Disclaimer: I do not own Hot Gimmick, Hot Gimmick S, or its characters. Credit is rightfully due to creator and mangaka Miki Aihara and Megumi Nishizaki who wrote HGS. This fan fiction is a non-profit piece of work and does not intend to infringe any copyright laws, and is merely here for enjoyment.

Author's Notes: First off, I love Shinogu. I'm a DIE HARD Shinogu fan. When Hot Gimmick ended, it was a bitter sweet taste in my mouth, I don't hold anything against Ryoki…but Shinogu should have gotten the girl or at least never became a monk (God, I was so upset about that). So when HGS came out I was happy beyond all imagination…until I got to the ending. I mean, it was great Hatsumi decided she liked Shinogu to a degree, but the relationship wasn't where I wanted it to be. It was…still swishy washy in my point. Seriously, I'm sure a lot of Shinogu fans wanted a flat out "I FUCKING LOVE YOU." We didn't get it, so I'm picking up from where HGS left off with grotesque amounts of fluff, lime and lemon. The rating is deceptive, the first chapter is quite innocent but we're gonna kick it up a notch later: it's what I do best.

I also want to mention that a fan fiction like this is something that I haven't done in a very long time that it almost seems brand new to me. No, not romance or the sex or anything, but the fact that I'm writing a fan fiction AFTER a manga has seen an official ending. I haven't done one of these in a long while, so I'm a bit nervous to pick up the story with no references or events that that I know will happen. Basically, I don't have a formula to work with. Because A happened, B happens, and from B we obviously can conclude we end with C. Now it's kind of like, okay so I'm at C…where to now? I just want to make sure my story stays true to the characters and what I think would happen so would Miki Aihara.

On a final note: I REALLY should be writing Midnight (my god they're going to kill me) but I've been wanting to do something like this for such a long time. In fact, Shinogu and Hatsumi were the reason WHY I started to write another installment to Midnight. (Please view Midnight Chapter 2 Author's Notes for a full explanation) That's enough with my rambling! Please read, review if you please, but most importantly enjoy

-Scarlette.

It took just under a week for Shinogu to leave the hospital, minor cuts and bruises were mended and were no longer of a concern. In fact, he could have left a few days after being admitted, but he stayed only because a certain someone insisted he rested and recuperated.

Narita Hatsumi waited out in the front office, staring out the window, watching the traffic loiter by. It had become late fall, the chill in the air wasn't bitter and devastating, but just enough to occasionally send a shiver down her spine, an indication that winter would soon grace the island nation of Japan. Or maybe she felt the shiver down her spine because she was in a hospital? She was always so anxious when she came here, especially since Shinogu had been admitted. Every day she would walk in to visit him but uncertainty loomed over like a thick suffocating blanket. Everyday she would be afraid to tell the nurse that she was visiting Narita Shinogu, and the nurse would look up at her sadly and tell her that something else had happened to him. Hatsumi clenched her fists tightly, thankfully for everyday she came to visit she was permitted to see Shinogu and he was getting better by the hour.

"Hatsumi?"

She had been lost in her own thoughts, and turned around abruptly, shocked to hear her name but pleased to hear the voice that said it. Hatsumi smiled warmly, a gentle aura around her, "Shinogu!" she cried happily. Unable to contain herself she enveloped her adoptive brother in her embrace, and held him tightly. She could feel him stiffen at the sudden grasp she had over him, but in a few fading seconds he had loosened his muscles and returned her touch, his own arms encircling her. "How are you feeling?" Hatsumi asked her voice filled with concern.

"Fine," he replied with a small laugh. "I could have left a lot sooner-"

"NO." Hatsumi replied firmly, cutting him off.

"No need to get all angry over it," Shinogu gently patted her head, the smile still on his face. "I knew if I left you would have dragged me back here anyways. No use fighting with you."

Hatsumi fumed for a moment more, her lips forming into a pout. He said it as if she had done a bad thing. "I know you well enough Shinogu, if you left early you would have been back to work again! No breaks!"

He said nothing, but only smiled again. She was right. "Shall we go?" Shinogu shifted the weight of the back pack he was carrying and started to exit out the building.

"Want me to carry that?" Hatsumi asked, trailing a few inches behind him.

"No," he laughed slightly. "It's not like I broke anything."

