"I'd say... it'll be about three days," Yosano says. She looks completely unfazed while she peels off her gloves and steps away from Atsushi's bedside.

Akutagwa, in the other hand, feels a sharp prick of panic in his chest. "Before he dies?"

His completely honest question is met with a peel of laughter from the doctor. "God, no!" she looks at him with a twinkle in her eye, "Where does your pessimism come from, kid?"

Akutagwa blinks, forcing down his embarrassment as the panic subsides.

"He's got a cold, Ryunosuke. He'll be back to work in three days."

Akutagawa lets his gaze drift from her down to his unconscious partner. It certainly seems like a lot more than a cold. Atsushi was sweating profusely under layers of blankets and yet he was shivering on his futon. If he was awake, it wasn't obvious, as his eyes keep flitting around restlessly under his eyelids. From time to time, they'll open ever so slightly to show a bloodshot sclera. The look of it made Akutagawa a little sick to his stomach.

"That's too long..." is all he says to Yosano, however.

"Too bad," she says, "If you want to try to get him up and walking, be my guest. But he'll be absolutely useless. Get in a fight and you might actually need Thou Shalt Not Die."

She picks up her purse and slings it over her shoulder with a flick of her hair. "You'd better stay here, Ryunosuke. He needs plenty of water and he's hardly able to get up and get a glass himself at this rate."

Akutagawa wants to protest and he knows he should for appearances sake, but not a single part of him would mean it so his tongue refuses to say it. The truth was, he was happy to stay. He was worried.

Yosano hardly seems to notice his silence as she's already part way out the door. "Ta-ta!" she says. The door closes behind her.

For a moment, Akutagawa just stares at Atsushi, uncertain what to do. After a long pause, he kneels down next to him and takes his hand. It's a completely selfish move. It doesn't help his sick partner in any way, but he wants to do it. Even though Yosano says it's just a cold, it feels like Atsushi is slipping away from him. Holding his hand reminds him that he's still there. HIs thumb absent-mindedly rubs the white-haired man's clammy skin.

He reaches up to feel Atsushi's forehead, only to recoil from the heat. "Water..." he mutters to himself.

It takes him a couple minutes to find a cup and rag in this apartment, but he does it eventually. By the time he's back at Atsushi's side, his bloodshot eyes are open slightly, staring at him.

Akutagawa's heart leaps into his throat as he realizes he might have been awake earlier and hiding it. If he was, he wondered how he would take the hand-holding. That teetered dangerously on the edge of "platonic" and "romantic" and having that sort of discussion when Atsushi was barely lucid...

Neither of them say anything as Akutagawa takes the cold wet rag. He brushes back the man's bangs and places the rag down lightly, but Atsushi hisses as a shiver goes through his body.

"It's cold..." The words are a bit difficult to make out. Atsushi's voice is thick and heavy, probably because of all the snot in his throat.

"Sit up. Yosano says you should drink something."

Atsushi sniffs and doesn't move for a moment. He eventually gets around to shoving himself up into a sitting position, but he's shaking like a leaf. Akutagawa guides the cup to his partner's trembling hands. As soon as Atsushi's fingers wrap around it, some of it sloshes over the edge. Akutagawa helps him steady his grip by placing his own hands over Atsushi's. He keeps them there—trying his best to keep it as still as possible—as Atsushi tips the contents into his mouth.

He seems grateful for the water as he downs the entire cup faster than Akutagawa expected. The black-haired man puts sets the cup aside.

"I don't feel good..." Atsushi says.

"You've got a cold," Akutagawa replies.

"Why are you here?"

Akutagawa swallows. "You've got a cold," he repeats.

"Oh..."

Atsushi slowly leans forward and rests his forehead at the top of Akutagawa's collarbone. "That was hard... I'm gonna stay here a minute."

It's impossible to force the blush away from his face and it only deepens as Atsushi wraps his arms around Akutagawa's waist. He lets out a little sick, miserable groan. "You're even more comfortable than I imagined."

And there goes Akutagawa's heart rate, racing down the streets of Yokohama. He had no sort of response to that, so instead he just gently nudged his body a little closer. "I'll, um... take care of you, okay?" he says after a long silence.

Atsushi hums happily.