Work Text:
Vox sits on the floor beside the toilet in his bathroom. His head was above the seat, hands cautiously holding the edges of it because even if he was sick, he still wouldn't dare touch a dirty, illness infected toilet seat.
He'd been throwing up for the past few minutes. Although to him it felt like hours because he just couldn't stop. His jaw was aching from being left open the entire time, he felt light headed and dizzy, his vision distorted and sometimes his eyelids closed on their own. A growing headache formed a while ago. He felt weak, body slack and heavy for some reason. He felt as though he couldn't move an inch.
He doesn't remember how it began really. He woke up fine the morning, and he hadn't been around anyone sick, so why was he like this? All he remembers was that he was setting up for the day. He tweeted what he had to do and made a few adjustments to his work load. He had a small breakfast and not too long ago he had lunch. Perhaps the food was the problem? Either way, while he was working, he felt something inside his stomach. A sick feeling of sorts, and before he knew it, he rushed to the restroom, hurling everything into the toilet.
It had to be the food.
He distantly remembers having his phone in his hand when he rushed to the bathroom. He was tweeting something at the time, most likely something about his stream that was scheduled for the day. Usually he'd announce in advance for his waitingroom and let people know. He was able to post it, but after that, everything was a blur.
His phone... He glanced at the tiled floor in search of it.
He had a stream in less than twenty minutes and he felt like he was on the verge of death. So much for being immortal.
He could barely see his screen, the light from the phone blurred his vision, but luckily the icons were big enough to see, allowing him, in his dizzy state, to at least try and call someone. He couldn't see the names of his contact list but he pressed the most recent one. He didn't think twice of who it might be but even when he was at his worst, he thought about kindred. He had to let them know somehow.
He loved his fans. He really did, so much that he couldn't just leave them hanging and worrying why he was taking so long to stream. He, himself wasn't sure when he'd feel better enough to actually tweet something about canceling stream. He felt as though he'd pass out right then and there. He only hoped that he'd be awake to speak to one of his friends.
He managed to press the call button for most recent person. The phone ringing was his indication that he could calm down a bit. So he lied down on the bathroom floor, unable to move and unbothered by how many germs there were at the moment. He felt like he was dying anyway. He couldn't be all mighty and picky at the moment. He was touching a toilet with his bare hands not so long ago too.
He faced the device. The phone rang for a while. Vox wasn't even sure what was going on anymore, just that he had to tell someone to do something before he passes out. In the back of his mind, he tried remembering who he last spoke to. He's so busy all the time he sometimes forgets what he does in the last hour. The demon hoped that the person wouldn't be too bothered about what he was about to request. Though it had been ringing a while. Maybe they're busy...
Just as he thought it was his time to go into sometime type of sick coma, a gentle yet familiar voice was heard.
"Vox?" the demon slayer spoke, calling out for his friend.
The demon didn't say anything, his mind was still a few seconds delayed.
"Vox? You there?" he repeated in confusion. The silence was unlike vox and their usual calls. So he was a bit worried.
It was Shoto. They called the night before for a collab. But Vox didn't remember.
"Shoto," he coughed out. He wheeze a bit. Talking suddenly felt difficult and his chest pulled tight. Allergic reaction?
"Woah, Vox, you don't sound so good. Is everything okay? What's going on?" he spoke quickly, like always, but you could hear the concern in his voice. His earlier calm voice switched to a more serious one. For shoto, it was already evening, so he was curled up in his blankets, lying on his stomach as he held the phone close to his ear, his chest now situated on his pillow.
Vox took a while to answer, but by the way things were going Shoto waited patiently for him to reply. All he heard was Vox's breaths, some cut short and sometimes a small cough.
"I- I need... a favor," he spoke slowly between breaths. Shoto nodded as if Vox could actually see him but it was just a natural reaction. He didn't saying anything, wanting vox to continue. He listened again to the way Vox was breathing, suddenly feeling flustered. It wasn't anything sexual, the call just felt a bit too silent and... weird?
"I don't think I have the strength to do anything at the moment," he began taking a break to breath again, "Fuck, can you cancel my stream. Let people know I'm not well," he finally asked. He felt like he was falling in and out of consciousness. Maybe he had the flu? Was it flu season?
"Of course. Of course." Shoto said, entering his Twitter right away but still staying on call.
"Just tell them to let Kindred know. Say I'm okay, I just came down with something," the demon sighed, still breathing heavily. Shoto did as he was told and left it at that, focusing his concern back to Vox.
"I did it," he confirmed. "Are you okay? Where are you? Is there someone there to help you?" the continuous questions made Vox chuckle, whick only caused a painful cough at the end.
"I'm not sure. I was fine earlier. I'm at home. Alone. On the bathroom floor," he answered. The light on the ceiling was blinding him, so he squinted. "I can't breath," he voiced mostly to himself.
Shoto heard though and started to feel extremely worried. Why was he even on the bathroom floor? He has trouble breathing and his alone.
"Hey, hey, you'll be fine- uh... This is going to sound so bad but um- comfort amsr right now," Shoto said hurriedly, sitting up on his bed while trying his best to support Vox. Or at least ease his worries. Take his mind off the pain.
Vox wanted to tease him about getting his own personal asmr for free, he was amused, but couldn't really feel up to any banter right now.
