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The morning sun was just barely creeping over the horizon, bathing the great expanses of the jungle with a gentle orange caress. Within the walls of Cortex Castle, Neo slept away soundly in his bed, unaware of the bright rays peeping through the thin veil of his curtains and filling his room with a light warmth. He was turned sideways towards the empty half of the bed, blankets skewed haphazardly, hair spread messily about, breathing soft and steady and without a care.
...And most noticeably: still clad in yesterday's clothes, having collapsed onto his bed as soon as he returned from his lab the night before, without even stopping to undress.
Work had been awful , and the headache he'd woken up with that morning had only gotten worse as the day progressed. He guessed he was coming down with something; he didn't usually catch the occasional flu or cold, but the idea wasn't entirely inconceivable, as much as he loathed the thought of being subjected to the misery. His body ached with each movement as though he were dead weight, and his eyes had felt dry and raw all evening. Everything felt very unreal as a result, his whole world softening at the edges, muffled with the fog of fatigue. He spent the entire night feeling quite sick to his stomach, too out of it to focus on anything but getting through his shift so he could go to bed, and try not to accidentally make any potentially life-ending mistakes in his condition.
But thankfully for now he was awarded the respite of sleep, unheeded by his restless mind.
Blank.
No nightmares, no dreams, nothing. Simply an empty barren state, deep and consuming, so thorough it had chased him straight into his slumber and taken hold of him like a spell. The kind of sleep that seemed to pull him even deeper, sinking into his bones and taking forever to come out of. A beautiful escape. A well earned one, too.
Such a pleasant deep sleep that, unbeknownst to the doctor, a furry creature was slowly pushing open his door and creeping inside.
Crash had noticed his creator's change in attitude almost immediately the night before: from the way the doctor slouched, the quiet, muted tone his voice took whenever he tried speaking, and the lethargic manner with which he seemed to be struggling through his motions. Crash had taken the brunt of Cortex's annoyance for it, his experiments seeming to come a lot harsher on the marsupial that particular night, with fewer reprieves in-between and no treats to comfort the hurt. Crash had quickly figured out Cortex was merely venting out his frustrations on him and he had begun to expect this behaviour when things got bad enough. He didn't like it but... Crash could understand why.
He was forgiving.
He loved his master too much to hold him accountable for his poor treatment.
...Loved him too much in general.
Especially in moments like these: when Neo looked so frail, delicate, vulnerable and exhausted. Dead to the world splayed atop his bed with a thin trail of drool sliding onto the sheets. It made a rush of emotion swirl around and his fur stood on edge. It took all of his willpower to stay there without rushing over and kissing the man senseless, to pull his blanket closer over his shoulders, to curl up at his feet or climb onto the sheets to cradle and cuddle him while his body relaxed, warm and snug in slumber.
To fall into the same comfort alongside him.
So Crash held in a whine and with slow careful steps tiptoed his way towards the bedside, dragging his old yellow blanket along the ground beside him.
Neo remained soundly asleep, chest rising and falling with each steady breath. The marsupial tilted his head fondly, eyeing him in his crumpled sleeping position and scruffy dishevelled bedhair. It was such a cute look on him. Such a rare and perfect opportunity that he and only he was privileged enough to witness his master in.
It made him wonder; in the sense of pride that a pet feels whenever their human shows some public display of affection towards them in front of their peers, Crash imagined what it would be like if Neo were to parade him in front of his colleagues and shower him with attention and love like he did when they were alone. If he’d kiss and coddle him at their meetings, if he’d get to sit at their dinner table, if he could follow Neo around everywhere he went and steal kisses whenever he pleased. What it would be like if they got to share that space together in peace, and never have to hide and remain locked behind walls forever. Oh how he longed for that.
With a twinge of melancholy he smiled and quietly padded over to the end of the bed, gingerly climbing onto it with practised caution to avoid jostling the sheets, and knelt just within a couple feet of the sleeping man.
Just when he began to feel content watching Neo like this, however, the other chose at that moment to shuffle in place, a slight discomfort spreading across his features.
And then he whimpered. A pained, wounded thing. And again. Louder, almost a distressed groan.
