Work Text:
A temporary truce had been established by the Gilgameshes. There would be no fighting and (little to) no arguing with one another at this time. They would all come together and, for once, put their differences aside.
The reason for this truce? Why, it couldn't be anything other than Enkidu. Enkidu, who had been struck with fever yet again. Sumerian fever this time. While not the same killer as the wasting disease they'd once had, it was still a formidable one in its own right. And with the way this was going, death appeared once more inevitable.
Ereshkigal would pay dearly for this: or, that is, she would have. If all of Chaldea, including the three of them, weren't also ill with the same fever.
Enkidu moaned in pain from where they lay in bed, eyes unable to focus as sweat coated their forehead and cheeks. Despite their own fevers and fatigue, pure pride and arrogance kept the three kings upright for now, all crowded around Enkidu's side.
Child Gil was literally on the bed next to them, propped up on his knees. He held one wrist looped in his small hands, his lips pressed tight and eyes filled with uncertainty.
Archer Gilgamesh sat in a chair at their other side, Enkidu's other hand clasped between both of his and held to his mouth. His eyes were wide in reminiscent fear, for this was far too similar to the previous experience the two had shared. He watched their chest heave, frozen, unable to look away.
Caster Gilgamesh stood by Archer's side at the head of the bed, subtly leaning against the mattress for support of his aching legs. He brushed Enkidu's bangs away, and replaced the now freshly cool wash cloth on their forehead. His hand relished in the cold itself, but he wasn't concerned with that right now. Instead, he swept his fingers across the sea of green hair covering their pillow before placing his palm on top of Enkidu's head. His jaw clenched tight, eyes hard.
It was pure misery to watch Enkidu suffer. Not just now in the moment, but again, a second time, and only made worse by their own conditions. Why Ereshkigal would curse Chaldea like this, none of them understood. Nor, unfortunately, were any of them currently fit to investigate.
There was only one person they could feel through their servant's bond who wasn't yet sick. For the longest time, however, they had assumed that was simply a matter of waiting.
Then Child Gil's body finally gave into the pressure. His eyes clouded and fingers came undone from Enkidu's wrist. He wobbled a moment, catching the other two's gazes in surprise. He shakily put his arms out to catch himself as he fell over next to Enkidu, gasping for breath. Within thirty seconds, the child was passed out.
Archer and Caster's surprise vanished as soon as it had come, sharing a grim look instead. After all, this wasn't actually surprising. Sumerian fever targeted the young and the frail hardest. Despite his pride and arrogance, Child Gil was still young.
Caster assumed it wouldn't be long now until he was next. He, after all, had been summoned out of his prime, during a time in which he'd kept up with little to no physical training, and was in the terrible process of working himself to literal death. He might not have fit the traditional definition of 'frail,' but for a version of himself, King Gilgamesh - if the child's young immune system had already failed him, then Caster's weakened body should not last much longer.
At this point, he checked to be certain, Fujimaru somehow remained healthy.
"Archer," Caster said firmly, addressing his younger, fitter self. "You have the most strength out of all three of us. You will be the last to fall. Go find our master, who has yet to become ill - likely due to Ereshkigal's affection for him - and aid him on a quest to the underworld. It's the only way to reverse this."
Archer didn't move an inch. It was as though he hadn't heard him.
Caster furrowed his brow and grit his teeth. He ignored the way his muscles cried out for rest, his skin for the cold, his tired mind for slumber, and snapped, "It is the only way to save Enkidu!"
This time, Archer's eye flicked to him with utter hatred.
"I know that," he growled, voice low and words slow. His grip on their hand, still pressed to his mouth, tightened. "But I will not leave. I will not leave just to come back and learn they passed before I could succeed. If Enkidu dies, Ereshkigal will not simply be able to let them go as she once did you." His eyes turned watery and expression sorrowful as he looked back to Enkidu, ever lost in their feverish daze. "I was with them when they passed the first time, and I shall be here when they either recover or pass again."
Caster sucked in a harsh, furious breath that made his lungs burn. "You complete fool! You would rather increase the chance they die than do the one thing that may save them!? What are you thinking!? I don't recall being such a coward!"
Archer's anger reignited, but he didn't face him. His stare remained on Enkidu. "I have already lost too much time with them!" he exclaimed. "As you of all people should well know! I spent too much time avoiding them here as well. I will not let them die alone, with only an unconscious child and old man lying prone at their sides. If they cry out, I must be here to let them know..."
His words faded off, not revealing what he wanted to tell them.
Caster had a few pretty good ideas what it might be nonetheless.
