Reversing The Roles

"Achoo!"

I let out an irritated sigh as I tried to draw in a deep breath, but struggled to do so.

"When did I catch this cold...I didn't even notice it until this morning,"

I tried to reach over to my alarm clock to stop it from ringing my ears...but barely found the strength to crawl up the bed.

"Why...do I feel so weak..."

After crawling what felt like miles, I managed to silence it by smacking it off of the end table. I felt horrible. My head was pulsating rapidly with pain, my limbs felt like they were barely getting any blood and my body felt so heavy, it was a struggle just to sit up. I reached for my phone and once I managed to get it, I powered it on. I searched through my contacts, hoping that there would be someone within reach who could help me...but then I realized that my entire research team had left for work already. It would be wrong to pull them from such an important matter...

"Is there anyone else who's nearby?"

Winston would've been a good idea, but then I remembered that he left for Numbani two days ago. Lena was probably busy as well considering that she has her girlfriend to attend to; it was her birthday after all. Jack? No...he's not the "nursing back to health" type of person. Ana was likely with him and the last thing I wanted to do was burden here with something so menial.

"I guess I'm on my-"

My phone began to ring. I lifted it back in front of my face to see a familiar face.

"...Genji?"

I answered the call.

"Hello Genji," I said in as normal of a tone as I could muster.
"Angela! Good to hear from you! Is everything going well?" he asked.

I laughed nervously, covering the microphone before letting out a cough.

"As good as can be, what's on your mind?" I asked.

It wasn't like him to call me on the phone; most of our conversations were held using video calling on my computer but seeing as that was downstairs...I didn't see how it would be viable. Besides, the last thing I wanted was for him to see me in this state; he'd automatically get worried.

"I arrived in town two days ago, but I had to take care of some things for my brother and I'm not due to leave for another three days, I was hoping you would be free for some lunch?" he asked.

It was getting more and more difficult to hide the coughing; the urges began to get almost impossible to hold back.

"I'd love to...but-"

I coughed suddenly, not even realizing that I had a need to until it was too late. He evidently picked up on it as he gasped audibly.

"Are you alright Angela? You sound ill," he asked.
"N-N-No! I'm fine!" I replied.

Genji sucked on his teeth three times and let out a deep sigh.

"Your voice sounding so nasally does not convince me otherwise, I'm on my way to your home," he said.
"But-"
"No buts; don't you even think about doing any work today,"

I sighed deeply before finally giving up on trying to avoid his concern.

"I will be there in fifteen minutes; I am going to pick up a few things for you," he said.

The call cut off as I growled softly to myself. If there was one thing I disliked, it was being the patient. All these years of flawless health...now ruined because of a cold. I reached over to the remote on my end table and held down the large white button to disarm my security system in order to allow him to enter without any problems.

I knew I wasn't going to like this...but there's not much that I could do to change Genji Shimada's mind when he set it to something. It was a much better idea to just go along for the ride...because his unending concern would make me feel horrible if I rejected it.

Thirty Minutes Later

"What's that in your hand?"

I shook my head and offered her an assuring smile.

"It's a traditional Kampo procedure, you said you were feeling pain in your joints and sinus congestion did you not?" I asked.

Angela nodded slightly, her face now reddened because she was clearly having fever on top of all the other symptoms.

"...You know Kampo mixtures?" she asked in disbelief.
"I studied it extensively when I was in training with Master Zenyatta so indeed I do," I replied.

I placed the tray with two hot cups on her end table before helping her up from her laying position. Just as I thought, she was roasting with fever. Her voice still sounded nasally and her reddened nose indicated that she was also have nasal congestion. Coupled with her coughing as well as the aching joints, she managed to catch one serious cold. And because she was Angela Ziegler...

She would try to do research and help others anyway.

I didn't want to call her irresponsible because I understood why she tried to hide it from me; she was so used to being the one taking care of the sick so it probably felt like a completely alien thing for her to actually get sick. I still don't know how she managed to get this cold; she was practically the pinnacle of health with her very balanced diet, constant exercise and her extensive medical knowledge. Yet here I was, taking care of her.

I picked up the first cup and took a sniff to ensure I had selected the right one.

"Drink this...it's not going to taste very good I'm afraid," I instructed.

She let out a deep sigh.

"Do I have to?" she whined.
"Do you want to get better faster or not?" I replied.

She stopped objecting and surrendered, before reaching out her arms. However, I shook my head.

"You're not putting anymore pressure on those arms, I'll hold it for you...drink all of it," I said.

She reluctantly obeyed me as I lifted the cup to her mouth. She took a taste of it and immediately recoiled.

"It's so bitter!" she whined.
"Pueraria is not supposed to taste good, it's supposed to relieve your joint pain...now drink,"

I ensured that I sounded firm enough to let her know I wasn't going to change my mind, but gentle enough to know that I was only doing this because I was concerned for her. It took a few seconds but she finally surrendered and began to drink the concoction. Out of all the remedies, this one was probably the one that tasted the worst. All three didn't taste very good...mostly due to the fact that licorice was in all three and that was something that very few people I knew liked. However, she drank it all without another complaint, releasing what appeared to be a held breath once she moved her head away.

