Hatori woke up. Hangovers, for him, were rare, and most were indistinguishable from the permanent headache he already had. He tended to wake quickly, but liked sit there for a moment, comfortably feeling the minutes pass.
There was rarely time for that.
Muscles in his ribs and back complained of the position he was in. They would complain more if he sat up, he knew. Falling asleep leaning forward at a dinner table was new to him, and he found, slightly more painful than falling asleep at a desk. Being bent in half at the waist would never be a popular sleeping position among the non-masochistic.
When he shifted in preparation to sit up, the movement made him notice something unusual. Something was pressed against the side of his leg.
It was too hard to tell how warm it was through wool pants, but for a body, it wasn't quite right. Relieved, he sat up and looked.
It was Saki, but way too soft. She was faced away from him, mostly under the table cover.
People were, and are still made out of muscle, bones and fat, all of which were firmer than what was pressed against his leg. He dared not feel around because of propriety, nor move for fear of starting her. There could've been an accident.
He carefully tried to position himself to take a look, a task not made easy by his bad eye. Twisting his body in an unnatural and painful position finally gave him an adequate view.
A pillow, peaking out from under the cover, had been wedged between them.
How would she know to do that
He was thirsty. The water bottle on the table taunted him, as did the dancing pink thing on the label. Whatever it was had huge eyes. He thought it might be a cucumber, as it was shaped that way. What the thing had to do with why he ought to buy that type of water escaped him.
Saki wasn't bothered by the whole indirect kiss thing, and he hadn't been when he was younger. Kana changed that. It meant a lot more after being an expression of affection he'd actually used and looked forward to in the past.
But he was thirsty, and it was the only bottle of water in the apartment.
He grabbed it downed a few gulps, and felt a great deal better. He wasn't going to give in to silliness.
That and his throat wasn't scratchy anymore. That had been the goal all along. Of course.
Hatori never blacked out, although he understood others did sometimes. He remembered what he said, most of which stupid, and he remembered falling asleep.
The connivence of being drunk was that he could say whatever he wanted, and fill whatever immediate need he had. When Hatori became drunk to the point where he'd do that, the first thing he did those days was always to go to sleep.
A good thing, because what he would say wouldn't have been prudent, and any secondary wants would have been Trouble.
He glanced down at her again.
Saki's hair covered her face like a veil. Ayame always complained when he didn't have time to put it up before bed. Said it itched.
It can't be comfortable for her.
He reached over and very carefully moved a finger under a strand to pull it back.
He always imagined women's hair as soft. That it would run like silk through his fingers, or something like that.
Saki's hair was amazingly not soft. It was thick, rough, and easy to for his fingers to get stuck in, despite the fact it wasn't tangled. He wasn't exactly disappointed. Fact was, he wasn't going to feel most hair, so the hair he wasn't going to feel might as well be soft, dammit.
Her right hand was up by her face. She sucked on a knuckle, in her sleep. She'd done it in the car, too. It was pressed against her lips, which were slightly parted. He paused and replayed his recollection of her hands. He had seen she'd had a callous there, but hadn't noted it before. She did it regularly.
Shigure called girls who did those sorts of things 'kittenish.' Kyou, while being a Cat, didn't fit that description. It had to do with wearing frilly things, liking chocolate, and touching or moving their lips when they were nervous. 'Comfort-seeking' was the most polite way he could put it.
Shigure set up Hatori with a girl like that, at fifteen. It was an interesting experience. His first, in fact. The... level of affection wanted and therefore, given was what Shigure was getting to, he'd found out. It had nothing to do with being or not being a 'slut,' or outgoing, or unintelligent, just that they were very... affectionate. Just in general.
Hatori had to go back for another pass to get the rest of the hair out of the way. The pad of his thumb accidentally brushed against her jaw line and she made a small noise, pressing into his fingers as he withdrew them
It's NOT personal. It most likely has nothing to do with... anything. God, what in hell am I doing
He needed to use the toilet anyway, so he definitely wasn't fleeing. Very carefully, to avoid waking her or moving so he'd transform, he slid out from under the table.
While he shook his hands off in the sink, he thought washing all over was probably a good idea as well, and so walked to the bathroom.
On one wall, there was a panel that pulled up and hooked to a nail. The backside was a mirror, and had the soap and such on shelves behind it. No sink; they'd have to use the kitchen for that.
He was fairly sure the kinds of razors, shampoo, and soap he used would not be adequate for a young Lady.
