Kindness' Consequences
a Gravitation story
by Gayle
"Ha-Kssshhhooo! Ha-KSShhhoo!" Yuki Eiri discarded a used tissue after sneezing for seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon. "That little idiot gave be his cold. I told hib he would if he kept hadging off be like that." Yuki glowered darkly.
His sister, Mika was unsympathetic, "What did you expect, going to visit him while he was sick like that? A grown man should know better." She took the empty tissue box and put it in the overflowing garbage can beside his bed. After replacing it with a fresh one, she sighed. "I'll be back to check on you in a little while."
"You're leavidg?"
"You didn't expect me to hang around here and get sick too, did you?"
Yuki glared at his older sister, "Doe, of course dot. I was just wodering why you had't left sooder, what with you beidg so afraid to get sick and all."
"I am not. I wouldn't be here at all if I were. Just go to sleep, alright. I'm going shopping and I'll bring you back some juice, real soup and all that other healthy stuff that you don't like to eat. That could be another reason why you're sick right now. No one can live off beer, junk food and cigarettes and expect to be healthy."
Yuki blew his nose loudly, "Look Bika, I'b sick, I'b tired ad I should get sobe work dode before I go to sleep. Heh-Kshhoo! Kccchhoo!" He wiped his nose again and dropped the tissue into the trashcan before continuing, "Dow you'll just have to show yourself out. I'd walk you to the door, but I dod't feel like using up all by edergy just to be harped at sobe bore."
"Eiri, are you sure you should work after these past couple of days? You've only just started to look human again, you know." She thought back at how ill he was when she'd gotten back home from her parent's house.
He seemed to read her mind, "Dod't worry, I wod't push byself too hard. I odly deed to write a chapter or so, just edough to keep the editors off by back. Besides, I dod't wadt you stickidg aroud dagging at be lodger than decessary."
"I should say that just for that, I'm not coming back again, but since I'm sure that's what you want, I'll be back this afternoon."
Yuki smirked at her then glanced toward the door of his room and wondered if he had the energy to go out into his living room and work on just a few pages of his new book. No, he decided and buried himself underneath the covers. "Heh-KCChhhttt! KCChhhhttt! Heh-Eh- Kshhhh!" He sniffled and pulled three tissues from the box, blowing his nose wetly.
Mika stopped short at the door, "Will you be alright on your own? I'll only be a few hours, but..."
Yuki reached out for a few more tissues, "You doe, you keep sayidg that you're goidg to leave, but you dever do. Just get out of here, will you?"
She rumpled her brother's hair, "I'm going. Take care of yourself."
He watched the door swing shut behind her and rested back on the pillows, rubbing at his sinuses, "Heh-CCChhhuu! KCChhooo! Shhhuu!" he rubbed his nose again. "This is the worst cold I've ever had in by life." Now that he was alone, Yuki felt as if he could complain out loud, "Stupid little kid adyway. I dever asked for his attedtiod. I dever told hib to follow be aroud like a lost puppy. He's just sobe borodic little pudk that... Heh-CCHHHooo! Keh-eh- SHHHooo! Eh-Chhhttt! CCChhhhtt! Ah-Shhuu!" He sniffled, "That gave be his cold." He finished, talking into the handful of tissues that he had pulled out. He felt very alone and very miserable, snorting ruefully he continued. "Dot that I would sed hib away if he decided to pay be a visit. I bight even..." Yuki closed his eyes, let his voice trail off and allowed his thoughts to wander freely as he felt sicker than he had when his sister was taking care of him.
He dozed off and on, waking to sneeze, cough or blow his nose. The only time he was fully awake for any length of time was when Mika woke him to take his temperature. Even then it was a struggle. "Eiri," She shook his shoulder gently. The Eiri in question just pushed his face into his pillow and made an annoyed noise. "Eiri, wake up, for heaven's sake." More groaning and readjusting. "Eiri, if you don't wake up right now I'll...I'll...I'll take you temperature the baby way."
He rolled over onto his back and squinted up at her. "You would't dare!"
"Yuck, of course not. But now that you're awake, I need to see how high your fever is." She poked the thermometer into his mouth, not caring that he sounded terrible as he tried to breathe around it. "It`s still pretty high," Mika patted her brother's head. "Go back to sleep."
