He could feel that he was being watched. It was bad enough that he was in this sort of condition, but on top of that, Ayano seemed to be pitying him. It was infuriating and, if he had the strength, he would probably tell her to stop staring. Unfortunately, he was struggling to keep himself sitting upright.

Shortly after their little training excursion in the mountains ended, Sonic had decided to once again challenge Saitama. He was feeling confident after spending time training with Ayano and he was eager to make another attempt at beating the hero. He still felt confident in his abilities, but after taking such a terrible beating, he knew he had to work on himself some more.

To make matters worse, he was sick. Not that he was going to actually admit to it. Sonic had a few injuries from his fight with Saitama; bruises and scrapes, a few open cuts from debris. He was also sniffling and shivering. He felt fatigued beyond normal tiredness and his limbs felt heavy, weak.

Sonic had a cold. It only made sense after fighting in the rain and then taking his time returning to the base. He had wanted to hide his injuries from Ayano for the sake of his own pride, but that was nearly impossible. Now he was seated on the floor, sharpening weapons and trying to ignore the stares of Ayano and the dog.

I can't stand feeling weak. The sooner I get over this cold, the better. I've already gone through two pots of tea and I tried sweating out the fever yesterday. I need to get over this soon so I can start training again. Sonic frowned when he felt a thick blanket settle over his shoulders.

Ayano knelt beside him with a fresh cup of tea, steam billowing from the surface. The girl's soft, pink lips were twisted into a concerned frown, her glasses sliding down her nose a little. "Sonic…do you need medicine?"

"I'm fine. I don't need anything except for this tea." He stared down at the steam for a moment and knew deep down that he probably needed more. The fever came and went over the past few days. The shivering never seemed to end. What he really could not stand was the sniffling and weakness.

"Are you sure? I can…get some for you. I don't mind. Um…I need to get groceries anyway so…is there anything you want me to get for you?"

Meeting her warm, honey-colored gaze, he smirked and reached a hand to grip her jaw. "I want something from you. I just don't know if you're up to it right now. If I tire you out now, you won't be able to perform your precious hero duties."

Her cheeks started to turn pink and she glanced away, lifting a hand to push up her glasses. "I-I meant medicine…or ice cream or something. You need to rest, Sonic."

"I think I have enough energy to-"

"I'm going to the store and…you need to get some rest." Ayano's tone was firm, her eyes narrowed slightly. Clearly, she was worried about him and it just further fueled his affection for her. The way she tried to glare and be stern with him was actually a little cute.

"Fine. If you're so worried about me, I'll play along." Sonic carried his cup of tea over to the futon and slid beneath the blankets. To his frustration, she settled the thick blanket from earlier over the futon blankets to further prevent him from shivering. "Do you like playing nurse, Ayano?"

The pink tint on her cheeks darkened to red and she adjusted her glasses again. "I-I mean…I do like that I can take care of you…" She lifted her gaze from the floor to meet his cold grey eyes and she gave him a timid smile. "You've taken care of me before so…I like that I can return the favor now."

The sight of that timid smile made his pulse skip a beat and he turned his head to the side. She's that happy about something like this? I guess I can let her take care of me, if it makes her happy. Having made himself comfortable, he managed to give her a stern look. "Be home before sundown or I'll-"

"I won't be late. I'm coming right back…and I'll make you something really good for dinner," she assured him. Ayano crouched beside him and leaned down, pressing her lips against his forehead.

When she pulled away, he was unsure if she had kissed his forehead or if she had been checking on his fever. The fever was starting to affect his head a little so things were getting kind of fuzzy. As he watched her leave, he released a sigh and crossed his arms behind his head on the pillow.

Sonic could not remember the last time someone had taken care of him when he was sick, but it felt good. If it was anyone else, he was sure he would have forced them to leave him alone. It was just that this was Ayano. Being cared for by someone he loved felt warm and sweet. This thought echoed through his head as the sound of the rain outside lulled him toward slumber.

Shift P.O.V

Ayano tried to remember what sort of food her mother made for her when she was sick as a child. It was porridge, wasn't it? I don't know how to make that, though. And Sonic doesn't seem like he would like that. What can I make for him? I want it to taste good, but it needs to be kind of simple since he has a cold.

She jogged through the rain, grimacing at the droplets speckling her glasses. Lightning crackled across the sky and thunder boomed in the distance. Ayano gritted her teeth and picked up her pace a little more.

The sooner she got to the supermarket and got her groceries, the sooner she could start cooking and get Sonic's medicine to him. I know he said he didn't need any, but…I know he does. If he doesn't take some medicine for this, he might get worse. I don't know if I could even get him to go to the hospital if it gets worse.

The girl's eyes widened as she sensed something and dodged swiftly to the right, ducking into a defensive crouch. Ayano lifted her gaze and was surprised to find a newly familiar face grinning down at her. A hand was extended to help her upright, but she shook her hand and stood up on her own.

"Pretty good reflexes," Garou commented. "What're you doing running around in the ghost town again? You live here or something?"

"Ah…yeah. You live in this area, Garou?"

"I don't wanna live too close to other people. So why're you out in the rain?"

"I have to get some supplies…cold medicine, groceries…" Ayano saw him tilt his head slightly, hands on his hips as he stared down at her. "Do you…want to come with me? I haven't eaten yet today so I was going to get something to eat."

His grin returned. "I guess I can take you up on that."

Now with company, Ayano felt a little better about running through the rainy, deserted streets of the ghost town. "Ah! Hey, so…what kind of food do you usually like when you're sick?"

