Souma Guest House-
Hatori-
"Coffee."
"It's really not good for you." Ayame commented from where he leaned against the outside of the guest house. "Turns your teeth an ugly color."
"It's that or go buy me some cigarettes."
Ayame sighed and pushed himself away from the wall. "That bad?"
"That bad." At least Uotoni-san didn't seem entirely unhappy with the Souma's. She knew the big secret - she'd seen her lover transform into a rooster and surely, Hatori hoped, nothing would shock her more than that. She was a healthy young woman, from his brief examination. Nothing obvious that could threaten the baby. She was young, but plenty old enough and strong enough to handle the labor and delivery. Anything she couldn't deal with, emotionally or mentally, could be dealt with at a later time. A thorough mental evaluation will have to be done. Can't have her falling into depression. Have to explain to her about Akito and have her stay away…if he'll allow that. I can't stop worrying.
"'Tori? 'Tori? Are you listening?"
"Sorry. I'm just distracted." And tired. So incredibly tired. Can't rest yet. There's too much work to do.
"I said," Ayame walked next to Hatori and took his hand. "That the children should all be asleep. They're still at your house, aren't they?"
"I suppose so. They'll be sleeping on the floor, most of them. I haven't got enough beds to put them all in." It was one more chore to finish. Find real homes for the children. They couldn't just camp on his floor for the rest of their lives. "I should check on Akito before I get to bed. I want to make sure…"
"Don't worry." Kureno was suddenly walking beside them. "I'll be with Akito."
"I thought you'd want to spend time with Uotoni-san." Ayame said. "You know, considering everything."
Kureno stopped walking and turned to face them. In the darkness with only the moon's light on his face, he looked as intimidating at the first time Hatori had seen him walking home with Akito. How long ago that seemed. The day Akito had vanished from his bedroom only to be found later walking down the sidewalk with Kureno at his side. Shigure had, of course, lifted Akito onto his back to carry him and Kureno had looked at Akito with the adoring, worshipful expression he had only for Akito. Something had changed that day that turned Kureno from a bleak, distant boy into a devotee.
"I belong to Akito." Kureno told them as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "I must be with him."
Ayame looked worried and put a hand to his lips. "But…you do love Uotoni-san, don't you?"
It stumped Kureno. He turned his head a little to one side and frowned. "I…think so."
"You only think?" Ayame demanded, sounding outraged. It was a good sign that he was starting to feel better about the loss of his shop that he would be so vocal. "You made love with her and you only THINK you love her?" He had a baffled look that Hatori agreed with. Such a risk.
"She wanted to. She was very clear about that." Kureno shrugged. "I am fond of her. She is attractive and smart. I think I love her. I'm not sure, yet." He focused his eyes on Hatori. "I didn't know babies could come from just once."
"Yes." Hatori felt even more tired. "Sex even once can make babies." He'd had that particular discussion with Yuki and Kyou when they were twelve. Momiji and Hatsuharu when they'd turned thirteen. Hadn't he explained it to Kagura - with a great deal of blushing - when she'd come to him crying that she was bleeding from her privates? She had been twelve, too. And Rin? She'd told Hatori a thing or two when he'd tried to breach the subject. Why hadn't he ever thought to explain it to Kureno? Because Kureno had been so uncaring about sex of any kind when he'd come to the estate. Hatori had been young himself, explaining to someone nearly his own age had hardly seemed appropriate.
Kureno nodded. "I will remember. Perhaps Arisa will want another one. I've heard the women of the family making a good deal of fuss about babies. They seem to like them."
They would have to make sure Uotoni-san understood about Kureno's devotion to Akito, too. It seemed that she would have to be told all the secrets of the family, including Kureno's life before he'd been made Akito's willing slave. "Perhaps you'll like being a father." Hatori offered. He couldn't make promises. It was entirely possible that nothing would change for Kureno. He would go on as he always did, shadowing Akito and virtually ignoring the mother and child that were his to take care of. "You should try. The child will need you to be a father." Who knew better than a Souma how much a loving parent was valued? Hatori, whose father had never been anything but a troublesome nightmare. Shigure had never been allowed to know his father. Momiji…the list went on. "If you do not love Uotoni-san, make an effort to be there for her. She's young."
Kureno nodded. "If I can not do it, I will designate a replacement father."
Hatori felt like he would cry or hit Kureno. "YOU are the child's father. YOU need to be responsible. Uotoni-san will need you. Akito made it perfectly clear that the child is also my responsibility and, therefore, I am giving you an order." It wasn't often that Hatori pulled rank on Kureno, but he was the family doctor, after all. He had the ability. "You will make time each day to spend with Uotoni-san. I will find someone to stay with Akito for that time or he will stay in his house. You will, at the very least, eat dinner with her every night. Akito will likely order a marriage to bring Uotoni-san and the child into the family, legally." There was no doubt that Kureno would do as Akito ordered without thought. Uotoni-san was another story… "You must make that as painless for her as possible."
"I can do that." Kureno almost smiled. "So long as you promise that Akito will be looked after."
Kureno left them after that and it went unspoken that Ayame would be staying the night at Hatori's house. He didn't object, though Ayame would not be allowed to do all that he wanted to do with the children in the house. Their lives had been twisted enough without adding too it sounds in the night that children should not listen to. Besides all that, Momiji was at the house and Hatori didn't need the boy overhearing anything, either.
"'Tori," Ayame moved a little closer and slipped an arm over Hatori's shoulders. "Look up."
Funny that he didn't tense at Ayame's touch. He'd been afraid, when he'd begun to accept that he and Ayame might have a future together as more than friends, that he would react badly to Ayame's touch. He had never been a very tactile man. But with Aya, it's alright. Hatori relaxed under Ayame's arm and looked up. The moon was bright, despite the clouds gathering around it. "Pretty."
