AN: I've had this idea for a long time, since August of last year when I
began my other Akito and Tohru centric fic When the Night Falls. But I
only got around to starting actually typing this one up because I needed
some fuzzier and friendlier Akito/Tohru moments without torture involved.
Plus, I'm experimenting again by restricting myself to have all the scenes
take place in only one setting without moving from room to room or
different locations.
This begins immediately after end of the anime because, well, I had issues with how lots of things were left unresolved, especially since the manga is still running. But the main focus of this will be on Akito and Tohru. (^^)
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WEEK 1: Conception of an Idea
He sat there in the spacious square room, back leaning lightly against the sliding door that separated the interior from the outer gardens. The door was slid open, letting the sunlight of the warm day flood inside while the sounds of nature filtered in. But he paid attention to none of it, staring impassively into the shadows created in the corners of the room that were cast by the light shining in from outside. He was too preoccupied with the events that had transpired in this walled structure just a few short hours before.
Honda Tohru.
Her words to him had been confusing, leaving him unsettled and unsure of what to do, made him doubt himself however briefly. He hated the uncertainty he was feeling; he wasn't used to it and was upset at how unbalanced he felt. It made him restless, feeling as if the walls of the room were boxing him in, pressing down on him. Silently, he cursed all who he believed were responsible for making him feel this way: her, them, and everyone else. A host of emotions ranging from deep calm to angry violence swirled within him relentlessly, giving him no peace until, suddenly, an idea slowly took shape within his mind. As the sky darkened, he continued to mull over the idea, examining it from every angle and liking it immensely the more he thought about it. A cunning smile curled his lips as he rose, arranging the folds of his kimono around him as he headed for the door.
It was time to put his plan into action.
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"Enter."
Tohru did as she was requested, stepping into the room she had visited just yesterday and sliding the door closed behind her. Then, nervously, she drew in a deep breath and turned to the dark-haired figure sitting with his back to her as he faced the open outer doors leading into the garden. The scene looked much like it had the day before except that, this time, she had come alone.
"Come here."
She did as she was told, her pulse pounding with every step as she worried about what it was that he wanted with her. Ever since she had received the phone call from Hatori last night after her encounter with the head of the Souma family, she had been wondering why Akito would ask to see her. None of the reasons she had come up with had been comforting but she had accepted, promising to stop by the next day despite urgings from Kyou and Yuki to decline. Shigure had appeared concerned as well but had said that it was her decision to make and so she had made it. And now she was here after offering her last reassurances to Kyou and Yuki who had protested right up to the time when she left the house. Their concern was understandable in light of what had happened last time but Shigure's added assurances that a repeat wasn't likely to occur so soon had supported her determined declaration that she was going. She felt terrible about worrying them so but also felt that her course of action was the right thing to do since she fretted that she may have been rude to Akito even though she couldn't bring herself to regret what she'd done. Still, if there were consequences from the meeting that she had boldly requested even though she bore no relation to the Soumas, then she had to face them.
"Sit down," he told her once she reached his side.
She sat next to him and flicked a nervous glance at his profile as he stared out into the garden sprawled out before them. His face was as beautiful as ever, she thought, though his expression was calm and gave her absolutely no clues as to why he wanted her here. From the things she'd heard about him so far and her own brief experiences with him, there was reason for her to worry about the purpose of her being here but she resolved to give him the benefit of doubt. But as the silence between them stretched on, she grew nervous and opened her mouth to break the quiet when he spoke first.
"You're wondering why I asked you to come." It was stated, not a question.
She blinked. "Yes."
"It's because of what you said yesterday."
"Oh." Her fingers fiddled with each other anxiously. "I'm sorry if I offended you."
"Not at all." He tilted his head. "Well, maybe a little."
"I'm sorry," she apologized again, biting her lip.
He slid a glance towards her and immediately burst out laughing at the distress written across her features. Startled at the carefree sound, she gaped at him, not knowing what to make of this turn of events. Still, she thought it was a nice sound and much preferable to having him upset and yelling at her.
"I'm the one who should apologize," he told her once he'd stopped laughing.
"Eh?!" Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Really, I should," he said in the face of her astonishment. One hand came up to lightly touch her hair. "After all, I must have hurt you yesterday."
She blushed at the contact. "Not at all," she hastened to reassure, shaking her head vigorously and sending flying strands of her hair sliding across the skin of his upraised hand. "I'm perfectly fine," she stated emphatically.
