Work Text:
Hindsight was a useless skill if you asked Creius. It always showed up when you didn't want it to and honestly, foresight would be a much more useful skill to have. But he was only human and humans made mistakes, no matter how hard they tried not to, and it was from those mistakes that they learnt.
The lesson Creius had learnt, was to never trust the words I'm fine when they came from a certain man's mouth, and really, he already knew that, but as usual—hindsight.
The day was warm, plesantly so, and for once, things were calm and safe so there were quite a few people out and about. Creius was one of them, as was the rest of his unit although they looked like they would much rather be sleeping in on a rare day of downtime. But because of the nice weather bringing out every human and arcanist within the Foundation, it was hard to find spots to train without being oggled at. Creius was fine with ignoring them, but Merel… Merel would flee the moment she realised someone was staring and no amount of reprimands or bribes could bring her back. And if he sent Yermolai to go drag her back, she would find the courage that was usually absent around him and refuse to do anything but stand to the side. So he'd spent the past day, skulking around the Foundation trying to find somewhere quiet and out of the way that he and the rest of XII could practice their drills.
In the end, he found an open area behind one of the buildings, the walls providing a nice little alcove that would keep them all from sight. He also decided then that if they were to practice together with privacy, then they needed to be up before the rest of the Foundation; an easy enough task if you asked him.
"The sun ain't even up, Creius, do you even know what sleeping in is? Yermolai complained, and Creius' mouth quirked when even Marsha was nodding along to his words.
"If you want to be found and stared at, you are more than welcome to come back later." Creius said, beginning to stretch. When Yermolai didn't respond, he continued, "warm up, and then we'll practice some hand to hand."
There was some quiet grumbling, but the rest of his unit spread about and began to warm up in ways that suited them best. Creius watched all of them carefully, figuring out what would be best for each of them. Paravyan was favouring one leg still, an injury that was slowly healing, and Yermolai was stiff as he tried to stretch out his limbs. The two had been sent out on a mission that hadn't gone so well, so it would be best to give them lighter drills and more rest breaks. Marsha on the other hand was fine, enthusiastic even as she chatted quietly with Merel, their youngest member nodding along shyly to whatever the medic was saying.
In the end he decided to go with slow sparring that focused more on technique rather than results and paired himself with Paravyan so that he could set the pace; which didn't start off well considering the first strike Paravyan launched towards him sent his leg buckling beneath him. Creius lunged forward and grabbed the back of the young man's shirt, preventing him from face planting, brows furrowed. "You told me you were cleared by medical."
"I am!" Paravyan picked himself up, cheeks red as he dusted himself off. "I just stepped too far, that's all."
Creius hummed and glanced over at Marsha who was waiting her turn to spar with Yermolai. The medic seemed to sense she was being watched and lifted her head, tilting it in an unasked question. Creius gestured towards Paravyan's leg and Marsha frowned, thinking deeply before she nodded. So the problem was new… not great. He focused his attention on Paravyan again, "go back to medical and get it looked at," he raised a hand when Paravyan opened his mouth to argue, "if you cannot weight bear, then you cannot spar, and I'd prefer you to remain in one piece."
Paravyan sighed and nodded, "yes, sir."
He watched his teammate limp off, leg obviously bothering him more than he'd let on, and Creius made a note to go to medical himself if Paravyan attempted to rejoin training today. But now that the younger was gone, Creius was left without a partner and called out to Marsha. "Marsha, come spar with me."
Marsha stepped over, much shorter than both Paravyan and Yermolai—he hadn't yet sparred with Merel—but he knew there was a hidden strength despite her slight figure. Going through a war such as the one Marsha had tended to weed out the weak rather quickly. And Creius had to admit he was curious what she could do, so he said, "show me what you can do?"
Marsha nodded and lashed out with a strike—keeping in mind that it was slow sparring—that Creius blocked with an arm. Even sparring like they were, there was still a solid amount of force behind the hit. He blinked, a little surprised, and Marsha just smiled at him before she continued. They continued for a time, switching with each other to keep everyone focused, and Creius finally got the chance to spar with Merel. The girl was terrified of him, even as she threw punches and kicks at him, and Creius had to give her credit for overcoming her fear to do so. He took his time in instructing her how to handle herself better, and as time passed by, she became more at ease with herself.
