Smileyfacegirl's Anime Dabbles! - [REVIVED 3/29/14]

[SapphireSong]

Hi everyone! This thread has been a long time coming. Over the past year, I have become an avid anime watcher, and have been bombarded with waaaaaay too many story ideas as a result of that. I've written quite a few fics for the forum since then, some of them finished and some of them... not (but i DO plan to finish those. *emphatic nod*) but I still have many more scenarios hanging around in my head that just won't leave me alone. Sooo, rather than ignoring them all, I have decided to share the ones that are not lengthy within this "Anime Dabble" thread of mine! Alas, I have not yet learned how to write drabbles (everything I write ends up being at least a few pages long, heh... ) so this topic will consist of items ranging in length from what I call "scenes" to actual oneshots. (And if I ever figure out how to write drabbles, then yes those will go here too. XDD)

I'm not sure how often I will update this, since I have a good number of ideas simmering right now, some of which will actually get their own separate threads... however, I plan to eventually put most of my stuff here, since I really would like to branch out into several new fandoms but I don't want to start multiple novel-fics about them. XDD

Lol and finally, this thread is strictly anime. The fandoms I write about will change in accordance with the shows I watch, but I certainly have some favorite series that will likely show up more than others. Right now, the fandoms I want to delve into include but are not limited to:

Fullmetal Alchemist

Darker than Black

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

Fairy Tail

Soul Eater

Ouran High School Host Club

Mushi-Shi

And... that's all I've got by way of introduction. :3 I hope you guys enjoy this!

~~~~

Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

Syaoran (m)

Notes:

Allrighty then! The first thing I am going to share with you is a oneshot I just finished. I have never seen a good Syaoran sneezefic, so.. I took it upon myself to try and write one. (: All ownership goes to the fabulous CLAMP in regards to characters and series story. And props to Jason Liebrecht (English VA) for somehow making Syaoran both epic and completely adorable. :3

~~~~

“I’m fine, really.”

Fai resisted the temptation to sigh. The dark smudges beneath the boy’s sepia eyes and the heightened pink of his cheeks served as a contradiction to his succinct reassurance, as did his limp and his uncharacteristic shortness of breath. The boy was doing his best to conceal it, but Fai was observant enough to detect the subtle cues that suggested that his condition was rapidly deteriorating.

Kurogane had been the first to notice, actually. All that afternoon, the five of them had been diligently trekking across the frozen landscape in search of the ever-elusive feather belonging to the princess, but the going was quite difficult; and Syaoran, whose signature fighting style depended largely on the use of his legs, had been limping all day – which naturally drew the attention of his warrior-companion turned teacher. Kurogane, however, was not the sort of man to comment unnecessarily on the perceived weaknesses of others, and thus had not said a word. This did not, however, mean that he did not care about his young friend; therefore, he had spent the greater portion of the day glaring disapprovingly in Syaoran’s direction.

This had not escaped Fai’s attention; and no sooner had he discerned the reason for his surly companion’s discontentment than he had come to strongly suspect that the leg injury was not the only thing that was bothering Syaoran. Though his endurance was quite impressive, and his skills in hiding his physical distress were admirable, Fai could nevertheless sense his fatigue as clearly as if it were written all over him.

To be fair, landing in a lake that had long been iced over by the cold breath of winter had not exactly been easy on any of them; however, after the initial shock, Fai had found the environment quite similar to his home world’s, and Kurogane’s samurai training had allowed him to recover without any issues as well. Syaoran and Sakura, then, had been Fai’s immediate concern, as both of them were purely human (and from a desert world, at that). But they were each strong of body and spirit, and took the discomfort in stride as always. When they had found the road, however, Syaoran had given Sakura his own cloak, against her fruitless protests; and the consequent hours of walking in the bitter air and the rather nasty encounter they’d had with some sort of wild creature at one point seemed to have taken its toll on the young man. Thus, after seeing him touch his forehead unconsciously for the seventh time, Fai had finally seen fit to inquire after his condition; only to have him quickly brush it off.

The princess now stared anxiously up at her protector, her emerald eyes studying his face. “Are you sure?” she rejoined, tilting her head. “You do look really tired, Syaoran.”

A twinge of something – chagrin? – flickered across Syaoran’s face, then disappeared. “I’m.. I’m all right,” he repeated, nodding firmly; yet, he sounded a little less sure than before.

“There looks to be a town up ahead,” Fai remarked. “Why don’t we try and find someplace to spend the night? It’s getting a bit dark, don’t you think?”

In reality, the more pressing issue he saw was that it was getting significantly colder; however, he knew that Syaoran would only consider stopping if he deemed it impractical to continue searching for the feather, so he chose instead to cite the darkness as a reasonable cause to postpone their search.

“Hm...” Syaoran seemed to waver with the decision, squinting into the waning sunlight.

A chill breeze swept over them, and Sakura shivered, huddling closer into his shoulder. Syaoran glanced at her, then nodded slowly. “I guess that’s probably a good idea,” he admitted. “Let’s hurry.”

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Another harrowing hour or so later, they were situated in a single room at an inn. The town was tiny, so they had found the inn to be quite full; only one room had been vacant, but the five of them had no qualms about sharing a space, and the innkeeper was content since they were still paying by person.

Sakura had been given the bed, and now slept soundly, dry and warm. Kurogane and Fai made themselves comfortable on the floor, and Mokona nestled next to the princess as always.

Syaoran, however, had not yet arranged his bedroll; instead, he paced restlessly along the edge of the room nearest the door, though both his limp and his exhaustion had grown more pronounced.

“Syaoran, aren’t you going to sleep?” Fai asked, keeping his voice soft so as not to wake Sakura.

Syaoran frowned, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll take the first watch,” he replied. “We can’t be too careful.”

Fai’s mouth curved into a smile, but his eyes were pensive. “That’s true,” he agreed. “But don’t you think you should rest a little? We are in an inn, after all.”

“I’ll be fine,” Syaoran reiterated. He did, however, move to sit on the hard wooden floor, facing the merrily crackling fire in one wall.

Despite his determination to keep watch, the boy’s eyelids seemed rather heavy; and Fai, not being tired, decided to keep an eye on him instead of sleeping. It didn’t take him long to note that the boy was shivering visibly in spite of his close proximity to the fire. Fai creased his brow; the cold had never seemed to bother Syaoran much, though he was from a warmer climate. He couldn’t help but think that this didn’t bode well.

About fifteen minutes later, his prediction was proved correct. As he watched through half-lidded eyes, Fai saw the boy shiver especially hard, then bring a wrist up to his mouth.

“AhKTCh!” The sneeze was quick, harsh; and the boy’s sturdy shoulders temporarily drooped as he tried to recover from it. No sooner had he, however, then his eyelashes quivered again, and he twitched forward against his tented knees. “Aht’TSCH!” He sniffled, weakly, burying his small nose into his sleeve.

Fai opened his eyes, shaking his head with a knowing sympathy. He had thought it might come to this. He rose, silently, coming adjacent to the boy and sinking down to his level. “Sounds like you’ve caught a cold, Syaoran.”

Syaoran attempted to sit straighter, tugging at his shirt collar. “N-no.. I’m.. I’m okay,” he insisted feebly, eyes fixed on the door. “D-don’t – don’t wor.. hh-hh..” his breath hitched, and he winced, trying to fight back the sensation but quickly failing. “’TSHu!”

Fai heard Kurogane give a derisive snort, and looked back to see the swordsman watching the two of them, his crimson eyes glittering in the firelight.

“You may as well cut the denial, kid,” he muttered, ignoring Fai’s acknowledging smile. “You’ll be better off in the long run if you get some rest.”

Syaoran shifted, trying to muster the strength to rise to a crouch. “I’ll be fine. It’s just some dust or something, really.” He sniffled again, rubbing his nose against his sleeve cuff.

Kurogane growled at this, but it was Fai who further addressed the boy. “And the climate, too?” he prodded gently. “It bothers you.”

Syaoran blinked at him. “Wha..” He trailed off, gritting his teeth as the need to sneeze began to creep up on him again.

Fai propped his chin on his hand, studying his young friend. “You’re shivering,” he observed. “Would you like a blanket?”

“No.” Syaoran grew slightly agitated, and slowly pushed himself to his feet. “It’s not a... a big.. de– ahKTCHt! HehtCHh!!” He valiantly smothered the sneezes into his elbow, but they seemed to drain the energy right out of him. He exhaled, a breath that was suspiciously reminiscent of a groan; but as he made eye contact with Fai and Kurogane, his gaze was still defiant. “You can sleep,” he insisted. “I’ll be....” Before he could finish, however, he pressed his palm to his forehead, suddenly dizzy.

Fai was up in a heartbeat, catching the boy’s slight frame just as he wilted. He then slipped his arm around Syaoran’s back as Kurogane stood with a grim sigh.

“There, what’d I tell you?” the samurai growled, glowering down at him. “Way to burn yourself out.”

Fai cast a contemplative glance at the young man he was supporting. “You feel really warm, Syaoran,” he added. “I think you have a fever.”

Syaoran feebly attempted to find his balance, raising his head. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t want to cause any... any trouble...tTCSH’u!”

Weak though he was, Syaoran’s whole body shook with the sneeze, and Fai grunted in surprise, tugging him upright. “Oh, now don’t be silly, Syaoran,” he started kindly. “You– ”

“Just save it, kid,” Kurogane interjected, glaring sharply at the boy. “You’ll cause us trouble if you don’t get better, so stop talking and go to bed, you hear?”

Syaoran drooped, nodding tiredly. “All.. all right..” he croaked, pushing his bangs out of his eyes with a trembling hand. “I...” He stared dazedly into space, breathing abnormally heavy. He tried to shrug out of Fai’s grasp, but his knees came close to buckling again and he stopped, face contorting in frustration and fatigue as Fai’s arm tightened about his shoulders.

