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“Hhtpch-tchoo!”
Knock, knock-knock. “Knock knock, darling!”
Tiresias groggily lifted their head from the pillow with a tired groan. Usually they recognized the special pattern right away, but today they didn’t notice it until the knocker was already slipping inside with a soft, cheery hum in greeting.
“Hello, darling.” Hermes’ voice was marvelously softer, as his footsteps rounded the bed and sank down onto the mattress to reach out to his lover. “I came as soon as I heard.”
Tiresias was quiet for a moment, simply enjoying the touch of Hermes’ fingers on their warm head, before murmuring, “Not as soon, was it?”
Hermes paused slightly. “Well, I left the lecture early when I received your message, darling. The moment I read it.”
“But I hear..” Tiresias stopped to cough roughly into their arm. Instead, they lifted their hand and trailed it across Hermes’ body. The latter stayed still, accustomed to the lingering touch, until Tiresias’ fingers found and pinched the plastic drugstore bag they’d heard rustling.
“Ah…” Hermes chuckled softly. “Merely a stop to get you medicine, darling.”
“I have medicine, Hermes. I just took some.”
“Now you have more.” Their jaw was tilted down and a kiss pressed between Tiresias’ tangled bangs that was drooping over their face and probably everywhere else. More rustling indicated the bag had been put down. “You’ve eaten?”
“Yes, a little.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Tired, sore, stuffy. It really is just a cold, Hermes.”
“Then what can I get you?”
Tiresias’ tiny, dry smirk softened. Hermes really did just want to be useful, he was terrible about that. Not that Tiresias minded so much in instances like these. “Keep me company. Keep me warm. And perhaps play a board game or too.”
Hermes easily took his cue, the soft thumps of sandals hitting the floor accompanying shifting weight on the mattress, and then a heavy warmth settled in beside Tiresias, drawing them in.
Tiresias settled against Hermes’ shoulder comfortably, and another hoarse sneeze escaped them as the scent of Hermes’ conditioner tickled. Hermes simply blessed them and held them tighter; a loose sleep shirt creasing against a sharp, fashionable jacket that Hermes quickly removed and tossed to the floor.
Hermes was so warm. And sweet, the way he was slowly rubbing Tiresias’ arm. Hermes was usually sassy and flirtatious, but when Tiresias needed him, he was always the perfect, chivalrous knight in shining armor.
“You always beat me in board games, darling, I can’t match you in strategy and forethought. You always seem to know what I’ll do before I even think of it myself,” Hermes muttered, and yet he drew a box from the bottom of Tiresias’ bedside table. “Chess?”
“Hmmm.”
Hermes studied the board, set up on the comforter in front of them, with a curious frown. Tiresias leaned against his shoulder still, breathing slow and blinking longer each time.
And Hermes…
Hermes was winning.
Tiresias’ king was right there, unguarded, unblocked. Vulnerable. Almost in checkmate. One move to finish.
It didn’t feel right. Tiresias always won. They were a master strategist, and Hermes always played right into their hands. He’d never seen Tiresias not win a chess match, save the time he’d brought his cousin Odysseus to dinner. The match had lasted almost an hour and a half (until Odysseus’ friend Polites dragged him away from the board with the compromise of a tie). Sometimes Hermes swore his lover could see the future.
So for this simple, easy victory…
Hermes looked at Tiresias. Even paler and quieter than usual- and that was saying something. Hermes reached up and pressed a hand to Tiresias’ forehead- they barely stirred. Maybe Hermes was imagining it, but the heat seemed more intense then when he arrived.
Poor darling. Hermes slowly began to clean up the chess board. Tiresias, of course, finally and sluggishly blinked their eyes open with a hitched breath. “…wha? My turn? Sorry…”
“No, no, no.” Hermes caught Tiresias’ wrist as they started to reach for one of their rooks. “No, darling. I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”
“Mmf- no, but the chess-“
“The chess can wait, darling.”
“I wanna finish the game.”
Hermes had to hold back a laugh at the soft pout that curved Tiresias’ thin lips, and he pressed a quick kiss there before grabbing his phone. “Then we will continue it later. I’ll snap a picture of the board as it is, and we can set it back up to continue. Now, though, you will rest.”
Tiresias sat there and swayed periodically as he did as he said, taking a photo from over the board and cleaning it up, sliding all the pieces into the box with a satisfying rattle. The moment he was done, Hermes had arms snaking around his waist and dragging him down, covers pulling back to swallow him up to the waist.
“Oooohhhhhh, you want me t- oh.” Hermes smirked as Tiresias started feeling across his pectorals. “Oh, darling, I- wait, hey. No, none of that. That is not resting.”
Tiresias seemed to ignore his words, pushing Hermes onto his back, and sitting over beside him. But then, just like that, Tiresias laid down with him and rested their head on Hermes’ chest.
Oh. Hermes scoffed softly, thankful that Tiresias wouldn’t see the slow burn of his face. “…never mind. Rest well, darling.”
It was now Tiresias’ turn to smirk against Hermes’ soft shirt, delayed and drowsy as it was.
“I don’t remember doing any of this.”
Hermes raised one eyebrow as he set down a steaming mug in front of his lover on the kitchen table- to where Hermes had insisted on carrying him, of course, after a very pleasant and refreshing nap. “You don’t remember playing chess, darling?”
“No, I remember playing. Just…no moves like these.” Tiresias frowned and squinted over the board, their fingers assisting the examination of the pieces and placements. “Are you sure you matched the photo right?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“But these positions make no sense- this one is white, yes?- why would I move the knight here?”
“I don’t know, darling, but you did.” Hermes adjusted the blanket draped over their shoulders so it resembled more of a cloak, and kissed their temple, pleased at the cooling skin. “I supposed your fever fancied itself a chess master of unique strategy.”
“What nonsense.” Tiresias cleared their throat and moved their knight; the king was now blocked, safe again. “Shall we resume?”
“Checkmate.”
“Damn it, darling.”