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★♪🔥♪★
Rain thudded against the window of Arthur and Shinra's shared bedroom, although it wasn't quite as heavy as it had been the night before. Honestly, putting the Infernal to rest really should have been an easier task, what with how stormy it had been, but it had managed to make it even harder instead. Arthur had gone to bed wondering how the rain hadn't put the Infernal's fire out (and ignoring Shinra's explanation because why would he listen to a devil?).
Either way, it was morning now, and the blond was beginning to stir. The first thing he registered was that it was way too quiet. Shinra was almost always awake before Arthur was, even if it was only by a few minutes. Honestly, Arthur would have assumed the other boy didn't sleep if he didn't insist on staying awake until he knew for a fact that the devil was getting some rest.
The second thing he noticed was that the room seemed warmer than it had been the night before. The knight opened his eyes and sat up. "Devil?" he asked quietly, trying to see if there would be a response. When there wasn't, he got to his feet and peered up at Shinra's bunk.
The kid was fast asleep.
Something Arthur didn't dare name twisted in his chest as he watched the raven-haired teen. He reached up to poke Shinra, hoping the kid was just extra tired after the previous night, but the heat emanating from his skin had Arthur switching course.
Placing the back of his hand against Shinra's forehead, he sucked in a breath before pulling away. The devil was hot. On top of that, there was a sheen of sweat on the poor kid's skin.
Arthur didn't like this one bit.
"Hey, Devil, come on, wake up," he said, trying to pull back the covers. Shinra's brows furrowed and he groaned, but he didn't wake up. He didn't even try to grab the blankets back.
"Hey, come on, I'm serious," Arthur tried again. "If you don't get up on your own, I'm gonna turn on the lights." He waited for a couple of minutes, but when the young hero didn't stir, the blond stayed true to his promise and flicked on the lights.
Shinra groaned again and pulled his blanket over his head. Arthur didn't know whether to be annoyed or concerned, so he settled on both. Pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, he muttered, "God damn it, Devil..."
Raising his voice, he added, "Okay, just... Stay here. I'm going to go try to find a thermometer." He didn't need one to know his roommate was ill, but he wanted to know just how bad it was. He hoped it was just a rainy day cold that would go away within a week.
Shinra mumbled something in response (or perhaps just to himself), and Arthur left to find a thermometer and a glass of water.
Arthur barely noticed that Maki, Hinawa, and Iris were up and getting their morning started as he rushed to find a cup. Maki was the first to notice him, tilting her head at the lack of pleasantries — or any words, for that matter — from the blond.
"Good morning to you, too, Arthur," she hummed teasingly. Her tone became serious as she asked, "What are you up to?"
"Where's Shinra?" Hinawa added, noticing the teen's absence.
"The Devil is as hot as the flames he came from–" Maki grinned knowingly, already thinking about how she could tease the boys. "–and I intend to nurse him back to good health." Her face fell in concern.
"He's sick?"
"It would seem that way, yes," Arthur confirmed, filling the glass with cold water. "Do we have a thermometer anywhere around here? Or medicine to bring down his fever, for that matter."
"I'll go get them," Iris offered, already moving to fetch the items.
"He probably caught a cold after last night," Hinawa theorized.
"I hope that's all it is," Arthur murmured, more to himself than anyone else. Raising his voice once more, he informed, "He seems rather out of it for having just caught a cold."
The room went silent for a few minutes as they all had the same idea.
"You don't think he was already feeling bad, do you?" Maki asked.
"We need to have a talk as soon as he's feeling better," Hinawa grumbled.
"God damn it, Devil," Arthur snarled, glaring in the general direction of their shared bedroom.
"I have a thermometer, fever reducer, and cold medicine!" Iris declared as she came back into the room. She stopped in her tracks at the tenseness in the room. "Um... Is everything okay?"
"According to Arthur, Shinra seems worse off than waking up with an overnight cold," Hinawa explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. Iris seemed even more worried now.
"He's out of it and more tired than usual," the knight added, taking the thermometer and medicine from the Sister. "I'm going to have a talk with him when he wakes up more." He hurried back to their room, thoroughly annoyed at the thought of his friend slash rival not taking care of himself, again.
"Devil?" Arthur called out as he opened the door. Weary crimson eyes peered out at him from beneath a blanket. Arthur sighed and placed the water and medicine on the bedside table.
"Can you come out from your nest? You're supposed to be a devil, not a dragon," he muttered, holding up the thermometer.
The raven-haired boy stared at him for a moment before wriggling out from beneath the safety of his blanket. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he mumbled, leaning forward just enough for the blond to take his temperature.
99.8° Fahrenheit. A rather low fever, but a fever nonetheless. Arthur sighed.
"Have you been feeling ill before this morning?" the knight demanded. He needed to know if there were any symptoms that might point to something other than a cold.
Shinra narrowed his eyes, apparently thinking. After a moment or two, he replied, "Just a scratchy throat and a headache. Figured it was allergies or something."
Arthur wanted to slam his head into a wall.
"And you didn't think to bring it up?"
"I thought it was allergies," Shinra doubled down.
