Autumn arrived.

The air turned crisp. School dances were announced, Halloween decorations went up in shop windows, and a general cozy feeling settled over everything.

He was spending more and more time with Rain, Emi, Ira, and Ren.

Lunch every day at their corner table, study sessions in the library.

With Rain actually making the library bearable, even for Ira

And weekend hangouts movies, random games, even just walking around town, talking about everything and nothing.

He found himself looking forward to seeing them, to the easy banter, to the feeling of belonging. It was nice. Really nice. Something he hadn't realized he was missing until he had it.

Rain, especially, was captivating. She was quiet, yes, but when she did speak, it was always thoughtful, insightful.

She listened intently when he talked about anything he was interested in, asking questions that showed she was actually paying attention, not just politely nodding along. She remembered small details he'd mentioned weeks ago, bringing them up in conversation, making him feel seen, understood.

And she was always there. If he was at school, Rain was there. If he was going to the library, Rain would magically appear.

Weekends? Rain was free. It was flattering, at first. Like she just really enjoyed his company, and he, in turn, loved being with her.

But lately, a tiny seed of unease had started to sprout in his mind. It was subtle, almost invisible, but it was there. A feeling, not a thought, a prickle of something. He couldn't quite name it.

It started with small things. Rain always wanting to hold his hand when they walked, even when his palms were sweaty and he felt a little awkward. Rain's eyes lingering on him a little too long sometimes, a gaze that felt intense.

Rain's gentle touches, a brush of her fingers against his cheek, a soft stroke of his hair.

He found himself wanting to hang out with Ira and Ren alone sometimes, just to play video games or talk about guy stuff, but Rain always seemed disappointed when he did.

Not angry, never angry, just sad. Her smile would dim, her eyes would lose their sparkle, and she'd sigh softly, like he'd let her down somehow.

"Oh" she'd say, her voice quiet. "Oh, okay. Well... maybe next time then." And he'd feel a pang of guilt, a strange feeling like he should be spending all his time with her, like he was doing something wrong by wanting to hang out with his other friends.

Emi noticed it too. She was perceptive like that, always picking up on things that other people missed. One afternoon, during a study session at Y/N's house.

Rain, of course, was there, curled up beside him on the couch, "helping" him with his history homework

Emi pulled him aside for a second, into the kitchen while Rain was distracted by a text message.

"Hey" Emi said, her voice low, her bright eyes serious for once. "Hey, Y/N, can I ask you something?"

Y/N nodded, a little confused. "Uh, yeah, sure. What's up?"

Emi hesitated for a second, biting her lip, like she was trying to find the right words. "It's just... Rain," she said finally, glancing back at the living room, where Rain was still engrossed in her phone. "Are you... are you sure you're okay with... everything? With her?"

Y/N frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean? Yeah, I'm okay. Rain's great." He felt a little defensive, a little annoyed that Emi was questioning Rain. Rain was great. Wasn't she?

Emi sighed, running a hand through her wavy brown hair. "I know, I know, she's really sweet and everything. But don't you think she's a little intense? Like, she's always around, and she's always focused on you, you know?"

Y/N shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable now. "I guess so" he mumbled. "But I don't mind. It's nice. Having someone care."

He didn't say "love," not yet, but the word hovered in the air between them.

Emi looked at him, her green eyes searching his face. "Care is good" she said softly. "But... too much care can seem good at first. But it will become suffocating, you know? You need space. Everyone does. Even in relationships."

"It's not a relationship" Y/N said quickly, a little too quickly. "We're just friends. Good friends. That's all." He knew he was lying, or at least, bending the truth.

He and Rain hadn't officially "defined" anything, but it felt like more than just friendship. And he suspected Rain definitely wanted it to be more.

Emi raised an eyebrow, a skeptical look on her face. "Okay, friends" she repeated, drawing the word out, making it sound like a joke. "If you say so. But just be careful, okay? Just make sure you're not getting overwhelmed. And make sure you're still you, you know? Not just Rain's boyfriend, or whatever."

