An Aidan Turner/ Kili fanfic.

[Juto]

I'm so glad you like it. I'm a huge sucker for over attentive men during allergies/colds. They are so cuuuuuute!! I really just want Lily to feel loved and protected (In a slightly over the top manner)...

[Juto]

Part VII

Finally Friday. Ever since the shooting in Mirkwood with the fog machines Aidan had been feeling a bit under the weather. He looked forward to a 4 days of relaxation and curling up on the sofa, possibly with a box of tissues.

He sniffed. Ugh, it sounded wet and thick. He wiped his nose on his sleeve. 

He was shivering, despite the heating blanket wrapped around his body. Brrrr... A whole day in a barrel in the cold stream would do that to anyone.

The dwarf company and the crew were at Palorus river filming the river scenes from the dwarfs's escape from Thranduil and his elves. Filming had been a blast. Who new it could be so much fun to ride downstream in a custommade barrel with 12 other men trailing behind you? Aidan could not remember ever having had this much fun during shooting, but ever since his first meeting with the cold river, he'd had a hard time warming back up. 

"Aaa... AAAAAHEDCHO... heh...HEECHOO. Ugh... And so it begins."

His mind drifted to Lily and how she had nursed him through his cold during his first couple of days in Wellington. Maybe she was up for yet another weekend of caretaking? Ugh, unlikely. 

He let out a sigh. He would not see her till this evening. While the dwarfs were shooting by Palorus River, Lily was at the studio in Wellington assisting the set manager. The thought of her golden eyes made him feel a bit warmer. 

On the ferry back to Wellington after a long and cold day of shooting, Aidan still hadn't warmed up. He was sitting in the ferry's lounge with his on-set-brother Dean and Martin, all back to their regular non-dwarf, non-hobbit selves. He tried to soothe his aching throat and runny nose with a glass of whiskey. It had no effect whatsoever. At least it tasted good. 

He shivered slightly, his nostrils quivering as he sneezed for probably the 100th time that day.

"HAAAEDCHOO... Hh... HAAADCHHOO. Excuse me."

He blew his nose. He was gettin really stuffed up.

"Hh... HHA... HAAAAEDCHOOO."

He sighed deeply, resting his head on his fists on the table. A small whine escaping him. 

"Wouldn't you rather go and lie down in your cabin? You can still get a couple of hours rest before we reach the harbour." 

Dean had regarded him with brotherly concern all afternoon. He was good at acting the big brother/ mother hen. 

"Too bad though that you have to spent your days off being ill. Nice to know that you'll be well looked after though." Martin said. 

Dean and Martin were the only ones who new about his warm affections for his landlady and how she had nursed him the last time he was sick. Ohhh to be curled up on the sofa with Lily all weekend. That thought appealed to him. But he didn't want to get her sick. Hmm... Dilemma. Apparently, his mind didn't care as it started proposing various caretaking scenarios with himself and Lily. Hmmm.... He sighed, letting the images flood his head. 

..........................................................

"Hi'cho, i'sh...ewwww, stupid draft". 

Lily was working on one of the bigger sets in the studio, scattering fake golden coins out over a large area, preparing the set for the treasure room in Erebor. 

All entrances and exits to the studio were kept open to allow equipment to be rolled in and out, creating a constant draft of chilly air. 

Lily had always been very sensitive to drafts. It didn't take much to get her nose going. Thankfully though, her cold sneezes were softer and more quiet than her rapid allergy sneezes and always came either single or in pairs, so they could easily be stifled when no one was looking. 

She looked around, she was alone. She lifted her elbow to her nose and let out a couple more soft sneezes. 

"I'shi, a'cho". 

She definitely preferred a cold to her allergies any day. And with this constant draft and still several hours till she had finished, she was almost sure to catch one.

She coughed. The sound was hollow and she felt a slight tightening of her lungs. Her asthma had been shitty all day. She had taken her inhaler regularly but still felt short of breath 10 minutes later. It was probably the draft or the fact that she was sneezing every 10 minutes or so.

..........................................................

"Aidan... Aidan wake up. We're here." He lifted his head and sleepily opened his eyes. Dean's face swam into focus. Did he fall asleep with his head on the table? Hmm, it would seem so. 

"He he, rise and shine sleeping beauty. We're here. Get your stuff. I'll take your home."

It was past 11 pm. When he found himself back at the apartment. Lily wasn't home yet. 

He curled up on the sofa with a box of tissues listening to the light drizzle of rain falling against the window. He wandered how Lily was getting home. She didn't have a car. She could always take a cab. Or walk, it was only a light drizzle

He quickly grabbed a tissue holding it to his nose.

"HUUUCHOOO... heh... HEEEADCHOO. UGH".

He blew his nose and fell back on the sofa with a small groan. 

He had drifted off to sleep again when he heard the lock on the door being turned. He glanced at his watch. It was 1.30 am. The soft drizzle of the rain against the window had been replaced by an enormous roar of cascades of water continuously hitting the glass at full force. 

.........................................................................

Finally home! Lily was soaked to the bone and shivering so bad she had trouble putting the key in her lock. When she left the studio, the rain had been a mere drizzle so she had decided to walk. By the time she realised how heavy the rain had become it had been impossible to get a taxi. If her asthma hadn't been acting up all day she could have run, but oh no. She had been forced to a mere walking pace in the pouring rain. 

She was exhausted, short of breath and shivering so hard her teeth were chattering.

She hurried inside, bend foreward, put her hands on her thighs and tried to calm her shivers and control her breathing. 

"Lily? Is that you?". Aidan's voice came from the living room.

Who else would it be? When she opened her mouth to answer him, her breath got caught in a cough. It felt like her lungs had gathered too much dust from the gold covered set. The sound of her cough was hollow and slightly raspy. It made her body shiver even more. She was still coughing when she heard footsteps. 

She felt Aidan's warm hands as he rubbed her back in soft circles as she finished coughing. She stood up, still shivering. 

"God Lily, you're shivering! Did you walk? Here, let me help you."

He held her tight against him, as he removed her jacket and she kicked of her shoes. She felt his hand move to her back under her shirt. Ohh, his hand was so nice and warm.

"Shit, you're ice cold."

As if to emphasise his statement, her body chose this moment succumb to a few soft sneezes. She turned away from him, burrying her nose in the crook of her elbow. 

"Hi'cho... Hh... Hi'chew". 

Aidan was smiling down at her, his body still wrapped around her for warmth. 

"Bless you. That was absolutely adorable, my sweet, sweet lady." 

He bend down to kiss her forehead, but she turned her head away from him again as the urge to sneeze abruptly overtook her. 

"A'chi... E'cho".

Bless you, darling". Lily felt him pulling her closer. How was that even possible?

"What's bothering your cute, little nose?"

She shook her head, still shivering. 

"J-just... The... c-c-cold." Her teeth were still chattering making it hard to speak. 

Before she had time to say anything more he had scooped her up in his arms and was carrying her to her bathroom where he gently sat her down in her bathtub fully clothed and turned on the hot water in her shower. 

She sat there still shivering, taking raspy breaths as she waited for the warmth of the hot water to reach her bones. Her clothes were even more soaked than before, but at least they were warm. 

Aidan sat on the edge of the tub, stroking her back. His hand rested between her shoulder blades as she started coughing again. 

"Do you need your inhaler?" He asked when he was sure she had finished. 

