[ She's not awake! Given the option, she'd absolutely love to be awake, but for the time being, she is very much unconscious.
It hadn't seemed so bad at first. She'd been tired, and achy, and a tad grumpy but Kou had moved himself in and it had been nice to have equally sick company. Except that she'd been asleep so much that she hadn't really had too many opportunities to chat with him, and when she had been awake, his teleporting had apparently kicked in and deposited him elsewhere. She'd wanted to find him, but two steps out of bed had led to her wobbling into a wall. And that hadn't gone well, so back into bed she'd gone.
Sleep was beginning to become something she dreaded, though. Not because it was boring (although it was) or she felt like she was losing out on the day (which she was), but because with sleep came nightmares. And those nightmares tended to cling, an impassively beautiful face staring at her and a taloned hand beckoning-- then gripping when Rion tried to draw back, and a cold voice continued to whisper
You wanted this you wished for this THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED
The room explodes, engulfed in flames, and she can hear them, the voices wailing in agony.
In actuality, none of this is happening, but Akira will still be able to make out a hoarse, strangled cry that would be a scream if Rion had the voice for it. ]
[well, so much for being polite. because seconds after that scream reaches his ears, Akira is going to fling her bedroom door open and stumble inside, a. . . almost tripping over the edges of the blanket, but. not quite]
[ Majestic. Very majestic. Rion would probably have some kind of teasing response to that, but currently, she's a thrashing, gasping wreck fighting her blankets.
And, from the way her eyes are squeezed shut, still not even awake. It doesn't appear to be stopping her from trying to break free from-- whatever has her in its grasp. ]
[he has to struggle to disentangle himself from his blanket (bringing it with him was a poor choice), but once he's free he trips forward until he's crouched at the side of her bed and]
Rion, hey. . .!
[he tries to grab the edges of her blankets and pull them away from her so she isn't fighting. . . whatever invisible enemy she sees]
The sudden shift of the blankets and the rush of cool air, along with an additional voice (Akira's, but hadn't the angel - hadn't she killed him too?) finally jars Rion awake.
She's fever-flushed and glassy-eyed, both from the sickness and the tears finally streaming free, with her hair loose and curling in all directions. When she stares at Akira, though, she doesn't seem to recognize him, wobbling as she tries to at least push herself up into a seated position.
It's not that impressive; she has to plant both palms on the bed to hold her balance, and she's already shaking. ]
Please... stop, I don't want to... hurt anyone else...
[. . . he was aware that three, almost four months, wasn't a very long time to know someone. and he was acutely aware that they still had so many things to learn about each other and experience together. but seeing her so completely vulnerable when he had seen nothing but strength from her so far completely rattles him]
[he's quiet for a moment, but then Rion pushes herself up and he moves, hands dropping to her shoulders. which may be a mistake, but when she looks like that, he can't help but reach out to her and try to ground her]
[ Rion flinches-- not because it's Akira, never because it's Akira, but when she's still stuck in a feverish haze of flames and screaming and destruction piled at her feet, any sudden touch was bound to have done it.
But it also seems to have done the trick, because when she looks at him, still trembling, still completely distressed-- there's recognition in that watery gaze. ]
[Akira exhales sharply, relief slumping his shoulders, and his hands immediately slide from her shoulders to her cheeks, palms cupping her face gently]
Hey. . .
[he keeps her gaze locked with his own, eyes searching, full of worry. his own face is fever-flushed and red, and now that he isn't yelling or speaking sternly in her direction, it's easy to tell that his voice is hoarse and shaky. but he's ignoring the aches in his body to focus fully on her]
[ It takes a few seconds for it to sink in that Akira's actually here, that this isn't still a part of her nightmare, and he's not going to end up slumped lifelessly on the ground with his soul forcibly separated from his body.
But if he's here and reassuring her, even as Rion additionally takes in that he's just as flushed and sick as she is, that means he'd seen...
Something like shame enters her gaze, wells up in her throat, and she sinks down a little further. She's not sure what she looks like, but she knows sheer worry when she sees it, and it's written all over his face. ]
[. . . a small, tiny huff, the breath rasping in his chest. he's aware of his own fever, or otherwise he'd tilt forward to thunk his forehead against hers]
It's okay. You don't have anything to apologize for.
Take a few minutes to breathe, okay?
[she might be back, but she still looks so rattled. he imagines she needs a moment to compose herself]
[ He's not wrong. Rion's still very much disconcerted and shaken, right off the heels of a nightmare, and she's in no shape to insist that she's fine, he doesn't need to fuss over her.
So, instead, she takes his suggestion and takes a deep breath.
... And brings one hand up to muffle a cough, but that was probably to be expected. Okay. Okay, she can move past this, she can-- ]
[he'll just. . . tilt his head away a bit, so she isn't coughing into his face. not that it matters. it's not like either of them can get any more sick. and when she's done, he turns to her again, his fingers dancing across her cheeks to trace the lines of her jaw next. something gentle, something soothing, to contrast whatever it was she saw]
[he has a feeling he knows, but he won't ask. not yet]
I rested earlier. [not a lie!] And when I woke up, I decided to come check on you.
