Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ To Melt A Frozen Heart ❯ A Child's Faith ( Chapter 6 )

To Melt A Frozen Heart

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

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

`…'= thoughts

********** = dream sequence

^^^^^^^^^^ = recall

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

Chapter 6-A Child's Faith

"Will you have an affair with me?"

Yume stared at Akito in shock.

"What…did you say?"

Akito looked amused at the girl's surprise.

"I said," The man repeated clearly and precisely, with no semblance of embarrassment at all. It was as if he had done this kind of thing before. "Will you be my lover?"

"Anou…"Yume turned red, and she desperately searched her mind for an answer. Unexpectedly, her thoughts went to Ryo.

RECALL

"You can't Yu. It is not our time yet. You have to go back and do your things, all the things that you want to do. Fulfill your dreams. Fall in love. Whatever it is that you want."

RECALL

`Hai, aniki, I promised to live for you.' Emerald eyes filled with determination, Yume turned to Akito. `From now on, I shall live life to the fullest, so that when I meet you again, Ryo, I will be able to stay with you forever. You won't have any excuses to make me leave you again.'

"Are you willing?" Akito probed gently then, breaking Yume of her thoughts.

In answer, the redhead snaked her arms around his waist and shyly hid her face against his chest. "I agree." Green eyes peered up at him. "I will be your lover until my duty here with you is done."

##########

Shisho was in school, and it was already nearing noon. Soon, it would be time for release. Shisho could not wait; he knew that Akito would be waiting in the park for him, and if he was lucky, maybe Yume-neechan would be there too. Shisho decided that he would stop by the pasture behind the school later, where there is a whole field full of wildflowers. Yume-neechan always smiled when she saw the flowers, and it made Shisho very proud of himself.

Almost as if on cue, the bell rang, and with great speed, the boy tossed all his belongings into his bag and raced out of the school to the field behind it. The pasture was always blooming with wildflowers all year round, and now was no different. A wide variety of flora of all colors, shape and sizes presented themselves before Shisho. The air was thick with flowery perfume, and the boy inhaled deeply before going about his task of picking flowers.

"Oi, Shisho, heard that you are now always around the great Akito-sama." The last few words were enunciated sarcastically. Shisho stiffened. "Is that true?"

The young boy glared at his older and bigger cousins but gave no reply.

"So it is true then. Shisho Souma is thick as thieves with our patriarch. Don't go too near Akito, gaki, or you will become just like him; nothing but a sour and bitter bastard."

The older boy was petting his head like a puppy as he said that. In anger, Shisho shoved the boy's hand away.

"Don't touch me."

The boys gaped at Shisho but recovered just as quickly.

"Now that you have our patriarch's backing, you think that you are some big shot, is it?"

The younger boy kept quiet; he knew that he was in a very delicate situation; one wrong word and he might have to go home in crutches.

"What? No response?"

The older boy's face turned ugly. Deliberately, Shisho found himself crowded into a secluded corner of the school. Desperately, he looked for a way out, for a person who could help, but there was no one. Another one of the boys shoved him roughly against a wall, and Shisho hit the barrier painfully. The frightened boy was about to burst into tears when he remembered Akito-sama's words.

RECALL

"You are brave, boy."

RECALL

At that memory, the boy felt more courage than before. `Akito-sama would be disappointed if he sees me cowering like that. I will not let him down.'

Thus said, the boy stood up taller, and bearing an emotionless face, he let them beat him up without making a single peep.

##########

Yume shivered. The weather was getting rapidly cold.

"Can we go back already?"

There was no reply from the Akito, and the redhead turned to look at him. "Akito?"

The man was currently scanning the park for something; what thing, Yume did not know.

The girl turned to touch the Souma patriarch then; her cold hand upon his startled him from his search.

"Nandato?" Akito was irritated at being disturbed.

Yume's teeth chattered and she gritted them in annoyance. "I said…can we leave here already? It is getting…d…dark…aa…and cold."

It was then that Akito saw Yume's shivering and cowering form. He scowled, angry at himself for his own lack of attention. Akito stood up suddenly.

"Let's go."

##########

Shisho sprawled onto the floor with a sickening crunch. The boy winced inwardly. His body was already too numb to register anymore of the pain that was being inflicted on him. Body and face covered with cuts and bruises, the young boy was too weak to even run for his life, let alone fight a handful of older boys.

"What are you, mute? Damn you, you think that you are so strong and fearless, huh?" The older Souma children were still not done with him. One of the boys spat near his prone body. "Tell you what, gaki, if you make some noise, then we will let you off. If not…"

They grinned maliciously to each other.

