A/N: So, midterms came around and I couldn't even fathom writing a new chapter. I'm just coming off four tests in the past four days, so this chapter is short. It's basically filler, but it does have a meaning. There is information in this chapter that is essential for the future chapters. Enjoy more fluff.
OO
"There's just something about a lover nursing you back to health. The simple act makes the heart grow three times its normal size. But the new space isn't empty; it's filled with a deeper love for said lover."
OO
The blizzard has hammered the city for five days now. The snow falls day in day out, rarely lightening up on its intensity. People are literally snowed in, as the snow has piled against the doors of most buildings and homes. Power outages have affected most of the city, and the only way we can get updates on the weather is from our battery powered radio. Supermarkets have closed, despite the city's desperate need for food, warm clothing, and portable space heaters. The radio recently reported the deaths of two elderly women across town. I desperately hope this storm clears up before there are even more deaths.
Our power went out on the second day of the blizzard. Normally, the no power scenario drives me crazy. I hate having no electricity. I can't use my stove, warm or cool the house, or see anything past six o'clock in the winter. But right now, I begrudgingly call it bearable. Being trapped inside of this apartment has some benefits. Riku being the cause of all of them. I've learned so much about him in these past few days, it's exhilarating. Now that our relationship is on a more intimate level, the walls that often guarded Riku's heart have crumpled away. The sweet nature of Riku is finally showing through in its entirety. Ever since we've been friends, he's been friendly. But now, he's just so kind and loving to the extreme. It's almost angelic. It's also a little scary.
It surprised me at first that Riku wasn't bothered by the lack of electricity. He simply works around it. When I freaked over the stove not working, Riku merely clucked his tongue and found a match. I never knew you could light a gas stove with a match before then. When we ran out of some prime ingredients, Riku improvised with substituting. We've had some very strange, but very tasty meals lately. Because my fireplace is electric, it has also become disabled. The apartment is the coldest I've ever felt it. When I could barely stand the cold much longer yesterday, Riku told me about insulating the windows to keep in heat. He also ironed the blankets with my battery operated iron to give me instant warmth.
I got to thinking last night, as I held him in my arms, why he knew so many survival tactics. I could only come to one conclusion being he had to use them several times before in his life. Riku once told me that he spent most winters alone as a child. His parents would often stay at a nearby crack house, so as not to pay bills on their own home. It saddens me to think about a small Riku surviving on his own in a freezing, empty home. But its things like that that have made him so strong today.
Although most of his injuries healed while in the hospital, Riku's eyes and legs still bother him. He can see now, which still surprises me at how suddenly he got his sight back, but they tire easily. I often find Riku closing his eyes in exhaustion. Sometimes he'll sleep, if only to relax his eyes. His legs are always in pain. I try to keep him off his feet as much as possible, but he's a stubborn person. He told me he doesn't want to rest another moment, after staying in the hospital for so long. He tries to hide his pain, but I can see the grimaces and hear the beginnings of a held back gasp.
Despite the difficulties he's facing, Riku's demeanor has changed considerably. Sometimes I'll catch him holding back tears; usually it's those times he's faced with a mirror. He still can't handle the scars on his face. But besides those few instances, Riku has been nothing but a sweet and caring person. A prime example of this is now. This morning I've woken up to the worst headache and sore throat I've ever experienced in my life. It's so painful I feel like crying. My head feels like it has rocks bouncing around in it, and my throat burns with every swallow. It has to be symptoms caused by the cold, I'm sure.
"R-riku…" I croak out, reaching for him across the bed. Riku turns sleepy eyes on me and smiles. His smile changes to a concerned frown when he takes in my pained expression. He sits up on one elbow and reaches his other hand across the bed to touch my forehead.
"Sora? Jeez, you're cold…" He says, his voice sounds deep and gruff from just waking up. He pulls himself up completely and scoots over to my side of the bed. I try to crack a smile, but my head and throat hurt too much.
"What hurts?" Riku asks me, maneuvering me so my head is laying in his lap. Just that small movement sets off a string of vicious poundings in my head. I let out a groan to which Riku makes a small concerned sound.
