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]

Eh?

[The light tap on his forehead wakes him up to everything.]

You didn't? But, didn't you say I didn't need to come? You were doing so much to make me stay away-- ah, but you told me not to go a while ago too-- but I thought that might be because you're feverish since you even cried and

[Oh my god Kise, are you actually this dumb.

The answer is yes.]

[jitensha]

[ explaining this honestly wouldn't be a problem, but this cold's making everything ten times harder than it has to be, and she can't hold her arm up; it falls back to the blanket and she regards him with fever-bright eyes. ]

... I was scared. I didn't want to get you sick, and I thought if you stayed, you'd definitely--

[ex_doubly406]

[This is like a scene from a drama, except the heroine is usually dying on a well-made hospital bed as the hero clutches her hand in tears swearing to never love anyone else.

He's not crying though. His eyes are more terrified than tender when he looks at her; of the fever and how she can't seem to do anything. When he opens his mouth, it's definitely not to profess eternal celibacy in honour of her memory.]

I'm really going to be okay! I might not look it but I'm tougher than your average guy!

--Wait, don't say anything back Makocchi! Aaah, why do I keep forgetting about not talking?

[...]

But... I can say it feels good to have you worry, right?

[What an idiot. Still, Makoto has a point. Because he will get sick. Oh well.]

[jitensha]

[ well, it's hard to reply when he doesn't want her to, and it's hard not to reply when he's looking at her like he's worried she's about to die if she lands herself in a coughing spiral yet again.

She settles for furrowing her eyebrows and giving him her best "Like I wouldn't have worried" Look. She's pretty sure this is likely contagious. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[As much as he likes talking, he'll take it as a good sign that she's decided not say anything else. He'll take the opportunity to lower her back down, fussing with the pillow and blanket.]

You should worry about yourself first, even if it's sweet of you to think about me.

[He can guess what her look says, and it gives him some relief that she's well enough to do at least that.]

[jitensha]

[ she misses the residual warmth the instant she's back to being placed under the blanket, which is silly, because she's still giving off too much heat. She manages to shake her head, as earnestly as she can, because he knows her better than that. It's not in her nature to worry about herself, and she's already sick, so no need. He's the one at risk here. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[He should know better, but she should know better too. It's not like him to fret over things like that when he's determined to do what he's set out to do.]

Please? For me, Makocchi?

[Yeah, he's using that on her.]

[jitensha]

[ that's unfair. As cliché as it is, there's very little Makoto wouldn't do for him. It's just that he typically doesn't ask her to do things like put herself first.

She sighs, the sound barely a whisper, but it's accompanied by a small smile. A sicker version of her "I'll do my best" grin. ]

[ex_doubly406]

Thanks. That makes it easier on me too, you have no idea!

[Someone's inappropriately happy about this. But he's wiping her forehead, tucking in loose strands behind her ear.]

They say that the road to recovery starts with rest, so rest as much as you want!

[jitensha]

[ but she just slept-- does she really have to do it again so soon? Even if her lashes lower under the touch of his hand, she'd rather not pass out again, and she even looks a little pouty at the thought. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[??? But she looks so out of energy, isn't it natural that you want to sleep?]

Why are you looking at me like that? Do you need another bedtime story?

[jitensha]

Do I really have to sleep again?

[ the closest Makoto will come to whining. And on a subject that has nothing to do with her femininity, even. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[... It's honestly cute since it's so rare that she ever does whine. Uwaaa, my girlfriend is so sweet and cute even when she's sick-- wait that sounds like the title of a sitcom?!]

You don't have to! I can't force you to do that...

[Ahem okay back to reality.] Um it's just that you can't talk with that cough and there's not much else to do. Aren't you tired?

[jitensha]

I don't [ swallow that cough, Makoto, SWALLOW IT. ] -- want to miss this time with you. I'll probably... sleep a lot tonight, anyway.

[ you thought she was sincere before, fevers apparently make her FIVE TIMES WORSE. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[FIVE TIMES WORSE MORE LIKE TEN TIMES WORSE MAKOTO WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIS HEART. One day she's going to kill him.

Anyway, that was a sneak attack. You are not allowed to do sneak attacks when you are sick.]

... Makocchi, you're going to start coughing again.

[THIS IS TO COVER FOR HIS HEART. He needs to recover okay.]

[jitensha]

[ at least he'll die beautiful. If not happy, it's hard to say. She regrets nothing.

... Likely because she's not even aware that she's flustering him. She only smiles, in that warmly affectionate way she does when it's just the two of them. It's just normally not when one of them's wedged under blankets with a fever hotter than some of those summer days in the office. She also tacitly complies, holding her words back so a cough doesn't succeed them. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Will she still regret nothing when she gets invited to his funeral--

Okay no, but that smile does not help. At all. His flair for dramatics never far off, he topples as he sighs in defeat. He asked her not to talk and she still manages to pull that off. What the hell, that's so unfair.]

You're way too cute.

[jitensha]

[ No, that's unfair! Calling her cute when she's still fever-flushed and all sorts of sweaty and feels like the furthest thing from cute right now. It's clear that, even with her blush masked, she's flustered, as she presses both hands to her face in an effort to sap away some of that heat.

It doesn't work. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[Well he'd also tell her that she looks awful like this, but that takes away from the effect.]

Makocchi, are you okay?? Are you cold now??

[Isn't she sweating? What's she doing???]

[jitensha]

[ she knows, she knows!!

And ugh now she can't look at him, this is weirdly embarrassing. ]

S-saying that out of nowhere...

[ex_doubly406]

Huh?

[He can't quite hear her, what with her refusing to look at him and muffling herself like that.]

If you're cold I can get you another blanket.

[jitensha]

[ she shakes her head, deigning to lower her hands but still keeping her gaze slanted away from him. ]

S'too hot.

[ THANKS FOR THAT. ]

[ex_doubly406]

[...

Oh.

That's still really cute. Don't mind him laughing, because he can't stop that bit of relief rising up. Look, at least he's fanning her too.]

[jitensha]

[ which helps, or it performs the very helpful task of getting sections of her bangs unstuck from her forehead, but now she's just confused. ]

What's so funny...?

[ex_doubly406]

I'm just happy that you're well enough to get embarrassed!

[Kise...]