GOOD OLD FASHION SCHOOL OF LOVERBOYS
Chapter Twelve: Swallowed In The Sea
THIS IS SLIGHTLY AU SO JUST GO WITH IT.
Hatori was just handing Ritsu and Tohru towels to dry off when Hatori's cell phone vibrated from his jacket set on a chair in the dining room. He crossed to the chair in a few easy strides. Hatori picked up the phone and hung up in a matter of heartbeats. He turned to face the still wet Tohru and Ritsu quickly.
"Akito would like a word, Ritsu."
Ritsu broke from his new aura of smiles and stood frozen in Hatori's dining room. Hatori saw his eyes that were full of excitement and affection just a moment ago was now clouded by the usual anxiety Ritsu carried around with him.
"Tohru! Ritsu! Why are you guys so wet?" Momiji appeared in the kitchen.
"Momiji, could you go with Ritsu to the Main House? Akito would like to speak with him," Hatori asked Momiji. Momiji's smile faded and he nodded. He and Ritsu made for the door, leaving Tohru with only glances of something in their eyes Tohru couldn't quite recognize. Was it fear? No, not exactly…
"G-Goodbye," Tohru said meekly. The two younger Sohmas nodded and left.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Tohru stood in the neat, clean kitchen in Hatori's house. She was lost in her thoughts, forgetting her hair was soaking and dripping on Hatori's spotless wood floor. She was so wrapped up in that look she saw in Momiji's and Ritsu's eyes…
Not fear.
Not anger.
Not really sadness.
Not hopelessness…not quite.
Hatori kept his eyes on Tohru as her hair ruined his floor. That look of overwhelming concern, the way her hair clung around her neck and shoulders, the way that pink flush was on her nose and cheeks…
It was just like the day he proposed.
It was raining. It was the first day of Fall and it came pouring down on him and Kana as they were walking in the park. She laughed and twirled in the rain, pulling him away from the protection of the trees he was trying to hide under. She laughed and he couldn't help but smile and let the rain wash over him like a hug she could never give him. His smile turned into a chuckle, turned into a laugh. He grabbed her hand and they stood there in the heavy rain, kissing.
It was a perfect moment.
It was like all the love in the World was raining down on them.
"I love you. Kana, I want to marry you. I want to start a family with you. I want my life to have your love raining down on me until I am soaking wet and I can't feel my toes and nose anymore. I want to be showered with you everyday for the rest of my life, Kana."
"Hatori, you've never, you've never said anything like that before."
"Kana, I don't want to hide away anymore. I don't want to be cold. I want your warmth and your love. I want to melt away and turn into water and have all of me rain down on you, the way you rain down on me. I don't want to be sad anymore. I don't want to feel like my World turns for my curse. I want it to turn so that I can see you the next day and the next…"
Kana was crying. Hatori could tell because her eyes were now becoming red. The rain was mixing with their tears and as Hatori was speaking, he couldn't taste the salt of his tears or the rain, but only the sweet words he had longed all his life to say.
"Y-Yes! I want to marry you, too! I love you, Hatori." Kana kissed him and gripped tighter at his hands. He longed to fully take her in his arms, but for now this was enough. They were in love and that was enough.
Or so they thought.
They spent the rest of the day laughing, kissing and dreaming about their future—still under the pour of the rain. They were walking back to Hatori's house, hand in hand, when Hatori told Kana he had to tell Akito about their engagement. Her face dropped quickly and a look of overwhelming concern, not for herself, but for him washed over her face.
"Are you afraid?"
He could tell she was, but he could also tell she wanted to be strong for him.
"Don't be afraid, Kana. We're going to be married. I love you."
"I love you, too Hatori."
And they spent the rest of the week recovering from their severe colds. It was a perfect week.
The kettle whistled from the kitchen and Hatori and Tohru were both brought back down to the present time. Hatori went to get the tea while Tohru properly dried off and tried to clean the puddle formed at her feet.
"I'm so sorry Hatori! I was thinking and I just blanked—"
"It's quite all right, Tohru. Please sit and have some tea. You'll catch a fever if you over exert yourself."
Tohru sat down and she and Hatori drank tea. A few moments of nothing but the heavy rhythmic drops of the rain on the roof could be heard when Hatori finally spoke.
"Ritsu will be fine. There is no need to worry."
Tohru blushed and kept her head down. Hatori couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you for tea, Hatori," Tohru said. Hatori nodded. Tohru began to squirm a little in her seat. A look of unsure tinting her face.
"I will be able to drive you home whenever the rain becomes less severe."
"Y-You don't have—"
"It's no problem at all Tohru. You don't actually think I will let you walk home with the weather the way it is?"
Tohru's blush deepened. Hatori suddenly wondered how many shades there were between the lightest pink and the deepest red/ He figured he might see them all with the way Tohru was.
The rain began to pour harder. Tohru thought the shingles on Hatori's roof sounded as though they were singing. The minutes passed, the tea cooled and no more words passed between Tohru and Hatori. An hour had passed and the rain didn't let out, not even a little.
"The rain doesn't seem to want to stop pouring," Tohru finally commented. She was dry now, thanks to more tea, warm blankets and the heater Hatori blasted for her benefit.
"You may have to spend the night."
"Oh n-no! I couldn't do that!"
"Do I scare you that much?"
"No! It isn't that! I mean—you don't scare me at all! I just meant that I couldn't possibly impose on you any more than I already have!"
Hatori counted at least three different shades.
"Tohru. You are not any sort of trouble at all. You're part of this family now."
"You've never, you've never said anything like that before."
Hatori was taken aback. Why did he say that? It's not that he didn't mean it, it's just…He supposed it was the heavy rain that was catching him off guard.
"Thank you," Tohru said. Hatori counted another shade.
"…You're welcome."
The rain continued to fall and threatened to keep falling forever. And in some ways it did.
A/N: Please don't threaten me with "not reading my fic any longer." I don't care—stop reading. I write for myself, and I love feedback so I can get better at writing, but if you're going to tell me what to do, well you can go to hell.
And for those of you who enjoy this fic, thanks for sticking with it. You guys' teams will be updated I promise. Next chapter probably, the chapter after FOR SURE. Hearts and hugs! Not form me, but from my Sohma boys to you! Lolz.
THE METAPHOR: It was fairly easily spotted by most of you, but I did write it in a more specific light than most of you thought. It was specifically about Yuki and Kyo. Oh, and yes the thing was the umbrella.
Yuki and Kyo are the umbrella and Tohru loves [it/them to death. When it's [pouring/things in life are hard she has her [umbrella/Yuki and Kyo to keep her [dry/going and even though the [rain/hardships of life have torn up [the umbrella/Yuki and Kyo she will never [throw it away/abandon or leave them. Though it may just be easier to [buy a new umbrella/forget Yuki and Kyo she just couldn't and doesn't want to. Instead, she will [patch up the umbrella/be the one to fix Yuki and Kyo the way her mother taught her (meaning her mother taught her how to fix a broken umbrella much like the way her mother taught her to be the person she is which is the exact thing that Yuk and Kyo need to get fixed). And even though she is [soaking wet with the rain/having to go through the hardship of dealing with the curse and baggage that Yuki and Kyo have she still just wants to [patch up the umbrella/be there for Yuki and Kyo. Does that make sense to anyone? I always feel like I explain these things incorrectly. And Yuki and Kyo really are the two Sohmas she's closest to and they also really represent the rest of the Zodiac. So apply that to the above explanation. Hearts!
THE WINNER: Um, well…I guess Tifa Tyndal is the closest. Whose team are you on again?
