Okay there is an attempt at a scientific explanation in here...so don't expect it to make much sense...although the basic facts are actually true XD I tried to use long complicated sentences...but, it's up to you to judge X-x
Lol I was looking for new TMM stories to read, and I saw mine because it had been updated...I couldn't help but stare in shock at the amount of reviews i have! Wow in the 50's O-O
Thank you so much everyone!!! I never ever thought I'd have a story that so many people enjoyed.
-gives every one cyber cookies with Thank You wrote in icing on them-
Yay well here's the next chapter! I hope it's good! R&R and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own infinity plus one! Can i just say that for the up coming chapters I DONT OWN...just so i don't have to keep saying it over and over again. Lol X3
Enjoy!
"Ryou you've got a fever...Why were you out in this weather?"
"I was helping Keichiiro with his work."
"Ha ha, well be more responsible next time, If you're going out wear a coat," the blonde woman smile down at her child. "Let me know as well, I couldn't find you for lunch."
"Sorry mama," Ryou said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Okay, get some sleep," she said, kissing him on the forehead. "Don't worry it won't last long."
"I know...it's just a head cold," Ryou said, knowingly. "It lasts for seven days, but I doubt it'll take too long to go away."
"Ha ha. Let's hope so," she smiled once again, standing up. "Now, rest."
"Hai."
--
"Nmm..." It's so hot...
Ryou groaned and moved onto his side, frowning in his sleep. It couldn't have been hot though, it was autumn. He buried his head deeper into his pillow, trying to ignore the weird sensation at the back of his throat with every breath he took. The numbness of sleep was beginning to wear off as he started to wake.
The feeling was getting worse, distracting his thoughts from sleep, or why it was so hot. Ryou took in a deep breath and pushed himself up from the bed, coughing suddenly and violently into his hand.
Can't breathe...dammit, I can't even catch a damn breath, he thought bitterly, as he tried to hold it back. He could feel the horrible bruised sensation pushing across his chest and through his lungs.
"Here."
Ryou looked up to see a cup in front of face, and a tired strawberry holding it out to him. He took it gratefully and drunk down half the glass without stopping. He gave it back to her, not aware of his hand shaking as he did, and took in a few uneven gulps of air.
"Okay, calm down," she whispered, fighting back a yawn. "You'll pass out if keep hyper-whatzit?...breathing to quickly."
To be honest, it was just too early for her to be using long words. Ryou stared at her too exhausted to even try to laugh, he wiped a hand across his eyes noticing they had teared up. He was still breathing pretty hard, and was beginning to see spots.
"Drink some more, it should help...okay?" Ichigo told him, unable to hold back her yawning this time. She passed him back the cup.
Ryou accepted it and drunk slowly this time, wincing as it scraped all the way down to his stomach. Ichigo watched him carefully, throwing an amused look at his head when ever she thought he weren't looking, and continued to worry.
"Feel any better?" she asked, making it a point to look him in the eyes and not let them wander upwards.
Ryou shook his head, he didn't trust his voice to work at all, but he tried any way. "...Si-ick."
Ichigo nodded and put her hand to his head, much to his surprise. Too hot...Hmm what time is it?
"Where's the clock?" Ichigo mumbled to herself, getting out from the bed to look around. Ryou just rolled his eyes and reached behind him on the ledge. "Hey."
"Oh...heh heh, thanks," Ichigo replied, scratching her head sheepishly. Right...oh yeah, it was behind me, baka. "Okay, so uhm I think -cough- Akasaka-san said you could have this when you woke up..."
She walked over to the desk, picked up a bottle and sat back down on the bed, reading the label closely. "Okay...so uh...you have to have two of these and they -cough- should help your fever."
Ichigo undid the lid and handed him the bottle. Ryou took it and shook out two small tablets that were half red and half blue, downing them with a gulp of water. Ichigo watched him grimly.
"Yuck..." she grumbled, sticking out her tongue. Ryou smirked at her response and handed her the bottle back. She looked at it with contempt and put it back on the desk.
