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"Bless you," Raymond murmured, his voice warm and hushed against the pillow. The sudden dampness on his shoulder didn’t bother him—not when Edwin was curled so tightly against his back, arms wrapped around him like he was something precious. The feathers along Raymond’s neck fluffed slightly at the contact, betraying his contentment.
"ihHih.. Hih'tschiew! Itschiew! Hh.. HihH.." Edwin buried his face deeper into the crook of Raymond’s shoulder, the damp warmth of his breath ghosting over feathers and skin. His nose twitched violently, another hitch catching in his throat before he barely managed to turn his head away—"Hh'tschiew!"—too late to keep from spraying Raymond’s wing. "I'mb so sorry."
Raymond twisted slightly, his wings rustling against the bedsheets as he craned his neck to peer over his shoulder. Edwin’s flushed face was half-buried in the mess of feathers along his scapula, eyes squeezed shut as another shudder worked through him. "Hh-hih’TSCHH!" The sneeze bent him forward like a bowstring, his grip tightening reflexively around Raymond’s waist. A damp spot darkened the cobalt plumage where Edwin’s nose had pressed a moment too long.
Raymond let out a soft chuckle, the sound vibrating through his chest where Edwin's fingers had curled into his feathers. "You're adorable," he murmured, shifting just enough to nudge his wing against Edwin's trembling frame. The damp patches from sneezes were already cooling in the morning air, but Edwin's warmth seeped right back into him, his body molding against Raymond's spine like he belonged there. "Hh-hih’tschh!" Another wet sneeze hitched out of Edwin, his breath stuttering against Raymond's nape—hot, then damp, then gone in a shaky exhale. Raymond could feel the way Edwin's nose scrunched against him, the twitching pressure before each sneeze like a little earthquake under his skin.
Edwin’s breath hitched again, a sharp little gasp that made Raymond’s feathers lift instinctively. “Hh’ihh… Hh’tschh-iew!” The force of it sent Edwin jerking forward, his forehead bumping against Raymond’s shoulder blade. Raymond could feel the way Edwin’s nose wrinkled against him, the damp heat of his breath fluttering over his feathers like a sigh. "Hoooh.. Mmngh."
"Bless you again," Raymond cooed, his wings flexing slightly as he twisted fully onto his back, pulling Edwin with him until the man was sprawled half-across his chest. Edwin's nose was pink at the tip, his breath hitching in tiny, desperate little gasps between each sneeze.
"Edwin," Raymond murmured, his fingers tracing idle patterns along the man's spine, feeling each tremor that preceded another stifled sneeze. "You're thinking too hard. I can hear it." "Thinki'g?" Edwin's voice was muffled against Raymond's collarbone, the words thick with congestion. He sniffled wetly, rubbing his nose into the feathers beneath him with a quiet, defeated whine. "Snnrf! Ugh. I'b dot thinki'g—"
"—Hh’ihTSCHhh!" Edwin sneezed violently into Raymond’s feathers, his whole body jolting with the force of it. "I'b thikin'g thad you're too pretty for this," he grumbled, his voice hoarse and nasal. His fingers curled tighter into Raymond’s plumage, like he was afraid the bird-man might vanish if he loosened his grip. "Sobeone like be sdeezi’g all over you… id’s ridiculous."
Raymond's wings arched slightly, a protective curve sheltering Edwin's shivering frame as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "You're ridiculous," he murmured, the words vibrating through Edwin's temple where it rested against his collarbone. His fingers carded through Edwin's hair, gently working out the tension knotting his shoulders, each stroke punctuated by Edwin's hitched breaths, the way his nose twitched against Raymond's throat like a rabbit sensing danger. "Hh-hih’ihh…" A pause. Edwin squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body tensing as if he could will the tickle away. Raymond grinned. "Just let it out, sweetheart."
Raymond's grin widened as Edwin's breath hitched again—that sharp, telltale intake before another sneeze tore loose. "Hhh'ihh—TSCHHHH!" Edwin barely managed to turn his face into the crook of Raymond's arm this time, the force of it sending a shiver down his spine. His fingers clutched at Raymond's feathers like a lifeline, knuckles whitening as he whimpered.
Raymond’s grin faltered the moment Edwin’s whimper hit his ears—a sound so small and miserable it might as well have been a dagger to his chest. The playful teasing evaporated instantly, replaced by something far more urgent. His wings, which had been arched in lazy amusement, now folded around Edwin’s shivering frame with a protectiveness that bordered on possessive. “Oh, love,” he murmured, his voice dropping into something tender and hushed, like he was coaxing a wounded bird into his palms.
