Hi! So I feel selfish since I've already requested a fic from you, but since you posted that new prompt list, could you please do #10 from The Comforter list? I don't care who says it as long as they are saying it to Julian! ❤️
anon I love youuuu <333 never be shy about asking me for fics I will happily take 695876934 requests from you
so 10 from the comforter list is... "You're only going to make it worse by not resting." and I love that and I love it applied to Julian
I decided to spread the Miles/Keiko/Julian agenda with this one- hope that's alright! this is set sometime nebulously before Keiko's pregnancy with Kirayoshi, so sometime in s3 maybe?
anyways! please enjoy <3
It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
The station's been dealing with an outbreak of Bajoran Red Fever. It's a nasty sickness, not fatal in most cases, but it can be pretty dangerous for younger children. It's also a pain in the ass to try to kick; the main symptoms being sky-high fever, dizziness and severe weakness, nausea, and some nasty joint pain. Luckily for the non-Bajoran occupants of DS9, it's a disease that really only affects Bajorans. There have only been a handful of non-Bajorans who have ever caught the diseases.
Unluckily, Julian is one of those non-Bajorans.
"How'd he even get it?" Miles asks, still trying to wrap his head around this whole thing, "I thought non-Bajoran cases were something like one in a million- that's what he was always saying, at least."
Nurse Jabara, wearing a face mask over her mouth and nose, gives a tired shrug as she rubs her temple. "The odds were slim, but not impossible. If I had to guess, I'd say the constant, repeated exposure on top of not nearly enough rest probably did it," She pinches the bridge of her nose, grimacing like she has a headache, "Whatever the case, he has it."
Keiko looks up from where she's checking the medkit Jabara gave her. "You said he fainted, right?" She asks. Jabara nods, so she follows up, "Did he hurt himself? Do we have to worry about, I don't know, a concussion? Anything like that?"
"No," Jabara confirms, and Keiko breathes a sigh of relief, "Lucky for him, Nurse T'Strei has great reflexes, and caught him before he fell. Speaking of which, she's probably not having a great time trying to keep him in bed," She gives Miles a look that is so, so very tired, "We've had patients coming in all morning. You can imagine how he's taking being laid up."
"Say no more," Miles doesn't need to imagine- he knows Julian will be about beside himself, "We'll take him off your hands. You said those shots you gave us will protect us from the fever?" He checks.
"You're as close to immune as you can be," Jabara nods, "There's one in there for Molly, too, just in case you can't keep her away from him. Believe me, asking your family to do this wasn't my first choice, but we aren't exactly blessed with options," She sighs, "Everybody who is resistant to the fever is busy working overtime to make up for everybody who's down with it, and I can't put him with anybody who's susceptible to infection. Commander Dax tried to insist, but joined Trill can contract the fever, and it could be deadly to her and the symbiont, and-"
"Jabara," Keiko steps in, places a gentle hand on the nurse's arm to stop her rambling, "It's ok. We'll take care of him." She reassures her.
Jabara pauses. Takes a deep breath. "Thank you," She breathes, "It's been... certainly one of the longer mornings of my career. Let me take you to him before T'Strei decides to sedate him." She says.
"If she hasn't already." Miles cracks, which earns him a nudge in the ribs from Keiko.
They follow after Jabara as she leads them further into the infirmary. It's pretty busy, mostly full of Bajorans, and all of them are masked up. The only people not masked up are non-Bajorans, though Miles notices that a few of the human staff are wearing masks. Probably since their human Chief Medical Officer went and got himself infected.
Speaking of the devil, it doesn't take long to find him. They just have to follow the sound of the arguing.
"This is hardly necessary."
"You are not presently fit to deem what is necessary."
Jabara stops, and gestures for them to go ahead into a separate area. Miles and Keiko both nod to her, and continue on.
Miles has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the scene they walk into. Because, sure, he's worried about Julian. Of course he is. But it's also very funny to see Julian lying on a biobed, with T'Strei sitting beside him and effortlessly keeping him pinned down to said bed with one hand on his chest.