She nodded, not sure she had the breath to speak, her teeth was still chattering a bit, but the warm water of the shower was finally reaching her core, warming her up. 

When Aidan returned with her inhaler he shut of the water (which had now reached her waist), wrapped her shoulders in towels and climbed into the tub behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and gently started massaging some life back into her numb arms and shoulders. 

It was heaven just lying there in his warm embrace. He felt so nice and warm. 

She felt her mind starting to drift and she let it. She felt exhausted and still a bit chilly, but she was held in the most warm and protective on embraces.

...............................................................

"Oh... No no no no no. Wake up. Lily, c'mon. We need to get you to bed."

He shook her awake. He managed to wake her... Sort of. She still seemed half-asleep and slightly confused, but her eyes were open. He took a firm grip on her shoulders once they were both standing on the bathroom floor. 

"Lily, listen to me. Take off your wet clothes, dry yourself and put on your night wear. Okay? I'll come and tuck you in. Hmm? Can you do that?"

She nodded, seeming to understand, though her eyes were still slightly unfocused. 

He hurried to his own room, dried off and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. 

The urge to sneeze took him completely by surprise. He had to grip the sink for support as the sneezes bend him in half. 

"Huh... HUAAAACHOO... heh... HEEEIHCOOO". Tissue tissue tissue. And blow. Ugh. His nose had been fine in the warm shower, but he was quickly getting stuffed up again. 

"A... AHAAAACHOOO." Wow. That one made him slightly dizzy. He reached for the thermometer, just out of curiosity. He did feel warm, but that could easily have been the hot shower or the fact that he had just cradled Lily in his arms. He looked when the thermometer beeped. 102. Damn!

When he came back into Lily's room she was sitting on her bed. She was like him in sweatpants and a t-shirt and she had wrapped a towel around her, likely still wet, hair. 

Her eyes followed him as he crossed the room to sit on the edge of her bed, but she remained silent. 

"Bless you". He'd noticed the little pucker between her eyebrows. And sure enough:

"Hi'hci, a'chi... Uh... Excuse me." She smiled and him. "It's getting easier to sneeze around you." She suddenly sent him a suspicious look and raised one of her eyebrows. 

"What are you doing to me Mr. Turner?"

Oh, so he was Mister Turner now? He gave her his most innocent look before moving closer, resting his forehead on hers. 

"Well. Lady Castle. I have done nothing but admire..." He leaned down to kiss one of her cheeks. "... Respect...". He kissed the other cheek. "... And adore you since the very first day I met you. He felt the blush in her cheeks. She was warm too. He moved his lips to the tip of her nose, pausing briefly to assess her expression. Her eyes were a liquid gold, so warm and full of affection. 

"You know what that does to me Mr. Turner."

"I know." His lips gently kissed her nose and he breathed an almost silent "bless you" before her head turned to the side, her breath hitching. 

"A'hn'cho... He... He'chi". Her eyes rurned back to his. They were stern, but smiling. "Damn you!" He was forgiven.  He couldn't help but chuckle at her endearingly angry yet amused expression. He felt a tickle begin in his own nose, moving teasingly down towards his tip. He buried his face in his arm, turning away from her. 

"AHAAACHOOO.... Heh... HEEEDCHOO." His sneezes were getting stronger, completely draining him of energy. He stayed hunched over to the side, his head spinning slightly. 

He felt Lily's arms gently taking hold of his shoulders, massaging them gently. 

"Bless you. That sounded painful. Are you catching a cold?".

He shrugged, knowing full well that a cold was unavoidable at this stage. 

"I might be." He didn't want her to worry. He was supposed to take care of her. 

He felt her tug his shoulders, pulling him back towards her. He complied willingly. She laid back on her bed, letting his head rest between her neck and shoulder. Her arm was around him and she started stroking his hair with her fingertips, running soothing circles against his scalp. 

He felt her take a deep breath and muttered a sleepy "bless you". But she didn't sneeze. Instead she softly began singing a lullaby, her voice low and clear. He knew this one, it was Billy Joel's lullaby "goodnight my angel".

He closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into her embrace.

[Subtly Clashing Wishes]

Awww, so sweet the mutual care taking.

[Juto]

VIII

The next morning, Aidan woke up to a strange sound. At first he thought he had awoken to the sound of his own snoring. It happened every once in a while, especially when he was congested. He concentrated on the sound. Was it the neighbour vacuuming? The sound was similar except that it came in waves. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Maybe the sound was imaginary? He felt the slight burn behind his eyes that usually meant he had a fever.

He turned his head to the side, but all he could see was a tangled mess of thick brown curls. Lily was on her stomach, facing away from him. He squirmed closer to her, sliding his hand up under her duvet to stroke her back. As he rested his hand on her upper back he suddenly realised where the strange noise was coming from. It was the sound of Lily breathing. 

Oh shit, that didn't sound good. Don't panic now Aidan. She's probably fine, but you gotta wake her up. He shook her shoulders gently, saying her name. She woke with a stratled jerk and drew a cackly intake of breath before throwing her head of the side of bed and started coughing as if her life depended on it. 

Aidan winced at the sound. He could no longer hold thoughts of panic form his mind. 

Oh my God, that sounds horrible. She must have a doctor, someone I can call if this doesn't let up. Well, if it doesn't let up I should call an ambulance. Shit does she need an ambulance now? How can I tell? Is she turning blue? Hmm no. Shit shit shit shit shit. Don't die on me, please Lily. 

He could almost feel his own lungs scratch with the sound. He was afaraid that she would cough up her lungs. Was that even possible? 

He quickly located one of her inhalers and shook it as he had seen her do. He held the inhaler inches form her face. 

"Lily, when you get the chance just put it in your mouth". He felt her lips grab a hold of the mouthpiece and he released the mist as she drew a breath. Aidan rubbed her back soothingly as Lily bent over in a series of cackly coughs. 

They had to repeat the inhaler collaboration twice before Lily was able to draw a normal (yet still wheezy) breath. They both lay panting on the bed, facing each other. Lily was recovering from her cough marathon, Aidan was recovering from his panic. She was alright. He'd saved her. He would be happy to just lie here with her all day. 

But unfortunately, his tickly nose threatened to disturb the peace. He rubbed his nose with his palm to speed up the process. The tickle was slowly making its way through his nostril down to the very tip of his nose before deciding to erupt from him.

His head snapped forward with the force of the sneezes. 

"HHEHEEEDCCHHHHU.... Uh.... AAAAAHADCCCHHHOU". He sniffed noisily and massaged his nose, trying to prevent another set of sneezes from emerging. The second round of sneezes took its time building, teasing him until finally giving him release. 

"Oh come ON, just sne.... Ahh... Snee-aaaa... AHIDCCCCHOOO... AAAHCHO... Uhh... Ha... AHHHADCCHO." 

He closed his eyes for a minute, recovering. He felt Lily's soft and cool hand testing the temperature of his forehead and gently stroking his cheek. 

"Hmm... I think you're running a fever. That cold you've been working on for the past week finally got the better of you huh? Did you hide it from me on purpose? Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?"

Her voice was still hoarse from her coughing. Her question took him by surprise. He had been feeling unwell, but not really sick. He hadn't told her because he didn't think she would care. Huh... Maybe she wanted to know? Maybe she did care? After all, how could he expect honesty from her when he provided none in return. 

She continued to stroke his cheek and slowly raised her lips to his forehead. 

