III. Burning

"You shouldn't have missed school today..."

That was the first thing he wanted to say to her?

"And Ya-chan shouldn't miss work. I'm taking care of you in her place, got it?" she replied obstinately, her voice terse. She knelt next to his futon, testing the temperature of the wet rag that was draped across his forehead. The cloth was damp and warm, even though it had only been replaced a few minutes ago. One almost wouldn't be able to guess it had ever been cool in the first place.

Taiga sighed, taking it off of his head and dipping it in the cool, icy water she had laid near his head. Wringing it, she positioned it gently across his forehead once more. Almost immediately, much to Taiga's chagrin, the cold rag began to reach room temperature once in contact with Ryūji's searing skin. "Besides..." she muttered, her voice losing its commanding edge, "school's so boring when you're not there."

The thought of him being alone and feverish was hard to bear, because knowing Ryūji, it was what he wanted. He didn't want to burden anyone, especially not his mother, but deep down in a human's most primitive desires, surely he wanted someone he could trust by his side during this time. She had been so dismayed in the morning, watching the time tick by as she stood in their usual meeting place on their pathway to school. Normally, he'd be the one waiting for her― even though she had gotten more responsible over the past couple months, he was still some kind of mutant freak that could wake up at the crack of dawn and actually function. Honestly, she kind of admired his willpower, as unsettling as it was.

Chewing her lip, she wondered, what did their classmates think of his absence? Last year, at this time, they would have jumped to the conclusion that 'delinquent Takasu' was just playing hooky, but... both of 2-C's outcasts had expanded their relationships past just one another. People weren't scared of Ryūji anymore. He wasn't absent a whole lot either, so she couldn't help but want to pry when she would later get the chance...

Taiga twiddled her thumbs, watching her smooth nails scrape noiselessly over one another. Were they concerned? She knew Minorin and Kitamura must have been, but she never took out her phone after getting to Ya-chan's house, not even to let anyone outside know about the situation or where they were. She probably had a lot of missed calls. It was one thing for Ryūji to be absent, but for her on the same day...

'Crap,' she realised, suddenly and bitterly. They wouldn't be concerned for him at all. Noto and Haruta were probably passing out weird theories like candy, perverted bastards.

"What time is it?" Ryūji asked, breaking Taiga's trail of thought. His words were strewn together like a drunk man's. By the knitting of his brows and the beads of sweat rolling down his temples, into his soft, misty hair, he looked almost pained to speak. She would have told him to shut up if she wasn't equally elated to hear his voice. She had been tending to him and his fever all day, after all, while he had been asleep.

"Late," she said simply. Shouldn't the darkness of the room be enough for him to know that? She hadn't even turned on a light, to make sure she wouldn't disturb him.

Balling her knees up to her chest, she rested her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs, staring at the swath of milky stars outside. It was whatever she could see of the night sky anyway, with her old apartment building blocking what had probably once been a beautiful view.

Amber eyes trailed back down to Ryūji, who hadn't given as much as a grunt of acknowledgement. Did it matter what time it was? Her gaze, half-lidded, caressed his burning face as he took small, shallow breaths.

Ryūji would be eighteen in just a few hours.

Taiga's toes curled, the hairs on her neck and arms rising. Would they go back to being fiances again? 'I wouldn't mind,' she thought unabashed, though shortly after, her shoulders arched out of an unspoken sheepishness. There were only a few more trials and tribulations before she could call Ryūji her husband, right? There were definitely still some hurdles she had to jump.

Quick to distract herself from encroaching on such concepts any further, she took the cloth off of Ryūji and repeated the process like clockwork, dipping it in icy water before laying it back across his forehead. Only, her hand lingered at the edge of the folded material, her fingertips brushing her boyfriend's sweltering temples. It was like steam was coming off of him... he had been sweating out his fever ever since she got there that morning, she was actually surprised his first word when woken wasn't a chap-lipped, gasping plea for water.

"Can you sit up? You need to drink some water," she decided.

"Taiga..." Ryūji might have only been saying her name, or had a comment to follow― she would never know. His voice faded as her fingers trailed tenderly down the side of his face, her small, delicate palm resting against his burning cheek.

"I'm taking care of you today, okay?"

She got up and ran to the kitchen, flicking on the light. Reaching the faucet, Taiga grabbed a glass from the shelf and turned on the cold water. On her tiptoes, she found she was actually kind of pleased with herself. Last year, she could hardly take care of her diet, but today she had been trusted with the welfare of someone who earnestly needed her. Even when Ya-chan had been home in her time before work, Taiga sat by his side, doing everything that his mother told her to. Of course, Ya-chan had insisted, much like Ryūji, that she go to school, but she was unable to hide her thrill and admiration when Taiga doggedly refused to leave him sick and alone on the day before his birthday.

