A/n: falls over AKITO'S A GIRL? Okay so it's the worst kept secret EVER but I just got to that bit in the manga. So I thought I'd write a fanfic about her. Takes place chapter 101 ish

Reposted, with the name corrected. Shush! It's not my fault I'm a complete moron!

Chapter 1: She knows?

"Scrub scrub scrub." Tohru mumbled running around the house. It was new year's eve, tonight Kyo, Yuki and Shigure would be leaving for the Soma main house, she'd prepared new year's cakes early for them. Shigure had gone out a few hours ago, Yuki was working on something and Kyo was making a kite (and consequently yelling 'DAMN KITE' and 'TO HELL WITH NEW YEARS IT CAN STAY THIS YEAR FOREVER every few minutes) She wiped her brow. A lot of things had happened recently. She thought of the banquet tonight, and how despite Kyo not being allowed to go, Kureno was allowed to attend. The former Rooster had been freed from the curse, and Akito kept him close.
"Akito…" She thought aloud. Shigure, Ayame, Hatori and Kureno… they all knew Akito's secret. Akito was really a girl, forced to act like a boy her whole life. She blinked tears from her eyes and continued scrubbing.
"I'm ho-ome." Shigure sang taking his shoes off. "I have news."
"News?" Kyo asked coming through, he had a band aid on his wrist and there was a stain on his kite that looked suspiciously like blood. (Kites make paper cuts btw) Shigure nodded.
"Yuuuuki." He called upstairs. After a moment a dishevelled looking Yuki appeared at the bottom of the stairs, despite the facade of working he looked half asleep.
"Akito has requested Tohru's presence tonight." Tohru dropped her washcloth, Kyo lowered his kite and Yuki's half closed eyes snapped open. "Obviously she can't attend the banquet itself, but the celebrations will be a much happier place with her cute little smile." Tohru blushed.
"What if she doesn't wanna go huh!" Snapped Kyo.
"I.. I'd love to go. But… I'm not a Soma. I thought it was strictly family." She stuttered. Kyo hit his head. 'She'd love to go' great, now she would hear the whole family talking down at him. He grumbled.

"Akito's orders."
"I… I don't have any decent clothes though." She mumbled looking down. Shigure grinned.
"Here!" He handed her some money. "You can officially buy an outfit for tonight. It's not much but I'm sure you'll find something to fit the budget." Tohru stared.
"Ah! I couldn't Shigure you're already so nice to me! And I mean you let me live in your house…" She blinked fast and shook her head waving her arms like a windmill. He waited until she'd finished he was used to this, as were all the Soma's.
"Tell you what. You can repay me by bringing some of your delicious new years cakes to the main house?" She paused then nodded furiously.
"Thank you SO much Shigure." And she forgot herself flinging herself into his arms he turned into a black dog. "I am so sorry." She mumbled, still hugging the black dog.
"It's okay." he wagged his tail.

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Tohru had never realised how depressing shopping could be when it was done alone. She shuffled through the snow smiling very slightly as her breath rose in front of her. She silently scolded herself for being momentarily unhappy, she had nothing to be sad about, she had been invited to the main house… did that mean she was genuinely thought of as family now?
"Oh mom." She whispered looking up at the steely sky. "Tonight I get to see everyone, Momiji, Hatsuharu, Kureno, Hiro... OH YEAH, Hiro has a little sister now… I'll get to meet her. It must be so awful for him, not being able to hug his own baby sister… I hope tonight goes well." And she continued her lonely shopping trip.

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Clutching the box of new years' cakes in her hands Tohru followed Shigure into the main house. Kyo and Yuki were a few paces behind bickering as usual. Tohru wore a simple green kimono, and her hair tied up with the ribbon Yuki had given her a long time ago for White Day. The instant she walked into the house, sliding off her plain white slipper-shoes, she had felt eyes upon her.
"TOHRU!" Yelled Momiji happily running up to her. She half expected a bunny to jump on her, however he contained himself and stopped just in front of her. "Wow you look pretty! Doesn't she look pretty Kyo?" He babbled.
"Yeah whatever." Kyo grumbled stalking over to a table where food was laid out. She saw several people glaring at him, and knew they must know about the zodiac. Many people here tonight did not know, despite being members of the family, about the Zodiac curse so she had to be especially careful about running into someone.
"You look nice too Momiji." She smiled. He did a twirl to show off his robe.
"Haru's here somewhere too. And Kisa and… OH you haven't met Hinata!" He grinned and took her hand dragging her through the crowds.