"No matter, just let me take care of you now. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

He smiled at her and nodded. Then he quickly reached for the box of tissues and placed them in front of her. She shot him a puzzled look. 

"What?"

"If that adorable little pucker is any indication, then..."

"Hi'cho.. H... He... He'chi." She sneezed softly into her tissue. 

"Bless you. Got one more in you?"

She nodded, rubbing her nose with her finger. 

"A'chi... Ugh. Stupid draft. Ugh, how pathetic are we?"

"Bless you sweet Lily. Very!"

He noticed she shivered slightly. He moved to lay beside her, closing the gap between them and pulled her into his arms. She did not object. She felt cold. Maybe even colder now that he had a fever. That would at least help warm her up. 

He held her close, cradling her head into his chest. 

He felt her quiver slightly and her breath hitched. He hugged her tighter, Expecting her to release her sneezes into his chest. She had no other option really. But in the last second she got her arm free and pinched her nose between her fingers to stifle the sneezes.

"H'hnx... Hi'hn'ch.. Excuse me... A'hnx."

She sniffed and pressed her palm against her forehead. 

"Bless you my lady." He removed her hand and gently pressed his lips to the spot she'd been rubbing. 

"Please don't stifle if it hurts you, Lily. I honestly don't mind. Quite the contrary. Your sneezes are absolutely adorable."

He bent down to kiss her nose. His intention bore fruit. 

"Hi'hn'ch". Another stifle. 

"Lily", he said in the most disapproving tone he could master. 

"Nu-uh... No way am I sneezing on you, Aidan! That is BEYOND embarrassing!"

Arguing about it really wouldn't get him anywhere with her, so he changed his tactics. 

"So my lady. May I propose that we venture In to the larger area of your illustrious habitat and.... Watch a movie...?"

Her eyes lit up mischievously. 

"Deal".

She snatched off his duvet and leapt off the bed.

"Hey..."

"I'll make the tea, you choose the movie... Oh, and bing tissues." She shouted over her shoulder as she left the room carrying both duvets and pillows. 

Aidan heard her cough from the kitchen. It sounded raw and scratchy. He snapped up a couple of inhalers and put them in his pocket before he left the room. 

...............................

Lily felt her lungs tighten with each cough. The inhalers helped for a bit, but her breathing was back to raspy and wheezy 10 minute later. They would get better, she just had to relax and take her inhaler regularly. Her mind suddenly drifted to last years hospitalisation. She had experienced first hand how bad her asthma could get, but she wouldn't let it get that far this time. She would control it. Aidan was sick and she really ought to focus on getting him better. After everything he had done for her, she would fight her own illness to nurse him when he needed it. She could do it. 

She still felt cold and shivery, as if her body couldn't ecumulate enough energy to keep her warm. Luckily, she had Aidan and his welcoming arms. He had noticed her shivers as they were sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, watching some old time movie he had picked out. He had opened his arms to her with a warm smile. 

"I'm feverishly hot for you Lily. Let me warm you, my beautiful lady."

And there she was. Warm and happy in his embrace. Despite his own illness he was very attentive towards her, keeping her wrapped in body parts and blankets whenever she shivered, keeping her hydrated and blessing her every time she sneezed. He'd better! He was causing half of them himself by constantly bending down to tease, tickle, kiss, nuzzle or lick her over sensitive nostrils. He was enjoying it, she could tell. Sneaky bastard!

"Hi'chi... Aha'cho. Huh, how many times must your indulge in that little privilege of yours?"

"For as many times as it takes for you to give in and be mine."

What was that now?

"Wha... Ha..."

"Bless you"

"Ha'cho. Thank you". She sniffed, wincing at the wet sound. "What did you say?"

He bent his head down to nibble on her earlobe as he breathed the words in her ear.

"Please be mine, my darling, my wonderful, my adorable Lily. Ever since meeting your eyes in that cafe I have been wrapped in a world of liquid gold. You are the last thing I think about before drifting into sleep at night and the first thing I hope to see when I open my eyes in the morning."

What was she supposed to say to that? Such an open and earnest declaration of love. She wantd to tell him that she wanted nothing more that to be his but how could she possibly? He had known her for such a short time. He had only experienced a tiny glimpse of her world of allergies and asthma and how much havoc the two could create with the wrong combination. 

But how could she possibly refuse him and break his heart? She would negotiate for more time. She turned towards him, a look of shy amusement in her face. 

"Aww, my poor, sweet Aidan, all feverish and delirious." She took a cool cloth from the table and gently starting dabbing his face. He looked absolutely crestfallen but couldn't hide his relief as the cool cloth came in contact with his fevered skin. She felt so sorry for him. How could she lighten his mood?

"Look at you, so adorable with your flushed cheeks and your teary eyes and that cute, little pink nose. Hmm... I wonder if..." She trailed off, an idea popping into her head. She raised her head and puckered her lips. He regarded her intensely and she let her lips lightly brush his pink and slightly quivering nostril. She pulled back, starring into his eyes. Nothing.

"Hmpf... Bummer... Okay so... How about I go make you some nice hot tea with honey and then we can... Oi, don't interrupt now, you had your chance." 

As she spoke, she noticed his nostrils flaring and his breath hitch. She stuck her finger under his nose to hold back his sneeze.

"Huh...oh... He.... Lily... Oh God, it tickles so bad.... Heh... He... Just let me sneeze please". 

Tears were slowly trickling down from his eyes now. She held his gaze. 

"I'll make you tea, you will drink it, get better and then we can discuss...that. Deal?"

"A...ha... Yes yes... He... Fine... Uh... Uhh... Please Lily."

Why did she find his begging so... She couldn't find a word for it, but some unknown feeling had settled in her gut at the sight of his pained yet amused expression and the way his nostrils quivered against her finger. She was in control of him. He was hers. 

She gave his quivering nose a quick peck before mouthing a silent "bless you" as she removed her finger. Aidan's head snapped quickly to the side and he sneezed into the crook of his elbow. 

"HEEEEEEEEIIICHOOOOO.... HEH... HEEEEEADCHOOOO. Ugh... Uh... Sweet release. 

Ahh... AAAAHADCHOOOO. Uh.... Uhh.... That was strangely exhilarating." 

He was still panting from his strong sneezes. God he was hot! Even sick! She couldn't help laugh at his still amused and slightly puzzled expression, but her laugh was cut short as a cough was building in her throat. She backed away from him, holding her duvet to her face as she coughed. She felt the cough scratch at her lungs, making them sore. Her heaving intake of breath sent a jolt of pain through her chest. She felt dizzy already and had to grab the sofa for support. 

Breathelily breathelily breathelily... Yourefine yourefine yourefine. Dammitlungs! Just work!

She felt Aidan's warm hand on her back as he assessed the ragged state of her breathing. He held an inhaler in front of her and she took it. 

"Lily, that really doesn't sound good. Shouldn't you see a doctor? I don't know anything about asthma, but I can see the pain it is causing you just to catch your breath. Please Lily, what can I do to help you?"

She shook her head, waiting for the inhaler to do its magic. 

"Im fine." Wheeze. "It'll pass." Wheeze. "The doctors number is on the fridge." Wheeze. "I will call him tomorrow if it hasnt let up by then." She would control it. She had to. She had to care for Aidan now. She owed him that much.

When she was sure her lungs could manage the trip to the kitchen she got up went to make the tea. She could feel Aidan's concerned eyes on her as they followed her out of the room. 

