CHAPTER 71

I do not own Skip Beat. Yoshiki Nakamura does.

A sprinkle, A morsel, A bed:

A galaxy of care.

I do own skip beat. Yoshiki Nakamura does.

When she woke up, light was casting a small glow through the curtains of the bedroom, and she had an emergency.

Bathroom.

She scrambled out of bed but not without some effort and a plethora of grumbles against her still sore muscles. Yup, her fever was definitively down this time. She felt her mind was bright and sharp. All functioning, and the exact opposite of her body, aching like after a marathon, if such a thing could make weird body areas protest against moves as it was at the moment. To her utmost delight.

She really hated being sick. Not only was doing anything was impossible and she wanted to murder her own living body one thousand times for hurting this much, but she was also being a bother for anyone around.

She stretched herself for a couple of minutes, hoping to ease the soreness when coughs made her give up the idea halfway through.

Sitting on the ground, head resting on the edge of her bed, she attempted to calm down her breathing coming out in excruciating rough painful huffs. She massaged her throat soothingly and rubbed the pain edging down the length of her thorax. When the tight pressure eventually eased, she made another attempt and tried to talk.

The outcome was not glorious.

That's it. Talking will have to wait.

She lifted herself from the wooden floor and padded her way out of her room when a crucial element her mind had oblivioned hit her. Ren.

He had tucked her in her bed last night and she had fallen asleep instantly, completely blissful in the state she had been, she guessed. Did he go back to his own room after that? Was he still okay? She hoped she hadn't given him this bug because they certainly hadn't kept their distances yesterday.

She sighed as she refrained a blush, amused at herself with where her thoughts were taking her.

I'm silly.

She came to a stop when upon entering the rest of the living area, an enchanted sight, waiting for her to notice it on the worn-out couch, graced her view. One curtain, folded on itself let sunbeams spill about in the room, casting amorous extended shadows on the wooden floor. Other rays splashed around on higher furniture, and one in particular stroke on the couch. On the crammed leaking-out-of-couch and profusely imposing form sleeping, precisely. Or more accurately would be to say it had hit the aureole of its head, painting shimmers to the brown rich locks, and tricking her eyes and mind to a golden flash for an instant.

And she was there, in the remnants of the night, mesmerized by this light's explosion.

Smothering a groan against her uncooperative body, she forced her step to something as light as a feather as she neared the old abraded sofa. She knelt down then, catching in times her long locks falling in her face before they could tickle his face, and bend a tint, holding a smile. So many body parts were overflowing and just about falling, it was a wonder he hadn't just met with the floor already. The poor couch was much too tiny to support a lying position of someone his size. God, even for her it would have been tiny. He was mostly grabbing at armrest to maintain himself on the couch and had apparently fallen asleep like that. While another long arm was hanging to the ground, his hand lingering on the wood in a relaxed but odd position. It looked hell uncomfortable. And funny.

But what she didn't understand was he hadn't gone back to his own suite and bed last night. It would have saved him so much trouble. And she had been sleeping.

Her eyes skipped from one feature to another, captivated. The long lush lashes. The angular yet smooth jaw. The angle of his straight nose. Those unruly strands all around his face and the armchair.

Those lips.

Those lips she knew so strong but also so soft when he was smiling. Or when they were applied against hers.

This unaltered profound slumber succeeding in maintaining his face in peace.

He looked younger like that. Un-bothered. No issue, frowns or stress marring his features.

As if sleep had kept at bay the worries of his life. No celebrity or exigence here. No pretences or pressure. No need to meet any expectation. Peeled free of anything but his essence. The too kind, the unconsciously too charming sometimes, the socially clumsy often; but the adoringly cute always.

He was just a man.

A weird curled-shape statute of a handsome man. Blissfully sleeping. And the perfect embodiment of Sleeping Beauty. In a male version.

Her brain only caught up with her body when she felt the soft touch against the pulp of her lips, and she stood back at once. Afraid she had woke him up, fortunately not she quickly realized, and castigating herself.

I just kissed him…damn it.

What the hell was she doing? Now, she was kissing him?! And without his consent with that! No matter how tempting he could look, it was no reason to abuse his lips. She wanted to strangle herself. She had stooped so low.

