2

"Akito!" a brunette girl of about eight years old ran towards a boy. He was about ten; his eyes looking lovingly at her. "Look what I found!" she held up a white flower.

Akito's eyes moved to the flower and he disgust flickered in his eyes, but he laughed for her sake, "Very pretty." I idolized him. Teresa took his hand as he led her inside. But I feared him.

Akito led Teresa into his room, "Leave us," he waved the servant away. "Teresa," he pulled her into a hug. "You can't be doing that, Teresa. You can't be running off. What if you got hurt what would happen? No one would save you, you would be all alone." Tears rolled down the child's face, and she buried her head into Akito's chest.

"I'm sorry, I won't leave again," but deep deep down I knew I was lying.

"Good girl," his arms embraced her as he whispered in her ear, "Because if you do, you'll be no better than the rat." He constantly terrorized her with the threat of the rat. She had heard and seen what Akito had done to the rat, and he knew it. "You need to stay here, or it will hurt."

"No!" Teresa bolted up from the floor. "I fell asleep. It was all a dream." She looked over at Akito, and the feeling was still there, "Not all of it was a dream."

Shigure and Hatori sat outside of Shigure's house, "What do you think? About her staying with him, I mean." Shigure looked over at Hatori.

"It was strange. As though she wanted to be with him. I can't fathom why she would want to," Hatori muttered.

"She has a greater tie to him then the we do." Shigure sighed.

Hatori nodded. Ever since she was a child he had seen the way the two were. She was bound to him, and not matter what happened she was always by his side.

Teresa watched as Akito's breathing turned ragged. "Akito, she whispered, "Akito," she placed a hand on the side the of his face but it only seemed to aggravate him. Teresa cringed as he began coughing violently. She remembered Hatori's directions and sat him up. She maneuvered behind him and propped his head up onto her shoulder.

"Teresa," Akito's voice was a raspy whisper as he called for her.

"I'm here, Akito."

Akito said nothing, seemingly content with her presence, and he fell asleep. Teresa couldn't stand it. She couldn't breathe around him. The childlike idolization she had for him had multiplied and had replaced itself with a feeling of care. Teresa remembered when he became ill when she was a child. If it wasn't contagious, then she always sat by him, just watching him. That was all she could do then, just watch him suffer. But now, she could help relieve his pain. Truthfully, Teresa felt sort of sorry for him. She was sorry that he had to turn to her for comfort, and she was only doing it out of obligation.

She tried to console herself by saying that this feeling was one of pity, but Teresa knew she could not fool herself for long. "Mistress Teresa," the old lady that ran the house stood ini Akito's doorway.

"Yes?"

The woman said nothing but walked forward. She bent down and took Akito and propped him up with a pillow before bowing to her and leaving. Teresa slightly glared at the woman. She had never liked the maid and she was sure the feeling was mutual.

Teresa glanced once more at Akito, and put her hand to his fore head. "Sleep, Akito," with that she kissed his forehead and left the room.

Hello. I know its short, but it was the best I could do. I love Teresa. I really do. And because I love her, I have to torment her.

Review, and happy reading.