Work Text:
Aideen had spent a good dozen hours working through a portrait. It wasn't that difficult, but it involved an intricate inlay of gold leaves detail on her client's daughter's painting as she was a Half-Beyondian, her torso and arms that of human features while her head was with multiple beady eyes across her temple and forehead, the brunette hair she had was slicked back into a miniature bonnet and her dress was modest and a bit classic in its form. Aideen thought her appearance was quite interesting and the concept of surrounding their child with golden chrysanthemums rather charming, but she let her client know the portrait’s detailing would require an extra two days time just to dot out the sheen and to inlay each of the petals with layers upon layers of gold.
She spent since the early morning covering the painting with inlay leaves, now hours of painstaking calmness as she made sure to stick them accordingly had finally paid off. The child's portrait was almost finished, save for a few more lighting blotches surrounding her hair and beady eyes. The closer she was nearing this piece's completion, the more pain she felt around her eyes and stomach as it was slowly creeping in on her that she had not had any food or water since yesterday when she had dinner and tea. Aideen needed to take a quick break, and look from a few steps back and see how the artwork was turning out.
But as soon as she started looking back at the artwork, she could feel her eyes burning. Verdammt, did she accidentally smudge paint into her eyes at one point just now? She rubbed her eyes just the faintest with a clean rag next to her, but it just kept getting worse. She stepped half-aware into her bathroom and turned on the cold faucet to splash some water across her face to wash whatever was in her eyes, but as she did Aideen realized just how warm she had suddenly felt. Normally she is warm, warmer than most people in Hellsalem's Lot usually are, but this wasn't her usual temperature...
She leaned over the sink, lightly thumping her forehead onto the cloth-covered mirror. Oh, I'm feeling light-headed, she thought to herself. Her arm reached the side of the sink and grabbed a towel to wipe her face with, her eyes starting to spin in her mind as she had closed them to wipe her face off. She let the towel fall down from her hands and onto the edge of the sink as she stumbled back into her living room. Medication, she needed to find something to lower her temperature.... Wait, would Aspirin even work on her? How can meds lower her temperature when she already is warmer than most normal people....
As she tried processing this thought, she hadn't realized until it was too late that she fell onto the ground, having tripped over something. An equipment? Her paint can? She needed to clean it up.
"Need.... t' get up.... Help...." she weakly exhaled the words out of her mouth, before passing out on the ground from the intense fatigue.
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Klaus was walking towards Aideen's apartment, with a bouquet of yellow and pink tulips in one hand, and a plastic bag of groceries in the other. He had chatted for a brief bit with Aideen early in the morning as she was beginning her inlay process for her work, excusing herself as she needed to cut the call short to concentrate on the finer details of the flower petals. He knew that she hadn't had a proper meal besides a cup of coffee and a pack of crackers before continuing on her project, and Klaus would be accurate in guessing that she probably wouldn't have had food by the time he arrived to visit.
So, dinner would be a homemade meal he was ready to help her prepare. Klaus bought all the necessary ingredients for a humble Chicken Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce they could make. Klaus even bought a non-stick pan for her to have as the one she had in the kitchen was only big enough for scrambling eggs, and the last time she used it she texted him with a photo on needing help to scrub the remaining eggs off the pan (she was too ashamed to admit that she tried to cook them quicker by applying her flames on the pan itself).
He could feel himself get motivated as he hopped onto the steps to her main building, ready to surprise her with the gift of his presence, some well-meaningful flowers, and a collaborative meal they could both happily make together that night.
If anyone would see him outside they would see a man with the dopiest of smiles, brimming with joy as he was about to surprise his dearest friend and the focus of his recent adoration. He wanted to support Aideen and he worried about her all the time as she tends to close herself off when work is at hand, and so what better way to improve her day and keep her healthy than to surprise her with a nice meal and a bit of a break from her project? As he rang the doorbell and waited, he looked over at the bouquet and his groceries, checking to see if everything he had bought was of the right quantity and recipe ingredient. Even made sure to check if he had the right sauces at hand. He hummed when he rechecked and saw they were all the things he needed.
