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[ closed ] took you like a shot, thought i could chase you with a cold evening

who: Sage and Minsu
what: illness things?
when: end of May
where: Sage's apartment at LUX
warnings: illness things? dumb idiots cuddling? swearing?

[ here is the thing; Sage really isn't used to taking care of other people in much of any capacity at all. fuck, the witch barely managed to take care of himself most of the time, and that really was questionable when you looked at his life and his choices. sure, he was still alive but that might be more thanks to spite than to actual ability to take care of things. so when he comes home from working on potions to Minsu fever bright and sick in his apartment he really has no real understanding on why he feels so damned compelled to make sure the other doesn't fucking move from that spot and to just... let Sage take care of him.

it is a weird feeling.

a nice weird.

well, not that Minsu is sick, that part sucks, but-- the coming home and having someone where part. that is-- well it is nicer than Sage ever let himself think about, even when the person he is coming home to is a whiny drama fox that hates being sick and is probably the worst patient ever. he is still there and Sage is a little terrified at how easily he takes to having someone in his space like this.

the witch is no closer to figuring out anything to do with this illness, though there are others who are making better headway (Sage has zero understanding of nanites and shit, so he leaves that to the geniuses around, of which there seem to be plenty) and just focuses on making sure he can do what he can for Minsu.

(it should be for everyone, but Sage would be lying if he said he wasn't doing' this more or less entirely for Minsu, and fuck that is terrifying).

it has been a slightly longer than usual day for the witch, what with him lingering in order to make sure he finished a few more potions for the fox (he is working on trying to make it taste better, honest), but he still makes sure to grab some of the soup the other loves on his way home, more or less falling into the apartment with his messenger bag stuffed full of potions and hands full of food.]

Minsu? You awake?

[ voice quiet enough that, should the other have found sleep, he hopefully won't be too disturbed. ]

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[minsu doesn't believe that it's simply a matter of sage having too much in his bag. he's never seen sage be as busy as he's been these past weeks, taking care of minsu when the witch barely knows how to take care of himself, something that he's admitted with his own mouth. telling him not to worry has the opposite effect - now what if sage is the one who collapses on his way home? what if he wears himself down to the point of getting sick himself?

he has to get better. minsu sits up in bed, letting the blanket fall to his waist as he takes ahold of sage's wrist and pulls it to his nose. he closes his eyes and inhales deeply.]

Mugwort. Eucalyptus. Burned coffee.

[minsu frowns a little at that. of course, sage has had to get his coffee elsewhere. and they're just not doing it Right.

minsu smells something else, traces of himself, and the warmth that he feels from that thought is enough to let him know that his fever must be down. the fox opens his eyes again, pressing his smile against the thin skin of the witch's wrist.]

I feel better. I feel even better now. Get another bowl, you need to eat some of this too.

[ by this point, Sage is growing more and more accustomed to the way Minsu touches so easily. the way he leans into Sage when they are close but not really touching, how Minsu hums with something low and content when Sage runs his fingers through his hair. it doesn't make him stiffen and freak out the way it did at first, doesn't make him think runrunrun in his bones, but there is something about the way Minsu takes his wrist, the way he holds it so reverently before naming off the main ingredients he had dealt with today that makes the witch's heart stumble. has him curling his fingers to brush along the edge of the fox's jaw lightly.

instead of making a comment about missing Minsu's coffee, Sage just stares, lips parted and a little awed. a shiver runs through him as Minsu opens his eyes and looks up at him, something soft but still sharp about him.

fuck, Sage was so fucking vulnerable right now. with Minsu. always.

he doesn't pull away. not until he has to, pink blooming on his cheeks and tops of his ears.] Y-yeah, okay. I will... just-- You want anything else to drink aside from water?

Your kisses?

[minsu beams at him, and his terrible flirtations are actually a promising sign amidst so many complaints and uncomfortable whines as of late. he shakes his head, smile softening. even if sage did take him seriously, minsu still wouldn't let him risk himself.]