The sun had risen completely by the time they took their first break, and Creius wiped sweat from his brow before sipping at his water. Paravyan had returned just before they broke off, a scowl on his face and on crutches which told Creius everything he needed to know, but he'd still given Paravyan the task of watching and making observations. It would give the man something to do, and hopefully put him in a better mood by the time they were done. The sun was warm on his skin now, drying his sweat before it could cool him, and he wasn't overly keen on summer's approach. It was harder to stay cool than warm in his opinion, and he may have yet to get a replacement summer uniform since the previous summer they'd gone through. The seasons were as unreliable as time itself these days, so this would be the first summer in a few Storms.
"Marsha," Creius called and when she looked over at him, he continued, "it looks like summer's coming, do you have an appropriate uniform?"
"I do," Marsha said, "the Foundation issued me one when I signed up with them."
"I don't." Yermolai huffed. "Someone shredded my uniforms, I'm still waiting on replacements."
"Yeah, but you deserved it." Paravyan's grin was wide as he spoke. "What did you expect, messing with Laplace?"
Creius was not surprised at this news and yet he still sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So that's what the complaint on my desk is for."
"They complained too?" Yermolai sounded outraged and Creius fixed the man with a stern look.
"Of course they did, but since I wasn't told about the incident, I couldn't do anything about it. Next time, Yermolai, leave the researchers alone."
"Yeah, yeah," Yermolai waved his hand and rose from his spot, pushing his hair back where it had fallen into his face. "Let's just get a move on, shall we? I don't fancy being here all day."
Creius rolled his eyes and rose. "Come on then, let's have a proper spar this time."
By the time Creius and Yermolai called it quits, sweat was running down his face. He nodded his approval before gesturing towards Marsha and Merel, "you two up next."
Merel immediately began to fluster, "oh um, I'm not sure I—"
"Merel," Creius interrupted before the girl could talk herself out of it, "just try your best, that's all you have to do."
"We can start of slow, Merel, until you feel comfortable. We have time." Marsha said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder to reassure her. Merel still looked uneasy, but followed Marsha out into the middle of the little field they'd crafted for themselves.
A few Foundation workers had walked past, as had a couple of Laplace researchers, but for once, it seemed as if they were to be left alone for a change, which Creius appreciated. He walked over to one of the trees and collapsed to the ground, leaning against the trunk as he tried to calm his body down. Yermolai flopped onto the grass beside him, chest heaving. His teammate held up a flask towards him which Creius took to drink from, taking just a few mouthfuls before handing it back to Yermolai. "Thanks."
Yermolai grunted, "why did we work so hard? I'm gonna be so sore later."
Creius huffed a laugh, "I think we'll all be a little sore. At least we have tomorrow off as well."
"We do? Fuck yeah." Yermolai lifted a fist into the air briefly before letting it drop. "I swear, if you drag me out of bed tomorrow, I will murder you. Respectfully."
"The same could be said for you lot," Creius said, and Yermolai gave him a questioning glance. He cleared his throat, "I'm meeting with Name Day tomorrow. He's heading back to the Far East Branch in a few days."
"Ah, I see. I thought I saw him yesterday. With the Rayashki mob."
Before Creius could answer, an extremely young voice was calling out, "look, it's mister Creius! Mister Creius!"
Both he and Yermolai turned their heads to see Avgust waving at them, the brightest smile that only a child could wear, on his face. The boy clutched a sunflower in one hand as he usually did, and his other was currently attempting to drag Name Day over towards them. Creius smiled and lifted a hand in greeting, and was pleased when Name Day smiled, stumbling slightly as he turned to let Avgust guide him.
"Sorry," Name Day said as they drew closer, "I told him not to disturb you."
"It's fine," Creius said, waving away the apology, "we're just taking a break."
"Have you been fighting?" Avgust asked, standing by his feet and tilting his head curiously. "You really stink."
Yermolai snorted, and Creius gave the man a firm nudge with his foot. "We were play fighting. Testing our skills against each other."
Avgust's mouth formed an o-shape, "I see… so you are having fun, then?"
"Yeah, kid, we're having fun." Yermolai said and then got to his feet. "I'm gonna go annoy Paravyan a bit. He looks like he's starting to get bored."
