Author's Note: I noticed that most of the Hatori/Tohru stories haven't been updated in years (with the exception of one or two) which really bummed me out, because I really liked a lot of them. (Especially the one that was last updated, called Savior that one is REALLY good) So I decided that I would try a hand in making my own. I do appreciate constructive criticism, and I don't appreciate flames but if you are going to flame the story then I want you to at least flame it while giving me advice on writing it please :D
I think this one will be slightly different from most, but then again every story is unique in its own way, I can only hope that you like this.
So far, this is a one , without further ado.
Keep the Memories and Pile on the years:
This was the second time that Hatori was going to ask Akito for someone's hand in marriage, that specific person being Tohru Honda. Her optimism kept his uneasiness at bay, or at least locked up inside of him so that he wouldn't worry his fiancé too much.
"As they say, second times the charm!" Tohru smiled, raising an index finger in the air as Hatori slipped a gray vest over his white, button-up, shirt.
Turning around to face her, he starred rather amused at her,
"Are you referring to the saying, 'third times the charm'" He asked her, his hands in the pockets of his slacks as he towered over her.
She blinked, a confused expression coming over her face before she blushed red with embarrassment for her error.
"That's not what I meant! I'm sorry! I mean that… I wouldn't want it to be third times the charm, because then I would only be the second, and I want to be the last! No, no I mean I don't want to be the last after something like what happened with Kana happens again, I mean-" She clutched her fists in front of her chest tightly as she painstakingly tried to explain what she meant, fumbling over her words.
By now, her memory didn't cause a searing pain in his chest anymore, only a twang of regret and a warm feeling from the times that he had spent with her but he still cringed slightly at the mention of her by force of nature
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring Kana up! I was just trying to make a point- Oh, but I still shouldn't have brought her up! I'm sorry!" Tohru had started to slip into one of her rants again. The girl really hadn't meant to bring up his previous fiancé around him, it had only been a slip of the tongue but the regret she felt for doing so ran deeper than the ocean.
"Stop" He said rather sternly as he pushed her face up with his index and thumb so her head would still from all of the shaking that it was doing, "There's nothing to be sorry for"
Tohru blinked, starring up at him. Only in times like these had she felt the massive height difference between her fiancé in herself, times when she would have to strain to look up at him or even kiss him. (Such as the time she had aimed for his cheek but hit his shoulder instead)
"Yes! I brought her up! I really didn't mean to! I didn't want to cause Hatori to be sad; I don't want to cause pain for the people I love!"
He looked down at her momentarily, pressed in his thoughts. Had he really used to cringe so much and ignore the subject that it had been an unspoken rule not to bring Kana up? Hatori had never really noticed it, never really noticed how much of a wall he put up on the subject, until now. He knew that he had once been as cold as ice, that he had a wall of freezing ice built up around his heart, but this, he had been blissfully unaware to.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, I should be apologizing for avoiding the subject for so long. I shouldn't be giving you a reason to doubt our relationship. I am going to be truthful, memories of Kana still hurt, and I am afraid that Akito will do what he did to Kana to you-"He had to stifle the tears and trembling that came with the thought of the same thing happening over again, "And I won't lie, there is a great possibility that it will, but I am not going to let the painful memories get in the way of making new ones, with you"
Tohru had never doubted their relationship once, she had even helped the dragon through sleepless nights of nightmares and tears with whispered words of reassurance. But…
to hear him say this, to see him finally let go of the past… it meant…
"Hatori-San finally is all of mine"
His heart melted even more, knowing that her smile and those words weren't an accident or a fluke, they were truly directed to him.
He leaned over to press his lips against her own-
"Haa-San, Tohru-Kun! It's time to- OH HATORI YOU NAUGHTY MAN YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT DEFILING TOHRU-KUN RIGHT HERE AND NOW. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE MARRIED YOU NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY MAN" Shigure rambled when he saw the two inches apart, his fingers spread out in front of his mouth as though he had just heard something scandalous.
Hatori pulled back, his hands back in the pockets of his slacks as he stared blankly at the dog who was rambling on about stupid things.
