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Ena was dying. She knew it, her temperature was rising, her body sweating, and her stomach twisting and turning. Somersaulting as she lay on the couch trying to listen to whatever bullshit Akito was spewing, but she couldn’t. She was dying.
Why did she try Toya’s cooking? She needed to kill Akito, and yes, she blamed Akito since she would not have had to try Toya’s cooking if Akito just manned up and introduced him to her. It would’ve been better for her health. Literally.
“Akito,” she mumbled, her hand flopping towards the table. “Call Mizuki.”
Akito stopped as he was fluffing her pillow’s, because she was a princess and needy, and looked to her, raising his brow before scoffing. “Do I have to?”
“Yes,” she hissed back, “I am dying and want to see my lover one last time would you-“ she borked for the moment and Akito jumped back, hands in the air.
“Okay, okay,” he stepped away from her and stopped fluffing her pillows. She huffed again upon realising that the pillows were not perfect and how she wanted. She was going to complain, because why wouldn’t she but then-
“An, do you have Akiyama’s number? Ena went and decided to get food poisoning-“ Ena frowned at that and hurled something at him, anything she could grab.
He ducked and groaned, “Okay, Touya gave her it.”
She could hear the faint sounds of laughter and she felt betrayed. She liked An, the dark haired girl of Akito’s group, because she liked Mizuki and was their best friend in school. They were also someone who teased Akito which made him flustered after their training sessions and slightly irate, but not too irate that it was unbearable. An was a good person, but she wanted to jumped through the phone and commit a homicide and murder the person known as Shiraishi An.
Akito bent down and got her her grey pillow and hummed on the phone. He headed back over and placed his hand on her head. He frowned and whether that was from her temperature or anything else Ena didn’t know.
“Alright, thanks,” he muttered out and smiled down at her. “An’s giving me their number.”
She nodded sleepily and her stomach seized up. She made a grimace and tipped her head over the couch to the bin. It was utterly disgusting.
#
When Mizuki arrived, Akito had large yellow rubber gloves and a mask over his face, frowning whenever he got close to the couch. They frowned and dropped their bag of whatever they could buy, panicked and frantic upon receiving a call from Akito and Ena coming through the phone saying she was ‘dying.’
Ena was likely being dramatic, as she always was because Ena did not do things in half measures. It was always over the top and had a certain flair, something they loved intensely, for the drama and the spectacle, admiration to be more exact if they had to put a name to it. A word to describe Ena was that she adored being admired and love, the fame and popularity.
However, Mizuki would not be a good girlfriend if they let her die so easily. If they let her whine and complain and have to deal with Akito who looked more like a scuba diver than anything else.
Akito flopped on one of the side chairs upon seeing them and Mizuki shook their head. “Seriously, lil’ bro?”
“You deal with her vomit and cramps then talk to me about it,” Akito huffed.
“Does she have a hot water bottle?”
“Why?”
“For cramps,” Mizuki replied and they were serious. Whole heartedly serious, even Akito seemed perplexed in their change of attitude.
Mizuki was known for being a tease and a trickster. If you asked anyone on the street about their personality, they would say that they never took anything seriously. They lacked a certain seriousness in their actions and lived freely. Lived to defy the rules and the stars that were written above them. They did whatever they had to do.
But, of course, no one knew that whilst a large part of them was that. It was like they amplified that specific personality trait in order to be ‘predictable’ according to the people even if that wasn’t the largest part of their personality. I mean, if you asked Ena about when they first met, she would call them reserved and a pain in the ass. And they were a pain in the ass because they were so quiet and secretive, keeping everything to themselves and not revealing it so easily. It wasn’t because they were overly teasing and decided to test their luck, pushing the boundaries of friendship and teasing. It was because they were quiet and unable to express themselves.
