Ravi tilted his head as he watched Trever roll from his side to his back, then to his other side, then to his stomach, all within two minutes. 

The man had been restless off and on all night, and while he was used to not sleeping much after being tied outside by his previous master, he knew that Trever needed his rest. 

When the guy rolled around again a few minutes later, then ended up facing him once he stopped moving, Ravi reached over and gently nudged his bangs aside so that he could press his fingers to Trever's forehead. 

Oh. 

Leaning back, Ravi settled his hands between his bent legs and stared at the man before him. He was beginning to pant quietly and his head was definitely unusually warm. 

Pursing his lips, Ravi carefully and quietly scooted off the bed, then walked into the bathroom. He found a clean washcloth and quickly got it damp before returning to sit beside Trever. 

He really wanted to just lick off the sweat that was beginning to show on the man's brow, but he'd said that it probably wouldn't be a good idea last time he'd asked to do such a thing while in his human form, so he would just do it the way humans usually did. Even though he really wanted to do it a different way. 

Ravi spent the next hour gently wiping away the sweat from his master's forehead, face, and neck, and making trips back and forth to the bathroom to rinse the little towel. 

When he returned on his last trip a faint buzzing sound brought his attention to the nightstand. He quickly hurried over and picked up Trever's phone, then walked out of the room before answering in a hushed whisper. 

"Hello?" 

Mr. Spencer's voice rang clearly through the connection as he responded. 

"Hello Ravi, is Trever there? You guys are late so I just wanted to check in with him." 

Ravi glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and frowned. They were late. He hadn't even been paying attention to the time. 

"I'm sorry, master Trever is sick and I've been taking care of him. I should have checked the time and called you," he said honestly. 

While he had originally not cared much about his job as long as Trever was happy with him, he was beginning to realize that his job was his way of making Trever look at him... and not just as a dog. 

"Oh, that's what I thought it might be. He would never be late intentionally. Take good care of him and let me know when he's doing better please," Mr. Spencer said, earning a nod from Ravi even though the man couldn't see it. 

"Yes sir, I will. Take care," he said before hanging up the phone and returning to the bedroom. 

It took another hour or so before the man's fever calmed a little, making Ravi more comfortable going into the kitchen to make something. Well, he intended to make something, but they hadn't exactly gone shopping for food recently. 

Okay, I don't want to go out and leave him here, but I need to get him something to eat. 

He paced for a few moments before retrieving his own phone and searching for a way to get delivery. Several apps popped up right away, but the sheer amount of stuff on them made him extremely nervous. There were fees and tips and extra charges everywhere. 

I need to feed my master, though. 

Pushing aside the apps for the moment, he decided to just search for restaurants near them. There were thankfully quite a few, but not all of them would have food that would be easy to digest while sick...

One thing at a time, he told himself as he carefully looked through several menus until he found a simple chicken and rice dish on one that he thought might work. It looked yummy and didn't have a ton of extras like sauces and hot peppers and such. 

Now that he had his target in sight, he called the phone number that was given for that restaurant. The person on the other end thankfully picked up quickly, because Ravi was already stressing terribly. 

"Hello, Mama's Italian. How may I help you?" 

Swallowing down his nerves and trying to keep his shaking to a minimum so that he didn't stutter, Ravi replied quickly but clearly. 

"Ma'am can I order the chicken and rice dish for delivery? My friend is sick so I can't go out to pick it up, but we live really close." 

The woman replied cheerily, "of course, sweetheart. What is your address, and how would you like to pay?" 

Relieved, he gave her their address, then asked if it would be alright if he paid in cash when it got there. 

He did have the card Wyatt had given him in case he needed anything, but he didn't want to use it unless there was a real emergency. He had his own money and if she was okay with him paying when it arrived, then he would rather do that. 

"We don't normally accept cash payments for delivery orders, but you are right down the street, so I'll make an exception, sweetheart." 

Ravi did a little dance and promised that he would absolutely pay for it and tip well for the trouble. When the woman confirmed his order and told him it would be there in about twenty minutes, he hung up and just stared down at his phone in silence for a few long moments. 

He'd never ordered anything unless in person. 

"I... really got my master some food without having to leave him alone," he mumbled as his lips tilted up into a relieved smile. 

Proud of himself, Ravi walked back into the bedroom, then hesitated for a moment before looking down at himself. 

I... should I put more clothing on to answer the door? 

"Vivi...?" 

Master!

His previous thought completely forgotten, Ravi hopped up onto the bed and crawled over to where Trever was trying to push himself up against the pillows. 

Ravi hurried to help him get situated and even added his own pillow to the stack so that he was more comfortable. Once everything was done and Trever was all set, Ravi sat next to him and waited until his tired eyes fell upon him. 

"Thank you, Vi. It's been a long time since I've been sick. I wasn't expecting it so suddenly," he said as he coughed quietly. 

Ravi licked his lips and glanced at his phone where he'd tossed it aside to free his hands so that he could help Trever. 

"Mr. Spencer called and said to relax and get better and that I can stay with you to help," he said quickly, not wanting the man to think that they were in trouble at work for not calling out or showing up. 

