Sing Me the Song of My Childhood
Wouldn't you know it, first day being on Circus' Second ship and Gareki already gets sick. Guess he just can't handle the happy vibes. Looks like he's hallucinating too since every time he opens his eyes he sees Yogi's there next to him. But wait. What's that sound? It's oddly familiar and…very calming.
Let's start off by saying that this is not going to be a songfic. I hate songfics and authors who take up most of the story with writing out the lyrics to call that the plot make me want to gauge out my eyes. But! There will be humming because humming is cute and I think is something Yogi is much more capable of doing rather then blatantly singing. Those are just my two cents, if you like songfics or write them good for you. I just prefer not to deal with them myself.
Also, I just realized that I write a lot of sickfics. Huh. Go figure.
Sing Me the Song of My Childhood
There were only two times in his life that Gareki had ever gotten sick: once when he was a child and had gotten caught out in a snow storm unable to find shelter for seven hellish days, and once right now.
Gareki coughed into his clenched hand, turning over on his side to curl himself smaller as he tried to wait out the ragged hacks.
Being sick only twice in your life might sound great to some people but it only made the one with the godlike immune system forget how terrible being sick actually was. And god did Gareki feel like shit now.
Once the coughing stopped enough for him to catch his breath the black haired teen slumped deeper into the sick ward's bed.
I thought having all those shots meant I wouldn't get sick, Gareki thought bitterly, still angry at Akari for making him take all fifteen vaccines when he was perfectly fine before joining Circus.
He shifted onto his back again and sighed at the relief of not having his lungs compressed. His thudding head and aching body on the other hand were not so easy to sooth.
"Gareki-kun?"
The door opened as slowly as possible to avoid any squeaking but Gareki still winced from the hinge creaks.
"Do you feel any better?"
Instead of glaring as he normally would at the question, the for once goggle-less boy just sighed again in the negative.
When he had first showed signs of being sick Gareki had covered it up pretty well until the third day when he collapsed at a mission briefing with a high fever. Yogi, he later found out, had carried him all the way to Akari and had stayed by his bed for as long as he could before he was forced out to finish the mission. Nai had come in too before Gareki had sent him away. No one was quite sure if Nai was immune to a human's illness but Gareki didn't want to chance it and risk having to watch over the sick little creature if they were paired in the same room.
But since the mission didn't take too long Yogi was back within a few hours and returned to sitting at the younger one's side. He made it his own personal mission to help Gareki get well again and continually went on small quests to bring back what he needed.
This time he came in with an extra blanket.
The second ship's fighter cautiously shuffled closer as if thinking that any too loud a sound would harm the sick patient. Gareki did not appreciate the awkward waddling.
"Do what you want but then leave," his hoarse voice complained, accepting after all the previous times that Yogi would still do what he wanted to help him no matter how much he refused.
That brought the blond closer, heaving the fluffy comforter over Gareki's already twice covered body and tucking the edges into his side.
In his fevered daze Gareki showed a contented smile. Though annoying as he may be, Yogi always did know what the teen needed the most.
Yogi sat back down and started carding his fingers through the mess of black hair splayed out on the pillow. "You should get some more sleep Gareki-kun. Your body needs all the rest it can get when sick."
True, Gareki was tired and the light pulling of his hair was surprisingly nice, but because of all his years on the streets it was almost impossible for his body to completely shut down when someone else was in the room with him. Except for Nai, he realized, but it didn't really count because Nai was Nai.
Now Gareki knew he was in a daze because that thought was just stupid.
Closing his eyes Gareki let out a soft moan. God did getting sick suck.
Trying to fall asleep around Yogi was like trying to stop Nai from thinking about Karoku: you just couldn't do it. The blond was inherently loud at all times and had to make some type of sound when he was sitting still. Even now when Gareki turned his back to the other to give the hint at wanting to be alone the fighter still sat tapping his foot while watching him.
Maybe his goal was to keep Gareki up for so long that he just fell unconscious. No, that wasn't it. Yogi may be a talented fighter but he was no mastermind to think up a plan like that.
The tapping stopped and Gareki untensed his shoulders. Thank Circus there was peace again. But now Yogi started humming. Humming! What was he—a seven year old? Gareki did not need someone to hum him to sleep.
But…the tune was…strangely familiar. Almost pleasant. And actually listening to it, Yogi's voice really wasn't that bad. Shutting his eyes tighter to think of where he knew this sound, Yogi's voice grew softer. And softer. And softer than Gareki could even think his voice could get to. But training his ears so intensely on the pleasant melody had Gareki lulling into the sleep that was previously evading him.
I know this sound…it's from…from…
Before he realized it Gareki had started humming slightly along with the older, relaxing deeper into the covers.
It's comforting…and relaxing…almost like what Tsubaki would sing to me…
The second echoed hum trailed off, leaving Yogi to finish the song by himself. The blond gently peeked over to see Gareki's sleeping face and smiled, happy that something he did finally seemed to have helped the younger.
Yogi continued stroking Gareki's hair as he leaned over the side of his face. Placing a gentle kiss on his cheek Yogi whispered, "Goodnight, Gareki-kun," then sat back down in his chair.
He was glad the song Nai had taught him helped Gareki, at least a little bit, and he swore to ask the little white haired boy if there were any other songs Gareki ever sang in his sleep.
But for now he went back to the one song he knew and hummed the words as he pet the mess of black hair on the pillow.
Megutte nagarete toki wa utsuroida
Mou nani ga atta ka omoidasenai kedo
Me wo tojite mireba minna no waraigoe
Naze ka sore ga ima ichiban no takaramono
End
Alright I know I said there would be just humming but while I wrote this I had the song playing in the background and thought that it was something Tsubaki might have sang to Gareki and had an easy enough tune to hum. Anyone know where the song is from? If you do, go ahead and grab some cookies because good for you. If not it's called "My Most Precious Treasure/Ichiban No Takatamono" by Yui from the anime Angel Beats. Shameless plug in but go watch that anime because it's awesome.