Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
I'm on a roll, now that my profile is behaving again! Sorry it took so long to update, but I've got several other stuff on the way as well. I hope this doesn't dissapoint!
Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome. Sorry about any mistakes there may be - I use spellcheck and reread it many times, but I may have missed something.
"Can I use your phone?" Jenna asked, entering a convenience store not far from the park. Her feet were killing her, her hair was a little worse-for-wear – she was grateful she had just let it hang loose – and she was extremely pissed. The last thing she wanted was the leer the man behind the counter gave her, and she suddenly realized what time it was. "One in the morning?" she blinked, and her eyes narrowed. "I'll kill that bastard, I swear…" Turning to the cashier she gave him a firm look. "Can I use it, or not?"
"Sure, go ahead," he nodded, gesturing to the pay phone in the back of store. Nodding a thank-you she stalked over to the phone, glad she always kept change in her purse no matter where she was going. Digging through her wallet she finally found what she needed, and began to put the change in when several men wearing ski masks burst in. Turning around, she suppressed an irritated sigh – growing up in New York had made her use to the worse side of life, but she didn't want to deal with it in a completely different country.
"This night just keeps sucking harder and harder," she thought, glaring at the man who strode to her.
"Money. Now – empty it," he ordered, pointing to her bag. The cashier had been knocked out, and the two other robbers were digging through the register hurriedly.
"Whatever," she shrugged, and emptied the money into the bag he held out. "Kind of tacky, using a shopping bag, though," she commented, in no mood to be meek, earning a backhand from the man.
"Little bitch," he growled, taking a step forward. The slap had caught the attention of his companions, who looked up with interest.
"Gonna teach her a lesson?" one of them called out, and she sneered at the men.
"Go ahead – try it," she taunted, and instantly regretted it when she remembered she was a dress and heels, not her usual ass-kicking clothes of choice. "Me and my big mouth," she moaned, and cried out when the man grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the freezer door.
"I think I will," he grinned, but howled in pain when she put her heel into his leg. Dropped to the floor, she scrambled to her feet before the man who had suggested teaching her a lesson pinned her to the ground, holding her wrists and straddling her abdomen.
"You know, this hasn't been my night," she told them calmly, still hoping the cashier would return to reality and call the police. "I think I might move out of the country when this is over with."
"Good idea, bitch," the man agreed. Just as his hand was about to tear her dress down, he suddenly went flying off her and crashed into the freezer, frozen food spilling out around him. Scooting back, Jenna watched in amazement as Hatsuharu, his face completely changed than when she had last seen him, tore into the first man to touch her, and destroyed several racks of snacks in the process.
"Hold up, asshole," he growled, as the third one tried to escape with the money. Haru tackled him with a flying kick, breaking a few of the man's ribs as he was sent through the glass doors onto the pavement, bleeding from several cuts. "Bastards…" he muttered, and turned to Jenna, who realized she was actually scared of this Sohma.
"Um…I'm fine, really!" she said quickly, pulling herself to her feet. She winced slightly, however, and he caught the pause. Striding over to her, his face a little softer, he inspected her arm, seeing her grimace as he moved it gently.
"It's sprained badly, if not broken," he commented, and peered down at her face. "Is anything else hurt?"
"No…" she shook her head, still wary of the volatile young man. Suddenly, several police officers arrived, and Haru turned his head in surprise, his face abruptly changing once more.
"Oh, I see they finally got here," he said absently. "I guess we'll have to fill out a report, and then I can take you home – oh, wait, I should take you to Hatori first."
"W-why?" she stammered, as the police came into the destroyed store.
"Well, he is a doctor," he reminded her, and turned to the officer who approached them.
"What a night…" she groaned the next day, resisting the urge to fall asleep in her comfortable chair at her desk. Blinking her eyes open she sighed heavily, and took a large drink of black coffee to perk herself up. It was almost her lunch hour, and Hatori had ordered her to meet him for lunch so he could further examine her arm. "He must think I'm an idiot," she muttered, recalling his expression when Haru, fluctuating between Black and White, arrived at the house at two in the morning with Jenna yawning behind him, her arm in a sling provided by the police. Deciding to save his questions for later he had let them in silently, and informed her that her wrist was badly sprained, but not broken. Realizing she had fallen asleep in the chair, the Dragon had shaken his head and tucked her into bed in a spare room, taking her to work later that morning.
