Notes:
I still only own Michiko, Kishi, Akira and the Yankees. :) Repurposed a scene from the anime.
~Tali
Chapter 16 - Trouble
Kyou, Yuki, Tohru, and Momiji hurried down the hallway while the rabbit breathlessly explained what happened.
"I don't know what set him off. He seemed kinda grumpy the last few days and then suddenly he was tearing the classroom apart. Everyone ran out of the room and I came to find you guys."
They came to a stop in front of a broken out window and peeked through it to see Haru standing stiffly across the room with his back to them. Every inch of him radiated anger so strong they could almost see it pulsing off him in waves. He turned his head slightly so he could see them and they could see the violence in his eyes.
Ever the one to start a fight Kyou yelled through the broken window, "Hey, Haru! What do you think you're doing, huh?"
Yuki rolled his eyes before studying his friend and trying to puzzle out what had set him off. "Haru?"
"What? Why are you guys bothering me anyway? Are you looking for a fight? If so, you better be ready." he growled.
Kyou nodded and stepped closer, "You're such a pain in the ass. Why do you gotta go around destroying stuff anyway?"
Haru moved closer as well and Tohru, spotting a fight, moved between them. "Haru-san, Kyou-kun. Please don't fight in the classroom."
Haru grabbed her arm tightly, "And why not, little Tohru? Are you afraid of what might happen if we do? Do you think our secret might get out? Maybe it would be better if it did."
"That is quite enough, Haru." came a firm voice from the doorway.
They all looked over and saw a breathless Michiko standing in the doorway watching him closely. She moved forward until she was invading his space and peeled his fingers off of Tohru's arm. "I said that's enough." she repeated.
"Why should I listen to you?" he demanded as rage continued to dance along his skin. He glared and wrapped his hands around her upper arms in an unbreakable grip. She stood still and looked up at him calmly. I'm tired of listening to other people. They just tell me what to do and expect me to do it because they say so. They don't care about what I want, only what they think is socially acceptable.
"The better question is: Why wouldn't you?" she returned maintaining a calm demeanor through the pain from his grip.
He gave her a little shake, "Don't play with me." Fuck your little games, I'm not interested in playing them any longer. I don't care who you are.
Kyou moved to intervene and Haru blocked him. He moved to swing at him again but Michiko reached out awkwardly and took his wrist. "I'm fine, Kyou."
"No, you're not. I can see he's squeezing your arms way too tight."
"I'm fine. Why don't you check on Tohru and make sure her arm is okay while I talk to Haru?" the older girl requested softly. He glared at her for a moment but stepped over to Tohru as requested. Michiko returned her attention to Haru, "Are you ready to tell me what's upset you so?"
He narrowed his eyes, "Why do you think I'm upset? Can't a guy get a little violent without someone thinking he's upset? Maybe I just have too much pent up aggression."
Michiko raised a brow, "I fail to see how that's possible when we spar several hours a week." She moved to her tiptoes so she could look him directly in the eyes, "Please tell me what happened, Haru-kun."
He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love and concern for him. Why do they insist I give this up? I can't. I won't. No one can make me, not even Akito. I will not let her go! The darkness within him receded the tiniest bit and he replied, "It's nothing. Just some stupid people saying stupid things is all."
"Haru-kun, if that were true, you wouldn't have destroyed the classroom. It's obviously something serious. Would you like to go home and talk about it?"
Home. That's right. She's my home. Never going to give her up. She's mine. He felt the darkness receding more willingly. He released her arms and rubbed them for a long moment in apology for the pain he knew she must be feeling because of him. "Yeah. Let's go."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." came a woman's voice from the doorway. "I need to call your parents and speak with them about this incident."
Haru looked down at the floor and nodded. He felt Michiko squeeze his hand before letting it go. He missed the sly smile that moved across her face as she stepped away. He looked up a moment later and she was gone.
"Are you all right, Haru?" Yuki asked quietly.
He sighed, "Yeah, I am. Just irritated with my parents is all."
"What happened?"
"I told them about Michiko and my mother insisted I stop seeing her immediately or face the consequences. I told her no and she tried to insist until I started to get angry. She finally stopped saying it outright, but she's still dropping hints."
"Why doesn't she want you seeing Sato-san?"
"Because according to mother, she's low class." Haru replied as he walked away.
