Gluttony (def.): excessive eating and drinking.
A hangover. That's what causes the captain of the 2nd Ship and one of the strongest fighters in Circus to spend the entire morning locked in his room. Admittedly, were an emergency to happen, Hirato would be up in an instant and commanding his crew as he should, but until either that happens or his mind-numbing headache leaves, he plans to stay in his chambers as long as possible.
He doesn't sleep. He knew from the minute he woke up he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep while his body took its revenge on him for last night. Gluttony, he realizes wryly, no matter what the form, always has its downsides.
A knock on the door makes his ears scream, but he shakes himself off, retrieves his glasses, and opens the door to be greeted by a thoroughly confused and irritated doctor carrying a bag of medical supplies.
"Tsukitachi called and said you needed medicine. So why is it I see nothing wrong with you?" Akari asks, stepping around Hirato and taking a seat on a chair. Hirato closes the door, making a reminder to return the favor to Tsukitachi sometime. He doesn't both to sit politely but lies back down on the couch where he was before.
"I don't really require any medicine," Hirato replies, removing his glasses again. "I'm not ill or injured."
Hirato doubts Akari will be satisfied with that response, and sure enough, the doctor wastes no time in getting out the supplies he brought. "Sit up," he orders, and Hirato obeys even though it makes the room spin. A light is shining in his eyes before his vision fully clears, and when he can see again, Akari is making notes on a small notepad. "Take off your shirt." Normally, there would something erotic about the phrase, especially from Akari's pretty mouth, but this time it's anything but. "I know you well enough to know if you have any injuries, they're probably hidden."
Hirato does so placidly, too damn tired to even try to turn the situation sexual. But when he sees Akari in complete doctor mode, it's too much to resist. "Is this better?" he asks, fixing Akari with a smirk. "I have no injuries. You're welcome to look more closely if you'd like." He notices the stethoscope hanging around Akari's neck, and he takes the other man's hand and sets it against his bare chest. "You haven't listened to my heartbeat. Do you need to check it as well?"
Akari pulls his hand away with a flicker of barely controlled irritation on his face. "You have a hangover," he says with no pity. "You would never say something as foolish as that if you didn't. You called me away from Research Tower because you drank too much last night? I don't know what Tsukitachi expected me to do, but I'm not giving you any medicine." The doctor gathers his materials and stands to leave. "It was your own stupidity that caused this."
"You're so cruel, Akari-san," Hirato responds, voice saturated with sarcasm. "It was a momentary lapse in judgment." And it's true, the captain isn't prone to hangovers because he rarely drinks so much. Still, he doesn't argue. He rises from the couch and follows Akari to the door, leaning against the wall as his vision darkens and blurs again. When it clears, he can see an expression of slight pity on Akari after all, partnered with consideration.
After several long seconds Akari sighs in defeat and rummages through his bag, eventually pulling out a small bottle of pills. "Go eat something then take these. They'll make your headache better and calm any nausea you have. They're narcotics though, so don't be surprised if you fall asleep," Akari warns as he closes the bag once more. "And before you ask, no, I am not going to stay here with you."
Hirato glances down at the pills in his hand and smiles despite the feeling that his brain is threatening to break in half. A soft kiss is his silent thanks, and Akari accepts it as payment, returning it before opening the door and disappearing back out into the hall. The doctor isn't always as cruel as he acts, it seems.
Sometimes, the "downsides" aren't so bad after all.
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A/N: I'm reeeeally not a fan of this one. I'm a bit emotionally ravaged today, so my apologies if this chapter lets you down. Tomorrow's will hopefully be better.