"Miji! Miji!" A young girl wearing a light red and gold kimono shouts from where she is playing on one of the porches. She runs towards the blonde and hugs his waist, nuzzling her face against his side. She stands there, humming contentedly until she opens her eyes and looks up at Tohru. She narrows her eyes and pouts for a few seconds before she points at Tohru and squeals, "Who's that?" Tohru gasps and looks around frantically, waiting for Momiji to transform, and then when he doesn't she looks back at the two she looks very puzzled when she suddenly gasps.
"Oh my goodness," she gasps surging forward to get a closer look at the girl, who is now hiding her face in Momiji's side, " are you another member of the zodiac? Oh, you're so cute!" Momiji laughs heartily and pats the girls head.
"Well, Hotaru this is Tohru Honda. And Tohru, this is Hotaru Sohma, the horse." Momiji smiles once more and lifts Hotaru into his arms, leading Tohru to Hatori's house. When they arrive at Hatori's house Momiji knocks on the door.
"Hari, I brought Tohru. And I found Hotaru for you." Momiji says cheerfully when Hatori opens the door.
Upon hearing Hatori's nickname, Hotaru lets go of Momiji and runs to Hatori shouting, "Papa!"
Hatori lifts the young girl up and bounces her slightly before speaking, "Hotaru, how many times have I told you not to go outside without a coat, I swear you're as bad as your brother." When Hatori finishes scolding his child he gestures for Momiji and Tohru to come inside the house. "Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable while I get Hotaru's medication," Hatori says as he goes further into the house after leading the other two into his office.
"Oh, is Hotaru sick?" Tohru asks Momiji after Hatori leaves.
Momiji nods and answers, "Yes, she was born with a very weak heart and so she has to take medication to make it stronger." Tohru nods and looks out the porch at the yard.
A few minutes later Hatori returns with Hotaru in tow along with a young boy around the same age, the most striking thing about the boy was his stark white hair and gold eyes, practically the polar opposite of Hotaru's dark brown hair and olive green eyes.
"But papa! I don't want to listen to Ho play the stupid koto!" The boy whines, blowing his long bangs out of his face.
Hatori sighs and places his hand on his son's head and says, "Kohaku, it's only one song. And afterwards you two can play in the gardens." Kohaku nods excitedly and drags his sister down the hallway. Hatori smiles fondly and sits in his desk chair turning to face Tohru, "You really like living with the Sohmas don't you." Hatori says forlornly when he finally addresses Tohru.
Tohru splutters, "Oh, uh, yes, yes I really do."
Hatori sighs and looks out once more and replies, "All the more reason for you to leave and return to your family. There are many dark things you do not wish to know about our family." Tohru was at a loss for words and was helpless when Momiji drags her out to show her the gardens. Momiji finally stops and sits at the rock gardens alongside Tohru.
They sit quietly for a moment before Momiji finally speaks, "Did you know that Hari can barely see out of his left eye?" He tells Tohru the story of Kana and how Hatori's eye was hurt. Hatori stands behind the screen door and reminisces on his past romance with Kana and while he is still sad that he lost her, he has found new love and has the twins. He is content with his life now, he has two wonderful children and a partner that loves him.
He is jolted out of his thoughts when he hears Tohru crying, "I was so scared about coming here today and was just trying to help me and be kind." She stutters out. Soon after her outburst, Momiji leaves to get the two something warm to drink. Hatori is about to leave to check on the twins when said children rush past him seemingly playing tag, he can barely stop Hotaru when suddenly he hears a pop and white smoke filters in from outside. Hatori's eyes widen and he rushes outside to get to his transformed son, once outside he is greeted by the sight of Tohru sprawled against the porch with a rooster; Kohaku; sitting on her head. Hatori sighs and lifts the rooster chick off of Tohru's head after picking up his son's clothes.
"Now, Kohaku. What have I told you about playing tag when we have guests over?" He asks his son intently.