When she returned, Aidan was reading something in his phone, his eyebrows drawn together in a tight line. He smiled up at her when she stopped in front of him holding his steaming mug of tea. He took it from her, holding her wrist with his free hand. He set the mug down and started caressing her long fingers with his own. 

Huh, strange. But not unpleasant. She could not look away as his fingers gently stroked hers, running his fingertips from her knuckles to her nails pausing there to assess their smoothness. He seemed pleased somehow. What could he possibly see in her fingers? He ended his little fingercaress-interlude by kissing each of her fingertips in turn and then kissed the back of her hand like a true gentleman. 

He looked up at her, his eyes glossy with fever. 

"Please breathe Lily."

She hadn't realised she'd been holding her breath. She drew a large intake of breath now but it was strained and wheezy, the oxygen not coming in fast enough. Her head felt light and she swayed a bit, gripping the sofa for support. 

She felt Aidan's strong arms around her, holding her tight.

"Do you want to go lie down?" He asked. 

She nodded, still trying to steady her breath. 

He cradled her in his arms as he carried her to the bed. He got in beside her and continued to hold her tight but giving her chest enough room to expand. She was exhausted. The coughing and the strained breathing was making her weak and she could barely keep her eyes open. 

She felt Aidan's hand on her forehead, testing her temperature and she felt his fingers entwining with hers, lifting her hand and bringing it closer to his face. 

She was drifting off into sleep when she felt him pull away from her. Panic shot through her. Was he leaving her alone in her bed? She dug her fingers into his body to keep him in place as she voiced a raspy "no". 

She felt him chuckle softly, gripping her hands. Did he find this funny? 

"I'm not leaving you Lily, I just need to... Huh... To sneehaaa.... HAEDCHOOOO...he... Heh... HEECHOOO. excuse me." 

As soon as he had finished she moved closer to him, curling her leg around his and wrapping her arm around his torso. 

"Don't leave me please." She whispered, no oxygen or energy left in her body to speak louder.

He hugged her tight, still providing enough place for her heaving lungs which still sounded like an exhausted steam train. She would call the doctor tomorrow. She had to. 

"Never" he replied and she felt him bury his face in her hair. She felt his breath starting to hitch again and she hugged him even closer. She was not about to let him go. 

"HECHOOO".

She felt the soft spray of his sneeze in her hair. She didn't mind the least. He was still holding her tight. 

She was almost asleep when she heard him murmur her name.

"Lily?"

"Hmm?" That was all she could master in her current state of almost-asleep.

"I love you."

TBC.

[Arty]

Omfg!!!!!!!!!!

[Juto]

Aidan sleepily opened his eyes. He couldn't have been asleep for more than a couple of hours. He coughed lightly. His mouth was dry. He needed something to drink. He was tightly wrapped in a quilt and Lily's arms. 

He tried to untangle himself from her arms without waking her. Her breathing was worse than ever. It was shallow and rapid and every breath sounded like a clogged up exhaustion pipe. He shook her shoulder to wake her up so she could take her inhaler, but she didn't respond. 

He grabbed her hand to assess her fingers. The lower parts of her fingernails had turned the slightest shade of blue. He cupped the side of her face in his hand and touched her lips with his thumb. Around the edges of her pale lips he noticed a faint blue shine to the skin.

He grabbed his phone and dialled 111 for an ambulance. 

He had noticed Lily's breathing getting worse in the last couple of days,  but she had seemed reluctant to acknowledge it herself. As she had made him tea earlier he had quickly googled asthma and found a short list of warning signs to indicate a severe attack. Blue nails and lips and rapid breathing were all on the list. 

He described Lily's condition to the nurse on the phone, silently praying that she would be alright. He surprised himself. He could reach a state of panic over the smallest of things, but now, seeing her like this and acknowledging the severity of the situation, he was able to remain calm. 

The next couple of hours were a blur for Aidan, the ambulance arriving, the sight of Lily all tubed up and in a mask, the drive to the hospital, people asking him questions about her asthma and allergies that he couldn't answer. He felt terrible. How much did he really know about her? How much had she kept from him?

The doctor in the ambulance managed to wake her from her semi unconscious state. She seemed confused and very disorientated. Her breathing hadn't improved, but at least she was getting oxygen. 

Once at the hospital Aidan was asked to wait outside the room as the doctor and nurses administered the medicin for Lily's asthma attack and tried to get her breathing under control. 

In the waiting area, Aidan sat nervously tapping his food against the floor. He was alone. He suddenly felt his nose tickle and let out a sigh. Even in his current state of despair would his damn cold steal the attention.

"HUCHOOO... heh... HEHCHOOO." He sniffed and rummaged around in his pocket for a tissue. His hand wrapped around one of Lily's inhalers. He felt tears starting to well up in his eyes. He hated himself right now. Hated himself for being sick. If he hadn't, maybe he would have seen the signs of her illness sooner or maybe he could have done more to help her. Maybe she would have LET him help her if he hadn't been sick. What was she thinking anyway? Putting his damn cold before her own illness? Had HE driven her to this state? He shook his head to clear his mind. He held the tissue to his nose and blew. 

"Mr. Turner?" 

Aidan looked up, a man in a white coat was coming towards him. 

"I'm Ian Tallbot, miss Castles allergist."

"Is she okay? Is she awake? Can I see her?"

"She has a bad case of pneumonia and her severe asthma has made the condition critical. But you caught it in time. She will be fine. Have no fear."

Aidan felt relief spread through his entire body. All the panic he had kept under the surface welled up in him and vaporised. He let his guard fall and let the tears flow freely down his cheeks. 

The doctor kindly padded his shoulder. 

"We put her on some strong asthma medication. There are still certain meds that she isn't allergic to, thank God. We will need to keep her overnight but if her peak flow looks good tomorrow you can leave. Just make sure that in the next couple of days she measures her peak flow at least once every third hour, that she takes her prescribed medication and her nebuliser treatments."

Uhhhh. What? Peak flow? Nebuliser treatments? All Aidan knew about were her inhalers. 

The doctor must have noticed his quizzical expression. 

"Not to worry, I'll call her sister in law. She's miss Castles emergency contact. She knows the routines. I'll get her to come around tomorrow."

"That would be great tha... Hanks... Excuse me... Ha... HADCHOO... HEEECHOO. ugh, sorry."

The doctor eyed him suspiciously as he blew his nose. 

"Are you ill Mr. Turner?"

"It's just a cold Doctor Tallbot". A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Does this mean I can't see her?"

The doctor looked at him, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. 

"I guess that whatever you have, she has already been exposed to, am I right?"

"Uhm... Well, yes."

"Should be fine then". He stood and made to leave. 

"Can I see her now please? I really need to see her."

The doctor stopped and turned towards Aidan. 

"The medicine we gave her should have knocked her out by now. I suggest we let her get some rest."

What? No no no. He had to see her. A nurse hurried into the waiting room and whispered something to the doctor. He smiled and turned towards Aidan. 

"She's asking for you Mr. Turner. Please, follow me."

Aidan hurried after him into Lily's room. Doctor Tallbot assessed the monitors in the room, making sure all was well before he left the two of them alone. Aidan was struck with sad despair. Lily looked so small and fragile. She was linked to several monitors, 2 different IV's and an oxygen mask. He crouched down beside her bed, his eyes at level with hers. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were red rimmed and the most beautiful shade of liquid gold he had ever seen. 

