"A- Ah choo!"
With trembling fingers and a tissue, Rin tenderly blows her nose, sniffling quickly.
Wrapped up in a thick, blue plaid comforter, she keeps her face pressed to her hot pillow and closes her eyes. Focusing on being able to breathe through at least one nostril.
It seems in the past few days she's caught some sort of bug, and it's starting to take its toll on her. This morning she had the worst fever she's had in some time, and its really taken her down. She has hardly made it out of bed, so now she's curled up on the couch surrounded by boxes of tissues and a cup of lukewarm hot chocolate with the small mini marshmallows.
The entire experience is draining in itself, but what's worse is having to turn her head and see Len standing over her looking concerned.
All morning he's been by her side, waiting to do anything she asks. Though the sentiment is nice, her own stubbornness to take care of herself is winning through, and she's been blowing him off every time he offers to help her. She doesn't know if the sickness makes her feel irritated, or if its the puppy-like nature he has whenever he rushes to do something before she can do it herself. Just because she's sick doesn't mean she's completely an invalid.
The horror movie on the tv drones on before her, but she hasn't been truly paying attention to it. It's been background noise while she rests her eyes, nursing her headache with tentativity.
But instead of sitting with her or disappearing, Len simply hovers like a fearful mama bird, right behind the couch where she can't see his face but can still feel the suffocating helpfulness.
I just want to be left alone right now.
She had agreed to their relationship before, but somehow it hadn't registered that she'd be dealing with his over attentiveness whilst sick. It should've been a given, she supposes, but it still feels odd. She never really had anyone to do that for her growing up. Miku is the closest person she had to a doting nanny, and even then Miku's home remedies were less than ideal.
I know he means well, but I can take care of myself even like this.
Lately she's been more prone to illness, and she's certainly felt it coming on more often. She ignores the niggling thoughts that threaten to dip into her consciousness, trying to silence the voice that warns her of whats coming.
Its just a cold. It happens to everyone.
Stretching her arms out, she lets out a sigh, feeling her restless night of sleep from the previous evening down to her bones.
"Would you like anything?"
Len's voice peeps out above her, and she slowly turns to look at him. His piercing blue eyes meet hers unfazed even though what she delivers him is nothing less than a death stare.
"I'm okay, Len," she responds tiredly, forcing herself to life from her cocoon of blanket. "Just thirsty. I'm going to get some more hot chocolate."
"I can get it for you," he offers, already moving to circle the couch, hand outstretched to take the cup. She moves it out of his reach.
"I've got it, okay?" she replies sternly, shaking her head and instantly regretting the motion when it sends her headache sloshing around. "You can… clean, maybe? Or find something to occupy your time. I'm taking it easy."
"It's not considered 'taking it easy' if you are not actively resting," he replies with what she can only take to be snark. She raises her brows at him questioningly, not used to him being so easily able to bite back at her.
Turning away from him, she frowns. "I have been. Obviously. I was sick before you were here, and I dealt with it by myself."
Taking steps toward the kitchen, she's stopped by him again as he stands in front of her, blocking her path.
"You do not need to do that if I'm here now," he argues.
Her patience wears thin.
"Len, come on," she grumbles, pushing past him even as he protests and moving toward the kitchen. Her headache has obviously gotten worse since this morning. It's becoming unbearable.
"Let me do something for you, Rin," he asks her, following her into the kitchen and staying at her side as she approaches the kitchen counter.
She lets out another sigh, grimacing. She sets her cup gingerly on the countertop, spinning to look at him.
"Len, listen, I…"
However, the world doesn't stop spinning with her. Putting her hand to her forehead, Rin's words trail off as she loses her sense of equilibrium, her knees buckling as a wave of nausea and dizziness besets her. The world waves in front of her, blurring out.
"Rin!"
She vaguely catches his voice as she grips the counter tightly between her fingers, feeling herself fall. She crumples down toward the floor, and a sharp pain cracks against her temple. She realizes hazily she must've hit the countertop in her descent.
A pair of arms wrap around her ragdolled form. The sense of pain from the headache has tripled, and she's sitting up in a wave of brain fog.
"Rin, are you alright? You're bleeding."
As the world again begins to come into focus, she meets Len's worried gaze, her own ocean blues struggling to stay on him.
"Oh, yikes, I… I'm okay," she blurbs out softly. "I can't be bleeding, it didn't… hurt that badly."
When things seem to once again become normal and less violently nauseating, she realizes that a few droplets of crimson have landed on her pale blue pajamas, and that the side of her head is blazing to the touch, the heat trailing down her cheek.
Without waiting for it, Len scoops her up into his arms. She meekly begins to contest, but he ignores her, setting her down again on the couch and then walking away.
As she cradles her head in her hands glumly, he returns with her small first aid kit and pops it open on her coffee table, pulling out bandages and cotton swabs.
He touches a soaked cotton ball to her injury and she cringes, a whistling breath coming from between her teeth accidentally. He pauses, searching her expression, but when she doesn't tell him to stop, he continues to care for the wound, being as careful as if he were handling porcelain.
