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Finn woke up startled and drenched in sweat, his clothes clinging to his skin like they were painted on.
—Ugh...— Finn muttered, his voice rasping. He ran a hand through his wet hair, which trailed down to his neck, rubbing it slowly as he tried to sit up straighter.
—I was just coming to wake you up — a vibrant voice said as footsteps entered the shelter (could that miserable place even be called a shelter?).
The sudden noise annoyed Finn. His head ached just thinking about it, and the last thing he wanted was more noise.
—What the hell do you want?— he muttered hoarsely as he looked at the person who had entered. It was Bruno, and he was carrying what appeared to be a plate of stew that smelled delicious.
Bruno didn't even flinch at his companion's bad mood. He approached and sat down next to him, placing the plate of stew on the floor.
—Well, I came to help you up because I thought you needed to eat, but looking at you, I don't think your biggest problem is food— the dark-haired man murmured, pointing to the sweat stains on the blond's skin and clothes.
Finn let out a long sigh and slumped back on the floor, covering his eyes with his arm to block out the light.
—Do I look that bad...?— he slurred, removing his hand to look directly at Bruno, who placed a hand on the other's sweaty forehead to check his temperature. Finn was burning with fever and paler than usual.
—You're literally burning up — the dark-haired boy said, removing his hand from the other's forehead and wiping the sweat from his pants. Then he picked up the plate of stew, stirred it a little, and took a small spoonful.
—Eat — Bruno ordered, bringing the spoon closer to Finn, who normally would complain or make fun of Bruno taking care of him, but he was too weak to do so. Finn opened his mouth with difficulty and let the dark-haired boy feed him.
—It tastes good...— Finn said before feeling nauseous, which made him spit out some of the stew. He should have known that his body would probably just reject it, or that maybe eating lying down wasn't the best idea.
Bruno reacted quickly and put the plate back on the floor, helped Finn sit up, and wiped the sweat and small bits of stew off the blond boy's face with his sleeve. Meanwhile, Finn felt helpless, having to be taken care of by his useless teammate. Seriously? It was a good thing Ara wasn't there to see it; she wouldn't stop teasing him if she saw him like that.
—You're a mess, and you're making a mess of me too...— Bruno exclaimed, looking at his sleeve, now stained with stew and sweat. He sighed resignedly and took off the sweater his mother had given him, folded it, and left it on the floor.
—You were the one who decided to take care of me — Finn complained as he took off his sweaty shirt and left it next to Bruno's sweater. The dark-haired boy suddenly stood up and looked back at the direction he had come in.
—Do you want me to call Dunia? I mean, maybe she knows some weird potion or something— Bruno asked, turning his gaze back to the blonde boy.
—No, I don't want anyone on the team to see me like this...— Finn murmured. He didn't want anyone (besides Bruno) to see him so vulnerable.
—Well, then I'll go find something to cool you down, or at least wipe away the sweat — said the dark-haired boy as he left the way he'd come in, leaving the blond boy alone. Finn slumped back down on the floor, hoping Bruno would return with something to soothe his headache, or at least cool him down.
Finn lay there on the floor for a while, muttering unintelligible things until he was interrupted by Bruno's footsteps. Bruno was carrying a plate of cold water and a small handkerchief. He approached and knelt beside him, dipped the handkerchief in the cold water, and wiped the blond boy's neck and shoulders, trying to dry the sweat. This caused Finn to groan; the sudden chill ran through his body, sending shivers down his spine.
—Stay still...— Bruno ordered as he dipped the handkerchief back into the cold water and then placed it on Finn's forehead. Finn didn't resist at all; he just kept muttering nonsense. It was clear he was about to fall asleep again.
Bruno smoothed down a few stray strands of the blond's hair and took his temperature again. It was improving slightly.
—Do you want me to cover you with the blanket?— Bruno asked, but there was no answer because Finn had already fallen asleep again. Bruno sighed and covered him with a blanket up to his waist. Then he moved the plate of stew from the floor, shifted his clothes and Finn's, moving them a little further away. He then lay down on the floor next to Finn and watched him for a while until he, too, fell asleep.