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SNAP!
The sound made him open his eyes from his agitated sleep.
In front of him, Josuke was holding his flip phone.
“What?” he asked, hoarsely.
“It’s a sight you don’t see very often, it made me want to take a pic.”
He tried to squint at the younger but got sidetracked when he finally felt something squished against his cheek.
“What’s this?”
“Miffy-chan.”
His head was heavy and his eyes felt like they were burning.
“Why there’s a Miffy plushie with me?”
“You looked lonely, so I put Miffy-chan to cuddle with you since I can’t.”
It still didn’t explain where on earth Josuke got the Miffy plushie but he decided to not ask for the time being. It was kind of hard to think at the moment.
He felt something cold being put on his forehead. Beside the initial shock it felt very refreshing against his hot skin.
“Can’t believe there’s no cooling pad in this big ass house of yours, had to run to Owson to buy some. Let’s see if we can low this fever...” Josuke’s voice started to sound distant. It felt like something was covering his ears. It was like he was under water.
Ah.
Right.
He got a cold.
“Stop groaning, I’ll stay with you until you get better.” Josuke said, tucking the man on the couch, Miffy-chan once again hugging his face. “Bet you didn’t even eat today.” the man shook his head. It was so pitiful Josuke took another photo. “I’ll go to Kameyu to buy dinner. Do you want anything in particular?”
He sneezed.
“Katsudon.” he said, nose running.
“How cute. It’s okayu for you, sensei.” saying that Josuke was gone, leaving Rohan with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling, taking some short naps from time to time.
It had been a while since he got sick. Maybe it was because he overworked that week. Maybe because he neglected some nights of sleep. Maybe it was because he fell into a rice paddy on a rainy autumn day while he was chasing after a fox he was trying to draw and didn’t dry himself properly afterwards. Maybe it was everything together, but whatever, it wasn’t his fault. He just got a little careless.
He didn’t know how much time passed when he heard the other’s voice again. It was already dark but at least he felt a little better.
“But really, didn’t you have a better day to get sick, sensei? Why did it have to be on Friday? Josuke-kun had so much plans for this weekend.” Josuke was back, a tray with a bowl of rice porridge, medicine and a cup of water for the older on his hands and a plastic bag dangling from his wrist.
“What with the bag?” he asked, throat sore, sitting and accepting the tray with food while the younger put the rabbit plushie in a secure place on the couch. “Beer and pudding?”
“Yeah, those are mine. You gotta eat your food and get better while I’ll drink and listen to A-ha until I get wasted.” he said showing his boombox.
“You’ll get fat.” he made a pause and corrected himself. “Fatter.”
“Like this is an issue for you.” he retorted, opening one pudding cup, while the older only smirked. “Unfortunately for you, Kishibe Rohan, all I have is muscles. In two or three days I lose any weight I gain.”
“Sure, sure, you do. Didn’t know you had an A-ha CD though.”
“Have now. Okuyasu gave me. Said it was really hard to do anything while listening to it because of all the tears.”
Rohan frowned but didn’t say a word, choosing to take the spoon to his mouth.
“How is it?”
He couldn’t taste the porridge. Either Josuke didn’t put any spice or the cold had got him good.
“Feels like I’m eating papier-mâché.”
“Coming from you I'll take it as true.” Josuke shrugged, sitting on the floor. He finished his first pudding and opened a can of beer. “Well, time to start my solitary Friday night project of giving myself a nasty hangover tomorrow noon.”
“Don’t you have class tomorrow?”
“Sheesh, Rohan, I’m in university now. There’s no such thing like Saturday classes. This shit is over. Don’t you know this is the time to relax and take it easy after all the hell that was high school?”
“What hell, Josuke? You passed most of high school slacking off and fighting.” Rohan retorted, blowing on his spoon. “And here I thought you were finally becoming a well adjusted adult.”
“I am a well adjusted adult.”
“Doesn’t look well adjusted if you’re going to dine this.”
“Aaaaaa-aaaaah, what a fussy guy is this one I’m in love with.” Josuke complained, loudly, muffling Rohan’s rough voice. “Just enjoy your sick person food, take your medicine and get better so I can smooch you again without getting a cold.”
Rohan rolled his eyes but complied. He had indeed to fight that cold and get better fast. He had to work. It totally wasn’t because he wanted to smooch Josuke too.
He finished his food and took his meds, getting once again tucked on the couch by his boyfriend.
Josuke turned off the light and resumed drinking his beer on the floor, A-ha playing at a low volume in the dark living room. He started feeling drowsy.
Stay On These Roads started playing and before drifting to sleep one more time Rohan thought he couldn’t really blame Okuyasu for crying while listening to it.
He woke up with a chill. After ingesting so many liquid stuff he needed to use the bathroom. He carefully got up but couldn’t stop Miffy-chan from rolling down. Josuke was sat on the floor like he did earlier that night, sleeping with his head leaned over the couch’s armrest, probably watching over Rohan while drinking. Over the little center table in the room were four pudding cups scattered around and five beer cans the other tried to organize into a little castle. Early Morning was still playing, probably on repeat.
Coming back he turned off the boombox Josuke brought. The younger didn’t seem to mind, just shifting a little in his sleep.
“You’re definitely getting a cold too, sleeping on the floor, no matter how dumb you are...” Rohan muttered, giving the other man one of the many blankets he was covered with.
He was ready to lay down on the couch again when he felt Josuke’s hand pulling his shirt gently.
“Josuke? What-”
But Josuke didn’t say a word, just held up the blanket covering himself in a silent invitation.
“C’mon, it’s being a lonely night, I heard too much A-ha to go sleep alone.” the younger muttered finally.
“You’re not sleeping alone, you drunkard, I was on the couch all this time.” Rohan replied but obliged the younger’s plea, sitting on his lap and letting him cover both of them with the blanket.
“Where’s Miffy-chan?” he asked sleepily, fumbling his hand around until he found it.
“Seriously, where did you get this plushie?” Rohan asked again, but all Josuke did was to push the rabbit doll to the older and lean his head over the older’s shoulder, sleeping almost instantly.
He still was too spoiled to be a well adjusted adult.
But Rohan let him be spoiled for the time being.
The calm and steady breath against his skin was somewhat soothing. He probably was stinking of alcohol but Rohan couldn’t smell it at the moment so he let it slide.
And the warmth from his larger body felt too nice, too comforting to object.
He hugged the doll in place and leaned his face over the other’s head.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
When Sunday came Josuke was the one with a nasty cold.