"Um, can I have blueberry one?" I asked eagerly as I peered down at the sugary goodness in the display case.

"You can have whatever you want, Princess." Trey chuckled at my side before giving our order to the cashier. I sneezed again and dabbed at my already raw nose. Those bright green eyes threw me a sideways glance. "You're not fooling anyone over there." The large man/boy all but grumbled as the little old bakery lady gave him our muffins.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I mumbled miserably into my tissue, and tried to ignore the sudden urge to cough. Truth of the matter was, I did not feel good. Like at all. I guess going swimming in the middle of November wasn't such a good idea—but the Dimajios and Rex were fine! So 'technically' I wasn't sick until they were!

Trey rolled his eyes and used his obnoxiously large body to usher me towards the back corner of the bakery. "You know he's going to lose his mind the minute he sees you like this."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I muttered again, because even though 'denial' was more than just a river in Egypt, I was sticking with that story. "I just have allergies."

Trey snorted as he sat down across from me and placed our muffins on the table. "Yeah, okay, you try convincing Rex that." I frowned down at the blueberry goodness patiently waiting for me to tear it apart, thought food hasn't really sounded appealing lately. It's only been two days since our lake adventure, and I kept feel decreasingly worse—a fact I was trying to keep from Rex at all costs.

"Anyways," Trey drawled on lazily. "It's Friday and we got all weekend before school starts again, have anything fun in mind?" I shrugged nonchalantly and tore at the thin paper wrapped around my untouched muffin. His was already gone.

"Whatever Rex wants to do is fine by me."

Trey let out a long, over exaggerated groan and leaned back heavily in the crummy plastic seat. I tried to hide a small cough and quickly sipped on the orange juice I grabbed when we first walked in.

"Well, that kills any hope of 'fun'." The large mountain grumbled before reaching for his phone, which had not stopped vibrating since he sat down.

I tore off a piece of the muffin and popped it into my mouth. The blueberry tase was muddled through my clogged sinuses and so unappealing I frowned. These allergies better go away real fast—I couldn't even enjoy sugar!

"Rex is fun." I defended weakly as Trey started tapping quickly away on his Iphone's keypad. Rex had to leave early that morning, for whatever reason, and asked Trey to take me out for breakfast. Which was nice, I liked spending time with the big mountain.

He grunted, and those bright green eyes flickered briefly towards my gaze before glancing down at the screen again. "Not anymore." But the words were spoken so low I wasn't sure if I heard them right.

"Huh?"

Trey glanced up quickly, his eyes wide like he hadn't meant to actually say anything. "Nothing, Princess. Don't worry about, I didn't mean to say anything. I'm sorry." His apology only made my frown deepen, which quickly disappeared as another sneeze racked through my body. Trey's smile was soft and genuine as he reached across the table to hand me a napkin. I took it with a soft 'thank you' and dabbed at my nose.

Rex wasn't fun anymore? I had a sick feeling Trey was implying I was the reason he wasn't, but the man/boy quickly changed the topic before I could dwell on it much longer. "God." He groaned as his phone continued to go off. "Do you have your phone on you? You're not answering and Rex is losing his freaking mind."

I tried to hide a small pout as I pushed the barely touched muffin officially away. Trey watched the action with a raised eyebrow but didn't say anything. "I left it at home by accident." I raked my hand through my hair bashfully and shot him an apologetic smile.

Trey sighed and shook his head before typing one more message then placing his phone on silent. "He'll be here in a few minutes. On second thought," He paused and let those bright eyes wash over my paler than usual face, raw stuffy nose, and red tipped ears curiously. "Maybe you should play up the sick thing."

I didn't bother correcting him about my 'allergies'. "Why? Is he okay?"

"Oh, he's just peachy." That green gaze rolled to the ceiling. "He's just in one of his moods, and if you're not feeling well he'll be too focused on that to be an ass."

