Eek! I feel really bad, I've been gone for a while, but I managed to write this whilst I was away. I'm sorry it took so long, I wish I could've come back sooner, but grieving took a lot more out of me then I expected. Anyway, this was requested by IntrovertedUnknown, who asked for Is it okay if I request one where Kaede or Shuichi is down with a migraine or flu?
Sorry it took so long! Hope you enjoy it xx

Kaede groaned, sitting up in her bed. She grasped at her pounding head, groaning from the pain. She supposed she deserved it, seeing as she spent most of her time at her piano, so it was likely to happen at some point. Even though she had admittedly been denying her body of the break it deserved, she didn't believe she deserved this much pain for a few piano sessions.

Okay, maybe it had been more than a few, but who was really keeping count? Kaede wasn't anyway.

Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she sat on the edge of her bed, willing herself to get up and be motivated. Illness was an excuse she didn't believe in, and she was positive she could make it through the day. It's only a headache, nothing too bad could happen, as long as she took medication for it.

She stood, swaying lightly from the dizziness the small activity gave her. She shook her head, mumbling to herself as she groggily changed her clothing, attempting to make herself decently presentable. She didn't believe that the way you feel should alter the way you present yourself, so she left her dorm with a recently cleaned outfit and a cheerful smile to go greet her friends.

Her steps didn't hold her usual bounce, but it was hardly noticeable. Besides, she hadn't seen anyone on her quest to the dining hall, so they way she walked wouldn't harm anyone. She was probably overthinking her condition and over reacting. With a final shake of the head, she willed herself to carry her usual grace, forcing her smile to widen.

She couldn't let her classmates to think something was wrong with her. She was always so chirpy, so motivational. She refused to believe that she could present herself in any other way.

Though, none of her friends agreed with her ludicrous way of thinking.

Quietly opening the door to avoid further aggravation for her head, she was greeted by a few familiar faces, all smiling at her sudden appearance. Although they lacked in numbers, the few that did sit and welcome her so kindly warmed her heart, and she took a seat next to Kaito.

"Morning Kaede. Sleep well?" Tsumugi asked, laying her hands in her lap after adjusting her glasses. Kaede smiled at her, laughing lightly.

"I slept great, Tsumugi. Did you?" She inquired. The cosplayer nodded, smiling at her once more before returning to her conversation with Kiibo.

"Did you really, Akamatsu? You don't look too good. N-not that you look bad o-or anyt-" Someone rambled from behind her, and she turned to face them.

The detective refused to look her in the eyes, clearly embarrassed from calling her out. She kindly took his hands in her, in hopes of reassuring him, as well as herself.

"Thank you for your consideration, Shuichi, but I'm fine. Didn't I say you could call me Kaede as well?" She giggled, removing her hands from his to run her fingers through his hair. He nodded slowly, taking the vacant seat beside her.

At the movement of the chair, Kaito turned to face the pair, holding his hand out to pause Maki in her sentence. He tilted his head slightly, almost inspecting something, before shaking his head. Kaede furrowed her brows in confusion. Kaito might not have been the most normal out of their class, but he certainly wasn't the weirdest, and he definitely wasn't known for acting so unpredictably.

"Can I help you, Kaito?" Kaede asked after a minute. He shook his head from shock, removing himself from his apparent daze.

"Man, I don't know what Shuichi's on about. Sure, you've got a little darkness under your eyes, but that's crazy how he could tell from behind. You really are talented, y'know?" Kaito rambled. Shuichi blushed lightly from the compliment, moving to hide behind his cap before stopping himself.

"Thank you, Momota, although I really don't see how-"

"Make sure you rest well tonight, Kaede! Can't have anything bad happening to any of us. Especially in here." Kaito advised before turning back to Maki, apologising as she glared at him.

Kaede sighed. Was it really that noticeable? She didn't believe she had looked terrible, but all her friends thought the contrary. Maybe she was delusional with her thoughts, wishful thinking. It sounded like her, always one to wish for something she couldn't have. She shook her head, refusing to think negatively. With the shake of her head, she came up with a rather genius idea to prove to her concerned friends that she was feeling better than they made her out to be.

"How about I teach you piano, Shuichi?" She suggested. "Surely if I'm ill, I won't be able to play. Therefore, I can prove that I'm fine, and you can learn a valuable skill!"

"Uh...ok." He mumbled, twirling his fingers around each other in worry. "If you're sure..."

"Nishishish! The lovebirds are totally going to go make-"

Before Kokichi could finish his sentence, Kaede grabbed Shuichi by the hand and rushed out the room, half heartedly bidding her friends agoodbye. She wasn't usually in the mood for Kokichis antics, and with her head poubding as badly as it was, there was no chance she would be able to sit and listen to his shenanigans.

