Home Sick
is a Punch-Out!! Hurt/Comfort Fic, published on October 22nd, 2021, written by NoonboryKedabory, and hosted on FanFiction.Net.
In it, Disco Kid spends his day off with Aran Ryan, who has come down with a stomach virus.
On November 8th, 2021, a sister story titled Let Me Warm Your Heart was published.
Do not confuse with either of the similarly named video games.
Tropes:
- Bedhead-itis: Aran is described as having wildly messy hair while sick.
- Big "SHUT UP!": One of the other boxers (exactly who is unspecified) yells one of these at Aran and Disco Kid at the end.
- Bland-Name Product: There's a streaming service called Net-Tendo.
- Content Warnings: The opening notes contains one for emetophobianote . Passages containing the triggering material are designated with percentage signs (%).
- Defrosting Ice King: As the fic progresses, Aran becomes less and less irritable and warms up to Disco Kid.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Downplayed, but Disco Kid's shiny blue eyes are dull when he's worrying about Aran.
- Everyone Has Standards: As much as Aran loves getting hit in the games, here he's shown to detest being sick (to the point of crying in pain).
- Faceplanting into Food: Defied; Disco Kid tries to keep Aran awake so he doesn't fall asleep into a bowl of applesauce.
- Gleeful and Grumpy Pairing: Disco Kid is the upbeat Gleeful to Aran's crabby Grumpy.
- Growling Gut: Two from Aran; once after it's shown that he's sick (described as being "almost on cue"), and again before throwing up the second time.
- Headbutt Thermometer: Implied; Disco Kid notices that Aran's fever is going down while he is holding him in his arms, tussling his hair.
- The Hermit: Aran kept quiet about being sick specifically because he wanted to be left alone. However, he fails as Disco Kid finds out anyway.
- Humanizing Tears: In a later section, Aran cracks under his illness and cries into Disco Kid's chest.
- Illness Blanket: Disco Kid wraps Aran in a blanket after taking his temperature and learning he has a fever.
- Luminescent Blush:Aran went as pink as freshly-unwrapped bubble gum.
- Minimalist Cast: Outside of a brief appearance from Super Macho Man and a brief mention of Mr. Sandman, this fic only had two principal characters; Disco Kid and Aran Ryan.
- Named by the Adaptation: Disco Kid's first name is given as "Thomas".
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Aran's illness noticeably makes him softer and less prone to anger. In one section, Disco Kid jokes that he can tell Aran is getting better after he starts yelling at Super Macho Man.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: Inverted; Disco Kid insists on staying to sleep on the couch because he doesn't want to leave Aran.
- Shout-Out: The Sassy Sisters of Shady Shores is a parody of The Golden Girls, with the character Stella even being named for one of the lead actresses (Estelle Getty).
- Sick Episode: The main plot of the story is that Disco Kid is left to look after Aran while he is sick with a stomach bug.
- Sleep Cute: Disco Kid stays on the couch with Aran, and the two fall asleep cuddled together.
- Talking in Your Sleep: Disco Kid mentions hearing Aran mumble his name in his sleep.
- Thousand-Yard Stare: Aran is said to be "stone-faced" after his second round of puking.
- The Unapologetic: Subverted; Aran is said to struggle with apologies, but eventually chokes one out.
- Verbal Tic: Aran consistently refers to his midsection as "me belly".
- Vomit Discretion Shot: Aran's second round of vomiting is done very discreetly (it is only shown through sounds). However...
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: ...his first round is shown in rather explicit detail.
