Chapter Text
Mornings were hard enough for Kaoru. No matter how soundly he slept during the night, his brain and body would always wake up groggy and sluggish. His limbs would feel like lead, and his mind would mourn the loss of slumber.
Often, Kaoru would find himself wishing there was someone who could help ease the torment of the morning. Particularly, someone with a kind heart and strong physique. Someone that Kaoru could cling to and could carry him around without complaint, helping him with morning tasks, until his brain and body finally caught up.
(Not that Kaoru would ever admit this fantasy out loud. Much less disclose the person who accompanied the fantasy.)
But this particular Friday morning, the grogginess was attended by a wretched pounding in his brain, sharp stinging within his throat, and a terrible ache in his limbs. Kaoru groaned, wincing as he lifted a heavy arm to touch his head. Only to immediately flick it away upon his fingertips perceiving his burning forehead.
“Carla,” Kaoru scratched out, flinching upon hearing the rasp in his voice. “What is my current body temperature?”
His bracelet flashed. “Master’s body temperature currently rests at 37.9 degrees Celsius, fever level.”
Kaoru screwed his eyes shut, mouth twisting into a frown. “No, no…”
He couldn’t be getting sick, not now. He had client meetings today as well as a scheduled beef at night. And his weekend was full of more meetings, some events, and commission work to be done… No time to be sick.
“Carla, please review today’s schedule.”
“11am brunch meeting with Mr. Sato at Balamb Garden Cafe. 3pm afternoon meeting with Ms. Suzuki at Gainborough’s Tea Palace. 6:30pm phone meeting with Mr. Tanaka. 8:30pm dinner at Sia la luce with ‘Joe the Imbecile’ and kids. Midnight beef with Cidney.”
Kaoru pursued his lips. Perhaps he could sneak in a quick nap between his brunch and afternoon meeting, before the phone meeting as well if he was fortunate enough. But definitely no time to go to the doctor today. Not that it mattered; he should have suitable medicine on hand.
“Thank you, Carla,” Kaoru rasped out, slowly working his aching limbs to get up from his futon.
“Master, the recommended course when having a fever is to take plenty of rest.”
Kaoru raised his eyebrows, only to whimper from the quick movement on his forehead. “I don’t remember asking for advice, Carla.”
“My apologies, Master.”
Kaoru tried to sigh but ended up coughing a few times.
He would get through this. It would be fine.
~
“Simply marvelous! Yes, these designs would be excellent for my business. Thank you very much, Mr. Sakurayashiki.”
“My pleasure, Mr. Sato,” Kaoru responded, retrieving his tablet from Mr. Sato, composed and smiling.
But on the inside, his body whimpered with pain. Though the medicine had reduced his fever and the rasp in his throat, it wasn’t perfect and parts of him still ached. Kaoru found it hard to even force down the tiny salad he had ordered, feeling a particular loss of appetite.
“You know, I would love to discuss further ventures with you, but it would appear that our allotted time at this restaurant is almost up,” Mr. Sato muttered, glancing at his watch. “Unless…”
Kaoru swallowed, holding back a flinch. “Unless?”
“Would you fancy a walk in the nearby garden? Enjoy the sights while we talk?”
Kaoru clenched his hands beneath the table. If he took Mr. Sato up on this, it would mean he probably wouldn’t have enough time to rest before his next meeting. Not to mention walking was more active than sitting. But keeping client relationships was important and to refuse such a request for future opportunities…
“That would be lovely.” Kaoru forced another smile. He reached into his bag. “But first, if you could excuse me for one moment...”
“Ah, yes. Of course, Mr. Sakurayashiki.”
Successfully retrieving the capsule bottle from his bag and shuffling it into a sleeve of his kimono, Kaoru gave a bow to Mr. Sato and paced to the restroom, keeping himself upright and walking with gentle steps. Upon getting inside, Kaoru swiftly locked the door and stumbled to the sink. He braced his hands on the counter, bottle falling onto its surface, and dropped his head against the mirror. He closed his eyes, relaxed by the cooling sensation of the mirror, and tried to take some breaths but coughed.
“Carla, my current body temperature.”
“Master’s body temperature rests at 37.8 degrees Celsius.”
