Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Everything ❯ The Battle of a God ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: Too tired to see, too tired to speak/think of anything to say (will hopefully say more in the next chapter). Thanks for the great reviews–enjoy!




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"May I kiss you?"



The quiet question he had uttered so softly and quietly, left her feeling stunned and speechless.



She barely managed to nod before his lips pressed softly against hers, causing her thoughts to be scattered from her mind as his warm tongue slipped teasingly into her mouth.



Joy unlike any other engulfed the couple as their tongues danced to a silent rhythm, their hearts pounding from a maddening delight with each subtle stroke and caress. The kiss seemed to escalate further than expected, and before she could even think to protest, she was lowered gently to the floor of her home.



The consequences of what would happen to them after that moment, seemed insignificant to her. All she could focus on were the warm, wet lips that trailed down her neck, and the wandering hands that slowly pulled away her clothing, which she allowed with no regret.



As though they were in a trance, the newly bound couple blindly followed their hearts and the screaming desires of their bodies.




Ayame smiled as he looked down at the sleeping form beside him. He leaned closer, watching as her eyelids fluttered open, with such a deep seed of fascination sparkling in the depths of his golden eyes as he continued to observe.



Had everything that happened earlier, been nothing but a dream? If that was so, then he never wished to wake up. He would gladly enjoy spending his life in this dream world he had created. Never before had he felt so–so content. His smile grew broader as she looked up at him with such a tender expression that it made his heart want to burst forth from his chest and ensnare her in it's beating rhythm.



"I fell asleep," she mused sleepily, looking up at him as he hovered over her.



He smirked devilishly, "Was I really so bad that you could fall asleep?"



Her eyes widened dramatically, "N–no, not at all!" She sputtered, but stopped to scowl as he began to laugh at her embarrassment, "That was mean," she pouted.



Mine closed her eyes as his lips brushed across hers softly. She sighed as a dark spark of desire ignited at the base of her stomach and she wondered if it would always be like this between them. She hoped that it would–she never wanted it to end.



"Tell me this is real?" He murmured into her ear, "Tell me, Mine, that I'm not dreaming?"



She opened her eyes and found him regarding her seriously.



It was still so strange to ever see that look grace his handsome face; she was going to have to get used to it soon, otherwise she would be left breathless every time she saw it. Her hand came to rest upon his cheek as she spoke, "You're not dreaming; I'm very much here, and I'm not going anywhere."



To placate his fears she smiled shyly, forcing her eyes to stay fixed on his face, rather than allowing them to wander down his naked torso.



Ayame nodded before he sat up in the bed. Somewhere between their morning exploits, they had managed to reach the bed. How they had done so, he could not remember. From the corner of his eye, he watched her sit up beside him, clutching the sheet to her chest as she did so.



"I suppose you'll want details," he sighed, looking away from her with a frown creasing his brow.



He was surprised when she touched his cheek with the back of her fingers, gently stroking his earlobe in addition.



A shiver raced down his spine in response.



"You don't have to tell me," she reasoned lightly.



Why was she so accepting? How could this beautiful, charitable woman not worry the slightest bit about his condition? She hadn't even complained when he didn't hold her after they had... Most of the lovers he had taken in his past had been so demanding; and when he refused to get closer, they always left. But she–not once did she mention his refusal to hug her.



And it made him love her all the more.



"I can't hold you or hug, Mine," he started painfully, "Ever."



The sharp intake of breath, was the only indication that she was listening to him.



"I know that you say it's all right for me not to tell you what's going on, but it's not," he continued, "You need to know what you're dealing with. If you choose to leave after I have told you, then I will not stop you..."



"Tell me then," Mine said slowly, unsure if she wanted to hear everything, for fear that she could lose him.



Ayame inhaled deeply before he could find the strength to speak. Once she found out, there would be no turning back.



He opened his mouth, and the words began to flood out, as though a gate guarding his soul had been ripped open, and there was nothing that could close it now.



"It started with curse that had been placed upon my family, many generations ago..."




"Is that the house?"



She looked up at her husband and smiled at the shock in his voice. "I told you," she crowed triumphantly, "It looks like such an isolated place to live."



"Well then, I'm sure the owner will be thrilled to have us for company," he remarked as he scooped up his son in his arms.



