4
A few minutes before they reached the house, Hatori stopped. Kyo did the same.
"You ok?" he asked, noticing his companion's heavier breathing and that the tiny smile that had been there a few minutes ago was gone.
"Yes," he panted, "I just…haven't…. done…this… in a long… time." Kyo wanted to say something encouraging but, the words just wouldn't come.
"We'll walk then." He said dryly. Hatori nodded and followed slightly behind. As they got closer Kyo's nose caught a heavenly sent- Tohru's cooking. He had been hoping to get home in time to eat dinner with her… even though it meant enduring the time with the damn rat, Shigure's teasing, and tonight, Momiji's whining. Someday though… someday he wanted it to be just them.
Hatori also got a whiff of the smell. Tohru's food was always excellent. It reminded him of a meal Kana had made for him once. It was the only time she had cooked for him before… 'No need to get into that now,' he thought. Still, Tohru was so like Kana it was hard to ignore. He was glad he would get to see the girl tonight, though he knew he would be putting her out a little since his visit was unexpected. 'She does always give me the nicest smiles though.'
5
Kyo threw the door open. "Hey I'm back… Hatori is here too!" He announced. Shigure stood up and walked over to the door. He gave a wince as he saw that Kyo's force had broken some of it.
"Welcome home, Kyo. I do wish that one of these days you'll be able to come in and out of my house without breaking some part of it." Kyo noted his sigh but wasn't in the mood. He hurriedly marched into the dining room; Shigure and Hatori stayed behind. They exchanged greetings and each said that they had to talk to the other after dinner.
"Where's the…" Kyo was about to say damn but he knew Tohru didn't like it so he caught himself, "rat?" he demanded.
"Oh Yuki's not feeling well so he's sleeping." Momiji answered between bites. "Shigure said we should just let him sleep." Tohru frowned a little at this. She had told him that she would wake him up for dinner but… she hadn't wanted to disobey Shigure.
"Hello, Miss Honda," Hatori said in his usual calm and slightly monotone manner. "I'm sorry for dropping bye unexpectedly like this. I just need to pick up Momiji, I won't stay for dinner."
"Hatori!" Tohru beamed. Her face fell at what he said about not staying. She liked the doctor very much- he was always so nice to her and was obviously a very caring person. "Oh no, Hatori, I wouldn't hear of it! Please come and eat with us. I made a lot of food and Yuki isn't eating now so there's even more!"
"He's not eating?" Hatori inquired.
"No, he's not feeling well," Momiji offered, "Tohru carried him home and he's sleeping now."
"You carried him home? Did he transform from stress on his body?" Hatori was worried. The weather was slightly cold that night but nothing to cause serious trouble. Something else… Tohru stopped his thought process.
"Oh no! That wasn't it. I tripped and he was walking with Momiji and I and he caught me but I was clumsy and he transformed. But I wanted to get home to make dinner for everyone and so I offered to carry him and he just fell asleep." Tohru said this all very quickly because she knew that she would blush about how clumsy she had been. That had been the third time she had tripped or run into something that day. Hatori put his hand to his mouth so that he would look thoughtful instead of amused.
"Well I'll take a look at him after we eat alright?" he said this more to please Tohru than anything else, as he figured Yuki was probably just tired and had been very comfortable in her hand. Kyo's noisy eating reminded both Hatori and Shigure that they were very hungry and they sat down and began enjoying the meal.
After dinner, Tohru made up a little bowl of leek soup (there had been extra as Kyo had avoided it) and put it on a tray. She was in such a hurry to go help Yuki that she forgot to remove her apron. Shigure's ever-watchful eyes didn't, however.
"Ano, Tohru?" she stopped on the stairs, "You forgot your apron. You wouldn't want to get it dirty by taking it out of the kitchen would you?" Tohru was slightly confused but, Shigure was always a little weird.
"Oh no of course not! I'm sorry!" She didn't want to make him angry so she ducked back in and set down her tray. Hatori, having been friends with the dog for so long, understood his cue.
"Miss Honda?" his deep voice resonated through the lower level of the house, even though he was speaking quietly. "Would you mind waiting down here for a few minuets while I go give Yuki a check up?"
"Oh no!" she smiled. "I'm sorry! Of course. Please just let me know if I can be of any help."
"Oh I'm sure it's nothing serious," he reassured her, remembering what Shigure had told him about how prone she was to over-reacting. "I'll send Momiji for you when I'm done." A little blonde tuft of hair popped up from Tohru's side. He understood that he was to go with his usual guardian and so he sadly got up from his perch on the counter and bounced up the stairs after Hatori.
It was just as he had thought… Yuki had transformed back but he had not woken up. He and Momiji woke up the dazed rat and helped him into his pajamas. Hatori listen to his breathing, tested reflexes- all the usual stuff. Everything seemed okay though. He pulled out his thermometer- just in case.
"Open" he commanded. Yuki opened his mouth and waited patiently until the mercury stopped rising. Hatori took the glass instrument from his mouth and checked.
"You have a very slight fever but it should pass in a few hours." Yuki nodded to show he had understood. "Thank you Momiji. Please tell her to come up in a few minuets." Momiji skipped out of the room and down back to his favorite person. "Yuki, is everything ok?"
"Yes" he answered, but he didn't sound so sure. Hatori's only visible brown eye looked deeply into his. Yuki felt like he was trying to see his secrets. "I've just been staying up to work on my project a lot recently. It's nothing, I guess I was just more tired than I thought." This seemed to please or at least placate Hatori enough to end the inquiries.
"Well then, take it easy. You don't want to stress your body even more," Yuki nodded, "Now try to wake up a little more; Miss Honda is bringing you some leek soup." Had it been in his nature, Hatori would have winked. Instead, he turned away but he noticed how Yuki's face changed- there was a small smile and everything was softer, warmer (more feminine, really, as Kyo would have thought).
Tohru passed Hatori on the landing. She gave him a nervous look but he nodded reassuringly and she continued to Yuki's room. He smiled, just a little, as he proceeded down to return to the family. 'It must be nice to have someone who cares and worries so much about you and brings you so much joy.' He thought, sadly letting his memory flicker back to Kana. 'She does so much for this family; she touches everyone's hearts. Why? How? Who is this girl?' He knew the answers were not likely to come to him except with observation and time so he walked back into the living room.
"Shigure, won't you join me outside for a cigarette?" Shigure didn't feel like smoking just then or going into the cold but he remembered that Hatori had something important to discuss.
"Kyo," as he rose he nervously glanced at the boys. He knew how much Momiji annoyed Kyo, "Kyo, please don't break anything."
"WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'D DO THAT?" Shigure didn't think it was the best time to bring up all of the damages Kyo and Yuki had caused.
"Oh well… umm… no reason, just a silly precaution I suppose." He followed Hatori but turned and whimpered- he liked his house so much