Calling In Sick

I awoke to the ring of my alarm clock and quickly turned it off. Had it been any other day, it would of just came across as its usual rhythmic beeping, but today the beeping sounded more like a high pitch shriek. I lay there looking at my ceiling with my head throbbing intensely, this was pretty bad. I tried to yawn but the crackles in my throat brought me into a coughing fit. I quickly reached for the water I left on my nightstand just in case this would happen and and finished the glass in a few gulps. I gasped for air at my now slightly relieved throat and could hear a slight wheezing. I tried to sit up and blow my nose but my vision blurred and my head felt as if it weighed a ton, so I quickly went back to lying down.

"I'm a mess," I croak quietly. "I knew I should've brought that umbrella."

A few days ago it rained pretty badly during school. The weather report didn't suggest anything of the sort would happen, so I didn't bring an umbrella, but by the time it started, there was no way it was going to let up anytime soon, so I thought I'd just bear with it and go home through the rain rather than wait it out. The cold air mixed with being soaked was, apparently, the perfect recipe for me to catch a very nasty cold. It started off relatively tame, just a runny nose and the occasional cough, but it got worse around a day later. I had a constant headache and I had coughed so much that I developed a pretty bad sore throat, and I was hoping if I went to bed early I'd sleep it off. But now, it's even worse.

Going to school in this state would be futile - getting myself out of bed felt like an impossible task, let alone lasting throughout the entire day, and even if I could all I would achieve is spreading this nasty bug. Resolving to call it in for today, I grab my phone and message my mom, telling her that I don't feel well. Within minutes, she messages back, telling me that she'll  call the school and to get some rest. I respond with a thank you message and effortlessly fall back asleep.

I wake up again and feel the warmth of the sun through my window. Once I open my eyes however  it feels  like I'm starting directly at it. The intensity nearly blinded me and made my migraine worse. Paining myself, I reach out of bed, close the blinds, and rub my temples for a few moments. After the pulsating pain subsides, I'm left with the original dull headache I had beforehand. I slowly get up to use the bathroom, stumbling the entire time. By the time I'm finished, I notice I'm shivering. "Jeez mom, didn't you turn the heater on today?" I tell myself. I quickly trip back to my bed and wrap myself in the blanket, trying to warm myself up. I look over at my phone and notice I have a couple of notifications, all from Yuri. "Yuri? Why did she message me?" I tap on my messages and read them.

Yuri at 8:05 AM
I didn't see you come in today. Did you have trouble getting up? Please don't be late.

Yuri at 9:33 AM
You still haven't arrived yet, did you sleep in? The teacher asked me if you were coming in and I couldn't answer him.

Yuri at 10:05 AM
You didn't come to class. Is everything okay? I'm starting to get worried. I hope nothing bad has happened to you. Please message me back.

She seems pretty worried about me. I look at the time on my phone, "10:26 AM". It's later than what would be comfortable, but it's not been too long since her last message, and I wouldn't want her to worry anymore than she already is. I roll over and grab my phone with both hands and start typing.

Sent at 10:27 AM
Hey, sorry I did sleep in. I'm not exactly feeling too good. lol

Around a minute goes by before I get a reply .

Yuri at 10:29 AM
What's wrong? Are you okay? Why did you sleep in?"

I could feel the anxiety through the phone. I'd rather not keep her waiting. I quickly start typing.

Sent at 10:30 AM
Nothing serious, just sick. I told you I wasn't feeling well the other day, I just hit the worst of it this morning

Yuri at 10:31 AM
That is serious! I was already worried when you told me you weren't feeling well before, now you're feeling worse!

Sent at 10:31 AM
Sorry! I didn't think it would get worse. I thought I could tough it out

Yuri at 10:32 AM
You can't just "tough" out a cold Anon. That's juvenile thinking.

Yuri at 10:32 AM
Not that I'm saying you're a child of course! I mean that mindset is what makes peoples sickness get worse.

Sent at 10:33 AM
Lol I knew what you meant Yuri don't worry. I just didn't want to have the whole bed ridden taking medicine all day part hit me

Yuri at 10:34
You mean you haven't done anything to help relive the symptoms?

Sent at 10:35 AM
...does water count?

Yuri at 10:35 AM
Just water? No!

Yuri at 10:35 AM
I mean yes, it does! But you have to have more than just water if you want to make a swift and full recovery!

