A/N: Thank you to La Moonlight Lily for betaing this fic! I know I say it over and over, but I appreciate all that you do for me! XOXO
I do not own these characters; I've had a wonderful time exploring them.
Mei awoke on the morning of February thirteenth unable to deny what she was feeling.
What started as a tickle had steadily taken her over, and now she couldn't ignore the aching within her. She faced an unstoppable force that consumed her at a furious pace; one that grew stronger by the moment, until even she had to admit it to herself.
Mei had caught a terrible cold.
"No. No, no, no," she groaned, closing her eyes to the hoarseness of her voice and the searing pain that came from using it. The slightest movement sent piercing shockwaves through her sore head, but she continued to push herself up and out of her bed.
Mei felt the full damp chill of the mid-February morning when her bare feet touched the floor. Cringing at the icy cold that crept into her whole self, she reached for the throw blanket at the foot of her bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. Mei glared at the sock drawer of her dresser, willing it to open and deliver a pair to her where she sat. Sighing that there was no jutsu in her vast repertoire that could help her now, she stood and began the daunting four-and-a-half-foot journey to retrieve a pair of socks for herself.
Mei's covered feet dragged the rest of her to her kitchen. She filled her tea kettle from the tap and set it on her stove to boil. A series of coughs wracked her chest as she reached for her favorite mug, and she cursed Chojuro for bringing the virus into the Mizukage's office on the day she had agreed to help him sort through paperwork. If he weren't one of her favorites, she'd do something terrible to him. As it was, she hoped he at least had the decency to feel worse than she did.
Mei chose a tea that promised to ease most of her symptoms and poked around her kitchen to see if she had honey or lemon on hand. She had neither- she only craved them when she was sick, which occurred rarely and when it was most inconvenient.
'This wasn't supposed to happen,' she thought.
It was the day before the holiday reserved for lovers. Of all the holidays in the year, it had been Mei's least favorite for longer than she cared to remember. For her, the best part about Valentine's Day was the day after, when she partook in her annual tradition of buying a heart-shaped box of chocolates for herself at half off. But this year, she'd had plans to celebrate the day, on the day, with a lover.
The kettle on the stove began to hiss, and Mei turned the burner off before the high-pitched whistle could assault her throbbing head. She filled her mug from the kettle before returning it to the stove, then took her tea and went to sit on her sofa in the adjoining room.
Mei folded her legs on the cushion beside her and tucked as much of herself as possible inside the warm cocoon the blanket provided. She tugged the string secured to the tea bag that bobbed inside the mug to hurry along the process of steeping and considered her situation. She'd been out of bed for less than fifteen minutes and already felt she needed to return to it. But someone very important to her expected her in the Leaf Village the next day; someone who had gone through the trouble of making a dinner reservation to mark the occasion. Her lover that wanted to celebrate the holiday reserved for lovers, with her.
She recognized the symptoms of a fever by the contrast of her seething hot head and the persistent chill that permeated the rest of her body. Mei brought the mug to her lips, eager for the tea to relieve her aching throat. After taking a sip, she croaked at the pain of swallowing. She set the mug down on the table beside her, next to her telephone.
Mei folded her hands in her lap. There was nothing for it. No matter how badly she wanted to, she wouldn't be traveling to the Leaf to spend Valentine's Day with Kakashi. She reached for the phone that had been a gift from him, a replacement for the one she'd destroyed when he had called to cancel their Christmas plans. The irony wasn't lost on her as she dialed his number.
"Yo." Kakashi picked up right away.
"Hi." Mei could barely squeak out the greeting.
"… Who is this?"
His inability to recognize her voice made her feel worse when she hadn't thought it possible. "It's me, Mei." She tried to force her voice to sound stronger.
"Mei?!" he said, incredulous. "What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid I'm sick. It's only a cold, but it's a whopper." Mei tried to laugh, and it sounded pathetic even to her ears, especially when it sparked a coughing fit instead. "However, and I'm sorrier than you could know, I'm afraid I can't travel to the Leaf like this."
