Full Moon...

[princeinexile]

You know, the first thing-- with the dog and the fur and the confusion, that was bad.

But the full moon had left him on the floor of his bathroom, after puking for hours -- till there was nothing in his guts and his throat was raw -- shaking and sweating.

Three days. Three days and he dreamed of a girl with white hair and sad eyes and three days of this was going to kill him, he was certain.

Comments

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph lets herself in, for once without knocking first. If Zuko had actually admitted in a note that something was hard - well, she isn't going to waste time.

Ew. Vomit on the floor. It's possibly a measure of how much she l-l-l...likes him that it only gets a passing glance before she slips down to her knees beside him and reaches for a damp cloth.

"You look like shit, you know," she tells him, quietly, by way of a greeting.

[princeinexile]

He got most of the puke in the toilet.

Most, anyway.

But for now, he just sort of -- blinks his eyes and looks at her, ashen in color and his eyes bloodshot.

"...hey."

He's not moving, mmkay?

[alwaysroomforhope]

She's just gonna shift him a bit. Head can go in her lap, and she'll do the mopping-him-up thing; it's all very Florence Nightingale.

"Hi."

She kisses his forehead.

"...You smell, too."

[princeinexile]

"Tell me..." He has to stop, make a face. His mouth tastes like he's been licking sewer grates. Ew. "...Tell me something I don't know."

He has a better nose then you now, y' know.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"...nah, I haven't got anything else." She strokes his hair, softly. "Do you want me to get you into bed? If it's gonna be like this for three days, you know, maybe lying on the tiles isn't such a good idea."

She'll carry him! Superhero girlfriends: useful in a crisis.

[princeinexile]

"Easier to clean," Zuko mumbles, but does not protest. He -- doesn't need to be carried. HE can... crawl to his knees. And then consider his feet.

Okay... maybe help would be needed here.

[alwaysroomforhope]

...yeah, he's getting carried. She'll soothe his wounded dignity later. Once he's in bed. Steph picks him up bodily, in the best traditional heroic manner.

"I'll bring you a bucket. Don't worry."

BED NOW, pale shivering firebender prince. It's just wrong to see him like this. She's really worried.

[princeinexile]

Why must they always carry him? Tsh. Zuko gets into bed, and is soon burrowed into blankets.

"..water."

This is a need. He hates the taste in his mouth. It is disgusting. Why does this werewolf thing involve so much vomit, anyway?

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Sir." She salutes smartly and hauls ass off to the kitchen for water, returning with a jug and a couple of glasses. Be Prepared! 's a good motto. She pours him one and settles herself on the side of the bed.

"If you spill it all over the sheets, you'll have to get up again so we can change 'em. So don't."

[princeinexile]

"I can just dry it, you know."

Oh wait. He can't. His firebending has rolled over and played dead all week. BUT SHE CAN'T TELL THAT.

So he's careful and sips his water. And does not in fact immediately vomit. This is good. Sip sip sip. Then, pass it back, lay against the pillows, and look wan.

It's going to be a really long three days.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Or you could just dry it, yeah," Steph concedes, with a grin. "But why take the easy way out?"

Pause. She replaces the glass on the bedside table.

"So I ran into Ichigo down in the bar."

[princeinexile]

There is an eye open now.

It is followed by the other, the scarred one that perpetually glares.

Right now, those eyes match.

"...what about Ichigo?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph's lips twist. "I dunno. He doesn't make any sense. Said he didn't give a rat's ass what happened to me, and then the net day he was all 'come up to my room and I'll tell you why I'm such an idiot and can we be friends again'..."

He is more confusing than Zuko. Much less attractive with it, though.

[princeinexile]

"Tell him to drop dead and take his lies with him," Zuko mumbles as he rolls over, reaching out--he wants a hand to claim and hold on to because by GOD if she says she's going to be dumb enough to listen to someone caught at a huge lie...

He's going to smack her.

Hard.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." He gets a hand, closing tightly around his. She's more bothered by the Ichigo thing than she's letting on verbally, but the grip she's got might give him a clue. "Once was plenty."

Of course, she's not promising she won't talk to him. He's all sick and miserable. Poor kid.

[princeinexile]

Talk only if it preceeds face punching, says Zuko. Or he would if he were inclined to do anything other then hold her hand very tightly.

"Okay."

See? Nice and settled.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Face punching is so very not out of the question. 'Cept for that no-violence-inna-bar rule.

"He kept saying stuff about wanting to make it up to everyone. I dunno if that includes you or not, but... yeah."

He's not coming ANYWHERE NEAR Zuko while he's sick. Face punching will occur if necessary. But maybe she'll let them talk once Zuko's back to ass-kicking strength.

"Watch out for him, is all." 'Cos she can't be everywhere.

[princeinexile]

"He better watch out for me!" Zuko says.

...he means when he can do more then projectile vomit like Linda Blair, but.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"No violence in the Bar, firebrain." She squeezes his hand even tighter for a moment. "And you're not going outside it with him."

She likes Zuko's skin where it is.

[princeinexile]

Says her. Grumble mumble sulk.

[alwaysroomforhope]

He can grumble. If he likes.

... clearly the only solution is to keep him occupied inside. Like, in the bedroom.

Once, yeah, that projectile vomiting thing has stopped.

"Why is this happening?" she asks, in a not-so-subtle subject change - but she's confused! "Is it a werewolf thing? 'Cos you're not furry."

[princeinexile]

"I think so," Zuko says. "Arithon bound is up, but the moon is full -- I'm not changing it, but--"

Inside, it's throwing him all out of whack! "I think I'd prefer to be the wolf, at this rate." AT least he didn't roll in his own vomit as the wolf!

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I like you better this shape," Steph says firmly. "If you change again, you might not come back." And then she'd be emo for, like, ever.

She shoves him over a little so there's room to curl up beside him. "'s a bucket, by the bed." In case you need to vomit again.

[princeinexile]

He loves your ability to prepare for the eventuality, Steph. ... Or he would if he hadn't rolled over to hide his face in a pillow, exhausted.

THere is mumbling, incoherent and tired, and then nothing.

Then, sleep.