Chicken Noodle Coddling
Chapter 2
"Really! What is wrong with you?" Akane exclaimed in a huff.
She was currently on route to the medic center with Kougami trailing behind her. For a man who knew to actively train his mind and body, she couldn't believe he would overlook symptoms that indicated he wasn't feeling well. It wasn't like him at all and she didn't know how to explain it. She never would have imagined it possible, yet the truth had presented itself to her.
"I'd expect this carelessness from Kagari, but definitely not from you," she continued, clearly upset with him. "You know better than that."
He grumbled about something, but she couldn't hear what he said; which was all the better in his opinion as he complained to himself that she had spent all her free time with that other enforcer. She spoke on like she hadn't heard him and Shinya grinned to himself since she couldn't see it. If she saw his response, she would really let him have it. But since she didn't know, let her think it had only been a matter of carelessness.
Following along contentedly, he enjoyed the feel of his hands in hers. Compared to how she had dragged Kagari along, this was much more intimate. He wasn't treated completely like a patient. Though she marched along with determined steps, it didn't take him much effort to keep up with her. When they reached their destination, his body seemed to cooperate with his mind; the sneeze that erupted from him emphasizing the deteriorated state of his health.
Akane turned around to glance at him just as he was rubbing his nose with the back of his free hand. The look she gave him conveyed her displeasure before she fished around in her pocket and produced a clean tissue. He had the grace to look ashamed and she nodded her head in approval when he used that instead. It was rare for any of them to get sick and they wouldn't have discovered this about her if it weren't for Kagari's incident. Even so, Shinya would not allow him to be the only one who benefitted from that fact.
"Come along," she said.
"Ah, Tsunemori-san, how can I help you?"
"I have another one…"
The nurse smiled as she glanced from the inspector to her companion as she had been the one to treat her first patient. This time it wasn't the cheerful Kagari, but she nodded and asked Kougami to follow her. At this point, Akane released him and he couldn't help feeling disappointed. He didn't know exactly how she had cared for Kagari, but he had imagined her staying by his side the entire time.
"Come along," the nurse said when he didn't move.
"She needs to check your symptoms and give you medication."
Since it didn't seem like she would go in with him, he had no choice but to follow. He was led to a patient's table and was asked to seat himself. When he did, she checked his eyes, ears, throat and temperature. It was a quick process which ended with the shaking of her head. Whether that was a good sign or not, Shinya couldn't tell.
"Looks like you caught what Kagari-kun had," the nurse announced.
"Oh…"
"Medication then off to bed with you. Lots of rest and lots of fluid."
With that, she went to fill her syringe and he dutifully removed his blazer before unbuttoning his sleeve and rolling it up. She looked on approvingly, wiping at his arm with antiseptic before the needle punctured his skin. It was quick and painless. In no time, he was returned to Akane's side.
"So what is it?" she inquired.
"The same as Kagari-kun, so you'll know what to do."
"Okay thanks."
"Take care of yourself too."
With a smile, Akane bade her goodbye before they were off. She didn't grab his hand like she had earlier and Shinya frowned. It was already childish to purposely make himself sick, but it would seem even more so if he insisted he needed her help. As a result, they made their way to his room silently walking side by side.
"Alright, into bed you go," she stated, taking control of the situation when they arrived.
He complied and she followed him there. The jacket he had removed earlier was placed to the side. Akane pulled back the covers for him. Then she pointed for him to crawl into bed so he did. After he was comfortable, she tucked the blanket around his shoulders and he smiled as that was exactly what he had imagined it would be like.
"Sleep well," she said softly. "I'll be back in a few hours."
Thirty Minutes Later
"So how did it go, ojou-chan?"
"I can't believe it! Out for a week, like Kagari was," she exclaimed.
"I guess he caught it from him?" Masaoka suggested.
"Who knows? At least he's well-behaved, unlike someone."
"Then he's stupid," Kagari declared with a grin, "when he has the capable Tsunemori-chan to look after him."
"You just have to make my life difficult."
"Only because you let me," he retorted lightly.
Akane rolled her eyes even as she smiled before going back to her desk. Though she complained, he hadn't really been that difficult. Besides, it had been rather fun to learn a bit about cooking. She doubted she would ever be as good as Kagari when it came to that skill, but it was definitely interesting. His road to recovery had been smooth and she hoped Kougami's would prove to be the same. As she retook her seat, she caught Masaoka smiling at her enigmatically and she couldn't help wondering why.