Water is fine. I like water.

[he makes room on the bed for him. minsu's body feels heavy, he's still tired in a way that he could've even imagine before, but he doesn't feel the aches as much. another week and he should be able to return to his own bed, though it's not nearly as nice as sage's bed, for the simple fact that sage isn't in it.

minsu watches him, looking smaller than he actually is by the softened line of his shoulders and the way that he leans slightly forward. he thinks about the shiver that he just felt running through sage's body, the bloom of pink on his skin...]

You'd tell me if you weren't feeling well, wouldn't you? [there's concern in minsu's voice, his eyes.] You've been working so hard to make those potions for me.

[and even harder to get minsu to take them.]

[ the answer makes Sage huff, awe falling away to be replaced by a soft fondness as he leans in to press a barely there kiss to Minsu's temple as he mutters brat before heading back to the kitchen, grabbing another bowl, some spoons and napkins, just in case, along with two large bottles of water.

once he is settled, filling the space that Minsu left for him and shoulders brushing, does the witch answer .]

Mmm, I am not feeling sick. I would tell you, I am just frustrated that I can't do more to help you.

[ he furrows his brows as he pulls out the soup and pours as little as he can get away with into his own bowl, handing the rest off to Minsu with a look that dares him to argue with him. he isn't the one that is sick, he doesn't need this soup that the old man making it swore was one of the best soups for sickness. and yeah, maybe the witch still didn't eat enough but he certainly ate more with Minsu around than he did before.]

Being sick sucks, I just-- [ 'don't want to see you sick', 'can't bear to think of you in a coma', 'I am just scared'. ] Wish I could do more, like I could have if we-- if I was back home. But I did make you something I think you will enjoy. Once you're done your soup.

[ despite being tired, despite the ache in his bones, there is still something bright at the prospect of giving Minsu his little gift. a curling smile that Sage does not give often to anyone other than Minsu.]

You're doing so much already. I think I might've died without you.

[minsu's voice is soft, serious, because he wants sage to know just how much he's done for him, how much it means to him. of course, minsu doesn't mean to scare him even more by bringing up the possibility of his death. it probably wouldn't have come to that, but minsu might've caught a glimpse of it after weeks of untreated suffering. and who knows, maybe the thought of seeing sage at the end of the day did keep him from slipping into something deeper.

he opens his mouth to protest the small amount of soup that sage took, then snaps it shut again when he catches the look that the witch gives him. minsu murmurs his thanks as he takes his own serving instead, dipping his spoon in and lifting it to his lips.]

Yeah. We didn't get to do our thing.

[that thing that they agreed on doing, after doing it for the first time under the blossom trees. it's not cancelled, just postponed, and minsu's mind is already consumed by making this up to sage. all of this.]

A present? [minsu perks up a little as he looks over at him. it's a little known fact that minsu loves receiving gifts. it's not a material love, more the idea that someone saw something, thought of him, and wanted him to have it. he lifts the soup to his lips, drinking a little directly from the bowl. he nudges sage's shoulder with his own, more playful than he's been in a while.] Give me a hint. Is it bigger than a raccoon?

[ while Sage doesn't think that the statement is true, he knows that Minsu is a survivor no matter what, it still makes him feel pleased. that quiet fondness curling and threading between the gaps in his rib cage, tiny vines and flowers and bloom whenever Minsu smiles at him. or reminds him that he is worth something more. which is why his gaze narrows when Minsu speaks of death; there are not many people that the witch is fond enough of around. not enough people in his life that he wants to keep there, strange moon or not.

and yeah, the thought of Minsu succumbing to this illness isn't something he wishes to linger on even a little bit. Minsu is meant to be full of life and sharp smiles, and words that make Sage want to scream and laugh all at once.]

Well you will just have to keep on getting better so that we can have our second date.

