“Between The Sprain And The Sniffles, You Really Can’t Catch A Break This Week" With Keith And Whichever

“Between the sprain and the sniffles, you really can’t catch a break this week" with Keith and whichever caretaker you wanna write? ☺️

Thanks for the request, I hope you don’t mind a fluffy AU! And as usual, thanks to my dear @vcepsis for beta reading my stuff! I’d be lost without you! 😘

—-

Shiro sighed tiredly, and leaned against the counter, his fingers pulling back the soft tuft of white hair on his forehead. Quiet, at last.

The afternoon had been pretty hectic at the Altea Gourmet Cafè, but finally, the shop had emptied itself of the customers for the afternoon, and Shiro had the chance to have a moment to himself. He poured himself a glass of water, taking his time to destress, gazing out of the big window on the wall.

It was starting to snow outside, white confetti leaving tiny wet halos on the pavement in front of the shop.

Shiro took a moment to relish into the sight of the Christmas lights sparkling in the street, getting brighter and brighter with the arrival of the evening.

The tiny bell above the door rang, distracting Shiro from his train of thought. A slender figure in an oversized red hoodie hobbled inside, bringing the cold December wind with them. Shiro didn’t even need to look to know who they were. The clacking of a pair of crutches against the hardwood floor, the sigh of relief when the customer realized how warm it was inside. Shiro smiled.

“Hello, Keith!”

The other boy lowered the hood, exposing his black hair and frost-kissed, red cheeks.

Keith was a regular customer of the cafè. He studied Physics at the university down the road, and he had picked up the habit of stopping at the cafè every day after class. He and Shiro were close in age, Keith being just a couple of years younger than Shiro, and they quickly started befriending each other.

Keith was extremely introverted, but he was only human, and he wasn’t immune to the charm of that really good-looking barista.

When the cafè wasn’t crowded, Keith loved to spend some time at the counter with Shiro, sipping his latte and talking about literally anything.

But that evening, Keith didn’t really seem in the mood for chatting. He slowly hobbled his way to the counter, cursing under his breath when the wet tip of one of his crutches slipped and he almost faceplanted, managing to steady himself at the last moment.

Shiro gasped, but smiled at Keith again.

“That was a close call! Be careful. How’s your ankle?”

Keith reached the counter and climbed on a stool, not without difficulty, propping his crutches against the bar.

“Ankle hurts. But it’s not as swollen as it was two days ago. It’s starting to bruise though.”

Shiro whistled. Keith’s voice was rough and scratchy, way deeper than usual. Upon closer inspection, he could see how red rimmed his eyes were, and how scrubbed raw his nose looked, already starting to peel. Keith kept rubbing it against his sleeve, sniffing wetly.

“Wow, what was that? Did you swallow a toad or something?”

Keith groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his pale, slender fingers.

“Ugh, shuddup. Can you make me a tea? Any flavour will do.”

Shiro nodded, busying himself to brew the tea.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. Between the sprain and the sniffles, you really can’t catch a break this week.”

Keith rolled his eyes and tried to protest.

“I don’t have t-the… the s-…” a throat-scraping, painful sneeze escaped his lungs, leaving him to clutch his chest in discomfort. “…sdiffles.”

Shiro chuckled, plopping a teabag into the hot water.

“Yeah, and I’m the King of the Fairies. Here, take a napkin, your nose is running.”

Reluctantly, Keith plucked a couple of rough napkins and blew. It felt like sandpaper against his already chapped nose, but it was still better than using the sleeve of his hoodie.

A pained moan escaped Keith’s lips and Shiro felt bad for him.

“Listen, why don’t you go sit on that bench over there? You can stretch your leg and I can bring you a pillow, to make you more comfortable. Plus, it’s closer to the stove, you’ll be warmer. What do you think?”

Keith shrugged, then nodded.

“Yeah… I was planning to stay for a while anyway. I have work to do on my computer, and the wi-fi is fairly decent here. And I’m certainly not going home until it stops snowing. A sprained ankle is already enough, I don’t want to risk a broken leg.”