As she came back over to the bed, something caught her eye from under the corner of the covers. Ichigo bit her lip and looked at the wall as she sat down, trying hard to ignore the odd look the blonde was giving her.
"What...is it?" He asked, clearing his throat.
"No-Nothing...nothing at a-all!" She squeaked, finding those horrible tablets suddenly very interesting. Her voice made an odd sound as it resonated against her blocked nose and sore throat. "Uh uhm -cough- get some sleep."
"...-slept all d-ay," Ryou attempted to complain. She still wasn't looking at him, and the bed was shaking slightly. "-at's so fun-ny?"
Ryou was getting a tad annoyed, and the koneko decided to turn around so her back was towards him. She could've sworn she heard him hiss.
What do i do...it's too funny! Should I tell him? Or maybe just have some fun with it? Gah it's too much! Hah hah...Aw but his ears are all flat against his head; his mad at me...heh.
Ichigo bit her lip again, with her hand covering her mouth as she tried -in vain- to stop her giggle fit. She let her eyes slide over to the side, seeing, or rather feeling, those blue eyes staring at her with irritated curiosity.
"Nya, I wouldn't mind some milk, I wonder if Akasaka-san will let me have some?" Ichigo smiled evilly; happy that not a single cough or sneeze broke her sentence, and also for the way she noticed a pair of gray ears perk up a bit.
What the hell is wrong with this girl? What's she laughing at anyway...and then randomly starts talking about milk...although that does sound good...Hm? Ryou cocked his head to the side, wondering why on earth he was craving the deliciously creamy drink. He then noticed Ichigo's piercing gaze as she continued to make the bed vibrate.
"Ichigo-san I brought you-"
The two koneko's looked up, hearing the door open and watching as Keichiiro walked in. "-something to eat," he continued. His gaze glanced over Ryou briefly, in a confused way.
"Ichigo-san, do you know when that happened?" He asked, setting the tray in front of the hungry girl.
"Anou...yesterday -cough- night I think...couldn't tell at the time, but it was dark," she explained, forgetting her manners and taking a bite of her food, with a joyful sparkle dazzling her face. "Taste...mn...so....nmm...good! Arigatou!"
"You're welcome. Are you sure about the time though?" He asked. Giving Ryou another odd glance. Ryou was starting to get annoyed now. What the hell was going on and why weren't they telling him?
"Are you hungry Ryou?" Keichiiro asked, turning to face the younger boy.
"No...feel sick," He replied, shaking his head slowly. He had learned from experience that moving your head too fast wasn't the best idea.
"Well it's expected," Keichiiro spoke, watching him with more than curiosity.
Ichigo sighed happily as she pushed the tray away and went to lean back against the end of the bed. The strawberry headed grinned happily, enjoying the memory of the taste. "Nya, with all that coughing I'm not surprised...I don't think I've been more thankful for a head cold."
She stuck out her tongue as she faced her ex-boss, giving him a cheeky smirk. Ryou growled in response and rolled his eyes. "Least I can...breathe, Ich-go."
"I may not be able to breathe -cough- properly but at least I can talk," she countered, crossing her arms sulkily. "mumble..."
"-at was that?" Ryou hissed, glaring a her hotly.
"Nothing jerk," Ichigo replied, hissing right back.
Keichiiro could only watch amused at the two teens arguing through their illnesses; both of their cheeks flaming red from their fevers, and voices hoarse. The audible pop in the air only made the situation more comical, but Ichigo didn't seem bothered about her ears and tail arriving into the mess.
She lent forward angrily in response to Ryou's glare and put all of her weight onto her hands, pushing down on them to show she was going to be stubborn; what she didn't count on was the reaction she got next.
"Ouch! What the hell!" Ryou cried out in pain an shock. Of course with the condition he was in, it wasn't the smartest thing to do, crying out like that.
The blonde clamped a hand to his neck and shut his eyes against the searing burn inside of it, doubling over as he held his breathe against the coughing fit he could feel coming on.
Ichigo jumped back quickly against Ryou's cry, in shock. She looked down and saw what she had landed on, wincing as she understood what she had and knowing how much that hurt for herself. She moved her attention on from her accident to watch Keichiiro as he handed Ryou a cup containing something hot and steaming, it was one of the thing he had brought in with him earlier.
