Hello! Sorry if this chapter seems to be hard to follow. Let me know in the comments section if it is. I'm still working and trying to put together chapters as I go. I haven't even gotten the chance to proof read this one before heading out. Hope everyone is having a great day!
Kuzan rolled around in his bed. The marine was restless. The officer couldn't get the idea of his little woman picking another man, out of his thoughts. It hurt. It physically hurt. The pain in his chest and stomach had been bothering him all day. At first, it started as an ache while he watched the ship she was on sail away. By the second day, it was excruciating. The admiral couldn't even keep his lunch down and decided to skip eating altogether. By the time the last day had ended and he had returned to his quarters, Aokiji had spiked a fever as he had never had before. The physical suffering he had endured became something entirely different.
The marine officer now laid huddled in a fetal position. His stomach tightened causing a surge of erratic spasms through his intestines which traveled upward into his chest. This magnified the hunger sensation and it felt like a hole had been clawed through into his backbone. The entire situation left his nerves raw and had the man shaken to his core, in quite the literal sense.
Kuzan sat up; dangling his legs off the edge of the bed. He could smell the sweat of his own body leaving a foul sense in the air. The man thought that a shower would help and so the tall creature lifted himself to his feet but discovered how shaky he had really become. Using a feeble attempt, the marine managed to take his nude form to the bathroom. It was then he realized how out of it he actually was. He couldn't even remember stripping or coming to bed except in a hazy moment.
Weakly, the admiral made his way into the oversized bathroom. Katie had been gone for only a week but it had been over three days since Sengoku had nearly every carpenter on Marineford called to remodel both duplexes. They had finished while the two were away. That left a few rooms renovated. The bathroom was one. The once dark blue bathroom was now laid with dark grey stone tile walls and a matte black tiled floor. The sink, toilet, and tub were left in raven color to match the flooring while a darker blue curtain hung to ensure no water escaped.
Heavy padding led the officer to his destination and once the water cascaded down, the marine shifted his weight carefully and climbed in. Focused on his whereabouts as to not to fall into the stream, the man sat on the edge before lowering himself slowly. The hot water hit his legs and then his abdomen before stopping at his chest. He could maintain the little strength he had left and honestly the heat felt nice. It didn't phase the fluttering in his chest but the steady beads of water eased some of the pain in his stomach.
A heavy sigh escape as eyes closed. Kuzan was simply frustrated at the idea of not letting Katie go. His thoughts were more than just wrapped around her, they had taken over. Even now he couldn't shake Katelyn's image, the sound of her voice, the smell of her after cooking or even the aroma of her flower fragrance whenever she wore it.
Aokiji gritted his teeth. The pain came flooding back. The fear of her not wanting to return had become reality. It was almost too much to bear. It ripped the man of any sense to the point he hadn't noticed Zephyr enter their home. The admiral had been so distracted by the agony, he didn't hear the bathroom door open nor the retired admiral enter.
"And that's why they call it love-sick. It's no joke...", the older marine commented casually before bending over to offer a hand.
The startled and confused Kuzan blinked a few times after gazing upward. A shaky hand came up over his copper orbs before it slid slowly down the length of his face. "Oh my, I must really be out of it", he admitted. "I didn't even hear you." Both not caring about the nudity of the situation. In their eyes, they were men. Neither had anything the other didn't. If it had been a tiny brunette instead of the marine's instructor, the story would have been completely different.
"Not easy getting a hold of yourself, is it?" The man in the purple suit spoke as he realized just how sick his prior student was. A heavy mitt slipped under the arm of the struggling admiral and lifted him to his feet. The violet-haired husband and father guided the ill officer out with care and understanding.
Once Kuzan sat on the bed he discovered his clothes in his hands shortly after. "She's on her way but Katie wanted to give Sengoku a good verbal beating first. Thought I'd check on you since old man Garp asked me too. Said you haven't been well for the better part of the week."
Zephyr's words caused Aokiji to flinch. The admiral with raven hair shied his shoulders away from his once instructor. In return, the vice-admiral adjusted his spectacles. "I see and she got you in a bad way", the married father of two couldn't help but tease.
Shamefully the forty-four year old glared back before he began to slip on the black track shorts and matching tank top the taller officer picked for him. "I'm not a child", the admiral admonished in a baritone growl.
"Of course you're not and no matter what you do, you can't keep food down and you're running a fever. Your breath his short because of that flutter in your chest. Not to forget you have a mind-shattering headache from not eating and you can't think about anything except for that tiny woman who made your dark world a little brighter. " Zephyr stifled a chuckle as he helped the younger marine to his feet once more and slipped the admiral's long arm over the back of his neck to assist in walking.