Of course, as they got more used to who they were and not depriving themselves of the truth. Their personality slipped out easier and changed in order to fit Niigo’s dynamic better. To ease the tension between Yuki and Enanan. Even if it didn’t come to a head until that day of the sekai, there was always an underlying tension that made their stomach roll and twist, knotting itself into a pretty bow. To ease the silence that Mafuyu and K liked, that they kept up because they were more productive that way but Enaemon wasn’t. Ena couldn’t do the silence and be productive, she needed to talk through her ideas and creativity and considering Mizuki never had anything to do without her, they helped her fill the silence.
Really, that was where their teasing personality came from considering they were abrasive, hostile was better to be honest, back in middle school towards Rui. Snapping and cruel, bordering on cynical as they talked about God and how he had abandoned them and they still believed that, it was why they advocated strongly for covering ‘It was a very beautiful June.’ They were still cynical and bordered on being a heretic to religious believers, but it was natural for them to question where the big man was when handed the cards that they had to deal with in life.
They shook their head as they finished filling the hot water bottle up, Ena was whining from the couch and they wanted to ask if this was the best place for her, but wanted to make sure Ena was perfectly situated as Akito did whatever he would do.
“Here,” they smiled softly, heading over to her and pulling back the blanket covers. Enanan whined but said nothing more as part of their hair fell in her face and they placed the hot water bottle on her stomach.
“Mmm, I love you,” she whispered out and Mizuki had to stop themselves from freezing up and freaking out. Instead, they smiled back at her (though she didn’t see it having had her eyes closed in bliss) and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.
It was like a confession. Like a returning of ‘I love you’ even if those three words weren’t stated or said. Ena knew that from her soft smile.
“What’s your favourite kind of soup, princess?” they asked, crouching on the floor and running their hand down her face.
Ena nuzzled into their hand. “I don’t want to eat.”
“You need to,” Mizuki insisted and Ena whined.
“Akito~~~”
“I’m not getting involved in your lover’s quarrel,” Akito added and Mizuki had forgotten about the ginger that was sitting in the room with them, watching them intensely.
His olive eyes tracked them and their movement’s fussing over their girlfriend and they wanted to stop, to pull back. And they did for a moment, dragging their hand away from Ena’s face for the barest of moments before going back. It was too natural for them and the only way they could offer half of the comfort that she had given them over the years back to her. It felt right, like before the world was tilted and off centre and maybe it was really, but this way they could tell which way was up or down, left or right. It was like everything was better and magically solved just basking in Ena’s presence.
Like God had sent them a reprieve even if she was sick and ‘dying’ and they didn’t want her to be. It was like it was God’s message for them, their own personal angel.
“But, lil’ bro!” Mizuki began, over dramatically and Ena grumbled, holding the hot water bottle closer to her. “You’re her other caregiver. Think of us as the dynamic nursing duo, Akiyama Mizuki and Shinonome Akito, nurses extraordinaire. How could you leave a patient without sufficient fluids? She needs liquids in her because she keeps throwing up her whole life story.”
Ena chucked the star pillow, their matching pillow, towards them and Mizuki just started at her unamused.
“If that goes into vomit, I am not washing it up or buying you another one. You got it covered in sick, you deal with it.”
Ena whined but relented as they brought it back, bringing it closer to her. “It’s not comfy for sickness. It’s not the right texture and the pillows aren’t fluffed up.”
“How about, you tell Akito what kind of soup you’d like, he makes it for you and I fix this makeshift bed,” Mizuki tried to strike a bargain.
“Nothing with carrots…” she answered vaguely and Mizuki spun to look at Akito.
“I didn’t agree to anything.”
“This is your older sister. Beside, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to stay and look after her,” Mizuki continued seriously. Helping Ena to lay on her back and sit up. They grasped the pillow behind her head and fluffed it up, how had she done it call one night? Squeeze, squeeze, flip, shake?
Akito had nothing more to offer, but stalked off none the less and towards the kitchen.
“I have tinned cans if it’s easier,” Mizuki offered as they moved all around and fixed the couch.
“Lazy.”