"It's more than pretty." Ayame said, finally. "It's a sign. I KNOW we'll be alright." He held Hatori a little closer and, smelling Ayame's perfume and the warmth of Ayame's arm, for the first time in a long time, Hatori's thoughts didn't even drift towards Kana's memory.
Once back at the Dragon's House, Hatori could feel the stress start to build. There was just too much work to be done and without Shigure, Hatori didn't know how he was going to make sure it was all taken care of. "Weren't you going to make me coffee?" Hatori remembered his original request when he'd left the guest house. "I need coffee. Pain killers, too." He was going to have a Hell of a headache within the next hour or so. Hatori slid open the door of his house…and there was Omi. He was standing stock-still with his arms apparently loose at his sides. He must have been staring at the door. Behind Omi stood a beautiful young girl who looked about his age - perhaps sixteen - who looked at Hatori with the same dull expression. Behind them, Hatori could see some of the children in the darkness. A few of the younger ones seemed to be sleeping, but mostly, he saw shining eyes staring at him out of the darkness. "You could have turned the lights on." Hatori told them.
"Why?" Omi asked.
The house was quiet and motionless. Unnatural! Hatori thought. He was used to energetic children like Kyou and Hatsuharu. Momiji was a handful all by himself. Children just shouldn't be so quiet! "Because sitting the darkness is bad for your eyes." Hatori turned the lights on himself and the children winched at the sudden change. "And frankly, I have enough work to do. Aya?"
"Ah…yes?" Ayame didn't seem to know what to make of the children, now that they were plainly visible in the light. All hard and watching carefully, they were intimidating. Hatori was glad that Kureno said only a handful of them had seen Kyou's transformation.
"Coffee?"
"Yes. Yes! Of course! I'll bring it straight to your office! Coffee and aspirin!" With his normal, though slightly forced, smile, Ayame hurried off to the kitchen to make coffee. It didn't occur to Hatori, until the next morning when he'd seen his kitchen, that letting Ayame loose in there might have been as bad of an idea as teaching him to drive had been. Damned Shigure.
Hatori wasn't used to doing so many at a time, but it was important. He couldn't have the children just sitting around his house. It wasn't good for children to spend so much time inside, for one thing.
Omi would be Hatori's first appointment. "Omi-san, please follow me." Might as well start with the one that seemed to be in charge of the group. Perhaps he wasn't, but Omi was always the one that spoke for the group. In Hatori's office, it felt like old times. Strange. It hadn't been that long ago that he'd had Momiji's mother in his office for exactly this reason. "Omi-san, I have been told that at the Pit you saw something odd. Please, tell me what you saw the day Kureno took you from the Pit."
"Will you kill us?"
"Why would I?" Hatori had long since gotten used to the idea that the children were different from normal children. Best to just take things as they came.
"We endanger your family, somehow." Omi told him, flatly. "You wouldn't keep us, otherwise. Wiser to let us go." His hand went to his chest where the black tattoo was hidden by his shirt. "Sir told us to stay here. We will. We won't run away."
"That's what Kureno told me. I won't hurt any of you. It won't hurt at all." Hatori stood up and noticed Omi stiffen almost imperceptibly. "You saw something that you shouldn't have, that's all. I have to take that memory. You'll go to sleep. When you wake up, you won't even remember that we were talking tonight."
Omi's eyes changed. He looked up at Hatori and something…familiar shone in his eyes. It was something Hatori had seen in Ayame's eyes, in Yuki's eyes. In the eyes of every Zodiac Souma who realized they would never be normal. He saw desperation. A want…a need for something. "Please," Omi said, his voice smaller and less sure than it had been. "Make me forget everything."
"Everything?"
Omi nodded. "Can you?"
To steal a whole memory? To steal what a person was? Wasn't it bad enough to steal a few moments and have those few moments forever lingering around the outskirts of his own mind? But if he stole all the memories, he would surely have Omi lost in his mind…forever.
"No." Hatori answered, firmly. "No, I will never do that." He motioned to a chair. "Please, sit." Best to get it over with quickly. Omi obediently did as he was told and didn't object when Hatori's hands covered his eyes. Hatori activated his talent and then saw and felt all that Omi was.
Fear.
Anger.
I'm alone.
Help me!
Don't hurt me!
Don't…please.
Slowly but surely, Hatori felt his mind slip into synch with Omi's mind. It was as if he were apart of Omi for just a few, uncomfortable moments. He was no longer Hatori, at least he was simply Hatori.
Omi/Hatori's mind was filled the earliest memories, first. Such painful, primal fears and the near physical memory of behind given away. Omi/Hatori experienced the moment when Omi had been taken to the Pit by his parents and sold. He saw the exchange of money and he watched Omi/Hatori's parents walk away. The door closed behind them and Omi/Hatori was left alone in the office of the man Omi would come to regard as 'Sir'.
Strong.
Stronger than anyone.
Dirt. Dirt everywhere. Bugs. Little bugs in my hair.
Cold showers all mixed together. Suki with the plain face, gray all over. She had fought with Omi/Hatori in the Pits and had gotten a broken leg for it. Suki was shot. Dead. Suki was dead.
Suki was dead.
Suki dead.
Dead!
Dead!
Omi/Hatori tore himself away from the traumatic memory and searched again for the moment when Omi/Hatori saw Kyou's transformation. He saw the brief forays into the outside world Omi/Hatori had been given after he'd come to realize that there was nowhere else for him. There was nowhere to run away to so he would return to the Pit no matter how tempting the outside world had looked. He'd lived for years in the Pit, long enough to think of it as home. To think that communal showers in filth and tasteless food was normal. To think that weekly battles were normal.