"You- Whatever. I have some medicine that should help you feel better." The blond handed his sick friend the pills and water.
The devil shifted so he was in a better position to take the medicine, sending Arthur a grateful nod. The blond teen took the glass from the other boy when it looked like he was about to fall asleep.
"... How long?" he asked. One of Shinra's eyes opened, and he looked at the knight. "How long did you think it was just allergies?" he clarified.
"A couple of days, at most." The hero shrugged. "I think... Maybe being out in the rain made it worse."
Arthur wanted to scream. "Oh, you think?" he wanted to snap back. He wanted to shake Shinra until he got it into his head that it was important to take care of himself.
Instead, he growled, "You are an absolute fool."
Shinra glared at him, but apparently, he wasn't feeling well enough to start an argument.
Good.
Okay, well, not good that he was sick, but it was better than the two of them getting into a fight about how he was sick because of how foolish he had been.
Shinra closed his eyes and laid his head back against his pillow, looking absolutely exhausted. Just when Arthur was about to turn away, the boy's eyes flew open again.
"Wait, I have to work today-"
"Will you just shut up and rest?" Arthur cut him off.
Shinra turned his gaze to the blond, eyes wide in surprise.
"Look, you've managed to get yourself ill; I'm certain the Captain would rather you take care of yourself rather than push yourself to your limit. Again." The knight practically spat the last word out. "If you're truly worried about it, then I can check with him. Otherwise, I need you to rest." His gaze softened just a fraction. "Devils are supposed to be tough, yes, but even they know when to stop and take care of themselves."
They both knew that was Arthur's version of "please".
"... Fine," Shinra finally grumbled, looking away from his friend slash rival.
"Good," Arthur said, turning away from the raven-haired teen. "I hope to make a swift return."
"Wh-? What do you mean?" Shinra looked inquisitively at Arthur.
"I am going to see if I can take some time to stay here with you," the knight replied, glancing back at the devil. "Someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid, and as a knight, it is my duty to do just that!"
"I thought knights didn't like devils?"
"Shut up."
Shinra found himself alone in the room, left staring at the door the knight had just exited.
"... Wait..."
★♪🗡️♪★
Arthur returned only fifteen minutes later. He had gotten the go-ahead to keep Shinra on bed rest for the next few hours, at which point he would have to switch out with Maki. It had been a mutual decision between everyone not to let Tamaki be on watch unless absolutely necessary. The disaster of a girl would, very likely, only make it worse.
Shinra was nestled under his blanket once again, and Arthur would have thought he had fallen back to sleep if it hadn't been for the tired glare sent his way when the door slammed shut just a bit too loudly.
"Devil," the blond greeted.
Shinra pulled the blanket over his head.
Sighing, Arthur approached the hero and gently tugged the blanket away from his face. "I can turn the lights off, if you need me to, but I would rather you don't end up making your fever worse," he muttered, watching Shinra carefully. The other boy only huffed, but he didn't try to cover his face again. Arthur considered that a win.
After turning the lights off and turning on the lamp on the bedside table, Arthur hummed softly in thought.
"Do you need anything? Water? Headache medicine? Something to keep you occupied, like a book?"
"Quiet." It was an answer, not a command. The ill boy's eyes were closed, and he was curling up into his blanket and pillow. He looked like he was already on the verge of sleep.
Arthur just nodded and went to sit on his bed, ready to get up and fetch whatever his friend might need at the drop of a hat.
He had no doubt that the devil needed the rest, and not just because he was sick. It was very apparent that Shinra had trouble falling asleep at night, and Arthur had known him long enough to know that he was often plagued by night terrors when he did manage to fall asleep, even if he would adamantly deny it.
"If you need anything at all, let me know, alright, Devil?" the knight whispered. The quiet snort of half-conscious amusement let him know that he had been heard.
★♪🔥♪★
It was quiet for the next few hours, although they had started talking in hushed voices, as they often did late at night, after Shinra had managed to get some sleep. The raven-haired teen had even tried to look down at Arthur's bunk during a conversation, only for his headache and vertigo to have him trying to hide under his blanket again. After that, Arthur had taken the liberty of finding a chair to sit on so they could continue talking without causing any more harm to the sick boy.
Arthur found himself genuinely enjoying his time with Shinra, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances. That was why, when there was a knock at their door, he couldn't help but let out a frustrated grumble.
Shinra's gaze flickered from his knight to the door, confusion clouding his features. "Who's that?" he asked.
"It's probably Maki," Arthur explained. "We're kind of taking shifts when it comes to keeping an eye on you."
Shinra opened his mouth to say something, but seemingly thought better of it, as he only huffed and turned away from Arthur.
"Hey, ready to switch out?" Maki asked, opening the door just enough to peer in at the boys. Her gaze flicked up to Shinra. "Is he asleep?"
"Nah. I think he's just annoyed that we don't trust him to take care of himself," the knight replied, decidedly not looking at Maki.
The girl frowned. "I mean... I wouldn't say that," she tried. "It's just that we're worried and want to make sure you're okay, even if Arthur is really, really bad at showing it."