Trever leaned back into his pillows and closed his dark-rimmed eyes. 

"That's good. Thank you for taking care of that, sweetheart," he whispered, making Ravi's wiggle slightly where he sat. 

If he were in his dog form his tail would have thumped a few times at the man's praise. 

"Yes sir, no problem," he replied as he reached over with the damp towel he'd also set aside previously, then gently tapped his master's forehead. 

"I have some food coming for you. Can you eat?" he asked, hopeful. 

Trever nodded slightly and Ravi opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of a knock on the door stole his attention away. 

"I'll be right back," he said as he hurried from the bed.

"Hang on," Trever said right as Ravi reached the bedroom door. 

Turning around, Ravi tilted his head. 

"Yes sir?" 

He watched as Trever nodded toward him. 

"Put a shirt on." 

A... shirt? 

Guys normally walked around without a shirt on in public, so he was a bit confused about having to put one on now, but he didn't argue and did as told immediately before running for the door. 

He was surprised to see the lady he'd spoken to on the phone behind the door when he'd opened it. 

That was really fast. 

"Hey there sweetheart. We weren't too busy so I decided to just bring it by myself," she said as she handed him a stapled paper bag. 

Ravi gladly accepted it, then handed her thirty-five dollars. 

"Is that okay? I have more if needed. I've never ordered stuff for delivery before," he said, not wanting to be rude if he wasn't offering enough. 

The meal had been twelve dollars, so he thought that thirty-five made sense for the quick delivery, but he really wasn't sure. 

"That's perfectly fine. Thank you, young man. I hope your friend enjoys his meal and gets better soon. I added a little something extra just in case his stomach doesn't handle the chicken well yet. Have a wonderful day." 

What a nice lady!

"Thank you ma'am. You have a great day as well," he said before carefully closing the door, then bringing the food over to the kitchen counter. 

He began pulling out what was in the bag once he'd set it down. It had been pretty heavy for the single meal he'd ordered, so he wasn't too surprised when he found three containers in the bag instead of just the one. 

The chicken and rice meal was there, but she also gave them a small container of soup and another of... Ravi tilted his head as he took out the other little container. When he couldn't quite tell what it was through the lid, he popped it open. 

Oh. 

Fresh vanilla pudding. 

His own mouth began to salivate as he quickly put the lid back on the container, then turned and ran back into the bedroom. 

"Master Trever, I got chicken and rice, chicken soup, and vanilla pudding. Which would you prefer?" 

He was excited to provide for his master, so even though he only ordered the main dish, if the man preferred one of the other ones that were given to him, he would be just as happy. 

"Is the chicken shredded?" Trever asked as he turned his head to the side and cracked open his tired eyes. 

Ravi was about to go check but then he remembered the image of the meal. 

Ah, no wonder she said that she added other things just in case. 

"It's not. It's a whole chicken breast," he said, a little upset that he hadn't thought of such a thing. 

Of course, he could shred it, but he might not do the greatest job... and he didn't trust his dog's claws, or mouth enough for him to let it try. 

"Could I have some of the soup first to see how well I can hold it down?" Trever asked with a small smile. 

Ravi immediately nodded and hurried to retrieve the hot bowl of soup and a plastic spoon the lady had given him. Instead of climbing back through the bed, he walked around to the side Trever was closest to, then sat down and carefully took the lid off the little styrofoam bowl. 

Trever sat up a bit higher against the pillows, but when he tried to reach for the spoon, his hand began to shake from exhaustion. 

He might burn himself if I let him try to eat alone. 

"Master, may I feed you until your strength returns?" he asked as he dipped the spoon into the soup and nervously lifted it up a little bit. 

Trever seemed a little hesitant, at first, but then relaxed back against the pillows and nodded as his eyes drifted closed again. 

"Yes. Thank you, Vivi," he eventually replied, making Ravi smile with relief as he carefully began feeding his master, blowing gently on each spoonful of soup to cool it just enough each time. 

It took quite a while for Trever to finish off the small bowl of food, but he managed to get it down, and hold it down. Not soon after he'd finished it he fell back asleep, leaving Ravi to put away the remaining food in the fridge. Once done, he turned around and pursed his lips, considering what else to do. 

I suppose I can clean up. 

Nothing was really dirty in general, but dust happened and he could pick up a bit. So, after quietly closing the door to their bedroom, Ravi went about cleaning the rest of the apartment. He even did the laundry and made sure that the spare bedroom was in perfect condition. 

He also cleaned the spare bathroom and wiped all the windows and counters. By the time he was finally done he noticed that it was close to three in the afternoon and he could hear the faint sound of Trever moving around in their room. 

Wanting to be of use, Ravi put his cleaning things back where they belonged, then walked into their room. 

Oh. 

Turning abruptly, he averted his eyes, even though his inner dog saw absolutely no reason not to stare. 

"Vivi." 

Nervously, Ravi slowly turned back around but kept his gaze slightly to the side of where Trever was standing next the bed... naked besides a pair of boxers that were riding precariously-low on his hips. 

"I'm still feeling dizzy, but I'd like to rinse off the sweat on me. Could you help me get to the shower?" 

