It wasn't often that the five Strahl Candidates missed their classes. In fact one could argue that they never missed class. So when one of them, the least likely one at that, did miss class it did not go unnoticed.

"Why wasn't Lui in class today?" Orphe asked Naoji as they all made their way to the greenhouse. "He missed all of them. That's not like him."

Naoji was just as confused as Orphe was. He honestly didn't know why Lui had missed his classes. He couldn't deny how it worried him though. "I'm not sure." Naoji confessed. "I'll check on him later, though I can't imagine why he would miss his classes."

When they made it to the greenhouse, Ed showed that he wasn't going to let Lui's absence ruin anyone's good time. He continued to joke and laugh and goof around as he would do any day. Naoji wasn't sure if he was trying to lift his and Camus' spirits, but as much as the two of them tried to hide it, it was obvious they were worried about Lui. They smiled and laughed and pretended to feel better as Ed did his best to cheer them up.

However, when night fell he could do nothing to make them feel better. They went their separate ways to their rooms except for Naoji, who went to pay Lui a visit. His worry made him forget about bringing any tea to him and he knocked lightly but hurriedly on Lui's door. When there was no answer he got even more worried. Not even so much as a call to let him know anyone was inside….

Naoji couldn't help himself as he closed his eyes and opened the door. The room was dark on the inside so he felt around for any source of light.

"Don't."

Naoji instantly stopped as he heard someone speak. It was definitely Lui, but he sounded tired. Something wasn't right at all.

"Don't turn on the lights," Lui said in barely a whisper. Naoji obeyed him as he shut the door behind him, carefully making his way to Lui's bed. When he was halfway there Lui started coughing harshly. Naoji immediately ran to his side and touched his back, feeling his body shake with every cough.

"Lui…."

It took a few moments for Lui to finally stop coughing though he was still wheezing and gasping deeply. Naoji went to the windows and opened the curtains to let the moonlight shine through. He knew there would be enough light for him to see his friend well, but not enough to make him uncomfortable.

Naoji returned to Lui's side to see his figure strewn about the bed. His hair was a mess, nearly covering the entire pillow and some of the upper portion of the bed. He was still breathing hard and with each breath came a small, barely noticeable moan with it. Naoji gently place the back of his hand to Lui's forehead and held it there. His skin felt moist and clammy and on closer inspection his clothes were drenched in sweat.

"We should take you to see the nurse," Naoji said, ready to help Lui up and take him wherever he needed to go.

"No, I want to stay here."

A brief look of aggravation crossed Naoji's face though it was quickly lost as Lui coughed a few more times. This wasn't any time to be stubborn….

"You're really sick, Lui. I think it would be best to take you to the nurse."

However, Lui just turned to his side, his back facing the Japanese boy. Naoji quickly walked to the other side of the bed and bent down to look Lui in the eyes. It broke his heart to see his friend in this state and he wanted nothing more than to help, but what could he do if his friend refused his offers for assistance?

"I want tea." Lui said slowly. He began coughing again and he buried his face in his pillow to muffle the sound. Naoji just shook his head, concern overflowing his body. He gently stroked Lui's hair until his coughing fit ended.

"You don't need tea right now. Let me take you to the nurse, please."

But Lui just shook his head. "No, I want your tea, Naoji. It can help me."

Naoji almost scoffed. How could tea possibly help him now? Naoji was about to argue again when he realized Lui was right. Tea most definitely could help. How could he have forgotten one of the most common traditions of his homeland? Tea wasn't drunk just for the taste of it. There were herbal teas that could help with various illnesses. Perhaps Naoji could whip something up for his friend and hopefully help him out some.

"I'll be right back." Naoji told Lui gently. "I'll have some tea for you."

It hurt him to leave as he heard Lui begin coughing again. How did he get so sick? He was fine just yesterday as far as Naoji remembered. He hadn't been complaining of a cough or his throat being sore, but then again Lui didn't complain much about anything. He certainly wouldn't let on that he was feeling sick, though Naoji wished he had confided in him. Perhaps he could have helped prevent the severity of the illness with some of his herbal teas.

However, it was too late to bother thinking about those things. Naoji quickly put together some tea using herbs he had brought with him from Japan. He was never happier that he had this knowledge; it would come in handy a lot more than he thought it would. Before he even realized he had finished making the tea he had already put it all on a tray and set out for Lui's room.

"Lui?" Naoji called gently. He walked into the room and set the tray down on the table, listening to the sounds of Lui's short and gasping breaths. Each breath sounded wheezy and difficult and Naoji could only shake his head, wondering why his friend refused to tell him ahead of time that he was feeling unwell.

"I have the tea you asked for." Naoji poured a cup and made his way to the bed. "It's not your usual tea. It's an herbal remedy from Japan. It should help your cough and it should also soothe your sore throat."

