Disclaimer: Fruits Basket, the Souma Clan and Honda Tohru all belong to Natsuki Takaya-sama. I live only to glorify Furuba.

Ore no Haru

Ika-apat na Kabanata

By hitokiri-tomoe

This is your chance, Ha-san, and it may be your last chance to be truly happy.

The words kept ringing in Hatori's ear as he sat at the dining table across from Kana. They were silently eating the breakfast that Kazuya had prepared. The servant had returned to serve them a week ago.

He regretted the servant's being back. He had gotten used to seeing Kana first thing in the morning, preparing their breakfast. Although she wasn't as good a cook as Tohru, she always tried hard, and no matter what she prepared, it didn't really matter to him, as long as she sat across from him as they ate it. He had learned some time ago that it was useless to fight against his feelings and Kana's persistence to make friends with him, so he had given up trying to be aloof. Since then, the two of them have spent the days together in tranquility that was almost like domestic bliss… if only they were married.

And we're not, he reminded himself sternly as his gaze wandered to the calendar hanging on the wall behind his female companion.

It's a month before her wedding, he thought gloomily as he heard Shigure's voice again.

"Why do you look so down?" Kana suddenly asked,

He looked her straight in the eye and lied, "I'm not."

She chuckled, "Okay, okay, you don't have to be so scary if you don't want to talk about it."

He didn't say anything and instead concentrated on his breakfast.

"Come to think of it," she continued, a thoughtful look crossing her face, "you never really talk much."

His response was a soft grunt.

"But," she smiled at him, "even though I know so little about you, I feel so secure with you."

He looked away. Really, aside from the atmosphere about her, she really hasn't changed much.

She's still so cheerful.

"I feel as if I can tell you anything, as if I can trust you."

Still so open.

"Why is that, Hatori-sensei?"

Lovable.

He shrugged, "You're too trusting."

She ignored the condescending tone by which he stated the sentence and instead smiled at him sweetly. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Kana-san?" Kazuya peered into the dining room.

"Yes?" she responded, still looking sweetly at Hatori's impassive face.

"There's a phone call for you from a Minekuwara-san."

Hatori didn't miss Kana's sharp intake of breath and her face suddenly growing pale.

"Excuse me," she gave him a forced smile as she got up, "It's my fiancé."

"It's about time he called," the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

She bowed her head. "You're right. He never called me earlier. He was probably just busy."

With that she walked out towards the living room.

He watched her go, feeling like a heel. Once again, he heard Shigure telling him not to let her go. And then he heard his own response:

If she isn't happy, I'm not going to be.

But right now, even if she got a call from her fiancé, she certainly didn't look happy.

oOo

Minekuwara Shinbo smiled as he saw his fiancée get off a taxi. He waved at her and she approached him slowly, looking wan.

"Kana, what's wrong?"

The young woman suddenly seemed to realize where she was. Slowly, a smile formed on her face.

"Shinbo," she said in greeting.

He gave her a gentle smile as he placed an arm around her shoulders and walked her to a nearby café.

"Are you tired?"

He was concerned that his wife-to-be's new work plus all the preparations for their wedding was getting to be too much for her.

They sat at a table near the window, so that they could see everyone passing by. Kana always liked observing people. But this time his fiancée didn't seem interested. True, she was looking out to the street, but clearly her mind was elsewhere.

He ordered café au lait for the two of them and looked at his companion.

"Kana?"

Startled out of her thoughts, Kana shook herself, "Yes?"

"Are you sick or something?"

"No," she said a little bit too quickly.

"Well," Shinbo shrugged, "I was thinking, we really ought to have a garden wedding. I know how much you like nature, so I think you would like it. I was also thinking green and cream as the motif. And guitar music. I'm sure you'd find it romantic. It would be great—"

"Ano… Shinbo," Kana suddenly interrupted.

"Yes?" he was suddenly all concern.

"I think I… I feel a bit dizzy, after all."

"Would you like me to take you to a doctor?" he asked, worry etched on his face. He had apparently forgotten that he himself was a doctor.

She suddenly smiled at that, as though she found something amusing at what he said.

"No, I'll be alright. I think I should go home…"

Home? He raised an eyebrow but she wasn't looking at him.

He shook himself. Of course she's speaking figuratively.

He glanced at his watch and swore.

"I forgot, I have a meeting at the hospital today," he said as he stood up and placed some bills on the table, "I'm already late. Can you go to Hatori-san's house by yourself?"

She nodded, her head still bowed.

He kissed her on the cheek and turned her face to meet his.

"I love you," he whispered softly.

She nodded again and gave him a weak smile.

He left a troubled-looking Kana sitting alone in the café.

oOo

Tohru had just finished grocery shopping. She shifted the bags she was carrying as she walked through the streets downtown.

Yuki had volunteer work for the student council and Kyo had been nowhere in sight so no one was able to accompany her. She wasn't holding grudges. She was already lucky for being allowed to stay in Shigure's house.

She was most definitely tired and yearned only to reach home where Yuki and the others are sure to be waiting, but as she neared the café doors, a female figure emerged from it. All thoughts of home fled from Honda Tohru's mind as she saw who it was.

"Kana-san."

The woman turned her amber eyes at her and smiled, "Honda-san."

oOo

They had returned to the café that Kana just stepped out of, and now were seated in a more private part of the establishment.

"I'm sorry to have imposed on you," Kana apologized to her younger companion.

"A-ano," Tohru quickly protested, waving her arms, "That—it's not necessary. It's not a burden at all! I wanted to get to know you also, so…"

Kana smiled, "I'm glad."

She turned away and looked at the other people in the café. Neither of them spoke for a long time.