He waited, and waited a bit more..... He was a bit curious as to why she didn't respond. So he rang the intercom again. And waited another 30 seconds.... Hm. No response. He looked up at the window where he knew her apartment was in, and noticed that it wasn't open. Huh. That's odd , he thought as he knew that she usually takes good care of ventilating her apartment when she is working. Was she mayhaps outside? Just in case, he rang the intercom a third time and waited a good 5 more minutes, to no avail. She wasn't responding.
As he was shuffling his grocery bag onto his bouquet-filled hand and taking out his phone to contact her, a middle-aged Beyondian woman approached the steps. Well, Klaus assumed she was middle-aged due to the tone of her voice, the rough carapace on her centipede-shaped body and the amount of legs she had sticking out of her as she wore a sweater dress over herself with several bags of groceries on her multiple appendages. Her anntennae piqued as she looked over at him, both being of roughly the same height,
"Oh, good day to you! Are you waiting for someone by chance?"
Klaus nodded at her "Yes. I've tried buzzing her a couple of times, however she might be too focused on her work to notice the door chime."
The woman's black beady eyes and head shifted to look at his groceries, then at his bouquet, and something like a light trill sound came out of her incisors "Oh you're such a sweet boy. Would you like me to open the door for you? Which number are you headed for, if I may ask?"
As she shimmied her legs and exterior onto the door and wrapped one of her free claws to use her key magnet next to the intercom, Klaus stepped back enough to let her approach the com "Ah, um... Number 17, the one that says Marich next to it...."
"Oh!" She chirped as the building entrance buzzed open and she entered and let herself lean her carapace body on the door to let him pass through "No wonder you weren't able to contact her, I rarely ever see her out of her home unless it's in the early morning, when I greet her on the way to my morning skitter skatter!"
Klaus thanked her as he entered the door and walked in front of her, "A lovely lady, if a bit of a shut-in from what I've noticed. I'm glad she has found someone as fine as you.~"
Klaus almost tripped as he looked back bashfully at the centipede lady neighbor, "Ah-- Well, thank you. I'll be on my way then." he nodded his head in respect as they said their goodbyes and Klaus stepped every other step on the staircase to get to Aideen's door within seconds. She was just a few meters in front of the third floor, and as he went past the other numbered doors he finally stood in front of her doorstep with a plate of a typographic signature of her surname written just below the peephole.
He breathed in, calming down the budding feelings that were reignited a seconds prior, and pressed the doorbell. Klaus stood, seconds passed, and no one responded on the other end. This slightly concerned Klaus. He buzzed in a second time, a little bit longer than the first time, and he could only hear the buzzing from her door on the other end. This very much concerned Klaus more than ever.
"Aideen? Do you hear me? It’s Klaus. I seem to not hear music coming from your homestead." he knew she would occasionally have some background music playing, but it was deathly silent on her end.
His eyebrows furrowed with concern, and just in case he thought to check if it was locked to confirm she was outside. His left arm was holding everything from his gifts as he used his other hand to press on the door handle. And it clicked. Huh, it opened and he could enter her apartment. So she is here, he thought. Maybe she's having a nap.
Klaus pushed the door fully open, having it creak just a little at the end. "Aideen?" He gently spoke out, trying to hear if she would respond. Nothing.
He stepped in and closed the door, putting the groceries and bouquet on the entrance hall's desk and put his shoes away neatly at the entrance shoe drawer. As he focused on tidying up the entrance hallway, he suddenly felt warmth spread from the living room. Oh no.
"Aideen?" He hoped it wasn't anything, but she didn't respond again. Did something happen to her? Was she in a state of non-verbal panic? Did she burn a room again....?
He stepped in, looking across the living room and the kitchen it was connected to, then his wandered on the opposite side of the room and saw someone lying on the floor to her main bathroom.
"AIDEEN!!!"
He yelled out and dashed towards her, "What happened?! Are you--" he quickly kneeled over to her trying to pick her up, but his hands immediately singed just at the touch of her back. She was burning . Well, not typically burning as he would expect from her, but he could feel just her entire body radiate heat, like she was a heater during winter times set to a high temperature.
He looked around, and got up to find something in her kitchen and bathroom. Thankfully she still kept the baking mittens he had brought the last time he visited and made her bite-sized cookies. Klaus came back with hands covered in daisy-print mittens and a bathrobe as he began covering her with it before picking her up. Now she felt hot, but manageable.
