Guardian Angel (original fiction, M/M)

[Juto]

*looks at this from the grave while the screen pans out to the world*

WHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTTT!?

Awwww Arty. So glad your Zombie self is still enjoying these...

I had the absolute joy to read all these posts for your story all at once! You are just amazing at writing and your commitment to this story is incredible! The characters are ADORABLE and there is never a dull moment- instead just the sweetest of sweet interactions between Elias and Zach....You are so talented, I hope you know this!!!! Thank you!

Ohh my gosh, thank you so much!!! I swear, I had the hugest smile and reddest cheeks after reading this!

You read all of them in one go? Wow! I know it's supposed to be a "drabble" so, sorry if I lured you in under false pretences! But really, wow!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you like my story and my characters! After I posted the first 5 or something I was kinda like " yeah... This is too weird to be a good story", but for some reason I kept going and the word "stop" simply just erased itself from my dictionary!

Awwwww *blushes* thank you, that's so sweet! Thanks again for your comment, it means the world to me!

Sorry, I'm dead. I can't comment anymore. The cuteness has killed me.

Seriously, though, this is amazing!! It's so well written... And the fact that Elias is trying so hard to hide his illness... AHHHH ; A ;

//explodes

Haha... No schedule, sorry... Whenever I have the time I write, edit and upload. It's kinda hard to plan. I'm probably working on 10+ stories simultaneously, so it's like... What I am in the mood for today?!

Woah, 10 stories?? That's amazing And I can't even finish one... //recently quit another story of mine haha

Such dedication!! Are you an author or do you write as a hobby?

And take your time!! I'll be here waiting

Dear Yume!

The amount of times you have died during the course of this thread is slightly unnerving! Maybe you should consult a physician?! :-) :-) :-)'hahaha thank you so much, though! I love the fact that I can kill people with words!

Whoops, when i said 10+ stories I meant like 10+ of THESE stories. I always plan a bit ahead and take notes and start to write whenever I have a new idea for a Elias/Zachariah interaction. So yeah, the next incident of "era of visibility" is already mapped out and half-written *calling spoiler allert*!

Author? Ahh, I wish!! I've always wanted to write my own stories and have done since I was like 10. I do have a dream to one day publish a book, but it will probably be in Danish though! As much as i love writing in English, my vocabulary and the way I structure sentences are better in Danish! *damn you native language!,* but yeah, this story is my current escapism, and as such I am dedicated! Not sure if I will have time for it in the future though, but as of right now, I can find the time!

Thanks again for all your lovely comments. I'll have the next part ready for you in 24-48 hours, so Yume Girl, don't glue your eyes to the screen just yet! :-)

[Juto]

As promised... The follow up the "Coming Home". Forgive my serious lack of creative imagination when it comes to title names!

Part 33 - Coming Home (2)

Elias carried his ward's cup of steaming hot lemon tea up the stairs, cupped in both his hands, not trusting his weakened balance. He knew he had hurt Zach’s feelings, but it had been for the best… Right? What kind of guardian would he be if he got his ward sick?

He froze halfway up the staircase, feeling the, by now, too familiar tickle in the back of his nostrils. He cursed silently under his breath before placing the cup at his feet so as to not spill its content. He then pinched his nose shut and tried to control his slightly hitchy breathing to minimise the intensity of the sneezes, but to no avail.

“H'nnxsh!”. The force of the first sneeze bend the guardian in half and he had to reach out his hand and grab the bannister for support. Black spots dotted his vision but he only had a second to compose himself before he was overtaken by another vicious tickle.

“Heh… Hh… H’nxgt!” His breath caught again almost immediately but the sneeze was teasing him giving him a couple of false starts as it kept building in intensity.

“Hh… H’n! Oh…hhh…heh…hhhh…h’hhuhhh…”

He searched desperately for something to cover his face with in order to muffle the sneeze as much as possible. His sleeve seemed to be the only item available. He buried his nose as deep as he possibly could in the fabric, drew a last quivering breath and let the tickle overpower him.

“He'ngchktschu”

He reemerged from his sleeve, dizzy and painfully aware of his ebbing energy supply. He awkwardly sat down on the stairs and buried his burning forehead in his hands trying to steady his breath and his swimming head before entering Zach's room.

He had to control this. Zachariah couldn't afford to have a sick guardian who couldn't protect him. With his luck, he would probably end up catching mono or something, (Elias had read somewhere how the disease was spread through exchange of saliva, but Zach was exceptionally gifted in this area and could probably catch it just from locking eyes with a carrier of the disease!)

Ahh, his poor ward. How sad and neglected his existence had been before Elias was signed onto him. If Elias succumbed to this… This… State! Even for a day, his darling Zachariah would be left alone, neglected again, this time by his own guardian angel. Argh, the thought was unbearable! Elias pulled himself up having tapped into his secret-love-for-Zachariah-energy-reserve. He took a few seconds to restore his balance on the stairs before he picked up the still steaming tea and slowly made his way to Zach's room.

Zach sat on his bed, still wearing Elias’s coat and with the duvet pulled up to his chest. He didn't raise his eyes to greet Elias as he walked through the door. The guardian carefully set the mug down on the bedside table, careful not to touch the handle where Zach would be holding it. He stepped back, not taking his usual spot on Zach's bed, but retreated to the chair in the corner.

“Thank you” Zach muttered, more to his own hands than to Elias. Elias winced. Zach's hurt was obvious, even in his gratitude. And it was his fault!

“I'm so sorry for snapping at you, Zachariah. It was wrong of me and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me? Please!?”

“Of course. I just wish you would tell me what’s wrong.” Zach looked up and his cloudy eyes focused on Elias’s face. Then Zach sighed and tore his gaze away, blinking a few times. “How was the… Uhm… Meeting?”

Elias smiled tiredly, feeling a rising lightheadedness. He shook his head ever so slightly, but was merely awarded a painful throbbing behind his forehead. His eyes felt like they were on fire and his lids became heavier and heavier with each blink. He fought it. He had to stay strong for Zachariah.

