Spread My Wings (Fruits Basket)

Farewells

Hatori's POV

"Have you seen Fujikawa-chan?" Shigure approached me, wearing his usual amicable smile. "I haven't seen for at least an hour."

"She hasn't come back yet?" I frowned, resisting the urge to panic. "She went out for some fresh air a little while ago. Hasn't she gone back now?"

"What do you mean 'she went out for some fresh air?'" he growled, a dark look passing in front of his face. "Ha'ri, you promised you wouldn't let her out of your sight!"

"Rin-san said some hurtful things to her, and she seemed upset, so I gave her some space. Is that so wrong?" I raised an eyebrow at Shigure, causing him to shrink.

"Okay, okay, you have a point," he conceded wearily. "But if she isn't outside 'getting some fresh air,' where is she?"

"You aren't suggesting that…" I trailed off when he nodded, a fresh wave of horror swamping me.

I had grown complacent, convinced that Akito lifting up her tea cup and toasting her was proof that she had accepted Sukochi into the family, that she had accepted her presence. That she was willing to let us go.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"We have to go," I said abruptly, grabbing Shigure's arm and dragging him to the door. Before we could step out into the cool, crisp night, however, a blur of motion crashed into me, sending us staggering backwards.

"Yuki?" Shigure said incredulously, before narrowing his eyes, ushering him outside. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"It's Fujikawa-san!" he wheezed, a dazed look in his eyes. If possible, he looked even frailer than usual, his entire body wracked with shivers and smothered in soot. "She's...she's in there-"

"In where?" I demanded, kneeling down and looking him in the eye. "Yuki, you have to tell me."

Yuki's eyes brimmed with tears. "There was a fire, and we were inside, and a man came to save me and left her behind- you have to help her! She's still inside, and she'll die if she's in there any longer-"

Oblivious to everything but the pounding in my ears, I slung him over my shoulder, dashing out of the main courtyard and peering around. The night seemed so quiet, so peaceful. "Tell me where to go." Following his directions, Shigure hot in my heels, I inhaled what had been once clean air- only then did I get a whiff of the stench of smoke.

Of course, fire. Akito had always had a flair for the theatrical. She wouldn't destroy the world by flood, but with fire and brimstone, sending Fujikawa crashing down with it.

My pace quickened when I saw her crumpled body lying in the middle of the dewy lawn, trembling between the blades of grass. The building behind her was reduced to a column of ash and sooty wood, the atmosphere quiet, save for her shaking sobs and the dull lull of music from the party.

"Goddamn," Shigure murmured, barely audible.

Still numb, I crawled forward, threading my hand through hers. She turned to her side and stared at me with those wide, unblinking eyes. Like a deer caught in headlights, filled with so much pain and regret and a sort of broken agony that ran much deeper than the scrapes on her arms.

"Hatori," she breathed, squeezing my hand.

"I'm right here," I said softly, but she was already unconscious. Hands trembling, I pressed an achingly gentle kiss to her lips, desperately holding back tears. I turned back to Shigure. "Call an ambulance."

It was over.

I shoved aside the beaded curtain, not even bothering to kneel down. "It was you, wasn't it?"It was shocking, how calm and steely I sounded.