A Work in Progress

[SpamKey]

Looook at me, using way too many tags again It's an addiction, what can I say!

Soooooo if any of you saw my previous, horribly forced post a while back involving these characters, be a dear and pretend it never happened, thank you. I cringe just thinking about it. This is the real deal behind Darian and Nick!

Also I'm not sure myself what direction this is going in... Just work with me here. It's fluffy and inspired by the wondrous works of meepsy, Kaze, and Juto, and others. You guys have inspired me to foray more into the in-depth romantic-y aspect of writing that I don't have as much experience in. Thanks so much! I hope you all like this!

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A Work in Progress

...Or Not Your Average Hospital Drama

Part One

...Or An Introduction, if you Prefer

Darian Verago collapsed into one of the cheap armchairs in the hospital break room, exhausted.

A busy hospital was never a good thing, of course; in a broader sense, more people were hurt, but in the more selfish mood Darian’s fatigue put him in, it meant more work for him. It was good work, yes; there was nothing in the world Darian would rather do. But that didn’t make it any less exhausting. He sighed through his nose, braced himself, and stood up, making for the coffee machine. His shift was over, officially, but he didn’t trust himself to drive home without help of some sort.

Halfway through pouring a cup, he was startled out of his stupor by a stifled sneeze.

Darian finished pouring and glanced over his shoulder; he’d thought he was alone in the break room, but over in the corner was someone else.

The boy--well, man, probably, but he looked so young--sat in the furthest, most isolated corner, tapping away on his tablet, his expression one of intense focus. His curly, chocolate brown hair was slightly overgrown (though Darian was hardly one to talk, with his long, black ponytail) and his skin was light brown, except on his nose, where it was rubbed dark red. His brown eyes showed signs of similar abuse, and, sure enough, several used tissues rested on his lap, next to the tablet. He wore a labcoat over a lilac shirt and bluejeans, and at his feet a thin black jacket and blue scarf were lain over a computer bag.

He showed no signs of repeating his previous sound (aside from frequent sniffling) so Darian grabbed his cup and returned to his seat. He wanted to give himself time to regroup before braving the evening traffic home. He reached into the bag he’d left by his seat and pulled out a book; an old Stephen King, a guilty pleasure of his.

Almost as soon as Darian opened his book to the marked page, another sneeze came from the room’s other occupant; this time it was only a half-stifled “Ngt-shuhh…” Darain glanced up; he still had a tortured expression on his face, holding a crumpled tissue just in front of his nose, breath still hitching.

Finally; “Eh-engtchhh!” Another half-stifle, followed by continuous sniffing and an exasperated moan, before he returned to his tablet.

Darian winced in sympathy at the continued sound of itchy sniffles. Poor guy. That was either a nasty cold or some serious spring allergies. Darian returned to his book, sipping his coffee and willing life to re enter his body. “The Shining” was one of his favorite books, but he could hardly sit here reading it all night. He needed sleep.

“Ntchhhuh! Ah-hah… Ugh… Snf-ah-angchhh!”

“Nick, would you stop that?”

Darian glanced up at the new, exasperated voice; a young, blond man was standing in the doorway, watching impatiently as Nick (since that was apparently his name) scrambled to gather his things.

“S-sorry, Jay-hah-ngtch!” He actually pinched his nose this time. “Allergies, sorry…”

“Jay” shook his head. “Come on, Nicky.” He muttered, putting an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders and planting a kiss on his cheek. “Just try to keep them down, would you?”

Darian didn’t hear Nick’s reply, as the pair had rounded a corner. For a wild moment, Darian considered following; he wrote off the urge as the product of sleep-deprivation, and returned to his book and coffee. Around twenty minutes later, he gathered his things, threw away the empty coffee cup, and headed home.

---

Yeah, this part is short, but I might post the first real part later tonight, or tomorrow morning, depending on my own self-restraint. (Protip: I have no self-restraint whatsoever )

Lemme know what you think. I hope you enjoy!

[Juto]

Oh gosh, wow. I'm not sure my name deserves to be in the same sentence as Kaze, meepsy and the word "wondrous"! But thank you! I'm touched!

This is very intriguing and I would love to see it develop.

I already have a soft spot for Nicky, poor sneezy cutie! And Darian sounds really interesting.

Protip: I have no self-restraint whatsoever

Not necessarily a bad thing, I would say

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

Oh my... //blusheslikeGabriel, yeah I don't think I should even be mentioned in the same sentence as meepsy BUT I thank you SpamKey

except on his nose, where it was rubbed dark red. His brown eyes showed signs of similar abuse, and, sure enough, several used tissues rested on his lap, next to the tablet. He wore a labcoat over a lilac shirt and bluejeans, and at his feet a thin black jacket and blue scarf were lain over a computer bag.

I love a man with a red nose and a scarf

Keep this up!!

[CharliesGirl]

Yes! This is a great start. Darian sounds pretty hot, from your description, and Nick has my full attention lol.

[Hovercuke]

Wow, your discription is great, I'm loving this first part, and excited to see more!

[SpamKey]

See what I mean? No self restraint. You're getting Part Two now

Anyway, this is the good stuff here! (Also I certainlg think you both deserve excellent praise, Kaze and Juto!) Part three is already written, so you'll probably get it entirely too soon! Hooray!

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Part Two

...Or How to Invite Someone Over Without Being Creepy

Darian saw Nick, in the throes of allergies more often than not, frequently over the next month or so. They never got the chance to speak, but Darian found himself slightly concerned for Nick’s wellbeing, especially when “Jay” (this he soon realized was short for Jason) picked him up, always with that same dismissive manner, and, paradoxically, a kiss.

The next time Darian ran into Nick, it had been a week since their last encounter. It was four in the morning when Darian finished his late shift, and made his way to the break room to regroup briefly before returning to his apartment.