And then he was gone, leaving Creius with his love and a small child. He admittedly didn't really know how to interact with the boy, so he was grateful when Name Day crouched beside Avgust and said, "Miss Vila will be waiting for you, do you want to go on ahead? You wanted to show her the book you found, yes?"
"Oh yes!" Avgust was beaming, and he turned to Creius, "I found a book on Rayashki! It has pictures, and I know Miss Vila likes pictures! Miss Windsong too, but she isn't here."
"I'm sure she'll love them." Creius said, glancing at Name Day to make sure it was the right thing to say, and was glad when the man nodded.
Name Day murmured something to Avgust in their native tongue, and the boy responded with surety, giving Name Day a hug before he said goodbye to Creius and hurried off, excitement making his steps bounce just that little bit more.
"Is it wise to let him go alone?"
"Vila is waiting in the lobby for him," Name Day reassured him, "I would have walked with him if it were too far. He wanted to make sure that the book he found would not make her sad."
Creius blinked, "so he asked you?"
Name Day smiled and lowered himself to the ground by Creius' knees, resting his head upon his own. He looked tired, his cheeks flushed slightly. "He understands I get sad sometimes, but I do not think he knows the difference."
"I see," Creius said quietly and noticing the slightly dazed look he was being given, asked, "and you are okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just not used to summer is all. The heat makes me more tired than usual." Name Day said and glanced towards where Yermolai was now sparring with Marsha, Merel starfished on the ground by Paravyan's feet. "Drills?"
Creius nodded, "we started early to avoid being bothered by everyone that enjoys summer. We'll probably finish up soon."
Name Day hummed, watching the spar with interest, "Paravyan's not participating?"
"Injury." Creius said and eyed Name Day curiously. "He was cleared by medical, but I believe he overexerted himself, so he's been uncleared. Why do you ask?"
Name Day shrugged and rose to his feet, "was just curious."
Creius grunted as he stood himself, coming to stand beside Name Day. His love stepped closer, knocking his head gently against his shoulder, and Creius smiled. "You could always join in if you wanted to?"
"I don't fancy being thrown to the ground." Name Day said just as Marsha grabbed Yermolai and tossed the man over her shoulder like he weighed nothing. "Yeah, see, I am not built for that."
"Well, I might see if I can't coax Merel into trying her hand against me, do you want to get lunch together?" Creius asked, turning to look down at Name Day.
Name Day was silent a moment, blinking slowly, his cheeks a little redder now, but he nodded. "Lunch sounds nice. I'll sit with Paravyan and keep him company. He looks like he wants to throw himself into it."
Creius laughed and watched Name Day walk over to Paravyna, greeting him before taking a seat on the singlular bench in the area and starting up a quiet chatter. He watched the two for just a moment before making his way over towards Merel.
Before he even got to her, she was already shaking her head, "please no, Mister Creius, sir. I'll run laps later just… spare me."
"Just this once, Merel," Creius said, mouth quirking before he turned towards Marsha and Yermolai, "might I join in? Two against one?"
"So long as it's the two is us against you," Yermolai said, and Creius nodded. He waited for Marsha and Yermolai to position themselves before he threw himself at them.
It was exhilerating to test himself against both Yermolai and Marsha, and he could see that they were enjoying the struggle he gave them that forced them to adapt and work together. Well, Yermolai more than Marsha it appeared, but the medic gave it her all regardless, fighting just as hard as Yermolai did to try and gain the upper hand against him. Within a minute, Creius was sweating again and also on the defensive, his teammates finding their momentum.
"Sir!" The call came from Paravyan and the distress in his voice stopped Creius immediately. He spun away from Yermolai's latest strike, catching it to stop the man from continuing as he looked over to see Paravyan kneeling on the ground, rolling an unconscious Name Day onto his side.
Creius' heart skipped a beat and he hurried over, dropping to one knee on Name Day's other side, "what happened?"
"He said something about it being too hot, stood up, and then passed out." Paravyan said, one hand between Name Day's shoulders, the other keeping his head off the ground.
Creius took a few seconds to evaluate the situation, thinking back to when he first saw Name Day, how something had seemed off but he hadn't pressed. Name Day had told him he was fine; Creius felt a fool for not putting it together sooner. He knew what Name Day was like and how he brushed off his own problems as to not inconvenience others. No matter, thinking over what he should have done wouldn't help right now. Carefully, he reached out to rest the back of his hand against Name Day's forehead and sure enough, it was warm.
