Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Stepping Forward ❯ Stepping Forward ( One-Shot )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

STEPPING FORWARD
A Fruits Basket Fanfic

Written by Miyu, Vampire Princess


AUTHOR'S NOTES: A follow up to my story, "When I Grow Up". This focuses on Hatori's life however. Will the most grounded of the trio finally get the chance he deserves in life? Written at the request of fellow LJ user, himehikari. Not sure if it’s what you really wanted, but I hope it’s to your liking! WARNING for LEMON content. SPOILERS for those who have not finished the manga. This story takes place several years after the end of the series. A Standard Disclaimer appears at then end of the story.




"Are you asking my permission?"

"Hell no."

"Then why call me before a big date?"

"What? I can't simply call you to say hello?"

"That's my line, Ha-san."

Hatori Sohma suddenly needed a cigarette. Several cigarettes, he thought as he reached for his newest pack. Moving the cordless phone from his left ear to his right, he retrieved a cigarette and lit it quickly. But it was a small relief as the person on the other end kept heckling him.

"Shigure...."

"Relax, Ha-san. It'll be fine."

A sigh. "Okay, I'll call you tomorrow then."

"I want details!"

"You wish."

He sighed as he hung up the phone on his laughing cousin and good friend. Perhaps confiding in him was a bad idea. He knew it would be used against him later. Especially if his plan for the evening failed. That was how Shigure Sohma worked.

Or worse, it would end up a key element in his next manuscript. Not the first time, he reminded himself. But this time would be different.

He'd finally take a step toward his future.

There was a time when he thought he'd never be able to settle down. Oh he'd tried, but the entire relationship ended in disaster. He'd given up hope after that. So much lost time. But then a special person came into the Sohma family, and he learned that it wasn't impossible to dream.

While he'd been dating in recent years, it was the marriage of his cousin and friend, Shigure that propelled his thoughts towards the future. He'd been happy simply dating, uncertain if he wanted a family. Those old feelings creeping back into his life. But seeing Shigure, Akito and their family –- their happiness and love -- it made him yearn for one of his own.

He had the right woman. Oh, they dated on and off for years. He even took her to Okinawa for a romantic getaway. But things were far from smooth between the two of them. Constant interruptions and small disagreements nearly killed the relationship for good. But they managed to work things out and started anew. She was the one destined for him. He just knew it.

The trouble was asking her to marry him.

Mayuko Shiraki was a woman who knew what she wanted. Stubborn, caring, independent and loyal to a fault. They'd briefly talked marriage before. But both had been so busy that neither had given it serious thought. He wondered if she would accept his proposal. How long ago had they spoken about marriage? Just after Shigure's wedding five years ago. She seemed in no hurry, he was certain. There had been little mention of it since.

Straightening his jacket, he gave himself one last glance in a mirror before picking up his car keys. Regardless of his doubts, he needed to ask. He needed to know.

He needed to take one step forward.

RING! RING! RING!

"Hello?"

If he could just get out the front door.

"Hatori?"

"Mayu?" Surprise wasn't quite the appropriate term. He glanced at his watch. Nope, not late. "I'm leaving right now to--"

"I'm at the bookstore," she told him.

He suddenly thought of her father, whose health was slowly deteriorating. "Did something happen?"

"No, no. Dad forgot about an appointment and mom had to drive him." She sighed. "I'm closing up the store now."

"I see." Hatori couldn't help but be relieved. "Why don't I stop by and pick you up then?"

"Could you?" She sounded relieved as well. "I'd really appreciate it." She paused before whispering, "I had to loan them my car."

Hatori chuckled. "I'll be there in twenty minutes." The store was on the other side of town, and traffic would be heavy due to rush hour.

"Okay, see you then."

"See you soon."

As soon as he hung up the phone, Hatori made his way out the door and to his car. The engine started with a roar, and then sputtered as it idled. He still needed to have that looked at by a mechanic, even if his younger cousin, Hatsuharu, said he’d fixed it.