She stood from her sitting position and away, mortified. A strangled hiss escaped her when a failed growl at herself turned into a cough at the mere attempt to utter an intelligible sound.

The new bout of cough, as expected, woke up her former peaceful companion who sat with a start, looking still groggy. Or what it appeared to be from her peripheral view and through her blurry tearing-up eyes.

She hurried and stumbled away a few steps, trying to not share her microbes too much when her cough didn't stop right away.

When it finally ceased, her breath was coming out like some sort of rusty boiler air huffs, and Ren was supporting her. She didn't even remember him standing.

She started to speak, and failed. Then she attempted to push him away but he didn't let her.

She groaned internally, feeling trapped. She couldn't even communicate now. She wanted to hit her head on something.

"Are you okay? Your cough is are you out of bed? Are you thirsty?Hungry? Do you need something?"He was firing away his questions and she couldn't even answer one. She shook her head and lifted her face toward Ren, trying to convey what she wanted to say, and making another attempt at pulling away.

He looked confused but let her go, of course. Only keeping one of her hands in his, as he was afraid she would collapse if he didn't keep her close.

She waved her other hand in the air several times, trying to explain it was a bad idea to stay as close to her right now, and falsely cough in her elbow before pointing at him. She did it a second time and though he frowned again he seemed to have understood. Maybe. Though he wasn't staying away.

"Why aren't you talking? And yes, I think I understand what you mean but it's far too late to worry about me catching this virus. If I was meant to catch it then it's already done, otherwise I'll be fine. Though I already told you this yesterday," He stated and it was her turn to frown.

"You had too much fever," he said, "It's not surprising you don't remember everything."

"Speaking of that, how is it this morning?"He asked and she opened her mouth to reply before closing, annoyed.

"Right. Can't talk?"

She made a negation move and placed her hand against her throat.

"At all?"He inquired.

Again, a formed 'no' with the head. She then tried to wave it will be fine movement when she saw the growing concern taking root on his face but it was too late.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

She flushed her hair out, knowing he would only worry more if she answered that. Temporarily losing your voice after a bad cold and cough could happen. It would be fine. She was sure she would recover. With a little more time.

But he was stubborn as the usual, and refused to drop it. Even when she tried to go prepare something to eat. Actually, especially when she tried to. The minute she had attempted to make a step toward the kitchen and managed to somehow share what she was planning to, an unmoving scowl had taken place instead on his face. Then, he had brought her back to the cough before locking his eyes into hers, and not letting her escape the staring game.

"Kyoko," He stretched when she still refused to reply, he was making a mountain of it and worry all the more if she admitted it, "Does it hurt?"

She was about to try another rebuff to make him drop it when a new cough started, grating painfully in her thorax once more. Thing the keen eyes inspecting her didn't fail to notice and she conceded defeat and nodded with a sigh when the coughs subsided.

"Where?"he asked.

She rubbed her throat once more, then down following the path the pain had taken.

One second later, he was calling the doctor.

But not before ordering her to stay put and that no cooking was allowed for sick people.

She mouthed 'worrywart' at him and he rolled his eyes though a tired amused smile made its way to his face. Guilt came back like a traitor inside at how much she was troubling him, and she decided to obediently do as told.

She sat on the ground, back against the couch, and rest her head backward, feeling tired again all of sudden.

She only noticed she had dropped close her eyes when she felt a cover saturated with his scent being placed around her. She guessed it might have been the one he had slept in, and was about to really fall asleep when his voice, close, reached her.

"I apologize if I woke you up but I need to share what the doctor said with you and you need to eat." She heard and forced her lids open.

He smiled at her and kneeling down, he reinforced the cover around her.

"He said you should take the antibiotics starting today, even if your fever dropped." He explained to her. Stating that the pain along the thorax and the bad cough might signify it was shifting into a bronchitis based on the doctor impressions, and that it could change into something worse if nothing were done.

"So he suggested to be safe and take the heavier meds right away to avoid any more risks. He also thinks your voice should come back as soon as the pressure of your coughing will have diminished."Ren finished relating to her and she nodded. It was serious enough for have her worried so she agreed it was for the best.

No letting any room for discussion, he then warmed up one of the meals Yashiro-san had brought for them, and while she wanted to argue, she could feel tiredness coming back in a revenge so she only bargained that he would take care of himself once she would have fallen back asleep.

