Disclaimer: *very emphatically* Although I am a crazy obsessed fan, I do not own Fruits Basket. Nope. Not one bit.
Dedication: This fic is for Mona, because she inspired me to write furuba. Yup yup.
AN: This is my first furuba fic so comments and criticisms are very much welcome and appreciated. This was written for the 2003 Valentine's Day fic challenge on the furuba_lemon_basket mailing list (even though it's not a lemon. ^^;;;)
Renewal
The air was still cool, but the sun was warm and its rays worked quickly at melting the lingering snow. Winter was slowly relinquishing its harsh grip and spring would come soon bringing all of its colors with it.
Something in Sohma Hatori had resisted the coming of spring for several years because of the reminders of the past that the season always brought with it. He stubbornly clung to his dull gray existence; it was comfortable, bearable pain that he had grown accustomed to over time. His heart was heavy, but he was used to the weight by now; it had become part of him.
At least until Honda Tohru had come into his life.
~*~
It was around lunch time when the phone on Hatori's desk rang. He was still trying to catch up on his paperwork. Perhaps if he ignored it, they would go away. On the other hand, it could be an emergency. With a sigh, he picked up the receiver. When Shigure's voice came through the line he was tempted to hang up, but what he said caught Hatori's attention.
"Tohru-kun is ill?"
"Hai, hai. The nurse called to say that someone should come and pick her up from school."
"So, you want me to go get her." It was more a statement than a question. His cousin almost never called, unless he needed something from him.
"I was hoping Ha-san wouldn't mind," Shigure replied, then added in a hopeful voice, "And perhaps Ha-san could take me with him? It's been a while since I visited the school, after all—"
"Idiot," Hatori said, hanging up the phone. It rang again a second later, but he let it ring a few times before he answered it.
"Ha-san is so mean," Shigure whined on the other end, but the doctor ignored it; he was accustomed to it by now.
"I can't go to get her if you keep me tied up on the phone," Hatori said pointedly.
"Hai, hai. I'll see you soon, then."
When he arrived at the infirmary he talked to the nurse about Tohru's condition. A light fever, nothing serious, but she was not up to finishing out the school day. She needed rest, the nurse told him. The girl was working herself too hard. Hatori nodded and went into the room where Tohru was lying down. Her face was flushed pink and her eyes were bright with fever. She blinked in surprise when she seen him.
"Hatori-san!" Then her brow knitted with confusion. "What is Hatori-san doing here?"
He came close to the bed and gently reached over to feel her forehead. "Shigure called and asked me to pick you up," he explained as he helped her pull herself into a sitting position.
"Ah, Hatori-san is very busy. He shouldn't have come. I'm such a bother." She began to weep, the tears slowly tracking their way down her flushed face.
He was uncomfortable being left alone with Tohru when she was in such a state. What was he supposed to do with the crying girl?
"You aren't bothersome."
"Really?" She sniffed and then let out a little hiccup causing a laugh to escape his mouth. The sudden laughter surprised him; it had been so long. Tohru looked up at him in shock and then let out a few giggles of her own.
The doctor arched an eyebrow at her in question.
"Hatori-san laughed," she said smiling, her eyes still bright from her tears.
Hatori felt something then. Some movement in his chest that he refused to acknowledge for what it was. "I think Tohru-kun is hearing things. Should I check your ears for sign of infection?"
She let out a delighted laugh. "Hatori-san is teasing me."
He made some noncommittal noise. "I do have a sense of humor," he commented. "Can you stand, alright?"
She swung her legs over the side of the bed until they touched the floor and pushed her body up until she was standing. She wobbled slightly and Hatori offered her his arm to lean on for support.
She gripped his arm tightly, afraid that she would fall. The room seemed to be spinning around her. She closed her eyes in an effort to control the dizziness.
"You can lean into my side," Hatori whispered beside her ear.
Tohru was too dizzy to nod, so she just did as he told her. She didn't remember getting to the car or the drive home. She vaguely recalled an awkward climb up the stairs to her room. She definitely remembered seeing Hatori's concerned face looking down at her as she drifted off to sleep. And, if she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn that she had awoken sometime in the night and found him sitting in a chair by her bedside. She thought perhaps that last memory had been a dream; after all, he had been gone when she woke the following morning. If it wasn't for the note on her nightstand left there by Hatori, she might have continued to think she had imagined it.
Tohru-kun,
I had to return to the honke this morning and leave you in Shigure's care. Please take it easy today. Doctor's orders.
Sohma Hatori
After reading it, she smiled to herself and tucked the paper under her pillow.
There was a knock on the door. Hatori was surprised to see Tohru standing there. It had been more than a week since he had seen her.
"Tohru-kun…" He looked past her to see if someone else had accompanied her, but didn't see anyone. Surely the girl hadn't come alone.
"Did you walk all the way over here by yourself?"
She nodded. "Oh, but don't worry. I'm not sick anymore. Thanks to Hatori-san's care, I'm all better." She smiled at him then, a smile so brilliant and sincere that for a moment he just stood there, looking at her before coming back to himself.
"Oh! Silly me, standing her like an idiot," she said, rapping herself lightly on the head. "I came to give you something. Happy Valentine's Day, Hatori-san."
He blinked and looked down to see a small package resting in her hands.
