Archive of Our Own

Rudo always hated getting sick.

Granted, he figured everyone despised it to some degree. Who in their right mind would enjoy feeling like absolute shit, cooped up in bed with nothing to do but lie there and suffer?

But for Rudo, it was always worse. Whenever a fever hit, the pain in his hands flared up with a vengeance. The usual dull, burning ache intensified into a white-hot agony, making it feel as though his entire arms were being submerged in fire over and over again.

So, yeah. He really hated getting sick.

The only saving grace to the whole miserable experience was Regto. Whenever Rudo was at his worst, Regto would pull him close, completely unfazed by the heat radiating off him, and start talking. He told stories—mostly silly, rambling things that made no sense but served their purpose perfectly. Those quiet words, paired with the soothing chill of a fresh, cool compress pressed firmly against Rudo’s forehead, were the only things capable of easing the discomfort and cooling him until the worst of the fire finally faded.

But now, Regto wasn’t here. 

Rudo blinked owlishly, sitting up groggily as a sharp knock rattled against his door. The sudden movement sent a vicious spike of pain straight down his arms to his fingertips, making him hiss through his teeth.

"Morning, Rudo!" Riyo’s voice sang out cheerfully through the wood. "Come on, man, breakfast has been ready for ages."

Huh? Breakfast? Already? Rudo rubbed a trembling hand over his face, his skin feeling entirely too hot. It didn't make sense. Breakfast always started at eight, and he was usually up and about by seven, if not earlier. He couldn't have slept that late.

"Hello? Anyone alive in there?" Riyo called again, her persistence finally snapping him out of his daze.

"Whu—oh, yeah. Uh, be right there," he managed to call back, his voice sounding thick and scratchy even to his own ears.

Swinging his legs over the side of the mattress, he tried to stand, only for his knees to buckle slightly. He caught himself on the bedpost, his limbs feeling heavy and unresponsive. Something was definitely wrong.

“Uh, you go on ahead, Riyo," Rudo called out, trying to force his voice to sound normal. “I’ve gotta take a piss first.”

“Alright, see you down there.”

The footsteps outside lingered for a second longer, as if Riyo was about to say something else, before they finally retreated down the hall.

Once the sound faded, Rudo let out a deep, ragged sigh. Every breath felt hot in his chest. Shaking his head to clear the fog, he reached for his clothes, his hands trembling as he awkwardly pulled on his pants and threw on an oversized shirt. The fabric brushing against his skin felt uncomfortably sensitive, but he forced himself through the motions, with a sucked in breath.

Jeez, he seriously hoped there wasn't a mission today. Usually, he preferred being out in the field over simply lounging around HQ. Staying inside was incredibly boring, with nothing to do but pace the halls and get trapped in his own head. At least when they were out on a job, the adrenaline let him take his mind off things and just focus on the task at hand. But today? Man, he would give anything just to plop right back down into bed and sleep.

Sleep? Him?

Yeah, something was wrong. 

He groaned, letting his forehead hit the wall bluntly. After the initial stinging impact, the surface felt wonderfully cool against his skin, offering a brief moment of relief from the heat radiating through him. Unfortunately, the comfort was short-lived, as a sharp headache immediately began blooming behind his eyes, pulsing in time with the fierce throbbing in his hands.

He closed his eyes for just a moment, trying to soak in the fading chill of the wall, when another knock rattled the door.

“Rudo?”

He groaned, hissing as the sudden noise spiked the pain behind his eyes. “Riyo, I just told you I’d be right down.”

There was a long pause on the other side of the wood.

“It’s been twenty minutes,” Riyo said, her voice dropping its usual sing-song tone for something a bit more quiet. “So I saved you a plate, if you want it.”

Twenty minutes? There was no way. He had only closed his eyes for a second.

“Oh, thanks,” he called out, though the words felt heavy and seemed to lose all their steam before they even hit the door.

“Enjin was wondering if you were up to some training today?” Riyo asked, her voice muffled through the thick wood.

The mere mention of training made Rudo’s stomach do a miserable flip. The thought of lifting his arms, let alone swinging a fist or dodging attacks in this state, sounded like a quick way to end up face-first on the ground.

“Uh—yeah, I’ll be down in a second,” he called out, forcing a firmness into his voice that he didn't actually feel. He paused, rubbing his throbbing temples. “For real this time.”

“Okay, no rush,” Riyo replied, her footsteps finally starting to fade again. “Just eat first.”

Rudo waited until he could no longer hear Riyo's footsteps before letting his shoulders sag. For a second, he seriously considered crawling right back into bed.

No one would know.

Well, they would eventually know when he didn't show up for lunch. Or dinner. Or when someone came looking for him and found him passed out face-first in his blankets. With a groan, he forced himself to push away from the wall.

But in instant regret, the room tilted alarmingly and the floor seemed to shift beneath his feet.

"Whoa..."

He blindly grabbed for the doorknob before he could stumble, squeezing his eyes shut until the dizziness passed. His hands immediately punished him for the sudden movement. Pain shot through his fingers and wrists, sharp and white-hot, forcing him to suck in a sharp breath.

This sucked.

Seriously sucked.

Rudo stayed there for a moment, gripping the doorknob like it was the only thing keeping him upright.

Maybe he should just tell someone.

The thought appeared and vanished just as quickly.

No. It was a stupid fever. People got sick all the time; it wasn't like he was dying. Besides, the last thing he wanted was for everyone to start fussing over him and treating him like he was a baby. He could handle this.

Even without Regto.

With a grunt, he yanked the door open and stepped into the hallway.

Immediately, the bright morning light flooding through the corridor windows made his headache pulse violently.

"Ow," he muttered, shielding his eyes with a trembling hand.

The corridor seemed unusually long today, stretching out in a blur of wood and shadows. Every step he took sent a dull, heavy ache through his legs and lower back, while the familiar fire in his hands throbbed relentlessly beneath his skin. He kept one hand lightly dragging along the wall for balance, forcing his heavy feet to move forward one agonizing step at a time toward the stairs.