“The meeting? Uhh…fine… Raphael wasn't angry.”

“Your boss? Why would he be angry?”

Oh No! Why had he said that? Zach was not suppose to know about Raphael and the subject of their meeting.

“What? Oh, uhh..no reason. It's all good.” He felt the room starting to swim, his mind going slightly hazy. He could hear himself ramble, but he wasn't sure how to stop the stream of words coming from his mouth. “He said I could stay… He knows how… How I feel… S’all good…”

“Elias? You sure you’re okay?”

Elias sighed audibly at Zach's concerned words. He couldn't worry his Zachariah. “Don't concern yourself… Hh… Oh Gods.” Elias quickly clamped his hands over his nose and mouth as he felt a sudden need to sneeze threaten to overpower him. He had to get away from Zach, now! He excused himself and got up, intending to scurry out the room, but as soon as he became fully vertical black spots started to fill his vision and he felt himself stagger forwards and into a black hole of nothingness.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Zach had leapt of the bed the second he’d noticed his angel stagger. He made it just in time to reach out his arms and catch the unconscious guardian before tumbling back onto the floor with a pained “umphf!” As the larger man landed heavily on top of him. With great difficulty, he managed to roll Elias off of him, grab his arms and hoist him onto the bed.

He sat down beside him, panting slightly, listening intently for any sounds that could indicate if the noise has awoken his parents. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like it. He turned his attention back to his angel.

The man on the bed beside him was a pale looking, sweaty and weakened version of the man he had met a mere week earlier. Zach’s heart was racing as his eyes ran over every inch of the guardian's face observing his state. He testingly put the back of his hand to Elias’s forehead, frowning deeply at the wall of heat that greeted it. His poor angel was burning up and Zach had no idea what to do. He had never cared for anyone in his life. He was always the one being sick, but never cared for, not until Elias had entered his life anyway. And here his poor angel was, obviously too sick to stay conscious and his ward was completely lost. Zach quickly sought help from the only thing he could think of: Google! A quick search on ‘sick guardian angels’ provided very illustrative and complicated witchy brews and medieval techniques but nothing about modern medicines. What did Elias say he had done for him at night? Cool cloths? He could do that. Paracetamols? Zach scratched the back of his head, wondering. Could angels stomach human medicines? He didn't dare take the risk. What else, uhh… Mint rub? Zach put his ear to Elias heaving chest. He heard a vague but distinct wheeze in his guardian's breath and deduced that mint rub wouldn't hurt in any case.

How did an angel manage to get sick anyway? Weren't they suppose to be, pfffft, like...invincible? And immune?

Zach bent down and placed a featherlight kiss on his guardian's forehead, tasting his fevered and sweaty brow.

“My turn to take care of you know. Forgive my lacking nursing skills, I have never done this before.”

Overtaken by a sudden anxiety that he should fail in his attempt to make Elias feel better he cupped the angel’s face in his hands and gently stroked his cheekbones with his thumbs as he raised his eyes towards the ceiling, muttering a plea.

“Please let him be okay, Raphael or whoever has any say in this matter. Please? I need him. I need my guardian.” He lowered his eyes and refocused his gaze on Elias’s pale face. “You mean the world to me, my angel! Please be okay! Please!”

TBC

Edited July 22, 2015 by Juto07ab

[Akahana]

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHH~~~

FUCK GOD DAMMIT MY FEELS I NEED THOSE!!

[Juto]

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHH~~~

FUCK GOD DAMMIT MY FEELS I NEED THOSE!!

Ahahaha... Your comments never fail to put a huge smile on my face! Im glad you enjoyed! Sorry your feels got stolen!

[Arty]

*shoots out the grave comically*

O_____________o

e____________________e

[monochrome]

//SCREAMS LOUDLY

THIS IS LIKE. MY FAVORITE PART SO FAR ; A ; (AT LEAST... ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY!!)

OHMYGOSH THEIR ROLES ARE GOING TO BE REVERSED NOW Q ^ Q AHHHHHH!!!!!!

//Calms down //Remembers to breathe

Dear Yume!

The amount of times you have died during the course of this thread is slightly unnerving! Maybe you should consult a physician?! :-) :-) :-)'hahaha thank you so much, though! I love the fact that I can kill people with words!

Whoops, when i said 10+ stories I meant like 10+ of THESE stories. I always plan a bit ahead and take notes and start to write whenever I have a new idea for a Elias/Zachariah interaction. So yeah, the next incident of "era of visibility" is already mapped out and half-written *calling spoiler allert*!

Author? Ahh, I wish!! I've always wanted to write my own stories and have done since I was like 10. I do have a dream to one day publish a book, but it will probably be in Danish though! As much as i love writing in English, my vocabulary and the way I structure sentences are better in Danish! *damn you native language!,* but yeah, this story is my current escapism, and as such I am dedicated! Not sure if I will have time for it in the future though, but as of right now, I can find the time!

Thanks again for all your lovely comments. I'll have the next part ready for you in 24-48 hours, so Yume Girl, don't glue your eyes to the screen just yet! :-)

Don't worry, I have more lives in stalk! And all of them are devoted to reading this lovely drabble thread

Woah... so much planning!! That's pretty amazing, actually ^^ Your dedication inspires me!

And really? Your english is... super flawless!! I would never have guessed it was your second language, haha. Good luck with publishing a book in the future!

After I saw your reply, I stopped staring at the screen... *kept eyes glued to the clock instead*

[Juto]

//SCREAMS LOUDLY

THIS IS LIKE. MY FAVORITE PART SO FAR ; A ; (AT LEAST... ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY!!)

OHMYGOSH THEIR ROLES ARE GOING TO BE REVERSED NOW Q ^ Q AHHHHHH!!!!!!

//Calms down //Remembers to breathe

Dear Yume!

The amount of times you have died during the course of this thread is slightly unnerving! Maybe you should consult a physician?! :-) :-) :-)'hahaha thank you so much, though! I love the fact that I can kill people with words!

