Author Notes
Seems like I can go for monthly updates instead. :)
(but I'm full of surprises! So who knows XD)
May you enjoy~ XD
Tease08 - You-sensei is Riko-sensei's caretaker (even in Riko-sensei's house)
You had just driven Riko's car out the school's car park when the art teacher wakes and groans. You slows the speed as she looks over Riko worriedly.
Did the sunlight wake her? Is she feeling worse?
Dazed hazel eyes open and tries to focus into bright, very much focused blue eyes. "Why..? Where..?"
Okay…doesn't seem like a bad case scenario.
You reassures herself and smiles softly to Riko who was looking up from the passenger seat, head not bothering to raise off the headrest; though in the art teacher's case, she probably can't. "We're in your car. I'm driving you home so you can get proper rest, Riko-sensei."
Maybe she might not recognize me due to the fever?
"And I'm You-sensei."
Riko's lips turned into a smile, You swallowed subconsciously at the sheer simplicity and beauty of that. The gym teacher could not help but feel relieved that Riko finally smiled today too. But what the art teacher said next made You frown.
"I can drive…"
You shakes her head. "You wish you could."
"I-"
"I'm driving you back, and that's final." You purposefully steps the pedal a little more to make her point, concealing a grin.
Riko-sensei is so stubborn.
"The way…" Riko mumbles, trying to look out the window.
You slows to a stop at the traffic light and turns to look at the art teacher. "Like what you see?"
Riko turns back to You, still clearly groggy, but surprise in those sweet hazel eyes. You puts on a proud smirk. "I already remembered the way to your house from that one time I brought your things back. And the few times we had meals together."
Riko's eyes widen a little.
When Riko-sensei is sick, she's extra cute…
You swallows on purpose this time, eyes back on the road. "So just close your eyes, relax, and take a nap, Riko-sensei. You'll be home safely soon."
Riko sighs, feeling the weight of her head pulling her to sleep almost immediately. She is indeed stubborn, however, as she tries to stay awake at least a few minutes longer, to look at You's driving profile. She fell asleep in the next minute.
Reaching Riko's place, You intended to help carry Riko up to the apartment, but the art teacher wakes just as the gym teacher took the seat belt off.
"I'll carry you up."
Riko shakes her head. "I can walk…" The auburn-haired teacher breathes out heavily and made to get out the car on her own.
You allowed the adamant teacher to use her as support. It was a shaky stand but the ash-brunette already came to terms that Riko, despite having a high fever and clearly being quite incapable of getting around on her own, would want to try. "The lift is that way."
Riko nods and starts walking after You prompted her to; her body felt like lead but she had to move on her own; the art teacher was against troubling others after all.
It's good to have tenacity…but you can rely on me more, Riko-sensei…
You adjusts Riko's bag on her left shoulder and took note of how tightly Riko was holding onto her right arm. She was assisting a lot already, but more would never hurt anyone.
.
.
.
In the lift heading to the twenty-first floor, Riko gave up trying to stand all on her own (not that she was) and took a daring step over to You so that she could rest her head on the gym teacher's shoulder. You jumps slightly in surprise before she pursed her lips at Riko who had her eyes closed already.
You sure do whatever you want to when you're sick…
You looks up as the numbers change rather slowly.
Or maybe you always do… I think art teachers are quite free-spirited after all…
You's eyes lowered into a squint as she remembers the Head of Art, Ohara Mari. Art teachers are very free-spirited she concluded as she moved her hand around the slumbering art teacher's waist to help Riko out the lift.
At the door, You asks in a not too loud voice. "Um, Riko-sensei…where do you keep your keys?"
"Mm…pocket…" Riko drawls, cheek squished against You's shoulder.
You nods. "Can you get it on your own?"
The auburn-haired teacher nods, stands a little away from the sturdy shoulder she liked resting on before reaching over and slipping her hand into You's pocket.
You jumps a lot more this time, her cheeks growing red fast too. "N-Not my pocket, Riko-sensei." You hisses in her state of surprise. Thankfully, it was her hoodie's pocket and not her pants pocket; that would have got the sensitive-to-touch gym teacher to be ultimately self-conscious in a second.
Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Riko-sensei? Sheesh…
Riko hums weakly and confusedly before resting on You's shoulders again, more from the front now.
And you're doing all of this unknowingly…
You sighs, blushing. "I-I'll help you then…don't mind if I do…"
You searched all of Riko's pencil skirt pockets and blazer pockets but could not find any key. "Riko-sensei… Your keys… Home keys?"
Riko tries to stand again. "Bag..?"
