For some reason, Blake had agreed when Atticus asked if he could come check on him. And now, Blake had to deal with his crush seeing him when he looked like shit. It was just a cold from exposure, but the chills had kept Blake awake all night, and as a result he’d gotten barely any sleep.

His eye-bags would go down in history.

Atticus smiled sympathetically, joining Blake in his room and trying not to freak out about the fact that he was in Blake’s room. The other boy was in about the same position as Atticus, smiling tightly but having an internal battle as his heart sung at being in Atticus’s presence, whilst his conscience berated him for putting Atticus at risk of catching his cold.

Deciding to listen to his head over his heart, Blake got back under the covers, pulling them tight around him. “I’m really sorry for making you come visit me, I’m not much fun like this, and I don’t want to give you my cold…maybe it’s better if you just-“

“Don’t send me home!” Atticus blurted out, before covering his mouth with his hands, looking very apologetic. “S-sorry for interrupting you…it’s just, I came to see how you were doing, and help you if I can, so you don’t have to worry about being entertaining.” He bit his lip in a way which made Blake’s heart squeeze and flutters erupt in his stomach.

“And, I have a, uh, really strong immune system? I like never get sick, even when I’m around sick people. I’ll be ok,” he said, offering Blake a shy smile.

And how could he ever say no to Atticus? That smile, those freckles, his adorable little nose which scrunched up when he focused hard on something, those mesmerising eyes…his eyes.

“Um, ok. How about, you can stay, if you answer some questions. I’m really curious about some stuff…about us.” Atticus glanced up, locking eyes with Blake. “About…us?” Blake immediately realised what it’d sounded like he was implying.

“Oh! No, I meant- when we touched that first time, I got a really weird feeling, and then afterwards, it was like…warm and cosy.”

Atticus’s smile broke into a large grin. “Um yeah. I- I got that too. I’m glad I’m not the only one who enjoyed the warmth. It was really nice.”

He was blushing a little now, and the sight just drove him crazy. Blake wanted to grab Atticus and just smother his face in kisses- shut the fuck up, brain. Leave the poor guy alone, Blake scolded his own thoughts.

“Yeah? I thought it was really nice but uh…why did that happen, exactly? I’m pretty sure sparks don’t literally fly when I touch people normally. Or maybe they do, and everyone’s been lying to me this whole time.”

Atticus giggled brightly, and Jesus Christ was this guy sending his heart for a spin today. “No it’s- I can’t explain. It’s a good thing though…I think? I think it’s a good thing, but you might hate the prospect.”

Blake raised an eyebrow, placing one arm over his duvet as he got comfortable, lying on his side. Atticus glanced at the floor, chewing on his lip. Oh how he wanted to bite that lip also- Blake was beginning to feel really guilty about his own thoughts. He seriously needed to get them under control.

“If you think it’s a good thing, then I’ll probably agree,” he said with a chuckle. When Atticus met his eyes again, the intense gaze automatically sent a spark down Blake’s spine, and he shivered. “Are you cold?” He asked gently.

Blake nodded slightly, gesturing to the thick duvet over him and the blanket on top of it. “I was so cold last night I didn’t really sleep well, so now I’m extra cold,” he said, doing a sideways shrug.

Atticus seemed to think about something briefly, before pointing to Blake’s bed. “I mean…I don’t mind- I’m kind of a warm person. I could be a hot water bottle?” As soon as he got the words out, Atticus began blushing, and once Blake caught on, he felt his cheeks reddening also.

“You…don’t mind?”

Atticus shook his head adamantly, grinning as Blake motioned him over. “Do you want to be over or under the covers?” He asked, staring anywhere other than Atticus’s eyes. His gaze happened to land on Atticus’s freckles, which had a dusting of pink strewn across them, like flower petals across a lake.

“Under?” Atticus’s voice squeaked on the last syllable, causing his blush to deepen to a dark red. Blake grinned, ignoring all the things his thoughts were telling him about how totally adorable this guy was.

Pulling back the covers slightly, Blake was hit with a wall of cold air, immediately regretting moving his duvet. However, he’d have sat in a freezer for a week if it meant he could cuddle Atticus again.

He was certain the other boy would be able to hear his furiously beating heart as Atticus curled up next to him, sharing his body heat through wherever they touched. It was the same warmth from before - comforting and beautiful, like stories told around a campfire, wrapped in blankets with hot chocolate in hand.

Blake was sure that Atticus would get sick from being in this close proximity to him, but even his morals couldn’t keep him away from the boy. As they lay there, with Atticus curled against his much larger body, Blake slowly felt himself drifting off to sleep.