By Her Side (ch6)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $20+ PATRONS!

Okay, so since Rosetta and Tiara weren't together in this week's episode, I'm gonna take matters into my own hands! Doing an idea I've wanted to see since episode 1. One of my fav tropes ever.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lapis Relights.

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                                                          Chapter 6.

A lot had happened in the forest the day before, but when Rosetta wakes the next morning, she doesn't feel particularly tired. After they'd found Maryberry, recruited Garnet, and watched the performance Emilia's group had put on for them, everyone had returned to the academy.

It'd been a late night of explaining to the Chairperson how Rosetta and her team had taken over Lucifer's spot on the summons, and then there'd been the process of getting Garnet enrolled, and after then they'd all needed to shower, so no one had gone to bed until well after midnight.

But somehow, Rosetta wakes well-rested today, as if the success of their mission had provided her with only positive feelings and energy.

As she opens her eyes, she finds herself curled up beside Tiara as per usual, though her princess is still asleep. Rosetta admires her adorable, relaxed expression, stroking her fingers over the soft red bangs for a few moments as she listens to her deep breathing. A glance at the clock tells her it's about time to get ready for classes, so she prods Tiara gently.

"Tia. It's time to get up."

Tiara doesn't stir right away, but after another small shake from Rosetta, she moans softly. She sounds much more tired than Rosetta feels, so she decides to let Tiara sleep a few more minutes.

As Rosetta carefully climbs out of bed over her, Tiara curls up into the space where she'd been, as if unconsciously seeking out her warmth again. Rosetta pats her head softly before crossing the room to get changed. She lets Tiara sleep for about five more minutes before heading back to rouse her for good.

"Tia. We've got to get going."

Tiara moans again, now rolling back over toward the sound of her voice. Her eyelids twitch before blearily fluttering open.

"Rose…"

Rosetta smiles down at her.

"Good morning."

Tia returns a sleepy smile.

"Morning."

Rosetta helps her sit up as Tiara rubs her eyes and yawns.

"Did you get enough sleep last night? I know things were kind of hectic."

Tiara lifts her head and smiles again.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you, Rose?"

"I'm doing great!" she beams. "Hopefully it'll be decided that we can get some points after our expedition."

"Yeah, that would be nice!"

Tiara gets herself up out of bed, and Rosetta goes to her nightstand to pick up her hairbrush. But as she listens to Tiara getting ready behind her, she can't help but feel like something is off. Tiara keeps sighing and making tired sounds, to the point where Rosetta turns back to glance at her in concern.

"Tia?" She puts down her brush and goes back to her roommate just as Tiara is smoothing out her uniform. "Are you feeling all right? Do you want to take today off maybe?"

Tiara shakes her head.

"No way! I'm fine. I wanna welcome Garnet into the academy properly. Plus, we can maybe hunt down some more points in class today!"

"Right…" Rosetta tilts her head. /Maybe I'm imagining things…/

Tiara puts on her headpiece, and then the two of them share a smile before heading out the door together.

They meet up with Lavie, Ashley, and Lynette and freshen up in the restrooms, then make their way to the cafeteria for breakfast. And all the while, Rosetta can't help but feel something is a bit off with Tiara. She's still smiling and talking and laughing with everyone, but somehow she seems to be lacking her usual spritely spunk, just a bit. She eats her breakfast little by little as she chats with everyone, and Rosetta keeps an eye on her.

When Emilia, Alpha, Salsa, and their newest member Garnet enter the cafeteria, everyone who'd been on the forest expedition yesterday cheers and congratulates them, and they welcome the newest student. Garnet's eyes begin to sparkle as she bows in appreciation. Rosetta smiles.

"I'm glad she decided to enroll."

"Yes!" Tiara agrees. "She's a perfect addition to Emilia-san's team! I'm so happy for them!" By now, she's only finished about half of her food, whereas everyone else has cleaned their plates.

Rosetta blinks.

"Tia? Aren't you going to finish eating? Our first class is starting soon."

"Huh? Oh, nah, I'm not that hungry..." She grips her tray and stands up from her chair, quickly turning her face away. Rosetta narrows her eyes.

"Tia-?"

"I'm fine, Rose. I'm just…"

But she doesn't even get to finish speaking before her knees suddenly buckle. Rosetta's eyes widen in horror as she watches her roommate fall, as if struck by an arrow. The tray slips from Tiara's hands and clatters loudly to the ground as Tiara collapses, food and milk splattering all across the floor.

All of the cheerful vibes of the morning are shattered in a split second as everyone gasps. But Rosetta's voice is the only one to rise above it all.

