Finally Hatori was home, if that's what you could call it. The romantics and the optimists would smile joyfully and say that overused line 'home is where the heart is'. Considering his heart was caught in the net of a certain someone at the moment this place couldn't really be called his home. A home certainly, but not his home. A home currently slippery wet, snow filled, and cold. Wonderful, absolutely wonderful, he though sarcastically while closing the gaping windows. Then he retrieved a few fresh towels from the cabinet and covered the floor with them.
After he finished straightening up his usually clean house, Hatori sat down in a comfy but seemingly unused black leather chair, left to his own dark thoughts. Her. She flashed through his mind, the dominant factor. When he looked into the darkness Tohru was his only light, a blinding one at that. The sight was welcome. It brought him warmth no material thing could give. Of course he had 'friends' and he had 'family' but what at the moment did he have to live for. There's more than one doctor in the whole Sohma family. Tohru kept him from the worst of misery but drove him to the deepest of despair. The images flashed through his mind like a black and white film, her smiling sweetly, her laughing, her blushing, the snow falling upon her long brown mane of hair as she spoke, the mixture of surprise and dread on her face as she began to fall-
That's when Hatori opened his eyes abruptly, unaware that they had ever been closed. Dazed by the sudden onslaught of images, he belatedly remembered that his scarf was still in her possession. No matter. She looked beautiful in it anyways as she did all things. He sighed, it was a sigh of extreme exhaustion and battered emotions. He closed his eyes and the pictures fluttered away like butterflies soon to return. A somewhat restful sleep came after to ease the dark circles under his eyes.
Hatori woke with a start. He had been having a rather vivid dream or was it a nightmare. He was forced to choose between Tohru and Kana, new and old. He had chosen Kana. The look of such sadness and despair in Tohru's eyes broke his heart even as it was being put back together. That's when the dream/nightmare ended. Even now the details of the dream were fading from his memory but that look of sadness still remained to haunt him, something he would not forget. It occurred to him that Tohru still remained blissfully unaware of his feelings for her so she would not, in real life have that reaction. That soothed his worries a bit but in real life Kana was never coming back to him anyhow so he needn't worry at all. Desperately he attempted to stand, needing to do something besides brood but it was to no avail. For the second time this night (for it definitely was night) he slipped and was on the ground. He hoped that wouldn't become a habit and wondered if something was wrong with him. Despite having a profession that encouraged good health habits he really didn't take care of himself.
Without even realizing it, Hatori's subconscious decided he needed a relaxing shower. He had fallen asleep on a chair with nothing but a snow covered jacket for warmth. (He must have been too pre-occupied to take it off when he got home.) Even though his windows were closed now it was still winter and it was still cold. Lucky I didn't freeze to death, he thought sarcastically, or maybe that would have been a good thing, he added more serious now. It would have once again frozen my heart so I would not have these damning feelings for a girl years younger than I. Yes it had been a few years since he met Tohru but she was still too young. Now he was back on the age dispute. Love was supposed to conquer all he thought bitterly. Was love also supposed to conquer the enamored Yuki and Kyo? No. This love must not, he decided. They are far better candidates than I, a man who will just grow old and die. I cannot love her. There fore from this point on I won't. I can still be a friend. A friend and nothing more. While these thoughts hurt him. It hurt not to say them. While pondering these things he had gotten ready for his shower. Maybe. Just maybe, the hot water would clear his head and knock some sence into his weary mind.
Well I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologise for not updating for like a year... Next chapter something will happen instead of just Hatori's broodings. Maybe from Tohru's point of view? Tell me what you think and what you think should happen. More action? More romance? Oh and I made Tohru a bit older than in the anime like a couple years have passed.