Chapter 3
Tohru shifted in her bed slightly and then opened her eyes immediately when she heard the chirping of the bird on the window ledge. The shiver crept down her spine in a hurried state, as if trying to get out of her body. She stepped out of bed, and got ready quietly, not wanting to think of what was going to happen. Outside, the light was growing and soon enough the sun would appear in the horizon, above the treetops. Tohru wrote another note hastily, and then walked downstairs as quietly as possible. Suddenly, she stopped and the hair on her arms rose.
"Tohru? Where are you going?"
She had almost made it to the door, and then she turned around to see Kagura standing there, looking at her suspiciously.
"Kagura, I'm just going for another walk… I'll be back soon."
Her eyes looked at Tohru apprehensively, almost not sure if she should believe her friend's words. Tohru Honda never lied however, and she nodded her head.
"Okay… what should I do about breakfast, if you're not back by then?"
"I know you'll be able to think of something… have a good morning Kagura!"
Tohru stepped outside and inhaled the fresh air that was around her. The sun was about to rise and she looked to the sky anxiously. She needed the beautiful colors of the sunrise to help give her courage and strength. With every step she took, the patches of clear sky got brighter, and finally, after she made it out of the forest, she found herself looking at a small hue of light orange. She smiled broadly and closed her eyes. Tohru was going to be able to do it. She needed to help Akito on her own. A couple of weeks ago, she had only been able to breakthrough to him, and now she hoped that maybe she could get him to at least smile.
The world began to wake around her and as she stepped up to the Sohma household, she felt a shiver run down her spine. Tohru took another deep breath and was about to knock on the door, when the breeze blew by. The door creaked and she pushed it open further. The wind began to increase its gust, causing her skirt and hair to be whisked towards the house. Tohru made it inside without much of a problem. The towering rooftops were above her, and she took off her shoes quietly. She had not the faintest idea of where to go, but nevertheless, she kept going forward.
Suddenly, as she traced the halls, a sound came from behind one of the doors and Tohru stood still. Her heart was beginning to race and her eyes widened fearfully. For the first time, she would be alone in the house with Akito; no one would be there to help her if he tried to hurt her. The weakness gnawing at her energy tried to hold her back, but she pushed the thoughts away and one foot after the other, she made it to the unknown door. Her fingers trembled as she touched the ridges and pushed. Sliding the door had surprisingly taken almost all of her strength, but she sighed as she saw that no one was in the room. It was simple and quaint. There was a large comfy bed and a balcony was on the other side of the doors near the window. Suddenly, the realization hit her. It was the window where she had seen Akito for the first time. That meant, that this was Akito's room.
Tohru jumped up with fright as she heard the door slam shut behind her. She whirled around and fell back a few steps as his face crept closer to her. A gentle smirk was placed on his lips and his robe hung around on his shoulders loosely. Every muscle in Tohru's body tightened as she stood up straight and then bowed down to him, her hair falling towards the floor. Akito chuckled to himself and put his fingers underneath her chin, lifting her head up from its bowed position.
"Why are you being so formal towards me? I want that to end from this moment forth, understood?"
Her jaw tightened and she nodded her head vigorously. His fingers slipped away from her chin, leaving a prickling sensation on her skin. She watched as he walked over to the open window. Akito fell down onto the ledge and observed the rising sun. Tohru put her hands together and watched him intently, not sure of what he wanted from her.
"You came on time. The sun has now risen."
Tohru shifted in place as the soft swaying of the trees outside tricked her senses into calming down. Akito didn't say anything for a while; he just gazed outside as if searching for the right words to start with. Tohru grew tiresome and drowsy. She sat down on the bed and ran her hand across the warm blanket. Suddenly, she turned her head towards Akito as she heard his delicate voice.
"Would you be truly sad if I died?"
The question startled her and Tohru's thoughts ran back to that one day a couple of weeks ago. She swallowed hard and then looked at his back, waiting for him to turn around. Her voice didn't tremble, and for some reason, it was straight and it was soft like his voice. Something was happening to Tohru, being in his presence for so long, but she didn't know it just then.
"Of course I would be sad Akito, I don't lie."
He turned abruptly and leapt to her side. Akito put his hands to his hips as he leaned his head towards her. Tohru's eyes flashed wide and she put her arms back against the pillows on the bed.
"Is that right? You have never lied before?"
Suddenly, she realized that she had in fact lied. Tohru had lied to everyone back at home and especially to Kagura. She had said the nonexistent truth right through her teeth. As the realization spread across her face, Akito's eyes brimmed with a foreign excitement.
