#glad that my fever has subsided and can now do my works properly but after (probably) talking about this chapter I'll continue resting

[raamitsu]

oh my... I forgot that the new WBK chapter is going to be released on Wednesday, August 14th @ 12 AM (JST) so that means, I will come back later with the complete pages, then continue resting until JJK leaks day ✌🏻

side note: stay tuned, Umemiya and Chika stans 😭

[if-found-return-to-gusu]

Happy Birthday to Me Pt. 12

(Fuck. Last one)

He asked me if I was staying the night.

Of COURSE I was staying the night. Where on Earth would I want to be if not here with him? 

I told him as much. I reminded him that I’d promised not to distance myself from him again and warned him that this meant I was going to be completely insufferable from now on to make up for the lost time. 

“You will completely forget the concept of personal space,'' I warned. 

He grinned at me again. With teeth showing and everything. I’m pretty sure I heard a chorus of angels. 

I felt his fingers trace my hairline and down the side of my face.

“Okay,” he said, completely unperturbed by my warning.

He IS trying to kill me before I hit 30!!!!!! I knew it!

And then! He just went in and kissed the tip of my nose! Like it wasn’t anything! And he just let me go and stepped back again!!

I whined that he can’t just kiss and run like that! And he just reminded me to go upstairs to wait while he locked up. 

I grumbled about handsome men playing games with my poor fragile heart before I went up, stomping on the stairs to let my indignity be known. I grabbed my photo album as I went. 

Once I let myself into the apartments I figured the first order of business was to check on the bunnies to see how they held up after all the commotion from downstairs. 

Most of them were fast asleep in a pile of fluff, but Suibian perked up the moment she heard my voice and hopped sleepily over to me! I started to fuss over her and pet her, telling her how good she was. She closed her eyes and leaned into my scritches. 

Ooooh it’s so wonderful to have an animal that actually likes me! And she’s so cute! I won the jackpot! If I can only have one animal actually like me I’m so glad it was her. 

I heard quiet footsteps and turned to find Lan Zhan coming up next to me to look at Suibian as well. 

“Look!’ I said, excited, “Suiian has my sleeping hours!”

Trust my little girl to wait up for me when all her siblings were snoozing. 

Lan Zhan asked if I wanted to bring her into the other room but I decided that, as tempting as it was, it was probably better for her to sleep with the rest of the rabbits. 

I told Lan Zhan that it was her bed time, and he replied by noting that it wasn’t quite my bed time yet. (True as it was barely creeping on Midnight by then and I’m usually up at least until like 1am or so. )

I countered that it was DEFINITELY past HIS bed time. It’s kinda incredible that Mr. “In Bed By 9” was able to stay standing so long. 

And since my heart clearly hadn’t had enough yet today, I decided to pull him in close to me by the waist, wanting to be as close to him as possible. He seemed to jump a bit, but didn’t try to pull away. 

“I’m not tired,” he said.

Liar. 

In order to hopefully hide the sound of my heart trying to pound its way out through my ribcage, I gasped dramatically, “Lan Zhan? Not tired yet???” I asked with just as much drama as the gasp. “I’m astonished!!!”

I considered after that though and laughed. Perhaps I was a bit sleep drunk myself actually. “Though I must say,” I admitted after my giggling subsided. “After tonight there isn’t much that should surprise me about you anymore.”

To prove my point I sang a couple bars from “My heart will go on” under my breath. I laughed as he hid his face in his hands. I pulled those hands away and started to drag him into the livingroom with me. 

I asked him what other things he was hiding from me as we went. I didn't really expect him to answer but before we made it to the couch, he pulled me back with the hand that was still holding his. I stumbled rather clumsily into his arms, but he caught me all the same only to push me away and twirl me before pulling me back towards him. 

‘I once took dancing lessons for a semester in college. I wanted to learn something different but it didn’t work out.” he said. “Turns out I’m more suited to waltzes than I am for swing.”

And just like that he started to guide me in a waltz. 

I will say right now I have no idea how to waltz and all those movies that say ‘you just need to find yourself a partner who knows what they’re doing’ are all lying. It’s all bullshit. 

Lan Zhan somehow managed to slip his feet under my feet (?????) and guided me through the steps though. Once my brain caught up with the rest of me I hurriedly got OFF his feet before I did some damage and instead tried to concentrate on following his lead. 

But then I just couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. I put my head on his shoulder, not able to resist being closer to him now that I knew I could. I slid my hand out of his and guided it to join its partner around my middle instead, wanting to be held, and we swayed together. 

How long did we dance like that? Swaying softly to the song that only we could hear?

I dared to ask him what other surprises he could possibly have in store after this bombshell, but he assured me that for now, at least, this was it. 

I pouted up at him in my best impression of A-Ling and asked him how it was fair to my poor battered heart if this is how he gives me new information about him? It was really gonna be a problem because I still want to know every detail of his life. I want to know absolutely every piece of him. 

Each bit of his soul he’s given to me is a shining nugget. More precious than gold or diamonds. Something to be cherished. Just like him. 

“How can my heart take it?” I asked.

To which that son of a gun replied

“Your heart will go on.”

Oh youuuuuuuuuuuuu.

I couldn’t stop laughing after that. Especially once he joined in. If any of the bunnies were still awake they surely thought those humans in the other room were bonkers. 

We calmed down eventually, still swaying the whole time. Just staying together in each other’s arms in the dark livingroom. 

Eventually I had to admit defeat. This day, as wonderful as it was, had been very emotionally exhausting for me. I told Lan Zhan I was tired and ready for bed and he responded by swaying me in the direction of the hallway. Which of course set me off again. 

We swayed and spun all the way to the bedroom door where we, tragically, finally had to let go of each other so that he could get me something to sleep in. 

I took the clothes, but hesitated. It was after midnight. Surely my allowed greedy period was over right? But still. I had to ask one last thing. 

“Is it.. .okay if I sleep in your room with you tonight?” I asked, staring quite determinedly at the floor. 

Lan Zhan answered almost immediately, saying that yes. Yes he would like that very much. 

That got me to look up so I could grin at him. In the dark I hope he couldn’t see that I was about ready to start crying again. 

There’s nothing wrong with crying, really, but fuck I was tired of it at that point. 

Without any further ado, I scurried off into the guest room to change into the over-large pajamas as quickly as I could. Before I headed back to his room, though, I decided I was ready to take another look at that photo album. And maybe I didn’t need to be alone to do it after all. 

I held it close to my heart, trying to drink in all the love that had gone in to making it for me, and scurried back to where Lan Zhan was waiting for me, already in bed. 