"Tohru-kun didn't have to—
"But I did have to!" she exclaimed emphatically, a worried look gracing her features. She turned her gaze towards the ground at her feet, hiding her face from view. "Ano… I know that everyone said for me not to get them anything for Valentine's Day this year, but Hatori-san has shown such kindness and has troubled himself to take care of me when I was ill. Please accept this as a thank you."
She bowed and thrust the package towards him, leaving him no choice but to take it. If he refused, Tohru would only become upset, and he didn't want to see her upset.
He took the package.
It was wrapped in red paper with little white dragons printed on it. Where ever she had found it he hadn't a clue, but it must have taken some time to find something so specific.
"Isn't Hatori-san going to open it?"
He realized that he had been staring rather dumbly at the package for more than a few minutes. He nodded, and began to untie the ribbon. Carefully, so as not to tear it, he opened the paper to reveal a small white box. Inside there was a small heart shaped chocolate.
"Ah, I was going to make them myself but when everyone said not to I just bought this one instead. It's not much, I know…" Noticing the impassive look on his face her words trailed off. "Maybe I shouldn't have…" She reached to take the box back from him, but he pulled it out of her reach.
"I like it very much. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Tohru-kun."
The girl let out a sigh and smiled. "I'm relieved Hatori-san likes his gift."
She began to leave then, but he made her wait so that he could drive her home. He didn't like the idea of her walking alone. What had the other's been thinking letting her walk out in this weather?
The drive to Shigure's house was silent, except for Tohru's joyful humming. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling as she stared out the window. He didn't even think she was aware she was doing it.
As they pulled up to the house, he thanked her again for the gift.
He waited until she made it safely into the house before driving away. All the way back to the honke his thoughts were on Tohru. As he reached to slide his door opened he wondered just when it had been that he'd fallen in love with her and how it had snuck up on him this time.
Hatori sighed and sat back from the table a little. Shigure had invited him over for dinner that evening. He was a little leery of going at first; now that he realized his feelings for Tohru the thought of being around her was almost painful. He had debated with himself over the past week whether or not to tell her of his feelings. But, she had enough to deal with right now. Besides, he was almost certain that she had feelings for Yuki or Kyou, perhaps even both of them; telling her of his own feelings would just confuse her even more.
"As usual, Tohru-kun's home cooked meal was delightful," Shigure said, causing the girl to blush from the compliment, much to Yuki and Kyou's annoyance. The two shot Shigure almost identical glares. It was funny, Hatori thought. They finally agreed on something. But, he was well aware of the effect Tohru had on people.
"Thank you, Shigure-san," she said before turned to Hatori. "Did Hatori-san have enough?" she asked, eyeing his empty plate.
"Yes. Thank you for going through the trouble of cooking for me."
"Eh? But it wasn't any trouble. I always make extra, it seems," Tohru explained with a smile. She then began to collect the dishes from the table as Kyou and Yuki made their excuses and went off to their separate rooms.
"You take too much on," Hatori said. "Why don't you get one of the boys to help you with that?"
He sometimes wondered where she came up with such an abundance of energy. Didn't the girl ever tire? Between school, her part-time, and taking care of things at Shigure's he thought she must never have any free time. She was young, she was supposed to be enjoying her youth.
"Eh? I don't mind. I like to keep busy. It keeps my mind off of things." She smiled widely and nodded for emphasis before skittering back to the kitchen, her arms laden with dirty dishes.
Shigure leaned close and whispered in a confidential manner. "Don't think I haven't noticed you watching her, Ha-san."
Hatori fought the urge to roll his eyes, determined not to play his cousin's game. "What nonsense are you spouting now?" he asked dryly.
The dog smirked. "I'm talking about you and our little flower, of course. You've been eyeing her all evening."
"And if I were?"
Shigure wasn't expecting that sort of a response; Hatori almost always ignored his teasing. And teasing was all it had been; he hadn't thought there was anything behind his remarks. He immediately adopted a more serious demeanor. "Ha-san?"
Hatori slid him a sideways glance, but remained silent.
"Have you told her?"
He looked at him fully then. "Of course not. Besides, do you honestly think that she'd return my feelings?"
"I think," Shigure began, "that if Ha-san has a chance, he should take it. Go after what you want."
It took him several weeks to work up the courage to tell her. More than a month of putting up with Shigure's knowing glances and telling comments in front of an oblivious Tohru. He didn't know which was worse: the fear that she would reject him, or the fear that she wouldn't.
They sat together in silence, each of them acutely aware of the other's presence, although their thoughts were in very different places.
Hatori looked down in surprise when he felt a small hand take hold of his own. Tohru's face, adorably flushed, was turned slightly away from him. Much to his own chagrin, he felt heat rise to his own cheeks; something which had not occurred in some time. Hatori liked to think he was immune to such things now, but Tohru seemed to bring feelings out of him that he had long since buried.
Again, he glanced down at where their hands met and took hold of her hand more firmly in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze.
She turned towards him then, a shy smile gracing her lips.
He reached towards her, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear and was almost embarrassed to notice his hands shaking. He sighed in an effort to control the emotions threatening to come forth; they were so close to the surface now.
"I like being by Hatori-san's side," she finally said.
"I like Tohru-kun being by my side."
He smiled softly. The renewing forces of Spring had finally arrived.
~owari