Chapter 21

Winding up

WARNING: this chapter does contain; citrus, lemon, lime, yaoi, adult themes, sexually explicit materials, also may have monosodium glutamate, and is processed on a conveyer that also processes nuts. Read at your own risk.

Ayame was in a bad mood. Not only had Hatori agreed way too readily to Shigure's "brilliant" plan, but he had not even made any time to be together since finding out they had Akito's permission. It was already Monday and the school was abuzz with the latest news and results from the fundraiser, the class trip was paid for, the kissing booth had done remarkably well as had the car wash. Once the kisses were tallied up, Hatori had won the kiss bet and each member of the booth forked over their winnings to the dragon as he looked uncomfortable at the attention. "Doesn't even have the decency to gloat or be all smug about it," Aya muttered.

"Hatori was the best kisser!" he heard one girl squeal as she ran back to her friends with the results. That sparked something in his head but he didn't do anything with it yet. Smiling sweetly as he breezed into class, Ayame took his seat in the back of the room. A few eyebrows were raised over the way he seemed to throw himself into his class work; even the teacher noticed and nodded his approval. What they did not know, was Ayame was busying scribbling random thoughts in his notebook, something he did in every class he had until it was lunchtime.

Humming happily to himself, the snake made his way to the cafeteria, his mood a lot brighter than it had been that morning.

Later at lunch, he was sitting with Hatori and Shigure, quietly enjoying his bowl of curry, occasionally throwing a smirky smile Hatori's way, whenever a group of girls silently passed by their table only to erupt into giggles as soon they got a table away. Looking up, he caught Shigure's eye, the dog grinning broadly at their cousin's discomfiture over having the most kisses at their booth, adding his own chuckles to the mix.

"Who'd have thought that our Tori-san was such a good kisser? I mean I knew, that goes without saying," the snake prattled on, "but to have others acknowledge it as well? I'd say it was quite the accomplishment, wouldn't you, Gure-san?"

"I know," the dog replied. "But then there is an old saying about 'it's always the quite ones you have to watch out for,'" Shigure teased.

"Who knew it was true?" Ayame beamed at the dragon. "And if anyone had to be the one to prove its validity, then I'm glad it was you, my dear Tori-san!" he gushed.

Hatori, having had enough, shook his at his cousins, and pushing away for the table, he muttered something about a paper that was over due and needed to be done or else, and "would they please take care of his garbage?"

They watched him leave, Ayame waving frantically as if the dragon was headed to parts unknown for an undetermined length of time. "Bye, Tori-san!!" he called out, making Hatori briefly pause before beating a hasty retreat as a group of giggling tenth grade girls headed his way.

The silence, punctuated by the low roar of various conversations that filled the cafeteria, briefly stretched between. Ayame, sitting across from his cousin, hummed inanely to himself until Shigure finally asked him what was up.

Ayame looked up from his notebook and grinned like the Cheshire cat at Alice, his eyes dancing with barely suppressed merriment. "Listen to this," he said. Taking a deep breath, he sang,

"Hatori-san is the best…

"His kisses are better than all the rest!

"Ayame-san and Shigure-san have put it to the test…

And…" he drawled in a lilting voice, "Hatori san is the best!"

Shigure barked out a laugh. "Aya, that's brilliant!" he said, "Although, it makes it sound like we have been kissing Hari too, but you really have put it to the test, so is he a good kisser?" the dog asked, setting his chin on his upraised fist, and gazing at his cousin with rapt attention.

Ayame just stared at him blankly

"Ok, ok none of my business," Shigure chuckled, "but the song is great, really catchy."

'It really is catchy too…' the dog thought. In fact, he found himself singing it in the shower as he washed up after gym class a couple of periods later.

Later that afternoon, as Ayame and Hatori were walking down the hall on their way out of the school, a voice from the crowd around them started singing,

"Hatori san is the best...

"His kisses are better than all the rest!"

By now several people had joined in to sing along,

"Shigure-kun and Ayame-kun have put it to the test!!

