A/N: Finally submitting this after nearly 3 years of on and off writing. Lots of hurt/comfort because I'm a devious human being! Enjoy!


Sick

Her cheeks were flushed, eyelids drooping, and a trail of thick, translucent green snot was slipping from her nostril. Ayabe's eyebrow twitched as he viewed his classmate (friend?) as she sluggishly munched his prepared bento. He swiveled away when their eyes met, instead focusing on the abundance of clouds in the sky. Mafuyu hummed.

"Yummy as always, Ayaben," was her happy, muffled compliment.

Ayabe scoffed, fingers curling tighter on his own box to keep from wiping off the spare bits of rice stuck on her cheeks, "It's rude to talk without swallowing your food first."

"Ah, my ba- I mean…" Mafuyu's jaw worked furiously to consume everything. Too quickly. Her breath hitched, and she coughed to remove some of the bits that had gone down her windpipe. With a fist, she beat at her ribs to force the unwanted material out. Smack! Smack! In moments, the contents had been regurgitated into her box as a slobbery mess. "Hurk!"

"You idiot," Ayabe grumbled, wrinkling his nose. His grimace morphed into a tight frown when she continued to hack her lungs out. Bento clattering to the concrete, he reached out an arm to pat Mafuyu's back. "O- Oi, you okay?!"

"I'm," she croaked, her own lunch laying upturned and forgotten next to her. Her gasps for air were insistent as the coughing finally subsided, and her face was dripping with sweat and coloured an unusual shade of red. "fine, Aya...ben. Why's your… hand so cold?"

"What?!" he exclaimed, using the back of his other hand to touch her forehead. "You're burning up!"

"What're yo…?" words slurring, Mafuyu blinked as the world around her became hazy. The cloudy sky was now a swirling mess of white and gray. Everything was all squiggly and hurting her eyes, and when did Ayaben have three heads? Oh…

Fwump!

"Kurosaki!"

0o0 ? 0o0

The soft light of the infirmary penetrated her eyelids. Mafuyu flinched, weakly turning her face away and into the plush pillow. A wet cloth slipped off her forehead, and something grazed her sweaty arm.

"Kurosaki-san," it was the... nurse? She spoke in a gentle manner, volume low. "How are you feeling?"

"I," Mafuyu croaked, pulling her arm away to cover her eyes. "Feel really bad."

"Of course you do," a harsher voice cut in. "What have you been doing?"

"Ayabe-san!"

She lifted her arm slightly and cracked her eyes open. Next to the concerned nurse was a glaring Ayabe, his killing intent almost palpable. Gulping, Mafuyu shied away from his sharp eyes, "Nothing… nothing in particular."

And by nothing, she meant it could have been from the nearly expired food she had gotten on sale at the market. Or when she'd gone to sleep with the window open the other night. Or from when she had fallen into the school pond trying to do a cool fish catching technique she'd seen on TV. Or…

"Geez, so unbelievably stupid."

Ah, she had said that out loud, "S-sorry…"

"In any case," the nurse began, her gaze darting between the two before they finally settled on Mafuyu. "You'll need to be sent home so you can rest properly. It's a shame you don't stay in the dorms, but I'm aware you don't live particularly far away. Do you have anyone who can pick you up?"

Mafuyu closed her eyes again and coughed into the crook of her elbow, "Um, no. I live alone. Maybe… Saeki-sensei?"

"Unfortunately, he's teaching a class, at the moment. Is there anyone else?"

Mafuyu frowned, her brain churning at a snail's pace. She did not want to ask Hayasaka, Ninja, or Aki. They were all probably in class. Banchou was off who knows where and would likely not want to be in such an embarrassing situation. Then that left… "It's fine. I can go by myself."

"Kurosaki-san, I do not recommend…" But Mafuyu was already sitting up, her limbs shaking slightly.

"Like you said, my home isn't far. I can make it on my own."

Before she could swing her legs around to the left side of the bed, a small object flew at her head. Smack! It slid down Mafuyu's face and plopped into her lap. A cold mask?

"Put that on, wash your hands, and get ready. I'll get your bag from your classroom," with that, Ayabe turned away and strode briskly out of the room.

After a moment of silence, the nurse giggled, "You have a good friend, Kurosaki-san."

"Huh?"

"Ayabe-san barged in with you on his back and actually instructed me on what to do. He must care a lot for you."

"..."

"Kurosaki-san?"

Uwaaah! Fingers clenching and unclenching the mask, Mafuyu could feel her already red face deepen in shade. Her eyes sparkled slightly, and a wide smile worked its way onto her lips. Hearing someone else affirming the friendship she had with Ayaben… It made her really, really happy!

0o0 🐇 0o0

"We're off," Ayabe bowed his head to the nurse as he left with Mafuyu, her hands now clean and mask on. The transition from the bed to his back had exhausted her, so she dozed on his shoulder, careful not to drool. Her bag was hanging off his right shoulder, and his ever-present guitar case was turned around so that it was held in place in front of him. He may not be in his powerful cleaning state, but he had the strength to do this much, at least.

