Disclaimer: I don't own Air Gear or anything associated with Air Gear. Enjoy my first fan fiction!
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It's been about two weeks since Sleeping Forest had battled against an aspiring AT team. Every team that challenged us for the regalia had failed miserably. In the end, they all walked away with lowered heads and tails between their legs as they dragged their heavily bruised bodies away. Since the last battle, things have been unusually quiet and uneventful. It's never this peaceful, especially since the Sky Regalia is constantly in danger of being in the hands of some lowly, ignorant storm rider. I scoffed aloud. Tch as if I'd ever let that happen. I'd rather crawl through hell and back with shattered bones before letting a worthless being even set eyes on the Sky Regalia. Hmm now that I think about it, Rika hasn't been participating in battles lately…

"Achoo!" I sniffled. I immediately reached for a tissue, but found that there wasn't a single one left in the box. I groaned in frustration as I carefully set down my book and hauled my body off the couch.

"Achoo!" I dragged my feet across the floor as I sluggishly searched for a fresh box of tissues. While crossing a corridor, a slim figure leaned casually against a doorway. I tried to lift my head to identify the mysterious person, but I didn't even have the energy to do that. I continued on my way, but then a bare foot stepped into my view.

"Urgh leave me be. I'm looking for something right now.." I muttered. Whoever it was, he or she either didn't hear me or ignored my words. The figure before me reached out and pushed my head upwards, forcing me to look up at the person. I immediately recognized the silent figure with a mess of fiery-orange hair.

"Kilik you don't look too good. Are you sick?" he asked as he twisted my head side to side.

"Ah of course I'm not!" I shot back as I slapped his hand away.

"I can't afford to be sick. I have lots of work to do, so if you'll just go on your way…" In the corner of my eye I saw a glimpse of a fist rushing towards me. A second later, before I could even blink, the fist connected and sent my senses flying. I staggered backwards as I rubbed my swollen cheek. I stared intensely at him, fuming in anger as I waited for him to say something. Lo and behold, he did.

"Illness slows the senses and dulls one's mind. If you were healthy you would've seen that strike long before and even squeeze in a counterattack." A low chuckle came from his throat.

"In fact, more than likely I'd go flying and tear another hole in the wall~" he looked up, smiling.

"Well, since you're sick how about getting some rest until you're better? Your work isn't going to progress much when you're sick, so might as well right?" A small smirk curled his lips.

I growled softly. Damn. It'd be less humiliating if he didn't smirk! He's lucky that I'm not in perfect shape right now or else he would be flying…

Without a word, I shuffled my feet across the room, slightly brushing past the man in the doorway. Unaware of where I was going, I continued to drag my body about until I stopped in front of a familiar steel door. I quickly slid inside and shut the door behind me, not bothering to turn on the lights.

Feeling dizzy, I staggered towards the bed in front of me. Suddenly, my legs gave out and I found myself plummeting towards the cold floor. Luckily, I caught the end of the nightstand beside me and hauled myself up. Slowly opening my eyes, I noticed that my vision was blurry and the longer I held onto the nightstand, the worse it became. As I stood hunched over by the nightstand, I began to notice that my body felt very warm, warmer than usual. I was also out of breath and couldn't seem to get enough oxygen into my body.

"Huh..Huh…" I panted heavily as sweat started to roll down my face and back. Feeling my strength in my arm start to diminish, I released my grip on the nightstand and launched myself onto the bed before I stumbled backwards.

I felt the familiar thick blanket under my cheek as I lay sprawled on my bed, not bothering to change out of my stuffy clothes or getting under the covers. In an attempt to get some rest, I moved into a comfortable position and closed my eyes. Unfortunately, it was so hot that I couldn't get any rest at all. All the while, I kept tossing and turning in my bed with eyes forcefully closed. I let out a groan and turned towards the wall.

The next thing I knew, a ray of light shone in the room. I opened my eyes to see the hazy shadows of two figures on the wall. Too tired to turn to face them, I decided to continue observing the figures from their shadows on the wall. They were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I saw several gestures and a few that were pointed in my direction, but neither of them made a move to enter or leave. They just stood in the doorway talking to each other in hushed voices. I let out a soft groan, frustrated that I couldn't hear their conversation.

A moment later, one of the two stepped inside the room and pulled up a chair beside my bed. I heard the soft thump as the person sat down. I couldn't identify who the person was. Is my illness affecting my performance that much? I instinctively clutched the thick blanket. A soft rustling sounded and then a cool hand was pressed against my forehead. I involuntarily gasped at the gentle touch and swung my entire body towards the person. For a split second, my vision was blurry, but soon cleared up for a moment. I took advantage of this and looked directly at whoever was before me.

