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Gellert woke up to the sun peeking in his window, and right on his face. He groaned softly, pulling his blanket over his head, wanting nothing to do with being up yet. He and Albus had a date night, and it had run a little late. Some nights, they'd just decide to have a sleepover and Gellert would stay with his boyfriend, but it had been happening frequently, so he decided to stay at his aunt's. They had talked about the idea of Gellert just moving in for the year they were going to be staying in Godric's Hollow, but Albus didn't want to make Gellert deal with Ariana for longer than he needed to... the girl would wake in the middle of the night screaming, sometimes. And if there was one thing Gellert hated more than anything, it was being woken up.
Which was why the sun beaming right into his eyes, waking him from pleasant sleep and dreams of beautiful blue eyes put him in a bit of a sour mood. He tried adjusting his curtain, adjusting his position, or just burying under the covers more, but nothing would allow him to get back to sleep. He let out a sigh of defeat, pushing himself out of bed and wandered down the stairs. Tea and breakfast always made him feel better, and he knew it was far too early for Albus to be awake yet anyways. He cooked himself breakfast, made tea, and found a book to keep him company. While it hadn't been a good way to wake up, he was grateful for it after his mood lightened, happy to have a bit of time to himself - he loved Albus' company, and in a perfect world, they would live together, but everyone needed their alone time. Living in a house with his aunt usually made that impossible... he was with Albus most of the day, and then he'd come home and Bathilda wanted his attention until he went off to sleep.
As it reached the time he thought it'd be safe to assume his boyfriend was up, he got changed into warm clothes and slipped out before his crazy aunt could capture him. The Dumbledore house was only a few doors down from the Bagshot house, and there were signs of life inside, which made him feel more comfortable about knocking on the door. When they first started their friendship, they'd only see each other if they made plans at the end of one meeting, or by owl; now the two happily came over whenever they desired, and it was known they were going to spend their day together. Other things rarely ever took them away, and if Albus was dealing with Ariana having a bad day, Gellert was always welcome to spend time at the house anyway. Albus had saved him from Bathilda's ramblings more than once as well, coming over when Gellert didn't and requesting his company. He joked that those were the times he loved his significant other most.
It took a few moments, and he heard rustling around behind the door before it opened. Albus was standing there, wrapped in a blanket and he looked horrible. Most of his face was pale, apart from his bright red nose that nearly matched his hair. He looked exhausted, and completely not like his usual bright self.
"Oh, Liebster..." Gellert murmured, stepping over the threshold to cup his cheek, stroking along it gently. "I knew we shouldn't have stayed out so late last night," he commented, closing the door behind him, not wanting to let the icy air of winter get into the house more. He knew Albus got sick when it was cold, and despite sitting by a fire, they were still out longer than they should have been. Albus had insisted he'd be fine though, and Gellert knew now he should have pushed.
The ill boy gave a weak smile, trying to reassure his lover that he was fine. "I don't regret staying out late. It was worth it," he told him. "And besides, it looks worse than it is. It's just a head cold. I'll be fine."
Gellert wasn't soothed by this though. He reached up to rest the back of his fingers against his forehead, relieved to feel there wasn't an excess amount of heat. His fingers moved to run through the copper locks, brows knitted together in worry. "You should rest," he told him, needing to do whatever he could to make his boyfriend better. "Take it easy today, lay in bed or on the couch... I'll start a fire, I'll brew you some medicine, and make you some soup." Albus smiled, taking a pause before he could respond to sneeze. "And tissues," Gellert added. He may have been the younger one of the two, but today he was going to be the responsible one.
"It's really sweet you want to take care of me, Gel, but it's not necessary. Like I said, I'll be fine. I'm sure there are far more interesting things you'd rather do than take care of your sick boyfriend," he protested. He already felt bad about the times his significant other had to be around for Ariana's episodes, there was no need to make him deal with him when he was sick.
Gellert was having none of it though, shaking his head and guided Albus toward the plush couch. Ideally, he would have put him in his bedroom, but he still refused to move into his parent's old room, which was the only bedroom in the house with a fireplace. So the couch it would be. It was a comfortable enough couch, and with pillows and blankets, he was sure he'd be fine. "I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else, knowing you're here, sick and feeling miserable," he said, summoning some fluffy pillows, and placed them down, patting them.
Albus sat, not yet laying down, as he looked at Gellert. "I'll be fine, really. You don't have to worry about me," he tried insisting. He was so used to being the adult, the one who had to be responsible and had to put other people before himself. He didn't want to inconvenience Gellet and make him feel like he needed to babysit him.
"Al, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I'm taking care of you. You take care of everyone else all the time, let someone else care for you while you're ill," he responded, giving the redhead a gentle push to coax him into laying down. He finally caved in and laid down again the pillows, shifting his blanket so it was laying over him, rather than wrapped around him. The blond went over to the fireplace, putting in a few more logs before getting out his wand, murmuring "incendio." The logs lit on fire, and the room immediately started to warm.
