Title: The Gathering Storm
Author: Mahtalie
Fandom: Original
Bunny: #6 - Character getting sick and other character notices, #10 -"There was a sense of expectation in the air." and eventually #13 - dreaming, exhausted, stubborn, dark, "Don't need it." and #15 - tissues, light, sleepily, cozy, "Perhaps you do."
Rating: Let's say PG13 for language in a couple parts. Otherwise, it's pretty tame. 
Disclaimer: This is mine, all mine! *bwahahaha!* One of the only things I own free and clear, actually. If someone wants to post it somewhere (aside from the archive - do these end up there?), I'd really appreciate being asked first :)
Summary: Two friends spend the afternoon fighting a freak spring blizzard and a growing head cold.
A/N: *ahem* Before reading, I want to say that this is half-finished :( I have great plans for these two! I just wanted to do my part in saying a huge "THANK YOU!!" to TG for all the hard work she's put into this community over the years. You really are a driving member here and I hope you know just how much you mean to everyone. I hope this meager little offering shows my appreciation for all your hard work! And I promise, I'll finish this before *too* long. I swear!

There was a sense of expectation in the air, although most people were too busy enjoying the fresh powder to notice it. The sun shone blindingly bright against the backdrop of fresh snow but it was not warm; a chilling breeze was picking up out of the west and gathering clouds pushed at each other, growing darker as they moved slowly toward the lodge. 

Erika took of her sunglasses to see more clearly. The sunlight dazzled her for a moment and she squinted hard, but her brown eyes quickly adjusted to the harsh glare. Yes, there was no question - the clouds were definitely growing larger, and fast. Perched at the top of Douglas Butte, one of the tallest summits in the park's boundaries gave her a pretty good view of the approaching storm. The National Weather Service had forecasted a snowstorm for the area, but predictions were that the bulk of it would hit farther north south. 

"What do you think of those clouds?" she called casually over her shoulder. 

Justin stood leaning on his snow shovel, watching as the lift brought a fresh wave of skiers ever closer. He grinned and waved as the patrons unloaded and headed off down the mountain, then turned to look at his co-worker. He too took off his sunglasses and squinted hard, though he didn't answer right away. Erika turned to look at him, her question on her lips, but the reason for his delay was made apparent when he lurched forward with two strong sneezes. "Heh-SSHH! HehTCHOO!"

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Bless you."

He ran a gloved hand under his nose, looking a little sheepish. "It's the light, you know." He sniffed hard, trying to brush off her skeptical look. She didn't look away, instead giving him a knowing smile along with her raised brow. "What?" he asked defensively.

"Sounds like someone's got a sniffle to me," she said lightly. "Are you still going to tell me that you aren't getting sick?"

Justin brandished his shovel at her, grinning. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. Because it's true." He put the shovel down and joined her at the back of the control shack, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the lift wasn't bringing anyone up. He leaned his elbow on her shoulder.

"I'm not your armrest," she muttered, trying to shove him off even as a smile flitted across her face. "Just `cause you're so tall doesn't mean you can use us little people."

"Why not? You're the perfect height." He tugged her ponytail. "I wouldn't be surprised if that storm came farther north than they're saying," he said in response to her previous question. "Looks like we're in for some new powder. Great timing, that."

Erika nodded. "Closing weekend and watch, I bet we'll get two feet of snow and stay open another month."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Justin gave her ponytail another tug before returning to the front of the building. The lodge had opened not even half an hour before, but already the slopes were humming with excited laughter and calls as the patrons embarked on their downhill trek. Being the final days of the season, it was sure to get busy and stay that way the whole weekend. Justin ran a hand through his brown hair, letting it continue to his tired eyes, which he gave a vicious rub. He didn't want to admit it to Erika - he'd only just admitted it to himself that morning - but he hadn't been feeling exactly stellar since the previous morning. He'd woken up with a scratchy throat but otherwise felt fine and had gone to work. This morning had been a different story; he'd had to work to get himself out of bed. It was hard to tell himself that he wasn't sick when his throat ached and his head felt full of cotton, but there was no way he was going to miss the last weekend of the season because of a small head cold. A broken arm from trying a Crippler, maybe, but not because of a head cold.

