!!!!I don't know how long this story will become, but I feel like writing another long story, so the description might only half fit at the end of this, but basically this is the start of Machi and Yuki (I usually don't ship, but I couldn't stop myself from shipping them, their just too adorable) And I'm also gonna leave the main story line, so ... just keep reading, (updates might take different amounts of time, since I'm writing A Dazai suicide attempt paralell and have a lot to do for school)
Surprisingly, Machi accepted the story very well, she obviously had expected, something to be up with the Somas, maybe she hadn't expected something so overnatural.
''What do you mean God?'' She asked the two grown men. After Hatori had told her everything, he found no reason to keep his mouth shut anymore, he knew, that even Akito could only do so and so much, and as long as she doesn't interfere with his plans and he doesn't know about her knowledge, it would be fine. And if Shigures little theory, which had only been shared with him, was correct, in a couple of years, the issue would be gone anyway. At least the physical transformation and bond would be gone, none of the physical and mental damage, that will last forever
''Not litterally, more like a human reincarnation, the real god, who has called us together all those generations ago, is still up i n heaven, but he has split himself and a small part of him is being reborn over and over again, to keep his animals together and take good care of them.'' He told her.
Machi was confused, she couldn't understand, she didn't want to. The story of god and the zodiac, real, and not only that, the in school so called prince Yuki, was one of the most important members, besides god and maybe in one way or another the cat. Not that the cat was acceptet as such, but the cats existence was important, to complete the circle of life and death, love and hate. And besides that, the rat seemed to be hated from many as well.
''So Akito is god?'' She asked, hoping for herself to be wrong. Otherwise... she'd have no chance of.... saving Yuki.
Hatori nodded with a sad look. He knew what she was emplying.
''So there is no way to keep him safe from Akito.'' She said, and then remembered Hatoris and Shigures earlier conversation. ''And Akito wants him back.'' She said in a dead tone
''I'm afraid so, yes.'' Shigure answered this time, gently stroking Yukis hair. The boy still laid in his arms, sleeping, slowly developing the aftereffects of the sthma attack, the shock and the panic attack.
''So, if it's my place to ask, what exactly happened between him and Yuki. All I know, is that he kept him isolated and told him strange things.''
''To be honest, I don't know, if I should tell you this, but it seems important. When Yuki was a child, he was more or less sold to Akito by his parents, but for more detail, you'll have to ask Ayame, he and the others will come sooner or later, but for now I told him to take them out for food and give us space and time to handle Yuki. He was brpught to a room to meet his god, he was in that room for most of his life. At the beginning Akito was a nice girl, yes Akito is a girl, however only the older zodiacs and Yuki are awareof this, I'm telling you, because I think it'll explain, why Akito wants him back. So at the beginning she was nice, but one day, I don't know why, but you do right?'' He interrupted himself looking questioning at Shigure.
''Just a hunch, but it's the conecction with the racoon I told you of''
''Anyway, one day, he shut the room dark took black paint and started to draw lines and splashes on the wall, from what I've heard from the servants he would tell Yuki, that the rat is hated for tricking the cow, that the world is pitch black, that his own world is pitch black and therefore Yukis world must become pitch black too. At first Yuki was confused and didn't believe him, but when someone tells you the same things onver and over again, you start to believe them. One time, he managed to get out and tried to run away, he reached out to his mother, but she slapped him away.'' He looked at Shigure, who sighed and continued Hatoris speach.
