AN: A mini-glossary of roughly translated English equivalents of Japanese:
sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me
hai – yes
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'
maa – well
iie – no
senpai – one's senior
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much
gomen – sorry
sensei - teacher
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CHAPTER 6: Non-Dates Aren't Easy
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"How nice to see you again," the waitress said, smiling.
Shigure looked up from his menu, a bit startled until he realized that the waitress, who he judged to be in her middle to late forties, was talking to Tohru. He kept his attention on the interaction, interested in anything that had to do with his little flower.
"You remember me?" Tohru asked, surprised.
"Of course," the waitress answered easily. "It's not often we get someone your age in here, especially a girl so polite, too."
Shigure stifled a laugh.
"Also, I always notice when a pretty girl is accompanied by such a handsome man," she said with a wink. She leaned in closer to Tohru, almost conspiratorially. "He's just as memorable as the last one."
Tohru blushed.
She probably hadn't meant to be overheard but, unfortunately, Shigure had excellent hearing.
"The last one?" Shigure asked mildly after the waitress had disappeared with their order.
He felt anything but mild though he masked it well. But he definitely did not like the idea that she'd come here previously with Yuki or Kyou, or anyone else for that matter as he garnered that the other person she'd been here with had been a male that most certainly wasn't him. It was petty of him, and he'd never realized until now that such a little thing would bother him so much, but he didn't care. Perhaps she didn't see it as a date, and truthfully he didn't really consider it as one either, but at the moment it was important to Shigure since it was the first time they had ever eaten out alone together. All the other times had been marred with the presence of Yuki or Kyou or some of the others along, too.
The first time he got to eat alone with Tohru and he'd picked a place she'd come to with some other male!
"Sumimasen," went Tohru, pink with embarrassment. "She was probably talking about Ayame-san."
"Aya?" Shigure's eyes went wide. First Hatori, did he have to worry about his other friend now, too?
"Didn't Shigure-san know?"
"Know what?" He did his best to keep from frowning, but it wasn't easy.
"Remember when I first met Ayame-san?" She laughed a little. "He dragged me out of the house and out to lunch."
"Ah." Everything became clear. "Aya brought you here."
"Hai."
The thought relaxed him a bit.
It had, after all, been Ayame who'd suggested this place but he had never mentioned coming to eat here with Tohru. He remembered Ayame and Tohru's first meeting and how upset and worried Kyou and Yuki had been when his longhaired friend had essentially kidnapped her and taken her off to some restaurant. Shigure hadn't delved too deeply back then about the details about that particular incident, not caring as much about Tohru then as he did now, so it wasn't that surprising that he hadn't know that it was this restaurant Ayame had taken her too. If Shigure had been paying more attention, he would have connected the dots long before now.
Still, there was something bothering him.
"Tohru-kun, that was a long time ago though." He arched an eyebrow. "As memorable as Aya is, it's hard to believe that the waitress would remember you after a couple years."
"Ano," she pinkened again, "that was just the first time."
"First time?" Shigure stiffened. "There are others?"
"Hai. A few times over the past months. I think last week was the most recent." Tohru's gaze was puzzled. "I thought Shigure-san knew."
"How could I possibly know that?" He tried not to sound so brusque, he really did.
"Sumimasen."
She looked hurt, making Shigure feel like a heel.
"I thought Ayame-san might have mentioned it since the two of you are so close."
Apparently not that close, Shigure thought uncharitably.
But he sighed, knowing Tohru didn't deserve being the one made to feel so bad. Ayame, on the other hand...well, Shigure would be giving him a call in the near future. For now, Shigure just wanted to wipe that injured expression off of Tohru's face which clearly stated how sorry she felt even though she had no idea what it was she had to be sorry about.
"Maa, it's not that important," Shigure lied. He smiled at her. "I was just surprised, that's all." He glanced at her curiously. "Was it just you and Aya? Or did Ha-san come with you too?"
"Iie, it was just with Ayame-san." She tilted her head. "I guess he didn't want other people around since we were mostly talking about-" she cut herself off before she finished, glancing down uncomfortably.
"Yuki," Shigure said.
Of course, he should have known.
Ayame was always sensitive on the topic of his younger brother though he concealed it well with that vivacious personality of his. And who better to talk about Yuki with than Tohru who knew him perhaps better than his own family did? Tohru's silence on the matter was obvious as well since the only times Shigure would have been likely to hear about these restaurant outings would be at home where Yuki and Kyou were, and to say that the revelation that she'd been meeting Ayame would definitely not have gone over well was a major understatement of vast proportions. Tohru being Tohru, did her best to avoid driving a further wedge in between Ayame and Yuki's relationship by keeping quiet on anything that might disrupt it.
It was all harmless, and yet, it was also irritating as Shigure realized that Ayame had gotten to eat with Tohru, just the two of them, a great many more times than he had. Considering that this was the first time he found himself in a restaurant with her alone but had the ghost of Ayame's, and with him Yuki's, presence in the background, Shigure was disgruntled with the entire situation.
But, of course, he let none of his negative feelings reflect in his expression.
"Should I have said something earlier?" Tohru asked anxiously, breaking into his thoughts.