"Tia-!"

She jumps out of her chair and immediately drops to her knees beside her princess, fretfully gathering Tiara into her lap with shaking hands. She gasps. Tiara's face is deeply flushed, nearly the same color as her hair. Sweat has sprung up across her forehead, and her skin is burning with fever.

Rosetta feels nauseous, like she really might be sick to her stomach. She hasn't seen such a terrible sight in so many years. Not since they were children.

She'd thought Tiara had gotten strong enough to fend off the sicknesses. She'd thought she was immune to them. But the proof is staring her in the face now.

"Tia!" Rosetta shrieks. "Tia!"

By now, everyone else has gotten up and started crowding around. Garnet throws her hands to her mouth in shock.

"Tiara-san?"

"What happened?" Emilia asks. "Did I somehow touch her without realizing…?"

"I don't think this was your doing, Ojou-sama," Alpha says.

"Was it something she ate?" Salsa frowns.

"Th-This is terrible!" Lynette cries. "I-I'll go tell a teacher!" She hurries off through the crowds in a split second, while Lavie and Ashley move in to take her spot.

"Tiara?" Lavie wails. "Is it cuz of our mission in the forest?"

"Possibly," Ashley mumbles. "It might've been too much all at once for her." She reaches out to touch Tiara's cheek and flinches, withdrawing instantly. "She's burning up."

Rosetta feels dizzy from the panic and guilt.

"Why didn't I notice…? Tia-" She starts getting choked up, and her chest tightens with worry. Tears start dripping down a second later.

"We should bring her to the infirmary," Ashely decides. Rosetta wipes her eyes and nods. But before either of them can begin picking her up, Tiara opens her eyes with a moan.

"Rose…"

"Tia!" Rosetta curls both arms around her and leans over her, cradling her face gently. "Tia… what-?"

"Rose…" she whimpers. "I don't need to go to the infirmary… please…"

Rosetta eases back, tears brimming over.

"What are you saying?! Of course you need to go-"

"Please…"

Rosetta cuts off with a gasp when Tiara begs her. Her once vibrant sky-blue eyes are now misted over with nervousness and pain.

Rosetta swallows thickly. She understands. Most of her life, Tiara's been fussed over by doctors and nurses. She'd never liked them. She'd only ever seemed to relax when those people were gone, and only Rosetta and Eliza were with her.

"But-" Rosetta sniffles, shaking her head. "Tia-"

"I'm fine, Rose…" she murmurs. "I think I just need to sleep. That's all…"

Now, Tiara's eyes clear up just a little, and everyone else in the world but the two of them seem to fade away for an instant. Rosetta can see the honesty in her gaze. She trusts that Tiara has been sick enough times in her life to know when she needs medical attention, and when she just needs to rest.

So even though her heart is pounding in fright, Rosetta exhales slowly and dips her head.

"All right. But if-"

"If it gets worse," Tiara agrees. "Then you can call the nurse."

Rosetta sniffs. "Okay."

With their agreement made, Tiara seems like she can't keep her eyes open a second longer, and they fall shut.

A fresh pang of worry shoots through Rosetta's chest and stings her heart directly. Now, the rest of the world comes back, and she's aware of all her friends around her, still in a panic. Rosetta finds her voice, hoarse as it is.

"I'll take her back to our room for now," she says. "If her condition doesn't improve in an hour, I'll call the nurse." She looks to Lavie. "Can you tell the teachers we'll be skipping today?"

"Sure," Lavie agrees.

"Thanks." Rosetta gathers Tiara into her arms, but when she tries to stand, her legs are still far too wobbly, so she doesn't get more than an inch off the ground. Ashley moves in and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"I've got her. Don't push yourself."

Rosetta wipes her eyes again and nods. She helps position Tiara on Ashley's back, and once she's secured in place, Ashley gets to her feet. Lavie helps Rosetta up, and by now all of their worried friends have stepped back to give them some space.

"We'll be fine," Rosetta reassures them. "Don't worry. I've known Tia since we were kids. I'll take care of her."

Everyone shares nervous looks around at one another.

"Okay."

"Call for us if you need anything."

Rosetta dips her head, then follows Ashely out of the cafeteria. She puts a hand on Tiara's back to keep her in place and prevent her from slipping off. And even from just that small gesture, she can feel an unnatural heat wafting from underneath her clothes.

Ashley grimaces as they walk down the hallway.

"Her heart's pounding… Was it always this bad, even when she was younger?"

Rosetta looks down at the floor.

