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It was another beautiful afternoon in Dream Land. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and there was a pleasant breeze rustling the leaves of nearby trees. The villages were filled with laughter, playful giggles from the children filling the air. Truly, it was a perfect day.
Well, almost perfect. There was only one thing missing, or rather, someone.
You sighed, frowning down at your watch. It was well-past the time of agreement, leaving you frustrated. Meta Knight was supposed to meet you almost an hour ago with the promise of visiting the markets with you. It wasn’t like him to be late. Cancel, yes, but he hadn’t done so. You knew Meta Knight was busy, meaning that the time you could spend with him was few and far between. He had already canceled thrice on you, lamenting he had work to do. Sure, protecting and watching over Dream Land was important, but you missed him. It had been forever since you last saw him, and for him to stand you up was a cruel move.
Disappointed, you sighed, adjusting the basket in your arms. It seemed you’d be heading to the market alone after all.
Just as you were turning to leave, a familiar voice called out your name, making you pause and turn around.
“Wait! I am here!” Meta Knight hurried over to you, concerningly out of breath for a Knight. “My sincerest apologies, I had not meant to show up this late.”
You frowned down at him, glad he had showed up but still irritated. “I thought you were going to ditch me again. It’s not like you to be late.”
Meta Knight coughed into his cape, clearing his throat. That was weird. Your frown deepened as you studied him, feeling worried and a little suspicious.
“Actually, are you alright? You look a little…weird,” you asked, raising an eyebrow.
The usually so well-put together and mysterious knight looked and sounded like a wreck. His voice was raspy, his breathing a little labored. Not to mention…was that a bit of red beneath his mask?
“I am perfectly fine,” he replied, tugging his cape a bit closer to himself. “Now, you said you wanted to go to the market, correct? Let us go, I’ve already wasted enough time being late.”
With that said, he turned away from you, starting down the path towards the market with a stifled cough. You stared after him for a few worried seconds, concerned with his behavior. First, he’s late. Then, he’s suspiciously out of breath and…sickly. You frowned again, shaking your head. Meta Knight? The Meta Knight? Sick? Preposterous.
At another shout of your name, you snap out of your thoughts, hurrying after him. Then again… it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on him.
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Keeping an eye on him proved to be the right choice. Throughout the entire market trip, he continued displaying suspiciously symptoms and behaviors.
Meta Knight kept zoning out, startling every time you asked him a question. Frankly, it would be insulting if you weren’t starting to genuinely worry for him. On top of his clearly distracted demeanor, he kept clearing his throat, coughing every time he thought you weren’t paying attention to him. Not to mention you swore you heard him sniffle. By the time you finished your shopping, he looked outright miserable despite the mask he wore. Usually, he’d be far better at keeping his emotions hidden, yet the exhaustion practically bled out of him with each step he took. Unable to stay silent anymore, you halted, spinning on your heel to face him with a frown.
“Meta Knight,” you started, your worry apparent in your expression. “Seriously. What’s going on with you today?”
Meta Knight looked up at you, his eyes almost dazed as he replied. “I am not sure I follow.”
Again, you scowled. “Don’t play dumb. You’ve been distracted the entire afternoon. I mean, this was supposed to be a fun day for both of us, but it doesn’t really seem like you’re interested in this.”
Immediately, he began to protest. “I apologize, it was not my intent to ruin your day. I was simply…preoccupied.”
You shook your head, sighing loudly. “Meta Knight. Come on. I’m not mad, I’m just worried. I mean, you’re not usually like this. Not to mention all the coughing and throat clearing.”
You pointed at him, adjusting the basket full of fruit in your arms. “Be straight with me. Are you okay? Because it really, really, seems like you’re sick.”
“I am not sick,” Meta Knight began, only to be cut off by another coughing fit.
You stared down at him, utterly unimpressed as you waited for him to settle. Once he did, he sighed, sounding resigned.
“Perhaps… I am feeling a bit under the weather. But, it is nothing I cannot handle.”
Your frustration vanished immediately, replaced by worry at his admission. “You’re sick? Why didn’t you tell me? You could’ve canceled. You need rest, not to be walking around under the sun all day.”
Meta Knight fidgeted a little, sounding uncomfortable and guilty. “I have not been able to spend as much time with you as I’d have liked. I had to cancel the last few times due to my duties and I did not want to disappoint you again. It is merely a little cold. It is nothing I can not handle, nor is it something you should concern yourself with.”
You frowned in disapproval, shaking your head. “What are you on about? I know your work is important. Your health is a lot more important than some market trip. You’re my friend, of course I’m going to be concerned.”
Before he could say anything else, you began ushering him back on the path towards the castle, ignoring his protests. “We’re getting you to bed immediately. You need rest, and I’m not letting you go without it for a second more.”
