Title: Role Reversal

Author: The Summer Stars aka Lell

Pairing: Sohma Hatsuharu/Sohma Kisa

Fandom: Fruits Basket

Theme: 18. "Say ahh…"

Disclaimer: Checks name on underwear Nope, I'm not Natsuki Takaya – I don't own them. Not lawfully anyway… Plots in corner

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Right arm please."

The ushi obediently handed his right arm to the older man standing beside him, watching with a detached air as the doctor wrapped a band around his bicep, just over the elbow.

"You're remarkably co-operative today," Hatori commented as he slowly added air to the band, keeping an eye on the pressure dial.

"Okaasan always taught me to be polite to doctors otherwise she'd wallop me with her fan," Haru commented dryly, feeling the slight discomfort the tightening band caused, but ignoring it. What did make him jump was the cold slickness of the Dragon's stethoscope being pressed against the crook of his elbow. He shot Hatori a reproachful look, but, as to be expected, the dark haired man ignored it, listening intently through the earpieces.

"Remind me to thank your mother the next time I see her – if all my patients were this co-operative…hmm…blood pressure normal." Removing the Velcro band, he handed it to the slight girl standing beside him. "Thank you, Kisa." The tora smiled shyly as she trotted off to place the blood pressure monitor in the appropriate drawer.

Haru watched her go with his normal blend of pride and observance as he simultaneously raised an eyebrow at the older man. "You're the one who decided to conduct the family checkups in one day, Hatori. You only have yourself to blame." Unabashed by the unamused look he received for that comment, the Ox stretched his right arm languidly. "I suppose examining Momiji was fun."

Hatori fixed him with the sceptical gaze of his one good eye, a look Haru returned with a bland expression and the doctor suddenly had an urge to use one of the needles he normally reserved for Shigure on the ushi.

Does my Hippocratic oath even count on family? He pondered idly to himself as he looked towards the attentive 'nurse.' "Sterile spatula please," he said quietly and Kisa bobbed her head in a minute bow as she stretched up on tiptoe to pull one from the pot. She did seem restless today – she had been like this of late, not seeming to find an outlet for the unusual uneasiness, even around her 'Hatori-Jii.' In the end, Hatori had decided to keep her under his watchful eye – she did seem flushed and the constant need to move might stem from a fever. Besides, having an extra pair of hands to help him never hurt anyone. "Momiji was...exuberant," he said spinning slowly in his swivel chair back towards Haru, the smooth wooden stick having been handed to him. "Mouth open."

A slight crinkling of the skin around Haru's grey eyes indicated his amusement as he obeyed the crisp command, opening his mouth to make entrance for the probing spatula.

"Come and hold the light, Kisa." The white-coated doctor had pulled his small penlight out of his pocket and was turning the dial to adjust the brightness. Doing so with one hand required enough concentration that he missed the barely audible intake of breath from behind him before a shaky pair of hands took the slim torch from him. "Just hold it over my shoulder."

Haru closed his eyes as the bright circle of light landed on his face, but even then he could 'see' the whiteness from behind closed lids. What he couldn't see was the slightly flustered look that had appeared on his coppery haired cousin's face as she looked intently at his marble skin, practically glowing under the bright light.

Pressing the wooden stick down gently on Haru's tongue, Hatori leant in to examine the back of the Ox's throat. "And say 'ahh' now…"

After Haru had made the right noise, though it took a few tries before Hatori was satisfied that his tonsils were indeed healthy, he removed the stick from Haru's mouth and the torch from Kisa's hand. Uttering a small sound which might have been relief, Kisa backed off quickly, retreating to a safe corner.

Rubbing the side of his jaw, Haru sent the younger girl a quizzical look, but busy bee Hatori had a schedule to keep to and was in no mood to waste time on questions his patients might want to ask. "Open again." Placing the slim thermometer between Haru's lips, Hatori pushed his chair over on its wheels towards his desk, bending over some paperwork he had there. For now, the small workroom subsided into peaceful quiet, the three occupants being among the quieter members of the family (even if silence was enforced on Haru by the thermometer in his mouth.)

The patient reclined back in his chair; long legs sprawled lazily in front of him as he relaxed, eyes sliding to half mast. Absently and without interest, he scanned the wall-to-wall paperwork that Hatori had filed neatly on the shelves lining the wall. Next to come under his scrutiny was the tray of instruments his doctor had left thoughtfully beside him – no doubt they were all deliberately freezing cold. Shifting upwards, he leaned his bi-tonal head to one side, peering around Hatori to see Kisa. A bemused expression appeared on his face when he saw her appearance – quite amusing considering he had a slim stick poking out from between his lips at a rakish angle.

