Chapter 1

This story is about two guys. No, they are not together. They are based on a couple of people I used to know – you’d think they were gay, but actually they’re not. Just a bit of light hearted banter for a change.

Night sniffled miserably. Surely there had to be a rule somewhere that said demons couldn’t catch colds. Surely.

He glanced in the mirror and groaned. His nose was bright red and his eyes were puffy, instead of being the beautiful features he was accustomed to seeing. He flung himself onto the couch with his eyes tight shut, an arm flung over his face as if to block out the world. His roommate entered at that moment, drying his long flame-coloured hair with a towel.

“What’s up, Night?” the other demon asked, walking past the couch into the kitchen. For being demons, the pair lived quite normally. They even attended school, although not under their real names. Being a demon could be a drag, sometimes.

Night groaned even louder, trying to invoke some sympathy. His roommate glanced at him and laughed. “Sick?”

Night pulled himself into a sitting position and glared. It would have been a good glare except that he looked pathetic. His roommate laughed again, not worried in the least – he’d experienced worse. Night fell backwards with a sigh. “Be nice, Rei,” was the disgruntled reply.

Rei smiled, striding around the front of the couch. He placed a cool hand on Night’s forehead, then shook his head.

“Yeah, you’ve got a fever. Does diddums want to stay home today?”

“That’s not funny.”

“Shall I fetch a blankie?”

“REI!”

“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” Rei pursed his lips in thought. “Tell you what; I’ll stay home too. Being sick all by yourself sucks.”

Night shook his head. “I can manage,” he said, a little grumpily. “I’m not a baby.”

Rei shrugged. “I didn’t say you were,” he said casually, walking to the telephone. “All the same, I’ll stay. Just in case you need anything.”

Night closed his eyes, listening to Rei’s soft voice telling the school secretary they wouldn’t be present today. The conversation seemed to only last a moment, but it was only when Rei shook his shoulder gently that he realised he’d fallen asleep.

“You are pretty sick, huh,” Rei commented softly. Night blinked at him, not fully understanding. Rei looked at him for a minute, thinking, then seemed to come a decision.

“What the -?!” Night exclaimed, clinging onto Rei for dear life. The other demon had picked him up like a bride and was now carrying him into his bedroom. “For pete’s sake, Rei…PUT ME DOWN!”

“I’m just trying to be your knight in shining armor,” Rei retorted, dumping his sick roommate on the bed unceremoniously. Night tumbled off the bed onto the floor, mussing his hair. He glared up at Rei through a curtain of darkness. The look could have cut steel.

Rei was impervious to the look, having been treated to it regularly. “Come off it, man,” he said, hunting through the drawers for something. Night grumbled to himself as he picked himself up off the floor, sniffling like mad. His nose was running faster than he could catch it, it seemed.

Finally he struggled into bed, punching his pillow a few times to make it comfy. Rei pulled something out of the bedside drawer with a flourish. “Ta-da!”

Night stared at the small tub of gel with despair. “Can I ask….what that’s for?” His voice trembled slightly.

“It’s vapour gel!”

“Which does…?”

“I rub it on your back and chest, and it helps you breathe easier.”

“No way in hell.”

“Doctor’s orders,” Rei said with a smirk. “Come on; roll over and pull your shirt up. You want to get better, don’t you?”

Night whimpered. “Not bad enough to let you slime me with that stuff,” he complained bitterly, but he had already rolled onto his stomach. “Get it over with, already.”

Rei grinned, unscrewing the cap. He scooped out some of the gel, smearing it onto Night’s back. Night gasped.

“That’s cold!”

“Be a man.”

“Damn you!”

“Too late.”

Night whimpered, burying his face into his pillow. Once the gel warmed up, though, he began to relax, because Rei was massaging it into his shoulders as well as his back.

Rei finished his back, then gestured for Night to turn over. “Time to do your chest.”

“I can do it myself, thanks.”

“No no, allow me.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Aw, come on….”

“No.” That last word was incredibly final, and Rei pouted, passing the gel to Night.

“Spoil sport.”

“Brat.”

Rei left the room, flicking his long red hair over his shoulder. He turned back to look at Night warningly. “You’d better put that stuff on,” he said firmly. “I’ll know if you don’t.”

Night stuck his tongue out at Rei’s retreating figure, then sighed. “I’d better get on with it,” he said mournfully to himself, opening the container.