I AM the Flu

[Toober]

Wow this is long. Does the Flu get you down? He's actually a pretty fun guy!

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Eliza woke with a start as the lightening flashed outside her window. She sat straight up, her heart jumping into her throat. She could've sworn she had seen something.

Eliza had always had problems with nightmares when she was younger, and they had been less and less problematic over the years, but all it took was either a sugary snack or a negative influence to get the darker side of her mind operating at full capacity. She pulled the comforter up further as her eyes darted around the dark room. 'Nothing's here,' she thought to herself as she took a couple of deep breaths. 'No one could've gotten in here. You're fine.'

The lightening flashed outside her window again, illuminating the silhouette of someone on the bay of her window. She jumped a bit, startled.

"H-hello?" Eliza ventured. Now she could definitely see the dark form of a shuddering figure, his breaths ragged. She quickly reached over and turned on the lamp, squinting at the sudden flood of light.

"HiK'ChUH!" the intruder sniffled, pulling her attention to himself.

Her eyes widened as she saw a pale skinned boy sitting cross-legged on the window bay. He was thin, and his hair was thoroughly tousled with an ice bag haphazardly placed on top. He sweated and shivered and sniveled and smiled brightly and greedily at her. His face was flushed pink with what was obviously fever and his nose ran profusely. The intruder was clad in bedtime attire, a soft yellow shirt hung off of his frame, followed by a pair of baggy gray sweats and dirty socked feet. A thermometer hung out of his mouth playfully, bobbing as he spun his tongue around the end.

"Wh-who are you?" She slid off of her bed and backed up towards the door to put as much distance between them as she could.

"What, no bless you?" he cleared his throat. He smiled and held the thermometer between his teeth. Then he leaned forward, placing most of his weight on his palms face down on the cushioning.

"I said, who are you?" She said, her tone sounding more frightened than threatening. She picked up her slipper off of the floor and chucked it at him. The soft footwear hit his knee and fell limply to the floor. The intruder took no notice, but instead crossed his arms and yawned, shaking. "Did you?" The intruder spoke through his yawn, rubbing his eyes when he was finished. "Sorry, I've been a bit groggy lately. My name is- why, you look so scared!" He grinned, his voice laced with laughter and congestion. "Come on, no need for that; I don't bite. No promises about contagion though," he sniffled, "What was I saying? Oh, yes. I-" he placed his hand on his chest and stood up, flourishing and bowing low, "-am the Flu."

Eliza let her arms fall to her sides in disbelief. She looked suspiciously at the one who called himself "the Flu"

"Just how delirious are you?" She still huddled against the wall at the other side of her room. The Flu straightened and sat back down, removing the thermometer from his mouth and squinting at it. He licked his lips and drawled slowly, "On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say about a 4, but what does that have to do with my name? I like my name, it's fitting." He replaced he thermometer and fixed his gaze on her.

"You're name is the Flu, and you have the flu?" Eliza decided the man before her was crazy.

"No, I AM the Flu. It's not as weird as you think." His breath hitched and he looked down at his hands, "HiK'chUH!" He blinked and proudly held his hands out for her to see. "See? Normal." This guy could not stop smiling. When she frowned at him, he wiped his hands off on his pants and rubbed his nose on the back of his hand. His expression became serious as he thoroughly wiped all of the saliva and snot from his hands and onto his yellow shirt. "Let me explain something to you. You've heard of mother nature?" He looked her in the eyes and she nodded. "That's my great-grandma. Such a sweet lady, really. But as you probably know not all things in this world are perfect." he held his arms out and gestured to himself, expectantly, then coughed pitifully. "No one really likes me... But that's okay. I don't really like them either."

She squinted at him like he has blurry, confused. "So you single-handedly spread..." she searched for the right term,"..yourself to people around the world?"

"No. Well, yes but...?" he scratched his head furiously, searching for an

answer and obviously frustrated with himself. He stopped and straightened when he ice pack fell from his head, taking a deep, wheezing breath. He picked he pack up from the floor and rested it on his aching shoulder. "Usually my cousins Contagion and Infection help me," The Flu blinked repeatedly, and his breath hitched for a third time within the last seven minutes. "Heh... Hhhh... Ihh," his muscles tightened painfully and his face flushed even more, "HiK'chUH!"

Eliza relaxed a bit, but still kept her distance. "Do you always sneeze like that?" she asked, rubbing her shoulder nervously.

"Yeah." He sniffled, "Don't you have a certain way you sneeze?" he wiped his nose on the back of his hand.

"Haven't really thought about it." she slid down the wall and sat, making sure her night dress at least covered her knees.