Kaoru winced. It had nearly returned to the morning’s temperature. And going for a walk would probably aide it’s raise. However, he had already accepted his client’s invitation; it would be rude to back down now. He reached for the bottle and unscrewed the lid, dropping a couple pills into his hand. After putting the pills into his mouth, he cupped water from the sink and prepared to drink.
“Master, while acetaminophen is proven to treat fevers, its effects are much more potent alongside rest.”
Upon swallowing the pills, Kaoru gave a look to his bracelet. “Carla, what did I say about unsolicited advice?”
Carla flashed. “I have been programmed to look after Master’s health. Thereby, I am offering the best recommendations for a swift recovery. Setting aside time to rest should prove beneficial.”
“There isn’t any time for that now,” Kaoru muttered, straightening and smoothing down his hair. He turned to exit out of the restroom. “After these meetings, Carla.”
“...Very well, Master.”
~
Just as he feared, the extended meeting only left Kaoru with enough time to travel by cab directly to Gainborough’s Tea Palace, no rest inbetween. While the medicine had helped him keep enough energy to walk through the garden without falling over, he felt the energy fade fast as he trudged up the steps to the tea place. At least he was able to sit for the entirety of the afternoon meeting, but his persistent headache did no favors in keeping up in conversation with Ms. Suzuki, and he found it difficult to find even his tea appetizing to consume. Still, he grinned and bore it, keeping face as always for his clients.
It wasn’t until just before 5pm that the taxi dropped Kaoru off at his home. He stumbled inside on woozy legs and practically fell onto his couch, dropping his bag on the floor. Another attempt at a sigh let out another coughing fit. After calming, he settled onto his back and touched his ever-warming forehead. At least he had made it back from his afternoon meeting with enough time to-
His phone buzzed from within his bag. Wincing, Kaoru reached his hand into his bag to pull out his phone and brought it to his face, clearing his throat. “Sakurayashiki Calligraphy.”
“Yes, this is Mr. Tanaka. My apologies, I know I’m calling prior to our 6:30 meeting, but we have an emergency. The cats got into the room where we stored your calligraphy, and there’s been significant damage. Could you come to my residence immediately?”
Kaoru held back a whimper. Mr. Tanaka’s commission had taken some time and if everything had to be completely redone… But Mr. Tanaka needed that calligraphy for his store opening tomorrow. Kaoru couldn’t let his client down.
“I’ll come straight away,” Kaoru answered, wondering if Mr. Tanaka could also pick up the returning rasp in voice. But Mr. Tanaka simply thanked him and looked forward to his arrival, without any other remark.
Dropping his phone back into his bag, Kaoru moved his hands to rub his aching temples, fingers warmed by the increased heat.
“Master’s temperature is rising. Taking rest is heavily recommended.”
“Don’t rub it in, Carla,” Kaoru muttered, pushing himself regretfully (and painfully) back up and started to dial for a new taxi.
~
The good news was that while the cats had done a number with scratching and biting, not all of the canvas were damaged and what had been vandalized could be easily completed with minimum time. Furthermore, Mr. Tanaka would pay a generous price for the re-commission.
The bad news was as the deadline was tomorrow, Kaoru had to redo the pieces right then and there. It was only thanks to years of practice that kept him on auto-pilot to focus, even as his head and limbs moaned.
It was past 9pm when Kaoru finally returned home and plopped across his couch. His head burned, his limbs felt like lead, and his throat hurt every time he moved his head. Kaoru reached inside his bag to pull out his phone, just to check how much time he had before the beef... and noticed he had 5 missed messages from ‘Gorilla’.
Shoot! He had completely forgotten about the dinner! And he had put his phone on silent to better focus on his calligraphy. Kaoru unlocked his phone and opened up his messaging app, clicking on ‘Gorilla’ and reading the messages from oldest to newest:
hey, are you almost here? reki and langa just arrived
carbonara’s on the menu tonight. you better get here soon
it’s ready and I’m not gonna heat it up. if it’s cold when you get here, that’s your fault
standing me and the kids up? I’m hurt :(
Kaoru, seriously, text me back.
