Disclaimer: Love Live not mine ^_^

Maki tiredly opened her eyes, and the first thing she noticed was that her entire body felt so heavy. After her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, she managed, with a bit of effort, to turn her head and stare at the clock on her bedside table, and was a bit surprised to see how late it was. She mentally calculated how much time she'd need to be able to get ready so she could make it on time for her shift at the hospital. She slowly struggled to sit up and push herself towards the bathroom.

'Umi's not back yet. I better hurry or else she'll come home and see me like this.' It was obvious that the redhead wasn't feeling well. Usually, she'd be up earlier to get ready, and by the time she's ready to leave, Umi would come back from her morning run just in time to see her off.

The doctor managed to get ready as fast as her body allowed and carefully made her way to the dining table to pack the breakfast Umi made for her so she could eat it at the hospital instead since she's running late already. Apparently she wasn't fast enough, for she heard the front door open and close, Umi's footsteps making their way towards her. Maki quickly and messily placed the packed food inside her bag and decided to just leave the dishes on the sink, hoping that she could evade Umi without too much questions.

"Maki? Good morning. You seem to be running late today. Is everything okay?" the bluenette asked as she glimpsed the dirty dishes placed haphazardly on the sink and took in her partner's rather unkempt appearance. The redhead tried her best to act as normal as she could and smiled sweetly at her lover.

"Of course! I'm just a bit tired from yesterday's shift. It was pretty hectic at the hospital yesterday, with almost half of the doctors on leave." Maki quickly sidestepped past Umi and gathered all her things. If Umi noticed anything out of the ordinary, Maki wouldn't be able to make it to work. She couldn't really afford to skip today because of the shortage of doctors due to the medical seminar currently being held at the next town, and they wouldn't return until the day after.

The redhead hurriedly kissed Umi goodbye, and before the older girl could do or say anything, Maki was already putting her shoes on then went straight out the apartment. Umi stared after her for a minute, then just shrugged and went about her business, getting ready for the day.

Maki was feeling worse than when she woke up. Getting ready and evading Umi took its toll on her, and by the time she arrived at the hospital, she felt like a sledgehammer was pounding on her head. She clocked in and was disappointed to see that it's already too late for her to eat a proper breakfast, so she just asked her secretary to get her some fruit and coffee so she could start her shift.

'Why's the time so slow today?' There's still an hour before lunch break, and Maki was already downright miserable. Putting up a façade as she did her rounds, especially since it wasn't just her patients that she needed to check up on, was taxing, and all she wanted was to just crawl back to bed. The medicine she took that morning didn't even last her three hours, and she wouldn't be able to take another one for the next couple hours, at least.

"Doctor? You look pale. Is everything alright?" The redhead looked up and smiled genuinely at her patient, an elderly woman suffering from a hip injury when she accidentally fell down three flights of stairs.

"I'm okay, Kiseki-san. Just a bit under the weather," Maki answered as she checked the other woman's vitals and noted them down on her file.

"You need to take better care of yourself. You're working too hard, especially since I heard the nurses talking that you took over the other doctors' shifts the past two days. Even doctors need their rest. If something happens to you, I'm sure that beautiful partner of yours will worry." Maki blushed at that. During some of her days off, Umi sometimes accompanied Maki in her rounds, helping cheer up some of the patients by bringing small tokens like flowers or sweets, Kiseki-san being one of the recipients. The older woman gave the doctor a knowing look, and Maki just blushed harder but tried her best to reassure her.

"I'll keep that in mind. She does tend to worry a lot, and I don't want to be one of the reasons for that." The redhead smiled and closed her file, addressing the older woman before she took her leave.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. I'll see you again soon, Kiseki-san. Please rest well."

"Doctor, you look terrible!" Trust Maki's secretary, Mina, to be blunt as ever, as the redhead passed her on her way to the office.

"Gee, thanks," Maki answered sarcastically, and her secretary just smiled sweetly back at her, unfazed by the doctor's mood. Mina followed her in nonetheless, and frowned as she stared at her employer's hunched back and weary face.

"Doctor, you don't have anything major to do for the rest of the day. I'm sure the other doctors won't mind you skipping clinic duty since you did all those favors for them. Why don't you just go home and rest? You've been running around ragged for the past few days, and I'm positive Sonoda-san doesn't know about you skipping meals during your break." Maki wanted to retaliate, but didn't really have the energy to do so. She just sighed and rested her head on her hands.

"I guess you're right. It won't do anyone any good if I suddenly collapse here. I don't have any waiting consultations, right?" Mina shook her head no.

