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“And you’re sure about this Senkuu chan?” Gen held the snowball in hand.
“Oh yeah,” Senkuu waved his hand like he was swatting the question away. “He said something about how Magma always keeps aboard behind his curtains during winter earlier,”
“Sure..?” Gen looked down at the cold ball of snow currently freezing his hand.
“What? Don’t trust me?” Senkuu looked completely relaxed. (If not a bit annoyed.)
Almost exactly like Gen would say it if he was lying…
Come on Gen. Senkuu wouldn’t lie like that.
“Alright…,” Gen wound up his arm and with a quick step forward he threw the snowball right into Magma’s curtains.
But to Gen's horror nothing stopped the snowball and it flew right into the hut.
“Wah… AHHH!!” A startled scream came from the hut.
Gen slowly turned his head to look at the smug Senkuu behind him. “Revenge for calling me a leek,” He just shrugged. “Anyway I got things to do. See ya,”
“Wha-? Senkuu chan???” Gen was too stunned to speak. While alsooooo a tad bit-
“Who threw a damn snowball at me!?” -Mortified
Magma barged out of his hut with only his normal clothes like there weren’t Centimeters of snow on the ground by then. Magma surveyed the area and when he only saw Gen he paused. “Magician?” Magma seemed a bit more groggily when he noticed it was just him.
“Sorry Magma chan,” Gen apologizes. “I was aiming for the door,” A lie. Buttttt it was easier than explaining how he had been tricked by Kohaku.
Magma paused for a second before actually looking at the ground around him. “Bwahaha! So it’s a fight you wanted to start then magician?!” Maagma cackled. “Well just know you started it,” Magma bent down and took a scoop of snow.
“Ohhhhhh shit-,” A sudden fist load of snow hit Gen in the chest and some splattered to his face his scarf wasn’t covering. “Aghhh!” Gen grunt out in pain as he falls back into the fresh snow.
“Magician?!” Magma ran to Gen’s side to check on him. Gen grunted as he sat back up. “Shit you okay-,” Magma started when a pile of snow hit him in the face as well.
Magma took the snow out of his eyes and noticed the devious grin on Gen’s face. “Orrrry say~,” Gen sang.
“Ohhhh this is war,” Magma brushed the rest of the snow off his face. “Get over here magician!!” Magma smirked.
“Magma chan wait-!”
Before Gen could do anything more Magma caught him in a tackled Gen and Gen’s side was to the snow again.
“EKKKK cold!” Shut his eyes from the sudden feeling of snow getting under his scarf and on the lob of his ear.
“Mwahaha!!” Magma cackled. “Your magic prepare you for that one?” Magma turned his head to face Gen.
“You mean my boyfriend tackling me?” Gen chuckled between his words. “No, I don’t think I had any tricks for that,”
“Mmmm so it’ll be a fair match then,” Magma turned his head back up the gray sky.
“Huh?”
“I’ll give you a 5-second head start,” Magma’s grin might as well have reached his evils with how malicious it looked. “5-,”
“Oh crap!” Gen scrambled up.
“ ACHHHHOOO! ” Magma groaned after the rough sneeze.
“Alright, was not expecting it to get colder,” Gen battled with the raging air outside to get the door closed. “Maybe not the best idea having a snowball fight in the dead of winter without a jacket,” Gen threw Magma’s bed sheet over him before taking off the damp sweatpants he had over his normal pants.
“Worth it,” Magma tried to sound smugly but he sounded too sick.
“Hmmh,” Gen brushed the last of the snow off his hair. “Well let me try to get a fire going,”
“I can do it,” Magma tried to move but it was like his own hands were too numb to hold the pit poker.
“It’s fine Magma chan,” Gen kissed his boyfriend’s forehead while taking the poker away from him. Gen’s hands felt numb but he still had a bit of movement in his fingers.
Luckily for Gen, Senkuu had made sure there was flint in each hut to easily start a fire. A few careful strikes and the sparks took to the wood. After a bit of poking the fire started to spread and Gen could feel the heat of the fire defrost more of him.