[ he is not flushing calling it a date, nope. that's the soup and the warmth of Minsu next to him. totally.]

Mmmm, smaller than a raccoon. [ a pause while Sage takes a sip of his soup and cocks his head looking at Minsu. ] Why a raccoon? That's a bit-- whatever. No, smaller than a raccoon. And you can't eat it. I mean, you could if you wanted to, but I wouldn't suggest it.

[ the smile on Sage's face, while there are still tight lines and worry at the corner of his eyes, is happy. as happy as he has ever been here, which is really all thanks to Minsu. he doesn't know if the fox will even like the present, a homemade bathbomb that changes the colour of the water but also helps with fever and aches, but-- well, it might be shaped like a cherry blossom.]

[minsu tried to keep the d-word at bay. sure, their 'thing' had all the makings of a date, but minsu didn't want to get ahead of himself, ahead of them. it wasn't a date until sage was ready for it to be one, so he told himself that with some time, maybe 'their' thing could evolve into it. a date.

but now sage is saying the word himself, a promise of a second one and a confirmation of the first. for minsu, it's not his fever or the warmth of the soup curling through him. it's happiness and affection, and minsu is more determined than ever to get well soon. he wants to browse occult shops with him, and old bookstores, trade sips of sweet frozen drinks and shots of alcohol between dances. he wants to kiss sage goodnight in the doorway and text him before the sun is even up the next morning.

minsu laughs at sage's (understandable) confusion when he chooses a raccoon of all things. it is strange, minsu's self-aware enough to know that. it was just the first thing that popped into the fox's head which, again, why. his mind works in mysterious ways, but please love him anyway seiji.

fortunately, minsu's appetite hasn't suffered too much during his illness, but the reason he eats a little quicker has a lot to do with his promised gift. he looks down at the bath bomb in his hands once it's handed over, looking at it from every angle, giving it the attention that most people would give fine art. but this, crafted by sage's hands from a memory of theirs is more beautiful to him than pictures of sunflowers or oddly smiling women with no eyebrows.]

I almost want to save it instead of using it. [he says the words quietly, curling his fingers gently around it before looking up.] Will you take a bath with me?

[he remembers taking baths together. he remembers when they often turned into something else. but he also remembers how relaxing they were in their own right, trading kisses and touches of damp fingertips. it would be nice to share that with him.]

Edited 2018-05-29 22:26 (UTC)

[ it doesn't take long for Sage to finish the soup that is before him, and he turns the rest of his attention to Minsu as the other eats. there is a barely-there smile on his face, a ghost of a thing that you can only see if you know what you are looking for. something that Sage is sure that Minsu can see when he tilts his head towards him. the witch isn't sure how, but the fox really as managed to worm his way into his heart, despite the difficulties that they had at first when Minsu knew too much and Sage was still so scared.

well, Sage is still scared, terrified really, but-- he has a little bit more of an inclination now to trust that Minsu can handle this. can handle him. that he isn't about to turn tail and run.

which is why Sage doesn't feel awkward taking the time to make the bath bomb for the other, why he bothered to spent a little extra time trying to make it look like a blossom instead of just a sphere. it was-- special. for someone special, even if he was still a little leery of saying that much out loud to Minsu. so with the soup bowls on the bedside table and Minsu staring wide eyed and awed at the bomb, Sage finds himself feeling proud. pleased that he made that look appear. ]

I can make you another one, if you want. Other colours and smells if you-- [ wait. w a i t. Sage inhales sharply, breath stuck in his throat because-- Minsu wants him to take a bath with him. and while he really should have seen that coming, it still shakes him to his core. there is nothing about the offer that is sexual, nothing about it that makes the witch think there are ulterior motives, and that-- that is what makes it worse really. because that is intimacy, trust.

affection.

there is a moment that stretches almost too long before the witch finds his voice, leaning into Minsu's shoulder, bottom lip between his teeth.]

How about-- how about I wash your hair for you, brush it while you relax?

