My, My, Imai! Vol. I

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've noticed that the story has gotten a few hits, but, as of this moment, no reviews. I can't continue to update the story without a few reviews or some constructive criticism.

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Imai:
The day drizzled on at a snail's pace, and Imai spent most of her time in the room she shared with her brother. She was already growing wary of him... Suspicious that he might be planning something; it had been a long while since he'd even touched her, and she feared that more than she feared him being angry with her... More than she feared the Devil.

But Akito still said nothing to her, even as she left for the baths that night. She sat in the tub, soaking and brooding on her situation with Hatori. He was being colder to her than before... But she didn't blame him. She'd be just the same as he if put in the same situation; if only she knew the DETAILS of the situation, she might have understood more fully. It seemed that Shigure had only created more problems than he'd solved.

After about a good hour of soaking herself pruny in the tub, Imai decided that it was quite time to get out and pay a visit to Hatori. She'd come to the conclusion that she would simply tell him. If she didn't, it would eat her up inside, and it would give him all the more reason to be a snotty jerk to her. She wasn't sure if she wanted that, really, but she was certain that Hatori would be able to handle it like a proper adult... Handle it much better than she had.

And, as promised, she showed up. But had no book in tow to read. The look on her face had changed once again, but this time it was an expression of determination. She'd tell him and get it over with; she'd weighed her options carefully... And while she was certain that he didn't want to hear a word of what she had to say, she would say it anyway. She was positive that it would clear everything up; she just wasn't sure if it was the right time or not.

Taking a deep breath, Imai reached for the door of Hatori's office and inched it open, sliding inside without even bothering to knock.

"... Hatori..."

She didn't even bother with a title. She looked very serious and very determined. Hatori had better prepare himself to hear it all over again..!

Hatori:
He'd been at the window again, watching the snow fall for countless of hours. Everything in his office was just how it was when Imai left-- Even down to the paper cup of purchased coffee from breakfast time sitting neatly on the corner of his desk.

It had been a long, long time since he felt this confused on the inside. As much damage as it seemed to cause, Shigure telling Hatori was a lot easier for him to deal with than him finding out on his own. Adult or not, it was never easy to deal with such delicate matters after spending so long shutting yourself up as far away from them as possible. There was always a sting when coldness transgressed into warm suddenly and Hatori was a bit out of his league.

He turned when he heard his door open, though his expression became something along the lines of mild surprise when he was addressed without formalities and the look on Imai's own face. What would happen? There were two most probable results he could come up with.

"Imai," he returned, forgoing titles as well as his face became stoic as always.

Imai:
She steeled herself for the millionth time that day, taking steady and easy breaths as she went over the words in her head. She'd gone over them thousands of times earlier, but now that she was finally face-to-face with Hatori, every last syllable was gone from her memory.

"... I have to talk to you about something..."

Now, this was sounding quite familiar, wasn't it? Imai took her usual seat, trying her best not to look so rigid as her rump found the comfortable, broken-in leather. She attempted to use her surroundings as a comfort-zone... Trying to let the smell of his cigarettes and the lingering smell of coffee soothe her as it had once done; trying to let the sound of his voice comfort her instead of rake her heart raw with fear and rabid anticipation for the next word.

She skipped the small-talk entirely, for it would get them nowhere. Swallowing back the lump of fear that had risen in her throat like a tidal wave, Imai took another breath to speak.

"I know you don't want to hear this... But I think it will clear a few things up."

**So far, so good...**

"I've been very happy with our relationship as of late, and every second I've spent with you has kept me from going mad. But..."

**Just breathe…**

"... I know I've been acting strangely, and I'm sorry if it confuses you. But I..."

**Breathe...**

She paused, knowing that the next words to come from her mouth would either send him off into a fit of undying love, or close him off to her completely. But he deserved to know. Even if he shut her off from him completely for the rest of his life, he still deserved to know.

Hatori:
Hatori still said nothing even after Imai paused, the only sound following was the swish of his clothing and foot steps and he moved away from the window he'd been standing at and towards the borrowed chair. They stopped when he was just behind it, hands curling over the sides as he gave it a gentle turn to swivel the girl around to face him completely. When talking about serious matters, he wanted to speak to the person's face and not their back.

