Chapter 10

Edited December 18th, 2016

Disclaimer: I don't own it...wish I did though...

Hatori closed his mouth after shaking off the shock. He tilted his head back against the headrest. "She said she loves me and I told her I feel the same."

"But let me guess," Shigure took a drag of the cigarette he had just stolen from the dragon's sliver case. "You didn't actually say 'I love you' to my darling little flower?"

The doctor didn't reply immediately. He sunk back into the leather office chair and looked to the ceiling. "...No, but she knows that I do."

The hibe leaned forward and placed his elbow on the desktop, his chin resting on his hand. "Tori-san, you don't have anything to worry about anymore. There's no one to hurt Tohru-chan so you can tell her. You've got to push those thoughts aside that something bad will happen simply because you say 'I love you' to a person."

Ayame was right. It was something he already knew, but it had been simply too ingrained in his mind and soul. "I know Aya, but you know that for me, love has come to equal pain for everyone involved...I do want to be able to say them to her."

"Okay then!" Ayame started with happiness in his voice. "We'll practice!"

"What?" The dragon and the dog said in unison.

"Come on Tori-san, it's a great idea! The more you say those words and see that nothing will happen, it will take less time for you to actually feel comfortable saying it. We all know that Tohru is the type of person that doesn't need to hear that she's loved because she can see and feel it simply by looking at you. I can see it now..." The hibe's eyes took on a sparkle that both men knew quite well. When Aya got like this, they didn't know what words would come flying from his mouth or what he would do.

Hatori groaned.

Ayame stood and without warning, grabbed Shigure's arm, causing the inu yelp in surprise. "Tori! You'll sweep Tohru into your arms like this-" He yanked Shigure into his arms and pulled him to his chest. "And say, 'my beautiful Tohru! I love you!'

"She'll say 'Oh Hatori! I love you too!'" He said, doing a bad impression of Tohru's voice before dipping a still surprised inu. "And then you'll dip her like this and lay a big, passionate kiss on her lips...like this!"

Shigure never had a chance...

Ayame pressed his lips to Shigure's in a loud and sloppy kiss before dropping the inu on the carpet. "After this, you'll have Tohru melting in your warm embrace." He said with a happy sigh.

As Shigure sputtered and groaned on the floor, Hatori was having a difficult time containing his laughter behind his hand. Tears welled up in his hazel eyes when the inu moved to his knees in front of the desk, pouting up at the hibe. "Aya-san, you're a rough lover."

"No I'm not. I just know you like a little pain, 'Gure-chan." He gave the dragon a wink before reclaiming his seat with a wide grin. The golden-eyed man looked to his cousin as he regained control over his amusement.

"Tori-san?" Ayame called in a sweet tone.

Hazel eyes gazed up suspiciously at the silver haired man before answering him with a suspicious 'what?'

"Tell me you love me."

"What!?"

"You heard me. Say 'Ayame, I love you.'"

"No."

"Come on Tori-san!"

Shigure, who had slumped to the floor in his laughter, peeked over the desk. "Yeah Tori-san, say it."

Hatori glared at the inu before flicking his silver cigarette case and sending it sliding fast across the desktop. Dark eyes widened as the metal case hit the bridge of his nose. Shigure rubbed the red spot that had formed as Hatori smirked.

"Ha-san is mean!" He whined with a pout.

"You deserved it." Hatori replied dryly.

"Don't distract him, Gure-san." Ayame said, petting the inu's head as if he were in his juunishi form.

"No, Ayame."

"Please Tori? Pretty, pretty please? Just once?"

The doctor glared as the hibe continued to beg. A sigh escaped his lips and his eyes closed.

"Just repeat after me." Aya said, gaining another sigh from the dragon. "I-"

-Sigh- "I-"

"Love-"

-Pause and sighs once more- "Love-"

"You Ayame!" The platinum haired man said with flourish as he stood.

"You...Ayame." The doctor forced from his lips.

"Now put it all together!"

Hatori closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep calming breath. "I...I love...you, Ayame."

Before the doctor knew it, the silver haired man was in his lap and squealing happily. "I LOVE YOU TOO 'TORI-SAN!"

The hibe chattered at a mile a minute while clinging to him. Hatori hear Shigure's insane laughter from somewhere below the level of the desk. He closed his eyes and shook his head. 'I knew I should have resisted and kept my mouth shut...' he thought as the man in his lap continued to talk.

o-o Author's Notes o-o

hehehe -dodges anything that is thrown- This was the shortest chapter that I have ever written. It took about 30 minutes to do it

-Cuddles Ayame- he's just so cute that I had to do something for him and for some reason, I could see him doing this so clearly…it was almost like part of an episode playing in my head…but maybe that was just me :-D Plus, he just wants his Tori-san to be happy.

I want to thank all of you for reviewing this story so far and for those of you who are waiting for 'Always Smiling' or 'My Light', They are in the works. Things are just going very slowly for me.

Those of you who are reading this fic in particular…LUCKY YOU! This is the story that acts like my break while writing the other two. If I get stuck on ideas or I lose my flow for AS or ML, I pull out this one and it just all comes pouring out.

-glares at muse- It seems as though she's favoring fruits basket and my more -cough- hentai-ish stories.

Remi the muse: It's not my fault!

YES IT IS! Um…yeah, anyway. No updates anytime this weekend. I'm completely reformatting my computer so I will be burning like crazy to save the 300+ anime episodes , 100+ mp3's, and 1500+ word files. Seriously guys and gals, you should SEE how many labeled and carefully organized burned cds I have on my desk, bookshelf and Tv…it's insane! –Pets her burner-

Hopefully with this reformat, my ms word and printer drivers will work again. I think my computer has some emotional problems…

-Grabs Remi by the ear and drags her away- Bye everyone, thanks for reading and if you'd like, review!

Ezzie