𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧?

Chapter 13

My hospital room is filled with cold tension as my parents and Shigure await my answer of how I managed to end up nearly dead. I think I could easily explain it to Shigure, as he would understand why I did what I did, but my parents are not apart of the Zodiac curse, they don't understand the longing of freedom. 

"So, Natsu?" My mother is particularly furious about the situation. "Why where you in the Urusai village, practically dead? Hm? And how come when you were asleep, you've continued to mention Hatori? Huh?"

I scrunch my sheets up, and try to stop myself from turning red. I didn't realize I was doing that. "I don't know why you think it's so weird for me to mention him. He's family."

"Not really, but whatever." Shigure comments. 

"Listen hear, little lady, if you think you're avoid this question, then you are mistaken!" Mom practically yells.

"Calm down, Fuyumi, we are in a hospital." Dad says. 

"No! I need an answer!" Mom does shout. 

"You know, I am getting real sick and tired of you constantly poking you nose in my life, insisting that I have to tell you my reason behind everything I do." I snap. "I'm twenty-one Mom, I'm not a child. And I'm in the condition I'm in, because I am stuck in a gosh-darn curse that is ruining my life, and the lives of the people I care most about."

My parents look genuinely shocked about my sudden burst of anger. But Shigure, thinks it's funny. "Look who finally grew a backbone."

"What are you talking about?" I glare at him.

"You defied Akito, by trying to find a way to break the curse. I always thought of you as Akito's little lapdog, but I guess I was wrong. And hear I thought you actually liked the curse." Shigure laughs. "You do always seem to amaze me, Natsu. I wonder what Hatori would think about this."

"I wasn't just doing it for him."

"So, you broke the curse of the deer? You finally let your selfish love go?" My parents continue to stare at the two of in confusion. I didn't realize he knew about it. But I shouldn't be surprised, he's constantly around Akito. Seems to know almost everything about her.

"What on earth are the two of you talking about? If I don't get an answer soon, I am going to...."

"To do what Mother? I am not a child anymore, you cannot put me in a corner, or give me a spanking. And you can't ground me anymore. What are you going to do?" I ask. I love my mother, I really do. But sometimes, I feel like she still acts like I am a small child, who doesn't know how to think for themselves. My parents act like helicopter parents. When it comes to Zodiac parents, they usually either reject they're children, or are way too overprotective of them. I guess my parents ended up being the overprotective ones. 

"Fuyumi, I think it would be better, if we left." Dad steps in. "Let the two of them talk in private."

"I already know that you want to call me an idiot." I say to Shigure as soon as my parents leave the room.

"If it's taken you this long to figure out that you had the power to break the bond on your own, then I have a right to call you idiotic." Shigure smirks.

"I didn't.... I was to selfish to notice what I needed to do. You were right, I did enjoy the curse. And now that I am free from it, I wish I wasn't. I shouldn't have been allowed to get out of it so easily. If anyone should be free from the curse, it should be someone else. It should be Hatori." 

"The two of you really are in love." Shigure comments.

"Don't be ridiculous, Shigure."

"I'm not." He sticks his face close to mine. "You know it's true." 

Hatori's POV:

"Come on Hatori. Let's go out for a walk. You could use the fresh air." Shigure bugs me. 

"Shigure, I am very behind on my work. I can't just take walks because someone wants me to."

"Oh, but I came all this way, hoping I'd get some alone time with my favorite Doc." Shigure whimpers. 

"Seeing as you won't leave me alone, I'll go for a walk with you." I groan. "But a quick one."

"Yay!"

"You know, I learned the most interesting thing today," Shigure smirks at me. "When I went and saw Natsu at the hospital."

"Oh really?" I feel bad that I haven't gone back to see her. But I can't. I can't face her now. 

"Turns out, she's in as bad of a condition as she is, because she got into a fight with Akito." Shigure pauses. "She wants to break the curse, for your sake."

I stare at him in shock. "For.... for my sake?" So that's why she nearly died? Why she wanted to apologize to me? Because she wanted to break the curse?

"You two are so dumb. If I was in your situation, Hatori, I'd be a man, and go tell her the truth." Shigure continues on. "And don't say you're not in love with her. If you weren't, Kana wouldn't have quit." 

I can't even try to lie about it. That's the truth. I didn't return her feelings, and she led herself to believe that I didn't like her because I liked Natsu. I mean, I can't keep lying to myself about it, that is part of the truth. 

"I also know that the 'bond' the two of you had, is dead. So now, it's just pure, raw emotions." 

"Yes, but before I can get to those 'pure, raw' emotions, as you call them, you forget, that just because the bond is gone, doesn't mean that she isn't hurt from all of the misplaced hatred I put on her. And I am still quite guilty for the fact that I did blame her for so much."

"Then, I suggest you do like I said. Suck it up, and go apologize. It's be for the best. I have a feeling Natsu is being to lose hope."