Shoulders hunched and arms straight, the doctor all but loomed over Imai as her mind floundered for what her mouth to come out with next. It wasn't necessary.

"I think. . . I know what you're going to say next."

And it was true, and he still kept the fact that he had been informed by an outside source secret.

His gaze never faltered and he seemed expectant as he fell silent again. He might have known, but he wanted to hear it come from Imai first before he came to any conclusion-- With all due respect to Shigure, he wouldn't put it past the man to try to fix a heart that had been beyond broken for years. No matter how serious he may have been.

Imai:
When her chair was spun around, and she was almost literally put face-to-face with the man she longed for, Imai's face turned a clear shade of red. Her heart was racing in her chest, thumping so hard and so fast against her ribs that she dared to think that it would burst through her body and onto the floor! But it was resoundly thumping in her throat as well.

It was still going fairly well, however, despite her nervousness. She took another breath, deeply inhaling as she continued. Her eyes never left Hatori's, not for a flickering heartbeat did her eyes trail anywhere else but his gaze. She was determined not to look pitiful when she told him... The stronger she acted, the stronger she felt... No matter how weak she really was on the subject.

"I've been acting so strangely because I..."

**Keep breathing, don't vomit... It's not the end of the world... Yet...**

"... I'm in love with you."

Hatori:
Even though he had known. . . Been prepared-- There was still no being completely prepared when such feelings like that were presented.

The doctor closed his eyes, taking a breath himself as he fought to muster up some sort of response to give to the girl before him. She was so sure, yet he was so confused. He had been so used to not letting himself feel anything and now that he was affected, it was almost overwhelming.

"Imai-san. . ."

He finally managed to get some words out, standing up straight and let his arms fall down to his sides. For a moment that felt like an eternity to him, he said nothing and his voice cut through the silence suddenly when he continued.

"Maybe you should think about it a little more. You couldn't possibly feel. . . that way."

Kanna could and had-- Kanna was the first one to touch his heart in so many ways. It had all fallen to pieces before him and Hatori knew that he wouldn't be able to go through a second ordeal of that sort.

Imai:
Imai braced herself... Merely waiting for him to say that he was sorry; she was expecting it, but it never came. What he DID say was surprising, however, and she wanted so badly to loudly protest and claim undying love for him. But, really, she was only happy that he hadn't told her off, yet. She knew it would come... She knew he would eventually tell her that he felt nothing for her; she was merely biding her time until then.

But she did protest; not as loudly as her heart was screaming for her to do, however.

"Hatori. I've thought about it for a long time... I KNOW I feel this way."

She wanted to elaborate... To tell him how positive she was. She wanted to tell him how his touch made her feel, how his gaze made her heart pound, how his voice made her knees tremble. But it would be too much for her to say and for him to hear, so she left it at that.

"I haven't been able to STOP thinking about it."

Slowly, Imai stood up, offering him a sad smile before turning toward the door.

"I'm sorry, Hatori. I know you didn't want to hear this, so I won't bother you anymore with it. Good-night..."

Hatori:
Hatori watched as she stood, but his eyes soon drifted away and went down cast, fixing upon his feet as she continued on.

". . .Do you know what could happen if you love me?" he wondered with a dark note in his voice.

Hatori knew that his past wasn't a secret to any of them anymore. He also knew that Akito was sharp and would smudge any sort of relationship out with the cruelest ways possible.

"If it were disapproved of, do you have any idea of what I would be responsible for? --What I would have to do AGAIN?"

Hatori was an expert on keeping his emotions in check, thus he didn't tremble in the least as he shot out these morbid pondering for Imai to consider if not answer.

". . .I don't LIKE what I have to do, Imai-san."

Imai:
She paused, his words halting her before she could leave. She stood quiet for a moment.

"I'm all too aware of it, Hatori-san. Just as aware as the next person. We've been walking on thin ice this entire time, and now that it's grown too thin... I'd like to step off before something happens. I don't expect anything from you, nor would I care for past incidents to repeat themselves. We no longer have to keep a secret that can further endanger us; I'll simply be happy that you're my doctor and nothing more."

