Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ To Melt A Frozen Heart ❯ First Act ( Chapter 2 )

To Melt A Frozen Heart

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters. I wish though.

########## = at another place

`…'= thoughts

Some Japanese translation here…

Urusai----Shut up

That's all for now. Enjoy, minna-san!!

Chapter 2-First Act

One week passed by with no further violent run-ins with Akito, as had their first meeting. All that required Yume's attention was for her to make sure that all of Akito's needs are fulfilled and that there is nothing dangerous trying to attack him.

Akito was not a dream client, however.

He tried his best to be as difficult as possible regarding everything that concerns Yume. He made Yume run stupid errands, demanded for her to be quicker in her actions, and grabbed every available chance to insult her.

Yume gritted her teeth and tolerated everything he threw at her. Akito is not going to get a rise out of her ever again. She was determined to prevent any similar incidents like their first meeting from happening. However, that did not stop her from imagining herself bashing a certain patriarch's head when the going gets tough.

`Damn it,' she thought one day when she was busy running from one end of the Souma family property to the other end to fulfill another one of Akito's ridiculous requests. `I cannot fight him, as I have to protect him. I cannot even show any signs of my power…and Akito is acting like a pouting child…'

Yume sighed. She was reaching Akito's room soon. It was getting extremely tiring to do things like that.

She walked to his doorstep, knocked and entered.

"Akito-san, I have delivered your message to the Southern end."

Akito was sitting by the table, drinking tea. He too was getting frustrated with Yume. He baited her mercilessly, but she just refused to reply. It made him feel very stupid, and he did not like that.

"I want you to go and find Hatori now."

Yume perked up.

"Naze? Daijoubu ka, Akito-san?"

Akito did not like the questioning.

"I did not ask for your stupid questions. Just get Hatori here, NOW!!" He threw his cup at her.

Yume tilted her head a fraction to the left at the very last second. The delicate teacup flew past her and shattered into a million pieces.

"Iie."

"Nani?" Akito glared at Yume.

"Iie." Yume repeated the word. "I am sick and tired of your childish requests. If you are able to throw the cup at me, you do not need Hatori-san at all."

"Who said that I need treatment?!! I want to talk to him! Go and get him now!!"

"Iie, You want to talk to him, you can go and get him yourself."

Akito reared back with anger.

"You…"

Yume walked nonchalantly to where he is sitting.

"Come, let's go."

She reached out a hand to help him up. Akito slapped her hand away savagely.

"I do not need your help," he snarled. He stood up and stalked to the doorway, Yume followed behind him.

Hatori's residence is three blocks away from Akito's. However, because Akito rarely, if ever, leave his apartment, it was a great shock to some of the Souma clan members whom they passed on the way.

"Hey, isn't that Akito…"

"Never seen him venture out so far before…"

"Wonder what happened…"

Akito looked straight ahead and did not even bother to acknowledge people who greeted him.

He hated attention. Is it not bad enough that he had to carry their curse on his back? Why must he also be a circus freak for them to point at too? That is the reason why he hated to go outside.

Damn Yume for forcing him.

Akito was getting more and more furious by the second. In his mind, he heard jeers and taunts.

`What a pathetic excuse of a person Akito is…'

`Should have killed him the moment he was born…'

`Horrid, disgusting child…'

`Cursed…'

Akito shook his head slightly. All that was long over. Nobody said that to him anymore. Nobody. Ever since, he locked away the vulnerable part of himself, nobody dared to taunt him anymore.

Just then, a little boy, no doubt a Souma, crashed into him. Already severely vexed, Akito think nothing of using his hand to shove the kid roughly aside.

He watched with dispassionate eyes as the stunned boy flew to hit the ground with a painful thud.

`He deserved it,' he thought. `To get in my way like that. Stupid boy.'

The boy started crying. Akito did not care. He continued on his way.

"MATTE, AKITO!!"

Akito stiffened. He turned to see Yume glaring furiously at him.

Unbidden, a sliver of excitement tingled down his spine.

`So that's how to rile her up.'

With a smirk flirting with his lips, he walked over to Yume.

"Yes, Yume?"

The redhead was livid with rage.

"How could you do that, KISAMA!!" She yelled at him.

Akito blinked. Nobody had ever yelled at him before, let alone curse.

He flicked a glance around. Yume's yells had gathered a small crowd.

`All the better,' he thought. `Everyone can see me humiliate her.'

Yume went over to the whimpering child. She picked him up and checked him for any wounds. She saw a scraped knee and a few bruises on his arms and legs.

Yume saw red. She is very angry. How could Akito just do that with no remorse whatsoever?

"Hush, don't cry. Daijoubu, ne?"

