Promises (The Fault In Our Stars, sick!Gus)

[Sophie<3]

Hi! So.. I finally read The Fault In Our Stars (it took me two days to go through the whole thing, I think!) and I decided to write a TFIOS sneeze fic, because I know there are Gus lovers out there who might enjoy this!

It got kind of long-ish, so I decided to post it in two parts.

The whole thing is a bit spoilery, not too much, but you've been warned. It takes part in the first half of the book, though, and doesn't give away anything major.

I hope you guys enjoy this! Please let me know and you'll get the second part soon!

A/N: I tried to really write this in John Green's style. Not saying I can write like him (if I could, I'd probably be famous lol) but I just tried to go for his general direction, so that this feels like part of the book and you all can just try to imagine it was in the book haha! I really hope I did well enough for you all and you have fun with this!

(There's a bit of plot, but there'll be a sick and sneezy Gus, I promise!)

xx, Sophie

Part 1

Amsterdam was only a week away. I was a bit impatient, to say the least. If you lived for years without anything to look forward to except the next episode of America's Next Topmodel, then this kind of thing throws you off track. I had a lot of my stuff packed already, even though, of course, it was too early and I constantly had to take stuff back out of the suitcase I shared with my mom because I still needed it. “Hazel”, my mom said at some point. “I know you're excited, sweetie, but the flight is still six days away. Maybe you should find something else to do for now. You seem restless.”

“I am restless, mom. I'm restless and impatient and nervous and anxious and overwhelmed and overjoyed.”

I had talked so fast that I needed to stop and catch my breath. Otherwise, I might have added even more adjectives to the list.

Mom smiled a little. “Alright. Still, I think you should find something to do.”

“Can I go to Augustus's house?”

She cocked her head, seemed to consider it and nodded then. “Of course, honey. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about.”

I nodded and took out my phone to text him.

'Hey Gus. My jitteryness is annoying my mom. Can I come over?'

Waiting for him to text back made me even more jittery, though. Now, in addition to packing and unpacking stuff, I had to take out my phone every ten seconds to stare at the screen. Luckily, I only had to wait for a few minutes until he answered.

'I sincerely doubt that 'jitteryness' is even a word, Hazel Grace. Still, I think we should give your poor mother a break. I volunteer to babysit you for today. '

I smiled a little and typed my reply quickly.

'Let's see who babysits who.'

Less than half an hour later, I was at his place. His mother, Cindy, answered the door and smiled at me.

“Hello, Hazel. Are you excited for Amsterdam?”

“Yes, very”, I answered politely. She had no idea. I liked her a lot, but the way she had asked her question already showed that she had no clue how much this trip meant to me.

“Well, Gus is in the basement. You two have fun.”

“Thanks. See you later.”

The stairs down to the basement slowed me down a lot. I had been walking around a lot all morning and my lungs were starting to protest. Mentally, I felt energetic enough to run a marathon. Physically... well, let's just say marathons were off the cards.

When I finally reached the bottom of the stairs, I spotted Augustus on one of the L-shaped chairs on the floor. He had his arms crossed behind his head and his real leg was stretched out in front of him. The posture was so relaxed and casual, it almost seemed staged. I wondered whether he had draped himself on that chair in that particular way in order to look more attractive for me. After all, the stairs had taken me a while and the sounds had most likely announced my arrival.

“Hi Gus”, I greeted, still pretty out of breath.

“Hazel Grace”, he said with a nod and a crooked half-smile.

“How're you doing?”

The smile widened. “Grand. As always. How about you?”

“Out... of breath.”

He looked at me and the smile faded. Then, he got up and took hold of my arm to guide me over to the second chair.

“I'm... okay”, I said, still sort of panting. It was kind of embarrassing.

“Well, maybe I was just looking for an excuse to touch you”, he said, grinning again, and pushed my oxygen tank over to me.

I gave him a scolding look, but secretely enjoyed the idea that somebody, anybody, but especially Augustus Waters, wanted to touch me so badly.

After a while, after I'd had sufficient time to catch my breath, I asked: “What were you doing when I came?”

“Not much”, he shrugged. “Played a little.” He pointed to the screen with his head.

“Counterinsurgence?”, I asked knowingly.

He nodded. “What else.”

“Well, do you wanna play some more? Mayhem will probably help me take my mind off the trip.”

“Why? Do you not like to think about it, Hazel Grace?” He frowned.

“No, I love to think about it! But waiting for one more week is torture, you see? Gus, I need some distraction! Ever heard the phrase 'the anticipation is killing me'?”

“Probably wasn't invented by a cancer kid.”

“Probably wasn't. Wanna play now?”

“Sure.”

