Title: Fever of Love

Summary: "I've got a fever that feels like a billion degrees and rising, so what makes you think that you can do something to help?!" "Well, Kitten, you should know that you're burning up because of me..." (KxI, one-shot.)

"Achoo!" Ichigo grimaced before wiping her nose on a nearby tissue. She had lost track over how many she had used in the past few hours. Just a few days ago, Ichigo had gotten a cold verging on a fever. Things were not looking good: her condition ranged hourly from stuffy nose to runny nose, her head felt like it was about to fall off and she became dizzy if she sat up too quickly. The room felt like it was on fire, and Ichigo was almost sure she was too. And all of this had started just two days ago. Her mother prohibited her from going to school until her cold was completely gone, and they had sent in a call to the doctor's office yesterday. Still, there was no answer and Ichigo sat waiting for the phone to ring.

So far, it hadn't. And it didn't look like it was going to soon, either.

She groaned, rolling over in her bed and throwing the tissue box across the room. All was quiet, except for her breathing. Sighing, Ichigo grumbled, "Stupid cold," before walking over to her window to snatch the box back. And then, the phone rang. Ichigo dropped the tissue box, and it landed to the floor with a muted "crash!"

"Finally!" Ichigo cheered, jumping up and down as she raced to get the phone on the third ring. She clutched the table, feeling dizzy.

"Momomiya Ichigo?" A warm and smooth voice greeted her on the phone.

"Hai!" Ichigo said happily. Thank gosh, she thought, I finally got a call back from the doctor's office... How long can it take to get a stupid appointment?!

The voice became soothing and calming. "We're so sorry, but we have no openings until next week. How does next Wednesday sound? We can fit you in at 9:00 AM..."

"NEXT WEDNESDAY?!" Ichigo shrieked, the phone dropping out of her fingers to the floor. She picked it up, fuming.

"We're very sorry, but we've been very busy lately. It is flu season, you know."

"Tell me something I don't know," Ichigo mumbled under her breath, wiping her nose on her pajama sleeve.

"Pardon me?" The woman on the other end questioned.

"Just never mind," Ichigo sighed, "forget the appointment."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, thanks anyway."

"Alright then... Goodbye and have a nice day!"

"Yeah, you too."

Plopping back on her bed and snuggling under the covers, Ichigo screamed, "I HATE MY LIFE!"

A pair of hands reached in front of her, wrapping themselves around her. "You don't sound like yourself today, Kitten... Usually you're all happy and perky and loving your life, but that's not it. Your voice is kind of nasal, too..."

"Kish!" Ichigo shouted, springing up in her bed and turning around to look at him. He lazily wagged his fingers at her, grin on his face. "How the heck did you get back there?!"

He shrugged, propping himself up on an elbow. "I don't know, honey, I guess I'm just good like that..." He frowned. "Hey, you don't look yourself either. I mean, you're still my kitty-cat of course but you look kind of... Sick."

Ichigo balled her fists together in anger. "That because I am sick, you baka!"

"Oh, my poor Koneko-chan is sick!" Kish sighed mockingly, reaching a hand forward to touch her forehead before jerking his hand away as if he had been struck by fire. "Wow, you're burning up!"

"You think?" Ichigo mumbled, crossing her arms. "Now get out."

Kish winked at her. "Why would I do that? I came to see you. We had such a good time the other day, y'know..."

Ichigo threw a pillow at him. "Because I'm really not in the mood to see you right now! It's all your fault that I'm sick."

"No," Kish protested, unsuccessfully attempting to put an arm around her.

Ichigo rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Besides you might get sick, too!"

Kish smirked. "Oh so you care about my health, Koneko-chan?"

Ichigo turned bright red. "N-no! Not like that!"

"Relax, Kitty-cat," Kish laughed, stretching before nestling back onto her pillows before sending her a look of triumph, "I don't get sick."

"Ugh, get off my bed and get out," Ichigo moaned, clutching her head, "I hate this, my nose is stuffy again..."

Kish got a sneaky look in his eyes. "Hey, Koneko-chan?"

"What?" Ichigo groaned before blowing her nose.

"What if I knew how to get rid of your cold?"

It was quiet. And then Ichigo exploded at him, "My nose is stuffy and then runny, I feel like I'm dying--"

"Don't die on me, Koneko-chan!"

"-- and you're just making me feel worse! I've got a fever that feels like a billion degrees and rising, so what makes you think that you can do something to help?!"

"Well, Kitten, you should know that you're burning up because of me..." Ichigo smacked him. "Ow!" Kish whined, rubbing his head. "That hurt, Kitten!"

"Whatever," Ichigo sighed, "look, Kish, just get out of here, okay?"

"I really do know a way to help you get over your fever though," he insisted.

"Okay," Ichigo huffed, turning to face him, "what's the catch?"

"What catch?" Kish asked innocently.

Ichigo sneezed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! You're not going to do anything for nothing."

"Well," Kish said sneakily, placing a finger on his chin and winking at her, "now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind getting a kiss for payment, Kitten..."

