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"What is this?" Rei asks, staring down uncomprehendingly at the bowl before him. He immediately regrets the question, though, when Okiya's brow furrows in worry. Clearly, it's miso soup; despite the fog in his brain, Rei understands that much. What he doesn't know is why. "Are you trying to poison me?"
The steam coming off the bowl is inviting, though, and Rei hasn't stopped shivering since he woke from his nap, so it's tempting to drink it despite the potential side-effects of Akai Shuuichi's subpar kitchen skills.
"If I wanted you dead, I'd just let you keep working yourself to the bone," Akai responds mildly. "It's safe, Yukiko-san supervised. Drink your soup; you look terrible, Amuro-kun."
The use of his alias stings almost as much as the implication that he can't take care of himself, sparking irritation. "I will throw something at you," he warns, narrowing his eyes.
Akai's mouth twitches at the corner, the tiniest hint of a smile, which serves only to annoy Rei further. But Akai must know that; this is horribly, uncomfortably, achingly familiar ground for them, Rei throwing barbs and Akai catching them with a playful grin, like an old song they've danced to so many times over the years that their bodies instinctively know the steps.
Never over miso soup, though. Rei has always been careful to conceal certain things about himself around Akai – his pride in his home being chief among them, as it's unbefitting unscrupulous detective Bourbon – and yet, somehow, Akai always manages to see right through him.
"Apologies, Amuro-kun. You're as handsome as ever," Akai teases gently, as if vanity is the reason Rei is annoyed. "But you're running a fever, and the kid told me you nearly passed out at the counter this morning before your coworker sent you home."
"He was exaggerating." Rei barely remembers even getting dressed this morning, his mind hazy as he went through his morning routine on autopilot and walked himself to work. He'd only been there for an hour when a wave of dizziness hit so hard that he'd had to grip the counter to hold himself up. Even now, he's not sure how he made it home in one piece.
He also doesn't remember letting Okiya Subaru into his apartment, but that's the least surprising part of all of this. Not like this is the first time Akai broke in; the orchid by his kitchen sink stands a testament to the previous trespassing incident (and a steadying reminder, in his darker moments, that he isn't quite alone).
(At least he knows he's not hallucinating this time.)
The soup is good – surprisingly so. Other than a cup of tea here and there, he hasn't tasted any of Yukiko-san's cooking, so even Akai invoking her name to ease his worries didn't accomplish much, but it seems that she's at least competent enough to keep him from ruining miso.
Akai is nothing if not dutiful in his care for Rei, judging by the way his eyes, open rather than Okiya's trademark squint, rarely wander for longer than a few seconds. Eventually he breaks the silence. "How long have you been unwell?"
It's not an easy question to answer. He's been pushing himself beyond his reasonable limits for so long that he can't remember his baseline, and he can't quite recall when his physical state changed from exhaustion to illness. It had been a gradual enough change that he hadn't noticed it, at any rate.
He shrugs halfheartedly. "I'm fine."
Akai gives him a disbelieving look but doesn't argue. "Would you like more soup?"
Shaking his head, Rei stands and lifts his bowl from the table – and immediately regrets this combination of actions when his head spins and his vision blurs all over again. Thankfully, Akai is quick enough to take the bowl from him before it clatters to the floor, as Rei uses the table to stabilize himself. A soft thunk alerts him that the bowl has once again made its way onto the table, just before he's pulled into Akai's arms and wrapped up in a comfortable warmth.
Rei doesn't fight it – he doesn't have the strength to, and, besides, Akai's body heat is helping to fight off the chill still permeating his bones. Instead, he leans into it, leeching as much of that warmth as he can manage. He's not sure how long they stand there like that, probably several minutes, as Akai rubs his arms to fight the effects of his fever, and murmurs soothing, nonsensical words against his hair, but the next time his brain checks in, Akai is guiding him back to bed and pulling the blankets up around his shoulders and chin.
"Sleep," Akai whispers, smoothing the bangs off Rei's forehead and leaning down to kiss him there.
As he pulls away, Rei remembers the last time Akai was in his apartment, how he woke up alone, and anxiety grips at his heart. Darting a hand out from under the blanket, he grabs Akai's wrist before he can leave. "Stay."
"I'll join you in a moment," Akai promises, and only then does Rei loosen his grip. Good on his word, Akai steps away only long enough to remove Okiya's glasses and put them away somewhere safe, before climbing into bed next to Rei and pulling him tight against his chest. "Rest now."
"Don't leave," Rei orders, though he's unsure how intimidating it is when he's clinging to Akai more than to consciousness.
And, sure enough, when Akai murmurs his answer, he sounds more amused than anything else. "Yes, Rei-kun. I'll be here when you wake up."
Rei drifts off to the feeling of another gentle kiss pressed to his temple. He wakes, sometime in the evening judging by the darkness, to find Okiya Subaru snoozing next to him. Although the effect is dampened by that face, a light, hopeful warmth settles in his chest. Resting an arm over Akai's waist, he snuggles closer and lets himself slip back into slumber.