((A/n: I don't own Furuba! I want to… But I don't…. But I own the second Zodiacs! And Nazomi! Yes! Now on with the story.))

Chapter 3

Nazomi woke up with the sun shining in through the closed window. She looked at the picture on her night stand and then smiled slightly and stood up. While she was stretching she listed to what Hatori was saying to Tohru. She could barely hear it, but she heard that Tohru had the flu and had to miss school for a few days. She looked at the clothes she was wearing. She had fallen asleep in her clothes she wore yesterday. Nazomi yawned and then walked to her closet and took out a white blouse and a navy blue skirt that went to just below her knees. She unbraided her hair and then looked at the floor. She wanted to cry.

Hatori walked out of Tohru's room and then stood by Nazomi's door for a moment. Something wanted him to knock on the door. He stood there and looked at the floor. Shigure was singing something down stairs about high school girls. Hatori sighed and then walked down the stairs and saw Uo and Hana. "Hello… Tohru is sleeping right now." He said in a low tone as he walked into the kitchen. He figured he should cook just to make sure Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo don't starve.

Kyo sighed and then saw Uo. "What the hell are you doing here!" he yelled as he glared at Uotani. He didn't hate he just couldn't stand her sometimes. He sighed and then laid down on the floor. He stood up and walked to the kitchen and saw Hatori cooking. "No I'll cook…" he said moving Hatori out of the way. He began to finish what Hatori started. Hatori seemed to be making rice balls with cod in the middle and then soup for Tohru. It was funny because it wasn't leek soup it was chicken soup. That was something from the west. He looked at the cook book Hatori had taken out.

Hatori sighed and then watched Shigure skip down to his office. That Hana girl must have scared him off. He sighed and then Hana began to speak.

"We'll be back later to see Tohru then…." Hana said in a low voice as she looked at Hatori with her purple eyes. Uo and Hana then walked out the door and walked down the path way. "I have a feeling Tohru… will be fine…" she said as she moved her braid off of her shoulder.

Uo blinked and then looked at Hana. "I believe she will I just hope she gets better soon..." she said putting her hands behind her head. They then disappeared down the pathway.

Kyo then noticed Hatori was still standing in the hallway. "What's wrong with you…?" He said as he finished making the soup and rice balls. Hatori had seemed to be down about something. "You know you don't need to be upset just because you're here…" Then Hatori walked away. Kyo sighed and then blinked. "Damn it I said all that for nothing!"

Hatori was walking up the stairs. His eyes were looking at the stairs. He then sighed and walked over to Nazomi's door again. He thought he heard her crying. He stood there by her door. 'She's thinking about me…' he thought as he leaned his head up against the wall by her door.

Nazomi heard someone outside her door. She looked at her clothes on her bed. She wondered why someone was standing outside her door. It was so rare. Even Shigure wouldn't do that. It was either her sister coming to make her feel horrible about herself… Or it was Hatori. She looked at her clothes again and then took off her green blouse from the other day and put it in her hamper and grabbed her white blouse and put it one. Her blue eyes looked at the black skirt she was wearing. Would anyone really care if she came out of her room that day? Tohru and Shigure would if it was just the normal people in the house. She slipped off her skirt and put on the navy blue one. She looked in her mirror and brushed her hair slowly. She heard a light knock on the door and looked at it. "Come in…" she said in a low voice. Her blue eyes watched Hatori walk in. "What is it Hatori?" she asked placing her brush down on her dresser.

Hatori walked over to Nazomi and then gave her a slight smile. He took her hand and pulled her out of her room. "Let's go for a walk… so we can talk…" he said as he slide her door shut and smiled at her. She was confused. He couldn't blame her he just told her to come with him to for a walk.

Nazomi blinked. She was now up against the wall by her door. She looked at the floor as Hatori came closer to her. Why did it feel like he was leaning on her? Her blue eyes looked up and him and she could feel his breath on her face. She felt herself turn red and then looked back at the floor. She felt his fingers move her hair out of her face.

