It's been nearly a week since my last update! I can't believe it. :( he he! But now it's finally here! Thank you to my loyal readers for all the reviews. I get so happy when they appear in my email. :) This chapter is definitely more comical than everything written so far, because it has Ayame, and with him, how can it not be funny? I hope eveyone enjoys Chapter 4!
"Ich liebe dich," Electricity danced over Haru's lips, tingling at the point of contact. Heart racing, he extended his hands over Momiji's back, marveling at the softness. He felt a heat race up his face as he looked at the tousled blonde head. "Ich liebe dich, Momiji-kun."
"MO-MI-JI!" A call shattered Haru's pleasant dream, forcing his eyes to open suddenly. Ayame's silky yells continued. "MOMIJI-KUN? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?"From somewhere down the hall, the sound of a door bursting open echoed in response. "MY LITTLE BUNNY-KUN? ARE YOU AWAKE?"
Delicate steps pattered toward the other boy's bedroom, and before Hatsuharu had a chance to rouse Momiji, the door swung open, flooding the room with illumination.
"Are you playing in-" Ayame froze and gaped, his body forming a silhouette in the doorway. "Oh!" He declared knowingly. "OH!"
Sitting up, Haru noted the two boys' compromising position. Between rumpled sheets and awry clothing, the two figures held each other gently, appearing like lovers who had become very well acquainted throughout the night. "Ayame," Haru stopped him, half-arguing and half-pleading.
"Guten Morgen Ayame!" Momiji asked cheerfully, fully awakened by the commotion. He seemed oblivious to the questioning glances being passed between his two cousins. "Did you want to talk to me about something?"
"Um, yes," Ayame stifled a giggle, fighting to regain some of his composure. "Your father's here to visit with you. He's right outside-"
"Vati?" Leaping to his feet and dashing passed the silver-haired man, Momiji disappeared down the hall in a whirl of pink bunny pajamas. "Guten Morgen, Vati! Sind Sie da?"
"Don't say anything," Hatsuharu warned as soon as the smaller boy was out of earshot. Sliding out from under the blankets, he deliberately readjusted his clothing. "You know it wasn't what it looked like."
"Haru-kun," Ayame ignored the comment, winking flirtatiously, "I never knew." With that, he turned away grandly and started toward the kitchen, a smile twitching at his lips.
The cow grimaced at the spring in Ayame's steps, knowing that the events of the morning would soon be exposed to the entire Sohma family. 'Shit! Why did it have to be Ayame?' Haru sighed, trying to soothe his uneasiness. He pulled on a fresh black turtleneck and his favorite leather pants, mentally preparing an explanation to counter the snake's gossip. 'It's bad enough that I have to live knowing how disgusting I am. Now I'll have to hear it from my cousins as well.' His heart twisted as he went after the older man. 'Just, please don't tell Yuki. Oh God, not Yuki! But coming from Ayame, Yuki might not listen.' He insisted hopefully.
Haru needed to take but a few steps toward the kitchen before the snake's narrative became audible.
"And then I opened the door," the man swished his wrist dramatically. "And you won't believe what I saw, Hatori! There, on his bed, I saw the two boys caught in a passionate embrace, the blankets tossed aside in their breathless play. Hatsuharu held Momiji so close that their cheeks brushed when they spoke, and on both of their faces, I saw an expression of pure adoration. You should have been there, Hatori!"
A much softer voice responded, sounding almost stoic in contrast with his emotional companion. "Yes, I am very jealous." Hatori's answer was, if anything, falsely curious, but more likely, subtly indifferent. "Eat your breakfast before it gets cold."
Arriving at the doorway, Haru watched as Ayame jumped to the ground and took a spirited bite of rice. "Hutowi!" He exclaimed through cheeks stuffed with half-chewed food. Swallowing, he continued. "Isn't it sweet? Haru and Momiji. Two wayward boys, alone in the world, finding each other in your house! Isn't it exciting!"
"Yes," Hatori forced a polite smile, swiftly turning his attention back to the medical report in his hands. "Very exciting."
Ayame did not pick up on Hatori's monotone response. "Can you imagine the lust? The entrancement of two young lovers coming together for the first time?" He spun his arms around to illustrate the magnitude of his statements. "And poor Haru, he tried to cover up what he did last night. He probably thought he should protect the little bunny rabbit. But Momiji seemed so enchanted with his new friend. He didn't even care that I saw them! But we all know what they did, right Hatori? I mean, remember our first time. Remember how you pulled me into your bed, your eyes brimming with hope as you planted sweet kisses all over my body. Imagine Haru doing that to Momiji! And then he climbed on top of him, just like you did with me, and-"
"Shh!" Hatsuharu interjected, finally alerting the two men of his presence. "If you don't quiet your voice, his father will hear you." As silence fell over the kitchen, Momiji's chatter wafted through the open window.
