Ok here's chapter 3 _ no lemon yet though I have it written :P
It's getting to the lemon scene that's the hardest part without going too ooc or rushed
Ne do you guys want me to bring Yuki back? I think I might use him for the later part of the story ^_^ The next chapter will be a little dark as Tohru will have to face the wrath of our resident schizo haha
Glossary :
Yoshi: Great/Alright!
Irashaiimase: Welcome
Special thanks to my betareader and friend Felidae H. (huggles)
THE GIFT
Tohru had been avoiding any sort of conversation with Hatori that would remotely hint to what happened between her and Akito earlier that day. After much debating over the matter, she finally decided not to dwell on it and from there on after would keep her guard up whenever she was in his presence, though admittedly she spent a good portion of the morning sobbing at her desk. She couldn't quit even if she wanted to, and even if she could she wouldn't because she owed so much to the Sohmas and even Hatori, whose sponsorship helped her pay her way through nursing school. All he had asked of her back then was upon graduating; she'd spend a couple of years working in his private practice. At the time it seemed like a reasonable payoff but now with the way things were going, she wasn't too sure about that. With a heavy sigh she got up from her desk and walked towards the window facing the soft hue of the afternoon's rays. Somehow just sitting by the window, basking in the afternoon's sun and all its glory filled her with a sense of peace for the first time since she moved into the Sohma's complex. It was on days like these her thoughts would fill her head with fond memories spent with Yuki and Kyou.
It's been a year since she last saw them and she sorely missed Yuki's letters. He used to write her regularly and even keep in touch over the phone, but somewhere down the road, the contact between them dwindled and died.
It sucks to grow apart from your friends, she thought. She wondered if that would that happen to her and Hana or Uo, especially now that Uo-chan was 5 days from becoming "Miss Kureno Sohma". That was another thing she had to take care off. She'd promise Uo-chan to help pick out a wedding dress.
Ah! she thought, how horrible it is that people have to grow up -- and marry –move away and grow apart from their friends! One part of her was happy for Uo and Kureno but a small part of her wasn't ready to give away her friend to someone else. It was bad enough that Hana was on the other side of the Pacific and now Uo-chan's wedding. It wasn't like her to feel this way and the thoughts brought slight guilt over her consciousness.
Uo-chan and Kureno had been through a lot to make it to this point even going against Akito's wishes. Akito himself, and most other Sohmas, will not be at the wedding which was going to be a small, private affair anyways. The only Sohma that would be present aside from the groom was Hatori who was standing in as Kureno's best man; and Tohru, of course, would be Uo's bride's maid---.
"Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Hatori, who for the past minute or so had unsuccessfully tried to get the young nurse's attention.
"Hai!" she said finally snapping out of her thoughts. "Sorry, I've been so preoccupied with Uo-chan's wed---"
"That's just what I wanted to talk about" Hatori said unusually excited. "Well, I still haven't picked up a present for the lucky couple and if it's not too much of a bother I'd like your expert opinion on the matter," he continued.
Tohru was more than happy to be useful to Hatori in anyway, and the fact he valued her opinion meant a lot to her.
"Yes! I'd be happy to help out," she chirped.
"Great! We'll leave around 5 this evening," Hatori announced and strode out leaving Tohru alone to her thoughts once again.
"Yoshi! There's no need to be upset over the most important day in my friend's life!" and with that, she returned back to work. There was still much to be done before 5.
Gioia was one of Tokyo's best known Italian import stores, situated right in the middle of one of Japan's busiest shopping districts, Ginza. It was well known for its beautifully handcrafted gift ideas including imported tea sets, ceramics, glasses, and exquisite porcelain handicrafts of all sorts. Tohru delighted in the beautiful glass menagerie display that caught her eyes as she and Hatori walked into the store. They were greeted by one of the friendly sales clerk with a respectful bow typical of these department-like stores.
