Poor X. The lawyer has seemingly been struggling with some kind of chest infection for a while now- it seems like whenever Y passes his office, she can hear him clearing his throat, muffled coughing drifting through the walls as he tries to catch his breath. “I’ll b-be- *wheeze*- f-fine. Just… just need to c-catch my- my breath.” Wiping his mouth, he soon leans back against the bricks. His shallow exhales become steam in the cold air. “I think you might need some stronger cough medicine.” Y murmurs, still rubbing slow circles against his back. “If you want, I could get you some?” His gaze crawls over to hers, dull hope flickering within them. “Y-yeah?” His eyes roll, exhaustion taking over, but a quick tap to the cheek brings him right back, blinking languidly. “M'okay.” He mumbles. “Th-thanks.” Y's hand, still lingering on his cheek, moves to swipe away a sweat-dampened curl from his forehead. “I’m not sure whether ‘okay’ is quite the right word to describe you right now, X… Take a few minutes down here, and then I'll walk you back up to your office, alright? I’m going to tell your assistant- Z, isn't it?- to make sure you get some rest while I fetch you some meds.” X swallows, shaking his head weakly. “I’ll be… I’ll be f- fine.” “I’m the doctor here. Just try to relax for once in your life.” Finally, he sighs, nodding. He's still leaning his head against the brick wall as his eyes fall closed. Y continues to rub his back for a few minutes, a comfortable silence enveloping them. When she looks back at the lawyer beside her, his jaw is slack, lips slightly parted. The quick, shallow breaths of before have slowed and deepened. A small smile creeps onto her face. He's asleep. X starts to lean unconsciously towards her. Soon, as he remains asleep and snoring, his head lands on her shoulder. He's definitely going to drool all over her dress. “Bless him .” Z whispers, cocking his head a little as he watches X sleep. “He's absolutely knackered.” Y isn't entirely sure what that word means, but if it has anything to do with exhaustion, he's completely right. X is curled up on the couch, cheek pressed against a throw pillow Z thrifted, buried beneath a mound of blankets Y brought from home. They're ever so slightly weighted, and the pressure is comforting for X. She's trying to get used to his sensory needs. To not rely on him resolving them himself, especially when he's sick. Judging by the peaceful look on his face, nostrils flaring gently with each slow breath, she's doing something right at least. She hopes, also, that bringing him into her workplace was the right thing to do as well, groaned when she half-dragged X through the doors, pale and shakily covering his ears, squinting against the light, but what was she supposed to do? Suppose X had been left alone, and needed to get something to drink? Doing those things alone right now is essentially impossible for him. Y's phone beeps, and she turns it on to find a reminder: X’s antibiotics. She sighs, glancing over at cosy-looking just as his nose twitches in his sleep. Z notes frustration. “Antibiotic time?” “Yep.” With another small sigh of sympathy, she stands and wanders over to the feverish bundle of blankets and gentle snores, placing a gentle hand on the top of his head. Her thumb brushes against the sweat-damp curls that hang over his eyes. “ X? Sweetheart? Wake up for me, pumpkin.” When, after a few seconds of waiting, he doesn't stir, she gently strokes her index finger against his lower eyelashes. It's an age-old trick, and just like always, his eyes gradually open halfway. “Hey, X.” She whispers, smiling reassuringly as he blinks in the light. For once, he doesn't make any attempt to get up. His dizziness is clearly plaguing him again. “I’m so sorry to wake you, but you need to take your meds. Can you do that for me?” He swallows, clearly disoriented. Barely awake. “ Mm.” “Thank you. You don't even have to sit up, alright? Just…” she takes the bottle of pills from the coffee table and unscrews the lid, shaking a couple into her palm. “Just put these in your mouth, sweetheart.” Shakily, he obeys. Y's now empty hand is nearly immediately met with a glass of water filled up moments ago by Z. She moves closer to X and holds the rim of the glass up to his lips. “Now take a few sips, and swallow… Good job.” As soon as his small (yet Herculean) task is complete, X sinks back against the pillow entirely, eyes closing. Y draws the blanket over his shoulders, hand yet again drifting to his hair. “How’re you feeling?” she asks softly. His nostrils flare. He doesn't open his eyes. “ B-bad… Di- dizzy.” “ I bet… the antibiotics will make things better soon, pumpkin, I promise. Just rest.” X swallows thickly. “ C-can I go b-back to sleep now?” T gives him a small smile. “Of course you can.” She leans forward, pressing her lips to his too-warm forehead before withdrawing, still carding through his hair. “Sleep well, sweetheart. Night night.” Within moments, his breaths even out again. Soon, her pager will beep, and somehow X will remain fast asleep, swathed in blankets and yet still shivering. She'll check the little device to find that she's needed down at the hospital for a delivery. She'll know that it's okay for her to leave, because there's a whole team watching over. Keeping him safe and comfortable. For now, however, she listens to the murmurings of her colleagues about how adorable X is (she knows, it's why she loves him so much) and traces his features with her thumb. “That’s it, X. Sweet dreams.”