Toshi protested, but quieted as soon as he earned a stern glance from his father.



Hitoshi felt a slight sense of unease settle on his shoulders as he looked at the house. If anything would go wrong, he wanted his son and wife nearby so that he may protect them. From what though, he was uncertain. But the energy surrounding the house seemed dark, lonely and all-consuming. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.



He took his wife's free hand, as she held the basket in the other, and walked up the wooden steps to the solemn house.



The door whipped open before he could even knock, and there stood as rather angry looking orange-haired man glaring at him with such ferocity, that Hitoshi almost took a step back–almost.




"You spend too much time here," she observed quietly.



The former Yankee smiled grimly as she kneeled before the freshly cleaned tombstone, "You said Tohru would come to us. So why hasn't she tried to contact either of us?"



Hana smiled slightly, "You've become terribly impatient in the recent years, Arisa."



"I'm only impatient when it comes to her, you know that."



"What will you do if she doesn't come?" Hana debated logically.



Uo frowned, "She has to," she said softly, "I'm not letting her go this time."



"You're being unreasonable, Arisa."



"No... I let her go once, when I promised to look after her, so I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."



"What if she's moved on? We're not young anymore," Hana murmured slowly, "You can't take her away from her life–it would wrong to do so."



"I'll deal with that when the time comes," the blonde-haired woman's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you know, Hana, that you're not telling me?"



The denpa pushed her thoughts away and smiled sadly, "Nothing at all... Just thinking about a dear friend."



Uo sighed at her friend's secrecy. If Tohru didn't try to contact her soon, she was going to have to take matters into her own hands.




"So... This is nice!" She exclaimed awkwardly at the three men sitting around her at the lowered table.



The men agreed unenthusiastically.



Yuki sighed softly, trying to force his eyes to look away from her son, who was conveniently sitting opposite from him. He wondered how he always managed to get himself into these absurd situations, where his heart always felt such loss and pain that it shattered his already weak confidence. "The food is rather tasty," he complimented, trying to make an effort to seem normal in her presence.



As she smiled at him gratefully, he felt his stomach drop, casting his appetite to the way-side. But still–he forced himself to eat the delicious food she had obviously cooked. Nine years had passed since he had a meal cooked to such mouth-watering precision, by her very hands. He forced back another sigh as the subtle flavors of food coated his tongue and burst with warmth.



"Thank you," she laughed, "I didn't know Sohma-kun would be here, otherwise I would have made more."



Yuki smiled tightly in response, "It's quite all right, Takagawa-san. There is still plenty here to eat."



A look of concern washed over her features, "Are you sure? I didn't know Sohma-kun had such a small appetite," she turned to orange-haired man sitting beside her old high-school acquaintance, "Is everything to your taste, Kyo-san?"



He looked up quickly, nodding once before resuming his task of tackling the large breakfast she had cooked for them. It had been so long since he had a decent meal, that he wasn't going to take it for granted.



Tohru smiled at his enthusiasm for her food.



She always enjoyed feeding people from her home-made dishes; it gave her a sense of great accomplishment. It was as her mother always said; a way to a person's heart, was to go through their stomach. She felt incredibly grateful that her mother had taught her how to cook from a young age; she didn't know how she would have coped without those culinary skills.



"Hitoshi, would you like some more rice?" She asked her husband. He smiled and nodded, holding out his bowl politely for her to refill.



"So," Hitoshi cleared his throat, placing the bowl back on the lacquered table, "Tohru tells me you live by yourself here, Kyo-san, is that true?"



Kyo grunted rudely in response, eyeing the man as he continued to eat, not saying a word.



She watched carefully from beneath her lashes as her husband raised his eyebrow in surprise at the man's lack of manners. Personally, she didn't blame the poor man. After all, he did live alone and so his manners could perhaps be excused. So... Why did she get the feeling that he was being overtly rude to her husband, and not to her? It was small indications like this that she managed to pick up.



Tohru took another bite of her breakfast, catching her husband's eye. With a silent signal for him to ignore the orange-haired man's behavior, she looked up and continued to speak to her high-school friend, "Sohma-kun, we hardly spoke to one another at Shigure-san's dinner, we have so much to catch up on!"



He smiled at her awkwardly, "Indeed."



