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Rain lashed against the windows of the gym, streaking across the panes before dripping to the sodden ground. Standing at the door and looking out at the deluge, she sighed. She’d forgotten her raincoat and there’d be no chance of holding an umbrella while cycling home. Still flushed and sweaty from the evening’s intense practice, the cold was shocking against her warm skin.
“See you tomorrow,” she called over her shoulder, reaching to slide the door shut behind her.
“Don’t catch a cold,” Daichi said firmly. “We need you in top shape for the Aoba Jousai practice game tomorrow.”
“Yeah, even I’m getting a lift today, Six,” Hinata said, wide-eyed. “Are you sure you’ll be okay out in this?”
“It’s not anything I haven’t done before,” she said with a smile, touched by her teammate’s concern. “I’ll take care, though!”
With Daichi’s stern reminder and a wave from the others, she stepped out into the rain, crossing the courtyard to where her bike leant dripping against the equipment shed. What would usually be a forty minute ride across the mountainous terrain home would more likely take an hour with visibility so poor and the roads so slick. Kicking off on her bike, she felt the cold quickly turn her warm, pliant muscles into cramping sources of discomfort.
To distract herself on the ride home, she reminisced on the night's volleyball practice. Since the girls’ and boys’ teams were merged for budget management, every member had improved rapidly, having had to adapt to vastly different playstyles and techniques. Six was no exception, spiking Kageyama's precise and Sugawara's well-paced sets with incredible accuracy. The thing she had not anticipated was their practice times doubling, with both teams eager to fill their initially booked hours.
The night’s practice had been particularly taxing. Round after round of drills: spiking, serving, setting. A lot of girls on the team were eager to prove themselves to the guys, resulting in a fierce competitiveness that had everyone overperforming. Thus, she was exhausted beyond measure, with a long ride ahead of her.
—
She stumbled into her home an hour after she set out, aching and shivering. A dull headache was beginning to form behind her eyes, a grim reminder of the heap of maths homework she had to do that night. She grabbed an apple from the kitchen, having missed dinner, and wandered into her room, noting the late hour on her bedside clock with a grimace. After changing and replying to the barrage of texts asking if she got home safely, she turned to her textbooks and worked until the red numbers of her clock glowed three.
She woke with a start the next morning, her alarm blaring and shrill. Pushing herself up from the table where she’d dozed off atop a book, she staggered to her feet and turned it off, head pounding. She dragged a blanket over her shoulders and poked her head out to check if her mother had left for work yet. The house was empty, a pile of dishes next to the sink and a covered bowl of porridge left for her. Sitting down to eat under the heated kotatsu, still bedraggled and in her pyjamas, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and a tide of exhaustion washed over her again.
—
The buzzing of her phone against the hard surface of the table woke her this time, the screen lighting up with Sugawara’s name. Absently lifting her head and pressing Accept, she raised the phone to her ear, the device feeling heavier than it had a right to.
“Hey Suga,” she mumbled tiredly, blinking a few times to try and rouse herself from the sleepy fog.
“Hey, where are you? Is everything okay? You’ve missed third period and the teachers are getting mad. They can’t get a hold of you or your parents.” His warm voice was strained with concern. Before she could reply, there was a bustling noise and a startled grunt from the other end.
“I hope you’re not planning to miss our game later,” Daichi cut in, booming and enthusiastic. “We’re counting on your improved minus tempo attack to really throw their blockers off today.” Another rustle as Sugawara took the phone back.
“Ignore Daichi, is everything alright?”
“Yeah, I slept through my alarm,” she replied hoarsely. “And then the whole morning, I think. I’ll start getting ready no-” She cut off, pulling the phone away from her face as she coughed harshly into her elbow, shuddering with the force of it.
“You sound terrible, Six,” Sugawara said, sounding more concerned than before. “Are you sick? Do you need anything?”
