Work Text:
Kazuha woke up to the gentle pitter-patter of rain, the wind softly howling outside their bedroom window. It was dark inside the bedroom. Kazuha's bleary eyes caught a glimpse of the digital watch that rested on the bedside table.
2:30 AM
Sighing softly, Kazuha buried his face back into the pillow, shivering as he did. He was still partially asleep, and oh so happy that it wasn't almost time to get up. The sound of the autumn showers outside only made him drowsier, even if it also made the air frigid and cold. Kazuha shivered again.
It had been a chilly day, but he didn't think it would get that cold throughout the night. Their bedroom felt a little like the inside of a fridge. Not pleasant.
Kazuha had half a mind to roll over and snuggle up to his boyfriend for warmth. He could hear Gorou's soft snores on the other side of the bed. While the temptation was there, Kazuha couldn't shake the thought that maybe he should just get up and go check that they remembered to close the window . That would be an explanation for why it was so cold.
Reluctantly, Kazuha slipped out of his warm cocoon of blankets. A full-body shiver rippled through him the moment his bare feet touched the cold tiled floor. Kazuha shuddered, getting to his feet and feeling his way across the room in the dark. His arms and legs were hard with goosebumps beneath his sleepwear.
Somewhere in the room, there was an inaudible mumble. Kazuha looked over his shoulder, only barely able to make out Gorou's shape in the dark.
"Kaz…?" He asked sleepily, still curled up in bed.
Compared to Kazuha, Gorou was a light sleeper. The smallest bump in the night woke him up.
"Sorry." Kazuha whispered in the dark. "I'm just checking the windows."
Gorou let out a soft hum in response, letting his head drop back onto the pillow. Kazuha pulled back the curtain, reaching for the window. He was expecting it to be open, a gust of cold air ready to hit him square in the face. To his surprise, the window was firmly closed, and locked as well. His hand moved along the wooden frame in the dark, feeling for any cold air seeping into the room. When he didn't find any, he let the curtains fall closed again, turning around to return to bed. The tempreture must have just dropped significantly throughout the night, he'll have to look at turning the heating on the next day. Winter was coming early.
"All good?" Gorou asked groggily when Kazuha crawled back into bed, tugging the covers around himself tightly.
"Yeah." Kazuha closed his eyes, shivering beneath the covers. His whole body felt like ice from getting out of bed, and his teeth were chattering. "I was worried we left the window open, because its so cold." He shuddered at the end of his sentence.
"Hm." Gorou hummed sleepily. He was quiet for a moment. "It's not that cold, is it?"
"It's absolutely freezing." Kazuha responded, opening his eyes again in the dark. "I feel like I just walked through a freezer."
There was a shuffle in the dark as Gorou worked his arm out beneath the covers to feel the cold air. He shook his head. "It's a little nippy, but its not that bad." In the dark he held out his arms, beckoning Kazuha closer to him. "C'mere, I'll warm you up."
Kazuha gratefully shuffled over to his boyfriend, immediately nestling himself into his arms. Gorou wrapped him up in a tight embrace, and Kazuha rested his face against his chest, breezing out a soft sigh of relief when he felt Gorou's body heat seap into him. It was quiet for a moment, save for Gorou's heartbeat thumping beneath his ear, and the rain continuing to softly fall outside. Gorou's hands were feeling along his back in a gentle manner, making their way up to his hair.
"Your clothes and hair are damp." Gorou said all of a sudden. Kazuha felt his lips by his hairline, before Gorou sharply pulled his head back. "Kazuha, you're burning up, you have a fever."
"What?" Kazuha frowned against Gorou's chest. "No that can't be it, I'm fine."
Gorou manoeuvred a hand free, which he firmly planted against Kazuha's forehead. "I'm not kidding right now, Kaz, you feel like you're on fire."