Whoops, when i said 10+ stories I meant like 10+ of THESE stories. I always plan a bit ahead and take notes and start to write whenever I have a new idea for a Elias/Zachariah interaction. So yeah, the next incident of "era of visibility" is already mapped out and half-written *calling spoiler allert*!

Author? Ahh, I wish!! I've always wanted to write my own stories and have done since I was like 10. I do have a dream to one day publish a book, but it will probably be in Danish though! As much as i love writing in English, my vocabulary and the way I structure sentences are better in Danish! *damn you native language!,* but yeah, this story is my current escapism, and as such I am dedicated! Not sure if I will have time for it in the future though, but as of right now, I can find the time!

Thanks again for all your lovely comments. I'll have the next part ready for you in 24-48 hours, so Yume Girl, don't glue your eyes to the screen just yet! :-)

Don't worry, I have more lives in stalk! And all of them are devoted to reading this lovely drabble thread

Woah... so much planning!! That's pretty amazing, actually ^^ Your dedication inspires me!

And really? Your english is... super flawless!! I would never have guessed it was your second language, haha. Good luck with publishing a book in the future!

After I saw your reply, I stopped staring at the screen... *kept eyes glued to the clock instead*

Ohh my gosh, thank you so much!! Role reversal in deed. In the beginning I was like "Nah, Elias is this ever strong and protective angelic being! He doesn't get sick, that would be weird." But then my angelical encyclopedia offered me a way out in the shape of "loss of grace". I hereby dedicate all of Elias's sneezes to Meh and her extraordinary knowledge on the subject of angels.

Ahh... IM a huge sucker for caretaking! And the idea of having a completely clueless Zach nurture a cold ridden, feverish, (still concerned for his ward, especially now that he's contagious), and as it turned out, slightly whiny Elias... Ahhhh... I'm still working on growing my ovaries back!

Awwww *blushes*, thank you! I try my humble best to live up to some kind of English literary standard! But I swear I notice some Danglish hidden in the texts from time to time and it makes me cringe and facepalme myself! Haha not to mention the ever-so-often-autocorrect-nightmare-wordchoices!!! uhhhh the horror!!

Hahaha sorry that my replies to simple comments always seem super long! I'm just so grateful that anybody takes any kind of interest in what I write! I just have to express my gratitude!! So, thank you!

[Juto]

Here's part 3 of "coming home". The next one will be a continuation of this current story but with a new heading :-)

Thank you so much to every one of you who has read it this far. More to come, I promise. And thank you so much for all your lovely comments, they make me dance around with joy! *Note to self! Next time, make sure you draw the curtains before your neighbour walks by while you're joy-wiggling and you accidentally give yourself a bruise from an ill angled facepalm! just... Uhh grow up!!*

Aaaanyway!! Enjoy :-)

Part 34 - Coming Home (III)

Elias woke slowly to the distinct smell of mint, burning slightly in his nostrils, delicately teasing his sensitive nasal passages to the point of…

“Hh…hhe… Za-hh-Zachariah?” He breathed voicelessly, forcefully pinching his nose shut as his breath started to become uneven. There was no way he could release his sneezes without knowing where Zachariah was. Soft fingers gently stroked his shoulder and a couple of tissues were pressed into his hand as Zach softly spoke.

“I'm here. It's okay.”

Elias turned in the opposite direction of the voice to release his sneezes into the tissues.

“Hu'ngxt! Heh-shuh! Hup'tshh! Hh... Hhhee... He'tsschk! Uhh!”

He groaned softly and stayed curled up on his side, facing away from Zach. He felt a soft cool cloth being gently pressed against his temple and could not hold back a sighed moan at the delightful coolness. Steady fingers ran through his hair, from his brow to his neck, leaving calming tracks in their wake. This was bliss, right in the midst of his cold from hell.

“Bless you.” He heard his ward say behind him. “Is this what you were trying to hide from me? How long have you felt like this?”

Elias opened his mouth to convince Zach that he was totally fine and that he shouldn't be worried, but no sound came out. Probably for the best, he decided it was time to come clean anyway. He muffled a tiny cough against his wrist, trying to regain his voice or at least a part of it.

“Uhm, yes. I was hoping it would pass unnoticed. I shouldn't worry you. It’s not part of my job description.” Another small cough earned him a bit more voice. “It's come on gradually in the last few days, but I was so happy that you were feeling better that I hardly noticed it.”

“Wait a minute. You got this from me?” Elias winced slightly and let out a small groan at the horror and shock in his ward’s voice. He had caused it! He despised himself. “But how?” Zach continued. “I thought angels were immune to this kind of thing”.

Elias sighed deeply, still enjoying Zach’s fingers in his hair and the cool cloth against his burning skin. There was no putting the truth off any longer. His ward deserved to hear it. He sighed again, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Technically, I'm not an angel anymore, not right now anyway.” He felt Zach’s hand stop dead in his locks. “I'll explain in a minute, hh j-just need to Hh hhu sn-hh-sneeze…” He brought the soggy tissues from before back towards his face. But before he could make use of them Zach snatched them from his grasp and replaced them with a fresh couple.

“Heh-shuh! He'ngchk! He'tchk! Hh…hhh... Hup'tshh! Hh…heh... He'tixsch!

He groaned softly again and buried himself in the pillow. A new and even cooler cloth was placed against his temple and forehead and Zach's fingers tangled themselves in his hair once more. Elias let out a distressed sigh, struggling with inner concerns.

“Ahh, my sweet Zachariah, as much as I enjoy your caretaking I would never forgive myself if you caught this again. Please tell me you have a bottle of sanitiser nearby? Why did you put me on your bed? I'll have to decontaminate it before you lie down. Uhm, stay were you are, I'll just –“ he rolled back onto his back, bracing his arms against the bed in a feeble attempt to sit upright, but Zach grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him back down onto the mattress with a scolding “tut tut tut tut tut! No! You stay right there! Tell me, why are you not an angel?”