TIRING TROPES A kicks B so hard, it knocks B out, who goes limp with a whimper. B now lying unconscious on the ground, A grabbing him by his legs and dragging him. A comes over to B, knocking him hard in the fac͘e once. B cries out and his eye rolls back as he slips away into unconsciousness, going limp, unable to take much more. The only thing C cares about is the sight of B limp bødy lying. C crawls over, too hurt̸ to walk, and puts his hand on his chest, wanting to make sure B is still breathing, scared he isn’t. He is relieved when his chest is still slowly going up and down, but is soon overtaken with fear. C: T-talk to me. B, say something! B of course not responding. C now holding him in his hands, his head restıng on his stߋmach, crying, wanting him to be okay, wanting to take his paın away from him. C: B... (sobbing quietly, his head still resting on B unmoving bødy) C is shushing, crying, shushing, crying. Doing it to comfort B but the more so to comfort himself, to try and not be so scared anymore. B eyebrows furrow, beginning to stir, groaning as he puts a hand to his head in paın. 'Ugh. Ow. Gah….ow….' C: (alarmed by B cries, scooching closer) Are you okay?! (C looking over at B, seeing he is already asleep, curling up next to him, closing his eyes, sleep now overcoming him) (A then kicks B in the head, B yelping, instantly falling unconscious) C: B? B! Answer me, are you okay?! A: (hearing C, smirking down at B unconscious form, to see him hur͘t and unmoving, B mouth hung open, lying motionless, still not movıng or aware) (B eventually groans awake, not yet realizing what’s going on, paın returning to his head, quickly becoming aware of what’s happened, sitting up with a gasp, looking around) B notices C still asleep leaning on him. He starts to move around to get him to wake up. (A just grabs B, slamming him back to the ground, unintentionally slamming the back of his head against the ground, B gasping with a yelp) : (A yanking B to his feet, grinning at B weak struggling and crying, who’s exhausted and badly hurt) (A stops as suddenly B lets out a sort of sigh as his eye rolls back and his body goes completely limp as he unexpectedly passes out, falling backwards, A catching him before he hits the ground, startled) (B completely unconscious, his mouth hanging open, limp and unmoving) (C stopping in his place, frozen, frightened at the sight of B) B! (seeing B still not moving or doing anything, touching and moving B face around himself, but gently, looking at him worriedly, scared when he won’t open his eye or say anything) H-he’s n- not moving, he-he’s not pretending, A, he is REALLY hurt! (A dumps B bødy to the ground) C immediately hurrying over, holding B bødy in his hands, his own tears falling down on him. C is still sitting besides B, crying C: B, s-say something, please, please! I’m sorry! (A grins, knowing how much will hate everything, planning to tell him all about it when he awakes again) B is lying on the ground unmoving. A pleased with everything as he walks away, knowing he will absolutely torture B with what happened here. B: (groaning loudly, waking up, not moving yet) Ugh…..wha? What’s going on? (he groans, his eye fluttering open, returning to his senses) C helping B sit up straight, holding him gently in his arms, seeing how badly hurt he is. B: (pain overflooding him, his head hurting badly, wincing as he holds it, still groggy, struggling to remember) Ugh, my head….Ow. Wh-what happened? (squinting his eye, looking all dazed and confused) H-huh? What? (A eyes B intensely) What? (still confused, but not liking the looks of A, turning to C for answers, now really confused and not liking any of this, wanting to have answers.) What is he staring about? (angry, wanting answers, glaring around) Well?! Tell me! (A chuckles wanting B himself to guess what happened) C not liking the fact that B is told about it now, this being even worse. B knowing enough by seeing this reaction. …..(B starts to get to his feet to attack A, swaying a little though, the pain instantly swarming his head, making him gasp and fall back before he could take a step, C quickly catching him. B holds his head in pain, wincing) Gah….. (shaking his head, unable to believe it, wanting to forget it, cringing) (snarling, quickly starts trying to get up, not able to, growling in frustration when he tries to stand but just falls right away, panting in anger) Rah…..! C: (still holding B, pushing him back down) D-don’t do it B! You’ll hurt yourself! Please… B: (still weakly trying, too angry) I-I don’t care! I-I’m gonna get you, A, as-as soon as I can! C: B-but you’re-you’re hurt! B: I DON’T CARE! (B too badly hurt to do anything more. He is crying because he is unable to, which makes him feel useless and weak, and also because he is very uncomfortable, cold and sad.) (C softly speaking to B coming over) B, what’s wrong? (For B it hurts just to move alone, so he struggles and can’t do it) (knowing he really can’t because of how hurt he is, just wanting to help because he knows how cold it gets here during the night) (he snaps, shivering again, wishing they would go away, not liking to be seen so vulnerable like this) C huddles close to B notices he isn’t talking to him anymore, poking gently at his cheek. B very much asleep by now; his clothes, the blanket and C close to him having warmed him up enough for him to relax, be warm and fall asleep. C stopping his crying, glad to see B is asleep, resting his head on him. He warily gets up, not wanting B to wake up again. He lays the blanket over his body, quickly going through hi lovingly, liking that he is sleeping now, thinking he very much deserves to rest. B however starting to stir, not sleeping quite so deep anymore.

A: "Heeey, what gives?! Argh! ... ... Wh-what the...?" A felt odd all of a sudden, his vision began to blur before he fully realized what was happening to him. A fell to the ground as he lost consciousness. A began to feel tired after eating before drifting to a very deep sleep. His wife, B, noticed A’s unnatural time to fall asleep and tried to wake him back up, but to no avail. For she found him lying down after a while. B: "*gasp* A, what happened to you?!" A: "... … wording... wording..." B picked the sleeping A up with a hand and carried him back. She softly rested him down on a table, and decided to extract some fluid from A. B then started to perform some tests on the fluid to see what was in it. She knew for a fact her husband wouldn't just fall asleep in the middle of the day like that. All she could really do was wait for her husband A to wake up.

B: I will need you to forget the. [pulls out a piece of device] Hold still while I activate my memory-erasin' device. A: Your what? B: [hits A with the pipe device on the head, making them faceplant; runs back inside, waving] See you, Mr. A. [door shuts, disappears] A: [gets up and groans, stumbles around] What happened? [walking on the road] How did I get here? [groans, rubs black eye] Huh?