Another pained cough reverberated through the quiet apartment. Finally recovering from the unexpected outburst the figure turned to settle back into bed with a sigh. In sharp contrast to the unusual harsh winter temperatures outside, her body felt very much on fire itself and repaid every single movement with a throbbing ache. Another complaint over her current situation remained unsaid, as even that was too much of a waste of energy right now.
Since succumbing to this disease a few days ago, she was now effectively stuck at home, every little activity having proven too draining for her. With little other options left, she now spent all her time in bed while hoping for a quick recovery for her stricken body. Moving her head over the pillow in order to find a compromising position, she finally allowed more peaceful thoughts to flow into her mind again. That was, until...
“Rena-chan~”
Oh dear God.
Weak eyes flashed open again only to reveal the bright, shining smile of a younger girl occupying her vision.
“I brought you another cover.” the cheerful youngster declared almost too excitedly while spreading the warming piece of cloth on top of the feverish Rena.
"Thank you, Jurina, but you really don't need to fuss about me." she mumbled with her heated face still half-buried in the pillow.
“I like taking care of Rena-chan though.” she exclaimed happily, her wide smile never once faltering. “I’m going to make sure Rena-chan becomes healthy again.”
Since she had fallen sick, Jurina had besieged her girlfriend’s apartment close to 24/7, earlier having declared herself Rena’s “personal nurse”, responsible for tending to all the sick girl’s needs. As the younger girl was usually the one getting spoiled by all older people around her, she now took this opportunity to pay back the favor mercilessly by pampering the other Matsui on every single occasion. Jurina’s self-proclaimed mission, or so she stated, was to ensure her unconditional support until she was finally nursed back to health.
Who was going to protect her from Jurina though?
She turned to face her girlfriend with the intent of displaying a glare. “It’s your fault in the first place, you know. You were late again.” she said in an attempt to stay serious while unconsciously puffing her cheeks into a slight pout.
Despite the biting cold of this particular winter evening, Rena was once again left waiting in front of the railway station for her girlfriend to arrive for their appointed date. Another impatient look at the mobile phone - another deep breath crystallizing into icy air. Taking in her surrounding, she couldn’t help but notice how empty the usually hustling city seemed during that night. After all, no sane person would stay outside longer than necessary during the freezing winter, right?
Pushing her musings aside, she resumed watching the snow fall in the streetlight again, entranced by the sheer serenity of the quiet scene.
It was not until 20 minutes later that Jurina finally showed up, wearing that special apologetic smile of hers that never failed to melt away Rena’s displeasure in an instant.
It was exactly the same smile she was using on her right now.
“You could have waited inside, you know.” Jurina suggested innocently.
“I couldn’t help it, the snow was just pretty to look at.” she replied dreamily. It was indeed unusual for this prefecture of Japan to experience such a constant snowfall, especially considering the urbanized area they were living in. “Besides, I was worried, you know...” she added quietly while burying her face in the pillow again.
“Rena-chan likes worrying too much. Now, let me make you some tea to warm you up.” Jurina proclaimed energetically before running off again.
Closing her eyes Rena let out a deep-drawn sigh before her mind slowly drifted off once more.
Jurina was indeed akin to a puppy, loyal and good-spirited until the very end. Yet she was also the sweetest and most caring girlfriend Rena could ever ask for. Besides possessing a dedicated and charming personality, she was also a constant source of support and confidence that Rena has grown to rely on. It was just that sometimes....
*SHATTER*
Rena’s eyes shot open in an instant. The disturbance had definitely come from the kitchen.
A palm instinctively found its way to shield her eyes from the grim daylight. Just how much trouble can you cause while brewing a simple cup of tea?
Groaningly she forced herself to climb out of bed. Shortly pausing for the wave of dizziness to even out, she finally got up and made her way towards the source of the ruckus. “Jurina?” she tried to call out while realizing all too well that her voice would barely exceed a mumble.
Holding on to the wall for support she finally managed to approach the kitchen, only to find the entrance blocked by Jurina with her arms spread wide. Without her innocent smile faltering once she quickly countered before Rena had the chance to pry any further: “You belong in bed, Rena-chan. Leave everything here to me; I’ll take care of it.”
As if Rena was the one to be admonished here, warm hands on her shoulders gently turned her around in an attempt to nudge her back into the direction of the bedroom.
Under different conditions she might have objected this treatment.
Rena let herself collapse into bed while pulling the covers over her body again.
Today however she decided to let go of that issue. While taking a mental note to asset the damage to her property later on, of course.
A few minutes afterwards Jurina appeared in the bedroom again, seemingly finished with her little kitchen adventure as she placed a steaming cup of tea onto the nightstand.
“Thank you, Jurina, I appreciate it.” Rena praised and put on what she hoped to be a soothing smile despite her current state of fragility. “But say, don’t you have exams coming up? You should focus more on your grades right now.”
“Rena-chan is more important at the moment, especially while she is running a fever.” Jurina’s expression suddenly turned serious as she sat sideways on the bed, edging her own body closer to her patient’s. “How is it doing anyways?” she inquired with a tinge of worry before carefully covering Rena’s forehead with the palm of her hand.