“It’s all right, Syaoran,” Fai soothed, giving a meaningful glance to Kurogane. “We’ll help you, don’t worry.”

Syaoran seemed about to protest, but Kurogane swiftly unrolled Syaoran’s bedding and laid it out before he could say anything else. Fai then gave him another reassuring smile, gently guiding him over to it. “Here you go. Easy does it.” Fai moved with him, lowering him to ground level, then made sure that Syaoran was comfortably seated before letting him go and rising again.

Another chill took him, and Syaoran shakily brought his hands to his face. “Ah.. ehh.. AhkTSCHu! Heh – hekSSHt!! Ah’TSCH! Heh... heh’kTSCH-huh!!” A vicious bout of sneezes completely overpowered the young man, each one mercilessly wrenched from his thin frame. When he was finished, he rubbed weakly at his eyes, exhausted. “Damn it...” he murmured, voice crackly with congestion.

Fai and Kurogane exchanged a look. Syaoran was normally excessively polite, and seldom swore.

Fai knelt beside him again, reaching out to rub the boy’s back. “Would you like a handkerchief?” he inquired gently.

Syaoran had contained the sneezes with his hands; and as he pulled them away from his face, he blushed, for his nose was now most assuredly running. “Yeah..” he mumbled, hanging his head. He rested his sleeve against his mouth again, sniffling multiple times. This did nothing to alleviate his discomfort, however, as his nasal passages had already swollen up. In fact, he looked as though he might sneeze again; his features quivered threateningly even as Fai searched out the promised piece of cloth, and when Fai extended it to him he all but snatched it from his hand.

“EhkTSHH!” Syaoran jerked forward with another explosion before he could position the handkerchief properly. He then held it in front of his face, caught in the helpless throes of a buildup. “Hh.. hh-hh... heh..!..” Finally, after several long seconds of torturing his sensitive nasal passageways, the sneeze burst out of him. “hh-ehhK’TSCHu!!” His voice cracked painfully with that one, and he miserably buried his face into the cloth square, blowing his nose.

“Gesundheit,” Fai murmured, still massaging between the teen’s shoulder blades. “Goodness, that’s quite the cold you’ve got...”

Syaoran looked exceedingly unhappy at this remark. “I’b.. I’b fide....” he objected, plaintively. He sniffled again, wiping his nose with a corner of the handkerchief. “I bead... I’ll be okay, I just...” He trailed off, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. “I’b just... tired...”

Fai nodded, standing. “Yes, which is why you need to sleep, Syaoran,” he admonished gently. “You should feel at least a little better in the morning, if you are able to get some rest.”

Kurogane snorted in disgust, ambling over to his former position against the wall and settling back down. “Listen to the mage, he’s actually making sense for once.”

Syaoran nodded again, his exhaustion and misery pitifully evident in his expression. “Right, I –” The air rasped against his vocal cords, and he began to cough, a thick, ragged sound.

As he tried to recover from the coughing spell, another voice sent a jolt of dismay down Syaoran’s spine.

“Syaoran?...” The princess stirred, raising her head from her pillow. “What’s going on?”

Fai clearly detected the distress that flooded through Syaoran, so he attempted to intervene to spare the boy’s distraught emotions. “It’s all right, Princess,” he assured, approaching her. “He’ll be fine, you don’t have to worry.”

Princess Sakura seemed only to become more awake at this statement, however, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Oh – what’s wrong?” she inquired coherently, her high voice full of concern.

Syaoran flushed guiltily as her sweet gaze lighted on him. “Pridcess.. please... go back to sleep, there’s duthi’g... duthi’g.....” His voice nearly gave out, and he brought the handkerchief to his face again as his poor reddened nose twitched. “AhKtSHH-u!!” He squeezed his eyes shut, shivering. “ehk’TSHmf!”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Oh no!” she breathed, pushing the blankets back and rising to her feet. She then padded over to the young man, sinking to his level. “Oh, Syaoran, are you sick?” she asked worriedly, looking him up and down.

“I...” Syaoran’s cheeks were suffused with a deep pink, courtesy of embarrassment and fever. “..Yeah.” His brow wrinkled in frustration as another sneeze became imminent. “Heh.. Ah-hih..!..” He turned hastily away from her, smothering his face into the cloth square. “h’kTSHHmfh!!!”

A warm sympathy instantly radiated from the girl, and she scooted closer to him, brushing some hair out of his face. “I’m so sorry....And here you gave me your coat today! This is my fault..”

Syaoran snapped his head up, but a wave of dizziness hit him in response to the sharp movement and it was a minute before he was able to speak. “Doh, Pridcess,” he rasped at last. “This has duthi’g to do with you. ad I’ll... I’ll be all right.” He sniffled, in a futile attempt to clear his sinuses. “Ugh...” He groaned softly, blowing his nose again.

Sakura glanced up at Fai, who gave her an encouraging smile.

“He’s not feeling well right now, but he’s right,” he affirmed. “It’s just a bad cold, he’ll be fine.”

Sakura nodded, but trained her eyes upon Syaoran’s trembling form. “He’s shaking,” she murmured, biting her lip. Leaning forward, she pressed her small hand to his forehead. “Ohh.. Syaoran, you’re burning up,” she whispered.

Syaoran said nothing, and simply relaxed wearily into her touch. Fai and Kurogane observed them silently, their faces impassive in the ruddy firelight.

Syaoran finally shifted, dabbing at his nose with a limp hand. “I... I’b sorry...” he said huskily, voice dropping abnormally low in pitch. “I..”

Sakura pulled away suddenly, shaking her head. “Why are you apologizing for having a fever?” she admonished. “That’s just silly.”

Syaoran slowly met her gaze, his sepia eyes feverishly bright, but also bleary. “Right...” he assented, coughing quietly into the handkerchief and then trying to sniffle again.

Sakura absently looked from him to the fire; then, after a minute, she seemed to come to a decision. “Syaoran,” she said firmly, “you need to rest.” At that, she slipped her slender hand into his sweaty one and rose, pulling him up with her.

“What..?” Confused, Syaoran could only blink at her as she let go of his hand.

Fai moved forward, ready to intervene if Syaoran started to fall; but stopped again, for Sakura seemed to pick up on how unsteady her protector currently was and promptly draped his arm over her shoulder so that he could lean on her. Fai was unsure how well this was going to go; but the princess was a great deal stronger than she looked, and so, she led Syaoran over to the bed and seated him before he even really registered what was happening.

“There you go,” she said softly, tucking a wisp of her hair behind her ear. “You need to be warm and comfortable so your body can heal right.” She smiled down at him.

Syaoran’s eyes were getting heavier and heavier, but he rallied what strength he still had left to try to argue. “Doh.. Pridcess, I couldedt take y-ehh....” His eyelids fluttered, and he pressed the now well-used handkerchief to his mouth. “hh’ktshh! ehk’tsh! ih’ktshU!” This triple of sneezes sounded significantly weaker than his previous fits; it was obvious that his energy was almost completely spent.

The princess’s emerald eyes were brimming with compassion. “Please, Syaoran,” she insisted, fluffing the pillow and folding back the blankets.

Syaoran glanced from the bed to Sakura, hesitating; however, after looking at her for a moment, he at last gave up. “Thagk you, Pridcess...” he murmured wearily, stretching himself out with a sigh that seemed to come from his toes.

Sakura smiled, tucking the blankets up around him. “You’re welcome,” she said softly, nodding in approval as his eyes closed.

Satisfied, Fai returned to his own spot, and Kurogane closed his eyes. Sakura arranged a bedroll for herself, then lay down. For a long time after that, nothing could be heard but the crackling of the fire, and Syaoran’s quiet snoring (brought on by his congestion, no doubt). After all the commotion, however, Sakura found herself wide awake. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, and allowed her mind to wander.

As she did so, the memories she had recovered over the past long months began to surface – an eerie phenomenon that she somehow had gradually gotten used to. It happened whenever she was about to fall asleep; the pieces of her memory would play back before her eyes, melding eventually into dreams. She had taught herself to heed every detail of the places and people and events that she saw – the fragments of her soul that she was slowly but steadily regaining.

It had taken a long time, but the gaps were finally starting to fill. The certain blank spots that never seemed to go away frustrated her deeply, but she tried not to let it upset her too much. She had so much to be grateful for. After all, the only reason she was able to remember anything was because of the help of the companions that she had slowly grown to trust... and even care for. Syaoran, perhaps, most of all.

Sakura had almost drifted off to sleep when a noise brought her back to consciousness. She propped herself up, trying to discern the nature of the sound; but she could not see anything unusual. She soon heard it again, however; and suddenly she realized that it was Syaoran, talking in his sleep.

At first, he did little more than moan; but as Sakura listened, his agitation grew; he began muttering sentences that she didn’t understand.. names she didn’t recognize... but as she began to lose interest, he suddenly uttered her name, loud enough that she could clearly hear it, and with such raw anguish that she sat bolt upright.

She got to her feet and saw at once that Syaoran was thrashing about, his skin and hair drenched with sweat. He seemed to be suffering through a horrific delirious state between waking and sleeping, indicative of his high fever; so Sakura quickly navigated to the wash basin, dipped a small towel into the cool water, then returned to the bedside, applying the cloth to Syaoran’s forehead.

Syaoran started violently, coming closer to awake but still hopelessly disoriented. “Sa..ku...” he mumbled, tossing and turning and attempting to look at her but not quite managing to do so.

“Shh...shh, it’s okay,” she murmured, working the cloth across his forehead and temples with tender strokes, pushing his damp bangs out of his eyes.

“I... I have to – I cad’t–” Syaoran tried to push himself up, but his arms shook and he fell back, gasping for breath.

