Chapter 3 – Break In
Haru waited impatiently for Michiko to answer the door. It was movie night and he had brought over The Creature from the Black Lagoon for her to see. His eyes unfocused as he thought about sitting on the couch with her and watching the movie with her cuddled up to his side. A few minutes later he knocked again, brows furrowing in concern as he realized how long he had been standing there waiting for her to answer. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked to see if she had sent him a message or called and he missed it. Nothing. She always let him know if she was going to be working late on a night they had plans.
After a moment's debate, Haru tried the knob and found the door locked. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment before remembering her balcony was near the fire escape. He turned and headed back downstairs to see if he could get in through her sliding door or a window. He knew she usually kept them open to catch the last of the warm weather before winter settled in. A few moments later found him climbing nimbly onto her balcony and trying the door. It was locked. He huffed before going back to her front door and digging through his pockets.
He had made friends with a couple of Yankee's one day when he was lost. The boys had taught him how to open doors that were otherwise closed and, being that it was a useful skill to have, he picked up his own set of tools. A few minutes later he was walking through the unlocked door with a satisfied smile. He felt very uncomfortable but brushed it off as worry about Michiko when he didn't immediately see her.
It was quiet in the apartment and he took a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. He checked the front area but saw no sign of her anywhere so headed towards the back. The bedroom door was closed so he knocked and waited for a moment before opening it cautiously and poking his head inside. There was a small form huddled in the middle of the bed and he hurried over to her.
"Michiko-san? Are you all right?" he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.
There was no response so he reached over and tugged the blanket away from her face. He reached out and placed a gentle hand on her forehead to check her temperature and had his cell phone in hand the instant he felt how warm she was.
"Hatori, I need your help, please." He explained what he had found when he got to Michiko's before asking, "What should I do?"
Haru tried to wake her per Hatori's order but she refused to wake up. He couldn't even get her to acknowledge him in any way. "She won't wake up. She hasn't responded to me at all . . . . Thank you, Hatori. I really appreciate it." He gave him the address before shutting the phone and brushing the hair from her face. "Michiko, what happened to you?"
Fifteen minutes later he went to answer a knock at the door. "Hatori, thank you for coming. She's in her room."
Hatori followed him back and reached out to check her temperature. His brows furrowed in concern as he felt how warm she was. He pulled the quilt off the bed and handed it to Haru before returning to his examination. "Please put that somewhere away from the bed. She shouldn't have so many blankets while her fever is this high."
Haru folded it neatly and put it on the chair in the living room before returning to the bedroom to watch Hatori try to wake Michiko. "Do you know if she has any medical allergies, Haru?"
"It hasn't come up."
He bent to look through his bag and pulled out a syringe. "This should help. I'm not sure exactly what she has. It almost seems as if she caught several things at once. I'll stay as long as I can, but she shouldn't be left alone until she's been awake for a couple of hours."
"I'll stay." Haru said quickly.
He frowned lightly as he inserted the syringe into her arm. He watched her closely for a few moments before he straightened, seemingly satisfied. "How long have you known her?"
"A couple months. She's my sparring partner and my friend." came the somewhat evasive reply.
"Would you please bring in a couple chairs for us, Haru?"
He nodded and left the room before returning a moment later with a chair. "She only has the one at her desk."
Hatori accept it and watched as Haru went over to the nearby bookshelf and looked over the titles on the spines for several minutes before choosing one. He glanced at Hatori as he sat down in the vacant chair, "You might want to look a couple of those over. She's been reading about folk medicine and things."
Hatori looked over the shelves curiously before moving his chair closer and pulling a couple out to look at. Haru climbed onto the bed so he could twine his fingers with hers while he read and wait for her to wake up. Soon both of them were engrossed in what they were reading while keeping an eye on Michiko's still form.
"I've been looking for you."
Michiko looked up and saw a woman with red hair. Her face was blurred so she couldn't tell what she looked like. "Who are you?"
"You've been sleeping too long, little sister."
"What do you mean?" Michiko asked, perfectly unsurprised to know this woman was her sister even though she didn't have one in the waking world.
