My, My, Imai! Vol. I

Hatori:
Even though he only treated the Sohma family now, there was still a good deal of work to do to keep everything in order. Just like any regular doctor would, Hatori kept records on all of them and scheduled check ups periodically even if they seemed in the best of health.

That's what he was doing the very next morning, since he'd neglected the paper work when Shigure and Ayame had invited him to go shopping. With papers spread out over his desk top, Hatori had a black book with the rest of that year's and the next printed and filling the metal rings. Comparing from the one before, he was able to work mostly around set appointments around their lives. It wasn't too hard to do when most of them always had a certain routine. --As routine as anyone from that house hold could maintain, anyhow.

Imai:
The next day would prove to be rather... Stressful, albeit comical. Since Hatori was already preoccupied, he was unable to baby-sit Ayame as he dragged poor Imai about the room he'd designated as the 'design room' in his rush to get her outfit done before Christmas.

She was yanked, to and fro, from one side of the room to another, with cloth pinned to her, ideas for the length of sleeves and skirt being held to her, Ayame's voice ringing loudly in her ears, her scalp being almost brutally murdered for the hairstyle ideas Ayame was attempting to fit in with clothing ideas!

It was all making Imai's head spin! She thought that she'd pass out from it all! While she was merely the Barbie Doll that Ayame was dressing, it was just as stressful on the young woman as it was for Ayame... Though he was having a far better time handling it than she was.

Despite the early hour in which Ayame had arrived, it took a few hours of Ayame before she felt she could handle it no more... And no sooner had the idea of a smoke break (even if she didn't smoke) had flitted into her mind...

... There was a sudden *PYON!* from the room across the garden...

Feathers were flying everywhere, and the loud sounds of frightened clucking could be heard, even from Hatori's office.

Ayame:
"Oh! No! Imai-san, do come back! We're not done with your hair!"

Imai:
"*B-KOK!!*"

Ayame:
"No, no, don't fly away!"

Ayame was busy chasing the poor transformed Imai around the room as she fluttered away, molting from her stress over the situation. Ayame had never realized how hard it was to chase a frightened and nervous chicken around a large room... Until now. Feathers were clinging in bunches to his clothing and poking from his hair. It really was a big mess, and he was surprised that the chicken he was chasing hadn't gone bald by this time for all the feathers that lay strewn about; it looked as though it had been snowing!

"Oh, do come back!"

Imai:
"*B-KOK!*"

Certain, Imai could talk while having been transformed into a chicken, but she was so afraid of the gigantic, flamboyant man chasing her around the room that she'd almost forgotten how to speak, and only continued to run on her tiny chicken legs. She really wished he wouldn't chase her!

She was mostly nervous because she had not transformed since she was a child; it rarely happened, for there was nothing she came in contact with that could transform her.

"*B-KAAAAK!!!*"

Ayame:
Ayame had just pulled out a few of her tail feathers; he thought he'd had her, but she'd slipped away too quickly. He felt bad for having plucked those precious feathers, but more so because her clucking kept getting louder. It must have been quite a scene for anybody to see... Or even hear!

Hatori:
Hatori had been able to ignore the noise for a little while, fingers clenching tight around the pen he held as the tip made grooves in the papers he wrote upon. It was when he had to white out for the second time that he couldn't bare it any more.

Leaving his work and mess behind, the good doctor stood and made his way down the halls in record time with the way his long legs stretched out in wide strides. The door was pulled open the instant he got there, feathers that were settling sticking to his hair and shirt as he just stood there a moment, unable to do anything but stare at the scene before him.

"What is with all this noise?" he finally managed, irritation being distributed evenly upon the both of them.

It was always such a pain trying to return to what you were doing after being interrupted, anyhow.

Ayame:
Ayame had the chicken cornered, at the very least, and just as Hatori walked in, he scooped up the farm animal.

"Ha'ri... Really, she's being difficult!"

Imai:
She wanted to retort on that comment with something smart-mouthed, but she held her tongue, only puffing herself up as she lay in the loud man's arms. She really didn't enjoy being chased... And she wasn't looking forward to the transformation back, either.

"... ... ..."

She stayed quiet, only hoping that she'd get put down very, very soon. She'd been poked, pricked, dragged, and touched all morning, and she was quite ready for it to stop. It was one thing when the servants were doing it, and while it wasn't much more enjoyable, it was FAR different when the person doing all the poking, prodding, and touching was a man that she barely knew in the first place.

