WHITE FLAG
A Fruits Basket Fanfic
Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
An Akito x Hanajima romance. Yes, romance. Be afraid. Very afraid. I believe
Nightmare Kitty can be blamed for this titanic brainstorm. =P No lemon in this
part. Told from Hanajima's POV.
PART ONE - A STRANGER FEELING
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"I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
I'll tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
Where's the sense in that?"
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"Her temperature's rising."
"Not good. Momiji, get a cold cloth. Hurry."
"HAI!"
"Kagura, can you--?"
"Already done. She's as comfortable as she's going to get, Hatori."
"Good."
"Have you ever seen this type of reaction before?"
I'm having a reaction? Is that...bad?
A sigh. "No."
Was that an answer to her question or...wait...did I say that out loud?
"Hanajima-san? Saki-chan, can you hear me?"
Yes, I can hear you Kagura-san.
"Hatori? She's not answering me."
I want to respond.
"Don't panic. Her vitals are still normal. Where's Momiji?"
I don't understand.
"Here! I'm here!"
Why can't I speak?
"Is the cloth damp? Good. Place it on her forehead."
I can't feel it.
"Is she...going to be all right?"
Why can't I feel?
"I'm going to give her an injection. We'll wait a few minutes until it kicks in."
Oh well. I suppose I'll simply go through my thoughts. Would you like to know what I'm thinking? I should warn you that it's pretty dark in here, but you may be surprised. A lot has happened in the last 18 months. And it's all rushing past so fast.
Perhaps, if I start at the beginning.
I was four months from high school graduation. My brother and I were out celebrating my obtaining a pass into a junior college. It's not that I didn't like school, but that I didn't foresee myself attending a superior four year college. Not like...say, Souma Yuki.
Still, my brother wanted to take me into town and buy me a milkshake. It's something we liked to indulge in once in a while. And it was his turn to buy. But as an added treat there was a mountain of whipped cream and dark chocolate sprinkles added to my drink. Perhaps not largely festive, but festive enough.
Megumi and I must've sat there for over an hour just talking and chatting. We didn't talk of much, simply our home lives, school happenings and the like. He asked me about Arisa and Tohru, and I asked about his "secret crush". It had been going on for some time. At least that day he had talked about her and their relationship like it was no big deal. It wasn't really. I don't like to pry into his life, but as an older sister there are some things I cannot avoid. And I can be nosy when I want to be.
My brother excused himself to use the restroom when the bell at the door caught my attention. I was surprised to see a young man, dressed entirely in black, enter the cafe. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, being a public cafe and all, but not too many young adults come in here, let alone the...what's the appropriate term...Goth kids.
Casually he walked up to the register and placed his order. I took a moment to sip my drink and take in the rest of his features. His face and hair looked familiar, but it seemed impossible for this young man was of a slightly stronger build, with a longer torso.
I watched as he paid for his drink, collected it and turned to walk toward a booth. His eyes were dark and mysterious and I realized I was staring at him when he paused, staring back. Before I looked away I noted that he had bought the same type of drink as me: a chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Interesting.
I could feel blood rush to my cheeks but I didn't know how badly I was blushing. It was probably a rather...pretty...pink that tinged my cheeks. I don't blush often. To distract myself I took another long draw on my straw, drinking my shake. My eyes were focused on the table in front of me. How long had it been since Megumi left for the restroom?
"Konnichiwa."
"Konnichiwa," I answered politely, keeping my gaze on the table. I usually didn't talk to strangers, but for some reason, it felt...okay...to talk to this man. I waited for him to sit next to me or in my brother's seat. Instead, he seated himself in a chair next to mine at the next table over. "Are you here alone?"
"Iie. My brother has stepped away for but a moment." When he nodded, offering no further comment, I said, "You are here alone."
"Ah, so I am." After a long pause he continued, "The weather outside is rather warm for this time of year."
I nodded, leaning back in my seat. "Yes, it is." I took a sip of my drink. "But I would prefer it be a little warmer."
"You like summer then?"
"Autumn actually."
"I prefer winter."
I raised an eyebrow in interest. "Because of the snow?"
"Because everything dies."
The seriousness in his voice made me pause. For the first time since he sat down I turned to look at him. The expression on his face was just as serious, even as he sipped at his drink, swirling the straw and watching the whipped cream melt into the shake. Most people would've thought that that was a horrible thing to say. Perhaps it was. But I found it...interesting.
"Very poetic," I complimented, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
The smile that formed on his face was...sad. "I suppose it is." He sighed, raising his eyes to look at mine. "Just as we are born, we die."
"And yet we live." I was surprised by my own reply. It just seemed a natural response.
His smile became sadder. "Indeed."
"Are you a writer?"
"Iie. I'm not what you would consider the...artistic type."
"Are you a student then?"
"I'm a businessman."
"Interesting." The word flowed from my mouth before I could halt it.
It was his turn to be curious. "Why do you say that?"
I shrugged, suddenly blushing. "You don't dress like a traditional businessman." It was true. My father was a businessman and I'd never seen him in black leather pants and a black button-down shirt...with black boots to...well, boot.
"I am afforded certain luxuries most businessmen are not."
"Do you run your own business?"