Ryou barely even took two mouthful's before he jumped out from the bed and raced to his bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He didn't have any time wonder how he managed to do that without collapsing or falling over; he just chalked it down to the miracles of desperation.
Ichigo looked at Keichiiro confusedly. "What just happened?" She asked, eying the door sceptically with a hint of fear.
"He did say he felt sick," Keichiiro reminded her. "I'll go check on him."
The brunette turned around to head for Ryou's bathroom, only to stop in his tracks as Ryou's voice floated through the door.
"You've got t-coughcough- be kidding," they heard him say. They vaguely heard a tap being turned off and the door unlocking a few seconds afterwards.
Ryou opened the door, leaning heavily into it, glaring straight at the recoiling girl on the bed. That explains all the looks from the two of them. It also explains what that pain was a moment ago...Ugh I need to sit down.
The blonde boy hissed at Ichigo, his new found tail whipping furiously behind him, though his ears lay flat against his head as he struggled to keep his balance against the thin frame of the door, barely able to support his own weight.
Annoyance overruling fatigue, Ryou walked slowly and carefully towards the bed, giving a moments thought to how much he was swaying, and the fact he was starting to see spots.
"Gee...thanks," he croaked, keeping Ichigo's unsure gaze and holding onto the shelf above his bed.
"I think the kitty's mad," Ichigo giggled, wiggling her nose. She scratched it, moving it again, complaining as she sneezed.
"Kei...Keich -coughcough-...Nng," Ryou groaned and cleared his throat, glaring at Ichigo. He gave up on an actual sentence and leaning further onto the shelf. "Ex...plain."
"Ah, Ryou I think you should lay down," Keichiiro said, worried for his friend. "Ryou?!"
"Woah, lay down baka," Ichigo snapped, holding his shoulders. The blonde neko had slowly been falling forward, and Keichiiro and Ichigo had only just manage to catch him as he collapsed.
Ichigo moved out of the way as Keichiiro put Ryou back into the bed, getting back in afterwards. She looked at him concerned, waiting as his eyes blinked back open and he looked away, annoyed with himself.
Ryou looked back to Keichiiro, still expecting an answer to his question. Keichiiro sighed and shook his head. "Get some rest Ryou, I'll explain later."
"Keichii...ro." Ryou demanded in a broken voice.
Keichiiro sighed. Exasperated he watched Ryou and tried to weigh his options on telling the exhausted boy. He sighed again. "You can be so stubborn," he said, shaking his head in defeat and disbelief.
"Well this is just my opinion based on your first experience as Alto,I'll have to do some research to be certain." Keichiiro began. "When you first fused yourself with the cats DNA you had, you remember having trouble changing. You had to gain some control."
Ryou nodded, listening closely to Keichiiro's theory. Ichigo sat in the midst of this also listening; more confused than she had ever thought possible. If it was confusing now, she was dreading the technical stuff coming up.
"When you think about this when you're ill, your body is mainly focusing on fighting off the contaminant. In your case your illness is quite serious; you've lost a lot of control over your bodies functioning, unlike Ichigo-san who can freely move about without much consequence," he continued, pausing to make sure Ryou was still following: he was. "So although you now have a natural control over the cat DNA, being ill has left you at a disadvantage. But that taken into account, wouldn't actually be the main cause of this."
Ichigo sighed, and tilted her head to the side. She felt as though her brain was beginning to scramble into an incomprehensible mess. "I'm confused..."
"Heh, I'll explain it to you later Ichigo-san," Keichiiro promised, starting where he left off. "Ryou, I'd say the major component in this would be shock, or more accurately; trauma. Animals have a natural reaction to changes in the weather, so as Alto, it's only natural that you would be uneasy in the case of the sudden storm that hit. Adding into the fact that at the time you hadn't slept much which would leave your immune system running low, it possible to see what has happened.
"To sum it up, the loss of control due to illness and fatigue, combined with Alto's natural fear of storms and the trauma caused to your head, has put an enormous amount of stress on your body that you weren't prepared for."
