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waterfallofspace · 1 year

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Letting It In & Letting It Go (1/3)

The one in which K/azuki learns to let his feelings in, and R/ei learns to let his walls go down, at least a little. Feat. Sick R/ei, caretaker K/azuki, and heavy ship implications (cough outright statements cough), though, they aren’t in a relationship at this point. (Pre-M/iri, maybe one day I’ll write something post, but right now this was rotting my brain, so I’m getting it out) AKA: I have a problem and I can’t stop writing B/uddy D/addies content, so here is the second fic that no one asked for hahaha~ UPDATE: PART TWO (linked for ease of access!!) Part 3 is not written yet, but I do know what I want to do with it, so once I’ve found the time/inspiration, I’ll release it too. (just incase anyone wants to see the ramblings of a crazy person hahaha~) (references to smoking, really high fevers, trauma, and swearing, incase you don’t like any of those)

Also, I am from the land of poutine and ‘sorry’s, so temperatures are written in Celsius, but for reference: 36°C is about 96.8°F 39°C is about 102.2°F

Characters: R/ei, K/azuki, and some ANGST Word Count: 5.2k

It wasn’t unusual for Kazuki to arrive home to the smell of smoke wafting from the apartment. In fact, it was actually a bit worrying that the smoke alarms had never gone off. ‘Mental note, check those.’ However what was unusual was the sound of rough coughing that echoed off the walls as he left his shoes neatly next to the pile Rei had left his in. “Rei? I’m home, are you al-”

He’s cut off by the sight awaiting him on the couch. An ashtray sits on the table, the smoke wafting from it seemingly melting into the air, as Rei convulses with lung spasms that borderline on worrying. “What, you forget to blow out the smoke or somethin’?” “No.” “Just not agreeing with you today?” “Close enough.” ‘Ever the wordsmith’ Kazuki mused, deciding to leave it alone. It’s not as if he’s never choked on a drink here or there, and bringing attention to the mistake isn’t exactly his favourite subject of conversation either. Deciding to instead focus on cooking dinner, Kazuki unloaded the groceries he had been out purchasing while Rei wasted away on the couch. A noise caught his attention, but when he looked up Rei was learning back in his usual spot, controller in hand. His position was relaxed, legs brought up on the couch, arms hanging slightly, controller gripped loosely, eyes fixed on the screen. And yet, every muscle of his being screamed tense. He had the uncanny skill to appear completely dejected and exhausted, while still keeping every ounce of his being on edge, as if he was prepared for attack at any moment. Kazuki had always secretly admired that level of training, though he didn’t doubt the methods used to achieve such perfection were less than pleasant. Rei didn’t speak about his childhood much. ‘I mean, he doesn’t speak much anyways, but specifically about that particular topic, he has less to say than normal’. He thought, turning his attention back to the simmering pot in front of him. A few more strange noises caught his attention, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source, so he just chalked it up to Rei’s game. He never did fully understand the appeal of those. He figured they were just something you had to be into to really appreci-

“nNgt-!”

If Kazuki hadn’t already had his eyes fixed on the couch, he would have missed it entirely. Swallowed into near silence, with only a slight jerk of the head, ‘Hands free, pretty impressive, if not a bit terrifying’ Rei had seemingly stifled a sneeze out of existence.

For as good as he was at assassination, planning, playing a part, and being subtle, that was one aspect that Kazuki had never had the fortune of mastering. The art of controlling his body and emotions. When he sneezed, he was sometimes able to muffle it, but fully stifling it was a pipe dream at best. He just lacked the muscle control, and honestly, the will to. It always sounded extremely unsatisfying, if not painful. Rei, however, did not share these downfalls. He supposed it, again, had something to do with his upbringing. Kazuki soon quelled this line of thinking. Even theorizing about it just to himself in his mind felt like overstepping boundaries. Rei clearly had reservations about talking about it, walls up that he wasn’t eager to pull down, and it wasn’t his place to attempt to scale them.