He’d just sat down, skipping the coffee this time in hopes of sleeping better later, when Nick stumbled into the room, all but falling into his chair in the corner. Darian hadn’t been expecting to see him there at this hour; usually, they ran into each other in the evenings, not this early morning.

The hour wasn’t the only thing that gave Darian cause for concern; upon closer inspection, Nick looked like a wreck. His nose was redder and runnier than usual, his face was flushed, his eyes red, his entire manner just… defeated. He just sat there, staring into space, not sneezing for once, but tears trickling down his cheeks all the same. He didn’t seem to register Darian’s presence.

Though he was concerned, Darian wasn’t the type to pry into other people’s affairs; not to mention the fact that meeting someone when they were so clearly vulnerable was the very definition of “getting off on the wrong foot.” Though he’d hoped to leave quickly, he decided to stay. Nick never had to wait more than half an hour for Jason to show up, and Darian wanted to make sure he got home safely.

Despite this pattern, an hour later Jason still hadn’t shown, and Nick had barely moved. He had started sneezing; however, even these had changed from the fervent, half-stifled, itchy expulsions to slow, tired, unstifled “Hatshhhuhhh!”s and similar. Restless, Darian sat waiting for another half hour, before another sneeze, this one leading to a barrage of hacking coughs, broke the last of Darian’s patience. He marked his place and stowed his book in his bag, leaving it on a table as he made his way over to Nick’s seat.

“Do you need a ride home?” Despite the gentleness of Darian’s question, Nick still started; he hadn’t even registered Darian’s presence in the room. Nick stared blankly at the newcomer, who suddenly felt like he had interrupted a mourner.

“I’m sorry if I’m intruding,” Darian continued quietly. “But if you need help, I have a car, and I’m heading out soon anyway. I can give you a ride anywhere you need to go this side of the city.”

Nick blinked, and Darian saw his words slowly sinking in. “I don’t exactly have anywhere to go…?”

The poor guy’s voice was little more than a congested whisper. Darian suspected this wasn’t allergies, but rather, a nasty cold, or perhaps a flu of some sort. He sighed, running a hand through his hair (he’d pulled out his ponytail as soon as his shift ended.)

“There’s no one you can stay with nearby, or call to pick you up from somewhere?” He asked. He was hesitant to bring up Jason directly, but the implication was enough to confirm Darian’s suspicions, since Nick’s eyes welled up with fresh tears again.

“No.” He choked out, looking away as he swiped furiously at his leaking eyes and nose. Darian let out another sigh.

“Well, you can’t exactly stay here all night.” He muttered, more to himself than to Nick, but considering the younger man’s silence, that may well have been his plan. Darian steeled himself for a decision that would have his mother rolling in her grave, itching to reissue every safety lecture she’d ever given her only son.

“Come on. You can sleep on my couch tonight.”

Nick glanced up sharply, his expression hopeful, yet also suspicious. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but suddenly turned away to stifle a wet “Ngchhh!”

“If you’re wondering why, let’s just say I had morals hammered into my head too well to just leave you here in good conscience.” He offered a hand and a reassuring smile, both of which Nick eyed uncertainly.

After a second, he muttered something along the lines of “Got nothing to lose.” and accepted Darian’s hand, swinging his computer bag over his shoulder as he got up.

“Come on, my car’s not far.” Darian assured his impromptu companion, grabbing his bag off the table. “I’m Darian Verago, by the way. I’m a doctor here.”

The knowledge that Darian was actually a doctor seemed to at least partially assuage Nick’s worries, judging by the sudden lack of tension in his stance. “Nicolas Martineh-ez--etchhhhuh!” The force of the sneeze almost knocked Nick to the ground, but Darian quickly caught him by the forearm. Nick sniffled furiously, regaining his balance. “Uh. Thanks, Dr. Verago. I’m a lab tech. Call me Nick.”

“Alright, Nick.” Darian let go of Nick’s arm, and led the way out of the break room. “And really, just Darian’s fine.”

They lapsed into sniffling silence as they reached Darian’s car. Nick all but fell into the passenger seat of the compact, but by the time Darian had gotten into the driver’s seat, Nick seemed to have remembered he was in a stranger’s--acquaintance at best--car, and was doing all he could to not slouch or drip or even sneeze, redoubling his efforts to stifle and hold back, with minimal success.

“It’s alright, you don’t have to do that.” Darian assured him as they pulled out of the parking lot. Nick grimaced, stifling another wet “Hngchh!”

“Id’s gross.” He muttered, snuffling and rubbing his fist against his already abused nose. “You’re already leddig be sday with you, you dod’d deed be do be sdeezig all over the place like ad idiod.”

“You’re sick, you can’t help it.” Darian replied, shrugging. “Besides, I wouldn’t have become a doctor if I couldn’t handle involuntary bodily functions.” He added, smiling slightly.

Nick gave him an uncertain look and a weird motion halfway between a shrug and a shiver, then immediately stifled a sneeze. Darian sighed. “I can list off about ten medically proven reasons why you shouldn’t do that.”

“I cad lisd ted social reasods why I should.” Nick muttered, then winced and glanced at Darian apologetically. “Sorry. I did’d bead to say thad out loud.”

“It’s cool, I get your reasoning.” Darian assured him. “I just want to reiterate that it isn’t necessary.”

Nick hummed a non-response, seeming skeptical of Darian’s acceptance. Darian honestly didn’t mind; things like that had never really grossed him out. He supposed that was part of why he wanted to be a doctor; someone had to do it, why not someone who isn’t disgusted by it?

Within ten minutes of slightly awkward silence (broken by Nick’s repeated, failed attempts to quiet his sickly noises) they had reached Darian’s apartment complex. Nick did manage to make it to the elevator on his own, but looked considerably more pale by the time they’d reached Darian’s floor.

