Having the roles reversed for Bokuto was odd. He had taken care of Akaashi's health for weeks and then Akaashi helped him. Suddenly though, he needed to help Akaashi. The whole night both of them had been tangled together in a warm twist of arms and legs.
Now though Akaashi was practically on his own, curled up and under just the cold air of the room. He was whining softly, breathing quick.
Bokuto was waking up, noticing the whimpers and shifting. "Babe... you're just cold. Come here baby."
Akaashi didn't stop, still curled up on himself.
Bokuto reached out and pulled him closer, humming softly into his hair. "Shhhh, shhhh."
Akaashi started to sniffle, curling up again. His whimpers sounded more like cries as the minutes ticked on. Bokuto sat up as quick as his body allowed and shook Akaashi's shoulder.
"Keiji! Keiji wake up!"
Akaashi's eyes opened slightly and he looked up in desperation. "Kotarou..."
Bokuto scooped him up and kissed his hair. Akaashi wept against his shoulder as he shook. "Breathe baby, breathe. I am right here. There's nothing to be scared of. Deep breaths, you're okay. Deep breaths. In and out slowly like the ocean. You love the ocean, yeah?"
Akaashi nodded, choking on his spit a bit in his mouth. Bokuto patted his back. "You're going to overwhelm yourself. In and out real slow, okay?"
Akaashi coughed, nodding.
"It was just a bad dream. I promise you it was only a bad dream."
Akaashi shook his head hurriedly. "From- from- from that-" He started to cough.
Bokuto pat his back a bit harder. "From when I fell?"
"M-mhmm!"
Bokuto kissed his hair. "I'm here. I'm safe. They can't get me. They sure as Hell won't get to you."
Akaashi cried quieter against Bokuto's neck. "I just want to sleep. I need to sleep. Please..."
Bokuto nodded. "Of course."
Akaashi settled on Bokuto's chest and slowly calmed himself but he couldn't get to sleep. He had been up an hour now and he was getting to the point where he would get fussy.
"We're trying something because I need sleep too and I can't do this all night."
Akaashi nodded. Bokuto grabbed his medicine basket and found his sleep medication.
"Here. Take half a tablet, it should knock you out."
"No! That's for you!"
"Keiji you've been having trouble since then. Just take this or I'll get you something from one of my friends. Adult gummies or something."
Akaashi shrank back. He hated the second idea more than the first.
"You don't have to. I can try to get you to sleep again if you want." Bokuto laid down. Akaashi fiddled with his hands as Bokuto laid beside him.
"Koutarou?"
"Yes honey?"
"Where is your pill cutter?"
Bokuto sat up and grabbed it from his nightstand. "Give me a little light babe."
Akaashi shone his phone screen over the little plastic box. Bokuto's hands were clumsy with handling the pill and the box but he got the tablet cut in half.
"Here we go. Just grab my water. It should kick in within thirty minutes."
"Are you sure?"
"Your blood is thinner than mine and you are so sensitive to medicine. You'll sleep like a baby for about twelve... sixteen hours?"
"Oh God."
"You need it. Tell you what, I'll take the other half. Then we'll be all cuddly and sleepy for hours."
"And what if I have another bad dream?"
"Then you'll startle awake and pass back out. Tiring if it's for weeks like it was for me. But it won't be for you. You're going to be okay. We're okay." Bokuto tucked a curl behind Akaashi's ear. "Goodness, you need a haircut, lovebug."
Akaashi smiled. "Yeah..."
"Here." Bokuto handed him his water. Akaashi took the medicine and Bokuto took his half. "You ready? You got comfortable clothes on?"
"Mhmm."
"Grab a good blanket and snuggle up."
Akaashi grabbed his favorite blanket and put his back against Bokuto's chest, holding Bokuto's hands. Bokuto eased one down and rubbed Akaashi's hip and thigh.
"Your poor heart is going so fast. Breathe slowly hun. I'm here, nothing is going to happen to you."
"I'm calm," Akaashi whispered. For a whole fifteen minutes Bokuto whispered to Akaashi, rubbing his hip with a thumb. It was a long while of soft hums as a response and then silence. Perfect, peaceful silence.
Akaashi was knocked out, snoring softly. Bokuto just hugged him closer, smiling and now giving up his fight with the medication he'd been given. He knew it was fast and only half a tablet was the dose. He did feel bad for lying but he did not feel bad for calming Akaashi down. His anxiety had become almost crippling lately and if the lying made it better Bokuto was okay with that.
****
Bokuto groaned, sitting up. The sun was peeking through a part of the curtains, shining on his face. He got up and hobbled to the window, closing the curtains. His nightlight was still on luckily and he saw Akaashi still fast asleep, buried under blankets and pillows. Bokuto just smiled and slipped back into bed behind him.
This was going to be a siren free day unless it was bath day. Bokuto adored bath days sometimes.
Akaashi was beautiful both ways but wow that tail- his lovely eyes, the way his scales traveled up his waist. He was stunning.
Akaashi huffed softly and turned over. Bokuto chuckled softly. He could remember when Akaashi would sleep in the same position for a day straight and just stay. He had grown out of that habit and was now freely laying where he wanted. This included halfway on Bokuto apparently too.
Bokuto just kissed his temple and huddled close. "Easy... easy."
Akaashi whined quietly, shoving his face in a pillow. Ten more hours of his sweet little grabs and he'd wake up. Bokuto would hold him for one more before grabbing his sunglasses and getting something to eat.
He shuffled and limped around, his body aching with exhaustion. This injury was taking everything out of him.
He limped upstairs to the bathroom and washed his face and checked his head. His stitches were gone but there was still a fleshy pink line where he'd cut open his head. "Shit that's ugly..."
He grabbed his scar cream and a fresh bandage. Everything was fixed up and he returned to bed, grabbing back onto his tossing and turning lover. He wrapped around him and Akaashi cooled down again. Akaashi was now drooling into the crook of Bokuto's neck, mumbling nonsense. For a moment Bokuto questioned reality and if people could get high off of sleep meds in their sleep.
Akaashi did start to move a bit more though, whiny. Bokuto recognized it as a nightmare and sat up, holding Akaashi as he did so. Akaashi calmed back down and just clung to Bokuto's shirt. "There we go..."
****
"Good morning sleepy head!" Bokuto called out from the kitchen.
Akaashi rubbed his eyes, shuffling to Bokuto. "Why weren't you in bed?"
"I woke up."
Akaashi nodded and sat in Bokuto's lap, wrapping around him and kissing his temple. "Love you."
Bokuto laughed. "I love you too." He eased Akaashi back and stared at his tired eyes. "Babe, your eyes."
"They're not blue, are they?"
"No."
Akaashi mustered up his energy and changed them back. "It's hard to keep them for long with that medicine."
Bokuto nodded. "As soon as I get better we'll look for a doctor for you and get you medicine to help with your anxiety and sleeping. Sound good?"
Akaashi nodded before putting his head down. "I'm hungry."
"I'm sure you are."
Akaashi sat up. "Eggs?"
"It's a little late for that but we can do that."
Akaashi nodded before laying back down.
"Babe I can't lift you with my foot like this."
Akaashi hummed softly. "I'll wait."
Bokuto chuckled and leaned back a bit, holding Akaashi to his chest. "Alright baby, just rest there."
Akaashi laughed. "Baby..."