It pained her to say it, and she finally turned her back to him once more. She did not move to leave, but rather she stood rigid with clenched and trembling fists. While her voice was steady, her breathing wasn't. She was doing her damndest not to cry and let him see... Doing her hardest to look stronger than she was.

She knew that their nightly meetings had to end, not only for what would happen if Akito found out, but also for her growing feelings for Hatori. She'd rather them end on something better... Or completely different... But it was how it had to be.

Hatori:
For the first time since the confession, Hatori lifted his gaze up from the floor to let it rest upon her. There was still unreadable emotion there, but emotion nonetheless. This-- These sort of things were something that Hatori wasn't the best at. Though now that it had been admitted by Imai himself, he had more stable words to go off than those from one of his good friend's.

". . .Come see me tomorrow night," he said at last, keeping his gaze intensely focused on her as he made his decisions on the spot.

"I need time to. . . think."

He didn't think it would be asking too much, hoping that Imai would understand after all that had happened in the past. However, if one knew Hatori well, him even just allowing himself to take consideration on such matters was a massive step off the lonely road he had been walking down alone.

No more no less, the good doctor stood where he was and awaited Imai's response to that if she had one.

Imai:
"... I understand..."

Was Imai's only response. She did not say she would or would not come, but it was understood in her tone that she would. With that, she left his office, quietly shutting the door behind her. Before she could even reach her room, she was engulfed in silent tears. She wasn't even sure why she was crying, but it made her feel just a little better to finally do so without Hatori seeing her. She made a pit-stop to the baths to wash her face and settle herself down before going to bed. It was still early, but she felt wiped from even the short talk with Hatori.

Her sleep was restless, and only came in small intervals before she was awake again. But, as usual, she was awake at dawn, and spent her time in her room. The day continued on without incident, and after her nightly bath, Imai found herself in front of Hatori's door once more.

She'd said her peace, and she wasn't sure why Hatori wanted to see her again tonight... But she would comply with his wishes.

She offered a soft knock at his door when she'd gained enough courage to do so.

Hatori:
It was quite possible that Hatori smoked more cigarettes in that single morning and afternoon than he did in that whole week. Aside from feeling completely frazzled, the day had gone without any sort of hitch.

There had been a lot of thinking, too. A LOT.

He knew who it was knocking the instant he sounded, but made no move to get up and answer it.

"It's open," came his usual response, and the man didn't make a move from how he was sitting hunched over his desk.

The second chair was still in place before him, leather seat a welcome.

Hatori, despite being silent, he had much to say and was already gathering his scattered thoughts as the moment drew closer upon them.

Imai:
Just as she had before, Imai quietly opened the door, slipped in, and shut it behind her, taking the usual seat.

She was nervous, as though she were going to be tested for something that she hadn't studied for... As though he would grill her for answers to questions that she never thought possible.

Imai watched Hatori, noting that the smell of cigarettes was particularly potent tonight... She knew his mind had been mulling over things the entire day; hers had been, too.

She said nothing, knowing that nothing needed to be said to open the conversation. He had wanted to see her, so the spot-light was on him, now; she could already feel her heart starting to race, and he hadn't even looked up at her yet.

Hatori:
Folding his hands in front of himself, Hatori let out a sigh and actually allowed his composure to fold as he slouched his shoulders forward in bad posture. It was a rare site to be seen, but it had been witnessed by two others before: Ayame and Shigure when their third member of the Mabudachi Trio was almost completely broken.

"I'm not used to talking about these things. . . Forgive me if it makes little sense."

That was when he looked up to her, strange eyes in their usual narrow state, though tinged with fatigue. Sleep had been fleeting the previous night.

"Imai-san, do your best to try to understand. I enjoy your company; your visits here in my study make the days less boring and monotonous. You've become a wonderful person away from Akito-san and I remember every single smile I've gotten to see."

More words than he had said in a single week, but there was still something more. After a pause, he offered a mentioned smile of his own, though it was small with effort.

