I wanted to get another chapter out before introduce a new girl.
So here you go. Poor Professor can't seem to get out of harms way. Also thirsty Annette inbound.
Enjoy
"Is he late?"
"Could've overslept."
"That's not like him though..."
The students of the Blue Lion house quieted down as the double doors at the back of the classroom opened up. And in walked Seteh. A few of them frowned, seeing them instead of their Professor was never a good sign. He walked through the middle of the desk and took his place at front. He cleared his throat.
"Professor Byleth has suddenly fallen ill and will be unable to teach class today. So I will do it in his stead."
The students let out a collective groan. "Quiet down." Seteh responded. "Let us began the lesson"
"And that will be it. Enjoy the rest of your day everyone. Do not forget to do your homework."
Everyone ignored him. Shuffling out of the door. Before Annette could make it however Seteh called out to her. She paused and spun around, Mercedes watching from afar.
Seteh approached Annette. "Annette. I was wondering if you could pay a visit to Byleth?"
Annette blinked. She was already planning on going there, but now Seteh was asking her.
"Uh, sure. Why?"
"Manuela was supposed to take care of the Byleth but I can't seem to find her. Knowing her she probably forgot and went on one of her dates. So I'd like you to take over for Manuela."
Annette nodded. Seteh giving her a slight smile, a very rare site. "Good. Stop by the nurses office to grab the required medicine." He walked past her and out the door. Leaving Annette as Mercedes approached her.
"So you're going to take care of the Professor..." She clapped her hands together. "I'm happy for you, Annette." The oranged haired girl blushed slightly.
"W-Why?"
Mercedes giggled before leaving Annette with a wave.
Annette made her way upstairs and to the Nurses's office. Opening the door and taking a step inside, slightly startled to see Edelgard also in the room. Staring at the bottles of medicine, holding her chin.
Edelgard turned to Annette, her eyes widening upon seeing her. "Oh, Annette. What brings you here?" Edelgard placed a hand on her hips.
"I-I was asked to come get some medicine for the Professor."
Edelgard narrowed her eyes at Annette, but only for a second. "I see...So I take it you are taking care of the Professor?"
Annette nodded, Edelgard nodding in understand. "I'll leave you to it then." She walked past Annette and out the door. Once Edelgard was out of ear shot Annette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Edelgard could be scary sometimes.
Ignoring the sudden run in with the soon to be emperor Annette began gathering the correct medicine. She was used to fighting illnesses, having been sick several times due to her always overworking herself.
Leaving the clinic with a few bottles of medicine, a bucket and a cloth she made her way down stairs, crossing the open area in front of the dormitories and knocking on the Professor's door.
When she received no response she decided to enter anyway. Opening the door and entering the room.
"Professor? Are you awake?" She closed the door behind her, looking over at the Professor's bed. Seeing him laying down, he turned his head to look at her, sitting up in bed. His face flushed and smiled weakly.
"Annette...Shouldn't you be in class?" Annette approached the bed, setting the bottles of medicine down along with the bucket filled with water at the bedside.
"Class is over silly, Seteh teached us...If you can even call that teaching." She muttered that last part to herself. The Professor staring at her with that same old look.
"Sorry I wasn't able to make it...I'm not sure what came over me..."
Annette shook her head. "Don't worry about it Professor. We all get sick sometimes."
"But I've never gotten sick before..." Annette's eyes widened.
"Y-You haven't? Thats a little strange...But I assume doing the work you do will build up quite the immune system."
She poured him a cup of water, mixing some cold medicine in it and handing it to the Professor, who drank it before setting the cup on his bedside table.
"How do people get sick?" He asked her.
Annette let out a giggle, it was a silly question. But one she expected from her sometimes clueless Professor.
"Well it can be a variety of things. For you though, since you have a cold I'd say its because you were feeling...Well, cold." Annette thought for a moment.
"Like being out in the rain?"
Annette nodded. Then stopped. "Professor...Don't tell me you were out in the rain..."
Byleth nodded. "I was out in it last night." Annette jumped to her feet.
"What!? Why!? Are you crazy!?"
Byleth shook his head. "The rain doesn't bother me. And I was training."
"But there are limits you know! You can't push yourself to hard."
Byleth raised an eyebrow at her, a slight smirk appearing on his face. "You're one to talk." A quick blush appeared on Annette's face.
"T-Thats different. You have more important stuff to do then me. So you always need to be in tip top shape!"
The Professor simply continued to smile at her, before his smile faded and he held his forehead, leaning against the back of his bed. Annette suddenly remembered that the Professor was actually sick.
"The medicine should kick in soon. I'm sure you'll feel better in no time." She let her eyes wander over his body, noticing that it was drenched in sweat.
She knew trying to sleep in sweaty clothes was not a good way to recover from a cold, not to mention it was uncomfortable, but Annette knew The Professor wasn't in any condition to get to the bath house.
Her eyes wandered to the bucket of water. She unconsciously grabbed it on her way here, but she didn't think she'd wound up using it for something like this.
"R-Right...While we wait for the medicine to kick in lets get you out of these sweaty clothes and clean you off."
The Professor shook his head. "I can do it."
"Nope! You're sick Professor. That means you're under my care!" The Professor didn't argue anymore, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping it off, the heat rising to Annette's face as she took in the sight of the Professor's torso.
