Archive of Our Own

Caleb digs his fingers into the pages of his book, huffing out a wet, pitiful breath. The pressure in his skull, right behind his eyes, and between his ears, has grown unbearable, leaving him to read and read and reread the same paragraph, unable to pull meaning from the words blurred across the page. Its intolerable, insufferable, like there’s no space in his head for the things that should fit in there so neatly. He can't focus, hasn't been able to focus since collapsing into bed yesterday with an itch in the back of his throat. Waking up this morning, choking on his own breath, Caleb has managed to shamble his way through most of the day clutching a dewy rag to his face. However, as the day has drawn on the hours have started to grind him down. And though he feels like shit, more so than usual, there are things that need doing. Classes that need attending, and papers that need writing for due dates that don't stop coming, and there is work to be done. The world does not stall its dizzying pace because one sad wizard has a head cold, and no one gets ahead in this world wasting time in bed. So Caleb has dragged his sluggish ass to the library because he shift still starts as four thirty.

Groaning, loud and horrible, Caleb pushes the heels of his palm against his eyes as hard as he dares, desperate to alleviate some of the pressure. A hand lands on his shoulder, and he snaps to attention. Jester is looking at him with worry in her big magenta eyes, thumb pressed into his shoulder firmly. He can see her mouth moving, he can hear her speaking and the words are clear and they’re all there and he feeling like he should know what she's saying but any meaning her words carry is hanging just out of his reach.

“ Was ?” he asks her, thickly.

“Oh Caleb” Jester mutters. Her mouth is fixed up in tight little line, not a look she wears often.

It's a slow, muddy processes to sort the common out in his brain, even slowly to translate it on his tongue.

“Ehh- I am sorry- you were - you were saying something?” he asks.

Jester smiles thinly at him. Releasing his arm, she reaches up as pushes some hair behind his ear. “Boy, you’re like, really out of it, hu?” she says.

Caleb shakes his head. “No, no, I am- I am alright. Just having some trouble focusing, that’s all.” he says.

“Caleb you’re sick.” Jester replies gently.

“Nein” Caleb says, curtly.

She sighs. “Your face is like, all swollen and gross and stuff Caleb, you’re like really, actually sick.”

Caleb grunts in the back of his throat, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, squeezing his eyes shut tight against the heaviness in his skull. “Well, you are a cleric, ja? Why don’t you do- ah- cleric things, then?’

Jester signs. “I can like, give you a little bit of pain relief, but not even the Traveler can cure a cold, I’m sorry Caleb.” she touches his elbow, and cool rush of energy washes over Caleb. The relief is instant. The back of his throat scratches less and the dull thud of a migraine at the base of his skull instantly dissipates. The congestion in his head remains, but is almost manageable now. He sighs, dropping his forehead to the centerfold of his book.

“Danke, Jester.” he mutters into the stale pages.

There’s a pause. Caleb can almost imagine Jester worrying her thumb between her teeth. “I’m calling Nott.” she says finally.
“ Nein- ” Caleb gropes blindly for her arm to stop her. “Nein, do not bother Nott with this, she is at work today, she does not need to be worrying about me. I am alright.”

“You are NOT alright Caleb.” Jester says. “You are all gross and flemmy and tired and I watched you stare at that same page for like basically twenty minutes basically, and that is NOT normal even a little bit.”

“Don’t call Nott.” Caleb says again, more adamantly.  

She already overly concerns herself with his well being, the last thing she needs is the stress him not feeling well will put on her. Especially when he’d worked so hard to hide it from her as he left this morning. No, calling Nott will not do.

Jester huffs. “Well at least go and lie down in the back so you don't die up here in front of everyone”

“I am not going to die.” he informs her stiffly, forehead still pressed resolutely to his book.

“Okay, but you sound like you’re dying.” Jester says. “Caleb if you don’t get up right now and go lie down in the back I’m going to assume that you can’t walk and then I am going to pick you up and carry you all the way back your apartment, and you know I can do it.”

Caleb sits up. “Alright.” he mumbles, pushing back from the counter. “Alright.” he clambers to his feet, digging fingers into his brow. “I will go lay down, but only for five minutes.” he tells her. Jester smiles sweetly up at him, flashing him a double thumbs up.

“Okay, or like- maybe take a nap or something. I promise I won’t tell Bryce you were sleeping on the job.”