“Oh, hey, Rudo!” someone called out, clearly smiling.

Rudo looked up to find Follo giving him a wave, but the grin began to falter at the sight of the teen.

“Are you okay?” Follo asked, his tone shifting from casual to concerned as he took a step closer, taking in Rudo's pale face and the way he was leaning heavily against the wall.

Rudo quickly dropped his hand from his eyes, trying to straighten his posture, though the sudden movement made his head spin even worse. "Yeah," he lied, his voice sounding rougher than he intended. "Just—uh, tired. Didn't sleep great."

“Are you sure that’s it?” The black-haired boy asked, tilting his head slightly. “I”m sure Eisha wouldn’t mind—”

“No,” Rudo hissed quickly. “I’m fine.”

He instantly regretted the sharp tone, catching the way Follo blinked in surprise. Rudo softened his posture slightly, forcing his hands into his pockets so the other boy wouldn't see them shaking.

"Look, I just need some food and some water," Rudo muttered, stepping past him. "Don't go calling Eisha over for a bad night's sleep. I'll see you around."

“But—” Follo began, though the words died quickly as Rudo didn’t so much as glance to acknowledge him.

Rudo focused entirely on his feet, gripping the handrail tightly as he navigated the stairs. His vision swam with every step, and by the time he reached the bottom, a cold sweat had broken out across his neck, contrasting miserably with the burning heat radiating from his skin.

Damn it, he hated this feeling. Why wouldn’t it go away? 

The air in the lower corridor felt slightly cooler, but it did little to soothe the fire in his hands or the relentless pounding in his chest. He took a shaky breath, steadying his hand against the wall to anchor himself. The dining hall was just around the corner; he could hear the faint clatter of dishes and the low murmur of voices inside.

He needed to look normal, even if just for a few minutes. Squaring his shoulders and forcing his breathing to even out, Rudo rounded the corner and stepped into the room, desperately hoping he could grab his plate and find a quiet corner before anyone noticed the sweat sheen on his forehead.

That’d be easy, right?

“Yo, Rudo, my man!” Someone immediately called out the second he crossed the threshold.

Great. So much for blending into the background.

Gris, Tomme and Riyo were sitting over in the corner. Gris was the one waving him over, a wide grin on his face, but the expression began to falter almost instantly. The blonde’s arm dropped back to the table, his brow furrowing as he took in the sight of the teen.

"Uh, you look terrible," Gris said bluntly, skipping any sort of greeting. “You feeling okay?”

Tomme and Riyo turned to him as well, their previous conversation completely forgotten. Riyo’s eyes narrowed instantly, scanning his slouching posture and the pale, clammy look of his skin. On the table right in front of her sat the plate she had saved for him—a stack of food that suddenly made Rudo's stomach twist into an uncomfortably tight knot.

"I told you he was taking forever," Riyo murmured, looking up at Rudo with growing suspicion. "You look like you're about to pass out right there."

“Shut up,” he grumbled, snatching up the plate with shaking hands. He didn’t need to deal with everyone bothering him while he tried to swallow his food.

“Rudo—”

The teen ignored the trio, and also the rest of the Cleaners who were turning their heads to look at him.

He made his way outside into the courtyard, letting himself plop down against the cool stone wall, giving his shaking legs a desperate break. The less-stale air hit his face, but it didn't do much to cool the fever cooking his skin from the inside out.

He stared down at the plate resting precariously on his lap.

“Shit. I didn’t grab a fork.”

Rudo let out a weak, frustrated groan, dropping his head back against the stone. Going back inside meant facing the gauntlet of worried looks and questions again, and his burning hands didn't even feel capable of holding a fork right now anyway. The fire in his wrists was pulsing in perfect time with the thumping behind his eyes. He just needed a minute to sit here in the quiet and close his eyes…

“Rudo?”

His eyes snapped open.

For a brief, disoriented second, he almost expected to see Regto standing over him, cool compress in hand.

Instead, Enjin was crouched in front of him, one arm resting on his knee. The older man's sharp eyes were narrowed, taking in the posture, the untouched plate of food, and the heavy sweat dampening Rudo's hair.

Rudo tried to instantly sit up straighter, but the sudden movement made the courtyard spin violently, and he had to press his palm flat against the stone floor to keep from toppling over.

“What do you want?” the teen muttered, trying to summon his usual bite, but it came out sounding small and breathless.

Enjin didn't speak. Instead, he reached out, his large tattooed hand effortlessly snatching the plate from Rudo's lap before it could slide off and spill onto the dirt. He set it aside onto the ground next to the white-haired boy, then turned back, his expression unreadable but entirely focused.

“You’re not looking so hot, kid.” 

Rudo opened his mouth immediately. “I'm fine.” Though the words came out hoarse and unconvincing.

Enjin's eyebrow twitched upward. “Sure you are,” the blonde huffed out, but then sighed deeply. “Humor me.”

Rudo backed up into the wall, pulling his neck back as far as possible when he noticed Enjin’s hand moving towards him slowly. "Don't touch me."

Despite the warning, Enjin leaned in and pressed the back of his hand firmly against Rudo's forehead. The teen flinched slightly at the contact, but the skin of Enjin's hand felt shockingly, beautifully cold against his feverish skin. For a split second, his body betrayed him and he leaned into the relief before his stubborn pride kicked back in and he jerked his head away.

"Get off," Rudo growled weakly and Enjin let his hand drop, but he didn't move away, remaining crouched at eye level with the stubborn teen. 

“You’ve got a nasty fever there, bud.”

Rudo paused. Huh? Where had he--- For a moment, the world blurred.

A cool cloth rested against his forehead. 

A hand brushed through his hair. 

A familiar voice, it was threaded with warmth and amusement. “You’ve got an awful fever, don’t you, bud?”

