Nighttime Troubles:

A Haru x Tohru story

by: SinnersAngel

It was the dead of night. The moon loomed over the Sohma house where four people were fast asleep. The kindly girl, Tohru Honda. The silver-haired, calm and cool mouse, Yuki Sohma. The orange-haired, foul-tempered cat, Kyo Sohma. And the black-haired, and slightly perverted dog, Shigure Sohma. They were all sleeping soundly, dreaming of various things. Tohru was dreaming of how the Sohmas would enjoy their new-found freedom once she could free them from the curse. Yuki was dreaming of the perfect garden he and Tohru had planted together. Kyo was dreaming of his triumphant victory over having finally beaten Yuki. And Shigure was dreaming of 'the little flower' and how she was now, legally, his new bride. All, of course, nothing more than dreams.

Everyone was sleeping peacefully, except for Tohru who was now sitting up slowly in her bed. Bleary eyed, she strained her ears to hear the thing that woke her from her slumber. There was a soft thudding sound coming from outside her window. She got up, opened her window and looked down to find a shock of white hair moving around in a circle. "Ha...!" she started before quickly covering her mouth. She looked back into her room and realized that it was the dead of night and that it would be very rude to wake anyone up. After a quick glance back outside to see that the white hair was still there and not going anywhere, she slid out of bed, shrugged on her coat and snuck out of her room. She tiptoed down the hall, continued down the stairs and stepped into her shoes before walking outside.

She strode quietly around the house to where he was, found him and watched him continuing his circles. She hesitated for a moment, thinking he might be sleepwalking. She remembered hearing somewhere that one shouldn't wake a sleepwalker. "Hatsuharu-san," she called quietly. He continued to pace around. "Hatsuharu-san," she voiced a little louder, hoping that he wasn't asleep.

He stopped and turned to her slowly, staring at her through blank eyes. "Honda-san..." he said slowly. She breathed a sigh of relief to find that he was awake.

She walked closer to him, "What is Hatsuharu-san doing out here in the middle of the night?" He continued to stare at her sudden presence. "You weren't sleepwalking, were you?" worrying that he had been.

"Sleepwalking? Where would you get that idea?" he questioned curiously.

"Then... were you lost?" she asked nervously, afraid of upsetting him and turning him Black with her questions.

"Lost? No... at least, I don't think so..." he answered slowly.

"Then..." she started, wondering what to ask next now that she was out of theories. "What is Hatsuharu-san doing here? Not that you're not welcome!" she added quickly before covering her mouth once again. Musn't wake anyone up! she thought quickly.

Haru, catching on to why she was covering her mouth, said, "I should go, I'm sorry I woke you."

"No, no, no!" she whispered quickly. "You didn't... well you did... but I'm not mad!" she said honestly. "If you need something, please don't hesitate to ask. Did you need something?"

"Nn." he responded before shivering slightly. It was the first time he realized it was cold out.

"Oh! Come, you should come inside." He was dressed in his casual black leather pants and heavy black boots. But his shirt was unbuttoned and, judging from the frayed ends at his shoulders, it used to have sleeves. When she saw him continuing to stand silently, she continued, "It's cold out, I wouldn't want you to catch cold. We'll go inside and I'll make us some tea," she finished cheerfully.

She turned and walked back the way she came, slipped off her shoes and coat in the entry and continued her quiet venture into the kitchen. Haru hadn't followed, but Tohru figured that she ought to give him some time before going back outside to look for him. And sure enough, once the water started boiling, she heard slow footsteps coming her way. They were followed by Haru entering the kitchen in his socks, he stopped when he was just inside the doorway and leaned against the wood without crossing his arms.

They continued the silence, she figured that that would give him some time to think and time for her to carefully construct her questions. Before long, the tea was ready. Tohru handled the tea pot and was about the grab the two mugs she brought out earlier for the tea, when Haru's hands suddenly came into view and plucked the mugs up. She looked back at him in time to see that he was already making his way out of the kitchen, one mug in each hand, towards the room where she and her roommates ate daily. She followed after him a minute later with the pot in hand to see that he had left the mugs on the low rise table and was now opening the sliding doors to let in the moonlight. It was just bright enough so that they could see each other and pour the tea, there was no need to turn on any of the electric lights and possibly attract the attention of any of the other sleeping Sohmas.

Tohru filled the mugs and handed one to Haru, who stared at it for a moment as if considering it before finally accepting it. "Thank you," he said before putting it to his lips and taking a sip. He closed his eyes in thoughtful silence before saying, "It's good."

Tohru blushed slightly and said, "Good, I'm glad."

"That I like it?" he asked.

"That you finally said something. I was starting to worry." She smiled and took a sip from her own mug. "So... do you have something you would like to talk to me about?"

"Nn," he shrugged. "It's nothing."

"No, please!" she said quickly, turning her attention from her mug to the white and black-haired boy. "Whatever it is that's bothering you, I would like to hear it. Mom once said that a problem shared is a problem halved!" she said cheerily.

