(A/N: A new chapter! And I'm not even kidding when I say this: I mainly completed it today because I had finished drawing some new cover art for this yesterday. Yup-that was my main motivation. I initially planned on finishing all the prompts for Prompt Roulette, but it's taking some time. And this has more eyes on it, more people waiting.

Like, I said I was satisfied with it months ago, but honestly? I don't get why I thought that. Like, I hate it. I can't stand looking at it. Most art I've been proud of, I'm still proud of, or it's decent. This. Nahhh. Like, I can't. I just can't. Like, yes, I've gotten used to digital art (the old one was my second piece on IbisPaint), and also, yes, my art style has improved in general. But it wasn't that bad. Procrastination usually is kicked to the curb by panic or inspiration. Who knew embarrassment could also be an equal contender? God, why did I think that was good enough to upload?

I'd also like to say I'm not entirely happy with the last chapter? Like, I don't know. It could have been better-the latter half especially. I might rewrite it one day, but as of the moment, I'll keep it as is-it is decent. When I do go back to it, I'll add a layout of the house on ao3. I'm not the best visualizer myself, and I'm probably a horrible explainer to boot.

Finally, actually about this chapter. My God, I've been wanting to write this chapter since I first started this fic. It just takes some time before I allow myself to write. I need to put in a whole lot more effort, really. I finished this chapter pretty quickly.

Finally, some substantial Gakushuu and Karma interactions! It's definitely still awkward, and while I did cringe at some parts, I also thrived on that cringe. It was the good kind of cringe-couldn't stop giggling to myself. It was very enjoyable to write from start to finish. Do hope it's as enjoyable to read.)

There were many adjectives Gakushuu could use to describe his current predicament. Many, many, many. Yet, if he were to choose just one-one that summed it all up-it would be: Miserable. It fit perfectly, like a glove. Each and every detail could be encompassed in that one word.

It wasn't just that he was tired-his sleep felt as though it passed in just a blink. It wasn't just that he had woken up late-he could see the first rays of sunlight slipping through the gaps in his curtains. It wasn't just that his head absolutely ached-a movement a tad too fast made by his head felt as though he were kicked square in his temple. It wasn't just that he was hot-drenched in sweat, he felt as if he was in a burning oven. He made a motion to remove the blanket from atop him but found that he'd already done so some time ago. It wasn't just that he was thirsty-his parched throat felt as if it was a desert during a drought-hell, with how dry and cracked it felt, there was probably a sandstorm brewing, too. It was all of it. All of it and more. Wrapped in a pretty, neat, little bow, woven by that one word: Miserable.

The worst part was that he couldn't even do anything about it. If he tried to get up, the world would spin, and he'd be forced to lay back down. He was bedridden.

Gakushuu blinked. No, no, no. The worst part wasn't that. It was the fact that this all could have been avoided. He just couldn't. Freaking. Listen. He couldn't bring himself to be unproductive. He told himself, back at the wake, that he'd deal with it after the funeral-possibly take a well-deserved, proper, non-impromptu break. He'd take care of it, he had thought. Clearly, he was wrong. And now, he was left to suffer in a state where the word unproductive was an understatement.

What were they, the words in his head when the symptoms first started? Right.

His health was far more important than his feelings. There was no point in being accomplished if one couldn't even take care of himself.

Oh, the irony. He would have bitterly chuckled at that, had the movement of his laughter not throbbed his head. Actually, he did, and the pain near brought him to tears. He didn't shed them, of course. He was far too old for that, after all. It was all he could do to keep them at bay. Yet, the acidity of them still stung the corners of his eyes.

All he could really do in his state of misery was to lie there for who knows how long, his thoughts being his only form of company. The moment he'd start to feel better, he told himself, he'd...well, Gakushuu wasn't sure exactly what he'd do. He had all the time in the world, yet he couldn't even think properly. A small part of him wondered if this was it-if this was how he was going to die. He almost laughed at his melodramatics, but, well, he had learned his lesson.

