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Despite the fairly large population of idols that commute to Ensemble Square daily, Shu couldn’t help but to be surprised at how difficult it was to avoid just one person. You’d think with the huge facilities and endless hallways that running into the same person more than once would be fairly uncommon.
Yet Shu had managed to run into his unit mate 5 times already.
Usually, he’d feel guilty for deliberately avoiding Mika, after all it was quite rude and not his typical behavior towards the boy. But naturally, one doesn’t really act themselves when they are sick.
Much to Shu’s dismay, it seemed that overworking himself over his current project would ultimately be the cause of him falling ill. He’d had colds before in the past and this one was no different. Not to mention, it was flu season. It was simply to be expected.
His reasoning for avoiding his unit mate was simple; Mika would immediately see through his lies and realize he was sick with a mere glance. That would obviously lead to a pestering Mika, forcing Shu to get some rest. While a break was probably much needed, he hadn’t the time to sit around idly while there was so much work to be done. This was an important job and he’d rather die of overwork than to miss his deadline.
So, he successfully evaded Mika at every turn. Luckily, the smaller of the two hadn’t noticed Shu the many times he’d entered the same room. Perhaps he’d gotten better at blending in with the masses. Of course, that just made him feel worse; that he could be perceived as someone as ordinary as many of the staff members, but that was a problem he had to ignore just this once.
Shu finally made it to the CRAFTMONSTER club room. With the room supposedly empty and no meetings scheduled for that day, he entered the room with the thought that he’d have a productive sewing session. And productive it was.
For about 20 minutes, that is.
Not only was his already severe headache growing worse, but he was beginning to feel dizzy as well. His precise gaze on the project below him started to become less and less visible. Perhaps a break would have done him some good, but that was an idea he’d thought far too late.
The dreadful sound of the door opening rung through the ears that were also beginning to lose their ability to do their job. But naturally, he was hardly sick enough to not recognize just who’d walked in.
Rinne Amagi's gaze fell onto the struggling idol that sat with his head on the table. He quickly made his way to Shu’s side, nearly tripping over himself in the process and eventually placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Woah, woah. Ya don’t look so good Shu-kun.” He instinctively moved a few pieces of Shu’s hair out of the way so he could press his hand against the man’s forehead, “Hey, you’re real hot. I mean, ya got a high fever. Maybe I should go get Miitan…” his voice at the end started to sound a bit panicky, as if he was unsure of what to do.
Shu would usually scold him for wording his sentence in such a way and because he didn’t say a single thing to that, Rinne knew just how bad his condition really was.
Before Shu could allow him to say anything else, he quickly grabbed Rinne’s arm, using it to pull himself up off the chair he’d been sitting in, “D-Don’t tell Kagehira.. please.”
It was clear just how out of it Shu was by the slurring of his words, the redness in his face, and the shaking of the hands that gripped tightly at Rinne’s arms. Rinne couldn’t simply leave him there. Calling Mika would have been the best option, he’d probably know what to do better than Rinne would. He’d known Shu for longer, after all. But a part of him wanted to relish in the fact that Shu had practically begged him not to tell Mika. Him of all people. Sure, he was the only other person there and that was probably why Shu would give him that kind of attention in the first place, but Rinne secretly hoped that wasn’t the case. Perhaps he could stay with him a bit longer.
“.. okay okay, I won’t.” Rinne answered reassuringly, “But you should probably take somethin’. Ya look kinda pale.”
On any normal day, Rinne wouldn’t have been so quick to take on a serious tone, especially around Valkyrie’s leader. It wasn’t something he usually did around other idols, but he couldn’t help it in this situation. He took comfort in the fact that Shu was in such a dazed state that he likely wouldn’t remember any of this after he recovered. So perhaps Rinne felt as though he could act a bit more mature now.
If anything, he was a bit scared. Shu never showed many signs of weakness, especially not this bad. It had gotten so severe to the point where he was actually holding onto Rinne’s arms for dear life, as if he’d plummet to his death if he didn’t hold on. And his assumption was right.