"Honda-san," she finally broke the silence.

"Yes?"

She turned to look at the customers again, and spoke in a quiet voice, "I saw my fiancé today."

Tohru was silent, apparently sensing that the young woman had more to say.

"He was as sweet as ever. I haven't seen him, nor heard from him in a month. During that time, I was in Hatori-sensei's house, and he only got to call me today."

She paused, sipping her coffee, although her eyes were still fixed on the café's surroundings.

"I don't blame him. He is, after all, a busy man. But, while we were apart and I was at Hatori-sensei's… I'm ashamed to say this, but," and then she looked at Tohru straight in the eyes, "I must admit it. I forgot about him."

Tohru's breath caught in her throat but she still didn't speak. Kana looked away again.

"Oh, I did remember him, once in awhile, but it was not like it was before. You see, a month ago, I was in love with him, and I couldn't stop thinking about him."

Another pause as she seemed to collect her thoughts.

"I lost interest in planning our wedding, when back then, it was all I would do. When he called today and asked me to see him and I just realized all these things, I felt that I had betrayed him. So I told him I wasn't feeling well, because I couldn't bear all my guilty feelings."

She sipped her coffee and this time fixed her whole attention on Tohru.

"And when, as he left, he told me he loved me," a rueful smile crossed her face, "I couldn't say it back. I realized that… I was going to make him unhappy… Because… he loves me so much… and I can't love him back. Not anymore…"

"Kana-san," Tohru suddenly spoke, "I know it isn't any of my business… but… still… still… My mother once told me that, well, though it's important to make others feel happy… it isn't right to forget about your feeling, too… so… Kana-san… you're important, too. You also need to feel happy. You should go to the things that make you happy… so… so…"

"Honda-san," Kana said quietly, smiling at the teenager gently.

The girl looked up with a blush, "Yes?"

"You're really something special."

"Huh?"

Her smile widened at the girl's confusion, as she slowly felt her negative feelings draining away from her.

"Thank you."

"Yes, my mom is a great person!" she said delightedly then suddenly glanced at her watch, "Aiiie, I must go back and prepare dinner!"

She hastily picked up her shopping bags and turned to the older woman.

"Kana-san, thank you. I hope we get to talk again."

Kana watched her speed off, her usual smile now on her lips.

"I hope so, too, Honda-san."

oOo

Hatori glanced at the front door for the 97th time that afternoon.

His coffee had grown cold, he hadn't taken a single bite of the pastries Kazuya had served him, and he had read one particular page of his book a dozen times over, but if you asked him what the passage was about, he wouldn't have been able to tell you.

"Moron," he mutters to himself every time his eyes wander inexorably to the front door.

He would try concentrating on the novel he was reading, but then his eyes would find their way to the front door again.

He heaved a sigh of defeat, put the book down and removed his eyeglasses.

He was behaving badly out-of-character and he didn't even have enough dignity to be angry with himself.

But he didn't think he was doing anything wrong, either.

Somehow, waiting for Kana, even though she's coming back from a date with not-Hatori, feels so natural. Too natural.

Because actually, the moment Kana gave him that wave, that final smile and closed the door behind her those years ago, he had been waiting for her.

Riiiiiiiing!

He picked up the phone on the first ring, glad for the distraction from the direction his thoughts were taking.

"Hel—"

"Hatori-sensei!" Kana's overly bright voice jumped out at him, not even allowing him to finish his greeting, nor to get a word in.

"If you don't meet me at the park in exactly five minutes, I'm going to make Kazuya-san cook the way I do. You won't like that!"

Click.

Hatori stared at the phone for a few seconds, shrugged, replaced the receiver and allowed himself a small chuckle.

oOo

He found her leaning on a post, her back turned to him, observing children at play.

He stepped beside her, not saying anything. She turned to see who it was.

"Hatori-sensei!" she turned to him with a bright smile on her face.

But this time, her smile couldn't mask the sadness in her eyes.

"Kana-san," he couldn't help asking, "did something happen?"

She averted her eyes, the smile still in place, and shook her head.

"Let's walk!" she invited enthusiastically, taking Hatori's hand and steering him in the direction of the boulevard.

They walked in silence, Kana seeming to be lost in thought and Hatori just being Hatori.

They passed a vending machine and Kana suddenly stopped.

"Ne, Hatori-sensei, since you were late for ten seconds, you have to buy me a drink!"

He gave her a surprised look.

"What? You thought I wasn't timing you?" she demanded.

A slight smile touched his lips and he shrugged, "What would you like?"

She turned away and started walking towards a nearby bench, "I don't know. Anything but café au lait."

She sat on the bench, watching the sunset. All traces of sadness were gone from her countenance.

As he walked towards her carrying two cans of lemon juice, he noticed, no, he was reminded, how the sunlight striking her hair made it glint like gold, and the light reflecting on her amber eyes made her look almost ethereal.

She turned to him then, and motioned him to sit beside her.

She took the juice, popped the can and took a sip.

She sighed contentedly to herself. She didn't know why she was suddenly feeling glad. After all, she still felt until this moment that things weren't going right between her and Shinbo. But she couldn't help it, she wasn't feeling guilty at all; she felt free. And safe.

She turned to Hatori, who was gazing at the sunset as well. She looked at his handsome profile and couldn't help but smile. She realized she was just taking Tohru's advice.

"Hatori-sensei," she said in a voice that was almost inaudible.

Hatori turned to her. On impulse, she reached for his hand. She felt it stiffen in her grasp, but then suddenly relaxed. A slight smile formed on his lips as well.

"I'm happy," she said as she looked up at the young man, "This moment… makes me happy."

To be continued…