How am I going to ask her to get her own... female supplies? It'd be wrong to get them myself, and uncomfortable to ask... And listing brands she can't use in an emergency will not be fun.
He disrobed and put the clothes inside the compartment, then pulled the mirror back down. It wasn't what the shelf was for, but he wasn't going to get undressed in the same room as Saki for the sake of neatness, curtain or no. It was one silliness he couldn't bring himself to overcome.
The bath wasn't full, so he removed the cover, turned opened the tap (cold only) and switched on the heater.
Kneeling on the floor in front of the showerhead, he turned the water on long enough to wet himself. He panted from the cold before lathering up his hair, then everything else. Hatori was quick about it.
During the late spring and most of autumn, it wasn't too cold to take a couple extra minutes, and summer he would sit in front of the showerhead for a long time, skipping the bath entirely. Early March was not the time to douse oneself in cold water and sit in the unheated air.
Overall, he preferred cooler temperatures He'd feel like he was boiling in anything over room temperature as a seahorse.
He stood and rinsed off, then washed the residue down the drain. Before getting into the tub, he took out a washcloth and dampened it. As he lowered himself into the water, he groaned in contentment. It wasn't hot enough to need the cloth yet.
Lord, this feels good.
He stayed for ten minutes, before the guilt of having Saki wake up alone hit him. He hadn't even done anything to keep her feeling safe.
"Dammit."
He took the cloth off his head and got out of the tub, hesitating over weather to drain it or not. He decided to leave it, and put the cover back on. He switched the heater off, though.
He took his towel off the hook and rubbed his chest dry, his hair having stopped dripping in the tub. He was down to the backs of his legs before he noticed something. Chin to his chest, he pinched a little at his lower stomach.
After a few tries, a thick black hair, a couple of feet in length rested between his fingers. Upon examination, the towel hid two more. One was on the back of his neck, two more on his leg.
There was a Saki in my towel. Maybe.
He dried his feet and got dressed. No hair on his pants or sleeves.
Odd. Should be some if they came from earlier.
He made use of a comb, and then walked back out to the main room.
Various things were in minor disarray. Most of the drawers required firm closing, or they'd drift open again. Almost every drawer in the apartment was ajar.
He went around closing drawers and folding the futons again. She'd attempted to, but there seemed to be some confusion on what constituted a corner, never mind on how to match them up. It was a mystery how she got the futons rolled at all.
"Saki-kun was drunk."
He tried to piece together what order she did things in. It was kind of a futile effort, but it was safe to assume the further along she went, the less controlled she was.
Bedrolls last, most likely. I would have found her asleep on the bathroom floor if she were less rational.
If he followed that logic, whatever happened to his towel was more rational than being unable to fold something and falling asleep next to him, but less than just not noticing a drawer was still open.
But not so undisciplined as to not get a pillow first.
He firmly turned to the next task.
"Somebody's been looking through my desk," he said in a self-consciously grouchy voice. Seeing what she did while he was out was easier if he took it as mildly amusing.
Saki hadn't woken up yet. It wasn't a good idea to stay too long, but if she was tired enough to fall asleep there, he was sure she had to be exhausted.
I have some paperwork to do. Where it's done won't matter.
He had to do a 'report,' to go on file somewhere and not be read. It still had to be plausible as possible.
Akito had washed his hands of the matter. As soon as he'd seen Saki, he'd freaked out. Akito was extremely paranoid, but if he didn't want to hear about a subject, it was immediately taboo. Saki, unless Akito brought her up, was off limits as a topic.
Short term, it was a blessing. Long term, it was very bad.
Hana woke as she turned onto her back. Her head protested any effort to unravel the painful knot of memory. It was there, but would have to wait until she felt nicer. It would most likely come if she needed it. Hana rarely had anything until she needed it.
She had gotten pretty good at improvising her way out of bad situations. No knight in shining armor to save Hana. If one showed up, he'd probably only live long enough to annoy the dragon and leave her with his charred sword. While appropriately phallic, it still meant if she wanted company, the dragon would have to be it.
Damn dragons.
"'Morning."
"Eh?"
"Good morning, Saki-kun."
She looked up. The upside-down figure of Hatori was sitting at the desk, dashing of notes on thick stationary.
"It's morning?"
"Yes. About seven. Saturday."
"Saturday? Nnnn... I missed class yesterday..."
"Oh dear." He glanced back at her, "What can I do?"
