So yeah, he might be uglyâAnd yesâHe gives off an aura that wilts flowers and causes birds to drop dead out of the sky. And YEAH. Maybe heâs creepy. But when push comes to shoveâŚheâs also very gross to look at.
Oneshot, mentions of respiratory infection symptoms in reptiles (no death or serious illness, but if youâve had a sick reptile friend and the topic is upsetting you may want to skip this one.) Also note that this is taking place in a fantasy environment and should not be considered medical fact or advice. Thank you @batoidman for the help with reptile info! Much appreciated!! Otherwise no warnings needed, comfort/care fic and the Krew being a family.
It started at dinner. Kremy had cooked up a Carlfish Courtbouillon, and it was great as always. But the lizardfolk had only picked a bit at his helping.
Gideon had certainly caught it. Kremy turning in a bit early wasnât unusual, but not finishing supper? That was.
Gideon knew the two of them were not matched in appetite, he could border on bottomless pit some days, comparatively speaking Kremy ate like a mouse. Regardless, the lack in appetite was noticed. The krew as a whole didnât press him on it, he seemed tired, so they let him be.
But in the early morning, when it came time for Gideon to wake Kremy up for his watch shift, he knew something was up before he even opened the tent.
The odd squeaky wheezes gave him away, and the noises caused Gideon to whip the tent flap open in a panic (though he wouldnât admit that element, it was the bodyguard in him, definitely not the ironic husband).
Kremy pulled his cover up over him, a little angry hiss as the cool air filled the tent space. But still being mostly asleep, he didnât have the energy to fight Gideonâs prying arms to get a better look at him. Though he had plenty vocal protests left in him despite his lacking lung capacity.
âGid, Iâm fine, just give me a minute!â
âYou donât sound fine, man, you sound weird! Like ya gargled a bunch of marbles or somethinâ!â
Kremy had always prided himself on having a robust immune system. That being said, he was looking a bit pitiful. He was shivering, and while he was physically incapable of running a fever, he definitely looked peaked.
He was breathing short through his open maw. Every once in a while heâd sneeze or make a weird clicking cough. Theyâd be so quick sometimes they almost seemed like hiccups. His eyes were bleary, whether from the evident weather he was under or from being tired, the Genasi couldnât tell. It occurred to Gideon he hadnât ever seen Kremy sick. And, well, it freaked him out. To the point that he woke up Gricko, much to Kremyâs chagrin.
âWell, heâs sick.â
âYeah I know that Gricko! Thatâs obvious, but whatâs wrong?â
The goblin was still half-asleep, but he knew a checkup was in order, even if it ended up not being serious, it would ease Gideonâs mind.
âKremy, Iâm gonna have to get in your personal space a bit, lad.â
âYou started at the tent door.â
Kremy wheezed.
Gideon couldnât help a small chuckle.
âWell hey, heâs still alive enough to snark atchaâ thatâs something.â
âFor Baronâs sake, Gid I already told ya Iâm not dying.â
Gricko wasnât phased, he sat down beside Kremyâs bedroll.
âGid, can you help him sit up?â
Gideon nodded, shifting so that he was sat behind him, allowing the gator to lean back on him to stay upright. As soon as Kremy felt the heat from Gideonâs skin he was glued there.
Gricko carefully lifted Kremyâs head, tilting it, looking over his snout, his eyes, even took a look at his tail, picking it up and dropping it with a soft thump.
âSo, good news and bad news. Bad news is, he definitely has a âres-spat-toryâ sickness. Good news is, while these symptoms arenât fun, heâs right! He isnât dying.â
âSee?â
Kremy said flatly. Another odd clicking cough followed, which only caused Gideonâs brow to furrow.
âLook, if he started to rapidly lose weight, or if his joints started to swell, eyes sinking in, frothing around the eyes, nostrils, mouth, those sorts. Weâd have trouble. But the way I sees it, he doesnât have it major. Just needs some rest and relaxamacation isâall.â
Gideon nodded, albeit reluctantly.
âSo, what do we do?â
âDonât worry big red! Weâve got a fantastic Druid,â Gricko gestured to himself. âAnd a crafty swamp warlock in our crew! We can all look after Kremy. Iâve seen plenty of reptilian beasties come out the other side perfectly fine!â
Kremy shook his head.
