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The loud retching sound distracts Hook from his conversation with Smee. When he looks over his shoulder to where the noise had come from, he finds Bae uncomfortably bent over the rail - his floofy hair covering his face. He gets to the boy just in time to catch him when his balance falters .
"Steady there, lad," he says as he cradles the boy in his arms and gently lowers him on the floor. Bae lets himself be laid out on the deck, body obviously too weak to protest.
Hook brushes the beads of sweat on Bae’s forehead and feels the unusual warmth there.
"He’s ill," he says to Smee, who had followed him, worry evident in his voice.
Bae started squirming a little and mumbled something that sounded like I’m fine, but Hook just shushed him. By this time, most of the crew had their eyes on the pair, watching curiously how the captain would handle the situation.
"It’s okay, Bae, I got you," he says in an attempt to appease the boy.
Hook knew very well that Bae hated being coddled. Even from the beginning, he would always protest at Hook’s attempts at spoiling him on his ship. Instead, he’d often take care of himself and try to impose very little on others.
As much as Hook admired this side of Bae, his resistance turned out to be a bit of a challenge for the pirate captain for he wanted nothing more than to prove himself a capable guardian to the young man. Yet as hard as it was to resist, he heeded the boy’s wishes and kept his tendencies to pamper the boy in check.
This was a different situation though, Hook reasoned to himself, so Bae will just have to comply this time.
The teen was heavy in his arms and Hook struggled a bit to get to his feet amidst moans of protest from the boy. As expected, he didn’t like being carried either. Hook only smirked at this. Even in his weakened state, the boy was putting up a fight. What a stubborn lad.
Hook sends Smee off to grab a towel and a basin filled with water and hurries to his chamber to drop Bae off in his bed. Once settled, Hook makes an attempt to unbutton the boy’s coat but burning hands grip his fingers preventing him from continuing.
“You don’t have to nurse me. I will be okay. I just got a bit queasy,” Bae says through shut eyes.
“Bae, you’re burning up with fever, I need to help you or you’ll only get worse.”
“But you have more important things to do.”
Hook stills upon hearing this – his heart breaking a bit for the boy. It was one thing to want to be brave and strong, and another to put aside all selfish notions because one got so used to not being put first.
“Nonsense, you’re more important to me Bae,” Hook says.
Bae’s eyes flutter open. For a moment he stares at Hook, his eyes blank with emotion making Hook wonder if he could actually see him or if he was only looking through him.
Then he smiles.
It was a weak smile, yet it was filled with so much warmth that made Hook happy to be alive to elicit such a reaction from the young man’s innocent face.
“Thank you,” he says frailly and loosens his grip on Hook’s fingers.
Bae closes his eyes and relaxes his head back on the pillow. Hook’s fingers continue to undress him and later brush his body with a cool cloth. He doesn’t fight back - he realizes he doesn’t have to anymore.
As sleep slowly overtakes him, his last thoughts are of comfort and a newfound security in Hook’s care. This allows him to drift off peacefully and with a smile upon his face.