Three Hours Later
Quietly entering his room, Akane was carrying his next meal with her and she hoped he wouldn't show strong aversions to it like Kagari had. She left it in the kitchen before going to check on him, only to discover that he was still asleep. Standing next to his bed, she touched her hand to her own forehead first, and then lightly rested it against his. Still slightly feverish and her actions were enough to wake him.
Gradually, he opened his eyes to stare up at her and Akane smiled. Rather than returning it, he yawned and shifted beneath the covers. Since he didn't try to get up, she sat down on the edge of his bed. In turn, he folded down the covers fractionally so he could pull his arms out from beneath it. He felt like he was boiling in an oven.
"How are you feeling?" she inquired.
"Hot."
"Of course, since you have a fever. Are you hungry?"
"Starving," he replied.
"Alright, let me get it from the kitchen."
She left his side and Shinya slowly slid himself into a sitting position with his back resting against the headboard. He propped the pillow behind his back, awaiting her return. When she did, he glanced at the bowl skeptically as that did not look anything like a full meal. She caught his look and returned it with one of her own which implied he had no choice in the matter since he was sick.
"Be careful," she said as she placed it in front of him. "It's hot."
"That's it?"
"Lots of rest and lots of fluid," she repeated. "Nothing solid until you're feeling better."
"Kagari actually ate this?"
"Yup!"
Even if he didn't believe her, it was the truth. He had eaten it; it had just taken some extra coaxing – namely that she fed him. Thankfully that idea didn't enter Kougami's mind as he obediently dipped his spoon into his meal. His nose wrinkled with the first taste, but he continued eating. Since he was making it easy, Akane languidly sat down on his bed again.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Shinya inquired when it was half finished.
"I'm just pleased you're not a difficult patient."
"… What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. It's just that Kagari was," she answered.
She continued to watch him as he paused mid meal. Despite her urgings that he needed to finish it, he wasn't so sure he wanted to. Something about her declaration seemed ominous. Instead of eating, his eyes suddenly narrowed as he stared at her. Not understanding why, Akane frowned. He was almost finished with only half left.
"What did he do?"
"What did who do?" she questioned.
"Kagari."
"What?"
"You said Kagari was a difficult patient, so there must be a reason why you said that," he replied.
"Oh that. He refused to eat unless I fed him," she said lightly.
To her astonishment, the spoon slipped from his hand back into the bowl, splashing some of its contents onto the blanket. At the same time, his mouth dropped open to form a perfect O. He looked completely ridiculous as his cheeks were flushed from his fever and she couldn't help giggling. His reaction seemed extreme compared to what she said.
"Kougami-san, you need to finish your soup and get more rest," she coaxed.
Blinking at her a few times, he eventually closed his mouth. That sneaky brat! Why hadn't he thought of something like that? She was still giggling at his expense, but that didn't matter. Would it be too late to demand the same treatment Kagari had received? As he gradually relaxed, he decided it wouldn't hurt to try.
"Your soup."
"Feed me too," he declared.
"What?"
"You did for Kagari, so why can't you do that for me?"
"You were doing just fine on your own earlier," she pointed out.
There was no witty reply for that one, try as he might to think of something. Since there was no plausible verbal reply, he decided to go for the age old response of pouting his lips. It was absolutely absurd at his age, but he didn't care if it got him what he wanted. Besides, no one but her had to see it. She could hardly believe what she was seeing, laughing cheerfully at the silly picture he made.
"Seriously!" she exclaimed. "Are all you men such big babies when you're sick?"
"Maybe."
Again she laughed before slowly shaking her head in disbelief. Even so, Shinya was glad she actually picked up the spoon he dropped. Thankfully, she didn't seem annoyed by his sudden change of heart. Because of his request, she even went so far as to ask him to say ahh, babying him, a feat he happily complied with.
The Next Day
Lying awake in bed, Shinya was resting contentedly, waiting for Akane's return. He had spent his free time trying to think of requests he could make of her, and get away with because he was sick. If Kagari could convince her to feed him, a trick he copied, surely he could think of something better that she wouldn't have done for him.
Each meal since the first, she had fed him as he demanded, but it wasn't enough. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to think of anything ingenious. As a result, he was forced to stick to his borrowed idea – from Kagari of all people. Eventually, he would think of something; he just needed the right inspiration.