This time Hatsumi stayed quiet, unable to reply to him. "Well, you scared me enough to think you were dead." She mumbled to herself.

The hustle and bustle of the train system hit Hatsumi like a ton of bricks. She wasn't suspecting such traffic this late into the afternoon, and on a Sunday of all days. There weren't enough cram schools or offices open today for the amount of people that flooded in and out the train doors. She looked around nervously; at least they weren't crammed together like sardines.

"You look like someone just told you your dog died." Shinogu said, carefully steering her out of the train station. "What's wrong?"

Hatsumi sighed. As usual Shinogu was guiding her and helping her. "No it's just, if I knew the train station would be this busy I would have called a taxi to take you home. I mean, there's just so many people…"

"Hatsumi," He stopped them in a quiet corner, tucked away from all the commotion. "Are you afraid I'm going to be pushed onto the tracks or something? Or that I can't manage people pushing me around?"

She didn't reply. It was stupid, she knew that, but she was exactly afraid of what Shinogu said. He just left the hospital and the last thing she wanted was for him to have some kind of freak accident. She told herself she would play guard dog for the next few days, pushing all hindrances and threats out of Shinogu's way. It was turning out to be a complete failure.

"Hey," he said. Hatsumi looked away, embarrassed. "Hatsumi." The way he said her name was so gentle and comforting, but yet demanded her attention. She looked at him, her eyes locking onto his, filled with concern with a hint of amusement. "Relax okay?" His hand naturally reached for hers, squeezing it tenderly. Usually, this kind of act would comfort Hatsumi but due to circumstances between them, it had become painfully awkward. But none the less, she allowed Shinogu to hold her hand, enjoying the sensation of the tranquility he emitted.

They stood there, tucked away in their privacy. The people busily hurrying by…no one seemed to notice them. Shinogu still held her hand, and Hatsumi's eyes were still searching into his own. Silently the gap between them began to close, all the noise in the world had been shut out, the undeniable force of attraction's gravity pulled them together…

And the annoying velocity of chance tore them apart. "Oh sorry man, didn't see you there!" another young man, in a hurry, had bumped into Shinogu. He threw an apologetic glace over his shoulder, knowing he had disrupted an intimate moment.

Hatsumi looked away quickly, abashed with the events. Her cheeks felt so much warmer, she was sure she was blushing. Shinogu let out a sigh, Hatsumi wasn't sure if it was a sigh of annoyance or disappointment. She wouldn't admit it out loud, and maybe not even to herself yet, but her heart felt a pang of frustration. She wanted to kiss him.

But things were just so difficult. Hatsumi had become aware that her feelings for Shinogu were in a fixed jumble between loving a brother and loving a boy, she wasn't sure how to start sorting these kinds of emotions out. She loved Shinogu for so long, loved him dearly…but as a sibling. It wasn't till recently did her eyes open to the blessing of love in front of her. He was always there, and by now Hatsumi knew that Shinogu wasn't there by her side because he had responsibility as a brother, but as a man in love. Shinogu wasn't required to be a good brother, but he held himself accountable for Hatsumi because he loved her. He knew how he felt, and all Hatsumi could ever make clear was that her feelings were changing. She couldn't flat out say that she loved Shinogu for who he was, as a man. It even confused her, so much she lay awake at night…

It took an accident, for Shinogu to practically vanish, for her to understand that her brother wasn't her brother anymore. The light of realization began to shine on him so brightly that it scared Hatsumi. He loved her so dearly, was willing to go so far to do so much, that it left Hatsumi speechless and shocked, it was almost unnerving. And what was it that she could give him? Nothing. Just a small reply of "I'm getting there Shinogu." The ring he gave her, the ring she said she would take because she was with him, sat guiltily tucked in its casing, stored safely in her purse… How much longer was she going to make him wait? How much longer would he wait? Her heart thundered in her chest, how long was he going to be there smiling gently, waiting with the patience of a saint.

She couldn't understand. She was terrified of loosing Shinogu; it was clear with the introduction of Wakana Nanami that Hatsumi had become jealous. Jealous of another woman. A sister, a sibling, wouldn't feel that kind of jealousy. If she could feel jealousy, she could feel the attraction, the love…What was holding her back? She recalled what Ryoki once told her. "The feelings are there, you're just ignoring them." She was just that kind of girl, slow to understand, slow to accept.

