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NIKAI wanders aimlessly around the pristine landscape of Empty SEKAI. It feels warmer than usual for him, causing sweat to form on the male’s forehead. He finds a nearby pillar and leans onto it. He’s been this way for a few days now, constantly feeling fatigued and having an especially irritating headache. Not only that, but he’d cough frequently. NIKAI knows something is affecting his health, but he isn’t going to waste time treating it. He’d just have to deal with it. While he’s lost in his own thoughts, he hears footsteps. He quickly turns his head towards the direction of the noise. The man forgets what he’s thinking about as WAKAI approaches him with a warm smile.
“NIKAI! I’ve been meaning to visit you.” He exclaims. “I’m on break for the day, so I was hoping to get some rest here.” The taller male stares at him with tired eyes, taking a few moments to process his words before nodding.
“I’m glad. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll make myself comfortable.”
NIKAI’s shoulders slump as the two of them sit next to each other against the pillar. He pretends not to notice the other moving closer towards him. He suddenly feels a hand against his cheek. Startled, he glares at WAKAI.
“Are you feeling alright? Your temperature is unusually high.” He comments, looking at the man with a worried expression. NIKAI hesitates, but responds to his question in a weak voice.
“No, I’m not. I can’t concentrate on anything nor can I do anything due to how lethargic I’ve been. It’s a pain. To add onto the issue, this migraine won’t go away.” He sighs, turning his head away. “I’ll be fine. I just need to walk it off.”
WAKAI frowns, his hand moving to the other’s shoulder. “You can’t just brush it aside like this. What if it gets worse?” “...I guess you’re right. I might as well take care of it now.” NIKAI attempts to stand up, but the shorter male stops him.
“What are you doing? You’re the one that’s sick, haha.”
“Right.”
He slouches against the metal pillar, watching as WAKAI crouches in front of him.
“You stay here, okay? I’ll bring a few things to help you recover.” He requests, his hand squeezing NIKAI’s. “…Okay.”
WAKAI stands up, analyzing his surroundings and nodding to himself before walking the other way. NIKAI can’t help but feel a slight sense of disappointment as the warmth that radiates from WAKAI vanishes. He tries to make himself comfortable, laying down on his side and curling up into a ball. He grips onto the sleeves of his torn dress shirt before closing his eyes and drifting off.
NIKAI feels someone tap his shoulder. Unsure of who or what it is, he grumbles. He turns to his other side, hiding his face in his hands. The person continues, their movements becoming more urgent. Reluctantly, the male’s eyes flutter open.
“Hm?”
His gaze meets WAKAI’s, who is a bit too close for comfort. NIKAI sits up, backing away a bit. “Did you sleep well? I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
“I guess so. It felt a little uncomfortable, but I managed to get some rest.” He responds, his voice sounding nasally as he rubs his eyes. “That’s nice to hear. I was able to get a few things from one of the members of this SEKAI. Kanade, was it..? She provided me with a meal for you.” WAKAI kneels in front of him, placing a plastic bag onto the cold floor. He reaches into it and pulls out a small metal container, along with a spoon. “Porridge can help with fevers, so I’m happy that she offered to bring some.” He adds, twisting open the lid of the container and setting it aside. He gets a spoonful of the porridge and holds it up to NIKAI’s mouth.
“Is it really necessary to feed me?”
WAKAI notices what he’s doing and panics. A tinge of pink appears on his cheeks. “Ah, sorry. It’s a force of habit. You can eat it yourself!” “…No, that’s fine.”
The spoon moves closer to his mouth. Right as he opens his mouth, a cough emits from it. A few drops of porridge land on his shirt. The other male reacts quickly, profusely apologizing. “I’m so sorry! I can.. I can clean the shirt later. Yeah, I’ll do that. Forgive me!”
A confused expression appears on NIKAI’s face. He shakes his head. “It’s fine, really. I’m the one that caused it.” WAKAI nods, getting another spoonful of porridge and carefully moving it towards NIKAI’s mouth. This time, he manages to eat it.
“Good?” The troupe leader asks as he reaches for another serving of the food. NIKAI hums, swallowing the broth contentedly. WAKAI continues to feed the other until the container is empty. Once it’s empty, he takes a napkin from the plastic bag and wipes the male’s lips with it. He reaches into the bag again, revealing a piece of tupperware with apple slices inside. The lid opens, and he takes one of the slices cut to look like a bunny. “I’m unsure of why she prepared them like this, but I think it’s cute.” He brings the apple slice towards NIKAI, who hesitantly opens his mouth. He takes a bite out of the fruit, chewing slowly. “I’d eat one, but I’m sure I can ask Kanade for more.” Noticing his statement, NIKAI freezes. He takes a second to think before grabbing one of the slices and placing it in WAKAI’s mouth. The action startles the man, but his slight shock shifts into joy. His face turns bright pink and his smile widens, which didn’t even seem possible.
The two feed each other, occasionally pulling a trick on the other and placing the pieces of fruit in their own mouth instead. Eventually, the apple slices are gone. WAKAI cleans up the small mess they left, picking up the plastic dishes and putting them back inside of the bag. He takes out three more items. Cough syrup, a bottle of water, and a spoon are in his hands. He opens the bottle of cough syrup and pours a bit of it onto the spoon. The male takes a quick glance at NIKAI, his face more flushed than before. WAKAI carefully brings the spoon to his mouth, tilting it so that the syrup would slide down his throat. The bitter taste of the medicine didn’t seem to bother NIKAI, contrary to WAKAI’s resentment of the substance. He reaches for the water bottle and twists it open, disregarding the cap as he tosses it. He takes a long sip before setting the bottle down.
NIKAI gets the sudden temptation to do something and acts on it. He moves over to WAKAI, sits next to him, and rests his head on the male.
“Eh? Usually I’m the one doing that, ahaha…”
“I don’t know how else to thank you.” He admits bluntly, reaching for his hand.
“Come here. I think this will be a little more comfortable.”
WAKAI takes NIKAI, positioning him so his head is on the other’s lap. He looks down at him, running his hand through NIKAI’s soft, cobalt hair. A sigh is heard from him.
“Do you not like this?”
“It’s not that. It’s soothing, in a way. I like this.”
“I’ll keep doing it, then.” WAKAI affirms, continuing to glide his slim fingers in between the strands of the sick one’s hair. He does this for a while, twirling it around his fingertips, ruffling it, and just touching it. NIKAI’s eyes are half-closed, with him staring blankly at his caregiver.
“Get some rest, alright? I’ll be right here.”
“Mhm.”
The low ambiance of SEKAI fills the area as the two remain in each other’s presence. NIKAI’s dull, piercing eyes soften. WAKAI’s exuberant eyes brighten as their gaze lasts. Their eyelids close after a prolonged period of time. NIKAI’s breathing slows, and he begins to fall asleep. Before he can doze off completely, he feels a light, tender peck on his forehead. He hears WAKAI speak in a gentle voice.
“I hope you feel better.”