He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but it seemed like forever before he heard the door click. She was finally back! Just in time too because his stomach was starting to grumble. Only day two into recovery, he was still on his broth meal. He didn't know how anyone was supposed to recover when it was hardly filling.
"Kougami-san?" she asked as she poked her head in.
Turning to glance at her, he was about to smile when it slipped out of place. For some reason, she seemed tired today and his guilty conscience pricked at him; that he had taken his selfishness too far. Even so, she smiled at him when she noticed that he was awake and pushed her way in, once again carrying his evening meal.
"What's wrong?" he inquired when she set the tray on his nightstand. "Did something happen?"
"Hm? Oh, we were given a bit of a runaround today. That's why I was late. Here, let me help you."
Supporting his shoulders as he slowly pushed himself up, she settled the pillow behind him before asking him to lean back. A touch of concern marked his features, still worried that his sudden sickness was putting too much stress on her. She came to check on him every chance she had, staying even after her shift was over. And all for what? His selfish pride.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better, but hungry," he answered.
"I thought you would be."
Without question, she pulled the tray from the table and seated herself on his bed. Shinya ate what she fed him and the process was completed quickly as they didn't speak. As he watched her, he was preoccupied with trying to help her somehow. He could hardly go back to work when he wasn't fully healed yet, but there must be something he could do for her personally. After all, she was going to such extremes for his sake.
When he was done, she slipped the tray back onto the table. Resettling herself, she smiled at him sleepily and that was when he thought of something that could kill two birds with one stone. Slowly folding his arms over his chest, he wondered how he could word it delicately without scaring her off in the process. It was something she definitely didn't do with Kagari.
"You're tired," he commented softly as she covered a yawn with her hand.
"A little, but someone needs to make sure you eat."
"Have you eaten?"
"Of course," she replied.
"Then why don't you stay here tonight?"
"What?"
"It's been a long day for you and I'll be worried if you try to go home like this. There's more than enough room for both of us," answered Shinya.
"Eh? Did you forget that you're sick?"
"Well no, but I'm getting better. Besides, I only have one blanket."
"I think not. I'll just leave right away," she protested.
About to suit actions to words, Shinya didn't want that at all and quickly stuck out his hand to capture her wrist. She glanced at him in surprise. Though she tugged against his hold, he didn't release her. He was utterly serious for more reasons than one. If anything happened to her while she was attempting to get home, he would never forgive himself. This way, he would know that she was safe.
"Let me go, Kougami-san."
"I think not," he said. "Just like you've been looking after me, I need to look out for you too. Stay."
"But…"
"But?" he prompted.
"I don't have any clothes to change into…"
"Then borrow mine," he stated easily. "It's no big deal."
"Eh?"
She suddenly glanced away from him. When he carefully examined her features, he thought he detected a hint of a blush. Had he shocked the innocent Akane with his not-so-innocent request? Probably, not that he minded if it suggested that she was aware of him when he was already going to such grand lengths to monopolize her attention.
"Pick whatever you want from the top drawer. You can change outside since I'm in here."
"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.
"You can either stay here for the night or I'm escorting you home."
"You're still sick!"
Shrugging nonchalantly, he let her make her decision. He didn't care if he made himself worse if it meant that he would be reassured regarding her safety. Slowly she peeked at his dresser before peeking at him to find that his expression was serious. Sighing softly, she eventually gave in and left his side to grab a change of clothes.
Without looking at him, she dashed out of the room before the door closed behind her exit. Chuckling softly in response, Shinya patiently waited for her return. When she finally did, he silently gulped as he realized he hadn't thought this through too carefully. From his wardrobe, she had chosen a black t-shirt that was long enough to cover most of her, yet still sat higher than her usual skirt. Not to mention, she was completely dwarfed in something that was meant for him.
"Oh! I guess I should have brought that back up," she announced as she was staring at the dirty utensils beside him.
"Just leave it in the kitchen."
"Mm, be right back."
When she exited a second time, he slowly covered his eyes with his hand, wondering what sort of insanity had come over him. He had just insisted that the girl he was attracted to sleep next to him, in his own clothes, while she was completely oblivious to that fact. It was going to be a super long night.
Just as he had imagined it to be, the night was sweet torture. After she had crawled into bed next to him, she had spoken a couple sentences regarding her day before she fell asleep, with not a clue regarding his tumultuous thoughts. Prematurely, he thought he might survive the night until she was really asleep, comfortably so.