“It’s okay, it’s just a dream, you’re safe,” Sakura said quietly but firmly, folding the cloth and laying it upon his brow. Then, as if by some instinct or ghost of memory, she reached out and clasped his hand between both of hers. “It’s gonna be okay,” she repeated. “We’re right here with you, Syaoran. Nothing bad’s gonna happen, I promise.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

A tremor went through him, and he looked from her hand to her earnest face. “All... all right...” he finally croaked, the tension slowly beginning to bleed out of his body. “I.. heh...”

Sakura bit her lip as she detected the impending fit that was about to befall him. He was so weak by now that he didn’t even try to hide it, and simply waited helplessly for it to come.

“Heh... hh-hih!...hh” Syaoran’s nostrils quivered and his eyelids fell, his chest heaving with each false start. Sakura winced at the congestion she could hear gurgling within his lungs, and she found herself wondering if he was going to be able to take the strain of another sneezing fit in his current condition. He looked beyond exhausted. “Oh Syaoran...” she sighed almost inaudibly, touching her fingers to her lips and searching for a handkerchief.

“AhhHHk’TSCH!!” Syaoran sneezed so violently that he jerked upright, but he sank back down again, burying his face into the crook of his elbow. “HhkTSH’hh! AhtSCHu! Heh.. heknGSH!”

“Here,” the princess murmured, gently pulling his arm down and pressing a clean cotton square to the boy’s flushed face. “Try to blow, maybe it’ll help a little.”

“Nnh–” Syaoran’s eyes popped open in surprise, and he hastily brought both hands up to take the cloth. After a slight hesitation, he proceeded to noisily comply.

Sakura winced in sympathy, reaching to adjust the wet compress on his head as it nearly slipped off.

Syaoran carefully folded up the handkerchief, sighing in relief as some of his congestion lessened. However, the harsh blowing seemed to have upset his lungs, and he began to cough.. the barking, painful-sounding sort. He rolled onto his side, propping himself up halfway on his arm as he tried to find a position that would ease his breathing. The wet cloth fell from his forehead, and Sakura leaned in to get it.

“Doh... Pridcess...” he croaked, holding out his hand. “P.. Please...” His coughing calmed down, and he raised his tired eyes to her concerned ones. “Thagk you for doi’g this but please go to sleep.... I dod’t wadt you to catch this ad I – hh – I – AhhkTCHu! Hh-hh..! HekTSCHt!” His voice broke, and he threw his arm over his face again, his whole body spasming from the force of the explosions. “Hhhn...” He uttered a sound that was somewhere between whimper and sigh, sniffling miserably. Then, to top it off, a chill hit him; and he sank weakly down again, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering. “P-please, s-s-stay a – away,” he tried to continue, shivering uncontrollably. “I... I dod’t wadt you to –”

“Syaoran.” Sakura shook her head softly, tugging the rumpled bedclothes back into place and draping the thick blankets over the shaking boy. “Don’t be silly, it’s just awful to be sick if no one’s there to take care of you! I’ll be fine. I’m gonna help you feel better.”

Syaoran’s breath caught sharply. “You... really?”

She smiled at him. “Of course. You’ve done so much for me, after all. It’s the least I can do.”

To her surprise, the boy’s eyes began to fill with tears. “Syaoran, what’s wrong?” she asked, eyes wide.

It was a moment before he spoke. “Duthi’g, I...” he leaned his head back on the pillow, closing his eyes briefly, then opening them again. “Thagk you,” he whispered huskily, drawing the back of his hand across his eyes.

She leaned back a little, but rested her hand upon his other arm. “Try to get some sleep, okay? We want you to feel better in the morning.”

Even in his febrile state, Syaoran could sense the sincerity in her voice; and it was more than he had once ever hoped to hear again.

He offered her a wan smile, nodding weakly. “Okay.” He stirred against the pillow, clearing his throat.

“Are you comfortable enough?” she asked.

He nodded again, finally allowing himself to relax. If he had been able, he might have tried to stay awake; however, he was finding it almost impossible to keep his eyes open.

“Good,” Sakura replied softly, giving his blankets a final instinctive adjustment.

Even as sleep began to conquer him again, however, he took another ragged breath, and Sakura bit her lip.

“Hih..” Syaoran’s eyes slitted open again, and he sluggishly dragged the handkerchief up to his face. “HihgSHxt! ehh - ‘ktShGh!” He sneezed twice more, an exhausted, congested sound, then rubbed drowsily at his abused nose.

Sakura sighed. “Bless you,” she commented sympathetically.

He closed his eyes again. “Thagks..”

Sakura couldn’t help smiling a little as he snuggled beneath the generous layers of bedding. He looked so young at the moment, pale and sickly save for his cheeks and nose which were bright red; but at the same time, he looked relieved, almost comfortable – as if he finally felt secure enough that he could allow his body to get the rest it sorely needed. Sakura gave his arm a light squeeze, then let go. That was all she hoped for her protector to have.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

Fai woke to the dazzling winter sunlight streaming in through the windows, undeterred by the thin film of soot that coated the panes. The fire had sizzled down to a heap of glowing embers, and the little room was cool and still. Stirring, Fai glanced around – and saw the samurai standing by the bed. Fai gracefully shifted his long limbs and rose, moving silently across to join him.

The reason for the samurai’s preoccupation was not hard to gather, and as soon as Fai saw it, he folded his arms, smiling quietly.

The small bed, amply piled with blankets, now had not one occupant, but two.

At some point in the night, the princess must have risen to tend to the ailing boy; and she now lay beside him, her small form stretched out on the edge, outside of the blankets with her face turned toward him and her cheek pillowed upon her thin hand. Of the sick boy himself, little more could be seen than a lump beneath the bedding and a shock of thick light brown hair at one end with his care-worn young face beneath that. The shadows below his eyelids had not disappeared, and his face was flushed with fever; but Fai noticed that he somehow looked peaceful, almost happy even. The girl, too, looked content.

Fai raised his eyes to his tall companion. Mokona had awoken, and was perched upon Kurogane’s shoulder, rendered speechless by the sight (which was itself quite the novelty).

Kurogane acknowledged Fai with a sideways glance. “What... do you think...?” he started, under his breath.

Fai’s smile warmed. “It’s rather obvious, don’t you think?” he replied, a teasing sparkle in his deep blue eyes. “Even with the curse, it appears safe to conclude that Sakura and Syaoran will always be close; no circumstances can change that, it would seem.” He looked thoughtful. “’Inevitability,’ as Yuuko would say.”

Kurogane glowered at him, trying to mask how obviously flustered the situation was making him. “So.. what do we do?” he muttered, crossing his arms.

Fai shook his head slowly, stooping to pick up Sakura’s blanket from the floor and gently draping it over her sleeping form. “Our quest can wait for Syaoran to recover,” he murmured, arranging the blanket about the girl’s shoulders. “Let them sleep. They deserve it.”

Instead of expressing derision, Kurogane’s features actually softened a fraction. “Yeah..” he assented, turning from the two teens and sauntering toward the door with his hands in his pockets. “I suppose they do.”

Fai sighed quietly, straightening as he watched over the young man and his princess. They had both been through so much. To let them have this moment was the least he could do.

Edited March 29, 2014 by smileyfacegirl^^

[Emily]

OH DEAR, SWEET JESUS AND ALL THINGS HOLY AND GOOD.

THAT WAS AMAZING

LIKE THE DESCRIPTIONS AND SWITCHING BETWEEN CHARACTERS AND STUFF

WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AT CHARACTERIZING

dude, I have no choice. I must look into this anime.

[FireandFlames]

*melts into small puddle of happiness*

You...this thread... YES. That story was amazing, even though I haven't seen the anime yet, and I can't wait for more drabbles....(Fairy Tail and FMA... )

[EmeraldThread]

SLKFJSLKAJFSDLDF!!!!! (<--Basically my mental reaction to discovering you'd started this thread, except the excitement lasted way longer.)

This is adorable in every sense. It's like you took my favorite things and decided to put them into this one shot. That type of sneeze, I love it. It's like...cute, but forceful at the same time? Just...seriously melt-worthy. And fever and Fai catching him when he falls! Dude, Fai is my favorite.

This brought me back to a couple years ago when I started watching the anime and I kept remembering little pieces that I didn't even realize I'd seen. xD I love that you're writing for those fandoms up there, too. Some of them (like this one), there's barely any material for (if any at all)! It's unfathomable! Unacceptable!

I still can't put into words how incredibly happy I am that you started this. You have such a lovely writing style, and when you write stuff like this, how could I not absolutely love it?! It's the kind of thing I stay up until three in the morning reading and then commenting on...yeah...I need to go to bed, but I really wish I could make this longer. I know comment length doesn't always say how amazing a work is, but...well, I really hope you know how awesome you are.

[March Hare]

Dude this is not just a drabble, this is a full fic. How you spoil us so.

Oo your spellings. They make me so happy.

[Ciuty80]

GUUUAAAHHHHHH this is perfectly my crab!!!!!

i loved watching Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle!!!!

and the drabble was wonderful!

can´t wait to see what you will do with darker than black, fma, fairy tail and ouran!!!

btw nice signature!!! i like hei so much (i wrote a short story about hei and huang after i saw the episode with the pollen allergy )

please more!!!

[SapphireSong]

@Emily: Thank you sooo much!! :') heehee well, characterization happens to be one of my favorite elements of story writing, I always try reaaaallly hard to do it right, and I've had a fair amount of practice :3 But I'm always sooo happy when somebody tells me I did it well, so.. thank you! <3 haha and it's a REALLY good series, fyi. The art and later story is better in the manga, but the anime is good and the MUSIC makes it worth watching. OMGOSH. The music is some of the best soundtrack music I have ever heard in my life, anime or otherwise.

@FireAndFlames: awww I'm glad!! =D heehee I shall definitely be writing for both of those. Fairy Tail is EPIC and deserves the sneezefic treatment XDD aaaand we all know how I feel about FMA.

