The banquet hall used for the yearly New Years banquet was filled to the brim with noisy zodiac members and housemaids. Butlers fluttered around the room, offering alcohol and food to the Sohma family members gathered around. Most of them were off in pairs, discussing their day or how their lives had been going. Despite it being the reason everyone was summoned here, no one dared utter a word about Akito. That topic was forbidden.

Off to the side was Kureno, idly sipping at his champagne. The tall flute was clasped in his hand, and he kept his eyes lowered. The redhead wasn't particularly interested in speaking with any of the family members, in fact, he wasn't particularly close with any of them. Upon hearing the news of Akito's health, Kureno found himself feeling quite lost and quite… Saddened. After Shigure left, Kureno dutifully took his place as Akito's lap dog. Kureno held no romantic feelings for Akito, despite sleeping with her a few times in the past. Their intimacy was only spurred on by Akito to prove to herself that was in fact a woman, and did indeed have feminine charm about her. It was a game to the god, seeing if she could still seduce men despite her masculine appearance. Every time she slept with Kureno, it was like she won the game and immediately held no interest for him the second their love making was finished. Akito used it to as tactic to keep Kureno close to her as well. Even if his curse was broken, he was still indebted to her. At least, that's what Akito thought.

Kureno felt a bit used, but he remained loyal. Akito was important to him either way, and he had been watching her health deteriorate at an alarming rate. The bird questioned Hatori often, but the solemn doctor always gave the same response- this was how it had to be. Akito could not be saved, and Kureno knew this to be true. He watched Akira die the same way. That image had always stayed with him.

He was interrupted from his quiet reflecting when a loud voice and unmistakable energy was suddenly next to him.

"Dear Kureno! You look positively pale," The smooth voice cooed, bending down a bit to catch the rooster's gaze. A cheeky smile was plastered across his lips, and it made Kureno uneasy. How could he smile like that at a time like this?

"Hello Ayame." Kureno sighed softly, setting his champagne flute down on the clothed table behind him. "I suppose I'm a little worse for wear now, truthfully. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Ah." Ayame answered, his demeanor calming down a bit. His grin faded to a small smile and he nodded ever so slightly, suddenly understanding. "You were particularly close to her, weren't you?" Ayame asked, not even realizing that he was speaking about Akito in past-tense already.

Kureno nodded, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I have been by her side for awhile now, Hatori and I. He keeps her physically well, and I… Well, I'm her emotional punching bag. I try my best to keep her well mentally."

"This must be hard on you." Ayame said, the smile officially fading as Kureno spoke. The snake's voice had dropped to a whisper now, and he took a step closer to the redhead. "Have you spoken to Ritsu about this? I know you two are close and he-"

"He's not here yet, I'm sure he will be soon. Ritsu… Ritsu is quite afraid of Akito. I try to avoid discussing god with him, as it tends to agitate his anxiety." Kureno answered, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't like this conversation. Ayame was being polite, but Kureno and Ayame were never particularly close, and he wasn't planning on suddenly being the snake's best friend now that Akito was passing. Speaking of, Kureno began wondering why Ayame approached him in the first place. Not too long ago, Kureno spotted Ayame bothering his own little brother Yuki, but there was a certain zodiac member that Ayame always kept by his side, who seemed to be absent. A certain dog, who, out of the entire family, would be the most upset about this event… Why was Shigure not here? Shaking the thought off, Kureno almost sighed out of relief when he saw Hatori approaching them.

Hatori walked over and placed his hand on Ayame's shoulder, giving him a bit of a stern look. "Ayame, are you bothering Kureno?"

"Hm-mm." Ayame hummed quietly, shaking his head no. "I was just seeing how he was doing with all the chaos going on. I promise I wasn't bothering him, Ha'ri."

"Good," Hatori sighed, glancing over at Kureno. "Ayame, I'd like you to come with me." The dragon said softly, giving a polite nod to Kureno before turning and leading Ayame out of the banquet hall.

