NOTE: In this story, the curse is already broken. Just for reference: Tohru is 21 & Hatori is 32. Originally Tohru was 16, Hatori was 27. This story takes place 5-years-later.
Disclaimer: If I owned this then Tohru would end up w/ Hari, Akito would BACK OFF (Sorry guys, but me no likey Akito.) & everyone else would live happily ever after! THE END! Now, as you can obviously see, none of this occurs in neither the Anime OR the Manga. So there! HA!
This story is dedicated to my good friend Isuzu-chan.
Let It Snow
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Hatori Sohma sat alone in his office finishing up the last of the day's paperwork. He'd been hunched over his desk all evening and it was beginning to take a toll on his back. After a while, he straightened, sighing as he attempted to massage his back. Weary eyes flickered over to the clock ticking away on the wall opposite him; it read ten minutes after seven. He should be heading to Shigure's now if he was to be there in time. Reluctantly, he got up, grabbed his coat off its hanger and headed out the door.
Tohru Honda clumsily shoved in between a group of people, "Oh no! I'm going to be late!" She muttered frantically to herself in between breaths of air. It was her first time setting foot back in Japan after two whole years of studying abroad in America. Her flight had been delayed due to weather conditions, leaving her a full ten minutes to get to Shigure's on time. She didn't want to keep them waiting. After being away for so long, she was anxious about reuniting with her surrogate family.
She pushed through the entrance and outside into the cold, wintry air. She hailed the nearest taxi and jumped in, panting out the directions. The cab sped away from the curb and down the road. Every few seconds her eyes woud dart to the digital clock on the dashboard. Her leg shook restlessly. When she'd called to inform Shigure-san to let him know she'd be coming home, he'd insisted upon throwing her a "Welcome Home" party. How bad would it look on her part if she, the guest of honor, was late to her own get together? She didn't want them to think bad of her for it.
Thankfully, the cab pulled up on the side of the street and she stepped out, paying the man before hurrying up the pathway to Shigure's. On her way up she couldn't help but glance off in the distance...Mom...she could still see the little tent she'd once called home nestled in among the trees. She smiled wistfully.
As soon as Hatori entered the complex, he was nearly barreled over by Ayame and Shigure simultaneously. Years of practice, however, honed his skills of evasion and he quickly sidestepped the pair. The two fell flat onto the floor behind him, groaning, "Now Haa-kun, that wasn't nice!" Ayame protested.
Shigure pushed himself up halfway, "It's about time you showed up," Shigure muttered, "I'm afraid our precious Tohru-kun hasn't arrived yet, either."
"Would you two fools get up?" Hatori suggested when the men continued to remain sprawled atop eachother on the ground.
Shigure stood up and dusted himself off, "Haru-kun; as characteristically cold as usual." He grinned, "We need to find a girl to melt that heart of yours!"
Ayame scrambled up alongside him, "That's an excellent idea!" He agreed.
Hatori rolled his eyes, rewarding them with a rare smirk. They were idiots...idiots that had always stuck by his side, even after the incident that had rendered his left eye almost completely usless all those years ago. They only ever looked out for his best interests, or rather, what they assumedwere in his best interests. The most he could offer in return was to suffer Shigure's incessant idle chatter and reign in Ayame when the man's overzealous behavior threatened to get the better of him.
He shook his head, "It ceases to amaze me how much energy you two can retain at your age." He set his briefcase down and shrugged off his trenchcoat, hanging it up in a nearby coat closet.
"Nonsense, Haa-kun! We areonly thirty-two, same as you." Ayame proclaimed loudly.
Shigure nodded, "Indeed, Haa-kun; why are you so insistent to act twenty years older than you actually are?" He frowned disapprovingly, "No one wants to date a crotchety old man."
Hatori grimaced; when would they get it through their thick skulls? He had no desire to discuss the subject of women, least of all with them. He retreated slowly down the hall towards the main sitting room. He was curious to see whom else had decided to risk their sanity by stepping foot into Shigure Sohma's home. Even he was convinced that everytime he did so it was at the cost of a few brain cells. As he neared his destination, he could hear the sound of raised voices.