When a brutally stifled “hngch!” threatened to topple the ailing lab tech, Darian once again caught him by his arm. The sneeze, however, led to a barrage of harsh coughs, keeping Nick from regaining his balance in his fight to catch a breath.

“Woah, easy.” Darian shifted his other arm to support Nick’s back, keeping him upright. “Reason number three why stifling is a bad idea.” He added, but was pretty sure Nick didn’t notice.

Once he recovered and stood up again, Darian led the way to his door. “Just head straight through, the couch is right inside. Sit down, I’ll make you something hot to drink.”

Though it seemed impossible, Nick paled even further. “You really dod’d have doh-ah-angchh!” He had to lean against the wall after that one. “Bud lyigg dowd seebs sbart.” He muttered, trudging his way down the hall. Darian’s apartment was fairly spacious; living room and kitchenette, bedroom, and bathroom all good-sized. It had been a gift from his father, who had money to burn after a particularly wise investment in Apple early on. Darian still felt slightly embarrassed for it; it wasn’t as though he couldn’t afford this on an ER physician's salary, and his father had already put him through college and med school. He felt like he was cheating, but Mr. Verago wouldn’t hear any of his son’s protests.

“If it makes you feel any better, the rest is going to charity and your sister when I finally kick the bucket.” He’d say in his usual unconcerned manner. “You’re already going to be working harder than you have to, with your education, at least let me make you comfortable during your off hours. Besides, what else am I going to do with the stuff?”

Darian snorted at the memory, opening his cabinets to search for tea and honey. “At least I feed myself on my own merit.” He murmured, locating his favorite chamomile and lighting the stove. He placed a full kettle on the burner. “Honey in your tea?” He called in the direction of the living room.

“Uh, sure. Thagks.” Came the congested, rough reply. Darian smirked slightly. That was the voice of a guy who knew absolutely nothing about tea. Darian’s sister had gotten him hooked on the stuff while he was in college; his late work schedule during school would leave him with mild insomnia during the summers. The only thing that helped was chamomile tea.

He was startled out of his reminisces by the whistling of the kettle. “What is with me lately?” He muttered, quickly setting about preparing two mugs, with gratuitous amounts of honey.

He found Nick curled up on the couch, fidgeting like he wanted to get comfortable but at the same time was reluctant to allow himself to do so. Darian smiled gently. “Here. It’s chamomile, it’ll help you sleep. There’s honey in it to help your throat, too.”

Nick muttered his thanks, accepting the warm mug and, after Darian sat down in a nearby armchair and sipped his, took a hesitant sip. His eyes widened in surprise, and he began to drink in earnest, prompting a chuckle from Darian.

“Never had tea before?”

“Jusd this gross sduff by aunt used to bake whed I was liddle.” Nick replied, taking another sip. “But this tasdes dothig like thad, this is good.”

Darian nodded. He’d had similar experiences with his grandmother’s brews. “Have you taken any cold medicine? Though I really think you have the flu.”

Nick shook his head, then winced at the throbbing that caused. “Nah. Sduff dev-ah-ngtch! Ngchh! Hah-ah-angchhhuh!” He almost spilled his tea with those last stifles, and winced at the pain the effort had caused. “Ugh, sorry. Dever works. Trust be, I’ve tried deb all. Sobetibes at the sabe tibe. Snnnf…”

Darian hummed in sympathy. “Well, if you feel the urge to try again, there’s Nyquil in the medicine cabinet. Bathroom’s that door there.” He gestured in the proper direction, and Nick nodded.

“Uh… Thagks for this, by the way.” He muttered, setting aside his quickly-empty mug. “I’ve had a really shi-uh, crap week. Ngchh!”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Darian asked. Nick bit his lip.

“Kidda… Bud at the sabe tibe I dod’t trust byself to dot stard cryigg ligke a todal idiot. Uh, like earlier, I beah… AHhh-angchhuh!” He was left snuffling in the aftermath of a sneeze he could only half-stifle, and Darian, taking pity on him, grabbed the tissue box off the table next to him and tossed it onto Nick’s lap. “Oh. Thagks.” Nick quickly pulled out a tissue and blew his nose as quietly as he could, with a long, productive gurgle. “Sorry, thanks.” He added, his voice slightly more intelligible.

“No problem. And whatever you’re comfortable with.” Darian assured him. “Also, it’s no trouble, letting you stay here. Thanks for accepting, even though you barely know me and it was probably a bit creepy.”

“Just a little. Knowing you’re a doctor helped.” Nick muttered, then winced, glancing up apologetically. “Uh, sorry. Fevers remove my mouth filters.”

Darian laughed. “I know the feeling, it’s fine.” A moment later, he frowned. “Do you need to take something for that? I have advil.”

“Oh, no, I’ll-ehh-engchh! Guh, do, I’ll be fide.” Despite his assurances to the contrary, now that Darian was looking for it, Nick’s eyes looked glassy, there was a thin sheen on his forehead, and he was shivering, despite the warmth of the apartment. “Where are you goigg?” Nick sniffled when Darian stood up and left the room.

“If you won’t let me get your fever down, at least let me make you comfortable.” Darian quipped, returning with several pillows and a spare comforter. “Don’t worry; this is guest bedding, not mine.” He assured Nick when he looked about to protest. “Here, stand up for a second?”

“I-I cad do thad--” Nick tried to protest, even as he swayed and had to grip the arm of the sofa to stay upright. Darian shook his head.

“You can barely stand. It’s taking all of my self-control not to force some medicine on you, at least let me do this.” Darian cut him off, arranging the pillows and blankets into a comfortable bed. “You’re not going into work today, though, I’ll have to insist on that.”