"Ah… so you see then… how alike the two of us are?"
Tohru turned her head towards him and she stared right into his dark brooding eyes. Her heart was beating faster each second and it seemed as if time had stopped all together. His breath was on top of hers and her thoughts were beginning to cloud. What was going on?
"How are you the same as me?" she breathed out, almost a whisper.
Akito began to move closer towards her and she scurried away from him, towards the headboard and the wall above it. He snickered at her panic and the evil protruded from his face and into the air around them.
"Tohru, you are the same as I am. You try and help the others, but really, you tell them what to do. Just like I, you want what's best for everyone, for Yuki, for Kyo, and Shigure, and every other Sohma, even me. You want what's best for me too, don't you? That's why you came here."
His face was an inch away from hers and she couldn't control her breathing anymore. Her vision began to become blurry, everything except for his cynical face. Her body was overwhelmed with fear and exhaustion. She was trying her best to keep him away, but when he finally grasped her wrists, something inside of her gave away, and she was lost to his commanding strength. He leaned in next to her cheek and whispered dreadfully in her ear. The hairs on her arms stood on end and she closed her eyes in pain.
"Answer me Tohru."
She took a deep breath of air and then knew she had to be on his good side if she didn't want him to hurt her. It was too late to regret coming to him; she had to find a way out.
"Yes Akito… I want to help you."
He pulled away slightly and his heavy presence lifted off of her for a moment. She opened her eyes and saw that he was kneeling on the bed in front of her. Her back was against the headboard and the pillows were thrown lazily around her legs. Tohru's gaze shifted towards Akito and then she whimpered. On his face was the cruelest smile she had ever seen. It haunted everything inside of her, and she knew that somehow, she wouldn't come out of the room the same as when she had walked into it.
"Good. I'm glad that you consent. You know that I will die soon."
Tohru nodded and tried to remain calm.
"And you know that I bear the weight of the Sohma curse, but yet, I am not affected by it."
He leaned in closer once again and placed his hands on her upper arms. She winced at the pressure and the weight pressing down on her. Tohru looked up at his eyes and the horror spread through her like wildfire. Akito's crooked smile vanished and his face became silently still. At once she knew why he had wanted to talk to her. Slowly, Akito let himself fall down to her.
"I have never been loved by anyone. No one cares about me, even if they say they do. But I know you do, that you would do anything to help me. I will die soon, and not once have I had joy in my life. Tohru, you will bring me the joy that life is meant to bestow upon me. You will love me, and no one else."
His face was a moment away from crashing into hers. His body weighed down on top of hers heavily and she was weaker than she had ever been. Tears formed in her eyes and then she took a sharp intake of breath as she felt his dry lips on her cheek. She opened her eyes and felt the tips of his hair brush her forehead gently. An eerie silence filled the room as they stared at each other. Akito finally parted his lips and a soft calming noise came out of his mouth.
"Please don't Akito… please don't hurt me…"
He put his frail hand to her forehead and brushed away her sweaty bangs. His cool breath swirled on her hot skin and she closed her eyes, peaceful bliss overtaking her. She felt relaxed and safe. Suddenly, her eyes jerked open as his lips crashed into hers. His hands kept her still as his mouth grazed over hers lavishly. Bitter coldness swept through her lungs as she struggled to take a single breath of air. The dark presence of the head of the Sohma family began to seep into her as the fear instilled itself in every muscle of her body. Akito lifted his mouth momentarily and before she could press her lips together, a black mist swam through the air, from Akito's mouth into hers. She closed her mouth and then immediately gasped. Her eyes widened and grew large. Akito ran his hand across her forehead and his fingers fell down the side of her face and her neck. His robe slipped slightly off of his shoulders as he leaned his head into hers once again.
Tohru suddenly felt at complete ease. Akito's grip on her didn't bear so much strength anymore, and she felt the urge to wrap her arms around him. She clung to him tightly and kissed him fiercely. Akito began to struggle for breath himself as she ran her hands down his chest. He moaned softly as she pushed him against the headboard. The status and power had switched. Tohru lifted her head and gazed onto his face fondly. He was so soft, and his eyes were so deep and dark. Her insides craved everything about him. Suddenly, as he flickered his eyes open, Tohru saw not eyes, but bottomless pools of black. Everything switched off inside of her, and the dread spread through her heart once again. She pulled away gasping but Akito smiled wickedly as he lunged for her.
