Prompt: An anon sent me a message ages ago about Antauri's reaction to Chiro being sick, once he became the silver monkey. This takes place sometime during season three.

The full message:

Anon Asked: Lol, post S3 Antauri would be adorably awkward over sick Chiro. He'd be off to the side trying to appear stoic but pretty worried inside. Everyone else would be 'meh we got our routine' and settle into providing whatever they know Chiro needs. He might even feel a little bad deep down for not having ever been more involved before. Anyone would tell him someone had to keep patrolling. Sprx might give him the tea recipe he'd always made for sick Chiro before (and tell him yes it needs milk/honey) just so Antauri could feel useful. Other then that he'd probably meditate in Chiro's room a lot to monitor his condition. He'd still patrol but he'd use the PP to reach out and feel how Chiro's doing.

Summary: Chiro is sick. All of the monkeys have their roles down to routine... all except for Antauri, who, after years of being an outsider, isn't quite sure how to step back in to the fold.

Influenza II

Lady Cravenheart

Antauri jumps every time Chiro coughs. It would be funny, if not for the pained expression on his face.

Sprx remembers what they were like, the first few times Chiro was sick. Nova in particular hovered like a mother hen. Not that he would say that to her face, no matter how adorable he found it. Gibson might have rivaled her, if he didn't spend his time holed up in his lab making sure that they had all the medicines and equipment needed to take care of Chiro. Otto had worried, in that silent, kicked puppy way of his; fiddling with his tail when his hands weren't busy. He spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

Sprx generally felt like the only level-headed one among them—and wasn't THAT just the kicker? Level-headed and Sprx didn't tend to go together, but when the Kid needed him… It just flowed.

Now, though, things were more… settled. Nova took to changing the sheets and blankets, making sure that Chiro had a comfortable place to sleep and recover. Gibson provided diagnosis and medicine, checking up on him every few hours to ensure that his recovery was proceeding well. Otto and Sprx took turns making soup, though generally making Chiro's special tea was a job left to Sprx alone. And each of them took shifts by Chiro's bedside, for when the fever dreams shook him awake, and to monitor his fevers, and wake him to take his medicine.

Antauri, however, was a newcomer to it all, and he hovered to the side, unsure of what to do. His stoic façade was cracking at the edges—but there wasn't a place for him to jump in, and all of them knew it.

Sprx smoothed back Chiro's hair, metal digits coming away slick with sweat. His internal thermometers told him Chiro had a fever, but he was in the safe ranges. (Wasn't it funny, that he knew that off the top of his head now?) Chiro's face was waxy pale, dark circles beneath his eyes. He was sleeping, but it was fitful. Wracking coughs had torn up his throat and taxed the muscles in his body, and his lungs struggled around the mucus within. He was in pain, but there wasn't much they could do for him beyond medicating and hydrating him… and letting him sleep it off.

That didn't make it any easier. Especially not when you were going through this for the first time.

Antauri hovered in the doorway, despite the fact that it wasn't his shift. If he were anyone else, he would have been twisting at his tail by now. As it was, the way the sharp ridges of his brows touched were enough to indicate the worry he felt.

Sprx sighed quietly, and glanced at the time. He looked at Antauri. "Almost time for the Kid's to take his meds," he said. "He'll need some tea after." He'd have to use water to get them down, but that wouldn't do much for his throat. "There's a special box in the kitchen. Otto can show you where it is. Steep it for about five minutes, then add two spoonful's of honey and a splash of milk."

Antauri gave a sharp nod, glancing over Chiro's form once more before he did as he was asked, leaving Sprx alone with the Kid again.

He'd wait another few minutes before he woke the kid up. Give Antauri time enough to get the tea going. Sprx sighed at him. "Monkey's gonna drive us all crazy," he said, lips quirking.

Humans, Antauri had learned, were such fragile creatures. It pained him to think of Chiro lying in bed, wracked with an ailment Antauri could do nothing to soothe. His mechanical heart ached in a way that should have been impossible. It made him realize how much he had missed out on, when he still had his flesh-and-blood body. Forever holding himself apart, forever keeping his distance. Watching over with a cool detachment that ought to have been kept for chess games, not matters of family and world-saving.

Antauri sighed, with lungs he didn't have.

The Verans had done a number on him. Their teachings had seemed right. Seemed like the guidance he needed. He had leaned on them, in the wake of Mandarin's betrayal. They had guided him, told him what to do now that he was responsible for his teammates wellbeing.

Then Xan had betrayed them, alongside who knew how many other Mystics. And Antauri himself had died.

Perspective was an amazing thing. And it was perspective he had sorely needed.

But now he found himself with little idea of what to do. He had kept himself apart for so long, been the all-knowing spiritual advisor that now that he wanted something else, wanted that material closeness he had been advised against… He didn't know to ask for it. How to extend it.

And there was a part of him that wasn't willing to give up his place among the team. The picture they held of him, as wise and all-knowing. It was dangerous, logically he knew that. But it was… flattering, as well.

He shook the thoughts from his head. His internal timer flashed, letting him know the tea was done steeping. The world came back to focus, and Antauri found that while he had been lost in thought, he had begun to sway in time to Otto's humming. He smiled, just a bit, reaching for the honey and spooning a generous amount in. While he didn't often add it into his own tea, he knew it was good for the throat. Had used it on more than one occasion, when Mandarin and he had talked for too long, about the world and the universe, and all manner of things.