"I would be lying if I said that I was in love with you, too. But. . . I would also be lying if I said it wasn't possible. My heart still aches for Kanna and no one can replace her. However, it would hurt her as well if she knew I was still so lost without her. She would want me to be found. . . I want to be."

He trailed off there, closing his eyes and tipping his head away. Such emotional words, but there wasn't hardly a trace of it in his voice or body, though it didn't mean it wasn't felt. Hatori. . . had never shared this much with anyone other than Ayame and Shigure and it had been a long while. Even if he didn't admit to it, the good doctor had healed a lot with the time that had passed since the incident. He was the only one holding himself back; subconsciously searching for a gentle push to set him back on track and away from the heaviness that insisted on weighing upon his scarred heart.

Imai:
The sting that mixed with the hope was almost bittersweet. But she had gotten more than she had expected, and for that, she was glad. She wanted to reach across the space between her and Hatori to take his hand... He looked utterly pitiful... Hopelessly lost and broken. She wanted so badly to find him and repair him... But...

"... Even if I were to find you, Hatori... And even if you were in love with me... The fact is that I'm not ALLOWED to be in love with anyone. Just as it was with Kanna-san... It would be much worse with me for who I am to Akito."

The very idea that she would mention her brother's name in a conversation of this sort was a large step for Imai. She had been so brutally abused, that Yuki's experiences could barely hold a candle to her own. She had been trapped in the Main House since birth, abused and blamed... She had suffered everything from tongue lashings to whip lashings, to being pushed into scalding water to being locked outside in the snow. Her feelings had never mattered to Akito... And they definitely wouldn't now.

"He would do worse things to you... If he even knew we had been seeing each other outside of your profession as a doctor. I don't want it to be this way... I..."

Her voice was already starting to falter, despite her better efforts.

"... I would like for it to be different. I would like to have the time with you, so that, one day, you might be in love with me as well. I would even be happy just to sit and read, without discussing this anymore, but even that is too dangerous. I don't want him to hurt you anymore, Hatori..."

Hatori:
The doctor bowed his head, placing his fingers at the bridge of his nose to squeeze back a throbbing sensation that promised to become a headache if not snubbed out then and there. It was a lot to take in, a lot to think about, and a lot of putting pros with the cons.

"For something you really want, sometimes sacrifices and chances are made."

When he lifted his head back up, Hatori's face was even more stony than usual with a flaming determination of his own ignited behind his dragon eyes.

"I am not afraid of Akito-san."

Akito. . . He had already taken everything from Hatori; everything that had meant the entire world for him and now, possibly this.

"But I am afraid of what he could do to YOU."

Hatori never once said how it churned his stomach to have to repair physical damage done by the head of the Sohma family.

Imai:
Imai could not deny that she was just as equally afraid of what Akito could do to her as what he could do to Hatori. She couldn't count on both hands how many times she'd had a broken bone, gotten something ruptured, bruises, internal bleeding... The physical scars were staggering, and she didn't even want to think about the emotional scars that she—that EVERYONE-- knew she had.

And she wouldn't try to act brave for Hatori, but she couldn't find a single word to say in response. It was clear that she was very afraid of her brother... But she would rather stay locked in the estate and suffer his abuse until the moment she died rather than to change a single moment she'd spent in Hatori's company.

"... I would be willing to stay locked in this estate like an animal... And take what he had to dish out... Even if it brought you no step further into caring for me as I do for you. But I feel unwilling to accept the possibilities of what he could still do to you if he found out. You may not be afraid of him yourself, but I'm still afraid for you."

Hatori:
Hatori closed his eyes, letting his head loll back against the head rest of his chair after raking his fingers through his hair. A moment later, a sigh of the exasperated sort escaped from him and he appeared weary when he lifted his gaze back to her.

"I don't want you to lock yourself away if given the chance to be free. If anyone deserves to be released, it's you."

Hatori didn't care what happened to him. As far as he was concerned, he had been wounded too badly in the past to feel anything Akito may do in present time physically.

Mostly, he didn't wish for her to be stuck on false hope and misleading dreams if he was not able to bring his heart away from Kanna. That sort of hurt. . . was something that he never wanted to be the cause of when it came to her. He didn't want to be any sort of pain.