"That's ridiculous." Yuki fell into step beside him, "Where are you going?"
"It's going to take her at least an hour to get her make up and hair fixed so I thought I'd kill some time."
They wandered around for a little while until another woman's voice interrupted them. The pair looked up in surprise as Haru's mother, glaring lightly at them, strode over with the teacher in tow. Her makeup was perfect, but her bun was slightly askew and tendrils blew free around her face.
"Hatsuharu! We are going to discuss your behavior at length when we get home. Let's go." she commanded with barely a glance at Yuki.
"Mom. I didn't expect to see you here so soon." he drawled with a slight smile tugging his lips. Yuki saw this and gave him a puzzled frown before returning his attention to the slightly less than perfect image Haru's mother was presenting. He had always been sorry Haru's mother was so much like his own and seeing her less than perfectly presented was surprising. In Haru's place, he'd have been more worried than amused at this out of character behavior.
"The school called and said you destroyed a classroom, of course I hurried over here." she replied and she gestured for him to get up and get moving. "You're in a lot of trouble, young man."
He nodded goodbye to Yuki and the teacher before turning and following her off the school grounds. Once out of sight of everyone he spun her around and kissed her soundly before making an unsettled face. "On second thought, would you at least change your face? That was weird."
Michiko's face, framed by his mother's hair in an unacceptably messy bun, smiled up at him. "How did you know? I thought it was pretty good."
He smirked, "If you actually knew my mother you would know that she never sets foot outside the door without her hair, make up, and clothes being perfect in every way. How did you know what she looks like?"
Michiko made a disgusted face, "How time consuming and pointless. No offense. Anyway, you have a picture of her in your wallet."
He smiled slightly, "None taken. Is she going to show up here later?"
"No, I intercepted the call so no one knows."
He smiled slightly, "Let's go home, okay? I just want to be with you for a while."
She smiled up at him and took his arm so he could lead her home.
----------
A few days later Michiko was sitting on the couch leafing idly through one of her books when Haru walked in. She jumped up to greet him and found herself pinned to the wall.
She flushed and smiled up at him, "Hi. What's up?"
He growled lightly and started running kisses down her neck. She tried to wiggle free and his grip tightened painfully.
"Haru, take is easy."
"Don't tell me what to do." he growled and pressed his body against hers.
"Haru!" she tried again to wiggle free. "What's gotten into you?"
"You're mine."
"Well, I'm not going to entirely disagree with you, but you're hurting me, Haru. Please ease up, okay?"
"No." he pushed one of his legs between hers.
"Haru! Stop! Please."
"I don't want to." he growled.
Michiko started crying. "Haru, please. Look at me. Think about what you're doing. Please, not like this."
"I thought you weren't scared of me?"
"I'm not. But if I have to stop you instead of you stopping yourself it's going to destroy our relationship. I love you. Please don't do this."
His grip loosened fractionally but he didn't move or speak. Michiko looked into his eyes and saw them flickering between gray and black. She reached forward and gently placed her hands on his hips, "I've been thinking about it, Haru, and I really want to. Just a little longer?"
He shuddered and relaxed, "Okay." He tugged her over to the couch and pulled her against his side. "I'm sorry. It was a rough day."
"It happens. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really." he replied acidly. His grip around her tightened and he buried his face in her hair with a soul-deep sigh.
"Let me know if you change your mind." she replied easily, worry showing clearly in her eyes along with an unwillingness to push him too far at that moment. Had he seen it, he would have been more disgusted with himself than he already was. He didn't know why he was letting other people rule him, but was upset that he couldn't seem to stop it. Belatedly, he realized he was remembering more of what happened when he went Black. Usually he was so far beyond angry that he couldn't remember anything, but the last few times he at least had flashes. Today he had been able to hold onto what had made him angry regardless of which side of him was dominant. He wondered why that was and how long it had been going on without him realizing it.
----------
The next day Michiko was walking past the park when a girl with long dark hair stepped into her path. She moved to side-step and the girl moved with her.
Michiko looked up at her, "Hello, can I help you with something?" She realized the girl was about her age and quite beautiful. She had that air of sexiness that Michiko sometimes wished she had.
The girl sneered at her, "You need to stay away from Sohma Hatsuharu."
Michiko looked affronted, "I beg your pardon?"