“kgNtt-! nNkT-! hH’ngxt-!” “Bless you.” “What?” Kazuki chuckles softly at the rough reply. Rei’s voice was gruff on a good day, but after the coughing from earlier, and the sneezing, it had taken on a slightly hoarse tone, stuffy around the edges. “I said bless you. It’s a form of pleasantries that one offers when someone else sneezes. Or, alternatively, ‘bless me’ is used when one sneezes and offers themself said pleasantry.”

“Why are you using that voice? You sound like an idiot.” “Why you- I do not! I sound well educated! That was my formal-” “It sounds weird.” Kazuki grips his chest, mouth hanging open, before huffing a sigh and bringing the plates he had so carefully arranged to the table. “Oh whatever, just come eat before it gets cold.” “Not hungry.” Well that was new. And concerning. While he never gave Kazuki the thanks for his food that he definitely deserved, Rei usually at least had the mind to eat it. Sometimes he left parts he didn’t like, such as his vegetables, or a piece of perfectly good meat that had ‘a weird texture’. But outwardly refusing all food? That was certainly not commonplace. “Are you sure? If you don’t want this, I could pull something else together, not that you’d appreciate it anyways- But I don’t want you complaining later that I didn’t feed you.” “I won’t.” And that was that. Kazuki ate his portion, opting to store Rei’s in the fridge just incase he changed his mind and wanted something later. Another round of coughing pulled his eyes back to the cough, Rei curled into himself, hiding his face deep in his sleeve. “You alright?” “YeahH-! hH’NNgxt-!” “Real convincing. Look,” He began, running a hand down his face with a light sigh as Rei held up a hand to stop him, before doubling over into a clenched fist. “hH’Nnnt-! Hehh’kkggnt-! nNgt’chh-!” “Bless you. Look, if you’re hungry later, the food is in the fridge. Just stick it in the oven for a few minutes, it’ll warm up enough to eat. It’s a perfectly manageable task, I know you can do it. As for me though, I’m going to bed. We have a job the day after tomorrow and I’ve still got a lot of planning to get done.”

“Okay.” “Oh, what’s that? ‘Oh Kazuki, thank you so much for doing all of the planning and putting in hours and hours of work so that our jobs go down the way we want’? You’re so welcome, thank you for noticing!” “I’m usually the one that actually lands the shot.” Kazuki bites his tongue, hand flying to his mouth at the audacity of the accusation, before releasing his breath, deciding it’s not worth the effort. “Night Rei.” “Yeah.” With that, he headed off to shower before bed, faintly hearing another round of coughing begin as he turned on the water. He elected to ignore it, ‘problems for another day’ and all that. ~~~~~~~

“hH’NGxxt’shh-!” “Bless you.” “Ihh’kngt-!”

“Bless you.” “Do you have to do that?” “Sorry, habit.” “hh’nnXGT-!” “Ble-”

Kazuki stops himself, electing for a slightly embarrassed shrug as Rei’s eyes flicker off the screen to study him for a moment. Neither of them breaks the silence. An unspoken agreement to let it go seems to pass through the air, and Rei turns his attention back to the cars on the screen. A kart racing game, Kazuki believes. He’s never actually tried it himself. Rei’s never offered, and he’s never asked. It’s probably for the best anyways- it’s not like he’s a sore loser or anything! He’s just a bit of a perfectionist… and, oh come on, who enjoys losing? “H’ngxt-!uhhh”

This one is followed by an itchy sounding cough, rattling his lungs a little deeper than Kazuki is comfortable with. When he asked Rei earlier if he was alright, he got an eye roll, sigh, and more coughing in response. Asking again now would probably yield the same result, but there was no point anyways. It was clear that the guy was sick, just a question of how bad it was. Not like he’d get an answer to that either.

“Snnfff-!” And then there was that. Throughout the day, Rei had been stifling into near silence, however this method was not without consequences. For one thing, they sounded incredibly itchy, the force only building as the day dredged on. More importantly however, the near constant sniffling that Rei seemed dedicated to ignoring.

“Snfff-” After another five minutes of this, Kazuki finally had it. Closing his notepad, (maybe a little harsher then he meant) he stood up, and threw a tissue box at the couch.

