Title: The Viral Revolution II: Casualties

date written: 11-05-06

Pairings: Silver Pair

"I'm sorry, Choutarou…" Shishido mumbled, miserable. He sank further into the blankets that cocooned him, leaning back against the wall and bumping his head. Sometimes the size of his room seemed absurd, far too big for just one person. Of course, curling up in the corner of his bed next to the wall, as he was doing now, only increased his sense of loneliness.

"It's okay, Shishido-san," Ohtori's staticy voice replied warmly over his cell phone. Shishido looked across his room at the now tepid bowl of soup his mother had set on his desk for him an hour ago. He hadn't felt like eating, still didn't feel like eating, not while talking to Choutarou, listening to him say in that kind, innocent voice that he didn't mind, really, and that Shishido-san had nothing to feel guilty about.

It was not okay. First kisses were supposed to be thrilling and romantic and there were supposed to be fireworks, damn it. They weren't supposed to make the object of your affections get sick for three days.

Shishido shivered and pulled the nest of blankets tighter around him, hoping that Choutarou didn't feel as wretched as he did and knowing that if he did it was entirely Shishido's fault. Choutarou was such a nice kid, too, that he probably really didn't blame him at all. Which somehow made Shishido feel even worse. The high fever he was suffering from wasn't helping his thought process and only served to increase his sense of guilt.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Shishido said, feeling it was the least he could do. "When we get better we'll go to that restaurant you like, that French one, my treat… or to one of those classical concerts, that would be fun, right? I—"

"Ryou, you're supposed to be sleeping right now, not talking to your girlfriend."

Shishido glared at the person who had trespassed in his room unannounced.

"Shut up, Aniki," he growled, throwing the nearest pillow. It fell to the ground in a halfhearted manner, less than halfway to its intended destination. His brother grinned.

"Now that was just sad," he said, crossing the room and picking up the pillow. "Seriously, though, I've been sent from the land of the healthy to make sure my little bro isn't so dumb that he spends all night on the phone instead of getting his sleep. Who are you talking to, anyway?"

Shishido ignored him.

"I have to go," he said into the phone, trying not to sound irritated and probably failing utterly. Choutarou could usually tell how he was feeling, anyway. It was almost scary. "I'll talk to you later, ok? Get better, yeah?"

He paused, listening, and his brother noted with rising glee the sudden pink tint in Ryou's face that could not be explained by just the fever.

"You too," he mumbled, blushing furiously, before ending the call. Then he noticed the way his brother was grinning at him. "…what?"

"Ryou's got a girlfriend!" his brother teased. He had only been joking when he had said it before, but clearly the comment had been justified. "Who is it? Anyone we know? C'mon, spill!"

Shishido glared at him. "I don't have to tell you anything!" he yelled, only realizing his mistake after he'd said it.

"Oh! So it's true then!" His brother's grin only got wider. "Well, it doesn't matter what you want to tell me, does it?"

Shishido realized what he was planning a split second before he lunged for the phone and barely managed to keep it out of his brother's reach. The situation soon dissolved into a wrestling match, with Shishido, in his weakened state, only just keeping his hold on the phone through sheer determination.

"Getoffame Aniki!"

"No way! Either you tell me who she is or I look it up in the call log!"

"I said get OFF!"

"Boys!"

The brothers froze as the cross voice of their mother rang out from the doorway. They glanced at each other before untangling themselves and doing their best to look repentant. Their mother wasn't fooled for an instant.

"Leave Ryou alone," she said, glaring at Shishido's brother, "he's sick. Ryou, you should be sleeping and regaining your strength, ok Snookums?"

Shishido scowled as his brother snickered at the pet name.

"Yeah, ok."

"Goodnight, dear," she said, turning off the light and walking away.

Shishido's brother followed her out, stopping briefly at the door and remarking slyly, "You can't guard that thing forever…"

That night Shishido slept with his cell phone under his pillow. It was set to vibrate in case Choutarou called him back while his family was asleep, and Shishido wanted to be sure he felt it if it rang. That, of course, was the only reason.

Half asleep, Shishido shoved his hand under the pillow and touched the smooth plastic surface, remembering the last three words Choutarou had said to him and repeating them in his mind.

Shishido drifted off to sleep, suddenly feeling a lot better.