Kana couldn't help the silly grin on her face. She tried to hide it behind her wine glass, but it was impossible. Taking one last sip, she set the glass down and strolled over to Hatori.
"I can help you clean up, you know." She mused, clasping her hands behind her back and trying to peek over his shoulder. Hatori looked rather handsome with his sleeves rolled up like that. The regal, reputable Sohma family doctor washing dishes wasn't something she ever thought she'd see. It was a sight, that was for sure.
"No, you cooked dinner for us. Cleaning up is the least I can do." Hatori murmured, feeling her body heat close to his back. Shifting a bit, he tried to move away from her. Of course, this wasn't done out of rudeness. No, he had something to hide. Instead, he turned a bit to face her and forced a small smile so as not to upset her.
Kana frowned for a split second as he pulled away, but his smile eased her worries. "Hatori, the wine you chose was amazing, albeit a bit strong. Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asked playfully, reaching up to touch his arm. "I wanted to be completely sober for our first time together."
The dragon froze for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing together. He nearly dropped the plate in his hand that was currently held under the warm, running water. First time? …Was Kana expecting to have sex tonight? They'd only been dating for about a month now, and Hatori wasn't exactly up to date on the rules of courting. This had been a nice, quiet evening at home. She made him dinner, they enjoyed some wine together, and now he was cleaning up. However, he expected her to leave after awhile. Had she been planning to stay the night this entire evening? Perhaps Hatori was receiving the wrong message here…
"I see. No, it was not my intention to get you intoxicated." The doctor said softly, turning his attention back to the plate in his hand. His eyes darkened and he went quiet, trying to figure out what to do. It wasn't as if this was the first time Kana insinuated that she wanted intimacy with him; he was always able to find a way around it… Until now. Usually, Shigure was present to be a good enough excuse, or even Mayu. However, now they were currently alone in his home together. They didn't have work tomorrow, it was a Saturday night and Hatori always had Sundays off. What could he say?
Kana tried to ignore his sudden change of mood. Hatori tended to be rather moody. Instead, her hands snaked up his waist and to his back, raking her nails down it slowly. She smiled a bit to herself, catching the small shudder from her employer and boyfriend. She continued running her nails down his back, wanting to relax him. He seemed tense. Besides, the least she could do was scratch his back while he was busy with the dishes. "I don't mind, even if you were. I'm still conscious enough to enjoy myself, I promise. Doctor Sohma," Kana cooed softly, her face tinting a shade of pink as the next words left her mouth. "I think I'm due for a check up. Would you mind giving me an examination tonight?"
At that soft, cheeky little sentence of hers, Hatori came completely undone. Thankfully, he still had his back to her, or otherwise she would've noticed that all the color had drained from his face. Her nails running down his back was already overwhelming, but the sheer sexual tone and context of her utterance was enough to send him spiraling into a panic. This was a definite concern now. It wasn't just him assuming. Kana wanted sex. With him. Tonight.
…What was he to do?
"Kana." Hatori whispered, his tone ice cold and unnatural for him to use with her. Setting the plate back into the sink, he reached up to shut the water off. He was hopeless at housework, but he wasn't keen on Kana learning that about him just yet. The maids could finish the dishes for him tomorrow, that wasn't a concern. Grabbing a towel off of the counter, he began drying his hands. The dragon could no longer hold eye contact with Kana; he opted, instead, to look at the floor. Even out of his peripherals, he could see that look on her face. It broke his heart a little. It had to've been obvious to her by now; all the times he rejected her, or shied away from her affections… How could he explain it without revealing the curse?
"Kana, are you positive that intimacy with me is what you truly wan-"
"Yes, Hatori." Kana said firmly, in a timbre that the dragon had never heard before. This wasn't playful, or soft… This was a woman with resolve, even anger, perhaps. It made Hatori flinch. "How can you even ask me that? Yes, of course I want to make love to my boyfriend. Why is it you don't want to make love to me? All you've been doing since the second we started dating is avoiding me. Every time I touch you, you pull away. Why? Tell me. Am I unattractive to you?" She asked this more fiercely than she intended, her arms crossing over her chest. "Well?"
"Absolutely not." Hatori answered honestly, a bit of shock in his tone. Kana thought he found her unattractive? Hatori thought she was beautiful. "That isn't the reason at all."
"Then what is it?" The brunette asked exasperatedly, feeling relieved at his answer- but only slightly. "It's driving me crazy. I want to touch you, Hatori. Why…"
The dull ache in Hatori's chest sharpened at her whimper. "Kana, I just…" He paused for an inordinate amount of time as the tension in the air grew. "We cannot ever be intimate together. I'm sorry."
