As Tohru opened her eyes later that afternoon, the first thing she saw was the concerned face of her guardian Ayame.
"Ah, it looks like our delicate flower has finally awakened." Shigure announced from across the room.
"Ayame, Shigure...where am I? How long have I been out?" Tohru asked.
"Only for a couple hours. You became woozy downstairs in the saloon and Momiji insisted on bringing you to your room. How are you feeling?" Ayame asked.
Tohru smiled. "Much better now, thank you. I hope you didn't call Hatori and worry him." she said.
"I wasn't sure how long you were going to be out, so I was a little concerned and thought it best to call him. He told me that the had his own emergency of sorts, aiding a new patient that had passed out not long after you did." Ayame said.
"It was that new hire Kyou that works for us as a bouncer. He had gone in for a knee examination, but Hatori said that the wound mysteriously started bleeding profusely after Ayame told your fiancée the news." Shigure commented.
Tohru sat bolt upright in bed. "Oh no! Poor Kyou! I should go check on him..." she began.
Ayame smiled and pushed her back against the mattress. "Don't worry, he's fine. Hatori sent him back to the saloon properly bandaged on a pair of crutches. He only has to use them until he feels he can walk on his leg again. I'm sure he appreciates your concern for him, but Hatori suspects that Kyou himself may have worsened his own condition worrying about you." he told her.
'Kyou.." Tohru whispered, relaxing against her pillows as Ayame whispered gently to her, his hand cool and soothing against her heated forehead.
"You should get some sleep now, Tohru. Ayame, Momiji, yuki and I will be around to check on you from time to time. Please...get some rest." Shigure told her.
Tohru nodded in agreement, allowing sleep to overtake her once again, the last thought on her mind on thoughts of Kyou...
Hatori was used to people reacting strongly when it came to Tohru, since she was the favorite of almost all the townspeople in their small western town, but the extent of Kyou's concern had surprised him. He had checked into his charts and found that information on him was sadly lacking.
That wasn't so unusual, Hatori thought, considering how families would sometimes falsify medical records to keep family secrets secret and whatnot, but it didn't seem as though the orange haired drifter had anything to hide. Kyou had barely been in town a week, so he guessed his concern for her had stemmed from their working together at the saloon.
He was not a big fan of the place himself, but tolerated it for Tohru's sake. Yet, what had fueled Kyou's anger at the situation, he wondered. For never having heard Tohru's unfortunate story, he certainly had seemed emotionally involved...he shrugged it off.
That was just the way people seemed to react once they got to know his Tohru. She was beautiful, sweet and innocent, and there wasn't a man in town that wasn't in love with her, secretly or otherwise. He was secure in their feelings for each other, so he had no reasons to worry as he sighed and lit himself up a cigarette before heading to the Rose Saloon....
"Please Tohru, you're going to hurt my feelings if you don't eat this soup I made for you with my own hands." Momiji pleaded with her at her bedside.
Tohru's eyes softened as she stared up into the caring eyes of her best friend Momiji. After he had taken her upstairs to rest, he had gone home and made a special soup just for her with the best ingredients he could find.
Yuki had followed him back to his house with offers to help, and she was grateful for both their efforts. She reached out to stroke a hand across his face, noticing that he was a little feverish himself.
"Momiji, maybe you should be eating this soup yourself. You feel a little warm." she told him.
"It's just because we've been worried about you. You know how dedicated Momiji is to you." Yuki told her.
She smiled at them both. "Yes, I do know. Thank you." she told him.
Momiji took her hand in his and kissed it delicately. "Just know I'm holding you to your promise, Tohru. That's good enough as any to make sure you feel better by tomorrow." he told her.
"Good evening, Momiji, Yuki." Hatori greeted them as he walked in.
"Hatori." Tohru said.
He smiled as he sat down beside her on the bed. "Hello Tohru. Really, you shouldn't encourage these boys to fawn all over you like they do. I have a hard enough time fending off strangers' reactions for the woman I love." he told her.
"I'll assume you're speaking of that young man Kyou that I hired as a bouncer at the saloon? You have no need to worry. I can actually respect a man whose best interests are centered on my lovely Tohru. I'm very pleased to see that you have come, Hatori." Ayame told him.
"I guarantee you not a moment was wasted in my arrival to my beloved's bedside. I'm sure Tohru can understand that as a doctor, I have a responsibility to my patients as well." he told Ayame.