"Hey, let's get out of the way, guys!" He hollered at two boarders who'd fallen getting off the lift and were in imminent danger of being run over by the group behind them. "Out of the way!" He coughed into his fist as he grabbed hold of the smaller boy and hauled him out of the way. "You alright?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he felt his throat tickle and threaten to erupt into more coughs. The boy nodded and Justin helped him to his feet. "Ok, next time be a little faster, ok buddy?" Have fun out there." He coughed again, trying to get rid of the remaining tickle in his throat. He grimaced at the sharp pain he felt there and glanced over his shoulder. Seeing Erika engaged in conversation with Chad, one of the medic Patrollers, he pulled a pack of cough drops out of his pocket and popped one into his mouth. He definitely didn't want her seeing that; it would only give her more reason to believe he was getting sick, which he wasn't ready to admit to her yet.

The radio in the control shack crackled to life. "Douglas base to Douglas summit, come in." 

Justin jogged to the station and picked up the receiver. "Douglas summit."

"Hey, this is Daniel." Justin grinned as his best friend's familiar voice came over the radio. "You guys get the report from NWS?"

Justin ran a hand under his nose, feeling a sneeze building but wanting to hold it off as long as possible. "Nope. What are they sayin'?"

"This storm coming in is supposed to be getting pretty big. They're advising winds up to thirty miles an hour and white-out conditions above 7000 feet."

Justin raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What's…. ah…. What's base saying about it?" He pinched his nose between two fingers; he'd come close to sneezing then. 

"They're going to wait and see what happens. NWS is still calling for the brunt of it to hit north of here, but they're telling us to keep a close eye on it." Daniel's voice crackled. "What time are you moving to Coyote? More importantly, is Erika going with you?"

Justin laughed. "Sorry man. We're both headed up there after lunch."

"Well, shit. Has she said anything about me?"

Justin snorted. "Right, dude. She only thinks you're the biggest jackass she's ever met." He looked up to see Erika waving him over. "Hey, I have to get going. Douglas summit, out." He pulled his hat on his head and jogged over to her. "What's up?"

"C'mere," she insisted. "Look at that." 

He looked where she pointed. In the few minutes since he had last looked at the sky, the clouds had gotten larger, darker and closer and the wind had picked up again. It wouldn't be long before the clouds obscured the sun. "It's coming up fast," she murmured. "What did base have to say?"

Justin cleared his throat. "NWS is calling for winds up to thirty and white-out conditions above 7000 feet, although they're thinking it shouldn't reach this far south. Base is just gonna wait and see what goes down."

Erika frowned, though she didn't voice her thoughts. "I guess that's all they can do." She shrugged. "Nice save with that kid, by the way." She grinned and gave him a light punch in the arm. "Don't you love being a hard-ass?"

Justin laughed. "Better me yelling at him than his parents for breaking a leg. And I'm not a..a hard… hehCHSHH!" The sneeze that had been threatening him the last few minutes finally burst forward, followed quickly by three more which he tried in vain to stifle. "HehCHHH! CHSSHHH! Heh-ISSHH!" He remained bent forward, eyes watering from the force, for a few seconds afterward before he straightened up to meet Erika's eyes. Instead of her `We both know you're getting sick' look he was met with one of sympathy.

"Bless you," she said gently. "Here." She pulled a pack of tissues from inside her jacket. "It's pretty bright out here. And I know, you`re not a hard-ass. You`re a stubborn one." She smiled before turning her attention back to the lift, now bringing a steady stream of thrill-seekers up the mountain.

Justin shook his head, a small smile flitting across his face before he turned away from the lift and rubbed his nose gratefully into one of the tissues. He blew forcefully, the task made a little more difficult by his bulky gloves, but he only stopped when his ears popped painfully. He tossed them into the trashcan inside the control room and grabbed the shovel to clear away loose snow from the unloading area.

***** 

Lunch, when it came three hours later, was a welcome relief to Justin. His sneezes, fairly infrequent and easy to control at the beginning of the morning, had grown in number and strength. He had given up trying to stifle them in front of Erika; they both knew he was sick so there was no use in pretending anymore. Repeated bouts of coughing, combined with needing to holler after people who had no clue that they were about to be run over, had left him with a hoarse voice and aching throat. On top of this, it had started to snow, light at first but quickly gathering strength. He gazed wearily out the window of the cafeteria, looking but not really seeing the large flakes of snow coming thickly out of the sky. He leaned his forehead in his hands, elbows resting heavily on the table, and allowed his eyes to slide shut.

"Hey, loser!" A hand slapped him hard across the back and he jumped, startled, at the loud voice next to his ear.

"What the hell, man?" he said irritably as Daniel slid into the chair opposite him, setting his tray down as he did so. 