He got back to his own chair and reached for the remote, but suddenly his body was shaken by a violent cough and he dropped it again.

“Gus!”

He was the one panting for once, but then, quickly, he recovered and smiled at me reassuringly. “It's nothing. I just... choked.”

“On what?!”

“My own spit, I don't know. Let's just play, okay?” He seemed strangely irritated.

When he noticed that I was still staring at him, he flashed that smile again. God, it was hard to resist that smile. “I'm okay, Hazel Grace. Don't worry”, he said and of course I believed him, because he was smiling at me like that and it was impossible to stay suspicious when he talked like that and looked me deep in the eye and also, I suppose, I wanted him to be fine.

So we started playing. “There, right there!”, Gus yelled after a while. “I see the terrorists from whatever country with unspecific but definitely anti-western ideologies! Shoot them!”

“I think some are behind us! I...”

“Huh'ishhh'eeh!!”

I turned my head quickly and almost dropped my controller. “Gus?”

He had his head turned half-away from me and his eyes were closed. I noticed how he took a shaky breath and then, his head snapped forward again. “Huh'iiish'uuhh!” And again. “Heh'IShhhhHh!”

“Um... Bless you”, I said and my voice was small suddenly.

After a while, he looked up at me and grinned sheepishly. “Thanks.”

“Are you okay?”

“No, I just died. So did you.”

I stared at him blankly.

“In the game.”

I looked at the screen and saw that our characters had been hit by a deadly blast while we had both been distracted by Augustus's sneezes. “Well, crap”, I said.

“The sneezes of doom”, he joked and then we began the mission again.

For the rest of the day (which wasn't very long, because I got tired around 6pm and went home to get some rest) Gus didn't cough or sneeze again, but I watched him closely and could tell he was making an effort not to let whatever it was that was bothering him show. He cleared his throat a lot, though as subtly as possible, and also turned away every now and again to discretely rub his nose.

When I had to leave, he helped me up the stairs and brought me to the door. “When you wake up”, he said, with a sparkle in his eyes, “there'll be one less day left until Amsterdam.”

“I know”, I said. “That's why I want to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Text me in the morning, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

Even though I was so tired, I had a hard time falling asleep. My mind was still so busy throwing these pictures of house boats and narrow streets and hundred-year-old buildings at me.

I wondered what Peter Van Houten would be like. He always sounded so sophisticated in his emails. It made me curious to find out whether he also talked like that. When I finally fell asleep, I was so exhausted that I didn't want up until 11am, which was sort of late, even by my standards.

I expected to find at least one message from Gus already on my phone and was surprised to find out that there were none. He'd promised to text me in the morning and he normally got up around 9am. Of course, it was possible that he had forgotten to do it, but that didn't seem very much like Augustus. The boy I had gotten to know in those last days had always kept his promises, even small ones.

I continued to carry my phone around with me for an hour or two. Then I couldn't take it anymore and called. He answered on the fifth ring.

“Hazel Grace.”

Something was wrong with his voice. It sounded husky, hoarse.

“Augustus?”

“I'm sorry, I was...” Suddenly, I heard him take a shaky breath and then suck in air sharply. Then, I heard a muffled sound. “Huh'itchh!” Apparently, he'd held the phone away from his face, but it still wasn't hard to identify the sound for what it was. A sneeze. And actually, not just one. Augustus Waters was experiencing a sneezing fit while on the phone with me.

“Huh'eshhh! Huh'Ishhh'ehh! Ishhh'uahh! Heh...heh'ITShh'uuh!”

I was a little overwhelmed. “Gus?”, I asked quietly.

All I could hear was his sniffling and shaky breaths.

“Jeez. Bless me”, he said when he'd finally recovered. He was trying to sound conversational, but his voice was still scratchy and he couldn't expect me to just forget about the five harsh sneezes, either.

“You're sick”, I stated after a while.

“Well, Sherlock”, he joked. “We met in a Cancer Sufferers Support Group. What did you expect?”

I couldn't help but sigh with exasperation. “Gus. You know that's not what I mean. You're sick with something other than cancer. A cold?”

I could basically see him deflate. He sighed. “You caught me, Hazel Grace.” Then, he coughed.

“Why didn't you say anything?”

“I didn't want you to worry.”

“And why didn't you text me?”

He cleared his throat and sniffled wetly. “My mom's been fussing over me all day.”

“Has she.”

He sighed again. “You know how it is. Cancer moms. They worry too much.”

I looked across the room over to my mom, who was currently busying herself in the kitchen to cook a special meal for me. She'd read all of those ridiculous healthy cook books and sticked to the recipes, when all I wanted where some hamburgers and fries. “I know what you mean.”

