Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Force of Destiny ❯ Bond ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, even though I was a really, REALLY good girl last year...*sigh*.

Chapter 6: Bond

He is still holding my hand. Still seemingly absorbed in my eyes while he continues to caress my injured palm. I notice he has not moved away, but seems to almost be leaning closer to me. I can feel the warmth of his breath fan my cheeks and smell the subtle scent of his skin. My gaze studies his expressive eyes, glides down his straight nose, takes in the leanness of his cheeks and the thick, dark hair brushing them before settling breathlessly on his mouth.

Somewhere, the rational part of my brain is screaming, 'Snap out of it! What the hell is wrong with you?!? You know nothing about him, he may be part of Akito's schemes for all you know!' but I ruthlessly silence the voice. I'm reckless that way.

I haven't been able to tear my eyes away from his mesmerizingly beautiful face, mere centimeters before me, and I continue to be entranced by the glow of our merging auras. As it bathes us in a gentle, albeit technically invisible, radiance, I watch, heart thundering, breath suspended, as his lips part...

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"Can I hug you?"

'Huh?' I think dumbly. 'Did he just ask for...' I groan as all of my wild fantasies fly out the window. Really, I didn't honestly expect him to kiss me or tell me that he has suddenly, inexplicably fallen in love with me. Really, I didn't. But I can't deny the sharp stab of disappointment twisting my stomach as the reality of his strange request hits me full-force.

Dropping my gaze to where my hand, pale and bloody, is engulfed by his long, slender fingers, I study the clasped digits to hide my embarrassment. Really, this will not do, becoming depressed over a completely unrealistic flight of fancy. Think of the horrible timing! So our auras are doing some weird and funky stuff. Just about everything in this house has a weird and funky aura. 'But beautiful.' chimes that annoyingly honest voice.

I can feel the weight of his gaze on the top of my head. I still haven't acknowledged that I heard his odd request. Taking a deep breath, I let it out in a gusty sigh. Feeling my usual optimistic nature coming back, a smile tugs at the corner of my lips as the humor of his rather forward, if endearing, question hits me. My emotional equilibrium snaps onto a more even keel. Looking up into his earnest countenance, I suppress the teasing grin threatening to overcome me.

"But, sir," I look at him coyly from beneath my lashes, "I don't even know your name!"

For a moment, he looks startled, his eyes widening in dismay. A flush of embarrassment dusts his cheeks, making him appear less austere and more boyish. I like the effect.

He stiffens and seems to draw in on himself, while mumbling, "Yuki." I can almost see the walls come up around him as he stiffly tries to pull his hand away from mine. The flash of hurt and sadness in his eyes tears at my heart. It speaks of an old, constant pain.

'Oh, no you don't.' I think. This is my first chance at gaining a true ally in this hell hole, and I'm not giving him up without a fight. 'And don't forget the strange reaction his energy has to yours.' nudges that irritating voice.

"Wait!" I tense my hand around his fingers, wincing a little at the pull the movement causes in my injured palm, "I was just teasing. I'm sorry." I give him a tentative smile, hoping to lower those walls again. He was incredibly quick in putting them up, seemingly through long practice. This is not a happy conclusion, and I am more determined than ever to bring back the breathless wonder of a few moments ago.

Shifting closer to him, watching his face for signs of discomfort at my actions, I slowly lift my arms to either side of him. Our knees bump awkwardly as we sit facing each other, and I rise up into a kneeling position to counteract the problem. This puts our faces level, though, and the effect on my breathing is devastating. I won't back out now, though. Consciously remembering to continue taking air in and out of my tightening chest, I stare unblinkingly into his eyes and lean my upper body against his.

A strange red flash from his aura forces me to pause, and I stare, transfixed, at the swirl odd energy floating directly above his heart.

'Ah, so that's why he asked for this...I knew there was something familiar about his aura.'

Without pause, I let my right hand hover over his heart and concentrate on pacifying the angry bubble marring his otherwise calm aura. Soothing tendrils of my own energy brush against it until the color fades into the proper purple-and-gold. This accomplished, I flash him a look once more, to be certain he has no objections to my close proximity. He is wearing a look combined of puzzlement, no doubt wondering at my strange actions, and tense anticipation. I tentatively wrap my arms around his shoulders and press my chest to his.

He stiffens for a brief moment, as if steeling himself for an attack. My heart melts at the involuntary and very telling reaction.