âAnd how exactly do we go about that when weâre on the move?â
Gideon and Gricko exchanged a look.
âUmâŚwe wonât be.â
âWonât be what?â
âOn the move. Not until youâre better, at least.â
âWhat?! Gricko we canât-â
Kremy tried to stand up, but Gideon yanked him back down.
âDo not test me Gideon Nathaniel Coal!â
He growled, but Gideon held firm.
âCome on, Krem, I donât know much but I know you canât just go on business as usual, even if it is just a lizard-head-cold.â
âHeâs right, Kremy, if you force yourself you could end up on the worse end of things! Itâs best to rest, get some magical-medicinal care, let it run its course!â
Kremy was very clearly not pleased. But as annoyed as he was, he knew the Goblin was right. He had seen lizardfolk on the âworse end of thingsâ as Gricko put it, and it looked absolutely miserable. Not that this situation was a party.
With a silent acknowledgment (or as silent as it could be given the weird breathing and occasional click or sneeze) from the gator, Gricko clapped his hands.
âGreat! I can give the lads and Twig the skinny, and weâll go from there! Be back in a bananya split!â
âYou gotta let Gricko and the others help, I know you like doing the cooking, running the ship, but your job right now is to relax.â
Kremy watched him, he was brushing out his fiery hair, which was still in a tussle from the night before.
âGid. I donât want to be fussed over.â
Gideon snorted, which was not the response Kremy was looking for.
âWhatâs funny?â
Gideon sat beside him, a cheeky grin on his face.
âOh, nothing, man, itâs justâŚyouâre constantly talking about how itâd be nice to be taken care of, cooked for, and all that.â
Kremy huffed.
âI know I say that. I just donât want the entire crew standing on my tail actinâ like Iâm helpless.â
âGive us some credit, Krem. We know you are perfectly capable, strong, all that ominous jazz. But, we also know youâre a stubborn hardass who wonât let people know when things are getting at you.â
Kremy couldnât really argue with that. Gideon stroked his arm, which caused shivers to go down his cool scales, but not in a bad way.
âIf youâre really worried about it, Iâll make sure theyâre not overbearing. But, Iâm not gonna stop them from taking good and proper care of you. Causeâ you knowâŚyou deserve it.â
Kremy let out another funny-sounding breath, his eyes searching for a corner in a circular tent.
When Gideon walked outside, the crew were gathered around a now reignited campfire.
Twig was buzzing about getting tinder, but she stopped dropping all the sticks when she saw Gideon.
âGideon! Good morning!! How are you?-â She gasped mid-sentence. âWait! Howâs Kremy?! Gricko said heâs definitely not dying but we should still be wary of things taking a turn or something and weâve been brainstorming a good meal to make for him!â
âWoah! Slow down there, Twigsy!! One thing at a time, I still havenât had my bean-milk, alright?â
Twig deflated slightly, but she perked up at the mention of her signature hot drink.
âOh! Well I can whip that up no problem. But just my first question first- you and Kremy, are you both good?â
Gideon chuckled.
âIâm good, Kremyâs good, heâs just tired and breathing a bit funny.â
Twig nodded, accepting this, before zipping off to make some Feywild coffee.
Gideon approached the fire, Torbek, Gricko and Frost were deep in the food debate.
âI have dried soup, itâs literally made for such an occasion.â
âAnything Torbek tries will be full of hairrrr, so he wonât be much help.â
âWhile a broth is the right direction, I donât think your soup-by-the-foot isâŚ.any good, at all.â
Frost sighed.
âI suppose pemmican is also off the table?â
âIâm vetoing that one for sure.â
Gideon spoke as he took his spot.
âKremyâs apron is attuned to him! So we have limited supplies! I mean my Bananyas are literal magic, but theyâre not a full meal. We need something a bit more sub-stand-tional.â
âSubstantial.â
Frost corrected.
âPoint is,â Gricko continued. âJust goodberries, as good as they are, wonât cut it.â
âHave yâall justâŚasked Twigsy to set out the inn? She has a full stocked kitchen and sheâd be able to whip all sorts of things up in ten seconds flat.â
The trio awkwardly looked around.
