Pairing: Hatori Sohma/Ayame Sohma

Fandom: Fruits Basket
Theme: #20: The road home / かえり道
Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, nor its characters.

A/N: Augh. I can't write many characters- and especially not all at once. This was such a pain to write and I'm still not happy with it. X-x But next ones will be easier- I'm sure. I apologise for the horrible corny title. XP

Finding Heart's Residence

Ayame remained impassive, lying on Enju's bed the entire time between making the call to Yuki and Shigure and them actually arriving. The owner of aforementioned bed felt both relief and pain at the call having been made; on the one side, it was a good thing that Ayame would get the help he deserved, on the other side, he would miss the man more than he had previously thought he would. He knew Ayame's heart was obviously meant for someone else, and had been for quite some time. The best he could do was to stay close to Ayame and made sure the man ate and drank even if he didn't profess any need for such things. Enju suspected he didn't want to let his family see him in this state. He even convinced Ayame to take a brief shower so his younger brother wouldn't be too startled by his appearance.

Enju hadn't thought it possible, but when the long-awaited knock on the door echoed through the room, Ayame's pale appearance whitened even further. Enju simply kept sitting beside Ayame and pointedly ignored the sounds himself, forcing the other man to open the door, albeit reluctantly, as seen in the way he shuffled towards the door. When Ayame did open the door, he was greeted immediately with long arms wrapping around him and a small figure observantly taking in Ayame's state.

Enju grinned wryly. Damn, but Ayame's boyfriend was handsome. As soon as he'd caught sight of the dark-haired man who somehow fit very well with the voice he'd heard on the other end of the receiver, Enju knew that this was Shigure. And Ayame's brother- that was his brother? – looked so adorable, yet so much like Ayame in appearance.

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Ayame?" Enju said while walking up to them. He found that he couldn't help himself as he wrapped a possessive arm around Ayame's thin waist, effectively pulling him from the novelist protective embrace. He felt Ayame sag against him, and couldn't help the tingle of satisfaction surging through him, even if the feeling of concern was overwhelming. It seemed like seeing his family again really was a shock to his already weakened system. I don't want you to break, Aya.

The brother's eyes widened before narrowing, glaring at Enju dangerously. Shigure merely cocked his head, leering at the manager. "I'm Shigure, and the baby Aya next to me is Yuki, Aya's brother." The novelist ignored protests from below his shoulder ("don't compare me to Ayame!") from said brother, as he extended his hand to Enju's. Smiling half-heartedly, Enju reluctantly took the hand extended to him. "I'm Enju."

"Thanks for calling, Enju-kun! You can imagine that Aya was missed at home." Shigure ignored Yuki's scoffing sound. The novelist turned his stare from the agent to the two silent brothers, and winked as he turned back to Enju. "Now let's talk somewhere privately, and give the two brothers a chance to bond!"

As a loudly talking Shigure eagerly guided Enju's possessive hands away from the fragile Snake, Ayame and Yuki were left behind in silence. Yuki was more shocked at Ayame's reluctance to speak than his fragile and ashen appearance. It seemed foolish to ask how Ayame was doing, but what else was he supposed to say? Yuki wasn't used at having to initiate conversation between them- that was Ayame's job. Remembering his admittedly impolite letter to Ayame wasn't helping him put his mind at ease either.

As silence spread between them, Yuki couldn't help but stare at his brother; carefully, so the silver-haired man wouldn't notice. Somehow, Ayame appeared to have trouble even breathing, his chest raising and falling shallowly, a glazed expression in his eyes. His inhalation trembled audibly with each breath he took. It appeared that Ayame wasn't even aware that he was in the room with him. "Nii-san?" He asked, hoping to catch Ayame's attention.

Very slowly, Ayame turned his head far enough to look at Yuki. Yuki felt inexplicably happy when yellow eyes flickered with a spark of recognition.

"Yuki-kun… I'm so cold."

