Dedicated to my sisters, who are just as in love with the anime as I am (and should be extrememly jealous as I've recently aquired the manga and plan to tear through it). Anyway, just a stupid, cute one-shot I came up with, texted bits and pieces to Oomara13 who demanded more.
His eyes are glassy and just so unfocused it's unsettling. Usually they're calculating, fixed on the one point in the room that maters most at all times no matter what it is and analyzing what makes it so.
But now, they're just dulled and dark, like a thin veil is covering them.
"Kyoya?" Tamaki says gently, reaching out a hand to touch a forehead warm enough to fry an egg.
Thus fever, where had it come from? It hadn't been there at lunch, or this morning, but it was here now as club activities started and Kyoya was finding it hard to do little more than collapse into chairs.
Tamaki squeezed his friend's shoulder, trying to capture his attention. He succeeded, those dull eyes slowly moving from their faraway gaze to squint at him.
"Hmm?" Kyoya grunted, cheeks flushed and, if Tamaki was hearing right, breathing just slightly labored.
Around then the other club members watch out of the corner of their eyes while entertaining their guests. Kyoya had slowly but surely found his work to become harder and harder and the opposite wall more and more entrancing. Finally he'd spaced out, and Tamaki was suddenly there in his face, asking inane questions if if he was airtight.
Well, maybe not inane… His stomach have a curious twist and Tamaki's hand was freezing as it was placed against his neck. Unconsciously, he leaned into the touch and found it was hard to pay attention to what was being said around him.
"He's burning up!"
"Must have caught what Renge had last week."
"Ah! Keep him away from me then! That's the last thing I need!"
"Ah! Keep him away from me then! That's the last thing I need!"
"Senpai? Shouldn't someone take him home?"
That last one rouses him enough to make Kyoya shake his head, causing dizziness to make him see spots but he continues on, arguing he's fine.
"Don't go making a big deal out of nothing! I'm fine!"
"Don't be an idiot!" Tamaki cries, causing the attention of a number of guests to be shifted in their direction, "You have a fever Kyoya! You should be laying down!"
"I have work-"
"That can wait!"
"Tamaki…" It isn't a method he likes to use often, but the thought of going home; of getting up and moving anywhere really, has Kyoya's knees threatening to buckle so he whines his friend's name softly. Besides, it's not that much work, if he can't move then he might as well do something useful till he can, right?
Evidently, Tamaki doesn't see it this way and he scowls darkly. Kyoya groans, leaning forward to rest his head in his ice-cold and clammy palms while the guests mutter amongst themselves, loving the exchange of brotherly concern between the two hosts.
It takes precious few tugs on Kyoya's arm before he's getting up. Turning, he stumbles into the table to try and father up his stuff but Honey-Senpai is already there, carefully packaging items into the school bag for him.
"We'll bring it by later." Mori instructs before Tamaki is pulling him out the door once again while bullying him into a winter jacket-much to the vanishing delight of the guests, who all whisper and mutter over the power of moe while Renge, who's off somewhere battling her own cold, probably feels her Otaku senses tingle.
The car is waiting outside for them, and Kyoya all but falls inside once the door is opened and Tamaki pushes him from behind. The leather seats are suddenly more comfortable than they were this morning and Kyoya leans back, his head swimming.
"Ootori residence please." Tamaki says, and his voice sounds so far away. There's a sound of confirmation and the car lurches into motion, lurching Kyoya's stomach into a knot in the process.
Tamaki looks back to his friend once they've pulled out of Ouran's school zone and sees he's slumped against the seat, a sweat broken out across his brow and his limbs trembling as he shakes.
"Kyoya? You okay?"
"I'm fine, but tell your driver to turn the AC off." Kyoya groans, his stomach giving another threatening twist.
Tamaki frowned, the AC was off. It was far to chilly outside for it to be on in the first place.
