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

well. true.

[ex_doubly406]

Eh?

[She looked so out of it he was sure she would've fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.]

Talk? But...

[jitensha]

... Please?

[ usually when she was sick, she either forced her way through it and went to school and work anyway, or she'd curl up in bed and more or less take care of herself while her parents weren't home. She'd been raised to be pretty self-sufficient.

But right now, she thinks maybe it's okay to accept something like this. She feels awful, but she's got enough energy to look at him imploringly. ]

I... really like hearing your voice.

[ex_doubly406]

[And here he was thinking he was the best at making those faces.

She's not being an amazing patient, not in the sense he was thinking of. But he finds he can't refuse her either. It gives him something to do, and she's still got a hold on his heartstrings looking at him like that. It's not exactly the teary scene in a drama beside your lover's bedside, but then he wouldn't want her to be actually dying.

She did say she liked his voice too.]

... I guess I can consider it a fanservice for today. So, what should I talk about?

[jitensha]

Anything. [ and she exhales on a harsh cough, dropping her head back on her pillow. It's a little annoying that even the pillow's gotten hot, but no use complaining. ] Anything you want.

[ex_doubly406]

[A minute twitch, and he fusses with the blanket a little.]

Hmm... Anything is pretty broad... Ah, I know! I heard something interesting from Momocchi! She went shopping the other day, and there was a sale at this one store where--

[... She did say she wanted him to talk about anything.]

[jitensha]

[ yes she did. And, to her credit, she's actually listening as intently as she can. His voice is soothing enough. ]

[ex_doubly406]

--And then Aominecchi threw it away! He can be really insensitive, don't you think that's why he doesn't have a girlfriend like me? But Momocchi can be pretty insistent too, so I guess it's not a surprise that happened. Anyway, she called me right afterwards complaining about it, and then she asked me if I wanted to go with her to get another one. I told her that I can go with her this weekend, but turns out the sale is over by that time. I was in the middle of practice when she called so I said I'd talk to her later to sort it out. But guess what? She ended up asking Kurokocchi instead! When I called Kurokocchi afterwards to invite him-- for Momocchi's sake, you know-- he said he's going with her tomorrow and that Momocchi didn't say anything about inviting me! Isn't that depressing? I understand that she would want alone time but it's like she completely forgot about calling me! It's cute how Momocchi only has eyes for Kurokocchi but it's scary too.

[He can go on forever...]

[jitensha]

[ ... wow. Were this anyone else, it's likely they would have zoned out ages ago or regretted asking him to talk. But even though this really annoyingly bad cold isn't doing Makoto any favors, she's as alert as she can be, eyes fixed on his face like this really is story time. She's even trying to be discreet by scrunching up and coughing into her blanket while he's talking, shifting underneath it. She's too hot, but when the blanket lowers, she starts shivering. She just can't win. ]

When there's... someone you really care about, I guess it's easy to forget about a lot.

[ not that Makoto ever forgot her friends or Kise shirked his teammates, former and current, but she could understand being distracted. ]

[ex_doubly406]

Well, it's like Momocchi to get carried away with stuff like that. It's what makes her cute. Anyway I guess that means I'm free for tomorrow. I wouldn't want to interrupt them.

[Says the guy who stalked them in middle school.]

... Actually, maybe Kasamatsu-senpai will want to come with me! We might end up bumping into them!

[Never mind.]

[jitensha]

Ryouta-kun...

[ wow this is the weakest scolding look ever. It probably doesn't help that she's still shivering. ]

Don't... actually try to... okay?

[ex_doubly406]

[... Wow, she looks like she might collapse at any moment and she still scolds him. What did he do to deserve that.]

I wouldn't try... I mean, I wouldn't go up to talk to them. It'd be a coincidence if I did end up seeing them.

[Yeah, sorry. You tried.]

But Makocchi, you don't have to stay up and listen. No one really listens to the end of a bedtime story.

[jitensha]

... Was it a bedtime story?

[ she's so baffled. ]

[ex_doubly406]

Huh? Wasn't it?

[He's the one who's baffled here.]

Didn't you want me to talk so that you could fall asleep to the sound of my voice?

