Chapter Five
Upstairs in Kohana's room, Kin and the cheery young girl sat on her floor, his eyes glued on her, hidden behind the current book in his hands, as she laid on her stomach, her legs swinging freely in the air, attention caught up in her drawing.
"Grr…just…don't look at her! Joey will be back any minute! Stop watching her! She's only drawing…though it does seem to be quite a good job so far…Agh! Stop! Read your book and just pretend like she's not there!" Kin thought viciously, fighting with himself.
Kohana glanced up from her drawing to look at the door, half expecting Joey to have returned already. Not finding him there, she looked over at Kin instead, watching his face carefully as his eyes darted down onto the pages of his book, pretending to be reading, "Shoot! She saw me! Now she's going to think I'm some sort of freakish stalking pervert! Gr-" his thoughts were cut short as he felt something touch his shoulder.
He lowered his book and looked up from the pages, his thin emerald eyes meeting those deep pools of violet. A faint blush came to his slightly tanned cheeks as he locked eyes with Kohana who was sitting right in front of him, holding his shoulder with a look of concern apparent on her pale face. He felt the temperature rise in his cheeks. She was so close, so very close, so close that he couldn't help but reach out slowly and rest his hand on her cheek, causing her violet eyes to flutter closed under his touch.
He noted how much he loved the color of her eyes, the feel of her soft skin under his palm. He ran his hand down to her chin smoothly, finding himself inching closer and closer to her until, finally, their lips met. Her soft violet eyes flew open, staring deep into his. She didn't know what to do, searching her mind left her at a loss, so, she gave in to the pounding in her heart and moved her lips against his.
As he watched her eyes flutter closed once again, he smiled to himself and released her chin, moving his long arm around and resting it across her back to move her just a bit closer. He pressed back against her lips, exciting a childish giggle from her and into his mouth. "Does this mean she's mine?" he asked himself, "Not Joey's, but mine? But…Joey did already claim her. The flower proved as much. She only thinks of him as a brother though. Said so herself. This is the proof. All the proof I need at least. She is mine. All mine. Forever…"
A crash came from the doorway, ending Kin's thoughts and the pair pulled away from each other quickly, their eyes darting to the door and widening with shock. There stood Joey, a tray and a few empty cups astray on the floor, their contents sinking into the wood beneath them. His chocolaty brown eyes narrowed in anger and his hands clenched fistfuls of his jeans as he stormed into the room and grabbed onto Kohana's arm, ripping the frightened girl up to her feet. His arm snaked its way around her waist and held her to him, hip to hip. Joey glared down at Kin with a deep hate lingering in his dark eyes.
Joey turned and walked out of the room, holding Kohana tightly at his side. Closing her bedroom door softly behind them, Joey turned his raging gaze to Kohana, standing in the hall dumbfounded and frightened. He smiled evilly and took her hand, shoving her back against a wall and leaning over her, his hand slamming the wall directly beside her head. Though the two were the same age, Joey's height made him seem to tower over the poor girl, only making him all the more intimidating.
Trembling with fear, she could only stare up at him, pressing her small form into the wall, wishing she could sink into it just as the drinks and sunk into the floorboards. But sadly enough, she was mere human, not liquid, not air, and she was there, standing before him in fear instead of sinking away from him, hiding from her fear swelling up inside her seemingly tiny form.
"And what do you think you were doing, dear 'Hana?" he finally spoke, not in an angry tone, but a rather calm one considering the situation, though his eyes clearly stated otherwise. "Kissing little Kin in there while I was being generous enough to bring the two of you nourishment." He gazed down at her through his darkened eyes, lifting a strand of her auburn hair in between his fingers and allowing it to drop against her pale cheek. "Now, why would you do something like that? Why would you betray me?"
"I…I…" she stammered, not a single thought coming to her mind, fear stricken.
"You, what?" he asked, his tone becoming more harsh, "You should be glad I did not harm you little lover boy in there. I thought about it, but came to the decision that I did not wish to upset you so badly, as I do care for your well being..." He raised his hand to her cheek, causing her to flinch, awaiting the blow she knew was coming her way, but it didn't. He simply ran a finger down the side of her face and pressed his lips forcingly against hers, pinning her arms against the wall to reduce any chance of her getting away.
She grunted against his lips and tried pushing him away, only squishing herself up against the wall even more as a result. She felt sick to her stomach, it was like kissing a brother, only worse. She was petrified, knowing that she was nowhere near as strong as he was but unknowing of what he was planning in that twisted young mind of his. She began shaking, the sickness in her stomach rising throughout her fragile young body. In her mind she wanted to get away, but physically she was stuck there in his grasp, so she did all she could think to do at the moment, kissed him back.
As sickening as it was, she fought her way through it, knowing it took him off guard but also knowing it would be her only way of not suffering from a slap once he was finished. Nervous and ill to her stomach, she slipped slightly as he loosened his grip in surprise, causing her to bite onto his lip deeply, blood trickling down his chin as he yanked back screaming. His hand flew up to his lip to swipe away the blood, his eyes flicking up to hers angrily, fury deep within them. He raised his arm and smashed it across her face, fiercely knocking her to the floor with a loud thud, tears streaming down her pale cheeks mixed with a small amount of blood dripping from the cut splayed across her cheekbone from the impact.