Imai:
She found that while they both had done a great deal of thinking, and a great deal of talking about the situation with each other... It had still brought them no closer to a solution, nor had any of it added any closure on either side. She knew he didn't feel much better about it now than he had before, and neither did she. It was complete stalemate as to what should be done, and she wasn't sure if anything COULD be done that hadn't already been done before.

She understood that he didn't want her stuck on her false hope and dreams, and while she had not truly lived until she'd befriended Hatori, she still wasn't a girl to dream too deeply. Certainly, she dreamed of one day leaving the estate, her brother, her family... Leaving every bit of it behind and being on her own, finding a man who would love her without a hitch or question, marrying said man and having more children than she could count. And while she dreamed of it, she still knew that those dreams were brutally false and would never come true.

She couldn't lie to herself; the possibility of Hatori falling in love with her and moving on from his broken heart over Kanna were slim, and she had already decided not to force it on him at any point in time; if it was one-sided, then she would let it be so, no matter how much it already hurt to think about it. She knew she couldn't continue to lie to herself just to make the pain go away, because she, of all people, knew that it was no such way to handle the pain.

Hatori was already the cause of some of Imai's inner pain, but she did not blame him for it because it was not his fault; and she wouldn't dare to tell him that he was hurting her. She wouldn't dream of placing such a thing on the good doctor's shoulders.

"I won't ever be free, Hatori. I won't be free until Akito has left us, and that will be a long time in coming. I'll live through it."

Hatori:
For the first time in a long while, Hatori was at a complete loss. Notorious for being the level headed one-- always calm and collected--, that talent seemed to be nonexistent all together when this situation was presented to him. Inside was the mess, not the out, however.

And for the first time in a very long while, he was defeated.

". . .I don't know what to do," he admitted only after a long lapse of more silence to pass between them.

Imai:
Imai sat in silence with him for a long while, merely allowing her mind to think over everything. She looked calm, collected, and almost as though she were certain of what would be said next...

But inside, her head was a complete orgy of thoughts, dreams, wishes, questions, confessions, and anything and everything else that could possibly fit inside of it at one time. She could barely make out on thought before another melded with it, twisting it and mixing with it. Her thoughts were like black and white paint, but now she was seeing nothing but grays in her thoughts, unable to discern what was what.

But somewhere in her head, she came up with something. She wasn't even certain if it would work... If it was right or wrong... Or if it even made any sense or got them anywhere. But she was willing to try it.

Imai reached her hands forward, daring to take one of Hatori's own in them. She held his hand as though meaning to ground herself from floating completely away through the ceiling. Her hands were cold, and they trembled even as she held onto him. No matter how calm and collected her face was, she was still a complete nervous wreck; perhaps not as bad as Hatori was, but she was easily getting there. She wouldn't soon forget this conversation, if ever.

"You are afraid for me... And I'm afraid for you... If we continue with how we've been doing, then we can use that to our advantage. I will be more careful with what I do and what I say, if it's to keep you from getting hurt. I don't want this to stop... I don't want you to feel obligated to feel anything for me, and I don't ever want you to forget or replace Kanna-san in your heart. If you want us to continue to be friends... Then we can be careful for each other."

Her voice continued to falter every now and then, and her eyes were glittering with tears that she wouldn't allow to fall. She didn't want Hatori to see her cry.

Hatori:
Hatori let his hand be taken, staring at them upon his desk as he listened to Imai speak. He found that he didn't mind that simple touch-- That those cold hands still managed to be warm against his and there was a load of comforting feelings emitting from the palms and nervous fingers. So comforting, in fact, that he found himself holding hers back in a shy sort of fashion. It was strange. . . Touching a woman and not transforming.

When she was finished, he lifted his gaze up to hers, making it impossible to miss even the smallest trace of tears.

"If nothing else, I wish to always consider you as a dear friend."

His other hand came up with that, long fingers spreading as their soft pads traced over the gentle curve of her right cheek.

"I'm willing to be careful if you are."