"Stop being an idiot and act like a grown man"
"Haa-San! You're so mean! You're words are like arrows that wound my fragile heart! How could you want to marry such a heartless, heartless man Tohru-Kun- you really need someone like me!" By now, Shigure had entered full teasing mode as he inched closer to the flushing girl who was stuttering, trying to make sense of the situation she had been flung in.
"One step closer to her and I release to the entire publishing industry this video tape of you singing at your second grade talent show" Hatori threatened blankly, not even moving one step from his stance to block Tohru from him because he knew the dog would back off.
Which he more than willingly did, taking several steps back crossing his hands over his chest like a pouting child.
"You're so mean Haa-San!" He whined, "But really… we should start heading over to the main house so that we're not late"
~Scene Skip~
Walking to the main house was painfully quiet. Both members of the Zodiac and the possible bride-to-be were lost in their thoughts of doubt and worry.
What if this truly was Kana all over again? He wouldn't be able to bear the loss of another woman, if that were to happen then the walls around his heart would be like the ice of the artic, unmeltable.
The news that the dragon planned to finally marry had spread quick, even though they had tried to keep it under wraps until it was certain, maids still listened in and the news had reached the Zodiac members during the New Year's banquet- so it was sure that by now, several months later, it had reached Akito. Even though the Juunishi themselves controlled their tongue when Akito questioned them, the maids themselves were unreliable gossip machines.
"Here we are" Shigure motioned to the traditional home that sat in the center of everything. This would be the second time that she would step foot in it, the first time being after the transformation of Kyo into the true monster that the cat is.
A tingling sense of fear numbed the girl's entire body as she starred at it. Last time was considered a small success, but would this time be the same way? Only time could tell.
"I'll be out here just in case anything happens" Shigure tried to reassure the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Nodding, she clutched her fingers tightly into the palms of her hands, biting her lower lip.
Here goes nothing Mom, wish me luck!
With her mom's blessing beaming down at her and the hopeful words that the members of the Juunishi had given her days before the meeting, (Even Kyo, who grumbled words of luck even though he had always hoped that he would be in this position with Tohru over someone else), she took a step inside with her fiancé.
~Wee~
The soft fragrance of cherry blossom brushed against both of their faces as they stepped into the room, quietly closing the sliding door behind them both.
Akito's legs were stretched out as he sat in front of the room, the familiar white bird perched on his index finger gracefully.
"Come, sit" Said the head of the Sohma family, not once looking up at the couple.
And they did as they were told, sitting on their knees tensely in front of the head of the feared head of the family, waiting for something to be said or ordered.
A tense three minutes passed by before Akito released the bird onto the bonsai tree behind him, still not even sparing a glance toward the couple.
"What is it… that you want to request?"
Hatori's muscles tensed greatly when Akito had finally uttered those words, a fit of memories rushing into his head. But he had to suppress them; he had to have hope that there would be a better tomorrow- that the cycle would end now. Words struggled to form on his lips, it was easy to say wasn't it? Tohru and I wish to be married.
The words that were so easily orchestrated in his mind faltered, silence tying his tongue.
"Hatori-San and I wish to be married!" Tohru blurt when she noticed the man struggling for words, her hands in between her knees, clutching the fabric of her knees tightly.
Akito felt something like rage well up in the pit of his stomach, but it was much more bitter and like a stab in his heart. Jealousy. How could this girl just waltz into their lives and marry one of his Juunishi?! She didn't understand the curse! She couldn't make all of their pain go away!
Slowly standing up with his eyes covered by his black hair, he took one slow step toward Tohru and grabbed her intensely by the hair, yanking her forward. Tohru grunted in pain but didn't say a word, only pressing her fingers against the floor underneath her.
"YOU WALTZ IN HERE FIRST ASKING FOR MY PERMISSION TO STAY AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH?! YOU HAVE TO COME IN HERE A SECOND TIME AND ASK FOR MY PERMISSION TO STEAL MY JUUNISHI MEMBER AGAIN?! I WON'T ALLOW IT"
By now, Hatori was on his one knee, paralyzed. Every muscle in his body was frozen no matter how much his mind was screaming for this to not be a repeat of when he couldn't pull Akito off of Tohru.