The next moment Gorou had pulled completely away from Kazuha, and he groaned in protest when the source of heat completely disappeared beside him. There was a shuffle in the dark, before the lamp on Gorou's side of the bed flickered on. Kazuha pushed himself up on one arm, only to immediately feel Gorou's hand back on his forehead.
"You definitely have a fever." Gorou was sitting upright next to him, eyebrows knitted together in concern.
When Gorou pulled his hand back, Kazuha stiffly sat up all the way. He shivered as he did, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. The dim light from the lamp stung his eyes.
"Are you feeling okay?" Gorou asked, his hands now gently resting against either of Kazuha's cheeks.
"Mostly, yeah." Kazuha said, leaning his head into one of Gorou's hands. His felt Gorou's fingers comb through his sweaty hair. "I'm just really cold. Tired too. My head hurts a little bit." He shivered again.
Gorou nodded silently, letting Kazuha rest his head in his cupped hand. "Do you want me to go get you something for that fever?"
"You don't have to, it's the middle of the night." Kazuha said, opening his eyes again so he could meet Gorou's.
"Don't be silly." Gorou scowled. "Of course I don't mind how late it is. I'll go get you something, maybe you'll be able to sleep most of this off. At the very least it should shake off those chills so you're not shivering so much."
Kazuha gave Gorou a half-hearted and grateful smile, nodding. He truly felt beat , much more tired than when he had initially went to bed. Gorou had barely left the bedroom for a few minutes before he returned, clutching a bottle of water from the fridge, and a bottle of pills in the other hand. Kazuha sat up all the way, reaching out to take them from Gorou. His hands were shaking slightly.
Gorou took the water bottle and remainder of the medication back when Kazuha was finished, simply depositing it on the nightstand next to the lamp. Kazuha was already lying back down again.
"Is there anything else I can get you, anything you need?" Gorou asked him.
"I just want to sleep." Kazuha responded softly. "Could you hold me again? For warmth?"
Gorou's expression softened. "Of course." He leaned back, switching the lamp off again, before laying back down. Immediately Kazuha curled up against him, burying his face into the soft fabric of the t-shirt Gorou slept in. Gorou gathered Kazuha's feverish form up in his arms, holding him tightly. He gently pressed his lips against his warm forehead. "Wake me up if you need anything, okay?"
Kazuha only hummed softly in response, already mostly asleep. Letting out a soft exhale, Gorou leaned his head back on the pillow, closing his eyes again. He drifted off to the sound of Kazuha's soft breathing against his chest.
________
When Kazuha woke up again, the chills had all but disappeared. His muscles ached with cold, goosebumps covering his limbs. The mild headache had also morphed into a steady pulse right behind his eyes, something akin to the onset of a migraine. He felt straight up miserable.
Kazuha didn't open his eyes, pulling the covers more tightly around himself and letting out a long exhale. It was answered by a familiar hand atop his forehead, gently resting against his warm skin for a moment, before moving to gently comb fingers through his hair. Only then did Kazuha realise that he wasn't actually lying on a pillow, but with his head in someone's lap.
Kazuha's eyes finally opened and he turned his head, squinting up at the face looking down at him. Gorou smiled when their eyes met, his hand in Kazuha's head stilling.
"Hey, you awake?" Gorou asked softly. It was a silly question, not that Kazuha minded.
"Mm." Kazuha hummed softly, letting his head fall back into place and his eyes closing again. Gorou's fiddling with his hair resumed. "What time is it?" It must be late already if somebody who loved sleeping in as much as Gorou, was already up.
"Almost 9 am." Gorou responded. "I didn't want to wake you. Your fever still hasn't broken."
"That explains the cold." Kazuha shivered softly. He turned his head, burying his face against Gorou's thigh. "I don't feel great."
"I'm sorry." Gorou said sympathetically. "At least we don't have anywhere to be. We can spend all day lounging on the couch in front of the TV. How does that sound?"
"It sounds nice." Kazuha admitted softly, not opening his eyes. "I don't have the energy for much else."
