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Judai is very driven when it comes down to it, to the point that Judai will forget to take care of himself. Yubel is well aware of that fact, has been reminded of it over and over again throughout their travels together. So it's no surprise that two days later, after helping out with a spiritual incident in the city, after consecutive nights of constant travel, that Judai comes down with a cold.
He lays on a hotel bed now, a cold compress atop his forehead, waiting for his fever to break. Yubel watches over him, both concerned and mildly indignant that Judai has pushed himself this far despite their warnings. Despite his fever, they can see a small smile tugging at Judai’s lips. He must have sensed Yubel’s displeasure at his situation.
“Are you mad at me, Yubel?”
Judai’s voice is a little hoarse when he asks, and it only serves to make Yubel feel more helpless. Judai may have Yubel’s powers, as well as the Supreme King’s, and with them he is indeed more physically durable, but still, he has his limits. Yubel can only protect him from so many threats. Sickness is one of the few they can't, save for their reminders that Judai needs to take care of himself better. But Judai has always been a stubborn soul.
Yubel tsks at him. “I should be. But it's hard to stay mad at you.”
“You’re giving me that ‘I told you so’ look.” Judai’s smile simply widens, and Yubel hates that that's all it takes to warm their heart. And Judai can feel it. He turns further on his side to get a better view of Yubel, their spiritual form standing at his bedside. “What would I do without you?” he asks, half-jokingly.
“Hmph, definitely not much,” Yubel retorts.
“Ouch."
“I warned you pushing ahead for three nights in a row was a bad idea. And instead of resting you decided to do your little investigation instead.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“And you weren’t hydrating yourself nearly enough.”
“Yeesh, I get it, Yubel…” At their reminder, Judai shifts himself up to grab his water bottle from his bedside table, only to lapse into a small coughing fit. There's a hint of phlegm in the back of his coughs, and Yubel feels something squeeze at their heart. They float closer to Judai’s side, brushing a hand over his back. The good thing about having their souls fused is that even Judai can feel their touch when their form is intangible. His coughing fit seems to lighten when Yubel touches him. Judai takes a swig of water, and gradually the coughing fades away.
“Ugh…sorry,” Judai says as he lies back down, tightening the covers over his body. He heaves out a sigh. “Seems I never learn.”
They sense a familiar pang of guilt at Judai’s core, a familiar sense of self-loathing. Judai is even harder on himself at these times, and they know he hates worrying Yubel the most. They bend down so they’re eye-level with him. “Perhaps,” they say, and they soften with their next words, “but you would not be you after all without that fire in your soul, driving you to push on further. Burning at my soul, too.” They smile at him smugly. “I’m here to make sure it doesn’t also burn you too much.”
Yubel can’t physically protect his body from this fever, but perhaps, expressing such emotions in this way will make it easier for Judai to recover. It’s a good start, seeing Judai appear to relax, mutual love resonating in both of their souls. He remains quiet, but Yubel doesn’t need him to say anything, not when they can feel his gratitude, tenderly brushing at their core. For a second, Yubel thinks he’ll try to use his powers to manifest Yubel’s form into something tangible, seeing the way he tries to slip his hand through their more draconic one. Yubel shuts the idea down quickly.
“Rest,” they say firmly. “I will watch over you.”
Judai laughs weakly. “No one is going to come after us here, Yubel. We’re just in a hotel.”
“Hmph, of all people, you should know that it’s a worthy concern. Besides, I am your guardian. Let me perform my duty for you.”
Judai makes a dramatic show of sighing, and then he waves his arm up in resignation. “Alright, point taken,” Judai responds, too tired to argue, but not before cheekily adding, “sleeping is my specialty, after all.” Yubel snorts at that. Judai slips his arm back underneath the blanket, and then he shuts his eyes, settling himself more comfortably in the bed. It doesn’t take longer than a few minutes for Yubel to sense he has fallen into a light sleep.
Yubel watches him diligently, like they always have. Judai mostly sleeps throughout the day. Sometimes he startles awake with the occasional cough, before just as quickly falling back asleep. Sometimes he tosses about in his sleep, eyes squeezed tightly and wincing at whatever terrible sight he sees in his dreams. Whenever Judai is stressed, his nightmares tend to worsen. So as Yubel keeps watch, they remind him he’s not alone, resonating their feelings through their connection, to keep his bad dreams at bay. Eventually his eyes relax. And whenever he wakes, despite his exhaustion, Judai still has the energy to flash a grin at Yubel—a miniscule one, but irritatingly endearing all the same. Surely he must know the effect his smile has on them? Sometimes they don’t know whether to be touched or to be amused at Judai’s attempts to placate Yubel’s concerns. They coax him back to rest regardless of the reason.
The cycle continues for the next few days. It takes another day for the fever to break, and another two days for Judai to fully recover. When Yubel can sense the fire in his soul has returned, newly refreshed, relief floods through their form. Judai returns their feelings with a flash of teal and orange in his eyes, and then Yubel has Judai physically in their embrace, showering him with their unfettered love, as well as small scolds of not to worry them like that ever again. Judai chuckles and promises them that he’ll take care of himself better. It’s a lie of course; Yubel knows that Judai’s bound to push himself too far again, but they’re accustomed to it. So long as Yubel is by his side—and they will always be by his side—they’ll ensure they’ll both make it through together.
Though, they hope that Judai won’t get sick for a long while after this.