Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 44: I’m Fine!

Chapter 44: I’m Fine!
The mansion felt strangely quiet in the days leading up to Christmas. They managed to decorate the Christmas tree in the living room after hunting for decorations and getting Nathan to participate. The commotion ended, and finally the tree stood with beautiful decorations.
In addition to the Christmas tree, the house was filled with Christmas decorations that shimmered across the hallways, warm gold and soft red lights blinking rhythmically. But behind the serene Christmas atmosphere, the mansion was shrouded in a slight panic.
Nael had fallen sick two days before Christmas Eve. The boy had been so excited about the Christmas tree that he collapsed afterward, compounded by everything that had happened recently. The vitamins he took couldn’t keep up with his immune system.
He had a faint cough during breakfast, a flushed face, then quietly slumped on the couch as if all his energy had drained out of him. By afternoon, he was shivering with a fever.
Malvin was the first to panic. He knew Nael would definitely get sick, but he was quite impressed that the boy had lasted longer than he expected.
Everyone looked anxious, but they were used to Nael’s condition. After the family doctor came to examine him, they asked the boy to rest.
"Don’t look at your phone, it will give you more headache," said Malvin, after making sure his brother had taken the medicine the doctor had given him.
Nael nodded weakly.
"Try to sleep, I’ll come back later to bring you some food," said Malvin, wrapping him in a blanket.
Nael looked at Malvin with teary eyes. "I’m sorry... You must be busy."
Malvin rubbed his shoulder. "No one wants to be sick. No need to apologize, just rest and get well soon. Okay?"
Nael nodded slowly. "Ask Isabel to bring me food. You can go back to work..."
Malvin smiled. "I can stay at home whenever I want, especially for you. Don’t feel bad about it."
After Malvin, Lucas, Leo, and even Roger kept him company that night. Alexander made sure all the medicine and supplies were prepared.
Nael held Alexander’s hand for quite a while before he finally fell asleep. He couldn’t remember the last time Alexander sat on his bed, so he was happy.
His fever rose through the night, and by morning the entire household was on alert. Everyone moved with tense urgency. Malvin checked his temperature every hour, Lucas brought warm drinks. Soon they all gathered in Nael’s room that day.
They were completely focused on Nael. Until they forgot about one boy who was still in his room.
Nathan felt his throat was dry, his body hot. But he was still strong. He was used to such conditions, especially in winter. Usually, he would just take medicine from the pharmacy and sleep, and he would feel better the next day.
But he felt that he was not getting better now. It seemed he needed to ask Isabel for fever medicine.
Nathan left the room, feeling that the mansion was unusually quiet. He saw Roger entering Nael’s room. He immediately felt uneasy. He hadn’t seen his twin’s condition yet.
Nathan walked slowly to Nael’s room, looking in from the door. Everyone cared so much about that boy. He felt pang in his chest.
He walked in slowly. He looked awkwardly at Nael.
Nael saw him and immediately waved weakly. "Nathan!"
"Eat the soup," said Roger, then turned to look at Nathan and smiled. "We’ll go down to eat in a minute. How are you?"
Nathan walked closer. He just didn’t want to be considered too cruel and heartless. He just wanted to make sure Nael was still alive.
"You feel better?" asked Nathan, ignoring Roger’s question.
Nael nodded. "Yes, much better. How are you? You look pale."
Malvin, who was preparing Nael’s medicine, immediately turned his head. He saw that Nathan looked pale and his lips were dry.
Roger now looked closer too. He put the bowl on the nightstand, approached Nathan, and placed his hand on the boy’s forehead and neck, causing Nathan to step back.
"I’m fine!" said Nathan, his voice hoarse.
Everyone realized that the boy was not fine.
Malvin approached. "You look sick. What do you feel?"
Nathan, who had been jealous of their attention to Nael, was now overwhelmed by this small attention. He wasn’t used to receiving it. And he tried not to draw attention to himself in the end.
"I just need some medicine, if you have any," he said.
