It was the first time all day their home had been quiet.
Not because of the party being noisy, mind you. That was never going to change. Instead, it was the first time all day that Elsword had stopped coughing.
She wasn't sure what her brother had come down with, but it was just as stubborn as he was. Three days, now, he'd been sick. Eve had run a few small scans on him, mentioning something about an infection. She could hear her downstairs, discussing treatment options with Rena and Raven. Maybe she should be down there with him, but at the moment, she just wanted to be sure her brother was alright.
The two sat on the couch, Elsword's head in her lap. He'd been asleep for a short while, now. About half an hour. Elesis didn't make a sound; so not to wake him. He'd been up coughing since early this morning. She'd seen just how tired he was. After such an exhausting day, she thought he deserved a chance to rest. With a sigh, she pulled a blanket over his shivering form. It was well into summer now, and the boy couldn't warm up. She only hoped he'd get better soon. It hurt to see him so unwell.
She watched him quietly, letting her mind wander. It didn't take long for her to draw her attention to the obvious; the large black patch forming in his hair. The clearest proof that Dark El was plaguing his bloodstream. She carefully ran her hand over the darkened hair; noting how short it was compared to the rest of his head. A clear scar was hidden underneath, though she didn't know the cause. Could all this damage really have been caused by one cut…?
The door opened, and he stirred in her lap, much to the elder sibling's dislike. Ara gave her an apologetic look, setting a set of steaming tea cups on the coffee table. A jar of golden honey sat next to them, as well as a small jug of cold looking milk. A lemon slice floated on the surface of each drink. Elesis smiled, and Ara sat down quietly to join them. Elsword blinked awake, looking up to his sister in confusion.
"Hey, kiddo." She said quietly, causing him to pout. "Ara brought us some tea. Wanna sit up and drink some? It'll help you feel better."
Slowly but surely, she helped the teen sit up, still letting him lean on her for support. Ara took the chance to prepare the tea. Fishing the lemon out of each cup, she pulled the lid off the honey jar. One by one, she scooped out a spoonful of honey, carefully mixing it into the tea. After replacing the slice of fruit back into the cup, she handed the first one over to Elsword, and the next to his sister. She saved the last one for herself, offering the siblings a smile as they took the first sip.
If the sound Elsword made was anything to by, it was good. Likely felt nice, too. Elesis watched him with a smile, sipping her own tea calmly. She made eye contact with Ara, and winked for good measure. The other girl turned as red as the knight's hair in a matter of seconds. She smirked, before turning her attention back to her little brother. His cup was half empty, and he was already looking sleepy again.
"Don't fall asleep sitting up, Els. You'd spill that tea all over your lap!" He shot to attention; as best a sick boy could, anyway. Elesis laughed gently, placing her cup to the side. "Tell you what. Once you're done, we'll get ready for bed. Okay?"
She'd never seen him so compliant to go to bed. He finished off his drink as quickly as possible, setting the empty cup down. He yawned, obviously ready to get some proper sleep. Elesis looked to Ara, who was getting ready to bring the tray downstairs.
"... See you tomorrow, Ara." She said, smiling.
"Mm! You too, Elesis. Sleep well~!"
Dear El, she was cute.
After Ara had left, the knight reached up, pulling her hair tie out with a few tugs. She got up and went to both their rooms, leaving Elsword on his own for a few minutes. Sick or not, she wasn't going to let him sleep in his clothes. She fished through drawers, grabbing the lightest pajamas she could find.
"... Do you want me to wait outside while you change?" All she needed was a nod, and that's what she got. She stepped outside the room and waited, and after a gentle knock, entered once more. She wasted no time of her own going to get changed in another room. By the time she came back, Elsword was already dozing off.
Carefully setting up some pillows on one end of the couch, Elesis got comfortable, and held her arms out for her brother. Normally, he'd find some way to protest. Usually; "I'm not a little kid anymore!", or "I can sleep on my own!"... Not this time, however. He let go of his pride just this once, letting her hold him for the night. She pulled the blanket over both of them, and reached to turn off the lamp. The room filled with a comfortable darkness. One that she was sure her brother had been longing for.
"... Goodnight, Elsword." She said, ruffling his hair one last time.
"... G'night, sis."