First Touch

Trouble is copyrighted to Sallie Drazzi

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Din laid there in Trouble's bed, vaguely aware of very little. He had an idea that he'd been there far past his welcome, at least two or three days, but he couldn't get himself to get up. In fact, he could barely get himself to move. The stress and exhaustion had really caught him this time, and he was badly sick.

He was so sick that he actually felt cold. And for an ice demon, that was extremely strange.

Finally he roused himself enough to sit up, hugging himself to ward off the shivers a little, glancing around. The Immortal was at his desk, having noticed the motion from his bed, but wasn't about to look in that direction.

"S... sorry," Din murmured, holding his head and nearly falling off the bed. "Sh... should..."

"Eh... what..." Trouble tried very hard, but couldn't get himself to complete that sentence.

"Cold," Din shivered badly, feeling very much like he was about to pass out.

Trouble carefully walked with eyes on the floor to the en suite attached to his room. He retrived a set of blankets from a tall cupboard in there, and then proceeded to walk back into room, head directly at the floor as he wandered to the bed and offered blankets without looking up, "Er... here..."

Din reached for the blankets, but was too dizzy and dazed to hold onto them, dropping them to the floor. Trouble blinked down at them a moment and then picked them up carefully, taking a corner in each hand and then pulling himself up to flick out the blanket so it spread. He lowered it across the bed and most of Din without having to look any higher than the edge of the bed. Then, just a silently he shuffled back to his desk again.

The Koorime laid back against the bed, panting and shivering, staring off at the room for awhile. He could barely see it his vision was so hazy. It was a mess of artist supplies, canvases stacked at random, shelves lining the walls.

It had been days. He'd only had one day off work. This fact suddenly clicked in his brain and he attempted to get up, collapsing and tumbling down at the side of the bed on the floor in a tangle of blanket.

Trouble quite literally jumped. He sat there for a long while blinking at the floor, then moved back to the bedside and knelt next to Din. He moved his arms as if to put them around Din and then hesitated. Din was blinking blearily up at him, obviously extremely feverish.

The little Being drew his hands back against his chest, closing his eyes tight and taking a gulp of air. He wasn't supposed to touch unless he was told to touch, or at least those had been the rules. Were they the rules anymore? Would Din mind? Didn't the Koorime need help?

Din obviously did need help, he finally decided. He fixed his eyes firmly on a distant spot on the opposite wall and carefully tried to pick Din up. The Koorime murmured something unintelligible and attempted to hold onto the Immortal to help him. Trouble got up slowly and carefully, shuffling them to the bed. In his attempt to not just drop the Koorime he stumbled and veritably fell on top of him instead.

Trouble jumped back, blushing madly, "Er... sorry."

Din blinked his eyes open slightly, seeking for the warmth and comfort of the body that had been there a moment before. He whimpered softly, arms stretching a little in the vague direction of Trouble.

The little Personification looked around the room disjointedly, chewing on his bottom lip. He wrapped his arms around himself and very slowly moved to sit beside Din on the edge of the bed. Din laid his hand on Trouble's leg and settled, closing his eyes and curling up, shivering violently again.

Trouble reached and retrieved the blanket from the floor, draping it over Din carefully, not really looking at him, but more in his general direction now - a step that had only taken three days.

Din murmured feverishly, "Pretty... blue eyes..."

Trouble stared at his lap, blushing madly. The Koorime shifted, flopping into a more comfortable position, partly across Trouble's lap. Instinctively the Immortal drew his hands up to his chest again, looking a little up so he was looking just beyond Din again. He quietly reminded himself that Din probably hadn't meant to do that exactly, he was sick and feverish and more than slightly out of it.

"Warm," the Koorime mumbled, snuggling down and smiling in his fevered daze.

"Well... er... not like... you have... anywhere... to stay at... home... while you're... sick," Trouble fidgeted a little. He glanced toward his desk, using his powers to get a sketchbook to come over to him, resigning to his place beneath the Koorime and settling down to sketch.





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