Hugfia's 30 Day OTP Challenge

Day Fifteen: One of Them Is Sick

Princess Sofia deals with a stuffed-up pampered prince on bed rest.

“I want to die,” Prince Hugo sniffed

Princess Sofia patted his shoulder with an indulgent smile, and pulled the blanket over the curled body of her fiancee.
“Somehow I think you’ll find the strength within you to keep fighting. It’s just a cold.”

“Jusb a cold? This night be a flu, it’s worsede. Like a million colds at once!” Prince Hugo groaned, swiveling his head dramatically, causing the bangs to flop over his eye. A clear sign that he was sick that he didn’t bother to sweep it off. Suddenly he sat up.

“Whab about you! Your protector job!” He cried

Princess Sofia brushed a stray hair out of his face for him a smile creeping on her face as she looked. Even though his skin was ashen, his usually bouncy brunette hair limp and stringy, his eyes were bloodshot and his nose was as stuffed as a toy, she thought he was still cute. Maybe not physically but his concern for her time and her work was endearing.

But the matter was that even though she maintained her independence, her hero work and travels, since dating Hugo, her amulet allowed her more flexibility to allow her time to make this long distance relationship work. Including times like these, caring for Hugo.

Now Hugo was almost a grown man but he was practically useless when he was sick. Physically unable to get out of bed, utterly useless. He couldn’t even get lunch without his servants, take his medicine or get tissues. King Garrick said he was always like that when he was sick and it clearly hadn’t changed over the years.

Princess Sofia didn’t indulge such childish antics except for an extreme case. Hugo was correct he had the flu, two nights ago, but it had broke by now. She was doing this because he still wasn’t up to his normal strength, and-she’d never admit this outloud- but she thought he was sweet when he was sick. Not when he was refusing to swallow his medicine and such, but the grateful smiles Hugo gave her that he truly appreciated her time. Sometimes falling asleep together when she sang. It was an oddly peaceful time.

“I’m gonna make you some food that will help clear your sinuses. You stay here and try to go to sleep,” Sofia told him. Hugo did so, burying his head under the pillow with a loud moan.

When she came back from chopping sage and thyme, Prince Hugo had fallen off the bed and was staring dazedly at the wall.

“Sofia, fuddy ting. I can’d ged up,” Hugo said. She could swear the stuffiness was getting worse.

Princess Sofia placed the bowl of piping chicken soup that the cook had made on the dresser and swept him up in an army lift James taught her in self-defense. She gently placed him into the bed, rearranged the pillows and pulled the blanket over again, and made sure the tissue box was close by.

“Here, some soup.” She handed the bowl and he managed a wry grin.

“Danks!” Hugo took a slurp and spewed it across the bed, violently coughing.

“Sorry! I did’d mean do!” Hugo cried, getting off the bed to start wiping the blanket when he dizzily fell again.

“Hugo rest. I got this,” Sofia insisted, gently shoving him back to the pillows so she could strip the sheets and wrangle up new blankets from the back of the closet. Where Hugo only mildly shivered when left without his comforter for a minute. He learned two sick days ago that she wouldn’t put up with complaining when they both knew she was helping him.

Well, maybe one or two complaints slipped.

“Jou devil woman! Jour are drill tryin’ do kill me,” Hugo mock-glared when he was seized by another harsh sneeze.

Princess Sofia simply shook her head when she shook the cough medicine bottle, “This will help ease the burning feeling and some of the stuffiness.”
“Tank you!” He croaked

Sofia put a finger to his lips despite the germs, “Rest your voice.”
“Bud I like talkging wid jou. Jour inderesing. More than the wall,” Hugo smiled.

Sofia turned away but knew Hugo could see her bite her lips as the ends curled up into a half-smile. Another reason that she became his semi-reluctant caretaker.

They got to talk together. Brief conversations that Hugo sometimes fell asleep in the middle of, but it was nice nonetheless. It was usually mundane reminisces or stories of olden sick days but it was a pleasing pastime.

Princess Sofia put a hand to his forehead and smiled at him once more, seeing how his eyes were drooping closed despite Hugo's efforts to remain upright and awake. To continue to try talking to her, “You’re less hot. So you’ll probably be better soon. And you’re not going to die.”

“Good,” Prince Hugo said, “Bud I’m glad jou were here wid me if I did.”

“Me too,” Princess Sofia softly whispered, “I better go now. Hopefully, you’ll feel better when you’re awake.”

“I will be. I alwayd wand to be wid jou,” Prince Hugo smiled, drifting off at last.