As the minutes pass and he cleans her up, a feeling of guilt forces its way into the center of her chest. Rin nibbles on the inside of her cheek, watching Len's methodical movements while he's completely concentrated on the task at hand.
I feel like I'm being too hard on him again. I probably am.
I've been so used to caring for myself that I feel so weak when he's just trying to help me. I don't want to seem ungrateful, but…
Look at what I've done already after being so silly about it. He hasn't reprimanded me at all, either. I know he's being kinder to me than he needs to be, but maybe that's just the android software reacting to the situation.
Either way, I can't help but feel bad for being so stubborn again.
"...How does it feel?"
"What?"
The word squeaks past her lips as she comes back to the present. He's now trained on her, closing up the first aid.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Oh." Her slender hand reaches up to careful circle the small bandage against her temple. "It doesn't."
"Good. You fell, but grazed the counter; it is good it was not a more serious injury."
This time she senses it; his concern, and the way he's holding back on what he may want to say.
They stay in silence for a few moments, and he takes the time to put the kit away. When he returns, she looks up at him, allowing herself to bathe in her remorse.
"Len… I'm sor-"
Her words catch in her throat as he takes her hand in his. He lays his palm flat against hers, and then withdraws, and only after he does, she realizes he has left three little red pills in her hand. Aspirin.
"Let me take care of you," he asks gently, joining her on the couch. "I understand you do not want to be coddled, but what else am I to do? I can't watch you suffer."
Her eyes soften, and she grips the pills in hand. Gazing down at them, she shakes her head.
"...You're right," she finally releases. "I do need you, Len. I'm still learning that."
He offers her a small smile, and it warms her heart again.
"Actually…" she begins and he perks up. "I could use something from you."
He blinks, before nodding his head. "Anything."
"I… When I was little, I remember when I would be sick that although I hardly ever saw my parents, my mother would make sure I had hibiscus tea, and it cleared away all my sickness."
The memory is bittersweet against her consciousness. It leaves her feeling a little emptier inside, even though it's not necessarily sad. Half the time, though, she's unsure if that was her mother, or the nanny back then. She chooses to believe at least one of her parents might've been capable of parenting. Of course, that too is a pipe dream.
"It's my favorite," she continues, pushing away the memory. "If you could go get some for me, I would appreciate it. I don't have any here."
He's already standing up before she has time to say anything else.
"I'll go down to the store and get you some right away," he promises. "In exchange, please don't get up or do anything without me here. I will be back soon."
"Oh… Okay. Thank you." She looks up at him with fondness, feeling a little lighter.
She stills when he leans down toward her, and she feels his lips softly press to her forehead, loving. It leaves a warm spot on her skin, and a tingly sensation that seeps into her soul.
"I'll be quick."
And then he's out the door, locking it behind him, and she's left to sit there curled in her blankets. Rin allows herself to caress the bandage on her head, feeling so silly for what happened, and introspective of Len.
Sometimes he seems so human. The things he does… It's really something. I keep finding myself becoming attached.
I need to stop. It's not smart to become emotionally tethered to an android, but… with Len, I feel so safe. I feel loved.
I hope that this feeling never goes away.
Allowing herself to relax, Rin spends the next half hour turning her movie back on and cradling her blanket against her cheek, the medicine he gave her making her feel somewhat less dizzy. After awhile, however, her thirst returns, having forgone her water after her dive in the kitchen.
Len still isn't back, so I'll just go get myself something to tide me over til he's home.
Tossing the blanket off, she rises, feeling a little silly. Duly she notes the blood still gracing her pants, deciding she should change too once she's situated again.
As she fills her cup, a loud ringing noise fills her ears, causing her to pause. It follows by another, and then a third. Sharp, urgent rapping at her door pursues it.
Someone at my door? Who would be visiting right now?
Len has a key; he doesn't need to be let in. That means it's someone else, but I wasn't expecting visitors, especially right now.
Maybe it's Miku. I did let her know I was sick. I don't know if she would dare come over with me feeling like this, especially since she has some kind of big fashion show event coming up soon. I'm going to give her a lecture about this.
Setting the cup back on the counter, she makes for the door, not bothering to look in the peep hole and instead just unlocking it and swinging it open.
"Miku, I told you that it wasn't smart to-"
A flash of color swings up to her face, and her words die out.
A huge bouquet of flowers hangs before her, filled with daisies, daffodils, and roses. It's wrapped in pristine red paper and plastic, vibrant and filled with a powerful aroma.
As the bouquet moves to the side to reveal its owner, Rin's eyes widen.
"Mikuo?" she chokes.
The tealet stands before her, in casual business attire, hair slicked back as if preparing to go to a meeting as soon as he's done with this interaction. His face is grim, set in a determined line, his sea eyes cold and yet fiery with something she can't identify.
"What are you doing here?" she manages, and the man before her flashes her a blinding smile.
"I'm sorry, Rin," he says, his voice level as he stares her down.
"I'm not ready to let you go."