Always The Baby Cousin

Sick The Next Day

Early the next morning Kouichi awoke with a tiny groan that made it past his lips. He felt cruddy, more so than an usual morning. He did the first thing from instinct, "Kyooooooyaaaaaaaaa," he whined only able to muster it in a whisper. He sighed knowing there was no way for Kyoya to hear him, but his throat hurt too much to try anything else. Finally he heard footsteps near the door and a knock followed, "Kouichi? Are you ready to go?"
He smiled weakly recognizing the voice as Kyoya's, "Kyoooooooyaaaaha," he tried again only to get the same result. Kyoya opened the door sighing, "No, obviously not. What are you still doing in bed?" the youngest Ootori took a moment to examine his cousin's conditions, "You aren't looking so swell, are you ok?" the boy whinely pointed to his forehead not wanting to talk and harm his throat more than it already was. Kyoya rolled his eyes but regardless came over feeling his cousin's forehead with the back of his hand, "You're burning up," he said softly and sighed setting his books down, "Hold on a moment, I'll grab a thermometer," Kouichi nodded shutting his eyes listening to Kyoya's footsteps grow fainter which caused great distress to the tot. In the abstinence of Kyoya, Akito came in, "What's wrong with you?" he asked sitting at the foot of the toddler's bed.
Kouichi was honestly in no mood to see anyone but Kyoya and so he whined and whimpered kicking his feet at the second oldest, "Geez, for real, what's your deal, brat?" Akito asked as a few weak kicks managed to hit him. Kouichi whined louder but it was cut off due to his aching throat, "Go way," he moaned miserably. Akito rolled his eyes, "Look, like it or not, I am your older cousin too. The world doesn't revolve around Kyoya ya know, besides he does have school today, do you think he'll miss a day to take care of your miserable, whiney rear end?" Kouichi's eyes snapped open, tears brimming at the edges. He didn't want to spend a day without Kyoya, it was torture to the boy. Akito realized his mistake but made no move to take it back, "So you going to tell me what's wrong? After all, who knows, I might be the one taking care of you today," pitiful little hiccups left Kouichi's throat, it hurt, but he didn't care, he had to know Kyoya wasn't going to leave him.
Sure enough loud wails came from the tot not so long afterwards, Akito groaned softly at this. Fuyumi rushed in sitting on the opposite side of the weeping boy, "Kouichi, what's the matter?" she asked stroking his hair back soothingly. The child gave no response, he merely buried his face into her shirt which muffled his cries. Yuuichi came in soon after, "What's with all the commotion?" he asked looking between his sister and younger brother, "I'm not sure," Fuyumi admitted with a shrug. With a cold glare sent to the crying raven haired boy Akito finally spoke, "He's being a drama king, as always," "Akito!" Fuyumi scolded lifting the child head so he was looking up to her. His face had run red by now, his eyes were puffy, and he showed no signs of calming down anytime soon. "Kouichi, what happened? Why are you crying?" she asked trying a second time, "A-Akiit-to s-say K-Kyoooyaa weave m-me!" he explained before breaking down all over again, it broke his heart to have to say it himself.
Fuyumi and Yuuichi glared over at the second oldest who only shrugged, "Its true. He has school today," the female rolled her eyes, "That doesn't mean you can make our cousin cry," she snapped. "You must remember who his mother is, Akito. I don't think Aunt Oyama would appreciate her son sobbing over something you told him and he does have every action needed to tell her," the oldest warned. "Yuuichi is right, you know of your aunt's anger and how quickly it can be sparked," Yoshio said sanding in the doorway. Kouichi leaned over to look at his uncle, "U-Unc-cie?" he asked in a whimper, "What is it, nephew?" "K-Kyoooyaa don't gonna go, w-wight? H-he can stay hewe with me?" he asked tripping over his words, sadness still thick in what he said.
Yoshio sighed deeply weighing his options, "No. He needs to go to school nephew, for an education," "B-but Kyoya's aweady smawt, he can miss a day," the child countered trying to make his point. Yoshio's eyes narrowed to a glare, "He s not missing a day for any reason, nephew, especially when we have nurses and maids to care for you. There's no need for him to stay here."