Keith limped to the bench, Shiro hot on his heels, cup of tea in his hands. Keith settled himself on the bench, stretching his leg on a chair on the opposite side of the table.

Keith coughed in his elbow and nodded gratefully when Shiro set the hot drink in front of him.

“Thank you. Sorry to be a nuisance.”

Shiro clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“You’re not a nuisance. I’m sorry you’re feeling so poorly.”

Keith sipped the tea tentatively, but his nose started to run and he dabbed at it with the napkin.

“It’s just a cold. And a sprain. I can deal with it. No need to be concerned.”

Shiro hesitated, and he was about to ask Keith if he wanted him to bring him other napkins, when three new customers entered the cafè, and Shiro had to excuse himself to serve them.

Keith just nodded, turning on his laptop and starting to work on his assignments.

In the following hour, a steady stream of customers kept Shiro busy, but the barista often found himself looking in the direction of Keith’s table, a crease of worry on his brow.

Keith seemed to be struggling. His eyes were puffy and glassy, and his nose and cheeks were bright red. He looked like he had trouble keeping his head up, and eventually Shiro found him fast asleep, with his head resting on his crossed arms.

Shiro had to keep himself from cooing. Keith looked incredibly cute, asleep with his head on the table like an exhausted baby cat.

Eventually, closing time came by. Shiro locked the front door and cleaned the coffee machine, before he headed to Keith’s table and gently shook him awake.

“Keith. Time to go, buddy.”

Keith gasped, lifting his head and looking around, disoriented. The only lights in the cafè were the strings of fairy lights around the shop window, golden flickers in a sea of darkness.

Keith rubbed his eyes and swallowed a few times, a pained expression on his face.

“What time is it? How long have I been asleep?”

“It’s 8 pm, and you’ve been out cold for a couple of hours. How are you feeling? You don’t look good at all.”

Keith sighed, and started collecting his things and stuffing them in his backpack.

“I’m okay. I’m sorry I’ve kept you here over your working time. I should go.”

He stopped to give in to a coughing fit, each cough sounding wetter and sicker than the previous one.

Shiro huffed, unrolling the sleeves of his shirt and taking off the black vest of his uniform.

“Keith, where do you think you’re going, exactly? Look at you, hurt and sick, wearing just a hoodie. It’s snowing heavily outside, you’ll catch your death if you go out like this. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

Keith seemed to hesitate, picking up his crutches.

“Are you… really sure? My house isn’t far from here, I can make it.”

Shiro pulled his car keys out of his pocket, suggesting that he was not willing to negotiate.

“I insist. Come on.”

Keith caved in. He was cold, and his ankle hurt, and he felt overall too awful to argue. His sinuses felt like they were full of concrete, and he was really looking forward to burrowing under every blanket he owned.

They slowly made their way through the parking lot, Shiro standing by Keith’s side to make sure he didn’t slip on the slushy, grey mess on the ground.

Keith sighed in relief when he reached the passenger seat, and Shiro started the engine.

They stopped at a red light, and Shiro cranked up the heat.

“Stay at my place tonight.”

Keith almost choked on saliva, and ended up coughing and spluttering.

“What?”

“Stay at my place tonight,” Shiro repeated calmly.

Keith seemed uncomfortable.

“I don’t really want to disturb… I mean, I don’t want to be a burden. You’re probably tired after work.”

Shiro shot him a ‘no nonsense’ look.

“Keith, I mean it. Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror today? You look like a zombie. Stay at my place. I can fix ourselves some dinner, and maybe a nice cup of tea too. I can also start a nice cozy fire. And somebody really needs to make sure you take some medicine for that cold.”

Keith sighed, as deep as his congested sinuses allowed him.

“How can I say no when you put it like that?”

Shiro rewarded him with his best supermodel smile, and Keith’s heart fluttered.

Damn, he thought, I want to kiss him.

Bad Timing

Small fic to make up for my absence. Words: 1.5k

“Lance, you’re sick,” Keith stated. “You shouldn’t be here.” Lance rolled his eyes, shrinking back into his cubicle.

