Disclaimer: Darling in the franxx belongs to Atsushi Nishigori and Trigger Studio. I own nothing.

Author's Note: It has come to my attention that there's a lack of Ichigoro fanfiction literally everywhere. I know this isn't necessarily everyone's favorite couple, but damnit, I love it. So I decided to write one-shots about this ship. Now, this first one has spoilers from episode 16, so if you're not up to date with the anime, watch at least up until that episode. That being said, this one-shot was also inspired by the fact that Yuichiro Umehara, Goro's voice actor, was hospitalized last week due to an autoimmune disease, and decided to retire for a while. Here's to hoping he recovers soon!

Anyway, don't know when exactly I will update. But I hope you enjoy this one-shot. See you soon!

Fever

Summary: When Goro gets a fever, it's up to Ichigo to nurse him back to health.

It had taken Ichigo by surprise. It had started as any other day, to be honest. They all had gotten up early and had divided themselves into their individual tasks as they had been doing for the past three weeks. Finding out that the people who usually took care of cleaning and their food had vanished meant that the whole squad had to do such tasks themselves. They quickly had fallen into an effective system, though Ichigo was worried that, soon, their food supply would shorten. She had to wonder where that would leave them. They hadn't heard from either Nana or Hachi either. No Papa's orders in sight. She sighed loudly.

"Ichigo-chan?" Kokoro called her with her typical sweet voice. That startled her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking." She quickly recovered.

The other girl nodded sympathetically. "I know. Everyone's getting restless."

Ichigo frowned. She knew that. They were almost at their breaking point, and she was getting afraid of what would happen when they actually did. "I'm sure we'll hear from Papa and the others soon enough." She said, smiling reassuringly at Kokoro.

She nodded. "We have to keep our hopes up."

Sharing a smile, they went back to working on their breakfast in a peaceful silence, which lasted a total of three minutes before Zorome came barging into the kitchen.

"Ichigo!" He shouted.

"Zorome? What is it?" She asked, her hand going to her chest to steady her heart.

"It's Goro! Come quick!"

Ichigo's blood ran cold. She turned pale and stood frozen in her place.

"Ichigo? Did you hear me?" Zorome yelled again. He, then, grabbed her wrist and started leading her out of the door.

His actions finally broke her free from her stupor. "Wh-what happened?" She stammered as they ran up the stairs and towards the boys' dormitories.

"I'm not sure. Futoshi and me were coming back from cleaning the bathroom, when we heard Hiro yelling outside. We went and looked and found Hiro trying to carry Goro. Futoshi and I quickly helped him." He explained as quickly as possible as they ran.

"Is he okay?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. Hiro said he has a fever." Zorome mentioned.

Ichigo almost stopped running. Child Fever. The danger which loomed over their heads. They all knew that they were high chances of dying if you got this fever. Without proper care, those chances skyrocketed. If Goro really had this kind of fever, Ichigo wasn't sure what she could do about it.

They arrived and Zorome instantly opened the door. There, she found Futoshi stammering beside the bed, while Hiro was hunched over. There, resting, lay Goro, his face red.

"Goro!" She exclaimed instantly.

"Ichigo?" He asked, voice raspy. "What are you doing here?"

The girl almost laughed. It was so typical of her partner to worry about everyone but himself. "I should be asking you the same question." She turned to face Hiro. "How's he doing?"

"I think he has a high fever." He told her, frowning.

"He collapsed on us too." Futoshi added.

Ichigo made her way towards her partner and put her hand on his forehead. "You're burning up!" She exclaimed. It was just as she had feared. "Zorome." She called the boy who had brought her there.

"Y-yeah?" He asked, suddenly alarmed by the authoritative tone of her voice.

"Bring me a bowl filled with cold water and a cloth." She ordered.

"On it!" He said and ran out the door.

"Futoshi."

"Yes?" The boy said.

"Bring me a pitcher of water, please." She told him, smiling sweetly at him when she saw Futoshi flinch.

"Yes!" He exclaimed and went directly to the kitchen.

"Hiro." She then turned to the only boy left.

"Yeah?"

"We need to keep Goro cool. Help him undress." She answered simply.

"What? I don't need help!" Goro said, trying to stand.

Ichigo ignored him. "You collapsed. Do as I say."

Hiro smiled at her. "Don't worry. I got it."

She smiled right back. "Good. Then I'll come back in a bit."