"Okay. Please endorse my patients to the next available physician on duty, along with my thanks. I'll just sleep here for a bit before going home. And before I forget, don't you dare call Umi, got it?" The doctor tried her best to glare at the other woman to get her point across, and Mina just laughed but nodded anyway.

"Get some rest, Doctor. I'll hold down the fort from here." Just as Mina closed the door of Maki's office, the phone rang.

"Good morning, Doctor Nishikino Maki's office. How may I help you?"

"Mina-san? It's me, Umi. I was just wondering how Maki's doing. She seemed a little off this morning, so I'm a bit worried."

'Uh oh. Well, she did say I couldn't call her myself. She didn't exactly forbid me to tell the truth in the event that Sonoda-san was the one to call.'

"Actually, Sonoda-san, she's already resting right now. She's not feeling well as soon as she came in this morning, so she asked me to cancel her appointments for this afternoon."

"Sigh. I thought something wasn't right. It's so like to her to not say anything to me when she's sick. She's sleeping now, I take it?"

"Yes. She said she'll go home after her nap."

"Okay. Please look after her for a while, Mina-san. I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you!" Umi hung up before the receptionist could say goodbye. Mina just chuckled and placed the phone back on its cradle. For her, it's wonderful to see a relationship as Maki and Umi's. Even though the two were always aloof when there were people around, the receptionist could always see how the two looked at each other with such love and adoration that it was simply heartwarming. She's been Maki's secretary ever since the redhead started working at the hospital a few years ago, and she's very happy every time the bluenette visited, which resulted to her boss being in a good mood, which ultimately meant a good day for everybody. Mina just hummed to herself as she went back to work.

"How's she doing?" Umi asked as Mina followed her inside Maki's office towards the small rest area where a sweaty faced redhead was currently sleeping in.

"She's got a fever, and she didn't even stir when I placed a towel on her forehead. She needs to drink her medicine soon, but she hasn't eaten anything yet since her sorry for an excuse of a breakfast." Umi looked at her, confused, then silently opened Maki's bag to reveal the packed food from that morning, untouched. Umi frowned.

"Now I know why there weren't any leftovers. Sigh. I'll take it from here, Mina-san. Could you please pack the work she needs to take home and have valet ready her car?" Umi instructed as she sat down beside her partner.

"Of course, Sonoda-san. Excuse me." As Mina left, Umi turned towards her lover and gently stroked her wet head to wake her up. The redhead moaned slightly and tiredly peeled one eye open then the other, confused to see Umi staring at her.

"Umi? What are you doing here?" Umi smiled and continued to caress the redhead's face affectionately. She could lecture her about her health some other time.

"We're going home now, Love. You're feverish, and you need to eat something first before taking your medicine." The bluenette helped Maki to sit up then adjusted her position so her partner could lean on her while she got her bearing.

"I thought I told her to not call you," Maki pouted, and Umi just chuckled and kissed the side of her lover's head.

"That's so like you. It's a good thing I noticed your strange behavior this morning, so I called Mina-san to ask how you were. Remind me to send her something for Christmas for not covering up for you." Maki just snorted.

"Baka. I hope you didn't drop anything important just to fetch me. I would've been fine going home on my own." At that, Umi carefully lifted Maki's chin up so that she could stare at her seriously.

"I would drop anything for you, Maki. You rarely get sick, but when you do, you tend to have it worse compared to others. I know you can handle yourself, but I still worry. So please, be a good girl and don't argue with me, okay?" Umi leaned in and kissed Maki briefly on the lips before standing up.

"Let's go home."

"You know, if you weren't so sick, I'd find you extremely adorable right now," Umi said, amused, as she stared at a sulking redhead all bundled up in thick cotton pajamas and swallowed by their huge duvet.

"Shut up," Maki murmured and turned her back on Umi, annoyed. Being sick gave her the right to be rebellious, especially if her lover kept on making fun of her. The redhead felt the bed dip beside her, a warm hand gently caressing her head through the covers. Maki sighed blissfully, enjoying Umi's impromptu massage, her irritation disappearing.

"Feeling better?"

"Mhmm," Maki mumbled sleepily. Umi quietly giggled and slowly retracted her hand. The doctor looked back at her lover while pouting, then adjusted herself so she could throw her arm around the bluenette, snuggling comfortably. Umi just smiled and wrapped her arm around the other girl, patting her back gently and lulling her back to sleep.