Caleb grunts eloquently at her in response, before turning on his heel and shouldering his way into the back office. Once inside he collapses onto the lumpy sofa there against the far wall, not even bothering to shrug off his coat. He hits the old cushions face first, pressing his swollen face into the rough fabric. Five minutes , he tells himself, he will rest his eyes for five minutes to appease Jester, and then he will go back out there and keep reading his book, and maybe work on his analysis paper if he can make up the lost time. Five minutes.

He wakes up to voices, head foggy and limbs heavy with sleep. He cracks an eye open, watching Jester’s skirt swish around her knees as she paces, speaking hurriedly into her Stone of Farspeech.
“Okay, okay, well, I think that he’s still sleeping. -- Yah okay I’ll see you when you get here then. ByeIloveyouuuuu.”  she lets her hand fall, slipping her Stone back into her pocket.

Caleb pushes himself up onto his elbows with a grunt. “How long have I been sleeping?” he asks her, because he can tell it's been longer than five minutes, but his fuzzy mind can’t pinpoint the exact time.

“Oh!” Jester jumps. “Oh Caleb, you’re up! Umm- it’s been liiiike, maybe like twenty minutes, probably?”

Caleb groans, flopping back down on to sofa. “Gott, ja, wonderful. Is that Nott that you called, then?” he asks.

Jester shakes her head. “No, you said that she was busy. So I called Molly instead.” shes says in a small voice.

And instantly Caleb is vertical again. “You called Mollymauk ?!”

“Well- yeah” she says, defensively. “You basically passed out on the sofa, and I came back here to check on you and that didn’t wake you up. And you told me not to call Nott and Beau has class right now and I didn’t know who else to call that you actually listen to. Besides, I thought you’d, like, be happy to see your boyfriend.”

Caleb shakes his head vehemently. “Nein, Jester- you don’t understand. He is- he is worse than Nott he-”

Suddenly the door to the office fly's open, the bang of it hitting the wall rattles the shelves, and Mollymauk sweeps into the room, a storm of color.

“ ‘ I’m fine’ he tells me” Molly raves, advancing on Caleb’s pathetic form, still huddled on the couch. “ ‘I’m not sick, I feel perfectly healthy’ he says. ‘Don’t worry. Don't worry, liebling’ he says.”  he rants, coming to a stop before Caleb, hands firm on his hips.

Caleb offers him a small, shaky smile. “Ah- hallo Mollymauk,,,”

Molly pinches the bridge of his nose. “Honestly, Caleb.”

He folds his arm tightly over his chest, pulling himself up into as distinguished seated position as he can manage. “I am fine Molly, you did not have to come all the way out here for me.” he tells the tiefling.

“Dear your face is practically swollen.” Molly says.

“So I have been told.” Caleb mutters, brows furrowing His skin does feel unbearably tight.

“You two sound like an old married couple.” Jester pipes in from her perch up on the work table, legs neatly crossed one over the other.

Caleb shoots her a look, a look that says “you will stop that line of thinking right now, lest Mollymauk take it a milk it for all its worth”.  Jester merely flashes him a grin of cheap innocence, conveying to him that she knows exactly what buttons she’s pushing. Caleb sighs, in equal parts annoyance and because he has to get the air out of his headspace somehow and his nose is just so stuffed up.

“I told Jester not to call anyone.” he says finally, hanging his heavily head between his stiff shoulders.

“Well, not for the first time, I’m glad that she's doesn’t listen to you.” Molly replies, pausing a breath before he speaks again “I think it’s best if we get you off to bed, yeah?.”

“I am fine .” Caleb tells him firmly. “Bitte Mollymauk, I do not need to go anywhere, except back to work. Now, excuse me-” he makes to stand, but the damn congestion in his head. He staggers, pressing fingers hard under his eyes with what can only be described as a feral growl. “verdammt. ” he spits.

A long, lilith arm wraps carefully around his shoulders. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter Caleb.” Molly mutters near his ear. “Come on, you’re not getting anything done like this. There’s no point in making yourself more miserable than you already are.”

Caleb sucks in a breath, holds it for one, defiant moment, then deflates. He sighs, allowing Molly to take a bit more of his weight, and nods.

“Yes- fine, ja, you win I suppose.” he huffs out.

“Well, it was never about winning, but I’ll take it if you’re offering.” Molly says, amusement coloring his words. He pats Caleb between the shoulders, directing him towards the door. Caleb concedes, dragging his feet petulantly as Mollymauk shepherds him out. “

Jester dear, thank you for giving me a ring.” he continues, following a few steps behind, fingers lingering on the small of Caleb’s back.

