#What happened to your phenomenal immune system?

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Red Hot

Sicktember Day 2: "What happened to your phenomenal immune system?"

Stranger Things: Steve Harrington/ Eddie Munson

Words: 500 | Rating: T

@sicktember | divider art by @saradika

Summary: Eddie has a cold and knows exactly what’ll help.

Find me on Ao3!

Eddie sneezed again into another tissue and he blew his nose. 

“You look and sound pretty awful,” Steve grimaced, taking in Eddie’s irritated, red nose and the way he sniffled pathetically. Eddie had resisted the idea that he was getting sick at the beginning of that week, but once the coughing and runny nose started, Steve had stocked up on tissues and cold medicine. 

“It’s just the end of the semester,” Eddie said wearily. “Something always goes around.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. “And what happened to your phenomenal immune system?”

It was no secret that Eddie almost never got sick, while Steve on the other hand, had gotten sick enough times for the both of them.

Eddie responded with another sneeze and sniffle. “S’the first cold I’ve had all year,” he defended, voice thick with congestion. He paused to sneeze again and Steve winced sympathetically. 

“You want to try that Sudafed stuff?”

Eddie wrinkled his nose. “No medicine, at least for now.”

“I can make some chili or soup for dinner,” Steve offered. Chili was one of Eddie’s favorites.

Eddie met his eyes and Steve could see the way they looked at him with sudden excitement. 

“No,” Steve quickly rejected. “No, I know that face. No.”

Eddie grinned wickedly. “Do we still have more of that spicy ramen? That’ll be the perfect thing to knock out this annoying congestion.”

“Eds, I don't like the idea of you burning your mouth off just to feel a little better.”

“It’ll be worth it.” Eddie rose to start searching all the kitchen cabinets. “I think we’ve got one of the spicy spicy ones left around here somewhere.”

“You can barely handle Siriacha,” Steve reminded him.

Eddie didn’t respond, but continued searching the cabinets, reaching behind boxes of cereal and saved take out containers. Finally, he held up a crinkly packet of ramen in victory. 

“Found it!”

Eddie boiled an egg first, and then chopped a small pile of scallions before cooking the noodles. When he dumped the spices in, Steve watched in muted horror as the broth cooked to a searing, angry red. The color alone put Eddie’s irritated nose to shame and the smell of it made Steve sweat with heat. The bowl of noodles looked delicious, but dangerous.

“Here goes nothing,” Eddie said and started eating. Pearls of sweat beaded on Eddie’s nose and upper lip in a few bites, and in another few, he panted between slurped bites and sips of broth. His nose ran unforgivingly and Eddie grabbed for tissue after tissue, but to no avail. By the end of it, Eddie’s lips were stained red and was a nose-drippy, soup-brothy mess. 

Steve slid him a pile of napkins. “For your dignity,” he pressed.

But despite the white mountain of tissues next to him, Eddie pulled in a long, satisfying breath through his clear nose with a smile. 

“See?” Eddie sucked in another breath and went to get a glass of milk. “Instant cure.”

Steve only rolled his eyes.

[faofinn]

3. "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?"

"I'll be home for tea tonight." Harrison’s text was optimistic, and Tai shook his head. 

"Yeah, you sure?"

"Maybe ten minutes late."

"The food will be in the microwave. Drive safely."

In the end, Harrison wasn't actually too late, and he mainly blamed it on the traffic. Tai must have been upstairs with the kids when he made it in, putting them to bed, so he didn't want to interrupt. The last time he'd jumped in during bedtime, nobody had gotten any sleep. 

He was somewhat on autopilot as he heated up his food, definitely just tired and not dizzy at all. He settled on the sofa with his mug of chocolate and plate of food, his leg tucked up under him. It had been a long day, but he couldn't shake the slight unease it was maybe more than that. 

When Tai finally appeared downstairs, he was somewhat frazzled from trying to corral the kids into bed, but smiled genuinely at Harrison when he saw him. 

“Hey, didn’t hear you come in.” He said, flopping onto the sofa next to him. “Everyone’s in bed.”

He glanced up. "I've only been in under half an hour. Everyone okay? You okay?"

“Yeah, Levi was having a bit of a meltdown because you weren’t here and me telling him you were at work wasn’t working. But we’re all okay.”

"Sorry. I was going to come up, I'm just…exhausted." He sighed, stabbing a vegetable. "Work's really taking it out of me."

“No, it’s okay.” Tai said softly. “I said you’d be home later and he eventually settled. I think he just worries when you’re not here. Are you okay?”

"They all do." He smiled sadly. "I hate that they worry."

“I know, but they’re so proud of you for what you do.”

He hummed, setting his plate down in favour of curling against Tai. "It doesn't make it easier."

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Tai said gently, wrapping his arm around him. “Not like you to leave dinner after work.”

"I've not left it." He tried to argue. "I'm just saving it for later."

“Mm, alright. What’s wrong?”

"Nothing. You're just comfy." He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. 

“Are you getting ill?” Tai asked, unable to stop the worry that flared. “Head bad? Chronic pain?”

"Stop fussing." He swatted at Tai good-naturedly.

“Mm, never.”

"I might have a bit of a headache, and…" He broke off to laugh. "I feel like Fao. I was gonna say my chest feels heavy."

“Fao’s a terrible example.”

"Exactly. I'm nowhere near that bad."

“Sure, sure.” Tai grumbled. “You need to be careful.”

"It's just a cough. I had Matt had a listen, there's nothing there at the minute."

“Of course you did.”

"'Cause I knew you'd worry."

“You know me too well.”

"I'm fine, really. I'll keep an eye on it and speak to my cons."

“You better be fine.” Tai grumbled. 

"I will be." He shot him a grin, though he was quickly undermined by the coughing that had him on his side. "Just ignore that."

“Harrison.”

"What?" He whined in response. "It was just a tickle."

“Sounded awful.”

"Didn't feel great."

“Are you sure Matt couldn’t hear anything?”

"Nothing to admit me for." He murmured. 

“Nothing and nothing worth admitting are two different things.” 

"He said to call the GP in the morning."

“He should have sent you home if it was that bad. You can’t just leave things like everyone else can.”

"He did. I told him at the end."

“You’re lucky I love you.” 

"I know."

"What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?" Tai teased.

"Oh, that? It fucked off with my immunosuppressants, and the kids chased it off screaming."

Tai laughed, leaning down to kiss Harrison on the nose. "Oh, I could see that."

"They're animals." He joined in the laughter.

"God, I wouldn't change them."

He hummed. "Me neither."

[gaycey-sketchit]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kenji | Tracey Sketchit & Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak, Kenji | Tracey Sketchit/Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak Characters: Kenji | Tracey Sketchit, Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak, Ookido Yukinari-hakase | Professor Samuel Oak Additional Tags: sicktember 2023, what happened to your phenomenal immune system huh?, Sickfic, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, rated for language, I wrote this for me but y'all can read it if you want Series: Part 3 of Sicktember 2023 Summary:

Tracey doesn't get sick often. When he does, it tends to hit him hard--in more ways than one.

For Sicktember 2023 prompt 3: "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?"

[fletcherwilbury]

@sicktember Day 3: “What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?”

Warning for illness, food issues, bullying, and mention of past traumatic incident.

[newwwwusername]

Fic title : The Dread Black Pete NEVER Gets Sick

@sicktember 2023 prompt : "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?"

Rating : Teen & Up Audiences

Fandom : Our Flag Means Death

Pairing : Pete/Lucius

Additional tags : Common Cold, Fluff, Teasing, Banter, Good Significant Other Lucius Spriggs, Sickfic, Illnesses, Speech Impediments

Word count : 212

[sicktember]

Official Sicktember 2023 Prompt List!

[Faqs Post]

[How to Submit Content Post]

[2023 Sicktember Collection on AO3]

[2023 Content Promotion Changes]

** Please remember to read the FAQs before asking event related questions**

[text version of the prompt list below the cut]

Prompts:

1. Hopelessly Bad at Self-Care

2. Quest for a Cure

3. "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?"

4. Hiding an Illness

5. Preventative Measures (Not Taken)

6. Sick and Injured

7. “You’re a Jerk When You’re Sick”

8. Persistent Fever

9. White Coat Syndrome

10. “The only place we’re going is to the pharmacy”

11. Beginner’s Guide to Faking Sick

12. Old Wives Tale

13. Anxious Stomach

14. ‘‘I shouldn’t be worried about you, but for some reason I am’’

15. Sick in an Inconvenient Place

16. Consulting the Internet/Web MD

17. Magical Remedy/Healing Potion

18. “Wear Your Coat, You’ll Catch a Cold”

19. Curled Up With a Pet

20. Cramping Pain

21. "But if you stay, you'll get sick too"

22. Terms of Endearment/Nicknames

23. Coughing Fit

24. “Did you just sneeze?”

25. Confused/Disoriented

26. Pink Eye/Conjunctivitis

27. Uncooperative Patient

28. “I should have stayed home”

29. Side Effects/Adverse Reaction

30. Patient 0

Alts.

“I Could Really Use a Hug Right About Now”

Fuzzy Socks

Pounding Headache

Forehead Kisses

“I’m so sorry”

[woso-fan13]

Sicktember 2023: 3

"What Happened To Your Phenomenal Immune System, Huh?"

Not for the first time, your overconfidence had come back to bite you. You had been psyched to find out you were rooming with Kristie, but you quickly became less psyched when she stumbled in the door. You could tell instantly that she was sick. 

She had apologized profusely, offering to rent herself a hotel room so that she wouldn’t get you sick. You had instantly protested, insisting that you would be totally fine- you had an immune system that others could only dream about. 

—-

Apparently, that dream is a nightmare, because you can barely open your eyes a few days later. Your entire body aches and you’re simultaneously freezing and sweating. You’re exhausted, too, only managing to turn over slightly, curl into a ball, and fall back into a restless sleep. 

Not long after, Kristie knocks briefly on the door before opening it. She had just gotten back from her combination morning walk and breakfast, and was somewhat confused when she didn’t see you downstairs. Assuming that you had simply wanted to sleep in, she grabbed you a bagel and an apple, bringing it back with her. 

“Rise and shine, Y/N/N,” she singsongs, “I know it’s our day off, but you-” 

She’s cut off abruptly when she sees you lying in bed. She sighs lightly, taking out her phone and texting the others that the two of you would not be joining everyone for whatever team bonding activity they had planned. 

She strides over to the bed, resting the back of her hand against your forehead before sliding it down to your cheek. Even before she makes contact with your skin, she can feel the fever radiating off of you. She uses her fingers to gently push the hair out of your face, frowning when you mumble slightly. 

The only positive was that Kristie was fully equipped for a sick person- not even needing to leave the room for any of the necessities. She pulls the shades, leaving the room light off. Grabbing an electrolyte drink out of the fridge, she settles it down on the nightstand next to some medicine. Moving into the bathroom, she soaks a washcloth in cool water, grabs a dry towel and the bag-lined garbage bin. She leaves the bathroom light on, pulling the door shut just enough to allow the dim light into the room. 

She lays the towel on the floor, placing the bin on top. ‘Just in case’ she silently reminds herself, hoping that you can sleep this off and not need it. 

She makes sure she has her phone in her pocket before climbing into bed next to you. She settles the washcloth on your forehead, smiling softly at you when you whine and blink awake at the cool sensation. 

Once you see Kristie, you sit up just enough to allow your body to crash on top of hers, your head resting on her stomach. You can feel her readjusting the washcloth with one hand as the other arm wraps around you. 

Kristie looks down at you as you quickly fall asleep, your fever exhausting you. 

“Oh, bubs,” she says softly, “what happened to your phenomenal immune system?”

There’s no response, not that she expected one. You were already quickly on your way to a fever-fueled dreamland. 

—-

Kristie spends the morning with you snuggled into her, catching up on social media and then mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. Around lunchtime, she could no longer sit still, slipping out from under you. 

She rewets the now warm washcloth, placing it back on your forehead and pulling the covers up to your chin. After making sure that the bin and a drink are within easy reach, she heads downstairs to eat lunch with the other girls. 

The door to your room is propped open, a silent parade of eyes peeking in at you. You sleep somewhat soundly, blissfully unaware of all of the attention. In fact, you don’t fully regain consciousness until sometime after dinner. 

Kristie has settled into the room for the night, already dawning her pajamas and climbing into her bed. It’s not really late enough for that, but the seating options are limited and she will not be having her outside clothes in her bed. 

She’s sitting propped against the headboard, video chatting with Sam. It’s Sam who notices you first, alerting Kristie to your rapidly approaching, blanket-wrapped frame. She barely has time to look before you’re plopping yourself down on her bed, cuddling into her. Your half-open, fever-dazed eyes are looking at her phone where Sam is trying to hold your attention. 

“Hey Ankle Biter!” she greets cheerfully in her Australian accent. 

You can’t find the energy to verbally reply, but you manage to weakly wave a hand while blinking sleepily and yawning. 

“Kris was just telling me that she had gotten you sick, which is such a Kris thing to do.” 

You look up at Kristie when she says this, noticing the blush that appears on her face at her girlfriend’s teasing. She quickly plays it off with a small laugh. 

“Do me a favor, yeah? When you’re feeling better, you do something to get back at her. Karma, and all that.”

Sam’s request gets the first genuine smile out of you all day. Kristie quickly spoils the fun, pulling you closer. 

“No way, Y/N would never. She’s my little buddy, right?” 

You simply shrug innocently at Kristie, watching as Sam laughs on the screen. 

“You just remember who had to clean your puke bucket today, missy. I think that’s more than enough karma.” 

You nod at Kristie’s remark. The two women continue their conversation, watching as your head slowly tips to rest fully on Kristie, your body relaxing into her. 

Sam watches with a fond smile on her face as Kristie gently strokes your cheek with the back of a finger, lulling you into a hazy state. The two women whisper quiet good nights to you just as your eyes slip shut for the rest of the night. 

On the other side of the world, Sam watches Kristie gently guide you into a restful sleep. Her face is wiped clean for the night, her hair pulled back messily and her pajamas are on. And Sam only has one thought, all consuming- she loves this woman so much that it hurts.

[darkstar225]

@woso-fan13 Updated Masterlist

Updated: 04 January 2024

I have no clue why I did this, I just love this writer sm and wish I could check everything in one place since I keep re-reading the fics lol

PS: If the writer wants me to delete the post and send it to you so you'll post it, feel free to message me! I just love the fics and felt like doing this :D

It didn't fit everything so check out @woso-fan13 for the other masterlist with the rest S2

Sicktember 2023

Number 1: Hopelessly Bad at Self-Care

Number 2: Quest For A Cure

Number 3: “What Happened To Your Phenomenal Immune System, Huh?”