“It’s called I heard you were dying, I wanted to be here as much as I could in case lil’ bro wanted to go off with Touya or An or Kohane,” they shrugged easily. “What kind of texture are you looking for under your face?”
“Fluffy, soft,” Ena mumbled easily and Mizuki grinned.
“Then, my princess, you are just in luck. I bought you a new teddy bear on my journey,” Mizuki explained, jumping up to their feet and racing to the dining table and getting the teddy. “It’s your sick teddy.”
“Sick teddy?”
“Well, one that you use when sick so it doesn’t matter too much unlike your other ones…”
Ena laughed a little before borking again and Mizuki slid the bin over to her. Ena took in gasping breaths as her hair fell over face as she gazed into the bin with uncertainty and disgust. She looked up at them, tears lining her eyes before she flopped back onto the couch, performing grabby hands for the teddy.
“You’re a child.”
“I’m dying. Are you not going to honour a dying woman’s wish?” Ena countered easily, she was still quick witted even when sick. She wasn’t annoyed though, but that wasn’t Mizuki’s goal really. It was just to smother her in love and try to make her feel better.
Ena’s eyes fluttered and Mizuki felt her head. “Come on baby, stay awake for me,” they urged.
Ena pouted at them, and dipped her head further into the teddy.
“Princess, Akito’s making you food and then you can sleep all you want…”
She glared up at them.
Mizuki laughed a little, she was still so demanding even when sick. She knew what she wanted and how to get what she wanted and Mizuki was a fool, a fool perfectly curated and made for her. Able to appreciate the head strong tendencies that other’s would dislike and not be able to appreciate to the fullest. A fool made to dote upon her and get her to listen to someone some (relative) authority.
“Akiyama, keep her awake a little longer. She’s a bitch when she’s woken up,” Akito explained from the kitchen and they looked up to him nodding.
“See baby? Akito’s working hard on your soup for you and then I’ll let you sleep all you want. I could even play something from that art show you wanted to watch,” Ena made a whining noise at that suggestion.
“Elysia game or K’s songs.”
“Elysia game?” they repeated amused but relented. “My Enanan! You’re really a softy!”
Ena opened her eyes to glare at them but she stopped and shook her head. “Akito hurry the fuck up~~~”
“You’re so im-fucking-patient,” he grumbled before heading out with a tray. “Get up.”
“Mizu-“
“I’m on it,” they replied easily, taking off the covers and folding them just right before moving the little pieces off of her. They hesitated at the hot water bottle whilst Akito placed the tray on the small circular coffee table.
“How about I feed you?”
Ena’s eyes widened, well as much as they could when she looked like she got hit by a bus, but then she shrugged. “Please…”
Akito made a noise of discontent but Mizuki said nothing as they sat beside her on the couch. Far enough there was a distance and they weren’t overly close, too close together. But close enough they could feel Ena nearby and had easy ways of feeding without staining the couch.
They took the first spoonful up and placed it into Ena’s mouth, staring at her intensely. It was stupid, dumb even.
They ate together all the time, she always stole food off their plate even. But this, this was much more intensely and oddly domestic. They didn’t know how to feel.
They believed they liked it, but that was confusing in and of itself. They were never one to think of domesticity, but, then again, they were not one to believe it was ever possible for them. Love was fleeting, like cherry blossoms on leaves. Pretty to admire up close, pretty to touch but eventually it died. It always did and when you had someone like Mizuki, someone who was incapable of honesty even though everyone else around them were honest and kind…
Domesticity was not something that they believed to be in their grasp. It was a far away dream but in that moment, in the current moment looking at Ena who would call herself ugly and unattractive due to illness, they wanted it. They wanted to wake up every morning and stare at her, to drape themselves around her or have her drape herself around them. To be there for one another in sickness and health even if it was disgusting to everyone else, there was nothing that made Mizuki even think for a moment she was disgusting. Not even the fact that she was willingly dating them.
Okay, maybe being e-daters honestly. That could’ve been her biggest flaw because everything else was not perfect, her depression and anger issues could not be called that, but it wasn’t anything bad and people lacked the emotional range to understand she was a product of her environment. Even if An believed that Akito was a liar in regard to her.