Rudo blinked in a daze, huh? Where—wasn’t he—where did Regto go? He was just—

“No, I don’t. You’re just stupid,” Rudo snapped, though the insult lacked any real venom, muffled by his exhaustion.

To the teen’s annoyance, Enjin didn’t react to the insult, though his expression softened just a fraction, the sharp look in his yellow eyes shifting into something heavy with—what? Understanding? That look was so distantly familiar.

"Yeah, clearly I'm the idiot here," Enjin said quietly, his voice unusually level. He rubbed the back of his neck before pushing himself to his feet, once again towering over the teen. "Come on, up we go. Let’s get you back to bed."

Then, a large, tattooed hand was open and waiting.

“Hell no.”

“Hell yes.”

“I’m not going back to bed,” Rudo snapped, though, in all honesty, it sounded amazing—face-planting into the sheets and staying there until this stupid sickness took care of itself. Because it would, wouldn’t it? But either way, no way in hell was he gonna listen to Enjin. “I’m not a baby.”

“That so?” Then Enjin crouched down with a humming sound, squinting intensely.

“W-what?” Rudo stuttered, his face heating up from more than just the fever. Did he fall asleep and get food on his face or something? He didn’t remember that happening.

Enjin leaned in closer, covering his mouth with a hand as he mumbled, “Puffed out cheeks, big eyes, tantrum, can’t walk, hm. I see.”

“…What?” he repeated, slower this time, like if he dragged the word out long enough it might start making sense.

The older cleaner didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head a little further, as if inspecting an especially stubborn problem.

"Yup," Enjin concluded, dropping his hand from his face with a sigh that was entirely too dramatic. "Checks all the boxes.”

“What’re you—” Rudo’s protest came out weaker than he intended, the word wobbling halfway through as the world tilted again.

But before he could muster the energy to snap back any further, Enjin bypassed the waiting hand entirely. Bending low, he reached out and grabbed Rudo under the arms, hoisting him upward with an ease that made Rudo's protests die in his throat.

“Hey—asshole—put me—”

And then his feet tapped the ground softly.

“I’ll let you walk if you lean against me, alright?” Enjin hummed, hooking an arm under the kid’s waist. 

The sudden warmth of the contact should have made Rudo fight harder, but the sheer effort of standing upright consumed what little energy he had left. His knees buckled immediately, and instead of hitting the dirt, he slumped heavily against the man's side.

“What ‘bout the food?” Rudo mumbled, his eyes half-closed as he stared vaguely at the plate on the ground.

“We’ll save it for later, once you’re situated, I’ll make sure it’s put away. I know you don’t like food going to waste.” Enjin replied calmly, taking the brunt of the teen’s weight without an ounce of effort. He began guiding Rudo back toward the building, his pace slow and deliberate to match the teen's clumsy, dragging steps. “We’ll have Eisha take a look at you, don’t know how much she can do for a fever, though.” 

The blonde cleaner paused as they crossed the threshold back into the cooler indoor hallway, then asked, “Do you always crash this bad when you get sick?”

"I dunno," Rudo mumbled, resting his forehead against Enjin's side for just a second to stop the hallway from spinning.

"Bullshit," Enjin muttered, though there was no heat behind it.

“You’re bullshit.”

“Classy,” Enjin chuckled softly, a low rumble in his chest that Rudo could feel more than hear. They kept moving down the corridor, passing the dining hall where the muffled sounds of the others talking still drifted out. Rudo kept his head down, desperately hoping Riyo wouldn't come out to mock him, or worse, Zanka, but Enjin seemed to shield him from view naturally, keeping his large frame between Rudo and the open doorway.

“We’ll get you set up and cozy in the med bay, that sounds nice, don’t you think?” Rudo could tell Enjin was smiling just from the tone of his rumbling. “A big bed, extra pillows, lots of natural light, man, I’m almost jealous. Would you mind coughing on me?”

“Gladly.”

Enjin snorted, the sound vibrating against Rudo's shoulder. “On second thought, keep your germs to yourself.”

Rudo didn’t have the energy to lift his head anymore as the hallway blurred into a long strip of pale light and shadow, swaying gently with every step Enjin took. Or maybe it was Rudo swaying—he couldn’t really tell anymore. His body felt like it belonged to someone else, something heavy and overworked and not particularly interested in cooperating.

The only thing keeping him upright was the arm hooked firmly around his waist.

“Hey,” Enjin said after a while, his voice quieter now. “You still with me, kid?”

“Mhm.”

Enjin made a chuckling sound for some reason unknown to Rudo as the blonde nudged the door open with his foot, steering Rudo inside where the quiet coolness of the room immediately washed over them.

Enjin brought him over to the farthest bed, closest to the window, pulling down the covers and setting him down gently. The man knelt down, as Rudo asked, “What’re—”

Enjin shushed him as he slipped off the teen’s shoes, lifting his legs onto the bed, arranging the heavy blankets over his shivering frame.

The moment the weight of the blankets settled over him, a massive shudder ran through Rudo’s entire body. He wanted to kick them off because his skin felt like it was on fire, but at the same time, the deep chill in his bones made him pull the covers all the way up to his chin.

“There we are, all tucked in,” he smirked, patting the top of the kid's messy white hair, “I’m gonna grab Eishia. Just rest and take a load off.”

Rudo didn't even have the energy to swat the hand away this time. He just let out a weak, muffled huff into the edge of the blanket, burying his face deeper into the fabric as Enjin turned and walked toward the door.

Getting Rudo to relax was nothing short of a hassle.

Enjin walked into the dining area, a towel slung over his shoulders and his blonde hair ever-so-slightly damp from his post-workout shower, when Gris and Tomme immediately flagged him down from across the room.

Tomme didn't waste any time, leaning forward over the table with a serious look. “Rudo’s sick.”

Enjin paused, stopping mid-stride as he looked between the two boys. "What do you mean sick? He was fine yesterday."