Elias looked up, meeting his ward's raincloudy eyes for the first time since he had awoken. Zach's eyes were full of affection and concern and something else… Determination? Elias felt himself crumble slightly under his ward's entrancing gaze and before he had time to think or even edit he blurted out the whole story of how he had begged for visibility knowing full well that the consequential loss of grace was inevitable and how his mentor had discovered his faulted immune system and warned him about loosing his grace.

He offered Zach a tired smile as he finished, “I would gladly sacrifice my health for your happiness, Zachariah. Besides its not for very long. I will be granted grace again in 2 days time and this… This… state, will simply just remove itself from my body.”

Zach had remained silent throughout Elias’s monologue, staring deeply into his guardian's eyes.

“You-you did this for me? You deliberately lost grace… For me?”

Elias nodded slowly. “You were so miserable, Zachariah, there was no way in all the heavens I could have just stood passively by and watched you disappear into this black hole of misery that I had helped create.” He lifted his hand to gently brush away a few stray curls from Zach's forehead, twirling his finger around in one of them as he continued, trying his best not to look Zach in the eyes. “Getting to know you, to become more than just an invisible guardian, to be your friend, has been the single most amazing part of my existence, followed closely by the day I signed my contract to become your guardian.” His eyes betrayed him as they locked on the cloudy gaze, carefully measuring their response to his words, and finding only affection. Zach stared back, not blinking and, Elias noted, not breathing. If circumstances had been different (and the rules had been discarded) this would have been the perfect moment to lean in and…

Uhh oh.

Elias barely had time to push Zachariah farther away from him before to turned his head away from Zach, curling in on himself to release a few harsh sneezes that shook his entire body with their force.

“Hh'ecgktschu! Heh’mpt’shuh! Heh… He'tsschu!”

He groaned wearily into the tissues Zach had placed in his hands.

“Zachariah, please. Can we not be this close? If you won't let me get up then please remove yourself from this zone of contamination. And please make good use of a sanitiser.”

“No” Zach shook his head, eyes sparkling wickedly.

Did Elias detect amusement in Zach's voice? Oh Great! “Zachariah…” He practically whined the name, begging his ward to put more distance between them. He heard a small chuckle and turned a stern gaze on Zach.

“Oh, stop whining you graceless mother hen! And stop scowling at me, you will give yourself a headache. Remember that rule about my free will? Yeah, so I'm staying right here. If I only have 2 more days to enjoy the sight of my angel, you can be damn sure I claim front row tickets!” Zach's eyes brightened further and a smile was playing on his lips. “Don't you get it? This is my chance to repay a tiny amount of all the things you have done for me. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

Elias couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across his face. Zach was willing to care for him in this depleted state? His stomach suddenly felt like butterflies nest, but even that could not hinder the warm fire that oozed from his chest. He held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Fine, fine! Free will and all that. But I still demand that you use a sanitiser whenever I tell you to!”

“Deal! Right okay, so help me out here, please. Uhm… I did the mint rub thing, I applied the cool cloth to lower your fever…” Elias shook his head adoringly at his ward as Zach counted his ‘nurse duties’ on his fingers. How could he possibly be this adorable? “… Got you an extra blanket to stop your cold shivers… Uhm… Tea! I can do tea, do you want tea? Uhh food? Anything? What do you need?”

Elias sighed and fought against his increasingly heavy eyelids. “Nothing, please Zachariah. I’m fine. You've already applied basic nursing techniques and I am forever grateful.” He let out a yawn, his eyes involuntarily fluttering shut.

“Tired?” His ward's voice seemed miles away, but still audible and extremely affectionate.

“Mm-hmm”

“Sleep then.” Elias felt Zach’s body ease down on the bed beside him, squirming close enough for his ward to brush his lips against his temple before placing the cool cloth on the spot where the heated sensation of the kiss lingered on Elias’s skin.

“Uhh… No Zachariah… Contagious…” Elias managed, sleep slurring his words.

“Shut up!” his ward breathed affectionately against his neck. “Free will!”

Elias felt too drained to put up any fight as he felt Zach's arms rolling him over, pulling him gently into his warm embrace, cradling his fevered head against his shoulder, tucking it securely under his chin. He let out a small sigh of resign before wrapping his arms around his ward's waist, pulling himself deeper against Zach's body.

He felt the cloth on his brow being recooled and rearranged before Zach's fingers roamed through his hair in soothing patterns.

“Ahh my Zachariah, you have no idea how amazing this feels.” His sweet compliment earned him a soft kiss to his forehead and the words “sleep well, my angel” in his ear.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Juto07ab

[Arty]

*shoots out the grave comically *

[monochrome]

I am... smiling so hard right now.

I think my face might just fall off X'D

//Yume really tried to refrain from quoting every single line... but failed miserably... oops!

“Technically, I'm not an angel anymore, not right now anyway.” He felt Zach’s hand stop dead in his locks. “I'll explain in a minute, hh j-just need to Hh hhu sn-hh-sneeze…” He brought the soggy tissues from before back towards his face. But before he could make use of them Zach snatched them from his grasp and replaced them with a fresh couple.

I love how they replace tissues for each other XDD That's so cute and unique, hehe <33

"Ahh, my sweet Zachariah, as much as I enjoy your caretaking I would never forgive myself if you caught this again. Please tell me you have a bottle of sanitiser nearby? Why did you put me on your bed? I'll have to decontaminate it before you lie down. Uhm, stay were you are, I'll just –" he rolled back onto his back, bracing his arms against the bed in a feeble attempt to sit upright, but Zach grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him back down onto the mattress with a scolding "tut tut tut tut tut! No! You stay right there! Tell me, why are you not an angel?"

OF COURSE, HE'S STILL WORRYING WHILE HE'S SICK //SCREAMS INTERNALLY

I really love the no,-you-can't-do-that-stay-in-bed moments

And sanitiser? Hahaha this is completely ingenious :'D

Elias looked up, meeting his ward's raincloudy eyes for the first time since he had awoken. Zach's eyes were full of affection and concern and something else… Determination?