“Oh! Of course!” she says sweetly. She catches Caleb gaze and offers him a softer, more pitying smile. “Sorry Caleb, feel better soon okay? Get lots and lots of sleep.”

He meets her gaze with a stony look, but only for a moment. Jester is only did what she thought was best. Besides, he lost this battle the moment Mollymauk arrived, it will do him no good too make her feel guilty. So he nods, mumbling out something  akin to a farewell.

“I’ll see to that, don’t you worry. Our wizard will be back on his feet by tomorrow.” Molly says. He  holds the door open for Caleb as they make their exit.

Molly pulls him out of the library, offering Caleb a hand down the stairs the Caleb accepts graciously as he’s beginning to feel unsteady on his feet. That, and he’s exhausted. He hadn’t been exhausted a moment ago. He shouldn’t feel exhausted because he’s just gotten up from a twenty minute nap. He should feel refreshed, instead, his whole body is heavy with a bone deep exhaustion that makes his limbs hurt. The short walk from the back room to the front of the library has taken it out of him and Caleb thinks it might be nice to just lay down in the dirt and expire. His grip around Molly’s arm tightens as he leans into the tiefling heavily.

They’ve barely cleared the last step before Mollymauk has hands on his shoulders, turning Caleb so that they’re looking at each other head on. Hands skim up and down his arms gently before coming up to cup under his jaw. Molly soothes thumbs over his cheeks and the touch is familiar and comforting, and surprisingly welcome considering how shitty he feels.

Mollymauk eyes are not just an endless void of swirling red as many would believe they are. Observation and proximity have revealed to Caleb, over some time, that there exists a circle of a pale pink amits the deep scarlet. Its faint and it barely noticeable unless you know what to look for, with no distinguishable pupil to speak of, but Caleb has spent enough time by now with Molly’s eyes on him to be able to locate the discoloration. It’s helped him greatly to pinpoint his gaze, which is currently skimming over his face, brows furrowed.

“If I drove, do you think you’d be able to hang onto me alright?” he asks after a moment.

Caleb consider this. He’s held onto Molly plenty of times when they’ve gone out on Molly’s bike. Caleb’s scooters is slower and it certainly has less kick, but the seat is also smaller, barely comfortable enough for a wizard and a little goblin girl, and right now he is too tired to even considers that as an option. He shakes his head. “Nein, I dont- I do not think that is a very good idea.” better safe than smeared across the roadway after all. “And I ahhh- I do not want Not to- I do not want to worry Nott with- this.” he makes a vague gesture towards his whole shaky, dippy self.

Molly nods in agreement. “Yasha’s it is then.”

He loops an arm around Caleb’s back and steers them in the direction of the Pillow Trove dorms. Caleb presses into his side because walking is a chore right now and every step brings with in an ache that he can feel all the way in his fingers. Miserably, he wraps his own arm around Molly’s waist and allows himself to be lead.

“I thought that Yasha was away at the moment. On ehe- study abroad?”

Mollymauk nods. “Lucky for you she gave me a key. And her roommate goes home for the weekend, so we’ve got free rein of the place, so long as I don’t make too big of a mess.” Caleb feels Molly’s tail wrap briefly around his ankle. “Caleb, you have to let people care for you.” he says, softer this time.

“I am letting you take care of me right now.” He points out, bring his free hand up to pat Molly reassuringly on the chest.

Beside him, Molly sighs, tightening his hold on him “Baby steps, I suppose.”

Caleb has never been in Yasha’s dorm before, but he is instantly jealous upon Molly unlocking the door and letting him inside. It’s nicer than his apartment, with a fully functioning kitchenette and a big, plush looking sofa. Brown planter pots bursting with an odd variety of flowers cover the window sills. Its homey and quaint and, if he could smell, hd images it would smell like a garden, like damp earth and pungent vegetation.

“Right-” Mollymauk gives him a little shove from behind. “You. In the shower.And don’t give me that look, this has nothing to how you smell. The steam and the hot water will help. So, get on with it.” he pushes Caleb again. “Bathroom’s that one over there. Feel free to use whatever soap you like.”

He keeps nudging Caleb along until he’s got a hand on the doorknob. Caleb glances at him over his shoulder.