@Elements: omgosh thank you SO much!! you're making me blush... I'm so very glad you liked this! heehee yeah I'm very pleased with those sneeze spellings myself :3 I love how you describe them! XD hehehe and I think that it fits Syaoran quite well actually. :] and btw - since you like Jason the rest of Tsubasa is worth watching just on his account

(Ahh, Fai is your favorite is he? XD Weeelll. Lucky for you, he is also the other member of the Tsubasa family that I plan to write about. Though, his may end up being too long to post in this thread. A while back I promised a Fai fic for Zane, and I have a couple different ones I've been working on )

Ohhh i know right?? For some reason, most of the fandoms I am into just don't get written about (well, anyway. And not on here. <.<) Thus, I always feel compelled to try doing so myself.. Ah well, hopefully maybe I'll get some of you interested in these epic series this way :3

Thank you again, Elements YOU are awesome!

@Maru-chan: Hi Maru!! LOL no it's not a drabble. I am actually currently incapable of writing such things. *points to intro*

HAHA but yeah.. this one's rather longer than a lot of the stuff I plan to post in this thread. But it was finished, and I figured the first post deserved something substantial anyway (especially since idk how often I'll update this )

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my spellings. I have so much fun coming up with unique spellings for every character I subject to my fetishy whims... I think most every character has a different sound. Even if they happen to be played by the same actor (which y'all will see once I write Hei, who is played by the same VA as Syaoran is.)

@Ciuty80: THANK YOU!!! <3 I enjoyed writing this. And thanks, I love that picture of Hei and Yin!!! XDD

OMGOSH HEI. I swear, I am in love with that dude. Seriously, he is my current obsession (well, DtB is.) and I am writing a fic for him right now.. It's slightly too long for a oneshot, though, so it's gonna get it's own topic. XDD

I read your Hei fic!!! It's the only one on here I think. I loved it! And omg I loved that episode, LOL! I am so grateful to the writers for giving me even one sneeze from Hei~ (though naturally I am greedy and want more ) And that entire episode was just hilarious anyway. One of my signature quotes is from it. XDD

[SapphireSong]

Hi guys~! So I have been working on a variety of things lately, some of which are too long to be posted in this topic... But I have been juggling a bunch of different ideas for this thread and have every intention of keeping it going... no matter how long it takes me to update HOWEVER, earlier last week a oneshot idea smacked me upside the head, and I wrote it all in one sitting XDD So, for your reading pleasure, have some D. Gray-man.

Fandom: D. Gray-man

Lavi (m)

Notes:

This oneshot explicitly follows episode 44, in which Lavi spent much time and effort taking care of and protecting Lenalee (who had been poisoned and was gravely ill). The ordeal ended with him passing out (in the rain..), and the last time you see him you can tell he is really tired :] Sooo my good old twisted imagination decided that he could have experienced some additional unwanted repercussions during the time that Lenalee spent recovering... lolol this piece isn't as heavy on the fluff and such as my first one, it's got more of my signature style (angst X) ) to it... but I hope you like it!!

Just to be clear, I don't ship Lavi/Lenalee. I feel like this could easily be read that way but just know that that was not my intention, believe it or not. I think they are really close; just not romantically so.

Finally, this is inspired by Jason Liebrecht's interpretation of Lavi, which probably doesn't surprise anyone X) However, if you prefer the seiyuu or the manga than by all means read it that way!

...and yes I realize that as of right now this thread is basically a 'pester Jason's anime characters' thread lol.. but that will change, I promise. Eventually.

And now that I've rambled on, please enjoy the oneshot

Lenalee

Lavi

Bookman (a.k.a. The Old Panda)

>>><<<

The sun was shining when Lenalee awoke. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel its cheering warmth; and when she did open them, the pleasant brightness filled her vision immediately, lifting her spirits. She lay perfectly still for just a moment, staring up at the smooth white ceiling. She could hear birds singing outside, indicating that it was still early in the day, and she smiled. She had forgotten that it could feel this wonderful just to be alive.

Sitting up slowly, carefully, she took a deep breath and then expelled it as a soft sigh of relief. The crushing weight that had tormented her lungs for the past few days was gone, as was the fever and shaking and numbness. She owed it all to Bookman, who had exhibited his profound skills as a healer by saving her from the poison-induced illness in the nick of time.

She yawned, rubbing her eyes and basking in the sunlight a moment, grateful that she was finally feeling like herself again.

She tilted her head, fair features settling into a pensive frown as the memories of the past couple of days began to return to her. Well... a better conclusion would be that she owed it all to the Bookmen. For though the elder Bookman was the one who cured her fever, it was Lavi who had kept her alive long enough to make it possible for him to do so.

As she rested, lost in thought, the old wooden door opened, and Bookman trotted into the room.

“Ahh, you’re awake,” he observed, approaching her bedside. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thanks,” she responded, folding the covers back a little as she sat straighter. “The pain is gone. And I can think straight again.”

“That’s very good,” Bookman approved. “Is there anything you need?”

Lenalee tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear. “Well... I am kind of hungry...” she admitted with a shy smile.

Bookman looked almost pleased. “Ahh, yes. That means you’re well on your way to full recovery, young lady.” His wrinkled face grew somber, and he paced to the small window through which the light was pouring. “Hopefully you’ll be on your feet again by tomorrow. We need to leave for Tibet as soon as possible if we want to have any chance of finding General Cross.”

Lenalee nodded seriously, running her fingers through her neglected locks. “Of course,” she murmured. After a moment, she spoke up again. “Bookman.. if you don’t mind, I’d like to get dressed.”

He glanced back at her critically. “Are you sure you’re up to it? You need to make sure to get your strength back first, you know. Our journey to Tibet won’t exactly be a leisurely trip.”

“Yes, I know,” she acquiesced. “But after I eat, I think I’ll be just fine.”

He eyed her dubiously for a moment, then nodded curtly. “Very well,” he consented. “I’ll go get you something.”

>>><<<

A short while later, Lenalee felt like a new person, having had a good meal and donned her uniform. She stood before a small mirror now, combing her hair up into her customary neat pigtails. Her usually crisp, form-fitting black and white jacket and skirt felt a little loose on her today; and the long, dress-like outer garment that she wore over the uniform had numerous rips, abrasions, and pulled hems from the ordeal with the fan maid and her akuma.. but at least it was clean.

Lenalee paused. The maid. The akuma. The storm and flash flood. The combination of which very nearly claimed both her life and Lavi’s.

Lavi had never considered their deaths to be an acceptable outcome of the harrowing experience, however. She knew that. Even through the haze of her fever, the image of the lithe 18-year-old standing protectively in front of her and the old man, raising his Innocence weapon to strike down the enemy as rain poured from the sky, had been burned into her mind. The lesser akuma had been obliterated by Lavi’s wrathful dealing of judgment, evaporating along with the steam that rose as a result of his flame attack clashing with the water. However, the maid – the higher level akuma – had managed to escape; and as Lavi stood there panting, blood oozing from the wound above his left shoulder blade, his dismay had been easy to read in the hard lines of his posture.

What happened after the battle was still mostly a blur to her; but she knew that he had passed out shortly after it, for she had seen him fall. And when she herself came to later, after Bookman had treated her, she had only seen him briefly; just long enough to thank him for not leaving her behind.

She sighed, setting the comb on the dresser. He hadn’t said anything to that. And though she knew he acknowledged her thanks, she couldn’t quite shake the nagging worry that what she had said in her wearied frame of mind was not nearly adequate enough for what he had done.

A knock came at her door, interrupting her reverie. “Come in,” she called.

Once again, it was the elder Bookman who entered. “I’ve arranged for us to leave first thing tomorrow,” he informed her. “Do you think you’ll be all right?”

She faced him, nodding. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Very good.” The Bookman turned to leave, but she stopped him.

“Wait.” He returned his attention to her, and she pressed her lips together. “Where is Lavi?” she asked finally. “Is he all right?”

“He’s resting,” Bookman replied carefully. “He’s been nursing his own injuries while you’ve been asleep.”

“I see.” Lenalee was pensive. “Do you.. think I could see him?”

The short old man gazed intently at her for a moment, causing a faint wave of nervousness to ripple through her. Finally, however, he nodded. “I think he might like some company. I’ll show you to his room.”

She smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

>>><<<

She felt almost apprehensive as she raised her hand to knock on Lavi’s door. She knew that his injuries, though not alarming, had not been minor either; and she did not wish to disturb him. The elder Bookman’s words helped to ease her reticence, however, and so she rapped lightly on the thick door.

She heard a faint “It’s open” from within; so she held her breath and turned the knob, stepping inside.

The young man was seated on his bed, leaning against the headboard with one leg tented and the other stretched out. His thick auburn hair, normally fashioned rakishly beneath a headband, fell uninhibited and tousled about his face and ears; and he wore only a long-sleeved knit shirt, leggings, and socks. His left arm was bound up and rested in a sling, and a handful of adhesive bandages and gauze squares decorated his clean-shaven face. He wore his signature black eyepatch as always, as well as his thigh holster which kept his Innocence hammer within his reach at all times; and he held a book in his free right hand.

“Lavi?” she ventured, hesitantly.

He looked up, recognition sparking in his visible emerald eye. “Lenalee.” He set down the book, resting his forearm on his knee. “You must be feeling better.” He sounded amiable enough, but he also sounded rather tired.

“Yes,” she answered readily, crossing slowly to him. “And.. what about you?”

“Me?” He grinned, following her with his gaze as she came to his side. “I’m great.” He shook his head. “I bet the Panda told you we’re gonna leave tomorrow, didn’t he. The old geezer never lets up.” He chuckled, indicating his levity; but a heavy congestion rattled in his chest as he did so, and he began to cough, lifting his good arm to mask his face.

Lenalee blinked. “Hey, Lavi, are you sick?” she asked, surprised. “...Does Bookman know? Because we shouldn’t be traveling if –”

Lavi waved his hand for her to stop. “It’s nothing,” he assured her, bending forward to pick up his book again. “I might have caught a bit of a cold from all the rain, that’s all.”

