Work Text:
"Ruskin, close the door. I don't want to see the light." Charles Augustus Milverton murmured miserably when his secretary, Ruskin stepped into the room. Ruskin obediently closed the door and walked to the sofa where his employer was lying with his eyes tightly closed. He gently touched his forehead.
"Is that your usual migraine, sir?" He asked in a soft voice.
"Yes." Mr. Milverton answered and the painful annoyance shone through his tone. Ruskin understandably nodded. Mr. Milverton occasionally suffered from heavy headaches which made even the work, but also his favorite hobbies impossible for him. That's why now, instead of plotting his next evil plan, he was on the sofa and tried to fight the migraine. It was clear that this battle was unsuccessful. All he could do was not let the pain increase and keep the light out.
Ruskin hated seeing his employer suffer. When that happened, it was like he could feel Mr. Milverton's pain. He worked in his service for long, long years and they just naturally grew close. Ruskin loved his employer with all his heart - and whenever Mr. Milverton was unhappy, he was ready to come up with a plan immediately. Now, he tried to think through as well what could help Mr. Milverton. It seemed that the usual medicine would be too late to make an effect and could only cause him unwanted tiredness.
But there was something that could ease Mr. Milverton's mood all the time.
"What do you think about a tea, sir?" Ruskin asked while he tenderly swept off the hair from the other man's face. "I can make you a herbal tea which might help. At least, ease your pain a bit."
He saw that Mr. Milverton peeked out from under his eyelids.
"A herbal tea?" He repeated slowly. "Yes, yes, you can make one. Just close the door when you leave."
"Of course, sir." Ruskin replied and after one last touch to Mr. Milverton's pale cheek, he walked out of the room. He closed it behind himself just like Mr. Milverton wanted. But instead of the kitchen, Ruskin headed towards his own room to gather something.
The book of the recipes he collected through the years, inside with the one he inherited from his grandmother. He wanted to make Mr. Milverton a special herbal tea that could ease his migraine.
Luckily, he had all of the ingredients that the recipe needed for the tea. Ruskin quickly made it and waited a bit until it cooled down. He didn't want to burn his employer on the top of his headache. Then he served the tea into a mug instead of the usual fancy cup and went back to the study to Mr. Milverton.
His employer was still lying on the sofa in an unchanged position and a tortured expression on his face. When he heard that Ruskin approached him, he raised his head and sniffed into the air. He faintly asked.
"Is that the tea? It smells strange." He remarked.
"It is a special recipe, sir." Ruskin smiled and after he helped up Mr. Milverton, he handed the mug over to him. Mr. Milverton sniffed the tea again before he drank from it, but he eventually brought the mug to his mouth and drank a sip. Ruskin watched as he swallowed it. Mr. Milverton grimaced and he noted.
"It is bitter. Do you think that this will truly help?" He gestured at the mug.
Ruskin nodded.
"I hope so, sir. Let's give it a try, shall we?"
"Well, if my headache doesn't become worse from it..." Mr. Milverton left the sentence unfinished and drank again from the tea. This time, he took it better.
"I can get used to it." He shrugged his shoulders and continued drinking. After he was done with the whole mug, he lay back on the sofa. Ruskin put down the mug onto the desk and stayed on Mr. Milverton's side if he needed something else while he also waited to see how the tea would make an effect.
Only half an hour needed to pass until Mr. Milverton's eyes shut open wide and he gave Ruskin a surprised look.
"My headache eased." He said with disbelief while his golden gaze, which was not that weak anymore, curiously fixated on Ruskin. "You were right. The herbal tea, as bad as it tasted, worked. Where did you get the recipe?"
A smile appeared at the corner of Ruskin's mouth. It was such a good thing to hear and Mr. Milverton's state visibly got better.
"I learned it from my grandmother. I collected her herbal tea recipes in case they will be useful one day. In the end, they were." He answered and blessed his grandmother for giving him a way to help Mr. Milverton.
"What was in the recipe?" Mr. Milverton asked inquisitively.
Ruskin let out a chuckle and watched how the redness came back to Mr. Milverton's face.
"That's a secret." He replied gently and put his finger in front of his mouth." But you don't even need to know that, sir. I will always be here to make it for you if you have a headache."
Mr. Milverton smirked and reached out to touch Ruskin's hand.
"Oh, I am sure of it, Ruskin. I am sure of it."