victory_road | [closed] March Catch All

[Felix was going to bring Claude some tea, because he still hasn't yet gotten a chance to share a particular tea with him that he'd wanted to, but of course he finds Claude here in the kitchen instead of in bed where he's supposed to be. Felix appears in the kitchen doorway, one brow arched, a hand set on one hip.]

Reduced to blaming a teapot for your mistakes, are you? Tch. How the brilliant have fallen.

They're not mistakes! It's... [Shit, he can't find the word.] They're foiling me on purpose. I could do this if they'd stop getting in the way.

[There's a long beat, while the teapot begins pulling on Claude's hand, trying to wriggle out of his grip. Claude looks thoughtful for a long moment before his eyes light up.]

Sabotage. [There's the word he wanted.]

[It occurs to Felix for the first time that Claude isn't forgetting words when he does this; he's translating them. Oh. That's got to be really frustrating for someone who likes talking as much as Claude does, actually.

Felix comes over and attempts to pry the other man's fingers off the teapot.]

Well, your teapot ghost has the right idea. You should be resting. I came down here to make you tea, anyway. I found one in the box that might be similar to Almyran pine. But I'm not giving it to you unless you stop being foolish.

[A little of column A, a little of column B. Honestly, Claude is so fluent in both his primary languages that he doesn't have to make too much effort to translate them. It's more like right now, in his haze, he's having trouble finding the words he wants in either language - and sometimes when the memory sparks, he's found the Almyran word, which won't mean anything to anyone but him.

In any case, Claude huffs.] You act like he's doing this because I'm sick. He'd do it anyway just because he's a brat.

[As if to prove Claude completely right, when Claude relinquishes his hold on the teapot...Boden promptly surges forward while Felix probably isn't expecting that, in order for a ghostly tongue to lick him right across the nose through the spout.

Boden doesn't know the move Lick. This is just the kind of lick any creature, or ghostly entity who can mimic physical attributes, can give.]

A brat he may be, but he still--GAH!

[Felix splutters and brings up his hands to protect his face from further gross haunting, scrubbing at his nose with his sleeve even if ghost licks don't leave any slobber.]

Ugh, disgusting. Claude, if your Pokemon don't stop doing this I'm going to ban them from my presence. Indefinitely. At least I'd expect that kind of idiotic behavior from a dog, but what's a teapot doing going around licking people!?

[He narrows his eyes at Boden in a warning glare before he turns back to Claude, setting his hands firmly on the other man's shoulders and steering him to a nearby seat in an attempt to get him to sit. Even if he's laughing at Felix like a terrible boyfriend traitor, which Felix fully expects him to do.]

Sit down, you feverish nitwit, and stay here. And put that little pest back in his ball so I can make your tea without any more...interruptions.

Oh! Right, I can just - [Claude fumbles with his belt, eventually finding the ball that's Boden's and putting them back in their ball. Boden razzes Felix through the spout as they go.] Why did I forget that?

[Claude, you forgot it because you're barely functional right now.]

I wasn't making tea for me, though...I was making it for Dimitri. [He points to the honey, and adds, ingeniously - ] With honey.

You forgot because being sick turns you into a bumbling fool, apparently.

[He pats Claude's hair before he moves to finish the job Claude tried to start.]

Then I'll make it for both of you. And if you don't stay there until I'm done, I'll have Varley sit on you. You realize that with the electric kettle I could have done this from your room and no one would have had to come down here at all, right? Tch.

You think I'm a fool all the time. [He's pouting a little.] Bumbling is new, though...

[The pat to his hair is...sweet. Unprompted physical affection from Felix (that isn't an impromptu kiss, Claude seems to get those out of him a fair bit) is pretty rare, and Claude's not so sick as to not feel a small glow of warmth at it. Or maybe that's the fever again.]

You'll have a cat...sit on me? [Claude looks puzzled.] Is that a punishment? Cats sit on people all the time.

Only when you act like one. And if you think pouting works on me, think again. I've been dealing with Sylvain for years, I'm immune now.

[Once he's set the water to boil, he leans against the counter and folds his arms.]

They do. But with the state you're in, a cat as big as Varley would be an effective way to ensure you stayed put.

Maybe my pouting's different, you don't know. [Not that it appears to be having any effect...]

Why do you want me to stay put, though? I thought you wanted me to go back to bed. [Aha, clearly Claude has caught Felix in a logical error!...he really hasn't, though, which just highlights how poorly his brain is working right now.]

It isn't. I'm literally looking at it right now.

[Felix rolls his eyes practically into the other room.] I said, stay put until I'm done with the tea. Then we're going upstairs, together, so I can make sure you don't trip over yourself and break your fool neck.

[Soon enough, the kettle's whistling and Felix fills the two mugs with hot water. He leaves them on the counter to steep as he walks back over to where Claude is and holds out a hand to help him up.]

Come on. I'm taking you to bed. Once you're there, I'll come back down for the tea.

Well, it should be. [Claude huffs.] It's not fair that mine doesn't work on you because you got used to someone else's...

[Once Felix moves over to him, Claude gives him a faintly puzzled look.] The tea'll get cold...

It doesn't work coming from Dimitri, either. [Usually. ...sometimes.] I don't know why I put up with any of you.

[Felix makes a quiet, frustrated groan and leans down to take Claude's hand and pull him...mostly gently...to his feet, slipping an arm around his waist once he's standing.]