“Just blow your nose. You’re literally driving me insane over here, I can’t hear my own thoughts.” Rei said nothing, but a slight pink tint seemed to race across his cheeks, before they were quickly hidden by a handful of tissues. He did blow, but Kazuki could tell he was holding back, it was soft and subdued, not at all the harsh, relieving feeling that his sinuses must be longing for. “You can go all out, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’ve never been sick before, I get it.” As soon as the words hit the air, Kazuki felt an unmistakable urge that he’d made a critical mistake. Normally this kind of chest-tightening anxiety came on a job when something crucial in his plan failed, but the look that Rei shot him over his hands was enough to freeze him in place. It wasn’t anger, it wasn’t annoyance, shit, it wasn’t even embarrassment. It was fear. Genuine, bone-chilling, terror. Something in his demeanour suddenly reminded Kazuki of a cornered animal. Despite remaining perfectly still, it was like Rei was suddenly pacing, looking for the perfect moment to strike and run. “Who said I was sick?” The words nearly knocked Kazuki over, breaking eye contact as his hand connected roughly with the table to keep him upright. “W-what? Sorry, what? Uhh… no one, but you’ve been coughing and sneezing all of today, a-and you were yesterday too, so I just figured…” “Oh.” ‘Oh? That’s all he has to say, oh? He just looked at me like I killed someone he loved right in front of him, and ‘oh’ is all he has to say about it?’

“It’s okay if you are, ya know. We can cancel the job if you don’t feel up t-”

“No.” The firmness of the response left a bad taste in Kazuki’s mouth. Almost like blood, but more bitter. Like the word itself had cut his tongue, and left traces of its bitter tone behind. “Okay, that’s fine, we can do it then. I’m not gonna bail on money if you think you’re up to it. Especially after all the planning I put into this plan. I think it’s one of my best so far, so we start out…” Kazuki continued rambling, suddenly desperate to fill the silence with something easy and normal. Just a job, just two partners talking about a job. The tension was thick enough to choke him, his words starting to stumble over each other as Rei broke off with another harsh bout of coughing. Finally, Rei interrupted his monologue, ‘thank god’. “I’m gonna sleep. Tell me about my part on the ride there tomorrow.”