"Irashaiimase! How can I help you and the Mrs.?" the sales lady asked assuming they were a couple, if not married.
Tohru blushed realizing the lady's mistake, but Hatori didn't seem to mind, or perhaps did not feel the need to explain that this was a friend and employee who was helping him pick out a present for his cousin and his bride.
"We'll take a look around and see if we can find something we like," he replied and with that, took Tohru by one hand and walked towards the center of the handicraft store. Tohru was still recovering from the clerk's previous comment and didn't realize Hatori was holding her hand.
"OK, we got rid of the sales clerk; now let's find Kureno's and Uotani- san's gift," he stated, finally releasing her hand.
"Hai," Tohru softly obeyed.
She hadn't noticed it earlier but Hatori seemed to be putting a lot of effort into Kureno's wedding, and perhaps this trip was just as fun for him as it was for her.
Hatori was always one of few words and yet, Tohru had gotten accustomed to his reserved manners and almost relished in his introspectiveness, but she still occasionally wished he'd open up more. She had hoped to get to know the dragon now that she was working with him. She wondered how Kureno's wedding affected him; did it bring back the bittersweet memories of his missed happiness. He was once engaged to be married, but the wedding was vehemently opposed by Akito and in the end he lost the woman he loved along with most of the vision in his left eye. Now Kureno was in the same shoes but with a different outcome.
"Ha—tori-san and I are still the only ones attending Kureno's & Uo-chan's wedding, ne?" she asked hoping to perhaps start up a conversation.
"Unfortunately, it's just the two of us plus the bride's father, of course," he answered.
Tohru nodded. "I was thinking, perhaps the most practical present for them…would be a dinner wear set or something like that," she added, changing the conversation.
"Since when did our Tohru-kun become 'practical'?" Hatori chuckled, reminding Tohru about the kindhearted, foolish girl that spent her entire monthly earning on Valentine's chocolates for her friends and the Sohmas.
Tohru cheeks pinked at the memory.
"Tell me what the real Tohru would choose for her friend," Hatori inquired, peering at the girl more intently than he had intended.
"Umm… If you want my honest opinion, I thought those animal glass figurines were rather cute and…" she paused, "… would make most girls happy."
Hatori laughed and added, "Well, you're right. The wedding present is actually for the woman! And if you think that would make a great present for Uotani-san's special day, I'll have to take your word on it."
With that settled, they placed an order for the set of handcrafted figurines that had caught Tohru's eyes the moment they entered the store.
It was around 7 when they finally got out of the store only to find out it was pouring outside. Unfortunately, neither had an umbrella with them and the car was parked several blocks from the store. They decided not to wait for the rain to stop since it showed no sign of relenting any time soon.
"Are you ready?" Hatori asked, grabbing her by the hands.
Before Tohru could give a reply, she felt herself being led across the street towards the parking lot on the other side of the shopping district. By the time they got to the car they were both soaking wet. Hatori took a few deep breaths, recovering from the mad dash across the parking lot, before inserting the key into the ignition.
"I should hurry up and get you home before you catch a cold in those clothes" he said as he drove out of the parking lot.
Tohru shivered and nodded in agreement. It wasn't just the wet clothes that made her uncomfortable, but the fact he could practically see through her soaked blouse. And it didn't help that her heart was beating so hard she thought it would burst out from her chest.
Hatori pulled the car a few feet from Tohru's resident in the Sohma's complex. There was a brief silence before Tohru gestured towards opening the car door.
"I had a great time helping out with the gift," she said while casting a joyous look at Hatori.
"I should thank for coming along; I really appreciate it," Hatori replied. "Now hurry inside and get yourself into some dry clothes. I can't have my nurse falling ill on me," he kindly ordered.
"Hai!"
And with that she scurried inside, oblivious to the pair of dark eyes peering through a slight opening of curtains from afar.
"Honda Tohru, I'll make you regret the day you decided to intrude amongst us."