“Well, he’s definitely not today,” Gris replied, crossing his arms. “He looked completely flushed and pale when he finally came downstairs. The kid snatched up a plate of food, snapped at Riyo, and just stormed off outside.”

Enjin sighed, tossing the towel onto an empty chair. “Alright. I’ll go find him.”

It didn’t take all that long. He only checked the kid’s room first before catching sight of his figure slumped against the wall out in the courtyard. Hurrying his pace out of a sudden spike of worry that the kid might have actually passed out, Enjin approached to find Rudo just sitting there with the untouched plate of food.

The kid’s eyes were closed, his head slumped down, but his breathing was far too shallow and uneven for him to be completely asleep.

“Rudo?” the blonde called out slowly, crouching down in front of him when he didn’t get an immediate reply. He almost had the urge to tap the kid’s chin to rouse him, but slowly, Rudo’s head came up, a completely blank, glassy expression washing across his features.

He looks like shit, Enjin couldn’t help but think at the sight of him. The kid's hair was matted and damp, his face slick with sweat and his cheeks heavily flushed, and the dark eyebags weighing down his face were even deeper than usual.

So, after checking Rudo’s temperature, plus the usual retaliations from the kid, Enjin sighed, glad he was able to coax him into the med bay at last.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way down to the lounge area, where he found Eishia deeply engrossed in a book. The moment she noticed him approaching, she leaped up in a hurry, her face falling into a mask of panic as she began profusely apologizing for not being at the clinic when she was needed.

“Eh, no worries, kid,” Enjin assured, waving a hand casually as he turned to lead the way back down the corridor. “You don't need to tether yourself to the med bay all the time.”

“Um—right.” The quiet girl said softly, folding her hands over each other. “So, what are his symptoms?”

“Fever, chills, shivering like a leaf, and I think his hands are giving him a ton of trouble,” Enjin listed off, ticking the items off on his fingers as they walked. “He’s completely drained, lightheaded, and more stubborn than usual. He also might be seeing stuff, though, I’m not sure.”

There was something about the teen’s gaze when he first called his name that made a part of Enjin ache. It was a look of pure, disoriented longing, like he was looking at someone who shouldn't be there—someone he missed terribly.

“I see, febrile delirium is fairly common, it’s harmless, which is good, at least. I can give him some fever reducers and we can keep a cold compress on him. You said his hands were hurting? He has chronic pain, doesn’t he?” Eishia asked. “Pain like that is significantly worse when sick, so we’ll give him some painkillers. There’s not much I can do. But we’ll keep him hydrated and hopefully his fever breaks. Has he been coughing?”

“Not a lot, from what I’ve seen. Is that bad?”

“No, it’s actually common, too,” Eisha reassured him, pushing open the door to the storage room to gather the medicine and a clean basin for the water that she began to fill from the jug inside. “It just means it might be a standard viral infection rather than something deeply respiratory, but the high fever is what I’ll need to tackle first. The body uses a lot of energy fighting it off, which explains why he’s so completely wiped out. And—uh, nothing against Rudo, or anything, but he always looked a bit—”

“Like a bag of crap?”

“...drained.”

“Same difference,” Enjin smiled down at the girl, who gave an awkward grin in return. She almost lost her grip on the basin, so the older cleaner effortlessly took it off her hands before any water could spill.

"Oh, thank you very much," Eishia murmured, adjusting the small bottles of medicine in her pockets.

“Don’t sweat it,” Enjin replied, adjusting his hold on the heavy basin. "Lead the way."

When they finally arrived, thankfully, Rudo was still there, clearly sulking. He had adjusted himself to a half-sitting upright position with a scowl on his face. Enjin groaned, “I told you to rest, didn’t I? Or did the fever cook your already fried brain?”

Rudo just shot the man a dazed glare, looking away.

Eishia glanced between the two, taking the basin from Enjin and clearing her throat. “Um—I’m just gonna check your temperature and we can give you some relief for pain and—”

“Then you’ll fix me?"

Eishia blinked, glancing up awkwardly. "That's not really how my ability works."

Rudo frowned.

"I can heal damage," she explained softly. "Cuts, bruises, sprains, broken bones—things that are injured." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "A fever isn't an injury. Your body's fighting something."

"So?"

"So if I tried to force it, I'd mostly just be treating the symptoms." Eisha adjusted the cool compress on his forehead, the sudden chill making Rudo wince and lean away slightly before the soothing cold won him over. "The infection would still be there. You'd probably feel better for a little while and then crash again later. Plus, if I got rid of your symptoms, your body might not be prepared to fight back against the infection if you get sick again.”

“So?” Rudo repeated slowly, his voice raspy and entirely unamused.

“So, the fastest way you’ll get better is fluids and rest,” Eishia finished, setting down the water onto one of the empty bedstands. “Have you had something to eat?”

“He hasn’t,” Enjin answered, leaning his shoulder against the nearby wall.

Rudo shot Enjin a look that could kill, or at least one that attempted to. "I was going to eat. Then you dragged me in here."

Eishia looked between the two of them, a soft, sympathetic sigh escaping her lips. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small bottles of medicine. "Well, you shouldn't take these on an empty stomach anyway. I can go down to the kitchen and grab something light for you. Some broth or toast? Would that be okay?"

“Can’t he go get them?” Rudo muttered, jerking his chin toward the blonde cleaner.

Enjin raised an eyebrow, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Oh, so now I'm your personal waiter? I already carried your heavy ass all the way in here."

"You didn't carry me," Rudo snapped, his cheeks flaring a deeper shade of red that had nothing to do with the fever. "I walked."

“You were dragged at best,” the blonde man countered with a smirk. “I’ll be back.”

Enjin strolled out of the med bay with that lazy, slow-paced stride of his, leaving a more than awkward silence in his wake.

Eishia quieted down, carefully dampening a fresh cloth in the basin of cool water. She wrung it out with practiced hands before turning back to Rudo, who was still glaring daggers at the empty doorway where Enjin had just disappeared.