"And…" they drawled in the same manner the snake had earlier,

"Hatori san is the best!!"

Unfortunately, more voices joined in when the first group repeated the song.

Hatori blushed at the unwanted attention, and looking downward, he made a hasty retreat to Shigure and his waiting car.

Ayame, hurrying after him, made a mental note to never tell Hatori where that song had come from.

"They are just jealous that you did so well at the kissing booth," Ayame reassured him once they were safely inside the car.

000ooo000

The next weekend, Shigure's plan went into effect. Ayame, as president of the student council, was putting together the travel itinerary for the school trip and what better way than to breeze on up to wherever and look things over personally? While they were there they were going to visit a nice restaurant near the red light district as well as taking a gander though it, while looking for a place that would cater to their particular needs for a price, no questions asked.

So while the other two were busy imaging the fun they'd have, Hatori was just glad that he was going to be away from school for a couple of days, he didn't know what he would do if one more person serenaded him with that stupid song. All he knew was that it wouldn't be pretty.

They wandered the red light district after dinner, looking for what Ayame called the "perfect place." As they strolled along, Shigure mentioned he had happened to read somewhere that there was a time when the girls would be on display in the window dressed or rather undressed in all their glory. Ayame seized on that, laughing uproariously over giving new meaning to the term "window shopping," which even brought a smile to the normally impassive Hatori's lips.

After what felt like hours, Ayame had finally declared he had found it, the perfect place that would cater to their every whim if the price was right. At first glance, it didn't look like much, a tall wooden building that looked older than dirt. However, when they stepped inside, it was like stepping into another world. The reception area was as opulent as it was decadent, all massive wooden beams and old plaster and comfortably furnished. Several women lounged about, chatting with the potential customers, who waited for a particular lady to be free. Some decided to leave with said lady as people came and went in the brothel's public area.

Trying hard to not look like wide-eyed tourists, they milled about quietly looking over the surroundings while Ayame made mental notes about the place. Shigure was also making his own mental notes, only his were for a trashy romance story, he was planning to write when he had a chance. Hatori mentally shook his head at his cousins, he could almost hear what they were thinking, making it easier to keep the tight little smile he wore in place, while politely nodding at one the working girls' attempt at seductive conversation. Just when the whole experience was taking on a nightmarish edge, Hatori was able to politely excuse himself, when Ayame took him aside to ask how long it would take before they got a room, prompting Shigure to ask if they paid for one yet. They had let Shigure handle the arrangements to his preference since this was supposed to be a birthday present for him. He had insisted they say that because it might get him a free drink with his dinner later too.

It wasn't long before they were led to a room with a stout guard standing watch in the hallway, ready to rush in if anything was amiss. Inside, the room was large with a queen size, western style bed and tasteful antique furnishings. A girl, not much older than the three of them, walked in a few minutes later and looked them over with jaded eyes.

Oh great! thought Haruko. A herd of virgins trying to get a three for the price of one deal... she mentally groaned. Oh well, I am being paid enough for my time, and looking at them, this shouldn't take too long. "So where do you want me?" she asked, looking to see if one of them would take the lead.

"On the bed, on your hands and knees, naked, and uh could you cuff your wrists to the headboard?" Shigure said smoothly handing a pair of handcuffs to her a lot more casually than he actually felt.

Well maybe they weren't as inexperienced as I first thought. At least they aren't giving me a bunch of shrugs and sheepish looks like all the other virgins… Giving them her best seductive smile, she asked, "All right how's this?" Reaching up behind her, she pulled the zipper down her back, before shucking out of the loose dress she had been wearing. She stood there, briefly giving them an eyeful as she was completely naked underneath her dress, before climbing on the bed and assuming the suggested position.

"Yes, just like that," the one with the dancing grey eyes said as he walked to the head of the bed, checking to make sure she had her hands in the cuffs. He quickly closed them, with a bit a help from his white-haired friend, just tight enough that she couldn't get out of them without hurting her, leaving Haruko to stare at the antique iron headboard and the faded wallpaper behind it.

