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]

[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.

[jitensha]

[ this isn't lessening her concern any, but she keeps up the rubbing for another minute before she moves again to grab another spoonful from the bowl waiting on the nightstand. ]

Don't push yourself, okay?

[ex_doubly406]

[That would have been a laugh on any other day.]

If I eat this-- [Coughs, please stop ruining the moment.] I'll be cured... Or something like that...

[And he swallows down that spoonful so hard he wouldn't be surprised if he swallowed his tongue in the process. But he doesn't want to let it swish around in his mouth any longer than he has to. No coughing while eating, he tells himself, and definitely don't let it come back up.

That last part's pretty hard though.]

[jitensha]

... Or something! [ she can laugh, at least. ] It'd be nice if my food had that kind of power, but it won't lose out to any other feelings!

[ and he's trying so hard, too. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[He'd say that it wouldn't be like her if it did lose out, but he's a little more preoccupied at the moment trying to keep his soup down. Sure he's not feeling his best, but that doesn't mean he can do that to her.

After a brief struggle where he tries not to be too obvious-- staring hard at his hands without a word, very not obvious-- he gives a shaky smile.]

... Y-Yeah.

[jitensha]

[ it would be nice if he was only sick enough for them to share deep and meaningful glances as she tended to him, but the fact remains that reality's never that nice, and Kise's worsening state isn't really all that conducive to romantic moments.

She just wants him to feel better, and she frowns as she moves the spoon back and tests his forehead with the back of her hand. ]

You're still so hot... you've got a thermometer in the medicine cabinet, right? I'll be right back.

[ex_doubly406]

Eh--

[He's not feeling well enough to catch her hand when it's there, and he groans inside when he sees how slow he is.]

You're not going to feed--

[And then the coughing fit said no, you're not going to be able to talk very much today. Doesn't matter how chatty you normally are.]

[jitensha]

I will, I will!

[ she's quick to reassure him, even quicker to toss this over her shoulder as she makes her way for the door. ]

I just want to make sure that fever of yours isn't getting any higher! [ which is why she's making a beeline for the bathroom and hoping fervently that he won't keel over in the minute and twenty seconds it takes her. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[In the one minute and twenty seconds it takes her to get there and back, Kise reaches out for her for about 30 seconds before he decides he's too cold to keep that up. Then for about 40 seconds he thinks about how he wants to die, really really wants to die, sorry fangirls, Kurokocchi, Kasamatsu-senpai, basketball... Then for the rest of the time he shrivels up under the blanket wondering why his throat is declaring that he's not allowed to rest.

So he didn't exactly keel over but his arm is hanging off the bed.]

[jitensha]

[ she almost immediately regrets leaving him when she returns, thermometer in her hand all but forgotten as she crouches down to move his arm back onto the bed. Then she's back up, fussing with the blanket and trying to blot some of that sweat off his face with her sleeve. ]

Sorry for taking so long... can you open up for me?

[ex_doubly406]

[The look he gives her is full of the puppy goodness that spills from actual puppies when they're about to be adopted.]

Fine, so can I--

[He gestures weakly to where he thinks the soup is. Which isn't there at all. But isn't it nice how happy he is about her coming back?]

[jitensha]

[ it's incredibly adorable, but she can't give into the urge to kiss him for it. Instead, she smiles and hopes it doesn't look as helpless as she feels. ]

A little more, but then I'm taking your temperature, okay?

[ex_doubly406]

[Suppressing his coughs, he nods. He can't really do much else here. Well, that and have a mental battle where he tells himself he's not going to let that soup win because oh god he feels it rising up again but he can't do that, no way he can, he can't he can't--]