"Aideen! Aideen, can you hear me?" He was now able to see her face, and it made his heart sink and face be riddled with fear and concern. She was sweating bullets. He thought she couldn't feel heat, that is what she and Dr. Estevez told him. Was this something different? He could hear her raspy breath, assuring him just slightly that she was receiving oxygen. But the way she sounded felt pained, like her body was struggling to breathe. She was only breathing out of her mouth, and it was heavily wheezing from something coating her throat.... Then it dawned on him on what it could be.
"Aideen... Are you sick?"
Klaus gently placed her in bed, which he had covered in another three layers of towels in case she accidentally caused the bed sheets to singe in her unconscious state. He was quick to head to her in-room bathroom and wet one of the hand towels in cold water. When he came back and placed the towel on her forehead he could feel how quickly it was already warming up. Klaus knew that regular human thermometers would not help here due to the warmth she was emitting being more than the amount a basic thermometer would pick up (or even function working at such high heat). He stumbled into the kitchen and came back, apologizing to her as he turned on the kitchen thermometer he had left her and stuck it inside the bathrobe, right where her armpit was. Immediately, the numbers showed up.
"Ach du liebe Güte..." His face was wide-eyed in horror as he saw her temperature fixed at 195.5 Fahrenheit. Just how long has she been burning up like this? Klaus set the thermometer aside and picked up his phone to immediately make an emergency call.
He waited for the line to ring several times before Dr. Estevez' voice could be heard.
"Hello, Klaus?"
"Doctor, I need your help. Aideen may be dying."
"Dying? What do you mean by that? Tell me what happened."
"She was on the ground when I came to visit, unresponsive but breathing. Currently she's perspiring, her body temperature is at almost 196 Fahrenheit as of now."
"Holy--- Okay, hold on. Can you stay with me as I ask the Director what to do?"
"Yes, of course.", Klaus was watching Aideen all throughout the call, hoping she would wake up. Her eyebrows were severely furrowed in pain as he picked up the heated towel from her forehead. He set his phone on speaker as he placed it onto the bedside drawer and used his free hands to put the towel in an ice cold bath he had set aside while he was in the kitchen earlier. Within a few soaks the towel was cold again, and he placed it back on Aideen's forehead. Even if it lasted for a few seconds of relief, he could see her eyes relaxing just for a little bit. That assured him knowing that she wasn't fully unconscious.
"Klaus, are you there?" He could hear Luciana Estevez speak up again from the top of the drawer. Klaus picked up his phone, "Yes, have you spoken to The Director yet?"
"I have, it seems The Director might be theorizing it to be a common cold."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"So, Aideen's natural temperature we always measured being at about 105 degrees, however the Beyondian DNA she is infused with might be triggering a safety response due to viral infections affecting them differently than the rest of humans would. You have to take into consideration that Beyondian immune systems do not react as well to human viral infections as they would if a person was to get sick by it. Their additional appendages might go numb or subconsciously contract, multiple eyes and other facial features might be partially or fully congested depending on each Beyondian, and lastly their abilities might trigger spontaneously as a defense mechanism from the immune system."
"He believes that might be what's causing Aideen's high temperature. Tell me, are there any other symptoms she might be having right now?"
Klaus kept a good look at Aideen, "Well, when I hear her breathe it's rather raspy, and she doesn't seem to be breathing through her nose."
"Got it. So she's congested. Anything else?"
"Hm.... She seems to respond to cold water. I've been trying to cool her off with a wet towel across her face, and she seems to show some reaction to it."
"Okay, let me think..." Estevez paused.
"Does she have a bathtub at home?"
"Yes, she does." Klaus realized what she was alluding to: "Do you want me to seat her in a cold bath?"
"Yes, but don't let the water stay as she will boil it, so I would suggest letting it constantly run in the tub until she cools down or comes back to conscious."
Klaus nodded as Luciana continued to speak "Paracetamol should in theory work with her as her immunity cells still have the properties of a human one. But I suggest giving her double the suggested amount. Let's try One thousand milligrams for the first hour for now. If she doesn't respond or get better by then, contact me immediately and I'll get the ambulance to her place." he could hear the doctor sigh, possibly out of sheer fatigue at her workplace.
"The hospital's a little bit cramped from a lot of patients recently being attacked and getting treated from cochlear bleeding to heart implants malfunctioning... We'll try and squeeze her in one of the wards, but let's hope it doesn't come to it."