"Be safe!" the nurse tried to say, but the door had already shut behind them. In the distance, muffled by the walls and windows, a rumble of thunder rolled across the skies. "Oh dear. I should have given them an umbrella."

0o0 🐇 0o0

"Shit!"

Water droplets flew as a pair of feet stomped across puddles. They had not even made it a few minutes out of the school campus before the downpour began. Soaked to the bone, Ayabe tensed as Mafuyu's shivering became more apparent. Lips pursed tightly, he quickened his pace, trusting his memory of the directions the nurse had given him.

There! The apartment complex finally came into view, so Ayabe rushed into the building's main lobby. Without even pausing to try the elevator, he bounded up the stairs to the correct floor. Lightning flashed through the pounding rain, which was blowing harshly in all directions and into the walkways. So just as he spotted the correct room number, his foot caught on a particularly slippery patch. Expletives spilled forth.

Boy, girl, broom, and all tumbled gracelessly to the floor.

As his face met concrete, Ayabe's heart stopped for a moment as he heard the cacophony of a muffled clatter, his precious broom (his Fujishima) in its case, and the wet slap of a body, his classmate (his friend). He scrambled to his feet, sneakers squeaking slightly, but for a split second he paused. Fingers twitching slightly, his hand extended forward, rested on cloth, and shook.

"Kurosaki! Can you hear me? Hey… c'mon!" Something cold had begun forming in his stomach. In an instant, he was back on that bus, selfishly leaving behind his beloved family. He could not breath. Oh, god, he-

"Ahhh, how cruel. To drop such a lovely high school girl like me," was the weak, grousy, and agonizingly delayed reply.

"Haaah," everything fell back into place, and he could move again. Gingerly, he helped her stand and fumbled for her apartment key. They staggered towards the door, grabbed Fujishima along the way, and Ayabe unlocked the entrance with relief. "Finally. Now, I'm just going to leave you here and…"

He scanned the apartment with horror.

"This is… absolutely barbaric."

"It's not that bad," Mafuyu rasped, numbed to the chaotic mess that was her home. Littering the floorboards were discarded bits of clothes, papers, and trash. Dishes were scattered around the sink, unwashed and emitting pungent odors. A brownish substance trickled out from beneath what was surely the bathroom door. Against some walls were haphazardly stacked boxes filled with junk. Unsurprisingly, a creepy crawly scuttled underneath a discarded bag of chips. Ew.

Eyebrow twitching, Ayabe took a shaky breath, swaying slightly despite not being the one who was ill. He closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply a few more times, "Kurosaki, can you make it to your bedroom by yourself?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Good. Then, go in, get changed, and get some goddamned rest," his expression was stony, shoulders already shaking. "I'll check on you in a bit."

Before she even realized it, she was practically shoved into her room, door slammed shut behind her. In the minutes it took her to rip off the cold mask, change, and crawl into bed, the cleaning frenzy had already begun. No doubt she would later receive a loud lecture from him on the finer points of home maintenance. It was well-deserved, though. What fine lady would leave her abode in such a state?

"Ah, such a disgrace," she murmured drowsily, her eyes fluttering shut.

0o0 🐇 0o0

Ayabe whistled a cheery tune (one from an anime his siblings watch - something about a girl in love with a mangaka?) and stroked the wood of his broom gently, other cleaning tools piled neatly behind him. His face was red and his eyes were slightly glazed over, "Ah, Fujishima, another fine job we've done, yes? You all as well, Sugita, Makimura, and Shinomiya."

In just an hour, he had managed to make the apartment space glow with tidiness. Ayabe's homemaking spirit had even driven him into writing a simple instructions list for Mafuyu on how to maintain it (as he had done for his siblings once they had reconciled). The faint clatter of water on glass reminded him that the storm was still going, meaning he would have to wait before he made the trek back to the dorms. And besides, how could he leave her alone?

"Hmmnn," he returned the broom and its friends to their case and headed towards the compact kitchen. "Perhaps I should cook? ...Hah. Knowing Kurosaki, she probably doesn't have anything suitable."

His suspicions were confirmed as he opened the refrigerator. Nothing but snacks, drinks, and microwaveable meals. Another deep sigh (one of many that day) escaped him as he turned to where he had left a recently discovered umbrella by the entranceway. Once again, his movement was torn, body turned towards the entrance yet head twisting towards Mafuyu's room.

In just a few steps, he was at the door to her room and knocked lightly, "Kurosaki?" No reply. "Still sleeping?" Silence. "Mmm, well, I'm coming in."

The mess in the bedroom was, thankfully, not as unnerving as the other rooms had been. Really, it reminded him somewhat of his sister's room, so he was barely fazed by the scattered bits of garments (besides the fact that they were not in a laundry basket). Tutting softly, he resolutely, if reluctantly, ignored it all in favor of checking on his friend, whom appeared to be sleeping soundly in her bed. As he closed the distance between them, Mafuyu's shaky breathing was all too apparent, likely caused by congestion, and her body quivered from chills despite the heavy blanket providing warmth. Her hair was still damp, causing dark patches to appear on her pillow.