"Miss Stevenson, there's a call on line two for you," the other secretary called, and she nodded before picking up the receiver.
"Jenna Stevenson speaking…Hatori? Yes, I already said I'd meet you…where again? All right, I'll get directions before I leave, don't worry. Bye."
"Date?" the other woman, Natsuki, asked teasingly. Jenna grinned back and shook her head.
"No – an old friend, that's all," she said, grabbing her bag and heading over to Natsuki's desk. "Hey, can you give me directions to this place?..."
"Hmm…" Hatori murmured, checking his watch. "She's late," he thought out-loud, and sighed heavily. Having gotten the entire story – or at least, Haru's side – before he had left, the doctor was grateful that nothing more serious than a sprained wrist had occurred, and feeling guilty he had let her go with Haru while he was Black.
"Hatori!" she called, making her way to the table he sat at outside a café. "Natsuki gave me directions. Sorry I'm late."
"I already ordered for you," he informed her calmly, and she blinked. "I hope it's not a problem."
"Uh, no – you know more about the food than I do anyway, obviously," Jenna laughed, placing her menu back down in front of her. "So, why'd you want to see me? It can't be just because of this wrist – you wouldn't have called to double-check if that was the case."
"Good point," he agreed, but didn't say anything further. Sighing but knowing it was useless to try to push the Dragon, she leaned back in her chair and watched as their meal was brought over.
"Looks good. Thanks, Hatori," she commented, and began to eat easily, despite the chopsticks she was still learning. Hatori let the silence drag out over the meal, and only said something once they were both done eating.
"I was afraid you might not come," he said finally, and she looked at him in surprise.
"Why?"
"Well, after the way Hatsuharu acted – I shouldn't have let you go off when he was Black," Hatori sighed, and she waited for him to continue. "I wanted to see how he would act around you while he was Black, and it seemed the perfect opportunity. I do find it interesting that he not only followed you without trying to beat you up – even though Black Haru usually doesn't harm women – he also protected you, and then turned White again, from what he told me."
"I can't hold what Hatsuharu did against the rest of the Sohma, can I?" she asked calmly, taking a sip of the tea. "That doesn't make sense, Hatori. Besides, he stopped those guys, so he didn't act like a complete asshole, I suppose."
"Yeah," he nodded, drinking his own tea. After a slight pause he looked over his cup at her intently. "I think you'll do us good – the Sohma, I mean. Like Tohru has."
"I doubt that," she shook her head in embarrassment, unsure of what to say of that unexpected comment. "Tohru's special, after all. I'm just a girl that's lucky enough to be trusted with your secret, but I don't think I'll do anything. Besides, isn't the curse already broken?"
"What do you mean?" Hatori asked sharply, placing his cup down abruptly. She blinked in confusion at his reaction, but continued.
"Well…Haru hugged me last night, and he didn't transform," she stammered. "I just assumed…the curse was gone…I'm sorry."
"No, it's all right," he shook his head, and rested his face in his palm. "You haven't done anything. Just…the curse isn't broken. Momiji hugged Tohru a few days ago by mistake – he doesn't do it on purpose anymore, since he's grown up so much – and he still transformed."
"But…I don't get it," she whispered, their voices becoming more and more low as they talked. "How can that be? Could it have something to do with my own curse?"
"Probably," Hatori agreed, and suddenly stood up. "I'll walk you back – I have time. Maybe we can both do a little research, and see what we come up with. Not a word to anyone else, though."
"Sure," she nodded, and surprised him when she looped her arm through his elbow. "You're not such a bad guy, Hatori," she informed him with a smile, which he returned a bit hesitantly. Mayu had fallen in love several years back, leaving Hatori once more alone.
"Haru?" Jenna realized, surprised at finding the Ox at her doorstep as she arrived at her house after work. "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said uneasily, shifting from foot to foot. "And to apologize."