The approached a woman with a small baby in her hands. Hiro was standing beside her talking with Kisa.
"This is Tohru Honda!" Momiji said. After exchanging pleasantries Hiro's mom (Uhm… Mrs Soma haha?) asked Tohru if she'd like to hold Hinata. Hiro glared as Tohru took the small child in her arms.
"She is sooo cute!" She whispered. "Adorable!" Hiro tried not to look too jealous that Tohru could hold his baby sister and he, cursed by the Chinese Zodiac sign of the sheep could not. The night went on with many introductions, Yuki determinedly preventing her meeting his parents, she was happy to see Shishou and Kyo getting along so well (Shishou even ruffling Kyo's bright orange hair) and smiled seeing Kureno.
"Hello."
"Hello Miss Honda." He said brightly. She looked around almost nervously. Akito was usually directly by his side. "Akito's in the bathroom." He informed her as though reading her mind. She nodded, but no sooner had she done so than Akito stepped out of the men's room. Her lose fitting robe easily hid her breasts and her short hair and chiselled face led all but four of the Soma's and Tohru to believe she was a man. Suddenly Tohru was overcome with pity, this young woman was more shackled than possibly even the Zodiac members, so few people knew her true self and she was forbidden to get close to anyone should they find out. She felt tears well up in her eyes and Kureno, seeing her dishevelled appearance, ushered her outside.

"You'd be best not to show weaknesses tonight." He said softly as they stood in the garden under the ever reaching zenith of the star strewn sky. The December chill whipped under her robe causing her to shiver.
"I just feel so bad for her." Tohru mumbled. "She must feel so… alienated. That's why she treats the Zodiac the way she does…"
"What Akito really needs." Kureno mused. "Is a friend. She seeks Shigure and I to be by her side during new years, I of course am always by her side. But things would be so much easier if… she tried to embrace her femininity by making friends. As a child she ALWAYS copied whatever Shigure did, determined to be more masculine." Tohru couldn't stop she tears flowing.
"She must be so lonely." She whispered. There was a movement behind them.
"Kureno." Akito snapped. "Why aren't you inside… and why are you crying you stupid girl?" She demanded, her eyes full of intensity.
"I came to try console Miss Honda, she's a bit emotional with the new year." Kureno lied smoothly.
"Emotional." Akito spat. "This is why I hate women, they're weak."

"YOU'RE NOT WEAK!" Tohru said without thinking. As soon as she said that she knew she had to continued even if it meant having her memory erased she had to say it. "Akito no matter what ANYONE tells you, being a woman does not make you weak! You are in control, it doesn't matter what your mother says!" She sobbed, and Tohru suddenly flung her arms around the elder girl's shoulders. "You have your own identity, the strength is inside YOU Akito, and nobody can take that away from you."
"YOU TOLD HER!" She roared glaring at Kureno. Kureno said nothing.
"Akito…"
"GET OFF ME, AND DON'T COME HERE AGAIN!" She pushed Tohru to the floor. "Go home, you don't belong here, you were never family, and you'll never be a Soma." Akito turned to Kureno and slapped him violently. "And you, are no longer welcome in the Soma household unless I request it. Do you hear me Kureno?!" Kureno nodded and Akito left a tearful Tohru on the grass.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"It's nothing really. She's always had a temper. Tonight she will cry, it's a fact I know too well." Kureno ran a hand through his hair. "Right now she'll be yelling at Shigure, Yuki or Kyo and demanding they take you home. Probably Shigure."
"I'm sorry." She said again, shaking her head and clenching her eyes allowing tears to fall. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."
"It's quite alright Tohru." He assured her. And as he helped her up moments later Yuki and Kyo rushed out into the garden.

"Are you okay? Akito's become a real bastard tonight he's ranting and raving at Shigure." Kyo said surveying Tohru for any physical damage.
"We're going home Miss Honda." Yuki said taking her hand. "You can tell us what happened later." She waved a sad goodbye to Kureno as Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure (with an all-too-innocent smile on his face) practically ran home with her.
"So what'd you do?" Kyo asked. "What'd he get so uppity about?"
"Even I've never seen him that angry." Said Yuki, who had often been the brunt of Akito's cruelty as a child.
"Oh he just doesn't like me." She said trying not to make them worry. "I'm sorry for causing trouble. Happy new year,"
"Back atchya." Kyo said. Yuki and Shigure both said their new years statements, and with that said Tohru went to bed, feeling guilty about the way Akito had pushed her aside. When all she had wanted to do was be her friend

And that night, true to Kureno's prediction Akito cried herself to sleep.

A/n: Chapter one done. Uh oh. Tohru pissed Akito off.
Revised chapter one. Woohoo.