I seriously love how you relate his eyes to the sky throughout these drabbles. That's really beautiful ;v;;

Zach stared back, not blinking and, Elias noted, not breathing. If circumstances had been different (and the rules had been discarded) this would have been the perfect moment to lean in and…

Uhh oh.

Elias barely had time to push Zachariah farther away from him before to turned his head away from Zach, curling in on himself to release a few harsh sneezes that shook his entire body with their force.

OHMYGOSH YES YES YES YESSS *JUMPS UP AND DOWN*

Did Elias detect amusement in Zach's voice? Oh Great! “Zachariah…” He practically whined the name, begging his ward to put more distance between them. He heard a small chuckle and turned a stern gaze on Zach.

“Oh, stop whining you graceless mother hen! And stop scowling at me, you will give yourself a headache. Remember that rule about my free will? Yeah, so I'm staying right here. If I only have 2 more days to enjoy the sight of my angel, you can be damn sure I claim front row tickets!” Zach's eyes brightened further and a smile was playing on his lips. “Don't you get it? This is my chance to repay a tiny amount of all the things you have done for me. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

Elias couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across his face. Zach was willing to care for him in this depleted state? His stomach suddenly felt like butterflies nest, but even that could not hinder the warm fire that oozed from his chest. He held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Fine, fine! Free will and all that. But I still demand that you use a sanitiser whenever I tell you to!”

This made me laugh :'D

I'm a sucker for reversed roles, and the "'This is my chance to repay a tiny amount of all the things you have done for me. I wouldn't miss it for the world.'" just KILLED ME INSIDE!! (Have I died too many times? xD)

“Uhh… No Zachariah… Contagious…” Elias managed, sleep slurring his words.

“Shut up!” his ward breathed affectionately against his neck. “Free will!”

The way he uses it as an excuse...

“Ahh my Zachariah, you have no idea how amazing this feels.” His sweet compliment earned him a soft kiss to his forehead and the words “sleep well, my angel” in his ear.

Forehead kissing ; A ;

Eliasdidthistohimtoo ahhhhHHHH

//remembers to breathe

Okay, I will proceed to shut up now ;w;

This is so amazing though, I have no words to describe how much I love it

[Juto]

I am... smiling so hard right now.

I think my face might just fall off X'D

//Yume really tried to refrain from quoting every single line... but failed miserably... oops!

“Technically, I'm not an angel anymore, not right now anyway.” He felt Zach’s hand stop dead in his locks. “I'll explain in a minute, hh j-just need to Hh hhu sn-hh-sneeze…” He brought the soggy tissues from before back towards his face. But before he could make use of them Zach snatched them from his grasp and replaced them with a fresh couple.

I love how they replace tissues for each other XDD That's so cute and unique, hehe <33

"Ahh, my sweet Zachariah, as much as I enjoy your caretaking I would never forgive myself if you caught this again. Please tell me you have a bottle of sanitiser nearby? Why did you put me on your bed? I'll have to decontaminate it before you lie down. Uhm, stay were you are, I'll just –" he rolled back onto his back, bracing his arms against the bed in a feeble attempt to sit upright, but Zach grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him back down onto the mattress with a scolding "tut tut tut tut tut! No! You stay right there! Tell me, why are you not an angel?"

OF COURSE, HE'S STILL WORRYING WHILE HE'S SICK //SCREAMS INTERNALLY

I really love the no,-you-can't-do-that-stay-in-bed moments

And sanitiser? Hahaha this is completely ingenious :'D

Elias looked up, meeting his ward's raincloudy eyes for the first time since he had awoken. Zach's eyes were full of affection and concern and something else… Determination?

I seriously love how you relate his eyes to the sky throughout these drabbles. That's really beautiful ;v;;

Zach stared back, not blinking and, Elias noted, not breathing. If circumstances had been different (and the rules had been discarded) this would have been the perfect moment to lean in and…

Uhh oh.

Elias barely had time to push Zachariah farther away from him before to turned his head away from Zach, curling in on himself to release a few harsh sneezes that shook his entire body with their force.

OHMYGOSH YES YES YES YESSS *JUMPS UP AND DOWN*

Did Elias detect amusement in Zach's voice? Oh Great! “Zachariah…” He practically whined the name, begging his ward to put more distance between them. He heard a small chuckle and turned a stern gaze on Zach.

“Oh, stop whining you graceless mother hen! And stop scowling at me, you will give yourself a headache. Remember that rule about my free will? Yeah, so I'm staying right here. If I only have 2 more days to enjoy the sight of my angel, you can be damn sure I claim front row tickets!” Zach's eyes brightened further and a smile was playing on his lips. “Don't you get it? This is my chance to repay a tiny amount of all the things you have done for me. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

Elias couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across his face. Zach was willing to care for him in this depleted state? His stomach suddenly felt like butterflies nest, but even that could not hinder the warm fire that oozed from his chest. He held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Fine, fine! Free will and all that. But I still demand that you use a sanitiser whenever I tell you to!”

This made me laugh :'D

I'm a sucker for reversed roles, and the "'This is my chance to repay a tiny amount of all the things you have done for me. I wouldn't miss it for the world.'" just KILLED ME INSIDE!! (Have I died too many times? xD)

“Uhh… No Zachariah… Contagious…” Elias managed, sleep slurring his words.

“Shut up!” his ward breathed affectionately against his neck. “Free will!”

The way he uses it as an excuse...

“Ahh my Zachariah, you have no idea how amazing this feels.” His sweet compliment earned him a soft kiss to his forehead and the words “sleep well, my angel” in his ear.

Forehead kissing ; A ;

Eliasdidthistohimtoo ahhhhHHHH

//remembers to breathe

Okay, I will proceed to shut up now ;w;

This is so amazing though, I have no words to describe how much I love it

D'awwwwww Yume Gurrrrrl!! Thank you so much for that wonderful comment!! What am I gonna do without your support for 2 weeks?!

