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Licorice sneezed for what felt like the hundred time that day.
‘Note to self, don’t mess with sentient magic plants.’ He thought with a groan, glancing at the clock on his drawer, he sat up the best he could to reach for the medicine in the cabinet; he took a plastic spoon and poured some of the liquid for him to take.
He was supposed to bring a magical flower called the Gloom Bloom to teach his class back at the Parfaedia Institute about magical plants you should avoid; of course he wasn’t actually going to bring a live Gloom Bloom, just one that had clearly dried out and wouldn’t cause any harm.
Except the Gloom Bloom he tried to excavate was definitely very alive and made itself clear it was by spraying the magical pollen it was so characteristic known for.
And now there he was, in bed and currently taking a sip of the sour liquid medicine that tasted like if someone took caramel candy and toothpaste and mixed it together in a blender. The Gloom Bloom was not a deathly plant by any means (Thank the Tree) and it only gives you cold-like symptoms, since it was treated like the common cold the doctor that went to inspect Licorice’s condition prescribed him some days of bed rest and the medicine with bad taste, he was not going to argue with the literal skeleton about it though since they were the doctor, not him.
His husband, Pumpkin Cream Cookie entered the room as he put his liquid medicine back in the cabinet and wrapped himself in blankets again.
“How are you feeling, darling?” Pumpkin said as he carefully made his way towards Licorice and sat on the hedge of the bed.
“Felt better to be honest.” Licorice responded with a raspy voice, raspier than usual at least, “Just drank the awful tasting medicine.”
“Had you checked the expiration date like I told you?”
“I did Pumpk-a-Boo, is all good.”
Pumpkin was not convinced, however, “You sure?”
“It’s just a sort of cold, Pumpkin; you don’t need to worry about me-”
“You never know!” The white haired man screamed, making Licorice flinch at the sound. “Your condition may worsen because you didn’t check correctly and…! And…”
A long second of silence occurred.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout…” Pumpkin uttered, slumping down so he was laying on Licorice’s chest, Licorice processed to draw circles with his hands on Pumpkin’s back- He was tense.
“Is something wrong?”
“I just want to make sure you recover… I’m scared…”
“Is there a reason you’re scared?”
Another second of silence passed before Pumpkin Cream spoke again.
“My father took expired medication pills for weeks without realizing, by the time anyone found out... It was too late…”
“I’m… I’m sorry.” Licorice said, not knowing how else to respond.
“Is alright, you didn’t know.”
“You want to… Talk about it?”
Pumpkin Cream nodded.
“His immune system was always sort of… Weak and he relied on the medication to keep everything in check; my mom was fine with it since my family could afford it.” Pumpkin’s voice became smaller as he talked, “One day thought… A different Noble House from the usual helped with the transport of new medicine supplies for the Republic and... The box of medicine my mom got sent was expired, all of it.”
The ex-necromancer frowned at this; how do you mess up so badly that you give a family expired medication that has an ill resident within? Didn’t they double check these kinds of stuff? It didn’t make sense to him- Unless it was done on purpose, someone with awful intentions targeting innocent cookies for their own amusement, kind of like how he use to act when he was still working for Dark Enchantress... It made Licorice stomach curl and his head get dizzy.
Or maybe it was just the sickness, one of the two.
“But it doesn’t end there.” He continued and Licorice listened attentively. “A trial was held to find out who was responsible for such grave error that cost a cookie their life- In the end the blame was put on some guard from the Noble House that happened to be working that day... My mom wasn’t buying it, but she didn’t have enough evidence to prove otherwise… She blames herself for not noticing sooner, I know that- Even though it was never her fault to begin with, it was the cookie who planted that expire medicine!” He cried out almost in a whisper with cloudy eyes.
“That’s why you’re so adamant of me checking the medicine I’m taking?”
“I… I just…” Pumpkin chocked a sob, moving his hands so he was cupping Licorice’s face; as if making sure he was still there. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.” He cried, tears finally falling down his face.
“Oh Pumpkin…” Licorice whispered, wiping the tears out of Pumpkin Cream’s face. “I will be fine; it will take more than just some plant pollen to take me down!”
Pumpkin actually laughed at that. “You are right; you’re way too stubborn to die that easily.”
He leaned in as if to kiss Licorice’s lips but the latter turned his head to the side, making Pumpkin kiss his cheek instead.
“Wait, I may have something contagious!”
“I don’t care.”
“Don’t yell at me when you catch a cold too- Mmph!” Taking advantage of the distraction, Pumpkin Cream kisses Licorice on the lips- Who couldn’t do more than simply reciprocate and accept defeat.
Days later Licorice was good as new.
But now, Pumpkin Cream was the one who was sick.
“I told you so.” Licorice said to his bedridden husband while stirring a bowl of jelly soup.
“Worth it...” Pumpkin sneezed.