Flu season. Cold, miserable, and pretty icky feeling if you were unlucky enough to be the recipient of one of the many bugs that were being passed about.
Unfortunately, the residents of Merlin's house were the latest victims.
"See, this is why we shouldn't all live together. That shit spread quicker than fire!"
Cid spat, his voice hoarse. He was about to make it even worse by taking a cigarette out of its pack, tucking it behind one ear. This prompted a harsh scowl from Aerith.
"I thought I told you to stop smoking! Especially when you're ill. You're gonna ruin your lungs."
Well, if he hadn't heard that line one hundred thousand times before. As usual, he ignored her words of wisdom and made his way to the old creaky wooden front door.
"This nicotines the only thing keeping me sane right now."
And with that, he was gone.
Rubbing her temples, Aerith leant forward with her head in her hands.
"God, I can't remember the last time I felt this awful." She sighed.
She was propped up in an armchair next to the window, Leon and Yuffie also in the room with her. Yuffie had passed out at one end of the worn couch and Leon sat up at the other, blanket covering his lap and head lazily resting on his hand.
"What about the morning after Cid's birthday?" Leon smirked.
She couldn't help but giggle, letting out a small groan.
"Yeah, okay.. that was pretty bad."
Suddenly the door burst open, an elderly man dressed head to toe in blue waltzing into the room.
"Why good heavens, somehow you all look worse than before I left!" He exclaimed, shaking off his long outer robe and hanging it up on a peg. He was clutching a brown hessian sack, which he proceeded to shake out onto the dining room table, its contents spilling everywhere haphazardly. Leon watched with bemusement as the wizard scrambled around, grabbing bunches of various herbs and root-y looking vegetables.
"You are in luck, I managed to find all the things I needed.." He babbled to himself, reeling off various strange and unfamiliar ingredients. A horrendous noise filled the room as he dragged an old black cauldron out of the corner, its heavy cast iron base scraping against the floor boards. He was so old fashioned, choosing to cook things like this inside a cauldron as opposed to one of the nice shiny new pans the others all used when cooking.. but he was an old wizard, after all.
"I hope you're gonna clean that first." Leon said, coughing a little. "That thing is covered in dust."
Merlin seemed offended at his remark, tutting loudly.
"Who do you take me for, a dirty old fool?"
"Yea." Responded a nasally voice.
It seemed as though the noise had woken Yuffie up from her feverish sleep, the mornings's peace being broken.
Merlin, seemingly ignoring her retort, began waving his arms erratically as sponges and a cloth flew out of the sink, jumping into the cauldron and scrubbing it aggressively.
"Why do you never do that for us when it comes to washing dishes?" Aerith asked, leaning back defeated in her chair. "You'd save me precious hours."
"Why, because if I did everything for you all then you'd just expect it of me!" He called over his shoulder. "I'm also a busy man."
Yuffie scoffed, swinging her legs out from the couch and onto the coffee table in front of her.
"Yeah right, busy doing what? You're not out fighting like we are."
Suddenly she felt the table underfoot give way as Merlin's magic yanked it forward. He couldn't be bothered to argue with her, he didn't need to justify himself to a teenager.
Not before long the cauldron was bubbling away in the fireplace, a strange yellow coloured liquid foaming inside as a large wooden spoon stirred its contents automatically. Merlin sat nearby, his head deep in a book.
"God damn, did somethin' die in here?!" Came an all too familiar gruff voice. "What the fuck are you cookin' up now old coot?"
Cid slammed the door shut behind him, wrinkling his snotty nose as he wiped it with the back of his hand. It was true, the potion did smell awful. Leon silently thanked himself for having lost his sense of smell and taste.
"This, my boy, is medicine - a recipe passed down generations, tried and true." Merlin hummed as he crept over to check the pot, inhaling a generous dose of the steam in one deep breath. Cid snarled, yanking off his heavy brown boots and chucking them to one side before making his way over to the large computer that sat in the back of the room.
"I ain't drinkin' that." He spat, slamming his weight down into the chair.
"Well, suit yourself." The wizard muttered to himself. He then set three mugs down on the sideboard, and carefully ladled a generous helping of the steaming liquid into each.
"Here you go, my dear." He said gently, bringing one to where Aerith was sat. "Be careful now, as it's extremely hot."
She smiled sweetly, his knobbly hands brushing against hers as she took it from him; placing it up on the windowsill so that she didn't burn herself holding it for too long.
"Thank you so much, Merlin."
He then placed the remaining two mugs on the coffee table in front of Leon and Yuffie, wiping his hands off on his long robe after.
"I'm aware it's an.. acquired taste.." He shrugged. "But, it will do you all a world of good to drink it."
Yuffie was the first to bring the mug up to her nose, sniffing it cautiously before taking the tiniest of sips. Her face instantaneously screwed up, tongue sticking out in disgust.
"Holy shit, that tastes like you boiled one of Cid's socks."
Sour. So sour… yet salty?
Aerith was the next to try, embracing the mug lovingly between her two hands.
Sip.
Leon couldn't help but stifle a chuckle as he watched her face twitch, displaying obvious displeasure with the drink as he too took a swig.
"…It's not so bad." She mustered as she forced down her second mouthful. Yuffie wasn't incorrect about the 'sock' flavour..
"Are you joking?! Not so bad? It's downright nasty." Yuffie wailed, looking to Leon for backup. He sucked on his bottom lip.
"It's an acquired taste, thats for sure." He coughed - and that was really saying something, considering his current lack of tastebuds.
Merlin's hands flew to his hips, his chin tilted upwards as if to look down at them.
"Medicine is not made to be delicious."
All of a sudden, the front door began to click as it swung open slowly to reveal Tifa and Cloud. They looked exhausted, their faces pale and eyes dark.
"Wow, you look terrible." Yuffie blurted out instantly. The pair hadn't even wiped their boots or taken their jackets off yet, and Cloud was barely in the room.
"Well hello to you too." Mocked Tifa, wriggling out of her black leather coat. Her voice sounded awfully phlegmy.
"You guys look ill." Aerith said with a weird mixture of concern and laughter.
Tifa pulled a face, frowning slightly.
"It's just a little cold, that's all." she peeled off her gloves, "I think we just overdid it on the training today, right Cloud?"
She then wrinkled her nose, sniffing the air. "Who's been cooking?"
Eyes darted to Merlin, who from the moment he saw them had retrieved two more mugs from the cupboard and was in the process of loading them up with the unpleasant yellow drink.
He rushed over to them, thrusting a cup into each of their hands. "You both look like you could do with a dose of this as well."
Cloud, only just having shut the door behind him, pulled a face as he stared down into the lemon coloured concoction.
"What is it?.." He enquired, looking suspicious.
Merlin opened his mouth to speak. "It's a blend-"
"Merlin pissed in a cup." Yuffie rudely cut in. Merlin tutted and simply rolled his eyes, having had enough of her lip for the day. Cloud and Tifa exchanged a humoured look.
"It's just a herbal mix. We're all disgustingly ill."
Tifa went and sat in-between Yuffie and Leon on the couch, whilst Cloud took a seat on the other armchair adjacent to Aerith. He felt her green eyes on him.
"You look tired." She commented, flopping her head onto her hand.
Face twitching into a frown, he slumped back into his seat and threw her a glare. "Speak for yourself."
"How rude." She grinned playfully. "Drink your tea, sick-o."
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