Gus sneezed again. Louder, this time.

“Bless you”, I said. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh, the stuffy nose and sore throat I can take. But being without you is a real pain.”

I blushed at his words, spoken in that pathetic hoarse voice, and felt my heart beat pick up its pace. Augustus was really good with complementing me when I least expected it and making me feel desirable and attractive in a way nobody else ever had.

“Do you want me to come over?”, I asked after a pause, when I could trust my voice to be steady again.

He sniffled again. “I'd love that. But I'm not sure my mom... or your mom....”

“Well, they don't get a say in this, okay? You're sick and want me to come over, so I'll come. It's simple.”

“Determination. I like it”, he said and I could hear him smile.

I blushed a deeper shade of red. “Stop flirting with me.”

“Only if you come over.”

“Alright. Take care.”

He sneezed again, I blessed him and we hung up.

After all these years at home with my mom, I knew her pretty well. I knew that she would let me go over to Gus's house, no problem, but I also realized that she'd never let me go if she knew that he was sick and I was in danger of catching it. After all, she'd made an effort to keep the house clean and make sure I was exposed to as little as possible.

When my dad caught a cold, she usually quarantined him in their bedroom and followed him around to the kitchen or bathroom with desinfectant, which she sprayed on everything he touched.

The only way was not to let her know Gus was sick. I walked into the kitchen trying to look cheerful and not at all worried.

Her: “Hello, darling.”

Me: “Hi, mom.”

Her: “Is everything alright?”

Me: “Sure, why?”

Her: “Just wondering. You seem less... restless.”

Me: “That's a good thing, isn't it?”

Her: “Sure. It is. I'm cooking lunch right now. I thought you might be hungry since you didn't have any breakfast.”

Me: “Okay. Sounds good. Oh, mom...?”

Her: “Yes, Hazel?”

Me: “Can I maybe go over to Augustus house afterwards?”

Her: “Again?”

Me: “As you said, we have a lot to talk about.”

Her: “How is he?”

Me (panicking a little): “Um... excited for Amsterdam.”

Her (smiling): “I'm sure he is. Yes, you can go. You two have fun.”

Me (relieved): “Alright. Thanks, mom.”

[Melody]

oh my god :D :D :D This is amazing! I love your writing! Everyones so in character and gah its perfect! Can't wait for the next part!

Edited July 13, 2014 by Melody

[mathnerd]

I really like your stories, I look forward to where this goes.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

This is wonderful!

[MoonDuck]

This is amazing! You wrote Augustus sooooooo well it's like wow! *Waits impatiently for part 2*

[Sophie<3]

oh my god This is amazing! I love your writing! Everyones so in character and gah its perfect! Can't wait for the next part!

Aww, thank you soo much! I love it most when people think that I wrote the protagonists in character! When I write fanfiction, this is what I like to hear haha...! I really hope you like Part 2 just as much! (It's even longer, I think. And Gus is really sick in this part!)

I really like your stories, I look forward to where this goes.

Are you saying... you've read more of my stories? Thank you! Have fun with the second half!

This is wonderful!

Thanks!

This is amazing! You wrote Augustus sooooooo well it's like wow! *Waits impatiently for part 2*

D'aww... MoonDuck, you da best! Thanks a lot for your comment! I decided not to let you wait any longer! Part 2 is all ready for you!

Everyone, this is the final part. I'm sorry this story is over so quickly, but I still hope that you all enjoy this part as much as the first one! (Or hopefully even more...?) Let me know what you think! Maybe I'll write another TFIOS fanfiction at some point! (:

Part 2 (Final Part)

I ate pretty quickly, thinking of Gus in his bed, sniffling and sneezing and coughing and hopefully also thinking of me. Then, after lunch, I packed An Imperial Affliction and some cough drops I had lying around on my nightstand into a purse and drove to his place.

When I rang the doorbell, I hoped that he'd told his mom I was coming. The surprised look on her face when I opened the door told me that he hadn't.

“Hazel?”

“Um... hi.”

An uncomfortable silence began to unfold. After a while, she said: “I'm sorry. Didn't Gus tell you he wasn't feeling well? He woke up with this horrible cold and I really don't think it's a good idea to...”

Right then, we both heard a voice from inside the house. A hoarse, husky voice.

“Mom? Is it Hazel?”

She looked over her shoulder and I also looked over her shoulder and we both saw Gus, in only a T-shirt and boxers, looking sweaty and shivery and sleepy, yet determined.

“Gus!”, Cindy said. “I told you to stay in bed!”

He stumled closer towards us. “Were you sending Hazel away?”

His mom looked taken aback. “I... um... I just don't think it's a good idea if she...”

