Fruits Basket Fan Fiction / Azumanga Daioh Fan Fiction ❯ What The Cat Dragged In ❯ Chapter 1

DISC: I do not own Fruits Basket or its characters. I do not own Azumanga Daioh or its characters. I don't own anything. I just borrow these things to make me feel better about my own ownin'-nuthin' life.

 

 

NOTE: This story takes place the day Kyo starts college. I'm not worried about how he got to go to college instead of being locked up. You shouldn't either. Oh, and I used the author of Azumanga Daioh for Sakaki's first name. Sorry. No one knows what it actually is.

 

 

It was a good day for the cat. His first day of classes at the local university. Yeah, he still had to live at home with Shigure and Yuki, but… he was still living with Tohru, so it was bearable.

 

And Kagura had chosen the day BEFORE his classes started to come over and beat him until he allowed her to accompany him on his book-buying trip. So he could expect a Kagura-free day. And once this class was done, all he had left to do for the day was walk home and eat whatever delicious dinner Tohru would place before him.

 

Yep a good day.

 

He looked around the room at his classmates. It was quite a wide assortment of characters in his freshman composition course. The class was mandatory, so that was probably why there were so many different types of people in the class.

 

The teacher came in and introduced himself. Then, he made the announcement. For the first day of class, they were to pick someone in the class that they didn't know, interview that person, write an introduction of that person, and then introduce their partner to the class.

 

He sighed. It figured his day had to throw him a twist.

 

He picked a guy sitting next to him who looked like a bit of a wimp. The interview was easy for both of them, and so was introducing the guy to the class. Turned out that the guy was studying karate for the first time as his elective physical education course. He was more the studious type - he was going into medical research, and he had a thing for mysticism. Kyou bit his tongue and didn't say anything at that.

 

After the introductions were done, Kyou was very happy. His day was now done. Home to Tohru and her fabulous cooking.

 

XXX CHANGE POV XXX

 

Her first day at the university was a little bumpy for her. She never thought of herself as pretty. But these guys kept coming up to her and talking to her for no reason. And a couple of them had attempted to put their arms around her. It was just… odd.

 

Finally, she was in her last class of the day. One she'd actually been looking forward to. Freshman Composition. When the teacher announced that she'd have to interview someone, AND THEN introduce the person to the class, she thought she'd die! She hated being the center of attention.

 

And then, before she knew it, everyone was paired off except this one guy who was obviously in love with himself. He kept calling her “babe”. She reminded him everytime that her name was Sakaki. He just didn't listen.

 

She sighed and muddled through.

 

When the introductions were done, though, she was fascinated. There was this one short boy who introduced a boy with orange hair as “Sohma Kyo”. The small boy said to the class, “Sohma-kun swears his hair is naturally this color, so leave it at that. He doesn't seem to like to talk about it.” She looked over at this “Sohma-kun”. From the moment she saw him, she couldn't take her eyes off him. She didn't know why. She didn't find him at ALL attractive. But… she felt this odd compulsion.

 

After class was done, she packed up her bookbag and went to leave the class. But on the way she would have to pass Sohma-kun, who was still packing up his bag. She went to walk past, and slowy she turned toward him. Her hand started to reach out toward his head. For some reason, she was reaching out to pet him.

 

As she realized what she was doing and was about to pull her hand back, the orange-haired boy turned toward her and bit her hand. Hard.

 

Shock covered both their faces.

 

`He acts just like a cat toward me!'

`What the hell did I do THAT for?!' He was so shocked that he didn't even think about it. Normally in a situation where he'd done something dumb, he'd get all mad and start yelling, transferring the blame to the person he'd injured. But he was so surprised, he actually apologized. “Sorry. I… don't know… why I did that!”

 

She cradled her injured hand to her, and looked at him in surprise. “Uh…”

 

“You're Sakaki-kun, right?” He noticed that her hand was actually bleeding. He'd gotten used to the toughness of his cursed relatives. “Oh, man. You're bleeding.” He slung his backpack over his shoulder and grabbed her good hand. “Come with me. My cousin's a doctor.”

 

He dragged the girl behind her practically running, all the way to the main house. When she saw the size of the complex, she gaped as he dragged her along.

 

Finally, they made it to Hatori's office, and he burst in with her in tow.

 

“Ha- gasp! Tori! Wheeze!”

 

“Kyo. And friend? To what do I owe this unexpected interruption?”

 

Kyo grabbed the girl's wrist, and thrust her hand in Hatori's face. There was a distinct bite pattern - human, and it was still bleeding. “Help her!”

 

His doctor's instinct kicked in as he looked at her hand. He instantly grabbed some disinfectant and some sterile cotton and began gently cleaning the wound.

 

“I'm sorry, miss, for my younger cousin's lack of manners. He was obviously more concerned about your well-being than in proper introductions.” He continued to dab gently at the wound, as Kyo glowered at him. “My name is Sohma Hatori. I'm the Sohma family doctor. It's a bit unusual for me to see ANYONE other than Sohma family members.” He turned her hand over and began working on the other side. “But I'm sure there's a reason why he brought you here. And I'm sure there's a reason why you have a human bite pattern on your hand, Miss…”

 

“Sakaki,” she responded. She was a bit taken aback. This was all a bit much. First she feels herself compelled to pet him like a cat - then he bit her like almost every cat she ever met did. And then, she got dragged halfway across town to be thrust into the presence of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAN she'd ever seen!

 

Kyo looked embarrassed, as he said, “Yeah. She's Sakaki Azuma. She's… in my Freshman comp class. I bit her.”

 

Sakaki-san saw the man grimace and close his eyes, shaking his head just a little. He sighed, then opened his eyes and went back to work as he said, “I see.

 

“I don't suppose there's a reason you'd like to tell me why you bit her.”

 

“I… I really don't know,” Kyo replied lamely. He looked at the beautiful, tall brunette and said, “I'm really sorry, Sakaki-san.”

 

“Uh. It's okay, Sohma-kun,” she said to him. “I'm… I'm sure you didn't mean to…”

 

Hatori interrupted her. “Miss Sakaki. I'm noticing a lot of scars in the same general location as… Kyo's bite. A whole lot of scars, actually…” He looked at her face questioningly and she blushed.

 

“I… uh… I get bit a lot,” she said quietly. “Whenever I try to pet a cat. For some reason cats just don't like me. Except Yamamaya.” (AN: Yamamaya means something like wild cat)

 

Kyo and Hatori got quiet then. Hatori broke the silence. “I see. So, why, may I ask, do you continue to try to pet them?”

 

She smiled shyly. “I just love animals.” Kyo and Hatori both blushed at that for some reason.

 

“Yeah, that's right. In class that guy said you were at the university to study veterinary medicine. So you and Hatori have a lot in common!” He snickered at that.

 

“Well, that's very interesting.” Hatori finished bandaging her hand. “And you attend the same class here as Kyo. Well, I guess you'll get to see first hand whether or not Kyo is wild or domestic - by whether he bites you again.”

 

Kyo humphed at him. “I'm really sorry again, Sakaki-san. But I do have to get home. Maybe the doctor here will walk you home?” He ran out before Hatori could say anything.

 

Hatori sighed and shook his head.

 

“I appreciate your help, Sohma-san. How much do I owe you?”

 

Hatori looked startled. “If anyone owes anyone anything, it's I who owe you an apology for my younger cousin's… rude behaviour. Now let's see about walking you home.”

 

“There's really no need,” she said, blushing. “I'm sure I can find my way…”

 

“The Sohma family complex is very confusing until you get used to it. I couldn't let a beautiful young girl run the risk of getting lost.” He held out his arm like a gentleman, and she took it with her good hand. He closed the door behind him and walked her out the door.

 

 

XXXXX X XX XX XXX XXXX X XX XXXXX

 

 

They walked along silently, her hand through his arm.

She had never been much of a talker. Neither had he. But since they didn't know each other, they had no way of knowing that.

Even though they were both silent, their thoughts raced as they walked along.

At the first street they had to cross, he glanced over at her. Not down, just over. `How unusual to meet a young lady this tall. She's almost as tall as I am.'

He glanced at her bandaged hand. `Maybe that's why Kyo bit her - she's almost four inches taller than him. That had to be a blow to his ego. He really does worry about the wrong things.' He sighed. `I hope he learns more than his classwork while he goes to
college. He's grown so much already, but he still has a lot of things to learn.

`Like how to accept people - if someone as beautiful as this young lady tried to pet me… Odd how she instinctively knew he was a cat - she must be really attuned to animals.' He turned to look at her as he smiled at the thought. `Well, she certainly has chosen the
correct career path. Sometimes I wish we had a vet in the family - it would help me treat the rest of us when we transform.' He sighed derisively at himself for even thinking that.

Throughout all this, Sakaki was looking at the people they passed along their way. She noticed people smilling at the two of them. At the first crosswalk, she heard an elderly lady murmur to her husband, "Oh, what an adorable couple. So suited for each other."
The blush that came to her face was immediate. She glanced up at the man walking next to her. `My god, he's beautiful.' Her blush deepened, and involuntarily, her hand grasped his arm a bit more tightly. She thought he must have felt the increase in pressure because he turned to look at her and smiled. Without realizing she was doing it, she smiled back. Then she turned her attention toward where they were going, and guided him to make the necessary turn. `Now that I think of it, Kyo was pretty attractive too. I guess,' she thought, her brow furrowing, `I just didn't notice it because… well, because… the only thought in my mind when I looked at him was "kitty".

`That's just weird though. It was kind of like… that dream. The father cat. So very strange.'

They reached another stoplight, and she heard Hatori sigh. She pulled a little on his arm to get his attention. When he looked at her, he saw the question in her face. "Are you okay, Sohma-san?"

Radiating a beaming smile toward her, he responded, "I am quite well, Sakaki-san. I was just thinking how long it's been since I've had the pleasure of walking in the company of such a beautiful young lady."