“I’m fine,” she rasped. “Just a tickle in my throat, that’s all. I-” She stifled another cough. “I’ll be in by lunch. Please tell the teachers something came up.” She mumbled a ‘goodbye’ and hung up before either Sugawara or Daichi could launch into a lecture about the importance of proper rest and preparation for the elements. She knew they’d insist she stay home if they knew how lousy she felt. And she did - even with her own palm raised to her forehead she could feel the heat radiating there.
She got up, pushing the half-eaten porridge aside, opting for a shower to chase off what she hoped was just a chill.
—
The shower had not helped by the time she stumbled out the door, still half asleep as she got on her bike. There was a light drizzle falling, with dark clouds threatening to break into heavy rain akin to the previous day’s.
She made it five minutes from her house before her front wheel began to wobble, her control over the bike impaired by the throbbing headache and feverish haze that seemed to permeate everything. The mountain roads were empty at midday, so she dismounted and tried walking her bike, leaning heavily on the handlebars. She reasoned it was safer, as the roads were slick with surface water, but eventually, even that proved too much. She searched her pocket for her phone, admitting that she’d have to call a taxi to get to school.
Her pocket was empty. In her distracted state, she’d forgotten her phone, and now she was thinking about it, her raincoat too. ‘I need to go home. I’m not thinking clearly,’ she thought. Wind whipping at her hair, she wheeled her bike safely off the road and leaned against a tree, breathing shakily. The walk back seemed daunting in her current state. She felt clammy and warm and decided to rest before attempting to walk again, leaning her head against the rough bark of the tree and closing her eyes.
—
She came to with a start, half-slumped against her bike and the tree, semi-conscious but still standing. A blurred image of Sugawara was standing before her, his hand still raised to the cheek he had slapped to gain her attention. He was bundled in his familiar waterproof parka and scarf, dressed appropriately for the elements, unlike her thin, dripping uniform shirt.
“Hey, are you with me, Six? C'mon, snap out of it,” he said gently, his voice tight with concern. His thumb traced the flushed skin of her cheek, his brown eyes searching her dazed expression.
“...Suga?” She said weakly. “What are you doing here? You're meant to be at school.” She blinked, bleary-eyed, trying to reconcile the sight of Sugawara with the backdrop of the rainswept road. The rain had indeed turned into a downpour, thunder rolling across the sky in great booming waves.
“I got a taxi to your house when you didn't show for lunch, but your bike wasn't there. I walked from there - you only made it five minutes from home. I’m going to walk you back, okay?” His eyebrows were drawn together with worry as he carefully eased her more upright, adjusting her to lean more fully against him.
“I’ll come back for your bike later,” he said, already slipping out of his coat and guiding her goosebumped arms into the sleeves. “Thank god I found your address on the club sign-up sheets. You look awful.”
“Mhm,” she mumbled, numbly allowing him to lead her carefully over the wet, slick grass, his coaxing hands cold against her skin. He might as well have been carrying her, for all the weight she was leaning on him. Regardless, every faltering step felt like a monumental effort, and they stopped every few seconds to allow Six to catch her breath amid coughing fits.
“You're getting wet,” she rasped, finally registering that he'd given her his coat. His white uniform shirt looked almost luminous amid the dreary surroundings.
“I'm fine,” he assured her. “I'm not the one who's run down and hardly able to stand.” He paused to tug the coat more snugly around her, buttoning it to secure it against the wind. He scanned her trembling frame. “I can’t believe you came out in this state. Daichi is going to lose it. Coach, too. You’re lucky I'm so easy-going.” He flashed her a tentative smile, marred with worry.
“Please don't tell them. I'd never hear the end of-” Her sentence dissolved into a harsh series of coughs. Sugawara held her upright, carefully walking her backward until she was propped against a tree.
“Let's take a break here,” he decided. While not significantly taller than her, he used what height advantage he had to lean over her, shielding her from the worst of the rain as she struggled to catch her breath. Subconsciously, she nestled into his chest, shuddering as a massive peal of thunder sounded above them.