"It's all right," she nodded, unlocking her door. "Although, you weren't the best date I've ever had, just so you know. Want to come in?"
"Yeah, I think I have time," he agreed, following her into the house as she headed into the kitchen.
"Do you want anything to drink?" she called, and he looked up, having zoned out as usual.
"Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine," Haru shook his head, and heard a thud.
"I'm fine!" she informed him cheerfully. "I'm just making myself some coffee, that's all. I dropped the can again…"
"So, how's work going?" Haru asked, leaning against the archway. She glanced over her shoulder at him briefly before returning to her coffee-maker with a shrug.
"It's fine. My coworker, Natsuki, is really nice to me. They're giving me some easy stuff until I get used to everything, but I still get to work my brain," she grinned. "Which is good, or else I'll get lazy."
"I can't imagine you just sitting around doing nothing," he commented, and she looked at him surprise with a grin.
"Really? You should stop by on a weekend, then," she told him absently. "But not before noon, because I sleep until then if I can. And then all I do is lay around, watch television, and eat junk food. Unless I go out or have company, I make it a rule not to eat anything healthy on the weekend. And even then, if I have company I mean, I still might not." She shot a smug look his way while she stared at her coffee-maker.
"You still have a great figure, even if that's what you do," Haru said, and she looked at him in surprise before realizing that he was White and just being absent-minded like he usually was around her. "Smells good – maybe I will have some," he thought, smelling the air. "If there's enough."
"I had a feeling you'd say that," she nodded, reaching for the mugs. "I made enough, don't worry. Black or what?"
"Black's fine," he told her, taking the mug she offered him. He stepped back as she strode past him, heading toward the couch.
"I hope you don't mind, but my feet are killing me," Jenna said apologetically, relaxing in the cushions with a sigh.
"Of course not," he shook his head, and took a seat on a chair. They sipped at the hot drink for a few moments before she looked at him in slight embarrassment, and he blinked blankly. "What?"
"Well…I was just hoping we'd get to be friends, like I am with Momiji and Hatori," she finished lamely, and laughed weakly. "I think I sound like an idiot."
"You don't," he shook his head. "I was actually thinking the same thing. After all, I'm stuck with you, right?"
"You make it sound like a punishment," she replied dryly, and blinked as he stood up. "You have to go?"
"Yeah – work calls," he nodded, and looked around thoughtfully. "This was a pretty nice break between the action, to be honest," he told her, heading for the door as he put his jacket on.
"Feel free to drop by anytime!" she smiled at him, and he grinned back.
"Sure."
Several weeks passed, and Jenna slowly grew accustomed to finding the lost-looking Ox at her door after work, which slowly became a constant occurrence after the first week. He never stayed for a long time, but they enjoyed the peaceful time while they could. One afternoon, as they blew on the tea she had decided to try, the doorbell rang and she got to her feet.
"I have no clue who it – Momiji?" she blinked in surprise, opening the door to find the Rabbit in front of her. "What are you doing here?"
"Haru? So this is where you've been hiding out!" Momiji grinned at them teasingly, spotting his cousin behind her. He suddenly gazed at Haru suspiciously, appearing almost serious. "Are you trying to steal Jenna away from me?"
"Wha-huh?" Jenna blinked, turning red from embarrassment as Haru whirled around, trying to control his Black side.
"I'm just joking!" Momiji said, once more light-hearted, and smiled down at the young woman. "I just came over to see if you wanted to go somewhere for dinner."
"That sounds like fun," she agreed, and glanced back at the Ox. "Haru, you want to come with us?"
"Yeah, if it's not a problem," he said casually, and Momiji gazed at him.
"I thought you had plans," he reminded the Ox, who shrugged in annoyance.
"She'll blow me off as usual, so what's the point of showing up?" he asked, his eyes shifting colors dangerously. "Or she'll show up with another damn bastard again…"
"Haru!" Jenna snapped, realizing he was going Black. "If you're going to be Black, get out of my house before you trash it!"
"Sorry," he apologized, shifting back to his laid-back White self. "Do we need to get dressed up, 'cause I'm not changing," Haru commented, looking expectantly at his cousin.
