Little Tiger

It's all Ayame's fault

Shigure walked me back to the estate. It wasn't nearly as romantic as I'd thought it would be. That's right, no matter how hard I pretended to have my guard up, I knew---as did Shigure---that I liked him, and that I was expecting our nighttime stroll back to the horrid estate to be romantic. 

"What's the hold up, little tiger?" Shigure asked. 

I had been standing at the entrance of the estate longer than I was supposed to. I could feel the air around the estate; around Akito. She was having a bad night: 

Sick? Possibly. Angry? Yes.

Shigure sensed it as well, which is why he was not forcibly pulling me inside, like he tended to do everywhere else we went. It had not been long enough since the "tea incident" for me to recover and comfortably pass Akito's bedroom on the way to my own while she was in this state. 

Shigure ran a hand through his hair, pushing the silvery bangs from his forehead. 

"Oh dear, what is it this time?" he said, laughing awkwardly. 

I took a step into the estate, afraid that if I had prolonged it any further, I would have to tell Shigure about the burn mark on my leg. 

"It doesn't matter; she'll be fine," I assured him, shrugging. "Are you going to drive or walk back?" 

Shigure smirked and shook his head slowly. "Neither. I thought I'd just spend the night here." 

I felt my heart lurch out of my chest with excitement. The loneliness was starting to creep in at my end of the hall now that everyone had left, but I wouldn't feel that way tonight! 

"Really? Why?" My excitement did not show. 

Shigure looked to the side of me at the main estate which was glowing in the distance. "Well, it's too late to go home now, Tori is having a nervous breakdown of some sort, and Ayame is busy doing...whatever it is that he does." He laughed shortly. "College isn't nearly as exciting as it was last year." 

I grinned and started walking again. He followed closely behind me. "Are you going to say something to Akito?" I asked hesitantly. 

"Yes, of course," he replied immediately, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Are you?" 

I coughed quietly, hoping to delay my answer. "Nope." 

If he was bothered by this, he didn't show it. 

I snuck past Akito's bedroom and tiptoed into the kitchen to get something to eat. Meanwhile, Shigure stopped right in front of Akito's door and waited for an appropriate time to enter. He was so irritating. Anyone could tell he didn't actually like being the obedient little dog (no pun intended), he was only pretending to be it. Shigure used everyone he came into contact with for his little games and Akito was no exception. I wish everyone would just start admitting that already, but he's done such a phenomenal job at being the perfect man that no one can see past his facade. 

I reheated the plate that the staff had set out for me at the dinner early tonight---the one in which I, obviously, did not attend. It tasted wonderful, which was anticipated. I've always been glad that neither of my parents were good at cooking (if they were, I do not remember it), because it helps me appreciate others' more since I have nothing to compare it to. Shigure is very critical of food because he claims that his mom makes the best food. That's only because he has so many memories of her cooking that have attached themselves to his preferred pallet. Fuck, here I go again, talking about Shigure. He touches me a couple of times and I'm already smitten. I banged my head lightly against the table a couple of times to clear my head. 

"Koharu," Akari said pleasantly at the entryway of the kitchen. When I looked up at him, I saw that his eyebrows were furrowed. We aren't supposed to be in the kitchen unless it is for meals with Akito. I never saw the rules of the estate as laws, only suggestions. Fortunately, Akari let his facial expression do all of the reprimanding. "How did it go today?" he asked, folding his arms over his chest.