Gorou only nodded. His fingers brushed through Kazuha's hair a few more times, before his hand transitioned back to his forehead. "You're really warm. Would you mind if I got up and grabbed the thermometer?"
Kazuha shook his head, before lifting it just enough for Gorou to slip out. When he lay his head back down again, Gorou had already put a pillow beneath him. The sound of Gorou's bare feet on the tiled floor disappeared out of the bedroom and down the hallway into the bathroom, followed by a few moments of rummaging before he came walking back. Kazuha waited until he felt Gorou sit down on the bed next to him, before he opened his eyes again, lifting his head.
"If you want to go back to sleep after this I won't mind." Gorou must've been able to tell that he wasn't feeling good. "As long as you promise to drink a glass of water first."
"I'd rather not spend the entire day in bed." Kazuha said as he stiffly sat up, shivering. A mild wave of nausea washed over him, and he closed his eyes for a moment. "Then again, I feel pretty bad."
Gorou smiled sympathetically, holding out the thermometer. Kazuha took it with shaky hands, before placing it in his mouth. Now sitting upright, he felt just how sweaty he was, he clothes damp and stuck to his skin.
"I'm gross." Kazuha mumbled, his voice muffled around the thermometer.
"You're feverish." Gorou scolded gently, wrapping an arm around Kazuha's shoulders. He responded by leaning his head onto his shoulder, closing his eyes.
The thermometer beeped after a while, the shrill rapid sound a clear sign of fever. Gorou took it from Kazuha's mouth, holding it up to read the number.
"38.7°C" He announced, pulling a bit of a face. "That's… higher than I expected it to be."
"Great." Kazuha mumbled softly, not lifting his head from Gorou's shoulder. Part of him felt too disgusting and sweaty to be pressed up against his boyfriend, while the other part felt too miserable to care.
"Do you want to drink that glass of water and go back to sleep, or would you rather get up?" Gorou asked, as he resumed combing his fingers through Kazuha's hair. "If you do get up though, I'm sentencing you to the couch until that fever goes down."
Kazuha smiled vaguely. He was almost tempted to go straight back to bed, but he also knew Gorou worried easily. He wouldn't leave his side, and Kazuha would hate to also trap him in the bedroom. "Maybe we could follow through on those plans of lounging in front of the TV."
"If you feel up to it." Gorou seemed relieved by Kazuha's response. He gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I'll get you that glass of water."
With a quick kiss to his boyfriend's feverish cheek, Gorou jumped up from the bed and jogged out of the room. Kazuha could only chuckle softly, lovingly, as he wrapped the blankets more tightly around himself. He hoped Gorou didn't catch whatever he did, at least not until we was well enough to fuss over him the same way.
Gorou came back shortly, carrying a glass of water filled to the brim while being careful not to spill any of it. He carefully kept his hands atopt Kazuha's as he took it, like he was worried he'd drop it. The first few sips felt heavenly in Kazuha's dry throat, but putting something in his stomach immediately made him feel a little nauseous. He lowered the partially full glass, letting it rest on his knee. Gorou didn't push him to drink it, letting him take his time.
"I feel so gross." Kazuha said softly, awkwardly reaching up to wipe some of the sweat from his neck. "I need a shower."
"If you feel up to it." Gorou squeezed his hand softly. "It might help you feel better, maybe bring down your fever a little."
It took almost ten minutes for Kazuha to finish the entire glass of water. When he did, his stomach felt full and tender, the water settling in it like a rock. Closing his eyes for a moment, Kazuha rested his head on Gorou's shoulder, closing his eyes.
"Still okay?" Gorou asked him gently. "If you don't feel up to that shower, I can run you a bath instead?"
"No, I'm okay." Kazuha managed a weak smile before lifting his head again. "Just a little nauseous."
Gorou's face fell. "Kazuha, why didn't you say anything? I wouldn't have prompted you to drink all that water if I knew, I was just worried about you getting dehydrated…"
"Hey, its okay." Kazuha cut him off gently, resting a hand on Gorou's. "I don't feel that sick, just a little queasy. I'll be okay."
