Chapter Text
Fox has been gone for two days.
He's in the Sand Kingdom on one of his jobs, which is something that is quite rare these days. Ever since he fell into the father role for the Lumas, he's been taking less jobs and spending more time at the Observatory.
Still, he does take a couple of them here and there sometimes and all Rosalina can do in the meantime is wait for him to return. She won't stop him from gaining more money that he says he needs and besides, it's good for him to get out there, just as long as he comes back home to her eventually.
It's as she's waiting for him one late afternoon that she's approached by two Lumas, one green and one blue. She was in the process of touching up one of the books in the library, but she puts it down on her lap at the arrival of her children.
"Papa's back!" The green one tells her, though with slightly less enthusiasm than she would have expected from the little star. They're usually so ecstatic to see their father again after he returns from a trip.
"I think he's sick!" The blue Luma says, looking around quickly as if they're sharing a secret.
"Really?" She asks, setting the book aside. "What makes you say that?"
"He's sneezing so much!"
"Perhaps it's just because of the sand. He did go to the Sand Kingdom, after all," Rosalina says, but she still gets up and brushes her dress off.
"No, Mama. He's sneezing so much we actually got tired of saying gesundheit!"
This makes her frown. She was always going to go check on him anyway, but their words push her to move a little faster.
"Let's go see him then, shall we?"
Rosalina walks out of the library flanked by the two Lumas and makes her way to the already familiar part of the Observatory where Fox always lands his arwing.
She spies his familiar form near the ship, stowing away the money he earned from his job. He's slouching and he moves slightly strangely, like it's taking him more effort than it should. She makes a small note of that in her mind.
Still, Rosalina can't deny that seeing him again after a few days, despite the circumstances, makes her very happy and she can't help the way she walks a little faster to reach him.
"Fox," she calls as she approaches. "How was your trip?"
At her voice, he instantly straightens, like he was never slumped over in the first place. He whirls around to face her, a bright smile on his face.
"Rosa! Very sandy, but overall," he shrugs casually. "Not bad."
There's a touch of congestion she can hear in his words. It makes them sound ever so slightly off.
As she comes to a stop in front of him, she gets a better look at his face. He's covered in a faint layer of sand and she can see it on his clothes and fur. It makes his fur darker and he looks dirty, which she doesn't like. What stands out the most to her, however, is the slight droop of his ears and the bags under his eyes.
He definitely didn't look like this when he left and his ears are usually more perked up, especially when he sees her.
It almost makes her physically frown. It seems the kids were right.
"What, see something you like?" Fox asks her teasingly. She's been scrutinizing him for too long, it seems.
Still, she can't stop the smile that grows on her face at his words.
"Always," she hums, reaching out a hand to cup his cheek.
He leans into it instinctively, which still makes her heart skip a beat. The motion gives her the chance to not only caress his soft cheek, but to also note his change in temperature.
While Fox has always run pretty hot, he absolutely burns under her touch right now. A fever, maybe, she thinks with worry.
"You're hot," she mumbles with a furrowed brow.
"Hey, you're not too bad yourself," he replies, shooting her a wink.
"You're literally burning up," she says, ignoring his words and placing her other hand on his forehead.
"Whoa, hey, I'm fine," he says, stepping back out of her reach. "Might just be the leftover heat from the Sand Kingdom's sun. I was in it all day."
She gets a more holistic look at him from this distance. His tail is a little puffed up, matching the slightly ruffled fur on his head. There's a heaviness to him and a slight wobble too. It's very unlike the confident pilot she's come to know.
There's a chance he could have contracted the illness in the Sand Kingdom, but she also knows that sudden changes in environments can also lead to someone getting sick, especially when the temperatures are so drastically different.
Rosalina suspects that's probably what happened to Fox, especially since the air around the Observatory tends to be much cooler than that on other planets. The Sand Kingdom is a hot desert, so the sudden drastic shift in temperatures must have been rough on him and his immune system.
He must see that she's still not convinced, because he says, "I'm fine! Just a little tired, that's all. Long trip and whatnot."
Typical Fox. He always brushes off his injuries with a mere thumbs up as if his bones aren't fractured. He could literally be bleeding out in front of her and he'd still insist it's nothing more than a flesh wound.