"Take your shirt off." Sir had told Omi/Hatori. "Time for your brand. I knew it. I can always tell who's going to be culled from my stock. You were special from the beginning."
Omi/Hatori knew that it was his talent for killing and his lack of concern about doing it that Sir valued. More importantly, it was what the buyer wanted. He wasn't the first one to be put under the needle for a tattoo. Omi obediently did as he was told and he lay down on a table when told to. He didn't bother to protest or argue. He honestly didn't care, anymore. There had once been a time when he would have done anything to avoid such a fate. He knew where he was going.
"You'll be going to a special buyer." Sir had told him as a disreputable man nearby readied needles and black ink. "You're a good boy, Omi." Sir had touched his face with soft, fat fingers. "You've brought me a high price. He'll be pleased with you."
Omi/Hatori experienced the pain of getting the tattoo and then, later, the pain of the infection he'd gotten. It had been awful to wash where everyone could see his chest at first. Everyone had stared. The others with the Black Scorpion tattooed on their chests had gathered around him, though not one of them said a thing. There was a girl (a girl currently sitting in Hatori's living room) who'd put a finger onto the raw, aching tattoo and just nodded solemnly at him. They were together in everything that would happen. They were Black Scorpion.
The smaller children had looked at him with wide, respectful eyes and Omi/Hatori felt a powerful urge to protect. It wasn't something he'd felt before that moment. He wanted to take care of them. A foolish, stupid urge. He was nothing - just like them. How could one ant defend another against a lion?
Weak.
I'm so weak.
I'm so afraid. Leaving.
Leaving to serve a different Sir. At least at the Pit, Omi/Hatori knew the rules, knew how to behave and how to survive. How was he supposed to behave outside?
The beast! A terribly beast fell from the sky. It was a boy, Omi/Hatori was certain. An orange haired boy plummeted from the top seats of the arena in an uncontrolled fall and landed hard on his side. He'd screamed as he'd fallen and didn't stop once he'd hit the sand of the fighting arena. Omi/Hatori had watched from a side door with some of the other children - most of them Black Scorpion - as a blonde haired man was surrounded by the guards of the Pit. He'd watched while the stranger turned to the fallen boy and called out to him. The boy had writhed and convulsed in pain, smoke rising from his skin as though he were on fire from within.
Fear.
It's not real. It can't be real!
The orange haired boy shed his skin. Like a snake ripping out of a skin it had outgrown, the boy's flesh burst apart to reveal dark green armor, the skin of an insect. His skin or armor or whatever it was gleamed in the light when he rose up and the screaming had stopped.
It looked like a giant insect. It stood nearly ten feet tall and towered over all the adults. When the sound of the guard's guns had rung out, the bullets harmlessly deflected off the beast. He killed, then. The strange man had been shot…
Kureno never told me. Hatori realized, bitterly. He's still got a bullet inside him!
The stranger was thrown to safety by the beast who killed without mercy. It tore heads from the people it caught and threw others against the walls of the arena so hard that he simple broke their whole bodies. The strength was supernatural. The speed at which it moved…the blood…everywhere blood…
Enough! Hatori seized hold of the memory. Everything from when Omi had seen Kyou starting to fall to when Kureno had led the children away from the arena was taken. He took hold and pulled the memory into his own mind, sealing it there. He let Omi remember Kureno's battle with the Pit's guards and he let Omi think that it was Kureno alone who'd killed all the people. Kureno's gun made it all believable.
Hatori stepped away from Omi. The boy slumped in the chair, his head lolling backwards. He would remain unconscious for the entire night. His mind lingering on his newly acquired memories, Hatori started walking out of his office, but then ran. He ran straight to the bathroom and threw up. He vomited violently until there was nothing left in his stomach to throw up.
How can he live like that? That child…that poor child.
And there were more children to go. Hatori stood up and rinsed out his mouth, then washed his face. He straightened his shirt and tightened his tie. No matter how disturbed he was by their past, he would not appear anything less that confident and professional when caring for his patients. When he turned to leave the bathroom, Hatori found Ayame standing there with a concerned look on his face and a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. "Was it that bad?"
Hatori nodded, wordlessly, and took the coffee. It was good. Ayame could make coffee almost as well as he could make tea. "Eight more. I counted eight more witnesses from Omi-san's memory. I've seen their faces from him. I can pick them out without having to go through all the children." It was a good thing. He didn't think he could survive so many memories like Omi's. "Remind me to yell at Kureno in the morning."
There was a girl peeking around Ayame's side. She was a beautiful child. Stunning, really. She looked like a doll, she was just so perfect in every way. "Have you killed him?"
"No." Hatori answered, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. "He's sleeping." And he wished dearly that he could sleep, also. Hatori glanced at his cell phone, still laying on his desk. Torhu will call soon. I'm surprised she hasn't called already. It wouldn't take long to do the rest of the children. This girl, however, was not one of the ones he needed to see. He had seen her in brief glimpses of Omi's memory. He'd seen that she was a fighter, too, but there wasn't a mark on her. Not a single scar to show how her childhood had been stolen. "Hikari, you should be asleep." She, Hatori had already learned, was one of the Black Scorpion. She was like Omi.
Hikari didn't answer at first. She looked down at Omi, then up at Hatori. "Why did you make him sleep?"
"Because he needs it. Can I help you? If you can't sleep I can get you something hot to drink that would help."
