I own zip, zilch, nada! I love Hatori (as if I didn't emphasize it enough ) I hope to continue to enjoy my story (if it doesn't scare off readers…) If you have any fun, cute plot twists for Tohru and Hatori, COMMENT! The plot is building up… if you haven't already figured it out, it is the torn love between two 'star-crossed' lovers (Romeo and Juliet, lol) and their inability to tell/show each other.

Thanks everybody!

Enjoy!

Chapter 3 Secret Confession

Hatori drifted off to a deep slumber, a cool fog enveloping Shigure's porch. An outsider would see the house as a "floating" castle in the clearing in the forest.

Tohru woke in the middle of the night to a sweat, her room like a dry sauna from the day's heat shining in through her large bay windows overlooking the forest. She went to the window and opened it, feeling a gust of fresh, woodsy air. Feeling thirsty, she tiptoed downstairs barefoot. Seeing the front door open, she went over to close it but saw the shadow of Hatori's sleeping-- cast on the threshold, lit by the full moon. The large moon was at its peak in the sky; the crevices and craters on its surface seemed to form a smile that shone down upon her.

Tohru whispered to the cloudless skies, "Thank you for allowing me to live here with the Sohmas. I am so happy."

Not wanting to awaken the dragon, Tohru opened the foyer closet door to grab a cotton throw; then returning outside to drape it onto Hatori's trim body. She took in his features; on the surface they were weathered and sunken, with dark shadows under his eyes. Yet, it was… sexy and open She couldn't help but think the man beside her exerted an aura of sexuality and potency. She wanted to care for him, spoil him, love him… and feel his love.

"I love you, Hatori," she breathed keenly before returning into the house.

After grabbing a bottle of water, she was on her way upstairs when she decided to take a pit stop at Shigure's legendary bookshelf. Now awake and alert, she did not feel like sleeping, so she decided to take up one of Shigure's novels. He had never showed her his collection, being locked up in his room for the most part of the day, but she remembered distinctly he had said, "My precious little flower, you can read and do whatever you'd like in this house. You are one of the family, practically a Sohma," as she dusted the bookshelf one spring day. Shi-san is so thoughtful and kind, she thought, smiling. Grabbing a thin paperback she could probably finish in one sitting, she went to her room and turned on her lamp.

Tohru propped up her pillows against the headboard, made her self comfortable and picked up the novella. The book was titled Evanescent Love. A romance novel--- interesting, she thought. The cover showed a pencil-sketched drawing of an attractive young girl, a vixen, wearing a stringy, black, silk camisole dazing off, her hair streaming onto her shoulders, her eyes gleaming with…

Lust?

Tohru looked at the author's name. Yes, it stated 'the bestselling author: Shigure Sohma', but she had never thought he wrote this kind of novel, smutty, she thought. Being too comfortable to go downstairs and retrieve another book, she flipped though, seeing naughty words pop up everywhere—Tohru had opened Pandora's Box. Too curious, she flipped to a 'welcoming' paragraph in the beginning of the book that caught her eye and began reading.

The branches of the old oak tree swayed back and forth as Risa sat up in her bed. She had just awoken from a dream of her and her lover. She had many similar dreams of him lately. She got out of bed, wrapped a sweater over her skimpy swim suit, grabbed a big beach towel, and went outside, onto the porch. She had dressed in her swim suit before going to sleep so there wouldn't be too much noise. The warm summer breeze made her skin tingle as she followed the dirt path from her uncle's house to the swimming hole. It was a half mile walk into the heart of the forest, secluded and peaceful. As she removed her long tunic, she tied her hair into a loose, playful ponytail before stepping into the cool water.

Suddenly, she felt a presence. She turned around and saw him. His deep, dark pools focused only on her, drinking in her body, from head to toe, zooming in her intense features..

"Skinny-dipping, are we?" he asked in his smooth, silky voice, with a tint of amusement.