"If he's feverish, his neck will be warm as well." Marsha said quietly, coming up beside him.
A quick checked showed that the medic was correct and Creius sighed, "we need to get him into the shade."
"Give him a moment and see if he wakes up on his own," Marsha suggested, "I sent Merel to go get some water."
"Won't being in the sun make his fever worse?" Paravyan asked.
"We won't leave him in it for long. We're giving him a bit of shade anyways, and if he wakes up while we're carrying him, he might spook." Marsha explained. "Just a minute , most people wake up within the first minute."
Sure enough, just as they hit the minute mark, Name Day's face scrunched and his eyes cracked open.
"See?" Marsha smiled and continued, "Name Day? We're going to sit you up, okay?"
Name Day gave a slow blink before he rasped, "…okay."
Creius wrapped a hand around Name Day's arm and waited for Paravyan to get his hands underneath the man before they slowly sat him up. Name Day shut his eyes immediately, groaning, and Creius shifted closer just as the man slumped against him. He lifted a hand to run his fingers through Name Day's hair, "you said you were fine."
"Mmm… I was fine…" Name Day murmured. "I did say the heat makes me tired."
"I doubt the heat gave you a fever," Creius argued gently. His attention was caught a moment later by Merel returning with fresh water in hand. He took the flask from her and offered it to Name Day. "Drink. Slowly."
Name Day's hands had a slight tremble to them but he managed a few sips of water before passing the flask back. His eyes that had been open slipped shut again, and he shivered.
"We need to get you into bed." Creius said and he looked to his team to issue orders. "Marsha, I want you to help. Yermolai, you and Merel clean up here, and Paravyan, rest that leg of yours."
"Do I get a say in this?" Name Day asked.
"Your options are your bed or medical, so pick one." Creius said firmly.
Name Day opened his eyes just enough to scowl at him, "…my bed is fine."
Creius nodded and hooked his arm under Name Day's and waited for Marsha to get on his other side before they both stood and hauled Name Day up between them. It took Name Day a couple of seconds to find his feet and he groaned, dipping his head. The motion worried Creius that the sickly man was about to pass out again, but Name Day lifted his head shortly after. Together, he and Marsha helped Name Day towards the Foundation building, going at a slow pace that he could easily keep up with. Creius kept one eye on Name Day as they walked, frowning at the warmth he could feel as his own body cooled. He glanced over at Marsha, who was studying Name Day carefully, but didn't look overly concern which reassured him.
It didn't take long for them to reach Name Day's room, and Creius helped his love to sit on the bed. Immediately, Name Day fell back against it and sighed.
"If his fever gets any warmer or he falls unconscious then take him to medical, otherwise just keep him cool and make sure he drinks lots of water." Marsha said.
Creius nodded. That sounded easy enough. "And food?"
"If he feels up to it, something easy to eat. I'm sure he knows what he can handle."
"Thanks, Marsha, enjoy the rest of your day." Creius said.
"Of course, and feel free to call me with any concerns." Marsha said before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.
Creius waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore before he crossed the room to sit next to Name Day, "how are you feeling?"
"Tired," Name Day admitted, sitting up to undo the laces on his boots, "I… I just thought it was warm. Promise."
"I know," Creius said, and he believed it. While he didn't doubt that Name Day would have tried to work through a fever if he'd been aware of how poorly he felt, he still believed him when he said he hadn't realised what his body was trying to tell him. "What did you think it was then?"
"I hadn't slept well the past couple of nights. I thought it was just that catching up with me." Name Day said and tugged one boot off, tossing it off to the side. He stared at the other forlornly, hunched over like he didn't have the energy to sit up straight anymore.
Creius slipped off the bed and undid the laces on the remaining boot before tugging it off and standing to place it next to its companion. "Everything alright?"
"For once, my poor sleep is not my own doing." Name Day went to fall back against the bed, but Creius stopped him before he could. He frowned, but lifted his arms obediently as Creius grabbed his shirt and helped to pull it over his head.
"I see," Creius said, folding the shirt carefully and placing it on the desk against the wall, trying to think of why Name Day hadn't been sleeping well without prying into something that wasn't his business. Then he remembered the complaint on his desk. "Is your friend okay?"
"They will be." Name Day said and raised a brow, "can I lay down now?"
