Burning Ice & Freezing Fire

Mucus!?

Lovingly Robbie runs his hand through the blonde hair of the sleeping elf.

Sportacus feels still a little too warm to the touch, but at least he's breathing almost evenly again, after he coughed up a huge amount of yellow mucus mixed with red stains of blood. Thanks to almost two hours in the steam filled shower during which Robbie also helped him to wash off the sweat.

They didn't speak much during this, but they agreed mutely that there was no time nor reason for false shyness now. So Robbie also helped his boyfriend change into some dry, comfortable clothes of the felf. They're a little too big for the smaller man of course, but the hero didn't mind.

More on the contrary.

When he finally snuggled up in the bed he slipped his arms completely inside the cuffs after pulling his knees up to his chest and the fluffy pajama top over them, rolling up into a ball like this with his eyes fixed on Robbie and a very soft smile on his lips.

He looked adorable like that.

And now that he's sleeping even more so...

The felf sighs lowly. He feels tired but at the same time strangely restless. He knows that feeling just too well... If he'd fall asleep now, the chances of getting a hallucination are high. Too high that he wants to risk that.

He can't allow himself such weaknesses at the moment. And he's still used to going several days without sleep so he knows he'll still be fit enough for...his plan starting in the morning...

No.

He weakly shakes his head.

That's the last thing the felf wants to think about now! He wants to enjoy the little time of peace he has left...

With a soft smile he looks at his sleeping boyfriend again, still stroking over his head.

"...I love you, you silly jumping jack... I guess I always did...in a way..." his voice is low, barely more than a whisper, but he doesn't want it any other way "...You made me smile... Although I'd never admit it of course..." he chuckles weakly and adjusts his position so he's now lying next to the hero, propped up by one elbow while still caressing the felf's head with his free hand.

Another sigh and he studies the expression of his sick boyfriend once more.

Sick.

That's what Sportacus is.

He's sick.

Ill.

Unwell.

And although Robbie is no doctor he knows what is wrong with him.

Thanks to Pixel's research and the books Stephanie got for him. It's nothing too serious. It's the elvish version of a bad cold. Rather harmless but pretty rare. Simply because elves have a very good immune system.

Usually.

And that's where Robbie sets in. He weakened Sportacus with injuring him accidentally so he even lost some of his life energy although only temporary. Nine must've noticed that at once during their encounter in the airship and took advantage. He made his decision.

The crystal usually is no weapon you can use against elves. But Nine told Sportacus that it contains every information about its owner, including the memory of the body when it had to fight off a cold in Sportacus' childhood, nearly all the children get at least once, because their immune system also needs several years until it's fully developed. The hero's natural protecting 'shield' has already been hurt by Robbie before so it was easy for Nine to get through with very gentle use of his own magic powers so Sportacus didn't really notice until it was too late already, and the crystal inflicted the false impression of a cold inside of the elf's body which it pulled from his memory before.

And this is it now.

This is Sportacus' normal reaction on the belief of his body that he got infected by something...

He's in no danger, but the hero is very weakened, because adding to this 'cold' comes the immense stress and concern for Robbie.

That's why he feels so horrible now.

At least that's what Robbie thinks must've happened and still is happening with the poor elf...

It appears to be the only logical explanation for all this...

It's a slightly relieving thought one could think.

But the villain knows better than that.

He knows that this was a warning.

For him.

A demonstration of power.

Of superiority.

One...he can't just ignore...

Tears gather in Robbie's eyes.

But he's smiling weakly, his voice and bottom lip trembling violently when he promises "...He won't hurt you anymore... I won't let him!..."