"Family business," he replied with the rather guarded smile, but a genuine one nonetheless. "Are you a student?"
"Hai."
"What is it you study?"
I felt myself blush yet again. This was becoming a nasty habit. "I'm still in high school. Although I have been accepted to a well-respected college."
"What will you study then?"
"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "Probably business. Or perhaps cooking."
He chuckled. For a moment, I thought he was choking on his drink. "Cooking? You wish to be a chef?"
"A baker," I said seriously. "I prefer sweets."
"But then you'll have to wear white."
"Perhaps."
He paused, sipping his drink. "But you'd look better in black, I think."
I looked down at my black dress. It was nothing special, but one of my favorites. I offered the stranger a small smile. "Arigato."
"Saki-chan? Are you ready to go?"
It was the first time I noticed Megumi had returned from the restroom. How long had he been sitting there? A few seconds? Minutes? It mattered little since we were talking of everything and nothing at all. I turned my smile to my brother and nodded.
"We have to stop at the market before heading home."
Megumi nodded, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair he had used. "Hai."
It looked like our conversation was over. As soon as my attention had been drawn away, it seemed that the stranger had gone deep into thought. I felt a bit forgotten, but perhaps I wasn't. With an inward sigh, I stood from the table to leave as Megumi began to walk away.
"May I...have the pleasure of your name?"
I paused to finish my drink, smiling inwardly. "You may call me Saki."
"Ah."
I waited until Megumi was out of earshot. "And what shall I call you?"
He chuckled, sipping his drink. When he was finished, he sat back with a sigh. "Akito."
"Very well, Akito." The name sounded strange on my tongue, but it had a nice ring to it. I turned, following my brother out of the cafe. "Perhaps we shall meet again."
"Perhaps," he replied, but it was barely audible as I opened the
door to go outside. A gust of wind drowned out anything else he may have said.
Then the door closed silently behind me.
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"I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were."
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I'm not sure why, but the next day and every day after that for two weeks I managed to walk by that cafe. I think I was hoping to see Akito again. Perhaps talk with him. He certainly piqued my curiosity. I wondered what we would talk about.
"I think Hanajima has a crush," my friend Arisa said during a lunch period.
"Hana-chan has a crush?" Tohru looked shocked. Happily shocked. She smiled at me and grasped my hands. "Is that true?"
"No."
Arisa looked skeptical. "You've been acting strange lately."
"Have I?"
"Has she?"
Arisa shook her head. "All right. Say what you want, but I'll find out." She shrugged. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with having a crush."
"Hai," Tohru answered quickly. "Uo-chan has a crush."
"I do NOT!"
"But you told me the other day--?"
"I. Do. Not."
"Do you have a crush Tohru-kun?"
The girl thought seriously for a moment, then blushed. When she didn't say anything, I looked at Arisa. She smiled back at me.
"Who is he, Tohru? Someone in our class? A certain Prince?"
"N-n-n-no. That's not him...I mean...no." Her blush deepened.
I blocked the rest of the conversation out, deep in my own thoughts. I thought about the unfinished homework for my next class. The test I would have two periods from then. And, of course, I thought about him.
When the final bell rang on that twelfth day, I made my way home with my brother. We didn't speak, but walked in amiable silence. Dinner with the family that night was delicious. My mother is a wonderful cook. It was while she was doing dishes that she asked me to go to the store and buy some milk. She needed it to make some sort of casserole for work. I more than happily went.
It meant I had to pass the cafe.
It meant I might see him again.
This behavior is so unlike me. Why, you'd think that I was...I was...a member of the Prince Yuki fanclub? The thought alone made me shiver in the cool night air. I should've been disgusted with myself, but for some reason, I couldn't.
When I passed by on my way to the store, I didn't see anyone of interest sitting inside. I sighed, trudging - yes, I believe that is what I did - to the store for the milk. Isn't that what one does when they're depressed? Was I depressed? I paid the clerk at the register, nodded my thank you and went on my way.
Then on my way back...I saw him.
He was sitting at the same table as before. Was he drinking the same thing, I wondered. It appeared he had a newspaper in hand. Well, he does run a family business. I suppose it's to be expected.
And best of all, he was alone.
If I had to define giddy, I'm afraid I couldn't do so very well. My nerves were running. And I don't run...much. I almost felt more nervous. At least, I think it was nervousness. Perhaps I was mistaken. I very rarely experience the feeling, but in this case, I think I felt very giddy indeed.
Casually I walked up to the counter and ordered my usual chocolate milkshake. No whipped cream or sprinkles. And because it was late and I had a little extra money, I also bought a brownie.
As I turned from the counter, my eyes immediately locked with his. Magnetism? Perhaps. He cracked the briefest of smiles before nodding to me. I smiled in return and headed over to his table. I sat down across from him.
"Is this seat taken," I asked.
He looked at me over the top edge of his newspaper. The look in his eyes was so intense. I could feel myself being pulled in. Drowning. It made me shiver visually and I leaned over to take a sip of my milkshake.
"The seat is always open," he replied. "I had a strange feeling we'd meet again."
That's odd. So did I.
But I never realized I was falling in love with him. Not until later.
Odd.
~TO BE CONTINUED~