With a sigh, Hatori pulled away from his home and moved onto the main road towards the Shiraki bookstore. His confidence once again began to wane, his thoughts drifting back to Kana. The woman he had been engaged to once upon a time. She was married now, with a family of her own. Back then, he couldn’t protect her from the family curse. Couldn’t protect her from himself. It was his greatest failure in life. A failure he clung to till this very day.

There was no need to protect Mayuko, he kept reminding himself. The family curse was broken. And she would never need to know the horror he had dealt with as a young man growing up in the Sohma household. Never know how close she had come to sharing her friend’s fate.

She is Kana’s best friend after all.

That should have made their relationship more difficult. But after years of being apart it made their reunion that much sweeter. She had crushed on him while he was dating Kana. But ever the good friend put her friend’s happiness before her own. She even dated Shigure, the poor girl. While it was sad that things didn’t work out with Kana (and she separated from Shigure shortly thereafter), he wanted to believe his relationship with Mayu was different.

But there were some things he hadn’t gotten over.

What if he hurt her too?

"Foolish," he chastised himself, turning down the secondary street that housed the bookstore. "It’s not possible anymore."

As he parked the car along the curb he shook his head. "Just stay calm. Stay calm-—oh who am I kidding!"

Getting out of the car, he prepared for the worst.

And hoped for the best.

The sign on the door said "closed", but he could clearly see someone moving in the store. Walking the few steps toward the store entrance, he reached for the door. The handle turned and he pushed it open. A small bell indicated his entrance and he called out for Mayuko. She responded almost immediately.

By trapping him against the door and kissing him passionately.

He was surprised, to be sure, but didn't argue. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss fervently. They parted, gasping for air. He smiled at the woman in his arms.

"Some welcome," he commented.

"Hello," she finally said with light blush. She brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She'd cut it again. He really liked her with short hair. Her smile was somewhat embarrassed. "Too forward?"

Hatori didn't need to think to respond. Or blush. "Only if you still intend to have dinner."

Her blush turned darker, but her smile was anything but nice. He didn't see this side of her too often. Actually he hadn't seen her in several weeks. Just holding her made him want make love to her.

"Can I have dessert first?"

That just made something in his groin explode.

He wasn't one to show a lot of emotion on the outside. He was tight lipped most of the time. Almost stoic. And not really one for public displays of affection. Shigure and Ayame called him an old fuddy-duddy. He preferred to call himself traditional.

But Mayuko did something to him with her presence. Her touch. She kept him calm and level headed, as well as gave him a sense of adventure, of daring. And sometimes...turned him into an animal. A perverted animal much like Shigure. It was ironic on so many levels.

He wasn't proud of it.

"I suppose that could be arranged."

But sometimes, he did enjoy it.

With a kiss, she coaxed him from the doorway towards the register counter. The window coverings had been pulled down and the door was finally locked. There would be little interruption.

Unless her parents came back.

Hatori gave the idea a bit of thought. The thought of her parents catching them in the act scared him. It should have been enough for him to stop them then and there and suggest they go upstairs. But even then there was still a chance of getting caught. A greater one if he really thought about, since they'd most likely use the rear entrance to get into their apartment.

But when he felt her body pressed tightly to his, her fingers already working the buttons of his shirt, fear escaped him. Want and need surpassed all else.

'I'm going to hell happy,' he thought, grasping her waist and dragging her against him.

Mayuko was only slightly shocked by his behavior. Did Shigure really have that much effect on him? It mattered little, as he pulled his jacket off and tossed it aside before lifting her onto the counter top.

'He always did look great in a suit,' she thought briefly.

She liked taking him out of his comfort zone, getting him to try new things. He still had his idiosyncrasies, the traditional ideas of sex between a man and a woman. And she had her own limits as well. But when he was on fire, he was hot.

And tonight he was hers.

Making it a little easier to ask him a question.