"Aww!" Ayame cooed, leaping at the white-haired boy. "Are you concerned for your little lover? How thoroughly romantic! But wouldn't it be best if we could get daddy's blessing? Let's just go and ask him-"
"There's nothing to ask him about," Haru reminded him. "I already told you that nothing like that happened. He comes in my room every night to sleep in my bed, but that is all." His explanation was soft but firm.
"But you want him, don't you," Ayame did not wait for a response, instead turning his attention back to the doctor. "It's written all over his face, isn't it, Hatori?" Reaching a hand to Haru's shoulder, he gave the boy an understanding squeeze. "You poor thing. He can't even begin to see the way you feel, and you're stuck with unrequited love. What a tragic hero you've become! He comes to you, wanting to be friends, when you're looking for so much more. How do you deal with it?"
Hatsuharu winced at the man's accuracy, but maintained a cool demeanor. "I survive."
"Ayame," Hatori scolded him from his seat on the floor. "Leave him alone."
"But Ha'ri-kun," Ayame whined, sitting down in resignation. "I'm just trying to help him. See. He won't deny that he likes Momiji. I figured it out, didn't I?" His voice brimmed with pride. "I know just how to fix this problem. I am the Sohma king of romance!" Tossing his silver locks over his shoulder, he flashed a dazzling grin. "Please let me help, Hatori!"
The seahorse shrugged. "You need to ask him first."
Haru looked away, not really knowing if he should feel angry at the older Sohma's antics, or simply laugh. Not wanting to dampen Ayame's joyous mood, he mumbled his response. "Sure, why not?"
"See, Hatori!" The snake was positively giddy, floating from one end of the room to the other. "He's going to let me get them together. Oh, it will be so cute! And it will all be because of me. Soon they'll be acting just like us, Ha'ri-kun. They'll be seizing kisses and cradling each other with so much warmth and passion. They'll be up all night, enjoying the closeness of their bodies and dreaming of some romantic rendevous, just like we did last night."
Hatori gave the younger boy a sort of embarrassed half-smile. "I hope you realize that he's exaggerating all of this." He explained, trying to bring some sense into the conversation.
"Doesn't he always?" The cow responded with a snicker.
Ayame disregarded the teasing. Snatching Haru's hand, he gave the younger boy an urging tug. "Come on, Haru-kun! We're going to my shop. I have some things there that will really ease your romantic dilemma. I designed them all myself." He released his grip on the white-haired companion to clap his hands together boyishly. "I can't wait to show you!" Glancing behind them, the snake caught a glimpse of a disengaged Hatori. Tiptoing back toward the doctor, he swooped down and planted a kiss on his stunned lips. "Have a beautiful day, Ha'ri! I'll see you tonight?"
The doctor nodded. "Do you need a ride to work?"
"No, no," Ayame playfully dismissed him. "It's warm today. We can walk. Come on Haru, time to go!"
The younger boy hurried to keep up with Ayame's gleeful strides, walking through the front door and down the steps where Momiji entertained his father. Hatsuharu watched as the rabbit smiled and giggled, constantly filling the air with frivolous anecdotes and bouncing with happiness. In contrast, his father shifted uneasily, the look on his face making it evident to Haru that he really didn't know how to treat his son. 'What kind of father is that?' Haru plastered a falsely-polite smile across his lips when he passed the older man. 'He really did choose his wife over his son, didn't he? And now he thinks he can come visit once a week and somehow mend all the pain in Momiji's heart with an hour of conversation. How could he let her forget his only son?'
"Vati! This is Haru. The one I always tell you about. He's in my class at school and he plays with me all the time," Momiji smiled. "I know you'll really like him!"
"Pleased to meet you," the older Sohma nodded cordially.
Haru acknowledged him quickly, and then brought his focus back to the smaller blonde boy. "Momiji-kun, I'm going to work with Aaya-san today, but I'll be home before dinner."
"OK Haru-kun!" The rabbit's chocolate eyes lit up. "Have a good time!"
"Thank you," Haru avoided Ayame's twinkling stare as he rejoined the snake. Looking back, he felt a sense of guilt well up inside of him. 'Momiji really is oblivious, isn't he? Then why am I permitting Ayame to help me take away that innocence? This is wrong,' Dread crept over him as he finally saw the store appear ahead of them. 'This is wrong.'
Momiji's German lesson #3 :)
Guten Morgen- good morning
Sind Sie da?- Are you there?
The rest you should know by now.
...next chapter...AYAME'S SHOP! he he!