Number 4: Hiding an Illness

Number 5: Preventative Measures (Not Taken)

Number 6: Sick & Injured

Number 7: “You’re A Jerk When You’re Sick”

Number 8: Persistent Fever

Number 9: White Coat Syndrome

Number 10: “The Only Place We’re Going Is To The Pharmacy”

Number 11: Beginner’s Guide To Faking Sick

Number 12: Home Remedy/Old Wives Tale

Number 13: Anxious Stomach

Number 14: “I shouldn’t be worried about you, but for some reason I am.”

Number 15: Sick in an Inconvenient Place

Number 16: Consulting the Internet/Web MD

Number 17: Magical Remedy/ Healing Potion

Number 18: “Wear Your Coat, You’ll Catch a Cold”

Number 19: Curled Up With a Pet

Number 20: Cramping Pain

Number 21: “But if you stay, you’ll get sick too.”

Number 22: Terms of Endearment/Nicknames

Number 23: Coughing Fit

Number 24: “Did you just sneeze?”

Number 25: Confused/Disoriented

Number 26: Forehead Kisses

Number 27: Uncooperative Patient

Number 28: “I should have stayed home”

Number 29: Side Effects/Adverse Reaction

Number 30: Patient 0

WHUMPTOBER 2023

Number 1: “But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”

Number 2: “I’ll call out your name, but you won’t call back.”

Number 3: “Like crying out in empty rooms; with no-one there except the moon.”

Number 4: “I see the danger, It’s written there in your eyes.”

Number 5: “You better pray I don’t get up this time around.”

Number 6: “Do or die, you’ll never make me; Because the world will never take my heart.”

Number 7: “I paced around for hours on empty; I jumped at the slightest of sounds.”

Number 8: “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier.”

Number 9: “Learning everything ain’t what it seems, that’s the thing about these days.”

Number 10: “Can’t you see that you’re lost without me?”

Number 11: “All the lights going dark and my hope’s destroyed.”

Number 12: “I haven’t slept in days but who’s counting?”

Number 13: “It comes and goes like the strength in your bones.”

Number 14: “Feed me poison, fill me ‘till I drown.”

Number 15: “I don’t need you to help me, I can handle things myself.”

Number 16: “Would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

Number 17: “You’re the lump in my throat and the knot in my chest.”

Number 18: “I tend to deflect when I’m feeling threatened.”

Number 19: “I’ll take one final step, all you have to do is make me.”

Number 20: “People don’t change people, time does.”

Number 21: “See the chains around my feet.”

Number 22: “They never saw us coming, ‘til they hit the floor.

Number 23: “It’s gonna get me by the end of the night.”

Number 24: “I’ve got a head full of chemicals; mouth full of ridicule.”

Number 25: “You’re not delivering a perfect body to the grave.”

Number 26: “Sometimes I get so tired; I don’t even know myself.”

Number 27: “You drew stars around my scars; But now I’m bleeding.”

Number 28: “We might not make it to the morning; so go on and tell me now.”

Number 29: “I only sink deeper the deeper I think.”

Number 30: “It’s okay, just to say, ‘I’m not okay’.”

Number 31: “I thought that I was getting better.”

Comfortember 2023

Safe

Sweater Weather

Leaves Changing

Warmth

Treehouse

Notes

Sick/Illness

Grief/Mourning

Aftermath

Sadness

Comfort Show/Movie

Dreams

Baking

Late Night Phone Calls

Plushies

Coffee/Tea Break

Heirloom

Cuddles

Loved Ones

Shopping

Relapse

Cry

Anxiety

Blankets

Rain

Friends

Soup

Flashbacks

Sleepover

The New Normal

[goldenempyrean]

A Quiet Day In

〚 Day 3 - "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?" 〛

〚 Pairing - Kara Danvers x Reader〛

〚 Summary - You and Kara share a quiet day at home. 〛

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙〘 Sicktember 2023 Masterlist 〙

“I’m home.” The sound of your wife’s voice called out from the entranceway followed by the swift clicking of front door closing. Kara sighed as she finally kicked off her heavy boots, today was exhausting 

“Welcome home babe.” You called lovingly from the small home office the pair of you shared, “Is that the door I just heard, how come you didn’t just use the balcony?” 

It was a reasonable question. With Kara being Supergirl and all it made sense - it was faster after all. 

“Yeah… flying isn’t really on the table right now.” She mumbled as she shuffled into the living room, flopping down into the comforting touch of the soft couch. 

Wait? No flying? That caught your attention. You frowned as you closed the drawer, you’d been previously reorganising and came out to the living room, “What do you mean? What happened?” You asked, worry and concern seeping into your words at the sight of your obviously tuckered-out wife. 

You came to sit down beside her, a much-welcomed action by the blonde who laid her head against you as she sank into your arms, “Stupid alien had kryptonite weapons, they got me pretty good.” She mumbled. 

Ah. Now it made sense. Kryptonite was the one thing her otherwise invincible body crumbled to. “Then I went to walk home but this suit is freezing and the only ‘normal clothes’ I had was that stupid work dress, so I changed into that and then my legs hurt from walking because my stupid powers are basically useless right now so then I had to carpool here with random uber strangers.” Kara whined as she finished her ranting all-while you were running your hand down her arm comfortingly. 

“I’m sorry Kar’ that sounds like it sucks. Did the DEO say when your powers will be back at full…er.. power?” You asked, struggling to find the correct wording.  

She shook her head against you, “Alex said possibly a few days, but they don’t know because it was ‘high potency’ whatever that means.” She finished with a wide yawn, another obvious sigh of her fatigue. 

It was rare for Kara to be in such a vulnerable state, and you couldn’t help but feel protective of her. “Alright then, how about we call it a night. I mean it's pretty late anyway and you could use some sleep darling.” You offered, extending both hands to help her up. 

Once inside the bedroom, you helped Kara remove her suit, carefully unzipping it and peeling it off her tired body. She sighed in relief as the restrictive fabric was removed, her muscles finally able to relax. You fetched a pair of comfortable pyjamas for her and handed them over, watching as she changed with a grateful smile. 

As she settled into bed, you made sure to pull the covers snuggly over her and tucked her in gently. She nestled into the pillows, closing her eyes wearily as you leant down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead before climbing in right beside her. 

You gently stroked her back, soothing her with your touch, as she drifted off to sleep. The events of the day, the pain and exhaustion, were temporarily forgotten in the safety of your love and care. 

The next morning, Kara slowly opened her eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented. Her head throbbed with a dull ache, and her nose felt stuffy. You woke a few minutes later up to the sound of soft sneezes coming from beside you. Gently opening your eyes, you turned to see Kara sitting up in bed, her nose slightly red and her hand holding a crumpled-up tissue. 

"Goodmorning and bless you," you mumbled sleepily as you slowly woke up and you reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her face. "Do your powers feeling like they’re getting stronger now you’ve slept?” 

Kara sniffled and shrugged, her voice sounding audibly congested. "Not really and I think I'm catching a cold on top of everything else." 

“What happened to your phenomenal immune system, hm?” You asked curiously, the only time you’d ever seen Kara sick was years ago back when she was assistant to Cat Grant so seeing her all red-cheeked and sniffly wasn’t something you were used to. 

Your wife groaned as she sank back down into bed and sniffled into her pillow, “Well without my powers at full capacity my immune system has the strength of a dying battery.”  

“Well then, if you powers need a little boost do you think it’d be a good idea to go to the DEO and sit with their solar lamps for a bit, see if that recharges them? Alex will probably know how to take care of you a little better there too.”  

To your surprise though Kara shook her head and instead curled up into you, prompting you to take her into your arms, not caring as she sniffled against your neck. “I don’t want to go to DEO today.” She mumbled, her voice muffled from the way she refused to lift her head from your body, “I just wanna be with you, no agents, Alex or J’onn fussing.” Her voice hitched off as she turned away from you to sneeze and the small adorable noise of annoyance she made afterwards made your heart melt a little. How could she be so cute? 

“So, you just want a quiet day in then?” You murmured, receiving a subtle nod in return, “Well then, I think we can manage that.” 

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[triforce-of-mischief]

"What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?" Warriors' voice was light and teasing, but Hyrule could tell that he was trying to conceal a note of worry.

"Don' wanna talk about it," the traveler groaned, throwing a hand over his eyes. The light hurt, and he really didn't want to get caught in another sneezing fit.

"We wouldn't have let you push yourself so hard if we had known that you were sick too."

"I said I don't-" Hyrule was interrupted by a sneeze that turned into another, and Warriors gently caught him as he doubled over.

"C'mon, bud. Let's get you to a real bed."

[straightupsickfics]

best friends, ex-friends til the end | royjamie

(better off as lovers)

this is definitely something that i wrote to get out of my own head after thinking about it literally since the show ended.. but maybe someone else will enjoy a little (~2.1k words) sick jamie + reluctantly caring roy kent <3

Sicktember Prompt #2: “What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?”

Jamie really doesn’t think anything of it when most of the lads (...and Ted, Trent, Rebecca, and Higgins) are all out with some kind of mysterious cold throughout the early fall. He felt bad for them, yeah, course, offered to bring Colin and Isaac and Dani soup, even. But it didn’t occur to him that he should be, like, “worried about germs,” or whatever. 

Jamie Tartt never gets sick. 

Like, ever. 

He has an unbeatable immune system, and, according to his mum, he always has. Not that any of his ill teammates seem particularly interested in hearing about that particular fact when he shares it on one of his soup drop offs. Isaac had actually told him to “fuck off outta here with that gloating,” while Colin cough-laughed beside him. 

Well, fine. Jamie knows when he isn’t wanted. He leaves, confident they’d be fine in a few days, no doubt thanks to the soup he’d left them. Then, they can all make their way back to normal on the pitch. The whole dynamic’s been off for weeks with everyone being taken out one by one by this thing, and Jamie’s getting sick of it. He needs everyone there to really dominate the way he’s used to, even if it means he has be “a bit of a fucking prick about it.” (Roy’s words). 

It turns out, all of that ass crack of dawn training is paying off after all. Like, really paying off — Jamie is better and faster than ever now, all thanks to his supreme commitment to the game, and his unmatched talent. 

And Roy’s training. 

Okay, mostly Roy’s training, but he wouldn’t be admitting that much out loud without more than a few pints in him. And since Roy isn’t letting him drink at the moment, Jamie figures he’s in the clear. 

So, yeah, Jamie Tartt’s life is fucking mint as of late. 

Now, leaving Isaac and Colin’s, he looks down at his phone and finds a message from Roy himself, think of the devil. 

Granddad: McAdoo just said you’d been by… WTF are you thinking?? You want to lose a week with whatever fucking bubonic plague’s going around the club???

Jamie: Christ, do you get tired of yelling at me, old man? It’s FINE. Jamie Tartt don’t CATCH the plague 

Granddad: 🙄 If you say so, but don’t come crying to me when you’re laid up in bed you absolute muppet. Get some sleep, I’ll see you at 4:00 AM. 

Jamie: Be there with bells on ♥️

*

The next few days go by in a blur of training, post-training FIFA with Roy, and sleep. He’s been feeling knocked on his ass every night this week, overtired and exhausted in a way he usually isn’t, thanks to Roy’s brutal workout regime, but he can hardly complain with the way he’s been playing. He’s been getting home late most nights, too, always a little reluctant to leave Roy’s and go home to his own empty flat. 

It’s not like Roy seems to mind either, though. He’s been making them dinners almost every night, after all. Or, well, he makes dinner and sets out two plates and doesn’t tell Jamie to get lost, which is basically the same thing, right? It’s nice, having some company. Having Roy for company, has become something he never knew he needed. 

Or maybe he just never let himself even think about asking for it. 

After one such night, Jamie showers and climbs into his bed (empty, always empty, these days, something a former version of himself would never believe let alone enjoy). He thinks about Roy. Thinks, tiredly, how nice it might be if Roy were here now, and then shakes the thought away. Since when does he think about Roy Kent in bed? 

(Since always, he’s had a poster of him over his bed since he was thirteen.) 

Thoughts of Roy are replaced with thoughts about water. His throat’s been dry all day, and a glass of water sounds killer right now, but Jamie’s asleep before he can do anything about it. 

*

Jamie wakes up to something jackhammering. 

No, not jackhammering. It’s his phone, vibrating on his nightstand. 

Fuck, why is it so loud? He pulls himself up to look at it, but he feels like he’s been him by a ton of bricks. Bad idea. He feels like utter shite if he’s honest, like he got hit by a truck in his sleep. His head’s pounding, for one thing, he can’t even think straight, and the dry, scratchy throat from last night has grown into a monster of a sore throat. Plus, he feels sweaty all over. 

Shit.

Roy was going to kill him. 

Shit. Roy. Their training. It’s that thought that gets Jamie into an upright position, at least enough so that he can grab his phone before laying back down with it. There are five missed calls from Granddad, and a handful of texts and other notifications that Jamie ignores for now. 

Somewhere in his scrolling, it hits Jamie that the sun is coming in through his window. It’s almost 8:00 in the morning, and he’s completely missed their training. He’d slept through his alarm, missing the training with Roy, and, judging by how entirely fucked he feels, would likely miss the team training today, too. 

Jamie swallows and winces. His throat feels like he’s swallowing burning knives, but he calls Roy back anyway. 

Roy answers on the first ring, and by some act of Jesus Christ himself, doesn’t sound pissed off. 

“What the fuck, Tartt, are you alright” 

No, he definitely doesn’t sound mad, he sounds… concerned. 

“Mm? Yeah, grand.” Jamie tries to sound relaxed, but his voice sounds awful, hoarse and gravelly and blurred with congestion. 

“Fuuuuck,” is all Roy says for a minute. Then: “Let me in, I’m outside.” 

*

“So, what happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?” Roy says when Jamie finally makes his way to the front door and lets him in. 

Jamie tries to roll his eyes, but even that hurts his head. “First time for everything, yeah? What’re you doin’ here?” 

“You didn’t show up for almost four hours!” Roy explodes. “You weren’t answering your phone, no one had heard from you, I was—” Roy stops himself, looking at Jamie and then away, suddenly finding the cars in the driveway extremely interesting. 

“Aw, you were worried about me,” Jamie supplies. It would be much better if he could actually enjoy this moment, but as it is he feels like he could collapse at any moment, so he holds onto the cool granite of his kitchen island. 