He wanted to tell him to take some meds before he slept, but the memory of the pure terror in Rei’s eyes was enough to quiet him instantly. Instead, he offered a muted “night” as Rei slowly stood, trembling almost unnoticeably, before making his way towards the bathroom. Kazuki glanced at the clock, ‘heading to bed at seven, that can’t bode well…’ before deciding to make a bit of food to relieve some of the tension that had built up in his neck and shoulders. Cooking has always been a way of destressing for him, even before he moved in with Rei. He’s always considered it an art form, and despite how unappreciated it goes in this household, the satisfaction of making something beautiful out of a mess of ingredients will never lose its shine. After a nice meal, with a slice of the cake he had baked earlier for dessert, he finally sat down and ironed out the details of the plan, setting aside the details Rei would need to memorize, along with a basic overview of the background intel. He gently stacked those papers on the couch, next to Rei’s controller, before letting out a yawn, and heading up to bed himself.

~~~~~~~ Sometime during the night Kazuki had been woken by a rough bout of coughing coming from downstairs, followed by a few harsh, “hH’ZZSCHHoo-! hAH’SHH’OO-! Hehh- hH’KKSSHHH’oo-!” Groaning slightly, he had turned back over and drifted off again, faintly aware of the coughing continuing as his eyes fluttered back shut. It felt like seconds later when he finally opened his eyes again, the soft light of morning creeping in under his door. A glance at his phone showed the time to be closer to nine, definitely a more reasonable time to be awake.

Kazuki stumbled out of bed and flipped on the light. He started reaching for the shirt he had set aside, rerouting to his shoulder as a soft “ehh’shhiew! hIH’kshhiew!” surprised him. It wasn’t unusual for him to get a couple sneezes right after waking up. He didn’t quite know why, but the biology of the issue wasn’t really a concern. It was harmless enough, it’s not like he often had to actually sleep and wake up while remaining silent on a job. Pulling on his shirt, and wiping the sleep from his eyes, Kazuki started down the stairs, pausing once he reached the kitchen, eyes roaming over to the couch where Rei was-

Sleeping. He was sleeping, controller sprawled on the floor, television still on, the game showing a pause screen. Rei still being asleep at nine was nothing new, but the tissues that he still had grasped in his hand were definitely not a normal part of the equation.

That, and the fact that he was curled up without a blanket, and yet, somehow still was clearly radiating heat, were enough to stir a bad feeling in Kazuki’s gut. He walked over to Rei, careful to keep his steps light, and gingerly placed his hand against the sleeping man's forehead, wincing at the burning he was met with. Dark eyes shot open, freezing Kazuki right where he stood, hand still pressed against Rei’s face. The two of them locked eyes, neither blinking, nor moving, Kazuki’s wide, and Rei’s bleary, as if he was still readjusting to being awake.

After what felt like hours, Kazuki finally got it together enough to pull away, nearly jumping out of his skin when a shaky hand grabbed his arm, and brought his fingers back to their previous position. “Feels good, you’re cold.” The words aren’t slurred, but they definitely lacked the clarity of someone who was fully with it. Kazuki almost thought about staying like this, seeing as this much physical contact being initiated by Rei was unheard of. Almost. Gently prying his hand away, Kazuki was careful to keep his voice balanced, not wanting to startle him with too much volume ‘or emotion for that matter’. “You’re running a fever, Rei. It feels pretty bad… you are sick, aren’t you?” “Might be.” “Might?” Despite the effort to keep his voice calm, the incredulous nature of the statement crept up in Kazuki’s retort, but he bit back any further comments when Rei flinched at the tone change. Yes, flinched. “Sorry. I’m not mad, okay? I just… I need you to tell me how bad it is so I can help you, okay?”

“Okay.” Progress, an affirmative response. Not denying the sickness. This is progress. “Can you tell me what feels icky right now?” “Icky?” “Shut up, you- you know what I mean. We know you have a fever, I’ll get a thermometer to be sure, but given the heat, we’ll be lucky if it’s low-grade. Is there anything els-” “hH’nNXGT-!uhhh hIHH-! ihh’DTNNGT-! Hehh’nnngxxt-!shuhhh” “So sneezing too. And you were coughing earlier, so that’s probably not gone?”

Rei responds, but it’s barely audible, seemingly unintentional, as he clears his throat and gives it another try. “It’s not that bad.” “But you do have a cough.” “I guess.” “You gue-” Kazuki studies himself with a sigh, running a hand down his face, before clearing his throat softly and starting again. Man, it was harder to hold back the snark then he thought. “Alright, I can work with this. I’m going to get the thermometer, you are going to let me take your temperature, and then we can figure out what to do from there. I’m also going to give you some meds, and you are going to take them.” ‘If we even have any’ He added to himself, turning to the kitchen to locate the cold supplies. He let out a silent prayer that they had at least some cough drops to soothe Rei’s throat as he heard the man burst into another harsh cough behind him. It was rough, deep, wet, and with a wheezing sound to it that was more than Kazuki could stand to listen to. He finds the drawer, pulling it open to reveal a pack of tissues, a stack of napkins, a thermometer, and a handful of cough drops ‘thank god’. Making his way back over to Rei, Kazuki pauses at the table, pretending to read the papers he had left there last night, giving Rei a bit of space as the man gasps desperately and ducks into his wrist. “Heh’nngtt-! Kk’nnggtt-! H’ddtshh’uee-!” The last one didn’t go down so easily, refusing to be swallowed into oblivion, leaving Rei a bit redder then he was a second ago, and sniffling into a handful of tissues. He gives another soft blow, but this time it’s not out of embarrassment, as evident by the utter lack of airflow through his nose as he attempts to give another heady sniff.

