#c.yno g.enshin i.mpact

[danafeelingsick]

Novemetober 2023

@monthofsick

Prompt list | Masterlist | AO3 collection

Day 1: Sharing a receptacle

Word Count: 1,3k~

CONTENT WARNINGS: descriptions of vomiting, food, two sickies, caretaking, fever, can be read as platonic or romantic.

Anon asked:

I'd love to see you write Cyno and Tighnari for the prompt "Sharing a Receptacle". Perhaps one of them is sick and the other starts to take care of them, only to very quickly catch what they have?

Cyno woke up to the unfamiliar feeling of a fluffy tail, curled tightly around him. As he groggily opened his eyes and looked down, he was only half-surprised to find Tighnari shakily clinging to him, his fox-ears peeled back in his head.

The forest watcher had been adamant about keeping his distance, fearing Cyno would wound up catching whatever sickness was wrecking his health for the last couple days. Of course, that was the last thing in the general Mahamatra’s mind when he suggested the two should share his bed. The idea of Tighnari shivering alone in his guest's bedroom just didn't sit right with him.

He had eaten a meal as well, the first filling thing in several days of not being able to hold even water down. To say Cyno wasn't optimistic was putting it lightly. it had already been a miracle that his friend had stayed, stubborn as he was, instead of risking the trip back to Gandharva Ville, several days before his visit to Sumeru city was supposed to end.

“...ngh”, Tighnari let out a soft whimper against Cyno’s chest, pressing his feverish forehead to the man’s colder skin.

His whole body tensed as the Matra’s hand came to gently rest on his back, trying to ease him back to sleep. He seemed to only shrink further under his touch.

There was another pained whimper before his abdomen suddenly clenched, producing a gurgly groan muffled by their proximity. Tighnari let out a nauseated sound in the back of his throat, swallowing thickly, as if struggling to keep his dinner from crawling back up.

Cyno shuddered as he heard it. He wasn’t squeamish but he wasn't too keen on getting vomit all over himself either, especially now that he wasn't even wearing a shirt. Gently, he tried to wake him up, prying his hands out of him.

Tighnari, still half-sleep, pulled away from him and rolled back to his side of the bed, letting out a confused sound.

Cyno sat up, trying not to shake the bedframe with his weight, and watched as Tighnari tossed a hand over his mouth, his tail curling protectively over his middle. In the dim light, the shadow of his bangs elongated over the bridge of his nose, leaving his face in darkness.

“‘Nari?” Cyno half-whispered, to which his fox ears raised slightly in acknowledgement. “What’s wrong?”

“Food’s… h— urp, not sitting well”, he forced out, his voice thick with nausea.

“Do you need the bucket?”, Cyno’s heart sunk, but he managed to ask objectively, his legs already hanging over the edge of bed.

Tighnari didn't respond as he began to sit up. His eyes were screwed shut as he focused on his breathing, trying to keep the growing nausea at bay. He truly detested the feeling, his skin crawled under his pajamas, sweat making the fabric stick to him.

Worse of all was the thought of wasting the meat stew Cyno had cooked for him. It could be said it was the best thing he had eaten in many days considering he couldn't eat anything else but now, he could feel it practically churning inside his stomach. An overly salty taste plagued his tongue, gaining a sour twinge every time saliva washed over. He brought a hand to his mouth and tried hard not to gag, feeling a dense mass trying to claw its way up his throat.

Cyno turned on his bedside lamp before bringing a bucket to his lap. Truly, Tighnari didn't even want to look at it and be reminded of the times he had lost his stomach contents over it, reduced to an empty gagging mess, but the other alternative was even worse. He wasn't about to just let himself be sick on the bed sheets.

He held onto the bucket tightly, his mouth hovering over the rim as he promptly heaved into it. Cyno silently took a seat close to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder while the other went to brush loose strands of black and bright green away from his mouth.

“It’s alright, you’re alright”, he reassured him.

“Ngh, Cyno, I — uRrrp!” Tighnari tried to say before his words slurred together and a wet-sounding burp completely cut him off.

His volpine ears snapped as he gave into a loud strangled retch, his stomach rolling painful as he brought up a splash of hot bile. It fell sharply inside the empty bucket, the sound offending his sensitive hearing.

Cyno braced himself, not expecting to wince along with the sick young man in his grasp. He had to swallow his own nausea too, his stomach wasn't too happy being around so much sickness. He tried to bury the feeling deep, his friend needed him right now.

It was then that the strong smell of stomach acid hit him, and he knew he couldn't take it when he had eaten the same thing hours prior. His imagination ran rampant, bringing back the taste of that stew to the forefront of his mind. He buried his nose into the crook of Tighnari's neck, holding him even tighter.

Tighnari thankfully didn't notice it as he continued to retch miserably, his dinner gurgling in the back of his throat. It almost sounded like he was choking. Cyno could feel his back heaving, and shivered, taking pity on how much discomfor he must be.

He tried to be disaffected by the noises, and by the heavy splatter that followed, but it was taking a toll on him. Tighnari didn't seem able to stop himself and let out another surge of thick lumpy puke, filling the bucket with bits of undigested meat and his own stomach lining by the sounds of it.

Cyno hiccuped over his shoulder and swallowed convulsively, fighting hard not to gag.

“C-Cyno?”, Tighnari called, still recovering from the violent spell.

Cyno couldn't respond immediately, his stomach was right at his throat and the last thing he wanted was to vomit. He just braced himself and waited for Tighnari to finish.

He mustered a last thick wave of vomit before he was left panting, trying to recover his breath. The nausea slowly cleared after he spat, ridding his mouth of the vicious texture. Tighnari raised his head, his eyes brimmed with tears brought by the strain of puking so violently. Despite that, all of his attention was on Cyno now, clinging to him like his life depended on it.

“Ah, Cyno, what's up with you?”, he asked, looking over his shoulder.

As the Matra let go of him, prepared to try and lie through his teeth he accidentally caught a glimpse of the bucket's contents, the smell of sickness infiltrating his nostrils. Though the lamplight wasn't sufficiently strong, he could see the stew looked barely digested coming back up, bits of meat floating atop the slimy mess. He cupped his mouth and gagged, his face crumpling as bile seeped to his tongue.

“A-Are you going to —? Oh no, not you too!”, Tighnari exclaimed, hurriedly dragging the half-full bucket to Cyno’s lap. It sloshed sickening, only adding to his growing nausea. “Here, in the bucket!”

Cyno didn't have much of a choice and quickly grabbed it, adding the contents of his own stomach to it. A disgustingly thick slurry of meat and marinated vegetables spewed past his lips, liquid connecting with liquid in a heavy splatter.

“O-Oh my gods, Cyno”, Tighnari muttered, pinching the bridge as his friend broke into a fit of coughing.

The sound made him wince, but he didn't let that stop him from leaning over and pulling Cyno's long white hair out of the way. The smell was horrible, but it cleared his mind enough to bother and look out for him.

“I’m sorry…”, Cyno mumbled, staring wide-eyed at what he had done, his face burning up in embarrassment.

“Don’t be stupid, you don't need to apologize to me”, Tighnari shrugged, running the sleeve of his shirt over Cyno's mouth. “But, now you are taking some of the medicine too, to be safe.”

Cyno didn't argue, there was a chance he could be in for another week of problems. He could only hope Tighnari wouldn't grow tired of him in the meanwhile.

[strawberrynsugar]

posted the first chapter of the fic to ao3 but forgot to share the link here too whoops

[strawberrynsugar]

the people have spoken. here it is.