[Someone's flattering himself too much.]

[jitensha]

It'd-- be rude if I fell asleep while you were talking.

[ geez. ]

I really just like hearing you--

[ oh god STOP COUGHING. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[PLEASE DO because now there's even more overreaction from him.]

Ah-- Sorry, I thought you were-- [UM.] I shouldn't have--

[WAVING YOUR HANDS IS VERY HELPFUL!]

[jitensha]

Your hands are getting a little spinny like that...

[ CALM DOWN KISE. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[IT'S LIKE HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT, HE'S SO USELESS.

Except those are not his actual thoughts. He does however, stop waving his hands around.]

Makocchi, you're dizzy too? I thought you were feeling okay since you kept talking... [how does nursing people back to health work] Should I get the thermometer?

[jitensha]

I-it's okay... I already know about the fever.

[ Makoto, don't say that like you think that will actually perk him up. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Surprise, it doesn't perk him up.]

But if it's bad enough for you to get dizzy, isn't that serious?! Makocchi, I thought you were supposed to tell me!

[Not that he would've known what to do, other than change the compress and sit by her side. And he's feeling that rather acutely as he let his gaze drift, thinking that he is woefully unprepared for this.]

[jitensha]

[ if she was sitting, it'd be easier to see her droop, the tell-tale signs of slumped shoulders and disheartened frowns. But it's just the frown and the way she lowers her eyes from his face to nothing in particular. It's not like he chastised her severely, but it's a reminder that she's still messing up. ]

It doesn't stay the whole time... and I didn't want to worry you.

[ which is why she pulls the covers up to her nose, and muffled-- ]

Sorry.

[ex_doubly406]

[The one who's messing up is him. Nothing's going to happen until he calms down and figures out that foisting his confusion and annoyance on her isn't going to help any.

And her apology might help with that.]

Makocchi... [It feels like he's the bad guy whenever she does that. He'd say as much if she wasn't dizzy, coughing, and burrowing herself under the covers. He'd take her hand and tell her that she doesn't need to apologize for anything. But, reality...]

I'm really sorry. I'll let you sleep.

[jitensha]

Don't apologize...

[ it's less of an order and more of a plea, and she has to poke her face out again because it's too sweltering like that.

Even though she's got goosebumps.

... She really hates this.

But sleeping might be a good idea. If she can rid herself of the headache long enough for it to happen-- but if she sleeps, isn't that going to leave him lonely? Or maybe he'll go home.

Stay, that one super feverish and utterly selfish part of her mind wails plaintively. She shuts it up. ]

You don't have to stay, Ryouta-kun... it'll be boring.

[ex_doubly406]

[He's a little confused that she'd say that. Doesn't she want him around? Sure it might be boring, but she's going to send him home just like that? Is it the fever talking?]

... Do you not want me here?

[He should probably sound more serious when he asks that. Instead he sounds flippant like he's asking her why she doesn't like a certain flavour of ice cream.]

[jitensha]

That's not-- [ she begins, a little panicked, like she'd missed the nonchalance of his tone entirely, and she tenses in an effort to sit up.

It fails when another paroxysm of coughing seizes her, her limbs protesting until she stops struggling and the sound ebbs away. That still leaves Makoto in the uncomfortable predicament of trying to allay Kise's possibly nonexistent hurt while her throat feels like she took a strip of sandpaper to it. ]

T-that's too... selfish.

[ and she shouldn't feel exhausted just from that. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[So it's not the fever, but the fever just bringing out her best and worst quality.

Or so he'd calmly assess if she wasn't flailing around like a fish-- and, a small part of him thinks, he should probably stop getting her to talk when she sounds like this but how else is he supposed to know what she's thinking? Looking longingly into each other's eyes doesn't exactly work here-- and his hand waving doing nothing to help any of this. Luckily she stops before he decides maybe holding her down with her covers could work.

It's only when he's sure that she won't start doing that again that he wipes off the concern that set over his features through that short coughing spasm.]

... Actually, I'd be happy if you were selfish enough for that. Even if you weren't, I'd be a terrible person if I left a princess in her time of need.