"Dod't have to tell BE twice." He muttered, rolling back onto his stomach.
While he snoozed, he thought he heard voices coming from his living room but shrugged them off. He was too warm and comfortable to care who was in his house. He knew Mika was there, so he might have just heard her talking on the phone. "Heh-KSSCCHHooo! Heh- ESSHHooo! Esshhhooo! CCHHuuu!" Yuki groaned and snatched another few tissues from the box. It was getting dangerously low again. "Bika," he croaked, "Could you bridg be adaother box of Kleedex?"
"Here you go, Yuki." The voice was friendly and concerned- sounding, but it wasn't his sister's voice at all. He slowly, painfully turned his head toward the speaker. "What are you doig here?" He was too tired to show his surprise when he saw Shuichi standing beside his bed, holding the Kleenex box out for him to take.
"I stopped by after school to visit you and your sister was here. She said that you had a bad cold and had to stay in bed. Well, I knew it was all my fault because I had it first and you came to see me, so I decided that I would help take care of you, too." Shuichi beamed at Yuki and pulled out a few tissues, as Yuki seemed to not want to do it himself.
After staring at Shuichi for a few seconds, as if to be sure that he was really there, not just something that his fever made up, he finally spoke, "What are you, stupid or sobethidg? You'll have a relapse. Dod't thidk that I'll..." he gave a huge, shuddering yawn before continuing, "I'll take care of you agaid. That's what got be id this bess to start with." He snatched the tissues away from the stunned-looking young man, "Keh-EHSSHHuuu! Keh-EHSSHHhhuu! Ehshhhuuu! Eh-EHSSSHHhhooo!" He blew his nose, not really caring that he was being watched.
"Oh, poor Yuki!" Shuichi jumped on the bed and felt his forehead. "You really are sick, aren't you?"
Yuki glared at him, "Did you thidk I was actidg? Idiot!"
"Well, I'll sit with you everyday until you get better. I'll bring you flowers and tea and soup and orange juice and...and"
"Ad will you please shut up?! I have a bad edough headache without you talkidg your way idto baking it worse."
Shuichi nuzzled him, "Poor Yuki," he said again, patting his head gently until his hand was shoved away. "I'll go get you some aspirin. Or would you rather have cold medicine? Your sister picked some up for you, I'll be more than happy to go get it." He bounded out of the room, humming cheerfully.
Yuki watched him and stifled a smile. He could tell that if he seriously told the kid to go jump in a lake Shuichi would do it just to make him happy. He grabbed a few more tissues in anticipation of an upcoming sneeze. "Heh-KiiiSSSHHooo! KIIIiishhoo! Heh-ehshhhoo!" He sniffled and blew his very sore nose once more.
"Bless you!" Shuichi had come back into the room with the cold medicine, a hot water bottle and bowl of cool water with a washcloth swimming in it. "Ok, now first of all you need to drink a cupful of this stuff. I'm sorry it's the gross kind but Mika said that it was the only kind that really works." Yuki shrugged, his sense of taste had long since left him, anyway. Shuichi continued, holding up the hot water bottle, "Now this is for your feet. I'm sure they're really cold right now; mine were when I was sick. And this," he held up the dripping cloth, "is for your forehead. It'll help you feel cooler."
Yuki settled back onto his pillows and eyed his young nurse warily. This could actually be fun to watch. Pity he was the one that this was happening to. He had to say one thing for the kid; he seemed to know what he was doing. He wasn't bumbling about, spilling things or making him feel worse. "How do you doe what to do?" He asked, looking at him with suspicion.
"When I was younger I used to catch cold a lot. My mother would always do things like this for me." He tucked the blankets around Yuki and pulled the bag out of the over-full trashcan. "You get better faster when your sick room is nice and clean." He told him, gathering up the tissues that had fallen on the floor and stuffing them in the bag, "Now, can I get you anything else?"
Yuki gaped at him in disbelief. Why was this kid cleaning up after him? For all he knew Yuki didn't even like him. He recovered himself quickly, "Ub, yes, a glass of oradge juice, if there is ady, please. Ad baybe sobe soup."