"That's good to hear," he said, smiling at her. "It would be a shame if I had hurt you terribly."
She shook her head again. "Part of it's my fault that I said such upsetting things."
"Hmm. That might be true, too." He chuckled at her crestfallen expression. "A joke, it was just a joke." Her expression didn't change and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "But there's a way to make it up to me if you wanted to."
"How?" she asked curiously.
"Well," he started then stopped. He shook his head. "No, it's probably too much to ask."
"No, it's not!" she exclaimed automatically. She paused. "What is it?"
He let out a little sigh, a melancholy look settling on his face. "It's just that sometimes I get lonely."
"Oh." She looked sad. Then she frowned in puzzlement. "But what can I do?"
He ducked his head, as if in embarrassment. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, to come and visit me once in a while. Maybe once a week." His shoulders slumped a bit. "I hardly ever get any visitors."
It was a true statement as people only came to see him when they wanted something or if he was the one to request their company. Only now, he thought as he suppressed a smirk, he had the chance to maneuver Tohru into coming willingly. He knew full well how that would bother everyone else, especially Kyou and Yuki. But when she remained silent, he scowled a little and glanced up at her to find her gazing back at him with wide eyes. Speechlessness wasn't what he'd been expecting and, as seconds ticked on by with no word from her, he became puzzled, unsure what to make about her unusual reaction. Most people would have made some sort of comment by now.
"It's a bad idea, isn't it?" he asked a bit cautiously, eyeing her warily.
A big smile suddenly bloomed across her face as her clasped hands rose up to her chest and she leaned forward in excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she beamed brightly at him, taking him aback with her enthusiasm.
"No!" she exclaimed. "It's a wonderful idea! It's an honor to be asked!"
"Ah," was all he said, unsettled by her eagerness. He shook it off to question, "So you'll come by once a week?"
"Yes!" Then she looked worried. "Does it matter what day of week?"
"Why?"
"Well," she said apologetically, "I have school, a part-time job, and the house chores I usually have to do so-"
"That's fine," he interrupted. "Tohru-san seems to have such a busy schedule. We can work around it." He shrugged. "I'm almost always here anyway."
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
An eyebrow arched. "I should be the one thanking you."
"Eh?" She appeared puzzled.
"For taking time to visit me when you're clearly so busy," he elaborated.
"Ah!" She shook her head. "That's not necessary."
"It isn't?"
"No." She beamed at him. "I think it'll be fun to visit."
"You do?" he asked, skeptically.
"Yes." She gazed at him earnestly. "I always wanted to get to know Akito- san better."
"You did?" He was startled.
She nodded.
"Why?" he asked.
No one had ever said they wanted to get to know him better. Well, Shigure had said so off and on but Akito wasn't stupid; he knew the dog didn't really mean it. Akito knew that Shigure only said such things to placate him. Though the words had been said to him before, Akito had never heard them related to him so honestly and was curious as to what her response would be.
Tohru cocked her head, thinking. It wouldn't do to say that her curiosity in wanting to know more about him had initially come attached with fear, especially after hearing Hatori's tale from Momiji and seeing how terrified Yuki had been when Akito had visited their school. To be that honest would be extremely rude, something she didn't think she could afford considering how she felt she had offended him during her visit yesterday. But she couldn't lie either so she did her best to answer as much polite honesty as she was able to muster.
"For many reasons," she said simply. "There were many times when I wanted to talk to Akito-san but I didn't feel that I had the right to approach someone whose status was so elevated." She shrugged. "I didn't want to be a bother."
She'd wanted to see him before? "Such as when?" he asked her.
"Well, when I first got permission to stay and didn't have to have my memory erased after I found out about the Jyunnishi curse." She nodded, remembering. "I wanted to come and express my gratitude but Shigure-san told me not to bother."
"Oh, did he now?"
Though his tone was neutral, his thoughts were not. He'd never heard about this before and the fact that he hadn't made him angry though he was careful to mask the dark emotion from her. He always had a strong suspicion but here was proof that Shigure wasn't as forthcoming about relating information to him as he professed to be.
"Yes," she said blithely. "Oh! And there was the first time I came here to see Hatori-san; I wanted to see you. But Hatori-san and Shigure-san didn't really seem to think it was a good idea that day. Although," she recalled, "I did get to see you after all because I saw you at the window when I was leaving, even though I didn't really know that was you at the time."