“Fuck off,” Roy growls. 

“You came to me in me hour of need,” Jamie says, then turns to the side and coughs, ruining the moment. 

“To be fair I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere, had to make sure I didn’t need to see about finding a replacement.” 

“I’m irreplaceable, hello? There’s no replacing an icon.” Not that he feels like much of an icon now, with his nose starting to run and an annoying itch starting to form somewhere behind his sinuses. He scrubs a hand over his face, wishing Roy was here in his flat on literally any other morning. 

“Muppet,” Roy says, shaking his head and studying him in a way that always makes Jamie feel all squirmy inside. 

“S-shit, gimme me a second,” Jamie says, breath catching as he turns away and sneezes four times in quick succession. “Hh’itsh! Hpt-ISH! Uh-hu’ishhiew! IshhIEW!” 

“Were those sneezes? Y’sound like Phoebe’s cat when she sneezes.” 

Jamie just groans, turns around, and flops onto the couch. He doesn’t even have the energy to argue with Roy, and he loves arguing with Roy. 

“Bless you, by the way,” Roy says, voice just marginally softer as he follows Jamie to the living room. 

“Sorry I missed training,” Jamie says, voice half lost to the pillow he’s currently trying to disappear into. “Y’can find a new way to punish me for it next week, m’sure.” 

Roy’s quiet for a minute. “Think you get a pass. Team spirit, lookin’ out for the lads when they needed it and all.” 

Jamie lifts his head up, arches an eyebrow. “Thought you said don’t come cryin’ to ya?”

“I came to you, didn’t I?” 

“‘Cause you were worried about me,” Jamie says, smiling despite how bad, well, everything feels just now. 

Roy’s here. Jamie’s flat feels warmer with another person here, which helps, since he’s freezing on top of everything else. 

“Do you have any tea in this place?” Is all Roy says in reply. He’s already back in the kitchen, navigating around Jamie’s cupboards like he lives there, and Jamie’s thinking how nice it all is when he falls asleep again, right there on the couch. 

*

When he wakes up again, Roy is still there, Jamie’s feet in his lap, and it’s much later in the day, he can tell immediately. He must be so sick he’s hallucinating, because there’s no way Roy Kent came over to watch him sleep, covered him with a blanket, and is watching You’ve Got Mail on his TV. 

“Ah, you’re alive. I was starting to think I should call someone,” Roy says when Jamie stirs. “You look like shit. Take that,” Roy continues, pointing to a bottle of something and a glass of water on the coffee table. 

Jamie feels, impossibly, worse than he had this morning, his head feels like it weighs about a million pounds. He doesn’t argue, just swallows the medicine and water and grimaces at Roy.

“Didn’t have to stay here,” Jamie says. His voice is wrecked. 

“Fuck, you sound fucking awful,” Roy says, his hand on Jamie’s ankle — how long had that been there? He moves his thumb up and back absentmindedly, and suddenly it’s all Jamie can focus on. 

What is happening?

“Well, never drank that tea you were on about earlier,” Jamie says.

Roy nods. “Never do want to listen to me,” he says, but his voice is different now, softer. Kinder. Fonder.

“Took the liberty of ordering a takeaway, should be here soon. Soup for you,” Roy says. His hand is still there, warm on Jamie’s ankle. 

“huh-IItshh! IishhIEW!” The sneezes catch Jamie completely off guard, shivering out of him before he can do anything but lean into it. “Sorry,” he mutters, sniffling. He looks pathetic, he knows that, and he’s torn between elation that Roy’s here and complete humiliation. “You’ll be down with this next,” he warns.

“Bless you. Y’really do sneeze like a cat, Tartt.” 

Jamie’s laugh turns into another coughing fit, and when Roy leans up to rub his back, he decides that happiness wins out over embarrassment. 

They’re side by side now, closer than they’d usually sit for FIFA, though not by much. They’d been getting closer in just about every way these last few months, and Jamie realizes he’d like nothing more than to lean into it. Let Roy deal with all of it in that growly, take-charge way he has about everything else. He’d feel better soon if Roy said so, right? 

“Food should be here soon, if you want to close your eyes for a few more minutes. This prick hasn’t put Meg Ryan out of business yet, so…” Roy trails off, eyes trained on the screen rather than Jamie, who nods. His eyes and head are still so heavy. 

Daring a look at Roy out of the corner of his eye, Jamie lets his head rest on his shoulder, sniffling into the soft fabric of Roy’s ubiquitous black t-shirt and yawning. He could get used to this, if he let himself. Whatever this is…

“You’re thinking really fucking loudly,” Roy says, voice impossibly close to his ear. He doesn’t sound mad about it, though, more like amused. Jamie’s still half convinced he’s dreaming this entire day. Jamie Tartt doesn’t get sick, for one thing, and Roy Kent doesn’t play nurse with his players. “Close your eyes.”

“Fine, but only to stop your yelling, Granddad,” Jamie says with another yawn. He doesn’t lift his head from Roy’s shoulder, and Roy doesn’t say anything else, just turns his attention back to the movie.

Jamie’s ninety-nine percent asleep when he feels it, the faintest, softest brush of lips against his sweaty forehead. 

Maybe this is something after all. 

Maybe Roy Kent does play nurse when it matters. 

And maybe Jamie Tartt does get sick, though he decides then and there that it’s not too bad if this is what he gets in return. Pretty fucking mint, in fact. 

[cuddlepilefics]

“What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?“ + Preventative measures not taken

Fandom: Ateez

Sickie: Wooyoung

Caregivers: Mainly Seonghwa & Yeosang

Prompts: @sicktember

No one’s POV.:

Now that summer was slowly coming to an end, Seonghwa was working hard to make sure the group was well prepared for the colder seasons to come. Since they were still travelling a lot and interacted with so many people, there’d naturally be a pretty high risk of the members catching some bug, which would be incredibly inconvenient to their schedules. Besides, living in such close proximity, illness usually spread like wildfire within the group, so they should really make sure all of them were in good health. Seonghwa was the most adamant about making their lifestyle as healthy as it could be with the long working hours and little amount of sleep. Not having to worry about the members not exercising enough, he merely reminded them not to skip out on the veggies in their meals and to not stay up unnecessarily late if it wasn’t for their work.

He eventually got his hands on some ginger shots, which were supposed to boost the immune system and would hopefully keep the members from falling ill. Sure, they didn’t taste that great and some of the members made sure to tell him that every morning but they usually just knocked the back to get it over with. Hongjoong would rarely ever let himself be stopped from working late no matter how hard Seonghwa tried to get him to rest, so if it put his hyung’s mind at ease, the leader would gladly accept the ginger shot. The only one complaining about it every morning was Wooyoung. There had even been a fight one morning, the dancer still half asleep as they had to head out to their schedule. He couldn’t be bothered with something that disgusting so early in the morning. Wanting to keep the peace, Seonghwa dropped the topic but eventually realized how his dongsaeng had started to adjust his daily routine to ensure he’d already be gone from the dorm by the time the rest of the group had to get up and ready. Wooyoung simply didn’t see a point in drinking such a vile tasting liquid. Sure, it had the reputation of being healthy but so were vegetables. If he made sure to always add some veggies to his meals, he’d be fine.

Not wanting the other to go without his daily dose of vitamins, Seonghwa had resorted to measuring some of the ginger shots into little bottles, which he carried around with him. That way, he could give them to Wooyoung one per day, though he knew the younger wasn’t too enthusiastic about them. “Hyung, seriously, I have a good immune system and I eat all my veggies. I don’t need some weird potion to stay healthy. I can do that on my own”, the dancer argued when Seonghwa approached him during one of their practice sessions. He knew his hyung was only trying to watch out for him but he sure was a bit pushy.

Though annoyed, Wooyoung eventually accepted the small bottle but when the oldest wasn’t looking, he simply slipped it into his bag before continuing with their practice. The dancer wouldn’t have thought it that easy to fool Seonghwa but somehow it worked, so he continued accepting the ginger shots when his hyung handed them to him only to make them disappear. It was only when Yeosang glanced at his friend’s open bag one evening when they returned to their room that someone noticed. “Hang on”, the older chuckled, “You’re not taking those ginger shots?” Though the tips of his ears turned pink at being caught, Wooyoung shook his head. When Yeosang raised an eyebrow at him, he explained: “I absolutely can’t stand the taste nor can I stand the way it makes my throat burn. My immune system is good already, so the discomfort isn’t worth it.” – “You’re not wrong”, Yeosang hummed, his lips twitching into a smile, “It does taste gross. I always drink lots of water after to rinse it down. It’s good for me and if it eases hyung’s mind a little, why not….” He wouldn’t tell his friend what to do though as he figured everyone should choose how to take care of themselves.

Seonghwa was proud to say that so far, none of the members had caught as much as a little cold. All of them seemed to be on top of their health. Well, the members he saw anyway. He hadn’t seen Wooyoung in quite sometime and only for short durations. They had alternating schedules and the younger was barely around the dorm, so Seonghwa couldn’t be sure but figuring his dongsaeng was drinking his ginger shots like everyone else there was no reason he shouldn’t be well. Wooyoung however hadn’t been feeling too great for the past two days. Having woken up to a sore throat, he had decided to skip his early morning workout and instead stop by a small café before meeting up with the others for their schedule. He ordered himself some tea along with a small breakfast, so he’d hopefully have the energy to get through a full day of work.

When they met up for dance practice, Yeosang greeted him quietly. They were stretching next to each other, so the older hummed: “You got enough sleep last night, Woo? Those circles under your eyes look rather dark.” – “I’m kinda tired but it’s alright”, Wooyoung whispered, afraid his friend would notice his voice sounding a little rough if he tried to speak up. Plus, he didn’t want any of the members catching on to him not being on top of his game. It wasn’t hard to catch on though. San too did so pretty fast. Of course, he’d notice Wooyoung being quiet, even more so when the younger wasn’t fooling around with him during the breaks at all. Since Wooyoung obviously wasn’t in the mood for their usual bickering, San took a seat next to him during one of the breaks. Without a word, Wooyoung downed a few sips of water before dropping his head onto his hyung’s shoulder. “You okay?”, San asked softly as he linked their fingers. Not thinking himself able to lie to the older, Wooyoung admitted: “My head hurts a bit.”

He startled when cold fingers grazed his cheek. “I mean, we’re all warm from dancing but I don’t know. You do feel like you might be running a fever”, San whispered, making sure Wooyoung was the only one able to hear him. The younger gave the tiniest of nods. It was pretty likely that he had a fever with the way his body ached and how weak his muscles felt. He had gotten lightheaded a bunch of times too, so he was pretty sure San’s guess was on. Gently squeezing his friend’s hand, San hummed: “You shouldn’t be practicing then. Do you want me to tell hyungs, so you can go home and rest?” Wooyoung tiredly shook his head, closing his eyes to give them a break from the bright ceiling light. “I’d get scolded for refusing to take precautions”, he breathed, rubbing his temples. When San looked at him confused, he added: “I didn’t listen to Seonghwa-hyung and don’t wanna hear his ‘I told you so’.”

Yeosang was no fool either. He knew Wooyoung was feeling worse than he would let on and the glossy look in his eyes clearly indicated a fever. Not wanting to call him out in front of the group, all Yeosang could do was make sure the younger drank enough water. By the time their practice session was over, Wooyoung was certain he had sweat out all the water he had drunk. His shirt clung to his body and his hair was plastered to his forehead. He couldn’t help but shiver as the aircon blew cold air down on him. Sweaty as he was, there was no way he could attend the rest of their schedule without taking a shower first, so while the rest of the group went to eat lunch, he rushed back to the dorm to take a quick shower.

Cringing as he peeled off his sweaty shirt, Wooyoung glanced at the mirror and was shocked at how awful he looked. Yeosang had put it lightly when talking about the bags under his eyes. Wooyoung quickly took his temperature and sighed at the reading before stepping into the shower. He set the water temperature lower than he would’ve liked, hoping to bring his fever down a bit. Maybe if he wasn’t burning up, his head wouldn’t hurt as badly. His plan backfired badly and Wooyoung found himself trembling with chills as he stepped out of the shower. No matter how tightly he wrapped the towel around himself, it just wouldn’t warm him in the slightest. Desperate to get warm again, he hurried to dry off and get dressed. His head pounded as he coughed into his towel trying to get rid of the itch in his throat. There’d barely be any time for him to eat before he’d have to attend the next part of his schedule but he really should get something into his stomach, just for the sake of taking medicine.

Exiting the bathroom, Wooyoung put his hood up to cover his damp hair when he almost had a heart attack. There at the dining table stood Seonghwa unpacking a takeout bag. “Holy shit! Hyung, you scared me”, Wooyoung gasped, touching his chest. He himself was shocked at how scratchy his voice had come out, avoiding eye contact as he feared the other’s reaction. Snorting at the comment, Seonghwa asked: “Well, I did bring you lunch, though I’m kinda curious…. What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?” Utterly speechless, Wooyoung could only stare at the older. “I’m not dumb, you know”, Seonghwa sighed, stepping forward to feel his dongsaeng’s forehead, “Hongjoong cleared your schedule for the rest of today and tomorrow. We’ll see how you feel by then but for now, the best you can do is get some rest.” Wooyoung still avoided eye contact, feeling ashamed of himself. The fever might have played a role too but he couldn’t help the tears spilling down his flushed cheeks.

Wooyoung expected his hyung to be mad at him, so he tensed when he was pulled into a hug. “I picked up some soup, so please eat something and take medicine, yeah?”, Seonghwa whispered, rubbing the dancer’s back, “I hate seeing any of you in pain and I know I can be overbearing at times but please take care of yourself.” Afraid his voice would crack if he spoke, Wooyoung only nodded against the other’s shoulder. Sadly, Seonghwa couldn’t stay much longer as his lunchbreak was almost over. The younger couldn’t help but let a few more tears fall as he was alone again. He hated to be alone when he wasn’t feeling well but to be fair, it was partly his own fault that he wasn’t feeling well. This time, Wooyoung would listen to his hyung though. Sniffling back his tears, he slowly ate his soup before downing some medicine. He wasn’t sure, he’d be able to sleep though. Shuffling to their room, Wooyoung opened Yeosang’s closet and pulled out one of his friend’s sweaters. If the older couldn’t cuddle him right now, he’d have to cuddle something that smelled like him.

