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It was no surprise to Shiro when he got back to their bedroom carrying tea and found Keith trying to get out of bed.
The Black paladin sighed.
- You are still sick, sweetheart. You need to rest.
- Fight me! – the Red paladin said before falling into another coughing fit.
Shiro was fast to put the mug with hot tea on the nightstand and help his boyfriend drink come cool water.
Most of the Voltron team had gotten a bad case of Space Flu. Although the healing pods were excellent to deal with wounds in general, they were ten thousand years delayed on the evolution of bacteria, virus and fungus, making them almost useless against infections. Coran was working to update the pods, but it would take some time.
In the meanwhile, the crew had gotten some Space Flu. It was very similar to a common Earth flu, but with the addition that the sick person would have green spots all over their body. It was not mortal and the spots would disappear when the person got better.
Lance was the first one to get the flu (he probably got from dating some alien women on their stops). He whined and complained the whole time.
Hunk and Coran were next, right after Lance was almost healed. Coran was as demanding as Lance, while Hunk was calmer (he napped his way out of the Space flu).
Now, Keith, Allura and Pidge had it. The three most difficult patients EVER.
Pidge would try to sneak out and go work on her computer (she was trying to hack the Galra communication frequency, and although it was a very awesome thing to do, she needed to rest).
Allura would try to stand up and go command the Castle (the princess kept repeating that they were in the middle of a war! There was no time for her to get sick! Everybody just rolled their eyes and kept her hydrated and resting).
Keith would try to go to the training room, even if he was barely able to hold his bayard.
Shiro had helped his friends since the very beginning. Apparently, he had gotten the flu while he was a Galra prisoner, so he was immune to it. He had helped everybody until Keith had got sick, then he started to dedicate all his attention to his boyfriend. The team assumed that it was because Shiro was completely in love with Keith, but although that was true, the real reason was because Shiro KNEW how stubborn his lover was when he get injured or sick.
After the cough fit, Keith repeated himself in a more weak tone.
- …Fight me…!
Shiro rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s antics, but opened a fond smile.
- Don’t want to. I would lose.
- …Damn right!
In fact, Shiro would lose. People would be surprised about how much fighting techniques Shiro had learned from Keith. (It had saved his live multiple times on the Galra Arena, and the older boy was eternally grateful for that). However, on that state, Keith could barely sit. Even the weakest wind would defeat him.
That was why Shiro needed to keep his headstrong beloved resting.
He kissed Keith’s forehead. The younger man was warm.
- You still have a fever. – he pointed out with a gentle tone, using his metal hand to caress Keith’s face.
That was always a great relief to the feverish paladin.
Keith sighed, content for one second, before adding stubbornly:
- Fight me!
Shiro hummed.
- Ok, but after you drink your tea, honey.
The Red paladin would usually get sleepy after drinking the soothing tea, so it was a good way to make him take a nap.
Keith grimaced.
- Tea is for sick people! I’m not sick!
Shiro looked at his boyfriend tenderly, wishing he could hug Keith until he wouldn’t even remember his shitty childhood.
They had already talked about that, back on the Garrison, even before the Kerberos mission. Keith was extra stubborn when he was sick, and after some coaxing, he admitted that it was because he had way too many bad experiences from his childhood in the foster system. When his sickness was not neglected, he was blamed for being ill and needing medical attention. That was the reason he started to ignore all together that he was even sick.
Shiro sighed and stared at his boyfriend with an amusing smile.
- Keith…
- Fight me!
- Keith, please…
- Meet me on the pit, Shirogane!
- Babe…
The Black paladin was not above pouting if that would make his boyfriend rest instead of trying to punch the universe in the face.
Even sick and trying to fight a whole galaxy, Keith had a soft spot for Shiro’s puppy brown eyes and rose lips pout.
He groaned.
- You are an asshole! – he said, but picked the mug of tea and started to take small sips.
Shiro chuckled and massaged his beloved’s back with his left hand while trying to cool him down a little with his right one. Unconsciously, Keith leaned into the cold touch and opened a small pleased smile.
When he finished his tea, he gave the mug back to Shiro.
- Now, fight me!
The older boy made his stubborn boyfriend laid down again before cuddling with him and giving him a kiss in the warm forehead.
- How about I love you instead?
He could see sleepness slowly taking over Keith. The younger man yawned.
- I’ll let you do that just because I’m tired right now. But I will fight you when I wake up. Mark my words, Takashi!
Shiro chuckled, still caressing his boyfriend.
- Duly noted.
Keith snuggled himself on Shiro’s chest.
- Humm… you are still and asshole, but you are my asshole.
The older boy laughed again.
- I love you too, babe.
The younger man smiled tiredly and fell asleep in his beloved’s arms.