tampered | [log] [complete]

When; June 05, Evening
Rating; PG
Characters; Sohma Akito [

caging] & Sohma Hatori [

seahorse_dragon]
Summary; Are there limits to the bond?
Log;

His lips were parched and he was already beginning to feel the dizzying results of dehydration. Still, Akito steadfastly refused to drink anything. It had tasted wrong and he hated it. He wasn't going to drink any more of it for as long as he could help it. He would last, he was sure. It would be a while before he expired from such a small thing. He was in no hurry to have that unfamiliar taste burning into his tongue.

This new place was not bad. He was informed only three of his precious Zodiacs had made it here and certainly, they had none of the servants from the Main House, nevertheless with these in mind, Akito could find no reason yet to be too displeased. It was oddly peaceful and nobody knew of what he had done yet. There was no Ren, no Honda Tohru - horrible monsters and enchantresses that they were. It was a feeling that did not come easily to the Sohma Clan Head, but curiously, he was content.

It could have been because there was no other recourse and that the guilt was forcing him into a state of silence but who was to know? Akito was not going to talk about that.

The knife was in his hand again. It had somehow found its way there, inside his pale, slender fingers. He had not even realized he had carried it all the way to Hatori's place, but there it was. It was quiet now, though one had to wonder why that needed to be stated. Though it was Ren's initially, he fancied calling it Kureno's Knife. Fitting.

Maybe, he wondered idly as he held it the way he did moments before digging it deep into Kureno's back, it didn't really happen. Perhaps, the bond had not broken yet and the rabbit and the ship were still bonded to him. Suddenly, he had a question.

"I can do anything... can't I, Hatori?" he questioned softly while his eyes remained fixed on the knife's blade. It was clean and free of any sign of blood.

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Hatori's cold and seemingly emotionless gaze flicked over to look at Akito as he asked his question. He honestly couldn't say how he felt about Akito's being there. It was easier to just force himself not to have an opinion one way or another. Regardless of how he may or may not feel, Akito was there now and he needed Hatori's care and attention.

"Yes, Akito," Hatori replied evenly. "I see no reason why you couldn't. But I wish you would drink something. This isn't good for your health."

Akito didn't like the way Hatori's voice sounded but the doctor would more often than not speak like that to him in any case. He decided it didn't bother him so much.

"It tastes horrible," Akito said plainly with disgust. The hand that held the knife stilled. "Like poison." He added to punctuate his displeasure.

"If it made me feel better, I can do anything," he stated then. He had meant it as a question, but mid-way, changed his mind and ended it as a statement. Is it wrong to kill the Zodiacs?

The question was at the tip of his tongue, begging to be said. A part of him was ever hesitant though while another reasoned that of course, it was.

They lived for him.

They would die for him.

"I'm sorry," said Hatori, "Perhaps I can add something to some tea to make it taste better?"

There was no arguing with Akito, but there was always coaxing and pleading. Hatori eyed the knife in Akito's hand uneasily and wished he would stop playing with it like that. If Akito somehow hurt himself... Hatori decided not to think about that.

"Then you should drink something so you can feel better and do anything," Hatori said reasonably. "Wouldn't that make sense?"

That made Akito break into a sudden smile. He looked at his doctor, the dragon, and gave a small laugh. It was endearing, to see concern like that. Even if it was probably because of the strong bonds that bound them by their souls and blood. Wasn't that enough?

"Isn't that good that you care for me?" He leaned back. He had been sitting on the ground by the wall all this time. For a while, the knife in his hand was forgotten. "That woman says it's not real, but it is, isn't it? And you care for me."

If Hatori wanted to bring him tea then so be it. If he didn't like it, he would tell Hatori. His response was enough, wasn't it? The dragon knew him well.

"Yes," Hatori said simply in reply to all of the questions. Of course he cared for Akito. It was impossible for him not to care. Hatori offered a cup of tea he had been keeping at hand to Akito.