Malvin immediately became worried. A sense of guilt instantly crept over him. Since when had his brother been sick? He held Nathan’s face. "Shit, you’re burning up."
Nael woke up from his position. He looked worried.
Roger immediately grabbed his cell phone. "I’ll call Dr. Edward again."
Nathan shook his head. "No, I just need some fever medicine."
But Roger was already talking to someone on his cell phone.
Malvin grabbed Nael’s medicine and asked the boy to take it. "Rest after you finish your soup. I’ll take care of Nathan."
Nathan wanted to refuse, he wasn’t dying. But they were really paying attention to him now.
"I’m okay!" he said repeatedly.
Roger brought him porridge and soup. The doctor arrived, and Malvin was beside him as if Nathan had been seriously ill for years.
Meanwhile, Nael was in the room with Lucas.
Roger ed this to Alexander. "We were so focused on Nael that we didn’t realize Nathan was sick too. And he didn’t say anything."
Alexander came home late that night after having dinner with some people before Christmas. He seemed to feel guilty for not checking on him. He forgot that Nathan might not be used to showing weakness, unlike Nael, who was already used to them.
"Is he asleep?" asked Alexander.
"Not yet, I just came from there."
"What about Nael?" he asked, taking off his jacket.
"He’s better now."
Alexander visited Nael briefly before heading to Nathan’s room.
Nathan was lying down with his eyes almost closed when Alexander opened the door. The boy woke up immediately when he saw him coming.
"Lie down," he said. He checked the boy’s temperature with his hand. "Why didn’t you say you were sick?"
Nathan lay back down because he felt worse now, his head spinning more, and the medicine was making him sleepy.
"I’m fine."
Alexander sighed. "Don’t underestimate your condition. You have to tell us if you feel even slightly uncomfortable."
Nathan remained silent. He felt Alexander’s large hand rubbing his head. "I’m sorry we were busy with Nael while you were also sick. We don’t have anyone else. We have to take care of each other. That’s why everyone worries when someone is sick. And you, tell us if you’re sick. Don’t keep it to yourself or hold it in."
Nathan stared intently at Alexander. He felt a little guilty for being jealous of Nael, even though the problem was that he never let them know how he was feeling. Even so, he insisted that he could handle it himself.
"Nathan, answer me. Don’t make me worry."
Nathan pursed his lips, looked down, before finally nodding.
Now he was overwhelmed because Malvin and Roger wanted to sleep in his room.
"No, I’m fine!"
Roger climbed onto the bed in his pajamas. "Nael is fine now, now it’s my turn to keep you company while you sleep."
Nathan sighed. "You’ll catch my illness, go away!"
Malvin took his pillow and headed for the sofa. "He won’t get sick," he replied with a smile.
And Nael poked his head out the door. "Nathan, are you still sick?"
Nathan closed his eyes, feeling his head ache even more now, seeing all the people in his room constantly asking if he needed anything.
Nathan realized they weren’t ignoring him. In fact, he regretted ever wanting attention; now he couldn’t sleep with Roger standing guard beside him.
***
By noon, Nathan was well enough to join everyone in the living room. The mansion was lively, more lively than any Christmas he remembered. Wrapping paper littered the carpet, and Roger had Christmas music playing too loudly.
Nael was wearing a reindeer onesie for some reason, his face full of excitement, waking Nathan up early in the morning to show him his gifts.
Leo was pretending he didn’t hate the noise. Malvin and Alexander walked over with calm and composed faces.
Nathan stared at the gifts in front of him. There were so many. He opened them all. He received sweaters, books, a gaming console, some expensive-looking accessories he didn’t know how to use.
He then realized that they had all prepared gifts for him, and he hadn’t even thought about it.
He looked at them opening their gifts with guilt. "I’m sorry, I didn’t prepare anything."
Malvin looked at him, put down his gift, and walked closer. "No, actually you are the most precious gift we had this year. We don’t need anything else."
Nathan sighed, feeling uncomfortable nonetheless. Before he could answer, Lucas suddenly shouted from the front:
"Hey! Come here! Look what Grandpa brought!"