Wow, I haven't updated yet on the Vampires ficcie! ^^;; Ah well, there's always a tomorrow…
I forgot to dedicate this fic to Mona-chan. I have long delayed on the Yukiru Moulin Rouge, so at least, this would make up for it, right?
"Tohru-kun is still missing," said Ayame to Hatori over the phone a few days after. "I swear I heard that she was going with Yuki to the amusement park."
The doctor made a sound, telling his cousin that he couldn't care less if the girl was abducted by aliens.
"Are you sure you don't know where she may be?" asked Ayame again, evidently rattled. The news of his younger brother's death in the accident had already devastated him, and now, the disappearance of Tohru!
"I don't," said the doctor curtly.
"I see." Another sigh. "I'm sorry for bothering you. Kisa told me that Tohru might have followed him-"
Hatori felt his least favorite emotion piercing his heart – guilt. But he maintained his blank tone. "Is that all?"
He could hear his cousin sigh. "Yes. Thank you for your time."
As soon as Hatori heard the busy tone, he replaced the receiver back then turned to his bathroom, where Tohru was washing her face. He turned back to his paper work, but he couldn't understand the statements. He was preoccupied by guilt.
"Damn it," muttered the doctor.
He heard the door open, and out came Tohru, fresh from the shower, wearing a blue bathrobe – his bathrobe. "Hatori-sensei?"
He didn't reply. He was still thinking.
She drew towards him and peeked at him from behind. "Hatori-sensei?"
He jumped when the fresh soapy scent reached his nostrils. It had been years since he was this close to a woman. He turned to her, forehead creased. "What is it?"
She looked at the bathroom. "T-The shower…it suddenly stopped." She looked down. "I-I cannot finish my bath…"
He noticed the soap suds on her flawless porcelain skin, on her slender neck, on the flesh peeping out from his robe…
His eyes averted hers. Cursing, he marched towards the shower and examined it.
Tohru followed him inside. "What went wrong, Hatori-sensei?"
The bathroom was built for one person only, so he could feel her moist skin next to him. But he ignored it. He looked up at the shower head and knocked on it repeatedly. "Damn Shigure."
Tohru blinked. "S-Shigure?" she echoed.
He continued on fixing the shower. "He didn't want to give me back the loan I gave him, so when I needed the money to have the shower fixed, he volunteered to do the plumber job himself."
"S-Shigure…" she echoed, the name familiar-sounding.
He kicked himself mentally. How did that name slip so easily from him? He vowed to be more careful, especially when Tohru was displaying a remarkable recovery of some of her memories. About her deceased mother and about household chores.
What would she remember next? he wondered as he turned the shower on full blast.
Suddenly, water sprouted from the shower, drenching Hatori who was directly under it. Colorful profanities echoed in the tiled walls of the bathroom as Tohru's eyes widened, then crinkled into a delighted smile. She turned the shower off as Hatori jumped out of the bathroom, sputtering.
She followed him outside, holding a towel. "I think the shower's fixed again."
"I think so too," he muttered as he accepted the towel.
Tohru, on the other hand, gazed at the man before her, fascinated by how he suddenly looked years younger, his hair down and his face crunched up in exasperation.
Blush crawled up to her cheeks when her gaze went to the muscles shown by the wet shirt clinging to his body.
Hatori noticed her steady gaze and checked himself silently. More colorful curses ensued as he hurried into his room to change.
Soon, Hatori was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Behind him, he heard a throat being cleared.
"What is it?" he asked, busying himself with seasoning the dish.
Tohru walked towards him and peered at his dish – frozen fish fillet.
"Tired of frozen foods already, huh?" asked the doctor wryly.
She shook her head. "N-No." She looked down the floor. "I-I came here to ask…if I can do the cooking from now on."
He gave her the briefest of glances. "You still need to rest."
"I'm fine," she assured him. She took another spatula and took the apron off him. "I'm growing bored of lying down the bed."
He gave way. He watched as she slipped the apron on and tied it around her tiny waist.
"Hatori-sensei?"
"Yes?"
"It's funny, but I think I do remember myself cooking before," she said, a small smile on her face.
"That's good," said the doctor cautiously.
"But I have a question…"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't like you asking too many questions."
"It's only one," she insisted.
He groaned, but Tohru didn't know whether it was one of saying yes or saying no. She continued her question anyway. "Would you get mad at me if I don't remember me loving you before?"