Yuri at 10:36 AM
Don't you have any medicine to take?

Sent at 10:36 AM
I don't think so, I'll go check. brb

Yuri at 10:37  AM
Okay, message me back as soon as you can

Sent at 10:43 AM
Alright I'm back. All we have is some some painkillers

Yuri at 10:43 AM
No no no. That simply won't do. You don't have anything else?

Sent at 10:44 AM
Nope, I checked everywhere. Nothing, and I'm in no state to be going out and getting medicene.

Yuri at 10:45 AM
I wouldn't want you too! I want you to get better as effeciently as possible.

Yuri at 10:46 AM
I have an idea.

Sent at 10:47 AM
What is it?

Sent at 10:55 AM
Yuri?

Yuri at 10:58 AM
Sorry, just having a hard time saying it.

Sent at 10:59 AM
No problem. Take your time.

Yuri at 11:01 AM
I happen to have all the items required to ail someone with a heavy cold. If it's alright with you, I'd like to come over after school to give them to you.

Yuri at 11:01 AM
If that's alright with you

Yuri at 11:01 AM
If it's not I understand! It would be odd of me coming over to your house so suddenly.

Sent at 11:02 AM
Relax Yuri, it's okay. That sounds nice, I'd like to have your company.

Yuri At 11:03 AM
Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose.

Sent at 11:04 AM
Not at all. Consider it an invitation.

Yuri at 11:05 AM
I'd like that very much. I'll see you after school then.

Sent at 11:05 AM
I look forward to it.

Yuri at 11:07  AM
I look forward to it as well. For now try to get more rest, it's the best course of action for you without any ailments. I'll message you when school is done.

Sent at 11:07 AM
Will do, take care.

I put my phone away and get ready to go back to sleep. So now Yuri's coming over. The only time I was with her outside of school was a trip to the library to get her books. She was less bashful once she was there and was eager to tell me about the books she was renting and returning. I'm not exactly a book worm myself, but seeing her come out of her shell to tell me about the themes and meanings of the books was endearing. Now we'll be hanging out again, only this time she'll be out of her element. Even though she'll be here for my sake, I resolve to do my best to make her feel comfortable, and before long, my thoughts trail off as I fall back asleep.


I wake back up to the sound of my phone ringing, but it was more comparable to a church bell ringing in my head.  I shake off the pain and answer.

"Hello?" I answer in a groggy voice.

"Anon? It's Yuri"

"Oh hey Yuri."

"Did I wake you up?" she asks with a conerned tone in her voice.

"Yeah, but It's okay. Is school over?"

"Yes, actually that's why I was calling. I wanted to make sure you were still okay with me um..coming over."

"Yeah of course, I'm glad you woke me up, I didn't want to miss it."

I can hear her laugh softly under her breath.

"Are you on your way now?"

"No, I still have to go home and get the items and get ready. I'll be arriving there in an hour. Is that a good enough time for you ?"

"Yeah defenityl. I'll see you soon."

"Mhmm, see you soon."

I hang up and stare at my room. My headache's gone away a bit, but it's still bothersome. "I might as well shower, I probably smell." I wouldn't have  been able to tell anyway since my nose has been stuffed all day. I pull myself out of bed. "Besides, Yuri would probably reccomend that I do that." I laugh to myself as I get the shower ready. The shower helped more than I thought It would. The steam cleared my nose a bit and the hot water was able to finally heat me up, so maybe Yuri was right about me needing to do more than just tough it out.

I put on some new clothes, a pull over hoodie and a pair of sweatpants and lay back down.  There's  still half an hour left before Yuri is suppose to arrive so I do my best not to make things worse. A few minutes later I get a message from Yuri, is she outside already? I grab my phone and look at the message.

"Yuri at 3:41 PM

It's occured to me that I never asked for your adress. "

I let out a hourse laugh and go into a small coughing fit. After I regain myself I start replying.

"Sent at 3:43 PM

That's right lol. Here"

I send her my adress and describe my house to her so she doesn't struggle trying to find the right one.  Knowing her, her nerves would probably get the best of her and she'd stand there all day before deciding.

Yuri sends me one more text confirming she's on her way. It didn't occur to me until now but I was pretty nervous. I had the strong urge to clean my room despite my woozy state and I kept checking myself in my mirror  to make sure I looked okay. I didn't look bad, but you could still tell I was sick. I stared at my window, avoiding the beams of light breaking through the blinds and waited somewhat anxiosuly for her to arrive. Not long after I get one more message from her.

