Work Text:
It had been two days now and even the thought of laying one toe on the ground was too much for him to bear. He passed his complete day off amorphous under his blanket, only getting up to take his meds or refill his glass of water. He thought that one day of complete rest would be enough, but he was still feverish and too weak to attend today’s photo shooting. He called in sick one hour earlier. He hated missing work, but even the makeup artist couldn’t have done anything against his zombie looking face and enormous dark circles.
He was about to drift off back to sleep when he heard his door bell ring. He turned on his side and stared at his bedside clock, blinking his eyes to expel the sleepiness from them. It was 9 in the morning chances are that it would only be some peddler. He closed his eyes and the annoying sound stopped after a few more rings. Finally his precious silence was back. He stared blankly at the empty glass on his bedside table. He was so thirsty, but the sink seemed so far today that he decided to take a short nap before refilling his glass.
Usually his mom would have come to watch over him, would have cooked for him, would bring him anything he wanted, but she was off town with his sister for a girl’s only weekend. He didn’t tell her he was sick, scared she would cancel her trip. His mom, like almost every mom on earth, was never taking time for herself. He had to team up with his sister to push her to agree to this 3 days off . Even though he really missed her right now. He could almost smell the scent of her miso soup, hear the soft tapping of the wood paddle against the pot while she mixed it and her so familiar humming filling his empty apartment. The sound of her steps in the corridor seemed so real that he opened his eyes expecting her to open the door at any time.
He blinked a couple of times when seeing a shadow move under it. Wait, there was something strange. Was it his fever who was giving him hallucinations or his doorknob was really turning? He sat in panic when his door opened slowly, trying to seize something, anything, that could protect him against this intruder. Obviously, nothing on hand. He reached his cellphone trying to call anyone that could help him, but his fingers were numb and all his attempts to enter a number were failing. Was it a nightmare? Seriously those kind of things only happened in a horror movie right?
‘’Massu…What are you doing?’’
He could recognize this voice in 1 million even with his sick foggy brain. He lifted his head and saw Tegoshi standing in front of him, laughing loudly, the glass of ice tea he was holding, almost spilling its filling on the floor at any time. Masuda was staring at him blankly, trying to find what was so funny about the situation. Tegoshi almost made him die from a heart attack.
‘’I’m the one who should ask you that. What are you doing here?’’
‘’You didn’t answer earlier so I asked your janitor to open the door for me.’’
‘’What? And he let you in?’’
‘’Who wouldn’t?’’
He smirked and put the glass of tea he was holding on Masuda’s nightstand. Tegoshi stretched his hand to touch’s his forehead, but Masuda pushed it roughly.
‘’What are you doing?’’
‘’I’m taking care of my sick partner .’’
Tegoshi sat on his bed and stretched his hand again. Masuda didn’t push him away this time and let the younger boy put his hand on his forehead. The red haired man closed his eyes under the touch. Tegoshi’s hand was so cold and felt so good against his burning skin that he couldn’t hold the sigh that escaped his lips. Without realizing it he took Tegoshi’s wrist and forced his hand against his cheek using it like a child would hug his favorite blanket.
‘’You are burning. Did you take your meds?’’ Tegoshi said with a concerned voice.
‘’Mom …don’t leave me.’’
_______________________
‘’Massu ….Massu…wake up. I need to give you your meds.’’
Masuda turned on his back, trying to ignore that annoying voice that was disturbing his sleep. He felt a hand caressing his cheek and then pushing his sticky bangs away from his forehead. That would usually make him frown, he always hated when someone dared to touch his hair, but on his current state, it didn’t felt as bad as usual. Well, that was until he felt that icy cold cloth on his face. He opened his eyes in shock slapping the mischievous hand out of him. Tegoshi was there, sitting next to him, a basin of water on his knees.
‘’What are you …doing? Are you crazy? That was FREAKING COLD.’’
‘’It’s not cold. You are 40ºC so I have to cool you down. Open your mouth.’’
Masuda obeyed, looking at him strangely while Tegoshi was putting two white pills into his mouth. He then put his hand behind his head to hold it up while he was making him drink ice tea to swallow the pills. After putting the glass away, he pushed away Masuda’s blanket and put his hands on the hem of Masuda’s oversized t-shirt. Masuda stared at the blond guy in disbelief and grasped his wrists tightly.
‘’What the hell are you doing now?’’
‘’I’m towel washing you.’’ said Tegoshi with a strange glint in his eyes.
‘’Towel washing me? Are you crazy?’’
‘’You are all sweaty. If I don’t change your clothes your fever will become worst and you will feel way better in fresh clean clothes.’’
