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It was an unusually quiet morning in the penthouse. Gabriel lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling a discomfort that seemed to multiply with each passing second. His throat burned like fire, every swallow a painful reminder that something was very wrong. He barely had the strength to move, his body feeling like it had been set aflame from the inside out.
“Sebastian…” he croaked weakly, his voice cracking as he tried to call for his husband.
It had only been a few months since they’d unexpectedly wed—two people with too much baggage, too many secrets, too many wounds. Their relationship had started off as a whirlwind, a hasty decision made out of survival. But now, as he lay here in pain, Gabriel realized how much he had come to rely on Sebastian. The man had never been the type to show vulnerability, but Gabriel knew him better than anyone.
The door to the bedroom swung open, and there stood Sebastian, his tall frame filling the doorway, his face etched with concern. He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants, looking every bit the part of a man who’d been roused from sleep and thrust into a state of pure panic.
“What’s wrong?” Sebastian asked immediately, his voice laced with worry. “Gabriel?”
Gabriel’s vision was blurry, but he could see the look on his husband's face, the way his brow furrowed and his eyes flicked to every inch of Gabriel’s body, searching for signs of injury.
“I…” Gabriel tried again to speak, but the words came out as little more than a strangled rasp. His throat felt like it was on fire, and each breath only intensified the heat. His bones ached. Every part of him felt wrong, like he was trapped in a furnace.
Sebastian stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind him, and crossed to the bedside in two quick strides. He sat down beside Gabriel, placing a hand gently on his forehead.
“Jesus Christ, you’re burning up.” His voice was sharp with alarm. “How long has it been like this?”
“I don’t know,” Gabriel mumbled. His lips trembled slightly. “Just... woke up like this.”
Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. His eyes scanned Gabriel’s face, full of concern. “You need to rest, Gabe. I’ll go get you something for the fever.”
“I’m fine,” Gabriel protested weakly, though he could barely keep his eyes open, the weight of the sickness pressing down on him.
“Don’t tell me that,” Sebastian snapped, his voice soft but urgent. “You’re clearly not fine. You’re burning up like an oven, and your voice sounds like you swallowed sandpaper.” He reached for the blanket and gently pulled it up around Gabriel’s shoulders, trying to comfort him as much as possible. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here.”
Gabriel’s lips curved in a faint, tired smile. “You’re a little overdramatic, Seb.”
Sebastian glared at him, not even trying to hide the worry in his eyes. “You think I’m overdramatic? You’re sick, Gabe. I can’t stand this. I can’t stand seeing you like this.”
Gabriel’s heart warmed at the concern in his husband’s voice. Despite all their past complications, despite the shadows of their family legacies and the dangerous world they both came from, Sebastian had always taken care of him in his own way. The man had been through hell and back—he wasn’t the type to show weakness. But Gabriel had seen him vulnerable enough times to know the truth. Sebastian’s anger and stubbornness were often the only things standing between him and a crippling fear of losing someone he loved.
“I’m not that bad…” Gabriel tried to reassure him, though he could feel the cold sweat on his brow and the pressure in his chest.
Sebastian wasn’t having it. “Not that bad? You’re practically radiating heat, and you can’t even speak without sounding like you’re dying. What if this is serious, Gabe? What if—” He stopped himself, clearly trying to hold back a rising panic. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
“I don’t want a doctor,” Gabriel grumbled, though it came out more like a whimper. He winced as his throat pulsed with pain. “I just want you to cool me down.”
Sebastian blinked, his confusion momentarily overtaking his worry. “Cool you down?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel muttered, barely able to form coherent thoughts. “Like… you know, you’ve got all that heat in you. You’re like a furnace, Seb. You could cool me down. I just want the heat to stop.” He coughed weakly, his body wracked with a painful spasm. His voice was barely audible now, cracked and raw. “I’m dying over here.”
Sebastian’s expression softened, his protective instincts taking over as he placed a hand on Gabriel’s chest. “I swear, you’re impossible,” he muttered, though there was no real heat behind his words. He sighed, pulling Gabriel into a sitting position with surprising gentleness, and then went out to get a damp clothe.
Drapping it over his lover's forehead. “Alright, hothead. I’ll do what I can.” Sebastian eyes frowned.
“Thanks, Seb,” Gabriel whispered, exhaustion overtaking him. He leaned against Sebastian’s side, allowing himself to lean into the cool comfort of his husband’s presence.
Sebastian’s hand began to gently rub his back, sending a soothing pressure across the muscles that had been tight with tension. It was a quiet, almost intimate gesture, and it made Gabriel feel grounded in the midst of the swirling chaos inside him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so cared for, so completely safe. Sebastian’s cool touch, combined with the comfort of his solid presence, was a balm to the burning fever that had taken hold of him.
“You know,” Sebastian murmured after a moment, his voice low and soft. “When I first saw you that day, when I hid in your closet at the wedding… I thought I was going to lose you forever.” He paused, his voice thickening with emotion. “I never expected… any of this. I never expected you’d be mine.”
Gabriel’s tired eyes fluttered open, though he barely had the energy to meet Sebastian’s gaze. “You… always were mine,” he whispered, his voice barely a breath. “You’ve always been mine.”
