Heal Me (Akito Sohma Love Story)

Pain

Hatori threw open the main door and you followed him, gripping the back of his soaking shirt to not fall behind. Another cry of agony was released in the room right beside you, but instead of it encouraging your trek, you froze. You froze the way you did when you saw the burnt remains of your family home, smelled the strange charring of your parents skin, and knew then, as you knew now, that it was your fault.

You looked at the body on the floor, curled up tight and glistening with sweat everywhere you could see. Between the crouching legs of the nurses surrounding him, you saw Akito's desperate gaze lock on yours. Tears instantly burned your (e/c) eyes and you didn't bother trying to hold them back.

"It's her! It's her fault!! Keep her away from me!"

His harsh words finally put your body back in motion and you approached the dramatic scene. Hatori put an arm out to block you and when you tried to shove past him, he held you back, strong arms pinning yours down to your sides.

"Hatori!" You yelled.

"Get her out of here!" O-Ren called, eyes never leaving Akito and the wet rag she dabbed on his forehead. "Get the Valium, Hatori, can't you see him?!"

Neither Hatori or you budged an inch towards or away from the scene. Akito hid his face but you were able to make out his insane mumbles.

"They were right about you. You shouldn't be here! All you do is hurt me!"

Through your tears, you struggled out, "Akito you know that's not true! You're hurting right now!... You're in defense mode and you're not saying what you really want to!" You sniffled once and looked to Hatori, whose embrace had loosened. "What are you going to do, let Hatori, let this village come between us all over again?! A curse can't stop me."

Finally O-Ren looked back, most likely to tell you off, and her mouth dropped open in shock.

"H-Hatori, you're--! Human!"

Her eyes went from you to the poor boy on the floor and she stood up, motioning with her hand for the other maids to follow.

"Whatareyoudoing?" His voice came out in a stressed rush and his hands tightened around his face.

"Do you know how to help him?" O-Ren asked, voice weak and wet. You didn't. "Please help him."

Hatori released you and the chill of the room rushed to your wet clothes. You balled your hands into fists and looked at your patient, your love.

"U-um.. Valium might help, Hatori... The curse is torturing him physically as well as mentally... Um, everybody give him some space.." you struggled to keep your voice steady and wiped at the tears and snot on your face.

You were trying to think like a doctor, remember everything your father had told you. Keep your distance from the patient (emotional and physical), consider the symptoms you see, refer to the medicine. If you were thinking like your parents, you saw that Akito was having a severe anxiety attack. If you were thinking like you, you saw the regression, the fear, the pain of the curse crumbling tearing him apart from the inside out. You saw what he needed.

"Get away from me!"

Akito dragged his fingernails down his porcelain cheeks, leaving behind 6 long scratches. At this, you raced over and fell to your knees before him, the hardwood burning your skin as you knelt. You pried his hands away from his face and brought them up to yours. His hands were hot but you relished in the contact. His eyes snapped open and he cursed at you, squeezing your face so tight your cheekbones ached.

"Leave." He said through gritted teeth. 

You whimpered and stroked your own hand over his blood-stained cheek.

"I won't."

You watched his sneer turn to sadness and he pulled your face, and consequently your body, into him. You wrapped your arms around him and let the boy cry into your neck. "(Y/n), (Y/n), you won't leave! You can't! I'm so sorry!"

You rubbed his back and breathed in his sweat.

"No, I'm sorry. I messed with the curse, with you... I am the reason for your pain."

You held him like it was the last time. Akito stopped crying for a moment before whispering, "Shut up." You tightened your embrace. "What?" Your voice barely came out.

"Shut up." He pulled his face back. "You're good.." he struggled, and found your eyes. "There's pain when I'm with you... But it's a good pain, a necessary pain." He winced as you brushed his hair back. "I feel everything so intense with you. It's because I.. I lo--" you cut him off to kiss his cheeks. You knew he did, but now was not the time to say it.

Hatori ran back into the room, nearly slipping over his wet feet. He held a bottle in his hand and rushed it over to the pair of you. When you tried to sit up, Akito pulled you back down.

"Akito, c'mon. Trust me." You whispered.

He sat up with you, arms still wrapped around your torso. He winced at the change in pressure and you accepted the pills from Hatori quickly. Just a muscle relaxer, you tried to communicate with your eyes. Akito took the pills as he always did and stroked his hands down your back.

"You're cold." he mumbled.

"You're hot." You responded, feeling his forehead. He offered a weak smirk and your eyes narrowed. "Come on. Let's get you better."

The two of you walked to the bathroom and you helped Akito strip down to his boxers. It wasn't sexual, it didn't make you blush, it was taking care of a broken soul. You ran a cool bath and Akito eased into it. Soon the pills and your presence beside him brought his anxieties down. He breathed deeply as you combed his wet hair.

"The pain is still there.." he said. "It hurts to be so close to you. It hurts to be apart... It's like this.. fear, this weight that hangs on my heart and gets heavier every time you walk away.. Everytime I think about you with someone else, I feel like crying. Not breaking things, not hurting people, just crying-For you."

You stopped your ministrations in his hair and looked at his profile. His eyes were still shut. He was being so vulnerable with you.

"I like the pain I get when I'm around you. I don't know if it's you that hurts or the curse, but in the middle of all the chaos in me, there you are.

The hardest thing I've ever had to do.. is watch you walk away when I was in love with you."

He opened his eyes. "I'm not going to let that happen again."

Suddenly, he leaned over the edge of the tub and pulled you in by your torso. You squealed, "Akito!!"

"You were already wet!" He smirked as you adjusted yourself to straddle him in the cold bath water. You checked the temperature on his forehead with your lips and he closed his eyes in relief.

"Don't ever forget about me." He whispered, pulling you down to hug him in the water.

You smiled and pulled back to admire his face. "I never truly did."

**A/N: yikes sorry this update came later than expected. I be going through shit lmao.
Hope you enjoyed. I got one more melo-dramatic chapter after this one and then we start getting back into warm fuzzies. Thanks always for reading!