"Look alive, buddy. There's a blizzard going on!" Justin grunted in response and pulled a napkin from the dispenser. He rubbed his nose against it roughly, determined to squash the tickling he felt building again. He had narrowly avoided causing a scene when he and Erika first entered the cafeteria; the temperature change going from outside to the crowded café had magnified the tingling in his nose and only a quick duck into the bathroom had saved him from eminent embarrassment as a sneezing fit took over him. He had emerged a few minutes later, nose considerably redder, and had flopped at the nearest empty table to wait for Erika. He ran the balled-up napkin under his nose a final time before putting his head back on the table with a sigh.

"What's the matter with you?" Daniel asked around a mouthful of sandwich. 

A snort behind Justin made him raise his head. "Oh, that's just so attractive, Dan," Erika said sarcastically, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Why don't you show the whole lodge what you're having for lunch?"

"Yeah, man, we're dying to know if you've got tomatoes or onions on that turkey on white," Justin added, pulling a chair out for Erika. 

She nodded her thanks as she put her tray down, eyeing the empty space in front of Justin. "Are you gonna get something?"

Justin shrugged his aching shoulders. "Eventually. When my feet thaw out and I can feel my fingers again." He sniffled lightly.

"Wuss," Daniel commented. "It's not that cold out there. And shoveling snow heats you up - I was about ready to strip down, but I thought the sight of my masculine physique might be too much for some of the ladies."

"Yeah, it's only about two degrees *before* the wind chill," Erika added, her tone slightly mocking. "Who *wouldn't* want to shovel snow even as it's being thrown right back in their face?"

"Hehp-CCHHH!" A loud sneeze from Justin interrupted their banter. "Bless - " Erika started, but he wasn't finished. "HehSHOO! HehTCHHH! HehASHHOO!" He paused long enough for a deep breath before "Heh-YISSHOO!" The final sneeze struck harder than the others and he remained bent forward, hands cupped around his nose and mouth, feeling infinitely worse after this latest round of sneezes. He sniffled hard and raised his eyes after a moment to see his companions staring at him in surprise.

"Uh… bless you?" Daniel offered. Erika pulled a couple napkins out and handed them to Justin, who took them with a quiet "thank you." "Are you alright, man?"

Justin nodded as he blew his nose, wincing at the touch of the paper to his nose. "Yeah, I'm great," he said, not convincing either of them as he slumped down lower in his chair. "Never better."

Daniel turned to Erika. "Is he sick?"

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "No, Daniel, he's the epitome of good health."

For once he was serious. "I can do without your constant sarcasm, darling. There is a little part of me that cares what happens to my best friend."

Erika was apologetic. "Sorry, Dan," she said, sincere. "Yes, he is sick, although he's spent the better part of the day denying it to me." Justin shot her a look. "What? You are, and you did." 

Justin grunted and attempted a smile. "So I'm the typical macho male who can't ever admit weakness. "

"Or when you're wrong."

He grinned then and sat up a little straighter. "Or when I'm wrong." He coughed lightly into his fist. "It happens so rarely anyway."

Erika nodded. "I'm sure." She nudged his foot. "You want me to get you something? You look pretty cozy in that plastic chair. I'd hate for you to move when you're obviously so comfortable."

Justin laughed, though his voice caught in his throat and he coughed again. "Soup?" he suggested hopefully. "Something hot, I don't care what." He reached into his jacket for his wallet but she stood and put a hand on his arm.

"It's on me. Any preference for liquids?"

He shook his head. "Something hot," he said again. "I'm easy to please." 

Erika grinned. "Ok. I'll be back." 

The boys watched as she made her way across the cafeteria. Justin put his head down again. It seemed to grow heavier by the minute. "So, loser," Daniel began, taking a swig of his juice before continuing. "When are you gonna ask her out?"

Justin sighed, turning to face his friend. "Why do you care so much?" He snatched another napkin from across the table and swiped it quickly under his nose.

Daniel matched his sigh with an exasperated one of his own, as if it were the most ridiculous question in the world. "Do you really want me to list all the reasons?"

"Not really," Justin muttered into his outstretched arm.

"Shut up. You're going to hear me out." Daniel held up his hand and ticked off the reasons as he went. "One, you're completely into her. Two, she's totally into you. Three, she's fuckin' hot-"

"Hey now," Justin broke in, a warning edge to his voice. "Don't talk about her like that."