He caressed her forehead, twirling his fingers in her hair.

"Hi, my adorable and ever beautiful lady. How do you feel?" 

He felt his panic rise as tears welled up in her eyes and her chin started to quiver. Was she in pain? Couldn't they do something? Should he call them?

"Aidan, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." She was whispering almost whimpering and her breath started hitching. 

"I thought I had it under control. I thought I could manage. I didn't want you to see. Me, like this. All pathetic and... And...".

Her breath kept hitching and one of the monitors she was connected to started beeping. 

A nurse hurried into the room to assess her condition. 

"Miss Castle, you need to calm down. Your heart rate should not be this high." She turned towards Aidan. 

"You need to leave now, please. She needs to rest. She tucked gently on his arm, but he didn't move. 

The panic in Lily's eyes overwhelmed him. There was no way he could leave her. Her hands grabbed a weak hold of his shirt, attempting to keep him in place. 

"Don't leave me, please." She whimpered. "Please, please, Aidan, don't leave me."

Aidan felt the nurse tugging him from behind. 

"You need to leave now sir. Miss Castle, calm down please. I don't want to sedate you but I will if I absolutely have to."

Aidan stood. His mind was made up. He kicked off his shoes and carefully climbed into Lily's hospital bed, taking care not to touch any of her wires or tubes. 

The nurse shot him an angry look but turned her eyes towards the monitors as Aidan wrapped his arms around Lily, pulling her into his embrace. 

"Shhh Lily, it's okay, my darling. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going anywhere."

He nuzzled her hair and stroked her back as he whispered soothingly into her ear. After a minute, the beeping stopped. The nurse smiled, but her eyes were stern.

"One beep and you're out. Got it?"

He nodded and she left the room. 

Aidan buried his face in Lily's hair and sniffed. His nose was stuffing up again, igniting a gentle tickle deep in his nostril. He scratched his nose with the back of his hand in attempt to quench the tickle, but it only made it worse. His breathing turned shallow. 

"Don't let go." Lily's whisper was a plea. Her arms tightened around him.

"Don't worry... Heh... I... Won't... HUUCHOOOO... UHH... AAAAECHOOO."

He held her tight as his upper body crumbled over hers with the force of his sneezes. 

"I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind that your temporary nurse has a bad cold."

She smiled at him. 

"It's fin-D". 

They both chuckled softly. Lily turned serious again.

"Please don't be mad at me Aidan. I just wanted to take care of you. You've done so much for me and I felt like I owed it to you. And I wanted to. I want to be the one to nurse you when your sick, to sing you soft lullabies when you need to sleep and to bless you when you sneeze. I knew I was sick too, but I didn't believe it was this bad. 

I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Please don't be mad at me, please."

"Of course I'm not mad at you, my lady, I just don't understand why you would hide something like this from me."

He felt her shake her head against his chest.

"I just don't want to be this sick and fragile... Thing! I don't want to be that person who always succumbs to illnesses and allergies and asthma. I hate it. That's not me."

She reached her hand to her face and lifted off her mask to cough. It sounded dusty and dry. Her breathing was better than it had been the last couple of days, but she still wheezed a bit. He stroked her back and nuzzled her hair with his nose as she finished coughing and put her mask back on. 

He pressed his lips to her forehead, feeling her fever now when her body was no longer chilled from the lack of oxygen. 

"I don't mind you being sick and fragile. It gives me an opportunity to nurse you as well. And I don't love you any less because of it."

He looked down at her, her eyes were closed. She was almost asleep. 

"You still haven't... Seen the lists... I'm too.... Much ... Trouble." The last word was a low mumble. She was asleep. 

Aidan pondered her words for a moment. What lists? Did she really believe she was too much trouble? After all he had seen so far, WAS she too much trouble? With her severe asthma and allergies and the fact that she was probably prone to various diseases because of them, then yes, she would require a lot of nursing and care taking, but when was 'too much', too much? He fell asleep with a frown on his face, wrapped around the sick lady he loved with all his heart. 

Lily was discharged the next day, but she was ordered bed rest until her peak flow was back to normal. Aidan had carried her from the taxi up the steps and through the door. He was now laying her gently down on her bed. She was already half asleep again. The strong meds made her drowsy. He tugged her ind, kissed her forehead and left to let her rest.

He had to do something about the state of the living room before Lily's sister in law showed up. There were used Kleenexs scattered all over the floor and too many half empty teacups on the table. 

He froze in place, feeling the familiar tickle slowly creeping along his inner nostril. He tilted his head back, giving the sneeze free access. God, it tickled so bad. He shook his head slightly before the sneeze erupted from him. 

"AHEECHOOO...uh... Huh.... Ah...ahh...AAAICHOOO". He reached for a dry Kleenex to wipe his nose. But he was not completely free of the tickle yet. It was a teasing tickle, slowly building to a climax in his sensitive nostril. 

"Oh.... Ah...ahh.... Ahh... AECHOOO.... huh... HUCHOO. ugh."

He blew his nose noisily in a fresh Kleenex. If only this stupid cold would release him he would be better equipped to nurse Lily. 

He was placing the last cup in the dishwasher when he heard the lock on the door being opened. Huh, Lily sister in law must have a key. 

He could see her in the living room now. She was blond and pretty, not Lily-pretty though, but still pretty. She held out her hand for his.

"Hi, I'm Melanie Castle, Lily's sister in law. You must be Aidan".

He moved towards her but held up his hand in front of him. 

"Yes, I am. Hu... Excuse me... HUCHOO... He... HECHOO."

She smiled kindly at him. 

"Bless you. Doctor Tallbot did warn me. He sent me to give you some...uhh... Instructions. How much do you know about her... Condition?"

Aidan told her what he knew of Lily's allergies and how often she used her asthma inhaler. He told her how she had tried to keep everything from him in the beginning but that she was working on her Embarrassment Thing. 

Melanie nodded when he was finished. 

"I see. And, forgive my bluntness, but are you and Lily..." She trailed off, questioningly. 

Oh, what answer could he provide for that question. 

"Uhm, well. Kinda, but not really. It's complicated. I really like her and believe she has feelings for me as well, but she seems very troubled by past experiences. So, no. Technically we're not."

Melanie crossed her arms in front of her and turned a stern gaze on Aidan. 

"The thing is, Aidan. Ever since Lily's brother, my husband died 3 years ago, Lily hasn't been... Fortunate. She's had a couple of relationships, but all ended badly once they discovered that the pretty girl came with a high maintenance package deal. Lily has always been embarrassed by and angry with her condition and the way some people have treated her haven't exactly helped the situation. 

She can manage herself up to a certain point, but then she goes into denial. And I believe you have seen firsthand how bad things can get."

Aidan nodded. He had guessed that Lily must have had some bad experiences with her illness, but she had always been reluctant to tell him. Her sister in law seemed more than happy to explain though. He let her continue. 

"What Lily needs is someone who can do more than just nurse her when she gets sick. And trust me, she gets sick, a lot. Did you know this is her third pneumonia this year? Well it is. They weren't all this bad though. 

She needs someone who can care for her and assist her on a day to day basis. She has been through enough. Her brother was her entire world. Did you know they grew up together in a foster home? He was always there for her. He saw her every day. He kept her allergies in check, updated her lists of food allergens, made sure she took her asthma meds and whatever else she needed. Ever since his death she has rapidly deteriorated. She forgets her medicin and denies her illness until she ends up in the hospital. She needs someone to take control."