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The walk to the castle was relatively uneventful, save for a few more coughing fits from Meta Knight. You’d offered to carry him a few times, but he’d shut that down quickly. Part of you was offended, but you also supposed that it wasn’t very knightly or intimidating for the residents of Dreamland to see their mysterious protection being carried in someone’s arms or given a piggy back ride. Nonetheless, you did slow your pace down a bit in hopes of giving him a bit of a break.
By the time you both arrived at the knight’s quarters on the castle grounds, he was practically dragging his feet, looking miserable now that the hoax was up and he could admit he was sick.
You helped him open the door to the quarters, immediately ushering him towards his bedroom. Sword and Blade were nowhere to be found, seemingly off patrolling the ground of Castle Dedede while Meta Knight took the day off.
Once in his bedroom, you helped him into bed, leaving him to get settled while you fetched some medicine from the bathroom. You returned with a fever cooling patch and some cold medicine, offering them to him. You turned away from him while he took off his mask to use the fever patch out of respect, only turning around once you heard his murmured voice say he was done. You crouched down next to him, frowning in concern.
“How are you feeling, Meta Knight?” You asked carefully.
“Better,” He answered gruffly. “The coolant patch feels quite refreshing.”
You nodded, humming quietly. “That’s good. Have you eaten anything today?”
“A light breakfast,” he replied. “I did not have much of an appetite.”
“It’s been a couple of hours since breakfast,” you said, standing up. “How about I make you some soup?”
Meta Knight immediately began shaking his head.
“Please, do not trouble yourself. You’ve already done more than enough.”
You waved off his concerns, shaking your head. “Nonsense. It’s just soup. I can handle it. Besides, I want you to feel better soon, alright?”
Meta Knight stared at you for a few seconds, looking conflicted before sighing.
“Very well, if you insist.” He paused, before adding quietly, “Thank you.”
You gave him a small smile, turning away and making your way to the kitchen. In doing so, you missed the way his eyes had turned a soft purple as he watched you leave.
While you weren’t the best cook, you prided yourself on knowing how to handle the basics. In less than an hour, after chopping up vegetables and waiting for the soup to finish cooking, you had a finished dish. Carefully, you ladled some soup out of the pot and into a bowl. Carefully carrying it back to his room, you knocked twice before pushing open the door.
“Meta Knight?” You called quietly, keeping the lights off. You were greeted by his familiar yellow eyes, glowing softly in the dark as he waited for you to approach.
“Soup’s ready,” you said with a small smile. You dragged over a stool, taking a seat next to his as you watched him sit up with a small grunt.
“Thank you,” he murmured tiredly, pushing up his mask just enough to where his mouth was revealed. He reached for the bowl, to which you pulled it away.
“Nuh-uh,” you huffed, looking a bit playful. “I’ve got it.”
You carefully took a spoonful, unable to keep the smile off your face as his face flushed in realization.
“Open wide,” you teased.
Meta Knight huffed, half-surprised at your audacity and half-embarrassed. Despite his grumbling, he opened his mouth, leaning forward a little as you spoon fed him. To your amusement, you watched his eyes glow a soft pink, matching the faint flush you could see on his face.
The room was quiet while he ate, save for the occasional sound of the spoon against the wooden bowl. Once he was finished, you set the bowl aside, offering him a napkin which he took.
“Feeling any better?” You asked gently.
Meta Knight gave you a nod in agreement, lowering his mask.
“Quite. The soup was very good. Once again, you have my gratitude.”
You gave him another smile, feeling proud.
“I’m glad you liked it. I’ve got lots of leftovers if you’re hungry later on. For now, why don’t you get some rest?”
Meta Knight let out a soft sigh, relaxing. “That sounds like a good idea. Thank you again.”
“No problem,” you replied, standing up and grabbing the empty bowl. “I’ll wake you for dinner.”
At his curious gaze, you laughed. “You thought I’d leave you alone? I’m here to be your personal nurse until you’re back to perfect health.”
Meta Knight returned the laugh with a soft chuckle of his own.
“Personal nurse?” He echoed, amused. “I suppose I can not turn down such an opportunity. I assure you, once I am back to health, I’ll make sure to treat you to an actual outing.”
“I look forward to that, Meta Knight,” you replied, smiling. “For now though, rest well. Doctor’s orders.”
With that, you quietly closed his bedroom door, once again missing the purple glow of his eyes.
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It took almost a week, but eventually, Meta Knight recovered from his cold. As promised, he made sure to take an extra day off, treating you to another market day. It was well worth the wait to spend a full day laughing and chatting with Meta Knight. Despite yourself, a small part of you almost looked forward to the next time you got to take care of him like that.