He was feeling hot, very hot. To the point he wondered if it was because of that or the wetness of the sweat on his head that woke up him. He felt something cold -or at least, colder than the unbearable sensation of hotness in his body- on his forehead. Slowly, he struggled to open his eyes. "Hey my boy, you got us a big scare, you know." The voice was warm and comforting, like honey. His father's voice. Shiki turned weakly his head in his direction, it was hard to keep his eyes open. Shigure gently caressed his drenched cheek, putting away wet strands sticking his head. Shiki was grateful for that.

"You remember what happened?" asked gentle his dad with a kind smile on his lips. Shiki shook his head negatively. His dad had a warm and comforting laugh. Shiki loved his dad voice, when he was younger, it was the best to read stories. "You were at school when you suddenly fainted, the school nurse said you have a high fever. They called us to fetch you." He explained gently, caressing his red face softly with his fingers. It made Shiki sleepy and he closed his eyes in spite of him.

He didn't want to sleep; he was already too much of a parasite right now. Even now, his father was here with him instead of working with his mom. It was his fault, why did he fall sick? He was the worst son; he was so sorry for his parents.

There was the sound of a door opening and then closing and footsteps walking in his direction. "How does he feel?" it was his mother voice. She too had abandoned work to be with him. Oh no…people will say again that she isn't taking the family business for serious and that she is an untrusty family head. "Hm…He just woke up, but he is tired. He needs to rest." Answered his dad. "Hm…Look like he went asleep again, so let's be quiet."

She sat next to the futon and she passed her cold hand on her son forehead. It felt good. Shiki always found it funny how his mom's hands were cold when his father's were warm. Right now, his mother's touch felt the better. "Sweetheart…" Shiki tried to not smile at the nickname "Why he didn't tell us he was feeling sick…" her voice was filled with regret and Shiki felt bad. Mom did nothing wrong, it was all his fault. "He doesn't want to worry us…You know how he is…"

"Yeah…" her hand was now holding his hand, rubbing her thumb in circle against his wrist, soothing. "You're not scared they will talk?" his dad talked; it was almost a whisper. "They can talk as much as they want, I don't care, my son is sick." Shiki could see her frown and his father chuckled. Shiki heard a noise like a towel pulling out of water that was wringed out, a second after, his father washed the sweat off his face and then let the cool towel rest on his burning forehead. His mother brought his hand to her lips and she kissed it. It remembered him that time he had fell in the garden and hurt himself. His mom has kissed his knee to make the pain disappear. He wished her magic kiss would work on his fever, so he wouldn't be such a bother for them.

"Lately…Shiki is keeping it all in him, I'm worried…" Mom voice was low and sad. "Have we done something wrong Shigure?" Shiki could see his father looking at her with confused eyes "I mean… He suddenly stopped to talk after that mess with that child…"

Shiki didn't like were this conversation was going. But he was too weak to speak, his throat was itching, and he knew he shouldn't interrupt his parents when they were talking. So he just tried to scowled, but it made his headache worst. "Ah… With the Mitoma family's?" she hummed softly, caressing Shiki's cheek with her fingers. "Shiki did nothing wrong, we all know it Akito."

"Of course he did nothing wrong" she said a little too tightly "Remember that time a stray kitten entered in the house to take a refuge from the snow and that the maids wanted to throw it out" his dad chuckled quietly "Oh yes, he had hid the kitty in his room so the maids wouldn't find out and he gave it all his rice."

"The maids have been furious when they found out, thank god Kyo and Tohru accepted to adopt it." He added, his mom hummed softly. "…Yet, the family and that woman…"

"Akito…"

"I'm not deaf, Shigure, and neither is Shiki. For sure he had heard all those gossips and rumors." Her voice was really low, but Shiki could recognize that voice she always uses when she was scolding dad. His mother never scolded him like that. "ah…So you heard."

"Of course I did…Shiki is so kind, I'm scared those words went to his head…That is the reason he don't talk anymore?" Somebody removed the wet towel off his forehead and put it again in the water bowl. "Well…Shiki is sensitive just like you were at his age." He leant unconsciously in his father touch "He thinks he must be a bad son and he close himself up…Yuki and Kisa have done that in the past."

There was silence and suddenly his father hand left his cheek. "Oh Akito…Don't cry"

"I'm…I just want Shiki to be happy, if only I wasn't the family head, then, he…Shigure, I love him so much." She had a quiet sob and behind his half-closed eyes, Shiki saw his dad taking his mom in his arms. "I know Akito…Me too, but we have to trust him and be present. He knows we love him as we know he loves us." She nodded

"It's almost school vacation, once he feels better, let's take some holiday in the second house, just the three of us" his father proposed and Shiki liked the idea. It has been way too long since it was just him and his parents. He missed it.

Shiki have been really distant lately; he was well aware of that. He was scared that if he went too close of his mom, people would say mean thing against her again, saying she wasn't worth to be the family head. He wanted to protect her. It wasn't the first time he heard her cry, but each time, it was meant to be hidden from him. Shiki wished he was able to take away those tears but he didn't know how to, and before he made any movement in her direction out of his hideout, his father had already taken her in his arms and whispered words that made her laugh the moment after. Shiki felt like the worst. Why he wasn't able to comfort his own mother.