Ayame:
"She keeps running from me!"

Hatori:
The doctor lifted a hand and clutched at the bridge of his nose with the tips of his fingers of one hand in an exasperated manner, eyes closed and head bowed as feathers still stuck to him.

"I think, perhaps, it would be a wise idea for you two to have a short break for now."

That way Imai could revert back to her human form and the house could go back to it's semi-state of tranquility before anyone got into too much trouble.

"I'll have the maids prepare tea for you, Aya."

Reaching out his arms, he meant to take Imai from him so she could be set down and tucked away inside a closed room or a changing screen before she turned back. It was a good thing that Shigure wasn't there or else he'd really have to worry.

Ayame:
He didn't complain... He really wanted to get this costume done, but Hatori always had a way of keeping him in check. Ayame handed over the puffed bird. A cup of tea did sound nice... And maybe the girl could calm down a little bit before they went back to work.

Really, she had nothing to be nervous about!

Imai:
Imai's feathers flattened as soon as she was set in Hatori's arms, feeling much better that he'd come to save the day. Though she did feel bad for having interrupted his work like she had... At least he hadn't been seeing a patient when this happened; she doubted that even Hatori could come up with an excuse as to why a man was chasing a chicken around inside the house.

But no sooner had she been placed in the doctor's arms, did she transform back. It always happened that way with everyone: The transformation was always at the worst times... It was either ironic, or comical... But this was neither.

*PYON!*

The puff of red smoke obscured her body for awhile, at least, but it didn't save her the embarrassment. Sure, Hatori had seen her naked countless times before.. He was her DOCTOR.. But this was completely different. Not to mention there was another man in the room. Oh, how embarrassing!

Hatori:
Really, Hatori should have known better with how long they all have been transforming. It was just like walking into a booby trap and the doctor was as stoic as ever through it all and made no expression change as he stood there, arms about the girl as he waited for nothing in particular. Perhaps the passing of the awkward moment in which he found himself pressed close to his patient and cousin?

Finally, he'd gotten the sense about him to reach over and pull a random piece of fabric from a chair nearby the door and offering it up to her until her clothes were in her possession. However, Imai had to choose whether it was more important to cover the front or the back of her body, because the fabric wouldn't get both sides.

"Would you like some tea, too?" he asked her, not missing a beat.

Imai:
She instantly grabbed the offered cloth, not missing a beat in pulling it up to cover the front of her body. She'd rather have people see her ass than any of her 'goods'..! Her face was even more red than it had been the day before when he and Shigure had walked in on Ayame's comment about her 'magnificent chest area'. Really, it wasn't THAT impressive... Sure, she might've been more 'well off' than most girls her size, but she didn't stack up to most of the girls who lived in the Main Compound.

She was afraid she'd transform again, for she was highly embarrassed and thought she'd faint from the very idea of being naked and held at the same time. But she calmed down more after his offering of tea... He didn't seem embarrassed about it, and his calm nature soothed her own nerves, though not completely.

"Y.. Yes... Th.. Thank you... Hatori-san.."

Imai's heart was racing wildly in her chest, and she was positive that Hatori could feel it. A cup of tea would certainly calm her down. That... And her clothes.

Which she couldn't find amongst the thousands of scraps of material that were strewn about.

Hatori:
Hatori was confident that Imai would be able to relocate her clothes in the mess by the time it took Ayame and himself to get to the kitchen, make tea, and then return. Even if not, it was best to give the girl some shred of privacy while she wasn't... dressed for the occasion in every sense of that old time phrase. "Coming right up."

The good doctor let go of the girl, completely stepping away and moving to catch hold of Ayame's elbow and escort them both from the room. He was just as collected as ever, for it wasn't really a big deal. He was a doctor, for Heaven's sake. And Ayame was a designer. He himself, for sure, had seen his fair share of bare bodies in his line of work, including Imai's. This little mishap wasn't anything different-- except that it was at the same time and all he could manage to do was flee from the scene casually.

"We shan't be long."

Imai:
She continued to hold the cloth to her bared body, watching the two men leave. Once they were gone, she wasted no time in finding her clothes and rushing behind the folding screen to get dressed. For a moment, she simply stood there, wishing she had a wash basin of cold water to splash on her face to rid it of the searingly hot feeling that wouldn't recede.

No, it really wasn't a very big deal... To them. But to Imai, who had hardly ever transformed before... It was a pretty big deal. Mostly because Ayame had been in the room to see the transformation back as well as the consequential nudity. She was only mildly uncomfortable with Hatori seeing it because they weren't in a medical environment.. And she'd gotten closer to him as an individual over the past several weeks.