Naoji gently sat down on the bed and did his best to help Lui sit up. Moving so much caused Lui to begin coughing harshly again. He bent over from his sitting position and tried his best to muffle the sounds, though it was pointless. Naoji rubbed Lui's back in circles, knowing it wouldn't do much to help his coughing, but hoping it would at least raise his spirits a bit. When the coughing finally calmed down Lui lifted his tired body up, but instantly fell against Naoji. Naoji held him and let Lui rest his head on his shoulder.

"Drink this. It'll help some," Naoji said gently. He stroked Lui's long hair and used his other hand to lift the cup to Lui's mouth. Lui's hands instantly went around the cup and as shaky as they were they helped Naoji navigate to his mouth to let the liquid flow in. Naoji supposed his friend didn't want to seem completely helpless.

"It's good," Lui said after he had finished. Naoji was pleased to hear he liked it, though he still wanted to ask why Lui refused to let him know about how sick he was.

"You've been feeling this coming on for a while, haven't you?" Naoji asked. "One doesn't get so sick overnight. I'm sure you've been feeling the symptoms for a few days now."

Lui seemingly ignored his question as he slid down and held Naoji around his waist while resting his head on his lap. Naoji still ran his fingers through Lui's hair, undoing some of the tangles that appeared since he hadn't brushed his hair that day. His breathing was still wheezy, but in general his breathing had calmed down. He wasn't gasping or harshly taking in air like he was before.

"You'll fall asleep easier," Naoji said. "I put a sleeping herb in the tea along with the medicinal herbs so it won't be as difficult for you to sleep tonight."

"It would be foolish of you to stay here while I'm sick," Lui said, his voice tired and raspy.

"I'm going to stay regardless."

"I didn't tell you to leave. I just said you were being foolish."

Naoji smiled and nodded, knowing Lui couldn't see it. After sometime had passed Naoji could sense that Lui had fallen asleep. His breathing was more even and steady and though it was still wheezy, it did sound better. He hoped his tea would be able to cure him of whatever sickness plagued him and from the looks of it he had at least somewhat succeeded.

Naoji woke the next morning with his back and neck stiff from sleeping in an upright position. He stretched his neck as best as he could and looked down to see Lui still asleep on his lap. He gently moved him, but froze as he let out a few small coughs. Luckily he still seemed to be asleep. Naoji took the opportunity to feel his forehead. It wasn't as warm as it was during the night and he wasn't as clammy either. Looking at his face Naoji could tell he would be feeling much better. He gave himself a pat on the back for making an excellent remedy. However, classes were starting and Naoji wanted to run to his room to freshen up so he left Lui for the rest of the day, confident that when he returned to him he would be feeling much better.

When classes were over for the day and night had fallen Naoji once again visited Lui in his room. He had brought along with him the same herbal tea from the night before, hoping Lui wouldn't be too stubborn in taking it.

"How are you feeling?" Naoji asked. He noticed Lui was sitting at the table and that he was dressed in different pajamas. That was definitely a good sign.

"Better. That tea of yours was extremely helpful."

"I'm glad. I brought more for you today. You won't feel completely better for a few days, but drinking this will certainly speed up the recovery process."

Neither of them said a word as Naoji poured the tea. Lui graciously took it and slowly drank it, watching Naoji do the same with his tea. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed the way Naoji was swallowing.

"How is your throat?"

The question took Naoji off guard. He thought he was hiding it well, but it wasn't often that he could hide anything from Lui.

"It's a little sore," he answered truthfully. "I'm catching the sickness before it can get any worse. I'm drinking lots of tea and I saw the nurse so she could give me some medicine."

Lui stared at him for a moment longer before getting up and heading to his bed. "You may leave," he said with a few coughs following it. He brought the covers to his face and snuggled deep within the warmth of the blanket.

"If you don't mind I would prefer to stay here with you. I want to make sure you're really okay. I even brought my nightclothes with me so I can stay…if you don't mind…." Naoji said in a small and hesitant voice. Just when Naoji was sure Lui was done with him he heard his friend say something.

"Foolish."

Naoji smiled, recognizing that as a yes. He quickly changed his clothes and debated between sleeping the chair or in the bed with Lui. He wasn't exactly sure what Lui would want. He sat in the chair although there was an immediate response to that.

"Do you plan on sleeping there? You're already here and getting sick so you might as well share the bed with me."

Not wanting to make Lui anymore agitated, Naoji stood and made his way over to the bed. He crawled in and couldn't deny that he was never extremely comfortable sharing a bed with another person. However, Lui was a lot more affectionate than he ever could have imagined. As soon as he got in the bed Lui wrapped his arms around his waist and hid his face in his neck. Naoji tensed though he figured if he had to be in this position with anyone he would want it to be Lui. He calmed down and moved the hair away from Lui's face so he could touch his cheeks and forehead. He was still warm but it was a lot better than the day before. He was sure that by morning Lui would be feeling like his old self. As he fell asleep he smiled and thought about how Lui would take care of him when he inevitably would get sick as well.

Not exactly one of my favorite stories I've written. I keep thinking how it could be better and at the same time I just can't get it to be better, you know? I think this is as good as it's gonna get so if you like it please let me know haha. Thanks for reading ^_^