>>7574117She coughs, a hacking, pathetic sound, followed by a strong HICC. She moans sadly, painfully. Your precious fox lays back in bed, her normally lustrous white hair now unkempt and dull, resting fitfully against fluffy blue pillows. You know Kana would prefer to be left alone but you can't help it. Let her be mad at you, you care about her too much to abandon her when she's hurting and vulnerable. It's just too sad to see her suffer alone. You sit by her side, watching over her. She sleeps restlessly, a heavy blush on her cheeks.
Careful not to wake her, you put a hand to her forehead, feeling an excessive warmness. She's burning up, the poor girl. You leave her side for a moment and return with a damp, cool washcloth. You part tousled white and red strands from her hot forehead and lay the cloth against flushed skin. She mumbles something quietly but continues sleeping, breathing raggedly through her mouth. Even in this unflattering moment, you find her so beautiful. She's your everything. Her large ears twitch unconsciously in response to some unknown stimulus. They cutely turn their attention to you as you begin to hum. You continue for a long time, watching her sleep. After a while you nod off in your chair.
You dream. You dream of her. Of your picnic together, of her smiling face. Of all the things you want to share and do with her. Of possible futures with her. You suddenly feel something. A calm presence, pulling you back. You awaken with a start, not knowing where you are. You feel a small hand gently squeezing yours. Kana is watching you, smiling softly, somewhat melancholic, holding your hand. "Kana..." you mumble, still coming to your senses, "what time is it.." you look around, still a bit lost. "It's afternoon," she says quietly. Suddenly she lets loose multiple wet sneezes, wiping her snotty nose with her hand. You offer her a tissue box, which she accepts. She clears her sinuses with a hearty blow into a Kleenex and tosses the snotrag on the floor. This girl...
"How about lunch?" You ask. She nods, weakly. You stand up and she lets go of your hand reluctantly. Walking into the kitchen, you prepare a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. You're by no means an expert chef but you've picked up a bit during your years as a bachelor. It takes a while and you periodically taste it to make sure it's going well. Finally, it's done. It smells pretty damn good, you think to yourself proudly, the comforting, homely scent of cooked chicken, herbs, and various vegetables filling the house. You ladle a generous portion into a bowl and set it on a tray with a spoon, carrying it into the bedroom.
Kana is sitting up in bed, watching TV and looking at her phone. She sniffles and sneezes, throwing another tissue onto the floor. You offer her the tray. She takes it, looking at the large helping of soup before her. She looks at you questioningly, perhaps wondering why you brought her so much, but almost immediately begins to dig in. Her ears prick up in an adorable manner and her bushy white tail starts to wag, attempting to break free of the pillows holding it prisoner. She begins to wolf the soup down eagerly, getting a bit on her small chin in the process. She’s devouring it so quickly it brings a warm wave of gladness to your heart. She must really like it. Before long the little stinker is slurping the broth, finishing it with speed, raising the bowl to her lips and gulping it down. She lays back with a couple of HICCS, content. “Kana,” you laugh, leaning close to her while raising a napkin to her face. You dab the dribble of soup off. You move to take the tray from her. "Thanks, it was really good," she says your name. "It was nothing," you reply with a smile, blowing it off. "It wasn't just nothing," she insists, her fingers gripping the bottom of your shirt. Looking into her golden eyes, you realize this girl has burrowed herself into your soul just a little bit more. "You're welcome, Kana, I'm really happy you liked it," you concede, using your free hand to stroke her silky hair lovingly, scratching her slowly and deeply behind the ear. She closes her eyes in bliss and leans into your scratching fingers, almost involuntarily. Reluctantly, you pull away, returning the tray to the kitchen, but you soon return to her side.