"I understand, Doctor." Klaus had walked over to her bathroom and was already cooling the bath basin with cold running water with the bath's shower nozzle as he responded to his phone that was on the wash basin counter, "Thank you again for the information you have provided on how to handle the situation. I will contact you right away if she isn't awake past the hour."
Luciana huffed a light breath, almost like a tired laugh "Take it easy, Klaus. She's strong and won't be dying, I can assure you that. Just make sure that she isn't sinking in the bath itself."
"Right, thank you." As he responded he then heard the notification of the call ending. Klaus folded his white shirt's sleeves up above his elbows, folding them a bit extra as he was making sure they wouldn't fall back down. He hummed in approval as he reached onto the base of the tub and felt it be quite cold. He set the hand shower back up top on the bathtub, making sure it would be specifically raining at the lower half of the tub inside.
Klaus came back and picked up Aideen with the mittens back in his hands, her breath just lightly hitched as he shifted his hold on her properly. She was just barely responding, but that was some sign of progress. Slowly he walked with her over for her cold bath.
As he lay her down on the bathtub he could see the steam already developing around her, as water was getting boiled as it was surrounding her. He then picked up the running nozzle, and carefully made sure to cover her in cold water. He was glad to have not needed to take off her clothes, it would have been improper to do so, and it would've been worse had she not had a layer of cloth already on her. His eyes gleamed on her scar-riddled hands, watching as they were glowing with the brightness of a headlight. Her hair was also a light blonde color than it usually was, he moved the douche over to them and watched as steam immediately started to waft from them, making Klaus have to take off his glasses and open a few buttons around his shirt and vest as the steam was starting to surround him.
Eventually he managed to get her body covered in running cold water. He placed the exfoliating washcloths next to the bath basin in his free hand and coated it with cold water, as hand-washed the sweat and pain from Aideen's face and forehead. She could see her expression finally go back to a calming one. He was glad to know she wasn't hurting anymore. Fifteen minutes had already passed and he was already sweating from the heat of just the steam hitting him in close proximity despite the ventilation being turned on and the door to her bathroom fully open. Klaus reluctantly had to take off his upper clothes, leaving only his sleeveless undershirt on him. It felt like being surrounded in a self-made sauna, and Aideen was the source of it.
"Mhh...." He perked up as he placed the douche back on its hold, and watched in relief as her eyes were droopy, but thankfully opening up for the first time during her sickness. As she was slowly waking up, Aideen noticed she was surrounded by running water, and her hands were steaming, and she saw a figure next to her. She turned to look and saw the giant, red-haired shape of Klaus von Reinherz crouching beside her bathtub, watching in relief as she was waking up.
Klaus...? She said, or she thought she did. Her mouth felt like a desert as she winced trying to let his name come out from it. Aideen tried again, and ended up leaning forward as a dry cough came out. From the corner of her eye she saw Klaus with a water-filled glass held in one hand.
"Drink, Aideen. You have been dehydrated for a while now.", as she raised her arms, she was shocked to see her scars glowing and steaming in the shower. She made sure to cool her hands in the water before taking the glass from him.
She took a slow sip and could just feel the stinging sensation as the water went past her inflamed throat. She took a few more slow sips until the pain just slightly subsided, and a meek "Thank you." finally came out of her as she gave Klaus the half-empty steamed glass back.
Aideen looked around, and then at herself "Wh... Why am I in here....?"
"You were burning up. Well, you still are." Klaus leaned over the nozzle holder and lowered it so that the water could splash closer to Aideen's upper legs and hands "I found you laying on the ground not too long ago, and immediately called Dr. Estevez for any help I could offer you. She suggested cooling you in water. It seems to have worked, I was a bit concerned you wouldn't wake up..." Klaus wet one of his hands in the cold shower and gently picked up Aideen's hand that was resting on her thighs "How do you feel right now?"
"Bad..." Aideen tried not to think about the pain and focused with all her being into not burning Klaus' fingers. Thankfully her arms were starting to dim as the cold water was actively covering them. "Head hurts, throat sucks.... I can't smell anything." Aideen tried to breathe from her nostrils but her sinuses were severely clogged from whatever was causing her cold to spiral.
"I remember... Wondering if I can drink medicine. Before I passed out."