"You could break my legs. I'd have a good excuse then."
"I apologize."
"Not your problem, Hato-san."
The corners of his mouth twitched inwards, and he faced his paperwork again.
He didn't expect me to remember that.
"The bath's full, if you want it. Clean towel on the right, soap behind a panel on the wall."
She sat up.
"I'm not on my side of the table."
"You weren't when I woke up, either."
"Yes."
He swiveled the chair towards her. Glancing over his shoulder was probably awkward. Hatori's right eye was closer to the door than the table, so if he really needed to see her, and not just be polite, he had face her.
"So, you remember last night?"
"Yes."
"You aren't acting like you do."
"How would I act differently?"
Hatori didn't answer.
Hana tried to think of a way to rephrase, "If you had done the equivalent, how would you act?"
"I would lie, or avoid the topic."
"I ought to be ashamed?" she asked.
"No."
"Then why is there a problem?"
It was Hatori's turn to rephrase, "It was obvious what happened."
She frowned. "We didn't. I'm sure."
He looked aghast. "No. You just rifled through everything."
"Oh. That."
"Are you disoriented?"
"Yes. Very."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten you drunk."
"That's not it at all. It's you. The dempa tells me a lot. I always know what to do and say, even if I don't know why. I don't know what to do."
"Oh."
The plastic supporting the back of the chair squeaked as he slouched so that he could put his head on the back of his chair. He'd missed a few minute spots the lat time he shaved, leaving small, dark hairs on the underside of his jaw, just visible from her distance.
"I have no appointments today, and little else to do. I am very poor company," he said.
"Oh?"
"I am sure you have things you like to do."
Hana didn't know why he was so sure about that. What Hana wanted most of the time was to be alone, away from people's intrusive whims. Hatori barely was there as far as the dempa was concerned, but far from being less frustrating, he was more. She was having to rely entirely on social cues, which frequently lied, she knew.
But she could talk to him.
"What does Hato-san do outside?"
"I... don't go outside much. Not unless I have an excuse."
Hana looked around. The apartment had no windows or balcony, like most apartments that size did. It had no radio, and no television. There were no decorations of any kind, like the lacquered landscapes on the doors of the closets in his quarters. The air was stale, and the florescent lights shone bright and unnatural.
She would have trouble staying there long. It wasn't designed for someone who liked solitude.
She knew he liked one thing. However, she didn't want to confuse the situation.
"When did you first go to the Plum Festival?"
He lifted his head up to look at her.
"Middle school. I was thirteen. Why?"
Hana relaxed, "I am overdue then."
"You've never been?"
"No."
"I should say. How soon will you be ready?"
Hana looked down at her skirt and blouse.
"I need to bathe, but after that, I can go. Is there any here rope?"
"Rope?" a muscle at the corner of his mouth jumped.
Hana pulled the bottom of her blouse tight and then let go. The wrinkles sprang back.
"Bath. Hot water makes steam."
"Clothesline is above the washer," he said.
She glared at him as she stood and walked over to get it, and continued to as she slid the door closed.
He was almost pleasant for a moment. What the hell is wrong with this guy?
After Saki closed the door, Hatori removed his glasses and rubbed the heals of his palms into his eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" he muttered.
They left the safe house, both grouchy.
"Why aren't we going by train?"
"Because I don't like the train."
Saki looked skeptical. He didn't know what there was to be skeptical about.
"Is it safe for you to drive all the time?"
"I rarely do at night. I can see fine." That time he deliberately misinterpreted.
All relationships are based in honesty, he'd heard. He believed instead that they were based in "good faith," as the contract lawyers put it. People lie all the time, feign interest, tell their wives they're the prettiest woman they'd been with. There was a difference between lying and deceiving someone. Saki'd said something while he was thinking.
"What?"
"If you don't want to answer, just say so."
He didn't want to answer, but he still would.
"I didn't hear the question."
"... I said 'It's strange how you always have a space somewhere.' You don't have to look for parking."
"I suppose it is."
He flipped on the turn signal, and turned his head so he could look at his side view mirror. He backed into the space and shut off his car.
"Does your whole family have this privilege?"
"You think we do something as petty as make sure I have a parking space?"
She stared at him. She didn't blink nearly enough. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Yes. I think if it meant they knew where you were and you knew it. Would that be worth the effort to them?"
He took a moment to relax. He turned into a seahorse, he supposed that wasn't any less weird.