Kana looked up into his eyes, studying his grey orbs closely. Tears began welling at the corners of her own eyes and she gave a soft sniffle. That was it, then? Hatori just didn't want intimacy with her? The huge question of why was weighing heavily on her, but right now, the answer wasn't important. It felt like her heart was breaking. All she wanted was a normal relationship with this man; she loved him more than anything in the entire world… How could he just not want her in the most intimate of ways?
Turning on her heel, Kana exited the kitchen with lightening speed. She didn't want to see him right then, she needed some time alone. Unable to speak for fear of bursting into tears, she left wordlessly. It wasn't that sex was terribly important to her; on the contrary, she'd wait as long as she had to for him. However, Hatori made it quite clear that it wasn't something he'd ever be interested it. …What if they were to get married? How would she ever be allowed to bare his children if he refused to touch her? While this may have been only a small problem in the heat of the moment, in the grand scheme of things, this could literally ruin their relationship. Kana needed time to think.
"Kana. Kana, wait," Hatori urged, following after her. Close on her heels, he grabbed her arm to try and turn her around. "Kana, you misunderstand me. It isn't that I don't want you, there are circumstances completely out of my control. You need to listen to me, I don't-"
"Stop it, Hatori." Kana breathed, pausing in the living room once he got ahold of her. "I don't want to hear anymore. I don't want to hear it. I love you. I love you very, very much and I don't know if I can be with you if you refuse to give me intimacy. It isn't even about sex. I just… I want you to hold me. Please." Tugging her arm out of his grasp, she reached up to wipe a few stray tears off her cheek. "It's all I want. To just… Feel what it's like in your arms. Just once. Please, Hatori."
Hatori watched, speechless as his crying partner moved in close. Before he could even gather his bearings to stop her, her arms were around his waist and her face was buried in his chest. Hatori gave a strangled cry, his yelp a mere second long before it was cut off. Suddenly, a large, white cloud of smoke surrounded them and Hatori was no longer in her grasp. Kana stumbled backwards and fell, landing on her back in shock. Sitting up on her elbows, she gazed upwards as the smoke cleared, coming face to face with something she never thought she'd ever see in her lifetime.
A massive, shadowed figure loomed over her. A dragon, she could easily and quickly identify. One exactly like the Chinese folklore. This dragon was long… Kana couldn't even make out just how big it truly was. It's lengthy, snake-like body was pinched and curled up so tightly in the living room, the thing's tail was trailing and disappearing into the kitchen. The dragon was impossibly huge, it looked so cramped in such a tiny room. All the furniture in Hatori's den was now slammed up against the walls to accommodate the sheer size of the creature. She was positive she'd heard things fall and break all around them. Hatori's clothes were ripped to shreds and now hidden under a large claw. The dragon had four legs, each with three toes and punctuated with dark grey, sharp talons. The claws alone were nearly four or five inches long. Easily able to rip their prey into bloody ribbons. It's body was not red- as usually depicted in Chinese culture- no, this dragon was a grey-blue shade, bordering on aquamarine. The scales were iridescent, glimmering in the soft light of the living room. They were breathtaking, truly.
Along the dragon's back, starting from the nape of the neck and down it's endless body, all the way to the tip of it's tail, was pure white fur. As white as snow. It looks incredibly soft and well groomed. Looking up, Kana's gaze shifted from the long, contorted body, up to the face that hovered above her. The dragon's head was massive, bigger than the size of her entire upper body. She couldn't fit her arms around it even if she tried. There were two long, ivory horns atop his head- they were worn, but not cracked. They looked to be a bit of a bumpy, bone texture, but Kana couldn't be too sure. Stuck out above his head proudly like a crown, and if used correctly, she noted that they could've been more deadly than his claws, even. The horns were nestled just above his eyes, on his forehead. There were long ears on either side of his head, the same scaly tint of blue to them, with tufts of white fur peeking out. His eyes were a familiar grey-green color- one that Kana so dearly loved, but these feldgrau eyes were different. The black, inky pupils were slited, like a reptile's. They were large, about the size of her fist… And those eyes were locked onto her. Staring down at her, wide and alert.
The only reason she broke her gaze from his piercing, unwavering eyes, was because she suddenly felt hot air pass over her. It was enough to rustle her hair and brush her bangs out of her eyes. It was unsettling, until she realized that it was just the dragon's breath washing over her, his nostrils flaring each time he exhaled. Examining his nose, on each side of it was a single, long, white tendril… Almost like a cat's whiskers, perhaps? No, there was only one on either side of his muzzle, these were about an inch thick and floated there effortlessly. The mouth… God, this dragon's mouth was huge. He could easily take off her head in one bite- and wouldn't even need to chew to swallow. Though the dragon wasn't intentionally sneering or growling, the long fangs stuck out from under it's lips, lining the sides of his snout with razor sharp, glistening teeth. The teeth were astoundingly large, and threatening. Under the teeth, along his chin and down his throat, was more white fur, covering his thick neck. This massive creature loomed above her, and she was able to take in all the detail of him in mere seconds. It was then, however, that the reality of the situation finally dawned on her.
