Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, although I would love to own Hatori and Akito. I do own Saya.

"blah"-talking

blah-thinking

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Your Curse, My Cure

Chapter Three

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Hana stepped out of the shower and wrapped a large, white towel around her body. She stood in front of the mirror and combed through her wet, tangled hair with her fingers. She shivered slightly from the cold air on her body as she finished and pulled the wavy hair over her shoulder. It had been a week since the last dinner and Hatori had left early the next morning, she felt slightly melancholy at not being able to see him.

"Pull yourself together, Saki," she said and walked out of the bathroom, into Tohru's room. She saw the petite girl laying on her bed with a book open in front of her, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Hana smiled and took her clothes back into the bathroom, dressing in a pair of faded jeans, a dark purple tank top, and an old pair of sneakers. She let her hair stay free and walked back into the room, sitting next to her bag. "Tohru?"

Tohru turned to look at her. "Yes?"

"I have to get more clothes from my home, so I'll be back soon," she said and picked up the bag, standing. "Are you sure that it's okay if I stay longer?"

"Of course, Shigure doesn't mind having you around especially since you know the secret," she said with a grin. "While you're out can you pick up the things on the grocery list, I would but I'm studying."

"Sure," she said and left the room, grabbing the grocery list out of the kitchen and heading out the door. She walked to her home and replaced her clothes with fresh ones, packing even more this time and left after saying good-bye to her mother. She walked down the sidewalk and stopped when a car pulled up next to her, watching as the window rolled down.

"Saki-chan, do you need a ride?" Hatori said.

"I'm just going to the store, I think I'll be fine," she replied with small smile.

"Be careful, they might think you're going to steal something with that large bag on your shoulder," he said with a small smirk.

"On second thought, is the offer still open?" she asked, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. She got in and threw her bag in the back and buckled her seat, rolling the window down slightly. "What were you doing?"

"I was actually on my way to Shigure's," he replied and lit a cigarette. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, go ahead," she replied and turned the radio on, stopping on a station. She smiled as the sweet voice of BoA invaded the car, singing 'Every Heart'. "I love this song, her voice is just so calming," she said with s small smile.

"It is nice," he replied.

"I was afraid of darkness because I felt like I was left alone," she sang softly and sat back humming with the rest. "Look up at the sky, every heart is shining on today!"

"You're voice is beautiful, Saki-chan," he said softly, causing her to turn her eyes onto him. "I like it."

Hana blushed and thought back to Akito's words.

I think he might be developing feelings for you...

"Thank you," she replied as they pulled into the driveway of the grocery store and he shut the car off. I'm just being silly, he could never see me that way, she thought to herself. They stepped out and walked into the store together, walking down the aisles in search of what they needed. "We make a very odd couple," she commented.

"Hmm?" he said. "How so?"

"You're wearing a suit and I'm dressed in grunge," she said with a small chuckle. She began placing things in the cart and crossed them off on the list. "People are staring at us. I'm glad I'm nineteen and have ID or they'd ask questions."

"Look at that old couple, they're staring at us funny," he said with small smile.

"Play along," she whispered and wrapped one of her arms around his, grabbing hold of the cart again. She didn't know why she was doing it and she didn't really care, maybe it was the heady feeling she experienced around Hatori. He moved a little closer to her and matched his steps with hers so he wouldn't trip. Some girls in a nearby aisle stared at them with large grins.

"They make such a cute couple," one said.

"Yeah, he's gorgeous and she's really pretty," another said.

"I wish I could be her," the third said.

Hatori smiled softly and bent down, placing a kiss on Hana's forehead. "You're a very good actress," he whispered and stood up straight, grabbing the box she pointed to. When they had collected all they needed, they strode into the grocery line and paid for their things.

"He's a keeper," the cashier whispered to Hana on her way out.

"I know," she whispered back with a small grin, grabbing the bags and leaving with Hatori. They placed the bags in the trunk and got in the car, Hana buckling up as Hatori started the engine. She stared out of the window as he drove, her attention directed to the park where she saw a dirty, little girl in the sandbox. "Hatori!"

"What?" he asked, concern in his eyes at her horrified expression.

"There's a homeless girl at the park, please turn around!" she exclaimed and held on as he made a sharp U-turn and parked along the edge of the street. Hana walked over to the sandbox and sat down on the edge, watching her. "Hi, what's your name?"

The little girl stared up at her with bright blue eyes, her red hair tangled in knots around her shoulders. "Saya," she replied in a soft voice, her dirty hands piling sand on top of sand. "What's yours?"

"I'm Saki," she replied, her dark eyes softening at the cute little girl, "and this is my friend Hatori."

"Hiya," she said with a large grin, revealing a missing tooth in the front.

