Chapter Text
It was a quiet moment. The three of them were sitting in the living room, with Barok reading a book on the divan, and Kazuma studying some documents, with Ryunosuke sitting next to him. They were in a comfortable, homely silence, enjoying each other's company.
Until Ryunosuke was shaken by a loud sneeze.
"Someone is talking about you," said Kazuma, without looking up from the documents.
Ryunosuke rubbed his nose, but then another sneeze came. This time, he did get the attention of his boyfriends.
“Are you feeling unwell, darling?” Barok asked.
“I'm perfectly fine, don't worry” Ryunosuke replied, a bit too quickly. He received a sharp glare from his boyfriends, the same eyes they used in the courtroom. He swallowed, making his throat ache.
Still with that look on his eyes, Barok took a handkerchief from his pocket, and gently handed it to him. Ryunosuke looked at it for a moment. The cloth it was made of was undoubtedly expensive, and it had the initials BvZ embroidered in gold thread. He felt bad dirtying that handkerchief. When he blew his nose with it, he did it with the utmost delicacy.
He muttered a "thank you" that sounded stuffy.
"You're blushing," Kazuma said, moving closer to his face. Before Ryunosuke could scape, he had already placed a hand on his forehead. Kazuma narrowed his eyes.
"Barok," he said. “Do we have a thermometer?”
The prosecutor was already getting up to look for it.
"I'm fine" Ryunosuke tried to insist. “I never get sick, remember?”
"Let's see what the evidence says," said Barok, the thermometer already in his hand. Kazuma put it into Ryunosuke's mouth without giving him a chance to protest. Ryunosuke had to remain silent as the cold thermometer was in his mouth, and his boyfriends watched the mercury rise higher than it should.
“Enough,” said Kazuma. “You are going to bed right now.”
“But I feel fine!”
"We're not tacking the risk” Barok said, putting an arm around his shoulders.
“Should we call a doctor?” Kazuma asked, worry shining in his eyes.
“No!”
“Let's wait for now. Maybe all he needs is a little rest.”
“I'll make some tea, that will help. Can you take him to the bed?”
Ryunosuke heard his boyfriends discussing his health like it was background noise. He was staring at nothing, unable to concentrate. Maybe he was weaker than he wanted to admit.
He gasped when Barok scooped him up bridal style. He buried his head in his shoulder, feeling his face turn even redder.
Barok took him to the room. And he settled the pillows for him to lie on, and covered him with the sheets, and opened the closet to get another blanket to tuck him in, too. And he asked him if he was comfortable.
Ryunosuke settled on the bed, and told him that he was fine. Soon after, Kazuma came in, and put the cup of tea in his hands, and told him to drink it while it still was warm, and then he could sleep.
And Kazuma promised that they would take care of whatever paperwork he had to do in court. And they asked him if he needed anything else to make him feel better. And they tucked him in with one more blanket when he shivered. And they kissed him on the forehead.
For a moment, as warm and comfortable as he was, Ryunosuke dared to think that maybe being sick wasn't as horrible as he remembered. Not with his boyfriends being there for him.
***
Being sick was horrible and his boyfriends weren't helping a lot.
That was what Ryunosuke thought as Kazuma made him swallow another herbal tea. A remedy for fever. Or cough. Or congestion. He was not sure what it was that time.
“It wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it?” Kazuma said, taking the cup from his hands once he drank it all. Ryunosuke grimaced in disgust.
“It tastes like hell.”
"If it tastes bad, it's good for you," Kazuma said, stroking his hair. Ryunosuke groaned and slumped back against the pillows. He cocked his head, looking at all the empty cups on his nightstand.
He had been drinking way too many herbal remedies. And despite Iris and Susato and everyone he knew who enjoyed serving their guests tea, he wishes he would never have to taste it again.
Ryunosuke closed his eyes. He just wanted to be able to get some rest, to let sleep ease that damned cold.
