Bitter Medicine, Sweet Memories: A Sena and Valen Sickfic (Father's Day Special)
(Credit to @windmaedchen-oceanhorn for the adorable header image).
Sena’s heart ached as he watched Valen squirm fitfully in his sleep, the young boy tossing and turning as he struggled to get comfortable beneath the plush blankets. Valen had spiked a fever earlier that day, and as such, had been placed on strict bed rest. It was just a common cold, as far as Sena could tell, but that didn’t make it any less stressful for him, much less for Valen. In the past few hours, the poor boy had broken into a cold sweat, his face becoming feverish as the fatigue had set in.
Fifteen Years Ago: Valen aged 9, Sena aged 30(?).
Sena rose from his chair at Valen’s bedside, gently removing the damp cloth from the boy's forehead, trying his best not to wake him. The cloth was concerningly warm to the touch, having absorbed the heat from Valen’s skin as the boy slept. Sena ran the fabric under some cool water, before wringing it out and placing it back onto the child’s feverish brow.
Valen seemed to settle down a little bit, his brow unfurrowing as the tension melted out of him. Sena couldn’t help but let out a sigh, somewhere between relief and weariness. He hated seeing Valen suffer like this, even if it was something as minute as a cold. He knew he could just snap his fingers and take away that suffering, restore Valen to full health with just the flick of his wrist and a little magic. And Fates help him, it was a tempting idea.
But Sena knew deep down that wasn’t the right course of action here. Dealing with a minor illness was a natural part of life, one that every human went through at some point. And as much as he hated seeing Valen struggle, that tiny brow furrowed in discontent, Sena also knew he needed to let his son face some trials on his own. Valen needed to build some resilience and fortitude of his own, as Dolly had reminded him. Sena couldn’t just keep him in a safe little bubble all his life. That wouldn’t be fair to Valen.
Sena’s job as a parent wasn’t to wrap Valen in tissue paper and keep him locked away like some fragile little trinket, after all. It was to make sure that Valen was well-equipped to take on the world on his own and to make sure that his son had the love and support he needed to thrive. But, that didn’t mean Sena couldn’t lend a helping hand here and there. That he couldn’t help shoulder some of Valen’s burdens when it became too much for the boy. And right now, that meant keeping Valen’s fever down and making sure he had everything he needed to get better.
Sena ran a gentle hand through Valen’s soft, slightly damp brown hair, soothing the boy until he settled back into a peaceful sleep. He couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he marvelled at the child in front of him. Valen, his son. It still felt surreal sometimes, to think that this innocent young boy was actually his to raise. And all because he had taken to following Sena around Holistone like a lost little duckling.
Smiling softly, his golden eyes practically glowing with affection, Sena slowly untangled the blankets, tucking Valen back in so that he was comfortable. He leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on the crown of Valen’s head before going downstairs to get the boy something to eat.
When he returned a little later, he was carrying a tray with a nice warm bowl of lamb stew, a cup of tea, and a small container of Valen’s medicine. The boy stirred awake at the sound of the door closing, his violet eyes fluttering open. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before blinking up at Sena in pure confusion, still attempting to get his bearings.
“Huh? How long was I asleep…?” Valen asked, his voice still groggy and bewildered.
Sena smiled gently, placing a hand on Valen’s forehead to check his temperature. “Just a few hours. But it seemed like you needed your rest.” Sena responded, placing the tray down on the nightstand next to Valen’s bed. “Your fever seems to have gone down at least,” he noted, his expression betraying how relieved he was despite his casual tone of voice.
Valen, ever the perceptive one even at this age, looked down at his hands, fidgeting slightly. “I’m sorry for worrying you…” he said in a small voice, sounding so vulnerable that Sena felt his heart clench painfully in his chest.
He took a seat at the edge of the bed, pulling the boy into a hug and rubbing soothing circles into his back. “There’s no need to apologise, lightning-bug,” he reassured. “I worry about you because I love you. That’s not something you ever have to be sorry for, understand?” he asked, gently stroking the boy’s downy hair.
Valen nodded slightly, his tiny hands now clinging to Sena’s shirt like he was scared the man would just disappear. Sena just held him close until Valen was finally ready to pull away. Releasing his grip, Sena settled back on the edge of the bed, moving the tray to rest on Valen’s lap.
“You should eat something, Val. You’ll need to keep your strength up if you want to get better soon.” Sena suggested.
Valen eyed the stew for a moment, his tiny brow furrowed slightly.
“I take it you still don’t have much of an appetite?” Sena asked softly.
Valen just nodded again. It wasn’t like him to be so quiet. Normally the boy was practically bursting with energy, happy to talk his father’s ear off at every opportunity.
Sena smiled reassuringly. “That’s alright. Maybe you can just have some of the broth for now, even if you don’t want to eat anything solid. I brought you some tea too.” he offered.
Valen seemed to think for a moment, before nodding again. “Ok…” he agreed, hesitantly bringing a spoon of soup to his mouth. Sena let out an imperceptible sigh of relief, just glad that Valen was getting some form of nourishment. After the first spoonful, Valen seemed to realise how hungry he was though, eagerly finishing up the broth and even a few pieces of meat. The carrots, green beans and potatoes, however, sat in the bowl completely untouched. Valen looked at them for a moment, a hint of guilt lingering behind in his eyes.
As much as he didn’t want to eat the remnants, Valen hated wasting food. After all, part of him still remembered what it was like to go hungry before meeting Sena. He stared at the vegetables a moment longer, seemingly conflicted. He really didn’t want to eat any more, but…
Without a word, Sena casually plucked the bowl off the tray, not missing the relief on Valen’s face as he helped the boy polish off whatever was left of the vegetables. Valen gave him a thankful look, before eagerly going to sip his tea.