"Kurosaki," he attempted to rouse her once more, laying the back of his hand against her forehead like he had done earlier. Her temperature seemed no better nor worse, but he could not be sure unless he had a thermometer, which - of the many knickknacks the girl had - was frustratingly absent in this apartment. Before he could continue his query, Mafuyu's eyebrows knitted together tightly, and the corners of her mouth twisted downwards.

GROWL!

Exhaling loudly, Ayabe straightened up, "Well, Mafu-Mafu," his voice was soft and teasing. "It seems I'll need to do some shopping."

0o0 🐇 0o0

When Mafuyu finally cracked open her eyes, her clogged sinuses were flooded with the scent of something delicious. Drool slipping from her lips, Mafuyu began the aching process of sitting up and was aided by a steady arm. Blinking through the haze of sleepiness and sickness, her gaze focused on her friend's motherly face before making a beeline to whatever scrumptious item was in his hands.

"Hold it," Ayabe commanded, halting her sorry attempt to reach for what was definitely a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup accompanied by a glass of water and an uncapped bottle of small pills on a tray. She paused long enough for him to place the food on her bedside table and help her prop her body up against the wall of her room with a few pillows. He then cautiously picked the tray up again to rest it on her blanket-covered lap. "Take one of those pills, then eat slowly, and for god's sake it may just be noodles but CHEW before you swallow."

If her mind was not already occupied with the prospect of food and her mouth in the process of swallowing a pill, she would have given him a jaunty salute and quipped back goofily. She barely noticed the springboards of her mattress depress slightly as Ayabe took a seat to observe her as she carefully devoured her meal.

A few minutes later, he nodded in satisfaction as she finished about two thirds of the soup before calling it quits for the sake of her cartwheeling stomach and gulped down the entire glass of water. Ayabe took the tray back silently and instructed Mafuyu to put the thermometer he had handed her under her armpit. Returning from the kitchen a moment later, he found her slouched against her pillow rest and looking dizzily at the thermometer.

"Dunno if this is good or bad," she mumbled as she offered it back.

Ayabe eyed the thermometer critically, relaxing as he read the number, "You'll be okay with more sleep. Honestly, you should be taking better care of yourself, especially with living alone like this."

"I don't get sick much," she defended, words slurred and eyelids heavy. "And my friends back home weren't exactly… the best at dealing with it either."

Ayabe blinked. He found it hard to imagine Mafuyu with friends who were not Yui and Hayasaka.

"Honestly, how could that stupid M think that dangling from the ceiling upside down could cure a cold?!" she groused. "And Kangawa, the idiot, lined up a bunch of dumbasses to beat up when I came to school with a headache! I couldn't even trust them to stay out of trouble when they were sick." Her voice lowered until he could barely make out the words. Something about 'dragging them back from the other side of town' and 'tied to a cow statue'?

His weight once again depressing the mattress, Ayabe leaned forward with his face buried in his hands. Of course her old friends would be absolute shitheads! He was surprised that she managed to survive for so long.

"What about your parents?"

Mafuyu's expression soured, "As long as they didn't hear about me getting into trouble, they didn't bother. Mom sometimes cared for me when I was sick, but she usually ended up scolding me more than helping." She waved off his reply before it even started. "Ugh, I bet your siblings didn't give you this much trouble."

"Oh no," Ayabe deadpanned, straightening up to look at her. "They're the worst when it comes to being sick."

"Ehh?"

"One time," Ayabe began counting out his fingers. "Kosue couldn't make it to the toilet in time so she left a trail of vomit on the carpet. When I had a sore throat, Akimi and Koushiro nearly drowned me in honey. When she had a cold, Ichika wouldn't stop whining about how much effort it took to look flawless and how her hair just wouldn't curl right. Umetsugu convinced his class that he was dying. The sheer amount of gifts we received in a week was ungodly. And don't get me started on-"

Warm fingers tapped lightly on his forehead.

"You're awesome, Ayaben," Mafuyu complemented, patting him gently.

"I… uh," he wavered, face beginning to burn.

"An amazing brother and a wonderful friend," she continued, eyes crinkling as she grinned.

"You… you too," Ayabe ducked his head to escape. "I mean, as a friend. You're a pretty great friend, too."

Mafuyu chuckled as she collapsed back into her pillows and closed her eyes, "Tell me more about them. What about your parents? What happened when they got sick?"

"Well…"

0o0 🐇 0o0

Takaomi sighed loudly as he scrutinized Mafuyu snoring softly and Ayabe slouching against the bed, both fast asleep. Running a hand through his hair, he crouched down, effortlessly threw the boy over his shoulder, and strode out of the room.

"Like hell I'm leaving you here overnight."

End


A/N: Next chapter in 2 days.