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Ah, March, that great period of time where spring is starting to approach, nature starts to look more alive, you can finally ditch whatever ugly winter coat you've been using out of necessity to survive the harsh cold of January...
Also, the month with the most variable, fucking-whatever weather ever known to man. It was a prime period for sickness to fester.
This was never much of a worry for Saparata. His older sister's told him tales to confirm that his immune system has been a tank since birth, but the same cannot be said for everyone...
When he approaches the table his friends are sitting at, just the furious way in which his dear best friend is scribbling on his notebook alerts the albino that something is wrong.
Fluixon only looks up at him when he finally sits down next to him, almost dropping his pen in the process of waving at him-
Wait, waving? That's dumb, Flux never shuts the hell up, so why wouldn't he just say... hi...
Oh.
"Scratchy throat?" He questions immediately, no doubt in his mind.
His friend's face falls in an odd mix of relief and exasperation as he nods, glad of being finally understood.
"Dude, you have just the worst immune system on earth. How are you already sick?"
The other shrugs his shoulders, gesturing at the purple hoodie he's wearing with slight disdain.
"No way that hoodie is too light for this temperature, it's not that cold!"
Flux can only sigh, turning his hands up in a vague gesture and hanging his head low at the same time.
"Genuinely, if you keep going like this, I'm making you wear scarves until the middle of May-"
"Ok, how are you understanding any of that?" Gotoga's voice suddenly cuts in, making the both of them turn towards him in simultaneous confusion- then at each other with amusement.
Yeah, this must look bizarre from the outside.
"This is not the first time something like this has happened- it's frankly a miracle you haven't seen him like this until today. Flux's immune system has more holes than a pasta strainer. He's always coming down with something, it's been the entire time I've known him." Saps shrugs, doing his best to hold back a smug grin at the table's confused expressions. "What can I say? Having known this idiot as long as I have, I just got used to it. It's a skill."
A sharp tapping sound follows those words. A clear watch your words from Flux. That one probably didn't need a genius nor an extensive repertoire of childhood memories to decode.
"Sometimes I forget you two have known each other since forever, then you do some bullshit like this... weirdos..." even if it is a joke, Snowbird should have chosen his words more carefully when sitting in striking distance from Flux, because Saps sure isn't stopping the younger from hitting Snow on the head with his pen.
"Ow! That was unwarranted!"
"Bro, we all know how defensive these two assholes get when you comment in their friendship like that. You were asking for it." Thomas is correct, even if he could have standed to say it a nicer.
With the way Flux glares at the brunette, they're in agreement again. Maybe they do deserve some bullying for how in sync they are. It's not even like they're similar people, they couldn't be any more different if they tried...
A school athlete and a constantly sick boy who skipped PE for all of highschool. A last-minute crammer and an academic overworker. A perfect track record and a nightmare of the administration. Sometimes, he wonders if they would have ended up hating each other if they met here in college instead of the playground at 10 years old...
But seeing the eyebags under those purple eyes and the way they struggle to focus, Saps feels like this idiot wouldn't have even survived to college without someone taking care of him.
"Do you also have a fever?"
Flux snaps back to attention at his question, blinking a couple of times before rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
"Bullshit, let me feel your temperature..."
The way the other leans away from his friend's hand is more than enough to call him out on that lie.
"Oh my- stay still. I already know you're feverish. You're shit at hiding it. You weren't using your phone to write because your eyes hurt, don't they?"
Something in his stern tone must get the words through his friend's thick skull, because he stills again. Yeah. Fever. Decently high, Saps's hand feels burned.
"You are not staying at school today. I'm bringing you home and not leaving until you get better. Otherwise I know you'll try to study instead of sleeping, you're predictable."
Flux immediately shakes his head, mimicking a slit throat.
"Your parents are not going to kill you, they are the ones who insist on you taking care of your health!"
He gets another eyeroll for that, then another mimicked slit throat and finally a finger pointed at him.
Oh.
"They might get mad at me, but when have I ever let that stop me? Come on, we're going as soon as you're done eating."
A raised eyebrow, then he's getting pointed at again.
"... I was forgetting that. Thanks." How stupid it is that he was forgetting to eat his own lunch? Why does his mind love to tunnel-focus on things so much? Flux's health issues have a... certain way of taking over all his thoughts...
He barely has the time to hear snickers coming from someone at the table before his best friend angrily taps his pen again, effectively shutting it up but not saving Saps from his own embarrassment. At least Flux's burning face is from a fever, he doesn't have that justification in the end, just the pit in his stomach he fruitlessly tries to fill with his lunch.
