End of the Line

Klaus was lying limply on top of Dave, blankets pulled tightly around them both. It would have been a great way to spend the afternoon if they weren't both horribly sick. This always seemed to happen, whenever one of them came down with a cold, the other was always close to follow. Maybe if they actually tried to keep their distance, avoided kissing and all that the moment one of them started to feel under the weather this wouldn't happen, but where was the fun in that? Besides, the sickness was likely going to make the rounds around the house anyway, might as well get it over with so they could be miserable together.

And miserable they were. Klaus had no energy and every part of him ached, not to mention the splitting headache. He couldn't remember what it was like to breathe through his nose and the worst of it was he was in too much pain to properly sleep it off. Dave apparently felt the same because neither of them had moved in some time, simply lying there groaning at one another.

"I think I'm dying," Dave said gravely and it took Klaus a moment to remember how words worked before he could reply.

"Not if I die first," he said lamely.

"What does that even mean?"

"I dunno," Klaus said before groaning again. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"'Gonna?' Aren't you already?" Dave said, giggling. At least Dave was well enough to poke fun, that was probably a good sign.

"Shut up, you know what I mean," Klaus said, waving a hand vaguely.

"I don't know if i know what anything means anymore." A pause. "Oh no."

"What?" Klaus said, attempting to raise his head to look at Dave but it was just too much effort.

"I need to pee."

"Mm, no, I don't think so," Klaus said, wrapping his arms a little more tightly around Dave's middle.

"Saying 'no' isn't gonna make the pee go away," Dave said, jostling Klaus slightly as he chuckled.

"But if you get up, that means I have to move and I just got comfortable," Klaus objected pitifully.

"Yeah, well, you're not the one who has to make it all the way to the bathroom," Dave said.

"Good point. That sounds like a suicide mission. Well, it's been nice serving with you, Katz."

"You too, Hargreeves," Dave said before taking a deep breath. "Okay, here I go."

Dave groaned pathetically but didn't seem to even try to sit up. Klaus also didn't even bother to roll off of him.

"So?" Klaus asked after another pause. "Was the mission a success?"

"No," Dave said, whine in his voice. "I don't wanna get up." He drew out the last word pathetically and Klaus brought his hand up to pat him sympathetically on the head. He wasn't actually looking though and instead ended up patting his face.

A knock on the door distracted them. Klaus wasn't sure if it was particularly loud on purpose or if it just seemed that way due to the pounding in his skull.

"Time to wake up, you too," Ben said as he pushed the door open with his foot. He raise the two bowls he was holding. "Mom made you some soup so get up and dig in before it gets cold."

Both Klaus and Dave groaned simultaneously. Ben set the bowls on the bedside table before going to the window.

"Come on, it's a lovely day outside," he grinned as he opened the blinds.

Both Klaus and Dave groaned again, Dave grasping for a pillow to hold over his head while Klaus ducked farther under the covers.

"I think he's trying to kill us," Dave said.

"Betrayed by my own brother," Klaus agreed.

"Don't worry, I brought you guys some cold medicine too," Ben said, not sounding apologetic at all, but at least he was showing mercy.

"Oh you're an angel," Dave said.

"My hero," Klaus said, reaching a hand out, face still buried in Dave's chest.

Ben dropped the pills into his hand with a chuckle before turning to leave. "Feel better you two," he said as the door clicked closed.

"I'm gonna take them both," Klaus said.

"No," Dave said, drawing the word out in despair.

"Fine, you can have one." Klaus reached up and blindly placed the pill on his face.

"Gee, thanks," Dave said, grabbing at it before it could roll away. "I still have to pee."

"No," Klaus said.

"Here I go."

With a grunt of effort, Dave awkwardly slid out from under Klaus, leaving him to fall face-first into the mattress.

"No," Klaus groaned, drawing out the word. "I'll never be warm again."

"Don't go anywhere without me," Dave said as he stumbled to the bathroom.

Klaus must have drifted off because it seemed like only a moment later Dave's comforting weight slipped back into the bed again and Klaus immediately curled into his side.

"Babe, you survived," Klaus said with a smile.

"Barely. Don't go out there, it's freezing," Dave wrapped his arms tightly around Klaus, shivering slightly.

"Maybe we should have some of that soup now," Klaus suggested.

"Mmm, in a minute," Dave said, voice drowsy. "You're warm."

"Famous last words," Klaus chuckled. "Poor soup, mom's gonna be mad."

Dave muttered something but it was lost, muffled in Klaus' shirt. Klaus was already starting to drift off too so he wrapped Dave more tightly in his arms and whispered, "love you," into his hair. Dave mumbled something back that sounded vaguely like 'love you too,' and Klaus smiled.