"Huh?" His eyes looked momentarily confused.
"It's funny, but you see, I feel so awkward around you," she began shyly. "And I'm suppose to be your wife."
He fell silent. You can take away Honda Tohru's memories, but never her perceptiveness.
"Will you tell me how we met?" she asked. "Was it love at first sight?"
His fists clenched.
"And how did we get married? Who were our visitors?" continued Tohru innocently as she placed the fried fillets on the plate. "When did we get married-"
"You talk too much," he hissed.
Her mouth clamped. "I-I'm sorry." She served the platter on the table quietly.
He couldn't help but glance at her. He felt something gnaw his heart when he saw the hurt look in her eyes.
He stood up and placed his hand on her shoulders. "Let's take away that awkwardness, shall we?"
Her eyes widened when he suddenly leaned down towards her face and covered her mouth with his passionately.
Tohru wanted to resist first, but in the end, she felt her energy getting absorbed by him and his kiss. The next thing she knew was she was responding fiercely to his kiss, although she didn't know first how to. It was like discovering life for the first time. It felt strangely fantastic!
His mouth left hers, and they were both panting. His eyes were as shocked as hers.
Hatori abruptly let go of her. He sat down and began to eat quietly.
Tohru's knees were buckling as she took a seat next to him.
For a moment, none of them dared to talk.
"Funny," began Tohru slowly, eyes not meeting her husband's. "If your kisses are like that, I'm so stupid to forget them."
He paused, taken by surprise with her frankness. An amused smile played at the corner of his lips. "Really?"
She couldn't look at him. "Y-Yes."
He gazed at her, and despite the curtain of hair covering her face, he could see the lovely blush on her cheeks.
He looked down at the fish fillet, but his appetite was on someone else. He muttered something under his breath before standing up. "I'm going to eat this in the clinic. I still have a lot of things to do."
"Y-Yes!" said the onigiri.
"I will check on your head again after an hour. For the meantime, find yourself something to be busy with." With that, the doctor headed out of the kitchen.
Tohru's trembling hands touched her still moist lips again, then she shut her eyes tight, recalling the delicious feeling of his lips on her. She felt sensuous…
Her eyes flapped open, face burning. She shook her head repeatedly. Sensuous? How could she think that way?
But I am his wife. I should know how his lips feel…but why is it, that it feels so strange and new?
Hatori sighed as he looked at the news. None was mentioned anymore about the accident – it was buried underneath the issues of politics and national interests, thankfully.
Now all he had to worry about was if one of his relatives would visit him here.
Unlikely, he reminded himself. They are all busy with Yuki's funeral.
Once again, guilt began to gnaw his heart. Sohma Yuki was dead, and here he was, keeping his fiancée, and even kissed her, for crying out loud!
His fists clenched as he recalled again her soft, kissable lips. Ah, he never expected himself to react like that to her…as if he was a teenager, learning his first kiss.
But I was her first kiss. So Yuki never had the chance to do it.
He kept the broadsheet again. He had enough thinking for today.
"We can remove the bandages tomorrow afternoon," said Hatori as he dressed her head injury again.
Tohru's eyes were on the floor. She wasn't used to his sudden coldness again after what happened in the kitchen.
Hatori noticed her. "What is the problem?"
She shut her eyes as she felt warmth flood her cheeks again. Oh good lord, how she dreaded that question!
He fell silent. He was merely gazing at her, unspeaking. Not contented, he reached out and smoothed her cheek with the back of his palm. "Tohru?"
She opened her eyes when she heard him call her, his voice less harsher than usual. "Hatori-sensei?"
He nodded. "I now know why you feel awkward." A small smile formed on his lips. "You shouldn't call your husband so courteously."
She blinked, not sure whether the smile on his face was real. "B-But how do I call you? I-I can't remember."
The smile blossomed into a full one. "Honey."
She felt her face turn warm. "E-Eh?"
What becomes of winter afterwards?
Water?
Spring.
He drew towards her and kissed her forehead. "Now get a good night sleep." He was about to stand up when she called him.
"Where are you going to sleep?" she wondered.
"I still have lots of things to do in my office," he said. "Goodnight."
"D-Don't tire yourself out too much!" she said before she could think of what she was saying.
"I won't," he promised.
Ignoring the clock, Hatori browsed through the files in Shigure's laptop. He was busy checking on the whereabouts of their clan head.