“Stop”, Augustus interrupted. “I wanted her to come over. Please, mom. We'll be careful. I just need her here right now.”

I couldn't look at him. I had tried my utmost not to fall in love with him, but in moments like these, it was so hard. As he begged his mom to let me stay, even in his weakened state, he caused an explosion of chemicals in my brain, leaving me with intermingling feelings of lust and affection.

“Um... Gus...”

“Mom, please.” His had almost no voice, it sounded like talking was a real pain to him right now and still he was begging her to let me stay. A lump started to build up in the back of my throat and I still couldn't look at him.

She looked me over one final time, sighed and forced a smile. “Alright. Be careful, though, so you don't catch it. And Gus, I want you to take it easy, alright?”

“Sure. I promise.”

Now I looked up and met his eye. My heart skipped a beat when he smiled his crooked smile at me.

I walked over to him just as he started coughing violently. It hurt to listen to that. And trust me, I know a thing or two about not being able to breathe. It sucks majorly. So I winced and put my arm around him. His mom was right by his side immediately, too.

“Shhh...”, she made and I said nothing, because I knew that there was no way he could stop it. Otherwise, he would have stopped already. He was doubling over, completely at the mercy of his body, and finally, he sniffled and cleared his throat one more time, then recovered.

“Let's get you back into bed, sweetie”, his mom said and we helped him down the stairs together.

“Don't worry, I got it”, he whispered hoarsely and tried not to lean on me so much, because he knew that the stairs are tough for me even without supporting the weight of a 17-year-old boy while walking them. But to be honest, I liked to be of help for a change. It was a great feeling to do something for him like that. On top of that, it was obvious that he hadn't “got it”. He was incredibly unsteady and shaking and I could feel the heat radiate off his body. Fever for sure.

With my help (alright, and that of his mom, too, I guess) he made it into bed. Cindy gave him one last, sorrowful look, then touched my shoulder gently and said: “Take good care of him, Hazel. Okay? I'll be upstairs. Call me if he needs anything. I'll be right there.”

“Okay. No problem.”

She smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. Then, she left hesitantly. I got what her problem was. Sick girl taking care of her sick son? Not exactly a dream arrangement. But, I reminded myself, Gus was the one who had wanted me here. He had clearly stated that he needed me.

“Hazel Grace”, he said right then, while shifting around in his bed uncomfortably. “I'm sorry. I know you're used to me being all charming and entertaining. But today, I'm afraid, I won't be able to meet your expectations of...”

“Oh, shut up”, I interrupted, smiling. “I didn't come to be entertained by you.”

“It was because of my charm then, wasn't it?”

“Would you stop it?”, I laughed. “I came because you wanted me here. And...” I paused slightly. “And because I wanted to take care of you.”

He looked like he was going to reply something cheeky, but then, suddenly, his facial expression changed. He screwed up his nose in a way I'd never seen before (what can I say, it was pretty adorable) and took a few labored breaths. Then, he brought up his arm quickly to cover the sneeze. “Huh'IShhh'eeh!”

“Bless y-”

“Ikkgg'chhoo! Heh'tsh'oOOoO!”

The third sneeze was the most forceful one and Gus didn't take down his arm right away, just stared at the wall on the other side of his room, breathing heavily. Maybe he was waiting for another sneeze. After a while then, he sniffled wetly, still without saying anything.

“Bless you”, I said gently. He looked so vulnerable in that moment. It created a kind of intimacy I had not prepared myself for. “Um... do you need... tissues?”

“Nah... I'm good. I... um...” His nose twitched again and he rolled onto his side, a look of desperation on his face. Then, a new round of sneezes took hold of him and threw him forward. He was crunched into an embryo position now, barely managing to catch the sneezes with his hands.

“Hah'IShhh'ooO! Heh'Ashhh'ioOooO! IIITSH'oOOo! Heh... heh... ugh. Heh'eeshh'ooOoo!!”

I got up quickly and searched the room for tissues. Finally, I spotted a package on the other end of the bed and grabbed it. I pulled out a tissue and handed it to Gus in between sneezes.

“Hazel, I... Hah'IShh'ooOo! I'm not gonna... Atsh'iieww! Hah... hah'Eshhh'aahh! Oh God. Sorry.”

“Don't apologize. Just blow your nose.”

He sniffled again. Apparently the fit was finally over. Now, Gus looked worn-out and tired, so tired.

When he talked again, his voice was congested.

“Hazel Grace, I'b dot goigg to blow by dose idd froddt of you.”

“Um. Newsflash, Gus. You really have to blow your nose. I can barely understand you.”

He sniffled again, to no avail. “Doe. I'd dot goigg to do it.”