Things were changing, she knew, and she doubted that things would ever be the same again. It wasn't all bad, though... She liked Hatori very much, for he was a kind man who seemed to understand her in many ways. He was slowly, but surely, coming to be held in the same high regard as Shigure was to Imai. She only feared that it would end abruptly if Akito ever found out; that was the day she dreaded the most.

But as long as she and Hatori kept things quiet, it might never end; she wanted to keep things smooth and easy... The less either of them suffered, the better.

Hatori:
"Honestly, Aya. Does there really have to be so much chaos in this fitting?" groused Hatori as he lead the way away from the room, down the halls and to the kitchen where the making of green tea would commence.

At this rate, he wouldn't get any work done at all, and his office was all the way on the other end of the house practically. There was no telling what Akito made of the ruckus.

Tea for all three of them was poured and placed on a tray, and a maid had put a plate of treats for them to take back, too. He had no intentions of sticking around, but he would do his best to enforce peace before retreating back to his office to tend to his paper work. He wasn't even half way done, and he had been working on it all morning long.

Ayame:
"She's just so stubborn, Ha'ri..! She wiggles and squirms. Barely says two words! She's polite, I'll give her that, but really, she's not cooperative and doesn't bend in any way! She's like a brick wall, but she doesn't stay still like one!"

Ayame made it sound so horrible that she was a wiggle worm when it came to sharp objects and loud men. He knew very little about Imai, having never discussed the matter with Hatori or Shigure, for he only saw her at Christmas and New Year's; he was more concerned with Yuki than he was with Imai, to be dreadfully honest.

"She makes it seem like I'm going to BITE her or something! I would... She's lovely, I'll give her that, but she's far too young for me!"

Ayame gave a loud chuckle at that. Boy, he cracked himself up sometimes!

Hatori:
"I think that it might have helped if you introduced yourself before you started to tear away her clothes to pin things upon her body. She's only very shy."

Hatori had seemed to be recover from his brush with breasts well enough, arranging the tray a little bit more neatly before picking it up to take it back the way they had come. Imai should have been able to find something to dress into in the fifteen minutes or it had taken to make the tea. That was all he really had to discuss. The rest was up to Ayame and Imai to figure out how to work together before the holidays came. There was only a day or two left and the banquet would be soon after that. Hatori could always try talking to her, though it would be completely up to Imai if she wanted to like Ayame or not.

Ayame:
"I've noticed... But, really; she's just so different from how I picture her! She should be a spoiled model! She's old enough for it! I'll talk to her about it.. And I'll get her to come out of her shell sooner or later!"

Ayame continued to blab relentlessly about various subjects as he walked with Hatori back to the room.

Imai:
Inside, Imai was fully dressed and comfortably lounging on the porch that overlooked the garden. She looked like a cat with how she lounged, but she felt comfortable now that she was out of such a stressful and embarrassing situation as earlier. Her cheeks were still tinted pink, but it was uncertain as to whether she was still embarrassed about her earlier nudity or if it was the chill in the air.

It was snowing, finally, and Imai watched as the flurries of frozen water drifted to lightly blanket the flowers and grass of the garden outside. She had mixed feelings about snow; while she liked to watch it, for it was beautiful when it blanketed the garden, she disliked it because that meant that she could no longer stay outside in her precious garden for hours on end. Snow was a surefire way to get sick, and while she liked being with Hatori, she didn't care much for having to visit him as a patient.

Hatori:
Hatori let Ayame talk, but that's all most of it would end up being. He knew first had as Imai's doctor that it wouldn't be easy to get her to do anything she didn't want to, but he'd let his silver-haired cousin find that out the hard way.

Hatori was surprised at first to find her not in the room, but a glance out the windows was all it took to spot her bundled up outside. Really, he should have known. Setting the tray aside, he picked up the cup that had been poured for her and stepped past Ayame to join her on the porch.

"Feeling better?" he asked to announce his presence, bending just enough at the waist to offer her down the steaming cup.

The chill of the outside air didn't go unnoticed, and neither did the flakes of falling snow. Hatori was choosing to be indifferent to it for now, careful not to let his gaze wander up just yet.

Imai:
Imai's gaze turned up to his and she smiled.

"Yes, Hatori-san. Much better, thank you. I'm sorry about this; it really is my fault for being so nervous."

