Chapter 55: Office Hours
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Where r u?
Three small words.
He saw a glimpse of what he thought was her long brown hair fluttering in the draft from the open doors, but he couldn't be sure, with all the eager students hounding him after class and the darkened state of the big echo-y room. He was grateful that his lecture had garnered such curiosity, but only one person's opinion counted. For you, my Tohru. Do you know how much you mean to me? Hiding his disappointment, he immediately told the rest of the students lingering in the classroom to come to office hours. This lecture had been meant for her, to tell her that his heart, which had been shattered countless times before her was in the process of being mended, and now hers. Only hers. Yes, it wasn't exactly the most straightforward way to go about telling her his innermost feelings (and he was usually the blunt one), but the only way he knew.
I'm sorry. I had to go. Tohru sends back with a sad face emoticon.
I need to see you before the day is over. He replies as he runs his fingers through his hair in agitation, not minding the long length of his bangs falling over his eyes. He needs her as much as she needs him.
r u sure?
He could imagine her looking all flustered, her hands fluttering all over the place and her eyes wide with panic. Worrying that they'd get caught or something. His little worrywart.
Yes. My office hours are from 5 to 7.
K, c u
Since when did she become the more cryptic one?
/
It's a quarter past 5, and his tiny office is jammed with students of different genders, different shapes, different ages (there's even a woman about his age). It is sad to say he's never been in such close proximity to so many people before (he never goes to the touristy parts of town. Ever). It feels somewhat overwhelming, claustrophobic, but he'll deal. This is a small price to pay for having a part-time job and something to do outside of the stifling estate. They are asking if he has written any books or has any recommended reading. Some bold boy even straight up asks him if he has any advice about 'matters of the heart.' As if! I can't even tell the woman I care for how I truly feel! I am the furthest thing from a love doctor! (Not that you should trust anyone who claims to be a 'love doctor' – look what it did to Tohru…) He quickly tells to boy to 'handle it thoughtfully' and not to consult any 'human' resources. Only the heart knows… did those words seriously just come out of his stern, tight-lipped mouth? What was he transforming into?
Luckily none of these students were here to judge or compare him to his previous self – because there were bound to be some major changes that he did not want to explain.
"Doctor Sohma?" A girl says, fluttering her false eyelashes. She's pretty, but in a superficial way (he's never been attracted to those types), with long dyed two-toned hair that is perfectly curled at the ends and a breathy falsetto voice. She looks and acts like a doll.
"Yes?" Hatori can barely keep his attention – everything about her screams pain and discomfort – from her long manicured nails to the barely-there shorts that are molded to her crouch. He keeps on looking at the door, for the moment that Tohru will walk in. His heart is beating a feral melody in his chest. "I didn't get a chance to give you this…" She thrusts a black bento box toward him with a cherry red blush staining her face. "You were so busy this afternoon, presenting that wonderful lesson that you didn't have a chance to eat a proper lunch. I just bought you one."
Wow, girls these days are very… forward. Is this the type of behavior he's supposed to accept? He doesn't really know the protocol these days… maybe this isn't as out-of-the-ordinary as he's used to, since he lives in his own 'shell' as Shigure claims.
"Thank you, but I'm not sure I should accept this from you." And just then, his stomach growls. Just my luck, he thinks sarcastically.
The girl giggles lightly. "No worries. I'd be honored if you accepted it." She places it on his desk and removes the plastic cover. The steam from the rice rises in white smoky curls. The delicious smell of fried pork chops and eggs fills his nose. Mmm, it reminds him that he's so hungry. He missed lunch due to the staff meeting, and then he had to make a "house" call. Akito was having another temper tantrum, saying that her skin was itching all over. That there were mites or bed bugs in her room. She was such a hypochondriac! And what was that odd thing that caused him to stop in his walk? Oh yeah, progeny. What the hell was she going on about? Was she getting more delusional that usual? To her credit, she did have some hives on her legs, but that could be from anything. She was allergic to almost everything – from pollen to most of the tree nuts to nickel to cleaning products, and she had overly dried skin which she liked to scratch – the list went on (and on – Hatori had actually thought about compiling a list to sending it in to the Guinness World Records/ world wide universities – along with the test subject, he didn't mind. Really. Let them deal with this… marvel). Hatori told her to spend the rest of the day in the rock garden (safe from any pollen and or other allergens) getting some fresh air or relax in the dry sauna. Akito grudgingly said she'd listen to him about the rock garden (since the dry sauna gave her nosebleeds).