Haru continued to stare at her before smiling and said, "Really." He closed his eyes thoughtfully and took another sip of tea, failing to notice that Tohru was now blushing.

She closed her eyes and shook her head to ease the blushing, and opened them once more. She was about to say something, but couldn't when her breath caught in her throat. He still had his eyes closed and was sipping the tea periodically. He looked so... beautiful... sitting there with the moonlight enhancing his handsome features. His silvery-white hair glinted and moved slighlty when a breeze came into the room. Long eyelashes touched on his face which was a soft, smooth, marble-white. He never wore his shirts buttoned all the way up, just like Kyo, she thought as she admired the necklaces he wore which stood out against his pale chest. He was skinny, but she could tell that his body was well built. He probably works out or trains daily at the dojo. His right arm rested on his raised knee, as Haru typically never sat traditionally. He moved slightly to place the mug back down on the table, his knee came down as well, and Tohru stared at his long pale fingers that were wrapped around the dark, handle-less, mug. Her eyes continued to travel over his body, to his exposed arms, to his upper left arm which was tattooed with a simple dark green design that went around his white arm.

His eyes opened slowly, they were a beautiful dark gray, the color the sky was just before it would rain. It took Tohru a moment to realize that they were now settled on her. Eep! Does he know I was watching him? she thought nervously.

"Like what you see?" he asked innocently. She blushed a deep crimson and he smiled once more, "I guess that's a yes." He took no more notice of her as he raised his hand again to take another sip of Tohru's tea.

"Um..." she started nervously. "I'm sorry for staring. But I was still wondering what it was that would make Hatsuharu-san come here in the middle of the night?" she questioned carefully. "If you'd prefer to talk with Yuki-kun instead of me, that's okay, but it would be rude to Yuki-kun to wake him up. And... he probably wouldn't wake up anyways..." she finished nervously.

"Nn, there's no need to wake him up. Though you're probably right. Hmm..." he paused. "For you, he might wake up and listen to your troubles, but for me, he might very well kick me out of his room just for being there in the middle of the night."

"Oh!" she started. But after a thoughtful moment, she realized with a half-smile, "You might be right."

"S'alright, it's nice talking to you, too." He turned to look back outside, staring at the moon as if transfixed by it. Tohru continued to wait patiently, pausing in mid-sip, realizing that Haru had finished his tea. She put her mug back down and proceeded to refill Haru's mug. Then, as if her movement had brought him back to earth, he turned to watch as she began pouring some more of the warm liquid into his mug. He watched her smiling as she went through her movements and as she sat back down to her own drink. "No wonder Shigure keeps calling you his new bride. You act just like one," he commented slowly.

She blushed once more, "Ah! No... I do this because I want to, not because I have to. You're mug was empty. Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun always get mad at Shigure-san when he calls me things like 'New bride' and his 'Little flower'. I don't really mind, really!" She was comepletely flustered and red in the face. Haru was thoroughly enjoying her nervous babbling. His simple comment had gotten such a nervous rise out of her.

It got quiet once more, except for the nearby clock that was ticking away the night. "If Hatsuharu-san wants, I could make you a place to sleep for the night. That is, if you don't want to go back home. But it's getting late, and you must be tired." She suddenly yawned and Haru smirked.

"You're tired," he simply stated. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, I'll go now." He started to rise from the floor and Tohru, who still wanted to know what was on his mind, followed him as he walked out the sliding doors. He bent down to pull on his boots he had left outside and Tohru went to his side with the intention of trying to get him to stay. She was, however, tired, and as such, clumsier than normal. She tripped over her own feet and Haru, hearing her yelp out in surprise, spun around uncharacteristically quick, and attempted to catch her. The result was the both of them falling off the porch and onto the ground, Haru with his one boot on, Tohru in his arms. Tohru couldn't even open her eyes before a loud 'Poof' sounded. She opened her eyes expectantly and saw the smoke.

Her heart thumped wildly. "Oh no!" she moaned. Oh yes. It happened. Mere seconds ticked by before she stood up, face to face with Hatsuharu the Cow. He moo'ed, and she stared for a moment before quickly gathering his clothes that now lay scattered about. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized, hoping that the others hadn't heard the commotion and woken up. She stood up once again, shirt and pants draped over her left arm, boots in her right, and ears pricked for any noises that she expected would be coming from inside the house.

A voice came from the boy-turned-cow. "Sounds like they're still asleep," he remarked as if reading her thoughts. Just as Tohru was about to breath a sigh of relief, she squeaked in surprise again as another loud 'Poof' sounded, more smoke, and instead of a cow, a naked Haru stood before her.

"Eep!" She turned quickly around, not seeing anything other than Haru's bemused face, and hoping that everyone was still asleep. Even though she was used to the Sohma's transformations, she was never prepared for the animals that turned themselves back into naked humans, as the time always varied. She was also really not used to the animals that turned themselves back into naked men. She felt a tap on her shoulder, "I didn't see anything!" She blushed furiously and closed her eyes, just in case.

