Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Light in My Life ❯ Inductions ( Chapter 22 )

If anyone wasn't aware (and assumed the story was updated erratically) I try to get something up once a day. Also, I really want to thank Helen for the review. It was rather uplifting to me, because writing does the same thing for me.

22: Inductions

Tohru stood at the double doors to the main house. A large, wooden sign read "Sohma" next to her, and she fidgeted while keeping her eyes on the ground. Finally gaining the courage to open the door, she lifted her hand and pried it open with one large handle.

The wind that had tossed her hair while she stood out on the street was suddenly gone as she stepped into the courtyard. There was an eerie silence, and she glanced nervously around as she approached the front doors. The call from Hatori had been sudden; he already knew she was coming to visit on Saturday morning, but he had sounded urgent. Tohru was afraid to know what caused the sudden summons.

She lightly knocked on the door, and it was opened almost before she could lift her knuckles. Hatori stood in the doorway, his usually perfect hair slightly ruffled. He ushered her inside without a word.

"It just happened yesterday," he began as he led the still bundled up girl down the hallway. "He stopped eating a few days ago, and yesterday he insisted to see you. I wasn't sure if you were planning on coming today, so I called to make sure. He won't leave his room." Tohru knew what "he" Hatori was speaking of.

She walked ahead of the doctor, taking off her scarf as she went. The two stopped in front of Akito's door, and there was a momentary silence as Tohru slid the door open.

Akito sat against the wall, staring blankly at the open sliding panels that led to the porch. An icy breeze blew in, sending fallen brown and gold leaves against the floor. Tohru walked slowly across the room, but Akito failed to even notice her.

Without a word, she kneeled down beside him, lightly touching his arm. He jerked back from her, and then ceased to move again as he re-settled. She touched him again, and he only flinched lightly in response; it encouraged her. Tohru kneeled beside him and took off her gloves to allow her bare hand to touch his forehead.

Akito was on fire. He unconsciously leaned into her touch as she brushed her fingers across his forehead. Tohru sat closer to him, brushing hair out of his face as he closed his unblinking eyes. Akito let out a breath and lifted his hands to touch her arms, his body trembling slightly against her. Tohru let her arms wrap around his shoulders, and he let his head droop against her chest.

She held him like that for some moments, rocking him quietly and whispering comforting things to him. His fingers were like ice as they pressed against her arm, and the trembling in his body increased until Tohru felt wetness against her shoulder where his face rested. She patted his back lightly, resting her face against the top of his head.

Hatori watched from the doorway. At first his eyes had bulged out of his head, but they had softened as he watched the girl cradle Akito like a child. He brushed his hair away from his grotesque, injured eye, turning his head away as he closed the door, allowing them some privacy.

***

Where was I? Everything was dark; one moment, I was sitting outside feeling the breeze on my face, the next, I felt as if my own life had been snuffed out. I felt very, very sick, if the searing heat in my body and the pains in my head and stomach were any indication. I couldn't see, but I felt my eyes stay open. I couldn't hear, but I could feel someone coming towards me.

I heard a soft voice in my ear, comforting me as my temperature steadily rose. I could move my hands as I looked for something, anything to hold on to. My plea was granted by a cool set of fingers against my sweating forehead, wiping my sweat-drenched hair from my face. A pair of arms had circled me, cradling me in such a comforting manner I couldn't do anything but comply.

It didn't take my brain long to process these clues and discover it was Tohru who held me so closely, rocking me back and forth. But I was far from objecting, and I felt my eyes water against her. It was ridiculous, but there was nothing else I knew, nothing else I could feel. There was only relief, and I could sense myself slipping into unconsciousness.

I was crying. It wasn't a sad sort of crying, or a happy sort of crying, but a burst of emotion triggered by both fever, relief, and pain. I felt like a child in her arms, her warmth surrounding me and comforting me in all the facets of the feeling. I only wanted more of her, more of the wonderful protection I found in that moment.

I felt my tears slowing as my breath evened, and before I could think any more, I was asleep.

***

Akito opened his eyes, blinking against the cool wetness on his forehead. His body was on fire, but his feet and hands were cold as ice. He tried to move and focus his vision but was stopped by a friendly hand on his arm.

"Don't move yet, Akito-san," came a familiar voice. Akito immediately settled back into the pillow, closing his eyes as the cool towel was removed from his forehead. He regained some sense of mind as he began recalling where he was and why he had gotten there.

It was almost embarrassing the way he had acted, but he felt no regret. He was feverish, and that was his excuse. Akito lifted his eyelashes again, taking in the image of Tohru sitting beside him, her expression one of concern.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she wiped his forehead with a dry cloth. Akito blinked and shook the fuzziness from his mind.

"Better... what happened?"

"Hatori-san says it was a fever-induced hallucination," Tohru replied calmly. Akito raised his eyebrows, then nodded.

"I don't really remember it," he admitted. Akito narrowed his eyes; this was a perfect chance to get just what he wanted out of her. "What did I do?"

At that, Tohru blushed immediately. "Hatori-san called me and told me you had requested me, but when I came, you were very sick." She only nodded, her blush gone. Akito stared. He hadn't managed to goad her into flushing about and stuttering like he had wanted, and it annoyed him. She hadn't even done it on purpose. "But it's good you're feeling well," Tohru added with a smile.

She stood up then, bowing lightly. "I'll make you some lunch," Tohru suggested, walking across the room and opening the door. Akito merely nodded as she left.