Ichigo looked at him blankly. "Out."

"But, Kitten!"

"Get out, now. I don't care how bad this fever gets, but you're not going to kiss me!"

"Koneko-chan, you said you might die!"

"I was being sarcastic, idiot!"

"But Koneko--"

"Fine!" Ichigo bellowed with a force that surprised both herself and him. Her voice echoed, and the tissue box fell down again from her side, as she shouted, "Fine! Cure me then! Give me your worst! Besides, there's nothing you can do to help..." Calming down slightly, chest heaving, she continued, "Yeah, there's nothing... nothing you can do... to help."

Kish blinked a couple times in surprise and pleasure before answering, "Oh, wow, Kitten... I never knew you had it in you."

"Wuah..." Ichigo moaned. "What have I done?"

Kish chuckled before walking away from her, and Ichigo panicked since she couldn't see him. "Where are you going? Uh, Kish?!" When she received no answer, she sighed and leaned back on a pillow.

Faintly, she heard a crash (or two... or maybe even three, unless that really loud one was the sound of a door closing followed by a word of anger) and then, there he was. Kish laughed before poking his head out the door. "Hey, don't worry, like I said, I'll cure you!"

"I doubt it," Ichigo mumbled. Looking up, she jumped. "Whoa!"

Kish's eyes, barely a hair away from her, bored into her. The golden color was all she could see, surprised as she was. Her heartbeat sped up from the shock, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out again. "Relax," Kish breathed, "have a little faith in me, Kitten. I said I would help you." His lightheartedness came back in his next comment as he held a small cup filled with red liquid, and his enthusiastic voice surprised her as he said, "Here, Koneko-chan, drink this!"

Ichigo scrunched up her nose. "I don't even know what's in that!"

"I said to trust me," he reminded her.

"I'm not drinking that until I know what's in it!"

"Medicine," Kish snapped, "okay?" Seeing her look of confusion, he added, "And yes, I know what it is!"

"Never mind, I just... should have thought of medicine," she muttered.

"Huh?"

"Okay, I'll take," Ichigo said cautiously, taking it from him. With one last glance, she stalled for a few moments and swallowed. "Yuck!" Ichigo spat.

"What is it?" Kish asked, worried.

"It's nothing," she groaned, "I just hate cherry... It tastes funny. I wish they made strawberry flavored."

Kish appeared amused. "You're funny, Kitten."

"Now what?" Ichigo asked him, starting to become irritated

"Oh, um, yeah," said Kish, seemingly distracted for a second or two, "food."

"What?"

"You'll need food, right?" He prompted.

"Oh, sure, I, uh, guess so," Ichigo said, "I mean, I am kind of hungry..."

"Right on it... Just try to take a nap or something, alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, it just... Might take a while."

"I'll get something then," Ichigo sighed, starting to get up.

"No!" Kish bellowing. Taking in Ichigo's startled face, he continued, "It's fine, I've got this... I want... toproveicantakecareofyou."

"Excuse me?!"

"To prove I can take care of you!" It was quiet, silent with the exception of Ichigo's breathing through her mouth and Kish's own ragged breaths. "I'll get started now," he finished quietly.

"Kish..." Ichigo whispered as he left the room. It's sort of sweet of him, I guess. To take care of me and all. But why? He has to have something up his sleeve... Or maybe he just wants to. But that's not like him. He wouldn't do something unless he had something planned, right? Well, I guess that kiss counts. Yeah, what am I talking about?! That kiss totally counts! Of course he'd do something like that... That big, big jerk! And he, I bet, he...

"Why so mad?" Kish asked from next to her. "Something I do?"

"Yes!" Ichigo shouted. "That's exactly it! Get out, you creep!"

"But, Kitten, I just--"

"Out! Out! Out!" She chanted, until she caught the whiff of... "Soup?"

Kish smirked. "Want some?"

Ichigo's stomach growled, and she bit her lip. "Yes..."

"You're forgetting something..."

"Please?" Ichigo added angrily.

"Nope. Tell me what was the matter."

"Just give me the soup!" Ichigo's hands reached for the cup, but he kept it out of her grip. "That's why, you jerk!" He appeared unphased, but Ichigo knew her words had affected him. "Because you can be such a loser, like you are right now! Give me that! I mean, even if you have to feed me soup just give it to me..." Ichigo's eyes grew dim as Kish's became bright and happy. "But don't get any ideas."

"Say ah," Kish instructed her. Ichigo glared, before taking a sip from the spoon. "Look, it was a good idea of yours." It went on for some time, Kish talking to her from time to time, grin forever present on his face, until one comment caught her off guard, "Last sip... You know how much I love you, right?" She choked, and Kish's hands rapped on her back. Finally, she swallowed."You okay?"

"Ugh, yeah," Ichigo murmured. "Sorry about that."

"You know what, Kitten? You scared me there. Don't do something like that again." He smiled before placing the dish and bowl aside and placing his fingers around a thermometer. "But it's moments like that when I don't know how I lived without you. When you need me."

… What?