His friends slowly drift back to idle chitchat after that, seemingly having had their fill of trying to understand whatever those two are doing. This is not so uncommon as an event though, he's pretty sure most of their acquaintances are confused on exactly what is wrong with him and his best friend.
Personally? He thinks there's nothing wrong with them and that everyone (except their friends, of course) is jealous that he gets to spend basically as much time as he wants with "School Prince" Fluixon Aculon without risking to draw his anger or to empty out his social battery. Seriously, envy is an ugly look on people! Especially on those girls last year who tried getting in his good graces as a back-handed way to get Flux's attention and shoot their shot with him. As if he'd ever allow people so callous to even talk to his best friend, ew.
Ugh, even just thinking of them and the way they tried to play innocent and sweet when asking for his friend's phone number made him lose some appetite.
Sickness must be playing with the younger's appetite too, Saps can see him only push around the small amount left on his plate. At least he ate something, that's good. They can just leave now.
Maybe he shouldn't have stood up so fast, his stupid chair screeched across the floor, making the entire table flinch. "Sorry... but Flux isn't eating anymore and I'm done, so we should get going before his fever gets worse."
"We've got classes together today, I'll send him my notes!"
God bless Seraphim. He thanks her quickly as he waits for Flux to stuff his notebook in his messenger bag, only to snatch it out of his hands and put it on his shoulder with his own bag. No way he's making his sick friend carry his bag, what the hell.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow! He'll see you in a couple of days though" with that, Saps takes his best friend by the wrist and starts dragging him out of the cafeteria, both waving goodbye to the table between well-wishes and what mysteriously sounded like a "You'll get sick too if you kiss him!" from Thomas that he promptly ignores. It's not like Flux can say anything about the redness on his cheeks.
It's an unsurprisingly quiet walk to the parking lot, but somewhere along the way his hand must have slipped down from the younger's wrist to his hand. Woops. Crazy how that happens. He doesn't comment on it as he has to let go so they can get in his car and leave, but he sure hopes he'll be able to focus on the road.
It's not a very long drive to the Aculon household, but the dread the property inflicts on him always makes Saps believe the journey takes an hour. He sneaks a glance to his best friend slumped in the passenger seat, forehead against the cool glass of the window and eyes looking droopy in the reflection of the side-view mirror.
"You know, you can close your eyes. The drive's not long enough for you to fall asleep..."
His so kind and gentle reminder earns him a glare and a dismissive gesture towards the front.
"Yes, yes, I'm watching the road, geez."
When he looks to the side it's just for the side-mirror, definitely not to check if those stubborn amethyst eyes are still open.
By the way, they are.
God why can't Flux just stop being stubborn for once in his life...
They can't get to the worst mansion in the city soon enough. What makes it the worst mansion? Being inhabited by Elanuelo Aculon of course! Ugh, Saps already dreads having to talk to the man.
With a preparatory deep breath, he gets off the car and picks up their bags, going to open the passenger door, but Flux acts quicker, opening the door himself and promptly almost falling face-down on the floor. He should be glad for having a best friend with good enough reflexes to catch him.
The younger freezes for a second, then weakly pushes the athlete away just enough to stand on his feet, not having to lean against him.
Stubborn. Bitch. Saps wouldn't have even minded carrying him if he wanted to- no, wait, Elanuelo and Crow would definitely kill him for that.
They might still kill him for taking Flux's hand, but odds are a little lower.
Still high enough to put him on edge after they step inside the building.
Every step he takes he's just waiting for that famous, icy "What are you doing her-"
"What are you doing here?"
Call the devil and he appears. Devils actually, Saps sees both Elanuelo and Crow when he turns his head. And no Turkey. Horrible luck.
"Flux was sick at school. He's got a fever and his throat hurts too much to speak, so I brought him back." It's always a challenge to keep his disdain out of his voice when talking to his best friend's parents. And he knows it's just as difficult for them to act like they tolerate him.
The three of them live in the most precarious truce of all time trying to stop Flux's mental health from collapsing in on itself. Guess that's what happens when your parents hate your best friend, but said best friend is the only person in the world you willingly listen to.
If Elanuelo and Crow want Fluixon to take care of himself, they'll have to deal with allowing Saparata to be the messenger, no matter how much of a shabby messenger they consider him to be.
