"Raining again. Typical," you mutter to yourself, stepping away from the window with a sigh as raindrops pattered incessantly against the glass. Your apartment was small, but that wasn't much of a problem. You had a kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom, more than enough for your needs. You turn your attention to the cupboards in your cramped kitchen, quickly flicking through the meagre contents. Your stomach growls. No luck, of course. You had planned to buy your groceries earlier, but as you tend to do, you had gotten caught up grinding yet another mount in an MMO and before you had realised it, the day had left you. You reflect for a moment on how many times you had gotten yourself into this situation.
Your thoughts are interrupted by another growl, your stomach complaining once again. Delivery wasn't an option, as your banking app would quickly confirm. Sighing as you take another glance out the window at the pouring rain, you resign yourself to your fate and sling the warmest jacket you can find over your shoulders, and set out, leaving your almost barren apartment behind you.
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Shivering, you pull the blanket closer around your frame in a desperate attempt to ward off the chill that seems to creep into your body no matter how many layers you cover yourself in. A cough wracks your body, the latest in a seemingly never ending string. Mentally you chastise yourself for heading out in such awful weather the previous day. Typical of you to make a stupid mistake like that. You resign yourself to the next few days in isolation, fighting off whatever illness you had managed to catch. Not that being alone was anything new. Your one consolation is that your college work was in no danger on account of a few days off.
Whatever the sickness was, it was kicking your ass. Your head swims as you shift in bed, unable to make yourself comfortable with the constant aches running through your body. The dark apartment seems as cold and empty as usual, your only companion the quiet whirring of your PC fan and the gentle blinking of the monitors' power lights.
Another shiver runs through you, a moment before your phone lights up. Reluctantly you reach over, exposing your arm to the cold air of your empty apartment. You squint in pain as the light of the phone hits your eyes, worsening your already pounding headache. A text message. You know who it is without reading the name.
"Anon, you weren't in class today! Is everything alright?"
"Caught something yesterday, I'll be fine. Won't be in for a couple days though. Don't worry about me."
You hit send and motion to shut your phone off, but before you can even touch the button the screen changes to an incoming call. You sigh, hesitating before answering.
"Anon! You should have told me you were sick earlier! I hope you're getting plenty of bedrest and water," the sheep on the other end chastises. Watame. You had known her for three years now, having met during a college induction day. The two of you had been paired together in one of those stupid 'get to know each other!' exercises, and the soft-spoken sheep had seemingly taken a liking to you. Three years now she had clung to you, to your absolute confusion. Every inquiry about her obsession with you received only a smug grin and a "wouldn't you like to know?"
You hold back a cough. "Yeah yeah, I'm going to get water now," you retort, forcing yourself to slide out from beneath the covers. Your bare feet press against the freezing cold floor, the chill instantly running up through your entire body. Shivering, you stumble towards the bedroom door, feeling as though someone had taken a chisel to your skull. black spots burst in your vision as you wobble, steadying yourself against the doorframe. "Maybe this is worse than I thought," you mutter to yourself.
"Anon?!" you hear Watame exclaim on the other end of the phone. "What did you just say?!"
Her voice sounds tinny and far away, and you barely register the question as your vision swims. "N- Nothing…" You mutter through gritted teeth. Maybe that water was a bad idea. You can vaguely hear Watame panicking on the other end of the phone but don't register her words as you turn to go back to bed. It seems an impossibly long distance away, and as you take a step forward your vision fades and the world disappears.
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The first thing you notice when your eyes crack open is the smell. A delicate scent wafts through the air, seemingly coming from your kitchen. The next thing you notice is a damp towel laid gently on your forehead. It's still warm. Sitting up, a cough bursts forth from your lips. A soft exclamation can be heard from the kitchen, and a moment later two delicate horns appear at your doorway, followed by the fluffy hair and smiling face of your classmate.
"A- ah! You're awake!" she cries, stepping into the room. An apron covers her small form, a wooden spoon clutched in her hand. Her smile is untouched, though a light flush appears to take over her cheeks.
"I'm terribly sorry about using your kitchen without permission, I just thought you needed something to eat," she murmurs timidly.
You blink twice. Three times. Four.
"Watame?" You ask incredulously. "What are you… How did you… What?"
Her blush deepens. "Well when I heard you fall over the phone I couldn't just leave you there, could I? I came here to make sure you were okay, and when I got you back into bed I figured I might as well stay for a little while and, uhm…" She trails off. "I hope it wasn't too rude of me to stay longer than necessary."
The little sheep's previously gentle demeanor shifts to something else.
"But it's a good thing I did! When I checked your kitchen all you had was red bull and instant ramen packets! It's no wonder you got sick," She rants, earlier shyness forgotten. "And learn to lock your door!"
Unable to get a word in, or even form a coherent thought, you stare at the blonde, mouth agape.
"So I went out and bought some things for you," she continues, disappearing back into the kitchen for a moment. She reappears quickly after, a bowl in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. The bowl, you surmise, seems to be the source of the gentle smell.
"Sit up," she gently tells you with a smile. You do just that, holding back a cough as you do. The towel drops from your head, and you put it to the side. Watame places the bowl in your lap, revealing it to be a fresh bowl of rice porridge. Turning for a moment, she roots through the bag, procuring various bottles and a small white packet of medicine.
"I wasn't sure what kind of drinks you liked so I got a few different ones," she says, smiling sheepishly. "And I got some cough medicine and painkillers for you too."
You sit in your bed, dumbstruck. Why? Why would this girl do all this for you? You turn to her, meeting her soft gaze.
"Why did you do all this for me?" A simple question, surely.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she smirks, before gesturing to the bowl in your lap. "Eat. You must be starving."
Infuriating answer notwithstanding, she's right. Your stomach is in knots by now, having barely eaten since you had become ill. Cautiously, you spoon some of the porridge into your mouth. The moment it touches your tongue, warmth spreads through your entire body, tingles running through you. You swallow. Another spoon. Another. Before you realise it, the bowl is empty, Watame beaming at your side.
"I was worried it might not be to your taste," she explains. "I made it just like my mother used to for me when I was sick."
You shake your head, incredulous. "Not at all, that was…" You search for the right words. "It was incredible," You say simply. The aproned sheep girl standing by your bedside seems pleased by your praise, her smile spreading further still.
"You should get some rest," She suggests. "I know you've been sleeping a lot but you really do need your rest. I'll stay here for a bit and clean the kitchen after myself. If there's anything you need, call me. I'll check in again tomorrow."
You find yourself nodding at the suggestion, barely able to keep your eyes open. Your final sight is of a smiling sheep looking down at you, and just before you pass into slumber, a final thought enters your mind.
"This place feels a whole lot less empty right now, huh?"
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Watame finishes drying off the pot she had used for your meal, placing it back into the cupboard where it belongs. Nodding to herself, the small sheep takes a step towards the front door, then stops. She sneaks a glance at the bedroom door, not shut but closed over. Biting her lip, she gives into temptation. Quietly, she slips into the room, careful not to rouse the sleeping form wrapped in blankets. Kneeling by his side, she smiles warmly, a tinge of sadness in her eyes. The back of her hand gently strokes his cheek.
"Someday I'll tell you," She promises herself.
"Someday."