The boy nodded and tried to burrow deeper into her arms. Yume knew what would happen if he got too close; so she held the boy at arm length.

"I will come back to you later, kay?"

Setting the child back on his feet, Yume stood up.

By now, the crowd was getting very large.

Yume did not recognize any faces, but she was mad at all of them. They had all just stood there and watched while Akito hit the child aside.

"How could you do that?" This time, the question came out as a soft whisper.

Akito shrugged.

"Easily."

Yume's green eyes flared. She turned to the avidly watching audience next.

"And how could you all just stand there and watch your one of your own being treated this way? What kind of family are you all?" Yume's questions were becoming softer and softer, and more and more menacing.

The crowd fidgeted uncomfortably.

Akito smirked.

"I am the patriarch. I can do what I want to do around here. This is my kingdom. It'd do you good to remember that."

What Yume said next shocked him.

"Hai, this is your kingdom, and if I am not mistaken, a kingdom that you have not helped to build at all." Her voice silky smooth, she continued. "what right do you have to brand the Souma clan as yours?"

Akito was speechless.

But Yume was not done yet.

She pointed to the little boy.

"I bet that this child had contributed more to the family than you have, Akito-san. What have you contributed, other than your unpleasant manners and barbaric actions?"

The crowd began murmuring slightly, and Akito turned red.

What did this chit know of his suffering?

What did she know of his pain?

And now, she had managed to turn some of HIS family members against him.

Akito was furious.

However, before he could do anything, Hatori arrived.

The doctor dispersed the crowd and reached the duo standing in the center.

Grabbing Akito, he began leading him to his apartment. At the same time, he commanded Yume to follow too. The redhead surprised him when she shook her head.

"I need to see to the boy." She mouthed to the doctor. Hatori stared at the bruised kid standing a few feet away from the girl, and instantly, he had a vague idea of what had happened earlier.

"Come to my place when you are done." Hatori said curtly to Yume as he guided Akito to his apartment.

Yume nodded and waited till the pair had disappeared from sight before turning her attention to the boy.

"Daijoubu ka?"

The redhead knelt down to the boy's level and began using some tissue papers to dab at the knee graze.

"There," Yume said at last. "The bleeding has stopped."

The little boy stared at Yume with awe.

"You went against Akito-sama." He breathed in wonder.

The girl repressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"I take it that none of you ever tried to do that to him?" She asked instead. The boy shook his head quickly.

"Iie, we are taught to respect him as he is doing something very selfless for the Souma clan."

`Selfless my ass. What would that bastard do that is selfless?' Yume thought.

"Okay then, you heard Hatori-san. I have to go and see him now. You take care of yourself and look where you are going from now on." The redhead smiled at the boy. "We don't want another run in with Akito, do we?"

The boy shook his head again, this time fearfully, and Yume gave a mental sigh.

Is it so hard for Akito to be nice? Everyone seems to be scared to death of him.

"Arrigato…" The boy looked shyly at her.

"Yume-chan." The redhead told the boy. She received a sweet smile for her efforts.

"Arrigato, Yume-chan!!"

Yume allowed her lips to quirk a little as she watched the boy scamper out of sight. She started for Hatori's place after that. It did not take her long to enter Hatori's practice.

"So she finally decides to grace us with her presence."

Yume ignore Akito completely and bowed to Hatori.

"Konnichiwa, Hatori-san."

The doctor acknowledged the greeting with a slight nod.

Silence reigned over the room.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Tell her!!" Akito said snappishly at Hatori.

Yume watched as the man's jaw tightened with annoyance and his eyes turned determined with resolve.

`So the doctor has a backbone after all…'

"Akito," Hatori said at last. He turned to his patriarch. "What you want told to Yume, please tell her yourself. Do not drag me into this. I am not taking sides. She is your nurse, and I cannot be with you all the time."

Akito flushed, a surprised look on his face.

Yume smirked. So she was right; the purpose of Akito coming to Hatori's place was to complain about her.

"Hatori." The man managed to hiss out. "How dare you disobey my orders!!"

The doctor stared at Akito and inclined his head. "Sumimasen, Akito, but I am just telling you that I cannot help you this time. This matter is beyond my handling capabilities. I cannot resolve it. I believe that the only people who can are you and Yume."

If possible, the man turned even ruddier. At last, conceding defeat, he stood up from his seat and huffed out of the room.

"Sometimes I wonder if he is really sick or is he just faking it." Yume murmured wryly. "Thanks for helping, by the way."

The redhead was about to walk out when Hatori said, "As I said before, I am not taking sides. Do not thank me."

Yume nodded, and the door slid shut.

##########

Another week passed by peacefully after that fateful incident. Akito had taken to ignoring Yume now, and the redhead was perfectly fine with this new arrangement; she did not really like the arrogant fellow anyway.

