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Winter is always hard on Eichi, for more reasons than one. His body decides to, cruelly, remind him of his frailty -- the cold air goes right through him, it feels like, and cuts right to his lungs, making him wheeze when he laughs, when he inhales too deeply. It's merciless, no matter how many layers he bundles up in. Scarf, gloves, hat, an undershirt, a sweater, his coat, none of it seems to make a difference.
It's so frustrating to be an idol during a time like this, with his body the way it is. His immune system is weak, so Eichi has to sleep more than eight hours each night to feel like he even has a hope of outrunning a cold, let alone anything worse. He stays hydrated, he takes his vitamins, limits physical contact with others with a pained sort of expression, just in case, and even puts on a mask.
Nevertheless, a few weeks into winter proper, Eichi feels the telltale tickle in his throat, notices himself sniffling, and it's all downhill from there.
At least once each month he catches a cold, or perhaps he never quite shakes it, only manages to fight through most of the symptoms. He's getting tired of it, though, of his stuffed up nose and sore throat.
On the morning of Valentine's Day, Eichi wakes up with a mouth so dry and a throat so scratchy that he knows he's going to be confined to bed the moment he sees anyone in his home. He squeezes his eyes shut, letting out a defeated sigh, and further sinks into his mattress.
He's so tired of not being able to perform like his peers.
The members of his beloved fine have never begrudged him an absence, never done anything but wished him well and doubled their efforts to try and practice or put on a live, but Eichi still hates fumbling for his phone to text them the bad news.
His fingers slide over the phone case, matching with the other members, and it brings a small, sad smile to Eichi's lips. If only he could spend his days alongside them properly, instead of feeling wistful from his bed.
After he sends his apology, Eichi sets his phone down, shuts his eyes, and feels himself drift back off to sleep.
He wakes once to gentle shaking from one of the maids in his family's home, fretfully imploring him to eat some of the rice porridge she's brought with her, offering him tea. Eichi obliges, though there's no real hunger in his stomach, only disappointment.
Once he's finished, he sets the tray on his nightstand and turns over on his side, fully intending to go back to sleep again. A coughing fit strikes him, and Eichi ends up curled forward, a hand on his chest, cringing through the deep, barking coughs. He reaches for the tea that he hadn't quite finished and takes a few greedy sips, hoping to help his throat, and settles back into his sheets after.
His eyes close and he catches his breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly so as not to irritate his lungs, feeling terribly sorry for himself. He tries not to, honestly, he really does, but on days like this, Eichi's constitution feels like such a curse.
The next time he wakes, it's to the nervous voice of his maid calling out to him.
"Young master?" she says softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder and get his attention, "a friend of yours has come to visit..."
That definitely does perk Eichi up, but he almost deflates at the realization that it's likely Keito come to scold him or bring him his homework.
"Thank you," he replies warmly anyway, since it's not her fault that his guest might be here to nag instead of comfort, "would you send them in?"
She gives him a smile as she nods, exiting his bedroom again but leaving the door open behind her. Eichi glances at it expectantly, but moments pass without any movement, and his eyebrows furrow in confusion, not sure what the delay would be.
A moment or so later, there’s a bit of a bang, some petals, a boisterous laugh, and Wataru lands lightly on his feet in the entrance of Eichi’s bedroom, bowing deeply.
“It is I!” he exclaims, his voice booming, so much louder than anything else Eichi’s home usually experiences on a daily basis, which only makes him smile, “your very own… Hibiki Wataru!” There’s a slight pause in there like he’s waiting for a drum roll, and it would have Eichi chuckling if not for the pain in his chest. He settles for clapping, or at least until he has to sneeze.
Wataru is at his side in a second, pulling something out of his sleeve with a grand flourish, offering it out to him. “Voila! A tissue -- for you,” he says, giving Eichi a wink along with it. He takes it, grateful, but it’s a bit embarrassing to blow and wipe his nose in front of his friend. Luckily there’s a trash bin near his bed for the time being, probably thoughtfully moved over there by one of the servants while he was asleep, so at least disposing of it is easy.
It’s a bit surreal, having Wataru visit him like this -- it takes Eichi back to his days in the hospital when he would watch Wataru on television instead. His performances then had kept Eichi’s heart afloat, made him smile, given him some sort of hope, and it’s no exaggeration to say that he had ended up with a bit of a celebrity crush, so to speak…
That’s never quite dulled, even now that they’re proper friends, that they’ve shared so much together. Eichi still has an immense admiration for the way that Wataru handles himself as an entertainer, and he’s fun, kind, thoughtful company beyond that, too. He still feels lucky to have managed a friendship like this, especially given how he had treated Wataru and his friends once upon a time…
“Thank you…” Eichi manages, sniffling a little still, but giving Wataru a smile, “did you come to keep me company?”
Wataru nods, taking a seat on the edge of Eichi’s bed, something else Eichi rather appreciates about him; he doesn’t treat Eichi as someone so unapproachable, though he does certainly like to play up his position as ‘emperor’ sometimes, too.
“What a shame it would be for you to spend today, a day dedicated to love, all alone!”
That’s so genuinely thoughtful that Eichi hardly knows how to handle it -- Wataru is truly one of the kindest people he knows, so dedicated to spreading love and making people smile. That he took the time to come all this way just to see him makes Eichi feel warm all over, and he’s certain it’s not because of any possible fever.
“You didn’t have to do this, you know,” Eichi reminds him, gently, not wanting to seem ungrateful, but still needing to say it for his own comfort.
“Oho, but I did! Despite what you say, it was necessary! How could I enjoy such a day knowing that our beloved emperor was not?”