A closed fist came up to press against the side of his head as Neo flinched, twisting and twitching as he pulled his knees closer into himself. His brows furrowed as his face screwed up in agony and it wasn't long before another tiny pitiful whine passed by the doctor's clenched teeth.
Crash mirrored his whine in turn, distress etching at his features.
Crunching his nose up, his ears lowered. He couldn't stand the thought of his owner being in pain; watching it was agony enough. Carefully, he reached out and gently nuzzled his cheek, before laying his blanket on top of the sleeping figure and attempting to tuck him in. His master immediately clenched the blanket in his fists and buried his face in it, instinctively drawing it further over him, craving its soft warmth.
Something stirred at the sight and the bandicoot began to mewl sadly in the back of his throat, running his palm up along his back to soothe him through the blankets. He hoped it didn't upset the sleeping man even further, but he just couldn't stop himself.
Alas, Neo did start to stir, eyelashes beginning to flutter, his features twisting once more into discomfort and distress. With one large sniffle, Neo rubbed the heel of his hand on his eyes and was instantly greeted by a painful throb, prompting another irritated groan to tear from the scientist's throat as the intensity of the headache spiked.
This time, when Neo's eyelashes fluttered open and their gazes met, the soft, bleary eyes of his marsupial came into his blurred vision as if illuminated from within.
"...Crash...?"
Neo spoke the name softly, in a cracked and weak voice.
His vision swam as he blinked, squinting to try and regain focus and consciousness, unsure whether this was reality or a dream.
Crash nodded and quickly thrust his yellow blanket into his hands as his master sat up on the mattress. He unfolded the fabric in confusion as he recognized the threadbare material; this was the blanket he always gave to Crash when he was sick. It was his old blanket from when he was a young boy, and he'd given it to Crash the minute he brought the marsupial home, always ensuring that his pet had some form of comfort when he inevitably fell ill from time to time. He'd had the blanket since before he could remember, had taken it everywhere, had it with him during the most stressful of exams he had ever had to face. He kept the old, tattered thing so long out of habit more than anything, a hold over from childhood nostalgia... and... sentimental attachment.
Seeing Crash returning it with that caring, thoughtful look on his face, making sure his master was comfortable and content, was just-
He stopped thinking. He felt his mouth crack into a tired smile and warmth radiated within his heart.
Crash's arms wound tightly about his neck before Neo even had the chance to get a word out, burying himself into his shoulder and nuzzling against his neck, the thick coarseness of his fur scraping across the smoothness of his skin. His heart skipped a beat, before lurching, and nothing could have stopped him from holding his precious marsupial back with just as much fervour, inhaling his warm scent and letting a sigh flow past his lips as he did so.
They stayed there wrapped in a tender, protective embrace for what felt like an eternity before Neo remembered the gift held between his hands. Pulling back a little to assess the worn and frayed cloth with a silent chuckle, he held the yellow fabric up close to his cheek and let his head sink back into it with a faint smile.
"Crash..." he mused, nuzzling back against the marsupial, his nose brushing against the fluffy cheeks. His body felt heavy, a strange mix of fatigue and illness pulling at him. A terrible weight pressed him down, like chains wrapping about him, tying him to this one moment. "Mngh. My head hurts..."
The bandicoot pressed a palm flat against the other's forehead and pushed him back down, shaking his head, urging him to stay put in bed.
His creator didn't have the energy to protest.
Crash quickly went about trying to unbutton his master's shirt so Neo wouldn't overheat but found, as he wrestled the buttons out of their holes and with an impressive amount of strength tore the buttons apart, it wasn't the smoothest of efforts, his fingers unable to cooperate with his brain nearly as much as he willed them to. It was fortunate, then, that his master seemed entirely unaware of his fumbling as Crash eventually tugged and slid off the first layer with some difficulty and set it aside.
Next was the thin singlet beneath, the underside slick with a slight damp layer of sweat. Crash wasted no time in peeling the shirt up and over his head with a little bit of resistance as his owner helped, before depositing the clothes somewhere over the side of his bed. Then came the pants, which meant more fumblings with the buttons and zips.
