Byleth could immediately tell something was wrong upon her first waking breath. Her eyes were crusted, throat salted and dried, chest heavy.

She was sick, plain and simple.

I guess I better get up and assess the damage, Byleth thought, but as she coughed and tried to stretch herself upright, every muscle in her body screamed out in agony and begged to be allowed to rest, she was right stuck.

Looking around, she was alone in her room, aside from the beauty soundly asleep in the bed next to hers. She and Edelgard loved each other dearly, but her beloved had many physical and mental barriers in their relationship that they were working on, not least of which was sharing a bed with another person. Some days they would sleep together, usually with Edelgard's head resting on Byleth's chest, falling asleep to her heartbeat, but other days Edelgard would say she hurt too much and didn't want another person's touch on her.

Byleth didn't want to wake Edelgard up while she was sleeping so gently, but she needed help and there was no other option.

"El….El…." She hoarsely called out, trying to rouse Edelgard from bed.

"What is it, dear…" Edelgard returned, but upon rubbing her eyes she could immediately tell from Byleth's sunken face that there was something wrong with her.

Immediately scrambling up, Edelgard rushed to her lover's side and grasped her hand, an immense look of worry on her face. She started asking her how she was feeling and what was wrong, but all Byleth could focus on was the hand holding hers, I've never actually held her hand like this before. Edelgard was almost always covered neck to toe in some form of garment which Byleth knew was from a mix of shame and guilt over the horror she was put through as a child. But here, she held her hand with her own bare one, and her heart fluttered.

Between coughs Byleth managed to ask for some water, and Edelgard returned shortly with a cup. She's really worried about me, Byleth thought; Edelgard had been fiercely scrutinizing and tense about her condition ever since she blacked out after finishing off Rhea, with even something as innocent as sleeping late or a lack of appetite drawing her attention.

"I'm not dying El, I'm just sick" Byleth tried to console.

Edelgard moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking down upon the feverish Byleth.

"Are you going to be ok if I go? I know Hubert has a lot of paperwork for me to do but I'm sure we can work around it if you need someone to look after you"

Byleth desperately wanted to say yes, she would've loved nothing more than to have her dearest dote on her for the day as she sweat off this illness, after all their turmoil she wanted nothing more than to be lazy and selfish.

But she couldn't do that to her love.

"I don't want to keep you from your work, it's important… I think I'm just going to sleep mostly."

Forcing a small smile, Edelgard got up and started to walk to the door.

"Ok then sweetie, I'll send Hubert to check up on you later."

On second thought, maybe a day off would do us both good.

"Actually *cough* maybe you stay with me at least for a bit *cough* I'd rather not feel lonely here by myself *coughcough*" She only had to half-feign the coughing.

Secretly glad that she decided to have her stay, Byleth rolled to put her back to Edelgard so she could get dressed for the day, she knew Edelgard was still uncomfortable with anyone viewing her bare body and even while sleeping Edelgard was usually clothed in a gown, trousers and elbow length gloves.

Once dressed, Edelgard came to Byleth's side and planted a tender kiss on her forehead, "I'll be back I just need to take care of a few things." Returning just a few minutes later with a silver platter of hot tea and biscuits, placing an ornate tray across Byleth's bed

"Breakfast in bed? I love you, El." Byleth said, taking a bite out of a golden-brown scone.

Edelgard smiled, and began to pour some of the hot liquid into her cup, "It's chamomile, supposed to help when you're feeling ill."

She then pulled up a chair in order to sit next her wife in bed. Edelgard recalled that Byleth used to be a quick eater, since as a mercenary extra helpings were limited, and Jeralt didn't give them out unless your plate was clean.

But over the years, in sharing meals with students and careful observation of her lover, Byleth had gradually slowed down, and took time to have conversation over a meal.

"So… I've never told anyone this, but I knew Petra and Dorothea were dating each other years before they told us." Byleth confessed between bites.

Edelgard was going through Byleth's drawers for some comfortable garments that she could wear and was completely taken by surprise. "Really? How? When?"

"Back at the Monastery, I was on my way to bed when I passed by the stables, I heard the sound of rustling coming from one of the empty pens and stuck my head in to investigate."

