OVERFLOW / OPEN

[rekd]

TFLN / OPEN RP / THREADTRACKER

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[rekd]

[ reki made it through all of this without shedding a single tear, and he's not about to falter now. it's rough when his eyes are softening and his hands are grasping to account for the extra weight leaning on him, but he's not going to walk into that house with that kind of target on him. ]

No honey. It'd help your throat, but I won't put it in.

[ it's not that much of a burden; he can keep an arm around qi fang and walk them to the door fine enough. ]

We'll score you some miso too. Okay?

[tongxue]

[ he starts walking only because reki starts leading the way, though the draw of tea and miso soup is pretty tempting. he keeps an arm around reki's shoulder, still reluctant to let go by even that much, but as soon as they start walking through the door he fashions on that usual smile of him, summoning up what energy he has left to save face. ]

[rekd]

[ reki sort of wishes he'd thought of the same. his whole family is there immediately, first thing as they walk through the door, seated quietly around the table. reki has no idea what to do with the looks they throw him or the huff koyomi leaves the room in, but he's got much more pressing matters at hand. ]

Ma. Tea? [ he asks, shuffling them to his room. there's no response; she just stands, disappearing into the kitchen, and then they're in the room anyway and the oddness of everything is quickly put out of his mind.

reki helps qi fang into bed and starts working off his shoes, sighing softly. ]

How's this? A little better?

[tongxue]

[ the silent looks don't go unnoticed by qi fang, but he'd honestly been expecting it considering his texts with koyomi. he's certain the young girl hadn't hesitated to tell their mom about it, at least to some extent. to his credit, his smile doesn't falter, not until they reach reki's room and he's dropping down on the bed with a heavy thud. ]

I got it, I got it, I'm not that sick, [ he murmurs, kicking off his own shoes even if he is very, very slow about it.

he watches reki quietly for a few moments. ]

You're still recovering too, y'know.

[rekd]

[ reki shrugs. it should be obvious by now; whether it's a light cough or a deadly virus, care is the same shit as always in this house. ]

That's different. I dumbed my way into this; you're probably sick because of all the baby germs in here.

[ once the pillows are nice and fluffed, he reaches for the blanket, asking, ] Hot or cold?

[tongxue]

[ it's actually probably more all the late nights and minimal sleep but. he doubts that's any better, so he just grunts in acknowledgment. ]

Both. I'm fine in just my jacket though. Anyway now I'm getting those germs all over your bed. Make sure you hose this room down after I leave, okay?

[ he throws an arm over his eyes, swallowing roughly. ]

And you still need to take it easy. Stop sneaking out when you're not well.

[rekd]

[ what was that? reki's tucking him in anyway, folding the blanket up to his chin like he's about to read him a bedtime story. ]

Yeah, right. I don't get sick.

[ that reminds him though. time to reel in the ramp and close the window so qi fang doesn't have to deal with the humidity on top of everything. ]

Any requests before I jet?

[tongxue]

[ his arm comes up, head picking up a second later to blink blearily at the other. ]

You're leaving?

[rekd]

[ no, the point of this is to not get up. reki quickly eases him back down, running his fingers from his brow to his temple. ]

For like five seconds. Fuck, you're on fire.

[ very gently, he traces beneath qi fang's jaw too. ]

You sure you don't want a little honey?

[tongxue]

[ his face heats up a little more, but only because he's embarrassed he felt legitimate fear that reki would be leaving him. leaving his own home, right. dumbass.

he turns his head towards the wandering hand, eyes falling shut. ]

Just a little... Don't make it too sweet.

[rekd]

[ reki huffs lightly. ]

You got the perfect guy for the job. Don't fall asleep or I'm gonna wake your ass back up. I'm coming back with medicine too.

[ that hand sweeps across his cheek, his fingers reluctant to leave, but. shit to do. he hits the lights before he slips away and keeps the door yawned just a little bit open, just in case. ]

[tongxue]

[ if reki didn't want qi fang falling asleep he shouldn't have plunged the room into darkness. to his credit, qi fang does his best to keep conscious, but it's tough when the house is as eerily quiet as it is and all he's got to listen to is the distant, muffled sounds of grandma's tv shows and his own loud breathing.

eventually he rolls onto his side, smashing his face into reki's pillow to breathe in the scent of him. it's a good sign reki wants him here and is taking care of him, isn't it? qi fang's still so very confused, but he has to believe at least that much is the case. ]

[rekd]

[ unfortunately, this is the kyan household, so things don't stay quiet for long. the placid drone of grandma's tv is drowned out soon enough by voices rising in anger, the low staccato of reki's bitching easy enough to recognize through the muffling of the walls. but he still makes it back in record time, bumping the door with his hip as he balances the tray in his hands. ]

Don't wanna hear it, [ he repeats, sliding the door shut properly and then finding a vacant place to slip into on the bed. ]

You awake, snitch?