However, guilt just had to interfere. Yume was beginning to pity Akito. The man spent all his days cooped up in his dark stifling room. Occasionally, he would step out of the musty room to the corridor to play with his birds. And that was the furthest that he went. Yume wondered what the hell was wrong with Akito, and why did he not desire to get out of this oppressive room.

Thus, she had an idea, and one day, she presented it to Akito.

The man gave no reaction whatsoever to Yume's suggestion and for a moment, the redhead wondered if he had heard her.

Akito sat up from his futon and faced the redhead. He was wearing his yukata, but as usual he was disheveled and unkempt.

"I believe that the medicine which Hatori had given me had made me hallucinate. I could have sworn that you just asked me to go for a walk in the park."

Yume nodded.

"Yes, you did hallucinate. I did not ask you to go for a walk in the park. I am TELLING you that we are going for a walk in the park."

Chocolate eyes narrowed in anger.

"No."

Yume pretended that she did not hear. He is not the only want who can be childish at times.

"Let's go." She said. The redhead was poised over the threshold of the doorway.

Akito glared at the insolent chit. She was acting as though she could not care less about his opinions. He felt like pulling his hair out and screaming like a demented child just to get a rise out of her, but somehow, instinct told him that she would not be fazed by that.

"Did you hear me?" Akito settled for asking imperiously. "I said that I am not going."

"I heard you loud and clear, but nevertheless, we are going no matter what you say."

Yume turned inwards to stare at him then, and Akito was stunned by what the darkness of the room did to her eyes. The deep emerald orbs glowed with intensity and life. The pair engaged in a staring match, and Akito felt himself being pulled by the bright green hue.

Upon realizing what was happening, the man broke the eye-contact almost immediately. Yume was startled by what had happened too.

`What the heck had happened? Had he been another, I could have sworn that he just hypnotized me but this is Akito, he has no powers whatsoever…'

Disconcerted, the girl turned back to face outside.

"We are going now." Yume heard the rustle of movements behind her, and Akito breezed past her.

"You win. For now."

Yume smirked and followed behind Akito.

##########

"What is the purpose of this?" Akito demanded. "Why must we come here?"

"Must everything that you do have a reason?" Yume countered lightly.

Akito was taken aback by the mischievous look that Yume had on her face. He had never seen her like that before. Yume had always been somber and sarcastic, but never cheerful around him. However, he had to admit that cheerfulness looks good on her. Her emerald eyes lightened and twinkled; they laughed. It annoyed Akito slightly that she had never bothered to show that part of her to him before. Until now.

They were in the park, seating on one of the innumerous benches scattered around the place.

Yume caught Akito's scowl.

`What's wrong with him now?' she wondered, resigned. `I can't tell him that part of the reason that I want him to go out is because of my sympathy of him. Akito would never tolerate pity. And he gets suspicious so easily, it is hard to keep things secret around him.'

Unconsciously, Yume let out a tiny sigh.

"If you really want to know, Akito, we are waiting for Shisho."

"Shisho?" Akito's brow drew together. "Who the hell is he?"

Now it is Yume's turn to look incredulous.

"You mean you don't know who Shisho is?"

Akito was starting to look annoyed.

"Is there any reason that I should?" He snapped. "And if I do know this Shisho person, I wouldn't be asking you, would I? Baka onna…"

Yume shook her head in disbelief.

"Shisho Souma, he is your clan member, and you don't recognize him? Some patriarch you are…" she muttered.

Akito flared up then.

"Do you know how many Soumas are there? Thousands!!" The man exaggerated. "How the hell am I supposed to know each and every one of them?!!"

"Well, you can start by getting out of that hell hole of yours!!" Yume retorted. "You do nothing every day except to seat inside the goddamn depressing room and stare at the walls. What kind of life is that?"

The man glared at Yume.

"What are you trying to imply?" Akito's voice was soft and silky now.

`Uh-oh,' Thought the redhead. `Guessed I really pissed off Akito now.'

"Are you implying that I do not have a life at all?"

Yume forced herself to shut up. She knew that her answers would severely displease the patriarch, not that he is not severely displeased already.

"Hmm?" Akito inched nearer until their faces were mere inches apart.

Yume was desperate for a diversion. Any diversion. Someone above must have heard her desperate pleas as at that moment…

"YUME-CHAN!!"

Akito started slightly and jerked back. Yume looked around, and saw Shisho running towards them.

Akito's eyes narrowed.

"Is that…"

Yume nodded, answering Akito's silent question and stood up. She walked to Shisho.

"How's school, squirt?" She ruffled the boy's hair affectionately and Shisho struggled to evade her attempts, laughing all the while.

"Iie, Yume-chan!!" The boy whined and Yume laughed.

