Sick day.

“Okay popcorn, soda's, and gummy bears…Sora's favorite”. “Now everything's set up for our patented sora and aki movie night”, she cheered. 

As you can see, Aki was preparing for a fun night with her dear sora. Nearly every weekend, Sora would come over and indulge in akis introverted hobbies. Watching movies or playing video games, nearly anything that involved staying in the house. While school and sports took up a lot of his time; he was never too busy for the her. Staring at the clock, aki could hardly contain her excitement. A night with her bestie was just what the doctor ordered. Strangely though, as time passed he never showed up. This of course caused Aki to worry; since Sora was never late.

She grabbed her phone and quickly called him up. After a few rings, it went straight to voice-mail; making Aki even more worried. Did something happen, did Sora get hurt? If any harm were to befall the boy, she wouldn't be able to take it. She called and it rang some more; but no answer. Out of desperation, the girl scrolled through her contacts. In a flash, she was able to find Mikan's number. More fearful than ever, she waited with bated breath for an answer. Thankfully, Mikan would pick up and greet the anxious girl.

“Hello”. 

“Mikan, its sora…he never showed up to my house and I'm getting freaked out”, aki cried. 

“Hey now, just calm down aki…everything's alright!”.

“It is…s-so Sora's okay?”.

“Of course, but he's pretty sick”, mikan said, feeling her brother's burning forehead.

“Oh my gosh, are you serious! I'll be right over”, the girl squealed.

“Wait aki, you don't have to…”.

But before Mikan could finish her sentence, the line was disconnected. It wasn't two minutes later that she heard a frantic knock at the door. 

“Oh boy! It's gonna be a long night”, she sighed.

Once inside, Aki hurried over to her friend's bedside. All the while struggling to catch her breath. 

“Sora…a-are you okay!?”.

The boy looked up at her wearing an exhausted but calm look.

“Don't worry aki, I'm fine. Just a little…head cold”, he said in a weakened voice.

“That's a lie, you don't look fine”, she said, noticing his sunken eyes and pale skin.

“I'm telling you I'm good aki…everyone gets sick”, he coughed. 

“Not you, you've never been sick sora…im worried”, the girl whined.

“Everything's under control here, I was just about to give him some medicine”, Mikan said, hugging the nervous teen.

“Heh, I'm lucky to have mikan. She really is like a knight in shining armor”. 

“Well I'm here to help too!!”, aki said, latching onto the sick boy.

While mikan went to retrieve the medicine; aki began playing in Sora's unkempt hair.

“You should get back a little, I don't want you to get sick”. 

“Shut up, I'm not going anywhere”, the girl pouted. 

Sora did think it annoying how stubborn aki could be. But having someone who cared so much was nice. However this cute moment would be interrupted as mikan stood in the doorway, shaking an empty bottle.

“So much for that idea, we're out. Guess I'll have to walk to the store for more”. 

Before Mikan could say anything else, aki stood up with a motivated look in her eyes.

“I'll go, I wanna go buy Sora's medicine!!”. 

“Aki, that's a terrible idea. You can just sit here with me and let mikan handle this”.

“No way, I can help too sora!!!”.

“Aki you have crippling anxiety, I wouldn't want anything bad to happen”.

“Oh my gosh sora, i think I can handle a little trip to the store”, she pouted.

“I don't know, auntie sakura does all your shopping for you”. 

“I'm…telling…you, I can handle this”, she insisted.

Sora knew there wasn't any point in arguing when aki got like this. Besides, maybe it would do her some good to move out of her comfort zone.

“Okay aki fine, have it your way”.

“Sora are you sure about this, i don't have a problem going”, mikan offered.

“If she says she can handle it, it'll be alright. Just be careful aki, I get worried you know”, he sniffled.

Hearing this would motivate the girl more than ever. Sora was putting his complete trust in her, so she refused to fail. Aki would proudly slip on her shoes and walk out into the unknown. On her way she noticed how empty and quiet the streets were. By this time all the hustle and bustle had subsided; which was perfectly fine with her. In fact, something about the empty streets was a little soothing. Making the girl feel a wave of peace come over her. 