"There, now! You're opening up to me! I'm not all that frightening, am I?" he coughed harshly.

"Well, don't get too comfortable. I'm not sure I like strange illnesses sneaking into my bedroom at night. Anyway, you were saying...?"

"I was?" He checked the thermometer again. It seemed to remind him, "Oh, yes! Usually my cousins Contagion and Infection help me spread my sickness, but around this time of year they're too busy helping my older brother, Com." He smiled, "Now I get to do it all by myself." he sat straight up proudly, projecting his chest outward and then setting after a moment.

"Com?" she asked, searching her mind to something in nature he could be related to.

"Ah, formally The Common Cold. You've probably met him before in some way or another." He rubbed his eyes tiredly and yawned again, resting his face in his hand and pushing up his cheek in the process. He seemed to vibrate with chills. Eliza stood up and moved cautiously towards him while he was distracted.

"If you think of it that way," she tried a small smile in his direction, "then we've met before, too." she quietly watched him smirk with some sort of intelligence and move the ice pack to his other shoulder. "dnot exactly." he sniffed hard and scrubbed at his nose, trying to return the ability to speak normally. He wiggled his nose and continued to elaborate, "I only pass all this," he gestured to himself and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "On to one person. Then Infection and Contagion pass it on to almost all of the people they come in contact with. That's why people tend to forget about me around this time of year. And then there's Cold AND Flu season, that's some family bonding time right there." He continued speaking while he glanced around her room, landing on her only momentarily before settling on something else. "Com likes to spread HIS illness more personally, so there's more of a chance that you've actually met him and were not just infected WITH him. Which also means there's less of a chance that you've met ME personally, which you haven't." he yawned and slumped against the side of the window bay. "I never forget a face."

[SpookyBoi]

Aww this is cute.

[PetalPunk]

Cute? This is quite a story! God, you are an amazing writer. I absolutely love the use of personification and imagery. God, please continue, this isn't it? It can't be!

[Sneezermissy]

I love this concept please continue.

[Hibiscus]

Haha, such a original idea! I hope you continue this. I would love to see this story play out.

[Hygge]

This is awesome such a neat idea and I love the descriptions

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Woah dude I love the concept and plot ;o

I love it <3

Yes continue continue !

[Melody]

Woah this is fresh and I never seen anything quite like it I like it continue!

[Not_Telling]

YES do continue it's so cute and adorable and I wanna see more!

[Kshu]

Aww I really like it! Reminds me of Rise of the Gaurdians.

[kendisima]

This is fuckin awesome! I haven't read something this original (and interesting!) in regards to fetish fiction in forever. Can't wait to see how it progresses

[HPG]

Awesome!

[LilaBerri]

I love it! And the concept is amazing x

[Toober]

Thank you all so much! I didn't expect to get such incredible feedback form this! The flu was inspired by a sick-looking boy I drew on my paper and liked alot. I have another two parts, but I'm saving the last one because I'm not sure if I like it. Anyway, If you were wondering, the first part is simply called, "I Am the Flu" while the part below is called, "Like This". Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this!

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The mysterious illness seemed to fall asleep like that, his breath evening out and his chest rising and falling peacefully. A bit of drool formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Uh, Flu?" She said softly. She moved even closer to him, the lamp light illuminating the boy's face. She could now see the soft gray tint to his complexion. He still shivered slightly against the draft that came in through the window, smelling of rain. Surely the sickness picked the coldest place to sleep. "Hey, don't sleep here." She said, afraid to touch him, who knows what could happen? "Flu."

"Huh?" he opened his eyes, sitting up quickly. Too quickly. He grabbed her shoulder unexpectedly to steady himself. She tensed immediately, but she didn't move, she was too shocked by the warmth of his skin. Once he gathered his head he gently removed his hand and put his palm to his head.

"S-sorry, did I startle you?" he took another deep, wheezing breath that sounded painful. Eliza still stood silently by his side, her eyes wide. He guessed what she was thinking and said, "Don't worry, you won't get sick from that. I can only make you sick if it's intentional. HIK'chUH!" he sneezed wetly into his lap, and turned away from her, "Hihh, HiK'chUH!" he sniffled and turned back to the girl next to him, rubbing his nose. "That's weird..." he frowned, clearing his throat.

"What's the matter?" She looked warmly at him. He flushed,

"Usually I don't turn away." he scrubbed at his nose with one finger. "Huh. I wodnder what id was." silence ensued.

After a while, Eliza sat down on the bay and broke the silence, "Do you ever get tired of being a sickness?"