"What...the...heck was that?" Ichigo gasped, suddenly wondering if her brain had fried. "Oh my head!"
"Gomen Ichigo-san," Keichiiro apologised, grinning sympathetically at Ichigo who was rubbing her temples. "Think of it like this. You're own ears will appear when your excited. At the moment Ryou is under a lot of stress, which is why his have appeared."
"Oh...I uh...think that makes sense," she mumble, even though her head was still muddled up. She was pretty sure she had lost a few IQ points from hearing that conversation. "...at least it will -cough- when I can think straight again."
"Lo-k...into it," Ryou questioned his friend, now sitting up on his hands. He was resisting the urge to comment on the Strawberry's dramatic reaction. "When...ngh -coughcough- When will th-y...go?" Ryou asked, struggling to hold his weight up and keep an even breath.
"I'm not talking any more Ryou, I want you to rest," Keichiiro told him, frowning at the stubborn blonde.
Ryou looked as if he had something to say to that, but Akasaka cut him off completely. "No Ryou. I'm no longer asking you; I'm telling you, as your guardian to go to sleep."
Ryou blinked, slightly stunned by what was just said. Ichigo was now very interested, after hearing such an authority in Keichiiro's voice directed at the usually in control boy next to her.
"If you don't get rest Ryou, you'll take even longer to get well again," Keichiiro told him. "Common sense says you should know this yourself. Get some rest."
Ryou's ear twitched, and twitched again as he tried to decide if he should be angry or not. Then he saw Keichiiro smile; and he didn't like that look at all.
"Or perhaps Ichigo-san can convince you," he said, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Ichigo grinned like the cat who had just caught the canary, as she watched him leave. Ryou was just wondering what the hell that was about. What could she do to me to convince me? She can't even convince me to give her a raise...Ugh maybe after all that chaos at the cafe the other day, I can see where she's coming from though, but she doesn't work here any more...Ngh I'm so hot.
Ryou sighed, breathing heavily. He could feel the heat emitting from him burning hotly against his skin. "So...purr...hot..." Wait what?
"You know you should do what Akasaka-san said," Ichigo cooed, still grinning from ear to ear. "You'd feel a lot cooler afterwards."
Ryou groaned, he was too interested in his new appendages to sleep. "No...purr...I -cough- wouldn't...purr," he objected. ...Huh? Something is not...purr...adding up. I feel too comfortable while being this ill...Purr?! "Str...Ichi -coughcough- go...STOP."
He was going to say Strawberry...how comes he stopped? She thought absently as she continued to rub the spot on the back of his dark ears.
"Nya, stop what Shirogane?" Ichigo asked him, with the most innocent voice she could muster. Which was pretty hard considering how much she was giggling.
"Purr...That," he half hissed, half purred at her. He groaned against the painful effect on his throat. "Itai..."
"Sleep Shirogane, you need it," Ichigo told him, her own authority coming through in her voice.
She smiled, realizing she hadn't even needed to say that. Ichigo had softly been stroking his ears, moving her hand away slowly, bit by bit so he followed her, until he was laying down. He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
--
Ichigo never was one to stay still when she slept. It turned out -to Ryou's chagrin- that it was worse when she was ill. He couldn't have possibly known what she was dreaming about, or the nightmare her cold had induced; he was asleep himself.
Ryou himself was having a fitful sleep, the fever and heat making it almost impossible to get any rest at all, but he still managed to find himself in a more or less pleasant dream. To bad Ichigo had other plans.
The two of them had slept for an entire day, purely out of exhaustion as their bodies fought against their own illnesses. Poor Ichigo however was suffering from an intense nightmare. The past months events' being replayed over and over, being exaggerated and made worse with each re-play.
Ichigo rolled over and kicked her leg out of the covers, moaning in her sleep, and rolling over. Her arm, which was draped over her head, slid down to thump against her stomach comically. She frowned before shifting closer to the center of the bed, legs splayed out across the width of the mattress. Giving one last whimper in her sleep, she rolled fully over to her left in a quick movement to be woken by a loud cry.
