Chapter 52: In the Shadows

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"C'mon, we're done, Tohru!" Hatori says insistently to his beet red-faced beauty. She is crouched in the small vegetable patch, absorbed in the task at hand – de-weeding. Since when did they become so devoted to domestic pleasures?

"Sorry Ha'ri, just removing the final tenacious weeds. I just don't want them to steal our zucchini and pepper's nutrients, 'cuz we'll be gone until next month! No one will be able to take care of them. I have to make sure they have the best!" Tohru replies back as she continues digging. She adds, "Then nature and the sprinklers can do the rest."

"You've done a good enough job! Let's get to the pond before the sun sets!" Hatori is all but dragging her away from her precious "baby." It's Sunday, their last day at the villa until… ah, the next time is indeterminate! His feet even involuntarily do a little stomp. Luckily Shigure isn't around (napping in his room like the lazy bastard he is) because he's sure the dog would have something to say about this little scene. A grown man pleading with a young woman to get her to stop working, ha!

"Okay, that was the last one. We can go now." Tohru wipes her sweaty brow before looking up toward Hatori. Hatori face is tinted a slight shade of pink from the bright sun that hangs low in the sky and his physical exertion. He reaches out a hand to help her up. Her body feels achy and in need of a nice cool soak. It's a surprisingly hot day for early March.

They go into the house to retrieve their swimming gear. Tohru pulls out her brand-new swim suit. Last time they went into the pond, late August, neither of them had their swim suits. Hatori had been a great first-time instructor. Dad, I promise I will learn how to swim proficiently, to honor you! Her father had been a top swimmer at his school. But he'd died way too young, before he could teach his only daughter.

She takes out her modest one-piece swim suit. It covers her front completely. In the back, it is a low scoop. Looking in the mirror, she self-consciously adjusts the thin straps. The swim suit is the simplest one she found at the athletic store and it doesn't offer any support. Maybe she should have reconsidered... Not that Hatori hasn't seen her before, but she still feels kind of embarrassed because her nipples are hard points against the stretchy black fabric. Oh well. She steps out of the bathroom and waits on the couch for Hatori.

Just then, Shigure saunters out of his room, rubbing his eyes. "I'm thirsty and sore and overworked!" He moans. Hatori wants to say back sardonically, 'Go join a worker's union. No one forced you to come here!' His slippers make a melodious click-clack against the bamboo floor. Tohru immediately crosses her arms over her small chest. Maybe she should have covered herself with a T-shirt and shorts instead of being completely exposed, but then again, she hadn't thought Shigure would see her.

His eyes immediately grow wide. "You're going to the pond?"

Tohru nods hesitantly.

"I wanna go too!" He cries out ecstatically. Suddenly, his body is in motion, no longer "sore." He rushes past Hatori who has just come out of his room in a pair of swim trunks and a black T-shirt, with two towels under the crook of his arm.

Pointing in Shigure's direction, he looks at Tohru questioningly. "I think he's coming with us."

"We can't get a break!" Hatori mutters under his breath.

Tohru goes to the kitchen to pack three water bottles and some chocolate into a bag. Shigure comes out with his bare toned chest on display, in a pair of silky looking black shorts. "I didn't pack and swim trunks because someone didn't tell me we were going swimming, but this'll do!"

Yeah, your total package is on full display. You might as well be nude. Shameless. That's the way to go, Shigure. Hatori thinks derisively.

Hatori ushers Tohru out of the house, trying to shield her from the dog's "bone-r." The three people shuffle awkwardly on the dirt path down to the pond. Tohru is leading the way, with Hatori walking behind her, covering up her pert little backside from the perverted eyes of Shigure who follows behind them, eager for a glimpse of his little flower. Halfway to the pond, Hatori realizes that he's carrying two towels... duh! He opens one of them and drapes it over Tohru's shoulders. "Cover up." He whispers into her ear. She nods graciously, blushing like a rose. "Thanks." This is more for an uncouth someone else.

When they reach the dock, Shigure is the first to toe off his shoes and take a quick dive into the water, leaving the two others gaping in his wake. "We're going to start off slow."

Hatori is tempted to grab her hand and take her over to the sandy shore, but with Shigure... intimacy is not possible. Tohru tugs him firmly back toward the dock. "Let's jump in, together."

"Are you sure? It's only your second time…"

"It's okay." I'm with you. I'm not afraid. I need to do this. Prove to myself that I can conquer my fears. She places her hand in his and gives it a firm squeeze. They edge toward the end of the wooden planks. "Don't let go of me. I'll make sure you stay afloat. The water isn't super deep, but just in case."

"Okay."

"Ready, Tohru?"

"Always."

"On a count of three, we both jump."

"Okay."

"1… 2… 3!"

Splash!

Hatori looks around in panic when he doesn't see Tohru's head resurface. But after a few anxious seconds, she comes to the surface for a deep gasping breath of air. "You did it!" Hatori commends, squeezing her hand. Their hand squeezes are the only intimate language allowed right now.

"Yeah, I can't believe it." Tohru is still in disbelief. It was so easy to put her full faith in Hatori. Or was it in herself, because of what he made her feel?

"Hey slow pokes, come over here to the cove." Tohru and Hatori can see his head peeking out of the hanging vine curtain.

Hatori ignores him and gives Tohru some refresher instructions on how to swim. "I'm going to teach you the basics for breaststroke, your father's specialty." Tohru is surprised he remembers. They do some practicing by the dock. After an hour goes by, Tohru says assertively, "I think I'm ready for the swim over, or at least not drown on my way over."

"Okay. I'll be by your side the entire time. Don't worry."