He coughed onto his fist and shifted. "That's the thing about being a sickness... You never have any energy that isn't restless energy."

He had misheard. She leaned her head against the wall and absently stared at him. "But I'm not just a sickness you know. I'm a virus!" He hissed excitedly, his eyes widening as he smiled a manic grin. Eliza didn't know whether to become scared or laugh, so she met her feelings in the middle with an anxious and doubtful smile. He sat cross-legged as he had before, now slouching forward instead of leaning on the wall. He yawned and shivered some more against the draft. His eyes found something behind her and she gave him a questioning look.

"What's that?" he pointed behind her and she turned around, meeting with 40 or so colorful spines.

"It's a bookshelf."

"Ah, I've seen those before. Sometimes." he rubbed his nose harshly and sniffled. "Do you have any of those... Uh.." he made a small square shape with his hands, "They're white and... Flimsy? About this big?" He looked at her for help.

"Paper?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, that's not it. I think they're because of me and Com?" He scratched he back of his head for an idea. He looked at his thermometer to see if that would trigger something, but it offered no help. He took the ice pack off of his shoulder And put it on his head, twirling the red stick in his mouth.

"Like this!" He said with an idea. He cupped his hands and gestured to them, "Right here." then he brought them up to his mouth, sneezing into them and ducking his head as he did so, "HiK'chUH!"

"Tissues?" She smiled like a dork.

"That's it!" He replied like a dork.

He picked up the ice pack that had fallen off from the sneeze and put it back on his fevered head.

"Yeah, we have some. Do you need them?" She said, already sliding off of the cushioning on the bay.

"I want them." He nodded.

Eliza left the room quietly, slipping out of the cracked door. The Flu looked around her room staring at the strange little trinkets that surrounded this mortal. He sniffled as rubbed his eye, now looking out the window and into the storm. The lightening flashed and he squinted, his sinuses suddenly ticklish. "HiK'chUH! Hiih, HiK'chUH!"

"I wouldn't have thought you were a photic." Eliza wondered softly, shutting the door with a quiet click. She was carrying a rectangular box. He frowned... That wasn't what he had asked for.

"It's... My sinuses are sensitive." he sniffled hard and rubbed the bridge of his nose.. She took her seat back and ripped the top of the box. She pulled a couple of soft sheets out for him and handed them over. The Flu held one of them up by a corner, disputing in his mind the usefulness of the thing; his shirt could be used to catch his sneezes, too. So could his hands. But there was one thing he'd always been curious about.

"How do you use it?" He asked, holding one tissue in both hands.

"Just like you said," She reminded him, "you sneeze into it."

"No, when you don't sneeze. And you make that sound?" He cocked his head to the side, waiting on instruction.

"Oh, you call that 'blowing your nose'." she said , smiling and tapping his nose on the tip. He wiggled his nose in response, going a little cross eyed. Eliza giggled and he continued, "How do you... You know?" he asked.

"Well, you hold it up to your nose and blow. That's it."

He held the tissue up to his nose and blew on it with his mouth. He frowned, "It didn't work." She giggled some more and said, "No, you blow out your nose!" She took one in her hand, realizing he wouldn't quite get it unless shown. She put it around his nose and blocked one nostril with her thumb.

"Blow." Eliza instructed. Flu squeezed his eyes shut, blowing his nose and looking like a child. He accomplished nothing but and interesting gurgle.

"I made the sound!" He smiled when she pulled the tissue away.

"That's not the goal, you know. It's supposed to clear your nose so you aren't so stuffed up." she folded the tissue and threw it into the waste basket.

"Oh, that won't help me, then. I'm always stuffed up." he said in a tone somewhere between proudly and dismissively.

"Why did you want them, then?" She asked him.

"Same reason I have this," he took off his ice pack and showed her.

"I don't know what it does, but these used to be pretty iconic for sick people. But that was years and years ago."

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Again, thanks for reading and I always love comments (if you want to make me really happy you could draw a picture or describe what you think Flu looks like below) Thanks so much!

[SpookyBoi]

Write more! This is adorable!

[Natto]

This is a really innovative and interesting take on the whole illness thing! It's nice to read something so creative, and well-written, too. I'm looking forward to meeting his brother--and to seeing if Eliza gets infected. Great job so far, and welcome to the forum!

[PetalPunk]

Love, love, love! Wow, you're a great writer! Is this your first post on here?

[Toober]

Flowerpower67: No, this is my third time posting. I've also posted one story full of fluff that I hardly finished, one story that's still ongoing, and this one. Thank you so much for reading!