"What happened..." she drawled, tiredly. Eyes snapping open when her sleep mind registered the cry of pain. "Eh Shirogane what's wrong?"
"Wait -coughoughcough- don't g-t u-OW!" Ryou yelped, as Ichigo moved. " -coughcough- Ugh...please...stop."
"Eh...?" Ichigo watched the blonde cringing; trying to stop coughing, and grimacing in pain. He was sat almost bolt upright, his fist held so tight across his chest his knuckles had gone white, he was breathing hard as well as whimpering.
"Shirogane?" She asked carefully.
"...off."
"Nani?"
"G-t...off," Ryou repeated, as loud as he could manage. "Care...fully!"
"Eh?" Ichigo was still confused. Get off what?
Ryou groaned and looked down at the covers, trying not to move much. Ichigo followed his gaze and looked under the covers. "Oops, eh -cough- heh."
Ichigo moved her weight to the right, completely removing herself from what she had managed to land on; Ryou's tail. "I am so sorry!"
Ryou just rolled his eyes and snatched his tail away from under the covers, rubbing a hand over it. "Tch."
"No really I am," Ichigo pressed, watching as Ryou tried to rub his bruised chest and tail simultaneously. "I know how much that hurts."
"-t's fine," he told her, resting his head on his knee and panting hard. "Pass us...water."
"Ah hai," Ichigo said, grabbing the glass from the shelf behind her and handing it to him. "You okay?"
"...Mm," he replied, finishing the drink. He watched his own tail moving from side to side with an odd expression, unsure of what to think of this new development. This is unusual...it's strange feeling their movements, every little twitch. They react with my body as well, or rather my emotions...and SHE had to bloody crush it. She always was a clutz, ah well.
"Hey, you sure you're okay? You look more out of it than usual," Ichigo wondered, resting her head on her own knees and facing him. Is he asleep? He looks like it.
"Glad y-you're so c-ncerned," he mumbled, with a hint of sarcasm. Glad she's no longer so distant to be exact.
"Very funny," she muttered, shooting him a glare. "You know you're a lot easier to talk to when you're ill. It's harder for you to say something mean."
"Hm...," Ryou mused, not even able to open his eyes. He was so tired he couldn't even bring himself to lay down, falling asleep on his knees instead. "No ener..gy...to argue."
"Anou...do you need something? How's your chest?" she asked, tilting her head to see his half hidden face better. He was half asleep, barely even mumbling answers to her.
"Dun want t-...-cough- c-mplain," he replied. "Hot though..."
"Complaining is good. When you're ill you need to let people know how you're feeling," Ichigo said, almost scolding him. "If we don't know how can we help. Now give me the glass back baka."
"Heh," Ryou opened an eye and tilted his head. "Giving me...orders, huh?"
"I'll get you a drink," Ichigo frowned, blushing slightly. I'm being too nice...but it feels better. I didn't like pretending.
"Thank you," Ryou sighed, closing his eyes again. Ichigo took the cup from his hands and smiled. "Ich-go -coughcough- it's nice...you're not...shut off -ny more."
Ichigo blushed, her eyes widening slightly at his words. She didn't even realise he had notice her changing resolve, but what shocked her most was he sounded happy. Why would he sound so...relieved?
"I...I guess I'm not so angry anymore," she whispered, half explaining this to herself. "I think I'm...trying to move or something. I...I didn't like what I was doing...to everyone, myself..." and you...
"Why?"
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"Why...were you -cough- acting l-ike that?" Ryou asked, listening to her completely. He wanted to know this so much, it had been bothering him ever since she first started that cold facade of hers.
"Oh...etto, I...I," Ichigo sighed, not knowing whether she should even be talking to him about this or not. Maybe I should just answer him...he already noticed, it's only natural he'd want to know. Ugh I think I'm gonna sneeze.
"Y-you don't...h-ve to answer," Ryou added, leaning further into his knees.
"N-no...it's uhm, well I just...," Ichigo shook her head and took a breath, trying to choose the right words to use. "I didn't want...t-to cry anymore, or to be made fun of. I...I wanted to be...shielded I thinks the right word, so that people wouldn't think I was upset. So it wouldn't...hurt, I guess."