Shinra didn't respond, but Arthur noticed the way he tensed up.
"Is something the matter?" the blond queried, standing up.
"I'm fine," was the grumbled response.
Arthur and Maki shared a look.
"Hey, Arthur's going to be back later, you know. He just has-"
"I know."
Maki and Arthur stared at Shinra, trying to figure out what was up with him.
"Are you sure I can't just bring some paperwork in here?" Arthur quietly asked the second gen pyrokinetic.
She shook her head. "The Lieutenant said he needed you out there for more than paperwork, remember?"
"Damn it." The knight's gaze fell back upon his sick friend, who was still quiet and closed off. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he assured. He sincerely hoped Shinra was rolling his eyes, otherwise he might have been even more sick than they had thought.
He tentatively left the room, keeping his gaze trained on Shinra until the door was closed.
It was quiet for a moment after Arthur left, and then Maki decided to break the tense silence.
"So. Are you mad because we're keeping an eye on you, or because Arthur couldn't stay longer?"
Shinra stiffened. "Why would I be upset that the wannabe knight can't stay and act as though I'm some sort of damsel in distress or something?" he snapped.
Maki raised a brow. "Maybe because you actually enjoy his company?" she mused.
"... I'm gonna try to sleep. Or something."
Maki smirked. For all their fighting, it was clear as day that Shinra and Arthur genuinely cared for one another, so much so that it seemed Shinra would only tolerate Arthur's presence while he wasn't feeling well. It was rather sweet, actually.
★♪🗡️♪★
It was not sweet. Maki had been sitting in the room for several hours, the tense silence only broken by her occasionally asking if Shinra needed something, only for the boy to either respond with a quick, "No," or silence if he had drifted off. She was at the door in a matter of seconds as soon as there was knocking.
"Your knight has arrived!" Arthur announced his arrival in a tone loud enough for Shinra to wince. "Ah, my bad, Devil," he added in a quieter, somewhat sheepish tone.
"I thought Iris was supposed to be next?" Maki asked. Arthur looked even more sheepish.
"Yes, well... I may or may not have managed to convince the Lieutenant to let me return to the Devil's side," he admitted.
"I can take care of myself," Shinra muttered.
"No, you can't," Arthur snapped back, at the same time Maki muttered, "Yeah, right."
Shinra glowered at both of them.
Arthur just grinned at his devil.
"Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Screw off."
"Yeah, he's happy to see me."
Shinra threw his pillow at Arthur. The knight caught it and chuckled.
"Right... Well, I'm gonna go see what I need to do," Maki excused herself. "Good luck."
Left alone in the room, Arthur was quick to return the pillow. Shinra snatched it back with a huff.
"What did you do to her? She looked traumatized," the blond noted.
"Nothing," Shinra muttered.
Arthur raised a brow. "Really? You expect me to believe that you didn't do anything?"
"I don't think you know what trauma looks like."
"I know she was eager to leave. So. What happened?"
Crimson eyes glared daggers at Arthur, but the knight didn't waver.
"Nothing," Shinra repeated. "I didn't do anything. I literally did not do anything."
Arthur opened his mouth to press further, but Shinra threw the pillow at his face before he had the chance.
"Hey!"
"That's what you get for leaving," the devil muttered.
Arthur froze, taken aback. He only moved when Shinra leaned forward to grab the pillow from him.
The blond held the pillow up so the other boy wouldn't manage to fall out of bed or something, but a smile made its way across his face.
"So, you did miss me," he grinned.
"I didn't say that!" Shinra growled.
"But you didn't not say it." The knight stood on his tiptoes, trying to get as close to Shinra as possible. "Aw, you can admit it! The Devil actually likes the knight!"
Shinra narrowed his eyes. "... Wait-"
"Knight-king."
"Uh-huh."
"So you do admit it!"
"Admit what?"
"That you like me?"
"I don't remember saying that."
Arthur frowned. "But you just-"
"Are you sure you aren't sick?"
Oh. He wanted to play that game. Well.
"You are insufferable," Arthur growled. Now it was Shinra's turn to grin.
"And yet, you were the one who begged the Lieutenant to let you spend more time with me," the devil hummed, pleased with himself.
"I hate you."
"The feeling's mutual."
★♪🔥♪★
When Iris went to take her turn taking care of Shinra, she found the two boys cuddled up on Arthur's bunk, with Shinra sleeping peacefully curled up with the blond. She had left and explained the situation to the rest of Company 8. Safe to say, no one bothered the two for the rest of the night.
As soon as Shinra got better, however, the two boys were teased relentlessly. No one believed them when they adamantly denied the claim — mostly because Maki had managed to sneak a photo of them.
They were never going to live it down, but secretly, it didn't really bother them. They had enjoyed each other's company, and that was all that mattered. Well, that, and the fact that, thanks to Arthur's diligent caretaking, Shinra had gotten better fairly quickly.
Unfortunately, they had to repeat the process just a week later, only this time, the roles were reversed. The fighting could be heard throughout the station.
"I'm fine, you stupid devil."
"God damn it, Arthur!"
★♪🗡️♪★