They've already made many mistakes raising their son, they know that if they piss him off too much he's unpredictable enough that he might run away and cut off contact forever- if they want to stay in their son's life, they have to accept that dumb albino being in it as well. Hopefully as nothing more than a best friend.
"Very well. If he needs anything, you know to press the button."
Saps has to close his eyes to stop the urge of rolling them "Yes sir. I'll bring my friend to bed now."
He said it to be snarky but Flux is starting to lean into him as they walk, he does need to go to bed and quickly.
Leaving behind the interaction with the worst men alive, he navigates the mansion with the ease of years upon years of experience, turning down the correct corridors to reach the most obnoxiously purple door in existence and unceremoniously opening it.
If anyone at school could see this room, Flux's image as a prep would shatter so quickly. The room is all dark colors, Halloween decorations and anime merchandise on the shelves. He'd be such an emo if only he wasn't a sociopath that doesn't listen to music. He'll have to settle for being a nerd.
Saps helps the sick nerd sit down on the bed, helping him to take off his hoodie with a lot of silent protest, then leaving his friend to change into his pajamas as he goes in the in-suite bathroom to play little pharmacist.
There are multiple medicine cabinets in the room. Yup, multiple. And Saparata would have memorized where everything is if only Crow didn't reorganize the shelves every single time his son got sick-
It takes fucking forever to find the go-to fever medicine due to that bastard's nonsensical organization. It's light enough that he can also give Flux a painkiller, but those take 3 extra unsufferable minutes to find. That man needs to be slaughtered.
At least he didn't move his son's makeup wipes, those are just sitting on the edge of the sink.
Maybe it's not Saps's most brilliant idea to carry everything at once, but if it works it works. He successfully sets down everything on the nightstand and takes a seat on the bed next to his friend.
He's never ready for the frankly unfair sight that awaits him. It doesn't matter that his hair is messy, spacebuns completely forgone (likely to not worsen a headache Saps can guess he has), doesn't matter if he's wearing a stupid hello kitty pajama he was forced to buy for a lost bet, doesn't matter that his eyeliner and mascara are smudged and that his concealer doesn't cover his eyebags enough, doesn't matter if the smile he gives the older is a little wonky, Flux is unfair. Unfairly pretty. Always has been.
He snaps himself out of that thought as quickly as humanly possible.
Danger zone.
"Want to take the meds first or take the makeup off?"
With no hesitation, his friend tries reaching for the makeup wipes himself, but they're snatched away too quickly.
"Nope- hey, don't glare at me- you're not doing it yourself, your hands are shaky and you're not even in front of a mirror!"
Saps still gets glared at. But the younger concedes, so that's still a victory.
It's a secret he'll bring to the grave, but he actually loves being the one to deal with taking the makeup off. It's just... something about it gives him... flutters. Not butterflies. Very different.
Maybe it's the way that he gets to see the younger's pale freckles appear once the concealer is gone, maybe it's the implicit trust that he'll do the job well enough that Flux won't wake up to mascara stains on his pillow...
Likely though, it's the way his friend relaxes during the process. Another thing they differ on is their comfort with physical contact- Saps loves it, Flux is extremely picky with it. So, when he holds his friend's head in his hand and he feels the gentle weight of the younger leaning into it... yeah. Flutters.
This time it's the same as always, even if the flutters threaten to sprout familiar insect-like wings today. Those bastards. Why is he thinking back on Thomas's joke as they left the cafeteria-
While his brain panics, his body knows the process, it can finish clearing the makeup and supervising Flux taking his meds without his brain really needing to reconnect.
It takes a while to reconnect.
And it only reconnects because he feels a warm touch on his hand- oh Flux is trying to get his attention. He looks concerned. Fuck that is a cute look on him- no, focus.
"I'm alright, just spacing out a little." Not exactly a lie there, he is spacing out because Thomas messed with his head! Why would he imply that he wants to kis- he wants to k- God you'd think he has a fever with such a flushed face!
Flux shakes his head, stops for a moment to think, then scoots away on the bed, insistingly patting down on the mattress.
"No, I promise, I don't need to sleep-"
The glare he receives would have been much more effective if his friend wasn't so clearly pouting. Or maybe the pouting is cute enough that it made the command more effective, because a few seconds later they're both laying down in Flux's bed, under a blanket that's far too warm for March.
Maybe it's just him feeling warm.
They're close enough that he can feel the warmth from his best friend's feverish skin-
Best friend.