She took the antibiotic brought in case by the doctor in the middle of her meal, and kind of fell back in the arms of Morpheus right after that. She woke up again a few hours later and back in her bed, and eat a little again for the second antibiotic under Ren oh-so-very keen supervision before feeling the fever rise again, and going back to bed with no form of protest.

The next couple of days that followed proceeded in a similar pattern.

She would wake up sore but the fever down thanks to the meds, would eat, take some new one, and would sleep. And sleep. Sleep most of the time.

Eventually, on the morning of the fourth day, she woke up with less soreness, a genuine hungriness, and quite an annoyance for her bed. She was so sick of spending all her time there.

She still felt tired, to her appal, and she wanted to curse when she noticed her fever hadn't dropped completely this she was not surprised. The doctor had warned that once the worst would be behind them, she might have some mild constant fever all through the days but that would rise much less than before into the evening. He expected it might still reach thirty-nine degrees on those moments and for a few days, but no more than that.

One thing he had already told her to be cautious of where the residual weakness and weariness she could notice during the next weeks, even after she would have fully recovered. She sighed at the oh-so-promising premises she was already experimenting but still felt quite happy it was finally getting better.

In the fresh clean pyjamas of the night, because fevers were a pain, she came out of her room, trying to be as quiet as possible if her temporary roommate was once again sleeping on the couch. But the sight that greeted her in the kitchenette was even more surprising for her, and she shocked herself when her voice unexpectedly came out for the first time in four days.

"Morning." Was the not-so-quiet astonished mumble that bubbled out from her and to his back, to see him cooking while humming something. It was incongruous, her mind had a hard time wrapping this view around as something real but she still didn't miss the little jump she provoked when he heard her voice. She guessed, after being in the company of a quiet mostly sleeping zombie these last few days, he hadn't expected it.

She chuckled as he turned around in a blink but that laugh still turned into a light cough so she quieted it down.

He was by her side and checking her temperature in a swift step.

"Morning."He replied with a smile but a slight frown forming at the tad hotter feeling at her forehead. "Glad to finally hear your beautiful voice again. You have a light fever still this morning, how do you feel?"

Was her capability to blush was back? Hell yes, it was.

She cough, testing it out. But it didn't hurt. It was still a bit uncomfortable but no more pain.

"Better." She said with a smile of her own when the damn organ worked as it should.

"Hmm," he analysed with deep focus, "Still a bit quiet it seems. But at least you can talk, though maybe it's better if you still don't force on it for a while."

"Yes, sir." She replied softly but not without mischief, and a joyful grin marred his face instantly, with glowing with relief eyes in bonus; and once more she blamed herself on how much she in fact had worried him.

A yawn took by surprise and pulled her out and off of her guilt making Ren being the one to laugh.

"But still tired, it seems."

"Apparently." She grumbled with carefulness, still aware to spare her throat when she talked but gaze alighted by easy cheerfulness. "You'd think after days and nights of doing nothing but sleeping, my body would want to do something else…"

She saw the moment his mood shifted when his own eyes took a twinkling tease in their amused pupils as the same time she realized her choice of words. But before she could voice to drop it, a full blown-out happy laugh erupted from him, and next instant she was in his arms. Or crushed by it, that is.

"…I'm so glad you are back and better, god…"He whispered and she rubbed his back soothingly as she took heavy inspirations of him. Yup, the man had worried himself sick.

"You really troubled yourself too much, I'll be fine." His only reaction to her words was to squeeze her all the more, until a gasp escaped her when air could enter no more.

He let her go with a sheepish look, brushing some locks out of her face as he apologized while she engulfed fresh oxygen again.

"But you really scared me, you know."He mumbled, looking frustrated.

That infuriating man.

She sighed and caught some of his fingers in her left hand.

"I know, and I'm sorry…and thank you."She softly said, trying to convey how grateful she was feeling he was here at this moment. Here for her. He had no idea how much it meant to her. In spite of never expecting it of him. She could not help feeling moved he was doing this. That sensation of full safeness you felt being taken care of by someone you trusted. It was odd, really. But so soothing.

He smiled back and she yawned again.

"Back to the couch while I bring you your breakfast." He stated, all too happy suddenly.

"Hai, sir." She grumped out and he chuckled.