Seonghwa was deep in thought as he went about his schedule, so he startled when a hand appeared on his shoulder. “What’s on your mind, hyung?”, Yeosang asked quietly as he took a seat next to the oldest. Furrowing his brows, Seonghwa muttered: “How did Woo manage to get sick while nobody else is?” – “Haven’t you guessed?”, the younger chuckled, “Did you ever see him drink his ginger shots?” It finally dawned on Seonghwa and the oldest rested his head in his hands, realizing he should’ve watched instead of trusting the dancer to drink it. “You know how some children have a strong hatred for brushing their teeth, especially with adult toothpaste?”, Yeosang hummed, “It’s not necessarily the act of doing so, that’s the problem but rather the intense taste of the toothpaste. Give them some strawberry-flavored kids toothpaste and suddenly it isn’t so bad….” – “You mean he always argued about it because of the taste and not because he truly believed his immune system to be that great”, Seonghwa asked, finally putting the pieces together. The younger nodded. He knew his friend quite well after all those years, so he could tell: “He tolerates ginger tea with lemon but only if you put lots of honey in it. Without the sweetness, he can’t stand the taste.”

That was exactly what Yeosang prepared as soon as they got back to the dorm. Steaming cup in hand, he went to the room he shared with Wooyoung and Jongho. “Woo?”, Yeosang hummed as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. He smiled when he realized what the younger was cuddling with. Placing the cup onto the nightstand, Yeosang felt his friend’s forehead, displeased to find it still hot to the touch. Wooyoung groaned as he stretched his sore body, rasping: “You’re back.” – “Mhm, you’re not doing much better, hm?”, the older cooed, brushing a strand of hair out of the other’s face. Still sleepy, Wooyoung shook his head, giving a hoarse whine when Yeosang teasingly tugged on the sweater he was holding. “How about I give you some real cuddles once I’ve taken a shower?”, he offered, getting to his feet, so he could pick out some fresh clothes. Sniffling into his sleeve, Wooyoung pouted: “Please, I’ve been lonely all afternoon.” – “Aigoo, I’ll be back in a bit, okay?”, Yeosang cooed, giving the younger a short wave before disappearing to the bathroom.

As Wooyoung waited for his friend to return, the bedroom door opened and Seonghwa quietly slipped into the room. “Hey, how are you feeling, Woo?”, the oldest asked, feeling Wooyoung’s forehead. The dancer only gave an uncertain shrug but relaxed into the cool touch. Carefully combing the younger’s hair back with his fingers, Seonghwa draped a cool washcloth over the boy’s forehead and hummed: “Might help bring your fever down a bit or at least soothe the headache.” – “Thanks, hyung. ‘m sorry for being difficult”, Wooyoung breathed, avoiding the other’s eyes. “You’re not being difficult”, Seonghwa disagreed in a soft tone, “Why didn’t you tell me you struggle with the ginger taste so much?” – “’s embarrassing”, the younger slurred, avoiding eye contact. Pulling something from his pocket, Seonghwa smiled: “A little childish maybe but so are you. I picked up some vitamin gummies on the way home. They’re supposed to taste like candy, so they might be easier for you to take.” Wooyoung thanked him quietly, relaxing as his hyung played with his hair till Yeosang arrived to give the cuddles he had promised.

[snaillamp]

Sicktember - day 3

3. "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?”

Leader sniffed slightly, wiping their nose. Right-hand shot them a look as they peered through their binoculars at the chemical plant. “How silent of you…” They teased, only for Leader to shoot them an equally dirty look back. They put their hand to their lips, gesturing with their eyes at the plant, before returning to watch it.

Both of them were lying on their stomachs, peeking through a rather thorny bush at a chemical plant rumoured to be manufacturing illegal substances, substances that could cause havoc if released into the general population. It was imperative that they were not caught. However, the night was cold, and the compacted dirt had been warm when they arrived, just after sundown, but had now become freezing.

‘Guess that’s the desert…’ Thought Right-hand as they glanced at Leader. They looked a bit pale, that was probably the moonlight washing them out, but something was off in their eyes, they weren’t looking as sharp as usual.

After a couple more minutes of watching the plant, the two of them decided to leave, making their way to the pickup point. Soon they were far enough away from the plant to be able to walk, Right-hand picked up their pace as Leader tagged along behind.

“You sure you’re okay?” Right-hand asked, wiping some dust from their front. All it did was smear the mark further into the fibers of the fabric. “Hmm?” Leader looked up, sniffing again. “What? Yeah, no, I-I’m fine, just tired and cold.” Right-hand frowned, walking up to Leader and wrapping their arms around their shoulders, pulling them closer to their own body heat. Leader felt pretty warm already, maybe slightly too warm as they leaned into their friend.

“Are you sick?” Right-hand asked, looking at Leader. Leader blinked, looking up at them in surprise. “What? No, like i said, just tired. It’s been a long, boring, cold night so…” They smiled at Right-hand. “Besides, you know I never get sick, I have a phenomenal immune system.”

They flashed their signature grin, as the two of them wandered over to the rock by the side of the road they were supposed to wait by. Leader sat down on it, wrapping their arm around their stomach and hunching over, trying to keep warm.

“You sure you’re not coming down with something?” Right-hand asked, sitting beside them. Leader nodded, “Yeah. I’m fine. The cold ground just... made me cold.” They sat up straight, trying to look relaxed as they waited for the pickup. In the distance, they could see a pair of lights flick on.

The large, black car pulled up, the door opening quickly. Leader and Right-hand piled in, smiling at the team inside, who clapped them on their backs and cheered. The driver took off down the dusty road, back towards their base, the mission had been a roaring success. Leader and Right-hand sank down into the leather seats at the back of the SUV, speaking in hushed tones to a guy with a laptop, sharing everything they had seen.

“It looked like a shipment of chemicals came in at 22:4-” Leader was suddenly cut off by a small hiccup. They blinked in surprise, looking at Right-hand who melted. “Aww, did you hiccup?” They teased, “I had no idea your hiccups were so adorablllllllle.” Leader shot them a dirty look going slightly pink. Right-hand was like an annoying older sibling to them, they teased each other relentlessly, and it seemed like Right-hand had just discovered new ammunition.

“It’s not -hic- cute…” Leader grumbled, crossing their arms over their chest and pouting. Leader felt a little self conscious, they had an image to uphold. They couldn’t be Leader, the fearless fighter, skilled tactician and the adorable hiccups… The computer guy smirked, his face illuminated by the screen. “They are pretty cute.” Leader was glad the car was dim, as their cheeks burned with embarrassment.

They sighed, trying to swallow their hiccups as they recounted the rest of the information.

“As I was saying…” They began, glaring at both Right-hand and the computer guy.

“At 22:46, an unmarked, white -hic- van came into the fac -hic- facility.” They scowled at the interruption of their hiccups. “It had -hic- not plates and no identify -hic- identifying marks.” Leader rested their right hand on their stomach a little, noticing that it felt strange. ‘Probably just from lying on the ground in the same position for hours.’ They told themself, but they couldn’t help the feeling creeping in the back of their mind.

Leader got the hiccups every time they got sick, but that never happened. They were healthy, they kept themself to a strict schedule of rest and training, they couldn’t have caught something… Their stomach seemed to say otherwise, as it growled quietly. Right-hand looked at Leader, who looked down at their abdomen. “You hungry?” Computer guy asked, picking up a half eaten burger from a fast food place.

It seemed that the SUV had made a quick pitstop.

The thought of eating something right now made Leader feel slightly woozy. They shook their head, “I’ll have something later. -hic- Anyway, the van was -hic- full of barrels, and they ha -hic- had what appeared to be some kind of war -hic- ning labe -hic- label on them -hic-.” Leader sighed and hiccuped as the computer guy and Right-hand quietly snorted. This was hilarious, at least to them.

All it did was fill Leader with a sinking feeling of dread. ~~ When the SUV pulled up at their destination, everyone clambered out, tired from the long trip. Leader’s hiccups had ceased about an hour before, but now they were beginning to feel jittery. They followed everyone into the debrief room, their head feeling thick. Coughing a little, they felt their throat begin to ache, but they pushed it down and plastered on a serious face as everyone sat down for their debrief in the conference room.

It only lasted 10 minutes, but they were 10 long, agonising minutes. Leader wrapped their arms around their middle and hunched over as everyone began speaking, discussing further plans and strategies., whilst Leader focused on trying to swallow a rising coughing fit.

“What do you think Leader?” One of the people who had been talking asked them, Leader looking up, not realising they had zoned out. “Huh?” Their voice was quiet and hollow sounding as they sat up straighter, looking at the plan doodled on the white board behind the speaker.

They flashed over the plan with their eyes, nodding, the motion making their headache worse. Clearing their throat and trying to sound as normal as possible they spoke. “It’s good. Though I think you need to infiltrate from the west. That way their defence will be looking directly into the setting sun. It’ll give us the advantage-“ They were choked off by a rising cough, harsh and deep. They covered their mouth with their elbow, before clearing their throat again.

“That… that’s actually a really good idea. Thanks, Leader.” Leader nodded again, grimacing as they felt headache knock around in their skull. They gripped the edge of the table they were sitting at, trying to ignore the annoying buzzing coming from the light above their head as they listened. It was all becoming a bit of a blur.

The next thing they knew, everyone was standing and leaving the room. Right-hand inched over tentatively as Leader pushed themself up onto their feet, trying to stop their arms and legs shaking like jelly. The world felt strange, tilting slightly as a cold flush washed down their body.

“Leader? Are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit… pale.” Right-hand chose their words carefully, trying not to suggest the ’s’ word.

They knew Leader would refuse to admit they were sick to Right-hand, even if they were puking their guts up in front of them. They had known Leader long enough to know that they hated being sick. It rarely happened, but when it did, it hit Leader harder than most people. They would jokingly brag about how they never got sick, but Right-hand always got the feeling it was partly to hide their anxiety about it.

Right now, Leader was swaying slightly, staring blankly at the table below them, pressing their fingertips into it. They were still slightly coated in a layer of dust, specks of it dusting their messy hair. Right-hand watched as Leader turned their head slowly, inhaling deeply and looking at them square on. “I’m fine.” They lied. “Just tired.” Right-hand looked skeptical.

“Come on, I’m taking you home.” They wrapped their arm around Leader, guiding them on their shaking legs towards the door. They could tell by the way Leader was tensing their muscles that they were trying to stop their body shaking. Leader leaned into Right-hand a little, sighing, their hot breath tickling Right-hand’s skin... It was very hot breath... It shouldn’t be that hot.

“You are sick!” Right-hand couldn’t stop themself, their accusing tone rising, as they looked at Leader’s glassy eyed stare.

“‘Nnnnuuhh ‘mmm not…” Leader mumbled, taking another step. Their legs fell from under them as they shuddered, sniffing hard. Their nose was clogging up rapidly, and all the sniffing was making it worse. Right-hand steadied them before pulling them close. “Hold on.” They said, trying to keep Leader from pulling away.

Right-hand managed to get Leader to the car, strapping them into the passenger seat and shutting the door. When they got around to the drivers side, Leader was leaning their head against the cold glass of the door window, their breath condensing on it in slowly forming clouds. Their eyes were shut as they sat there, Right-hand unsure if they were even conscious.

Leader jumped when the car rumbled to life, ‘Wait… when did I get in here?’ They thought to themself looking to Right-hand with bleary eyes. Nausea hit them like a wave as they slumped back into the seat, half lidded eyes staring at the road in front of them.

The sun was rising and the sky was slowly turning from back to a dusky blue.

~~

When they got back to the barracks, Leader pushed themself out of the seat and stumbled inside. All they wanted was to shower and sleep.

“Hey!” Right-hand called out.

“What?!” Leader whirled around, stumbling as they became unbalanced. They steadied themself, before glaring at Right-hand. “What…?” They breathed, chest rising and falling rapidly as they tried to catch their breath.

Right-hand shook their head. “Leader… Please, just admit you’re sick and let me help you. For god’s sake, you can’t do this on your own, you can hardly stand!” Leader grimaced, scowling. “I just wanna have a shower and sleep…” Their hollow whispering voice wavered, making Right-hand concerned.

Leader turned and staggered slowly through the door, leaning on the walls to get into the living area. They collapsed on the sofa curling up and hugging their stomach, shaking badly. They couldn’t move, they were so achy and cold. They felt so lightheaded, they could hardly see. A blurry shape appeared in their vision, getting closer and closer. “Leader?” Right-hand’s voice broke through the ringing in their ears that they hadn’t noticed had started.

All Leader could do was softly moan, the nausea overcoming them as the world tilted around them. “I thought you were going to have a shower?” Right-hand prodded their shoulder. Sweat was pouring from Leader’s forehead as they looked up at Right-hand, slowly rolling onto their back. It was more comfortable like that. “Yeah… ‘m jusss… restin’ my eyes for a seconmnnmmmgghhh…”

Leader’s lightheadedness seemed to get worse and they squeezed their eyes shut, their arms squeezing their stomach harder. They gritted their teeth and groaned softly, shuddering as a cold chill overcame them.

“Hhhgnn…” The sound slipped from Leader's lips as they shook, making Right-hand touch their chest, feeling their racing heartbeat.

Leader thought it was nice, feeling something so warm on their body.

Right-hand hummed, picking up Leader and carrying them to their room. Leader was half aware that they had been picked up, weakly mumbling as they tried to twist out of Right-hand’s arms. “Mmm…no… put me down… I can… walk my…myself…” Right-hand held them tighter to their chest, hushing them.

“Shh, sh, sh, shhhh. You need to be in bed.” Leader whined, their chest rising and falling with great effort as they tried to breathe through the waves of nausea, threatening to make them hurl.

~~

Right-hand got Leader to their room, gently laying them out on their bed and removing their shoes. Leader jerked suddenly, feeling their left boot slide off. They turned their head, looking around in confusion. “When did I get in here…?” They glanced at Right-hand, who pulled their right boot off. “Right-hand…? Whaddareyoudoing…? When… when diiii I ge… ngh…” A coughing fit surged up Leader’s throat, making them hack up their lungs violently.

Their head felt funny as they finished coughing, sniffing a drop of snot back up into their nose. Right-hand helped Leader shift under the sheets, Leader not even having the energy to fight anymore as Right-hand lay a blanket over them. They felt cold, making Leader shake even more, but their weight was comforting to Leader, who’s eyes slid shut. They were vaguely aware of Right-hand brushing a hand over their forehead, the sensation sending prickles over Leader’s skin.

“Get some sleep Leader…” Right-hand whispered, before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind them. They walked over to Medic’s door, timidly knocking on it. They knew Medic liked their sleep, and felt bad for waking them, but they needed them to check on Leader.