"You need to stay away from Sohma Hatsuharu." she repeated.
Michiko tilted her head, "Why I should listen to you?"
"Because you don't know anything about our family."
"I know that I'm not staying away from Haru unless he tells me to."
"Do you know who I am?" the girl asked angrily.
"Nope."
"I am Sohma Isuzu, Haru's girlfriend."
Michiko smiled at the girl. "You're going to have to do better than that. What exactly do you want to tell me?"
Isuzu glared at her, "I am his girlfriend and you need to stay away from him. He's mine."
Michiko pulled out her cell and dialed Haru, "Hey, something's come up and I'm going to have to cancel tonight. Can we get together tomorrow instead? . . . Perfect, talk to you then." she clicked off and looked at the other girl thoughtfully. "Are you hungry? I'm starving. You're welcome to follow me and I'll buy you dinner or you can stand outside and talk to me through the window. Your choice." She headed down the street and into the noodle shop she and Haru had gone to a while ago.
Isuzu gave Michiko's back a baffled look before following her briskly. Did she seriously just call Haru to cancel a date and then offer to buy me dinner?
"Ah, good timing." Michiko turned back to the guy at the counter, "And whatever she wants as well. We'll take it to-go." She paid after Isuzu made her selection with a slightly baffled look on her face.
"Where are we going to take it?" Isuzu asked.
"My place. You seem like someone with a lot to say and there's bound to be a nugget of truth in all your bullshit." Michiko replied cheerfully. She turned and grabbed the bags. "Follow me."
Isuzu stared at the girl. She had told her Haru was her boyfriend and to stay away and the girl was buying her dinner? What kind of lunatic had Haru hooked up with? She was only trying to keep him safe. Akito had noticed he was spending a lot of time away from the main house, especially at night, and had started asking questions. She had a feeling his parents knew something, but they had left town again for a cruise or something and weren't due back for some time – again. They had been in town for less than a week. Hatori had also looked more tense than usual that last time she had seen him, though that could have been because Shigure was following him around muttering something about his beloved child. She shook her head and followed the other girl down the street and into an apartment building.
"Come in and be welcome." Michiko invited. She placed the food on the table and lit some lamps before going into the kitchen to make tea. Once that was done she joined Isuzu at the table and the young women began eating. Or rather, Michiko started eating and Isuzu started poking at her dinner.
"So, are you ready to just tell me or do you want to keep shoveling? You're choice, of course, Isuzu-san." Michiko offered with exaggerated patience. This girl was, after all, claiming her boyfriend was cheating on her. Or rather, that she was the other woman.
"He's mine." Isuzu started, "And you need to stay away from him."
"Shoveling it is then. Please continue."
"What is wrong with you? I just told you that Haru is cheating on you. Does that not bother you at all?"
"I know he's not cheating on me. I trust him completely."
"So, if I were to tell you I was with him just yesterday, what would you say?" Isuzu demanded.
"That now I know why he was in such an odd mood when he got here." Michiko replied thoughtfully.
"Odd mood? Is that what you call it when he cheats on you?"
Michiko sighed quietly, "I know he didn't cheat on me. I believe that you saw him and that you upset him. You're Rin, aren't you?"
"So he has mentioned me." she replied smugly.
"Of course he has. Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind?"
Isuzu growled "I have."
"No, you haven't. You've told me a story, not the purpose that made you seek me out in the first place. Let me help you." Michiko studied the other girl closely until she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You're worried about him. Why?"
"That is none of your business. Just stay away from him." Isuzu snapped before stomping out the door.
Michiko watched the other girl leave before shrugging and returning to her noodles. I'll have to ask one of the guys about her tomorrow.
----------
The next afternoon Haru was walking towards Michiko's for their movie night. I wonder what she was up to yesterday? He shrugged figuring he'd be able to ask soon enough. He was almost there when someone pushed him against a wall. He looked up and saw Rin staring down at him.
"What are you doing, Rin?" he asked quietly.
"Looking for you." she replied. "Why don't we go catch a movie or something?"
"I'd rather not. I'm on my way to see a friend." he replied evasively, unsure of her motives.
"What friend could be more important than me?" she purred, glancing down the sidewalk.
He tried to push her away but she leaned closer. "What are you doing, Rin? Get away from me."