"How long ago was that?"
"Uh... What... time is it...?"
Klaus leaned over as he tapped his phone at the counter "Right now, it is 5:47 in the afternoon."
"Oh... Sheiß." Aideen rubbed her forehead with both her hands, hoping some of the water on them would seize her headache.
"Let's see... Last time I checked.... I think I felt woozy after 3...."
"My God, you were passed out for 2 hours!" Klaus' face scrunched in horror, remembering Aideen's body in the middle of her floor. "I'm going to bring you some medicine. And a larger glass. Do you need anything else?"
"Um, no... I think I'm... Okay." As soon as Aideen finished her Okay, a growl emitted from the pit of her abdomen. Klaus looked at her, with a serious expression on him.
"Aideen, be honest with me.... Did you even have any food this morning?"
"Well, yeah... I had coffee...... And some apples....."
"Aideen." Klaus picked up his phone and pressed something. He showed her the text message from 7 in the morning, "You said you had cheese crackers."
"...Oh."
"Aideen Marich, I want you to be honest with me. Did you have anything to eat with the coffee in the morning?"
She averted her gaze from him, feeling a deep sense of shame admitting to him that she didn't want to worry him with her terrible eating habits. Klaus remained quiet as he was waiting for her response. She sighed, as deeply as she could with her lungs being limited in oxygen intake, before finally answering. "... No."
Klaus nodded at her honesty, "Then, would you like me to make you something? I brought some ingredients to make dinner for you."
"Is that... Why you came here? I'm sorry..."
"Do not worry about it. I now have another reason to be here." He held his hand on his other elbow and pumped his other fist in front of him. "I will take care of you for the evening. If you're alright with that, of course."
She felt her heart flutter. Or maybe it was heart palpitation, she wasn't sure. But she knew she didn't want to be alone while she was this unstable in her powers and weak to move around. So Aideen nodded at him "I... I want you to stay, please."
Klaus hummed, then got up from his crouching stance and picked up his shirt, tie and glasses from next to the bathroom drawer. "I will head to the kitchen and prepare the food and medicine for you. For now, you should take a bath and let the water cool your entire body off."
Aideen nodded. "Thank you, Klaus."
"Anytime." Klaus leaned over and gripped her hand again, with the gentlest of reassuring squeezes to let her know that everything would be okay.
For the next 30 minutes, Aideen would bathe and soak her body and hair in ice cold water as it was slowly becoming lukewarm due to her body temperature. Having her face underwater even for just a second made her feel a lot better than when she initially awoke. She let herself lean back in the tub, watched as her hair ends and scars were dimming from a bright yellow into an orange hue. Now they weren't simmering as they were initially, and the steam around her began to subside, the vapors of hot air slowly dissipating as the ventilation was working its way into removing it from her bathroom. Aideen thought about the concern for mold growing in her ceiling. Maybe she could ask about it when she's healthy again.
Aideen unlocked the bathroom door and came out, now wearing a long sleeved shirt with loose cotton joggers. "Klaus...?" She walked towards the kitchen, and was pleasantly surprised when she saw the table already set with empty plates, and in the middle was a glass vase that had been filled up with light pink and yellow tulips which were soaking in water at the bottom of the vase.
"Ah, Aideen. I'll be done in just a bit. Please, take a seat."
She did, and went for the filled-up glass of water he had prepared on the table. She was still feeling this never-ending thirst that couldn't leave her system, but the water momentarily helped at least. "What are you making tonight?", she lowered her glass back towards the table.
"Well, I wanted to make you spaghetti for today, but I was looking online and noticed tomatoes could potentially irritate the throat. But, I did bring some additional items with me so I substituted the base with just olive oil and garlic sauce." Klaus walked over with mittens in his hand as he placed the lidded frying pan onto the wooden stand besides the vase.
Aideen watched in surprise as he opened the pan lid and saw the steaming chicken and vegetables that were still sizzling over the remaining heat, and the drizzle of garlic sauce and the sheen of the oil made her inadvertently water in her mouth. "It so looks delicious."
Klaus rubbed the back of his head with one of his mitten hands, bashfully accepting the chef's compliment. "The spaghetti is almost ready as well. Wait just a bit." Aideen nodded as Klaus walked back past the counters to check on the stove.