Lenalee furrowed her brow. “Are you sure?”

He nodded easily. “Yeah, I’m sure.” He propped his book against his knee, then looked back at her as she stood there, rather awkwardly. “You wanna sit down?” he said, gesturing to a small chair behind her.

“Oh – yeah.” Lenalee bobbed her head, blushing a little as she fetched the chair and pulled it up beside him.

Lavi gazed expectantly in her direction, but she lapsed into a troubled silence and he returned his attention to his book. After what felt like an eternity, she finally worked up the courage to speak.

“Lavi..” she began falteringly. “About what happened, the other day.”

He did not respond, but she could tell he was listening; so after a moment she continued.

“I heard what Mimi said. And I just wanted to make sure you know that I...” she paused, twisting the edge of her jacket in her hands. “I’m glad you didn’t give up on me. And I’m sorry that I was such a burden to you.” She studied his face, searching for some sort of reaction.

Lavi shut his book, staring at the cover. “I wish you would stop saying that.”

She tilted her head. “Huh?”

The redhead sighed, setting the book down. “You keep saying how you’re a burden,” he elaborated, turning toward her. “That doesn’t make any sense to me. We’re a team, all of us – you, me, Allen, Krory... even the old Panda.” His expression morphed into a reproachful scowl. “And beyond that, even. Everybody in the Black Order, all of us Exorcists. We’re like family, so...” He shifted, supporting his weight on his right arm as he swiveled to face her fully. “So why in the world would I even consider giving up on you?”

Lenalee bit her lip. He was right. Of course he was right. And, too late, she could see the hurt within his gaze. It hurt him that she would undermine their friendship and loyalty over something so stupid as an illness she had no control over. “Lavi..” she started, but he shook his head.

“And you even told me to leave you behind. You really wanted me to just abandon you and save myself.” He huffed a breath, turning his head away from her. “Well it wasn’t gonna happen.”

Lenalee’s heart sank. He was genuinely upset about this, and she felt terrible about the way she had been acting in response to all his help. She closed her eyes briefly, debating whether she should say more. One thing was certain in her mind, however – whatever she said, she needed to make it right, and quickly.

“Lavi..” she murmured, hoping he would look back at her. When he did not, she sighed, shifting forward to lean her elbows against her knees and rest her chin in her hands. “I’m so sorry,” she said earnestly, her bangs falling into her eyes. “You’re right – we are family, and we never give up on each other. I know that, and I should have never asked you to do it.” She straightened again, resting her hands in her lap. “I feel awful.”

He sighed, cocking his head slightly. “It’s okay,” he said finally. He looked in her direction again at last, meeting her deep violet eyes with his piercing gaze. “But... from now on, just... try not to forget it, all right?”

Lenalee smiled, relief filling her as the tension between them eased. “All right.”

He smiled as well, closing his left eye for a moment and slipping his fingers beneath the black eyepatch to rub gingerly at his other one.

“Is your eye hurting you?” she asked softly. None of them knew exactly why he wore the patch all the time, but the natural assumption was that he had injured it at some point.

He shook his head. “Nah. It’s just a little irritated, probably because I got the patch wet...” His voice caught, and he coughed again. “There’s nothing actually wrong with it, by the way,” he added when he recovered, noting her expression.

Lenalee’s eyes widened. “Really?” She smoothed out her jacket, feeling much more at ease now that she felt like they had resolved what had stood between them. “I.. guess I always assumed you injured it somehow.”

One side of his mouth turned up in a wry smile. “I let people think what they want,” he commented, pushing a hand through his thick bangs. “But no.”

It was clear that he was not going to elaborate further, so Lenalee did not press the issue. Instead, she found herself listening to his breathing. It seemed rough, strained... as though it was taking extra effort for him to breathe normally.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked hesitantly, noticing for the first time the bruise-like smudges beneath his visible eye and the lines of fatigue etched upon the rest of his face.

He chuckled again, glancing sidelong at her. “Yes, I’m sure,” he countered. “Don’t worry. I’m not the one who almost died, remem....” His words became garbled and gravelly as his vocal cords once again misbehaved, however; and he trailed off, grimacing.

“Well, no,” Lenalee assented, “but I’m really asking, you know. If you’re not feeling well, we shouldn’t leave until you’re better too...” She frowned, noting a peculiar look on her friend’s face. “Lavi? What is it?”

The young man shook his head slowly, cupping his hand to his face as his eyelashes fluttered. “N – nothing... it’s.... Heh – hehgtSHHu!” He lurched forward, sneezing harshly into his hand. He exhaled wearily, sniffling back the wetness that inevitably followed such an action; but he wasn’t done. His eyebrows quirked, and his breath hitched erratically before he seized up again with another painful-sounding “HahIGSHshk!”

Lenalee winced instinctively. She didn’t care what he said; that didn’t sound healthy at all. “Seriously,” she put forth. “You say you’re fine, but it sounds to me like you should definitely be staying in bed.”

He collected himself, wiping his hand on his pants and trying to appear nonchalant. “Nn.. I’m good,” he reiterated, but his voice cracked in the middle of the word ‘good.’ He flushed slightly, endeavoring to ignore that. “And anyway, we’re not leaving till tomor.. tomorrhh– hehh – hehIGHSHu!”

Lenalee flinched back a bit as Lavi sneezed rather explosively into the back of his wrist, barely catching it in time.

“Ew, Lavi...” she protested, causing him to cringe guiltily.

“Oh... Ah, sorry...” he mumbled, sniffling thickly into his sleeve. “HehgGSSHmfh! Ugh...” He leaned rather weakly against the headboard, closing his left eye again for a moment.

Lenalee shook her head. “Do you want me to go ask Bookman if he’s got any cold remedies?” she asked, her pragmatic side taking over.

Lavi’s eyes popped open, and he shook his head emphatically, gesturing for her to stop as she started to rise. “Doh, it’s fide,” he insisted, keeping his arm poised near his face. “I don’t... heh...” His face fell as his nose twitched again. “HehnGSH! HahIGSH! Heihh...” The last sneeze caught stubbornly, and his features trembled helplessly for a long moment before he finally snapped forward with a powerful “hehIEGHSh!!”

Lenalee hopped up then, rummaging in a drawer before finding what she wanted. Walking back over, she handed him a small thin towel. “Here.”

He took it from her without objection, for he was now sorely in need of something better than a sleeve with which to tend his poor nose. “Thagks,” he mumbled stuffily, wasting no time in blowing his nose. He then laid the towel in his lap and tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling, pushing his hand against his forehead. “I guess I sort of... did come down with something, didn’t I,” he remarked with a rather wobbly grin.

Lenalee hid a smile. “Sort of,” she agreed.

Lavi sighed, then coughed as the congestion rumbled within his chest again. Grunting in displeasure, he rubbed impatiently at his reddening nose, then shifted to look at her again. “Please...” he said hoarsely, with a more serious tone than was his wont. “Do me a favor.. dod’t tell the Panda...” He choked as he tried in vain to calm the spasming of his lungs long enough to finish his appeal. “If he.. finds out I’b sick he’ll.... he’ll kill me for sure....” he expounded, between coughs.

Rather than giving him a reply, Lenalee leaned forward abruptly, slipping her slender hand beneath his bangs to feel his head.

He stiffened, then relaxed, peering up at her with his one eye, his expression one she couldn't quite read. She chose to ignore it, however, adapting a businesslike air instead as she pulled away.

“Hmm... You seem like you have a slight fever, but nothing like what I had,” she evaluated briskly. “You should be fine.”

Lavi gave her an almost petulant look. “I’b not kiddi’g, Lenalee, help me out here,” he insisted. “You don’t kdow Gramps. I’b dot supposed to be sick. I really don't feel like getting kicked around right now so dod’t... don’t tell him...” He was overwhelmed with more coughing, and he wearily raised the towel to his face again.

Though she knew he was exaggerating, Lenalee suspected that there was some truth to his objections. For while Bookman was gentle and understanding with most of the young people in the Order, it was different when it came to his apprentice. Having been in charge of him for so long, he seemed almost to expect perfection from the young man; and so Lenalee did not find it all that surprising to hear that he likely would not take kindly to him falling ill, though it be through no fault of his own.

“HehGSHIH! Hh-hh – HuhgSSHnfh!” Lavi was taken by another violent double, and Lenalee suddenly felt sorry for him. She was not used to seeing him reduced to a state of such... vulnerability. He was always so confident, so self-assured; though not in a cocky, obnoxious way. He was strong, and talented, and good-hearted, and so could legitimately back up his own confidence. None of that was in any way changed now; however, he did looked exhausted and slightly ill, which was highly unusual. He had probably been hiding how he felt all this time, she realized.

She shifted as that dawned on her. In a way, she was almost oddly honored that he would allow her to see what he was feeling. Lavi had always been a lot like an older brother to her – one closer in age than Komui, of course, and not as unpredictable, but a brother nonetheless. And even though she had not known him for very long, she enjoyed his company, and always felt safe when he was around. Up until now, she had not thought about how much she really trusted him.. and how, apparently, he trusted her.

She nodded to herself. From now on, she would make sure to respect that trust.

Lavi, meanwhile, had set the makeshift handkerchief down and was regarding her with a rather miffed look, opening his mouth as though he wished to say something; but she spoke up first.

“Tell you what,” she said, quietly. “Why don’t you take a nap... And I’ll go out there and make sure Bookman doesn’t come in and catch you sleeping.” She rose, giving him a friendly smile. “’Kay?”

Lavi blinked, then grinned slowly, almost as though he somehow knew what she was thinking about. “’Kay..” he repeated, maneuvering to stretch his legs out beneath his blankets. “Thagks, Ledalee, you’re a lifesaver.” He lay down, rubbing his eyes. “I’ll be better by toborrow so we cad leave, I promise.”