Soon, the two friends were walking down a dark hallway, with silence wrapped uncomfortably around them. It wasn't often that Ayame wasn't prattling on, so Hatori knew Ayame must have understood the importance of today.

As they walked, Ayame folded his hands together in front of him, not wanting to hold eye contact with Hatori for too long. "You know, Ha'ri, I noticed that Shigure wasn't-"

"Not now, Aya." Hatori sighed, frustrated. He continued walking, leading Ayame along. "Shigure will be notified in due time. I have yet to give him the call. You… You know how hard he is going to take this. I want to handle this with as much tact as I can. We have to be very… Careful with him right now." Hatori mumbled, shoving his hand into his pocket as they came to their destination.

Ayame nodded, understanding. His hand reached up and grasped at his chest, feeling sick at the thought of how much pain Shigure was going to be in when he found out about Akito. Akito was going to die today. Hatori had very little time left, and this needed to be handled delicately. Deciding not to dwell and further upset Hatori, Ayame gave Hatori a sad smile. "You look like hell, my little dragon." He said kindly, reaching up to stroke Hatori's long bangs.

Hatori scoffed quietly, pulling away from the affection. "We'll see how good you look on three hours of sleep a night." He muttered, glancing away from his friend. It was true. Hatori looked like hell, and he felt like it, too. Sighing, he knew they needed to get to the matter at hand. "Ayame, I picked you to be the first one to tell Akito goodbye. I will give you two some privacy, but I will be outside the door, in case she grows violent. Please be kind, and please don't dawdle." He instructed, taking a step aside so Ayame could see the door to Akito's room. After all, Hatori needed to bring all the zodiac members in here one by one, so they all could tell god goodbye, and he didn't have all day. Akito was very sick, she was going to die today, and she didn't have much time left.

Ayame studied Hatori for moment, before sighing. "Understood, Doctor Sohma." He said playfully, giving his friend a smile and a pat on the shoulder, before turning to enter the god's room.

Ayame gasped softly as he came face to face with Akito, laying limply in her bed. Ayame hadn't come to visit her in a month or so, and the god looked… Terrible. So sickly. Ayame felt his heart ache for the frail little god in the bed. She was drowning in medical tubes. However, Ayame didn't let it phase him. He put on his best, whimsical smile and trotted over to Akito's bedside.

Akito simply glared at the snake, not amused. "Ah, so Hatori has chosen you to be first one to watch me die miserably? Truly, Hatori wishes to put me in an early grave." She spat, not pleased with Hatori's choice.

Ayame grinned a bit wider. "You're displeased with my presence? Why, Akito, my love, you're in luck! I am not only excellent company, but I have also brought you a gift! Now, hold on just a moment, my dear." Ayame turned around a few times, looking for a chair. Finding a small chair in the corner, possibly where Hatori would stayed posted during the night, he dragged it over to Akito's bedside and sat down, beaming.

"… A gift?" Akito asked warily, her eyebrow raising ever so slightly in curiosity.

"Ah, I've peaked your interest." Ayame smirked, reaching down into the pocket of his winter coat. After digging around for awhile, he produced a small bottle of nail polish in his hand. It was a bright rouge color.

Akito had actually been excited about the present, however now staring down at the girlish item in his hand, the god glared at it. "No."

"Oh, come now, my love! It'll be a wonderful farewell as you pass on, having brightly colored nails as a final sign of your femininity. You haven't particularly embraced your womanhood, so why not seize the chance in your last few moments?" Ayame beamed, holding the bottle out to her and waving it around enticingly. "…I'll paint them for you." He sung, unable to stop the smile on his face from spreading wider.

That sealed the deal for Akito. Her scowl turned into a frown, and then she sighed quietly. "… Fine, get on with it, then." Akito grumbled, holding her hand out to him stubbornly.