Saying that, Ichigp turned around and exited the room. Once the door was close, she ran downstairs, heart still beating fast. She went straight to the kitchen, where she could see Futoshi already putting water in a pitcher. Kokoro was still preparing their breakfast, at a much slower pace now that her friend was gone.

"Is Goro-kun alright?" The other girl asked her, momentarily pausing on her task.

"He has a fever." She went straight to the point. "I'm sorry to ask you this, but can you take care of breakfast by yourself?"

Kokoro flashed her a smile. "Of course. I can ask Mitsuru-kun to help me if it's too much. You can go."

Ichigo smiled thankfully at her and then left. Futoshi was already ahead of her as they went their way to Goro's room. When they arrived, the door was open again, and they could see Zorome trying to find a place to put the bowl. She gently picked it up from his hands, and put it on the table in the meantime. Futoshi followed suit and set the pitcher and glass next to the bowl.

"Thanks for your help." She nodded at the boys. "You can go and have breakfast now, I'll take it from here."

"W-wait! You're staying in his room by yourself?!" Zorome exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. Now, go."

Zorome and Futoshi shared a look before leaving, wishing Goro to recover soon on the way out. Hiro hesitated, observing both Goro and Ichigo, who hadn't moved from their places.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked her.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Please check in the infirmary if there's medicine left or something useful. Ask Zero Two for help." She simply said.

Hiro nodded. "Alright. Then, I'll see you later. Feel better, Goro!"

"Thank you." The bedridden boy said as he watched his friend leave.

Ichigo grabbed the cloth and dipped it into the water. It was cold, just as she had asked, but it could definitely use a couple of ice cubes. She squeezed it, and then made her way to her partner.

"You don't have to stay here." He told her.

"Of course I do. I don't trust you to stay put and rest." She answered simply. She sat down next to Goro, and placed the cloth on his forehead. "This should help keep the fever down." She muttered, more to herself than to the boy. "But, it'd be more effective if you fell asleep."

Goro nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He even managed a small smile.

She simply shook her head. "You're hopeless. If you had only told Hiro you weren't feeling well, you wouldn't have collapsed."

"I… I didn't want to worry you." Ichigo felt herself blushing. She knew that he probably meant everyone in plural, but a part of her couldn't help but think he meant her specifically.

"Don't be silly." She said, silencing such thoughts. "It'd have been better for you to tell us sooner. But, there's nothing else we can do, so rest now."

"Okay." He said, taking off his glasses and setting them next to his bed.

The girl stood up and walked towards the table. She took the glass and filled it with water. Next, she took it as well as the bowl and walked towards Goro. "Here, put these next to your bed. Just in case you wake up and feel thirsty."

The boy nodded and did as he was told. Then, he went back to lay on his back.

Ichigo pressed her hand on his forehead once more. "Sleep for now. I'll come back later to check on you."

"You don't have to worry so much." He said instead.

"Don't be stubborn and let me take care of you." She said. "I'll have breakfast and come back in case you're hungry."

"Alright." Goro said.

"See you later." She turned and then stopped. "And don't do anything stupid!" She chided.

"I know. Don't worry."

With one last smile, Ichigo left the room. Once outside, she let her back hit the wall. Even though he was trying to reassure her, she knew Goro wasn't feeling right. His skin was hot to the touch, as attested by his red cheeks. He was also sweating profusely. At this rate, he'd become dehydrated in no time. She also had virtually no hope of Hiro and Zero Two finding medicine in the infirmary. Usually, Nana or Hachi would give them medicine when they got sick. They only had accessed to band aids, bandages and such things. Sighing, she made her way to the dining room. They were all probably in the middle of breakfast. She hoped they had left enough for her and Goro.

As she made her way in the room, all her friends stopped eating and turned to look at her.

"How's Goro?" Hiro was the first to ask. He was probably as worried as she was.

"Resting." She answered simply, as she sat down in her usual place. Kokoro had already stood up to get her plate. "Hopefully in a few hours the fever will go down."

They all nodded, except for Zorome who looked at her weirdly. "So what did you two do when you were alone?" He asked. "Were you all touchy-feely like Hiro and Zero Two?" He added quickly before she could answer.

Ichigo blushed. "What?!" She yelled. "No! You have it all wrong!" She rapidly shook her head. "I was just taking care of him." She explained.

"That would be a first." Miku muttered sarcastically.

She immediately glared at the other girl. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She hissed.