"I have patients," Julian is insisting, even though he looks half-dead himself, "I have to finish my morning rounds, and then I need to-"
"If you can push me off," T'Strei cuts in, sounding like she's said this a million times over, "Then you can go."
"That is so not fair." Julian pouts.
Miles decides now is the moment to clear his throat and announce his presence. Both Julian and T'Strei look over at him, though he directs his attention to Julian. "Julian," He says, crossing his arms over his chest, "Are you disobeying doctor's orders?"
"Yes." T'Strei replies flatly.
"I'm the doctor," Julian huffs, indignant, "I give the orders."
"Which you are not following," T'Strei points out. She looks at Miles, "I assume you both are here to collect him?" She asks.
Keiko steps closer. "We are," She confirms. She's got a much more gentle touch than T'Strei and Miles do, bless her, as she goes and puts a gentle hand on Julian's cheek, "Nurse Jabara called us. How are you feeling?" She asks.
It's like a magic trick- Miles watches as all the defiance drains right out of Julian's expression, melted away by the simple touch of Keiko's hand. With all his defiance goes all his energy, and all the colour in his face. God, he looks awful- pale under his skin, and his eyes too-bright with fever.
"I'm alright," Julian tells Keiko, in a raspy voice that's anything but alright, "Honestly, Keiko, you didn't need to come."
Miles and T'Strei exchange a can you believe this bullshit look.
"Liar," Keiko accuses gently. She brings her hand up to his forehead, presses the backs of her knuckles against his pale skin, "You're burning up, Julian. You're not well. You need rest." She insists.
"Which is exactly what you're gonna get," Miles puts in, stepping over to join Keiko at Julian's bedside, "You're comin' home with us. That way, we can keep an eye on you. Make sure you actually get some rest, which we all know you're not gonna be gettin' in here." He explains.
"Oh, I- I couldn't ask you to do that," Julian says, looking as pathetic as a puppy in the rain, "I could get you sick, and what about Molly? I couldn't-"
"We got our shots done," Miles interrupts, "And we have one for Molly, too. So, no arguing," He looks up at T'Strei, "We can take him from here, Lieutenant. We'll get him outta your hair."
"Human expression." Julian says quietly, as T'Strei frowns at the statement. Then she nods, and takes her hand away, stepping back to let Miles and Keiko each grab an arm and gently ease Julian up into a sitting position.
"Thank you, Chief," T'Strei bids, "Mrs. O'Brien," She nods to Keiko, "If he gives you any trouble, do not hesitate to call. I can be available for assistance very quickly." She gives Julian a pointed look as she says that last part.
"I'm sure we can handle him," Keiko says as they get Julian off the biobed and onto wobbly legs. Miles is inclined to agree with her, considering Julian's already leaning heavily into his shoulder, the act of standing up apparently a significant drain on his energy, "C'mon, Julian, let's get you home. I've got everything you need right here." She shows him the medkit.
"Computer," Miles summons, seeing no point in dragging Julian through the long walk, "Three to transport to Chief O'Brien's quarters. Energize."
Miles wraps his arm tight around Julian's waist to hold him upright through the transport. One second they're in the infirmary, the next they're in the living room. Julian sways slightly, wobbling, and Keiko puts a hand on his chest to help steady him.
"Easy does it, Julian," She murmurs, starting to guide him towards the couch, "You poor thing, what made you think you could work like this? You're barely standing." She admonishes, her voice laced with concern.
Julian doesn't answer until they get him sitting down. He doesn't so much lean back as he does fall back against the cushions, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "I had patients," He mumbles, blinking a few times- dizzy, probably, "I couldn't just leave them."
Miles takes a seat beside him. Keiko does the same thing on his other side. "You've got a perfectly competent medical staff who are more than capable of runnin' the ship while you're away," He points out, "How long have you been sick? Honestly. Cause somehow I doubt this started today." He hasn't actually seen Julian in days. Their usual holosuite date got cancelled due to the outbreak, so he hasn't been able to keep an eye on him.