"That depends, do you sleep in those pants?" Creius asked.
Name Day pointed towards his closet, "I sleep in shorts. And I hope you don't plan on crawling into bed with me looking like that."
"You know, for someone who just passed out, you have a lot to say." Creius said, a smile on his face as he hunted for a pair of shorts. He found ones that looked to be what Name Day would sleep in and handed them over. "I'll go shower and get changed once you get settled. Do you need help?"
Name Day stared at him, an unreadable expression on his face before he wordlessly lifted his hips.
Creius rolled his eyes, struggling a little to get Name Day's pants off and replace them with the shorts, but he managed, and helped his love crawl under the blankets. Name Day tried to bury his head underneath the blankets, citing that he was now cold, but Creius argued that he might feel cold, but he very much wasn't, and eventually managed to reduce Name Day's mountain of blankets down to one thick blanket. He stepped into Name Day's bathroom to grab a cloth, drowning it with cold water before he wrung it out and returned to place it over Name Day's forehead.
Name Day's eyes fluttered closed, a relieved sigh falling from his lips. "Thanks…"
"Try and sleep, I'll be back shortly." Creius said and bent down to kiss Name Day's cheek.
When Creius returned, freshly showered and changed into clean clothes, water and biscuits in hand—he recalled biscuits being a favourite on the bad days—Name Day was asleep, snoring lightly. The cloth on his head had slipped to the side and after putting down his goods, he picked it up, rewet it, and placed it back on Name Day's forehead. Name Day murmured something unintelligble, shifting in the bed, and Creius smiled, lifting the blanket so that he could slip into it beside his love. He'd brought a book with him, along with some urgent paperwork he needed to complete by the end of the day—since it was obvious that he wasn't going anywhere when Name Day was ill.
He took a second to feel feverish skin and was pleased when it didn't look like it had risen in the time he'd been gone. If they could deal with it now, there was still a chance they'd beat the illness before it had the chance to set in. A quiet snore echoed through the room, and Creius' lips twitched in amusement. He reached for the paperwork first, deciding to get stuck into that before doing anything else.
Name Day woke briefly a couple of hours in, and Creius encouraged him to sit up and drink some water before going back to sleep, offering some food alongside it; he wasn't surprised when it was turned down. Rather than lay back down however, Name Day slumped against his shoulder, tired eyes looking at his paperwork, yet it was obvious that he wasn't actually paying any attention to what was written on the pages.
"You'd be more comfortable lying down," Creius tried to say, but Name Day just curled into him more.
"Here is fine." Name Day said and then fell asleep again.
Creius sighed and slid down the bed a little so that Name Day's head wasn't resting directly on the bone of his shoulder, but rather pillowed closer to his chest. It was a little uncomfortable to continue working, but Creius didn't mind, propping his paperwork against his leg as he scrawled where he needed to. Reports from the Foundation, reports from his own investigations, and a few complaints from people his team had upset. Most were silly complaints from people that decided working for the Foundation meant one should have no personality at all, but there were a couple that he'd have to deal with once he was able to.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he finished his paperwork, but considering how stiff he was, it had to have been a few hours at least. Name Day continued to sleep against him, cheeks flushed with fever and sweat on his brow. Carefully, Creius extricated himself from the weight of his love and settled him back into the bed properly before he wiped Name Day's brow and grabbed a fresh cloth to cool it. Part of him wondered if he should track down some medicine or if that might be jumping the gun a little bit, and decided to hold off for now. It didn't seem as if Name Day's fever had risen in the time he'd been resting.
His stomach chose then to growl, and his brow furrowed. Could he chance leaving Name Day on his own to go eat something himself? Surely it would be fine—he could leave a note. Creius found a scrap of paper and scribbled a quick message before he placed it on the pillow he'd been using and quietly left the room.
The cafeteria was busier than usual, and Creius scowled at all the people spread out across the multitude of tables. Why didn't people realise there'd be more space if they sat next to their friends instead of ten feet away? Creius ignored them, cutting through the crowd with practiced ease as he made his way up to where the food was. A few people stared at him, and he raised his brow at them when he caught their eyes. It was his day off too, he was allowed to be here out of uniform if he wanted to. But he couldn't help but be reminded of his early days in the Foundation where people would only stare and nothing else. Creius realised he was scowling when some poor worker squeezed and fled from his presence and sighed; perhaps it would be best to find a place in the corner to sit and eat.