The tora looked lost, her wide eyed gaze was fixated on his face, amber eyes flickering as the danced from one perfect feature to the next while she gnawed absently on her lower lip. Caramel suddenly met grey when their eye lines collided and Haru was surprised, if slightly amused to see a flush spread slowly across her cheeks. Sweet lips parting, Kisa looked as if she were suffering from a lack of air, her blush deepening with every second until…

Hatori cocked his ear towards the source of the shrill ringing that pealed out ceaselessly from the adjoining room. "Excuse me," he said politely as he stood up, stepping into the other room. Both the youngsters could hear his muffled voice as he answered the phone, but neither of them spoke.

Her eyes darting towards the open door, Kisa worried her lower lip all the more, but she was so captivated by the stormy eyes holding her own that she took a few, tentative steps towards the seated ushi, then a few more until she was standing right beside his crossed legs.

"Haru-Nii…" Her voice was nervous and as light as the fall of a feather. To his trained eye, Haru could see the tenseness radiating from her frail frame, the anxious way in which she was twisting the hem of her skirt with one hand. Unable to answer, he cocked his head slightly, a sign for her to go on. She paused, looking uncertain, but when she spoke, her words were rapid, like the quick patter of tiny feet. "I'm only saying this because you can't answer back and I don't want you to…I…I guess I just wanted you to know." Her blush deepened, but so did the lost look in her eyes. "I can't stop watching you…Hiro snapped at me about it. He said I was obsessed." Her head dropped momentarily, embarrassedly, but it quickly rose again and her eyes were imploring, vulnerable…

Pleading.

"I'm not obsessed…" she said in a small voice, made all the more quiet by nerves. "But I do…I mean I might…" Kisa faltered, once again caught helplessly in the questioning look of those steady grey eyes, the colour of granite. It was those that had transfixed her in the first place.

It was the Ox's eyes that had finally captured the Tiger.

"I think I love you Haru." Her confession comment was not more than a whisper as she leaned in helplessly towards him, her hand unconsciously resting on his knee for balance as Kisa put their faces on the same level. Her hopelessly deep eyes pleaded with him to understand what she was trying to say. "And I think..." She was moving closer all the time until her head was hovering mere inches from his own, separated only by the barrier that was the thermometer. "I think I want you to…"

The tora froze when a decisive click was heard from the other room and all too soon for Haru's liking, the warmth emanating from her body was taken away from him as she scrambled away from him, darting out of the room just as Hatori entered.

"Where did my little helper go?" the Dragon asked as he sat back down, removing the cursed thermometer from Haru's mouth and checking the temperature.

"I think she needed to use the bathroom," Haru said noncommittally as he looked briefly towards the door his little tigress had exited so rapidly through. Hatori raised an eyebrow, but seemed more interested in his notes.

"You seem fine, Haru," he said, closing the file and placing it on top of the one labelled Momiji. Haru couldn't help, but notice that the half German blonde had placed iridescent bunny stickers on the sober looking cover and allowed himself an amused smile as he stood up. Trust the Rabbit to want a personalised medical history.

"Here." He looked down to find the thermometer thrust into his hand. "Put it away. And don't forget to wash it first."

The ushi looked down at the slim rod as he padded over towards the sink. "It's only saliva, Hatori – we're all related." Feeling a slightly disgusted look being sent towards him, Haru looked over his shoulder and gave a quirky smile. "It's exactly the same as kissing someone."

The meticulous doctor sniffed and pulled out the next file in the pile. "It's unhygienic, that's what it is. Now wash it."

Haru rolled his eyes as he turned on the faucet. "Who do you have coming in next?" he asked absently.

"Kisa," was the distant reply as the Dragon examined the first page of general medical information, therefore not seeing the sharp look Haru suddenly gave him.

"Kisa?"

"I think she might be coming down with something – she's been out of sorts for the past few days," Hatori said clinically, assuming that Haru was washing the thermometer. "She looks a bit feverish."

"Hmm." Haru looked at the pointedly unwashed thermometer and suddenly smiled.

"…exactly the same as kissing someone."

"Well, I'll see you later, Hatori," was all the ushi said as he placed the unwashed thermometer back on the tray and strolled out, whistling tunelessly as he did so. "Take special care of Kisa now – we wouldn't want our tiger being ill, would we?"

Exactly the same as kissing her.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Hmm…I suppose it's romantic in an unhygienic way – I'm quite fond of this one, even if it does break the rules of medical hygiene. Am I insane, or can you all just imagine Hatori moving around the room in one of those spinny chairs? Or Momiji decorating his file? No? So it's just me then. -Sigh-

Review Replies:Corrie - you have no idea how happy you made me with one word. Beautiful ) I like it and I'm glad you do as well.

Insanity-Reborn Chuckles- Long? I consider this one of my shorter pieces, but then again I did write this one which is just about 2500 words. My next chapter is some quite short drabbles as well so maybe they will be more to your liking.

Seal-chan - Hehe...I'm actually a die hard Rin/Haru fan (gotta love the canon0 but sadly they were already taken. Still adore Haru/Kisa though, proven by this rambling series of oneshots.