But he didn't get the chance. Minutes later, Barok entered the apartment, with a paper bag in his hands. Kazuma spoke to him as they walked down the hall.
“How is he doing?” he asked, with some concern.
"The fever is back," Kazuma replied. “I have given him some herbal remedies and now I want him to rest.”
"I see," said Barok, pursing his lips.
They entered Ryunosuke’s room, and Barok frowned deeply as soon as he saw him, blinking with confusion. Then, he stared at his other boyfriend.
"Kazuma," he said. “Why does Ryunosuke have a cabbage on his head?”
“It will help with the fever.”
“Couldn't you just put a damp cloth on it?”
Barok shook his head, with a sigh. He removed the cabbage leaf from Ryunosuke's head, took off a glove, and brought his hand to his forehead. The young man moaned softly at the cold touch.
Barok's eyes softened, and he gently caressed his cheek, trying to bring him some relief.
After sighing again, he opened the bag he was holding.
"You're lucky I went to the apothecary," he said as he began to take out the medicine bottles.
"Who knows what you've brought," Kazuma said under his breath. Barok turned, frowning.
“I brought real medicine. That will help him heal.”
“What is that medicine made of?”
He walked over to the nightstand, grabbing one of the bottles before Barok could stop him. Behind them, Ryunosuke moaned.
“Even more medicine?” he mumbled. “What if I take it all at once and we're done with this?”
“No!” Kazuma and Barok yelled simultaneously. Ryunosuke pulled the covers up with a groan.
Kazuma picked up one of the bottles, and looked at it with narrowed eyes.
“What is this?”
"Laudanum," Barok replied. “It will help him sleep and ease his pain.”
“And that is…”
“Opium dissolved in alcohol.”
Kazuma frowned. Barok took the bottle from him.
“I don't trust that medicine.” said Kazuma.
"Everyone takes it," Barok insisted. “It is given to children.”
Kazuma's eyes widened for a moment, but he decided not to delve into that subject. He noticed another bottle.
“That's codeine. For cough.”
"I see," he said, slowly. “And what is it made of?”
“It's an extract of opium.”
Kazuma was starting to feel desperate.
“And this?” he said, taking a third bottle. “Is it opium too?”
“No, that's cocaine.”
“For God's sake!”
Ryunosuke groaned under the covers.
"I'm sorry you don't like it," Barok said. “But it's time to give him something that will really help him with the sickness.”
“I've been giving him remedies that work perfectly fine!”
“This is the 20th century and it should be time you started trusting modern science.”
“I'm not going to give him cocaine for a cold!”
“Do you trust a piece of cabbage more?!”
“Can you two shut up already?!” Ryunosuke suddenly jumped on the bed, and instantly he felt exhausted and returned to his mountain of pillows.
He rubbed his temples. His head had been aching all day and his boyfriends had only made it worse. When he opened his eyes to look at them again, they were both silent, their heads down. Like embarrassed children.
"I just want to get some sleep" Ryunosuke murmured tiredly. Barok and Kazuma nodded at the same time.
“Of course, partner. Rest as much as you need.”
“We'll leave you alone.”
Barok was already at the door. Kazuma went to tuck him in, as he had unintentionally removed several of the blankets. When he'd done his job and it seemed to him that Ryunosuke was comfortable, he was going to step aside to let him sleep. But suddenly, he found himself being hugged around the waist by Ryunosuke.
"No…there's no need for you to go," he murmured. “Can you stay here? In…in silence?”
Kazuma shared a sympathetic look with Barok, and no one dared to say no to him.
Kazuma pushed the blankets away. Barok made his way onto the bed, and Ryunosuke immediately snuggled into him, resting his head on his large chest. Kazuma lay down next to Ryunosuke, hugging him from behind and caressing him gently. He rested his head on Barok's arm, and decided to rest as well.
"You'll probably make us all sick after this," Barok commented.
“I'll take care of you. I promise” Ryunosuke said with a yawn.
"Don't think about that right now," Kazuma said. “What matters is that you get well.”