Kyoya made a sound of discomfort and raised his elbow to hack into it ungracefully for a full minute. Tamaki winced, it sounded like something was being torn apart in his best friends chest. Afterwards Kyoya groaned, head spinning and seeing more dark spots frame his vision.
"Maybe…there is something wrong." He whispered, voice broken and sounding weak.
"You think?" Tamaki snorted, earning a pout and a stuck out tongue from Kyoya.
"Oh lighten up," Tamaki chided playfully, "Besides, now you get to go home and relax! Doesn't that sound nice?"
"It would sound nicer if I didn't have three papers due tomorrow." Kyoya grumbled, "This is the worst time to get sick Tamaki, I still have to make the reservations for that garden decoration set we were going to use next week, and the florist never called back about those table arrangements for the dinner next month and the three assignments from history aren't gonna just do themselves! Not to mention-"
"Woah! Woah!" Tamaki cried, waving his hands back and forth, "Kyoya calm down, I'll take care of the reservations and the florist-"
"Hell no. You'll get our account with them canceled."
"I will not! I can handle a few calls!" Tamaki snapped, looking insulted.
"Do you remember what happened the last time you were in charge of reserving anything?"
"One, that was two years ago, two I was a child then, and three, you weren't even there! How did you know?!"
"Everyone knows. They have your picture beside their phone with a reminder to hang up immediately. You nearly got the manager to quit after seventy-five years of working there!" Kyoya paused in his laughter to hack into his elbow again before turning back to grin feverishly at Tamaki, "My father thought it made a good example of what not to do when trying to phone anywhere-of choose he had a hard time keeping a straight face because my sister and I were laughing so hard."
Tamaki sniffed, crossing his arms and turning to pout out the window. Kyoya laughed harder at the memory for a good five minutes before falling silent. When he did, Tamaki turned to see Kyoya had fallen back against the seat, eyes closed and a small frown on his face.
"Kyoya?"
"Stop the car." It was barely a whisper, Kyoya had turned paper white.
Tamaki looked outside again, trying to figure out how far away they were from the Ootori's. They had maybe five more minutes of driving.
"Are you sure? We're almost there-"
Kyoya lurches forward, covering his mouth and Tamaki screamed to stop the car. It jolted to a stop and Kyoya fought his way out three for and onto the frost covered grass where he collapsed. He shuddered, body confusing as lunch made an unplanned reappearance at his knees.
Tamaki had been quick to follow him out of the car and as Kyoya was sick he hurried forward to try and find a way to help. Kyoya's cheeks were burning, but Tamaki wasn't sure if that was the fever out embarrassment talking. At least they'd stopped by the side of a road nowhere near anything residential.
He waited a few minutes, allowing Kyoya to get his bearings before he tentatively reached out to touch his shoulder.
"Can you stand?" He asked, knowing asking anything close to how he was would probably end with something connecting with his face.
Kyoya tightened his jaw, stomach far from settled, and gave a small and weak nod. The next thing he knew, he was bring hoisted up by his armpits and Tamaki was leading, more like dragging, him towards the car. Together they somehow piled inside, Kyoya's face resting against the cold window and Tamaki squeezing his arm as the car began to move again and Kyoya groaned.
"We're almost there, just hold on until then okay?" Tamaki said, sounding far to upbeat and encouraging for it to be real. Then again, knowing it was Tamaki who was talking maybe he really was that upbeat and encouraging…
Kyoya turned to give his best friend a glower and caught the tremor of fear hiding in Tamaki's eyes as he caught sight of that pale, sweaty complexion. It was like someone had washed away all the color in Kyoya's face and now he was left with a blank, white slate.
The car turned a little to fast and Kyoya felt bile and saliva pool in his mouth, jaw tightening as if in preparation for things to come. A hand over his lips sent Tamaki panicking, looking out the window for hedges and other suitable places to be sick and checking his phone to see how much longer the drive was supposed to take. He'd ask the driver to speed up but he worried what that would do to Kyoya's stomach.