“There we go,” Gen hummed, sitting back next to Magma to bask in the fire.
Gen flinched away from Magma almost as quickly as he leaned on him. Like leaning on a large block of ice. Even getting a better look at Magma, there look to be small ice crysy=tals in his hair. Gen glanced around for anything else he could use to warm Magma up anymore but nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Gen noticed the small clatter of Magma’s teeth.
Gen doubted his body would do much to help warm up the much bigger man but- “Here,” Gen stripped off his jacket and tried to place it on Magma. “I’ll go get Senkuu and-,” A million thoughts ran through Gen’s head.
What if it was a cold?
Frostbite maybe?
What if it was hypothermia?
Was there a way to treat hypothermia in the stone world?
What were the symptoms?
Gen went to get up but felt a force keep him down. “N-No I’m- I’m- fine,” Magma tried to say without a stutter.
Even Magma’s normally warm hands felt frigid. “No you’re not, just stay here and I’ll get some help,”
“Just a cold,” Now it sounded like Magma was skipping whole words to avoid the stutter.
“It’s fine, I’ll be right back,” Gen tried to reassure, thinking maybe the other didn’t want to feel alone in that state.
“Said I-I’m fine. Kee- eep your jacket,” Magma tried to push the jacket back. “I don’t,” Magma tried to protest but was cut off by a dry cough. Like his lungs hadn’t seen water in ages.
Only growing Gen’s concern. “Yes, you do,” Gen pushed the jacket back.
“No,” Magma pushed it back.
Ok now this was just becoming absurd. Gen could see just how ill Magma looked. What was Magma even trying to do?
“It won’t be long-,” Gen still tried to rationalize it as Magma just not wanting him to leave when he was like this but his insistence was starting to get on his nerves.
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll be fine,” Magma tried to put the jacket on Gen’s back.
Ok now it was just crossing into plain annoying.
“Just take it,” Gen threw it back.
“I don’t need it,” Magma looked away.
“Yes you do!”
“I said I’m-!” Magma caught something in their throat. “Ahh ckk!” Even while coughing, he was offering Gen his jacket back.
Arguing was only wasting time. “Alright but I’m still going to get someone to check on you,” Gen threw the jacket off to the side out of frustration.
“But-,” Magma kept coughing.
As annoyed as Gen was, he was still worried about his other half. The other half now curled up by the fireplace in a coughing fit. It pained Gen not to stay and help but he knew he won’t be able to do much alone.
“Alright Magma- just stay there. I’ll be right back,” Gen said before pushing the front door of Magma’s hut open and running out into the now stepped in snow.
A crisp air hit him as soon as he stepped out. Even with his normal 3 layers he felt a shiver down his back.
Definitely got colder.
The snow seemed more condensed than normal after being played in. Making it harder to trudge in.
Everyone was probably on the main island finishing the last of their gathering cause the whole village was silent.
“Huh? Gen? What are you doing?” Kinro was the first to notice him. “I thought-,” a swift snowball cut him off.
“Hah got you Kinro!” Ginr popped up. “Oh Gen. Wait where’s your jacket,”
“Not important. Ginro, where’s Senkuu?!” Gen asked.
“Senkuu? I thought he was with you?” Ginro thought out loud.
“No, he said he had something to do,” Gen got even more panicked.
“Ughh he’s giving the Medicine to the priestess, remember?” Kinro sat up.
“Oh yeah,” Ginro recalled so casually.
All Gen needed to hear. He turned on his heels and rushed to the last island.
“But Gen- your jacket,” Gen heard the vague voice of Ginro calling to him.
Gen heard him but didn’t really have time to focus on that minor detail. The snow was making it hard to do anything but a weak trudge. Even the suspension bridge between the island was covered in slick ice.
Shit-
“Senkuu chan!” Gen shouted as loud as he could but his voice just felt like it sank with the raging waters below. “Senkuu!”
The crisp air felt like it sucked out any moisture from his lungs. His eyes even started to water. Didn’t help how the snow got the bottom of his sack shoes more and more damp. It started to reach the soles of his feet.
