Love Blossoms in Strange Conditions (Werewolf x Herb)

Chapter 7

Werewolf looked around the room, "do you have a mirror? You look awful!"

"That's a bit rude, don't you think?"

"Herb, I'm not joking with you. You look like you're dying; do you feel alright?"

Herb's smile faded, looking down at his hands. His skin was notably paler and thinner than before, now making Herb concerned for himself.

"Well, I do have a mirror in the bathroom."

Werewolf turned to Snow Sugar, "go to the bathroom and get a mirror. Now."

Snow Sugar worriedly nodded and ran off, leaving their candle behind just like Werewolf: dropping it on the floor.

Going back to Herb, Werewolf began looking at all of the corners of Herb's face.

"Do you feel sick? Anything, tell me anything-"

Herb patted Werewolf's head, "calm down! I'm sure it's nothing, maybe a small fever or something. I feel fine, I really do."

Werewolf sighed in frustration, "this doesn't look like a small fever."

"Looks can be deceiving."

Werewolf glanced up at Herb's hair, slightly lifting one of the autumns leaves up in his palm. Just after lifting the leaf a few inches, it cracked and crumbled within Werewolf's hand, letting Herb watch as the pieces of dead leaf fell between his fingers. Herb instinctively went to grab the falling debris from his head, but it slipped away.

"What kind of fever does that to you?" Werewolf commented.

Herb frowned as he stared at the pieces on the edge of the bed. He laid his head back down, facing towards the ceiling instead. Werewolf waited for a response, but Herb had nothing to say. Soon, Snow Sugar ran in with a mirror, startling Werewolf. 

"I found it!" Snow Sugar huffed as they handed the mirror to Werewolf. 

Werewolf took the mirror from them, turning it over to Herb, "Here, look."

Herb slowly took the mirror, delaying what he would have seen if he had taken a look. Despite Herb's fearfulness, the curiosity was too strong to back down from the sight of his own face, making him lift the mirror to himself.

In the reflection, a pale cookie with sunken-dark eyes stared back at Herb, with his lowered lids of his eyes barely making an attempt to look at him fully. His once jam-filled faced was now sucked away, only leaving a dull shell of Herb's dough; it was as if Vampire cookie had sucked his youthfulness away. Of course, Vampire was never that type of cookie to sneak into people's houses, but whatever sickness had overcome Herb was no stranger to intrusion. The more Herb looked, the more distraught he became at his own appearance, but he just couldn't look away. The only parts of his face that had any resemblance of jam left were his nose and cheeks, but they had always flushed pink for as long as he can remember.

Werewolf snatched the mirror away from Herb, leaving him helpless due to his weakened body. Werewolf was saddened by Herb's expression, seeing a face of defeat from both his appearance and Werewolf's sudden decision to take the mirror away.

"That's enough. I just wanted to prove my point," Werewolf whispered.

"You were right," Herb squeezed out his words, "I do look like I'm dying."

Werewolf's ears shot up in shock, "I- no. I was just... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I was just worried."

"No, no. I get it. I've seen it for myself: you were right."

"I mean, you did say you felt fine. Maybe it's just a physical reaction to something... probably just got hit a little harder than usual."

Herb placed his hands on his face, "I really do look dead."