Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ A Brother's Love ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 3 )

Author's note: Huh... posted the prologue and chapter 1 and just realized I didn't write my customary notes and disclaimers as with all my fics.  Um, Fruit's Basket does not belong to me, first and main point.

Second, I hate this.  I have a couple fics I really wanted to finish but this one bit me in the ass and wouldn't let go.  It was a, what if? type of fic.  Now, those who look at my profile and the stories that I have written will know that I am a yaoi/shonen writer.  However, I can do general even though it's been forever.  In fact, The Mighty Ducks fanfics were the only gens I've done.  But again, this one decided to make itself known and shockingly enough, despite the shonen ai potential (Argh, look how flamboyantly obvious Aya can be!!!) there will be no m/m relationships other then deep friendship.  So for all the yaoi haters, yay, I'm sure.  For you yaoi lovers, give me a chance, please, and I'll get back to my juicy m/m stories shortly after this. I swear. I did not abandon all of ye rabid fans. Sheesh.  And oh, this fic is somewhat basing it off the rumors I heard.  I've only watched Fruit's Basket and have read up to volume 10 of the manga....  I believe I heard that Akito was actually a girl... so I am doing my best to remain as ambiguous as possible about Akito's real gender until I find out ... although I might be done with this before hand.

Enjoy... my angst loving fans *wicked laugh*

Brother's Love

Chapter 2

Tohru glanced at the clock over the kitchen stove, wiping her hands with the dish towel on her hand.  "Shigure-san is really late," she commented.

"I say we eat without him," grumbled Kyo.  "It's not fair that we have to wait for the dumb dog."

"Only you would be that disrespectful," Yuki said, even though he agreed with the cat.

"What was that?!"

"I said..."

"Oh!" Tohru began to wave her hands, already knowing that there was a fight getting ready to break out.

They paused, hearing the door slide open.  

"Shigure-san!" Tohru cried out, happily.  "You're home!"

But Tohru's cheerfulness soon faded, and Yuki and Kyo remained silent.

Shigure was pale, and he looked like he was in a state of shock.

"Yuki," he said.  "We need to go to the main house."

"What? Why?!"

"Aya's been... injured."

Tohru covered her mouth in concern as Kyo gave Shigure an odd look.

"What did that stupid snake do this time?"

"Yuki," Shigure snapped, startling them all.  "He was intentionally harmed.  We need to go to the main house immediately."

Yuki stood still, unable to fully comprehend what was just said.  Aya... intentionally harmed?  Sure he would drive the urge to have anyone bop him across the head, but... the way Shigure said that... it was something more serious.

"Kyo, Tohru... I need you two to stay here.  And you two better..."

They waited for it.  They needed to hear Shigure let out some playful perverted remark so that they could be assured that nothing serious had happened.  But it never came.  Instead, Shigure sighed and his shoulder's slumped.

"You two better make sure everything's secure.  Stay near each other, okay?"

Tohru and Kyo glanced at each other, then looked back and nodded, not commenting.

When Shigure and Yuki left, Tohru and Kyo ended up sleeping on the floor in the main room near the door, waiting.  

Tohru felt awful.  It was like when she first heard news about her mother.

"Kyo-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Is everything gonna be okay?"

"..."

"..."

"I... I don't know," came the whispered response.

X

"I want her memory erased, Hatori," Akito snapped.

"Akito, no," protested Hatori.

"Excuse me?" sneered the head of the family.

"Akito, erasing the girl's memory will only impede Aya-kun's chance of recovery," pleaded Shigure.

"First that Tohru brat and now this one?!  Do you think I am that much of a pushover?"

"Akito, we have no reason to fear her.  If we had, don't you think reporters would have already been pounding at our doors?  That girl came straight this way, knowing that if anyone knew anything, it would be the family that he came from," argued Hatori, feeling more strongly than ever to stand his ground and refuse Akito's orders.  Truthfully, it scared him, despite Akito being younger.  

"You seem to be forgetting who I am!" Akito snarled.

"Akito, please," Shigure pleaded once more, coming up from behind Akito and wrapping his arms around the slender figure.

"Let go of me!"

"Akito..."

A slight sneer crossed Akito's face.  "Fine then.  She can keep her 'precious' memories, but that girl is not allowed on these grounds or I will take back my generous gift."  With those words, Akito managed to shake Shigure off, turned, and shoved him back.  "Now get out! Both of you!!"

X

Yuki stood in the doorway of the room that currently sheltered Aya.  He felt his throat go dry as he took in the pitiful state that his older brother was in.  For once, he was hoping that this was a bad joke, and that Aya would suddenly sit up and say something absurd like "Aw, my prince Yuki had come to see and help this fair man in distress!"

But Aya didn't move.  Instead, he lay on the futon, hair spread out underneath him.  It took Yuki a few moments to realize that his hair length had been cut in half.  It seemed... wrong.  A bruise was underneath his chin, looking dark against his pale skin.  His upper torso was partially exposed, as bandages wrapped around his chest and abdomen that were showing spots of blood.  An air mask was placed over his mouth.

