Heather was curled up in her bed, tissues lazily tossed at the waste basket beside her computer desk and a brand new box tucked into the blankets beside her. The television was blasting cartoons, but honestly, she could barely focus on the sounds the character was making. The blonde mess of hair on top of her head felt heavy, mostly because of the trobbing in her skull and neck, and she couldn't breathe to save her life. She carefully tilted her head back against the pillow and let out a soft groan. Being sick was never something she managed well and she'd give right arm to breathe easier.


She had to remind herself that it would only be a matter of time until her medicine kicked in and she'd hopefully be able to get some sleep, however that thought was quickly tossed out of the window when her phone began to light up and buzz from the nightstand beside her bed. A deep sigh fell from her lips and she blinked tiredly at the device, admitting defeat as she bent over and snatched it up.


"Alex, you better have a good reason for calling me right now."


"What's the matter, did I disturb your beauty rest?"


"No, I'm sick," Heather frowned, a small cough coming from her throat to confirm her comment. "I'm waiting on my meds to kick in so I can catch some z's."


"Awh, my poor Heather!" A smile came to her lips. Alex always had a way of making her feel better. "You try to catch some sleep and I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Sure thing, dude."


She ended the call and tossed her phone across the bed, curling up against the pillows in hopes of a restful sleep, one that would carry her away and hopefully make her wake up with the use of her nose once again.


_______________


"Heeeather," a small tapping came on her door, making her heart skip a beat as she blinked her eyes, lifting her blonde head to wipe the sleep from her eyes. "Heather, are you awake?"


A yawn escaped her lips as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, her pillow freshly fluffed and placed behind her back for support. She took notice to the fact that her T.V. was still on, cartoons making light dance around the room. She must have been asleep for a while, considering the sun had gone down and the house had gotten much colder.


"I'm awake," she managed, sucking in a sharp breath. To her surprise, she could breathe through her nose. Now, if only the scratchy feeling in her throat would go away. "You can come in."


The door slowly opened to reveal Alex, a crooked grin plastered to his lips and his right hand clinging to a bowl, which had steam rolling off of the top of it. Heather cocked an eyebrow and flashed him an exhausted smile, hoping he would understand that she wasn't in the best of spirits.


He slowly sat on the bed, making sure not to spill the contents of the bowl and placed a pillow upon her lap. He handed her the bowl with caution and flipped on her lamp when it was firmly in her hands.


"Chicken noodle soup to chase away the cold," Alex beamed, proud of himself for not spilling it. "I can't just sit by and let you be sick all by yourself!"


"Thank you, Alex. This is really sweet."


"But that's not all!" Alex delcared, curling up next to her on the bed, still making sure not to spill the hot soup that Heather was currently blowing on. "I came with more surprises!"


After taking a sip of her soup, Heather glanced to him with her brows furrowed. He nodded his head with joy and glanced to the door, her eyes trailing after him. That's when Jack appeared, a child-like grin on his lips and a blue teddy bear in his hands. Heather couldn't help but giggle. This was possibly the sweetest thing the two of them had ever done for her before.


"This is Mr. Snuggles," Jack skipped his way to the bed and plopped down by Alex's feet. Heather was quick to lift the soup so it didn't burn her. "He doesn't like it when our Heather is sick, so he's here to bring you massive amounts of joy. I'm serious, your head will burst with happiness."


"He's not lying," Alex snickered, reaching over Heather to grab the remote from her nightstand. "I had a pretty big cuddle fest with him in the car. All of my worries just faded away."


"Gimme," Heather extended her arm for the bear, a childish grin on her own faace. "He's so soft!"


"Duh. He's plush."


Rolling her eyes, Heather placed the bear between herself and Alex, giving herself enough room to eat her soup in peace. The heat of broth warmed her insides, while also sending a tingle down her throat, fighting off some of the soreness. She thought she may actually be able to speak now without sounding so hoarse.


When she finished her soup, Alex happily took the empty bowl from her hands and left the room. This left her alone with Jack, who had decided to use the heat from the pillow in her lap to place his head on.


"Are you feeing any better yet?"


"Much better," she coughed, shrugging it off as a sign that she was getting better. "Thank you for Mr. Snuggles, I'm sure we'll be the best of friends."


"He better not replace your love for me, though. Alex has done that enough."


"I love you and Alex equally," Heather giggled, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. Okay, so maybe she loved Alex a little more, but it was only because she saw him as more than a best friend. Alex couldn't find that out, though. He'd probably think she was weird and it'd ruin their friendship. "But I promise, the bear won't come in between us."


"You lie," Jack held back a laugh. "Don't worry, I still think it's cute. The classic tale of two best friends falling in love."


"Two?"


Jack shuffled his weight, squirming uncomfortably in her lap. His teeth sunk into his lip and he knew he'd said too much. Plus, with Heather being Heather, she wasn't likely to let it go so easily. He decided against playing it cool and sat up, pointing his finger to the door while his mind tried to come up with a good excuse to leave.


"I have to, uh.. Poop!"


"Wait, what?"


"I'll be back. Just gonna go, uhm," he slid off the bed, averting his gaze. "Poop."


Heather let out a sigh and shook her head. It was a poor excuse, but being as it was Jack, she couldn't very well argue with him about it. Instead, she waited until he left the room and kicked the pillow off her legs, curling up in the sheets once more, only this time, she had the bear to keep her company.


Down the hall, she could hear the clank of dishes. There was a smile on her lips and she was mentally thanking Alex for the fact that he was cleaning. He was always so good to her, no one could really blame her for falling for him. Just the simple fact that he went out of his way to pick up Jack, go shopping for a teddy bear and cook her soup to surprise her when she felt like shit, it made her heart melt.


An exhausted sigh fell from her lips and she held the bear closer to her chest. Air was flowing through her nostrils freely and the dull ache in her head was starting to go away. She blinked her eyes a few times, sleep starting to take over her body again.


She probably would have passed out again, but the sinking of her bed made her nearly jump out of her skin.


"Relax, lady," Alex chuckled, curling up beside her in the bed. His nose was only inches from hers and his hands absently began brushing strands of hair away from her ear. "I didn't meant to scare you. Want me to round Jack up and get out of here so you can sleep?"


"You can.. Or you can stay and nap with me."


"I like the sound of that," Alex smiled, scooting in closer to her. "If I get sick over this, promise you'll come take care of me?"


"I don't have to promise, you already know I will."


Alex propped himself up on his elbows long enough to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. A small sigh fell from her lips and she snuggled up close to his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat take her away.


"I love you, Heather," Alex whispered, wrapping his arms around her frame. "I'd kiss you if you weren't so sick."


And though Heather was already asleep by the time Alex got the words out, he knew this was a changing point in their friendship.

Notes

Love you Heather! Hope you enjoyed it. (:<3.