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[noburden]

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[rosarianoath]

Oh. That’s very nice, actually. He gropes around to find her thigh with his hand.

“Thank you,” he says. “I’ll need my strength to…”

Hunt tonight, but then he coughs and hacks for a solid ten seconds.

[noburden]

Jill patiently waits, mildly worried--surely this is the worst of whatever ails him.

"You're not going to find anything to hunt if they hear you coming," she murmurs. "Rest your eyes some more. I'm going to make you tea to soothe your throat."

[rosarianoath]

“I can use it as a distraction,” he mutters, closing his eyes. “I’ll strike when they think I’m weakened.”

He’s out before she even leaves the room.

[noburden]

Jill peers down at him before leaving to go make that tea. Skipped is her usual addition of too much sugar, but honey is added instead. That should help.

When she returns, she places it on his nightstand before putting her hand on his shoulder. She hates to wake him but he needs to sit up, at least for a few minutes

[rosarianoath]

Clive grumbles and pushes himself up on his arms enough to roll onto his side. He can still hunt, he thinks, mind stuck in a loop.

“I’ve slept enough now,” he says.

[noburden]

He can say what he likes. Jill knows what the evening will look like for him.

She grabs the now warm washcloth from him and folds it again so she can wipe it over his face.

"Sit up and drink. You'll feel better." Not enough to hunt, but if that's what he wants to believe, he can.

[rosarianoath]

He hauls himself to sit with what he feels is a god-like effort, even though he tries to maintain some dignity around the whole affair: he sits as tall and presentably as he can muster, even shirtless with damp sweatpants and his bangs starting to plaster to his skin. He looks at her.

"Thank you," he mutters, stifling a cough by holding his breath right after, so it's just an awkward clearing of his throat. "Maybe we can go out for dinner, too."

Denial denial denial denial denial.

[noburden]

Her poor Clive. Jill gives him a sympathetic smile. Joshua is the sickly one, not him. He's not used to this. Very carefully, she passes him the tea when he seems to be free from coughing, though she keeps a hand nearby to help.

"Perhaps when your appetite returns," she reminds him patiently.

[rosarianoath]

He takes the tea, and drinks it the same way he might chug a beer, like he's parched for it.

"I just need a minute," he insists.

[noburden]

As he speaks, Jill crawls onto the bed, sitting beside him against the pillows.

"Take a minute against me so I can run my fingers through your hair," she says simply. That and the tea will give him some peace from how awful he must feel, she thinks.

[rosarianoath]

He sighs, letting the empty mug settle in his lap, mouth stinging from going so fast. He wants to put an arm around her, but if she's going to pet his hair...

He scoots down and leans until his head lands in her lap.

"Just for a minute."

[noburden]

He can keep his sweaty pits to himself.

The moment he's down, Jill slowly pushes her fingers through his hair. Her other hand settles on his neck, thumb rubbing at the base of his skull.

"Just for a minute."

[rosarianoath]

Founder, that feels so good, so perfect. He could purr if he didn’t feel like he’d hack up a lung for the effort.

“I felt fine this morning,” he says.

[noburden]

"You're unwell. It will pass with some rest," she says plainly, kneading his neck and petting his hair. He feels heavy and too warm on her lap.

"I'll see you healthy."

He doesn't really have any say in the matter.

[rosarianoath]

"I haven't been unwell since the brand was removed," he mutters, closing his eyes. "And before that, with Tiamat."

[noburden]

"Then you're overdue. And you're in the most luxurious of situations, this time."

She can take care of him.

"Consider it a good excuse to spend the day on my lap rather than working outside."

[rosarianoath]

Luxury sounds right, considering the rough living of the hideaway compared to her plush lap, her gentle fingers.

“But I like serving you,” he says. “Even if I also like relaxing with you.”

Another miserable cough.

[noburden]

"Serve me today by letting me take care of my love without a fight," she tells him, half teasing. She's happy to spend the day looking after him. He just has to let her. "The garden will still need your muscle in a day or two."

[rosarianoath]

He could, he thinks. He cannot fathom how that counts as service, but his head feels thick, and figuring it out is like wading through mud.

“Just this once, then,” he says. And then he adds: “Keep Joshua at length from me. I won’t have him ill too.”

[noburden]

A victory. Jill smiles, petting him like he's a cat that's decided to stay and snuggle on her lap. Good boy.

"Of course. We'll keep you in here today." She was already planning on bringing him food, whenever he realizes his stomach is empty. "And you'll tell me if you need anything."

[rosarianoath]

“I will,” he says, but he can’t imagine what he’ll need other than sleep to be rid of this. “I like your fingers…”

Then he’s just about out again.

[noburden]

He's much sweeter once he's given in. Her poor, sick Clive. Yet a part of her is glad that he has reason to simply stay put, to linger on her lap and let her run her hand through his hair as she closes her eyes to doze.

Vaguely, she thinks she feels a little tickle in her throat.

[rosarianoath]

Giving in feels, frankly, like ass. But at least Jill being tender with him is a consolation prize, and it is not difficult to reach back to a time where he was miserable and longed for such a thing. He sleeps in her lap for a while. Time doesn't matter.

When he finally wakes from another coughing fit, he keeps his eyes screwed closed and makes an irritated sound.

"Tomorrow I'm getting up," he says, making no motion to do so. "It's only going to get worse if I don't."

[noburden]

His coughing brings her back to the world of the wakeful, and she resumes petting his hair like she never drifted off. It's reflex.

"We'll worry about tomorrow once we're there, sweetheart," she murmurs. "Or is it so terrible to let your lady spoil you with care?"

[rosarianoath]

Sweetheart. He wishes he had the energy to stick his face in between her thighs. Instead he just continues to sag into her.

"I only wish to indulge in such spoiling when I can better spoil you in turn," he says.