“I’m fine, I’ve told you. It’s just a cold,” Lance insisted. “Besides, I need to work.” Keith sighed, standing up and lunging for Lance, slapping his hand to Lance’s forehead.

“You’ve got a fever, Lance,” he said, clearly fed up with Lance’s denial. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“Keith, I’m not-” Lance broke off into a coughing fit, muffling it into the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Sick,” he finished, his voice rough from the most recent bout of coughing.

“Very convincing,” Keith smirked. He grabbed Lance’s arm, hauling him up from his seat. “Let’s go.” Lance’s legs wobbled underneath him and he had no choice but to lean against Keith. They walked past the rows of cubicles, Hunk giving them a small wave as they passed him. Lance tried to muster a small smile, but he was sure it looked more like a grimace than anything else. Shiro stood at the end of the row of cubicles, and he surveyed Lance with a look of sympathy on his face.

“I’m taking him home,” Keith explained to their supervisor. “He’s sick.” Shiro nodded.

“You’re a good man, Keith.” As he passed them he gave Lance a pat on the back. “Feel better soon,” he said.

“Come on,” Keith said, supporting the majority of Lance’s weight as they walked. “We can take the elevator.” Keith pressed the button and the sleek silver doors slid open, allowing Keith and Lance to step inside. Lance immediately slid down to the floor, putting his head in between his knees and groaning. Keith pressed the first floor button, smirking. “You’re not sick, huh?”

“Shut up, Kogane,” Lance snapped. “I feel awful.”

“You look awful,” Keith commented, and he was telling the truth. He wasn’t sure how he had missed it earlier in the day but Lance was sporting huge bags underneath his eyes and his face was as pale as a ghost. His hair, usually perfectly brushed was a mess and he was shivering.

There was a thump and the elevator screeched to a halt. Keith frowned, walking over to the doors and running his hand across them. “Are we here?” Lance asked, taking his head out of his knees.

“Well, we’re definitely stopped,” Keith said, pressing the open doors button. The doors slid open effortlessly and Keith was staring at a seemingly bottomless abyss, cables running all the way down to the bottom, a place Keith’s eyesight didn’t quite reach. Lance stood up, walking over to Keith and placing a hand on the panel of buttons for support.

“Are we stuck?” Lance asked. They heard a phone ringing and Keith pulled his out of his pocket to see Shiro’s face lighting up the screen. Keith slid the answer button, bringing it up to his ear.

“Keith, are you and Lance in the elevator?” Shiro asked. He sounded stressed.

“Yeah, we’re stuck,” Keith responded. He could see Lance worriedly glancing at him as he spoke to Shiro. “What’s going on?”

“It’s broken,” Shiro responded. “I’ve got Pidge and Hunk working on it, but I’m not sure how long it’ll take.” There was a pause. “How’s Lance?” Keith glanced over at the brunet. Lance seemed to have paled ever since the elevator had stopped and he was staring into the abyss. He was still steadying himself against the button panel but he was still swaying and considering how close he was to the edge, Keith was worried.

“He’s okay, I think, but I think getting us out of here as fast as possible would be best,” Keith said.

“Well, Pidge and Hunk are working their hardest. Hang in there, okay?”

“Okay,” Keith said. He heard Shiro hang up and he turned to face Lance again only to see him swaying dangerously close to the edge. Grabbing him by his shoulders he steered Lance away from the edge, pressing the close doors button. “Maybe stay away from there, okay?” Keith said. “I don’t want you falling in.”

“Are we stuck in here?” Lance asked, sliding down to the floor again. Keith sighed, sitting down next to him.

“Yeah, but Pidge and Hunk are working hard. We’ll be out in an hour, tops.”

——

The two of them had been in the elevator for an hour and a half and, according to Shiro’s latest update, Pidge and Hunk were no closer to fixing the elevator. “How much longer, Shiro?” Keith asked, glancing over at Lance’s sleeping form. He was breathing through his mouth, slumped against the elevator door. “I’m starting to get worried about Lance. I think he’s getting worse.”