âReally? I got there before even Frosty?â
Gideon seemed genuinely shocked.
Frostâs tail flicked, slightly annoyed.
âAdmittedly, I didnât consider that. But it seems the most logical option. After all, if it is going to be a bit before we move again, it might be worthwhile to have a more permanent and comfortable place for Kremy while he recuperates.â
âWhat does Kremy have to do with chimpkins?â
Gricko asked.
âHm?â
ââCoopâ-erates? Ey?â
Gricko elbowed Frostâs knee, a bright smile on his face.
âAh, thatâs..funny, Gricko.â
Torbek shook his head.
âNot your bessst.â
Gideon didnât have to do a whole lot of convincing for Twig to set up the inn. She was immediately abuzz with the idea of slumber parties and game nights. The crew made sure to keep her on track though, creating a separate space for their sick ringleader.
Kremy was not about to pass up on an actual bed, and was quickly ushered inside by Twig who was chattering about his blanket and pillow preferences.
As soon as Kremy was swept away by Twig, Gricko pulled Gideon aside.
âWhatâs happening, Little Green?â
âOkay, so I know weâre all gonna pitch in for a good hearty get-better meal, but I think youâll be the most help getting Kremy better. Have you ever heard of a behavioral fever?â
âCanât say I have.â
âBasically, when reptiles get sick, they donât run fevers, right? But fevers are necessary to fight off diseases, the raising body heat makes the body a hostile place for germs and such. Well reptiles can replicate that by basking and raising their temperature!â
âSo this stuff is your engineering, huh?â
Gricko smiled.
âYou know it, big red!â
âSo should I ask twig to make sure thereâs a fire going in Kremâs room?â
âOh? I figured youâd have it covered justâŚbeing there and all?â
âWhat do you mean?â
Gricko quirked an eyebrow, looking Gideon up and down like he was missing something.
When they were done packing up the campsite, they headed inside.
Twig was running around with Pigtunia and Hootsie, and came to a stop when she saw them.
âKremyâs upstairs in his room! I also got some ready for you guys since youâll sleep too, you know? And the kitchen is all clean so we can get the cooking going! But first, Bean-Milk!â
She gestured to steaming mugs on the counter, Gideon whistled, happily taking a mug for himself.
âHow is Mr. Kremyy?â
Torbek drawled, wringing his hands.
âWell, heâs pretty sick, like Gricko said- but not dying sick, so thatâs good? Heâs breathing real funny and he sounds kinda squeaky? Like the inn door.â
âWell, Twig, I know you have an extensive tea-cabinet from priorâŚâ
Gricko shot a nervous look at Hootsie, who seemed none the wiser.
ââŚevents involving orc transformation and lots of nakedness.â
Twig shuddered at the memory. Quickly shifting back to chipper.
âI do! Itâs all alphabetical and such! I have my own honey bee farm too! And lots of cremes and sugars!â
Gricko nodded.
âWell, well, we happen to have an EXPERT tea brewer in our party, Twig. Frosty here knows his way around any teapot, no matter how short or stout!â
âOooh! Well thereâs so many fun teas to choose from, Frost! I even have Beezle-Leaf tea!â
âBeezles have leaves?â
Frost tilted his head curiously.
âWhere do you think they keep their secrets?â
With that ominous note, Twig led Frost to the tea cupboard.
âFrost will have the warm cuppa for Kremy covered, I was searching in my pack, and I actually have some overripe bananyas thatâll be perfect for Twigâs banana bread! So itâll be magically healing for the body AND soul.â
Gricko nodded proudly.
âWhat will Torbekâs job be?â
âTorbek! You and Gricko can get some fresh honeycomb from my bee farm!â
Twig called from across the room.
âEhhâŚTorbek has had a lot of close calls with beesâŚare they friendly?â
âDonât worry Torbek, Iâm sure theyâre as sweet as can bee.â
Frost said, a wry smile on his face.
Twig burst into a fit of giggles. The rest of them found it more funny how amused she was with Frostâs pun.
âWell, Torbek will help however he can, he trusts Twig and Gricko.â
The bugbear smiled meekly.
