A bit of fluff since I think Riff deserves it for all his hard work on his day off and because this happens to be the last chapter to this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Godchild. Kaori Yuki has that honour alone. All rights are reserved to her.

§Riff's Day Off§

Chapter IV

"How is he doing, big brother? Has his fever gone down a bit since the last time I came?" asked Mary Weather, her eyes resting on the sleeping form on the bed.

"I'm afraid not much Mary Weather, but he seems to be doing better from what I can tell." Cain replied, and sighed heavily. He looked up at his sister and attempted to smile for her sake.

"This is my entire fault; if I hadn't tried to push you both in to the lake, then Riff wouldn't be sick now." Mary Weather whispered sadly. Cain's smile faded and he embraced his sister to comfort her.

"This is no one's fault Mary Weather; sooner or later Riffael would have fallen ill from his lack of care for himself. Now you should go down stairs and practice the piano while I stay here besides him, and please don't argue Mary Weather; there really isn't much we can do for him except give him rest and quietude." Cain said, a bit bitterly when he recalled Riff's carelessness for himself, but he soon forgot his temper.

Mary Weather pouted and pleaded, "But Cain, right now isn't the time to play the piano—or any other time for that matter—when Riff is sick! He needs us."

Yes, I do know that Mary Weather; I know we need him as much as he needs us. Cain mused. He glanced at Riff for a moment and without looking at his sister he said, "Mary Weather, please. I promise you if he gets better I'll come down myself and tell you, but we're making too much noise for him."

She seemed to hesitate for a mere second, but she sighed and said, "Fine, but you have to promise me if he does seem to get better you have to tell me right away."

"As a gentleman of his word, I promise you I will do just that." Cain said, smiling. Mary Weather gave her brother a peck on the cheek and left both her brother and their manservant alone in Riff's room.

When she was gone, Cain released a repressed sigh that he had been holding back while Mary Weather had been present. True be told Cain had lied to her about Riff's health. Cain may have small insight regarding medical concepts—he only knew enough to help him with his poisons—but he was no fool.

Just the way Riff was breathing and how his color was ashen told him all he needed to know. Cain sat down besides Riff and watched him sleep. He we sweating and his cheeks had the slightest hint of a faint red against his pallor skin. The doctor who had come had told Cain that the only thing they could do to fight off his fever was to give him plenty of rest and tranquility.

In Cain's opinion, it wasn't enough.

The sound of rustling fabric caught Cain's attention immediately in the dead silent room. He was shocked to see Riff was waking up and trying to sit up in bed. Riff placed a trembling hand on the side of his head to help steady the spinning room. He forced opened his hazy blue eyes and the first thing he saw when he opened them was his master staring at him with concern.

"Lord Cain…what are you doing here?" Riff gasped, confoundedly. What was his master doing in his bedroom and what had happened? Cain straightened up and read his manservant's perplexed expression and answered the two questions he was thinking.

"Your fever made you collapse in the middle of the parlor room just a few hours ago and… I thought you could use the company." Cain remarked, melodiously. He looked away and stared at the wine-red curtains, pretending they were the most wonderful thing he had ever seen, but what he really wanted to see was Riff's reaction to the latter part of his comment.

Even as sick as he was with fever, Riff managed to turn red, and not simple a faint red, a deep red that showed all his blood had traveled up to his face. He cleared his throat and said rather sheepishly, "…Thank you Lord Cain, but please forgive me for saying this, you shouldn't be around someone who is sick. You might catch what I have." Cain smiled playful and leaned forward so there was only six inches separating them.

He half closed his eyes and whispered cryptically, "Perhaps I do want what you have Riff, have you ever thought about that?" He watched as Riff became visibly stiff under his searing gaze. Riff averted his gaze, but Cain would have nothing of the sort. He gently grabbed Riff by the chin and made him look into his eyes.

"I told you before Riff I don't want anything bad to happen to you, and if I can prevent it I will do everything I can to do so." Cain implied, he still held onto Riff's chin.

"…I understand milord." Riff managed to say without stuttering. They were so close, oh so very close that Riff could feel Cain's gentle breath against his flushed face. Just a little closer and…

"Cain is Riff doing better?" came the sudden interruption that caught them both off guard. Cain quickly stood up and faced his sister while a charming smile on his lips and said subtly, "Yes, Riff's doing much better now. I should think a few more days of rest and he'll be fine."

Mary Weather smiled. "I'm glad. How do you feel Riff?" Both Cain and Mary Weather glanced keenly at the older man and waited. Riff, for the first time since arriving home, smiled and remarked frankly, "To tell the truth my lord, and Miss Mary Weather, I feel much better thanks to you, Lord Cain."

Cain smirked and both manservant and master shared a meaningful glance. Mary Weather was much too preoccupied to notice, but from the corner of her eye she saw without them noticing and she was pleased.

After a long day of unwillingness to accept a day off, being tied into a chair, pushed into a lake, and getting sick, Riff actually enjoyed his day off— though he hadn't imaged it to be so...eventful and promising. And what made it even better was the small kiss he and his master shared. Perhaps day off's weren't as bad as Riff had first thought them to be.

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The End

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A/N: And there you have it my dear audience the last chapter to 'Riff's Day Off'. And like I promised, this story would not end without a small pinch of romance. Thank you everyone for reading and for reviewing! I hope you all enjoyed!