Ayame suddenly jumped atop of his brother; wrapping every limb he had available around Yuki's waist. "I'm tired as well. Cold and tired… How foolish, eh? I should've known Europe would be cold. I'm sorry for being selfish, Yuki-kun. I'm selfish all the time." Yuki didn't dare speak after that, let alone move, although he felt horribly awkward with a shivering man on his lap, even if, or in fact because, said man was Ayame.

After goodbyes had been made at the airport, Enju appearing strangely distant and calm to Ayame's observation, they settled in the luxurious, first-class seats.

"Why 'Gure-san! Did this come out of your paycheck? You're so considerate." Ayame seemed slightly more cheerful now, even if both Shigure and Yuki found that he didn't talk as much as he usually did.

"Well, guess who will be paying me back for the trip- including the flight to Paris Yuki and I had to take to come and fetch you?" The novelist grinned, putting up his thumb in a relaxed pose. "But don't worry about it. I'm sure your modelling job will take care of that for you. My little Aya has never been without money!"
Ayame smiled back, settling himself next to Shigure's and Yuki's seats.

"What did you say to Enju-kun, to make him so agreeable with me leaving? You know I have a way with wrapping people around my finger." The smile on Ayame's face transformed from hesitant to smug. "However, he seemed fine with me leaving. How hurtful."

Shigure grinned, winking at the Hebi. "I'll tell you later. For now, just relax."

After a while, Ayame's head slowly lowered in the novelist's lap as exhaustion overwhelmed him once more.

The flight back home was long, very long. Ayame woke up feeling tired. Anxiety about returning back to Japan welled up in his mind once again, but he had to keep reminding himself that it was for Hatori's good that he was returning. He had to save Hatori from pain. He'd never been much use for anything but a distraction for pain, so he might as well fill his place in the family once more.

Ayame feared he wasn't enough to numb the pain from Hatori's senses this time. When before he could just talk away until everything was forgotten but annoyance directed to him, now something a little more drastic was needed.

He noticed Yuki observing him from the corners of his eyes, and turned to his little brother, his thoughts thankfully fleeing his mind for now. A hopeful smile spread over his lips as he noticed that Yuki's stare did not immediately turn away.

"What's wrong, Yuki-kun? Are you still that unhappy to see your selfish brother return back home?"

Home… he really considered the family his home. How quaint. Ayame never really thought about it like that.

Yuki noticed the faint touch of surprise in his brother's voice when he uttered the word as well. Eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't stop a small satisfied ghost of a smile from appearing on his face.

"Hn. No… It's just that I expected you in better health." He turned his head away from Ayame's stare, looking in his lap. "I always knew I could count on you for being there, as strange as it might sound. You always took care of yourself, and you would always meddle in my life… so I supposed you would be by my side always. Now look… who has selfish thoughts." A wry smile spread over his usually serious features. Yuki knew he really shouldn't pour his heart out like that, especially not to Ayame. When given the choice to pour his heart out to Shigure and Ayame, he'd pick- no, he'd rather die. Ayame would remember and use it for inspiration to make manly romance clothes he would have to wear and pose in, and Shigure would write a novel about it.

Ayame shook his head fervently, breaking Yuki's train of thought with the sudden motion. "You're not selfish, Yuki-kun! Not at all! I was just a little confused, and I made some bad decisions, which were, admittedly, selfish. I'm fine now, though! I can return to Tohru and Mine, and they can parade in front of me again with the wonderful clothes I have designed in Paris!"

While Ayame laughed loudly, Yuki groaned, putting his face in the palm of his hand. His brother would never change. But perhaps, it could be seen as a good thing from now on.

Ayame was asleep yet again when they finally landed in Japan, a day later. Shigure heaved the Hebi over his shoulder without hesitation, something Yuki felt grateful for. His brother seemed like he needed the rest, and a quiet Ayame was infinitely better than an awake Ayame. The two had decided, while Ayame had slept, that the Hebi shouldn't be alone in his apartment and instead should stay at Shigure's place for a little while. Just until Ayame got his strength back. Or as long as Kyou could handle being in the same place as the Hebi. Shigure suspected it would be the latter. Yuki, silently vowed to keep Kyou busy while Ayame got better, although the boy still didn't fully understand why he felt so sacrificial for the sake of his annoying, selfish brother.