“Senkuu!!” Gen shouted once more but his ears felt so dry, he might as well have whispered with how his voice sounded to him.
Shit shit shit.
“Rat?” Gen noticed Kohaku from up on Ruri’s hut. “Gen!” His vision spotted. “Gen!?” The blonde was by Gen’s side by what felt like the next time he blinked his eyes open.
His eyes got a glimpse of white and green before it felt like his knees gave.
.
.
.
Gen felt something wet touch the top of his forehead. A bead of water rolled down his forehead and went over his closed eyes. It got into the lashes of his eye and made him stir even more.
“Huh mhm?” Gen peaked his eyes open to try and see what was on him. Or even try and remember what was going on.
He tried to open his mouth to ask what happened but found it unbelievably dry.
“Here,” Gen noticed the cup in front of his mouth.
At this point he’d take anything to drink. Without asking what or who it was he put his lips to the cup's edge and let whoever was holding it to tip towards him.
It was the best sip of water he could ask for.
“Alright he’s awake Senkuu,” Gen made out the voice of Kohaku.
“Heh took him long enough,” Gen heard Senkuu note.
Gen rolled over his head and saw Magma laying next to him. He looked worse than when he left him but asleep at least.
“What happened?” Gen sat up and noticed the fire by his feet.
“Well you tried to go in below freezing in your normal clothes,” Senkuu pointed out, stoking the fire.
“And Magma chan?” Gen looked over at his sleeping boyfriend.
“Just a minor cold,” Senkuu shrugged. “Same with you,”
Gen looked down at the blanket and his jacket covering him. His head was pounding and it still somehow didn't distract from his sheepish feeling.
“I’m going to check on Ruri,” Kohaku said.
“Ok, be with you in a bit,” Senkuu sat next to Gen.
Kohaku nodded and left out the front.
“Here to tease me Senkuu chan?” Gen coughed.
“Nah,” Senkuu waved off. “Just wonder what was so important it made you run in the snow like that without your jacket or sweatpants,”
“Magma chan- ough- was sick,” Gen felt sluggish even talking.
“Without your jacket?” Senkuu raised a brow. “Doesn’t sound like you mentalist,” His friend pointed out.
“Now it feels like you’re teasing me,” Gen lay his head on his pillow.
“Just noting the obvious,” Senkuu seemed genuine in his concern.
Gen sighed. “We got into light say argument and I may have stormed out without my jacket,” Not even his playful tone sounded like him with his cold. “I was worried he got a frostbite or hypothermia so I ran to look for you,”
“Even though he had no clear signs of either?” Senkuu smugly grinned. “No blisters, frozen fingers, or signs of psychosis?”
“Only you would know that,” Gen chuckled.
“So you ran out into the freezing winds to save your boyfriend from a minor cold?” Senkuu chuckled a bit.
“Guess so,” Gen felt even more sheepish.
.. and maybe his friend noticed the look of embarrassment on his face. “You know- I did…something similar one time,” Senkuu admitted.
“Oh?”
“One day I turned around and the big oaf was kinda passed out in the snow when we were younger and I kinda panicked. Called the ER and everything,” Senkuu recalled. “Turns out he was waiting for me to come out to play and just fell asleep. His relentless stamina kept him warm too,”
Gen smiled a bit knowing he wasn’t alone in his embarrassment. “And you’re sharing this, why?”
“Who knows?” Senkuu tried to play it cool like usual but at this point, he knew Gen saw through him.
“Yeah,” Gen smiled. “Thanks, Senkuu chan,”
“Kuku colds getting to you mentalist,” Senkuu stood up. “In back in an hour or two to check on you two,”
“K,” Gen groaned, feeling a rush to his head.
Senkuu stepped out of the hut and left the two of them there in the silence beside the crackle and pop of the fire.
Laying his head back on his pillow just made him more restless. Like part of him was cold and another part hot and having to contort the blanket to fit that.
“Damn,” Gen kept thinking of all the things he could’ve done differently. “All this over a jacket,”
Gen looked up at the ceiling through lidded eyes.
