A Mother\'s Love

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters, Only the one I have created and I am not making any money off of this story.

Upstairs in Akito’s room

Hatori was reading the thermometer. The temperature was lower then it had been earlier, "Well at least your fever has gone down." Seeing the broken table against the wall, "At least you didn’t throw it at Mai."

"She made me angry."

"She cares about you."

"Yeah right."

"I am serious Akito, she worries about you and is only thinking about your health."

Hatori got up and left. Akito just was there thinking. Almost everyone in the family hated or feared him. Mai had been the only one to stand up to him and no matter how hard he had tried at first he hadn’t been able to frighten her. She was acted like a mother to many of the children that were cursed including Akito, though Akito had never treated or respected her like a mother. Mai however had always treated him like a son no matter how angry or violent he had gotten. He laid down and fell asleep.

Hatori walked outside and found Mai sitting under a tree facing Akito’s window. Walking up to her, "His fever has come down."

"That is good. I am worried about him Hatori."

"I know that you are."

"I just wish he would open up and tell me how his is feeling or what is on his mind."

"Don’t worry he will come around. He broke the table again."

"I figured that, that was what he threw against the wall. He has a lot more to worry about then the rest of the Sohma’s. The curse that he carries will kill him. I can only imagine how angry and frustrated that must make him. Especially to know that he had no say in it."

"None of us had a say in whether or not we were cursed."

"True, but Akito was chosen to carry the full weight of the curse."

Hatori just sighed he knew that she was right. Mai didn’t say anything else. She just sat there looking up at Akito’s window. She prayed that he would come around and talk to her, "There is no cure is there?"

Hatori left her alone and went back into the house. She must have dozed off because when she woke up it was getting dark out. Mai got up and stretched. She looked up at Akito’s window and saw him looking down at her. She didn’t say anything to him; she just walked into the house and ran into Momiji.

"Oh there you are."

"Were you looking for me?"

"Yes, I am hungry."

"You are always hungry," replied Haru.

"Why do you need me to cook you dinner. There are others in this house that can cook."

"He doesn’t like my cooking," yelled Hatori from the hallway.

"All right I will cook you dinner."

Mai walked into the kitchen and began cooking dinner. When she was done she brought the food out into the eating area. When Hatori walked into the room he saw five plates, "Who else is eating with us?" he asked curiously.

"Akito will be joining us tonight."

Shocked, "He said that he would?"

"No but remember he has broken his table and I am not having him eat his food on the floor."

"Good luck," muttered Haru as he sat down at the table.

Mai just smiled as she walked out into the hallway and up the stairs. When she got to the top she knocked on the door.

"Akito I am coming in."

There was no response so Mai slid the door open and went inside. Akito was sitting against the wall.

"Are you hungry?"

No response, she knew that he was alive because she could see the rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

"Well if you want something to eat you are going to have to come down stairs to eat. I am not feeding you up here on the floor."

There was still response from him. Turning back toward the door, "Fine starve then."

"Wouldn’t that make you happy?"

"No it wouldn’t, but if that is how you want to be, then go ahead and starve."

He watched her leave his room and just sat there for a few minutes. Then he slowly got up and dressed in his usual black skintight pants and top. Then he walked down the stairs and into the dinning room.

Mai smiled when she saw him walk into the room. Both Haru and Momiji were just sitting there staring at him with there mouths open. Hatori just continued eating. He didn’t dare say anything that might piss Akito off.

"You better stop staring at me." Akito said as he sat down at one end of the table opposite of Hatori and closest to Mai. She didn’t say anything to him, but she handed him an empty plate so that he could get what he wanted to eat.

Everyone ate in silence. None of them dared to say a word incase the pissed off Akito. When Akito was done eating, he got up, and went back up to his room.

"He sure ate a lot." Said Hatori.

"That is good, it means that his appetite back."

"Yes that is good."

"What is so good about it?" muttered Haru.

Looking at Haru, "You could be nice to him. After all he carries more on his shoulders then the rest of us do." Said Mai.

"Yeah well after what he did you Yuki I don’t want to be nice to him."

Both Hatori and Momiji stayed silent, neither one of them wanted to get involved in this argument. Momiji and Haru left the room. Hatori just sat there and watched Mai go into the kitchen. Then he got up and took the dirty dishes into the kitchen. He helped her do the dishes, then left and went to his own house. Mai thought about going to see if Akito was ok, but decided against it, instead she went to her room and went to bed.