Pairing: Hatori Sohma/Ayame Sohma
Theme: #29. The Sound of Waves / 波音

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or its characters.

Rating: R for insinuated intercourse & drama

Summary: What happens when you enrage a Hebi? What happens when a foolish fangirl gives him random hypnotic powers? xD; Continuation of 'Twist of the Wild Card'.

Warning: You may feel the need to slap Hatori for being completely unobservant. XP You may also feel the need to slap me for giving Ayame such an OOC-power, but you may slap in comments ;

The Silent Path

As the two parted from the corner and each other, silence claimed them once more.

The moment was over.

Soon afterwards, Hatori excused himself. He knew he should not be in the mansion when Ayame was there. Ayame had promised nothing, however, the kiss had meant everything, and both knew it.

This frightened Hatori more than any punishment Akito could come up with. He had never realised anything would ever happen from the confusing emotions that had recently started to surface in his heart. He and Ayame had been friends for so long, and he had failed to notice the shift in their relationship.

When had Ayame started to feel so seriously about him?

The doctor had merely understood some promise of comfort, possibly a deepening of the friendship, as Ayame did not care much about Akito's possible danger to his health. He probably had no need to, he figured, as Akito preferred to stay away from Ayame as far as possible.

When the doctor excused himself in front of a completely silent Ayame, he began to feel strangely guilty. Ayame had promised it wasn't supposed to mean anything, hadn't he? Hatori moved a comforting hand to Ayame's shoulder like the smaller man had done to him just a few moments prior, but the hand was roughly shrugged off. The message was clear to Hatori; I don't need your support right now.

Hatori left under Ayame's accusing stare. He turned around before he could see anger turning into hurt.

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Hatori had always loved the sound of the waves. It somehow merged with the quiet, which eternally surrounded the doctor, instead of penetrating it and disturbing his peace.

Hatori did not suspect that anything could make him relax now. He sighed heavily as he stared at the water lapping at the muddy shore under its feet, and then turned to look over his shoulder.

Ayame.

He glanced longingly at the steaming water for the last time, suddenly wishing for the time in his life when nothing had been complicated. Well, not this complicated, anyhow. Hatori felt like his life had always been unnecessary complicated.

"Ayame. Come with me, back to the mansion. You are still susceptible to the cold, and if you are experiencing emotional fatigue you know you tire yourself out more quickly." Had the Hebi really followed him all the way from the mansion to the hot springs? It was madness- the nights were still freezing, especially for a cold-blooded Hebi.

Ayame angrily shook his head and slowly, gracefully, walked up to the taller man, as if in a daze. Hatori noticed Ayame's usually lively eyes had gone numb, and as a result he couldn't read what the other man was thinking anymore.

Hatori briefly noticed that Ayame had forgotten to put on his shoes or socks, and the maid costume hadn't looked very warm to begin with. Yet he couldn't see Ayame shivering, even when the man had stopped right in front of him.

Yellow eyes traced his features blankly, and Hatori grew nervous under the inspection. He was not used to looking at Ayame's face without a smile plastered on it. It was strangely worrying to find it missing. Hatori wondered whether he had hurt Ayame more than he realised. But surely Ayame couldn't be that serious about him? After all, the man's sole mission in life was to get the most fun out of life. Either that, or annoy his family members as much as possible. A serious Ayame was not something that happened often, and when he did turn serious it usually involved his precious Yuki.

He was not as important as Yuki.

"Ayame?" He said, hoping it sounded as objective and stern as he meant it to sound like. For some reason he could not hear himself above the sound of the waves echoing in his ears. The sound made him even more nervous. And why was it that he could hear his own heartbeat all of the sudden?

Ayame clutched him tightly after having assessed him for a reason Hatori couldn't fathom. Hatori let out a breath he had not known he was holding. Ayame's scarce body heat made him aware of their surroundings all of the sudden. He wrapped his arms hesitantly around the lean man, wary of all his movements around the man now. Every move he made could be misinterpreted by the other man, now.

He just wanted his friend back. Ayame was the uncomplicated one, one of the few in the family. Hatori didn't like to fess up to it, but he liked their uncomplicated relationship. Why did Ayame have to change everything?

Ayame merely made a slight noise in the back of his throat, like he was just waking up from a deep slumber. The silver-haired man slowly raised his head from the safe, warm place on Hatori's chest, and stared at the doctor once more.

"It doesn't mean anything, I told you…" Ayame trailed off, his body finally beginning to shiver. Hatori was somewhat relieved by that, as it meant that atleast something was still normal.

And before Hatori realised what he was doing himself, he was touching those beautiful rosy lips with his fingers, tracing their shape and even felt the warm inside of the man's mouth as said mouth opened in surprise at the ministrations his traitorous fingers were producing. His own mouth was graced with a tender smile which he was only aware of when he felt the Hebi stroke his lips in a similar fashion.

As if in a daze, Hatori picked up the small frame in front of him and walked into the hot springs to warm the Snake. The water felt burning against his toes as he suddenly felt freezing as well. He could only imagine how the cold-fearing Hebi had been suffering as he walked in deeper and settled down.

Ayame settled more comfortably on his lap, wiggling a little in his lap. They sat there for a few moments until Ayame's shivering stopped. Hatori was not given the time to think about what had brought on the moment of tenderness as Ayame would not stop brushing over his lips with his own. As warmth spread through his body from both the water and the wiggling body in his lap, Hatori found that he could not care less about anything but Ayame right now. Soon he replied with kisses of his own, and even sooner their kisses deepened. Ayame's silly maid's dress, now soaking wet and very heavy, provided not much trouble as Hatori found that skirts were easily raised. Ayame merely smiled; not at all offended that Hatori chose to not undress him like he was undressing the doctor. Soon the smile vanished as the Hebi's face was grabbed and a deep kiss was planted on his mouth. Hatori's eagerness was as much endearing as it was unsettling, for it told Ayame that this was just acting on a silly whim. Atleast for Hatori it was. He put the information on the back of his head as the night dissolved into arms and legs and slick, slick skin, the warm water blanketing them under the cooling air.

Hatori saw Ayame's yellow eyes light up in the beautiful face, and before he could pull back he suddenly felt unable to move.

The beautiful face turned slightly eerie as a wide, strange smile spread over the features. The smile was a bitter one. Ayame's eyes dimmed again, completely. "'Tori-san… you know it doesn't mean anything, right?" The voice, usually animated, now sounded completely robbed of any emotion. Hatori couldn't move, or even speak enough to either consent or object to whatever Ayame was going to do.

"Forget, Hatori… forget." Ayame's eyes lit up in the dark and forced Hatori to erase memories.

Ayame's eyes shimmered, and soon Hatori forgot. Ayame was left alone with a sleeping doctor in his arms, trying to control his powers as he closed his eyes in pain. He winced. He never liked his powers, as they spooked him as much they had spooked his parents. He had not received proper training to control it, and as a result it was never certain what his powers would do.

Ayame hoped he had chosen the right path. The sound of the waves went mute with the promise of a new day.

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The doctor didn't understand why, in the course of a week, Ayame had decided to move to Paris, under the pretext of it being the fashion capital in the world.

He also didn't know why, suddenly, his previously satisfactory quiet world became too silent to bear.

To be continued