“Y-yeah, I-ih-ingchh! I kidda figured.” He sniffled wetly into the sleeve of his thin, black jacket. Darian finished arranging the bed, then turned to eye his impromptu roommate.

“I can lend you sweats and a t-shirt, if you like.” Darian offered. Nick tried to protest, but Darian changed his mind. “No, don’t say no, I’m getting them, sit down for a second. I swear I’ll go to bed and leave you alone after this.”

Nick merely coughed roughly in reply as he sat (well, collapsed) on the couch-bed. A minute later Darian returned with a pair of clean sweats and a t-shirt. “Here; I’ll leave you to it, feel free to change here or in the bathroom. Grab anything you need from the kitchen, I have too much anyway; and don’t forget, wake me if you need something. See you in the morning.”

“Wait!” Just as he turned to leave, Nick grabbed Darian’s wrist. When Darian glanced back, Nick blushed. “Uh, I-I, uh… Thanks. For all this. You really didd’t have to do this, add I really abbreciate it.” Nick let go of Darian’s wrist, glancing down. Darian smiled.

“Anytime.”

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

HHNNNNNGGGG OH GOD WHERE DO I START???

...Or How to Invite Someone Over Without Being Creepy

This was excellent.

“Come on. You can sleep on my couch tonight.”

If it's not completely obvious...I adore these kinds of situations.

“No problem. And whatever you’re comfortable with.” Darian assured him. “Also, it’s no trouble, letting you stay here. Thanks for accepting, even though you barely know me and it was probably a bit creepy.”

Oh Darian you're a darling.

“Wait!” Just as he turned to leave, Nick grabbed Darian’s wrist. When Darian glanced back, Nick blushed. “Uh, I-I, uh… Thanks. For all this. You really didd’t have to do this, add I really abbreciate it.” Nick let go of Darian’s wrist, glancing down. Darian smiled.

“Anytime.”

:heart:

Seriously, love this. LOVE THIS.

[Shadestrike]

I have to agree with Kaze on this! I'm in love this story! EEEEEEE

[Sneezy123]

I have fallen in love with these characters. Please update! I need them to develop a friendship or any type of relationship. They'd be so cute together. Nick is so cute I wanna just squish him and Darian is freaking hot. This is great. Thank you so much for this.

[Juto]

OH MY GOD SPAMKEY!

Here's part 2 and then you serve us a freakin' novel

The hour wasn’t the only thing that gave Darian cause for concern; upon closer inspection, Nick looked like a wreck. His nose was redder and runnier than usual, his face was flushed, his eyes red, his entire manner just… defeated. He just sat there, staring into space, not sneezing for once, but tears trickling down his cheeks all the same. He didn’t seem to register Darian’s presence.

*pauses story - runs to hug poor Nick - unpauses and watches the inevitable unfold wearing glittery 3D glasses and munching on popcorn*

The knowledge that Darian was actually a doctor seemed to at least partially assuage Nick’s worries, judging by the sudden lack of tension in his stance. “Nicolas Martineh-ez--etchhhhuh!” The force of the sneeze almost knocked Nick to the ground, but Darian quickly caught him by the forearm. Nick sniffled furiously, regaining his balance. “Uh. Thanks, Dr. Verago. I’m a lab tech. Call me Nick.”

Awww and Nicolas is the cutest name!!! And I love that he calls him Dr. Verago

I can lend you sweats and a t-shirt, if you like.” Darian offered. Nick tried to protest, but Darian changed his mind. “No, don’t say no, I’m getting them, sit down for a second. I swear I’ll go to bed and leave you alone after this.”

Aww... This left me with the biggest fetishy grin on my face!!!!! I'm such a sucker for caretaking and this is just delicious!!!

And yes! I'm officially coming crying to you next time I'm having problems spelling out congested stuffy talk!

Whoa! You nailed it!!!!! It was a joy to read!!!

[CharliesGirl]

Yes, yes, and yessssss!

[SpamKey]

Pshhh... We're gonna pretend I posted this after midnight

An interesting thing I've noticed about writing everything several installments in advance; I just can't stop myself from posting them Sorry about spamming you with them I just... Gah, I don't even have an excuse. I have no self restraint. End of story.

OH MY GOD SPAMKEY!

Here's part 2 and then you serve us a freakin' novel

Heheheh... Yeah. My apologies, again This part should be slightly more reasonably-sized (question mark?) Thanks so much for your wonderful comments, btw, I love that you love Darian and Nick! I hoped they'd do well on their first foray into the forum!

---

Part Three

...Or Caretaking Fanservice with a Side of Drama, To Go

Unfortunately for Nick, by the time he really did need something, he was too delirious to wake Darian up. It was only after the loud crash of a mug falling to the floor several hours later that Darian woke up.

Once the realization that there was a crash from the room where a sick, feverish, defenseless lab tech was sleeping pierced through the doctor’s sleep-deprived haze, all thoughts of sleep abandoned him, and he practically leaped out of bed and ran into the living room.

“Nick?” He called as he opened the door.

“Ngg… Jay?”

Darian froze. Nick was sitting on the ground by the couch, shivering violently, trying to pick of shards of broken mug. Darian rushed across to him without thinking, scooping the younger lab tech up and setting him on the couch again.

“Just a second, Nick, you’ll hurt yourself like that.” Darian murmured, examining Nick’s hands for signs of bleeding. To his shock, Nick responded with a sob.

“Y-you’re not Jay…”

“No, I’m not.” Darian murmured, letting go of Nick’s unharmed hands. “My name is Darian Verago, I’m a doctor at the hospital you work at. You’re staying in my apartment for a while, remember?”

