Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Oh, Than, you are absolutely soaked, " Zagreus cooed at the sight of his boyfriend in the doorway, hair plastered to his face from the rain, shivering and carrying three plastic bags.

"W-Well, at least I got everything," Thanatos said, letting Zagreus steer him inside and strip him of his clothes, which were heavy with rainwater.

"I'll put up the groceries, love, you go get into a hot shower," Zagreus urged him, noting how pale the other man looked. Gods, he was so shaky. The poor baby looked ready to freeze to death.

Zagreus put up the groceries and shook his head, sighing at the sound of the shower starting. Thanatos had walked to the store and back, so who knew how long he'd been out in the rain? Zagreus should have gone, he didn't get cold so easily. But Than had insisted because Zagreus was tired from working all day.

They had only just moved in together recently, and it had been established that Thanatos knew nothing about taking care of others or himself. Recently, Zagreus had taught him how to cook pasta, fold his shirts properly, and clean the bathroom. He didn't teach him how to fold a fitted sheet because, of course, no one could do that.

Zagreus hardly had it all figured out, but he knew what he needed to survive. Last night, poor Than tried to cook spaghetti, eager to show Zag what he'd learned, but it ended up boiling over and Than was completely flustered and Zagreus was fairly certain the pot wasn't salvageable.

Zagreus put some tea on. When Thanatos was swamped with work, Zagreus always brought hot tea to his desk in his favorite mug that he'd given him for his birthday. Than had blushed the first time and stammered that Zag didn't have to, and Zagreus thought it was sweet and a little sad that Than was taken aback by every small nice gesture he made for him.

Thanatos came out a few minutes later in a sweatshirt and fresh jeans and socks. He sat on the couch and Zagreus brought him the tea. "It's got a little honey in it," he told him, "I thought you might like that."

Thanatos smiled a little and took the mug into his hands. He was still shivering a bit, although his cheeks were a little flushed from the shower. Zagreus brought a blanket from the bedroom and draped it over Thanatos' shoulders.

"Than, love, would you like something hot to eat?" he offered gently, running a hand through his boyfriend's wet hair.

Thanatos nodded. "I am a little hungry," he said, to Zagreus' relief. "Is there still some of that stew Patroclus made yesterday?" Achilles and Patroclus often sent food home to the younger couple; it seemed that Achilles felt some need to take care of Zagreus, which was sweet, and helpful since they didn't always have time to cook.

"Sure, I'll heat up the rest." Zagreus took the stew out of the fridge and stuck it in the microwave. "It's late, dear, you should get to bed after you eat."

"I'm fine, Zag." Thanatos stared up at him. "I ought to get some work done, anyway."

"All right, then." Zagreus brought Thanatos his laptop and sat beside him, beginning to scroll through his phone. Zagreus, unlike Thanatos, never had take-home projects for work, so he was generally less busy throughout the day. Poor Thanatos, who was now staring at his screen as he sipped his tea, was exhausted lately. His eyes were a little teary with fatigue and bore deep lines underneath, like Achilles always had. Zagreus thought he looked a little paler than normal, and hoped he'd get some sleep soon.

Thankfully, Thanatos closed his laptop a bit later and set aside his now-empty mug. He sniffled a little and closed his eyes, leaning back against the couch. "Thank you, Zag, that was good. Would you like to watch something?"

"Why don't we go to bed?" Zagreus suggested. "You still seem cold, I'll warm you up." He gave Thanatos that absolutely adorable grin and opened his arms to him.

"Oh, all right." Thanatos sank into the other man's embrace, finding the warmth Zagreus radiated quite comforting. "Just let me brush my teeth, at least."

He did this, and changed into some pajama pants before joining Zagreus in bed. He was still shivering a little, despite Zagreus' persistent attempts to warm him, and was glad to curl up to the man who was always toasty to the touch. He fell asleep easily, more tired than he'd initially realized.

………

Zagreus woke up to the sound of coughing. He turned to see an empty space beside him and an imprint in the bed from where Thanatos had been. He followed the sound of the coughing, harsh and wet, to the kitchen, where Than sat a sat at the table bent over a cup of coffee.