Natto: oh my gosh I think I just fell in love with you just now! That was so sweet of you to say that and I'm really glad you like it.

spamanolover96: thank you so much for reading this so quickly! It makes he happy to see that you're enjoying it. Thank you! Another part should go up soon.

[ebay34]

I think he's falling in love and thats why he turned away

[Not_Telling]

DAWWWW THAT WAS SO CUTE!!

(yah I know I'm lame with comments )

[CuteSneezeGirl]

This is amazing! I love your writing style! And the concept is great... <3

Please continue! XD

[Kshu]

I'm sooooo in love with this!

[sneezygirl97]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!! Please continue!!

[PetalPunk]

Flowerpower67: No, this is my third time posting. I've also posted one story full of fluff that I hardly finished, one story that's still ongoing, and this one. Thank you so much for reading!

Well, this is certainly your best work! I agree with Natto: This is a fresh read for me. I always to go the sick male fics. I love this new perspective! Keep on writing, your ideas are genius!

[Toober]

Here's a new part! Introducing the Stomach flu, who isn't a very nice guy. A word of warning for vomiting, (only a little bit but still) and mild language. Thanks for reading!

"Dollface"

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Flu shuddered as his stomach rumbled and he crossed an arm over his waist. He smiled shyly at a startled Eliza.

"Are you hungry or do you-?" she was concerned now, but would be mature about it if he decided he needed to be sick.He chuckled a bit nervously and groaned a little. "That's the bad thing about being a virus. You're almost all aspects of it."

She finished the boy's thought, "So you're the stomach Flu, too."

"Only sometimes." He clamped a hand over his mouth. He swallowed hard and let out a shuddering sigh. "I'll pass soon." He shook and laid his head on his drawn up knees. Eliza got up once again and brought the shaking virus her waist basket, just in case. She sat next to him and removed his ice pack, running her fingers through his hair in a way she hoped was soothing.

"How often does this happen?" Eliza asked, rubbing slow circles on his back. His muscles tightened and untightened at strange intervals.

"Not often. I'm almost never Swine Flu or the Avian Flu. I've always had a bit of a..." he gasped and swallowed again. "...a personality problem. Hold on." He shivered violently and his breaths became ragged. He coughed and looked up, his eyes now a bright green. His worried expression was replaced by a dangerous smirk. He looked around, seemingly taking in his surroundings curiously.

"Hahahahaha, I love it!" he turned, wide eyed to Eliza. "Wanna get sick?"

"Flu?" Eliza cautioned.

"What?" He grinned, oblivious. "Is being sick a bad thing?" he faked a hurt expression. In the middle of his theatrics, his breath hitched. "hihh, hhh... Heh HiX'shiEW!" he sniffled and rubbed his nose furiously.

He had the same mannerisms as Flu, but he was different in more way than one. it was almost as if... He was surrounded by destructive energy.

"You said this doesn't last long?" Eliza said drawing her arms and legs into herself.

"When?" He took the thermometer from between his teeth and flicked it to the floor like it was a cigarette butt. He slid down the wall he was using for support until he was laying down with his knees making triangles in relation to the cushion beneath him. He laid the ice pack on his chest and put his hands behind his head comfortably. Eliza was so caught up in watching his strange behavior that she forget about his question until he restated it.

"I said when, doll."

"Oh, just a minute ago." She decided that she didn't like this side of him.

He shifted onto his side so that he was almost hanging off the edge of the bay. He picked up the can, bringing it closer to his face. He gagged into the waste basket and spit afterwards, coughing painful, heaving coughs. Eliza took pity on this new character; he hadn't done anything but scare her, and the Flu she knew had also done that. She rubbed his yellow-clad back until his breath steadied. He rolled back over onto his back and wiped his mouth on his hand, his eyes closed.

"You okay?" Eliza asked, genuinely concerned.

"Lizabelle, I am the epitome of nausea. It doesn't bug me like it does... The other me."

He rolled his shoulders and his breathing started to even out and become deeper.

"When will the Flu be back?" She fidgeted beside him.

"I AM the Flu." he said, not opening his eyes.

"You sure do like to say that a lot." Eliza furrowed her brows. Now he opened his eyes.

"Listen for a sec, Lizabelle. If you're talking about our main consciousness, he'll be back right after I take a quick nap. I'm sick. Hell, I'm a sickNESS. We need out sleep." He yawned and rolled onto his side, facing Eliza.