Kaoru’s stomach curled uncomfortably at the last message. He had to message Kojiro back now, before he got more worried. But…
Kaoru bit his lip, tapping his fingers against the back of his phone. He couldn’t back out of the beef now, on such short notice. And after everything, he needed all the energy he could muster tonight. Not to mention, it’s not like he still had an appetite, and if Kojiro could pick up that he was sick… No, he couldn’t afford to go to the restaurant.
It took Kaoru a few tries, fingers annoyingly clumsy, but he eventually sent a response:
Sorry. Had emergency with client. I’ll see you at S tonight.
Kojiro sent a reply not a minute later, as Kaoru stumbled to his bedroom:
Seriously? There’s still plenty of cold carbonara. But if you ask nicely, moocher, I may heat it up.
Kaoru waited to reply until he reached his room, sat on the tatami, and the world stopped spinning:
Don’t need ape-cooked noodles. I have to prepare for the beef.
Kaoru watched his phone, seeing Kojiro typing and then stopping, until he finally sent his response:
fine your loss. good luck tonight
At that, Kaoru dropped his phone and himself on to the tatami, fully lying out. At least there were still a few hours before the beef. He could finally take some time for rest before he got ready. Yes, it would be fine.
“Master’s body temperature continues to rise. Best course of action would be to rest the entire ni-”
“Shush, Carla.”
It would be fine.
~
Even after resting and taking medicine, the fever and pain persisted. Changing into his S outfit proved cumbersome with his fumbling fingers, heavy limbs, and pounding head. And despite the fact that he had ridden the path numerous times before, riding to Crazy Rock that night turned out to be one of Kaoru’s most difficult rides.
The normally cool night summer air was biting, chilling Kaoru to the bone, despite his heated skin. Even traveling at a slow pace, his head throbbed. More than once, he had to pull off to the side and take a breather, trying to clear up his blurred vision.
But Kaoru kept driving, as he arrived through the gates mere minutes before his scheduled beef and as he continued the path to the starting point. Much to the relief of his current fitness, other skaters on the road quickly made way for him, chattering once noting his arrival.
“Look! Look! Cherry’s here!”
“There’s my boy, Cherry!”
“Show Cidney how amazing you are, Cherry!”
“See! I told you he wouldn’t back out!”
“Marry me, Cherry Blossom!”
“I wanna ride your motorcycle!”
The screams of his fans did little to alleviate his headache, but it wasn’t long before he reached near the start and braked along the fence. Kaoru closed his eyes, taking a moment to regain himself. He could do this. He’d been skating longer than he’d been making calligraphy. If he could auto-pilot calligraphy, he could twice as easily auto-pilot skateboarding. He dismounted his bike and clumsily fumbled with the straps holding Carla near the bike’s back.
“Cherry! Hey!”
Kaoru groaned, instantly recognizing Reki’s voice. With one quick yank, he undid the last strap and clutched Carla. He turned, seeing Reki (followed by Langa) approach him.
“Cherry! We missed you tonight!” Reki said once reaching Kaoru.
“And you missed out on some really good food,” Langa added.
Kaoru started making his way towards the start. Trying to clear his throat, he said, “Apologies, boys. I have no time for chit-chat. I have a beef.”
“Huh? Are you okay, Cherry?” Reki asked, walking alongside Kaoru. “Your voice sounds funny.”
“Were you singing too loud in the shower?”
“I’m fine,” Kaoru huffed. “A simple cold. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“You sure? Cidney’s no joke, you know.”
“I’m no joke either.”
“But with the way you sound, I-”
Kaoru snapped a glare at the boys (and almost regretted it when his vision turned darker for a second). The two, in turn, tensed and jumped back. Kaoru then returned his attention forward and reached the start, Cidney already waiting for him.
Cidney smiled and tipped her ball cap. “Howdy, Pony Tail! Hope ya lookin’ forward to my logo on your fancy kicks after I win tonight.” She pointed to her wing-like tattoo on her upper arm.
“You should look forward to Carla’s mark on your crop top,” Kaoru scraped out, preparing himself on Carla.
“Huh? Hun, are ya all right? Ya voice doesn’t sound too hot.”
“I’m fine!” Kaoru exclaimed, unfortunately letting out a few more coughs. He got into his starting position and stared at the traffic light. “Let’s race.”
