Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Strawberries and Skinny-Dipping: Hatori's Remedy ❯ Back-and-Forth ( Chapter 23 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: bugaboo107
She wasn't going to be stupid. She loved Hatori. Love forgives. Love endures harsh words. Love overpowers. She had given a lot of thought to what Akito had said a few days ago, but it wasn't going to keep her from Hatori. Yes, she was just as stubborn as a mule. They were just going to have to be more discreet, when he accepted her again.

Anime/Manga: Fruits Basket Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.08.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 302 | Status: Work In Progress

Standard Disclaimer applies.
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Warning: Plain and simple: Smut.
Hatori's Remedy presents:
Chapter 23 Back-and-Forth
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Tohru woke up in her bed. It was six-thirty. Kyo had apparently carried her down to her bedroom. She got up from bed and checked her calendar. July 11th. She quickly hurried and got dressed; she put on her new tank top that she had purchased while shopping with Mii-chan. She also put on a pair of army green cuffed shorts. Tohru then brushed her teeth and washed her face. She scurried downstairs and prepared breakfast for Kyo.
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, rice porridge, miso soup, and plain scallion pancakes.
Afterwards she scribbed on a note pad: See you for dinner, Kyo. Love, Tohru.
She slipped on her sandals and rushed out of the house, her long hair unbrushed. The wind untangled it as she ran along the empty road to the Sohma estates. Tohru fell and scrapped her knees on the black pavement when she came upon a sudden dip in the ground. She hadn't even looked at the ground, as she was far too focused on getting to Hatori.
She wasn't going to be stupid. She loved Hatori. Love forgives. Love endures harsh words. Love overpowers. She had given a lot of thought to what Akito had said a few days ago, but it wasn't going to keep her from Hatori. Yes, she was just as stubborn as a mule. They were just going to have to be more discreet, when he accepted her again.
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Tohru knew that the Sohma family members were not a 'heap of thorns'. She had seen a glimpse of love in each and everyone. Hatori was just opening up to her, and she was far from giving up on him.
It took about an hour to get to the Sohma estate by foot, but Tohru cut it down to 45 minutes by half-jogging and speed-walking. Passer-bys noticed a girl huffing and puffing, with red cheeks and a little bit of a limp.
She finally, after what seemed like forever, met the heavy bronze gates. She buzzed Momiji. "It's Tohru. Can I come in? I would like to see Hatori."
"Of course.”
The gates swung open, and Tohru ran across the grassy plains to Hatori's office. She knocked on the closed door. "Hatori?"
---
Hatori had been staring blankly at a computer screen. His eyes wandering over to the picture frame Tohru had found. His read 'I love my: Horse', and hers read 'I love my: Sea'. Inside the frame was the picture of the two of them: Hatori as the angel, Tohru as the devil. How ironic. He thought that he deserved to be dubbed the 'devil' because he was the one who wanted to ravish Tohru. His dreams were lustful and very, very unlike his usual demeanor.
The photos were the symbol of...
Permanence.
By the frame's side was the envelope of pictures they had taken together. Over the past few days, he had flipped through the photos no less than twenty times. They were so happy. Smiling. Blushing. Giggling. Tongues sticking out, Charlie's Angels: with hands emulating guns, nose-to-nose, Tohru giving Hatori a sloppy kiss on the cheek and vice versa, Tohru sitting on Hatori's lap and cuddling near him like a baby, hands on cheeks: an exaggerated surprised expression, and finally a normal portrait, side-by-side. Why was he so miserable right now? It seemed the only answer was his own stupidity. He was sulking in his own stupidity. He reeked of alcohol, sake to be precise. He had finally opened the bottle that Shigure had bought him for his twenty-fifth birthday, last night.
Someone knocked at his door. It was a pleasant female's voice. "Not now," he said gruffly. He didn't want to be bothered by anyone.
"It's me, Tohru."
He looked over at the door. Tohru. He froze.
He didn't say anything. He didn't want her to come in and see him like this: combating a dismal hang-over, she would surely be angry. Even someone so sweet as her got angry when faced with situations like this. He went into the bathroom and changed into fresh slacks and removed his putrid white coat. He strode to the door, and opened it.
Tohru greeted him shyly, her face flushed. "Hatori."
"Tohru," he said, in his all-business expression.
She rambled, "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to not visit you all these days. I was just... never mind that -- I am so sorry. Can you please forgive me?"
He hated to see her apologize to him. He felt as if he didn't deserve it. It was mainly his fault anyways.
"Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. I was just jealous."
"Jealous?"
"Come on in, and I will try to rationalize my stupidity."
Tohru smiled and said, "Hatori-san is the smartest person I know."
She followed him, and caught a whiff of something sickly sweet emanating from his body. "Hatori, have you been drinking?"
Hatori swiveled back to her, a bit off balance. He never lied. "Hai, last night."
