Have a story in mind, need advice

[Bongo]

I have been re-watching season 7 of Growing Pains, in which the always adorable Leonardo DiCaprio joins the Seaver family as a foster kid after Mike rescues him from street life. I know it isn't a big show anymore (I was one when he was on it), it showed for years in reruns and you can find a synopsis online.

I am not sure if I want to write a sick!fic or allergy!fic. Either way, I get to write one of my favorite scenarios (the new kid/bad boy taken in by the family is sick/allergic for the fist time there, and the family has to figure out what to do).

What do you guys want to see?

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Sick!fic! Partly because that's almost always my preference, but partly because I think it goes so well with the character: Leo's character in "Growing Pains" has that tough exterior/little-boy interior thing going on, and I always enjoy seeing how that internal dynamic is changed by illness. Because allergies are at least somewhat predictable, but illnesses...illnesses strike so randomly, and they're rarely the same thing twice. Which means that Luke wouldn't be able to be prepared at all, damaging the equilibrium he needs to be able to keep his shields intact. Plus, an illness would allow for so much more interpersonal interaction: he wouldn't be able to pass off a bad cold as "nothing" (because even really bad nasal, as opposed to asthmatic, allergies tend to be perceived as "nothing" by those of us who don't suffer from them, even though a lot of us intellectually know that that's not true, especially when the allergy sufferer tries to act nonchalant about it). So we'd get to see just how he'd deal not only with the symptoms, but with being the center of attention in a house full of very single-minded people. Not to mention I see the Seavers as the kind of people who'd be very cool around allergies in general, even if Luke did clearly feel pretty bad: they'd be very competant and understanding, but not really worried or motherly. Whereas with an illness, even a cold, I can see everyone in the house behaving differently, from Jason being knowledgable about all sorts of remedies (both normal and not), to Maggie turning into a worried mama-bear, to the kids each having their own feelings and comments. Plus, I think that Mike would feel at least kind of bad about Luke feeling so lousy (especially if it was partly Mike's fault or he made it worse!), whereas with allergies, I think he'd just totally make fun of him (as opposed to with a cold, where he'd make fun of him but ALSO feel bad for him).

[Bongo]

Sick!fic! Partly because that's almost always my preference, but partly because I think it goes so well with the character: Leo's character in "Growing Pains" has that tough exterior/little-boy interior thing going on, and I always enjoy seeing how that internal dynamic is changed by illness. Because allergies are at least somewhat predictable, but illnesses...illnesses strike so randomly, and they're rarely the same thing twice. Which means that Luke wouldn't be able to be prepared at all, damaging the equilibrium he needs to be able to keep his shields intact. Plus, an illness would allow for so much more interpersonal interaction: he wouldn't be able to pass off a bad cold as "nothing" (because even really bad nasal, as opposed to asthmatic, allergies tend to be perceived as "nothing" by those of us who don't suffer from them, even though a lot of us intellectually know that that's not true, especially when the allergy sufferer tries to act nonchalant about it). So we'd get to see just how he'd deal not only with the symptoms, but with being the center of attention in a house full of very single-minded people. Not to mention I see the Seavers as the kind of people who'd be very cool around allergies in general, even if Luke did clearly feel pretty bad: they'd be very competant and understanding, but not really worried or motherly. Whereas with an illness, even a cold, I can see everyone in the house behaving differently, from Jason being knowledgable about all sorts of remedies (both normal and not), to Maggie turning into a worried mama-bear, to the kids each having their own feelings and comments. Plus, I think that Mike would feel at least kind of bad about Luke feeling so lousy (especially if it was partly Mike's fault or he made it worse!), whereas with allergies, I think he'd just totally make fun of him (as opposed to with a cold, where he'd make fun of him but ALSO feel bad for him).

Wow, that is amazingly helpful. Thank you so much!

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Wow, that is amazingly helpful. Thank you so much!

No, no, thank you! For even considering writing a Growing Pains fic; it's one of those fandoms where I'd love to read a story, but I know I couldn't do justice to writing one.