Obviously not accustomed to sharing a bed with anyone, she started shifting around, eventually sprawling out across the entire thing; sprawling out with her arm on his chest and one leg hooked around his. With all that movement she made, it was a wonder that she didn't wake at all. His mind was taking him into dangerous territory as he was certain his shirt had ridden up, exposing what really should be covered.
When he tried to push her away, it was to no avail. On the contrary, he made it worse because she mumbled something incoherently before she snuggled up right against him. Inwardly groaning, he attempted to count sheep while forcibly trying to ignore the clueless girl who was sleeping on top of him. Needless to say, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind, but it was only true for him.
The Next Morning
Lazily stretching as her mind awakened from her refreshing slumber, Akane wondered why Candy didn't wake her. It seemed like it was time to wake, yet there was no bubbly voice to greet her. Rubbing at her eyes, she slowly opened them, frozen stiff by what she saw. Anxiously tilting back her head, she found herself staring into the amused gray eyes of Kougami who she happened to be sleeping on.
"K – Kougami-san!" she exclaimed, shifting away from him.
"Good morning," he murmured.
"W – What are you doing here?"
"You slept here last night or did you forget?"
Suddenly springing up from the bed and taking the blanket with her, she quickly glanced around the room before she gasped. Then she looked down at herself to see that she was wearing his clothes and gasped again. She had completely forgotten! Nervously, she turned to look at her unexpected bed partner who was still lying down, but he wasn't paying attention.
In fact, he had purposely turned his head away. Not only had she not remembered sleeping with him, but she had no regard for her haphazard state of dress. As he had imagined, his shirt had bunched up, twisting in awkward angles around her body. It had already taken him forever to fall asleep due to the fact that she practically slept on top of him. He did not need to add to that memory in any way when he could still feel her there, even after she had already moved away.
"I'm so sorry, Kougami-san!" she apologized, clutching at her messy hair. "I'm a terrible sleeper. I probably kept you up all night."
"I slept just fine," lied Shinya.
"Are you sure…?"
"Yes."
"If you say so… Ack! What time is it?" Akane asked.
"Mm… Just after five."
"Oh, phew. I thought I was late for work since Candy isn't here."
"Candy?"
"My AI."
Two Days Later
"What happened?" Akane cried, her face twisted into a concerned frown.
Shinya tried to answer, but no words came out. Rather, he smiled weakly before he ended up coughing. His condition had taken an unexpected turn for the worse as his fever had returned. Immediately, she was by his side and clutched at his hand which was resting above his covers. He felt her give it a gentle squeeze.
"This is not good. I thought you were resting like you're supposed to."
"I was," he managed to croak out.
What he couldn't or wouldn't tell her was that it was a difficult task because the scent of her still lingered on his sheets; a heady distraction along with the memory of her weight on top of him. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep, but it was near impossible. He couldn't even work himself into a state of exhaustion to help the situation.
"Not good at all," she repeated. "You're going to have to go down to the medic center."
"You'll never make it. You better get Masaoka to help."
The look he received indicated that she didn't think he knew her at all. Instead of listening to his suggestion, she pulled back his covers and carefully helped him up. Despite his protests that she couldn't support him, she paid no attention to them. She treated him the way she had Kagari, with his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist.
To his utter amazement, she actually managed to help him all the way there. They had stumbled on occasion, mostly because his vision became hazy, but she still managed. Where did she hide such unimaginable strength? He had to be double her weight, at the bare minimum. Yet she was perfectly fine when she delivered him into the medic center and helped him onto a patient's bench.
It was a different nurse on duty and she sighed when Akane informed her what had happened. They didn't have to check to know that he was in worse shape than when he had originally come in. Once again, his sleeve was rolled up and his injection was administered. He wished it was a miracle drug that cured him instantly, but it wasn't. He still felt absolutely terrible.
"Can I at least take a shower?" he asked after drinking the glass of water he had been handed.
"No," the nurse replied.
"But I stink and I'm sweaty all over."
"Sponge bath. You're not strong enough to take a shower. No standing. Stay in bed and rest."
He frowned, but was in no condition to complain. He couldn't even make it to his room on his own. Just for good measure, she had him down another glass of water before she permitted him to leave. Akane waited for him, assisting him once more and he silently cursed himself for his stupidity. What the hell was he thinking to put her through all this?