Her apparent sourness quickly evaporated though when she saw the breakfast he brought and cooked for her. Egg on hamburger.

She avidly eyed the plate he was carrying, noticing how delicious it looked even with some mild sloppiness present. Now, she felt bad her nose was still somehow stuffed. She wouldn't be able to smell any aroma.

She wanted to ask if he had made this but it was obvious. He was following her greedy stares with childish glee and impatience.

Her lips quirked up.

"I still can barely believe you trained to cook food," She commented, "But thank you, you didn't have to make me something. The meals Yashiro-san brought were perfectly fine, you know."

He placed the glorious dish in front of her- she had gone back to sit near the couch at the low table-, grabbed the plaid lying near to wrap around her shoulders, and went back to fetch his own plate.

He sat in front of her then and his eventual reply made her grin widely.

"Someone once told me nothing could beat homemade food in its nutritional quality," he started, "That person also very obviously promoted some specific meals more than others, and it made me want to try making them."

"Especially after a certain given promise about taking better care of my food habits." He added.

His eyes were twinkling as if he wasn't telling her everything but he wasn't lying, and she couldn't help to chuckle and arched a brow in question.

"I promoted some meals?"

"I've got lectures in mind of you telling about the better nutritional value of a traditional Japanese meal, and your eyes mostly turned to stars when you saw hamburgers." He exampled.

She tilted her head down, embarrassed by the memories flooding her mind. Even if her arguments had and still stood, she had been so shameless.

"I guess it counts."

They ate peacefully after that, and Kyoko had some difficulty dissimulating how impressed she was with how good it tasted. Which kind of implied she hadn't expected much…she was sure she failed to hide it but he didn't comment on it and just served her a knowing smile.

But as soon as they finished their breakfast, he was all too ready to send her back to bed to sleep, and she refused categorically. Oh, she knew she would get weary soon enough but she'd rather sleep on the floor than go back to the place she spent most of her last three days.

"I'm not tired. I feel good enough I would actually like to do something today." She said and Ren eyed her suspiciously, making her backpedal.

"Just something light." She amended.

"Like what?" He inquired prudently while placing a second cover around her as if he had seen the chill that had run down her back. He placed his hand against her forehead despite her protests she was okay before demanding she'd take her temperature. With a brusque finding, it rose back a little.

"Nothing with exercise or excessive move in any case." He concluded and she sighed.

He was like a dog with a bone. Or rather, a wolf. She had no chance to escape it until he would observe a full recovery.

"Not like you would let me sneak you for a jog anyway."

He glanced at her with a paling face at the prospect, she was sure, though her snide comment did bring a stern smile to his expression.

"Correct."

She sighed, resigned.

"You look so tortured…I'm just trying to help you recover." He said with amusement creeping up in his voice.

"I feel like a canary imprisoned in its golden cage." She noted with a certain interest.

"Canary's wings got hurt," came as an answer, "Even if you open the door, it wouldn't be able to fly."

"So said the gaoler before double-locking the cage," she countered, "'It's for your own good', he said."

He chuckled.

"Well, you can chirp away my evil deeds but I won't buy this melody."He replied with an unmoving expression filled with laughing eyes. They engaged in a staring contest before she gave up when it started to make her dizzy and started a pounding at her temples.

She dropped her head backward in defeat.

"So damn stubborn…"

"Pot-and-kettle-as-always." He sang in return and one glance at him was enough to make her explode.

"Gahh…" She groaned when it turned into coughs, "Don't make me laugh." His chuckles echoing around her told her he found their banter entertaining enough too, and she grinned. She was loving this. Even in that virus's mess, she was enjoying herself. She loved those moments with him. Or rather, because he was here.

"Anyway, since you are not tired right now and as long as you take it easy," he started back once they calmed down, "I do have something to propose if you are still up to it."

She glanced at him in interrogation and he grabbed the remote, waving it at her.

"I did say I would introduce you to Disney Plus, though I'm pretty sure you were too feverish to really remember it." He granted with a smile. He then proceeded to explain to her again how it was a streaming platform akin to Netflix but with all the Disneys and more on it instead, thus available everywhere.

"I'm pretty surprised you didn't know of it already." He added as he settled down near her, and between wrapping her more tightly in the covers, she admitted she had most DVDs of her favourites.