Pretty soon, the convenience store came into view. The plan was simple: go in and buy sora some medicine. There was only one task and she could return to her best friend. However, fate sometimes makes plans that no one can predict. As aki entered the store, she had no clue where to go. A normal person wouldn't have any trouble finding what they were looking for. For aki though, there was the fact that she never left her house. Making it pretty tough to look for something in an unfamiliar locale. She could ask an associate for help, but that meant speaking to someone. And speaking to strangers for her, was just like dying. 

So with this option out of the question, the teen was on her own. She walked and glanced down each aisle with haste. Trying her best to find a simple bottle of cold medicine. When she glanced down one aisle, she would see a group of young men gathered together. They smiled and yelled, probably out enjoying a night on the town. Aki tried to pass them up, but one would notice her.

“Whoa hold up…what are you doing tonight sweetie!?”, he said approaching her.

In turn aki was terrified, she looked all around; but it was obvious she was his target. 

The young man looked her up and down with lust in his eyes. He got even closer and attempted some sweet talk. 

“Not much of a talker, that's fine. But I promise me and my friends are very nice, I just can't picture leaving here without you”, he smiled.

Aki tried to muster the courage to deny his request; but this had never happened before. She was terrified and honestly the most uncomfortable that she'd ever been. Meanwhile, the young man didn't plan on stopping anytime soon. 

“Since those lips are staying sealed, mind if I steal a kiss?”. 

Before she could say anything, the random guy started to lean in. He was so close that aki could smell the beer on his breath. The girl was terrified, seeing no way out of this. That is until an unfamiliar figure stepped in. 

“Hey bro, step off! That girl is already spoken for”.

The wasted boy would give this stranger a look that could kill. That is until he recognized whom he was talking to. 

“Wait, you-your kuwabara right…the leader of the cage fighting club?!”.

“Yeah, that's me”, the muscular teen nodded.

Aki had to admit, the guy who came to her rescue was monstrous.

He had long flowing hair, with muscles that looked to be chiseled from stone. He wore a high school uniform, but was bigger than any student alive. In fact, he looked like a straight up Neanderthal from the prehistoric era. 

“Alright man, you've had your fun…now scram”, he said in a serious tone.

Saying nothing else, the drunken teen turned tail and ran. Aki felt grateful to the guy who saved her; but was unsure why he did. That is until he revealed something unexpected.

“Aki right, guess you don't remember me”, he smiled. “I'm Sora's teammate in basketball”.

Upon hearing this, her eyes lit up. Knowing he was friends with Sora really made her feel comfortable. 

“Uhh I don't…remember you…but thank you so much”.

“It's fine, I know we used to be in preschool together. Add in the fact that sora constantly talks about you”, he giggled.

“Uhhh, do you know…where the cold medicine is”, aki squeaked. 

“I heard Sora was sick, and his girlfriend is buying him some medicine…how sweet”. Aki would totally blush of course, but she wouldn't deny what he said. Next he'd walk her to the correct aisle and hand her the medicine. 

“This should do it right, need me to walk you home?”, kuwabara offered.

While having someone who fit the bill of a bodyguard sounded good. This was Akis' mission, and she had to see it through on her own. 

“N-no thank you, I should be fine”, the girl bowed. 

“All right then, tell sora to get well soon. The teams lost without him”, he said before making his exit.

Now safe and in possession of the medicine, aki returned to Sora's. Here the boy sat up in his bed, worried to death about his friend. In fact, he was about to get up and go look for her regardless of his cold. 

Thankfully though, aki marched in wearing a proud smile. “Hey Sora, I got…”.

“What took you so long…I was so worried!!”, the boy cried.

Hearing his voice raised, caused the girl to tear up. Before she could give a reply; sora latched onto her. 

“Never worry me like that again aki, i'll go without the medicine before I let something happen to you”.

Aki would blush from his sweet words; happy that he cared so much. Neither said anything, till a tired mikan made a surprise entrance.

“If you have the medicine, he needs to take it already. And akis gonna get sick if you guys don't stop the pdf”. 

Both would instantly release the hug and wear an embarrassed look.

“Okay, guess you do need to go home aki. Thanks for the medicine”, Sora coughed.

But things wouldn't be that simple, as aki was beginning to cough. Causing a concerned mikan to feel her forehead. 