Sakakit blushed and looked down toward the ground. But she was smiling shyly. Internally, he gaped at himself. `Who the hell was that talking?' he thought. `Ayame and Shigure at their best couldn't have managed a smoother line.' Scolding himself for his behaviour, he reigned in his smile to a more appropriate level, ignoring that for the first time since Kana, it felt unnatural to be as cold as he always attributed himself to be.

"So you're studying to become a veterinarian. That's very admirable."

The girl shrugged. "Not so admirable." She smiled her private smile. "I just really wanted to spend as much time around animals as possible. This seemed… the logical choice.

"It's not like I'm going to be a doctor." She looked at him pointedly, her glance clearly stating, "like you." "You actually help people." She waved her bandaged hand at him as evidence of his great benevolence.

He shrugged - very much like she had a moment ago. "Well, since my practice really only encompasses my own family, I rarely get the opportunity to assist anyone."

"Then I am especially grateful to have had your assistance today, Sohma-san." She smiled at him and was surprised to see him blush. "This is it. Perhaps you'd like to come in and I could brew you a cup of tea in thanks?"

Turning to face her fully, he saw she had both hands clasped in front of her, as if she really wanted him to come in. As if she wasn't just saying that to be polite. He knew, though, that he really should be getting back to the main house.

When she realized he didn't look like he was going to answer, she inserted her key into the apartment door and said, "And you could come meet Yamamaya." She held the door open for him to enter.

"Yamamaya?" The surprise was evident on his face. She'd said that wild cats didn't try to bite her - only domestic ones did. But she couldn't possibly have a wild cat in -

He'd entered as she'd held the door. To do otherwise would have been rude. He turned back to the door, toward her, as she closed it, locked it, and turned back to him with a smile. "Yes. Yamamaya. My cat."

`Oh! She meant her OWN cat was the only one that didn't bite her - not that only wild cats don't bite her.' He smiled back at her, berating himself for his assumption. `How cute that she named it-'

As he stepped back to allow her to pass, she gestured to him. "Please, come in to the kitchen." He followed her into the kitchen, and when she gestured to a chair, he took a seat. "I'm sorry there really isn't a proper dining room - it's just a small apartment - but it serves my needs fairly well." Sakaki had begun bustling around the kitchen, setting up the teapot, and pulling out a teapot in the shape of a cat.

He looked around the kitchen. It was tastefully decorated, not overly done, but the theme was very clear. Mostly it was cats and kittens, but there were puppies, bunnies, horses, and on one wall, she had a Chinese Zodiac chart with chibi animals prominently displayed.

He cleared his throat. "So… You like the Chinese Zodiac?"

Spinning around toward him, she was surprised to see that he looked a little embarrassed at his question. She smiled at him and sat down opposite him at the table to await the teakettle boiling. "Yes, I do.

"I'm sure you've heard the old story about how the zodiac came to be? God invited all the animals - "

Hatori held up one hand, forestalling her. His tone was ironic yet kind as he said, "I'm more familiar with that story than you could possibly imagine."

"I think that story might be why I love animals so much."

Without saying a word, Hatori cocked his head, and Sakaki instantly recognized it as invitation to continue.

"My father told me that story when I was little."

"Really? And what do you think of the story?"

"Now, I wonder if it isn't just an allegory to show that it's important not to miss opportunities when they arise. But when I was little…" The teakettle screeched out it's announcement that the water was boiling. "Oh! Excuse me."

Gracefully she stood to brew the tea. His eyes rested on her hips' swaying motion as she walked to the stove, and poured the boilingwater into the teapot. Then she picked up the tray, and turned around to bring it to the table. With an effort, he yanked his eyes up to her face.

"I hope you don't mind - this is the only good tea I have right now - all the rest is just bags." She set the tray down and set out in front of each of them a small British-style tea service with a tiny cup and saucer, and a little strainer to catch the leaves. She poured for both of them, then set the strainers in their catchers. Only then did she sit down across from him.

Holding the cup to his face, he inhaled the delicate fragrance. "Sakura Green Tea!" he exclaimed.

"It's my favorite," they declared in unison. And blushed in unison. They buried themselves in their teacups to hide for a moment, until Hatori broke the silence.

"So you were saying: when you were little, what did you think of the zodiac story?" He blushed deeper and took another sip of tea.

She looked away awkwardly. "Well… I felt bad for the cat. Not only did he miss out on the banquet, he was tricked by the rat, and then shunned. But I also felt really badly for all the animals. I mean, the God was supposed to be throwing the banquet to honor the animals. It was supposed to be a good thing. But then one doesn't show up and he's punished. I kept thinking how awful it must be to serve a God who was only benevolent when you did everything he wanted you to do."

Hatori looked at her, stunned. She'd pretty much hit the nail on the head there.

"And I thought, if God won't take care of his animals, then I'll make sure to do whatever I can that's nice for them." She chuckled self-depricatingly. "I wished I could just hug every single one of those poor animals and show them that not everyone will be nice to them only if they do exactly what's expected."

Hatori felt his color rising as he looked at this beautiful woman who quite obviously had no way of knowing what impact those words would make on one of the Sohmas. She also appeared to have no clue how amazingly attractive she was. `Tohru kinda beat you to that task, but if you wanted to hug me…' He shook his head slightly to try to shake that thought out of there. `My god! I must be hanging around Shigure too much.'

"Anyway, Mom yelled at Dad for telling me that story later, though. Because I kept asking for a cat after that. But Mom was allergic to animals." She smiled gently. "Anyway, it really was pointless for me to even ask. There was never a cat who wanted to be with me until Yamamaya." She held her bandaged hand up as proof.

"So what do YOU think of the Zodiac story, Sohma-san?"

"Please, call me Hatori." He noticed her blushing when he said that so he quickly added, "All my patients do."

She nodded at him in acceptance but thought, `But didn't he say that all his patients were family members?'

"Well, Miss Sakaki -"

"If I'm to call you Hatori," she blushed as she said his name, "then it's only fair you call me Azuma, right?"

"Fair enough, Azuma," he intoned and her pulse rate sped up.

"So you were saying?"

He clasped his hands together with forefingers extended and tented, tapping them on his lips. Then he pulled them away and said, "I think I've heard the zodiac story too many times to be able to form an opinion that really means anything. But your interpretation of the story is probably the most insightful one I've ever heard."

The cat had walked past him unnoticed as he was looking at her. Hatori jumped back startled as it jumped up into her arms, then purred and rubbed against her chin in greeting.

As he watched the cuteness of the scene in front of him, he was startled to realize, "That really is a Yamamaya!" The markings on the cat were distinctive - it could only be a real wild cat. But it seemed moderately well-behaved, just like any other housecat. Well, any cat OTHER than Kyo.

"I… met him on my class trip, and when his mother died, he… came and found me." The warmth of her love for the single cat who had ever shown her any affection radiated off her in waves, and the normally stoic doctor briefly thought, `Spring.' But he was caught up in the tableaux enough that he didn't realize what he was thinking, even as he thought it.

She sighed - a little contentedly, and just a little bit grudgingly. "Yamamaya, you know you're not supposed to jump up when I'm at the table." Leaning over, she set Yamamaya on the floor and patted his head. "I… have a hard time disciplining him. He's had a rough life." She smiled down at her kitten on the floor.

The cat, however, didn't seem to notice. He had walked around the table and was staring up at Hatori. And sniffing the air. Yamamaya walked closer, as if he was following his nose. Hatori looked down at the cat, and was just about to reach over and pat his head when he jumped into the unsuspecting doctor's lap.

"Oh! He likes you!"

But the cat was sniffing closer, and when he licked his lips, the dragon/seahorse felt a moment of panic.

Which was immediately followed by surprise as the cat rubbed against his chin, and then started licking the doctor's neck. As Sakaki looked on, the doctors hands thrust out to the sides, fingers splayed. Then he began to thrash about, convulsively. From across the table, she heard him say, "Ti… Ti… Tick… Tickl… TICKLISH!"

He was obviously without a clue. He wanted to stop the cat, but it felt good, and yet, not. He was laughing hysterically, screechingly. His arms continued to flail, and soon his feet were off the floor as his legs started twitching. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Sakaki couldn't help herself. She started to laugh - full out. The girl laughed, and he found himself drinking in the sight and the sound, even as he convulsed, even as he screamed. `Like bells,' he thought, listening to the tinkling sound of her laugh, `tiny silver bells.'

Yamamaya abruptly cut off his ministrations. Perhaps the cat was disappointed that even though Hatori smelled like seafood to him, he apparently didn't taste like it. OR perhaps the cat realized that his point had been made: `I recognize you for what you are.'

Yamamaya sat back and looked into Hatori's eyes, and Hatori was suddenly convinced it was the latter. The cat broke the stare, looked Hatori up and down once, then appeared to nod, jumped off his lap, and walked out of the room.

Simultaneously, the two looked away from the cat and up at each other. Simultaneously, they felt their stomachs fly up into their hearts. Simultaneously they swallowed. And simultaneously they began to speak.

"Would you care to stay for dinner?"
"I really should be going back to the complex."

Even though they both spoke at once, they had heard what the other had said. Sakaki tried her best to not look disappointed. After all, he was a doctor, and probably very busy, and he had taken a great deal of time out of his schedule for her already.

Hatori inwardly smiled. `She wanted me to stay for dinner?' Then he schooled his features. `She's just started college. It would be completely inappropriate even without our curse.'

"I really do have to go. I have a patient that requires a great deal of care."

"I understand. Thank you so much for everything." She said, as they walked toward the door. She opened it to let him out and he turned to her.

He reached out and picked up her injured hand, checking the bandages. "It was my pleasure," he said, and in an uncharacteristically chivalrous move, he kissed the back of her hand, "Miss Sakaki Azuma."

Her free hand floated over her heart, and she found she had no words. Then he turned, and walked out the door. Out of her life.