Tohru had a look of hurt on her face. She didn't mean to sound like a nagging, possessive wife who didn't allow her man to do to anything, but she felt a bit betrayed. They had talked about how both disliked alcohol, and here he was drinking!
"I-I'm sorry, I-I came at a bad time." She was ready to back out. She turned, her face gloomy and grey.
"No, wait." Hatori grabbed a hold of her, hugging her back tightly to his chest. He laid his head in the crook of her neck and said slurred, "Tohru, please forgive me. I need you so much. I drank because I couldn't, and can't stand not having you by my side. I missed you so much my heart ached. I missed your smiles, laughs, and even the smell of your hair."
Now that Tohru was here. The after-effects of the alcohol seemed to evaporate. She was a hangover remedy? Interesting…
He was completely sober. Her presence made him feel like a naughty schoolboy who had done wrong.
---
She didn't know if his words were all true, but they sounded genuine enough. "I forgive you." She would chastise him another time. Actually, Tohru never chastised, rather she gave advice.
"Now, for my story," Hatori said, pointing a finger at the ceiling, philosophically.
"That morning that we spent together: I left you a note, because I had to get back here. I wanted to meet you at the café for lunch, but you never came. I passed by the house, and saw you and your grandpa working in the backyard. I felt jealous. It was a really indescribable feeling."
"Oh, Hatori," Tohru said, looking at the distraught man sitting next to her on the couch, "I'm sorry for being so thoughtless.”
“NO.”
Hatori looked her in the eyes. He smiled, but his bloodshot eyes were weary behind his glasses. The lack of sleep and wandering thoughts of Tohru made him tired. He removed his specs and set them on the cocktail table in front of the couch.
Tohru leaned into him. She closed the distance between their mouths. She held onto his shoulders as she swiftly pushed her tongue past his parted lips. She searched the cavern of his mouth, curious of the taste that lingered. She had tasted alcohol once before and had hated it, but the taste in Hatori's mouth was stimulating-- spicy and sweet.
He ran her hair through his long fingers and pulled her close to him. His hands moved to her shoulders, and caressed her compact upper arms. Tohru leaned back against the armrest of the couch, pulling Hatori with her. Tohru felt her whole body hum to his soft touches, as though she was floating like a weightless cloud. All thoughts fled Tohru's mind. If you asked her what color Hatori's eyes were; she wouldn't be able to tell you. She was lost in the warm embrace.
Hatori finally pulled away from Tohru and buried his head in the crook of her neck. He nuzzled the delicate skin there and suckling at her shoulder. His teeth grazed the skin, and Tohru cried out loud, her blunt finger nails scraped down his neck, under the collar of his shirt. She arched into him, accidentally rubbing her against his lower half.
Hatori felt a tightening in his groin. It quickly became overwhelmingly painful.
Hatori moaned into the crook of her neck, before gaining back logic. He whispered in a dangerously low tone, “I'm sorry. I shouldn't be doing this, not after--” all the while taking in her intoxicating scent—sweet lavender soap.
Tohru silenced him when her hand snaked down to his and squeezed it. She murmured back, “It's fine.”
“Are you sure, I mean, we can stop—I don't want to pressure you into anything you haven't done before…”
She nodded, looking him straight in the eye to prove her point. Her intense green-blue eyes twinkled with conviction. He didn't need to be told again. In one fluid movement, Hatori was crouched above her, kissing her, touching her, and caressing her agile body.
He moved his hands from her hand, to the neckline of her shirt. He tugged it up, and Tohru raised her arms gracefully. He pulled the shirt, quite unskillfully, off. Tohru giggled at his awkward advances, but grinned contentedly. Hatori was happy that she wasn't afraid of him. He hadn't been intimate in years. He had basically been `turned off' after the incident with Akito and the vase. A part of him had died. He had wished he could suppress him own thoughts.
Hatori gazed down at Tohru's rosy breasts peeking from her black bra. Her breasts were smooth, unblemished, and pearly white. He moved his hands to her back and reached for the clasp. He muffled “Are you okay?”
“Hai.”
He fumbled, until one of Tohru's hands joined his and dexterously unhooked the bra. The restraining material popped away, and Hatori pulled it to the ground, where a small pile was slowly forming. Tohru's breasts were small, round, and perfect peaks. He cupped both breasts and pressed a kiss on each bud-- the roughness of his callused hands was wondrous against her extremely responsive skin. He watched as they hardened into points. He blew on the sensitive skin as he moved his mouth away from one of her breasts, and Tohru whimpered.
Involuntarily, Tohru buried Hatori's face into her breastbones and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. It was silent, with only the sound of her quickly beating heart steady in his ears. She finally loosened her grip and Hatori paid extra attention to make sure that their chests didn't touch. It was oh-so-hard! He wanted to pull her to his chest and hold her there forever.