Yuri at 3:55 PM

I've arrived. It's this house correct?

She describes my house with the same detail I gave her earlier.

Sent at 3:57 PM

Yup that's the one! I'll be coming out now

I  start wobbling my  way to the front door. I didn't want to keep her waiting, but any faster and I'd probably trip and have more to worry about besides being sick. Once I get to the door I take a deep breath, as deep as my lungs would let me anyway. "Relax, everything will be fine" I whisper to myself. I open the door and brace the cold snap of the outside. I see Yuri at the end of the small walkway infront of my house and wave at her  A smile came across her face when she saw me and turned around to wave at the car behind her.  The windows were tinted a bit, but I could  make out a hand waving back before driving off. While Yuri started making her way to me, I noticed she wasn't wearing her school unfiform anymore. She was wearing black pants tucked into a pair of brown winter boots. She wore thick looking jacket with a fur collar, and a scarf matching her boots tucked into the jacket. She was holding on to a small bag with a pair of black gloves. I couldn't help but notice her elegant stride as she walked towards me as well, she moved as graceful as she looked. It made me feel severly underdressed, like royality visiting a commoner.

Once she got to my front door she greeted me with a soft smile.

"Hello Anon. How are you feeling?"

"Hey Yuri, I've been better" I tell with a smirk, coughing a bit. Yuri's face soured a bit at the sound of my cough.

"I can tell. You shouldn't be out here in the cold. It'll make things worse."

 Her face turns red a bit as she digs her face into her scarf and breaks eye contact with me.

"Um, may I come in?" she says muted through the scarf.

I quickly nod and step aside. "Oh uh yeah! Of course come on in!"

Yuri takes a couple of steps in and looks around my house. Her ususal soft demeanor makes it difficult to dechipher what she thinks about my house, so it's making me pretty nervous.  She takes a few more steps, surveying my house. There's a few moments of silence while she seems entranced at the detail of my house but I felt like it was time I'd break it and show some hospitality. Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I can't be a good host.

"Can I get you something?" I croak, clearing the flem that's built up in my throat.

I could see Yuri was visibly startled at the sudden noise and she quickly turned around to face me.

"Oh um no that's okay."  she replied with a polite smile.

"Are you sure? Maybe you'd like some coffee?" I ask as I point towards the kitchen. Yuri follows my hand before shaking her head.

"No thank you. I brought some tea and if I were to mix the tea with coffee I don't think my stomach would like that very much."

"Oh alright, it's just that I feel a bit rude not being hospitable, and you seem to be a bit nervous."

Her face blushes to the usual shade it does when I'd point out something she was unaware of. "Oh you noticed?" she says as she starts twirling the end of her violet hair. "Well yes, I am a bit nervous. It's been a very long time since I've been in someone else's home. It's a bit of a shock sometimes to see how much homes vary in design. "

That's right, Yuri had trouble socializing, her only group of friends were the literature club. In our classes together, she'd focus on her work, then read for the remainder of the class. Occasionally someone would try to talk to her, but she'd struggle to make conversation and the person eventually stopped trying, thinking she wasn't interested. Once I sat next to her however, there was a nice synergy between us; she'd help me with my work and I'd keep her company so no one would bother her. We even started reading whatever book she had on hand together too. When we went to the library she admitted that she had never been to someones house that wasn't a friend of her parents, so being in this new house was probably quite a shock.

"Well how do you like it?" I ask her

She looks around the house for a bit more before speaking. "It's very nice. It has a nice homey and comfortable feeling to it." She unzips her jacket a bit and starts taking off her scarf. "Very warm too."

"It's warm? I felt pretty cold all day, I thought the heat wasn't on actually."

Yuri laughed a bit quietly "That's too be expected. You're likely fighting off a fever so your body temperature is irregular. "

She's probably right. The only time I felt warm was in my bed and during the shower, but here Yuri's visibly warm. All this talk about it reminded me that I am pretty cold, all I can think about is how warm my bed is.

"Well maybe I should get back into bed then. I am starting to get dizzy a bit."

A look of worry comes across Yuri's face. "That's true, you shouldn't be standing right now. "

We started making our way to my room, Yuri walking right besides me to make sure I don't fall.

" I do wish you didn't have to answer the door. I didn't want you facing the cold like that. Sudden changes in temperature can worsen a sickness." She says with a worried tone.