You blinks and finds Riko's keys in the bag easily.
I should've searched the bag first! If her neighbours saw us earlier, they might think I'm taking advantage of Riko-sensei!
You's cheeks were almost as red as Riko's feverish face as she opened the doors and helped Riko in; lamenting her own slow mind for not thinking of searching the bags for a key earlier! Though she could try to defend herself for she keeps her own key in her pocket… You shakes her head multiple times as she brought Riko to the room; regardless, that scene outside Riko's door was embarrassing and she hopes Riko doesn't remember it.
Riko's high fever seemed to have gotten higher as the art teacher's laboured breathing increase. You looks down to Riko resting against her chest while she was locking the door; her heart tightening and a grimace at the sight.
Riko-sensei…You're home now.
You nudges Riko slightly so that they can start the walk to Riko's bedroom.
You can get proper rest now…
It wasn't hard to find Riko's room as the apartment only had two rooms, and the ash-brunette did glimpse upon Riko entering which room the other time she was here. They reached the side of the bed and You expected Riko to gravitate to it as any normal person would, yet, the auburn-haired teacher lingered on You's shoulder.
"Um…Riko-sensei, you can lie on the bed..?" You blinks a myriad of times; nervous and conscious about the pretty art teacher resting on her.
Rest is best on the bed, Riko-sensei..!
After much prompting and edging centimetre by centimetre closer to the bed, Riko finally gets on. You sighs in relief but clenches her hand open and close, her nerves eating at her once again as she reluctantly looks to Riko.
"I…"
Should help her clean off…some of that sweat right..? That's normal right? It'll be better for the fever to go down…
You kept questioning herself; whether it was right to do so or not as she brought over a basin of clean water and a cloth. The ash-brunette frowns at the sight of Riko, face red and sweaty, hair sticking to her skin and looking uncomfortable.
What I'm doing will help her…
You takes a deep breath once…twice, three times before taking another deep breath again, till she finally helps Riko into a sitting position. "I…I'll just help you wipe off some sweat, kay? …P-Pardon me…"
I can do this. I can do this. I can do this…
Shaky hands holding the wrung cloth slowly get close to Riko's body, another hand shakily lifting Riko's shirt slightly, blue eyes trained on the corner of the bed to stay sane; or well, for the innocent gym teacher to not overthink things.
Mm… Riko-sensei…
"Is really sweaty." You blinks once and turns her head to confirm what her hands was feeling. The art teacher's shirt was drenched with sweat.
You shifts Riko's shirt back down and thinks.
Should I..?
I shouldn't right..?
I can't…
But Riko-sensei…
You stresses out in her mind over whether she should help the art teacher get changed or not; it'd be overall better for Riko to recover if she was in fresh clothes instead of sweat-drenched ones, but!
You groans internally for another minute or two before placing the towel beside the basin of water. "R-Riko-sensei…Do you want a change of clothes?"
Riko doesn't say anything for quite some time and You thought perhaps she should just go back to cleaning Riko and calling it a day, but Riko sounds, "Mm…"
You gulps. "You…you got to say 'yes', if you really want it…" The ash-brunette waits in anticipation; fingers crossed for Riko to reject her.
"…Yes." Came Riko's drowsy reply.
You's eyebrows furrowed as pink dusted her cheeks. "D-Do you… Are you okay with me helping you…change…into fresh clothes?"
Say no? …Wake up and say that you'll do it yourself? Riko-sensei?-
The art teacher gave You plenty of time to feel embarrassed before sounding another "Mm…"
You averts her eyes from the art teacher whose eyes were barely open. "You have to say 'yes', if you really want me to…"
"Yes…" Riko's reply comes much faster than earlier.
You's heart skips a beat as she closes her eyes, resigning to her fate. "O-Okay…"
Since Riko-sensei gave me permission to…
The gym teacher rigidly walks to the closet to grab a new set of clothes for Riko to change into; she avoided taking any lingerie after debating with herself that Riko would prefer it that way too.
A painstakingly long and heart-racing fifteen minutes later, You heaves a long sigh of relief that she was done getting the feverish art teacher clean and changed. You pouts tiredly at the now slumbering teacher. "Be glad that I'm the one taking care of you instead of some lecher…"
To think it'd be so tiring to take care of someone with a fever…
The red on You's face darkens as fresh memory flashed through her mind of helping Riko get changed. She shakes her head rapidly and hurriedly grabs the basin to the bathroom.
Once done with that and her heart and mind have calmed considerably, You inspects the fridge only to frown upon it. The ash-brunette pops her head back into Riko's room. "I'm going to get some stuff from the mart…" You smiles at Riko's sleeping face. "Lunch will be good."