"I am not, I'm wearing a bathing suit. Care to join me?" Risa offered good-humoredly, daring to reach for his hands.

"Of course." He said, gently squeezing her hands.

Before she knew it, he stripped down to his boxers and jumped into the water, splashing her. She used her swift swimmer legs, spraying him with water. He swam toward her, grabbing her long, slender legs pulling her into the water. Chest to chest, she breathed in deep, looking tentatively into his impious eyes. They had grown to love each other's unique personality—herself, shy and furtive, and he, collected and sexy. He had taught her to be more open and audacious. She remembered him say to her on their first fateful meeting, "I don't bite, you know."

Now, her eyes began to tear; this would be their last time together.

Until next summer.

Trying to stifle her emotions, she gave him a weak smile.

"This is it. I won't see you until… until… next summer," mumbling the last few words. He pulled her in closer, gently kissing her forehead, closed eyelids, cheeks, the tip of her nose, and her lips—sucking in the salty tears, before pulling back.

"I…I…I love you, Risa," he said gently.

He had finally said it. As if those words blew away all her troubles, she said brazenly, "I'm ready for you. Embrace me."

He smiled sincerely, "Are you sure?"

She nodded. She was very sure that this was the person she wanted to give herself up to, the one who would clear all her troubles and make her forget the pain that she had been feeling for the past week because of her departure. He kissed her passionately, her lips turning swollen with ardor before he pulled away. He could finally release the love (and lust) that had built up within him for all this weeks. He hugged her tightly, picking her up as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his back. He carried her over to the dock, sitting her down on the edge.

What a great cliff-hanger, Tohru thought to her self, Shigure sure writes good novels (not truly knowing what "I'm ready" foretold), she thought before drifting off to into a deep slumber. She would catch up on the book some other time…

She returned into the cozy warmth of her bed, only covering half her body with the blanket because it was too hot. It felt good with the window open.

At around three in the morning, Hatori stirred to the chill that shrouded him, finding the blanket across his body. Tohru, he thought. Why was her heart so wonderful?

And why was he so unwilling to show his true nature? Even as a young teen, he never had the courage to go out on a date with a girl (even though he was titled in the yearbook as, "Enigmatically Handsome" during his senior year, along with "Most Likely to Succeed). Yeah right, he thought—now he was a doctor to an incurable patient with no life.

Was he afraid, or just 'cold', as the other Sohma's had called him. He was so unlike his best friends, Shigure and Aya (Just thinking about those hoodlums made Hatori shake his head and grimace). He blamed his remoteness on no one, not even Akito… only himself. Sighing, he rose to his feet and sauntered into the house, closing the door behind him. He went upstairs to check up on Yuki and Tohru.

Peeking in on Yuki, he grinned, being reminded of himself when he saw the young teen still dressed in his school uniform on his bed. Closing the door softly, he peeked into the room whose door was left ajar with the lights on. He saw her facing away from the door, the blanket fallen away from her to reveal a perfect being. Her hair was spread behind her in a messy array.

Tohru was wearing a yellow tank top with matching cotton shorts. Her window was left gaping, the sharp draft piling into her room. He strolled toward the window and shut it quietly.

Then Hatori turned to see Tohru's front side. He moaned, feeling himself harden at the sight of her chest heave up and down-- her luscious, soft curves. He wanted to touch her, kiss her… Love her. Tohru's soft facial features, lit by the warm glow from the night lamp, softened his countenance. He stared for a few minutes, wanting to store the image in his long term memory. He silently turned off the light before catching sight of a provocative book cover of a young girl. He scowled in his mind, did Shigure give this to her? Boy, was he up to some trouble, he considered before seizing the book.

He finally turned away before hearing a faint, "Thank you, Ha'ri."

