Habit getting sick and Vinny looking after him.
Written for Risingwood on AO3
Vinny woke up to a noise that had been familiar, and had become unfamiliar. He had always been the mom of the group, when Evan, Jeff, or Alex was sick it was Vinny who looked after them. Instinct pulled him out of bed and towards the pathetic sound of someone getting sick.
It was Habit he found kneeling on the bathroom floor over the toilet groaning pathetically. Vinny sighed and pulled Habit's hair back from his face, he had let it grow too long and it was getting in way.
"Vinny?" Habit whimpered.
"Yep I'm here." Vinny soothed, rubbing Habit's back gently.
"Wha-" Habit started but was cut off for another gag.
"Shhh it's okay." Vinny said smoothly. "Get it all out Habit. You'll feel better after." Habit just whimpered and threw up again. He did it three more times before he went limp against Vinny's chest. "Are you done now?" Vinny asked and Habit nodded, carefully Vinny leaned Habit against the wall. Habit whimpered in protest.
"I'm going to get you a glass of water." Vinny assured softly. "I'll be right back." Habit nodded and leaned his forehead against the wall. Vinny slipped out of the bathroom and got a glass of water from the kitchen, making his way back to the bathroom quickly. "Rinse your mouth out then take small sips." Habit obeyed, rinsing his mouth out and spitting into the toilet before he took small sips.
"Are you going to be able to keep that down?" Vinny asked rubbing Habit's shoulder. Habit nodded and relaxed a little.
"Can you make it to bed?" Vinny asked and Habit tried to sit up, groaning he slumped back against the wall. "Okay, so no." Vinny half laughed, taking the glass out of Habit's hands he put it on the counter. "Hang on Habit." Vinny said gently lifting Habit into his arms. Habit whimpered and clung to Vinny's shoulders. Carefully Vinny carried Habit back to his bedroom and tucked him in. Habit rolled onto his side and curled up.
"I haaate this." Habit groaned. Vinny laughed softly.
"No one likes being sick." Vinny commented. "Hang on." He left and found a bucket, picking up the glass of water again, refilling it and heading back to Habit. He set the glass on the bedside table and the bucket next to the bed.
"I'm a fucking immortal monster." Habit whined. "I'm mankind's bad habit, I can't be sick." Vinny laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed fluffing Habit's hair the way Evan always liked when he was sick. It was the same body after all, maybe the same things would work. Vinny wasn't even sure why he was looking after Habit now except that it was his own habit bred from looking after his friends.
"Ya well you're in a human body and they get sick." Habit groaned and leaned his head slightly into Vinny's hand.
"That feels nice." He mumbled his eyelids drooping closed.
"Go to sleep Habit." Vinny chuckled. "You'll feel better when you wake up." Vinny soothed unsure of what to do. If this was really Evan he would hum to him and keep petting his hair the way he was now, but he wasn't sure that would work with Habit. Different people needed different things. Alex liked being read to from books like Harry potter and Inkheart that reminded him of when his parents were alive. Jeff needed to be handled carefully because he hated feeling weak. Vinny had had to tiptoe around him carefully, looking after him while making it seem like he wasn't.
"Kay." Habit sighed. "I'mmmm not sick though."
"Of course not Habit." Vinny assured smiling slightly. "You're a immortal being with no weaknesses." Habit chuckled softly at the Gravity Falls reference and yawned. Vinny kept stroking Habit's hair until his breathing became even and slow. Then Vinny got up carefully and snuck out of the room.
It was oddly nice to be looking after someone again. To be actually helping, even if it was Habit he was helping. Habit was so much like Evan when he was sick, it was almost the same. At least for the next few days while Habit recovered things would be calm.