I agree, role reversal is just yummy!! Especially if the new nurse in town in a completely clueless newbie!!

I'm am a huuuuuuuuuuge sucker for caretaking and just being incredibly sweet to people who feel bad, and making sure they always have fresh tissues just seems like a sweet gesture to me.

About the eye color descriptions. Thanks! My hubbie does it to me (mine are not cloudy blue though) and I just melt! I think it's the sweetest thing!

About the uhh... Perfect moment for...uhh... It's coming!!! Maybe not the way you think it's coming, but it'll come! Trust me, my ovaries won't allow me to skip that moment!!

Ohh, and yeah! Elias worries... A lot!! That's probably his main talent! Even as sick as he is, he would still put Zachariah's needs before his own! He's a dedicated guardian (and a completely love struck puppy!).

I'm so glad to hear you're still enjoying these... I still like writing them... So let's just toast to continuation!

[Juto]

*shoots out the grave comically *

Ahh... Does that mean you are resurrected now? Dance of joy!! *inserts the funniest dancing emoticon*

[Juto]

Happy Monday readers... Going houseshopping (hopefully)... Have a nightmare... Uhh... Drabble... Never be afraid to drop me a line! I enjoy your comments immensely.

Part 35 - Nightmare

Elias blinked the dust out of his eyes and squinted against the sun’s reflection in the broken glass that seemed to cover most of the ground. A few days ago, the invasion had begun, turning his friendly and loving neighbourhood into piles of broken stones and glass.

Elias cringed with fear as the much larger soldier in front of him shouted something at him in a language he didn't understand as he waved his gun in front of him, his pronunciations spraying angry mists in his face. Elias held his ground, trembling slightly, standing defensively in front of a small boy crouched down behind his legs. Yesterday, the soon-to-be-angel had discovered a small survivor, crying, shivering, hidden beneath a broken and crumbling wall that had once been the boutique façade of the small boy’s parent’s shop. Despite his own unfortunate situation, Elias’s heart swelled at the sight of the small survivor and he’d made a silent vow to do his utmost to keep the child safe. But the enemy had found them. Apparently, the boy's parents (like Elias’s own) had been part of the resistance. A movement that sought to defend their land against the invasion. But now, most of them were buried beneath the piles of stones and broken glass.

The angry soldier shouted at Elias once more, burying the point of his gun deep in Elias chest. Elias glanced back against the crouching, shivering figure behind him. As he watched, the small boy seemed to grow. His hair that had been short and dark brown mere moments before were turning into a warm chestnut colour as it grew of its own accord, faster than regular hair, curling around itself as it reached ear length. The boy’s eyes that had been grey and frightened turned a deeper shade of blue, a dark and determined shadow glazing over them, making them look like thick rainclouds mere moments from releasing their heavy cargo. As Elias watched the boy grow into a hazy vision with a striking likeliness to Zachariah, Elias’s own frame seemed to diminish at the same rate.

Before he knew it, the soldier no longer held Elias at gunpoint, but had instead the tip of his gun buried deeply in Zachariah's chest as the ward-turned-protector had a defensive stance over the crouched down and depleted Elias.

“He is not yours to take! He is an innocent! Let him be!” Elias heard his own last words coming out of his ward’s mouth and could do nothing but watch in horror as the soldier gave a final determined nod before he leaned his face in as close at he could get and pulled the trigger.

A single gunshot was all it took to wreck Elias’s entire existence apart! A single gunshot and everything was gone!

He woke with a start, jolting upright in the bed, completely drenched in cold sweat. He was panting so hard he feared his lungs would burst through his rib cage. He relaxed a little as he took in his surroundings and especially as he noticed the breathing and sleeping form of his ward in the bed beside him. His Zachariah was alive! It had all been a dream. He had to be sure though, he had to see with his own eyes that the smooth alabaster of his ward's chest had not been disgraced by a single gunshot wound.

………………………………….

Zach awoke as warm fingers ticklishly brushed their way up his abdomen and across his chest. He squirmed slightly as his body reacted to the tickle.

“Mmm-hmm… tickles…” He opened his eyes sleepily but could see nothing but a thick mass of unruly black hair.

“Thank the Gods. Still smooth, still untouched, still unhurt.” The deep voice of his angel sounded strained and relieved.

Zach squirmed again as he felt Elias press his lips against his chest. Elias was on his knees on the bed, hunched over Zachariah as his hands and lips kept caressing his chest. His angel felt much too warm to the touch and Zach brought his hand to Elias forehead, confirming his theory: The guardian’s fever was spiking!

“Shit, Elias! You're burning up. What are you doing?”

Upon hearing that his ward was awake, Elias brought his head up and turned a feverish and affectionate look at Zach's face before he bent down and attacked his forehead, nose and cheeks with swift and warm kisses, muttering in between.

“*kiss* just so *kiss* happy that *kiss* you're not *kiss* hurt! *kiss* you can't *kiss* get hurt *kiss* my darling *kiss* Zachariah *kiss* ever! *kiss* I can't *kiss* loose you *kiss*.

He came to a stop, and before Zachariah had time to do or say anything, Elias had pulled him up and was hugging him tight, so tight in fact that Zach could feel his ribs bending, making it hard for him to breath.

“Too… Tight… Elias.” He sighed in relief as Elias loosened his embrace a little, though just enough for Zach to breathe properly. “Shit, it must have been some dream huh? It was just a fever dream, Elias. I get them too. I'm sure you remember.” Zach felt Elias’s entire body start to quiver and heard the distinct yet muffled sounds of gentle sobs against his shoulder. Zach tightened his own hold around his sick angel and cooed soothingly close to his ear. “Hey hey… It's okay… Shh shh. You're okay. I’m okay. It was just a dream.” He felt Elias nod slowly against his neck before he pulled back enough to rest his forehead against Zach’s as he sniffled away the last of his sobs.

