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Mayu and Hatori watch as Rin wanders the bookstore, her fingers sliding along some of the spines.
“Are you going to introduce me to her?” Mayu asks.
“In a bit.” Hatori says. “We should let her get her bearings first.”
“You’re talking about her like she’s an animal.”
Hatori smiles at that. “This is the first time she’s been out in public for a while. I don’t want to push her too hard.”
“Is she a recluse?”
The smile drops from Hatori’s face. “No, it’s nothing like that.” Hatori watches her pull a book from a shelf. “It wasn’t entirely voluntary.”
“Ah.” Mayu has no idea what he’s talking about, but she knows better than to push, and instead chalks it up to another Sohma quirk. “You know, she looks a bit like Shigure.”
At that, Hatori actually chuckles. “You have no idea how much they would both hate hearing that.”
“Are they related?”
“In the same way the rest of us are. Distant cousins. Except for Ayame and Yuki, of course.”
“Of course.” Mayu agrees. “And she’s been living with you?”
Hatori nods. “For about four years now. I’m surprised Shigure never mentioned her to you, actually.”
“How come?”
“They’re close.”
“Really.” Mayu says, more than a little surprised. She’s not sure she could ever imagine Shigure being ‘close’ with anyone other than Hatori and Ayame, much less the quiet, short-haired woman that Hatori had ushered into her shop a few minutes ago.
“We’ve known her since she was very young.” Hatori murmurs.
“Tori-nii?” Rin calls from the corner of the shop.
Mayu looks up at Hatori, surprised by the nickname. “One moment.” He says to Mayu, and then steps away to chat with Rin. She hears them quietly talking to each other. When she looks over, she sees them standing close together, both their heads bent over a book. They both wear the same serious expression. Hatori says something, and Rin turns her head, and looks up at him, and smiles. He reaches out to touch her hair, but then suddenly aborts the motion and awkwardly returns his hand to his side. Rin is already looking at the book again, and doesn’t even notice.
Hatori pauses, and then turns around and returns to Mayu at her desk. He doesn’t say anything.
“That’s a cute nickname.”
Hatori makes a face. Mayu laughs.
“Thank you for letting me bring her here when the shop is closed.” Hatori says. “I’m not sure she’s ready for somewhere crowded yet.”
Mayu nods. “I don’t mind.”
“Still.” Hatori says seriously. “Thank you.”
Mayu just nods, awkward in the face of genuine gratitude. “So how come she never ended up in my classroom?”
“We send the girls to a women’s-only school.” Hatori says. “I asked a few times if she wanted to transfer, and she never seemed very interested.”
“Too low-brow?” Mayu jokes.
The corner of Hatori’s mouth twitches. “Something like that.”
“Where does she go, then?”
“She doesn’t.” Hatori clears his throat. “We were hoping for college this year, but…” He trails off. “Some things got in the way. We’re going to try again next year.” Hatori watches her flip through another book. “She wants to study art.” He says, very quietly, as close to wistful as Mayu has ever heard him.
“Oh.”
Rin closes the book she’s looking at. Her eyes travel back to the shelves, the books. She turns her head to stare out the window, body very still as she does it.
“Isuzu.” Hatori says suddenly, firmly. She doesn’t react. “Isuzu.” He says, a little louder. She flinches, and then her eyes dart back over to Hatori.
He tilts his head in a silent question.
She shakes her head, and then returns to her book.
“How are your parents doing?” Hatori asks.
Mayu flushes. “Are you teasing me?”
“I’m not.”
“I don’t think I’ve had a conversation in weeks with my parents that didn’t involve marriage in some way or another. The guilt, Hatori…”
Hatori chuckles. “They want to know that you’ll be happy.”
“They’re bullying me, is what it is.”
“They seem like very nice people.”
“You’re only saying that because you don’t know them like I do.”
“Perhaps I could.” Hatori says.
“Perhaps you— what?” She stares at him.
“Perhaps I could… know your parents.” Hatori says, very carefully.
Mayu flushes an even deeper shade of red. “Is that why you brought her here?” She hisses. “So I couldn’t yell?”
“I really didn’t think that far ahead.”
“You know that my parents would never stop talking about the handsome doctor. You know what introducing you to them would do.”
Hatori nods, not looking at her.
Mayu gapes at him. “I… what?”
“You’re meeting my family, aren’t you?” He says, nodding towards Rin.
Mayu laughs, covering her face with a hand. “I could throttle you. I really could. I’m thinking about it.”
Hatori just smiles. “Isuzu, can you come over here?”
She looks up from her book, her eyes darting from Hatori to Mayu. She walks over cautiously.
“Isuzu, this is Mayuko Shiraki-sensei.”
“Shiraki…” Rin trails off, looking up at Hatori. Hatori nods encouragingly. Her eyes move back to Mayu. “You’re Tohru’s teacher.”
“I am.” She confirms.
“Mayu, this is Isuzu Sohma.”
They take a few more visits to the bookstore before Hatori invites Mayu over to have dinner at his home. Hatori’s house is small and tidy, although there is plenty of evidence of life there— the bookshelves border on overstuffed, there are photos on the walls and an easel in the corner, folded up and stained with paint. Mayu notices that of all the photos of Rin and Momiji, none of them involve anyone that looks like they could be their parents. She sees a photo of a much younger Rin dressed traditionally, sleeping in a man’s arms, but she looks closer and realizes the young man in the photo is Shigure.
Dinner is pleasant. Rin doesn’t eat, but she does sit with them and drink tea. Momiji peppers Mayu with questions, although he pointedly doesn't ask how she knows Hatori. Afterwards, the children go out into the yard, and Hatori and Mayu have coffee.