Rena’s sluggish mind was still trying to process where the younger girl’s usual playfulness had disappeared to when suddenly she became aware of how close their faces had moved. A sweet unique scent began invading her senses, encompassing her perception and finally rendering any further thinking meaningless.
“Your fever’s still high. You really have to rest more, Rena-chan.”
Unconsciously Rena’s eyes dropped down to Jurina’s lips, observing and inspecting in quiet fascination. Each movement aimed to accent every single syllable in that special way of hers, giving special attention towards caressing her name with her tongue as she spoke.
Reluctantly she finally tore her gaze away and back up only to have her eyes locked with the most intense, yet so very familiar look of the young confident girl. Before she knew it the younger Matsui’s charming side had her once again mesmerized and spellbound in an instant.
The feather-like touch on her forehead turned into a light caressing and slowly proceeded to trail towards her temple. It was only when a loose strand of hair was tucked behind her ear that she suddenly became aware of the trap she had fallen for.
Abruptly snapping out of her trance Rena managed to tear her head away just in time as the other one’s was leaning in. Well-practiced reflexes were put to use as she avoided the tempting girl’s assault on her lips, diverting the peck towards her cheek instead.
“Mou, Jurina!” Rena exclaimed while scooting away from her attacker which only caused the culprit’s features to break out in an all too cheerful smile, her trademark dimples plastered all over her face.
“I don’t want you to catch my flu too.” Rena admonished as the offender retreated again.
“Sorry, I couldn’t possibly resist you.” she apologized without the slightest hint of guilt in her voice.
Jurina had a very well-known liking for stealing kisses, which had brought her the reputation as the “kissing monster”. However, since entering a relationship together, the older Matsui had now become the sole center of her stealthy attacks.
While of course not totally opposed to her repeated acts of fondness, Rena yet thought that her girlfriend’s affections tend to get a little out of hand from time to time. As a result she has developed the natural instinct of anticipating surprise kisses and deflecting them with what she called her “impregnable defense”.
Usually Rena would call Jurina out on her advances while suppressing the slightest blush on her features, but the younger girl would typically only laugh and put on her innocent puppy eyes. Only to sneakily plot her next assault again.
“Now, Rena-chan, are you hungry?” she immediately tried to switch the topic. “I know, I could make you some rice porridge.” she decided, all too convinced by her own reasoning. “My mother always used to cook it for me when I was ill.”
“Eeeh? I don’t even have any ingredients at home.” Being usually the more skeptical one among the couple, she felt a bit overwhelmed and gently tried to decline the spontaneous idea.
Not to mention the possibility of Jurina setting the kitchen ablaze.
“I’ll quickly get them from the store then. I know the recipe by heart.” the energetic youngster reasoned while already making a dash towards the front-door.
“Wh-what? Jurina, it’s freezing outside!” Of all times of the year, she chose one of the days where an untypically hard winter was holding a tight grip on the country? Moreover the unusual heavy snowfall made the whole situation even more difficult to deal with.
“I dressed extra warmly today!” she flashed another high-spirited smile before disappearing around the corner again to retrieve her winter clothes. “I’ll be back really soon!”
The sound of the door closing reverberated through the apartment only to leave a dumb-founded Rena behind. Unable to process the sudden change of events she kept staring at the empty doorway.
As overpowered she was by this situation, Rena yet couldn’t help but to feel almost... touched by that amount of care? Ever so slowly she noticed a warmth building up on her inside, increasingly spilling over to her face. And this time, it was certainly not caused by the fever, she decided.
A puppy indeed, a total bundle of infinite energy, and yet the only one that could make Rena’s heart skip a beat like this.
As she finally cuddled back into the covers she did not even attempt to suppress that silly grin that was steadily growing on her features.
Her personal nurse was indeed something else.
----------------
Rushed yet with a sense of mindfulness Jurina navigated through the streets, making sure not to step onto any frozen spots that might have been hidden away under the constant supply of fresh snow. Not only that the icy precipitation made it harder to simply walk outside safely, people in the stores also seemed to feel the need to stock up on enough groceries to keep going for weeks in the unlikely case of an Arctic winter. As a consequence she had already been delayed longer than she was willing to keep Rena waiting alone.
Finally reaching the apartment complex she hurried up the stairs into her girlfriend’s residence. As the front-door clicked shut she set down the grocery bag and started throwing off coat and boots. “Rena-chan, I’m hoo-” She stopped abruptly as soon as she rounded the corner to the bedroom and caught a glance of the other Matsui sleeping soundly.
Feeling a tinge of guilt she quietly made her way over to the slumbering girl.
Hesitating for a moment she used the opportunity to take in Rena’s features. Watching her girlfriend sleeping beside her always had a calming effect on her otherwise active nature. While not appreciating her beauty any less in this moment, Jurina however noticed that she looked unusually pale, even for the white-skinned girl’s standards. The last days must have really taken toll on her, Jurina thought.