I scooted closer to him and asked if it was okay if we went through the album together again. He kissed my forehead (where I probably should have washed of Shijie’s mark but I was entirely unwilling to do so. RIP Lan Zhan’s pillow. I didn’t think of that haha. )

“Anything you want,” he said. It sounded like a promise. A pledge. Almost like he was swearing an oath.

Really it was just my sleepy mind making things overly dramatic again. 

We went through them together, Lan Zhan letting me pick the pace. We talked about some of the pictures and he didn’t judge me when I cried a little again after all. 

When we got to the picture of him alone at his guqin, though, I paused. 

He’d done so much for me. I’d never be able to pay back this kindness. Not even if I managed to somehow gain immortality. Not even if I was able to try until the end of time. 

“Thank you for tonight,” I said, cringing at how inadequate that was. It didn’t even begin to cover it. 

He told me that there was no need for thanks. That he wanted to give me this. 

I didn’t know what else to do in response to that. I just leaned into him to nuzzle his neck. Told him he was the best. 

A true statement, but again, completely inadequate. 

He, in essence, replied with a “No U.’

And then. 

Hold on. I want to remember this as accurately as possible.

“I feel very happy when I’m with you. You make me laugh. You encourage me to discover new things. You show me how much bigger my world can be. And you make me feel safe through it all.”

Pretty sure my heart full stopped. 

When it lunged back into motion again it was all I could do to squeak out his name and hide my face in his chest (ad;jkfadjf;aldk;adjskf;adlsf;kjfalksdf; you could park a car on that thing fuck). 

I reminded him again to WARN me first! Jeebuz Crisps!!! And he said he’d try.

Jerk. 

We stayed like that for a while in a silence so comfortable I’m pretty sure I just fell asleep. I think I remember feeling Lan Zhan maneuvering us under the covers to sleep properly but that could just be my mind filling in the blanks because that’s how I woke up. 

I don’t remember much of what I dreamed, but I know each and every one of them had family. And In each and every dream, Lan Zhan was at my side. 

THEN I FUCKING WOKE UP TO THAT ASS HOLE HAVING A FEVER SO HOT IT BOILED ME OUT FROM UNDER THE FUCKING COVERS

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE LAN ZHAN STEALING MY COLD AND DOUBLING THE DOSE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????/

So it was my turn to play nursemaid to him except the main difference being that HE WAS ACTUALLY SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTF WERE YOU HIDING BEING ILL THE ENTIRE NIGHT????????? GDI

I stayed with him as much as I could until he got better, though I had to help do my shift (AND HIS) at the cafe. 

In the end I”m the one that ended up cleaning up the last of the party.

Guess that’s fair. 

Once he started feeling better I surprised him with the chunk of cake I’d hidden. 

He looked at me with eyes that shined like A-Yuan’s when Shijie gave him his kiss. 

Apparently this asshat had only managed to get ONE BITE of cake the entire night! The one I fed him!

WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME? I HAD CAKE THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU ONLY GOT A BITE??????????????????????

WHY DIDN’T YOU EAT IT WHEN I WAS ON STAGE SINGING AND YOU JUST STOOD THERE HOLDING IT LIKE A DERP???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????/

Ah well. In the end he got to have his cake and eat it too. Haa. 

[sharedshield]

And here we go again!! Another cross on my @badthingshappenbingo!!

I’ve gotten some prompts and I’ll definitely get to them, I just started this thing like ages ago, it took me so long to write and it’s became quite the monstrosity and I really just want it to get it out here.. Feel free to request anything from those lovely prompts!

Fandom: Timeless

Pairing: Garcy

Prompt: Pneumonia

„What the hell is taking so long?!”, Wyatt kicked against the metal staircase leading up to the Lifeboat’s entrance.

Emma had jumped again, this time into 1919, and Lucy suspected she planned to meddle with the Treaty of Versailles. Agent Christopher had ordered Wyatt, Rufus, Lucy and Flynn to go. Two soldiers because Paris would be crawling with police and nobody felt comfortable sending Jiya away after she’d just spent three years in the 19th century.

The only one they were waiting for was Flynn.

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon”, Lucy tried to calm him. It wasn’t like Flynn to be late, in fact he usually was the one waiting for them. “I’ll go get him.”

Wyatt grunted and Jiya shot Lucy a meaningful look, but she ignored both of them. Worry had been gnawing on her insides since the night before, when she had gone to his room seeking solace for her troubled thoughts. He hadn’t answered his door, and at first, she had thought he was messing with her, but upon letting herself into the room she had found him already asleep.

While unusual, Lucy had written it off to exhaustion. After saving Rufus, Emma and Jessica had sent them on a hunt across centuries and continents, barely granting them any time to breathe. Lucy herself was bone tired, but Flynn (and also Wyatt for that matter) took on most of the physical work, so he was probably trying to get every second of sleep he was granted.

Lucy had been able to quiet her worries then and had managed to get a full night of rest herself, but they had come back in the morning when the rest of the bunker had breakfast together and Flynn remained to be seen, despite being an extraordinary early bird. It needed until lunch for him to make an appearance, but even then, he was taciturn and grumpy.

“There you are!”

She met him only one step out of the kitchen area.

“Huh? Yeah, sorry, needed to get some spare ammo”, he pulled on his jacket, the modern one, they’d steal some time appropriate wardrobe once they arrived in 1919, and passed her without so much as a look.

“Finally”, Wyatt groaned when they got the Lifeboat.

“We’re on a schedule here, Flynn.” Agent Christopher gave him a stern look, but just like Lucy she got ignored. He passed her with long strides and vanished into the Lifeboat after Wyatt.

“Is, uh, is he alright?”, Rufus asked, “’Cause I know what his good days look like and I really don’t want to be in Paris in 1919 when he has a bad day.”

“He’ll be okay”, Lucy gave Rufus an encouraging smile and followed him to the staircase, “Or at least I hope so.”

Traveling with the Lifeboat was always ruff on Flynn. Apparently, the Mothership was a much more comfortable way to get through time, something like the cruise liner of time machines.

Usually, he needed somewhere from five to ten minutes to get his bearings after the landing, sometimes it was worse, depending on how long and what he ate before the jump, you know the drill.

Lucy was glad for some extra time to take a breath before actually starting the mission, and she knew Wyatt was too, although he’d never say so in front of Flynn. The only one who seemed comfortable with this sort of transportation was Rufus.

This time however, it was worse. Rufus and Lucy had managed to get them clothes and Wyatt had secured the area at the outskirts of Paris and Flynn had yet to emerge from the bushes he vanished into after the landing.