Shigure moved back to the foot of the bed where he started to undress. "Are you guys going to join me?" he asked as if he was about to have some dessert and was politely offering them some.

"No" Hatori replied in the same tones, as Ayame almost melted in relief, "We are just here for moral support. You get her all to yourself, birthday boy."

"Ok," Shigure said, swallowing nervously as he threw his shirt on one of the room's two overstuffed chairs, "but could you look somewhere else or something? I think I'm getting stage fright."

Ayame and Hatori looked at each other and shrugged.

"Come on, Shigure, you can do it!" Ayame cheered, smiling as he pumped a fist in the air.

Shigure looked at him incredulously, how was he supposed to do this with that going on?

Haruko couldn't quite suppress a giggle. This is priceless. If only I could see their faces...

Hatori, rolling his eyes at the dog, turned and walked over to the other soft looking chair in the room and sat down in it, trying hard not to think about what type of action it had no doubt seen. "Ayame, come here," he said softly.

Ayame walked over and stood before him like a little puppy that was eager to please his owner.

"Sit in my lap and just watch, quietly," Hatori said with a hint of something in his voice that had the snake quickly scrambling to do his bidding.

Shigure looked back to see Ayame watching him expectantly as Hatori ran a hand up and down the snake's thigh suggestively. Well, if Hatori and Aya want a show then I'll try my best to give them a good one.

The young woman was certainly attractive enough and she seemed to at least have a sense of humor. Shigure climbed onto the bed behind her and simply rubbed his hand down her back, feeling the soft skin slightly damp with sweat. The scents coming from her spoke of sex and drugs maybe not totally appealing, but interesting none-the-less. He could tell there were others with her before him today but somehow that just added to the mix of scents as a general sex smell. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to talk to her or not but he couldn't help but ask, "Doesn't it make you nervous? Being handcuffed to a bed with three strangers I mean."

"There are all kinds, kid," she answered "I don't have money on me and I am going to have sex with you, there isn't much else to worry about here. It's nice of you to think about how I feel though. Now fuck me hard, birthday boy. That's what you are here for, right?"

Shigure smiled a tight little smile as images of his god drifted through his head. I wish things could be different but you left me no other choice. All of the uncertainty and any regrets he had were washed away by the sweet hot waves of pleasure he felt as he sheathed himself in that hot velvety slickness. Every fiber of his being concentrated on one goal, more pleasure; Absolute pleasure, body slapping, teeth rattling, bedspring breaking, humping, pumping, oh god my brain just melted pleasure.

With the dim lighting and the needy, sexy sounds coming from Shigure and the young lady as a backdrop, things took a turn for the better as far as Ayame was concerned when Hatori ran his hand up under his shirt, gently caressing his abs, while he started nibbling on his neck. After a few moments of being a total attention sponge, Ayame turned around to sit across Hatori's knees, facing him. Taking the dragon's face in his hands, he sealed his mouth over Hatori's. The feel of the other boy's soft lips and the faint bristle of the beard he was just starting to sprout were perfect in his mind. When Hatori wrapped his arms around him and kissed back it was like heaven. Arching his back, Ayame pushed his pelvis against the dragon's abdomen suggestively. Hatori slid down in the chair a bit so that they could grind together as they kissed, both enjoying the delightful pressure and closeness of the other. Shigure was in his own little pleasured world, one that they could tell wouldn't be around much longer by the sounds he was making. There wouldn't be time for them to do more than what they were already doing, but the frustration itself was delicious with the unspoken promise that at some point later they would have some time together alone.

Haruko wriggled and moaned delightfully, and Shigure found he was having a hard time notwrapping his hands around her hips for better leverage. It may have been overcautious keeping his hands planted in the small of her back, but he was not going to transform the first time he got this far with a woman. It was a valiant effort not to finish too quickly, but it was a loosing battle and after a short few blissful minutes, Shigure felt his world narrow down to one pinpoint spot of light in the darkness that was his life, and then explode into white hot ecstasy.

