Disclaimer: I don't own anything…just the cat.

Anyway the final fluffiness before all is interrupted by Yamato and Co! Thankies to all the reviewers!!! Hands out Gray plushies I checked da review and there were like 14 reviews which isn't that much for a big category like Fruits Basket or something but that's huge for a small category!

Flu

Today had been the usual…Cain had rolled around in bed, got yelled at by Joshua, they had breakfast together and then had parted ways.

Now the blonde sat on his bed, trying to make sense of the numbers and numerous figures on the latest financial report. Needless to say, it was making his brain ache and his head spin dizzily.

He wondered why he had ever volunteered to help Joshua with the financial side of the company. Then he remembered why, he had woken up in an unusually good mood from yesterday and as a result instead of smiling good-naturedly at his friend's dismay at the pile of growing paperwork, offered to help. That was why.

Damn, happiness made him do stupid things...still he would rather do stupid things than be miserable. Unfortunately, letting him do paperwork was stupid and made him miserable and the happy mood had quickly evaporated.

He turned back to the papers in his hand and tried to concentrate. He narrowed his eyes and tried to calculate the figures mentally inside his head. It didn't work, his eyes just became sore and all the numbers and words seemed to melt into one big black and white mess.

Too bad, he thought almost happily. I'll just have to go ask Joshua. At least that wouldn't make his eyes sore or his head spin. And with that he set off towards the makeshift office.

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Knocking on the door before entering, Cain walked into the room that had been the main training room. Since he'd given up however, the room was useless and had quickly been converted into an office.

He walked over to the desks where his friend sat, head bent down working away at an enormous stack of paperwork. He tapped his foot to gain his friend's attention. Joshua?

There was no reply. This was particularly strange since he couldn't remember a time when he had been able to speak well mimic speaking anyway, to Joshua without his friend giving him full attention.

Joshua? He prodded the stationary body gently.

This time he got a response. Joshua slowly lifted his head up to give a weary smile. He looked awful, Cain decided. His hair looked like it hadn't been brushed for days and his usual porcelain skin had taken on a yellowish pallor. Panda eyes had also affected his appearance along with the unusually flushed cheeks.

"What do you want?" Joshua snapped out tiredly. "Look, I'm sorry. I've just been really tired lately." He immediately said apologetically.

It's okay. It's not really important. Cain sighed; if you're that tired I probably could work things out myself….

"No, it's fine." Emerald eyes took in the paperwork that the blonde held. "It's the paperwork, right? Here, I'll explain."

Thanks. And Cain leaned over to here the long explanation that was due to come, a small smile hidden. Even after more than thirteen years of use the same dismal sigh always won over Joshua.

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Suppressing a yawn, Cain finished signing the last page and carefully placed it at the end of the pile. Finally, he thought. The papers had consumed at least three hours and he had only had a small stack. He shuddered to think what it would be like to do it everyday and wondered how Joshua could bear it.

He glanced over at the giant grandfather clock that had been a heirloom passed down his through his family.

12:58.

Lunch.

Not that he was going to make it by any means. He had long discovered that to let him near a stove was to let loose a house fire so he had stuck to using the microwave. There was probably some leftovers from yesterday that he could quickly heat up since there was no way Joshua would be able to fix something up.

To the kitchen it was then.

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10 minutes later, Cain walked up to the office carrying the reheated soup from yesterday. While soup wasn't exactly a five star gourmet delicacy, it was all either of them could consume after 8-course meal to celebrate the opening of the new wing of the hospital.

His shoes click clacking on the polished wood floors of the hallway, he entered the office.

It was quiet…very quiet. Too quiet for someone at work. No clicking of pens either, or at least the quiet curses whenever stationary was dropped. The pile was slowly slipping to one side and several sheets lay scattered on the desk and floor. That was highly unusual, Joshua was the kind of person who got agitated when napkins where folded the wrong way or on the wrong side of the plate.

Joshua? No response.

Joshua? Still no answer.

Annoyed and a little puzzled Cain walked over to the seemingly lifeless body and tapped him on the shoulder.

There was no reaction and Joshua stayed in the same position.

Setting the bowl and utensils down away from the papers he pulled up Joshua's hands that he had been burying his head in.

