A/n: Thanks again for the reviews.

Chapter 3: Shopping trip.

Akito was silent the entire car journey while Tohru babbled, she was aware she was rambling but was only doing so because she was nervous. Her entire future depended on a shopping trip!
"Other than red, you'd probably suit basic blacks and whites too, and I think your hair is long enough to tie back. OH!" She reached back and removed her own red hair bobble and leaned over Akito.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She yelled pushing Tohru against the car door. Tohru smiled and handed the hair tie to Akito who reluctantly attempted to tie back her hair. She'd never done it before and failed miserably, getting frustrated by this. Tohru tried to help again but for the second time Akito pushed her back and handed her the bobble back refusing to meet her eyes

The two left the safety of the limo and Akito felt unstable, she had never been 'outside' without a Soma close by, and felt almost pleasantly, vulnerable.
"Where do you want to go first?" Tohru said cheerfully.
"I told you already you incompetent brat, I have no idea where anything is. We could be in England for all I know!" Tohru ignored Akito's harsh words and lead her into a small clothing store.
"Oh…" She smiled and started shuffling through the racks while Akito just looked thoroughly bored. It took Tohru several attempts to correctly guess Akito's bra size ('What am I Pamela Anderson? You stupid bitch for once in your life get SOMETHING right') but once equipped with the essential underwear Akito seemed to loosen up ever so slightly, she unclenched her firsts and followed Tohru around the store, choosing to look bored instead of angry.

"Nevermind what colours I think you'd suit, what colours do you like Akito?" Akito looked shocked, as though she'd just been asked to walk on water. (Well… she is god) After a thoughtful moment she said decisively
"Black. I only want black." Tohru giggled and Akito glared. Stupid girl, she was laughing at her! She raised her hand ready to slap her, but Tohru didn't even flinch, was she… really not afraid?
"Sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but you really reminded me of my friend Hana."
"You have… friends?" Akito raised one eyebrow then shook her head as Tohru raised a long black skirt with a red star on the side. Tohru put it back onto the rack, it wasn't her style either.
"Yeah. Uo and Hana, I mean Kyo and Yuki are great and everything. Momiji… all the Soma's in fact. But it's sometimes nice to just hang out and talk with other girls. Slumber parties and stuff." The beam on the brunette's face shocked Akito into lowering her hand. How could she talk so casually about such weak thoughts? How could she face the woman responsible for ordering her memories to be erased with a smile? Woman… 'Tohru doesn't fear me because I am a woman, she considers me weaker! How dare she!' Akito pushed her over and she fell into the floor.

"HOW DARE YOU PATRONIZE ME!" She screamed her voice raising to an almost feminine tone. Tohru propped herself up on her elbows and smiled softly, it had hurt, but she knew the only way to deal with violent temperaments was to keep her own cool. Unlike with Kyo, if Tohru cried, Akito would not show sympathy, so instead she smiled through the pain and ignored the customers who were staring.
"I'm in charge today, Akito." It was said very calmly. "You're not to hit me okay." Akito had NEVER been spoken to with authority, she sneered at the younger female as she stood up and brushed herself off.
"I'm going to enjoy watching you have your memory erased, Honda."

It was then something caught Akito's eye, a very simple black dress that wasn't too fancy, the scoop of the neck dipped elegantly but was designed so as not to expose any flesh, and the hemline was high. She fingered the material softly, it felt like velvet, so light to the touch, it was not something she was used to.
"You want to try it on?"
"I would never wear a dress." Akito said with a growl letting the material fall from her hands. Tohru was undeterred and took three sizes of the same dress, leading Akito over to the changing rooms. "I'm not doing it!"
"Please?" After a moment of standing there at stalemate Akito grabbed the items and went into the changing rooms looking livid. The first one was far too big, but since she was used to such loose fitting clothes came out, with her arms crossed and a pout on her face. "You need to wear the size smaller." Tohru tried her hardest not to giggle knowing she would probably be smacked for it if she did. When Akito returned in the right size Tohru was shocked, she looked… feminine. The black dress was sophisticated yet beautiful, clinging to her now visible curves, for the first time since she had known her, Tohru noticed Akito looked embarrassed. A faint pink tinge on her cheeks made her look all the more womanly.

