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A day off for the head of the Kamisato clan was rare. So, such an occasion was something Ayato extensively looked forward to. Of course, he was up early as he couldn't afford to ruin his sleep schedule for a single day, but he didn't mind when he had his lovely retainer looking after him.
Thoma should've been here by now, with morning tea and some casual news about what had been happening around the estate or the Komore Teahouse. It was all pleasant nonsense, not that Ayato paid attention to what he said, but he enjoyed the chatter anyway.
Ayato preferred the rigid, predictable routine, and Thoma knew this. So why was he late?
It was entirely unlike him to have overslept, and he couldn't have forgotten their usual routine.
Ayato sat there for a while longer, but as Thoma was not showing up, he decided to get up and find him. He wasn't the kind to get angry. Especially not over something like this, but he was curious about where his retainer could be if not here.
Ayato left his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He wasn't appropriately dressed, but he didn't care. As spacious as it was, he was still in his own home and should be allowed to roam in his night clothes on his day off if he so pleased.
He kept a brisk pace across the cold, hardwood floor, regretting that he'd forgotten to wear socks. No matter, returning to the comfort of tatami wouldn't be too far off as Thoma's room was relatively close by. Perfect for any midnight instances where the clan head would need him.
Escape from the cold floor would have to wait a moment; he couldn't just barge in, especially without knowing if Thoma was inside. Ayato leaned over to the door, hearing some rustling inside. He decided to knock.
"Thoma? Are you in there?"
Nothing at first. The rustling just stopped.
"My apologies, waka sama, I'm not sure what happened- I'll be there in a moment!"
Ayato breathed a quick sigh of relief.
"Take your time, Thoma; I'm not some house plant that needs constant attention that would die if left alone."
He then frowned. That didn't sound like Thoma's usual self at all. Instead, his voice sounded stuffy and raw, not at all like it was yesterday.
"…would you mind if I come in, Thoma? This cold floor is killing me."
“of course, wakaka sama! Please come inside."
Ayato heard Thoma stumbling over to the door before it slid open.
Immediately, he could tell something was wrong.
Thoma was always so put together. He was so neat, even with all the work he had to do. Ayato admired that he managed to keep himself well-groomed yet still could keep both the estate and Ayato in pristine condition.
Today though, to put it frankly, Thoma was the complete opposite.
It was surprising how different he looked already without his usual headband. His usually nearly tied blonde hair was loose and tangled, and his clothes crooked and wrinkled. However, his flushed cheeks and sweat over ashen skin were the most telling about his less-than-ideal health.
"You're a mess," Ayato stated bluntly.
"is everything alright?"
The answer seemed to come quickly enough, "I'm well, don't worry! I just slept in; my apologies again-"
That answer may have satisfied a fool, but a fool Ayato was not. He took a gamble and pressed a cool hand against Thoma's conveniently exposed forehead.
"Archons above, you're burning up! If you're sick, you should've just said so."
Ayato quickly ushered his retainer back into his room. Once he was safely within and closed the door behind him, he turned to Thoma, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to crawl under his blankets.
"you're not working under these conditions; I won't allow it."
"but-"
"back to bed; that's an order."
He pretended not to see the look of relief that washed over Thoma as he made him take off his jacket and lay back down.
"There, that's it. Rest well. You'll only get worse if you push yourself and take longer to recover."
Ayato pulled the covers over him before getting up.
"Now stay there; I'll go make you some-"
he stopped, noticing the mildly horrified expression Thoma failed to hide completely.
"I will ask someone to make you some tea."
Ayato walked out of the room, cringing at the cold floor. Right, socks. He could've asked to borrow a pair from Thoma. But, no, that would require him to get out of bed to get them. Never mind, he would get some of his own later.
He quickly made his way to the kitchens, knowing people would be there by now preparing breakfast for the rest of the household. He would inform them of Thoma's condition, get some tea, and bring it back. Simple enough.
As he neared the kitchen doors, they flew open, and a maid with a tray nearly ran straight into him, the tray contents toppling over.
"Sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry, my lord!" she apologized frantically.
"It's quite alright; please, calm down."
Feeling warmth against his chest, Ayato looked down to see what she'd spilled on her. Tea. Perfect.
"This is just what I was looking for. I'll take this. Please inform everyone that Thoma is sick on your way back for a replacement. I'm having him take the day off."
The maid looked relieved that she wasn't in any trouble.
"of course, my lord!"
She bowed and hurried away, leaving the wet mess of a tray behind him.
Ayato got a good look at the tray; some cups were knocked over, tea all over it, and some dripped on the floor. Well, at least his feet weren't cold anymore. What had gotten on his clothes was starting to cool, so now that was cold.
He awkwardly righted the toppled-over cups, cursing slightly as more tea spilled on the floor. He sighed. Well. That's what servants were for.
He stood there for a while, contemplating how to carry it back to Thoma's room without causing more casualties. Thoma always made it look so easy…
His walk to Thoma's bedroom was slow but uneventful. A trail of drops of tea and damp footprints followed him. All his focus went into protecting the teapot; he didn't care how much of a mess he made to archive it.
He, or more likely someone else, would clean that up later.
When he reached the door, he paused and listened carefully for any sounds coming from inside. Nothing. He cautiously pushed the door open and peered inside, the sight of his retainer asleep on his futon immediately taking all his attention. Thoma was curled into a little ball, his body heaving with labored breaths.
He adjusted the tray in his hands so he could open the door to fit through.
"Thoma? Are you awake? I got your tea. I swear by the almighty shogun I had no part in its brewing."
He set the tray beside Thoma's futon, selecting the least wet cup available and carefully pouring the teapot's contents into it.
He glanced over, hearing the rustling of blankets next to him.
"…thank you, Ayato- you didn't have to."
"oh my, you sound even worse than before. Enough of your self-sacrificial nonsense. Come on, let me help you sit up."
What Ayato lacked in domestic skills, he could at least make up in strength. Once he got Thoma sitting, he wrapped the blanket around him before handing him his tea. He ignored what dripped onto the floor in the process. It was tiny enough that it would dry on its own.
Hopefully.
Thoma drank a mouthful of tea, wincing as the heat seeped into his throat.
Even still, Ayato could see the relief wash over him.
"Don't worry about resting. I've already told everyone about your condition. Food should be brought to us soon."
Thoma seemed too busy blankly staring into his teacup to respond, so Ayato kept talking. He poured himself a cup of tea while he was at it.
"You're lucky this happened on my day off. I'm unsure how I would've managed that tea escapade while having work to do afterward."
Unfortunately, his chuckle was cut off by Thoma's ragged voice.
"I'm sorry this had to happen today. On your day off of all days- You should be relaxing, not-
Ayato quickly silenced him.
"Oh, Thoma…ever so diligent. But I told you already. If you work under these conditions, you'll only get worse. You understood, didn't you?"
Thoma knew better than to object.
"You'd be useless to me if this condition continues or worsens. My command for you now is to rest and recover."
"Understood…"
"If anything happens, let someone know. I'll be here."
"yes, my lord."
Ayato gave him a gentler smile, pleased with his obedience.
"There are worse things I could do than this on my day off, Thoma. I enjoy spending time with you, no matter what we do."