“That's it, try to catch your breath. There's no rush - we have all the time in the world.” He leaned closer, drawing her further into his chest, running his hands up and down her back in an attempt to coax her breathing into a slower pattern. She tried her best to comply, dragging in deep but painful breaths. As it gradually slowed, she leant her head against his chest and allowed her eyes to close. The awful weather and tense situation didn't deter her fever-addled mind from insisting it was the perfect time for a nap. Thoughts rising and dissipating like bubbles, she slumped forward into him.
“Ah ah, no falling asleep here, Six. We'll rest as long as you need, but you've gotta stay with me, you hear?” He gently held her chin between two fingers and tilted her face up toward his, eyes searching hers. “You must be exhausted to be falling asleep on your feet like that…”
With a nudge and some gentle insistence, he got her to walk a little further. After a few more breaks, they stepped onto her porch, Sugawara allowing her to lean against the wall as he slid the unlocked door open, murmuring a soft “excuse me,” under his breath. At the threshold, she felt her knees weaken. Her bedroom was only around the corner, but it felt a million miles away, the hallway swaying nauseatingly in her vision.
“Lean on me,” Sugawara reminded her softly, stepping out of his shoes and helping her to do the same. “Point out which room is yours, and we'll get you into bed.” With Six's guidance, they stumbled into her bedroom, Sugawara supporting almost all of her weight with one arm hooked around her waist.
“It’s so hot in here,” she rasped, reaching for the window to slide it open. A frown creased Sugawara’s forehead.
“That’s the fever talking.” Firmly guiding her hands away from the windowsill, he slid the coat from her shoulders and assessed the rest of her wet attire. “You’re drenched. Do you think you’ll be alright to change into pyjamas on your own? You can barely stand.” He bit his lip anxiously, looking torn between leaving or staying to help.
“Uh huh, I can do it. Just… gimme a minute.” With shaking hands, she ushered him out, ducking under his worried glance. She went through the motions of changing with painstaking slowness. Managing to pull on an oversized shirt and soft pyjama bottoms and breathless with the effort, she collapsed into her desk chair with a soft thud.
“You okay in there?” Suga called from another room. At her weak affirmation, he walked in, bearing a tray laden with supplies - a thermometer, a cloth, a basin full of cold water, towels, and a steaming cup of tea.
“I couldn’t find any cold medicine, but I can go get some for you later. C’mon, into bed, that’s it.” He eased her onto the futon with breathtaking gentleness. “No wonder we couldn’t get a hold of your parents - your father’s on a business trip and your mother is staying at your grandmother’s for a night or two. She left a note.” He offered the information almost mindlessly, focus trained on tucking the covers over her trembling body. They felt soft and dry against her still-damp skin, a heady wash of exhaustion following in their wake.
“Now let’s see about that temperature of yours,” he murmured, uncapping the thermometer. “Hold this under your tongue for a minute.” Pressing it into her hand, he moved to wring out a cool cloth with nimble fingers, laying it over her forehead.
He sat back on his heels and towelled off his wet hair as Six watched the mercury in the thermometer slowly rise to 38.5℃. Blanching, she checked it once, then twice more, but the reading stayed where it was. She hadn't realised it was so high, and doubted Sugawara had either, given his relative state of calm.
His eyes narrowed, noting the way the thermometer trembled in her grasp. “Let me see,” he said firmly, holding a hand out.
“It’s not that high,” she mumbled guiltily, averting her gaze.
“Mhm, I think I'll be the judge of that,” he said, gently easing the device from her grip and holding it up to the light. His face paled. “38.5℃. Christ. If it’s that high after being out in the freezing cold, it’s only going to climb as you warm up. I’m calling a hospital.”