I hated worrying him though, especially when I wasn't actually sick. "Why is he in a mood?" Which was a silly question, Rex was usually always in a 'mood'.

Trey sighed before sipping on his nearly untouched coffee. "Don't worry about it, Princess. He'll be fine the minute he walks through the door." That didn't answer my question, and all those 'don't worry about it' was starting to bug me. All I did was worry—worry was me. They knew this.

Trey was right though. Barely five minute later the small bakery shop's door opened with a chime and the large body of the guy that made my entire world flip upside down stepped through. A heavy weight lifted off my shoulders when those chestnut eyes locked on my gaze, and I resisted the urge to reach for him like a child as he walked towards us.

Rex slipped easily into the chair at my side and wrapped his strong arm around my shoulders. I tried not to make it obvious that I snuggled into his side. "Hey you." His low voice murmured into my ear, completely ignoring his best friend as he pulled me tightly against him.

"Hi." I gave him a watery smile before pulling quickly away to try and hide my sneeze. It didn't work. I gingerly took the outstretched napkin Trey held out to me, and tried to keep my itchy eyes away from Rex's view.

"You okay, Roza?" I didn't bother trying to ignore the worry in his voice, but I did pull slightly away from him. If I was sick, huge if, I didn't want him to get it too. It would only make me feel ten times worse.

"She has allergies." I could hear the sarcastic mock in Trey's tone, and he only grinned at the glare I sent him. He didn't need to make Rex worried. I was fine.

Those strong fingers of the hand that wasn't wrapped tightly around my shoulders gripped my chin and forced my blotchy face towards his. Those butterfly inducing eyes were dark as they searched my gaze, glaring holes into every little imperfection that was there. Maybe crawling out of my room today wasn't such a good idea. I didn't want him to see me like this, all gross and bleh.

His fingers left my chin to brush softly over my flushed cheek. "You're sick." It was a statement, not a question. I immediately shook my head in denial, but the damage was already done. His perfect jaw clenched and those chestnut eyes turned stony.

"It's just allergies—" I tried to argue, which Rex completely ignored.

"I fucking knew going swimming wasn't a good idea." His words were hard as he turned that dangerous gaze on the man/boy across from us. "It's the middle of November. Trey."

Trey rolled his eyes, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately. "You didn't object the other day. Actually, you seemed to be enjoying yourself quite a bit." Heat flamed my neck and crawled up my face at his words. I knew they had all seen Rex and I in the water, but I kind of hoped they would just let it die there. I guess not.

"If she has pneumonia, you're dead." The icy promise in Rex's voce wasn't hard to miss.

"It's not his fault, T'." I tugged gently on the maroon t-shirt that his unzipped jacket shown. Hard chestnut eyes flickered down to my gaze. "I was the one that wanted to go swimming."

A muscle in his jaw ticked as that gaze flickered slowly across my face. "He suggested the lake in the first place." Rex grumbled down at me, though I could see the fight slowly leaving his dark eyes. Silly boy, always trying to blame someone for every little thing. I smiled softly up at him, resisting the urge to wrap my arms tightly around his waist and never let go.

"I would have gone swimming somewhere else eventually. Probably the Cape... I like swimming." I turned away as a cough tumbled from my chest. Rex quickly held my juice out towards me which I took with a thankful smile—even if the taste was diluted and kind of gross at the moment.

"I know you do." He grumbled more to himself than me, but the hard ice in his eyes disappeared as he turned to Trey. "Thanks for getting her breakfast." And just like that, the little bubble of tension between them disappeared. Boys were weird.

"No problem, I enjoy spending time with Princess." Trey shot me a wink. Rex rolled his eyes. "Though she didn't even touch her muffin." Green and chestnut eyes turned on me then, and I slouched deep down in the crummy plastic chair.

"I'm not hungry." I mumbled to the table as Rex's arm wrapped tighter around my shoulders.

"You need to eat, especially if you're sick."