Hatori smiled at Nazomi, but then began to think that being so close to her wasn't such a good idea. He placed his chin on her head and played with her hair with his fingers. "Nazomi… If it means anything…." He started as he looked down at her. "I want you to know… That I'm here for you if you need me…" He held her close. He knew if Akito found out about her and him there wouldn't be any happiness left in either of them. They would both be more or less lifeless. He could feel her chest going in and out as she was breathing.

Nazomi looked you at Hatori and then sighed and slipped away from his grip and walked back into her room. She heard him follow her but she didn't care. She felt herself want to fall forward. She shook, and to keep herself from falling she turned around quickly and fell into Hatori. She looked at him and then smiled slightly. "I guess I'm a klutz…" She said as she looked over at the picture on the night stand of all four of them smiling. "Why… can't it be like that…?" she said pointing to the picture.

Hatori blinked and then helped Nazomi stand up straight. He looked down at her and then looked at the picture. "It can't be like that because… that is the past…" he said as he sat her down on her bed. He could hear Kyo yelling up stairs to Kanami and Yuki to come eat. He could hear them running down the stairs. Shigure's voice could be heard. It sounded like he was pleased there was breakfast.

Nazomi laughed slightly and then tugged on Hatori's doctor coat. He then sat down next to her and she leaned her head on his shoulder. The window was open and it was snowing then. "Hatori…" she started as she took one of his hands. "Do you still love Kana…?" she knew she was asking a silly question, but she wanted to know if he was still dwelling on the past.

"No…" he said suddenly as his other hand made Nazomi look at him. His greenish eyes looked at her. "You're here…" he said as he leaned close to her face. He then whispered in her ear. "I knew you always loved me… Shigure told me… Awhile back…" he moved his fingers over hers and then placed his head on hers.

/.Flashback./

She was silent. Hatori couldn't get her to talk. It had seemed that she would stay that way for a while.

"Nazomi please talk…" Hatori said as he took her hand and walked with her around the Sohma Estate. She took her hand away from him and looked up at him with her blue eyes filled with sorrow. He wanted her to talk. It had been almost six months since her last words.

"I could never be loved by anyone like you…" where her last words. No one knew who those words were to because Aya, Gure, and Ha'ri had been in the room at the time. Nazomi's voice was locked away. Hatori hugged Nazomi as it began snowing. "Nazomi! Just talk! For your friends!" he yelled as he let a tear slip out of his eye.

Nazomi looked up at him and then started crying. "I'm afraid…" she said as she cried into Hatori's shirt…

/.End./

Nazomi looked up at Hatori. Her eyes were wide. She had never known Shigure told Hatori. She shook her head. Hatori's face was close to hers. Her face turned light red and then she looked at her hands. One of them was being held by Hatori. Was he trying to tell her something by being this close to her? "Then… who do you love…?" she asked as she looked at her wall. Hatori's face was still beside hers.

Hatori was silent and then he took Nazomi into his arms and hugged her. "It is hard to say…" he whispered into her ear. He moved his head back and looked directly at Nazomi and smiled slightly. "I think… me being so close to you should tell you…." He muttered looking at her quilt. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Nazomi… If I could go back… I would have listened to Shigure and Ayame the day they told me…" He placed his chin on her head and then shut his eyes. "Because deep down I felt and feel the same…" His greenish eyes opened and looked at her slightly open window and saw the snow falling. 'Good bye… forever Kana…' he said as he stood up and put out his hand to Nazomi. "Now… I believe you and I should go for a walk…" He looked down at Nazomi who looked stunned. He couldn't blame her. If he was her, he would feel the same.

Nazomi took Hatori's hand and stood up with her hand on her cheek. He had kissed her. Even if it was only on the cheek it meant the world. "A walk… in this weather…?" she said quietly as she looked up at Hatori. Her blue eyes met with his. He was serious and she could tell. She sighed and then nodded. Slipping out her door, she looked for anyone she really didn't want to see. Like her sister Kanami. She seemed to always know how to make her feel horrible. Making it to the mud room without being seen she slipped on her boots and then grabbed her winter jacket. Hatori was behind her. She got out the door and then heard Hatori's name being called. 'Great…' she thought as she listened.