"Goro's always taking care of you. It's kinda surprising when you do the same for him." The girl explained.

"Miku-chan, that's not fair!" Kokoro scolded her. "Ichigo-chan has always been worried about Goro-kun. They're partners, after all."

"Yeah." Futoshi mumbled. "Ichigo's a good partner, unlike others." He said bitingly.

"Do not be rude to Kokoro-san." Mitsuru interrupted the boy. "If you have something to say, do it out loud."

"Guys!" Hiro said, trying to pacify everyone.

Ichigo looked around the room. Kokoro kept telling Miku she hadn't been nice, while the girl simply crossed her arms and pouted. Mitsuru and Futoshi were in the middle of an argument, with Hiro trying to pacify them while Zorome kept cheering on Futoshi, making things worse. Ikuno looked as if she wanted to murder everyone in the room. Meanwhile, Zero Two kept eating her food, either oblivious to the situation at hand or enjoying the bickering. It all was getting in Ichigo's nerves.

"That's enough!" She shouted, slamming her hands on the table. That stopped them. "Need I remind you that while you're here fighting about nothing, Goro's upstairs, sick?" She asked them. When no one answered, she continued speaking. "I know everyone's been over the edge lately, but don't take it on each other. We have enough to worry about as it is. If Goro hears you, he's gonna get worried. He really doesn't need that. So, while he's resting, I'm gonna ask you to keep doing your tasks like in the past few weeks. I'll go and check on Goro. If there's an issue you want to discuss, do it calmly." She spoke like a true leader. "Am I clear?"

"Yes." Everyone answered.

"Good." And with that, she kept eating her breakfast even when she wasn't really hungry.

"Are you okay?" Ikuno asked her, searching her eyes for an answer.

"I'm fine." She simply said, focusing on her meal. Her friend nodded and continued eating as well.

Ichigo damped Goro's forehead with the cloth once again. His fever didn't seem to have gone down at all. His breathing was a little raspy to her liking, but there was nothing she could do about it. Hiro and Zero Two had already taken the time to look for medicine in the infirmary. As she had expected, they found nothing. She was getting worried. Her partner hadn't shown signs of waking up since she had left him alone about two hours ago. At least Ikuno had offered to help her with her tasks when she noticed how unsettled she felt. It meant she could stay with him and take care of him.

"I hope this is enough." She mumbled as she continued damping his forehead. She had decided that the water needed to be colder, and thus she had put ice cubes on it to cool it.

The girl sighed and walked to the other end of the room. Carefully, she took one of the chairs and carried it until it was in front of Goro. She sat down and observed the boy as he slept. She sighed and closed her eyes. Everything was a mess.

"I thought I had all the answers." Ichigo whispered. "I thought that if we followed all our orders, things would be alright." She looked out the window. She saw a bird flying away. "Hiro always asked questions. He never conformed. That's why… I admired him so much." She took Goro's hand gently and gave it a tiny squeeze. "I've been a bad leader lately, and an even worse partner. I'm sorry about that. I… I meant what I said back then. You should lean on me more. If you did, maybe you wouldn't be so sick now." She sniffed. Rubbing her eyes, she grasped his hand a bit harder. "But I promise I'll be a better partner and friend from now on."

Then, Ichigo felt her hand being squeezed. Looking down, she gasped as she noticed Goro's eyes were open. "I'm counting on you then."

"Goro!" She exclaimed.

"Yo." He simply said, smiling softly.

"Don't 'yo' me!" Ichigo said. "I've been worried sick about you!"

Goro chuckled. "I'm fine. I told you, nothing's wrong."

"That's such a huge lie." She deadpanned.

"See for yourself." He said as he guided her hand towards his forehead.

Ichigo touched it. It was significant cooler than before. She sighed in relief. "You're doing better, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook!"

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah."

"Anyway, you skipped breakfast, so, are you hungry?"

Goro's stomach grumbling answered the question by itself.

Ichigo snorted and then started laughing. "Hey, don't laugh at me! I'm sick, remember?"

"I'm sorry, it was just so funny!" She exclaimed, still chuckling. "Alright, that decides it then. I'm gonna get you lunch. Be right back."

"Okay."

Back in the kitchen, Ichigo was glad to find that Kokoro had separated Goro's portion and had saved it. It wasn't much, actually. But it was enough to feed her ailing partner. She gently put the plate on a tray as well as glass and cutlery. She was about to head upstairs when Miku entered the room.