This is seemingly no different.
"Anyway," he says. "I'm going to take a shower. All this sand can't be good for me."
For emphasis, he pats down his arms, releasing a small cloud of dust.
She's about to tell him to wait when he suddenly begins to cough.
It starts out small enough, but then it continues. It sounds like he's hacking up a lung and he's bent over from the force of it. She rushes towards him but he only waves her away.
"It's fine! Totally fine!" He chokes out. She's beginning to hate that word.
He straightens suddenly, like nothing even happened. The cough is sufficiently gone and he walks away at a brisk pace. It's just short of a run, but she doesn't think he can manage that in his condition. That, and it would probably make him look even more suspicious.
She stares after him in confusion. One of the Lumas comes to float next to her.
"Papa's a bad liar," they say bluntly.
"Yes, he is. But, you do have to give him credit for trying," she replies.
She decides she'll let him get cleaned up first and wait for him to come back to her. Perhaps the shower will do him some good and getting the sand off him might reduce all his sneezing and coughing.
Afterwards, though, she'll see about getting him some help. And she won't be taking no for an answer.
Sickness isn't something unfamiliar to her, but it is something that doesn't happen around her too often.
Her only companions for ages now have been the Lumas, who never get sick. They're just incapable of ever contracting sickness or any such ailments. She suspects it's because their bodies are made of pure energy and light, so no sickness or bacteria can survive there long enough for the effects to set in. The Lumas can get injured here and there with the occasional bump or scrape, but never sick.
Rosalina herself is a different story. Despite all her cosmic abilities and supernatural lifespan, she has gotten sick quite a number of times in her life, all against her wishes. They're unpleasant events that happen sparsely, and she works her hardest to make sure the kids never find out she's sick when she is.
That being said, she wants to help Fox, even if he's being evasive. She doesn't like that he's lying about his condition, especially to her.
She knows exactly what it’s like to vehemently deny an illness, keeping up a facade in front of others. Only, she's just now realizing how truly annoying and aggravating of a behavior that really is.
The thought makes her frown and she puts the idea aside to analyze later in regards to her own self. In the meantime, she stations herself outside of the building he went into and waits for him to come out.
It's a little like an ambush, but she doesn't feel bad about it because she's doing it because she cares.
Rosalina waits for a little while, occupying herself by humming or talking with some of the Lumas that come floating by inquiring about Fox's current state. She tells them all he's not feeling too good, but that he's going to be okay. The kids float away after that answer, not quite accepting it but taking it for the moment.
She keeps it vague intentionally. He's clearly not keen on sharing specifics with them and she respects that, even if it doesn't please the children.
They're worried about him, she can tell. She's worried too, even if it is just a fever. She doesn't like seeing him sick, it doesn't suit him one bit.
A sneeze pulls her out of her thoughts, alerting her to the fact that he's finally come out.
"Bless you," she says from where she stands.
He looks surprised to see her there, stopping in his tracks, but he gives her a smile. "Thanks."
It's a sort of wobbly smile, and it does little to convince her that he's alright.
She respects his adherence to putting on a brave face, even though it doesn't work on her. He must know it doesn't convince her, but he still sticks to it anyway.
He doesn't look much better than before he went in and the thought makes her frown. He almost looks a little worse, somehow. He's put all his layers back on and she doesn't think that's helping his condition much either. It also appears he chose to take a hot shower like he usually does rather than a cold one, which might have done him more good.
Thankfully, the sand is gone from his fur at least, returning him back to his normal orange color that she loves so much.
"Feeling better?" She asks.
"Right as rain! Just like always."
If his voice still didn't sound congested, it might have been more believable.
"You're cute when you lie, but you should know by now that it doesn't work on me," she tells him, taking a step forward.
He falters, a flicker of surprise flashing through his gaze. He takes a small step back, maintaining the distance between them.
"You think I'm cute?" He asks with a small smile, choosing to focus on that part of what she said.
It almost makes her roll her eyes, despite the way it makes her face warm. Perhaps the fever he has is messing with his mind as well because he's usually not this excessive with his flirting.
