Tepid Happiness

Okay so here I am, ahaha anyone surprised? I did my best with only the first 4 episodes of the anime to go off of to try and get their personalities. Not sure if I did that well but I'm here for fluff and gay antics more than accuracy. Also, I refer to them in narration by their last names just because that's what we mostly hear and it just feels right.

Disclaimer: I do not own Adachi to Shimamura.

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							Tepid Happiness

In retrospect, what happened as a result of that day shouldn't have come as much of a shocker to either Adachi or Shimamura. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time they'd walked home together and gotten rained on without any umbrellas or rain coats to speak of.

And riding on the back of Adachi's bike, gripping nothing but her classmate's shoulders and her school bag, left Shimamura more or less exposed to the cold winds and pelting droplets, even though in the moment she'd almost enjoyed it; the rush of the speeding bike, the crisp chill of the air, the refreshing cold seeping into through her clothes and skin all the way down to her bones.

At the time she'd thought it invigorating, to the point where she'd once again insisted that Adachi take the path back to her own house first.

And being she could never find good rhyme or reason to oppose Shimamura, Adachi had agreed. Foolishly, perhaps, but she'd agreed.

They'd both laughed at the time, pulling up to the house sopping wet, as it was reminiscent of the first time, when they'd just started to associate and hang out with one another.

And just like the first time, Adachi had rushed inside to fetch her friend a towel and had offered to bring her home first after all.

And just like the first time, Shimamura had told her the ride would have been pointless and refused.

And even though Adachi had tensely invited her in to wait out the rain, Shimamura had declined on account of needing to get home to start making dinner for her mother and her little sister. She'd given a small wave to her classmate, claiming she'd return the towel when she next saw Adachi, and kept it over her head as she'd scurried off down the sidewalk through the downpour.

Overall, it had been pretty much like the first time, for the most part.

But from this particular incident, one very different, yet very unsurprising result had occurred.

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"Ah, geez. Now I've done it…"

Shimamura is sitting up in bed the very next morning, still in her nightgown despite the fact that she should be leaving for school in five minutes. But she isn't going today, for her mother had already called in to tell the school of her condition.

"A cold," Shimamura sighs, clearing loose hair out of her face. "I guess I was asking for it. Heh. But this will be the first time I'm skipping school for an actual reason, so I guess that's kind of exciting in a way."

There was a different sort of thrill about skipping classes to play hooky, which always had the underlying threat of being found out and rightfully reprimanded, versus skipping for an actual, excused medical reason. Although, it wasn't like she could go around town going to the arcade or visiting restaurants all day when she was running a 101-degree fever.

It wasn't that bad; she's had a minor rasping cough and occasional chills since she'd woken up, but nothing all that serious.

Either way, she's determined to enjoy the excused day off, even if it means she won't be seeing Adachi today.

I should message her. She'll probably freak out if I'm not there today. What's a stray cat to do when the person who normally comes to feed her doesn't show up one day?

The image of Adachi with black cat ears and a tail amuses her as she reaches for her phone. She sends Nagafuji and Hino texts in their group chat first:

Caught a cold. Take notes for me, okay? You're the best~

But what she sends to Adachi is a bit different:

Yo. I won't be in today. I caught a cold. Maybe actually go to class today so you can have some kind of attendance.

She sends them both out, wincing slightly as the brightness of the phone screen gets to her. She closes her eyes and leans back against her pillows, blinking up at the ceiling a few times. Her head feels fuzzy and like it's gotten clogged-up by gunk overnight.

Is this normal? I can't remember the last time I caught a cold…

Her mother had already made and brought her a light breakfast, but she can't tell if her stomach is feeling more hollow or bloated, but somehow it feels like both at the same time.

Whatever… If I just sleep all day it should be fine…

She draws in a few deep breaths, annoyed to have to breathe in through a stuffy nose. She reaches for a tissue and blows it again, but nothing seems to come out or clear up her air ways. She heaves a sigh as her phone buzzes with a new message from Nagafuji.

That sucks. Is it cuz you were out with Adacchi?

The unexpected comment has her feeling a little defensive, until she realizes that's exactly what had caused her sickness. Before she can reply, Hino follows up with another message.

Nagafuji will take notes, so don't worry. Feel better, Shimako-chan~

Shimamura sends them a thumbs-up emoji in response before slipping her phone back into her school bag. She perks up to the sound of pattering footsteps and lifts her head just in time to see her little sister rushing in.

"Hey- whoa!" Shimamura just barely has time to open her arms and catch her sister in a big hug.

"Onee-chan, feel better soon."

The minute surprise fades quickly, and Shimamura pats her back with a smile.

"Dummy. Don't just come hugging a sick person like that. What if you catch my cold?" But in spite of her words, Shimamura holds onto her sister for a second longer. She hadn't realized how cold she'd been until she'd felt someone else's warmth.

"Hougetsu?" Shimamura looks up at the sound of her mother's voice as she peers around the doorway. "Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself? I could still take the day off."

Shimamura releases her sister and sits up straight.

"Don't do that. I'll be fine. I'm just gonna sleep, anyway."

She hated the idea of her mother taking off work to take care of her. Not only did it mean Shimamura would be a major inconvenience enough to interfere with her mother's job and her little sister's care, but at her age it was downright embarrassing to have her mother take care of her for anything, especially such a minor cold. Though she appreciated the offer and the sentiment, of course, she knows she'd just feel uncomfortable all day with her mother in the next room eager to baby her. Shimamura is the type of person who would be able to relax best with family out of the house.

"All right," her mother says, waving her sister over. "If you need anything, call me. I'll be back around 4 after I pick up your sister from school."

"Roger." Shimamura gives a little salute to see them off. She leans her head back and closes her eyes again as she listens to them heading out of the house until the door closes behind them and silence ensues.

Well, silence throughout the rest of the house, that is.

But she feels there's way too much noise coming from her own body.

Her breath is wheezing through her nose, and she can both feel and hear her own pulse way too easily. With a groan, she reopens her eyes and looks around the room, which is just beginning to brighten with sunlight.

It would be all too easy, almost logical, even, to spend her day off playing video games or watching TV. But even the thoughts of looking at more screens or getting up out of bed right now are making her queasy.