"I'm me" Y/N said, feeling a little defensive again, a little annoyed. "I'm still me. Rain doesn't control me or anything."

Emi sighed again, giving up, it seemed. "Okay, okay," she said, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I just worry about you, Y/N. You're you're a good guy. And Rain she's still kind of a mystery, you know? We don't really know her that well even after all this time."

"We're getting to know her" Y/N said, his voice a little sharper now than he meant it to be. "And she's- she's really nice, Emi. You're just overthinking stuff."

Emi just looked at him, her eyes sad now. "Maybe" she said softly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I just don't understand." She paused, then reached out, gently squeezing his arm. "Just be careful, okay, Y/N? For me? And for yourself."

Y/N nodded, feeling a little guilty now, a little ashamed of his sharp tone. "Yeah" he mumbled. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Emi."

He walked back into the living room, where Rain was still on her phone, but now she was looking up at him, her dark eyes watching him intently. "Everything okay?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Yeah, fine" Y/N said, forcing a smile. "Just girl talk, you know?" He tried to make a joke of it, but it fell flat.

Rain just kept looking at him, her gaze unwavering, making him feel pinned under her stare. "Okay" she said slowly, her voice still too soft. "Okay, good." She smiled then, that sweet, familiar smile, and the unease he'd felt just a moment ago seemed to fade away, replaced by the warmth of her attention.

A few weeks later, Y/N got sick. Really sick. Not just a little sniffle or a cough but it was a flu, the doctor said.

Just the flu. But it felt like the end of the world.

He woke up one morning feeling off.

Achy, tired, a little dizzy. He tried to get up for school, but his legs felt like jelly, and his head was pounding. He managed to stumble to the bathroom, where he looked at himself in the mirror and winced.

His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked miserable.

He called his mom, his voice raspy and weak, telling her he couldn't go to school. She was instantly worried, fussing over him, making him tea and toast, telling him to get back in bed. He didn't argue.

Bed sounded like the best place in the world right now.

He crawled back into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin, shivering even though he felt like he was burning up.

Sleep came quickly, a heavy, restless sleep filled with strange dreams.

He woke up later, the room darker now, the afternoon sun fading into evening. He felt worse, somehow.

Hotter, achier, his head throbbing with every beat of his heart. He coughed, a deep, rattling cough that shook his whole body. He felt awful.

And then, there was a knock at his door.

Knock knock knock.

Three knocks, loud and sharp, echoing in the quiet house.

He frowned, confused. Who would be knocking at his door? His mom was at work, his dad was somewhere. He wasn't expecting anyone.

Knock knock knock knock knock.

The knocking came again, more insistent this time. Like someone really wanted him to open the door.

"Who is it?" he called out, his voice weak and croaky.

"Y/N? It's me. Rain." Her voice, soft and sweet, filtered through the door.

Rain? What was Rain doing here? He was sick, he looked terrible, he didn't want anyone to see him like this, especially Rain.

"Rain, I'm sick" he called out again, his voice barely a whisper. "I can't... I can't have visitors. You should go home." He just wanted to be alone, to curl up in bed and sleep until this awfulness passed.

"Y/N, please" Rain said, her voice pleading now, a little desperate. "Please, just open the door. I want to see you. I will take care of you."

Take care of him? What did she mean? He didn't need anyone to take care of him. He just needed to rest.

Knock knock knock knock knock.

The knocking came again, louder this time, more urgent. "Y/N, please! Just open the door! I'm worried about you! Please!"

He sighed, feeling too weak to argue, too tired to resist. He didn't want to be rude, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

And a small part of him, a tiny, selfish part, was a little bit flattered? That Rain was so worried about him, that she wanted to come take care of him.

He pushed himself out of bed, his legs shaky, his head spinning. He stumbled to the door, his hand trembling as he reached for the doorknob. He hesitated for a second, a strange feeling of dread washing over him.