His brain eventually grew exhausted from thinking about anything, however minuscule a thought it may be. This was a first for him, as there was never a time Gakushuu wasn't thinking. That was what Gakushuu did: Think. He couldn't just take in stimuli-there had to be more to it. He'd think about thinking about thinking. He was a thinker, sometimes even an overthinker. Lately, he was very much the latter, but, by now, he was burnt. Now, all he could do was to simply observe.

The teenager switched between different items in his room. There was the clock, and he'd watch as the minute hand ticked by, not so focused on the time. He'd then switch to the window, to the sunlight spilling in. Each time he did, the room was always a little brighter. Then to the textbooks, the trophies and awards, the doors, sometimes even the corners. And then he'd restart. Even when he was out of it, there was still a routine.

A small knock, a pair actually, interrupted him. Purple instantly shifted to his bedroom door, and while his head regretted it, Gakushuu was far more curious. After a while, a second set of knocks sounded, this time thrice. They were more assertive, obvious. Still, Gakushuu continued with his hushed stare.

Eventually, the door slowly crept open, and a figure gingerly took a step in. With hair as brilliantly red as his, there was no mistaking who it could have been.

Gakushuu grew even more self-conscious. Great. Not only had Karma already seen Gakushuu's maskless side, but he could also see Gakushuu at his most pathetic moment. To top it off, it hadn't even been a week. Living with his cousin seemed almost impossible now.

"Um," the redhead started. His cheeks puffed awkwardly as he thought of something to say. His knuckle wrapped against the door for two quick knocks.

"You awake?" he asked, a slight smile to his lips, which quickly dropped. Gakushuu's stare continued, interrupted only by a blink. Karma softly exhaled, a finger scratching the back of his neck. He'd grown uncomfortable with the eye contact, shifting his gaze behind him.

"You okay? I mean...you're usually up by now, earlier even. And, uh…" He rubbed his ear. "It's almost 10." At that, Gakushuu slightly winced.

"Just thought, you know...it was getting...kinda...quiet… I haven't really seen or heard from you since yesterday, so..." the elder trailed off. Gakushuu made no attempt to reply.

Karma finally loosened his posture, a loud sigh escaping his lips. He had decided beating around the bush was no longer a viable option.

"Listen. There's obviously something wrong with you. You've got a fever. I'm here trying to see if I...can offer some help or anything."

A fever. Gakushuu narrowed his eyes. While that may have very well been true-and it probably was-he couldn't help but feel a tad bit defensive. For what reason, he didn't quite know, but he felt he had been slighted.

"How-" he finally spoke but immediately stopped, cringing at his voice. It came out all wrong, cracked and raspy. It hurt to talk. Still, he swallowed and began again. "How do you know?"

Karma seemed to be growing a lot more comfortable in the younger teen's room, minute by minute. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. His expression screamed You can't be serious. When Gakushuu's face stayed serious, however, Karma's eyebrow raised even further.

"It's obvious," he said, his head shaking for emphasis. Gakushuu continued to be stubborn.

"Proof?"

Karma's mouth parted slightly, and his eyebrows scrunched in a mixture of exasperation, disbelief, concern, and probably a sprinkle of What the hell is wrong with this guy?

His mouth opened to say something, and his lips quirked to form the first syllable. Instead, he paused for a moment longer, before relenting.

"You got a thermometer?" He started to look around before his eyes fell to the bathroom door. "Around here?" Gakushuu thought for a moment before replying.

"I don't know," he spoke. And truth be told, he didn't. It had been so long since he'd last been sick-he couldn't even remember when. There was no need for him to know where one was. That is, until now.

Karma, of course, didn't know that and probably assumed his younger cousin was continuing to be unreasonably unruly. He didn't even dignify the other with a proper response, only a loud sigh escaping his lips. He approached Gakushuu, and the younger slightly drew back.