The pink haired idol’s grip on him slowly loosened and thankfully, Rinne was able to catch him before he fell. In the heat of the moment, his heart rate shot up and a faint blush appeared on his face. That is, only until he realized the gravity of the situation. This was hardly the time to let his feelings for the man get in the way of Shu’s health.
Since Shu was still somewhat conscious, Rinne was able to wrap an arm around Shu and assist him out into the hallway. Somewhere along the way, Shu had gained some awareness of the situation, allowing for him to walk without the help of the other. That still didn’t stop Rinne’s gaze from leaving him even once.
Rinne finally spoke up, “Well uh, the infirmary is up this way, so-“
“No..!” The refusal was so abrupt that Rinne flinched at the rise in volume, “I mean.. I’d rather nobody else be informed.” He discreetly brought his arm to his face before coughing into it.
The redhead did not want to argue with him, especially when Shu was the way he was, but this wasn’t a mere cut that could be tended to later. He was really sick. Rinne still tried his luck, “I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but ya aren’t exactly in a good enough condition to just walk out of here, y’know.”
If Shu’s mind wasn’t so clouded, he would’ve had to do a double take at that response. Rinne, much to his dismay, made a good point. But he’d rather die of a common cold than to be seen in such a pitiful state. So Shu simply shook his head, as if begging him to take him somewhere else, somewhere that wasn’t swarming with other people.
Before Rinne could refute him, Shu weakly pulled out his keys from his suit pocket, shoving them into Rinne’s chest. “My dorm..”
There was absolutely no way he could refuse now. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Shu would never even consider inviting Rinne over on any normal day. With that in mind, he finally gave in, wrapping his arm around Shu once more before assisting him to the dorms.
—————
He had to admit, having to dodge every question and concerned gaze from the passerbyers on the way there was quite difficult, especially with Rinne’s very controversial reputation. As if Lady Luck herself were on his side, he was able to successfully escape to the dorms without too much suspicion.
Standing in front of Shu’s dorm room, Rinne fumbled slightly with the keys. He wasn’t nervous of course, no way. Him? Nervous? There just wasn’t a chance. That is what he told himself at least, before he finally glanced over at Shu who’s face had gotten two times redder since they’d left the ES building.
He got the door open at long last, allowing Shu to enter first. The pink haired man immediately made his way to his bed before holding his head in his hands as if he was in some serious pain.
Shu glanced up through half-lidded eyes, “Why are you still here?” He managed to ask, though his voice was hoarse and noticeably on the verge of a cough.
“Y’know Shu-kun, I don’t think it’s smart to leave ya unattended like that.” He replied, trying his best to sound as if he knew what he was talking about.
“Having you here is the equivalent of having a hopeless child here,” Shu feverishly took his shoes off after forgetting to do so right when they entered, “I can take care of myself.”
Rinne understood where he was coming from, but at the same time, he was oddly hurt. On the other hand, he also wished to prove to Shu that he could easily care for another person, ignoring the fact that he could barely take care of himself.
Despite his illness-induced state, Shu stood up and attempted to make his way over to the small medicine cabinet they had in the dorm. But of course he didn’t get very far. He stumbled in the middle of the room, having to be caught by Rinne for a second time. It seemed he’d predicted that Shu would take a not-so-graceful fall.
“And how’s that goin’ for ya?” Rinne asked mischievously, Shu once again holding onto Rinne as if his life depended on it.
That received a scoff from the other. Shu carefully straightened his back, dusting off the nonexistent dust from his clothes, “Alright,” he cautiously walked back to his bed to make sure he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, “Make yourself useful then and fetch me the cold medicine.”
Rinne quickly opened the cabinet Shu had pointed to. Clearly this dorm room was full of sickness-prone people, because it was filled to the brim with medications and vitamins of every kind. That or, knowing Shu, he probably stocked up just in case of situations like these. The thought briefly crossed his mind how an organized guy like Shu could get sick despite the many precautions he seemed to have taken. Honestly, it was beyond him.
