Waking up ill is always awful, but even more when it is disruptive for those he holds dear on top.

And Silver doesn't mean the constant coughing and sniffling that wreck his body with that, annoying as those are. No, he means the fact that the Chaotix had wild plans to go visit Sonic and Tails and have fun there with a sleepover... that he now cannot attend, because the moment he opened his eyes with an altogether awful throat ache and sniffles galore Espio had immediately decreed he would stay home.

And the decision that Espio himself would stay home as well had come immediately after, and Silver being upset about not being allowed to share in the fun had quickly moved towards him being altogether shaken up by the fact Espio willingly is not attending either.

"You still have time to go, Es," Silver rasps, from where his heavy head lays on the pillows. "I'll be fine here." And he will be, because he is not a pushover and he can easily survive a night of his own while being ill, he's done it before, he'll live and then Espio doesn't need to miss out on a convivial evening because of him...

A warm chuckle follows from above him. "Surely, tenshi, and yet I will stay."

His quills bristling by instinct Silver huffs. "I don't want you to!" he sputters back, pleasantly cool hands pressing down on his shoulder and pushing him more firmly onto the mattress. It does nothing to calm the bad feelings of burdening Espio that keep him firmly in their grasp. "I want you to go out there and have fun!"

"Sonic and Tails will understand, love. If we ask them if we can go on a sleepover another day sometime in the future, they will agree immediately."

"But you're missing out on the fun now!"

Vector and Charmy had decided to go after all following the psychic's urging, and though the house's quiet is greatly appreciated by the throbbing in Silver's skull, it makes a stark reminder he and Espio are still here instead. But the chameleon merely sighs fondly and flicks his fingers past Silver's nose. "I am not leaving you here. I would not have peace of mind." And that is final, Espio's tone clear in that he does not want any backtalking, even if it leaves Silver huffing... before yet another accursed coughing fit wrecks his body. At least that is enough of an excuse for him to shut his eyes so he does not need to see the pointed look getting sent his way.

A glass of water gets pressed against his lips. "Tenshi, you are making yourself far too worked up about this," Espio murmurs, as Silver gratefully downs some of it. "I am content staying here with you too."

"I don't want to be a burden," Silver wheezes back, wiping some droplets from his lips before Espio can begin fussing about that, too. And he is being a burden, because Espio, in true Espio style, had immediately dropped everything right out of his hands to go play caregiver. Which Silver knows makes his beloved happy, but not when it means they need to cancel plans they'd both been looking forward to because of him...

His beloved shakes his head, ever so amusedly. "You never are, love. May I confess something?"

Huddling more closely underneath the blankets Silver puffs up his cheeks. "Please tell me it is that you're actually really mad you can't go because then at least I'm right in feeling bad about it."

"Quite the opposite." Tender fingers trail over Silver's quills, his ears, his nose and cheeks, making the hedgehog keen into the pleasant touches immediately. "I love being able to care for you like this, tenshi," his beloved murmurs, slowly and tenderly. "I love being able to look after you and making sure you're doing alright."

"...Oh. Es, you're silly," Silver can only protest back at that, and the flushing of his cheeks might not be able to be attributed only to his fever. And the way Espio laughs so lovingly before drawing his arms around him and pulling him close does not help matters either... With a deep sigh Silver flops his head into the other's shoulder. "Can I confess something, too?"

"Always."

"I hate that you can't go to the sleepover because of me. Makes me mad, but at myself."

For a moment, all Silver can hear is the throbbing of his mind between his ears and Espio's quiet breaths against his quills. "Ah. So that is why you're thinking about this so much," his beloved murmurs back, Silver's face falling against his chest. In all his protesting, he hasn't been that obvious about how Espio needing to stay here is his fault...

But then Espio's fingers brush past his ears once more, and the other chuckles softly. "And yet, that is life, dear Silver. Sometimes we face disappointments, and sometimes the things we had planned or looked forward to do not come to be for a variety of reasons. But it is not the end of the world. There will be more fun times to be had later, with you in good health again."

"I know that, but it doesn't make me feel better..."

Stifling a deep sigh Silver pulls away in favour of burying his head against the pillow again, Espio's caresses slowing down. A pensive silence stretches out between them, the hedgehog flicking up his eyes to meet Espio's ones. But they do not seem angry, or disappointed... "Tell me, tenshi," the chameleon speaks up, eventually. "If I had been the one ill here, would you have gone to the sleepover without me?"

"Oh... no. Absolutely not." And he wouldn't have; he'd have been just as worried as Espio now, Silver knows deep in his heart. He'd also have settled himself on the dinky chair from Espio's desk and dutifully stayed and guarded the other throughout his entire illness, catering to his every need and desire. And he'd have been more than happy to do it; Espio's wellbeing is far more important to him than a sleepover, especially because he knows Espio is right in that they can easily just plan a new one on a next date. "Okay, okay, you're right," the hedgehog huffs back to his smirking beloved.

"Naturally, small one."

"Don't get smug with me."

"Always so grumpy," he smugly gets teased all the same, deft fingers diving into the mane around the back of his neck to tease it and leave him snickering with scrunched-up shoulders. "May I confess something else, love?"

"...If it is that you like me being grumpy when I'm ill, you're done."

"It's exactly that," Espio grins, where he is in luck that Silver's powers have decided to just give up for the entire duration of his illness, because all the hedgehog can do is half-heartedly swat at him instead.

"Rude."

"My grumpy beloved, who needs my help and for me to look after. Very adorable."

"Just you wait until you fall ill again," Silver threatens him, a bit unsuccessfully due to an upcoming fit of coughing he can barely suppress. "I'll fuss over you for the rest of your life, Es!"

"Very deserved," the other nods back sagely, glass of water pressed against Silver's lips once more. "But before that, may I ask you to go and see if you can get some sleep in? I'll read something for you if you would like that."

He absolutely would, soft purrs rumbling in Silver's chest as he nods and Espio begins to carefully tuck him in. His pillow gets fluffed, the blankets drawn around him more snugly, his favourite chameleon plush getting a caress as well before it gets tucked against his chest, and he's become an altogether pleasantly-rumbling bundle of softness and fur when Espio returns with one of the books they'd borrowed from the library and opens it. "Let's see here..."

With tender words filling the air around him Silver closes his eyes. He'll probably never admit it aloud, but if he gets to confess something as well, it's that he adores just how much Espio likes caring for him in moments like these. So different from what he is used to, and so, so desired and wanted.

Perhaps next time Espio is ill, he'll use that confession as a reason why the chameleon deserves to be fussed over even more.

But that is for another time, hopefully after a fun sleepover; for now, Silver is content to doze, Espio's voice in his ears and hand on his head and everything alright in their shared little world.

Author's notes:

Hi all! ^-^ I believe this chapter is the one that gave me the most issues of all Flufftober prompts by far: it's like the.... fifth or so story that I imagined/partially wrote about it? But this is what it became in the end🍀 Silver can't stand the thought that he's doing something that inconvenienced Espio, but luckily Espio does not mind if it means that he can care for Silver. I hope you enjoyed reading, and have a great rest of the week! ^-^