Kana screamed, finally realizing how in danger she truly was. Still on her back, she tried to scuttle backwards and away from the horrifying, giant creature. To her surprise, however, as she screamed… The creature itself seemed to flinch and it backed up away from her as well. His pupils dilated, and he was able to scoot back a foot or so away from her, though was that was about it due to the cramped space.
Kana froze, realizing she had startled the dragon. How could she possibly startle such a terrifying creature with her scream alone? She posed no threat to this… Thing. It could eat her in one bite. Why was it acting frightened?
Sniffling, Kana kept her guard up. "What… What are you? Why are you even here?" She pleaded, bracing herself for it to attack. "Just… Get out of here! Go away!" She snapped with tears now streaming down her face. Kana hated this thing. It was ugly. It was threatening. She just wanted Hatori to save her from this wretched creature.
The dragon's eyes widened even more, before it closed them and lowered it's head. Ashamed, the creature looked away from her and snuffled, air visibly exhaling from it's nose. Trying to tuck his head into his curled up body, it wanted to just disappear. It could tell it was scaring her. If it could leave, it would, but the dragon was trapped here. How could Kana ever accept him, or accept… This? Her partner, her boss, the illustrious Hatori Sohma… Turned into a fearsome, mythical creature when hugged by members of the opposite sex. This was who he was. He was horrifying to her.
The worst part, was that he couldn't even communicate with her. Hatori had no way of speaking in this form. Hatori couldn't help that this was his zodiac animal. This was his worst nightmare. He knew this form would frightened her. There was absolutely nothing he could do to ease her pain or worries, and it broke his heart. This was it for them. Hatori would have to just be miserable and wait to change back, and then her memories of this would have to be erased. No one was supposed to know of the curse, and now…
Seeing the creature recoil, Kana dropped her guard a tiny bit. …Did the creature look… Sad? The way it was closing it's eyes and trying to hide, Kana thought the thing looked frightened on it's own. Slowly, she began coming to a realization. This creature appeared when Hatori disappeared into a cloud of white smoke. Hatori's clothes were under one of it's claws, as if he was ripped out of them. With Hatori nowhere in sight… Could this dragon really be…?
"…Hatori?" She whimpered, sitting up on her elbows and gazing at the creature a few feet from her. At that, the dragon opened his eyes and turned to look at her. Kana flinched, keeping her eyes on it. "Hatori… Is that you? Please…"
Hatori looked over at her slowly as she made the connection. He'd been positive that she wouldn't recognize him in this form. Was she starting to understand? He couldn't speak, but he needed to try and confirm to her that he was indeed himself, and that he wouldn't harm her. She had no reason to be afraid. Though this form was alarming, Hatori was still just as harmless as he was in his human form. He needed to try and communicate that to her.
Kana began trembling as suddenly, the dragon started approaching her. It took a few hesitant steps, each one shaking the ground slightly, until it was hovering over her again. Kana shut her eyes tightly as it placed it's two front paws on either side of her. She could feel it's breath on her again, washing over her body. She couldn't stop herself from shaking. What was the dragon doing?
Hatori felt his heart ache as he looked down at her; she was utterly petrified… Of him. Of what he truly was. She remained still, however, so he needed to try. Very slowly, Hatori lowered his head and pressed his nose against her chest. Ever so gently, he nuzzled his snout against her chest to try and show her that he meant no harm. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself for her to try and fight him off. He knew he shouldn't try and be close to her while she was frightened like this, but he wanted to try and give her affection to see if she would understand.
"Ah." Kana squeaked, feeling a warmth against her chest. Peeking down just in time, she saw the large dragon close it's eyes and snuggle it's face against her. Tentatively, she raised a hand up and gently touched it's cheek. The scales were smoother to the touch than she expected; she thought they might feel rough like a snake's skin, but this… This was nice.
"Hatori." Kana whispered, slowly stroking her fingers over his face. Her fingers trailed down to the snow white beard under his chin as he glanced up at her. "It's you… Isn't it?"
Hatori raised his head up slightly to give her a small nod, and lift his chin up a little. Her petting felt nice- not that he was willing to admit it.
Kana nodded slowly, trying to understand. "And you can't speak to me?"
Hatori gave a shake of his head, giving her a no. Kana seemed to be relaxing, which put him at ease, too. His ear gave an irritated twitch, wishing he could just explain everything to her.
There was a long silence as Kana sat up a little bit more, studying him thoroughly. She even leaned in a bit closer to him, wanting to examine the scales covering his body. Finally, she asked, "And… You won't hurt me? Or eat me?"
