This story is an RP. Replies are separated by horizontal lines


It was already close to twilight when Sheik left Granny's Potions Shop. He squinted into the light of the setting sun only to glance away a moment later, a dull headache forming and making it hard for him to keep his eyes open. Usually he'd just jump to the roof for easier exit but he left the same way he had come – through the Medicine Shop. When he had woken up earlier today he had been feeling rather nauseated and dizzy and somehow it had only gotten worse, so he found no need to take any risk of tripping over his own feet and falling off a roof.

The blonde heaved a small sigh once he was back outside and continued his path back to his house, taking small steps, feeling heavier by each passing second. It wasn't like him to fall ill or feel weak in any way but it seemed like the colder weather hadn't been good for him. In fact, there were still piles of snow that had yet to melt and he shuddered at the mere sight of them.

However he didn't make it home, once he was halfway down the stairs he had to pause and eventually sit down for a moment, his vision swimming before his crimson eyes, trying to blink it away. It was no use, so he decided to rest for a few minutes and then try again even though the thought embarrassed him. Lady Impa would be ashamed of him, he was sure and with another small sigh, the Sheikah buried his face in one hand, the other still tightly clutching the bag of herbs he had purchased. Granny was probably the best potions maker and she had promised he'd just have to drink a certain amount of tea made from the mixed herbs and he'd feel better soon.

Sheik knew it was just a small walk and he'd be home but right now he just couldn't find the strength to do so. He was just glad that at this late hour the citizens had already gone to their houses and nobody would see him in this shameful state.


The air in Kakariko smelled just as Kafei had remembered it. He could never quite place it, but the mountain air was simply different than the plains of Clocktown. It was good to be back. Returning to Termina always pained him somewhat, and while he enjoyed visiting his family, there were far too many memories there. It was largely why he had left in the first up a second time had given him a different outlook on life and now he felt as though Hyrule had more to offer him. It had been strange at first. But after the past several months he had reconnected with those that had known his family before the war sent him into hiding, and settled back into Kakariko. The village was very different than the one he remembered, but it still held the air of home it had had for him long ago.

It was just as he was about to round the corner to the alley his house was on when Kafei noticed the familiar Sheikah sitting on a set of steps. The Keaton kit on his shoulder nudged him, as if noticing the man as well, and Kafei gave it a small pat. There was definitely something amiss with the blonde; he looked far from his normal self. Was he perhaps injured? Deciding home could wait he made his way over and set his bag on the ground before taking a knee to better see the blond, who upon closer inspection looked more ill than injured. "Are you alright, Sheik?" he asked quietly, trying not to startle the man who was usually so vigilant.


Upon touching his own face and running his fingers over it as an attempt to rub away the dull ache, Sheik realized he was slightly sweaty. A quiet sigh fell from his lips; winter had gripped Hyrule tightly this year and there was still a biting cold outside, hence the snow hadn't melted yet and if he was sweaty from just walking so little, it could only mean he had caught a cold. Again.

Oh how he despised the cold and yearned for spring; maybe he should have just left for the desert until the next season would arrive. It was a shame, really, but winter was his arch enemy. But there was nothing the Sheikah could do now, he had to make it home and after drinking some tea, go to bed and sleep it off. "In a minute.." he mumbled to himself, not yet feeling like he could get up without his legs giving way underneath him.

Exhaustion made him weary and he could barely hear the approaching footsteps, nor did he register that it meant someone was coming closer and it wasn't until a familiar voice started speaking to him, that he looked up.

Sheik's eyes met equally crimson ones and widened in surprise, his headache momentarily forgotten when he realized that this was indeed Kafei, of all people, who wandered through the village this late. "..Kafei?", he spoke, voice hoarse. "What are you doing here?"


Sheik sounded about as good as he looked and it had the man a bit more concerned. "I just got back from Termina." he said softly as he put the back of his hand to Sheik's forehead. It was an invasion of space that Sheik probably wasn't too fond of, but between the blonde's pale complexion and the sweat that clung to his skin, Kafei thought the gesture justified. And his suspicions were confirmed when he found Sheik's forehead hot to the touch. "You're burning up. We should get you inside." It was cold out, not terribly so, but still cold enough not to be helping any if Sheik was sick.