"Oh, Than, you don't sound well at all," Zagreus fretted. Thanatos didn't look well, either. His hair was damp and stuck to his forehead with sweat, his shoulders were hunched with shivering, and his cheeks were flushed pink. Zag walked over and laid a hand on his forehead.

"You have a fever, Thanatos. Come on, back to bed." Zagreus gently grabbed his boyfriend's arm to lift him from his seat, but Than shook his head stubbornly.

"Zag, I'm fine," he said despite evidence to the contrary. Even as he spoke, his voice broke and he launched into another fit of coughing.

"I have work to do," Thanatos croaked when he finished coughing, "and I'm only a little warm because I'm coughing. Which is only because it's so cold in here. I'm not sick, Zagreus, it's just cold."

Zagreus rolled his eyes. A quick glance at the thermostat told him it was 74 degrees in the apartment. "Oh, you're definitely sick," he insisted. "It's not cold, Than, your body is tricking you."

He pulled his boyfriend up easily and scooped him into his arms with practically no effort. While Zagreus was built broad, Thanatos was slender and right now it seemed he weighed next to nothing. The heat that radiated from his body concerned Zagreus, especially considering he was normally quite cool to the touch.

"Zag, put me down, I'm not ill," Thanatos complained, but Zagreus set him down in bed and ruffled his hair.

"Sorry, love, but that cough sounds awful and you're burning up. You are not doing anything today but resting." Zag laid his hand on Than's forehead again and shook his head, heading to the bathroom to find the thermometer. This was the first time either of them had been sick since moving in together, and Zagreus couldn't help but worry.

Zagreus found the thermometer in the medicine cabinet and returned to the bedroom to find Thanatos standing up and swaying on his feet. "Whoa!" Zagreus cried, running over to steady him and sitting him down on the bed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting dressed--" Thanatos began, and Zagreus used this as an opportunity to stick the thermometer under his tongue. Than's eyes narrowed at the betrayal and his lips curved into a pout that was more adorable than anything else.

"Sorry, Than, but you're too stubborn to work with so I had to trick you," Zag said cheerfully. Thanatos grumbled something indistinguishable around the thermometer.

The device beeped a moment later and Zagreus removed it from Than's mouth, frowning at the result. "Oh, love, you really are sick," he murmured, staring in displeasure at the tiny screen. "101.8."

Thanatos winced a little as Zagreus set the thermometer aside but still tried not to show how ill he felt. "I've had worse, Zag," he insisted. "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

"A fever of almost 102 is definitely serious and you know it." Zagreus eyed Thanatos firmly. "If it climbs any higher I might have Patroclus come take a look at you." Achilles' husband was a nurse and had patched up Zagreus plenty of times.

"He's busy," Thanatos argued. "Besides, we have to get to work."

Zagreus stared at his boyfriend incredulously. Did he really have no common sense? "You are absolutely not going anywhere, Than, and neither am I. I can't leave you alone like this."

Thanatos raised an eyebrow. "You're going to call into work because I'm sick?"

Zagreus nodded. "Achilles will understand. And my father might be inconvenienced but he's not going to want to be around you while you're feverish and coughing up your lungs."

Than shifted uncomfortably on the pillows. "Call Hypnos, he'll relay it to your father."

Zagreus groaned inwardly. He loved Hypnos, but once he got on the phone with him, he'd never get off. Thanatos knew the reason for his expression immediately. "I can call--" he began, but Zagreus shook his head.

"No, you're sick. I'll call him, I'll just text Achilles first." He sent Achilles an apologetic message and dialed Hypnos' number. Thanatos' brother picked up almost immediately.

"Heyyyya, Zag, how's it going?" Hypnos was, as usual, very chipper.

"Hi, Hypnos. I'm fine but I'm afraid Than won't be able to make it into work today and he was wondering if you could tell my father for him." Beside him, Thanatos, already flushed with fever, turned even pinker from embarrassment.

"Yeah, of course, what's wrong? Is Thanny sick?" Hypnos' voice grew high with concern. "You know, I thought he looked a little off yesterday but, you know how he is." He launched into a frighteningly accurate imitation of his brother: "Tch, Hypnos, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all." He emphasized "all" at the end, which would be just like Than. "Well, I left him alone, because you know how grumpy he gets, but he barely ate his lunch yesterday."

