NOTICE: Fruits Basket was created by and belongs to Natsuki Takaya. I own nothing.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! All your kind words mean so much to me! - SYR

Author's Note: Wagashi is a traditional Japanese treat.

The next morning, after breakfast, Tohru headed out for the store. She had decided to make wagashi for everyone as a thank you gift. "I'll be back in time to make lunch, so don't worry! Goodbye!" she called as she headed for the door.

"Why don't you let me come with you and carry your bags for you," Yuki asked.

"No, no! I couldn't let you do that! This is suppose to be a thank you gift for you and everyone else, I couldn't let you help".

"It's no trouble..."

"I'll go with you!" Shigure said hastily as he came around the corner. "I must give my little flower a little help every now again!".

"Oh no, really..." Tohru began again.

"Now I won't take no for answer, Tohru! Come along!" he said, hurrying out the door.

"I know what that means" Yuki thought, rolling his eyes.

As Shigure and Tohru walked towards the store, she took the oppurtunity to thank Shigure for the party. "Thank you so much for the party last night, you really didn't have to!" she said breathlessly. "I really liked getting to see everyone".

"We're glad you had a good time. Everyone was excited to come".

"Everyone?" the brunette repeated, blushing, forcing herself not to smile.

Shigure noticed this. "I wonder what that's about. Maybe, could it be..." he thought. "Sure. It was Momiji and Kisa's idea to make it a surprise party, too. Did you like that box chocolates that Ayame got you?".

"Oh yes!". There was no standout reaction.

"And that was a nice purse Momiji, Kisa, and Hatori got you, too". At the mention of the last person, he saw her supress a smile.

"Yes, all the presents were wonderful! I can't wait to give everyone their wagashi!" she exclaimed.

"No! Tohru likes Hatori!? Why didn't I notice before!?" Shigure thought gleefully. "This is just too good! I've got to get those two together! They'd be so cute together!". The writer's wheels immediately began to spin on how he could get the flower and the dragon together.

"We're back!" Tohru called out as she and Shigure walked into the house.

"SHIGURE!" cried Mitsuru, coming around the corner. "Where have you been!? You have a deadline tomorrow!".

"Oh, it was tomorrow? Gee, I must have forgot".

"Ssshigureeee!" she wept. "How could you forget!? Why do you hate me so much!?". Tohru slipped away to leave the dog to torture his poor editor (again), and headed for the kitchen to put up the groceries. "Shigureeeeee! Why, why!? How could you forget!" Mii's voice rang out through the house.

The dog smirked, letting the poor woman wail for a few more minutes before going to his office and retrieving the completed manuscript. "Shigureeee!" she wailed, clutching the package.

"Yes, yes, it's okay. Goodbye, Mii," he said, walking her out the door. Normally, he would have strung her along for at least an hour, but he was too excited about his new discovery. There would be many more chances to torture Mii later. "Now, how can I get those two together again quickly!?" he thought with a mishcievous smile. He headed to office.

Meanwhile, at the Sohma mansion, the family doctor was pacing up and down in his study. "Hatori, you have to stop thinking about her like this! She will never see you as anything more than standoffish and frozen". He paused for a moment, thinking about how selfless, kind, thoughtful, and, pretty she was. He thought of the time she had used all of her money to make everyone Valentine's Day chocolates. "Yet she worries whenever someone spends the least little bit of money on her!" he thought, smiling. The thought of her made the dragon want to smile, and there were very few people who could do that. "No, no, no You're turning into Shigure!" he yelled at himself. "Why, why, why can't I get rid of this feeling? Ha'ri, you lech, you per..."

RING-RING! Hatori glared at the phone; it was probably Ayame, wanting to talk for three or four hours about nothing. RING-RING! The doctor sighed heavily, and reached for the annoying machine.

"Hello?".

"HA'RI!? How are you!? Not working too hard I hope!".

"Hello, Shigure. Why are you calling?".

"Ha'ri, why must you think I'm always up to something!?".

"Because you always are," he replied frankly. "What do you want, Shi?".

"Oh, fine!" the dog pretended to pout. "I wanted to know if you'd pick up Tohru up from work tonight. Usually Yuki or Kyo pick her up, but they'll be helping me re-arrange my office tonight. Please, you wouldn't want my little flower to have to walk all the way home alone, would you!? You couldn't be that cruel, Ha'ri!".

"Fine, fine, I'll pick her up," Hatori said, his heart beginning to beat a little faster. "Just give me the directions". The doctor scribbled down the directions hurridly.

"Now, you won't be late, right?" Shigure asked.

"No, of course not," the dragon replied, unaware of the dogs huge grin on the other end of the line.

Later that night...

"Yuki, Kyo, can you come here for a few minutes?" Shigure called innocently.