Shuichi grinned and rushed out of the room, taking the trash with him. He came back a few minutes later, humming and carrying a tray loaded down with juice, soup brought from a deli that Mika and Tohma frequented, a cup of tea, a bottle of aspirin and some cough drops. He set the tray over Yuki's lap and handed him the cup of medicine that he had, up till then, forgotten about. "Drink this first then you can eat."
Yuki took the medicine cup and drained it. He handed it back to Shuichi and reached for another handful of tissues. "Heh- KehSSSHHHiii! Keh-Iiiissshhii! Keh-Shhhuuu!" He sniffled into his tissues and blew his nose again. "Thadk you." He started in on the soup, wishing that he could taste it because it looked delicious. "What kide of soup is this?"
"Chicken, couldn't you tell?" Shuichi looked worried. "It's the best kind for a cold. Especially one as bad as yours." He finished sympathetically, pushing Yuki's messy, sweaty bangs out of his eyes.
Yuki just nodded and finished the glass of orange juice at once. He hadn't known he was so thirsty until he started drinking and couldn't stop. "Could I have sobe bore, please?"
Shuichi took the glass, "Alright, but don't drink so fast next time. You'll give yourself a stomachache." Yuki tried to glare at him as he left, but didn't seem to have the energy. He came back quickly, bringing a glass of water too, "There you go, you need to drink a lot of liquids you know. Actually, you'd better drink the tea before it gets cold."
Yuki picked up the cup and took a sip. "Too late." he said, and handed the mug with it's lukewarm contents back to his caregiver. "I dod't dridk cold tea."
"Ok, I'll go heat it back up again."
"Dod't bother, I dod't dridk reheated tea, either."
"Alright, I'll go make you a new cup. Tea's good for you when you're sick, you know." Shuichi left the room and poured the drink down the sink. "I didn't realize that he was so demanding." He started to boil the water in the kettle.
Mika stood up and yawned, "Well, it seems you have everything under control. I think I'll go home now." She patted his head. "If he gives you too much trouble call me. I know from first hand experience that Eiri's not easiest person to get along with. Especially when he's sick."
"Wait, you're leaving?"
"Yes." She picked up her coat and left the house, leaving Shuichi to stare at the door. The teakettle interrupted his thoughts. He brought the fresh cup into Yuki room and waited patiently for him to finish blowing his nose. "Here you go, Yuki." He gave him the mug, which he gratefully took, wrapping his cold fingers around it.
"Thadk you. I heard the door close, is by sister gode?" Shuichi nodded and Yuki smothered a smile, "I see. So, you ad I are alode at last. Did you ask her to leave so we could have sobe tibe together?"
Shuichi blushed, looking flustered, "No, she just left. But I am going to take care if you until you get better. I need to call my mother and let her know that I'm going to sleep over at a sick friend's house and take care of him."
Yuki nearly choked on his tea, "You are goidg to do what?! Oh doe, you are dod't sleeping over here."
"Sure I am. What if you get sicker? You'll need someone to look after you. I'll stay here as long as you need me to. I don't mind, I'd like it."
Yuki sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I just bet you would." He muttered, "Alright, you cad stay. Odly because I really dod't feel up to arguidg with you right now, though." Yuki yawned, put the tray on the floor, and laid down. He was so tired all of a sudden. He immediately sat back up, "Heh-EHSSHHHUuuu! KISHHuuu! IIISHHiii! EH-IiiiSSHHuu! EHSsshhuuu!" He sniffed miserably, reaching for yet another tissue or three.
"Oh, Yuki, I wish I could take this back from you. I hate seeing you like this, it's so sad." Tears started to form in his eyes.
"If you cry, you leave, got it?" He picked up an aspirin bottle and shook out six of them.
"You can't take that many. It'll make you sick." Yuki gave him a withering look before swallowing the pills with the orange juice. He settled down in his bed again and closed his eyes. He fell asleep right away, snoring softly. Shuichi smiled, "Good night Yuki." He caressed his cheek, picked up a slightly used tissue, wiped his pink nose with it then kissed the tip of it gently. Yuki stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake.
The End
A/N Thanks to my Beta-reader, Fannishbutterfly. I wouldn't have noticed those things without you. Gayle
The End
I don't own Gravitation or the rights to make money off of it. A/N: This is my first slash fic, so please tell me how it was and how I could improve. I'd also like to know if you liked it too. : )