[ compromise. he isn't sure he can be that vulnerable yet, even if he is getting there. ]

Can you make one that smells like bacon?

[...minsu and his goddamn bacon. he brightens at just the thought of it. there's still a little fever pink to his cheeks, but the skin beneath it isn't pale now. that hitch in the witch's breathing catches minsu's attention, holds it while sage works through all of these things in his head. when he finally answers, there's no disappointment in minsu's reaction. he understands, he does. sage is facing the unknown, with someone who wants to be a part of his life forever instead of just a night, how could he not be terrified? minsu's happy with the compromise that's offered, genuinely so.]

Ah, I love it when you play with my hair. You'll have to nudge me if I fall asleep - unless you want to carry me back to bed.

[nudge him the way minsu nudges sage's shoulder with his own now, face briefly burying in his hair. the fox looks down at his bath bomb for another moment before carefully placing it aside. he doesn't want to accidentally break one of the petals off - he'll probably tear up when it fizzes away in the bath water. he circles his arms gently around sage.]

I also like the smell of fresh apples.

[ Sage barks a laugh, something startled out of him at the question, but agrees and makes a note to try making a bacon-scented bath bomb just for Minsu at a later date. but for now he will just try to keep himself composed, not think too hard on all the what-ifs that curl around the edges of his brain and just-- sink into the pressing warmth that Minsu offers as he curls closer.

there was a time, not even a few weeks ago, where Sage would have run at that, but now-- he exhales slowly, relieved that Minsu isn't upset, and turns to give him a small smile.]

I have a few new strength charms I am working on, perhaps carrying you to bed could be the test of them. [ he holds up a hand, fingers glinting with silver. ] Why-- why do you like apples? I mean, not why do you like them, but the smell. That--

[ Sage isn't sure he even knows what fresh apples smell like honestly. can't remember a time when that was something he was around. fresh snow, the dampness of rain and summer storms, the lingering smoke of a fire, but-- apples? he is curious.

and thankful to think on something more than Minsu naked and wet and pressed behind him with bubbles and--

no. nope. please ignore the blush and just tell him about apples thanks. ]

[it's minsu's turn to laugh, eyes brighter with amusement and affection and thankfully, returning wellness. he can picture sage carrying him, the fox's long limbs hanging over sage's arms. maybe the witch's strength charms really could handle that. minsu wouldn't protest being carried bridal style in the slightest.]

Mmm, I don't like them, at least not eat. But they always smell good to me. It's a softer smell, the kind where you have to put your nose against it, breathe in deep and close your eyes while you're doing it. They smell a little bit sweet, but a little bit tart too. [minsu smacks his lips. describing it makes his mouth water a little.] It's stronger when you cut them open. Then they smell kind of...wet. Does that make sense?

[minsu's already laughing at himself, crinkles at the corner of his eyes. he's rambling about the most ridiculous thing, and he's not even sure that he has a fever to blame it on right now.]

When I get better, I'll get an apple and show you. We can take turns biting into it.

[forget what he said about not liking to eat them, anything that's touched sage's lips is bound to e sweet and delicious.]

[ one day, Sage will be sure to test the charms out with Minsu, for bridal style carrying or something else though is yet to be seen. but for now he is a little bit enamoured (a lot enamoured) with the way that the fox rambles and speaks of things that Sage doesn't have any real experience with and yet--]

That sounds nice actually.

[ Minsu could make anything sound nice, Sage thinks, but that is dangerous territory.

then again, Sage is more than a little past his usual comfort levels with boundaries if the way his heart skips at Minsu laughing is any indication or the way the witch actually wants to think of futures beyond right now. how he is at east running his hands through Minsu's hair with a faint smile on his face. ]

Did the soup help?

The soup helped a lot.

