Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters get in.

Robert's Sick Day

Obviously he'd jinxed himself, Robert thought darkly as he walked down the hallway, doing his best to ignore the fact that he felt like crap and had a pounding headache on top of it. It didn't help that everywhere he looked he saw people who were showing signs that they were under the weather too and therefore infecting the air he was currently breathing. The flu or whatever it was going around was hitting everyone hard and Robert tried to take some comfort in the fact that at least he wouldn't have to miss much if he ended up having to take a couple sick days in the near future should it stick past the weekend. Provided his father didn't know he'd taken them of course, since the older man pretty much took the stand that as long as he wasn't bedridden he was up to attending school whether he liked it or not. Real men toughed it out in Maurice Fischer's books.

"Are you sure you shouldn't have stayed home today? We could go see the nurse." Hikaru pointed out, his voice laced with concern for his best friend. He was fine for the moment, and figured he'd stay that way as he'd never been the type to get sick easily. And even if he were he wouldn't have stayed away, he was willing to be infected so long as he could stand by his friend who looked ready to keel over at any moment.

"I'm fine. The headache is making me worse than I am." That was sorta a lie, but he didn't want Hikaru worrying about him even though it was nice to have someone care.

"Oh, well I have something for that at least." Lifting up his book bag with one hand Hikaru quickly rooted around inside it until he found the small case he kept for just such an occasion. Retrieving two of the pills he held them out to Robert. "Take these, they should at least get rid of your headache."

His head might have been stuffy as hell but Robert's brain was still working enough for him to realize that he really should decline the offer. Since he was a child he'd always had a strong reaction to any kind of medication and more than once he'd ended up as a very high little boy because whatever he'd been given had been too potent for his body to handle. Hence the fact that he never touched alcohol or recreational drugs, even just to experiment like most teenagers. He knew better than to risk it.

But he had discovered earlier in the day that he'd forgotten to restock his locker with children's aspirin, which he could handle now, and the nurse's office probably didn't stock any. His headache was getting progressively worse, Robert reminded himself, and really, it had been so long since he'd tried to take regular aspirin that his body could possibly handle it now.

"Just one, thanks." That would be okay, Robert decided as he took it from his friend, walking over to a nearby water fountain to get some water to wash down the single pill with.

"Are you sure one will be enough?" Hikari asked skeptically.

"Yeah, no worries. One's fine."

And it turned out Robert was indeed right. It was more than enough.

)

There was a definite spring to Eames's step as he walked down the hallway on the way to his office. So far his day couldn't be going better and he was looking forward to that trend continuing into the evening. There was drama club practice to look forward to and after that it would be home with Arthur for some quality time that tended to leave him sweaty and satisfied to the point of being unable to move. The fact that a large part of the school population was getting sick or was sick was unfortunate, but as long as he and Arthur stayed on the healthy list all was well in his world.

Even as he thought that he caught sight of two students coming towards him, noting that one seemed to be supporting the other. Following that observation was the realization that he knew both of them, and that Arthur was not going to be pleased.

Picking up pace Eames called out to them, asking the supporting one what was going on.

"He's really sick." Hikaru called out, his tone just a little defensive since their teacher had stated, in front of everyone, that Robert seemed high to her. His best friend was not high. He did not do drugs. He was tempted to sue their teacher for slandering Robert's good name that way.

Looking at Eames Robert waved with a big smile on his face, which turned into a scowl as he belatedly remembered that he didn't like the drama teacher who was sleeping with Arthur.

Eyebrows shooting up Eames thought the kid looked more high than sick to him, but the way Saito was looking at him made the Brit think it was better to leave such observations to himself for the time being. "Want some help getting him to the nurse's place then?"

"Thanks." As much as he hated to admit it Robert was a bit too heavy for him to handle, especially if he were to pass out and become a deadweight. As it was he was already getting cramped muscles from his friend squirming in his grasp.

So Eames took Robert's other arm to support it, taking the way the boy glared at him philosophically as he helped Saito continue towards their destination, Robert refusing to talk to Eames though he allowed the help for his friend's sake. To distract them all from the situation Eames talked drama club with the boy who was actually talking to him all the way to the nurse's station, surprised and pleased to find that it wasn't jammed pack with sick students.

Once he was sitting down the nurse came to look him over, no one surprised when the first thing the nurse asked was what Robert had taken.

Robert glared back at her. "Quit looking at me like I'm a pothead." And since he didn't like his present situation the teenager turned his gaze to Eames, lifting a hand to point a commanding finger in the teacher's direction. "I want Arthur. Go get him for me NOW."

