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Kitty x Erik : Sick Day

The cough that rattled his chest was long, wet and lingering.

Falling back onto his pillows once it had finally subsided, Erik scowled blackly at the world at large and the school in particular.

Muttering a nasty curse in the direction of his oldest friend for the cruelty of making him stay in a house full of sick children (happily ignoring that it had been this or prison), Erik reached out a shaky hand for the half-full glass of water on his bedside table.

Grimacing at the taste of the lukewarm water and at the burn it did nothing to quench within his throat, Erik replaced the cup and shuffled further down in his bed.

Closing his eyes, Erik hoped that sleep would welcome him back into blissful ignorance, but alas, it was not to be.

Instead quite contrary to what he wanted, a cheerful brown head full of curls popped through his door, proclaiming in a voice nearly demented with joy; "Hello, sickie! Time to eat."

Glowering at his would be nurse, Erik growled. "I'm not hungry, you annoying cat!"

"Aw, is a grumpy-whumpy head forgetting that he has to take his medicine with food?"

Thus saying, Kitty phased the rest of the way through the door, dinner tray in hand.

Eyeing the steaming bowl of soup and fresh bottle of water sourly, Erik rasped. "It's that time already?"

"Yup. Now are you going to eat this of your own free will or am I going to have to phase the spoon into your mouth? By the by, it's a plastic spoon in case any ideas were popping into that sweaty head of yours."

Smoothing the sweaty hair back off his forehead in disgust, Erik grumbled. "Truly, Katherine, you are a gift of comfort in this trying time."

A whisper of amusement danced across her lips but her eyes betrayed her real concern and carefully placing the tray on the bedside table, Kitty 'cut the crap' as she would say, and laying a gentle hand on his forehead asked softly, "Still feeling pretty cruddy then, huh?"

Leaning into her hand for a moment in silent surrender of their normal back and forth, Erik mumbled. "Indeed."

Pulling away (knowing full well he wouldn't accept her help) Kitty waited until he was sitting upright before placing the tray on his lap and picking up his old glass of water.

"I'm gonna go dump this out in the bathroom sink and while I'm in there I'll grab a damp wash cloth so you can wipe some of that gunk off your face."

Finally a semi-pleased expression crossed Erik's face as he nodded at Kitty, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

One bowl of soup, two pills and half a bottle of water later, Kitty was helping him wash his hair in the bathroom sink after the tenth time he asked her to in the last fifteen minutes.

"I find it more than a little annoying that you have this soft of hair when you use two dollar shampoo."

"I find it amazing you pay more than two dollars for shampoo."

Helping him sink wearily onto the toilet seat, Kitty began to gently towel dry his ever so soft curls.

"Now I know you feel terrible—that was a pathetic come back."

Erik said nothing in reply merely leaning forward so he could rest his aching head on her waist.

Running her fingers through his now mostly dry hair, Kitty let out a soft laugh and said. "Okay, sickie, back to bed for you."

Upon getting him settled back in the bed, Kitty ran her fingers down the side of his quilt dawdling as she watched his eyelids droop ever lower.

"Thank you, Kitten, you can go now."

Laughing quietly, Kitty squeezed his hand through the quilt saying teasingly. "Well, that's gratitude for you. Help you eat and get washed up and all I get is a lukewarm 'thank you' and a 'get out.' What if I want to stick around?"

His lids now completely lower, Erik smiled as if having a pleasant dream and murmured. "Love you."

Her lips curving in a loving smile, Kitty stepped away from the bed, blowing an air kiss his way as she commented to herself. "Now that was a great come back."

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! And for all the great reviews!

Thank you to Setsunakou for the beta!