Unsettling

[Tarkus]

Okay, so I was working on my Justified fic and happily feeding my Timothy Olyphant obsession when my younger brother dragged me from my writing to watch I Am Number Four. Which has Timothy Olyphant... YES!!!

I kinda fell in love with him in this movie playing the (sexy) father figure. In the movie, he is the guardian/warrior who protects Number Four and helps him discover his powers. And is suuuuuuch a mother hen to Number Four (John Smith). So cute! So the basic summary of my fic is: Henri (Timothy Olyphant) gets sick watching out for John and, since he and John ARE aliens, doesn't know what to do when he gets sick. So John tries to help him out and look after his guardian since Henri has looked after him for so long.

Because I love him, here are pictures of Timothy Olyphant as Henri: Om Nom Nom.

I'm kinda in a hurry to post, so if anyone has any questions about the fandom or the characters, go ahead and ask, and I will answer them next segment

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the guy who wrote the book and the other guy who directed the movie. I am not either of those guys.

Enjoy!!!!! (Side note: only one sneeze in this first part; there will be more, I promise! )

*********************************************************************************

Thunder cracked in the distance and Henri listened to the leaves tap the window of the small home he had purchased as a temporary sanctuary for the boy he was assigned to protect. He had come to Paradise, Ohio in the hopes of locating a man who had gone missing in the area, who could be of some interest to he and John. He had not yet installed the portable back-up generators in the house yet so hoped that the approaching storm would not disrupt the power and impede his search.

Actually, that was not entirely true. In the back of his mind, he wished the power would go out, so he would have an excuse to give to himself to go to bed earlier than he had planned. He had felt strangely weak and overly warm since he had woken up that morning. Henri wondered, idly, whether it was something to do with the power that lied beneath the town. Perhaps it was putting his body out of sorts.

He frowned. If it were throwing his body out of balance, it was probably doing the same to John. He would ask the boy tomorrow, after he woke up. Actually, he thought as he craned his head up the stairs, John may still be awake.

The light to John’s room still shone brightly throughout the gloomy interior of the house.

Henri rose from his chair, and nearly sat down again. He raised a hand to his forehead, where a dull, throbbing ache was pounding behind his eyes. He applied pressure to the area and became annoyed once he discovered it was doing nothing to alleviate the pain. He rose again, biting back the pain of the headache. If the pain were this much of a problem to him, it would be far worse for John.

He climbed the stairs and knocked at the boy’s room, waiting for an answer. “Come in.” He entered, seeing John sprawled across the bed, homework from school strewn around him. “What’s up?” John asked, eyeing his guardian curiously.

“I just…wanted to know if you were feeling okay.” He said slowly. Conversations between them were awkward, but that was nothing new. They had been thrown together as their home planet went up in flames and he was chosen to become this boy’s guardian. So, honestly, awkward was an understatement. “You know, odd chills, headache ,weariness….” he listed off his own symptoms to see if John had experienced any oddities along those lines.

The boy cocked his head. “No…?” he said ,questioningly, unsure where this conversation was headed. Henri was always one for weird conversations. “Why? Something wrong?” “With you” were the unspoken words. John knew his Ce’pan could run himself ragged looking after him and John gave himself a strong mental note to observe his guardian over the next few days because something (and he just wasn’t sure what) was bothering him. Besides, watching his guardian was not an entirely boring task.

“No. Just…general questions.” He shrugged and backpedaled. He saw the glimmer of concern that had registered in John’s eyes, and he wanted to leave before the boy became any more suspicious. “Well, I’m in the next room over if anything happens or if you need me.”

“Little early, isn’t it?”

“For?” He turned back, confused.

“You. To go to bed, anyway. You’re usually up ‘til eleven or later.” John glanced at the clock. “It’s only nine.”

John paused, surprised that John actually paid some attention to him, let alone his normal bed-time hour. “The storm.” He said quickly. “Weather reports say it’s gonna get bad and I haven’t set up the back-up generators. If the power goes out, I’ll lose all my data.” He watched John, trying to see if he would question his explanation.

