Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update... (drowning in fanfics). But anyway, here it is, chapter 23. I think Rin might be a bit OOC. I tried, though. And yes, there will be more violence.
"Akito... aren't you worried?" Shigure asked Akito, wrapping his arms around her frail shoulders. "Your rat is running off with some other woman."
"Of course I'm worried, Shigure!" She growled. "But I'm tired. I'll deal with it later. Right now I'm not in the mood to deal with it."
Shigure pulled her down onto the futon and rolled himself ontop of her. "Not too tired for me, I hope."
She sighed and let him kiss her neck gently. "No... I'm just too tired to resist." She said finally, letting him take her.
"Kisa-chan... can we... go for a walk?" Hiro asked nervously the next morning.
"Sure, Hiro-chan! Can Oneechan come?" Kisa asked.
"No, I... want to take a walk... just the two of us..." Hiro's blush grew.
"S-sure..." Kisa agreed, her cheeks tinging slightly pink too.
"Oi, Hiro, Ohayo." Rin called, ruffling his hair.
"Rin-neechan, can I, talk to you for a moment?" Hiro asked.
"Nn? What?"
Hiro turned to Kisa. "So, how about after dinner?" Kisa nodded, and Hiro left her with a rejected look on her face.
"What did you want, Hiro?"
"Ano... I haven't gotten the chance to ask since you came here but... y-you're okay now, right?" He asked.
"Hm?"
"I mean... after everything... you... and Haru-nii too... you're okay, right?"
Rin smirked. "Yeah, we're fine." She patted his head. "You worry too much. You should be worrying about what you're going to tell Kisa. I think she thinks you like me. You'd better set her straight."
"Eh?" Hiro looked back, before looking abruptly back to Rin. "H-Hey, how did you know...?"
"It's written all over your face." Rin left Hiro bright red.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Hiro-chan, did you want to... talk about something?" Kisa asked as they walked side-by-side down the path winding through the woods.
"Yeah... about Rin-neechan."
Kisa stopped walking. "It's okay, I already know. I..."
"You do?" Hiro turned around to see Kisa's big eyes filled with tears.
"I... I'm s-sorry!" She turned around and fled into the woods.
"Oi! Kisa-chan! Wait!" Hiro called. "Don't run into the woods by yourself!" He groaned and ran after her. A shrill scream broke out through the woods. "Kisa-chan!" Hiro ran faster, until he reached her, frozen on the spot. "W-What's wrong?" He panted.
"A sp-spider!" She pointed. "Put it on a tree or something, Hiro-chan!" She squeaked.
Hiro sweat dropped. The way she screamed, he thought it was a pack of wild dogs or something. It was a pretty large spider though. He sighed and scooped it up, putting it on a tree a few paces away from them.
Kisa was still crying then. "I-I'm sorry, Hiro-chan... I don't know why... I can't stop crying!"
"Kisa-chan... I... don't like Rin-neechan!" Hiro said finally, putting his hands on both her shoulders.
She sniffed. "Y-you don't?"
"No, I don't! That's what I was trying to tell you!" Hiro yelled, frustrated. "The one I like is...!" Hiro leaned forward and kissed her so quickly she didn't even have time to close her eyes. He broke off, blushing madly, and leaving her equally red.
She laughed and began crying again, flinging her arms around him. "I... I'm so glad!" She let him go and leaned up to kiss him again, but stopped just before and yelped, pulling away and falling on the ground.
"W-What?"
"There's another one on your shoulder!" She squealed.
Hiro plucked the spider off and put it on a tree with a laugh. He held out his hand to Kisa. "Don't worry, hime, I'll protect you." He grinned.
"H-Hime...?" She took his hand and he pulled her up. She smiled. "You're just like a prince, Hiro!"
Hiro smirked. "Even more so than Yuki-nii?"
"Ten times more!"
As the two returned home they walked into the house to hear it filled with shouting and the sounds of things breaking. They excanged looks before running to the source of the noise-- the living room. They walked in to see Akito standing in the middle of the room filled with people. Yuki was standing in a protective stance in front of Machi who was crouched against the wall crying, bruises evident on her skin. Hatori was trying to hold back Akito, who was holding Ayame by his collar. Shigure was nowhere to be seen. Hiro quickly pushed Kisa behind himself.
"HOW DARE YOU GET IN THE WAY?" Akito was yelling at a determined Ayame. "I WAS GIVING THEM THE PUNISHMENT THEY DESERVE FOR DOING SUCH FILTHY THINGS BEHIND MY BACK!"
"You will not hurt Yuki, or Machi!"
"Nii-san..."
Akito thrust her knee into Ayame's stomach. "SHUT UP! I'LL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!" She punched him in the face once, and blood dripped from his mouth.
"Nii-san!"
"Y-Yuki..."
"SHUT UP!" She yelled finally, throwing Ayame into a coffee table and unconscious against the wall.
"NII-SAN!"
"Ayame!" Hatori yelled, tugging uselessly at Akito's shoulders.