Both of our eyes widened as soon as we made contact. The hand that was placed on my forehead was pulled back and hovered in the air inches away from where it once lay. Long auburn hair spilled everywhere around the figure's body.

"Rika-san!" I exclaimed as I immediately sat up, feeling a sharp pain in my head.

"Urgh…" I winced. I glanced at her and saw her lips part, attempting to speak, but then she quickly closed them.

"Rika-san what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be taking care of Mikan and the others?".

"Mm but I couldn't help feeling guilty that I haven't been pulling my weight in the team so I decided to drop by." I was about to reply, but was interrupted by another voice.

"Ne, you should be jumping for joy that Rika-chan came to visit us Kilik" We both turned around to find Ine standing in the middle of the doorway with arms across her chest.

I growled. "I never said that I wasn't…"

"You don't seem to look the part though" she shot. I ignored her reply.

"What are you doing here Ine? You're not supposed to be back for another week."

She uncrossed her arms and stuffed her hands into her large coat pockets. Her hand shortly came back up, revealing a cigarette grasped in between her fingers. Her other hand came up to reveal a silver lighter with her initials engraved in the front. Almost automatic, she lifted the cigarette to her lips and lit it, leaving a reddish glow on her face. She took a puff or two before removing the cigarette from her mouth. The remaining smoke wafted up into the air and left behind a dingy smell. Must she do that here? There's a sick person present in the room! I sighed.

"I'm a doctor. I'm supposed to be caring for the sick and needy, which in this case is you sir. I would consider a major figure of Sleeping Forest to be more of a priority than the others that could be easily attended to at the hospitals. Aren't you glad to see me? I even brought Rika-chan along to care for you~" She flashed a mischievous grin.

I dropped my eyes towards her feet, unwilling to show my annoyed expression and the creeping blush.

"You didn't have to do that you know…" I muttered.

"Well I figured that since I'm most likely going to be gone for long periods of time, someone needs to be able to care for you darlings and I happened to come across Rika-chan! Isn't that right?" She turned to the sitting Rika who looked lost.

"Eh right, Ine-san!" she chirped.

"Right, so the first thing is to identify what kind of sickness Kilik has. What do you have so far?"

"Ah when I felt his temperature, his forehead felt very warm and he's sweating quite a bit"

"Is that so? Well now it shouldn't be too serious. I think Kilik just has a fever…in that case, I'll leave everything to you Rika-chan~ Toodle-oo!" She whipped her body around and calmly left the doorway, waving goodbye.

"-35 points.." I whispered to myself.

"Eh? Err… I guess I'm gonna be your nurse for now Kilik-san" she smiled. I glanced at her for a split second before looking straight back down at the ground again, feeling my cheeks become warm.

"Y-yeah I guess so." I stammered. I heard the sound of a fist colliding with a hand combined with the sound of the chair's wheels moving.

"Yosh! Alright let's get this fever down!" I couldn't help smile at her words. So enthusiastic over a minor thing.. +10 points.

"Don't worry I'm completely capable of taking care of these kinds of things. Ringo and Ikki get sick quite often." She explained as she sat back down.

"Okay, the first thing that you should probably do is get rid of those stuffy clothes!" a slender finger pointed at my chest. I automatically looked down to see what she was pointing at even though I knew what she was talking about. Without a word, I began to unbutton the jacket.

My vision was still rather blurry and I couldn't control my fingers very well. Clumsily, I managed to undo one of the buttons. As I was about to continue on to the second, suddenly small hands grasped mine and casually pushed them aside. The hands were unbuttoning the jacket at what looked like lightning speed, but that was probably due to my poor vision. Sweat was still trickling down the side of my face and down my neck.

I felt the front of the jacket open up, indicating that all the buttons were undone. I felt Rika lean closer and pull the jacket backwards, relieving a small weight from my shoulders. As the jacket slid off, I felt a pleasant wind cross my sweating body. Our bodies were merely inches away from each other. Her hair brushed against my cheek as the sleeves of the jacket were removed from my arms. I tilted my head, letting her hair sweep over me. Her shoulder was practically pressed against my face and I looked down for a moment. I then noticed that Rika wasn't wearing her battle uniform. In its place was a thin white low-cut shirt. My eyes widened when I realized that her breasts were almost touching my nose. My cheeks flared up in an instant and I automatically looked in another direction. It isn't right for me to look at her like that. It's not appropriate for a gentleman! Wanting to take her breasts off of my mind, I concentrated on something else and chose the locks of hair that were splayed over my face.