"Um, Rudo?" she murmured softly, holding out the cloth. "Can I...?"

Rudo grunted softly, a sound that was half-annoyance and half-exhaustion, but he didn't pull away this time as she gently pressed the cold compress against his forehead. The instant the icy fabric touched his burning skin, a violent shiver racked his frame, but he let out a long, ragged sigh, his eyes fluttering shut as the fierce throbbing behind his eyes eased just a fraction.

"Thanks," he muttered into the heavy blankets, his voice barely a whisper.

"You're welcome," Eishia said, giving him a small, encouraging smile. She reached for one of the little glass bottles she had set on the nightstand, uncorking it carefully. "While Enjin is grabbing some toast, you should try to swallow this. It’s an herbal tincture for the pain in your hands. It won't cure the fever, but it should help take the edge off the burning."

Rudo opened one eye, eyeing the dark liquid suspiciously. His hands, currently buried beneath the safety of the covers, throbbed viciously. With a frustrated mental sigh, he dragged his right arm out from the warmth. It shook noticeably, his fingers stiff and curling like claws.

Eishia didn’t comment on how shaky his hands were or how long it took for him to lift the flask up to his lips, just waited as he threw it back with a sour face.

“Gross.”

“I know, sorry,” Eishia said softly, taking the empty flask back and setting it on the nightstand. “It’s a pretty bitter blend, but it should help take the edge off the pain in your wrists and start pulling that fever down.”

Rudo wiped his mouth with the back of his trembling sleeve, leaning his head completely back into the pillows. The medicine hit his stomach like a cold lump, but almost instantly, a dull numbness began to spread through his burning skin, slowing the frantic thumping behind his eyes.

"How long?" he muttered, his eyes tracing the cracks in the ceiling.

"Until it kicks in? Maybe twenty minutes," The blonde girl replied, soaking a small cloth in the cool basin water again. "Until you're fully better? A few days of actually resting, though.”

“Alright, thanks.”

She gave a small smile, “I’ll set out what you need to take with food right now, that way if you want to eat by yourself, you can just take the meds. I’ll come back around when they need to be refilled. I assume you want to be alone, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well, I’ll have to check in every hour or two just to check on your symptoms and refill your water, I hope that's alright.”

Rudo just gave a weak, dismissive nod, already closing his eyes to block out the remaining light in the room. He heard Eisha quietly bustling around the bedside table, the soft clink of the medicine bottles being arranged next to the water glass before her footsteps glided softly across the floor toward the exit.

Finally, all he had to do was just close his eyes…

“—-Sorry, bud, hate to wake you, but you really do need to eat,” a warm, rough hand brushed his bangs back, thumbing his cheek lightly. It was such a distant memory...

“Rudo?----”

“Hey, Rudo?”

A hand was on his shoulder, shaking him gently. Rudo’s eyes snapped open, the haze of a dream fading instantly back to the med bay. The soft, ghostly memory of the past evaporated, replaced by the broad silhouette of Enjin standing over the bed, holding a steaming bowl of broth.

"Hey, stay with me," Enjin said, his voice unusually soft as he noticed the raw, vulnerable confusion in the kid's glassy eyes. He set the bowl down on the tray beside the medicine Eisha had left. "Come on, sit up just a bit. Let's get some food in you so you can actually sleep."

“You—” Rudo swallowed, his throat dry and tight as he glared weakly at the tray. “You can leave.”

Enjin didn't move an inch. Instead, he pulled a wooden stool closer that had been hiding at the foot of the bed and sat down at the side with a heavy sigh, completely ignoring the dismissal. “Yeah, I could. Or I could sit right here and make sure you don’t accidentally choke on your own spit.”

“I’m not gonna choke,” Rudo muttered, though even the effort of speaking made his head throb. He stared at the steaming bowl of broth, the savory scent twisting his stomach in a weird mix of nausea and faint hunger.

“Great. Then prove it.” Enjin reached out, wrapping a large hand around the back of Rudo’s shoulder and pulling him up into a sitting position before the teen could register enough energy to fight back. He, reaching quickly for a spare pillow on the bed beside where Rudo laid, stuffed an it behind his back to keep him propped upright. “Eat. Even if it’s just a few spoonfuls. Eisha said those pills on the nightstand will tear your stomach up if you take them empty.”

Rudo stared blankly at the spoon Enjin was holding out to him. His right hand crept out from under the heavy blanket, trembling so hard his fingers could barely curl. He managed to pin the spoon between his stiff, gloved fingers. but the liquid sloshed dangerously before he could even lift it an inch from the bowl.

A frustrated, bitter scowl twisted Rudo's face. He hated this. He hated this so much—

Before the broth could spill over the edge, Enjin’s large hand gently closed over Rudo’s shaking fingers, steadying his grip. 

“Easy, bud.”

Rudo squeezed his eyes shut so tightly he saw specks of color, “Don’t call me that.”

He could feel Enjin paused. His fingers remained warm and steady over Rudo’s shaking hand, but the teen knew that the casual, easygoing look on his face shifted into something quieter, more observant. 

Instead, Enjin just let out a soft breath and slightly loosened his grip, giving Rudo a bit more control while still keeping the spoon from slipping entirely.

Slowly, Rudo brought the broth to his mouth, taking small sips and Enjin remained completely quiet for a change, not offering a single snarky comment or teasing remark as Rudo worked his way through a few more careful spoonfuls. He simply kept his hand resting lightly over Rudo's wrist, providing just enough resistance to cancel out the worst of the tremors.

Once the bowl was about half empty, Rudo weakly pulled his hand back, letting the spoon rest in the remaining liquid. He leaned his head heavily against the extra pillow Enjin had jammed behind him, his breathing still shallow but noticeably less frantic.

"Done?" Enjin asked quietly.

Rudo gave a faint nod, keeping his eyes closed. "Yeah."

