Akito (A Fruits Basket Fanfiction)

But He's Sweet When He's Sick

Hiro Sohma, the sheep of the zodiac, looked up at me with big hazel eyes as I stared back at him in shock.

"How can you be in love?" I asked incredulously. "You're 12!"

"I'm in love with Kisa" he told me. "We're getting married!"

"But you can't get married. You're 12" I said, to remind him that he was the only insane one here.

"We can! I love Kisa with all my heart and I know she loves me too! We're getting married!"

I saw the shine in his face and resented it. That look, that same look that I'd seen in Hatori's eyes when he had Kana, that look I searched Shigure's expression for and never found.

"I won't allow it" I told him. "Don't ever speak to Kisa again!"

"I can't-" protested Hiro, tears welling in his eyes.

"I'll kill her!" I promised.. He knew I could. He'd seen me hurt people before; seen me stab Kureno so that he screamed in pain, he'd seen me the scars Rin still had from when I pushed her off the tower, he knew exactly what I was capable of.

"I can't! Kisa-" he sobbed. "Don't kill her!"

"I'll know if you speak to her!" I threatened. "I'll come and find her and hurt her before your very eyes!"

Hiro was overwhelmed with emotion, crying and screaming as he imagined his precious girlfriend, the blood spurting from her stomach as it had from Kureno's. "I won't, I swear!"

"Good" I smiled and left him standing there, contemplating what was going to happen to him.

"Why are you so blue, Hiro?" I asked, approaching him across the room.

"It's Kisa" he said miserably. "I think she's getting bullied at Middle School!"

"What makes you say that?" I said, feigning sympathy. I didn't feel sorry for the brat at all, at least his absence had an impression on the girl he loved. I wondered what Shigure would do if I suddenly stopped talking to him. Probably nothing.

"She hasn't spoken for a whole month" he confessed. "Her Mum thinks she's lost her voice but I can tell there's something else bothering her! Can I please speak to her?" he choked.

I pursed my lips. "I'll speak to her if you want. Tell her her Mum banned you from seeing her anymore."

"Would you?" he asked gratefully. "I'm sure she'd be happier if she only knew why I stopped talking to her!"

"Of course" I smirked. "It's my pleasure.

I never did speak to Kisa.

"You're awake?" yelped Shigure, hastily grabbing his bag. "Well, I'd better go, Yuki's sick!"

He left and I sighed. It was an unspoken rule that we didn't communicate in the mornings. We left as soon as we woke up to avoid having to face each other, having to face what we were doing and where we were going next. We didn't have a future to discuss or a relationship to establish, we were just two people who let their instincts get the better of them each night and regretted everything by morning. It was a twisted situation.

That evening, as per usual, I lost the will to stay in bed any longer and stumbled blindly across the hall to Shigure's room. I knocked on the door lightly and was greeted by a weak "Come in!"

I entered the bedroom and stared in horror at the sight. Shigure was slumped against the foot of his bed, surrounded by used tissues and coughing. His face was flushed and his hair was limp. Tentatively, I took a step foreword.

"Kito?" he muttered. "Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me" I said, my voice coming out in a breathy whisper. "What's happened to you?"

He attempted a chuckle. "I'm sick. I've got a cold. I'm afraid we're not going to be able to... do anything tonight"

"Are you alright?" I asked in surprise. Shigure didn't get sick very easily, in fact he hadn't been this ill since we were kids. "Do you want me to get Hatori?"

He shook his head. "Hatori doesn't know I'm here" he explained. "I'll be fine, you can go back to bed"

I felt something new pull unpleasantly at the pit of my stomach. I was... worried about him. For the first time in my life, I was genuinely concerned about someone other than myself.

"I can't just leave you here!" I told him. "Can you even get into bed?"

"I'll be fine!" he repeated. "I can just... sleep here"

He looked adorable, I realised. His face was so flushed and childlike and he was so weak and needy, it was actually quite cute.

"You can't sleep there" I said. "Here, let me help you"

Shock registered across his pink face when he saw that I was serious. I gently took his hand, pulling him to his feet, then allowed him to lean on me as I walked towards the bed. Once he was in bed, I pulled the covers over his chest.

"Thank you" he said, his voice caring, though stuffy from his cold.

I lay my hand on his forehead, feeling for a temperature. He was burning up. "Oh Shigure" I sighed. "How did this happen?"

"Must've caught it off Yuki" he mumbled. His face was drenched in sweat so I found a flannel and softly wiped it off.

"Why are you doing this for me?" he asked, dragging his eyes up to meet mine.

"I couldn't let you get sick" I told him, trying to keep the pain out of my voice.

"You don't care if I get sick" he croaked. I could feel something that felt like a heartbeat in my chest, except it couldn't be a heartbeat because it was racing faster than my heart ever had.

"Do you want anything?" I asked, to avoid answering him. "Food, water?"

"I want to know why you're acting like this" he said wearily. "Not that it's not nice, just that it's not like you"

"Maybe I want my fuckbuddy back sooner?" I suggested. "There's not much you can do with a fever"

"Is that all we are?" groaned Shigure gently. "Fuckbuddies?"

"What else are we?" I asked him. This conversation was going into dangerous waters but a part of me wanted to see what he'd say.

Shigure sighed, his beautiful green eyes fluttering closed. "I don't know Kito. I really don't know."

"Are you cold?" I asked, noticing for the first time the way his body was shivering slightly.

"Yes but stop changing the subject" he muttered.

"Go to sleep Shigure" I said in a hushed voice.

He shook his head like a four year old. "Come here. I want a cuddle"

Flustered, I put my arms loosely around his neck. Shigure patted the space beside him on the bed and I climbed in uncertainly. He snuggled up to me, gently laying his head on my shoulder and I placed a kiss on his cheek. Soon his breathing slowed down and he began to snore quietly. I'd leave in a couple of hours, he could pretend it was all a dream when he woke up if he wanted to. But for now, it was enough to feel his body against mine as we held each other, falling asleep like a regular couple.

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