I slowly inhaled, breathing in her sweet scent. I lifted a free hand to bring a bundle of her hair closer to my face. Mmm she has a pleasant smell, like a mixture of berries and herbs. I closed my eyes and drowned in her fragrance.

Rika's POV-

Damn it why is this jacket so hard to take off? Is this a bulletproof vest or something? He really is crazy!

At one point I couldn't push it back any further without moving closer to him. I leaned in, still clutching onto the jacket's collar while sliding the jacket off. I was so close that I felt the immense heat radiate from his body. Oh God this man is literally on fire! I can practically see steam fumes come from his back! …Wait, am I hallucinating? No I'm not! Am I? I debated deeply within my mind, unaware of a hand twirling my hair or a sudden weight on my shoulder. I just mindlessly worked on taking the thick jacket that seemed to be glued to his skin. I continued to remove the thick jacket from his body, slowly freeing his shoulders then eventually his arms.

If someone were to come in right now, what would he think of us when he sees me so close to Kilik? Would the team think of me differently? Oh no! I can't have that happen! I refuse to!

Remembering that I was nursing Kilik, I slightly turned my head to see his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth was curled up into a soft smile. He looks so peaceful…is he sleeping? Not wanting to rudely disturb him, I slowly pulled away. I stood up from the bed and sat down on the chair I had placed earlier, draping his jacket on the chair's back.

"Feel any better?"

"Mmhm I do. It's a lot cooler now. Thank you Rika-san"

I smiled when he whispered my name. I couldn't help it. It felt like an automatic response whenever he said my name. It kinda naturally rolls off his tongue. I felt a slight blush begin to heat up my cheeks and quickly stood up.

"Since you have a fever, I'm gonna go grab a towerl for you and bring in some food. Is there anything that you want specifically?" I calmly asked. Even though my voice sounded cool and collected, my heart was beating so fast that I thought it might burst if I continued to stay in the room.

"Umm no there's nothing. It's your choice Rika-san."

"Okay, get comfortable and I'll be right back!" I chirped as I opened the door and walked out.

Sora's POV-

"Aaahhh" I yawned. I lazily scratched my sides and dragged my feet along.

"Damn how come nothing's happening lately? Where are all those ambitious storm riders that want to claim the Sky Regalia for themselves? It's so freakin' boring!—"

"—comfortable and I'll be right back!"

"Hmm?" I peered around the corner and found Rika leaving a room and head towards the kitchen. My eyes followed her as she bounced to the kitchen, but then shifted over to the room from where she came out.

"What was she doing?" I walked closer and saw that it was Kilik's room.

"That stiff-ass bastard…" I muttered. I picked up my pace and deftly pushed the steel door open and closed it behind me. In that moment, I saw him wince at the sudden light and cover his eyes with a corner of the blanket. Grinning, I strode towards the chair besides the bed and plopped down on it. Something on the nightstand caught my eye. I glimpsed at the object from the corner of my eye and saw something unexpected. My mouth slightly opened, ready to fire questions nonstop, but I thought against it. Placed neatly on the nightstand was a framed picture of Kilik and Rika together. I observed their expressions and felt a bit of jealousy in my heart.

"So Kilik what's been happening that you need Rika to care for you hmm? Are you making her work as part of a deal?" Although I was grinning, my tone was icy and a bit of anger could be detected.

An audible sigh of frustration escaped from his mouth.

"No Sora I'm not forcing her to do anything nor did I make a deal with her. I've got a fever right now because you had us fight the last battle in such hellish weather. Ine came by a while ago and assigned Rika-san to take care of us while she's gone."

"Oh is that so? Well it looks like she's gonna have to stay here for a long time, because nearly half of the team has gone down with some kind of sickness~ I'm one of the only ones that is completely healthy! I was hoping that I wouldn't get sick so I wouldn't have to be treated by Ine, but since Rika is doing her job I wish I was sick! Haha!" I grabbed my sides and leaned back into the chair with my head tilted back towards the ceiling. I immediately resumed my position.

"So what's it like to have her as a nurse? It must be wonderful right? Just even glancing her idol-like body is enough to make any man hot and willing to do anything~ am I right Kilik?" I leaned over and nudged his shoulder with my elbow.

"Don't touch me…"

"Ooh~ why you gotta be so serious Kilik? I mean, we're both Gravity Children aren't we?"