"No. I'm the only one with a car, that I know of."
"Shigure-san has one."
"Shigure has a toy he never plays with. Nobody makes arrangements for him."
"Hmmm."
There was no way she was satisfied with his answer, but her headache was a little better. She stopped pestering him. They were almost directly across from the shrine.
The Family had a very specific way it worked- do what you're told, and your kids will get in nice schools, debts disappeared- nice things happened. They were getting enough in exchange to know that, whatever the reason was, nice things might go away if they asked questions like 'why?'
The road was thick with visitors. Past the arch, it cleared some. Hatori was still mindful of the sheer number of women. More than half were female, and most were young, and many were flighty- a quality he liked, but was forced to discourage. He scowled at them as they flitted past. They'd pause in mid smile and back out of his way.
Hana glanced up at him. If he was enjoying the temple, it wasn't apparent to her. She didn't really like crowds either, but he was terrified.
He barely glanced at the booths, and kept walking, pausing only to give stern looks. Everyone, consciously or unconsciously, stayed about a foot away from him, as if they believed he'd looked through them and found some dirty spot on their soul.
They found him more intimidating than her. That was new.
His knuckles were white, they were clenched so tightly. When he noticed her looking at them out of the corner of his eye, he shoved them in his pockets.
"Yes. I usually come on weekdays."
He scanned the crowd in vain for any way to get someplace out of the way.
If he were more inclined to panic, he'd have tried to jump the wall. That would have caused a scene.
They'd gone half way around the shrine, when he noticed an open bench. He sat and inhaled for the first time since he got there.
She sat next to him. "Is something wrong?"
"No."
He was out and out lying to her. He was terrified. Why?
I can find out...
Hana slipped out of her shoe, exposing a bare foot. She extended her leg and carefully moved the cuff of his pants up just enough to touch the bare skin.
Hatori and Saki both jumped, barking in surprise at the same time. Hana didn't even have time to feel anything before he'd startled, and her along with him.
Hana caught her breath first, and slipped her shoe back on.
"Why are you that scared?"
Hatori gave her an incredulous look, "Scared of what?"
"Do you not know, or are you faking not knowing?"
"I don't know what to say to that. If you could point me in the right direction, I'm sure I could give you a satisfactory answer. What do you think I'm scared of?" He glanced down at her foot. She blushed.
"I… don't know." He was going to pursue it, but Hana suddenly looked up. "There is a child."
He followed her gaze. There was, indeed, a child. A boy, a little older than a toddler, was looking up through the indifferent passers-by.
"How long has he been there?"
"A few seconds. He is lost and he knows it. No one is looking for him."
"How can you tell?"
"Someone would be panicking."
He wondered for a moment how she would know no one was panicking, and then remembered the dempa thing. He'd never seen her use it on other people.
"Why can't you just tell who's the mother?"
"Even f I could, explaining to a complete stranger how I knew would get me committed."
He glared over at her.
"What?" she said.
She contemplated zapping him before remembering she'd have to touch him to do it.
Hatori took a deep breath and stood. He walked, very carefully through the crowd, and came up behind the boy. She saw him force his shoulders to relax, kneel and tap the child on the shoulder. The toddler turned around, and Hatori said something. The boy nodded. The kid's sleeve got a new snail trail as he wiped his nose and tried not to cry. Hatori straightened and the boy grabbed two of the tall man's fingers. The pair walked back to the bench.
"You're taking him?"
"Taking?"
"His mother will worry."
"She'll worry more if he wanders off with no one to watch him."
Hatori sat and easily lifted the dark haired boy onto the bench next to him. He had red shirt and a cap on. He'd lost his jacket somewhere. The older man took off his coat and tucked it under the child's arms, leaving part of the kid's back exposed.
"Why not cover his arms, too?"
"His shirt is what they'll look for."
She glanced over at him. The little boy fidgeted and sucked on his own fingers.
"He's nervous."
"Shh. Hey, what's your name? Hatori is mine. That," he waved in her direction, "is Saki-chan."
"'Chan?'"
"What's he supposed to call you?" he said.
The boy looked over at her. She smiled, very quickly.
But it was real, and it totally changed her face. He knew she was young, but for the first time, she looked like she felt it.
Hatori looked at the boy, who slowly smiled back.
"...'m Kobo"
"No."
"Kobo-kun has a fine name." Hatori said, seriously. His slight frown intensified and he nodded in approval.