Hatori turned around and saw Shigure. "I'm going a walk…" he said as he slipped on his shoes and then put on his jacket. His greenish eyes looked at Shigure. Shigure smiled and then nodded and walked into the dinning room and began to torture Kyo about his cooking. Hatori sighed and then walked outside. The sky was beginning to get dark. He looked over at Nazomi leaning up against the post and smiled slightly at her. "Ready…?" he asked taking her hand and moving along.

They walked down the path out onto the main streets. The snow felt nice on both of their faces. And Nazomi was smiling, even if it wasn't a completely real smile she was smiling. She was able to be alone with Hatori. Just like she would be when they stayed at the school and sat on the roof looking at stars.

Nazomi moved her hair out of her face and then looked up at Hatori. He was looking straight ahead. A snow flake landed on her eye lashes and she blinked and it disappeared. "Hatori," she began. He looked at her and his dark brown hair moved as the wind blew gently. "I think I'm in love with you…" she managed to get out without making it completely silent. She closed her eyes as Hatori's hand led her along.

Hatori blinked and then stopped walking and Nazomi stopped too. He looked down at the light brown haired girl and then frowned. "If Akito finds out…" Hatori was then pushed away by Nazomi. He knew how she was feeling. "Nazomi… I know you understand!" he said with some anger in his voice. He hated being mad at her. Nazomi was too frail to yell at. That was why she rarely went to the main house. Akito would be there… And he might just hurt her...

Nazomi's eyes filled with tears. "Hatori I thought that we took this walk to talk about how we feel about each other! I know you can't! You can't love me because of Akito!" She was lucky no one was around to stare at her. "I suffered when you were hurt! Just as much as Kana did! And now I told you! And I'm suffering because you can't even give me a straight answer back Ha'ri!" she hated yelling. This had been the loudest she was in many years. She felt Hatori's look at her. How could she yell at someone she loved so much? She looked up at him and then sighed sadly as she stood in front of him. "I see… myself… in a pool of blood…" she mumbled and she looked at her hands. "The dreams… they haunt me… and I'll only be what Akito said I was… A slut… and I'll never be anything…" she looked up at Hatori and then frowned. "I couldn't be with you… It was foolish to think that I could…" the snow started falling heavier and she felt her tears stinging her face as the wind blew at her. Her light brown hair flowed with the wind to the left and her tears began to freeze. "Why can't I be anything…?" she asked herself aloud.

Hatori looked at the broken girl that stood in front of him. He didn't know what to say. Everything she was saying was true. She did suffer when he was hurt by Akito. She was the one who helped him save his eye sight. And when he was ready to rid Kana of pain and he wasn't sure if he should, Nazomi helped him. She never told him to erase her memory she just said "Kana is suffering… and you love her… I know deep down she still loves you Ha'ri… she just thinks it was her fault… and I know… how she feels… but, Hatori… this choice… it's yours… It would be wrong for me to tell you what to do…" It was funny to him how he could remember that Nazomi said that. He looked at the crying girl in front of him and then reached out for her as she took another step back. It was snowing harder. They should head back to Shigure's house. "We should go back…" he said as he reached out for her again.

Nazomi took another step away from Hatori and then looked at his sad face. "I… don't want to…" she said as she opened her eyes and wiped away the frozen tears. It got really cold so fast. "Hatori… I want to know… do you love me or not?" she asked as she looked at him with her deep blue eyes. The snow swirled around them as they were silent. It felt like it had been awhile since anyone talked. And it had been. It had been fifteen minutes since Nazomi had asked. She was now shivering waiting for his answer.

Hatori looked at the snow piling up around them. "I can't say I don't want to hurt you…" He didn't realize it but he was hurting her more by not answering her. His greenish eyes looked up at Nazomi whose blue eyes had then same depressed look in them. He wanted to tell her that he cared. He wasn't telling her because he didn't want Akito to hurt her again. She was probably thinking the same thing except she didn't want him to get hurt. He looked back at Nazomi whose black coat was blowing in the wind with her hair. The snow was still swirling around them.