000ooo000

A couple of weeks later…

"Ayame you are being unusually serious today," the principal commented. He had expected the flamboyant student council president to be more animated, especially considering the reason for the meeting between the students that had been caught in the red light district during the class trip, their parents, and the school faculty. Maybe he would be more so if he were one of those caught, but miraculously none of the Sohma boys had been in that group.

"You mean he acts like he does on purpose the rest of the time?" one of his teachers asked out loud.

"At this time, I would like to offer you a proposal. Let us offer a hand of rescue to these wayward youths…." Ayame said in a serious tone, his manner still and his voice controlled.

Wait, that's not what I wrote for him to say! Shigure noticed Ayame had strayed from the speech he had written and even gotten the snake to rehearse for the meeting. He was supposed to ask for leniency for the misguided boys and perhaps counseling rather than punishment that would go on their permanent records for following what were after all natural urges.

Where is he going with this? Hatori wondered, getting a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The sound of Ayame slapping his hands flat upon the table pulled all eyes toward him. "From now on they may direct their desire toward me!"

I can't believe he said that! He is saying this stuff, since we are all boys, parents and teachers will have nothing to fear…I am prepared to receive!… THIS IS GREAT HAHAHAHAHAHA! Shigure somehow managed not to laugh out loud even though he was rolling on the floor internally.

Oh… My… God!! He did NOT just say that! Hatori's jaw dropped. He got up and helped to drag the snake away even as he still spewed nonsense out of his mouth.

"Don't worry despite how this looks I know what I am doing."

000ooo000

Shit, Ayame, you knew what you were doing all right… Hatori thought as he sat, holding his head. It always gave him a headache, pushing his talent and hypnotic skills to the limit on a room full of people, and he was glad it didn't happen often. He was really pissed at Ayame for using him like that. He had already said he wouldn't help the boys and they could face their punishment like anyone else could but he couldn't leave it alone, oh no… he had to go and make that completely outrageous speech, offering to satisfy the sexual urges of the entire school in front of all of those parents and faculty, knowing full well that it left Hatori with no other choice but to erase their memories. Otherwise, when Akito heard about what he had said, who knew what kind of trouble that would cause. As it was, if Akito ever found out there would be hell to pay for using his abilities without permission, but surely it was the lesser of two possible evils.

000ooo000

Ayame saw a flash of blinding light behind his eyes, and felt intense pressure in his head like it was being overstuffed with something soft and fluffy until it was about to burst. He stubbornly refused to be distracted. He was not going to forget. He held onto the thoughts and images he held most dear with all he had, somehow he knew that if he concentrated on escaping the pain, the memories would be gone, and he couldn't have that. He embraced the pain, allowing it to roll through him unchecked. He felt his body tremble from the strain as he pitched forward out of the worn leather chair he was sitting in, landing on his hands and knees. His hair curtained his face and he shook with the pain and effort, a sickening twist of his stomach, emptying his dinner onto the tatami mat beneath him. He still refused to let go. He managed to look up through tears blurring his vision and saw Hatori was not fairing any better than he was. The dragon looked pale and tense and a thin trickle of blood was running from his nose. That shocked Ayame. Was this somehow harming the one person he loved the most? He couldn't endanger Hatori's health like that, so he ceased fighting the light. Instead, he changed tactics, concentrating on memories he could do without, all of the disappointments in his life, his own insecurities, and even a few valuable common sense lessons went on the butchering block of his mind, until he could think of nothing else to give without losing the most precious memories he had. At last the pain dimmed and the world went dark.

Hatori stood in the doorway to Ayame's bedroom, he was dead tired but felt he had to clean the snake up and help him into his own bed. He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes drinking in the sight of his lover, now ex-lover. With his peaceful face and long silver hair cascading upon the pillow, he resembled a magical creature from some old fairy tale. Unfortunately a simple kiss wouldn't be enough to bring a happy ending to them this time. The salty wet trail of tears, that he had finally let himself shed, glistened on his cheeks as he turned to leave. It was done. He didn't understand why or how this was supposed to make anything better, but he had to do as Akito wanted. With a broken sigh, he lit a cigarette just as Shigure came running in.