“And what will you be doing?” he asks.
Molly waves a flippant hand through the air. “That’s none of your concern. Now get in there and soak. You’re good to stand on your own, yeah?”

Actually standing for length of time sound like absolute torture and he’d much rather collapses onto the very comfortable looking sofa over there and sleep for a month. He nods regardless.

“Ja, I’m fine.”

Molly scans him over once before giving him a curt nod. “Good. Get on with it then. And shout if you need anything.”

So Caleb pushes his way into the bathroom, which is also much nicer than his own, and though his body aches and his face still feels swollen and  awful, he manages to strip down and get the water on. Stepping under the hot spray is far better than he could have imagined. He rolls his head back and lets the water wash away a bit of the full body achyness that’s been clinging to him since he rolled out of bed this morning. The steam makes his head feel clearer too, if only marginally so. It does help, a little.

He stands under the showerhead for a good ten minutes, forehead pressed against the cool tile wall to alleviate some of the presser in his skull.  Eventually the heat adds to the exhaustion sitting heavy in his bones and his eyelids start to droop. Caleb rinses off quickly and steps out of the shower, only now to realise that he doesn’t have a change of clothes. He could just put his other clothes back on, but wrestling a pair of jeans up his damp legs sounds like a chore he’s not willing to undertake at this moment. Instead, he grabs a towel off the wrack, wraps it around his waist, and pokes his head out of the bathroom.

“Eeh- Mollymauk?”

Molly looks up from whatever it is he’s doing in the kitchen to meet his gaze.

“Done already?’

Caleb nods, pushing dripping bangs out of his eyes. “Ja ja, I was wondering if there was something I could borrow to-uuh wear please.”

The tiefling wipes his hands off on flowing, patterned pants. “Think I might have left something here you could use. Give me a moment.” and he strides over to another door and disappears inside.

Caleb ducks back into the bathroom to pull on his boxers. By the time he’s stuck his head back out, Mollymauk is waiting for him with a bundle of clothes in hand. He thrusts them into Caleb’s arms

“Not exactly your style, but I’m sure you can make do.” he says with a grin.

“Right yes, ah- danke Molly.”

Despite the teasing, there not that terrible. Worn cyan harem pants with an awkward hole in the rear that he imagines a tail would fit through if he had one. The shirt is loose and linen and a little long on him. They’re functional though, even if they’re not a cut that Caleb would choose for himself. He’ll make do. It's not like he’s going anywhere. He exits the bathroom, tugging the back of the shirt down as he goes.

When he steps out this time Mollymauk is bustling around the couch, arranging things on the coffee table. Caleb takes a few shuffling steps forward and at the sound Molly turns. He grins, expression soften in that fond way that it does when he’s not putting on airs, and Caleb thinks spies a faint magenta blush high in his cheeks. He sets a steaming mug down on the table before coming around to meet Caleb. His hands don't hesitate to smooth over his shoulders.

“Hey-” one hand comes up to push damp hair behind Caleb’s ear.

Caleb leans into it, enjoying the little circles the tiefling’s thumbs are pushing into his skin. He’s exhausted and achy and congested and for some reason the touch is helping, so he closes his eyes and lets Molly preen over him for a moment. Lips press against his forehead and he sighs, blinking up at Molly.

“Feeling any better?” Molly asks. His hands fall away, replaced moments later with an arm wrapped around Caleb shoulders. He leads him over to the couch.

Caleb drops onto the cushions like a stone. “A bit.” if nothing else he feels clean, which is nice in its own right.

“Still congested?”

Caleb rubs a hand over his face. “Ja-” he peeks around Molly at the coffee table. “Ehhu- what have you got there, Schatz?”

Mischief works it way back into Molly's features as a new grin pulls over his face. “Emergency ‘ sick wizard care kit’. ” reaching down into what Celeb can only describe as a pile, he snatchs up a blue jar of something and unscrews the lid. Molly makes a face, nose scrunch up in a look of disgust that Caleb feels does not bode well. He dips two fingers inside, pulling out a glob of opaque, grayish-while salve, which he brings up to his nose and sniffs. He coughs.

Caleb eyes the slave wearily. “What is that?”

“Not really sure, but Nila swears it's some sort of cure all. Smells god awful.” Molly says.

“Does it?” Caleb can’t smell anything.

Molly seems startled by that. “Could you really not smell it when I took the lid off. Just holding it this close is making my eyes water.”