"Guess I'll actually have to have a proper sick day and sleep…"

Just the amount of effort it takes her to move enough to lay back down makes her head pound. Her leg gets caught around one of her blankets, and it's too complicated to get it free, so she just leaves it.

This is my punishment for being stupid and not checking the forecast or bringing an umbrella…

She justifies her mild suffering as such and lies down onto her back. But as she closes her eyes and tries to lie still, the sound of her own breathing and the throbbing of her pulse through her whole body annoy her to no end. They remind her that she's alive and helpless.

She tries turning onto her side, but it just causes her stomach to churn dangerously. And her worst idea yet is to lie face-down, which she can only bear for about ten seconds before rolling back over to her initial position.

This sucks… I wonder if this is how that cicada Adachi and I found felt when it was stuck on its back, living the last days of its life…

The image of the insect flashes through her mind as she exhales another heavy breath, as she comes to the realization that this cold isn't as mild as she'd originally thought it might be.

She lies on her back, feeling pathetic, without the assistance of a merciful soul passing by to pick her up and give her a tree to cling to.

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Adachi is on her way to school that morning when her phone goes off. She jolts and yelps a little as she scrambles to pull her bike over, because she can't recall ever having received any texts so early in the morning. Her contacts list is pitiful as it is, containing fewer than ten numbers. She can only assume it's her mother texting about something random, or more likely a spam number.

There's no point getting excited to think it's Shimamura, she tells herself reasonably as she fishes out her phone. Why would it be her? What could she possibly have to text me at this hour anyway?

She shoots herself down before she can get too carried away, too excited this early in the morning, to the point where she doesn't even comprehend the name 'Shimamura' staring back at her from her Received Messages until she's already reading over the text. She can hear it being said in Shimamura's voice in her head, and she can't decide if that's impressive or creepy of her.

"Whoa, so it really was her? Wait, what am I saying- She's sick? Guess that doesn't surprise me though…"

She tries to think of something to reply back with, but finds she's having trouble.

That's so unusual. I can't imagine her being sick. She's always so self-sufficient.

For a moment, she just has to appreciate the fact that Shimamura had even texted her as much in the first place. She can only assume she'd also texted her other friends, but to imagine Adachi herself would also be on the list of people Shimamura would text when she's sick makes her a little happy; probably happier than it should make her feel, considering the situation.

She's sick… What do I say back? Should I offer to bring her the schoolwork for today? I probably should actually go to class like she said if I'm planning to do that…

She ends up spacing out for a solid five minutes or so, pulled over on the side of the path as other students continue on their way. Only when she's quite literally at the back of the pack does she realize the time.

"Ah-"

And normally, she wouldn't care so much about being late. But now, with Shimamura wanting her to be responsible and actually attend properly for a day, Adachi feels some sense of responsibility; especially since it was arguably her fault Shimamura had caught a cold in the first place.

So she ends up dropping her phone back into her bag without sending a reply to her classmate at all before pedaling off toward the school.

So Shimamura isn't going to be here today…

Harboring that knowledge makes the morning feel glummer in spite of the clear sky and sunlight. She would've found out eventually in homeroom anyway when roll was called, but knowing ahead of time now makes it feel even stranger.

Some part of Adachi could see it being a lame sort of prank on Shimamura's part, and she'll actually be there today to give her a joking grin and a peace sign.

But after Adachi has parked her bike and made it to her homeroom class, Shimamura's seat is and remains vacant all morning.

It's bugging her. Her eyes can't help but drift to that empty seat, and rather than listen to a word her teachers are saying, instead she paints the mental image of Shimamura in her seat; she traces the slope of her forehead down to the bump of her nose, then follows it downward to the plush of her pink lips, then the dip of her neck to her collar, all the way down to her waist before she goes back up to trace her long light hair, her shoulders, every ruffle of her uniform's blazer…

When Adachi eventually realizes what she'd been doing gawking at an empty seat, she stiffens and shakes herself out of it.

I'm such a creep. A total creep…

Needless to say, she retains absolutely none of the information the teachers provide in their lessons that morning. All she can think about is Shimamura, which isn't too different from what she thinks about on a normal day of classes. But this time she's imagining her home alone in bed.

She can't decide what kind of sick person Shimamura would be; the type who effectively can care for themselves, or the type who actually is very bad with being alone.

Thinking about it makes her worry, and once again that sense of responsibility stirs up feelings of slight guilt along with it.

By the time gym class arrives just before lunch, Adachi hurries to their secret meeting spot on the second floor, half-expecting to actually find Shimamura there somehow. She's disappointed when she doesn't.

Of course she's not here, she's home sick…

Slowly, Adachi makes her way to the spot where they'd always sit together and sinks down to the floor. She can hear the distant echos of the people in class far below, but normally she'd also be listening to Shimamura's voice from right beside her. Somehow, she can still hear her perfectly, even when she's not there. Adachi had more or less memorized the inflections of her tone, the sort of cheerful monotone of her speech.

She stretches out her legs, feeling she can recall exactly how much Shimamura's head weighed when she was resting it in her lap. She recalls the tickle of her breath on her thighs when she faced away from her, and the lilac of her eyes when she faced towards her.

And she recalls Shimamura's scent; even if she somehow was made to forget everything else about her, Adachi was certain she'd never forget that. Shimamura's scent was like a common flower; mild yet sweet, not obnoxious but not unattractive, but somewhere comfortably in between.

Geez, what am I, a pervert?

She sure feels like one whenever she thinks about Shimamura. She wonders if Hino and Nagafuji feel like this when they think about her.

Adachi gets as comfortable as she'll ever be without Shimamura by her side and spends the period thinking about her.

So long as I don't actually do anything weird, I should be able to keep my weird thoughts to myself, right?

Unlike her pervious classes, Adachi is distanced from everyone else right now. Without the constant drone of a teacher's voice and the secretive chatter of other classmates filling her ears, it becomes increasingly more difficult not to let her mind be entirely consumed by thoughts of Shimamura.

As the minutes pass by, she realizes it's going to be impossible for her to survive the day unless she does something.

I literally can't get through one day without her… This is bad…

From the very moment she'd received that text message on her ride to school, it had honestly been inevitable that she'd disobey Shimamura's request to properly attend a full day of classes. In the back of her mind, Adachi had known from the start that she'd never make it.