"It's okay Yuri, it's like I wasn't out there for long."

"All it takes is that few seconds and you've already gotten sicker!"

"You're right, but I mean how bad can it -" My sentence was cut short as my head throbbed intensely for a second and my vision blurred. I quickly grasp my had.

"Anon? Are you okay?"

I slump over my wall, and Yuri quickly moves closer to help keep my balance

Once the pain and dizziness subsides I look back at Yuri who's distressed face made me realize how bad of a state I must be in. I can't be stubborn anymore about it, for her sake.

"Yeah maybe I shouldn't of been careless."

Once the situation quickly calmed down, me and Yuri looked down and notice we were holding hands. She must of instinctively went to hold mine when I almost fell over. Me and Yuri quickly look back up to apologize and make eye contact. The dizziness I felt from being sick paled in comparison to how light my head was feeling now, her lavender eyes felt as if it was warming my soul. Yuri's voice quietly broke the silence

"Um..perhaps we should get you to bed as quickly as possible."  I hadn't notice it but her face was a deep crimson color. The last time I've seen it that red was when she realized how close we were to each other while reading her book.

I quickly try to regain myself as much as I could, attempting to clear my throat but ending up coughing. "Yeah the sooner the better." Despite how slow the walk to my room already was, it felt like my hallway dragged on even farther, the situation still replaying in both of our heads.

Once we got to my room I opened the door, and let her in first. "Welcome, please don't mind the mess. I didn't really get a chance to clean up."

Yuri studies my room in the same way she did earlier. "It's no messier than I expected it to be Anon. " She says as she turns to me. Her face quickly blushes as she realized what she said. "N-not that I was expecting to be messy! Just that you're sick so I wasn't expecting tidiness to be on your priority list today!"

I give Yuri a reassuring smile. "It's fine Yuri, my room can get pretty messy, you're right. I'm just glad you don't think it's that bad."

"It's not at all, it still has that very comfortable feeling to it. I'm glad you're able to rest here while you're sick." Yuri starts walking to my dresser and places her bag on top of it while she unzips the rest of her jacket and takes it off, revealing that a honey brown turtleneck sweater underneath.

"Can I take your jacket?" I ask her, not exactly sure where I'd out it but I felt compelled to ask.
Yuri gives me a warm smile and shakes her head softly. "No that's okay Anon. Thank you though, that's very kind of you." She walks over to my chair and places her jacket on it. "Why don't you lay down? It would be beneficial to your recovery effort to rest as much as possible."

Part of me insisted that I be more courteous to her, but the image of her worried face quickly flashed in my head, reminding me not to be so stubborn. "You're right, I should be in bed right now." I walk over and lay down on my bed. I look at Yuri unpack the various items from her bag. She has a very focus look on her face as she lays out the various items on my dress. I can't make out most of them from this angle on my bed but I can see a tea set and various boxes.

"Now before I do anything, I'd like to sooth that sore throat of yours.  I can hear the damage whenever you speak, it's very concerning and that's my top priority. "

"Can't argue with that." I tell her in agreement.

"I'll be right back. Please be patient I won't keep you waiting for long." She picks up the tea kettle and walks out of my room. During her absence I'm thinking about how fortunate I am to have someone like Yuri helping me.  A part of my stubbornness is due to her babying me, but after seeing how worried she was when I almost fell over, I realize she's doing it out of genuine care for me, I shouldn't give her a hard time for it.

A couple of minutes later Yuri walks back in, walking carefully and holding the kettle with her hands on the spout and handle and a cloth draped over the side. She places it on what I thought was a coaster, but once I saw her pull out a plug from the side of it I realized it was an electric heater. I point out where the closest socket is and she plugs it in, thanking me.  She turns on the heater and sets the proper temperature. She quickly grabs the cloth on top of the kettle and inspects it a bit before turning towards me.

"Now I know you might not like this but please allow me to put this on your forehead. You might dislike the cold but it'll help ease the tension in your head a little and reduce your headache." I'm a little hesitant at first due to how sensitive I am to the cold, but Yuri obviously knows what she's doing so I nod at her in agreement. She gently places the cloth over my head and I gasp a bit at how cold it was.

"Sorry! I'm very sorry I should of warned you about how cold it was!" She says with an anguish tone. I quickly speak up to make sure she doesn't continue her rapid fire apology.

