Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Black & White Heart ❯ The Fact He Was Right ( Chapter 13 )

AN: Not that I mention it in the fic, but for interest's sake, the date today in this fic is Thursday 13th December.

Chapter 13: The Fact He Was Right

Dark grey eyes watched the small bird hopping across the frozen water, pecking at random points trying to get to the denied water underneath. Although his eyes shone with serenity, his mind was in fury. He had been like this since yesterday,

When he had found that photo.

A calm rage emitted from his room like a spiritual warning sign not to go near him. He sat there and brewed, alone in the dark, images flittering through his mind of what may have been happening, and what he wanted to do to the person who caused all this. He couldn't stand it any longer; he was going to have to make himself clear once again. Heaving himself up from the floor against the wall, pulling the cloth back over his shoulders that had slipped down, Akito made his way towards the door.

-----

"Lunch time! Rich man Poor man!" exclaimed Tohru cheerfully, as Uo sat and cracked her knuckles glaring challenging at Kyo, "Okay," she said, placing the cards on the desk next to Hana, "Anyone else want to play? Yuki?"

Yuki looked up from the book he was studying and smiled, "Of course Miss Honda." And placing his book away, joined them at Uo's desk.

A pair of eyes watched him walk across the room to join the happy (or glaring) group of students. Kane looked away from them, staying in his corner of the classroom at his desk. He wanted to ask if he could play too, but the usual nervousness kept his question down. So instead he went back to doodling on his notebook, drawing little hearts around all the `Yuki' words he had written.

That is until a certain rival walked through the door.

"Haru!" Tohru smiled, "Just in time, do you want to pay Rich man Poor man?"

"Sure." He said, walking over and pulling a chair next to Yuki.

Feeling a sudden burst of confidence, Kane leapt up off his chair, "Hey can I play too?" he exclaimed.

The group looked towards the boy who was the usual one to ignore in their class, "Wow, it speaks." Uo said, shock still evident on her face.

Even though he had only just joined in himself, Haru was about to say `Go to hell' when Yuki spoke up, "If you'd like, you can join in."

"Oh great," Kyo moaned quietly, as Kane grinned once again.

Yuki smiled back as Kane sat down opposite him (he couldn't get any closer for fear of Haru's glares). Despite whatever Haru may have been thinking letting him join in, Yuki was glad Kane had asked. He was trying a little harder to become friends with people, so he wasn't going to turn him down when he himself was the one who had given the advice. And what better way than to play a nice healthy game of cards?

-----

"CHEATER!"

"I wouldn't call me that if I were you."

Somewhere along the line however, it had become a tournament between Kane and Haru. The daring glares that passed between the two of them were making the tension in the room high, neither one was backing down, and the small crowd that had formed around them didn't seem to care what cards the other players got except for these two.

"That's a pathetic hand." Haru calmly stated matter-of-factly, as Kane resisted the urge to kick him under the table. Not because of self control however, because he was afraid Haru would beat him up.

"I'd like to see you do better." He returned smirking, proud of the two cards he had placed, the Jack of Hearts and the Jack of Clubs, which was gonna be hard to beat.

They waited for Hana to move but she passed, playing along to Kyo who also passed. Yuki however placed down the King of Spades and the King of Hearts, declaring Shibari {1} on the Hearts. Kane felt very proud of himself now. There was no way Haru could not only beat that score, but also have at least one card in Hearts aswel. But his satisfied smirk soon disappeared from his face when he saw the smug look on Haru's.

"You loose Kane." He said, as he placed down his two cards, The Ace of Hearts and a Joker.

"Hey, good hand," Uo commented, as Kane face-faltered at Haru's good luck as everyone else laughed at him.

"That's not fair you must have cheated!" Kane said, slamming his hands down on the desk and standing up.

"Didn't I warn you not to call me a cheater?" Haru glowered at him, before Kane's eye became wide and he swallowed, remembering that angry stare from this morning.

"Hey don't be such a sore loser Murasaki." chuckled one student, pulling on the end of Kane's headscarf.

"Cut it out!"

While the other students picked on Kane, Haru turned to Yuki sitting next to him, "So, do I get a contractually kiss?"

"..No."

Haru smirked to himself, "You hesitated."

Yuki blinked in realisation, "No I didn't." he quickly covered.

"Yes you did."

"Shut up."