Nick took a shuddering (and concerningly rattling) breath, tears still spilling down his cheeks. “B-but Jay… J-Jay…”

“I’m sorry about Jason, Nick.” Darian placed the back of his hand against Nick’s boiling forehead. “Your fever’s gone up, I’m going to get you some meds.”

Nick didn’t protest as Darian rushed to the kitchen, grabbing three Advil and a glass of water. Nick sneezed--a harsh, wet, uncovered “Hetchshhhuh!”--and dissolved into rough coughs that wracked his frame, making him double over with the force of them.

“Hey, easy there, easy.” Darian set the meds and water on the table, sitting next to the ailing lab tech and holding him upright. “Try not to bend down like that, it obstructs your breathing. I’ve got meds, you’ll feel better soon, I promise.”

When the coughs finally backed off and Nick choked down the pills, Darian quickly grabbed the thermometer out of the bathroom. When he returned, Nick was still shivering convulsively.

“Lemme just take your temperature real quick, to see if you need the hospital or if a real bed will do.” Darian explained, placing the thermometer in Nick’s mouth. “Try to hold still, it’ll just take a minute.”

Nick hardly seemed to register Darian’s voice; he was just gazing off into space, still crying. Darian could hardly blame him; if he was piecing the story together correctly, Nick had just suffered a very bad breakup with Jason, and had been kicked out. Coupled with how miserable he felt, and the fever, his ability to cope with it had been all but destroyed.

The beeping of the thermometer startled Darian out of his thoughts. Seeing that Nick was about to sneeze, he quickly pulled out the thermometer, reading the results as Nick let out painful-sounding triple--”Hatchhshuhh-ahtshuuhh-itchhhuuh-ohghhh....”--next to him.

“103.1” Darian muttered. “Not quite hospital worthy, but close. Luckily I get the next few days off, you probably aren’t going anywhere for at least that long.”

Taking care of a flu-ridden, heartbroken acquaintance wasn’t quite how Darian had pictured spending his very rare time off, but it wasn’t as though he’d had any specific plans besides trying to fix his horribly screwed-up sleep schedule. Besides, he liked taking care of people; doing it without the stress of taking care of a whole hospital’s worth of others at the same time would make for a nice change of pace.

“Can you stand?” He asked Nick, who hadn’t responded. He started at being asked a question directly, then hesitantly nodded his head. However the moment he tried to stand up, he pitched forward.

“Woah, easy!” Darian just caught Nick before his head hit the coffee table. “It’s okay, I’ll carry you. It’s fine.” In one smooth motion, Nick was being carried bridal-style into Darian’s bedroom.

“There, a real bed might be a little better right now.” Darian noted once Nick was settled beneath the covers. “Hopefully the meds will start kicking in soon, I gave you a little more than usual. Of course, your fever is a little higher than usual. If it doesn’t start improving by…” He glanced at his alarm clock; it was almost noon. “Five tonight, I’ll take you to the hospital for some harder stuff, okay?”

“Mm’kay.” Nick whispered; his voice was barely audible, and rougher than it had been even earlier that morning. “M’sorry about this.” He added. He hadn’t stopped crying the whole time.

“It’s alright.” Darian assured him, sitting down in a nearby reading chair. “After your so-called ‘really crap week,’ I think you’ve earned the right to not be completely put together.” When Nick still looked miserable, Darian sighed, and placed a hand on his arm. “I understand, Nick. And whatever you may think, you are not being a burden. This is truly no trouble. Just focus on resting and feeling better for a while, alright?”

Nick hesitated, then nodded, tears finally slowing. “Okay.”

Darian smiled softly. “Now go to sleep. I’ll be right here if you need something.”

---

Though it was Darian’s vacation time, he did have to stop in at his office to pick up a few things. Luckily, come evening, Nick’s fever had lowered considerably, and he was able to sleep peacefully. Leaving a note, just in case Nick woke up at some point while he was gone, Darian made a quick trip to the hospital.

Just as he’d finished up and was heading out to his car, a voice called out; “Are you Darian Verago?”

Darian turned, and felt his stomach twist with uncertainty. “That’s me. Jason, isn’t it?” He asked with a polite smile, holding out his hand, which Jason shook shortly.

“Jason Carmine. One of the staff told me Nick left with you last night.” He said shortly, but just on the verge of rudely. Or perhaps that was Darian’s admittedly biased imagination.

“He did, yes. He needed a place to stay, I offered to let him stay in my apartment.” Darian responded. Jason nodded, like he’d been expecting this.

“Right, yeah. Look, I need your address. I need to stop by later to discuss some things with him.” Darian blinked at Jason’s abruptness.

“Maybe you could leave me your phone number,” Darian suggested slowly, “So I can run this by Nick first.”

“Oh, come on, I’m not going to murder the guy.” Jason dismissed, rolling his eyes. “It’s just that I still have his junk cluttering my house, I need to take him to pick it up this evening.”

“This might not be the best time.” Darian replied firmly. “He’s very sick, he really shouldn’t be out of bed.”

Jason scoffed. “Look, he’s worked through worse before. I just need to get his shit out of my house, give me your address.”

“On second thought, I’ll just get your number from Nick when he’s feeling better.” Jason started to say something, but stopped at the older doctor’s glare. “If you show up at my door, I will not open it. Nick will come by to get his things when he’s feeling up to it. Be patient.”

Jason looked like he would have said more, but Darian swept off to his car before he could. He took a longer route to his apartment than usual, just in case Jason got any smart ideas.

---

Soooo more in-depth look at Jason! I promise he'll get more development soon, even though he just looks like a base asshole right now Yeah, seriously considering a bit of Jason-torture later... He's certainly earned it!

At any rate... Part 3, for your pleasure! I hope you enjoyed!

[Shadestrike]

Yesyesyesyes YEEEEEES.