That question was lost however as she concentrated on his shirt. Button after button until she felt smooth skin under her fingertips. She wrapped her arms around him as much as possible and pulled him even closer. He moved with little coaxing, standing between her legs as she sat on the counter.

The kiss broke only long enough for Hatori to pull Mayuko's shirt over her head. He was sad as her hands left him to rise in the air, but his reward was the sight of her smooth skin and pert breasts. His lips latched onto hers once again, his fingers eager to touch her.

She peeled his shirt from his shoulders as his fingers toiled with the hooks of her bra. Her bra came undone just in time for her the push the shirt from his arms. When his hands returned, they wasted no time molding to her breasts.

She had to break the kiss for more air. His skin was like fire when she touched him, and she was partly afraid he'd turn to ash if she wasn't looking. It didn't help that her mind refused to focus, his attentions becoming demanding and more pleasurable by the second. Her own hands grasped at him, her fingernails lightly tearing at his skin, trying to find purchase in the whirlwind of her mind. She grasped onto the closest thing -- the waistband of his pants -- as she felt herself about ready to explode.

Hatori had always been fascinated by Mayu's chest. The weight of them. How they felt in his hands. How her nipples always puckered tight at his touch. He pinched one between his thumb and forefinger, coaxing a moan from Mayu. He tried not to be rough, but found it difficult to hold back.

He trailed kisses from her neck to her shoulder, lightly biting her flesh as he felt her hands on the waist of his pants. He groaned, her fingers making quick work of the buttons and zipper. If she was shocked to find him wearing no underwear, she said nothing. Instead, she reached in and grasped his engorged flesh in her hand.

But it wasn’t enough to hold him in her hand. With some cajoling, Mayu managed to push his pants downward, grasping more of him on her other hand. He nearly growled in her ear, making her smile. She placed a kiss to the nearest patch of skin. With her eyes closed, she fondled him. Enjoying the feel of him in her grasp as he enjoyed her.

Wrapping one hand around his erection, she began a slow, teasing movement she knew would drive him crazy. She was rewarded with a guttural moan and a small twitch of his hips. His attention on her didn’t waiver though. His hands continued to mold her breasts while his mouth trailed kisses lower until he took on hardened nipple into his mouth. She cried out in pleasure, pushing her chest forward.

At the same time her grasp on him tightened to nearly unbearable strength. Hatori cried out himself, easing his touch on her so that she would do the same. It helped, but only a little. As her hand continue to its upwards and downward strokes, he felt himself reaching for completion. It was too soon however. He would feel her before their play was through. Feel her heat surrounding him, pulsing around him. Goal in mind, he carefully tried to pry himself from her eager hands.

She pouted in argument. "Wha--?"

"Not yet," he muttered.

His hands pushed upward on her thighs, burying themselves under her skirt. He lifted slightly, inching her forward on the counter and holding more of her flesh in his hands. He continued fumbling around until he managed to strip her of her underwear and push her skirt up far enough that he could feel her warm desire permeate the air.

"Hatori...AGH!"

Mayu nearly cried out as she was lifted off the counter. Surprised, she had no clue Hatori had the strength. But she didn't argue, wrapping her legs around his bare waist. His hardness pressed against her opening, teasing her. Taunting her. His hold was iron and try as she might she could get no relief. So she kissed him, hoping to urge him to relieve them both.

He felt the wet warmth of her opening and groaned. Mindless with need, he knocked over several small tables and a display stand in an effort to find solid ground. It was a clumsy effort, but he finally hit a large shelf. Books fell from every height, but he was oblivious, concerned more with filling her and finding his much needed release.

"Ah!"

Mayu's world spun, quite literally, as Hatori turned them around so that her back was pushed against a shelf. The initial hit stung, but the pain quickly melded with the pleasure. The head of his erection rested inside of her and she wanted so badly to be filled with him. She muttered pleas and tried again to gain fulfillment.

"Please...."

It was all the encouragement he needed.

Resting her against the shelves, her hips tightly in his grasp, he thrust upward. He filled her quickly, easily. It was relief. It was home. Both of them sighed at the contact.