“Bless you, Rei. I found a few cough drops, but I wanna check your fever before I give you any, so open up, stick this under your tongue, and keep it there till it beeps.”

“I know how a thermometer works.” “With you I can never be sure. Now open up, there you go, and- yep just like that, now keep it there. I mean it, don’t you dare take it out before it beeps.” Rei rolls his eyes, bringing up a hand to rub at his nose. His twitching nose. ‘Oh for shit’s sake’. “Don’t you dare sneeze, you hear me?”

The nod he receives is vastly undercut by the desperation dancing through Rei’s eyes as he pinches his nose shut. It doesn’t seem to help as much as he wanted though, as a hitching breath hisses out between his teeth. “hehhH-! Hahh… hhHDT- uhhhh…. hiHh-!” Credit where credit’s due, he was holding out valiantly considering the frequency of the breaths and the frantic nature of his nose, vibrating against his fingers. The thermometer sounds with a loud ‘BEEEEP’ that startles both of them.

Kazuki pulls it out, and checks the numbers. 39.5°C ‘oh shit’. Not bad enough for a hospital, but close enough to cause his heart to race, mind flooding with panic. If Rei faints, could he carry him? What about if his brain boils, that was a thing Kazuki had read could happen if you had too high of a fever. Granted it was on a social media site, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. You can’t just dismiss it, and what if the fever keeps climbing, would Rei even let him bring him to a hospital? For that matter, is he in any state to put up a fight? Kazuki breaks free of his thoughts long enough to cast a glance back over at Rei and finds him- “hHh-! ehHH!uhhhhh…. hehhhH-! hhHH-” “Oh god Rei, I meant don’t sneeze when it’s in your mouth, you can sneeze now!”

“Okaahhhh! hH’NNGT-! DTNNGXTT-! hEH’NXXGT-! I cahhh- can’t… I can’t ihhhht tick- ticklheHH!” Kazuki winces at every desperately contained outburst, before finally deciding enough is enough, and pulling Rei’s hands down. Confused eyes met his, desperation shining in them as his breath catches once more, only barely managing to stall it.

“Whhhaahh! What are you doohhing, let go, I nehehhh- need to sneeze!” There’s more emotion in his voice then Kazuki had ever heard before, but he guesses it’s hard to keep a tone of unphased annoyance when your breath is hitching so wildly.

“I know, but if you keep stifling them like that you’re gonna blow a fuse, and I don’t need you bleeding on top of this sickness, the couch is red, but blood will still leave a stain for me to clean.” Softening his tone, Kazuki locks his eyes with Rei’s again, letting the care he feels seep into them more than he’d normally allow. “It’s just me. You can let them go, I don’t mind. I promise, you’re safe here.” Even if he wants to protest further, his nose has had enough of being denied, and Rei gives Kazuki an unreadable look before lunging as far away from him as he can manage for the outburst.

“HH’ZZSCHH’OO-! heHH! EHKSSHHH’OO-! RSHHH’OO-! hAH’TSHHH’OOO-! eehhh’hehh’MMPFSSH’OO! hhH’AHHSHH’OO-!” They’re itchy, harsh, and seem to scrape against his throat with every blast, but they also sound like the first real relief he’s had from this itch all day. Rei seems to agree, letting out an itchy, but deeply relieved sigh as the tickle finally backs off enough to let him catch his breath. He sniffles wetly, and then again, managing a weak, “My hands Kazuki.” Kazuki flushes, seeming only now to realize the grasp he still held on Rei’s arms, letting go with a sheepish grin.

“Sorry, right. Was a little preoccupied watching the show.” It’s Rei’s turn to flush at that, bringing tissues to his nose only partially out of necessity. However, no fear flashes through his eyes this time. ‘Maybe that’s progress’. Kazuki figures, a real smile starting to creep over his face at the thought of Rei finally starting to open up. It’s quickly crushed when the man slumps against him, eyes fluttering shut, heat practically melting into Kazuki’s skin even through the layers of clothing. Just like that, he’s reminded exactly how serious this situation is, and how much worse it could get if he doesn’t think fast. “Hey, Rei, keep your eyes open, okay? I need you to stay awake, I know I’m strong, but carrying you is a harsh no from me, bud.” He gets a low growl in response, but it’s better than nothing. Rei manages to sit up enough to meet his eyes, and he can see the gloss over them. Kazuki wonders if he can even tell what’s going on, and nearly faints when Rei grabs his hand, and presses it back to his forehead again like before. “Feels nice.” The statement is punctuated with a sharp shiver, Rei’s whole body seeming to tremble as he curls deeper into himself, glassy eyes starting to water. Kazuki has seen a lot of terrifying things in his lifetime, and more heartbreak than he was due. But the look in Rei’s eyes, the way he trembles as he attempts to curl into himself, the desperate vulnerability of the scene, it’s enough to chill him to the bone. “Okay, I need you to try to stand up, we’re going to the bathroom. We need to get your fever down. Uh- do you have a swimsuit in your room?” Rei gives him a confused look, but nods weakly, managing to pull himself into a standing position, before hunching