âGreat! Gricko is good with beasties and Torbek is good at getting things from small spaces! And honeycombs are like hundreds of little small spaces! So it works out perfect!â
Twig was clearly pleased with herself.
âAnd Frostyâll do the tea, youâll do bananya bread, Torbek and Gricko will get the honey and Fixâns. Where do you want me, Twigsy?â
Twig pushed up her glasses and fixed a hard stare at Gideon.
âYou, have the hardest, most difficultiest, most toughest job of all, Gideon. You- have to make sure Kremy stays upstairs during all of it.â
Gricko gasped at the not-that-dramatic reveal.
âWait, thatâs it? Thatâs no problem!â
Twig shook her head.
âLook, you know Kremy on a lover-lobster-coupled-dudes level-â
âWell, okay I donât-â
âBut I,â twig continued, ignoring him. âKnow him in the kitchens. We Electrum Chef-d together. That forges something fierce, Gideon. And I know that that sick alligator will be drawn to this kitchen as soon as he hears me turn a knob on the stove! But you gotta keep him away! He needs rest! No matter how the kitchen calls him! You have to promise me Gid!! Promise me!! For Kremy!!!â
Twig shook Gideonâs broad frame by his suspenders.
âOkay! Okay! I promise! Iâll keep him put! Jeez Twigsy did you get into the Bean Milk this morning?â
âNah, I prefer cocoa.â
Twig beamed up at him.
With all their jobs divvied out, it was time to get to work.
Gideon walked up the stairs, slowly, mostly because Hootsie was weaving in and out of his legs, trying to be the first to Kremy.
âSorry, honey, but you canât go pouncing on Kremy like you usually do, gotta be a bit more careful.â
The owlbear tilted her head, large golden eyes staring up at him, seeming to process what he was saying. She hooted softly, and followed him up the stairs at a steadier pace. She really was a smart girl. Gideon knocked on the door.
âItâs me, Kremy! Oh, Hootsieâs here too.â
He winked down at Hootsie, whoâs little stubby tail immediately began wagging.
âWell now, thatâs all I needed to hear, come on in.â
Gideon chuckled, opening the door and stepping aside to let their niece in.
âAfter you, little lady.â
Hootsieâs claws tapped quickly on the hardwood approaching the side of Kremyâs bed.
The room itself was cozy, walls covered in little trinket shelves and framed artwork depicting swampy scenery with an ethereal quality. In the corner an armchair covered in throw blankets and pillows sat, it even had a small footrest with matching trimming.
And then of course, was the bed, sturdy dark wood with a plush mattress. A pillowy quilt and crotchet comforter acted as the spread. The quilt caught Gideonâs eye, as it had patches with floral designs, but looking closer, the forms of unicorns stood out. Like it was enchanted with illusion magic.
Kremy was scratching Hootsie behind the ears, who was happily trilling. The alligator looked equally pleased giving her attention. Gideon watched the scene, sitting down on the bedâs edge. When Kremy coughed, her demeanor instantly changed, pressing her paw down on his lap, setting him with a concerned expression.
âDonât worry, sweetpea, Iâll be alright. Just not at 100%.â
She accepted this reassurance, giving Kremy a little nip before pattering out of the room.
âIâm gonna have to ask Twigsy where she got this quilt, I keep staring at it.â
âI think she said some old wizard gave it to her in exchange for a room? She was chatting about it, but if Iâm honest words were in one ear out the other as soon as my head touched a pillow.â
âI can see why she picked this one for you, though.â
Gideon gestured to the shifting patches. The unicorns turning to sprawling wildflowers and then back to unicorns. Kremy smiled softly.
âYeah, reminds me of Meemaw. She loved quilting almost as much as cooking. Courseâ I didnât have the patience for it, I learned to patch up my coveralls but thatâs about it. We didnât have a lot of fine fabrics to work with of course, most of it was scraps other folks in the neighborhood didnât want. But she managed to make it something beautiful every time. It was her own kind of magic.â
Gideon certainly knew more about Kremyâs past than the rest of the crew, but even then, he preferred to keep things close to his chest. So when Kremy spoke about these things, Gideon listened like they were the most fantastical stories in the entirety of the realm. And in a way, they were.
