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

[jitensha]

Ah-- [ if she's too light on the pressure, it won't help him at all, but she doesn't want to hurt him. After another minute, she pauses. He's still so tense... ]

Is it too much?

[ex_doubly406]

['Yes' is the easy way out. But he's always been kind of dumb when it comes to things like this.]

It's supposed to help, right?

[jitensha]

... Yeah. But if it still hurts...

[ she's already messed up a bunch as is. ]

[ex_doubly406]

Doing things halfway... isn't me.

[Says the guy having another coughing fit.]

[jitensha]

I know. [ and she says it fondly, though there's still a trace of concern as she rubs his back to try and help him through it. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[The thought process here is that if he closes his eyes and drowns himself in his pillow, he might be able to fall asleep.

He still can't, getting interrupted by coughs whenever his breathing evens out, but he does start to unwind thanks to that gentle(!!!) massage.]

[jitensha]

[ it helps relax her, to be honest. It'd be good if he could stop coughing, but one thing at a time.

She'll even hum for him. ]

[ex_doubly406]

Is that-- your image song?

[Which reminds him]

You still didn't... sing it for me.

[jitensha]

Huh-- well, it's one of them, but... I don't think singing it now will help!

[ex_doubly406]

Aah, that's--

[You know, if he passes out he'll stop coughing.]

--stingy.

[jitensha]

[ a pause.

A sigh. Well, maybe there's something she can finally do right. ]

Do you want me to sing for you, Ryouta-kun?

[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]

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]

[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]

[ 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]

[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]

[ ... 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]

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]

[ 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]

--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]

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]

[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...

['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.]

[jitensha]

[ she hates this. Was this how he'd felt when she'd been sick? But a lot of this is her fault, she has to try to make up for it! But then again, how? Were his parents coming back today? Should she try a doctor?

At least she can go find that blanket, and she pushes herself to her feet once she's sure his fit has subsided for now. ]

I'll go see if I can find a blanket. Your parents--

[ ... she has no idea. ]