"Yeah, what'd ya want?" Kyo asked.

"I think I want to re-arrange my furniture, and I need you to help me".

"It's past ten!" Yuki cried. "Who arranges furniture this late?".

"Fine," Shigure began to cry. "I'll just do it all by myself. Don't worry if I break my fingers, and can't type anymore! We'll all be out on the street, because I'll have no way to support us! Think of my poor little flower, shivering in the cold, back to living in a tent!" he said, acting as he would start burst into tears at any second. "Just because you wouldn't help your poor cousin one night! Well, when I'm in the hospital with a broken back, and Tohru is killing herself at work, just to..."

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!?" Kyo yelled.

"Fine! I'll help you, but I have to go pick up Tohru in at eleven," Yuki added.

"No worries about that, I'm having Ha'ri pick her up!" Shigure smiled.

"Wait a minute, you planned all this out earlier!?" Kyo yelled again.

"Of course! Now, don't sit there staring like statues, let's try this book case against that wall!".

"What is that idiot up to?" the rat and cat thought, glaring at the dog.

"Ah, well, I've finished for the night!" Tohru thought as she rode the elevator down to the first floor. "Hmmm, I wonder whether it's Yuki or Kyo coming tonight" the riceball wondered, heading out of the building's entrance. "Funny, but I don't see either of them, and they're usually here b..."

"Tohru?".

"Hatori!!" she half-shouted, blush covering her face. "Why...oh, I hope nothing's wrong with! Are..."

"Everyone's fine," he said. "Shigure just asked me to pick you up, because Yuki and Kyo were helping him with something - re-arranging some furnture, I think. Anyways, he asked me to come get you tonight. I hope I didn't scare you".

"No, no!" she insisted. "I was just surprised - I didn't know you were coming. Um, thank you for coming to pick me up".

"It's no problem," he said, giving her a half smile.

"Oh, what a nice smile he has!" Tohru thought to herself. "I wish he smiled more often".

"She's so sweet, I wish I could pick her up every night," he thought, opening the car door for her.

"So, do you work every night?" the dragon asked as they drove back to Shigure's house.

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "Usually just three week nights, and either Saturday or Sunday night. So, um, I guess four nights out of the week total. It's not too bad, and the ladies I work with are really nice, too".

"Mmmm, that's good".

"Try to think of some intellegent to say!" she thought. "Let's see...oh, why am I even trying when I know it's hopeless!".

"I hate that she's so tense around me, but I guess that's a normal reaction," the he thought. " Who wants to be around a frightening dragon?". "We're here," he said somberly.

"Oh, already?" Tohru exclaimed. "I guess it's shorter trip by car. Thanks again, Hatori," she smiled.

"Hmmm, no problem" he said with no emotion. "Here, let me get your door for you".

"He looks so handsome tonight!" Tohru thought as she stood up and turned to him. She didn't dare say that out loud, though. "Thanks again!" she blushed.

Unbeknownst to them, Shigure was watching from the door. "Time to interrupt," he thought. "Ha'ri! What a saint, you've brought my flower back to me safe and sound!" he cried.

"Of course".

"Um, thanks again, Hatori," Tohru interjected. "I guess I should be going now". With that, the riceball hurried into the house.

"She's great; don't you agree, Ha'ri?".

"Mmmm, she's very polite" he said, opening the car door. There was a pause for a moment, then he said, "Shigure, if something ever happens again and Yuki or Kyo can't pick her up, let me know. It's too dangerous in these woods for her to walk home alone". His eyes drifted to the door for moment, then shot back to Shigure.

"HA'RI LIKES TOHRU! HA'RI LIKES TOHRU!" Shigure sang to himself.

"Wonderful" the dog replied, a wide grin on his face.

"What is that grin all about?" the doctor asked, glaring at his cousin.

"Nothing at all! Why must you question my every action!?".

"Because it's you," he said.

"Ha'ri, you're to supsecious! Now, I have to go in! Thanks for bring back Tohru!".

"Why do I get the sinking feeling that mutt is up to something?" the dragon thought as he started the car.

"HA'RI LIKES TOHRU!" Shigure began to sing again to himself. "I'll call Aya first thing in the morning, no, right now, and see if he has any ideas on how we can get Ha'ri and Tohru together again! HA'RI LIKES TOHRU! TOHRU LIKES HA'RI!" he thought as skipped to his office.

The cat and rat observed this from a distance, rather distrubed by the dog's giddy state.

"I don't know what the heck that stupid dog is up to, but I bet it's no good," the cat hissed.

"For once, you're probably right," the rat agreed.

"What do ya mean 'for once'!?". With that, the two forgot about the dog and began to spiral into another argument.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. Constructive critism is welcome! - SYR