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

[ex_doubly406]

[It takes him a moment to answer-- his head feels so heavy now-- but he's clearly enthused by her suggestion.]

Makocchi's nice, like I thought.

[jitensha]

No... [ sheepishly, because she's saying this into his chest. ] I just sort of feel that way, too.

[jitensha]

Wasn't I stingy just a few seconds ago?

[ but she's grinning, starting out with a few hummed notes to get the pitch right before she starts singing her image song.

... She can't exactly belt it in this situation, though, so it's a much softer version. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[...

Wow this is way less worrying than he thought it'd be.]

Is that what you're worried about? You're the strongest girl I know, Makocchi!

[ex_doubly406]

[That suits him just fine. Because somehow or other, he falls asleep to it. That massage might have been the key to that, helping him relax despite his coughing and headaches.

We can also say that it's the power of ~love and music~

Of course he'll whine about being sweaty and hot during his light sleep once he feels better, but he's more likely to be thanking the gods for being merciful enough to let him catch a few Zs when he's still running a fever. And thanking Makoto too, can't forget that.]

[jitensha]

I can't even sit up straight without your help.

[ and she says this flatly, a trace of frustration underlying her tone. She hasn't been this sick since she was seven. ]

[jitensha]

[ she'll at least keep herself busy with ever so gingerly wiping off that sweat and putting a compress on his forehead and finally just pillowing her head on her arms (now resting on the part of the bed he's not sprawled on) and watching him.

A little tiredly, but she's vigilant. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Hey, we all get sick. But maybe Kise's oblivious cheer and earnest confession can help lighten her up.]

Ah, that's true right now, but I still think you're really strong! I seriously respect you for coming at me all the way!

[ex_doubly406]

[That vigilance will probably pay off as it's only about an hour later that he wakes up and proceeds to cough himself into even more wakefulness.

Unfortunately, when he looks at her the first thing out of his mouth is]

... Kurokocchi?

[jitensha]

Coming at--

[ she's interrupted by a cough rough enough to get her eyes watering, forced to a subdued level of speaking once again. ]

Ryouta-kun... you make it sound like a fight.

[jitensha]

[ ... well, that's a promising-- no it isn't. Not that Makoto hasn't had her gender mistaken before (A LOT), but she didn't tend to get confused with a specific person. ]

It's Makoto, Ryouta-kun.

[ex_doubly406]

[That wasn't good. He panics for a split second, before making a grab for the glass of water.]

Can't it be a fight for love?

[That was incredibly cheesy and he knows it, but he's not going to give her a chance to answer when he's got the water so close to her lips.]

[ex_doubly406]

Ah--

[It kind of hurts when you start coughing again with such a dry throat.]

Sorry... You don't look too alike... [And that movement can be taken as him attempting to curl up but failing.]

It's kind of cold, Kurokocchi...

[... Yeah.]

[jitensha]

[ she'd reply, or at least be a good patient and drink the proffered water, but there's another cough lurking in her throat, and either one could set her off in another fit. She doesn't like the way it leaves her drained and shaking, and she'd rather not do it while Kise's got the glass so close. Not when she could cough water all over him.

So she presses her lips together with a little noise of discouragement, not pushing the glass away but making no motion to drink. ]

[jitensha]

[ Kise why. She's already reaching out to draw his blankets fully over his shoulders with an air of resignation to cover the massive amounts of worry welling up inside of her. There's still that glass of water, but... ]

D'you think you can try some water?

[ex_doubly406]

[Oh. Okay, no water then. Though to be fair, she's already gotten cough syrup all over him, so the water can only help wash it out.

Anyway, he'll try not to look too discouraged when she refuses the water. That was his lifeline. If she doesn't want that, what does she want?

Taking care of someone is hard.]

[ex_doubly406]

--No.

[He tries to turn his head away, because despite how dry his throat feels he doesn't feel like trying water at all.

And no, he's not quite done torturing her yet. It's all unintentional, promise.]

Senpai, please don't shove it down...

[jitensha]

[ She's fine like this-- as fine as she can be, turning her head further into his shirt and breathing out slowly with raspy, fragmented noises. That's basically just her getting the cough out in bits and pieces, which is kind of uncomfortable and has her all sorts of tense, but it's better than hacking up a lung. ]

[jitensha]

E-- eeeh?? I'm Kasamatsu-san now?!

[ this is an unexpected attack, Kise. And she's starting to wonder if she needs to take him to the hospital, if he's starting to hallucinate. Then again, dragging him anywhere could upset his stomach again.

Ugh. ]

[ex_doubly406]

I'm sorry.

[Because there's not much he can do or say here. He's squeezing her without knowing it because she's so small and she keeps on tensing and trembling whenever she breathes. It kind of hurts, in a way that wasn't expected.]

I'm sorry, I didn't bring anything else with me and--

[jitensha]

[ No, she wants to insist, don't apologize, and she wants it to be powerful, she knows how to use her voice-- but all she can croak out is "Don't--" and then the sound cracks pitifully. She can hardly feel Kise's grip on her.

After a minute, she tries again. ]

You're here.

[ex_doubly406]

[Ugh is right. He starts mumbling something, likely something even he can't discern, ending off with a weak 'and vanilla shakes' before he shivers almost uncontrollably.]

Kurokocchi I don't-- like this.

[jitensha]

I-- I know.

[ yeah, she's caved. At least he doesn't think he's alone, even if he thinks he's with someone else entirely. She reaches out to smooth his hair away from his forehead, wondering if his parents would mind terribly if she borrowed the blanket from their bed. ]

But you're going to get better. We just need to get you through it first.

[ex_doubly406]

[But, he starts off. But. He's hasn't done a single useful thing while he's here. He hasn't done anything period.

And he's never the one sitting on the sidelines unable to do what he can. He's always the one people look to.

So no matter what she says he's going to think this is a failure on his part.]

Like I said, you don't need to keep saying stuff to make me feel better. Actually, I should probably get you to stop talking.

[ex_doubly406]

But...

['Senpai' he nearly gets out; he's not about to stop anytime soon. At least, once he gets this coughing fit out of the way. Though right after it there's a dizzying moment where it feels like he can't breathe and actual fear starts settling in until he inhales as quickly as he can. And makes himself start off on another coughing fit.]