âShe sounds like a lovely lady, Krem.â
âOh yeah, she was. I think she wouldâve loved you.â
Gideon was quiet for a moment, that was high praise. He knew the regard Kremy held the matrons of his family in.
âYou know this morning I thought you were choking on something.â
Kremy looked surprised.
âReally? I was breathing hard, isnât that the opposite of choking?â
âWell, sure man, technically, but the way it sounded was so weird and strained? You know you were- er, still are- all wheezy and squeaky. I hadnât heard that before it kinda freaked me out.â
âI still canât believe you woke up Gricko.â
âCome on! You know I had to, I mean like it or not he IS the resident expert on these things. Besides, at the time I didnât know what was happening!â
Kremy laughed a little at that, Gideon stared at him offended.
âWhatâs funny?!â
âItâs weird to see you worried over me the way I worry over you.â
Gideon flushed a bit, the embers in his hair growing brighter.
âAhâŚIâm hardly as helpful as you in these situations. I mean you could at least make me a bowl of soup, Iâm just sittinâ here.â
âYou told me to give you some credit, so I am, if you hadnât gotten Gricko and forced me to not ignore this, I probably woulda ended up worse. Because youâre right, I am a hardass.â
Gideon snorted.
âHonesty donât suit you, Kremy.â
Kremy swatted at him lazily with his tail.
âOh shut up. Point isâŚyou keep me warm when Iâm cold, you back me up even when we both know Iâm in over my head, and youâre chatting with me right now so I donât go down and try to make brunch for myself.â
âHehe, not much gets past you.â
âThat, and Twigsy bless her brownie heart, is incredibly loud.â
âNow that you mentioned it, have you been warm enough up here? Like hot- not just warm? Gricko mentioned something about heat being important for getting over this.â
Kremy blinked, taken aback.
âOh! UmâŚwell the temperature is fine. Iâm not shivering like I was outside. I got the quilt and the throw, so itâs comfortable.â
âBut is it like, fever temperature? Gricko said you needed to bask? Iâll be honest Iâm not sure how it all works but I reckon regardless you need to be on the hotter side of things.â
Kremy looked at him, the gator was hardly the domestic type, but even he couldnât help being endeared. Maybe because it was Gideon, it came easy.
âThatâs true. For lizardfolk heat is generally the best medicine. My brother stayed by the furnace when he had the sniffles. An extra blanket probably wouldnât hurtâŚâ
Gideon thought on that for a moment, when it suddenly clicked into place, hitting him at once.
âIâm the blanket!â
ââŚcome again?â
âGricko was telling me all this stuff because Iâm made of fire! You said it yourself, man, I heat you up when youâre cold. You need me to make you hot!â
âOkay well maybe donâtâŚphrase it like that.â
âWhat do you mean?â
Kremy grimaced.
âNever mind. Are you okay with that? Staying in here? I mean I donât think you can catch this from me, but I donât want to push it. This bed can fit two, but I doubt thereâll be wiggle room with the both of us.â
âWell I mean, logistically speaking the closer the better, right? Besides, the gang specifically assigned me up here, I donât think theyâd do that if they thought I could catch it from ya.â
âStands to reasonâŚâ
Kremy trailed off, seemingly deep in thought. Before making up his mind.
Of the two of them, Twig did not expect to be patching up Grickoâs bee stings.
âYou had no trouble, Torbek?â
Torbek shook his head.
âGricko drew them all awayâŚTorbek was able to get a lot.â
âMy bee was a bit rustyâŚI put too much emphasis on the bizzz and not enough on the rzzzz.â
Gricko lamented. Twig only shook her head.
âMy bees are always so friendly! You mustâve really made âem mad, Gricko.â
With his stings magically healed up, the goblin flexed his arms a bit, before jumping down from the counter.
âNothing a bit of bananya mush canât fix! But I do think Iâll need to stay inside, theyâll certainly hold a grudge.â
Gricko shuddered.
âItâs a miracle he doesnât smell like bananas everyday.â
Frost entered the room with arms full of strong-smelling jars. The herbal earthy fragrance permeated the air.