"Come on," Shinogu said sensing the uncomfortable situation. "Let's get going." He let go of her hand and took a few paces forward.

She looked to him, her face clearly upset about something. She was upset at herself. Ryoki was right. The feelings were there, and she was ignoring them, but they weren't for him. They were for Shinogu. She only had to muster the courage to break down the defining walls of family. Family was important to her, the bonds and relationships she had with them were precious, but Shinogu was on an entirely different plane and she had to understand that. The kind of relationship she wanted from him was something different, and he was making every effort he could to make it easier for her to break down those barriers, to make the taboo of being siblings in love something of the past. They would walk forward together.

"Shinogu." Hatsumi called out, he stopped and looked back. It was going to be hard to sort out all of the feelings she had, to explain them to herself and have them make sense, but she was willing to put in that effort. Shinogu deserved that in the very least. She had to learn to break the ties she had with Shinogu, break the chains of kinship, and build a new foundation. It was hard to understand, to cope, that she was losing a brother…but gaining so much more. Hatsumi ran to him, ran to Shinogu, smiling ever so slightly, and took his hand. "Let's go!"

"Hey you hungry?" Shinogu opened the door to his apartment, allowing Hatsumi to enter first.

"A little," she replied, taking her shoes off in the hallway.

"Ill make us something." He dropped his bag next to his shoes, flipping on the lights and heading for the kitchen. Shinogu didn't check for his mail or messages addressed to him, something people would usually first do when they come home from a leave of absence. He was going to take advantage of every second he had with Hatsumi. She had visited him plenty while in the hospital and he fervently thanked Hatsumi for doing so, but he was chained to the bed, nurses coming in and out of his room at any given moment. There just wasn't any privacy. "Make yourself comfortable, want tea?"

"I can make it Shinogu," Hatsumi replied, in the wake of his own footsteps. "It's not like the Emperor of Japan or something."

"Right," he said with a grin. Hatsumi wasn't the type of girl that wanted to be spoiled, she wanted to do everything equally, and that was just one of the traits he found so endearing about her.

"Where do you keep the tea kettle?" She asked, looking around in the kitchen.

"Top right cabinet, cups should be next to it too." Shinogu said opening the fridge, examining what he could scrap together. He heard her open the cabinet, the scraping of the kettle as she dragged it off the shelf, and the oven turning on. He smiled to himself, even though he wasn't watching her, he could see every movement she made in his mind. Focusing on what lay in the fridge, Shinogu frowned. The vegetables he had bought had gone missing and boxes of left overs from restaurants sat on the chilled shelves. It seemed like his roommate, Kazama, cleared out anything that was edible. "Hm."

"What's wrong?"

"Kazama ate everything." Shinogu answered.

Hatsumi let out a giggle, "I'm okay with just tea." She told him.

Shinogu shook his head, "I'm not going to send you home later on with an empty stomach. Besides, I'm kind of hungry myself."

"Wanna grab something outside then?" Hatsumi asked.

"Yeah, let's go to dinner." Shinogu stated.

"Like, a restaurant?"

"Why not?" He asked with a carefree look. "When was the last time you went out to east somewhere nice, huh?"

"Not in a while…I mean," Hatsumi stammered her words. She examined herself up and down, and then at Shinogu. "I look so trashy." She laughed out loud, "I'm not exactly dressed to take out to dinner." She had thrown on a pair of faded jeans and an over sized sweater that morning, in a hurry to meet Shinogu, and frankly not giving a damn what she looked liked, she was more concerned with him being released from the hospital. "Guys have it so easy Shinogu," she whined. "I mean you can walk out with jeans and decent looking jacket and you can pretty much go anywhere fit for any occasion." She waved a hand carelessly in the air. "Besides, I'm broke! I can't afford to help pay with dinner tonight."

Shinogu laughed, "I think you look fine, but if it bothers you so much lets go get you something to wear to dinner."

She looked at him, shock clearly on her face. "No!"

"Why not?"

"Because! That's money you earned Shinogu!"

"And I can spend it as I please." He declared.

"NO!" was all Hatsumi could say. Despite her best efforts, a small blush crept to her cheeks. Shopping and dinner with Shinogu? It sounded so much like…a date. The familiar fluttering of her heart started again, she felt guilty for actually wanting to do something of the sort with him. It was, like she said, Shinogu's money he had earned it with all the work he did so earnestly.