“Alright, here, have some water to wash down the meds,” Enjin said, carefully lifting the tray off the bed and setting it aside on the nightstand next to the small bottles Eisha had left behind.

He picked up the fresh glass of water, wrapping his hand around it to keep it steady as he held it out. Rudo reached out with a slight frown, his fingers still stiff but a bit more cooperative now that the warmth of the broth had settled in his stomach. He took the glass, swallowed the small pills Eisha had laid out, and chased them with a few long, desperate gulps of the cool water.

When he finished, Enjin took the empty glass back and set it down with a soft click.

"Alright, back down you go," Enjin murmured, reaching behind Rudo to slide the extra pillow out so the teen could slump back into the mattress. He pulled the heavy blankets up to Rudo's shoulders, ensuring he was completely covered against the lingering chills.

Before Rudo could complain about being fussed over, Enjin grabbed the cloth from the basin, wrung it out until it was just damp, and laid it across the kid's forehead. 

“Why’re you being weird?”

“How am I weird, weirdo?” Enjin countered, settling back onto the wooden stool with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Why won’t you leave me alone?”

“Because someone has to watch you.”

“Eishia said she would.”

“Yeah, well, Eishia has other things to do besides just dealing with a snot-nosed punk like you,” Enjin replied smoothly, not moving an inch from his spot. “Besides, she’s checking in on you every couple of hours. Until then, you’re stuck with me.”

Rudo let out a weak huff, the cool cloth on his forehead a stark contrast to the heat radiating from his skin. He shifted his head to the side, trying to look anywhere but at the older man sitting beside him. "I'm fine. I—I can sleep by myself."

“I’m not gonna flip your mattress while you're unconscious,” Enjin countered dryly with a raised brow.

“I just—just don’t wanna be around anyone while I sleep.”

“Why’s that?”

Because nobody’s Regto.

He swallowed hard against the sudden lump in his throat, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the wall. He didn't want Enjin's pity, and he certainly didn't want to have to explain that he wanted Regto to pull him close and stroke his hair. 

But in his feverish stupidity, Rudo whispered, “I just want him.”

Enjin paused, the lazy demeanor completely dropping from his face as the kid's whispered words hung in the quiet air of the med bay. And Rudo nearly gasped when he realized what he said, “I—I mean—just—ignore—ugh—” But instead of adding insult to injury, the cleaner let out a long, quiet sigh, reaching up to rub the back of his neck before resting his large hand back on the edge of the mattress, just a couple of inches from Rudo’s arm.

“What can I do?”

Rudo wasn’t sure, he didn’t like the idea of Enjin just being awake in the room without himself being conscious, but he didn’t feel like keeping his eyes open either.

Rudo stared stubbornly at the wall.

The fever had sanded down most of his defenses, but not enough to make this any less humiliating. His skin felt too hot. His hands hurt. His head hurt. Everything hurt.

And worst of all, Regto wasn't here.

“Rudo,” Enhin called and Rudo looked up to see his face.

"What can I do?" the blonde repeated quietly after a long moment, his voice unusually soft.

Rudo swallowed hard, the answer sitting heavily in his chest. Nothing. Because nobody could do what Regto used to do. Nobody could make the world quiet down, and nobody could make him feel safe the way Regto had. His throat tightened painfully as he mumbled, "...I dunno."

Enjin hummed thoughtfully, shifting slightly on the stool. "Alright."

Rudo frowned, his brow furrowing beneath the damp cloth. "That's it?"

"What'd you want me to do? Shake you until you figure it out?" Enjin replied, a familiar lazy drawl creeping back into his tone.

A weak snort escaped Rudo before he could stop it, though the sudden effort immediately made his head pound. "Ow."

"Yeah, don't do that," Enjin advised dryly.

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Rudo rolled his eyes—or at least attempted to, but even that took too much energy.

The room fell quiet again. Outside the window, sunlight filtered through the glass, and somewhere farther down the hall,the faint sound of distant voices and footsteps echoed. Life, as absentminded and indifferent as it always was, continued as normal. Inside, Enjin remained seated right beside the bed. He wasn’t talking or even really looking at Rudo anymore, he was simply sitting there.

Though after a while, Rudo became aware of a slow and constant rhythm breaking the quiet.

Tap. Tap. Tap. His eyes cracked open. Enjin's large, tattooed fingers were drumming lightly against the side of the wooden mattress frame. It wasn't an impatient gesture, though, it was completely absentminded, like he was keeping time to a melody only he could hear.

Rudo watched the movement for a moment, then another, and then another, his eyelids feeling impossibly heavy as the soft sound relaxed him. "...Tell me something," the words slipped out before Rudo could stop them.

Enjin blinked owlishly, looking down at him. "What?"

"Just..." Rudo's face burned an even hotter red, the heat rushing to his flushed cheeks. "Talk or something."

The older man stared at him for a second, and then, a small, knowing grin slowly spread across his face. "Oh," Enjin murmured quietly.

"Don't make it weird," Rudo snapped weakly, frowning deeply.

"I'm not making it weird."

"You're smiling. You're making it weird right now."

Enjin chuckled to himself, the sound low and rumbling so it wouldn't grate on the kid's headache. He leaned back in the stool, crossing his arms, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling beams as he thought for a moment.

"Hm," Enjin started softly. “Let’s see…

He tapped his chin, a look of mock seriousness washing over his face. "Did I ever tell you about the time I got stuck upside down in a chimney?”

“...You what?”

“Oh, yeah,” Enjin snorted, leaning back. “We got a call from this old lady saying there was a ghost haunting her house. We weren’t sure if it was a small trash beast form or even just the poor woman’s imagination, so I went over to check it out. When I got there, she said she could hear the banging from the roof. So, naturally, I climbed up to take a look.”

Rudo watched him through squinted eyes, already exhausted by where this story was likely going. “And you fell in.”

“I didn’t fall,” Enjin corrected with a scoff. “My hand may have caught on a loose brick and I may had been startled by this freaky raccoon looking thing.”

