The journey heading back from the hospital was slow, the insane morning traffic lengthening their drive to almost half an hour more than usual. But neither of them was in a hurry and Shunsui drove patiently, not minding the rush hour congestion that much.
Juushirou sat in the front passenger seat quietly, still tired from the night's event. Clasping the sturdy material of his seatbelt, he stared out of the clear window, watching people rushing to work and school. The shops were opened and ready for customers, people diving in and out of bakeries and cafés to get their morning coffee and breakfast.
He let out a soft sigh, sinking back into the car seat, blinking away the sleep that he could feel creeping up on him. The car had stopped again because of the jam, setting him right in front of a coffee place. The glass door swung open and a smartly dressed man stepped out, a brown paper bag in one hand and a cardboard coffee carrier in the other. It was a cold morning and Juushirou could see the steam wafting from the Styrofoam cups of coffee clearly, the faint wisps of white making him tug his right sleeve down a little to cover his wrist more.
A large, warm hand covered both of his, and he turned to look at his partner.
"Cold? I can turn up the heater if you want."
Juushirou smiled at the concern in Shunsui voice and eyes, turning a hand over to interlock his fingers with Shunsui's.
"No, I just… I guess I'm craving a little for hot coffee," he said sheepishly, shrugging a shoulder.
A thumb rubbed his skin before Shunsui withdrew his hand to steer the car forward by a bit, the traffic now moving inch by inch.
"Hmm…"
Shunsui had a slight furrow in his brow and Juushirou knew that he was recounting all the doctor's instructions on his relapse this time. He was pretty sure the doctor had said nothing about avoiding caffeine.
He was right as Shunsui's frown soon cleared, a lighter expression on his face.
"How about we head to the mall? We can buy breakfast and coffee from your favourite sandwich place before going home."
Juushirou nodded happily, the hollow feeling in his stomach subsiding a little at the thought of warm food. The last time he ate was at last night's dinner and that had all ended up flushed down the drain.
He winced at the memory of him crouched over the toilet bowl, the horrible taste and sensation of digested food and stomach acid forcing their way up his throat.
And the distinct tang of blood in his mouth.
Juushirou swallowed tightly, his tongue sweeping the back of his teeth and the roof of his mouth. He knew he should taste nothing but the fresh, minty toothpaste he had used in the hospital before he was discharged, but he could still taste it, that metallic–
He felt a slightly calloused hand cupping the side of his face and turning his head before dry lips brushed against his own, a hot tongue licking at the seam of his lips. His eyelids fell shut and his mouth parted automatically for Shunsui. Shunsui explored every inch of his mouth with his tongue and it took a while for Juushirou to register the sharp mint that Shunsui tasted of.
They parted and Juushirou licked his lips, savouring the taste of the mint chewing gum that Shunsui had chewed earlier. The hand on his face had dropped to his lap, coaxing his hands that had unconsciously tightened and twisted the seatbelt to relax.
"Feeling better?"
Juushirou nodded, his voice soft as he replied, "Yeah. Thanks."
A gentle squeeze, then a packet of chewing gum was pressed into his hands.
Shunsui turned back to concentrate on the road, the traffic finally picking up.
Juushirou fingered the shiny packaging of the gum and observed Shunsui as he drove, a warm, quiet sort of contentment spreading within him. He smiled a tiny smile, closing his eyes and finally giving in to the sleep that had pulled at him since leaving the hospital.
A/N: Bonus side-story! :) I wanted to write some fluff and try the third-person view style. Do let me know what you think, I usually write from the first-person view so input is much appreciated! Thanks for reading!