Soon enough, they were able to have a warm meal, Aideen was in momentary bliss as she was thankful that her taste buds were still working. The sauced chicken and veggies mixed with the smooth texture of the spaghetti was wonderful, not hurting her throat as much as she thought it would. After thanking Klaus for the meal and offering her plate to the wash, he offered her two tablets to drink alongside refilling her glass.
"I had to quickly check with Dr. Estevez whether the Aspirin you had in the medicine cabin could substitute Paracetamol. She said it wasn't an issue as long as you didn't take any of your painkillers recently."
"Well.... Glad I took them last night then." She took the meds from his hand and her glass and drank one Aspirin tablet at a time.
"Thanks for .. Visiting me and helping out. I didn't think I could catch anything, after... y'know, all this." And she waved at herself and her hair.
"I would theorize based on the Doctor's analysis that your immunity and body are still human." he pulled the chair next to Aideen and sat beside her "And similar to us when it comes to our Blood Techniques, your body has adjusted to its abilities that have been given to you. It could be that your immune system is strong, but becoming infected would lead to stronger reactions from your body trying to fight it off."
"Hm." Aideen hummed as she let her mind wander in thought. "Have you ever been sick, then?"
"Myself? Hmm..." Klaus leaned into the chair and pondered. His head was raised looking at the ceiling, like was jogging his memory. "I would like to say I have, as a child. But I can't really remember an instance." Klaus sheepishly rubbed his neck as he looked back at Aideen "I guess I've been rather fortunate with having a resistant body."
"I'll say. I don't think I've ever seen you suffer from an inconvenience like the others have." Aideen couldn't help but smile, mostly remembering the times Leo and her had pollen allergies, and the one time Zapp had caught the shits because he challenged her to a Flaming Hot Special Ramen Buffet.
"Then I guess you're okay with being near me right now? I mean, I know you had to be close by to help me and all this past hour but, well...."
She lay her hands on the table, fidgeting with her fingers as she continued "Will it be alright staying beside me?"
She watched as Klaus' hand reached out for her and placed it gently on top of her hand. Her gaze followed towards his face, as it was faintly smiling towards her.
"You do not have to worry. I will remain here for as long as you wish. If there's anything else you need me to do tonight, let me know."
"Oh, um...." she was feeling warm again, but not from the cold. The fact he cared so much about her well-being that he would risk being near her made her feel a little guilty, she couldn't help but feel selfish for keeping him all to herself tonight. But the fact being is that Klaus would prioritize her, because he cared a lot about her. They were close friends, maybe something more than that, but both had been too concerned to tell the other person directly. She looked at the light pink hues of the tulips, knowing what the intention of them were. Or she was thinking it was that intention.
Aideen smiled back, and spoke up "Do you... Want to hang out a little bit tonight? At least until we're both sure this fever won't worsen."
"Of course. I would like to check on your temperature again, if that's alright." He raised his other free hand in between them. Aideen looked at his palm and as she leaned a bit closer to him, his hand touched her forehead. He hummed as he kept it there for a few seconds and released it.
"You're thankfully not scalding anymore. Still quite warm, I will say." He looked over at one of the countertops in the distance.
"Allow me to make you some tea. I saw you've still kept the Chamomile and Lemon blend I had brought you a while ago."
"Ah, yeah.... Sorry, I didn't drink it as often."
"There is no need to apologize. It came in handy for use on this occasion." he looked back at Aideen, reassuring her "I can put a few extra teaspoons to make it just a little stronger tonight. You do like the citric taste in it."
"Ah, thank you." Aideen flushed just the faintest. She did indeed like the sour taste of a well lemon-induced drink blend. "Should I... Help with anything? I feel a bit bad having you do everything tonight."
"There is no need to do anything. Just leave it to me." Klaus knew she would feel like a useless being if she wasn't working on anything, even just the basic chores.... He could give her something to do while she was resting, maybe?
"Actually.... Would it be alright to sketch me something as you rest?"
"As in, bring some pastels and a sketchbook in bed? Well, if that's what you'd like, then sure."
She tried to remember which of her pastels she had available in her bedroom. Actually, now she was wondering if she moved it in her studio. She'll have to check soon.
"What would you like me to draw you?"
"A simple request, really. Could you sketch a plant for me?"
