The New Motive

Sent Home?

It had been a couple weeks since Kaede and Shuichi had spoken at her house and she seemed to be keeping her word. She hadn't tried to force either of them into or out of anything and she kept her distance, not saying much about it. It still appeared that she didn't particularly like the situation, but she was handling it a lot better than she had been.

Kokichi and Shuichi were walking to school again one morning as the taller though all this over. It was late November now and it was starting to get colder, but they didn't mind.

"Hey, Shu," Kokichi asked suddenly once they were only about a block away from the school.

"Y- yeah? Sorry, I was spacing out again."

"Oh, it's fine. I was just wondering . . ." he trailed off.

"Wondering what?"

"Well, winter break is coming up soon and I heard that the school's gonna be having a dance the Friday night before," he said quickly.

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that, too. What about it?"

"Yeah. So, I was just wondering . . . if you . . . were you wanting to go? I mean, you don't have to, . . . but I'd like it if we could go together if you decided you did."

The bluette just smiled down at the other, grabbing his hand in his own and kissing him gently before speaking up again, "I'd like that."

Kokichi just smiled in response, briefly holding the other in a tight embrace and saying a quick 'thank you' before having to wave goodbye as they parted ways. Then they both headed off to their separate classes.

. . .

The rest of the day dragged on uneventfully for both of them as they made their ways through each class. Kokichi got easily bored by everyone and everything and was pretty much the class clown, so it didn't really surprise anyone that he got himself into trouble pretty often. But Shuichi on the other listened to what he felt he needed to and spent the rest of the time just staring off into space and writing and drawing random things in his notebooks.

It was just another one of those days when Shuichi was suddenly scared awake by his history teacher.

"Oh, good. You're awake," she said seeming displeased with him as she stood next to his desk, tapping her foot impatiently. "Care to tell me why you deemed it appropriate to fall asleep in my class, Mr. Saihara."

"Well, I . . . " be tried to begin, but to be completely honest, he hadn't even noticed he'd fallen asleep. He was awake one minute then he just remembered being woken up. It had never happened before.

"Can you at least tell me something we talked about you remember hearing?"

"I, uh . . . ," he tried to remember, but he couldn't. "No. I'm sorry."

"What's wrong?" she asked a bit more understandingly. "You've never done this before. Are you alright? Not enough sleep last night?"

"Something like that," he explained vaguely. In all honesty he hadn't really slept at all. The night before Kokichi kept having nightmares and waking up, crying a few times as well. So after a couple times of putting him back to sleep he just decided to stay up in case it happened again.

He wasn't going to tell her that, though.

"Alright then," she reasoned. "How about you go get something to eat before you're lunch period is over. And if you're really not feeling great, I'll send you home, okay?"

"But what about my schoolwor-"

"You're a good student. I don't doubt you'll be able to make it up later. But you won't be learn anything like this. You're health's more important anyways. So go on."

"O- okay," he finally agreed, gathering his stuff and heading to lunch. "Thank you ma'am."

"No problem."

. . .

As it turns out, Shuichi did end up getting sent home. Partly from still being tired, but mostly because he started getting sick and developed a cough that they didn't want being spread around.

When he got back home with his schoolwork, he just left it on his desk before heading straight to bed, sleeping there until Kokichi got home a few hours later.

"Hey, Shumai," the violette called out as he entered the house, putting his stuff down by the door. "Are you doing okay? I heard you were sick."

"I'm okay," he called back, coughing quietly.

A few minutes later the shorter male entered the room Shuichi was in, carrying a tray, that he put next to him as he sat on the bed, with food on it. He got himself situated and grabbed a bowl and a spoon from the tray waiting for Shuichi to sit up.

"What are you doing?"

"I made you some soup," he replied simply, getting a spoonful and holding it over the bowl so it wouldn't drip. "Say 'ah'."

"What?"

"No, 'ah'," he repeated, leaning closer so he could reach it easier.

He was still kind of confused, but he didn't want to fight about it so he did as he was told until it was finished and the shorter took the dishes to the sink.

But when he returned he suddenly started taking his shirt off, earning questions from the other.

"Wha- what's hap-"

"I want to cuddle you, but if I'm wearing so much you'll get too hot and you might get even more sick."

"But then you'll ge-"

"I don't care. Besides, it'll help make you feel better, promise," he reasoned.

The detective didn't have enough energy left in him to argue, so he just went with it. Then the shorter crawled in bed next to him and pulled himself to the others chest, snuggling against him.

"You should take your jacket off," he suggested, helping him remove it after he sat up. He'd been tired and completely forgot he was even wearing it when he got home. But after that was done and they layed back down, to Shuichi's surprise, he actually did feel a lot better.

"Thanks, Koki. But what about your schoolwork?"

"Don't worry about it. We're having a moment. Besides, I can always do it later."

"O- okay."

"Now just go to sleep," he whispered. "When you wake up I can make dinner and we'll play Mario Kart or something. Kay?"

"Mm-hmm. I . . . I love you," he said quietly as he finally drifted off.

"Aw, I love you, too. Goodnight, Shumai."