At the very least, she'd hoped to make it through lunch. But she just isn't strong enough.

"Ah, geez-!" Frustrated and flustered, she leaps to her feet. "What's the point of skipping class if Shimamura's not even skipping with me?"

Gripping the strap of her schoolbag tightly, Adachi hurries down from the upper level and races along the perimeter of the gymnasium below before bursting out into the hallway. It's just about lunchtime, so food is already being served, and she makes a quick stop to pick up some bread before heading outside with no intentions of coming back for the rest of the day.

She slings her school bag and the bag of bread over her shoulder as she pulls her bike from the rack, digging in to pull out one of the breads to tear into as she starts riding. She alternates between chewing and steering as she takes off down the sidewalk with the midday sun in her face.

It's only then she remembers she'd never even sent Shimamura a text back from this morning.

I'm the worst! She texts me that she's sick and I can't even remember to tell her I hope she feels better soon or something? What am I doing?

She really doesn't know, but she's determined to make it up to her in-person.

Adachi speeds down the sidewalk, calling out apologies to people she rides too close to. By the time she's made it to Shimamura's street she's finished her bread and can focus on pedaling as quickly as she can.

From a distance, she can see no car in the driveway, and spares a moment to feel relieved about that; she hadn't even considered the possibility that Shimamura's mother might've stayed home today to take care of her. If she had, Adachi would've felt embarrassed enough to die to have come all the way here just to see she wasn't needed at all.

She brakes, hopping off her bike and leaning it against the side of the house before grabbing her bags and hurrying up the steps to the front door.

That's where she pauses and realizes the past ten minutes hadn't been just an imagined scene while she sat daydreaming at her desk. She'd actually ditched school and come all the way here on impulse alone.

I want to see her… I want to make sure she's okay.

The justifications are equally as selfish as they are selfless, but both are genuine.

Therefore, Adachi draws in a deep breath as she balls her hand into a tight, nervous fist, and raises it to the door.

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"Uwaa, it's not even noon yet…"

Shimamura grimaces at her alarm clock as she staggers back into her bedroom. She'd just spent about an hour on the bathroom floor, hunched over the toilet feeling like she was almost about to throw up. Even though this was just a cold caught from the rain and not a stomach bug or virus, her stomach still felt weird enough where she felt she couldn't trust it.

She'd actually almost wished something would come up, just so she could justify nearly sixty minutes of staring at the inside of the white porcelain bowl, but in the end her stomach had decided all at once that it felt better, and she'd meandered out unsatisfied.

She has to pause and lean against the door frame of her bedroom for a second to get her bearings. Her head still feels fuzzy and her chest is tight, in spite of the fact that she can feel the gross fluids dripping down the back of her throat with every sniffle. Another bout of shudders passes through her, and she clutches her nightgown to herself with a groan.

"This is the worst…"

At the very least her mother hadn't stayed home to see her like this. She'd rather handle it on her own if she was going to be this pitiful.

In spite of her best efforts, she hadn't slept for a second since she'd been left home alone, and she's beginning to think taking some cold medicine might do her some good.

So she heads for the kitchen, curling her toes into her slippers as another shiver takes hold of her. She's had to fetch medicine for her sister before, but never for herself.

But before she can make it to the designated cabinet, she jumps at the unexpected sound of knocking at the front door.

"Huh? Are we getting a delivery or something?" She knows her mother would have keys if she'd come back early, so a delivery is all she can think of. And though she would honestly rather leave it unanswered, she can't risk it being something important.

So she abandons her trip to the cabinet and shuffles to the door, giving herself one last squeeze for warmth before opening it.

For a second, she thinks she's seeing things. But even after rubbing her eyes, the person in front of her doesn't fade away.

The name comes to her lips as naturally as air.

"Adachi…?"

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"Shimamura?"

The name still comes out as a question for some reason, even though Adachi had specifically ridden to her house for the specific reason of seeing her. It's less due to the fact that she's surprised to actually see her answering the door and more due to the fact that she's surprised to see her… like this.

The Shimamura before her now isn't the Shimamura she's been hanging out with in recent weeks.

Rather than her formal school uniform or the casual formality of her weekend clothes, now she is wearing only a long white nightgown that goes down to her shins and matching white slippers.

Adachi is taken aback at first, and almost feels like apologizing for seeing her in such intimate attire after arriving unannounced. But at the same time she's dazzled by just how cute the outfit is, how it fits her so perfectly with her lightly-dyed hair…

But she doesn't have much time to admire her beauty before she's gripped by a worrying realization.

Most of the color has drained from Shimamura's face, leaving behind an ashen pallor. In just the few seconds since they've made eye contact, Shimamura has already shivered once and sniffled twice. Her eyes are watery and puzzled, but as the seconds tick by, Adachi is relieved to see a bit of a spark in them.

The silence ensues for a few seconds longer as they stare at one another as if they've been separated for half a month, not half a day. Shimamura finds her voice first.

"Adachi… what are you doing here?"

"Ah-! W-Well…" That was a good question. What was she doing here? Disturbing a sick person's rest? "I mean… you said you were sick and that's… sort of my fault for making you walk home in the rain yesterday..."

"You didn't make me," she says. "In fact, you offered to take me home again and I refused. It's my own fault I got sick."

"E-Even so…" Adachi clutches the paper bag of bread to make it rustle just to fill the silence. "I felt like I needed to come see you… or something…"

Shimamura cracks a tiny smile before deciding to mess with her a little bit. She puts on a pout.

"Well geez, I wish you'd at least texted me then so I could put on something decent~"

"Eh?" Adachi blushes and shakes her head vigorously. "Y-You're right. I'm sorry. I totally forgot to message you back. I just got caught up thinking-"

"Aw, don't apologize," Shimamura sighs. "It makes me feel like a jerk for joking."

"Joking…? Oh." Adachi swallows, her gaze dropping from her classmate's eyes down to her white nightgown again. But that just makes her feel like a creep so she looks back up again. "A-And I think you like fine like that… you don't have to change…"

"Ehh? I don't want to hear that coming from someone who wears elephant pajamas. You should know it's embarrassing to have someone from your class see you like this."

