Unsaid Spoken With Action

Rin coughed heavily again. The boy's shoulders shook with effort as he wheezed, pulling himself up a bit, unable to catch his breath. Just when he finally appeared to be through the fit, he broke out into it again. Akira felt a sharp pang in his chest as he watched his lover struggle to breathe normally.

Akira followed Motomi out of his apartment, "Is there nothing we can do?"

"He's weak, Akira; that's all there is to it." Motomi sighed and lit up a cigarette, leaning back against the railings. "Getting wounded so many times; living on the streets for the past few years; exhaustion; it's all taken a hit at his immune system."

"So we just leave him like that?"

"Unless you know a miracle worker, yes."

Akira grumbled about Motomi being such an old man, leaning forward against the bars and staring out. "Isn't there anything?"

"Give him a few days and then take him to the hospital if he stays the same."

Akira sighed. "He was so bad last night. He couldn't be moved; otherwise I would've taken him to hospital then."

"Akira!" Motomi snapped at him. The sound of the man who never shouted really did shake him momentarily, but when he looked up he found the same man smiling, on the verge of chuckling, "Don't worry so much."

"Rin?" he called softly as leaned over the boy. Akira sat on the edge of his bed, his hands locked together tightly as he tried to keep panic from rising. Rin was wrapped in a thick layer of blankets on Akira's bed; the huge quilts made the boy look even smaller and even more than he was. Akira unlocked his fingers to softly brush Rin's damp hair away from his eyes.

"You need something?"

"No, Akira." Rin feigned a smile and tried to role onto his side, feeling the pain travel up his ribs.

"You're still in pain, aren't you?"

"Not really."

Akira saw the flashes of pain cross Rin's face but knew he was just trying to be strong for his sake; that was the only thing that kept him from calling him out on his lie.

"Sorry you missed work."

"Doesn't matter." Akira put a hand to the boy's forehead, under the long strands of damp blond hair. "You're still very hot."

"You sure? I feel fine."

"Aren't you overdoing it now?" Akira growled lowly.

"Saying I'm as bad as I'm sure I look is pretty silly."

"So is blatantly lying." Akira draped another blanket over Rin, sighing, "Are you sure there's nothing you need?"

Rin nodded drowsily, burrowing deeper under the blankets, "Sure."

Akira left the boy a bit, going through his fridge wondering what he could feed the boy that actually stood a chance to his weak stomach.

"Rin!" He made sure his voice boomed; waking the boy up.

The boy bolted a bit, glancing around before staring at him confusedly.

"I'm going to run out and get you something to eat."

"Don't..."

"If I don't go you'll have nothing to eat." Akira sighed, patting the boy's hair lightly. "I'll be ten minutes." He kissed his forehead lightly and went to leave before the other could protest.

While he was away Rin tossed about uncomfortably; the idea that Akira would return with food wasn't at all comforting. He couldn't even think of food at a time like this. He lifted his hands to look at them; and through his blurred vision all he could see was that his hands were still shaking. He tugged the blankets over his head and rolled onto his side, feeling the close edge of the bed with the tips of his fingers. Silently, he willed himself not to fall out; if he did, he didn't think he'd be able to get up on his own.

It wasn't long until he felt cool air touching his cheek. Akira, or at least a very uneven image of him, stood over him, staring down at him with some concern.

"Welcome back." Rin greeted softly.

"You want to eat something?"

"No."

"You can't eat nothing at all."

"Why do you ask then?" Rin smiled faintly, "If I eat I'll be sick." He warned him.

Akira ran his fingers through his hair nervously, "If you don't eat you might get worse."

Rin rolled onto his back, staring up, "What did you get?"

Akira held up a packet of crackers, "Guess you'll have to deal with these for a while."

"Might be okay."

Akira got off the bed and waited over him, watching him struggle to sit upright against the mess of limp pillows. Situations like these, Rin staying with him, reminded Akira that the maintenance of certain things that he had shrugged off in the past few years really couldn't be ignored for much longer.

Akira ripped open the packet when Rin was having difficulty with it; he wasn't sure if he wanted to chuckle or weep at the state he was in. He nibbled at the salted crackers lightly, making faces as the light smell that was already upsetting him. Akira passed him a glass of water when he was done, "Thanks." Rin pressed his hot cheek against Akira's shoulder. As the cool drink trickled down the back of his hot throat he began to feel a lot better, more so with being able to use the other for support.