"Yuri , Yuri! It's okay! I knew it was going to be cold, I'm just sick so I wasn't prepared for it.

Yuri's face still show signs of doubt. All these small details show me that Yuri is trying her hardest to care for me. The fact that someone as lovely as her is going to these lengths to care for me warms my heart. I try to reassure her more by speaking honestly.

"I really appreciate what you're doing for me Yuri. It makes me feel a lot better having you around to help me."

The look of distraught on Yuri's faced turned to one of bemusement. "Does it?" she asks softly, with hints of insecurity behind her voice.

I nod my head and give her a reassuring smile. "It really does. I never would of gone to this length to feel better. I would of just waited it out, but you're going to great lengths to help me and making sure I'm okay every step of the way." Before I could finish I could feel the cloth on my head sliding off, Yuri notices and quickly grabs it and straightens it out, trying to feel if it's stil cool. She places it on the dresser and places her hand on my forehead. "You're still warm, but the cloth heated up faster than I expected. We'll wait for it to cool off."

"That's what I mean, you're putting so much effort into helping me feel better. It means a lot to me. You're making me feel really cared for."

"I do care for you Anon. Very much so." She says instinctively.  With her hand still on my forehead, she caressed my head a bit. "I've been very worried about you since I heard you got sick. When you told me how bad it was I thought I was going to die. I wanted you to feel better as soon as you could and I wanted to as much as I could to help." she admits with a sense of confidence in her voice.

"Yuri..."

The realization of what she said hit her like a truck, and she covered her face and looked away from me completely.


"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't of said it." Was all she could sputter out before hiding her face deeper in her hands.

"Yuri! Listen to me!" I yell loud enough to break her apology mantra, trying to hold back any coughs.  She drops her hands and looks at me through the locks of her hair covering her face, but I could see how red it was. I sit up and make eye contact with her.
"I'm glad you care for me that way, It makes me really happy that you do. I was content with trying to wait this out. But with how much concern you've shown me and the lengths you've gone to help me, I want to get better as soon as I can. You're making me a better person like this.  I really appreciate you coming over to do this." I move a bit closer to her and place my hand on hers. "And...if being sick meant you got to come over and spend time with me, then it was worth it."

Yuri brushed her hair to the side and I could see her face more clearly. She held a soft trembling smile and when our eyes connected that feeling from earlier returned. I head started swirling again and I could feel my cheeks flushing up. Just like before,  Yuri's beautiful violet eyes felt as if they were warming me down to my soul the feeling was so rejuvenating  I felt as if I could get up and go about my day right there. Our intimate moment was interrupted by a loud hiss. Both Yuri and I jolted from the break in silence, quickly returning me back to my sickly state.


"The tea!" Yuri yelped as she quickly got up and turned off the electric heater.  After the panic settled, me and Yuri let out a laugh, to have such a high intimate moment suddenly whiplash into a silly act of being startled by tea was enough to ease the tension, and any awkwardness that would've followed. Yuri grabbed reached into her bag and pulled out a small plastic box, she opened and carefully pulled out two small porcelain cups with an elegant design wrapping around it and a curved ladle.

"Bringing out the fancy kitchenware are we?" I joke.

Yuri giggled lightly "Oh no, this is my normal tea set. I never had a chance to use the box or the second cup, so it makes me very happy I can now."

"Well I'm glad I get to be the person you share it with."

*-- Yuri looked at me with a smile and a lightly blushed face. "The feeling is mutual Anon". She took the kettle and filled both of our cups, I could see the steam rising from both of them. Once she was done she pulled out two tea bags from a green box.

"What are we drinking this afternoon?" I curiously ask her

" Well I want to help with your sore throat, so I brought lemongrass tea." She takes the teabags and places them both in the cup and sits back down to continue explaining. "It help alleviate any muscle aches you have and boost your immune system to help fight off the cold. I have a few more teas ready if these don't help." She gets up to grab one of the cups with the coaster and sits back down, shifting her seat closer to me. She blows on the tea a bit to cool it off before leaning in and bringing the cup to my mouth rather than handing me it. This caught me off guard and I would of declined and grabbed the cup itself but I noticed her hand was trembling a bit and held a taut smile. Rather than embarrass her with how she's treating me, I decide to play a long and I lean forward and take a small sip. Surprisingly, the tea was the perfect temperature, and the tea goes down smoothly, and the ache in your throat feels noticeably better. Yuri's taut smile loosens as a bright one forms on her face and her hands relax as she leans back and let's me savoir the tea.