Suddenly, Shiki got caught in a violent cough fit. His eyes flashed open and he straightened his back due to the force of his coughs. His father went to rub his back while his mother put her hand on his forehead. "here, here Shii-chan" They stayed here until his coughs stopped and they helped him to lay down again. They were both smiling gently to him, it made Shiki's little heart warm. "Mom…Dad…"

"Yes Shiki?" His mother said softly, caressing with her thumb his red cheek. "…I love you." He succeeded to articulate after trying to dissolve the knot in his throat. His father chuckled kindly and offered him a cup of warm tea. "We love you too, here, I'm sure your throat is dry." Shiki slowly nodded and his mom slid her hand behind his shoulders to help him to shift before bringing the child to her and to let him rest on her body. His dad helped him to drink his tea. Akito passed her fingers through his damped hair and then kissed the top of his head. Shiki loved that, being pampered by his parents, even if he won't say it. He was already a big boy.

"Shiki, should I get you Oyaku?" asked his mother with a gentle voice, low enough so it won't hurt his head. He nodded and she kissed his hot forehead before putting his head down on his pillow and walking out of the room. Shiki looked at his dad who was wringing a towel. "Dad…I want to take a bath."

"You're very sick, it's not good Shii-chan" Shigure answered, explaining softly why he couldn't take a bath to clean the sweat. "Haa-san says that you need at least two days to rest. Mom called the school to explain when you were sleeping." Shiki blinked sluggishly and nodded "Understood…". His dad smiled "You're such a good boy Shiki."

Shiki did not smile back and he looked away, as ashamed. "I'm sorry dad…For keeping you and mom here…" he finally said what he had in mind since he woke up. His dad frowned "Shiki, you have nothing to be sorry of." He said, caressing his head "You are our son, we just can't stay working when you're sick, we are too worried" he said playfully. Shiki throat made a strange noise and he coughed again. His dad stood here, soothing him by caressing his head "Here, here"

Maybe it was because he was really sick, or tired by the previous months where he internalized everything because he didn't want to annoy his parents with his problems when he have been already too much trouble with that woman that accused and sued him, but at this moment, Shiki couldn't keep in and he started to cry. "Da-dad, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry" he said between his sobs. His father pulled his little body on his laps and he started to cradle his son like he used to when he was still a baby.

"Hey, Shiki, you have nothing to be sorry of." He said, rubbing his back while Shiki was crying against his shoulder. He distantly heard the doors slid open and his mother gasp. She rushed and put the tray with his oyaku down on the tatami and she sat next to Shigure and hugged him from behind. "Shiki, sweetheart…"

"I'm sorry that I worry you" he said painfully, his throat was hurting him so much and he felt he could faint again because of the dizziness. His dad sighed and looked sadly at him. "Shii-chan, you don't have to be sorry for worrying us, it's our job as parents." His mother put a lock of his hair behind his ear and smiled at him. "It's because we care a looooot about you Shiki~ We can't help but feeling like that" he laughed and his mom nodded. "Shiki, you are what we have the most precious in the world." She said.

"Bu-but…I'm causing trouble for the family…" he sniffed, pulling his mother's shirt and dipping his nose in her neck. The smell comforted him and he felt himself becoming more relaxed. "I'm often sick…And because of me, we had lost money…" His mom chuckled softly "It's okay Shiki, when I was your age, I was as sick as you were…"

"And don't worry for the money, the Sohma's family are chock of full of that." His father giggled before becoming suddenly serious "Shiki…It's what have been in your mind since then?" He nodded slowly, ashamed. "Shiki." His dad called him. "We are extremely proud of you." He said "You really wanted to help that girl and it was the good thing to do" said his mom, caressing his head and massaging it. It eased the headache and he was so grateful. "You are a gentle boy and you want people around you to be happy, that is a quality and you should never feel shameful of it, whatever people might say against it." His dad added "Be kind is not something to be ashamed of, Shiki." He smiled. His father had always been the best to give advice or life lessons, even if he was knowing to be often joking around, they were those moment where he was serious and said sensible things that Shiki will never forget for the rest of his life.

Shiki wanted to cry again, his tiredness and sickness made him unable to manage his emotions like he succeeded to do the usually and he hid his face in his mother's neck again and sobbed. His parents told him gentle words to comfort him and he felt so loved and so happy for it. Just him, in his mother embrace hearing his father's warm voice soothing him. Naturally, he fell asleep and Akito pulled him down in his futon. She touched his forehead "He seems better but he is still hot…" she remarked with a hint of worry in the voice.

She looked at the abandoned bowl of oyaku and decided she will just need to ask for reheating it when Shiki will wake up. For now, they decided to stay by bedside. "Look" she said in a whisper, calling for her husband's attention "He is smiling…" Shigure nodded, sliding his hands in his kimono sleeves. She couldn't help but take her son's hand in hers. She looked at Shigure with eyes shining in emotions "He had kept it all inside during all this time…He must have been so tired…"

"He will probably feel better about it when he will wake up. Maybe it's not healed, but at least, we balm his wounds." Said Shigure, putting his palm on his son forehead. "After all, unlike the physical sickness, mind's take time to heal."

Ah, I hope you liked it. This request have been staying in my tumblr askbox since august haha (it was meant to be an expecting chapter, but I prefer to post it as One shot)