The look she gave him was cool and calculating. It made Hatori doubt that she'd ever be able to live with a normal family. He had hopes for most of them. Serious counseling would be required, but they would be able to make the adjustment. The children who'd been marked with the Black Scorpion…their chances were far less optimistic. "You might want to know…"
"What do you think you're doing out of bed?" Hatori interrupted the girl sharply when he saw another little face peeking around from behind her. The little boy was pale and somewhat haggard looking and Hatori scowled. "You should NOT be up, young man." He told the boy, sternly. The worst hurt of all the children, Ran, had managed to shake off the sedatives and come snooping around the house.
"Why?" Ran asked. He wasn't quite as stone cold as Omi, at least Hatori was thankful for that much. Perhaps there was hope for him.
"Because several people have put a good deal of energy into seeing that you don't die and it would be a pity to waste all that effort." Hatori strode to the door and took hold of the boy's shoulder. "Get in here where I can take a look at you." He was one of the children who'd seen Kyou's transformation. In fact, that was how he'd been shot. He'd been with Omi near the gun fight when a stray bullet had hit him. "Really, I think you need more sleep."
Ran glanced at Omi, still on the floor. "What did you do to him?"
"None of you sleep enough. I gave him something that will make him sleep well into tomorrow."
"Oh. Does it hurt? Omi's not afraid of getting hurt."
"It won't hurt you at all. Hikari-san, please wait in the hall."
She nodded and moved out of the doorway, letting Ayame close it so Hatori was left alone with Ran. Might as well get two things done at once.
When it was over and Hatori had little Ran laid out on his floor, Hatori carefully checked the boy's wound. It didn't look serious, but he worried about internal bleeding and all the damage that couldn't be seen from the outside. Ran should really be taken to the hospital and now there was no reason to fear that he would talk to authorities about Kyou.
"She's dead."
Hatori turned and stared at Hikari. "What?"
"Chloe. I tried to tell you before. She's dead." Hikari turned and walked away as calmly as ever. "Ayame told me to tell you when he found her in the bathroom. He's upset."
Hatori chased her down and ran ahead of her downstairs. None of the children seemed agitated. "You needn't run." Hikari called from behind Hatori. "She's dead."
Ayame was at the door of the bathroom looking in with his hand tight on the doorframe. Next to him, clutching onto Ayame's white robe, was Momiji. Hatori stormed passed both of them and found the girl sitting cross-legged on the floor with her head lolled forward onto her chest and one of Hatori's razors loosely held in one hand. She'd cut her own wrist and bled to death. From the looks of it, she'd calmly and deliberately allowed herself to bleed to death. Hatori stared at the child's body from the doorway. His white bathroom floor had a puddle of red on it.
"Ha'ri?" Momiji tugged on the back of Hatori's jacket. "What happened to her?" His eyes, glued on the dead girl, were wide with horror. Momiji had seen violence and blood, but he'd never seen death. Hatori didn't want Momiji to be so frightened, not in his own home.
"Out!" Hatori snapped, forcibly turning Momiji's around. "Get to bed! It's late. Go on!" He didn't bother with the fact that it really wasn't all that late or that Momiji customarily stayed up much later. He didn't even think of the fact that he was speaking to Momiji as if he were seven instead of fourteen.
"But Ha'ri…!"
"No buts! Get to bed!" He'd never yelled at Momiji before. It made him angry that he'd done it, now. He was ashamed of his lose of control, but…in his defense…there was a dead child in his bathroom. Steeling himself, Hatori went to the girl and put his fingers against her throat. "Why?" Hatori took his hand off the girl's throat. Her skin was already starting to cool. There wasn't even a faint beat of a pulse.
"She was pregnant." Hikari said, dully. "She didn't see much other choice."
"She can't have been older than thirteen. This isn't right. She should have…" Should have what? It wasn't as if they had any reason to trust him. Why should they just suddenly start trusting people? But, to kill herself? It seemed so rash.
"The abortions always go badly." Hikari said, suddenly. "They never let the girls keep the babies. There was a man who would come in. They'd take the pregnant girl to a room and lock her up. We could all hear the screaming. It must have hurt terribly. Sometimes the girl would live. Sometimes she wouldn't. Chloe was afraid of the pain."
"There wouldn't have been any pain!" Hatori snapped, putting his hands to his face. He couldn't start crying in front of the children. That was no good. He had to be strong so he could take care of them. It was like Momiji. He wanted to be strong for Momiji and now he would be strong for all these children. "I can make it so she would have slept peacefully through the whole thing. If she'd wanted to keep the baby, she's old enough that she might have been able to do that, too. She shouldn't have…it's not right to die so young."
The house was too quiet. Hatori looked over his shoulder and found all those little eyes looking at him. Everyone watching him, waiting.
"No more of this." He said, sternly. "No more of this nonsense!" He backed away from the girl and turned to look at the children, severely. "Not one of you is allowed to harm your bodies! This is wrong. I won't allow any of you to be hurt!"
A hand touched Hatori's arm and he found, again, Momiji. "Ha'ri, come away." Momiji said, gently. "Aya's called the police to tell them one of the girl's has committed suicide. Come away. You're shaking, Ha'ri."
Hatori looked down at his hands and saw that Momiji was quite right. His hands were trembling uncontrollably. Too little sleep and too much stress. There was a dead, pregnant child on his bathroom floor. His razor…he'd have to get a new one. He'd taken two memories in less than a half-an-hour, his migraine was throbbing. "Coffee. I just need some coffee." Surely, a little caffeine would see him through a few more hours. There were more children to take care of and he would have to reassure the two remaining pregnant girls that they had nothing to fear or he might have two more suicides to report to the police. He had to stay awake long enough to do his duty.
"Sleep would be better." Ayame, still holding the fresh cup of coffee, shook his head. "You really don't take good enough care of yourself. Go to bed. I'll take care of everything."