It'd been three days since Maki got sick, and she was relieved to finally see her partner break out of her fever and look less pale. It'd been hectic, sleepless nights because Maki kept on tossing and turning, coughing and sneezing, and made the younger girl miserable until the wee hours of the morning. Umi wasn't doing any better, constantly worried, running back and forth trying to make her partner as comfortable as possible. She even asked her parents for a few days off from the dojo just to take care of Maki full time.

Umi stared lovingly at Maki and gently unwound her arm around the redhead when she was sure the other was sleeping. She needed to do house chores, and made a mental note to do the groceries because they're running low on necessities. Just as she stood up, she heard her phone ring from the living room, so she quickly yet quietly made her way out so as not to disturb Maki. She looked at the caller and smiled before answering.

"Eli, good morning!"

"Hi, Umi! Just wanted to check up on you and Maki. How's she doing?"

"Her fever's finally down, thank goodness. She's still a bit warm, but she's doing better. I don't think she can afford another sleepless night."

"That's good to hear. How about you? I know Maki needs you, but you need to take care of yourself, too."

"I'm fine, Eli. It's been a stressful three days, but I'm faring well. At least the worse has passed. I'm behind on some chores, though, and I need to finish them before Maki wakes up. Getting her to drink her medicine's more tedious than doing laundry." The two laughed.

"Some of the girls and I are planning to drop by if that's okay. We'll help out. Do you need anything?" Umi thought for a minute.

"Hmm. I do need to do a bit of grocery shopping. Will I trouble you if I ask for you guys to drop by the store for a quick grocery run?"

"Not at all! Just send me the list of things you need and we'll get right on it. We'll bring lunch, so expect us around that time."

"Thank you so much, Eli! I'll see you later, then."

"Bye, Umi! Later!" The bluenette smiled as she hung up the phone. She's very fortunate to have supportive friends, and even living different lives, they made it a habit to stay in touch with each other. She hummed happily as she tied her hair in a messy bun before tackling their mountain of dirty clothes.

"Wow, you look awful," was Nico's greeting as soon as Umi opened the door. Umi looked down at herself then at the mirror near the door and laughed at her raven-haired friend's astute observation. The bluenette's tank top was splotched with soap and water from hurriedly doing the dishes and washing the windows while her arms and legs were dirty from tidying up the kitchen and living room. Not to mention preparing Maki's light lunch of fruit and miso soup and getting her to eat it herself, which was a task in itself considering that the redhead demanded for Umi to feed her instead, and alternating everything with checking if the laundry was done and having to sort and store them. All this in a span of four hours.

"You should've seen me the past few days. I looked like a walking zombie," Umi joked as she made way for Nico, Eli, Rin, and Hanayo to enter. She greeted everyone with a quick hug before alleviating some of the bags Rin was holding and led them into the kitchen.

"I apologize for my unkempt appearance, and I really appreciate you doing this."

"Don't mention it, Umi-chan. Is Maki-chan awake now?" Hanayo asked as she placed the remaining bags on top of the kitchen island along with the others.

"Yes, she is. I left her inside the living room. Fair warning, though. She's a bit moody now because it's time for her to drink her medicine. Rin, Hanayo, you can go ahead and see her. And if you can, please try and persuade her to drink her tonic. I'll just sort these groceries out then I'll be with you." The two younger girls nodded and quickly left their seniors to find Maki.

"You guys can go ahead, too, if you want. I'll be fine here."

"Oh, stop it. Looking at you now, it seems you need help more than Maki does." Umi and Eli just laughed again.

"We'll finish quicker if we do it together. Nico can start preparing lunch. If you need to do anything else, I'll put the groceries away while you finish up. You still keep everything in the same place, right?" Umi's eyes softened, touched at her friends' generosity.

"Yes, they are. I just need to put the clean clothes away then I'll be finished. Thanks, guys. Really."

"Yeah, yeah. Now go on or else we won't get anything done." Umi smiled at her friends for the last time before leaving. As she passed by the living room, she heard Rin and Hanayo trying to persuade a stubborn Maki to drink her medicine. Umi just sighed, knowing that their attempt was futile, but she still hoped that Maki would take it so she had one less thing to worry about.

The bluenette happily stretched her aching muscles as she completed her chores for the day, and just before Nico and Eli served lunch, but was a bit dismayed when she entered the living room to find that her pigheaded lover still hadn't drank her medicine, and was giving Rin and Hanayo a hard time. Unfortunately, she couldn't help herself when Maki accidentally slapped the spoon from Hanayo's hand, spilling the liquid on her newly cleaned carpet.

