Chapter Text
Caelum coughed again, the effort causing shards of glass to trickle down his throat. He leaned forward, pressing a few button combinations on the controller to make the car on screen go faster. The bright video game beeped and buzzed as Caelum approached the finishing line, earning a solid second place.
A knock on the door drew the empathy-daemon out of his focus. “Hiya, Caelum.” Freelancer leaned into the room, deliberately speaking quietly so as not to aggravate the headache Caelum had complained of earlier.
“Hi,” Caelum greeted. As glad as he was to see them, tiredness crept into his voice.
It was eerie for Freelancer to see the daemon sitting so still on their bed, wrapping up in their quilt and surrounded by pillows that engulfed his slight form. “Feeling any better?” Freelancer instinctively pushed their palm to Caelum’s forehead, only to realize they had no idea what his temperature should be or if daemons even experienced fevers when suffering from Magical Depletion Syndrome.
Freelancer was no stranger to M.D.S.. It was fairly easy for them to use up too much of their magic too fast without giving their core a chance to recover, especially when they were deep in their studies. Like most health-related conditions, M.D.S. showed up differently in different people. Apparently, the same was so for d(a)emons who used their magic without properly feeding. Poor Caelum had forgotten to feed for too long, and now, he had to suffer the consequences. For him, that seemed to include a sore throat, fatigue, and congestion, to name a few symptoms. Unfortunately, once enacted, the only medicine for M.D.S. was time and rest.
“A little better,” Caelum answered listlessly.
“Hmm.” Freelancer patted Caelum's back before they crossed the room to open the closed blinds. They’d never known Caelum to be anything but his bright, shining self. Maybe the sunlight would do him good.
As if cued by the sunlight, Gavin rifted into the middle of the room. He stretched one arm out into the air, the other clutching a package tightly to his chest. “Hello!” he greeted warmly. “How's my favorite patient?”
“Gavin.” Caelum gave a little clap of delight. He desperately wished he could get better right that minute. The last thing he wanted to do was miss out on fun with Gavin. “Yay! We could go out for ice cream. Or we could fly kites. Or-” He coughed again, holding his arm over his mouth.
“Or we could stay right here with you,” Freelancer suggested, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. “Until your M.D.S. goes away.”
“Stay here?” Caelum balked. The empathy-daemon’s mouth twitched into a grimace. “No. Here’s no fun. Maybe Gavin won’t want to stay here. Then you’ll be out voted, two-to-one, and we’ll have to go.” He looked at Gavin expectantly, knowing the incubus was always ready for fun and activity.
Gavin squashed the pity he felt for Caelum. The poor empathy daemon looked so hopeful, but the last thing Gavin was going to do was aggravate his M.D.S.. “Who’s ready to stay in bed all day and get better?”
Caelum snorted. “Aww, nuts!”
Gavin wasted no time pulling up a chair for himself and Freelancer. He beckoned his partner to sit next to him, which they did. “How are you feeling, little buddy?” He gave Caelum’s horns a small pinch. “Look, I brought you a special present.”
“What is it?” Caelum took the package and inspected it, feeling the smoothness of the paper.
The incubus handed a wrapped in shiny, gold paper to Caelum. “Go on. Open it up.”
Caelum tore into the package, mind racing as he wondered what it could be. Was it a new toy? A computer? Perhaps a cake? Or even…
“A book,” he said, deflating again. He looked up at Gavin with wide, confused eyes. “You got me a book?”
“That’s right,” Gavin grinned. “You see, when I was a young…” He looped an arm behind Freelancer. “... dashing, debonaire, hotshot incubus, so different than the demon before you today,” he joked, sharing a wink with Freelancer, “I, too, fell prey to M.D.S.. And even though I was too proud to ask for help, my steward came and helped me wait it out. When I was feeling my worst, she read me this book.” Gavin snatched the book from Caelum and waved it in the air. “It’s a special book. And today, I’m gonna read it to you.”
Caelum still looked skeptical. “Is there fun stuff in it?”
“Are you kidding? Loads of fun stuff!” Gavin gasped. “Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, shifters, stealths, vampires, chases, escapes, true love, mate bonds, miracles!”
“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Caelum considered. “I’ll try it.”
Freelancer snickered. “A real kind gesture.”
“Mhmm, yeah, sure,” Gavin huffed. “You say that now. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.” He relaxed in the chair, materializing matching pillows to help support his and Freelancer’s backs. “Alright,” he sighed, opening the book with a finger flick. “The Prince Shifter, by S. Morgan Kyne. Chapter 1.
“David Shaw was raised on a small farm in the country of Dahlia. He was a wolf shifter, the biggest wolf anyone in the town had ever seen. His favorite pastimes included going on long hunts in the forest, playing cards with his cousin, and tormenting the unempowered farmhand who he had hired to help with chores shortly after his father died. David never called the farmhand by their name, only, ‘Troublemaker.’”
Gavin peaked over the top of the book. “Isn’t that a wonderful beginning?”
Caelum gave him a skeptical huff. “Nothing happened yet.”
“You just wait,” Gavin scoffed. “Nothing gave David as much pleasure as ordering Troublemaker around the farm incessantly. And nothing gave his cousin as much pleasure as calling David out on his bad attitude.”