The time they spent together was too precious to give up so easily. Dangerous or not, this meant more to Hatori than he originally thought when placed before the possibilities of losing it all.

Imai:
Imai wanted so badly to lean her face into his touch, but she had resolved not to force her love and adoration upon Hatori. She knew that it would take time for her to get used to how things had changed, but she was willing to suck it up for the sake of friendship, and for the sake of silently letting Hatori know that she would wait for him, even if he never came to her with feelings that were more than friendship.

To Imai, the fact that he didn't want to lose her as a friend was endearing enough to let her continue seeing him without feeling lost as to what to do or say. He knew how she felt, and she knew how he felt, and there was nothing that she could do except for wait. She was merely glad enough that he wanted to keep seeing her, even after all of this.

Despite her better efforts, Imai let her face tilt just the slightest fraction into his touch, her eyes shutting as she spoke again.

"I won't let my feelings get in the way of our friendship, Hatori. I'm happy enough with knowing that you care for me as a friend; I won't force you to feel what you can't right now... But even if you never feel it, I'll still wait patiently and quietly for you. You've helped me in more ways than you could imagine... Shigure has been my only friend up until now, but he hasn't been able to heal me inside like you have. You're made of magic, Hatori... Don't ever let it die."

Hatori:
The hand at her face came down then, coming to rest upon the other he still held in its mate. Hatori didn't know anything of magic; he was just a simple doctor with a shadowed past, living only to take care of those closest to him. He had done nothing significant as far as he was concerned other than giving the gift of friendship. If it coming from him could do that much, then he wondered what it was like to receive it from other people like Shigure and Ayame. It was no doubt different than what he had.

"Will you stay and read tonight, then?"

Hatori wondered after another thoughtful pause, finally taking his hands free from hers.

"It's late now, but you know how horribly long I go without sleeping."

Just like that, everything was mended for the time being and just like it had been before deeper feelings had been discovered. Hatori was glad for it.

Imai:
When Hatori lowered his hands, Imai opened her eyes, a faint smile tipping the edge of her fine lips. She offered a final and soft squeeze to his hands before they freed themselves from her own.

His words made her happy... Things were better, now, and while she knew that she would never feel the same way toward Hatori that she used to, she was--as she had stated-- just happy enough being his friend.

"All too well, I suppose; you're light's always still on when I fall asleep." Which was typically late anyway... She had never been able to sleep past dawn, but she always managed to stay perfectly awake until the wee hours of the morning. And she'd always noticed that his light was still on when she finally drifted off to sleep during the long nights.

"I don't suppose a bit of reading could hurt; it's been awhile since I've read your books. They're really a bit more fascinating than some of the ones Shigure offers... Sometimes, I think he aims to rot my brain right out of my skull."

She was joking, of course; while Hatori's books did offer a more interesting read, she was just as happy reading those that Shigure gave her. But that didn't stop her from thinking that he was still trying to rot her brain; he might have acted the 'older brother' part, but sometimes the old dog tended to slip.

Hatori:
Hatori gave a small smile of his own, leaning back in his chair as things picked up like they hadn't changed at all.

"I don't think Shii-chan has to try at all to do that to people. I'm surprised I've managed to stay in tact for this long."

Not to mention that he had Ayame to take care of on top of that.

The doctor made a gesture to the book shelves behind them, then moved to open a drawer of his desk.

"Read what you wish. I have a small amount of paper work to finish before retiring for the night."

Manila folders were pulled out, spread over the top of his desk with one hand while the other searched for a pen. But he paused briefly, turning his gaze up once again to look at Imai with those eyes of winter.

"Thank you."

Imai:
"Well... You've always been the level-headed one of the Trio, Hatori."

It was the only thing that changed in how things picked back up. While she had taken to offering him the proper respect by offering him a title, she now hoped that since they'd had the chance to talk deeply, as adult-to-adult instead of otherwise, that it was safe to take the next step; if they were friends, she hoped that titles would get in the way of it.

Of course, she still planned to give him one while in front of others, but in their own private time, she hoped that she wasn't being too forward by leaving it off.