It almost makes her dizzy. She doesn't remember the last time he's made her this flustered in one day.
Her small comment had slipped out without her realizing, and of course that was what he had latched onto, not her accusations.
"Fox," she says. "Don't lie to me."
Rosalina puts on the same firm tone of voice that she uses on her kids sometimes. She hates using that voice on him, as he isn't a child, but her worry trumps her aversion in this scenario.
"I'm not," he insists. "Everything's fine."
"Stop saying that."
It comes out as more of a plea and less of a demand than she intended. His ears fold down slightly at her tone, but he still doesn't admit the truth.
The small discussion draws the attention of the Lumas and they come floating closer in interest.
"Are you feeling better, Papa?" One asks, coming near Fox.
He cringes slightly at the question. Then he regains his composure, standing up a little straighter.
"I'm just fine. Always have been," he tells them with a casual shrug.
It seems the Luma is not too convinced, looking towards Rosalina for apparent clarification.
She says nothing, only narrowing her eyes at Fox a little more.
His eyes dart around at the kids surrounding him and then back to her.
She takes a small step forward and is glad he doesn't take one back like he did earlier.
"Just admit it," she says gently. "There's nothing wrong with it."
He only frowns uneasily, eyes firmly cast downward.
Then, in lieu of an answer, he suddenly grabs her hand and pulls her along as he walks away from the small huddle of Lumas.
"Fox!" She exclaims in surprise, but he doesn't stop or look back. It's not rough and his grip doesn't hurt, so she lets him. All she can do in her confusion and curiosity is allow him to lead her.
The Lumas behind them just watch in surprised confusion.
His walking leads them to the kitchen, where he kicks the door shut behind them and drops her hand.
"Sorry about that," he mumbles apologetically. He walks over to stand near the center island and leans back on it.
"It's alright, but why are we here?" She asks from where she remains by the door.
He scratches the back of his head. "I just didn't want the kids to see me like this. They look up to me, I don't want to let them down."
She tilts her head in understanding. "They won't think any less of you if you show them you're sick."
"I'm not sick," he says immediately, like a reflex.
At her unamused face, he folds his ears down in apology. Then, he finally relents.
"Okay, fine," he groans, like it costs him a lot to admit it. "I'm sick."
At his admission, the weight of his sickness seems to finally crash down on him, making him slump forward.
"What do you feel, exactly?" She asks.
"Hot, shaky, and my nose is clogged."
He wobbles where he is, as if he's unable to stand up on his own, despite him leaning on the island for support.
"It wasn't this bad earlier," he mumbles.
"Perhaps it's because you haven't rested," she scolds gently.
"I don't need to," he says with a small scoff.
He then pushes off from the island, trying to stand on his own. It proves almost impossible, as his legs immediately start to shake. He grabs at the counter again before he can stumble to the floor.
“Never mind, I think this is it for me, Rosa,” he wails softly.
She chuckles softly, walking over and putting her hands on his shoulders to support him. "You’re telling me the best pilot in two universes who was telling me just the other day about one of his daring escapades can’t survive a mere illness?”
“Yup,” he pops the p. She rolls her eyes playfully and hooks his arm around her shoulders and wraps her other arm around his waist.
“Whoa, touchy," he murmurs, giving her a lazy smile.
Still, he leans on her, letting her support his weight as she walks him over to a nearby chair on the other side of the island.
"I hate being sick," he grumbles as he drops his full weight onto the chair.
"I don't think anyone likes it, Fox," she chuckles.
He squeezes his eyes shut and rubs at his temples.
"Just magic me, Rosa. Please."
It's not like she didn't think of that before. It had been her only thought when she had realized he was sick in the first place. However, it doesn't seem like they will be able to go that route.
"Magic doesn't work like that, unfortunately," she says to him gently. She comes to sit in the chair next to him. "Besides, combining magic with someone's immune system could lead to unwanted side effects. And my magic isn't completely stable yet, so I don't want to accidentally hurt you. I'm afraid we'll have to fix this the old fashioned way."
He groans but leans his head on her shoulder.
She reaches up and places her hand on his forehead. He immediately relaxes at the contact.