The little yellow fox on his shoulder scurried down and waited patiently at Kafei's side. Keatons were smart like that. It had always intrigued him how they seemed to have such a clear understanding of the world around them. Ren was no exception. Even if he was still only a kit, he was learning fast. But he was a curious little thing, so it didn't surprise Kafei in the least when it got the best of the little guy and had Ren taking cautious steps toward the other Sheikah.

Kafei stood up and slung his bag back over his shoulder before extending his hand for Sheik. He looked so drained of energy that the brunette wondered if he even could stand. Maybe that was why he was sitting out in the cold at such an odd hour. "Haven't moved house while I was away I assume?"


"I see."

As expected, he shied away from the other's hand but as soon as he realized, it felt blissfully cold against his heated skin, he found himself slightly leaning against him. It was odd, it wasn't like himself and he faintly took note of that but the fever made him dizzy and nothing made much sense anyway. Sheik almost protested when the cool touch moved away against but caught himself just in time. He was acting like a spoilt child and making a fool out of himself.

What was he thinking, sitting in the snow in the middle of the night like this? And to have someone else see him like this, on top of that, shamed him even more.

Giving a soft sound as a reply to Kafei's suggestion of getting him inside, he put both hands on the stairs in an attempt to push himself up but jolted when he felt something wet touch his fingers. Opening crimson eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed before, he looked down and saw a yellow fox sniffing at them. It made him frown, since when did Kafei have a Keaton fox as a pet? It didn't matter right now, he'd ask him as soon as he could make his voice cooperate.

"No, it's—" Sheik sighed softly and gave in, reaching for his hand in order to let the purple haired pull him to his feet. "-it's still Impa's old one." He sometimes refused to call it his own; he hardly had any personal belongings to the house still looked the same. All he had done was to pack away her clothes and move them to the cellar. To the Sheikah, even after all these years, Hyrule didn't feel like home anyway.

Ah—his mind was such a mess.

The blonde pushed himself off of the stairs, not expecting the other to pull so strongly and stumbled against him, his balance thrown off. He faintly noted the fox scurrying away.


Kafei frowned; Sheik wasn't quite himself. Jumping at the sight of a fox, stumbling so easily– though maybe he had pulled a bit hard, and he just seemed almost lost or in a daze. Once Sheik seemed steady enough, Kafei slowly looped his arm over his shoulders, hunching down a tad to make up for the height he had on the blonde, and wrapped an arm around his waist. Normally he wouldn't have been so intrusive, he knew Sheik liked his space, but the boy looked like he could collapse at any moment. "Sorry about Ren. He is just curious."

It was a slow walk to Sheik's house. Here and there he would look over at the blonde. He wasn't sure what he expected to see, but still he felt the need to check on him. When they finally reached the house he was relieved. Though it did pose the question of what to do next. Was he expected just to leave? Kafei wasn't sure if he wanted to leave Sheik alone as he was. The blonde would probably do fine on his own, more than likely so. Yet still, it wasn't any trouble for him to stay for a while and Sheik would only benefit from some assistance. At the least it would let him rest more. "I'm not busy if you'd like me to stay a while. It could let you rest a bit easier."


Holding on to the bag of herbal tea leaves, Sheik leaned into Kafei's side and let him take the lead on their way bag. It bothered him that he had been too weak to get up on his own and he had momentarily even considered asking the other to leave but just the thought of having to walk home made his knees tremble. At least it was his friend and not someone from the village who had found him.

"No, it's ah—fine. He's pretty." Pretty? Oh Thrice, it was best if he'd just keep his mouth shut. Besides his voice was still hoarse and even as he tried to clear it, nothing changed. He really needed a cup of tea.

Thankfully it wasn't that much of a walk but Sheik could feel the other's eyes on him every now and then. Did he really look that bad? Sure, he was feverish and exhausted and probably had bags under his eyes because the last night had been rather restless but- His knees gave out under him and if it hadn't been for the Terminian's arm wrapped around his middle, he would have slumped to the ground without much of a fight.