"Maki! Look at what you've done! Mou, why are you being so difficult?!" Everybody, including Eli and Nico who popped their heads at the entrance of the room, stopped and stared at Umi as she quickly tried to dab the thick syrup off from staining the carpet. When she was done, she looked up only to see Maki glaring at her with teary eyes, and the bluenette felt guilty for shouting at her partner like that, especially with other people around.

Maki quickly turned her back on Umi and covered her head with her blanket, getting her point across that she wasn't happy with her lover at the moment. Umi just sighed and looked at Rin and Hanayo apologetically, Eli and Nico returning to the kitchen.

"Sorry for that, guys. I'll take it from here. Will you please help Eli and Nico set up the table? I'll be with you shortly."

"No problem, Umi-chan. Just call us if you need anything – nya." As soon as the two girls left the room, Umi took a deep breath and leaned closer to Maki. She gently touched the other's shoulder, but the redhead just shrugged it forcefully away and burrowed deeper into the couch. Umi felt guiltier but tried again, touching her head instead. Fortunately, Maki didn't pull away as much.

"Maki, I'm sorry for shouting like that. I have no excuses to give, and I apologize for startling you. I know you really hate it, but please, honey, you need to drink your medicine so that you'll get better faster. I won't bother you for the rest of the day if that's what you want, so just drink it then I'll let you be, okay?" The bluenette continued to caress Maki's head trying to get her to acquiesce, and was relieved when the younger girl finally peeked out of the blanket and moved to sit up.

Umi quickly reached for the medicine and poured it into a spoon then took her place beside Maki so the redhead could lean on her whilst drinking it. The bluenette automatically snaked her arm around the other's waist and under her top, slowly caressing Maki's tummy with her thumb to ease the other's discomfort.

As soon as the doctor chugged down some water, Umi kissed her on the side of the head then made a move to stand up, but Maki, seemingly enjoying her lover's warm hand on her stomach, whimpered and leaned back heavily so as to prevent her from leaving.

"Don't leave. Stay here." The redhead snuggled against Umi's embrace as she silently purred when Umi brought her closer. The bluenette nuzzled her head onto Maki's, happy that she was forgiven.

"Umi? Lunch is ready. Let's eat!"

"Thanks for having us, Umi. Let's get together again when Maki's better."

"I should be the one thanking you. I'm sure Maki's grateful as well. I'm sorry for the little outburst earlier, by the way."

"Tsk. Maki's always been difficult to deal with, but you handle her really well despite that."

"I'm sure she just wants more attention from you, Umi-chan. I noticed she gets a bit too clingy when your attention's somewhere else."

"I noticed that, too – nya! Maki-chan's so cute!" Umi giggled.

"Don't let her hear that, Rin. Thanks again, guys. You've been a big help."

"See you soon, Umi-chan!"

"Bye, Umi!"

"Let's go out for a drink soon."

"Take care – nya!" Umi waved goodbye to her friends then closed the door. She really was fortunate to have amazing people beside her. The bluenette trudged her way back to the kitchen to finish washing the dishes. She's looking forward to finally laying down and rest until Maki's next round of medication after dinner.

As the bluenette listened to her playlist, which consisted of Maki's piano pieces, while working, she didn't notice said redhead walk towards her, and she jumped when she felt Maki's arms wrap around her from behind.

"M-maki! Mou, don't startle me like that, especially while I'm washing dishes. What are you doing up, anyway? Need anything?" Maki nuzzled her head on Umi's back then kissed her partner's neck. Umi shivered slightly from Maki's warm lips.

"It's nothing. I just missed you." Umi smiled sweetly, even if Maki couldn't see it.

"Aren't you fed up with me fussing all over you? I'm sure you're bored and miss going to work." Maki just hugged her tighter.

"I'll never get tired of you, Umi. I'm sorry if I'm a difficult patient. I just hate that icky stuff, even though I often prescribe it to my own patients. You're not upset with me, are you?" Umi washed then dried her hands before turning to face Maki.

"Of course not. I know you're a handful, but I love every minute of the time I get to spend with you. I like taking care of you, not because someone has to, but because I want to. You're not much of a doctor when you're sick, and I just find you simply irresistible when you're like this," Umi said, amused, and pinched her lover's cheeks before planting a kiss on her nose. Maki giggled then rested her head on Umi's chest, the latter hugging her back.

"Well, if that's the case, I want a head massage again. A sponge bath's nice, too. And I want you to sing to me." The bluenette laughed, joyful that her needy of a partner's feeling better, and quickly ushered her back to their room to start heeding the redhead's chain of demands with a happy heart.

A/N: another fluffy piece, and because Maki deserves some lovin' from dear Umi-chan once in a while. Thanks for reading! ^_^