"Alright, time for the next one...then you eat before you take the last one," I said.

She sighed again, but nodded in agreement. I brought the second cup to her lips.

"This one is for your sore throat and coughing," I explained.

She didn't offer any resistance and once again began to drink. It took her longer to finish this one; she took breaks between mouthfuls to cough and sneeze but she again, finished it completely. I smiled at her before placing the cup down and getting to my feet.

"I'll cook you something to eat, go ahead and take a nap," I urged.

She laid back, taking deeper breaths due to the blockage in her nostrils.

"...I'm sorry for being such a handful," she sighed.

I shook my head and laughed nervously.

"Get some sleep, I'll wake you up once dinner is ready," I said.

She slowly closed her eyes, turning her head to the left before finally relaxing fully. I had been here for nearly an hour and for the vast majority of it, I had never seen her look so nervous and flustered. It was good to see her finally calm down...but now the pressure was on.

"I have to do my best to ensure she's comfortable...I wouldn't be able to live with it if she didn't feel better after all of this,"

I immediately set to work, deciding to make some homemade ramen with a much richer broth. Hopefully, it would help.

Truthfully, there was no way I could sleep. I was far too worried about what Genji thought of me. I didn't get to do any cleaning and my desk was an absolute mess. I didn't clean up my room...then again, I live in a high rise apartment and just about all of my home could be seen from where I was laying. I looked across the large room and into the kitchen to see that Genji was cooking.

He took the liberty of putting on one of the aprons I hung beside the fridge and was now hard at work, rolling some kind of dough. He really continued to impress me more and more with every day I spent talking to him. We had gone out a few times as friends, to lunch and a few movies...but now that I thought about it, I didn't pause to consider my feelings for him. He was always there for me, cheering me up when I was down from working too hard and giving me insightful advice when it came to hard decisions. He even took time to visit me here in Zurich when he got a break from his duties at the Shambali Monastery. Of anyone around right now, he was most certainly my closest friend.

And now here he was, taking care of me during one of the very few times of need I could conceivably have.

My eyes focused on him to see that he looked rather happy, whistling a soft tune as he continued to prepare what I assumed was dinner for me.

"I hope he makes enough for himself too..."

He finished kneading the dough and left it on the counter as he walked over to my cupboards. He was probably looking for a pot of some kind. It took him a few minutes, but he finally found the correct cupboard as he pulled out two large pots. He quickly washed them both and set one aside, taking the other and placing it on the counter. He then reached into one of the large brown paper bags he brought with him and pulled out a great many items. Several bottles, some vegetables, spices and herbs among other things.

"...How much did he spend on all of this?!"

He quickly removed all the necessary portions and turned on the stove to begin making what I assumed to be broth. It was simultaneously the sweetest and cutest sight I had ever seen. I would never have expected Genji Shimada to be a capable caretaker, let alone a competent cook. I guess I always lived with the pretense that Genji had things brought to him considering he was a part of the Shimada Clan, one of the wealthiest families in the world. Yet here he was...cooking and taking care of me.

I watched him, closing my eyes and pretending to be asleep whenever he turned around as he continued to toil away on the stove. This went on for a good thirty minutes, until he began to put in the noodles. He rolled each piece of dough up and then cut them into smaller chunks. He then unwound each single piece, producing a noodle with each. He continued this for all of the dough he cut until he finally had enough to feed the two of us. He then lifted the pot lid, filling the room with a mouth-watering aroma. He sniffed it a few times before adding some herbs into it and covering it once more. He then let out a heavy breath as he put some water into my kettle. He then reached into a smaller paper bag and removed several herbs. He then proceeded to mull them together in a mortar and pestle that he evidently brought as well. Once he finished with that, he poured the mixture into a mug before pouring the hot water on top of it. He then took a sniff and nodded to himself, satisfied with what he did.

Once he was done, he proceeded to cook the noodles in that delicious soup he left to cook. Ten more minutes passed until he turned off the stove and let out a proud laugh. He poured two bowls full of the soup and placed it in a tray along with the steaming hot cup of what I would start calling "tea". He removed the apron and wiped his face of the sweat before he cleaned everything he used to cook, leaving my kitchen completely spotless. He then picked up everything and approached me. I immediately played possum and thankfully, he was convinced I was doing so the entire time. He placed the tray on the end table before sitting down on the bed. I noticed however...that he was blushing with a very hesitant look on his face. He began to extend a hand towards my face, but he immediately recoiled, evidently thinking it was a terrible idea. He sat there for about a minute, trying to think of a way of "waking me up". Seeing this as a golden chance to mess with him, I turned to the right.

"...Genji..." I whispered in an dreamy tone.

I heard him take in a sharp breath and I peered out the corner of my eye to see that he was flustered. His blush had about doubled in shade and he still couldn't figure out what to do.

