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There are several reasons as to why someone would wake up so late at night, anxiety, night terrors, indigestion, overheating are only a few of them. Reo didn’t have any of those issues, because in his case, he simply needed to pee really badly.
The room was quiet, everyone laid out in their futons sleeping the night away. They had yet another long day of training, gearing up for their big match. Tensions were at an all time high as everyone worked twice as hard to make it as a starter, to represent Blue Lock, to be part of the Eleven specifically chosen to show the power Blue Lock holds. Reo was just as determined as the next player to be picked.
It was lights out for everyone as soon as their heads hit the pillow, exhaustion seeping in the second they covered themselves up with the duvet. At this particular hour, Reo could make out the faint sounds of snoring a couple beds away, while a few mumbled in their sleep, as well as the constant ticking of the clock hanging on the ceiling. Not a single soul was awake besides him, or so he thought.
Truth be told Reo did not want to leave the warmth of his futon, but his bladder was just about ready to burst, so he quietly but hurriedly made his way to the bathroom. When he got up, he noticed another empty futon, but just assumed it was someone in a similar situation as him, since no one stayed up willingly these days. Rest is important for athletes, and Ego made sure they got enough of it.
The hallway was bright, too bright , and Reo had to fight off the sleepiness for just a few minutes till he could go back to bed, but that alone was proving to be a challenge. Once he reached the bathroom, did his business and washed his hands, that’s when he spotted it, or rather, him.
Oi…is that…
The sight of Isagi Yoichi, passed out on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, breathing heavily from the looks of it as he made no effort to get up, instantly set off alarms in Reo’s brain. He was lying down on his side, his breath hitching as his eyebrows furrowed in discomfort. Reo crouched down, giving Isagi a shake on the arm, but it was no use, there was no response. Beads of sweat ran down his cheek as he tried his best to regulate his breathing, but all in all Isagi was showing no signs of consciousness.
Reo sighed, he was too tired for this and definitely not the right person to handle it. If Kunigami was here he’d probably know what to do, seeing as he had a younger sister and all. But Reo was an only child, when he got sick it was only the best professionals looking after him. What would he know about caring for a sick person?
Reo shook Isagi’s arm again, trying his best to wake the striker up. It wasn’t going to help laying down on the floor like that, and Reo had to make sure he was not injured from a possible fall. A few more shakes and Isagi’s eyelids began to flutter, he was beginning to wake up.
“Oi, Isagi, can you hear me?” Reo whispered, trying not to disturb him too much.
All he got in response was a mix of a whine and a moan, as Isagi shifted to lay on his back, an arm draped over his forehead as he let out a few pained gasps. It was really not looking good, Reo had to at least move him somewhere off the floor.
“Isagi, can you walk?” Reo asked, thinking about a few possible solutions. He could tell his tone was verging on unnerved but it was no use panicking now.
“Ng-no I don’t think.” Isagi finally spoke, moving his arm away to look for the source of the sound. His eyes were glossy and a little teary, almost like he wanted to cry.
Fuck I can’t just leave him here.
In hindsight, it would have been better to get someone else to help, perhaps Chigiri or Barou even, they seemed responsible enough. But the state Isagi was in made him not want to be apart for even a second. Thankfully he was used to the heavy lifting, and knew where the infirmary was, he could think about what to do after that.
“Isagi, I’m gonna carry you, if that’s okay.” Reo whispered again, getting close to him so he could hear.
“Mm, yea do whatever…” Isagi murmured, closing his eyes again to shield them from the bright bathroom light.
Reo started off by lifting Isagi’s upper body off the floor, getting him in a sitting position. The bench nearby helped as Reo dragged Isagi up to the edge of it, turning around till he was able to drape the smaller boy over his back. He situated his hands under Isagi’s knees as he leaned forward and hoisted himself up.
“Please try to hold on, if you slip off it’ll hurt…” Reo instructed, wondering if Isagi even had the strength to do that.
“G-ot-cha~” Isagi sighed, wrapping his arms around Reo’s neck.
Ah shit he’s burning.
Reo could instantly feel the heat on his back through the tracksuit they wore as it emanated from Isagi’s body. Warm breaths passed through as Isagi huffed from his mouth. They were very clear signs of a fever, that Reo could tell. At least now he could narrow down his search and hope there’s something for it in the infirmary.
“Hey, stay with me okay?” Reo kept a calm tone, trying to ensure Isagi didn’t fall asleep yet.
“Mm not..going any…where…” Isagi mumbled in response.
The door to the infirmary was finally within Reo’s sight, as he quickened his pace till he reached it. Freeing one hand for a second, Reo got the door to open, stepping into the cold space. A shiver ran down his spine the second his feet touched the cold tile as he deposited Isagi onto the first bed he saw, laying him down gently and covering him up with the provided blanket. Isagi whined at the change in location as he entangled himself in the covers, covering his entire body from his head to his toes.
“Hey, I can’t help you if you’re covered up like that” Reo lectured as he sifted through the provided medicine cabinet.
The in-house doctor was usually only available during the daytime, which seemed like a bad idea if someone needed medical help after hours. Typically this was not the case, as the players made sure to avoid any possible injuries that could hinder their progress, or worse, damage their careers. It was likely they didn’t anticipate someone falling ill in the middle of the night, but for cases like these they had a whole cabinet full of medicines they could use. This is where Reo was now, frantically searching for some kind of fever reducer and a thermometer to see just how bad it was.
