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It wasn’t their best gig and they didn’t really expect it to be. Bojan had been sick for a couple of days now but insisted that they play the gig anyway. The others decided to put on extra work to make it enjoyable for the fans despite Bojan lacking the energy to jump around stage as much as he usually did. Everything had gone well so far and they had just a few songs left. Kris and Jan had barely played the first notes of Umazane Misli when Bojan took an unsteady step back from the mic stand before stumbling on the floor. Nace was luckily standing almost next to him and was able to catch him by the arm so he didn’t fall hard. When he kneeled down next to him Bojan was holding his forehead and most color had escaped his face. The others were soon there as well, asking if he was okay. Bojan felt like gravity had suddenly gotten a lot stronger.
“I, uh…” was all he could really get out of his mouth. Just speaking sent uncomfortable waves on ache through his brain and all energy had left him. Kris placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it an affirming shake.
“Hey, you with us?”
Bojan opened his eyes a little and his hazed gaze wandered in his bandmates, unfocused, before he closed them again and mumbled: “I don’t think I can finish the set.”
“We need to get you off the stage,” Jan said and glanced at the audience. They were all trying to see what was happening. Jan gave them a small smile and a 'he's okay, kinda' type of wave before turning back to Bojan and the others.
“And, uh, it’d be better if you could walk even a little. Otherwise the fans are going to freak out even more. Do you think you can manage it to the stage door?”
Bojan took a deep breath and blinked his eyes open. He raised his arms a little and Nace and Kris pulled him on his feet, Nace ducked under Bojan’s arm so he could support him off the stage and Jure appeared under the other. Bojan was really glad they were there, because all his mind could focus on was the fatigue that had taken over him. He felt hot and extremely tired at the same time. He had no memory of how they finally made it all the way to the backstage but once they laid him down on a sofa he didn’t really care. All he wanted was to sleep or at least lie very still. He could hear people speaking in the room but unless someone gave his shoulder a shake or called him by name loud enough he paid them no attention and when he did, he just let out pathetic noises either to agree or disagree. He tried to pull off his jacket because he felt like melting. He managed to only reveal one shoulder before his energy ran out. Jan and Nace appeared from somewhere and coaxed and helped him to sit up and got the jacket off of him. Bojan would have just wanted to sleep but lack the energy to really put up a fight.
“For the fever,” Nace said when he sat next to him and offered some medicine with a sip of water, which he took. Bojan was ready to immediately fall back on his side, but Nace kept him sitting. “Sorry, we can’t have you sleeping now. We’ll be leaving to the hotel as soon as Kris and Jure get all our stuff in the car.”
Bojan didn't really care and just slumped against Nace’s shoulder and Nace didn’t have the heart to do anything about it. Jan sat quietly on Bojan’s other side and pressed the back of his fingers on his forehead. He gave Nace a worried glance and pet Bojan’s hair a couple of times. “I should go help the guys so we can leave asap.”
Bojan had only vague memories of being carried to the van, wrapped in his own and Jan’s coat, and of the cold that started creeping in while he drifted in and out of sleep during the drive. By the time they finally arrived he was shaking and wearing Kris’ coat as well which still wasn’t enough. Nace took him to his room while the others stayed to empty the van. Bojan was sharing a room with Kris since they had both been a bit under the weather and the guitarist soon appeared with their stuff while Nace left to fetch more duvets. Bojan was lying on top of the covers, still shivering and fully dressed. Kris pulled him up by the arm. “Here, let’s get you changed into something comfier so you can go sleep.”
He gave him a pair of sweatpants and a loose-fitting shirt and Bojan reluctantly took off everything he was wearing, save his boxers, and swiftly put on the clothes Kris had given him. When he finally got into bed a huge relief washed over him, though he was still feeling like a living carcass. At least now he would get to sleep without anyone bothering him constantly.
Kris stood there for a moment, watching his very sick friend and shaking his head. He bent over and fixed hair strands out of Bojan’s face, only the top half of which was visible from under the covers. They had gone head to head for a good hour in the morning about whether they should cancel the gig or not.
“You are an idiot,” he said affectionately and Bojan opened his eyes slightly to glance up at him.
“I know,” he mumbled before closing his eyes again and snuggling better under the covers.
“Nace’s gonna bring you more blankets. I’m gonna get the rest of our stuff and take a shower. There should be someone around if I’m not, so just call out if you need something.”
“Mmh...” Bojan mumbled, already half asleep.
Kris woke up around 4 AM. Someone was calling his name. It turned out to be Bojan.
“Sorry for waking you," he mumbled, voice almost gone. "Can I come sleep in your bed?”
“What?” Kris rubbed his eyes. “No.”
“I’m freezing,” came the pitiful answer. Bojan was looking at him, still only half a face visible from under the three duvets Nace had brought and put on him while he was already asleep, but it was still evident from his eyes that he was very sick. Kris stared back.
“No. You’ll be hotter than the sun and I don’t wanna sweat my ass off.”
Bojan just stared at him. Kris turned to his other side and tried to fall back asleep. He heard Bojan moving and then settling in his own bed as well. He lied in the silence, listening to Bojan pulling the covers better over himself occasionally. He sighed and got up. The noise of his light footsteps made Bojan glance gingerly his way.
“Move over,” he whispered. Bojan made some room, though there was not much to begin with, it was a single person bed after all. Bojan ended up lying on his back and Kris on his stomach halfway on top of Bojan. He deemed it must’ve been uncomfortable for Bojan but he actually snugged himself even better under him. Kris wrapped an arm around him and decided to lie there until Bojan would fall back asleep.
He woke up just before 6 AM, covered in sweat and alone in the bed. “Ah, for fuck’s…”
He pulled the drenched t-shirt off and looked around. Bojan was sleeping on the floor with just a pillow and Kris couldn’t understand how he looked so content. He threw his shirt in the general direction of his suitcase before getting up from the bed to wake up Bojan.
“Hey. Bojan. Hey. You can’t sleep on the floor.” Kris had initially meant to sound firmed, but the words ended up coming out like he was talking to sleepy kid.
“Hhuh…?”
“You can’t sleep on the floor.”
“Mmh. It’s cool.”
“Come on,” Kris sighed and started to pull him up. Bojan wasn’t exactly fighting him about it, but he wasn’t much help either. Kris got him to a sitting position before giving up, because frankly lifting a limp grown man is strenuous work. He got him a glass of water and some medicine, because the man was burning up again.
“You could’ve just kicked off the duvets,” he said and sat on the edge of Bojan’s bed.
“I didn’t want to wake you up.”
Kris let out a strained exhale while pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re a pain in the ass to take care of.”
“Sorry.”
Once Bojan had gotten the medicine down Kris finally got him back in bed. The ordeal had woken him up enough that he decided to go take a shower and then maybe try lying in his own bed for a little bit more sleep but didn’t really have high hopes on it succeeding.
Kris ended up not catching any more sleep. He got up, took some of their stuff back to the car before going to eat some breakfast downstairs. He brought Bojan something to snack on in case he was feeling hungry and helped him get ready. Once they got back on the road Kris couldn’t fight the yawns and the steady hum of the car lulled him to sleep, head rested slightly uncomfortably against a pillar of the van. Bojan, who was once again wearing everyone’s coats, fell asleep quickly after, his head resting a bit more comfortably on Kris’ shoulder. Jan, who was sitting opposite of the two took out his phone and snapped a shaky photo of them, uploading it on the band’s IG stories with a text that said “don’t worry boos, he’s being taken care of”.