While the nurse and Saito gaped at Robert Eames simply pointed out the fact that the man in question was teaching a class at the moment if memory served.

"I don't care, call him now. Tell him I'm sick. He won't like you anymore if I tell him you didn't call him when I asked." He sounded like a cranky five year old, but Robert was too out of it to realize that as he issued his ultimatum.

"Mr. Eames?" The nurse began, obviously very confused by the situation.

"Hold on a sec." Walking over to the nearby phone Eames punched in the number for Arthur's classroom, not surprised when there was a hint of annoyance in the other man's voice when he inquired as to who was calling him. "Hey, I'm in the nurse's office. Mr. Fischer is in here sick and is demanding you be made aware of it."

"I'll be there in ten or less. Don't let the nurse give him anything."

Blinking when he was hung up on Eames wasn't quite sure what to think. Arthur was going to leave class? Just like that? That was definitely not like him. Who was this kid to his lover anyway, to get that kind of reaction? And why did it irritate him so much even though he was the one sleeping in the man's bed and not the other way around?

Shaking his head over the juvenile behavior Arthur seemed to so easily bring out in him Eames turned back to the nurse and informed her that someone was coming to deal with Robert very shortly and that he wasn't to be given anything until Mr. Gordon arrived.

"Of course she's not going to give me anything. She's not allowed to." Robert huffed, his tone downright prissy. "She probably got her license to practice medicine online since Dom hired her. Only a highly trained and seasoned medical professional is allowed to prescribe anything for me after careful deliberation." Lifting up one leg Robert pulled up his pant leg to reveal that over his sock was a medical alert anklet. "See? Says right here, which she should know given that she works here, but obvious she hasn't read my file or she'd know I can't do drugs even if I wanted to, which I don't, cause drugs are bad."

"You know, strangely enough I rather like him like this." Eames commented to the nurse who looked like she wanted to strangle her patient while Hikaru got a good look at the anklet he'd never noticed before and made it clear to Robert that he thought he should have been made aware of.

Eames was still chatting up the nurse and Hikaru was still lecturing Robert when Arthur came running into the room, heading straight for Robert without acknowledging anyone else in the room.

"I'm sick." Robert informed Arthur in his most pathetic voice yet.

"So I hear." Reaching out Arthur placed his hand on the teen's forehead, gauging his temperature before placing his fingers gently against Robert's throat, feeling for inflammation of the lymph nodes. After that it was open the mouth for a quick look, and then Arthur took one close look at the boy's pupils and turned his head to give the nurse a look that would have killed her on the spot if possible. "What. Did. You. Give. Him?"

Given that the woman was occupied with not fainting dead away from the look Arthur had just aimed in her direction Eames bravely moved in to stand protectively between the two. "She didn't give him anything, he looked high before he got here."

Immediately Arthur's gaze zoomed in on Robert, who hunched his shoulders as he muttered that he might have taken a single aspirin two hours ago.

"Robbie, you KNOW you aren't allowed to take regular aspirin. No wonder you look high. You are, aren't you?"

"Maybe just a little." Robert admitted, the space between two fingers used to emphasis just how high he possibly was.

Arthur tapped his free hand against his side while the other held Robert's chin in a firm grip as he silently made his feelings known before turning his head back in Eames direction to give a quick but genuine apology to the nurse hiding behind his lover before he inquired as to whether or not Robert's parents had been called.

"They haven't, don't call them." Robert interjected before the nurse could accept the apology and answer. "You know if she gets my father he'll say I have to stay and if you get my mom she'll make me come home with her and I'll either be at her mercy or the new maid's. I want to go home with you. Please?" He added, giving Arthur the big eyes that had been getting him his way since he was three.

Melting in spite of himself, he just couldn't help it, Arthur reached up and stroked back Robert's slightly sweaty hair. "Well first we have to take you to the doctor's so that you can be prescribed something you can actually take without any negative, high inducing side effects." And because there really was no way in hell he was going to trust the boy's wellbeing to the Fischers, or one of the skanky maids the old man had hired, Arthur started to formulate how to get them to let him take care of Robbie for the weekend instead of turning him over to them. "Let's get you to the hospital and then I'll talk to your mom."

"And you'll get her to let me stay with you, right?" Robert demanded to know, not going anywhere until it was confirmed he wasn't being taken home.

"Yes, I'll talk her into letting you stay with me." Arthur promised, having had loads of experience doing it though it had been a while.