Quietly, the vice-admiral led Aokiji to the dark blue couch and assisted in lowering his commanding officer down. The admiral was happy as he stretched out but it was short-lived. The churn in his stomach forced the abnormally tall commander back into the fetal position. The nearly helpless man began shivering while his sensei grabbed the colorful quilt which had been hung on the back of the piece of furniture. Kuzan was more than thankful as it had been Katie's. He didn't know why but it seemed all her blankets were always softer and warmer. Just what he needed in that very moment.
"What's happening to me", the curly-haired officer asked between clenched teeth with his arms wrapped around his own sides. "I've never been sick like this", he continued to admit.
"Love-sickness or what we commonly call the summer flu. It's something all us men will go through at some point in our lives. Garp had his bout with it some years ago and I've had mine... twice." Kuzan turned on his side, away from Zephyr. He didn't want anyone seeing him like this. He felt powerless. It burned his own ego, and despite his reputation, the man did have one.
The admiral heard the larger man shift and soon followed the sound of water being poured into a glass from the faucet. The marine returned and set something on the coffee table which had been in front of the couch. Like a child, the younger man rolled back over and took the two white pills in an open palm and washed them down with the water.
"It's aspirin from the medicine drawer. Katie had informed me where it was once she heard you were ill. It'll bring down the fever and ease the pain. The water will cool those blasted stomach cramps and you'll find it'll all end once she walks in through that door", Zephyr promised.
"Sensei... You make it sound like I'm an idiot or some sort of brainless fool. There is no way this is anything that you're describing. Plus there's no such thing as the summer flu. It's just made up so the guys who claim to be sick and spend more time with..." Aokiji had to pause his words as another rolling sensation of pain racked through his intestines. His heart felt like it was going to burst. Large hands clasped over the black tank top he had donned earlier.
"Are you sure", the older man nearly purred before shaking his head. "Want assistance to the hospital?"
"No", Kuzan snapped. "It'll pass", the officer snarled between labored breaths. Sweat began to bead up over his brow and back, soaking his clean tank top.
Zephyr couldn't help but chuckle. He could remember when Mary had him in the same position after they first met. Of course, no marine with any pride would admit that he had ever been love-sick. Instead, the elder marine learned what it meant to have the summer flu. It was a phrase coined during the summer for those who felt the love-bug bite. It usually happened around the summertime when young men and women happened to meet their partners during their vacations with their families. There was nothing unnatural about it and there was no one safe from it either. Kuzan was merely a man of rank who happened to get bit. Whether or not he wanted to admit it, was solely up to him though.
As grey orbs softly settled on the marine on the couch, the instructor's sharp ears picked up Katie's footsteps rushing to the door. "I'll leave you two alone", the older man teased as he began his trek towards the entry but before he could reach it, the wooden door swung open.
"Finally", a young woman exasperated. "I'm home", she gasped while smoothing out her dark yellow sundress. "I almost didn't recognize the place", the brunette whined as she adjusted her long dark ponytail. A heavy thud of Katie's luggage hitting the floor was not only a testament of her own strength but a sheer sign of her devotion to the man on the couch. Zephyr watched quietly as the petite female zoomed by him.
"Alright", he bellowed in a playful tone. "Goodnight."
Katie rose her hand and waved the vice-admiral off before releasing a yelp which permeated through the closing front door. The wiser man didn't have to see Kuzan reach for the tiny brunette or spot her struggling desperately to get free so she could care for him. These were natural steps to a healthy relationship. He did the same with his very own wife, Mary.
In a short distance up the path towards Marineford, he could spot an old grey bastard in his normal white attire. The cool midnight air was refreshing and also brought back many memories. Garp gruffly released a large hand from his pocket and rubbed the back of his head vigorously. Blue eyes followed his friend in the lavender suit.
"How'd it go", the older man gruffly asked.
"He was in worst shape than you if I recall and just as bad as I was. The two really have something. But what surprises me is how easily you're taking this." The vice-admiral in lavender stuffed his hands into his pockets and took a more relaxed stance.
"I never married", Garp roughly admitted with a shrug of the shoulders. "I can't ask something of them when I couldn't do it myself." A soft solemn gaze washed over the older man's features before his trademark grin slipped in. "But she sure did pick the perfect amateur", he laughed aloud. "Bahaha", the marine hero continued.
Sometimes Garp's sense of humor would go over Zephyr's head. This was a perfect example. He couldn't figure out what was so funny nor what exactly Kuzan was an amateur about but it seemed to truly amuse his friend. Maybe it was because he, himself, was so tired that he didn't get the joke. After all it was shortly passed midnight and he wanted to get home to his own wife after being gone for six days. The instructor needed to kiss his kids and hold Mary tightly. Wishing his long-time friend a good night, the retired admiral set off to do just that.