"...Please...right there..." I continued.

I was sure that if he got more nervous, he'd probably have a heart attack. He then cleared his throat before finally reaching over to my cheek and running a single finger across it. I pretended to wake up, feigning a yawn and rubbing my eyes.

"Oh...are you finished cooking already?" I asked.

Miraculously, the nervous face he had disappeared without a trace as he held one of the bowls of soup.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Now that he said that...I had actually forgotten the pain of my limbs entirely. I didn't feel as weak as I did before...but the cold was still clearly there because I was still congested. Still...the joint pain had vanished.

"A little better...so what did you make?" I asked.

He looked to the bowl and picked up some chopsticks.

"Homemade ramen...my mother taught me how to make it," he replied.

I smiled at him, now feeling very warm on the inside because he was presenting something he made with his own two hands to me.

"I wasn't sure what kind of meat you preferred...so I tried to make it as savory as I could while still keeping it healthy," he explained.

I sat up and took the bowl from him. He attempted to take it back, but I shook my head with a smile.

"You haven't eaten anything as yet, I'll manage this," I said.

The shinobi nodded as he picked up his bowl and began to eat. I took some of the noodles into my mouth...and felt my taste buds go into absolutely overdrive. Never had I tasted ramen so good; not a single restaurant in Zurich...heck, anywhere had soup this good. I eagerly devoured it, causing him to stare at me in astonishment. I drank every drop of the soup, not caring that it was still very hot. There was such a mad medley of savory flavors that it was difficult to describe it in a single word. The only thing I could for certain is that I had to get him to make this for me again at some point in our lives. He finished his soup not long after me before he reached for the cup.

"Drink this...it will help with the congestion," he said.

I reluctantly took the cup from him before taking a sniff. Just as I thought, it wasn't pleasant. However, I shut my eyes tightly and immediately started to drink, ignoring the taste of it until it was finished. Genji took the cup from me and placed all of the dishware into the sink before rejoining me.

"I hope you liked it...I haven't had to make it in a very long time," he said.

I smiled brightly at him.

"It was delicious! And it tasted even better because you made it for me with your own two hands," I replied.

He blushed lightly and cleared his throat.

"You're welcome...now go to sleep; that mixture is going to make you sleepy very soon," he said.

I nodded before patting the space next to me.

"You don't have to go back to the hotel if you don't want to," I suggested.

He looked away for a moment before nodding.

"It would probably be better if I stayed anyway, just in case you need something," he said with a shrug.

He laid down beside me. Feeling very grateful for all of his help, I snuggled up next to him, placing my head on his chest. I could hear his heart rate speed up drastically but he didn't move away...instead he put an arm around me.

"Thank you Genji...I really appreciate your help," I said.
"You're welcome Angela...now get some rest, I'll be here when you wake up," he replied.

I obeyed him and allowed sleep to take over.

The Next Morning

I stirred from my slumber, shaking my senses back into focus as I looked down. I smiled upon seeing Angela's sleeping form.

"I guess the remedies had a good effect after all...I'm nowhere near as good as Hanzo when it comes to these things but I didn't want her to rely on drugs to get over a cold,"

"Mmm...Genji..."

I blushed profusely upon hearing her voice sound so...enthralled.

I looked down to see her face was red and she had a very happy smile on her face. I tried to free myself, but she began to lean up towards my face. Not wanting to push my boundaries, I gently lowered her to the bed and rolled off of it. I sighed in relief as I stretched my tired arms. Upon looking at the clock, I saw it was now 9 AM.

"...Genji?"

I looked up from my watch to see that she had awakened and was now rubbing her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked with a lazy yawn.
"9'o clock," I replied.

She nodded slowly and stretched her arms into the air. She then took a deep breath, surprisingly not sounding congested at all.

"How do you feel?" I asked.
"Good!" she replied.

I smiled at her and gave myself a mental pat on the back.

"Glad to hear it," I said.

She then gestured me to come over to her. Curious, I obeyed her before she pulled me onto the bed.

"You deserve a reward for taking such good care of me," she said.

I shook my head, laughing nervously at the notion.

"There's no need at all, just knowing that you're alright is enough," I said.
"Close your eyes," she requested.

I had no idea what to think but she began to look saddened.

"Come on...just close your eyes for five seconds and I'll give you something I know you'll like!" she continued.

Sighing deeply to myself, I obeyed her.

"There's really no need for-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence before I felt soft lips cover mine. My eyes shot open to see that she had closed the distance between us, placing her hands gently on my chest with her eyes closed. I slowly felt myself let go of the incessant need to be a gentleman as I began to kiss back. It continued for a few seconds until she broke away from me, her face still red but now with an almost dreamy look on her face.

"Thank you Genji..." she whispered.

It felt as if steam was going to come out of my ears but now that I knew she felt the same attraction I did towards her, I placed my hands on her waist and lifted her into my lap. I then gave her a kiss on her forehead before smiling once more.

"...You're welcome Angela," I replied.