"Nope," Momiji shook his head, and Jenna noticed he was wearing slacks, shoes, and a fitted turtleneck with a jacket. "It's just for fun, after all."
"Let me change real quick, then," she said, and closed the door behind the Rabbit when she finally pulled him inside out of the cold. "Do you think it's going to snow tonight?" she wondered, heading down the hallway.
"It's not supposed to," Momiji informed her, and lowered his voice as she closed the door. "So, what're you doing here, Haru?" he asked quietly, and the Ox regarded him calmly.
"I came to apologize," he said calmly. "I don't see why you're so concerned, Rabbit."
"Hari told me what happened," he told his cousin. "I didn't want you going Black and doing something you'd regret."
"Whatever," Haru shrugged in annoyance, and glanced away from Momiji as Jenna strode from her room, wearing heeled boots, dark boot-cut jeans, and a snug sweater-top, carrying a heavy winter jacket over her shoulder.
"I can't believe how cold it is already," she commented, grabbing her purse and keys. "It's not even December."
"Wait until it's summer – then you'll appreciate the cold," Haru said calmly, following the pair to Momiji's car.
"This is really good, but I probably don't want to know what's in it," Jenna added, as they sat in the restaurant and enjoyed their meal almost an hour later. They were in a booth, and she had found herself across from Momiji, with Hatsuharu next to her leaning against the wall. Looking around at the other customers curiously, she noticed a slender woman with long black hair and angry-looking eyes sitting at a table nearby, and gulped when she was shot a glare.
"Who're you looking at?" Momiji asked, and glanced in the direction Jenna was looking at. His eyes widened, and he quickly looked away. "Haru…"
"Oh shit," the Ox said calmly, seeing the woman.
"Isn't that Rin?" Jenna realized, recognizing the woman. "She looks pretty pissed off – I wonder if it's the guy she's with?"
"Nothing quite so easy," Haru muttered, slouching next to Jenna and sinking further into the bench.
"It's too late, Haru," Momiji commented, calmly proceeding to eat his food. Jenna was left confused at their actions, but shrugged it off in favor of finishing her meal in peace. They were lucky to get any quiet time in before the young woman stood up and stalked over to the table. Jenna gulped again as the Horse stood over her, glaring at them angrily.
"Haru, what are you doing here?" she demanded, and he looked at her calmly.
"I'm out with Momiji, of course."
"And who's this?" Rin pressed, pointing at Jenna. Momiji frowned, and Haru somehow managed to stand up in the booth.
"A friend," he said evenly, but his eyes began to flash. "Just like yours over there. Another friend."
"So this is the woman you've been hanging around the past weeks?" Rin realized, and shot Jenna a dark look. "I see."
"I'd rather not cause a scene here, Rin," Haru informed the other Sohma calmly, but Jenna looked at him surprise when she felt a firm grip on her shoulder. The Ox stared down Rin over her head, making her increasingly uncomfortable, before Momiji suddenly jumped to his feet.
"Oh, I've got to get home!" he exclaimed, and pulled Jenna to her feet past Rin. "I have to drive them home. See you later, Rin!" he waved, having already paid the bill, and rushed out the door. Jenna stumbled after him, having been taken by surprise, and panted for breath when he finally stopped by the car.
"What was that about?" she asked.
"Rin broke up with Haru when we were fifteen, a long time ago," Momiji explained, keeping an eye out for Haru. "He hasn't really gotten over her, and she keeps playing with him on and off. It's driving the rest of us crazy, and he keeps losing his temper. She invites him out somewhere, and either takes off or brings another guy, leaving poor Haru alone."
"So that's what he meant?" Jenna asked, remembering what Haru had said before they left the house.
"Yeah," Momiji nodded, and looked up as Haru stalked toward them.
"Let's go," he grunted, sliding into the backseat. Momiji breathed a sigh of relief, realizing his cousin wasn't Black, and helped Jenna into the passenger seat before getting in and starting the car.
Ah...now Rin is getting involved! This will be, unless something drastic happens that I don't forsee, a Haru/OC fic, so rejoice and make merry! But first review...
