Just some sick fluff

[Milo]

"Looks like it's going to rain," Jamie observes in a quiet voice, tone mild, looking up at the sky through the busted open roof of The Mansion (which wasn't really a mansion at all, rather a beat up and abandoned old trailer in the middle of the forest. Neither boy has any idea what happened to The Mansion, but it's one side had been ripped completely open as if someone had taken a can opener to the wall). He takes a drag of his cigarette, "wanna head back?"

Minzy, sitting adjacent Jamie with his back against the frame of the old couch, makes no move to answer. This is when Jamie notices he's trembling just slightly, and his eyes seem bright. Of course, once he starts to notice these things, more and more becomes apparent; like the dark flush of Minzy's tanned cheeks near his eyes and, thinking backward, how quiet Minzy has been today.

"Hey man, are you okay?" Jamie asks, leaning closer instinctively as he takes one last inhale and then flicks his cigarette butt onto the dirt.

Minzy seems to hear him this time, both eyes moving toward Jamie while the rest of him stays rigid. "Don't fuss over me, bro, makes me uncomfortable," He says with a small smile, but Jamie doesn't miss the roughness of Minzy's, usually smooth, voice.

"Fine, fine, whatever." Jamie mumbles as he jumps off the edge of The Mansion and lands in the dirt next to a messy little fire pit that probably hasn't been used in years. "But my offer still stands, wanna head back?"

Minzy nods slowly, like he's still digesting the information as he gives his assent, and holds out an arm. Jamie pulls Minzy to his feet, Minzy brushes off the thighs of his jeans, and they make their way out of the forest as clouds roll in and thunder threatens.

Twice on their walk home Minzy trips over something invisible to Jamie, and Jamie loses count of how many times Minzy doesn't immediately pull away when they walk a little bit too close to each other. Of course Jamie's worried, because this is all so unlike the Minzy he knows and loves, but he keeps it quiet.

"I hate this movie," Minzy whines, sounding like he's trying his hardest to talk through a stuffed nose. He's got his feet up on the couch, knees tented, and his arms crossed over his stomach as the television blares an old movie Jamie's never heard of before. "The dog dies at the end."

"Just 'cause you're getting sick doesn't mean you can be a brat and ruin movies for me," Jamie changes the channel idly, convincing himself he didn't want to see that movie anyway.

"Not gettin' sick," Minzy mutters, not taking his eyes off the television.

"Sure," Jamie stresses it out all sarcastic, sending a playful grin Minzy's way.

"Oh, don't look ad me like thad," Minzy grabs a pillow and buries his face in it. "I habe a headache abd you're makin' it worse!"

Jamie takes mental inventory. "Want me to go grab you something?"

Minzy shakes his head into the pillow, hugging it tighter and tighter. "Yeah."

He doesn't exactly rush upstairs, but Jamie makes it to the upstairs washroom, grabs the bottle of Advil, and comes back to the kitchen area in record time. He pours some water and shakes out two pills. Minzy's got his feet on the ground when Jamie enters with the glass of water and Advil, but his head is supported by both hands.

"Head up," Jamie orders while he sets the cup on a coaster and the pills beside it.

Minzy obeys. "I know whad you're thindking, Jamie, adb you're nod righd so you can jusd drob i-"

But Jamie's got his lips brushing against Minzy's forehead and that stops him in his tracks. Just lightly, barely qualifying as a peck, but it's got Minzy reeling and sputtering.

"Wow, notd eben my grabdma does thad!"

"You're warm," Jamie's eyebrows crease in concern. "Like, feverish warm. So how about you stop protesting and let me take care of you, okay?"

Minzy recovers from the initial shock and reaches for the water, swallows the pills, and downs it all in one go. He looks up at Jamie with an unconvinced sort of defiance that says both 'good luck' and 'try me'. Jamie accepts the challenge. If Minzy wants to play like that, then Jamie'll step up to plate and follow his lead. It's a game of break or be broken, and Jamie has a seven point lead to sustain, if memory serves.