His peace lasted approximately ten seconds before someone familiar was sliding into the seat across from him. Creius closed his eyes, took a breath, and then spoke, "Medicine Pocket."
The researcher stared at him before reaching over to pinch a piece of meat off of Creius' plate without asking. "Name Day was supposed to stop by my lab today. I need his assistance before he goes back East, and you always seem to be involved when I can't find him, so where is he?"
"Resting. He's unwell." Creius said. "I read your complaint by the way."
"About time, I was about to send another." Medicine Pocket reached for another piece of meat and Creius, without a word, split the meal in half and pushed the plate towards the middle of the table. "What's wrong with Name Day now?"
"Fever."
"Ah, well at least that's an easy fix, is it bad?" Medicine Pocket asked.
Creius shook his head, "sleep is best for him right now. But if you need an assistant, I'm happy to lend you Yermolai," he paused to sip at some water, "it's the least he can do for the problems he caused."
Medicine Pocket glared at him, "I don't want him anywhere near my lab."
"Even if I order him to listen to your own orders without question?"
A contemplative look crossed Medicine Pocket's face and they rested their chin in a gloved hand. "Any of my orders?"
Creius wondered just what he was agreeing to, but if it helped smooth the tensions between his unit and Laplace, he was willing to acquiesce. "Any orders."
"Then it's a deal! I want the dog in my lab in an hour!" Medicine Pocket rose and snatched a handful of meat off the plate and into their mouth, "I'll send some medicine your way for his fever, should help, I know you two had plans tomorrow."
"Thanks—" Creius began to say, only for Medicine Pocket to dash away, shoving everyone that dared to stray into their path, out of the way. He sighed, and pulled out his communicator, relaying to Yermolai what his new task was. His teammate grumbled at being forced to help Medicine Pocket, but didn't argue when Creius brought up the complaint against him. He sighed again.
Being the leader of a unit wasn't all it was cracked up to be sometimes.
Creius managed to finish his meal in peace after that interaction, and quickly left the cafeteria behind, hurrying down the halls back to Name Day's room. He entered quietly, stopping in surprise when he noticed that Name Day was awake and nibbling on one of the biscuits.
"When did you wake up?" Creius asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. He pointed at the water, but Name Day shook his head.
"I had some before, I woke up maybe… twenty minutes ago?" Name Day said.
"And how are you feeling?"
Name Day looked down at the biscuit in his hand and shrugged, "tired still, but less hot… I think."
Creius reached forward with a hand before he stopped himself, "may I?"
Name Day nodded and Creius leaned over to first press his wrist against Name Day's forehead before feeling his neck with the back of his hand. There was still a warmth to his skin, but it did feel a little cooler than before. His hand must've been cold too because Name Day leaned into his touch, giving a blissful sigh. "I almost can't wait to return to the Far East Branch because at least it is cold there."
"Summer isn't that bad." Creius said, smiling at the unimpressed look Name Day threw him.
"I come from a place where it is always cold, Creius, our summers still had us rugged up."
Creius could believe it and he shifted closer to Name Day, sliding down until he had joined his love in laying down. Name Day didn't hesitate to drape himself over him, head coming to rest on his chest. Creius lifted a hand to run it down Name Day's back. "I think you will find it more bearable when you aren't running a fever."
"Perhaps." Name Day murmured tiredly. "Is this okay?"
Do you have somewhere to be, was the unasked question.
Creius shook his head, "I have the day. Oh, Medicine Pocket tracked me down while I was eating. They promised to send medicine your way once they heard you were ill."
Name Day's head shot up and he cursed in words Creius didn't understand. "I primsed them I would help—"
"Taken care of," Creius soothed, tugging gently at Name Day's ponytail, "Yermolai's going to assist them instead, under orders to obey their every order."
A snort came from Name Day as he lowered his head back to Creius' chest. "I almost feel sorry for Yermolai."
"Don't be, he brought it on himself," Creius said, and shifted a little so that he could reach for the book he'd brought with him, "are you going back to sleep?"
Name Day hummed, eyes already closed, and Creius chuckled. That answers that then.
Carefully, he opened his book and began to read. It was a pleasant quiet, Name Day's weight against him a comfort, and despite his love's illness, he couldn't think of anything else he'd rather be doing.