Truth be told, he still didn't know Gran Chokmah half as well as he knew Keterburg. Wherever he had followed Jade was hidden quite a ways from the main streets. He hadn't bothered to take note of any landmarks the same way he hadn't bothered to put on shoes. There was no point in stopping if he couldn't recognize anything. Stopping meant thinking, possibly rationalizing, but certainly confronting. All he could do was run.

But he couldn't run forever. He was tired, cold and wet, and numb almost everywhere. He couldn't feel the tips of his fingers or the pavement beneath his feet. He could barely feel the raindrops on his back, and only felt the hand on his shoulder when pulled him back to a familiar face.

At the very least, he could feel those unmistakable soft lips, seeking his own in a way he'd never expected. But were they asking questions or giving answers? Was Jade looking for something, or showing him something?

That he had accepted the challenge, whatever it was? That he wasn't going to lose? Or that he didn't know what they were playing?

If neither of them knew the game, then what were they doing?

Peony couldn't feel anything. Maybe because Jade was an engima, maybe because he was drenched.

"I can see the palace from here," he said through chattering teeth.

"Very astute of you, your majesty" Jade said quietly. "But my residence is closer, if you want to get out of the rain."

Peony nodded rapidly, matching Jade's brisk pace. It would be unseemly for the Malkuth line to end with hypothermia. A few streets later, they were at the Curtiss Manor. "I guess we are even now," Jade said while offering the other a towel and a change of clothes. He left to presumably change as well and apparently raise the heat, which Peony greatly appreciated. He was really getting sick of this weather.

When Jade returned, he was holding two glasses of brandy. Peony took one gratefully before seating himself in the parlor. "So, what now?"

"Well, the palace would normally send for a carriage and that would be that, but with the weather and you sending most of them home-"

"That's not what I meant," Peony cut him off.

"Then what did you mean?"

Peony didn't have a good answer to that. Gulping nearly half the glass so as to not have an excuse to talk, he spluttered as it seemed to burn through his esophagus.

"Doing all right with that?"

Peony ignored him, trying to find the words. Meanwhile Jade watched with mild bemusement- although he did not have any answers himself. This was all hurtling very quickly down the path of wrack and ruin, he tried to tell himself, but it was almost instinct to walk, nay, sprint down it. Clearly his own path has not taught him enough. And years of self discipline was being washed away by the storm sitting in his parlor. What did that mean?

The brandy, like everything else, was too warm. His blood was like fire as circulation returned, coursing all the way to his fingers and toes, his lips, but the words were still lost. Again, he hadn't expected to find himself here as a welcomed guest, in Jade's clothes, even, which smelled like a curious blend of chamomile and oranges. Jade said they were even, but Peony only found the balance tipped steadily in the other's favor.

"What are you playing at?" he finally asked, giving up on finding a less confrontational way to deflect the question, though he knew Jade wouldn't fall for it. He was doing it yet again, giving that studious, scientific look.

"Again, what do you mean?"

"I called you a coward and you kissed me."

"I believe you kissed me first, then took off into a part of the city you don't know."

"Fine. Then you kissed me. Jade Curtiss does not kiss." Peony wasn't sure where this was going. Maybe he was too tired. Maybe he was still a little too cold. Maybe they should have the conversation later.

"I'm taking a nap," he declared, cutting Jade off before he said anything, if he was going to say anything. He choked down the last of his own brandy, walked into Jade's room and locked the door. Maybe it was an undeclared war on reason. Maybe it was the rising temperature of his fever. Maybe they would have the conversation later. Peony climbed into bed wondering how much easier it would be if they didn't.

As much as he wanted to follow Peony's example, he probably couldn't fall asleep under the circumstances anyway. Not to mention the other decided to commandeer his personal sleeping quarters, which was unfortunate because he couldn't remember the last time he actually slept in his own bed. Or even saw the covers, because it made for a better place to sort books than sleep. He actually preferred the guest room by his office, which faced the south and let plenty of light in. But Peony could do as he pleased, he told himself, setting about collecting his friend's soaked clothes and wringing them out and setting it aside in the hamper.

Next was mopping up the water- he checked the clock, surprised it was still only in the early afternoon. The thick cloud cover obscured the sun, distorting his sense of time. Might as well start dinner, he though, boiling soup stock. Cooking for one, not six, actually felt odd now, and typically he made enough for at least two unintentionally. Just as well now, he supposed. As his hands followed the simple procedures, he let his mind wander to his next move.