She took one more look down the sidewalk and saw her quarry coming towards them. She leaned forward and kissed Haru deeply.
----------
Kyou and Michiko had been walking down the sidewalk and he saw what was happening before Michiko did. He stepped in front of her and she had to stop or run into him, "Let's go a different way."
"Kyou-kun, we're almost there and I'm going to be late." She side stepped him and saw what had him so agitated. She saw Rin kissing Haru while he was pressed into the wall and sighed. Kyou went to move but she snagged his arm. "Do not speak. If you can't hold you tongue, walk away quietly."
She strolled casually over to the kissing pair and cleared her throat. Rin slowly pulled away from Haru and smiled at her. "Hello."
----------
Haru looked over as Rin pulled away and saw Michiko standing there quietly. He saw the disappointed expression on her face and felt that other side surge forward as his heart kicked into high gear. He turned towards Rin and shoved her away violently. "Stay away from me!"
He turned towards Michiko desperately and watched as she held a hand up. "Kitten, it wasn't what it looked like." He reached towards her. No, no, no!
Kyou stepped between them and opened his mouth to start yelling.
"Kyou." she said quietly as she placed a hand on his arm. He stepped back angrily but held his peace.
"Isuzu-san, are you ready to tell us what's on your mind?"
The other girl snarled and stomped off, muttering about lunatics.
Michiko watched her with a worried frown until Haru grabbed her shoulders. "Kitten?" Please listen to us. Don't turn away.
She reached out and ran her fingers down his cheek, "Don't fret so, Haru-kun. I spoke with her yesterday. She's worried about you. Is she why you were so upset the other day?"
He nodded. "She came over and started talking about how I should leave you and you could never really love me and she just pissed me off."
She smiled as she held out a hand, "Come on. Kitty's ready to play."
He swung her up into his arms and walked away, leaving Kyou cringing on the sidewalk.
Haru carried her home and into the bedroom and set her down on her feet. "You're sure?" he asked, dark eyes focused on her.
She smiled as she reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.
"Not scared?" he asked.
"I've never been scared of you." she assured him.
----------
Haru woke up slowly. He moved to roll over and realized there was someone in bed with him. He opened his eyes cautiously and looked around and saw Michiko's room. He smiled softly and started tying to figure out why he was waking up in Michiko's room. It wasn't that it was unexpected; he just didn't remember falling asleep here. He rolled over so he could see her and realized neither of them had any clothes on. Huh. Wasn't expecting that.
His movement had woken her up and she smiled as she opened her eyes, "Good morning, Haru."
He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, "Good morning, Mi. Did you sleep well?"
She nodded sleepily, "What about you?"
"I don't know. The last thing I remember was Rin-" he stopped abruptly.
Michiko studied him thoughtfully, "You know, I don't remember you going back to White before we fell asleep last night."
"So I missed our first time?" he asked vaguely disappointed. Maybe it wasn't getting any better. Or maybe he had been beyond angry and there was no hope of remembering when he was in that condition.
She pulled him over to her, "Here, let me remind you."
Sometime later they glanced up at the clock and Haru realized he had to be in class in ten minutes or the teacher was going to fail him.
"I gotta go. I keep missing my first class and she said if I'm late or miss it again she'll fail me." He tossed on some clothes while Michiko did the same.
"What floor is your class on?" Michiko asked as she snagged his arm before he could bolt out the door.
"Top, why?" he asked tugging gently.
Michiko rolled her eyes, "The fact that I have the ability to instantly transport myself and others to the location of their choice ringing any bells over there?"
"Oh. Right. So, the roof?"
She nodded and they hurried down the block. A moment later they were on the roof. "Is this the right section?"
Haru looked around and nodded. "See you later." he said as he leaned down to give her a quick kiss goodbye.
"Have a nice day, Haru. Try to stay out of trouble." she told him with a grin.
Haru made it to class with about thirty seconds to spare. He took the open seat next to Momiji and gave the rabbit a vague smile, his thoughts elsewhere.
He knew he was young, but that didn't stop him from knowing what he wanted. And that was to be with Michiko for the rest of his life. He knew she was going to be the one to break his curse and decided he'll never know if he doesn't ask. He sat through his classes impatiently and with his mind farther afield than usual.