This was funny to the child, for some reason. He grinned up at Hatori. His nose dribbled, so the older man took out his package of tissues, and produced one. He wiped the area, then pressed the tissue against the kid's nose.
"Blow," he ordered.
Hana was slightly horrified. She supposed they couldn't take the kid to the bathroom, but it was still not good in public. The kid obeyed, and Hatori dropped the tissue in the adjacent wastebasket. The child and he exchanged smiles, Hatori's small, and the boy's blissfully happy.
Kobo was extremely happy, more than Hana would have expected. She looked closer at the boy's dempa.
Oh.
Hatori bounced his knee lightly, and started chanting something under his breath while she was investigating.
"What is that?"
"Huh?"
"What are you saying?"
"Well, Momiji liked it... insisted on it, once in awhile. Not past ten years old, though."
"What is it?"
"It's German. Just a nursery rhyme."
"What, like Mother Goose?" she said.
"No, those are English. You know those?"
"I know. I remember a few I had to read, although I can't do them well."
"Hmm. Well, my German is poor."
"Overly?"
"Incoherence is perhaps too excited. But he is a very excitable young man."
Saki was thinking. She flashed yet another smile at Kobo. She started speaking, quietly, in mediocre English to the boy:
"There was a crooked man
Who walked a crooked mile
He found a crooked sixpence
against a crooked stile
be bought a crooked cat,
who caught a crooked mouse
and they all lived together
in a crooked little house."
Hatori snorted.
"What? I didn't do well in English."
"No, you did fine. I think I know that guy."
"Birds of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
And so will I have mine."
"I don't know any more." she said. Something about how she said it felt strange to Hatori.
"Just a poem."
"It isn't right to say those things in mixed company."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"I'm just not comfortable reciting poetry in another language.
"We could try Japanese. Do you know any from uta-garuta?"
"Ugh. That's so cheezy."
They were referring to a matching game. Someone would recite the first two lines of a poem, and then everyone would scramble to find the card they thought had the last two lines.
"I'll have you know I'm very good at it. I have a few memorized."
"Of course you do. I don't remember the first half of any."
"Well, pick a number. I might know it. Actually, knowing you, I probably will know it."
"OK." she seemed to like the idea. "Um… forty."
"Ohho."
"What?"
"Not in mixed company."
"What? No, tell me."
"But your virgin ears."
"I meant the kid."
"Kobo-kun has been asleep for five minutes."
Hana blinked. She'd been distracted...
"It's a coincidence." she said.
"Of course it is." His face was stone straight. "It's not like you're psychic."
Saki started tapping her heel on the stone walkway.
"Kobo-chan!"
Hatori and Hana's heads turned toward the sound. A woman, closer to Hatori's age than Hana's, pushed her way through the crowd. She was in all white. She ran up and grabbed the child so quickly that Hatori had no time to react.
The boy woke and started crying a little, until he was aware of who it was.
"Ouuuch! Mommy! Too tight!"
She held him out in front of her, "You...! Kobo-chan, you worried me! Don't you ever wander off! Not ever! What do you say, when you worry people?"
"Sorry, mommy."
"Ohh, you better be! Just tell me if you want to look around. I can get your uncle to take you walking." The woman looked up and bowed, "Thank you very much for taking care of my son."
"That's quite all right."
Hatori stiffened for a moment when he felt Saki's arm loop under his. He looked down. She was smiling sunnily at the woman.
"What can I do for you two? My shop is a little ways off... you both are welcome!"
"No, I cannot impo-"
"Don't be silly, Hatori. We would love to visit your shop. We will of course look in on you before we go."
"It's the bookshop. My husband's brother runs one of the food stands. You are both welcome anytime."
"It was such a pleasure sitting with Kobo-chan, we will be glad to repay you by visiting."
"Oh, no, I meant I was the one who should repay you!"
They talked back and forth, insisting who was going to repay whom for what by visiting the woman's shop. Hatori wasn't sure who won, but he thought it might be Saki.
The whole thing would have been a lot easier to follow, and therefore interject on, if every movement and every reference to him was in terms of... coupledom.
"See you soon!" the woman said.
"Yes, soon."
Saki nudged him to wave. He did so reluctantly. When the woman rounded the corner, Saki let go, and the smile disappeared along with her arm. Hatori was the first to break the long silence.
"What was that about?"
"What do you mean?"
"You wanted her to think we were a couple."
Saki looked up at him, "You're an idiot."
"What?"
"It was obvious."