Aidan couldn't believe what he had just heard. He shook his head in disbelief. 

"She never told me any if this. I had no idea."

He met her eyes. She smiled warmly at him. 

"Lily talks about you with such high regard. There can be no doubt about her affections for you. But she's afraid that you will run away screaming when you realise just how much work she is. Experience has taught her to expect that. I'm telling you all this in the hope that if you DO decide to leave her, that you'll do it... gently. She has been through enough."

Aidan considered her words carefully. Was he ready to commit to someone as sick and fragile as Lily seemed to be? Was he even good enough to care for her? He wanted to be. He wanted to be hers more than anything.

When his eyes met Melanie's again, his mind was made up. 

"I love her. Please teach me everything you know."

.................................................................

Lily felt her eyes flutter slightly as a cool cloth was being gently dabbed on her forehead and her cheeks. She sleepily opened her eyes, and after a couple of blinks, Aidan's smiling face swam into focus. 

"Good afternoon my sweet lady. And what a lovely afternoon it is too. You're awake, you're fever is down to 101 and your delightful sister in law has come to visit."

He held her peak flow meter in front of her. 

"Take 3 deep breaths, then blow into this."

Lily couldn't hold back a smile. She was perfectly aware of how to use her peak flow meter. But it seemed like Aidan was learning and practicing so she would humour him. 

She took the device.

"Do I blow here?" She played along, an amused expression on her face.

"Yes that's right."

He assessed the meter when she had finished and found the result on her flow chart.

"310, so that's in the yellow zone. Not critical, but certain measures have to be taken. I'm afraid I will have to strap you into this lovely piece of machinery right here for 10 minutes or so..."

He pointed to her nebuliser that he had set up by her bed. 

".... Right?"

He trailed off and glanced over his shoulder. Lily followed his gaze and noticed Melanie sitting on a chair behind him, supervising his nursing skills. 

"That's right. And what colour asthma meds should you use?"

Aidan looked puzzled for a minute, his brain hard at work. 

"Uhm, the blue for immediate relief and the brown one from the hospital for long term effects."

He glanced back over his shoulder. Melanie nodded approvingly. 

"Seems like you've got everything under control nurse Turner. I'll leave you to it. Call me if you have any questions." 

She got up from her chair and went to the bed, leaned in an planted a soft kiss on Lily's forehead. 

"You're in good hands Lily, nurse Turner will attend to your every need." 

They both looked up, amused as Aidan's breath starting hitching and he turned away from them to muffle a sneeze into a waiting tissue in his hand. 

"HUCHOO... ACHIOO".

Melanie eyed him with a bemused expression. 

"Well, I guess he'll have to do." Then she bent her head further down towards Lily's ear and whispered softly out of Aidan's earshot. 

"Have a little faith in him Lily. This one is different."

And with that she sqeezed Lily's hand reassuringly before leaving them.

Aidan had successfully hooked her up to her nebuliser and they were now lying on the bed facing each other. Lily focused on taking as deep breaths as possible through her mouth. How could she even begin to thank him? She would have ended up In a much worse state if he hadn't reacted. 

"So... Thank you... For saving my life.. I guess...". Did that even begin to cover it? God, she felt stupid. What could she possibly say to him? She looked at him. His answering smile was so honest and affectionate. 

"You are very welcome, my lady." He cupped the side of her face in his hand as his thumb gently stroked her cheek. "If you let me, I will always be there to save you". 

TBC

[Arty]

Babes!!!!!!!!!! ;; 3;;

[Juto]

The last part will be up soon.

This ends my initial story line for these 2 characters, but i think it will be hard for me to just let them go, so I though about starting a Drabble of short stories with these 2. Would you be interested in that? If you have any ideas or wishes for scenarios, feel free to post them in the comments.

[Juto]

The final part...

Lily had recovered well from her pneumonia and had been back to work for a few days. 

As it turned out, Aidan had been a perfect nurse. He had quickly learned how to administer her medicine and nebuliser treatments and now seemed to be as knowledgeable about her allergies and asthma as she was. Lily took great comfort in that fact. She had truly missed someone to share that burden with, but at the same time, the idea of 'nurse Turner' made her sad. Aidan was working hard -too hard- to keep up with her allergies. It should not have to be this much work just to be with someone. She felt she was robbing Aidan of the chance to be with a normal girl, someone who could accept flowers from him, walk with him in the park and kiss him after he had eaten a snickers bar. 

She would never hear any of this from him. Whenever she tried to bring it up he would nuzzle her nose to the point where sneezing became unavoidable then he would kiss her forehead and tell her she was the most adorable lady in the world. Needless to say, she was overpowered instantly, saving the discussion for later. 

But tonight, she would bring it up again. And this time, no amount of sneezing or the ever-following cuddling would stray her from her plan. 

They had enjoyed a nice dinner in silence, Lily was trying to build up courage for the discussion and Aidan seemed pleased to just caress her hand on the table. She was just about to break the silence when Aidan suddenly got up and went into the living room. After a minute, the soft music of Frank Sinatra was flowing through the air. Aidan came back into the dining room and reached his hand out for hers.

"My lady", he said with a small bow before he kissed the hand she had placed in his. 

She hesitated. Did he seriously ask her to dance? 

He smiled at her and raised one of his eyebrows. 

"Allergic to Sinatra?.. Or dancing?"

She let out a small chuckle. She loved his relaxed take on her allergies. 

"No". She let him lead her to the floor of the living room. 

He held her tight, cradling her head on his chest as he started to move his feet to the slow rythm. Lily followed him, gently swaying from side to side. 

"Are you ever gonna tell me what's been bothering you lately? You were very quiet at dinner". 

She took a deep breath. Here goes. 

"Look Aidan... We need to stop this. This, whatever it is, is completely unfair to you. You are so sweet and caring and wonderful and you deserve to be with someone who can love you and appreciate you in ways that I can not. You deserve a normal girl, a normal relationship that isn't constantly overshadowed by allergies and illnesses... And all that God-infuriating sneezing..." She paused and raised her head to look at him. He was smiling down at her. Why was he smiling? He should look sad, possibly angry, not happy? 

"You mean this?" He leaned down and started slowly caressing her nose with his own, running his own tip up and down her nostrils, irritating them. 

She sighed, feeling the familiar tickle build up and make its way to the front of her nose. She tried to control her breathing to keep the sneeze at bay. 

"He... Aidan, please... Heh... We need to... Hhh... Talk about this". She was fighting a loosing battle. Aidan smiled, probably sensing her urgency to sneeze and dealt the winning blow by softly licking her sensitive opening at her nostril. She raised her hand to her nose and turned her face away just in time to stifle her sneezes.

"He'nx'ch... A'hn'chi... Hh... Not fair, Aidan".

"Bless you Lily. That felt so good. You've barely sneezed at work today. My cuteness battery needs a recharge."

He continued assaulting her nose with his lips and the tip of his tongue making her sneeze in a continuous flow. She barely heard his whispered "bless you's" as she tried to ignore her sneezes and continue the conversation. 

"Heh... Hi'chu... Please don't Aidan... Hhh... We need to taa... thn'ch... Talk about this." 

