Chapter Twenty – Recovering
The next day she didn't deem him well enough for school, so she gave him the same instruction: water and sleep. She returned that afternoon – skipping tennis – and lay with him until five when she said she had to go home. She gave him a kiss as she reluctantly bid him farewell and promised to see him the next morning, a Saturday.
When she arrived that morning he was still sleeping – unusual as he always woke early – she kissed his forehead and left to the kitchen to heat up the rice porridge her Mother had made. A part of herself felt proud. She'd watched over him and cared for him – she felt like a true girlfriend.
Once the porridge was heated she tipped it out of the pan and into a bowl. She placed the pan aside for cleaning later and after getting a spoon she walked back to Tezuka's room. He was just waking up, groggily shifting and trying to sit up. But he winced at the slightest of movements.
Miyako placed the porridge on his desk and walked over, pressing the back of her head to his forehead under his long fringe. "Your fever is down. Your body is aching?"
He mumbled a groggy reply.
"That's alright. Some pain killers and you'll be fine. Can you sit up?" She asked.
"Yeah." Tezuka replied as she stood up to retrieve the porridge.
"Now, I talked to Mum and she made this for you. She said that it works wonders – it was weird, she predicted that your fever would be down but your muscles would be in pain." Miyako rambled as she walked back. "But then she used to be a nurse so she probably just knows."
"Used to be?" Tezuka asked curiously as he sat himself up against his pillow and bedhead.
Miyako nodded as she sat down. "When I got sick she left her job to take care of me – but she never went back because the thought of hospitals worried her after all of that." She explained. "Do you want to eat it on your own or shall I spoon feed you?" She teased.
"Give me the bowl." He said, reaching for it.
"Can I spoon you just one?" Miyako pleaded. "Then it would be like I've done everything a carer does. It would make this process complete, you know?"
Tezuka sighed, rolling his eyes, but smiling. "Okay, okay."
Miyako lifted a reasonable portion onto the spoon and held it up to him. "Blow."
Still exasperated, he lightly blew on the spoon and then opened his lips as she placed the spoon in and then with an emptying motion, slipped it back out. The hot porridge burned slightly, but not painfully and warmed him all the way down his throat and into his stomach. He closed his eyes happily.
"It's good, huh? Mum makes this every winter morning – and if any of us are sick." Miyako explained, handing him the bowl. "Did you sleep well?"
Tezuka nodded. "I've been sleeping too much."
Miyako laughed lightly. "I'll be back; I'll get you those pain killers."
"How do you know where everything is anyway?" He asked.
"Trial and error." She replied, leaving his room.
He smiled after her and eagerly continued to eat the porridge – wondering if he should get the recipe for himself.
Miyako appeared at his doorway, and she watched him with an amused smile. "You really like it, don't you?" She said as he finished the bowl off and placed it aside. She put the glass of water and two tablets on the bedside table as she sat down on the mattress. She giggled lightly and without a second thought licked his bottom lip. "Missed a spot." She whispered.
Tezuka shot forward, practically devouring her lips with his for only a moment before he abruptly pulled away. "You should learn to behave yourself."
"I'll give it a go." Miyako replied, smiling in a true Fuji fashion.
Down by the front door came the familiar sound of a person knocking on the door.
She kissed him. "Take those tablets, I'll get the door." She said and slipped out of the room. She wondered idly just who it would be and with some caution opened the front door.
"Hoi hoi~!"
"Eiji-senpai, Fuji-senpai, Oishi-senpai? What are you doing here?"
"Visiting our Buchou." Eiji replied. "The others are coming too."
She raised her eyebrows. "I don't know if Kunimitsu would appreciate the visitors in his current state." She said uncertainly.
"Sure he would." Fuji insisted.
Miyako sighed. "Well, why don't I take you to the dining room and I'll go ask him."
"What are you? A strict nurse?" Oishi joked lightly as she let them in.
"I may as well be." Miyako said as they slipped their shoes off and led them down the hallways and to the dining room. "Just settle yourselves down; I'll be back in a second."