"No, of course not, nor I would expect you to." Kakashi's immediate understanding brought her some relief. "Do you need to see a doctor? Do you have medicine?"
Kakashi's questions continued, but Mei's head reeled, making it difficult for her to answer them all. "I'll be fine, Kakashi, but it hurts to talk on the phone right now, and I feel dizzy. I need to go back to bed."
"Do that; I'll get ready to leave and head your way soon. Get some rest until I get there."
Kakashi's decision took Mei by surprise. "No please don't. I'll call when I'm feeling better. I'll be fine; I promise."
"Please, Mei. Let me come to look after you." Kakashi's voice diminished as he issued his quick reply.
Mei did appreciate his offer, but just the thought of him around her when she was unwashed and unwell caused her embarrassment. "Kakashi, I… I really don't want you to see me like this."
"Mei," he started, but she cut him off.
"Please Kakashi, I really need to get off the phone and rest. I'll call you when I wake up again, ok?"
"… Ok," he acquiesced.
"Thank you. I'll call you again soon." Mei returned the phone to the cradle and laid her head down on the armrest of her sofa. She was cold and cramped but didn't have it in her to get up and return to bed. She fell asleep almost immediately, despite her discomfort.
Mei drifted through wild dreams instigated by her fever as she slept. When she finally woke enough to be aware of her surroundings, the sun was beginning to set. The next thing she noticed was a cool, damp cloth on her forehead. Her eyes flew open when she realized someone was there with her, crouched beside the sofa upon which she had fallen asleep. "Who-?" her weakened voice squeaked in her surprise.
"It's me, Mei. I know you said not to come, but, I worry, and..." His baritone voice was welcome and infuriating.
"Kakashi!" Her senses returned to her, fueled by her temper. "No, I said don't-" Mei's sore throat and head ended her tirade as soon as it started.
"I know, but I was worried! And I was right to worry. You didn't hear me come in, Mei! Do you realize that? I walked past you twice to get that washcloth, and you slept through it. You didn't stir at all until I was right next to you and putting it on your head! What if I was someone that had wanted to harm you, Mei?"
Mei blinked at him, shocked by his exclamation. She withheld the information that it had been a long time since an attempt had been made on her life and felt her anger seep out of her as he continued, almost frantic.
"I worry! I worry! Ok, Mei? I worry, and…and I don't want to worry about you!"
She had never seen the Rokudaime Hokage so unnerved. She didn't know how to react, watching as he hung his head and collected himself before he looked up at her again.
"I know it's just a cold and I seem ridiculous, but I don't want to worry about you, Mei. Please don't ask me to leave."
Mei's temper abated by the end of Kakashi's outburst. She felt self-conscious; she had meant it when she didn't want him to see her. But now that he was there, she was grateful for his willingness to assist her, was moved by his concern for her, and more than anything, she wanted to put him at ease.
"I…I'm being silly too." She curled in on herself a little as she spoke. "It's just my vanity, Kakashi. I didn't want you to see me when I'm sick. I know you don't expect it of me, but, I want you to see the best of me, always."
Kakashi adjusted the cloth on her forehead before it could slide off. "You're right; I don't expect that from you. I worried the whole way here Mei, and I assure you, you couldn't be lovelier to me right now. Let me help you."
"Ok Kakashi, ok." Mei nodded, as she spoke softly.
Kakashi lifted her from her sofa and carried her to her bed. Mei removed the washcloth from her forehead and set it on her nightstand. Once he saw her tucked in, he asked, "What medicine have you taken? When did you take it?"
"I haven't," Mei sheepishly replied. "I fell asleep right after we hung up our phone call."
"Have you eaten anything?" His concern crept back into his voice.
"No." Mei whimpered, a little ashamed of herself for having told him to stay away in the first place. "I'm starting to agree that it's a good idea you came." She tried to smile.
"What can I get for you?" he asked, fidgeting with her blanket, tucking it tighter around her feet.
