Title: Shichinintai Sick Day
Author: kira
Rating: Teen
Genre: general/romance
Universe: Pre-canon
Summary: Bankotsu does his best to take care of his sick lover, Jakotsu…
Author's note: Special thanks to my beta, Jen, for all her help with this! It's very much appreciated!
For Charity…
888
"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!" Jakotsu sneezed several times in a row, before wiping his runny nose with the back of his hand. His head was throbbing and his throat felt raw and he wished Suikotsu would hurry up and bring him some willow bark tea and whatever else he had to make him feel better. The way he felt now, the cross-dresser would gladly drink the vilest concoction the gentle healer came up with if it meant he would get better that much quicker. He still could not understand why he was so sick when all his beloved lil dumpling had was the sniffles. He looked over at Bankotsu and pouted.
"What?" the younger boy asked.
"Where's Sui? Why's he taking so long?" the cross-dresser whined.
"It takes time to heat the water and brew the tea, Sweetness."
Jakotsu sneezed in reply.
"You warm enough?" Renkotsu asked. He had been stoking the fire in the small brazier that heated the room while he ignored Jakotsu's whining and complaining about anything and everything.
"Yeah…" the eighteen year old coughed pathetically. "My head hurts!"
"Come're," Bankotsu said, patting his lap invitingly.
The cross-dresser groaned, but acquiesced none-the-less. Even though the room spun nauseatingly as he lay his head down in his beloved's lap and it was not a comfortable as he had hoped it would be, Jakotsu still enjoyed the fussing. Bankotsu's hands felt cool on his head and he stroked the older boy's hair, and oddly soothing. He soon fell into a fitful sleep and feeling hot, he pushed the kimono they covered him with off.
"Would you like me to go see what's keeping, Sui?" the fire-breather asked.
"Yeah… Just in case he wakes up again. He's barely slept and that's also making him cranky." Bankotsu sighed.
"And tiring you out as well, hunh?"
The younger boy looked up at him and laughed. "Yeah… every time I nod off he wakes up."
"Say no more, Ban. I'll go get him, and tell him to bring a sleeping draught too." You have no idea how glad I am to make an escape…I've never heard a man complain so much over every little ache and discomfort like Jak does… He's worse than an old woman if you ask me! If he asks me to open the window or rub his feet cuz my hands are warmer than Ban's or stoke the fire cuz he's cold again or take another bucket of vomit outside so he won't smell it, one more time…
"Thanks…" Damn it! You don't have to look so happy to go!
"No problem," Renkotsu replied as he left the room.
The cross-dresser felt feverish and he mumbled softly in his sleep. Bankotsu reached for the bowl of cool water. Dragging it closer, he shifted slightly so that he could take the cloth floating it and wring it out. He gently wiped Jakotsu's face with it. The fifteen year old did not like the way his paramour shivered as he lay on his side, drawing his legs in for warmth. He had kicked the kimono, he was using as a blanket, off and it lay just out of the younger boy's reach.
I wonder why you got so much sicker than I did…Bankotsu stared at the inner shoji, silently urging Suikotsu to hurry up and get back. He smelled him coming long before the gentle healer arrived back at the room. "Eww…" the fifteen year old crinkled his up his nose in disgust.
Suikotsu grinned. "I know it smells bad, Oo-Aniki, and tastes just as vile, but it'll help keep his lungs clear and ease the congestion in his head. I also threw in some honey to sooth his throat. Unfortunately, it wound up making it taste worse instead of better."
"He's not going to drink that willingly, Sui."
"He's got no choice in the matter." Sitting down next to them, Suikotsu set the cup aside. He gently laid the back of his hand against Jakotsu's forehead. "Damn it!" he swore softly. "His fever's back. Let's wake him up." Gently shaking the cross-dresser, the gentle healer said, "Wake up, Jak… come on, I brought something to make you feel better."
"Don'twantto…" Jakotsu murmured. "Goaway…"
"You have to, Sweetness. If you don't, you'll get sicker."
"No…"
"Come on, Jak," Suikotsu said, as he and Bankotsu eased Jakotsu up into a seated position.
The room spun nauseatingly and Jakotsu moaned softly as his empty stomach clenched painfully. He closed his eyes as he retched a few times.
"He looks like he's going to puke again, Sui…"
"I don't think he has anything left to vomit, Oo-Aniki. He really needs to eat something too. He'll feel better and it'll give him the strength he needs to fight this off." At the younger boy's worried look he added, "Don't worry, he'll be okay, Oo-Aniki, it'll just take longer for him get well if he doesn't."
Bankotsu nodded. "Come on, Sweetness, Sui made you some tea."
"Don'twantany…"
"Please, Sweetness, have some for me."
"No…"
They pleaded with him for several minutes, until the cross-dresser finally gave in. He choked the vile tasting herbal remedy down, and surprisingly, he managed to keep it there. Belly full, Jakotsu lay back down again, and as they bathed his warm, sweat-soaked body with cool water, he drifted off to sleep.
"Don't worry, Sweetness, I'll take care of you until you feel better," Bankotsu mumbled quietly a few minutes later. He tucked the kimono in around his paramour, praying his fever would break and he could finally get a good, deep healing sleep.
"Oo-Aniki, why don't you take advantage of the situation and get some rest as well?" Suikotsu suggested as he gathered his things. "I'll come by a bit later to check on him and if there's a problem, I'll wake you if he doesn't first."
"Thanks, Sui…" The young leader of the Shichinintai yawned sleepily as he lay down next to his paramour. Pulling a kimono over himself, Bankotsu yawned again as he settled into a more comfortable position, spooning in behind Jakotsu, while Suikotsu quietly left the room.