It's getting to the lemon scene that's the hardest part without going too ooc or rushed
Ne do you guys want me to bring Yuki back? I think I might use him for the later part of the story ^_^ The next chapter will be a little dark as Tohru will have to face the wrath of our resident schizo haha
Glossary :
Yoshi: Great/Alright!
Irashaiimase: Welcome
Special thanks to my betareader and friend Felidae H. (huggles)
THE GIFT
Tohru had been avoiding any sort of conversation with Hatori that would remotely hint to what happened between her and Akito earlier that day. After much debating over the matter, she finally decided not to dwell on it and from there on after would keep her guard up whenever she was in his presence, though admittedly she spent a good portion of the morning sobbing at her desk. She couldn't quit even if she wanted to, and even if she could she wouldn't because she owed so much to the Sohmas and even Hatori, whose sponsorship helped her pay her way through nursing school. All he had asked of her back then was upon graduating; she'd spend a couple of years working in his private practice. At the time it seemed like a reasonable payoff but now with the way things were going, she wasn't too sure about that. With a heavy sigh she got up from her desk and walked towards the window facing the soft hue of the afternoon's rays. Somehow just sitting by the window, basking in the afternoon's sun and all its glory filled her with a sense of peace for the first time since she moved into the Sohma's complex. It was on days like these her thoughts would fill her head with fond memories spent with Yuki and Kyou.
It's been a year since she last saw them and she sorely missed Yuki's letters. He used to write her regularly and even keep in touch over the phone, but somewhere down the road, the contact between them dwindled and died.
It sucks to grow apart from your friends, she thought. She wondered if that would that happen to her and Hana or Uo, especially now that Uo-chan was 5 days from becoming "Miss Kureno Sohma". That was another thing she had to take care off. She'd promise Uo-chan to help pick out a wedding dress.
Ah! she thought, how horrible it is that people have to grow up -- and marry –move away and grow apart from their friends! One part of her was happy for Uo and Kureno but a small part of her wasn't ready to give away her friend to someone else. It was bad enough that Hana was on the other side of the Pacific and now Uo-chan's wedding. It wasn't like her to feel this way and the thoughts brought slight guilt over her consciousness.
Uo-chan and Kureno had been through a lot to make it to this point even going against Akito's wishes. Akito himself, and most other Sohmas, will not be at the wedding which was going to be a small, private affair anyways. The only Sohma that would be present aside from the groom was Hatori who was standing in as Kureno's best man; and Tohru, of course, would be Uo's bride's maid---.
"Tohru-kun, Tohru-kun."
Her thoughts were interrupted by Hatori, who for the past minute or so had unsuccessfully tried to get the young nurse's attention.
"Hai!" she said finally snapping out of her thoughts. "Sorry, I've been so preoccupied with Uo-chan's wed---"
"That's just what I wanted to talk about" Hatori said unusually excited. "Well, I still haven't picked up a present for the lucky couple and if it's not too much of a bother I'd like your expert opinion on the matter," he continued.
Tohru was more than happy to be useful to Hatori in anyway, and the fact he valued her opinion meant a lot to her.
"Yes! I'd be happy to help out," she chirped.
"Great! We'll leave around 5 this evening," Hatori announced and strode out leaving Tohru alone to her thoughts once again.
"Yoshi! There's no need to be upset over the most important day in my friend's life!" and with that, she returned back to work. There was still much to be done before 5.
Gioia was one of Tokyo's best known Italian import stores, situated right in the middle of one of Japan's busiest shopping districts, Ginza. It was well known for its beautifully handcrafted gift ideas including imported tea sets, ceramics, glasses, and exquisite porcelain handicrafts of all sorts. Tohru delighted in the beautiful glass menagerie display that caught her eyes as she and Hatori walked into the store. They were greeted by one of the friendly sales clerk with a respectful bow typical of these department-like stores.