The door swung open suddenly, revealing a pissed Medic. They were wearing an oversized t-shirt that hung off their frame and sagging sweatpants, loose around their hips. They narrowed their eyes, “What? It’s 5 am. I swear to everything that is sacred if you drank another smoothie, I will shove the lactase up your ass…” They trailed off as they saw the look on Right-hand’s face, their own face suddenly looking scared.

“Right-hand…” They whispered. “Where’s Leader… A-a-are they okay?” Medic’s hand’s shook as they took a step forward. Right-hand nodded, lifting a finger to their lips and leading them to Leader’s room. Medic let out a sigh of relief when they saw Leader sleeping in their bed, safe and warm. Something seemed off though, and they looked to Right-hand frowning. “Why are they breathing like that?” They murmured, venturing into Leader’s room, being careful not to wake them up.

Right-hand hovered in the doorway, anxiously waiting as Medic brushed their hand over Leader’s forehead. “Shit.” Medic whispered. “They’re burning up. Help me cool them down.” They beckoned Right-hand over pulling back the sheets and wrestling Leader’s drenched shirt off them.

Leader turned their head, mumbling in annoyance, sleepily trying to push Medic’s hand away, but they only managed to lift their arm before it flopped onto their soaked, heaving chest. Right-hand watched as Leader’s chest rose and fell, Leader’s gasping breaths filling their ears. A moan broke them out of their stupor as Leader opened their eyes.

Almost immediately, they rolled back again, Leader’s head lolling to the side as their body went limp. Medic was checking their pulse and breathing, Right-hand standing around awkwardly. “Go get me my notebook, it’s in my first aid kit under my bed.” Medic ordered, not looking up from Leader.

Right-hand returned, Medic reaching out for the notebook. They jotted down some numbers before sighing, opening the curtains so they could see. The gentle morning sun lit up the room and Leader groaned, lifting their arm and resting it over their eyes. Their cheeks were flushed pink, their exposed chest shining with sweat. Right-hand had never seen someone this sick before.

~~

The rest of the team soon woke up, passing by Right-hand as they went to bed. Right-hand had left Medic to keep an eye on Leader in case they got worse, but what they needed right now was to shower and sleep, just like Leader had wanted. Leader had taken to passing in and out every few minutes, mumbling deliriously about something unintelligible. They kept kicking their sheets off and crying out quietly, squeezing their eyes tighter together as they rode out the nausea.

Right-hand awoke hours later, shuffling into Leader’s room to check on them. Medic was no where to be found, but Leader was lying there, half conscious and moaning softly. They turned their head and opened their eyes a little as they heard Right-hand enter, staring vacantly at them. "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?” Right-hand teased, chuckling nervously.

Somewhere, deep down, Leader knew they were trying to ease the tension. “Hhhhhh…” Was all Leader could manage to answer, sounding half amused at the joke. Leader’s breath was hot against there lips as they parted them, fighting to stay conscious. Right-hand came over, looking down at them as they smiled weakly. “Fuck off…” They whispered, their voice hoarse.

Right-hand smirked, “Glad to see you’re feeling better.” Leader closed their eyes slowly. “Nnnnh…Medic… gave me… something… Makes me feel weird…” They whispered, opening their eyes again. “Did you… sleep?” Right-hand nodded. “Lucky… bastard…” Leader choked on a cough, wheezing as they pushed themself up with Right-hand’s help. They gasped for air between coughs, trying desperately to calm their breathing, their head spinning.

Medic came hurtling into the room at the sound, rushing to Leader’s side. They looked into Leader’s desperate eyes before the coughing seemed to calm, and Leader collapsed forwards, wheezing as they caught their breath. “Leader, I don’t like this… You should be in hospital.” Leader shook their head. “No…” They rasped, “No… hospital…” Their pleading eyes looked at Medic, who clicked their tongue and lay Leader back down. “I’m gonna run you a bath, you’re still caked in dust, it’s making your coughing worse. Right-hand, get them some new clothes ready while they wait.” Right-hand nodded, going to Leader’s closet.

Leader groaned, pushing themself up. “Nah… Let me… do it… You don’t… you don’t have to…” They were overcome with another coughing fit, the coughs reverberating in their chest. “Ugh…” They moaned, wiping off the mucus on their elbow with their shirt.

Medic materialised out of nowhere, piping up from the doorway and causing both Right-hand and Leader to jump. “Bath’s ready.” Leader sighed as Right-hand and Medic helped them walk to the awaiting bath. Leader had their arms slung over both their shoulders, their legs shaking as they walked. The rest of the team was hovering nearby, looking worried.

Leader hung their head, ashamed. They didn't want the team to see them like this. They were supposed to be the leader of the team, unstoppable, infallible and strong, not weak and hardly able to walk. How were the team supposed to take them seriously when they were so weak? They shuddered, cold rushing over them again. This was hell.

~~

Medic and Right-hand helped them slip from their sweat stained clothes, causing Leader to blush.

They didn't want help, they could undress themself. They weren’t a baby. But when they lowered Leader into the warm water, Leader sighed. They lay back, closing their eyes in bliss as their friends gently worked the dust out of their pores and hair, and breathing in the steam that cleared their sinuses a little.

The next thing minute, they were being wrapped in warm, fluffy towels and being slowly dried. It was so nice to not have to do anything and just… relax… The world stopped spinning as they were helped into their new, fresh clothes and practically carried back to bed. Their head nodded as they were carried, eyes fluttering in an effort to keep them open.

When they awoke again, it was dark and their chest was feeling slimy. They let out a wet cough, trying to sit, but they were so comfy and warm… they could afford to stay under the sheets for a few more minutes.

Medic peeked around the door, checking in. “I though I heard you wake up. How are you feeling?” Leader groaned, their throat hurt too much to try and speak and their arms were so heavy…

~~

“They keep passing out. Should we be worried?” Right-hand’s voice echoed somewhere over them. “Hmm, if they deteriorate any further, yes. I don’t want to upset them further, you know what they are like with hospitals.”

Right-hand hummed in agreement, their voice getting more and more distant. Leader tried calling out for Medic and Right-hand to help, managing to open their eyes briefly. All they could see was bright blur pass by their vision before their eyes slid shut.

“Nnhhghh…”

The blood suddenly drained from Leader’s face as the world faded from their vision. Right-hand’s eyes widened as Leader’s eyes rolled back and their head lolling to the side as they went limp. “Shit.” Medic shook Leader, trying to wake them, but it did nothing.

“Help me get them up.” Medic spoke suddenly, pressing a finger into Leader’s neck. Their eyes went wide. “Now Right-hand!” Medic barked at Right-hand making them jump, before they scooped Leader into their arms, rushing for the door. They carried their team leader out into the hallway, looking at Medic, who ushered them on. “Car, hospital, now!” They snapped, rushing to the barracks door and ripping it open.

The barracks were really small apartments that the teams lived in communally. Everyone got their own small room and shared a bathroom and kitchen. That meant that everyone hand seen what had just happened, glancing nervously at each other from across the apartment.

Throwing Leader into the back of their car, Right-hand raced over to the wheel, Medic climbing in the back with Leader. “Their pulse is shit, resps too. God dammit Right-hand drive!”

Leader managed to open their eyes, suddenly aware of sounds around them. They couldn’t hold them open for more than a few seconds, even though they could hear someone telling them to stay awake… They could have a little nap. Just a few minutes… they were so tired… they just…just a couple of minutes…

Leader hummed as they fell back into oblivion, feeling like the world had disappeared, replaced with a rollercoaster that was suddenly flying down a steep dip.

“No, no Leader, stay awake for me.” Medic begged, jostling Leader as they passed out again. Their body was radiating heat, they were flushed and sweating… Their heart was threatening to jump out of their chest and their breaths were faint and gasping. Medic began feeling sick as they looked at their friend in front of them, unable to do anything.

~~

Looking up at the sensation of the car stopping, they glanced out the window. They were here. The tension their backflipping stomach eased a little, at least Leader would now get some much needed medicine. Right-hand yanked Leader out of the back of the car and carried their body towards the door. Their head and limps dangled heavily, swaying with each movement of Right-hand. Medic was by their side in an instant, rushing forwards into the ER.

When they got in the door Medic was arguing with the receptionist, who’s jaw dropped when she saw the state Leader was in. Picking up a phone, she called someone, speaking quickly as she eyed Leader’s condition. Right-hand looked at Leader’s exposed neck, their muscles contracting with every breath. Usually, when they were sick, they out for the count for a week and then right as rain by the beginning of the next, maybe with a remaining sniffle. But this… judging by Medic’s reaction was worse than bad…

Leader was deathly ill, and there wasn’t anything they could do.

They looked up at the sound of a stretcher being wheeled over, and a masked clad doctor muttered to Right-hand to put Leader on it. They carefully lay them down, watching as they were whisked away, an oxygen mask already slipped over their face. Medic came to their side, panting. “Come here…” They mumbled, pulling Right-hand into a hug.

They waited together as the rest of the team arrived, all looking pale and scared. The doctor came out to speak to them, Medic pulling them aside and talking in hushed voices. They nodded, coming over and taking a shake breath. “They’re okay.” The team let out a collective sigh, “But… they have a pretty brutal infection in their lungs, they’ll have to be kept under until the infection clears, and given the state of them right now, it’s gonna be a while.”

~~

Leader awoke, feeling strange but nice, so they kept their eyes shut, enjoying the fuzzy warm feeling washing over them. They could hear a beeping in the back of their mind. Medic but be hate watching another hospital drama. They sighed, thinking about how they would have to get out of their warm, comfy bed to drag them to their room and force them to sleep, trying to prevent them from ranting about how the surgeon had his stethoscope on backwards again.

They sighed, opening their eyes and looking around.

This didn’t look like their room… “Huh…?” They mumbled quietly. They coughed, reaching up to rub their throat. It felt like they had swallowed a cheese grater. A tug on their hand made them glance at it, and they froze.

“Medic… why is there an IV in my hand?” They whispered, voice hoarse and hollow. Medic sometimes liked to practice doing IV’s on Leader cause they apparently had ‘difficult veins’, but they didn’t remember giving Medic permission to…

It dawned on Leader where they were when a nurse walked over. “Hi.” She whispered. “I’m Jane, I’m your nurse. We thought you’d be awake soon.” Leader stared at Jane’s face, blurring in and out of focus as they sank back into the bed, hoping it would consume them.

“Your friend said you might not be having such a great time when you wake up, but that’s okay. If you want anything, just call me by pressing this.” Jane placed a button in Leader’s hand. “You’ve been very sick. Do you understand?” Leader blinked, thinking over her words. “Sick?” They tried asking, but their voice could only croak.

Jane smiled, exhaling softly through her nose. “Yes. You’ve been very sick. They put you on a ventilator until your infection cleared up. You’ll have to hang out for a few more days, but then we can let you go home.” Leader felt their stomach sink. “How… long…?” Jane patted Leader’s shoulder. “Apparently you were pretty sick for two days before you were brought in. You were on the ventilator for a week.” Leader nodded, half understanding those words, right now they wanted nothing more than to sleep and pretend they weren’t in hospital. That way they could go home…

They blinked a few times, tiredly, before jumping slightly. Jane had been replaced with their team, all sitting silently, waiting for them to wake up. But they hadn’t even slept? Jane the nurse was with them two seconds ago?

“Wait… where’s the nurse?” They rasped looking around for her. “What are you talking about Leader?” Medic chuckled, “You’ve been asleep all day.” Leader blinked in surprise, looking at their team. They felt fine, so they sat up, only for a headache to immediately set in.

Groaning, they lay back down. “Take it easy.” Medic murmured, placing a comforting hand on Leader’s shoulder. They could feel Medic’s fingers squeeze them gently, sighing as they closed their eyes. “I feel… like shit…” They croaked.

The team all smirked, “Yeah, that figures.” Right-hand muttered.

“Well, glad to see you on the mend Leader, oh and… I thought you’d like to know, you’ve been selected to lead the raid on the plant. The higher ups like the idea so much that they want you in charge. When you're better, of course.” Leader felt a zing, they had been hoping that would happen.

They grinned, the nasal cannula on their nose slipping a little. They hadn’t realised it was even there. Pushing it back up they looked up at Right-hand with renewed vigour. “Well, that’s all the motivation I need.” They glanced at an alarmed looking Medic. “You better help me rest up. I wanna be ready for this.”

Medic’s shoulders dropped with relief, “Anything you need, Leader, you just let me know.” Leader chucked, “Good… Now fuck off so I can sleep…” They groaned, getting comfy.

They pulled their blankets up higher, shutting their eyes and sighing. Maybe hospital wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

~masterlist~

[somber-sapphic]

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎Sicktember Masterlist 2023

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

1. Hopelessly Bad at Self-Care - WandaNat x Reader, Sick Nat and Reader

1. Quest For A Cure - Sick Natasha x Reader

3. "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?" - Sick Lena x Reader

7. You're a Jerk When You're Sick - Jemily

8. Persistent Fever - Natasha x Sick Reader

9. White Coat Syndrome - Carina x Sick Reader

10. “The only place we’re going is to the pharmacy” - Wanda x Sick Reader

12. Fuzzy Socks - Kara x Sick Lena

[rainisawriter]

Sick for You (Ryu) {Sicktember 2023}

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━━

Genre: Fluff, slice of life, angst, comfort, domestic, comedy, romance

Word Count: 8,564

Pairing: First Person x Ryu

World: The Rampage

A/N: Okay, let me say that this is 100 million percent self-indulgent because I am a certified Ryu simp. I would die for this man, okay. This also took like a week to write lmao and it was written for @sicktember 2023. I wasn’t originally gonna do anything for this because of Flufftober but then this idea hit me like a freight train c: Also shout out to Kels (@babyboybinbin), Dia (@sieunkinnie) and Sweet (@xsweetelegantdisasterx) for letting me abuse them in this fic~ I regret nothing ò.ó)

Prompts (in order): #11 -Beginner’s Guide to Faking Sick / #18 – “Wear your coat, you’ll catch a cold.” / #4 – Hiding An Illness / Alt #3 – Pounding Headache / #23 – Coughing Fit / #16 – Consulting the Internet/Web MD / #19 – Curled Up With A Pet / #8 – Persistent Fever / Alt #4 – Forehead Kisses / #12 – Home Remedy/Old Wives Tale / #21 – “But if you stay, you’ll get sick too.” / #24 – “Did you just sneeze?” / #3 – “What happened to your phenomenal immune system?” / Alt #1 – “I could really use a hug right about now.”