Had he simply wanted to give Peony the same as he got with that reckless kiss in the rain? Was he that petty? Jade seriously doubted it, but that only meant there was something more. Something personal. Emotional, even. The rhythmic sound of the knife slicing through potatoes filled the silence. And then there was that sense of urgency that curled in his gut when he saw his friend. Was it really because of the score? Or was that his excuse?

Peony's attempts at sleep were hindered by the poking and prodding, but he was left unsurprised by the dull thud of a book falling to the floor as he got under the sheets. Figures the man would sleep with his books. Peony's hair dripped on the floor as he craned his neck over their titles, nudging them over the edge one by one. Volume One of the Essays of Dr. Southern-Cross. An Encyclopedia on Cell Particles. A History of the Order of Lorelei. Notebook after notebook detailing the patterns of the Fonbelt. A historical almanac from Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, three more from Malkuth. So that was Jade was up to.

He sighed, not wanting to think about anything anymore. He kicked the rest of the books off the bed and pulled the blankets and pillows over his head. It wasn't too long before he was in a dreamless sleep.

It couldn't have been more than minutes before someone, presumably Jade, was shaking him awake. Yet the bedside clock insisted several hours had passed.

"Good evening, your majesty," Jade said coolly.

"How did you get in?" he mumbled groggily, eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. Why didn't Jade turn on the lights? Didn't he know how unnerving his eyes were in the dark? They could have been some nocturnal monster's- the color of blood and almost glowing in the absence of light.

"That lock doesn't work at all, I'm afraid," Jade answered simply, "At least, not anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean," he grumbled, sitting up to quickly and being forced back by a wave of dizziness. The room was spinning, he could feel it, and Jade wasn't helping it by dancing around. "Can you stop that?" But Jade hadn't moved since Peony had awoken.

He turned on the lights and pressed his palm, then his wrist to Peony's forehead. Peony winced, trying to escape the meddlesome hand, but every effort sent a dull wave of pain washing over him. The lights were too bright and the corners of the room were undulating in time with the throbs of his headache.

Peony seized his opportunity to turn the lights off when Jade left the room, but was unfortunately looking right at them when the other returned and turned them on. Jade was carrying a laden tray with a bowl of something he knew he didn't want. It was the only thing in the room that he could smell.

Unfortunately for Peony, the colonel had more than enough dexterity to balance the dishes in one hand and wrest away the comforter he had attempted to bury himself in with the other. There was no escaping once Jade sat on the other side of the mattress, but Peony still tried to edge away from the spoon as Jade brought it to his mouth.

"The faster you eat, the faster you get back to sleep." But Peony was like a child, pursing his lips and shaking his head in protest. The soup was foul, whatever it was. There were potatoes and carrots floating in the bowl, and he was almost sure he smelled eggplant.

He could roll off the bed and climb through the window. Perhaps, if he flipped the tray, Jade would be distracted enough for him to reach the door.

The ambitious escapism was jarred by the acute pain of a tightening on his upper arm. Peony would have yelped in pain had the soup not held back his protests. Between every spoon thereafter he threw looks of contempt at Jade, who only smiled back and reminded him that he was being a good boy.

After the seventh - technically the sixth spoon as Peony had tried unsuccessfully to spit out the soup only to dribble it back into the utensil - he dropped his resistance. In all honesty, he couldn't really taste much of anything; he even had to admit that the eggplant didn't taste as bad as it could have, though he maintained the scowl to let Jade know that he wasn't in love with it. But by the end he was contemplating asking for another bowl, maybe even the recipe.

Lucky for him, he wouldn't need either as he suddenly became reacquainted with everything he'd eaten that day. Had there been the tell-tale surge of nausea, he would have at least turned away from Jade, but here he was, tossing his cookies, cupcakes, strawberries and soup into his host's lap, the sight of which only promoted more vomiting.

Vomit was nothing, Jade told himself sternly as he reacted quickly and efficiently, first acquiring a container for his friend in the event he decides to continue expelling the contents of his stomach, then changing out of his soiled clothing and stripping the linens (not an easy task with Peony still on the bed, bringing him a glass of water to fight off dehydration, and then taking a quick shower.

It was nothing.

Really. On the field there was vomit, and blood and sweat and grime as an added bonus. But this was not the field, he reminded himself, finding Peony asleep again. This was his own house and there were no hostile forces, except the ones that compromised Peony's health.

Probably his rappigs.

Sighing, he knelt down by the bed, picking up the books Peony unceremoniously pushed off the bed. Judging from Peony's quiet mumblings about soup, it was going to be a long night.

