Work Text:
Being a gentleman is very important to Hershel Layton, and this includes strict rules about how to behave. He has to be polite and courteous to everyone he meets, tipping his hat, opening doors and helping people who come to him for assistance. And he must do it all with a well dressed appearance and a polite demeanour; this is what it means to be a gentleman.
However, there are often times when he struggles to stay his gentlemanly self in public, such as when exhausted or unwell. It becomes much more difficult to do everything, but Hershel must stay polite, helpful and well spoken; being a gentleman cannot simply be sidelined because of a personal weakness.
Still, when Hershel awakes to a sore throat and congested nose, he has to let out a groan. Being ill makes everything so much harder, and he knows his energy will rapidly deplete throughout his long lectures. But he cannot deny his students their lecture (they miss enough of his lectures when he goes off to solve mysteries with Luke), despite how ill he already feels.
After getting washed and dressed (more slowly than usual, his muscles aching), Hershel has a cup of tea (wincing when the hot liquid hurts his sore throat) and drives to work. His nose has started to run, and Hershel has to resort to vulgar sniffing whilst behind the wheel. It is only when he is in the privacy of his office that he allows himself to blow his nose.
Unsurprisingly, his lecture is difficult. Hershel will not allow himself to cough or blow his nose in front of his students, and has to resort to leaving the room and visiting the toilets to blow his nose and cough up the mucus clogging his lungs. Before he leaves the toilets, Hershel washes his face, straightens his hat and tries to suppress any signs he feels unwell. After all, a gentleman doesn’t complain.
His sore throat getting worse makes his lecture total agony, pain throbbing in his throat with every word. Hershel’s students start to look concerned, but, thankfully, none of them ask him what is wrong. After all, he would not lie to them, but also does not want to admit how he feels. So it works out better for no one to just suppress his symptoms.
After a day of slow, painful lectures, Hershel slumps at his desk in his office. Sitting slumped is not very gentlemanly, but he is alone right now. His throat burning, Hershel lets out a long suppressed sneeze that soon turns into a cough, and he groans.
“Professor?”
Hershel looks up to see Luke poking his head into the room. Did he cough so loudly he didn’t hear Luke knocking on the door?
Oh dear.
“Are you all right, professor?” Luke says, frowning with confusion. “That’s a really nasty cough.”
Hershel stands up, putting his tissue in the bin. “Hello, my boy. Yes, I do have a cough. I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
Luke smiles, stepping into the room. “Professor, even gentlemen can be ill. You need to cough. It doesn’t bother me. I just want you to feel better.”
Hershel smiles; Luke is such a caring young man. “Thank you.”
Although he suppresses another cough when he and Luke sit down to a pot of tea and a discussion of Luke’s day at school – but this time, more out of fear of infecting his young assistant rather than being ungentlemanly.