~𝘓𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳~ // 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘹 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

- 𝕏𝕏𝕀: Taking Care of People and Swords -

      The room was dark, with the blinds closed and all the lanterns dead. It smelled sad and of vomit.

      Your stomach churned as Sanemi got up sharply and snatched the bucket you had put out for him. You grimaced and buried your face in his pillow to try and deafen the sounds of his retching. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry, Sanemi. Being sick sucks ass." You whispered to yourself. He stopped and smelled of his own puke, which only made you feel worse for him. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and grumbled, crossing his arms and facing away from you.

      You sat up and brushed his hair, dampened from sweat, from his face. He was hot to the touch. Worriedly, you also realized how deflated his posture was, in direct opposition to his usual confidence. You sighed and he spun to face you, standing up and taking you by the hand. "I'm..." He groaned before continuing. "I'm sorry."

      "What? What for? You have nothing to apologize for!" You got to your feet, anxiety overwhelming you. Why was he apologizing?

      "I'm taking up all your time! Damnit, stop being so nice! It's annoying! Don't you have your own problems to worry about?!"

      "Oh, Sanemi, you're not burdening me, or being a hinderance, I promise you! I like spending time with you, especially when you need it. And right now, you need it." You sat back down and pat the bed next to you. He obliged and sat next to you, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek on the top of your head and gently put a hand on your thigh, squeezing it tightly thrice.

      He stiffened and turned away, coughing into his elbow. "You shouldn't be here, I'll get you sick, and then who'll take care of you? I sure as hell can't." His face darkened at the realization of his state.

      "Mitsuri will be back soon, so if I get sick she'll patch me up. In the meantime, I'll make you something healthy and clean the bucket out, m'kay?" You kissed him lightly on the cheek and left him alone in the room. "When you get better, I'll make the best ohagi you've ever had, but I don't think you could keep it down. Not right now, at least." He nodded, laid back down, and shut his eyes unwillingly as he fell into a shallow, disturbed slumber.

      You hummed to yourself as you cooked up some natto. You split it cleanly into two bowls and smiled. I'm getting better at cooking, all thanks to Mitsuri's lessons and recipes. Your smile turned into a frown at the sight of the bucket. You cleaned it out as quick as possible before thoroughly washing your hands a thousand times over. You brought the bucket back, two glasses of water, and the natto.

      When you entered the room, you weren't surprised see him asleep again. You smiled to yourself and put the clean bucket down next to his sleeping body, before you sat in a chair across the room, eating quietly. When you finished you brought the dirty dish out and ran it under some water.

      All right, there's no time like the present! Let's practice making ohagi! It can't be that hard, right? It's just fancy rice.

      You huffed, your eyebrows pinched together in thought. Where did I put Mitsuri's cook book? You dug through all the storage you could, finally finding a bright green book labeled 'COOKING!!!' You flipped through it until you found her homemade ohagi recipe.

-

      After many, many attempts, you sat back against the counter, massaging your temples. Why the hell is this so difficult...? Do I just suck at cooking? But, I thought I was getting better! You sighed and decided it would be best to put everything away.

      You poked your head through the door to see Sanemi sitting up, yet still about to nod off. "Sanemi, did you see the bowl of food I left for you?" He nodded and gestured at the empty bowl. You smiled at him and took the dish away. You came back and sat down next to him.