"S-Sorry…"

"Geez…" Shimamura sighs, but in only seconds it turns into a laugh.

Adachi lifts her head and finally breaks out into the first smile she's worn all day.

But it's short-lived, because as quickly as Shimamura's laughter had begun, it shifts into a bout of coughing. She covers her mouth and steps back a pace, holding onto the door frame with her other hand.

Adachi reaches out instinctively to try and support her, but she stops just shy of making contact.

"Shimamura-?"

Her classmate holds up her hand to indicate she just needs a minute. She turns away and coughs a few more times into her elbow until the tickle in her throat has subsided. When she finally turns back to Adachi, her eyes seem a little hazy.

"Sorry…" she says a little breathlessly.

Adachi's fingers twitch, but she doesn't move them any closer or farther away from her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just going to get some cold medicine and head back to bed. Sorry you came all the way here, but I'm going to have to turn you away to make sure you don't catch this, too."

Adachi feels her spirits fall, but she won't be sent away that easily.

"I'd rather catch it!" she blurts.

"Eh?"

Again she reprimands herself for acting without thinking, but she continues nonetheless.

"I mean it. I-I'd rather catch your cold instead… If it means you'll get better…"

She feels especially guilty because the last time she herself had stayed home, she'd used the excuse of having caught a cold, when in reality she was just pouting and trying to avoid Shimamura. But Shimamura is actually sick, and Adachi would do anything to help her right now.

Shimamura tilts her head at the statement and tries out another small grin.

"My, how noble of you, Adachi-san. But I think I'll keep my cold to myself." She glances down curiously to the plastic bag on her classmate's arm. "Is that for me?"

"Huh? Ah, y-yeah. I wanted to bring you something. Um…"

"Ahh…" Shimamura sighs. "I guess I can't turn you away then, right?"

Adachi perks up like a puppy.

"S-So is it okay if I come in?"

"Just for a minute."

Adachi follows her inside and lets the door close behind her as she removes her shoes.

"Sorry for intruding…"

This isn't like the first time she'd been here. She can't hear Shimamura's mom in the kitchen or her little sister playing video games in the bedroom. It's just… quiet.

Which drives home the fact that she's now in the house alone together with Shimamura.

Crap, this might be bad…

As oddly happy as that notion makes her feel, she also feels stupid for thinking like that when Shimamura is sick. She wants to turn and flee just as badly as she wants to stay the rest of the day.

She follows Shimamura down the hallway toward her room, letting the bag rustle more to provide some sound other than their footsteps.

"Here." Shimamura pauses at the entrance to her room, and Adachi was so lost in thought she nearly bumps right into her back.

"You can sit for minute if you'd like," Shimamura invites her. "Maybe tell me about what I missed in the morning classes, if you even went. But then you should probably go so you don't catch my cold."

Adachi doesn't reply. She doesn't agree with leaving so soon; if she could have her way, she'd stay with Shimamura until her mother and sister came back.

They cross the room together, and Adachi puts her bags down on the floor. She's about to ask if she can sit on the pink floor cushion when she hears a soft gasp.

She looks up to find Shimamura clutching the bed post, pressing a hand to her forehead with her eyes squeezed shut, clearly in pain. Adachi is beside her in a second, actually reaching out to support her this time since she looks like she's off-balance.

"Shimamura-?"

"Sorry," she mumbles, slowly reopening her eyes. "I'm fine. That's just the most I've moved at once all day."

Adachi keeps a loose hold on her for a moment as Shimamura gets her bearings. And she's shocked to feel an unnatural heat coming from beneath her nightgown, radiating off her skin in waves. But in spite of that, she feels Shimamura shiver, and her breath trembles when she exhales.

She's never touched her quite like this before, and even with the brief and minor contact they have shared before, she's never felt Shimamura quiver before. Even the first afternoon when she'd come to visit here and had ended up sitting leaning back against her chest, Shimamura had been composed and casual. But this was drastically different.

"T-Take it easy," Adachi mumbles. "Here, l-lemme help you."

"Thanks…"

Adachi doesn't do much, really. Shimamura is already at the bed; all she does is keep an arm around her back as she helps her sit down.

Adachi hesitates to sit down with her at first. But after Shimamura continues cradling her head in her hands and breathing harshly, she pushes her nerves aside and sits with her.

And for once she doesn't feel like she's being weird as she runs a hand up and down her friend's back slowly. Instead, she just feels like she's doing the right thing in trying to provide a bit of comfort for her.

Seeing Shimamura, who is typically so independent, like this now makes Adachi dare to be bold. She moves her hand slowly in circles across her classmate's back, still registering a strong heat coming from her. When she passes between her shoulder blades she can feel Shimamura's pulse beneath her palm, and it feels way too hard.

"Shimamura-"

Another shiver runs through her classmate then, and Adachi quickly pulls one of the blankets up from the bed and drapes it over her shoulders, trying to close it across her collar as best she can.

Shimamura sniffles and finally manages to lift her head and look at her, though her eyes are still foggy.

"Thanks, Adachi."

"I-It's fine. Ah, d-didn't you say you had cold medicine?"

"Ah, I forgot."

"I-I'll go get it!" Adachi jumps up readily. "Just stay here, okay?"

"Adachi-"

But Adachi is already hurrying across and out of the room and down the hallway, flustered and panicked into action. Only when she reaches the kitchen does she realize she doesn't know where the medicine is kept, and she isn't about to go rummaging around. So she turns and hurries back to the bedroom.

"Shimamura-"

"It's in the cabinet," Shimamura replies. "Second from the right."

"Got it!" And with that Adachi takes off again.

She locates the medicine bottle and rushes back to the bedroom with it, nearly tripping over herself along the way. When she returns, she finds Shimamura has sat up a little straighter, but she still doesn't look to be in very good shape. Adachi heads back to the bed and brings the medicine to her.

"Here."

"Thanks. Did you bring a spoon?"

"A spoon?"

Shimamura gives her a hopeless smile.

"Yeah. This one you have to pour into spoonfuls. The cap isn't a measuring cup you can drink from."

"A-Ah, you're right!"

"Geez," Shimamura shakes her head. "At this point I might as well just be nursing myself."