"What? That's a weird question."

"It's…not that weird."

"Why are you asking? You look fine. Are you coming down with something?" He started to put a little more space between them as he ran next to her.

"No. Um…my boyfriend. He has a cold and I wanted to cook for him, but…I'm not sure what I should make. I was trying to decide, but I just don't know." Ayano's pulse skipped a beat when she referred to Sonic as her boyfriend. It made her feel kind of giddy.

"Boyfriend, huh? That's kinda sappy." His grin dropped to frown for a few seconds. "Meat's always good."

"Meat…?"

"Yeah. Like stew with lots of meat and not a lot of veggies. That's what I'd want if I was sick." He nodded to himself and his grin returned. "But you've got a boyfriend? He'd better be a strong guy. I'm not gonna stand for you being with some weakling, got it?"

He's…talking that way again. Like I'm his little sister and he's my protective big brother. I don't know why, but…I kind of like this. It's different from my friendship with Mumen Rider. She nodded and felt a spike of excitement.

"Oh! Garou, I wanted to thank you! We went training and…I was able to use something you taught me to overpower him. It was really cool!"

Seeing the excited look on her face, his grin grew. "Well yeah. Did you think I taught you useless stuff? You've gotta be able to defend yourself, kid."

Ayano got her groceries and stopped at a stand for meat buns afterwards. She and her friend stood beneath an overhang, the rain still hammering down on the city. Why is he really in the ghost town, though? Does he just not like being around people?

She had noticed how he was in the supermarket. Eyes narrowed, following close behind Ayano as she got her items and shooting a warning glare at anyone in the vicinity. It was like he regarded most other people as enemies. However, his gaze softened a little when there were kids around. He seemed a little less vicious at those times and he seemed to regard them the same way he regarded Ayano.

Even now, Garou was glaring at the stand owner like the man had just kicked a puppy in front of him. Ayano made the conscious move to stand between him and the middle-aged man to draw his attention elsewhere. "Did you…do anything fun recently?"

He blinked, surprised by her sudden question, and grinned cockily. "Yeah. I was in a fight a few days ago. But the other guy was pretty weak. It wasn't even a challenge. He went down after just a few hits. Total disappointment."

"…but you're smiling…"

"Yeah! Because I'm gonna just find someone even stronger and take them down next!"

What's his goal? Is he like Sonic, where he just really wants to be the best? Ayano lowered her gaze as he ordered another pork bun. Can I ask him what his goal is? Or is that too…straightforward?

"Hey, let's go. Too many people over here. It's getting crowded."

"Ah. Yeah, okay." She followed him down the sidewalk, amazed that he could still wolf down his pork bun even while walking through the pouring rain. He must have been really hungry. It's…sort of like he hasn't eaten since I last saw him.

"You wanna beat a hero, right? That Class A hero, rank 1?"

"Right!" The girl trotted to catch up so she could walk beside him instead of behind. "Um…when you said you were in a fight…?" She saw a vicious smirk form on her friend's face and tilted her head, lifting a hand to push up her glasses.

"It was a wimpy Class C hero. What I need is to find a Class A or a Class B to test my strength. Pretty sure Class B would be too low, but I've gotta try just to test myself."

Ayano followed him into the doorway of a vacant building, taking shelter beneath the overhang. "Is your goal like mine?"

"Tch. No way! It's not that simple." His smirk grew as he finished his food. "Right now I'm at human strength. I wanna be as strong as a monster. A big one!"

"As…strong as a monster…?"

"Not just that! I'm gonna be a monster!" He ruffled her hair, grinning. "Anyway, you ought to get back to your boyfriend. You said he's got a cold, right? Go make him that stew. And then when he's better, bring him to me. I've gotta make sure you're not with some weakling. I mean, he's gotta at least be strong enough to protect you, kid."

Her hair messy and hanging over her face, she stared up at him. Ayano was the oldest of three daughters so she had never had the pleasure of having an older sibling look out for her. This was probably what it felt like and it actually felt pretty nice.

When she returned to the base, she found Sonic asleep with the dog dozing beside him. She pushed her wet, tangled hair away from her face and felt a burst of adoration. Like a pop of happiness and the overwhelming urge to go over and hug the ninja. Instead, she forced herself to start cooking the meal that Garou had recommended.

It was beginning to simmer when Ayano felt arms slide around her waist from behind. A warm forehead pressed at the back of her shoulder and she winced. Did his fever get worse?

"Where were you? You're wet." The words were mumbled, hoarse. As he pressed tight against her back, intense heat emanated from the man.

"S-Sonic…? Are you-?" Ayano's knees buckled at the unexpected weight pushing her down. She fell to the floor with Sonic's fatigued, sickly form clinging to her for warmth. Twisting around, she managed to put her back against the cupboards beneath the counter and looked down at his face.

Sonic's cheeks were a bright red shade from the fever. He was breathing hard and when he looked at her, his eyes were glassy. Both arms wrapped tightly around her midsection and he pressed his face into the side of her neck. "I'm cold."

She tried to lift him, but failed miserably and found herself sprawled on the floor with him on top of her. His fever is getting worse. He's burning up. I need to get him to take some medicine. Ayano struggled a little, but managed to reach a hand to one of the grocery bags she had left on the floor.

The girl held up a bottle of chilled green tea and some cold medicine, her eyes narrowed on him. "H-here. You have to take these, okay? So you can get better." He grudgingly took the pills and dozed off on top of her afterwards.