"If you're sure."
"I'm going to take that shower, why don't you get some proper breakfast in the meantime?" Kazuha suggested. "I'll eat later when my stomach is more settled."
"Alright, but promise you'll call out to me if you need any help whatsoever?" Gorou asked, cupping Kazuha's warm cheek with one hand so he was looking him in the eye.
"Promise." Kazuha whispered, and Gorou leaned forward to give him a kiss on the forehead.
Kazuha's limbs felt stiff and achy when he got out of bed. Full-body shivers traveled up his spine without the covers on the bed to keep out the cold. Before he disappeared down the hallway to the kitchen, Gorou promised to boil water for a hot water bottle.
His movements were slow and lethargic as Kazuha slowly peeled his sweaty sleep clothes off him. He tossed them into the laundry basket, not bothering to pick the shirt back up when he missed and it ended up on the floor. It wasn't like Kazuha to be so untidy, but he didn't have the strength to bend down and pick it up again — in fact, he was pretty sure if he bent over, the water he drank would come right back out.
Shivering violently now that he wasn't wearing anything, Kazuha turned on the shower with trembling hands. He waited until the water was a comfortable temperature, before getting in. The hot water on his chilled limbs was instant relief, stiff muscles immediately loosening up. Kazuha let out a long exhale of relief, closing his eyes. For a couple minutes he just stood there, relishing in the relief the warm water brought as it trickled over his skin. His toes and fingers were already turning pink, which probably meant the water was hotter than it should be — not that Kazuha had any intent on changing it.
Opening his eyes again, Kazuha turned around beneath the water to rinse off all the sweat. He stopped after a moment, putting a hand out onto the wall. While the hot water was heavenly, the steam only made him feel more dizzy than he already was. At least he still felt steady on his feet, Kazuha wouldn't hesitate to call for Gorou if he started feeling like he could lose his balance, or worse, faint.
When the dizzy spell had passed, Kazuha slowly continued rinsing off, letting the water soak his short blonde hair. While he felt like he could stand there in bliss forever, he was steadily beginning to feel worse. The dizziness had directly fueled into his nausea.
Kazuha leaned over onto the shower wall again, shivering slightly against the cold tiles. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a few deep, slow inhales. One hand rested on his stomach, which was bloated and uncomfortable. He only had a glass of water, why was it making him feel so ill?
Bile rose in his throat so suddenly, Kazuha only really had time to lean forward before throwing up — squarely over his own feet.
Kazuha groaned softly, gripping the walls for balance. Strings of bile and drool dripped from his parted lips. His back hitched, more brown vomit splattering across his feet and the white tiles of the shower. His stomach muscles ached.
Kazuha burped softly, opening his mouth to let a trickle of vomit drip out. He spat, grimly wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. While tendrils of nausea continued to coil in his gut, throwing up has brought his bloated stomach some relief.
When he felt safe to let go of the wall, Kazuha stiffly stood upright again, letting the running water rinse off where he had thrown up on himself. The white tiles of the shower were already clean again, the water quickly washing away any evidence that he had been sick.
After a few more minutes, Kazuha turned the water off, stepped out of the shower, and swiftly wrapped himself in multiple towels. Now that he was out from underneath the hot water, the full-body shivers had returned full force.
Kazuha stiffly dried himself off, before pulling on the warm clothes he had taken out prior to his shower. Not having the energy to do anything about his wet hair, he simply draped a spare towel over his shoulders to keep his hoodie dry, before leaving the bathroom and trudging down the hallway.
By the time Kazuha reached the living room, he could hear Gorou putting something into the dishwasher in the kitchen, probably having already finished his breakfast. The pillows from the bed, as well as several blankets, were spread out across the couch — Gorou clearly knew how much comfort Kazuha found in being bundled up when he's sick.
