Heal Me (Akito Sohma Love Story)

Trust Me

You dragged the pen absent-mindedly across your jeans, liking the soothing friction it created. You listened in to the conversation in the room adjacent to you; Hatori was giving a checkup to a Sohma you'd never met before. You scribbled harder as you thought.

Your memories. There were holes in them, gaps you couldn't explain. Ever since you arrived here they seemed to be coming back in pieces you couldn't fit together. Hatori had mentioned something that lingered in your mind that first day you met. "It's far easier to erase simple information than experienced memories.". You'd read in the file that children born under the sign of the dragon had been blessed-or cursed- with the power to erase memories: events, people, feelings.

More and more it was seeming that you were the victim of such power, but whenever you looked to Hatori, any blind courage you'd built up to ask the question evaporated. You sighed and looked down to the pen, the only thing grounding you, and gasped when you saw that the cap had been off the entire time and you'd made a complete mess of your jeans. "Damn it." You whispered, just as Hatori walked in. You resisted the urge to face-palm in front of your boss and just mumbled a weak "Sorry.."

Hatori nodded, dismissing the patient. He walked around the desk to rest atop it directly in front of you, looking curiously down at your pants. You crossed your opposite leg over it in an unsuccessful attempt to hide your mistake. He started the laughter and you joined in, making a show of putting the lid back on the evil pen. He extended his large hand and you gave it to him, watching him smoothly place the pen in the pocket of his doctor's coat. There was a comfortable silence before he said "Something on your mind?"

You shrugged, again losing the question you were desparate to have resolved. "Nope, that's the problem I guess." You winked dumbly and he chuckled again before going back to his plush swivel chair and looking over some chart.
"Shouldn't you be at Akito's by now?"

You fiddled with your fingers and looked down, unsure. You felt his eyes on you again so you nodded slowly. There was tension in the room again.

"Did something happen?"

Hatori's serious voice gave you chills and you couldn't hold back a smirk at his concern.
"No, I'm alright.." You rose from your chair and sighed, trying to explain away the nerves you felt today-- To him and to yourself. "Just lazy I guess."

Hatori looked back down to his paperwork, and you assured him to leave it to you. You actually enjoyed it, so you made him promise to leave you a stack for when you got back. Whenever that would be.

O-Ren scurried out to you when you approached Akito's house a few minutes later. 
"Where have you been?" Her voice was frail and it made you scrunch your brows together in confusion.

"I've..? Been working, and then at home yesterday.. Did something happen?" You grew concerned and started to walk past her into the house. She raced in front of you and held up her hands to stop you.

"Now Miss, I don't think you understand what you're getting into." Her voice turned stern and you were too surprised at her bold statement to argue.
"Akito is the God, and we're merely mortals indebted to him. And you .. Well you're not a part of this at all. You don't have to be here."

Your jaw had dropped at her words and you struggled to figure out your own. "Out of all of you, I guarantee Akito is the one most concerned with mortality. I want to be here so I am."

O-Ren scoffed lightly.
"Oh that's all fine for you, but you don't get to just come and go as you please. Master Akito needs consistency! Respect."

"Akito needs a friend, and that is what I'm trying to be--"

"No, (Y/n)." You silenced. This was the first time she'd referred to you by your own name, rather than your family's.
"That's not what he needs.."

The old woman lowered her hands finally, deciding instead to smooth over her uniform.
"If you go in there again, you'll only be hurting him more when-..."
She cut herself off and you held your breath, waiting for her to continue. Her grey, stormy eyes darted indecisively between you and the wooden porch. "When you never come back."

Her words struck a pain in your heart and made your stomach turn. You could tell she cared a great deal about Akito, but this was not the proper way to handle it. Shutting him off from everyone just so that he doesn't possibly get hurt? That leaves no possibility for him to be healed by anyone! You sighed, determined, and said,

"Thank you for taking care of him, O-Ren.. But I don't plan on leaving. I AM a part of this."

Her eyes were soft now and you could see the tears brimming as she pulled her frustrated lips in tight. "You can't promise anything." You shook your head slowly, trying not to grow emotional yourself, and took one more small step towards her, extending your hand.

"No... I guess you'll just have to trust me."

She stared at your hand for a long while until a tear slipped out; she caught it on her cheek, wiping it away with the back of her hand before offering that same hand out to you. You shook and she smiled uneasily, stepping aside. Well shit. You knew you had an uneasy feeling about today. You knocked against the wood by Akito's bedroom door. Nothing.

You sighed and announced that you were entering. Akito was hanging halfway out of his window; the same one you'd first spotted him in. It reminded you of your sister, practically throwing herself in your car through your window that horrible day. He didn't flinch even when you cleared your throat.

"Why are you here?"

His voice sounded tired, drained. You smiled sadly and walked over to him.

"Are you going to ask me that every time we meet?"

"You didn't come.. For 3 days you didn't come."

You thought about what your absence meant to him, why he kept track, why he cared. You sighed and nodded, squeezing your body in next to his in the circle window. He turned his face and gave you a look of disgust, then withdrawing from the window and making his way over to sit by his porch.

"I was busy.. I did want to come, but..." You tried to think of a way to cut some of the tension in the room. "If I came every day, you'd grow so bored with me." You chuckled and stood at the window a moment longer, not bothering to look back at Akito; you knew now he was listening you. He listened whenever you spoke.

Finally you joked, "Come on, you couldn't have missed me that bad, huh?"

Akito slowly laid on his side against the hard floor. "No. I didn't miss you."

You knew he was lying. You had missed him.

"I'll come over every day I can. I missed you too.."

He scoffed and glanced back at you, and you saw for the first time the flush of his cheeks. He was still dressing himself, though true he didn't look any happier. You wanted desperately for him to be so. You sat down beside where he was laying and got the perfect idea, the thought even bringing a smile to your face.

".. What?" He said unsurely, looking up at you.

"Akito, have you ever built a blanket fort?"