"Not to run, because we could transform," Kohaku replies bowing his head at the reprimand. There is a short silence and another poof of smoke and Hatori is quickly redressing his son. Kohaku shivered from the cold and buried himself in his father's coat. Hatori sighs and brings Kohaku further into his warmth. Hotaru sees this, and not wanting to be left out, cuddles into her father's other side. Tohru laughs at the ridiculousness of the situation and suggests she get them all something warm to drink, she pauses at the familiarity of the statement. Just as she thinks this Shigure walks into the garden with Momiji in tow. Momiji passes out the drinks he had gotten and laughed at the little snotty sneeze the cold draws out of Kohaku.
Hatori chuckles and pulls a tissue out of his coat pocket and positioned it over his son's nose and says in a fond voice, "Blow." And Kohaku blows, coughing a little at the lack of airflow. Hatori closes the tissue and wipes the six-year-old's nose.
"Thank you, papa." Kohaku murmurs quietly rubbing his irritated nose with his sleeve in frustration. Hatori chuckles and pets Kohaku's hair fondly.
Shigure chuckles quietly at the domestic action and turns to Tohru, "So, Tohru," he says slowly, "have you figured out Hatori's zodiac yet?"
Hatori stiffens and glares at Shigure, "Shigure, say one more word and the entire publishing industry will know every embarrassing thing you have done since you were four." Shigure laughs and puts his hands up as a sign of peace.
"It isn't that hard to figure out Hari," Momiji chimes in playfully before he is reprimanded by Hatori.
"Well, I would have to narrow it down to the dragon or the snake," Tohru says quizzically, Shigure laughs heartily at this statement and Hatori's cheeks redden slightly.
"Wow, Hari. She's got you pinned to a tea." Shigure teases happily.
"No, papa's not the snake. That's daddy." Hotaru huffs grumpily, burying her face deeper into Hatori's vest.
"Oh! So you must be the dragon!" Tohru cheers triumphantly throwing her arms in the air to emphasize. Hatori sighs in exasperation and nods, confirming the fact.
"Come now Tohru, we should be getting home," Shigure says to Tohru cheerfully, gesturing for her to follow him. Hotaru and Kohaku wave at them as they leave the main Sohma estate. When the two are finally out of eyeshot, Hatori leads the twins inside and sets about making dinner.
"Alright," he says sliding his suit and changing into a more comfortable t-shirt and tying his apron around his waist. "Ho, it's your turn to choose." Hatori says to Hotaru as he looks through the fridge, "Now, we have lots of vegetables, pork cutlet and eggs. So it's either pork cutlet bowl or curry, which will it be?" he asks softly, glancing at his daughter shuffling indecisively. "How about a second opinion?" He suggests, pulling a folded piece of paper and a pen out of his pocket and scribbling a quick ladder on it. Hotaru knows exactly what to do and runs her finger along the ladder until it falls on the curry option. "Ok, curry it is. Now, why don't you change out of your kimono and play with your brother until dad gets home, okay?" Hatori easily negotiates, nudging Hotaru to leave the kitchen.
He quickly gets dinner started when a pair of arms snake around his waist (ha, see what I did there?) and a forehead rests against his back.
"Hello, Ayame. Welcome home." He says fondly, cubing some more pork.
"Glad to be home, I missed you. And the children." Ayame sighs contentedly, lost in his own thoughts.
"Aya, you're going to have to let go of me so I can finish cooking, I hope you know," Hatori teases as he slides the pork into the frying pan. Ayame does indeed let go and proceeds to sit down at the kitchen table, admiring the pieces of child art still laying there.
"So I heard you received a visit from the one and only Tohru Honda, did anything eventful happen?" Ayame asks in a curious tone, admiring Hatori as he cooked.
"Nothing very noteworthy, but she did remind me of Kana…" Hatori says, busying himself with stirring the pot of curry.
Ayame pauses at this statement and begins to speak, "Hari…" but Hatori cuts him off with a kiss.
It only lasts a few seconds, and when he pulls away he says in the most loving tone he could conjure, "Don't worry Aya. You were my new fresh breath of spring." Ayame laughs at this and watches the man he loves go back to cooking dinner for the family he loved most of all.