Disclaimer: You think I own any of this? (dies laughing)
Note, 1: This is one of my first attempts at writing the Fruits Basket characters. Please forgive me if anyone seems too out of character. Advice is always appreciated; just don't be mean or uppity about it.
Note, 2: I don't like curse words. Nor am I certain that my parents would allow me to type them. Therefore, all swearwords will be written as follows: -CENSORED-. The strongest words I'll ever type out in this fic are: dang, shoot, and crud.
Verisimilitude
Seventeen: The Promise
Hatori stared at Yuki. "What? You don't trust me? Why?"
"You broke your promise."
"Promise? What promise?" Hatori demanded quietly.
"You promised—never mind," Yuki shook his head, returning Hatori's stare icily. "It doesn't matter." He broke his gaze and pulled his beaten body a couple of feet further from Hatori.
Promise… Hatori thought, wracking his brain. Promise, what promise? When did I ever—oh.
-FLASHBACK-
The time: About four years ago. Hatori and Shigure had just brought Yuki back to the apartment, and Hatori was now sitting on the couch with the boy, speaking quietly.
"H-Hatori-sama?" six-year-old Yuki began timidly.
"Yes?" Hatori squeezed Yuki's tiny, frail hands carefully in encouragement. "You can tell me anything, Yuki. It's okay."
"A-A-A-k-ki-t-t-to…" stuttered Yuki.
"What about him?" Hatori murmured.
"I-I don't l-like him much…" Yuki went on slowly.
"I know."
"I-I don't have to go back there again… do I?" Yuki meekly inquired.
"Of course not," Hatori was quick to assure the youngster. "I'm not going to bring you back there."
"B-but what if he… t-takes me?"
"I won't let him." Hatori lightly hugged Yuki. "Believe me, Yuki. I won't let Akito get you ever again."
"P-promise?"
"Yes," Hatori smiled slightly, just as Shigure, Kyo, Haru, and Momiji trooped into the room. "I promise."
-END FLASHBACK-
"Yuki, I never meant for this to happen," Hatori started, trying to... ugh... apologize.
Yuki shrugged and looked away. "Just leave me alone."
"You have to come with me," insisted Hatori.
"No. I'm not going. Not with you, anyway."
The door suddenly slid open again, and a fairly small body slipped into the room. Expecting that this was Akito, Hatori stood up, bracing himself to face the head of the Sohma family.
Instead, however, the newcomer made a small sound of surprise, and Kyo's voice blurted out, "Yuki!"
Yuki, appearing extremely indifferent, looked up wearily.
"What—who did that?" Kyo hissed, closing the door quietly and hurrying up to the violet-eyed boy.
Yuki cast his gaze downward again, not caring to talk anymore.
"Hatori?" Kyo pressed. "What happened to him?"
"I'll tell you later," Hatori decided. He glared a bit at the orange-top. "Why aren't you in the car?"
Kyo snorted. "You didn't actually expect me to stay there, did you?"
"We'll discuss this at home. Come on, Yuki." Hatori offered his hand to help up the rat.
Yuki simply shook his head no, not making a move to accept the offer of assistance.
"Fine, then, we'll do it the other way."
Hatori picked up Yuki, positioning one hand below his shoulders and the other beneath his knees.
"Kyo, get the door. We're going to do this very quietly, alright?"
Kyo nodded and slid open the door. He fell back in surprise when he saw someone standing in the hallway. The shadowy figure smiled a bit, saying only one sentence:
"I was waiting for you."
Hatori strained his ears to listen to the oddly familiar voice. It didn't sound like Akito. In fact, it sounded an awful lot like—
"Aya!" Hatori breathed, half-shocked, half-relieved.
"Oh, it's so wonderful to see you again, Ha'ri!" Ayame beamed. "But we must hurry and get you out of here."
"What are you doing here?" Hatori wanted to know, walking a few steps closer to the long-haired young man.
Ayame explained jovially, "I came to ask Akito for permission to open a shop. A marvelous dress shop to display all of my stunning fashion-related masterpieces! But enough of my rambling—you must take these two little fellows away from this place! Come along, come along!"
"We can find our way out alright," Hatori stated. "Are you coming with us?"
"'Tis a sad, sad thing to say," sighed Ayame dramatically. "Alas, I cannot. Well, if you can get out on your own, I'd best return to the room Akito put me in for the night. Take care, my divine family!"
With a flip of his hair, Ayame disappeared down the hallway.
If you were wondering why Kyo hadn't said anything rude by now, it's because he had been shocked into silence by Ayame's sudden appearance. Yuki, meanwhile, had missed seeing his brother due to the fact that he'd fallen asleep out of exhaustion from being scared by Akito.
Hatori jerked his head in the direction of the exit and said, "Let's go."
Although Hatori led the way out, Kyo had to open all the doors since the dragon had his hands full. The last door, however, would not budge.
"Da—dang. It's locked," Kyo informed Hatori, after several unsuccessful attempts at opening it.
"So it seems," Hatori agreed, with something of a grim sarcasm in his voice.
"What now?"
A thought suddenly occurred to Hatori. "Kyo," he began slowly, "is this the door you used to come in here?"
"Yeah. Didn't you use it, too? I mean, it was unlocked, so…"
"You didn't lock it shut after you came in, did you?"
"No…"
Before Hatori could suggest another route of escape, there was a soft clinking sound from behind them. They turned around, Kyo quickly, Hatori reluctantly, and saw him.
Akito.