Tegoshi freed his hands and lifted the t-shirt to reveal the other boy’s navel and the beginning of his sculpted abs.
‘’Stop that.’’ said Masuda with a panicked voice.
‘’Come on, it’s not the first time I see you topless.’’
‘’There is a huge difference between seeing someone topless and towel washing him. Moreover, I don’t need help for that kind of things.’’
Playing deaf , Tegoshi removed Masuda’s t-shirt, disrespectfully throwing it on the bedroom floor. Masuda grunted at the sight of his poor precious t-shirt being treated like that. He could already see some dust sticking to the delicate fabric.
‘’Go pick it up!’’
‘’I will …later…’’
‘’Do it now!’’
‘’I will pick it later when I’m washing your clothes.’’
Masuda’s heart stopped for a while imagining his clothes being on Tegoshi’s care. He would surely mix the colored clothes with the white one, put in the dryer his brand new wool pullover that would shrink and loose his socks in the sock’s Bermuda triangle. No matter what he had to protect them from HIM.
‘’DON’T go anywhere near my clothes OR my washing machAAAAWWWWW.’’
His companion, taking advantage of his distraction, had begun to stroke his chest with an orange Anpanman washcloth. Masuda shivered. First because the water was just amplifying the coldness impression he was feeling due to his fever. Secondly because having Tegoshi in such a close and intimate proximity was far from letting him cold. He could already feel his cheeks burning as he watched Tegoshi’s hand climb higher and higher on his bare chest. Could he feel his heart beating wildly under his touch? He suddenly took the washcloth from Tegoshi’s hands and began to wash his arms.
‘’I don’t need your help.’’
‘’ Hey! You should be thankful I’m doing this for you. It’s not everyone who would do that for their partner .’’
‘’Admit it, you just want to have something crispy to tell our fans on our next MC.’’
Tegoshi took a moment before answering, slowly getting up to pick up Masuda’s clothes.
‘’or maybe I just care about you and your welfare .’’
Wait… did his voice break down ? Tegoshi turned his back on Masuda to put the dirty clothes in the yellowish laundry wicker basket in the corner of his bedroom. He caught a glimpse of Tegoshi face’s in the big round mirror of his dresser. The sad eyes and pinched lips he saw immediately made him feel guilty. If was asked in an interview, the one that he would have chosen as a nurse among NEWS members would certainly be Koyama. Their leader has always had a strong maternal fiber and usually Tegoshi was the one taking advantage of this. But right now, even if Tegoshi would usually be his last choice, Masuda could see he was trying his best to make him feel better. He should accept his help, anyway, he totally needed it right now. Masuda sat up weakly and cleared his throat.
‘’I’m done cleaning myself, could you get me a t-shirt please?’’
He saw Tegoshi’s pinched lips transforming into a sweet smile as he picked up Seishun tour t-shirt from the dresser and helped Masuda putting it on. Tegoshi was right, the clean t-shirt was way more comfortable than the one he was wearing earlier and the soft fabric was smoothing his sensible skin.
Because he was less feverish, Tegoshi tucked him under a light blanket making him feel as if he was a butterfly in its cocoon. The younger man was above him adjusting the pillows under his head, only a few centimeters from his face, when he lost his eyes in his. He could feel his cheeks getting crimson red while exploring the younger man’s deep hazel eyes. What was going on with him exactly? He had always hated having such proximity with Tegoshi. He had always avoided it. It made him feel weird, really weird and kind of vulnerable. Vulnerable to what, he wasn’t sure. He would push him right away if the cameras were on, stalking their every move, but without them…should he let him come closer?
‘’Just imagine the head of our fans when I tell them that you called me ‘mom’ earlier!!’’
Masuda was so lost in his thoughts that it took him some time to process what Tegoshi had said and when he did he just pushed him back.
‘’I didn’t call you mom.’’
‘’Let’s talk about it during our next live! You must be hungry right? I will cook you something good!’’
Tegoshi got up happily and left the bedroom before Masuda could say anything else. He closed his eyes while sighing. All he wanted right now was to be angry at t him, but his mind was fuzzy and the only thing that was lingering in it was Tegoshi’s perfect almond shaped eyes.
Masuda had dozed off during the time Tegoshi was cooking and only woke up when he felt the mattress deepen under the latter’s weight. He opened his eyes filled with sleepiness and blinked a couple of time to get his focus back. He observed the wooded tray Tegoshi was holding on his lap with curiosity. There was a bowl of steaming miso soup, some mushy looking rice, a cup of green tea and even a pudding. He sat to have a better look at the dishes.
‘’You really cooked me a meal?’’
