I love, love, love Kinoc. I'm a member of his official fanclub (there are three of us). (laugh) I don't know why. But anyway, there's this thing where I feel competetive with a certain other writer, so when he writes Kinoc, I have to, too. Of course, this is just a silly little crap drabble, but that's besides the point. (laugh)

Originally written several months ago, I forgot to post it here until now.

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"I am not eating that," Auron announced, as if the bowl in front of him contained the severed head of a chocobo instead of soup. Chicken soup, which Kinoc supposed might make the chocobo statement a little too close to home-but it wasn't really a chocobo, and besides-besides, now he was getting confused, and cross because of it.

"Yes, you are," Kinoc said insistently, pushing the tray a little closer to Auron. The soup sloshed slightly in its bowl. "Auron, you're sick. You have the flu. Magic doesn't heal viruses, you know that."

"Yes," Auron conceded, grumpily, coming as close to a slouch as Kinoc thought his friend was physically capable; Auron was only seventeen, but he was the oldest seventeen-year-old Kinoc had ever met. "But I don't need mothering from you. Or anyone else."

"Look," Kinoc replied, a little desperately. "Look. There's training exercises tomorrow. We have to partner up. If you're sick, then..."

"You'll live," Auron said dryly, glaring at his bowl. "So will I. I'm still not going to eat this. Did you make it yourself?"

Kinoc bristled. "Of course I did! And don't you dare say anything about how you can tell, because I am a very good cook."

"I'll be fine," Auron said stubbornly instead, crossing his arms petulantly. "I'll go to exercises tomorrow. I'll be your partner. I don't need soup."

"You do too," Kinoc said, just as stubborn with a feeling of self righteousness topping it off. "You need soup and sleep and maybe one of those cool washcloths. I am not taking any chances. If you're sicker tomorrow-"

"Do I look sick?" Auron asked.

Pause.

"You look like a brat," Kinoc said, eyes narrowed. "Now eat your soup."

Auron muttered something that sounded a lot like 'yes' and 'mother.' Kinoc choose to ignore this. "If you're good," Kinoc decided, voicing the thought mostly to annoy Auron, who, sick or not, deserved a jab or two: "if you're good, I'll get you some tea later."

Auron glared as he took the first spoonful of soup, scalding his mouth slightly. "Goody."

"Say something?" Kinoc asked with a dangerous sort of jolliness, pausing in the doorway on his way out.

"Next time," Auron said, licking the spoon clean, managing to look both grumpy and dignified as he did so, "make it tomato."

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