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“You look awful.”
“S-shut…,” Gorou did not have the energy to rebuttal with Scaramouche’s oh-so-lovely insight on his current state.
As always, it started with simple sneezing and occasional cough, the development of a headache, and an inevitable crash of one’s immune system. Gorou and Kazuha were about to head out earlier that day to buy groceries, but the latter took notice of the brunet’s worsening state and believed it best if he stayed. While arguing that he was fine, Gorou’s legs gave in and he would’ve hit his head on the kitchen counter if Heizou hadn’t caught him on time.
Scara had watched as Heizou laid Gorou on the sofa and propped his head and legs up before he and Kazuha ran out to quickly buy groceries and get some medicine on the way. And now, Scara simply watched as his partner’s body shook and sweat ran down his face.
“We will be back as soon as we can. You know how Gorou gets when ill, please watch him for a while.”
That’s what Kazuha had told him before following behind Heizou out the door. The thing was, Scaramouche did not know. Not really, anyways. Scaramouche and sickness were kind of strangers, and whenever the others got sick, he would simply watch from the sideline and make the occasional comment.
From afar, he learned some things about how to deal with someone who is sick, and he thought it was now time to prove himself.
Scara gathered what he assumed would make Gorou feel better until the real medicine arrived. First, he placed a cup of water on the coffee table if Gorou was dehydrated. Then, Scara clipped Gorou’s bangs back to make room for a damp rag over his forehead to control his body heat. Thankfully, Gorou was shirtless to make the next step in Scara’s home remedies easy.
He had found a small container of ointment Heizou would use whenever anyone had a cough or body aches. Its minty smell was also said to unclog stuffy noses. “Ugh, gross,” Scaramouche’s face soured at the feel of it on his hands, but proceeded to apply some to Gorou’s neck and chest, just as he had seen others do.
The latter, who had dozed off, reawoke to the feel of cold hands on his chest, his groggy voice spoke, “Wha-What are you doing?”
“This will make the pain go away,” Scaramouche stated, before whispering, “...at least that’s what Heizou says.”
The short rest must’ve made him regain a bit of strength, for Gorou took the opportunity to tease, “Hmm, if you wanted to feel my chest, you could've just said so, Scara.”
The dark-haired man immediately pulled his hands away from the, admittedly, toned chest, and reached to unroll the damp rag on Gorou’s forehead to cover his entire face, “Quiet, weakling.”
~~
After getting up to rid his hands of the uncomfortable ointment, Scara walked back with a cozy blanket to find Gorou had fixed the rag back onto his forehead and had curled up from the cold he felt. The cup of water on the coffee table was now empty. Scara did his best to tuck the blanket around him, halfway through which is when Gorou spoke up, “Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Hmm? I could’ve just left you in your messy state, and all I get is a ‘thanks’?”
“Heh,” Gorou tried not to laugh, “I am at your mercy, I guess.”
Scara placed the back of his hand on Gorou’s face, to check his body heat, and the brunet leaned into the cool touch.
“Ew, you’re all sweaty,” Scaramouche pulled his hand away, “Just go back to sleep already.”
~~
Scaramouche sat on the floor in front of the sofa where Gorou was once more asleep. The volume from the TV was just loud enough to reach Scara’s ears. His head turned when keys rattled on the other side of the front door before it opened and in walked Heizou and Kazuha with shopping bags.
“Took you long enough.”
Kazuha put down the bags he had and rummaged through them, “How is he?” he asked while walking up to the sofa, medicine in hand.
Scara stood up to give him room in front of Gorou, “Eh, looks the same to me.”
Kazuha smiled, “Thank you for watching over him, Scara. We brought you some food if you would like.”
Without wasting a second Scara joined Heizou in the kitchen to eat whatever they had bought, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t hungry.
“So,” Heizou spoke up as he put away the groceries, “was the patient alright under the doctor’s care?”
With a mouthful of a breakfast sandwich, Scara lifted an eyebrow at his question, “What are you talking about?”
The redhead chuckled and retracted his question, “Nothing, nothing,” and continued his task while Scara ate his food and watched Kazuha wake Gorou up to give him medicine.
Maybe it was his hunger, but the breakfast sandwich felt like the best thing he had ever eaten.
Bonus ft. Hispanic Heizou and spanish-learning Scara because i can:
(& a slightly suggestive joke, translations in notes)
“Sana sana colita de rana, si no sana hoy, sanará mañana,” Heizou sang as he ran his fingers through Gorou’s hair now that the latter was deep asleep in bed after eating some food and taking medicine that made him very drowsy. Scara sat beside Heizou on the side of the bed and asked, “I thought it went ‘culito de rana’?”
“Eh? No, it’s ‘colita’.”
“I prefer 'culito'.”
Heizou seemed to hold in a laugh, but kept his composure, “I know you do.”