When he made the gesture to the bookshelf, she nodded and moved to stand, making her way to the offered bookshelf. She had been about to say something when she heard his thanks. Summer-colored eyes fell from the books she was browsing to turn in his direction. Her smile had not visibly changed, but there was something much warmer about it than before.

Another faint nod was her only reply; she felt that there didn't need to be one, for everything was understood between them. Things were better, and she silently hoped that they would continue to get better as time wore on.

Hatori:
Hatori's attention went down to his paper work after that warm exchange, the only sound other than the heater working overtime being the scratching of his pen on the papers he was writing on. They rustled on occasion, too, but that was the extent. Silence was still dominant, but Hatori found it less awkward than it had been the past day or two. In fact, this was welcomed.

That would be how the evening proceeded: in silent, but warm atmosphere with only the two of them existing in the hours where everyone else was asleep. Paper work didn't seem as tedious and the good doctor found himself getting it finished and filed faster than if he would have spent the time alone.

Imai:
Imai was just as happy now with the silence as she had been before... No... That was a lie... She was even HAPPIER with it than before. Somehow, and she wasn't quite sure how, but she knew that everything would be alright. She knew that even if Hatori never returned her affection, that things would still be alright, and that they were looking out for each other.

The hum of the heater, the scratching of his pen, the rustling of papers and folders, the sliding of cabinets, and the warm and welcoming silence between them... It was even more inviting to her than it had ever been before, and she wished that time could stop around them so that she could spend forever with him like this.

She longed for him, yes, but she would always be happy with everything that would ever transpire between them, and she took back everything she had ever told herself about love.

**I swore to myself that I would never fall in love for fear of being hurt like Hatori had been. But it's not bad at all... Love is wonderful, and even Akito couldn't ruin this feeling for me. Let him yell and scream, let him punch and whip and break every bone in my body, let him kill me... Nothing could ruin this. I don't regret a single moment with Hatori, because it's all been too beautiful. Like a dream...**

Just as Hatori finished his paperwork, Imai had fallen fast asleep in her seat. She'd chosen another of his medical books to be her reading choice for the evening, and she had fallen asleep somewhere between the functions of the bladder and the functions of the brain. She had been quiet the entire time, and the warmth from her silence had not ceased by her falling asleep with the book cradled carefully against her stomach.

But where she had once looked tiny and fragile, dwarfed in the larger seat she had so often occupied on so many nights, she now looked just a bit stronger and more mature than ever, even as she slept so comfortably in his chair with the hum of the heater and his scratching pen as her lullaby. She had been so utterly exhausted, that she hadn't even noticed that she had been falling asleep nearly an hour into her reading; the previous days and nights had been tough on her, but she had never had a better sleep, it seemed.

And where she had once looked almost tortured in her sleep, staving off the madness that had been slowly creeping into her mind, she now looked even more at peace than ever with her face so softly emotionless behind the slightly shaggy curtain of cherry red. It seemed that in the span of three days and nights, she had traversed the long road between being a teenaged girl into being a young woman.

Hatori:
The creak of his chair was loud, but he moved carefully after the first push back from his desk to keep from disturbing his sleeping guest. She looked so. . . Peaceful, and that was something rare to see on her face. Had he really done that?

A moment passed by of simply watching, then he moved quietly to kneel beside her and the chair, reaching a hand out to gently shake her shoulder.

"Imai," he called softly with the gentle motion.

"Imai, you should head off to bed now. It's late."

As much as he wished to let her rest where she was, he knew that it would be a disaster if she were discovered in the morning time or even through the night where she was currently.

Imai:
No matter how peaceful she was during sleep, she tended to be a bit of a hassle to wake up when so disturbed out of it by others. She didn't move, at first, but offered a slightly huffy grump, as though the soft sound had replaced the cliché words 'five more minutes'. But after he began speaking, her body could clearly be seen rising from the deep sleep she had come so close to reaching. Her eyes' movements beneath her lids slowly ceased, and her breathing picked up with a shaky hitch when her sleep-fuzzed mind finally registered the warmth on her shoulder and the sound of Hatori's voice breaking through her dreams.