This. Part. Like ermurgurd.

And Jason take a frickin' chill pill I mean like seriously.

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

.... I dont like Jason.

[Juto]

Darian froze. Nick was sitting on the ground by the couch, shivering violently, trying to pick of shards of broken mug. Darian rushed across to him without thinking, scooping the younger lab tech up and setting him on the couch again.

“Just a second, Nick, you’ll hurt yourself like that.” Darian murmured, examining Nick’s hands for signs of bleeding. To his shock, Nick responded with a sob.

“Y-you’re not Jay…”

“No, I’m not.” Darian murmured, letting go of Nick’s unharmed hands. “My name is Darian Verago, I’m a doctor at the hospital you work at. You’re staying in my apartment for a while, remember?”

Nick took a shuddering (and concerningly rattling) breath, tears still spilling down his cheeks. “B-but Jay… J-Jay…”

“I’m sorry about Jason, Nick.” Darian placed the back of his hand against Nick’s boiling forehead. “Your fever’s gone up, I’m going to get you some meds.”

Awwwwwwww... :heart; such an adorable image of Nick! I really just want to scoop him up and hug him

The caretaking in this part as absolutely adorable!

Nick is such a hugable cutie! And I absolutely love the way you spell his sneezes! :yourock:

Darian being all protective of Nick in from of Jason was just a delight! You tell him doc!!!!!

[SpamKey]

I got a lot done today, so I decided to continue spoiling you guys with another nightly update! Just remember; eventually, I'll catch up, and then this unorecedented daily-update nonsense will end! I say this because I know what kind of scum I am, and if previous experience serves, I will be absolute crap at updating regularly one day...

Today is not that day

Aaaaaand now for some backstory on Jason. And, y'know, general cuteness. Emotionally compromised lab techs are fun for the whole family!

---

Part Four
...Or Pouring Your Heart Out Like it's Flipping Tea or Something

When Darian got back, Nick was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in the spare comforter. He was tapping away at his laptop with the same look of intense focus Darian always saw on him when hed been waiting in the break room. He glanced up when Darian walked in, but before he could say anything he was interrupted by a sneeze.

"Aktchh!" He quickly stifled it into a tissue, and blew shortly. "Get what you needed, Dr. Verago?"

"Bless you, and like I said, just Darian is fine." He smiled at the formality, however. "But yes, I did, just some files I need to go over at some point this week." Darian shrugged, setting the bag on the coffee table. He hesitated. "I ran into Jason."

Nick froze, then slowly closed his computer. "Did he ah-akchh! Ih-ickkkch!" He dissolved into coughs so harsh they made Darian wince. "Did he ask aboud be?" Nick finished, his voice more hoarse than before.

"He did. I told him anything he needed could wait until after youd recovered a bit." Darian replied with a sigh, sitting down in his favorite armchair. "He asked for my address, I didnt give it to him. I told him Id call when you were feeling better."

"Was he mad?"

The subdued tone in Nicks voice surprised Darian. He glanced up, half-expecting tears to be in the young lab techs eyes, but Nick wasnt crying. He sat curled up on the couch, his knees pulled up to his chin, staring into space.

"He was dismissive and abrasive." Darian said slowly. Nick sighed.

"He's always lih-ikch! Ngchh! Guh, hes always likge that whed hes upset." Nick blew his nose again, and tossed the tissue in the nearly-overflowing trash can. "He's a bid of ad asshole whed hes upset. Its part of why I brokge up with hib."

Darian blinked in surprise. He'd kind of assumed Jason had been the one to break it off. Nick glanced up and smirked at his expression.

"He losd his job a few months back, ad he hates the odly other ode he could get. He started takih-ingch! Ih-Ahhh-EhhEh-engtch!" He dissolved into coughing for a moment, then continued, his voice rough again. "Sorry. He started takigg it out od be. I pud up with id as logg as I could--we'd beed together sidce high school, dide years. Bud evedtually--yesderday, I bead--I could'd take ih-ingch! Eh-ingch! Itchhhew! Echshhuh! Ih-hahhh-HATchhuuh! Ugh..." The last few were too strong to stifle, and when Nick reached for the tissues, the box was empty. Darian scrambled for his pocket.

"Here." Nick glanced up in surprise. Darian held a handkerchief out in front of him. "It's fine, I have a few."

"Thad's kidda adorable." Nick observed, then blushed furiously, snatching the handkerchief and blowing his nose to drown out the sound of Darian laughing.

"Fever makes you lose your mouth filters, I remember." Darian brushed him off when Nick tried to apologise. "I've been told its everything from weird to charming, but adorable is new, I'll admit."

Nick grimaced, still blushing. "Uh, yeah. Sorry." He cleared his throat. "Well, a-anyway. I just couldn't take it anymore. He was always sniping at me--now that I think about it, you probably saw him complaining aboud by allergies. He dever used do, but he was jusd lookigg for ady excuse to pick a fightd at this poi-hah-atchhhuh! Ugh." Another noseblow, another pause in the story. Darian waited patiently.

"Y-yesterday bordigg he was cobplaidigg about by beigg sick, I was tryigg do igdore it, but I duddo, I jusd coulddt. I tried to gedtly suggest we take a break for a while, bud the bobedt I said id he jusd wedt off. He was screabigg, yelligg about how I was useless add dever did adythigg, how he did everythigg for be, ah..." Now the tears started coming again, as Nick paused to cough. "Well, our house was id his dabe, he kicked be outd, ad I did'd kdow what to do but go do workg, ad it wasd't as though I could go back hobe afterwards, so I just stayed. By flu got worse too, thad was jusd the icigg od the cake."