As soon as he saw Joshua, he almost laughed. It was a wonder he had never thought of it. Joshua was asleep. It was an obvious reason he hadn't thought of. Why? Because he personally had never seen Joshua tired. Joshua had been like solid support system all the way through his recovery, kind, understanding, persistent and because of it all he often forgot that Joshua was in fact human.

And seeing Joshua's head flopped down on the table in deep slumber had just reassured him that Joshua was human after all.

The sight wasn't unpleasant by any means though. Green hair flopped gently around his face, and the same flushed cheeks rose up and down to the rhythm of his breath. The eyes were closed and the whole expression was one of serene bliss.

Staring at the scene Cain suddenly felt an urge to stroke that hair. No, no, no, no, no; he berated himself. Joshua needs rest, and that could wake him up, he told himself.

Reasoning not working he settled for a quick touch. Clearing some space for himself he reached his hand out to stroke the soft waves of green hair.

It was soft and had a silky feel to it. And it was tousled messily, something Joshua would never have allowed and he felt himself smoothing it over until he thought it looked reasonably Joshua-ish.

Just for a little while, he told himself. But it was addictive and he wondered what it would be like to stroke that same hair while his mouth was attached on and…he was daydreaming again.

Still it wasn't a bad image of them in lip lock so he let it stay for awhile.

They were sitting on the open balcony of their adjoined rooms and he was wearing Joshua's coat that he had lent him last night.

Joshua's right arm was wrapped around his waist while his own left arm was brushing through the messy green tufts of hair.

The green-haired male smiles softly and bends down for a chaste kiss, not that chaste was where he was planning to head.

Cain pushes Joshua's head down further while he stretches his neck upwards to deepen the kiss. He presses himself up against Joshua and after a few seconds of getting used to the pose his tongue begins to lick at Joshua's lips wanting them to open.

He could feel Joshua's slight hesitation as the other allows his mouth to open, letting his tongue access his own. His tongue begins to dart in and out, shyly at first then more boldly as he begins to explore Joshua's mouth.

Suddenly he feels something lick his tongue and he finds himself battling against Joshua's tongue for dominance.

As their tongues began to dance together he felt his hand stray towards Joshua's forehead, brushing against the hot skin…wait, hot?

His eyes snapped open with realization and he placed his hand against Joshua's forehead. It was burning.

Suddenly it was all clear. The exhaustion, the yellowish pallor, the flush cheeks and dazed reactions, he had a fever. When? He was fine yesterday so…that was it! Yesterday, the jacket! The idiot had given his jacket to him so he wouldn't be cold and had ended up catching a fever himself!

God, now he felt really bad. If he hadn't been complaining last night the fever would've never happened and he hadn't even offered to give up his own coat in exchange for Joshua's!

All right, he told himself. At the most it's probably a little cold and the room does have heating so that might be why he's a little flushed.

But then again, after glancing down at Joshua's flushed face and the rather laboured breathing he decided that maybe calling up their private doctor would be necessary just to make sure.

First though, he have to get Joshua somewhere cooler as the heated temperature in the room sure wasn't doing much good. He had begun to nudge Joshua in the shoulder in an attempt to awaken him when he realised that would probably deprive the feverish boy of the much needed rest. So waking him was not an option.

To get Joshua out of the room; that was actually the next problem. Maybe he could carry him someway but Joshua was taller than him and probably a lot heavier…common sense said so.

However common sense was Joshua's thing, and Cain himself preferred to just follow his instincts. Common sense just gave him a headache most of the time. So he was going to carry Joshua…somehow and hopefully his friend wasn't too heavy.

After much pulling he was able to pull the chair out from underneath the desk so that Joshua was now facing him.

Wrapping his arms around Joshua he easily pulled him up from the chair and he gasped at how light it felt. He had expected Joshua to be much heavier as he was taller and better built, however as he swung Joshua over one shoulder he found that it was like carrying a life-sized doll.

He had reached the first flight of stairs that led to Joshua's bedroom when his right shoulder had begun to ache. However light Joshua was, he still was a human being and the pain was starting to take its toll on Cain.

