My, My, Imai! Vol. I

TO ALL READERS: As you've noticed, I've decided not to take this story off of AFF, not for the crummy number of reviews or the sudden disappearance of my Hatori. I took a blind impulse the other night and decided to check my reviews on AFF, which has, sadly, been neglected on my part for a long time. Once I read all of the reviews, especially the one left by Nova E. Beam, it gave me the push I needed to continue posting. For the moment, I have decided that I will make a whole-hearted attempt at continuing the story in story-type mode (as opposed to the usual script-type mode) in hopes of giving the readers exactly what they desire: more. Should Hatori show up once again, I will remove those chapters I've written by my lonesome and continue with the new material. I'm very, VERY glad that all of you seem to enjoy my story, and I hope that this becomes my springboard for posting more and more chapters of my other stories. Thank you. Thank you all VERY much for all of the kind, beautiful reviews, and I will continue to work hard to bring you what you all want.
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Imai:
The walk back was silent but filled with a comforting heat... Sure, it was a bit awkward, but she didn't mind it. She knew better than to think that everything would be perfect; they simply had to get used to it, that was all. But she still felt as though she were walking on air, the tingle on her lips from his kiss still lingering, even as they arrived back to the lakehouse.


Shigure:
Shigure was there, waiting for them at the door.

"What took you guys so long? You didn't get lost, did you?"

He couldn't supress the grin that came over his face. He had somewhat of an idea as to why they were coming back so late. Maybe Hatori had finally come to terms with his feelings for Imai? Maybe the dragon had actually REALIZED he had feelings for Imai?

He could only speculate, but he led them inside where he had dinner waiting.

"I borrowed your car to get us dinner, Ha'ri... The only thing in the area was a farming market and a take-out restaurant. I've bought a few things to last us until we leave, but on such short notice, take-out is all we can have for dinner tonight. Sorry it can't be better, you guys."


Imai:
"It's fine with me, Gure-ni-san..!"

Her voice almost squeaked as she sat down at the table after Shigure. She idly noted that Shigure had taken the spot that was by itself... Leaving her and Hatori to sit next to eachother.

She did her best to keep her composure... To keep from blushing as she sat down, waiting for Hatori to join.


Shigure:
"Well, Imai-chan... You look like you've gotten a bit of sun. You're face looks burnt!"


Imai:
"... ... ..."


Hatori:
Hatori said nothing about Shigure's snide commentary. It was something that he was quite accustomed to by this time in his life, thus it was easier for him to flat out ignore. Which was what he did as he took his seat beside Imai without a second thought to it. If it was an awkward situation, he didn't show any signs of feeling it that way.

"You're not supposed to be driving," he said casually, making himself comfortable as he waited for the food to be started first by his company. Take out dinners was something he was also used to when it came to Shigure. Hatori made no effort to answer the question of their late arrival, either.


Shigure:
"Oh, Ha'ri... It was just down the road. I might not have a license, but I can still drive. Mine's only out-of-date, that's all. It's not like I didn't come back with it... Or got it smashed... Or wrap myself around a tree... Or took off your bumper.. Or--"


Imai:
Imai cleared her throat.

"In other words... You took it without asking when you're not supposed to have it in the first place. Just because it came back unharmed doesn't mean you weren't in the wrong."


Shigure:
"Yes, Mother..! I'm sorry, Hatori, for taking your toy without asking."

Shigure couldn't help but grin. Oh, it was just too cute... The two of them together; it was meant to be! Imai was going to have the time of her life with the dragon these next few days! He just couldn't wait to wring out the details of the walk from Hatori later on that evening!

"Well..! Let's eat!"


Imai:
"Sounds like a plan... I'm starving..!"

She seemed to be in a more jovial mood... And even her scolding to Shigure seemed to have been only in play. Through the meal, she said little.. But what she did say seemed lighter and happier, as though Hatori's kiss had completely brightened her mood from something better than it had already been that day.

Seriously... A kiss from the most handsome doctor in Japan? Who's mood would take a dive from that? Get real!


Shigure:
"What do you two say to popping in a movie after bathtime? We could all curl up on the couch with some popcorn!"


Hatori:
Once dinner had started, Hatori began on his share of the purchased meal. For take out, it was still good and the doctor had no complaints. Not that he would had the meal been sticky gruel, either. It wasn't in his nature to complain.

"You two enjoy it. There's a book I've been meaning to catch up on." Hatori... Wasn't used to all this sort of free time. When he had it, it was still spent in his study on work, and if there was a slim chance that work wasn't involved in the picture-- He was still reading. Often times about work related topics.

Movies... weren't his cup of tea.


Shigure:
"Oh, that's too bad! Well, Imai? You wouldn't leave me to snuggle all by myself, now, would you?"


Imai:
"So long as it's not one of those kid's movies, I don't see a problem with it.."


Shigure:
"I've got the perfect one for you! An old favorite of mine!"


Imai:
She was suddenly getting apprehensive about the movie that Shigure was talking about...

"Uhm... In that case, I think I'll--"


Shigure:
"No! No! It's not one of THOSE movies... It's an Italian Zombie movie! Perfect for a night-time watch. Lots of screaming, tearing of limbs, blood, violence, cussing... Oh, alright. I've brought another one, just in case."

He could see that by the look in Imai's face that she wouldn't be one for zombie movies, much to his dismay. But he'd clue her in, anyway..

