Rose Tea
Ookanehira rolled over underneath his futon's blankets and covered his mouth as he sneezed. No one needed to know about this.
This morning, everyone woke up to a blanket of snow covering the citadel. The roofs, trees, and ponds were buried underneath what the winter clouds left. Ookanehira assembled a team to clear the courtyard. Their home should always look its best, regardless of the season. It was what every resident here deserved.
As he warmed up, panted, sweat, and almost slipped on ice, he continued to remove snow, stomped the ice he almost fell on, and threw salt and sand on it for good measure. If nature tried to test him, he'd show it was tameable. The engawa and courtyard were bare enough to play catch with the dogs. Winter prevented him from doing fieldwork and showing off his farming skills, but he could still prove his great worth throughout the year.
Ookanehira sneezed into his palm again. Why did this body punish itself when it was overexerted? Sometimes, he got dizzy from working out too long and had to pause; he'd rather continue for hours. He could go to Rinko for repairs, but only weaklings did that. Children ran to their parents to fix the smallest scratches; Ookanehira wasn't a dependent little boy! He could weather this out and return to his usual state all by himself.
"Are you in there?" Uguisumaru called from beyond the shoji. "Lunch is being served."
"I'm not hungry." Ookanehira sniffed and held his breath. He wasn't going to sneeze and give away his condition. On the battlefield, one had to be stealth before an ambush.
"Really?" Uguisumaru paused. "Are you sick?"
"No!" How did the other tachi know? Was he watching him in the courtyard again? He needed to find better hobbies. Ookanehira turned over in his futon and glared with an intensity that would surely burn through to the other side of the shoji.
The sound of Uguisumaru's fading footsteps marked his departure. Ookanehira sat up and blew his nose on a handkerchief. He wanted to resume his chores and spar by the afternoon, before anyone else suspected something was wrong with him. What could he do to speed up his return to normalcy?
Footsteps were heard again and they grew louder with each second. When the walker reached Ookanehira's room, their shadowy figure on the shoji was silent.
"Leave me alone." Ookanehira grabbed a pillow and aimed it at the visitor. He was capable of throwing something through those thin walls.
"Please excuse me for disturbing you," said Juzumaru. "May I deliver a meal?"
The pillow slipped from Ookanehira's grasp and landed on the futon. He had two options: accept Juzumaru's generosity or turn him away, which would save his dignity, but Juzumaru may take offence if told to leave. He arrived to check on his partner and Ookanehira had to honour that. He tightened his fist for a long moment before releasing his grip and swallowing his pride.
"Y-yes, come in."
Juzumaru slid the shoji open, set the covered tray down by the futon, and made a small bow in greeting. His long tresses swayed back and forth as he moved. Ookanehira returned the gesture, even as he shivered and his blanket slipped off of him.
"You don't have to do this." Ookanehira kept his eyes down. If he stared straight at him, his heart would begin pounding.
"Uguisumaru-dono said you were ill. Am I disturbing your rest?"
"N-no." Ookanehira's face reddened and he turned away to sneeze. His vision suddenly blurred and he had to rub his eyes. Curse this body! Juzumaru would only leave if he was assured that his partner was on the road to recovery.
"Would you like to eat?" Juzumaru's slender hands lifted the lid off the tray. The smell and steam of rice porridge and rose tea wafted up.
Though Ookanehira's forehead pounded, his stomach growled at the scent. He wouldn't allow Juzumaru to spoon-feed him; only once did Ookanehira accept a slice of carrot from the end of Juzumaru's chopsticks to entertain him as he healed in the repair room. He was strong enough to eat unassisted and not burden Juzumaru!
"...thanks for the food," Ookanehira said before picking up a spoon. The porridge was plain and thick. Usually, Shokudaikiri added bits of pork, egg, or scallions; something to form flavour. "Who made this?"
Juzumaru was on kitchen duty when Uguisumaru passed by and mentioned Ookanehira's state. He pardoned himself from his chores and prepared a tray promptly. One had to nourish themselves before initiating anything first.
Hopefully, Juzumaru wasn't in trouble for stepping away from his chores. He didn't deserve to be chided by the saniwa for looking after another sword. Ookanehira set the spoon aside, lifted the bowl up, and downed the soup to speed things up. It burned and tightened his throat, but he endured. The faster he ate, the sooner Juzumaru could be unburdened and return to the kitchen. He coughed after he gulped the last drops and tears welled at the edge of his eyes.