Stopping in front of her lab, she took a few deep breathes. Her grip on Shuichi's hands never loosened, but the detective didn't question her. She wasn't sure what had suddenly hit her; whether it was nerves to be playing in front of someone again, or whether it was her condition catching up to her. Saving her from the embarrassment, Shuichi slowly opened the door, freeing his hands from her grip and walking inside. Even the creaking of the door didn't soothe her head, and she almost wished she just went back to her room to sleep. She almost raised her hand to her forehead before her friend interrupted her.

"Aren't you doing to come in, Akamatsu?" The detective asked politely, sitting with his hands folded in his lap. Despite not having a clue about instruments or music itself, the scene of the detective near a piano looked to be natural to Kaede, almost as if he belonged to this environment thanks to her, and she blushed at the thought of him gaining talent from her.

She stumbled over her words, her cheeks darkeneing. "O-Of course! I just haven't seen this room, and I was taken by shock."

It was a pitiful excuse, and Kaede knew Shuichi could see right through her, but he never questioned her. He nodded at her comment, gently patting the seat beside him, almost beckoning her over. She followed quickly, ungracefully sitting beside him as she quickly attempted to compose herself. It was just Shuichi after all, and she only had to teach him the basics. Nothing would go horrendously wrong.

She shakily raised her hands to the keys, pressing down lightly at random keys. She cringed at the sound, looking at the arrangement of her fingers. She sorted them appropriately, pressing them down again, met with the sounds of a beautiful melody that only distanced herself from any solace of pain. Shuichi watched her intently, copying further down the piano, creating the same note in a lower pitch. She swallowed thickly, struggling to nod at the overwhelming sounds.

"Are you sure you're alright, Akamatsu?" He asked quietly, lifting his hands from the keys. She hasn't been more thankful for silence from the instrument in her life.

"I'm fine." She insisted. "Now-"

"But you aren't." He interrupted. "You've never messed up a note in your life, and you just happened to press the wrong keys? Please, Kaede, just admit that you aren't well-"

"I'm fine." She shouted, wincing at her own volume. He abruptly reeled back, sighing. He nodded, hovering his fingers above the keys again. She went to sort out the arrangement of his hand before he slammed down on the keys, creating a loud and horrendous chorus of noise. Kaede almost cried out from the sound, pulling his hand away quickly.

Shuichi didn't even need to be prompted to move his hands. He replaced them to pull Kaede into a side hug, hushing her cries as he gently swayed them both. Of course, he had gone to the extremes to get her to admit her condition, but it was better for her in the long run, and he knew she would be fine eventually.

"Should we return to my room?" He asked her.

She nodded against his chest, but made no efforts to move. If anything, her grip tightened on his black jacket, and Shuichi sighed. He slowly stood, not moving too far away from the pianist before lifting her into his arms. He murmured an apology in her ear before swiftly leaving the pianist's lab. Kaede buried her head into his chest, and had it not been for the girl's comfort he would've insisted she stopped out of sheer embarrassment.

Luckily for them, they didn't meet any of their class on the journey back, saving them any awkward explanations they would've had to think of. Kaede didn't move from his arms, almost giggling at his attempts to unlock his door whilst still carrying Kaede bridal-style. Somehow, he managed to open his door, and he laid Kaede down on his bed. He left to shut his door and close off any light sources to try and amend the situation he had caused earlier.

"Thank you." Kaede whispered gratefully. "You didn't have to do this."

Shuichi blushed, but turned away as he sat in a chair beside his bed. "What was I expected to do? Leave you to suffer alone? You would do the same for me, so it's only fair."

"I'm still thankful." Kaede insisted, before reaching out her hand. Shuichi tilted his head, looking at her hand. She giggled, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the bed with her.

"A-Akamatsu, what are you-" He exclaimed before Kaede snuggled into him.

"Shh." She whispered, lazily resting a finger on his lips. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Sleep well." He murmured against her finger before closing his own eyes.

When Kaede awoke in the morning, she was alone and rather confused. Her head still had a faint thudding to it, but it was far less than before. She didn't recognise her surroundings, taking a few moments to try and recollect what had happened. As she studied the room, she noticed a note laying on the chair beside the bed. She quickly picked it up, scanning the note with a faint smile.

I hope you're feeling better this morning, Kaede. If you're up to it, I'd still love to learn piano. Maybe we could make it a date?
~Shuichi

Her smile widened as she laughed to herself. She clutched the note to her chest, sighing sweetly as she let the words sink through her head. She'd definitely love to teach him, and a date wouldn't sound bad either.

Happy Valentine's day. Whether you're single or in a relationship, I hope you've had/are having a great day. Love you all, tysm for t
6.9k reads xx - Paige