“Just Snf! Promise me that Snf! You'll never Snf! Take a bullet for me Snf!” Zach's eyes grew wide with shock and Elias pulled back to lock his wet and red rimmed sapphire gemstones to Zach's cloudy and shocked gaze. “You wouldn't be doing me a favour!”

Zach ransacked his brain for a proper response to his angel’s request, but before he could produce one, Elias’s eyes glazed over and realisation seemed to dawn on him.

“Ohh..Hh…oh no..Hh…” Elias loosened his hold around Zach and tried to move away, but Zach tightened his own hold, unwilling to let go of his sick angel. “No no, Elias. Don't you dare move away! There's no way you'll be able to stand for heaven’s sake!”

Elias pinched his nose shut and tried to control his breathing, but Zach could see he was fighting a loosing battle. There was no way his patient had the strength to fight the inevitable sneezes off much longer. He feebly tried to push Zachariah away from him as his breathing became more and more uneven, but Zachariah maintained his hold around him.

“Elias listen to me! I will hold my breath, I will steam shower, I will drown myself in sanitiser, I will decontaminate myself to your hearts content, but I will NOT let go off you...” He grabbed a couple of tissues and pressed them gently against his angel's nose, letting go as Elias’s own hands took over. “… Not while you're like this!” He pulled his angel tighter against him, letting him rest his fevered forehead on his shoulder. Zach stroked his back as he felt Elias take a large intake of breath before burying his face deeper into Zach's shoulder, stifling his sneezes.

“Hnnxt! Hh… K'shu! Ngksh! Heh… Heh-shuh!”

Zach continued to stroke his back tenderly, bringing his hand up to nuzzle his neck when Elias made no attempt to move away.

“Bless you. Are you done?”

Elias sniffled and gave a small nod, which turned to a small shake of his head as his breath started hitching again and Zach could feel his upper body quiver.

“Hh… H’Ngch! Khxxt! Hh... Hup'tshu”

“Bless you.”

A change of clothes, several more blessings, approximately 10 tissues, a fair amount of concerned gazes, one explained dream, what felt like a years supply of sanitiser and a stay-here-while-I-get-you-an-icepack-to-bring-down-that-fever later, Zachariah was wrapping a shivering Elias tight in an extra blanket before tucking the duvet around them both.

Elias gave an exhausted sigh from his place of blissful rest on his caring ward's shoulder, close enough to feel Zach’s strong and steady heartbeat while the ice pack on his temple and brow kept the fever and the congested tension at bay.

“This is without a doubt my favourite sound in the entire world” the guardian whispered against Zach's shoulder as he gently tapped his finger on Zach's chests mirroring the rhythm of his steady heartbeat. “This and your cute little sneezes”.

Zach shook his head mockingly. “I believe you're rambling again. That fever must have damaged your brain, making you talk nonsense”. He nuzzled Elias’s hair affectionately, his face growing suddenly serious. “Elias, about that dream…”

“Mmm?”

“Was that really how… You… “ Zach couldn't get himself to finish the sentence. Elias nodded knowingly and reached out to take Zach's hand, guiding it under his thick sweater to bring it to the tiny, single scar right above his dead heart.

“Oh, Elias. I’m so sorry.”

“Don't be, my sweet ward.” Elias squirmed a bit closer to Zach, violating his own ‘distance rules’ as he wrapped his arms lovingly around his ward's waist. The sick angel produced a small and tired smile as Zachariah’s response was to pull him tighter into his warm embrace and soothingly run his fingers through his black hair. “It led me to you.”

“In that case," Zach said as he lifted the icepack to place a featherlight kiss on his angel’s hot-but-no-longer-burning-forehead. “I love it.”

Edited July 27, 2015 by Juto07ab

[Akahana]

FUCK GOD DAMMIT ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME??? I SEE THROUGH YOUR PLAN I'VE FIGURED IT OUT, YOU'RE TRYING TO ASSASSINATE ME WITH FEELS!!!!

[Arty]

No!!! I'm not resurrected I'm still dead!!! Thanks a darn bunch! Now I'm off to eat brains....

[Lonewolf]

Aww what happened to the updates. ;_;

[Juto]

Aww what happened to the updates. ;_;

Ahh... Sorry... Real life is playing catch up... And I sort of hit a dry spot! I have outlined the next 10 or so drabbles but whenever I try to make notes into actual text... Some kind of DANGLISH GOO just comes shooting out.

Soon though... I promise!

[Sneezypeezy]

I'm in love with these boys and your writing ! Please update as soon as you can

[Juto]

I'm in love with these boys and your writing ! Please update as soon as you can

Aww... Please add 'knows how to make a Dane blush' to your resume!!

[Juto]

Soooo.... I was looking through my notes just now... And suddenly just realised that I had already finished the next in line..... saaaawy!!

This is a direct follow up to 'nightmare' so Elias is still visible (but this is the last day of visibility! Snf!!... Until next time ;-P )

Thanks again to all you lovely people who read this!! Members, Thank you so much for your comments!! Guests, don't worry, I stalked this site for a good while before building up the guts to sign in and contribute! Do consider it though, sooner rather than later. We have a blast here :-)

Without further ado...

Part 36 - Something else

Elias looked up with a smile as Zach practically ran into the bedroom, dropping his school back on the floor and sitting down on the bed opposite his sniffling angel. After much debate this morning, Zach had finally agreed to go to school, leaving a cold ridden Elias behind. He had pretty much spent the day tapping his pen against the table, glancing at the clock on the wall every other minute, counting the seconds till he could go home and make sure his guardian had everything he needed. Which classes had he sat through today? He had absolutely no idea!

He didn't like voicing his troubles to Elias, figuring his angel was troubled enough caring for his wellbeing 24/7, but he did not like the prospects of having him becoming invisible again in less than 12 hours, somehow it would make him seem less real and Zach dreaded that more than anything.