He kneeled down beside her trembling form and stroked down her hair gently, grinning at both himself and the mark on her cheek, "Now let this be a lesson to you, dear 'Hana. You are mine. Only mine. And you are not to be acting like a little tramp, especially not at such an age as this. I'd keep Kin away if I were you, or else he may suffer the consequences next time." He smiled maliciously and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, brushing away a few of her tears and walking off down the hall towards the stairs, leaving the girl sprawled out across the floor of the hall.
Inside Kohana's room. Kin had his ear pressed tightly up against the door. Having heard the heavy steps walking passed, he threw the door open and ran out to Kohana's helpless sobbing self. She clenched her hands into fists tightly as he draped an arm around her, bringing her to her knees and allowing her to nestle into his chest, sobbing uncontrollably against him. He stroked her back gently while his other hand ran itself through her auburn hair which he loved so much.
She shuddered, that sickening feeling remaining in her stomach, "Why…why didn't you come after us?" she spoke weakly, her voice hushed.
"Even if I had, there was nothing I could do, 'Hana. I found out this morning from my father…Akito died." He stated firmly.
"The head of the family?" she questioned, lifting her gaze up to his, "What's that have to do with me and Joey!" she shouted angrily, slamming her fist into his chest.
"Well…Joey was chosen as the new head of the Sohma family. There's nothing we can do. Whatever he says is law. And whatever he wants…he gets."
"Meaning me!" she shouted, fresh tears brimming in her eyes as she clung onto his chest.
He watched her, feeling as if his heart were being torn from his chest and thrown to the ground only to be shattered into a million pieces. He searched his mind for a reply, he knew the answer, but found no words came to him, he could only nod.
-----------------------------------------------
"What!" Akako exclaimed, her voice seeming to crack.
Yuki sighed, tears threatening to fall from his violet eyes as all that was being said to him seemingly filled the air, none of it filtering through his mind, he would not allow it, "This cannot be happening…it just can't. After what Akito did to me…my daughter will not suffer the same." He thought.
Akako and Yuki sat across from Hatori and his wife, Kana, as the news a Sohma could fear most was admitted to them. Their first born, their precious daughter, young Kohana, had been requested to move into the Sohma house. Of course they would be permitted to visit, they were family after all, but that was it. Kohana was to stay in the household with the least amount of children, as she was too young to live on her own and the houses were slowly becoming crowded as the Sohmas began to create families of their own. Running through the houses in his mind, Yuki looked up from the spot on the carpet that he had been staring at and right into Hatori's eyes.
"She will…be staying with…my brother?" he asked, a knot of anger tying up in his stomach.
Hatori nodded in response to his friend's question, knowing Ayame was the only member of the Sohma family who did not, or could not, have any children. Not long after the Sohma curse had been broken, it only having been ten years since that fateful day, Ayame found a freedom he had not experienced before, simply joked about. For a long while, he and Kureno had been lovers, though in fear of their head of family, the couple's little secret had to remain a secret. A few members of the family walked in on a passionate kiss one day that was being shared with, none other than, the couple in hiding. News spread quickly throughout the family, though not a word, not even a slight whisper, was ever sent Akito's way. Of course, now that their sickly Head had passed on, Yuki's brother's antics could be spoken of freely.
"Joey has taken Akito's former position I'm afraid. It is at his request that I am here. Kana and I…we are deeply sorry. Just as before, Yuki, there is nothing I can do to stop him. What he says goes." Hatori stated firmly.
Akito may have been a cruel, devious Head, but, deep down, he did have a heart, no matter how frail and sickly it was. Under strict agreement, Akito decided Hatori was allowed to leave the main house, for one month and one only. In that month's time, he was given permission to seek out Kana and win back her heart, if he succeeded, they were allowed to marry, but, Hatori and his new wife were to remain in the main house up until Akito's death, catering to his every whim until his time on this earth was up. Hatori was more than welcome to make the sacrifice for such an outstanding offer to mend his aching heart. It was that very month that the curse on the Sohma family was broken, though with all the businesses, homes, families, and money to take care of, a Head was still desperately needed.
Hatori glanced up at his wife of nine years and allowed himself a faint smile as her hand gripped onto his, encouraging him to continue on with the bad news, knowing it had to be said and done, "We will be taking her to your brother tonight so she will be able to attend a dinner with the Head."
------------------------------------
Author's Note: Hey again everyone. God this chapter was difficult to write. I keep trying to make things lengthy but as you can clearly see, it isn't working so well, each chapter gets slightly longer though, so I suppose I'm improving. ) I'd love to hear what you think, and I know these kids are kind of young and all, but it all works out, the Sohma's seem to mature at a faster rate anyways. xx Please review!