"That's true. You did," he commented absently, his mind preoccupied with the news that Hatori had also been keeping things from him in addition to Shigure. Neither of them had told him about the details of that day when he had asked about it. Well, he'd figure out what to do with them later. For now, he turned on a charming smile for her benefit. "But now," he told her, "you can come and see me every week. You will, won't you? Even though you're so busy?"
"Yes," she replied, smiling. "I will."
"So it's a promise?"
She nodded. "It's a promise."
"Good."
He nearly smirked, knowing that she'd do whatever she could to keep her promise once she'd given it. He had every confidence that she'd do her best to stick to it, no matter what Kyou or Yuki tried to do to interfere. But unless they physically restrained her, something he seriously doubted they'd ever work up enough gumption to do, he was certain that she would be back to see him. The knowledge brought him a wealth of satisfaction that made it easier for him to keep up his friendly façade.
"Do you think you can come again on Saturday?" he asked her.
"Well," she tilted her head, "I could but it might be a little late. I have to work part-time all day so I probably wouldn't arrive until six."
"That's fine." He waved a hand airily. "After you've finished work, you can come here and have dinner with me."
"Have dinner?" She blinked. "Here?"
"Of course. The least I can do after you come all the way here after a busy day is to offer you something to eat." An eyebrow arched. "Or is it that you don't want to have dinner with me?"
"Oh, no!" Horrified that she might have insulted him, she shook her head rapidly. "I didn't mean that at all. I'd be very happy to have dinner with Akito-san!"
"Well, then. There's no problem, is there?"
"Of course not," she replied immediately, not wishing to offend.
He smiled. "I guess I've kept you long enough then. Especially since I asked you to come today on such short notice."
"I was happy to," she was quick to interject.
"That may be so but I'm sure you have many other things to do. So you should go now and come back on Saturday." He gave her a questioning look. "Can you find the way out by yourself?"
"Yes, of course," she answered, taking his cue to leave and rising to her feet. "Until Saturday." She bowed. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye."
Once she was gone, he leaned back, resting his weight on his hand as he lounged lazily and thought about what had just transpired. Though things had not gone exactly as he had predicted them to, the results were the same. He attributed any tiny aberrations to the fact that he didn't know her well considering that he could count the number of times they'd met on one hand. But that would change over time as he got to know her better, he was sure. And then, he'd be able to adjust things according to his plan as he saw fit and manipulate everything to his satisfaction.
He smiled, pleased.
This begins immediately after end of the anime because, well, I had issues with how lots of things were left unresolved, especially since the manga is still running. But the main focus of this will be on Akito and Tohru. (^^)
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WEEK 1: Conception of an Idea
He sat there in the spacious square room, back leaning lightly against the sliding door that separated the interior from the outer gardens. The door was slid open, letting the sunlight of the warm day flood inside while the sounds of nature filtered in. But he paid attention to none of it, staring impassively into the shadows created in the corners of the room that were cast by the light shining in from outside. He was too preoccupied with the events that had transpired in this walled structure just a few short hours before.
Honda Tohru.
Her words to him had been confusing, leaving him unsettled and unsure of what to do, made him doubt himself however briefly. He hated the uncertainty he was feeling; he wasn't used to it and was upset at how unbalanced he felt. It made him restless, feeling as if the walls of the room were boxing him in, pressing down on him. Silently, he cursed all who he believed were responsible for making him feel this way: her, them, and everyone else. A host of emotions ranging from deep calm to angry violence swirled within him relentlessly, giving him no peace until, suddenly, an idea slowly took shape within his mind. As the sky darkened, he continued to mull over the idea, examining it from every angle and liking it immensely the more he thought about it. A cunning smile curled his lips as he rose, arranging the folds of his kimono around him as he headed for the door.
It was time to put his plan into action.
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"Enter."
Tohru did as she was requested, stepping into the room she had visited just yesterday and sliding the door closed behind her. Then, nervously, she drew in a deep breath and turned to the dark-haired figure sitting with his back to her as he faced the open outer doors leading into the garden. The scene looked much like it had the day before except that, this time, she had come alone.
"Come here."
