Espresso (Satoshi Isshiki x OC)

Sesto

Harumi and Satoshi were mere centimeters apart, their lips parted expectantly...

Suddenly startled, the boy averted his blue eyes, moving his head and settling for a hug. The girl blinked; not exactly sure of what she was expecting and was surprised when it -- whatever it was -- didn't happen.

He released her with a cheesy grin on his face. "You know you can rely on me, right?"

She, too, smiled and nodded. "Of course."

"I'm going to help you through this until you get better. I'll make you all the food you need for your body and make sure you get healthy again." He encouraged, his gaze seeming promising.

"You don't have to do all that for me." Her brows saddened. "I don't want you to have to worry about it."

"I'm always going to be worried about you." He tilted his head to the side, his chestnut-colored curls sliding across his forehead as his brilliant eyes became shielded by his eyelids. He smiled as he usually did, but the girl could tell he was bothered. "I love you, so I want to make sure you're happy and healthy, whatever that takes."

Although she felt she was burdening him, she sighed and a small grin was painted on her lips. "Thank you, Satoshi."

"Well!" He stood abruptly. "I think we should get out of this depressing place. You need to eat and everyone back at the dorm is worried!" He declared as he took her hands within his own, grasping her palms and helping her as she cautiously stood on shaky legs. Noticing she was unsure of her footing, he leaned closer to her. "Are you alright?" He whispered gently, keeping a sturdy hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." She nodded surly, tucking a brown curl behind her ear. "My body is just out of sync from fainting."

Upon checking out of the hospital, Harumi was given a few sheets of paper with symptoms printed on one piece and examples of foods to eat and things to do to better her health on the others. As the two students awaited the arrival of their ride back to the Academy, Satoshi eagerly read over the papers, seeming much more intrigued than the girl.

"It should be really simple to get back to normal health, but it says that you need to keep up the diet or else your susceptible to potential heart attacks. I think less caffeine is going to be a big factor." He mentioned as he searched through the words, brainstorming meals that he would make for her.

Yet, all she muttered in response was "Oh."

He raised his head, examining her quizzically. She seemed more distant than usual as she stared absent-mindedly at her pale fingers. He could tell that her mind was preoccupied, so instead of pressuring her for answers, he encouraged her. "The doctor said that if we follow these guidelines, you'll be feeling normal within two weeks. Don't worry."

She nodded solemnly, releasing a yawn despite having been asleep for a while. "Do those papers say anything about being really tired or headaches?"

"Oh, yes. Those are some of the common symptoms." He narrowed his blue eyes at her. "Do you have a headache? You look rather tired, too..." He observed.

She nodded, yawning again. The boy laced his arm around her shoulders and pulled her head to his own, beginning to rhythmically move his thumb over her temple soothingly. She closed her sandy eyes, feeling the tension in her head easing.

++++++++

Although the change in her diet was rather significant, and she felt sick often, by the time two weeks passed Harumi was feeling much better; even healthier than she felt before she was diagnosed with anemia. Her complexion was a nice, healthy color, and even her hair grew stronger. Although she found herself eating much more than she had previously, she had begun to lose weight in her waist, hips, and legs.