/
Around 6:30, there are no more students. He leans back against his chair and draws a long breath of air. He hasn't been this tired in years. Not just mentally tired, but physically. His legs ache from standing the whole time in the bright spotlight. Despite his calm demeanor, he was a boiling cauldron of emotion. Fear of public speaking. The students throwing a mutiny against him. Throwing spitballs at him (yes, he realizes that times are different, there are so many more 'modern' approaches… viral videos). But things went surprisingly well. The attendance rate was much higher than he'd expected. Even though he couldn't exactly discern the attendees, he could see and hear that there were a lot of students – overfilling onto the stairs. Good news. And it had been far from a chore. He had very much enjoyed dredging up his old notes and researching the latest and greatest. He'd even gone to the library for goodness sake – a place he had forsaken for nearly a decade! He'd learned a lot. Even stayed up past midnight! Time flew!
All thanks to a little someone. It had been for her, of course. Some kind of confession he hoped she'd understand. He hoped it wasn't too cryptic. Gods, he was acting like such a schoolboy – sweaty-palmed and groveling for the attentions of his young love! And where the hell was she?
Knock, knock.
The knock is soft and hesitant, and he instantly knows who it is.
"Come in." He says sternly, keeping up pretenses. Just in case.
She steps in quietly, her head titled downward.
He senses something is wrong. Hatori immediately rises and moves to her side, shutting the door behind her quietly. "What's wrong?" He asks softly, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. He doesn't know women, but he knows her.
"No-nothing."
She looks like she's carrying the weight of the world on her small shoulders – like she's going to be crumpled by the burden at any second now. He wraps his hands around the thick black straps digging into her shoulders to pull off the offending backpack. He slips the backpack onto the ground and reaches for the small navy bag in her hand. It looks boxy – like a stack of books. However, she keeps her grip tight on the bag.
"Let go," he says.
She stubbornly holds on, but after their continued tug-and-pull, she finally relents. It clatters on the ground and the barely closed top reveals itself like a blossoming flower. It doesn't sound like books, more like plastic. It catches Hatori's attention – and he reaches inside. Quick hands immediately dart out to stop him. "No."
"Why? What is it? What's wrong?"
It's too late. He's already taken the navy lunch box out of the bag, looking at it with growing anger. "You didn't eat lunch? Again? How many times do I have to tell you? It isn't healthy for you. If you're not doing it for yourself, at least do it for me."
"No-no, I ate some of mine."
He slips a compartment open and sees that it is uneaten. He continues further, seeing the fruits, vegetables, meat, rice. "No you didn't." He says simply, fuming inside.
"No, mine is over here." Tohru says, pointing at her backpack. She bends down to take out her small container with a black white dog with floppy ears on it. She presents it to him with shaking hands. "Then what is this?" Hatori asks, shaking the completely untouched lunch box at her. Is this one of those love bento boxes? Had she planned on giving it to some guy?
She's silent.
But Hatori has the patience of saint.
The words are stuck in her throat. She can't tell him. He'll think she is just one of those silly college girls fawning all over him. He won't like it.
"It's my dinner." Tohru responds after much thought. Yes. That's the best answer. Don't let him know. If he doesn't know, you can't be rejected. He's already eaten, there's no point in explaining yourself.
Just then, his stomach growls.
Tohru looks up with shock, into his turbulent bottle green eyes. "You haven't eaten lunch yet?" What about the girls?
"No, I've been busy." And I was planning on taking you out tonight. Away from all of this. I have to make it up to you. Why did you leave so quickly after the lecture? Why did you wait afterwards, only to rush out quickly when I looked over? Why is there a knot in my chest?
His eyes drift downward and he notices a small slip of paper peeking out from the layer containing the fruit. He slides the partition out so he can get at the little paper. It's neatly zipped up inside a plastic paper. There is a picture of two spoons. A bigger spoon with a little bow tie and a smaller one with bangs and a big grin. His eyebrow quirks up. This is most definitely not for herself.
"Tell me, Tohru. Who did you make this for?" His voice trails off into a rasp. He's not sure he can handle if she says she made it for some other guy. Gods, if she mentions that Shuji guy, his heart will literally explode into a thousand shards. I want to hear the truth, but please soften the blow.
