You Make Me Feel Like Forever

[Lunaconner]

oh my GODDDDSS I LOVE THISSS but also miss daniel and charlie but this is also sooo good

[Mrs.Primrose]

Ooh, so tense, I love it. AND you managed to make the villain’s sidekick sneezy too?? Brilliant. 
 

If Tom kissed Chris when he had a cold, Chris must be carrying the cold too now, right? Then Charlie and Daniel will get it, and there will be SO MUCH SNEEZING. 🤧 

[lighthousegirl]

Hey all, I am SO SORRY for how long it has taken me to update, life has just been crazy. Still very much working on this story though. 

Charlie awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing, and soon saw Chris’s name flashing on the screen. She stole a quick glance at Daniel, but his snores and slightly open mouth told her he was still dead to the world. Smiling indulgently, she picked up her phone and padded quietly across the room into the bathroom.

“Hey, babe! This is a little early for you isn't it?” she greeted Chris playfully.

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a muffled cough. “Hey, darling...I’m so sorry, but I’m not gonna make it today.”

Charlie’s smile faded. "Aw, how come? I was so excited to see you."

"I know and I feel terrible - quite literally. Ah - ahschew! My body has betrayed me completely."

“Oh no, you do sound rough!” Charlie exclaimed, her tone softening as she heard the thick congestion in Chris's voice.

"Believe me I know... ah... ahessschhew! Aschew! Ugh, holy mother of..."

Charlie heard the muffled sounds of swearing, things clattering, nose blowing and what sounded like, "damn motherf... giving me his cold," although she couldn't be sure of the exact wording. It piqued her interest though.

"So who, dare I ask has reduced you to this terrible state?" she asked curiously.

"Oh... no-one really. Let's just say I’m paying the price for being nice. Oh hey, that rhymed... assschheww! God." Chris sighed and then coughed a little. "I swear, I’m allergic to my own life choices right now.”

"Hmm... why do I feel like you're holding out on me here?"

"Snf. Well you know me... wouldn't want to give it all away up front."

"Chris honey, you are many things but discreet is not one of them. But I won't push you if you don't want to tell me. Feel better OK?"

"Don't worry darling, I am Dayquiling the shit out of this cold right now. I'll see you in a couple of days. Maybe we can go to a movie or something?"

"Sounds great. Take care hun."


****


Daniel woke up needing to sneeze. This was not unusual - the incessant tickling had been bothering him for days. Allergies, he thought ruefully. His sinuses had been a battleground ever since they’d arrived, but this morning felt different — he felt different. His throat was scratchy, and his head felt like it was full of cotton wool. This wasn’t just the pollen; this was something else. He sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair and blinking at the ceiling as the urge to sneeze continued to bait him.

A cold. Just perfect.

Ad he emerged from the fog of sleep he gradually registered Charlie's voice coming from the bathroom, presumably on the phone. He couldn’t quite make out her words, but the warm, familiar tone made him smile despite his discomfort. This trip was so important to her, for so many reasons. Daniel had seen her eyes light up when they had walked around town yesterday, and he’d felt lucky just to be a part of it. He didn’t want to ruin it with a case of the sniffles.

He tried to ward off the impending sneeze by pinching his nose but it was still gaining strength, like a wave about to crash. He could hear Charlie wrapping up her conversation, her voice getting closer, and he tried to suppress the tickle once more, pressing his palm hard against the bridge of his nose. But the sneeze would not be denied.

“Ah... ah... ASCHOO!”

Even Daniel was surprised by the loudness of it. He froze, his nose still twitching, eyes watering, as Charlie appeared in the doorway. She looked at him, half-surprised, half-amused.

“Bless you!” she said. “Wow, that was... impressive.”

She blushed a little but Daniel's eyes were too busy blurring with the need for another sneeze. He groaned, scrubbing at his nose with the back of his hand. “S-sorry,” he stuttered. “I... hah... hah... d-didn’t m-mean t-to... hah... haschOO! ASCHOO! ...interrupt," he finished weakly. He quickly grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and blew his nose, trying to keep things casual. Charlie looked at him with concern.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice softening. “Those sounded… intense.”

Daniel forced a smile, waving it off. “I’m fine, just the allergies acting up,” he lied, hoping his voice didn’t sound as rough as it felt. He endeavoured to find a distraction. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, Chris. He's come down with a cold so he can't hang out with us today." Charlie looked down at her phone, frowning a little. Daniel sought to cheer her up.

"That's too bad, I'm sorry. But hopefully you'll see him again before we head home?"

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, he's already insisting he'll be fine in a couple of days and we have to all go out together. It wasn't really that. I was just thinking... Chris is never sick. And he's been a little... weird. I feel like there's stuff he's not telling me."

Daniel thought he knew what was really bothering her and he put an arm round her shoulders. "Hey," he said softly. "He's still your best friend. Even if you're on a whole other continent." Charlie looked at him, somewhat reassured but still worried. He nodded encouragingly. "Seriously. The way you guys were yesterday? It doesn't just fade away. If there's anything going on, Chris'll tell you when he's ready."

Charlie sighed. "You're right." She looked up at him, her eyes scanning his face. “You sure you're ok? You look kind of flushed.”

Daniel shrugged, trying to sound lighthearted. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just stuffy in here, that’s all.” He reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and took a sip, hoping it would soothe the scratch in his throat. “I just need some fresh air, and I’ll be fine.”

Inwardly though, he was cursing his crappy immune system. And now he was pretty sure he knew where the cold had come from.

Charlie didn't look entirely convinced but she smiled at him, then finally stood up and headed for the closet to grab her sweater.
Daniel steeled himself, determined to push through. It wasn’t just about the plans they had made; it was about being there for her, about not letting something as small as a cold ruin their first real trip together. He pushed his discomfort aside and got up, determined to make this day everything she’d hoped it would be — even if Chris wasn't there. Daniel could handle it. He just had to keep the sniffles and the worries to himself.

[Sparklesparkle84]

Im SO happy you updated! Excited to see how Daniels cold works out. He wasnt too good the last time he was sick, maybe Charlie will have to care for him again ❤️ 

[Mrs.Primrose]

On 9/5/2024 at 5:23 PM, lighthousegirl said:

He pushed his discomfort aside and got up, determined to make this day everything she’d hoped it would be

Ooh, I’m looking forward to how this doesn’t go as planned. Thank you for the update!