An explosive sneeze from the doorway of their room caught the attention of Blackberry and Acorn, where Acorn was losing a game of checkers. Dandelion smiled sheepishly, pushing his pale blonde hair back from where it had fallen over his face while he sneezed. "Sorry. Just got a-" His eyes half closed as he fought back another sneeze. Successful, he continued hoarsely, "Got a cold."

"You sure it's just a cold?" Blackberry asked worriedly.

Acorn left his spot on the bed, just barely not managing to upset the board, and pressed the back of his hand to Dandelion's forehead. "He doesn't have a fever."

The relief in his voice matched Blackberry's relieved sigh. All three boys remembered far too vividly Hazel sick with a high fiver, their brave leader confused and shivering. None of them ever wanted that to happen again.

"So it probably is just a cold," Blackberry concluded.

Dandelion started to nod, but was cut off by more sneezes. "Dold you so." He rubbed his dripping nose against his wrist, then grimaced at the wet patch left on his sleeve. "Dat's really gross."

Acorn bit back a smile. "C'mon, sit down here. Watch us play, I need some tips."

Dandelion nodded, shuffling over to sit down on the bed next to Acorn. Curled up on his side, blond hair fanning out over the blankets, he looked barely older than Pipkin, certainly not the near-teen he actually was.

"Stay near the edge," he murmured, voice clogged, eyes already half closed with drowsiness. "Always works bedder dat way."

Acorn nodded solemnly, running his fingers through Dandelion's hair. Dandelion smiled softly. Dandelion was always very tactile, and fingers running through his hair was the one thing sure to relax him every time. This final push was the last thing he needed for him to relax fully into sleep.

Even as Dandelion's breathing, though still congested, evened out, Acorn kept softly stroking the older boy's hair, hand absentmindedly carding through the short locks as he considered his next move. He pushed his piece forward, eyes flicking triumphantly up at Blackberry, and only then realised Blackberry's eyes were on his hand's soft movements through golden hair. Acorn frowned, shoulders hunching in defensively, his hand stilling, though not retreating.

"Is his hair really that smooth?" Blackberry said quietly, breaking the stillness that had settled over the room, disturbed only by Dandelion's congested breathing.

Acorn laughed, struck by the humour of the question. He just as quickly covered his mouth, looking down at Dandelion and relieved to see him still asleep. "Seems so."

He resumed stroking through Dandelion's hair. "Maybe he washes it with something special or something. Like honey."

Blackberry wrinkled his nose. "That would never work. Honey is too sticky, it would just make a mess." His eyes glinted with sudden glee, making Acorn suddenly recall why the three of them were such good friends. "Maybe it's spiders. You know, for silkiness."

Acorn grinned widely at the fake innocence of Blackberry's tone. This would be fun. "Beetles, to make it shiny."

"Ants, to make it stronger."

"Worms, to make it longer."

Blackberry's grin took on a wicked edge, and Acorn knew that this one would be the best of them all, by far. He leant forward, ready to hear it -

Dandelion coughed, small at first, but enough to startle both boys. Then he shot upright, great whooping coughs coming interspersed with hoarse gasps for air. Dandelion's eyes streamed, nose running, his face full of panic as he desperately tried to breathe, but it only got worse.

"Water, now!" Blackberry yelled, startling Acorn from his shocked stupor. He scrambled off the bed and to the bathroom, hoping against hope that someone has left a glass there from last time they got up to get a drink. Miraculously, it was there, sitting beside the sink, and he quickly filled it up and returned, hearing Dandelion's coughing before he was even halfway back. It sounded worse than ever, and he started shoving the drink towards Dandelion before he even saw him. Dandelion took it and drank, coughing coming to a halt as he just guzzled the water like it would kill him if he didn't. Acorn shoved away the tiny part of his mind that said maybe it would.

Finally, finally, Dandelion lowered the glass from his lips, and choked out, "I think I'm okay." It was followed by a series of coughs, but those, much to Acorn's relief, stopped quickly. As soon as they were done, Dandelion slumped back against the bed, curling both arms around his head and wincing.

"Headache?" Acorn asked, inwardly berating himself a moment later for how stupidly obvious that was.

Dandelion nodded, just a tiny movement of his head that nevertheless made his eyes clench even closer together. Blackberry helped him upright, leaning the taller boy onto a pile made of the pillows from all three beds, and brought the glass of water back over to him. Dandelion sipped it, slowly this time, his hands relaxing from their clenched positions. Finally, he opened his eyes again, sparing the other two a small smile.

"I'm okay now."

Even if Dandelion didn't still have lines of pain around the eyes he was just barely squinting open, his voice would be proof enough that no, he was not okay. Both his friends just stared at him, still too tense from his coughing fit to even pretend to believe him.

"If you go back to sleep right now, we won't tell Mr Frith you're sick," Blackberry finally decided.

Dandelion struggled off the pillows, propping himself up with one elbow as the other arm clutched at his head. "I'm fine, you don't have to tell him anything!" he pleaded.

Acorn scoffed. "You're not fine, you're being an idiot. Lie down already, just looking at you makes my head hurt."

Dandelion subsided onto the pillows, still cradling his head like it might fall apart, eyes once again tightly closed. "Fine," he whispered, "just don't tell Mr Frith. I'm not really sick, it's just this cough."

Acorn, unsure how to respond, resumed stroking Dandelion's hair, gratified when the older boy relaxed into it, muscles no longer as tense as before.

"Okay, we won't tell Mr Frith," Blackberry kept his tone as low as Dandelion's, but with considerably more force. "But you have to rest. No more talking, just sleep."

Dandelion grudgingly mumbled his agreement, by now mostly asleep under Acorn's soothing fingers. Acorn and Blackberry exchanged a long glance, then, with a small shrug, Blackberry picked up the checkers pieces which had been scattered by Dandelion's coughing fit. He turned to Acorn with a wry smile. "Checkers?"

Acorn spluttered out a laugh, and agreed.