"Hatsumi," the was a of warning in his voice, it was so unusual to hear. "If you don't march yourself out first, Ill carry to you the store." A mischievous grin played on his lips. Hatsumi made a face at this, and slowly began to shrink against the nearest wall. Shinogu started to advance toward her his arms out stretched.

Closer and closer he approached, and finally a smile cracked on Hatsumi's face. "Okay, okay!" she said loudly, laughing as she dashed past Shinogu and towards the door.

He smiled watching after her, and turned off the tea she had begun to boil.

"Shinogu, are you sure this is alright? I mean, we can just grab something quick and we don't even have to worry about you know…dressing me up." Hatsumi asked, trailing near him.

"Its fine." He assured her, yet again. It didn't matter how many times she said no, or how many times she tried to get away, Shinogu was determined to take her out some place nice. "Which place would you like to go into first?"

Hatsumi looked around the busy street, lined with shops and littered with people. She didn't want to waste so much of Shinogu's time, she was sure he had much more important things to do then idly roaming from shop to shop. A department store, a one stop shop, would be the best choice with the most selection. Get in, and get out. She wasn't out shopping leisurely on her own time. "Um, um…" she echoed. Farther down the street she saw the towering levels of a department store. "There we go!" she pointed the building out.

Shinogu made a face. He made a point to take Hatsumi down this street for a reason, it was the busiest retail area where he lived, and from what he gathered from the girls around his university it had the best shops for the trendiest and up to date fashions. He knew all too well why Hatsumi chose to wander to a department store. If he tried to convince her to go elsewhere, she would refuse and the outing could turn out to be a total bust. He would just have to lead her, subtly, into a different store. "Actually, Hatsumi do you mind if we go in here really quick? I owe Kazama a sweater, I ruined one of his, and he bought of this store. Just want to replace it."

"Oh yeah! Sure!' Hatsumi agreed without blinking. She didn't even think twice about Shinogu's intentions, he felt just a bit wicked for leading her on.

"Welcome!" The employees behind the counter chirped in unison. "How may we help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to have this young lady," Shinogu pointed at Hatsumi, who was bewildered at the moment, "dressed for dinner. Whatever she likes. I only have one request; she doesn't leave this store till I've purchased her items."

The employees eyed each other, smiling and chuckling, it was something straight out of movie, better yet a shoujo manga. They gathered around Hatsumi, and whisked her away. She looked over her shoulder, her face twisted in panic and a playful hate, Shinogu gave her a small wave and sat comfortably in a nearby chair.

The lavish party dress was just cut above the knees, soft to the touch, beautiful in the street light, even more spectacular in the moonlight, the dark blue catching the twinkle of the stars. Lucky for Hatsumi flats were in this season, she was dreading what kind of shoes she was going to wear but what did she have to tell the styling associates that she couldn't wear heels? She took a breath when they pulled out a black pair of flat ballet like slippers, and handed her a matching clutch. The associates were about to send her out as is, covered with a few accessories on her wrists and neck, when Shinogu also asked for a jacket for Hatsumi.

"I don't want to you getting cold, and I don't think my jacket would compliment your dress very much." He told Hatsumi before she could protest about further costs. A black, delicately cut trench coat was also rung up with the purchases that night.

"I'm going to murder you Shinogu," Hatsumi whispered as they exited the store. Her own clothes were tucked into the store bags, and she pranced out in a newly adorned wardrobe for the night.

"Is that how you say thanks?" he asked teasingly.

Hatsumi felt her cheeks flush. "Thank you," she recited. "But, you didn't have to…"

"You're right." He smiled at her, "I didn't have to but I wanted to." They were quiet for a moment. "You look good." Shinogu complimented her.

She smiled bashfully. "Only because of you." Hatsumi caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby window, and she really did have Shinogu to thank. She knew what kind of street this was, what kind of retailers were here. She frequently heard her school mates tell tales of the expensive clothing and heard her sister, Akane; yearn for certain brands that were only a few feet away from where Hatsumi was standing now.

"Where do you want to go to dinner? Anything in particular?" He inquired.