Closing the door behind her, she sighed.


XXX END SCENE XXX

Her plan had been to make just a light dinner for herself - a ramen bowl, and a hard boiled egg. Now, she wasn't really hungry for even that. If the doctor had stayed, it would have been quite a feat putting together a decent meal to feed him. She knew that. Still, the fact that he wasn't there, that he had left so easily, somehow caused her hunger to vanish.

She cleaned up the tea set and set out some food for Maya, reviewed her class schedule for the next day, then gave up and went to bed.

There, sleep eluded her. Each time her eyes closed, she saw a pair of emerald eyes gazing into hers. Or she'd feel his hands holding her injured one. The harder she tried to sleep, the more she seemed to toss and turn. The more she tried to not hear the rich baritone voice calling her name softly as he did just before he left, "Miss Sakaki Azuma," the voice deep with promise of… what she wasn't exactly certain, but it made her feel like her belly was on fire, and made her twitch, legs rubbing against each other as if… something was missing.

When sleep did finally claim her, it provided little respite from her thoughts. She would have gotten more rest running in an all night marathon. Poor Maya slept on the floor for the first time since he'd come to live with her - for safety's sake. Otherwise the buxom brunette might have kicked him, or rolled over on him in her sleep.

Her dreams didn't help either. She knew that the doctor, Hatori - she had a hard time even thinking his name without blushing - was prominently featured in her dreams. And she remembered at some point, he had held her hand in both of his and began tracing his fingers up and down her hands as he said… something to her that made her heart feel somehow light and tight at once. At another point, he had been looking into her eyes, and his face came closer to hers, and in her dream she had thought, `He's going to kiss me!' and she felt herself close her eyes in anticipation. But all the rest of the dream was lost to her when she awoke. All she knew was that parts of her body that she normally either didn't pay much attention to, or deliberately tried not to pay much attention to, felt tingly and wanting more.

She left for her classes the next morning yawning and groggy.

XXX END SCENE XXX


Over at the Sohma estate, a certain doctor was having insomnia problems of his own. However, being a lot less innocent than the 19 year old woman he was dreaming about, his thoughts and dreams were similarly less innocuous.

When he'd arrived back at the compound, Akito had already retired for the night with Kureno, so there were no immediate needs for his services at the present. He sighed when he found that out. `I could have stayed. Wait. What am I saying? I couldn't have stayed. She was just being polite. She's 9 years younger than me. And a beautiful, intelligent, vibrant woman. She's destined to be with some nice young man who won't ruin her.' A flash of the last woman who had touched his life, his former fiancée, ruined and in tears in front of him, begging for release flashed before his eyes. `I couldn't do that to her.' The pain of his loss tore at his heart still. `I couldn't go through it again.'

With that thought, he turned back to his kitchen and fixed an instant ramen bowl, pulled a hard boiled egg out of the fridge, and ate his makeshift meal. He knew it was a plain meal. He didn't really care. The only time he found food didn't taste like ashes in his mouth was
when Tohru prepared a meal for his family and included him. This was true not only because she was an amazing cook, but more so because those rare occasions marked a family event - and the joy of it was almost immeasurable in his life.

After he'd finished, he threw out the plastic bowl the ramen had come in, put the spoon in his dishwasher, and sat on the back porch looking into his little garden. Reaching into his front pocket, the doctor pulled out his pack of cancer sticks. He knew they were bad for you, but for those cursed, it hardly merited worrying about - although if any of the younger jyuunishi ever picked up the habit, he'd have some choice words for them.

Once one was secured in his mouth, and he'd lit it with the flick of a match, he leaned back and stared out at his little garden.

Chocolate almond-shaped eyes smiled up at him. He shook his head to clear it. He had no right to think about her. Still, she was quite a remarkable young woman. It was probably illegal for her to have an actual wildcat as a pet, but from what he saw, it didn't look like it would be a problem for her. To be safe though, he'd ask Kyo to go visit and talk to the cat - make sure the girl would come to no harm.

He dragged at the cigarette irritably. There was absolutely no reason why the thought of Kyo in her house should make him feel uncomfortable. So obviously, his discomfort was coming from something else. He adjusted his position on the porch to find a smoother portion of wall. He scowled again. Took another long hit off the cigarette that took it down to the filter. He stubbed out the butt in the ashtray and rose with a sigh.

To bed. To sleep. Perchance to dream. Not that his dreams were ever pleasant.

Grudgingly, he went through his end of the day routine, stripped down to his boxer-briefs, and climbed into bed. Which brings us to the insomnia problems mentioned earlier.

Staring up to the ceiling, he remembered the curves of the young woman he'd met that day. Nothing like Kana. Kana was slender and diminutive. He towered over Kana. But Azuma was more akin to him - more his height, and it seemed, more like in thought and spirit. Where Kana always had been light and carefree, Azuma was thoughtful, cautious.

And when he and Kana had made love, she'd been enthusiastic, but somehow a bit timid. Her small breasts were perfectly shaped and burned into his memory, but as he remembered his former love, he saw those perfect pert breasts grow in size and shape - he glanced up at the woman he remembered riding him to sweet bliss that he had never thought would ever be granted him, and instead of the short bouncy brown hair of his former love, long raven tresses formed a curtain around him and tickled his chest.

He heard her rich voice moan his name and he knew he was asleep and dreaming. Still when he looked up at the young girl's face, he knew it was wrong and he forced himself awake.

The second time he fell asleep, he'd dreamed of the time Kana first asked if she could please him orally. But when he looked down and saw the petite mouth of Kyo's classmate engulfing him, again he stopped himself and pulled himself out of sleep.

After that he gave up, went into the kitchen to brew some coffee, and pulled out one of Shigure's novel - one of the ones that actually was literature NOT one of the ones filled with the kind of smut usually reserved for pornos and fanfiction lemons. Shigure actually was a very talented writer. It was kind of a shame that he wasted so much energy and effort on idiocy.

With a Herculean effort, Hatori was able to actually focus on the novel in front of him and not think about how soft those curves must be, and how soft her lips would be on his or his… He was used to schooling his thoughts, though. It wasn't as difficult as it would have been for say Ayame or Shigure.

The night passed without incident for him. And also without sleep. It wasn't the first night like this for him. He was certain it wouldn't be the last. When morning came, he was on his third pot of coffee. He made sure to eat breakfast. Otherwise the amount of coffee he was sure to consume that day would eat a hole right through his stomach lining.

XXX END SCENE XXX


For each of them, the day went by without too much hassle. After all, missing one night of sleep never killed anyone. She went to her classes, did her homework, came home, played with Maya, fed him, changed clothes and went to her job.

Her parents were helping pay for school, but she was covering most of the costs as well as paying for her books, her apartment, and her living expenses. So before she even moved out, she found herself a job waiting tables at a very respectable restaurant. Her experience at her high school cultural festivals paid off. That and her stunning looks. She was hired more quickly than she had anticipated. And with as thoughtful and courteous as her nature was, she quickly became a favorite of the regulars and made some respectable tips.

That day, she was a little slower than usual, but being thoughtful took her above the exhaustion and she didn't make any mistakes that she couldn't recover from.

His day went similarly. Routine helped him over the tiredness hurdle. He made his normal rounds at the Sohma family clinic. He checked in on Akito-sama. He filed paperwork. He ate his lunch - a small salad and a small piece of tuna. Second rounds came and went. A few Sohmas who were ill were visited and medicine was prescribed. Then, it was back home to cook dinner. Which was again was ramen and an egg. Topping it off with a glass of milk he'd covered the food groups for the day.

At the end of the day, they each took a bath - to relax them some more so that sleep wouldn't be an issue. It had been more than a day now since they'd met the intrusion to the previous night's sleep. Surely, once their bodies were relaxed, sleep would come to refresh them.

Except as she sank into the tub, she saw emerald eyes again.
Unconsciously, one hand slid down her flat stomach toward where her heat pooled. Her fingers brushed through the curls, lightly grazing her secret jewel and she sighed "Hatori." The sound escaping her lips brought her to consciousness. Jolting upright out of the water, her hands flying up away from where they had been wandering, the water splashed violently and drenched her poor cat - who had been sitting on the tub lip purring contentedly, and occasionally drinking some Sakaki-soup.

She flushed magenta from head to toe. "What was I thinking?!" Bending over, her face was thrust below the water and she scrubbed her face as if she could wash the thoughts she was having out of her head. Coming up, her head flipped back and water flew from her long tresses. And again splashed poor Maya.

Luckily for Sakaki, Maya could hold nothing against her - ever. The cat sighed, shook itself off and walked out of the bathroom to dry out.

`Why can't I start thinking about Hatori-san? Okay, yes. He's beautiful. Unbelievably beautiful. But still… There's no way he'd ever be interested in a girl like me. Sakaki, you just have to get over it.' She nodded her head and stood up, the water dripped down
her body, clinging to her curves as tightly as the boys in her class - and Hatori - had only dreamed of doing.

Once she was dried, she pulled on her pajamas and climbed into bed. Maya was already lying on the bed waiting for her when she came in. But she sniffed the air, and then jumped down to the floor. The pheromones clearly indicated her human was not going to sleep that night, and the floor was definitely going to be the safe place to settle down.

Meanwhile, over at the Sohma complex, Hatori had sunk deep into the bubbly water. Yes, that's right. Bubbly water. When he really wanted to relax, he took a bubble bath. It was actually a secret he guarded very well.

The bubbles softly enveloped him, and the warm heat relaxed him. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift.

It didn't take long for the soft splashing of the water to arouse memories. The sound of a mouth on his long hard rod. He didn't realize his hand had even worked its way down there. The rhythm both relaxing and stimulating him. When his memory played a voice in his head moaning his name around his cock he sighed contentedly. Then he heard the voice call his name again, and it was a sonorous contralto.

