1Title: These Are the Days of Our Lives
Disclaimer: The song "These Are the Days of Our Lives" is all Queens. Fruits Basket is certainly not mine (psh... I won't even start with that dream). All I own is an obsessive love of the pairing Ayame/Hatori.
Summary: Ayame confesses his love for Hatori, and many years later Hatori grows to regret his response. Bubbly, fuzzy, warm, romantic feelings should (if I've written it correctly) ensue.
A/N: Can you imagine Ayame confessing love? It's difficult, because it requires Ayame to act even a little out-of-character... which could leave to a landslide of OOC actions on Ayame's part. Therefore, if you catch any OOC moments, please tell me! If the song isn't to your liking—skip over it. It isn't necessary to read it, just pretty frill and lace for the fic.
Sometimes I get to feelin'
I was back in the old days - long ago
When we were kids when we were young
Thing seemed so perfect - you know
The days were endless we were crazy we were young
The sun was always shinin' - we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don't know
The rest of my life's been just a show
Hatori sat, listening to the quiet cackle of the fire, and the occasional swish as he turned a page in his book. It was quiet and calm. Peaceful, almost, and Hatori took the time to enjoy this moment. It wasn't often he got time to breathe, what with the hectic lifestyle he led. Perhaps tonight he'd even get to bed when he planned to.
There was a few hard knocks from the front door, and the slam as whomever it was let themselves in. Ayame, that would be. Shigure never bothered to knock. The dragon gave a long sigh, and marked his spot in his book. Then waited for Ayame to enter the room, aglow with pride from some deed he had just done.
Sure enough, Ayame found him fairly quickly. He wore a fur-lined coat, his hair let down to frame his face, cheeks bright from the cold. "Ha-san!" He exclaimed, shattering the comfortable silence. "There you are! Would you like me to make you some tea?"
Of course. Ayame always made tea before he had a long discussion. Perhaps it gave him time to think it out or something, but Ayame's tea was enjoyable enough that Hatori didn't object. "I would like that." He put in, picking his book back up.
Ayame returned briefly with a tray, two teacups placed upon doilies, balanced on either side. "I made yours with ginger again," the snake said offhandedly, and with a little pride. He had remembered Hatori's compliment from last time. The tea tray was placed carefully on the table, Ayame taking a seat from across Hatori.
The two sat making idle chat for a few moments, sipping at the tea. Ayame mostly spoke, talking of Yuki, Shigure, the shop and such matters that many other than Ayame didn't care for. Hatori listened patiently, letting Ayame talk. From Ayame's expressions, he was trying, with difficulty, to not begin talking about whatever he came for. He wanted to wait for the right moment. Hatori let him sit uncomfortably. Perhaps it would prompt him to speech, and he could get on with his book. Hatori concealed his boredom with his expressionless facade, nodding every now and then to show he was listening.
"Do you want me to leave, 'Tori?" Ayame asked suddenly, looking at Hatori with his head cocked a tad to the side. Maybe Hatori's expressionless face didn't work so well with Ayame anymore, because Ayame sure seemed to notice his agitation.
Hatori glanced pointedly at his book, then back at Ayame. Ayame remained oblivious.
"Because I will, if you don't want me here. I mean..." He paused for a few moments, then went on to explain about a particularly tough costumer he had to deal with that day. Again, Hatori missed nearly the whole thing, this time reflecting more on Ayame's rare display of uncertainty.
"...absolutely stunning in that dress. Typically, he refused it, saying that it was too 'suggestive' for his taste. I don't know what had got into his head. Personally, I–"
"Ayame, you don't need to worry about boring me." Hatori cut in suddenly, eyebrows furrowed, premature lines all the more visible. "You can talk to me about whatever you like, you know." This actually probably wasn't true. But even though Ayame annoyed him; oftentimes calling late at night, visiting to tell him an obscure fact he learned, or simply rambling about something completely useless; Hatori had always felt it his duty to be a listening ear to his friend, and a protective figure. Ayame had always given him complete honesty, telling him every thought on his mind, idea that went through his head, everything. It was a part of their friendship, for Ayame to trust Hatori with everything he had.
"Whatever I like?" Ayame asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes..." It seemed best not to say all the things he didn't want Ayame to talk about. Right then he was more concerned with making his cousin more comfortable.
"And it won't bother you? It doesn't bother you?"
"No. Who put that into your head?" It seemed Hatori had hit gold, Ayame wilted a bit, and put a strand of hair behind his ear passively.
"Well, I had been talking to Yuki... he may have mentioned that, well it's nonsense anyway, since you told me it wasn't so." Ayame began tracing patters on the wood of the table. "Just... I mean..." Again Ayame strayed off, and brought the topic of conversation back around to another customer from that day.
Hatori sat in silence, his thoughts yet again leaving Ayame's conversation and straying down a different path. Yuki said stuff like that all the time, but Ayame had always been able to ignore him, pushing it aside without second thought. Why had this comment bothered him? Why was Ayame phased by it?
He came to the conclusion that Ayame had another reason to be here. That he actually had something to say, other than this chattering he was doing. "Ayame," Hatori said after the snake took a breath of air, "Why are you here?"
Ayame froze, his olive eyes widening in surprise. "I needed to tell you something..." He said after a few moments, now lowering his eyes. "And I wanted to do it in person."
This worried Hatori. Ayame rarely said something of that sort to him, and lowering his eyes was a sign of lowered confidence, and confidence was something Ayame never seemed to lack.
"What's wrong, Ayame?" Hatori asked gently, resting his hand on his friend's arm. He was surprised when Ayame's whole body seemed to tense for a moment, before relaxing. "Are you alright? Are you ill?"
Ayame shook his head, but a very peculiar expression was across his face. It was brave, quite brave, and there was a hint of a smile on it. As though despite what he was about to say, it would be alright, because it had been said.
"I love you, Ha'ri." Ayame said, not in an overly-emotional voice, or a dull one. It was almost bemused, as though he was astounded that it was a true statement. His smile remained fixed on his face, and it hadn't been planted there, either. It seemed that he had resolved that despite Hatori's reaction, the actual statement was what needed to be done.
Hatori chocked on his tea, causing a little to dribble out of the front of his mouth in a less-than-endearing fashion. He quickly dabbed it away with his napkin, all the while watching Ayame's face, still graced with an ironic smile. A few long moments passed, Hatori looking at Ayame incredulously, Ayame at Hatori with that same smile.
Then, of course, Ayame had begun to feel awkward, so he stood and began a long-winded and overly dramatic speech concerning the desperate need for more velvet on youngsters today.
And Hatori watched, bewildered, as before his eyes Ayame proceeded to carry on as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred that day so long ago. But he had seen, in the less than exuberant fashion in which Ayame carried himself for the next few days, it hurt the snake. But Ayame was never one to dwell on a hurt, and after the first few days he successfully managed to hide whatever pain he was feeling.
And then Hatori met Kana, and he lived the time with her in bliss. Ayame watched them with that same sad, ironic smile, except for when Hatori would look his way. Then he would beam at them, and give whatever blessings Hatori asked of him.
But their love story ended as all love stories with the Sohma house must, and Hatori was left alone.
Those were the days of our lives
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing is true
When I look and I find I still love you