Zagreus frowned and his eyes narrowed. He thought Than had caught a bad cold from the rain last night, but apparently he hadn't been feeling well since at least yesterday morning and his jaunt in the bad weather only made it worse. Of course he had worked through it, because he was Thanatos and gods forbid he admit to himself that he was running at anything less than a hundred percent.

"Well," he told Hypnos, "he's got a pretty impressive fever, and he's--" He was broken off by the sound of Thanatos coughing. "Well, I imagine you heard that."

"Yikes." Zagreus could picture the exact face Hypnos made to accompany the word. "He sounds awful. So he's got a fever, huh? I'm not really surprised, Thanny's a bit prone to working himself sick. Tell you what, I'll tell Hades for you and after work today I'll bring by some chicken soup. I'll make it just the way mom always made it for him, I'm sure you can coax him into some of that. You just hang in there, Zag. Thanny's not very pleasant to deal with when he's sick, but I'm sure you've figured that out by now. He's got a shit immune system, too. Never will go to a doctor, though. Listen, I'd better go but please let me know if you need any help, and I'll see you tonight!"

Hypnos hung up before Zagreus could respond, and he felt almost dizzy listening to the man. Great guy, a sweetheart, but blood and darkness, he talked even more than Zagreus!

Thanatos turned over in bed and grinned weakly. "My brother has made this the event of the year, I imagine."

"Naturally." Zagreus bent down to brush some hair off of Than's hot forehead. "He says he's bringing over soup after work and, well, it didn't really seem like an offer."

Thanatos coughed and groaned. "Wonderful."

"I'm going to grab you some medicine, love. But first, I want you to explain something to me." Zagreus gave his boyfriend a stern look. "Why did you go into work yesterday knowing you weren't feeling well?"

Thanatos furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. "I was just tired, all right?"

Zagreus was not satisfied. "According to Hypnos, you barely touched your lunch yesterday."

Thanatos groaned. "He really cannot mind his own business, can he? He was worried about me but I didn't feel feverish or anything yet."

"Well, at least now you're admitting you're ill." Zagreus shook his head. "I'm getting you some cough syrup and motrin, all right? I'll be right back."

Thanatos nodded and closed his eyes, resigned to his circumstances at this point. His cheeks were so flushed. Zagreus laid a hand on one again before grabbing the medicine from the bathroom and a spoon for the kitchen. He filled a glass with water, too, and brought it all to Thanatos.

"Take three of the pills," he ordered, "and I'll give you some cough syrup."

Thanatos took the pills and coughed a little before setting the water aside. The face he made caused Zagreus to think he was in pain, which broke his heart. He poured the syrup into the spoon and reached it out, practically cooing at his boyfriend. "Come on, Than, open up. This should really help that cough of yours."

Thanatos opened his mouth obediently, though he was blushing like mad, and let Zagreus feed him the cough syrup. He looked so sick and small and bedraggled, and despite being considerably shorter than Than, Zag just wanted to take him into his arms and protect him from everything.

"You're doing really well, love." Zagreus kissed Than's forehead and set the medicine on the nightstand by the thermometer and the glass of water. They were quickly accumulating a pile of sick supplies on the little table.

"You don't have to coddle me, Zag," Thanatos insisted, looking a little uncomfortable with all the attention he was receiving. "I've been sick before, you know. Plenty of times."

"Yes, but I love you, and we live together now, and you are an absolutely pitiful mess when you're ill, and I want to take care of you." Zagreus couldn't resist ruffling Than's sweaty hair. He was rather cute when he was sick, especially because he was as stubborn and grumpy and awkward as ever.

"You ought to sleep," Zagreus suggested gently. "I'll make you something to eat when you wake up, alright?"

"Not hungry," Than murmured. The cough syrup was already making him sleepy and his eyelids were beginning to droop.

Zagreus covered him with a thin blanket, not wanting to worsen his fever. "Well, you might feel differently when you wake up."