“’Kay.” He shrugged and waited for Henri to leave. He would learn nothing more about what was bothering the man tonight; he had already sensed John’s own suspicion and would give nothing else away.

Henri walked out and John watched him descend the stairs, presumably to power down the computers before going to bed. A few tendrils of worry slipped into his stomach and he wasn’t sure why. He knew it had to do with Henri but he resolved, for now, to merely keep an eye on his guardian before doing anything else.

************************************************************************

Henri awoke the next day with hopes that, by going to bed at an earlier time, the increased sleep would dispel some of the achiness and the headache.

He was wrong, if anything, he felt worse.

As soon as he lifted himself from the bed, a wave of dizziness forced him back down; far more powerful than the episode he had endured last night. While he was recovering, he noticed that his throat had become painfully sore and that swallowing now took much more effort than it had yesterday. As if all that hadn’t been enough, his headache was still lurking behind his temples and was pulsating in time to the ringing in his ears.

His eyes meandered to the clock and widened. Shit! He had missed seeing John off for school. Ignoring the lingering fuzziness in his head, he quickly threw on a pair of pants and a shirt and headed down to the kitchenette. A torn sheet of notebook paper lay delicately across his laptop.

Henri,

Before you start flippin’ out, I’M FINE. I made myself lunch (you seem to forget that I’m sixteen) and I remembered to take the cell phone you gave

me with me this morning. Sleep as long as you need to and remember….

I’M FINE!!!!

John

P.S- When did you start to snore?! You were LOUD this morning.

He skimmed the note, glad John had remembered to make a lunch and, more importantly, take the phone. He frowned at the last line. When did he start to snore? He had no recollection of it. He set down the note as the strange, tickly sensation that had been plaguing his throat suddenly moved up.

He stepped back from the table, unsure. He rarely, if ever, had to sneeze and, although John found the earthling activity of “sneezing” to be almost fun, Henri loathed the sensation, most likely because of his inexperience with the act itself. He hated the strange tightness it caused in his nose and the prickling, fluttering feeling that would

hover just long enough to annoy him. He wrinkled his nose instinctively to try to get it to pass, but his breath hitched sharply regardless.

“hih-AIExxxSHOO!!” And there was the other thing. He rarely sneezed, therefore, he had never really gotten the hang of sneezing. He was aware that his own sneezes were painfully unique in that they did not sound much like a normal, human function. Henri was just glad he did not sneeze often enough for it to concern him.

Although he knew little about sneezing (or any other earthly ailment, for that matter), he did not remember sneezing having been so…painful. The sneeze had scraped viciously at his throat, which was already tender for reasons he was unsure of. His headache increased as well, becoming even more insistent then when he woke up. Right now, all he could think about was laying down for a few minutes. And maybe he would…after he finished researching what he needed to find for today.

'Kay,done for now. Hope you guys like(d) it!!!! More should be up later tonight or tomorrow.

Definitions: Ce'pan- means guardian in their language

[Tassielli]

Omg! I saw I am number 4 on the title and I immediately clicked it! I was so excited! This was fantastic ! Especially how you described it! H-O-T hawt!!! Cant wait for more

[27jj]

UNF, YES. This is a great start!! I love that you love Timothy Olyphant Because just like Timothy Olyphant, this story is hot!! I'm really looking forward to moreeee:)

[VividBubbles!]

AWESOME!!! I loved this movie! Exept for the stupid cliffie ending but whatever! When I saw this I was sorta hoping it be #4 with the cold cuz I kinda have a thing for young dude sneeze fics but this was so good I don't even care! Great chapter! Update soon!

BYE!

P.S. The guy who plays John/#4 is HUGELY HOT!

BYE! Again.

[Ciuty80]

WOOOAAAAHHH great start indeed!!!

i saw also the movie and it was fantastic

please more soon!

[fraggle]

Yesss!! Gotta say the book is better than the film, especially as I was picturing Timothy Oliphant while reading. This story is great, please continue. (Also, quick poke on the Raylan Givens story too )

[Galaxy]

GASP!