"..thank you.", he mumbled in embarrassment and let Kafei walk him to the house. Sheik had enough sense to fumble for the key in his pouch and open the door, immediately dropping both key and bag on the nearest thing he could find, which would be a book shelf.

"I do not want to trouble you any more than I already did, Kafei." Running his now free hand over his face, he realized the cowl had gone slack and was hanging rather lowly on his face. Perhaps this was why the purple haired had been able to tell how ill he was. "I'll just.. go to bed and sleep it off."


Kafei let the blonde move away from him and his assistance, but kept an eye on him. He seemed so unsteady as he made his way inside and set down his things. "It really isn't any trouble." He protested. There was something about how odd Sheik was acting that made him want to stay. "Actually, I insist. Is that one of Granny's teas?" The indigo haired man said as he made his way to the bookshelf and picked up the small bag that had been discarded there. Sure enough as he handled it the soft rustle of herbs could be felt. "Let me make this for you." He knew Sheik would turn down the offer, so he didn't leave room for him to answer. Instead he shut the door behind them and began making his way over toward the kitchen.

Perhaps he was being a bit too pushy. Unlike Sheik, Kafei hadn't been brought up in such a strict environment. He had few qualms with personal space or asking for help. He always tried to respect these, as he saw it, quirks Sheik had. However he shook away his doubt. No, no Sheik was clearly ill and 'sleeping it off' didn't seem like it would aid him much. It was then Kafei remember that Sheik's sleeping quarters were upstairs. The man had had trouble even walking, and those stairs lacked a railing. "Are you alright with the stairs?" he called before looking up to see where Sheik had moved to.


Sheik had to lean against the book shelf and looked at the other. He yearned to sit down or go upstairs and curl up in his bed, but for once, it would be rude to ignore Kafei just like that, especially after he had been so helpful and he also wanted to wait until he was gone before he allowed himself to let down what little was left of the walls he kept around himself. He had to admit at this point, that sitting on the stairs in the middle of the cold for Goddesses how long hadn't been his best idea.

"No, thank you, I—", he weakly protested but his words fell on deaf ears as the older male went past him and into the direction of the kitchen. The blonde sighed quietly and watched him go, realizing that there was no way he could make him leave without acting rude.

The Sheikah knew that Kafei meant no harm, even though his persistent ways sometimes troubled him; Sheik was rather particular when it came to his personal space and people paying attention to him. To make it simple, he usually preferred to insist that he just didn't like it but it was actually because he wasn't used to it.

Upon realizing that he was still supporting himself against the shelf, his eyes wandered into the direction of the stairs and he frowned, opting for sitting down on the lounger by the fireplace instead. It had long since gone out but he was much too hot anyway, so just the thought of a blazing fire made him sweat.

He looked up and caught Kafei's eyes as the other called over to him. "No, I'll just.. I'd be rude—I'll be fine over here." He couldn't admit that he wasn't sure if he'd make it upstairs after all, now could he?


Kafei gave a simple nod and returned to preparing Sheik's tea. Clocktown wasn't nearly as grand as Hyrule, but he had come from a fairly well off family all things considered. And having had access to a bit of luxury, Kafei was well acquainted with a variety of teas. The interest had originally been sparked by a Deku passing through town, and with it being something of a traverse town it was not the last instance. This particular tea reminded Kafei greatly of some blends he had once shared with a peculiar poe salesman who had told him the strangest things about the desert….and possibly might have subtly told him that he was pretty enough to run a brothel. Ah well, it was still a compliment.

While the water boiled he looked around the kitchen, trying to figure out where Sheik kept the hand towels until he finally spotted a small linen closet, though it was more of a cupboard. Once he had soaked it under cold water and lightly rung it, he made his way over to Sheik once more. "Here, for your head." he said as he held out the cool compress. It would quickly become room temperature, but in the meanwhile the tea steeped it would offer some relief.

He was about to turn back to the stove when a little dash of yellow caught his eye and had him pausing. "Hey, come out from there" he said clicking his tongue to urge the fox out from under the lounge. Sheepishly it poke its head out and contemplated listening, but after moment Ren did obey his owner. Curiously it starred up at Sheik. "Let him rest, Ren. He doesn't want to play." The little fox let out a whine and as if to pout scurried up to rest curled up not far from the blonde's feet.