“Wow, you're burning up aki! Guess we spoke too soon”.

At that moment, a peaceful weekend for mikan went out the window. Instead, she'd have her hands full playing nurse.

                   

                    Our time capsule.

We open up on one of soras rare days off. The boy was currently cleaning his bedroom; which had long been overdue. Most things he sifted through were clothes and old toys from his childhood. Weirdly enough though, while digging through his closet; sora found something interesting. A folded piece of paper that had the logo from his old preschool. With that being so long ago, he was surprised to still have it. As he unfolded it, the words on the page surprised him. It was an old homework assignment that was given to him and aki. They were supposed to make a time capsule holding some of their favorite things.

Afterwards, they were supposed to bury it in one of their yards and wait ten years to dig it up. The point was to show each student how much they've grown since preschool. Wanting to share the excitement of finding this; sora marched right over to Aki's. During this time, Aki sat on the couch painting her toenails purple. This was something she did when there was absolutely nothing else to do. When she heard an unexpected knock on the door; she knew it could only be one person. She was happy to be right, as a smiling Sora stood before her.

“Aki, you won't believe what i just remembered!”, the boy cheered.

“What?”, she said with a curious gaze.

“Back when we were in preschool we did a time capsule project. I doubt you remember, but we buried it in your backyard”.

The girl began to think, and it wasn't long before her memories came flooding back. We then go back to a time when sora and aki were both cute and chibi size. The two were sharing a color page when their teacher made an announcement to her class. 

“Listen up kids, we have a special activity planned for you!”.

The woman went on to explain how time capsules worked. Each child could pick something of value to them and place it in a box. The box would be buried in a certain spot for a length of ten years. Each child found themselves eager to make their own; aki and sora included.

“Wow, that sounds so much fun sora!”. 

“Yeah…I wanna fill it with lots of cool stuff!!”.

As the boxes were passed around, each kid rummaged for a keepsake to put inside. While Sora would throw in toys and a bracelet he was wearing; aki had another idea in mind. She grabbed some crayons and began to draw. All the while Sora glanced over her shoulder with a puzzled look.

“Whatcha drawing there aki?”. 

“Heh, a picture of me and my best friend”, she giggled.

“Oh yeah, who's that”. 

Aki in turn held her picture up proudly before speaking.

“Who do you think…it's you Sora”, she giggled.

The picture showed a crudely drawn aki holding her friend's hand. Both of them stood in a field of yellow flowers. Feeling honored that aki valued him so; sora signed his name on the drawing. All of these items were then placed in the box and sealed. That evening, akis dad helped them bury the box. Before Sora left to go home, Aki left him with some very sweet parting words.

“Hey sora! Let's be friends forever…okay?”, the small aki giggled.

The boy smiled and nodded in reply; proud to call aki his buddy. Now in the present, sora had just finished digging up their time capsule. After all these years, it was still buried in the same spot. Sora pulled it from the dirt and wiped it clean. Afterwards he and Aki sat together, eager to unearth its contents.

“Feeling nervous?”, sora chuckled.

“A little bit, it's been so long since we made this…it's kinda embarrassing”, aki cringed. As the box was opened, nostalgia and happy memories filled the air. Sora saw his old toys, each one bringing him back to that day in preschool. Digging further, he even found the worn out bracelet that he threw in.

“Wow, this is so cool…talk about a walk down memory lane”, he cheered.

As Sora entertained himself, Aki found a familiar item. It was the picture she had drawn that day so long ago. By this point, the paper had yellowed and had a strange smell. But the image was still perfectly clear; both kids were holding hands. Seeing this brought tears to Akis' eyes. No matter how much time had passed, the feelings she had for Sora were still fresh. In actuality, they were stronger now then they ever were. Even now when she looked at him, her heart would skip a beat. Some would try to hide these feelings, but aki was tired of holding them in.

The nervous girl rose from her seat and blurted out something she'd never said before.

“Sora i…i…love you!! I love you so much it hurts…I've always felt this way!!”, the girl shouted.

Hearing her words caused Sora to drop the trinkets he was holding. Unsure of how to react to this sudden bombshell; sora opened his mouth without thinking.

“i…i…gotta go to the bathroom!”. To be continued.