She couldn't help but laugh lightly, with an obvious rasp coming out "Heh, that's rather obvious. I can do that, yeah. Any plant in particular you'd like me to sketch?"
"Lately, I have been taking care of a few Anthuriums at home after one of the members from The Gardening Club begged me to give it a temporary home as they are in the process of moving. They were a bit brown around the leaves so I have had to fix them up just a bit, and change their soil to a more loose one with a layer of peat soil."
As Klaus was talking he opened his phone up and slid the photos he had been taking of the plants, likely as an update to show to the owner.
"These plants have been my current priority as of late, so... Would it be alright to send you a few of these and sketch them for me? I'll share the ones with the healthier leaves and blooming flowers." He tapped on a few photos before pressing Share to their private messaging app. Klaus looked back at her, then realized "Ah, do you remember where you left your phone?"
"Yeah, should be in the studio.... Ah." she also remembered her commission "Do you mind asking Gilbert tomorrow if Mr. Redzik could wait another day for his daughter's portrait? At least until I'm able to properly sit without having my head feel like lead."
"I will let him know tomorrow. And you need more than just a day of rest." Aideen couldn't help but admit it in a sigh as he stared at her "Rest up this week. If you're feeling better before that then you may continue your work. But I will make sure and give you a paid sick leave these next several days. You've been working nonstop this past month and a half, after all."
"Alright, alright.... You don't have to spell it out for me. I'll rest up." she winced at Klaus' upfront demand. "I'll go get my phone, and my equipment, and rest from art by making more art." she chuckled as Klaus looked a bit down at her last line, "Don't worry, this won't burden me. I like sketching in my spare time anyway, and well... I like the flowers you share with me."
Klaus beamed then and there at her response, "Then I shall make sure to send you a few more these days. For reference, of course."
"Of course." she did a toothy grin, her eyes softening at his underlying excitement.
Aideen found her phone near her easel alongside an A4 watercolor sketchbook and the half-used pastels she had recently restocked. She then walked over to her wide-open bedroom and set a few pillows in a layered formation in front of her bed before gently resting her head body on it, laying down in a half-sitting position for her sketch process. She grabbed her phone and set up the photos Klaus shared, looking in detail of the blooming red petal each of the stems had on this plant. She zoomed in on one of the stems which had a few big leaves on it and set it beside one of the smaller pillows to rest at a visible angle.
The sketching process was taking shape and eventually Klaus entered with a knock on the door as he brought a plate with a cup of tea and set it on the bedside drawer. She thanked him as he went back to clean up the kitchen and set the remaining food in the fridge. Aideen eventually set aside the sketchbook and picked up the cup from the bedside, blowing at it a few times before taking a sip. Ah, it was soothing. The fresh taste of the chamomile mixed with the tanginess of the lemon and honey he had just lightly added was really nice. And she couldn't help but pick up hints of something spicy.... Was it ginger? It wouldn't surprise her if he added an extra spice into the tea, as a way to help her recovery process. She thought that was very sweet of him.
Her mind was slowly fogging up as the tea cup emptied, and the grip on her pastel and pages was becoming rather weak. Maybe shutting her eyes for a bit would help. She set them aside, and closed her eyes. She thought about finishing Klaus' piece as soon as she felt better, and as that single sentence in her brain passed so did her consciousness. Within seconds she was gently breathing, her head leaning to one side and her arms crossed at her stomach.
Klaus would eventually come back into her room to pick up the tea set from her drawer, and he smiled as he saw Aideen was sleeping soundly in her bed. He made sure to walk lightly beside her so as not to wake her up, and as he picked up the plate from her drawer top he glanced over at the sketch she had thus far made. He could see she was in the process of coloring in the red of the flower and parts of the leaves had been sketched in contours as she was jotting down the shape of the leaves. He made sure to set a mental note and buy another frame for his wall the next time he was out on an errand.
He shifted his gaze towards Aideen, noticing her pursed half-open lips breathing in and out air, her eyes and eyebrows now at a calm expression. He's glad she's sleeping peacefully right now. Klaus leaned over with one hand, hovering his face just a few inches near hers, his lips hovering right above her forehead. He had wanted to kiss her. But he wouldn't, not without her permission. And they weren't a couple. Just friends, for now. He wanted to tell her eventually, the way he has been feeling about her. But not right now. Especially now when she's suffering from a cold. He'll bring her flowers again, hoping she'll realize how he feels about her. And he will eventually confess, tell her how much he loves and adores her, and hope that what she feels towards him is the same. And even if it isn't, that will be alright for him. He will love her still, even if he can only do so from a distance, and as a friend. That would be more than enough for him. He was already prepared to long for her from the start if she didn't want this.