But Hatori didn't go to bed right away. He took the remaining children who needed their memories of Kyou stolen and led them to his office. When he was finished, they were all unconscious on his floor and the secret of the Souma curse was safe. With his head throbbing painfully, Hatori covered the children with blankets, towels, or anything else he could find that would keep them warm throughout the night before he decided to take Ayame's advice. But there was still the police to deal with and he couldn't just leave the poor girl in the bathroom. What if one of the other children had to use it? So Hatori found the coffee Ayame had left on his desk and gulped it down. He grimaced at the bitter taste and how it had grown cold. At least it would keep him awake for a little while longer.
"Poor 'Tori." Ayame found him in the office and looked around at the children. "Done?"
"Done." He wanted to collapse. Bone weary was too mild a term for what Hatori felt. He really couldn't feel much of anything besides dirty. All those memories…maybe, if he were a better person, he would grant Omi his wish and take all the memories. No. No, that was wrong no matter how he looked at it. To take Omi's memories, no matter how much the boy wished to be rid of them, would be nothing short of killing him. "Are the police here, yet?" What time was it, anyway? Really, he was getting too lazy to help anyone!
"Yuki's speaking with them." Ayame held out his hand.
Hatori gratefully accepted the aspirin. He swallowed them dry before looking at Ayame. "Yuki?" Surely, not. Yuki disliked speaking with anyone he didn't know well. To have him talking to the police about a suicide just didn't seem plausible.
"Kazuma is with him. I offered to stay, but I think Yuki's really more comfortable with Kazuma than myself. He's more reliable looking." Ayame bit his lip. "It could have been Yuki."
"What?"
"Yuki. It could be him dead on your bathroom floor. Remember? He tried, once."
How could Hatori forget? He'd carried Yuki from his foster home after Yuki had tried to kill himself with cigarette smoke. He'd had to nurse Yuki through the bad night and he'd realized how badly they'd all failed Yuki. He should have been taken from that house years ago. It had taken Yuki a good long time to get over his suicidal tendencies. Ayame was quite right. If things were different, maybe Yuki would have slit his wrists. Fortunately, Shigure had known how to handle things. Shigure always knew what to do. And I think I'll kill him when he shows up again. Making us worry like this! What's he thinking? Yuki was very quick-witted enough to lie to the police, but he was also only fifteen. "You're sure Yuki's alright?" Hatori knew he should be there. It was his house and he was responsible for the children.
"He's fine." Ayame smiled proudly. "He's very smart, you know. Smarter than I ever was. Besides, Kazuma always knows what to say. They're sticking with the truth about how the children were found when Kureno went chasing after Ren. The police already know all that. They know the children were abused and depressed and all that other psychological stuff I haven't got a clue about. They don't think it's a surprise that one of them killed themselves. When I left them, Yuki was being very charming and pleasant and Kazuma was quietly giving him an adult's responsible presence."
"Why do the police listen to Yuki? Shouldn't they send him off as he's a minor and just speak with Kazuma?"
Ayame giggled. "Kazuma told the police that Yuki's being groomed to be the next head of the family and that he - Kazuma - is really the one in charge. The excuse seemed to work well enough. I didn't think it would."
It was unbelievable, but the Souma family had pulled off stranger things. Perhaps the police officer had been given a bribe, however unlikely that was. Yuki was still too naïve to even think of that and Kazuma would think it infringed on his honor. There were other details to sort out. "There's still Ran. I need to take him to the hospital. Rin needs to have her back looked at one last time. I think she's about ready to be released. She didn't seem to have any trouble walking or moving at Count D's petshop." He also wanted to get that other little girl, the one with the mangled foot, to the hospital as soon as possible. It was unlikely that she'd walk without a limp, but he knew some very good surgeons.
"Kazuma has already called an ambulance to take Ran to the hospital, it'll be here in a minute. Rin can wait until the morning, she's been fine all this time, she'll last another few hours. The details are taken care of. You have nothing else to worry about except getting some sleep." Ayame took off Hatori's glasses for him and helped him off with his black waistcoat. "You must sleep. You haven't been resting enough."
It sounded good. His shoulders hurt. Ayame pressed a handkerchief to Hatori's nose, surprising Hatori enough to make him step away. "Oh, stop that." Ayame scolded, gently. "Your nose is bleeding, again. I thought that had stopped." In his youth, just one memory theft would leave Hatori drained and ill. As he'd grown, it had become easier to deal with the effects his talent had on his body, but it seemed that he could still over do it.
"I didn't notice that it had started. I can't go to sleep, yet. I'm forgetting something." Something fairly important, he was sure. "A warm bath." Hatori found himself saying. "That's what I'd like. I nice, steaming bath." He'd settle for a shower. Showers were quicker and less troublesome - he wouldn't have to wait twenty minutes for the tub to fill up. If he could only remember what he was forgetting.
"I've already drawn a bath for you." Ayame smiled. "You always liked baths better than showers." With his sweet words a gentle pulling, Ayame convinced Hatori that that day was long over and that even brilliant doctors needed to rest. He walked with Hatori to the upstairs bathroom , but left him at the door with the excuse that he wanted to see how Yuki was doing with the police downstairs.
Sunk up to his neck in hot water, Hatori tried to sort through all the memories that he'd so painfully acquired. That was like nothing he'd ever experienced and he never wanted to go through it again. At least he only had to keep those few moments when the children had seen Kyou. They had to keep all other memories. Hatori could understand why Omi had been eager to have all his memories taken away.
Ayame was right. Hatori was tired. Desperately tired. He's good to me. Always thinking about me. He spent some time in the water with his eyes closed and the muscles of his lower back finally starting to relax. His thoughts kept drifting away from what was important to little things. Momiji needed a new school uniform - he'd grown an inch.