"Some honey and lemon, please. Though I don't have any on hand."
"I'll go to the store. I planned on it. What else would you like?"
"Soup, or rice porridge. Oh, and," but here Mei stopped, hesitating at her next request.
"Vegetable juice?" Kakashi offered.
"Oh, please no. No. The truth is, I hate that stuff. I'd much rather have some chocolate ice cream." Mei didn't have the energy to maintain the façade of being more health-conscious than she was in her fevered state.
"Really?" Kakashi arched an eyebrow at her. "Well then. I uh, read romance novels."
"What?" Mei's fever didn't prevent her curiosity.
"Summoning jutsu!"
Before Mei could glean more from Kakashi's admission, eight dogs appeared at her bedside. They sat as if they had been assembled and waiting to be summoned. "What's goin' on Boss?"
The pug had been the one to ask the question, though its voice seemed too brusque to belong to it. At first, Mei thought it had been the impressive bulldog that spoke instead of the darling creature that sat atop him.
"I'm assigning you to guard duty, Boys. Lady Mei is sick, and I need to get some things for her. Bull, Bisuke: you take the front door. Urushi, Shiba, Akino, Ūhei: fan out and patrol the windows. Guruko: stay here at her bedroom door. Pakkun: keep an eye on her, and if anything happens, you know the drill."
After each command that Kakashi issued, his summons replied, "Right, Boss!" and sped off to their posts with wagging tails. Only Bull lingered long enough for Pakkun to hop down from his head before he shuffled his massive self to Mei's front door.
"Mind if I sit up there by you, Lady Mei? The floor is cold under my paws." Pakkun raised one of his front limbs, displaying the tender, pink pads to accentuate his point.
Kakashi scratched at the back of his head. "Sorry, Mei. I should've asked if you like dogs before-"
"Yes, of course, you can!" Mei interrupted Kakashi to address the pug directly, her hoarse voice squeaking her delight.
Pakkun took a few steps back so he could make a running leap up to Mei's bed. He sat next to her, and she giggled as she reached for him with both of her hands to scratch behind his ears.
"Good, that's good. Excellent," Kakashi chuckled. "Alright. I'll be back soon. Take care of Lady Mei while I'm gone, Boys."
"You got it, Boss." Pakkun leaned into Mei's attentions to him.
The pug enjoyed her adoration as Kakashi departed her home. She must've hit upon a particularly stubborn itch because Pakkun momentarily forgot himself and one of his hind legs twitched, mimicking the action of scratching himself. He caught himself quickly though, hiding his lapse of control with a question. "So, what have you come down with Lady Mei?"
"It's just a bad cold, Kakashi really needn't be so alarmed," Mei murmured, her sore throat flaring up again after speaking so much.
"Try telling him that. The Boss is a worrier, especially about the humans he cares about. Whoever's left, anyway."
"Shut it, Guruko!" Pakkun practically barked the warning at his fellow summons, his body tensing under Mei's hands.
"Does he have any family left?" Mei asked gently, quietly as Kakashi's bizarre behavior became easier for her to accept.
"He didn't have much to begin with," Guruko started, but Pakkun's glare silenced him. He cowered, then stood and circled three times before he laid on the floor in Mei's bedroom doorway with his back to them.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. He was so upset, and I only want to understand him better." Mei settled back against her pillows. Knowing there was an explanation brought her relief, but with it came fatigue. "I expect you to keep his secrets and I won't ask you to give them away."
Pakkun crept closer to her and sat, facing her. "Thank you, Lady Mei."
Mei retrieved the cool washcloth from her nightstand and placed it on her forehead again. "I'll tell you a secret in exchange, which I hope you'll keep for me too." Mei closed her eyes drifting back into sleep and not fully aware of what and to whom she was confiding. "I don't have any family left either. I haven't for a very long time. I can't blame him for worrying."
She felt Pakkun lay his body down next to hers and fell asleep easily, knowing she was being looked after.