Disease by Elektra Pendragon "Perhaps I should take you to the hospital. It could be pneumonia, or the plague or--" "Stefan! It is NOT the plague, I don't need the hospital, and if you don't stop pacing back and forth, you're going to make me throw up," Matt shouted as much as he could with his scratchy, swollen, aching throat. It came out more like a burst of static than the forceful command Matt had intended it to be. Instantly Stefan stopped his nervous pacing, sat down on the foot of Matt's bed, and looked at him with wide, attentive eyes. The irritation Matt had felt at his lover's fears about his bad cold began to melt away under that soft green gaze. It was so hard to be angry when he goes all puppy-ish; Stefan could be so sweet. Stefan reached out and began massaging Matt's feet through the flannel blanket covering them. His irritation flew right out the window. Matt closed his eyes and settled back into the no-less-than five thick, down-filled, black silk pillows Stefan had brought in and piled behind his head, enjoying the foot rub. The flannel blanket was also Stefan's idea, along with the humidifier happily steaming away in the corner, the tray full of cold remedies, the lotion-infused tissues, the steady supply of herbal teas, and the mini-television that Matt's younger siblings had hijacked. Stefan had said he would buy Matt another one, but he declined. He wasn't feeling well enough to watch television just yet, and it made him feel uncomfortable to be accepting expensive gifts. It reminded him that he wasn't as well off as Stefan. He also hated being sick, because it reminded Stefan that Matt wasn't as immortal as he was. "Are you sure you don't want--" Matt kicked his feet out of Stefan's grasp, even though he was really starting to enjoy the massage. He sat up to scold the vampire, but jerking his head made his nose start to run. Moving with inhuman speed, Stefan retrieved a tissue from the box on the stand and held it to Matt's nose before anything could drip onto his lip. Matt sat there a moment, staring into Stefan's concerned eyes as the cool hands pressed around his nose. "Man, that is really gross," he spoke slowly before pushing Stefan's hand away. He found his own tissue and blew his nose quickly, turning his head away as Stefan watched him, his face screwed up with worry. "I mean that," he said as he made a perfect three-point shot into the wastebasket. "You don't have to hang around me like this. I can blow my own nose." Stefan bowed his head a little, examining the plaid pattern on the flannel before looking up at Matt's face. "I know that, it's just that mucus contains high concentrations of bacteria which can extend the recovery time of a--why are you looking at me like that?" Matt was glaring sternly at Stefan, making the vampire squirm in his seat. "You've been on the Internet again, haven't you?" Stefan didn't answer, but his newfound knowledge was telling enough. "I told you to stop visiting those home healthcare sites! They only make you more paranoid. I. AM. FINE." The effect of the statement was somewhat ruined by a series of hacking coughs that made it impossible to talk for a few minutes. Stefan waited them out, holding up a glass of warm chamomile tea with honey for him to drink. Matt gratefully sipped the tea, letting the tepid liquid soothe this sore throat. Handing it back to Stefan, he mumbled, "Aren't you going to pat me on the back?" When Stefan made a move to do so, Matt fell back onto the pillows and held up his hand. "I was kidding, Stefan. Jeez, don't be such a Mother Hen." Stefan slumped back onto the bed, his face shielded from Matt's view as he stared towards the closed bedroom door. "Do you need anything more?" he asked, his voice flat and emotionless. Even though Matt couldn't see his face, he knew Stefan was working his way to a full-out Salvatore Brood. And it was his fault... "Stefan..." 'Don't be a jerk' came to Matt's mind, but that wouldn't be helpful. It wasn't Stefan's fault he was overly protective. The guy's been through a lot. Back in the 1500s people died every day from something as simple as a cough or a sniffle. He wasn't used to this 'fragile human' thing. But if Stefan didn't give him some room to breathe, he was going to have to hog-tie him. Though the mental image appealed to him, it still wouldn't help matters if Stefan started brooding. "Stefan, come here." Stefan scooted his buns an inch closer, but kept his gaze averted. Matt sighed aloud. "Stefan, come over here and look at me," he repeated sternly, patting the edge of the mattress to his left. Dutifully Stefan stood and sat next to Matt, though he all but tottered off the edge for his efforts to pull away from the human. He still wouldn't look at Matt. Matt reached out with his right hand towards his lover, and Stefan flinched a little. "You've got a little fuzzy...thing in your hair," Matt explained, his voice low. Stefan held still as Matt's fingers petted over his hair, gently drawing his fingertips through the short waves. Then he cupped Stefan's cheek, held him steady and darted up for a quick peck on the lips. The contact was too short in Matt's mind, but he didn't want to scare Stefan off just yet. Stefan slowly licked his lips. "What was that for?" Matt shrugged, snuggling deeper into his blanket. "Thanks. For--you know, worrying about me." He smiled up at Stefan, shamelessly using his natural charms on the man. 'I'm cute, I'm alive, and I'm all yours, so don't worry,' Matt tried to convey through his gaze. Stefan seemed to get the message. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Matt's. Being unable to breathe through his nose, Matt opened his mouth to gasp for air before being devoured by Stefan. Though he thoroughly enjoyed being kissed by his lover, he had to turn his head after a short while to catch his breath. "I'm sorry about being a Mother Hen," Stefan admitted. "I just--" "I know," Matt interrupted. He shifted under the blanket, then yawned widely. That Nyquil kicked in at the worst times! He could already feel this thoughts getting fuzzy under the influence. At least he seemed to have averted a Stefan-meltdown. Now if he could only get Stefan to snuggle down under the blanket with him... Matt wiggled again, then winked at Stefan, then wiggled again. Stefan grinned. "Go to sleep. I'll be back later tonight when everyone's asleep." Matt smiled at that. Since their friendship had developed into a sexual relationship, Stefan had taken to sneaking through the window at night to crawl into bed with Matt. Though Matt wasn't feeling up to anything tonight, he looked forward to having Stefan to sleep next to. Stefan leaned forward to give Matt a long, not-very-chaste good night kiss. The good thing about having a vampire for a boyfriend was that he wouldn't worry about catching Matt's cold. He'd just worry his fangs off over every illness, injury, or threat to Matt's well-being. Watching Stefan leave the room, jean-clad butt swaying seductively, Matt knew he wouldn't have it any other way. THE END