"S-Sorry! I'll go get one!" Adachi leaves the bottle on the bed and hurries out, then skids to a halt and peeks back in. "Um-"

"The drawer beneath the sink."

"Got it!"

So after running back to the kitchen, fetching a spoon, and then running back to the bedroom, Adachi finally takes a seat beside her sick classmate once again. She picks up the medicine bottle and looks over the label.

"Okay. Uh, how much should you take? One spoonful?"

"Two," Shimamura corrects her. "One is for anyone ten and under."

"Oh, r-right."

"Geez, Adachi. You've never taken care of a sick person before, have you? But then again, you don't have any siblings." Shimamura takes the medicine from her and uncaps it, then motions for Adachi to give her the spoon. But before she can start pouring the medicine out, another shudder shakes through her, and Shimamura flinches.

"Ah…"

"Sh-Shimamura?"

"Maybe I shouldn't pour it," she says. "I feel like I'll just spill it everywhere."

"I-I'll do it!" Adachi determinedly takes the bottle and spoon from her shaking hands and pours out the medicine herself.

But then she realizes she's going to have to feed it to her.

Th-That's fine! I've done this before with the pasta when we went out that one time with that weird kid…

But thinking about the self-proclaimed alien girl makes Adachi's chest flare with jealousy and she pouts.

Thank goodness she isn't here somehow today…

"Adachi?"

"Huh? O-Oh, s-sorry. Here." She holds the medicine bottle between her knees and cups her free hand under the spoon as she holds it out for her.

Shimamura leans forward and presses her lips to the spoon, and Adachi feels the soft bump of the pressure. She gulps as she slowly tilts the medicine toward her, letting Shimamura swallow before feeding her the rest. When she's finished with the first spoonful, Adachi rigidly pours out the second.

"H-How is it? Is smells bitter."

"It is," Shimamura conforms. "But it's not bad. I don't dislike that sort of thing."

Somehow Adachi feels that's fitting of her. She pours out the second spoonful, then feeds that to her as well. When they're finished, Adachi sits there for a moment, frozen as she stares at her, then quickly catches herself and stands up again.

"I-I'll take this stuff back to the kitchen. Um, do you want any water or anything? Or something to eat?"

Shimamura shakes her head.

"That medicine shouldn't be taken with food. And I'm not hungry anyway."

"Oh."

"Sorry, even though you brought bread for me."

"I-It's fine. I'll get you some water, then."

Adachi scampers off again, and again Shimamura watches her go with a tiny smile. For some reason she doesn't mind Adachi being here as much as she thought she might. Rather, she knows she would've been way too self-conscious if it were her mother or even Nagafuji or Hino. With Adachi, she doesn't feel like there's any sort of pressure to act better than she feels for the sake of putting the other person at ease.

But even so, this cold is turning out to be a bit more severe than she'd expected. The smooth coolness of the medicine that's just finished trickling down her dry throat creates another tickle, and within seconds she's tossed into the throes of another fit.

Adachi hears her coughs from the kitchen and hurries back with the bottle of water in her hand.

"Shimamura?"

The coughs this time are louder and fuller than before, and they keep doubling-up. Adachi sits back down beside her without even feeling bashful this time; she's far too worried for anything else right now.

As Shimamura coughs repeatedly into her elbow, Adachi rubs her back through the blankets. She fidgets, trying to think of anything she can do to help.

"H-Here, sit up a little."

Shimamura had hunched over quite a bit, so Adachi balances one hand at the small of her back and gently rests the other on her waist, then slowly eases her to lean back.

Of course Shimamura had knows it's best to keep her airways open during such a fit, but that was something she always remembered whenever her sister was sick; as it turns out, remembering it for her own good hadn't happened until Adachi had stepped in.

She leans against Adachi, grateful for her support, even if she feels pitiful with all the shivering on top of it. But after just a few more bigger coughs, they begin to taper off in between grunts to clear her throat.

Adachi becomes weak with relief once Shimamura finally starts getting her breath back. She waits until her classmate draws in one final inhale, wobbly as it may be, before she realizes she's still touching her and pulls away.

"A-Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Want some water?"

"Just a little."

Shimamura accepts the bottle from her and drinks slowly, and Adachi ends up rubbing her back once again. She's shocked at how she's blatantly touched her like this without even thinking anymore, and she isn't sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

But Shimamura never seems to mind, so that makes her feel a little better about it.

When Shimamura has finished half the water, she closes the bottle and puts it aside on the floor, then draws in another deep breath.

"That was kind of embarrassing," she sighs. "But I'm glad you were here, Adachi."

This little incident has made her realize something; that there's a certain differentiation between the people who care about you in your life. She never would have wanted her mother to see her like that at this age, and if Nagafuji or Hino had seen it, she feels things might've just been awkward or uncomfortable. And if her little sister or even Yashio had seen her like that, she would've just felt guilty for showing such a weak side of herself to someone younger.

But for whatever reason, having Adachi with her hadn't felt awkward at all. In fact, Adachi's presence was probably the most comforting one she would've experienced when she was like this.

As much as she likes to think that suffering in silence alone was noble and powerful of her… she has to admit it was really nice to have Adachi here.

And likewise, Adachi flushes to hear the words of gratitude.

"I-I'm just glad you're okay now… I mean, you're still sick, but…"

"I just need to sleep," Shimamura assures her. "Once the medicine kicks in, I'll be out like a light. You can go, Adachi. You've already helped me out a lot more than you needed to."

Adachi's shoulders slump as she realizes she's being dismissed. Of course she doesn't want to overstay her welcome and be a distraction when Shimamura is trying to recover. But…

"I don't want to…"

"Eh?"

Shimamura looks to her friend. Adachi's bangs have covered her eyes for the moment, but when she lifts her face again her sea-green eyes are clear.

"I said I don't want to! I… I don't want you leave you alone like this, Shimamura… I've never seen you sick before and it… it worries me. S-So that's why, even if it's embarrassing for you, I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving you alone!"

Her outright declaration surprises the both of them, but Adachi stays firm with her decision.

Shimamura blinks.

"Adachi…" But she can't deny when her heart skips a little. She sighs, but smiles. "Fine. I guess I can't force you to leave. But if you catch my cold, I don't wanna hear it."