[tongxue]

I'm not even a little sorry, [ comes qi fang's very awake response, a half-second off beat and a little bit thickened thanks to his sore throat.

he lifts his arm off his eyes again, raising his brows as if daring reki go scold him for it. though his expression shifts when he notices the tray, nosing out alluring smell of tea from the items there. slowly he starts to push himself up to a sitting position, already reaching out for the mug. ]

[rekd]

Yeah, I bet you fucking aren't. This first.

[ reki, ever the classy sort, has a shot glass full of medicine—the good, knock you the fuck out on your kitchen floor kind. it also hits like a shot of rocket fuel going down, so that's what qi fang gets for being a snitch.

he is so mad, but he also has to stare for a little bit at how adorable qi fang looks, all sick and miserable. at least until it starts to ache all over again and he puts himself to better use, tucking another pillow behind qi fang's back and then turning back to the tray. ]

Got your soup too.

[tongxue]

[ the face qi fang makes at the sight of the medicine sits somewhere between a pout and a grimace, but he takes it and downs it anyway like a shot of tequila on a friday night. same burn, same hiss, but now he's rightfully earned that tea. that, of course, burns too on the way down, but it's at least a much more satisfying one and has the added benefit of not tasting like something you scrub your toilet with.

he nurses the mug between his hands, sitting back on the pillow propping him up. he squints at reki's window, trying to make sense of the darkness past it. ]

What time is it?

[rekd]

[ too bad. reki shakes his head in disappointment at the display and grabs for the cold compress. ]

Elevenish. How's your throat feeling?

[ he dabs at qi fang's forehead, his cheeks, gentle and smooth. ]

You look awful, dude.

[tongxue]

[ he makes another face at the time, knowing heading home after this will be a bitch and a half. but staying over feels a little wrong, given all the weirdness still left unresolved.

at least his throat's feeling a little less sore, which he says as much after he clears his throat a couple of times to check. ]

If I look as bad as I feel, spare me the details.

[ he downs the last of the tea and replaces it on the tray, but doesn't make a grab for the soup just yet. instead he's tipping his head back against the wall, sighing heavily. ]

Can't even remember the last time I got sick.

[rekd]

You'll probably feel better in the morning.

[ which. speaking of that. ]

That shot'll knock you out soon. You can stay here and I'll, I dunno, go crash with the twins or something.

[ with respect to that lingering weirdness. it's the least he can do when he literally cannot stop himself from doting on the patient in his bed; it's just too ingrained in him by now to care as deeply as possible. ]

But eat first.

[tongxue]

[ qi fang's eyes open, and it's only now that he realizes what kind of medicine that was. why his limbs feel suddenly ten times heavier. fuck. ]

Nah man, this is your bed... Just — throw some towels on the floor for me, it's not like I'll care about comfort when I pass out.

[ he levels reki with a steady gaze. ]

We didn't really get anywhere with our talk.

[rekd]

[ no use dying on this hill. qi fang is gonna pass out wherever he passes out, and that'll take care of that. not everything has to be a discussion.

just the hard things. ]

Yeah.

[ reki's gaze is more far-away than steady, but he meets qi fang's all the same. ]

We'll talk more whenever you're up for it. I'll be here.

[tongxue]

[ he's not sure why, but he somehow feels worse. even though reki isn't avoiding his eye, and he's saying all the right things, there's a crumminess in his chest that he knows isn't from the fever.

it's weird. being so caught up and upset about something the other person isn't even fully aware of. or hadn't really been present for. had reki just been delusional? does it matter? he wishes he could just let it go. it'd be so much easier if he could. ]

I don't feel suffocated.

[rekd]

[ it doesn't matter now, because reki has to drop his gaze to respond, ] I know.

[ because it's not true, of course. he's always sweating shit like that. both of them know there's a reason he had an arsenal of anxieties ready for the second his mind slipped. the real answer is a little different. ]

I mean, I believe you. I think you'd say something if you did.

[tongxue]

I would.

[ or, rather, he'd just end things or ghost reki like a coward. but neither of that has happened; he hasn't even thought about it once.

even in his sickened state he can tell a lie when he hears one. it makes him feel helpless, even more so when his limbs feel so heavy and useless. ]

I don't know... what to do to make you really know.

[rekd]

[ reki sighs and slumps on to his hands. ]

It's obviously a me thing. I just have to get better.

[ and, failing that, the only person he's driving crazy with all this miserable shit is himself. at least until today. but for awhile before that great big crash, he'd almost had hope for himself. ]

I am trying to get better, about all of it.