"That's really good Yuri, and you let it sit for the perfect amount of time."

"I've had this tea many times. I suppose I have a mental note of how long it takes to get to an acceptable temperature." she says with a confident smile.

" It shows, and it tastes pretty good too. My throat already feels better."

Yuri's face lights up from hearing the news. "That's good Anon! It makes me very happy to see your feeling better. Here." Yuri leans back over and brings the tea to my mouth. She seems to enjoy giving me the tea this way, perhaps it helps her feel like she's helping more? I'd rather not ask in case she's too embarrassed to admit it, but I can't say that it doesn't feel nice. It's not what I expected but it gives me a warm feeling in --* my chest to be so gently cared for, so maybe I'm not playing along just for her sake. Yuri alternates between drinking her tea and helping me.

We both finish our tea around the same time. Yuri gets up and puts a small cloth in both cups and sets them on the dresser. "That was really good Yuri, I didn't think it would go down so smoothly." A smile forms on Yuri's face as she wipes the cups with the cloth.

"The oil in the leaves are sometimes used as a medicine, but when used as a tea it doesn't have the bitter taste medicine does, so it's easier to digest." she explains. "By the way, have you eaten?" she asks me.

Almost as if it was a reminder, my stomach growls when she asks me. I had been so sick I didn't have an appetite, but with the tea helping me feel better, it started coming back. I shake my head a bit and explain why to Yuri.

"That's not good, you should eat. Food will give you the energy to deal with your cold." She says as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small thermos.  Her face blushes as a bit as she tries to ask me something. "May I go to the kitchen and properly prepare this? It would feel rude to do it directly out of the thermos."

 I give Yuri a nod. "Sure, it's no problem. Go right ahead."

Yuri nods and quietly thanks me before taking the thermos and exiting the room. A few moments later she returned, carrying a bowl on a place.  I couldn't help but notice the proper posture she held and the smooth movement while carrying the plate. Guess this is something normal for her at home. She places the bowl on my dresser and reaches for smooth looking napkin. She sits down and places the napkin over her lap, then brings the bowl and plate down on top of it.

"What did you make?" I ask her.

"Oh, it's nothing extravagant, just a soup made with chicken and some vegetables.  She takes a spoonful and lightly blows on it before taking a small sip to check the temperature. "Here, try it. I'd like to know what you think of it." She carefully brings the spoon towards me. So we're doing this again? I'm not complaining. I sip the rest of the spoonful and I'm instantly hit with a wave of delicious flavors, so much that I could feel my mouth already watering in anticipation of the next spoonful. After a few moments there's a small kick in the soup as well. Did she put a spice in there? In the middle of my thinking, I notice Yuri looking at me anxiously, waiting for me to let her know how it tastes. You'd think the look on my face would be enough, but I understand Yuri would like some verbal confirmation.

"It's delicious Yuri!"

Yuri's face beams at hearing the good news.

"Really? Fantastic!"

"Did you make it yourself? I've never had this kind of soup before."

"Well it's a favorite of mine. I have it for several occasions, ranging from alleviating sicknesses to just enjoying a relaxing evening." Her faces blushes a bit. "Though I've never made the recipe myself before, I was nervous trying it today, and was worried you wouldn't like it." She admits.

"You don't have to worry about that, Yuri. I love it." You reassure her. Hearing those words must of really put her at ease, as her smile shined softly and confidently.

"Though I have to ask, it's a bit on the spicy side. What did you add?"

Yuri's face lit with excitement again," Oh! I added a bit of ginger. It's not enough to change the flavor, but it adds that small spicy kick to it." She says proudly. "I like the spicy aspect of it but didn't want to deviate from the chicken flavor. I knew a bit of spice would help clear your nose as well, and I wasn't sure how strong your tolerance for spicy is."

"Well you picked the right amount. It's delicious. May I have some more?"

It seems Yuri forgot she wanted to feed me the soup herself.  Her face turned a lighter shade of red and she let out a quiet giggle. "Oh yes of course. My apologies" It seems she's getting more comfortable now, especially since we indulged more into her hobbies. We continue the pattern of her taking a spoonful of the soup and feeding it to me. Due to the combination of my appetite and how much I enjoyed the soup, I quickly finish the bowl. Yuri gets up and takes the bowl back to the kitchen. I'm left with a full warm feeling in my stomach. Enough that I would've fallen asleep had I not been enjoying Yuri's company too much to end the night that easily. Once she returns she sits down on my bed again.