Ayame clapped joyously a few times, before pulling the chair closer and laying her hand on his knee. Ever so carefully, he unscrewed the bottle and began gently swiping the bright red color onto her nails. He noted that she was attempting to remain cold and distant about the whole endeavor, but Ayame caught her peeking over every once in awhile. Maybe this ordeal wasn't that torturous for her after all. He smiled to himself, continuing to stroke the polish onto her nails.

"You know," Ayame said softly, his voice receding into a much calmer tone. "I chose the color red for a few reasons. First of all, I happen to know it's your favorite color, as you always request your clothing to be red when it's time for me to sew you your new yukatas every year." The snake said, his voice idle sounding as he concentrated closely on painting her nails. The conversation wasn't idle, however, Ayame was speaking to Akito with sentiment. "You have always asked me for red. Always."

"What the hell is this?!" Akito snapped, throwing a mess of fabric onto the floor. The god stomped on it in defiance, though her little foot didn't actually cause harm to the royal purple yukata at her feet.

Ayame frowned, his hand slipping under his chin to try and hide how crestfallen he felt over Akito insulting his work. "… Alright, well, can you tell me what is wrong with it?" He asked gently, his usual flare absent from his tone.

"First of all, snake, the color is atrocious. I hate purple. It's a hideous, feminine color and I-"

"Actually, purple is a unisex color." Ayame interjected, interrupting her without a second thought. "For your information, I chose purple because I thought it would look lovely on your skin tone. Even more so, purple is the color of royalty! Kings have always been adorned in purple velvet. You are our god, you are our king for all intensive purposes. I thought it would be only fitting to-"

"Shut up!" Akito snapped, her hands balling at her sides. She walked over to his rack of clothes, beginning to rummage through it. Ayame frowned and reached out for her, not wanting her to roughly handle his clothes like that. He worked very hard on this set of outfits for her, pricking his fingers constantly and staying up until the early morning hours. Now, here she was, ruining all of his hard work. Ayame wasn't surprised, however, as they went through this every year. Every spring, he was assigned the objective of making Akito a new wardrobe. Every spring, he'd stop by with a rack full of beautiful clothes, she would hate all of them, and he'd have to once again, sew her a plain red yukata with a bit of flower print along the edges. It was the same design year after year, he was so tired of making it for her. Ayame wanted Akito in gorgeous clothing, clothing that could show off her feminine side. This never came to fruition, however.

"This is hideous… And this! God, who would wear this? Who would give you money for these?! This looks like shit, and so does this!" Akito roared, peeling through the clothes in a rage. Finally, the god shoved the entire rack over, and it came crashing to the ground with a loud clang.

In an instant, Ayame was on his knees next to the rack, quickly trying to save the clothes he poured hours of work into. He didn't dare speak another word, but he'd be damned if he let her rip or harm any of his work. Ayame stopped only when he felt a tug at his hair.

Suddenly, the tug turned into a sharp jerk. Akito's hand had shot forward into Ayame's long, beautiful, silver hair. With a few twists of her wrist, Ayame's hair was wrapped around her tiny fist, all the way to the root. Ayame felt tears sting his eyes, and he let out a small gasp at the pain.

Akito jerked her hand again, hearing Ayame yelp, then whimper. "Did you hear me? Why do we have to have the same conversation every year, you goddamn fop? Red! I like red! These purples, these blues… They sicken me! You sicken me! I swear, I should just have that little shop of yours shut down and I-"

"Akito." Hatori snapped, his usually lax features actually looking angry, for once. His tone was agitated as well. Looking down, Hatori saw his friend in tears, trying to pull away from Akito's grasp. The god had a chunk of Ayame's hair in her fist, pulling it. In a flash, Hatori snatched Akito's wrist and began untangling the silver hair from her tiny fingers. Of course, Hatori had been waiting outside the door during Akito and Ayame's consultation. Thank god he had been, otherwise this could have escalated. He entered when he heard Akito's yelling.