Releasing his member, he sat bolt upright in the tub - the action causing water to splash everywhere. Groaning he looked down at the problem that was now apparent - the tip stuck up out of the water. `What the hell is happening to me?!' Chocolate eyes floated before him. Swaying hips replayed in his memory. He forced these thoughts from him, and began thinking of the last time Shigure had come to his office for a fungus that appeared to be growing on his toenails. It was quite repellant.

That helped a little. So he thought about the last time Yuki was in Akito's special room and Hatori had to treat his back. That helped a little more. And thinking about Akito made him remember the mess that was Kana before he wiped her memory clean. With that, the problem receded completely.

He sighed as he toweled off, and thought, `I'll try for half an hour to sleep. If I'm not asleep by then, I guess it's coffee and reading again.'

Another sleepless night for them both.

XXX END CHAPTER XXX

 

 

 

One day without sleep is doable. However, each hour that you remain awake without the refreshment of sleep increases the effect exponentially.

Sakaki crawled out of bed when the alarm went off and dragged herself into the shower. The hot water refreshed her just enough so that she remembered flashes of the night before. Legs rubbing against each other in longing. Flopping around the bed like a fish out of water, she tried again and again to fall asleep, but emerald eyes and the feeling of something missing kept her heart racing - almost as if she had been taking amphetamines.

She had actually fallen asleep multiple times, but her body did sleep-calisthenics for the few minutes she was under and the end result was actually that she felt less rested than she would have if she had stayed up, say watching a movie marathon on TV.

Yawning emphatically, she finished up her shower and toweled off.

On her way to class, she picked up a white chocolate mocha latte from Starbucks. While coffee was not normally her thing, it was apparent that without the extra stimulation from the espresso in the drink, she was not going to make it.

She made it to her first class on time, and slid into a desk. Only those who knew her well would normally have noticed her exhaustion - Sakaki was just the kind of girl who seemed aloof and cool at all times. But Kyo was able to figure it out all on his own. Of course he had some extra clues. Like when he slid in next to her, she didn't even glance at him. That, of course, made him think that maybe she was mad at him still for biting her. So he apologized, "Sakaki-san, I just wanted to apologize again for the other day. I see your hand is still bandaged. Is it doing better?"

She didn't respond - she'd gone into that sleep-deprived state where you're not really unconscious, not really asleep, but not really conscious either.

"Sakaki-san?" She said nothing. That's when he noticed the glazed look in her eyes. He grabbed her bandaged hand to inspect it. "Sakaki-san?"

She jumped and turned toward him - thankfully not spilling her latte. "OH! Sohma-kun! Sorry. I… uh… didn't see you come in." `That's funny. I didn't notice he was in this class the first day.'

"Don't call me Sohma-kun, okay? Just call me Kyo. Sohma-kun is my cousin, and I hate that guy!"

"You hate Hatori-san?"

"No. Not him. A different cousin. `Hatori-san?'"

She blushed prettily. "He told me I had to call him that - that all his other patients do."

"Yeah, cuz we're all his cousins!" She blushed and turned away as he voiced the same thing she'd thought. "But don't get me wrong - he's a great doctor." He paused for effect. "Speaking of which… how's your hand?"

"Oh. It's okay. Mostly healed. I just have the bandage on still because… well, I'm a little tired today, so I didn't want to trust myself to take extra care of it."

He cocked his head questioningly at her but said, "Ok. Well, I'm just glad I didn't hurt you permanently. You… You seem like you're a pretty okay person, and I really don't know why I… why I bit you in the first place."

Her silver laugh didn't tinkle quite as much through her exhaustion, but it was still very disarming. "You really did react just like a cat."

"Do cats really bite you?"

"Almost every cat I've ever met has bit me." She looked terribly sad as she said that. "One time, a whole neighborhood of cats turned on me. If Yamamaya hadn't come and chased them off, I don't know what would have happened." Kyo could read her thoughts very clearly - the terror of being set upon by an army of cats, and beneath that, the sadness that the cats didn't like her and the longing to be accepted by them - followed by a cute smile at the memory of her own cat defending her.

"Well. That's just not right. But maybe… maybe you'll have better luck in the future." `I'll have to send the word out. Any cat who gives her a hard time will have to deal with me!' He nodded his head at her as if he'd just made up his mind about something.

"Thanks, Soh- I mean Kyo-kun."

He nodded at her again - he wasn't a big smiler, after all. And the teacher chose that moment to start up the class.

After class was done, they got swept up by others in the class and didn't really talk to each other again until their last class of the day, which they also shared.

At the end of Freshman Composition, Kyo went up to the girl to ask her if she'd like to come by the house to study.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kyo-kun, but I have to go work now." She covered her mouth with one hand as she yawned forcefully. He had noticed her yawning a lot in both classes.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were tired, were you?" She shook her head no, and he continued, "Well… if you can't come over today, maybe some other time…"

"That would be very nice, Kyo-kun. I'll see you later." She turned and headed off to her class.

`Heh. She seems pretty nice. And it would be cool to see if Kagura is afraid of someone so tall… If I was going out with Sakaki-san, Kagura might leave me alone… But if I was going out with Sakaki-san, then Tohru…" His thoughts continued in this pattern his whole trip home. He knew he wasn't really interested in her - other than as an interesting friend, but it would be pretty cool if she could help him get Kagura off his back. As he continued home, he met a stray cat, and passed him the message about being nice to Sakaki - told the cat to spread the word. `There. Maybe that will help make up for me biting her. I STILL have no idea why I did that.'

XXX END SCENE XXX

Hatori was extremely grateful for two things: routine and Rolaids.

Routine allowed him to glide through his day without a whole lot of deep thought. This was very important because he was not sure he was even capable of deep thought any more. Two days without any sleep and he felt like his brain was ice-skating on the top of a lake of frozen mental capacity. If he had been required to fish out a deep thought, the effort to chip a big enough hole through the ice to extract a thought - assuming of course he was lucky enough to catch the thought in the first place - might have resulted in an aneurysm.

And the Rolaids were also very important. Because he was drinking so much coffee just to stay awake enough to follow his routine that his stomach actually hurt. While food would probably have been a better solution than antacids, the fact was his cupboard was bare. He had eaten the last of the ramen the night before - the last of ANY food in his house - and hadn't even realized it.

God must have been smiling on him that day because his day went by quickly and without incident. When he'd finished his schedule at the clinic, he went to check on Akito.

"Ah. Hatori. Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't died yet."

A stern tone in response, "Akito-sama, not only is that comment based upon a false presupposition, but it is also rude."

"You're right, Hatori," she responded smiling at her dragon, "I know you have always cared for me." She stopped and looked up at the tall doctor curiously. "Something's not right," she declared. "Are you getting ill, Hatori? You know I don't like you to visit me when you're ill." She said it softly - not as if she meant to punish him for misbehaving, but with a tone of genuine concern.

"I am healthy, Akito-sama. Just… a bit tired." His admission was a bit grudging.

She looked him up and down with narrowed eyes. "A bit tired." It was obvious he was exhausted. "This will not do. Your services will not be needed tonight. I will not have you becoming ill because you are not taking good enough care of yourself." Her gaze was intense as if searching for weakness. "I would also wager that you haven't been eating properly, have you?"

As if in direct response to her question, his stomach growled loudly. She bit back a laugh as he proclaimed, "That wasn't what you think. I've merely had too much coffee today and require another antacid."

She gave him a look of benevolent disbelief. "Your orders for tonight are as follows, and you will obey them exactly: You are to obtain a nutritious, well-balanced meal - and that does not mean ramen and a piece of fish. You may have one of the cooks prepare you a full dinner, or you may visit a restaurant in town. You will not visit with Shigure, however - he will get you too riled up, and I don't need you getting ill. Once you have had dinner, you are to take the night off and relax.

"I will see you tomorrow, Hatori, and I expect to see you better rested." He sighed and nodded, and she smiled largely at him `She really is in a good mood today!' "You may leave me now." She turned back to her garden and he quietly let himself out.

XXX END SCENE XXX


`Better not drive,' he thought. `Not when I'm this tired.' He yawned as punctuation to his thought. With long, slow strides, he made his way to town. No real attention paid to exactly which streets he took, his goal was a certain strip with several nice, yet moderately-priced restaurants. He was startled when he realized he'd stopped just outside an apartment building - just outside one particular apartment.

Groaning as he remembered the girl opening the door and inviting him in, he worked to banish the thought of her naked, her tiny mouth on his cock. This was inappropriate. He'd never had a wild imagination before. He didn't understand what was happening to him.

With great deliberateness, he turned from the apartment building and continued on his way.

In front of him were several choices - Okinawan awamori, Hokkaido seafood, Southern Kyushu cuisine, Italian, a steakhouse, and a French bistro. Since he was more interested in food than drink, the first choice was out, and he'd never really felt comfortable eating at a seafood restaurant. French food just was not his style. Steak would be a bit heavy, probably not a good thing since he'd been eating so light lately.

Kyushu or Italian? He looked back and forth between the two. He'd tried the Italian place before and it was pretty good. The Kyushu restaurant, however, was new - last time he'd been down here, it was a sushi bar.

A flash came to him of his college days with Shigure and Ayame, making late night runs to La Boheme. (AN: La Boheme is a chain of Italian restaurants in Japan that are open VERY late - til 5am!) Gure and Aya would order Spaghetti and Meatballs and try to re-enact Lady and the Tramp. But they never managed to get the same strand of spaghetti. So instead they'd just suck on the noodles for hours, sauce splattering their clothes. Once Ayame had figured out that the stains from the splashing was caused by sucking the noodles, the attempt at movie re-enactment quickly stopped. He chuckled softly.

That settled it. He headed toward the Italian restaurant.

The atmosphere was just as he remembered: lighting dimmed, wine bottles and fake grape vines covering the wall, checkered tablecloths, candles on every table, and the smell of garlic permeating the air. He smiled.