Caleb shakes his head. “Nein, no, I cannot smell anything.”

“Hu-” Molly offers him the jar and Caleb takes it. Holding it a couple of inches away from his face he tries to get a whiff of it. His nose makes a disgusting noise as he tries to breath through it and some mucus runs down the back of his throat which makes him feel queasy, but he still can’t smell anything. He brings closer, holding up to his face. Still nothing. He puts the jar right under his nose and takes another big whiff.

Caleb’s eye start to water a sudden wave of pungent, medicinal smelling herbs overwhelm his senses. He blinks rapidly as the weird, sharp smell of the salve cuts through his congestion and stabs directly up into his brain.

“Ja-” he coughs, suddenly feeling much more awake. “Ja- I can smell it now, scheisse that’s horrible.” he hands the jar back to Molly.
“The fact that you basically had to huff it is- concerning.” Molly says. He eyes the salve still coating his fingers. Then, slowly, start moving his hand towards his mouth.

“Don’t lick it!”

Molly drops his hand and rolls his eyes. “You’ve got no sense of adventure.”

Caleb runs both of his hands down his face. “I do not think eating it is what you are suppose to do that.” a pause. “-what are you supposed to do with that.” he sincerely hopes it's not meant to be eaten.

“I think you’re supposed to rub it on your chest.” Molly says.
“Oh” he eyes the strange, viscous salve coating Molly's fingers with a look of distrust. “No thank you.”

Molly balks at him. “What do you mean ‘no thank you’ ? I didn’t nearly suffocate on this shite for my health. Now pull your shirt down.”

Jar in one hand and fingers posed at the  ready, he starts advancing on Caleb. Shaky and shivery as he is, Caleb still pushes himself towards the other end of the sofa.

“Nein, Mollymauk, no, I do not want that on me.” he says. Even if he can’t really smell it, the salve looks thick and viscous and awful and doesn’t want to imagine what it would feel like smeared across the skin and hair on his chest. He tucks his knees up to his chin like a defiant child.

Molly sets the jar down on the table so he can clamber up onto the couch with Caleb. His free hand tugs his legs back down, the other held aloft over his head to avoid getting any of the terrible salve on the fabric.

“It’ll help with the congestion.” Molly says, forcefully. He ambles his way over Caleb legs and set himself down in his lap.

Caleb leans as far back against the armrest as he can. “I think I would rather the congestion.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic.” Molly’s fingers go to hook the collar of the shirt, but Caleb slaps his hand away.

There’s a long moment where Molly simply stares at him, silent and shocked. Then he pounces, descending on Caleb, trying to wrestle his flailing arms out of the way. He bears over Caleb, pinning his wrist to the arm of the couch with one hand while the other darts down to try and smear salve across any bit of skin he can reach. Caleb pushes him back by the shoulder with his free hand.

“I’m trying to help you here, dear.” Molly says, strained through gritted teeth.

“And I am telling you that I do not need it.” Caleb pants back.

Molly pushes down into him until the last of Caleb’s strength is sapped away. The tension drops from his arms and he goes limp against the cushions.

“You are a menace.” Caleb says, head lolled back over the side of the couch as he no longer has the strength or will to hold it up. “This is how you treat the sick, Mollymauk? You would do this to your own boyfriend, too weak with illness to defend myself?”

He feels Molly tug down the front of his shirt and shivers as the cold, thick salve is rubs over his chest. It burns and tingles and shoots a wave of goosebumps down his arm, clumping unpleasantly in his chest hair.

Blegghg

“Ah- your fine.” Molly says, pressing a kiss to Caleb’s forehead before clambering off of him. He wipes the remainder of the salve off on his pant leg. “And as your reward for that harrowing experience-”

Caleb pushes himself upright and Molly presses a warm mug of something steaming into his hands. The mug is nothing special, but it’s wrapped in a little purple tea cozy that Caleb had watch Molly help Jester knit not too long ago. The memory brings a small, affectionate smile to his lips. He sniffs it, but it all he gets is the heat from the steam rising off of it.

“It’s tea-” Molly says, taking pity on him. “Lemon and honey.”

“Ahh” Caleb nods, bringing the mug up to his lips. “Thank you.”

“Course- you how much I love taking care of the infirmed.” Molly says. He settles himself on his haunches next to the couch, resting his chin on his folded arms and gazes up at Caleb with all the innocence of a very pleased looking cat.