"You stupid rat!"
"Damn cat!"
The yelling escalated. It was amusing how they continued to refer to eachother by their former relative zodiac signs. He could already feel the beginnings of a headache. It was going to be a long night. He'd decided, however, that it was worth it...if he only got the opportunity to be on the receiving end of herwarm smile. If anything could melt his supposed 'heart of ice' it was that smile. He'd only ever entertained the thoughts on a few previous occasions. In the end, he couldn't help but feel like Shigure; a lecher. What would a vivacious young woman like Tohru Honda want with a somber, husk of a man like him?
Tohru trudged up the slopping hill, her breath coming out in puffs of moisture. She pulled her coat tighter around her petite form in a pitiful attempt to fight off the chill. She could see light off in the distance; her heart nearly skipped a beat in excitement. She pushed on forward with renewed vigor, lugging her seven pound suitcase close behind. She scurried up the rest of the way, pausing briefly at the front door. Knocking lightly, she turned around to wait for someone to answer. The trees rustled and the breeze whipped her hair around her face.
She gasped, and hurriedly tried to pat down the errant strands. In her distraction, she failed to hear the door slide open, "Welcome home, Tohru-kun."
Tohru jumped in surprise and spun around, "Oh! Haa-kun! My goodness, I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been?" She rambled nervously.
Before he could reply, Shigure peeked over his shoulder, "Tohru-kun!" He shouted, "Haa-kun! Are you going to keep her outside all night! You know how susceptible to illness she is!" Hatori stood aside and let Shigure usher her in. He all but dragged he poor woman into the house. Her suitcase remained on the doorstep, abandoned. Hatori hauled it in, wondering how in the world she'd managed to make it up the hill. The thing weighed a ton.
Meanwhile, Tohru found herself sandwiched between Ayame and Shigure in a hug. She laughed, thankful when they finally released her. Any longer and she feared she would've suffocated. Immediately after, she moved over to embrace Yuki and Kyo before they all sat down to catch up over cups of hot chocolate. She was a bit disappointed to learn that no one else would be joining them that evening due to prior engagements, but she counted her blessings. Having five men to keep her company was more than enough.
Hatori walked into the sitting room, taking a seat towards the back. They were talking animatedly and, ever the observer, he opted to sit back a just listen. He took in her appearence. She'd matured considerably over the years, but there was still that familiar carefree look to her face. Her cocoa-colored eyes glinted with mirth as she relayed stories of travels. She was as beautiful as ever. He felt another pair of eyes boring into him, then. Sure enough, Shigure was watching him, smirking. He glared at the mongrel-of-a-man before turning away.
"How are Hiro-kun and Kisa-chan doing?" Tohru asked, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"As matter of fact, they are engaged." Yuki replied.
Her face lit up at the news, "Really? That's wonderful! It's too bad they couldn't be here." She smiled sadly, staring down into her cup.
"They should be back from Honshu tomorrow evening; they promised to drop by." Yuki told her reassuringly.
Tohru beamed. They continued to converse for another hour, amazingly Kyo and Yuki were able to keep the verbal sparring to a minimum. She'd noticed Hatori out of the corner of her eye. She felt guilty. He'd probably taken time out of his busy schedule just to come here. He seemed content to rest against the wall, so she didn't want to bother him. He was likely tired from a long day at the office; his face didseem paler. Was he taking good care of himself? She wondered if he'd even eaten dinner. Perhaps she should offer to cook something... Shigure strutted back into the room, a bottle of sake in his hand; when had he left?
He offered some to her and she politely declined. Yuki and Kyo were quick to rise before they could give in to the temptation, "We are sorry to leave so soon Tohru-kun, but I'm afraid that I have to get home to Machi." Yuki apologized, "Yeah, and I've got a seven AM class full of brats to instruct at the dojo tomorrow. The last thing I need is a hangover." Kyo added sheepishly.
