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tinkonka · 3 years

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richashe sick fic

characters: richard lopez, ashe bradley, noel levine words: 2,684 tags: @oncelerrichard @nekuuwu @burnt-toast-life

note: this took. TOO LONG. richard is a little overdramatic sometimes ... he’s actually not that sick but he is pretty drowsy. ANWAY enjoy

Ah... he knew it was a bad idea. On a warm day, which Richard would usually spend outside with Claire, playing sports perhaps - he was wound up in his bed, a heavy mist settled on his head. If not for going out at midnight in the freezing cold to grab groceries for Ashe, which he should've done the next day, maybe he would've been enjoying the outdoors.

But alas, here he was, sick. Cold and hot at the same time, shivering without the comfort of his blankets - which he refused to put on as they would undoubtedly stick to his exposed skin, slick with sweat. Truly, this was the worst he had felt in years... the only time he recalled a fever this bad was when he was just a child, and that ended up with him in the hospital.

The hospital... he hates hospitals. And if this was to make him sit in one for hours on end without mercy, then he'd rather just stay still and and wallow. Yes, that's okay, isn't it? Let's just wait it out! What could go wrong?

He squeezed his eyes shut as a particularly harsh wave of nausea washed over him, concentrating on keeping the bile in his stomach down. Was this all he could do? Keep his tired stare fixated on a dent in the wall as he tried to ignore his peripheral vision bending and swaying?

He was so disoriented that he hardly heard the knock of his door, nor did he hear the door open after a few shouts. He only began to shift back to reality when he felt a cold hand shake his shoulder.

"-ard! Richard, are you alright?" He lazily turned his gaze to Ashe, who was standing over him with a wary expression. Too tired to give a response, all he did was stare - until a sudden bout of vertigo (albeit not as intense as the last) came. He gave a little whine as he let out a few harsh coughs.

"...Oh dear. Did you catch a cold?" A cold palm was placed on his forehead, and almost immediately, Richard leaned into the touch with a small mumble of content.

Ashe's cheeks unconsciously tinged a light red - though he quickly willed it away. This wasn't affection, this was illness. And he needed to help.

"...Hmm. What to do, what to do... How about I'll go make you some soup? That should ease the nausea a little, yes?" He spoke in a foreign, quiet tone - his upbeat demeanor seemingly absent as he rubbed his thumb on the smaller boys brow. "How about it?"

"...mm." That was the best response you were gonna get, it seems - he only seems around half conscious, Ashe noted. Ah... but it'd be a bit risky to leave him alone like this...

Were the others still home? He knew that Sirius, Noel and Claire had gone to town to look for some furniture (they had departed early in the morning), and Wilardo was at work... Which means it was just him and Richard in the house.

Or so he thought, as a familiar blonde haired boy appeared at the doorframe, peering over at the two.

"Noel! You're here?"

"Uh, yeah. I just woke up." He responded with a small smile, leaning against the wall.

"I thought you were heading to town with Sirius and Miss Claire?"

"Oh, uh. No, I wasn't feeling well this morning. I'm alright now, though." He waved it off, and took a few steps towards Richard's bedside. "Is... Is he okay?"

Another coughing fit - Richard brought a closed, shaky fist up to his mouth - luckily, the fit was short, so he was able to flop back down shortly with a groan. Ashe ran his fingers through the olive-haired boys hair idly, in an attempt to console the sickly boy.

"He appears to have fallen ill. Would you mind keeping an eye on him while I prepare him something?" Ashe requested, slowly taking his hand off of Richard and returning them to their place inside his abnormally large sleeves. Although Richard didn't seem pleased with the now absence of Ashe's hand - he seemed too tired to do anything about it.

"...Of course. Is there anything I should do?" Noel replied, dragging the chair used at the desk to Richard's bedside.

"Hmm... his forehead is quite high in temperature, it seems... Perhaps a cold cloth would do some good?" Ashe mumbled, and without another word, he rushed off in the direction of the bathroom - returning shortly with a bucket of water and a small, white cloth.

"Here we are- so." He placed the bucket next to the chair, and showed the cloth to Noel. "Every half an hour - or maybe every fifteen minutes, depending on how quickly the cloth warms back up - take the cloth off of his forehead, and soak it, like so." After rolling up his sleeves, he placed the cloth in the bucket. He let it sit for a few seconds before lifting it back up, wringing out any leftover liquid, and then folded it.

"Then you place it back." He stood up, and placed the cold towel on Richard's forehead - who by now was fully asleep, so he gave no outward reaction. Ashe flicked the leftover droplets on his hands back into the bucket, and pulled his sleeves back down.