Caleb rolls his eyes and opts to say nothing about that. He takes deep swig from his mug instead. It's warm and a bitter despite the hint of honey, and it sooths his poor through on the way down. He sighs deeply into the cup. For the first time today, he's actually starting to feel a bit better. He takes a few more comforting sips, his eyes falling shut as he lets the temporary relief wash over him. Molly was right, as Caleb finds he often is about these sorts of things, this is much better than being miserable on a lumpy sofa in the library.

Fingers brush lightly across his arm. He cracks an eye open so he can peer down at his boyfriend. Molly is watching him, cheek leaned against his arm and fingertips gently stroking up and down Caleb’s arm. His whole face is soft, those endless eyes stare up at him pityingly, glowing warm red, a worried cress between his brows. Caleb reaches out and sooth his thumb over it, before settling his hand against the side of Mollymauk’s face.

“Why are you looking at me like that Schatz?” he asks, thumb absently stroking over the high arch of his cheek.

Molly leans into the touch, eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment. “Cause you don’t feel well.” come his murmured response.

Caleb can feel his heart go soft at the little confession. He sweeps the pad of his thumb over Molly’s skin again. “Oh, Liebing. I did not mean to make you worry.”

Molly shrugs. “It’s nothing to do with you dear, I would’ve worried anyway. One of us has too.” he turns his head and presses a kiss to the inside of Caleb’s wrist. Caleb lets his hand fall away, bringing it back up to worry the tea cozy “Is there anything I can get you, dear?”

Caleb rolls the mug over and over in his hands a few times. “If you could get me my book, umm- out of my bag actually,,,,”

Molly give him a look. “You’re supposed to be resting. Cleric’s orders and all that. We wouldn’t want Jester to have to come here now would we? Because lovely as that girl is, she not going to be nearly as nice a nursemaid as I am.”

“I am resting.” he insisted, gesturing down at himself. “Look, I am sitting, I’ve got my feet up. I am drinking tea. I’m resting.” It’s a dirty, underhanded move, but Caleb flashes his big blue eyes at Molly in a way that he knows for a fact makes the other man weak in the knees. He would not get nearly as much studying done during finals week if he’d not perfected the ‘helpless stray’ look. Mollymauk is soft for it.

It works like a charm. Molly gets an eyeful of ‘ sad Caleb face’ and he sighs, butting his forehead against Caleb shoulder. “Alright, alright. I should know better then to keep a wizard from his books.” he stands, drops a kiss to the crown of Caleb head, then moves to rummage through his bag. Caleb settles back against the arm of the couch and sips his tea, hiding his satisfied smile behind the mug.

When Molly returns with book in hand he’s also carrying a blanket, which he throws over Caleb’s knees. He exchanges Caleb’s half empty mug for the book, then he reaches up and pulls off his shirt. Caleb mets the action with a questioning brow.

“If you’re going to read, I’m going to take advantage of this blessedly peaceful moment and take a nap.” he says, tossing the shirt to the wayside. He raises a brow of his own. “I trust that won’t be an issue?”

Caleb tugs at his bread, biting back a small smile. “No, you ah- you will hear no complaints from me.”

“Excellent.” and Molly clambers up onto the couch, settling in against Caleb side with his head press against his chest, mindful not to gore Caleb as he gets comfortable. He throws arm across Caleb chest and leans his cheek up into his shoulder with a contented little sigh, eyes immediately falling shut.

Caleb huffs out a chuckle. Balancing his book in one hand, he beings carding the fingers of the other through Mollymauk’s mop of plum colored curls, smoothing them back from his forehead between his horns. The sighs turn into a rumble low in Molly’s chest and after a moment of brushing and petting Caleb finds himself with a lapful of purring lavender tiefling. He doesn’t try to hide his fond smile this time. He scratches his nails lightly across Molly’s scalp and watches the lazy way his tail flickers back and forth.

It's comforting, Mollymauk’s weight against his legs, his breath and his heartbeat against Caleb’s own chest. He still feels dreadful, his skin feels to tight and his head is heavy with congestion and the back of his throat itches but at least he’s content. He has a book in his hand and his boyfriend dozing in his lap. Things could certainly be worse. He turns his attention back to his book, summoning up a mage hand to turn the pages so he can continue to stroke Molly’s hair while he sleeps. Perhaps in a little while he’ll join him, but for now he thinks he’s like to enjoy a good book and good company, and the knowledge that he is cared for and loved.