Rudo let out a weak, raspy huff, the image of the tall, imposing cleaner getting spooked by a small animal briefly distracting him from the heat radiating off his own skin. "So you fell."

“I just said I didn’t.”

“Well, the story you just told says you did.”

Enjin rolled his eyes, “Anyways, it was a solid thirty minutes before I felt Gris snatch my ankle and haul me back up.”

Rudo let out a weak snort despite himself. “Serves you right.”

“That's what Gris said,” the blonde cleaner countered dryly, though his fingers kept up that slow, steady tapping against the wooden mattress frame.

The story drifted on for another few minutes after that. Not that Rudo was really listening to the words anymore. Instead, the low rumble of Enjin's voice began to blur and morph in his feverish mind, shifting seamlessly into a completely different story from a completely different time.

“So, the child wrapped himself up in blankets, his eyes squeezed tightly as he could hear the monster breathing beneath his bed," Regto's voice hummed in his memory, it was warm and clear, as a phantom hand rubbed Rudo’s arm gently. “Finally gaining enough courage to speak, the boy whispered, ‘What do you want?’ and the monster replied, ‘A friend would be nice. I don't like being alone.’ Now the little boy was very much confused at this desire, as he answered, ‘But—but—when I tell Mother you’re here, you leave.”

"The monster just sighed," Regto continued softly, mimicking the sound, "And it told him that ‘some people are just scared of things they don't understand.’"

Regto's voice faded away.

Rudo's stomach dropped. It was stupid. The room hadn't changed at all. The sunlight still filtered lazily through the window, the blankets were still heavy and warm around his shoulders, and the cool cloth still rested against his burning forehead. But suddenly, the med bay felt far too large, and the silence felt far too loud.

The teen blinked slowly, the memory dissolving back into the quiet hum of the med bay. For a while, neither of them spoke, the stillness in the room settling deep into the corners. The rhythmic tapping against the wooden bedframe had finally stopped.

The tapping against the bedframe had stopped.

When Rudo cracked his eyes open again, Enjin was pushing himself up from the stool with a low, quiet grunt.

"Looks like you're finally settling down," the older cleaner said softly, adjusting the collar of his crimson sweater. "I'll leave you to sleep."

Enjin turned toward the door, taking a slow step away.

Good. That's what Rudo wanted. He wanted to be left alone. He didn't want anyone seeing him like this.

Right?

His fingers tightened into the heavy fabric of the blanket, his throat tightening as the space between him and the door felt wider by the second.

He didn't want to say it. The words felt wrong in his throat, they were so embarrassing, but the thought of the heavy door clicking shut and leaving him alone with just his thoughts—with him—was worse.

"Wait." The word slipped out quietly, barely carrying across the small space of the med bay, but Enjin still stopped. Though, he didn't turn around immediately, as if he was waiting for Rudo to dismiss him, but when he did look back over his shoulder, his expression was entirely unreadable. "Yeah?"

Rudo stared hard at the stitching on the blanket, his face burning hotter than the fever could account for. He hated how small his voice sounded. He hated that the words were even leaving his lips.

"You said..." Rudo swallowed, clearing his raspy throat. "You said you were staying.”

Enjin looked at him for a long moment. The lazy, teasing smirk that usually occupied his face didn't return. Instead, a soft look settled over his features. 

"Right," Enjin said smoothly, stepping back toward the bed. He pulled the wooden stool back into place with a dull scrape against the floor and sat down, crossing his arms over his chest. "Forgot I was supposed to be pissing you off. My bad."

Rudo looked away as Enjin said, “You know, Zanka got sick not too long after joining the Cleaners?”

“He did?” Rudo asked, turning back over too quickly, the rag slipping off his face and next to him, now sharing the large bed.  

“He did, right after a mission, too,” Enjin confirmed, picking up the fallen rag and redipping it on the water. “Man, he was ten times worse than you, if you can believe it. His words slur together and he gains this super thick rural accent, man, it’s hilarious. It’s not as strong as it once was, but you can hear it slip out in certain words.”

“Really?” Rudo frowned, flinching from the coolness as the blonde draped the cloth over his forehead again. “Huh.”

“When he was sick, Zanka was sitting in the med bay and, man, that kid was so loopy, he was shaking like a leaf from the cold and when I told him he did a great job during the mission, he started laughing like crazy, throwing his arms around me.” Enjin laughed quietly, “And then he started crying.”

“No way.”

“Yeah way.”

“Why’re you telling me this?” Rudo huffed lightly, “I’m gonna give him so much crap for that.”

Enjin waved a hand in dismissal, “You definitely won’t remember anything that’s happened,” the blonde assured with a grin, “With the guy crying and grabbing me, I just sat with him in the bed till he fell asleep.”

Rudo stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts moving like sludge. He tried to imagine Zanka—always so intense, pretending to be cool, calm, and collected, only to be a total hothead—just breaking down and crying because of a stupid fever and a compliment.

"Did you laugh at him?" Rudo asked, his voice dropping into a quiet, sleepy murmur.

“Nah, ‘course not. I don’t bring it up either. Not even sure he remembers it happening.” Enjin rested his chin in his hand, his expression softening as he looked down at the stubborn teen. "When someone's that out of it, you don't mock 'em, you know?”

Rudo didn't answer, his eyes already drifting shut as another thick wave of exhaustion rolled over him. He shivered slightly, pulling the blanket tighter around his chin, though the small movement did little to stop the chills.

Enjin let out a soft sigh, watching the kid struggle against the cold. Without a word, he stood up from the wooden stool, letting it scrape quietly against the floorboards. Instead of walking toward the door, he stepped to the opposite side of the wide med bay cot.

"Move over, kid," Enjin muttered, nudging Rudo's shoulder gently.

Rudo blinked open a hazy, confused eye, too tired to fully process what was happening as Enjin casually hopped onto the edge of the mattress. The older man leaned back against the headboard, propping his long legs up over the heavy blankets and settling in right beside him, effectively blocking out the draft from the rest of the room.