With mere inches away from her forehead, he softly whispered,
"Gute Nacht, Aideen. Schlaf gut und träum süß."
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Aideen recovered two days early, and had managed to finish Redzik's child's portrait the day prior to her full recovery. She had arrived that morning with the canvas coated and protected, prepared to hand it over to Gilbert and let him deliver the commission over to their client. They had a small talk regarding the packaging process for how to secure the artwork into his car, and after a while of prep work they said their goodbyes.
She went in the elevator and went to another floor above, wanting to just quickly say hi to Klaus on her way.
The elevator door opened, and she smiled seeing the rows of various green colored potted plants. She took a few steps and looked around, and she saw a tuft of red hair in front of the retro desktop computer system.
"Klaus." she spoke out his name and could see his head perk up. He poked his head from above the monitor, his bespectacled eyes peeking visibly glancing at the direction of the familiar voice.
"Aideen, welcome back! Were you able to send the painting today?"
"I was, I just spoke to Gilbert a bit ago and wanted to see how you were." she bowed her head just slightly in respect "Thank you again for taking care of me last week, I know it must've worried you a lot. And um," She glanced aside as she noticed a daisy-filled vase off to one of the desks.
"Thank you for the flowers. I forgot to tell you this back then."
"You're very welcome. I'm glad they've kept their bloom. Have you been changing their water?"
"I have, this morning I ---- Oh no." As he raised himself from his seat to take a step away from his desk, she immediately began to worry as she saw his lower face completely covered behind a surgical mask.
"Oh Klaus, I'm so sorry. Did I actually make you sick...?"
"Ah." she took a step closer and he noticed the worry in her eyes. His hand raised up in front of her as in a calming motion "Not to worry, this is just a preventive measure given to me by the Doctor. I'm alright, but I was told to keep the others safe in case I am asymptomatic. Wouldn't wish to cause the spread of any illnesses at the office and all."
"Ah, alright.... Then you're okay and all, right now?"
"From what I'm feeling, yes. I feel perfectly fine. I did schedule an appointment today afternoon for a checkup, so I'm going to be properly tested for any viral infection." Aideen was relieved to hear that he wasn't feeling terrible or anything, so that put her mind and heart at ease.
"Well... If everything turns out alright for you, could I ask for us to hang out later today?"
Klaus' eyes behind his glasses beamed brightly at the mention of a hangout "Of course. Do you have any specific location in mind?"
"I do, yes. There's a bird cafe that Leonardo recommended me. He seems to have noticed the building on one of his drives, and sent me the location of it alongside some pictures he had taken while parked nearby the place.” Aideen opened up her phone to show him the photos as she was talking, showcasing Leo's photographs of the establishment. It was a quaint and nice building, with various colorful paper cranes around the window and entrance door with the title above the wall window of the locale reading Flock’s Paradise .
“If you're okay with it... We could go there, perhaps?"
"It would be nothing more than a pleasure to visit it with you. I will text you the minute I get my results from the hospital today."
Aideen couldn't help but laugh lightly at his polite demeanor, "Alright, I'll be waiting with baited breath."
They parted with a wave as Aideen left, and Klaus felt motivated to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Well, as soon as the appointment time arrived. He would definitely make sure to arrive 45 minutes early, just in case of anything coming up at the clinic.He would hope there was nothing wrong and that he was as healthy as always, and then enjoy the little platonic date with the woman he has been sweetly affectionate for. Klaus wondered what birds the café had, he made sure to look it up after his work was done. Maybe he could find the café's menu as well, and be prepared for when they'll arrive. Maybe they had a list and names of the critters that resided at the establishment. He made sure to check out online what their website had to offer. Klaus would definitely make sure to give Aideen a comfortable and fun time with him there, he had hoped she could smile today with him, and he hoped if nothing else that he was healthy to be with her today.
And thankfully, Klaus von Reinherz did indeed test negative.