Getting up from his seat without another word, Yuki left his cards on the table and walked out the room, knowing very well that Haru was smiling at him the whole way.

-----

As Yuki walked outside the main doors to get a breath of fresh air, he wondered yet again about Haru. It was the easiest thing to do, just leave when things got awkward like that, at least nothing outside could be any worse.

"Hello Yuki."

Yuki froze.

There in front of him, walking slowly towards him was Akito, smiling that sickly sweet smile that Yuki knew was anything but kind. He found himself unable to move from the trampled snow pathway he was standing on, as Akito walked right up to him.

He laughed feebly, "You don't have to look like that Yuki. There's nothing to worry about." That sentence just made Yuki worry even more, and when Akito reached out him, he took a step back, his face showing a definite fear. The drained smile that was on Akito's face disappeared at Yuki response, and he let his arm fall back down to his side.

"It's not you I am here to see today Yuki."

Yuki's eyes widened slightly, well who?…before he realised, it could only be;

"Where is Hatsuharu?"

Yuki wavered; he could feel his heart rate beating fast. Why on Earth does Akito want to see Haru? He couldn't have…

Then it hit him!

Didn't Shigure and Ayame go to the main house at the weekend? And Momiji had called that night asking for them, it must have been that day when Ayame had developed all those photos. But if Momiji knew about the photo, than one of them must have shown him, perhaps even left one there. Akito, he must have…

Yuki's eyes shone with alertness and his heartbeat quickened even more with terror. Akito must think he and Haru are together, and that is something he most definitely would not like.

"I…" he began, but found his throat closing up, "I…don't know. I haven't seen him today."

Akito looked at him with lowered eyelids for a moment before walking past him towards the door. As he past though, he left with a simple sentence, "If I find you're lying to me Yuki, I will be most displeased."

A shiver ran down Yuki's spine, and it wasn't because of the cold. He stood there, trying to calm his breathing once Akito had walked inside the school. This was not good. He had to find Haru, or who knows what Akito had planned. Suddenly finding his muscles could move again, Yuki ran around the school to another entrance.

He had to get to Haru first.

-----

Tohru walked towards the lunch hall with Uo and Hana as usual, when Momiji suddenly walked out if his classroom door looking very lost and worried.

"Momiji?" Tohru asked, concerned at the lack of happiness surrounding the younger boy.

"Tohru?" he asked quietly after a short pause, "Have you seen one of the pictures of Yuki and Haru that's been hole punched on one side?"

"Ermm, no, I don't think so. They were all taken down weren't they?" she said.

"Yeah," Momiji said awkwardly, "Well, this one wasn't put up anywhere, it was in my folder. I was going to tease Haru with it in class, but I couldn't find it last night."

Tohru smiled before Uo kicked in, "Ah I shouldn't worry about it, just ask any girl around and you'll probably find they've still got a copy."

Momiji looked very awkward at this point before looking back up at Tohru, "Tohru, could I say something…somewhere else?"

He truly did look worried which made Tohru panic inside. She turned to her two friends, "You head for lunch, I'll catch up with you in a bit. Is that okay?"

"Sure thing, oh which reminds me, I've got something to ask you later."

"Okay."

As the two left, Momiji led Tohru down the corridor where it was quieter before turning to her. "Tohru, I think I lost it at the main house." She knew he was thinking of Akito, which made her panic even more, "It's the only place I could think of where it was cos I went to see Ha'ri last night with my homework and it's not in with it this morning. I've just called Ha'ri and he says there is nothing there, but Akito was going out today. Ha'ri said he hadn't been too ill lately so he let him go, but what if it's him who found it? What if he's coming here!?"

Normally a situation like this would cause her to panic like crazy, which it had been up the point she had suddenly thought of Yuki. The look on his face that last time Akito had come to the school, she didn't want to see that look again. What if Akito did come here? What if it had been him to find that photo? She didn't know what to do; she didn't know how to help!

Well, if Akito was coming here, she'd make sure she was with Yuki if he did. "Oh, don't worry Momiji." She tried to reassure, sounding all too unconvincing, "I'm sure it'll turn up, you probably just misplaced it in your room and didn't realise it or something."

Momiji looked as skeptical as she sounded.

-----

"Where's Haru?!" Yuki demanded as he raced into his classroom where they had been playing cards.

"I don't know," said one girl, "He only left a little while ago though."

-----

"Where's Yuki?" Tohru asked panicking, running back into her classroom.