I LOVED I Am Number Four. It was an insanely awesome movie. And Henri was totally amazing! What a cool idea to do a sneezefic about him.

I like where this is going, and Henri's dislike for sneezes is endearing. I hope you continue with this, it's off to a really great start.

[PaperThings]

YAY! I have to say I didn't love the book or the movie that much, but this was a very good story. Really nice job, and thank you for writing it.

Edited July 11, 2011 by NarnieSmile

[Tarkus]

D'aww, you guys!!!!! You all are awesome and I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed my little bit of TO torture!!! You guys have no idea just how much I value your reviews and input. So thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed, hell, everyone who read. LOVE EVERYBODY!!!

Tassielli- Hotness FTW!!! I was hoping someone would find it hawt!!!

27jaredjensen- No, I love that yooou love Timothy Olyphant! And now, we must convince the rest of the forum to love him, too!!

Bubbles!- Silly Bubbles, don't you know colds are contagious...

Ciuty80- The movie was indeed fantastical! And I will be continuing!

fraggle- YES!!! Another Timothy Olyphant fan! XD *drags fraggle to my wicked corner of TO torture* Yeeeees...

Awesome Galaxy- *FLAIL* You liked Henri, too?! I'm lovin that you love the story so far and thanks for reviewing!

NarnieSmile- You didn't like the book or move that much and you still read my story?! That's so sweet, THANK YOU!!!

Minutes ticked by as his resolve wavered. The light coming from his laptop was unusually bright today and was fueling the growing ache behind his eyes. He sniffled as he clicked on to another page. For some reason, it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe through his nose yet it would not stop leaking. It was odd and he became more worried as his symptoms worsened. He just needed to check a few more things…

And there it was again. The same itchy tingle that had harassed him earlier was returning. He sniffled again and his eyes watered momentarily as the tingle intensified sharply.

“Hh-ISHng-shoo!” The sneeze brought his head down sharply, almost to the point of hitting the table. One breath was all it took to incite another, biting “HUH-Chsh!” His head spun. He sniffled and grimaced as a final “HHih-IDTZZCH’uh” wracked his body. He held one hand under his nose after the attack had passed. A nearby napkin was grabbed as Henri wiped off the computer screen and keyboard. He was aware of some human action that was normally taken after a sneeze involving some kind of paper product, although he could not remember the specifics. He chose instead to press the napkin against the underside of his nose, in the hopes that it would make his face feel less…icky.

That brief attack had decided it. He’d take a short nap before John got home and pray to whatever deity was out there that this sickness went away. Blankets were collected from his bedroom to make him more comfortable on the couch. He didn’t want John to come home and find him asleep in his bed; than the boy would know something was wrong.

Before laying down, he adjusted the heater. Since this morning, it had somehow gotten colder; maybe John had tampered with it. He wrapped the blankets easily around his lean, yet well muscled frame. Sniffling again, he tried to adjust himself properly on the couch, which had been comfortable, it seemed, everyday but today.

At first, he settled easily into the fluffy material with no problems. Five minutes later, his sinuses had become stuffed and was creating a pulsating ache under his eyes. Within the next five minutes that followed, in addition to stuffy nose, his nose had also begun to run, causing him to sniffle more and more frequently. After every sniffle, the soft prickling at the back of his nose grew sharper, toying with the urge to sneeze. It was bordering on unbearable.

Henri sat up from the couch, removing the blankets (it was getting too hot anyway). A few sniffles and false starts later, he concluded that whatever strange irritation was bothering him would not go away without additional help. The took his hand and rubbed gently along the bridge of his nose, where the tickle always seemed to retreat to. His breath hitched instinctively, as the combination of his light stimulation and sniffling became too acute to ignore.

“Hsz-Iksssh! Ah-hpchxxt! ISHkch’ue!” The sneezes were both itchy and painful, leaving him breathless and with a nastier headache than the one he’d had previous. The napkin he’d held under his nose earlier became entirely useless after the fit, but he found he felt too tired to walk to the kitchen to grab more. Snuffling pitifully against the back of his hand, he gathered the blankets around his body once again, as the temperature dropped. Damn, he’d have to get that heater fixed.