"Careful you don't fall asleep." Ayame leaned against the bathroom door and stared intently at Hatori.
"Close the door. There are children in the house."
Ayame did close the door, but with himself on the inside. For a moment, Ayame stayed at the door, leaning against it. There was something hungry in his eyes, but it was nothing new to Hatori. He'd seen that look ever since Ayame had hit puberty at age eleven. He'd always been precocious. "You're so beautiful."
This coming from a man who boasted to the world of his own god-like beauty? It was a lie and Hatori knew it. A kind lie, but a lie nonetheless. Hatori eyed a towel left on a chair next to the bathtub and thought of covering up for modesty's sake.
"Don't." Ayame strode into the bathroom and sat on the chair. "Please, don't think you have to cover up just because I come in. I like looking at you. You do know that, don't you?"
"You couldn't make it any more obvious." It would have been a miracle if Hatori had not noticed. Still, Hatori was shy. He'd always been shy and the state of his body made it all the worse. Despite what Ayame said, Hatori knew what he looked like. The scars on his legs were still clearly visible and probably always would be. A remembrance of his mother and father. His face…that was the clincher. True, Akito's attack hadn't left any terrible scars or disfigurement on Hatori's face, but the eye itself was dull and almost motionless. Anyone who looked at Hatori too long grew uncomfortable. That was why he'd started to grow out his hair and let it hang over the useless eye. No point in making people uncomfortable.
Ayame bent over and cupped his hands in the water. He brought the hot water up to Hatori's shoulders and slowly opened his hands to spill water over Hatori's shoulders and back. It felt good, but the warmth turned cold as the air hit the water. Ayame repeated the processes three times before he put his warmed hands on Hatori's shoulders. "If you had a bigger bathtub, I could give you a decent backrub. We could go to the bathhouse tomorrow. Or, when things settle down, go to the hot springs."
"You don't have to bother. I'm clean and that's all a bath is for."
Ayame laughed at that. "Baths are also time for fun. One day, when you're rested and more comfortable with…us…I'll show you what fun a bath can be."
When he was more comfortable. When would that be? Now. He wanted to at least try, now! Hatori reached up and took hold of Ayame's hand. "You've been very patient with me."
"It's not easy. Patience isn't in my nature."
"Thank you." He took hold of a strand of Ayame's hair. "You're always kind to me."
"Someone has to be. You certainly aren't kind to yourself."
And Ayame had enough kindness to be so thoughtful even when his shop had just burnt down. When someone had been killed there. Hatori looked up at Ayame and felt very small. He surely didn't deserve someone like Ayame and he knew that, soon, Ayame would realize it, too. "Come to bed?"
That night, they slept - just slept - together. It was the same as it had been the previous night with one exception. As they lay in the darkness Hatori lay facing Ayame. He'd worn only his pajama bottoms to bed. It wasn't his custom. Normally, he didn't go to bed without tops and bottoms. Tonight, though, he would be daring. He would (drum roll, please) take a risk! When Ayame tentatively reached out to touch Hatori's face, Hatori took a deep breath and swooped in for a kiss.
It stunned Ayame for a moment. When Hatori pulled away, Ayame stared at him with wide eyes and still-puckered mouth. "Ah…"
"You didn't like it?" It wasn't as if he'd had much practice kissing, but Kana had never seemed disappointed.
"Oh, I liked it." Ayame moved closer and let his lips slide delicately onto Hatori's. Somehow, the touch that was barely a touch, sent an electric thrill through Hatori. "But maybe when you're better rested." Yes, they would definitely do more kissing later.
Later-
"You lower yourself."
Hatori's eyes sprung open at the voice and he found the child, Hon Ron, looking down at him with a slightly disapproving expression. Caught as he was, with a sleeping Ayame's arm possessively over his chest and naked from the waist up, Hatori hurriedly grab for the blanket and pulled it up to cover his chest. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I would visit your family to decide if they were worthy of you." Hon Ron stepped closer to look at Ayame. She spoke without anger, but in a matter-a-fact tone. "This is your mate? Strange. You lower yourself by giving yourself to him."
"Why? Because we're both men?"
"Because he is a serpent. Still,I suppose it must be hard for you to find your own kind. We are so rare these days. So long as you are happy." She was as enigmatic as she had been before, but that put to mind things Hatori didn't like to think about. About how he'd so cowardly run away at finding Kana in Count D's Petshop and how he'd left Hon Ron alone there
"Are you Junrei or…"
"I am Shukou."
Hatori carefully got out of bed so as to not wake Ayame. And wrapped a robe around himself. "You shouldn't be here. Your family will be worried."
"I was worried for you. Mama knows I am here." She took Hatori's hand and held it to her face. "You are warm. Happy, I think?"
"Yes. I am. How did you get in?"
"Easily."
It was hardly the answer he'd wanted, but considering that she was connected, somehow to Count D, Hatori thought that he might have been lucky to get that much from her. Perhaps she was, as she'd said before, a real dragon. Their first meeting had been odd. He'd met her on a sidewalk, crying. The poor child had just sat down to cry when Hatori stumbled across her. When he'd discovered her three personalities, he'd assumed that the whole dragon thing was just another manifestation of her unstable mind. Perhaps, it was true. "Shukou, did you just come to check on me? I really am a grown man and even if you didn't like my living situation, I wouldn't change it. I will never leave my family. Not for any reason would I…" He paused and realized something. "The sun's rising."
"Yes." Shukou looked out the window at the sun just peeking over the edge of the trees.
