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There was a chill running through the room, and Vio looked out the window to see that snow was still falling, the scenery outside blanketed in white. He sighed as he huddled up further into his blankets, a shiver running through him as he sneezed for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour.
He glanced towards the fireplace in the corner of the room, wondering if he should risk the chill in order to get up and light a fire. His mind immediately flickered back to the memory of Red telling him that he needed to rest while he was sick, and that he should just call for one of the others if he needed something done. He rolled his eyes but decided against getting up. He did feel a bit weak still, so it was probably wiser to stay in bed.
He was just about to shout for someone, wondering if anyone would even hear him with his weak voice, when he heard a soft knock on the door, and before he had the chance to respond, the door was creaking open and Vio saw Shadow step in, struggling to balance a tray holding a bowl and a mug.
Shadow offered him a soft smile once he had managed to wrangle the door shut, placing the tray down on the bedside table, moving aside the forgotten book that Vio had already finished in his attempts to find something to pass the time. Vio struggled to prop himself up into a sitting position, his movements still weak and slow, and Shadow lifted the bowl from the tray. “I brought lunch. Do you think you can eat on your own?”
It took all of Vio’s restraint to not get snippy, not liking that a simple bug was enough to make his friends believe he was utterly helpless, but he nodded his head, reaching for the bowl of what appeared to be a steaming hot soup. “Yes. Is this vegetable soup?”
Shadow nodded, handing the bowl over to Vio before pulling up a chair so he could sit with him while he ate. “Red made it for lunch. He knows it’s one of your favourites.”
That caused Vio to smile despite himself, lifting the bowl to his lips and sipping from it, not fully trusting himself to be stable enough to use a spoon. The rich flavour of the vegetables flooded his mouth, and despite the fact that he hadn’t been feeling all that hungry before Shadow came in, he ended up guzzling down the soup greedily, causing Shadow to chuckle.
“Easy, easy…” Shadow leaned back in his chair, laughing a bit more. “Red told me not to let you eat too fast, just in case your stomach gets upset again.” Vio just barely registered his words, but made an effort to drink a bit slower, savouring the feeling of warmth that exploded within his stomach, a welcome distraction from the cold that was still seeping in through the window.
Once he had finished off the last of the bowl, Vio leaned back, allowing Shadow to take the empty bowl back from him and place it down on the tray once more. Vio snuggled back into his blankets, sighing as Shadow turned his attention towards the window. “It’s still snowing hard out there. I wonder if it’s going to ease up at all today.” He stretched before standing up from the chair, moving towards the fireplace. “Would you like me to put a fire on for you? It’s getting a bit cold in here.”
Vio nodded his head, feeling grateful that Shadow thought to offer before he even had the chance to ask. “I’d really appreciate that.”
Shadow offered him a soft smile, leaning down to gather some of the firewood that Blue had cut earlier that morning and left next to the fireplace, settling a couple of logs on the hearth. He grabbed the flint that was kept with the firewood and gave it a strike, having to try a couple of times to get it to light properly.
Vio chuckled, pulling his blanket up a bit higher so it was up to his chin. “You know, you could probably get Red to light it easier with his fire rod.”
That caused Shadow to roll his eyes, but he struck the flint again. This time it managed to catch, wisps of fire blossoming across the wood, billowing up into the fireplace as Shadow stepped back with a satisfied smile. Warmth spread through the air in what felt like almost instantaneous relief, and Vio let out a soft sigh.
Shadow turned to him. “That cold, huh?”
All Vio could muster was a nod, still basking in the comforting warmth drifting across his skin. Shadow chuckled and set the flint down next to the firewood before he settled back into the chair next to the bed. He leaned forward and pressed a soft hand to Vio’s forehead. “Your fever has gone down, at least.”
“I would hope so, with how cold I’ve been.”
Vio knew that the temperature of the room didn’t really play much of a role in the state of his fever, and he could tell that Shadow knew that too, but the other boy didn’t bother to argue, instead letting his hand drift from Vio’s forehead to his cheek before lingering back up towards his hair, running his fingers through the slightly sweaty strands. It was soft and nice, and Vio leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut.
Shadow chuckled again, his voice gentle as Vio heard him shift, and then felt him lean over and press a kiss to his forehead. Vio didn’t know if it was the fever or something else that was causing the blush that bloomed across his cheeks at that moment.
He knew that he shouldn’t be surprised by this anymore. It wasn’t abnormal for Shadow to show him this sort of affection, but he wasn’t used to it.
Well, maybe he was used to it with Red, who was always willing to give a hug whenever someone needed one, but with Red it was different. There weren't any deeper emotions attached to it. When Shadow gave him a kiss on his forehead, Vio knew that that action was special, just for him.
He didn’t open his eyes, though.
Shadow pulled back, and Vio could hear a soft sigh leave his lips, sounding delicate and almost content. “You should get some sleep. I’m going to leave this mug of tea here in case you want something to drink in a bit, but you can still call if you need anything.”
Another quick kiss was pressed to his forehead before he heard the sound of Shadow standing up from the chair, followed by the clanking of ceramic as he picked up the tray with the bowl and settled the mug back on the nightstand. He was right, Vio did feel tired, so much so that he could barely keep himself awake as he listened to the sound of Shadow opening the door and softly clicking it closed behind him.
Vio squirmed a bit, getting comfortable in his blankets, enjoying the newfound warmth radiating from the fireplace. He was sure the snow was still falling outside the window, and he was sure that it would continue to fall for some time. He wondered how much longer he would have to stay in bed before he was feeling better, and he wondered if Red would make more vegetable soup for him later. He knew that Shadow would probably come back later in the day to sit with him for a bit, and Green might bring him another book to read.
But in that moment, he didn’t bother thinking too much. He just kept his eyes closed and let his mind drift off into nothingness, allowing himself to rest.