Otto finished cutting the vegetables, and Antauri glanced over to see him pour a rainbow of them into broth, the smell savory. Had he not been mechanical, and a vegetarian, it would have made his mouth water. As it was, he put the honey away, and grabbed the cream.

"Is that what you always make, when Chiro is sick?" he asked, his voice barely audible over the bubbling.

Otto turned a cheerful smile on him, and Antauri envied him for his calm. "Yeah! He really just eats the broth, so the extra stuff is for the rest of us!" Otto paused, and then resumed his prattle, filling in blanks Antauri had left empty for too long. "For the first couple nights, we usually use a real thin broth for the soup so it doesn't get stuck in his throat! But one he's cleared up a bit, we start making the broth thicker so it sticks to his ribs more! Bein' sick takes a lot outta ya, so we gotta make sure he's eating! Pretty soon we'll be making toasted sandwiches too!"

Antauri nodded, slowly. "I see." He paused for a moment more. "I should get this up to Chiro." He held the cup up. "But if you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Otto gave him a bright thumbs up, and Antauri went on his way, holding the teacup carefully so it wouldn't spill. He could have held it in the Power Primate—could have hovered himself, instead of walking… but it felt important to do it this way. To do it the same way his brothers and sister had done, each and every time their child had gotten sick. Antauri had taken care of patrol—but there was no need to do that here. Only to watch the monitors, and like sitting by Chiro's bedside, that was done in shifts to begin with.

It was Gibson's turn now. Nova was doing laundry—Antauri was pretty sure they were planning on coaxing Chiro into a hot bath tonight, and Nova wanted to change the sheets while they were at it. He tightened his fingers around the cup.

The walk to Chiro's room seemed unbearably long… and yet, terribly short.

The door slid open for him, and he found Chiro sitting up in bed, draining the rest of a glass of water. Sprx's hand lay splayed on his back, giving him something to lean into. Chiro's eyes were bloodshot, and clouded, normally bright blue eyes darkened with sickness and exhaustion.

Antauri's heart ached again.

"Antauri's brought your tea," Sprx said, his voice almost uncharacteristically soft, the rough edges smoothed out of his tone.

Chiro's eyes found him. "'Tauri?" he croaked.

"Yes," Antauri said, because he didn't know what else to say. "Sprx told me how to make it, and Otto helped me find it." It was kept away from the other tea, likely to keep anyone from accidentally drinking it.

Chiro set his glass down, and reached out for it. Antauri passed it to him, and Chiro breathed in the vapor with something like bliss on his face. Sprx chuckled.

"Sip it," he reminded, despite the fact Chiro hadn't even taken a drink yet, and Chiro looked abashed as he pressed the cup to his lips.

Antauri must have looked confused, because Sprx explained, "Kid always wants to chug it, and then makes himself cough more. Gotta remind him that it doesn't work if he does that."

Chiro grumbled something unintelligible but Sprx only laughed again. Antauri felt, almost unbearably, like an outsider again. Like he was intruding on a private moment he wasn't meant to see. It was uncomfortable, and something twisted inside of him. He set the saucer down.

"I'm going to go see if Nova needs any help," he said, and—for lack of a better word—fled.

Antauri seemed unusually pensive. He was always deep in thought about something—that was his nature, and Nova had no desire to change him. But tonight he seemed… off. Not that Nova could blame him. Chiro being sick was never fun, and she thanked her lucky stars it only happened rarely.

"You alright, Antauri?" she asked, propping her fist on her hip. Antauri looked up, midway through folding Chiro's underwear. The boy would be doing his best tomato impression if he was here now to see it, but it had never bothered Nova. Nor did it seem to phase Antauri. "You're not yourself tonight."

Antauri hummed contemplatively. "I… find myself struggling with… old regrets."

Helpful. Nova just managed to resist the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Is this about you not being around when Chiro was sick before?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

His eyes flickered away from hers for a moment, which was as good as a yes.

Nova did roll her eyes this time. "Look, Antauri." She made an effort to keep her voice gentle, though still stern. "Someone had to patrol, and the rest of us certainly weren't in any condition to do so. You did what you had to do. Could you have been more involved? Maybe. But you had other things—important things—on your mind. You're here now. That counts for something. You'll find your place. Don't worry so much about it, okay?"

Antauri had done a lot for them. Nova wasn't blind enough to miss it. He'd helped her with her temper. He'd taken on Mandarin's role in his absence. He'd done the bulk of Chiro's leadership training. He kept himself tuned for threats, to the point that Nova wasn't sure she had seen him ever actually relax—for all that he seemed to be the calmest one among them.

And he had loved Mandarin. They all had. But Antauri had been close to him. Kind of like Otto, though Nova still wasn't sure if Otto and Mandarin were as close as the latter claimed. Antauri had idolized him. Seen him as his hero. And then he had betrayed them.

She wasn't sure he had ever truly mourned that. She didn't blame him if, at first, he saw Chiro as an outsider. He certainly hadn't trusted him.

That had changed, now. And with that trust had come love. Chiro was as much Antauri's boy as he was the rest of them's boy. Antauri would find his way into their circle. Nova believed that. She had faith.

"I… thank you, Nova." Antauri seemed genuinely surprised, and—dare she say it—touched. "That means a lot."

Nova laughed. "That's what we're here for, Antauri!" Then, "No, 'Tauri, don't fold that, that goes in the ironing pile, so we can hang it up."

Antauri looked perplexed, and Nova stifled another laugh. He did have a learning curve to get through, but, they were here to help him through it—the same way he had guided them through their own crises.