Hatori's eyes went to the cell phone on the bedside table. "She didn't call." Torhu was not the brightest of young women, but she was not stupid nor was she so inconsiderate as to just not call. It was possible that she'd forgotten. Shigure had said more than once that Tohru was a rather forgetful child. And here I was happily comfortable and safe in my bed and poor Tohru's probably out there alone. Perhaps she didn't even make it to her grandfather's house. Didn't I hear a rumor that her family didn't like her? Perhaps they put her out on the streets when she came at such a short notice.
"You are agitated."
"I was supposed to get a phone call."
Tohru was not at her grandfather's house, a phone call confirmed. A sour woman had answered the telephone and gotten quite rude when Hatori asked for Honda Tohru. "Of course she'd not here! It's five thirty in the morning! Haven't you any decency? Calling people practically in the middle of the night!" She hung up sharply and Hatori was left listening to the dial tone. It seemed that Tohru had almost as pleasant a family as the Soumas. No wonder she liked them.
"If you worry for the nightingale, you needn't. She is safe. The home where she'd expected to go was unsuitable, or so Ten-chan told me. He's fond of her. He took her to our home, instead. She's safe and will return to you shortly." Shukou looked again at Ayame. "He is rather pretty. A good choice." She leaned forward and kissed Hatori's forehead. "You are still Kaio Lung - still an infant. If you should need me, call to me. I will hear you."
She was gone, then. So quickly and so unbelievably that Hatori thought he must have dreamed she was there. Hatori settled back into bed. At least he knew Tohru was safe. He knew he could trust Hon Ron, though he didn't know how he knew it.
Count D's Petshop-
Tet-chan-
It wasn't right.
Nothing was right.
His paws were shaking and he couldn't focus on anything. It had gotten so bad that he'd sent Chris away. "I'm in no mood to play!" He'd snapped angrily when Chris had tried, not for the first time, to get Tet-chan to play. "Go on!" In a fit of ire, Tet-chan had thrown his oven mitt at Chris just to get him out of the kitchen. Chris had run He felt miserable about it afterwards, but the voice wouldn't leave him alone.
Tet-chan. My dearest Tou-tetsu, you must free me.
"Not real." Tet-chan muttered, staring at his burning stew and watching the black smoke rise. "It's not real." It was Count D's voice, but not Count D. He thought he'd left that part of life behind when he'd escape the elder kami and had been accepted into Count D's petshop. Count D was kind to him, he was kind to all the animals. The memories of what had happened to him, of what he'd seen, while he had belonged to Count D's papa still haunted Tet-chan, though. Ever since he'd seen that painting in the hallway, Tet-chan had been hearing his former master's voice following him and remembering things he'd wanted to forget. "You aren't real!"
"Yes, I am."
Tet-chan let out a panicked cry and jumped away from the fingers that stroked his cheek. He stumbled across half the kitchen before he opened his eyes and saw that it was only a confused looking Ten-chan. "Ten? What are you doing?" He was sweating. Damn! The kitsune could smell sweat.
"The Boss asked for some food for the little missy. You alright?"
"Of course I'm alright! Don't ask stupid questions!" He went to the cupboards to find whatever it was that the Count wanted. "What little missy are you talking about?"
"The new one. The nightingale. The Boss thinks she won't fly today. She's scared. He says it's natural, so he's not too worried." Slowly, cautiously, Ten-chan moved closer to Tet-chan. The claws on his toes made no sound at all on the floor as he walked, but his jewelry - the vain fox! - made enough noise to wake the whole petshop. "You're jumpy."
"Caution." Tet-chan corrected him quickly. "It pays when there's an over clever kitsune in one's home."
Ten-chan studied Tet-chan. "No. I don't think I believe you. Your caution involves hiding, not screaming like a cub at a little touch. Also, you're burning dinner." Black smoke nearly filled the room and Tet-chan had to rush to the stove to turn it off. While he fought with the ruined dinner - the first cooking disaster he'd ever created since becoming an adult! - Ten-chan rambled on as he was accustomed to doing. "You really should talk to the Boss about it. He knows something's wrong with you."
It made Tet-chan freeze. "He does?" What if Count D thought there was REALLY something wrong? What if he thought Tet-chan wasn't so valuable? He had to be perfect or Count D might decide to get rid of him. Tet-chan knew he was special, he was the last of the Tou-Tetsu. That was why Count D valued him so highly. But, if Count D thought he was imperfect in anyway, surely he wouldn't be valuable.
"Sure he does." Ten-chan went on. "He's noticed that you haven't been around like usual. You've been snapping at Chris. The Boss just got back from the airport. He went there with Leon and came back alone. Now, he's all upset. He's not smiling and hasn't really spoken to any of us. He just went to check on the nightingale he left in the tree. Three days she's been up there. She's dozed on and off, but she'll fall, soon. I've been watching her for him, but she hasn't so much as tried her wings." Seeing Tet-chan's puzzled expression, Ten-chan frowned. "The Boss has been gone almost all day and you didn't even notice, did you? What's bothering you?"
"Nothing." Tet-chan said, quickly. He'd put a stop to all this before it got out of hand. "Give me that." He took the bread from Ten-chan and marched out of the kitchen. "I'll take it to Count D."
He found them in the room where Count D had been waiting for days, discreetly out of sight, but constantly watching the fledgling nightingale perched on a high tree branch. Tet-chan respectfully waited for Count D's attention to find him before he spoke and even then, Count D didn't actually look at Tet-chan. "Master, I've brought food. Ten said you wanted some for her."
"Yes." Count D replied with a smile playing on his lips. "She'll either fall or fly today. She's growing too tired and can't stay awake much longer. Her balance isn't good enough to keep her up there…ah! There!" When the nightingale fell and made no move to fly, Count D sprang from his hiding place and easily caught her before she hit the ground. He smiled at her frightened expression. "Sleeping in trees is safer with a nest. You will learn that, also."