“No, Suga, please,” she said plaintively, sitting upright, the cold cloth falling into her lap. It was the most coherent she’d sounded all day, even as her eyes were wide and bright with fever. “My parents will lose it, and I hate hospitals. I always bounce back quickly when I get sick, and-”
Sugawara sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can already guess why you’re this sick in the first place. No doubt you’ve been running yourself into the ground again. This,” he gestured at an unkempt pile of paperwork scattered over the table - the maths homework she’d slept on the night before - “and this, speak for themselves.” He picked up a rumpled work uniform shirt, and she cringed. “I thought you told Daichi you quit your job? We’re not allowed to work in high school, you know that.”
“I did quit! That’s an…old shirt.” She trailed off fruitlessly, silenced by Sugawara’s raised eyebrow. With a sigh, he fixed her with a stare.
“We’ve been friends for how many years, Six? Over ten, and I can tell when you're lying to me. I'll leave the lecturing to Daichi, but I won't keep this from him.” At her hopeless expression, he continued. “As for the hospital…fine. I understand you don't want to go, but…lay back down while I go get you some medicine. Please. We’ll see if your fever comes down after that.” He guided her back down with a firm hand and replaced the cloth on her forehead.
He looked her over one more time before getting up reluctantly. “Try to sleep, I’ll be back soon. Don’t get up, alright?”
—
After a blustery walk to a corner shop, Sugawara returned, his coat freshly damp and dripping. He stopped in the entrance to Six’s room, startled. Her breathing was shaky, even in sleep, and a fierce red flush had spread over her face. Hurrying over and dropping the bag of medicine beside the futon, he pressed a cool hand to her forehead and winced.
“Six? Six, wake up. You’re burning up,” he said urgently, shaking her shoulder. She was only semi-conscious when he pressed a pill between her lips, and choked it down when he followed it up with a bottle of water.
“Suga? God, it’s freezing in here,” she mumbled, shivering violently. Missing the panicked look that flitted over his face, she weakly tugged the covers up, burrowing under them with a shudder.
“Alright, we’ll warm you up in a minute, yeah? Just gonna check your temperature again. Hold still for me, that’s it.” This time, Sugawara held onto the thermometer, anxiously drumming the fingers of his free hand on his thigh, even while attempting to offer her a reassuring smile. “40.1℃ and likely still climbing. I’m going to try and reach your parents again.”
After a frustrating barrage of unanswered calls, Sugawara tossed her phone aside. “Are they always like this?” At her feeble nod, he sighed again. “Well. I thought as much, given the state of things here. I’m gonna call Daichi, tell him we won’t be making it today and to ask the school to try and get a hold of them.”
He pulled out his own phone and hit dial. Daichi answered on the second ring. “Where the heck are you guys? Are you with her, Koushi? Is she alright?”
“High fever, 40.1 and climbing. We’re at her house. She tried to ride into school but didn’t make it far. I’m debating calling the hospital. Can you let the school know? I can’t reach her parents.”
“Shit. Yeah, sure. That's a damn high fever. Don't you think the hospital's a good idea?”
“She's arguing against it,” Sugawara replied, voice thick with exasperation. “But I'm seriously worried, Daichi. I've given her some medicine, but…” He trailed off with a grimace. “I should go. We all need to have a serious conversation about this later. I'll let you know if anything changes.”
Putting down the phone, he turned back to her, anxiously scanning the way she was weakly pushing at the sheets, trying to kick off the blankets in fevered desperation.
“Alright, alright, take it easy,” he murmured, forcing his voice to remain even. “You're hot, I know. It's gonna come in waves. Here, lift your head and I'll put a cloth on the back of your neck.”
Fetching another flannel, he wrung it out and tucked it against her nape with a gentle brush of his fingers. She shivered, and his hand paused in midair, in the middle of withdrawing it.
“Hey, don’t fret. You're doing fine.” Keeping up a steady tide of reassurances, he refreshed the cloth for her forehead, holding it carefully in place as she twisted under his hand. “It's cold, huh? But it's gonna help.”
He placed one more on each of her wrists, fingers brushing lightly over the bruises on her forearms, evidence of the late nights training for the Aoba Jousai game neither of them would make.