"I made it for you," Tohru finally blurts out, shuffling her feet shyly.
His eyes immediately lift up, searching the depths of hers. "Really?"
She returns a small, shy nod. Who else would I make it for?
"Why didn't you tell me?" Why would you hide this from me? Do you know how much this makes my heart swell with happiness? No one's ever…
"It's probably not good anymore, you shouldn't eat it… we can go out, I'll get you something better – "
"No." He slips the chopsticks from their little slot and pokes it into the honeydew to show her that he means it. He stuffs it in his mouth before she can protest, and proceeds to open all the layers of the lunch box and eat everything inside, like a starving animal (all proper etiquette forgotten). Gosh, it tastes delicious. Better than any expensive bento box purchased in the surrounding take-out places nearby. Better than any delicacy prepared by the estate chefs. Better than any food from a three-star Michelin starred restaurant. It doesn't matter that the meat is cold, or that the honeydew isn't ice cold the way he prefers it. It doesn't matter that the sauce from the ribs smears all over his mouth and that he may look like a ravenous wolf. Nothing else matters.
Because she made it.
For me.
Never in his more than three decades of life has anyone prepared him a lunch with this much sincerity. Not even his own mother. He grew up on professional cooking by a classically trained chef hired by the estates. Gourmet. Delicacies. Pretty. But he wanted none of that. He wanted love. Something out of love. His mother had never even made him a plain riceball! It didn't matter how it tasted – it was the gesture, and there had never been a single one. Not a single dry riceball. And here is Tohru, hiding the fact that she made this for him. Hiding it like it's a shame. Why? It breaks his heart that he misunderstood her in the beginning. Apologies can't fix the harm he's done. Why am I such in insensitive prick?
When he's done, he looks up at her with pleading eyes and his mouth full. "Why didn't you tell me?" He repeats. Since when did he forgo all manners – speaking with his mouth full?
Since you fell in deep, silly. Says a little voice inside, that sounds an awful lot like Shigure's.
"Because I saw you – those girls br-brought you lunch too."
"I don't want their lunches. I don't want their store-bought lunches. I want you. Don't you know that?"
"I-I…"
He rises and grabs his coat off the hook on the back of his door. "Let's go, I'm taking you out the dinner."
/
A/N: 5.29.2013 - Sniffles – H is so quick to misunderstand since no one ever does sweet things for him… he honestly had no idea. Whaaaaaaa, -grabs a bunch of tissues to wipe away the tears and back-hug H-
For all my innuendo-lovers: caption for Tohru's little spoon drawing: Let's spoon. –grin-
Mcangel1976: Yeah for H's resistance to a yummy store-bought bento!
Winter Star light: Hopefully smutty goodness in the next chappy! Thanks girl!
Tsukiakage: Thanks! How's Ha'ri gonna make it up to her on a schoolnight? Bah!
Kouga's older woman: Thanks! U never miss a beat my lovely!
Phenylephrine: Thanks for the encouragement! Glad u enjoyed the anatomy bit – all factual. :) Dafuq – love that! Hehe, girls swarming all over our tasty little morsel of wintry goodness. How'd ya like H's reaction to T hiding the bento?
SolemnPassive (almost gonna type SolemnPosessive!) Heehe, thanks!
Kris11993: -hands u a matching bento box and Hatori to feed you (btw, he's covered in chocolate… waiting for you to lick him clean… ok, mature content- Glad you liked the lecture! He's so un-loved… but all things have changed since T came into his life! Really, there are professors like this? Girls go to OH just for them? -wipes brow- WOW. Just WOW. Intense. There is something about authority that just elevates a man. Dunno.
Infinity1: Hey honey! H has to break T out of her low self-esteemed mold! I love misunderstandings too! Many more to come… -H can't make it, but Shigure wanted me to ask you if he could be your man-servant this weekend and feed u chocolate covered strawberries while watching any romantic movie of your liking *p.s. he's crossing his fingers eagerly for your reply*- Oh yes, the story will go into the summer – as long as I have readers - :p! Hope you will continue reading! OMG, same here, I barely read any 'real' novels. So many stories, so little time… :) BAH!
Traceless-Potion: WHOOOOOOO thanks for your support dear! Yes, our H is pushing the envelope with his showing of erotic photo in class!
Guest: Hello! Thank you for your kind words. Glad you've read my stories! Means a lot!
NickiL: THANKS!
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