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

Light streamed through the curtains, landing conveniently across my eyes and bringing me from my sleep. I looked at the clock through blurry eyes, realizing that I needed to get up soon for work but I really didn’t want to. My bed was so comfy and the body wrapped around my own was warm. Why would I ever want to –

Wait a damn minute… I blinked dumbly at the wall for a moment. Why is there a body in my bed? I turned slowly so as not to disturb them, a smile instantly coming to my face when I realized who it was.

Ryu was sleeping peacefully behind me, strands of hair falling across his face. He was already a gorgeous man but he looked like a damn angel when he was sleeping so peacefully. I slowly reached forward, tucking the hair behind his ear. He stirred, gorgeous brown eyes meeting mine.

“Morning,” he mumbled, stretching out his long body.

“When did you get here?” I wondered, propping my cheek up against my hand. “I thought you were on tour for another three days.”

“We had to end it early because of the bad weather.”

“You shoulda woke me up.”

He hummed, fingers curling around the hem of my shirt. “You looked too cute. I didn’t want to bother you.”

I ignore the fluttering of my heart and the warming of my cheeks, leaning down to claim his lips. “Babe, you could never bother me.”

He gave me a goofy grin, eyes lighting up. “You have to be at work soon, right?”

All thoughts of work had gone out the window when I realized he was in bed with me. I rarely got to see him because of his hectic schedule and there was no way I was going to work. 

I forced myself up, grabbing my phone off the bedside table and bringing up Google. Ryu propped himself up on his elbow, looking curiously at my phone screen.

His brow furrowed as he read the words of the article I had clicked on. “‘A beginners guide to faking sick.’ You’re gonna lie to your boss?”

“No… I’m just gonna bend the truth a little,” I defended, trying to ignore the stern look he sent me. “Is it so wrong to want to spend time with my beautiful boyfriend, hm?”

He fought back against the smile trying to overtake his lips, still trying to appear stern but I knew I had broken him. It was my special ability at this point. “Fine, but you have to make it up to him later, okay?”

“I’ll bring him donuts or something.”

Ryu laughed, shaking his head before climbing over me to get off the bed. He started to leave the room but paused as if unsure. “Do you want me to make you breakfast?”

I wasn’t sure why, but he was always cautious when it came to cooking. It’s like he wants to, but he just doesn’t have the confidence in himself which breaks my heart. I offered him a playful grin. “Well, the last time I cooked something that wasn’t instant ramen, I set the kitchen on fire, so…”

He paled as the memory came flooding back to him. “Ah… I’ll cook, then.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” I followed him into the tiny kitchen, settling down at the table with my phone. “I love your cooking. Your food always tastes so good.”

“Really?” He glanced at me with a shy smile and I nodded.

“Yes, really. If I could cook like you, I wouldn’t be a Fire hazard.”

He laughed, pulling the eggs out of the fridge. “Just don’t attempt it when I’m not here, okay?”

“Okay~” I promised, pulling up my boss’s contact. I took a deep breath, clearing my throat as I pressed it to my ear. I hoped it would go to his voice-mail, but no such luck. 

“Hello? Takanori speaking.“

“Hey, boss.” I tried to lower my voice and sound as if I was dying, but judging from the look Ryu was giving me, it wasn’t working as intended. “I, uh… I can’t come in… today…”

“Oh? Are you okay? You sound terrible.“

“Yeah, I -” I faked a few coughs and Ryu sent me another stern look, clearly not approving of the lie. “- I’m not feeling too hot.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Get some rest and –“

There was a sudden loud clang from the kitchen. Ryu had dropped the metal spatula on the floor. ‘Sorry,’ he mouthed, sending me an apologetic and guilty look.

My boss called out my name, sounding worried. “What was that noise? Is everything okay?“

“Yeah!” I replied quickly, forgetting my tone change which I quickly fixed. “Yeah, sorry. I… I dropped my cup…”

“You should be in bed,” he scolded softly. “Don’t worry about anything. I can get Dia to cover your shift.“

“Thanks, boss.”

“Take care.”

I hung up the phone, releasing a relieved sigh as I sat back in my chair. “Man, acting is hard. I don’t know how you do it.”

“A lot of practice,” he hummed, breaking the eggs into a bowl. 

I watched him for a moment, admiring how careful he was with each action. “What should we do today? A new store opened up a few blocks away. Looks interesting from the outside.”

“Is that a smart idea? What if your boss sees you?”

“He works in an office building on the other side of town and he’s a workaholic so he stays way later than everyone else. The chance of him seeing me is,” I formed a circle with my hand. “Zero percent.”

“Famous last words,” he teased.

“For you,” I came up behind him, arms around his waist and face buried in the back of his shirt. “It’s worth the risk.”

His hand found mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was something he did to show thanks when words failed him.

After breakfast, we started to get ready to head out.

Ryu checked his phone before glancing at me. “It’s supposed to rain and the temperature is going to drop. Wear your coat, you’ll catch a cold.”

“Don’t worry so much, you know I love the cold,” I replied, shoving my feet into my boots.

“Loving the cold doesn’t make you immune to it.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” I held my hand out to him with a reassuring smile and he reluctantly took it, his hand easily dwarfing my own. “Besides, I’ve got you to keep me warm.”

He quickly turned his head but not before I noticed his blush, bringing a grin to my lips. He tugged me out of the apartment, the chilly autumn air nipping at my exposed skin. The sky was covered with gray clouds,  thunder rolling softly in the distance. 

He glanced up and hummed thoughtfully. “We should buy an umbrella first.”

“The convenience store on the corner sells them, I think.” I tugged him in that direction, feeling in high spirits. How could I not be? The love of my life was home, it was nearly October, it was cold out and it was probably going to rain. It was a recipe for pure joy.

The store had an entire rack of umbrellas for sale, including a blue one with lamas printed on it and a teal one with cats printed on it. It took me an embarrassingly long time to choose one while Ryu waited patiently, standing behind me with his arms around my waist and chin on top of my head. It was an easy feat given our height difference.

“If you want, you can buy both,” suggested Ryu softly.

I considered it for a moment. “They’re overpriced already and I don’t need two.”

Ryu chuckled, picking them both up and heading to the front despite my protests. He didn’t hesitate to pay for them both, again, ignoring my protests. I sent him a disapproving look when he held them out to me.

“Don’t be mad,” he pouted. “I like buying things for you. It makes me happy.”

Well, I can’t argue with that. His happiness is my happiness. I clicked my tongue, taking the umbrellas from him. “Thank you, I really do appreciate it.”

“Of course. Should we check out that new store now?”

“Yes, let’s go~!” I grabbed his hand and dragged him from the store, prompting a laugh from him.

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

I stifled a yawn, rubbing the back of my neck. We had been out for hours, mostly just walking around and enjoying each other’s company. The shop hadn’t been anything special, though Ryu did find a jacket that he liked.

He threw his arm around my shoulders, rubbing up and down my arm. “Should we head home?”

“Yeah. We can watch a movie if you want.”

“I’d like that. You can choose.”

“Oh?” I sent him a grin and he frowned.

“Am I going to regret that decision?”

“We are so watching The Worst.”

A faint tint came to his cheeks. “We’ve already seen it a hundred times.”

“And I wanna see it a hundred more because my baby is in it and he’s incredibly talented.” I smiled warmly, reaching up to cup his face. He leaned down to make it easier, his warm hand covering my own. “You’re an amazing actor, you know? And an amazing dancer. And a genuinely amazing person in general.”

He shifted nervously, glancing away. 

I knew complimenting him made him feel shy and nervous, but it felt important to me. I needed him to know how important he is, how special. Maybe that makes me selfish, I don’t know. 

I pulled back, releasing my grip on him. “Come on, let’s get home before -“

As if sensing my thoughts, the sky opened up with a loud roar of thunder. Sheets of rain fell on top of us, causing the others on the street to cry out and rush for cover. Ryu grabbed my hand, pulling me under the cover of a nearby Cafe. As badly as I wanted to enjoy the rain, I was more concerned about him. It would be bad if he got sick and couldn’t rejoin the other Rampage members.

“We should get home so you can change,” I murmured, frowning at the water that clung to his hair. I opened the cat umbrella, making sure to hold it high enough so it wasn’t resting against the top of his head.

“You need to change, too,” he pointed out, putting his arm around my shoulder and tugging me against his side to ensure that the umbrella covered us both. The wind picked up, sending a chill down my spine. It took everything I had not to shiver simply because I didn’t want to worry him.

The apartment was chilly, providing little warmth.

“Hurry and get changed,” said Ryu as he shrugged off his jacket.

“You first.”

He sent me a pointed look which I returned. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Ryutaro. Think about the other members if you get sick.” I folded my arms over my chest, watching as he bit his lip. “Go on, I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll be quick.” He pecked my cheek before rushing into the bedroom. Kazu came rushing out when he opened the door, easily slipping through his legs before rushing over to me.

I clicked my tongue, kneeling in front of him. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in the room.”

He stared at me with his large blue eyes, tail swishing back and forth in annoyance.

“Will a treat make it up to you?”

Mrow~

I chuckled, patting the feline on the head before standing up to enter the kitchen, him hot on my heels. He hopped up onto the chair, waiting patiently as I searched for the treats. Where the hell are they? I tugged open the cabinet, spying them on the top shelf.

Well, shit. I stood on my tiptoes, reaching up but only the tips of my fingers brushed against the plastic container. I tried pushing it closer to the edge but I think I just pushed it farther away.

A chest pressed against my back, his hand appearing beside my own and easily reaching the container. “I’ll feed Kazu. Go get changed.” He pressed another kiss to my cheek before approaching the annoyed feline.

I smiled at him before doing as I was told, changing into a t-shirt, a rampage hoodie, and some pajama pants with little ghosts printed on them. I felt much warmer now, but there was a tickle at the back of my brain. I couldn’t describe it, I just knew I didn’t feel quite as energetic as I had this morning. Then again, it was a long day.

Ryu was sitting on the couch waiting for me, Kazu curled up beside him as he gently brushed his fingers over the feline’s white fur. I settled down on his other side, seeing the movie already pulled up and ready to play. He pulled me against his body, arms wrapped protectively around me.

With a smile, I pressed play on the remote before letting myself melt against him, chest filled with warmth and love.

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

Over the next couple of days, I started to feel worse and worse. My body felt heavy as if it were made of lead, someone seemed to be endlessly pounding on my skull with a hammer and I barely had the energy to live. Even so, I knew I had to hide it from Ryu because he’s the type who would drop everything for his loved ones.

I refuse to be the reason behind him getting into trouble or, worse, getting fired and losing his dreams. It was hard as hell to pretend to be okay, but I managed by pretending it was a video game. Besides, he leaves tomorrow morning so I can die in peace without disturbing him so long as I make it through the night.

The smell of paella filled the apartment and I swallowed hard, hit by a wave of nausea. Not that it smelled bad or anything, but in my weakened state, I simply wasn’t hungry and I couldn’t trust myself not to throw up if I actually ate something. If that were to happen, Ryu would blame himself for messing it up and I didn’t want that.

On the other hand, telling him I didn’t want to eat would probably make him feel self-conscious and sad. He put in the effort to cook for us despite not having a lot of confidence in doing so, I couldn’t just crush him like that.

I brought my knees to my chest, groaning softly into my knees. Kazu was staring at me from the recliner. I don’t know if he understood my predicament but it felt as if he was judging me for my choices, the little shit. He reminds me of someone else who just so happens to share the same name.

Ryu’s feet padded softly across the wooden floor as he appeared beside the couch. “Dinner’s ready. Do you want me to make you a plate?”

I took a slow, deep breath. ‘Come on, get your shit together. Do it for him.’ Lifting my head, I gave him an apologetic smile. “Actually… I think I might skip dinner tonight.”

He sat beside me with a frown, brow furrowed in worry. “Why? What’s wrong?”

My stomach lurched, a sharp pain shooting through my skull simultaneously and I nearly cursed aloud at my body for conspiring against me. I wrapped my arms tightly around my stomach to try and ease some of the pain I felt. “I’m about to start my period so my stomach is a bit… wonky at the moment.”

“Already? You’re not due to start for another week.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised that he knew that because he was always on top of things like that, always trying to ensure I was comfortable and prepared each month, even when he was away. “Uh… better early than late?”

His face burned at the comment and he brought the back of his hand up to cover it. “Go get some rest.”

“I’m sorry, Ryu.”

“For what?”

“You cooked for nothing… I should have said something sooner.”

“It’s okay,” he replied softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You can eat it when you’re feeling better.”

I wanted to kiss him so badly for being such a sweetheart but I didn’t want him to get sick so I settled for a thankful smile. “Thank you, baby.”

“Of course.”

I waited for him to disappear back into the kitchen before standing up and hobbling my way back to the bedroom, holding onto the wall for support. The room was spinning by the time I made it to bed and I was all too happy to fall face-first onto it, the pillow muffling my groan.

Despite feeling exhausted, I just couldn’t fall asleep. My head was hurting too bad, the painkillers not even touching it. For two hours, I lay there staring at the wall, trying to will myself to succumb to the darkness of sleep but my body refused to obey. When Ryu finally joined me, I pretended I was asleep, urging myself not to move as he slid in behind me, arms wrapped protectively around my body.

I guess that was the missing link because the last thing I remember was him kissing me on the cheek and whispering, I love you, something that he rarely said out loud. 

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

I startled awake as a coughing fit grasped me tightly, forcing me to sit up. The room was bright with Ryu nowhere to be found. I glanced at the clock and cursed, realizing that he had already left. I was already late for work, too.

As badly as I wanted to just bail and call in sick again, I knew I couldn’t. This was my karma for lying about being sick in the first place, I knew. With a groan, I threw the covers off of me and immediately started to shiver as the cool air wrapped around me. My head still hurt, my nose stuffy and the room spun when I tried to stand up.

“Shit,” I muttered, sitting back down and squeezing my eyes shut. I waited for my head to stop swimming before standing up again, walking slowly so I didn’t fall. Kazu followed close behind, his big eyes not leaving me once. At least he didn’t seem to be judging me this time. If anything, he looked worried. 

“I’m fine,” I told him, though my voice was hoarse and my throat scratchy. He flicked his ear, eyes narrowing. “Don’t give me that look. I’ll never give you treats again, you little -” My threat was interrupted by a coughing fit, my throat burning.

It took longer than I’d like to admit to get ready for work and, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t remember how I got to work. It felt like I blacked out and when I came to, I was sitting at my desk with a sheet of paper in one hand and a pen in the other.