âFrosty are you making Kremy a cup of tea for every day of the Equivalent-Of-January?â
Frostâs tail flicked.
âRooting around in the cabinet my nose was a bit scrambled. I picked the standouts so I could analyze them further. That being said, I could smell the bananyas from across the inn.â
âWell I hope you like the bananya smell because itâs gonna get even smellier on account of the baking.â
Twig tied her apron tight, as if to punctuate her point.
âSpeaking of which, Gricko I need those ripe bananyas now please and thank you.â
Gricko excitedly pulled the browning bananyas out of his pack.
âTa-dah!â
Twig took the bunch, which was about as big as her body, flittering over to the counter and setting it with the other ingredients.
âNow! Can you prepare the chili ingredients? Chopping and whatnot?â
âChili?â
âYeah! Savory and sweet you know? Itâs not my famous beef stew, but Kremy likes something with a good kick. Our breakfast is a brunch now anyhow!â
âI may not be the Electrum Chef, but I can meal-prep as the rich mums on click-clock say.â
Gricko dragged a stool over to the counter. Torbek swayed awkwardly on his feet.
âWhat should Torbek do?â
âYou can help me, Torbek.â
Frost called, he was now at the oak coffee table, the jars of tea leaves set out in front of him.
âTorbek isnât a teaaa drinkerrrr, Iâm more of a spiller.â
âOoo~ like the hot gos, Torbek?â
Gricko said flourishing his fingers.
âWell the drink is usually hot when Torbek spills it on himselfâŚit never makes it to his mouthhhh.â
âExactly my point. You have a less biased perspective, I drink tea all the time. I think you could give me some insight. If nothing else, I wouldnât mind some company while I try and decide.â
The tabaxi shrugged sheepishly, and Torbek smiled a little.
âAwh well thatâs all you had to saaayyy!â
The bugbearâs long strides brought him to Frostâs side in seconds, he elected to sit on the floor so they were eye level.
The mid-morning was slowly shifting to noon, and the inn at the end of the road was full of sweet smells and fresh air. Hootsie trotted downstairs and took her place on the rug by the fireplace, listening to her family work on their feel-better brunch.
Itâs no different than being in a tent together, at least thatâs what Kremy was trying to tell himself. Gideon was busy fiddling with his boots, because sick or not, Kremy would not be having any shoes in the bed.
Every once in a while a cough would come unbidden, and Gideon would glance (without any subtlety) back at him.
âGid, I havenât gotten the plague since you turned your back to me.â
Gideon rolled his eyes as he got into bed.
âIâm just checking. You could get fey cursed to suddenly have consumption or somethinâ.â
Kremy whipped around and knocked on the wooden headboard.
âGid! Donât tempt them! Jinxes are real here! Damn!â
Gideon laughed heartily, leaning back beside him.
âItâs hard to take you yellinâ seriously when your voice is so squeaky, man.â
Kremy grumbled.
âIâm aboutâa uninvite you from this comfy-ass bed.â
âUninvite me? It was my idea!â
âBut I gave you my permission.â
Kremy crossed his arms.
âYeah yeah, get over here, sorry-scales.â
Gideon wrapped his arm around Kremy, dragging him close.
Kremyâs resolve was all but melted away as soon as the warmth hit his scales.
They laid like that, quiet for a moment. Kremy shifted slightly, his gaze met Gideonâs and he laughed nervously.
âA bit anti-climatic, ainât it?â
Gideon shrugged.
âWell I wasnât it expecting some instant-magic-cure to happen, but I will say this quilt is absolutely going to be hard to leave behind when we go back to camping.â
âYouâre telling me.â
Kremyâs head rested on Gideonâs shoulder, and as soon as their eye contact broke, Gideon smirked.
âYou knowâŚthis is the longest youâve gone bare-faced in the entire time Iâve known you.â
Kremy gasped, mortified. Gideonâs plan was already in full motion.
âGid, Gid! Let me go to my pack, Gid!â
Kremy helplessly smacked his shoulder, but Gideonâs arms stayed put.
âYour pack is downstairs, sorry man!â
The Genasi kept him close, Kremy could hear the shit-eating grin in his voice, which only pissed him off more.