over with another set of throat-scraping coughs. The wheeze in his lungs is back, each breath sounding more and more like whistling, and Katsuki takes a second to study his own breathing. Gently, he coaxes Rei to lean against him, draping his arm around his back. They slowly make their way over to the bathroom, where Kazuki sits Rei down on the floor next to the tub, and turns the water on. After making sure it was a nice cool temperature, he rushes up to Rei’s room. Thankfully for him, despite being a mess, his clothes are all kept fairly in one spot, and he finds the swimsuit fast. Making his way back downstairs, Kazuki takes a beat to himself, letting the fear wash over him. While he doesn’t consider himself a particularly weak person, Rei far outmatches him in strength. The man seems to have it all together on the job, no fear, no emotions, just skill and undeniable talent. He gets in, does what needs doing, and goes home. Many words come to mind when thinking of Rei, but not a single one was ‘scared’. Seeing the fear in Rei’s eyes was haunting, and every time Kazuki blinked, those eyes stared back at him. Ones full of imaginable terror at the thought of being perceived as sick. At being seen out of control of his own body. Kazuki remembers something Rei offhandedly mentioned once about his ‘Boss’, saying that “weakness was not tolerated. Not of any kind. Punishments for such flaws were… harsh.” He shudders to think what kind of punishment could instil that kind of blind terror into a man like Rei. Well, never again. It doesn’t matter what happened back then, he’s here now, and no one will ever cause that kind of fear in Rei again. Not ever. Getting back to the bathroom, he pales at the sight of Rei, fully stretched out on the floor, but some colour returns when the man lets out a rough cough, bringing his hand to his face. With a strained sigh, Kazuki turns the faucet off, letting his hand dip into the cool water, before bringing it up to Rei’s forehead again.

Rei leans into the touch, letting out a weak moan as the cool relief washes over him. Kazuki helps him stand, handing him the suit.

“Put this on, I’ll look away.” He turns towards the wall, only looking back briefly when Rei lets out a harsh “hEHH’NGXXT-!uhhh” Presenting his shoulder for him to lean against as he changes into the suit. Once he’s changed, Kazuki guides him gently into the water, wincing at the way he hisses at the dramatic change in temperature. “I know, I know, but it’s gonna feel much better, I promise.” His voice is soft, almost calm, but his heart is racing. It doesn’t help that Rei starts shaking again, this time violently enough to splash the water around his hands as they rub his arms. Time seems to slow to a crawl as Kazuki kneels beside the tub, knuckles white as he grips the edge. He’s not used to feeling so helpless, but watching Rei tremble, unable to do anything but watch… it’s killing him. Eventually he can’t take it anymore, and he reaches his hand out to Rei’s head, gently running his fingers through his hair. Rei at first freezes, seemingly fighting every instinct to pull away, before slowly allowing his shoulders to relax a bit, a deep sigh escaping his irritated lungs. Kazuki takes this chance, slipping into the tub behind him, with more than enough room for Rei to move away if it’s too much. What he doesn’t expect, however, is Rei leaning back into him, resting his head, and letting his eyes drift close. The trembling isn’t gone, but it’s a lot more muted, and slowing by the minute. “Hehh-!” Kazuki watches as Rei’s nose twitches, a ticklish breath escaping, before he ducks forward with a harsh stifle. “hH’nNGXT’shh-!” It seems to soak up all the strength he has left, as he weakly manages to raise his hand to pinch his nose shut for it, not letting go once it’s done. The desperate quality of the next breath he takes suggests there are more fighting to come. Kazuki reaches over beside the tub to where he’d left a box of tissues earlier, and pulls a handful out, pressing them to Rei’s nose. With them, he gently pries Rei’s fingers away, eliciting a low growl in response, desperation prickling in his eyes. “It’s okay, I’ve got you. You can let go, you’re safe with me. I promise, okay? Plus all your stifling is giving me a headache, so I can’t even imagine how bad it must be for you.” He seems to hit home with that one, with Rei letting out a low groan, as if just the reminder of his head was enough to reignite the pain. Kazuki winces a little, that wasn’t the intention, but he’ll do whatever it takes to get Rei to stop trying to implode. “hH’ZSSCHH’OO-! eHH’SSHH’OOO-! hh’RUSHH’ooo! mMMPFFSHH’ooo-!” ‘It’s probably a good thing he’s too out of it to realize what actually just happened, he’d probably be mortified sneezing into my hand like that’ Kazuki recons when Rei lets himself finally blow his nose, desperate and harsh, but with a sigh afterwards that signifies it was also relieving. “I’m sorry-” Rei starts, out of it enough to not feel actively embarrassed, but apparently still with enough cognizance to realize what happened. Kazuki cuts him off with a shrug, offering another gentle- “I’ve got you, don’t worry about it.” Silence fills the air as Kazuki tosses the tissues, and Rei leans his head back against his shoulder again, this time letting his head turn towards Kazuki’s neck, eyes completely shut.

“Is this okay?” Kazuki asks softly, and Rei gives a hum in response, leaning deeper into his touch as Kazuki pets his hair some more, letting a smile slip out when he hums again, his posture finally relaxing enough to sink deeper into the water. Kazuki cradles his head, making sure to keep it above the water, but allowing them both to submerge a little more in the cooling touch.

