Rebel

Chapter Title: Bittersweet Truths

Pairings: Hatori/OC, reference to Kyo/OC

Warnings: More of Akito beating the crap out of Miku, but that's about it.

Miku trudged her way down the hall to the dining room and kitchen that was above the store, where she and Ayame lived. She slumped into her seat, feeling exhausted, drained and confused. A cup of coffee was set in front of her, and she cradled it to her chest, letting it warm and relax her.

After a few sips, Miku finally felt concious enough to look around. Ayame was just dishing up some omelettes onto two plates, served them, and then sat down. He watched her as she ate, forking around the food on his plate, but not eating it. He looked oddly serious.

"How was your trip?" Miku asked, continuing to eat her omelette, oblivious to the look Ayame was giving her.

"You listened to the messages, didn't you?" He said, sounding uncertain and frightened. Miku looked up, saw the look on his face, and set her fork down with a sigh.

"Yeah. Yeah I did."

Ayame regarded her carefully. "Are you mad?"

Miku shook her head, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "No, I'm not mad. Just... confused."

Ayame nodded, as if that was enough for him, took his plate, and left the room.

Miku gave a frustrated sigh, and then returned to her caffeine.

X.x.X.x.X

About two hours after that mornings photo shoot, during which Ayame had been unusually quiet and subdued, Hatori pulled up in his SUV in front of the small custom clothing store. He walked in, finding Miku helping a customer find a dress for a costume party.

She gave him a happy, but slightly aprehensive look that clearly said 'wait a minute'. She finished checking out the customer, then made her way to Hatori. She smiled cheerfully up at him.

"Hey, handsome." Hatori gave her a grave look.

"Akito wants to see you. He sent me to get you." Miku's smile fell, and she bit her lower lip.

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No. But he has been very, very angry today."

Miku sighed, rubbing her forehead. "It's probably something about that stupid college."

Hatori fell silent for a minute. "Do you... think he found out about us?" Hatori had tried very hard to keep their relationship secret. He did not want to go through what he went through with Kana ever again. He sounded genuinely worried.

Miku smiled encouragingly up at him. "I doubt it. Now c'mon, it doesn't do to keep His Majesty waiting," she said teasingly, dragging him out to the car.

X.x.X.x.X

Miku stepped silently into Akito's room, nervous. Her immune system had become very weak over the past week since Akito had gone into remission, her health balancing out his, and after her time out in the snow at the park with Kyo, she had caught a cold, which was quickly developing into Pnemonia.

She coughed into the crook of her elbow, feeling a knot of tension settle in her chest. Whatever this was about, it wasn't going to be good.

"Shut the door behind you," mused Akito, suddenly appearing from one of the attached rooms. He waved generically at said door, not even glancing at her, and slumped down into one of the leather chairs. Miku obeyed, then waited silently by the door.

Akito peered over the arm of the chair at her, arching a delicate eyebrow. "Well come here then," he said, slightly impatient. Miku came forward, moving to sit in one of the chairs opposite Akito, but his hand wrapped around her wrist, and with a surprising level of strength for someone so frail-looking, jerked her down into his lap. She fell with a slight squeak.

Akito hummed pleasantly, running his fingers through her hair. She fidgeted nervously, feeling inredibly uncomfortable sitting in his lap.

Finally, Akito's fingers wrapped around her chin, turning her to face him. He looked incredibly casual, as if he was asking about the weather, when he spoke next. "I've been informed that you met with Kyo." Despite the casual way Akito said the statement, Miku could practically feel the cold rage swell around them. It was almost suffocating.

Miku didn't say anything, just waited for him to continue, suddenly feeling very, very scared.

"It's also come to my attention that you've begun to remember some things." And with that statement, Akito shoved her off of his lap, roughly, onto the floor. Miku winced, hitting the ground hard. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, lifting her face up to Akito, who was now standing above her.

"You are not to speak to Kyo," he stated calmly, punctuating the order with a vicious kick to the side. Miku cried out, falling back to the ground. She curled around her injured stomach, coughing violently. Akito's foot was suddenly pressing against the side of her head, pinning her to the floor. She winced, the pressure steadily increasing. "You are not to speak to anyone staying at the Shigure household. You are not to answer the phones, or listen to the messages. Am I understood?" Akito asked, grinding her face into the floor.

Miku cried out her agreement, and he removed his foot from her head. She breathed in air desperately, her coughing getting worse. Akito snarled down at her, and gave her a kick to the face for good measure before stalking out of the room, calling for Hatori.

Miku pressed her hands to her bleeding face, crying, feeling confused and scared and hurt.

X.x.X.x.X

Hatori cleaned and bandaged her wounds in silence, his whole body tense and practically vibrating in anger and frustration. He hated that Akito did this too her. And he hated himself even more for not being able to stop him.

"Ha'ri..." she whispered, voice slightly nasally because Akito had broken her nose. "Why did Akito have you erase my memory?"

Hatori stiffened, his back to her as he had been reaching for a bottle of painkillers. His breathing was slow and even, but he didn't move, didn't speak for a very long time. Finally, he gave a soft, depressed sigh, and handed her the medicine, telling her to swallow it.

"You were in love with Kyo, but Akito... he - he didn't want you two together."

"I... I have nightmares about it, sometimes," Miku mumbled. "About Akito shooting him. And... other things."

Hatori looked pained. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to. But I didn't have a choice." Miku smiled, in a sad sort of way, and cupped the side of his face. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent, which was laden with the smell of blood.

"I know. I just... I don't know. I feel so... lost."

Hatori nodded. "If it helps, you were never really a meth addict," he said softly.

Miku gave him a surprised, upset look. "So you guys let me get depressed and become an alcoholic over an addiction that hadn't actually happened?" She snapped. When she had "discovered" she'd done so much meth to put her into a coma for seven months, when she'd woken up she'd gotten extremely depressed. And she'd become an alcoholic for a very, very long time. To suddenly discover that the entire reason why she had fallen down that hole was a total farse hurt her, deeply. "Why was I in a coma then?"

"You were only unconcious for a week, actually." Hatori said softly.

"Then... where did those seven months go?"

"Akito had me take them. All of them."

Miku swallowed hard, turning away. "Fine. I've heard enough."