“So cold,” he sighs in relief, pushing his head up into it.
They sit there like that for a moment, just letting her cool hands soothe him. This isn't going to cure him, though, and she knows she has to start using actual remedies.
"Do you want some tea?" She asks him, bringing her hand down.
"That sounds great."
She carefully moves his head off her shoulder, causing him to let out a small sound of protest.
"I have to get up to make it," she says with a gentle smile.
He sighs, "I know. I just forgot."
She gets up and starts putting the water to boil. As it does, she gets out the other necessary things, like the herbs she needs for his fever. She also gets out the honey and the lemon, which will help the tea go down easier.
When the water's done, she adds the herbs and waits for that to simmer. Soon, the herbal scent fills the room and she takes it off the heat.
She pours it into a cup and adds in a lot of honey, as it's the only way he likes to drink it. It's much sweeter than her taste, but it does help mask the overly herbal flavor.
When she turns around, he's slumped at the island, resting his head on the flat surface. He perks up at the sight of her setting the cup in front of him and sits up to drink it eagerly.
While he does so, she moves to clean up the supplies she used, washing the kettle and spoons and putting away the leftover herbs.
A small bit of magic helps return the dishes back to their proper places. Small spells like that don't tire her out like the bigger ones, and they're mostly all she can do these days.
Now that she's sufficiently finished cleaning, she turns back around to see him watching her with a soft expression on his face, his cup now sitting empty on the island.
He looks slightly better, if not a little sleepy.
"Do you want more?" She asks.
He shakes his head. "No, I think just one was fine. It tastes a little weird, anyway."
She smiles. "It's medicinal, those never taste good."
He smiles back at her a little but his gaze falls down to his lap. He fiddles with his gloves in thought.
"I didn't want you to take care of me," he mutters. "You already got a lot to do."
His words surprise her. He genuinely looks apologetic over this.
How absurd.
She walks over to him silently and takes his face in her hands. He wraps his own arms around her middle automatically, looking only slightly startled by her actions.
"You're my responsibility," she tells him gently. "As long as you're here on the Observatory, you're as much my priority as the Lumas. I don't mind taking care of you. It's what I do, anyway."
It's in her nature to care for and protect, so of course she's naturally inclined to take care of him the second he's hurt.
"Besides, I care about you. I don't like seeing you in pain."
He doesn't reply. But he doesn't really need to, not when he clings to her a little tighter. It's reply enough. She strokes his cheeks softly.
He's absolute putty under her hands, though that isn't out of the norm. His eyelids have drooped closed contentedly and she can see his tail wagging slightly, all he can muster in his current state.
She bends her head down slightly and presses a small kiss to his nose, unable to resist. He blinks his eyes open in surprise.
"You missed," he mumbles.
"You'll get the real thing only when you get better," she assures him.
He groans and leans his head forward on her chest.
"If you don't want more tea, maybe you should get some rest," she says.
"Maybe."
He lets her pull him up to his feet, leaning on her as she supports him. He feels hotter than he did earlier, despite the fact that he was looking a little better.
Though, the tea isn't an instant cure, she has to remind herself. It'll take more than that for him to feel better.
With a wave of her hand, the kitchen lights are turned off and she moves to open the door, letting the cool air of the outside hit their faces.
The air isn't the only thing that meets them when they exit.
It seems that in all the fuss earlier, they had both forgotten about the children, who are waiting outside.
They must surely be a sight, her arm around his waist and his arm over her shoulder to prop up his weight.
They freeze in the doorway, surprised at seeing all the Lumas staring.
"Are you okay?" One asks Fox.
"Never better!" He says quickly.
"Then why are you holding onto Mama?" Another asks.
She feels him tense under her, uncomfortable.
"What, can't I hug your mom?" He finally asks jokingly.
The Lumas narrow their eyes suspiciously and the two parties are caught in a small standoff.
"I guess!" One of the Lumas says after a moment.
That seems to reassure the others, who pull back a little.
It's then that another problem occurs to her: what to do with the children while she deals with Fox.
Rosalina hates leaving the Lumas alone for a long period of time, and she doesn't really know how long handling Fox and his illness will take.
