IMPORTANT: I would simply like to point out that this story is being updated, because I am renovating it, in a sense. Not much will change, just possibly a couple of parts added, or the sentences changed around slightly so as they make more sense. I have not had computer access in quite a long time, and have decided to continue this story, so expect updates soon.

Authors Note: Thank both of you (midnight blue-rhea and HiedixMoon) for reviewing my last chapter. It made me want to put this one up sooner! But anyways, I really don't have much to say after that, so on with the fanfic!

Chapter One

Winter Sickness
Written by: Nao

After a couple moments of overenthusiastic introductions, running off of the subject, and forgetting completely what he was calling to say, he was finally reminded as the subject as to why he was calling, staggered into the room. The said subject lightly pinched the bridge of his nose out of frustration, walked over to the other who was still on the phone, and pulled it away from him. He sighed and tried to quietly clear his throat before putting it to his ear. "Ayame, Shigure had to leave. He saw a cat and just darted off af-"He had no chance to finish his sentence as the other on the phone cut him off.

"Hatori? Is that you? My, my, Hatori! You sound absolutely dreadful! I shall go make some soup (or have Tohru make some so I don't accompany in being one of the people to further destroy dear Shigures' home) and be over before you can say—!"And this time it was the snakes' turn of being cut off as the dragon, out of frustration, slammed the phone back onto the receiver, then picked it up and slammed it back down a couple of more times.

His friend, who was now simply watching him, head cocked to the side, which caused dark bangs falling into his eyes which he neglected to advert from his eyes. "So, Aya's coming over, right?" Hatori didn't voice the answer to Shigures' question, but instead just glared at the dog and turned to walk into the other room. Shigure snickered quietly and grinned as he pranced over to the coffee machine, and stared at it for a moment. His lips curled up at the sides as he grabbed a bag of coffee. "Hmm -- How to work this thing now?"

Meanwhile, in the other room, Hatori flopped back down, face first, onto the couch. First Shigure came, and that man could be a handful in himself; but now Aya. He groaned and shook his head; he didn't even want to think about the trouble that those two could cause together. He closed his eyes and simply lay there, enjoying the silence of the house. He didn't think that a moment like this could ever be possible with Shigure here. Hatori then sighed and rolled onto his side, then nearly screamed, but instead just jumped up into a seated position, pushed far back against the couch, and grasped the shirt above his heart with his hand as he tried to catch his breath.

There was Shigure, who had his chin resting on the cushion the sickly man was previously laying on, with a cup of coffee in his hands. When Hatori had rolled over, his face had been so close to Shigures'; he could probably have touched noses with him if he had been less then a centimeter closer. Shigure candidly grinned at the dragon, jumped up (as he attempted not to spill the coffee), and handed it to the dragon. Hatori glared at him and opened his mouth to speak, just as the door was thrown open, and his nightmare came true. Shigure and Ayame were both here, taking care of him.

Shigure smiled and turned around, accidentally spilling some coffee on Hatori' cream colored carpet. When he attempted to catch some of the falling droplets, all he succeeded in was spilling it on himself. Shigure sighed and looked down. "Aw, and that was going to be for –-"

"Isn't that hot?" Hatori uttered as a confused expression passed over his features. He knew that he smelt coffee in the room, and it was now reeking off of Shigure, who was saturated in it. Though somehow, it didn't make sense to how the cup of the drink was not now burning the dog-cursed man.

Shigure blinked, more out of confusion than anything, and shrugged before turning to Ayame. "Want to go and change with me? I think that Hatori is much in need of a nap." Aya me nodded enthusiastically, and skipped upstairs, with Shigure in tow. Hatori sighed once they disappeared up the staircase, and glanced down at his once perfectly clean rug, which now had coffee stains on it. He groaned and turned to face the back of the couch when something seemed to mentally hit him. "Wait --" He mumbled to himself and closed his eyes in concentration. "Ayame and Shigure went upstairs to -- change." His dark eyes immediately flew open, and he turned around, then stood up, just as two lab-coat clad men started down the stairs. One of them was balancing a pencil on his nose as the other was skipping down the stairs calling to him. "Aren't these just the cutest things we found in your closet Ha-chan? They're absolutely adorable!" By then they had reached the bottom of the stairs, and Ayame spun a little, as to make the bottom of the lab-coat go up a couple of inches.