“We all should've noticed ages ago…your job, how hard you've been working…I thought you looked tired, but this…” His eyes were clouded with worry.
“I'm not doing anything differently from usual,” she mumbled, feeling a sudden urge to reassure him. “There was nothing for you guys to notice. I hid the job, cause, well, I didn't wanna get chewed out by Daichi again.”
“That's the problem though, Six. You're not doing anything differently from usual. Which means this has been going unchecked for far too long.” He was idly running his hands up and down her arms, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. “It's my fault. Me, Daichi, Asahi, we should've noticed, no matter what you say.”
“No, please, Suga, don’t blame yourself for something I did. You especially already take such good care of us all - the whole team. I’ve just been all…all stupid.” Half-delirious with fever, she was mortified when her eyes welled with tears. “And now you’re missing the game, and Daichi’s gonna be mad at me, and my parents are gonna freak out when they find out I’ve missed a whole day of school.” She focused her tear-blurred sight on the mole beneath his left eye, a watery target to avoid eye contact.
He ran a hand through his damp, dishevelled hair, looking a little taken aback. She’d never cried in front of any of the team, and the change in tone caught him off guard. “Hey, please don’t cry. Money’s been tight for your family, right? That’s why you’ve been working.” At her tearful nod, he continued. “Daichi won’t be mad. If he is, I’ll sort him out. It’s okay. You’re tired, and sick, and it all feels a little much right now. But let’s take some deep breaths together, yeah?”
He placed a careful hand on her chest, feeling the quick beats and swallowing his nerves to smile at her. “C’mon, with me. In, and out.” He demonstrated the breaths with his own, exaggerated ones. “Just like we do before a game. Easy peasy, right?” She gradually calmed under his soothing guidance, the medicine leaving her heady and exhausted. A thick, treacly tiredness crept over her, her wet eyelashes fluttering. “There we go.”
“Ah, ‘m so tired, Suga,” she mumbled.
“That’s okay,” he soothed, voice low. “The medicine’s kicking in. Try to sleep a little more, you’ll feel better when you wake up. I promise.” With a barely perceptible movement, he placed his hand on her head, gently carding his fingers through her hair and trailing his nails along her scalp. The soothing motion sent her spiralling into oblivion.
—
“It’s come down, but not much.”
“Still above 40?”
“Yeah. I’ve heard nothing from her parents. I was thinking a lukewarm bath might help, but…well, I don't know if that's okay. She’s been delirious as it is, and without her permission…”
“Hey, wait a sec. Six, are you awake?”
Daichi and Sugawara’s faces blurred above hers, their anxious expressions swimming into view.
“Captain?” she rasped. “Where are…are you at my house?” They exchanged a glance at her obvious confusion, Sugawara shifting closer to press a cool hand to her forehead.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked softly. “Any better?”
“Maybe a little… it doesn't feel like I'm burning so hot now.” She tried to sit up and Daichi halted her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t get up yet,” Daichi instructed with a worried frown. “From what I’ve heard, this is the most coherent you’ve been in hours, best to take it easy. You hungry? I brought some food over.”
“Ah…not really, but if you went to the effort of bringing some...” She bit her lip nervously. “Sorry for the hassle, Captain. I’ll make it up to you. How much did it cost, I’ll-” She moved to sit up again, and was restrained just as before.
“No, Six, I’m not expecting anything from you. We’ve got a chat about that lined up for later.” Daichi stared pointedly at the work uniform Sugawara had hung over the back of her desk chair, and following his gaze to the offending article of clothing, Six grimaced.
Floundering for a different point of conversation, she realised, “What about the Aoba Jousai game? What time is it?”
Daichi sighed, ruffling his short, spiky hair with a hand. “I called it off. Yamaguchi was off sick too, and with you and Koushi not there, it didn’t seem worth it. Besides, I didn’t want Koushi here alone in case you took a turn for the worse. You still look like you might.” He frowned at her assessingly, and Sugawara placed a hand on his arm.