"Here." She said, giving her a flower.

"Erm… What's this?"

Miku refrained herself from rolling her eyes. "A flower."

"I can see that. What I meant is why are you giving it to me?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Kokoro and I thought it'd cheer Goro up. I mean, his room is so dull! All of the boys' rooms are. So, we thought it'd brighten it a little."

Ichigo smiled. "Thank you. I'll get a vase and give it to him."

The girl smiled back. "No problem. And, Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"Forget about it. I'm not mad."

With that, Miku left. Ichigo looked at the flower. It was blue, like the color of her hair. It was very pretty if she said so herself. She grabbed a vase, and put the flower in there. Then, she put on the tray. She made her way upstairs, careful of not dropping the tray as she went.

"Is Goro awake?" Hiro asked, as he appeared from the other side of the hall.

"Yeah, and he's hungry, so I'm bringing him lunch."

The boy nodded. "So he's feeling better?"

"His fever decreased. If he keeps resting, he'll be better tomorrow." She explained as she made her way to the door.

Hiro smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. We've all been worried."

"I know." She said.

"Goro's lucky to have you taking care of him." He suddenly said.

Ichigo blushed. "O-of course I take care of him. He's my partner after all." She stammered.

Hiro seemed amused at her words. "If you say so."

She glared at him. "Instead of making fun of me, why don't you open the door for me."

Still grinning, he did as he was told.

"Thank you." Ichigo said curtly as she passed him by, completely missing the knowing look Hiro sent her way.

"What's with the flower?" Goro said as he noticed the tray on her hands.

"Kokoro and Miku thought it'd cheer you up." She said as she walked towards him.

He smiled. "Yeah, it's working."

"Great. We don't want to disappoint them."

She set the tray on Goro's lap, then she started cutting the food in pieces. "You know I can do that myself, right?"

"I don't want you to exhaust yourself." She simply said.

"I don't think that'd be possible." Goro said, chuckling.

"Just be thankful that I'm doing something nice for you." Ichigo muttered, feeling annoyed at being underappreciated.

"Oh, I'm very thankful." He replied, looking at her intently.

She gulped at the intensity of his gaze. "Good." She simply said.

Ichigo watched Goro eat in silence. He definitely looked much better than during the morning. His cheeks were no longer flushed. That relieved her. She thought that, maybe, it hadn't been the Child Fever after all, and that there was nothing to worry about.

The rest of the day passed by without problems. Ichigo insisted that Goro remained in bed, and he did what she told him to do. He napped for a while as his partner helped the girls clean the bathroom. Later, she returned with more water and a book. She sat down on the chair and read out loud to him, even changing the tone of her voice to match the characters' voices. At dinnertime, Kokoro and Hiro surprised them by bringing their dinner up the room. They ate together as they talked quietly among themselves.

"I've missed this." Ichigo suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Goro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You. Me. Talking with each other. Having a good time. It feels as if a million years have passed since the last time we had a moment for ourselves." She said.

"A lot's been going on." He mused. "Between fighting klaxosaurs, the whole thing with Zero Two and Hiro, and now having to fend off by ourselves, we haven't really had the time to talk."

Ichigo nodded. "But that has to change. We're partners, so we need to communicate with each other!"

He smiled. "Yeah, you're right. We should make the time."

"Totally."

They fell into a comfortable silence after that.

When their stomachs were full, they sat side by side on Goro's bed, talking about uneventful things. They laughed and they annoyed each other, just like the good old times. When night fell, Ichigo was reluctant to go, but her partner convinced him that he was feeling much better. Tomorrow he'd be able to be up and about.

She stood up and took their dishes. "Are you sure you feel better?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, Ichigo, I'm fine. Promise."

She smiled. "Okay. Hiro will come soon. Ask him anything you need." The boy nodded. "Then, I'll go now. These dishes won't wash themselves." She joke.

"Ichigo." Goro called her before she could leave the room. She turned around and faced him. "Thank you for… for everything."

She smiled softly at him. "Idiot. You don't need to thank me."

With that, she left the room, oblivious to the awestruck expression Goro had on his face. Then, the boy shook his head, incredulous. She really had no idea about the effect she had on him. Well, maybe one day she'd notice. Right now, he was just happy to be able to spend time with her. Turning around, he buried his face on his pillow. It was funny how her smell still lingered even after she had left.