Regardless, his reproach was palpable. But nothing was going to get through to Archer, he saw. For all that he had the biggest head and mouth between the three of them, he had been the one who had lost Enkidu in life. He was the one currently reliving the three's worst nightmare. He didn't have the inexperience of the child, who had just witnessed this for himself for the first time, nor the distance of years that Caster possessed. Archer, as he was, was left entirely immobile.
On some level, Caster pitied him. He knew exactly what Archer meant, despite those years of distance. If the roles were reversed, he knew he would say the same.
But this didn't matter right now. What mattered was that the master needed to be found and Ereshkigal dealt with. It was the only way to save Enkidu.
"Fine," Caster huffed. He pushed off the bed and labored to the doorway, every limb protesting the effort. Get into bed with Enkidu, his poor body cried, and rest. Rest. Lay down and rest, please! "I shall go to the underworld with Master."
Archer offered no response.
Caster opened the door and looked back. Archer had fallen forward on Enkidu's torso. For a moment, the older Gilgamesh wondered if he'd been wrong in his prediction of who would be next. Then he saw Archer's back rise with expanding lungs and heard him wretch an awful sob. Caster grimaced.
He exited through the door.
"Gil. Gil! Wake up, please!"
The first thing Caster realized upon awakening, eyes still closed, was that he had never made it to the underworld. His strength had withered far too much on the way to Fujimaru. Thus, he had spouted some bravado and entrusted the entire task to him, hoping that would be enough. In the end, Caster remembered, he'd collapsed.
The second thing he realized was that now, he felt good as new. Well, good as new as he could be in this form. The way he had been before the fever struck; in other words, he had regained his health.
The third thing he realized was that he was still lying on the floor of Chaldea's halls, but his head was in a lap, held there by a hand on either side. And the voice above him was far too familar.
Caster creaked his eyes open. His heart suddenly soared at seeing Enkidu's joyful face above him. He reached a hand up to cup their cheek, basking in the way they grinned at the touch.
"You had me worried there for a minute," they teased. "You know, Nursery Rhyme's been telling me all the new fairy tales from the passed few centuries lately. I was starting to wonder if the king would need a kiss to wake up."
Caster started. All at once, his arm retracted and eyes shut. "Actually, I still feel a bit sluggish..."
A swift, metallic kick to his side burst his eyes back open.
Archer's annoyed glare appeared high above Enkidu's head, arms crossed over his chest. "You old fool. If you wish to play the damsel princess, do it where no one can see the embarrassment I will day become."
Caster snarled. He could already feel a nasty bruise forming on his rib. "Your boot is made of gold, you idiot! Have more appreciation, for I did what you couldn't!"
Archer looked away with a huff, but the slight pout of his lips exposed his shame. That, at least, appeased Caster a moment.
"Geeze!" Caster turned his head, seeing his Child self sitting on his knees by his other side, hanging his head in similar annoyance. "I really grow up to be you morons? Enkidu, why do you hang out with these weirdos?"
Enkidu smiled gently at Child Gil. "I like your older selves. They're fun."
Child Gil raised his head in fond expaseration. "So I'm in love with someone with bad taste, huh? I wonder what that says about me- HEY!"
Unlike Caster, Child Gil managed to twist out of the way before Archer's kick could reach him.
"Little brat," Archer sneered. "This is why no one happily remembers being you."
Child Gil snorted, unimpressed. "Woah, so cold."
"All right," Caster mediated, sitting up. He reluctantly pulled himself from Enkidu's lap, turning around to face them as he sat crossed-legged. "I see that Ereshkigal has lifted her curse. How are you feeling?"
Enkidu tilted their head with a smile. They chirped, "I've never been better! I have discovered, however, that I despise fevers with a passion. That was the second worst experience I've ever had in my life. What about you? When I awoke, Child Gil was by my side and Archer Gil was on top of me, but I couldn't find you. Archer filled me in on what happened, but then we found you here... Are you okay, Gil?"
Caster blinked. "Am I the last servant to awaken?"
Enkidu shook their head. "Hardly, but I still worried when I saw you laying here. I thought you would have been upright with Master. Luckily, he also explained."
Caster flushed deeply.
"Wow, you're red," Child Gil mocked gleefully. "Don't worry, we know you never went to the underworld. You just told Fujimaru what to do."
Archer scoffed, yet made no comment. A slight flush ran from his neck to the tips of his ears.