Kyoya finally came back to the room that was filled with his family. He sighed noticing stray tears still rolling down Kouichi's cheeks and that look showing he was ready to break down all over again. The older strolled to the other side that was closer to the younger boy. He eased a thermometer into the child's ear before asking, "Kou-Kou, why do you look like you'll cry?" "Y-you'we not gonna weave me, a-awe you, Kyoooyaa?" "What do you mean?" "Fow scool. Uncie and Akito both say you will, but you wouldn't wight?" he asked as sadness shined brightly in the dark brown eyes. The youngest Ootori hesitated before sighing, no weakness could be shown in his harsh family, "I can't just miss out on a day when you have nurses here, Kouichi."
The toddler looked up more tears swelling up in his eyes threatening to fall, he looked down a moment before fighting against the thermometer in his ear trying to squirm away from it. Kyoya sprung into action of grabbing hold of his cousin though quickly losing his grasp multiple times, "Kouichi! Stop flinging yourself around like that! Its not good for your health not to mention making you look ridiculous!!!" "Stop!! Stop it!!!! Let me go, let me go!! Don't wanta you, don't wanta!!!!" "Stop shouting!! You're going to hurt your voice and throat more than it already is!" "Go way!!! Go way!!!!! Go way to scool! Just go way!!!!" Kyoya was finally at the end of his rope, he forcefully grabbed his cousin's shoulders keeping a firm grip on them, "Stop, right now. You're overreacting over nothing, have mercy, why do you have to be such a bratty little pain to everyone, Kouichi?!" he snapped making the boy stop everything staring blankly at his cousin. Slowly tears came again and flooded out, it was only then Kyoya realized his mistake he sighed going to wipe away the crying child's tears but Kouichi weakly shrugged it away, "I'm fine, Kyoya. I don't need youw help," he whispered sadly wiping at his eyes roughly in attempt to prevent anymore tears. Kyoya nodded stiffly grabbing his books noting his cousin not stretching his name out like he normally would.
As he passed his father he heard him say, "You made a wise choice, Kyoya," while he knew it probably was he couldn't stop the feeling that it was the worst mistake he could make.
Regardless, he kept all of it on the inside refusing to show any traces of regret no matter how hard anyone looked. Kouichi struggled out of the bed almost falling with how limp his legs felt, thankfully Fuyumi caught him before he could. "Kouichi what are you doing?" "G-getting dwessed, the Hostie Club w-will be wowwied about me...." Yuuichi shook his head helping the whining tot back into bed, "Kouichi, you need to rest. You're sick," "N-no I'm not, weally, I'm not!" he insisted though no one believed him. By the time Kyoya got home he immediately got to work on his studies, however once that was finished he got up to check on Kouichi.
He wasn't too surprised to find him cuddled up to Fuyumi, she was his second go to person since she was kinder than the two oldest cousins and she reminded him of his mother By quite a few traits. As soon as the toddler caught sight of Kyoya he shyed away rubbing his eyes tiredly, "Yumi?" "Yes, Kou?" "I'm seepy, Yumi, I'm going to bed," Fuyumi smiled once the boy shut he eyes tightly and snuggled into the crook of her neck. She got up and smiled a bit wider seeing Kyoya, "Kouichi, guess who's done with his work," there was an awkward silence at the child's refusal to answer, "Kyoya, that's who. Do you want to see him?" again no reply.
Fuyumi smiled a bit nervously, "Sorry, Kyoya, I guess he's already fast asleep. The good news is his fever dropped down so he should be feeling better by tomorrow," Kyoya nodded reaching out to take the boy, "Here, I'll carry him to bed you've had him all day, after all," upon feeling Kyoya's hands Kouichi whimpered hugging closer to the female Ootori. Fuyumi frowned confused and shook her head, "No, it's fine, I'll take him. Its late anyways, you should get to bed too," she then passed by Kyoya carrying the toddler to his guest room.