His muscles were not overly-defined. But they were there, scars covered his body, ranging from small to one major one across his back. Annette climbed on the bed, sitting behind him, dipping the cloth into the bucket of water and beginning to wipe down his back. Unsure as to what to do with her left hand, too afraid to touch him.
The Professor leaned forward and Annette paincked, grabbing him by his shoulders and steadying him. "Professor! Are you okay?" The man nodded.
"Yes...Sorry I blanked out there..." Annette let out a sigh of relief. Resuming her motions with the cloth. Just now noticing that her left hand was resting on his shoulder. She gulped, giving it a slight squeeze, surprised to find it was quite solid.
She let her curious actions continue, sliding her left hand down from the Professor's shoulder and and to his bicep, squeezing again. It was solid.
"Annette?"
She squeaked, pulling away from the Professor. "Y-Yes?!"
"Are you okay?" The Professor turned his head to look at her behind him. She nodded quickly.
"Y-Yes just...Making sure you were healthy." The Professor nodded, turning his head back to his front. Annette let out another sigh, continuing to wipe down his back with the wet cloth.
Once she was done she moved to his front, dipping the cloth in the bucket of water again and going to wipe down his chest. Being stopped when the Professor grabbed her wrist.
"I can wipe down my front."
Annette blushed upon realizing what she was about to do, but she was also a tad disappointed. "R-Right..." She handed him the cloth and he began to wipe down his chest. Annette watching his every movement. Luckily Byleth didn't see the issue with someone staring at him. He'd been told it was rude to stare, but he never saw how it could be.
As Byleth wiped down the front of his torso, Annette took this opportunity to take in the Professor's naked torso. Her eyes scanning every ridge and scar. She wondered what he did to get in shape, surely swinging a weapon and training constantly couldn't be the only thing he did? He had to have done other things.
Her mind began to wander further, wondering if his chest were as solid as his shoulders or arms. Just how many scars did he really have? She'd seen him take on a whole group of bandits and came out with only a few light scratches.
"Annette."
She jumped upon hearing her name, coming to and realizing she had place both her hands on the Professor's chest. Her cheeks took on a deep shade of red and she swiftly drew her hands back. Putting them behind her back. "S-Sorry! I...I just wanted to make sure you were healthy!"
Byleth blinked. "Is that how you usually tell if people are healthy? By touching them?"
Annette nodded. "T-Thats right! We also do things like this." She decided to take this opportunity to take advantage of the Professor's lack of knowledge. A deep blush still upon her face she scootched closer to the Professor. Lifting her bangs and his and pressing their foreheads together. His forehead was hot! He really did have a serious fever!
She pulled away. The Professor's look ever unchanging, although she could swear she saw a light blush.
"I see. What does that tell you?" Byleth asked. Annette gulped, still recovering from her bold move earlier.
"W-Well...It tells me your fever. The hotter your forehead is the more of a fever you have. The hotter the worst basically."
Byleth nodded. Holding his hand up to his forehead. She glanced at his other hand, his big strong hands...
"T-Theres also another way to help tell if someone is healthy."
Byleth glanced at her and she gently took hold of the Professor's wrist. Placing her index and middle finger underneath it and just below his palm. She briefly compared their hand sizes. Her's were so small in comparison.
"W-With this you can check someones pulse and...Hm?" She furrowed her eyebrows, moving her two fingers along his wrist.
"That's strange...I can't seem to find a pulse..."
"Oh, I don't have one."
Annette stopped, before slowly looking up at the Professor. "You...What?"
"I don't have a pulse."
"H-How...?"
Byleth shrugged. "I haven't had one for as long as I can remember."
"I-I see..." Annette let go of the Professor's wrist.
"You can check if you want."
Annette quickly glanced up at him. Then to his chest, slowly approaching him and lowering her head to his torso. Pressing her ear against his pecs. Sure enough, there was nothing.
"Amazing...You continue to surprise me, Professor..."
When she pulled away she noticed the Professor was blushing slightly. "Can I ask that you not tell anyone else this? Only my father knows..."
Annette's eyes widened as she realized she and the Professor now had a secret and she nodded quickly. The Professor offering a slight smile. "Thank you"
His eye's closed slightly and he slumped forward, Annette catching him. "P-Professor!"
He waved her off, sitting back up. "Sorry...I suddenly felt sleepy..."
Annette frowned. Seems their time was coming to an end. "Must be the medicine then...I'll let you get some rest."
Byleth nodded, laying back down in bed. Dozing off almost instantly. Annette watched his chest rise and fall. She went to walk towards the door, but stopped and glanced back the Professor. Leaning over him and planting a kiss on his forehead before standing up straight. When the Professor didn't react, she went for his lips.
"Annette"
She squeaked, and stopped half way. Their lips inches apart. Her gaze shifted to the Professor's eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"Uh...Making sure you're healthy..."
"I see..."
Annette slowly stood up straight, her face completely red.
"Are you okay, Annette?"
The orange-haired mage nodded swiftly. "Y-Yes! I must be going however. I-I'll see you soon, Professor!"
She quickly gathered her things and opened the door, bolting out and shutting it behind her. Walking quickly back the nurse's office, her head low to hide her bright red cheeks.
Mercedes giggled as she watched from afar. Seems things went quite well with the Professor.
Meh. It sounded better in my head. As most things do.
New girl coming next chapter. And its an overdue one.
Until next time.