Tezuka was coughing a little when she returned and she waited patiently for him to finish before she spoke. "The guys are here."
Tezuka's eyes widened in surprise. "They are?"
"Well, only Oishi-senpai, Eiji-senpai and Fuji-senpai so far." Miyako explained. "I took them to the dining room."
He smiled, shaking his head a little. "They're hopeless."
"They care about you." She corrected. "So, do you want them to come here? Or do you want to go to them?"
"I think it would be better if I went to them." Tezuka replied, pushing the blankets off himself and swinging his legs off the side of the mattress as he reached for his glasses. "I should change."
"Don't bother." Miyako said. "But at least put this on." She instructed, throwing him a shirt.
He sighed, but did as he was told. Miyako picked up the used cutlery and left the room to put it all in the kitchen and she quickly returned, picking up one of the blankets. Just as she led him out of the room, he took a hold of her hand.
She paused and looked at him.
"Thanks." He whispered.
Miyako smiled warmly and stood on her toes to kiss the underside of his jaw. "Any time."
"Hey! Love birds~!" Fuji called. "We're waiting."
Miyako flushed darkly and recovered by leading Tezuka into the dining room and making him settle himself by the low set table and made sure that the blanket was comfortably set around him. And at the knock on the door she stood up and smacked Fuji upside the head as she passed him.
Fuji rubbed the back of his head tenderly, looking in the direction she'd left. "Ow."
"You deserved it." Oishi said. "So, how are you Tezuka?"
Tezuka shrugged a little, feeling the twinge of his tender muscles. "I've been better." He admitted, coughing a little.
"H-hello everyone."
All of the young men looked up as Taka-san entered with Momo and Echizen behind him. In his hands was a large platter laden with all kinds of sushi.
"Whoa~!" Eiji exclaimed.
"I hope it's enough, but I thought that I would take a job away from Arakaki-san today."
"Just call her Miyako-chan." Fuji said. "She'd hate it if you called her by her surname. So did you bring any Wasabi Sushi?"
Taka-san motioned with his head to Echizen who was holding a bento box. "I separated it from the others." Taka-san explained as he placed his large platter down on the table.
Fuji eagerly took the bento box off Echizen's hands.
"Sakuno-chan is here, but she's helping Miyako-senpai in the kitchen." Echizen explained.
"What exactly is Miya doing?" Tezuka asked, worried that she was doing too much – he was the host as it was his home.
"She said that she was just going to make some tea for everyone." Echizen replied casually.
"She's taking good care of you, isn't she, Kunimitsu~?" Eiji teased.
"I didn't know she called you that now." Oishi added.
Tezuka averted his eyes. "So what if she does?"
Fuji made a small sound. "Kawaii~ Tezuka, you're blushing again."
"I have a cold."
"Excuses, excuses~." Eiji teased.
"Stop teasing the sick boy." Miyako scolded as she entered, carrying a tray with a steaming pot of tea and several tea cups, Sakuno following close behind her. "He can't defend himself in his weakened state." She said, placing the tray down and settling herself down beside Tezuka. "Tea, anyone?"
"Hai." The group replied.
There was another sound knock on the front door and Miyako sighed a little and went to stand up, but Taka-san beat her to it.
"Let me get it, Miyako-san." He insisted.
"Uhh, sure." She replied as he left the room.
"You're doing too much." Tezuka whispered, circling his arm around her waist. "I should be making the tea and greeting the guests."
"Well, I'm the carer so I'm in charge right now." Miyako replied, pouring the cups of tea for everyone and then for herself.
"Don't let him boss you around, Miyako-chan." Oishi said with a smile.
Miyako laughed as Inui and Kaidou arrived and the party really seemed to begin.
. : . : . : .
At three in the afternoon most of the guests had disbanded. Echizen and Sakuno were still there – all the more reason to avoid his spying Father – Eiji was lightly snoozing against the wall and Fuji was talking to Miyako with Tezuka's head resting in her lap.