"Well, it only launched two years or so ago from what I know but most people with the internet would have heard of it…" he pondered aloud. "Are you maybe not much online?" He inquired with curiosity and she took a sip of tea with honey he had brought her earlier to be sure to smooth on her throat as much as she could. At least for today.

"Well, as an actress I do have two professional social networks, to promote the works I'm part of. " She said and he nodded at this, understanding. He, even more, would know what is like to have to promote your work, movies, shows, and to stay active for the fans. Even if he delegated a part to Yashiro-san, you still needed to put yourself out there, as an icon of the entertainment it was basically mandatory; if only a little. "But unless it's for work, I'm rarely on any of those," she told him, "and I only bothered with having the instant messaging if it's to talk with friends, so."

"Well, that and emails." She added after a second. "Is that so bad? I heard it could be time consuming so I also wanted to avoid useless temptations if I could…"

She felt the need to cough rise and drank more tea, hoping it would ease it. But it was still more than okay compared to before. But she thought she might need to refrain to talk too much still.

He shook his head.

"It's not bad. I'm pretty much the same in fact." He said with a conniving smile. "Anyway, about the platform, its plus is that it has a lot of choices readily available and a lot original shows are often added. Pretty much like Netflix."

He seemed quite well informed in this. She wondered…

"..."..."You couldn't have an account, could you?" Kyoko asked, not exactly believing she could be right.

"Actually, I have."He said.

She pinched her lips. She knew she called him but she was the one that had a thing for fairy tales. She really couldn't picture him watching Disneys at his free time. Her grin grew, the image was too funny.

The man by her side appeared to have guessed right where her mind went because he pinched her side, making her squeak. Then cough when she lost the battle of resistance and started to giggle, holding the plaids around her for support. It didn't fit at all. It was the plush pillow all-over again. Then cough and giggle again.

He humpfed at her.

"I don't see why it would be that funny. Did I ever say anything that led you to think I wouldn't like that kind of thing?" He demanded, seeming slightly ruffled and pouting.

She shook her head, unable to talk between the laughs and coughs, and just held her sides.

Tears started to run down at his grouchy expression.

Really, he could like whatever he wanted, and it even made her kind of happy he could like some of the same things she did.

But the image!

He grumbled unintelligibly but despite the blurry vision, she could see his smile blooming.

"Really," he said, expression cold and final but tone failing to match it and transpiring tease and joy, "If you want to blame anyone for my tastes, then I'd say it's your sole fault."

She choke and hiccuped in an attempt to reply.

"How-…hic…have I-…hic… anything to do with-...Hic… this marvellously funny discovery?!"

He laughed at her as her hiccups persisted even after deep calming breaths.

"Don't suffocate… And do I really have to list why?" he asked and she playfully hit him on the thigh, making him laugh harder.

He lifted one finger.

"You used to have an uncanny obsession and affection to fairy tales that if my deductions are correct subsisted through time." He began happily. He unfolded a second finger. "To the point of mistaking me for a fairy twice." She wanted to hit him again, which he noticed because he lifted a third finger and added quickly: "And there is the affection I had for being a fairy for you during those times."

Now, he was playing unfair again.

"Anyone would become curious on relate matters after that, don't you think?" he finished innocently and Kyoko didn't know if she wanted to strangle him or kiss him.

Damn you.

She was too tired for this. It would be her excuse for the melting at his words, this time. She was still sick after all.

Soon after, she watched in wonder as he connected himself to the streaming platform, proving he indeed had a personal account and proposing her to choose something she'd like to watch. She was soon to discover there was a fair share of movies she still hadn't seen and never heard of. More so in the real views section but also in the animated one, and she eventually picked one those. Which happened to be Aladdin, the second one. Ren pushed play and Snow soon joined them to sleep in her lap.

They were in the middle of their second movie-The Treasure Planet- when Ren abruptly stopped it. He stood, left and was back in an instant with her bed's blanket.

Faced with her, he replied to her unsaid question.

"You've been shivering constantly for the past fifteen minutes." He said before asking her to lift her cat so he could put the cover on her. She was about to protest she was fine but one look from him when he saw her opening her mouth dissuaded her to protest. Once she removed her cat, Ren placed the blanket on her, and wrapped her feet, legs and waist in it. He asked if she was warmer and though she was reluctant, she admitted it was better and thanked him. Snow jumped back on her lap the minute Ren was out of the way to return to her nap, making both of them laugh.