"Yes. Whenever she got sick, it was never just a simple cold. It was always horrible. Sometimes she couldn't get out of bed for days…" Her vision starts to blur with tears again. "I was always so scared… It'd put such a terrible strain on her… a few times they thought she might-"

She can't say it. She doesn't even want to think about it.

Ashley steps a bit closer to her, nudging her lightly with her elbow.

"She'll be all right, Rosetta. She's much stronger now than she was back then, right? And you have an entire academy of skilled witches here to help you out this time. Let her sleep, give her plenty of water, and she should be fine."

Rosetta draws in a deep breath.

"Yeah. You're right."

When they reach the room, Rosetta opens the door and follows Ashley inside. She helps slip Tiara off her back, removing her shoes before lying her down in her bed. Her face is still a deep shade of pink, and her breathing is shallow and quick.

Rosetta gently combs away her bangs clinging to her forehead and removes the tiara. She then rests her hand over her princess' chest and murmurs a cooling spell. Within seconds, a gentle flow of magic trickles from her fingers and spreads through Tiara's body. She shivers a little, but after a few seconds her breathing becomes less ragged and more even. Rosetta smiles a tiny bit, and Ashley gives her a pat on the back.

"See? She'll be fine. Especially if she's got you to look after her." Ashley heads for the door, ushering Rosetta with her a few steps. "But listen," she says sternly. "Don't push yourself, Rosetta. If she gets worse, don't try to handle it all on your own. Call for help; either us or the nurse, all right? Remember we're a team. We'll take care of each other."

Rosetta has stopped crying by now. Ashley's words move her heart and make her feel warm.

"I will. Thanks, Ashley. And tell Lavie and Lynette too."

"Of course." Ashley pulls her in for a brief hug, as if sensing she might need one. "We'll come by to check on you guys at lunch, and I'll take notes for you. Don't worry."

Rosetta gives her an appreciative squeeze.

"Okay."

They part, and Ashley takes her leave, closing the door behind her.

Rosetta turns and quickly goes to the cabinet where she and Tiara keep a few snacks, but what she pulls out is a bottle of water. She returns to Tiara's bedside and sits on the edge of the mattress, looking her over. In spite of the cooling spell she'd just cast, Tiara is already panting for breath again.

Rosetta pulls her handkerchief from her skirt pocket and wets it, then gently wipes it across Tiara's forehead and down both sides of her neck. Tiara is breathing heavily out of her mouth, and little whimpers keep tumbling up her throat. Rosetta's heart clenches at the sight of her, and the flashbacks to their younger years come flooding back.

/No. She's stronger now. Just like she kept saying. She'll be fine./

Rosetta straightens up and continues clearing the sweat away until she's satisfied. She puts the water aside for the time being, then lays her hand on Tiara's chest again. She can feel her heart pounding just from that small touch alone, and more heat stirs beneath her uniform.

Rosetta casts another cooling spell on her, just a light one that's enough to combat the heat. Again, Tiara sighs and her breath comes more easily for a few moments. But then the fever returns and the process begins again.

"Oh, Tia…" Rosetta tries to stay strong, but a few more tears end up coming free.

She cools her down again and again, and continues wiping her skin clean of sweat. In between doing these things, she alternates between holding Tiara's hand or rubbing her stomach softly. This goes on for about an hour, and Rosetta doesn't say a word all the while.

/I wish Eliza-sama were here… she'd know what to do…/

Her thoughts cut off when Tiara shivers suddenly and makes a moaning sound. Her brow furrows as if in pain, and Rosetta tenses.

"Tia-?" She holds her hand and cradles her cheek, thumbing away a drop of sweat. Tiara's eyes tremble and flutter open slowly, revealing misty pools of blue. Rosetta feels both relief and anxiety swirl through her veins. "Tia… A-Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Are you dizzy? Are you going to be sick-?"

"Rose." Tiara says her name so softly, so reassuringly it makes the tears jump into Rosetta's eyes all over again. Tiara smiles up at her, and though it's weak, it also very honest. "Rose, I'm okay. I feel a lot better already. Really."

Rosetta is already crying again, and she has to use her handkerchief for herself now.

"Thank goodness you're okay…"

"Rose…" Tiara sits herself up slowly as Rosetta begins to hiccup. She reaches out and wraps her up in a soft hug. "I'm sorry for making you worry… I didn't realize I was sick until the last second…"

Rosetta returns the hug right away, but makes sure not to squeeze her too tightly.

"It's okay… as long as you're all right, Tia, nothing else matters…" She dares to hug her a little bit tighter, and Tiara does the same.

