The water engulfed her bare shivering body in a blanked of warmth, bringing relief and bliss to her frigid skin. She sighed with confort, and melted into the tub, letting her hair softly fall out of the tight ponytail it was in, that seemed like it was cutting off the circulation. And all girls who wear high tight ponytails know the relief that is felt when the tight hold on the hair is released, and the pain is gone. The let the water rise up to her chin, and she layed her head back, closing her eyes.

"Careful, don't fall asleep there." Her eyes opened, royally annoyed, and she twisted her head slightly to look at him, who was sitting on a makeup stool.

"Do you have to keep an eye on me? It's kinda creepy." He jerked back slightly, clearly surprised.

"W-well, I-I don't have to, if you don't want me to. I-I just thought it was..."

"Relax it was a joke...sort of."

"Oh" A few more seconds of silence passed before she returned to the subject.

"Yeah, no, can you leave?"

"Ouch." He stood up, his movements slow and fluid, soundless and quiet. Before reaching the door, he paused and turned around. "Are you sure you want me to leave?"

"...." Nightstreak paused, and looked down. She had heard a twinge of pain and sadness in his voice, and it shot a hole in her heart. Still, she felt she wanted maybe a bit more privacy. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she realized she was the only person in the room. She sniffled, trying to break through the barrier of swollen nasal passages so she could breathe normally, but also for another reason. Suddenly, the water seemed a lot colder than seconds before, and she shivered, pulling her legs up against her chest. A soft knock echoed through the room, startling her and making her jump. She cringed as some water splashed over the edge and all over the tile.

"Yea?"

"Just tell me when you're ready, I've got some warm clothes.''

"I'm ready." She snapped almost immediately.

He hesitated. It had been only a few minutes since she had immersed herself. 

"Nope." He called back. "You need to stay soaked for at least 20 minutes, no exceptions." 

"Boo. Fun pooper." 

After a long complaint-filled 15 minutes. 

"Can I get out now?" Knockout rolled his eyes at her clearly annoyed voice, pressing his ear to the bathroom door. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yea." She struggled to pull herself up to her feet, and shook unsteadily, fighting not to slip in the smooth tub.

"Careful, don't fall." Regaining that rare ounce of balance she had, she slowly stepped over the unnecessarily tall tub edge, and pressed her foot on the already-soaked foam foot mat, then proceeded to cautiously but somehow successfully pull the other out. A cool blast of frigid wind blasted her bare body, making her shiver even harder. Nearly immediately, her stuffed nose returned to one of her nostrils, causing her to groan. The steam from the bath had soothed her nasal passageways, but now that she was no longer close enough, the steam didn't quite reach her, and IN CAME THE TORTURE KNOWN AS STUFFED NOSE. She reached for the plump fluffy towel that Knockout had layed on the counter, and wrapped it smugly around her body. Her head spun rapidly, and ached quite painfully. Great. A light knock brought her attention to the door, which Knockout slowly opened.

"Hey, I brought you your pjs." She shivered again as a stream of cool air entered the room. Pins and needles prickled her skin, and she tried to wrap the towel around herself tighter, hoping to make a sort of warm barrier around herself. "I'll leave you to get dry and changed." He handed her a soft white hoodie and black sweatpants before closing the door. It was too quick, she noticed. He was probably uncomfortable, she forced herself to think. 

"Yeah, he's just uncomfortable." 

~~~

Nightstreak peeked out the door and down the long dimly-lit hallway. Knockout was no where in sight. Breathing sharply, she cautiously stepped out of the cool tile onto the hardwood. She walked hurriedly down the hall, trying not to make a sound. Holding her breath, she whirled into her shared bedroom, diving into the plush comforter. There was something about being able to sneak in without being caught. As she snuggled into the warm plush blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders, her ears picked up soft footsteps growing louder, approaching the room. Eyes widening, she sank down in the mountain of softness, snapping her eyes shut and regulating her breathing. 

He had exposed her for fake sleeping before; hopefully, he wouldn't be able to do it again. Much against her wishes, her body grew rigid as she heard the door creak open wider, and his soft footsteps grew clearer.  

Then, the room fell silent. The covers suddenly grew hot. She froze, trying her best to keep a calm composure. Inside, she was freaking out; her heart was racing; she had NO IDEA what he was doing nor why it had suddenly grown as quiet as a mew of a newborn kitten. Her hand grasped the inside of the blanket; though a small portion of her wanted him to go away, the majority of her wished she could crawl into his arms and cuddle. 

It came as such a massive surprise to her when she felt a warm soft sensation on her lips. Without thinking about her, her eyes shot open in surprise, a red glow spreading across her face. he was kneeling there, his face only inches away from hers. A smirk was drawn upon his face. 

"I knew it." He muttered, smugly.  Her face turned down into a pout. 

"What are you doing? You're gonna get sick." She groaned, tugging the blanket further up her chin. 

"Yeah, maybe but..." He suddenly crawled up onto the bed, maneuvering over her so he was hugging her from behind. She froze once again at the sudden gesture. "Did you forget it's Friday?" He whispered into her ear. His scent drifted up her stuffed nose, somehow clearing the nasal passages with it's rustic sweet scent. His arms enclosed around her hoodied ones, pulling her into his chest. 

"And what does that have to do with anything?" She remarked. 

"Well, it means that at least, if I do get sick..." 

"Which you will." 

"...It means I have a few days to recover. Remember, it's a 3 day weekend." Her eyes narrowed. 

"That's no excuse. You're still getting sick. You're a doctor, for Primus' sake!! Common sense!!" He scoffed, and chuckled quietly, pressing his lips against the crook of her neck, behind her ear. 

"Shut up." He murmured. "Shut up and sleep." 

"B-but I have work!" She complained, struggling slightly against his hold on her. Instead of loosening it, like she predicted he would, he instead grasped the blanket and wrapped it around her front, enclosing her in a cave of warmth and trapping her in his hold. A sudden urge built up inside her, and she began sneezing harshly, her lungs burning with every sneeze. She broke out of his hold, sitting up and hunching over. He sat up behind her, patting her back. With every sneeze, she gasped for air afterwards, a nasty sound that made her lungs seem unhealthy. Every inhale was harder, smaller, weaker. As her sneezing fit calmed down, she was hit with something out, an extreme chill that brought with it a wave of extreme fatigue. Suddenly, the arm propping her up felt as if it were a toothpick supporting a brick. Panting silently, she leaned backwards, coming in contact with his chest, and leaning up against it immediately, letting her arms fall to her side. She felt as his hands lightly grasped her shoulders, but it was a light feeling; her entire body felt numb with fatigue. She was just barely aware of his hold snaking around her arms. Her head felt light, non-existent, spinning rapidly, unable to focus on a specific object. 

"Nightstreak, if you don't rest, you're going to get worse. Trust me, you do not want to end up in the er." She only grew aware of his stern tone; he was clearly trying to get his point through. 

"B-but....work." 

"No you don't." 

"Knocky..." 

"Cupcake, you are sick. You have an excuse. No working while sick; that's an order. You need to rest." His hands gently guided her down into a laying position. As her head sank into the plush pillow, another wave of chills flew down her body. She shivered, barely moving her arms to make an effort to block the cold. Knockout noticed, and, along with tightening his hold around her, tucked the blanket around her shivering curled-up body. It brought little confort to her, but still, she was able to release her tight hold around herself a bit. 

It was at this point that she lost all hold on consciousness, and slipped under the surface of reality.