I frowned. “Why are you getting all stubborn? Just blow your nose? It's no big deal.”

“But...” His eyes looked glassy. When he started talking again, he was almost whining. “It's gross. I dod't waddt you to hear that frobb be. Please...!”

I laughed a little and reached out to run my fingers through his hair. My fingertips brushed against his forehead, which was sweaty and hot. I tried to stay calm and not run up to get his mom. (Not that I would have been able to run anyway. Whatever.) I wanted to be there for him and do it right and I liked to tell myself that I didn't need help with that.

“Augustus Waters. I've been through chemo. I've seen gross, trust me. And you could never be gross to me.”

He blinked almost lazily. I could tell he was tired. “Are... you sure?”

“Yes. Positive. Especially because blowing your nose is completely normal. I really don't mind.”

He nodded slowly, then smiled. He looked about two years younger in that moment, lying in bed, with his hair all tousled and his cheeks flushed.

“Okay. Thaggs.”

Then, he held the tissue up to his nose and blew. He winced at the gurgling sound, but I gave him an encouraging smile and he continued to blow until he was done.

I put out my hand. “I'll throw that away. You don't have to get up.”

“Oh no...!”, he croaked with determination. “Hazel Grace, I am not going to give you my cold! I won't let you touch that, it'll make you sick!”

“Um... I could wash my hands...”

“No. That's still way too risky.”

With that, he sat up in bed shakily and threw the tissue somewhere in the general direction of the garbage can. He missed it by at least five inches.

“Shame”, he mumbled. “I should have dunked that.”

“But basketball is stupid, remember?”, I joked.

“Right”, he mumbled sleepily. “That's why I missed on purpose, you know?”

“Of course you did!”

I was one my way to get up and pick the tissue off the ground, but he stopped me. “Hazel, please! Don't bother... I'll pick it up... eventually...”

I raised my eyebrows. “If I come over in a week and it's still there, then will you let me pick it up?”

“That won't happen”, he said and yawned.

Another sudden wave of affection rushed over me like the tide. I won't deny it, the urge to touch him was definitely there. He looked so adorable and the way he was rubbing his red nose pulled at my heartstrings. All I wanted was to crawl under that blanket and cuddle up with him, but there was still that rational part of me that knew that a) I had promised to take care of him and having a stuffy nose sucks even more when you depend on oxygen that comes through a cannula.

As much as I was pretending not to care, I knew that catching this cold would make my life really miserable and I needed to avoid it at all costs. Also, I knew Gus would never forgive himself if he gave it to me.

He was fighting with his blanket again. “What's wrong?”, I asked and started playing with his hair to let him know I was there.

“Can't... decide... whether I'm hot or cold. I.... ha'eshhh!”

Apparently, the sneeze had come as a surprise. Luckily, his head had been turned in the direction of the wall when it happened, so he didn't sneeze on me. Still, a guilty look appeared on his face. “Sorry, that one snuck up on me.”

“I figured. It's okay, Gus.”

My hand slid down to his forehead. “I think you have a fever. Did your mom take your temperature?”

He coughed, then giggled. “Is that an actual question? I thought you had a cancer mom yourself? Of course she checked. Six times today.”

“And?”

“And what? I don't remember the numbers.”

“Okay. But did you have a fever?”

“You bet.”

“Is that why you didn't text me?”

“Basically, yes. I was too caught up in my fever dreams. Sorry again.”

“It's alright. Gus...” Those heartstrings... pulled so hard I worried they might rip. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

He looked up and tried to focus those glassy, blue eyes on me. “Hazel Grace. I love that you're here. It means a lot.”

I smiled and he smiled back at me. Then, his eyelids started fluttering.

“You're tired, huh?”, I said sympathetically.

“Sneezing your head off and coughing up a lung can have that effect, yeah.” He chose his words the way he always did, half-serious, half-joking and with a hint of good-natured sarcasm. But now that he was so sick, he was slurring his speech and barely managed to keep his eyes open.

“Just close your eyes”, I whispered and started stroking his hair again. Surprised, I realized that some kind of dormant mother instinct was starting to kick in. I never knew I was even capable of taking care of a person like that. So far, I had always been the one that people were taking care of.

Gus coughed a little onto his pillow, then whispered hoarsely: “Could you... talk to me?”

“Um... about what?”

He opened his eyes again, just for a moment. “Anything. I just like to... hear your voice.”

“Oh... okay.” For a second there I thought I was going to tear up, but I recovered quickly. I would allow myself to think about this moment again later. For now, Gus was my number one priority.

He rolled onto his side again and I started rubbing small circles on his shoulder. “The only thing that's been on my mind lately is Amsterdam. I mean, I'm so excited. It's supposed to be so beautiful. Have you seen pictures? I've been staring at pictures so much, you have no idea.” I paused. “Sorry. I'm rambling, aren't I?”