Lenalee arched an eyebrow. “Well don’t push yourself,” she warned mock-reprovingly. “You don’t wanna get worse, you know.”

He shook his head, smirking as he tugged off his sling. “Nah, actually I’b serious,” he said. “I’b never sick for very long.” He made a face. “Gramps bade sure my body learned that id a hurry...”

She looked a trifle appalled. “He actually forced you to learn self-healing techniques?”

He nodded sleepily, eyes still closed. “Yep.” He cracked his eye open, regarding her with a small smile. “And actually, the main component of the technique is sleep. Which is why I’ll owe you one if you do this... I’ll be able to codcedtrate od heali’g without worrying about the old Panda walki’g id on me.” He pulled the blankets up, a contented look relaxing his features.

Lenalee tilted her head, looking mildly sympathetic. “All right... Just rest up, okay?”

He nodded; and with that, she stepped out, closing the door behind her.

Once in the hallway, she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Part of her wondered at her own eagerness to cater to Lavi’s obvious exaggeration – that was what it was, after all. It was widely known that he had a flair for the dramatic. Besides, she reasoned, even if the elder Bookman was rough with Lavi, she knew he had to care about him.

As she pondered all this, however, she could hear muffled coughing from within the room behind her; and suddenly she knew she was doing the right thing. What Lavi needed most was rest, and if Bookman got involved he likely wouldn’t get any, no matter how the master dealt with it. Therefore, the least she could do was keep the old man distracted for a few hours so he could get some.

She began making her way back toward her own room; and sure enough, it wasn’t long before she encountered the Bookman.

The shriveled old man stopped opposite her so that she had to stop walking as well. “How is he?” he questioned, eying her shrewdly.

Lenalee folded her hands behind her back. “He’s fine,” she replied, voice neutral. Without missing a beat, she added, “He’s looking forward to leaving tomorrow..”

Bookman nodded contemplatively. “That’s good. Earlier when I told him the plan, he seemed a little hesitant about it. It’s good to hear that he’s ready.”

“Mmhm.” Lenalee kept her tone deceptively light – a trick she had honed after years of practice with Komui. “I am too.” She began walking toward her room again, then stopped and pivoted. “Hey, Bookman.. I sort of have a headache. Do you have anything that can help with that?”

Bookman nodded, moving to fall into step with her. “Of course. My medicine case is still in your room, however, so I’ll have to come with you...”

She beamed. “Oh, yes, thank you!”

Lenalee gave Lavi’s door one final glance as they made their way down the hall. Even though she might be being a little dishonest, she concluded that it felt good to cover for her friend. After all, she had his back, just like he had hers... and no matter whether it was a life-threatening disease or just a common cold, she decided that friends just didn’t let each other down.

>>><<<

Edited November 5, 2012 by smileyfacegirl^^

[EmeraldThread]

THIS!!!! LKSJFLSDJFAD!!!!!! THANK YOU for writing this beautiful fic, it's...it's...beyond my words! TT^TT (<--Tears of happiness. Happiness!) I love you. I'm sorry for all this gushing, but I can't even comprehend my own feelings of love for this fic and Lavi's awesomeness. Your characterization is always spectacular, and I have to say, Lavi's sneezes are perfection. They suit him. XD Seriously, infinitely pleased, and I hope my overflowing love isn't annoying because I grinned hugely when I saw that you'd updated and with LAVI. If this were the only Lavi sneeze fic in existence, I think I would be satisfied. :3 You're wonderful, your work is wonderful, and Lavi is wonderful.

[Emily]

DUDE THIS GAAAAH WHY DO YOU INSIST ON WRITING AMAZINGNESS BASED ON FANDOMS I HAVE NO TIME TO CATCH UP WITH OMG STAHP

T ______ T okay, now I know why you want to see Lavi. maybe I'll just skip the first chapter this time to read the rest of DGM = 3 = this was beautiful, and if this was just "an idea" I can't wait to see what comes next!

[Dye]

Oh, how cute this is! I can't even...! So cuuuute!

[Akahana]

LAVI!!! I feel so bad for him, but it makes so much sense!! Great job on this~

[Ciuty80]

i´m officially braindead since i read this...THIS...like 6.30am when i was on my train to work..

(didn´t even know i was able to work )

HOLY MOLY MY GAWD this is so wonderful!!!

THANK YOU for making my morning brigther!!!!

please more!!!

(p.s.: and a fic about hei OOOHHH GAWD you are driving me insane...sure enough in a VERY positive way!!! )

Edited November 5, 2012 by Ciuty80

[SapphireSong]