Shisho noticed the figure sitting behind Yume then.

"Ne, Yume nee-chan, who is that behind you, huh? Huh?" the boy peeked at the person, and instantaneously, he paled.

"Ak…Akito-sama." The boy murmured fretfully, eyes lowered to the ground in respect.

Eyes still narrowed, Akito stared at the boy. One moment, he was laughing and playing with Yume so energetically, and the next, upon seeing him, the boy had become fearful and quiet. Akito do not know whether to be proud that he could command such fear in the boy's heart or to be annoyed that Yume had apparently won over another of his family member. He turned his attention to the redhead next and saw her annoyed expression. He raised a snide eyebrow and Yume glared, giving him a you-better-behave-or-else look.

"Shisho, that is your name right?"

The boy looked up, surprised.

"H…Hai, Akito-sama."

Akito rose from his seat. Yume was right; the clean air in the park was refreshing, not that he was ever going to admit it to her. He approached the boy. Shisho saw Akito's movement and with a barely repressed squeak of fear, he started to back up. Akito scowled. Cowardice is not one of the Souma's family traits. Shisho's pusillanimous retreat was already excuse enough for Akito to hit the child.

"Shisho."

The girl's firm, gentle voice broke through the boy's fears and almost immediately, he realized what he was doing. Giving Yume an ashamed look, Shisho stopped moving backwards and stepped up front to face Akito bravely.

Akito was surprised to say the least; it was obvious that the kid was still scared to death of him, but he was standing his ground, albeit a little shakily, and that had won Akito's grudging approval.

Shisho stared at Akito. The patriarch's face was unreadable. Suddenly, Akito lifted a hand, and the boy flinched slightly.

"I am not going to hit you."

Shisho watched warily as Akito laid a slender hand on his shoulder.

"You are brave, boy."

Shisho looked up, stunned. Did the patriarch just praise him?

"Hai," The boy said firmly. Unbidden, a childish grin lit up his entire features. "Arrigato, Akito-sama."

Akito was stunned by the boy's unexpected smile. Truth to be told, it was the first time that his words had brought happiness to anyone. Most of the time, they had produced distress from countless individuals instead. He dropped his hand from the boy's shoulder.

`Is that all? Is it so easy to make a person happy?'

There was an awkward silence as Shisho did not know what to say next. Yume decided to interrupt then.

Pushing some loose change into the boy's hand, she pushed him gently in the direction of the ice-cream stand.

"Go and buy some ice-cream for yourself. It is Akito's treat for being so mean to you the time he knocked into you."

"Honto ni?" Shisho turned to look at Akito for approval, and the man gave an almost imperceptible nod. Pleasure evident in Shisho's eyes, the boy murmured a thank you before running off, leaving the adults alone.

Yume sauntered back to the bench and sat back down.

"There," she said amusedly. "It isn't that hard to be kind. I think that you just got your first supporter."

Akito turned and looked down imperiously at Yume. All that time with Shisho, he had forgotten that she was there as well. It made him feel a little foolish, knowing that Yume had witnessed his extremely random, if not only, act of kindness.

"What do you mean? The entire Souma clan is my supporter."

Yume sighed.

"Quit pretending that you don't understand what I mean. From what I observed, there is no such thing as a stupid Souma. You know what I mean." Direct emerald eyes looked into his. "Yes, your entire family supports you, but only because of the fact that you are their patriarch. They are obligated to respect and follow you. However," Her eyes searched his briefly. "I am willing to bet that Shisho will be the first one to respect and follow you for who you really are, not what."

Akito broke eye contact with Yume. Her words were too close to their target. He looked away distantly. If he was given a choice, he would not want anyone following him. After all, is this patriarchy not the reason why he is suffering so now? The head of the family always has to bear the heaviest burden, and he was no exception.

`Because of this duty, I will have to die.' He thought bitterly.

"Akito?" Yume asked. Akito was scowling again, and his eyes were filled with anger. "Daijoubu ka?" She placed a concerned hand on his arm.

Akito pulled his hand away savagely and turned away from Yume.

"Don't touch me."

Yume retracted her hand.

"You don't know what it is like to be a Souma patriarch and the suffering that is attached to it, so URUSAI!!"

There was silence except for the soft breeze that rustled the leaves on the trees.

"You are right, Akito." Yume said at last. "I don't know anything about it, but you do. After all, you were born for this position, weren't you?"

Silence.

"After fighting this duty for your entire life," Akito felt a cool hand touching his cheek. Eyes filled with all the turbulence that he is currently feeling, he turned to look at Yume.

"Don't you think that it is time for you to accept it?"

Sorry for such a long wait, minna-san!! I hope that this chapter is satisfying enough!! ^^