"It's only allergies..." I couldn't even finish the sentence before coughs racked through my chest, and not just one but a whole parade of them. I had my face buried into the crook of my elbow, not wanting to spread my 'allergies' to either of them, when Rex's arm slipped away from my shoulders and he stood quickly to his feet.

"Come on, Roza." Strong hands slipped under my arms and pulled me easily off the chair, still coughing and all.

"N-No, I want to stay." I mumbled once the coughing fit finally stopped, but Rex wasn't having it.

"You're sick. You need to rest."

"But it's only—"

"I swear to God, if you say 'allergies' one more time I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out." I snapped my mouth shut as his arm once again wrapped around my shoulders and steered us for the entrance. "I'm taking her home." He called over his shoulder to Trey who still sat in the same spot, shaking his big ole' head.

"I figured, get some rest Rosie." I gave him a little wave as Rex held the door open before guiding me easily towards his car.

I had a few coughing fits the entire ride home. Home, which I found out was Rex's apartment about ten minutes into the ride. I like that he called it that, liked it even more when he referred me with the 'home' thing. It felt like home, Rex felt like home. I only wanted to be wherever he was, and I didn't care where. He was my home.

My head was pounding by the time we pulled into his apartment's parking lot. The coughing barely stopped for a few minutes at a time, and the sneezing didn't help either. I was so tired all of a sudden, and all I wanted to do was lay down.

I didn't even notice Rex leave the car, or walk around my side and open the door until he was unbuckling the seatbelt from around me. "Come on, baby." His voice was soft and gentle as his strong arms slipped easily around my body and lifted me from the car. My head was pounding too hard to notice what he called me.

"N-No Rex." I mumbled against his shoulder as he held me like a child against him. "Don't want you...to see me... like this." A chuckle shook through his broad chest and I'm pretty sure I felt him place a kiss on the top of my head through the pounding in my skull.

"You couldn't be any cuter, my Roza. I promise." In any other situation I would have blushed and turned into a gooey mess at his words, but right then all I wanted to do was hold him tight, close my eyes and sleep. He let go long enough to lock his car, put his keys in his pocket then reached down to pick me up once again.

"I can walk." Though my arms tightening around his neck contradicted my mumbled words.

"Maybe I just want to carry you." Rex pressed another kiss on my hair and his arms tightened around me. I smiled despite the headache tearing through my skull. Man, this guy was strong. He didn't struggle once, not even up the stairs! I mean, I always knew he was crazy strong, and that fact kind of made my mind all gooey, but still. He carried me all the way into the apartment and straight through until I was being cocooned in his silky sheets.

"I can do that." I mumbled as Rex reached down to take off my Converse, but one look from those chestnut eyes had me frozen in place.

"Stop trying to do things." He scolded once my shoes were off and he reached up to slowly slip my jacket (his) from my shoulders. I frowned at the sudden rush of cold against my skin, which quickly disappeared when he pulled the covers all the way up to my chin. "Let me take care of you."

My heart was suddenly too heavy to function properly in my chest and I blinked slowly up at him. "If you... really want to..." I mumbled around another coughing fit before rolling on my side and clutching desperately at my throbbing head. I hadn't even realized Rex disappeared until he was gently easing me into a sitting position with a water bottle and two pills in his hand.

"Yeah, Roza. I really want to." He brushed my hair from my face, his dark eyes worried. "Here, its Ibuprofen." I quickly popped the medicine into my mouth and downed the water without a second thought. I went to put the water bottle down, but Rex scowled and urged me to drink more.

I sighed but let the water cool my aching throat. When I had drank a sufficient amount, he placed the bottle on the nightstand then helped me slip back down into the comfort of his bed. "You didn't eat anything today." It wasn't a question and I blinked at him innocently. That charming cuteness was gone as worry once again washed over his handsome face.

"You need to eat, and sleep—Fuck what do sick people eat? Where's my phone..." He started patting his pockets down almost frantically and a small smile pulled at my lips. He was so darn-gone cute. Had he never been sick before? Isn't he supposed to be some crazy genius?