"I can feel that something's not right. You need to wake up now. I mean it this time. I know I told you to wake up earlier, and you didn't do as I told you. Now do as I say and WAKE UP!"
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Michiko let out a low moan and Haru looked over to see her face scrunched up. He tightened his grip on her fingers and said her name quietly. She returned the squeeze and slit one eye open.
"H-Hatsuharu-san?" she said in a scratchy voice.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he heard Hatori put away the books he'd been looking through.
She took stock before answering, "Lousy. What are you doing here?"
"You didn't answer the door for movie night and since you hadn't called to cancel I got worried and came in."
She gave him a tired smile, "Welcome to my home. Thank you for worrying about me."
The feeling of unease vanished and he brushed the hair from her face, "Any time."
Hatori entered her line of sight and she looked at him curiously. "I am Sohma Hatori, the family doctor. Do you work in a hospital?" he asked.
"N-no. Welcome to my home, Sohma-sensei."
"Would you please list your symptoms for me?" he requested, ignoring the flood of warmth that her words triggered.
"Um, fever, sore throat, headache, stomach ache, sore muscles, itchy spots, stuffy nose, dazed, and generally crummy." she replied slowly. "What happened to me?"
"I was hoping you could tell me that. What's the last thing you remember?" Hatori asked.
Michiko's eyes unfocused as she tried to remember the previous day. She remembered going to work. She had found the spell she was looking for and had cast it on the object. She had started feeling ill right after the first counter she had cast and it had gotten worse with each attempt until she had finally given up and gone home. Oh. Damn. It was a reaction to the counter spells I tried. What did it do to me? I feel awful. I don't think I can apparate myself to the healer's like this. How do I explain this away?
"I remember going to work and then not feeling well. I started feeling progressively worse and decided to go home early. I drank some water to help flush it out of my system and then went to bed. Wait a minute. Hatsuharu-san, did you say it was movie night?"
"Yes."
She sat up suddenly, "But that means I've been in bed for two days. I haven't called my boss. I hope I'm not in trouble."
"I'm sure they'll understand." Haru said as he pushed her back down onto the bed. "In the meantime you need to rest and get better."
Hatori came over and checked her over. "You seem to be doing a little better than when we got here. You'll need to rest for a couple of days. No working."
"Yes, sir. How much do I owe you?" she asked.
Just then there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Haru said.
"No charge. Just get better. Haru was very worried about you."
When Haru opened the door he saw a woman probably about Hatori's age standing there looking worried. She had very blond hair and bright green eyes.
"May I help you?" he asked.
She looked at him in confusion before double checking the apartment number on the door. "I'm looking for Sato Michiko."
"She's not feeling well. May I ask why you're looking for her and pass along a message?" Haru asked politely.
"I'm a co-worker, Oonishi Kishi. She went home early two days ago and no one has heard from her. I'm very worried. Is she all right?"
"Please come in. I'll see if she's up to talking with you, Kishi-san." Haru showed her into the living room before heading back to the bedroom.
Hatori and Michiko looked over at him expectantly. "Oonishi Kishi is here to speak with you. She's worried because they didn't hear from you. Do you feel well enough to talk with her?" Haru asked.
Michiko's eyes widened but she nodded immediately. "Of course. She's my department head."
Haru went out and brought Kishi back with him. She looked at Michiko with concern written clearly across her face.
"Hello, Oonishi-sama." Michiko greeted. She indicated to Hatori, "This is Sohma Hatori, a doctor. He said I'll be fine in a few days." She nodded to Haru, who had taken up his post by her bed, "This is my good friend Sohma Hatsuharu."
"It's nice to meet you." Kishi smiled at the two, though her eyes lingered on Hatori for a moment before returning to Michiko. "Michiko-san, I'm happy you're all right. I was worried about you."
"I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry for missing work." Michiko replied nervously.
"It's fine." She turned her attention to the two males, "Would you two please excuse us for a few minutes? Michiko was working on a top priority, high security project and I need to discuss the status of it with her since she'll be staying home for a few days."
"Of course." Hatori said before following Haru out of the room.
Once they were out of the room, Kishi pulled out her wand and locked and silenced the door before dragging the chair next to the bed. "Michiko-san, what happened?"