Ena was a breath of fresh air to them, someone they loved dearly and would forever love even when other’s didn’t. When other people couldn’t fathom how or why they loved one another with their bickering, but that was how they displayed their love. They cared for one another too deeply and maybe this truly was God sending Mizuki a reprieve from life, their own personalised hell.
They didn’t know because religion was a far away concept for them to grasp. But, whenever they so much glanced at Ena, they believed that there was an omnibenevolent higher power able to do anything that did love them because no one in the world was like Ena. Like their Enanan.
She finished the bowl of soup and Mizuki kissed the crown of her head before slipping off the couch. Then, they began to rearrange the makeshift bed and Enanan smiled softly, letting out noises of happiness. Subtle sounds as she rested against the perfectly fluffed pillows and ran the teddy under her nose and all over her mouth, basking in the texture and soon, she was asleep.
Between Akito and Mizuki, was the quiet snoring of Ena before they searched for any videos of Honkai Impact 3rd considering she wanted the ‘Elysia Game.’
“You love my sister, don’t you?” Akito asked once he was certain she was asleep.
Mizuki gave him no answer and continued to walk around the room and clean up. They had seen Ena’s messy room one time when they had a video call about outfits and a mini fashion show. It was littered with random papers and sketches, teddies strewn everywhere and they didn’t want the living room of the Shinonome household to suffer the same fate.
“Love is a big word lil’ bro.”
“But it’s the best word for your feelings towards her.”
Mizuki made a noise, a sound of disagreement. “I think Enanan and I are just us. There is no way to easily describe out feelings.”
Akito wanted to disagree but said nothing as they got elbow deep in the dishes. “You hurt her, I hurt you. I don’t give a fuck about An or Kamishiro. You hurt my sister, I will ruin you.”
Mizuki stopped what they were doing, the hot water was running and burning their hands as they lingered under the stream. They considered his words, they were reasonable and they knew that they ought to promise to never do that, that was what you were meant to do. But everything in Mizuki’s life was unconventional and whilst they lied to Akito constantly when it came to Ena, the lies weren’t right. They were bitter and acted as a poison.
They opted to stay quiet.
The silence said more than words considering Akito was a musician and knew the power of silence.
Mizuki huffed as they pulled their hand out of the running water and smiled sheepishly. They dried the dishes and cleaned up the sides. Making sure to place everything back once adequately dried enough, panicking internally as Akito observed them. Watched them closely and judgementally.
He shook his head and turned his attention towards the TV. “So, this is the game I hear late at night?”
“You hear me?”
“The walls are paper thin Akiyama. I have heard every step of your relationship, of you feelings blossoming for one another,” Akito muttered distantly. Mizuki left the kitchen and sat on the floor, taking Ena’s hand and holding it.
“Then you know what I can’t say.”
Akito hummed and the silence was nice.
They could bask in it forever but they knew they couldn’t as Ena woke up and leant to the bin. They removed their hand from hers, allowing her to stabilise herself and them to grasp her hair and hold it behind her head.
#
When Ena was better, Touya had come by with a large bag of teddy bears to apologise for the food poisoning. She had accepted them because she knew he felt bad, really bad about the mishap even if she had no space to store them.
She also saw less of Akito and Mizuki too. They practically lived there, staying in the living room with her in case she needed to race to the bathroom or throw up. It was odd and comforting to have them there and now, they were not and she missed their presence even if they were always together on Nightcord. It was different having them whispering the words and watching her reaction vs just hearing their voice.
But it was fine because somehow, they had broken through to Akito. Seen eye to eye with him because he said he ‘gave them his blessing,’ one night before slipping off to bed. Ena wanted to ask more, but that would’ve been pushing the boundaries so she accepted his answer and smiled to herself.
She ought to die again, she liked being pampered and the closing of the distance between Akito and Mizuki. Her two favourite people.