"Iie." Shigure smiled reassuringly. "I understand. If you'd said something then Yuki, and Kyou too, would have gotten upset, ne?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Then there would have been fighting and I would have had to pay more damage repairs on the house gain." He chuckled. "Really, Tohru-kun did what was best."
Tohru visibly relaxed.
"But I hope Aya was a gentleman." He shook his head, tone light and bantering. "All those times eating out together, I hope he didn't try to make you pay." He frowned disapprovingly. "If a successful businessman like Aya made a woman who just finished high school pick up the tab, well, I have no words to describe that sort of despicable behavior in a man. He didn't, did he?"
"Iie, not at all!" Tohru jumped in quickly. "Ayame-san was very kind and paid for everything, even when I insisted that he didn't have to."
"Good. Then I won't have to scold him for that."
He said it good-naturedly but Shigure was still determined to contact Ayame at the first opportunity that presented itself. He made a mental note to himself to do just that.
There were, after all, other things that needed scolding for.
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"Would Shigure-san mind very much if we stopped off at the grocery store?" Tohru asked as they walked back home. "Since we're going by it, I thought I could pick up the ingredients for dinner tonight."
"Sure," Shigure agreed. "I don't mind."
"Really? Because if it's too much bother then Shigure-san can just go on ahead."
"Now what kind of a man would I be if I left you to carry the groceries home by yourself, hmm?" He wagged a finger at her playfully. "Especially without Kyou-kun or Yuki-kun around to help." As soon as he said it, he cursed himself for bringing their names up. He should have known better than that.
"Then Shigure-san's help would be very welcome," was all Tohru said, smiling as if his reminder of the two far away teens was incidental.
It put Shigure in a better mood as he accompanied her to the store.
Certainly, this day wasn't going as expected. He'd planned on picking her up after her interview and grabbing a bite to eat, getting her comfortable to being seen with him in public places when it was just the two of them and hopefully starting her off into viewing him as a man instead of a elder brother type of figure.
But he hadn't expected complications in the form of Sanosuke and his son or his reaction to the news that Ayame and Tohru had been lunching together in secret. He was feeling much more grumpy than he was romantic.
And it was difficult to put the moves on the object of his affection if he wasn't in the right mood.
There was something else plaguing him too. He'd expected to have to smooth over being caught in her bedroom last night, was planning on broaching the topic subtly to see if there was anything he needed to do to ease any fears that might have arisen in her mind over the incident. While he'd been distracted from it briefly by the series of recent events that had occurred, he had gleaned enough during their lunch to believe that she'd completely forgotten it, that or the event simply hadn't registered in her mind caught as she had been between sleep and wakefulness. He had mixed emotions about it: on one hand, he was glad that he didn't have to put any effort in coming up with explanations or excuses but, on the other, he didn't care for the idea that a late night bedroom visit from him was so forgettable.
And that thought made him feel even worse because he knew just how pitiful it was.
Really, sometimes his ego was too much even for him.
"What would Shigure-san like for dinner?" Tohru pondered aloud, snagging his attention as she contemplated the array of vegetables displayed before her, their last stop as her shopping basket was already half full.
"Ah, that doesn't matter," Shigure responded easily. "Anything Tohru-kun makes is sure to be delicious."
Tohru's cheeks pinkened, pleased.
"Today I'm just the pack horse," Shigure teased. "You can buy as much as you like and I'll show my beast of burden strength by carrying it home and earning my reward of a wonderful Tohru-kun home-cooked meal."
She let out a delighted laugh and Shigure smiled, glad that he was the one to bring that sparkle to her eyes.
"Now, back to shopping," Shigure told her. He waved a dismissing hand. "Though I don't think I'll be much help with this since you're the senpai when it comes to buying fresh foods. Feel free to choose whatever you think you need and I'll stay out of your way until you're ready to leave."
"Hai," she assented cheerfully.
He stepped a little to the side, just enough to avoid hampering her as she went about making selections while he observed her. And he didn't mind standing around since he did, after all, enjoy watching her. He was particularly fascinated with a loose strand of hair that straggled from her bun. The feathery strand laid on the soft paleness of her neck, waving in gentle undulations with her every movement, an inviting dark curl that stood in stark contrast to that delectable sensitive flesh which just begged for a touch of lips, maybe even a tiny nibble.
"How shameless!"
At the hissed invective, Shigure straightened abruptly as he suddenly realized that he'd unconsciously leaned in closer until he was nearly pressed against her –
With his face a scant few inches away from Tohru's nape!
Fortunately, she seemed absorbed in her task and hadn't noticed anything amiss but, judging from the hushed comments he picked up with his excellent hearing, he couldn't say the same for anyone else. And a sideways tilt of the head revealed to his peripheral vision that a group of several gossiping old women were indeed looking in their direction with varying degrees of disapproval stamped across their withered features. Not for the first time, he cursed the societal strictures of Japan that frowned so on public displays of affection and made him and an unwitting Tohru the focus of censure.
After all, it wasn't as if he'd meant to practically take a bite out of her in public!
"Hmph," grunted an old woman with an unpleasantly grating voice. "The least they could do is save it until they were in the privacy of their own homes instead of foisting such disgusting displays on decent folk."
"They're probably newlyweds," reasoned one woman. "Besides, with the way society's been changing lately, you can't say you haven't seen worse elsewhere."