"One, sir?" The hostess was smiling at him, and he noticed she was wiggling a bit more than would be natural for anyone - she was obviously trying to get his attention, attention on her breasts at least. He sighed, and didn't fall for it.

"Yes, please." She turned and wiggled her hips excessively as she guided him to a table. He looked around the room - they were doing pretty good business for a Wednesday night - there were 7 other tables full, and the whole restaurant only had 16. And since a young family had entered right after him, they would be over half full.

"Here you are, sir." She bent forward to expose more cleavage as she sat him down. He didn't even look at her.

"Thank you," he replied, sitting and picking up his menu. She gave a pouty sigh and stomped off.

He breathed a sigh of relief. This was a different hostess from the last time he was here, and he preferred the old one, who was professional and not obviously looking for her M.R.S. degree. He buried his face in the menu, looking for what he'd already decided he wanted to order. When he was satisfied, he closed the menu and leaned back, closing his eyes and trying to relax.

XXX CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE XXX

Okay, so one day without sleep didn't make too much of an impact on her work. But the second day was testing her abilities.

So far, she'd spilled three drinks, and mixed up the orders at her first two tables of the night. None of the spilled drinks had landed anywhere but the floor, and the mixed up orders only involved setting the plates in front of the wrong people at the table, but still. She knew better. She was grateful that she hadn't made any further errors on the five other tables that had come in since then.

Still, she had to get some sleep tonight - even if that meant taking a sleep aid. Normally, she didn't approve of those type things, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She yawned again, and finished her 7th cup of coffee so far this shift. Then she headed to her next new table - a one-top.

Hatori opened his eyes as a glass of water was set in front of him, followed by a basket of fresh garlic bread. "Good evening sir, can I get you something to drink?"

He looked up just as she finally focused in on who it was at the table. "Azuma-kun?"

"Hatori-san?"

They remained frozen for a moment, as they drank in the other. `Even better looking than I remembered.'

For her job, Sakaki was wearing tight black pants, a white shirt and a green bow tie, and a black bib apron. Her hair was up in a tight bun that drew attention to her amazing cheekbones and big brown eyes. His jaw was hanging slightly open, and for some reason he wanted to pull her into his lap right that second. `But that doesn't make sense. What? What was it I was just thinking? Where? Dinner. Right. Akito sent me for dinner.'

"You… you work… I didn't know that you worked here, Azuma-kun."

"Um. Yeah. This is where I work." `That was brilliant, Sakaki. You're the conversationalist tonight.' "It… pays the bills - college, and everything else."

He smiled at her a bit goofily and nodded. Then stared at her gorgeous eyes. His heart seemed to be beating irregularly - probably the sleep deprivation.

`Emeralds. Sparkling.' She returned his stare. `Not fair. He's too…' She pulled herself out of reverie and blinked her eyes. "Uh, right. So… Can I… can I bring you something to drink, Hatori-san?"

He broke away from her gaze and blushed. Without looking at her, he replied, "I can place my whole order, if you'd like."

"Okay." She'd seen his blush, but couldn't make sense of it.

Still, looking anywhere but at her, he stated, "I'd like a glass of chianti to drink. For dinner, a Caesar salad and the chicken arrabiata." The lovely girl carefully notated his order.

Nodding, she inquired as if on automatic pilot, "Will that be all?"

He looked up at her and their eyes caught. "For now," he replied, surprising himself with his own intensity. The dragon was becoming a bit restless and ready to play.

Her stomach jumped up to swallow her heart at the look in his eyes. Suddenly, she didn't feel tired anymore - a rush of adrenaline sent her floating from his table to fill his order.

He watched her hips as she receded toward the bar. The gentle swaying was perfectly in time with his heartbeats. His reluctance to involve her in his living hell was fading into the grey exhaustion that encased his being, dissolving into forgetfulness, almost as if he had used his own talents upon himself. The dragon was hungry, and had now chosen his prey.

She placed the order for the chianti at the bar, and the bartender smiled at her. "Well, you've perked up!" the older woman said. Her eyes glanced toward the gentleman at the new table, then back to Sakaki. "I can see why! Yyyyyyyyum!" She winked at the girl.

Sakaki looked down shyly. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to place his order." She spun and headed toward the kitchen. Hatori's eyes burned into her hips, she felt a heat start to build there that previously she had only felt during her dreams the past two nights. As she disappeared through the kitchen door, Hatori's smile turned into a smirk that Shigure would have envied.

In the kitchen, she began placing her order. When she had finished placing it, one of the other waitresses, Mitsune, pulled her aside. "Oh my GOD! Sakaki! How did you luck into getting that guy in YOUR section!"

Another coworker, Ryoko, agreed, "Yeah! He's so HOT! Man, if my three-top had only come in two minutes earlier, then you'd be waiting on them, and *I'd* have gotten lucky."

The girls giggled as Sakaki looked at them with a confused expression. "What do you mean?" she asked. "You'll make more money off your three-top than I will off a single, won't you?"

Mitsune & Ryoko rolled their eyes. "It's just not fair that she lucked into that table and she doesn't even know enough to take advantage of it."

"Yeah! And how does a girl as pretty as you make it to college without knowing… well, anything?" The girls laughed at her, then apologized as they saw a look of hurt on her face.

"We don't mean anything mean by it, Sakaki-san," Ryoko said. "Really. It's just hard to not envy someone as pretty and nice as you."

Mitsune nodded and squeezed her arm, and Sakaki shook her head uncomprehendingly and walked back into the dining room, toward the bar pick up Hatori's drink. `They think I'm pretty and nice?'

As she walked back to his table, holding his glass of chianti, he watched her approach out of the corner of his eye. It wouldn't do to scare her off. A portion of his brain was screaming at him, "No. She's too good for you - too young. Leave her alone." But he was tired - too tired to fight, and the dragon within him had no such qualms.

She set the glass in front of him, and in a flash, he'd captured her wrist with his left hand as his right took the glass. He continued to hold her hand as he lifted the glass, swirled it to test the legs of the wine. He looked up at her, his eyes dark as he inhaled the bouquet, then put the glass to his lips and took a small sip. He rolled the drink in his mouth, savoring the flavor, as the hand that was holding hers stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. His eyes did not leave her face until he saw a flash from her own eyes, and he saw her swallow deeply as if afraid she would drown in his emerald depths.

He smiled at her. "Delicious."

 

She had a feeling he wasn't really talking about the wine, but responded, "It's our most popular wine." His smile grew, with a slightly predatory gleam that made her remember all over again the feelings with which she'd awoken the past two mornings.

Something in her made her decide that she was tired of running from whatever this feeling was. So she smiled at him, thinking, `I'm not sure what it is that you want, or where this is going to lead, Hatori-san, but if you lead me, I will follow.' Her heart was sure that this beautiful man was worth anything she could give.

He read the challenge in her eyes and the dragon was pleased. Very pleased. He let her hand go, trailing his fingers down her hand as he did. His reward was seeing her shiver at his touch, her breasts jostling slightly. A part of him was becoming anxious to rip that shirt off her so that he could touch them unhindered. But the game was still afoot. It was too soon.

She bowed as she left the table, and then almost ran back to the kitchen to catch her breath. Once she had herself back under control, she finished up her remaining tables. It was a fairly slow night, and she only had two. Both had already finished dinner and rejected the concept of dessert. She had but to bring them their check and cash them out. She took care of that quickly and efficiently. She wasn't closing tonight, so Hatori would be her last table.

Back in the kitchen Hatori's salad was up, so she brought that out to him. As she set it down, he smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back. "Yes," her smile was saying to him. "Yes."

She left to clear off her two tables, who were making their way out of the restaurant, and had left her quite acceptable tips for the night. She smiled and pocketed them, then began to take care of her end-of-shift tasks: refilling the sugar packets, making sure every table had filled salt, pepper, hot peppershakers. Filling the parmesan shakers and placing them in the large condiment refrigerator. That was it for her, other than her last table.

Meanwhile, Hatori was enjoying the Caesar salad. The anchovy dressing was quite well made, and he was terribly hungry. He buttered some of the garlic bread and alternated bites. As the food hit his system, it imbued his body with a bit of the energy he had been lacking. Akito was right. He did need a good meal. And some sleep.

He glanced up and saw the leggy brunette at another table, filling the salt shaker. `Dear god, she really is amazingly beautiful,' he thought. The dragon was starting to become possessive and he could hear a voice inside say, "Tonight, she will be mine."

He dropped his fork and looked at the girl bent over a table. The black pants clung to her and emphasized her hips, bringing forth a moan that rumbled deep inside his chest. `No!' he thought. `She deserves more. I won't let her be used as a one night conquest for your desires.' The dragon within smiled at him and said, `Who said this was for one night? She's exquisite. And you heard what she said about us.' Hatori put his head in his hands as he remembered her saying, "If God won't take care of his animals, then I will. I want to show them that not everyone requires obedience to be loved." He knew these probably weren't her exact words, but they were the ones his heart had heard.

`See. She wants us. She wants to love us. She loves animals. She's perfect for us.' The dragon's voice was rhythmic, seductive, and Hatori found himself being hypnotized. A small part of himself knew he was rationalizing. The dragon wasn't really speaking to him. He was just finding a reason to do what he wanted. And god knew he could not deny that he wanted this girl. Dear god, he wanted this beautiful, sensitive woman. And not just for one night.

Why did he always fall so hard, so fast when he fell?

She saw his dinner was up, and picked it up, carried it out to his table. Setting the food in front of him, she noticed his lips for the first time. They looked soft. `Why on earth am I looking at his lips?' she thought.

"Thank you, Azuma." His smiling eyes, she noticed, were twinkling. They seemed more at peace, more decisive, more certain, less predatory, but not less demanding. Demurely, she beamed at him. His glance was cast across the restaurant as a young couple that was obviously in love was being seated. "Will that be your table then?" He had noticed that the last two tables that had come in went to the other wait staff.

"Uh. No. You're… my last table of the night, Hatori-san."