"What was obvious?" he said.
"Do you think I was jealous of her? You did think she was pretty."
"What? No. She was, but I'm not looking for that."
"Really."
"If you aren't... jealous, then what? I don't know." he said.
"She's a widow. She thought I was happy, and it made her happy. I wasn't going to correct her."
"That was not obvious."
She fumed for a minute. "Fine." Saki stood very suddenly and walked a short distance. She stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"If we're going to the shop, we should now."
Hatori walked behind her to the bookshop. She didn't stop for anyone, and people stared as they jumped aside for her. Hatori could've kept up, but he would've run the risk of bumping into one of the confused women she left in her wake. He got there a minute behind her.
The 'bookshop' did have a few books, but those were toward the back. The front held good luck charms, daruna dolls, and various other spiritually endowed baubles.
A blessed key chain made him wonder if everything blessed was for sale, or if it was the extra blessing that was worth the extra price.
He saw Saki lifting a book. She closed her eyes briefly, before opening it quickly to some specific page. She read for a moment, then re-read.
40:
ALAS! the blush upon my cheek,
Conceal it as I may,
Proclaims to all that I'm in love,
Till people smile and say—
'Where are thy thoughts to-day?'
"Shit," he lip read. She put the book down and hurried to another section, and intensely looked at the wall. He couldn't help but smile.
Of course it was a coincidence. He wouldn't have given her a hard time if it wasn't.
She wasn't acting like it was.
Saki bought something, and haggled with the widowed woman so she wouldn't get a discount. Hatori stayed out of it. They settled on a 10 percent discount on some sort of inexpensive trinket.
Hatori asked a question or two designed to find out her last name. In two months, she received a phone call from a life insurance company informing her her husband had taken out a very large plan she hadn't known about before he died. Hatori wouldn't have interfered, but he got to play with her kid. Only fair.
Hatori missed Momiji to an extent that was silly. Momiji was abandoned at a time in Hatori's life when Hatori needed to take care of someone as much as Momiji had needed care. It'd been a good fit. Momiji had moved out a few months back, and Hatori had ceased to take care of himself as well. Nobody needed him to be healthy, he'd chain smoke and forget meals if he liked.
He saw Saki and the widow's conversation wind down. He came up behind them.
"...well, you're young yet. My husband was a little older too. Don't worry, it does work out well. "
"Oh, I don't suppose I worry much. You're sure your son isn't too shaken up?"
"No! To tell the truth, I could hardly put Kobo-chan down, for how excited he was.
"Down?"
"For a nap," Hatori said.
The woman's eyes lit with realization. Saki felt the woman transfer him from the category of 'man older than me' to 'fellow parent.' Her impression of him also went up a few notches.
"Yes. Sensei left an impression on him!"
"Sensei?" Hana said.
"He called him that. I'm sorry, is that not right?"
"I... am a doctor. I do get called that, by a few people," he didn't add they were people he wasn't close to. "I never told him I was one."
"A doctor? Oooh." She looked sideways at Hana. "And very good with children. Kobo-kun is hard to get to talk these days..." the woman's smile faltered, "Well, thank you very much. It's nice to see him like that again."
The woman lost her composure.
"Please excuse me."
"More than alright."
"Are you sure you can't stay for tea...?"
Hatori shook his head. "Unfortunately..."
"Ah. Well, very nice to meet you two! Oh, Hana-san...?" The woman beckoned her to come in close. Hana complied.
"If he's a keeper, snap him up. Even if they want to stay forever, there's never enough time to waste."
Hana swallowed, "Y-yeah," She backed away and exchanged bows, before leaving the store.
She walked slowly, wiping away tears from her face. She wasn't sad, but the woman... Hana felt like a sack of bricks were sitting on her chest. It would subside in a moment if she got a little distance between them.
"You OK?"
Hana wheeled around to see Hatori silhouetted in the afternoon light. He saw her lips part in the beginning of an overjoyed smile before she blinked, and it was gone. Her face fell.
"What?"
"I... thought you were my husband."
"...Y-you don't have one." he stammered out.
"Ugh. No. I thought you were... hers. Sorry."
Hatori hoped Hana didn't know he could hear them. He wondered, did she have to deal with that all the time?
The crowds had thinned out a little. There was a garden they turned in to, as if by silent agreement.
Hana reached into the paper bag and pulled out what she bought. He couldn't see what it was, since she was on the left side of him. A small rustling noise slightly behind him piqued his interest, but he stayed quiet.