They resumed the movie but Kyoko felt plagued by shame and couldn't focus on it.

Here he was, pampering her so much because of this mess. She couldn't even imagine how much of a trouble she was being for him right now. Really, he even had to drop work because of her. She needed to get better fast so he wouldn't worry and would get back to his life.

They paused it again at some point so she could take some of her meds and so they could eat, and Kyoko took advantage of the break to ask about work. She inquired if it wouldn't be an issue for him to be absent several days like that but he was fast to tell her not to worry and that nothing was cancelled, just postpone anyway. She also told him he could rehearse some lines if he needed instead of watching with her, and that he could also go back and sleep a bit, that she was better enough. But he quickly crushed any of her hopes to give him back his time when he reaffirmed he wouldn't go anyway and that he had already memorized any line for the time being.

He had also been able to sleep(on the couch!) so he wasn't that tired.

As if that could be that restful with how uncomfortable it must have been for him…

He finished the matter by stating he was at her full disposal and her guts twisted in more. So, she was imposing on him and on his job and she had no way to correct it anymore.

She sighed, eyes glazing over the screen that they had yet again restarted. She felt touched but also felt he was bothering himself too much with her. She owed him so much. It was too much. Not like he considered it like a favour or a duty, she knew it wasn't like that. And she wasn't really in debts toward him.

But this friendship. This tenderness. This care. It was squeezing her heart in soft thorns. It was horrible. It was the softest feeling. It was the most torturous elixir.

It was stifling.

Because she had to bite on her lips to not say a word. To not crack. To not cry. To not shout. To not beg.

Because she could only endure.

Because she could not give any of it back.

Because she cared but not as he did.

Because he cared but not as she wanted him to.

Because she could not do one thousand of what she wanted to do.

…Because…

Pushing the thoughts aside, she finally noticed the movie was over and Ren had been talking to her. And that he was also sitting in front of her. That's when she took note she was shuddering again when a chill ran down her back. She was about to say she was going to take another cover when Ren put the thermometer in her hands, just after assessing it on forehead again.

She diligently obeyed and while she did he took her other hand and started to blow hot air on it. Do not get embarrassed. Do not blush. Do not get awkward. She repeated to herself. He was just trying to help.

"You're freezing and your fever rose bit more, I think." He mumbled worriedly.

"I'm fine, really." Under his critical gaze, she changed the next. "I'm just a bit cold."

The thermometer beeped and they both looked at the numbers flashing. 38.9 degrees Celsius. He tried to persuade her to take one more cover but she didn't think it would make much difference at this level but she took her painkiller one hour sooner in hope it would help.

However, no matter what, she still felt as cold and was rubbing her hands against each other while her damn worrywart was walking back and forth like a lion in a damn cage, about to call the doctor again if him looking at his phone every two seconds was any tell.

She breached open her mouth, about to start a long diatribe to reassure him but sharply closed it back. The most ridiculous idea came to her. She had just decided to bother him the less she could. And he had done so much already. But her mind wouldn't let go of it and would push it to the front of her mind again and again. She shouldn't, really. It was so selfish. It would trouble him.

Keep your mouth shut, Kyoko. Don't you dare propose it!

Yet, she did.

PS: Hello everyone. First of all, so sorry for the long absence. My mum is going through some troubles with her work and i had to help as much as i could on those matters so i couldn't spare a minute to writing. Then my health played tricks on me again. Hence why i'm so late in finally updating. But don't worry, even when i take time, it never means i will give up. I guess the only possibility for me to give up would be if i was to die.

Otherwise, just be patient but you will eventually have your next chapter.

I hope you will like this chapter, i'm sorry if it feels a bit like a filler but it was needed to get out of my head before being able to move to next part.

Am I evil to stopping here? Yes, absolutely. evil laugh. Smirk. What can i say? Besides that you should know me by now after all, and i warned since the beginning it would be a long ride. So just take a snack and chill. hahaha.

I wish you lot of happiness and merry walks in the Autumn leaves.

Kisses.

Reviews are food, feed me.

AUTHOR OUT.

Mimagfan.