“No, it's good. Just keep...” His breath hitched. “Wait.”

“Gus?”

“Hah'Eshhh'ahhh! Ishhh'uahh! Ugh.”

“Wait.” I got him one more tissue and he looked at me thankfully before blowing his nose. Of course, he missed the garbage can again. (I'm pretty sure that never would have happened if he hadn't been feeling so bad. It actually kind of alarmed me.)

Gus sniffled, then said: “Continue.”

“Okay. Sure.” I took a deep breath, then allowed my thoughts to wonder. “So... when I think of Amsterdam, I see... canals. Kind of like venice, but less dirty, I think. And house boats. I'm really excited to see those. I mean, imagine living on a boat. How awesome would that be? Well, unless you get seasick. Or does that only happen on the ocean? Anyway. I can't believe we're going to meet Peter Van Houten. Oh, that reminds me.”

I reached for my purse and pulled out the book and cough drops.

“What's that?”, Gus mumbled blinking sleepily.

“Do you like cherry?”, I asked with a smile.

He nodded. “Cherry flavor's my favorite. I despise anyone who... doesn't like cherry.”

“Here. Open up.”

He grinned, then opened his mouth and allowed me to let a cough drop fall into it.

“They're all yours”, I said and placed the package on his nightstand.

“And... the book?”

“Guess.”

“Is it...” He broke off coughing. “Sorry. It it AIA?”

“Bingo! Want me to read to you?”

A wide smile spread on his face. “That would be amazing, Hazel Grace.”

“Okay.” I opened the book at a random part, because I knew that no matter what I ended up reading, it would be good. (Otherwise I wouldn't have read the book a million times, right?) It was the part where one of Anna's friends, Mila, comes to visit her after Anna tells her about her cancer. While reading, I lost track of time. Augustus interrupted me with a cough or sneeze every once in a while and always apologized, even though I told him I didn't mind and it wasn't his fault. After a while, his breathing became calmer (he was snoring slightly, though, because of the congestion) and his face looked peaceful, so I closed the book quietly, thinking that he'd fallen asleep.

After a few seconds, he whispered: “I wonder what happened to Mila after Anna's death.”

I started stroking his arm again. “Well, we are going to find out, right?” In that second, something occurred to me and I felt like I'd been pushed down the stairs, shocked, tumbling. “Augustus!”

He heard how alarmed I was and immediately turned to look at me. “What is it?”

Now I was starting to tear up. “You're... you're so sick. We won't be able to go to Amsterdam, are we?!”

“Hazel!” He cleared his throat and pierced me with those beautiful blue eyes. “Listen to me. We. Are. Going. To. Amsterdam.”

“But Gus...”

“Sh! Listen.” His voice was so hoarse, but he was determined to finish what he was saying, even though it was probably hurting his throat. “It was my wish and no stupid cold can stop me. And neither can my mom. Cancer moms, they worry. But I'll deal with it.”

“It's not just about that! I don't want you to go if you're so sick, I...”

“Then I will get better. Give it a day or two, okay? Please! I'll get better. Hazel Grace, we are going to Amsterdam! I will get better! I promise!”

He sounded so sincere and so determined, it made me smile.

“Okay?”

“Okay”, I replied. He had promised. Augustus Waters had promised. That was something.

“Are you... flirting again?”, he grinned.

“Oh, shut up!”

We smiled at each other for a while, then he had to sneeze again. “Huh'chew!”

“Bless you! Do you want me to read to you until you fall asleep?”

He yawned again. “I might not... make it to the end of the chapter. Again, sorry about being so boring today...”

“Oh, get over yourself, Augustus!” I ruffled through his hair. “And honestly, I like taking care of somebody for once instead of the other way around! It's... refreshing.”

“Well, in that case, you're welcome.”

Gus was right. He didn't make it to the end of the chapter. I sleepwatched him until I decided that it was getting creepy and then left, hoping that he'd get better.

When I got home, my mom wasn't amused. She had talked to Cindy on the phone and found out that Gus was sick, so now she was all over me, calling me irresponsible for exposing my cancer-ridden body to yucky germs (though she didn't exactly use that terminology) when I should know better. I yelled at her that Gus needed me and that I should be allowed to take care of a friend (I almost said boyfriend, oops...) like every normal person. Then, I washed my hands a million times and took the vitamins she gave me. The next morning when I woke up completely fine, I rubbed that in her face, too and she finally began to relax.