‘’Well …sort of…’’
Tegoshi took the spoon and filled it with some miso soup. He blew the liquid to coldness and presented it in front of Masuda’s mouth. More by habit than willingness, he opened the mouth and let Tegoshi spoon feed him. It was good and oddly familiar even though he had never tasted Tegoshi’s cooking before.
‘’You didn’t really cook that…Isn’t it?’’
Tegoshi fed him a huge spoon full of rice that almost chocked him. It was so mushy that he couldn’t swallow it down for a couple of minutes.
‘’I went to the combini, but I cooked the rice. How is it?’’
‘’Good…but it’s a little hard for my throat . You know, the grains of rice…It hurts.’’
A white lie that would hopefully not hurt Tegoshi’s pride and would spare him to eat too much of that white mud. He didn’t want to get an indigestion to add up to his current state and have to miss more work. Luckily Tegoshi tossed away the rice and continued to feed him with the soup. It was quite awkward to let Tegoshi spoon feed him, but he couldn’t say anything when he seemed so happy to help him. He was halfway done eating his pudding when he decided he had enough. He didn’t want to overcharge his weak stomach with too much sugar.
‘’I’m fullllmmmmm’’
Because he was talking, the pudding filled spoon bumped into his teeth throwing off half of its content into his mouth and letting the rest of it spill over his lips. Tegoshi laugher filled the bedroom while a frowning Masuda was trying to find something to wipe his face clean.
‘’I’m sorry. Wait …wait …I’m gonna help you.’’
Tegoshi calmed down and looked around to find tissues, but there was nothing on hand. He was about to get a wet cloth in the kitchen, when he looked down at Masuda with a serious face. Without further notice he bent down on him and was about 10 cm away from Masuda’s face when the latter reacted promptly putting his hand on his mouth to protect himself from whatever Tegoshi had in mind.
‘’What are you doing?’’ said Masuda, looking at Tegoshi with big surprised eyes.
‘’You don’t have a tissue so …’’
Even without saying it, it was clear what Tegoshi intended to do.
‘’You are going to get sick…’’
‘’I don’t mind. I’m here to take care of you.’’
Masuda could have pushed him away. Tell him how it was disgusting. That they weren’t that close. That he was not gay. That if he wanted to play the fan service card he could at least wait for the cameras to be on. But instead of that he looked at him, scanning his eyes for the answer to a question he didn’t even know he wanted to ask. He let his hand fall on the pillow next to his head, giving in. As usual Tegoshi had won over him. His mind had lost this round, but his heart beating frenetically in his chest oddly remembered him of the bell that rings to announce the winner of a contest.
He closed his eyes when he felt Tegoshi’s warm breath on his skin and counted the seconds that were leading him to that point of no return. After this, it would never be the same. It felt likes ages before he felt it, that soft and warm pressure on his lower lip. It was brief, but made his heart stop for at least 20 seconds or maybe it was 2 seconds, he had lost the count, until he felt it once again more confident on his mouth. Tegoshi kissed him slowly, his hand coming to rest on his shoulder. He couldn’t help a moan escaping from him when Tegoshi delicately sucked on his lower lip. At that moment Masuda had the feeling that someone had stolen his mind, locking it somewhere far away, leaving him alone with this fuzzy feeling that was invading each cell of his body. When he felt Tegoshi backing off slightly, he couldn’t take it. He couldn’t leave him so soon, he wanted more and needed more. Masuda put his hands on the other boy’s cheeks and followed his movement, smashing their mouth together again and kissing him hungrily. Tegoshi’s lips were feeling soft and tender while they were dancing with his.
After a while Masuda laid his head back down on his pillow, opening his eyes to meet Tegoshi staring back at him. He was slowly caressing his cheeks with his thumbs, while the latter was playing with the hair at the back of his neck. They stayed like that for a while, just staring at each other’s face as if it was the very first time.
‘’You know…I’m still sticky.’’
Tegoshi laughed and kissed him again softly.
‘’Still sticky. I should fire my nurse.’’
‘’Ok…ok I understand, I’m going to get you a wet cloth.’’
Tegoshi was about to get up, but Masuda took his hand firmly, interlacing their fingers together. He sat to be at the same level as Tegoshi , touched his cheek with his free hand and looked deeply in his eyes before brushing his lips on his.
‘’Stay here please.’’
He laid down again, bringing Tegoshi with him, using his arm as a pillow. He closed his eyes when he was set comfortably.
‘’Guess I’m not allowed to move, right?’’
‘’No.’’
‘’But it’s hurtinnng…’’
He could hear Tegoshi’s pouting in his voice, but the head bumping softly against his told him he didn’t intend to move one inch. He would probably still feel like crap tomorrow, slowly recovering from his sickness, but suddenly he didn’t mind it that much anymore.