𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳 ~ [𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘥 𝘹 𝘖𝘊]

⇒ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

"... Cedar..." David was whispering tree types in his sleep again. I fought the urge to chuckle, knowing the sound would wake him, being a light sleeper. The redhead barely got enough rest as it was with his borderline insomnia, so I really didn't want him to wake up from me laughing. And that's what lead me to now, clutching at my stomach in pain from cackling silently.

Unfortunately, my plan didn't go so well, because I then promptly sneezed.

I froze, praying to the Gods that it hadn't stirred him, but as I felt the turquoise eyed man shift from where he was half under me, I sighed. Fuck.

"What's going on?" He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes in the five am light.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry, Davey, I didn't mean to wake you." I grimaced. Now he was up, he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

" It's alright..." He mumbled, turning over to me. I watched his face twist into frown. "Are you feeling alright, you look a little ill." I opened my mouth to protest, only for fit of coughs to issue instead. I had the good grace to turn into the corner of my arm to do so.

"Come to think of it, I do feel like shit." I replied, voice a little hoarse from the prior spluttering. "Although come to think of it, I usually feel like shit." I admitted with a dry chuckle.

"Avery, how could you ever feel that way when we're surrounded by beautiful nature all the time?" David beamed. I replied with another croaky exhalation. He immediately looked worried. "I'll get you some tea." I tried to snag his wrist as he threw the covers off, immediately missing the man's warmth, but found my hand to be inexplicably heavy.

"Aw fuck, I am ill." I sighed.

"Don't you worry yourself, I'll look after you!" David looked positively ecstatic at the thought of caring for me all day. Honestly, when it came to situations like this, I was mostly independent and self sufficient, just waiting for the sickness to go away on its own. Suppose it doesn't hurt to let myself get spoiled for one day...

"Don't overwork yourself." I said as firmly as I could in my raspy tone.

"I'll be right back!" He flung open the cabin door, presumably to get the aforementioned tea from the Mess Hall. I let my head flop back down onto the pillow, pressing my face into it and letting the David-like smell of pine comfort me.

* . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *

"Okay!" I must have drifted off in my drowsy state for I was awoken abruptly by a certain camp counsellor opening the door, hands piled high with various nick-nacks. "I've got tea for your throat, painkillers, water and the few snacks I could find." David announced, dropping the contents of his arms on the couch. (Obviously he didn't drop the tea).

The redhead brought the mug over, resting it on the side table by our bed. He also handed me a Parecetamol pill that I took with a sip of the drink he'd just given me. Huh, it was lemon tea. I guess he remembered my favourite still, just like he had when Neil asked him. I washed down the unpleasant sensation of swallowing the tablet.

"Thanks, Davey." I smiled weakly in his direction.

"And not to forget, I have the best medicine of all." He grinned in my direction.

"What's that?" I inquired, voice still resolutely scratchy.

"Hugs!" The turquoise eyed man climbed back under the duvet, wrapping his arms around my middle securely.

"Come on, I don't want you getting sick too..." I frowned. It's not that I didn't appreciate him using physical affection to cheer me up, god knows it did cheer me up, but I couldn't risk his health too.

"But I wanna be here with you." He mumbled into the fabric of the t-shirt covering my shoulder. Even in my illness I managed to roll my eyes.

"I need to stop letting you get away with things because you're cute." I sighed, giving up. He wasn't going to leave, I accepted that. So instead, I let myself press against him, reciprocating the embrace.

"Do you actually think I'm cute?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well I tell you enough-" I began.

"No, you usually say stuff like what you just did there, that's a joke, right?" I drew back, furrowing my brow. "You say it in a jokey tone." He finished.

"Fuck, David, I didn't realise you thought I was joking." I said. "You're extremely adorable." I told him with a wistful smile.

"Adorable is what you call a helpless puppy." He faked a pout, resting his head atop my chest.

"You are a helpless puppy." I chuckled lowly. The redhead shot me as close to a murderous glare as someone like David could. So more of a pathetic glower. "Okay, okay, sorry. But for real, you are quite cute. Like a-"

"If you say puppy right now..." I decided it was for the best if I shut up. "That's what I thought." He muttered amusedly.

"You know I think you were right." I mused after pause, after realising shutting up wasn't really an Avery thing.

"About what?" David's voice was muffled from now being leant against the crook of my neck. His breath was a comforting temperature.

"Hugs are the best medicine." I smiled, though he couldn't see it. "Feeling better already." My point was immediately disproved by another bout of coughing, making me sit up and take another draught of tea.

"You sure about that?" He laughed a little. I smacked his shoulder affectionately as I settled back down.

"Mean." I commented playfully. I felt David shift and turn to see him on his side and propped up by his elbow, staring at me with what I could only describe as pure adoration. If I wasn't already red from being ill, I know my face would have flushed at his gaze. "What?" I chuckled.

"If I'm cute you're... Well, I don't think there's actually any words for it." That was surprisingly smooth coming from the turquoise eyed man.

"Come on, I'm already physically sick, I don't need to be lovesick too." I commented offhandly. I suddenly realised the possibile implications of what I'd just said and froze. Fortunately, it seemed my red-headed companion hadn't thought anything of it.

"Well, some viruses are cured by using another to eliminate its pathogens." I think I'm going to die. I wasn't really paying attention in Neil's pathogen lecture, but I knew the basis of what he'd been saying.

"And when did you become such a borderline flirt?" I inquired, a hint of amusement in my voice.

"Only for you."