"I believe that the failed counter spells reacted with the curse in such a way as to make me ill. The more times I tried to counter it the worse my symptoms became. Probably infecting me with a different disease each time I tried."
"I'll assign someone to your case, top priority." Kishi told her.
"Oh, no Oonishi-sama, that won't be necessary. Whatever Sohma-sensei gave me worked very well. I think I'll be fine in another day or two. Now that I'm awake I can speed the process along."
"I've been worried about you being alone for a long time, Michiko-san. I'm happy you are finally making friends." Michiko looked up at the older woman in surprise. "Of course I noticed. It's my job to keep an eye on my employees. My predecessor gave me an outline of your history and asked me specifically to watch after you."
"I had no idea."
"You weren't supposed to."
Michiko looked down at her hands, "Thank you, Oonishi-sama."
"Please call me Kishi, Michiko-san."
She looked up, "Thank you, Kishi-sama."
Kishi shook her head in exasperation before smiling at her youngest employee. "So, that Hatsuharu is pretty cute. Is he really just a friend?"
Michiko's blush gave her away before she could stammer an answer, "I'm not sure."
"How did he come to be here?" Kishi pressed.
"He said he was worried when I didn't answer the door. We had plans for tonight."
"How did he get in?"
"He came through the door." Michiko frowned lightly, "The locked door."
Kishi's eyes danced with glee, "I'd say that would be a no."
"Really?" Michiko asked.
"Yes. What about Hatori?" she asked with a gleam in her eye. "He's rather handsome, don't you think?"
"Um, yes?" Michiko answered. "Hatsuharu asked him to come when he saw how sick I was."
"Interesting. Well, we should probably let them back in before your 'friend' worries too much." Kishi replied as she uncharmed the door.
"You can come back in now." she called after she had pulled it open and returned to her seat.
A moment later Haru walked through the door and directly over to Michiko. "You should get some rest, Michiko-san."
"As soon as everyone's gone I'll go back to sleep." she assured him.
"You can't be left alone for at least a few more hours, Michiko-san and it would probably be best if someone were here until tomorrow morning." Hatori said as he walked through the door. "We need to be sure you don't have a bad reaction to the medication I gave you and that you are sufficiently recovered to look after yourself. If we leave and you return to your previous condition how will we know?"
"I told you before, Hatori, I'll stay with her." Haru said.
"You can't spend all night here, Haru. You're parents will worry about you." Hatori reasoned.
"No, they won't. You know they're out of town. I'm staying." he argued.
"It's not appropriate for you to stay here all night." Hatori tried again.
"I. Am. Not. Leaving." Haru stated clearly, eyes darkening.
Kishi gave Michiko a meaningful glance as the two males continued to go back and forth. Michiko's eyes widened as she realized that Kishi was right about Hatsuharu being more than a friend.
"I will stay as well." Kishi interrupted what was shaping up to be an entertaining argument.
Three sets of eyes turned towards her. Michiko's were surprised, Hatsuharu's were relieved, and Hatori's were unreadable.
"Make sure she eats something and gets plenty of water and rest." was all he said before turning to pack up his bag.
Haru sat on the foot of the bed so he could be near Michiko. He rested a hand on her foot and smiled down at her.
Hatori straightened as he closed his bag and walked over to the door.
"Thank you for taking care of her, Hatori." Haru said with a small smile.
"Yes, thank you, Sohma-sensei."
Hatori's shoulders relaxed. "It's no trouble. Make sure she takes care of herself."
"We will. Let me walk you out." Kishi said softly as she stood up and headed over to him.
Haru immediately moved to the chair so he could hold Michiko's hand. "See you tomorrow, Hatori."
Hatori nodded as he allowed Kishi to lead him out.
"You didn't mention you worked for the government." Haru said to Michiko.
"I don't. I work for a private firm that works with the government when they have a need for our research facilities. Most of what I do is highly confidential." she replied quietly.
"Ah. I see. How are you feeling, Michiko-san?"
"Better than when I woke up. I'm very hungry though. I should cook some dinner for everyone."
"I'll cook something. You are supposed to be resting, so stay put and I'll wake you when it's ready."