So this was how the Malkuth line was going to end, Peony thought faintly. Dying after massive internal hermorraging and dehydration due to acute food poisoning. He always knew there was something wrong with eggplant, but he never thought it would be the death of him. Peony could only hope that history would be conveniently rewritten as to not include his cause of death. Or location, because he didn't know how he would explain dying in another man's bed, but then again, Jade apparently didn't sleep in this one.

Did he sleep at all? Peony's mental composition of his eulogy and epitaph was interrupted by this thought. He'd heard the rumors... but Jade was only human. Reasonably certain of that fact.

Maybe he slept underground. Now, why would he do that, Peony thought to himself, feeling himself drifting. Dying wasn't so bad, he decided, even if he couldn't feel his arm. That was weird, he thought drowsily, since he hadn't damaged it

And there was the light. Was he suppose to walk towards it, or away from it? Jade would certainly know, but then again he would call this ridiculous and cliched.

About ten seconds later, Peony realized his eyes were open and that the light he was suppose to walk towards was simply streaming in from the windows. He assumed this meant he hadn't died, which was a shame because he had thought of something really clever for his mausoleum or whatever they would put his corpse in- now why was his arm still numb?

The answer turned out to be Jade, who had fallen asleep beside the bed, all the books Peony discarded on the floor piled neatly beside him, and a clean wastebasket. He looked exhausted, he observed, and then realized with a pang of guilt it was probably his fault. The last thing he wanted to do was wake him, but his arm needed circulation. With careful manuvering and several close calls, he managed to slide his arm out from underneath his friend's head.

While he felt a little lightheaded, he considered himself recovered. The important thing, he thought, was to get back to the Palace.

He was down the stairs faster than he'd realized, feeling up the wall for support. The living room, for the most part, was stationary, as was the door, before he realized that he was pushing it instead of pulling. But he had only given the door a small nudge before it swung open and water rushed in. He panicked, only having the sense to shut the door after the water had already crept to the the other side of the room. He reached for a vase, scooping up as much as he could.

"I'll get it." It was Jade was at the base of the stairs, watching with some amusement as he tried vainly to contain the deluge.

"I'm sorry," he said meekly. dropping the vase and watching it roll away as his feeble attempts poured back onto the floor. Jade sighed with the air of a martyred parent. The emperor's youthfulness was little more than childish mentality sometimes.

"Please return to bed, Your Highness." But Peony was more tired of intruding than being sick.

"I don't want to bother you."

"As a member of Malkuth's armed forces, my life is in service to yours."

"But you're not just another...another..." Peony's protest was interrupted by a sneeze and a chained fit of coughs. Jade guided him carefully up the stairs and to the bedroom, tucking him in before turning his attention to the flood below.

Looking outside, there was maybe four or five inches of water from the storm. The water level had risen drastically during the storm, but luckily it didn't flood the residential areas too badly. But if he wanted to prevent any further water damage he should start cleaning up now. After making sure Peony couldn't accidentally kill himself (one could never be too careful), he grabbed the mop and tried to drain out as much water as he could.

He had just finished mopping the kitchen when he heard the other calling from upstairs.

"Jaaade."

"I'm bored!"

Jade rolled his eyes, returning to his task. But that insistent voice eventually brought him up the stairs.

"Peony, I am not your babysitter, nor a one man circus. And you are sick, so you should try to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible," he said bluntly.

"Ouch," Peony winced. "Have mercy to the ill, sheesh."

"I don't have any towards those who become ill through their own carelessness,"

Peony grimaced again, falling back on the pillow. "I feel bad for whoever ends up with you for the rest of their life," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Jade said, unceremoniously plopping a cool towel on the other's forehead.

"Nothing," he sighed. "How bad is the flooding?"

"Nothing major, but I'll have to replace the carpet. The water level is already receding, thanks to the city engineers."

Somewhere in between being a doctor and being a housekeeper, Jade had also been living up to his reputation as the emperor's right hand man. He had messaged the palace informing them of Peony's whereabouts, and he had probably been the one to advise and authorize the draining of the city streets. He hated being in Jade's custody, but he was grateful for it. That it was Jade's choice was both comforting and bewildering to him; the fever that returned burning through the wet cloth only made it more difficult to think about. He ate his soup compliantly that night, silently attempting to mull over what had transpired over the past few weeks. Another minor session of vomiting - for which he was prepared this time; most of it landed in the bucket - he curled back under the covers, watching Jade's retreating figure.

"Why?"

"It's my responsibility as a citizen." Jade responded as he turned out the lights. "Please, sleep."

In spite of all the questions he wanted to ask, Peony did just that.