In the deep water, Tohru feels slightly disconcerted (she hates deep water because of her irrational fear of 'sharks', even though she is in pond) and starts to paddle her feet faster, but not making any progress in terms of distance. "Hey, hey," Hatori says soothingly beside her.

"I d-don't like deep water," Tohru sputters.

"Hold on to me." Hatori swims out in front of her and motions for her to wrap her arms around his neck to hold on to him. It's such an intimate act. This is the most skin on skin contact that they've ever had. It lights a little spark of desire deep in her womb.

Once they pass the hanging vines, they notice a pale figure lying on a flat shelf of rock. "That took you guys long enough. It's as if you completely forgot how to swim."

"Unlike you, we haven't had the luxury of napping all afternoon."

"It was only after lunch. I felt sleepy after that delicious meal!"

"Remind me to never feed you anything delicious then, if you are only going to use it as an excuse!" Hatori says mockingly.

Shigure makes a silly face. "Bite me. I deserve some time off too."

"From what?"

"My busy life."

You have no idea what busy life is. Busy life is having to hide your affection for someone, in the dark, in the shadows. It's so difficult for me to keep my relationship with Tohru under wraps! I want to scream it out. I want to be able to hold her in public. Show everyone that she is mine. Mine to care for, cherish.

Tohru doesn't want the tension between Hatori and Shigure to escalate into full-scale war, so she interjects, "I don't know how to swim. That's why it took us so long to get here. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Shigure says, feeling ashamed for his careless statement. He didn't even think that maybe it was because she didn't know how to swim. He knows so little about her… Despite living with her for all these years, it feels like she's a million miles away, orbiting in a different system. Shigure immediately thinks up a good way to fix his thoughtless statement. "Don't be sorry, I can teach you!"

"No need," Hatori states curtly, "I've already give her her first taste."

Tohru catches his double entendre and lowers her head in mortification, hoping that Shigure doesn't come to any conclusions about them.

"What stroke?"

Oh Kami, this conversation just unintentionally turned x-rated, Hatori muses. "Breaststroke and a little freestyle."

"Harrumph! No fair, you got dibs on teaching Tohru!"

That is up with the competitive attitude between men? Shigure's never been this way before. Maybe it's some territorial dog thing. This better not blow up. Preventive measures…

"Uh, it's getting late; we should get back for dinner."

The two men break their intense gaze at each other and turn to Tohru. "Why don't you ride on my back Tohru. You need to save your energy to cook."

Not what I was expecting. But I can't say no. I don't want Shigure to suspect anything

The water droplets clinging to the ends of his hair are like the truths that are dangling right in front of her. Shigure is flirting with her.

She looks over to Hatori for some easy way out, but he doesn't offer anything. His face is set into a firm, impenetrable grimace.

"Hop on." Shigure says, gesturing toward his back.

Tohru tentatively enfolds her arms around his neck before Shigure takes off into the water. Her brain can't help but make comparisons - Shigure's back is broader, offering a more comfortable ride. Oh my, what am I thinking? I'm treating these two men like vehicles! And why is my heart beating so hard? Can Shigure feel it? Please no.

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After a rather uncomfortable dinner and settling in for bed, Hatori comes into her bedroom and slides the door softly behind him with a soft click and setting the lock in place. "Why'd you accept his offer?" His voice is husky, foreboding.

"What do you mean by offer?" Tohru says, not looking up at him. Hatori grabs a hold of both of her arms, holding her firmly in his grip. There is no running away from the truth.

"Getting on his back!"

"I didn't think you'd mind. You didn't say anything."

"Because I expected you to make that decision yourself. Otherwise it would seem like I cared about you and I'm fucking not allowed to do that!" His voice breaks midway. He's furious.

"Well I didn't want him to think I was giving you preferential treatment and ignoring him!" Tohru shouts back. It's unbelievable that he'd get mad over this! He knows. He's the one who set up the boundaries.

"You could have let him off the hook in some other way!" Hatori says, seething.

"Like what!" Tohru throws back. "I'm in love with your best friend and I don't want you touching me!"

"Yeah, perfect, just leave out the first bit!"

"He'd notice that I let you touch me, but not him."

"Let him come to whatever conclusions he will! I don't care! I don't want him near you! Men aren't nice without hidden agendas." He ground out.

Tohru glances up at her stormy-eyed lover. If she had doubts before about her importance in his life, it was starkly clear that she meant something deeply to him, now. His expression is pained, his shoulders are drooped. It's a rare glimpse at how broken her lover is. He feels terribly insecure. Because his hands are tied. He can't do anything to prove himself to her. Except in the dark. The shadows.

And that isn't always enough.

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A/N: Happy Friday! 5.10.2013 - Left it on an angsty note! Lots of double entendres in this chapter –wink,wink-

Phenylephrine: Hehe, did Shigure do a striptease for u? (*turning Shigure into a Chippendale*… muwhaha… for those not in the U.S. definitely go check that out to see what it is… yeah…) Thank you, lovely!

Tsukiakage: Thank you very much girl!

Mcangel1976: Shigure in floral… I want! Yeah, he's been treated like a mule… dunno if he'll want to come back… but things tend to blow over with time, and maybe he'll want to come back again…

Kouga's older woman: THANKS!

Duckie: Ahhh, missed you! U and me are both TxH shippers – I felt the same way. That snow thing he asked Tohru made me melt! They could definitely mend each other! Argh – I need a Hatori! Good luck with your busyness! Bloodshot eyes… what was Shigure up to? Hmmm… Yeah, Akito is an integral part of the story's turning point. Not sure when I'll get to that but things spiral downward from there.

Traceless-Poison: Cue smexy 3some, indeed. H got really jealous here. T and H definitely have a dilemma. But doesn't hurt to have a little friendly male competition – grin.

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