[ Isn't this the most romantic thing, two disheveled sick teenagers trying not to wheeze all over each other.
To someone whose everything aches, however, face included, Akira's gentle touch is a welcome one. Rion's breathing, still shallow and congested, evens out just a bit, even if one hand lifts-- and lowers, like she's apprehensive about touching him.]
I... I'm so glad you're okay.
[ It's raw and open and she can still hear his scream mixed with the others. But he's here.
Or she's still hallucinating, but his hands are clammy and solid. ]
[his hands are clammy and solid, and he thinks fuck it before he pitches forward to rest his forehead against hers, eyes slipping shut. she can feel the heat radiating from his cheeks, if her own aren't too hot to drown it all out]
Whatever you saw. . . [he trails off and swallows thickly]
Of course I'm okay. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.
[ It's really hard to tell in that moment if the blaze of feverish heat is coming from her or him, or both of them. She'd be willing to bet it's both, doing her utmost to not just wobble from the (extremely light) pressure and end up on her back again. She doesn't want that.
And slowly, Rion tells him, shaky-voiced and so desperate for even this connection that she's not bothering to complain that it's hot. ]
You were... everyone was-- destroyed. Thrown around, like rag dolls, and I didn't want to keep singing, but I couldn't stop, she said this was what I wished for--
[ And it's a thin crack in her already hoarse voice, a sob. ]
[his brows furrow, his mouth curling into an even deeper frown. he doesn't need details to understand what she saw, just from that description. she's told him enough to let him connect the dots already. his thumb brushes against her cheek, heading off any tears that may threaten to escape]
It wasn't real.
[he responds, voice firm]
It's not like that, and like hell it will ever be like that. [which is a sentiment he's already conveyed to her] . . . just focus on me until you can believe it.
[because he is real, and he'll be her anchor to reality, if that's what it takes]
[ It had felt real, enough of the dream patched together with Rion's memories (a room destroyed as she stood there, unresponsive, bodies lying splayed with their souls ripped from them, the angelic monster reaching for her).
But Akira was real. More real right now than anything else, she reminds herself, blinking away tears. When she reaches this time, it's less tentative, and it's just to brush his hair away from his burning hot forehead. ]
Getting sick hasn't made you any less confident, huh...
[his bangs are a little damp from the fever sweat, but otherwise. . . he doesn't at all pull away from her touch. despite her own illness, her hand is cool against his forehead, and his eyes slip shut as he lets out a deep breath]
Of course not.
[and that's said with a huffed laugh, raspy and rattling in Akira's lungs]
[ Ordinarily, if she was being hugged by her boyfriend, Rion would have wanted to have her hair in some semblance of order and not just spilling haphazardly down her back in messy waves. And she wouldn't have been exhausted or congested or sweaty or any of those other lovely things that came with being sick-- not to mention the emotionally vulnerable aspect of it.
But there's still some form of comfort she draws from this, and as he pulls her in, Rion slips her hands down and moves her arms around him to trace light circles on his back. Her head, as guided, plunks down on his shoulder.
If he's seen her like this, and still wants to be here, then maybe that's a good thing in the end. ]
... I thought you came here to sneak another nap in with me.
[ A tiny bit of sass, more like the typical Rion, but the softness of her voice betrays her. ]
[. . . and he laughs again, although this one unfortunately turns into a cough, deep and gross and extremely unpleasant. being sick sucks, but crouched here, with Rion tugged into his arms and resting against his shoulder, her hand drawing patterns against his back in a soothing manner, he feels pretty damn okay]
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It hadn't seemed so bad at first. She'd been tired, and achy, and a tad grumpy but Kou had moved himself in and it had been nice to have equally sick company. Except that she'd been asleep so much that she hadn't really had too many opportunities to chat with him, and when she had been awake, his teleporting had apparently kicked in and deposited him elsewhere. She'd wanted to find him, but two steps out of bed had led to her wobbling into a wall. And that hadn't gone well, so back into bed she'd gone.
Sleep was beginning to become something she dreaded, though. Not because it was boring (although it was) or she felt like she was losing out on the day (which she was), but because with sleep came nightmares. And those nightmares tended to cling, an impassively beautiful face staring at her and a taloned hand beckoning-- then gripping when Rion tried to draw back, and a cold voice continued to whisper
You wanted this you wished for this THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED
The room explodes, engulfed in flames, and she can hear them, the voices wailing in agony.
In actuality, none of this is happening, but Akira will still be able to make out a hoarse, strangled cry that would be a scream if Rion had the voice for it. ]
1/2
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[well, so much for being polite. because seconds after that scream reaches his ears, Akira is going to fling her bedroom door open and stumble inside, a. . . almost tripping over the edges of the blanket, but. not quite]
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And, from the way her eyes are squeezed shut, still not even awake. It doesn't appear to be stopping her from trying to break free from-- whatever has her in its grasp. ]
N-no...!!
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[he has to struggle to disentangle himself from his blanket (bringing it with him was a poor choice), but once he's free he trips forward until he's crouched at the side of her bed and]
Rion, hey. . .!