"It makes me very happy you enjoyed my soup, Anon. "

"And it makes me really happy you went through the effort of making it for me. It was a really good meal."

"I'm flattered." She says with a bashful smile.

I return the smile and we spend a quick minute enjoying the moment before we both notice that the sun is setting and my room is starting to get dark.

"Oh dear, I had a feeling this would happen."

"Why don't we just turn the light on?" I suggest, but she shakes her head.

"I wouldn't recommend it. The light might be strong and it'll worse your migraine. Fortunately, I prepared for this." She reaches out into her bag and pulls out a small bag, inside that she pulls out three large candles wrapped in plastic, all of them purple, how fitting. She unwraps them and places them on the desk near my door. She takes out a small matchbox from her bag and walks over to the  candles, probably as to not to have me smell it. She lights the candles and leaves one on the desk, placing the other two on the ends of my dresser. The combination of all the candles is bright enough to illuminate my room dimly.

"The flame isn't intense enough to strain your eyes but it is enough to let us see. I wanted to prepare in case it would get dark, as well as using the scent to help your immune system."  I take a whiff now that the candles have had time to burn and smell a hint of lavender.

"Smart thinking Yuri."

"I'm glad you think so." She smiled proudly.

"So what would you like to do now?" I ask her, since it seems she's given me everything she wanted to make me feel better.

"Well, I actually had something planned for the rest of the evening." she says reaching into her bag. She pulls out a book, and holds it on her lap. "I was wondering if you'd like to read this book with me? I don't think we could watch the television as the screen might worsen your migraine, and we have enough light to read.  I know you don't read much yourself and we're not in the club right now so.."

"No no it's fine!" I interject. "I'd love to read with you."

Yuri gives me a warm smile before opening the book. "It's not a very long book so I think we could finish it rather quickly." She says excitedly.

Yuri opens the book to the first page and reads the title out loud. It a vague poetic sounding title, one I've never heard of before. She started reading the first chapter, explaining the setting, from what I gathered listening, it took place in a fantasy countryside, and it focused on a young man who would travel the forest to explore. It wasn't before long when I noticed Yuri would stop reading for a few seconds to straighten her back. I remember when we tried reading one of her books in class she suggested we'd sit against the wall to ease the strain back. I didn't want her to deal with that the whole time so I thought of what I could do, then an idea hit me.

"Hey Yuri?" I chime in.

Yuri looked a bit startled and looked at me. "Yes, Anon?"

"I noticed you keep fixing your back. Why don't you sit next to me against the wall?"

It seems that was the thing to bring back Yuri's timidness as her face turned deep red and she started nervously playing with her hair again. "Would..would that be okay? I couldn't. There's no room on the bed for both of us and.."

"It's fine, look." I shimmied over to the side, leaving enough room for Yuri to sit comfortably next to me. "Besides I think it'll be something we'll both enjoy." I tell her, giving her a reassuring smile. Yuri returns the smile and slowly makes her way to the spot next to me. She shifts herself and leans against the wall. I can see her let out a sigh of relief. "Better?" I ask her.

She nods. "Much better. Now then, shall we continue?" asks me, confidence returning. I give her a nod and she opens the book and continues reading.

The story is about a young man who gets lost exploring the forest and comes across a beautiful reclusive Dryad. The Dryad avoids the man but she's captured his attention and he makes it his goal to find her again. He goes back to the forest everyday to find her, but is never successful. It isn't until one day when the man comes across two hunters looking for the mythical Dryad, the man manages to convince the hunters to leave the Dryad alone, as hunting in the forest hurts her and if it keeps up, the forest will fight back for her sake. When the man was alone, the Dryad finally reveals herself to the man. Acknowledging his bravery and compassion for the forest, and feels that he understands the forest like her, and begins to invite him to visit her.

It's around this time I notice that the fatigue mixed with Yuri's care has finally caught up with me and I'm starting to fall asleep. I lean a bit on Yuri's arm, catching her attention.

"Are you falling asleep Anon?"

"Oh, uh yeah." I yawn. "I guess everything is starting to catch up to me and this is really relaxing so I can't help it."

"If you'd like I could let you sleep and I'll read to myself." she suggests.

