"Ahh choo!” Arthur sniffed as he curled up in his blankets. He’d woken up with a horrible cold and it had only gotten worse throughout the day. Still he’d tried to go to work only for Lance to kick him out of the shop as soon as he’d seen him like that. Now he was stuck in bed with nothing to do.
He couldn’t even move to his desk and tinker like he normally did when he was stuck at home, and the reason for this had just come through the door holding a bowl of soup. Vivi went over to the bed and sat down next him. She then took a spoonful of soup and held it out to him.
“Say ahh, Arty,” she told him, holding the spoon so it wouldn’t spill.
“Viv, I can feed myself…” he’d just gotten the last word out when the soup was shoved into his mouth.
“No talking, it’ll only make your sore throat worse,” Vivi scolded, as she took the spoon out of his mouth.
Arthur pouted but relented, knowing he couldn’t argue with her. Instead he let her feed him the rest of the soup in silence. Once the soup was gone Vivi smiled and stood up. After placing a kiss to his forehead she left the room to put the bowl away.
Arthur watched her go hoping the blush that was now turning his whole face red could be blamed on his fever. Once she was gone Arthur flopped back on his pillow with a sigh. It wasn’t that he didn’t like being taken care of by her, but the way she’d been acting around him lately had concerned him.
For the last few weeks Vivi had been doing things she hadn’t before. Sitting closer to him on the couch when they had movie nights, holding his hand longer than she needed to when helping him up, and now small kisses on his forehead and cheeks. As clueless as Arthur was sometimes he wasn’t stupid, far from it, and he knew what was happening. The idea that Vivi liked him in as more than just friends both exhilarated and terrified him at the same time.
On one had he’d been in love with Vivi for years now, and the knowledge that she felt the same way made him feel like he was going to explode with happiness. On the other she was with Lewis, and after what had happened, even with Lewis forgiving him, it was just wrong for them to be together. It was the same reason he hadn’t asked her out when they both thought Lewis wasn’t going to come back. Even if it wasn’t his fault Lewis died he still played a part in separating them before the last thing he wanted was to be the reason for them to be split up again.
No, he made up his mind. He could still see how much she loved Lewis and Lewis loved her. They were perfect for each other, and if he let Vivi keep chasing him it was only going to mess things up. As much as it hurt him he had to tell her to stop now before Lewis found out and all of them got hurt.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when the door opened again and Vivi came in holding a laptop and some DVDs. As soon as he saw the grin on her face all coherent thought in Arthur’s brain stopped. Why did she have to smile like that right now? It always made his heart melt at seeing her so happy.
“Hey Arty, I didn’t want us to get bored so I got us some movies to watch,” she told him excitedly.
Arthur was only able to nod as she came over and set up the laptop. After she got the first movie in she placed the lap top in between them and snuggled up close to him.
Arthur had to fight to keep the blush that was trying to creep up over his face at how close they were. Telling her not to do this anymore wasn’t going to be easy. He instead tried to pay attention to the movie which thankfully wasn’t a horror, though that seemed to be increasingly difficult as time passed.
When the movie was over Vivi left his side to take out the disk and put it back in the case. However, before she could put in the next movie Arthur decided that he couldn’t wait any longer and spoke up.
“Hey Viv?” He managed.
Vivi turned to give him a glare. “Arthur what did I tell you about talking?” she scolded.
Arthur shrunk back but didn’t back down completely. “I know but I really need to say this,” he continued, “I’ve kinda noticed that you’ve been acting differently around me and I pretty sure why you’ve been acting that way.” Well the battle to not blush was lost.
Vivi’s eyes went a bit wide and Arthur could see the hope in them, it killed him to know that he was about to crush that hope.
“I’m sorry, but you need to stop,” he forced out, not making eye contact with her anymore.
Vivi’s smile fell so fast Arthur couldn’t even see the transition. “What?” Vivi questioned her eyes full of disappointment.
“You need to stop flirting with me. It’ll only hurt your relationship with Lewis and I don’t want to be responsible for you being separated again. I know you love him and you two deserve each other. I don’t want to mess that up again,” Arthur admitted.
Vivi blinked a few times at Arthur with a look of confusion on her face. Just then a wide smile broke over her face and she fell back on the bed laughing.
It was now Arthur’s turn to be confused this time and all he was able to do was stare at the woman as she continued to laugh. Eventually she did calm down and got back up to look at Arthur.
“Goodness Arthur, even when you get the hint you’re completely clueless. My flirting with you isn’t going to split me and Lewis apart,” she pressed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing again.
Arthur only continued to stare blankly at her, still clearly not understanding. “It won’t?” he asked, tilting his head now.
“Of course not, because he’s been flirting with you too. Didn’t you see the way he smiles at you, or sings to you, or makes little hearts in your food when he cooks for you?” Vivi told him.
Arthur blinked as he tried to process what Vivi was saying. “I always thought the hearts were just a way to make the food look pretty,” was his lame excuse, now that he thought about it, he really should have caught on with that.
Vivi confirmed this by bursting into laughter again and Arthur’s blush spreads to the tips of his ears.
“But I don’t understand. Why would you guys do that?” Arthur asked now fighting to not hide his face in his hands, “If this is a joke it’s not funny.”
Vivi stopped laughing at that and looked to Arthur concerned. “What? Of course not Arthur, we’re flirting with you because we like you,” she told him.
“But you two are together…” Arthur was beyond confused now.
“Yeah but just because we’re together doesn’t mean we can’t love you too, silly,” Vivi explained.
“But…but…” Arthur didn’t know what to do and right now he was doing a very good impression of a tomato and a fish at the same time.
“No buts, we love you Arthur. Both Lewis and I love you and we want you to be a part of what we have,” she took his hand in hers and looked up to him hopefully.
“I…I…” the words weren’t coming so Arthur was only able to dumbly nod ‘yes.’
Vivi’s eyes lit up like Christmas lights and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. She was about to give him a kiss until he stopped her.
“Viv, I’m still sick!” he shouted and she stopped.
“Oh right,” Vivi leaned away again, “But when you get better you so owe me that kiss and one for Lewis too.” She then turned back to the lap top to put the next movie in.
Arthur then started to think about what had just happened. He was in a relationship with Vivi and Lewis, and somehow he was ok with this. Yeah this was definitely something he was ok with.