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"Who could be calling at thisss hour?" A tired hiss laced with irritation cut through the ringtone of his partner's phone.
"Don't know but dere bout'a catch des hands!" A low deep growl grumbled beside his serpentine lover as one out of his six hands groped for the bright phone on the stand beside him.
Pentious unleashed a large tired yawn just as Arackniss finally grabbed hold of the phone.
"Tony?"
"What on Earth isss he calling you for? We're practically neighborssss!"
"E'llo? Tony, what da fuck are you's callen me for? Its-"
Arackniss pulled his phone away from his ear and saw the screen flash his lockscreen background along with the time.
"Fuck Tony, its 2 in da morn'!"
His irritation dwindled slightly when in return of his aggravation, his little brother's voice whimpered out miserably on his end, "I don't feel good-"
"Toooony!"
The smaller spider's head sat back along the headboard of his and Pentious' bed. His breath flared through his nose, teeth bared at the ceiling.
"Why issssn't Husker or Alasssstor attending you?" Sir Pentious asked, blankets slipping off his scaly upper body as he rose up in an alert manner.
"Cause, I want my brother?" Angel's sick voice shivered on the other end, the phone sitting in the spider's lap, his head still resting upon the back wall.
"Tony, I swear ta Mama if dis is some kinda stupid bullshit your try'n ta pull!"
"Den don't bother, sorry I asked!"
Without another word, Angel's end hung up, leaving the older brother with his homescreen wallpaper visible to both men on the bed.
It was of a smiling Angel with his twin sister Molly by his side and Arackniss between.
Sir Pentious offered to take the shot that now stared them in the face.
It was a simple picture that left a bitter taste in the spider's mouth as he opened his four remaining eyes and looked at the dark ceiling above.
"You know you care, Dear~" Pentious hissed softly, knowing his lover's eyes had opened again even if the side he saw was scarred and empty.
With a tender kiss to his spiders scarred cheek, the snake offered kindly, getting himself out of bed first, "I'll make ssssome tea~"
"Pent?"
The snake needed not to be verbally told what kept his lover stuck in his blankets. He knew his Little Sniper had enough strength to be there despite his memories of the past.
He just needed a little reminding~
"He only rememberssss your care, my Dear~"
"Care you got from your Mother, passed down~"
"It hurts-"
"You can do thisss my Love~"
With a shaky breath in and out, Arackniss gave a last look at the dark ceiling then stepped silently out of the bed and grabbed for his boxers and a pair of shorts and button up shirt.
"Sssshe's so proud of you, Dear~" Pentious whispered when his beloved halted at their Hotel room door.
With a last little, "You can do thiss~" Arackniss turned the knob and stepped into the empty quiet hallway.
-
“Get your ass back in dat bed!" I hear growling at me from the doorway to my room.
I'd stepped out to get myself water or juice, somethen, and then-
"Oh, you're here to help me, den?" I hack then clean my nose on the back of my upper right hand.
"Anthony- Just.. Just get back into your room- Pent's grabben you's tea!"
"A'right, fine!"
Together with my older yet much smaller brother beside me, we get into my room and I'm led back to my bed.
Fat Nuggets not having moved from where I last saw him.
"Hey, Baby~" I shiver, getting tucked back into bed.
I wrap my arms around the Hell Pig and he licks my sad sick face with a loving little tongue.
"You're burning up, Tony!"
"Ya think?"
Texting sounds alert me to what Arackniss was doing and I look through hazy eyes towards him.
"I told Pen ta grab you's some medicine for this shit as he worked!"
"Niss, its'a cold! I really just wanted my brother ta be here.. What's got your fur so bristled?"
I hug Nuggets close and feel my heart drop as I'm told exactly why he reacted the way he did-
"I watched Mama pass cause Pops didn't care ta believe in Hospitals!"
"Nissy.."
"Anytime one of you's was sick after dat horrible day-" I actually saw tears in his remaining eyes.
"I'm sorry I acted how I did, it's just.."
I hug him next, pulling him into my bed in the process.
His fluffy charcoal head rests underneath my cream colored chin fluff, and we stayed put for what felt like a millennia!
Our silence was broken only when his snake lover arrived with his items.
I feel Niss clearing away his tears and addressing Pentious myself to give him time.
"Sorry for da rude wakeup call. "
"It'sss no trouble, Mr. Dust~"
Niss turns back toward his lover and I can settle back into my blankets.
"Thanks, Pen~" I hear him say warmly and smile behind his back.
That damn snake turned my brother to jello and it was amazing~
"Now, I hear it'ssss a cold?"
"Ya.. He's burning up…"
"With us working together and with him on bedressst, your brother will be back to himssself in no time~"
"You's sure you want dat?" I chuckle and get a snarky smile back.
"Lay down, would'ja?"
I blow air through my nose his way but curl up contently back into the bed.
Fat Nuggets squeals happily at my return and settles down right by my head.
"I have here for you my Good Ssssir, some Antipyreticsss! It blocks or reversessss fever's cytokine-mediated rissse in core temperature, but does not affect body temperature in the afebrile sssstate!"
"Fucken what?"
The shit eating grin of Niss' smug face tells me I was about to be 'learned' and await my schooling as I lie sick in bed!
"Tylenol dumbass! He's given you's Tylenol flu medication!"
"Den just say so?"
"Naaah, you woke us, you get taught~" Arackniss sneers as Pentious hands me a mug with warm soothing tea and in fact, two fucken Tylenol pills!
"Could'a said, pills, medication, shit, could have even been jelly beans!"
"But nooo! Fucken, Antipyreticsss-s-s!"
"Sssomeone is overtired~"
"Ya, tired of all dis nonsense about pills being called Anti whatevers!"
"He gets cranky when he's sick." Arackniss muses and I chatter my teeth his way before downing the pills.
"And you know it!"
"Lay back down, Tony~" I'm told and get lightly pushed back onto my bed.
When did I rise from hugging Nuggets?
"Dats it, Tony, drink ya tea now and relax~"
Niss' voice is like when we were alive. When me or Moll's was sick~
Still low but laced with care.
His twisted arm reaches for my forehead and I'm brought back to his hand back when brushing through my hair, rubbing my head, trying to sooth me to sleep~
"I'm sorry for maken you go through dat, Nissy-"
I see pain in his four remaining eyes then warmth as he began to smile, patting my head like he use to, "Rest now, Tony~ You'll feel better soon~"
I close my eyes as requested and smile lightly under his kind hand.
"Love you, Nissy~"
His answer doesn't come right away but it never did so, I didn't feel hurt by the stretch of silence that followed.
It's only when, somehow he knew I was going under the medication that he answered.
Kissing my forehead before speaking, I slip off to sleep, no longer so chilled and ouchy feeling.
"I love you too, Tony~"