" - Four, she's never going to ask you herself `cause she's shy and probably thinks it's the guys' job to do it." Daniel paused for effect. "Do you want me to continue? `Cause I could keep going." 

Justin shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "No, you can stop there… heh-TCHhh!" He smothered the sneeze into the crumpled napkin before adding it to his growing pile and pulling out a fresh one. "Those are compelling reasons, D-Man."

Daniel pushed his tray away from him. "Damn right they're compelling. And do you know why? Because they're true. Anybody with half a brain can see that." He tossed his head back and drained the last of his juice.

Justin grinned. "Yeah, I mean, you can see it so I guess that's saying something right there." He ducked as Daniel lobbed his empty juice bottle at him.

"I'm giving you until the end of the weekend to ask her out," he ordered. "If you haven't got a date with her by the time we shut this place down Sunday, I'm going to be forced to beat you down for your stupidity." He stood to retrieve his bottle and chucked it in the trashcan by the door.

"With sticks?" Justin asked.

"With sticks. Big ones. Now I mean it, man - you have to ask her out, `cause if you don't then I'll be forced to. You can't let a body like that go to waste-"

"Ok, alright!" Justin's head shot up, annoyed. "I'm gonna throw down if you make another crack like that. Beat you with sticks." He put his head into his head and groaned. "God, I feel like shit." He drew a deep, shuddering breath, feeling the tingling in his nose escalate but not quite enough for a sneeze. Frustrated, he scrubbed at his nose viciously. "This really sucks."

Daniel grinned. "Hey, maybe for your first date you could play doctor. I'm sure she'd love to take care of the sick little patient. Why don't you ask her?" Justin grunted in response. "Ask her out, stupid!"

"I said ok!" Justin said irritably. "I'll do it, just leave me alone about it!" He coughed lightly, hoping to avoid a larger fit. His chest felt oddly tight, as though the coughs were building up inside his lungs and just waiting for the right moment to burst forward.

"What are you going to do?" Erika asked, coming up beside them. A food tray was balanced in one hand and a steaming cup of something was in her other. "What'd I miss?"

Justin could feel a blush creeping up his face. "Uhhh….." 

"He thinks he's going to beat me in the pond skim tomorrow," Daniel said casually. "He wants to take on the champion here."

Erika raised an eyebrow, something she did often and was very good at, Justin noticed. "Uh-huh. The pond skim. In a blizzard," she added. She laughed. "Well, you two would be the ones to try it. I can't say I'd be surprised." She set the tray, loaded with a bowl of soup, a turkey sandwich, a carton of orange juice and an apple, down on the table, followed by the steaming cup of tea. Justin raised his head slightly, gapping at it.

"You really expect me to eat all that?" he asked incredulously. "I'm sick, not starving." And not the least bit hungry, although he figured it would be better not to mention that. 

Erika shrugged, embarrassed. "Well, I wasn't sure what you'd feel like eating. And anyway, I'm sure Dan will eat what you won't."

Daniel punched his arm. "Yeah, man. Don't be so freakin' ungrateful." 

Justin gave Erika his best puppy-dog look. " I'm sorry. I'm eternally grateful and no words can describe my appreciation of this enormously generous act of kindness." He sniffled, which only made his innocent look more endearing. "Can you forgive me for my callousness?"

She laughed and sat down again. "Of course I forgive you. Now eat." Justin saluted her and grabbed the spoon from the bowl.

Daniel toyed with the apple, spinning it by its stem. "So, are you in or not?" 

Justin looked up at him blankly, spoon halfway to his mouth. "In?"

"The pong skim! Are you in or not?" He took a bite out of the apple. Justin didn't bother to object. "C'mon, you have to do it. You've been out the last two years."

Justin winced slightly as the steaming soup burned his mouth. He felt considerably better after the first bite, though, and took another before answering. "Jeez, man. You want me to get pneumonia and die?" He coughed to make his point.

Erika sipped her coffee. "This is assuming, of course, that there is a pond skim. The water will probably freeze solid tonight." The pond skim was an annual event held the last day of the season. The park built a large tank out of snow, four and a half feet deep and about fifteen feet long and filled with water and snow. Participants paid $2 to enter and ride their snowboards off a ramp on the south face of Douglas, over the frigid water, wearing typically nothing more than swim trunks and a t-shirt. Prizes were awarded for the biggest splash, distance, style and costume. It was a huge draw; some people came up just to watch.