His best friend.
His Flux.
... it always ends up like this. He starts off so well everyday, he does, he acts like such a good friend. The denial becomes heavier and heavier to carry on his back as the hours progress.
It's too early today for the term best friend to feel like an unsurmountable barrier.
One that he willingly adopts because it's better than nothing.
Being best friends at least gives him this- allows him to be the one checking in on Flux, to barge in his home without asking, to be so trusted that he gets access to the medicine cabinet to pick out the correct boxes when those amethyst eyes are too strained to read, to lie down next to him like he has any chances to get rid of the empty space between them.
The younger isn't the biggest fan of touch.
He's probably feverish as he shifts forwards, his burning forehead leaning against Saparata's own, his arms lazily circling the older's neck, their chest flush like their heartbeat could be shared if they tried hard enough.
Saps doesn't dare move. Flux is... delirious, definitely delirious, he won't take advantage of it!
He tells himself that he's only wrapping his arms around his friend's waist to keep him stable, not because a part of him couldn't stop daydreaming about how it'd feel like to hold him like this.
(It feels perfect, like puzzle pieces locking together, like he was always meant to do this and had been running away from his destiny for too long. Letting go will be hard.)
He tells himself that he's only allowing Flux to lean closer because he's getting comfortable, nothing to do with the glances those gorgeous purple eyes are stealing from his lips.
(Who is he fooling, he barely even notices that. He's busy doing the exact same thing. His own lips are so chapped because he's an idiot, his friend's look so soft.)
He tells himself... no, he actually tells himself no.
He turns his head to the side.
His friend is feverish.
He's better than this, he loves the other too much than to allow this to happen, the younger's delirious-
"Ow ow ow-" The motherfucker yanked at his hair to get his attention? Rude? But he has to admit it did the job.
He's scared to look back, but he does.
Flux's eyes are... clear. Very clear. They're not foggy or hazy or anything that could hint about lack of focus. No delirium. If anything, he looks determined... and scared.
He tilts his head to the side, it's a silent question.
Is this ok?
"I... yes, this is fine" he doesn't sound too convinced to himself. He's scared too.
One of his friend's arms leaves his neck (he doesn't instinctively hold on his waist tighter, he doesn't-) to tap him on the shoulder, then pointing behind himself
Do you want me to back off?
"No- as I said, this is alright." Of this he sounds way more sure. He wants them to stay close so bad.
A few seconds pass without communication, a few seconds where Saps feels like his heart could burst out of his chest, and then...
Flux simply points. First at his lips, then at Saps's.
The request is obvious.
"Are you... sure...? I don't want you to have doubts..."
He gets leveled with an offended glare for that, but it's quickly dropped for an expression that the older had convinced himself didn't actually exist, that he must have been hallucinating in his peripherals because he never got to actually bask in it.
As he nods, Fluixon looks lovesick.
He doesn't know anybody that'd be strong enough to deny him anything like this.
It's not the longest kiss. Nor the greatest. It should have probably been a little uncomfortable given how the younger's skin burned to the touch. But you couldn't pay Saparata to care about any of it, because it being real made it better than anything he ever dared to dream of.
Flux's lips truly are soft.
He can feel himself melt against the mattress as they both smile at the break off.
Fuck, he loves this idiot so much.
The cheeky bastard taps his shoulder again to grab his attention, as if he didn't already hold it, then it takes a second for him to put together the gestures...
His "friend" is grinning as he taps his lips and then makes a one with his hand.
He combusts as his brain puts it together.
First kiss. It was Flux's first kiss.
"You're such a bastard, why couldn't you do this without being sick?" He can barely breathe with his heart beating so loud in his chest.
The other shrugs, looking away nervously and shrinking on himself. Ah. He was scared.
"I... can't blame you. I was scared too." It's freeing to admit it. It's weird to not have to be scared anymore.
He can tell that Flux wants to "say" more, but he just shakes his head "Whatever you want to tell me, we can do it later. You are still sick, you should get some sleep."
He gets a flick on the forehead for that, but it's the only meager sign of resistance the younger puts up. He must have been fighting off the exhaustion the whole day, poor thing. Saps adjusts their position so that his friend can lean his head on his chest and watches as he drifts off into sleep at record time.
Friend, huh... that's... that's a conversation they'll need to have. Preferably not in these conditions, but he can't be too picky. Words were never all that necessary between them.
Here's to hoping that Thomas's stupid joke doesn't manifest him a fever.