Slowly, she brought her form to sit before reaching her hands up to take the offered drink, the pads of her tiny and delicate fingers brushing his own.

"I promise to behave better next time; I've interrupted your work, and it was thoughtless of me."

Ayame:
This, of course, surprised Ayame to no ends. The girl had spoken no more than two words to him the entire morning, and yet, here she was, talking in full sentences with Hatori. He could sense something in the air already! And if he didn't know any better, it was either a budding romance, or even just a budding friendship. Either way, he would be excited for Hatori.

It had been so long since Hatori had made a new friend. Sure, Tohru was a wonderful girl, but she hardly ever saw Hatori! Somebody who could keep Hatori company, with the convenience of living at the Main House was something wonderful.

The only snag was that the new friend happened to be the younger sister of the Family Head. That could pose more problems than Ayame could name off of the top of his head. But all he wanted was for his friend to be happy, and if this flower of a girl was opening up to Hatori, he was certain that the young doctor would do the same in due time.

Picking up the two remaining cups of tea, he made his way to the porch.

"Come on, Ha'ri... You can sit and have tea with us for awhile. You're brain will turn to pudding if you don't take some sort of break!"

Hatori:
He stood up straight when Ayame came out with the other cups of tea, eyes closed as he shook his head at the offer while taking one of them for himself.

"Thank you, but this has been my break. If you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do still."

The weather was mostly to blame, and he knew that Ayame would understand the most why he would like to be alone when it snowed, at least the first fall of the winter. He hadn't expected it to come so soon, but it was routine. It was the day he kept to himself, locked away in his study with work of any sort to keep his mind away from thinking. Watching the flakes of ice began to gather a moment, he turned without a word and wouldn't hear any sort of protest.

With as much as Imai had opened up to the doctor all ready, there was still much work to be done before Hatori could do the same, unless it was Shigure or Ayame. That was just how Hatori was.

Ayame:
Ayame understood, but offered a jovial good-bye wave to his friend before turning back to Imai.

Imai:
She understood just as easily as Ayame did, and knew that Hatori would not want visitors that evening. She knew Hatori much better than before, and knew when he wanted to be left alone. She resolved that she would not bother him until the Christmas season had passed; he needed his space during the wintertime.

**I feel so bad for Hatori-san... If what happened to him happens to me, then I never want to fall in love.**

The rest of the day was spent in casual silence with Ayame. He seemed to be a bit less energetic than before, but he looked as though he were trying to quell his excited urges instead of them having dropped. She was still a bit uncomfortable with him, but he was nice, and if he was Hatori and Shigure's friend, then she knew that she could trust him just as easily as the trusted the other two members of the Mabudachi Trio.

Ayame:
And with the success of the combination of Imai's better behavior and Ayame's reserve, the costume was nearly finished. It was well into the evening when Ayame decided that it was finally time to stop.

He held the half-finished costume up to Imai, holding the shoulders of the garment to her own shoulders.

"Hold!"

And when she did as he asked, he stepped back to use his ultimate fashion vision to picture the finished product on the girl.

"Oh! You'll be in the SPOTLIGHT this year! I've waited for so long to be able to make you some beautiful clothes! I'm so excited!"

Imai:
"You really think it will go over well, Ayame-san?"

Ayame:
"Oh, stop fooling yourself! Nobody will be able to stop staring at you! The green really brings out your coloring! And you won't even need any make-up! Ah! And I have the PERFECT hairstyle! I'm almost jealous of how pretty you are!"

Imai:
"Th.. Thanks..?"

She wasn't sure what to make of it. She'd never been complimented in such an open and brazen way before, but it felt nice.

The evening, for Imai, passed slowly. She read 'Romeo and Juliet' while in the bath, but it didn't feel the same as when she read with Hatori; she felt more on edge about getting caught, despite the fact that her brother had never walked in on her while she was in the bath. After her bath, she headed into the kitchens for some tea to take with her medicine before going to bed early. If Ayame was going to be back the next morning, she would need her sleep. But she felt so strangely... Empty. As though her night had been far too lonely.

**I must be spending too much time with Hatori-san... Without reading with him at night, I feel a bit lonely. I hope I haven't been bothering him.**

Hatori:
The light shone bright along the floor of the hallway from under the shut door even at that later hour. Sleep was the furthest thing away, and it would seem that the same went for his work.