His countenance grew more intense. `Excellent,' he thought. "Good," he said softly.

She cocked her head in question. "Excuse me, Hatori-san? I didn't quite catch that."

The shaking of his head told her he hadn't said anything - it was just her imagination. He began to tuck in to his meal, and she left him to eat in peace. It was quite delicious. Just as he remembered. But a part of his brain was imagining alternating bites to him, then feeding her. He saw her tiny mouth open as he placed the food there. Her plump lips closing sensuously over the fork as he pulled it out. He shook himself out of his reverie and concentrated on just eating the delicious meal laid out for him. He would have time to contemplate another delicious meal once (and if) he managed to get that one laid out for him later. He groaned softly. `I really must be spending too much time with Shigure.'

Pacing in the kitchen, she asked Mitsune & Ryoko once again if she could do anything to help them.

"Well… you could go home and let ME finish up your one-top for you," Ryoko jokingly replied. The dirty look Sakaki shot her was unprecedented. Holding up her hands to ward off the taller waitress, she looked to Mitsune for support. "See! I knew she couldn't possibly be THAT oblivious!" She nodded and smiled, "No, there's nothing I need. But I wish you the best of luck!" Ryoko spun and left the kitchen to check on her table.

Sakaki glanced at Mitsune who just smiled and said, "We'll want details later, girl." Her grin grew at Sakaki's consternation, and she exited the kitchen laughing. Sakaki shook her head, her brows furrowed.

Sighing, she grabbed a bowl of Minestrone and sat at the table in the kitchen to eat her own dinner: Minestrone soup and small piece of lasagna. After working in the restaurant businesses for the past three months, she had gotten used to eating fairly quickly. She made quick work of the soup and took a quick bite of lasagna, then went to check on her table.

"Is everything okay, Hatori-san?"

His eyes bored into hers. "Everything is delightful."

She blushed. "Can I get you anything else?"

His eyes had not left hers, and were delving into her soul. "Not just yet, Azuma," he purred her name.

Trying not to visibly react, she nodded and then spun away, back to the kitchen and her own meal. The trek back took a great deal of effort because the lack of sleep seemed to be making her knees not want to work right. They felt spongy. Melty.

She finished her meal without even really tasting it. Her mind just kept picturing the dragon's eyes boring into hers, and for some reason, she was imagining her hands up between them, placed on his chest - which was bare. Smooth and hot to the touch. It was just too hot in this kitchen.

And what was she thinking, anyway? He was a professional. A grown man. She was just imagining that he was… was he flirting with her? Did she want him to flirt with her? No. No she didn't. Flirting was meaningless. This man… This man was too important for flirting.

`Important? Important how?' She swallowed hard. A part of her realized that she'd fallen a little bit in love with this man. For the first time in her life, she'd fallen. And she knew, every man she ever met from this point forward would be measured by the yardstick of this amazingly kind and beautiful doctor. She sighed as she stood up and put her dishes in the bus bin.

Hiding her sadness, she left the kitchen to take care of him for one last time. She never imagined for one second that what she wanted to come had even the potential of happening.

She glided over to his table, a bit depressed at her realization, just as he finished his last bite and set his fork down on the plate. She masked her feelings with a friendly smile.

"Will there be anything else, Hatori-san? Maybe… dessert?" He saw her gently nibble at her bottom lip, and internally he groaned. `Too much,' he thought, `and not enough. Not yet.'

Time to take a chance. "I would love some tiramisu and coffee. But only if…" His eyes were questioning, seeking an answer in her own. "Only if I can get them to go, and only if you… will join me?" There. He'd done it. He'd made it plain. It was up to her. If she wanted to play, if she wasn't scared of him, then maybe… And if not, he'd force the dragon to sleep tonight, regardless of how disappointed it would be.

Her eyes were locked to his. The beating of her heart was deafening. Without blinking, she nodded at him in amazement and was surprised to see him breathe a sigh of relief and see his smile soften.

She set his bill down in front of him and said, "I'll take care of dessert." He knew she didn't realize the double entendre of what she'd said, so he didn't allow his face to smirk. But inside, the dragon was very happy.

She spun back to the kitchen, almost floating. She forced a disappointed look on her face and sighing, said to Mitsune, who was in the back dishing out dessert for a table of her own, "Mitsune? Do you think I could… take a large piece of that home tonight?" The shorter waitress smiled comfortingly at her and said, "Aw, too bad. Well, don't worry. He's been in here before and he's never fallen for ANY of us." The girl cut a large piece of the comfort-dessert, and put it in a to-go container. "Here. Take it. They allow us each to have one piece a week for free. This is yours."

She grimaced at her own duplicity, but she was certain that this doctor would not want any rumors started because of her. "Thanks, Mitsune." Then she filled a large Styrofoam cup with coffee and went to cash out her last table.

He had placed cash on top of the bill and was surprised when she appeared without the dessert and coffee. "It's set," he said, referring to the bill.

"Thank you, sir. Have a good night," she said in her normal voice. "I'll be outside in five minutes?" she said softly enough so only he could hear. He looked up, startled and noticed the two other waitresses and the bartender looking at her with sympathetic faces. `Ah! I suppose if they knew I was leaving with her they'd give her a hard time.'

He steeled his face, nodded and stood to leave. She brought the check to the bartender to cash it out. Then she tipped the bartender for the night and turned to go clean up Hatori's table.

She was met by Ryoko, who was holding her cake and coffee. With a look of commiseration, she said, "I'll take care of the clean up. You go home and relax. Get some sleep." Unspoken, her look said, "Girl, I have so been there. You really liked this guy. And how could you not - he is Hotty Mchot-hot? So drown your disappointment in some tiramisu, and I'll cover for you here. I'm really sorry. And sorry I was teasing you earlier."

Sakaki smiled at the girl, feeling a little bad for her deception, but too anxious to meet the man waiting for her outside to really feel as bad as she probably should. "Thanks," she said and headed toward the door.

 

CHAPTER ENDS

 

 

 

 

 

When she exited the restaurant, she looked right and left, but did not see the doctor. She had been expecting him to be waiting for her outside. `Maybe he… changed his mind?' She spun 360, looking for him, but he was nowhere.

She lifted the dessert, looked at it, and lowered it with a sigh. Then she began the trek toward home. She made the first turn on the way home, then sighed. He was "too good to be true, I guess."

A voice from behind her said, "What's too good to be true?" She jumped and the coffee flew from her hand to land in a splat on the sidewalk. Landing to face the direction the voice came from, she was greeted by a grinning dragon, leaning against the wall of an alley.

"Hatori! You frightened me!" Her words and tone conveyed her distress, her free hand grasping at her heart, but her face was a glowing, radiant smile.

Taking her now free hand, his face twisted apologetically. "I made you drop the coffee. Sorry."

"Oh," she exclaimed as she looked to see the mess on the sidewalk, "I'm so sorry!"

"Ah!" He held up a hand as she bowed apologetically. "It was my fault for startling you. I just wanted to make sure you weren't further embarrassed with your coworkers. If they saw me waiting for you…"

She nodded. "Yes. You're right. I'm sure it would be difficult if someone saw a man of your position leaving with a waitress. And if one of them had seen you waiting then… then they'd never have sent me home with comfort tiramisu."

He was taken aback. `She did that for me?' "You… were trying to cover for me?"

Her expression was perplexed. "Well, yes. You've been so kind to me, I couldn't have anyone thinking anything inappropriate of you." Warm. She made his heart feel warm, this girl. She was… truly remarkable. Pulling her along, he started walking. As they passed the ruined coffee, he picked up the empty cup and tossed it in a nearby garbage bin. He looked up at the stars. The summer triangle was overhead. `Summer,' he thought. `How lovely.'

"Azuma, what is your favorite season?"

"Hm." She pondered the question seriously. "Well, Spring is nice because all the flowers return. And I like autumn, too: the smells of the falling leaves and the sound they make on the pavement.

"I know most people don't like winter, but I think it's my second favorite. The snow makes everything look clean - like a fresh start. And the cold gives everything a chance to rest.

"But… I have to say my favorite season is summer. Everything's in full bloom, and even though it's sometimes hot, it all just seems more… I don't know. Complete, maybe."

They'd arrived at her apartment. She went forward to unlock the door, and was startled when he spun her and pressed her against the door with both hands on her shoulders.

Again, emerald lasers burned her retinas. "Azuma, I want…" His face was close to hers. So close she could feel his breath, smell the mint he'd obviously been chewing while waiting for her. Vaguely, she was glad she'd also had a mint after her dinner, because he could probably feel her breath, too.

"I need you to know that if you invite me in, I won't say no. If you invite me in, though, I fully intend to have you, if you'll let me. But… there are some things you'll need to know about me if this is to be more than just one night." He released one shoulder and stroked her cheek.

"If you tell me to leave now, I will. ." She gulped and licked her lips, and his finger retraced the path her tongue had just taken. "And if you tell me it's only the one night, I… will have to accept that.

"But know that if you invite me in, if you do, my desire is to try to make this for more than one night. My desire is to make this last as long as possible." `My desire is to have you for as long as you'll have me. And if I lose you like I did Kana, at least I'll have loved. Even if it can't last.'

He leaned in so close that his lips were mere centimeters from hers, and she remembered her dream and thought, `He's - he's going to kiss me!'

Instead he pulled back and bowed his head. "The choice is yours."

She saw him waiting for her judgment, and if her heart hadn't already melted for this magnificent man, it would have done so as she saw the look of desperation and hope warring on his face. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Then her key worked in the lock. As the door opened, she turned back to him, and said, "I do hope you'll come in and share this dessert with me." She was blushing very prettily, but she held her head high, resolute in her decision. He smiled gratefully at her and entered her abode.

As soon as she'd closed and locked the door behind them, he pushed her to the wall and kissed her deeply. If his hands hadn't been on her hips, she would have fallen. Her legs no longer seemed capable of supporting her. Breaking for air, he moaned her name as she gasped, her chest heaving.