She did as she was told, her pulse pounding with every step as she worried about what it was that he wanted with her. Ever since she had received the phone call from Hatori last night after her encounter with the head of the Souma family, she had been wondering why Akito would ask to see her. None of the reasons she had come up with had been comforting but she had accepted, promising to stop by the next day despite urgings from Kyou and Yuki to decline. Shigure had appeared concerned as well but had said that it was her decision to make and so she had made it. And now she was here after offering her last reassurances to Kyou and Yuki who had protested right up to the time when she left the house. Their concern was understandable in light of what had happened last time but Shigure's added assurances that a repeat wasn't likely to occur so soon had supported her determined declaration that she was going. She felt terrible about worrying them so but also felt that her course of action was the right thing to do since she fretted that she may have been rude to Akito even though she couldn't bring herself to regret what she'd done. Still, if there were consequences from the meeting that she had boldly requested even though she bore no relation to the Soumas, then she had to face them.
"Sit down," he told her once she reached his side.
She sat next to him and flicked a nervous glance at his profile as he stared out into the garden sprawled out before them. His face was as beautiful as ever, she thought, though his expression was calm and gave her absolutely no clues as to why he wanted her here. From the things she'd heard about him so far and her own brief experiences with him, there was reason for her to worry about the purpose of her being here but she resolved to give him the benefit of doubt. But as the silence between them stretched on, she grew nervous and opened her mouth to break the quiet when he spoke first.
"You're wondering why I asked you to come." It was stated, not a question.
She blinked. "Yes."
"It's because of what you said yesterday."
"Oh." Her fingers fiddled with each other anxiously. "I'm sorry if I offended you."
"Not at all." He tilted his head. "Well, maybe a little."
"I'm sorry," she apologized again, biting her lip.
He slid a glance towards her and immediately burst out laughing at the distress written across her features. Startled at the carefree sound, she gaped at him, not knowing what to make of this turn of events. Still, she thought it was a nice sound and much preferable to having him upset and yelling at her.
"I'm the one who should apologize," he told her once he'd stopped laughing.
"Eh?!" Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Really, I should," he said in the face of her astonishment. One hand came up to lightly touch her hair. "After all, I must have hurt you yesterday."
She blushed at the contact. "Not at all," she hastened to reassure, shaking her head vigorously and sending flying strands of her hair sliding across the skin of his upraised hand. "I'm perfectly fine," she stated emphatically.
"That's good to hear," he said, smiling at her. "It would be a shame if I had hurt you terribly."
She shook her head again. "Part of it's my fault that I said such upsetting things."
"Hmm. That might be true, too." He chuckled at her crestfallen expression. "A joke, it was just a joke." Her expression didn't change and he tilted his head thoughtfully. "But there's a way to make it up to me if you wanted to."
"How?" she asked curiously.
"Well," he started then stopped. He shook his head. "No, it's probably too much to ask."
"No, it's not!" she exclaimed automatically. She paused. "What is it?"
He let out a little sigh, a melancholy look settling on his face. "It's just that sometimes I get lonely."
"Oh." She looked sad. Then she frowned in puzzlement. "But what can I do?"
He ducked his head, as if in embarrassment. "Well, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, to come and visit me once in a while. Maybe once a week." His shoulders slumped a bit. "I hardly ever get any visitors."
It was a true statement as people only came to see him when they wanted something or if he was the one to request their company. Only now, he thought as he suppressed a smirk, he had the chance to maneuver Tohru into coming willingly. He knew full well how that would bother everyone else, especially Kyou and Yuki. But when she remained silent, he scowled a little and glanced up at her to find her gazing back at him with wide eyes. Speechlessness wasn't what he'd been expecting and, as seconds ticked on by with no word from her, he became puzzled, unsure what to make about her unusual reaction. Most people would have made some sort of comment by now.
"It's a bad idea, isn't it?" he asked a bit cautiously, eyeing her warily.
A big smile suddenly bloomed across her face as her clasped hands rose up to her chest and she leaned forward in excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she beamed brightly at him, taking him aback with her enthusiasm.
"No!" she exclaimed. "It's a wonderful idea! It's an honor to be asked!"
"Ah," was all he said, unsettled by her eagerness. He shook it off to question, "So you'll come by once a week?"
"Yes!" Then she looked worried. "Does it matter what day of week?"
"Why?"
"Well," she said apologetically, "I have school, a part-time job, and the house chores I usually have to do so-"
"That's fine," he interrupted. "Tohru-san seems to have such a busy schedule. We can work around it." He shrugged. "I'm almost always here anyway."
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
An eyebrow arched. "I should be the one thanking you."
"Eh?" She appeared puzzled.
"For taking time to visit me when you're clearly so busy," he elaborated.
"Ah!" She shook her head. "That's not necessary."
"It isn't?"
