(Untitled)

[teenagerenegade]

Charlie's not sure he's ever felt this sick. It's been days and he's still getting new blisters, and his head's swimming, and he's having a hard time swallow. At least the puking's stopped. He's alternately hot and cold, kicking the sheets off as quickly as Edmund can pull them back up over him. He's trying not to scratch because he's a grown-

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[giftless]

It really wasn't fair. Edmund was an adult, not a nursemaid, and yet it seemed as though Charlie was as determined as physically possible to be as much of a childish pain as he could. It had been a long few days. Edmund understood that Charlie was miserable, and ached, and that being sick and stuck in bed really was the worst place for a young man to be, but he was also sadly grateful for those hours of school when he could get away. And when he was sufficiently distracted from worrying about Charlie, because that was a horrible part of this, too.

He came back with a few books and paracetamol from the clinic, anything that might help a bit. He'd left the door open, so that a breeze could flow through and Charlie wasn't entirely shut in, and Edmund wasn't entirely surprised to see Honour sprawled across the doorway to his bedroom, standing guard over Charlie but trying to look surly about it. "You're just a great softie. Don't lie about it," Edmund informed the direwolf as he stepped over the great, hulking mass of fur.

[teenagerenegade]

Honour's been there all day. When Charlie did throw up, he lifted his head to Honour staring at him and then the wolf had actually licked his hand. He'd then looked at Charlie like he'd eat his head if he told anyone. Charlie hadn't even considered mentioning it to Edmund.

Still, he's pleased to see his boyfriend, and he actually manages a smile.

"I'm still not entirely sure that he likes me."

[giftless]

"Oh he likes you," Edmund assured him, assured all of them, wolf included. "He just likes acting a big bad wolf better." Honour rolled his eyes in Edmund's direction, a silly, scathing look that wouldn't be amiss on Ed's face during a particularly nasty temper, but the boy ignored it.

"I brought you some comics," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Figured they'd be better than trying to dig through a novel right now."

[teenagerenegade]

"You're my favourite," says Charlie, reaching out and twining their fingers together, his own hand feeling hot and sticky.

"My head feels like it's slowly filling up with something. And I'm still fucking itchy."

[giftless]

"I should hope so," he said, squeezing Charlie's hand briefly. The other boy's hand was too hot and clammy to cling to tightly for long.

"I brought you some acetaminophen too," Ed assured him. "And they say honey might help with the itching." Which seemed ridiculous to Ed when he'd first read it, but a few books he'd skimmed had mentioned it, so he'd brought some and some baking soda along home. Sighing, he shook his head, "I still can't believe you've never had this before."

[teenagerenegade]

"I can't believe I've never had it either. You'd think my Mom would have found a fucking pox party to take me to or something."

He sighs unhappily and throws himself back against the pillows, both arm up over his head.

"What do you do with honey? Am I supposed to eat it?"

[giftless]

"Pox party?" Edmund repeated, befuddled, but as with so many things that Charlie happened to mention that confused him he let it pass without more comment.

"You're supposed to put it on you, idiot," Ed said, but fondly, and when usually he would shove the other boy gently, now he carded his fingers through his hair. "Says it helps with the itching, though maybe that's just because you're distracted by being all sticky."

[teenagerenegade]

"It's when one kid gets chickenpox and then all the other Mom's bring their kids around so that they get it and then everyone gets it out of the way."

He leans his head into Edmund's hand, looking up at him with wide, feverish green eyes.

"So, what? I'm already miserable because we can't do it because I can't keep it up and now you want to smear honey on me?" He huffs a laugh and turns his face, kissing the heel of Edmund's hand.

[giftless]

"The more you talk about the future, the happier I am I won't live through it," Edmund said, unthinking and perfectly happy to keep the deeper meaning of that statement out of the conversation. He shook his head and leaned down to kiss Charlie's heated forehead. "If it helps the itch, will you really care?"

[teenagerenegade]

He pretends to think about it for a moment, eyes closed, leaning his forehead against Edmund's lips and then he shakes his head.

"I think I'd do anything if you told me it'd help the itch at this point."

[giftless]

"Can't hurt any more to try," he said, dropping a kiss on his cheek before pulling back. "And if you really fancy getting honey smeared all over you, we can do it again when you're not feeling ill. How about that?"

[teenagerenegade]

Charlie makes a face and sighs, huffing his hair out of his eyes and studying Edmund for a minute.

"I think if you told me that being hit over the head with something would help, I'd let you."

[giftless]

"It might," Edmund allowed dryly, then got up to fetch that honey, some water and some pills. "At least then you wouldn't feel it."

[teenagerenegade]

"I knew it," says Charlie, managing a smile, eyes tracking Edmund when he moves around the room.

"I knew you'd had enough of me."

[giftless]

"Yes," Ed said dryly as he deposited a pill into Charlie's hand and held out a cup of water. "I'm not a nursemaid and this is far from worth it. I'll just bash you over the head in a minute and be done with it."

[teenagerenegade]

Before he says anything, Charlie takes the cup and obediently swallows the pill down. This is an argument they keep having, the last couple of days.

"You could just come lie down with me for a bit instead," he suggests. "I'm kind of sleepy."