Title: Promises
Author: annonymouse
Disclaimer: I disclaim! If I owned this then there would be a lot of… uh.. Never mind. Same goes to all chapter after this!
Summary: Slightly AU. What if Shigure had the same thing done to him as Hatori? But what if, instead of the girl moving away, she stayed close to him? What if she's struggling with repressed memories? What if she finally remembered?
Author's Notes: This is a very short prolouge. The next chapter will be much much longer. I hope you enjoy this!

*

"I know what you're going to do Hatori. Just… Please let me say goodbye." The girl looked up to him, her eyes were wet with unshed tears as she pleaded, both vocally and silently.

Hatori hesitated before nodding. He called out her lovers name, he knew the other man was watching silently behind a screen.

As soon as the figure revealed himself, she launched herself at him, clutching the front of his shirt tightly. Her tears finally poured down freely.

"Please, please forgive me." she begged him, Shigure used one hand to stroke her hair softly before finally answering,

"What is there to forgive? If anything, it's me that should be apologising."

"I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for leaving you when I promised I would never…"

"It's okay, it's okay. It's not like you wanted to leave me." He fought his grieve. He would not show anything but his smile in her last moments.

"I'm so sorry." She looked up at him and reached her arms to grasp the sides of his head softly. She cupped his ears and pulled him down for their last kiss.

Tenderly he obliged her, ignoring his cousin's steady gaze he placed a butterfly kiss on her mouth, putting as much feeling as he could behind one chaste kiss. She looked at him and smiled quickly wiping away her tears, determined to make his last memory of her to be a smiling one.

"I'll remember. Somehow I will." she promised him.

"Somehow… I believe that." he replied, grinning at her stubbornness.

"And when I do, I'll be back."

"Of course."

"Then promise me, promise that you'll wait for me? Even if it takes me years?" she knew she was being selfish, making him promise to rely his happiness on her but she wanted his reassurance that her efforts will not be in vain.

"I will. Even when you find someone else. I will still wait."

She offered her little finger at him and he entwined it with his. A childish thing to do but so entirely like her that he could not help but obey her small request. With a determined look at her eyes she turned back to Hatori and sat down in front of him.

"I wont forget." she proudly promised, Hatori nodded once. Shigure walked away, hearing a small thud as he reached the door. He hesitated, wanting to turn around and gather her up in his arms.

"She wont remember." Hatori whispered, somehow his soft voice had carried itself to Shigure's ears.

"She will." he retorted defiantly.

*

Sohma Shigure woke up in cold sweat into a sitting position. His eyes wildly searched the room, panting slightly from the dream he woke up from. Finally relaxing, he realised he was at home, he reached one of his hands to his forehead, pushing the damp hair out of his face. He smiled wryly, hair still in his hand he began to chuckle lightly.

A dream, a stupid stupid dream. Nothing important. He let his body fall back down, the smile left his face as he recalled the dream. Her smile, her warmth… it seemed so real. When was he going to forget… her. He growled. He wasn't going to say he name. He's avoided it all these years, he wont start saying it now.

A glance outside told him it was well past noon. He got up lazily and stretched. A new day was starting already… Well a bit past a new day but it was how he liked it.

His stomach growled as soon as he stood up. He smiled to himself and went downstairs, scratching his scalp. He hoped Tohru-kun had left him something to eat.

"I knew dogs were lazy, but honestly Shigure…" a voice interrupted his voyage to the kitchen.

"Ha-san! I knew it! You missed me didn't you?" he bounded to Hatori cheerfully and plopped himself down to sit next to him.

"Cut it out Shigure. No one else is here." Hatori sipped some tea from his cup and put down the newspaper he was reading to face his friend.

"You're no fun, you know that right?" Shigure pouted playfully as he filled his own cup of tea. "Aahh… That's nice. You always did make the best tea Ha-san." He smiled at the expressionless man.

"Sensei!!!" A woman's voice was heard out the house, she seemed a little desperate.

"You're evil." Hatori blandly told his friend as Shigure greeted the woman with a smile.

"Ah Mii-chan! Come in, come in." he gestured for her to come inside.

"Sensei, have you finished the…"

"You haven't met my dearest cousin have you? Sohma Hatori, meet Mii-chan. Why don't you two have a nice chat while I have a shower." Shigure abruptly disappeared.

"You realise he introduces us everytime we meet." Hatori smiled at the nervous woman as she sat down.

"Oh yes Hatori-san, I believe I have been introduced to you at least seventy times in the last three years." she replied tiredly.

The two spent the time in companionable silence, occasionally breaking the silence with comment on the weather and on Shigure's slowness.

"That was nice." The man they had been talking about moments before commented as he left a trail of steam behind him.

"Sensei! Have you…" Mii-chan jumped up only to be pushed gently back down by Shigure.

"Wont lunch be nice? Lets see what Tohru-kun has prepared eh?" he moved to stand when Hatori's voice interrupted him.

"Shigure give her the damn thing. Look at her. She's tired." Hatori's eyes pierced Shigure's, the latter nodded in defeat as he observed his droopy eyed editor.

"You should rest more Mii-chan!" he playfully chided her, giving her a thick brown envelope.

"Sensei! Thank you Hatori-san! Thank you!" A river of tears ran down her face. Hatori nodded in recognition.

"I don't get a thank you???" Shigure asked

"As always, thank you Sensei!" she smiled brilliantly at him. Excusing herself, she got out of the house and skipped away.

The dog man's eyes followed the petite figure who seemed to have found a new spring in her steps. Absently he smiled at the disappearing figure.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you always deliberately stall giving her your work Shigure."

"Is that a question Hatori? Or is it a veiled threat?" a dangerous glint came to his normally friendly eyes.

"Take it as you please." came the calm reply.

"Drink your tea Hatori." It was an order. Shigure kept a tight rein on his temper. Today was not a day to fight with his best friend.

"Hey. Akito told me to ask you about the progress of…"

"Tell Akito-san not to worry. It will happen." Shigure interrupted with conviction, knowing what his friend was about to say. And endless pause hung in the air between the two. Hatori sipped his tea once more and began reading the newspaper again.

Hatori glanced at his friend occasionally. He seemed to be lost in his own world. He didn't blame him. Hatori knew what he was thinking of, and he knew how his friend felt.

"You're in a weird mood today. You dreamt about her again didn't you?" He saw his friend flinch at the words. Minutes went by before the quiet reply came.

"She will remember. She promised."

"What makes you think she'll be any different to her?"

"Her?"

"Kana."

"Because Kana was never as pig headed as she was."

"If she does remember, you know he'll kick up a fuss again, don't you?"

"I thought you were sure about your abilities." Bitterly he turned to his friend

"I am."

"Then there's nothing to worry about is there?"

"There is if you are still hoping. Was it not you that told me to move on?"

"Only after she got married." This reply seemed to have set something off in Hatori, he stood up abruptly and moved towards the still standing figure.

"Shigure…" he began, slightly fuming.

"Let's not fight Hatori. You know yourself it is almost impossible for Mii-chan to remember."

TBC…

Whoaa!!! First chapter! Hope you liked it. Oh and if you have time, read my other Furuba fic!