Julian frowns, squinting as he thinks. "I don't know," He replies, and he sounds like he means it, "Maybe a couple days ago. It's... hard to keep track." He admits.
Keiko gently rubs her hand up and down his arm. "Julian," She says, in that soft voice of hers that could melt ice, "When was the last time you slept?" She asks.
There's the million dollar question. That's always the first thing Julian starts to go without- sleep. Like he thinks he's superhuman, and can just keep on going without it. Miles has known him to go days at a time without a wink of shuteye. He wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those times.
Julian looks at Keiko. "I don't know," He tells her, his voice very quiet, "I... I honestly don't know."
Even Miles can't keep up his usual attitude when Julian's like this. He sounds so goddamn tired and he looks even worse, with those big doe eyes of his all sad and pathetic.
"It's alright, Julian," He finds himself saying, a whole lot softer than he usually is, "Molly's got a big party all day, she won't be back till tomorrow. So you'll have plenty of time to catch up on your sleep here." He gives his hand a reassuring pat.
"You're only going to make it worse by not resting," Keiko adds, bringing her hand up to his cheek, "I know resting doesn't come easy to you, but promise me you'll at least try, ok?" She rubs her thumb affectionately over his cheekbone, "Promise me you'll let us take care of you?" She implores him.
Miles knows this game of Keiko's well. Nobody is immune to it. He's over here melting, and he's not even her target. Sure enough, Julian is cracking a smile. A small one, weak and watery, but a smile nonetheless.
"That's cheating," He accuses, his voice gone soft, "You know I can't say no when you do that."
Keiko gives him a smile of her own, a smile that could rival a sunrise. "That's exactly why I do it." She teases. Then she leans in, and gives him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
If Julian's face wasn't already flushed with fever, he's certainly blushing now, his cheeks going deep cherry red. "Miles." He says.
"Yeah?" Miles asks.
"I'm running away with your wife." Julian informs him, which makes Keiko snort and laugh.
"Not without me, you're not," Miles chuckles, giving Julian a playful nudge, careful to keep it light so he doesn't accidentally knock him over, "You can try that once you're all better. Until then, I'm not lettin' you outta my sight till you're better, ya hear?"
Julian looks over at him, still blushing, still smiling. "Loud and clear," He hums, "Do you have a kiss to go with that statement, or do I have to ask Keiko for another?"
Miles rolls his eyes. Keiko giggles. "At least you can still be obnoxious," He huffs. Even so, he does lean in and give Julian a quick peck on the temple, "There. Only cause you're sick." He tells him.
Julian's smile broadens into something resembling a grin. "You love me." He teases.
"Yes," Keiko leans in, gives Julian another kiss, this one landing high on his cheekbone, "We love you. And because we love you, we're going to take care of you," She gives Julian's shoulder a pat, "So you just lay back, and let us do the worrying for once, alright?"
Julian looks between them. And it's a subtle shift, but that mischievous grin softens, and turns into something much more affectionate and sincere. "I love you, too." He says to both of them, all sap and sweetness.
"Yeah, you're alright." Miles says, which gets him a laugh from Julian and an indignant swat from Keiko. What can he say, he's never been the best with all this sappy stuff.
Besides, they both know how he feels. He doesn't have to say it. He's never had to say it. They just know.
8 notes
·
View notes
@chronal-anomaly sent:ㅤ[ Bloodlust ] where Lena finds them 👀
vampiric promptsㅤㅤ∘ ˚ ( accepting )
[ BLOODLUST ]ㅤthe sender receiver has gone too long without feeding, base instincts taking over, the receiver sender finds them.