It was a sunny day when Ayame woke up again two days later, still vaguely tired but feeling infinitely better than he had felt in Paris. He glanced around with blurred vision, immediately smelling the familiar whiff of Japanese cigarettes. Infinitely cheaper and less tasteful – as Enju had explained to Ayame – but smelling like home all the same. Cheap cigarettes only meant one thing: Shigure. How careless of him to allow the smell through the entire house. Forgetting about his resolution to keep to himself and not bother everyone with his problems, he stumbled out of the warm and comfortable bed and suddenly noticed, with surprising relief, to find his appetite returned. I guess I missed home more than I thought I would. I just kid myself, thinking Hatori would be here to welcome me back too.

Sudden words voiced behind him came as a surprise, startling him so he was forced to sit back down on the bed. Woozily, Ayame figured that he could just as well sit back down, and turned into the direction of the voice. The figure transformed from a dark blur into the novelist his thoughts had been about earlier.

"'Gure-san! You're here, you waited for me! Oh, you truly are my knight in shining armour!" Shigure thankfully saved him the trouble of running up to him for a hug, and sat down next to him on the bed, leaving the portable computer which he had apparently installed in the guestroom. Ayame quickly hugged him tightly and refused to let go until his breathing had calmed down a little from the brief scare, and the subsequent coldness his body had experienced. "Hungry…" He whined pitifully, and winced when he heard his own broken voice. He really was a mess, wasn't he? It was very comforting that Shigure was there besides him. He wasn't sure he'd be so brave to appear so weak in front of anyone else, not even Hatori.

Shigure chuckled, patting the Hebi on the head gently. "Coming right up. I'm happy you're hungry again; your lover told me you hadn't been hungry at all lately."

Ayame shrugged, ignoring the elongated drawl of the word 'lover', as he didn't really want to discuss Enju. Enju was Paris, and Paris had been a mistake. Japan didn't allow ideas of Paris anymore. Once a lovely fantasy, Paris was now a horrible memory.

As Ayame ate his breakfast with small, unenthusiastic bites, he listened to Shigure explain what he had missed, and what had happened in the family. Ayame wiggled out of the embrace.

"I know what you're doing, 'Gure-san. It's fine, I won't leave anymore. You can be such a manipulative bastard sometimes, you know? You're supposed to be my friend and not, like Yuki-kun would, try to guilt-trip me." He pouted, showing the novelist that he wasn't as serious as his words sounded. He knew Shigure was just being concerned, and was trying to prevent any more harm coming Ayame's way, in his own special way.

"I know, Aya-kun. I just want what's best for you."

Ayame grinned. "You know what's best for me. A trip to the doctor!"

Shigure shook his head, sighing. "No, Aya. I'm sorry… Yuki and I discussed it, and we don't think it's wise for either of you to visit each other. Each of you has to heal for themselves first. I don't want you to catch whatever it is that Haa-kun has."

Ayame gasped. "But 'Gure-san! You can't do that to me! Are you truly denying me of my right to see my friend? You don't understand, I am the one that-"

"I know, I know- 'that has a destiny with him', right? But he has to see it first, especially if you intend to tell him while he's ill. You can play highschool girl with Haa-kun later, okay Aya-kun?" Without waiting for a reply, Shigure got his portable computer and left the room, locking the door and consequently escaping a fuming Hebi by this action.

Ayame figured later on that Shigure was a sweetheart after all. Or perhaps Yuki was. Making sure the window was open so he could escape while giving Akito the pretence of everything being alright was a brilliant move.

He cuddled closer to the Ryuu, who he had snuck into bed with when Ayame had found him sleeping. Pretending everything was alright with the world, and nothing had happened. The stage of just friends between them seemed so far away now that it looked like someone else's life. Ayame placed a soft kiss on the doctor's forehead, feeling him burning up.

Ayame knew he would have to heal the doctor soon, but for now, he just wanted to savour the feeling of being home- finally. Hatori's arms were all-forgiving as they wrapped around him in slumber.