"No that's okay I'm still listening, it's a really nice story. There is something I'd like to do though."

Yuri looks at my confused. "What is it?"

I take a moment to get the courage to suggest something that's been on my mind ever since she sat next to me.

"Can I- Can I lay my head on your lap?"

Yuri looks at me a bit stunned. I probably shouldn't of said that. "I er mean. If it's fine by you." My face starts warming up and I feel like hiding under the blankets.

Yuri gives me a warm smile and raises her arm. "Of course it would be fine Anon. I'd like that."
I can't help but smile as I move and rest my head on her lap. She softly lowers her arm around my shoulder and grips the book again before continuing reading. The combination of being in her soft, warm embrace and her soft voice reading this story to me, I felt like I could be like this forever. I could feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier with every passing minute. I couldn't resist anymore and drifted off to sleep.

I woke back up, not sure how much time has passed. As I open my eyes I look at the book, most of the pages were already finished. I must of slept through most of it, I don't hear Yuri's voice, so she must of stopped when she noticed I had fallen asleep. Not only that but I can softly feel her hand nuzzling my head, she seems to be very comfortable now. I move my head a bit and I can feel Yuri softly raise her hand.

"Are you awake Anon?" she says softly.

I give her a groggy nod.

"You fell asleep a lot faster than I expected. Did you sleep well?" she asks me.

How could I not? I was basically in heaven. I give her a nod. "Best sleep I've had in a while."

I can hear her softly laugh to herself. "And how do you feel?"

"Much better, like brand new almost." I answer.


Yuri gives me a joyful smile. "That's good. I just finished the story."

"I'm sorry I fell asleep. I knew you wanted to read it with me."

"It's okay Anon, I enjoy the story very much, and I really liked reading it here with you, even if you were asleep." Yuri looks at her phone. "Though it is convenient you woke up now. It seems I have to go. My father should be arriving soon."

I felt a surge of sadness hit me and I can't help but admit it.

"I wish you could stay longer. I was having a really good time."

"Me too Anon. I had a very good time with you."

We both get up and I try to get my composure back while she puts all of her stuff away. We start walking towards the front door, reflecting on the bittersweet mood. We make it to the front door and before I open I turn towards Yuri.

"Hey, I had a really good time today. Thanks for coming over."

"Of course Anon. Anything for you." She says pleasantly.

"I was wondering, maybe you'd like to come back again soon, when I'm not sick? We could finish that book and maybe read another or have some tea." I stammer.

Yuri's face radiates as she gives me a joyful smile. "I'd really like that Anon, let's arrange it soon." She grabs her phone and looks at it. "My fathers outside, I guess it's time to go."

"Well let me walk you to the car at least." I want to show some chivalry to her and her dad.

"That's very sweet of you Anon, but before that." Yuri quickly leans in and gives me a soft kiss on my cheek. Both of our faces flush deeply. I can't help but give a goofy smile, making Yuri giggle shyly as she twirls with her hair. "I don't think father would appreciate that display of affection, so I'd rather do it here." She inhales deeply and wraps her scarf around her mouth. "Now shall we?"

I walk Yuri to the end of my walkway. The same car was there before, only this time the back door was open, he must of opened it before we went outside. I couldn't decide if me not seeing her dad was a good or bad thing. Once Yuri gets inside the car I close the door for her and wave at her and her father. Through the tinted windows I see the same hand wave at me sternly and I can faintly make out Yuri smiling and waving at me. Once the car is out of my sight I quickly rush back inside, completely forgetting about the cold. I return back to my room and lay back down, the smell of lavender was a lot stronger than I remember now that I got fresh air. I can't help but smile at the candles. I take in how calm my room looks now with her touch. After a few minutes I get a text from Yuri

"Yuri at 9: 15

Thank you for inviting me over Anon. I really enjoyed myself."

"Sent at 9:16

I did too Yuri, we should really do it again."

"Yuri at 9:16

I'd like that very much. You're feeling better right?"

"Sent at 9:17

Much better, thanks to you."

"Yuri at 9:18

I'm glad, that means I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

"Sent at 9:19

Of course."

"Yuri at 9:20

Good, continue to get rest okay?"

"Sent at 9:21
Will do. I'll see you tomorrow, thank you for everything."

"Yuri at 9:25

Goodnight Anon, sweet dreams."

"Sent at 9:26

Goodnight Yuri, sweet dreams."