The Soul of a Bird Never Flies {boyxboy}

Chapter Forty-One

Resting his head back against the wall, Dove sighed, running his fingers over his stomach under the water, wondering what it was that had caused such a bad reaction within him. He didn't throw up often, usually it was only when he thought of Roy, which he definitely did not want to be doing in that moment. He didn't get sick often, in fact, his mother had always said he had the best immune system of all of his siblings. He had never gotten chickenpox, or the flu, or anything much worse than a cold as a child.

He knew Eryll would be thinking the same things as him, worrying it was his fault, searching for a viable explanation. He would blame himself, Dove knew that, he would wrack his brain for a cause, coming up with a thousand that the boy wouldn't even think of. Dove hoped it was just a one-off, hoped he had just had a bad reaction to something and he could forget about that morning.

Dove didn't remain in the bath for too long, knowing it wouldn't take Eryll long to make him breakfast. Not that he was hungry in the slightest. With a towel wrapped around his waist, Dove wandered back into his shared bedroom, looking through the chest of drawers for something to wear. He had the brilliant idea of slipping on one of those pretty lingerie sets that Eryll had gifted him for his birthday and giving the man something in return for being so understanding that morning. Yet he just couldn't bring himself to in the end.

Staring down at the sets laid out in the drawer, Dove ran his fingers over the different fabrics, from silk to chiffon, not feeling particularly up for looking sexy at that moment. Instead, he collected a pair of sweatpants, a dark t-shirt and a cardigan, far happier with the comfortable option. Wrapping the cardigan tight around himself, Dove wandered down toward the kitchen, not getting very far before the smell of whatever Eryll was cooking sent him darting back into the bathroom.

"OK, I'm calling Viv, this isn't just some food poisoning," Eryll muttered, once again at Dove's side, rubbing the boy's back, that concerned frown sat prominently on his face.

"I'm fi-" Dove glanced to his left, meeting Eryll's eye and sighing, "OK, might be a good idea," he whispered, not having enough energy to lie to the man. At least Vivek would be able to put him at ease if he could come up with a diagnosis.

Feeling a little better, Dove slumped back to bed, cocooning himself in the covers, the nausea having been masked by intense drowsiness. He wasn't sure how long he was in bed alone for before Eryll joined him, making him feel so much better when he laid in the man's arms. Dove didn't mention it, didn't want to worsen the situation, but every time Eryll got close he felt better, the symptoms dampening with the man's presence.

"Viv'll be back in about an hour, he's picking up some stuff for the healing rituals he'll perform. They're strong, they should fix you right up," Dove nodded, clutching onto Eryll's shirt as he zoned out, listening only to the man's slow heartbeat. It was awfully therapeutic, even if Dove could tell it was a tad more erratic than usual.

"Maybe I should go to the hospital," Dove suggested quietly, allowing his eyes to flutter closed, fatigue rolling into his mind and clouding his thoughts.

"Doctors won't help, not like Viv can. They'll prescribe medication that dampens the symptoms and doesn't find the cause. Viv can heal you in seconds, he's a better option for us, more invasive," Dove nodded, letting out a slow breath.

"If you say so, you're the expert," he murmured, covering his mouth whilst he yawned.

"Try to get some sleep, kitten, you might feel better. I'll be here when you wake up."

"He's already thrown up twice," Dove heard Eryll's quiet voice as he drifted in and out of slumber, on the precipice of waking up, "he's not got a fever or anything but I don't know what these could be symptoms of. I don't think it's food poisoning either," Dove's heart hurt at the pained voice Eryll was using.