He sat by the bed and watched Thanatos fall asleep. His breathing was a little labored and Zagreus could hear the congestion in his chest. Part of him was anxious for Hypnos to arrive now, because maybe he knew something more about how to help. Before when Than or Zag were sick, they'd just stay home and not see each other for a few days until they recovered. But now that they lived together, Zagreus could see Than sick for himself, and it was distressing.

Thanatos coughed a little in his sleep, and Zagreus helped him sit up a little more against the pillows, hoping this might alleviate his congestion a little. He was tempted to Google Than's symptoms but thought better of it because he'd probably be bombarded by a list of reasons his boyfriend was definitely dying. No, this was not the time to panic. Thanatos needed him.

Chapter Text

Thanatos slept for about an hour. When he woke up Zag was leaning over him, a massive grin on his face, and holding a bowl of something. "Hey, there. How are you feeling?"

Thanatos coughed a little and groaned. "Awful," he admitted at last.

Zagreus sat on the bed with the bowl in his lap. "Oh, I'm sorry, love. But look! I've made you some rice with butter." That was a favorite of his when his stomach felt sensitive, and he imagined that Than felt the same right now.

Thanatos smiled a little. "Thank you, Zag. I feel bad that you're doing so much for me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Zag told him fondly. "You're my boyfriend, and I love you. Now, open up."

Thanatos blushed deeply. "I can feed myself, Zag."

"I want to help you." Zagreus brought a spoonful of rice to Than's lips. "Come on, now." Than was still blushing madly but let his boyfriend feed him. He turned away from the spoon after about half the bowl was finished, and Zagreus set it aside.

"I'm proud of you, love. You're doing really well." Zagreus knew, though he would never admit it, that Thanatos lived for his praise. Gods, he was so cute.

Thanatos blushed deeply . "Th-Thank you. Could I have some water?"

"On it!" Zagreus took the water from the nightstand and held it up to Than's lips. "Now, drink slowly, alright?"

Thanatos nodded, taking a long, slow sip. When he swallowed he grimaced and let out a small whimper, bringing his hands to his throat and coughing. Zagreus instantly pulled him into his arms. "Oh Than, your throat hurts? Must've been the cold water, I'm so sorry, love." He saw the tears in his boyfriend's eyes and wanted to kiss them away. The poor thing looked so absolutely miserable.

"Would you like some tea with honey?" Zagreus suggested. Thanatos, pressed against him, nodded weakly.

Zagreus kissed his forehead, worried at its heat, and headed to the kitchen. He was beginning to grow hungry and made himself a sandwich while he waited on Than's water to boil. After eating his lunch, he brought the tea back to Thanatos. The hot liquid and honey did seem to soothe his throat a little, and he gave Zagreus a weak little smile.

They watched some TV while Thanatos finished his tea, and then he fell asleep again. Zagreus was relieved to see it. Still, he didn't like the labored breathing, the sweat on his boyfriend's brow, the flush in his cheeks. Than just looked so, so sick.

Zagreus sighed and got up. He didn't want to leave Than alone but he couldn't take very good care of him if he got sick, too. So, he headed back into the kitchen and got some chores done while Thanatos slept. Around four in the evening, which was when Zag typically got off work, he got a text from Achilles.

*How is Thanatos?*

*Feverish, coughing, sore throat*, Zag replied. *Thanks for letting me take off, I could never leave him alone like this.*

*I understand, lad. Let me know if you need anything*.

Zagreus smiled a little at this. Achilles was always there for him, always making sure he was all right. He had the tender concern of a father, something Zag didn't get from his own dad.

*I will,* he responded, *thank you.*

Zagreus took a quick shower, feeling a little guilty for not checking on Than in so long. He dried off and dressed as quickly as he could before moving over to the bed. Thanatos was awake, if only a little bit, his eyes half-lidded and glassy. That cough syrup certainly had knocked him out, though Zagreus supposed that read a good thing.

Zagreus walked over and laid a hand on Than's forehead. "Oh, dear, you're still burning up. How did you sleep?"

Thanatos shrugged. His whole body was damp with sweat. "Had strange dreams," he responded. His voice was dry and hoarse and cut off at the end, and he winced as he coughed into his fist.