ㅤlurking in alleys has proven to be an effective method of catching people alone and off guard, of providing the privacy to feed without much risk of being caught, and proved an okay place to leave bodies behind when things get... out of hand. effective as it is, however, it's not the most consistent method. much less so when they have to spend the half the night searching for a place to take shelter the next day — somewhere with low risk of them being found while sleeping that also happens to provide complete safety from the sun's rays.
needless to say, meals have been lacking through this miserable period of time. returning to the group home is not an option — it's not safe for them, and it's not safe for the rest of the kids — and crashing on any of their usual couches is equally out of the question. things have been difficult and incredibly frustrating, and not being able to feed consistently, even going hungry a lot of nights, has only made things that much worse.
slumped on the ground against the wall of a familiar, dingy alley, knees drawn up to their chest and face buried in their hands, byan is exhausted. starving. ...desperate. with their large, vibrant pink backpack at their side, filled to the brim with all the belongings they could fit inside prior to abandoning the group home, they're at a loss for where to go and what to do. nothing has been right since the night they were attacked, since the night they were embraced, and now it's almost laughable to remember that they had believed things would get better once they got the hang of being a vampire.
ㅤㅤㅤ...well, on the plus side, it can't get any worse from here, right?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤwrong.
they hear the sound of a heartbeat before that of the footsteps which accompany it ever reaches their ears. maybe tonight's starting to look up after all. perking as the sounds grow closer, their head lifting from their hands and eyes darting to where the alley breaks into two separate paths, they watch intently, already debating whether they should launch into attack the moment someone rounds that corner, or if it might be better to lie in wait and pounce once they get closer.
before they can come to any conclusive decision, however, the scent of their approaching prey reaches them, and the familiarity of it makes their blood run cold.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤlena.
a wave of panic hits them like a brick wall and sends them scrambling to their feet, hands reaching for their bag and fumbling in their hurry. no no no, they have to get out of here now, they have to leave before—
ㅤㅤ" byan? "
the sound of her voice makes them freeze in place, bent over with their fingers locked around the strap of their backpack, a mess of hair hiding their face. this is bad. this is so bad. there's a reason they've been avoiding her since everything happened: there's no explaining it. any of it. there's no reasonable explanation for their sudden abandonment of school, or for running away from the home. no believable explanation for them not answering any of her calls or messages, nor for them inevitably turning down any of the food she'd offer. it's felt easier to leave her worrying and wondering rather than let her see them looking sickly and so much thinner than usual, only to have her undoubtedly not believe them when they try to assure her that their drug problem has not gotten worse. and... it's felt safer.
ㅤ—but now she's found them, caught sight of them for the first time in weeks, and of course it's while they're looking their worst, while they're in such a dangerously volatile state.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤthey have to leave, now.
ㅤㅤ" no— i-i can't right now. "ㅤthe words are forced out; no time to think about them, no time to try hiding the panic in their voice. she's stepping closer, and byan's scramble to make a break for it resumes, one hand reaching back to tug their hood up over their head to better conceal their face, the other hauling their heavy bag up over their shoulder. she's talking, but all they can hear is the sound of her heart beating, of the blood rushing through her veins, and it makes their movements more erratic.
ㅤㅤ" —don't, okay? i hafta go, i can't do this right now. "ㅤfear raises the volume of their voice as they hear her step only closer yet. she's not listening, she's not listening, she'snotlistening. somewhere just beneath the surface, far too close to breaching for byan's comfort, the beast thrashes, gnashing its teeth, hungry, hungry, hungry — and they do the only thing they can: they turn to run.
a hand catches their wrist before they can take their first step, and they think their chest is going to burst from the sheer terror that erupts from within. more words that don't reach their ears are spoken, and the world around them begins to get hazy, the only thing making it through is the sound and smell of the living, breathing body behind them.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤhungry, hungry, hungry.
when they finally turn to face her, it's without any recognition in their features, their eyes sharp yet almost glazed over at the same time. all concerns other than feed have been cast aside in an instant, utterly forgotten, and a hand closes tightly around her wrist in a mirror of her own action. a violent tug pulls lena closer, and byan lunges forth the rest of the way, fangs sinking into the exposed flesh of her neck before she has a chance to so much as try to shove them away. finally, finally, the taste of blood overtakes their tongue and, not able to recall what it was that had frightened them so in the first place, they finally begin to sate their agonizing hunger.
5 notes
·
View notes