Tohru smiled as she reached out to stroke a hand across his cheek. "Yes, of course. I completely understand." she said softly.
Ayame motioned for all of the others to leave the room as Hatori bent down to kiss Tohru's lips softly. "Come on, gentlemen. Let's give these two a moment alone." he told them.
The four men reluctantly departed, leaving Tohru and Hatori alone together. She wasn't surprised in the least to see him shuffle through his medical bag that he had brought along with him. He had performed various medical exams on her many times before, one of the perks of being engaged to a doctor, but nothing where she had to undress for him. He respected her modesty and had never asked for more than she was willing to give.
"Is it okay if I check your vitals, Tohru?" he asked her.
She nodded in silence, unsure exactly of what he meant, but relaxed as he placed a thermometer in her mouth and held a hand to her forehead. His hands are so warm, she thought, much like Kyou's had been. She didn't want to have that knowledge to compare them, but something about the kiss she and Kyou had shared mad her wish that Hatori wasn't always such a gentleman.
"Aren't you going to listen to my heartbeat?" she asked him.
Hatori smiled. "I was just getting to that, my love. You can go ahead and sit up." he told her.
And she did so, uncovering the gauzy white nightgown she had worn to bed. It covered her just as a flannel nightgown would, only the material was more delicate and the tiny pearl buttons on top allowed her the option of increasing her comfort level.
She watched him as he searched for his stethoscope, undoing a few buttons to expose her neckline. When he turned to face her, he stifled his sharp inhale as he looked upon her. Not missing a beat, she reached for his hand and pressed the instrument just above her breast.
"Inhale, and then exhale for me, Tohru." he choked out.
She did so, him gasping again as he could feel her tender flesh rasp up and down against his fingers. Pulling the stethoscope from his ears, he stared at her as he pushed his hand down further to just above her breast.
"I'd say that you were just fine, Tohru. Everything seems normal." he said.
She leaned in towards him, her dress loosening as he registered the warm of her breast beneath his fingers. He did not hesitate to kiss her back as she pressed her lips against his, imitating what Kyou had done with her not too long before.
Feeling Hatori's hands respond the offer she had made him, Tohru moaned into his mouth as she recalled how much she had wanted this then. She had very little knowledge of what went on between men and women, but her instincts told her that the man that should be kissing and touching her was not Kyou, but her fiancée Hatori.
She wanted him to usher her into woman hood, to pay homage to he sensitive breasts and bury his manhood into her damp center. She was tired of being proper and innocent, she wanted to be made passionate love to...but was it...was it Hatori that she really wanted?
She gasped as she choked on the words she wanted to say, feeling Hatori part from her mouth to head down to where her nipple was nearly exposed.
"Hatori, wait please." she told him.
He stared at her for a moment. "What's the matter? Do you want to stop? You know I would never do anything you don't want me to." he told her.
It seemed as though his words and actions were contradicting themselves as he took in the beauty of her full breasts concealed by the flimsy nightgown.
"Tohru..." he whispered with a smile.
"Hatori..." she choked out.
He kissed her again, a deep, lingering kiss. "I've waited a whole year to hear you say my name like that, Tohru..." he began.
"Please Hatori...wait please. I can't do this! It's too soon...please stop." she said.
Pulling away from her with a confused look, he smiled as he watched her fix her nightgown. "I'm sorry." she said.
Hatori shook his head. "No. I'm the one that's sorry. I took your sweet invitation further than you intended me to. When the time is right, we'll both know it. I love you, Tohru. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes." he said.
She smiled. "I love you too, Hatori. Thank you for coming to see me. I'm sure with a little more rest, I'll be fine for tomorrow." she said.
"Yes. That's doctor's orders." he told her.
"Thank you." she said, her last words before falling again into a deep slumber...
"I've always said that a good rest was always the best medicine, my lovely Tohru. I'm glad to see that you're feeling much better today. I would've hated to see you miss the surprise I had for you for the dance tonight." Ayame boasted proudly.
After spending the day relaxing, letting her guardian Ayame cook her breakfast and then a hearty lunch, she hadn't expected him to thank her in any way. She genuinely enjoyed his company and especially his flamboyant, high strung way of pronouncing his every little action with such high regard.
"You didn't have to do anything special for me, Ayame. Just being with you is a reward in itself." she said.