As soon as Kafei's attention was taken back to making tea, Sheik slumped in on himself and leaned against the back rest, eyes fixed to a spot in the wall. It made him uncomfortable to feel so off and it was as if it only got worse with each passing minute but deep down he was grateful for the half-Sheikah's help. He made a mental note to thank him properly later.

Which also reminded him to inquire about why the elder was here. If he recalled correctly, Kafei had said he wouldn't be back in at least a month since he had to take care of things in Clocktown but who was he to know anything about the other's schedule. Perhaps he just remembered wrongly, which wouldn't be a surprise considering that he couldn't concentrate enough to remember what he'd had for breakfast this morning. Did he even have breakfast? Goddesses, he was such a mess.

His fuzzy train of thoughts was interrupted when the Terminian man came back and brought him a damp towel which he gladly accepted with a murmured "Thanks" and pressed to his forehead immediately. Sheik closed his eyes and moaned softly in relief of the cool wetness against his heated skin; he hadn't even thought about doing that which only added to the pile of things that were off about him. Usually the Sheikah knew how to take care of himself, he was a trained fighter and thus had learned anything about first aid and since he got sick every once in while if the winter was too harsh in Hyrule, he also knew how to deal with a simple cold.

It was ridiculous, really, the way he was acting like a child.

Sheik cracked an eye open and glanced down as the keaton fox slipped out from under the lounger and brushed against his legs as it went past. "Ah—it's fine.", he tiredly ground out and attempted a small smile directed at the animal. "He's not bothering me." While he usually acted like he didn't care much for pets, Sheik loved all sorts of animals and especially the foreign ones which he didn't get to see in Hyrule intrigued him. Given any other day he would have paid more attention to the fox but right now he was just too tired to even bend down and pet its head.


It was a few minutes later that Kafei wandered back over to Sheik, freshly steeped tea in hand. "Sit up," he said softly. Although his words were more of a warning than a command as he pulled the other into sitting position. Sheik seemed dreadfully out of it, and Kafei simply couldn't help but impose the hospitality he grew up with upon the Sheikah. "Your head will feel much better without these." Gently the blue haired man unwound the wraps that held back blonde locks. Once they were gone he ran a hand through surprisingly soft hair, brushing it back while also relieving Sheik of the hat-hair the wraps undoubtedly caused. He was careful to keep them orderly and coiled them before setting them on the table beside the tea.

"The tea is still quite hot, so wait a few minutes for it to cool." After being so close to the other, Kafei decided it was best to give the man some probably much needed space and settled himself on the adjacent sofa. One thing he was still adjusting to was the customs of Hyrule and its inhabitants. One such custom was the wearing of a cowl, and while he didn't have any objections to wearing a cowl; he did notice that he was far less picky about removing it just as he was now. If he was going to be indoors with someone of familiarity, he might as well get comfortable. And thus he continued, undoing the braid in his hair in favor of more simply tying it back, the shorter pieces in the front being tucked behind his ears. He was about to call over the little keaton, but once spotting him perched on the armrest of the settee a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth instead. "It seems he finds you interesting."


Crimson eyes opened as soon as Kafei addressed him again and focussed on him immediately. Sheik hadn't noticed that his eyes had slid shut in the meantime and he wondered if he had possibly nodded off ; he couldn't remember what he had done in the past minutes. "Ah-" Before he could even try and sit up properly, the other male had already pulled him into a sitting position and once again, all he could do was to mutter a quiet "Thank you." in return.

His chest had been heaving with ragged breaths before, partly because of the mild shock of being woken from his minute-sleep, he stilled entirely when the Terminian reached for the bandages around his head an began unwrapping him. It was weird to be manhandled like this but he couldn't help but admit that it also felt nice. When the other's hands treaded through his hair he finally averted his gaze, glancing away.

