Hatori took a long drag off his cigarette, darkened eyes trained on the dog sitting across from him. In Shigure's office, both men decided to adjourn there for a drink and a smoke, finding a small amount of solace from the violent outburst Kyo had during the middle of dinner.
The dragon relaxed back into his seat, closing his eyes for a moment. He listened as Shigure told stories from their childhood- it wasn't a rare occurrence, Shigure seemed to enjoy reliving their younger days. Hatori actually found it rather soothing, remembering a time when Shigure was innocent- well, more innocent than he was now. There was once a time when Hatori openly told Shigure that he loved him, and he would hold his hand everywhere they went.
How long ago had that been? It felt like centuries.
A soft chuckle stirred Hatori from his train of thought, glancing over at Shigure as smoke wafted around him. The dog smirked a bit, his eyebrows raising. "And that time Aya and I convinced you to help us cheat on the math test; do you remember, Ha'ri? Ayame and I hadn't studied- we were much too busy with other, more important things, but you studied the entire night. Poor thing, you were exhausted the next day. After much begging, you finally let us peek at your paper and copy your answers."
Hatori didn't respond. Instead, his eyes hooded a bit more, waiting for Shigure to finish the rest of the story. "…And the teacher caught you. You had detention for an entire week," Shigure snorted, amused at the memory. "I believe that was the first and last time you had gotten in trouble at school. Ah, you were furious with us for nearly a month, giving us the silent treatment."
No longer enjoying this trip down memory lane, Hatori leaned forward and snubbed his cigarette out. "I wasn't furious with you, I should have known better than to stoop to your level. …I didn't speak with you for an entire month because I was terrified to do so."
After an absurdly long pause, Hatori continued. "They called my parents, Shigure. The school. They informed my mother that I had detention for cheating, and she told my father-" Hatori almost didn't need to finish his sentence, the forlorn look on Shigure's face bespoke that dog knew exactly what was coming.
"…That was the first time my father ever hit me, and one of the last. I never blamed you, or Ayame. I was never upset. I was only frustrated with myself for compromising my morals. I should have known better."
This confession made his chest ache, Hatori had sworn to never tell Shigure the truth of what happened after he was caught; he never wanted Shigure to feel guilty. The doctor could never blame Shigure, he could only blame himself. Rising from his seat, Hatori reached for his blazer and began pulling it on.
"While I do enjoy going down memory lane with you, Shigure, I believe it's time for me to go. Thank you for dinner."