Zagreus ached just hearing him. "Oh, Than, that sounds awful. Maybe we ought to get you to a…"

He was interrupted by the doorbell ringing, to Than's relief. "Oh, that must be Hypnos!" He ran to answer it. Than's brother stood in the doorway with his usual friendly smile on his face and a cotton bag in his hands.

"Hey, Zag!" Hypnos set the bag down on the kitchen counter and began to unload its contents. "So, I made soup," he said, taking out a container full of it, "and I got some medicine, in case you ran out, and some tea, and Gatorade, oh, and some crackers, and I got a thing of honey!" He grinned, proud of his work, and Zagreus pulled him into a crushing hug.

"Hypnos, you are a hero, do you know that?"

Hypnos turned beet red. "Well, I could hardly leave my sick brother and his boyfriend to their own devices, could I? Can I go see him?"

Zagreus nodded. "He's quite sleepy, though. And be careful, you definitely don't want whatever he has."

Hypnos grabbed the soup and crackers and headed over to the bedroom. "Don't worry, I've always had a stronger immune system than Thanny! Maybe it's because I sleep more."

Zagreus followed Hypnos into the bedroom. Thanatos was sitting up a bit against the pillows. "Hypnos," he croaked.

Hypnos looked genuinely worried. He set the soup aside and laid the back of his hand on his brother's forehead. "Oh, Thanny, you really are burning up. I could cook a whole chicken on that head of yours! And normally you're so cold! You must be feeling pretty awful, huh?"

Thanatos nodded, but before he could respond Hypnos had grabbed the thermometer from the bedside table and stuck it unceremoniously under his tongue. "There now, don't talk yet, alright?"

Thanatos gave his brother an incredulous look at this remark, and Hypnos gave a sheepish laugh. "Yeah, I guess I have been the one talking. But I don't have a thermometer in my mouth." He laid the backs of his knuckles on Than's cheek and sighed. "Just how did you get so sick, huh?"

The thermometer beeped and Hypnos snatched it up, grimacing at the results. Zagreus felt his anxiety rise a little. "What is it?" He asked.

"102.2," Hypnos read out. "That's, um, that's not great, is it?"

"It's not dangerous, just high," Thanatos insisted. "I'll be fine, Hypnos, you don't need to worry."

"All right." Hypnos still sounded a little uncertain. "Well, I made some of mom's soup."

This seemed to perk up Thanatos a little. "Oh, really? I think I could eat some of that."

"How's your stomach been?" Hypnos pressed.

"Uncomfortable," Thanatos admitted, "but I think that's to be expected. I could handle the soup, though."

Zagreus took the container of soup in his lap and opened it up. "Surely you don't mean to feed me again," Thanatos said, his face turning nearly scarlet.

"Well, would you rather spill it all over yourself?" Zagreus pointed out. "I think you're a little too shaky for that, Than. Let me feed you again."

"He probably ought to have some Motrin, too," Hypnos piped up as Zagreus began spoon feeding the soup to Thanatos. "Did he have some already today?"

"Yes, but it is about time for some more," Zagreus realized. "I gave him some this morning, after I called you." He opened the bottle on the bedside table and shook two tablets into his hand, dropping them into Than's mouth and bringing his water to his lips.

Thanatos was beginning to feel crowded, and wasn't sure how to say so. "Z-Zag, Hypnos, I'll be fine. I… I think I've had enough soup, I just want to take a shower."

Both boyfriend and brother stepped back and Zagreus nodded. "Why not a bath, love, you can lie down that way. I'll run the water for you and we'll be out of your hair, all right?"

"Thank you." Thanatos blushed slightly and gave Zagreus a precious little smile. He let him help him out of bed and sat on the edge of the bathtub. "I'm sorry, it's just that Hypnos is so chatty, and you're both so worried, and I'm getting a bit of a headache, that's all."

"Than, we understand." Zagreus pressed a kiss to his boyfriend's hot head. "Now, enjoy your bath, and I'll have some tea waiting for you when you get out."

Zagreus left the bathroom and found Hypnos sitting on the couch, looking rather awkward and fidgety with nothing to do. He seemed a little sleepy, too.

"You know, you're perfectly welcome to spend the night," Zagreus told him. "Than isn't great at expressing it, but I know he appreciates having you around. Besides, you look tired."