Thank you all soooo much!!! I'm so glad you liked that one, I really enjoyed writing it

~~~

Hey guys! So I have been digging through my stories, and have discovered some things that I never got around to posting! So I have decided to share one or two of them with you while I await inspiration for my newer projects Here is an FMA oneshot that I wrote a while back, involving a character who is like never given any love... Jean Havoc.

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Jean Havoc (m)

Notes:

As I said, this character is rarely ever written about.. and I've never seen a sneezefic about him <.< However, he is awesome and I love him, and so does DaylightStarr, so I wrote this for her and I really like how it turned out I hope you like it, too :3 Let me know what you think!

Havoc.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So... this is your report.”

“Yes sir.”

It was a bright morning in April. The cheerful spring sunshine filtered benignly into Colonel Roy Mustang’s personal office, through windows that were still bedecked with glistening droplets leftover from the previous evening’s downpour. The light bequeathed a pleasant warmth to the spacious room, painting brightly contrasting bars of light and shadow across the three figures currently occupying the office: the Colonel, his bodyguard, and his discomfited Second Lieutenant.

Mustang held the slightly soggy remains of what had once been an orderly collection of paperwork loosely in his gloved hands, gingerly grasping the corner of the first page and flipping it over. The paper was wrinkled and dirty, the carefully-inked characters bleeding into one another and rendered hopelessly unrecognizable as a result.

Mustang gave an irritated sigh. “Did you expect me to be able to read this, Havoc?”

The man remained standing firmly at attention, prepared to accept whatever discipline that was to be meted out to him with stoic obedience, but his eyes still flickered from the papers to his commanding officer. “...No sir.”

Mustang carefully re-folded the limp pages, frowning at his subordinate.

Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc was not a particularly complex individual. He was obedient, courageous, strong of mind and body, good-natured, responsible, and excellent at his job. He was not prone to laziness or carelessness, nor would he have ever even dreamt of insubordinate behavior. He was a soldier, plain and simple... and one of the best in his field, at that. Thus, needless to say, his incongruous conduct was more than a little concerning to his superior officer.... however, what troubled Mustang almost more than that was the Second Lieutenant’s aberrant physical appearance.

Jean Havoc was not the sort of man to dwell overmuch on his looks, but he was always neat and clean. The only complaint ever known to be levied against him pertaining to hygiene regarded the pungent scent of cigarette smoke that hung perpetually about him – but all who had been around him long enough knew that that was just, well, Havoc.

Today, however, he looked completely disheveled from head to toe. His uniform was rumpled and unbuttoned, as though he had hastily thrown it on as an afterthought that morning. His goldenrod hair was tousled as well, and he had shockingly dark circles beneath his eyes and sparse stubble along his jawline.

Mustang folded his arms, and First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye silently came up to take the papers from his hand. Roy paid her no mind, focused instead on the unfortunate Havoc as he prepared to ask him the question he knew he was dreading.

“So, what happened?”

As Mustang predicted, the second lieutenant dropped his gaze to the floor, rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. “Well sir, I...” His voice was rougher and deeper than normal, and he sounded extremely tired. In fact, Mustang strongly suspected that he was trying to mask exactly how tired he was.

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, mustering the courage to meet the Colonel’s stare again. “I... was on a date.”

Mustang blinked. That was not at all the sort of answer he had been expecting. However, he quickly got over his surprise, and indulged himself in a wry smirk. “What kind of an excuse is that? I’m no social slouch myself, but my job comes first. I do my work in advance and still have time to go out. Surely that can’t be all.”

Hawkeye glanced up from across the room where she was shuffling papers on the Colonel’s desk. “Actually, sir, you usually wait till the last minute to complete assignments,” she pointed out, “just the same as Lieutenant Havoc, and most of the people around here.”

Roy’s imperious affectation noticeably deflated, and he shot her a dispassionate look. “Yes...Thank you, Lieutenant.” Giving a slight shake of his head, he turned back to Havoc. “Very well then, I suppose that when you choose to complete your paperwork is irrelevant... but would you mind explaining to me exactly why your report looks like you put it through a washing machine?”

Havoc swallowed, nodding. “Yes sir. I...” He trailed off, a peculiar expression spreading across his face. Eyelids half-closing, he brought the cuff of one sleeve up to his mouth. “HngSHH!” His eyes remained closed for a brief moment, and then he exhaled wearily. “Excuse be.” After a rather liquid sniffle, he brought his arm down and continued. “I went od a date with my new girlfriend last dight, sir, just like I told you. We were out by Hampton Park whed it started to rain, so we decided to hurry back to her place... but whed we were crossing the bridge, she slipped and fell idto the creek, and I – hh –” Havoc’s breath hitched, and his arm returned to his face. “Hh’ngxt!... I jumped down to get her out.” Havoc rubbed his sleeve against his nose, trying his best ward off the undesired tickle but looking very much like he needed to sneeze again. “My bag got all weh – a-all weheh...”

Havoc’s words became increasingly incoherent as the sneezes refused to let him ignore them.

“Hh’nggh! NnGXT! … wet.” He stifled them into his sleeve in an attempt to be respectful, but Mustang could tell that his discomfort was increasing by the minute.

The Colonel tilted his head, trying to process Havoc’s story, and somewhat distracted by the lack of professionalism Havoc was currently displaying. “Come again?”

Havoc’s brow furrowed, and he sniffed several times in a vain attempt to curtail his worsening symptom. “Sir..?”

Roy shook his head sharply, as if he had heard incorrectly. “Let me get this straight – you helped a girl out of shallow water, managing to soak through your belongings in the process… and that’s why your report is ruined?”

Havoc opened his mouth to reply, but sneezed instead. “Heh’gshhu!”

Roy shifted in annoyance. “What the hell, Havoc? Don’t you know better than to do something that ridiculous?”

An embarrassed flush tinted Havoc’s pale cheeks, accentuating the redness that already afflicted the skin around his eyes and nose, but he met the gaze of his C.O. without flinching. “I accept full respodsibility for the report, sir,” he began, squaring his shoulders. “But what kind of man would I be if I’d just left her down there?” The noble determination that surfaced in his blue eyes dissolved, however, as his nose twitched again. “Heh’nngt! Hh...hn’ngxt! Heh’gSHHn!!” Just like before, he smothered them violently into his jacket sleeve; but the stifles sounded quite painful, and what little energy he had seemed to diminish with each one.

Mustang didn’t notice however, as he was still hung up on the absurdity (as he perceived it) of his subordinate’s story. “Chivalry is all well and good, Havoc, but you’d do well to remember that work always comes –”

“Sir.”

Mustang stopped, surprised, as Hawkeye tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He gave her a questioning look, and she inclined her head gently in Havoc’s direction.

“...HhtJHH! Hih..Hn’gshh!” Havoc had forcibly buried his face in his sleeve, but it was no longer helping him much. He was so concentrated on containing his explosions that he hadn’t even heard Mustang’s reproval.

“..Hmh..” Roy’s disapproving scowl devolved into a puzzled frown. He watched as Havoc sniffled, then lowered his arm – cautiously this time, as if he wasn’t sure it was a wise idea.

Havoc suddenly realized that both of his superiors were staring at him, and he tried valiantly to re-assume his proper attention stance. “Sorry. Wh...what are your orders, sir – heh’gSHH!” He caught the sneeze in his elbow, barely in time.

Roy sighed. “Damn it, Havoc, what the hell’s wrong with you? You’re making me feel sick just looking at you.”

Havoc stiffened, a stricken expression gracing his haggard face. “I’b sorry, sir... by lighter got trashed frub the water, so I have a horrible headache....”

Mustang raised a cynical eyebrow, and Havoc shifted, broad shoulders slumping slightly. “...and... I seeb to have caught a cold, sir.” He sniffed again, unintentionally punctuating the statement, and rubbed the back of his hand against his nose.

“You don’t say,” Roy returned flatly. He paused, folding his arms. “Well that won’t do at all.”

He tilted his head. “Go home, Havoc. Take some sick leave.”

Havoc brought up his hands in protest. “N – I’b okay, sir, really. It’s dot a big deal, I cad do by work, I swear..”

“That’s an order, Havoc,” Roy snapped, causing him to swallow his words in a hurry. “I can’t have you infecting the entire staff with this, understand? So.. just go get some rest.”

Havoc drooped, looking for all the world like a scolded puppy. “Y..yes sir. Thagk you, sir...”

He saluted disconsolately, then turned to leave.

Lieutenant Hawkeye moved to see him out; but as she passed Mustang, she noted an unusual expression on his face and hesitated. He seemed exceptionally dissatisfied about something or other; and sure enough, as she slowed, he spoke up again.

“Hey. Havoc.”

Havoc about-faced, stiffening automatically to attention stance but still looking quite crestfallen and sick. “Yes sir.”

Roy eyed him dourly, arms still folded. “Was she worth it?”

Havoc’s countenance brightened instantly. “Oh, yes sir, very buch so. She’s wud of the sweetest girls I’ve ever bet – she tried to apologize for falli’g id and all, but I told her it was all right ...”

Roy snorted. “Oh, yeah? What’s her name?”

“Lilia!” Havoc responded happily. “She’s funny, and kind, and absolutely gorgeous! Everythi’g a guy like be could ever wadt!”

The change in Havoc’s mood was impressive; all traces of his gloom had vanished, swallowed up by the delight illuminating his tired eyes.

Meanwhile, Riza cast a guarded glance at Mustang. At first, she was somewhat apprehensive as to his reasoning for questioning Havoc. She knew all too well that Mustang had an irritating tendency to be overbearing and cavalier when it came to women; he was known throughout the Eastern region for his irresistible charm, and for him to sweep any given girl off her feet – even to the detriment of another man – was not exactly unheard of. Now, Mustang was far too sharp-minded to take such flings seriously; in fact, Riza had known him long enough to recognize that these relationships were little more than a game to him – a way for him to hone his people-pleasing skills and distract himself with pleasant frivolity.

...Unfortunately, the other individuals involved in Roy’s “pleasant frivolity” usually ended up getting hurt – something he never seemed to take into consideration.

Thus, Riza watched to see whether or not her intervention might be necessary to prevent this situation from going amiss, for she did not wish to see Havoc become any more miserable than he already was.

However, she saw no trace of the significatory shrewd gleam in Mustang’s obsidian eyes; rather, his eyes were serious, pensive. He seemed to be focusing on Havoc himself, rather than what he had to say.

Hawkeye accordingly shifted her attention to Havoc, who was still singing the praises of his new girlfriend... and as she observed his tired enthusiasm, she quietly understood what Mustang’s real intentions had been.

“... She’s a special wud, sir... I’d do just about adythi’g for – hh...” At last, Havoc interrupted himself with a sneeze. “TSSH-huh!” It burst out of him before he could restrain it, and a pained look spread across his face. “S...sorry.”

Hawkeye closed her eyes briefly, then strode over to the door and opened it. “All right, Lieutenant,” she said gently, touching his arm. “We’ll see you back here when you’re feeling better, okay?”

He nodded vigorously, then winced, pressing his knuckles to his forehead. “Yes sir.” He directed one final relieved salute at the Colonel, gave a respectful nod to Hawkeye, and then went out.

Riza carefully closed the door behind him, then began making her way back to her desk. Mustang had already returned to his, and was examining Havoc’s ill-fated report with a bemused expression. “Now.. what am I supposed to do with this...”

Riza turned smartly on her heel, shaking her head as she approached. “Just dispose of it, sir,” she pronounced, slipping it out of his grasp. “It’s useless now; I’ll place a note tab in his file, and you can have him write up a new one when he comes back.” Without waiting for a reply, she fastidiously transported it across the room and placed it in the paper-waste bin.

Mustang took a moment to process that, then shrugged and flipped open his logbook, casually resting both palms against the flat surface of the desk. “He jumped off a bridge for a woman,” he mulled, shaking his head as he picked up his pen. “What in the world could have possessed him...”

Hawkeye dusted off her hands and walked to the file cabinets along the far wall, writing up the note as her sturdy boots clumped over the wooden floorboards. “That’s just how he is, sir,” she asserted, kneeling to access the appropriate drawer. “He’s protective, and possesses an unmitigated sense of loyalty. You know he’d do the same for any of us in an instant.” She raised her eyes to her superior’s face as she stood once more, sliding the compartment shut.

Mustang’s mouth quirked up in a smirk. “An astute observation, Lieutenant,” he responded, pressing the nib of the pen against the paper as he began entering the data. “I guess that proves that profound loyalty really does only come about through mild insanity.”

Hawkeye hid a smile; for the respect in his eyes far belied the arrogance of his words.

~~~~~~~~~

Edited December 3, 2012 by smileyfacegirl^^

[Spoo]

Goodness me, did we really get blessed with some Havoc love? OH HAPPY DAAAAY! Havoc was (and still is!) my most favorite FMA character. I think he's adorable and hilarious. XD I loved this update so much, SFG! Very in character (as usual~) and just plain adorable.

[Emily]

Hawkeye hid a smile; for the respect in his eyes far belied the arrogance of his words.

Undeniably one of the best last lines ever and my favorite line in the one-shot. Not surprisingly, I probably learn more about the characters from reading your stories than I did from the actual manga and your characterization is, as always, awesome and spot-on. 8D For a fleeting moment, I thought Mustang was out to conquer this sweet and beautiful Lilia until you proved me wrong

[EmeraldThread]

HAVOC!!!! WHY are you so awesome?! You are so wonderful, writing things like this for such underappreciated characters as Jean Havoc.

I love how you wrote him, and Roy and Riza, too - superbly in character, as always. Everything about them just says that this could actually happen canonically, and I know I'm not really saying anything different from what I would on ALL your stories, but it's true. I really liked when Roy tried to brighten up Havoc's mood a little bit, too, and how Hawkeye notices. I just thought it was a sweet moment. :3

Also, in regards to something you said about third person in your reply on Holiday: I did notice your use of third person was a little different than usual here. I liked it a lot, and it gave a sort of universal perspective, so I could see everyone's thoughts and perspective on some level. I do like the way you write in general, with some degree of outsider perspective (as in a character other than the one experiencing the illness) because I like the description of what they're seeing happen to the sick character. I don't know if I described that very well, but hopefully you know what I mean?

Otherwise, I loved so much about this, just because it's HAVOC. One of my favorite parts was the beginning, where Roy's just looking in disbelief at the report and can't believe Havoc actually saw fit to hand that in. xDD

“TSSH-huh!” It burst out of him before he could restrain it, and a pained look spread across his face. “S...sorry.”

For some reason, this line really stood out to me. Maybe it was because I pictured this adorable sheepish expression crossing his face as he apologized and it was just cute.

Btw, I'm kind of glad I put off reading this until I started studying for finals. :3 It made for a nice break between subjects.

[Zane]

(Ahh, Fai is your favorite is he? XD Weeelll. Lucky for you, he is also the other member of the Tsubasa family that I plan to write about. Though, his may end up being too long to post in this thread. A while back I promised a Fai fic for Zane, and I have a couple different ones I've been working on )

So I was just reading all of these and then looked at the comments that you put after you did Tsubasa and I was like did I seriously just see my name? I had to re-read that part and I totally forgot about the Fai fic. anyway..... Thanks for writing these and I am so looking forward to more. Especially Fai.