"What career path have you chosen?" She asked with interest, focusing her attention on the flustered man.



Yuki looked up, tearing his eyes away from her son, "I have my own company," he started modestly, "It's small but it runs quite well."



"Small?" Her husband exclaimed, "I think you're referring to the wrong company, Yuki-san."



The rat winced slightly, nodding once in acknowledgement.



Tohru laughed quietly, "Sohma-kun, I see that you're still as modest as ever!"



"Takagawa-san is too generous in her compliments," Yuki found himself smiling secretly at her words.



"Not at all!" She said resolutely, "I distinctly remember you being terribly modest at high-school. It's a wonderful trait for a person to have, because you appreciate everything so much more!"



Yuki and her husband nodded eagerly in agreement at her words.



"What is the relationship between you and Kyo-san?" Hitoshi asked, directing the question at his wife's acquaintance.



"We're cousins–but it's more complicated than that," Yuki added softly, casting his gaze towards the couple's son.



Toshi seemed to ignore his stares and was content to keep eating, much like his cat counterpart. Kyo didn't seem to want to be involved in the threesome's conversation, he was rather happy to keep shovelling chopstick after chopstick of food into his mouth; which was a good indication that he was not brooding, but that he was definitely hungry.



Yuki wondered why that was so.



"The Sohma family is such a large family," Tohru observed quietly, pulling him away from his thoughts.



Yuki nodded, "It is–introductions to family members are quite a task," he hid his smile as she laughed delightfully.



A knock on the door, halted their breakfast. The quartet glanced at one another before Kyo began to rise from his seat. Tohru halted him, motioning for him to stay seated, as she rose herself to answer the door.



Kyo frowned at his Jyuunishi cousin. A debate warred within his mind as he thought of the various people who would show up to visit him. He could only count them on one hand.



Tohru left the dining room humming.



So far, the breakfast was going well. It was a little awkward in the beginning, but she was delighted that everyone seemed to be getting along. Except for Kyo-san. She knew that her husband was more than shocked and displeased with his lack of manners, but she wasn't too bothered by it. She felt more understanding than her husband sometimes, but that was part of his character, and she wouldn't change him for the world.



She reached the hallway and opened the large wooden door, and was surprised to come face to face with the Head of the family–Sohma Akito.




Mine sighed heavily as she leaned back against the headboard of her bed, still holding the cotton sheet ot her chest. Her mind was still reeling from the information it had received about her... Her what? Her lover? Her friend? What exactly were they to one another? It was the question she wanted answered the most.



"I don't know what to say," she whispered, looking to her right as he sat beside her.



He lay back down beside her, shaking his head, "There's nothing to say–except how you feel."



She frowned, "Do you honestly think that this curse your family has, will change how I feel about you?"



Ayame hesitated to answer her question, "I'm not sure Mine. I've never told anyone I care about, outside of the family, about my situation; we're simply not allowed to. It's against every rule set by the Head of our family."



"Well, I'm glad you told me," she exclaimed suddenly, causing him to turn on his side to face her.



She smiled at the expression of wonder and warmth that swirled in his captivating eyes. Leaning down, she placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead, "I am not going anywhere," she whispered. "The Head of your family will just have to accept my loyalty to you and your secret, Ayame. I won't tell anyone, and I'm so glad that you trust me enough, to tell me what you're going through. It must be difficult."



He swallowed roughly, "Yes–it's incredibly difficult, and at times–it can be very lonely."



"You don't have to be lonely anymore," she said softly, touching her forehead to his, "Because I'm here now."



"Then I am a very lucky man," Ayame responded sincerely. His eyes flashed briefly before another wave of concern engulfed his mind, "But–I can never hold you, Mine. Won't that ever bother you?"



Mine grinned to herself, "I'm sure we can work around that," she murmured sweetly, "And besides, who needs to hug, when we can do what we 'did' earlier?" She raised her eyebrow in a meaningful gesture, causing him to laugh loudly at her antics.



"I am good, aren't I?" He boasted, smirking at his own stamina.



"What about me?" She pouted.



He sobered quickly at her question, "Yes–you were everything and so much more to me, Mine."



