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Ren opens his eyes, no idea when he had dozed off. It’s been a long day. The sun is blinding him from the angle he’s sitting at LeBlanc.
His defense is down, also, not having realized Sojiro standing next to him. It hits him late that he must have woken him up.
“I’ve been talking to you. You okay?”
Trying to ignore his headache, Ren answers, “I'm… yeah?” he says, confused. When did Sojiro make it a habit to check on him before he went home? He was the one who locked LeBlanc up.
“The cat was yelling in my ear,” Sojiro waves at Morgana’s direction, not lying carefree in his bag as usual but sitting upright and tense on the seat next to him, “You’re sleeping on your homework.”
“Sorry,” Ren doesn't quite know what else to say. He should pack his stuff and go upstairs. He’ll pick up studying again once he can stay awake while Morgana was apparently hollering around.
He definitely should. He doesn't know why his body isn't following through with that command.
Sojiro eyes him weirdly, “I don't care about your schoolwork, kid. You sure you good?”
“Tell him you're not, Joker! He can bring you medicine before he leaves,” Morgana is now yelling at his ear, and it does no good for Ren’s headache.
“What's the cat saying? Bet it's something fishy,” Sojiro smirks at his own joke, then stops smiling when Ren tries to get up and stumbles to an almost fall on the floor. It’s great that the cafe is empty; that was not going to gain him any charm points.
Ren is holding onto the bar table, still; his eyes squeezed as he tries to will his dizziness away, alongside the nausea that has been present all day but just started to get relevant.
“Okay, I’ve seen what I needed to see,” Sojiro taps him on his shoulder, and Ren peers his eyes open to see Sojiro handing his backpack back to him, all his stuff jumbled inside. Ren isn't complaining, though. He doesn't think he’d do a much better job right now.
Speaking of–
“Go to bed. Think you can make it upstairs?”
Ren takes the bag slowly. Morgana isn't inside; it shouldn't feel heavy, but it does.
“I told the shop I’d work tonight,” he mumbles.
“Then tell them you won't. Surprise, surprise,” Sojiro is sending him to bed for the first time since he took him in. “You have enough on your plate, don’t you?”
Ren manages to go upstairs without losing his balance, and since he is feisty, he manages to craft some texts to people whom he left unanswered before he collapses on the bed.
“Do you really have to work? You can spend some more time in Metaverse to cover the money for most things,” Morgana says, “You’re already busy.”
“It’s good to see different people. Comes in handy,” Ren answers half-heartedly, a bit annoyed that Morgana and Sojiro are becoming more similar day by day.
“You should change out of your uniform.”
Ren wants to come back with something along the lines of i don't care, and neither should you, but he truly only has enough energy to breathe right now.
“Morgana…” he sighs.
“Didn’t know you actually talked to the cat. I was joking.”
Sojiro.
What is he doing?
Ren doesn't say anything. He watches curiously.
“The doctor is one call away, you know? Takemi is a bit nuts, but she’ll get you what you need.”
With the mention of Takemi, the inexplicably sour and overall just bad taste of the medicine she had Ren drink in their last clinic test somehow fills his mind. He hardly holds back his gag.
Sojiro sees it, disapproval open on his face, “Don't puke on the sheets, it's hard to wash and–” he stops when his hand brushes on Ren’s cheek as he tries to get Morgana off Ren’s face, “Damn, kid, I think you have a fever.”
He doesn’t have an answer for that, but Sojiro smells like coffee, he realizes.
Morgana moves, making his face visible now. He wants to press his face into the cold pillow, but Sojiro’s knuckles touch his forehead. It's quick, efficient.
“Might be a good idea to measure that,” Sojiro mumbles to himself. Ren just wishes he would leave so he can fall asleep. “That’s on me. We don’t have that stuff here.”
Ren knows Morgana must be smiling to himself. He's been telling Ren to stock up on medicine for things like a sore throat, headaches, and nausea; instead of just taking Takemi’s weirdly specific medicine to use in Metaverse.
He knows that this could have been avoidable, somehow. Was it because Ryuji coughed on him yesterday? He was fine, though. Maybe he got cold while he went to meet Ann a few days ago? Not quite, though...
“Kid, you with me? Tell the cat something– he has to let you have some room.”
One look at his side tells Ren that Morgana didn’t turn into a cheshire cat, but instead is trying to find himself a place on his impromptu bed.
“What if you need something? I have to be close,” Morgana explains to him. Ren just knows he won’t be listening to him right now. So much for being the leader.
“People usually call themselves their cats’ owners, mind you,” Sojiro says. Apparently, Ren has a loose tongue when he has a fever high enough to limit his thinking.
“Maybe we should… No, I can't make you walk all that,” Sojiro has his hand on his chin, mumbling about how it's cold outside anyway.
Ren can feel himself getting seriously light-headed, so it’s great that Sojiro somewhat reaches a conclusion in his head and stops muttering to himself but addresses Ren himself.
“Well, I have some more time before closing. I’ll decide if you need a doctor or not. Don't stay awake for it.”
Sojiro doesn’t wait for an answer, and doesn’t try to negotiate with Morgana –because, well, he is a cat, even though he isn’t– before he leaves.
“You’re worn out,” Morgana says, “Even the Boss agrees. It’s no wonder you got sick.”
When Ren wakes up the next time, he automatically thinks it’s late at night, but it’s to his forehead freshening up. A cool rag. So Sojiro is still around. He feels like too much time has passed, but that’s probably just him.
Ren instinctively throws his hand over his sheets, and he can’t help but smile when he feels the familiar cat fur under his palm.
He goes back to sleep.