"Irashaiimase! How can I help you and the Mrs.?" the sales lady asked assuming they were a couple, if not married.
Tohru blushed realizing the lady's mistake, but Hatori didn't seem to mind, or perhaps did not feel the need to explain that this was a friend and employee who was helping him pick out a present for his cousin and his bride.
"We'll take a look around and see if we can find something we like," he replied and with that, took Tohru by one hand and walked towards the center of the handicraft store. Tohru was still recovering from the clerk's previous comment and didn't realize Hatori was holding her hand.
"OK, we got rid of the sales clerk; now let's find Kureno's and Uotani- san's gift," he stated, finally releasing her hand.
"Hai," Tohru softly obeyed.
She hadn't noticed it earlier but Hatori seemed to be putting a lot of effort into Kureno's wedding, and perhaps this trip was just as fun for him as it was for her.
Hatori was always one of few words and yet, Tohru had gotten accustomed to his reserved manners and almost relished in his introspectiveness, but she still occasionally wished he'd open up more. She had hoped to get to know the dragon now that she was working with him. She wondered how Kureno's wedding affected him; did it bring back the bittersweet memories of his missed happiness. He was once engaged to be married, but the wedding was vehemently opposed by Akito and in the end he lost the woman he loved along with most of the vision in his left eye. Now Kureno was in the same shoes but with a different outcome.
"Ha—tori-san and I are still the only ones attending Kureno's & Uo-chan's wedding, ne?" she asked hoping to perhaps start up a conversation.
"Unfortunately, it's just the two of us plus the bride's father, of course," he answered.
Tohru nodded. "I was thinking, perhaps the most practical present for them…would be a dinner wear set or something like that," she added, changing the conversation.
"Since when did our Tohru-kun become 'practical'?" Hatori chuckled, reminding Tohru about the kindhearted, foolish girl that spent her entire monthly earning on Valentine's chocolates for her friends and the Sohmas.
Tohru cheeks pinked at the memory.
"Tell me what the real Tohru would choose for her friend," Hatori inquired, peering at the girl more intently than he had intended.
"Umm… If you want my honest opinion, I thought those animal glass figurines were rather cute and…" she paused, "… would make most girls happy."
Hatori laughed and added, "Well, you're right. The wedding present is actually for the woman! And if you think that would make a great present for Uotani-san's special day, I'll have to take your word on it."
With that settled, they placed an order for the set of handcrafted figurines that had caught Tohru's eyes the moment they entered the store.
It was around 7 when they finally got out of the store only to find out it was pouring outside. Unfortunately, neither had an umbrella with them and the car was parked several blocks from the store. They decided not to wait for the rain to stop since it showed no sign of relenting any time soon.
"Are you ready?" Hatori asked, grabbing her by the hands.
Before Tohru could give a reply, she felt herself being led across the street towards the parking lot on the other side of the shopping district. By the time they got to the car they were both soaking wet. Hatori took a few deep breaths, recovering from the mad dash across the parking lot, before inserting the key into the ignition.
"I should hurry up and get you home before you catch a cold in those clothes" he said as he drove out of the parking lot.
Tohru shivered and nodded in agreement. It wasn't just the wet clothes that made her uncomfortable, but the fact he could practically see through her soaked blouse. And it didn't help that her heart was beating so hard she thought it would burst out from her chest.
Hatori pulled the car a few feet from Tohru's resident in the Sohma's complex. There was a brief silence before Tohru gestured towards opening the car door.
"I had a great time helping out with the gift," she said while casting a joyous look at Hatori.
"I should thank for coming along; I really appreciate it," Hatori replied. "Now hurry inside and get yourself into some dry clothes. I can't have my nurse falling ill on me," he kindly ordered.
"Hai!"
And with that she scurried inside, oblivious to the pair of dark eyes peering through a slight opening of curtains from afar.
"Honda Tohru, I'll make you regret the day you decided to intrude amongst us."