RECALL

"You are brave, boy."

"You are brave…"

RECALL

Shisho refused to give up. He refused to let the boys get the upper hand of him. He kept ominously silent.

"Make some noise won't you?!!" They ganged up and kicked him hard in the ribs. Repeatedly.

`Onegai. Onegai, yamero. Somebody…Somebody please help me. Akito-sama? Yume-nee-chan? Anybody? Boku wa…I can't take it any longer…' But the school was long empty and the boys had dragged him into a deserted back alley. Meanwhile, the attacks got more and more vicious. It would only be a matter of time before he lost his control.

It was then that Shisho realized something.

Nobody was going to come and rescue him.

`Shisho no baka ne,' the boy thought grimly. `Even at this time, you are still here waiting to get help. What kind of bravery is that? This is nothing but cowardice. Find your own way out of this mess.'

Just then, it happened.

His ribs could not withstand the abuse anymore; and they cracked.

The little boy had never felt this kind agony before. They traveled from his upper torso all the way down to the tip of his toes and back again. Harshly, he bit back a scream. His lips bled furiously as a result of his willpower.

`Shisho…Shisho…you do not have to do this to be brave. Just surviving is an act of courage too.' His body cried out in desperation. And against his will, he let out a pained whimper.

"That's better, gaki. Well, we are off on our way now; going to be late for dinner, you know? Thank you for the entertainment. We should do this again some other time." The group snickered and the leader of the group of bullies bent down and patted his head like an obedient puppy. "Ja na."

Shisho was too weak too even protest. He just stared mutinously straight ahead until the group was out of side.

"This…is not…over…yet." The boy gasped out painfully, before his entire world turned black.

##########

"Could you please repeat that again?" Akito wiped his mouth daintily with a piece of handkerchief. He was having dinner, and Yume was beside him, serving.

The unfortunate messenger trembled. Akito's voice was too calm, too polite, and it bespoke of bad things to come.

"Anou…there is this boy that had not returned home since this afternoon, and…and his name is Shisho Souma, Akito-sama."

Yume nearly dropped the cutlery that she was currently holding. In panic, she was about to open her mouth to interrogate the messenger further when Akito merely laid his hand on top of her suddenly clammy one.

He was indirectly telling her to calm down, and in a split second, panic-stricken eyes turned into an emotionless emerald. Akito gave a slight nod of approval.

Never show your emotions to those whom does not concern you.

"Tell me what happened," The Souma patriarch commanded, delicately picking through his meal once again.

The poor messenger gulped. Hard. He was starting to feel as if he was in a lion's den. His eyes darted nervously about the room, as if trying to find any possible escape route.

Yume peered at Akito and saw his chocolate eyes molten with sardonic amusement. The redhead shook her head. A leopard would never change its spots, no matter what. The redhead gave a mental shrug. Not that she minded very much; after all, that was what had attracted her to him in the first place. Akito's imperfectness had made him so much more human, unlike that untouchable, godly aura that he normally puts on as befitting the status of a Souma patriarch.

She would never change that part of him no matter what.

But for now…

…it was just not the time for the lion to play with its food. Yume pinched Akito on the underside of his wrist. It was one of those small-but-hurt-like-hell kind of pinch, and Akito reacted. He jumped slightly and scowled furiously at the redhead.

Yume scowled back just as fiercely.

So much for not showing any emotions.

However, the messenger had not seen Akito's very un-Akito-like action, and thus the patriarch decided to ignore Yume's impertinence.

"Anou, the boy was supposed to come home straight after school but his parents had not heard head or tail of him ever since this morning, when he first set out for said school. They are very worried that something might have befallen their son and begs Akito-sama to send out some people to help search for the little boy."

Akito languidly took a sip from his cup.

"What makes them think that I will be willing to help?"

Yume nearly dropped the cutlery again.

What the hell was Akito trying to do now?

The messenger was so surprised by the patriarch's words that his mouth hung open.

"You are not planning to at least send some Soumas out?"

Akito carefully placed his tea cup gently back onto the table.

"As I said before, why should I?"

The man sputtered.

"You are their patriarch; you are supposed to look after their welfare!!"

Brown eyes narrowed, and Yume knew that Akito had reached his tolerance limit. There was a very thin line between amusement and annoyance, and the messenger had just overstepped his bounds; he seemed to know it too; for he turned pale and clamped his mouth shut.

"You think that I am not looking after their welfare?" Even though Akito was a few meters away; the man still winced as the wave of the patriarch's fury washed through him. "I am looking after them in a way that would require my ultimate sacrifice; and is that still not enough?"