"That is not relevant…" he coldly responded. I merely smirked at his answer.

"I gotcha. Alright then Kilik I found a way to get Rika to come by my room. I want you to give me your sickness!" I exclaimed as I lunged at him. I grabbed hold of his shoulders and trapped him in my arms.

"Come on give it~ I'd do anything to be sick right now! If only I knew Ine wouldn't be here!~" I whined. All the while I was rubbing the side of my face against his.

"Get off me, Sora! Doing this is not going to get you anything!" A hand broke free and shoved my face away.

"Yesss it will! I'll get to have one of my fantasies come to life!" I exclaimed, struggling against his hand.

"Pervert! -30 points! You should be dangling upside down from Tokyo Tower—" at the sound of the door opening, we both froze on the spot. Our heads simultaneously turned towards the figure standing in the doorway.

"Umm…" she started

"Rika-san this isn't what it looks like. This idiot here was just trying to—"

"—I was just trying to become closer to Kilik here~ lately we haven't been talking to each other and frankly I've been so lonely without him!~" I jokingly said. I hugged him tightly, feeling his body tense and automatically retract. A plan coming into mind, I released my hold on him and stood in front of Rika. I grinned from ear to ear.

"Rika I'm really sick too~ would you come into my room later and take care of me?" I inwardly chuckled.

"Ehh sure Sora-kun! But right now I have to take care of Kilik-san and the rest of the team. If you're sick then you should get some rest" She walked past me and placed a tray on the nightstand.

Watching her walk by put a slight frown on my face, but was quickly replaced by another grin.

"Great! I'll see you then! Don't forget Rika!" I echoed while strolling back to my room. I crossed my arms behind my head, thinking about the upcoming day. I faintly heard the sound of Kilik ranking me again and softly smiled to myself.

Kilik POV-

I was glaring at his back as he walked out the door.

"-25 points!" I blankly stated.

"Kilik-san do you hate Sora-kun?" said a silky voice. I turned towards the figure standing before me, looking at her green eyes. I never expected her to ask me that.

"No it's not like that Rika-san!" My body was rigid with my hands pushing against the bed on either side of me.

"It's not like I hate him, he's just been like that for the longest time and this is how I normally respond to his antics." I explained. For a brief moment, I saw her eyes wander towards the floor in thought.

"Oh that's good…" she whispered. Her response confused me. Is the way we interact offensive? What does it have to do with her? …does she have feelings for him? I froze and began to observe her. No it can't be. She's probably just worrying over him just like any other person. She's a caring person like that! The more I thought about it, the more depressed I became. I realized that my emotions clearly showed on my face when I felt Rika stare at me. I tried to look up into her eyes, but I couldn't. The thought of her being with someone else was too painful.

Rika sat down on the side of the bed, dipping as it moved under her weight. In the corner of my eye I saw her pick up a cloth from the tray she had put on the nightstand earlier and carefully fold it.

"Kilik-san please come closer, I need to check your temperature" she stated. I looked at her for a minute before reverting back to my original position. Rika-san please just leave me to my thoughts…

I felt a cool hand tug the side of my face. I stared at the hand's owner with wide eyes, surprised at her sudden action. The hand that was settled on my face then moved up to my forehead, brushing away the strands of hair that fell over my eyes.

"It looks like your fever has gotten better, but you still should stay in bed. Here this'll help." She held up a folded blue cloth up to my head and slowly placed it underneath my bangs. The wet towel felt good on my hot skin. I sighed in response.

A hand reached out and pressed against my damp chest, gently pushing me back down onto the pillow. I felt increasingly tired for some reason. Maybe it was because of the sickness? The warm treatment she's giving me? Perhaps I'm just tired of living this way…

"Rest, Kilik-san. I'll come back to check up on you later to see how your fever's doing. Get better soon." She whispered.

"Mmm alright then. Thank you for everything you've done for us—" I yawned and felt my eyes become heavier. I positioned myself in a more comfortable way, beginning to feel sleep's powerful attraction bringing me closer. Before I fell asleep, I felt Rika's hand push away my bangs and caress my face. Words came from her mouth, but I couldn't hear them. I wanted to open my eyes, but I didn't have any more energy to use. I was immediately detached from the outside world.

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Alright! The latest chapter is finally complete~ I thought that the other characters weren't getting any spotlight, so I decided to have Sora included in his view! How was it? (:

Also, I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update the story for a while. I've been busy with hw lately~ Thanks to all who've been loyal readers! I really appreciate it LOL~

UNTIL NEXT TIME!~