To this, Hatori gave a snort. Even Kana, in her slightly traumatized state, would recognize that sarcastic scoff anywhere. This was definitely Hatori. Still though, he conceded and gave another shake of his head to confirm that he wouldn't harm her.
Kana finally cracked a small smile, unable to help herself. She felt a bit hysterical by this point. "Hatori. Hatori, I was so scared." She breathed, chuckling a tiny bit at the obscenity of the current situation. Trusting him completely, she wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him closer to her. "You're so big."
Hatori's eyes widened as she willingly brought him close. However, his eyes shut again as he nuzzled his nose into her chest once more, enjoying her holding him like this. Truth be told, this was the first she'd ever held him. He wondered if it would feel this nice in his human form as well, when she could actually get her arms fully around his body and not just halfway around his head. However, Hatori knew that would never be able to happen, he had to enjoy their closeness now. Hearing her call him "big" was rather embarrassing. Hatori was so cramped in this room. Yes, he definitely had the most embarrassingly large zodiac form out of all his cousins. He was very self conscious about it, honestly. He tried to not let it bother him for now, and instead, enjoy her closeness.
Kana giggled, his warm breath tickling her skin. She squeezed him tightly, before leaning up to place a small kiss on his nose. "What happened, Hatori? I've never seen you do this before. You ripped your clothes. Why would you suddenly just… Oh, I hugged you just before this happened." She paused for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. "Is this because I hugged you?"
Another nod from the dragon. Hatori was impressed with just how quickly Kana was catching on. He gave another snort, encouraging her to continue speculating.
"And this is why you won't let me close?" Kana asked softly, pulling away from him now, but only so she could sit up. "Why we can't have intimacy?"
Hatori nodded again, taking a step or two back so she could fully stand up. She was now eye level with him, so he bowed his head a bit to her so as not to intimidate her.
"I think I understand." Kana breathed to herself, brushing debris off of her and smoothing her pencil skirt down. "You've kept me away because of… This, whatever this is. You were concerned that I'd be frightened of you. Did you think I'd hate you? Or… Not accept you?"
Hatori didn't raise his head. He turned away from her, his body angling more towards the kitchen so he didn't have to face her. Yes, those were most definitely his reasons. This was all so embarrassing. He exhaled steam from his nostrils again, a low rumbly sound leaving his chest. It was a soft noise of anguish, not a growl. Hatori would never growl or bare his fangs in this form.
Kana smiled a tiny bit to herself, walking over to him. She admired his body closely, staying quiet as she circled around him. Her fingers gently trailed along his scales, feeling the smooth texture under her fingertips. She admired the crystalline clear iridescence they gave off in the soft lighting; she wondered how much he would truly sparkle in the sunlight. She was able to reach up and just barely stroke the fur along his back, trying to suppress another giggle at how soft it was. Only her fingers were able to reach it, as he was so very tall. Instead, she decided to bend down and look at his feet. They were bone thin and rather stout compared to the rest of his long body. Gently, she touched once of his claws. It was hard and cold to the touch, it made her shiver. She continued examining every inch of him she could, until her curiosity was satiated.
Circling back around to his head, she gave him the biggest, warmest smile. With his head bowed, she was able to reach upwards and stroke his horns. They were her favorite, she decided. They were long and majestic, they suited him perfectly. As she stroked them, she could've sworn she heard something like a purr come from Hatori's throat, but it was so soft, it was almost discernible. Hatori seemed flustered with being examined like this, but she had to get to know this form of his. She wanted to see and learn everything she could.
"Hatori… You were wrong. I was frightened at first, but once you told me you were you, I wasn't scared anymore. I could never be afraid of you. I love you. This is… This is something, isn't it? I'm not sure that I ever expected to date a man who turns into a mythical creature from old folklore, but… If this is who you are, then of course I accept you. I love you." She cupped her tiny hands around his face again, being careful not to touch the "whiskers" on his snout.
Hatori was thankful to be in this form for once, he was sure he'd have been crying if he was in his human form when she confessed to him like that. He showed his gratitude by pressing his wet nose against her cheek, in an attempt to seem like a kiss. This was a bit humiliating, but the giggle he garnered from her made the embarrassing action worth it.
"Thank you, Hatori. I love you so much. I… Well, I actually have one more question. Please don't get angry with me." Kana's hands pulled away and clasped behind her back again. Looking down at the floor, she fidgeted a bit while a shade of pink crept back up to her cheeks. "It's very, very important, okay?"
Hatori nodded, straightening his stance a bit so he could give her his full attention. He would do his best to answer her question if it was so important. Pushing aside his nervousness, he prompted her to go ahead and ask.
"I was wondering if… If you might let me ride on your back sometime? ...Pretty please?"