She reached out to stroke his cheek with her fingers, feeling the amusing banter fade away, "I won't lie to you, Ayame," she started slowly, ignoring the look of confusion that entered his handsome features, "It's going to be hard, knowing that you'll never be able to hold me but–if it means that I have to sacrifice that in order to be with you, then I would do it a thousand times over, without a second thought."



He sat up suddenly and pinned her to the bed beneath him. She found that she could not breathe under his intense gaze as he held her arms above her head. The probing golden eyes seemed to penetrate the very fibres of her soul, searing themselves into her mind and body without restraint–forcing her to remain under his hypnotizing spell.



"I promise that I will try my best, to never make you feel isolated like that," he mumbled seriously before breaking out into a dazzling smile, "And as you said, there are other things we can do, that will make you feel very much wanted," he leaned down, hovering his chest inches above hers so that he could gently tug the sheet away from her hands and body so that nothing but their body heat remained between them.



Her eyes widened, "You mean–already?" She squeaked.



Ayame smirked happily, winking before he shifted closer and pressed his lips to her pale neck, that was desperately calling out to him like the seductive voice of an ancient siren, to be kissed by his very own lips. He heard her sigh softly in pleasure as he parted her willing, supple thighs.



Never–never would he allow her to feel that she was alone and isolated, because he could not hug her. He refused to allow her to wish for a normal relationship–because ultimately, he would give her everything in it's stead, everything.




Yuki stiffened at the sight of him entering the silent room. "What are you doing here?" He growled under his breath, startling Tohru and her husband with his feral tone.



The demi-god felt a ghost of a smile form upon his lips.



He pushed it away and allowed a look of concern to replace the facade of his jovial demeanor, "I came as soon as I received the phone-call, Hitoshi-san," he said as he sat down at the table, pointedly ignoring the thirteenth member of the Jyuunishi, and the young child that was happily eating his breakfast as he dismissed the adults of the room.



Tohru frowned as her husband gazed at the man with confusion.



"Phone-call?" Hitoshi echoed, shaking his head with uncertainty, "What phone-call would that be, Akito-san?"



"From Yamamoto Akitaroh-san, of course. He told me what happened to the business and the financial trouble you're in. Please, if you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask me. I will be happy to aid you in your time of need," Akito offered sincerely, shaking his head.



She continued to look at her husband, the frown deepening as his face fell and paled to a ghostly shade. What on earth was going on? "Hitoshi..." She hesitated, "What is Akito-san talking about?"



When he didn't answer, a seed of fear bloomed within her chest. The room had become deathly silent, but she paid no mind to it as she focused her attention on her husband. "Hitoshi," she whispered desperately, "Why won't you say anything?"



He cast a mournful glance in her direction, causing her heart to falter in it's rhythm. "Tohru," he started softly, "I didn't want you to find out like this..."



"You mean, she doesn't know?" Akito feigned surprise, looking back and forth between the couple as he sat on the opposite side from them.



"Know what?" She demanded, ignoring the strange man that had just turned up unexpectedly.



Again, there was no answer.



Tohru realized that she would not receive an answer in front of the other men... And she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it. She stood from the table, reaching for her bag and basket from behind before she bowed to the seated men, "I'm sorry to leave you all so suddenly," she murmured brokenly, "But you'll have to excuse us." She walked around the table to address her son.



"Toshi," she said gently, "It's time to go, say good-bye."



Her son looked up from his food with a frown, "But 'Kasaan–"



"We have to go," she interrupted, still speaking so softly that Hitoshi couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking.



"Yeah, but 'Kasaan–"



"Toshi," she halted his plea with a stern glare, in reprimand.



His eyes widened before he nodded and stood quickly, unsure of what was wrong with his usually gentle mother. He knew that it was not the time to argue with her, and so he allowed himself to be lifted up into her arms before she made her was out of the room, without a single word or glance back at the room.



Hitoshi paused before he stood from the table and mirrored his wife's bow, "Thank you for having us. Please forgive our abrupt departure," he cleared his throat, before following his wife out of the room, fearing what her reaction would be to his secret news. He was not angry at Akito, it was his own fault for lying to his wife in the first place... It was something he could not forgive himself for; ever.



The Sohma men sat at the table silently, gazing at the doorway with mixed expressions upon their faces. A secret grin curled at Akito's lip. It was round one and the demi-god was extremely happy; the heavens would smile down onto the darkened soil this day.