He'd dozed off after Oishi had left and the development had startled all of them.
"Sleeping at camp was different." Fuji explained softly. "But sleeping like this – it's unusual for Tezuka."
"I'm surprised at just how easily he let me take care of him." Miyako said softly. "I imagined that I would be met with stubborn Tezuka every time I arrived or tried to do anything. But he's been letting me have my way."
"He probably knows better than to debate with you." Fuji said with a slight laugh.
Miyako smiled. "Yeah, probably." She sighed as she looked at the cups and plates on the table. "I should start the clean up." She said, gently lifting Tezuka's head from her lap and placing it onto the floor before she stood up and began to collect the mess.
"Let me help you." Sakuno offered.
Miyako smiled. "Thanks."
As the girls left, Tezuka slowly sat up, rubbing the side of his head.
"You weren't asleep?" Echizen asked, astonished.
"I was." Tezuka replied. "Until about two minutes ago."
Fuji chuckled slightly. "Yet you pretended for her sake."
"Shut it." Tezuka warned.
. : . : . : .
"I've been meaning to ask, you haven't had any trouble from whomever sent you the note before Summer Vacation, have you?" Miyako asked as she scrubbed down a mug and placed it to the side for Sakuno to try.
"No." Sakuno replied. "But then, Ryoma-kun and I have been toning down the amount of close contact that we have at school. It's probably better that way anyway."
"Yeah…probably."
"I was surprised that you and Tezuka-senpai managed to keep your relationship such a secret."
Miyako smiled. "It's his discipline I think. But soon enough everyone will know – there's no escaping that."
"It's not like he'll be at school next year anyway." Sakuno said. "There won't be such a problem then."
Miyako's eyes had widened, her hands frozen in the motion of cleaning. She hadn't thought of that. He wouldn't be at school and she would. Would they last with that kind of separation?
"Sakuno-chan!" Both turned as Echizen ran into the kitchen, a cell phone in hand. "Sakuno-chan, it's your Mum. She wants you to come home now."
Sakuno was about to reply when Eiji and Fuji came by. "We should go too." They announced.
"It's getting kind of dark." Eiji explained.
"Maybe we should walk you and Sakuno-chan home, Echizen?" Fuji suggested.
And before Miyako knew it they had all bid her farewell and left her alone in the kitchen. She sighed a little and simply got back to cleaning up. Once she had scrubbed all of the used mugs and plates she then set to drying them. When they were all dried to set to putting them away, but a hand took hers and she came face to face with Tezuka, who took the mug she held out of her hands and placed it on the countertop.
"That's enough work for you." He said softly, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her form. "You're being too good to me, Miya."
"I just want to take care of everything so that you can get well and not worry about it." Miyako defended herself, finding that her reasons for working were very understandable.
He smiled, gently using the tip of his pointer finger to tilt her chin up and in one swift movement pressed his lips down on hers. As her eyes slid shut they rolled back in ecstasy as she wrapped her arms securely around his neck.
Then, as it always seemed, her iPhone buzzed on the kitchen counter and she reached over to grab it – not bothering to pull away from Tezuka until she bought the phone to her ear. "Hello? Hmm? Yes Dad, I'm still here. I'm helping to clean up – the club members stopped by to see Tezu – Yes…oh, okay. So you'll come and pick me up then. Okay. I'll see you soon."
Tezuka sighed as she placed the phone aside. "You're going home."
"No, I'm going for my 'routine check up'." Miyako replied dully. "I won't be home for several hours."
"Routine?" Tezuka asked, kissing along her jaw.
"I've had them ever since I was little. They want to keep checking that I won't get sick again. It's been pointless since I was ten because after four years an illness surely can't return." Miyako sighed as he reached her ear. "But yeah, I have no choice. At least they're only every year now. They used to be six monthly – and before that four monthly. And in the year after I was sick it was every month."
"That sounds very tiring." Tezuka commented, his voice a little muffled.