“...If ya say so.”
The traffic light began its countdown, and Kaoru kept focus on the lights. Maybe he should have been concerned when suddenly one traffic light became three or four, but it was fine. He could still make out the colors of the light, he had skated this path multiple times. Just had to watch and wait for green… Red… Red… Red… and...
“Hold it!”
A strong hand gripped Kaoru’s wrist; a bare, muscular chest blocked his view.
Darn it!
“Joe!” Cidney gasped. “Now’s not the time for a silly quarrelin’!”
“Exactly,” Kaoru hissed, glaring at the offending hand. “Step aside at once, Gorilla.”
“I ain’t here for feuding, Pasty Cheeks.” A large hand covered Kaoru’s forehead. “Damn, did you just take a bath in lava?”
“I didn’t ask you, you feckless ape.” Kaoru tried to twist his wrist free, but Kojiro held on tight.
“And your annoying voice sounds even more irritable.” The hand moved to grip Kaoru’s chin and forced his face up to look into scrutinizing red eyes. “Yo, Carla. What is Cinnamon Stick Boy’s body temperature?”
“How dare you-”
Carla flashed. “Cinnamon Stick Boy’s temperature currently rests at 39 degrees Celsius.”
Kaoru tried to gasp at Carla’s sudden betrayal, but he triggered another spew of coughs. He hunched over, barely processing the voices around him from beside him.
“Oh honey! You’re in no shape to skate after all!”
“You got that right.”
A sturdy arm wrapped around Kaoru’s waist and pulled him in until Kaoru’s forehead pressed against a firm pec. For a moment, Kaoru froze, cheeks somehow becoming hotter as he processed Kojiro’s firm touch and sweet scent.
“Sorry, everyone! Beef will have to be rescheduled; Lord Cherry Blossom needs his beauty rest.”
Then the spell broke, and Kaoru pushed against Kojiro’s chest. “No! No reschedule! I skate!”
“Says the zombie that crawled from the grave!”
“Hands OFF, Gorilla!”
With all his strength, Kaoru smacked down hard on Kojiro’s arm and yanked his wrist out of his grip. Unfortunately, the momentum sent him stumbling back and the world spun, blurring. His mind raced dizzily and his legs gave out, sending him crashing to the ground… Or at least would have if not for two strong arms catching him around his torso.
“Being pissy and difficult, huh. Why am I not surprised in the slightest?”
One arm moved underneath his knees, and Kaoru was swept off of the ground. If his face wasn’t sweltering before, it was blistering now, upon the realization of being cradled by Kojiro.
“Put me down!” Kaoru cried out. He whacked Kojiro’s chest, only to hiss in pain from Kojiro’s rock-hard muscles.
“No can do, Princess,” Kojiro answered while adjusting his grip to hold Kaoru more securely. “Somebody’s gotta get you home before you attempt more stupidity.”
“I walk, not damsel in distress,” Kaoru whined, now lightly pawing futilely on Kojiro.
“Pretty sure you lost both ‘walking’ and ‘non-damsel’ rights for the rest of the night.”
“Joe~” Kaoru moaned. He wanted to protest more, but his strength was draining quicker by the second. Spending the day pushing through the aches and pain, no matter the obstacle… now losing to the ever-comforting scent and touch surrounding him. So Kaoru groaned, resting his head against Kojiro and closing his eyes.
What happened next occurred in a haze for Kaoru: Kojiro walking and barking orders about skateboards, bikes, and cars. Concerned shouts from surrounding voices. Deja vu, in a car and cradled. The smell of his home. Shuffling out of his S outfit and into a soft yukata. Returning to silken sheets with something cold pressed on his forehead.
It was then Kaoru opened his eyes to meet soft crimson ones accompanied by a small smile.
"Ko-Kojiro…"
"Easy, Flower." Kojiro stroked his hand through Kaoru's hair. "Rest. I'll take care of you."
Once again, Kaoru felt he should have protested, but the hand felt so nice. He didn’t want anything other than to sleep with Kojiro at his bedside.
So Kaoru drifted off to slumber, with the music of a gentle lullaby and tender lips pressed atop his head.