You noticed that Riko's house was missing a few essentials like cooking oil, fresh meat and vegetables and surely one might like to eat some ice cream some days, so You grabbed that went to make the purchase.
Home before Riko could notice her absence, You gets busy in the kitchen; filling the refrigerator up so it's more normal and healthy than the desolate one before which only had a bottle of mixed fruit jam that Riko herself stuck a note to say "For sandwiches". You was puzzled at the note; what else could she use it for…
Not painting right?
You shook her head; she should ask when the opportunity arises.
.
.
.
"Ri…ko…sensei~" You sing-songs in a soft voice; not wanting to startle the resting art teacher out of her deep and much-needed sleep. You places the bowl of warm soup on the table beside the bed and smiles small, a hand reaches over to gently caress Riko's forehead, pushing some hair back.
Beautiful…
You gazes softly at Riko for a minute before blinking out of her reverie. "R-Riko-sensei…I'll help you up to have lunch…"
The ash-brunette props Riko up, back on the pillow and the auburn-haired teacher opens her eyes slowly. "Mm… …"
She's awake.
"How are you feeling Riko-sensei? Better?" You waits patiently for an answer.
"Mm… 'm…kay…"
Mmkay, huh?
You's lips pull upwards slightly as she observes the long eyelashes move with each sleepy blink Riko did, and the red but kind of dry lips that breathed in and out heavily. The ash-brunette passes the glass of water she prepared for such a case. "Have some."
Riko reaches over but before she could even move the cup closer to her lips, her hands falls back to the bed and she furrows her eyebrows at what just happened; not expecting her own body to disobey her.
She's still weak…
You shuffles closer from the side of the bed and carefully brings the cup over to Riko's lips; the art teacher gratefully swallows each drop with a blissful sound. "Thank…you…"
You smiles wider and puts away the glass. "I'll feed you lunch."
Maybe she'll refuse me out of embarrassment?
The gym teacher still had a 50% hope that the pretty art teacher would get better at any moment and return to the much more reactive lady You has come to know; teasing her when an opportunity arises. You blinks at that thought.
Why am I okay with Riko-sensei teasing me..?
You shakes her head, lost in her thought until she hears Riko's voice.
"Yes…please…" Riko looks to You with bleary, half-lidded eyes, hair still a disarray that You finds charming and endearing in its own way, and fingers edging closer to the food.
Riko-sensei isn't a mean teasing machine like Mari-chan, that's why. Yup.
You settles for a simple reason as to why she would like this art teacher's teases over the other one before blowing a scoop of Watanabe-cooked Get-Well-Riko-sensei soup for Riko to drink.
It didn't take long for Riko to be done and You heads off to clean the dishes.
When You returns to check on the art teacher with a high fever, Riko looked like she was fully back in dreamland and asleep. The ash-brunette walks over quietly to get a better look, staring for a good minute before thinking she could wait outside, but the tug on her right hand stops her.
"Riko…sensei?"
"…Stay…" Riko murmurs and You's heart skips a beat.
"What?"
Is she sleep talking?
"I'll feel…safer…with you…" Riko's hold on You's hand tightens at 'safer' and pulls You over feebly but determinedly at 'with you'. You sighs.
"I can't refuse you, right?" You returns a reassuring squeeze to Riko's hand and sits on the floor. "Just until you're sleeping again…"
Then I'll go outside…
Riko responds by holding You's hand tighter.
You falls asleep with Riko, her head resting on the bedside of course, until dinner time came and You felt a blush of embarrassment for falling asleep mid-day and falling asleep on Riko's bed; even if it's only her head and hand that's on that bed.
…
…
Ahhhh..!
You falls on her butt in her panic, detaching her hand from Riko's hold before holding her breath, a hand over her mouth, and eyes watching Riko carefully, not wanting to wake the still-sick art teacher. When Riko doesn't make a move, You breathes out tiredly.
I'll go make dinner…
Author Notes
Aaaand~ I'll go make dinner. XD Just kidding, I already did. But I'm purposefully stopping here :3
You-sensei needs to cool off a little in the kitchen and stare at her hand for a bit, maybe? Like, how many hours did Riko-sensei hold my hand?
XD I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!
You-chan is really the best at taking care of others. Ahh, I want..! *O*
Leave a comment if you like~ (You-sensei will be back to taking care Riko-sensei in the next chapter! :P hehe~ who would've thought this became an arc? Wahaha. Let me know your favourite parts? Pretty please and a You-chan on top~? OxO` (XD))