"And I'll just take your temperature now..." She was vaguely aware of a slight touched in her mouth, lost in a fog, before Kish's voice snapped her out of her daze. "You're normal."

"What?"

He laughed, fondling her red hair again. "You're going to be okay now. I cured you."

Slowly, a huge smile came upon Ichigo's face. With boundless energy, she raced to the mirror. Hesitantly, she touched her no longer red nose. She smelled the air for the first time in what felt like weeks. Ichigo cleared her throat, only to find that there was nothing in it. "It's gone!" She coughed. "Well, almost. Not quite, but it'll be gone soon!"

Kish smiled slightly at her obvious excitement, but looked impatient. He tapped his foot on the floor before teleporting over to her and wrapping an arm possessively around her shoulder, he prompted, "So, I guess now is when you kiss me?"

Ichigo blinked a few times, cheeks turning bright red. "Uhhh..." Well, I guess it was part of the deal... But I...

"Come on, Koneko-chan," Kish laughed, but the impatient glimmer remained in his eyes, "are you gonna kiss me or what? It's the least you can do..."

Ichigo wrinkled her nose, and turned her head away. "I know, but still..."

Kish sighed, and an expression that Ichigo could only describe as between frustration and past sadness. "Even after all I did, you don't want to kiss me?"

Ichigo huffed, "All you did was feed me soup, which YOU forced on me because I totally could have done it myself, and then give me medicine that I had in the house! You didn't do anything!"

Kish waved a hand carelessly through the air as if she didn't understand what he had done for her. "How about if I kiss you? I'm not leaving without that kiss."

Ichigo paused. "Um, I..."

He didn't hesitate. Kish leaned forward, smirk clearly visible on his lips, and kissed her. Ichigo blinked a few times as he savored her lips against his, and she was unable to pull away. What? Quicker than she expected, he broke the kiss.

"You're right, Kitten, I didn't do anything," Kish agreed, closing his eyes and smiling a smile that shed rainbows. In the light, with such sheer happiness on his face and not a trace of evil, he looked almost...

Handsome, Ichigo thought.

"But I didn't do anything. Not really. You see, Koneko-chan, it was all you," he whispered in her ear, "All you really needed was some love, some care, and some attention. And I'll be there whenever you need me for that. That's a promise, Kitten." It took Ichigo a second to process what he had said, and then the mood changed. "You're fever's going down now," Kish told her, smiling, "you should be better by tomorrow morning."

"Th--" Ichigo yawned, trying to forget about what happen. Her cheeks brightened as she relived the moment, her eyes as frenzied as Kish's despite the fact she was suddenly so tired.

"It's getting pretty late," Kish sighed, "you should probably go to sleep now."

"That's a good idea," Ichigo said sleepily.

"Yeah, I'm full of good ideas," Kish laughed. "Anyway, I'll watch over you while you sleep."

Ichigo fluffed up her pillows before pulling the covers tightly over her. "You don't need to do that. Trust me, I'll be just fine."

"No, that's okay," he insisted, "I want to, Koneko-chan."

She giggled, sleep slowly beginning to take over her. "That's kind of sweet of you, Kish." He beamed. "Mm, Kish?

"Yeah, Koneko-chan?"

"Thank you," Ichigo whispered before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Kish smirked and stroked her hair before wrapping an arm around her. He pushed her closer to him and she nestled beside him immediately. Kish chuckled. "I know you're not awake now, but anytime, Koneko-chan, anytime..." He took one last kiss, one that he thought was unbeknown to her but in the end would become one of her fondest memories, before becoming content with just sitting there and watching her rest.

"Drink this," Pai sighed.

"Thanks," Kish mumbled before taking a sip, voice accented and nasal. He scrunched up his face in disgust.

Pai raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you didn't get sick..."

"Achoo!" Kish went to speak, but sneezed in the process. The impact of his sneeze rocked the floor and, after Pai steadied himself, Kish grinned dreamily. Hastily, he wiped his runny nose.

"What is it?" Pai said expectantly, voice flat and a glimmer of irritation almost present in his eyes.

"Well, Pai," Kish laughed after blowing his nose, "I prefer to call this a fever of love..."

Pai gave him an incredulous look. "All of that, taking care of her, just to get a fever?"

"Yeah," Kish sighed, "but it was totally worth it..."

A/N: Aw, how cute. :) Kish gets his kiss, and a KxI relationship moment is born! I wish I could have posted this so much sooner, but words can't describe how busy I've been... Sorry for all but ditching you guys. :P This was all I had time to write, it's not even revised or anything.

Anyway, I've been in a fluffy mood as of right now and figured now was the time to post this. This could be a sequel to Jump, if anything, or stand alone. Besides, the Ichigo getting something or other and Kish helping her out was just too cliché NOT to use. Gosh, "Fever of Love," has to be my cheesiest title ever, haha. Oh man, but as soon as I wrote that line of Kish's I just thought "this has to be the title!"

So, yay for cheesiness and spreading a little love in the world, even if it results in getting a cold or a fever... :)

~ Bunny,

Fireflies Glow