He embraced her warmly. "Oh, you truly are a dear! No, my darling, I simply had to design a gorgeous dress for you to wear this evening. I daresay that it is not nearly as risqué as some of the dresses I've made for the dancers in my troupe, but you will surely look divine in it!" he proclaimed to her.
She held her breath as he held up the dress in question, a stunning purple satin and lace dress similar to the one he had seen him design for Rin. She had always secretly envied Rin for being the one that inspired Ayame the most, her perfect figure leading him to create the most exquisite masterpieces.
It was just modest enough not to reveal any more skin than she desired, but at the same time, revealed enough to make any man want to see more.
"I know you're not used to wearing such dresses, Tohru, but you're growing up now and you're not my little girl anymore. I want you to be the belle of my ball tonight, to outshine all the others as you always do. This is truly my proudest moment." he sighed.
She embraced him again, both of them trying to keep from shedding happy tears against each other's shoulders.
"I don't know what to say...thank you, Ayame." she said.
"There is a white one to match it as well. my wedding gift to you and Hatori. I was going to wait to give it to you, but I wanted to make sure it fit properly." he said.
She looked upon the white dress and saw the sexy ensemble beneath the material. "Yes. I see what you mean. I'm sure it'll be fine." she told him, blushing furiously.
He laughed softly. "Yes. I believe this as well. Would you mind fixing my hair for the dance, Tohru? I simply must look my best for my escort after all, since Hatori will be doing his duty to you." he said.
"You're taking Rin then?" she asked.
He smiled. "As if there was a doubt. It just wouldn't do to be seen without my head dancer! And she does look rather lovely on my arm too!" he proclaimed.
Tohru laughed softly in her happiness as she took the brush from Ayame's hands to pass it through his long mane. His gorgeous silver hair was always a pleasure to groom. He always kept it tangle free and pleasantly fragrant. She knew for special occasions he always wore it in a long braid down his back to put the emphasis on his still youthful, boyish face.
She wondered how her many admirers would react seeing her in such a costume. She already knew Hatori and Momiji's reactions. Hatori would appreciate her with quiet resolve, Momiji with exaggerated romantic gestures. She loved how opposite they were that way, curious about Shigure and Yuki's reactions as well. And what of Kyou, she wondered. Would he notice her as well, or would he even be there?
"Ayame, is Kyou going to be at the dance?" she asked him.
Ayame nodded. "Yes, but because of his injury, he has requested to work instead this evening. That poor creature detests the crutches Hatori made him use. I can certainly understand. I wouldn't want to feel helpless like that either." he said.
Tohru nodded in agreement, returning to the work at hand. So Kyou was going to be there after all, the one she had been thinking about when she had considered giving herself to Hatori. She didn't know what it was about this drifter that made her think such things, but she hoped she would get her chance to confront him and find out...
Kyou was sure that Tohru wouldn't even notice his absence as an active participant in the Rose Saloon dance this evening, not with all the attention he knew she was bound to garner being the guest of honor. He knew for a fact that Ayame and Rin were going to arrive together, and wondered if Tohru's guardian was the one Rin had spoken of having feelings for.
It seemed perfectly reasonable, since it was obvious Ayame's world revolved around Tohru and Rin. Yuki had informed him that Tohru would be escorted by her fiancée Hatori and asked him to keep his distance.
"Who the hell are you to tell me whom to associate with? Tohru and I are
co-workers and friends. I don't give a rat's ass about this Hatori character." he said.
"Well you better, because he's the one who's going to marry the girl all the men in town care about." Yuki said.
"And that includes you, doesn't it? You have no more place giving a damn about her than I do." Kyou said.
Yuki snorted. "Get in line. The person that is next in line after Hatori is Momiji, and he's been waiting to be with her since they were children. With him and Hatori in the running, you don't stand a chance!" he exclaimed.
Kyou turned away from him then to prepare for his evening's work hours, keeping the memory of his and Tohru's kiss to himself. What was it about Yuki that made him even think that he should have anything at all to do with Tohru anymore, he wondered.
He knew now that Hatsuharu had killed her parents and that he had taken the blame, the infamous Crimson Haired Bandit. He cringed when he thought that she might find out who he really was, and wished his sense of duty to Ayame was strong enough to keep him in town long enough to keep his promise to Yuki. As much as he hated the bastard, he was a man of his word and that, along with his need to be close to Tohru from a distance was enough...