His desk was organized chaos, papers spread out and pages from his planner's calendar scattered. As for Hatori? Well, he had taken Imai's idea from earlier, opening the side door to his office to the gardens and had wheeled his chair out onto the outer walk ways that framed the sides of the house, sitting in the real start of winder. A blanket was wrapped about his shoulder, though he couldn't really feel the cold. Snow flakes drifted over the cedar rails, kissing the decks and the tips of his shoes and once on his nose.

It was funny how he could always manage to feel the warmth of the underlying spring now when he watched it snow, pale face flushed from the cold as his breath swirled up in front of him when he exhaled. He'd been out there almost the entire time.

Imai:
Imai got up after nearly an hour of tossing and turning. Slowly pushing herself to a stand, she walked to the door that led to the porch of her and her brother's room after donning her warmer night robe. Sliding it open, she stepped outside. In socked feet, she pattered about the outside hallways, quiet as a mouse. She had no destination, but she figured that a brisk walk in the freezing cold might convince her body that it was time for bed.

She did not notice Hatori at all, figuring that he would have much more sense than she and would be in his office doing work like a good boy. She skirted the walls that held the compound, and her, captive, and by chance she looked up and into the partly cloudy skies at the stars.

"... A shooting star.."

Imai muttered to herself before letting a faint smile tweak at the edge of her lips. She made her silent wish.

**I wish Hatori-san will be happy again, someday. He deserves it more than any of us.**

She gave a shiver before padding back to her room, bundled tightly in her robe. Boy, it was cold outside!

Hatori:
Indeed it was cold. So could that he couldn't even feel his toes or fingers anymore, but it wasn't enough to drive him inside. It would have been best if he had the sense assumed, but winter always did strange things to him whether he realized it or not. The first snow was always the worst.

Hatori didn't see the shoot star, nor was he aware that Imai was close enough to being outside herself or the wish she had made on his behalf. He wasn't used to people doing things like that for him. Eyes closing, the busy day and excessive thinking he had tried not to do caught up with him all at once, and his chair creaked as he leaned back in it to let himself relax as best he could. He could and would fall asleep like that, covered only by the depression he couldn't ward of and the blanket about his shoulders.

Imai:
Before Imai could fully make it back into her room, she gave a glance toward Hatori's office. She was rather shocked to find him sitting outside in the cold. And surely that small blanket would do him no good in keeping him warm! He wasn't moving, and she suspected that he was asleep.

Glancing from side-to-side as though expecting her brother to jump from the bushes and tackle her, Imai made her way across the snow-covered garden, still in socked feet. She didn't care that her feet would get cold, she just didn't want Hatori to freeze! She knew better than to wake him, but if he was going to nap out in the cold night, he should at least have a warmer blanket!

Once her wet and cold feet touched Hatori's porch, she slowly and quietly snuck inside to retrieve a warmer blanket from his closet. Quiet as a mouse, she went back out to the porch and laid it across the form of the sleeping doctor before brushing a few stray strands of hair from his face.

"Good night.."

She figured that he was still asleep, and so she began to make her way across the garden once again to retreat to her own quarters for the night. She hoped that Hatori wouldn't sleep the entire night out there, but until he woke up, he at least had a warmer blanket to keep him from freezing to death.

Hatori
"Mmm, good night, Kanna," murmured the doctor through his slumbering state, pulling the added blankets around him closer as the snow continued to fall.

If it hadn't already been clear why he had spent the rest of that day alone, it was in that single moment. It was inevitable, and Hatori had been thinking about her all the while he was sleeping in the middle of the night out in the open cold.

He didn't stir awake in the least, not even as Imai began her trek back to her own sleeping quarters. The wish that she made for him on the falling star of that evening would take some time to come true, if it ever did. With as much progress as Hatori had made over the stretch of time since the incident, there was still an immeasurable amount of pain still lingering over his broken heart.

Imai:
She paused in that moment he spoke in his sleep, and it broke her heart to hear his words.

**I don't ever want to fall in love... Only to lose it to my brother. Hatori-san... I'm so sorry; I wish it had been different for you.**

When she finally got back to her room, Imai made sure to remove her socks and replace them with warmer ones before slipping into bed. But she felt no more tired then as she had before. Eventually, she did fall asleep, but it was fitful. The mixture of her romance novel, Hatori's words, and what little she knew of Hatori's past relationship haunted her dreams. Through the entire night, she watched as her faceless dream-lover was taken away by her grinning brother. It was possibly the worst nightmare she had ever experienced, but she knew that it paled in comparison to what Hatori had been through, and it did not diminish her secret pity on him.