She doesn't really want to leave them to their own devices for a while, but it's also nothing they haven't done before. They're not completely immature or incapable of not taking care of themselves for a little while.
So it appears it'll have to do.
She takes a deep breath.
"Kids," she says sweetly. "Your father and I are going to spend some time together for a little while. Would you all be okay on your own during that time?"
She tries to keep it as undefined and unspecific as she can, honoring Fox's wishes.
"Alone?" One of the Lumas asks.
"Like a date?" Another adds.
Fox snickers and Rosalina stops short at the question.
Outside of the names they refer to them as, the Lumas have never really commented on or acknowledged the little thing going on between her and Fox. She figures they must have caught on by now, but this is the first time she's heard them outright acknowledge it in some way.
"Yes, like a date," Fox answers for her. It's just as good, as she still hasn't quite regained her composure.
The kids exchange glances.
"Cute!"
Another one mutters, "Finally."
"Well, we gotta get going," Fox says, tugging her along slightly so they can start walking. "Now you kids be good!"
"Have fun!" They call after them, giving small salutes.
She smiles at the sight, though she almost laughs at the idea that putting Fox to bed so he can recover will be fun.
They're almost home free when Fox suddenly sneezes, loud and forceful, capturing the attention of all the children again.
He turns to look back at them, his eyes slightly wide.
"Guess I still got some sand stuck in me," he says quickly.
He holds onto her a little tighter and pushes her to walk a little faster away from them.
"Bless you," she says softly to him when they're a decent distance away.
"Thanks," he mumbles back.
They reach her bedroom with no other interruptions and she opens the door for them before he has the chance to.
In the privacy of her room–well, their shared one now, technically–he relaxes, letting himself sigh.
"It's hot," he complains, pulling away from her.
He bends down to remove his boots, kicking them to the side without much care. After he's done with that, he shrugs off his vest and tosses it aside onto a nearby chair.
She's about to help him with the rest, but he's removing them all carelessly and quickly, as if he can't get them all off of himself fast enough.
He tosses his shed layers on the floor around him and it's all she can do to avert her gaze as he does so.
"You can look, y'know," she hears him say. "I'm not taking everything off."
"I should hope not," she says, but turns back to him.
True to his word, he's down to just his white tank and his flightsuit has been shrugged down to his waist sloppily.
She's seen him in such a state several times, but it still never fails to make her a bit flustered.
Much like always, her gaze catches on his arms. They're surprisingly toned, a state achieved after years of physical labor and piloting. She wrenches her gaze away from them to meet his eyes.
On a normal day–or even earlier this very day–perhaps he would've teased her for staring, but right now he just looks tired and slightly bleary.
Or so she thought.
"I saw that, by the way," he says with a smirk.
"See what?" She asks in mock confusion.
"You know."
"No, I don't think so," she says slyly.
She walks past him over to the bed, focusing her mind on the task at hand. Perhaps using all the sheets and blankets won't help his fever, they may actually make it worse. She decides to take a couple of them off, folding them up and setting them elsewhere.
He moves to help her, but she quickly stops him.
"No," she says firmly, pushing him down to sit on the side of the bed. He frowns, but doesn't protest more than that.
When she's finished, she turns back to him. He's yawning widely, flashing his sharp teeth as he does so. His ears are more drooped than earlier, and he looks just about ready to fall asleep where he sits.
"Alright, now you can get some sleep," she tells him.
"Thanks," he says and climbs under the covers sluggishly. After a second however, he pulls them off quickly.
"Still too hot," he grumbles. Before she can come to take the blankets away, he sits up and gets out of bed.
He smooths them back into how they were before, and then climbs on top of them, content to just lay over them.
"Better?" She asks, coming closer.
"Kind of."
She hums, then places her hand on his forehead, gauging his current temperature. Much like earlier, he sighs softly at the contact.
"Some date this is," he mutters with a small laugh.
"You're the one who called it that in the first place," she smiles.
"I'll take you on a better one some day, I promise."
"I don't mind these types of dates."
"I know, but I want to take you on a better one. A nice one."
"When you're better, we can," she hums.
"Yeesh, Rosa. You act like I'm dying over here."