He returned to Shu’s bedside with a simple cold medication as well as a glass of water that he’d just poured. Valkyrie’s leader had his phone in hand, viciously typing something with an intense scowl on his face, while Rinne placed the meds on the bedside table.
“Hey, what are you doin’?” Rinne asked.
“Messaging the producer. I am having her deliver the project that I’d left in the club room to me, so I can continue my work—“
His tight grip on the phone was clearly no match for Rinne’s strength, because he easily ripped the device out of his hands and placed it into his own pocket, “Nope! You really should take a break. And if ya don’t wanna hear it from little ol’ Rinne, I’m sure anyone else would tell ya the same thing.”
Shu glared at him for a moment or two before sinking further into his bed. That was of course before he realized he was still in his day clothes.
As if his expression was simply screaming his current thoughts, Rinne walked over to Shu’s dresser, “You probably wanna change, right?” Without a response, he still knew he was correct. Opening the drawer, he was met with a neatly folded pair of silk pajamas. It was so Shu, that he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
“What is so funny? They are comfortable. I think you’ll find that you’d get much better sleep wearing something of that material.” Shu quickly explained himself, as if he would be embarrassed without an explanation.
Rinne took the first pair he saw and walked back over, handing them to the other, “Then that means you’ll let me borrow some next time? Thanks Shu-kun! You’re so kind~☆”
“Non! That is not-“ his complaint was harshly interrupted by a coughing fit, and by the looks of it, it was a painful one.
Rinne continued to try and convince Shu to take the medicine and change into comfier clothes. As he was changing, Rinne stood near the window, vigorously swiping through his phone.
Shu had gotten done rather quickly, but settled on watching Rinne’s concentrated expression and quick finger movements. He could only wonder what on earth he was doing over there. Probably playing some vulgur game, if he had to take a stab in the dark.
What Shu didn’t know was that the tab was open to a website that contained various home remedies for treating a cold. Rinne had always just ridden out his illnesses in the past without the help of any sort of medications. So he honestly wasn’t too aware of how to treat a cold to this extent. Part of him just really wished for Shu to realize how well-versed he was, and knowing how to combat the common cold could’ve been a good first step.
After finding a few decent remedies, he came across one that seemed simple enough, one that he could do easily. Rinne made his way to the bathroom, taking a clean washcloth and drenching it in cold water before wringing it out and returning to Shu just as quickly as he entered.
Rinne plopped himself on the edge of his bed, which earned another stern glare from the other. Shu wasn’t prepared for when Rinne began to crawl his way up the bed, only to take his spot right next to Shu.
“Here,” Rinne gently moved Shu’s hair out of the way before placing the folded washcloth onto his forehead. Then, he motioned for Shu to lie down so that it wouldn’t slide off.
Shu couldn’t for the life of him tell whether or not the burning sensation in his face was from the fever or from the caring gesture just now. Perhaps he was too tired to even deny it.
Before he knew it, he found himself slowly drifting off to sleep, unaware of his current surroundings and if Rinne was still even there.
—————
Flickering his eyes open, Shu was immediately hit with the smell of food. That would have been a normal occurrence if not for the fact that his dorm room lacked a kitchen, so the smell was a foreign one in this certain environment.
He slowly sat up, being reminded that the washcloth had long found its way off of his forehead sometime during his slumber. A quick glance at the clock told him that he’d slept for way longer than he wanted to. So much so, that it was already 7 am the next day.
Shu glanced to his side, laying eyes on the tinfoil-covered plate that sat atop his bedside table. He cautiously lifted it to reveal scrambled eggs with a side of various fruits. Accompanying the meal was a cup of tea, all of which was still fairly warm. Had one of his roommates gotten this for him? Perhaps Kuro? It seemed like something he’d do. But one glance around the room quickly told him that it wasn’t Kuro, as he wasn’t anywhere in sight.