Ayame opened his eyes to the familiar sound of ringing. He frowned and turned his head to look at his cell phone, resting on top of his folded clothes on the dresser beside the bed. With a heavy sigh he answered the unknown number that was flashing across the screen.



"Moshi moshi? ... Oh! This is a surprise... How are you? ... Good, good... I'm happy you called... No, it is no trouble at all... Anytime... Ok, I will be there soon... No, I insist, everything will be all right... Ok then, good-bye!"



"Who was that?" Mine asked once he had ended the phone-call.



Ayame hesitated to tell her, "It was a... Friend. She wants me to look after her son for the day, so I thought it would be a good idea to take him to the shop with us," he paused, "That is, if it's all right with you?"



"No, it's fine," she beamed, sitting up so that she could tie her hair up, "I love children!"



"You do?" Ayame grinned, "Well, let me tell you, this little boy is marvellous! And he likes me the best out of everyone!" He boasted, standing up confidently from the bed.



Mine blushed at his state of undress, wondering how he could be so comfortable with his body... Well, not that he should be embarrassed by it, it was perfect after all. But... She found many flaws with hers.



"Why don't we both take a shower, then you can open up the shop and apologize to the customers for the delay, while I go and collect our little guest?" He suggested coyly.



"Take a shower? Together?" Another, crimson blush crept into her cheeks as he nodded in confusion. Everything was happening so suddenly... But after the previous few hours of the early morning, it all felt right. Absolutely, perfectly. "Ok," she agreed suddenly, standing from the bed. Her body shivered as his eyes appraised her form before they both entered the en suite shower room, together.




Not a single word had been spoken between the couple since their arrival at the villa from the morning breakfast at Kyo's house. After finding the number and calling his cell phone, Ayame had soon arrived to collect Toshi, and had taken him to his shop, claiming that he would return their son at the end of the evening. Both Tohru and Hitoshi were relieved to watch their son go, both unwilling for the boy to witness the conversation that would inevitably take place between the two.



Toshi went willingly, without a fuss, for he adored the silver-haired man, and because he could feel the palpable tension between his parents. He was more than happy to leave the stifling environment. He'd never seen his parents act in such a manner towards one another before this day, and it frightened him.



She turned around as she closed the door behind her son and his minder.



"So," she began hesitantly as she walked into their bedroom, "Can we talk about what happened at Kyo-san's house?"



Hitoshi sighed, collapsing down onto the edge of the bed as the tension that had been building in his shoulders, grew too heavy for him to bear. "I never wanted you to find out that way," he whispered with such sorrow, that it abated her disappointment in him.



Tohru took a deep breath and kneeled down in front of her husband as he sat at the end of the bed, "No more lies, tell me what's wrong."



"It's all my fault," he murmured miserably, resting his head in his hands. "I took some bad advice from Yamamoto-san a few days ago; you remember him? He wanted to see me at the Sohma's banquet. He–he persuaded me to tie up our assets in the stocks and bonds. I knew it was risky, but–but I wanted to try my hand at it. He said that he would help me and advise me... Some help," he added bitterly before forcing himself to look at his wife.



The forlorn expression on his face worried her, "How much of our assets?" She asked fearfully, knowing full well what it would mean, being a head accountant to her husband's company.



Hitoshi gazed at her with remorse, shaking his head. "All of it," he whispered, wincing at her startled demeanor.



"Hitoshi!" She cried in disappointment, "How could you? Without even talking to me about it first?"



"That's not all," he continued.



"There's more?"



He nodded, before swallowing the bile that rose within his throat, "I–I don't know how to tell you this but–we're on the brink of losing everything, Tohru." He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples as she gasped in disbelief.



She rose, taking a step back from the bed, "You lied to me."



Her husband's head snapped up, fear and guilt dawned across his features like the waking sun on a new day, "I didn't mean to," he said quickly to appease her, standing so that he could take her in his arms. His heart thudded loudly against his rib-cage as she took another step back, away from his grasp.



"This morning," Tohru said to herself, "You–you said that you didn't want me to work while we were here," she accused, frowning, "Was that because you were hiding this from me? You never intended for me to rest, you just didn't want me find out. Is that it?"



