Random RQ oneshots (and SL + TR I guess)

Colle gets Cold

It was so hot. So, so hot. Even with the fan up against him. Even with his bare skin on the wood floor. Even with the winter weather outside. He was scorching.

It wasn't fair. Sure, Colle had definitely overexerted himself with the teleport. But how else would he have made it out? He clutched his chest a little, trying to breathe. Breathe, breathe. In and out. Just breathe. His lungs were tight and scratchy, and no breath made it feel better. He was hot and sweating, yet still shaking and shivering, which didn't even make sense in his eyes.

The Winter Steves must have found him after the teleport, and since Colle had a small gap in his memory between then and now, he assumed he must have passed out. He had been tightly tucked into a warm bed when he awoke, but he almost immediately crawled out, desperate to escape the heat. Not that it did him much; even now he was burning.

It must have been a bajillion degrees in the house. Weren't they supposed to be Winter Steves? Why was everything so hot? Colle almost contemplated calling for someone to bring him another fan, but his voice was hoarse and croaky. Did the teleport really mess him up this bad? This wasn't like him.

He turned onto his side, cringing at the puddle of sweat that had begun to accumulate under him. This was disgusting, and Colle knew if someone saw him like this, it would just make his face even hotter with embarrassment. He had never been this hot before.

Between the unbearable heat and the uncomfortable floor, Colle couldn't relax even in the slightest. He had to get up, find someplace colder. He pulled himself up with the desk in the corner of the room, which gave him an almost overwhelmingly sudden amount of nausea. Colle breathed in slow and long breaths. He glanced out the window, facing the icy outside. It looked delightfully freezing out there. He leaned up against the glass, almost gasping at the cold bliss on his cheek.

The snow outside seemed tempting to Colle. It practically called out to him. He needed it. Who could blame him? He was so hot.

He managed to find his way down the stairs, through the questionably empty house and out the door, where he might as well have plummeted onto the snowy earth. The cold air met his face, filling his lungs and more or less calming the burning ache in his body. Colle buried his hands in the snow, and though it was probably dirty and gross, pulled a handful up to his mouth and consumed it hastily.

He breathed in and out, cold air painfully burning him, yet still being undoubted relief. Everything was hazy, but at least he was cold. His body didn't feel any better, but at least he was cold. He didn't seem to notice when he collapsed into the snow. At least he was cold.

When he woke up, it was with a whine-mixed groan, as he was hot again. The snow and the cold air was gone, and he was back in the same house. He did note, however, the presence of multiple fans now, keeping him from catching on fire and burning to a crisp. Which Colle was sure could totally happen. He was, more comfortably now, laying on two pillows with his shirt off. He was hot, yes, but this was bearable.

He turned on his side and realized he was not alone in the room. Winter Steve was sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce, a decent few feet away from him. "Good morning. Or, well, afternoon."

Colle grunted a little as he managed to sit up, not without a bit of nausea again. He felt terrible. Hot, cold, and terrible. "Wh...what.." He glanced around anxiously, disoriented and confused.

"You're probably feeling a little weak. Or, really weak. You have a 102.3 fever, so you ought to be feeling awful." Winter Steve handed him a drink, cold to the touch. Colle chugged it gratefully. "We found you passed out in the snow."

When he finished, he set the glass down carefully and wiped his mouth. "Oh. That...that makes sense.." he croaked. His lungs ached, and the cold water didn't seem to be doing anything to help that. Maybe it would take time. "I...teleported out, and..." it hurt Colle's head to think about it. His head already hurt slightly, and his hazy mind didn't help.

"Shh. You should rest. I was just watching over you, so you wouldn't drag yourself back into the snow. We all realized a little too late you people can't handle the cold for very long..." Winter Steve chuckled a little. Colle nodded slowly.

"The snow was nice..." Colle murmured.

"The snow nearly killed you, you were about to get hypothermia. Which I thought was a silly myth."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Colle was quiet. What else was there to say? He was tired and hot and also somehow cold, and incredibly disoriented and a little nauseous and just feeling downright terrible. He didn't get sick very often, so he forgot just how miserable it was every time.

"I can head downstairs if you aren't comfortable with someone watching you sleep, but I really think you should try and rest." Winter Steve said with a smile.

"I'll sleep.." Colle muttered. "You should get me more of that water."

Winter Steve laughed. "Will do. I'll get some medicine too."

Colle let himself relax onto the pillowy floor as Winter Steve went downstairs. It wasn't the most comfortable, but he refused to retreat to the bed. Eventually, Winter Steve came back with a few pills and another cold glass of water. He took both eagerly.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Winter Steve smiled at the head of the staircase.

"Okay..." Colle laid his head onto the pillows and closed his eyes. Maybe he would feel better the next day.

So he hoped.

(Lil notes)
Colle, you poor poor boy, it's only downhill from here