It had started with a stuffy nose that Steven attributed to the changing season. While people often thought he was immune to illness due to his appearance of stellar health, he was indeed plagued every year by his allergies in the fall. He had learned long ago how to hide them out of necessity. After all, he very well couldn't stand in front of the Devon Corp. board members and not appear as if he had everything in order, his health included. That's why he had disregarded his symptoms and began the morning with a mug of hot tea and a decongestant. Throughout the day, however, he began to suspect it might be more than seasonal allergies. He found the annoying congestion to only worsen and he had begun to develop a tickle in his throat resulting in a cough. It was still easily hidden. He found no need to inform anyone that he felt unwell. He would simply take something and retire early for the night. Even his pokemon didn't seem overly worried when he released them from their pokeballs that evening. He was fine.
When he woke up the following morning, he didn't feel his greatest. His throat was sore and everything from the previous day seemed to present itself all over again. Still, despite the very obvious cold, he went about his day as if nothing was wrong. As he prepared for the day, he noted that his skin was a bit pale, though it was something he could easily blame on the cold weather if anyone were to question it. Skarmory nudged his arm with his beak before squawking in a concerned tone. Steven gave him a reassuring pat before they began their morning commute. The crisp morning air only seemed to aggravate his throat as they flew over the crystal blue ocean. He coughed a few times into his arm before once again reassuring Skarmory that he was fine. He was aware of Glacia's look when he arrived at the league and he returned it with his own. The silent exchange went unnoticed by everyone else and they attributed Glacia's exasperated head shake to her being in a mood. The rest of the day passed without incident, mostly due to Steven remaining in his office whenever possible. His cough was becoming more persistent and Steven was fully prepared to go right to bed that night. That is until he returned home to find Wallace sitting on his couch reading a book. He wasn't displeased by any means that Wallace was there, but rather the idea of not getting to sleep off this cold. He certainly had not expected Wallace to be home yet. What if Wallace ended up sick because of him? Steven shook his head and cleared his throat to announce his presence. He felt his lips twitch upwards when Wallace jumped.
"You shouldn't scare people like that." Wallace huffed as he moved to greet Steven with a hug.
Steven froze as Wallace wrapped his arms around him. He tried to tell himself to calm down. That it was unlikely for him to pass this cold to Wallace. He apprehensively returned the gesture before quickly pulling away and going to sit on the couch. He met Wallace's confused look with a smile. "Have you eaten yet?" He asked in an attempt to distract Wallace. This seemed to work because the look in Wallace's eyes changed.
"I already ate. I didn't know what time you would be back." Wallace replied as he gracefully sat on the other end of the couch.
"That works out then. I'm not really that hungry." Steven responded. "I had a late lunch," he added quickly when he noticed a flicker of concern in Wallace's eyes. It was a lie. He hadn't eaten anything yet today, but he just couldn't find it in himself to be hungry. "How long are you planning to stay here?"
"I took the weekend so I will be here for three days. After that, I'm going to Lilycove. They asked me to host there before going to Sinnoh for the Wallace Cup in two weeks."
Steven quietly listened as Wallace overexplained his plans. He didn't mind, it saved him from having to talk, but it also told him that Wallace had not caught on. Perhaps he should have expected Wallace to be there. After all, they did live together now, even if Wallace traveled a lot for his contests. Steven had offered to find a larger house when Wallace had moved in but it was met with a dismissive smile and a reassurance that his current house was perfectly fine. He realized with a start that he had drifted into his thoughts and Wallace was staring at him as if waiting for a response.
"Well? If you don't want to then I won't be mad. I know it's a little sudden."
"No, I would love to!" Steven replied without thinking, but he couldn't bring himself to ask what it was he had just agreed to when Wallace's eyes lit up.
"Are you sure? I know this is a busy time for the league."
"Yeah. Just tell me when so I can arrange it." Steven forced a smile. He was too tired to figure anything out right now. He could deal with it all later. He was caught off guard by a yawn.
"You seem tired. Go on to bed. I will be there in a bit." Wallace laughed before kissing Steven's forehead.
Steven didn't miss the way Wallace's eyes narrowed slightly as he pulled away. He didn't think he had a fever, but he could tell Wallace was studying him. Eager to get away from the scrutiny, Steven agreed and retreated into their bedroom. Eager to take some Nyquil and sleep.
When Steven woke up it was still dark out. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but the first thing he realized was that the room was too hot and he was sweating. Wallace was sleeping next to him comfortably, he wasn't sure how, so he kicked the blanket off and rolled onto his other side. He was a bit disgusted when he felt the cold air on his body making him realize just how much he had been sweating and that his shirt was sticking to his skin. Deciding that he would get up a bit earlier to shower he reached over and grabbed his phone from the nightstand to change his alarm before closing his eyes and willing himself back to sleep.
Steven was a light sleeper. So much so that Wallace had to be careful moving around the house if Steven was asleep because the slightest noise would wake him. That's why when Steven woke up to Wallace shaking him rather than the alarm itself, he was a little surprised. He mumbled an apology to Wallace before dragging himself out of bed. He mindlessly gathered his clothes and headed for the bathroom. With one last look over to the bed, thankful to find Wallace had fallen back asleep, he closed the door and began the chore of a cold shower. As he waited for the water to settle at a comfortable temperature, he began to realize how bad he was feeling. His muscles ached and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Even while trying to assess his condition, he knew there was no way he could hide his illness now. His foggy mind tried to find a solution as he stepped into the icy water. He gasped in shock as it hit his burning skin. Surely the water wasn't that cold. He decided he could work from home today. He finished up his shower as quickly as possible and opted for something more comfortable than his suit before going to the kitchen and making tea. He stood there so lost in the fogginess of his mind that he didn't hear Wallace approaching.
"Tea instead of coffee? Who are you and what have you done with Steven?"
The teasing tone made him jump, though externally he kept his composer, and he chuckled once. "Maybe I enjoy tea now and again?" He didn't miss the hoarseness in his voice. Great. Another symptom he had to keep in check.
"Steven, I have known you since we were kids. You don't drink tea." Wallace swiftly covered the distance between them and took a mug for himself before sitting at the table. "Marshmallow root and peppermint?" He raised an eyebrow with a suspicious look "Are you feeling alright?"
"Calm down, Walls," Steven mumbled through his mug, which was now being held up more for the steam and warmth than the actual tea. He could feel his sinuses throbbing. "I'm perfectly fine. I was going to surprise you today and tell you I am working from home." He tried to redirect the conversation, but Wallace seemed determined to keep the current line of questioning.
"Steven, really, you look a bit pale. If you aren't well then you should be resting. Also, don't think I didn't notice you haven't been drinking that. You sound a little hoarse as well."
Steven deflated a little. He thought Wallace hadn't noticed. That was mistake number one. Wallace always notices. It was a double-edged sword sometimes. They were both hyperaware of the other. Wallace probably noticed he was sick last night. Any resolve he had melted away in that instant. "It's just a cold. I'm fine."
"As long as that's all it is." Wallace left it at that as he took his tea into the other room to read.
Steven was grateful that Wallace trusted his judgment. He took a tentative sip of his tea, grimacing as the sweet and minty flavors mixed, and decided that the warmth would help his throat. He still hated tea. He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text in the league group chat telling everyone he was working from home today before dropping it back in his pocket before following after Wallace. He made himself comfortable on the opposite end of the couch. He remained still for a moment as he tried to will himself to move. His laptop was on the table three feet from him and he desperately needed to finish the report he started last night. With one final sigh, he reached over and picked up the laptop.
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