Glancing at the grandfather clock across the room, he concluded that John wouldn’t be home for another five hours. That would leave more than enough time for him to take a nap.

The room was becoming hazy. He’d need to call John when he woke up.

His eyes began to close involuntarily. He needed to get the phone. Just in case John called. Just in case he needed something. Just in case…

************************************************************************

John walked up the steps of their new home and rang the doorbell. He usually rang before grabbing the key from under the flower pot because he knew how absorbed Henri could become in his work. The man could sit for hours in front of a computer screen without realizing how long he’d been there. He also knew how jumpy he was and didn’t want to startle him unnecessarily.

The doorbell chimed softly as he pressed the button again.

He frowned and opted to call Henri…and then paused. Henri always called him every hour, to make sure he was okay. He checked his call log and found that the last time Henri called was five hours ago. Either his phone was malfunctioning or something had happened to his Ce’pan.

Sliding his hand slowly under the pot, he grabbed the key and opened the door slowly. He peeked inside, unsure of what lay beyond. Bernie ran to him, foiling his attempt to be stealthy. Bernie barked happily at him, and he glanced around the floor, everything seemingly as he’d left it that morning.

He stopped, however, as an odd sound reached him. He followed the noise to the living room where Henri laid, asleep, on the sofa.

John frowned uneasily at the sight; never in all his years of living with Henri had he ever come home on his guardian taking a nap. Henri didn’t do naps. Hell, he barely slept as it was. Maybe that’s what happened, John thought, he probably just had one too many nights of little to no rest and it had caught up to him.

Henri was a notoriously light sleeper, so it surprised him when Bernie’s barks had not woken him. However, John felt no need to wake his Ce’pan and continued up to his room, backpack in hand, to finish up on some homework. He glanced back, however, as he heard a noise from behind. He stayed on the stairs as Henri stretched from the couch and blinked over at him.

Yay, second installment! I'll try to work more on making the segments longer, because I feel like they're too short? Anyway, read, review, it's all good

Much love, catmuffinz

[VividBubbles!]

Oh... My... GOD! This is awesome! I LOVE THIS! And you too apperantly. John will get sick too right? Cuz then you'd be my favoritest person ever, ever, ever! But it's okay if you don't make John sick. Do whatever you want. Henri is good GREAT enough. But I really want wouldn't mind John sick too. K?

GREAT story! Update soon.

BYE!

[ichixshiro14]

This is great so far! I love your characterization

[27jj]

Ohh, delicious sneezy!Henry, how did I possibly miss you being updated?? Hee, I love this so much. The yummy sneezes and stuffy-runny nose and him going from cold to hot to cold again:) Looooove the image of him on the couch with a blaket!!

[ThatSneezyGirl]

Aw this is cute. You should TOTALLY make John sick too.

[VividBubbles!]

Uhm. Hello? Will this ever be continued? I MISS IT SO MUCH!

BYE!

Edited December 23, 2011 by Bubbles!

[pinknose]

ooooh! want some more plz!!

[Tarkus]

WHEE!!! I'm finally updating!

@ichixshiro14- Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you are enjoying it!

@27jaredjensen- Where have you gooooone?! I miss us squeeing about Justified! Anyway, I'm glad you liked the update! Even though you commneted when I last updated back in July God, I'm slow...

@smalltownbeiber- I'm gonna try nad work in John getting sick so hang tight! Thanks for commenting!

@Bubbles!- Awwww, you missed my story!? That's so sweet of you! Thanks for giving me that needed bump to keep working on this!

@pinknose- Coming right up...

Thanks to everyone who commented or even reads my stories. It really does mean a lot to have people enjoy my work. Seriously, I love you guys!

The much anticipated update!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was all of one second's worth of peace before Henri shot up from the couch.