Hatsumi shook her head, "I don't think we even-"

"You're gorgeously dressed tonight Hatsumi, I'm using this as an excuse to get you to go to dinner. Don't let the dress go to waste." Shinogu said. As terrible as it was, he had Hatsumi wrapped around his little finger for the night. She was obviously feeling indebted to Shinogu for the earlier purchases.

"I can't think of anything." Hatsumi said after a while.

"That's okay, I'm sure we'll find something." The usual smile was on Shinogu's face. He felt his hand motion outwards for Hatsumi to take it, but before she could notice he had refrained from making it apparent that he wanted to hold her hand. He started to walk forward, Hatsumi by his side.

They walked down the street, Shinogu examining restaurant menus. Hatsumi watched him as he walked along side her, but she could feel the eyes of others on them. She heard the whispers of other girls commenting on how attractive Shinogu was, questioning if Hatsumi was his girlfriend, wondering if he was single.

Insecurity began to sink in, jealousy once again roared aloud. She never had been out with Shinogu at night because of her own curfew, and for the past couple of years Shinogu would work nights. She tried to remember the last time she actually went out with Shinogu, whether it be during the day or the night. It had been so long…but things were different this time, Hatsumi noticed all the attention he was getting, especially since he didn't look like he was claimed.

"What do you think about this place Hatsumi?" Shinogu asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, um, yeah? Did you like the menu?"

"I thought it looked good." He replied.

"Then this one!" She smiled is response.

Shinogu went up to the desk, asking for seating for two. He beckoned Hatsumi over and they followed the waiter for a cozy table. The waiter pulled out Hatsumi's chair, and she sat openly unsure of herself. She looked over the menu, it was all western food, something she rarely had…even then, the most western food she had wasn't nearly as classy as this…Unless a hot dog was considered a delicacy, but Hatsumi highly doubted that. "Shinogu," she started "I'm not quite sure what to order."

"Would you like for me to order for you?"

"I trust you." Hatsumi said. The way she said it though, somehow filled Shinogu's heart. She trusted him to do more than just order her foreign food, she trusted him with her life, with her heart.

The later it got into the evening the more beautiful girls had come out. They seemed to blossom at night, blossom in the several dozens, and they all looked at Shinogu. Hatsumi wasn't holding his hand or showed any intimate signs of being with him, it just seemed like she was a friend, or worst yet a sister, out for the evening with someone of the opposite sex.

"Something bothering you Hatsumi?" they had started walking back to Shinogu's apartment. "I mean you hardly spoke at dinner, did you not like the place? I'm sorry."

"No, no, not at all Shinogu!" she didn't want him to think that his efforts for the evening were wasted, in fact she shamefully but highly enjoyed herself. It was just…

"Hey, excuse me." A rather curvy girl appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of them with an impish grin on her coral red lips. "Are you busy tonight?" she was clearly addressing Shinogu, in fact she probably didn't know Hatsumi existed in the same space. "Want to go out, get a drink? I'm sure we'll have a good time!"

"Ah," Shinogu was caught off guard just nearly as much as Hatsumi was. All these years he didn't know how to approach girls, he never really showed any interest in them, all he ever wanted was Hatsumi. All his female friends, truth was they were once girls that approached him in a romantic way, but eventually learned that Shinogu's heart could never be turned from the mystery girl he showed endless amounts of love for.

"Well, what do you say?" The girl prompted once more.

"Ah, no. I'm sorry, I'm flattered but I'm already busy tonight. You see, I'm out on a date already." Shinogu told the girl, a sheepish smile covering the corners of his mouth.

"What?" the girl said, looking around. "With who!?"

Shinogu took Hatsumi's hand, drawing her closely to him. "With this fine young woman."

The other girl seemed dumbfounded and looked over Hatsumi. "Humph, couldn't tell you were together. My bad." And without another word, or an apology to Hatsumi she vanished down the street, her hips swaying like a skank.

"Sorry Hatsumi." Shinogu apologized, "I didn't mean to put you in that situation."

"You could have gone with her…" Hatsumi told him barely above a whisper. "I wouldn't have mind."

"Hatsumi." He said with disbelief.