"Deep, slow breaths Vox. Try and relax, yeah?"
Vox half-paid attention to what Shoto was saying. He wasn't even sure if he was awake or asleep or dead. He just heard Shoto's soft voice, trying his best to help. It was cute. His heart swelled, a little bit glad Shoto was the one he happened to call. He was ultimately, the best person to comfort him right now. He felt a surge of honesty rush through him. His mind was now on auto pilot.
"You have a nice voice Shoto," he spoke softly. The demon slater was a bit stunned before he settled down again, taking it as a normal compliment from a friend.
"Thank you Vox, you have a nice voice too," he replied, thinking the demon was feeling better now. But that was far from it.
Vox was silent. Shoto was worried he might've fallen asleep on the dirty floor and called out for him again.
"Vox?"
"I'm here. I just.... need to close my eyes for a second," he managed to say. Shoto patiently waited again. Ears perking up everytime Vox took a deep inhale of breath. He felt a bit sad that Vox was all alone in his apartment with no one to help. He decided that he'd try and be with the demon until he's able to make it back to his bedroom.
That was until Vox spoke up again.
"I realized that a while ago. That you had a nice voice. I feel like I could listen to you speak all day," Vox sighed, not sure what he was even saying. His mouth just wouldn't stop moving and all Shoto could do was stay silent.
"Y'know, I'm jealous," he said. "When you flirt with people, even though it's just for content, I get this feeling in my gut. I hate it. I start feeling petty. Jealous. Annoyed." he added. He didn't know what he was saying, but Shoto was well aware. His heart raced at the sudden load of information. But he stayed silent again.
"I flirt for content too, but I don't like when you do it," he takes in a slow breath, "I want you all for myself."
Vox's tone was low, deep, it made Shoto's stomach churn, but in a good way. Or at least it wasn't a bad way. He just listened. Taking in the demon's words slowly. Surely he was just talking out of his ass because his sick. He won't remember this nonsense his saying in the morning.
Was it nonsense though?
"I like speaking to you. I think-.... I like you," he confessed. Kind of. Shoto on the other hand just chuckled slowly, trying not to sound awkward.
"I like you too Vox. You're a good friend," he said, emphasizing the last word. He didn't want to believe this was Vox's true thoughts. He was just sick and his brain was just saying things out of his mouth. Vox was always a tease. This was just to get him flustered as always. Vox wouldn't actually say this, would he?
Even if he didn't believe, Shoto's cheeks were still flushed a vibrant red and he tried hiding himself in his blankets, curling his body together but still keeping the phone to his ear. Slightly intrigued by what sick Vox had to say. But he reminded himself that they were friends. Vox wasn't feeling well and right now he had no idea what was going on. His goal was to get him back to bed.
Vox, even though his mind was on auto pilot, he wasn't stupid. Shoto was confused. He didn't believe what Vox was saying. So he sighed.
"Yeah. Friends, you're special to me Shou," he stated. His words made Shoto instinctively curl his toes, blushing even more. He shook his head.
"Same here Vox. But you should really get to bed," he changed the subject.
Vox opened his eyes slowly. He felt better than a few minutes ago, but still, he was light headed. He manged to grab his phone and get onto his feet. He stabled himself on the counter while Shoto listened in on his sighing and grunting.
"Take your time," Shoto said in hopes of easing him. Vox smiled. Slowly he made his way back to the bedroom, immediately slumping down onto his mattress. He let out an exhausted sigh and groaned from the headache. Standing up made his head hurt even more.
Shoto bit his lip, chewing on it. He nestled his face into the pillow, imagining it was him curling up next to Vox in bed. He internally slapped himself from thinking that. They were friends.
"I like you Shou."
The demon slayer froze, unable to answer straight away. He had to be the rational one here.
"You won't remember this in the morning," he reminded, more to himself than to Vox. He'd just pretend the conversation never happened. Although, he didn't dislike the idea of Vox liking him romantically.
"I wish I could just fuck it all and fly over to you. See you for real," Vox said.
Meeting for real. Shoto thought about that a lot too. He still wants to meet Vox in real life. He hoped to in the near future. But this wasn't how he imagined it. It was less intimate than how Vox was making it seem. He figured they'd just go straight into their arm-wrestling match they spoke about in one of their recent streams together that they said they'd do if they ever met in real life.
They were supposedly 'gym bro's'.
Besides that, Shoto appealed to the idea. His thighs rubbed against each other at the thought of Vox flying out just to see him. He felt butterflies for the first time in a long time. But he shouldn't get his hopes up.
"Maybe someday," he answered softly, but by the time he answered, soft snores were heard on the other end and Shoto took a sharp in take of breath by how embarrassing it was just to say that.
After a few seconds of just listening to Vox breathing, he finally ended call.
He hadn't realized how hot he was from just the one phone call. Vox had away of making him feel... things. But he'd never admit that.
After all that happened just now, Shoto stared up at his ceiling, knowing full well Vox will have no recollection of what they said when he wakes up.
Or maybe he will?
Shoto sighed in his bed, the hundreds of notifications on Twitter long forgotten as he set his phone to the side and tried falling asleep.
He couldn't.
Vox just confessed to him.
"Fuck."