Thankfully Neo did a great deal in assisting him and before he knew it, his owner was stripped to his boxers and being carefully tucked back underneath the covers. It was almost heartbreaking, how Cortex just lay there, so lethargic, so utterly at Crash's mercy. It reminded the marsupial just how human and how vulnerable his master truly was. Crash planted a series of gentle kisses, just small feather-like pecks across his cheeks, the tip of his nose, the edge of his lips. His nose crinkled as he smiled, and despite the ache it was just as beautiful as his rare and unrestrained smiles.
Crash set about massaging the doctor's forehead, the same way the scientist himself had done for him countless nights before.
At the contact, his master let out a small contented noise, and a sliver of pride lit itself across the bandicoot's chest. His creator closed his eyes, leaning into his pet's hand as Crash worked his fingertips in gentle circular motions, tracing the outline of the N on his forehead with such care. He revelled in the feel of his touch, how he could be the cause for that blissful expression gracing his owner's features... And that was before Crash delved his fingertips into the tangle of messy short locks, trailing his nails all the way down to his scalp and massaging right through to the ends of every strand.
Neo shuddered. He melted under the marsupial's caring caresses and he couldn't help but lift his chin and lean further into the touch, nuzzling against the surprisingly warm, rough palms of his bandicoot. Crash kept stroking, his eyes following the trails his fingers traced, unabashedly fixating on his master's pliant lips parting with every shallow breath, that slow content blink and the tiniest of gasps whenever his pads grazed over an exceptionally pleasurable spot. It sent a little thrill to the bottom of Crash's heart. Neo mumbled sleepily and pulled the yellow blanket up close to his chest, gathering it under his chin and bunching it right by the corner of his mouth where he nuzzled into it like a cat.
Then he opened one eye halfway and regarded his bandicoot with an airy gaze, looking soft and fragile and so perfectly lovely, all muddled with illness, Crash could not possibly hold in his inner melt. He cooed, a mixture of pride and love swelling up from his chest, filling him right to the brim.
Neo chuckled faintly and raised his chin to beckon the bandicoot closer to him and, without a moment's hesitation, Crash was scrambling into his open arms.
The hug was warm and sleepy and soft, their bodies pressed closely against each other with a blanket of comfort and security draped upon them, as if nothing could hurt them, not the world, not even the fear of exposure and loss that Neo seemed so afraid of. At the feel of the bandicoot's cool snout nuzzling at the base of his neck and his rough little tongue slipping out and gently laving across his skin, Cortex could have cried.
With all the strength his sluggish limbs could muster, he scooped his beloved marsupial to his chest, hugging him against his collar and allowing his nose to rub and trace along the crook of his shoulder in order to bury in that warm scruff, those soft thick furs that carried his natural earthy scent...
Oh he was so adorable. How could such a rambunctious and silly creature like Crash have turned out to be so considerate, so gentle, so thoughtful, and- and-!
Unable to hold himself back any longer, Neo grasped his bandicoot's jaw and drew him away only far enough to claim him in a long, needy kiss. Crash whimpered a tiny, quiet and happy noise, immediately bringing his arms up around his neck to keep him close. And close the scientist stayed, melting and melding himself into the marsupial to pour out his affection as Crash poured his right back. They exchanged sweet open-mouthed kisses until both of them were breathing hard and panting.
Neo continued holding Crash there in his arms, burying deep into his neck and mewling. "Stay..." His voice was weak and raw, dripping with an edge of exhaustion that Crash didn't dare disobey, although if he'd have been completely honest he probably would have stayed anyway. Crash buried his nose against his collar and stayed snugly against his owner's warmth. The scientist clutched at the yellow material beneath their hands, intertwining his fingers in the soft cotton-like fibres and inhaling a long sigh against his marsupial's throat.
"Don't ever leave me... Not you too."
That last part was soft and slightly hoarse. There was no context or explanation for it and Neo chose not to dwell on what had just slipped. Instead he kissed the soft velvety skin of the bandicoot's cheek one last time, and proceeded to draw the marsupial ever nearer.
"Promise..."
With a final weak exhale, Neo nuzzled under his bandicoot's head and drifted into a heavy slumber, exhausted and ill. His breaths quickly deepened and steadied as Crash remained wrapped up and nuzzling close, his muzzle buried deep against his shoulder with his master's face pressed close against him.
Finally he too shut his eyes.
It wasn't long until they had both passed on into a tranquil world, safe and secure in each other's arms.