"Oh, Hatsuharu-san, you don't have to do that." she argued.
"Yes, I do. Now go to sleep." He frowned fiercely at her for a moment and she relented.
"Fine." she huffed before laying down.
He pulled the blankets up and tucked her in. "I'll be back in a little while. Stay put." he said as he brushed a hand across her forehead.
He entered the living room and saw Kishi and Hatori still talking but ignored them for the kitchen. He had helped Michiko cook dinner and clean up enough times by now that he knew where most everything was kept and what she liked to eat. And he settled on something simple so he'd be able to make it alone.
The sound of the door closing reached his ears several minutes later and then Kishi walked into the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" she asked as she watched him move confidently around the kitchen.
"Making dinner. Michiko hasn't eaten in at least two days and she's hungry."
"I imagine she is." the woman replied before leaning comfortably against the counter so she could continue watching him cook. Appetizing smells were starting to come from the stovetop.
"How did you meet Michiko?" Kishi asked.
"At Sensei's dojo. She's my sparring partner." he replied.
"Sparring? I didn't realize she knew how to fight. I might have worried about her less."
"She's very good. You should still worry about her though. I've gotten the impression there aren't many that do."
"Do you worry about her a lot?"
He shrugged, "Enough. I see her four or five times a week so I can keep a pretty close eye on her, but I'm glad I broke into her apartment today. Who knows what would have happened to her otherwise."
Kishi's brow went up, "You broke into her apartment?"
Haru shrugged. "I was worried. It's not like her to cancel plans without letting me know."
"I see. You look very comfortable in her kitchen." she stated.
He gave her a bland look before turning back to his cooking. "I help her cook dinner and clean up a couple times a week."
"Thank you for keeping an eye on her." Kishi said sincerely.
He shrugged, "That's what friends do."
"So you're just friends?" she asked quietly. "That's not the impression I've gotten."
"Does it matter? I'm taking care of her. That's what's important."
"I like to know the reason behind people's actions. Especially where she's concerned. I've watched over her for years and have noticed some small changes in the last couple of months. I'm inclined to think they are because of you."
"I haven't asked her to change anything." he defended, distressed that someone would think so.
"They are changes for the better. I am not accusing you of anything untoward."
He turned to study her closely, "I care about her."
She smiled, "I'm glad. I'm going to make sure she's resting and not trying to sneak in some reading. Let me know if you need any help."
He brushed that off, "Just keep an eye on her while I finish up here."
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Michiko woke up and saw Haru had fallen asleep while holding her hand and reading a book. She smiled at him before gently removing the book from under his face and putting it on the other side of the bed. She checked the spine and was surprised to see he was reading one of her books that dealt with Muggle theory on energy work. She shrugged it off as unimportant since it wasn't one of her magical texts. She ran her hand over his head before settling down and going back to sleep.
Kishi had watched the exchange quietly from the doorway. She had come in to check on Michiko and Haru since she hadn't heard anything from the room for over an hour and Haru hadn't come back out yet. It appeared he had no intention of doing so. She smiled at the pair and brought a blanket from the living room to drape over his sleeping form before returning to the couch and her own book.
She checked on them periodically throughout the night. The only change was that Michiko moved to curl closer to him. Kishi reflected that for as closely as she had watched this girl for the last few years she still didn't know her very well. She may have known some of her darker secrets, but she knew that was the least of who Michiko was. She was a dedicated researcher and Kishi was delighted to have on her team. It gave her company a competitive edge over the competition. She was also a very good healer, and in an office where test spells were done almost hourly that was a blessing in itself. They had never staffed a medic before and she found things much improved now that Michiko was there for emergencies. She kept a cool head and did what needed to be done. Kishi had sent to her several medic classes to improve her skills and it had been worth the investment. All the same, Kishi couldn't help but wonder about the girl she was outside of work. She had learned that Michiko could fight very well. When had she learned that and why? What else had she missed while watching over her?
Kishi pondered the girl under her watch for a while longer before returning to her book. A few hours later, as the sun peeked over the horizon, she went to check on them again. Michiko was stirring slightly so Kishi decided to start breakfast. A little while later she was setting up a tray for Michiko when she heard her voice.