"Don't worry," I whisper in his ear, "that won't happen with me."

I hear his sudden indrawn breath, and he pulls his head back slightly to stare at me in confusion, wonder, and disbelief.

"What do you mean?" he rasps.

I smile gently at him and tug him back so I am again whispering in his ear.

"You won't transform because of me," I tighten my arms slightly in demonstration, and am almost undone by the feel of him against me. It's so comfortable, so natural. "I promise."

After a moment of stiff surprise, I feel his arms come around my back, tentative at first, then with more force. He buries his face in the crook of my neck, nuzzling my hair as he shakes his head in bewilderment. I feel his chest swell with a deeply indrawn breath, then his shoulders begin to shake.

'Is he crying?' I'm immediately concerned, and begin to pull away, hoping to right whatever wrong I have unthinkingly done. However, his arms tighten even more, murmuring a low "No, don't let go..." earnestly molding me against his lean, trembling form.

"Yuki..." I don't what else to say, so I just kneel, patiently waiting for him to gather his composure, basking in the undemanding warmth of our embrace. It has been so long since I have felt this, like the warm hug of a long-lost friend.

After a few moments, I hear a low rumble of sound, feel the corresponding vibrations resonating from his chest to mine. I'm beginning to be alarmed, when I realize, with relief, 'He's laughing!' It sounds rusty from disuse, but it is still an almost carefree sound. An answering laugh threatens to spill from my lips, but is abruptly stilled when he pulls back once more and takes my face almost reverently in his hands.

"Who are you?" he whispers rawly, awe and profound gentleness shimmering in his eyes. I know he is not simply asking my name, but needing to know where I come from, why I am at this house...why he can hold me. This last is perhaps the most important question of all. His thumbs lightly stroke my cheeks, as if afraid too much pressure will cause me to disappear. As if I am an illusion.

I reach up to touch his cheek as well, seeking to give reassurance. Brushing my fingers against his hair in an answering caress, an assurance that I am no illusion. I understand his utter bemusement now: He is cursed, A Juunishi, yet I can hold him. His reaction to our embrace is the same as the other Akito brought to me, demanding a demonstration of my power. However, my response to Yuki is worlds away from that other time.

The differences are so profound they defy comparison, and I am afraid to even contemplate the implications. Something staggering has just transpired--I know it instinctively. An electric bond has formed between us, delicate and tentative, but still the most powerful thing I have ever experienced. I will simply have to let matters take their course, see where it all leads. If my suspicions are correct, we are both in an extremely precarious position. One wrong move on my part could bring disaster to those I love the most, and who knows what kind of hold the demon has on Yuki?

It is clear we have a tangled mess on our hands at the moment, and it will take a lot of explaining to answer his question about my identity. No sense borrowing trouble. 'God knows we have enough of that as it is.'

Unseen in the nearby shadows, dark eyes burning with hate and jealousy watched the raptly involved pair. Akito was trembling with rage that the witch was able to get so close to his favorite, but the fire of his hate was fanned even higher by his feelings of betrayal. Hatori would have been acceptable, as his residual feelings over that Kana bitch would have created intense guilt. It would have been delightful to see the stoic doctor in pain-it was so difficult to get any emotional reaction from him. That Yuki would get so lost in the slut upon first acquaintance, though, was an insult not to be borne. He had rid himself of the Tohru obstacle only after years of patient waiting, then discovered over the past months all his careful plotting had not entirely had the desired effect. Yuki was supposed to be helpless, hopeless, and despondent, completely dependent upon his grace. His god. Akito. And now this. His hands fisted at his side, nails digging into his palms painfully.

Suddenly, a sickly parody of a smile warped his finely chiseled lips, and a soft chuckle of satisfaction crawled from his pale throat into the night air. Eyes alight in devilish delight, he examined his latest idea from different angles, working out the preliminary logistics, weighing the possibilities. Perhaps the witch has added uses, aside from his original intended plans to exploit her talent. Yes, the new plot forming in his mind could be just the thing to finally break Yuki's spirit and bring him to heel at his master's side.

Akito glided stealthily away, mind methodically ticking over the possibilities of his latest perversion, laying twisted plans. He needed to head off anyone who may come to investigate the commotion, as interruption of his two new toys would not be good for his plan. Not yet, anyway. His self-satisfied laugh did not reach the ears of the couple still enthralled with each other.