"I mean, she was pretty in a way and…it wasn't like I was holding your hand or being intimate with you…" She was fighting back tears; she had set herself up for this. Because of her hesitation to claim Shinogu to be more than a brother, to break the bonds of family, the insecurity she felt weighed a hundred times heavier, the advances from other girls would be a thousand times harder to ignore, and the jealousy and bitterness would hurt her a million times more. "What I'm trying is… this isn't really a date is it? It isn't like we're official; it isn't like…I've been able to come to terms or anything." The last bit of her statement came out in a near hysteric; she was having difficulty sorting her emotions out. She knew what she wanted to feel, but she was having issues putting her sisterly love aside.

Without hesitation and what seemed to be effortless, Shinogu swept Hatsumi off her feet and into his arms. She buried her face into his chest and cried freely, her hot tears staining the front of his jacket. He carried her the remaining blocks back to his apartment, throwing the door open and shutting it with his foot. Shinogu didn't set her down at the door way but continued to carry her to the couch, he lightly placed her there. Hatsumi was still crying, her eyes red and puffy, and her nose ungracefully runny. He felt his heart ache, and kneeled in front of her, taking one of her hands in his own and touching her face with his other hand.

"Hatsumi." He cooed. She didn't respond, but took a ragged breath from her crying and refused to look at him. His hand firmly, but thoughtfully, made her face him. The dark colors of Shinogu's eyes bore into her own. He was trying to calm her down. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for tonight to end up like this. I really just wanted to go out with you and let you have a good time. You've done so much for me I just wanted to show you my gratitude. I didn't mean to upset you by saying we were on a date."

Hatsumi shook her head violently. "It's not your fault Shinogu!" She tears continued to pour from her eyes. "It's just…We were on a date?"

"Would it upset you if it was?" he asked anxiously. Truth be told, Shinogu did think of it as a date in his own mind, but if it would calm Hatsumi down by saying it wasn't, then he would tell her it wasn't a date in any way shape or form.

"No." She replied. "No it doesn't upset me at all. I'm just…so mad at myself."

Shinogu wanted to know more, he caressed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. "There's no reason for you to be upset at yourself."

"I ruined tonight." Hatsumi wailed, more tears magically stormed down her cheeks.

"No you didn't," he retorted. "I had a good time tonight."

"I didn't even act as if we were on a date." She fired back, looking away. "It's my fault all those girls were looking at you! Because I couldn't quit being a scardie cat and just hold your hand openly, they just come up to you."

Shinogu felt a fever run through his body and exploded on his face, he was blushing wildly. Luckily, Hatsumi was still so ashamed of her actions that she still couldn't look in him the eyes. "It's partly my fault too," he said after a time. "I didn't hold your hand either."

"Because you didn't want to make me feel uncomfortable." Hatsumi replied quickly.

As usual, anything concerning Shinogu's actions, she was right.

"You try so hard Shinogu." She said quietly. Her hand tightened around his. "But all I can do is just make things worse for us. It's so hard to let go of what we have," Hatsumi admitted "I'm just afraid that if I lose you as my brother that I'll lose you for good. I don't know how to move forward from here, I know where I want us to be…I just don't know how to get there."

"No one said it would be easy Hatsumi." Shinogu's heart, his soul, felt so much lighter hearing this from her. Deep down, he knew that Hatsumi was ready to let go of their sibling relationship, she only needed time. After all, he was her brother for over a decade…In what sane universe does anybody starting loving their brother as a man because they found out they weren't biologically related. Letting go of such a deeply imbedded bond would be difficult for anybody. Shinogu knew it would be particularly hard for Hatsumi, who placed family highly on her list of priorities. "I'm just trying to make it a smoother ride by-"

"Annulling the adoption." She finished for him. Having Shinogu change his last name, and legally not be part of the family, was quite the obstacle for Hatsumi to overcome. But she had finally come to terms with it. If Shinogu was no longer legally a Narita, he would be free to pursue Hatsumi as any other normal male, without the scorns of society drawing dangerously close. It would also be the first step to building the foundation that was needed for Hatsumi's and Shinogu's relationship.

"We don't have to worry about seeing each other until I have the paperwork settled, if that makes things easier for you." He told her.

She shook her head again. "No. No, I don't think that would do me any good."

"Then we'll just keep taking things really slow. I mean, we don't have to hold hands or anything, or keep going on dates. Not until you're entirely comfortable."

She sighed, "I'm so sorry Shinogu I-"

All night Hatsumi had been finishing his sentences, this time he wanted to finish hers. "I'm just glad you're comfortable enough to want to start down this road with me," he said with squeeze of her hand, a stroke to her face, "that's all I really want Hatsumi, is just for you to want to try. It doesn't matter how slowly we walk together, as long as we're side by side."