''Ayame told me Yuki came running to him afterwards, reaching out for him, with a frail hand in desperate need of love, grabbing him by the arms and Ayame shook him off, like a parasite. Back then the Damage on Yuki had already sat deep inside him and Ayame hates himself for his actions. looking back he didn't look into his eyes for long, but the couple of seconds he looked into his little brothers eyes and saw the unfixable damage. He tells me that story over and over again, he didn't realize it at first, only later, but he seeply regretts treating his little brother like that. Ayame has tried for a long time now, to make Yuki forgive him. After that, Yuki never reached out to anyone ever again.'' Shigure had told his story and again it was Hatoris turn
''After that, Yukis asthma became bad and very dangerous, for a long time, he wasn't allowed to go outside, lay down or stand up, he could only sit there. And all Akito would say was, 'so you're gonna die my rat, see I told you the world is balck'. ONe night tough Yuki ran away, when he returned he collapsed into a servants arms and was brought to the hospitak, where he stayed for over four weeks. Once he returned, he didn't even get to walk through the house, he was immediantly brought back into the dark room. And the treatment, what Akito called it, continued. There was a time when he was in school, the soma secret was discovered and I was forced to delete the memories of the only friend he had ever had. Yuki resented me ever sice that.'' After that he fell silent and the dog started to talk.
''The only person who ever visited him, was Hatsuharu, he kept visiting, even when Yuki was so damageed he could psycologically no longer bring himself to talk. That's when Haru begged me to bring him away and take him here to my home, away from the main house, away from Akito. And so I did. But the mentioning of Akitp is enough to send him into panic, we're more or less forced to visit evry new year. Yuki almost collapsed the last two times, just from entering the street to the main house. He managed the banquett, but always fell sick afterwards. Many of the Zodiacs pity the cat, for being locked away when entering adulthood, but in this generation, Kyo had someone to care for him while growing up. Yuki didn't...''
Machi couldn't say anything. She didn't know what she was supposed to say, if it had been Yuki telling her this, she'd have told him, that she knew how it felt, to feel like there is no way out, as if all you can see is the torturous memories of your past and that she was gonna help him, but YUki wasn't listening right now.
''Machi, how did you figure him out so fast, why can you read, that he doesn't like touch and that he doesn't know how to socialize correctly and so on? '' Shigure asked, somewhere simply to change the subject. ''And I'm not talking about the whole what Haru told you, do you know someone, who has simular problems?''
''I know it. When there is nothing but that one thought, that one sentence, that one image stuck in your mind, no matter what others tell you, once it's there you can't focus on anything else, like a blocade, that's telling you if you stop looking st it you die, but if you keep focusing, you die as well. It's like your being suffocated, drowned and chocked. ... I have, experience'' She forced herself to say, she didn't want to since she didn't know those people, but htey had told her so much on such a personal level, now she had to give that trust back, even if she didn't want to.
They nodded, not daring to go into the subject further. ''Hey Machi, do you want tea, I'm gonna make some for us and Yuki, when he wakes up''
She nodded suddenly feeling very awkward.
Next to her Shigure comforted Yuki with storking him and holding him close and upright to ease his breathing. Yukis face was contorted in pain, dicomfort and fear. It hadn't been more than ten minutes, since he'd fallen asleep.
They had been here for about twenty five, which meant, that, if Ayame was taking them to get a drink or something, they shouldn't arrive for another hour or more.
''Here you go'' Hatori said, handing her a glass of water, another one he gave to Shigure, kept one himself and put the last one on the table. She took it with a slight nod.
Hatori then set his own glass down, and approached Shigure and Yuki. He knelt down, once he stood in front of them. Shigure was leaning against a wall, holding Yuki secure within his arms.
''Let me just check something.'' Hatori said and pushed Yukis damped bangs aside, putting a hand on his forehead. He frowned. ''Seems his fever rose higher, than I had originally expected'' He added, debating with himself once again, wether they should move him to his bed, or at least set up a matress down here and lie him down.
Shigure seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. ''I wouldn't, just let him be for now, we can deal with the fever later. Besides, the longer he's sick, him, you and me will be allowed to be absend from Akito, not that that would be a reason to get sick. But he's clinging onto me with all the strength he's got left, even if it would be ridiculessly easy to remove him, it would just put a dark shadow over me out of his perspective.''
''None of you truly enjoy Akitos presence do you?'' Machi asked, no longer able to controle her own anger and curiosity.