Take One - Convalescence

"The best armour is to keep out of range." --Italian Proverb

Sohma Hatori sighed.

There was a Feeling in his chest, but he didn't know what it was, and it annoyed him slightly.

He knew the source of course, but that didn't mean he knew the cause, or the meaning, or indeed what the Feeling was at all.

And there was no real or scientific way of finding out, because his source was a tricky, unpredictable being, the answers of which could not, quite frankly, be trusted.

So Hatori was Feeling, and he didn't know what it meant.

Hatori did not much like not knowing things.

It irked him, rather.

Thankfully, there was only one thing that really made him Feel this way.

Out of his good eye, Hatori gave the man lounging on his couch a calculating look.

Sohma Shigure had turned up on Hatori's doorstep at exactly half past two that afternoon, and quite shamelessly admitted to having been ordered out by Akito. It would seem that the God hadn't been happy with Shigure's abandoning her after Yuki's surprise rebellion, but Hatori wasn't sure what had brought the Dog to his house. No doubt he would tell him soon enough.

Shigure, however, seemed to have no intention of doing so any time soon, and was busy humming a little song to himself and doodling on some old prescriptions he'd found on the coffee table.

Another sigh issued from the weary doctor's lips. In his own time, of course.

Shigure noticed his cousin's waning patience, and shot him a mischievous grin.

"I hope I haven't kept you from anything important, Ha'ri," he smiled. "I know you're a busy man."

Thinking of the stacks of paperwork camouflaging his desk, Hatori sighed inwardly. "Iie."

"Yokatta, ne?" Shigure smiled, and leaned back into the couch again, doodles abandoned to the coffee table once more as the Dog stretched leisurely against the Western style couch.

Hatori, feeling as he did with any encounter with Shigure, decided that this required a nicotine boost, and slipped a cigarette from the packet lying on the table beside his cousin's inane drawings. Taking up a lighter, he flicked the wheel and lit the cancerous stick hanging from his lips, inhaling deeply.

Hatori sighed again.

"Really, Haa-san, all that sighing's going to make you lightheaded," Shigure smiled, helping himself to a cigarette from Hatori's packet.

"Hn. And whose fault is it that I'm hyperventilating, Shigure?" He leaned over and lit Shigure's stick before wandering over to the open doorway onto the balcony, misty cigarette smoke trailing behind him.

"Maa, surely you're not referring to me, dearest Haa-san?"

"Hn."

The sun wasn't yet setting, though her rays were becoming subtly weaker and more golden as they streaked across the sky, fleeing the twilight that threatened to take over the skies. The air was still warm, and sweet with the nectars of the flowers blooming in the Sohma gardens.

Hatori exhaled slowly, blowing ghostly smoke into the gently fading light.

"What are you doing here, Shigure?" And, before the other man could reply, "Seriously; I can't be bothered with your theatrics today."

Almost pouting but overruled by the smirk, Shigure shrugged shoulders Hatori couldn't see. "Escaping my fate. Temporarily, of course."

Hatori turned at that, raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Don't look so incredulous, Ha'ri," Shigure smiled. "You of all people should know how I love to sidestep responsibility."

"I'm not incredulous, I'm curious," Hatori replied, stepping away from the doorway to sit heavily in the nearest couch. "I may well regret this, but do elaborate. Exactly what are you trying to achieve here, Shigure?"

A glimmer entered the Dog's slate grey eyes, a glimmer that somehow didn't quite fit their serious shade of charcoal.

"I suppose I must be denying the inevitable, mustn't I?"

"I said no theatrics, Shigure; that means no pretending I'm stupid, and no pretending you're stupid."

Shigure raised his hands peaceably. "Then, to be completely honest, with no airs of sarcasm, mock incredulity or charade, I am keeping out of Akito's range of attack. As I say, for the moment, at least."

"For the moment."

"Indeed. Obviously I will have to return at some point, but in the meantime…"

"In the meantime…?" Hatori's tone is tired.

Shigure smiled, blew a shaky smoke ring into the air. "In the meantime, dearest Haa-san, I'm going to have some fun."

The Feeling in Hatori's gut started to churn. Surely being involved in any of Shigure's games was not going to be pleasant.

"And this brings you to my house because…?"

"Why, visiting Ha'ri's always fun!" Shigure sent a smooth smile the doctor's way. "Aya's fun too, but there's something special about being with Ha'ri. Ne? It's always so enlightening."

"Sou desu ne…"

Hatori did not like the way this was going.

Might as well face it head on, right?

Guns blazing, and all that.

You know what he wants, you know, you know…

After all, it could be much worse.

Much, much worse…

Oh, suck it up; don't be a Shigure. Speak!

Shuddering slightly at the thought of being in any way like his lecherous cousin, Hatori decided, perhaps not so intelligently, to listen to the voices in his head, and asked the question.

"So," he sighed, "shall we start?"

Shigure smiled amiably.

"Why not?

"Let's talk."

:: sonryz ::
Hm, filler chapter anyone? Setting the scene. Truth be told, I just liked the quote, so here we go and on we go. XD

-: glossary :-
Iie - no
Yokatta, ne? - thank goodness/that's good, isn't it?
Sou desu ne - that is so