"Oh, damn." she said.
"Yes?"
She pointed to a slip of paper she'd pulled out of the trinket box "It says they attract one another. Bad friendships, ruined by competition, but otherwise alarmingly drawn to each other. I thought this might ward them off. Should have gotten a tiger instead."
"What?"
"Dragons attract other Dragons. How am I supposed to slay them all if they're attracted to me?"
Hatori froze in the middle of the path. Hana didn't notice, and ran straight into him.
She felt the heat of his back through the layers of cloth as she pressed against him. She was about to draw back, when a 'pop' filled the air around her, along with a great deal of smoke.
Hatori wasn't there. What little she could sense of him was completely gone.
She looked down. His clothes were there, Hatori notably absent from them. One of the sleeves hung into an ornamental pond. She began to kneel to pull it out, when the pond belched tan smoke and lurched. The dempa sensed a horrible white shriek, followed by utter silence. She steadied herself and reached in to pull the sleeve out.
When she did, fingers brushed against her hand. The most clear thoughts she'd ever heard from him came through.
-SHIT. She saw me, no way she didn't. Can't avoid it now-
They drew back.
He was panicked. He was naked? Obviously he was naked. He had no clothes on. The pond was murky, but shallow. He didn't want to come up for air naked?
Her dempa had been acting funny. There was always an element of survival, in dempa. She found money and food, avoided danger, looked for shelter when it was cold out. Dempa was just another instinct. It had to be interpreted, and sometimes ignored. No, she would not trade sexual favors for fast food. Not even if she was really hungry.
Right now, it was telling her he needed to breathe, and couldn't come up. Why would the dempa want to save him? No time to think about it.
She breathed deeply, and plunged her head under the water. It was murky and stung, so she closed her eyes. She got a very brief view of Hatori's face as he looked up, shoulders bare, torso disappearing into the gray-green.
She tapped her lips and hoped he'd get the message.
His hand touched her face and she opened her mouth.
His lips are soft. Huh.
He inhaled deeply as she exhaled. He was concentrating on not thinking. The panic was dissipating, but below it was a slow, aching horror that quickly became unbearable.
-...it doesn't matter anymore-
His other hand snaked around the back of her head as his tilted a little more. She lost all her air through her nose in surprise. The wind chilled her cheeks when he pushed their heads to the surface, still kissing her as he did.
Hana felt detached, as his emotions surged through her. He felt hundreds of things that she couldn't connect with wanting to kiss her. Horrible loneliness, anger, tension. Her dempa, much like her sense of smell did when she passed a garbage burning facility, shut down entirely.
She could taste him. She never thought people actually tasted like anything, like Shigure's novels would say. Hatori tasted faintly of cigarettes and something she could only assume was Hatori himself.
She felt herself lean into him, but he startled and pulled away. Hana made a faint noise of disappointment. That had been interesting. Their mouths were still open, panting into each other. She was breathing much harder than he was.
"You… have to breathe…when you're kissed. You could get dizzy." he said, barely loud enough for her to hear.
Hana nodded.
I am dizzy, and I suppose a doctor would know these things. Of course, a doctor would know other things. I feel really odd in certain places. Probably rude to ask about those parts in public and... OH, GOD. Shutup Shutup Shutup. You're getting distracted. no need to get distracted he just... SHUT UP.
Her mouth had gone dry, for some reason. She tried to lick her lips, but her tongue darted out too far and wetted Hatori's instead. He made a noise and kissed her again, softer than before. His hands came to rest gently on her ribs, thumbs barely touching the outer curve of her breasts. She pulled back after a few seconds.
"Nnn?"
"Clothes. You need clothes." she said. Her voice had gone hoarse. Hatori couldn't seem to stop looking at her lips, for some reason. She bit her lip lightly and found it hurt, when it normally wouldn't.
"I... I can go behind a bush," he was also having trouble talking.
"No. People here," she managed.
Hatori's eyes snapped open, "How long?"
"Two since before you disappeared. Four more later. They're watching."
She opened her eyes. His eyes gave the impression in a certain light of being reptilian, but it was more than an impression now. He moved to the edge and positioned his arms to lift himself out of the water.
"No." Hana said. The dempa 'woke up' and frantically warned against him getting out yet. She gathered his clothes and held them out to him.
"You don't want to be seen naked, right? Not something you'd want people to remember."