Adachi's jaw drops.

"S-So I can stay?"

"Until my mom and sister get back, I'd say."

Adachi tries not to act as thrilled as she feels. She clears her throat and tries to be a little more serious, since she isn't just staying here for fun, after all.

"Okay. Then I swear I'll take care of you until then, Shimamura."

"I'm telling you, you really don't have to… But thanks."

Adachi feels a surge of excitement and pride and nervousness all at once now that she's established her intentions.

"S-So… is there anything I can do? Do you feel cold or something…?"

"Actually…" Shimamura slides the blankets off her shoulders. "I think I'm a little too hot right now…"

"Oh! S-Sorry-"

"It's fine. I was cold at the time, so it was nice then."

"Um… then lemme help you cool down a little." Adachi pops up from the bed again and hurries out. Shimamura assumes she's heading for the bathroom, so as soon as Adachi scurries back to ask, she has an answer ready.

"Second door on the left."

Adachi makes quick work of getting there, finding a clean face cloth and wetting it with cool water. When she returns to Shimamura's room she finds her friend just as she'd left her, though Adachi can definitely tell now that there's sweat beginning to bead on her forehead. She sits beside her once more, a little closer than before.

Shimamura offers to take the cloth from her.

"Thanks."

But Adachi hesitates, chewing her lip as she musters up the courage to make a request.

"A-Actually… is it okay if I do it…? I-I mean, you're sick after all, a-and I… uh…"

Shimamura blinks, a bit puzzled.

"It's fine. I can do it myself."

"B-But…"

"Oh, I get it," Shimamura smiles. "You just want to practice being a big sister, don't you, Adachi onee-san?"

"H-Huh?!" Adachi isn't even the one with the fever, but she turns redder than Shimamura ever was. "N-No! W-Well I mean, you always had to take care of your sister, right? S-So I thought maybe, for a change you could be the one to get cared for… or something…"

"Hm… I suppose that could be nice for a change." Again, she feels Adachi is the only person she'd feel comfortable enough to allow doing this for her. And she really isn't feeling the greatest still, so she relents. "All right. I'll be in your care, Adachi onee-san~"

"P-Please don't do that…"

"Sorry~"

Once Adachi has gotten control over herself again, she swallows one more time before continuing her caretaker work.

"Why don't you sit back first?" she suggests. "If you're feeling dizzy I don't want you to fall over."

"Makes sense." Shimamura can't deny the fuzziness still fizzing around in her head. So she pulls her legs up onto the bed and leans back against her pillows at the headboard, though she only keeps the blankets covering her bare feet.

Adachi draws her legs up as well, kneeling while facing her patient and holding up the damp cloth.

"C-Close your eyes."

"'Kaay." Shimamura does as she's instructed and leans back, closing her eyes with a sigh.

Adachi feels a bit of the pressure dissipate now that Shimamura isn't watching her directly. She reaches forward with the cloth and gently brushes it against Shimamura's forehead, padding it gently across her hairline.

Almost instantly, the coolness combats the heat that's been stifling her for the past hour or so, and Shimamura lets out a whimper. Adachi freezes.

"Sh-Shimamura? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. It feels nice…"

"Oh. I'm glad."

With her confidence boosted now, Adachi cleans off her friend's forehead before slowly moving the cloth down to her temple and her cheek, then does the same for the other side of her face. She goes extremely slowly, trying not to let her hand shake, especially as she brushes the fabric over Shimamura's lips. She's about to move it back up to her forehead when Shimamura sighs again.

"You can keep going," she murmurs.

"Huh? Wh-What do you mean?"

"Down," she clarifies. "My neck feels gross."

Adachi gulps.

"Your neck…?" She glances down to the exposed skin at Shimamura's collar and her shoulders. "Ah… okay…"

It almost feels like a portion of her soul leaves her body then. She steadies herself and draws in a deep breath, then slowly slides the cloth further down.

She holds it against one side of Shimamura's neck for a moment, letting it soak up some of the heat before doing the same for the other side. Adachi holds her breath as she gradually moves it down to her collar at the base of her throat.

Like before, she can feel Shimamura's heartbeat like this, even through the cloth. She knows she probably wouldn't have normally, but since she was sick it was beating harder than usual. She can feel more heat coming from her body too, so Adachi presses a little more firmly there, trying to let the last of the cool water seep out.

Shimamura had actually started to relax a little until that point. Adachi might not have much experience caring for others, and Shimamura herself knows from experience that Adachi likes being coddled, but she really isn't bad at this either.

But once her hand comes to rest on her collar, Shimamura is made aware of her own pulse once again. Apparently some people thought it was comforting, but she wasn't one of them.

"That's good," she says, shifting back a little bit.

Adachi quickly withdraws her hand.

"S-Sorry!"

"It's fine." Shimamura opens her eyes and gives her a kind smile. "I feel a little better already."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm good~!" She sings in that awkward little joke they have together.

Adachi chuckles wryly.

"It's much better when you do it."

"You think so?"

They share a brief laugh, and Adachi puts the cloth on the floor for now.

"How's your fever?" she wonders.

"Better, I think?"

"Do you still feel warm?"

"Well, not right now," she admits. "But I'm not sure if the fever's actually going down or that was just temporary."

"Oh, you're right…" Adachi rakes her brain for something else to do to try and help. "Wh-Why don't I take your pulse, then? If it's normal, then you should be fine, right?"

Shimamura grimaces a little.

"That again, huh…?" she mutters.

Adachi tilts her head.

"What?"

"Nothing." Shimamura holds out her left hand. "I guess it can't be helped."

Adachi fumbles when she's presented Shimamura's hand and gently takes it in both of hers.

"O-Okay. So what's normal?"

"Huh?"

"Wh-What's a normal heart rate?"

"Dunno."

They both blink, then Adachi quickly leans over the side of the bed for her bag.

"Hold on, I'll look it up…" She swipes through her phone and types her query, though she has to fix several typos because her fingers are wobbling a little. "Ah, okay let's see… 'Average resting heart rate for a high-school girl'…"

"Ugh, I feel like I'm at the doctor's office."

"Sorry." Adachi sheepishly reads on. "It looks like anywhere between 60 and 100 per minute is pretty typical."