“Hey, let’s not worry her about all that right now,” he cautioned. He turned his warm gaze on her. “You’re doing a little better. Your fever peaked at 40.9℃ but it’s been going down. Think you can eat and drink a little, just for us?”
“I'll try, I just don't know how much I'll manage…” She trailed off, glancing between them sheepishly. “You really don't have to stay and babysit me, y'know. I’ll take care of myself.” She choked down a cough, the pain grating in her throat.
Sugawara's face darkened like a shadow obscuring the sun. “Take care of yourself? Have you seen yourself? You're one degree away from a hospital, Six, and you've been in and out of consciousness for hours.” Her eyes widened slightly, taken aback by the genuine upset in his voice. “If anything, you need someone taking care of you for once. You're going to rest, I'm going to prepare some food, and then you're going to get better, even if we have to sit on you until you stop insisting you can be totally self-sufficient!” Sugawara got to his feet and rolled up his sleeves, pointing down at her. “Don't even dream of getting up.”
Even Daichi looked surprised by Sugawara's outburst, the change unexpected in his level-headed best friend. He flashed Six a sheepish glance as Sugawara left the room.
“Usually I'm the one doling out lectures,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But Koushi does have a point. He's been worried sick, Six, and frankly, so have I.”
“I know,” she said, subdued and suddenly exhausted. “I'm sorry.”
“And keeping your job without telling us…I suppose that’s why you’ve been so rushed off your feet lately. On top of practice, and school…you must’ve been doing 60 hour weeks. I mean, it just isn’t sustainable. Remember what Coach was saying, about how muscles need time to recover between practices? That’s true for your body and mind. You’ll run yourself into the ground, and then how will you play volleyball with us? You’ve got a much bigger team depending on you than before.”
She sank under the weight of his lecture and their combined disapproval and moved further under the covers, a chill washing over her and drawing a tremble from her.
“You alright? Feeling cold?” Daichi asked with a frown, cutting off his tirade. He slid his calloused palm over her forehead and winced. “Sorry, Six. Maybe that was too much, you're burning up again. Wait here.”
He left to refresh the water and returned with Sugawara in tow, the scent of a light soup emanating from the kitchen.
“The fever spiked again?” Sugawara asked softly, kneeling by the bed and visibly calmer. “It just won't stay down.” He took another reading with the thermometer and clicked his tongue. “40.5. Maybe we ought to get you into a bath to bring it down a little before we eat, Six.”
“Huh?” she said groggily. It was a struggle to focus on his words, shivers running through her.
“Not again,” Sugawara said under his breath, face creasing. He turned a helpless look towards Daichi.
“Let's do the bath,” Daichi said decisively. “We'll keep her in those clothes so she stays decent. The benefits outweigh any discomfort.”
“Alright,” Sugawara agreed. “Let's help her to the bathroom, nice and slow.”
—
Between the two of them, they hoisted her up, each taking an arm. Her rasping breaths turned more strained, the sheer exhaustion of trying to support her weight draining her strength.
“Easy does it,” Sugawara said through clenched teeth, taking more of her weight.
Her face was white by the time they made it to the bathroom, sweat standing out on her forehead. Daichi guided her down to the floor, supporting her as she slumped bonelessly against the bath.
“She's so weak,” Sugawara murmured. “Are we doing the right thing? Maybe I should call the hospital after all…”
“Let's try this first,” Daichi said, stroking Six's damp hair away from her forehead. “If it doesn't work, we'll reconsider.”
Time seemed to stretch to an eternity as the bath slowly filled. The only sound was of running water and her laboured breaths, her chest rising and falling quickly.
“Take it easy, Six,” Daichi rumbled in her ear. “We're gonna get you cooled off, just like a refreshing shower after a game, yeah?”