"My clothes," came a low voice from behind her.

"Oh!" she started as she opened her eyes to look at the clothes still in her arms. She passed them behind her, careful to keep her eyes closed tightly. Minutes passed in which she heard nothing but the soft rustling that was Haru putting his clothes back on. A few footsteps, then she felt a hand go under her chin pulling her face upwards. She opened her eyes in surprise to a now fully-clothed Hatsuharu.

"You don't have to be so embarrassed, you know. I bet you've seen Yuki and Kyo transform dozens of times," he stated calmly.

"Oh n--, uhm, well, yes..." she stammered. "It was my fault they would transform in the first place though," she said while trying to keep her voice steady. Haru was staring at her right in the eyes, and she couldn't help but stare back. He didn't let go, and he didn't say anything else. He just continued to stare at her face that was growing steadily redder.

"You're so cute," he said finally as he let her go and looked back up at the moon."No wonder Yuki and Kyo want to keep you to themselves," he continued.

"Eeh?! Oh no! I'm not cute, am I? Shigure says it all the time. Then Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun tell him to be quiet..." she stopped her babbling when Haru brought his face sharply back to hers.

"You're very cute," he said in a 'And that's final' tone. "And you saying that you're not only makes you even cuter."

This boy, no, this man... Has he always been so... so charming? So beautiful? So appealing?

"Nightmares," Haru said.

"Huh?" Tohru said, dissoriented from coming out of her daze so suddenly.

"You wanted to know why I was here. Nightmares. I've been having a lot lately. I couldn't sleep tonight 'cause I was worried about having another. I thought a walk would calm me down. And the next thing I knew, I was here."

"Under my window," Tohru finished.

"Hm?" Haru questioned.

"You were pacing around under my window," Tohru stated quietly.

"Oh, is that were I was? I didn't know. Maybe I was just drawn there. I feel a lot calmer now that I've spent some time with you. Maybe I was supposed to be there... a mystery..." he finished quietly.

"You mean it?" Tohru asked.

"Hm?" It was Haru's turn to be brought out of a daze. "That this was supposed to happen?"

"No," Tohru smiled. "That I helped. Did I really help you, Hatsuharu-san?" she balled her hands into fists out of excitement, still careful to keep her voice down.

"Hm. You did. And I think that I would like to stay here after all. Just for the night," Haru said.

"Okay! I'll set up a place for you right away!" Off she dashed for the spare futon, quilt and pillow, leaving Haru staring after her.

After a few minutes, a bed was made, all ready for Haru who had kicked his boots off once again. He sat up in the futon, blankets covering his legs, and looked up at Tohru who was still bustling around getting the mugs and tea pot washed and put away. She came back and slid the door back to its original place, effectively locking the moon out, and darkening the room. Haru asked Tohru to sit up with him for just a little longer, he genuinely enjoyed her company. After awhile, when their eyes adjusted to the dark, Tohru spoke.

"I'm so happy that Hatsuharu-san came here. And I'm even happier that I was able to help," she said cheerfully before yawning again.

Haru smiled to himself, closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment, nodded, and opened his eyes again. He pulled Tohru's face upwards towards his and smiled again. Tohru, confused by his sudden fascination with her face, only smiled. She was transfixed once again by his eyes and, not caring anymore that he was fully aware of this, stared at the stormy gray orbs that peeked out from under his untidy white hair. He smiled, completely aware that she was admiring him.

"Honda-san, there is one more thing you could do for me. I believe that it would greatly help me sleep soundly," the white and black-haired boy requested.

"What's that?" Tohru asked dreamily, hoping it was what she thought it was. She continued to stare into Haru's face, realizing that it was now moving down and closer to hers. Her heart fluttered uncontrollably.

"Kiss me," he whispered when his lips were but an inch from her own.

"Okay..." she whispered back.

Their lips parted, and they met. Haru kissed her warmly and gently to let her get used to it. When she did, he deepened the kiss. He wondered vaguely whether it was her first kiss, and when he decided that it was, he kept his tongue to himself. Mustn't scare her. My delicate little flower. My precious Tohru.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Shigure had indeed woken up from the noise when Hatsuharu transformed. He was now watching them kiss from the doorway. He smiled to himself, walked back into his study and closed the door. You better take good care of my little flower, Haru. Now, how should I break this to the mouse and cat that are sleeping soundly upstairs? he thought giddily to himself.

Shigure loved to annoy the sheer hell out of anyone that was near. Tomorrow, I think, is as good a time as any. Perhaps I should tell them in a place other than my house. I just got the last door Kyo broke down fixed. What got him started again? Did I call Tohru my new bride after she brought me my tea to my study, or did I tease him about losing another fight with Yuki? Sigh, I swear, the whole world is conspiring against my house.

Fin

I wonder if that house ever gets completely destroyed... I don't plan on making a sequal, so please don't ask. ; This is my first try at fanfiction, so please be kind when reviewing... I'm fragile! oo Thank you for reading! SinnersAngel