It reminded him of his first winter in Hyrule, back then when he had been living in the very same house with Lady Impa. Sheik hadn't been used to the cold weather after growing up in the desert and thus, as soon as the first snow fell, he had caught a horrible cold and had been bed-ridden for weeks. Back then, it had been her who took care of him and even though she was usually one to tell him to get his act together and focus on his duties, she had been surprisingly gentle while taking care of him. The blonde faintly recalled a hazy night where the other Sheikah had sat by his side and petted his hair equally. While he'd still missed his mother a lot back then, he had felt like home.

Sheik blinked at the other in confusion; he had been too lost in his thoughts to pay attention to his surroundings and after a moment, noticed the little fox. "..I find him interesting, too.", he murmured and reached out a hands towards it. "Ren, wasn't it?"


Kafei chuckled as the little fox sought Sheik's attention, give his hand a little nuzzle before jumping from the arm rest to curl up next to him. "Yes, an odd name for a fox, but I wasn't about to change it. He already knew his name. That and my mother named him so it would have been rather rude." A slight displeasure briefly crossed his face before being quickly wiped away. The thought of his mother brought back some less than pleasant thoughts about his most recent trip to Termina and his reason for cutting the visit short. But he shouldn't be thinking about that right now. He was here to care for the other Sheikah, not dwell on the failure of his visit.

"Feeling any better?" he asked a few moments later. He was tempted to check the blondes forehead again, resisted the urge. He had invaded the man's space enough today. Even if Sheik was feeling a bit better, Kafei wondered if he should stay, just in case. Would Sheik want him to? And even if Sheik actually did want him to, would he admit to that?


Sheik gave the keaton a small smile before turning his attention back to the other male. He had noticed a slight change in his voice as he continued talking but he was just about to wave it off, not trusting his own instincts at the moment until he saw the look on Kafei's face.

"I think it suits him.", he carefully added, his eyes not leaving the other's. It would be rude to inquire about what he was going back in Hyrule, at least in the state he was in. Sheik even feared that he would forget by the time he woke the next morning; everything still felt like a hazy dream to him after all.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the Terminian inquired about his well-being which reminded him of the tea. Sheik sighed softly and leaned forward, reaching for the cup and bringing it close to his lips. "I am not sure yet.", he murmured truthfully, refusing to look at the other and blew into the cup instead, cooling down the liquid.

"I-", he paused to sip. "I'd say I feel better than when I was still on my feet out there." He had successfully avoided admitting that he still felt rather weak; it hadn't been a lie after all because he did feel better.


It wasn't long before Sheik had fallen asleep, the little fox nestled by his feet. A quick glance around the room had him spotting an afghan. He moved quietly so as not to wake up the blonde as he draped the blanket over him. He still looked far too pale and sickly. However when Kafei placed the back of his hand to the man's forehead it felt significantly cooler than before.

His gaze drifted to the fabric that covered Sheik's face and he wondered if Sheik normally slept in it. It didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. Kafei knew how the blonde felt about that cowl. He was very attached to it. Possibly even unusually so. He couldn't bring himself to take it away, but carefully he loosened it, tugging it just enough so that it wouldn't impede the man's breathing. Kafei had to admit, Sheik did have a lovely face. It was a shame he hid it, but maybe he had his reasons.


Once he had finished his tea, Sheik put the cup on the table nearby and sank back into the couch. It didn't take him that long until he understood and accepted that it was just no use trying to sit upright, for his head would sink to his chest ever once in a while as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Eventually, the sickness got the best of him and he laid down, legs drawn up closer to his chest and hugging a pillow close, breathing softly. He faintly noted the other male moving around but couldn't bring himself to open his heavy eyes again, sighing softly at the feel of Kafei's blissfully cooler hand against his forehead. He was out cold within seconds after that.

A few hours later, Sheik woke in the middle of the night, freezing. It hit him like a wave; one moment he was burning hot from the fever and the next he felt like he was back in the Ice Caverns, or so it seemed at least. Truth be told, the fever had gone down and the place got cold at nights.

Later, the blonde wouldn't be able to tell how, but he managed to climb the stairs and burry himself under the thick blankets in his bed, sleeping until next morning. Usually he rose at the first rays of sunlight, but instead he just pulled the covers higher.