Reprimanding himself for letting his physical shape become so weak, he made a promise to start working out again and then placed Joshua down onto the floor as he took a minute to breathe.

He had been worried that perhaps Joshua would wake up from all the moving but his friend seemed to be away in dreamworld so he assumed it didn't disturb him. Panting, he knew that if he carried on like this, and switched shoulders occasionally he was more than likely to get sore shoulders and drop Joshua. He would have to carry him a different way.

There was a way his mind immediately thought of and while he would have to be very careful to not bang into objects, as the hallways were quite narrow it was probably a lot easier than his previous position.

Carefully placing his arms around the sleeping body, he picked him up, bridal style. This was a good choice as he soon realised because it shared the weight fairly evenly and it was easier to manage. And this was how he continued until he reached Joshua's room.

Placing the body on the bed, he pulled a cover over him and then opened the door to his room as the two rooms were adjoined. Picking up the phone he chose the auto-dial option where his doctor's phone number was listed.

Pressing in the dial tone he waited for several seconds for someone to answer. Surprisingly, no one did, which was a surprise since Alyssa, their private doctor had always been available even when he had broken his leg when he fallen down the banisters in the middle of the night and it had been her birthday.

Frowning he redialled the number, and again there was no response. He waited longer this time and then the voice mail came on. "Due to a series of unfortunate events, I have been called to attend to family matters. I will be returning at the fifth of May, I sincerely apologize for any inconveniences. Please state your problem and appointment time, I will get back to you when I return." Then beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

May the fifth? Cain wondered how this was supposed to help him when it was only the February 10th.

Still, there was probably some medicine in the house somewhere; he knew he had his share of colds when winter came. But first he'd check on Joshua first.

He turned around to see the said person, leaning against the doorframe breathlessly. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Are you out of your mind? You're burning up, can barely walk for more than two metres without panting and you're saying that you're perfectly fine??

"Stop fussing, that is my job Cain." Joshua waved his hand casually as if brushing it off. "I'm not exactly in top condition but I will be fine."

Explain why I had to carry you all this way upstairs because you had a fever?

"You carried me all the way upstairs?" Joshua's expression is almost a mixture between bewilderment and vulnerability.

Of course! Do you honestly think I would have let you steam in there and make it worse?

About your fever, do you remember any of the other doctors that Alyssa suggested for emergencies?

Joshua's frown deepens. "Look, I have just caught a small cold. I will just take a pill then I will be fine, alright?"

You forgot the rest part!

"I will not need too much rest, I have to oversee the corporation's progress, the housekeeping and a few other things."

You are not doing anything while you still have that fever! And stop pretending it's just a cold it's a fever!

"It is just a cold Cain. Stop worrying, I'm going back to bed, see." Joshua walked back to the bed, and then lay down again.

He seemed okay, Cain assumed. His face was still flushed but not as much and he didn't seem to feel nauseous or have a headache. Maybe he had just overreacted.

Turning to leave Cain made sure to give one more reproachful glance. Don't get out of that bed, where do you keep the pills?

"White Cabinet, 3rd room to the left, 1st corridor, 2nd floor." The reply was like a programmed response, blunt and exact.

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The door closed and Joshua let out his breath. That hadn't been as easy as he thought it would've been. He had to be more careful from now on, Cain couldn't catch him like this again. It would worry his friend to no end, and that was totally unnecessary.

He could feel his body heating up again and his breath was becoming laboured and gasping. Forcing himself to use a meditation technique to calm the body he suddenly remembered something that was sure to be the start of many headaches.

These are the right ones I presume? Cain had returned and was now holding a small white container in his hand with a glass of water in the other.

Placing the pills in Joshua's hands so he could check properly Cain sat down next to him still holding the glass of water.

"Yes, they are." Joshua nodded then handed them back.

Good, there was another one but that one was for pain relief. Cain still gives a concerned glance to Joshua.

"By the way, I was going to tell you earlier on but Yamato and the others will be arriving soon."

Really?? When?

"Tomorrow."

There was splash as the glass flew into the air giving Joshua a shower and then the glass landed on the dresser shattering.

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So, next chappie Yamato and the Gang arrive!!!!!! And the plot actually begins….these four chappies are more fluff than actual plot…. ;