Misaki finished putting the breakfast dishes on the table and stifled a yawn. He'd been up late, working on a paper for one of his last college classes. While it felt good to be nearly done with his degree, the fatigue that went with the late-night work didn't feel quite so good.
A soft thumping on the stairs woke him a little bit, and he shrugged off his sleepiness, looking up with an unconscious smile as Usagi descended the stairs. The smile disappeared quickly, however, as Misaki noticed that the older man was wearing a simple button-up shirt and pants. There was no trace of his usual vest or tie. Was something wrong?
Misaki offered a tentative smile. "Good morning, Usagi-san. You're just in time for breakfast." He watched more carefully than he meant to as the other man approached the table and lowered himself down into his chair with a soft whump.
Finally, Usagi looked up, and Misaki gave a small gasp. Usagi's face was bright red, his cheeks flushed and eyes glassy. Misaki jumped up from his seat, shooting his hand over the table to rest against Usagi's flushed forehead. In his haze of panic, he didn't notice Usagi's eyes opening wide at the sudden contact.
The touch confirmed Misaki's fears. The skin was burning hot. Much hotter than it should be.
He raised his eyes up to glare at the man across the table from him. "Usagi, why are you down here? I know you must realize that you're sick."
Usagi withdrew his head and reached for his bowl of rice. "I realize no such thing. I do realize, however, that we made a promise to eat our meals together."
Misaki gritted his teeth together. "Dude, you have a serious fever!" he spat out.
Usagi glanced at him over his bowl and raised his eyebrows nonchalantly, belaying the high color in his cheeks. "Hmm, you're just saying that because I'm so hot that you can't handle it."
This man was impossible. "No, this is like…hospital-level fever. You're going to die." Unbidden, a whining note of fear wormed its way into his last sentence. Misaki blushed in horror, and turned his head to the side. Even joking about Usagi dying as a way to get him to take care of himself made Misaki's heart constrict in an unpleasant way.
With his head turned away, Misaki didn't see the tender look that Usagi sent his way. His tone, however, betrayed none of this as he responded blandly, "I am not going to die. Didn't I tell you I'd never let you go? I certainly can't let you escape me by dying this soon."
Misaki whipped his head around and directed shining eyes at his partner. "Then you need to go straight to bed this instant! I'll bring you some medicine and the rest of your breakfast, but you need to promise to stay in bed today!"
Usagi's glossy eyes glimmered for a second, and he was suddenly out of his seat and coming around the table, leaning over Misaki. "All right. I'll go to bed like a good boy…as long as you come with me."
Misaki barely had time to react before he was being lifted up over Usagi's broad shoulder and rising into the air. When he got his breath back, he sputtered angrily, "U-Usagi-san! Put me down right now! You can't be lifting me up right now, you're sick! You shouldn't be wasting your energy carrying me around!" He began to thrash around, desperately trying to wiggle himself into a position where he could place his feet on the ground. To his surprise, he succeeded fairly quickly, and found himself lowered to the floor at the foot of the steps. He looked up into Usagi's face, and blanched. His lover was pale, and a sheen of sweat covered his face over the flush of his fever. Misaki's heart wavered, and he reached a hand up to rest delicately on the other's cheek.
Usagi looked blearily at Misaki as he softly said, "Usagi-san, come on. Let's get you to bed. And if you're not better by tomorrow, we're going to see a doctor," he added with as much sternness as he could muster. Gingerly, he lifted Usagi's arm and draped it over his shoulders, inviting the taller man to rest some of his weight on him. After a second's pause, almost imperceptibly, Misaki felt the gentle pressure of Usagi allowing himself to be supported. He ducked his head down and smiled, pleased to be relied on by Usagi, even for something as small as this. He stepped forward, guiding them both to begin ascending the stairs.
Neither man said anything until they got to the door of Usagi's room. Misaki paused awkwardly, and looked up. Usagi was looking down into his face, wearing a predatory grin under his fever hue. Misaki's eyes shot open, and he stuttered, "W-wait, Usagi-san, you…you need to rest, this isn't the time for…"
His protests were cut off by a pair of lips descending on his own. After he had been thoroughly kissed and allowed to come up for air, he looked back at Usagi. The older man said mildly, "You're the one who wanted me to rest in bed today. It's only fair that you accompany me, don't you think?"
Misaki responded in a desperate voice, "I meant you should rest by yourself, not with me! That's not…that won't be resting, and we both know it!" He tried to wriggle away, but his earlier action came back to him with a vengeance as the arm he'd placed around his shoulders tightened, trapping him at Usagi's side.
Usagi's breath tickled his ear. "I thought I just reminded you that I'm never letting you get away from me." Misaki shuddered as the hot voice continued, "Although, I do admit that I'm not as energetic as usual. I'll need you to be on top of me."
His face burned with sudden heat that rivaled Usagi's fever, and Misaki stuttered out something incoherent as he was dragged unceremoniously into Usagi's bedroom.
The next morning, Misaki opened his eyes slowly, taking in the darkness of Usagi's room around him. He'd been unable to escape Usagi for the entire day. He let out a sigh of resignation, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. The mattress next to him dented down, and a hand placed itself on his forehead. As he turned over to look at the other man, Usagi's face hovered over him, expression grim. "Looks like you have a fever, too." He cracked a smile. "I guess you're too hot for me to handle now."
Misaki blushed furiously, and spat back, "From the looks of it, your fever isn't gone, either! Guess it's another day in bed for both of us!" Too late, he realized what he'd said, and paused in horror.
Usagi's grin widened, and he lowered his head to Misaki's neck as the other tried to protest. "As you wish, Misaki-sensei."