#spicymaple

“Honestly, you need to learn to take better care of yourself.”

“Look, if it was that easy, then you wouldn’t be here takin’ care of me,” Rus rasped, falling into a violent coughing fit soon after.

Black shook his head, rolling his eyelights as he placed the glass of water on the bedside table. He watched as Rus shakily grabbed the glass, noting that the other skeleton at least looked a little better, even if that wasn’t saying very much.

“You only have one HP, dumbass.”

“Your point?” Rus pointedly kept his eyelights fixed on him as he drank, and Black found that it took a tremendous amount of self-control not to upend the glass onto him.

It had barely been a day since Rus had stumbled in, cheekbones flushed with fevered magic, eyelights hazy and unfocused, looking for him. Black had been at his side in an instant, having been doing paperwork on the couch near the front door, cursing under his breath as he lugged the lanky skeleton up the stairs and into his room. Why he hadn’t stumbled back into his own home was a mystery, but Black had a feeling it had to do with Razz. The smaller skeleton had always been rather protective of his brother, similar to how Black was protective of Crim. He was startled out of his thoughts by Rus coughing rather loudly, shakily yet carefully setting the glass back down.

“Please keep your nasty germs to yourself,” he sighed, waiting for the coughing fit to pass, “Is there anything else you need or can I get back to work?”

“I’d say get in here so I could cuddle with you,” Rus fidgeted with the blanket, looking up forlornly, “but since you’re so worried about stupid paperwork...”

“You know as well as I do that it’s important,” Black spoke, ignoring the attempt at puppy-dog eyes the other was giving him and began to head towards the door, “If that’s all, I’ll be downstairs. Call me if you need anything.”

In a matter of minutes, he was back on the couch, work laptop open and waiting for him to pick up from where he left off. As he looked over the documents, not even really reading them, his mind kept wandering back to his sick boyfriend resting up in his room. It was getting rather ridiculous, becoming harder and harder for him to stay focused on the very important Fell-Tale-verse Land Ownership Agreement that he should be reading over and editing, not just skimming. His gaze kept drifting to his door at the top of the stairs where he knew Rus was, and each time he would have to wrench his eyelights away and try to get some work done. It was becoming a cycle… and he just reread the same sentence for the fifth time.

He closed the laptop a bit more forcefully than he should have, hoping that he didn’t accidentally shatter the screen. Again. He stood up from the couch, stretching and popping a few joints in the process. Abandoning his work-- it would be fine, the final edits wouldn’t be needed for a few weeks anyway-- and making his way up the stairs. Reaching for the doorknob, he hesitated. He pressed his skull to the wooden door, listening closely to hear if Rus had fallen asleep or not. A minute passed, then two, and he heard nothing that would answer his question. Leaning into the door, being careful to add his weight just so to avoid causing the hinges to squeak, he entered the room. 

There didn’t seem to be a need to be quiet; almost as soon as he had stepped through the door, bleary eyelights shone from under a pile of blankets. Black took in the rather pitiful sight of his sick boyfriend and walked over. Carefully, he moved the ill skeleton to the side, closer to the wall, and got under the covers with him. Rus only hesitated a second, blinking as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, then wrapped his arms around the other, a smug smile making its way onto his face.

“I knew you’d cave eventually,” Rus mumbled, burying his face into Black’s shoulder.

“Oh shut up, go back to sleep you lazybones,” he replied, a fond smile growing as the sleepy skeleton’s breathing evened out and he found himself stroking the other’s back. 

It was nearly silent in the house, no noise other than the quiet breaths of the body nestled into his side. Crim wouldn’t be home for a while if he returned at all tonight. Black could barely remember the number of times his brother had passed out at Grillby’s and not come home. He thanked the angel that the fiery bartender was one of the few people he could trust that wouldn’t Dust his brother while he was vulnerable. And he figured the same protection would extend to his date-mate. Rus wasn’t weak by any stretch of the word, but he would admit, during the nights he couldn’t sleep when his thoughts were loud in his skull, he would find himself worried over his partner’s safety

How funny that he would be thinking of the other’s wellbeing now of all times when he was sick and nestled in his arms. He wondered if he should text Razz about his brother’s whereabouts, at least to let his fellow guard know that his sibling was safe and with him. He would do that, just, not right now. Now all he wanted to do was lay here and be with Rus.

He placed a gentle kiss on Rus’ head, smiling when he unconsciously moved closer, holding him tighter as though afraid he would disappear from under him. And then, a whisper, a barely audible mumble that he almost didn’t hear.

“Love you.”

He could feel his nonexistent heart soar, putting his mind at ease, his worries were forgotten for a time. Black smiled, wide and genuine, as he turned onto his side to curl around Rus protectively. And in the quiet room with no one to see his vulnerability, he leaned in close, mouth hovering over the crown of Rus’ head, and responded.