Erza woke up to a bout of dry coughs. She sat up from her sleep and looked down groggily at the tossing and turning figure beside her. Jellal's blue hair was plastered to his forehead in sweat and his eyes moved restlessly under his eyelids. She gently swept the hair stuck to his forehead to the side and pressed her lips to his forehead. The clock on her beside table read 8.30 a.m. She murmured, her voice still thick with sleep. "Jellal, you're burning up."
Jellal slowly stirred from his sleep - if he even slept at all - and cracked open an eye. "I'm fine, it's just have a slight flu. It'll be gone sooner or later." Erza raised an eyebrow and almost scoffed. She swung her legs to the side of the bed and got up, staring at Jellal's figure curled up in a ball, trying to preserve as much heat as possible, through the mess of rumpled sheets. "I'm going to find some medicine." She left the room, with Jellal still protesting faintly in the background.
She rummaged through the medicine cabinet for a while before managing to find an almost empty bottle of fever pills at the back of the cabinet. Since they lived in a magic abundant land, she hardly found it necessary to have a supply of medicine. But Porlyusica was out somewhere unknown and it was still early in the morning and she didn't want to trouble Wendy so she was left with no choice. She came back into her room with the pills and a glass of water. She placed them onto the bedside table before gently shaking Jellal awake. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear.
He sat up, wearing nothing but his boxers. Even though they had been together for quite a while, her heart would never fail to beat furiously when she saw him exposed. Muscles corded his lithe arms, evidence of many years of battling opponents. She found him breathtaking, and she would never get over the fact that she was his and he was hers and they were together. After years and years of hiding and denial, they finally reunited. But now, he didn't look quite so well. His eyes were sunken and shadowed and they were rimmed with red. His hair, a brilliant shade of aquamarine, stuck out at all angles. She handed him the pills and the glass of water.
He swallowed it down before slumping against the bedhead. "I feel terrible," he said, running a hand across his face. Erza was about to say something in response when a series of dry hacking interrupted her. She didn't even think twice. She leapt up beside him and rubbed soothing circles into his back with her hand. His tense shoulders eased under the affection and the coughing died down. She placed the back of her hand at his forehead and her face changed.
"Jellal, you're really burning up. Maybe I should just call Wendy or -"
He held up a hand to interrupt. "Don't worry I'm fine, I'll just sleep it off." She opened her mouth to protest but Jellal did look tired, and she thought it would be best to let him get his much-needed rest before deciding what to do next. Jellal gave Erza a wan smile, but it was belied by the fact that he looked like he wanted to throw up. Erza fluffed up Jellal's pillow and eased Jellal carefully back into bed and tucked him in.
"I can do it myself, you know, Erza." He frowned a bit, his tone was filled with love and exasperation. Erza pretended not to hear his last comment. "Alright, if you need anything call me. I'll be at a job, and if you need to throw up the bucket is just right at the corner of the bed, and also if you - " She burst into a lengthy speech, but Jellal's eyelids were drooping down already, his mouth endearingly hanging out a bit. She smiled, embarrassed. She tended to act as a mother figure as everyone in the Fairy Tail guild was immature - even the master. Before Jellal's eyes fully closed, he mumbled something that sounded distinctly like, 'Yes, Mother'.
She looked at Jellal's face as he slept. It was creaseless and he almost looked a child again. Innocent and pure and at ease. She stared at the delicate curve of his mouth, his long dark lashes and his porcelain pale and smooth skin until she felt abashed. Smiling inwardly, she pressed a small kiss affectionately to his nose.
She grabbed a chair and sat by his bedside. She stroked his hair fondly, and gazed at him tenderly. She could change her schedule perhaps, she could worry about the scolding she was going to receive for not giving prior notice of her declination of her job. Right now, all that mattered was her taking care of her sick boyfriend.