“Flynn? Are you okay?”, Lucy tentatively took a few steps closer and was greeted by the sound of dry heaving, accompanied by heavy, rattling coughs.

She wasn’t a big fan of seeing puke or any bodily fluids, but Flynn really didn’t sound like he was okay.

“Flynn?”

“Would you give me a damn minute?!”

Lucy didn’t pay his angry call any notice and stumbled her way through the bushes until she found him, on his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

“I told you to leave me alone”, he sighed sitting back with his face up to the sky. Flynn was pale, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple changed its direction due to the different angle and rolled into his hair.

“You didn’t, actually”, Lucy sat down beside him, trying not to get tangled up in her skirt while doing so. “You’re not okay. You should have stayed at the bunker.”

“I’m fine, Lucy. And I don’t really see that happening, Emma is still on her warpath and with Wyatt being tangled up in this mess as he is you need a soldier who’s actually able to do his job.”

He stood in one fluid motion, there was no swaying or stumbling as he held out his hand to help her up.

“Are you? Able to do your job?”, he narrowed his eyes at that, defensively, but Lucy didn’t back down. He was right, Emma was more determined to get them out of the way than ever and Wyatt wasn’t able to make objective decisions when Jessica was involved. They needed Flynn and he couldn’t allow himself any slipups, not when a mistake could easily end with one of them dead.

“When am I not?”

 Flynn kept his word, he always did. The mission went without so much as a hitch, maybe not entirely successful since Emma was able to escape, but history stayed pretty much the same. The authorities of 1919’s Paris had only to deal with the unidentifiable bodies of sleeper agents, unlike they had to in the original timeline.

He managed to keep it together, to stay upright and walking until they reached the Lifeboat, but then Flynn crashed spectacularly. His head was reeling, this damn collar and the tie were too tight for him to breathe properly and whole ensemble was so hot he felt like he was suffocating.

Somehow, he reached his seat, but only to fall forward and to press the heels of his hands to his eyes. Why wouldn’t everything stop spinning?!

“Hey, Flynn, are you alright, man?”

If he got a dollar every time someone asked him that, he’d have enough money to build his own time machine.

He grumbled in response to Rufus concerned question, but it was Lucy who provided an actual answer.

“I think, he’s running a fever. He really shouldn’t have come with us”, there was a pause and some shuffling, Flynn didn’t bother enough to look up. There was a rushing in his ears now and he felt another coughing fit coming by the way his lungs constricted.

“Flynn? Uh, Gar-Garcia? Do you want some water?”

Lucy carefully put her hand on his shoulder, a featherlight touch he didn’t even register because his body shook with suppressed coughs. Flynn pushed himself out of his seat again and stumbled to the Lifeboat’s entrance, desperate for some fresh air and not wanting to infect the rest of the team with whatever ancient disease he’d caught with his coughing.

With his luck, it was probably tuberculosis. Or the plague.

The fit lasted a few minutes, it got so far that Flynn found himself retching again. When it finally was over, the world was still spinning but the breaths came a little easier. Lucy handed him a bottle with water and after he rinsed and then took a few sips, he staggered back to his seat.

“You think you can handle the trip back without puking all over the backseat?”, Rufus asked jokingly, but, truth to be told, neither of them wanted to know what would happen if either of them expelled the contents of their stomachs mid-flight.

Flynn made a vague gesture in Rufus’ direction, giving his okay for lift off after he fumbled his seat belt close. Then he let his head drop against the seat, closing his eyes and thus ignoring Lucy’s worried looks and Wyatt’s pointed glares.

 “How did it go?”

“Emma escaped again, but we could prevent her from blowing up the meeting. And we need a doctor”, Lucy carefully climbed down the staircase followed by Wyatt.

“Did somebody get hurt? Is Rufus okay?”, ever since they brought Rufus back, Jiya was even more on edge when they left for missions

“I’m fine, Jiya. But Flynn is sick”, Rufus was the last one to step out of the Lifeboat, hands unsurely hovering behind his colleague in case he should fall.

But Flynn stubbornly made his way down the steps and headed for the bedrooms, when Agent Christopher planted herself in front of him.

“I don’t need a doctor.”

He tried to stare her down, but Denise only raised an unimpressed eyebrow. He really wasn’t at his usual level of threatening, with glassy eyes, pale skin and an overall posture that screamed ‘Please, let me go to bed’.

She reached up to feel his skin, but he painfully flinched away from her touch.

“It’s not bad, just a cold or som-“, his feeble try to escape her examination ended in another coughing fit. He turned away and buried his face in the crook of his elbow, trying to will the coughs to stop, but soon he was doubled over, desperately gasping for air as dry coughs kept on tearing at his throat.

“Okay, okay, uuh… You probably should sit down”, Lucy came up beside him, hands fluttering helplessly over his shoulders until she just gripped his arm and carefully guided him to the ground. “Deep breaths, ju-just try to breathe.”

Flynn slumped to the ground, the coughing finally subsiding. He was panting, a little groan escaped his lips as he leaned forward and rested his forehead on his knees.

“I’m getting a doctor and medicine, get him to his room”, Agent Christopher ordered, already on the phone.

“I don’t-“

“That’s not up for discussion!”

 Flynn was wrong in two things. First, he really needed a doctor because, second, he didn’t just catch a cold, but wounded up with pneumonia instead.

The doctor had left the bunker with the instructions to keep Flynn in his bed and get him to take his medicine, have lots of fluids and a light diet. Lucy made it her obligation to oversee him carrying out the doctor’s instructions.

Which was why she spent a lot of time in his room (meaning more time than usually).

He was sleeping when Lucy joined him again after getting a snack for herself, curled up under the flimsy blanket and, for the first time ever, Lucy thought he looked small.

It was a disconcerting thought, Flynn looking small. He wasn’t imposing, not if he didn’t want to, and despite the bunker being tiny and dark, Lucy never felt crowded when she was in a room with him. He was more like a steady presence, comforting and assuring.

A quiet noise stopped her train of thought, Flynn was clutching his blanket and pulled it tighter around his shivering form. The bunker was always chilly, but it was only early evening. The real cold that made Rufus and Jiya cling to each other in their bed and Lucy seek out company, it only came at night.

Lucy leaned over him and moved to feel his temperature on his forehead but remembered how he flinched when Denise wanted to touch him earlier. Her hand hovered unsure for a few seconds, before she pressed her fingers softly against the prominent cheekbone.

It wasn’t enough to wake him, but he winced anyways and turned away, buried his face in his pillow. His skin was hot to her touch, and its pale color made him look almost ghostly.