Akito got up from his seat and stalked to the man; and Yume was struck by how utterly predatory he looked then. It was the first time that the redhead was seeing Akito in action as an observer, and it was morbidly fascinating, to say the least.

Yume had to say something; if there is one thing that Akito is good at; it would have to be psychology. The girl had never seen anyone who is so good at manipulation then Akito.

"Iie…Akito-sama. I did not mean to question your answers. Gomen nasai. Honto ne gomen nasai!! I will inform the parents of your decision." The man bowed deeply and repeatedly before fleeing out of the room.

Akito rolled his eyes mentally. He did not even get a chance to rip into the man properly. How disappointing. The people around him were always like that. Spineless and gutless; willing to stand up against him, only to cave at the smallest reaction from him and flee in the other direction. Boring. The last person who had stood up to him throughout was…

Akito remembered Yume's presence then. Turning, he saw her still in a kneeling position by the dinning table. Truth to be told, the patriarch had totally forgotten about the redhead until now. He allowed his fierce eyes to turn languorous as he slowly made his way back to the girl's side.

Yume was a very charming sight today. Dressed in an emerald green formal Japanese kimono, she graced his table like an elegant swan. Her fiery hair was done up in an adorable little knot; with tendrils caressing her cheeks and the rest of her hair waterfalling down her back like crimson blood. Her tiny waist was further emphasized by the narrow cut of the kimono and she looked utterly exquisite and feminine-like. A lady.

Make that a lady whom is just about to grow fangs and claws and turn into a miniature-sized Amazon.

Akito looked with suspended amusement as Yume's emerald eyes darkened with irritation.

"You are not going to help to look for Shisho?"

Akito shrugged.

"Should I be doing that?"

For a few seconds, Yume was at a lost for words.

"But, but Shisho-"

"But Shisho what?" Akito cut in brutally, his eyes dark with fury and hidden pain. Why can't they all understand that he is just another human being, one with a shorter lifespan then others; not some almighty, omni-potent god that could do anything?

"It was the boy's own fault for being stupid enough to get lost or even kidnapped!! It was his own fault that he wasn't careful enough!! It was his own fault that fate doesn't want to help him. It was all his fault…"

The last two sentences were uttered softly, and Yume stared at Akito with wide eyes. She did not know that…was that what they had told him when he was young? That everything was his fault?

Yume's eyes softened; but it was with sadness, not sympathy; sadness for all the emotional trauma that Akito had to endure as a child.

Akito's eyes narrowed even further. How dare she show him her pity?!! He, the esteemed patriarch of the Souma family, does not need pity! He did not need anything! How dare she!

"Akito…" Yume reached out her hand towards the man, but made no move to approach him. She knew that Akito would most probably flinch away if she approached him.

"Go away."

"Nani? Akito? I am not pitying you; please listen; I am just concerned-"

"I said, go away." The words were softly enunciated but were filled with inner venom. The redhead reared back at the intensity of those loathing words.

"Demo…"

"GO AWAY!!" Akito flung out his hand and with one sweep, he cleared the food laden table. Precious porcelain and food crashed and splattered onto the floor. "I don't need your pity or concern. I DON'T NEED YOU!"

Yume paled, and she went a few steps backwards. Almost immediately, the frozen, inner calm within her took over; and emerald eyes turned emotionless. Akito was too busy with his own rage to realize the deadened quality that was Yume's eyes.

"Hai, Akito."

The redhead gave a deep bow as fitting to her formal attire and turned around to exit the room. Akito watched her with hazed eyes as she slid open the door and stepped through it.

But before Yume was about to slide the door shut again, she said something; and Akito stiffened.

"It was never your fault, Akito; and I will prove it to you that it wasn't Shisho's too."

##########

Yume shivered hard. Mentally, she cursed herself for not putting on any outer clothes before rushing out of the Souma property. Now she was paying for her folly. The redhead looked around. The night sky was a hostile black, and overhead, the wind howled. It was going to rain, and it would be a heavy storm .Yume could all but smell the sweet, crisp air that always accompanies the birth of a thunderstorm.

It was just like Akito's scent.

Almost immediately, the petite girl tried to force her thoughts to somewhere else, albeit unsuccessfully.

I don't need you.

Even though her mind had told her again and again that Akito was saying all these just to assuage his pain; it had still hurt.

I don't need you.

Four simple words, but they could cause so much devastation.

The girl winced unwillingly.

