Beginning To Drift
a Queer as Folk story
by Silver Elf
"N-no. Wait a second," he gasped. "I think I'm going to sneeze." He batted away the hands that were so eager to roam his skin and rolled to the side of the bed that wasn't occupied. He sniffled softly once, twice, a third time. Halfway between the third and the fourth, however, his breath caught and his eyes closed tightly on their own accord. "Heh... Ehk'shoo! EhhHihShoo!" He sniffled again, this time desperate not for a sneeze but for a tissue, and rolled onto his back once more. Soft eyes looked at him with concern.
"Michael... that's the fourth time you've sneezed tonight. Are you SURE you're not coming down with something?" Ben's voice was hushed to half its normal volume, as it almost always was when they were in the bedroom. Michael sniffled again and looked up, his dark eyes tinged with red. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but he was quickly cut off by his lover, "and before you say a thing, don't tell me it's allergies. Your mother told me the only thing you're allergic to causes hives, not sneezing." Michael shut his mouth, looking disappointed. Ben's eyes crinkled as he smiled and he slid to the side, laying beside Michael and propping himself up on one elbow. "Mikey... tell me the truth... how do you feel?" He traced his fingers down Michael's cheek slowly, then started to pet his hair, drawing a rusty sort of purr from the smaller man.
"I feel okay..." he mumbled, and immediately Ben's fingers stopped moving. Michael pouted and sniffled again. "I'm not sick... I can't get sick." He spoke with such firmness in his voice that Ben almost believed him. Almost. He lifted one eyebrow and studied his lover's face.
"And why not, exactly?" He said softly, resuming his soft petting absently. Michael smiled faintly, though his eyes remained dim.
"Because YOU can't get sick." He spoke matter of factly, his voice filled with emotions that didn't show on his small face. He sniffled and lifted his wrist to his nose, rubbing at it as his breath hitched softly. Ben sighed and rested one hand on Michael's chest, over his heart.
"Michael... just sneeze..." he spoke soothingly, his fingers tracing tingling lines over Michael's scalp. Michael squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head, even as his breath caught in his chest. He lowered his arm, his eyes fluttering, before lurching upward.
"Huhh... hehEHShhhh!Heh... ehh... huh!K'chssshh!" He sneezed rapidly, against a tissue that hadn't been there before. He blinked tear-filled eyes and looked at Ben, who was not only holding the tissue against his nose but was also smiling while doing it.
"Bless you..." Ben whispered, wiping Michael's nose clean tenderly before dropping a kiss on it. "Michael... if you're sick, then we'll deal with it. I just don't want you to hide from me." He caressed Michael's cheek and leaned in for a swift, soft kiss which Michael could hardly refuse, adamant as he was about Ben catching the cold he had known about for three days.
"You always find me anyway," he whispered, giving in and letting Ben take care of him for the night. Tomorrow, however, he would find another place to sleep.
COWLIP! *cough* I mean... I don't own Ben. Or Michael. Or... Pittsburg. I DO own a banana shaped watch though. And a Hal Sparks Band hat. Inspired by the sneezefic weekly hatching week #10. 'Must start the story with: "N-no. Wait a second," he gasped. "I think I'm going to sneeze."' Under 1000 words -- mine is 541. :D Also, this is a prequel to the longer Michael ‘fic'I'm writing, ‘Drifting' hence the beginning... yeah, you get it. :D