I felt a familiar tickle at my nose and I scrunched it up on instinct, only making it worse. I tried to hold it back but a loud sneeze ripped from my body, sending the stack of papers flying off the desk. I groaned at the throbbing in my skull, eyes half-lidded. 

“Are you okay?” A hand rested on my shoulder and I slowly lifted my head, seeing my boss frown. “Geez, you look like death.”

“Am okay, boss,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. I started to get up to retrieve the papers when the world started to spin violently around me.

“Woah!” He threw his arm out to steady me, slowly lowering me back into my seat. The back of his hand rested against my forehead, his frown deepening. “You’re burning up… wait here a minute, okay?”

I didn’t have the energy to reply, my body slumping forward onto the desk with a groan. Why does everything hurt so bad? Am I dying right now?

“As you can see, she’s not doing so well,” stated my boss as he adjusted his glasses, returning to my side. “Can you take her home? I’ll pay for the Uber.”

“Of course, boss,” replied Dia. “Leave it to me.”

“I’ll call them, then.”

As soon as the car arrived, Dia helped me down to the first floor, allowing me to lean against her even at the risk of catching my cold. At least, I think it’s a cold. Maybe it’s the flu, I don’t know. Either way, she was selfless and I loved her for it.

There was a car parked in front of the building, tinted windows making it impossible to see. I could hear K-pop music blaring from within and I dreaded getting inside with my head hurting as badly as it was.

Dia knocked on the passenger window and it slowly slid down, the driver leaning toward it. She was wearing a strange pink thing on her head, the fabric secured beneath her chin with velcro. On the top was something resembling a tentacle, though it was different. I felt as if I knew what it was, but my feverish brain couldn’t quite place it.

She tilted her head down to peer at us over her sunglasses, yelling to be heard over the loud music pumping through the car. “You Dia?”

“I can’t hear you!” She yelled back.

Shaking her head, the driver flicked the volume dial and repeated the question. 

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Cool, I’m Kelso. Hop in and let’s go for a ride,” she grinned, rubbing her hands together like some kind of anime villain.

Dia sent me a concerned look as she helped me into the backseat, though I wasn’t sure if it was because of my illness or because our driver might be certifiably insane. The cold air of the ac felt good against my heated skin and I sighed softly, resting my head against the glass.

The car was quiet at first, broken only by the soft music playing in the background.

“Hey, you know sharks don’t have any bones?”

“I – huh?” Dia looked at the woman, startled. 

“Yeah and don’t say their teeth, either, because that shit is calcium, not bone.”

“Sure…”

The song changed and Dia gasped. “Oh my god, I love Pentagon!”

“Really? Me too!” She grinned, turning in her seat so that she was half-facing us while still driving down the road. “Who’s your favorite member?”

Dia didn’t seem to notice that our driver was no longer looking at the road despite driving at such a high speed. “I love Jinho.”

“My bias is Wooseok.”

My wide eyes stared forward as cars and buildings zoomed past us. My heart was racing in my chest, and my head seeming to throb in tandem with it. I looked at Dia in horror, trying to get her attention but my voice seemed to have left me. When I turned back to the front, there was a woman relaxing on the hood, not seeming the least bit bothered by the high speed at which we were traveling.

She slowly turned her head, smiling warmly at me when our eyes met, but it quickly fell into a worried frown. “You don’t look so good, hun.” Despite being on the outside of the vehicle, it sounded as if she was talking from right in front of me.

“I…” My voice was scratchy and I ended up coughing a few times before I could speak again. “I think I’m dying…”

She chuckled softly, amusement dancing in her eyes. “You’re not dying. Not yet, anyway.”

“How are you on the hood of the car? How haven’t we crashed yet?” I glanced at Dia to find her still chatting animatedly with Kelso, but they weren’t making a sound. It was as if someone had pressed the mute button on them. “I’m so confused,” I groaned, resting my face in my hands. All I wanted was to be back in Ryu’s arms, but he would be gone for a while.

My heart clenched painfully at the thought, tears stinging at my eyes.

“Don’t cry,” said the woman, her voice soft and comforting. “Everything will be alright, I promise.”

Maybe she was right, but at that moment, it felt like everything was collapsing in on me. 

“Rest,” she ordered.

Warmth spread throughout my body, my eyes growing heavy. I shook my head, trying to keep them open but I wasn’t strong enough. Before I knew it, darkness had claimed me.

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

I tugged the comforter tighter around my body, feeling as if I was freezing. It wasn’t even cold outside and the AC certainly wasn’t on, yet my body refused to warm up. What in the world is happening to me? I rarely get sick and it usually knocks me on my ass when I finally do but shit. It feels as if I’ve been sick for weeks, though I know it’s only been a few days.

I wasn’t feeling quite as bad as I had been yesterday, so that’s an improvement, I guess. I felt exhausted and barely got two hours of sleep last night, yet sleep seemed to be running away from me.

With a sigh, I rolled over so I could grab my phone off the bedside table. I was hoping to have a message from Ryu to lift my spirits, but he still hadn’t replied to my last message. I knew he was busy but, already feeling so shitty, it hit me harder than it should have.

I pulled up Google, contemplating my next action for a moment before deciding to search for my symptoms. If I knew exactly what I had whether that be the cold, the flu, or something else entirely, then I could take the proper medication and finally recover from this shit. Regular cold meds and painkillers don’t seem to be cutting it.

After inputting all of my symptoms and the time frame into Google, I skimmed through most of the results because my head was still hurting and my vision slightly blurry, but most of the links I clicked all said the same shit – you’re probably going to die.

No fucking shit. Were all gonna die eventually. I groaned in frustration, throwing my phone onto the bedside table. As if disturbed by the sudden noise, Kazu came running into the room, tail straight up in alert.

“I’m still alive,” I grunted. “Barely.”

“Mrow~” He jumped up onto the bed, looking at me expectantly. 

“What?”

“Mrow~“

“I don’t speak cat.”

He blinked at me and I blinked back. After staring at each other for several minutes, he hopped up onto the bed, flopping down against my side. I slowly turned, throwing my arms around him in an attempt to cuddle. I figured he was going to run away because Ryu was the only one who could get away with cuddling him.

He didn’t, though, allowing me to hold him against my chest. I buried my face in his soft fur, wishing that I would stop feeling like the damn walking dead. More than anything, I wished Ryu was here. Maybe I was being clingy but I missed him something terrible, my heart aching.

I heard the front door open, Kazu’s ear flicking to indicate that he heard it, too. Dia appeared at the door of my bedroom a minute later. “Morning. Feeling any better?”

“If by better you mean death then yes.”

She frowned, touching my forehead with her hand. “That fever is being really persistent… I think you should go to the doctor.”

“Doctors are expensive,” I muttered. 

“You’re dating a celebrity, I think you can afford to see a doctor when you’re sick.”

I shook my head, frowning at her. “It’s his money, not mine.”

“You’re supposed to share things in a relationship.”

“Don’t care. I refuse to use his money. Besides, if I ignore it long enough, it’ll give up and go away.”

She sighed deeply, bringing her hand to her face. “Are you hungry?”

My stomach twisted painfully at the thought of food, my nose wrinkling. “No.”

“You have to eat if you want to get better, you know.”

“I ate last night.”

“Half a slice of bed is hardly nutritious.”

“I’m fine, mom.”

“I’m just worried about you,” she frowned. “Have you even told Ryu-san?”

“Of course not!” I replied quickly, scowling at her. “And I’m not going to. As far as he’s concerned, this never happened.”

“Don’t you think he’d want to know?” 

“Of course, he would, but I know him. He’ll obsess over it and worry himself into the ground. He needs to focus on his group, not me. There’s nothing he can do for me so there’s no point telling him.”

She clearly didn’t agree, making me narrow my eyes at her.

“If you tell him, I will steal all your K-pop albums and sell them for one penny outside of Seiyu!”

She gasped dramatically, hands coming up to cover her mouth. “You wouldn’t dare…”

“Try me.”

“Fine,” Dia huffed, putting her hand on her hip. “Do you need anything before I head to work?”

“Can you get me a Dr. Pepper from the fridge?”

Without a word, she left the room, returning a minute later with a bottle of water.

“That’s not Dr. Pepper,” I scowled.

“You shouldn’t be drinking soda while you’re sick. Drink water so you hydrate, not diedrate.”

I scoffed in annoyance, knowing she was right but refusing to admit it.

She set the bottle on the nightstand, giving me a smile. “I’m off, then. Call me if you need me and get some rest. Don’t do anything stupid.”

I watched as she disappeared from the room, listening to the sound of her footsteps fading as she headed for the door. The hinges squeaked when she opened it, squeaking again when she closed it.

I don’t want to rest, I’ve been doing nothing but resting for ages and I’m starting to go stir crazy. I pressed a kiss to the top of Kazu’s head before slowly crawling out of bed, taking a moment to regain my sense of balance. “Kazu, don’t tell Dia.”

He tilted his head back, staring at me with narrowed eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to say he disapproved of my actions or if he just didn’t give enough fucks to tell her even if he could talk.

After making sure Kazu had food in his bowl, I grabbed a Dr. Pepper from the fridge and curled up on the couch to watch some Netflix. I hoped it would distract me from everything or ease my stir craziness, at the very least. Kazu hopped up into the recliner, crossing one paw over the other before resting his head atop them, large blue eyes staring straight at me.

It was only slightly unnerving.

“I’m not just gonna, like, keel over and die ya know,” I scowled at him, earning just a blink in reply. I really wanted to watch The Worst again, but I knew it would only make me long for Ryu more so I chose a funny movie instead. Thank god Deadpool is available in Japan. It’s easily one of my comfort movies and I love Ryan Reynolds so much.

Man, I’d kill to be able to eat some popcorn right now, but the thought of it had my stomach doing painful flips. I scowled, patting my belly. “Relax, ho. I’m not gonna feed you so chill out.”

About halfway through the movie, I felt my eyelids growing heavier but I fought to stay awake. I was tired of sleeping, I just wanted to watch Deadpool and laugh my troubles away! I slapped my cheeks, shaking my head to try and wake myself up and it worked… for about twenty minutes.

Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a few minutes, it’ll help. Yeah, that’s right. I’m just… resting my eyes…

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

The feeling of being lifted startled me awake, my eyes snapping open and my limbs flailing in panic.

“Calm down, it’s just me.”

I blinked dumbly, slowly lifting my gaze to meet Ryu’s. “You’re not supposed to be here… am I hallucinating again?”

“Again?” He frowned at me, his jaw tense. He didn’t say another word as he carried me to the bedroom, setting me gently down on the bed. “Do not get out of this bed.”

I frowned at him, not used to hearing him sound or look so annoyed. My eyes followed him until he was out of sight and I heard the front door open and close loudly, making me wince. Ryu was always so patient and kind, even when someone was trying to rile him up. He playfully gets mad with his members, but it’s nothing serious.

Seeing him act this way now… I knew I had fucked up royally. Tears stung at my eyes but I blinked them back, sniffling loudly as I reached for a tissue to blow my nose. God, I bet I look like an absolute mess.

I’ve always been self-conscious around him because he’s just so beautiful and I know I don’t deserve him, but my insecurities have, for the most part, stayed hidden in a dark corner of my mind. He made me feel loved and accepted, seeming to crush those negative thoughts every time they tried to crawl out into the light.

Now, though, I was completely overwhelmed. My body was at its limit and it was affecting my mind, as well. I felt weak and pathetic, like a burden on Ryu who had raced home to help me because I couldn’t help myself. Was he going to get into trouble for this? Would he lose his spot on The Rampage? 

He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest and jaw clenched. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t want to bother you -“

“Bother me?” He echoed in disbelief. “Do you even consider me your boyfriend?”

“What? Of course, I -“

“You never tell me anything. You’re always hiding your feelings, hiding when you’re sick. Don’t you trust me?” He shook his head, brow furrowed in frustration. “Do you not want to be with me?”

The question was enough to finally break me and send tears rolling down my cheeks. He looked at me with a startled expression, body tense as he pushed away from the doorframe.

I quickly rolled over to face the wall, biting my lip to try and muffle my sobs. I tried so hard to stop crying but, as always, my body refused to obey.

The side of the bed dipped, his warm hand on my back. “Please don’t cry… I’m sorry.”

I was the one who fucked up but he is apologizing? Goddamn it.

“Hey,” he called softly, trying to roll me over to face him but I refused, shaking my head. Instead of forcing me, he slid in behind me until his warm chest was against my back, arms wrapped protectively around me. “It’s okay, darling. I’m right here.”

His words only made me cry harder, fists clenching around the sheets. I was a fucking mess and I hated showing this side of myself to him. He was patient with me, though, whispering comforting words to me and rubbing my arm to try and calm me down. It took a while, but I guess I finally ran out of tears.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice hoarse and throat sore. My eyes felt puffy and there was a wet spot on my pillow from all the tears I had shed. “I… I should have told you, I just… I don’t want to, to ruin your career…”

“That won’t happen,” he assured me, trying to roll me toward him again. This time, I allowed it, not having the strength to fight back. His brown eyes met mine, swimming with love and warmth. He cupped my cheek, thumb brushing away the remnants of my tears. “I thought my heart stopped when Dia called me.”

“I told her not to,” I muttered, focusing my eyes on his necklace, unable to hold his gaze.

“I’m glad she did. You’ve been suffering alone for days,” he frowned, reaching down to press a kiss to my forehead. “You still have a fever.”

I pushed at his chest while simultaneously trying to sink into the mattress. “You’re going to get sick!”

He chuckled, taking my hand and pressing it over his heart. The steady beat was comforting. “I’m not leaving your side until you’re better.”

“But The Rampage -“

“Sends there get well soon wishes. I can’t promise Likiya-san and Zin-san won’t scold you when they see you next,” he smiled, pressing another kiss to my forehead before standing up. He started to leave the room but paused, sending me a stern look. “Don’t you dare move.”

While he was gone, I sat up to grab some tissues to wipe away my tears and blow my nose in an attempt to look a little less like a bog witch. I doubt it helped much, but he didn’t seem to care as he returned with my favorite Halloween mug, steam rising from it.

Ryu sat on the side of the bed, careful not to spill it. “Drink this, it’ll help.”

I tried to sniff the air but I couldn’t smell anything. I eyed it wearily. “What is it?”

“Ginger tea. My lola used to make it for me every time I got sick. She swears by it so she made sure to teach me how to make it.”