"Yay. I love you." Drawing Arthur into a hug Robert cuddled close, so very glad that the man was in his life to safe him from his parents and the not to be trusted maid.

"I love you too. Now let's go, okay?"

"Okay." Letting Arthur help him down and off the examining table it suddenly occurred to the teen that he hadn't told Arthur's his big news yet. "Hey, Arthur, guess what, guess what. I have to use BOTH my hands now to count off the people I love now. Isn't that sick?" And since he was in such a good mood Robert ticked them off on his fingers while Arthur got a good grip on him. "I love you and Mal and your parents and Risa, and now Hikaru too. He's my bestest friend, so don't be mad at him for giving me the aspirin, he didn't know I couldn't have it."

"But you did and I'm going to ask your doctor to prescribe you the most disgusting medicine he can to teach you a lesson."

While Robert pouted over that Arthur informed Eames that he'd left a note on his door canceling his last class in anticipation of this and that obviously neither he nor Robert would be able to show up for drama practice. He also withdrew his keys from his pocket and after removing his car key tossed it to his lover since they'd carpooled in, making it clear from the look he aimed in Eames direction that if ANYTHING happened to his car while Eames was behind the wheel there was going to be hell to pay.

"You…you can't just take him with you." The nurse blurted out, having regained her power of speech. "He's a student here."

Arthur gave her a soft look since he'd snapped at her earlier and she still looked a bit wary of him repeating the experience. "Actually, I can. If you look over his folder you'll see I'm listed there and that I can act as his guardian in the event that I am needed to do so. But thank you for your concern."

"Bye, Hikaru, see you later." Robert added as Arthur started steering them towards the door, not about to stand around and chat while there were things that needed to be done.

Completely dumbfounded by everything that had been said since their math teacher had come into the room, Hikaru automatically returned the good bye even as he struggled to wrap his mind around things, failing horribly.

And by the time the teenager found his voice again the two men had already left the room.

Eames knew exactly how the guy felt.

)

Drama practice went all right even though Robert wasn't the only one who was absent due to the flu that was going around. Eames made due and filled in when necessary, silently noting that Saito's mind seemed to be on other things half the time. He didn't have to guess what the teenager was thinking about and when he got the chance he sent off a quick text to Arthur asking if it would be all right for him to bring the kid by to see Fischer since he was obviously feeling guilty over giving Robert the aspirin in the first place. The return text said it was okay and so after the practice was finished for the day Eames called the teenager over and offered to show him the way to Arthur's place.

"He…he wouldn't mind?" He really wanted to go, but he didn't want to either. If he had to see his teacher being so lovey dovey with Robert again he was the one who would be wanting to throw up.

"Not at all. I ran it by him just in case. They're back at his place now."

"Okay, thanks. I'd like to see him."

Heading out together Eames had to smile as he slid behind the wheel of Arthur's Mercedes, which the man had refused to let him drive the three times he'd been in it. Man but it was one sweet ride, Eames thought as he pulled out, waiting for the younger man to show up at the exit before heading out, making sure to keep the other vehicle in his sights so that they wouldn't get separated.

When they arrived at Arthur's place Eames pulled in and then exited the vehicle, waiting for Hikaru to do the same before heading towards the front door. "Your math teacher ended up adopting a dog from his grandmother named Buffy. Don't make fun of the fro fro dog."

"Yes, Sir."

Finding the door unlocked as promised Eames let them both in, the two leaving their shoes at the door.

Coming out of the kitchen Arthur nodded in their direction. "Hello, Robert was pleased to hear you were coming by to see him, Mr. Saito. He's downstairs if you two want to head down, I'll be there shortly." A rueful look came into his eyes. "And…the medicine he was prescribed, well it turned out the doctor was wrong in thinking Robert's system could handle it. He's as high as a kite now."

"Good, I like him better when he's high." Eames just grinned when the other two gave him dark looks.

"Head on down, Mr. Saito, the door's right there." And that said Arthur headed back towards the kitchen.

"This way." Motioning for the younger man to follow him Eames opened the door leading down to the basement, heading down the stairs. He could hear the television going though he didn't recognize the movie playing out on the screen as it came into view. That it was an animated feature surprised him, though he figured it was probably very enjoyable in a drugged out state.

Obviously having heard the footsteps on the stairs Robert's head poked up and into view over the couch, smiling quite happily at them. "Hey, come watch the movie with me, Buffy and Little Squishie!"