Approaching closer, Yuki could see that goosebumps were rising over Aya's skin.

He's cold, he thought to himself.

And a wave of anger washed over him.

Who could do something like this to any person? Why?  He wanted to get back at who ever did this.  But where to start?  

His hand clenched together, forming fists.  

A slight moan caught his attention.

"Aya 'nisan?"

Aya's eyes cracked open and stared up at the ceiling, but other than that, showed no response.

"Aya?"

Yuki slowly reached towards him.

He wasn't sure what he was hoping for.  Maybe he was hoping that Aya would turn to look at him.  Or that Aya would say his name.  What he was not expecting was that Aya seemed to have a panic attack at his touch.

Aya went rigid, gasping for air, before passing out once more.

Yuki pulled back in fear, staring at his brother for a few seconds, before running out of the room to find someone, anyone, to help him.

X

Mine cowered in fear as the person who was introduced as Akito, head of the household, towered over her.

"You did your good deed, now get out!  Mind you that I can have your memory erased if you even think about telling the secret of the Soumas to anyone outside this family.  You should be grateful that these two kind people here convinced me otherwise."  Akito sneered when this was said, motioning over to the two who had let her into the grounds.  "I still think it's best that you forget about Ayame-san.  After all, it's not like he could return your feelings for him even if he wanted to.  After all, you have some...attributes... that he would have no interest in.  And a lack of some others."

Mine looked away as Akito let out a cruel laugh, tears in her eyes.  What did she do to deserve such  harsh words?

"Akito!" snapped Shigure.  "Please leave."

"Excuse me?"

"Akito, please wait for me in your room.  You're looking a bit pale."

"But I feel fine! I mean, this woman makes me laugh, thinking she has a chance with Aya just by saving his sorry hide!  It makes me laugh.  And look how she now cries! Why, she's just as pathetic as that Honda wench."

"Akito-san."  Hatori grasped Akito's arm and led the head of the household out of the room.  Akito's laughter carried through.

"Mine," started Shigure.  "Don't listen to what was said.  We'll try to convince Akito of allowing you to visit Aya.  I'm sure that will cheer him up."

"Thank you," Mine whispered.  "But, how is he now?"

Shigure remained silent for a moment.  "He comes and goes, but he hasn't really spoken to any of us. We promise to give you updates when we can.  But you should really go home and rest, okay?"

Mine nodded as she straightened up, trying to wipe the dry tear tracks off of her face.  "Of course," she said.

Shigure and Hatori led her out of the room.

X

Ayame blinked as he stared at the wall in front of him.  He could hear some clock ticking away, and that dreadful beeping sound of the machine attached to him at the moment.  He had hoped that someone would be with him when he opened his eyes.  But no one was there.

And it made him feel worse.  He had really been hoping that Yuki would have set aside the differences just to see how he was.  But then again, he was probably in the main house, and nothing but a direct order from Akito would have Yuki step foot in here.

A whisper of cloth could be heard and Aya felt a cold feeling settle in the pit of his stomach.  He knew that sound.

"Tsk tsk," came the cold voice.  "Look at you, proud and beautiful Aya-san, reduced to a pathetic being no longer worthy of being a special someone to a potential lover.  Damaged goods."

Aya felt tears burn his eyes, and he became tense as he felt Akito lean over him, body pressing into his.  Akito's breath blew gently into his ears, and a soft hand carressed the side of his face.

"You do realize that this is all your fault.  If you hadn't thought yourself better than the rest of us, you wouldn't have tried to go off and make a living for yourself in the outside world.  You wouldn't have made friends with such a pathetic woman."  Akito let out a soft chuckle.  "Pathetic creature.  I can see that she cares deeply about you, but you can't return those feelings, can you?  After all, even if women would turn you on, you would never be able to hold her.  Unless she's into reptiles.  But then we go back to the fact, that you, Aya-san, are now damaged goods.  No one will ever be able to love you without thinking of what a slut and whore you are.  But I won't think of you that way.  You just need to stay here with the rest of us.  I will love you.  But only if you remember your place and listen to what I say."

Aya lay still as Akito pushed away from him.

He could not see the evil grin that decorated Akito's face.

Aya became lost in his memroies and Akito's words, not hearing that a second person had entered the room.

"What are you doing here?"

"My, my.  The little rat is baring some fangs."

"What have you said to him?"

"Nothing, sweet Yuki.  Nothing but the truth."

Akito walked past Yuki who stood in the doorway, hands balled up into fists.  He watched as Akito disappeared down the hall.  Yuki turned back to look at his older brother.  

Aya was trembling, and Yuki called out his name.  He made his way around the bed and saw that his older brother's eyes were open.  Yuki called out his brother's name again, but no response.

With a defeated sigh, Yuki pulled up a chair and sat facing his brother, waiting for him to come back from wherever his mind had taken him, and finally notice that he was there.

tbc...