***

Yuki stepped down the stairs, glancing around. "Where is Tohru-kun?" he asked. Shigure glanced up from the table where he sat, reading the paper.

"Pardon me?"

Yuki cleared his throat and walked into the room. "Where is Tohru-kun?" he asked again. The dog looked thoughtful for a moment, and Yuki assumed him to be acting like his procrastinate self. Shigure was trying to think of an excuse for Tohru's absence. It hadn't been difficult over the summer when Yuki expected her to be out with her friends, but on the weekends, Shigure knew the boys wanted her company.

"I think she's with Hana-chan today," he replied. Yuki looked to take the answer, so the dog turned the page of his newspaper.

"You liar," Yuki hissed suddenly. Shigure jumped, staring as the boy walked towards him, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Hanajima is visiting the country for a week!"

Yuki had felt something strange that morning when the phone rang. It was Hatori, if Shigure's "Ha-san!" had been any indication. Although he wasn't sure why the doctor would even bother calling their house, he dismissed it, until he saw Tohru leave alone not long after. So, naturally, he was suspicious.

"Oh, I forgot! Yes, yes, she's visiting Haru and Momiji," Shigure cleared up, not looking flustered in the least. Yuki came closer, inspecting his face. The older man looked up at Yuki's fierce look.

"You're still lying," the rat said in a quieter, more deadly voice. "Where is Tohru-kun?!" Yuki grabbed Shigure by the collar suddenly, and the dog raised his eyebrows in surprise at the dark, malicious look in the boy's eyes.

Shigure looked away. He was betraying Tohru's trust, but he decided it best that Yuki learn sooner than later; then maybe the mouse could knock some sense into her before she fell in too deep.

"She's with Akito," Shigure replied, slowly turning back to face the boy. Yuki's expression had quickly changed from dangerous anger to shock.

"A-Akito?" he stuttered. Shigure nodded as Yuki dropped him, using his arm as support against the table. Before the dog could react, Yuki had flown out the door, and it slammed behind him.

Shigure sighed, picking up his paper. "Just don't make it too painful," he muttered to no one in particular.

***

Tohru hummed as she walked down the hallway, carrying a large tray of lunch items. The tapped lightly on the door of Akito's room before opening it.

Akito had managed to sit up, and was watching expectantly as Tohru stepped inside. She kneeled down beside him, setting the tray on his lap and giving him a pair of chopsticks without a word. Akito nodded his thanks as he began eating, and Tohru set about to cleaning up the relatively empty room.

Tohru had just finished dusting off the already clean desk when she approached Akito. She giggled slightly, and he raised an eyebrow when she pointed to a small piece of rice on his lip. Confused, Akito touched his face in all the wrong spots until Tohru couldn't hold back her laughter.

Akito became slightly frustrated, and brushed the other side of his face with his napkin, thinking maybe she was too overcome by giggles to point properly. This only caused Tohru to laugh harder, and before she realized what she was doing, she had tripped over his futon.

This caused her to land halfway onto his lap, sending the mostly empty tray skittering across the floor. Tohru's eyes widened as her entire face turned a bright red. Akito inwardly laughed as she tried to get up, but only managed to slip one foot on the floor and land with both hands on his chest.

"A-a-Akito-san, I'm sorry! Sumimasen! Sumimasen!" she repeated frantically, only succeeding in making him chuckle out loud. She immediately quieted at the sound, and Akito propped himself up by locking both elbows behind him. His previous fever forgotten, he felt a surge of strength. Enough, anyway, to accomplish exactly what he wanted to accomplish.

"You know... you're cute when you do that," Akito said quietly, his eyes softening as she stared at him with what could only be described as shock and surprise. Her hair was fluffed around her face, her bright green eyes were focused on him, and her mouth was slightly open. He lifted one hand to Tohru's cheek, caressing it lightly with four fingers as he brushed his thumb across her chin.

Tohru could only hear her heart beating in her ears as she saw Akito's face drift towards her. Her brain let out a squeamish jolt as she felt his other hand on her shoulder, but she could do nothing but relax into it as their eyes closed.

His lips were the first to touch her own in the entirety of her life. They had a strange feel about them; soft but firm, Tohru completely fell against him, her body completely overcome by the new sensations. She squeezed her eyes closed, absorbing everything about his proximity to her, his comforting lips, and the emotions which swam in a tumult inside her.

***

Yuki had finally arrived at the main house. He panted, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath. Running for long periods of time was horrible for his asthma, but he could have cared less.

Yuki slammed his hand against the door to Akito's villa, stepping back to lean against the wall. He could hear loud footsteps, but his mind blocked them out. All he could think of was Tohru, being held by her hair, hoping against hope to reason with the demon known as Akito.

The door was opened, revealing a rather flustered-looking Hatori. The doctor was rarely caught in such moments, but he had obviously been at least jogging to get to the door at the furious racket Yuki had been making. The rat plowed right past Hatori, taking off at a run down the hallway. Hatori yelled after him, but his words were lost on the teen.

Yuki stopped when he arrived at an all-too-familiar door. He took a step back, closing his eyes at the rise of unbidden memories.

No. He had no time for this now. All his emotions renewed--fear, anger, worry--, he grabbed the door with one hand and slid it open with a large amount of strength for his small frame.

And the image of Tohru halfway onto Akito's lap, completely enraptured in a kiss they shared, caused Yuki to elicit a loud gasp.