She took a sip of her tea before continuing, "the two of them were making out right in front of me! I immediately turned around and fled, hoping neither of them saw me, I really didn't want to stumble into such a private moment."

Edelgard stopped to think, "Do you remember when this was?"

"Just after the dance, remember Dorothea was so ecstatic that she won."

Edelgard recoiled in laughter, "That's when Dorothea started pestering me to confess my feelings towards you!"

Byleth nearly spat her tea out at that, "I guess that was her subtle way of getting revenge then." She added, causing the two of them to chuckle.

"Here," Edelgard put a set of garments at the corner of Byleth's bed. "Do you want me to help you get dressed?" She asked, half a genuine offer to help and half a plea for arousal.

Without words, Byleth moved aside the tray and held her arms up, allowing Edelgard to remove her shirt, bearing Byleth's ample, round breasts, including a small red bite mark near her left nipple. Edelgard froze for a second, her heart thammering, causing Byleth to feign pouting, "It's nothing you've never seen before, silly."

Apologizing, Edelgard slipped over her a loose blue tunic, and allowed her to get up and put equally blue shorts. "Can we go sit by the fire?" Byleth asked. "It's cold out of bed…"

Their posh sitting room had a lovely couch situated close to the fireplace, usually for warming one's self up in the winter months, but would do nicely for a chilly Byleth. They sat together opposite the glowing fire, Edelgard reading a book while Byleth rested, head upon her lap and face just in front of her abdomen.

She rubbed her tired head on Edelgard's thighs and stomach, "You're eating well again, I'm glad."

Edelgard shot Byleth a quick embarrassed look, but relented when she saw how comfortable and happy she looked, and gave her messy hair a soft pat. Byleth then let out a very sudden and violent sneeze, followed by a long groan. "My head is pounding, I hate being sick" She complained, as her love gave her a cloth to blow her nose.

But soon, Byleth settled back to her wife lap pillow, her fevered sniffles continuing but slowing until eventually, thankfully, she fell asleep.

And started snoring.

"Good lord, how did I never notice this!" Edelgard whispered under her breath before returning to her book, a fluffy romance novel about a boy who braves jagged cliffs and hills in order to give his crush a flower which blooms once every 200 years. It had been recommended to her by Dorothea back in their school days but she only now started reading it.

After some amount of time sudden knocks and the sound of the door opening brought Edelgard out of her trance, and she turned to find her advisor, Hubert.

"I'm sorry to bother you Lady Edelgard but I have the items you requested-"

"Shhhh!" Edelgard cut him off, gesturing to the still snoring Byleth on her lap. "Quiet please!" She whispered, causing Hubert to visibly sigh.

She had asked him to deliver some medicines, which he dutifully laid out on a table, Edelgard wasn't about to wake Byleth up until she had more sleep. However, she did wipe away the sweat on her forehead and removed one of her gloves to check her temperature, poor By, she's burning up, she determined, and when Byleth then started shivering Edelgard used her free hand to lightly pet her head.

When Byleth finally arose from her extended nap hours later Edelgard could see spots of tears down her wife's cheeks. "By… were you crying? Are you ok?"

"I had a dream about my father, about Jeralt… I still miss him, El."

Byleth started to sniffle and weep more openly, so Edelgard moved to give her a hug. They both knew she wasn't directly at fault for Jeralt's untimely demise, but it was still a slight sore spot between the both of them, one they were still working on resolving.

Byleth turned to look at her love more directly. "Hey El… um… do you..." She stammered, too nervous to fully finish her question.

"Do you want kids?" She finished.

Edelgard didn't verbally answer her, instead smiling, and leaning over to kiss her on the lips.

THE NEXT MORNING

Byleth awoke to hear someone gently calling her, "By…. By… please"

She turned to see Edelgard, beet red and sniffling, "You got me sick you jerk" She joked.

Edelgard lifted up the corner of her covers, "I'm chilly, can you come here and help warm me up?"

Byleth snuggled up against her wife and the two lovers held each other close until they both drifted off back to sleep.

Meanwhile, a hidden Hubert took his prying ear off the door, reached into his pocket to check a small, empty glass vial. He then smirked, and made his escape.