"What if Ariana needs me?" Albus pointed out, despite him giving into the idea of being taken care of. It really was sweet, and it didn't seem like Gellert minded. But, Aberforth hadn't come back for winter holiday yet, and Ariana still needed someone to care for her.
Gellert gave him a small smile, going back over to stroke his hair out of his face, and caressed his cheek. "I think I've spent enough time with you to know how to handle her for the day. I'll make the both of you some tea, and when I take it to her, I'll let her know if she needs anything to come to me," he told him. He and Ariana weren't close by any means, but they were closer than he was with Aberforth, and he assumed they were comfortable enough that she'd come to him if she needed something. "Rest, my love. Let your body heal itself. I'll be back in a few minutes with tea and medicine," he said, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. The red pigment spread from his nose, giving his cheeks a pink tint as he blushed, before closing his eyes.
He moved into the kitchen, working simultaneously on making a few cups of tea, as well as a potion his mother used to make him when he'd get sick. It wouldn't cure him of his cold, but it would speed up the process of healing, and take the edge off. The potion had to sit for a few minutes, and he took one cup of tea up to Ariana's room, knocking on her door.
The young girl answered the door and offered him a small smile as she realized who it was. "Oh, hello Gellert," she said.
"I made you a cup of tea," he said, offering her the cup. Again, he'd spent enough time at the household to know how it functioned. He knew how Albus and Ariana liked their tea and even could do well enough to make one for Aberforth if needed.
"Thank you, that was very kind of you," she said, taking it, and took a sip. He always knew how to make a good cup, and it was much welcome on a cold winter morning.
He gave a nod. "Listen, Albus isn't feeling great--" he started.
Ariana's eyes went wide. "What's wrong with him? Is he sick? Is he hurt? Should I go to him? Is he going to die?" she babbled on, showing just how unstable she was at times.
He reached over to rest a comforting hand on her arm in hopes to calm her. "He's fine, it's just a cold. I'm going to take care of him and get him all better. But he needs his rest, so if you need anything, anything at all, come to me, okay?" he kept his eye on her, making sure she wasn't going to have a breakdown or anything.
She took a few breaths, before nodding a little frantically. "Okay. Okay. Okay. Just a cold, it's just a cold. He's fine, he'll be fine," she repeated to herself. "Come to Gellert, not Albus, let Albus rest. Albus needs his rest," she told herself. She started to settle, looking back up into mismatched eyes. "I'll come to you if I need anything," she confirmed.
Gellert gave a strained smile and nodded, before heading back downstairs. He put the potion in a small container since he'd made a few doses. It was supposed to be taken every few hours. With a wave of his wand, the container, a few spoons, and their teacups floated with him into the living room. He gently touched Albus' hair to alert him of his presence. "Here, darling. Take a bit of medicine. You'll want to wash it down with the tea," he told him.
Albus slowly opened his eyes, feeling so exhausted, but knowing he needed to take the medicine. He pushed himself into a propped up position and watched as the magic poured a perfect teaspoon of medicine, coming over to him. He seized the spoon and the teacup, drinking down the potion first. He coughed a bit, repulsed by the awful flavour, and took a long sip of his tea. "Why can't medicine ever taste decent?" he muttered miserably.
Gellert laughed softly, placing the bottle on the table and took the spoon from Albus. He grabbed the tissues from a nearby table, moving them closer so Albus would have easy access to them if he needed them. "Do you want soup now, or do you want to nap for a bit?" he asked, reaching over to stroke along his boyfriend's arm. He knew it was just a cold, and it would go away on its own in a matter of days, less with all the stuff Gellert was doing to help him feel better, but he still couldn't help his worry and how protective he was.
"I think I want to nap right now," Albus murmured, eyelids already getting heavy again. He shifted into a comfortable position, giving Gellert's hand a squeeze, before curling up under the covers. "You really don't have to stay if you don't want, I'll be fine on my own," he mumbled, barely able to stay awake to talk.
"I'll be right here when you wake up. If I'm not in the living room, I'll be in the kitchen. Say my name and I'll be here," he promised, fingers coming up to caress his long locks, which he was sure wasn't helping with the sleepiness.
"Mmkay. Love you..." it was as if he was drifting off as he spoke, and right after, he was out cold.
"I love you too," he said, out of habit. Watching to make sure he was sleeping peacefully for a few moments, Gellert decided to make the soup anyway. He could take his time, making sure everything was perfect and made a bigger batch. He enjoyed cooking, and it gave him something to focus on, other than his sick boyfriend. It relaxed him as well and made the time go quickly. He left it over the gentle heat so it'd be ready whenever Albus woke up.
Albus slept a few hours, and through that time, Gellert switched off between reading to pass the time and taking care of Ariana. She wasn't overly high maintenance, just making her food or tea when she requested it. Every now and then, Albus would wake for a few minutes to have a coughing fit or sneezing fit, and Gellert would come to make sure he didn't need anything, but once his body settled, he was back asleep.