“You have a very nice family.” Mayu says.
“Thank you.”
“…They seem happy.”
“They worked very hard for it.” Hatori says. “They deserve it.”
Mayu opens her mouth to respond, but Momiji comes zooming in. “Haru is here!” He announces. “Can he have the leftovers?”
“Shoes, Momiji.” Hatori scolds. “He can, but tell him that his mother needs to start feeding him too.”
“She feeds me.” Haru says mildly, toeing his shoes off at the doorway. “But then I get hungry again. Hi, Shiraki-sensei.”
“Hello, Haru. Are you keeping up with your studies?”
“Sometimes.” He admits. Rin trails in after him and slides off her shoes.
The children end up making a commotion in the kitchen like only teenagers can do, chatting and bickering and laughing. Hatori and Mayu smile at each other over their mugs.
Hatori stands, collecting his mug. “Let’s go to my office.” He says, nodding towards the door.
“Sorry for disturbing you.” Haru says. “We can leave.”
“I’d prefer it if you stayed inside, actually.” Hatori gives Haru a meaningful look.
Haru nods. “Thank you for your hospitality, then.”
Keeping Rin in the main house is a complicated thing. Hatori doesn’t want to deny her the opportunity to come home, but they’re both wary at the thought of Akito seeing her again. They’re lucky that their yard is relatively shielded by plants and trees, but Hatori still doesn’t like the idea of her being out there alone, or worse, out there with Haru.
Hatori always ensures that Rin never makes the walk from his home to the gate alone, even if that means walking her there himself. He understands her desperate need for space and freedom outside of the main house, so she often spends time with Shigure or Kazuma. They’ve started looking at classes at the local arts center to occupy her time, but public settings are still difficult for her.
Hatori pulls out one of the desk chairs and offers it to Mayu. She nods in thanks and takes a seat, and he strides over to his side of the desk and takes a seat.
Through the door, they can still hear the kids making a ruckus. Hatori takes another sip of coffee, then lifts his hand and slams it against the wall. The noise in the living room dies down somewhat.
“Children.” Hatori says.
Mayu laughs.
They sip their coffee in silence for a while, content to listen to the children making slightly less noise next door. They’re all laughing, and although Momiji is laughing the loudest, they can make out the noise of Haru’s deep timbre underneath, and then a softer, more feminine one as well.
“Were you serious?” Mayu asks.
“Mm?”
“About meeting my parents.” She clarifies. “Officially.”
“I am serious.” Hatori says.
“…You know what that means.” Commitment. Putting Mayu in a vulnerable position. Exposing Hatori to further abuse to his family.
“I brought you here, didn’t I?” Introduced her to his version of family, two children that he is protective of. Let her see his life, his home, his photographs.
Mayu takes a slow sip of coffee. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.” She says. “But don’t…” She closes her eyes. “Don’t take this lightly.”
“I won’t.”
Mayu nods. She opens her eyes again, reaches out and takes another sip from her mug.
They lapse back into silence, finishing up the last dregs of coffee when there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in.” Hatori calls.
The door opens, and Rin sticks her head in. “Can I stay with Kazuma tonight?”
Haru appears behind her, also awaiting an answer. Something clicks in Mayu’s mind, as she remembers the weeks where Haru was out of school, mysteriously aligning with Hatori and Rin’s off-hours visits to her book shop.
So it’s like that, then. She smiles.
“Did you eat?”
Rin flushes. “I did.”
Hatori nods. "You can go. And Haru—“ Haru pauses at the door. “Be sure to call your mother. And have Momiji walk you to the gate.”
Haru nods seriously. “Thank you.” He says.
Hatori just nods back, and then the door clicks shut and it’s silent again.
“I’m surprised.” Mayu says.
“By?”
“For some reason, I didn’t expect you to be good with kids.”
“I’m their doctor. I have to be good with kids.”
“You’re very stoic.”
“Doctors are always stoic.” Hatori says seriously.
Mayu laughs.
“I wasn’t good at it at first.” Hatori says. “I’m glad to hear from an expert that I’m getting better at it.”
Mayu snorts. “I would not call myself an expert.”
“The children seem to like you plenty.”
“Ah, they don’t know any better.”
“Well, then I’m glad you have them fooled.”
After they finish their coffee, Hatori walks Mayu to the gate of the main house. He doesn’t dare kiss her on Sohma property, but he wants to. He thinks about it.
“Thank you for coming to dinner tonight.”
“I’m glad I came.” Mayu says.
“Me too.” Hatori says. He dares to let his fingers tangle with hers, and for a moment they touch, and he can feel the warmth of her hand against his. They stand in silence.
“I should go.” She says. “My car’s just over there.”
“Okay.”
Her fingers briefly tighten around his, the smallest squeeze, and then his hand is cold again. She turns and leaves. He watches her walk down the street and unlock her car. Before she gets in, she turns to him and waves. He waves back. She grins.
Hatori watches her drive away.
He stands there for a while, right outside the gate, long after her taillights disappear. The night air is cool and comfortable. The sky is clear, and he can see the stars above him. He’s alone. Nobody’s with him or watching him or waiting for his next move. Nobody’s expecting him tonight. He could leave Sohma property, go out and get a drink or some food. He could see a movie.
Hatori tilts his head back and looks up at the stars. He breathes in the smell of the trees around him.
And then he turns around, and heads back towards the Main House. He’s careful to close the gate behind him. It clangs firmly shut.