"Where's your mother?" Hatori asked.

"She left a few monfs(1) ago, she saided she be back soon," she said. "I'm waitin' for her to come back, she always comes back."

"How old are you?" Hana asked with sympathy in her eyes.

"Five," she said while blinking. "Are you two marrbied(2)?"

"No!" they yelled in unison.

"You guyses(3) are close to eachothers," she said with a giggled as they jumped apart. "I wish I had a mommy and daddy like yous."

Hana felt like crying at the sad little girl, her heart was weighing her down. "Would you like to come stay with me?" she asked.

"No, I have to wait for my mommy!" she yelled and dug into the ground furiously. "She never been gone so long but she'll come back, I knows it!"

"You can stay with me until she comes back," Hana said with a small smile.

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Hana walked into Shigure's house while smiling down at the little girl who held onto two of her fingers. She placed the bags on the kitchen counter as Hatori placed the rest down next to them. "Thank you, Hato-kun," she said and picked Saya up just as Tohru entered the kitchen with Yuki and Kyo.

"Oh, you're back," Tohru said with a smile. "Hello, Hatori-kun."

"Hello, Tohru-chan," he replied and dabbed at Saya's nose with his handkerchief. "I have a soft spot for kids," he replied to Hana's smug look.

"She's adorable, where'd you find her?" Tohru asked and tickled her stomach.

"She was sitting in the park, her mother left her," Hana replied.

"But she's gonna come back!" Saya yelled with large eyes.

"Of course, let's get you a bath okay, Saya?" she asked and began walking down the hallway and up the stairs. She began running the water and went back to her room she get a T-shirt that fit slightly loose on her and a pair of Yuki's boxers. "This'll be big enough for you," she replied when she walked back into the bathroom, smiling as she saw Saya in the tub.

"Are you gonna cleans me up?" she asked and stared up the girl, her blue orbs filled with curiosity.

"Yep," she replied and began to work a lather of shampoo in the girls hair, working out the knots. She then helped the little wash herself by scrubbing her back clean of any filth, then pulling her out of the tub when she was done. She washed the little girls dirty underwear in the tub with soap and Saya sat on the toilet seat in a large towel. She wrung them dry and began to dry them with another towel, slowly getting frustrated. She then gasped and grabbed the hairdryer from under the sink and plugged it in.

"Watchya doin', mommy?" Saya asked, peering at her while bundled up in the huge towel.

"Drying your underwear," she said with a smile, holding them in front of the hairdryer. She sat like that for ten minutes before they were dry and handed them to Saya, then helped her get dressed in the T-shirt and boxers. They walked downstairs and sat at the table, waiting to eat while Hana combed Saya's hair out.

"Daddy!" Saya yelled when Hatori walked in the room with a large grin. "Come sit with me and mommy."

Hatori looked taken aback but complied and sat next Saya while giving Hana a questioning look. She shrugged and braided the long red hair on Saya's head, a look of deep thought on her face. She was brought back to life when Tohru placed the food on the table with a grin.

"Eat up guys!" she said and sat before her own plate.

"Yummy, this is good," Saya said and rubbed her stomach. "Makes my tummy feel happy, not like worms."

"You've eaten worms?" Hana asked, her expression shocked.

"When I hads nuffin(4) else to eats, yeah," she replied with a grin and gobbled down her rice and stew. "I'm so hungry, can I gets some more?"

"Of course," Tohru replied and took her bowl, refilling it and placing it back in front of her. "Eat up."

Saya nodded and scarfed down the second bowl, with a happy giggle. By the time of her fourth bowl, she began to yawn and snuggled against Hana when she finished. "I'm tired now, mommy," she said with a yawn and wrapped her arms around the girls larger arm. They stood and Hana lead her away from the table but she turned back and went to hug Hatori. He withdrew and looked away at her sad look.

"Saya, you can't hug the boys okay?" Hana said while rubbing the girls back.

"Why not?" she asked in return.

"They are sick and I don't want you to get what they have, okay?" she asked.

"Okay," she with another yawn and gave Hatori a grin. "Not even a hug on the leg or arm?"

"Nope," Hana replied.

"Okay, night night daddy," she said, delighted when he patted her head lightly.

Hana picked Saya up and walked upstairs with her, dressing in her own pajamas and crawling into bed. She stayed with her until she fell asleep, then she felt Tohru join them with a yawn of her own. She laid back and thought on how sweet Hatori had been with the little girl, it made her blush as she pictured them together with children of their own. "I really need to stop this," she murmured and slipped off into a light slumber.

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(1)-months

(2)-married

(3)-guys

(4)-nothing

Hope you enjoyed, review.

Yoko Touma