Feeling a wave of protectiveness surge over her, she silently bowed down to feel Rena’s temperature again. A quiet sense of dread began growing inside her stomach as she noted that her forehead felt even warmer than before. Was her fever growing stronger after all?
Not wanting to admit the implications she retrieved a wet washcloth from the bathroom, wringing it out carefully before placing the cooling piece on Rena’s forehead.
Withdrawing her hand she sat down next to bed to watch the sickly girl, uncertain how to proceed. Perhaps it was better to call a doctor after all? She knew however that Rena would not appreciate too much fuss involving herself.
Unconsciously Jurina bit her lip. Yet nothing less than her well-being was at stake here. If the fever would grow even more severe-- She did not even want to consider that possibility.
A feeling of failure overcame Jurina as she pondered the options, when suddenly her trail of thoughts was interrupted by an unintelligible murmur coming from the bed.
In no time Jurina was kneeling down next to her again. “Rena-chan? Are you awake?” she whispered almost inaudibly.
Instead of replying the ill girl only narrowed her eyebrows in displeasure while turning her head sluggishly. Her sleeping expressions appeared troubled to Jurina and her breathing sounded slightly unsteady. Perhaps she was having a bad dream?
Another uneasy stir broke the silence of the room. Seeing her girlfriend pained like this churned her up inside to no end. In a desperate attempt to soothe the sleeping girl Jurina moved her hand towards her face, cupping her cheek in slow, calming movements. “Rena-chan, it’s okay. I’m here.” she whispered again in her struggle to ease her subconsciousness.
Silently cursing Jurina realized that she was not being of any help right now. Finally unable to bear her restless state any longer, she bowed down to Rena’s face and carefully yet lovingly pressed a light kiss to the pale lips. Breaking the quick peck shortly, she then leaned in again while softly caressing her cheek with her thumb. Hoping to convey her true feelings for the other girl she traced her lips against the smooth texture, taking her time in savoring every inch of the soft skin moving against her own.
After what felt like an eternity she broke the kiss to muster the sleeping Rena again. Her features having turned more relaxed now she continued slumbering peacefully.
Jurina doubted she had ever seen anything more beautiful in her life.
At a loss how to deal with these overwhelming emotions she clutched her own hand closer to her chest. A simple yet delighted smile started growing on her face.
Taking off her sweater she rounded the bed to carefully climb in behind the other girl. Cautiously as not to disturb her Jurina softly sneaked an arm around her slim waist while scooting her own body closer under the covers. As she pressed herself against Rena’s back she eventually let the girl’s warmth envelope her senses. Nuzzling her face against the older one’s neck a deep sigh of contentedness escaped from her.
As she closed her eyes merely a last faint whisper resounded through the silence.
“Rest well, Rena-chan.”
----------------
A full week later Rena was almost back to full energy. With the heavy snowfall having stopped, even life in winterly Japan seemed to return to normal again, if only it wasn’t for...
*ACHOO*
A figure jerked up in bed, groaning huskily before turning towards the mattress again. Pushing the pillow down onto the back of head she attempted to dull the hammering sensation inside. After a few seconds she decided that oxygen was becoming an issue and finally hurled the innocent cushion across the room.
Reaching for her phone on the nightstand she tried to distract her mind by browsing the internet, yet was left frustrated as she found her eyes unable to focus on anything that was written. Returning the phone to its location she instead redirected her attention back to her favorite distraction.
“Rena-chan~” the figure whined before said girl poked her head through the door attentively a few seconds later.
“I’m bored. Keep me company?”
“Mou, I told you I’m busy cleaning your kitchen for you.” the older Matsui declined.
“But I’m sick. Shouldn’t a nurse tend to me first?” the figure in bed stated while trying to put on one of her trademark Cheshire smiles.
“It’s your own fault, I told you to be more careful. You just got what you asked for.” Rena admonished her.
As soon as Rena started showing first signs of recovery, Jurina seemed to have inherited the sickness in her place, already displaying evidence of her body weakening. Since then the disease has stricken her fully, leaving her tied to bed and now in need of Rena’s care instead.
“Sometimes you’re really like a child.” she added while recalling her girlfriend’s repeated attempts to steal a kiss or two during her infectious condition.
The younger girl only pouted stubbornly but soon smiled widely in anticipation at the sight of the other girl making her way over to her. Picking up the fallen cushion from the floor Rena pressed it against her chest while approaching the bedside. With growing hope Jurina stretched out her arms wide towards the older girl in expectation.
The very next thing she knew was her vision going black by a pillow being shoved into her face.
“I suggest you better rest now while I finish cleaning.” she warned Jurina. “The sooner you will be back to full kissing capacity again.”
Unsure if she has heard right Jurina pushed the pillow aside, just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of Rena’s slightly reddened face before said girl hastily turned away and left the room.
Feeling her heart tighten she let her girlfriend's words seep in slowly.
No, not even this sickness is ever going to make her stop smiling.
Topic: [WMatsui Oneshot] Personal Nurse (Read 9213 times)