Recovering, they both stood, and she lifted the dessert. "Um. So, are you hungry?"

His smirking reply: "Not for food." She blushed and he chuckled. Then he got a serious look on his face. "But I need to know if you-"

She placed a finger over his lips, shushing him. "Sohma Hatori, I don't want anything meaningless. Otherwise, would it really be worth our time?" Beneath her finger, his mouth turned upwards. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"Then, we should have a talk." They removed their shoes, and he guided her to the kitchen where they sat the cake on the counter. She took off her apron and hung it from a hook.

"Azuma, do you have any salt? Preferably a new jar of it?"

Puzzled, she said, "Ye-es." He held out his hand and she opened a cupboard and pulled out the salt, handed it to him. He hefted it in his hand then sat down.

He waited until she'd sat down near him.

"I have not lived a happy life. For most of it, I've been - as cold as winter. But I was in love once. Engaged to be married. Her name was Kana. She was my spring. She melted through my defenses."

He paused, considering how to continue, and was surprised that she didn't interject anything. Most people were incapable of dealing with silences in tense situations. He smiled internally. She was truly special.

"But our happiness was not to last. To truly understand, you must realize that the Sohma family is… unique. And… what I'm about to tell you is forbidden to talk about. I've never volunteered this information to anyone before. But I'm tired. And you…" `You're stuck in my head, and I don't want you to leave.'

"My family head may punish me for this. We may not be allowed to continue seeing each other." He paused. "Or worse." He tested the weight of the salt jar in his hand.

"Can we… Could we continue this conversation in your bathroom?"

"Uh. Sure. Why?"

"It will help me to explain." He could see that she didn't understand yet. But she led him to the bathroom anyway. He had her sit on the closed toilet while he sat on the lip of the bathtub. He put the stopper in the tub, and began to fill it. He opened the salt and sprinkled it in.

"A long, long time ago, God invited all the animals to a banquet, and he told them not to be late. You know the story. It is not just a story, though. That story holds greater secrets of this world, and hides the truth of them. What is real and what is story is unclear. However, sometime between the real events of that story and now, something happened. There is no easy way to say this, but our family lives under a curse."

"A curse?"

"Yes. 14 members of the family are affected. For 13 of us, whenever we are under a great deal of stress, or hugged by someone of the opposite sex…" He stirred the water, tested its temperature. "We turn into the animals of the zodiac. I am cursed with the dragon." Her mind was trying its best to wrap around what he'd just told her. But she knew he was telling the truth. Doubting him never crossed her mind.

Then he quickly pulled Sakaki to him in a tight embrace. For a moment, he felt the warmth of her, her soft full breasts pressed against his chest, her arms wrapping around him. Then there was a loud POOF, and smoke, and he was gone from her arms. His clothes dropped to the floor, and he himself landed on the rim of the tub, where he had been sitting.

He squeaked, and just as she was about to pick him up and place him in the tub, Maya padded quickly across the floor toward him.

"Maya, NO!" She screamed. The cat ignored her and gently batted the seahorse so that he slid off the lip and into the tub. Then the cat sat down on the edge of the tub and licked his paw. He nodded at Hatori in the tub, looked up smilingly to Sakaki, then padded out of the bathroom.

In the tub, Hatori thought to himself, `I really need to get Kyo over here to meet Maya. That is no ordinary cat.'

Sakaki kneeled by the tub and put her hand in the water. "I don't know if you can hear me, Hatori, but… I'm not going anywhere. And I promise I won't tell your secret to anyone." Hatori swam over to her hand and butted up against it.

Another poof occurred, and he was naked, lying in the tub, with her hand on his chest. It was smooth and hot, just like she had imagined. Cheeks burning, keeping her eyes on his face, she asked, "I'll never be able to hug you?" He shook his head no, waiting for rejection. Waiting to have to erase her memory.

"Then I'll have to kiss you twice as often," she said, and leaned in to claim his lips. `I won't go back. I already decided. My heart is already his.' He sat up to kiss her more fully.

"There's more, I'm afraid," he said sadly. She stroked his arm, waiting for him to continue. "Our family head, Akito, is the 14th cursed person. Akito bears the brunt of the curse, as the God of the old story. Akito… well, we jyuunishi must follow Akito's orders, we really cannot disobey. And Akito is… very jealous of us." (AN: I'm using the real definition of jealous here. Most people mistake jealousy for envy. Envy is when you want what someone else has. Jealousy is when you have something, but are worried someone else will get it, take it away from you. Akito is jealous of the jyuunishi, not envious. Well, perhaps she's both, but that's not what Hatori is talking about. Now back to the story.)

Sighing, a look of desolation colored his face. His arms crossed over his bare chest as if he was cold, but he made no move to get out of the tub. Sakaki reached behind her and pulled a clean, folded towel off a shelf and wrapped it around him as he spoke.

"Kana and I went to Akito and requested permission to be married. Akito was not pleased - I suppose our family leader felt betrayed at not being told of our relationship before it got far enough for marriage to enter the equation. Enraged, Akito smashed a vase on the table and a shard hit me." Hatori pulled back his shaggy hair to reveal his damaged eye. "I… don't see very well out of this eye now.

"There was a lot of blood, and Kana blamed herself for not protecting me. She… wouldn't eat. She didn't sleep. She started to break down." The pain he felt radiated off him, and Sakaki found herself weeping silently for him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but understood that would cause him more pain rather than help ease it.

"Soon, it became clear. As long as she loved me, as long as she remembered her love for me, she would continue to deteriorate. There was only one thing I could do."

He looked up at the brunette before him with eyes that feared for her.

"In every generation of the jyuunishi, there is one who has an additional curse. Akito calls it a `gift', but for those who hold it, we understand it is a curse." Bitterness flashed across his face as he remembered Yuki, Momiji, all of those who had suffered because of his supposed gift. Never once did he put himself in that group, though. His suffering was mere penance.

"In order to protect our family - if anyone were to find out about the curse, it could cause problems - one of us always holds the ability to erase people's memories.

"To save her, I had to make her forget - forget we had ever been in love. She remembered working with me, knowing me, but she would never know, never again feel the love we had shared."

Sakaki's hands were clasped at her heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks. `Oh, Hatori! How alone you must have been.'

"If I tell Akito that I've fallen in love again, I don't know what will happen. Perhaps you'll be given the chance to keep our secret. But I may be ordered to erase your memory.

"You wouldn't feel any pain. You would simply go on living as if we had never met. I imagine that, like Kana, you would meet someone else, fall in love, and get married as regular people do."

She remained still. Her eyes open, tears freely flowing, mouth in a pained grimace, hands clutched at her heart as if that could relieve the pain. Her mind latched on to the three words he'd said that made her heart feel light and heavy at the same time. `Fallen in love?' Everything else she could deal with, could comprehend.

"I wanted to make you aware of everything before… before it went too far, before there was no turning back. If you ask me to leave now, I will. I can leave your memories intact, or erase them if you prefer." Unknowingly, his tone was a touch bitter when he said "erase", and she knew in her soul that every memory he had ever touched was a wound to his heart, his soul. "But either way, if you ask me to leave now, I will not say a word to Akito. And I will completely understand."

She was shaking her head. "No. No, Hatori. It has already gone too far." Hands came down to result in fists by her sides. "It's… How can you possibly be in love with me? You barely know me. How can I possibly be in love with you?" Her nimble fingers were removing her bow tie, then unbuttoning her blouse. "It shouldn't be possible. Should it?" Her blouse now hung open.

His eyes fell upon her pale peach lace clad breasts, fuller even than he had imagined. Forcing his gaze up to hers, he saw her cheeks were wet with tears, eyes filled with emotion. "Azuma, I-"

Her lips crashed into his. Her hands tangled in his hair. As they broke, she sobbed on his shoulder, "Hatori, Hatori, Hatori." Her mouth kissed his cheek, his neck, his ear, and then she whispered, "I don't WANT to turn back."

She pulled back and stood up. She gave a firm nod, then extended a hand toward him. He took hold and stood up, standing before her in all his glory, his clothes still in a pile next to the tub.

Snagging the towel that lay around his shoulders, delicate hands began to pat him dry. First one arm, then the other. He turned at her gesture and she dried his back. Starting at his shoulders, she worked down to his waist. Patted down his tight ass and began to blush. Running the towel down each leg, she knew. This was something… something intimate. Something good girls only did for their intended. But it felt right. She wanted him to know love. Know unconditional love.

When she finished with his back, she pulled on his hand to turn him back around to face her. As she patted down his chest, his waist, he felt his member begin to twitch. He moaned, and she looked up at him in surprise. His apologetic grimace confused her until her hand with the towel in it brushed his almost fully hardened rod and he moaned again. Her gaze shifted and she gasped. Her blush deepened and he could see her face settle in determination. She toweled dry his left leg, and then the right.

He bent to pull the plug on the drain but she stopped him. "No. Leave it. I… uh… I've never… I never even kissed anyone before you, Hatori." He gaped at her, and her blush spread further. "I… might make a mistake or something. And… if I do… I'd like to know the tub… so if you change…" She lifted her head to look him straight in the eye. "I want to make sure I never allow you to be hurt again - if I can help it." He stepped out of the tub and wrapped his hands around her waist, his lips on hers.

She broke off the kiss, and took his hand, leading him toward her bedroom.

A double-sized futon on a black laquered frame was the main feature in the room. An inexpensive chest of drawers that had been painted pink with black handles and trim. Was topped with several adorable stuffed animals, and a couple he couldn't readily identify that appeared to be hand-made. The nightstand had a plain lamp, but the nightshade once again depicted the animals from the zodiac. On the bed was a pale pink comforter, two pink pillows, and one large stuffed cat.