`Yume, you big baka. Why are you letting Akito get to you like that? You are acting…almost as if he is important to you.' The girl started then. Emerald eyes wide with disbelief, she shook her head. `Iie, uso yo, urusai!! He is not important to me; never has been and never will be. Just because we will be physically involved doesn't mean that I will have to care about what he thinks about me. What we are having is just an affair; an affair of lust, not love. Don't get involved; don't get involved no matter what.'

Why?

`Because you will be moving on after this mission is completed. Everything that you have now, everything that you have gained here would have to be dropped. You came here with nothing, and thus you will leave here with nothing. This is the life of an assassin. Hold on to nothing, and nothing will hold you back. This is the rule. You will do well to remember this, Yu.' The rational part of her mind commanded.

"Hold on to nothing…and nothing will hold you back. It is so true." Sad green eyes sharpened with fierce resolve. "If that is the case, then I will protect myself no matter what, because in the end, the only one whom I can depend on is myself. But for now, I will enjoy life to the fullest. I will sit back, and enjoy this affair, and when it is all over, I will walk away with no regrets."

But now was not the time for this kind of thoughts. Shisho was still somewhere out there, most probably lost and cold and alone, and Yume was determined to find him no matter what.

Thus convinced, the girl concentrated on her surroundings again only to realize that she was in Shisho's school. The wind howled eerily again, and the tree branches shook savagely. There was no one at all, and Yume felt as if she was only person alive on this earth. All in all, the deserted school looked hugely like a haunted building, standing there menacingly in the dark background.

Yume shivered, and scowled at her own weakness. Wryly, she looked down at her own attire, and admitted once again that it had been totally foolish for her to just run around in a thin silk kimono in the middle of the night, and expecting a storm too, of all the things to do. This night would definitely be filed under her `The Top Ten Most Stupid Things That I Have Done' for a long, long, time, right below `Agreeing to become Akito's lover'.

"SHISHO!! DOKO YO?!!"

Yume called out periodically as she started walking around the school. The redhead had just started combing the area for a mere half an hour when rain poured down viciously. It rained buckets, and the impact of the rapid, pelting rain stung Yume's skin repeatedly. The girl was unfazed, however. She continued her search, though she had long stopped calling the boy's name, as the rain had all but drowned out her cries.

Another one hour passed, and still no Shisho. The rain was still unrelenting, as if mocking all her efforts at looking for the boy.

Yume despaired of ever finding Shisho tonight, but thoughts of Shisho all alone outside in this horrible weather, cold and hungry, egged her on. By now, the redhead was totally drenched, and the thin kimono proved useless in protecting her against the harsh weather. It stuck to her like a second skin; and cold seeped into her quickly, making her shiver even more.

She was about to make one more round around the school compound when she saw the alley. Something beckoned her to go there; and Yume had never her doubted instincts. Cautiously, the girl entered the darkened backstreet. The further she ventured in, the darker it became. At last, it came to the point that Yume could hardly see anything anymore. It was then when the girl was about to give up and turn back that her feet nudged into something.

Yume frowned. That had felt like a…

Like a body.

Realization occurred in wide emerald eyes and the girl crouched down rapidly, blindly searching for what her feet had into contact it. It did not take long for her to find it, and with difficulty, Yume half carried, half dragged the deadened weight out of the alley, into the light. In the rather dim storm, Yume could barely make out an out thrown hand and a pale, bruised face.

It was Shisho.

GOMEN NASAI!! Lol. I'm BACK!! And obviously not dead yet, after all these weeks of not updating. Gomen ne, minna-san. Honto ne, gomen nasai. I know that I did say in my profile that this fic is currently under hiatus, but you know inspiration, they strike when you least expects it!! So here you go, the long awaited chapter 6!! Please forgive me for any spelling, tenses and grammatical mistakes that are in this chapter. Gomen and arrigatou!!

Now to answer some questions. I have read the reviews for last chapter, and I thank each and everyone of you who had reviewed; you have given me a lot of insight as to how this fic is progressing. Thanks to all of you!! Your reviews made me feel so happy!! ^^

Ok, back to what I wanted to clarify. Some reviews indicated that Akito-chan was a little OOC, suddenly acting all caring and sweet towards Yume. I would like to say that Akito is NOT in love with Yume YET. He is in lust, as you can see. For the present, he is interested in Yume because of her beauty and her bravery to stand up against him. Not many had done that, and by doing so, she had earned his admiration. All in all, Yume had fascinated him like no one had before, and as a result, he seems to care about her more and is more willing to overlook her disrespectful behaviour towards him as a form of indulgence. Hopes that this explains all that I have written for the moment. However, I am not using this reason to excuse the OOCness. I will try my best to keep Akito from being OOC though.

Until next time, please be patient and support me!! Ja!!