It took them just as long to get back to his room and when they did, he was completely spent. He flopped over on his bed, leaving it up to her to get him tucked in. His legs had to be swung up onto the bed, his position straightened out. She was finally pulling the covers up to his chin when he made a rare show of strength and pushed her away.
"Kougami-san?"
"No. I refuse to sleep in this filthy thing for one more night."
She stepped away from him and he regretted his rash actions. It was already a lot that he demanded of her. It wasn't her fault when he was the one who didn't take care of himself. Yet she wasn't annoyed with him as he initially thought she might be. Instead, she took in a deep breath which she slowly exhaled. Then she was helping him up from the bed.
"I'll be back in just a minute," she said when he was sitting on his own.
She disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a wetted hand towel. It was still slightly damp as she hadn't wrung it out completely. That was placed on top of his nightstand before she approached him again. This time, she actually climbed onto the bed and seated herself on his legs as she faced him. He really wanted to complain about the indecency of this, but he didn't have the strength and she wasn't listening.
Fully focused on the buttons of his shirt, she was undoing them one by one. Even in this state, or maybe because of it, Shinya couldn't believe the train of thoughts running through his head. Given his impulse demand, her actions were innocent; but that didn't mean his thoughts were innocent because there was something seductively alluring about the fact that she was so carefully undressing him.
When the buttons were undone completely, she helped him out of it and he was relieved that the sweat-stained shirt was peeled away from his skin. It felt like he could breathe again! He remained motionless in the middle of the bed, his sapped energy spent on keeping himself upright. When she shifted from her position, he relaxed a little – until she actually seated herself behind him, running the wet towel up and down his back.
"Are you okay?" she asked when she heard him suck in a breath of air.
"I'm fine," he muttered between clenched teeth.
Since he said that, she resumed her duties of giving him his so-called bath. If he thought their night together was torture, this was a hundred times worse. He might be feverish and sick, but he could feel every stroke of her fingertips lightly grazing along his skin; a stark contrast of her cool skin against his flushed body.
Every exposed area of skin was treated with the same delicate consideration, starting with his back, then his arms and finally his chest. Akane being Akane wasn't finished there as she was thorough with each task assigned to her, insisting that she needed to repeat the process once she had rinsed out the towel. Ultimately, she was prolonging his agony.
"Doesn't that feel so much better?" she asked with a smile.
"Infinitely."
Tossing the towel onto the side table, she hopped off of the bed and went to retrieve a clean shirt for him. Once again needing her help in every aspect, she pulled it down over his head before guiding his arms through the sleeves. When she was finally done, he fell backwards entirely exhausted. His eyes closed even as she pulled the covers tight around him.
"Sleep well, Kougami-san," he heard her whisper.
Her hand rested against his forehead for a moment before she silently slipped away to clean up. As she moved around in his room, Shinya willed himself to get better – fast. Though it was exactly what he had hoped for, he didn't think he could withstand much more of it. While she approached every errand for him like the patient he was, his body was not able to accept it that way.
A Week and A Half Later
"Are you sure you should be doing this?"
"Yes. I'm mighty sick of being cooped up in my room all day," Shinya declared.
"But you're not a hundred percent better yet."
"Good enough."
The two of them entered the main office together and Shinya was immediately greeted by a knowing smile from Masaoka. Akane didn't seem to notice and he chose to ignore it. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the old man would let him off the hook that easily. After all, they were the ones who had to cover for him during his lengthy absence.
"Well, well… Look what the cat finally dragged in," he teased. "I see you're up and about now."
"He's not fully better yet," Akane informed him.
"I'm fine," Shinya retorted. "It's boring as hell to stay in my room all day."
"I still think you should take another day off."
That was all she said on the matter before she strolled to her own desk and resumed her unfinished tasks from the previous day. With a weary sigh, Shinya dragged himself to his desk and dropped into the chair happily. Though he had thought it a brilliant idea at the time – never again. If he wasn't careful, he was going to be run ragged by the girl and she wouldn't even realize it.
"Serves you right," Masaoka said with a chuckle.
"I'll say…"
AN
Mwahaha... KogaNe? I believe that was very much so KogaNe even if the story didn't originally seem so with the focus on Kagari. You have to lead up to the best parts! XD
Gah, I seriously had waaay too much fun with this chapter! Shinya thought he was brilliant until his ideas backfired on him. (Bri, don't hate me for it... Lol.)
That said, I'm not completely done with this story yet! I had another idea come to me, so there's going to be Part 3! Stay tuned :)