When the bell finally rang he left class without even a glace at Momiji and headed into the center of town to find a bank and check his balance. Luckily that was one of the places he and Michiko had added to the GPS so he didn't waste any time getting there. He then walked around until he found a likely looking jewelry store. He meandered around the store looking for just the right ring but none of them seemed to be quite right for her.
He caught the saleslady's eye and she came over doubtfully. "May I place a special order?"
She studied him for a moment before answering, "Yes, but you'll need to put half down when you place the order."
"That's fine." He pulled out a notebook and pencil and sketched out what he had in mind. "Can I get something like this?"
She looked it over, impressed by the quick sketch and the design. It was of a yin and yang type pattern, but gently swirled together at the center instead of kept separate. "I don't see why not. Did you see this somewhere else or design it yourself?"
"She inspired it." He made his own jewelry but this was something that he wanted to last for decades so took it to a professional.
"Very nice work. Okay, what size do you want these stones in the middle to be?" she asked getting down to business.
The discussed the details of the design for a while before both were satisfied with the composition and price. Haru had been around enough quality jewelry to know his way around and was pleased to be getting exactly what he wanted for a fair price. He handed over his card to the woman.
"It will be ready in about a week." she said happily. "See you then."
"Thank you." he replied as he accepted the card and tucked it into his wallet before heading out the door.
He spotted Kyou at the same time the neko spotted him and watched as he walked over.
"You lost again, ushi?"
"No."
"What are you doing in a jewelry store anyway?"
"Nothing. Just looking at some things."
"Well, if you're looking for Michiko's place it's that way." he said while pointing in the opposite direction than Haru had been planning on going.
"I know which way it is."
"Whatever. I gotta go." The neko took off, giving Haru one last curious glance on the way down the street.
----------
Michiko looked over at Hatori, who was seated on the floor next to her while they meditated. He had been sighing and finally let out a huff of irritation. "You know, it might be better for you to talk about whatever's bothering you than try to ignore it. It doesn't seem to be working anyway."
He bent his head forward and pinched the bridge of his nose in an agitated gesture. "I suppose you're correct."
"Do you want dinner before you head to the compound?" she asked gently. He glanced over at her with slightly lifted brows so she continued, "I assume you'd like to get home to discuss the issue with whoever's causing it."
"To do that, I need to stay here."
Her eyes widened a bit, "Oh. Would this be about Haru?"
"Yes. Is he living here?" he asked bluntly.
Michiko chewed her lip in an unusual display of nerves. Finally she took a deep breath and spoke, "More or less."
"He's only sixteen." Hatori pointed out.
"I am aware of that." she replied edgily, nervousness mostly gone.
"Then why is he living here?" he probed.
"Because it makes us happy to be near each other."
"Can't you be happy visiting each other like most teenagers?"
"We were for a while, but we miss each other when we're apart."
"It sets a bad example for the others." he replied evenly.
She looked at him in surprise, "I'm not here to set examples and neither is he. The others are sensible enough to know what's right and wrong for them and they're doing fine."
"His parents could have you arrested for this."
"Are you going to tell them?" she demanded, getting angry.
"No, but you two should. Michiko-san, he has a little less than four years to adulthood."
She frowned, "What? He's only got a year left."
Hatori chuckled, "If you live in Europe."
Or Russia, which had been where she lived when it mattered. When she had first lived in Japan she hadn't really cared about anything besides staying out of sight and adulthood was an eternity away. When she came back, she was legally an adult so it didn't matter. "What's the age of majority here?"
"Twenty. It's under debate and might drop down to eighteen eventually, but right now it's twenty."
She considered it for a moment before shrugging, "Did they have any reason in particular for choosing twenty?"
Hatori shook his head, "Not that I know of."
"Then I'm sticking with seventeen. Almost everyone I know uses seventeen as a bar and it's served us well."
"That's not how it works." he tried.
She shrugged, "Sure it is. It's all in the paperwork. I've been an adult in the eyes of the law since I was fourteen."
He frowned lightly, "I hope you're not suggesting you are encouraging Hatsuharu to file for emancipation."
"I am not, have not, and will not. I'm merely arguing that it's an arbitrary number that can be changed due to circumstances."
"He's not ready."
"I know that."
"Then why do you let him live here?" Hatori demanded.
"Because I love him and I'm lonely when he's not here." she retorted.
"So it's about you alone?" he questioned.