"Come to me Tohru… help me feel loved…"
She tried to push him off of her, but his weight bore down on her again. His mouth pushed against her neck, and his hands ran through her hair, grasping it and pulling her head in every which direction. The pain shot through her mind and soul. Suddenly, as his lips found their way to hers again, she didn't feel afraid anymore. Instead, she felt the rule of lust. She kissed him back and then rolled on top of him. He grabbed at her sleeves and the white cloth ripped, leaving her shoulders bear and cold. Akito ran his hands across her back and then kissed the bottom of her neck softly. She cooed to his touch, and then sat up alert. Akito pushed himself up and looked at her with a sinister expression on his face.
"What's wrong… do you need something? I'll be happy to get it for you…"
She turned her head towards him suddenly and her hand came flying through the air. His smile was swept away at the touch of her slap. Akito's cheek reddened and then he growled at her furiously, his eyes thinning and becoming small.
"You'll regret that!"
He grabbed at her shoulders and dug his fingers into her skin. Tohru tried to pull away and then she cried out in pain as the streaks of faint blood appeared on her left shoulder. Akito pulled her to him once again, and pressed his lips on hers. She poured her hands over his shoulder and pulled him to her by his neck. He whimpered as she let him fall down to the bed with a thud. Tohru instantly tore away from him, and ran to the door, wincing with each step. Akito turned and she froze, hoping he wouldn't kill her.
"I had something else in mind, but I guess that won't happen today. I hope you will come tomorrow as well. If you don't, terrible things will occur to those you love…" his mouth parted slightly and then he whispered hauntingly, "I am looking forward to seeing you again."
His eyes and slouched figure bore deep inside of her soul, and somewhere behind her fatigue, a roaring fire awoke. The desire to be with him would creep into her, and she would listen to him and obey. She tore her gaze away and slammed the door as she heard his faint snickering fade. Tears streamed down her face as she ran to the front of the house. She slipped her shoes on and ran away shivering.
..:-:..
After running for many blocks, she had stopped and began to regain her strength. The scratches on her shoulder weren't too noticeable, but she still had the problem of her missing sleeves. Everyone would surely ask about that. But she didn't have anything else with her, so Tohru hoped that she could make it to her room without anyone noticing. She continued to walk through the dense forest and she shivered remembering what had just happened to her.
Tohru had never been kissed before. It was something she always read about in fairytales. The knight would come up to save the princess in his shinning armor, and then they would kiss happily. Her first kiss had been nothing like that. Instead, it was filled with evil lust and it sucked the breath out of her. She felt like he was taking her spirit away from her, and every second she was in that room with him, it felt like an ongoing battle was forming inside of her. Tohru shivered as she remembered how the lustful feeling had filled her soul, and all she had wanted was to kiss him and lure him into her. Tears formed in her eyes as she began to lose the happiness that used to dwell inside her heart. She looked up at the sun, and realized that it was right above her in the sky. It was noon, and for once, she didn't seem to mind.
The journey to the house had been uneventful and Tohru managed to sneak up to her room unnoticed. She took a deep breath of air, but her hair fell around her face and hung there limply. Tohru changed into an oversized blue shirt and tied her hair back. As she walked downstairs, she jumped when she heard her name.
"Tohru! I didn't see you there!"
Shigure smiled but then scratched his chin in puzzlement. She seemed to be different somehow. Tohru looked at Shigure and smiled back weakly.
"Sorry I was gone so long… I just like to take walks now, and I guess I lose track of the time easily."
He nodded and watched her slump towards the kitchen. As she passed him, a cold draft seemed to blow past, and he shivered. Something was definitely wrong.
Tohru opened the doors to the kitchen and saw that Kagura and Kyo were standing next to the sink. They both turned to her when they heard the noise and Kagura smiled joyously.
"Tohru, you're back!"
She ran up to her friend, but Tohru pushed her away gently. Tohru brought her arms close to her body and slouched slightly to herself. Kagura's eyes narrowed and she frowned.
"Sorry Kagura… it's just that I'm really tired and … I think I'm getting sick… but don't worry about me… I just don't want you to get sick too…"
Kyo looked at her and rolled his eyes as he pointed to her head.
"Of course you're sick! You've been outside right before dawn for the past two mornings! Don't you think that it's a bit cold at that time to be taking a walk? Geez… no sense at all Tohru…"
Kagura looked at Kyo and smiled sadly. She turned back towards Tohru and nodded.
"I agree with Kyo. You have to take better care of yourself."