"I'm sorry!" The nightingale wailed. "I tried. I wanted to fly, I really did!" She was shaking, she was so upset, and put her hands over her face. "But I was just too scared. I suppose I'll stay on the ground. Flying can't be that important."
Count D smiled at her fondly before he set her on her feet. "Flying is indescribable. You will enjoy it very much. Time will see to that. Now, would you care for something to eat?"
The nightingale shook her head, but bowed both to Count D and to a surprises Tet-chan. "No. Thank you, but no. I must go. They'll be so worried! I was supposed to call and I never did! I really should go!" Her voice was shaky, she was terrified of the fall she'd just taken. Eating probably would have been a bad idea, anyway. She was probably too frightened to keep anything down.
"Of course, if you must." Count D patted her head. "Such a good girl. Come back and we shall try again."
The nightingale looked timidly back at the tree she'd just fallen out of. "Ah…maybe…"
"Shall I show you out?" Count D graciously took the nightingale's arm and steered her towards the door. He spared Tet-chan a look of concern. "Tet-chan, will you be alright?"
"Of course, master." Tet-chan said, stiffly. "I'm always alright." And that would be true once Tet-chan got the voice to stop talking to him. It wasn't a real voice. It was his imagination and so long as he was hearing voices that weren't real, he was imperfect. Count D wouldn't want any creature that was imperfect.
Count D gave Tet-chan a worried frown, but went to show the nightingale out. Once he was alone, Tet-chan let the bread fall to the ground. He would make himself perfect. So long as he was perfect, Count D would want him and he would never be taken away. He HAD To be perfect for his master. Tet-chan stalked out of the mountain room, but didn't go back to the kitchens. Instead, he dropped down onto all fours and put his nose low to the ground. He would find that cursed painting and he would show himself that it was nothing but a painting.
Yes. The voice whispered, mockingly. Find me. Find me and show me your terrible claws. Show me I am nothing but your imagination. Find me all the same.
It was time to hunt.
The forest of the Souma estate-
Hold Higher-
Deep in the forests surrounding the Souma estate was a pack of wolves that had lived there for many generations. They ran and hunted and spent their lives in safety of those woods for no human ever ventured there. Oh, there were one or two that looked human, but the pack knew that they were truly animals.
Though none of the pack understood it, they accepted it. It was the way of animals not to question but to accept. So when a human shape would walk the forest, but was, in reality a cat or a hare, the wolves did not question it.
"Don't hunt them." Shigure had once beseeched the wolves. He'd knelt before the alpha male and with all humility due, had licked the alpha's muzzle to show respect. "My family. My pack." He'd laughed then, startling the younger wolves who did not know Shigure's strange ways. "My pack would not taste good to you. They smell like prey, but taste foul. Rancid. Do not hunt."
They'd agreed, for Shigure had long been a friend of the pack. It was Shigure who would produce meat in times of scarcity and who would, at times, mind the cubs so the rest of the pack could hunt. Shigure would pull burs from their fur with those clever fingers of his and he had more than once chased away humans the forest who had dared to trespass in the wolves' territory.
"No-brains." Shigure would laugh after making them leave the forest. "Not their territory. Keep them off forever. Never let them run here."
He'd always been such a good friend to the pack. So when his scent began to fade from his familiar paths, Hold Higher grew worried. She was an old female, too old for bearing young and, therefore, expendable to the pack. Not to say that she was worthless! Who else would mind the cubs when the wolves in their prime went hunting? She was also valued for her wisdom and experience. It was her wisdom that told her something was wrong with her old friend.
Shigure was in trouble and if there was one thing Hold Higher knew to be true, it was that pack always protects pack.
For that reason, she left the pack late one night and ventured into danger.
Wolves had no names, but Shigure called her Hold Higher. She didn't know why and it was entirely possible that Shigure didn't know why, either. He was a foolish male and a respectable female could never hope to understand them. One could only live with their strange ways. The problem was that Hold Higher hadn't had to live with Shigure's strange ways for a good deal of time. She was used to him visiting the pack in the forest and running with him. These past days and nights, she hadn't even caught scent of him.
She found him, after much searching and confusion. She wasn't used to working without the pack. There were too many unfamiliar scents in the city. Too much of the unknown. Too many strange dangers to elude, but Hold Higher was clever and found Shigure behind some human buildings.
/Ugly! Ugly smell/ Hold Higher snorted at Shigure's foul scent. There was a smell of poison on him. Worse, he reeked of the poison. What had he been eating? Was he fool enough to have been eating toadstools or some other insanity./Come./ Hold Higher had not raised three litters of cubs for nothing. She would take no disrespect from Shigure in this matter. /Come and wash./
"Don't want to wash." Shigure spoke strangely, as if he couldn't get the words to form correctly. He refused to even look at her, but slumped and kept his head buried in his arms.
/Come./ She nudged him again, but when Shigure again refused to move, like a truculent cub, she grew exasperated with him and bit his arm. /Ah, you move now. Come along./ She waited until Shigure had regained his footing and stood upright. Why he bothered with standing like a human, she would never know. He was so peculiar at times.
"Where?" Shigure asked, dully.
/Home./
It stopped him until Hold Higher snapped her jaws at his ankle to get him to move. "But I don't want to go home. That's where I'm avoiding."
/Not your foolish excuse of a home. Mine. The pack waits./
Shigure relaxed at her words and walked without any further reluctance. Hold Higher wondered what had happened that he would wish to abandon his other pack, but dismissed it from her mind. He was going where he belonged, back to the pack.
To be continued…
I'd like to thank everyone who's left a review for this story. I appreciate it very much.