"Hey." Gorou came out of the kitchen, just as Kazuha sat down on the couch. "How are you feeling, did the shower help at all?"
He sat down next to Kazuha on the couch, immediately putting his hands on either side of his face. Gorou's expression fell slightly. "Your fever hasn't gone down at all, if anything, you're feeling warmer."
"That might be my own fault." Kazuha had closed his eyes, leaning his head into Gorou's hands. "It was… kind of a hot shower. I was just so cold."
"That makes sense." Gorou said softly, combing Kazuha's wet hair out of his face with his fingers. "Would you mind if I dried your hair for you? It's still sopping wet, you're only going to get sicker."
"Yeah, of course." Kazuha said softly. "I would have done it myself, but I just really wanted to sit down." He grimaced. "I threw up."
Gorou stiffened, his gaze immediately rising to reach Kazuha's. His blue eyes were filled with concern.
"Oh, Kazuha, I didn't know you were that nauseous." He whispered.
"I wasn't, it got worse very suddenly." Kazuha admitted softly, as Gorou got up, sitting back down behind him so he could begin toweling his hair dry. "I feel a little better now that I've thrown up though. The water really wasn't sitting well."
"We'll wait a bit before you try eating or taking any meds." Gorou had produced a hairbrush out of seemingly nowhere, brushing the excess water out of Kazuha's hair. "Do you still want to watch a movie or something? I'll completely understand if you'd rather go back to bed."
"A movie would be a good distraction. I'll probably fall asleep partially through it, though."
Gorou had finished with his hair, and he placed his hands on Kazuha's shoulders, pulling him back an inch and giving him a kiss on the side of his head. "I have no problem with that whatsoever."
Kazuha smiled faintly, and Gorou got up from the couch again. He walked over to the other end of the room, returning with a small trash can.
"Just in case." Gorou said, putting the trashcan next to the couch. "Why don't you lie down? I'll put something on for us."
Kazuha didn't protest at all, pulling the blanket on the couch over himself. He lay down, letting his head sink into one of the pillows. Gorou's scent lingered on it, it was probably his pillow.
The opening credits of a movie had started rolling on the screen, and Gorou came back to the couch. Kazuha sat up halfway to make space for Gorou, laying back down once his boyfriend was curled up on the couch next to him. Gorou adjusted the pillow across his lap, letting Kazuha rest his head on top of him. Kazuha didn't miss the calloused fingers gently pressing against his forehead, feeling his fever.
"Comfortable?" Gorou asked.
"Very." Kazuha was already beginning to feel sleepy, watching the tv screen with half-lidded eyes.
It was within the first 20 minutes of the movie that he fell asleep.
_______
Kazuha didn't know for how long he slept. In his sleep he had rolled over so his back was facing the tv, nose nestled into Gorou's stomach. Something was still playing on the TV, whether it was the same movie he had fallen asleep to, or something else Gorou had put on after that one ended.
He didn't know what woke him up, or if anything specific had woken him up in the first place. Kazuha was already drifting off again, soothed to sleep by the fingers absentmindedly carding through his blonde hair. Before he could actually fall asleep again, however, he was abruptly woken up a second time by bile in his throat.
Kazuha had no time to even registered what was happening when he gagged violently, choking on the liquid suddenly in his mouth. Gorou let out a surprised yelp when Kazuha jerked in his lap, the next moment coughing up stomach acid onto him.
"Go-g-" Kazuha gasped, disoriented, as he struggled to push himself up on his arms. He heaved again, his back arching with the force. Vomit splashed on Gorou's lap.
Kazuha's movements were almost frantic as he scrambled to try and get ahold of the trash can. He practically buried his face in it, choking up another mouthful of vomit. Gorou tried reaching for Kazuha, he wanted to hold his shoulders, gather his hair out of his face, comfort him in some way. He moved, and felt the warm liquid seeping into his clothes, the shirt he was wearing sticking to his skin. Almost instantly Gorou felt his own mouth fill with saliva. Without thinking twice he scrambled to his feet, hand clamped over his mouth, and stumbled in the direction of the bathroom. Gorou made it to the toilet just in time for his cereal to forcefully come back up. He held onto the side of the bowl with shaking hands, wide eyed as he stared at his former breakfast, now somewhat discoloured, drifting in the toilet water. Just realizing what he was looking at made Gorou gag again.