"Ookanehira-dono?" Juzumaru leaned closer; he needed to assess Ookanehira's state. His palm pressed against the tachi's red bangs and forehead. Through his grey glove, his hand was slight, gentle, and somehow cooled Ookanehira. How did this Tenka Goken store so much grace and power within him? During the rare moments they made contact, Juzumaru ebbed tranquility as they touched.
Wait. They were touching. They were connected like this because Juzumaru was worried about Ookanehira. A flash of heat erupted from within him and zapped every corner of his being, shocking him still. Juzumaru never had to do any kind of checkup like this before. Did Ookanehira's state deteriorate so far that Juzumaru needed to resort to this?
"You need your rest." Juzumaru lowered his hand on his lap. He'd make sure to pray for his good health. "I apologize if I've disturbed your recovery. Please drink the tea at your convenience, if you'd like."
Juzumaru gave a parting bow and stood up. His hair flowed in a cascade of black, grey, and white as he turned away. Whenever Ookanehira brushed those tresses, it shimmered like a stream under light; he skipped out on that duty today to shovel. He raised his shaking hand up towards the other tachi. If only he could command his body better, the words would form on his tongue. He needed to give some kind of assurance to address Juzumaru's feelings.
"I'm sorry!" Ookanehira stumbled out of the bed on all four, nearly falling down face first. The force of his hands and knees shook the floor underneath him. He bowed, face parallel to the ground, and arms bent on the tatami mat. His form was flawless despite his condition.
"Pardon?" Juzumaru turned back.
"I-I wasn't strong enough." Ookanehira had to gain the strength to avoid this vulnerable condition for everyone's sake. The revisionists could take the citadel by surprise and defeat them at any moment. "I'll get better, so you'll never have to do this again!"
Ookanehira shut his eyes and trembled as a layer of sweat coated him. He might collapse at any moment maintaining this pose. He admitted to having a weakness. A champion of swords shouldn't be undone by shoveling snow and he needed to put in more effort to get stronger. He could try picking fights with Oodenta and Mikazuki more often.
Juzumaru stepped up to Ookanehira and knelt. His heart pounded as he felt the weight of this Tenka Goken's gaze on him. What was he thinking? Did the Buddha have a comment about his state? Ookanehira gulped; if he wanted to improve himself, he had to be brave enough to take on any challenge. He looked up.
"Do you remember when you looked after me in the cave and repair room, Ookanehira-dono?" In the past, Ookanehira committed to making a fire and preparing a meal to comfort his partner; he needed a chance to catch a break too. Reflecting on those memories, Juzumaru's glossy lips curled into a smile and his pale face brightened around his dark hair. Ookanehira had yet to understand how much his dedication meant to Juzumaru; it compelled him to look after the other tachi in his time of need. "You care deeply for everyone in this citadel; please rely on everyone in this citadel to care for you."
Ookanehira looked away and covered his burning face. Was this reaction a sign of sickness, recovery, or something else related to Juzumaru's happiness? He didn't want to admit to vulnerability, yet Juzumaru accepted, even encouraged Ookanehira's openness. The world this holy sword wanted was one where honesty and piety were ever present. Though, Ookanehira's current state wasn't good enough for him; he had to prepare and make himself good enough for Juzumaru. He had to let the other tachi know this, but how could he say it out loud?
"Ookanehira, why are you hiding in your room?" Rinko and Uguisumaru stood at the entrance of the bedroom. The saniwa crossed her arms and the sleeves of her kimono swept around her. She frowned down at him like a disapproving mother.
"I told Master about your illness," Uguisumaru said. "She's here to cure you."
"Lie down right now." Rinko held up a help token and narrowed her eyes at Ookanehira. "I will not allow you to linger like this in our home."
Ookanehira was tempted to snap back and resist her healing. She left him alone with his injuries as punishment whenever he brawled with the Tenka Goken, but this battle was not worth fighting. Besides, Juzumaru didn't need to see such unpleasantness and Ookanehira should at least try to apply the other tachi's advice.
After a few minutes of resting on his futon with the token pressed over his forehead, his cold and fever disappeared. When he sat up and inhaled a large breath, the air was cool and pure.
Juzumaru waited by the bedding with a cup of rose tea in his hands. The drink was warm on Ookanehira's lips.
Rose tea supposedly has health benefits, like dealing with colds.