Tohru coyly wriggled her lower body into his chest (Hatori is tall). He moved his pelvis up to meet hers. He lifted her hips to his, preventing their chests from meeting. He leaned forward and peppered her chest with small kisses-- passionate and resolute. A trail of kisses led him to her throat, then back to her moist lips. He could never get enough of her. Tohru allowed his tongue past her lips and in return deepened the kiss. Her fingers idly twirled the hair at the nape of his neck all the while.
He was eager for skin-to-skin contact, and Tohru answered his unsaid prayer. She ground her hips into his as if to say `get rid of them'! His clumsy fingers met the edge of her shorts and dragged them down her long legs. He added the shorts to the pile of clothing at the foot of the couch. He looked at Tohru from head to toe, only clad in black panties. She blushed at his inquiring eyes.
Now, it was his turn to strip. Tohru said, quite bashfully, “Ha'ri, it's your turn.”
Her small hands tugged the hem of his shirt, and he lifted his arms as she pulled the T-shirt over his chest, past his head. She ogled the brilliant sight of his defined chest—his lean form from his morning jogging of four miles. It had been a while since she last saw it, except in her dreams, of course. It was as smooth and unblemished as a gemstone. His broad shoulders merged into a compact, ridged flat stomach, and beautiful tapered hips. She ran her shaking hands over his rippled chest, hard and toned. Her eyes twinkled to see the trail of fine dark hair leading to…
Her eyes widened even more (they were the size of friggin' golfballs now!) when she saw evidence of his arousal. Hatori's clothed lap was tight, showing the sign of his size. It was just a tad intimidating. Well, actually, very intimidating. That thing was going inside her?! But she didn't waver. She didn't want to seem like a child. She swallowed hard, still looking at him, admiring, and wondering. The inside of his mind grinned gleefully over the fact that she was all smiles. He had been most afraid that in an intimate situation, she would turn away—frightened by him.
By gods she was just a high school student, but the hand at his back was working magic! She traced the curve of his spine down to his buttocks, and he shivered. His skin was like fire against her cool fingertips. What was she doing to him?! It felt so good, but so…
Completely wrong.
He knew that she wasn't ready for this. She was going into her last year of high school, for Kami's sake! They had had a conversation about sex. He pulled his chest away from her roughly and stared into her wide, doe-like eyes, her hands down by her side down.
“We can't. I mean—I can't.” She immediately covered her breasts and looked up at him with shock, not understanding what had transpired in the last few seconds.
He repeated, trying to find the right words, “I can't. I can't do this to you. You don't deserve this, I mean your first time, should be…”
Tohru said rashly (which was quite rare), “I want my first time to be with you, Hatori!”
Hatori's blank face registered confusion. She wanted to give her virginity, something so precious to a woman, to an old man like him? I mean he wanted to `take' it, no doubt (a man's possessiveness—yes, yes, yes!), but… she wasn't afraid?
Hatori's bemused expression and warm breath against her skin made quiver, even though the office was stifling. He tried to justify his sudden statement, “I want you to enjoy the experience. I don't want to hurt you.” He continued thinking, trying to brush aside his primal pride, about what she said, “I want my frist time to be with you…” It would be her first time, his mind kept telling him. He searched her eyes, they were clear and cloudless.
“You won't,” she said, rising from the arm of the couch. “It's okay. I understand. I actually… am not ready.”
“I'm sorry for putting you in a situation like this Tohru,” Hatori said, looking ashamed, his long bangs hanging over his eyes.
Tohru moved her hand to his face and tucked the lost strands behind his ear. “Thank you for being so considerate.” She drew her hands down to his three-day unshaven cheeks and rubbed her thumbs in gentle circles. The texture felt great against the pads of her fingers.
The pulsing symbol of passion between her legs had ceased and now she sighed blissfully, whispering another, “Thank you.”
He lay on the couch, and said, “C'mere,” bringing her back against his naked chest. He wrapped his long arms over her chest, making sure that she wasn't just a figment of his imagination. Kami, she wasn't, the warmth of her body radiated onto him. He kissed her shoulder and closed his eyes.
He vowed to himself, that her first time, with him, would be everything that she dreamed it would be—gentle.
He brought the couch throw over their naked bodies. Hatori reminded himself before he drifted off that he still had some `birthday preparing' to do. He had started a while back, but it still needed some finished touches.
Their hearts, in tandem, slowed. They both fell asleep in exhaustion, mostly emotional.
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A/N: Back-and-forth. That's the name of the game! Who likes seeing Hatori so weak and miserable? Me!... and then the snogging…his conscience… Tohru will hopefully make it all better. I thought it was time for some smut (it's been a while). Hope you enjoyed it. TatianaSaphira…I hope you enjoyed a half-naked Hatori::grins::
Thank you to all my lovely readers and my brilliant beta, Kelly (Tsukiakage!), who has the eyes of a hawk. I love you so much girl. Sometimes when I feel a bit doubtful about continuing, you guys all bring me back—revved and ready! Kudos!