Ichigo looked away, cheeks burning and heart aching as she saw Ryou's half lidded gaze on her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking at all, but he looked almost annoyed.
All that...because of my dumb comment. That can't be all there is to it, surely? I should watch what I say if it's going to hurt her that much. I'm such a baka.
"Sh-Shirogane?" Ichigo started, unsure. This was starting to feel awkward and it was making her feel uncomfortable. Still, this was something that she had been wanting to know for a while. "Y-you haven't called me Strawberry or a baka...that's not like you, so how comes you've stopped?"
It was Ryou's turn to blink in shock now, he wanted to shake his head in disbelief at the Iriomotes question. He pushed himself to sit up properly, stretching his legs out in front of him with a grunt. "'Coz you ...said so."
"Eh? Wha-achoo! Gr~" Ichigo rubbed her nose, irritated. "What do you mean I said so?"
"Ugh ba...what -cough- ever," Ryou groaned and rubbed his eyes, shifting to lean against the wall. "Y-your exact -cough- words were...'address me properly' -coughcough- 'or don't talk to me at all.'"
"...huh...Oh yeah, I forgot all about that," she laughed, drifting back into her not so pleasant memories. Ryou smiled hearing her almost whispered next words. "D-demo I don't really mind...all that much..."
"Why didn't -cough- you're b-yfriend comfort you," Ryou asked with a hint of disgust. He was enjoying the coldness of the wall behind him, but he could feel a new heat rising in his chest. "...when you were...ngh...ups-et?"
"Ah...oh...uhm," Ichigo was at loss for words, she hadn't expected that question, especially from Ryou of all people. It still bothered her to think about him, let alone talk about him. But for some reason she felt strangely comfortable talking to the blonde next to her. "He uhm...I don't...He's not my...boyfriend. He uhm...broke up with me...after I quit that day..."
"O-oh...g-gomen," Ryou said. Startled at this news; it was certainly unexpected. Why on Earth would that baka break up with her? He couldn't even begin to think why, but it didn't stop that strange smug feeling he was having. So I hurt her, and that ass just goes and makes it worse. No wonder she was so affected.
"It's fine, I'm getting over it...plenty more fish ne?" Ichigo said, laughing forcedly. "Which reminds me, I'm going to get you a drink, but are you hungry?"
She got up quickly and turned to face the boy, waiting. He looked down, pondering, then returned her gaze. "I'm hungry..."
He looked as if he had more to say, but he didn't say any more. Ichigo could see it in his eyes, he looked more concerned than anything else, but she wasn't about to ask him. If he wanted to say then she would wait for him to say it. She turned away with the glass held loosely in one hand, her other one reaching for the door handle.
"Str-wberr-..."
Ichigo turned, hearing her, some what, name being called in such a familiar way. It was hard for her to believe she had missed that name being said by him so much. "Hm?"
"If you wanna...talk -cough- you can you know?" he told her, smiling gently.
"Oh...a-arigatou," she said, smiling back embarrassed. She opened the door and walked out closing it softly behind her. I...I never though Ryou could talk like that, or even listen so...concerned? It's like being ill has drained his own defenses. He's so complicated, but it's nice that he can open up some, and that he seems to...I'm not sure but; care? Care about...me? Why?
Ichigo sighed, absolutely dumb founded at this new side to Ryou. She was even pretty sure Keichiiro's earlier explanation was less confusing than what Ryou had just said.
Ta da! End chapter 10!! This is such a quick update, ya me!!! Okay, I know there was a Ryou dream/flashback thing at the beginning...there is a purpose to that...just it hasn't been done yet. Oh and I've looked through this for mistakes, but there might be some i've missed...my laptop doesn't seem to like the letter 'T' or "O'. It also like to miss spaces...so please let me kow if something's wrong.
Okay please review, I'm starting the next chapter! I can't believe how quick i did this.
If there's any mistakes or anything that can be improved please R&R and tell me. I love reviews, but ConCrit is helpful. Ja x