Looking up from the cat, he saw a sculpture of a metallic dragon on the wall. The dragon at first glance appeared black, but with hints of copper, silver, and gold gleaming off its scales. The eyes were glittering green emeralds. But what was most stunning was that somehow it appeared as if the beast was smiling benevolently. It was so well made, you almost expected it to fly off the wall, and the coils spoke of violent danger that could be unfurled at anyone, if needed. Yet it smiled in a way that made you feel that this particular dragon favored you, and that its power would protect and save you.

He froze when he saw that. Other than the stuffed animals, it was the only decoration in the room. When he stopped, still holding her hand, she turned to see if everything was okay. She noticed him staring at the sculpture, and said, "Oh!" She knew it didn't really fit with her décor. But, "About 3 months ago - just before I moved out of my parents' house, I had this dream. And then I saw this dragon at an antique shop and… I… had to have it."

His smile changed as he looked at her, became more dangerous. He walked toward her, and she backed up a step. "What was this dream?" His eyes flashed at her, and hers grew wide.

She turned to look at the wall hanging, then turned back to him. "You," she breathed. The sides of her mouth turned up just slightly, and her expression was one of awe as she for the first time, fully took in the man in front of her. He took another step toward her, and she blushed and looked down. Then she turned to look at the dragon on her wall.

Closing in behind her, he whispered into her ear as his hands slid her blouse off her shoulders, "Tell me about your dream, Azuma." His mouth slid to her shoulder, and began laving kisses there.

Still entranced by something, still staring at the dragon, her sonorous voice sang through the room. "A cat - an orange cat bit me in the dream." The dragon's hands stroked her stomach, as he continued to suck on her neck. She moaned and leaned into him.

"As he ran off, a beautiful black dragon with emerald eyes came. He kissed my injured hand and it healed instantly. Then he spoke." Hatori's hands were at her waist, and he deftly unbuttoned, unzipped, then slipped his hands inside the waistband, drawing soft circles around her waist.

"He said, `Will you be ready for me, my lovely Azuma? When I come to claim you, will you accept me? Or will you run?' I looked into his eyes," Hatori spun her so that she was facing him, looking into his own eyes, "and said, `Why would you want to claim ME?' The dragon chuckled and said, `So that I can cherish you for always, my Azuma.' He bowed to me and then he flew away."

Without breaking eye contact, the dragon's hands reached further, forcing her pants down several inches as he cupped her ass and pulled her hips to his. His erection pressed against her abdomen.

"I watched him leave and I didn't know why, but I felt like my heart had been torn from my chest. And then, I faintly heard a voice saying, `Watch for me.' I saw the statue two days later." He leaned in and her mouth met his. He kept just enough space between their chest so that he wouldn't transform. When she tried to wrap her arms around him, he pulled back.

Smiling sadly at her, he said, "Our chests can't touch." She nodded at him. He knelt before her and began sliding her pants over her hips, his hands sliding over her soft skin, forcing the pants down before them. Fingers tracing her thighs caused goose flesh to break out. As the pants puddled at her ankles, she sat down on the bed and lifted her feet free so he could toss them out of the way. She began to set her feet down and he grabbed the left one, slowly rolling her sock off, stroking the top of her foot gently before setting it down. Then he repeated the process on the other one.

Kneeling upright in front of her, his head was level with peach lace. But he leaned up past that and in a voice that sent a thrill to her soul, said, "I'm ready to claim you, Azuma." She slid back on the bed to make more room for him. He crawled up over her as she lay back. "My beautiful Azuma." The sound was like the rumble of distant thunder. "If you don't stop me now, I might not give you another chance."

She smiled softly at him. "Hatori." She blushed but maintained eye contact. "I'm yours to claim." For a moment, she heard the beating of wings, and then a sound that was half-way between a growl and a purr came from him. He leaned over her and with one hand, snapped open the front clasp of her bra. She gasped as his tongue licked down to her nipple, then lapped there gently. His hand lightly brushed against the other, then kneaded her breast with soft strokes and squeezes.

When he took her breast into his mouth and suckled, he was rewarded with a moan. When he moved to switch breasts, she arched her back up toward his receding mouth and the dragon smiled. He latched onto the other breast, then kissed his way down to her navel.

Her smooth flat abdomen was toned and taut. Firm to his kisses. She writhed under him. Settling himself between her legs, his long lean fingers threaded through her matching peach panties, then tugging them down. She lifted her hips to help, then lifted and bent her legs to allow easy removal. He tossed them to the floor.

While his fingers began threading through her curls, gently teasing their way toward her nub, she moaned his name, "Hatori!" He kissed the pressure point at her hip and the sound came again, "HAtoriii."

Fingers working at her nub, he kissed back up to her breast, rolling to one side of her, he continued up to her neck, her ear. The ministrations of his hands thrust her though a white blanket of light, tinted with green sparkles that made her think of his eyes as she crested. "Hatori!" she cried.

"Yes, love?" he whispered in her ear. He worked a finger down and inside of her and she moaned loudly. His thumb continued to pulse against her jewel.

"Ha-" inhale, "TO-" the "ri" was inhaled, "Ya- you. You." She moaned and her hands were struggling between wanting to clamp on the mattress and reach for him. "AH!" He felt her walls clamp down on his finger and he began to work a second finger inside her, spreading them and stretching her a bit. "Want," pant, "You!" She moaned. "For, OH! You!" Her head whipped to the side, and he felt wetness reach his mouth, tasted the salt of her tears.

Immediately his hands stilled and he looked at her intensely. "Azuma?" Had he hurt her, had she changed her mind? He felt tears begin to build in his own eyes, forced them back. She gasped, trying to gather her breath. "Want," gasp, "please," gasp, "YOU, too!" His hand was still between her thighs, his fingers still inside of her. It took concentration to not twitch her hips to get his hand to move again. But the talking reduced her concentration and she moved against his hand and moaned loudly.

His chest began to shake, as a deep chuckle worked it's way up. He kissed her deeply and began to work his fingers in and out of her again, now with three fingers, stretching her further. Then he whispered in her ear, "There's plenty of time for me. I want to make you soar. Then we'll fly together."

With her back arching so high that her hips no longer touched the bed, she clamped down on his hand, and he felt her juices flood past his hand. She heard wings again as she screamed his name. Then his voice whispered in her ear, "I love hearing you moan my name, my Azuma."

As she came down from her crest, she turned her head and looked into his eyes. "Are you my dragon, Hatori?" Her eyes were heavy lidded, but he still felt like he could drown there.

"For as long as you want me, Azuma." He whispered in her ear.

She smiled seductively. "I want to fly," she breathed, and he felt his heart skip in his chest.

He kissed her again, as he positioned himself so his knees were between her thighs. Then, he broke off his kiss, placed his head at her entrance and said, "It might hurt at first, love, but I won't move until you tell me to."

"Claim me."

He eased in slowly til he felt her barrier. She moaned deeply and thrust her hips toward him. He groaned as he held still for a second, then he kissed her with a deep thrust that tore through her innocence. She cried out into his mouth. He pulled back and whispered, "it will be better soon."

Holding still was harder than he'd thought it would be. `My god,' he thought. She fit around him like she was made just for him. He just wanted to pump into her, his cock was screaming for it. But as he looked at the beautiful face beneath him, the almond shaped eyes that looked up at him, filled with trust, it became easy. He stared at her, trying to memorize every detail of her face. `God, she's so beautiful.'

He was brought back to desire as her eyes closed, her head rolled back, her hips thrust further toward him, so that he was buried deeper within her, and a rumbling moan purred through her lips. "Oh, god, Azuma!" he moaned and began a rhythm that she eagerly met.

He buried his head in her chest, laving both breasts with kisses, worshipping the goddess before him, who had come to save him. The goddess that the spirit of the dragon itself had chosen and prepared for him. He moaned her name.

`The most beautiful sound,' she thought. `His voice.' Then thought left her as he brought her into the white light again. Again, she saw the green sparkles and knew - knew with absolute certainty that there was nothing more right that she had ever done in her life.

He felt her walls clamping upon him, but the dragon wasn't ready to release her yet. He reached down with one hand and lifted her leg, knee over his shoulder. When he reached for the other, she preempted him and lifted it for him, placing it gently on his other shoulder.

He experimented with angles, slowly bending her abdomen up until he reached a magic angle. She felt him pound against her belly button from the inside, and involuntarily, her hands fisted in the sheets, beginning to pull them off the bed. She flung her head back and shrieked, "Ha-ri!" Her muscles clamped onto him again and he knew he'd found the spot.

Continuing to utilize the angle he'd found, he allowed his thrusts to pick up speed. She shrieked, then found her voice was gone - her breath was gone. Up til now, she would burst into the light, then immediately come back to the world. This time, she saw the light come, and it was green and all enveloping. It swallowed her and there was no room for anything else.

He could feel her crest, could feel it continue, her muscles straining, pulsing. It continued and continued, and the dragon in him roared his pleasure. He allowed himself to move toward release, and the dragon soared.

She heard a pleased voice rumbling, "Mine. You didn't run. Mine forever." She burst through the green light to see tears streaming down her lover's face.

"Azuma!" he cried as he came deep inside her. He held himself steady above her - steady except for the aftershocks that trembled through him.

Withdrawing, he rolled to one side of her and lay back exhausted. She rolled onto her side to face him, to look at her dragon next to her. Then she looked up at the sculpture again and back to Hatori. Lightly, she placed her forefinger on his brow, traced down his cheek, neck, chest, then she placed her hand flat on his firm stomach and sighed contentedly.

Hearing her happy sigh, he rolled his head to look upon her. The rest of his body followed suit. He took her hand in his. "Mine?" he breathed.

She nodded. "Yes. And you?"

He squeezed her fingers. "I'm yours."

"My very own dragon." She smiled and her eyes drifted closed.

He smiled back at her. The dragon had chosen her, brought her to him. Not even Akito would separate them now.

With that thought, the couple fell into a well-deserved sleep.

XXX END XXX