"Even so, the grocery store is hardly the place for such unseemly behavior!"
"That's right," spoke a third voice in a self-righteous tone. "After all, people bring their little ones when they shop - there are children present. They could be scarred for life!"
Shigure barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.
"And that man – he seems so much older than her." It was the grating old woman again.
"Hai, hai," came the self-righteously spoken agreement. "Such a sweet looking girl – he probably did something to take advantage of her."
Shigure scowled, glad his back was to whoever was speaking so she that couldn't see the dark expression on his face.
"I don't think he's that old," said the reasonable one. "Surely your eyes can't be that bad? It's probably just the yukata. It's rare to see young men these days wearing them so casually. It just makes him look older."
Shigure made a mental note to stop wearing them in public.
"And they make a lovely couple."
It was the reasonable one again. Shigure decided he liked her.
"I think it's romantic the way he fawns over her, just like a young couple in love."
"Love?" snorted the grating voice. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."
Shigure decided that really didn't like her.
"I just recalled why she looked so familiar," the grating voice continued. "I've seen her in here before – sometimes with an orange-haired boy, sometimes with a lighter-haired one, sometimes with both. Now she's here with a different one?" She snorted again in a very horse-like fashion. "Obviously, she's some sort of hussy!"
Shigure decided that he hated her.
He'd also come to the decision that he couldn't stand by and listen to them malign Tohru who didn't deserve such barbs about her. While he didn't really care what some dried up old biddies had to say about him, Tohru was a different matter and he would have whirled around to give them a piece of his mind if his companion hadn't turned to him and captured his attention.
"I'm done now," she announced cheerfully. "Unless there's something else Shigure-san would like to buy?"
"Iie," he said relieved as he began guiding her to the cashier's. "If that's all, then we should just check out and leave."
"Hai," she agreed easily.
Unfortunately, the path with which he gently guided her towards the cashier's took them directly past the gossiping old women whose unflattering conversation he'd overheard. His jaw clenched when two of them turned their noses up snottily at the friendly smile Tohru sent towards them in passing. The third one, however, responded to Tohru's amiable gesture with a tiny smile of her own and Shigure judged her to be the one he had dubbed as the reasonable voice of the group.
A casual glance around as they paid for the items showed him that there were others in the store leveling suspicious looks their way, no doubt some of them having overheard the old women's conversation too. That or they had also reached the same unflattering conclusions because they recognized Tohru.
He should have suspected it, after all, since this particular grocery store was located near their home. It was only common sense that she'd shop at the same place for the sake of convenience but he'd never entertained the thought until now of what it meant for her to become a familiar sight, not just to the Soumas but also to the others who lived nearby and constantly saw members of the family with her.
Of course he'd known that she needed to keep it secret at school that she was living with unrelated males or else her reputation would have been shredded, but this was the first time he'd thought of it in connection with something as simple as grocery shopping. And it brought him a dilemma to deal with for he couldn't tell her to start shopping somewhere further away and less convenient just because he wanted her to avoid stares and gossip. But he also didn't enjoy letting her constantly brave such situations, no matter how unsuspecting she was about it all.
As he frowned at the cashier who shot a leering glance at Tohru, who was oblivious to it, Shigure knew he had to do something –
But what?
Suddenly, Shigure was struck with a brilliant idea. Well, perhaps it wasn't brilliant, but it was an idea.
"Ah," he sighed gustily, loudly, earning him curious stares from Tohru and other observers. "I can't wait until tonight! To think that I'll have a mouth-watering home-cooked dinner prepared by such lovely hands – I must be one of the happiest men in the world to have such a wonderful fiancé!"
"Fiancé?!"
He bit back a triumphant grin, maintaining a carefree mask as he keen ear picked up the word being hissed around him. Even the cashier was no exception as a mix of surprise and disappointment chased across his features.
Take that, he thought viciously through his smiling façade.
"Ne?" Shigure leaned in closer to the cashier conspiratorially. "Don't you think I'm lucky?"
"H-hai," he stuttered, gaze flickering between them uncertainly. "S-she's lovely."
"Isn't she though?" he said proudly as whispers continued behind him.
He slid a glance at her, noticing her shocked and silent stupor as she stared back at him with wide, glassy eyes. He knew he didn't have long before she snapped out of it and opened that mouth which would undoubtedly say something that would ruin the little scenario he'd staged. So he quickly grabbed their sacked groceries with one hand while steering her towards the exit with the other while the murmurs around him seemed to grow.
"Must get my little flower back home now before she wilts!" he called back. "Keep the change!"
When they were a block away, he let out a sigh of relief, risking a look at Tohru. She still looked pale and shocky and he felt a little guilty for doing that to her. He winced a little, imagining that the next time she went back there she'd be faced with stares and whispers for a different reason – because of him. No doubt next time the issue would be all about the over exuberant and loquacious fiancé!
"Gomen, Tohru-kun. I know I must have surprised you." He winced again at the understatement. "But there was a good reason, really."
She blinked rapidly, still dazed but overcoming the shock. "Why?"
"Maa, you see – hmm – how should I put it?"
He scratched his head, indeed wondering how he should put it. Of all the times for his smoothness to desert him, why did it have to be now?
"Maa, it just had to be done."
"Why?"