Enkidu, meanwhile, was serene. "I'm thankful, nevertheless. You all looked out for me." Their smile dropped. "I'm also sorry I made you worry again. The first time was unbearable, but this...to watch me in such a state a second time...it seems I must always be a burden on your shoulders, Gil. You three deser- "
"I don't want to hear the end of that sentence," Archer interrupted, closing his eyes. He reopened them sternly. "You are my precious friend. I will not listen to any nonsense about not deserving or needing you. I hope one day, you accept the fact that I - we - care for you deeply, Enkidu, and that is not a burden."
Enkidu stiffened. "I do, Gil! I just..."
Caster took one of their hands in both of his, not unlike the way Archer had clasped it in his earlier. "Besides, this was Ereshkigal's doing, not yours. You needn't blame yourself. I - we - would do anything for you, and that is because you are so precious to us. Don't you dare try to water down our decisions to feel pity for yourself. Do not utter a single word about being a weapon."
Enkidu's shoulders slumped. They didn't look entirely like they believed them, but they nodded anyway.
The three Gilgameshes shared a thoughtful glance at that. It was sufficient for now; they knew this was an issue they would take a long time to resolve with Enkidu. For the time being, it was simply best to close this second fever chapter and move on.
Child Gil jumped up to hug Enkidu's neck tightly. "You're my favorite person in the whole world, Enkidu! I'm only glad you're okay. That's the most important thing to me. So, with everything said and done, do you want to come to the waterpark with me? Hahaha, after this sweaty fiasco, I don't think I ever want to leave a body of water again!"
Enkidu finally smiled, reaching up to hold the child's elbow. "Of course I'd love to. After all this, I think I've had enough of the heat as well. Not only that, but you need a babysitter to keep you from peeping on the women, right? I'll gladly fulfill that role."
Child Gil's smile froze as Enkidu's grip tightened and a tighter arm wrapped around his waist, bringing him closer. When they let go, he let out a nervous laugh.
"See? Already back to normal," he said. "What would I do without you? Probably grow up to be him over there."
Archer scowled at the tiny thumb jerked towards him. "I haven't harassed anyone since Enkidu was summoned, you twerp."
Child Gil shot him the side eye a moment, before looking back at Enkidu. A thoughtful pause passed. Then, he lurched forward, surprising Enkidu with a bone-crushing hug. Just as quickly, Child Gil jumped away and sped down the hall. "I'll meet you at the waterpark! Don't be late!"
Enkidu watched him go, still visibly thrown off. With a shake of their head, they smiled once more and chuckled. "You're so cute when you're little, Gil. He really is something special."
"He's a pain is what he is," Archer replied snobbishly.
Yet he knelt down, putting one hand on Enkidu's shoulder, and whispered something in their ear. Surprise colored Enkidu yet again, but when Archer pulled away, they both smiled and gave each other a kiss. Archer's face lost all severity as he gazed down at Enkidu, and like that, he was briskly walking away in the other direction. Enkidu smiled at his back as well.
All that left was Caster.
Enkidu took his hand and they both stood up.
Enkidu pressed themself to his chest. "Well, I have a date with Archer Gil tonight," they said coyly.
Caster hummed. He ran his fingers through their hair, grazing the line of their spine beneath their dress. "Why am I not shocked?"
"And I have to meet Child Gil at the waterpark soon," they added sweetly.
"Yes, I'm aware."
Enkidu brushed their finger tips on his collar bones, eyes hooded in amusement. "Would Caster Gil like to accompany me to the cafeteria for a meal first? It doesn't feel right if I don't spend any time with you today. Besides, I owe one to all of my caretakers, don't I?"
"You owe nothing," Caster smiled down at them adoringly. "I will take you up on that offer, however."
Slotting an arm around Enkidu's waist, the two began to walk.
"Oh, and Gil?" they inquired, leaning against him.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I told the other two this before, so it's only fair I tell it to you, too: Thank you for caring for me. All of you, in each way that you did. I really do appreciate how much you love me. And I love you, too."
Caster's eyes fell half mast. He pulled them closer to his side and nuzzled his cheek to the top of their head. "You are ever welcome, Enkidu."
All that mattered, Caster thought as he and Enkidu passed other awakening servants, was that his most precious person was alive and safe. It was all he'd wanted from the beginning.
Just like his other self, he had long realized the error of his ways back when he was first summoned to Chaldea. Avoiding them out of guilt had been a mistake.
Caster had already learned his lesson once when the snake stole his immortality, and another lesson when Kingu made his sacrifice against Tiamat. It taken a while to learn his third with Enkidu here at Chaldea, but he had learned it.
If Caster had a second chance to be with Enkidu, the person he loved most in this world, then he was going to take it. There would be no losing them ever again, not if he had anything to say about it.
Gilgamesh was never going to merely let them go again.