Espilver Week 2023

Day 4: Confessions

Waking up ill is always awful, but even more when it is disruptive for those he holds dear on top.

And Silver doesn't mean the constant coughing and sniffling that wreck his body with that, annoying as those are. No, he means the fact that the Chaotix had wild plans to go visit Sonic and Tails and have fun there with a sleepover... that he now cannot attend, because the moment he opened his eyes with an altogether awful throat ache and sniffles galore Espio had immediately decreed he would stay home.

And the decision that Espio himself would stay home as well had come immediately after, and Silver being upset about not being allowed to share in the fun had quickly moved towards him being altogether shaken up by the fact Espio willingly is not attending either.

"You still have time to go, Es," Silver rasps, from where his heavy head lays on the pillows. "I'll be fine here." And he will be, because he is not a pushover and he can easily survive a night of his own while being ill, he's done it before, he'll live and then Espio doesn't need to miss out on a convivial evening because of him...

A warm chuckle follows from above him. "Surely, tenshi, and yet I will stay."

His quills bristling by instinct Silver huffs. "I don't want you to!" he sputters back, pleasantly cool hands pressing down on his shoulder and pushing him more firmly onto the mattress. It does nothing to calm the bad feelings of burdening Espio that keep him firmly in their grasp. "I want you to go out there and have fun!"

"Sonic and Tails will understand, love. If we ask them if we can go on a sleepover another day sometime in the future, they will agree immediately."

"But you're missing out on the fun now!"

Vector and Charmy had decided to go after all following the psychic's urging, and though the house's quiet is greatly appreciated by the throbbing in Silver's skull, it makes a stark reminder he and Espio are still here instead. But the chameleon merely sighs fondly and flicks his fingers past Silver's nose. "I am not leaving you here. I would not have peace of mind." And that is final, Espio's tone clear in that he does not want any backtalking, even if it leaves Silver huffing... before yet another accursed coughing fit wrecks his body. At least that is enough of an excuse for him to shut his eyes so he does not need to see the pointed look getting sent his way.

A glass of water gets pressed against his lips. "Tenshi, you are making yourself far too worked up about this," Espio murmurs, as Silver gratefully downs some of it. "I am content staying here with you too."

"I don't want to be a burden," Silver wheezes back, wiping some droplets from his lips before Espio can begin fussing about that, too. And he is being a burden, because Espio, in true Espio style, had immediately dropped everything right out of his hands to go play caregiver. Which Silver knows makes his beloved happy, but not when it means they need to cancel plans they'd both been looking forward to because of him...

His beloved shakes his head, ever so amusedly. "You never are, love. May I confess something?"

Huddling more closely underneath the blankets Silver puffs up his cheeks. "Please tell me it is that you're actually really mad you can't go because then at least I'm right in feeling bad about it."

"Quite the opposite." Tender fingers trail over Silver's quills, his ears, his nose and cheeks, making the hedgehog keen into the pleasant touches immediately. "I love being able to care for you like this, tenshi," his beloved murmurs, slowly and tenderly. "I love being able to look after you and making sure you're doing alright."

"...Oh. Es, you're silly," Silver can only protest back at that, and the flushing of his cheeks might not be able to be attributed only to his fever. And the way Espio laughs so lovingly before drawing his arms around him and pulling him close does not help matters either... With a deep sigh Silver flops his head into the other's shoulder. "Can I confess something, too?"