"Uh…my head is killing me…and my throat." I moan out, my voice muffled by the pillow I am laying on across his lap.
Riku sighs and runs his fingers through my hair. "I knew this was going to happen. You don't take the cold very easily…"
I nod in affirmation and relax into his caresses. It's an odd feeling, lying here in his lap. The past few months I've been the one to comfort and caress. Though I don't feel like the leader in the relationship, I have been the one leading most of what we do. I won't ever think of our relationship as having a dominate lover and a submissive lover. The thought of it is restrictive. I don't always want to be the strong one, as I don't always want to be the one relying on the strong one. And, if we ever do take our relationship to another level, I wouldn't want to be the one in charge in bed all of the time. An equal sharing of control is something I think both of us would appreciate.
"We're out of medicine, so do you mind some home remedies?" Riku asks with a light chuckle, stroking my hair back, gently. I look up into his beautiful aquamarine eyes and sigh. God I could look at those eyes for…well forever.
"Sora…?" Riku asks. He has an amused smile on his face and playful sticks out his tongue. "Ah…you're spacing out again, killer."
Despite my head killing me and my throat burning, I smile. I love Riku's pet name for me. He's suddenly taken to calling me 'killer' for some reason. I'm not sure why, but I really don't care. Killer and Princess. It works for us.
"I'm sorry…" I croak out after a minute. "I'm just…eh…dunno." Speaking makes my head feel worse. The feeling of a bouncing ball in my skull intensifies and all previous pleasant thoughts leave my mind. I feel horrible and I hate it.
Riku sighs and scoots out from under me. I idly watch him as he leaves the room and faintly wonder what he's doing. I close my eyes after a few minutes, hoping that the lack of sight might help my headache. It doesn't.
Riku returns about five minutes later with several warm blankets from the iron and a mug. Before he wraps the blankets around me, he feels my forehead and cringes.
"Jesus Christ you're freezing…" He mumbles, wrapping the blankets around my shoulders. "I don't know how else to warm you up…"
I let out a groan in answer and bury myself in the delicious, though very temporary, warmth.
"Lovie…" Riku says, shaking my shoulder. I peer out at him and notice the mug.
"What's that?" My throat hurts so bad I think its closing up on me. God I hate this. I hate being sick.
"It's a remedy, cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar. It's absolutely disgusting, but it should help."
At this point, I don't care about the taste. I need relief and I need it now. I reluctantly pull out of the warmth to sit up. Riku sits next to me and helps me up. Even though I can do it myself, I don't protest. It's nice to feel cared for and babied every once in awhile.
Riku hands me the mug and I look into it apprehensively. The liquid is brownish red with little orange flakes floating around in it. It looks absolutely revolting.
"Drink it; it'll make you feel better." Riku says, rubbing my arm softly.
I nod and tip the mug back. The mixture burns going down and I struggle to control my gag reflex. It's nasty and extremely spicy. It only takes a few minutes, though, for me to feel the effect. The spiciness of the cayenne pepper is stronger than the burn in my throat, and after a few more moments it turns into a soothing burn. The undertones of the strong apple cider vinegar aids in soothing what was once an almost unbearable sore throat.
"Feel better, lovie?" I nod and rest my head on his shoulder. My head still aches, but at least I don't have the combination of both. Riku seems to have remembered that I have a headache, as he slowly maneuvers me so my head is back in his lap.
"Stay still, ok?" He says softly, running his hands along my temples. I nod and he proceeds to massage my forehead, temples and scalp in a slow and soothing manner. I sigh in complete bliss when the headache starts to ebb, giving me the relief I so desperately want.
"God…Riku, you should be like…an alternative medicine doctor or something…like maybe a herbalist. Or a massage therapist…something new age and sexy." I know I'm mumbling nonsense, but Riku seems amused and lets out a light laugh in response.
"I've actually thought about going into herbal medicine. I prefer it over traditional medicine, you know."
"Yeah well…you'd be rich if you did." My voice is slurring and I think I'm about to fall off to sleep.
I'm almost on the brink of falling into nothingness, when the lights pop on and the sound of the TV rips through the apartment. I don't really care though. Riku's warm caresses are way better than electricity could ever be.