[he tries to grab the edges of her blankets and pull them away from her so she isn't fighting. . . whatever invisible enemy she sees]
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The sudden shift of the blankets and the rush of cool air, along with an additional voice (Akira's, but hadn't the angel - hadn't she killed him too?) finally jars Rion awake.
She's fever-flushed and glassy-eyed, both from the sickness and the tears finally streaming free, with her hair loose and curling in all directions. When she stares at Akira, though, she doesn't seem to recognize him, wobbling as she tries to at least push herself up into a seated position.
It's not that impressive; she has to plant both palms on the bed to hold her balance, and she's already shaking. ]
Please... stop, I don't want to... hurt anyone else...
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[. . . he was aware that three, almost four months, wasn't a very long time to know someone. and he was acutely aware that they still had so many things to learn about each other and experience together. but seeing her so completely vulnerable when he had seen nothing but strength from her so far completely rattles him]
[he's quiet for a moment, but then Rion pushes herself up and he moves, hands dropping to her shoulders. which may be a mistake, but when she looks like that, he can't help but reach out to her and try to ground her]
Rion, listen to me. You haven't hurt anyone.
[his voice is firm as he speaks]
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But it also seems to have done the trick, because when she looks at him, still trembling, still completely distressed-- there's recognition in that watery gaze. ]
Akira...?
[ There's hardly any substance to her voice. ]
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[Akira exhales sharply, relief slumping his shoulders, and his hands immediately slide from her shoulders to her cheeks, palms cupping her face gently]
Hey. . .
[he keeps her gaze locked with his own, eyes searching, full of worry. his own face is fever-flushed and red, and now that he isn't yelling or speaking sternly in her direction, it's easy to tell that his voice is hoarse and shaky. but he's ignoring the aches in his body to focus fully on her]
I've got you. . . you're okay.
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But if he's here and reassuring her, even as Rion additionally takes in that he's just as flushed and sick as she is, that means he'd seen...
Something like shame enters her gaze, wells up in her throat, and she sinks down a little further. She's not sure what she looks like, but she knows sheer worry when she sees it, and it's written all over his face. ]
I'm sorry.
[ It's all she can think to say-- well. Croak. ]
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It's okay. You don't have anything to apologize for.
Take a few minutes to breathe, okay?
[she might be back, but she still looks so rattled. he imagines she needs a moment to compose herself]
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So, instead, she takes his suggestion and takes a deep breath.
... And brings one hand up to muffle a cough, but that was probably to be expected. Okay. Okay, she can move past this, she can-- ]
Shouldn't you be resting?
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[he has a feeling he knows, but he won't ask. not yet]
I rested earlier. [not a lie!] And when I woke up, I decided to come check on you.
[and he's glad he did]
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To someone whose everything aches, however, face included, Akira's gentle touch is a welcome one. Rion's breathing, still shallow and congested, evens out just a bit, even if one hand lifts-- and lowers, like she's apprehensive about touching him.]
I... I'm so glad you're okay.
[ It's raw and open and she can still hear his scream mixed with the others. But he's here.
Or she's still hallucinating, but his hands are clammy and solid. ]
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Whatever you saw. . . [he trails off and swallows thickly]
Of course I'm okay. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.
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And slowly, Rion tells him, shaky-voiced and so desperate for even this connection that she's not bothering to complain that it's hot. ]
You were... everyone was-- destroyed. Thrown around, like rag dolls, and I didn't want to keep singing, but I couldn't stop, she said this was what I wished for--
[ And it's a thin crack in her already hoarse voice, a sob. ]
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It wasn't real.
[he responds, voice firm]
It's not like that, and like hell it will ever be like that. [which is a sentiment he's already conveyed to her] . . . just focus on me until you can believe it.
[because he is real, and he'll be her anchor to reality, if that's what it takes]
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But Akira was real. More real right now than anything else, she reminds herself, blinking away tears. When she reaches this time, it's less tentative, and it's just to brush his hair away from his burning hot forehead. ]
Getting sick hasn't made you any less confident, huh...
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Of course not.
[and that's said with a huffed laugh, raspy and rattling in Akira's lungs]
I don't see why it would.
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[ Slowly, tiredly, she leans into him, hand still resting against his forehead. ]
... Sorry, Akira. I guess I was more scared than I thought. I didn't mean to worry you.
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It's okay to be scared.
[he mutters quietly]
That's what I'm here for.
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But there's still some form of comfort she draws from this, and as he pulls her in, Rion slips her hands down and moves her arms around him to trace light circles on his back. Her head, as guided, plunks down on his shoulder.
If he's seen her like this, and still wants to be here, then maybe that's a good thing in the end. ]
... I thought you came here to sneak another nap in with me.
[ A tiny bit of sass, more like the typical Rion, but the softness of her voice betrays her. ]
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Would you say no if I asked?
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[ He's really had terrible luck with his cough, hasn't he? Rion's quiet for a few more seconds, still lightly rubbing his back. ]
At this point... we're probably not contagious to each other, but I'm not sure I want to sleep anytime soon.
[ As drained as she is, the nightmares are so much worse. ]
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[and he doesn't mean that in a flirty way, either]
. . . I can't tell how feverish you are right now but I bet you could use a cold washcloth.
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