She couldn’t stop her sigh and was nearly unable to not brush a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. How long has it been since the last time he had felt a friendly touch? Not violence but love directed at him? Lucy didn’t want to think four years, not since Lorena and Iris, but it was what came to her mind.

It was not fair. Lucy did think he was a monster, yes, at first, but it only lasted until she had finally learned the truth. About Rittenhouse and his family, how they had taken everything dear to him, hunted him and made him think the only way he could stand up to them, the only way he could fight them was with even more violence.

There was a voice at the back of her mind that asked if it wasn’t Lucy’s fault he terminatored his way through time. After all, it had been her journal that had sent him on this trip, she had given it to him and promised they would fight together and then had let him down over and over again, had pushed him away, called him a murderer and finally had gotten him arrested. The voice sounded suspiciously much like her mother.

But she knew there was another side to Garcia Flynn. The sadness and sorrow that made his shoulders bow and kept him in his room for hours, soft smiles and bad jokes, the insecurity, self-loathing and guilt that held him prisoner in his own mind; coffees in the morning and the tug on the bottle of vodka when Lucy had enough, the soft touches when he held her after Emma, the way he guided her down the stairs after Salem.

Garcia Flynn wasn’t a man without fault, far from it, but he didn’t deserve all the shit life threw on him either.

“Lucy?”

She startled upon hearing his scratchy voice calling out. Flynn was awake, looking at her with tired eyes.

“Hey”, she did touch him now, gripped his shoulder and helped him sitting up, didn’t let go of the cup of water when his shaky fingers lifted to his mouth, letting their hands touch.

“You don’t have to do this”, Flynn said after he settled back against his pillow.

“What? Helping you? Staying with you?”

He shrugged, avoiding her eyes. Lucy noticed how he fidgeted with his wedding ring. A tell, he was uncomfortable, she just wasn’t sure why. Because he was forced to show weakness? Because she was a witness to it?

“You don’t have to be here.”

He thought she didn’t want to be with him?

“What are you talking about? You’re sick and I’m here to help. End of story”, it came out a little more forceful than she intended, but maybe it helped to get the message through.

“I saw you”, he confessed, only she wasn’t sure what. “With Wyatt, before-“

Oh. Oh.

“I don’t give a damn about Wyatt. Not right now. I’m here because I want to be, because I want you to get better”, she switched from the chair to bed, perched herself up on the edge, “Is it that hard to believe?”

Now she dared to do it, she actually pushed the strand of hair our of his face, let her fingers trail down the side of his face and then cupped his cheek. He stared at her with wide, glassy eyes, and Lucy didn’t think he dared to breathe. It may have been the fever that made his eyes so shiny, but she wasn’t sure. He looked at her like she hung the moon, like she was his reason to live, so utterly devoted to her that she wanted to cry.

“I-“, Lucy started, the same moment Flynn decided to breathe again. His lungs weren’t to grateful to be deprived of what reduced amount of oxygen they were getting, and Lucy could hear the hitch.

It took minutes, it was cruel, and Lucy could only stand beside him and rub his back while the coughs ripped through his body, produced all sorts of gross stuff and left him trembling, panting and gasping for air.

“It’s okay”, she soothed him, “It’ll get better soon, the meds will kick in and you’ll be better.”

Suddenly she was back in her mother’s bedroom with Amy, before Rittenhouse, Flynn and time machines. She cleaned, changed oxygen tanks, spoon fed soup and crackers and administered meds.

It was a painful memory of a happier time, that at the same time wasn’t that. Seeing her mother wither away and nevertheless feeling the pressure of her expectations, the prospect of being alone with Amy after the inevitable death of her mother.

But now she knew what to do.

With practiced motions she freed him of the used tissues, held the cup for him to take a few more sips, then checked his nails and lips for a blueish tinge. There was one indeed, so she pulled the oxygen tank, left by the doctor as a precaution, closer to the bed, set it to 5 liters and carefully arranged the nasal tube.

His eyes followed her every moment, but Lucy didn’t find herself bothered by it.

“You seem so… used to stuff like this”, Garcia noted. He was laying down again, on his side, it was a little easier to breathe that way.

“Amy and I took care of Mo- our mother when she had gotten worse. She hated hospitals and didn’t want a nurse at the house constantly. So, it was up to us”, Lucy didn’t meet his eyes, busied herself with getting another blanket out of the sort-of wardrobe they all had in their bedrooms.

“That doesn’t sound fair.” She let out a dry laugh, of course it wasn’t. Carol made Amy put her life on hold, because Lucy was supposed to get tenure at Stanford and Amy’s podcasts weren’t real work anyway. She just had decided her daughters would care for her, without asking them.

They would have done it, of course, they weren’t monsters and Carol had been their mother, but some kind of choice would’ve been nice.

“It wasn’t, but we were used to it. Amy actually did most of it, I had Stanford. I kind of thought, that…”, she scoffed and shook her head.

“What did you think?”, even sick, with a sore throat, shivering and feeling miserable, Flynn cared for her, listened. This man was ridiculous.

“It’s stupid. I just- I thought if I got tenure, if I got to carry on her legacy, she could draw strength from it, you know? That it would give her the kick to beat the cancer. See? It’s stupid.”

“I don’t think it is. You just wanted to help her.”

Lucy sighed and finally met his gaze. She could see that he was flagging, the fever was pulling him under again and yet he fought to stay awake in order to be there for her. Ridiculous.

“And now I want to help you”, she said firmly and took a towel to mop some sweat off his forehead. He shivered under her touch but let his eyes close. “Sleep, Garcia, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

 A few hours later, he was still asleep. Jiya had come and gone, had brought some crackers and fruits in case either of them grew hungry.

Lucy read in a book about the demolition of socialism she found in his personal little library, but couldn’t quite concentrate on the words, looked up every couple of lines.

Flynn’s sleep had become restless, he tossed and turned, his hands twitched, and she could see his eyes moving behind the lids.

“Garcia?”, she asked softly, but only prompted a tiny whimper. “It’s okay, Garcia, you’re safe.”

“No…. No, please don’t… Leave her alone…”

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay.” Lucy squeezed his arm, tried to rub some comforting warmth into him.

“Lorena”, it sounded suspiciously like a sob, and, oh, Lucy’s heart, the one she carefully started to piece together again after Chinatown, it shattered into a million pieces.

She knew it wasn’t safe to wake a soldier trapped in a nightmare, not by touching him. He might lash out and hurt her, completely unaware of himself and his surroundings.

But Lucy didn’t care, not now, not when he was clearly suffering.

“Garcia!!”, she grabbed him by the shoulder and shook him.

He startled awake, gulping down hasty, too short breaths and scrambled to come back to reality.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

She desperately tried to calm him, ground him. “It’s me, it’s Lucy.”

