Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Breathe No More ❯ The end of the world...not really ( Chapter 2 )

"Shigure..." Hatori blinked a few times, when he opened his door. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pay a visit to you, of course, Haa-san." The shorter brunette latched onto him with a cheesy grin.

"Oh..." He nodded, stepping aside to let him in. "Come in, then."

"You wouldn't happen to be hiding Aaya around here somewhere?" Shigure wondered as he entered the dragon's domicile. "I wanted someone to play with, and amazingly enough... everyone has homework. I do so detest being an adult sometimes."

"No," Hatori shook his head. "Ayame is not here." He politely ignored that last part about homework and being an adult.

"Bah," His friend sighed. "I am denied again..."

"Why did you come again?" Hatori wanted to know, returning to his desk. He'd been working on getting both Akito and Hatsuharu's files updated that day.

"I wanted to take a turn hitting you with a newspaper, but then I realized you would just hit me back." Shigure grinned.

"For what?" He blinked, looking up from his work.

"You scared Haa-kun, you big meany." The mutt looked at him accusingly. "It was bad enough when you made Tohru-kun cry. You're sinking to new lows, Haa-san."

"Scared--?" He frowned, trying to think of when he'd done that. "Oh! That. He told you, hm?"

"Who else was he going to tell about it?" The shorter man wondered. "He was scared, and Tohru-kun and Kyo-kun wouldn't be much help... Neither would Momiji or Satchan... We don't know where Rin-chan is, and Yuki-kun would probably just say he was lucky he was just dying rather than being beaten and raped." He rolled his eyes at that last one. Yuki probably would, too...

"Hmm...I see your point." Hatori agreed, getting back to the records, but he kept talking at the same time. "Frightening him wasn't my intention. He deserves to know the truth. Keeping him in the dark won't help anything."

"You just fail to mention that this particular disease tends to take its time?" The dog raised an eyebrow. "Your tact is as horrible as ever."

"I told him 'eventually'." He shrugged a little. "That does not now, nor has it ever, translate to 'soon'."

"Either way, I got sidled with the pleasure of easing his fears." Yes. He'd enjoyed himself quite a bit. "Try being nice to the children now, Haa-san?"

"Well, how nice can you be when you're telling someone that he has a fatal lung disease?"

"Anything other than whatever it is you did say?"

"I told him the truth." Hatori stated. "You want me to lie next time?"

"Sure. It's what I always do." Shigure snorted.

"It's slightly unorthodox in the medical field." Hatori informed him, still writing, his tone slightly absent.

"No one will ever know about it, Haa-san." The dog admonished slightly. "You're not technically IN the field."

"Close enough." The doctor brushed it off. "I'm still not supposed to lie to a patient about what's wrong with them."

"Neh," Shigure stuck his tongue out. "I knew I should have just accepted my counter-smack and gotten a newspaper..."

"It's not going to kill him particularly soon, anyway." The dragon pointed out. "It will vary, depending on how quickly it progresses, but it's not like it's going to be tomorrow."

"Insult me not, Haa-san. I know." The other Sohma replied dryly.

"You're the one who came here and started throwing out accusations."

"Not accusing. Stating. You did scare him." Shigure grinned.

"That was his own fault." He pointed out, looking up from his paperwork. "He could have asked any questions he wanted to. He didn't ask any."

"Cold blooded, Haa-san." His friend rolled his eyes. "Maybe I do need to get Aaya over here to loosen you up. Maybe a few bottles of liquor while I'm at it."

"Or not." Hatori frowned. "I don't need the hangover." Hatori and liquor...didn't get along too well.

"I'm sure Aaya can think of something else that's just as fun." And that was when Hatori knew he had no more say in this. Shigure was going to call Ayame. Ayame was going to come over and pester him... But contrary to popular belief, Shigure was going to go home before any of the fun began.

"Tell Hatsuharu to calm down, next time you see him." Hatori commanded, upon seeing him to the door. "Panicking isn't good for him."

"Right, and you better have fun with Aaya. Or I'll use alcoholic means next time." The dog threatened and headed off. It was kinda late...

To be continued…

~“We barely remember
Who or what came before
This precious moment
We’re choosing to be here…” –Tool (Parabol)~
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