The man put a hand to his head, "Your fever hasn't gone down."

"It's not going to go down in an hour, Akira." Rin laughed and, upon giving the other the glass back, safely, lay back again. "Don't fuss."

"Sorry, sorry." Akira mumbled, running his fingers through his hair, inhaling sharply.

Rin lay back, stilling his vision long enough to see the other fluster, "You're actually adorable when you worry."

Akira hit the other over the head with a limp pillow, having pulled it out from under him, "Shut up and get some sleep."

"Grumpy too."

Akira passed him the replenished glass of water, "Drink up first; I can't have you dying; it's messy."

"Not as messy as in Toshima." Rin pointed out, a little groggy.

"Not if you throw up first." Akira grumbled.

The blond rolled away to fall asleep, sighing, "Are you going to sleep on the couch?"

Akira tugged his jacket off, then pulled his t-shirt off over his head. "Move over." Rin released quiet painful mewls as he tried to drag himself across the sheets. Akira stared at his back while he did so, the corners of his lips curling into a tense frown. "You need help?"

"No…no." he dismissed the help quietly, albeit possibly a little regrettably.

After watching him struggle enough, Akira leaned in and picked the boy up lightly, moving him a few inches to the edge of the other side of the bed. He then wordlessly crawled into the bed, throwing his arm around the other.

"You don't need to do that."

"You'll get better sooner maybe; in which case, I do." He reached back for the cloth that hung off the bed, wiping away the sweat on his face, "I'll take you to a hospital tomorrow if you remain like this."

"No need." He felt the cloth begin to touch his back; it was only now that he realized that it was damp also.

"Maybe it's a bad infection." Akira sighed, looking him up and down. Although he had a good idea that his mindless babble was getting on the other's nerves, it took him a moment to notice that he had dozed off to the sound of his worries. Or, at least, Akira hoped that he had only slept.

He was up most of the night, trying to steady the boy as he thrashed about disturbingly in his sleep. Since he had felt himself being pinned in place as much as possible throughout the night Rin knew something was wrong when he woke up all alone the next morning.

From then on he swayed in and out of consciousness, tired and uneasy. He vaguely snapped out of it when a hand gripped his tightly. He stared up unfocusedly at Akira, trying to grip his hand back and focus on the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Akira pulled him to sit upright to rest against him, "Eat something." He pushed the plate of salted crackers into his lap and in the meantime took some pills out of their casing.

"What's that?"

"Painkillers and something for your fever."

Rin rested heavily against him, his form shaking with wheezing coughs before he could even get his question out. Biting back a wince Akira rubbed his back hard to stop the coughing; his kindness made it hard for Rin to tell him to stop because he was making some bruises worse.

He gulped down everything that Akira gave him, smiling warmly before he lay back. "Don't I need a prescription for those?"

"Maybe." Akira mumbled, clearing things off the bed.

Rin smiled inwardly, and after a few hours of sleep it became a little bit easier to show Akira that his efforts were paying off.

"Am I still warm?" he asked, sitting up in bed after dinner.

Akira put a hand to his head lightly. His lips twisted slightly with thought, "A little." He sighed, tossing him a clean t-shirt. "You'll have to shower in the morning."

"I know," Rin pulled back at the aching muscle of his shoulder. "Right when I wake up…"

"You'll need help?"

"No." Rin chuckled lightly and lay back completely, shivering once Akira pulled the sheet off him to change it. "Why are you so worried?"

"Why not?" He had been quizzed in a similar manner by Motomi already, clearly, so Akira wasn't looking too thrilled about being questioned by Rin also. "Why shouldn't I?"

"I'm only asking."

"Don't ask." Akira exhaled heavily, a low growl forming in the back of his throat.

Rin rolled over when Akira joined him in bed, "You look like you've aged ten years just by worrying."

Akira spoke through a yawn, "Thanks."

The blond inched a little closer, dragging his hot body across the cooler sheets to wrap his arm around the other, "I'm alive, right?" he brought him to throw his arm around him too, "So you have no reason to worry."

He laughed his old carefree laugh; it had such a beautiful lulling affect, as well as a soothing quality to Akira's persistent concerns.

Despite any insecurities they may have had due to their five years apart in between them, they could touch each other so affectionately because their feelings were certain, and forever unchanging.