Chapter Text
Espresso carefully measured out ingredients, mixed them together, and tweaked the formula, testing and re-testing every step of the way to ensure that it was perfect. Despite the late hour and the slight fatigue that came with it, Espresso’s eyes were still sharp and focused, scanning over every detail of the project with a mix of determination and concentration.
The project was a new innovation for coffee magic, something that he had been working on for months. It was a labor of love for him, and he was determined to make it absolutely flawless.
Hours passed, and Espresso’s eyes slowly grew darker and more tired. But yet his movements were swift and precise. He quickly took a sip of the coffee on his rather messy table, sighing as he felt the caffeine entering his system.
The silence of the lab was only interrupted by the soft clinking of test tubes and the scratching of Espresso’s pencil, carefully taking notes on his project’s progress.
In the midst of his focused work, Espresso’s phone suddenly rang, its shrill sound jarring in the quiet of the lab. He blinked, slightly startled by the sudden interruption, before letting out a soft sigh. He carefully put down his tools and picked up the phone, glancing at the screen to see who was calling him. Espresso’s expression darkened when he saw the name on the screen, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Madeleine, the damn knight...was the one calling him.
"Espresso..?" The voice on the other end of the call spoke. It was familiar and as annoying as always. Although it wasn't as bright as Espresso remembers it.
Espresso's tone was firm, with a hint of irritation in his voice from being interrupted during his experimentation. "You better have a good excuse to be calling me. It's 2 in the morning."
Madeleine chuckled, forced nonchalance as he spoke, his voice slightly raspy from the fever he tried to hide.
"Oh, I just felt like hearing that lovely voice of yours, is that a crime? But in all seriousness i think you should sleep..."
Espresso scoffed at Madeleine's comment. "Don't play coy, you idiot. You clearly have something to say. Out with it now. I don't have all day,"
But beneath Espresso's words, Madeleine could've sworn he heard a hint of concern. Espresso was never one to show emotions openly, but the knight knew him well enough to pick up on the subtle changes in his tone.
Madeleine let out a faint chuckle, trying to keep up his usual carefree attitude, though the fever made it more difficult to mask his fatigue. "Straight to the point as usual, hm? Can't a man just call to check up on you? I know you've had practically no sleep today..."
The conversation was already making Madeleine's body ache more. He leaned further back against the pillows, eyes closed.
Espresso let out a weary sigh, clearly frustrated with Madeleine's nonchalant approach. "For the love of- You really are the most annoying person I have ever met," Espresso muttered, sounding more irritated than usual.
"You know I'm a busy person, Madeleine. Stop wasting my time and just tell me what you want."
Beneath his irritation, Madeleine could sense a hint of worry and concern, but Espresso was trying his best not to show it.
Madeleine let out a low, tired laugh, his voice raspy and weak.
"Am I disturbing your oh-so-important research, Mr. Workaholic?" He teased, though his usual teasing tone was affected by his illness, making it sound more tired.
Espresso rolled his eyes at Madeleine's attempt to provoke him. But a part of him was secretly pleased to hear his familiar voice.
"Oh, hush, " he reprimanded, though there was a hint of fondness in his voice.
Espresso paused for a moment before inquiring, "Are you.. sick, Madeleine? You sound quite unwell."
Madeleine chuckled weakly, trying to play it off. "Oh, just a touch of a cold," Madeleine lied, disregarding his fever and the fact that he'd been neglecting himself for days. He didn't want Espresso to worry, or see him in his pathetic state.
"I'll be fine in no time," he reassured, though he knew it was a blatant lie. The fever was getting worse, and his body felt more feeble with every passing moment.
Espresso could tell that Madeleine was downplaying his illness. He knew the idiot well enough to see through his half-truths.
"Ah, yes, just a 'touch of a cold'. That explains why you sound like you're on the verge of death," Espresso replied dryly, his irritation evident in his tone.
He paused for a moment, his voice growing a bit more gentle. "Don't lie to me, Madeleine. Tell me what's wrong."
Madeleine struggled to focus on the conversation, his fever making his head spin. He wanted to tell Espresso how much he'd missed him, but his stubborn nature prevented him from doing so.
"I'm.. fine, really," he responded weakly, his voice raspy and rough. "Just a little.. under the weather, that's all.."
Madeleine attempted to brush off his illness once again, though his growing fatigue made it difficult to maintain his act.
Espresso let out a weary sigh as he heard the weakness in Madeleine's voice. He knew the stubborn fool was anything but fine. "You're as terrible at lying as you are at keeping yourself out of trouble," Espresso replied, his voice tinged with a mix of irritation and concern.
"You sound like you can barely sit up straight, Madeleine. Don't insult my intelligence by lying to me. I can practically hear your fever through the phone."
Madeleine huffed, stubbornly refusing to admit that he was feeling worse than he let on. But his body betrayed him, a wave of dizziness crashing over him, causing him to sway slightly and nearly drop the phone. He cursed under his breath, trying to regain his composure.
"It's.. just a fever," he grumbled, his voice growing weaker. "I've had worse.."
"Im coming over"
What..?
Madeleine blinked as the call abruptly ended. He felt like a burden. He knew how important Espresso's research was. And the fact the mage was concerned about him because of his stupid fever made him feel strangely... guilty but he dismissed it as he lied back down on the bed.
His head was spinning so bad... He just wants this stupid fever to go away already. He lied back down on the pillows trying to sleep but he just couldn't.
Madeleine genuinely thought that the mage was joking. No way was Espresso going to abandon his project just for him...
He wasn't worth his time....