Raymond’s entire body softened the moment he felt Edwin’s breath stutter against his collarbone—not the playful, fluttery hitch of before, but something ragged and exhausted. His wings, which had been half-spread in lazy amusement, now folded around Edwin’s trembling frame with a fierceness that surprised even him. “Shh, shh,” he murmured, his voice dropping into something low and velvety, fingers abandoning their idle tracing to cup the back of Edwin’s neck instead. His thumb brushed the damp hair at Edwin’s nape, feeling the feverish heat radiating off him. “You’re burning up,” he breathed, more to himself than Edwin, his chest tightening.
Raymond's wings tightened instinctively, cocooning Edwin against his chest as if he could shield him from the fever wracking his body. The damp heat of Edwin's forehead pressed into the hollow of his throat, each labored breath sending a fresh wave of concern prickling through Raymond's feathers. "Oh, Sweetheart," he whispered, lips brushing Edwin's temple, "when did this start?" Edwin only groaned in response, his nose twitching violently against Raymond's collarbone before he barely managed to turn his face away—"Hh'ihTSCHH!"—the sneeze spraying weakly over Raymond's wing.
Raymond's fingers stilled against Edwin's back, the playful teasing dissolving into something heavier as he registered the unnatural warmth radiating through Edwin's shirt. "You're ill," he breathed, the realization tightening his throat. Edwin sniffled miserably, his body curling tighter against Raymond's chest as if seeking shelter.
Raymond's wings flared open in sudden determination, nearly knocking over the bedside lamp as he scrambled upright. "I'll—I'll get you that.. uhm, that thing," he stammered, feathers bristling with frantic energy, his talons clicking against the hardwood floor as he pivoted toward the door. "The uhh.." His brow furrowed, crest feathers lifting in bewilderment. "You know. The little white—" He mimed swallowing a pill with exaggerated gulps, his free hand flapping uselessly in the air.
"The- the thing," he repeated helplessly, crest feathers twitching in distress. His fingers flexed at his sides as if he could pluck the right word from the air. "The tiny… white… help pellets?" Edwin's laugh was muffled against the pillow, but the sound still sent Raymond's feathers fluffing with delight, even as his cheeks burned hotter than Edwin's fever.
Edwin's laughter was a weak, congested thing, but it still made Raymond's feathers fluff up like a startled barn owl. "The paracetamol is in the left cabinet in the bathroom," he managed between hitches, his voice thick but fond. His fingers twitched against Raymond's wrist, as if he wanted to grab him but didn't have the strength. "Hh'ih—tschh! Ugh. The little white help pellets, as you so eloquently put it."
Raymond's wings gave an agitated flutter, sending a loose feather spinning toward the ceiling. "Right! The—the paracetamol," he echoed, as if testing the unfamiliar word on his tongue. His talons clicked against the floorboards again, this time with purpose, making his way to the bathroom. Left cabinet.. Left cabinet.. What's left again?
Raymond's talons skidded to a halt in front of the bathroom mirror, his reflection staring back at him with wide, panicked eyes. "Left," he muttered, tapping the cabinet door with a clawed finger. "Left is—this one." The wood groaned as he yanked it open, revealing an assortment of human oddities: a half-empty bottle of cologne, a tangle of hair ties, and—aha!—a small box labelled in Edwin's neat handwriting.
Raymond's talons fumbled with the box, his grip clumsy with urgency. The pills rattled inside like dried seeds—tiny, white, and hopelessly confusing. One or two? His crest feathers lifted in distress as he scanned Edwin’s scribbled instructions, the letters swimming before his eyes. "Take two for fever," he mumbled, mimicking Edwin’s inflection poorly, as if repeating it might magically make sense.
Raymond nearly dropped the box in his haste, his wings twitching as he snatched two pills into his palm. They felt impossibly small against his talons—fragile, like something that could vanish if he breathed too hard. He hesitated, staring at them. Was this really enough? Humans were so delicate, their remedies so… tiny.
Raymond's wings twitched with nervous energy as he hurried back to the bedroom, the pills clutched precariously between his talons. The sight of Edwin curled miserably under the sheets—nose red, eyelids heavy—made his feathers puff up in distress. "I got them!" he announced, voice cracking with too much enthusiasm. He practically tripped over his own talons in his haste, sending one pill skittering across the floorboards. "No!" He lunged after it, wings flaring for balance, only to knock his forehead against the bedside table.