"What are you-"

He placed one of his hands over Gakushuu's forehead, the other on his own, and waited several seconds. Gakushuu couldn't help but squirm a little. Finally, the elder took his hand off, taking a step back.

"Yeah, that's-that's definitely hot. You've got a fever. I waited 10 seconds. Need 10 more, to be sure?"

Gakushuu glared.

"That's what I thought. Now that that's out of the way…" and suddenly Karma wasn't so confident anymore. "Um...do you want me to bring you something...or…"

Gakushuu had half a mind to make a snarky comment. He thought better of it, though. The wear and tear of his throat just weren't worth it.

"Water." He quickly added, "And, uh, painkillers. Two." His gaze drifted to his bathroom door.

"Okay."

Karma headed there, fetching him his pills. He came back with a couple on the bottle's lid.

"You know, the bottle also says fever reducer. So, I mean, at least your fever isn't completely untreated," he commented, offering the younger an awkward half-smile.

"Anywho, your water. Ice?"

Gakushuu slowly nodded.

"I'll be just a minute."

Because he had nothing better to do other than wait, the strawberry blonde counted. The elder was over by about two minutes by the time he came back. The younger didn't comment, however. He gladly accepted the glass that was offered to him. The cold water down his throat felt heavenly.

No more than half a minute passed before he had downed all of it. He was already starting to feel better, and he took that as a sign to get up.

"Woah, now."

Gakushuu looked up at his cousin, an annoyed eyebrow quirked.

"I think it'd be best if you got some rest now." There was a stern tone in his voice, if a tad demanding.

"But I already-" the strawberry blonde cut himself off. He remembered his entire monologue from earlier that morning. And, admittedly, he was still feeling dizzy. His gaze fell toward his side, his tongue clicking.

"Fine…"

The once bright sunlight was gone by the time he woke up, near fading out entirely. That was what Gakushuu first noticed. He was not yet fully conscious, so he looked at his curtains for some time, gathering his bearings. He didn't really notice anything different about the room. Not until he sat up. When he did, something flopped off his head, landing on his blanket-covered legs.

It was damp, and upon further inspection, Gakushuu found that it was a folded-up towel. There was also a bowl of water on the nearest nightstand.

Despite the wetness, he probably hadn't noticed the towel because it had lost its cold touch. He may have been feeling a lot better by now, but he still had a fever. It wasn't like any miracles were going to happen. The world wasn't spinning circles around him anymore when he sat up, at least.

"Oh. You're awake."

He looked up and saw his cousin at the doorway.

"Just in time, too. Dinner's almost done."

The thought of food still unsettled him, but he knew it was for his benefit. Technically speaking, dinner would be his breakfast today.

"O-okay. I'd like to take a shower first, though."

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine. It won't be done until a little longer, anyhow." Karma paused before he spoke again, his voice careful. "You don't need me to help you up, right? Or down the stairs?"

Gakushuu narrowed his eyes at him as he got off the bed. Karma raised both his hands up in defense, his lips quirked.

"Joking, joking. Uh, kinda. But I'll leave you to that."

Soon enough, Karma was long gone, and Gakushuu was enjoying an ice-cold bath. He didn't take a long time in there but he wasn't quick about it either. It would be some minutes before he found himself in the kitchen.

"Just a minute more," Karma commented. "Oh, and you can just sit at the table. I'll bring it to you."

"Um, okay." As the younger boy did so, he couldn't help but think of how the roles were reversed from the first day.

Not long after, Karma came in with a bowl and a soup spoon. He set it before Gakushuu, and the strawberry blond could see the dish for what it is. It was mainly rice, at which the boy squinted, but there was a lot more liquid. It was colored, a broth of some sort, and he could see bits of shredded meat floating about here and there. A whiff told him it was probably fish. He probably went shopping.

Rice porridge, and his cousin confirmed that.