Tohru was getting annoyed with them. For some reason, with every passing moment, she was beginning to hate the sight of the two of them. Her eyes widened fearfully at her own thoughts, and then she took a deep breath of air. Kyo cocked his eyebrow and leaned in closer to get a better look at her.
"Are you sure you are all right?"
Tohru closed her eyes for a second and then opened them up with a smile.
"Of course I am all right! Tohru Honda never lets herself get down!"
She turned from them and her smile vanished instantly. She muttered something to herself and made her way for the door. Kyo stepped right next to Kagura and when she noticed how close they were, a faint blush spread across her cheeks. Her heart spread with joy and that was when the moment was ruined. Kyo realized that he had subconsciously stood next to Kagura. At once he backed away and Kagura giggled.
"What's so funny?"
Kagura's laughter died right away and she scurried to the sink.
"Nothing! Sorry…"
Kyo's mouth dropped and he eyed her curiously. She had been acting so strangely, not at all like herself. Now Tohru was acting up as well. He turned around to see if she was still there when he saw the door slide open in front of Tohru. Yuki froze at the sight of Tohru and her eyes flashed in astonishment.
"Tohru! I've been looking everywhere for you! I was worried and thought…"
Something flared up inside of her and Yuki watched as her eyes darkened. Her skin became pale and her voice distant with a soft deadly fury.
"Will… you… shut… it? I don't need a babysitter…"
Yuki gaped at her and his heart sank. He was looking at Tohru's face, but yet it wasn't her he saw. The inside of his heart wrenched as she cocked her head to the side with hatred. She had enough of these people and their worries about her. Yuki's mouth closed and sadness crept into his eyes.
"Tohru… I…"
"Leave… me… alone…"
He walked into the kitchen and looked down at the floor heartbroken. Yuki could do nothing to help her and when he looked at Kyo and Kagura's faces, they shrugged their shoulders. Evidently, only Yuki had heard the malice in her words. He closed his gaping mouth and stood still as he closed his eyes. Tohru was about to leave the kitchen, when everything snapped back to reality. She had immediately regretted the words she spoke to him and she turned around, desperation on her face.
"Yuki?"
He turned towards her, surprised that her voice was back to its normal lightness. His eyes oozed his hurt, and she gasped as she saw what she had done to him. She reached out and her voice was frail and broken.
"I'm so sorry Yuki… please forgive me… I'm just really tired and…."
His lips turned into a sad smile and he shook his head as he waved his hand.
"It's all right Tohru… I understand…"
But the pain she had caused him was still in his voice, in the very words he spoke. She watched helplessly as he walked away from them and up the stairs. Inside, she felt torn between the deeds she had done. As Tohru walked away and out into the backyard, she reflected upon everything that had happened since she had woken up that morning. It was eating up her soul, and she couldn't tell anyone because it was a secret she had to keep. She was doing it for everyone she loved, so that Akito wouldn't harm them in the last days of his existence. Suddenly, she fell to her knees in the middle of the grassy yard and wrapped her arms around herself. Poor Akito, he was right. No one had ever loved him, and suddenly, Tohru was calm. The decision was made up in her mind. She would help him live the last days of his life happily, as he wanted them to be. Everyone deserved that.
Yuki walked into his room silently and looked out the window. His eyes widened as he saw Tohru fall to the ground. Her shoulders shook and pain swept through her face. He wanted nothing more than to go to her and comfort her, but suddenly she stood up and Yuki saw her eyes. They were lifeless, dull and dark. She wasn't Tohru Honda anymore; instead, she was a body walking on the earth with no happiness in her step, no smile to grace her face. His heart wrenched and he trembled as the gray clouds rose in the distance. Yuki didn't know what to do. Tohru was lost somewhere inside of herself, and no one else seemed to notice or care. He looked back to the yard, and saw that she was walking back towards the house. In a few moments, he heard the door to her room close, and he sighed, closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
"I will help you Tohru… if it is the last thing I do… I'll find a way… no matter what."
A/N: So that's it for this chapter… please… don't hate me or what I wrote… I know I've turned Fruits Basket into this dark… thing, and it's not that way at all… but I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I am glad at how it turned out. If you would be so kind, I would love it if you could review and tell me what you thought… it really is very helpful to me and I appreciate it very much.
Thanks for reading this far and I hope you will continue to do so! Something even BIGGER happens next chapter! So you'll just have to wait lol :) Thanks again and I hope you have a wonderful day!
-Monika-