Disclaimer: Here I am again. You know the drill, all credit goes to Shingo Nanami and フクロウ. Here's the second chapter to this story. Enjoy!

風邪

A Cold

Kasane x Nobunaga

Part Two

"Katane!"

Just as the rice porridge was complete, Kasane began to pick up the pot. When she did that, Inuchiyo suddenly entered the kitchen with a worried frown. The other two also followed him.

"I heard my lord caught a cold! Is he ok!?"

"He's fine, judging by his usual foul mouth..."

Smiling from the irony, Kasane gazed off into the distance.

"Well, Nobunaga-sama must have over-exerted himself. It's only been a few days since his father passed away; it's fine that he inherited the clan as the family heir, but now all the senior vassals began to betray him… There's also the pressure from the growing dissatisfaction from the people... There's nothing you could really do anything about it."

Gorouza squinched his eyes.

"This might actually be a good opportunity for our lord to rest from all that."

"He's someone who doesn't ask others for help after all..."

An overcast atmosphere came rolling in.

Now that she thought about it, Tono-sama was in a middle of a ward with someone.

She didn't know much of the details of the matter, but it seems that his opponent was a former vassal who betrayed him. From what she heard, he happened to be one of his father's trusted vassals who didn't favor him and cut ties from the clan.

That's why Nobunaga was distrustful of people and rarely complained to others.

Nobunaga would always do things alone, so in other words, he really didn't have any time to rest.

Tono-sama overexerted himself. All this time, by himself.

That tyrannicalness of him was a problem, but now that she thought about it, a gloomy feeling gripped at her heart.

Well she was one that was easily moved to tears.

Like her, he had no parents.

However, she still had her siblings and grandfather there for her.

He had no one at his side.

Unable to sit still for another minute, she hurriedly brought the rice porridge with her and left the kitchen.

Inuchiyo began to follow her, but the quick-witted Gorouza pulled him back.

He wasn't one to be happy with sympathy.

He isn't one to think that his current situation is unfortunate.

"What I can do…"

She didn't know.

Even if she did, she doesn't know if she could even accomplish anything.

However…

"Tono-sama…?"

Kasane slid open the door,

Feeling her presence, Nobunaga's eyes pointed in her direction.

"The rice porridge is done. Can you eat?"

She sat down next to his bed.

Nobunaga slowly got up from his laying position.

Scooping up the rice, she saw the steam rising from the spoon so she blew on it to cool it down.

"Kay, open up~."

"..."

Making sure that the rice was cool enough to not burn him, she then offered the spoon to him.

Nobunaga made a weird, unreadable expression at her action.

"...I can eat it fine alone."

"Eh."

Finally realizing what she unconsciously did, Kasane hurriedly retracted her hand.

"S-sorry, I always did this for my brother, so it was unintentional…"

Her time with her brothers were nostalgic to her.

Whenever they caught a cold, she would always take care of them.

"Give it to me."

He half-snatched the pot from her and silently chomped down the porridge.

"The taste's bland."

"...That's just enough for a sick person like you."

Even though he made complaints, he still ate the whole thing and flopped back onto the bed.

Kasane moistened his sweaty brow with another wet towel.

He made no objection to this.

"Is everything alright?"

"...Somewhat."

"Thank goodness."

Kasane said with a broad smile.

Usually he wouldn't let her familiarly touch him, but his obedient side of him was quite refreshing.

Surely because he was having a hard time with this cold.

"You seem fine. Then I'll go out and call for a maid."

Kasane began to stand up, intending to leave the room.

Nobunaga twitched once more.

"...Oi, just where are you think you're going."

"Tono-sama looks fine already, so I decided to return to my room. The doctor will be here any minute too."

"...So you're thinking of leaving a sick person behind."

Nobunaga brow wrinkled at her words.

"You ate all the rice porridge and you're well enough to complain, so I'm sure you're fine."

"..."

After saying her part, Kasane ignored Nobunaga and began to step out the room; Nobunaga stared after that delicate back and gave a look to the nearby Tenrou.

"Tenrou."

Hearing his master's voice, Tenrou spread out his wings and jumped after Kasane.

"Ow! Ow, owowowow, it hurts, Tenrou-san! !"

Tenrou persistently situated himself onto her head.

"Ow, ow! Wai- what is this for, Tono-sama!?"

"Tenrou happens to hate women who leave sick people behind."

With a 'hmph', Nobunaga faintly laughed.

"Alright! I understand! I'll stay until the doctor comes here! So Tenrou-san, please stop-."

"Tenrou."

At Nobunaga's command, Tenrou stopped clawing at Kasane's head and settled down to a better place.

After such a confrontation, Kasane's usual hairstyle became messy.

"Hn."

Nobunaga patted the area where she had sat before. 'Hurry up and sit here' was the message.

"..."

Giving up, she obediently sat down next to him.

She had no clue why this man wanted to keep her here, but even if she asked he probably wouldn't answer anyway.

"...Goodness gracious."

He was way more spoiled than her brothers.

She soaked the towel once more and placed it over his head.

After a while, Nobunaga's eyes glazed over as if he were going to sleep.

"Tono-sama are you sleepy?"

"...I don't sleep in public."

"What are you talking about? I'll wake you up before the doctor comes, so it's okay for you to sleep."

She gently stroked his forehead.

It was a technique that helped her brothers fall asleep better.

The soft sensation of his hair under her fingers felt good.

"Don't treat me like a kid…"

Though he tried to object, his eyelids became heavy.

It's not that he hated it when this woman stroked his head, but his shallow pride couldn't allow a girl younger than him treat him like a child.

He was going to express this irony, but the heat and drowsiness got to him.

The woman's cold hand and soft touch felt awfully comfortable.

"..."

"...Tono-sama?"

Soon he stopped giving out a response, and she heard the regular breathing pattern of a sleeping person.

It seems that he finally fell asleep.

She smiled at this defenseless side of his; something that she would never think the regular him would do.

His sleeping face is unexpectedly cute…

She would like to create another opportunity for him to rest like this.

Surely if there was ever a causal, calm and gentle time, surely he would become a lot more human-like.

She would like to spend that sort of time with him once more.

"Goodnight, Tono-sama."

Saying that, Kasane softly smiled.

TBC

Nobunaga... you're such a big baby... Then again it's to be expected, since his mother didn't like him. Well guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will definitely be uploaded tomorrow, so I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable day!