Disclaimaton--No one in this is owned by me

Chapter II

Ne Me Mori Facias

"What are we going to do with the dead girl," Shigure asked Hatori as they stepped into the house.

"I don't know..." Hatori stood in the doorway to his room. "I-" he stopped himself. "I don't think we need to worry about it..."

"Huh?" Shigure came up behind him.

"She isn't here..." Hatori stepped into the room. His bed was made with its normal single blanket, his clothes were neatly folded on top of that, and no trace of the lovely mistress could be found.

"I wonder," Shigure said, thoughtfully.

"I don't." Hatori smirked, 'she really did come here for he and I...' "Maybe I should take her advice..."

"Take her advice?"

"Shigure, what would you say if, I said...lets go out sometime, on a date?" Shigure could have sworn to seeing a blush on the doctor's face.

"I would ask what happened to my Ha'ri..."

"Well, what would you say if I suggested...going out to lunch, right now," Hatori asked, finally looking at Shigure.

"I would say that it's a very acceptable offer, but I can't. I really need to work on my new novel...so, raincheck?"

"That's a terrible excuse for not goingout with me, you know that?"

"I know, but the worst part is that it's true, so, why don't you come over later and spend the night with me?" Shigure watched Hatori's blush get deeper.

"Well, if it's alright with you-"

"That's a dumb question..."

"Why don't I go home with you now, so I can watch you write?"

"That sounds pretty boring for you, but I suppose that if it's really what you want, I will allow you to have it." Shigure smiled a doggy-like smile.

"Let me get a few things around and we can leave." Hatori walked out of the room, Shigure took the clothes off the bed.

"Ha'ri, I have your clothes," he called into the hall.

"I hope they're not the ones the dead girl was wearing," Hatori said back.

"Well, she wasn't even real, so I don't see what it matters." Hatori glared at Shigure from the kitchen.

"I don't know how you can say she wasn't real, there's no way we imagioned her." Hatori turned off the light and approached Shigure.

"Well Ha'ri, I hate to break it to you, but most people don't disappear into thin air..."

"That may be, but, I don't think that all four of us could have possibly imagioned her. That girl was right there for almost twenty minutes, laying on my bed. I held her hand, she was real, those clammy little fingers made my hands cold as ice. I wouldn't have felt that if it wasn't there.

"You believe what you want and I'll stop making my point, that way we can leave, alright?"

"Of course, let me get clothes-" Shigure shoved the clothes he was holding in Hatori's direction. "-Clean clothes! And we can go."

Hatori walked back to his bedroom in search of an outfit, leaving Shigure to second guess the dragon's actions. "Ha'ri," he said. "Are you sure you won't be missed?" The two walked out of the house.

"I'm sure, I'll just have to leave early tomorrow..." he said locking the front door. "Ready?"

"Of course Ha'ri dear..."

Shigure took Hatori's arm as they decended the steps. The dragon glanced at the arm linked in his and shrugged, causing Shigure to erupt into a giggle fit.

"What," Hatori asked.

"Nothing, it's just cute that you don't care."

"It's not that I don't care, I more or less, don't mind," Hatori replied, not bothering to even look at Shigure.

"Oh, well, mabye that's what I meant, maybe not though. Hmm, so what are you plans for tonight Ha'ri?"

"I don't really know, apart from the obvious."

Shigure stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he was planning out some evening activities and going to keep them to himself for the time being.

"Ha'ri, what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," Hatori looked at Shigure suspiciously, trying to figure out what the dog had meant by his statement. "Why?" Hatori stopped walking.

"Just wondering if you had some sort of top-secret plans that you're not telling me..."

"Well, I don't..."

"Are you sure," Shigure asked, wagging a finger inches from Hatori's nose.

"Yes!" They started walking again. "And stop doing that before I decide to go back home." Shigure silently put his finger down.

Hatori smiled and moved his arm out of Shigure's reach for a second, before lacing his fingers with Shigure's.

"Everyone, I'm home," Shigure called as he and Hatori walked into the house. Shigure released Hatori's hand and took off his shoes.

Hatori half-expected Shigure to take back his hand or his arm before the teens came into the room, but the dog just happily walked away. Hatori was hurt that Shigure ended the affection that he was being shown, but was also glad that Shigure was smart enough to realize how scary it would be for him if everyone was to learn about their relationship.

Hatori quietly followed Shigure around the house, eventually upstairs.

"Where are my children," Shigure asked rhetorically, before going back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Shigure, there's a note," Hatori said boredly.

"Where?"

"Right here on the counter...Shigure," he read. "Yuki had to stay at school, Kyo's with Shishou, they will both be back late, I went to the grocery store, be back soon, love Tohru."

"Well isn't that convenient," Shigure said in an almost teasing tone.

"What?"

"All of my wonderful children have left us, just you and myself, all alone..." Shigure walked up to Hatori and gave him a shy but quirky smile.