When the bath was filled with lukewarm water - not cold, to avoid shocking her system - Daichi picked her up and carefully lowered her in. The feeling of the water was disorienting, especially fully clothed. Flushed and trembling, she lay limply in the bath as Sugawara ran damp flannels over her neck, forehead and arms.
“That's it, doesn't that feel nice?” he asked.
“Uh huh,” she replied sleepily. Her perception of temperature had been see-sawing for hours, from feeling burning hot to freezing cold and back again, and now she could feel it slowly starting to equalise. She yawned, resting her head in Sugawara's palm as he held a cool cloth to her cheek.
“Looks like someone's ready for some more sleep,” Daichi commented with a wry grin, his relief palpable at her obvious improvement. He carefully cupped his hand under her neck, allowing her to rest her head on his wrist as she drifted off, and freeing Sugawara's hand to continue his work with the flannels. Feeling cool and floaty, she surrendered herself to a final bout of healing sleep.
—
“What are we going to do about her clothes?” Sugawara said, eyes widening as he realised the predicament they were in. “We can hardly let her sleep in these.”
They'd carried her out of the bath and back to bed a few minutes ago, the latest temperature reading hovering at 38.3. She hadn't stirred.
“We'll have to wake her up,” Daichi said reluctantly, looking at her with regret in his eyes. “It's not like we can change her.” He glanced at Sugawara before grasping her shoulder and giving it a gentle shake.
She let out an irritated groan and rolled onto her side away from them, reaching for a blanket and dragging it over her head. At his next attempt, she grumbled out a string of swear words and went still again.
“Alright Koushi,” Daichi said decisively, pushing himself to his feet. “I'll leave this challenge in your capable hands.”
“Eh? You can't just bail on me! I can hardly…” he glanced at Six's sleeping form, a rare blush spreading over his face. “That's…No, I better leave this to you, Daichi. You’re the captain. I need to finish that soup I was cooking, I definitely left the stove on.” He got to his feet too, and for a long moment they just stared at each other.
Daichi clapped Sugawara on the shoulder with a broad, teasing grin. “Good luck, friend.”
Sugawara stared dumbfounded as Daichi retreated from the room, closing the door behind him. “Uh, Six? Can you hear me? We’ve got to… get you into some dry clothes.”
“I’m tired, Suga,” she murmured, barely moving. “Can’t it wait?”
He sighed, looking down at her. “Not if you want to get better. It’ll only take a minute. Please?”
With a halfhearted grumble, she rolled over, pushing the blanket off herself as she went. With shaky hands, she began unbuttoning her pyjama top, the damp fabric clinging to her skin. Languidly shrugging it off, she reached for her back, trying and failing to unclasp her damp bra.
“Ah…so you’re…alright to do it yourself, then?” He looked uncharacteristically nervous, gaze flitting about as if unsure where to look.
“I can’t get it,” she said tiredly. “The clasp.”
Her sleep-addled mind didn’t register what she was asking for until he moved behind her, the tips of his ears bright red. It was only as his fingers brushed over the bra clasp that it sunk in, her skin flushing with a heat unrelated to the fever. She was mortified, the room suddenly void of oxygen, the walls close and stifling. Before she could take it back, he unclipped it with a single motion, and it came loosely from her chest. Clutching it to herself, she looked over her shoulder, eyes wide and face vulnerable.
Although he too was red, he appeared to have settled into the task with a sort of embarrassed determination. Sliding the straps down her arms, he leaned in, filling the empty space with almost unbearable closeness. “I won’t look,” he assured her quietly, his breath ghosting over the nape of her neck. Moving more surely now, no doubt reassured that she was more nervous than him, he reached for a dry shirt and pulled it over her head, fingers skimming over her sides as the garment settled into place.
With more fumbling, eventually she was fully changed into a dry set of pyjamas, and Sugawara sat cross-legged behind her, towelling off her hair. A quiet had fallen between the pair, a self-consciousness on both of their parts that was unfamiliar to their friendship’s usual ease. The silence stretched thin until, blessedly, Daichi returned.