"Hatsuharu-san, I can walk to the kitchen. I'm hungry. Dinner last night was delicious and I'm very grateful you made it, but it was a long time ago. Please get out from between me and the kitchen." She squealed in surprise before saying, "What are you doing? Put me down this instant. I don't want to go back to bed! I want breakfast!"
Haru glared down at Michiko and tried to pull the blankets back over her lap while she glared right back and pushed them off. After tussling for a moment more he sat down on the bed next to her and leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. "Michiko-san, please get back in bed. I'll make you anything you want for breakfast."
She stilled before reaching up to touch his cheek, "Okay."
"Good morning." Kishi said brightly. "I have breakfast."
They broke apart and looked over at her. Michiko smiled widely as her stomach growled. Haru chuckled at her and she gave him a mock glare. "I told you I was hungry. Good morning Kishi-sama. You didn't have to go to all that trouble."
"It's no trouble." Kishi said as she brought the tray over. "Hatsuharu-san, I made you a plate as well. It's in the kitchen if you would like to go get it and bring it back."
"Thank you, Kishi-san." he replied before heading out to the kitchen. He picked up both plates and got to the bedroom doorway in time to hear Kishi speaking to Michiko.
"Let him pamper you a bit while you're sick. He feels better, you feel better, there's no harm in it, is there?"
"Well, no, I-I guess not."
"Exactly. So let him take care of you. It's not everyday you'll find someone that cares enough to make sure you're taken care of, okay?"
Michiko smiled a little, "You're right, Kishi-sama."
Haru walked in and smiled at Kishi, "I brought your plate."
She returned the smile and all three settled down to eat and chat. Once breakfast was done Kishi stood, "I should get back to the office and let everyone know you're all right."
"Thank you for helping me, Kishi-sama. I'll be back at work tomorrow."
Haru opened his mouth to argue but Kishi beat him to it. "If I see you in the office before Monday I will personally take you home and call Hatsuharu to help me keep an eye on you. Think of all the work and school that would be missed . . . ." she threatened.
"Monday?! But, today is Thursday. I can't take off a week of work." Michiko argued, aghast.
"Keep arguing and I'll make it two. You've never taken so much as a single vacation day. You're messing up my books." Kishi shot back. "Michiko-san, please. Take it easy for a few days. We'll survive without you for that long." she continued in a gentler voice.
Michiko relented in the face of her supervisor's kindness. "If that is what you wish, Kishi-sama, then I will stay home until Monday."
"Thank you. Now I need to get to work and I imagine Hatsuharu needs to get to school."
"I'll be fine if I miss a day." Haru said. He already had his homework done anyway.
Kishi raised a brow but decided to let Michiko fight that battle. "Send me a note if you need anything." she told Michiko.
"I will. Thank you for your help, Kishi-sama. See you in a few days." Michiko said. Haru got up and walked Kishi out and saw Hatori raising a hand to knock as he opened the door.
"Well, good morning, Hatori-san. How lovely to see you. Why don't you join me for a cup of coffee and we'll talk? I didn't get a chance to tell you how very much I appreciate your helping Michiko yesterday. She's such an excellent employee and I've been trying to look after her ever since I was made department head." Kishi said as she linked her arm with his and shot Haru a wink as she pulled Hatori away.
Haru gave her a grateful look before closing the door gently and returning to Michiko's room. He smiled at the stern look on her face. "I'll go for half a day and no more."
She smiled back. "Okay."
He checked the clock, "I better go if I'm going to make it in time." He walked over and brushed a kiss across her forehead. "I'll see you in a couple of hours. Behave yourself, Michiko-san."
"I will. See you in a couple of hours, Hatsuharu-san."
Michiko smiled as he left, before lying back on the pillows. She was exhausted and ready for a nap. As she drifted she thought about Hatsuharu. He was so sweet and she was pleased and surprised to find that she was coming to care for him. If the last day was anything to go by the feelings were returned. She smiled as she thought of all the time they had been spending together over the last couple months and hoped it continued. Kishi was right about it not being everyday a person found someone that cared. She sighed happily as she drifted to sleep already feeling nearly like her usual self.
