► Nursing ◄

On his way back home, Vox ever so often checked on Shoto's condition. It was hard to tell if he was even breathing. His breathing was very shallow and his body was way too cold. On top of that, it was snowing pretty heavily. The only thing Vox could do, was believing in Shoto's will to live.

When he reached their home, the others were already waiting for them outside.'Vox!! Is he ok?' Ike asked worried. 'He is alive at least. But the rest is up to him and us if there is even anything we can do. Pomu healed his wounds, so the only and biggest problem is his already lost blood' Vox frowned. 'I already made a mixture of Rosemary, Ginkgo Leaf and Ginseng. It improves blood circulation and production. The question is, how do we give it to him when he's unconscious?' Ike wondered. 'I'll take care of that. Let's bring him to his room first' Vox replied. 'There is just one minor problem' Shu mentioned. 'Problem?' Vox raised an eyebrow. 'Yes. You are both full of blood. You need to get a change of clothes and Shoto needs to get cleaned or else, he will get sick on top of being already weak' Shu explained. Vox took a look at Shoto and himself again. He didn't even realize how they looked. The only thing he was concerned about was Shoto's life. 'Ok. Can you guys bring him to his room then? I'll go to the bathroom, give myself a quick wash and bring a bucket of water with me' he suggested. The others nodded. 'I'll carry him' Luca voiced. Vox handed Shoto over to him and followed them into the house. 'By the way. Where is Celine?' Vox wondered. 'Oh. I sent her to her room. I told her that Shoto got injured and we needed to take care of him. She protested because she wanted to help, but I told her that she didn't need to worry. Once we are sure that Shoto's life isn't in danger anymore, I'll go and get her' Ike reported. 'Thanks. A child shouldn't be exposed to such agony' Vox thanked him.

Vox washed up as fast as he could. He had tied his hair to a ponytail so that it didn't get in the way, filled a bucket with water and rushed towards Shoto's bedroom. Before he entered, he already saw Shoto laying peacefully in his bed. The others had already taken of his jacket and trousers. As he went into the room, he noticed the change of temperature. 'Wow. It's warm in here. Did you use a fire stone by any chance?' Vox wondered. 'Yes. Shu did it. Since he is the most proficient in using magic, I gave it to him. I don't know if I could even control it well enough' Ike replied. 'Good thinking. With this, Shoto should be able to warm up quickly' Vox praised. 'You guys should also wash up now. It's been a long day. I'll take care of Shoto' Vox suggested. 'Ok. Tell us if you need anything' Shu agreed. As they went out of the room, Vox started preparing to wash Shoto. This time, he wasn't thinking of anything indecent. It would be very inappropriate in this situation. He only focused on getting him clean as fast as possible, so that he could tuck him in his blanket. Shoto was still fighting after all.

After he finished cleaning him, he put on his pajamas and then it was time to give him his medicine. He sat him up and supported his back so that he wouldn't fall back. 'I'm sorry for doing this without your consent' Vox whispered before he took a small sip of the medicine, made sure Shoto's mouth was open and gave him the medicine through his mouth. He had to do it a few times, since he could only give him a small amount at a time. An unconscious person could suffocate if there is too much to swallow. As soon as the glass was empty Vox tucked him in under his blanket. Shoto was still very pale, but Vox could have sworn that he already looked a little better.

A few hours went by and it was now past midnight. Vox fell asleep while holding Shoto's hand, with his head resting on the unoccupied arm. He planned on staying awake the whole night, so he could keep an eye on Shoto. But the accumulated stress and lack of sleep had gotten to him, without noticing. It was a much needed rest for both of them.

'Hm' Shoto slowly opened his eyes. He had to blink a few times to get rid of the drowsiness in his eyes. His whole body felt heavy and sluggish. To him, it felt like he had aged fifty years. He was completely drained, even though he just woke up from his sleep. While trying to move, he felt his body ache. But, there was another feeling. His hand was warm. When he turned his head slightly, he saw Vox peacefully sleeping by his side. His face was partly covered by a few hair strands. Even in his sleep, he never led go of his hand. A weak smile hushed over Shoto's face as he softly squeezed his hand. Shortly after, Vox's eyes blinked open. When their eyes met, he immediately lifted his head. 'Shoto!' he exclaimed. He first had a look of shock, then of happiness and lastly of anxiety. Tears started to fill his eyes. He wanted to embrace him and cry his eyes out, but he held back. Since Shoto was still weak, he didn't want to strain him unnecessarily. So he just kept holding his hand. 'It's the first time I'm seeing this kind of expression' Shoto chuckled. His voice was strained and quiet. 'Well, I can't possibly be smiling right now' Vox frowned. 'Why? I'm alive, thanks to you' Shoto was confused. 'No. You nearly died because of me' Vox shook his head and lowered his gaze. 'How is that your fault?' the other asked. 'If I hadn't spoken to you like that, you wouldn't have run off. I knew that you were already exhausted, but I was blinded by jealousy' Vox admitted. Shoto was surprised. Did he actually just admit that he was jealous? He was happy that he didn't just imagine things back then. 'Don't blame yourself. If I hadn't overdone it like I did, I would have won that fight easily. And arguments happen. To be honest, I kinda hoped that you were just jealous and that you actually didn't mean any of that' Shoto calmed him. 'You did? So, does that mean...?' Vox was about to ask, but Shoto instantly answered. 'Yes. I like you. And it's in the romantic kind of way' he admitted. Vox couldn't contain his happiness. He beamed from one ear to the other. 'Me too. Since the first day we met, I felt attracted to you. I became sure of my feelings when we went on our little treasure hunt' Vox smiled. 'It's the same for me. Though, I was a little scared, you might just be a flirt. So I didn't want to get my hopes up' Shoto admitted. 'Did I seem that way? Maybe I should have been a bit more serious back then. But I just couldn't hold back' Vox replied with a grin. Both of them chuckled. Then, they went silent for a moment before Vox spoke up 'Can I kiss you right now?' Vox carefully asked. 'Just do it, you idiot' Shoto laughed. He could have sworn, he just saw puppy ears on Vox's head. The demon seemed to burst with joy as he got up and bend over, to position himself over the still laying man.

They both felt their hearts pounding out of their chests as Vox came closer and closer. Full of anticipation, Shoto closed his eyes to await the impact of their lips. Vox was glad, his body moved on it's own, since he still didn't process what was about to happen. As their lips finally met, they felt flowers blooming in their stomachs. All the anxiety vanished in that instance. Vox felt the urge of kissing him even deeper, but he held himself back once again. They would have many opportunities after Shoto got better, so his lips slowly left Shoto's. They were both a little disappointed as their lips left each other. 'Please get well soon. Then, we don't need to stop' Vox whispered into Shoto's ear which made his face flush even more than it already was. 'You should sleep more. Don't worry, I'll be right here' Vox smiled. 'But, you need to sleep too' Shoto protested. 'Hm. Then, I'm gonna sleep here' Vox replied and lay down right next to him. Fortunately, the bed was big enough for two, so it was pretty comfortable. 'Happy now?' Vox asked. 'Yes, very' Shoto smiled while his heavy eyes slowly closed. 'Sweet dreams' Vox whispered. 'Good night' Shoto replied and slowly drifted into sleep.