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The first thing Obanai noticed when he woke up was Sanemi’s arms around him. It brought a smile to his face, until he noticed the second thing, which was how horrible he felt. His head ached, and his entire body felt like he was burning.
He wrestled his way out of the blankets; a difficult challenge considering the people either side of him, but he managed it none the less. It didn’t make much difference, the feeling persisted, sweat dotting his face. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, and you stirred beside him.
“Obi?”
“Sorry I woke you love.” He mumbled. “Go back to sleep.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He assured you.
“Then stop fuckin’ moving.” Another voice grumbled from behind him.
“I didn’t mean to wake you both.”
“Well you did.” Sanemi ran a hand over his body, and paused. “Why are you so sweaty? gross.”
“Did you have a nightmare?”
You leaned over to offer some comfort, but Obanai shook his head.
“No. Its nothing, I swear. I just feel slightly off. Go back to sleep.”
But you didn’t go back to sleep, instead you pressed the back of your palm to his forehead. His temperature was unusually high, enough to concern you.
“It’s not nothing. You’re sick.”
Sanemi pulled away immediately, practically leaping across the room. You gave him a glare.
“I’m not letting him get me sick!” He shot defensively, looking at the Serpent pillar as though he was carrying some deadly disease.
“Don’t be an idiot!” You fired back. “He’s just got a fever.”
“I feel fine.” Obanai tried to get up out of bed, but with a strong arm, you pushed him right back down.
Obanai had always been much too independent for his own good. Whether it was a matter of him being hungry or him bleeding out from an injury, never would he concede to ask for help, always insisting that it was fine and he could handle himself. Stubborn asshole.
“You do not. Sanemi, go fetch some water.”
With no other choice, Obanai leaned back and accepted his fate. He held still as you brushed his hair from his face, but when your hands moved down to his bandaged face, he tensed.
“You’ll feel better with it off.” You assured him. “You shouldn’t have been sleeping with it on in the first place.”
Begrudgingly, he allowed you to unwrap his bandages, and though he would hate to admit it, he did breathe easier with them off.
Sanemi reappeared a few moments after, carrying the water you had requested, along with a plateful of fruit he must have scrounged from your painfully empty pantry. He handed the glass of water to Obanai and placed the fruit down on the bedside.
“I can cook something if you want, but here.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Obanai took a minuscule sip from the glass, which earned him a carefully placed look from you and he was urged to drink half.
“You didn’t eat anything yesterday.”
Sanemi scolded.
“I’ll eat tomorrow.”
You sighed, standing up from the bed.
“At least think about eating, please?”
You pulled on your haori, slipping on a pair of shoes and collecting your sword from the bench you always sat the three on. It was early enough in the morning that the sun hadn’t risen, and probably wouldn’t for another hour or so, no guarantee you wouldn’t have a run in with a lowly demon.
“I’m going to Kocho’s, I’ll be back in a bit, ‘kay?”
“Don’t bother her with this.”
Obanai groaned. If Shinobu helped him with a measly fever, he’d never hear the end of it until the day he died.
“She’s on a mission. I’m going to get you some medicine from her office.”
Before any more objections, you hurried out the door. A good move on your part, because Obanai was going to question a) What Kocho would think about you taking medicine from her office as you pleased and b) How you even knew where Kocho kept her pharmaceuticals hidden.
“So, what’ll it be?”
Sanemi had taken to rifling through the plate of fruit he’d brought over.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Don’t care. Orange?”
Obanai shook his head.
“Leave it for Y/N.” Oranges were your favorite, and if you discovered he had eaten what he was pretty sure was the last one, all hell would break loose.
“Fine, lemon?”
Sanemi handed over the yellow fruit, but Obanai didn’t take it, instead eyeing the wind Hashira egregiously.
“Why would I want a lemon?”
“What, have you got something against lemons now?”
“Its a lemon!”
“Fine.”
Sanemi sighed.
“A peach then.”
Reluctantly, Obanai accepted the food. The longer he refused, the closer Sanemi would get to simply forcing the food down his throat.
Peaches weren’t his favorite food in the world, but he didn’t mind them.
He took a few small bites before placing in down, barely even eaten.
“That’s not enough.”
Sanemi pushed it back over.
“Eat the whole thing.”
Obanai glared.
“I’m really not hungry.”
No response, just the fruit being placed harshly back into his hand. begrudgingly, he took another bite, and then another, and another until he’d finished the entire thing.
“Happy?”
“Very.” Sanemi grinned, and Obanai was almost certain that this small victory would be held over him for at least a few weeks. “See, it wasn’t so bad.”
Obanai would have been inclined to agree, but his stomach twisted, and he gagged involuntarily.
“Obanai?”
Obanai flung himself out of bed, scrambling to the bathroom just in time for him to cough up his previous meal. Sanemi was close behind, quick to gently move the hair from his face.
“All done?”
“mhm.” Obanai barely managed, pulling into Sanemi’s arms. Sanemi shifted, and he heard the whine of the bathroom tap turning on. A damp cloth was brought to his face, gently wiping his mouth clean.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“You’re my boyfriend. Of course I do.”
Obanai’s mind lingered on that word, the way Sanemi said it was so entrancing, he barely even registered the door swinging open, and you stepping inside.
“In here Y/N.” Sanemi called quietly upon seeing your confused face at the empty bed.
You hurried into the room, dropping down to the floor beside them.
“Oh Oba..”
“Shut up.” He murmured. He hated the look you were giving him, so full of pity.
“I’ll go get some more water.”
Sanemi rushed out of the room.
You helped Obanai to his feet and back to bed. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, settling down under the covers.
“For what?”
“We finally have a day all three of us have no missions, and I ruined it.” He groaned. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t do that.” You scolded. “Blaming yourself for shit that isn’t your fault. You always do that.”
You slid your hand into his, smiling.
“We’ll have other days off work. Just focus on getting better.”
“She’s completely right by the way.”
Sanemi returned, setting down more water on the bedside table.
“But get better soon, because I’m sleeping on the couch ‘til you do.”