Darian moved over to the couch as Nick started sobbing. He wasnt sure quite what he'd planned to do once he got there, but he ended up with Nick leaning on him, his arms around the younger mans shoulders. Nick cried, and Darian did the only thing he could do; offer quiet, comforting support.

"Add thed you showed up, add well... Yeah." Nick finished lamely once the crying stopped. His breath hitched, and he let out two forceful "Hatchhhuh!"s into Darian's handkerchief, then blowed wetly. "He used to be so nice. I mean, he was always a little sarcastic, and he'd tease me sometimes, but I teased him right back, and we never meant it, and I loved him." He sniffled miserably. "But I just couldn't stay. I don't think I'll ever go back, either."

"For what its worth, I think you did the right thing." Darian offered. "You shouldn't stay with someone who hurts you--in any way. No matter your history. It just can't end well."

Nick laughed bitterly. "The ode tibe I do the right thigg I'b biserable aboutd id. Hikchhhuh!"

"You have a right to be miserable; you loved him for nine years, you can't just get over that in a day." Darian reasoned. Nick sniffled and shrugged. "Nick, it was a rough breakup and probably one of the hardest decisions you've ever had to make. It's perfectly understandable that you feel horrible afterwards; not to mention you're actually horribly sick."

"Akchhuh!" Nick sneezed, almost as if in agreement. He sighed. "Yeah, you're righd. I kdow youre righd. Id seebs to be a regular thigg with you."

Darian smirked. "I am a doctor. It's sort of in the job description to always be right."

Nick glanced at him, his expression skeptical. "That's dot whad doctors are kdowd for ad all."

"Oh, shut up."

"Dever. It's dot id by job descriptiod."

---

Sorry it's a bit short, compared to the others! Nice long one next time, with some gratuitous Darian torture *spoilers!* Hope you enjoyed!

[Juto]

EEEEEIIIII SPAMKEY!!!!!

Lovin' the cutesy couch-talk Darian is such a sweetheart it was nice with some background story on Jason, it just makes me hate him even more!!!

And poor Nick being all cute and sneezy!

IIIIIHHHHH and that Handkerchief comment was just adorable! I was bouncing in my seat I'm really beginning to love no-filter!Nick

Don't worry about the pace of the uploads... They're worth waiting for

[Juto]

Oh,

And I'm loving your titles by the way! They always make me giggle

[StaraiRoalanstjay]

I'm sorry... But reading this without quotation marks was super difficult. Awesome update, though!

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

Here. Nick glanced up in surprise. Darian held a handkerchief out in front of him. Its fine, I have a few.

And what we have here is when Kaze became a giant puddle of goo....

God could these two BE any cuter!!!

[SpamKey]

I'm sorry... But reading this without quotation marks was super difficult. Awesome update, though!

Ahhhh, I have no idea what happened there! I'll try to fix that real quick, I don't know what happened! >.<

[SpamKey]

OKAY I HAVE FIXED THE WEIRD PROBLEM

I think what happened is that particular part of the story was written and saved on the doc in the wrong keyboard? It was in Spanish because I'd just finished my Spanish class, so that confused the SFF text-thing? Ugh... Sorry about that, I'll try to be more careful with the apostrophes and quotation marks in the future ^.^'

[CharliesGirl]

Darian moved over to the couch as Nick started sobbing. He wasnt sure quite what he'd planned to do once he got there, but he ended up with Nick leaning on him, his arms around the younger mans shoulders. Nick cried, and Darian did the only thing he could do; offer quiet, comforting support.

"Add thed you showed up, add well... Yeah." Nick finished lamely once the crying stopped. His breath hitched, and he let out two forceful "Hatchhhuh!"s into Darian's handkerchief, then blowed wetly. "He used to be so nice. I mean, he was always a little sarcastic, and he'd tease me sometimes, but I teased him right back, and we never meant it, and I loved him." He sniffled miserably. "But I just couldn't stay. I don't think I'll ever go back, either."

Poor crying guy with a runny nose! Swoop down and scoop him up Darian! Hot.

[SpamKey]

I have a deadline, it makes me feel like crap, I can't work on it til morning, which makes it worse, so I'm going to post this here and see if writing more can be therapeutic >.< Sorry, this one's a bit of a novel again, hope you don't mind! Also it's a bit light on the sneezing, but you'll get more of that next time, I promise!

---

Part Five

...Or Hot Damn That Was Awkward

Several days later, Nick still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Darian Verago. He decided to start by listing what he did know about him.

The guy was older than him by about ten years, as a rule; med school took flipping ages, and Nick himself, having only just graduated college, was twenty-six. Darian (he still only called him Dr. Verago out loud, more since it seemed to amuse him than anything) was 35.

He was also, objectively, drop-dead gorgeous. His long, thick black hair was almost always pulled into a ponytail during the day, but managed to escape come evening. He had this neatly-trimmed, intricate little beard, and just a hint of five o’clock shadow to go with it that made him look paradoxically rugged and sophisticated. His skin, only just lighter than Nick's own, was even and beautiful in any light. His dark green eyes were usually crinkled up in a smile or laughter, which were, in turn, always just slightly subdued; in fact, Darian’s whole manner was just slightly subdued. He acted his profession; a kind, caring, quiet, trustworthy, all around strong man.

But other than that, Nick knew very little about Darian Verago. He was starting to want to find out.

Around the same time this issue was running through his head, Nick began feeling well enough to attempt to retrieve his things from his--Jason’s, now--house. Darian had insisted on accompanying him. Though Nick had reminded the doctor again and again that Jason would never do anything to really hurt him, and that Darian had met him at his worst, he still seemed apprehensive. Finally, Nick relented, and allowed his impromptu housemate to give him a ride into the suburbs.

Their house was in the suburbs on the outskirts of the city; a little townhouse with a sparse garden and small front yard. Nick was relieved to see that Jason’s car was not in the driveway; he must’ve been out.