"You're the one acting like you are."
He chuckles slightly at that, reaching his hand up and resting it over hers on his forehead.
"By the way," he says. "Thanks, for everything. You really didn't have to."
"Of course I did. You know I don't mind doing it, especially when it's you. I care about you very much."
Words like that aren't often needed between them–actions are usually enough to help get the unspoken message across–so they aren't often shared. But, they seem appropriate right now.
He closes his eyes contentedly at her words with a small hum.
She gives his head a final sweep of her fingers and then retracts her hand. "I'll let you get some sleep."
"Nope," he mumbles, hand suddenly shooting out and catching her wrist before she can go far. He tugs her back. "You're staying right here."
She's touched by him wanting her to stay, but she's unsure if she should.
"I shouldn't, Fox," she says, gently pulling her wrist out of his grasp, which makes him frown. "What if I get sick, too?"
Them both being out of commission at the same time could be bad for the children. Even if her getting sick doesn't happen often, she doesn't know if chancing it now would be a good idea, even if it is tempting.
He's looking up at her with those captivating green eyes of his and she can feel her resolve crumbling. He probably doesn't intend for his gaze to be this disarming, but then again, he always knows just the right buttons to push when it comes to her.
It's like he's got her wrapped around his finger and he doesn't even realize it.
"Aren't you literally a goddess?" He asks. "I thought you couldn't get sick."
She laughs lightly at that. How little does he know.
Still, she doesn't tell him the truth. It'll be easier to lie to him when it happens to her if he doesn't know it's even a possibility.
"Besides, you're the coldest thing out here," he continues. "I don't think anything else would help me feel better."
"Thing?" She asks, gasping in mock offense.
"You know what I mean!" He corrects quickly.
She smiles despite herself. "Are you just saying that because you just want me to stay with you?"
"Can't it be both?" Fox gives her a smile. He reaches out to her again, not quite grabbing onto her hand, only brushing his fingers against her own lightly.
It says enough. It tells her he wants her to stay, but he's also giving her the chance to leave if she wants to.
She finds that she doesn't really want to go. She's worried about him and doesn't want to leave him alone. There's a risk that she's aware of, but it's hard to focus on that at the moment.
Rosalina decides to indulge him and his request. It goes against her better judgment, but perhaps it'll help him somehow. And if she eventually does get sick, then maybe he'll at least be better by then.
Besides, the kids think they're spending the rest of the day together anyway. That part is at least covered.
She just hopes she doesn't get sick and that he's feeling better by tomorrow. The kids don't need to be left alone for that long, either.
"Alright, I suppose I can stay," Rosalina says, finally giving in.
She can't really lay down in her current attire, so she summons her wand, waving it in a small circle. After the sparkles are gone, she's in her nightgown instead of her usual blue dress.
He shifts over a little to make room for her and she gets in next to him over the covers. It's a cold sleeping situation, but it's quickly amended by him instantly latching onto her, making himself comfortable.
Rosalina almost laughs at his antics, but knows it probably provides him some relief. Her skin has always been cold ever since she was young, and it's always caused her to feel cold herself almost all the time. It's the reason she has so many blankets in her bed in the first place.
Normally he’d release a shudder or a small yelp upon touching her skin, but this time it’s different. Instead, he’s almost relishing in it, trying to feel as much of it as he can.
His skin's hotter than normal, to an almost unsettling degree, but it's balanced out by her cool skin.
She'd never really liked the constant cold, but she's glad Fox seems to and that it's helping him in some way when he needs it.
"Don't you think an ice bath would serve the same purpose and may even be more helpful?" She asks.
"No way," his voice comes out muffled. "This is perfect."
He's using his whole body to cling to her, his arms and legs wrapped around her firmly while his face is buried in her neck.
She places her hands on the back of his neck and head, hoping that their natural temperature can help soothe him in a way.
"Besides," he mumbles. "An ice bath isn't this pretty."
A laugh escapes her even as her face warms at his words. She's pretty sure he can hear how her heart skips a beat too.
"Get some sleep, captain."
"Yes, ma'am," he says sleepily.
She continues scratching gently at the base of his ears until he eventually drifts off to sleep.