"It's a nicer one than the one I've got. A zombie movie, but it's funnier than the ones I usually watch-- honest!"


Imai:
"As long as you don't come after me in the middle of the night crying out 'I want to eat your brains'..."


Shigure:
"I promise not to come after you..."

She ruined all of his fu~u~un!

"Sure you don't want to watch with us, Ha'ri? What if we BOTH get scared? Who're we going to cower against?"


Hatori:
This was another reason why he wasn't a movie person... Especially around Shigure. At the summary of the rented movies, the good doctor lifted a brow and had nothing to say still until he was directly spoken to by his cousin.

"Cower with yourselves. I work around corpses sometimes, why would I want to see movies about living ones?" There went that semi-sense of humor of his, or at least he didn't mean to be a complete ass. That was just who he was. That, also, was all that he had to say on that as he continued on with his meal.


Imai:
Imai snickered, not taking Hatori's comment personally; he did have a point. Why would he want to watch a movie that completely contradicted his medical knowledge of corpses? She idly wondered if being a doctor had kept him from watching any decent horror movies... If he even watched movies at all.

"Shigure... If it's not as bad as the OTHER one you claimed was your favorite, then I doubt that you'll be cowering. And, if I have to cower, I've always got you, right? If I have nightmares, though, I get to kick you in the shins..."


Shigure:
"Deal! Ha'ri can read his boring books on corpses, and we can just watch them eat the brains of the living!"


Imai:
Imai finished her meal, it seemed, in record time. She'd been utterly starved, even from lunch. The swim had taken everything out of her... Not to mention the excitement of her walk with Hatori. Which she was still pretty excited about anyway.

When dinner was finally finished, Imai decided to take her bath first... Upon insistance from Shigure, of course.


Shigure:
And after he heard the water start to run, he wasted little time in questioning Hatori.

"So! How did the walk go? Anything exciting happen?"


Hatori:
His books that were brought along didn't contain a single word about corpses-- Not in medical terms, at any rate. It didn't matter, though it was something that had crossed Hatori's mind briefly.

"It was a walk," he said almost flatly, rolling a bite of his dinner into his chopsticks to finish up as the two of them lingered at the table. The doctor liked to savor his meals, keeping a steady pace with being sure to chew thirty-two times. That made his mouth full, thus he had nothing more to say for the while it took him to swallow.

Unfortunately, it happened to be the last bite for that meal and the good doctor settled back in his chair, plucking the napkin from the top of the table to pass over his chin out of manners.


Shigure:
Shigure had been polite to wait until Hatori finished before lighting up a cigarette and taking a quick drag before leaning partially over the table as though awaiting juicy gossip... Really, he should've been born a woman with how he liked to gossip.. And with how much he knew about women.

"C'mon, Ha'ri... Spill the beans, already. That walk took you guys longer than I thought it would, and her face was so red when she came back, you'd think she'd seen a naked man!"

The grin that crossed his face was more lecherous than usual.

"If I don't get it out of you, I'll get it out of her... And I'll be sure to get every tiny, embrrassing, juicy detail out of that girl, no doubt; she looks like she's about to burst with the news. So go on... Spare yourself further embarrassment by just telling me."

Really... He DID play dirty.


Hatori:
The only real response Hatori had to that at first was a simple raise of his brow. Spill the beans? All right, he could do that.

"I know what you're up to, Shi-chan. You're as meddling as always." The doctor stood then, folding his used napkin up and tossing it in his used dish to collect and dispose of. "And get those sort of thoughts out of your mind. This isn't a lewd scenario like in one of your books. I'm going to bed."

Shigure was so confident that he would be able to get information from someone else? Then he could do just that, because even just remembering what had happened on that walk brought color rushing to the doctor's face; faint, but color nonetheless.


Shigure:
Shigure said nothing as the doctor started to stand, but the grin still remained on his face. He took another drag, speaking through the smoke he exhaled afterward.

"... I'd wait to say 'good night' to her, if I were you. Girl's are finicky about stuff like that... I'm being completely serious, Hatori; she might actually remember, somewhere down the road, the night you didn't cuddle with her on the couch... Or even bother to say 'good night' before going off to bed. Poor thing... She might think your little walk meant nothing."

He was a dirty bastard. A really nasty, dirty bastard.

"As for being up to something... I just decided to give you a bit of a push. Looks like you needed it."


Hatori:
"Thanks, mom," said Hatori with an eye roll that was as dramatic as he could manage to be. He didn't crack even a smile, but there was something to his sarcasm that held a small tinge of amusement to it.

His garbage was disposed of and then he was making his way up to his room with nothing more to say to Shigure. However, that didn't mean that what had been said didn't weigh slightly on his mind.

As he came by to pass the occupied bath, he paused momentarily in his tracks and stared at the door in thought. Had it been clear that his foregoing the zombie movie was a form of saying goodnight? Imai didn't seem to be the type to dwell, but it was hard to say. The only woman that he had been able to understand had been Kanna. This all was still new in ways.

He lingered longer than he intended to, but decided to depart without a word. He would be up for a while despite not spending the time in front of the TV, so if Imai really wanted a 'good night', she would know where to find him.


Shigure:
Shigure only continued to grin. He knew women better than Hatori thought he did.. While Shigure'd had only one KNOWN relationship, he still had plenty of women to go by in order to understand them. And he understood Imai better than Hatori could possibly dream, anyhow-- 'Mom' knew best.