I, on the other hand, grew really tense when Gus didn't reply to my texts. I told myself that he was probably still running a fever and that his mom was probably sitting on his bed, not letting him have his phone. I told myself that a cold, even a bad one, wasn't a reason to worry. It wasn't like he had metastases all over his body. He would be fine.

Still, waiting all day for him to reply was torture. I went to bed early to escape the situation.

The next day, I started staring at pictures of Amsterdam again, but this time I was sad. Secretly, I was already pretty sure that we weren't going to go. It was so unfair. Now that my parents had finally agreed to let me go, his mom would probably be way too worried.

Then, when his text arrived at 4:09 pm, my heart started racing. It said:

“Hey. Sorry I couldn't text before. My mom took my phone. Don't worry, though. My immune system's fighting this bitch of a cold, really. You didn't catch it, did you?”

I smiled a little at the fact that even though he was feeling so crappy, he was still worried about me.

“Don't worry. I feel fine. Are you really getting better?”

That night, he replied.

“Yeah. I would never let you down. I'm kicking this thing in the balls, promise. Sickness has never stopped me before.”

Then, the next day, he called me.

Him (sounding a bit husky still): “Hey.”

Me: “Gus!”

Him: “Hazel Grace. Good news.”

Me: “Yah?”

Him: “Yup. Temp's down to 99.1. And I only sneezed three times.”

Me: “All morning?”

Him: “In the last ten minutes.”

Me: “And... that's an improvement?”

Him: “Oh, yes. Should have seen me yesterday.” (sniffles)

Me: “Your nose is still runny, though.”

Him: “I guess. Still, no more fever.”

Me: “I'm glad. Really. So.. is your mom going to let you go to Amsterdam?”

Him: “I'll make her. I promised, remember?”

And four days later, we were already one our way to the airport together. Gus was still a bit sniffly and he'd sneeze or cough occasionally, but all in all, he seemed alright.

I smiled at the fact that he'd seemingly overcome this wicked cold by sheer force of will. For me.

“Hey”, he whispered and leaned over to me.

“Yes?”

“We're going to Amsterdam!”

I smiled back at him widely. God, he was amazing. “Yes”, I said. “Yes, we are.”

And I found comfort in the fact that Augustus Waters, no matter how sick or weak, was a boy who kept his promises. Always.

[MoonDuck]

*Squeeeeee* I loved this! Gus is so sweet Sad that the fic is done, but it was so good!

[ephemeral]

I love this is much like wow this is so good XD sad that there is no more parts but definitely write more TFIOS fics in the future

[Grasper]

Although I don't like TFIOS, I do have a soft spot for Gus and the story was just so perfect, the sneezes, his dialogue, everything!

[HPG]

So perfect!

[rockblock706]

I love how playful you made Gus and Hazel with each other! Your fiction certainly captures the essence of their personalities!

[Sophie<3]

*Squeeeeee* I loved this! Gus is so sweet Sad that the fic is done, but it was so good!

Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed!

I love this is much like wow this is so good XD sad that there is no more parts but definitely write more TFIOS fics in the future

Thank you! Yeah, I'm sorry it wasn't that long. If you ever have a specific idea, like a prompt, you can write me and then if I feel inspired, I might write it!

Although I don't like TFIOS, I do have a soft spot for Gus and the story was just so perfect, the sneezes, his dialogue, everything!

Thanks! I'm not a super TFIOS fan, either. I did like it, but I wouldn't call myself a fangirl. I just like the Gus/ Hazel dynamic. And it was fun trying to imitate John Green's style haha... Thanks again for your sweet comment!

So perfect!

Tehe... thanks!

I love how playful you made Gus and Hazel with each other! Your fiction certainly captures the essence of their personalities!

Thank you! That's basically what I was getting at... their relationship! That's so sweet of you! I feel flattered!

[PetalPunk]

I really do enjoy reading these TFiOS sneezefics, but I do wonder if it is possible to catch a cold while one has cancer. What effect does it have on the body?

I'm no doctor and I'm not expecting anyone who writes these fanfics to know either. I'm just curious, because to me, it doesn't make logical sense for someone to be so internly sick and then get infected with "normal" germs such as the common cold.

But on the other hand, I really enjoyed your one shot. I like your attempt to write like John, I can sense it. You did a great job interpreting his style. I liked this story. Short and sweet.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

I really do enjoy reading these TFiOS sneezefics, but I do wonder if it is possible to catch a cold while one has cancer. What effect does it have on the body?

I've researched it. It's very possible for someone to catch a cold when they have cancer, but usually it's when the person is on chemo, because chemo lowers your immune system. But then it's usually really bad and requires hospitalization because of the lowered immune system (Any minor infection can lead to sepsis)

[PetalPunk]

I really do enjoy reading these TFiOS sneezefics, but I do wonder if it is possible to catch a cold while one has cancer. What effect does it have on the body?