[he says it quietly. minsu thinks that most of the reason that he feels better is because of sage's presence, the touch of his hand and the sound of his voice. but he's done so many little things for him, fetched him soup and made potions and things for baths that would soothe his aches and help him breathe better. he couldn't even begin to count them all.

minsu draws closer to him, looping his arms loosely around sage's waist while resting his head against his shoulder.]

You have made me better in so many ways.

[over the past few weeks and before, when he told him to fuck off and when he walked into the coffee shop both. minsu was an empty monster before he met him, starving for something he never would've found without sage, the witch who the gumiho's heart couldn't let go of. these are the thoughts inside the fox's head, but the words that come from his mouth aren't nearly as eloquent.

it's frustrating. sage makes him feel beautiful things, he wants sage to hear beautiful words in return. he used to be so much better at that, back when the words were meaningless. why can't he do it now?]

I'm sorry. [sage might sense his struggle from his sigh.] I always talk about weird things, raccoons and apples. I know that sometimes I say things and you don't even know what to say back to me. I don't know why it's harder for me to explain how you've saved me, and how much I love you.

[but that sounded like an okay start.]

[ Sage nearly whispers a good into Minsu, letting his fingers move slowly as the fox wraps around him and leans against his shoulder. the witch tries to hide the smile on his face when contentment floods through him at the touch. there is something here, he knows it, even if he is still on uneven footing with his emotions.

sage knows that, more than anything else, he does not question the affection Minsu gives him. knows he means it. even if he still isn't sure he deserves it. but the way Minsu talks about them, about what happened in a world away from here, he starts to understand. just a little bit.]

You have nothing to apologize for. You don't. [ it throws him off, yes but-- it just means that Sage is constantly surprised, on his toes. he enjoys it. not to mention it makes him laugh more than he ever has in his life. ] I just-- I think it's hard for me to understand that, when I'm not-- I can't... I never thought there was that much to me.

[ the words are whisper quiet, but honest. he is sure that MInsu knows about his self esteem, knows that there are times when he questions why he is still alive. but if he is alive just to help Minsu, to exist with him--

maybe it isn't so bad.]

C'mon, let's get you in the bath, yeah?

[ it is easier to show Minsu things, little things, than to talk about it. but he leans in, presses a kiss to his temple gently.] You want the water warm or super hot.

Just my entire world.

[that's how much there is to you, sage. minsu laughs, lifts his head even if he feels a little wobbly - too heavy or too light, he can't decide. he hopes he can help sage see all that there is to him, even when he understands what it is to not feel very good about yourself. that was the biggest side-effect of minsu wanting to change, realizing the monster that he was, regretting so many things, wondering what there was to him without the hunger...if there was anything to him at all without the hunger.

and then he met sage and he was filled with so many other things.

minsu nods to the idea of a bath, untangles himself from the witch and tries to stand on his own as much as possible.]

Warm - I think.

[the sickness has his body confused, but he knows that sweat has his hair damp and sticking to his forehead and the back of his neck.]

[ watching Minsu out of the corner of his eye, Sage is worried when he sees the other struggle. this sickness is taking a toll on Minsu and fuck, Sage hates it, wants to do whatever he can to make it better and is a little furious that he can't do much else. sure he can run the bath, can sit with Minsu and run his fingers through his hair and be there but-- he wants to be able to do more.

there is a mumbled curse as Minsu gets up, Sage scrambling to make sure that he is there if the fox sways or looks like he might fall. he probably should have put a strength charm in, that would have made sense. but he wasn't thinking about that at the time.]

C'mon, to a warm bath it is then. [ a soft smile, Sage's fingers hovering over Minsu's arm as he walks towards the bathroom, making sure that Minsu isn't about to fall over while he starts running the tub. he takes that as a chance to speak, low and quiet, over the running water. ] You make me want to be more, worth whatever it is you see when you look at me. It's-- weird I guess but also good.

[ he turns his face to look at Minsu, tries to focus on his face. ]

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[ closed ] took you like a shot, thought i could chase you with a cold evening

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