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Haru turned around in surprise as he heard his name called by a vaguely familiar voice. He checked to make sure the door was locked before looking up at Akira who was walking down the hallway towards him with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Hatsuharu-san. I didn't know you lived here too." she said cheerfully.
"I don't. My friend lives here."
Akira considered him for a moment before smiling again, "Ah. No wonder you're not looking for a girlfriend. You've already found one."
He blushed slightly, "You know Michiko?"
"I've seen her a couple of times. I was making cookies for my father and realized halfway through I didn't have enough brown sugar. I was on my way out and she was on the way in so I asked if I could have some of hers. She gave me the bag so I gave her cookies as payment. She seems very nice. And she's very pretty, too." she replied as they descended the narrow staircase and stepping into the early morning sunshine. "But what are you doing here so early?"
"She's not feeling well so I stayed to keep an eye on her." he replied quietly. "Please don't mention her to anyone."
Akira shook her head, "I wouldn't. It's none of my business. It's very sweet of you to stay to make sure she's all right."
He shrugged self-consciously and continued to follow her to the school. They took seats next to each other and spent the periods they had together flicking notes back and forth. She was bored as well and had no difficulty keeping up with the work. She was more fun to talk to than he anticipated and didn't try to flirt with him at all. It was nice to be able to talk to a girl that wasn't related to him and didn't want to date him.
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"Michiko-chan, do you want to go out tonight?" Hatsuharu asked. "We haven't been out since you got sick and I can tell that you are tired of being home or at work."
She smiled, "Sure. Where to?"
"Kagura told me about a place we can go dancing. It's not too loud and they have good music. Do you want to go?" he asked.
Michiko smiled, "Sure that sounds like fun."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. A few wrong turns later they finally found the place and stepped inside. They looked around the dim interior and saw that it was not too crowded, probably because it was a week night.
They found a table and dropped off their jackets before Haru pulled her out onto the floor and they started to dance. Several songs later they were laughing and headed over to the bar to get some water. They took their seats breathlessly and downed half their bottles.
"Having a good time?" Haru asked her.
"Yes. I haven't been dancing in ages." she said, smiling.
"Ready to go again?"
She grabbed his hand and dragged him back onto the floor. They danced to a few more songs and a girl asked to cut in. Michiko smiled and nodded before stepping away and into the restroom for a moment. She smiled at her reflection and headed back to their table for another drink of water.
Michiko looked over the dance floor and saw Hatsuharu dancing with the same girl. She kept trying to put her arms around him and he kept evading her. He looked so uncomfortable she felt bad for leaving him and decided to get him away from the girl.
"I'm back." she purred as she came up behind her.
Hatsuharu gave her a grateful look and thanked the other girl politely before taking Michiko's hand and leading her back to the table.
"She really wouldn't take a hint." he complained.
Michiko looked over at him, "You really don't like to be that close to people, do you?"
He shrugged slightly, "I don't like to be hugged. It makes me uncomfortable. Especially when strangers try to do it."
"Ah. I had wondered about that." she replied cheerfully.
"Why?"
"I don't go out often but every guy I've gone out with tries to get grabby after the third date. We've known each other for almost four months now and you are the glaring exception to the rule." came the happy reply.
A slow song came on and he leaned close, "Dance with me?"
"Okay." she smiled and let him lead her onto the floor.
He pulled her close, but not too close, and rested his hands on her hips. "So, have we gone out enough times yet for you to let me kiss you?" he asked as they slowly revolved around the floor.
"Hugging bothers you but kissing is okay?" she asked curiously. At his nod she gave a small shrug, "Yes?"
He leaned close and settled his lips softly on hers. The rest of the evening passed in a blur of dancing and stolen kisses. When he dropped her off at her apartment late that evening Michiko smiled at him.
"Thanks for taking me dancing tonight. I had a lot of fun."
"Any time you want to go, let me know." he replied as he reached out to run his fingers through her hair. "I have a family thing for New Year's so I won't be able to get away for a few days."
"All right. See you next week." She reached up to pull him down for a lingering kiss before saying goodnight.