[SapphireSong]

*deep breath* I have returned!!!!

...hahahaa, I have no idea if anyone even remembers this thread, or wants to read more of this sort of thing from me, but here I am! I've been into writing drabbles/oneshots lately, so I decided to revive this thread in order to dump a few finished ones into it.

But yeah! If any of you are interested, I might end up posting more -- right now, I'm still very much into the anime Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, so chances are most (if not all) of the dabbles I do will be for that. You have been warned. X3 That's not to say I won't do other things if it suits me, but I'm mostly just writing whatever I feel like now and sharing it if I feel like it. xDD;; So.

I've been using prompts from Garnet's fantastic new list here: http://www.sneezefet...showtopic=54991 But I may post things outside of that list if I feel like it. (sensing a theme? xD;; ) hahaha, but anyways! I'd like to share some drabble-ish things with you, and I hope you enjoy them! As always, comments and things are welcome -- in fact, I may be more inclined to post more if I know you guys want them. =w=

So here you go! These are the first two drabbles I wrote for the list - both include the pairing MakoHaru, just so you know. And lots of fluff, as per my style.. so... enjoy!

Prompt: Pillow

Word Count: 344

Makoto, Haru

Makoto doesn’t remember falling asleep, but suddenly he’s waking up to find his face buried into something soft and warm. He nuzzles into it instinctively, groggily, grimacing as he registers the pounding in his head. The reason for his abrupt rousal becomes apparent – a fierce, buzzing irritation at the back of his sinuses – and he gasps erratically, too sleepy to hold the sneeze back.

“hehEGHSch’mmf!! nnh..” The sneeze pushes him further into the soft material. He utters a hoarse groan, then sniffles, eyes blinking open. He’s so congested he can hardly breathe, but his nose is still aggravated and he pulls back to inhale, to sneeze again – then stops short as he realizes what he’s burrowed into.

“hhHaru!” He scrambles to a semi-upright position, horrified. His dark-haired friend remains reclined, gazing at him impassively.

“H..Har..u.. I-I – hh!...” He tries to croak out an apology, but his breath hitches instead.

“Makoto..” Haru touches the tip of his finger to Makoto’s nose, featherlight. Makoto’s expression crumples.

“h’hh – hehh! hh’XJSH’ih! HehEhJsHh’ht! mn..” He sneezes harshly, catching the explosions clumsily with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. He winces, then sighs miserably, guiltily eying the area of Haru’s chest that he’d been nestled against. “Haru, that’s gross, w-why’d you let be –”

“Shut up,” Haru says gently, brushing his knuckles down Makoto’s cheek.

Makoto blushes, tries to stammer another protest, but Haru places his hand on his shoulder and guides him back into his arms. Makoto flails, but only a little.. because.. it’s so much easier to just... rest there.. held snugly against his soulmate. Nuzzling into the fabric again, he hesitates, then slips his arms around Haru, hugging him like a pillow. In turn, Haru holds him there, rubbing his back soothingly when he starts to cough.

“A-Are you sure this..” Makoto mumbles the beginning of a question, but Haru shushes him.

“Go back to sleep,” he murmurs. Makoto nods, sniffles. He’s completely disgusting right now, but if Haru doesn’t mind, then.. he guesses it’s okay.

Prompt: Hold Back

Word Count: 513

Makoto, Haru

Makoto sees the sneeze coming before Haru himself does. Haru’s currently engrossed in a project, at his most intense level of concentration, and Makoto knows that nothing short of mackerel or water could distract him right now.

...Nothing except, perhaps, the need to sneeze.

Makoto notices it when Haru’s signature brooding frown of deep attention is fractured by the barest quiver of his long dark eyelashes, followed by the parting of his lips. A telltale vacancy surfaces in his eyes for a moment, though he blinks it away immediately; and Makoto knows what is sure to come.

Haru is absorbed in his drawing, ignoring Makoto’s staring as usual. Makoto is thinking about warning him when Haru catches his breath, as if surprised, and wrinkles his nose.

Makoto can’t help smiling. So he does know, for once. Despite his deep concentration – or maybe because of it – Haru is aware of the impending reaction.

Makoto can see that Haru is annoyed by it, too. He’s thoroughly wrapped up in his work, so being interrupted by a sneeze will be troublesome. Haru’s frown deepens, and he bends purposefully over his sketchbook, determined to ignore it.

It doesn’t go away, however. His nostrils are flaring with every other breath, his eyelids drooping to half-mast without his consent. Haru rubs the tip of his nose with the base of his left index finger, sniffling quietly, and scowls at his paper.

Makoto watches, very amused, as Haru attempts to circumvent the inevitable.

His efforts are admirable – he tries to hold it back, he really tries. But Haru’s sneezes are as stubborn as he is about being free, and it isn’t long before they have their way. Makoto can tell the exact moment Haru unwillingly accepts the futility – the hand holding his pencil stills, his head tilts back slightly, and the cutest expression of irritation graces his face before he snaps forward.

“h’UHktSsh!” For all the anticipation, he’s still surprised enough by the actual sneeze that he doesn’t cover, ducking over his arm instead to avoid sneezing on his book. He’s bleary-eyed when he straightens again, and Makoto withholds his blessing as he notes that Haru’s nose is twitching.

“hhksch! Huuh – UHk’TShu!” Haru sneezes ticklishly, as if trying to suppress it had only made the itch more insistent. He sniffles afterwards, running his finger beneath his nostrils and looking a little dazed.

“Bless you, Haru,” Makoto says at last, his tone both amused and concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fiih–” Haru’s voice wavers a bit. “I’m – hih - huh‘EhSshk!” His features quirk in displeasure as he rubs his nose more insistently, and Makoto gives him a gentle grin.

“Bless you.” Unable to resist, Makoto leans over and kisses his temple.

Embarrassed, Haru glares almost petulantly at him, at which Makoto digs a package of tissues from his backpack for a peace offering. Haru begrudgingly takes one, disgruntled and blushing. Makoto shakes his head and starts to laugh, and Haru hides his weakening scowl by turning back to his work.

...And there you go! Again, comments welcome and much appreciated! :3

[EmeraldThread]

YOU'RE BACK!! I'm sososo glad you revived this thread, it's one of my favorites, and I just...always love reading what you write no matter what. X3 Your writing is unfailingly beautiful, and I love seeing when you post it. It deserves to be noticed and I hope lots of people read and comment on this so you'll keep posting more.

Anyway. Specific feedback.

Pillow: This one is wicked cute no matter how many times I read it. X3 The idea of Makoto waking up on Haru and sneezing into his shirt...just...it's so adorable, I don't even know what else to say. >////< Your descriptions are fantastic and the way you write him shows this really...I dunno, miserable picture of him, which is exactly what he is. So it's just accurate for what you're trying to do, if that makes sense. xD Miserable Makoto is really cute...although I feel bad for him, too, like where he can't breathe through his nose at all and is obviously super uncomfortable. But Haru's there, so it makes it better. X3 Also! Your spellings for him are perfect. I can't say it enough - they're like...forceful and they sound like they just tear at his chest and I feel really bad for him there, too. ^^; Makoto's and Haru's whole interaction is flawless, too, and I still can't get over how cute it is and how well you write them (although that's not surprising, considering). I can just picture them making a day of this, since Makoto is too sick to do anything (even if he might protest that at some point) where they just stay in bed together all day except when Haru gets up to make Makoto mackerel soup and tea and run him a bath and just...yeah. The idea of Haru taking care of Makoto like this is really appealing. xD;;

Hold Back: I absolutely love when you write Haru. X3 Or anyone, but since Haru's my favorite...I just love when you write him. And you know him so well that it's just exactly what he would do, and then exactly how Makoto would react. It's adorable, both of them...how Makoto just watches because he always knows when Haru's going to sneeze (and finds it amusing, especially when Haru knows and is still trying to ignore it). And again, the way you describe it all...so I can practically feel it even though it's from Makoto's perspective, because Makoto would most likely know what it feels like for Haru...since they're them. And when he sees Haru just give in to it. Just yes. And again, spellings. I've noticed it a lot before, but the way you write the spellings for each character is so specific not only to them, but to the kind of sneeze it is. The way you did Haru's here, they sound light and ticklish, just like you described them. And Makoto's are forceful and...well...they sound painful. ^^; They fit exactly what you're giving us, and I love it. X3

So yeah...I'm so glad you posted these!! X3 You write Makoto and Haru so well...and these are such cute scenarios, I just...yeah. I can't tell you enough how awesome your writing is, and how awesome you are.

[Akahana]

I'm so happy this is back!!! <3 <3 These are beautiful my babus

[Natto]

Oh my gosh, these are fantastic!! Thanks so much for pointing these out to me, I'd have missed them completely otherwise.

Pillow: Awww, Makoto...! Poor thing. I love that Haru just doesn't care at all how gross this is. Makoto's the only one who's worried about it, Haru could not possibly care less, he just wants Makoto to feel better. If he keeps on letting Makoto sneeze on him he's going to get sick himself... Anyway, lovely drabble. I love how you spell sneezes, and I love your description of how miserable Makoto is...particularly your detail that he can't breathe through his nose, so many people don't include that aspect of colds and it's basically my favorite symptom so eek, yes!

Hold Back: The first thing that I like about this one is the fact that you brought up Haru's art skills. I don't really see people remembering that that's a thing very often, but it was always an aspect of Haru that I found interesting--especially that he'd be so good at art when he doesn't seem to spend any significant time perfecting his skills. I like that you actually had him drawing. Also, I like that you managed to infuse a single moment--just a few sneezes--with so much detail! It was easy to picture exactly what was happening, and it wasn't boring even though hardly anything happened. I also love how irritated Haru was at the end, even though all Makoto's trying to do is help--it's just like him. Wonderful drabble.

Anyway, these were both great, thank you so much for writing them!!