Heal Me (Akito Sohma Love Story)

Mind Over Body

You gripped Hatori's shoulders tighter as the realization struck you. Pulling your head off of his chest to see him, you whispered a frightened, "Hari?", as if any sound louder than that would break him. Hatori opened his eyes and looked down at himself, just as shocked as you, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. You stepped back from the cloud, trembling and confused, and looked down to see a small lizard in Hatori's place.
What the actual--

You stumbled back with a squeak and blinked. You were crazy, that's it, your mind had finally snapped. No. You thought. The curse is getting weaker. You picked the lizard up by it's slender body resisted the urge to cuss.

"I think it's time you told me exactly what the curse is, Hatori. Cause it's getting even weirder."

You set him on the dining table and waited in front of him as the lizard stood, expressionless.

"All I have is the knowledge that's been passed down from the earliest generations... Old things like that get muddled, confused. I know that when we hug a member of the opposite sex, anyone outside of our immediate family, we transform into our respective zodiac animal. The transformation can also occur under a great deal of stress."

You narrowed your eyes in confusion.

"I know that it didn't start with Akito, but it revolves around him now. Our world is subject to his rule, but he's always been weak... " He said.

"How do you break the curse?"

"(Y/n) if that was known, the curse wouldn't exist. We'd all just be simple men and women, going through life like everyone else... The weight of this curse is not one that can be brushed off lightly."

You tried to crack a code you knew nothing about. There has to be something deeper than just a biological response.

"Maybe that's part of it.." You spoke as you pieced your messy thoughts together. "I mean think about it, you've known you were cursed since before you could even understand it. They told you what would happen if you opened your arms to an outsider. If you embraced someone other than God... Maybe that knowledge is keeping the curse active."

You nodded, convinced by your own words, as Hatori returned to manhood. He picked up the blanket you'd abandoned on the floor and covered himself as he listened.

"You said it yourself, things weaken over time, but maybe the weight you're all giving it is keeping it strong. Transforming is on your mind every time you get close to someone, isn't it?" You were glad to be able to look into his eyes again and see his soul. Though they looked confused and overwhelmed, his eyes also looked trusting. 

"Well what were you thinking when you hugged me?" You resolved, patting your hands down against your lap in frustration.

Hatori struggled over his words for a moment, looking you up and down.
"I--.. Nothing. I only thought of you and how I had to hold you."

You took his hand and offered a weak smile."You weren't thinking of the consequences. You were thinking of love..." You took a breath, squeezed his hand and continued on your rant.

"If the curse is made up of tension, anxiety, making you feel excluded... Maybe the way to break it is through acceptance, love.. What if hugs aren't just a part of the curse, they're the solution to it? Reaching out and holding someone without fear, having them hold you back.. That seems powerful enough to break any curse."

Hatori shook his head softly. He only transformed when he looked down at himself and expected to. A simple matter of mind over body.

"It all seems too easy, (Y/n). And I'm still a creature.."

"You are also a man, Hatori.. A wonderful man. And I do love you," you admit, gazing into his hazel eyes as you brushed his hair back. "Just not in the way you want me to."

Hatori's eyes brimmed with emotion and he lips pulled into a sad smile. "I know.."

"Won't you try again.. For me, Hatori. Hold me, and don't think of the curse. Just think of love."

Only a second after the words left your mouth, the handsome doctor pulled you into his arms. You relished in the fact that he didn't transform again. Beginning with an overjoyed giggle in his neck, you said, "The curse isn't gone, but you can control it.."

After Hatori got dressed the two of you raced around in the rain, knocking on the doors of the neighbors surrounding his office. You visited Hatsuharu first, told him you loved him, and explained what you had discovered. When he held you, you felt the way his muscles relaxed against you, and tightened when he realized he was still human.

Momiji was next, but the young boy couldn't bring himself to accept the curse was as delicate as that. Perhaps, you thought, he doesn't want to believe the curse will end. It's all he's ever known. When you hugged him and he transformed, you saw the tears in his eyes.

"I believe in you, (Y/n).. But you're not the one I need to accept me."

You looked at the picture frame by his bed. It was his mother. You hoped she could find a way to love him, so he could be free.

A scream erupted through the village; one you instantly recognized as Akito's. You gasped and looked to Hatori for guidance, who was already running out of Momiji's room.

"What's happening?!" You cried, chasing after him out into the growing storm.

Hatori's didn't bother to look back at you, just raced ahead towards Akito's home.

"We're going against God."