~~~~~~~

He’s not sure how long they stay like that, but Rei slips into a peaceful sleep, and eventually the fever breaks, leaving them both exhausted and soaked. Once he wakes, Kazuki gets Rei out of the tub, helping him dry off before grabbing a towel for himself, and helping Rei into the change of clothes he had brought down. He turns away respectfully when it comes time to change out of the swimsuit, but once again lets Rei lean against him. Soon he’s fully changed, and Kazuki leads him back to the couch and lays him down, before heading upstairs to change himself. Once he gets back downstairs, he finds Rei dead asleep, stuffed up snoring filling the apartment. Kazuki hums out a small chuckle, laying a blanket over him, and allowing himself a moment to just watch him sleep. He looks so peaceful, no indication that mere hours prior he was nearly on death's door. With a final look, Kazuki heads back upstairs, checking his phone to see that Kyu responded to the text he sent earlier. KAZ: r is sick, might have to cancel job, sorry 4 last minute notice KYU: It’s alright. Don’t make a habit of it though. KAZ: thx kyu KYU: Take care of him, alright? KAZ: already on it KYU: I knew you would be. KAZ: but i dont think we have cold meds, could u drop smthn off 2morrow? –Unread messages– KYU: I’ll put something together, but I’m leaving it outside the door. You’re going to catch this, but I’d prefer to stay healthy. He lets out a soft laugh, Kyu was absolutely right. He was absolutely going to catch this. Rei also may be out of the woods for now, but it’s only day two, there’s no way this bug is going away that fast. But somehow, none of those things seem to matter. He’s gonna take care of his buddy, no matter what. He made a promise, Rei will be safe with him, and he always keeps his word.

#waterfallwrites #two fics in two days im so sorry hahahaha~#i promise there wont be another tomorrow #b/d #still nervous as all heck #but also worryingly growing more confident hence the double posting #i apologize sincerely for it hahaha~#snz #snzkink #snzfic #b/uddy d/addies

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