"K-Kyoya?" Tamaki grimaced as Kyoya bent foreward in his seat, shoulders shaking and a rasping cough muffled by his hands. Kyoya couldn't find it in himself to reply, and instead continued to shiver as the chills made themselves comfortable in his arms and back, the muscles aching from the exertion.
"You cold?" Tamaki asked, sounding careful, as if with one wrong word he'd send everything spiraling into disaster. Kyoya managed a nod, his head spinning. His head and stomach hurt, he was to hot and yet he was frozen, and everything just ached! His eyes slipped closed as he felt his body tear itself apart, wishing that this little personal hell would just stop somehow.
"Here," Tamaki said quickly, and before Kyoya could even think he was being pulled closer to Tamaki, the latter's coat somehow finding it's way over his shoulders to cover his own as Tamaki's arm slips around to draw Kyoya closer.
"Idiot!" Kyoya managed to cry, cheeks colored in rage, exhaustion, and fever.
"It's just body heat!" Tamaki laughed before drawing closer to Kyoya's face, fingers sliding seductively up his chin, "Although if you want… it could be more… Mommy."
A slap resonated across the car so sharp even the driver winced.
"I was only joking!" Tamaki wailed, holding his stinging cheek as Kyoya shuffled to the other side of the car.
"You are an idiot." Kyoya snapped, leaning his forehead against the cold window. He sighed, eyes slipping closed again and wishing the car would stop moving.
Tamaki sighed, leaning against his own window and watching the scenery pass by outside as they drove until finally the driver pulled into the Ootori gates.
"Kyoya?" Tamaki shook his friend's arm gently, frowning as Kyoya didn't stir and continued to breathe evenly, creating a circle of condensation against the window, "Kyoya?"
"I'd give up now," Tachibana said from Tamaki's door, having opened it while the blonde teenager was otherwise preoccupied, "When he's out, he's out."
"I know, but still." Tamaki groaned, dragging his friend across the backseat so that he and Tachibana could work to get him out of the car. They slid Kyoya's arms across their shoulders and began to drag him forward, towards the house where Fuyumi held the door open, looking distressed.
"Is he alright?" She cried, eyes wide and glassy.
"Yeah," Tamaki smiled cheerily, host smile slipping into place as easily as breathing, "Just fell asleep in the car is all."
A snort issued from inside the house, where Akito stood leaning against the wall watching.
"I swear, he's gonna fall asleep standing up one day," Kyoya's older brother grinned as Fuyumi slapped at his arm. Tachibana, Tamaki, and the sleeping Kyoya walked past, Tamaki snorting at the mental image.
"That'd be horrible." Tamaki grinned as Tachibana rolled his eyes.
Entering Kyoya's room, Tamaki and Kyoya's servant had a time of it trying to lug the highschooler up the bedroom's inner stairs and to bed, where he was thrown under the covers and tightly tucked in by Tamaki, who laughed that Daddy had to tuck Mommy in for the night.
Kyoya made a few cough influenced muttering sounds, turning over in his sleep and hugging the pillow close to his body.
"I'll call the doctor and his father," Tachibana volunteered, heading for the stairs, "I'm sure his sister is making something so if you get hungry don't worry."
"Alright," Tamaki grinned, sitting on the edge of his best friend's bed, "I'll watch him for a while, don't worry yourself."
Kyoya would cough in his sleep from time to time, sometimes sounding like he was choking and Tamaki would lean over and roughly pat him on the back to try and help clear his airways. At one point Kyoya seemed to wake up just a little, although a sleep addled fevered brain made for some interesting newly-conscious conversation.
"How ya feeling?" Tamaki grinned as the dark haired Shadow King sat up.
"Cold…" Kyoya said through chattering teeth, a sweat had built up along his brow and a few drops of perspiration slipped down his forehead. He blinked groggily, looking around the room both in confusion and a sort of faraway, lost expression.
