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Oliver 20 They/Them. I finally caved and made a kink blog

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Another Beach Vacation

another beach vacation

inspired by those bizarre moments when it’s sweltering out and somehow you’re freezing with a fever (most definitely not inspired by my low-grade fever last week lol)

It was just another hot day at the beach during their vacation at the oceanside cottage, but B can tell something’s off. They’re all swimming, B a bit further out from A and C, but B notices that A’s out of the water more than they’re in, and they barely get in past ankle-deep water. After a few minutes and some wild gesturing from C, they get in deeper, and B goes back to swimming alongside the current.

But when B checks again, A’s left the water entirely, sitting directly in the sun even though they burn easily. When B gets out to investigate, they see A’s covered in goosebumps and visibly shivering, arms wrapped around their knees.

“A, what are you doing? You’re gonna get burned.”

A shrugs. “I’m cold. Like, in my bones. I don’t know what’s wrong.” A gentle breeze wafts through the air, sending a shudder rippling through them, and they hug their knees tighter to their chest. “I thought the sun would help me warm up.”

B wraps a towel around them and curls behind A, hugging them close. Contrary to A’s belief, they feel like a banked coal against B’s body, yet B can feel the small shivers that ripple through them as they rub A’s blanketed arms. “You’re probably just a little chilled from the water.”

“Maybe.” A’s voice is small, shaky, quiet. Not at all like themselves.

Eventually, A pulls on the dry t-shirt B offers and lays down under the beach umbrella, curling up in a ball with arms wrapped around themselves, while B pulls out a battered old paperback. Every so often, B can hear A’s teeth chatter, and eventually they drape one of the dry towels over them, even though it’s sweltering out.

C darts up dripping wet, starting to say something to B, but stops short when they see A laying down. “What’s wrong with A?”

“Not feeling well.” B glances down from their book to see A, still curled under the towel. “They got chilled and needed to warm up for a bit.”

C stops short, glancing down at A, then to B, face guilty. “I….may be the cause of that.”

B gives A a confused look. “What?”

“They…didn’t really want to swim, said they didn’t feel up to it. I nagged them, told them they were boring and never wanted to have fun, and then they finally got in.“ C shrugs, swiping their foot in the sand. “They shook so bad the whole time they were in the water. I thought they were faking to be dramatic.” C looks sheepish. “It’s just….it’s so hot out, and the water wasn’t that cold…”

C’s not wrong—the air temperature must be over 90 degrees, and there’s barely a cloud in the sky. But A’s visibly shivering, face pale in the shade of the umbrella, hands clutching the towel tightly around their shoulders like they can’t get the extra layer close enough.

“A, you feeling any better?”

A just moans, pulling the towel up to their chin. B reaches out a hand, and the mystery is solved the second their palm touches A’s feverish forehead. They’re even warmer now in the shade than when B felt them earlier.

Poor thing. “A, we’re gonna go back up to the house now and get you dried off and in bed. You’ve got a fever.” A moans again, softer this time.

C’s face falls at B’s announcement. “I guess I’ll…stay here a bit longer then. Meet you at home.”

B nods, hoists A up in their arms in a bridal carry, towel and all, and begins the trek up the winding path back to the coastal beach house.

Arriving home, B carries A up to the bathroom and persuades A to allow a quick shower to wash off all the sand and salty seawater. A shivers the entire time, knees tucked to their chest and arms folded to their body, head bobbing as they fight to stay awake, hands feebly rubbing at the goosebumps that skitter across their arms.

Eventually the two minutes of misery are over and B wraps a thick bath towel around A’s waist, and another around their shoulders. The rest of the home is frigid from the air-conditioning, and A hunches over to try and preserve warmth as they half-shuffle, half lean on B to their room. B helps them dress in a dry t-shirt and shorts and eases them under the light summer covers, and A pulls the top quilt tightly around their body.

“I’m going to run to the corner store and see if they have some medicine. Stay in bed, okay?”

B takes the single moan from the lump of blankets as a yes.

A half hour later, B returns with a plastic grocery bag full of medicines, expecting to find A still curled up in bed. But instead, A’s on their hands and knees by their suitcase, frantically rummaging through their clothes.

“A, what are you doing out of bed?”

“I need s-s-something, anything warmer.” A’s teeth are audibly chattering, and they’re clutching their arms close to their body as they shake with chills. “I tried to sleep, I tried, but the c-covers are so thin, and I couldn’t stop shivering, and I couldn’t figure out how to turn the AC down…” A’s lower lip quivers as they stare mournfully at their suitcase. “I didn’t bring anything warm. Not even a pair of socks. I’m so cold…”

B’s heart squeezes at the admission. “C’mon. Let’s get you back under the covers and I’ll see if I can find some of my stuff you can wear.”

After getting A back in bed, B goes to their room and begins tearing clothes from their suitcase, but it’s useless—the weather forecast had been for sweltering temperatures all week, so they just some lightweight T-shirts, shorts, an outfit for when they went to town for dinner….

“What’s wrong?” C must’ve gotten back after B, and they’ve now changed into regular clothes, hair still damp, with a half-eaten popsicle in one hand.

“A’s got bad chills and can’t sleep. And of course, none of us brought warm clothes because it’s so hot here.” A tosses another pair of shorts to the side. “We used up all the towels, too, so we can’t even have that as an option until I do some laundry—“

“I’ve got some sweatpants they can borrow.” C shrugs. “And an old sweatshirt, I think.”

“You? In the summer?”

C shrugs. “What? I hate the thought of being cold.” Their eyes flick to the carpet. “And it’s sort of my fault anyways. I shouldn’t have made them swim when they weren’t feeling good.”

“Hey. You didn’t know.” B gives C’s shoulder a squeeze, even though C doesn’t look absolved.

Within a minute, C makes it back to A’s bedroom with the extra layers, plus some extra blankets they found from the linen closet. B helps A dress, then wraps an extra blanket around their shoulders before tucking them back under the covers.

“Better?” B asks, rubbing A’s back through the blankets.

“Uh huh,” A says with a sigh, burrowing deeper into the blankets. “I thought I was gonna freeze.”

C’s at the end of A’s bed, scuffing their toe into the carpet, when they finally speak. “A, I….I didn’t mean what I said back at the beach. Heck, I shouldn’t have said it, even if you were feeling well. You’re not boring, I promise. I was just being stupid, and I’m sorry.”

“C, you were forgiven the minute you gave me these clothes,” A says, voice muffled from beneath the blankets. “But if you’re not feeling forgiven enough, making me a cup of hot tea will absolve you fully.”

“On it.” C darts away to the kitchen, and after giving A three different types of medicine, B settles in with their book on the bed next to A.

“Sorry I’m ruining the vacation,” A mumbles, quieter. “I’d much rather be out in the sun and swimming than in here trying to stay warm.”

“Nonsense. You’re just giving us a little break from the sun.” B smiles, giving A’s shoulder a little squeeze before tucking their blankets just a little bit tighter.

Another Beach Vacation

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