I actually got this idea while mowing lawns. Don't ask my mind jumps from one thought to the next and I'm left wondering how it got there. In any case it's not very funny, it's more of a serious piece.

Disclaimer: I don't own Furuba or any of the Characters. And in the immortal words of someone else, "There's a reason why it's called FAN-Fiction"

Well in any case I present Winter.


One cloudy, winter day Shigure was having tea at Hatori's house. He had stopped by after a 'visit' with Akito, if it could be called that because she had slapped him, yelled at him and finally shoved him through the door unceremoniously and then slammed it in his face.

Hatori was lying on the couch looking out the window at the cloudy sky. Shigure was lounging at the table a short distance away.

"You seem sad of late Hatori," Shigure was just digging for information.

"I miss her," Hatori said simply, making no clarifications.

"Kana?" Shigure asked.

"Yes, my spring," the words were tinged with longing and a terrible sadness. Normally Hatori was reserved and kept his troubles to himself but he seemed to be opening up to Shigure today, maybe the weather. Shigure was uncertain what to do so he merely sat there waiting for Hatori to continue.

"When I erased her memories I wished that even if I were to stay like frozen snow forever that she could find happiness. It would be worth all my sadness just for her to be happy."

"I don't understand," Shigure said, his brow wrinkled in thought. "Wouldn't you rather be happy? Kana's not even going to remember you so why wish for her happiness? And what's with the snow thing?"

"For being a romance writer you're surprisingly not good at understanding love."

"That's because I deal with sexy stories, not fairy tale endings with morals," Shigure answered, offended that his friend would say he was bad at understanding.

"Yeah I understand you write the closest thing to porn without images," Hatori had said. "I have some things to do, and I'm assuming you do too."

Sighing Shigure downed his tea and put the cup in the sink to be washed. Hatori had already gone into his office and closed the door. Shigure left humming to some perverted song he had picked up somewhere during his rowdy and rambunctious college years from Ayame. Hatori had banned them from ever repeating it but that didn't mean Shigure would play by his rules.

When Shigure got home his three charges had not yet returned, so he sat down to do some good typing (hopefully) in the quiet atmosphere. After sitting down at his computer Shigure found that he simply couldn't find any thoughts to go on with what he had already written. Shigure sat there wracking his brain for ideas for at least a half an hour before his thoughts wandered.

He jumped over his conversation with Hatori. He was worried about his friend, he had seemed sadder as of late. From the conversation he had jumped to Akito, and her 'greeting' of him today. Akito is like snow, beautiful but oh so cold. He would do anything to be with her no matter how much she spurned him or how many lovers she took to bed before he finally won her heart.

Shigure wished he had not slept with Ren, it was what had inevitably caused the tiny rift to become a canyon. Akito could not forgive him for that and he could not forgive her for sleeping with Kureno. Shigure wished that Akito could finally let the rift heal, to realise that she hurt her animals simply because she herself was hurting.

Shigure knew that Akito desperately needed someone to hold on to her hand and tell her everything was alright, she had been that way even as a small child. Akito wanted one thing above all else, to be loved wholly. Shigure had done a bad job of that, instead of telling Akito that he loved her, he had teased her. He had gotten angry and in a moment of bad decision made a mistake, which had angered her and made her think his love had just been a sham.

Maybe Hatori was right, Shigure thought. He wasn't very good at understanding love, he was Akito's spring and then he had not cared. He had gone away just like Kana had. Shigure grabbed the phone and dialled Hatori's office number.

"Hi," Shigure said softly, he felt like crying after his stunning realisation.

"Why are you phoning Shigure?" Hatori's voice was raspy, he had probably been crying.

"I just realised what you meant. Just thought I'd let you know."

"What Shigure?" Hatori asked, but too late Shigure had already hung up.

Akito was like the winter all she needed was one spring. Akito had always been beautiful in a chilling way, she was harsh but deep inside all she wanted was spring. Shigure hoped he could be her spring.