"Want to change into your pajamas?" Tamaki asked, holding out a set of clothes for his friend, "Probably more comfortable than your uniform."
"Can't… to tired…"
"Oh come on Kyoya." Tamaki whined, "Here, just pull it on and I'll throw your uniform in the hamper for you. Real easy, just put these on."
"Can't."
"Why?"
"I'm already wearing clothes…" Kyoya gazed sleepily down at the rumpled school blazer, "Wrong ones though…"
"That's why you need to change them."
"But I'm tired!" Kyoya whined, going to flop backwards into the pillows but Tamaki stopped him.
"If your fall back you'll be asleep in seconds." Tamaki frowned, forcing the pajama set into Kyoya's hands and shoving him forward, tearing the blanket from the bed and dragging it with him, "You can have this back when you're wearing the proper sleep wear."
"Tamaki!"
"Love you too Mommy." Tamaki said, descending the stairs and out of sight. He listened as a number of grunts and what sounded like a couple side table objects met violently with the floor.
"What number alarm clock is that this month?" Tamaki called from Kyoya's couch.
"Five." Was the tired reply before an Ouran High School blazer and a pair of black pants came flying at Tamaki's head. Tamaki screamed, rushing to get out from under the dirty clothes but was unsuccesful as a pants leg covered his eyes and he tripped over the couch. Picking himself up, Tamaki was quick to dump the offending clothes in the hamper before dashing back up the stairs and diving into the bed beside Kyoya.
"Out." Kyoya snapped, pushing at Tamaki's body but to no avail.
"Sleep over!" Tamaki declared, making himself comfortable.
"No." Kyoya growled before descending into a coughing fit.
"Oh come on." Tamaki groaned, sitting up, "Having a fever is no fun by yourself."
"For one thing, you'll get sick." Kyoya groaned, voice rough, "For another, I don't need you here when all I plan to do is sleep."
"I'm probably already gonna get sick just because I took you home." Tamaki sighed, falling back into the pillows and bouncing the bed, "And do you really want to be cooped up in this house with only your siblings to keep you company?"
As if summond like the devil, Kyoya's door opened and they heard a number of footsteps.
"Kyoya!" Came Akito's far to chipper voice, "We brought a doctor!"
"How are you feeling?" Fuyumi asked, running up the stairs and nearly tackled Kyoya as she felt his forehead.
"Probably as crappy as he looks." Akito sighed, "By the way, Dad said to go straight to sleep, he doesn't want you to miss to much school."
"He also said he was coming home to check on you as soon as his meeting lets out." Fuyumi was quick to add, glaring at Akito as he dumped himself on the bed across Tamaki and Kyoya's legs.
"Great." Kyoya croaked, "Wonderful. Can I go to sleep now?"
"Well of course!" Fuyumi cried, hurrying to pull her older brother to his feet, "We'll leave you two alone. The doctor will be here in the morning."
"Lovely…" Kyoya groaned, turning on his stomach and nuzzling into his pillow.
"Well, night Kyoya." Tamaki grinned, snatching one of the blue pillows and the third blanket from the bedspread before rolling off the bed and onto the floor where he curled up.
"At least go sleep on the couch." Kyoya groaned through his bedding.
"But then I can't check up on you as easily." Tamaki whined, "And Daddy can't leave Mommy in such a state!"
"Stop calling me that."
"Never!"
Kyoya contemplated launching a pillow at Tamaki's head but decided losing a pillow wasn't worth it. Sighing, he turned and hit the light switch, drowning his large room in semi-darkness as the twilight shined through the windows. From the floor he could hear soft, probably fake because, well, Tamaki, snoring and was jealous Tamaki was out so fast, or was pretending to, which was weird but he was to tired to really care that much; of course those were his last thoughts as he was quickly drowned in his own darkness as peaceful sleep enveloped him.
From the floor, Tamaki grinned before turning over to sleep.