"I-I don't want to steal him away"
"THAT'S WHAT MARRIAGE IS, FILTHY WOMEN AND MEN LIKE YOU COMING IN AND TRYING TO SNAKE AWAY MY MEMBERS THAT BELONG TO ME. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT, IT WON'T HAPPEN" Akito's screams were violent, filled with rage as he pulled her again.
"Tohru-Kun!" The dog slid open the door quickly, making a step to pull the man off of her.
"Don't- Shigure-San, this is my battle to be won"
Shigure stopped in his steps, starring at her with surprise and shock. Since when had this flower blossomed into a real woman? How long had it taken him to realize that this was no longer a naïve little girl- but a woman who fought her own battles- winning with pride and loosing with grace.
Restraining himself from helping her, he clutched his fist, ready to take anything flung at the girl- woman.
"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE GIRL"
His clutch on her hair became tighter and she let out a yelp of pain as he yanked her hair again, but bore through with it.
"I'm not taking him away" Tears hit against the floorboards like soft raindrops, "I know that you're scared I am going to replace you Akito- but there is no way that I can. Akito-San, you're unique and one of a kind- I could never replace you- I couldn't think of it"
She could feel his clutch on her head like an iron fist grip her hair, though he himself struggled to find words.
"-Marriage is only being together with one person romantically for forever, Akito-San, it is not being together with only one person for forever. Hatori –San will still care for you the way all the Juunishi members do-"
"SHUT UP" His hands left her head and he covered his ears, "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, SHUT UP"
"But I want to be with Hatori-San," Wet tears hit the floor violently now.
"YOU CAN'T" His hands gripped the nearest glass thing he could find and flung it.
Hatori could feel the all-too-well-known searing pain of glass seep into his already damaged eye and the well-known trickle of blood down his face.
"Hatori- what's wrong?!" Akito asked as he made a move to the doctor.
Shigure saw what was happening- Akito was trying to mimic what happened with Kana, trying to use the darkest memory that the dragon held and pine it against him- make sure that he would never leave his side again.
Akito's hands went up to grab the doctor by the face once more- Hatori moved back. He rejected the touch of the head of the family.
"HOW DARE YOU REJECT ME- THIS IS ALL YOU'RE FAULT" He moved to slap Tohru, who starred in horror as red seeped from Hatori's eye. Shutting her eyes tightly, she anticipated the slap that never came. It was dead silent as she opened her eyes, seeing the doctor hold back the hand of Akito.
Way to man up, Haa'ri
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH ME" Akito struggled to remove his hand from the doctor's grip but It was clasped on tightly, pulling him back from making contact with the girl.
"Hatori-San…" her face was wet with tears.
"IT'S ALL HER FAULT"
A stab of guilt injected itself into her heart as she held her chest, sobs escaping her lips.
Akito smirked, thinking full and well that he had won yet again. Elbowing Hatori in the gut, he removed his hand from the doctor's grip and let it sit at his side. This time, he was going to push a little further.
"You can marry him under one condition"
Hatori clutched his eye, feeling as though any moment he would faint from blood loss.
"Akito-! Hatori needs to see someone about his eye!" Shigure argued. Wasn't there a better time to play the manipulation game?!
"-As long as Tohru can live with the fact that she permanently damaged Hatori's eye, and doesn't want her memories gone- she may have him"
Beats of silence from the other two men caressed the room. Hatori was sure that he was going to lose someone else once more…
"I want to stay" Tohru pleaded.
Hatori clutched his eye and starred down at her with shock, he had been sure that she was going to want to forget everything that had happened- how foolish of him to think that she wasn't strong enough, though.
He felt her reach up from the ground and her fingers tangle themselves in his,
"I want to stay- because despite the bad memories we have- They're not worth forgetting the love you have toward someone! You have to fight with these memories, you can't give up- because someday they'll make you smile and feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. As long as I have Hatori-San, even with the painful memories I hold, I am truly happy. I wouldn't take any riches offered to forget about someone like him. I want to keep the memories, the good and the bad and pile on the years."
~
End. I thought that would be a nice way to end this, kind of cliff hangery. R and R!