"He was in Osaka a few days ago." Something formed in his mind as he wrote something down his legal pad.
tsuzuku
I forgot to dedicate this fic to Mona-chan. I have long delayed on the Yukiru Moulin Rouge, so at least, this would make up for it, right?
"Tohru-kun is still missing," said Ayame to Hatori over the phone a few days after. "I swear I heard that she was going with Yuki to the amusement park."
The doctor made a sound, telling his cousin that he couldn't care less if the girl was abducted by aliens.
"Are you sure you don't know where she may be?" asked Ayame again, evidently rattled. The news of his younger brother's death in the accident had already devastated him, and now, the disappearance of Tohru!
"I don't," said the doctor curtly.
"I see." Another sigh. "I'm sorry for bothering you. Kisa told me that Tohru might have followed him-"
Hatori felt his least favorite emotion piercing his heart – guilt. But he maintained his blank tone. "Is that all?"
He could hear his cousin sigh. "Yes. Thank you for your time."
As soon as Hatori heard the busy tone, he replaced the receiver back then turned to his bathroom, where Tohru was washing her face. He turned back to his paper work, but he couldn't understand the statements. He was preoccupied by guilt.
"Damn it," muttered the doctor.
He heard the door open, and out came Tohru, fresh from the shower, wearing a blue bathrobe – his bathrobe. "Hatori-sensei?"
He didn't reply. He was still thinking.
She drew towards him and peeked at him from behind. "Hatori-sensei?"
He jumped when the fresh soapy scent reached his nostrils. It had been years since he was this close to a woman. He turned to her, forehead creased. "What is it?"
She looked at the bathroom. "T-The shower…it suddenly stopped." She looked down. "I-I cannot finish my bath…"
He noticed the soap suds on her flawless porcelain skin, on her slender neck, on the flesh peeping out from his robe…
His eyes averted hers. Cursing, he marched towards the shower and examined it.
Tohru followed him inside. "What went wrong, Hatori-sensei?"
The bathroom was built for one person only, so he could feel her moist skin next to him. But he ignored it. He looked up at the shower head and knocked on it repeatedly. "Damn Shigure."
Tohru blinked. "S-Shigure?" she echoed.
He continued on fixing the shower. "He didn't want to give me back the loan I gave him, so when I needed the money to have the shower fixed, he volunteered to do the plumber job himself."
"S-Shigure…" she echoed, the name familiar-sounding.
He kicked himself mentally. How did that name slip so easily from him? He vowed to be more careful, especially when Tohru was displaying a remarkable recovery of some of her memories. About her deceased mother and about household chores.
What would she remember next? he wondered as he turned the shower on full blast.
Suddenly, water sprouted from the shower, drenching Hatori who was directly under it. Colorful profanities echoed in the tiled walls of the bathroom as Tohru's eyes widened, then crinkled into a delighted smile. She turned the shower off as Hatori jumped out of the bathroom, sputtering.
She followed him outside, holding a towel. "I think the shower's fixed again."
"I think so too," he muttered as he accepted the towel.
Tohru, on the other hand, gazed at the man before her, fascinated by how he suddenly looked years younger, his hair down and his face crunched up in exasperation.
Blush crawled up to her cheeks when her gaze went to the muscles shown by the wet shirt clinging to his body.
Hatori noticed her steady gaze and checked himself silently. More colorful curses ensued as he hurried into his room to change.
Soon, Hatori was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Behind him, he heard a throat being cleared.
"What is it?" he asked, busying himself with seasoning the dish.
Tohru walked towards him and peered at his dish – frozen fish fillet.
"Tired of frozen foods already, huh?" asked the doctor wryly.
She shook her head. "N-No." She looked down the floor. "I-I came here to ask…if I can do the cooking from now on."
He gave her the briefest of glances. "You still need to rest."
"I'm fine," she assured him. She took another spatula and took the apron off him. "I'm growing bored of lying down the bed."
He gave way. He watched as she slipped the apron on and tied it around her tiny waist.
"Hatori-sensei?"
"Yes?"
"It's funny, but I think I do remember myself cooking before," she said, a small smile on her face.
"That's good," said the doctor cautiously.
"But I have a question…"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't like you asking too many questions."
"It's only one," she insisted.
He groaned, but Tohru didn't know whether it was one of saying yes or saying no. She continued her question anyway. "Would you get mad at me if I don't remember me loving you before?"
"Huh?" His eyes looked momentarily confused.