"No, no, it's alright, I understand; just promise me that you will visit again, soon." She pleaded. They swore to return. She hugged them once more and bid them goodnight.
It was half past midnight; Ayame and Shigure finally passed out on the floor still clutching sake cups in their hands. Tohru giggled at the sight and went off to retrieve a blanket. She found one in the downstairs storage closet. It was as if she'd never left. Everything was still in the same spot. She was glad that Shigure managed to keep up the house in her absence. She half expected to find the kitchen full of garbage, much in the same fashion as when she'd first arrived to live with the Sohmas.
Tohru threw the coverlet over the inebriated pair and bent over to pluck the cups out of their grasp. Ayame muttered something in his sleep about leopard print and rolled over, wrapping an arm around Shigure's torso. She shook her head and carted all the used dishes into the kitchen, placing them into the sink for washing. There was a niggling feeling at the back of her mind; she was forgetting someting...Then it dawned on her; Hatori.
He was nowhere to be found. She felt a draft and followed it out onto to the door leading to the deck. It was cracked and she peeked outside. His back was to her. She slipped through and walked over, making sure the floor creaked under her footsteps; she didn't want to startle him."The children are asleep." She said, jokingly.
Hatori chuckled, "I was beginning to wonder why it had gotten so quiet." He leaned against a wooden beam for support.
She laughed lightly as a shiver rattled her body, The temperature had dropped, it seemed. She cupped her hands to her mouth and blew in an attempt to warm them. Hatori took notice, "Are you cold?"
Tohru stared up at the sky, "A bit." She replied softly.
"Maybe we should go inside." Hatori turned to leave before a hand latched onto his sleeve, stopping him, "Wait," she whispered, "-look." Small flurries of snow began to flutter down to the earth. It was the first fall of the season.
"I've always remembered that question you asked me...about the snow." She started, "Where did you hear it from?"
He recalled the particular memory. It was one that he went over frequently in his mind; it was the first time he'd ever felt anything for her, "Kana asked me once..."
Tohru immedietly regretted asking, "Oh, I'm sorry..."
"It's alright."
She shifted uncomfortably, "Do you...think of her often?"
"Yes, from time to time, I do." He admitted, "Sometime I wonder if taking the chance at 'us' all those years ago was worth the pain."
"Hmm," Tohru tapped a finger to her lips in thought, "My mother always said that it's better to take a chance than to regret not having done so at all." She glanced at him, "At least you tried."
Hatori bobbed his head in an agreement.
Tohru replayed her mother's words of advice over in her head. She could feel the body heat radiate off of the man next to her; she shivered again, but for a different reason entirely. She turned to him and moved closer. Then, stepping up on her tip-toes, she gingerly brushed her lips against his. There was a sharp intake of breath. Tohru pulled back and was about to start apologizing profusely. She felt a pair of arms snake around her waist, pulling her flush to his form. She squeaked and Hatori crushed his lips to hers, effectively silencing the girl. She tensed before gradually melting into his embrace, kissing him back with equal fervor. Her arms went to wrap around his neck of their own accord. Her shivers dissipated; she couldn't have been warmer than if someone had pushed her into a raging fire.
He cupped the sides of her face. "AHEM!" Tohru jumped out of his arms, blushing furiously.
Shigure stared at them from the doorway, smiling giddily. Hatori glared murderously at him, promising death if the man didn't make himself scarce and soon. Shigure clearly got the message, "Don't mind me! Carry on!" He slammed the door shut, never one to take Hatori's threats lightly.
Making sure that the source of their unwanted disturbance was gone, Hatori yanked the young woman back into his arms, "Now, shall we continue?" He nuzzled the side of her face. Tohru looked up at him, smiling bashfully before nodding. He grinned before allowing his lips to descend upon hers for the second time. He vaguely heard the sound of a camera click accompanied by a duo of drunken laughter. He'd deal with those two idiots in the morning.
...and the snow continued to fall.
FIN.
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Edited 8/9/2010