“Food’s ready,” he announced, looking between the flushed pair with a knowing smile. Sugawara let her go with one more rustle of the towel and as a group they moved through to the kitchen where Daichi had ladled the soup into bowls. Staring into them and avoiding eye contact, it fell to Daichi to make conversation, and he rambled about different volleyball serving techniques until each of their spoons clinked onto the table, bowls empty.
“Well then, I should be getting home,” Daichi said, gathering up the washing up and taking it to the sink. “You staying the night to keep an eye on her, Koushi?”
“Huh? I hadn’t thought about it,” he said, wide-eyed. “I don’t know if that’s-”
“Well, best not to leave her alone after a fever that high, right? In case it comes back.”
“Hey, I am here, you know,” she grumbled. “I’ll be fine alone tonight. I’ll go straight to bed, sleep through the night, and take another day off school tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, Six…” Sugawara said with a frown. “Maybe Daichi has a point. After all, you were really, really sick.”
“Yeah, and now I’m doing much better,” she said indignantly, getting to her feet to help Daichi with the dishes. A wall of black slammed over her vision and she stumbled, listing to the left before she could catch herself.
“Woah- Six!” Sugawara exclaimed. He leapt to his feet and grabbed her arms, steadying her until her precarious swaying ceased. “That’s exactly what me and Daichi were talking about! I think it’s best I stay, just to be safe.”
Her protests melted under his earnest gaze, shaken by how quickly the weakness had swept over her. “Alright,” she admitted. “You’re right. I’ll set out a futon for you.” She felt hesitant and uncharacteristically shy, but she could see the logic in their words. She’d heard nothing from either of her parents, and didn’t particularly relish the thought of a night home alone in the storm anyway.
“Thank you,” he said, sighing in relief.
“Well, looks like you’re both sorted,” Daichi said, drying his hands on a tea towel. “I can see myself out. No funny business, Koushi.” He flashed Sugawara a teasing smirk and smiled as his friend’s face reddened.
Six’s eyes widened, catching Daichi’s meaning. “Th-That’s-”
“Shut up, Daichi,” Sugawara interrupted, looking more flustered than she’d ever seen him. “Of all the stupid things to say.” He ruffled his hair, agitated. “You know I wouldn’t…”
Daichi laughed and clapped him on the back. “Only teasing, Koushi. I’ll see you at school tomorrow. Feel better soon, Six.”
He left, spinning his house keys around his finger in a nonchalant gesture that only served to emphasise the sudden tension in the room.
“I’ll go fetch your futon,” she breathed, embarrassed and feeling the silence more strongly than she had before.
“No, go and lay down. I’ll get it,” Sugawara said, dragging his eyes away from the doorway where Daichi had walked out. “Is it in the living room cupboard?”
“Y-Yeah,” she said, glancing at him once more before shuffling back to her bedroom. Daichi’s words had stirred up a storm of nervous butterflies and she was all too grateful to crawl back under the covers, burying her burning face in the pillows.
It was well and truly late now, and the storm had cleared to let some tentative moonlight cast itself through the clouds, which beamed into the room and spread pale light over everything. She heard Sugawara’s feet pad over the wooden floors as he set up his futon a meter from her own.
“Need anything before bed?” he murmured, kneeling by her beside. “Some water, another blanket?”
“I’m alright,” she whispered, her voice soft in the stillness of the room.
“Okay, don’t hesitate to wake me if you start feeling feverish again,” he said. “And Six…don’t fret about what Daichi said. You know what he’s like.” She heard him swallow in the darkness, imagined the bob of his throat. “It’s just like all those overnight training camps we’ve been on with the team.” She nodded, and was slightly startled when Sugawara settled into a cross-legged position beside her futon. “I’ll take care of everything, so go to sleep.”
Reaching out, he traced his nails along her scalp like before, and her nerves dissipated almost instantly.
“Thank you, Suga.”
“It’s what I’m here for.”