Shigure had a serious look on his face as he strode over to Hatori and kneeled down next to him. "Are you ready, Nurse Ayame?" He asked, looking over to Ayame, who was quickly tying his hair into one long braid while he nodded his head in approval. Shigure stared at Hatori for a moment and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a mini flashlight, and then turned Hatoris' head and shone it into his ear. At the same moment he leaned across the dragon to peer into his other ear. Shigures' eyes then widened, and he gasped, moving away from the other man. "Ay-Ayame-san! We must operate! Their something clogged in-between his ears!" Ayame gasped and covered his mouth with his hands. The dragon simply rolled his eyes and continued to lay there.

Shigure sighed and turned to Ayame. "Cough medicine!" He announced to his 'nurse' and Ayame grinned and took out a toy doctors' bag from behind his back, reached in, and pulled out a spoon and cough medicine. Shigure thanked him and looked at the label, squinting slightly. "Seven tablespoons! Yes -- that's it!" He announced and started to pour the first amount of the medicine into the tablespoon.

Hatoris' eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest that it was most defiantly not seven tablespoons, but was stopped as the spoon of medicine was shoved into his mouth. He scrunched his nose as the bitter tasting liquid entered his mouth, and then turned to Shigure who was pouring yet another tablespoon of the medication. "Shigure, it is most defin—"He was cut off as another tablespoon of medicine was shoved into his mouth. Once again he scrunched up his nose, as the taste seemed to be even worse this time. Shigure, once again, started to pour another table spoon, and Hatoris' eyes widened. "Open up Ha-chan!" The dog announced in a sing-song voice, and moved the spoon closer to his 'patients' mouth. Panicking, at the thought of being overdosed, the dragon did the first thing that came to mind. Hatori turned his head to the side and pursed his lips, then covered them with his hands.

Ayame giggled at the child-like antic of Hatori, and then peered over at the bottle that Shigure was still holding and laughed. "Shigure-kun, it says two tablespoons, not seven! Silly, silly puppy!" He said and lightly hit Shigure across the head, in a playful manner. At this Shigure blinked and stared at the package again.

"Ah, it does say that, doesn't it?" He asked, as an anime style sweatdrop appeared on his head, only soon to vanish. "Ha-san! You should've said something! I wouldn't have tried to give you so much! Oh, you didn't know, did you? Silly doctor, you should know all about medicine, you fake!" He snickered as Hatori glared at him and removed his hands from his face, only to be practically tackled back into a laying position by the dog, who was now sitting on his stomach, and straddling him with his legs as he leaned over to shine the little flashlight into the dragons' ear once again. Again, he looked into the other ear and shook his head. On the other side of the room Ayame gasped, and his eyes started to fill with tears.

Shigure hopped off of Hatori and walked over to Ayame, then held his hands in his own. "We need to operate, Aya, or else he is going to die." He said lowly, in a very serious manner. Ayames' golden colored eyes continued to water as he nodded.

"I understand Dr. Shigure, please, just keep him alive. He's my childs' father, after all."

Shigure nodded before continuing his speech. "I under—" Their deviant soap- opera was soon cut off though, by their 'dying patient'.

"Get out of my house." He said, just loud enough for the other two to hear. They both turned to him, looks of confusion apparent on their faces. Ayame was the first to speak.

"Huh? What're you talking about Ha-chan?" he asked, as he and Shigure let go of each others hands, both now paid full attention to the ill dragon.

"I'm talking about how I want you both out of my house, now." He answered calmly. Ayame sighed and nodded, but Shigure on the other hand wanted to continue on with the questioning.

"Oh, but Ha'ri! That's not right! You cannot kick your two best friends in the whole wide world, into the cold, cold winter night, where we could freeze to death in the snow, and have to cling to each other to save all the body heat we had remaining, as we sit there, waiting for the long hours of the night to pass before sleep finally overcome our half-frozen bodies, and we fall into the endless sleep of evermore. How would you--?"

"Get out of my house Shigure, before I call someone to get you out." He said, in the same dangerously low tone which made Shigure whimper quietly and begin to walk towards the door where Ayame was waiting for him.

He stopped when he was just about to leave the room, and simply stood there, not bothering to face Hatori. "I hope you are able to live with the guilt if we both die a slow and painful death because you sent us out in the –"

"Out Shigure." Hatori once again cut the dog off, who in return sighed and slipped off his slippers, put his shoes back on, and exited the dragons' house with Ayame. He and Ayame walked in silence for a long time until they reached the road that led through the woods, to Shigures' house.

They both stopped, and Shigure grinned as he looked to Ayame. "Tomorrow?" He questioned, seeming to forget the past events of the day, as his optimistic aura returned to him again.

"Tomorrow!" Ayame answered and they both stuck out their thumbs, across from each other, before shouting at the same time:

"Yes!"

To be continued...