“Lucy…”, he sounded far away, but met her eyes. “Lucy.”

“Yes.”

A shudder ripped through him, but not from the fever. He tried to take a breath, but it caught in his throat.

“Lucy.” He fumbled for her hand and she met him halfway, then he sagged forward, and she caught him. There were more shudders now and unsteady breathing, his hands clutched at her sweater, and if the same sweater had a growing wet patch on her shoulder, then so be it.

She mumbled endearments, sweet nothings into his hair, not at all caring that she could get infected too. Lucy didn’t know exactly how long it lasted, the minutes blurred together at some point, but eventually the shudders and shivers ceased to an unsteady breathing and then, after a deep, weary sigh, his weight got a little heavier on her shoulder.

Lucy lowered him back onto his pillows and pressed a soft kiss to his brow.

 It was one and a half weeks later that Lucy found Garcia sitting on the couch in the common area. There was a blanket draped over his shoulders and steaming cup of tea in front of him, but he appeared to be asleep, snoring softly through a still clogged nose.

They hadn’t talked, really talked, since his nightmare. The meds had kicked in soon after, leaving him slumbering for the most time, but unfortunately, they hadn’t got along with the foods Jiya and Denise provided, so they spent the last three days feeding him up again.

Lucy carefully pulled the tea bag out of his mug before it became too bitter, then settled down beside him with another book.

She made it through two chapters before she felt him stirring beside her.

“Lucy?”

“Good morning, sleeping beauty”, he rubbed his eyes at that, and it was really not fair that a six-foot-four man could be that adorable. “Your tea’s cold. I’ll make some more.”

She heard him following her, when she moved to fill up the electric kettle, then they sat down at the table to wait for the water to boil. Lucy pushed a package of chocolate chip cookies to him and Garcia obediently took one and started to nibble at it.

“Lucy, about what happened, I’m sorry”, his voice was still hoarse and with him mumbling, she guessed the words rather than actually hearing them.

“What do you mean?”

He awkwardly cleared his throat, wincing when it hurt. “The, uh, the nightmare. I didn’t mean to-“

“Cry? Or you didn’t mean for me to see?”, Lucy leaned forward and boldly took his hand, “Garcia, you were sick, you had a bad dream, I was there to comfort you. End of story, no big deal.”

He seemed a little taken aback by that. “I can’t imagine it was a… pleasant sight seeing a man crying out for his dead wife.”

“So wasn’t you gasping for breath, shivering and shaking. But I stayed anyways.”

Lucy looked at Garcia and he met her eyes shortly, before turning his attention to the cookies.

“But why…”

Why were you there?

“Because of you, Garcia. I was there because of you.”

[amelia-blackshepherd]

Glad You Got The Flu

Prompt: Amelia is living at Meredith's at the moment. Meredith's children are sick and she helps her taking care of them. But as she's showing the first symptoms herself, Meredith sends her to bed. Maggie is at the hospital and because she's still busy with her children, Meredith calls Owen to take care of Amelia. 

I received this prompt a little while ago, but I have been busy and had not had the time to do it justice, still not sure if I did.

It's that magical time of year again, and by magical, I mean the absolute worst time of year ever. Especially if you work in a hospital, flu season. I’d seen the posters all over the hospital, reminding everyone to get their annual flu shots. But as I have never been one that gets sick very often, I opted to skip mine. Sure, I’ve faked sick, when my friends were suspious if I was using again, but I hardly ever get sick. But, children do, that’s for sure; and Mer’s kids were no exception.

Currently I am living at Meredith’s but this time it is only temporary. In face I’ve already begun searching for a place of my own. For most of my adult life I’ve never had my own place, I’ve lived with family’s like Addi, or Derek, or Owen. But with everything that has happened over the past year or two, ending with Owen and I splitting up, I think it is finally time that I act like a grown up and get a grown-up place. I could buy a house, I mean I have the money, but that makes Owen and I’s situation seem more real, more serious, more permanent. And I want to have the option of moving back in with him when that time comes.

The only thing that is delaying me moving out of this house right now, is the kids. They love me, and I love them, even now when all 3 of them are down with the flu. I don’t know why Mer didn’t get them to take the flu shot, but I guess that doesn’t matter now, because the flu has hit the house full force.

Maggie is at work today, Mer is on call, although she is hoping not to get called in, so she can take care of the kids, and lucky me has the day off. “Zola, take your medicine. It will make you feel better, I promise.” I attempt to convince the eldest, however, she stubbornly clamps her mouth shut, and shakes her head at me. I sigh feeling slightly defeated, this was day 3 of the flu for Zola and while she was no longer vomiting up everything she attempted digesting, she did however, still have a slight fever and a bad stomach ache.

“Mer…” I sigh as she joins us in the kitchen with little Ellis in her arms. She looks between me and Zola and figures out the situation. She hands me Ellis, as she focuses on convincing her oldest daughter to take her medicine. Before long we hear a frail voice call from upstairs, “Mommy!” the voice belongs to Bailey. Mer shoots me a look, silently asking if I wanted to stay here and try and get Zola to take her medicine and make sure Ellis ate something or if I wanted to go check on Bailey.

“I’ll get him.” I say as I stand up. As I do so, a wave of dizziness and nausea washes over me for a second; I shake my head to clear it away. God, I hope I’m not getting sick.

Meredith see’s my face pale slightly and questions, “Are you okay? Are you sick?”

“No, no I am fine.” I say sounding far more convincing then I feel at the moment. And with that I head up the stairs to take care of Bailey Boy.

Three hours later,

“Amelia!” I groggily mumble at the sound of my name being called. The door opens to reveal Mer with her phone in her hand. She looks at me, lazily pulling myself up from my bed, where I must have fallen asleep with Bailey. As I reach my full height, I am overcome with a strong wave of dizziness, forcing me to carefully sit back down on the bed. “Your sick, aren’t you?” She questions.

I don’t even feel well enough to talk, so I just shake my head no. Meredith moves towards me, and places her cool hand on my forehead. “Shit, Amelia you have a fever!” She harshly whispers at me, hoping to avoid waking up Bailey, who is still peacefully asleep beside me.

“No, I’m fine.” I say as I attempt to stand up again. Only to be stopped by Meredith’s hand against my shoulder.

“No, you aren’t. Now lay down. I’ll be back in a bit to check on you.” She says as she picks Bailey up to move him back to his room, away from the most current victim of the flu: me.

I lay my head back down against the pillow and am instantly pulled back into sleep.

