A Thru Zing - A Drericka Oneshot Collection

Under the Weather

Dracula worked quickly.

Grabbing a mug from the cupboard and a tea bag from the cabinet, he poured boiling water into the cup and mixed the two together with an adamant stirring of the spoon. A touch of Blood Beater syrup was added for sweetness, and a dash of lemon juice to give it a tangy kick. Blowing at the top of the steaming beverage, Dracula carefully cupped the concoction in his hands and made his way out of the small kitchen, flinching as the sound of yet another violent cough echoed throughout his chambers from the next room over.

He grimaced as his eyes landed upon the shivering, weakened form of his beloved, splayed upon the couch with a blanket draped atop her figure. Drac sighed in dismay. Ericka looked absolutely terrible. She was perfectly fine upon her disembarkment of The Legacy and travels to the hotel a mere few days earlier. He recalled how excited he was to show her around the hotel... and then how he had led her up to the rooftop to ask her the most important question of all. She was bright-eyed, cheery, and more than ready to start her new life with Drac. But at the moment she was anything but. Her skin was pale, even by vampire standards, and the shine in her bloodshot eyes was not at all visible. Her button nose was as red as Tinkles's favorite ball to play with, stuffed with congestion. Even her bright white curls seemed to hang in unkempt limpness on her head. It made his heart clench with pity at her state, and the man had dedicated himself into helping his sweet blood orange make a full recovery.

"Hey there, honeybat," he cooed softly, bending down to press a soft kiss at her temple. "How are you feeling?"

Ericka's response was another fit of coughing, followed by a groan. "I've had better days," she wheezed, her melodious voice reduced to nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

Drac nodded in sympathy, using his magic to adjust her pillows and prop her up. "I know, my devil chops. But you will get better soon enough. I promise." He lifted the mug up towards her. "I brought you this."

Ericka shook her head. "Not really in the mood to drink, Drac," she murmured.

"It's hot and fresh," he insisted gently. "And it will help with your cough, my love."

As if to aid in the Count's case of persuasion, the strong aroma of the tea was somehow able to break through the congestion in her nose just enough to allow her to register its scent. She inhaled deeply, savoring the blend of herbs that tickled her senses and already began to ease some of the ache in her chest. Drac watched her closely as she considered the tea and then gave a small nod. "Okay."

With a smile, Drac helped in bringing the cup to her lips, gently cradling the back of her head with one hand and tilting the beverage whilst she sipped with the other. She hummed in contentment after a few gulps, smacking her lips together and relishing the healing effect of the liquid. Slowly, Ericka allowed the tension to start dissipating from her muscles, letting them loosen as they absorbed the comforting heat and made her feel a little less miserable. Drac noticed this with much contentment, and pulled the mug away after she had downed more than half of it, wiping gently at the remnants on her lips.

"There we go," he beamed. "That should hold you over for now." He set the mug aside, making a mental note to start brewing a hot monsterball soup for her later in the evening, and then pulled out a thermometer. With Hotel Transylvania being the archaical type, the little device was nothing too fancy. It was a glass piece with red Mercury filling the cavity in the middle and ticked readings marking the temperatures on the side. "Okay, sweetheart. Open up."

Too tired to disagree, Ericka obeyed and let him slip the thermometer under her tongue, the pair awaiting the final readout and hoping it wasn't anything too bad. Drac reached out, caressing her cheek lovingly and brushing back some of her platinum strands of hair that were straying onto her face. She looked haggard, yes, but to Drac she was still beautiful. Enjoying the cool touch of his palm, Ericka leaned into the hand with a small hum, closing her eyes.