"An excellent question." He sighed as the words came to him and looked at her steadily. "Tohru-kun, it's for your own protection."
"Eh?"
"Hai, that's right." He thought of the leering cashier. "It's so other people might think twice before bothering you."
"Why would anyone do that?" she asked, puzzled.
"Maa," he tried to figure out how to explain, "do you remember how you were supposed to keep the fact that you were living with us a secret at school?"
"Hai. What about it?"
"It was to avoid rumors, ne? After all, an unmarried young girl living with males that have no relation to her isn't thought well of."
"Hai," she said softly, remembering the reaction of her aunt and her family when they'd discovered that very fact. "But what does that have to do with what happened at the store?"
"It's something similar, actually. Gomen. I never thought about what it meant for you to constantly show up there with one of the boys. When you become a familiar face and become recognized for going there with different men – well, I don't want anyone saying something bad to you."
"No one's ever said anything to me before."
Not yet, he thought. "Maybe so but they'll be less likely to if they think you're attached to someone."
"I see." She pondered his words. "So that's why Shigure-san said all of that."
"You're not angry with me, are you?" He was more anxious than he realized to hear her answer.
"Iie." She shook her head. "It was very nice of Shigure-san to try and protect me like that."
He released a relieved sigh.
"But," she bit her lip, "won't it be a problem for Shigure-san?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Ano, if people think about us like that, would it be bad for Shigure-san?"
A dark brow arched. "You're worried about my reputation?"
She nodded, looking anxious.
"Maa," he restrained his urge to laugh, "I don't think you have to be concerned over that."
"Really?" She didn't look convinced. "But what about Mayuko-sensei?"
His mind went blank. "What about her?"
"I don't want to cause any problems." She wrung her hands nervously.
He was thoroughly confused. "How would you do that?"
"If Shigure-san and Mayuko-sensei are going out then-" she stopped, staring in bewilderment as he suddenly burst out laughing.
Indeed, he could hardly contain his hilarity as it all became clear. Obviously, Tohru was under the impression that he was dating her former teacher and was afraid the rumor of their false engagement would get back to her and cause trouble in their non-existent relationship.
If only she knew the truth about where his affections really lay!
"Gomen, gomen," he gasped as he got himself under control. "I didn't mean to laugh but I you've got the wrong impression. I'm not involved with her."
"Really? But the two of you seem so close."
Interesting, he thought. He didn't think she'd noticed. But it was apparent that she had and he decided to be honest about it and get it out of the way. After all, one never knew when something like this might rise up again to haunt him and Shigure wasn't taking the chance.
"Maa, we do have a history together. And we did go out at one point but that was a long time ago." He tilted his head, staring at her thoughtfully. "I'm not currently involved with anyone else either so Tohru- kun doesn't have to worry about anyone but me being bothered with the little fiancé cover. And trust me, I'm not bothered."
"Oh, good." She looked relieved. "I really didn't want to cause any trouble. But if Shigure-san thinks it's okay-"
"I do," he hastened to assure her. "After all, it was my idea, ne? And when you go back to that store next time, just go along with it, okay? Please," he said when it looked like she might protest the deception. "I think it would be better and if Tohru-kun agrees, it would ease my mind a great deal."
Put like that, she couldn't refuse and she nodded with a trace of reluctance.
"Good." He smiled teasingly. "Surely it can't be that bad being my fiancé?"
"Iie, not at all!" she exclaimed hastily. "I didn't mean to imply-"
"It's okay, Tohru-kun," he chuckled. "I was only joking."
Her lips curved as she regarded him warmly. "But I think Shigure-san would make a wonderful fiancé though." She cocked her head. "And a husband, too, of course."
At the look on her face, he felt his heart beat just a tad faster as his eyes went a touch wider. Of course, she couldn't have an idea how those words affected him – until now, even he hadn't thought they'd have such an impact.
But they did.
And as he regarded the soft expression she wore on those upturned features, directed at him no less, he had the hope that he might not have to work as hard as he'd originally thought in getting her to return his affections.
"Lovely," he said softly.
"Eh?" Confusion crossed her face.
"Tohru-kun is very lovely today." He smiled charmingly. "The cashier himself said so, ne?"
A blush tinted her cheeks as she vigorously shook her head. "I'm not, really."
"I disagree." He eyed her. "I don't know how it slipped my mind to not mention it before but Tohru-kun really is a pretty picture today. I don't believe I've ever seen you in that outfit before."
"Hai, it's new," she said, grasping desperately at the new topic she saw presenting itself with no small sense of relief. "When I told Hana-chan and Uo-chan about the interview, they took me shopping. They said I should have something more professional looking." She sweated a little when she recalled how many times she'd had to change and try on different outfits when her friends had seemed to get a bit carried away. "They insisted actually."
"I'm sure they did," he murmured as he, too, recalled how her friends fawned over her. "Maa, it suits you quite nicely."
"Arigatou gozaimasu," she responded graciously, blushing again.
"I'm only telling the truth." He smiled at her deepening blush but, noticing some glares they were garnering standing in the middle of the sidewalk as they talked, he decided it was past time to get moving. "Maa, I suppose we should be heading back now, ne?"