A tingling sensation began to rise in her cheeks, little pin pricks of warmth that made her slump against the counter bashfully. The reason she could even care for him like this was because he had spent the last year caring for her so much. Even though it seemed like she never picked up on all the ways he doted on her, with how much she continued to lean on him, she had definitely learned a thing or two about tending to the person you love...

Realising abruptly that the glass was overflowing, she hastily turned off the faucet and tipped some water into the sink. Satisfied by the water's level, and that she wouldn't spill any on her short walk back to Ryūji's side, Taiga rolled back on her heels and rejoined his side. Settling down on her knees, she couldn't help but make a face at the boy who had made a feeble attempt at sitting up on his elbows. Jaw clenched, using strength to move his body that he didn't currently have, he really looked like a pathetic puppy, in a way that made her heart hurt.

"Here."

Ryuuji breathed out and reached for the glass, but Taiga swatted away his hand. He blinked at her, too groggy to even react like he was properly startled, so she rested one hand on his warm trapezius, and with her other, brought the rim of the glass to his lips. His small eyes looked from the glass, to her own, and she found herself fighting stubbornly against her body's innate desire to tremble.

She tipped the glass, and Ryūji's lips parted obediently.

His neck bobbed slightly with each gulp, and Taiga found herself mesmerised by the movement. Even though he was scary-faced to most, when he was as vulnerable as she usually felt, he was... cute. Cute like a puppy with three legs. He was still sick and red-faced and bleary-eyed, but he was endearing. So endearing, even, that she quickly moved the now half-emptied glass away when Ryuuji tried to communicate in gurgles that he had perhaps had his fill.

'Don't drown him!' she chastised herself sternly, making note for future reference. There would be no standing by each other's side forever if she killed him. Who kills their boyfriend on the day before his birthday? Santa certainly wouldn't visit her again.

"Thanks," he huffed, no ill intent in his voice as he wiped a dribble of water from his bottom lip with the back of his hand.

"Mhm," Taiga muttered, placing the glass next to the small tub of icy water.

Ryuuji then seemed to give into his body's weight and wishes, and lowered a bit too hurriedly back onto the floor. Taiga moved her hand away quickly with a quiet squeal, but worried more that he hadn't hurt his head or shoulders. For a dragon, his body could be pretty sensitive.

The dark-haired boy exhaled deeply once more, tired eyes drifting towards the window.

"I'm worried... if it gets too dark... I want you to get home safe, since I can't walk you..."

"Who says I'm going home?"

The words came out of her mouth before she could think them over, and Ryūji's stupefied stare met her own astonished one. Did she mean that? Her mom would want her home... would Ya-chan mind? Ryūji's mother must have been aware of the way her parents set up his and Taiga's futons back at his grandparent's house, so chances were slim. Either way, no matter their opinions, or how hard Ryūji's breathing was... she did want to stay by his side tonight, like what was once promised to one another.

"But..."

"Do you want me to go?"

"..."

"So there! I'm staying, and you'll get better so we can actually celebrate your birthday tomorrow."

Blushing, embarrassed, and no matter what the outcome would be, in that moment she wanted to be certain. To show just how not-going-home she was, she pushed aside the tub and glass, careful not to tip them or be too forceful, and lied down next to Ryūji on his futon. They were nearly nose-to-nose... she hadn't intended on lying that close, but she wouldn't take her eyes off of his, if only to prove a point.

...The point that she wasn't going home? She still wasn't entirely sure if she was the one who had decided that... the voice was hers, but it was like the declaration belonged to someone a lot more sure of herself. To mulishly declare to a boy that she was sleeping over made her feel anything but composed. And now she could feel his muggy breath on her lips, the tips of their noses bumping. She tried to ignore the intense stirring in her gut, but her heart was only still in her rib-cage thanks to the thin strings holding it back. It felt like it was about to leap right out of her throat.

Biting her lip and averting her gaze, she quickly ducked her head and squirmed her way down the futon so that the only thing she could see was his neck and upper torso, which was covered by a plain white T-shirt. She lowered her chin until her forehead bumped just beneath his armpit, her fingers resting delicately against his chest, just above his comforter. This was... frustrating. How could she ask him for kiss after kiss just a couple months ago, and suddenly just trying to embrace him was too much?

'You're overthinking it... He loves you, he even said so!'

Her breath hitched, not expecting the brush of his wrist against her waist as he draped an arm around her side like a sad little noodle.

'This is your chance to be the big spoon..!'

But he was laying flat on his back, although she could no longer see the expression he was wearing. He had turned away, his hand over his mouth.

'Idiot...' she scowled, though she wasn't certain which one of them she was addressing.

A/N: This came out of nowhere... oops 'v'