"Thank you, Zag!" Hypnos grinned. It was never hard to cheer him up. "I sure hope Thanatos feels better tomorrow. And you're right, I am tired, I think I didn't notice until now. I'll make you breakfast tomorrow to thank you, okay?"

Zagreus chuckled. Tomorrow was a Saturday, and Hypnos would absolutely sleep in later than Zag. But he did like the other man's cooking, so he could wait around a while for it.

"Sounds good, Hypnos," he said. He pulled a blanket out of the hall closet and draped it over Than's twin. "If you get hungry or anything, have whatever you'd like from the kitchen. I'm going to put on some tea for Thanatos."

"All rightie." Hypnos' voice was growing slurred with sleep.

Zagreus looked over at him and grinned as he filled up the kettle. It was a day of firsts, he thought. First time one of them was sick living together, and the first time they had a house guest. He wondered what other firsts would come in the following days.

Chapter Text

Thanatos woke up feeling marginally better. He'd even tried to get up and join Zag and Hypnos for pancakes. However, he'd stumbled, coughing, and Zagreus took one look at him in his mismatched socks with his hair wild and eyes glassy and steered him back to bed.

"101," Zagreus announced, removing the thermometer from Than's lips and setting it aside.

"See, that's better," Thanatos protested. "I can get up now, Zag, I…"

"Absolutely not." Zagreus shook his head in disbelief. "That's still a pretty bad fever, and your cough sounds awful. What makes you think you're fine to get up and move about?"

Thanatos squirmed in his bedsheets. "I… you and Hypnos are doing so much to take care of me, and I don't know how to…"

"How to accept it? Because you're used to pushing through everything, and you feel guilty that we're doing things for you?"

Thanatos nodded, biting his lower lip. "Right. You always know how to express it better."

Zagreus gave him a sympathetic smile and kissed the top of his head. "That's what I'm here for, love." He ran a hand through Than's sweaty hair. "You're still really warm, Than," he fretted. "I'll get you some more Motrin. You ought to eat with it, though."

Thanatos groaned. "I really can't eat, Zag. It hurts my throat to swallow."

That couldn't be good, Zagreus thought. "You need to eat a little something. If it's hot it'll hurt your throat less, and the Motrin should help, too."

As if on cue, Hypnos knocked on the door. "Soup delivery," he sang, and Zagreus let him in. He carried a steaming bowl of soup and set it down on the nightstand. "How's our patient today?"

Than's already flushed cheeks grew even redder. "I'm fine, Hypnos. Fever's down a degree."

Zagreus gave Hypnos a grateful smile as the other man sat on the edge of his brother's bed. "I can't seem to convince your brother that 101 is still rather high. Anyway, his throat is worse today, I think. It might be time to get a doctor."

"Thaaaan, you said you were fiiiine," Hypnos complained, setting the soup in his brother's lap.

"Well, I will be," Thanatos protested. He swallowed a spoonful of soup that Zagreus lifted to his lips. "My throat's just a little scratchy, that's all."

"You used 'that's all' when your appendix was bursting, that doesn't mean much coming from you." Hypnos pouted, frustrated that his brother wasn't being honest with him.

Thanatos tried to say something, but Zagreus fed him another spoonful of soup. "Rest your voice for now, Than. Hypnos, can you get him some more medicine?"

"On it!" Hypnos disappeared in a flash and was back a moment later with the bottle of Motrin, the cough syrup, and a fresh glass of water. At this point, Zagreus had fed Thanatos all the soup he would accept, and moved aside for Hypnos to medicate his twin.

Thanatos grimaced as he swallowed the Motrin tablets. Hypnos brought a spoonful of cough syrup to his mouth and he drank it dutifully, hoping it would put him back to sleep soon. Already his mind felt heavy and fuzzy, and the syrup provided some relief from the pain in his throat, at least for a few hours.

Hypnos' knuckles came to rest on his forehead and then his cheek. "You're so warm," he murmured, and looked up at Zagreus. "The medicine is barely touching his fever."

"Well, it is lower than yesterday," Zagreus reminded him. "Still, I think I'm going to call Patroclus."

"Don't." Than's voice was growing a little slurred. "I… 'm fine."