"So good," Hatori muttered over and over again, burying his face between her neck and shoulder.

Mayu could barely find the words to speak, clutching on to him as if she’d fall into a gorge. "D-don’t...stop...."

His hips moved of their own volition, seeking the release he nearly felt in her hands. But this was so much better. The friction. Feeling her surrounding him, pulling him closer to the edge. Her whines and moans urged him to push deeper, harder. The hitch of her breath drove him to move faster.

"Mayu...."

"More. Please...."

Mayu did her best to match each thrust. Pushed against the shelving, various book spines digging into her back, there wasn’t a good angle. But it hardly mattered. Each thrust pushed her nerves to their breaking point. Once in a while he’d hit the magic button, the one that drove her closer to her own release. She buried her hands in his hair, raining kisses and more pleas against his neck.

"So...close...."

Mayu swallowed hard. "Ha...ha...tori!"

With one final thrust, Hatori reached his peak. He gasped aloud, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips. His body trembled, his mind adrift in a dark haze. Knees buckling, he did his best to stay standing. Feeling Mayu's release just after his own, her body clinging tightly to him, he dropped to his knees as careful as possible.

"Oomph!"

Mayu grunted as she felt herself falling. The feel of freefall only enhanced her orgasm. Not to mention the final jostle she received once they hit bottom. She cried out, tossing her head backward. Her head caught several books, pulling them off the shelf. She was oblivious to the mess though, the two of them sitting and panting among fallen tables, knick-knacks and books.

Her breathing slowed, and then steadied, following the example of Hatori's raising and falling chest. It took some focus, but once she returned to herself, she gathered her courage for a question. Something she'd wanted to ask ages ago, but there was never a right moment.

"H-hatori?"

His hold tightened. "Hmm?"

"There's something...I want to ask you."

Something she hoped he wouldn't take offense to.

Hatori raised an eyebrow in question, pulling away slightly. She turned redder than he'd ever seen her. What could she be embarrassed about when they just made a mess of her parents' store?

"Yes?"

She looked away quickly. "Don't stare at me, please."

"Where would you like me to look?"

She eyed him before playfully slapping his shoulder. "Not there!" She laughed. "You really do need to stay away from Shigure."

"Mayu...."

She sighed, sitting back and ducking her head again. "I'm getting there, okay." She swallowed audibly before quickly blurting, "Hatori...?"

"Yes?"

"Stop interrupting!"

"Sorry," he was slightly amused by her embarrassment, but it was time to be serious. He had his own question to ask after all. "I'm sorry," he replied, grasping her hands in his. "Please continue."

She sighed again before blurting out, "Will you marry me?"

Again, surprised wasn't the proper term. Stunned. Speechless. Both applied.

So much for tradition.

"Shouldn't that be my question?"

She was still blushing furiously. "Do you want to ask?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you want to ask?"

He disengaged himself from her so that he could kneel before her on the floor. With her hands in his, she held her breath. She was cherry red and he smiled as she tried to duck her head in embarrassment. The ring he had planned to present was lost in the mass of clothes on the floor, but he was determined to do something properly.

"Mayuko, will you marry me?"

Smiling, she answered him with a kiss.

Shigure was definitely not getting details of this evening. Not by a log shot. But now, there was an important question Hatori needed to ask him. Something the writer could definitely use to his advantage. There was no way he'd ever live it down.

He frowned. "I have another question?"

His eyes were almost pleading. Mayu thought it was cute. She kissed him briefly then said, "What's that?"

"Can we elope?"


~OWARI~

DISCLAIMER:
Fruits Basket is owned by Natsuki Takaya/HAKUSENSHA - TV TOKYO - NAS - Fruba Project and licensed by FUNimation Productions, Ltd (for distribution in the US and Canada). All copyrights go to them and not me. All characters are used here without permission. Please do not sue. I have no money, although I would be happy to give away my bills. ^_^