I open my eyes, feeling slightly nauseous again. Thankfully Mer, left me a bottle of water, tums and some flu medicine on my bedside table. I take a few tums to settle my stomach and then I grab the medicine and water and take them in one smooth motion. I lay in bed for another few minutes and wait for the nausea to subside some. Once I feel slightly better I decide to head downstairs, see if I can do anything to help, with the children.

As I walk down the stairs I notice Bailey and Zola sitting on the couch together, eating soup, watching TV. I continue towards the kitchen, at a slow pace as I still don’t feel good. My nose is meet with a deliriously delicious smell of homemade soup.

“That smells great! I didn’t know you knew how to cook.” I say as I cross into the kitchen, but my worda fall short as I see the person in the kitchen. It isn’t Meredith whom I was expecting, it’s Owen. “Uh hi…” I say confused as to what he is doing here and where Meredith is.

“Hi, sleepy head.” He greets me with a sweet smile accompanied by one of his famous head tilts, “Meredith got called in, and she said she needed someone to look after the kids as you were also sick with the flu bug.” He shifts nervously from foot to foot, he is probably just as uncomfortable with this situation as I am. “Oh! I made soup. Do you want some?” He breaks the silence, excited at the idea of doing something instead of standing there like an idiot.

“Sure, it smells great!” I say as I take a seat, eager to try some of the tasty smelling soup, I throw him a weak smile.

He seems to notice my lack of energy; he can read me so well. “How are you feeling?” He asks, but before I can answer he throws out more questions, “Did you have some water? Did you take the medicine I left you? Have you been sick yet?”

“Woah, Owen slow down.” I laugh lightly, “My sick brain can’t keep up with rapid fire question round. I feel like crap, as you can probably tell based on how I look.” I say gesturing to my appearance, before continuing. “Yes, I drank some water and took the medicine. I thought Mer, left them for me. And no, I haven’t been sick yet. Does that answer all the questions?” I ask as he sets a steaming bowl in front of me.

“Yeah. Wait Meredith didn’t tell you I was coming over?” He raises an eyebrow at me in question.

I shake my head no, as I blow on my soup before taking a sip. “The last thing I remember was her saying she’d be right back and then falling back asleep, and then waking up and presto! You were here.” I say trying to sound like, it wasn’t a big deal. But in truth Owen is a way better care giver then Meredith. So, even if things are awkward between us right now, with the separation situation, I am still glad he is here.

Amelia fell asleep again about an hour ago, it’s weird, I know I shouldn’t be here, taking care of her. Not after everything, not after everything we put each other through. Yet I am here, and the strangest part is it doesn’t feel wrong or weird, like it should. It did at first, but after she ate some soup we started talking and laughing. She is so easy to talk to even when she is sick.

She helped me get the kids to bed and then I checked with her if she wanted me to go, or stay, or if she wanted to go to bed. By herself, I in no way offered to sleep with her, that would be weird. But somehow, we ended up on Meredith’s couch, Amelia’s head in my lap as she is fast asleep. I think she was tired out from helping with the kids, and from being sick and possibly the cold medicine she took.

I see lights pull in the driveway, and move my hand that was idly running through Amelia’s hair, away and grab the tv remote. I pretend to be intently watching the TV when the door opens, revealing Maggie. She notices me and Amelia instantly. I am nervous now, Maggie has been mad at me since my separation with Amelia. Not that I fully blame her, I mean I let my sister talk me into leaving Amelia, almost immediately after I asked her to come home. I was an ass, so Maggie’s treatment towards me is somewhat justified.

Before she can she anything, I slid myself out from underneath Amelia. I stand up, I can read Maggie’s face, she thinks I am playing more mind games with Amelia. “Uh, the kids are upstairs in bed, they all seem to be on the mend. I made sure Amelia drank lots of liquids, and oh I made soup. I left the rest in the fridge…” I am quickly running out of things to say, but I also don’t want to leave Amelia.

“That was nice of you.” Maggie curtly says to me, her eyes only softening slightly. “You can go now though, I can look after Amelia.”

Right, I nod my head in understandance, and go to the kitchen to grab my coat. When I walk back through the living room to leave, I notice Maggie has gone upstairs, either to change or check on the kids. So, I use this opportunity to properly say goodbye.

As I walk towards the door, I go over to the couch where Amelia is still asleep, I run my hand across her hair and lean down and press a gently yet firm kiss to her forehead. She doesn’t stir from her sleep at all, and she will probably never know she even fell asleep on me that night. But I had to say goodbye to her properly, I had messed up so much with her. But this just felt like the right thing to do. When I reached the door handle, as I slowly turned it I looked back at where Amelia is sleeping and whisper to her “I love you.” And with that I exit the house, in a weird way I am glad that Amelia got sick from the kids, because it meant I got to spend time with her.

[lordofthebigtimesupernatural]

Okay so for the shiro Dad AU?? I read it all the way through and I l o v e i t. I have this memory of trying to help my sick mother when I was 4 and just kind of plopping a sopping wet towel on her head thinking I was helping. So if I may request a vvv sick Shiro with a tiny, determined four-year-old as his doctor? He'll do great I promise he has a degree in being cute as frick okay thank you please never stop being amazing friend ily

Ah you are so awesome! I’m glad that you’re enjoying this AU so much! I’m sorry to you and everyone who has sent in asks! School started up and between that and two jobs, I have no time! But I love this AU so much and I’ve missed it so I’m slowly typing up as much one shots that I can! Thanks for your patience. Omg, I loved this prompt so much! Keith as a teeny doctor? Yes please! He has his credentials and qualifications, I swear! Dr. Keith has a license to help! I hope you don’t mind, I change some of it up a bit because I was in a Dad’s of Marmoura mood and I haven’t done much with them in this AU! I still hope you enjoy and thank you so much nonny!

x.V.x

               “Ithink daddy’s dying.”

               Antokblinked several times before glancing down at the phone in his hand. As if thatwould help to give him a better understanding of the situation. Beside himKolivan was watching him curiously, due to the confused expression on his face. Ulaz had momentarily stopped his game ofdarts to look over at Antok.

               “Keith?”Antok finally said and that caused everyone to suddenly sit up. Ulaz grinned teasinglyat his friend while Kolivan smiled softly. It had been a few weeks since Shirohad finally introduced his son to the team. After Antok had rescued Keith at the zoo, Shiro had beenembarrassed and called up the three of them to meet for lunch, so that theycould properly meet Keith. Of course, they had all known about Keith since theday that Shiro had brought him home, but no one had met Keith until the boy wassix. The four of them had been so excited to meet the little boy who hadbrought a smile back on their brother’sface, but they were all willingly to wait until Shiro was ready.