He squeezed his eyes shut, blindly feeling around before flushing the toilet. Keeping his eyes tightly closed, Gorou tugged his soiled shirt off, discarding it in the nearby laundry basket. He was still panting softly as he turned on the cold tap, cupping his hands beneath water and bringing it up to his mouth to rid himself of the acidic aftertaste.
Gorou spat into the sink, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand as he turned around. On his way out of the bathroom, he ducked into the bedroom, grabbing his sleep shirt off the bed and simply pulling that over his bare chest, before half-walking, half-jogging back towards the living room.
To Gorou's relief, it didn't look like Kazuha had even realised he made Gorou throw up as well. He was still sitting on the edge of the couch, with the trash can secured between his knees and his head hanging low over it. A string of saliva was dangling from his lips, his eyes closed.
Gorou gently put his hands on Kazuha's shoulders, and he jumped slightly at the touch. "Shh, just me, it's just me." He sat down on the couch next to him, still holding his shoulders. Gorou did his best not to look at the trashcan - he was probably empty at that moment, but he still didn't want to risk setting his stomach off again. His ribs were still sore from throwing up so suddenly and unexpectedly.
"Are you okay?" Gorou asked softly.
Kazuha nodded, sniffing. His eyes and nose were runny from throwing up. He shakily sat up, swallowing thickly as he did. With a trembling hand, he set the trashcan back on the floor, before turning around and leaning into Gorou. He wrapped his arms around Kazuha, squeezing him gently. Kazuha's hands brushed across the fabric of Gorou's shirt, and he frowned. He looked up at Gorou, like he wanted to ask why he was wearing a different shirt. Then his eyes slowly widened. He looked horrified.
"Hey, it's okay." Gorou said, before Kazuha could say anything, grabbing his hands gently. "It happens, accidents happen."
"Gods, Gorou, I'm so sorry." Kazuha's voice was hoarse. "I didn't, I couldn't… when I woke up it was already too late, I.."
"Shh." Gorou pulled Kazuha back into an embrace, hugging him tightly. "It's alright, it's okay. Don't apologize, I'm not mad at you."
Gorou wasn't big on keeping secrets, but he definitely wasn't going to tell Kazuha what happened, anytime soon. If Kazuha asked later, he'd tell him he just rushed to change his shirt, since he was so prone to getting sympathy nausea. Kazuha didn't have to know he actually puked.
Kazuha let out a shaky sigh, sinking back against Gorou's chest. He was shivering again, and Gorou pulled the blanket on the couch tightly around his shoulders. He kept one arm wrapped around him, while feeling his forehead with the other hand.
"How are you feeling?" Gorou asked softly, pulling his hand from Kazuha's forehead and embracing him.
"Not well." Kazuha's voice was soft, and tired.
"If you feel like you can keep something down, I can get you something for the nausea." Gorou offered. "Maybe you can sleep undisturbed for a few hours then. I'm worried about you getting dehydrated, especially with this fever you're running." He hesitated. "Unless you think we should go to the ER sooner rather than later." He knew Kazuha probably wasn't sick enough to warrant that, but Gorou was exceptionally paranoid after that one time Kazuha's fever got high enough for him to start having mild hallucinations.
"Let's try pills first." Kazuha said, not lifting his head off Gorou's shoulder. "If my fever doesn't break you can take me, but… I want to avoid it if I can."
"Yeah, of course." Gorou gave Kazuha a soft kiss on the cheek, before gently easing him off his lap. "I'll get you a glass of water and the meds, okay? I'll make you a cup of ginger tea too."