The same girl who had answered before, who now sat watching as two other students continued to pick on Kane, one boy with kinder eyes trying to get them to stop, looked up at her, "Err, he's looking for Hatsuharu. He only left a little while ago though."

-----

"Have you seen Haru?" Yuki was beginning to loose his calm composure again, as he sped into Haru's classroom to find himself talking to an empty room. Perhaps he was in the lunch hall now?

-----

"Have you seen Yuki?" Tohru asked the empty chairs in Haru's classroom. Finding no answer, she walked out the room looking just as lost as Momiji did. Maybe he was in the boys locker room? If she just shouted inside to see if he answered, that would be okay. Making her way there, she spotted the door down the empty corridor.

And Akito walking through it.

-----

Most people by now had head off to the lunch hall so the boy's locker room was empty. It was the perfect place Haru found himself simply grinning as he put some books away in his locker. Yuki was so cute! And that Murasaki idiot wouldn't stand a chance, not with him around! Closing his locker, he walked down one end of the lockers and turned the corner towards the door to find,

Haru dropped the bag he was holding, "Akito," he whispered, before he stared with a venomous glare in his eye, his voice lowering, "What are you doing here?"

"I would have thought that was obvious." Akito said icily, taking another step towards Haru. But Haru stood his ground, glaring into Akito's dark eyes with clenched fists, "I know precisely what you are planning to do Hatsuharu." Akito said plainly, stopping a few feet away from him. His usually void of emotion face frowned in a light annoyance, "You are trying to take my Yuki away from me….I don't like that."

Every Sohma would know that look, and every Sohma at this point would know to stop whatever side of their argument was and back down, letting Akito have his way. But this was something Haru would not back down on; he knew the real reason Akito was confronting him and not Yuki.

"There is nothing you can do to stop me from being with Yuki." Haru said sternly, a voice no one would ever dare use against Akito.

Akito smiled sinisterly, "Isn't there? I don't think you'd want anything happening to your mother would you?" Haru's eyes widened in a slight fear, but it quickly disappeared, "You wouldn't want her ending up like your father did, would you?"

"You can't threaten me against my mother." Haru quickly answered, "She's not related to you by blood, she only carries the marital name." Haru eyes narrowed, "You can't do anything me, you can't do anything to non-blood Sohmas."

Akito's expression darkened and he clenched his teeth, for despite the power he held over the Zodiacs, it was true he could not do anything, `illegal', to ones outside. True he could manipulated the Zodiac Sohmas, like he had down with Hatori, but Haru would not take it. He forced a small dark smile to his lips,

"Hm, not that she would know why."

And on that, he turned to leave the room, but the rage inside Haru was starting to build. His whole life, the thought of turning Black against Akito was something unheard of…until `that' time. But still, Akito had done something to him that Haru would never forgive, and if he was trying to take Yuki away with threats to his own mother, then sure as hell turning Black again was starting to feel like a good idea.

So he did.

"You bastard. I couldn't give a SHIT what you say Akito!!"

Akito's eyes widened in shock and disgust at the lack of respect the younger Zodiac had shown, and he turned around to face him.

The look on Haru's face was one of absolute fury, "You can't do anything to convince me, and you will not have Yuki, not EVER!" He stormed up to the still calm Akito and grabbed his collar, piercing eyes showing hell within them, "You stay the hell away from him! I won't let you hurt him anymore, I won't let you get anywhere near him! I'll stay with him forever to keep him away from you! I swear to God if you try anything with Yuki, if you try to take him away from me…I'll KILL YOU!!"

Being as Black as he could get away with, Haru harshly let Akito go and stormed out the room, flinging the swinging door back so harshly it banged into the wall causing an echo down the hallway.

Akito stayed standing where he was, eyes closed, trying to calm the rage within him. Slowly he turned his head to the slightly still swinging door, his face once again void of emotion, and his eyes dull. He slowly raised his right hand to touch the crumpled cotton collar where Haru had grabbed him. For a moment, he clenched his teeth, his left hand clasped at his side. Turning towards the door, he walked outside, intent on heading back home before the corridors got crowded again.

As much as he was furious at Haru's behaviour, it wasn't that that bothered him.

It was the fact he was right.

To Be Continued…

{1} - To find out how to play Richman Poorman, go here: http://www.tokyopop.com/dbpage.php?propertycode=FRU&categorycode=BMG &page=article