The others in the room-- Tohru, Kyo, Mayuko, Mine, Hanajima, Uotani, and Manabe-- were left speechless. Rin and Haru had gone for a walk, and the rest of the house was gathering at the door to see what the commotion was about.
"YUKI! HOW DARE YOU! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW NOT TO GO AROUND WITH FILTHY WOMAN!" Akito punched Yuki and thrust him aside. "AND YOU... BITCH!" She grabbed Machi by her hair and forced her face to look up at her. "HOW DARE YOU LAY A HAND ON MY YUKI! NOBODY WILL HAVE HIM, OR ANYONE ELSE IN MY FAMILY AS LONG AS I'M IN CHARGE!" She released Machi and pulled back her fist to go in for another punch, but her knuckles came in contact with Yuki's arm instead. Yuki flinched noticably at the painful contact, but didn't falter. "YUKI! STOP THIS! DO YOU REALLY CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THIS GIRL THAT YOU WOULD DIE FOR HER?"
"Yes." Yuki replied firmly.
"THEN SO BE IT!" Akito picked up the coffee table she had thrown Ayame into and raised it up.
"YUKI!" Machi shrieked and dived between Yuki and Akito and closed her eyes, bracing herself.
But nothing happened.
She opened her eyes to see Akito unconsious on the floor, and Manabe standing over her with a potted plant in his hand. "Well, I think she deserved it." Manabe told the gaping spectators. "Nobody hurts my sister, or Yun-Yun." he said firmly, putting down the plant and crossing his arms. Machi collapsed to her knees crying.
Uotani whistled. "You've got some guts. Either that or you're a total bonehead. I'd go for the latter."
Shigure walked in at that moment. "My, my, what happened here?" He asked, observing the scene.
"Looks like you picked a good time to show up, bastard." Kyo growled.
Shigure ignored this and began laughing when he saw Akito. "Looks like someone gave him what was coming." He picked up Akito. "I'll take care of her. Someone help Ayame, and Yuki and Machi look pretty bad too."
"This is all your fault." Hatori muttered to Shigure as he passed so nobody else could hear.
"I know." Shigure replied with a smirk before leaving.
A while later, everyone was recovering. Ayame regained consiousness as Mine was treating his cuts (she had insisted when Hatori offered).
"Mine..."
"Oh, good, you're awake." She smiled brightly. "Hatori said you should be alright. It was just a minor concussion, but you should rest for the next few days.
"Mine?" He reached up to touch her face.
"Y-Yes..." Mine's voice quivered.
"How's Yuki? And Machi?"
"They're fine."
"Thank god." Ayame relaxed slightly and smiled. "Arigatou, Mine..."
At this point, it seemed Mine had taken all she could take, because she collapsed onto Ayame's chest sobbing. "You idiot... You... scared me..."
Ayame laughed and patted her back. "Gomen, Mine... Don't cry!"
Yuki knocked on the door to Machi and Kimi's room. Kimi opened the door, and for once she wasn't smiling or cheerful.
"She... hasn't stopped crying. She says it's all her fault. Could you please... help her?" Kimi asked sadly.
Hanajima appeared behind Kimi's shoulder. "Yuki... she needs you. Come, Kimi, let's leave them."
"H-hai..." Kimi followed Hanajima out of the room as Yuki walked in silently, his face somber. Machi was curled up on the futon with her back to him, staring out into the brightness of outside.
"M-Machi..."
"Gomen nasai, Yuki... I couldn't do anything... This is my fault. You wouldn't be hurt if I wasn't so pathetic." Machi sniffled.
Yuki sat next to her and stroked her hair. "Don't be silly. You threw yourself in front of a madman with a coffee table for me. But thank god Manabe's such an idiot." Yuki laughed.
Machi gave a choked laugh.
"Listen, Machi. This really is... my fault. I was so caught up in my feelings for you... I forgot about Akito. He... doesn't like people in his family getting involved in romantic relationships. It makes him feel... abandoned. He's pretty insecure, I guess. I shouldn't have gotten this close to you... I knew... Something like this was bound to happen. It's okay... if you don't want to be with me anymore after this incident." Yuki said quietly taking her hand in his.
Machi turned over abruptly to face him. "Don't be stupid, Yuki. No madman with a coffee table is going to get between us, got it?" Yuki laughed, and Machi continued with a smile. "I still want to be with you, no matter what. What's love without heartache?"
"Maybe a little less complicated." Yuki cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. "I'll protect you, Machi."
"And I you. Even if it means throwing myself in front of a few coffee tables." She smiled.
"I'm going to go check on Nii-san." Yuki got up and began walking towards the door.
"Ano... Yuki?"
"Hm?"
"Did you really mean it when you said you'd die for me?" Machi asked tentatively.
Yuki smiled. "Of course. You mean more than anything to me." He was about to turn back when Machi called out again.
"Yuki?"
"Yeah?"
"I would die for you too. Coffee tables and all."
Aww aint that sweet. oh damn i'm like, beating everyone up in this fic! lol. i was laughing so hard when i reread the "akito picking up a coffee table" sentence, that i had to make a joke about it. I dont know why it found it so funny.
