HOT HAWAIIAN NIGHTS

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Chapter 4 – Perfect Ending to a Perfect Beginning

"Really?! A trip to Hawaii? Wow, I can't wait to go! When do we go Shii-chan, huh, huh, huh? When do we go!?!"

Shigure quickly held the receiver away from his ear. Momiji's excited rantings could still be heard at ear-shattering decibels. Every now and then Shigure thought he heard the words "Excited!" or the more urgent, "Is Tohru coming too?!" but as a decent person who wanted to preserve his hearing, he didn't get close enough to justify it.

"He certainly sounds excited," Ayame remarked, fingering his treasures. "But, back to our conversation…" he paused dramatically and turned to face Hatori. "Don't look so innocent, Tori-san. I know you harbor wicked thoughts under that angelic face. Is ignoring me anyway to treat a long-time friend? All I want to do is use your cell-phone."

"That's why I'm ignoring---" Hatori suddenly stopped, aware of the trap that the smirking silver-haired man had set.

Shigure chuckled as he overheard his two friends. "Momiji-chan? We leave in about a week… yes, well around June 10 through the 20th… well I do have work to do… and yes, Tohru-kun is coming." He jerked the phone away from his ear as "HOORAY!!!!!" boomed from the receiver. A large sweat-drop forming on his temple, Shigure replaced the receiver in its cradle. "I think he's going."

"Really, Gure-san? We could hardly tell that Momiji-kun would be joining us." Ayame, who had been playing with his long silver locks dropped his hands to his lap. "That boy has an unusually loud voice for someone so… young and vibrant."

"He does doesn't he?" Shigure sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Now who's going to call Haru-kun?"

"He should." Ayame pointed a finger dramatically at Hatori. "The first step to being more outgoing, Tori-san, is taking your inner demon by the reins and showing it who's boss!"

Without another word, Hatori got up and picked up the office phone and started dialing numbers.

"Well now, that's the spirit! Show 'em, Tori-san!" Ayame said cheerfully. "That's what I like to see – a man taking charge of his life! And I set quite an example for Tori-san if I do say so myself! He couldn't help but gaze in adoration of my noble ventures and amazing amounts wit and talent. It literally sprang him up from the sitting position, straight to the phone as an arrow does towards a target. Wouldn't you agree, Gure-san, that I have an uncanny ability of inspiring others towards their wildest dreams?"

Shigure smiled. 'That really is like Ayame – ranting on and on about things that really don't pertain to the subject… but, oh well, that's life for you.'

"Alright, bye." Hatori hung up and put the phone down. "Hatsuharu's coming," he said, sitting on the sofa. "It actually took longer to convince him than I thought. You know Haru – he isn't one for long trips with people."

"Well then, it looks like everyone's coming!" Shigure smiled and stood up. "I wonder what Tohru-kun and the others are doing? We've taken up quite a bit of time with this meeting."

"I know just the thing to end this meeting on a lovely note!" Ayame exclaimed, standing up and opening the office door. "Hot chocolate! And not just any ordinary-boring-disgusting-vile-tasteless concoction! It's Ayame's delectable-scrumptious- mouthwateringly delicious hot cocoa!"

"Sound dangerous." Hatori mumbled, while Shigure elbowed him to walk forward.

"How many people have actually drunk your hot cocoa and lived to tell about it, Aaya?" Shigure stretched his arms above his head as the Mabudachi Trio made their way to the kitchen.

"Everyone!" Ayame asserted, flipping his long hair over his shoulder. "At least the ones that didn't run away first," he countered as Hatori and Shigure glanced at each other and sat down at the table. Reaching into cabinets and drawers, Ayame laughed. "What is this?" he held up a box of instant hot chocolate. "Instant hot cocoa? Gure-san, this stuff is terrible, absolutely vile for you. Now you absolutely must drink my hot cocoa!" he declared, reaching for a small pot. "I never do things the easy way." Pouring enough milk for three people into the pot, he flipped the stove on HIGH.

"Don't burn down my house, Aaya," Shigure warned, cleaning the table of that night's newspaper. "That reminds me…remember Mrs. Komitachi's home-Ec class? That was a disaster."

"Wasn't it? It was the most boring class in the entire universe and she was a mean old witch… but I loved Tori-san's spring rolls." Ayame smiled and turned his attention to the simmering milk. "Such fond memories of a more carefree time… it almost makes me want to go back—"

"—And apologize for splattering her with blueberry pie." Hatori said, arms folded across his chest. "She just looked at you like you had grown two horns or something. I still remember her – she had blueberries stuck on her glasses so they looked like eyeballs. We couldn't stop laughing."

Shigure chuckled and Ayame couldn't help but let out snicker."Well, I'm much more competent now. Besides, I hated blueberry pie and I hated her so those two were meant for each other." Ayame who said this with an unusual amount of finality, poured the contents of the pot into three mugs. Carefully unwrapping a dark chocolate bar, he slid a couple pieces into each cup.

"Thanks." Hatori said, accepting his cup as Ayame handed Shigure his mug.

Taking a sip, Shigure's eyes widened. "This is good, Aaya! This tastes better than I remember!"

"I'll ignore that last comment," Ayame narrowed his eyes comically, but smiled. "I used dark chocolate bar pieces instead of that sorry excuse for hot cocoa mix." Ayame took a sip from his own mug. "It's good isn't it, Tori-san?"

"Very good." Hatori took another sip.

"I'd like to make a toast," Shigure suddenly announced, holding up his mug. "Let's make this trip something to remember for as long as we live. A trip that brings the Sohma family closer than they ever were before."

The quiet clinking of three mugs could be heard as the three men took sips of the sweet confection.

"Isn't this the perfect ending to a perfect beginning?" Shigure leaned in, resting his hands on the table. "Everyone that we want is coming, Ayame made some delicious hot cocoa… it's perfect."

"Doesn't he make such a wonderful poet?" Ayame sighed. "It must be the effects of my wonderful beverage intoxicating his senses… I love it when he talks like this…I should make him some more!"

"No!" Hatori and Shigure blurted out at once. There was a pause and then all three men burst out in laughter.

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A/N: I know, I know… the story is just dragging on…. Sorry, but I absolutely LOVE to torture people and make them wait…. Isn't that awful?!? That's it, I'm going to hell for this…. ;;;;