"I noticed you don't really fare well with rice, or solids for that matter, so, you know, I assumed I should make something soupy. It's not plain rice porridge, as that'd be no fun. I added in some fish-figured the protein would be good. And I shredded it, too, 'cause, uh, see exhibit A. And then fish stock instead of water, to complement it," he explained away.

Gakushuu took the spoon, dipping it into the bowl, then blowing on it. When he felt it was cool enough, he took a bite. Honestly, he was expecting the porridge to be decent at best, but it was surprisingly flavorful. Not bad at all.

"So...Whatcha think?"

"It's…" Gakushuu started. And at first, he wanted to lie, to give a snarky comment, to not give him the satisfaction. He didn't know why that is, exactly, but some of it probably had to do with his fever agitating him.

But then he glanced at the other. There was a tinge of anticipation in his golden eyes, and he was ever-so-slightly leaning forward. And now Gakushuu felt guilty. He couldn't just do that to him, put him down when he knew what it felt like. So he decided to be honest.

"It's...surprisingly edible." But he wasn't going to be nice about it.

It seemed to satiate Karma enough, though, as he was leaned back in his chair, his expression as it usually was.

Soon enough, he got up, went to fetch himself his own serving. When he came back, he sat in the same spot he had just recently sat in, right next to Gakushuu.

That night, Gakushuu went to bed not having done a single thing on his schedule.

Gakushuu placed his shoes to the side. It was the next day, and he'd just returned from his visit from the doctor. He walked into the living room, finding Karma laying on a couch, messing about with a handheld console. It didn't appear as though he had heard the younger teen come in, as when he happened a glance to his side, he immediately sat up.

Gakushuu felt slightly uncomfortable with the elder's eyes on him, but he knew what the other wanted to ask. So he answered before that.

"It was just a normal fever. I just…" He shifted his weight, his gaze falling to the floor. "made it worse. The doctor said to take it easy for a while."

"Oh. That's good."

"Yeah..."

And the conversation ended there, with the two going about their own business. Or, that was the plan. But then Gakushuu spoke up.

"Oh, and uh…"

Karma turned his head around to face him.

"Thanks," the younger mumbled.

Maybe he had judged Karma too soon. Maybe it wouldn't be impossible to live with him. Either way, it was much too early to tell.

(A/N: I believe I got what I need to off my chest in the first A/N. Hope you liked this chapter, and as always, constructive criticism is much appreciated, as are follows/favorites/reviews.

Edit: Actually, no nevermind. There are some things I forgot to mention. Shocker. Anyway, when younger me started this fic, I had looked at some different types of fevers but decided, eh, older me could figure it out. It wouldn't be too hard to find one that matched. Little did I know...I just incorporated fever symptoms I've had over the years-exaggerated, of course. By the time this chapter came around, however, I couldn't find one that was appropriate enough for me. So since younger me couldn't be specific, older me has to be as vague as possible. Hence the "normal" fever. Younger me can be very stupid. Sometimes she can be smart, maybe even considerate. Sometimes. But oh boy does she love to inconvenience me. But hey-so what if I don't have a specific fever in mind? This is fanfiction after all. I'm allowed some leeway, I should think.

Also, I completely forgot about mentioning antibiotics when he came back. Oops. It's been a long time since I've last been sick-especially sick enough to take antibiotics. Pretend I mentioned it somewhere. I'll probably add it in later.

While I'm at it, I might as well mention this. Usually, with near all my story ideas, I attach songs to them. It's usually one of these three, in order from least to most common: I either start thinking about a story idea because of a song, I incorporate elements of a song into an already pre-existing idea, or I find a song that fits a story almost perfectly-in fact, it might even let me understand parts of it more and let me go into depth plotting the details out. I hadn't had a single song for this fic for the longest time, when a couple months ago, I found one, of the third type: "Lemon Boy" by Cavetown. I think it basically fits this story to a T. But yeah. That's all. ~Thorn)