FicWad

*****

"Well, what a surprise. You really are sick this time."

"Yes, the feeling perfectly dreadful part gave me a hint. I was just afraid that you wouldn't come...well...considering."

"Considering that you've called me over here once a week for the past month with some sort of complaint? Like the 'broken finger' last week?"

"Well I DID close it in the drawer--"

"--and the food poisoning the week before--"

"That fish was off, I tell you!"

"--and the flu the week before that?"

"I had the sniffles!"

"Of course you did. All of that wouldn't, by any chance, have been an attempt on your part to get me to come see you more often, would it?"

"Why, Hari, would I ever do such a deceitful, underhanded thing to get my way?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's good to know that you know me well."

"You were in doubt?"

"Well, it HAS been a long time. Would you like to know me even better?"

"Not while you're sick, no."

"Oh, you're no fun."

"You just now noticed?"

"No, I'd noticed before, but I always hope that I'll rub off on you somewhat. Speaking of..."

"Ayame, no. Back in bed. You really should rest. See? You're tired just from getting up."

"Oh drats. I finally get you here and willing to say more than four words to me and I'm completely incapable of taking advantage of you."

"How sad. You'll have to take a raincheck."

"Oh, I will. When I get better, will you go out to lunch with me? Or dinner? Or both?"

"I suppose so."

"Mm, your enthusiasm is stunning. I know the perfect place to go. It's not even that far from the main house. Hatsuharu and I went there the other day."

"You and Hatsuharu?"

"Mmm hmm. Jealous, Hari?"

"No, worried that you're corrupting the younger generation is more like it."

"Oh, Hari, you dirty old man, it's not like that. He's much too young for me, though he is rather a strapping young lad, isn't he?"

"I hadn't noticed."

"Well, I certainly have. In a purely aesthetic way, of course. We had lunch together and had quite a nice chat, really."

"I shudder to think of what a conversation between you and Hatsuharu would even be like."

"He's quiet, but he's a rather charming young man. Very polite. Don't worry, Hari, I'm sure he was just as surprised that I wanted to talk with him as you are."

"You invited him to lunch?"

"Yes, yes. I had heard that he was going to be moving away to be with Yuki, and wanted to find out what his intentions were."

"He's going to college at one of the best universities in his field in Japan. I don't think that counts as moving away 'to be with Yuki'."

"Oh, please, Hari. Hatsuharu's been plainly in love with Yuki ever since he was nine years old. I'm sure that the fact that it's a good university is a plus, but I can guarantee you, that's NOT what drew him there."

"You asked him about this?"

"Of course. I AM Yuki's big brother, after all. I felt the need to look out for him, and, well, if Haru was going to finally make his move, I wanted to give him a bit of advice."

"...advice?"

"Oh, you needn't give me that LOOK, Hari, I was completely proper! I just told him that some of the Sohma men suffer from a horribly overdeveloped sense of propriety and that if he really wanted to try and get Yuki's attention, he might have to make his intentions so clear a five year old could see them. Not that I would have firsthand experience with that or anything."

"...you didn't tell him that story, did you?"

"Well..."

"Ayame--"

"Hari, Hari, calm yourself. Of course I didn't tell him the WHOLE story, though I did make it rather clear that sometimes drastic measures must be taken to make a particularly recalcitrant lover-to-be admit his own feelings."

"If Hatsuharu ends up traumatizing Yuki, it will be entirely your own fault."

"Traumatizing? Oh, Hari, I don't think that you give Haru enough credit. He would rather rip out his own heart than cause Yuki distress. It's one of his main problems, in my expert opinion. He's too worried that he'll worry Yuki by telling him how he feels. He'd never harm him, and he's a smart boy. He knows Yuki well enough to not do anything that will frighten him."

"Hn. Perhaps I should speak with him. Haru's never been sexually active that I know of. I'm not entirely sure how his Black personality will deal with the emotion."

"I don't think that you need to. I asked him about that, you know, as a concerned older brother, and he just looked at me like he was surprised and said, 'It won't be a problem. He's in love with Yuki, too.'"

"Black Haru HAS been rather quiet these past few years. It correlates rather closely with when he started going to Yuki's high school."

"See? There you go. Besides. Even Black Haru has never done a thing to harm Yuki, and has even come out a few times to defend him."

"I thought you didn't know Hatsuharu all that well."

"Well, I asked around a bit. Heard some rather heart-warming stories, to be honest. You remember that that one time when Haru changed into his Ox form and took Yuki home on his back? Did you know that he had gone Black and was fighting Kyo, and when he saw that Yuki had collapsed he STOPPED, just like that, to go to Yuki's side? Kyo seemed pretty confident that he was still Black most of the way home, yet Haru's first thought was still to take care of Yuki."

"I don't think I knew that part of the story, no."

"He's in love with him. White, black, whatever. Through and through. I'm not worried about either of them in the least. Trust me, I know these things. Oh, it's so romantic. I just hope that Yuki can see it that way."

"What will happen will happen. There's no use worrying over it."

"Oh, I know. I just want him to be happy, Hari. Both of them. They've both had such a hard time. They deserve some happiness. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"No. I suppose not. Here. Take one of these with each meal until they're gone. Plenty of bed rest and fluids, and take some aspirin if you have muscle aches, but not more than one at a time. If you still don't feel well by the end of the week, let me know."

"I will. Must you go?"

"Yes. I'm expected back at the office."

"Are we still on for dinner? Next week?"

"Yes. If you're feeling better."

"For you, Hari my love, I would move mountains, let alone beat a piddling little cold."

"How reassuring."

"You are a cruel, cruel man, Hatori Sohma."

"So you keep telling me."

"Mmm...I suppose that's one reason that I find you so irresistably attractive...."

"Ayame. Bed. Now."

"Will you be joining me?"

"No."

"Right. Just thought I'd check."