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]

[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]

[He smiles; lopsided, tired, but successful.]

Okay, if it's-- [Damn it cough, don't ruin the moment. And head, please behave.] --made by Makocchi.

[jitensha]

[ she leans in, just a little, just to brush her lips against his forehead before she straightens. ]

Hold on-- I'll be right back!

[ time to go assemble a tray. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[That kiss was so sudden that by the time he processes it, she's gone. It almost makes him sad.

He wishes he could drift off while waiting for her, but his head's pounding too hard for that not to mention the cough. But he'll try to look grateful and not shiver despite how many layers he's got on.]

[jitensha]

[ she won't keep him waiting long, reemerging with a steaming bowl sharing tray space with a glass of water and a spoon. ]

Here we go!

[ex_doubly406]

Looks good.

[He's really forcing himself here though. He can't smell anything off-- he can barely smell or taste anything anyway, except that horrible medicine-- but his stomach is telling him that he is not ready to eat anything. His head, still pounding and being godawful, is telling him that he is not ready for this.

Of course he tries to pull off a smile again.]

[jitensha]

[ and here's Makoto on this end, all hopeful smiles and radiating the kind of wholesome innocence that unicorns were attracted to. She really just wants him to feel better, and food that you made with all your feelings packed in it was supposed to help, so she's willing to believe in it.

She'll even set the tray beside him. ]

... Should I feed you?

[ex_doubly406]

[It's inconvenient for that coughing to start up when he wants to answer her. It's even more inconvenient when it leaves him too out of breath to answer normally.]

Please.

[He also continues to ignore all the signals his body is sending him because look at her. He can't say no to that. And he really wants to try her cooking.]

[jitensha]

[ he'll go mute at this rate, and she has to fight back a wave of concern as she dips the spoon into the broth and holds it carefully to his lips. This is very different from lovey-dovey okonomiyaki feeding, but there's a nice vibe to it anyway. ]

Careful, it's still hot.

[ex_doubly406]

[He seems like he wants to say something, but instead he focuses on not having a coughing fit with the spoon so close to his mouth.

And steady as he can make it, he tries to raise his head just a little bit, enough for the soup to actually touch his lips--

And oh god.

It's not that it tastes bad. He can't tell, to be honest. But there's a texture that lingers at back of his tongue as an aftertaste that is more than a little unappealing. He can feel his throat tightening--

He swallows a little more forcefully. There's no way he'd do that to her.]

I... [It burns when he does but he tries to clear his throat.] Help me sit up?

[jitensha]

[ she takes a few seconds to place the spoon back and relocate the tray to the nightstand, before she reaches out and eases an arm behind him to gently bring him up.

It's probably sad that she can do this so easily, but sometimes it's nice to be stronger than the average girl. ]

Are you okay? [ sure he'd taken a spoonful, but-- ] You look really pale...

[ex_doubly406]

[it's probably just as sad that he's glad she can. He's pushing with his hands but it's like his arms have become noodles, so it's more or less Makoto doing all the work.

He might also be glad that he's hit with a wave of dizziness when he does sit up, meaning he doesn't have to answer her as he attempts to cradle his head. Telling her that he might start feeling even worse if he eats anymore seems a bit heartless.]

[jitensha]

Ryouta-kun??

[ well, that's alarming. Not that she couldn't understand how bad he was feeling, but when he's more or less dead weight against her arm, it says a lot. She doesn't feel like she should release him just yet, steadying him as best as she can until he can muster some sort of reply. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[he needs a moment, to get the room to stop spinning on him.]

Fine.

[it's the best he can do. He's not even going to pretend he doesn't need to double over and cough his lungs out.]

--'m fine. Kind of.

[he's so convincing.]

[jitensha]

[ she's got a free hand, one she's using to rub his back. It might help with some of the tension, since she can feel it just by holding him upright: it's like every single one of his muscles is straining mightily, for some unknown reason.

She's worried, but it won't help if she sounds like she is, so she goes for level instead. ]

If you're not fine, it's okay to say so. The water's still over here...

[ex_doubly406]

[He shakes his head, slowly. No need to trigger another dizzy spell just because the last one saved him. He appreciates her rubbing his back though, it almost feels like it helps with the coughs.]

The soup... [It has to say something about him that it's only now that his voice starts to take on a raw quality.] You can just give me the soup, Makocchi.