“Or maybe it was the snowball,” That felt silly to say. Gen didn’t know why he kept talking out loud since it hurt to talk but thinking hurt just as much- if not more. “Nope the jacket,”
“Yeah the jacket,” Another voice joined him.
“Magma chan?”
“Anyone else in this room?” Magma crackle weakily.
“How much you hear?” Gen questioned.
“Just Senkuuu’s whole story,” Magma answered.
“Heh- don’t tell him that,” Gen knew how important Senkuu’s pride was to him.
“Not until it’s useful,” Magma probably had a wicked grin.
“Right,” Gen rolled his head over to look at Magma. “Do I want to ask when that is?”
“Better not,” Magma lightly shook his head. “Might somehow get back to him,”
“There goes my plans,” Gen yawned.
“Yeah,”
A silence filled the hut. Like both were waiting for something.
“Sorry,” They said at the same time. “Huh?” They once again said together. “Well-,”
They both kind of just paused and looked at each other.
“Hahahah!” Magma started to laugh rather dryly. “Leave it to the magician to be able to read my mind,”
A sweet sentiment if the words Gen wanted to say were eating at him. “Why didn’t you take my jacket?” Maybe a bit sudden but he had to ask before he nodded off.
“Felt wrong,” Magma simply put.
“Felt wrong not to freeze?” Gen questioned.
“No, to take your jacket,” Magma corrected. “And then you tried to go out with one too,”
Oh-
In some part Magma was worried for him to go out without a jacket and in the other part-...
Gen sat up from his bedroll and moved my Magma’s side. He was feverish for sure but probably more conscious than Gen.
Gen took the damp rag from Magma’s forehead and quickly re-dipped it in the bowl of water Kohaku left behind.
“Ughhh I can do that,” Magma offered, trying to move from his bed roll as well.
“I got it Magma chan,” Gen put a hand on Magma’s chest. “You’re sick,”
“So- ough are you,” Magma argued.
“You got sick first,” Gen replied. “But if you want, you can take care of me next,”
In any other state maybe state Magma would’ve fought more but he relaxed back down on to his bed roll. Sorry I yelled,” Magma said once his head hit the pillow.
“Me too,” Gen put the newly wet towel over Magma’s forehead. “Guess we both got worried for each other,”
Magma turned his head away from Gen in a pretty weak effort to hide the bit of blush starting to form.
“Ohhh~? Don’t tell me the great Magma chan can’t admit he was worried for his boyfriend~!” Gen sang like the snake he was.
“Of course I can!” Magma snorted back. “Second part I’m not used to,”
Just as I thought.
“Well I was worried for you,” Gen smiled softly. Even if Magma was looking away.
Gen knew how strong Magma was. He was pretty sure anyone who looked at the blonde could tell that. Often he and Kohaku would be the second line of defense against any wild animal if Ginro and Kinro failed. The scars on his arms were signs of bear attacks and the few on his back were from some wolves.
The times Gen would trip or stumble over, Magma knew exactly how to treat the wound. (Or at least the best way the stone world had to offer)
But the idea crossed Gen’s mind once or twice about how he had gotten so good. Something would eat at him that it was years of practice.
Kohaku and Kinro had a few scars on them too but none that looked as well treated as Magma’s.
And maybe Gen would ask about that later for the sake of the pride Magma held on to.
Gen started to run his fingers long Magma’s scalp.
But it made sense right?
“Gen..?” Magma yawned.
“Shhh,” Gen shushed.
The crackle of the fire still gave itself to the ambiance of the hut. The amber glow dancing on both of their features.
It made sense why after coming to that realization, Gen wanted to take care of Magma just a little. You want to do things for the one you love after all.
The seconds between each of Magma’s blinks got a bit longer as Gen continued to play with his hair. Looked like he was seconds from falling asleep.
“Enough,” Magma reached up for Gen’s hand before taking it into his. “You rest too,”
Seems Magma was feeling the same thing about him.
And who was Gen to say no?
He slipped under the covers and adjusted them with his one free hand. Magma’s hand definitely felt warmer now.