They spent a little while in comfortable silence, Valen drinking his tea while Sena nibbled on the leftover green beans. Eventually, Valen piped up again. “Do I need to take more of that bitter medicine Miss Dolly gave me earlier?” he asked, already sulking despite not having been answered yet.
Sena chuckled softly. “I’m afraid it’s for your own good, Val,” he responded, watching the way Val’s cheeks puffed up in annoyance. He actually did look a lot like the hamsters when he was like this…
“Do I have to?” he whined, giving Sena the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. Sena always did have a hard time saying no to Valen’s puppy dog eyes.
“I’m sorry, Val. But you really do need to take your meds if you want to feel better.” Sena said, sounding genuinely remorseful. Valen continued to sulk, earning a fond shake of the head from Sena.
“Ok, I’ll tell you what…” Sena began, using that same tone he used to haggle with some particularly greedy merchants. “Once you take your medicine, you can have one of the honeycomb toffees I keep in my office.” Sena offered as if that wasn’t what he had planned to do all along.
Valen’s eyes widened slightly at that, clearly interested in the proposition. Hook, line and sinker.
“And if you’re upset about the bitterness, I can at least suffer with you in that aspect.” Sena joked, a slice of grapefruit appearing in his hands from thin air. The dark pink of the fruit serving as a stark contrast to the golden patterns on Sena’s skin.
“Really? But you hate bitter things? And isn’t that candy from your secret stash?” Valen asked, wide-eyed and disbelieving.
Sena nodded. “Consider it a reward for your cooperation.” Sena joked, adopting a tone of false professionalism. He paused for a moment, his expression softening. “Plus, I love you far more than I hate bitter things, lightning-bug,” he said sincerely.
Valen stared at the medicine container again, as if gathering his courage. Finally, he gave a resolute nod, picking up the container. He met Sena’s gaze with the seriousness of a man heading into battle and Sena had to bite back a laugh at how solemn the boy looked. “On three then?” he asked hesitantly.
Sena nodded in agreement. “On three.”
Valen took a deep breath. “One…two…three!”
Valen brought the container of medicine to his mouth at the same moment Sena bit into the grapefruit slice. Both their faces scrunching up in absolute revulsion as they forced down the bitterness. After a moment, they met each other's gaze, wearing matching expressions of pure disgust, looking utterly miserable. Valen was the first to burst out laughing, pointing wordlessly at Sena’s expression.
“You look like when Mister Whiskers licked a lemon by accident!” he laughed, clutching his tiny ribs as he cackled at the rather unfortunate face his father had made. As much as Sena didn’t appreciate being compared to a random stray cat Valen had met while out in Holistone, even he could see the humour in it. And more importantly, his momentary suffering had given his son a reason to smile despite his current illness.
Sena shook his head, his expression a mask of fond exasperation as he placed the neatly wrapped candy on Valen’s tray. He seemed to be in better spirits, at least. The boy unwrapped the candy, still giggling happily as he took a bite of the crumbly yellow treat. Then, unexpectedly, he held the other half out to Sena.
“Here, this will help with the weird aftertaste.” Valen declared, staring at Sena expectantly.
Sena felt his heart melt as he opened his mouth, letting his son feed him the other half of the candy. He hadn’t expected Valen to share his treat, especially since the boy knew Sena had a whole jar stashed away. Maybe he should get Valen a jar too. Sena did make it a habit to repay any acts of kindness he was shown after all, even if it was something as simple as sharing a piece of candy.
He watched as Valen finished his nibbling, moving the tray back to the nightstand. “You should get some rest, Val,” Sena suggested, earning an owlish blink from the child.
“But I’m not tired,” Valen argued plainly.
Sena let out an amused huff, kicking off his shoes before settling down on the bed next to Valen. “How about I read to you then?” Sena offered, already knowing the answer as he leaned back against the headboard. “At least until you fall asleep.”
Valen nodded eagerly, already snuggling up to Sena’s side. “Yes please!” he chirped. “I want to hear the one about the knights again! And the magical sword in the stone!” he demanded, sounding as enthusiastic as ever despite the dark circles under his eyes.
Sena smiled softly, wrapping a protective arm around his son. He summoned an old tome, opening the heavy leather book and resting it on his knee as he began to read. His voice was low and soothing as the illustrations began to shift and change before Valen’s eyes, Sena’s elegant handwriting blurring as he grew more and more tired. It wasn’t long before Valen’s eyelids felt heavy, his breathing evening out until he was sound asleep, still snuggled up to his father’s side. Sena’s warm, soothing presence had lulled the boy into a peaceful slumber.
Sena shut the book as quietly as he could, placing a gentle kiss on the child’s forehead. Valen’s hands were once again tangled into the fabric of Sena’s shirt as if demanding he stay put even as the boy slept. Without a word, Sena pulled the blanket over Valen, holding the boy close as he allowed his own eyes to drift shut. A deep, contented purr rumbled through his chest before he could stifle it. An instinctive reaction he had thought he had long since buried.
But as Valen snuggled closer, seemingly soothed by the sound and the gentle, rhythmic vibrations, Sena couldn’t help but allow it. Maybe just this once…
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Happy Father's Day to everyone who's celebrating! I hope you enjoyed this fic. A HUGE thank you to Wind for the amazing art she did of father and son. I always love seeing people's stuff about Sena, and the way she draws these two makes me want to tear up at how precious it is. And I hope everyone out there is having a great day, with or without a dad in their lives.