"Bless you Lily. Sweet Jesus, I love your sneezes. They are the most endearing things in the world. Bless you. I don't think I could possibly survive an entire day without them." 

"a'chhi... Oh God it tickles so bad... He... Hh... Hi'hnx... Please stop it Aidan... "

"Bless you, my darling. Breathing Okay? I really should stop before your asthma kicks in. Bless you."

"We need to ... ti'shu. Oh God, what is it you want.. a'hnx'cho".

He stopped, pulling slightly back to look at her. 

"You know what I want". He smiled his most gorgeous smile at her, making her heart skip a beat. He leaned further down and put his ear to her chest, sighing contently against her ribs.

"Your lungs are fine". He lifted his head to hers once more. "Aww, you look so adorable with your pink nose and that cute little pucker between your eyebrows. Need to sneeze again? Don't be embarrassed Lily. Your sneezes set off tiny tingles deep in my stomach." 

He returned his lips to her nose. 

"Hi'hn'ch... Aidan that's..."

"Bless you Lily. Better than foreplay, I swear". 

"A'hn'ch... ENOUGH!"

She placed both her hands on his chest and pushed him away. She felt anger well up in her. He deserved better than her, she would make him see that, even if it meant lying to him. She was willing to risk his emotions for a better future for him. 

She looked at him through tears. From anger or from sneezing, she couldn't really tell. He looked ashamed and hurt. 

"I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to upset you. I only wanted to prove to you that your sneezing only makes me love you so much more. They are a part of you and I love every single one of them. Just as much as I love you."

He smiled at her and reached both his arms out to embrace her. 

"I am sorry Lily, truly. Please don't be mad. Although you do look so cute when you are pink-nose-mad. Sorry. Come here. Let me kiss away your tears, carry you to bed and fuck you senseless... Uhh I mean... Tuck you in." He smiled his most charming and apologetic smile, probably believing he would get away with it... Again. 

Lily didn't move towards him, but crossed her arms and continued to glare at him in angry frustration. 

"Come on Lily, I said I was sorry, what more do you want?"

Lily looked away, planning her words carefully. 

"You've made your point and desire clear Aidan. But did you ever stop to consider that this may not be what I want?"

Aidan's face froze in a mask of disbelief. Lily decided to use his silence to continue her speech. 

"I am sorry if I have given you the wrong impression, I was sick and fragile and in need of comfort. But you need to wake up and smell the plastic flowers. That's right, plastic! You will never have a shot at a normal relationship with me. I will always be a wrecker of relationships, and I just don't think that I can deal with this right now. I'll admit that I have let my desire for comfort and sense of security get the better of me, and I apologise for that. But don't you see? What we have isn't real! What you feel for me is nothing but pity and false love spurred by my illness. I just don't want to deal with relationships right now and to be perfectly honest..."

Dontsayit dontsayit dontsayit!

"...I don't... Want... You." 

She managed to keep a straight face as her own heart broke at the sight of him. He looked like someone who's entire existence was instantly shattered into a million pieces. She hated herself for putting Aidan through this. But it was necessary. He needed the chance to find someone more worthy and less demanding. She could see tears well up in his eyes as his thoughts reassembled in his head.

"You... Don't... Want me?"

She shook her head slightly. She did not dare to speak at this point, knowing that if she opened her mouth to speak her facade would crack and she would break. He nodded softly, holding back tears. 

"I see. Forgive me, I must have misread your signals. Please accept my heartfelt apology. I thought that... " he trailed off, his eyes searching hers for some form of explanation. He didn't seem to find it. He nodded again in acceptance. 

"Please excuse me." And with that, he left her and Sinatra and went to his room and closed the door.  

Lily slowly walked to her own room, sinking down on her bed and letting her tears flow freely. She wanted to save him from her miserable life, but she regretted every single word she had spoken to him. Maybe he would see through her anyway? Maybe he was okay? Or maybe he was crying? The thought of Aidan in tears tore at her heart. She had to go check on him. But how could she? He probably despised her right now. Maybe he would come to her? And then she could see that he was alright. Or maybe he was sad and she could just apologise and make everything fine again. She yearned for him. For his eyes, his smiles, his hugs, his caresses. But she didn't dare go to him. 

An idea suddenly popped into her head. She searched her bedside table and found a small feather from an old hair band. This would make him come and see her for sure.

She took a deep breath and inserted the feather into her nostril. She felt the building tickle instantly as the soft feather tickled her nasal passage. She let her breath hitch to the point of release, bringing her hand up to pinch her nostrils to stifle the sneezes. 

"Hi'tchn... Hh... Anh'ci".

She removed the feather and listened. Any minute now he would walk through her door. He would sit down beside her on the bed, feel her temperature, listen to her lungs and try to find the cause of her sneezing as he had done so many times in the past couple of weeks. 

But he didn't come. Maybe he hadn't heard?

She inserted the feather again, resisting the urge to stifle her sneezes. This would no doubt make him come and see to her.

"Ha'i'choo... Ha... Ahh.... Ha'i'choo." 

It felt so good to let her sneezes out. She waited for the sound of his footsteps in the small corridor between their rooms. But there was no sound. 

...................………….......................................................................................................

It took every last drop of self control for Aidan not to jump out of bed and run to Lily's room to check on her. He'd heard every single one of her sneezes, especially the unstifled. Something must really be bothering her. He shook his head to clear out the images of Lily, sneezing in bed. She didn't want him. She was not his. His heart told him not to listen to her, that she was just trying to protect him, but seeing the determination in her face, his own eyes had believed her words.

His sense of self preservation told him to be angry and cut all ties to Lily. What was she to him after all? She had shown him kindness by letting him stay in her apartment and she had nursed him when he had been sick, but that was it. The rest had been his care-taking, his flirting, his feelings on the line, never hers. But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself to be angry and deal with his emotions like a man, his heart yearned for her. He loved her, and even in this pit of utter despair he refused to believe her words. 

He hugged his pillow close to his chest as he heard her sneeze again. He whispered a silent "bless you" in attempt to comfort his aching heart. He heard her sneeze again, it sounded desperate this time. He really should go and check on her. Maybe her asthma was acting up and she couldn't find her inhaler. Maybe she was really suffering, muffling most of her sneezes to hide them from him, or maybe, her sneezing was an unspoken invitation to come to her and make everything right? He closed his eyes and listened. One more sneeze and he would go and check on her. 

He felt himself drift off to sleep as he listened intently, but no more sneezes came. 

Aidan woke early the next morning, not feeling rested at all. The hurtful conversation of yesterday constantly swam back into his memory. He needed to get away from here. He needed som air. He left the apartment before Lily woke up and set off towards stone street studios. 

Today, the dwarf team and the second unit crew were shooting huge, epic nature shots in the New Zealand wilderness. 

After a 30 minute chopper ride in full costume with 12 other dwarves Aidan found himself in a big field that stretched for miles in each directions with mountains all around him. The only thing that disrupted the flatland was the directors tent set up in the middle of the field. 

Today was mostly about running and walking and looking exhausted. Perfect. He felt absolutely worn out and sleep deprived. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. Whenever one of the other dwarves would engage him in conversation he excused himself and walked away. 

He ached to see Lily. He had been a fool to leave early this morning. He had to see her, make sure she was alright. Maybe last night had been nothing but a bad dream. 

His eyed scanned the field several times, but she wasn't there. 