"Ray! Ray, calm down. I'mb dot dyi'g, baby." Edwin's voice was a hoarse whisper, but it sliced through Raymond's panic like a knife through fog. The bird-man froze mid-lunge, his forehead still pressed against the bedside table, one wing splayed awkwardly across the floor where he'd nearly faceplanted chasing the escaped pill.
Raymond blinked at Edwin’s words, his crest feathers flattening in slow realization. "You aren’t dying, darling?" he echoed, voice small, as if the concept had never occurred to him. The remaining pill slipped from his talons and landed soundlessly on the rug beside Edwin’s discarded socks. His wings sagged with something between relief and embarrassment. "But—but you’re hot," he protested weakly, gesturing at Edwin’s flushed face.
Edwin’s laugh was more of a wheeze this time, his breath hitching before he could stifle it into Raymond’s feathers. “Thad’s fever, you ridiculous bird,” he mumbled, his fingers uncurling from their death grip on Raymond’s plumage to weakly pat his cheek. “Dot exactly fatal.” His nose twitched violently, and he barely managed to turn his face away before another messy “Hh’TSCHhh!” rattled out of him, leaving him slumped bonelessly against Raymond’s chest.
Raymond’s wings drooped further, the tips of his feathers brushing the floor as he stared at Edwin with wide, liquid-blue eyes. “But you’re hurt,” he insisted, his voice cracking on the last word like a fledgling’s first cry. His talons scrabbled against the floorboards as he crawled back toward the bed, abandoning the lost pill in favor of pressing his forehead against Edwin’s burning temple. “You’re—you’re all wrong inside. I can feel it.” His breath hitched, warm against Edwin’s skin, his fingers trembling where they cupped Edwin’s jaw.
Edwin's fingers trembled slightly as he took the pills from Raymond's talons, his throat working around a weak chuckle when the bird-man practically shoved the glass of water into his hands next. "Easy, easy," he rasped, swallowing the bitter little tablets with a grimace. The water spilled over his chin—Raymond's anxious grip had tilted the glass too far—but Edwin didn't complain, just swiped at the drip with the back of his hand and offered Raymond a wobbly smile. "See? All better." His voice was still thick, nose twitching dangerously, but he pressed his forehead against Raymond's collarbone before another sneeze could betray him.
Raymond's wings shuddered as he gathered Edwin closer, his breath hitching when Edwin's feverish skin scorched against his own. "You're lying," he whispered, voice frayed at the edges. His talons traced the curve of Edwin's spine through the thin fabric of his shirt, counting each vertebra like a prayer. "Hh'ih—tschh!" Edwin's sneeze was muffled against Raymond's sternum, wet and exhausted. The bird-man's grip tightened instinctively, his feathers flaring to cocoon them both in a shield of cobalt and raven-black.
Raymond's wings folded around Edwin like a living blanket, his feathers fluffing up instinctively to trap the warmth between them. Edwin sighed into the crook of his neck, his fever-hot breath tickling the delicate down feathers there. "Stop fussing," he mumbled, though his fingers curled tighter into Raymond's plumage, pulling him closer. The bird-man chirred softly—a sound halfway between a purr and a contented coo—as he nuzzled the top of Edwin's head, inhaling the scent of sweat and chamomile soap tangled in his hair.
"You're so worried about me. Being a mother hen, so to speak." Edwin's voice was muffled against Raymond's collarbone, but the teasing lilt was unmistakable—even if it dissolved into a congested sniffle halfway through. Raymond's feathers bristled indignantly, his wings tightening around Edwin's shivering frame like a living fortress. "I am not a hen," he huffed, though the effect was ruined when his talons fussed with the blankets, tucking them tighter around Edwin's shoulders.
"I dnow, dear, you've made id very clear before." Edwin's voice was thick with congestion, but the amusement threading through it was unmistakable. He pressed his forehead harder against Raymond's collarbone, letting out a shaky exhale that ruffled the feathers there. "I love you.."
Raymond's feathers fluffed up instantly at Edwin's words, his entire body stiffening like a startled fledgling caught mid-hop. "Iiii—" His voice cracked, high and uncertain, his talons flexing against Edwin's back as if searching for the right rhythm to match Edwin's easy affection. "Iiii loove you as well..?" The words tumbled out in a clumsy mimicry, rising at the end like a question. His crest feathers lifted hopefully, eyes wide and liquid-blue in the dim light. "That's how you say it, right, sweetheart?"
"Yes. Good job, love."