âDamnit Gid! Why the hell would you mention that then!?â
The lizardfolkâs struggle slowed, breathing hard into Gideonâs chest.
âShit that took it out of me.â
Kremy wheezed.
âAll part of my master plan.â
Kremy stared daggers at him, or his shoulder, at least.
âTraitorâŚback stabbed by my own husbandâŚthe nerve.â
Kremy mumbled, Gideon just chuckled. His fingers mindlessly running over the scutes and scales on the back of the gatorâs head. The repeated motion only contributed more to the heavy sleepiness setting in.
As his partnerâs breathing slowed, Gideon couldnât help feeling a bit tired himself. It had been a very long morning, for better or worse.
Maybe it was the sunlight muffled by the curtains, the smell of baking sweets downstairs, the distant chatter of their friends, or maybe it was just the feeling of Kremyâs cool scales on his skin, the rough edges of his scutes under hand, that put Gideon to sleep.
Kremy was roused by the sound of wood creaking and the smell of spices.
He yawned, blinking slowly, stretching as best he could still wrapped in Gideonâs arms. Who was fast asleep.
âPsst, hey, hey Gid. I think itâs finally brunch time.â
Kremy shook his shoulder and Gideon stirred slightly but didnât wake, Kremy just sighed with a smile. Adjusting slightly, he moved Gideonâs head to his lap, the embers in his hair twisting around his horns. He brushed a few sparking stray hairs from his face, the Genasi snored softly, dead to the world. Sitting up, Kremy patiently waited as the sounds of his friends and clinking dish-ware drew closer.
âDonât drop anything!â
âI wasnât planning on it!â
âTorbek, make sure Hootsie doesnât rush them.â
âCareful! wait!-â
The door swung open, Torbek was holding a very antsy Hootsie aloft, Twig and Gricko both had trays, and Frost was carrying a large teapot.
Kremy held a finger to his mouth, nodding towards Gideon.
Gricko snickered.
âI think the roles are meant to be reversed here.â
He whispered.
Twig flittered in place.
âIâm gonna drop this if I donât put it down!â
She carefully sat it down on the bedside table. Like flipping a switch, Gideon immediately perked up.
âKremy, why didnât you wake me up, man?â
Kremy scoffed incredulously.
âYou sleep like a damn rock, Gid, Trust me, I tried!â
Gideon sat up, stretching himself with a yawn.
âLittle Green Iâm guessing that oneâs mine?â
âYou betcha!â
Gricko handed it off, and Gideon was already digging in.
Frost was busy pouring tea, but Kremy didnât take his eyes off the spread.
A bowl of chili, bananya bread drizzled with honey, and multiple jams on the side to choose from.
âYou outdid yourselves with this.â
âHigh praise, Mr. Electrum chef.â
âWell relax he hasnât eaten it yet Gricko!â
Twig landed on the bed with a fluff, Gricko hoisting himself up beside her.
Torbek sat Hootsie on the bed and she immediately spun in a circle before loafing beside her Papa.
âThe tea is Beezle-Leaf, with some notes of Cherries berry.â
Frost explained, handing the full teacup to Kremy.
âItâs more~â
Gricko added.
âWell, now Iâm very curious.â
Kremy lifted his tea cup and sipped.
The taste was reminiscent of Beezleberry, but with more earthy notes, and a bit of a spiced twist. The aftertaste was the âmoreâ of the Cherries Berry.
âThis is surprisingly tame all things considered.â
âYeah, diluting it down to tea really tames the eldritch beast coursing through every Beezle hivemind. Just be warned they like to leave messages at the bottom of the teacup, best to ignore them.â
Twig spoke casually, as if noting the weather.
âRightâŚwell, itâs delicious, thank you Frosty.â
âYouâre welcome, Torbek helped me pick, he convinced me to mix two tea flavors though I was reluctant.â
âHeheh hey! Look at Torbek getting Frost to live on the wild side!â
Gideon was already halfway through his chili, it was truly amazing how quickly he could eat.
The meal was arguably the best thing Kremy had in a while that he hadnât cooked himself, though he was his own critic.