To the extent of Reo’s knowledge, the human body’s typical temperature was 36.5° c. So when he placed the thermometer into Isagi’s ear, waited for it to beep and finally registered his current temperature, Reo found himself quite concerned. Seeing as it was at 38 °c, he could tell at the very least that that was not a good sign.
Reo nudged at the blanket cocoon that was on the bed, trying to get Isagi’s attention, but all he got in response was a whine.
“I just need you to take the medicine and you can sleep again.” Reo proclaimed.
“It’s cold, I don’t wanna feel cold…”
“I’ll give you another blanket, just please come out for a second.” Desperation leaked into Reo’s tone.
Reluctantly, Isagi unwrapped himself from his cocoon, sitting himself up on the bed. Reo handed him two tablets and a glass of water he managed to get from the sink, instructing Isagi to drink all of it. He drank in short sips, shivering at how cold the water was, but it was doing wonders for his feverish body. Once Isagi was done, he flopped back onto the comfy pillow, arms stretched to the side as he waited for his warmth provider. Reo complied, covering Isagi with one blanket, followed by another, he kept a third on hand just in case.
“How are you feeling?” Reo asked, wanting to make sure he covered all the bases.
“Warm…sleepy…” Isagi’s eyelids fluttered in agreeance.
“You can sleep now, I won’t stop you.” Reo smiled ever so slightly.
“Reo?”
“Yes?”
“Please stay with me.”
Oh.
Reo was not prepared for that, to say the least. They had quite a particular relationship after all, rivals from the very beginning. Sure they were competing to play on the same team, but they were still enemies in the end, everyone in Blue Lock was. Isagi had always kept a strong front, even in times when he messed up, he braved through every possible challenge and pushed himself further than ever. But to see him like this, weak, debilitated, barely able to move, Reo felt some degree of pity for the striker.
But he was also starting to realise that perhaps he felt some form of affection for Isagi, just maybe.
I want to protect him.
“I’ll stay, I’ll be right here, If you wake up I’ll be the first to know.” Reo declared, leaning over so he could look Isagi in the eyes as he said so.
“Silly…there’s no one else here, of course…you’ll be the first.” Isagi giggled, promptly closing his eyes after that. Talking must have drained him, Reo couldn’t blame him for that.
“Sleep well…” Reo whispered, reaching over to pat Isagi on the head/
His hair was soft, a little fluffy even, but also slightly damp, likely from the sweating. Reo had to fight off the urge, desperately wanting to kiss him, but he stopped himself. To avoid lingering for too long and to suppress his impulsive thoughts, Reo rushed to the nearby bed, covering himself up in a blanket to hide his blush and hoping Isagi didn’t notice anything.
But Isagi sensed it, his spatial awareness still functioning even when he was sick. And had Reo not practically run away he’d have spotted the little smile that decorated Isagi’s lips.
Reo woke up every few hours to check Isagi’s temperature, noting that it was gradually going down, all thanks to the fever reducers they had. He found himself having to wipe his face regularly as he was still sweating plenty, but that was a good sign. They didn’t have a change of clothes but once morning came he could get out of his sweaty garments.
Isagi’s complexion was also starting to look better, as he had an incredibly pale sheen to him when at his worst. His colour was starting to return and at some point the second blanket was tossed away, no longer needed. The two thought the worst was over, they could finally get some undisturbed rest, but unfortunately, time works the same for everyone else.
One could predict it was around 7AM when they heard the familiar sliding of the door being opened, but what the two didn’t expect was the abnormal sounds their fellow Blue Locker Bachira would make upon seeing them. I mean, it’s not like they were cuddling on the same bed or anything…or so Reo thought.
Exhaustion does things to you that Reo can vouch for. It was exhaustion that let him miss spotting Isagi the first time he went into the bathroom, exhaustion that stopped him from walking back to the rooms and asking for someone’s help (is what he would insist). But ultimately, Reo was too exhausted to keep getting out of bed and walking over to Isagi, even if it was just a few metres apart. In his final temperature check, Reo gave up, Reo did not care, Reo just wanted to sleep.
That is how Reo found himself waking up with Isagi Yoichi latched onto his waist, head resting comfortably on his chest as he snored away, they were on the same bed.
“I thought for sure Isagi would tell me if he was seeing someone!” Bachira exclaimed.
“Please keep it down, he’s still a bit ill.” Reo shushed in response, sliding a hand over Isagi’s forehead to gauge his current temperature. “Also we are not an item, this is merely an accident.”
“You mean to tell me you accidentally got in bed with Isagi?” Bachira snickered.
“To an extent…”
As it was later explained, the reason Isagi got such a sudden fever was due to the incredibly classic thing every parent warned about, he did not fully dry his hair after a bath. Chigiri made sure to reprimand him for that once he recovered, even showing him how to effectively use the hair dryer. Bachira was the only one to witness their snuggling shenanigans and kept it to himself; as well as from Isagi, because the blue haired boy was too out of it to know what had gone on while he was sick. Reo separated himself from Isagi’s hold long before the other woke up, not wanting to cause a bigger scene than necessary.
“Isagi, you’d tell me first if you and Reo started dating right?” Bachira suddenly asked during breakfast.
“W-w-w-wwhat makes you say that? Isagi stuttered, choking on his water.
“Well I mean…just a feeling you know?” Bachira was bad at lying sometimes but his acting was currently on point.
“Now that you mention it…I may be harbouring a teensy crush on him, but tell no one!” Isagi finally admitted.
“Okay~!” Bachira hummed in response, a smirk creeping on his lips up as he now held two very important but related secrets.