Hatsumi's tears ceased to exist at this point. It was so calming to know that Shinogu was willing to accept the fact that Hatsumi was trying. He knew that she wanted to love him, the way he loved her, but they had to take things slowly in order for her to adjust to their new situation.

She fell forward into Shinogu's body, her arms wrapped around his neck, and they fell with a thud to the floor. Hatsumi laughed, the last of her tears falling from the corner of her eyes. She listened to his heart beat, as they laid there on the cold wooden floor for a minute. "I really should get you home; I don't think we have time to get you on the train." Shinogu spoke, breaking the silence.

"Ah, you're right." Hatsumi let go of her grasp around Shinogu, and sat up. She studied him for moment, he looked happier then usual…But the same could be said about Hatsumi, being able to explain herself to Shinogu and for him to understand lifted the weight of the world off her shoulders.

"Let me call you a cab." Shinogu picked himself off the floor, and strolled to the house phone. Hatsumi heard him recite his address; he came back over to her and said: "Should be here in a few minutes." He held his hand out, helping Hatsumi off the ground.

They waited outside, Hatsumi standing close to him feeling the warmth of his body next to hers. The cab arrived a minute or so later; Shinogu gave the driver the Narita address and opened the door for her. "Good night Hatsumi, I'll see you soon okay?"

She nodded and reached for his hand, and leaned in close to his ear. "Hey, Shinogu."

"Yeah?"

Hatsumi paused for a moment; Shinogu could feel her breath against his ear lobe. "Do you love me?" It was a selfish question, a question she knew the answer to…but wanted to hear for her own security. She felt dreadful for even asking him this, because the roles should have been reversed. Shinogu should have been asking her this question to make himself feel secure; he was the one in dire need of reassurance, not Hatsumi.

"Yes," he told her into her ear, his voice low and dangerously enchanting. "I love you Hatsumi."

It was the push that she needed. "Promise?" She asked childishly.

"I promise."

Hatsumi smiled beautifully, a smile that Shinogu had never seen before. It radiated across her entire body, transmitted in her very being. She was filled with love and confidence. She smiled a smile that only love could produce. And that smile was for him. She turned her face eloquently to Shinogu, and lightly, with no fear of any consequences, she kissed him. Their lips met for a brief spell, and the kiss was small and feathery, but it was enough to send Shinogu to the other side of the universe and back. Hatsumi didn't have to say I love you verbally, the tiny kiss she gave to him said enough.

Pulling away, Hatsumi let out a nervous giggle, a rosy hue over her face started to surface. "Ill talk to you later."

She got into the cab; Shinogu closed the door for her. The car drove away, but Shinogu stood there, watching the vehicle inch further away. The cab was clear out of site, and he was still clearly star struck from the kiss he had shared with Hatsumi. Little by little his senses returned and the small miracle that just happened registered in his brain.

Shinogu let out a cheer of joy so loud that it echoed throughout the neighborhood.

Yes! Chapter one, finished! I know it was kind of slow, but I wanted to set the theme for the entire overview of the story. I really have more in store for this fiction of mine. I just want to explore situations that Shinogu and Hatsumi will encounter as a couple. I really want to take time to develop Hatsumi's feelings correctly, in all honestly I don't want her to wake up one day and be head over heels. Hatsumi was never that kind of girl when it came to love, that was more Akane's style, and I want to stay true to character. So bear with me, and Hatsumi, as she becomes more comfortable and in love with Shinogu. By the end of it all, the emotional development will really be the most rewarding!...and the lemon. I mean, I got to write a lemon, it's just what I do!

So please look forward to future chapters and exploits of Hatsumi and Shinogu! We'll venture to Shinogu's university, Hatsumi dealing with his fan clubs, first month anniversaries, the joys of spending the night at his apartment, and the decisions Hatsumi makes concerning her future for school, career, and her life with Shinogu. (Those of you who read HGS should recall, she was in her senior year in the book. In my story its already winter for the most part, so graduation is a few months away!)Please continue to show your support! Thank you very much for taking the time to read my fan fiction and I hoped you enjoyed it!

-Scarlette

"Aint no rest for the wicked." –Cage the Elephant.