Slowly, her eyes began to open, her lids only parting to half-slits before widening with each sleepy blink she took. When she finally awake enough to be mildly coherent, crimson brows furrowed as though she were confused.

"... How long was I out...?"

Her voice came through as a tired whisper, barely reaching fully vocalized speech as her eyes fell to him.

Hatori:
"I'm not sure," he answered honestly, keeping right where he was even after she had woken up.

"Probably the whole while I was filling out papers."

Which would have been a good few hours.

Standing up then, Hatori's clothes rustled in a similar way that his papers had though with a fabric sound, the arms of Imai's chair creaking softly beneath his hands as he used it to support his weight as he went up.

"It's late. I think you should head off to bed," he repeated again, just in case she had been too groggy to hear the first time.

He was waiting for her to make a move, for he would be able to show her to his study door, but no further than that.

Imai:
She sat for a moment more, listening to him in her groggy state as though he were giving her complex directions for a road trip.

"... I suppose I was a bit more tired than I thought..."

Her hazed reply came with a tired smile before she, too, stood up. Imai cradled the book for a moment longer before carefully shutting it and walking to the bookcase to put it back in its proper place. Now, as always, she was mindful of putting things right back where she had gotten them.

As she placed the book back on the shelf, making sure that the words on the spine were facing in the same direction as all the others, Imai idly wondered if it had all really been just a dream. It had felt almost unreal at how things had transpired over the past three days. Maybe she had just fallen asleep, and everything that had happened had been the fabrication of reading too much of 'Romeo and Juliet'.

She kept her idle musings to herself as she turned back to face Hatori, offering him a polite bow with another tired smile. When she straightened, she spoke again, this time her voice was not as tired as before, but was still tinged with the exhaustion from the lack of sleep over the past several nights.

"Should I come by again tomorrow night? I'll have rested better by then, I think; I don't think I'll fall asleep like I did tonight."

Hatori:
Hatori watched her as she went about putting away his book, icy eyes somehow managing to be warm through that classic stern expression that wasn't so stern as before. Without him even realizing it, Imai had already broken through so many barriers-- Barriers a little different from the ones that Shigure and Ayame managed to overcome.

"You may come any time you wish," he said, reaching out an arm to her in gesture to escort her to the door. He was aware that she knew where it was by now on her own, but it would be rude if he didn't at least offer.

"But for now, you need your rest."

While reaching forward, he also moved toward the door, though it wasn't opened right away even with putting his hand right on the knob. Hatori fell silent then, turning his gaze away from her to stare down at his feet. It had not been a dream for either of them-- Which meant the tingling sensation in the pit of his stomach was very much real, too.

Imai:
Well, Imai had her own set of butterflies, and even while Hatori's words hadn't changed, they felt so much different for Imai than they ever had before. She still felt as though she were walking on thin air, and she couldn't help but smile. She knew that while Hatori might not be feeling awkward at the situation anymore, she knew that he was feeling differently toward it than he had before; Imai just wasn't sure if it was a good feeling or a bad feeling.

"Thank you, Hatori. You like you need your rest, too; I can see that you're tired."

Even if the doctor denied it, Imai knew that he was exhausted by the way it lined his eyes; he hadn't slept any better than she had in the previous nights, but she hoped that his sleep would find him better, now.

"Good night.. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

Hatori:
Still he didn't move right away, keeping a solemn stand there with his hand on the knob to his door as she spoke to him. All the while, he tried to figure out what exactly was happening with this. He knew that he enjoyed her company, but this had been the first time he had been reluctant to let her go.

". . .Good night."

The door was opened then, any form of eye contact broken as he stepped back to let her pass. He would hold it for her as she went through, careful to keep his attention on his feet.

"Sleep well, Imai."

Imai:
"You, too, Hatori.."

She offered before stepping through the door. She wasn't sure how she should gauge Hatori's suddenly strange, almost shy, behavior. Had she said or done something? She doubted it, but she decided not to let it get to her. If she had said or done something, she trusted Hatori to tell her.

Needless to say, she was quite reluctant to leave him that night, but when her head finally found her pillow, she couldn't resist the wondrous sleep that it offered.