I was a picky eater, so trying new things always made me feel weary.  I trust Ryu, though, so I took the mug from him and gave it a careful sip. It filled my body with warmth, tasting slightly spicy. Not like chili pepper spicy but more like… herbal spicy.

“It’s good,” I murmured, closing my eyes as I drank more of it. My throat was already beginning to feel less scratchy and sore.

“I’m guessing you haven’t eaten, either?”

“Define eaten.”

He held back a sigh, running a hand through his hair to compose himself. “I’ll make you some Lugaw.”

“Lu what now?”

“Lugaw,” he repeated with a chuckle. “My lola always told me that it has healing properties and it always made me feel better as a kid. I… don’t know if I can make it correctly, but I’m going to try.”

“I bet it’s going to taste amazing,” I assured him, reaching out for his hand. “You’ll put Gordon Ramsay to shame.”

His cheeks tinted, a goofy smile on his lips, and his eyes lighting up. “Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

When he stood up, I tried to follow only for him to click his tongue.

“No, you need to rest.”

“I’ve done nothing but rest,” I scowled. “I want to watch you cook. It calms me.”

He seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding and holding out his hand to help me up. His arm remained around my body as we headed to the kitchen and he didn’t leave my side until I was safely on the chair. Watching him truly did make me feel calm, along with the beverage that I was drinking. 

I felt a tiny bit better already. Maybe his grandma is really onto something with these home remedies. “How long are you staying?”

He hummed as he cut up more ginger. “I told you, I’m not leaving until you get better.”

“And I told you, the longer you’re around me, the higher the risk of you getting sick. You’re already missing work because of me. If you get sick, you’ll miss even more. What if they fire you?”

“I promise you, that’s not going to happen.” Ryu sent me a reassuring smile but I didn’t feel very reassured at all. “Our managers were very understanding when I told them.”

I slid down in my chair, setting the empty cup on the table. “You could still get sick and spread it to the other members.”

“I won’t get sick.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Because I have a phenomenal immune system,” he grinned, making me scoff. 

“What was that you said to me? ‘Famous last words,’ was it?”

“Except I’m not going outside in the winter without a coat only to be caught in the rain.”

I opened my mouth to reply only to scowl, realizing he was right. “Wipe that grin off your face, Ata Ryutaro.”

“Yes, darling,” he chuckled, returning to the task at hand. 

I tried to ignore the fluttering in my chest and the warmth at the tips of my ears when he called me that. I adored it when he called me darling, but it wasn’t something he said often, especially not in public. 

I couldn’t find the smile that came to my lips. I truly was the luckiest human on earth. “Hey, Ryu?”

“Yes?” He paused what he was doing to look at me. “Do you want some more tea?”

I shook my head. “I just wanted to thank you. You really are an amazing boyfriend.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he mumbled, hiding his face from me.

“I love you.”

His eyes met mine, filled with love and warmth. “I love you, too.”

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

I stretched my arms over my head, smiling as I breathed in the fresh air of the morning. After a couple of days under Ryu’s care, I was nearly back to my old self, though my body was still a bit achy. At least I could breathe properly now and the room didn’t spin when I got up too quickly. 

The time spent with him was a nice bonus, too. I never wanted this to end, but I knew he had to be getting back to work. With one last look at the cloudy sky, I headed back inside to wake up Ryu. Just as I reached the door, I heard a sneeze from the other side followed by a soft groan. 

I pushed the door open with a frown, taking in the appearance of my boyfriend. He still looked tired, his brown eyes lacking their usual luster. He seemed pale, too. “Babe, you okay?”

He smiled at me but it was obviously forced. “I’m fine.”

“You just sneezed.”

He seemed embarrassed that I had heard him. Before he could reply, though, another sneeze ripped from him, followed by a groan as he clutched his head. Rather than deny the obvious, he just pouted at me.

I hummed, approaching the bed so I could take his face between my hands. I could feel how warm he was before my forehead even met his. “You’ve got a fever.”

His fingers curled around my wrist, lips brushing against my own when he spoke. “I think I caught your flu…”

“Yeah? What happened to that phenomenal immune system of yours, hm?” I teased softly, brushing the hair from his face.

“You’re really going to tease me when I feel this bad?”

“Sorry, baby,” I chuckled, pressing a kiss to his lips. When I tried to pull away, he chased me with a whine. I chuckled, knowing how clingy and whiny he could get when he was sick. “Well, on the bright side, I get to return the favor and nurse you back to health.”

“‘M sorry,” he mumbled as he laid back down. “Will you stay with me?”

“You don’t even have to ask.” I slid in next to him and he slotted his body against mine, face buried in my neck as his limbs wrapped around me. I hummed softly, running my hands through his hair until his breathing evened out.

Maybe this makes me a bad person, but… I’m kind of happy that he caught my flu. God, I sound like such a bitch thinking that way, especially since I knew he was going to be feeling miserable, but I do love being able to take care of him. Despite being younger than me, he’s always been the caretaker in the relationship, going out of his way to accommodate me and my needs. It feels nice to be able to take care of him for a change, to have him rely on me.

His phone vibrated on the bedside table and I cursed softly, reaching my arm behind me to try and grab it. It was not comfortable at all but his limbs were like chains around my body, holding me in place so I couldn’t really move. I’m not entirely sure how I did it, but I managed to grab a hold of his phone, answering it without much thought so it wouldn’t wake him up.

“Hello?” I spoke softly, not wanting to disturb his sleep.

Zin said my name in surprise. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling great, actually. Ryu is a really good nurse.”

“That’s good to hear. Why are you whispering, though?”

“He’s asleep and I don’t want to wake him up.”

There was a moment of silence and then a deep sigh on the other end of the line. “He’s sick, isn’t he?”

“Um… kind of?” I replied sheepishly. “I’m really sorry, Zin-san. I tried to get him to leave but you know how stubborn he is…”

Zin chuckled. “Yeah, I know. No need to apologize.”

There was muffled talking in the background before the phone shifted to Likiya. “Hey, little one. You feeling better?”

“I’m doing great, Likiya-chan, but Ryu caught my flu, I think.”

“I figured he would,” he replied with a laugh. “Listen, we’ll be there soon but don’t tell Ryu.”

“Eh?” I replied louder than intended, making Ryu mumble and squeeze himself closer to me. “You’re coming here? What for?”

“We wanted to check on you and cheer you up, but I suppose we’ll be doing that for Ryu now.”

“But all of you are going to get sick, too,” I frowned.

“Don’t worry about us, little one, just worry about taking care of our Ryu. See you soon.”

I blinked dumbly as the sound of the dial tone filled my ear. Do these boys have no self-preservation at all? They’re skipping work to come here and risking getting sick in the process, thus keeping them out of work even longer. I sighed deeply, setting the phone down on the bed.

Something tells me this isn’t going to end well. The Rampage is known for having only one brain cell combined and stuffing them all into our small apartment with a sick Ryu and an introverted Kazu? What the hell could possibly go wrong?

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━

I stepped outside, hands stuffed into the pocket of Ryu’s hoodie as I glanced around. Likiya had messaged me a few minutes ago saying that they were about ten minutes away from the apartment so I figured I’d come out and meet them. A few of my neighbors aren’t very fond of strangers in the building and these guys would no doubt be loud on their way up. I also didn’t have much faith that they wouldn’t go to the wrong apartment despite knowing where we lived.

A familiar-looking black car pulled up to the curb and Dia stepped out of the back, looking annoyed. The driver was Kelso again and she, too, looked annoyed as she jumped out of the car, eyes narrowed at Dia. She was still wearing that ridiculous hat which I now realized was Buu from the Dragonball series.

“Go away!” Dia scowled, folding her arms over her chest. “I already told you, I’m not buying your fake CDs!”

“How dare you! They’re not fake, they’re economic,” defended Kelso with a huff.

“They’re fake and you should be in jail!”

“Jokes on you, I was just released from jail!”

I watched the two of them argue back and forth, unsure of how to proceed. Do I try to break it up? That sounded like more effort than I was willing to spare, especially since I needed to be at full battery to deal with the storm that is the Rampage.

Speak of the devil…

Two tan vans pulled up to the curb behind the black car. The sliding door on the first van opened up before it even came to a stop, Shohei jumped out of the vehicle with a grin as he cried out my name. I had no time to prepare myself before his body barreled into my own, arms so tight around me that it knocked the air from my lungs.

“Nee-chan~” he sang with a grin. “I missed you~”

Likiya rushed over with a scowl. “Put her down, Shohei! She just recovered from being really sick!”

He pouted at being scolded before doing as he was told, putting me back on the ground.

I sucked in some air, resisting the urge to cough as I patted his shoulder. “Good to see you, too, Sho-chan.”

“How are you?” asked Likiya softly, holding out his arms for a hug. It was much softer than the one Shohei had given.

“I’m doing well. Wish I could say the same for Ryu.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be better in no time,” he reassured me, giving me a gentle squeeze before pulling away.

I realized the arguing had stopped and I glanced over at the two women, both of whom were staring at the men with wide eyes. Dia’s eyes were trained on Makoto while Kelso’s were trained on Takuma. The scene behind them changed to pink, sparkles and roses appearing around their heads as hearts appeared in their eyes.

Shit, am I hallucinating again? I quickly shook my head, rubbing at my eyes before looking at them again. They were just standing there staring at the men, no sparkles in sight.

“You okay?” Kazuma patted my arm, tilting his head to the side. Hokuto was beside him, sending me a concerned look.

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” frowned Hokuto, reaching forward to feel my forehead. “You’re not warm, that’s good.”

“Sorry, I just zoned out, that’s all. Why don’t we all go inside? It’s getting colder out here.”

Shohei and Kenta didn’t need to be told twice as they darted into the building, followed by Zin who was trying to wrangle them in. The rest slowly filtered inside and I noticed the two girls following as if being pulled by an invisible stream tied to their bias.

Rui was the last one outside, getting a bag from the van. As he turned toward me, I noticed the woman from the car sitting on top of the van. Just like the other two, there were sparkles and roses around her head as she stared at Rui, hearts in her eyes.

“So dreamy~” she sighed, grinning like a fool.

Rui blinked, looking at me. “Did you say something, nee-san?”

“You heard that, too?”

“Yes.”

My eyes widened at the woman. Was she not a hallucination, after all? I quickly waved at him. “Come on, Rui, let’s get inside! I think the cold is getting to our brains.”

The woman looked up, winking at me before disappearing before my eyes.

━━━━━━༻☔༺━━━━━━

[sicktember]

While waiting for the Sicktember 2024, June 15th reveal, check out these past prompts and collections for inspiration!

Sicktember 2023 - 2021 Past Prompts and Collections

💚2023 💚

[AO3 Collection]

Prompts List ⬇

1. Hopelessly Bad at Self-Care

2. Quest for a Cure

3. “What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?”

4. Hiding an Illness

5. Preventative Measures (Not Taken)

6. Sick and Injured

7. “You’re a Jerk When You’re Sick”

8. Persistent Fever

9. White Coat Syndrome

10. “The only place we’re going is to the pharmacy”

11. Beginner’s Guide to Faking Sick

12. Old Wives Tale

13. Anxious Stomach

14. ‘‘I shouldn’t be worried about you, but for some reason I am’’

15. Sick in an Inconvenient Place

16. Consulting the Internet/Web MD

17. Magical Remedy/Healing Potion

18. “Wear Your Coat, You’ll Catch a Cold”

19. Curled Up With a Pet

20. Cramping Pain

21. “But if you stay, you’ll get sick too”

22. Terms of Endearment/Nicknames

23. Coughing Fit

24. “Did you just sneeze?”

25. Confused/Disoriented

26. Pink Eye/Conjunctivitis

27. Uncooperative Patient

28. “I should have stayed home”

29. Side Effects/Adverse Reaction

30. Patient 0

2023 Alternate Prompts

Alt. 1.“I Could Really Use a Hug Right About Now”

Alt. 2. Fuzzy Socks

Alt. 3. Pounding Headache

Alt. 4. Forehead Kisses

Alt. 5. “I’m so sorry”

💚2022💚

[AO3 Collection]

Prompt List ⬇

1. ‘Do You Know How To Take Care of a Sick Person?’

2.  Homesick

3.  Painkillers

4.  Hangover

5.  'Great. Now I Have Your Germs All Over Me.’

6.  Sick on vacation

7.  A cry for attention

8.  Intense coddling

9.  Home remedy

10. Excessive use of tissues/ ‘Blow Your Nose’

11. Emergency Room/ Ambulance

12. Psychogenic Fever/Stress Induced Illness

13. Seasonal/Pet Allergies

14. ‘I Might Be A Teeny Tiny Bit Sick, But It’s Fine.’' 

15. Frostbite/Sunburn

16. Care Package

17. Syncope/Fainting

18. Nausea/Upset Stomach

19. Whining/Crying 

20.  Cold Sweat

21. ‘Does this look infected to you?’

22. Common Cold/Flu

23. Tepid Bath

24. ‘I Need You To Pull Over!’

25. Acid Reflux/Heartburn

26. Tickle in the Throat

27. Sleepless Night/s

28. Chronic Illness

29. Lethargy/Exhaustion

30. ‘Get Back in Bed!’ 

2022 Alternate Prompts:

Alt. 1. Soft Pajamas

Alt. 2. Vapor Rub

Alt. 3. Cuddling on the Couch

Alt. 4. Taking a Sick Day

Alt. 5. ‘Can You Be Brave For Me?’

💚2021💚

[AO3 Collection]

Prompt List ⬇

1. Fever

2. Persistent Cough/Sniffling.

3. Chicken Pox/Rash 

4. Headache/Migraine

5. Comfort Item (Plush/Blanket)

6. Nebulizer

7. Sneaky Temperature Check

8. Contagious

9. I’m Not Sick

10. Medicine/Injection

11. Bed Rest

12. Faking it

13. Appendicitis

14. Aches and Pains

15. Quarantine 

16. Hot Water Bottle

17. Ginger Ale and Crackers

18. Fever Dream/Hysteria

19. Addiction

20. Doctor’s Visit/Check Up

21. Unlikely Caregiver

22. Toothache

23. Ear Infection

24. Sneezing

25. Sick at School/Work

26. Strep Throat/Laryngitis

27. Blankets

28. Missing Out 

29. Motion Sickness

30. Food poisoning/Allergy

2021 Alternative Prompts:

Alt. 1:  Warm Soup

Alt. 2:  Too Many Layers

Alt. 3:  Vitamin C

Alt. 4:  Stay

Alt. 5:  Asleep on the Couch