"What're you..." Rudo mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Shut up, man," Enjin replied easily, folding his arms across his chest and staring out toward the door. "If you don’t want me to go, then I might as well get comfortable, right?’

For a second, Rudo was too stunned to respond. Enjin was actually in the bed. Not hovering nearby, not sitting on the stool pretending he wasn't watching him, but relaxed against the headboard like this was the most natural thing in the world. Rudo stared at him through half-lidded eyes, "You can't just do that," he muttered eventually.

"Already did."

"That's not how beds work."

Enjin cracked one golden eye open to look at him. "Pretty sure this is exactly how beds work."

Rudo wanted to argue. He wanted to tell him to get out, that he was too big, too warm, and too entirely present. But the mattress dipped slightly under Enjin's weight and the cold draft that had been creeping across Rudo's shoulders vanished completely.

His body betrayed him first; the stubborn tension in his spine loosened by a fraction. Enjin noticed, of course, but mercifully didn't say anything smug about it.

The room settled back into quiet, the only sounds being Rudo's uneven breathing and the distant creak of the building. The fever still burned through him, but the edges of it felt duller now, wrapped in blankets and exhaustion. Rudo shifted slightly, trying to find a position that didn't make his hands ache, but a sharp pulse shot through his wrists anyway, and he hissed under his breath.

Without looking over, Enjin said quietly, "Still bad?"

Rudo grunted in response.

A moment later, Enjin moved one arm from where it had been folded across his chest and held his hand out lazily in Rudo's direction. "Here."

Rudo frowned at it. "What?"

"Your hands. Give me one."

"No."

"Alright." Enjin withdrew his hand immediately and leaned back again, but the lack of argument caught Rudo off guard, so he stared at the ceiling for another long minute while the pain kept throbbing in slow, vicious waves Eventually, with the kind of exhausted resentment usually reserved for losing arguments with gravity, he dragged one gloved hand out from under the blankets and shoved it toward Enjin without looking at him.

"You're annoying," Rudo muttered lowly.

"Frequently."

Enjin took his hand surprisingly carefully for someone built like a brick wall. His grip was warm, steady, and loose enough that Rudo could pull away at any second. Instead of squeezing, Enjin just held it lightly, his thumbs resting near Rudo's wrist where the tremors were worst.

Rudo waited for a joke, but one didn't come.

The radiating warmth seeped slowly into his stiff, aching fingers, easing the sharpest edge of the pain. His shoulders dropped another inch into the mattress. Enjin kept his eyes fixed firmly on the ceiling beams. "Learned this from Gris when she was helping Follo," he said casually, his voice a low, grounding murmur. "Kid gets bad hand cramps after long missions. Says heat helps."

The teen narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his voice dropping into a sleepy whisper. "You're making that up."

“Odd thing to lie about, isn’t it?”

Rudo let out a long, defeated sigh. He was too tired to argue, and his body was too heavy to move. Somewhere between the cleaner’s words and the pulsing aches in his wrists, he had shifted, ending up tangled firmly against the older man’s side. Enjin’s large arm was slung comfortably around his shoulders, keeping the heavy blankets pinned down and trapping a solid wall of much-needed warmth around the shivering teen.

The slow rhythm of the tapping frame shifted into a faint, barely audible hum. Rudo wasn’t sure if it was a real song, or maybe one that Enjin had once played in the car, though probably not. This melody was soothing and gentle, almost like a lullaby that put babies to sleep.

In the haze of his fever, the lines of past and present blurred entirely. Regto hummed softly, tracing circles over Rudo’s flushed cheek absentmindedly as he too drifted off to sleep.

“Thanks, Regto,” Rudo whispered, the words echoing from a distant memory into the quiet room.

And from somewhere beside him in the dark, a low, quiet voice answered, “You’re welcome, Rudo.”

“Well, isn’t that just adorable?” Riyo cooed, peeking her head up from behind Eishia, who had opened the door to reveal the pair. Enjin and Rudo were snug in bed, both fast asleep.

Eishia walked over quietly, pulling off a glove and resting the back of her hand against Rudo’s forehead. “His fever’s gone down a bit, which is good.” She frowned slightly, looking at the awkward angle of the older man's posture. “Should I wake Enjin? The neck pain he’ll get from sleeping like that will be awful.”

It would be awful indeed. Enjin’s head was resting right atop Rudo’s mop of white hair, snoring faintly.

Riyo giggled, waving a dismissive hand. “Let the two sleep, they both probably need it.”

Eishia shook her head softly, a faint smile breaking through as she adjusted the edge of the heavy blanket, pulling it up just a bit higher over Rudo’s shoulders to make sure the remaining chills stayed away, before stepping back carefully.

The red-headed girl's smile turned devious. “Everyone needs to see how adorable this is. Oh-ho-ho, Rudo’s gonna be so embarrassed when he wakes up.”

“Maybe not—” Eishia began to say, but Riyo had already hurried out of the doorway and down the hall, likely on a mission to find the rest of the crew. Eishia sighed, giving the sleeping pair one last glance and a soft smile, before quietly closing the door behind her.

The room became quiet once more. 

A moment later, Enjin cracked one eye open. He had woken up the second the doorknob turned, but he had stayed entirely still to avoid a massive headache of teasing from Riyo. Now that he could no longer hear anything but the slightly labored, steady breathing of Rudo, he let out a relaxed sigh.

The teen made a small, troubled sound in his sleep, his brow furrowing as if caught in a bad dream. Without thinking, Enjin's large hand moved automatically, gently brushing back the damp bangs sticking to the teen's forehead to soothe him.

The movement was completely natural, but the second his fingers left the kid's hair, Enjin paused, staring up at the ceiling beams in the quiet room.

Woah, he thought to himself, a dry, slightly amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I must be getting soft.

He didn't move away, though. He simply adjusted his grip on the blanket, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.