Ginger Tea
January 29th 2016
by Esile the Raven, Characters by Yuusei Matsui

It was raining the other day, and seeing the ominous cloud the evening after his lectures are over, Karma feels that something is wrong. The day had gone peacefully, but he just has this...inkling of worry. He had been exchanging messages with Nagisa, but for some reason, he hasn't seen the bluenette for a tiny glimpse at campus today.

It's not that they'd always meet and have the same lunchbreak schedule—after all, they have different majors. It's just a feeling. A feeling that Karma has grown from years, being with Nagisa. So he ditched his campus building, and as suspected, after asking some of Nagisa's college friends, it appears that the bluenette has been absent from being sick.

Karma sighs, ruffling his red hair and using his other hand to start his engine. He reached his phone, scrolling through the messages he exchanged with Nagisa. The bluenette, as usual, doesn't give a hint about being sick—Karma knows that his boyfriend dislikes worrying others. Being with Nagisa trains his sensibility.

After dropping by a convenient store, he continues his drive to Nagisa's flat, just a few blocks away from the town's square. Taking his groceries, Karma calls Nagisa's number whilst pacing through the corridor, rushing at the sight of the opening elevator, and aborts his plan to call.

Reaching the fifth floor, he tries to call again, as he still has to walk several door to reach his destination. Karma's grown used to Nagisa's phone anxiety...especially when he's hiding something. The bluenette doesn't pick up. Karma stands in from of the 28th door, staring at his phone.

It vibrates, as he's expected. A new message. Nagisa apologizing, saying that he's in the kitchen. Which is bullcrap as far as Karma knows. But he plays along anyway, and messages him back, asking the bluenette to open the door for him.

It takes a while, Nagisa probably contemplating another lie, but he fails before he can even think about lying. The door is finally unlocked from the inside, and Nagisa reluctantly peeks from the gap, giving off a wry, apologetic smile.

"Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me, you nitwit," the redhead rolls his eyes, and intrudes in, making the host steps back before closing the door behind them. A large, warm hand gently grabs his head, Karma's thumb stroking the skin beneath his bangs and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Have you eaten anything?" he asks, his tone is gentle. Nagisa shakes his head, his mouth dry.

"I can't...bring myself to eat anything..."

"Figures. Why don't you go back to your room. I'll whip up something for you—and let's skip the usual banter this time. I have to. I want to, and I will take care of you, dear," Nagisa sulks his shoulders in defeat, but feels a bit uplifted when Karma kisses the top of his head, gently pushing him to the direction of his bedroom. Karma heads to the kitchen with his groceries.

Letting his bedroom door open, Nagisa lays himself on the mattress. His body feels uncomfortably hot. Sweaty, dizzy, and his limbs feel heavy. He tries to close his eyes, but that only intensifies his headache. He can't sleep, but he's very tired. He feels like throwing up, but he can't, because there's nothing to be thrown out of his system.

After a short while, a comforting aroma invades his room, and Karma arrives with a steaming cup of tea.

"You alright there?" Karma takes a seat on the edge of the bed, carefully setting the cup and saucer on the bed. Nagisa slowly shifts towards the edge as well and takes his cup, smelling the warmth of ginger aroma from his tea, and enjoying the way his boyfriend is stroking his cheek. "I'm making chicken soup and porridge, but it'll be a bit while. You want something else?"

The bluenette doesn't answer, enjoying his tea. The ginger tea quickly relieves his nausea and dizziness—the uncomfortable weight upon him is mostly lifted. Nagisa lets out a contended sigh.

"Taste good?"

"Tastes wonderful, thank you, Karma." He gives a weak smile—the best he can muster with his current headache. Karma shrugs and tries to kiss him again, only to have Nagisa dodging away.

"No...! I'm sick!"

"Oh God, you're so sick. What a sicko," Karma gives a fake shocked expression, rolls his eyes, and forces a kiss on the cheek anyways. Nagisa whimpers—not that he's unhappy or anything. "This is why you should call me right away when you feel sick, you bonehead."

"...Or what?"

"Or I can't noogie you and cuddle you and this sucks a lot."

"Oh boo hoo, get outta here! Hahaha!" Nagisa hits the redhead with a pillow, and they laugh. When the bluenette suddenly lets out a coughing fit, Karma helps him to drink his tea again, simultaneously massaging Nagisa's back whilst holding the cup. In a short while, Karma retreats back to the kitchen, and Nagisa's headache is mild enough for him to close his eyes.

Nagisa is good at backing up and taking care of others, but as he's selfless, he's bad at taking care of himself sometimes. Of course, he's a neat person—he folds his laundry, cleans up, and stuff, but every so often, he skips meals, exercise, or getting so busy to fill up on fruits or vegetables. It's because he lives alone. He used to have his mother ushering him for such things.

Karma, on the other hand, he's so used to living alone that he's very good at taking care of himself. However, it takes him a while longer and learning to understand Nagisa until he can take care of others. Being considerate wasn't exactly his forte, and if not for Nagisa, he wouldn't even have the word consideration in his book.

He still finds it difficult to be considerate towards a bigger number of audiences, but for now, maybe it's fine to be dedicated to someone. At least he feels love; he loves, and is loved. Karma returns to the bedroom with a tray of food, but Nagisa is already asleep. His temperature is too high, he can't be bothered to be under the blanket.

After putting a fever pack on the bluenette's forehead, Karma sets the tray on the nightstand and takes a seat by the bed, turning on the TV just to fill up the silence. He drops his head by Nagisa's hand, his own playing with the strands of beautiful blue.

"I know it's just a fever...but can't you stop pretending that everything's okay?" he murmurs gravelly. "At least to me?"

Nagisa opens his left eye to stare at him. "I live here to get away from my mother—why are you volunteering to be one?"

"Because I'm a MOMster."

"Aw shucks..."

"Hahaha..."

Nagisa huffs and closes his eyes again, falling asleep. It was a short slumber. For some reason, his heat is only getting worse, to the point that exchanging the fever pack doesn't help anymore. Karma offers to buy him some ice cream, as it usually works for him, but Nagisa whines while finishing his soup and porridge.

"Then what do you want, Mr. Fluff Puff?"

"I want ginger tea, Sir Momster Wannabe...I want some more of that...Please?" At this point, Nagisa isn't even trying to be cute, but Karma just wants to hug the hell out of the bluenette and promises to come with another cup of his special ginger tea.

Apparently, getting a bit of fever isn't all that bad. Not that bad at all.

And in all honesty, whatever happens to each of them, as long as they are together, it won't be bad at all.

What the heck. This was supposedta be a comedy stuff, why is it turning into some gay fluff puff I need help.

Kindly review if you have the time.