               Especiallyafter Kuro had returned to the family four years ago.

               Oncethey had finally meet Keith, these big, gnarly, tough men had melted into tinypuddles due to big blue eyes and pouty lips. It had taken a little bit for Keithto warm up to the four of them. But eventually, he had them wrapped around hisfingers and they had become honorary uncles.

               Justnot Keith’s favorite uncle, becausethat of course was reserved for Kuro.

               “Yes.It’s me, uncle ‘Tok.” Antok would have previously murdered anyone who would tryto call him such a nickname, but the first time Keith had said it Antok hadbeen filled with so much pride that the nickname had stuck. However, when Ulazhad tried to use it once before, he had been given a noogie that left his hairstanding straight upright for days.

               “HiKeith, how are you?” Antok said quietly, ignoring the teasing from his friends.

               “I’mokay but daddy’s dying!” Keith finally remembered why he had called Antok andsoon enough his breathing had picked up. Antok winced, forcing himself toremain calm. It wouldn’t help Keith if he started panicking too.

               “Whydo you said that kit?”

               “Because,”Keith announced as if it were obvious. “He’s all red and sweaty, and he keepscoughing real bad but he’s still asleep. And it’s almost lunch time!”

               “Isee.” Antok said. He could feel his heart beginning to calm down and hisbreathing remained normal. Keith, however, was still breathing heavily. “Keith,I need you to take a deep breath and calm down, alright?”

               Uponhearing this, Ulaz and Kolivan’s smiles suddenly turned into frowns. Antokalmost rolled his eyes at the immediate concern and worry in both of theireyes. Mother hens.

               “Butdaddy – ”

               “Isgoing to be fine.” Antok interrupted. “Your daddy is not dying. From the soundsof it, I think he’s just sick.” Ulaz’s eyebrows shot through his hairline andKolivan was already waving down a waiter for the bill. Antok appreciated hisfriend’s concern but he was slightly afraid that they were going to storm outof the restaurant and to Shiro’s house.

               “But,but, he’s never sick.” Keithwhispered and Antok could hear hislower lip wobbling.

               “Thatmay be so,” It certainly sounded likeShiro. “But everyone gets sick. Even your daddy and right now he soundslike he has a cold. You’ve had a cold before, right?”

               Keithwas quiet for a few seconds. “Yeah.”          

               “Andyou’re all better now, right?”

               “…Yeah.”

               “Soyour daddy is going to be just fine. He just needs to rest and get better, likeyou needed to.” Antok continued while Ulaz and Kolivan pushed several bills atthe waiter, ignoring his wide-eyed look before they were scooting out of theirchairs. “I promise you that your daddy is going to be okay.”

               Keithwas quiet again but Antok could hear shuffling. “Are you sure?”

               “Keith,”Antok said quietly, so the others couldn’t hear. “Have I ever lied to you?”

               “No.”Keith admitted and Antok smiled.

               “ThenI promise he’ll be okay. Is there anyone else there to watch you right now? Oris it just you and your dad?” Antok asked. Ulaz was trying to signal for Antokto give him the phone, to which Antok ignored and headed for Kolivan’s car.

               “Well,Red is here to watch me.” Keith said, voice suddenly happy and Antok could hearthe sound of a dog walking in the background. “Daddy’s still in bed.”

               “Okay,how would you feel if Uncle Ulaz, Kolivan and I came for a visit? And we’llhelp take care of Shiro.” Antok asked, earning an eye roll from Ulaz. As if they needed a child’s permission. Theywere going over there no matter what.

               “Um,yeah okay!” Keith finally said. There was more shuffling on the line whenKolivan started the car and Antok relaxed again. “Okay, I’m gonna hang up now.I’m gonna make daddy some soup.”

               “Keith,now just wait until we get there.”

               “Byebye!” Keith chirped and then all Antok could hear was the sound of a dial tone.He pulled the phone away from his ear and blinked again. Then he met theconcerned looks of Kolivan and Ulaz before sighing.

               “Wemight want to hurry.”

               Kolivanfloored it out of the parking lot.

x.V.x

               “Keith?”Shiro mumbled tiredly. He felt much more disoriented than usual, and couldn’teven force coherent thoughts to form in his head. His entire body ached, as ifhe’d been hit by a bus. His nose was so stuffy that Shiro couldn’t smell athing. His face and cheeks were burning and his entire body was drenched insweat. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time before he realized that hewas sick.

               I don’t get sick.

               Slowly,the door to his room opened and Shiro weakly turned his head towards the door. Keith! He hadn’t eaten or done anything!Shiro’s eyes snapped open and he shot out of his covers, before hunching overwhen the sudden movement caused him to fall into a coughing fit.

               Shirowheezed, feeling tears build up behind his eyes when the coughing finallysubsided and he blinked to see a tiny figure clambering onto the bed. Moaningquietly from the heat radiating off his body, Shiro finally realized that itwas Keith climbing onto his bed, dragging something behind him.

               “Daddy,lay down. You’re not ‘pposed to be out of bed.” Keith scolded when he saw hisdaddy sitting up right. Shiro was extremely dazed but very confused when Keith startedshoving him back down. He was slightly mortified that he was weak enough thathis six-year-old son could push him down.

               “Keith,”Shiro coughed again, earning another glare from Keith. “You need to eat and Ihave to help.”

               “Ican get cereal daddy.  I know how and Ialready did.” Keith stated proudly and Shiro momentarily felt his lips twitchin a smile.

               “Honey,you shouldn’t be in here if daddy is sick. You’ll get sick too and daddy needsto call grandma or grandpa to watch you then.” Shiro tried to argue, only forKeith to stuff his blankets all around Shiro’s body. If he was hot from a feverbefore, Shiro was boiling under the blankets and covers now. But when he triedto tell Keith to leave it alone, he couldn’t.Not when Keith looked so determined and so focused.

               “Igot a mask!” Keith announced proudly, and sure enough he did. He had white maskthat Shiro used for work in the garage. It was much too big on him but it wasbeing held up by hair clips against the back of Keith’s head and looked like afairly new one. “I’ll be okay! It’s my turn to take care of you and I alreadycalled uncle ‘Tok too.”

               Shirofelt himself practically melt into his blankets. At the mention of Antok, Shirohad been relieved. He didn’t even care that Antok and probably Ulaz or Kolivanwould see him in this state, because all that Shiro cared about was someone would be here to watch Keith when hecouldn’t. He was slightly ashamed that he knew he wouldn’t be able to takecare of Keith in the state that he was in, and there was nothing thatfrustrated Shiro more than knowing that he had failed in his job as a father.

               “Openup.”