"Akito you look beautiful." Tohru said mistily. She turned on her heel and quickly changed out of the offending garment. As they walked around the shop though she didn't put it back. The day was trying for Tohru as she was never addressed without an insult, and every few minutes Akito would throw a tantrum, it was very much like catering for a small child with atrocious manners, but she persevered and though Tohru left the store empty handed, Akito had the dress, a pair of heels, some lipstick, a black and red striped shirt and a pair of tight black jeans.
("If you try to make me wear a miniskirt I will kill you!")
"Are you hungry?"
"A little yeah." Akito muttered, another weakness, Tohru lead her into the same place Ayame had once taken her. She used some of the money Kureno had given her to get them both some food.

"So…tell me Tohru Honda. You have your OWN friends… Why do you continue to mess with my happy little circle?" Akito sipped her drink and stared intensely at Tohru over the rim. "What gain is there for you in becoming involved with my family?"
"Hmm," Stirring her soup, and smiling thoughtfully. "I feel like the Soma's have become my family. Kyo, Yuki, Shigure… living with them is never boring. They're so nice to me… Akito have you ever had someone treat you like that?"
"Hm?" Akito raised one of her eyebrows. "Like?"
"Like a family. I mean I know they ARE your family, but the way you bully them, have you ever been treated like one? A daughter, a sister, a cousin?" Akito shook her head. "I always wanted a sibling, in fact before my dad died my mom wanted to have another baby." Tohru smiled wistfully. "So Yuki and Kyo being the same age… it's like having two brothers." She face faulted, "Who fight a lot, and flirt with me sometimes." She smiled.

"My mother… she wished I'd been a boy. For her own sick and selfish reasons…" For a brief moment there was a sickening glint in Akito's eyes, almost like a teardrop she refused to let fall. "Shigure… I loved him. And he hurt me. After that I hated the zodiac, all of them…" She smashed her cup suddenly. "I was only a child then… when he told me he didn't love me that he only thought of me. I hated him for that. I HATED HIM!" Tohru knew Akito was causing a scene but she continued to listen as she picked up the shattered pieces of china. "He continued to hurt me, as we grew up, everyday I'd take it out on someone else… Yuki mostly. I hated him too… he looked so feminine. Exactly what I wanted to be, I was envious of the rat…"
"Jealousy's a natural instinct." Tohru said soothingly.
"Kureno… Kureno treated me like a woman. For the first time in my life… He showed me what it meant to be a girl. He… made love to me." Tohru blushed furiously. "Shigure found out, he… he exacted the most vile revenge I could've imagined." Akito's voice shook with hatred, as did her clenched fist. "He slept with HER, the woman responsible for… for THIS!" She signalled down at the clothes she was currently wearing, her feminine clothes still in the bags. "My mother…"

"That wasn't nice!" Tohru was shocked that Shigure would do something so low.
"I banished him… only wishing to see him at new year when I felt strong enough to face him. The one time I had acted as a woman… I had become weak. Shigure had hurt me in a way nobody else ever had done, all because I'd allowed myself to…" She broke off and glared at Tohru. "Have you ever?"
"Have I ever what?" she asked naively
"Given yourself to him?"
"Shigure! Oh no!" She shook her head violently.
"Yuki? Kyo?" She growled a look of menace in her eye.
"No… but… my mom always taught me that if it wasn't with someone you loved, you were going to get hurt. Sleeping with Kureno to prove a point to yourself and Shigure… THAT was your weakness, not letting your guard down. Thank you, for telling me all this." Tohru straightened up and put the pieces of broken porcelain in the bin.
"I'm only telling you." Akito growled. "Because you won't remember it by tonight." Tohru gulped. It seemed her fate had been sealed.

A/n: Hehe Akito's a crazy lady!