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When he’d gotten an update from Omen, one that was shocking to say the least, he set down his book on the side table and got up from his reading chair. It seemed like the mauvian was in over his head with what had happened, and part of him felt… tired. It hadn’t been more than a week or two since he’d talked with them while bathing Omen, seeing them worn down and ignoring his advice and worries, it seemed. With the holiday season bringing all the extra patients in, on top of the fact that he couldn’t just tell them that there was, in fact, magic to avoid, it added more stress to his life.

With what the text had said, with the odd spelling errors he was accustomed to from the mauvian, he poured some of the leftover hot water from his kettle into a thermos and put in a teabag as well as honey and lemon. Not exactly a remedy, but something to help them warm up. Omen was never very good at giving him details, but the fact that they tried, when Kioshi still seemed to be forgetting to, was at least something. He also bundled up a few things and then threw his coat on before heading out the door.

It wasn’t far, just a few minutes' walk, and then he was knocking at the door before letting himself in. At least, only after he noticed the hot food left on the doorstep from whatever delivery person had been by. That made enough sense. Omen could order the food, but he couldn’t exactly get it from the driver as a cat. Carrying it inside with him, he saw the mauvian curled up on the couch with them and a mess of puddles leading all over the floor and towards the laundry room.

“I saw your dinner outside, Omen, Kioshi. Are you alright enough to sit up?” Neither looked particularly well. Omen’s fur was all smushed and wet, and Kioshi looked paler and still half-chilled.

Their joke didn’t have him smiling or smirking, not even a little bit. If anything, it made him feel more tired about this. More of that bothersome magic, more of the not listening to advice, and for a moment, he pressed his palm to his temple to try and center himself. It was always his place to be calm, and before all this magic, it had been easy; before things got complicated, it had been simple.

Setting the food down on the small table near the couch, he watched as Omen continued sleeping through things even as they were manhandled to the side. That got a shake of his head as he took a seat on the floor. Looking over them, he let them explain, even if it felt like something he had heard so many times from patients, from family.

When they seemed to still, seemed to get to the root of things, he let out a sigh and offered up the thermos of tea and unpacked the delivered food for them. He stayed quiet as he worked, getting things ready and open, focusing on it as he tried to think about things. It didn’t get easier, not with how complicated being in a relationship was, and he knew from most of his family how stiff and uptight he seemed.

With another sigh, he rubbed at his face and looked up at them. “You can’t keep doing this. Something was going to give, and it did, even if you weren’t at fault for the traps that pop up in this city. You’re juggling work, night work, and classes. It’s not feasible, even if you were starting at the same age as other students.”

Keeping his voice even, he took a moment more to finally get his coat off before continuing. Letting it sit on the floor next to him as he went back to getting things out on the table for them. “Why do you need to rush? You have work, multiple jobs, and pay enough to have somewhere to live and to do things you want to do. You don’t have to compare yourself to someone who isn’t around exactly anymore. I don’t understand but at the same time, you aren’t being clear about this, any of this. You say I’m right, yet you're not asking for help, even though you acknowledge you should be. I can handle things, but you know, you really know how much it bothers me when the people I care about keep hurting themselves when there isn’t a good reason to.”

Shaking his head, he exhaled and tried to keep calm, even though he was so tired of this, not just from Kioshi but from Alexandre and now all the other younger family members who were now involved in things and getting hurt as well. It had been one dumpster fire after another that he’d had to deal with, even with that end-of-the-world fight that had happened.

With them sitting on the floor nearby, he watched and listened as they continued, all the while he tried to be patient. While he knew some things about their industry, not that he liked how some handled safety and sanitation, even if Kioshi had similar standards to his own on those fronts. Hearing that it wasn’t as easy to get by in that field wasn’t something he’d considered as much since he hadn’t looked into that side of things.

As they continued, his jaw tensed slightly; he couldn’t deny that he’d had his own opinions on those who lazed about or found themselves getting by without working. But just because he knew they had income coming in from the negaverse, it didn’t mean they could broadcast that to the general public. Shaking his head again, he pressed his palm to his temple as they continued.

“Back then, you didn’t have all these other responsibilities; they didn’t have all these responsibilities. Even when I was in med school, I made sure to balance things because it's unsustainable to run yourself this ragged even without any health problems that flare up with stress.”

Taking a moment to look over the ordered food he’d unpacked, he could tell some of it was for Omen by the sheer lack of carbs in the containers marked for them. Fishing out some wontons, he distracted himself by eating one as they went on. Hearing that they’d switched to a P.A. program was a surprise, though, as he considered what they’d been working on before.

“Do you want to go down that path, or is it only because you’re trying to have what other people would consider a stable job? You enjoy your work, even if you say the market is tight. And from what you’re saying about classes, they’re not ones you enjoy as much, and to put yourself through something like that, it doesn’t make as much sense.” Most of what they’d done didn’t, and while he was usually fine with things, he was tired now.

While he was about to say more, the shift towards the relationship had him pause. Leave? Is that what it seemed like he was going to do? The frustration sapped out of him as he sighed again. Hearing them say something in Japanese, which he only understood a bit of because of Judith. Reaching out, he pats their head slightly. “You need to be more careful. How can I love a dead man?”

While it made sense in a way, he still weighed health over wealth. Though he knew his job afforded him the opportunity to have both. Noticing them moving closer, he made sure they had space without bumping into the things he’d brought. They still felt a bit chilly as they leaned into his side, so he reached around and pulled one of the blankets down to drape over them both.

“I’m glad you passed, but… if you need help, I’m here. I would rather you ask me than me finding out you pushed yourself to the point of getting sick or hurt thanks to another bout of the magic that likes to give me more work in this city.”

Leaning his head on theirs slightly as they started to eat and sip at the tea, he rubbed their back softly. “You need to rest, burning the candle at both ends just leaves you with less time. Running yourself ragged isn’t something you need to do. What if someone decided to pick a fight, and you’re out of it or sick? I’ve seen you fight while you’re at your best, but what if you aren’t? Remember that the other side of things needs you to be in good health for the most part…”

With a sigh, he shook his head a bit more. “I think you should come over and rest, take a warm bath, and then let me help get rid of this chill. We’re partners, you don’t need to keep doing things alone.”