Miyako laughed. "And you sound like you care so much, being attached to my ear. Get off." She said, playfully pushing him away. "I need to finish packing these up before Dad get's here. I want you to go back to bed." She instructed. "You've been out of bed all day; it could have a bad effect on you."
Tezuka, instead of going as he was told, wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled his nose into her neck.
"You're being unusually affectionate." Miyako noted as she placed the mugs into the cupboard. He didn't reply with words – he mumbled and nuzzled his nose further into her neck. "You're being a pest." She told him.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Tezuka challenged.
"Don't try that with me." She warned.
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
"How long do you spend talking to Kaiya a day?"
Tezuka couldn't help but laugh at the question. "Not as much as I would like." He replied.
"Will you be okay here by yourself?"
"Until you show up uninvited tomorrow? Yes."
Miyako rolled her eyes.
. : . : . : .
Anzu and Kane arrived home a day early, intending to surprise their son – when they found that the house was unusually empty. He'd usually be awake and setting tea to boil and sitting in the dining room or at the desk in his room. They opened the door to his room and he was lying there, fast asleep under an unusual amount of blankets. They frowned as they exchanged glances.
The sound of the front door opening startled the both of them and then two pairs of feet entered.
"Shh, Kaiya, be very quiet. Tezuka-kun will probably still be asleep." Miyako hushed.
"But I wanna see Tezuka-kun." Kaiya whined.
"Well, first we have to take our shoes off." Miyako said, slipping her shoes off and watching Kaiya to make sure that she did the same – and then noticed an additional pair of shoes. "Oh…someone is here?" She asked lightly and then, being cautious, picking Kaiya up and placed the girl on her hip as she walked into the house, checking every open door. And then discovering that there were two travel bags outside the room Tezuka had told her was his parents. "Oh, his parents are home early." She realised. She walked into the kitchen, expecting to find them there – but they weren't so she took the honour of putting the kettle on the stove to prepare tea and then carried her younger sister around towards Tezuka's room, where she found his parents. She placed Kaiya down and bowed. "You must be Kunimitsu's parents. I'm Miyako Arakaki; it's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"And you as well, Miyako-chan." Anzu greeted.
"Kaiya." Miyako hissed. "Remember our manners?"
Kaiya bowed, but said nothing as she hid behind Miyako's legs.
"My little sister, Kaiya." Miyako introduced.
"Can I see Tezuka-kun now?" Kaiya pleaded, tugging lightly in Miyako's knee length dress.
"Okay, but don't be rough – he's still a little sick remember?"
"He's sick?" Kane asked as Kaiya slipped into the room.
Miyako nodded. "He didn't call you at all?"
"No." Anzu replied.
Miyako shook her head. "I told him to call you. Stubborn idiot."
"I've put the kettle on to boil." Miyako said softly. "And welcome home, by the way."
"You've been taking care of everything I assume?" Anzu asked.
Miyako blushed and looked to her feet. "Someone had to do it – and Kunimitsu wasn't in any state to do it."
"Tezuka-kun, wakey-wakey." Kaiya whispered from within the room.
"We'll go to the kitchen." Anzu said and dragged her husband away from their son's room.
Miyako giggled as Kaiya began her waking up routine on Tezuka, sitting as closely as she could to his face, kneeling on the mattress beside him. He opened his eyes and in shock jumped back.
"K-Kaiya-chan?" He asked, reaching for his glasses. "What are – ?"
"She wanted to see you." Miyako explained, walking in. "And I know that you ignored my order to call your parents." She accused.
Tezuka sat up as Kaiya eagerly embraced him. "What do you mean? I called them." He insisted.
"You can't lie to me now, Kunimitsu Tezuka. They're home early." Miyako informed him.
Tezuka looked away. "It was just a cold; they didn't need to worry about it."
Miyako leaned over and kissed his forehead. "You should get changed and come out." She said, detaching Kaiya from him and placing her back on her hip.
"Miya."
"Hmm?"
"How was the appointment?"
Miyako looked back at him, surprised for a moment, but smiled. "Everything's a-okay."