Chapter 9

As usual Haru dragged me to the Main house. He begged, he pleaded, and then he just carried me to the main house. I didn't put up much of a fight because I knew that he was going to win anyway.

"You can put me down now Haru," I informed him once we were half way their.

"Are you going to run away?" He asked still walking forward.

Dammit…I thought furrowing my brow at him.

He simply smiled and continued to walk. Haru laughed a lot more since our curse was broken. He laughed that laugh that I longed for in the cold months I was pushing him away from me in everyway. I loved every second of his smile, laugh and love.

We finally arrived at the Main house where Haru even carried me inside so that I wouldn't run off once we reached the door. When I was set down I attempted to turn around and run out of the door. Haru blocked my way and forced me to face the man I hated so much.

One thing that bothered me since I received was that Haru referred to Akito as a 'she'. The incident had been tossed around in my mind and beaten up by my reasoning. I had decided that it was just a mistake. However, that was invalid, he said "Oh fuck" after he called Akito 'she'. So, I just pretended I didn't hear him say that, it made everything easier to figure out.

A newer, younger housekeeper walked up to us and bowed, "Master Akito is ready to see you," she said in a light and free voice.

She led us to his bedroom where we were alone. The room was nothing short of dead. Akito was nowhere in sight, no plants, no vases to smash into people's eyes. There was an undeniable blanket of sorrow present, nearly suffocating, in this room.

"He called us here, and we have to wait?!" I yelled growing impatient.

I didn't even want to be here, so why should I have to wait?!

That bastard wanted me here. He should at least have the decency to show up on time!

I began to stomp out of the room when I heard his voice come from the sliding doors in the back.

"I'm so glad you could make it Isuzu, and you too Haru," he said sliding the door out of his way.

What I saw next, nothing in the world could have prepared me for.

Purple…Pink…flowers…birds…Girl kimono? What the fuck are those?! Boobs?! My mind couldn't take all of that in at once…

"You're a…a…" no words found their way to me as I stood there dumbfounded by the person presented to me.

"Yes, Isuzu, I am a woman," Akito said almost seductively.

He-I mean she- walked into her room slowly as if letting the thought settle in that she had been a cross dresser my entire life. A headache smacked me so hard I thought I was going to fall over. I looked down at Haru who didn't seem phased by this new discovery.

I swear my jaw was on the floor.

"Isuzu, it's rude to stare," Akito's ironic sense of humor played well in this moment.

"Huh?" I snapped out of the phase with no smart comeback.

"No witty banter?" Akito lounged back on some pillows in front of the two provided for Haru and I.

"I-uh…" I was absolutely speechless, so unlike me.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here right." Akito's sarcasm dropped and it was just Akito.

I simply nodded, that's all I could do without sounding like a baboon on crack.

"Well, has your precious Haru told you how he got me to leave you alone?" Akito asked with an evil smirk gracing HER features.

"He said he threatened you," I straightened my posture so that I looked like I had at least a little bit of composure.

Akito didn't miss a beat, SHE began to laugh. It was a dark, sultry, low laugh.

"I'm so sorry Isuzu, but you've been sorely mistaken," she informed me holding her head from all her laughter.

"Excuse me?" I asked becoming more irritated with this, newly found, woman.

"He didn't threaten me in the least. He- -

Suddenly Akito was cut off by Haru himself.

"No, don't you dare…" he warned getting so defensive all of a sudden.

"Oh but why Haru? We had so much fun…" Akito laughed a fake girly laugh and began to crawl towards Haru.

"No…" Haru answered looking like he was about to punch Akito's face off.

Akito reached Haru and I had the strongest urge to kick her in the stomach and tell her to leave him alone! The goddess reached up and caressed Haru's face with her pale, cold hands as she smiled deviously.

Haru knocked her hand off his face. The look on Akito's face was one of pure shock.

"For being such a bad cow maybe I should tell Isuzu what our bargain was?" she asked sitting up straight again.

"You better not…" Haru growled and glared at her.

Akito however was not intimidated in the least. Instead she reacted by just leaning closer to me.

"Haru…he got me to leave you alone by…" Right as Akito was about to tell me she glanced over at Haru. "Sleeping with me…" Akito let out a small fake laugh as she finished.

Sleep with…? What the hell? This can't be real…I'm in a dream…No…this can't be true, Akito being a girl, and then sleeping with Haru? What the fuck is going on?!

My mind raced for answers. But could find no other solutions. I looked over at Haru in bewilderment. Haru looked at me as he was the one hurt by all of this.

"Rin…" he whispered reaching his hands out to me.

I pulled away, "Don't you dare touch me!" I shouted standing up and walking out of the room.

I left the main house in tears. I'm not sure if they were tears of anger or depression. Whatever the reason behind them they were falling. I attempted to wipe them away with the back of my sleeve. I stumbled over everything as I walked away. I found myself in a park outside the Sohma estate.

How could he do that to me? I thought with my face buried inside my hands.

He said that he only threatened Akito…Then again he also referred to Akito as a 'he' in his sentence.

The sound of footsteps shook me out of the state I was in. I jerked my head up to see who it was. I didn't see anyone. However, I also wasn't going to take any chances. I dove into some bushes.

And who should walk into the park? Why it was none other than Hatsuharu Sohma! He was running, as well as breathing, hard. He took a quick look around the park and continued running.

I didn't want to return to our house. The only other place I knew, that would have me anyway, was Gure-nii's house. I poked my head out from the bushes and saw no sign of Haru, so I took off into the direction of Gure's house.

I soon ended up at the front door of his house. I knocked twice before Tohru came to the call.

"Hello Rin-san!" She answered brightly inviting me in.

"Tohru…" I began.

I was a little shy about asking to stay at their house. I felt intrusive, to say the least.

"Yes Rin?" Tohru asked bubbly and tilting her head to one side.

"Can I…" I started again. "Stay here for a little bit?"

Tohru seemed a little shocked by the question but her face cleared up almost instantly. She took my hand and led me upstairs.

"Of course! I won't ask why since it's not my place, but I'm really worried, Haru-san came over here earlier looking for you." She yakked on and on.

Tohru pulled me into her room and began to dote around looking for pajama's and blankets for me.

"I can sleep on the floor, you can take the bed," Tohru chirped.

I didn't want to impose on her, but I knew that if I objected she would start to fuss, so I didn't argue.

"Are you okay Rin-san?" she asked snapping me out of my thought process. "You look sick, are you feeling well?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered her and nodded.

After Tohru set up the room she showed me the bathroom and kitchen and told me that I was welcome to use either at any time. Tohru made sure I felt right at home inside the walls of Shigure's house.

I took Tohru up on the offer of a hot shower. My whole body was encased in steam and scalding water. In my mind my skin was so dirty and I had to burn it off in the shower. I twisted the knobs to off and a fluffy towel waited for me outside the shower curtains.

I wrapped my body in the towel. The pajamas that Tohru gave me were a little too big on my legs because my legs are very thin, but they provided a type of security that I needed right now.

After my skin-burning shower I went into Tohru's room and crashed. I slept so soundly from the heat of the water I had cleaned my body in. I frowned as I slept, knowing that the love of my life slept with my biggest oppressor. That made my skin crawl again…how disgusting.