The chili was strong and hearty, the bananya bread, while magically healing, was also just delightfully sweet.
And in eating the bread, Kremy found his voice was starting to come back to him. He wasnât all the way there, but sitting there he felt warm inside and out.
Twig had elected to just bring more chairs in the room rather than have them eat their own helpings downstairs.
Hootsie enjoyed a bowl of unseasoned beef and vegetables, even getting a piece of honeycomb as a treat.
They ate, laughed and talked, and by the time Frost was downstairs helping Twig with the dishes, it was late afternoon.
Gideon helped bring dishes down, and the sight of Twigâs porcelain teacups in his large hands was a tad humorous. Before heading upstairs, he rummaged through Kremyâs pack.
Grabbing what he came for, he made his way back upstairs.
Kremy was flipping through one of Twigâs many books. It was written in Draconic, and he felt compelled to read some lines out loud, just for the sake of tasting familiar words in his mouth again.
The whole day had an odd nostalgic quality. Being sick in bed with quilts and storybook, he almost smelled his Meemawâs perfume in the air.
But it was quickly overcome by the smell of a forest fire, which felt just as much like home.
âHey man, I brought you something. Or well- two somethings, I guess three from a certain point of view-â
âThe technical number doesnât matter unless itâs Frost, Gid.â
âRight! Right- uh first,â Gideon pulled out Kremyâs compact and lip liner.
Kremyâs smile widened as he took the mirror in his hands.
âAlright, I take back calling you a traitor and a back-stabber, youâre back in my good graces.â
âPhew, thank the gods. I thought our marriage would never recover.
Gideon nudged him playfully and Kremy laughed. They both ignored the fluttering in their chest at the words âour marriageâ.
Kremy sat the compact in his lap, leaving his mustache not drawn for the moment.
âAnd whatâs the second/third from a certain point of view thing?â
âSo glad you asked!â
Gideon beamed at him and whipped the plush from behind his back. It was the Almiraj plushie he won for Kremy at the Witchlight Carnival. It felt like years ago, but in reality it had been less than a month.
Kremy wasted no time taking the unicorn rabbit.
âTwigsy knows how to wash it without it getting hurt, so donât worry about germs.â
âThank you, Gid, really.â
Gideon rubbed his neck.
âAwh, you know. Figured you could use a buddy who doesnât snore so loud.â
Kremy chuckled.
âIâm assuming Miss Toadspring has a room ready for you, then?â
âIf I want it, yeahâŚâ
Kremy let that statement sit without comment, despite really, really wanting elaboration. Instead, he went about applying his mustache.
âThere ya go! Nice and pencil thin!â
âYou know it.â
Kremy shut his compact and put it on the side table.
âWhat book did Twigsy pick out for ya?â
âItâs a fairytale collection, itâs all in Draconic though, which is nice.â
âNo shit man! Thatâs awesome. You should read me something.â
Kremy smiled, a bit bewildered.
âYouâŚdonât know Draconic, Gid.â
âWellâŚyeah, true. I dunno I just think it sounds cool when you speak it. You could be reading a landscaping brochure, but itâd still sound badass.â
âHehe, I donât know about all that, but sure, Iâll read you one. How about the Bullywug Prince? It was my favorite as a hatchling.â
âThat sets a high bar, now Iâve got to hear it.â
Gideon assumed his spot beside Kremy, holding the Almiraj plushie so that he could read. And Gideon was right, even though he couldnât understand, he hung onto every word.
Admittedly this became a lot longer and way more coalecroux focused than I initially intended, but I had a blast writing it regardless! And I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much!! The krew will always be a big dysfunctional (but loving) family in my eyes. Thank you for reading!! ^_^
Ive come up with the phrase "blorbo-in-law" which is a fictional character who isn't, like, YOUR blorbo from YOUR shows but it is your mutual's blorbo who you nevertheless have developed strong opinions about due to long term dash exposure
sometimes I wanna reply âbitch me tooâ to my mutuals posts but Iâve never talked 2 them so they might not see it as friendly joking so i just dont
expressions!! its been so long since ive drawn my boy đ i also thought itd try drawing leo and then i couldnt leave raph and mikey out ashdnfhdjsnfjf