Burning Ice & Freezing Fire

Help?!

It's too loud.

It's too bright.

Even with shut eyes.

His head is aching and his heart pounding.

This strange feeling in his stomach has grown even stronger and is almost painful now.

He groans, but the far too loud seeming sound lets him wince and a pathetic whimper escapes him.
"Robbie?! Robbie, can you hear me?"

There's something on his arm now.

He wants to shrug it off, but he can't muster the energy to do so. Instead, he rather groans again, followed by another whimper due to the noise.

"Robbie, please, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand or at least move your fingers!" begs the same worried voice again, shortly before a warm hand grabs his own.

This is ridiculous.

Why would he do that? And why would there even be the possibility of him not hearing the infernal yelling of Sportaflop?

Wait.

Sportacus?! What is he doing here? Wherever...'here' is...

What...

But at this moment, his memory returns and he remembers everything.

He called Sportacus​ for help so he could answer his questions about...love...

The (embarrassing) talk took quite an unexpected turn and now he knows that Sportacus actually came to LazyTown with the order to capture him and take him to his people for some sort of unknown punishment... Since the hero refuses to do so he now is, more or less, hiding in this town...

And then, after hearing all this, Robbie now remembers that he...collapsed.

Oh no...

He reflexively brings his free hand to his face, wipes it and groans again.

Just perfect...

"Robbie!" the happy cry is followed by a cool hand, resting on his forehead "Robbie, you're awake again!"
"Of course I am, Sportadork!" growls the villain and forces his eyes open to glare at the other, but instead they grow wide with shock and puzzlement and he so much as squeaks "What am I doing here?!?"
"Please, Robbie, don't fuss! Your lair would've been too far away and I also didn't want to invade it without permission, so..."
"I neither gave you the permission to take me here!" yells Robbie angrily with a weak flail of his arm before he quickly pushes both of Sportacus' hands off and sits up on the bed with a jerk.

"Well you...were pretty much out of it, so I had no chance to ask you..." admits Sportacus with slight embarrassment, but then he warns worriedly "No, don't sit up so fast! You might..." The next second he has to catch Robbie in an embrace to keep him from falling face first down from the bed, and murmurs "...That's what I was going to say..."
"...What..." once more Robbie wipes his face, trying to hide his embarrassment of needing saving again by mumbling "...What is going on?..."
"You collapsed the moment you stood up from that bench," Sportacus gently places the villain on the bed again, this time keeping one hand gently rested on his chest to hold him down, his smile is soothing but obviously forced "Now you're running a light fever. That's probably caused by your lack of sleep and... When and what did you say was the last time you ate something?"
"You could've taken me anywhere! Why above all places did it have to be your horrible airship??" asks Robbie back without bothering to answer the hero's question at first, his eyes are reflecting fear and confusion now. Sportacus sighs lowly "Because it was the place closest by and...I knew that I could take care of you here best... But we're not in the air anymore. I ordered it to land, otherwise it would've become difficult to get you inside in this...condition... Maybe this soothes you a little..."
"Soothes?! This ship hates me! I guess, it even mocks me in a very weird way!" cries Robbie desperate and tries to pry Sportacus' hand from his chest, but without success. The hero gives a small, gentle smile "You really don't have to be afraid. It's just a computer and it would never harm anybody. Besides, this time, you're here for a good reason, not because you want to sabotage anything."
"I'm not scared!" huffs Robbie miffed and turns his head to look away and at the white wall.

Everything in here is of a bright white.

It's awful!

It's just far too bright to be comfortable!

How can one life here?!

And how does he always manage to get himself into such situations?!
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that..." murmurs Sportacus now softly and carefully feels Robbie's forehead again. His heart breaks a little when the other flinches again at this, but what bothers him even more is the radiating heat coming from the villain...
"Get away from me, Sportaflop!" growls Robbie and grabs Sportacus' hand on his head with both of his and tries to push him off.

"But Robbie! You're sick! You need help!"
"I don't need anything from anybody! Especially no help from you!" he's desperate now.

He feels absolutely miserable and he just wants to go home.

But Sportacus won't let him...

"But everybody needs help sometimes. And you certainly do now!" contradicts the hero firmly and his one hand moves from Robbie's forehead to his wrist to feel the pulse. Seconds later he furrows his brows in a concerned way the other man hasn't seen before with him "Robbie, I really don't like this. I better call a doctor and..."
"No!" Robbie's one hand grabs the arm of the hero while the fingers of his other one dig into the soft surface of Sportacus' bed beneath him and he furiously shakes his head "No, please don't!"
Sportacus looks at him in surprise for a moment, taking in his shaking, shallowly breathing figure before he asks softly "Why not?"
"I... Just...don't. Okay? ...Please..." he swallows hard and searches the hero's gaze.

"Okay," Sportacus smiles at him before shortly, gently squeezing the hand still digging into the bed "I won't. For now. But if it gets any worse..."
"It won't!" cuts Robbie him off, trying to fall back into character and into his normal voice "That's just a little exhaustion... Nothing to worry about, really."
"Robbie, you collapsed! And you even could've gotten hurt doing so!"
"Yeah, right. I'll consider a safer place than an uneven path to do so next time," he rolls his eyes and tries to sit up again. But Sportacus still doesn't remove his hands, his voice and gaze uncharacteristic hard "I'm serious, Robbie. This is nothing to joke around with! Your body..."
"Dare to give me one health advice now, and I swear I'll leave the ship this instant!"

At once Sportacus' face lights up "And if I don't do this you're going to stay here and let me help you?"
Robbie winces again. His head is still spinning violently. But the obvious answer appears to be... "...I suppose...that's what it means, yeah..."
"Okay! Deal!" Sportacus is all excited and happy about these news and claps his hands "Okay, first of all, you need to tell me exactly where you hurt and how you feel and..."
"Sportaflop!" interrupts Robbie with a low groan "Could you please keep it down?! Because for starters, my head hurts incredibly and each loud voice feels like an explosion in my head!"
"Sorry!" Sportacus lowers his voice at once and calms himself although he wonders why Robbie himself is yelling then and now if it hurts himself. Then he watches the other while he recovers a little from both their yelling and loud talking. After a few seconds of silence, Robbie suddenly asks in a whisper "...Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? Why do you care so much about what is happening to me?..."
"I already told you..." Sportacus carefully rests his hand on Robbie's warm cheek and smiles gently "Loving is caring."

The strange feeling in Robbie's stomach becomes overwhelming and he cries out. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turns on his side and pulls his knees up to his chest in a surprisingly strong and fluid motion.

"Robbie!" Sportacus quickly does a flip over the bed to get to see the villain's painful frown on his face, rather than his back. He notices the way Robbie is holding his stomach and figures with great relief that it's not his appendix at least.

But what is it?

"Robbie... Robbie, look at me. Shush," he gently slides his right hand under the other's cheek and lifts his head a little while his other hand moves to rest next to Robbie's own and gently feel his stomach "It's all right. It's going to be okay. I promise..."

With a low whimper Robbie opens one eye to look at him, his voice a weak, barely audible rasp "...Why?..."
Sportacus gives another, soothing smile and gently caresses the cheek with his thumb. His answer is low as well, but clear "Because I care."