"Hai," she agreed. "Let's go home."
sumimasen – I'm sorry / excuse me
hai – yes
ano – sound of hesitation like saying 'well' or 'um'
maa – well
iie – no
senpai – one's senior
ne – 'hey' or 'right' depending on context
arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much
gomen – sorry
sensei - teacher
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CHAPTER 6: Non-Dates Aren't Easy
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"How nice to see you again," the waitress said, smiling.
Shigure looked up from his menu, a bit startled until he realized that the waitress, who he judged to be in her middle to late forties, was talking to Tohru. He kept his attention on the interaction, interested in anything that had to do with his little flower.
"You remember me?" Tohru asked, surprised.
"Of course," the waitress answered easily. "It's not often we get someone your age in here, especially a girl so polite, too."
Shigure stifled a laugh.
"Also, I always notice when a pretty girl is accompanied by such a handsome man," she said with a wink. She leaned in closer to Tohru, almost conspiratorially. "He's just as memorable as the last one."
Tohru blushed.
She probably hadn't meant to be overheard but, unfortunately, Shigure had excellent hearing.
"The last one?" Shigure asked mildly after the waitress had disappeared with their order.
He felt anything but mild though he masked it well. But he definitely did not like the idea that she'd come here previously with Yuki or Kyou, or anyone else for that matter as he garnered that the other person she'd been here with had been a male that most certainly wasn't him. It was petty of him, and he'd never realized until now that such a little thing would bother him so much, but he didn't care. Perhaps she didn't see it as a date, and truthfully he didn't really consider it as one either, but at the moment it was important to Shigure since it was the first time they had ever eaten out alone together. All the other times had been marred with the presence of Yuki or Kyou or some of the others along, too.
The first time he got to eat alone with Tohru and he'd picked a place she'd come to with some other male!
"Sumimasen," went Tohru, pink with embarrassment. "She was probably talking about Ayame-san."
"Aya?" Shigure's eyes went wide. First Hatori, did he have to worry about his other friend now, too?
"Didn't Shigure-san know?"
"Know what?" He did his best to keep from frowning, but it wasn't easy.
"Remember when I first met Ayame-san?" She laughed a little. "He dragged me out of the house and out to lunch."
"Ah." Everything became clear. "Aya brought you here."
"Hai."
The thought relaxed him a bit.
It had, after all, been Ayame who'd suggested this place but he had never mentioned coming to eat here with Tohru. He remembered Ayame and Tohru's first meeting and how upset and worried Kyou and Yuki had been when his longhaired friend had essentially kidnapped her and taken her off to some restaurant. Shigure hadn't delved too deeply back then about the details about that particular incident, not caring as much about Tohru then as he did now, so it wasn't that surprising that he hadn't know that it was this restaurant Ayame had taken her too. If Shigure had been paying more attention, he would have connected the dots long before now.
Still, there was something bothering him.
"Tohru-kun, that was a long time ago though." He arched an eyebrow. "As memorable as Aya is, it's hard to believe that the waitress would remember you after a couple years."
"Ano," she pinkened again, "that was just the first time."
"First time?" Shigure stiffened. "There are others?"
"Hai. A few times over the past months. I think last week was the most recent." Tohru's gaze was puzzled. "I thought Shigure-san knew."
"How could I possibly know that?" He tried not to sound so brusque, he really did.
"Sumimasen."
She looked hurt, making Shigure feel like a heel.
"I thought Ayame-san might have mentioned it since the two of you are so close."
Apparently not that close, Shigure thought uncharitably.
But he sighed, knowing Tohru didn't deserve being the one made to feel so bad. Ayame, on the other hand...well, Shigure would be giving him a call in the near future. For now, Shigure just wanted to wipe that injured expression off of Tohru's face which clearly stated how sorry she felt even though she had no idea what it was she had to be sorry about.
"Maa, it's not that important," Shigure lied. He smiled at her. "I was just surprised, that's all." He glanced at her curiously. "Was it just you and Aya? Or did Ha-san come with you too?"
"Iie, it was just with Ayame-san." She tilted her head. "I guess he didn't want other people around since we were mostly talking about-" she cut herself off before she finished, glancing down uncomfortably.
"Yuki," Shigure said.
Of course, he should have known.
Ayame was always sensitive on the topic of his younger brother though he concealed it well with that vivacious personality of his. And who better to talk about Yuki with than Tohru who knew him perhaps better than his own family did? Tohru's silence on the matter was obvious as well since the only times Shigure would have been likely to hear about these restaurant outings would be at home where Yuki and Kyou were, and to say that the revelation that she'd been meeting Ayame would definitely not have gone over well was a major understatement of vast proportions. Tohru being Tohru, did her best to avoid driving a further wedge in between Ayame and Yuki's relationship by keeping quiet on anything that might disrupt it.
It was all harmless, and yet, it was also irritating as Shigure realized that Ayame had gotten to eat with Tohru, just the two of them, a great many more times than he had. Considering that this was the first time he found himself in a restaurant with her alone but had the ghost of Ayame's, and with him Yuki's, presence in the background, Shigure was disgruntled with the entire situation.
But, of course, he let none of his negative feelings reflect in his expression.
"Should I have said something earlier?" Tohru asked anxiously, breaking into his thoughts.