“You’re going to have to be patient, Keith. This is out of my hands.” Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew Shiro was right but he could almost see Lance’s strength draining away.

“I know,” he said. Lance started to stir and he hung up the phone, all of his attention turning to the sick person next to him. “How are you feeling?” He asked anxiously as Lance blinked open his eyes. He brushed his hand against Lance’ cheek, wincing as he felt the heat coming from Lance’s face. Lance shrugged, coughing into his arm.

“Are they any closer to getting us out of here?” Lance asked, his voice quiet. He must have seen the look on Keith’s face because he groaned.

“They’ll be done soon, I promise,” Keith said, lying through his teeth. In truth, even Shiro didn’t know when they would be finished. Keith was tempted to complain but as he looked into Lance’s pale face, cheeks flushed red from the fever all of his anger seemed to melt away, transforming into the need to protect Lance and make sure he was okay. “Go to sleep,” he advised. “The time will go by quicker.” Lance nodded sleepily, already sinking down, his head hitting the paisley carpeted floor as he brought his knees to his chest, pulling his body into a ball. His eyes fluttered closed but shivers continued to run up and down his body, even as he drifted off. Keith slipped out of his sweatshirt, draping it over Lance. Even though Lance was asleep, Keith thought he could see Lance smile.

——

“How’s Lance doing?” Shiro asked. They were on their fifth hour in the elevator and Lance was still asleep. Keith, so as not to wake Lance, gently rested a hand on his forehead.

“I think his fever’s gone up,” he responded. On the other end of the line, Shiro cursed.

“How bad is he?” Keith glanced at Lance, at his pale face and shivering body.

“I’m not sure, but he needs to be in a bed, not a broken elevator.”

“I think it’ll be a few more hours,” Shiro said. “While you’re in there, try to get some sleep.”

“Will do,” Keith said. Shiro hung up just as Lance groaned, opening his eyes.

“Keith, I’m cold,” he said, his voice nearly gone. Keith sighed, laying down on the floor. He wrapped his arms around Lance, bringing Lance to his chest.

“Is this better?” he asked. He could feel Lance nod, and once again Lance fell asleep. Keith shut his eyes and, with Lance pressed against his chest, slowly nodded off.

——

Keith awoke to a thump. Immediately he shot up and next to him Lance raised his head, blinking sleepily. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I think they’ve fixed the elevator,” Keith responded, checking his phone. The screen flashed one twenty six a.m. back at him. “About time, too,” he muttered. Sure enough he could feel the elevator slowly going down, finally hitting something solid. With a dinging sound the elevator slid open, revealing a very relieved Shiro, Pidge and Hunk. Lance pushed himself up, staggering out of the elevator behind Keith.

“Are you two alright?” Shiro asked, his eyebrows knit. Keith glanced at Lance, who gave him a small nod, making Keith sigh in relief.

“Yeah, we’re both fine,” Keith said, making Shiro’s face split into a grin.

“Well, that’s the most important thing. I’m sorry the two of you had to go through that.” Lance offered a small shrug.

“It wasn’t that bad,” he said. “I’m just glad I can go home.”

“Well, take the day off, all four of you,” Shiro said. “See you in two days.” Shiro, Pidge and Hunk left for the parking lot, leaving Lance and Keith alone in the lobby.

“Thanks for everything, Keith,” Lance said. “It was really good of you to help me.” He gave a small wave and a smile and began to walk to the parking lot, but Keith stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, I said I’d take you home, remember?” Lance frowned, coughing into his sleeve.

“You don’t have to,” he said. “I’m okay to drive, and you’ve been here for hours. You must want to go home.” Keith shrugged.

“Yeah, but I want to make sure you get home safely. Let me take you home.” With a small pause Lance nodded, and the two of them pushed open the door, walking out into the chilly air of the parking lot.

121 notes View Post

lillcarolyn

2 years ago

Reblog if you would kill for her