Every ounce of Hatori wanted to get into the bed with Tohru, to have her warmth snuggle against him. However, he knew it was impossible because of two reasons: (1) she would never love him in a romantic light, no one did, except Kana, (2) he was a cursed Juunishi destined to be Akito's puppet, unable to live and decide for himself. Akito, who was younger than him had made him into virtually a robot: an entity 'that' whatever he was told.

"Hatori-san, try to understand that no 'normal' person would ever understand us. We must support ourselves. Kana Sohma is no different. She is emotionally lost now; it would be best to suppress her memory before any damage is done. Hatori, do what is best for you and her. I need my rest now, please leave."

Hatori had let Akito destroy him—his soul.

He entered Shigure's room and scoffed at the mess. It wasn't any ordinary misplacing, it was a pigsty! Clothing (mostly Shigure's robes) were strewn across every part of the bedroom, on the bureau, chairs, and even on his computer. Crumpled papers were shoved into every nook and cranny of Shigure's room after the small trash pail had been filled to the brim. He picked his way across the room to the oversized bed. The blanket was folded in the corner of the bed and the pillows had been fluffed, probably Tohru's doing. The lovesick man didn't even bother taking off his white Oxford shirt and pants. Why did it matter? No one cared about him. He collapsed onto the bed, tired from his physical and emotional pain. What was going on with him? A pre-mid-life crisis?

However, he hadn't forgotten about the Shi-san's book. Shigure had tried to get Hatori to read them on a few attempts, but they just didn't interest him, they were too lovey-dovey (the girl being a pathetic life form dependent on the boy), emotional-- the perfect relationship, the seamless ending. Nevertheless, he flipped a couple pages before where Tohru had bookmarked and began to read.

Chapter 4 The Golden Touch

Tohru awoke at six in the morning on Saturday. After taking a quick early shower, she headed downstairs into the kitchen.

Putting of her lacey apron that Aya had kindly created for her she said cheerfully, "I think today I'll make a nice, healthy, western style breakfast. Pancakes, poached eggs, bacon, and fresh-squeezed orange juice," Tohru said aloud, to no one in particular.

Behind her, Hatori said sexily, "Mmm, sounds good. Need help?"

"Ah… no, Ha-san, you can just relax, this will only take a little while." Tohru replied, her legs feeling as wobbly as Jello, not wanting to turn toward him to see his unreadable face. Her breathing became unsteady, her palms clammy. She closed her eyes to stabilize her nerves. They were running haywire!

After reading the Shigure's smut last night, he had been very aroused, brewing up a desire that had been suppressed for so long. Now, he ached for a female's touch.

Using the morning newspaper as a distraction, he thought about Tohru.

"Is breakfast ready yet, Tohru-san?" asked a quiet voice from behind them.

"Aie, Sohma-kun."

Tohru brought over a tray full of tasty foods. The smell reminded him of how ravenous he was. Setting the food down, she used tongs to serve everyone the pancakes.

"I hope everyone likes my special strawberry pancakes, my own creation," she grinned, her eyes squeezing tight to form perfect crescents.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, I forgot to buy syrup yesterday. How irresponsible of me. I'll go to the supermarket right now to get it."

Hatori stood up, blocking the kitchen threshold with his massive hold. "You are NOT going anywhere." He said, a little too firmly.

Tohru sadly slumped into her chair. "I'm sorry."

"Tohru, it is no big deal. I'll take you to the supermarket after dinner, I mean breakfast." What was going on with his mind? Dinner? Hatori never spoke the wrong words. His speech was concise and clear. Tohru's presence was definitely playing a role in his "strange" behavior.

"You don't have to, "Ha'ri," she said softly. He said nothing while they ate their homemade meal quickly. The forks and knifes clinked against their plates quietly, with the periodic sip of orange juice. Hatori needed fresh air.

After the uptight breakfast, Hatori helped Tohru bring the dishes to the sink.