"Is that so?" Zagreus asked, rather amused.

Thanatos nodded. He was growing a little delirious from the cough syrup and his fever. "Mmm… 'm fine… I'll stand…" He struggled to sit, laying a hand on Zag' s arm. "'Mma get up. Gettin' up."

Zagreus laid him back down with a single finger pressed to his chest. "You can barely form a sentence, love." He was endeared by how adorable Than was when loopy, even if it was rather concerning.

"Sentence," Than repeated, like a baby learning words. "I know… sent'nce, um… words…"

"Oh?" Zagreus bit back a giggle. "I think that's enough words from you for now, love. Go to sleep." He pressed a finger to Than's lips, gently shushing him. Thanatos grinned stupidly and closed his eyes.

Zagreus and Hypnos exchanged glances, and Zagreus pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Well, we should probably let him sleep. I'll call Patroclus."

Hypnos nodded and headed to the bathroom, wringing out a washcloth in some cool water. He returned to the bedroom and dabbed at Than's hot face before laying the cloth on his forehead. Thanatos was sleeping now, his breathing heavy and congested. Hypnos sighed.

"Why can't you just tell people when you're not feeling well?" He whispered. "You don't need to be so stubborn all the time." He played with a strand of Than's hair absent-mindedly. Thanatos looked just as stressed when he was sleeping, his brow furrowed and nose wrinkled as if he were deeply focused on something. Could his brother never truly rest?

Patroclus came over after his shift ended a few hours later. Thanatos felt a little shy around him. He already wasn't used to Zag taking care of him, and now their friend was looking him over.

Patroclus seemed mostly concerned with Than's cough. "I can't prescribe medication," he said after examining Thanatos, "but I'll request a script from one of the doctors I work with, they should be able to get him some antibiotics and an inhaler."

Hypnos raised an eyebrow. "Thanny hasn't needed an inhaler in years."

Zagreus was even more surprised. "I didn't know he's ever needed one." He gave Thanatos a reproachful glance for never having brought this up and Than had the decency to blush.

"It… it didn't come up," he said with a weak shrug. "I haven't had an asthma attack since I was seventeen."

"I'm only a nurse, I really can't diagnose it, but I could tell because you sound just like Achilles when he gets ill. You might not have had any attacks recently, but I bet when you're sick it goes right to your lungs, doesn't it?"

Thanatos nodded miserably, and Zagreus felt his heart break. He wanted desperately to pull Than into his arms but didn't want to embarrass him in front of Patroclus. His poor baby had asthma and he never knew.

Patroclus stood up from where he'd sat on a chair by the edge of the bed. "Well, I'll get his medication sent to your pharmacy. Keep an eye on that temperature. You can call me for anything, as long as I'm off work I'll answer."

Zagreus smiled. Patroclus looked exhausted, but he'd always make time for Achilles' "kids". "Thank you… I really appreciate it. You've made me feel a little better about Than."

"Glad I could help," Patroclus said at the same time Thanatos sputtered, "Well, I wasn't dying, Zag."

"I know, but I was still worried." Zagreus saw Patroclus off and returned to the bedroom.

"Hypnos, you don't look good, you really ought to sleep. Maybe you shouldn't be so close to Than," Zag warned. Hypnos was getting bleary-eyed and his typically smooth face was lined with fatigue.

"Thanks, Zag, but I'll be fine," Hypnos insisted. "Just…" He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and yawned, tears of fatigue appearing in the corners of his eyes. "Just sleepy…"

Zagreus grinned a little and steered Hypnos to the couch, covering him with a blanket. "Why don't you take a nap, you've earned it. I'll take good care of Than."

Hypnos curled up under the blankets, smiling in contentment. "Thanks, Zagreus. Night night."

It was only five, but Zag supposed it was always night for Hypnos.

"Goodnight, then," he said, laughing softly and returning to his bedridden boyfriend. Thanatos was sleeping again, and at last his features seemed relaxed. Soon enough Zag would pick up his medicine and in a couple days his Than should be feeling much better. Zagreus laid a hand on Than's forehead; he was still hot, but maybe not as hot as before. Everything would be okay.

In the living room, Hypnos coughed in his sleep.