"Soup, T'." Those wide panicked eyes shot to my face. "Luce always made soup when I got sick..." My voice trailed off as I felt my eyelids start to close.

"Right, soup. I fucking knew that." Rex hissed to himself as I rolled on my side and clutched the blankets tightly beneath my chin. "Get some sleep, okay?" His lips were suddenly pressing against my temple in a soft sweet kiss, not caring one bit about my allergies. "I'll get you soup."

He pulled away and walked for the bedroom door, his phone pressed to his ear as he called someone. I was drifting off quickly as the pain in my head slowly faded, even though the coughing wouldn't stop. Rex had nearly closed the door completely when I heard him snap, "How the fuck do I make soup?", at whoever was on the other line.

I smiled despite myself. The others might hate how grumpy he got, but that was just Rex. And I loved everything about him.

"No, you can't fucking see her." Rex's voice tore me from a dreamless sleep and my eyes blinked slowly open. My headache was gone, but my sinuses were still all stuffy and my throat hurt. Ugh I really hated allergies.

"Awe come on, Rex! You're really going to keep us from seeing our dying friend?!" I rolled my eyes, that would Denton. Loving, adorable, oh so very oblivious Denton.

"She's not dying, you fuck." I could just picture Rex shoving the athletic boy/toddler away from his closed bedroom door.

"You don't know that!" Denton's voice wailed so loudly I could hear it clear as day. "Her lungs could be drowning themselves in liquid and suffocating her as we speak! And you won't even let me say goodbye!"

"Shut the fuck up, idiot!" Rex's voice had deepened an octave and I had no doubt his eyes were radiating anger. "She's not fucking dying, she just has a cold! And you screaming your fucking head off isn't helping!"

"You're both shouting, actually." Trey's voice was much calmer, and sounded closest to the door, though he chuckled loudly.

"Good!" Denton's voice grew even louder. "Maybe the sound of my voice will bring her back from the brink of death—Ah!!"

"Rex don't!" Trey was the one shouting now, but I doubt it did any good especially when a very loud 'crash!' echoed through out the apartment.

"Brett help me!"

"No, you did this to yourself."

"She's not fucking dying!"

"You idiots are going to wake her up!"

My head started hurting again. Usually, I would have jumped out of the bed to stop them from hurting each other, but my mind was still foggy and I kind of just wanted to go back to sleep—pretend whatever was happening out there was just a dream. A moment of uneasy silence passed before the bedroom door creaked opened and Rex's beautiful head peeked through.

His eyes widened in surprised, and what I would have sworn was guilt. "You're awake." He opened the door enough to step into the room, then quickly closed it.

"Yeah..."

Rex reached up and scratched the back of his head innocently, like he wasn't just trying to kill Denton a minute ago. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little."

"Did we... wake you?"

Yes.

"No, I-I got hungry." Which wasn't a complete lie, my stomach was actually growling now, but I didn't want to worsen that guilty look pulling on his handsome face.

His chestnut eyes suddenly lit with excitement and he turned eagerly back towards the door. "Oh good! I bought a shit ton of soup. I'll bring you some." He disappeared back into the living room before I could say anything else, the door closing firmly behind him. He really didn't want them seeing me.

Rex was gone barely two minutes before the door was opening again and he walked in carrying an honest-to-goodness tray. "I wasn't sure which kind you would want so I bought a bunch." He placed the tray filled with five bowls of soup on the nightstand before leaning over to help ease me into a sitting position.

"T'... I can't eat all of that." I murmured softly so he wouldn't get mad, but his beaming dimpled smile suggested the complete opposite.

"I know, I'll take whichever ones you don't want back to the kitchen." I was at a loss for words, and not only because that smile always turned my insides to mush.

"I-Is there chicken-noodle?" I asked instead of dwelling on that smile and dropped my gaze to his strong chest as he sat on the bed beside me.