"Iie." Shigure smiled reassuringly. "I understand. If you'd said something then Yuki, and Kyou too, would have gotten upset, ne?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Then there would have been fighting and I would have had to pay more damage repairs on the house gain." He chuckled. "Really, Tohru-kun did what was best."
Tohru visibly relaxed.
"But I hope Aya was a gentleman." He shook his head, tone light and bantering. "All those times eating out together, I hope he didn't try to make you pay." He frowned disapprovingly. "If a successful businessman like Aya made a woman who just finished high school pick up the tab, well, I have no words to describe that sort of despicable behavior in a man. He didn't, did he?"
"Iie, not at all!" Tohru jumped in quickly. "Ayame-san was very kind and paid for everything, even when I insisted that he didn't have to."
"Good. Then I won't have to scold him for that."
He said it good-naturedly but Shigure was still determined to contact Ayame at the first opportunity that presented itself. He made a mental note to himself to do just that.
There were, after all, other things that needed scolding for.
-
"Would Shigure-san mind very much if we stopped off at the grocery store?" Tohru asked as they walked back home. "Since we're going by it, I thought I could pick up the ingredients for dinner tonight."
"Sure," Shigure agreed. "I don't mind."
"Really? Because if it's too much bother then Shigure-san can just go on ahead."
"Now what kind of a man would I be if I left you to carry the groceries home by yourself, hmm?" He wagged a finger at her playfully. "Especially without Kyou-kun or Yuki-kun around to help." As soon as he said it, he cursed himself for bringing their names up. He should have known better than that.
"Then Shigure-san's help would be very welcome," was all Tohru said, smiling as if his reminder of the two far away teens was incidental.
It put Shigure in a better mood as he accompanied her to the store.
Certainly, this day wasn't going as expected. He'd planned on picking her up after her interview and grabbing a bite to eat, getting her comfortable to being seen with him in public places when it was just the two of them and hopefully starting her off into viewing him as a man instead of a elder brother type of figure.
But he hadn't expected complications in the form of Sanosuke and his son or his reaction to the news that Ayame and Tohru had been lunching together in secret. He was feeling much more grumpy than he was romantic.
And it was difficult to put the moves on the object of his affection if he wasn't in the right mood.
There was something else plaguing him too. He'd expected to have to smooth over being caught in her bedroom last night, was planning on broaching the topic subtly to see if there was anything he needed to do to ease any fears that might have arisen in her mind over the incident. While he'd been distracted from it briefly by the series of recent events that had occurred, he had gleaned enough during their lunch to believe that she'd completely forgotten it, that or the event simply hadn't registered in her mind caught as she had been between sleep and wakefulness. He had mixed emotions about it: on one hand, he was glad that he didn't have to put any effort in coming up with explanations or excuses but, on the other, he didn't care for the idea that a late night bedroom visit from him was so forgettable.
And that thought made him feel even worse because he knew just how pitiful it was.
Really, sometimes his ego was too much even for him.
"What would Shigure-san like for dinner?" Tohru pondered aloud, snagging his attention as she contemplated the array of vegetables displayed before her, their last stop as her shopping basket was already half full.
"Ah, that doesn't matter," Shigure responded easily. "Anything Tohru-kun makes is sure to be delicious."
Tohru's cheeks pinkened, pleased.
"Today I'm just the pack horse," Shigure teased. "You can buy as much as you like and I'll show my beast of burden strength by carrying it home and earning my reward of a wonderful Tohru-kun home-cooked meal."
She let out a delighted laugh and Shigure smiled, glad that he was the one to bring that sparkle to her eyes.
"Now, back to shopping," Shigure told her. He waved a dismissing hand. "Though I don't think I'll be much help with this since you're the senpai when it comes to buying fresh foods. Feel free to choose whatever you think you need and I'll stay out of your way until you're ready to leave."
"Hai," she assented cheerfully.
He stepped a little to the side, just enough to avoid hampering her as she went about making selections while he observed her. And he didn't mind standing around since he did, after all, enjoy watching her. He was particularly fascinated with a loose strand of hair that straggled from her bun. The feathery strand laid on the soft paleness of her neck, waving in gentle undulations with her every movement, an inviting dark curl that stood in stark contrast to that delectable sensitive flesh which just begged for a touch of lips, maybe even a tiny nibble.
"How shameless!"
At the hissed invective, Shigure straightened abruptly as he suddenly realized that he'd unconsciously leaned in closer until he was nearly pressed against her –
With his face a scant few inches away from Tohru's nape!
Fortunately, she seemed absorbed in her task and hadn't noticed anything amiss but, judging from the hushed comments he picked up with his excellent hearing, he couldn't say the same for anyone else. And a sideways tilt of the head revealed to his peripheral vision that a group of several gossiping old women were indeed looking in their direction with varying degrees of disapproval stamped across their withered features. Not for the first time, he cursed the societal strictures of Japan that frowned so on public displays of affection and made him and an unwitting Tohru the focus of censure.
After all, it wasn't as if he'd meant to practically take a bite out of her in public!
"Hmph," grunted an old woman with an unpleasantly grating voice. "The least they could do is save it until they were in the privacy of their own homes instead of foisting such disgusting displays on decent folk."
"They're probably newlyweds," reasoned one woman. "Besides, with the way society's been changing lately, you can't say you haven't seen worse elsewhere."