Really, that's just too kind -- Eichi doesn't even know how he feels about statements like that. It's nice to be missed, but he's always felt so aware of his own mortality that he can't help but worry, too. Wataru would surely scold him for even entertaining such a thought, but it's hard not to.
"Ah, here!" Wataru perks up suddenly, reaching into his jacket pocket, rummaging around to a degree that Eichi feels is unrealistic for how deep it must be, surely... "How silly of me, I almost forgot!"
In his hand is a delicately wrapped box, which Eichi takes with a curious expression, undoing the bow carefully, not wanting the effort to go to waste.
"Your chocolates," Wataru says warmly, smiling brightly at him, "from everyone's favorite producer! Amazing, truly!, that she could manage to make so many!"
That's just like her, and it makes Eichi smile, too, as he opens up the box, peering inside at the handmade chocolates. His view is obscured a second later by Wataru's hand, his fingers delicately plucking one piece from inside.
He presses it to Eichi's lips, then, which makes Eichi's eyes widen in surprise, but Wataru's smile is as unflappable and mysterious as ever.
Eichi pulls back an inch, offering a little chuckle, one that he hopes doesn't betray his nervousness at the gesture. "I'm not sure I should indulge... I haven't heard anything about sweets helping get rid of a cold."
His words are met with a slight tilt of Wataru's head, his gaze somehow seemingly more fond, though it feels tinged with something like sadness.
"It's not about the chocolate itself! It's the sentiment behind it! It's full of love from everyone at our beloved Yumenosaki! It'll surely make your recovery swift!"
Eichi wants to ask how Anzu's chocolates became representative of the whole student body, especially when he knows that a few of them, at least, really aren't fond of him, but it's hard to argue in the face of Wataru's optimism.
"Mmm.... alright, you've convinced me." He starts to reach for the piece of chocolate himself, but once again, it's pushed against his lips gently, and this time Eichi parts them for it. He's cautious, though, since he's already risking getting Wataru sick like this, it'd be terrible if he ended up brushing Wataru's fingers with his lips or his tongue.
Perhaps he does have a fever after all, because his face is starting to feel hot.
The chocolate tastes good, though, and his heart goes out to poor Anzu, wondering how long it took her to make all this, how much she spent on the holiday if she bothered to do this for every student she works with...
Wataru hums happily, satisfied now, it seems, and Eichi smiles back at him, putting the lid back on the box, setting it aside for the moment. "Thank you," he says, reaching for his tea instead, "I'm sorry I'm not better company right now..." The tea's gone lukewarm, but Eichi can feel his throat getting scratchy again, so he needs a sip of something...
"Not at all! I didn't intend to stay for long and trouble you anyway. I simply hoped you might allow this worried left hand of yours to take care of you some."
Wataru's hand goes into his other pocket this time, retrieving a small bottle from it, which he uncaps after peering at the label.
"Is that cough medicine?" he asks, feeling terribly fond. Wataru is so thoughtful to have bothered with all this... The chocolate could have waited until tomorrow, it would have still had the same meaning, but his desire to have Eichi still experience the holiday even from his sickbed is incredibly kind. That he went and picked up some medicine for him, too, makes Eichi's heart feel warm, tight with emotion that still feels a little nervous to express.
"Indeed so, Your Majesty! I know you quite well, and I know that you'd never actually allow me to take care of you, so I can only hope that you'll let me feel like I'm helping you recover in this small way, at least."
He hardly knows what to say. It's not as if he's never shed tears in front of Wataru before, but now feels like a silly moment to do so. His eyes water anyway, and Eichi nods, putting out his hand for the medicine. Wataru doles it out while he, diligently, lets Eichi know how much he can take again in how many hours, but Eichi's not really listening. He's caught up in the feeling of not having to suffer through sickness alone, feeling cared for by a peer who has no obligation at all to go so far for him.
The cool tea chases down the pills, and Wataru looks satisfied once again, nodding his approval at things, like he's the one who's going to rest more easily after having done this.
Really, Eichi doesn't deserve him. He doubts a single soul does, because Wataru is beautiful and brilliant, with a heart bigger than possibly anyone else he knows, but Eichi feels especially undeserving of him.
"Wataru," he starts, lifting his eyes to meet his friend's, feeling so very much like his words won't be enough, "thank you. Really. It means more than I can say."
There's another dip of the bed, movement, and before he can process what's happening, Wataru's lips are brushing against Eichi's forehead. They only linger for a second or so, but it feels like a lifetime, and Wataru's grin when he pulls back is breathtakingly lovely.
"You're welcome," he says, and Eichi's grateful for that, too, for the acknowledgment that yes, Wataru went out of his way, but he doesn't mind doing it. "Now!" He's up on his feet in an instant, his hands clasped together, a spring in his step. "Rest, Your Majesty. We await your return."
It's no surprise that Wataru is sweeping out of his room just as quickly as he came in, but it's an endearing trait of his, how he comes and goes as he pleases.
Eichi nods, rearranging his blankets, tempted to hide behind them, sure that he's pink in the cheeks.
"Sweet dreams!" Wataru calls, making his way to the door, but he pauses there for a moment, looking back. "And Happy Valentine's Day, Eichi."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Wataru."
The door gets shut behind him, soft enough that Eichi would hardly know if he hadn't been watching, and with a heavy sigh, Eichi falls back against his pillows again. His heart is beating far too fast for him to rest just yet, and there are too many thoughts in his head, wondering if it's time for he and Wataru to have a proper conversation about all this... but he knows that he'll have good dreams.
He'll dream of Wataru again, as he often does, and he'll wake up smiling, despite his cold.