It's steeping, you idiot. It'll only get cold if you keep dawdling here with all this inane commentary. Now let's go before I haul you upstairs like a sack of potatoes.

[Claude leans against Felix, taking comfort in his warmth.] It's because you love us, right? [Whether it's a product of Claude's being sick or just an idle choice of wording, Claude seems less declarative about this than usual. More asking Felix than confidently banking on it.

A thought, hovering on the edge of Claude's mind for awhile now, finally penetrates. He blinks, then looks guilty.] I shouldn't have left Dimitri for so long...

[Felix turns to blink briefly at Claude, pausing their progress toward the stairs. It was only yesterday that Dimitri asked 'do you like me,' and strange as that was, Felix never thought he'd hear a remotely similar question from Claude, of all people. The most confident man he knows. Under other circumstances he'd assume this was just teasing, but...it doesn't sound like teasing.

Felix reaches up with his free hand to cup Claude's cheek in his palm and kisses him lightly, briefly. When he speaks, it's a murmur, but not a hesitant one. Just quiet.]

Yes. It's because I love you.

[Then he shakes his head and starts them moving forward again, up the stairs.]

Last I saw Dimitri, he was asleep. The worst that will happen is he'll whine about being by himself for five minutes. That's if he's even woken up. The one I'm concerned about is you.

[That gentleness seems to unwind something undefinable in Claude; he seems noticeably more relaxed after it, leaning against Felix a little more readily - in a way that, actually, makes it clear that his 'leaning' from before was really more deliberate cuddling. This is different; he's actually resting some weight on Felix.

Which is somewhat interesting, in its own way. A bit of insight into how Claude holds himself back a little from really accepting help, and how it actually seems to be tied in some way to how comforted and reassured he feels. That's pretty deep for Felix to consciously work out, especially from something as slight as how much weight Claude is putting on him as he leads Claude back to his room, but...it is at least something to file away, potentially to be mulled over later.]

I'm touched, sunshine, but...this is Dimitri, isn't it? [Claude gives Felix an owlish look.] He gets upset over weird things...and he gets weird ideas. Being sick probably makes that worse.

[Felix notices the shift, at least, and takes the extra weight without fuss. He certainly understands the urge to stand strong and do everything for oneself, but there's a point at which continuing to push yourself is only detrimental to returning to peak condition. And Felix knows how difficult it can be to find people you trust enough to put your care in their hands.

So he may not fully grasp the nuances here, but he knows that Claude is trusting him with this, and he doesn't intend to let his lover down.]

He does, and it probably does. But you're changing the subject. I'm not letting you distract me from my goal. Which is to make sure you get enough rest and don't sabotage your own recovery.

[Is that a joking reference to earlier? The corners of his lips are turned up, so signs point to probably.

When they reach the room, Felix brings Claude directly to the bed and coaxes him to lie down and burrow under the covers. Fortunately, it seems as though Kent has ensured that Dimitri could sleep through all of this, or at least fall back to sleep if he did wake.

Felix looks down at Claude with a thoughtful frown. He knows why he himself hates feeling weak and being coddled, but Claude doesn't seem to be quite the same. He's not focusing on himself at all; he got out of bed to make Dimitri tea, as though there aren't half a dozen other people here who could have done that who aren't sick enough to fumble words and forget about pokeballs.

Felix reaches down to card a hand carefully through Claude's hair.]

"You have to stay in bed this time, Claude. I'm serious. I'm going to get the tea and come right back, so stay here. Understand?"

I should get better regardless, though, right? Since I'm not actually sick. This is just some kind of reaction to all those shots, isn't it...?

[For all his vocal objections, though, Claude doesn't fight Felix over getting back to his room, or being settled into bed. He moves close to Dimitri almost immediately, but leans readily into the touch of Felix's hand.]

Okay...I'll stay. [He closes his eyes. Being back in bed...he's already getting sleepy again.]

Yes, but I imagine pushing yourself needlessly through a fever has an impact regardless of how you got it.

[True to his word, Felix wastes no time in heading back to the kitchen. Claude said he was going to make Dimitri's tea with honey, but Felix has no idea how much honey is the right amount, so he just finds a tray to put both cups, two spoons, and the honey jar on.

Soon enough, he's coming back into the room with the tray and setting it down on the bedside table. He sits on the edge of the bed beside Claude and hands him one of the cups; the scent wafting up from the tea is sort of woodsy.]

There's honey if you want it. This is...you remember the box of tea Jinx gave me for my birthday? I found this in there and I wanted to have some with you. It's pine tea. I don't know if it will taste anything like Almyran pine, but I thought you might like to try it.

[The smell of the tea rouses Claude as much as Felix's arrival - and it's clear he needed some rousing. He definitely looks ready to fall back asleep; possibly the exertion of getting up and trying to make tea has him worn out. But the bright smell of pine helps to wake him up a little.]

I should...try it without the honey first, I think. [He gives Felix a look almost as though he's checking to see if that's the right answer. It makes sense in his own head, but he's aware his brain isn't operating at its usual efficiency right now.] You wanted to have tea with me?

[Felix looks back at him, somewhat blank-faced.]

What's that look for? Are you telling me or asking me? You have to sit up. Here.

[He slides one arm under Claude's shoulders to help him get at least somewhat upright against the pillows before giving him the cup, sans honey.]

I did. Why is that so surprising? We share a liking for the same tea.

[closed] March Catch All

B!

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