He narrowed his eyes at her, but nodded. He took them and disappeared again back into the water. Hana turned to face the crowd. There were now eight of them, more than half around her age. One was young, another two an older couple. Hana gave a small smile and waved. The young girl waved back, but the older woman hushed her, and pointed back at Hana, whispering something to the girl.
Oh.
It was a couple of minutes, and Hatori still hadn't come back up. She glanced behind her. Slowly, she backed on her knees toward the pool and skimmed something off the surface, then sat on it. Hana dipped her fingers into the water again. Hatori tapped them. He was fine...
The people were beginning to whisper. She smiled at them again, the cheesiest one she could manage.
Hatori came back up and went to the edge of the pool. He'd put on his tie. The people behind her made a collective noise.
Saki took something out from under her, and held it out. She didn't look at him.
"These got away from you."
He snatched the briefs from her and shoved them into his pocket, then waded to the edge of the pool and lifted himself out. The people were tittering about something, but he didn't care.
Down to business. Shit.
He began a slow, deliberate walk toward them. Water rolled down his brow and cheeks, giving the brief impression he was crying. The people who'd been watching froze, like rodents freeze when they know a predator has found them, and she heard that loud ungodly white whine that'd overwhelmed her when she first heard it. It was so loud, she thought, of course they must hear it too, somehow.
Saki grabbed his hand, hard. His head jerked around.
"Bow." she said through gritted teeth.
He snapped out of it.
Not for long, if I screw up.
"What?" he said.
"BOW. You have to. If you don't-"
She looked him up and down, urgently trying to find anything that he might listen to, and finally settled on "I'll- I won't forgive you."
He paused a moment. He turned fully toward her and bowed.
The tittering behind him rose again. The old man was loudest.
They're laughing?
"Not good enough," Saki said. She grabbed his ear hard enough to hurt and turned him toward the audience.
"Bow."
He repeated the gesture, less sure of himself. They laughed again. She patted him on the back of his head, still holding him in the bow.
Saki bowed too.
"Thank you all!"
There was an apathetic applause. The old couple and the girl left first, as the girl was visibly shaken and needed to be taken away from the Scary Man and reassured. The kids Saki's age were discussing something.
"...She wasn't that young for him. It could just be feminine empowerment... something."
"Good acting, anyways."
"Good? It was stupid. I hate performance art, it's so pretentious. They should drop it and just go with the magic act."
"You barely SAW the magic act. The getting dressed underwater thing was..."
They continued arguing.
"You shouldn't have stopped me."
"Why?"
"They saw."
"Saw what?"
He looked back at her.
"You did as well," he said accusingly.
"No. My eyes were closed the whole time, I'm afraid."
"Wait, what?"
"You kissed me. You were also there, as I recall?"
"I mean before that!"
"Oh. Don't do that again."
"What?"
"Disappear. You disappeared. They saw you."
"Did you see?"
"No. It's impossible to see a person disappear. They're gone, when they do."
"How did you know I did, then?"
"They saw it, and thought it was a magic trick. My eyes were closed when I bumped into you. I just felt you weren't there anymore. Don't do that, it was confusing."
"Don't you want to know how?"
Hana shrugged, "Do you want to tell me? I will listen, if you do. Otherwise, I don't think I can come up with what actually happened. No point. I am pretty sure you kissed me though. I think."
"Yes. Come to think of it, you did," she looked up at him. "Huh."
"Wouldn't you know?"
"Lots of people were thinking very loudly at me about it, so I might be mistaken. Please correct me if you didn't."
Hatori looked like a man about to tear his hair out. Hana looked at the ground.
"Oops."
She bent over and picked up the little thing she'd bought, and the accompanying booklet.
It was a necklace made of silver. It had, as a center link in a long chain, a pendant with a dragon coming out of stylized clouds.
"Don't wear that." he said.
"What?"
"Not in public. It isn't safe."
"Oh? I really am having dragon trouble? I though it was a metaphor. Dragons do attract other dragons, then?"
"Yes. So... in private, it should be fine. If you must."
"Is it safe in private?" She watched him for a moment. "... No. It's not, is it?"
"I ought to drive you home now."
"Oh?"
"Your parents will be worried."
She looked shocked, then disappointed. "I thought you knew. No. Dad died. Mom went to grandma's. Megumi and I are in school, so I'm watching him"
"Oh."
"But you are right, he'll wonder where I am. Let's go."
Hana walked out of the shrine, Hatori squishing beside her.