"You won't need to do it for long, just until I finish up in the kitchen, alright? Did you get all that?"

"Yeah, I think I got it. I'll do my best." Noel replied with a smile, and sat down on the chair, grabbing a book from the shelves behind him. "I suppose I'll catch up on some reading while I'm at it?"

"Certainly! If you see any words that you have trouble with, just say the word, and I'll be there!" Ashe called, now out the door. "Oh! But-"

He peeked back, only half of his body in view. "I'd hate for you to get sick as well, Noel, so just keep your distance, alright? Be careful!"

"Got it. Good luck with the meal, though I doubt you need it, given your skill..." Noel grinned, and opened up the book.

"Ahaha! Even the greatest of cooks need lucks sometimes, but I appreciate the sentiment! I'll just be a few hours!" And with that, he disappeared - and the clash of pots and pans could be heard as Ashe got to work.

-=+=-

"...mmh?"

A swirl of colors, sharpening with a few blinks - Richard stirred, slowly but surely. He felt a little bit lighter - though there was a warm object on his head, which probably woke him up. He managed to sit up (with a little difficulty) and took the object off - a white cloth which was a little damp.

He then turned to his side - and startled, managing to keep down his shout of surprise - Noel was on the chair beside him, with a book open on his lap. Though his head was dipped low, and his cheek was rested on his palm... was he asleep?

Just as Richard was about to call out for him, there was a soft click of an open door - and a familiar teal haired friend entered with a tray (which held a bowl of something steaming) and a friendly smile.

"Oh! You're awake! Good morni-" He paused as he placed the tray on the desk near the door, peering at Noel's still form. "Goodness, is he asleep?"

"Yeah, I think so." Richard replied - his voice was noticeably hoarse, likely as a result of his cold. "I just woke up, so... I'm not sure how long he's been asleep."

"Ah, he did say he wasn't feeling well... perhaps it was a mistake to think he could complete a task where all you do is sit still for an hour." Ashe dropped to his knees, looking up at Noel. "Yep - asleep."

"Are you gonna wake him up?" Richard asked, taking the duvet off as sat on the edge of the bed. "Is that a good idea?"

"Well, we can't have him sleeping in an uncomfortable position - he'll strain his neck." After taking the book off of Noel's lap, he placed his hands on Noels arms and shook him a little. "Noel. Wake up."

"...hm?" Noel's eye opened, regaining consciousness slowly as he lifted his head off his hand. "...did i...?"

"Yes, you fell asleep. Apologies for making you stay awake - even though you said you weren't feeling well. You did good, though!" Ashe reassured him, grinning brightly as his hands travelled to Noel's, grasping them tightly.

"...sorry..." Noel spoke quietly.

"Now, now, there's no need to apologize! Come, let's get you to bed. Richard, can you manage eating yourself?"

"Uh... Yeah, I think I can." Richard nodded, deciding to ignore the pang of envy in his stomach. Noel was frail, and sometimes needed a little help - he knew that. So why did he feel jealous?

"Splendid! Here you go." Ashe cheered, and stood up, taking his hands off of Noel. He made his way to where the tray was, and placed it on Richard's lap.

"...Thanks."

"Don't mention it! Alright, let's go, Noel." Noel nodded and stood up, letting Ashe lead him out the room - though he gave Richard a small wave. It seemed he was too drowsy to give a smile, although Richard wasn't - he grinned as he watched the two disappear.

Back to the task at hand... the steaming bowl of semi-translucent yellow broth sitting on his lap. He spotted noodles at the bottom, as well as some peculiar shaped carrots... hearts? Stars? He couldn't tell - and he didn't want to spend any more time pondering, as the growl of his stomach prompted him to pick up a spoonful and shove it in his mouth.

Ahh... comfortably warm, such a nice taste. His mood immediately brightened as he took another bite, opting to pick up some noodles as well - man, Ashe's cooking never failed to amaze him. He wished he make food as nice as this - he wasn't envious, though. He remembered Noel's words.

'Everyone has talents - abilities they are confident where others are not.' ...That really stuck with him. He found himself reminding both himself and others this. It was no use comparing, anyway. He's learned how useless that was after years of doing so.

"Hellooo! Noel's sleeping peacefully, it seems. How are you liking the soup?" Snapped out of his thoughts, Ashe appeared again, and instead of standing in front of him like he did before - he sat down on Richard's bedside with a smile. A really, really cute smile.