"No!" The frustration was beginning to creep into his voice, before it seeped away into the recesses of his mind. "I wanted to protect you," he said finally, in defeat.



She looked at her husband blankly. The feeling of betrayal ran deep but... But she could understand his reasoning, "Why did you want to protect me?"



"Because I afraid that you would worry too much and–and fall ill," he admitted resentfully.



"Hitoshi! We're in danger of becoming bankrupt, and you didn't tell me because you were worried about my welfare?"



He nodded grimly, unable to look at her disbelieving face.



"That's not all of it... Tell me the truth, Hitoshi," she pleaded, feeling the faint trace of tears sting her eyes.



"I was afraid, Tohru... I was afraid of what you would think of me... I couldn't stand to be a failure in your eyes–I still can't!" He spat.



"Is that how you think I would feel about you?" She asked in shock, rooted to the spot as she stared at her husband.



"Isn't that how you feel?" He retorted bitterly.



"No!" She exclaimed forcefully, closing the gaping space between them so that she could take his hand in her own, "I would never feel that way about you. You're not a failure, you're a wonderful father to a beautiful son, and–and you're my husband and I love you. You could never be a failure in my eyes, ever. I promise you that."



Hitoshi frowned slightly, looking at her tear-stained cheeks as she held his hand tightly to her chest. "What do we do Tohru?" He asked quietly in defeat.



She brushed away the tears from her cheeks, sniffing, "First thing tomorrow morning, we go back to Tokyo and fix this. You must tell me exactly what Yamamoto-san advised you to do, and then–we go from there."



"What if we lose everything?"



"Then we start again," she said confidently. He gazed at her, amazed at her strength and courage to fight on.



"If that's the case, then we won't have any money," he mused, reaching out with his free hand to cup her cheek in his palm.



Tohru shook her head, "You know perfectly well that I don't care about the money. I care about you, and what your company means to you."



"Our company," he amended with a small smile. "So it's settled? We'll take the bullet train back to Tokyo?" As she made a sound of agreement, he leaned down to kiss her forehead.



"One more thing?"



He looked at her questioningly, nodding for her to continue.



"Don't lie to me... Ever again? You said you wanted us to be honest with each other, and I want the same. It hurt me, Hitoshi, to find out about this from another person. I don't want to feel this way again," she sighed sadly.



The sting of her words, although painful to hear, were true–and they mirrored his exact thoughts, "I promise," he vowed sincerely, smiling slightly at the capacity of forgiveness his wife seemed to harbor. This was the only deceiving lie he had uttered, but from this day forward, he silently promised to her, and to himself that he would never do so again. He saw first hand how his dishonesty had disappointed her... It was a look upon her face, that he would never forget in all his remaining years.



Hitoshi was pulled from his thoughts by her gentle, goading lips upon his. Closing his eyes and sighing with content, he allowed himself to relax and indulge on this final day, before the hell of tomorrow would ultimately set in.




"Get out of my house," Kyo snarled at the uninvited guest.



Akito simply smiled, "You're forgetting that I own this house and you, Kyo..."



The cat sputtered, clenching his fist tightly to his side. He didn't know what he would do, but if the sickly man did not stop talking, something terrible was going to happen.



"You still haven't changed," Yuki's soft voice brought him out from his thoughts.



"Whatever do you mean?" Akito asked, looking at the cat and rat with feigned innocence.



"You're still bent on ruining other peoples lives," the rat continued through his gritted teeth, "Why can't you just leave them alone?" As though an epiphany had occurred, Yuki stared at the older man in horror, "It was you, wasn't it? You were the one behind Yamamoto-san's advice. You are going to ruin their lives with your reckless attitude and scheming behavior," he accused, standing hurriedly from the table.



The demi-god remained calm and collected at the rat's outburst, "I don't know what you're talking about," he said as he stood slowly. A secret glint flashed in his deep, thoughtful eyes as he bid the Jyuunishi duo a silent farewell.



His work was still not complete and he had a lot more to do, knowing full well that the bonds of trust had not been shattered between the unbreakable couple. Of course, that would all change–soon enough.



The day was young and the demi-god still had another trick left up his sleeve that would impart the ultimate damage to his beloved little animals.