"Even so, the grocery store is hardly the place for such unseemly behavior!"
"That's right," spoke a third voice in a self-righteous tone. "After all, people bring their little ones when they shop - there are children present. They could be scarred for life!"
Shigure barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.
"And that man – he seems so much older than her." It was the grating old woman again.
"Hai, hai," came the self-righteously spoken agreement. "Such a sweet looking girl – he probably did something to take advantage of her."
Shigure scowled, glad his back was to whoever was speaking so she that couldn't see the dark expression on his face.
"I don't think he's that old," said the reasonable one. "Surely your eyes can't be that bad? It's probably just the yukata. It's rare to see young men these days wearing them so casually. It just makes him look older."
Shigure made a mental note to stop wearing them in public.
"And they make a lovely couple."
It was the reasonable one again. Shigure decided he liked her.
"I think it's romantic the way he fawns over her, just like a young couple in love."
"Love?" snorted the grating voice. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."
Shigure decided that really didn't like her.
"I just recalled why she looked so familiar," the grating voice continued. "I've seen her in here before – sometimes with an orange-haired boy, sometimes with a lighter-haired one, sometimes with both. Now she's here with a different one?" She snorted again in a very horse-like fashion. "Obviously, she's some sort of hussy!"
Shigure decided that he hated her.
He'd also come to the decision that he couldn't stand by and listen to them malign Tohru who didn't deserve such barbs about her. While he didn't really care what some dried up old biddies had to say about him, Tohru was a different matter and he would have whirled around to give them a piece of his mind if his companion hadn't turned to him and captured his attention.
"I'm done now," she announced cheerfully. "Unless there's something else Shigure-san would like to buy?"
"Iie," he said relieved as he began guiding her to the cashier's. "If that's all, then we should just check out and leave."
"Hai," she agreed easily.
Unfortunately, the path with which he gently guided her towards the cashier's took them directly past the gossiping old women whose unflattering conversation he'd overheard. His jaw clenched when two of them turned their noses up snottily at the friendly smile Tohru sent towards them in passing. The third one, however, responded to Tohru's amiable gesture with a tiny smile of her own and Shigure judged her to be the one he had dubbed as the reasonable voice of the group.
A casual glance around as they paid for the items showed him that there were others in the store leveling suspicious looks their way, no doubt some of them having overheard the old women's conversation too. That or they had also reached the same unflattering conclusions because they recognized Tohru.
He should have suspected it, after all, since this particular grocery store was located near their home. It was only common sense that she'd shop at the same place for the sake of convenience but he'd never entertained the thought until now of what it meant for her to become a familiar sight, not just to the Soumas but also to the others who lived nearby and constantly saw members of the family with her.
Of course he'd known that she needed to keep it secret at school that she was living with unrelated males or else her reputation would have been shredded, but this was the first time he'd thought of it in connection with something as simple as grocery shopping. And it brought him a dilemma to deal with for he couldn't tell her to start shopping somewhere further away and less convenient just because he wanted her to avoid stares and gossip. But he also didn't enjoy letting her constantly brave such situations, no matter how unsuspecting she was about it all.
As he frowned at the cashier who shot a leering glance at Tohru, who was oblivious to it, Shigure knew he had to do something –
But what?
Suddenly, Shigure was struck with a brilliant idea. Well, perhaps it wasn't brilliant, but it was an idea.
"Ah," he sighed gustily, loudly, earning him curious stares from Tohru and other observers. "I can't wait until tonight! To think that I'll have a mouth-watering home-cooked dinner prepared by such lovely hands – I must be one of the happiest men in the world to have such a wonderful fiancé!"
"Fiancé?!"
He bit back a triumphant grin, maintaining a carefree mask as he keen ear picked up the word being hissed around him. Even the cashier was no exception as a mix of surprise and disappointment chased across his features.
Take that, he thought viciously through his smiling façade.
"Ne?" Shigure leaned in closer to the cashier conspiratorially. "Don't you think I'm lucky?"
"H-hai," he stuttered, gaze flickering between them uncertainly. "S-she's lovely."
"Isn't she though?" he said proudly as whispers continued behind him.
He slid a glance at her, noticing her shocked and silent stupor as she stared back at him with wide, glassy eyes. He knew he didn't have long before she snapped out of it and opened that mouth which would undoubtedly say something that would ruin the little scenario he'd staged. So he quickly grabbed their sacked groceries with one hand while steering her towards the exit with the other while the murmurs around him seemed to grow.
"Must get my little flower back home now before she wilts!" he called back. "Keep the change!"
When they were a block away, he let out a sigh of relief, risking a look at Tohru. She still looked pale and shocky and he felt a little guilty for doing that to her. He winced a little, imagining that the next time she went back there she'd be faced with stares and whispers for a different reason – because of him. No doubt next time the issue would be all about the over exuberant and loquacious fiancé!
"Gomen, Tohru-kun. I know I must have surprised you." He winced again at the understatement. "But there was a good reason, really."
She blinked rapidly, still dazed but overcoming the shock. "Why?"
"Maa, you see – hmm – how should I put it?"
He scratched his head, indeed wondering how he should put it. Of all the times for his smoothness to desert him, why did it have to be now?
