Chapter Text
The new year's banquet arrived, and with it, to Hatori's great annoyance, the traditional dance with the zodiac member of the year coming to a close and the zodiac member whose year was commencing. The year of the rabbit came to a close and the year of the dragon dawned.
Hatori was grateful when the horrid dance ended. Immediately, he made his way to the adjoining room and started to throw off the heavy robes.
"Good job, Haa-san!" Said Shigure, a little too cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Hatori's shoulder, "thank God that depressing 'dance' is over, huh? Although you have to do it again next year, right?"
"Don't remind me!" Snapped Hatori, flinching at the sudden contact. He wondered how Shigure always knew how to push his buttons.
"Indeed! Next time will be with me!! Together, we'll be the "EMBRACERS"!!" Cried Ayame pompously, stretching out with eyes and dramatically flinging his head back.
"Stop spluttering nonsense and get back in there!"
"... you changed clothes too fast, Haa-san," commented Shigure. "I was gonna take a picture of you in that beautiful dance outfit so I could show it to Mayu-chan..."
"That's stupid... don't try to manipulate her like that... wait... did you two get back together?"
"It-- it's all right~! You've got nothing to worry about...!"
"You're exasperating..." said Hatori irritably, "Now, you'd better get back in there before Akito gets lonely."
"What is that, sarcasm? Akito's got Kureno and Yuki-kun on either side. I'm not hearing any complaints."
"...it may be hard for Yuki," said Hatori quietly.
"Ah. I get it. You feel you owe Yuki, hence the excessive worry... that it?" Shigure, sharp and cunning as ever.
"...well, I don't owe you anything, and I certainly don't worry about you, so you can rest easy." "Yay~ WAIT A SECOND! YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME?! HUH?!"
Hatori may have been right to worry about Yuki, but definitely not in the way things played out. Dressed in his usual suit again, Hatori reentered the main room.
Just in time to see Akito smashing a vase over Yuki's head.
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"...what did you say to Akito?"
Hatori had just finished dressing the wound--the painful little cut on Yuki's forehead--and now redirected his focus to finding out what Yuki had to incur Akito's wrath.
"Hmm? Nothing special... just that I was tired of blaming other people... I need to... apologize to you too, Hatori... for what happened... when I was a child."
This certainly caught Hatori's attention.
"Somewhere in my mind... I may have blamed you for it... all this time. I know now you were hurting too... I'm sorry. I was a child, but...
I also need to thank you for something..."
At this point, Hatori was stunned speechless. Yuki is apologizing to me? For what wrong I'd done him?
"Thank you," Yuki began, "for taking care of me as well... through the nights at some point."
Hatori's jaw dropped. He had no idea how Yuki knew of that. As far as he knew, no one else knew of it aside from him. And Yuki had never awoken during those nights.
"...the drink."
"Ah--" The teenager smiled at him. He had put the pieces together. Yes, when Yuki had fallen ill, Hatori had had him drink some.
"You mean you recognized the taste?" Yuki nodded. "It always left an aftertaste back then. I had to confirm this with Shigure, though."
Yet another bomb. Shigure knew, too. Hatori's head swam. Yuki was apologizing for the wrong Hatori had done him, and was thanking him for doing what little he could back then. It was too much to take in.
"...but that may have been the reason you were locked away more securely for a time after that," Hatoru tried to reason.
"Yes, but only for a time. Quite soon after that, I moved to Shigure's house."
"...I added to your suffering."
"Hatori! That's not the point. I'm still grateful... that you tried to help me."
Hatori could barely keep himself in check. He felt tears well up in his good eye. A droplet slid down his cheek and he realized he must look like a fool. He quickly lowered his head and used his hands to cover his eyes. But the tears wouldn't stop. Hatori said it over and over again.
"Thank you."
Thank you...
Yuki put a hand on his shoulder and didn't say anything. But he was smiling. He truly was tired of blaming people, and now, a part of him wanted Hatori to stop blaming himself.
Even now, it was going to be a slow and painful journey for Hatori. A journey to forgive himself and allow happiness back into his life. But Hatori was beginning to heal.
Even if just a little.