"Have you spoken with Kagura yet?"

The Sohma Head finally let go of the knife briefly, to accept the tea from Hatori. He left the knife on the floor, where it remained ever so close to him. He didn't need to say it, the knife was off-limits.

"No. Do I have to?" He answered nonchalantly. "Did something happen?" The second question was asked in a darker tone. Frankly, he didn't care much for the female Zodiacs. They were only a nuisance. If Hatori brought it up though, there must be a reason.

Hatori glanced at the knife on the floor briefly and considered whether or not he should tell Akito about Kagura's being kidnapped. He wasn't entirely sure how he would react to that, but the fact that there were so many possibly negative outcomes that could be triggered was reason enough to worry.

"She's just had a difficult stay here," Hatori said finally. "She's been here without family for quite some time. ...There are some rather dangerous people here that have made her life difficult."

There. If Akito asked for more information, he'd get it, but there was no reason to get him riled up without being asked.

Akito wasn't so concerned about the boar. In fact, the only reason he asked was because he was morbidly curious. "Dangerous people?" What kind of dangerous people would cause trouble to the Sohmas? The thought that there were Outsiders poking their disgusting little fingers into their business annoyed him a bit. "As for that Kagura. You know what to do if it gets too bad, don't you?" That was said in a dismissal tone, at best. It didn't sound like the boar was in a really bad shape, and really, Akito was feeling gracious enough now to allow her that luxury if she proved too weak to handle it.

He wouldn't be surprised if she did need that kind of treatment. Neither did he care.

Hatori said nothing in response to Akito's question. Yes, he knew what he was supposed to do. Memory-suppression. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Kagura seemed to be doing much better anyway.

"How's your tea?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

The subject was boring him. Akito let Hatori change the subject. He hadn't taken a sip from it yet, but now that Hatori had reminded him, he thought to finally try. And he did.

There was the taste of the tea, something he couldn't recall right now, but there was another taste. That taste, which quickly reminded him of the water he had tasted some while ago, seemed more obvious although the tea did a good job complimenting it. It wasn't bad, but after half a cup, he felt sick.

His head began to spin and throb. Headache. He pushed the cup back at Hatori. "It's horrible!" Akito declared angrily. "My head feels like it's going to split because of it!" He was probably exaggerating but he did feel like that. He curled himself to the floor, clutching at his head. "Make it stop, Hatori!"

Hatori started at Akito's sudden outburst and hurried over to him. It was then that he realized he didn't have any medicine for him in the apartment. Damn it. What could have caused... Oh, for the love of God, it was that stupid curse, putting caffeine in everything!

"I think we have some pain reliever in the medicine cabinet," Hatori said quickly. "I'll go get some."

But how long would Hatori take? Akito didn't want to wait or to be left alone. There were times when he preferred the silence and solitude, the depressing darkness of his quarters, and this was not one of those times. Clumsily, he reached out for the closest thing of Hatori's he could and held.

"Take me with you," he ordered though his voice shook and his eyes began to water.

Hatori frowned slightly. Moving around probably wouldn't help Akito's headache. But he ignored the voice in his head insisting that letting Akito get up would make him a bad doctor and tenderly reached down to help Akito up.

"All right," he said quietly. "We'll go slow."

He said nothing, satisfied enough by the doctor's submission. With one hand on his head, fingernails digging into scalp almost deep enough to draw blood, the Sohma God rose to his feet. He followed Hatori wordlessly, gritting his teeth, and thinking.

Yes, this was his bond. This bond had to last forever. Ren's words were nothing. He would make it last! If he had to, he would re-forge those bonds and keep them to him for eternity. They were his. They lived for him, it was only right for them to die for him.

He could repeat these facts in his mind over and over.

And on the floor, at the spot he had been moments ago, Kureno's knife sat. Just as Akito had momentarily chosen to forget about Kureno, Momiji and Hiro , the knife was there to be picked up later.

It could not be forgotten.

[log] [complete]

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