"That's kind of a wide range."

"Yeah."

"What's yours, Adachi?"

"Eh? I-I dunno." All she did know was that it's always a lot faster when she's around Shimamura.

Shimamura chuckles at her reaction, but she has to admit, of all the people in the world to be taking her pulse, she feels most comfortable with it being Adachi. Adachi was the only thing in her life that brought about a pleasantly tepid happiness.

"Let's just see what it is," she suggests. "And we'll go from there."

"Got it."

Adachi picks up Shimamura's hand again, cradling it and trying not to tremble in the process. She makes the mistake of stealing a glance up at her classmate, who is watching her with patient, nonchalant eyes. But Adachi can't hold her gaze and looks back down to her hand instead.

"S-So just close your eyes and relax," she says. "Breathe slowly and just take it easy."

"Are you telling me, or yourself?" Shimamura muses. Adachi pouts.

Slowly, she presses her index and middle finger to the inside of Shimamura's wrist until she can feel her pulse. It's faint but quick, jumping up at the pads of her fingers every second or so.

Adachi blinks, trying to differentiate her own pulse from Shimamura's. She can feel it clearly in her wrist, and it makes her recall the first time she'd been here, how she'd brazenly requested to sit between Shimamura's legs. She remembers how she could feel Shimamura's heartbeat at the time while leaning back against her chest as they'd chatted. That had been very different from this; back then Adachi could feel it across her back, but now it was only at two of her fingertips-

"Adachi?"

"Eh, h-huh?" She snaps her head up and finds herself once again staring into Shimamura's calm lilac gaze.

"So?" she prompts. "How is it?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you measuring my pulse? It's been a minute."

"I- o-oh I lost track. Lemme start again."

"Geez, you're hopeless."

Adachi refocuses her attention on her task and watches the alarm clock on the nightstand until it changes to the next minute, then starts counting the flutterings beneath her fingers.

Shimamura closes her eyes again, and Adachi has to prevent herself from staring at her and losing focus a second time.

By some miracle, she manages to measure her pulse for a full sixty seconds, and when she finally has a verdict she lets go of her classmate's hand and puts it back in her lap.

"That's time."

Shimamura opens her eyes.

"And…?"

"It's somewhere around eighty, I think…"

"So probably still too quick, right?"

"I think so," Adachi nods. She twiddles her fingers a bit; there's still something that's been tugging at her mind, and she dares to ask about it. "Say, Shimamura…"

"Yeah?"

Adachi falters and almost decides against asking after all. But Shimamura can read her confusion.

"Ah, don't worry," she says. "You didn't make me uncomfortable or anything. I just don't like feeling my own pulse. It's annoying."

"Eh…?" Adachi blinks. "Annoying? What do you mean?"

Shimamura sighs, trying to figure out how to word it.

"It's weird, I guess. I dunno. It feels so monotonous and loud sometimes. It's always there to remind me when I'm not doing anything productive, and then I feel guilty and annoyed about it. Does that make any sense?"

Adachi is quiet for a moment, trying to see her side of things.

"I guess I can understand that. But it annoys you?"

"Yeah. I can't really explain why. I just don't like being reminded of it, so being sick like this is a pain."

"Huh…" Adachi isn't sure how to respond to such a comment, but she directs the conversation elsewhere. "How do you feel otherwise, then? Are you still hot?"

Shimamura shuffles her feet beneath the blanket.

"Actually… I'm kind of cold again." Just as she says as much, another shudder shoots through her and she groans.

Adachi makes a move to grab the blankets for her.

"Here, lemme-"

"It's okay," Shimamura stops her. "I think the blankets make me too hot."

"Huh? Then what can we do to warm you up?"

Shimamura glances sideways, quiet for a moment as she watches the goldfish swirl around in their bowl.

"Earlier… my sister gave me a hug before she left… That was nice."

Adachi blinks, but the words don't register right away. She blinks again.

"A hug…?" She almost can't process the word, almost forgets its meaning entirely.

Shimamura looks from the fish bowl back to her.

"Is that okay?"

Adachi jumps like a fish out of water.

"Huh-? I-I mean, yeah! Of course! I mean-"

"It's okay if you don't want to," Shimamura says honestly. "Sorry if it was a weird thing to say."

"N-No! I'll do it!"

Determined to help however she can, Adachi feels a fire ignite in her stomach. Still kneeling beside her on the bed, she slowly lifts her arms, unsure of exactly what to do with them. Shimamura takes in the sight of her looking so robotic and blurts out a short laugh.

"What are you doing? That looks like it's going to be the stiffiest hug ever."

"Huh? Oh… um…"

"A~da~chi~" Shimamura opens her arms in one fluid motion, like a bird unfolding its wings. Her smile invites her in, and Adachi is drawn forward as if by a trance.

She closes her eyes, inhaling Shimamura's familiar scent, although now she can smell it much more clearly than she ever could before while resting in her lap; this is much more contact than just laying her head on Shimamura's skirt.

The next thing she knows, there's a soft folding of arms around her neck, gently pulling her closer. Adachi almost freezes, but the last thing she wants is to go in any direction other than toward her, so she eases herself forward.

She braces her arms against Shimamura's sides and slowly curls them around her back. It's the first time she's ever hugged her at all, let alone so intimately.

She's so warm… and really soft…

She's probably a bit warmer than is typical due to her fever, but even so Adachi finds herself wanting to get closer and closer.

She presses her chest against hers as Shimamura pulls her in. Adachi can feel her heartbeat again, but it's much fuller than just feeling the pulse in her wrist. Shimamura's heart pounds through her whole body, and Adachi feels every thump of it more clearly than her own.

Is it because she's sick? It has to be, right…?

She can't be certain, but she doesn't dwell on it too much for the time being. Instead, she focuses on resting her chin on Shimamura's shoulder, on taking in the scent of her soft hair. She feels Shimamura shiver more than once, and each time it happens Adachi dares to hug her a little tighter.

It feels like she's been hugging her for hours, until Adachi eases back, and then it feels like it had only been seconds, and not nearly long enough.

"Shimamura…?"

The only reason she inches back is to ensure she's not stifling her. She feels her sigh, and it sounds content. When Shimamura opens her eyes again, the haze that's gradually been clearing all afternoon seems to have returned, but not in a suffocating sense. Rather, she just seems tired now.