"No." She beamed at him. "I think it'll be fun to visit."
"You do?" he asked, skeptically.
"Yes." She gazed at him earnestly. "I always wanted to get to know Akito- san better."
"You did?" He was startled.
She nodded.
"Why?" he asked.
No one had ever said they wanted to get to know him better. Well, Shigure had said so off and on but Akito wasn't stupid; he knew the dog didn't really mean it. Akito knew that Shigure only said such things to placate him. Though the words had been said to him before, Akito had never heard them related to him so honestly and was curious as to what her response would be.
Tohru cocked her head, thinking. It wouldn't do to say that her curiosity in wanting to know more about him had initially come attached with fear, especially after hearing Hatori's tale from Momiji and seeing how terrified Yuki had been when Akito had visited their school. To be that honest would be extremely rude, something she didn't think she could afford considering how she felt she had offended him during her visit yesterday. But she couldn't lie either so she did her best to answer as much polite honesty as she was able to muster.
"For many reasons," she said simply. "There were many times when I wanted to talk to Akito-san but I didn't feel that I had the right to approach someone whose status was so elevated." She shrugged. "I didn't want to be a bother."
She'd wanted to see him before? "Such as when?" he asked her.
"Well, when I first got permission to stay and didn't have to have my memory erased after I found out about the Jyunnishi curse." She nodded, remembering. "I wanted to come and express my gratitude but Shigure-san told me not to bother."
"Oh, did he now?"
Though his tone was neutral, his thoughts were not. He'd never heard about this before and the fact that he hadn't made him angry though he was careful to mask the dark emotion from her. He always had a strong suspicion but here was proof that Shigure wasn't as forthcoming about relating information to him as he professed to be.
"Yes," she said blithely. "Oh! And there was the first time I came here to see Hatori-san; I wanted to see you. But Hatori-san and Shigure-san didn't really seem to think it was a good idea that day. Although," she recalled, "I did get to see you after all because I saw you at the window when I was leaving, even though I didn't really know that was you at the time."
"That's true. You did," he commented absently, his mind preoccupied with the news that Hatori had also been keeping things from him in addition to Shigure. Neither of them had told him about the details of that day when he had asked about it. Well, he'd figure out what to do with them later. For now, he turned on a charming smile for her benefit. "But now," he told her, "you can come and see me every week. You will, won't you? Even though you're so busy?"
"Yes," she replied, smiling. "I will."
"So it's a promise?"
She nodded. "It's a promise."
"Good."
He nearly smirked, knowing that she'd do whatever she could to keep her promise once she'd given it. He had every confidence that she'd do her best to stick to it, no matter what Kyou or Yuki tried to do to interfere. But unless they physically restrained her, something he seriously doubted they'd ever work up enough gumption to do, he was certain that she would be back to see him. The knowledge brought him a wealth of satisfaction that made it easier for him to keep up his friendly façade.
"Do you think you can come again on Saturday?" he asked her.
"Well," she tilted her head, "I could but it might be a little late. I have to work part-time all day so I probably wouldn't arrive until six."
"That's fine." He waved a hand airily. "After you've finished work, you can come here and have dinner with me."
"Have dinner?" She blinked. "Here?"
"Of course. The least I can do after you come all the way here after a busy day is to offer you something to eat." An eyebrow arched. "Or is it that you don't want to have dinner with me?"
"Oh, no!" Horrified that she might have insulted him, she shook her head rapidly. "I didn't mean that at all. I'd be very happy to have dinner with Akito-san!"
"Well, then. There's no problem, is there?"
"Of course not," she replied immediately, not wishing to offend.
He smiled. "I guess I've kept you long enough then. Especially since I asked you to come today on such short notice."
"I was happy to," she was quick to interject.
"That may be so but I'm sure you have many other things to do. So you should go now and come back on Saturday." He gave her a questioning look. "Can you find the way out by yourself?"
"Yes, of course," she answered, taking his cue to leave and rising to her feet. "Until Saturday." She bowed. "Good-bye."
"Good-bye."
Once she was gone, he leaned back, resting his weight on his hand as he lounged lazily and thought about what had just transpired. Though things had not gone exactly as he had predicted them to, the results were the same. He attributed any tiny aberrations to the fact that he didn't know her well considering that he could count the number of times they'd met on one hand. But that would change over time as he got to know her better, he was sure. And then, he'd be able to adjust things according to his plan as he saw fit and manipulate everything to his satisfaction.
He smiled, pleased.