"Hatori, I'm going to make a visit to Kyo and Shishou. I gotta practice. The mountains would also clear my mind of all the club duties and all. I'll go pack and get a ride on the bus. Boy will Kyo be surprised to see me. Time to pay him pack for that time he showed up at the club meeting, ranting about the cafeteria food and all. I'll call you guys when I get there to tell you when we'll be back. 'kay? Said Yuki.

Hatori nodded before bringing his eyes to the work in front of him. Turning the sink on, Hatori rolled up the sleeves of his now wrinkled shirt and began to use the natural sponge and detergent to clean the dishes. Tohru, hovered near Hatori, not wanting to set the dragon off, her hands empty with nothing to do.

"Here, dry these," handing Tohru a dish towel.

After finishing the dishes during the apprehensive air, Hatori said, "Let's go."

Obediently, Tohru got her sweater from the closet and went out. The sky was cerulean blue, cloudless, without any sign of the sun, though the temperature was high. The perfect weather to garden in. Hatori opened the passenger side door for Tohru as she slid in swiftly.

"Thank you, Ha-san," she said tenderly.

He went around to the driver's seat and started up the car. The drive into the city was quiet, the radio news on. It blared, "A serial killer has escaped from Horsehead Prison just three hours ago. If anyone has any information, please call authorities as soon possible. Avoid any contact or attempted capture, he is dangerous. Keep children at home."

Hatori's heart began pulsing. He couldn't leave Tohru alone tonight. She was too precious to him. She would welcome the killer in with tea and cakes. He would have to stay another night and avoid any desire.

Parking the car in the shopping center lot, Tohru and Hatori got out simultaneously.

"Will you be staying over tonight, Ha-san?"

"Yes."

Hatori got the shopping cart and followed behind Tohru into the Super Food Deport. He thought to himself, I must look like her father or something. She cavorted to Aisle 34 and asked, "Is maple syrup okay for you?"

"God Tohru, will you stop always trying to please others. Get what you'd like for once."

Did I anger Hatori? He's seems irritated today. I hope it wasn't about the western breakfast. I should have asked him last night.

I guess I will have to stay out of his way. Maybe he has a lot of work to do at the clinic. Is it out of pity that he is staying tonight?

Her heart dropped and before she knew it, her tear ducts began to gush. She turned away and stifled, "I'm sorry Hatori. I'm sorry for being so bothersome and needy. You don't have to stay over tonight. I'll make you a bento."

He couldn't let her cry. When she was in pain, so was he. Instinctively, he went behind her and twirled her around. He said throatily, "You didn't do anything wrong, Tohru. I'm sorry for making you cry. I WANT to stay tonight. With you."

His callused hands wrapped around her sides of her face, his fingers swiping away her hair. His thumbs caressing her warm cheeks, wiping away the sad tears. He was feeling his heart being torn from his body.

He was in love. Seriously.

"Don't cry, Tohru."

Her watery eyes turned to his, seeing a flicker of compassion, before it burned away as quick as a candle in the wind. Her face rubbed against his hands, yearning for his gentle touch. The golden touch. Anyone who peeked in the empty aisle would have seen the love in their eyes and body expression, a forlorn, deprived passion.

I want to hold her in my arms, touch her, but I don't want to take advantage of her in this vulnerable state. She is so… wonderful. I admire her for caring about my opinions.

Hatori drew Tohru's head against his chest, his arms around the small of her back, but not close enough that he would transform. She inhaled deep, taking in his scent--- fresh and sincere. Exactly what she wanted. Only, he probably didn't feel the same way.

"Thank you, Ha'ri, for not rejecting me," she muffled against the warmness of his torso.

Then Hatori remembered Kana saying, "Please don't reject me."

At that point, his past dispersed into thin air. His life was beginning anew. He had someone new in his life, whom he would protect with all his ability, by not getting close to her.

He would keep her distant from the curse… Akito… from… himself.

The plot thickens… I love Hatori. I love exploring his multi-sided character. I hope you guys enjoyed this installment. I really want to build up the story. R+R

Thank you!