A sudden panic welled up in him. What if she had gotten sick again last night? What if she had had an asthma attack and was currently in her bed, fighting for air and he had just got up and bloody left her?? What was wrong with him?

He heard the director's voice through a speakerphone. 

"We're just waiting for the chopper cam to be ready, people. Be ready for on-camera rehearsal in 20 minutes."

He had 20 minutes. He padded his pockets for his phone so he could call Lily, just to hear if she was okay. But the only thing he found in his pockets was one of Lily's inhalers. He closed his hand around it and brought it to his lips, silently praying that wherever she was she was fine. He didn't have his phone with him. It must still be in his wardrobe in stone street. He searched for the nearest colleague whose phone he could borrow and that's when he noticed her. She was standing as far away from the scene as possible without it seeming too strange.

Relief flooded Aidan. She seemed to be alright. He ran towards her. Her refusing him was still fresh in his memory, but at this moment he didn't care, he just wanted to see her, to talk to her, to make sure she was okay. 

As he got closer he could make out her expression. She was starring straight at him, one arm held protectively across her stomach the other hand held to her face. She closed her eyes and turned her back on him. Was she refusing him again? No, he refused to believe it. He slowed to a stop when he was within conversational distance from her. 

"Lily please, I need to talk to you. I don't understand. Please, just hear me out?"

He noticed her shoulders were quivering slightly and her breathing was uneven. Was she crying? She didn't speak. He took it as a green light and continued. 

"Lily, I love you. I think your definition of love might differ from mine, so let me explain. 

I love ALL of you. The entire Liliana Angelica Castle package deal. I have fallen head over heels in love with fun, quirky and smart Lily. I adore sneezy, pink nosed and red eyed Lily and I care so deeply for sick and fragile Lily. 

You might think that you are saving me from your "miserable life" but don't you think I should have a say in the matter?

Lily, I will bring you plastic flowers every day, I will search the entire world for 100% nut free chocolate, and I will take you to the hospital every single time you sneeze just to make sure you are alright. 

If you would just give me the chance to prove it to you. Please."

He had delivered the most romantic speech he could master to her back. Now, he waited anxiously for her response. Slowly, she turned to face him. Thick, wet trails were visible on her cheeks, her eyes brimming over with liquid gold, so warm and so full of affection. Her one hand was cupped around her mouth in stunned silence and the fingers of her other hand were pinching the bridge of her nose. 

He stared deep into her golden depths as he asked again. 

"Please Lily, give me the chance to prove it. Be mine!"

She removed her hands from her face and produced the most lovable smile he had ever seen. She nodded an affirming 'yes' as she stared deep into his eyes. Aidan felt as though he was bursting with sheer joy. He had done it. She was his. 

Suddenly, he saw shock and despair flash across her face before she turned away from him again with a muffled "ohh, no no no" bringing her hands back up to her face. 

Realisation dawned on him. She was in a large field with nowhere to hide from her colleagues and he didn't need to know the pollen count to know that she was suffering greatly. The little pucker between her eyes told him what he needed to know. He quickly scanned the area. There was nowhere he could hide her from her embarrassment... Unless. 

He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around as he pressed her against his own body, shielding her from view from everyone but him. He felt her entire body quiver against him as she wrapped both her arms around his body and pressed her face into his chest. 

"Shh... It's okay Lily. Just let it go, darling. You're fine. I've got you."

He felt her struggle for a few seconds more before she relaxed against him and succumbed to her most pressing urges, stifling her sneezes into the folds of his Kili shirt. 

"H'tmnx'cho, a'tch, a'tnh, hi'tnx... Heh... Ehe'tnhx, a'chi... Uh... Hi'hn'cho."

"Bless you, sweet Lily, just relax. You're fine. I'm here. I'm always here." 

He held her tight against him, looking behind him to make sure no one was paying particular attention to them. He nuzzled her hair with his nose and stroked her back soothingly as she continued to sneeze. 

"Hu'thnx'ch, a'chxi, huh'cho... Heh... A'hnx, hu'dchu."

He could tell her sneezes and hitching breath were causing her lungs to tighten. He quickly pulled her inhaler from his pocket and shook it. 

"Okay Lily, one more sneeze and then magic mist."

"A'hnx'cho, he'chi, thn'cho."

"Okay then, 3 more. Bless you. Now."

He pinched the bridge of her nose to hold back her sneezes as she inhaled her asthma meds. He kept pinching her nose shut as he spoke. 

"Can you hold your breath for 30 seconds? Okay. So while we're here, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of my undying love for you and express a building desire to have that love reciprocated. I have on several occasions opened my heart to you and must admit that I require some form of declaration of love in return. 10 more seconds. You okay? Good. What have to got to say for yourself?"

He regarded her with stern amusement. Her eyes grinned back at him, her cheeks expanded from holding her breath. 

"Hmm... I thought as much." He leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her quivering nostril and whispered a breathy "bless you" before he removed his fingers from her nose. 

"Go!"

"Heh... Hh... Hn'chi, he'chi, hn'ch, A'hnx'cho."

"Wow Lily, this is a lot, even from you. Bless you, my lady. A couple more?"

"he'chi, thn'cho... Heh... Hh... Hn'chi, he'chi, hn'ch."

The fit finally seemed to let up and he felt Lily slump against him trying to catch her breath. She still kept her arms wrapped around him. He leaned down and buried his nose in her hair, whispering softly in her ear. 

"Bless you a million times my sweet, beautiful and messy lady. 

He put his lips to her forehead.

"Aidan?" Her voice was barely a whisper, rough from all the sneezing. 

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Aidan closed his eyes, touched his forehead to hers and sighed. 

"I knew you did. Didn't believe your little drama show for a second. You should really take some acting classes if you wanna mess with people's heads like that. The real question is though, how MUCH do you love me?"

She smiled a girlish and wicked smile at him, making his glued-back-together heart grow and inch. 

"This much".

She held his eyes as her face contorted into a pre-sneeze expression. She leaned her head back and let her breath hitch. He felt her hands grip his hips for support as the force of Lily's unstifled sneezes made her upper body bend forward. 

"Ha'i'choo... Hhh... Ha'i'choo... He... God it tickles... Hi'ii'chooo."

Aidan felt the soft spray of her sneezes on his chin and neck. Wow. This was such a huge step for her. Before he had the time to collect his thoughts into coherent sentences of love and devotion, Lily produced a tissue from her pocket and noisily blew her nose against his chest. 

Wow. He knew she had been working on her Embarrassment Thing. This was a huge declaration of trust coming from her. He smiled at her.

"Wow Lily. Isn't this moving a little too fast too soon? I mean with all the unstifled sneezing and nose blowing, we might as well just tie the knot and be done with it. Don't you think we should take it slower?"

Her answering smile created a warm sensation deep in his chest. 

"Shut up, dwarf!"

And with that she grabbed his shoulders and swung her legs around his waist and slowly touched her lips to his. Finally! He hugged her back to support her weight as he returned her kiss, letting his tongue gently stroke hers. 

Right at that moment. The roar of a helicopter emerged right above their heads and the directors voice called out through a megaphone. 

"Gollum is watching you. As thrilled as I am about this little interlude, we do have a scene to shoot before the sun sets. Aidan, please return to the scene, Lily, please report to the directors tent. Thank you."

They broke apart, their foreheads still touching. They sighed against each other and muttered an amused "fin-D".

- The end. 

[Arty]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

[Juto]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Glad you think so.