I've researched it. It's very possible for someone to catch a cold when they have cancer, but usually it's when the person is on chemo, because chemo lowers your immune system. But then it's usually really bad and requires hospitalization because of the lowered immune system (Any minor infection can lead to sepsis)

thanks for answering. I really had no idea. I thought if someone had cancer and they got a cold, for some reason, I thought they would die... I guess if that were true, the cancer mortality rate would shoot through the roof.

[CHOCOLATE <3]

I really do enjoy reading these TFiOS sneezefics, but I do wonder if it is possible to catch a cold while one has cancer. What effect does it have on the body?

I've researched it. It's very possible for someone to catch a cold when they have cancer, but usually it's when the person is on chemo, because chemo lowers your immune system. But then it's usually really bad and requires hospitalization because of the lowered immune system (Any minor infection can lead to sepsis)

thanks for answering. I really had no idea. I thought if someone had cancer and they got a cold, for some reason, I thought they would die... I guess if that were true, the cancer mortality rate would shoot through the roof.

Yeah, that makes sense. Also, (I just looked it up again) one of the symptoms of certain types of cancer is frequent infections

[Sophie<3]

I really do enjoy reading these TFiOS sneezefics, but I do wonder if it is possible to catch a cold while one has cancer. What effect does it have on the body?

I'm no doctor and I'm not expecting anyone who writes these fanfics to know either. I'm just curious, because to me, it doesn't make logical sense for someone to be so internly sick and then get infected with "normal" germs such as the common cold.

But on the other hand, I really enjoyed your one shot. I like your attempt to write like John, I can sense it. You did a great job interpreting his style. I liked this story. Short and sweet.

First of all, thanks a lot for your comment! I'm glad you noticed how I tried to imitate the style and I'm really glad you liked it!

As for the medical question... Lefty is right, it's possible for someone with cancer to catch a cold. The way I thought about it, Gus didn't have chemo at the time this story was set, so his immune system worked like that of every other person, he catches a cold, he gets sick, he gets better. You know, because cancer, unlike some other illnesses, doesn't directly affect the immune system (unless it's in your lymph nodes, I suppose) and without chemo, Gus wasn't immuno-compromised. If that had been the case, Hazel would have had every reason to worry. But, of course, when you are immuno-compromised, like after an organ transplant, the hospital makes sure that your room and everyone you come in touch with is sterile.

Again, thank you! c:

[PetalPunk]

I really do enjoy reading these TFiOS sneezefics, but I do wonder if it is possible to catch a cold while one has cancer. What effect does it have on the body?

I'm no doctor and I'm not expecting anyone who writes these fanfics to know either. I'm just curious, because to me, it doesn't make logical sense for someone to be so internly sick and then get infected with "normal" germs such as the common cold.

But on the other hand, I really enjoyed your one shot. I like your attempt to write like John, I can sense it. You did a great job interpreting his style. I liked this story. Short and sweet.

First of all, thanks a lot for your comment! I'm glad you noticed how I tried to imitate the style and I'm really glad you liked it!

As for the medical question... Lefty is right, it's possible for someone with cancer to catch a cold. The way I thought about it, Gus didn't have chemo at the time this story was set, so his immune system worked like that of every other person, he catches a cold, he gets sick, he gets better. You know, because cancer, unlike some other illnesses, doesn't directly affect the immune system (unless it's in your lymph nodes, I suppose) and without chemo, Gus wasn't immuno-compromised. If that had been the case, Hazel would have had every reason to worry. But, of course, when you are immuno-compromised, like after an organ transplant, the hospital makes sure that your room and everyone you come in touch with is sterile.

Again, thank you! c:

Thanks to you and Lefty for the medical lesson. I have no idea, no one in my family has ever had cancer. I don't know what it does to the body.

I really did like your version of it. I read another one and I didn't like it as much. I'm a proud Nerdfighter (as you can tell from my icon) and I love John's books. I've read all of them! I like the smart-sarcastic tone John has and that you tried to imitate. I recently wrote a sneezefic with the same tone and although I'm proud of it, the beginning really does sound like John, but as I continued, I did't keep that pattern up. Oh well, oh well. I still liked your story! Keep writing.

[rockblock706]

Yes your story does sound a lot like the author would have made it

[Sophie<3]

Yes your story does sound a lot like the author would have made it

Aww... thank you so much!

[rockblock706]

Yes your story does sound a lot like the author would have made it

Aww... thank you so much!

Sure! You are very talented

[Sneezer08]

I'm like 4 years late, but...THIS IS AMAZINGGGG!!!