They cuddled late into the night.
Eventually, Baldur Morgan carried Cohen Phillips into the bathroom for a quick wash, then brought him back to bed.
Cohen Phillips nestled into his arms.
"Goodnight kiss."
Baldur Morgan gently pecked his lips and held him tighter.
"Sleep."
Cohen Phillips buried his face in Baldur's chest, closed his eyes, a faint curve lifting the corners of his mouth.
Sometime after 3 a.m., Baldur Morgan heard faint whimpering and opened his eyes to find the space in his arms empty.
He reached out an arm, touched scalding skin, and instantly sat bolt upright, fully awake.
He turned on the bedside lamp, leaned over, and gathered Cohen Phillips, who was curled up at the edge of the bed, into his arms.
"Baby?"
Cohen Phillips was delirious with fever, eyes closed, frowning as he wrapped his arms around Baldur's neck, weeping softly.
"It hurts..."
Baldur Morgan pressed his own forehead against Cohen's burning one, grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and called his personal doctor.
Baldur's warm body felt like a soothing balm to the feverish Cohen, who was dissatisfied with the distance between them.
Cohen climbed onto him completely.
"Hold me..."
"Okay, okay, I'm holding you, I'm holding you," Baldur Morgan said, tightening his arms around Cohen's waist.
On the other end of the line, the personal doctor was dead silent for a few seconds before speaking uncertainly, "Baldur?"
"Come to my house. My boyfriend has a fever."
"Ah? Boy... boyfriend??"
"Hurry up. Triple your fee."
"On my way!"
After ending the call, Baldur Morgan tossed the phone aside, gently patting Cohen Phillips's back to soothe him.
"The doctor will be here soon. You'll feel better in a little while."
Cohen Phillips nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
"Baldur... I feel awful..."
Baldur Morgan kissed the corners of his eyes, his cheeks, the tip of his nose, his heart aching with both distress and self-reproach.
It must be because we worked up a sweat earlier in the evening and then took a bath.
Even with the room's heating, he probably caught a chill.
And Cohen's constitution was weak to begin with...
Cohen Phillips opened his eyes groggily and rubbed against Baldur's lips.
"I want water."
He wrapped Cohen snugly in the blanket.
"Lie still and be good. I'll go downstairs and get you some water."
"Mmm..."
Baldur Morgan quickly returned with a glass of warm water.
He lifted Cohen Phillips, carefully helping him drink.
After drinking half the glass, Cohen turned over and burrowed into the blankets on his own, softly whimpering, appearing both obedient and pitiable.
Baldur Morgan sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking his hair, frequently checking his phone.
Twenty minutes later, the doctor texted saying he was at the door.
Baldur hurried downstairs to let him in and led him up to the bedroom.
Nico Taft put down his large medical bag and took out his stethoscope.
Baldur Morgan pulled the blanket down slightly and coaxed softly, "Baby, let the doctor take a look."
Nico Taft marveled inwardly. Upon seeing the youth's beautiful face, he thought to himself, No wonder Baldur Morgan is so worried.
The icy cold stethoscope touched his skin, making Cohen Phillips frown and shrink back.
Baldur Morgan held him still.
"Be good, don't move. It'll be over soon."
Nico Taft, keeping his eyes professionally averted, finished the examination, took Cohen's temperature, put down the stethoscope, and pulled a syringe from his bag.
"103.3°F. That's a high fever. I'll give him a fever-reducing injection. See how he is after he wakes up tomorrow. If it's not better, he'll need to go to the hospital for an IV. Hold his arm for me."
"Mhm."
The needle pricked his arm, a faint sting.
Cohen Phillips half-opened his eyes.
"Baldur..."
"I'm here."
After the injection, Baldur Morgan laid him down and pulled the blanket up.
"Sleep."
Once he had coaxed Cohen into closing his eyes, Baldur Morgan said to Nico Taft, "You sleep in the guest room next door. If his fever hasn't gone down in half an hour, come with me to take him to the hospital."
"Alright."
Nico Taft packed his medical bag.
As he was about to leave, he turned back to remind him, "Be more careful in the future. Your little boyfriend seems to have a rather weak constitution—probably something he was born with. Make sure he gets plenty of rest and nourishment usually."
Cohen Phillips, who hadn't yet fallen asleep, silently pulled the covers over his face.
Baldur Morgan shot an annoyed glare at the doctor, who was clearly letting his imagination run wild.
"Just go."
"Heh heh heh, remember my triple fee. I'll be next door. Call me anytime."
After Nico Taft left, Baldur Morgan lay down beside Cohen Phillips and felt his forehead.
Cohen Phillips shifted into his arms and said in a muffled voice, "The doctor misunderstood..."
Baldur sighed.
"Be good, sleep now."
"Hmph... Cold... Hold me..."
"I'm holding you. Sleep well."
The medication contained a sedative component.
Soon, Cohen Phillips fell asleep.
Baldur Morgan didn't dare sleep.
He felt Cohen's forehead every few minutes.
After more than ten minutes, feeling the temperature had dropped, he finally relaxed, held Cohen tight, and closed his eyes.
In the early morning, Cohen Phillips woke up, pushed away the arm around his waist, and sat up.
He glanced at the ill-fitting pajamas he was wearing, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom.
After washing up, aside from looking a bit pale, his spirits seemed fairly good.
He checked the time, then climbed back onto the bed.
Sitting cross-legged beside the sleeping Baldur Morgan, he gently touched the faint dark circles under Baldur's eyes, then leaned down and kissed his thin lips.
The refined, gentle affection is nice, but this kind that kisses and soothes him...
I like it even more!
I really, really like Baldur!
Unable to restrain the surge of affection welling up in his heart, Cohen Phillips began touching and kissing the sleeping Baldur Morgan again, utterly unable to keep his hands and lips off him.