As soon as Ayame was free, Hatori bent down and immediately began examining Ayame's head, checking for bleeding or bruises. The snake laid down on his side, in pain and traumatized. He whimpered softly, so thankful to see Hatori.

Akito glared down at Hatori, feeling furious. How dare Hatori intervene! Her thought process was cut off, however, when she felt a pair of hands grab her arms and began pulling her out of the room. She kicked and screamed, looking up just in time to see that it was Kureno who was removing her from the room. It wasn't long before Kureno had the tantrum throwing god down the hall, away from Ayame.

Hatori checked Ayame everywhere for any wounds. Next to the snake and his knocked over rack of clothes was a chunk of silver hairs Akito had managed to rip out. It left Hatori speechless. He finished his work quietly, bandaging Ayame's scalp, and then driving the traumatized snake home.

That night, Ayame was up until the sun rose, working on five identical plain, red yukatas.

"Red is also the color of passion, and fire." Ayame smiled, glancing up at the god for a brief moment, before continuing to paint her fingernails. "I've always liked that about you, Akito. You are passionate. You aren't afraid to lash out, express yourself. You know what you want, and you take it. You burn like a flame, a bright white flame. I admire that about you." He said softly, taking a moment to gently stroke his thumb down her bony knuckles affectionately. "… I only wish you'd just let me dress you in cute clothing."

Akito glanced over at Ayame, her eyes widening as bit as Ayame praised her. She hadn't heard a compliment like that before. No one ever called her passionate, they called her temperamental. Instead of being certain of what she wanted, Akito was always told that she was too picky. What was this feeling? "Yes, well, fire burns, you know. Fire consumes all. Leaving nothing but smoke and ash behind. I am fire, but that should not be a compliment." The god muttered, glaring at Ayame for the final little comment the snake made about 'cute' clothing.

Ayame simply smiled, nodding. "I suppose fire can do that, if it burns for too long. I wonder, my dear, how long have you been ablaze inside?" Ayame asked finally, finishing her left hand and looking up at her. His smile faded.

Akito looked over again, understanding the weight of his question. Ayame was asking her how long she'd felt hurt inside, how long the raging fire of agony and self loathing had been burning inside her. Akito was quiet for a long time, before finally answering. "Awhile." She whispered, rolling onto her side and extending her other hand to him sheepishly, so he could finish.

Ayame took her hand, looking down at it, studying it. Wordlessly, he slipped her hand onto his knee again and painted this hand silently, enjoying this peaceful moment with Akito. For the first time, Ayame thought they understood each other. He had never experienced Akito being calm like this. It was soothing. Despite being sick, Ayame thought Akito looked beautiful in her hospital bed like that. He remained silent, painting her nails as this time, Akito watched closely, admiring the snake's skill.

Finishing the job, Ayame smiled and sat back. "All done. Tell me what you think."

Akito frowned a bit, feeling a bit saddened that it was over. It was actually… Soothing, the way the snake held her hand so carefully, taking great care in painting her nails. She sighed and held her hands up weakly, studying the nail polish closely. Akito had never painted her nails before, this was completely foreign to her… However, she liked it. A ghost of a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, but only for a moment. "It's fine." She muttered, laying her hands carefully back down onto the bed.

Ayame nodded and slipped the bottle back into his pocket, going quiet again. There weren't any words spoken between them for awhile, and Ayame knew he needed to leave soon. Standing up, Ayame reach down and grabbed her hand, knowing the nail polish was dry by now.

Ever so gently, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to the back of her hand, holding it close. "You've been in a lot of pain, for such a long time now, Akito. That fire that burned so brightly inside of you is fading. I can see it still barely flickering inside you. I pray that with the flame finally dying down, you will finally find peace." He whispered against her skin, pressing his forehead to the back of her hand. After a moment, he pulled away and offered Akito one last honest smile, before departing the room.