Sebastian kissed the top of his head, his voice steadying as he held Gabriel close. “I’m not letting go of you now, Gabe. Not ever.”
Gabriel smiled weakly, his body relaxing as the fever gradually began to subside under Sebastian’s steady care. The heat in his bones cooled bit by bit, and for the first time that morning, he felt like he could breathe.
Sebastian's fingers brushed through Gabriel's hair as he held him close, the cool cloth still pressed to his forehead, the temperature of his skin gradually lowering to something closer to normal. It was strange how something as simple as a fever could bring such a quiet intimacy between them. The world outside their penthouse was chaotic, filled with danger and deceit, yet in these moments, in the stillness of their shared space, everything felt uncomplicated.
“Better?” Sebastian asked softly, his breath warm against Gabriel’s ear as he rubbed his back in slow, reassuring circles.
Gabriel let out a small, contented sigh. The fever was receding, the fire inside him finally starting to cool, and it felt as if a weight had been lifted. “Yeah,” he rasped, his voice still rough but more coherent now. He pulled away slightly, just enough to look at Sebastian. “You really know how to handle a crisis, don’t you?”
Sebastian shot him a wry smile, though there was still a trace of worry in his eyes. “You make it sound like this is just another day at the office. This is you we’re talking about, Gabriel. You can’t just go around scaring me like that.”
“Maybe I like it when you’re worried about me,” Gabriel teased, his lips curving into a slight grin despite his lingering exhaustion. He winced, though, at the tenderness in his throat. “God, I sound like a frog.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes, but there was a softness to his gaze as he brushed his thumb across Gabriel's cheek. “You don’t look like one, at least. But… I don’t like seeing you like this. You don’t get to be sick on me, Gabriel. It’s not fair.”
Gabriel laughed weakly, his breath hitching slightly. “I didn’t ask for this, Seb. Believe me, if I could’ve avoided it, I would’ve.” He paused, glancing up at his husband through half-lidded eyes. “But… thanks for sticking around. I know I’m a pain.”
“A pain?” Sebastian scoffed. “If you’re a pain, then I’m the world’s worst nurse. Who else would drop everything to come running to your side? Who else would spend his morning making sure you’re not on fire anymore?”
Gabriel chuckled, even though it sent a faint ripple of discomfort through him. "I guess that makes you the most dedicated, overprotective husband in the world."
"You're damn right I am," Sebastian said with a smile, brushing a stray lock of hair from Gabriel's face. "And you'd better believe I’m not going anywhere until you’re better. So, I’ll be here, making sure you’re comfortable, hydrated, and—" He raised an eyebrow. "Not planning to get sick again anytime soon."
"Not on purpose," Gabriel murmured with a weak smile. He let his eyes drift closed again, the weight of his feverish state making him feel heavier than usual.
Sebastian's expression softened, his hand moving to Gabriel's chest, where he felt the faint thrum of his heartbeat. “You always were better at keeping things locked down, Gabe. I remember the first time I saw you, when I was just some guy who was getting the beating of his life. You looked like a saviour coming out from the dark.”
Gabriel blinked, his voice barely above a whisper. “And now?”
Sebastian smiled, his thumb continuing to move in small circles on Gabriel's chest. “Now, I’m not letting you go. Not ever. You’ve got too many pieces of me, whether you realize it or not.”
Gabriel inhaled sharply, his throat still sore but less intense now. “You have too many pieces of me too, Seb. You’ve had them since we met.”
Sebastian’s lips parted, as though he wanted to say something else, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to Gabriel’s forehead, as though he could communicate everything in that single gesture.
For a while, neither of them said anything. The silence between them was a comfortable one, broken only by the soft sound of Sebastian’s breathing and the occasional movement as he shifted to make sure Gabriel was still propped up and comfortable. The fever had mostly passed, but the warmth of Sebastian’s presence, the solid reassurance of having him close, was like an anchor in Gabriel’s increasingly tumultuous life.
After a few seconds Gabriel said " I still can't thank you enough for the day you agreed to marry me. I thought you would have called me stupid and leave"
“I wasn’t going to leave you,” Sebastian said after a moment, his voice low and intense. “Not after everything we’d been through. Not after… I didn’t care about the rest of the world. I didn’t care about the people who’d tried to hurt you. I cared about you. I always have.”
Gabriel’s eyes softened, the affection he felt for Sebastian clear in his gaze, even through the lingering haze of illness. “And that’s why I married you. Not just for the safety of my inheritance, but because I knew you wouldn’t let me go.”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a faint smile. “And here I thought I was just a mafia heir with a ridiculous number of enemies.”
Gabriel chuckled weakly. “Yeah, well. That too. But more than that, you’re mine. And I’m yours.”
A quiet moment of understanding passed between them, both of them fully aware of the magnitude of their bond. Gabriel may have been sick, his body still weak and weary, but Sebastian’s presence,his care, his protectiveness, his love,was enough to steady him, enough to remind him that no matter the chaos that loomed outside their door, this was where he belonged.
And with that, the world outside seemed a little less dangerous, and the heat in Gabriel’s body slowly began to subside, replaced by the steady calm of a love that could survive anything—even a hundred open ovens.