"Oh... uh! It's good. It's really good." Richard peered down at the soup with a smile of his own. Now is not the time to think about how cute he is. Shut up and drink your soup.

"I'm glad! I wasn't sure what type of soup is your favorite, so I went with instinct... Not sure what I would've done if you didn't like it, however, since there's nothing else left, hehe..."

"What are you talking about? I got groceries last night." Richard put his spoon down, looking at Ashe with a bewildered expression.

"...Huh? When?" Ashe asked, his smile falling as he looked back in the same confused manner. "I didn't spot anything in the fridge."

"Oh. Then where did it go? I could've sworn I left it on the counter..." Richard picked the tray up, placing it beside him as stood up, stretching a little.

"Ah- Richard! You really shouldn't get up-" Ashe protested, standing up along side him.

"I'm fine, it's fine. I got those groceries at like, 12 am in the morning - I'll be damned if they've been lost or something." Richard responded, padding over to the kitchen. Ashe followed suit, a bit frantic to see Richard up so quickly.

"See? Here they are." He pointed at the bag on the counter.

"...Those don't look like groceries, Richard."

"Huh?"

...It appears that Richard was not used to late night shopping, as the things in the plastic bag consisted of a bag of potato chips, a chocolate bar and... a bag of spinach?

"...What on earth went through your head when you bought these?" Ashe queried, taking the bag of spinach out and examining it.

"I dunno man, I think I wanted something sweet and then remembered groceries and just." Richard shrugged. "Bought it and walked right out."

"Well- pfft." Ashe let out a few giggles as he placed the spinach back. "I appreciate... whatever this is meant to be."

"Haha." Richard laughed on his own. Not his proudest moment, but he'd honestly give anything to see Ashe's smile. Ah, he could feel the butterflies in his stomach... or was that nausea? Oh no.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped on the table, a sudden bout of vertigo washing over him - he should've expected this, honestly. Getting up and getting out of bed in the span of a few minutes - it's no wonder he didn't collapse when he got up primarily.

"Ah- Richard! Are you alright?! Do you not feel well-?!" Ashe jumped - his cheery expression falling as he saw the younger boy in distress.

"I'm fine, it's fine, just give me a second-"

"You're not fine at all, Richard - you look incredibly ill!" The teal haired boy protested, placing his hand on Richard's. "Come. Let's go back to bed."

“But-”

“No! Do not tell me but! You’ll just make your condition wor-”

"...I... I'm not..."

"Hm?"

"...I don't think I can walk..." Richard whispered, his face now crimson. He was trembling quite noticeably - he hated looking weak infront of anyone, Ashe being no exception. In fact, he was especially afraid of looking cowardly before Ashe - he wanted to be dependable.

"...Hmm. Here." Ashe spoke decidedly, and got up from his chair. With a few swift movements, he put his arm under Richard's legs, swinging him around and wrapping the other around his back. With a small grunt, he lifted the olive-haired boy up slowly, and looked down at him with a smirk.

"Comfy?"

"Shut up." Richard mumbled, his face in his hands - he was blushing madly. He could hear a few laughs coming from above - and then slowly, they began to move. His stomach decided to voice it's concern with the sudden movement, however - Richard was struggling to keep the soup down, clenching into Ashe's shirt as he squeezed his eyes shut.

And in only a matter of seconds, he was placed somewhere, and the arms left him - no more movement, but he was still equally as dizzy - not daring to open his eyes (in fear of the room warping before him).

And only until he felt a bump, an unfamiliar warmth, and two arms wrapping around him, did he open his eyes - only to be greeted with a familiar dark green fabric. There came a small hum of content from above him - Ashe had decided to accompany him in the bed, it seems.

"You don't mind if I cuddle with you for a little, hm?" Ashe asked, idly rubbing Richard's back with the palm of his hand.

"...No, you're... you're really warm..." Richard smiled, leaning further into Ashe's chest. No longer flustered, he felt... really drowsy...

And before long, he had fallen asleep in Ashe's arms. Following suit - even though he was barely tired - Ashe's eyes slid shut as he sighed quietly. He could feel his worries washing away with Richard's warmth - truly, he felt safe.

No. This warmth wasn't a feeling of security. It felt much more passionate than that - and as Ashe drifted away into unconsciousness, he recognized the feeling. Love.

Radiating from both him and the boy in his arms - the feeling of finally getting what you've longed for...

He was loved.

#richashe uprising #ashe bradley #richard lopez #witch's heart #long post #this took longer than i would've hoped for #let me know if there's any mistakes!

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