"Maa, it just had to be done."
"Why?"
"An excellent question." He sighed as the words came to him and looked at her steadily. "Tohru-kun, it's for your own protection."
"Eh?"
"Hai, that's right." He thought of the leering cashier. "It's so other people might think twice before bothering you."
"Why would anyone do that?" she asked, puzzled.
"Maa," he tried to figure out how to explain, "do you remember how you were supposed to keep the fact that you were living with us a secret at school?"
"Hai. What about it?"
"It was to avoid rumors, ne? After all, an unmarried young girl living with males that have no relation to her isn't thought well of."
"Hai," she said softly, remembering the reaction of her aunt and her family when they'd discovered that very fact. "But what does that have to do with what happened at the store?"
"It's something similar, actually. Gomen. I never thought about what it meant for you to constantly show up there with one of the boys. When you become a familiar face and become recognized for going there with different men – well, I don't want anyone saying something bad to you."
"No one's ever said anything to me before."
Not yet, he thought. "Maybe so but they'll be less likely to if they think you're attached to someone."
"I see." She pondered his words. "So that's why Shigure-san said all of that."
"You're not angry with me, are you?" He was more anxious than he realized to hear her answer.
"Iie." She shook her head. "It was very nice of Shigure-san to try and protect me like that."
He released a relieved sigh.
"But," she bit her lip, "won't it be a problem for Shigure-san?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Ano, if people think about us like that, would it be bad for Shigure-san?"
A dark brow arched. "You're worried about my reputation?"
She nodded, looking anxious.
"Maa," he restrained his urge to laugh, "I don't think you have to be concerned over that."
"Really?" She didn't look convinced. "But what about Mayuko-sensei?"
His mind went blank. "What about her?"
"I don't want to cause any problems." She wrung her hands nervously.
He was thoroughly confused. "How would you do that?"
"If Shigure-san and Mayuko-sensei are going out then-" she stopped, staring in bewilderment as he suddenly burst out laughing.
Indeed, he could hardly contain his hilarity as it all became clear. Obviously, Tohru was under the impression that he was dating her former teacher and was afraid the rumor of their false engagement would get back to her and cause trouble in their non-existent relationship.
If only she knew the truth about where his affections really lay!
"Gomen, gomen," he gasped as he got himself under control. "I didn't mean to laugh but I you've got the wrong impression. I'm not involved with her."
"Really? But the two of you seem so close."
Interesting, he thought. He didn't think she'd noticed. But it was apparent that she had and he decided to be honest about it and get it out of the way. After all, one never knew when something like this might rise up again to haunt him and Shigure wasn't taking the chance.
"Maa, we do have a history together. And we did go out at one point but that was a long time ago." He tilted his head, staring at her thoughtfully. "I'm not currently involved with anyone else either so Tohru- kun doesn't have to worry about anyone but me being bothered with the little fiancé cover. And trust me, I'm not bothered."
"Oh, good." She looked relieved. "I really didn't want to cause any trouble. But if Shigure-san thinks it's okay-"
"I do," he hastened to assure her. "After all, it was my idea, ne? And when you go back to that store next time, just go along with it, okay? Please," he said when it looked like she might protest the deception. "I think it would be better and if Tohru-kun agrees, it would ease my mind a great deal."
Put like that, she couldn't refuse and she nodded with a trace of reluctance.
"Good." He smiled teasingly. "Surely it can't be that bad being my fiancé?"
"Iie, not at all!" she exclaimed hastily. "I didn't mean to imply-"
"It's okay, Tohru-kun," he chuckled. "I was only joking."
Her lips curved as she regarded him warmly. "But I think Shigure-san would make a wonderful fiancé though." She cocked her head. "And a husband, too, of course."
At the look on her face, he felt his heart beat just a tad faster as his eyes went a touch wider. Of course, she couldn't have an idea how those words affected him – until now, even he hadn't thought they'd have such an impact.
But they did.
And as he regarded the soft expression she wore on those upturned features, directed at him no less, he had the hope that he might not have to work as hard as he'd originally thought in getting her to return his affections.
"Lovely," he said softly.
"Eh?" Confusion crossed her face.
"Tohru-kun is very lovely today." He smiled charmingly. "The cashier himself said so, ne?"
A blush tinted her cheeks as she vigorously shook her head. "I'm not, really."
"I disagree." He eyed her. "I don't know how it slipped my mind to not mention it before but Tohru-kun really is a pretty picture today. I don't believe I've ever seen you in that outfit before."
"Hai, it's new," she said, grasping desperately at the new topic she saw presenting itself with no small sense of relief. "When I told Hana-chan and Uo-chan about the interview, they took me shopping. They said I should have something more professional looking." She sweated a little when she recalled how many times she'd had to change and try on different outfits when her friends had seemed to get a bit carried away. "They insisted actually."
"I'm sure they did," he murmured as he, too, recalled how her friends fawned over her. "Maa, it suits you quite nicely."
"Arigatou gozaimasu," she responded graciously, blushing again.
"I'm only telling the truth." He smiled at her deepening blush but, noticing some glares they were garnering standing in the middle of the sidewalk as they talked, he decided it was past time to get moving. "Maa, I suppose we should be heading back now, ne?"
"Hai," she agreed. "Let's go home."