“Here’s hoping he hasn’t changed the locks on me!” Nick joked in a sorry attempt to fight the rapidly-encroaching feeling of heartbreak as he approached his--Jason’s--front door. Darian’s light chuckle helped stave the emotion off. Now that he was here, he was glad for the doctor’s company.

“I just need to grab my bag, pack my clothes, and a few other things, and we can go--” Nick cut off as he opened the door to see Jason standing there, arms crossed.

The silence was palpable. It might have been Nick’s imagination, but Darian seemed to be slowly, imperceptibly inching behind him, which was ridiculous, because the doctor was almost a foot taller than him and older than both men present.

“I didn’t see your car in the lot.” Nick finally managed. Jason rolled his eyes.

“I’m getting it fixed this week, I told you ages ago. It was on the calendar.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

Silence. All-encompassing, horrible silence.

“You sure got over this quick.” Jason noted, his voice deceptively nonchalant as he nodded in Darian’s direction. Nick sent a bewildered glance behind him, to see Darian looking stricken. Only then did the lab tech get the implication, and sigh.

“Please, Jason, Dr. Verago’s just letting me stay with him until I get a place of my own.”

“And carting you around the city, apparently.”

“It’s his week off--”

“He took time off for your bullshit? I thought you were supposed to be helping your case, Nicky--”

“Don’t!--” Nick held up a hand, and forced himself to stop, taking a deep breath. “Please don’t call me that, Jason. He had time off anyway. He is just helping me get my stuff and leave. Please don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

“He’s the one making this difficult, not giving me his address.” Jason gestured to Darian, who was still trying to inconspicuously sneak behind Nick.

“The way you were talking to him, I don’t blame him!” Nick snapped. “He told me what you were saying, I mean, could you get any more stalkerih-itchh! Etchh! Atchh!”

“Oh, don’t start with that again!”

“It doesn’t even really annoy you! You’re just trying to pick a fihh-atchh! Etchh! Itchh!”

“Ah, Nick, maybe we should come back later--” Darian tried to intervene in the quickly-developing shouting match, but Jason cut in.

“No, no, just--just grab your damn stuff and go.” Jason waved them off, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just get your crap and fuck off.”

“Come on.” Nick muttered, dragging a horribly confused Darian deeper into the house.

---

They packed in record time (luckily Nick didn’t have much stuff, besides his clothes) and left as soon as they’d finished. Jason stayed in his office the whole time, meaning they didn’t encounter him the rest of the time they spent in the house. As soon as Nick’s suitcase was in the car and they were strapped in, Darian sped away.

It took Nick a while to become coherent again, but when he did, he noticed Darian looking uncharacteristically tense. The signs weren’t obvious; in fact, Nick doubted he would have even noticed if he hadn’t been living with the doctor for the past few days. But Darian’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his eyes flicked mechanically between the speedometer and points of interest on the road, he occasionally bit at his lip.

Nick tried to say something reassuring, but what came out instead was “Were you… Hiding behind me earlier?”

Nick was even more surprised to see Darian blush and grimace. “You noticed my unbridled bravery, huh? Sorry about that, I really am. I just… I-I’m not a huge fan of confrontation. Especially shouting.”

Nick was surprised; so Darian wasn’t quite as perfectly solid as his appearance led everyone to believe. “I’m so sorry. I-I never meant to end up in a shouting match, it’s juhh-itchh! Etchh! Atchh! Ugh…” He pulled out the handkerchief that Darian had given him and blew his nose. “Sorry. No one gets under my skin quite like him. It used to be part of why I loved him but…”

“I understand, it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known, and I figured it was a possibility from the start.” Despite his assurances to the contrary, Darian still seemed slightly… Unsteady. Or maybe it was just Nick. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah, of cou--oh, the sneezing.” Nick rolled his eyes, swiping a hand under his still-tingling nose. “Now that I’m mostly over that flu, my allergies have decided to come back. It’s fine, I can handle it.”

“Oh, I see.” Darian seemed relieved. “Still, take it easy for a while yet. I’d hate for you to start feeling better only to push it and get worse again.”

Nick laughed. “Believe me, I have no intention of doing anything but apartment-hunting for the next few days.” He suddenly winced, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I-I can probably find somewhere else to stay while I look--”

“I’ve told you a thousand times, Nick, it’s fine.” Darian dismissed as they reentered the more urban area of the city. “In fact, I rather enjoy the company. Plus, it will hardly matter, as I’m working a night shift for the next few days, starting tonight.”

“You are?” Nick glanced over in concern. “Should you be sleeping right now? I’m so sorry, I--”

“It’s fine, Nick. I’ll sleep for a few hours when we get back. Barring unforeseen increase in workload, I should be back very early tomorrow morning. What about you?”

Nick shrugged. “The scientist I work under is an old family friend, she knows about my curreh-etchh! Etchh! Itchh! Ugh, sorry, current situation. She said she’d call me in if I was needed, but until then I could focus on getting back on my feet.”

“That’s nice of her.” Darian noted just as they pulled into the apartment complex’s parking lot.

"Hey, Dr. Verago?"

Darian paused in getting out of the car, glancing over curiously. "Hmm?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

Darian blinked, then smiled reassuringly. "Of course I am. Your concern is appreciated, however."

"Okay, good." Nick returned the smile, but as soon as Darian closed the door, it slipped away. He still knew so little about his quiet doctor, but he remained unconvinced.

---

Here's hoping the punctuation and stuff stays! I hope you enjoyed!

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

(he still only called him Dr. Verago out loud, more since it seemed to amuse him than anything)

I love that Nick still has the handkerchief, so adorable!!

Oh and if Darian gets sick I'll officially melt. These two are just beyond cute!!