Dread? Why dread? It was just Rain. She just wanted to help.

He turned the knob and opened the door.

Rain was standing there, on his doorstep, her dark eyes wide with concern, her face pale. She was holding a bag, a big bag that looked heavy.

She pushed the door, stepping into the house without waiting for an invitation.

"Y/N!" she exclaimed, her voice full of worry. "Oh, you look terrible!" She rushed to his side, her hand reaching out, touching his forehead. Her fingers were cool against his burning skin. "You're burning up! Oh, you poor thing!"

He leaned back against the door, feeling dizzy again, watching Rain as she helped him go back to the warm bed.

She was like a storm of gentle energy, unpacking the bag she'd brought, pulling out bottles of medicine, boxes of tissues, cans of soup, a thermometer, a washcloth, a bowl of water. It was like she'd brought the entire contents of a pharmacy with her.

"Rain, you don't have to do this" he mumbled, his voice weak. "Really, I'm fine. Just... the flu. I just need to rest."

"No, you're not fine, Y/N" Rain said firmly, her voice taking on a tone he hadn't heard before, a tone that was almost scolding? "You're sick. Very sick. And I'm going to take care of you. That's what... that's what people do when they care about each other."

"But..." Y/N started to protest again, but she cut him off, pressing a thermometer into his mouth.

"Shhh" she said, her voice soft but firm. "No talking. Just... let me take care of you, Y/N. Please." Her eyes were pleading, her gaze intense, making it hard to argue.

He closed his mouth around the thermometer, giving up. It was easier to just let her do what she wanted.

He was too tired to fight, too weak to resist. And a small part of him, that selfish, needy part, did kind of like the attention. Did kind of like the feeling of being cared for.

Rain bustled around him, taking his temperature, making him drink water, forcing him to swallow pills, propping him up with pillows, tucking blankets around him, wiping his forehead with a cool cloth. She was like a nurse, efficient, focused, completely devoted to his care.

He drifted in and out of sleep, the fever making his dreams vivid and strange. He saw Rain's face in his dreams, her dark eyes watching him...

He woke up in the middle of the night, the room dark, the house silent. He felt disoriented, confused, like he didn't know where he was or who he was. He was burning hot, drenched in sweat, his body aching all over. He coughed again, a deep, painful cough that rattled his chest.

And then, he saw her.

Rain was there, sitting in a chair beside his bed, watching him. In the dim light filtering in from the streetlamp outside, her face was pale, her eyes dark and unblinking. She'd been there all night, just watching him.

"Rain?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "What are you what are you doing here?"

She smiled, that sweet, familiar smile, but in the darkness. "I'm here to take care of you" she whispered back, her voice soft, almost like a breath against his skin. "I told you I would. I'll always take care of you, Y/N. Forever."

He shivered, a cold shiver that had nothing to do with the fever. He felt trapped. Suffocated. Like Rain's "care" was a cage, closing in around him, tighter and tighter, until he couldn't breathe.

"Rain, I..." he started to say, he didn't know what, he just wanted her to go. To leave him alone. To give him space.

But she leaned closer, her face inches from his, her dark eyes locking onto his, holding him captive. "Shhh" she whispered again. "Don't talk, Y/N. Just... rest. I'm here. I'll always be here. Just for you."

And in that moment, staring into her dark, unblinking eyes, he understood. Emi's words echoed in his head "Too much care can be suffocating." Emi had been right. Rain's care wasn't care, not really. It was possessive.

He closed his eyes, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him, the fever making his head spin. He heard Rain's soft breathing beside him, felt her gaze on him, heavy, unwavering.

He felt trapped, and scared, and more alone than he'd ever felt in his life, even surrounded by Rain's suffocating presence.

As he drifted back into feverish sleep, a single thought echoed in his mind.

What have I gotten myself into?

And somewhere, he saw rain taking something small square shaped object from her bag.

Deep in the darkness of his mind, a lullaby started to play, a hum that sounded so sweet.