He looked around once more only to find a sleeping Rinne huddled at the other side of his bed, arms and legs dangling off the side as if he was trying to be as far away from Shu as possible.
Suddenly, a quiet voice filled his ears. It seemed one of his roommates was here. Mao emerged from the bathroom, very obviously about to leave for the day, “If you’re curious, he’s the one that got that for you.” He pointed to the unconscious man beside Shu, “He woke up and immediately darted for the kitchen. Whether he made that himself or not, I have no idea.” Mao walked over to the door before saying his goodbyes and get-wells and heading off for the day.
From the looks of it, there was no way Rinne Amagi could have made it, even if it was just eggs and fruit. Even so, he was far too famished to care about the hands that cooked it, he was simply hungry and eggs seemed like a bland enough food to consume this early in the day.
After a few bites, the sheets next to him began to rustle around. Shu glanced to the side only to be met with a bothersome smile.
“How’s it taste? I made it with love, ya know♡” Rinne mentioned.
Shocked, Shu nearly choked on the strawberry he’d just put in his mouth, “You.. you actually made this?”
“You bet I did!” Rinne sat up quite abruptly, causing the bed to shake. He situated himself on his knees before taking a blueberry from Shu’s plate and plopping into his own mouth, “Though, I was on the phone with Niki the entire time I was makin’ it. But he only told me what to do, I’m the one who actually cooked it. You’re welcome~”
The pink haired idol went silent for a minute, debating his next words carefully.
“Thank you..”
Now it was Rinne’s turn to feel shocked. He’d made an expression similar to that of Shu’s when he was told Rinne was the one who cooked him breakfast.
Honestly, all of this was surprisingly nice. Shu never wished to be pampered this much whenever he was sick; he always preferred to work through it and ignore whenever someone offered to help take care of him. He honestly felt a bit happy. Happy that Rinne would go out of his way to care for someone else so much that he’d educate himself on so many things just to please him. Even if he was making it all up on the spot, Shu was still grateful to him for putting in the effort.
Instead of responding properly, Rinne quickly and nervously changed the subject, “Well uh, I wanted to get you a croissant or somethin’, but Niki said- I mean, I remembered that pastries aren’t that good for ya when you’re sick.”
To his surprise, that earned a soft laugh from Shu. Such a small response and yet Rinne couldn’t help but to form a smile that practically went ear to ear. Oh how he wished he could do more for him, but he honestly had nothing else left up his sleeves.
Rinne subconsciously extended his hand, placing his palm onto Shu’s forehead. It was much cooler than yesterday, that was for sure. He’d been so focused on feeling for his temperature that he almost failed to notice Shu’s face growing bright red once again. This time though, it clearly wasn’t the effects of any illness.
That’s when he had a brilliant idea. Probably the most brilliant of ideas he’d ever had.
He removed his hand from the other’s face, only to replace it with a soft kiss to the forehead.
“Looks like your fevers gone down. Ain’t it amazing what some sleep will do to ya?” Rinne laughed.
Shu was still trying to process just what had gone down. Was he still feeling feverish? Perhaps it hadn’t gone away like Rinne said it did and that was all merely a strange hallucination. Surely that was the case.
Even so, he had no control over himself when he instinctively leaned over to return the gesture by planting a kiss onto Rinne’s lips.
He then returned to eating his meal, partly because he was dreading the other man’s reaction. But naturally, he had nothing to worry about, because Rinne’s face was just as flustered as Shu’s face had been when his fever was at its peak.
“Now that I am well enough, a croissant sounds delightful right about now.” Shu added, hoping to relieve the awkward tension in the room.
Rinne quickly stood, “I-I’ll go get one!” He ran to the front door, bending down to put on his shoes. He stepped out the door only to turn back around and run back in, “Forgot this. I’ll be back Shu-kun! Don’t miss me too much~ ☆”
With that, he’d taken Shu’s wallet and darted outside for the nearest bakery.
Strangely enough, he somehow knew that Rinne would return with only the amount to buy a croissant missing from his wallet.