"No! Have you not noticed an improvement in his mood at all in the last eight months?" she growled. "Or his temper?"
Hatori paused and considered that for several moments before nodding once in agreement, "I still don't think it's appropriate for him to be living here."
"Then you should discuss it with him." she said flatly.
"I will be." he took a seat on the couch. "Here. Tonight."
Michiko huffed lightly before smiling. "Would you like some tea, Hatori-san?"
"Please." he replied with a hint of a smirk. Michiko brought him tea and they settled down to talk about other things until Haru arrived. It wasn't very long of a wait.
----------
Haru stepped into the apartment and called a greeting to Michiko as he unlaced his boots so he could take them off. When she came over to greet him, she looked a bit strained and only gave him the briefest of kisses before telling him Hatori was there and wished to speak with him.
"About what?" he asked quietly.
"What do you think?" she returned. "It's pretty obvious you haven't been home much for the last couple of months."
He sighed as he caught her hand, "Has he been giving you a hard time about it?"
"No. Hatori wouldn't do that. He just very politely reminded me I can get arrested for what we're doing." she replied with a slight smile.
His eyes darkened, "As in he would have you arrested or just anyone in general could have you arrested?"
"Anyone in general. He has your best interests at heart, don't be too angry with him." she replied as she ran her fingertips down his cheek.
He finished with his shoe and followed her into the living room. Haru's eyes zeroed in on Hatori as he took a seat and poured himself a cup of tea. "Yes?" he asked, trying to be polite.
Hatori leaned forward slightly and looked at both of them, "I have both of your best interests in mind when I speak of these things. You know you can't keep your relationship a secret from Akito when you're never home. He knows you have to be somewhere and you don't get that lost."
Haru frowned darkly, "Are you going to tell him?"
"Not if I can help it, but you know it's difficult to disobey a direct request. You are putting me in the position of not being able to avoid direct, specific questions. I know you don't come home at night because you live next door to me and I can see there haven't been any lights on except for when your parents are there."
The teen's frown lightened a bit, "So what, exactly, are you here for?"
"It isn't appropriate for you to be living with Michiko at this age, but it's not a crime worth the punishment Akito will give you if he finds out. You know how angry he gets."
Haru shrugged, "So he knocks me around a bit, I'll live."
Hatori glanced at the silent Michiko, "What about her?"
He paused and looked over at her. She was rigid and he couldn't quite make out the expression on her face, but it didn't bode well for anyone. "Mi?" he said softly as he reached over to untangle her fingers from the knot they were in.
Her dark eyes slowly shifted to his, "He won't be knocking you around. You know how I feel about that."
He turned so his body was facing her on the couch and cupped her cheeks, "I'll be fine and it's a small price to pay for what I want. I'll keep him away from you, don't worry."
"I'm not worried about me, but I don't want someone hurting you because of me." she said.
Haru looked at Hatori, "Don't try to take this away from me. I'm happy and for the first time in my life I matter to someone."
Hatori frowned lightly, "Haru, you matter to your parents, to the family."
"No, I matter as a concept to them. Who there knows my favorite color or food or book? Who cares if I've had a good day or bad as long as I come home at the end? My parents only talk to me to tell me they're leaving or to stop seeing Mi. You only talk to me to tell me my behavior is not appropriate. Why would I give her up to go back to that? Here, I matter. She wants to know me and my black side. She cares what happens to me and how it effects me. She cares, period. It's more than I can say for the family." he shook his head and tightened his grip on her hands.
The doctor sighed, "Please think about what you're doing and the repercussions. If you feel it's worth it, then continue but be careful. You know he'll be angry and you're dragging an innocent girl into it."
"I am not innocent and anywhere he goes, I go." Michiko said firmly. "There is nothing he can do to me that hasn't been done before. I'll live, as will Haru."
With a final sigh, Hatori let it drop. "I need to get back to the compound. Do be responsible while on this course."
They nodded silently before Michiko got up to grasp his hands, "It will be all right in the end, Hatori-san. Would you like to reschedule your lesson for later?"
He nodded, "I'll call you when I know my schedule."
She ushered him out the door before returning to the couch to curl into Haru. "Are you sure you want to stay here?"
"Yes. I won't let Akito get between us. I'm happier than I've ever been and I won't give it up because someone else tells me to." He caught her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her soundly.