"Thanks, Adachi," she murmurs. "You can go. I think the medicine is taking effect now."

Adachi is half relieved and half dismayed.

"But your mom and sister won't be back for a few more hours…"

"It's fine." Shimamura's smile turns into a yawn.

But Adachi doesn't want to leave her, even if she is just going to sleep. She decides to make a ridiculous request before she can change her mind.

"Shimamura." Adachi sits back, withdrawing herself from the embrace. "Can I stay here?"

Shimamura blinks tiredly.

"I guess if you want to… You can play some video games or-"

"N-Not like that," Adachi mumbles. "I mean, can I stay here like this… with you…?"

"Here…?" Shimamura processes the word until she understands. "You mean on my bed?" She chuckles. "Do you want to sit between my legs?"

"Actually, yes."

"Eh?" Shimamura tilts her head, but Adachi is dead serious. So she shrugs. "Sure. I don't mind." She slowly slides her legs apart, still keeping the blankets only on her feet.

Adachi shifts over and repositions herself between her classmate's knees, then inches up close to her. But instead of facing away from her like the first time, this time she turns sideways and gingerly lies down that way. She folds her arms in front of herself, curling one hand at Shimamura's thigh.

As she gets herself situated, Shimamura does the same, bending her knees around her classmate as Adachi nestles close. Shimamura, drapes her arms around her shoulders loosely and pulls her close against her chest.

Adachi rests her head against her collar and tries to relax herself for both their sakes. The second she makes contact with the softness of her collar, Adachi can hear Shimamura's heartbeat ringing through her head. It makes her feel giddy and fidgety, but she presses a little closer to listen better.

Shimamura's pulse thumps fully against her ear, louder than Adachi has ever heard or felt it before. It's still fast, but the rhythm is somehow so pleasant to listen to, so comforting and nice. Her warmth and scent wreathe around Adachi, and she feels like she's melting into her.

Adachi sighs, closing her eyes briefly, until she remembers she isn't the one who's supposed to be resting right now. She looks up, but obviously can't see Shimamura's face from this position.

"Shimamura?"

"Hm…?"

"Are you okay? Am I heavy or anything...?"

Shimamura chuckles, and Adachi blushes when she can hear it and feel the vibrations in her chest.

"You're fine, Adachi."

"Are you still cold? How's your throat?"

"It's fine. And I'm not cold at all. You're just warm enough."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…" She tapers off with another yawn, and Adachi hears the breath enter and leave her lungs.

"Sorry, Shimamura. I'll stop talking. Get some rest."

"You're staying…?"

"Yeah. I-I'll leave once I hear your mom and sister get back. I'll tell them I just came to visit after school."

"Hm, not in the middle of it, right?" Shimamura chuckles again, and then yawns again.

Adachi can tell she's fading now. Her breathing is becoming a bit deeper, and her heart rate is slowing down a little. She just wants to tell her one more thing.

"Hey, Shimamura?"

"Hm…?"

"…I know you said it's annoying… but I really like listening to your heartbeat." Even though it sounds dumb and weird, she feels like she needs to tell her this. "S-So even if you don't like feeling it or listening to it… then let me do it…"

Oh my gosh, I said it! Why did I say it?!

She closes her eyes, waiting for Shimamura to scoff or laugh at her for saying something so stupid.

But instead, the only response she hears is a soft, content little hum.

"Mm…"

After that, Shimamura's head rolls to one side a bit, and her hands go limp around Adachi's shoulders.

Adachi is still for a moment as she peeks her eyes open, watching the fish across the room as Shimamura's pulse continues thumping against her ear. She glances to the clock, which tells her she still has nearly two hours to stay here like this with her.

She waits for the next minute, then checks Shimamura's pulse again. This time, she finds it's dropped closer to 70 beats per minute.

That's good. Hopefully the medicine's taking effect and she's getting better. She's stopped coughing, too.

When she closes her eyes again, Adachi lets herself relax, readjusting her arms a bit and shifting her head to a more comfortable angle. Even though the purpose of getting into this position had been to keep Shimamura warm, Adachi is feeling perfectly snug as well.

This seems familiar somehow… like a dream…

She recalls the dream she'd had not too long ago, of cuddling up against her like this. The only difference now is that it's so much warmer and softer in real life.

Shimamura's pulse continues beating steadily against her ear, and Adachi does her best to commit its rhythm to memory. She rises and falls gently along with Shimamura's breathing, hearing the light rush of air in her chest. Adachi never thought to appreciate those things for herself, but she never particularly disliked them like Shimamura evidently does.

But if it's Shimamura's heart and her warmth… I don't think I'll ever get tired of them…

For a little while, Adachi watches the lazy swirling of the fish across the room and listens to the steady beat beneath her ear. Eventually, she curls her hands into Shimamura's nightgown and lets her eyelids begin to droop. She knows she'll wake up as soon as she hears the front door open whenever Shimamura's mom returns, so she isn't too worried about being found with her like this.

She'll get up and move away carefully before lying Shimamura down and covering her a little more with the blankets, then leave her bread for her and take off after explaining her visit to Shimamura's mother.

But until then…

Until then… I just wanna listen and be close to her like this…

So she gets comfortable and closes her eyes completely, and she's convinced she's never been so comfortable before in all her life. She just sends out a silent apology to Shimamura for skipping classes after all, but she doesn't regret it one bit since it meant she could be with her today.

I got to see a side of Shimamura I've never seen before… I hope I can continue seeing new sides of her…

She listens to a few more of Shimamura's heartbeats and a few more of her sleepy breaths before finally fading off along with her for the afternoon, certain it will be the best rest she's ever had.

----------

A/N: I feel like I sort of had their characters in the beginning but then fumbled and lost them near the end because I just wanted to throw in as much fluff as possible. I just hope I captured them somewhat.

Not really sure where the idea of Shimamura disliking her own pulse came from, but it just sort of happened as I went and idk, I feel like that sort of thing fits her somehow. Maybe I'm wrong, but she feels like someone who would be that mundane about it. And of course Adachi would ascend from happiness to be able to listen to her heart or be that close to her, so they balance out.