Pomegranate 6:
ACHERON

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I sing my sad song,
And I hope forever.

-JJ72, "Bumble Bee"

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"I love you."

"I know."

Prim and proper with her head meekly bowed, her bangs falling in front of her eyes. A moment of pure, blinding anger--God damn it, look at me. He wanted to ask her... beg her... if she could love him, too, but he knew what her answer would be.

But he couldn't send her away. He couldn't give up, not yet.

He was going to speak, he was going to do touch her, he was going to do something, but she beat him to it.

"Kiyosato-san, I want to tell you... I want to thank you... for the kindness you have shown me." Her voice trembled. She raised her head and tears stood in her eyes. "I... wish... I could be the type of person who could love you."

"Tomoe..." She tensed at the use of her personal name. Akira noticed but did not regret, it had just slipped out of him. "Just that... it's more than I could ever ask of you."

"...I'll submit my resignation in the morning..."

His hand on her hand, just like two nights ago. She gasped and met his pleading gaze. Sadness... sadness in his eyes that mirrored her own sorrow.

"Don't go."

He moved slowly, waiting for her to flinch, waiting for her to bow her head in resignation. She watched him until he was so close she couldn't focus on his eyes. And then....

Warm lips, shut eyes, a fluttering in her heart and she didn't want to move or breathe, wanted this moment to last forever and she wouldn't have to face what would come after.

It wasn't passion but it was yearning, and even this physical contact was becoming too much, when he pressed closer instead of pulling away.

"Kiyosato-san." A hand on his shoulder, staying him, the first time she had touched him of her own volition. "I'm not able to do this. I... can't."

And she could feel it inside of her, what had always been a part of her but she had never been tempted to share it or show it, never considered that it might affect another person.

"My father..." Her father was a part of her, one she had never thought of taking out. "My father used to touch me, when I was a little girl." How simple, to say it. How easy, because it was fact. No shame, no horror, no sorrow... But she knew, she knew what she would see when she looked into his face. She glanced up.

Curiosity. Patience. He was... waiting for her to go on. There was... no judgment in his expression...

Tomoe was weeping. And then his arms were around her and her face was pressed to his warm chest and for the first time in years she was letting the emotion out.

She remembered her mother, staring at the tree outside her window, beatific smile, loving, empty eyes. She remembered how gentle her father would be when he bent down to kiss her mother's forehead and how harsh... how hurtful he would be with her...

She remembered being slapped and shoved, being told how dirty she was by the same man who used her.

She had learned to behave with restraint, to never ever show what she was feeling on her face, to push the emotion down, bury it, until she could barely feel it at all.

She remembered the day she was left alone... no more mother to pity and envy and resent and adore... no more father to depend on, to be tied to so intricately... But not completely alone... there was a small person who depended on her, a small person she had to be strong for, a small person she had to care about, had to give him the childhood and hopes and happiness that she had never had...

Enishi... had no clue about the person his sister was.

Before Tomoe knew it she was laughing into Akira's tear-soaked shirt as violently as she had been sobbing a moment before.

Release.

She hadn't told him a thing, beyond the first glimpse at a troubled childhood. All those thoughts had passed through her head but she hadn't shared a single one with him.

But it was all right. He was still smiling at her, and before guilt and shame could claw their way back up from her psyche, Tomoe smiled back.

She could allow herself this one moment of happiness.

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AN:

And to my long-suffering readers:

Thank you for continually reading and commenting. :} I didn't think it would make this much difference... but it really *is* inspiring, knowing there are people actually reading this who keep coming back when there are knew chapters. It's major incentive to write.

Shuro - I'll try to have more descriptive substance, rather than disjointed thoughts.... But, really, the emotions are what are important to me so I try to just get those written down before the muse departs, but I *will* try to be more... coherent, definitely.

Devil - Yes, it is boring. I'm not really sure what you mean as far as honey and species... :` But the boring I understand. Maybe this chapter is more to your liking...??? There's more emotion, especially in these later chapters, and there will be some action... eventually....