It was times like these that Gellert wished he could draw. While he was sick, Albus looked peaceful and adorable in his sleep, and he would have loved to put that image on paper; but no matter how many times he tried, he never got any better at it. It just wasn't something he could learn.
Albus slowly opened his eyes after a few more hours of restful sleep, luckily this time without interruptions from his body needing to cough or sleep. He still didn't feel great but the medicine had definitely helped cut down some of the miserable feelings. He noticed Gellert had opted to sit in front of the couch, rather than in a chair, back pressed against one of the single chairs. His hand rested over Albus' blanket covered arm, and his eyes were focused on the book he was reading. "I won't die if you sit in a chair or on the loveseat, Gel," he croaked out, his throat dry.
Gellert's two-tone eyes flickered up to meet his blue ones. "I know. I have sometimes, but I like being here too," he answered, putting a mark in his book and set it aside. The gentle touch soothed him, and he hoped gave Albus a sense he had someone there who cared about him. "Do you want soup now?" he asked since Albus seemed a little more awake than the previous times he'd briefly woken up.
At the mention of soup, Albus' stomach gave a sound that showed it had a mind of its own. "Yes, please. That sounds lovely right now," he said. "And a cup of tea, if you don't mind?" he requested.
He nodded and got up, giving his boyfriend a kiss on his cheek before going into the kitchen. He spooned out a bowl of the soup, and made them both another cup of tea, before bringing it back to him. "You should take some more medicine while you're up," he suggested, giving Albus the bowl and cup. He grabbed the bottle and poured a teaspoon himself, holding it to Albus' lips, who reluctantly choked it down. As with last time, he quickly chased it down with some tea.
Albus propped himself up, mixing between drinking tea and eating the soup. "I've told you before, but you're a wonderful cook, Gellert," he complimented.
Gellert gave him a smile, having opted to sit in the chair near the couch to appease him. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it," he said.
"Have I missed anything interesting while I was out? You're not too bored, are you? Ari isn't being a handful?" he asked around another bite of soup.
Gellert shook his head. "There's nothing I can't do here that I wouldn't do at Aunt Batty's on a day without you. Ariana has been fine, she just had dinner not long ago. I've just been reading or playing games to pass the time," he assured him with a smile, sipping his own tea.
"I'm glad to hear she's not giving you any trouble," he answered, finishing off his bowl and tea around the same time, setting them on the coffee table to be dealt with later.
"Have you had enough? Or do you want another bowl or cup?" Gellert offered, being as attentive as ever.
Albus couldn't help the small chuckle that came out of his lips at how mom-like Gellert was proving to be. Of course, his mind decided to think about the idea of them somehow having kids together one day, and how great of a parent the blond would be, making him flush more. "I'm okay. Despite sleeping all night and day, I'm still tired though. I think with a mix of the comfortable warmth in contrast to a cold day, and not feeling well just has me completely depleted of energy," he said.
He nodded, understanding what he meant. "Well, you're supposed to rest as much as you can. I wrote a note to Aunt Bathilda that I'd be here a while since you were sick, and assured her I had everything under control so she didn't come rushing over here herself. I'm fine going back to my book," he told him.
"Well... can I make one more request before I go back to sleep?" he asked his boyfriend, hopeful eyes on him.
"Of course, anything," Gellert responded immediately, not needing to think about it.
That fact alone made Albus smile. "I don't want to get you sick, but you seem to don't mind close proximity anyway... will you lay with me?" he asked. They had sleepovers and slept in the same bed multiple times, and the couch was big enough it could fit the two slim boys.
"Of course," he repeated, getting up to come over. Albus shifted in a way to make room for him, and Gellert laid down, wrapping his arms around his love, who curled up close to him. He moved his fingers through the bright hair, hoping to soothe him. "Go back to sleep. I'll be here when you wake," he murmured, kissing his head for the hundredth time that day. He missed kissing his lips but knew without trying that Albus would refuse him that while he was sick. Soon Albus was out again, and even Gellert opted to take a nap since he'd woken early that morning.
Gellert spent the night with him, continuing to get anything the sick boy needed throughout the night. For once, he didn't mind when he was woken up, because it was for Albus. It wasn't a frequent thing, and they mostly slept through the night together. Between his assistance and medicine, Albus was feeling much better when they woke up the next morning.
"Thank you for being a wonderful nurse to me," Albus murmured, the two of them still cuddled up, having moved to his bed and just buried under a few blankets. While the fire had been a nice feeling, his bed was more comfortable for the both of them, and there was plenty of body heat to keep him warm.
"Anything for you, mein Liebster," Gellert answered with a smile, ducking down to steal a brief kiss, happy to have the feeling back. He could see what little colour the boy normally had returning to his cheeks, and he less resembled the muggle story of Rudolf the Reindeer. "I love you, Albus."
His cheeks turned a little pink, no matter how many times he heard it, it was always a magical feeling. "I love you too, Gellert."