He looked his angel over in his, he assumed, rather unusual state, all huddled up in a big sweater, with his blue scarf tied loosely around his neck. His eyes still looked a bit droopy from his late night’s dream interference and his nose and cheeks were tinted pink against his otherwise slightly paler skin tone.

“Hey, how was school?”

“Screw school! How are you?”

Elias smile grew, his ward's concern for his wellbeing was endearing.

“I'm fine Zachariah, better than yesterday.” Elias sat still and let Zach rest the back of his hand against his forehead until Elias held up a finger, his eyes going slightly unfocused and Zach felt himself being pushed off of the bed as his angel geared up for a small round of sneezes.

“He’ksch! Hi’igkschu! Hh… Heh'tchew! Hh…Hi'eshew!”

Zach had retreated to the far corner of the room, knowing that if he hadn't Elias would have removed himself from the bed and probably end up hurting himself, trying to get away from Zach during his sneezing fit.

“Bless you”

“Thank you! Snf! Sanitiser!”

“I barely touched you Elias.”

“SANITISER!”

“Alright alright, crazy-overprotective-stalker-guardian” he said with a smile and a small shake of his head in Elias’s direction as he reached for the bottle of disinfectant gel on the table.

“In my purest form my no-regard-for-his-own-health-ward.” He turned his head and coughed into his elbow. Zach dared to come closer again, sitting back down on the bed urging Elias to take small sips of water in between coughs.

“Still doesn't sound too good. Some tea? I have this stalker friend who made his own special honey blend. It's delicious! I'll go make you a cup.”

Elias smiled and murmured his thanks as Zach got up and nuzzled his hair as he passed him on his way out the door.

“Sanitiser!”

“Arh for heaven's sake!”

“No, for your own sake!”

~

“Here you go, nice and sweet… And hot.” He held a cup of steaming honey brew out to Elias, taking a small sip of his own. The soft and warm steam tickled his already too sensitive nose and he pinched it hard trying to quench the tickle before Elias noticed anything. His angel was hunched over his own steaming cup, unobserving

Zach held the pinch for a few seconds and tried not to breathe. It seemed to be working. But he had to let his nose go as Elias raised his head to look at him and smile.

“Thank you for being so caring and thoughtful, Zachariah, I could never have-“

“H’ahtschuu!”

Uncomfortable silence.

“Arhh Gods!! I am the worst guardian in the entire universe!”

“Elias…”

“I am supposed to keep you healthy Zachariah, and what do I do?”

“… Elias…”

“I MAKE you sick! Please forgive me Zachariah”. Elias’s voice had gone whiny. Zach had a hard time containing his amusement. What a drama queen!

“… Elias?”

“Snf! What?”

“It was the steam! I am not sick! I inhaled the steam and it tickled my nose. Calm down!”

“Snf! You sure?”

“Yes, you angelic crybaby!”

“Oh, Uhm… Bless you?” He offered, en embarrassed blush tinting his cheeks.

Zach laughed. “That would be the appropriate response, yes, not this silly guilt rant! I am fine! Finish your tea.”

~

“All tucked in?”

“Mm-hmm… We shouldn't be this close. I do not want you to catch this again, Zachariah.”

“Shut up and enjoy it!” Zach brought his hand up and ran his fingers gently through his angel's hair as the sniffling guardian rested his head on his shoulder, cradled in Zach's other arm.

“Trust me, I don't think I've ever enjoyed anything this much.”

Zach brushed his lips to Elias’s forehead, finding only vague remains of a fever and pulled his angel tighter against him. The next second, Elias’s arms worked their way up against his chest and pushed Zach off the bed and onto the floor.

“Elias! What the f- umpf!”

“Hh'ech! Heh-shuh! Hh... Hup'tshh! Heh… He'ngchk!”

Zach laughed from his place on the floor. “Bless you. You seriously need to sort out your priorities though. Would you rather have me in bed with a cold or in bed with a dislocated shoulder?”

“I'm so sorry Zachariah, please forgive me. I did not mean to push you that hard. Are you okay?”

“Hh…he’ischoo! Snf! Ha’isch!”

Another Uncomfortable silence!

“Can I guilt rant now?”

“No! The floor’s dusty.”

“Oh, just ‘bless you’ then”

“Thanks! Snf! Can I get off the floor now and back into bed?”

~

“All tucked in? Again?”

“Mm-hmm”

“Need to sneeze anytime soon?”

“Snf! Don't think so.”

“Good. Sleep tight, my angel”

Zach rolled over to turn off his bedside lamp, engulfing them in darkness. He didn't roll back to wrap his arms around Elias right away. He was too busy holding his breath and pinching his nose shut.

“Zachariah?”

“Hn’nxt! H-h’gkt! Snf!”

Yet another uncomfortable silence.

“Now?”

Zach sighed tiredly, hoping this would be the last lie he told tonight.

“It was the light, Elias. I'm not sick! Go to sleep. I will not see you in the morning.”

“But I will see you. Bless you.”

[Arty]

Ooohhh hoooo!!! This iivalsome good stuff right here!!! Yaaassss! !!!!

And did my zombie eyes see that Elias had on a scarf?! Ooohhh damn!!!!! OH DAMN!!!!!!!!

[Juto]

Ooohhh hoooo!!! This iivalsome good stuff right here!!! Yaaassss! !!!!

And did my zombie eyes see that Elias had on a scarf?! Ooohhh damn!!!!! OH DAMN!!!!!!!!

Elias in a scarf in deed... Found the image too cute, couldn't help it! It still surprises me that Zachariah can resist him... Oh well... Matter of time though ain't it?! I'm glad your Zombie self are still enjoying these! :-)

[Arty]

You bet you bottom dollar that Zombie Arty loves these.

[Akahana]

Ooh!! I hope Elias leaves notes on Zack's desk or something, or he responded by writing down his words. That would be so cute!! <3

[GeldingWest]

I pushed back a workout to read all of these. They're amazing! <3 Can't wait to re-read and maybe read some new drabbles soon.