Model Idol Combi: so you had a sick day

[jitensha]

[ so the thing was, Makoto didn't get sick. It took a series of unfortunate events, a moment of stress-induced weakness, and doing the idiotically chivalrous thing of trying to make her way home in the pouring rain and likely spending too much time in soaked clothing, despite Kise's best efforts.

But the point was, Makoto didn't usually get sick, and when she did get sick, it had to be sick enough to buckle her knees and keep her under her covers with a fever that could warm cold palms in an instant. She'd tried to go to work, but hadn't made it further than her own doorway before she'd gotten too dizzy to stand without the aid of the frame and had been promptly ushered back to bed.

And of course, she hadn't wanted to worry Kise, but that had backfired and for some inexplicable reason, she felt worse than ever. She'd have to change the compress again, she thinks distantly, as she tries to push herself up on her elbows to give him a properly chastising look. At the very least, her parents were now out for one of her dad's races, but... ]

You... really didn't have to come.

[ what if she's contagious? It's bad enough that she feels awful and she's sweaty and her hair's a mess and her face is all red and this isn't very romantic at all-- ]

Comments

The other end of the spectrum

[jitensha]

[ in a sense, this is better. For starters, Makoto is fully recovered, fully energetic, and fully devoted to the task at hand.

But since the task at hand is nursing Kise through something that she's pretty sure is the flu (and for once she doesn't regret getting the shot), she can't find that much joy in the same situation. Except maybe that this is like one of those scenes in her manga where the prince is lovingly nursed back to health. She'd like to be like that, but it's hard to think about being lovey-dovey with a bowl of porridge when your boyfriend looks like he's about to die.

She's more than a little hesitant to leave his side to try and conquer soup, casting him an uncertain glance. Is he sleeping? Maybe it would be better to let him rest, and mop the sweat off his face... ]

Ryouta-kun?

[ex_doubly406]

[Dying might be a good start for the day.

If he was dead, then he could sleep. If he could sleep, then he could let the days pass him by until he's all better and not feeling like he'll keel over any second. And then he'll be miraculously resurrected.

But real life doesn't work this way. He rolls over, or tries to because it's like every muscle in his body refuses to cooperate, and attempts to meet her gaze.]

Makocchi--

[Urk, nope, apparently he's not allowed to talk without having a coughing fit.]

[jitensha]

Sorry, sorry! [ she already looks frantically apologetic, shaking her head as quickly as her hands. ] You can take your time answering, or-- just nod or shake your head! Do you need anything? Water, food, another blanket?

[ex_doubly406]

[She's talking way too fast. He doesn't even register what she wants to get him. Water maybe...? And blank... what? He attempts to shake his head, but only ends up curling into himself a little further because his head.]

[jitensha]

... [ he looks so pitiful that her heart is hurting oh god was this how she'd looked when she'd been sick? He seems much worse. ]

Medicine...? Do you think you could take some?

[ex_doubly406]

[Now that he gets. And this time he doesn't end up coughing.]

It tastes bad.

[Which is the most pathetic and childish answer he can give her, but he doesn't care about that right now.]

[jitensha]

If you drink water right away, the taste doesn't last!

[ work with her. ]

[ex_doubly406]

I don't-- [COUGH cough... cough.] want it.

[nope.]

[jitensha]

... Ryouta-kun, you know you won't get any better if you don't take your medicine. You definitely don't want to stay like this, right?

[ dying in bed and whatnot. If it's the flu, surely he had a prescription somewhere... ]

[ex_doubly406]

[No, no of course he doesn't. Makocchi don't be cruel, he wants to say, he doesn't want to stay like this at all. It just tastes so bad, he tries to plead with his eyes, I'm not sure if I can keep it down.

Naturally what gets out instead is a long coughing fit that leaves his head aching even more.]

[jitensha]

[ she can't get too irritated with him. She knows full well how awful medicine can taste, and when he looks at her so pleadingly, it's hard for annoyance to stick.

Worry, on the other hand, prevails, and she bites her lip as she thinks. ]

Let's try soup for now. At least it'll help your throat.

[ex_doubly406]

[He looks up at that. Not that he's hungry, or that he likes this alternative much better.]

Did you... [He looks so hopeful and happy even while coughing.] Did you make it?

[jitensha]

[ he looks so cute but please stop suffering. Still, she's suffused with a pink glow that's 1/2 blush and 1/2 pride. ]

Yep! 100% Makoto-made! A-and I made sure it didn't taste bad, so I think it'll help!

[ex_doubly406]

[This isn't very romantic at all.

If you're only focusing on how sick she looks! If she had voiced her thoughts Kise would have been happy to explain the appeal of nursing your girlfriend back to health with only your unwavering devotion to aid you on your daring quest to bring a cute idol back from illness.

Then again, he'd only seen these kinds of things on TV.]

That's easy for you to say. You might as well have sent me a 911.

[jitensha]

Eh-- [ and that noise of disbelief/dissent gets ruined by a cough that's not doing much for her throat. Give her a minute. ]

But I told you not to worry!

[ex_doubly406]

[... He's so unimpressed by this can you tell.]

Anyone would worry when you sound like that...

[jitensha]

It's just-- [ this cough ] a cold--

[ this cough. And Makoto loses the fight to sit up when she has to curl in half just to ride the fit out. This is far from ideal. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Far from ideal, but he's willing to wait out the coughing, pulling the blanket a little further up for her once it subsides.]

Which is why you should've told me! Ah, but don't answer me right now, you're only going to start coughing again.

[SIGH... Though, this seems like a good time to pull out whatever he stuffed into his bag on his way over. Which is a variety of pharmaceuticals that probably aren't needed, but hey, it shows that he cares.]

[jitensha]

[ she obediently clams up, though she looks like she'd like to keep protesting and her shoulders shake a little as she keeps the cough at bay. After a moment, she relaxes - more like sags - under her blanket. Being this exhausted is weird, but she's alert enough to (try to) watch him unpack his goods. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Wow he was in such a hurry he even managed to bring antihistamines...

However, that cough syrup is there where he remembers putting it. A relief, since he soon realizes he doesn't know what half these bottles are. Why do they have so many things at his place...?

Anyway]

Did you already take some medicine?

[jitensha]

[ No, she doesn't say, because I kind of blacked out while I was texting you and the medicine cabinet seems really far away and there's a funny rushing sound in my ears when I try to stand up.

But that cough's still a lurking threat, so Makoto kind of rolls her head from one side to the other in as clear a "no" gesture as she can manage. It makes her wince a little. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[He's back at her side as soon as he notices that wince, peering into her face worriedly.]

Are you okay, Makocchi? Do you have a headache too?

[jitensha]

[ yes, if this feeling like a sledgehammer to her skull could be called a headache. Every little motion just sends it aching even more, just like the rest of her, but she still manages to free her arms to feebly push at his chest in a warning not to get too close. She can speak, though she has to keep it quiet. ]

It's not that bad...

[ex_doubly406]

[MAKOTO...

Instead of backing away like she probably hopes he would, he takes her hand and removes the compress from her forehead with the other so that he can put his own hand on there.

... She's burning up so bad it's a wonder she's talking about all.]

I'll get you a new one, and a spoon for the medicine.

[jitensha]

[ now there's a whimper of dismay, because Kise, you're supposed to be keeping a safe distance and she really should say as much, but his hand's astonishingly cool against her forehead and she hates herself a little for not removing it.

But score one for Kise, since she won't argue beyond that. She feels too lousy. ]