"You're home early. What happened? Did your powers malfunction? Were you attacked?..." Henri continued his barrage of questions as John tried to escape his guardian's scrutiny. Henri's hand swept to his forehead, and John blinked in surprise at the heat radiating from his skin. Although he knew little about earthly ailments, he had enough knowledge to recognize that Henri was sick.

"When did you get out of school? Are you ah-hih..." His guardian's nose tiwtched briefly before an onslaught of sneezes overcame him. "Hiiih-EISCHuh! Exsxch! Exxsch!" John had never heard Henri sneeze more than once and ususally they were drawn out, in that it took him forever to actually sneeze. These were quick and powerful. He looked over to see Henri still struggling with the last sneeze, his head tilted back, sniffling madly.

"Huh-IgResxch!" And the last one all but exploded out, snapping Henri violently at the waist. He blinked over at John with one hand shoved under his nose, eyes mirroring John's own surprise.

"Okay, I'll start. I'm not home early; it's 3:00. My powers are fine and so am I. And, no, nobody attacked me." John ran a hand through his hair. "My turn to ask questions. What was that?" H raised an eyebrow at Henri.

Henri gave a slurpish sniffle, casuing John to wince. "Umb, dust, probably. Lods of hubads have thad problemb." One hand was still cupped under his nose.

John rolled his eyes emphatically. "Will you go blow your nose already?! I didn't understand half of what you just said."

The other man sniffled again and met John's eyes.

Well, this was awkward. "You don't know how, do you?"

Henri kept his eyes down and mustered a nod, cheeks red from a mixture of fever and obvious embarassment. "I dever learnd how."

"Do you want me to teach you how?" John asked, voice softening. The look of pure embarassment and fear on Henri's face had casused him to all but discard any notion he had of cracking a joke at him. Having always entertained the fantasy of him taking care of Henri for once, John was glad for a chance to show his guardian that he really did care and was willing to strengthen their so-far tenuous relationship.

"C'mon." John cracked a smile, grabbing Henri's other wrist.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Urgh, my computer's still dicking around, so this was a short update.... I WILL UPDATE SOON THIS TIME!!!

Edited March 4, 2012 by catmuffinz

[Tarkus]

Uhhhh, technical difficulties here on my end. It didn't post everything I'd written. I'm working on it though, so it should be fine!

[jezebel215]

you tease! :-) this is great.

[VividBubbles!]

*makes the most excited noise ever* Your going to continue this?! Really?! Yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I missed this so much and I thought it was gonna be gone forever and that you would.... YAY! Well, way to keep a girl waiting, jeez. Oh, I'm sooooooo excited! And, you may even continue on your plan to make John sick too but it doesn't matter 'cuz I'm so excited and I missed this so much! Update soon!

BYE!

[pinknose]

Oooo, I really want more of this! I NEED more of this!

I'll be crossing my fingers for the quick recovery of your computer.

[VividBubbles!]

Catmuffinz, I need this story or I'm gonna explode of pent up suspense and it'll be your fault. So hurry up and update already! I need this.

BYE!

[Black_Blade]

Ok, I love this fic! Please please please please please please please with a cherry, some sprinkles, and other yummy things on top, update it! I can't wait for John to get sick *Evil mysterious devil look* *Slides into the shadows with Skrillex songs playing*

I LOVE THIS!

[VividBubbles!]

Oh my Lord! This is a complete cuteness overload!!!! It's just..... so precious. And John'll take care of Henri and then he'll get sick too and it'll just be one big ball of mushy, sicky, hotty adorableness! You know, if there's no plot involved. I'm totally fine with a plot too. Ooooooooooo, I can not wait until the next update! Make it soon or I'll die of John and Henri deprivation!

BYE!

[27jj]

@27jaredjensen- Where have you gooooone?! I miss us squeeing about Justified! Anyway, I'm glad you liked the update! Even though you commneted when I last updated back in July God, I'm slow...

MISS YOU GIRL

and i also miss us squeeing about justified! but i loved this update so much!!!

[VividBubbles!]

Catmuffinz? *whines* Where have you gone? I miss you! Please come back and update! *makesaswesomecuteeyes* Pwease?

BYE!