

"You'd better tell her quick, Aaya, or she'll hug you." Shigure told him.

"Oh, well I'm the oh-so-awesome Snake." Ayame said.

"Are you poisonous?" Millie gasped.

"Ha, ha, no I don't think I am!"

"Oh... how boring..." Millie said in disenchantment, her shoulders slumping. "Haru is not a murderer, Ayame cannot poison anyone..."

"Am I boring Millie?" Momiji cried.

"No, Mitchi is not boring! Now come on, Millie wants to show Mitchi her secret place!" And with that she grabbed Momiji's hand and dragged him out of the room, while Ayame sputtered incoherently behind them.

To be continued....


Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, as you may have noticed by now.

I DO NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS. I'm sorry I didn't mention that earlier, I must have forgotten about it when I mentioned Tohru had mithril axe blades. Some people were a bit miffed with me, so I thought I ought to say that. I'M SO SORRY IF I OFFENDED ANYONE OR MADE ANYONE HAVE AN APOPLECTIC FIT, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SAYING I DON'T OWN LORD OF THE RINGS, I'LL APOLOGIZE TO THE ENITRE WOOOOORRRLLLLLDDDD!!!!!!!!

Okay, I'll stop impersonating Ritsu. Sorry, I couldn't resist he's so fun to mimic! On another note, please tell me what you think about the story so far! I absolutely love reviews and I check everyday to see if I have more, I just can't get enough attention and praise.

Sayonara, my friends!

-Raha-