               Shirowas suddenly brought out of his self-pity party at the sound of Keith’s voice.He looked over to see Keith was kneeling right before him, with a foldable trayin between them. On top of the tray were a bowl and a spoon and Shiro blinked,before sitting some-what upright.

               “Imade you soup.” Keith’s eyes crinkled, signifying that he was smiling and Shirogrinned. However, he looked down at the bowl and his stomach lurched. The bowlwas filled with water, floating pieces of left-over chicken, vegetables and anarray of spices. “I know I’m not allowed to use the stove and I couldn’t findthe cans of soup we had but this is what it looks like so I made it myself!”

               It looked horrific.

               It lookeddisgusting.

               Shiroknew he would throw up if he ate that.

               However,one look at Keith’s big, bright eyes and smiling face and Shiro was a goner.Instead, he beamed and opened his mouth for Keith to put in a spoonful. And ifShiro’s eyes watered as he forced himself to swallow every spoonful, Keith wasoblivious to it all.

x.V.x

               Thesecond time that Shiro woke up, it was to the fact that he almost couldn’tbreathe.

               Heopened his eyes, only to see darkness. Then he felt something wet tricklingdown his face and when he opened his mouth, his mouth was suddenly filled with water. Spluttering, Shiro coughed andhacked when the water aggravated his throat and the wet cloth was removed fromhis head. Shiro continued to cough for a few more minutes before he looked overto see Keith staring up at him earnestly with a bowl of water and a wetfacecloth.

               “Keith?”Shiro asked when the coughing subsided.

               “Youhave a fever!” Keith frowned. “And I ‘member you did this for me when I had afever, so I cooled down.” Once again, Keith’s face was filled with so muchpride that Shiro felt his strength withering. Eventually, he was lying backdown and Keith scooted closer.

               Shirowinced when a large splash of water landed on his bed, soaking his sheets. Hebreathed in deeply, bracing for impact when Keith dipped the cloth back intothe bowl and Shiro closed his eyes.

               Healmost jumped when the wet face cloth was slapped back onto his face and Shiroheld his breath. He hoped that Keith was going to remove it soon, as it was drenching his face, hair and neck.However, after a few seconds Shiro was beginning to think that Keith was goingto leave it on his face. Quickly, Shiro peeled off the cloth and wiped hisface.

               “Daddy,no, you have to leave it on so it’ll cool you down!” Keith argued, causingShiro to sigh.

               “Baby,”Shiro said hoarsely and Keith turned his full attention to Shiro. “Have uncleAntok and the others arrived yet?”

               “No.”Keith said. “They called and said they’ll be here in an hour, because oftraffic.”

               “Okay.”Shiro handed the cloth back to Keith. “Sweetheart, you should wring out thetowel a bit and dab, remember? You don’t want it too wet and put it on theforehead because that’s the hottest part.”

               Keithnodded, face scrunched up in determination as he wrung the towel out. Wearily,Shiro closed his eyes and this time the towel was still too wet (but notdrenched) but Keith’s hands were gentle as he wiped Shiro’s forehead.

               SoonShiro fell into a blissful sleep.

x.V.x

               Thenext time Dr. Keith woke Shiro up itwas to change out of his stinky clothes.

               Theclothes that Keith had brought Shiro were an old pair of pajamas for his mother whenever she visited. Shiro haddecided to just sleep in his boxers, convincing Keith he needed to cool downeverything.

x.V.x

               Dr. Keith had tried to take Shiro’sprosthetic off and it result in his fingers getting stuck.

               Shirowas dizzy enough that Keith’s crying sounded like 4 Keith’s crying. However, he was quick to help Keith and kiss thehurt away.

               Thankfully,he was able to remove the prosthetic fully and Keith could rub the stump.

x.V.x

               Thelast time that Shiro woke up was when he realized that the blinds weren’tclosed but that it was dark out. Hiseyes snapped open and he scrambled out of bed despite his cooling fever andweak limbs. His mind was racing and all he could worry about was Keith.

               “Whoa.What are you doing out of bed?” Shiro felt two hands steading him when hestumbled out of his room. The person who caught him had stopped Shiro from faceplanting.  He looked up to see Kolivanand Ulaz looking down at him.

               “Keith?”Shiro croaked and Ulaz tsked while Kolivan smiled.

               “He’sfine. We got here about eight hours ago, just after twelve-thirty.” Ulazexplained and Shiro slumped with relief. Ulaz grunted at the increase of weightbut luckily Kolivan hooked and arm under Shiro to help. “He was trying to dolaundry and had dumped a whole container of soap into the washer. Antok spentthe next two hours cleaning it out, so no you won’t have a flood of bubbles thenext time you do laundry.”

               “Wechanged your seats too. They were soaked. You were quite delirious from yourfever that you kept mumbling about a certain Doctor Keith who needed to watchcartoons.” Kolivan added and Shiro couldn’t tell if the heat in his face wasfrom the fever or embarrassment. Suddenly he wanted to bury himself into theground.

               “Keith?”Shiro asked again as he was helped back towards his room. They passed byanother figure in the hallway, and Shiro blinked when he saw Keith sleepingsoundly in Antok’s arms. Keith looked exhausted but content in Antok’s arms andShiro couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

               “Thanksyou guys.” Shiro mumbled as he was helped back into bed and the others crowdedin the room.

               “Ofcourse. We’d do anything for you captain.” Antok said quietly and Shiro grinnedat the old nickname.

               “Youseriously need to learn to ask for help. Seriously, making your son call us andscare us like that.” Ulaz scolded, but there wasn’t any anger in his voice andShiro blinked tiredly.

               “Yes,it was a bit alarming when he thought you were dying.” Antok added causingShiro to giggle.

               “He’sdramatic.” He slurred and Kolivan snorted.

               “Soundslike a certain father of his.”

               “Hey!”

               “Getsome sleep. You and Keith are tired and we’ll stay through the weekend.”Kolivan said suddenly and Shiro burrowed back down into the covers. Quickly, hewhined and reached his one arm out towards Antok. Everyone was confused untilAntok had settled Keith down next to Shiro and Shiro curled around the boyprotectively. Ulaz was taking pictures in the background, and no one minded atall.

               Thegroup began to file out of the room, hoping to let the father and son rest asmuch as they could together. Antok turned back to his old captain and hisbrother, watching as Keith unconsciously snuggled into Shiro. Shiro blinked sleepilyas if realizing they were being watched and smiled.

               “’Tok,you don’t have to wear your mask in this house.” With that he was fast asleepagain, snoring and Antok was left to touch the mask on his face. Quietly, heshut the door behind him, with a smile on his face.

               So,he pulled the mask off.