"It's funny, but you see, I feel so awkward around you," she began shyly. "And I'm suppose to be your wife."
He fell silent. You can take away Honda Tohru's memories, but never her perceptiveness.
"Will you tell me how we met?" she asked. "Was it love at first sight?"
His fists clenched.
"And how did we get married? Who were our visitors?" continued Tohru innocently as she placed the fried fillets on the plate. "When did we get married-"
"You talk too much," he hissed.
Her mouth clamped. "I-I'm sorry." She served the platter on the table quietly.
He couldn't help but glance at her. He felt something gnaw his heart when he saw the hurt look in her eyes.
He stood up and placed his hand on her shoulders. "Let's take away that awkwardness, shall we?"
Her eyes widened when he suddenly leaned down towards her face and covered her mouth with his passionately.
Tohru wanted to resist first, but in the end, she felt her energy getting absorbed by him and his kiss. The next thing she knew was she was responding fiercely to his kiss, although she didn't know first how to. It was like discovering life for the first time. It felt strangely fantastic!
His mouth left hers, and they were both panting. His eyes were as shocked as hers.
Hatori abruptly let go of her. He sat down and began to eat quietly.
Tohru's knees were buckling as she took a seat next to him.
For a moment, none of them dared to talk.
"Funny," began Tohru slowly, eyes not meeting her husband's. "If your kisses are like that, I'm so stupid to forget them."
He paused, taken by surprise with her frankness. An amused smile played at the corner of his lips. "Really?"
She couldn't look at him. "Y-Yes."
He gazed at her, and despite the curtain of hair covering her face, he could see the lovely blush on her cheeks.
He looked down at the fish fillet, but his appetite was on someone else. He muttered something under his breath before standing up. "I'm going to eat this in the clinic. I still have a lot of things to do."
"Y-Yes!" said the onigiri.
"I will check on your head again after an hour. For the meantime, find yourself something to be busy with." With that, the doctor headed out of the kitchen.
Tohru's trembling hands touched her still moist lips again, then she shut her eyes tight, recalling the delicious feeling of his lips on her. She felt sensuous…
Her eyes flapped open, face burning. She shook her head repeatedly. Sensuous? How could she think that way?
But I am his wife. I should know how his lips feel…but why is it, that it feels so strange and new?
Hatori sighed as he looked at the news. None was mentioned anymore about the accident – it was buried underneath the issues of politics and national interests, thankfully.
Now all he had to worry about was if one of his relatives would visit him here.
Unlikely, he reminded himself. They are all busy with Yuki's funeral.
Once again, guilt began to gnaw his heart. Sohma Yuki was dead, and here he was, keeping his fiancée, and even kissed her, for crying out loud!
His fists clenched as he recalled again her soft, kissable lips. Ah, he never expected himself to react like that to her…as if he was a teenager, learning his first kiss.
But I was her first kiss. So Yuki never had the chance to do it.
He kept the broadsheet again. He had enough thinking for today.
"We can remove the bandages tomorrow afternoon," said Hatori as he dressed her head injury again.
Tohru's eyes were on the floor. She wasn't used to his sudden coldness again after what happened in the kitchen.
Hatori noticed her. "What is the problem?"
She shut her eyes as she felt warmth flood her cheeks again. Oh good lord, how she dreaded that question!
He fell silent. He was merely gazing at her, unspeaking. Not contented, he reached out and smoothed her cheek with the back of his palm. "Tohru?"
She opened her eyes when she heard him call her, his voice less harsher than usual. "Hatori-sensei?"
He nodded. "I now know why you feel awkward." A small smile formed on his lips. "You shouldn't call your husband so courteously."
She blinked, not sure whether the smile on his face was real. "B-But how do I call you? I-I can't remember."
The smile blossomed into a full one. "Honey."
She felt her face turn warm. "E-Eh?"
What becomes of winter afterwards?
Water?
Spring.
He drew towards her and kissed her forehead. "Now get a good night sleep." He was about to stand up when she called him.
"Where are you going to sleep?" she wondered.
"I still have lots of things to do in my office," he said. "Goodnight."
"D-Don't tire yourself out too much!" she said before she could think of what she was saying.
"I won't," he promised.
Ignoring the clock, Hatori browsed through the files in Shigure's laptop. He was busy checking on the whereabouts of their clan head.
"He was in Osaka a few days ago." Something formed in his mind as he wrote something down his legal pad.
tsuzuku