Rosetta sighs, resting her chin on her roommate's shoulder and sniffling. She can feel Tiara's weight is a bit limp against her chest, and she seems a little unsteady to be sitting up like this. And when she presses closer, she can feel Tiara's heartbeat still thumping quickly, not as badly as before, but still definitely too hard to be healthy. Rosetta runs her hands up and down her back soothingly, and she doesn't miss it when Tiara starts panting lightly again.

"Tia…"

"Rose…" she gasps. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. I just want you to get better." Rosetta bites her lip a bit. "I think your fever's gone down a little, but you still feel really warm… Do the cooling spells work? Do you feel any better?"

"Yes!" Tia says in earnest, giving her shoulders another squeeze. "It feels very nice, Rose. Actually… if you could do it again…"

"Of course." Rosetta moves her hands, positioning one in between Tiara's shoulder blades and the other at the small of her back. She murmurs her spell and lets the flow of magic emit from her fingertips. She feels Tiara breathe as soon as the spell touches her, and she makes a sound of relief.

Rosetta is glad she can help her even a little bit, but she's still adamant about bringing her to the nurse if her condition doesn't show signs of improving soon.

After a moment, they ease back from their embrace. Rosetta tucks a stray lock of hair from her princess' face, then offers her the water bottle.

"You need to drink something. You've been sweating a lot."

Tiara nods and accepts the bottle. She drinks slowly, and Rosetta rubs her back for her all the while as she drains half the water. Tiara gives her a triumphant little smile, and Rosetta reflects it.

When she's finished, Rosetta lies her back down again. She rests her hand on Tiara's chest once more and casts another small cooling spell. Tiara sighs, shivering just a little, but her brow isn't so tight-knit anymore.

"Thanks, Rose…"

"Don't mention it."

Rosetta cards through her hair for a moment as Tiara closes her eyes again. She decides she'll let her sleep a while longer, then call for the nurse if she isn't better by lunchtime.

She checks Tiara's pulse in her wrist, then feels her collar, glad to find her heart isn't pounding so harshly anymore. She's still breathing a bit roughly, but it's not as bad as before.

"Thank goodness…"

Rosetta holds Tiara's hand for a moment, tracing her thumbs over the girl's knuckles. She'd thought Tiara was asleep again, but now her princess mumbles something.

"Rose…"

"Are you all right?" Rosetta strokes through her hair a bit. Tiara doesn't open her eyes as she replies.

"Yeah… I just wanted to say thank you…"

Rosetta's heart flutters.

"You don't have to. Just rest, Tia."

"Mm…" Tiara sighs a little, and Rosetta continues caressing her face. Without really thinking, she begins to sing a familiar song.

"Oh guiding light, please shine upon us. Please shine upon us…"

The same song Tiara had sung on her first night here at the academy. The song Eliza would always sing for her whenever she was sick as a child.

Rosetta doesn't think she's half as good a singer as Eliza is. But as she goes through the verses, Tiara visibly relaxes, and she's deeply asleep within seconds.

Rosetta finishes the song and smiles fondly down at her. She cleans her up a few more times, relieved to feel her skin isn't radiating heat anymore. She doesn't feel she needs to cast any more cooling spells either, and when she rests her hand on Tiara's chest, Rosetta is glad to feel her pulse has settled into a slower pace.

She glances at the clock to see there's an hour until lunch. Rosetta repeats the song and watches over her princess for thirty more minutes, but she still doesn't feel the need to cast any more spells on her. Tiara's temperature drops back to just about normal, and she's no longer sweating.

So Rosetta removes her shoes and lies down beside her, pulling Tiara close into a warm, loving embrace. She just holds her for a long time, trying to push away the awful memories of her past illnesses.

/She's stronger. She's so much stronger now. She's going to be all right./

Rosetta closes her eyes and curls up around her, and even though Tiara is fast asleep, she still ends up hugging her in return and cuddling close.

Rosetta stays with her, letting Tiara's steadier heartbeat reassure her own, and listening to the deeper, more comfortable pattern of her breathing. Reassured that her princess is going to be just fine, Rosetta finally allows herself to fall asleep beside her.

When lunch break comes, all of their friends and teammates stop by to check on them, but after seeing the two girls nestled together and very clearly fine, they leave them be.

The two of them wake around suppertime, and Tiara is completely better. She gives Rosetta the biggest, longest hug, and Rosetta returns it with fervor.

So long as her princess is all right, she'll never need anything else.

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A/N: I reeeally wanna see Tia getting sick again in present time and how Rose would react. Or vice-versa... which may be my next chapter depending on if they get more scenes together next week or not.