Ravi quickly nodded and walked over, forcing his dog to the very back of his mind as it began to go crazy. It had seen Trever with minimal clothing quite a few times, but he had a feeling that the added scent of sweat was making it a bit more chaotic. It liked the smell on him. That smell often meant certain situations might occur with humans. 

He tried his best to keep his attention focused on where he needed to get his master, but each step took more and more effort to complete.

You're a good dog and your master is sick. Don't get distracted.  

He had to keep telling himself that as he got Trever situated in the bathtub, then carefully got the water running at the right temperature. Once that was taken care of, he stood back up and turned to leave and give the man his privacy. 

Except, when he tried to walk away, a too-warm hand quickly but gently wrapped its fingers around his wrist. 

Ravi felt his heart jerk in his chest as he stopped and hesitantly turned around. Exhausted eyes met his own as they stared up at him, silently begging for him to not go. 

Unable to resist anything his master wished him to do, Ravi obediently sat down beside the bathtub. That seemed to appease Trever, because the man released him and got busy wiping off the sweat from his body a few moments later. 

He knew that the man didn't understand that what he was doing was literally beginning to drive him crazy, but Ravi really was having a hard time controlling himself. 

He wanted to help clean his master... amongst other things. 

It didn't take long before Ravi was getting up again. Even though they'd only run cool water for Trever's bath, he felt uncomfortably warm in the small room. His entire body was humming and hungry, and not for food. 

"I just need a minute," he said as he walked toward the door again. 

Thankfully, Trever let him go, but he could sense that he didn't want to. 

Ravi walked straight through the bedroom and didn't stop until he was standing out on the balcony with the wind rustling his hair and cooling his own overheating body. 

I'm sorry, Ravi. 

Looking to the side, Ravi eyed the closed bedroom window and sighed out a stressed breath. 

It's not your fault. 

It really wasn't. His dog was just refusing to back off, so he'd needed to step out. 

Their connection remained quiet for quite some time before Trever spoke again. 

What would you have done if you hadn't had to hold your dog back? 

Ravi blinked and swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat. 

What would he have done? 

His mind immediately ran through a thousand things his dog wanted him to do to Trever, but those things were easy to sift through to what he actually would have done. 

I would have pat your head and licked your face. 

Of course, he knew that patting the man's head would likely drag out his own dog, but he'd wanted to answer truthfully, so he had. 

You can do that. 

He... could? 

Ravi couldn't wrap his mind around the permission he was just given. He did  remember that the man had said that it probably wasn't a good idea to lick his face previously, but he hadn't thought that he would change his mind on the subject so quickly. 

When he hadn't moved for at least five minutes, he heard Trever speak into his mind again. 

If you don't want to anymore, that's okay. I... I guess I just wanted some attention while my hyena was too tired to fight me on it. Maybe it's just this cold getting to my head.

Ravi felt his heart begin to race as he slowly turned around and walked back inside. When he stepped into the bedroom, he looked ahead and noticed that Trever had already gotten himself out of the tub and had dried off and wrapped a towel sloppily around his waist. 

He was leaning against the sink in front of the mirror with his damp hair covering his face, panting quietly and looking down as his arms shook slightly. 

Ravi hurried forward and helped support Trever until he was comfortably back in bed, then turned off the light in the bathroom and drained the tub. Once he was done, he returned to Trever's side to notice that the man had gotten under the blankets and tossed his towel on the floor. 

His mind immediately went to the fact that he was now naked beneath the blankets, but his thoughts were interrupted as soon as they began when warm fingers wrapped around his wrist again and tugged him right down onto the bed!

Before he could react Trever had him pulled tightly against his chest in a hug he'd only dreamed of. Unable to help himself, Ravi snuggled in so damn much. After a few moments he managed to free his arms and return the hug before wiggling a bit higher up against the pillows, giving Trever just enough space to nuzzle his face into the crook of his neck. 

The man was still quite warm where their upper bodies touched as he fought his fever, but when Ravi heard a huge sigh of relief as Trever relaxed against him, he couldn't help but smile into the man's soft hair as he began to sift his fingers through it. 

Mine. 

He kept that thought to himself, for now. And, since he couldn't quite reach the man's face with his tongue right then, he also kept that to himself, but the cuddling and access to pat his head as much as he wanted was more than enough to satisfy even his rambunctious dog. 

"Sorry... if I get you sick," Trever rasped quietly after a long bout of silence. 

Ravi grinned and hugged the man to him a tiny bit more as he nuzzled into his hair. 

"I'll gladly take that risk if I get to snuggle with master like this more often." 

He sensed a bit of confused static from Trever's mind within his own as the man tried think through his words, but the fever and his need for rest were likely taking a toll on his cognitive ability. It took him quite a while to respond, but when he did, he definitely didn't disappoint. 

"Next time, neither of us will be sick." 

Next time. 

He had said next time. 

Out loud. 

Ravi forced himself to hold back a full-body wiggle of excitement and instead put all of his focus into gently rubbing Trever's warm back. 

"Rest well, master Trever." 

He got a quiet hum from the man in response, and after only a few more moments, he could hear Trever's breathing even out as he drifted off into a much needed sleep.