'Why does he deny his feelings…? Why can't he just tell me…? Even if we can't stay together… What's stopping him from just telling me?' Nazomi asked herself as she turned away from Hatori with her eyes closed. She could barely see off into the distance. The snow was blocking out everything. Her blue eyes opened and she ran. What was she running from? She needed time. She could always run faster than Hatori. She swerved before a car hit her and touched the driver's headlights. The driver got out and screamed at her to watch where she was going, but she wasn't listening. Nothing was going to stop her. She was so upset. When she stopped running she was in the darkness. The snow had stopped and the sky had cleared. There was no moon out that night. She looked around at everything she was around. She was close to the bad part of town. Why did she run so far and so fast…? Her blue eyes looked at the ground as she started walking back in the direction she came from. Her blue eyes were looking at the ankle deep snow she was walking in. "Why am I such a fool…?" she asked herself as she stopped and leaned up against a building and began to cry. The hot tears were streaming down her face.

Hatori had run after Nazomi. He didn't get too far because he was never a really fast or great runner. He saw a pay phone. He ran to it and luckily he had some spare yen and put it into the pay phone. He dialed Shigure's number.

Hearing the phone ring Shigure skipped to the phone. "Hello?" he answered in a sing song voice. He heard Hatori's voice and then blinked. "Huh? What?" he then listened to what Hatori had to say. Hatori's voice had worry. "I'm on my way and I do know were that store is…" he then hung up the phone and looked at Yuki and Kanami who were staring at him. "Uh.. I'll be back I have to run to the store make sure Tohru is okay." He said with a smile as he walked out the door. Happily he could drive. It was funny because he liked joking with Yuki and Kyo pretending he couldn't drive.

Nazomi walked along and then sighed. She stood near where she and Hatori sort of had a fight. She looked at her watch and it was 7:30 PM. Her blue eyes looked at the white snow on the ground. It began snowing again. "Why can't I do anything right…?" she asked herself. She then felt arms around her shoulder and turned around ready to hit who ever it was. Then seeing Hatori she threw herself into his chest and began crying hard. "I'm sorry for running!" she sobbed as she held onto Hatori's coat. "I'm sorry for being a fool!" her words were telling the truth and she just couldn't take her life anymore. "I'm sorry!" she screamed into his chest. "I'm," she then got cut off by Hatori lifting her chin so she would look at him and his index finger on her lips.

Hatori looked at Nazomi with his green teal eyes and leaned down close to her face. "I do love you…" he whispered as he then kissed her gently on the lips. If he could name any fruit that described the taste of her kiss it would be…. Indescribable. He hadn't been as happy as he was then since he was in love with Kana. When he slowly broke the kiss he looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed and her fingers were on her lips. "Nazomi… I'll try and stay with you…" he said quietly as he hugged her closely.

Shigure had driven by as they kissed. He didn't know what to think about it. He was shocked. If Akito knew about what just happened he might kill Nazomi. He sighed and then drove up next to them and rolled down the window. "I know you need a ride you two get in." he said with a smile on.

Nazomi blinked and then blushed as Shigure spoke. She knew what just happened could be risking her life and Hatori's life but they… loved each other and that was enough… even if it ended soon. She knew that something would shatter them. Akito wouldn't find out from anyone that was in that car or Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru. It was just her sister Kanami that worried Nazomi. She was afraid… She would tell Akito and that would be the end.

Hatori looked at Nazomi who seemed to be in thought and grabbed her hand and held it close. His eyes closed and leaned his head on Nazomi's. She had already fallen asleep with her head on his should. He opened his eyes and moved her hair out of her face and then looked at Shigure by looking at the mirror. "I hope.. Nothing happens…" he said. He noticed Shigure nod.

"I hope the same for your sake Ha'ri…" his greyish eyes looked at the road and then he drove back to his house. In fear that Kanami might have figured out what was going on.

((A/n: I hope it was okay I tried.))