"No..."

"Oh, come on..."

"No..."

"But, we're a couple now, couples are supposed to hug and kiss and have their loving, romantic moments together."

"No..."

"Please Ha'ri..."

"No..."

"Can I hold your hand?"

"If you wish," Shigure took his hand.

"How about a hug?" Shigure grabbed the dragon's shoulders in a tight embrace. "Or...a kiss.." he said against Hatori's neck.

"Maybe later."

"Or, now," Shigure captured Hatori's lips with his own for a few long, meaningful seconds, then let go before the dragon could protest.

"Now you really owe me," Hatori said to Shigure, who was still hanging on his shoulders.

Shigure was about to lean in for another kiss, but his keen ears heard the front door open. "Later," he said, letting Hatori go.

"Why not now," Hatori tried to pout.

"Hello Shigure," Tohru interrupted the dog before he could speak. "Oh, Hatori, I didn't expect to see you here," Tohru finished. "How have you been?" Shigure took the grocery bags from her and set them on the counter.

"I have been well, and yourself?"

"The same," Tohru smiled at him, then turned her attention to Shigure. "I had a little extra money, Shigure, so I bought you something..."

"Oh, what is it," Shigure asked, watching Hatori leave the room as Tohru rummaged through the bags.

"A bar of chocolate," she said pulling out the treat and giving it to the prancing dog. "I would have gotten you something too, but I didn't know you were coming. I apologize Ha...tori, where did he go?"

"Probably to my study," replied Shigure. "Don't worry about not getting anything for Ha'ri, he surely understands.

"Right," Tohru said as she started putting groceries away and Shigure walked to his study.

"Ha'ri love..." Shigure whispered as he closed the door behind himself. "Ha'ri, this is a fairly small room and I know you're in here, so it's just a matter of time before I find you..."

"I know," said Hatori from under Shigure's desk.

"Why are you under there?" Shigure looked at the doctor's curled up body in the small space.

"I don't really know, I guess I just felt like doing something out of the ordinary."

Shigure held out his hand and Hatori took it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

"So Ha'ri," Shigure held his hand tighter. "Is there a specific thing you would like to be doing right now?"

"Maybe a walk?"

"That sounds splendid, but we need to make it fast so I can do my work..."

Shigure led Hatori out of the house, only stopping to put on their shoes and tell Tohru of their plans.

When the two were efficiently away from the house, Hatori re-took Shigure's hand, sending an immediate smile to the dog's face.

"You shouldn't grin like that," Hatori said.

"Why not?"

"Because, you look like a dog when you do..."

"Oh, really?" Shigure stopped walking and Hatori nodded.

"Listen," Shigure began, then paused, think over his words. "I, um...you, don't have to do this, you know that right?"

"Do what?"

"Have this relationship with me. I know you like women, and I can take rejection, it won't change anything between us. I totally would understand. So, if you don't want to do this, just say so, ok?"

Hatori leaned forward and lightly kissed Shigure's lips. "Lets try this for a little while," he said.

"That wasn't what I expected, but, maybe it's for the best..."

"Earlier, when we were in the kitchen, you didn't kiss me again because you heard Tohru come in right?"

Shigure nodded and started walking away until Hatori stopped him and continued.

"And, when we first got to your house, you didn't take my hand back because-"

"I know how you feel about these things. You would have been embarassed if Kyo, Yuki and Tohru came into the room with us holding hands. So, I figured I'd save you the trouble and just not hold your hand until we're alone."

"You know me so well..." Hatori smiled. "I'm glad that you do Shigure. You really do save me a lot of embarassment. Thank you for that, really, truly, thank you."

"Hatori, there is no need to thank me. I only do the things that everyone should do for the person they love," Shigure replied as if he had rehearsed the line a million times before.

"So, you're possitive that you love me?"

"I have always been sure of my feelings for you Ha'ri," Shigure said, taking Hatori's free hand and bringing it to his own cheek. "And even if this relationship doesn't work, and even if we get all weird and awkward around each other, I hope these feelings never ever change. I want to love you forever, even if it's just in friendship."

Hatori looked at the ground, allowing his mind to take in Shigure's words to their full affect. Then looked into his life-long friend's eyes, finally realizing the deepness of Shigure's emotions. Hatori took the other man into his arms and held him close.

"Shigure," he said, taking a single step back, and allowed Shigure to see the tears forming in his eyes.

"I love you Hatori..." Shigure whispered, giving a shy, school-boy grin.

"And I love you as well Shigure."

"Always and forever," Shigure replied before drawing Hatori in for a long and meaningful kiss.

Bad, I know, but there's nothing anyone will do about it now...R&R remember the &R part...Review and tell meif you want more chapters, but if not then, don't say anything at all...and what happened to Shigure's chocolate? We will never know...