Minzy starts sneezing when the sun really sets, and that's one point for Jamie. "A-AckTWAHshu! eeshtchu!"

"Ready to admit defeat?"

"heh...hehGWASHUch," was Minzy's only reply. He accepts Jamie's offer of tissues, but makes a point to do it as reluctantly as possible. "God dammit-" he starts to say more, but breaks into a fit of coughing. Once he's finished, he catches the look Jamie's giving him and hides his face. "I said dobn'd look ad me like thad!"

"You're hopeless," Jamie gives a small sigh. "Why don't we just go to sleep? You're only getting wor-"

"I'm not sick!" Minzy shouts at the same time as a boom of thunder and crack of lightening shake the house. The lights overhead flicker, fizz, and die out. "A-aeSTUgh...GwAESTchuu..."

"Well, shit."

Jamie goes on a hunt for that flashlight he saw about a month ago while Minzy sneezes himself into oblivion on the couch, and when he's back with torch in hand, he gathers Minzy off the couch to leads him upstairs with no room for protest.

Minzy stands in Jamie's doorway, looking rather unsteady and not feeling much the contrary, with the hem of his sweater bunched in his fists. "Your bed's too small for the both of us."

Jamie throws Minzy a pair of sweat pants. "I don't think so," he says. Then, rethinking that after one long look at his bed, "we'll make it work."

Minzy exchanges jeans for sweat pants and Jamie does the same, except Minzy layers on a sweater while Jamie just shrugs out of his shirt. When the world starts to feel like underwater, waves making the walls swirl, Minzy holds the blades of his palms to his eyes and blinks rapidly, trying to clear his vision of the fog in his head. He gives one pathetic sniff, a vain attempt to breathe, and his shoulder slope in defeat.

"C'mere," He motions for Minzy to come forward. Jamie brushes Minzy's bangs out of his face, and presses cool knuckles onto his cheeks, forehead, and neck. Minzy shivers. Jamie isn't positive, but he thinks Minzy's gotten warmer, which means his fever's rising and not falling. Why would it have fallen, anyway? Inwardly kicking himself for not doing anything earlier, Jamie nods like he has purpose.

"All right, I'm gunna get you some water and medicine if I can find any. You stay here and get comfortable."

Once Minzy's alone he sits on the edge of Jamie's bed and sulks. He feels miserable. From his head to his sinuses, and then to his chest and muscles, everything hurts. He rolls his shoulder, one hand massaging the blade as he makes small, quick circles, but nothing relieves the tension. Minzy supposes that he might as well lay down, so he does. Sure, there's the tiniest kernel of guilt stirring in his stomach, for both burdening Jamie and sharing his bed. Minzy knows Jamie's going to get sick, he just knows it, but he isn't thinking any of that right now; his brain is too hot to really form any of those past thoughts.

Jamie kisses Minzy again, this time on the cheek, and hates it but has to ask Minzy to sit up. "This shit'll probably knock you right out," he smiles, sitting next to Minzy and passing him a bottle top full of medicine. "Fever relief, and cough-cold stuff, too. Should do the trick."

"Hobe so." Minzy closes his eyes tight as he tips the bottle cap back like a shot glass, trying to swallow without the medicine touching his tongue. He still tastes it, unfortunately, and shudders, pulling a face. "God damn do I eber hatde medicine."

"What are you, five?" Jamie remembers he brought water, and passes Minzy that as well.

"I wandt the side close to the wall," Minzy calls once he's set the cup on Jamie's shelf, and he's already scrambling over. Jamie shakes his head and decides that answers his question. "Abd I donb't wanna wake up width your boner in my back, eidther, so stday on your side of the bed."

Jamie just chuckles, making sure Minzy has blankets before settling down himself. "Rest up, asshole, I want you gone by tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I hope you get sick, jerk."

[Tarkus]

Cuuuuute I like it.