He seemed asleep instantly. The Flu snored lightly while Eliza tried to work out her confusion. The phrase 'personality problems' rang out in her head as she watched the dozing figure. It had looked painful when he... changed, she guessed she would call it. She recalled the way he had shuddered and hacked painfully. Eliza shifted next to the Flu, rearranging her legs to that they folded neatly under her. The Flu stirred and sniffled, still not opening his eyes as he said, "I can't sleep when you fidget like that, Doll face." He picked up the ice pack and put it over his eyes, looking ridiculous.

"Sorry. I have a bed, you know." She told him, smoothing out the wrinkles on her nightdress and folding her hand in her lap.

"Yeah? Ain't that somethin." He cleared his throat and rolled onto his back, placing his hands behind his head.

"I mean to say that you're welcome to it. The way you're laying doesn't-" she yawned, "look very comfortable."

"Comfiest place in the world." He replied tersely, yawning himself and falling asleep.

Eliza slipped by the Stomach Flu quietly, careful not to wake him. She had no idea how long a quick nap was, so she figured she should busy herself with something. She turned off the light for him and climbed into her own bed. Grabbing her phone, she sat up against her pillows, knowing sleep would evade her after the scare he'd given her. She browsed around the internet for awhile, not looking at anything in particular, until she heard the Flu's breath quicken in his sleep. She looked up at him, not seeing anything but his silhouette up against the light of the window. He jerked forward with a loud, desperate sounding, "HiX'shiEW!" he sat up and sniffled a couple of times and she saw him reach up to his nose, coughing dryly.

"You alright?" Eliza asked reaching for the light. Something in her hoped it was the Flu she'd met before, but she knew it wasn't him. Flu doesn't sneeze like that.

"Damn it." He cursed.

Eliza clicked on the light and he squinted, using his hands to try and block it.

"Hhh, HiX'shiEW! God Damnit, keep that light off!" He tented his vision with his hands, coughing from his diaphragm. She obliged and clicked he lights back off, flooding the room with darkness. She flung her covers aside and tiptoes quietly over to him, her hands in front of her while her eyes adjusted. She followed the sound of his repetitive sniffling. Her hand brushed his knee gently and he flinched. And then they were still and silent for awhile. The moonlight slid happily through the window, now uncovered by the clouds and shining on both of their faces. The rain still pattered against the window outside, and thunder could still be heard in the distance. The Flu flinched again.

"Trash can." he requested gravely. She quickly handed him he trash bin where he dry heaved for a bit, swallowed hard, and spit. She took the bin back when he thrust it towards her, his head resting on his knees again. He shivered violently, and squeezed his arms to his stomach. A moment later and he clenched his eyes shut, then he was still. He breathed out slowly and lifted his head, looking around as he had before.

He seemed himself; he was more comfortable somehow, and his eyes returned to a dull green-gray as opposed to bright green. He caught Eliza staring.

"What? Oh, shoot!" he forgot himself for a second, looking frantically around and patting his pockets. "Eliza, where's the- huh! HiK'chUH!" he continued to look around, but now his eyes scanned along the wall. "Where's the light?" he didn't sound frantic, but he looked it.

"It's over by the door, to the left of the bed. What are you looking for?"

The virus got up with astonishing silence as he moved around in the darkness. He light flicked on suddenly and Eliza's eyes found the Flu on the other side of the bedroom, his eyes squeezed shut so he wouldn't sneeze from the light. He opened them slowly and scanned the carpeted floor. He found what he was looking for and picked it up, rubbing any possible dirt from the floor off. It was his thermometer.

"That.. Oh, that flower picker!" he cursed.

"Let me see it, I'll clean it off for you." Eliza offered. Flu didn't hand it to her, though. He wipe it repeatedly on his shirt and put it in his mouth, under his tongue. Eliza shuddered with the thought of this, but figured he'd be okay. They fell into silence as the Flu sat with his legs before him on the floor. He slouched, looking down and slinding his tongue back and forth over the end.

"How are you related to Mother Nature again?" Eliza said suddenly. The Flu's head jerked upward at the sudden contrast in noise. His neck cracked, but he remained unfazed as Eliza cringed.

"I'm her great-grandson. Distantly." He took the thermometer out and inspected it. "You know, we were an accident. Us illnesses, I mean. There's this story that's been going on since way before we were born, and in it, it says, 'And into this world was born a sickly child of gray.' That's me." He smiled and sat up straighter. Eliza rested her hands on her up drawn knees and her head on her hands, yawning. He stopped smiling and became serious, "Are you getting sleepy?" his expression was soft.

"Well, it is like, two in the morning." She rubbed her eyes, "Tell me more."

"More about what?" he rubbed his aching shoulders and then scrubbed at his nose.

"About yourself." she exhaled, closing her eyes slowly.