The dog panted breathlessly, his eyes wide. "You didn't!" he said in disbelief. "Oh, Hari," he groaned when he realized that it had already taken place. There was no changing it now, the fight was over. The curse had claimed another victim. Shigure put an arm around his friend to console him.

"Aagh! My head hurts," Aya said weakly, raising a hand to his forehead. "Tori?" he hissed in pain "Where are you?"

Hatori was instantly at his side "How are you feeling?" he asked gruffly, holding back his tears, concentrating on the cover story he was ready to use just as he was trained.

"Ayame, do you feel better? I think you fainted or something…" Shigure trailed off, looking to Hatori for direction in what to tell his best friend.

"Yes, I must have fainted and hit my head, ooow it hurts!" Ayame whined weakly.

"Just rest for a while," Hatori told him, "I will come check on you later."

"Thanks, Tori," Ayame murmured. "I think you're right; I need to rest…"

"I will walk you home, Hari," Shigure offered as the two left the room.

Ayame lay quietly concentrating on his breathing, and keeping his stomach from heaving again. When he felt better, he would decide if it was better to tell Hatori it didn't work or not. Remembering the look burning in Akito's eyes when he learned how Ayame had manipulated the dragon made him shudder; maybe he wouldn't tell anyone for Hatori's sake.

000ooo000

"When Tori told me how soon he would be leaving us for school, I got really depressed, that's all. Things just won't be the same here without him," Ayame said, explaining his unusually quiet demeanor over the last few days. He was visiting with Hatori and Shigure at the main house. In a few more days he wouldn't have another chance to tell Hatori. He would not be able to let him know that he didn't forget about any of it, him, their love for each other, and their hopes and dreams. He had tried to give him little hints but Hatori hadn't caught on so far. He didn't piece it together that Ayame was still doing whatever the he told him to without argument or question, but he hoped eventually it would dawn on the dragon cursed that the other boy was still honoring the agreement he was supposed to have forgotten.

"Well, I better get going," Ayame said with a sigh, grabbing his school jacket, and putting it on as he headed out.

"Hold on; I'll walk you out," Shigure offered, joining him.

"Ayame, wait," Hatori said quietly and Ayame naturally froze in his tracks. "I will walk with you too," he said, joining them. As they crossed the courtyard something tugged at Ayame's sleeve, he looked down into a pair of large violet eyes. He's definitely a Sohma… Ayame thought to himself, not quite placing the face of the child at the moment. Ah well, no matter, he thought as he pulled away, his own thoughts still torn between telling Hatori everything and keeping silent to protect him.

"Aya, wasn't that a bit rude the way you just brushed him off?" Shigure asked puzzled as he watched the child wander back toward the main house.

"Wha? Oh, the child back there, who was he anyway?" Ayame asked, still not quite placing the face.

"Ayame, that was Yuki," Hatori said, looking a little alarmed.

"Yuki who?" Ayame asked, truly puzzled about why this child would be of any importance to him.

The end

000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000ooo000

AN: Hatori's Song was my first fanfic, I couldn't resist including the little ditty here.

Wow I finally finished it. I was so scared that people won't like the ending that it took a while to get up the nerve to finish typing it out. I have had such a wonderful time getting all of the reviews and friendly feedback for this story it is kind of sad to end it too, but I don't want to drag it out without a plot related reason so… tah dah its done.

Special thanks to DracoDormiens7 for reviewing on the last chapter and being a solid and delightful supporter through this entire story for me.

Cookies and brownies to all of my readers and reviewers.

I want to especially thank my beta kira for helping me so much with this chapter as well as for all of her invaluable help with this story and the other stories I have been working on. cough YuuriAndWolfram'sExcelentAdventure cough. There may be one more chapter put up here as an omake piece if it turns out the way I want it to other than that as the pig says that's all folks.