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]

[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--]

[jitensha]

[ only Kise would be this dumb over wanting to eat when he feels nauseous, but it's not like Makoto knows, and if he's that eager-- well, it's good for him to get something in him, so she brings the spoon back. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Hahaha oh god. He can only blame himself for this.

Though this is what, the sixth? Maybe even the seventeenth spoonful? It's hard to keep track when you're burning up. Either way, he thinks that's enough to have eaten at least half the bowl. If he gets halfway through he can tell her that he's not hungry anymore.]

I--

[And then he stops himself abruptly. Because oh no.]

[jitensha]

[ and here's Makoto, looking worriedly puzzled when he suddenly cuts off like that. ]

What's wrong? Was it still too hot?

[ex_doubly406]

[Yeah he. He can't.

He covers his mouth with his hand, trying to breathe. He can't. He can't--

He can't do this.

There's only time to throw her a look of absolute panic before he musters up every ounce of his remaining strength to throw himself out of the bed. He nearly trips over her on his way to the door, flinging it open with desperation.

... But the rush of cool air on the other side makes him realize that he's too dizzy to get much further. His legs hurt too; he's so close to buckling under his own weight.

Still, he manages to take one step, then a second...

And then proceeds to crumple and throw up everything that was in his stomach. Which is next to nothing so it's about as painful as it sounds.]

[jitensha]

R--

[ it's all she can get out, eyes wide with shock when he suddenly bolts right past her. Thankfully, she's only frozen for a minute, and the sight of him suddenly dropping and vomiting like that spurs her to move at full speed. In no time at all, she's crouched beside him and reaching out to steady him.

Why? Why hadn't he said anything? He had to have been feeling unsteady before, so why had he insisted on eating? Had she somehow pressured him into it?

And that look he'd given her was enough to break her heart. She's not sure what to say, what she is saying, except she's murmuring a stream of something that sounds soothing enough. And then, finally, with the air of someone absolutely guilt-stricken-- ]

Ryouta-kun...

[ex_doubly406]

[He has never felt more miserable in his entire life. He's on the floor, staring at his own vomit. Shivering. Trying to breathe. It's disgusting. It might be even worse than losing.

He thought he wanted to die before. He was wrong. He wants to die now and then disappear.

She might hate him for it, but he can't help but lean against her helplessly. His coughing drowns out whatever she's saying to him, so he just hopes she's not telling him to get away from her. There's only her or the wall for support, and the wall doesn't seem as inviting.

This is such a mess, he didn't want this at all... Why couldn't he keep it down...?]

[jitensha]

[ if he's worried about Makoto reacting with disgust, she should remedy that fairly fast by wrapping an arm around his waist and coaxing him to lean against her even more. Her free hand cups his cheek while she very stubbornly ignores the smell. First things first, which is why she's braced to stand. He's shivering ... ]

I'll help you back to bed, so just keep leaning.

[ex_doubly406]

[At first he pushes her hand away, because he doesn't think he's done.

Except that he is, because there's basically nothing left inside that can come back out. So he ends up looking even more pitiful leaning over like that.

Yeah bed sounds nice. But he can't go back without washing his mouth. And, probably this. Of course it's not easy to try to communicate this.]

[jitensha]

[ she's kicking herself a little for not being able to understand exactly what Kise's trying to convey. Except no, before he goes and crumples over again in abject misery. Shouldn't she be better at this by now? She'd even missed the fact that he was feeling that poorly... ]

Ah... should I take you to the bathroom first?

[ex_doubly406]

[Somewhere, in the haze of 'oh my god I'm so gross' and 'I threw up in front of my girlfriend I want to die', there's a part of him that can still understand what's going on around him.

So he nods, reaching out for the hand he pushed away unsteadily.]