Daniel looked out the window at the swirling snow. It was piling up fast. "Oh, I'm sure this will blow over before too long." He waved his hand dismissively. "A few inches of powder and this will blow itself out." 

The trio was silent for a moment, just watching the heavy flakes fall swiftly. The sky had grown dark; if it kept up then they'd have to turn on the night-run floodlights. The chairs on Marmot lift, the only one they could see from their corner in the cafeteria, were swaying slightly in the wind. They watched as the crew at the base continuously shoveled snow away from the loading area, heaving the snow into growing piles to either side of the lift. The crowd had thinned considerably; only the die-hards who refused to let the final weekend of the season go without a fight were still boarding the lifts. Daniel finally broke the silence, grunting in irritation as he stood from the table.

"That's what we've got waiting for us on Coyote," he said. "Yeah… just a few inches of powder." He grabbed his gloves, hat and goggles and began preparing to brave the storm again. 

"Only about five times worse for us `cause of the elevation," Erika added. Daniel would be stationed at the base of the lift with another crewmember, while Justin and Erika would take charge of the summit. It was usually the prime location to be stationed, having the best view and most challenging slopes of the three lifts, but in a heavy snowstorm no one envied those unlucky enough to be monitoring the summit. There were no lights on any of the runs yet, so the trip down could be dangerous if the weather turned to nasty. 

"Hep-Chhh!" The sneeze from Justin made his friends turn around again. "Ugh… sorry," he muttered. He sniffled wetly and rubbed his nose against his sleeve. Daniel offered him a smile and Erika added a quiet "bless you." He nodded, even as his eyes slid shut in preparation of another sneeze, and he buried his nose into a fresh napkin. "Heh…heh-Ashoo! HehChhh! TCHhhh! Hah… hah-ISHOO!" He wiped the damp paper against his ever-reddening nose and cringed.

Daniel put a hand on his best friend's shoulder, his ever-present grin replaced now with a furrowed look of concern. "Hey man, are you sure you're cool to go back out there? I'm sure you'd be able to go home, we can manage without you here."

Justin shook his head. "Mika and Jake both called in sick today and Ryan's out with a busted knee, remember? With the storm I don't think we could get anyone else in here." He coughed, the pressure in his chest back again but he quelled the fit with a gulp of his cooled tea.

Daniel didn't look convinced, but he didn't want to push the issue. He was a big boy and could certainly take care of himself. In any case, he had Erika looking out for him, which was a definite plus. She'd make sure he didn't work himself into the hospital. He caught her eye above Justin's head and she nodded, reading his silent request for her to keep an eye on him and his thanks for her doing so. He nodded back, then grinned. "I'll see you two up there." He clapped Justin on the back again, though without his usual enthusiasm. "Take it easy, loser." 

With that he was headed for the door. They watched as he pushed against the door, shoving his shoulder into it to force it open. A glacial blast of air swept through the cafeteria before the door slammed shut again and he was gone. 

Erika shivered. "It's going to be nasty on the summit." She made a face. "We need a café up there, like they've got at Bachelor. There's a whole restaurant on the summit." She stacked Daniel's forgotten tray on top of hers. "You finished?" 

Justin nodded, piling his trash on top of the tray. He'd managed to finish the soup and most of the sandwich but left the orange juice untouched; it was too cold for that even though his greater sense argued that the vitamin C would be good for him. "Thanks," he croaked, voice barely audible. He cleared his throat. "Thanks, Erika," he tried again. "You were right, I was hungry once I got started." He held his hand out to her and she clasped it, smiling brightly.

"You're welcome." She squeezed his hand lightly. "I'm sorry you feel so rotten. It just has to figure that you couldn't have an easy, sunny closing weekend."

He shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips. "Doesn't matter. It's all good since you're here." 

She looked down, blushing. "I'll be right back." She smiled, gave his hand another squeeze and went to dump the trays. 

Justin sighed as he watched her walk away. She was right, it would just have to figure that he'd get sick on closing weekend, with a blizzard raging just outside to boot. But he'd meant it when he said it wasn't so bad spending it with her; he'd felt strongly about her almost since the first time they'd met, at a training session the previous November before the park had opened. She'd been shy at first, but they had quickly established a close friendship and her shyness faded fast. Justin had been smitten from the start, and she was attracted to him as well, but there was one problem: she had a boyfriend. Though he lived 200 miles away and went to college, and there would be no way he'd ever find out if they did start seeing each other, she wasn't that kind of girl. Justin had no desire to be the reason behind her breakup, either, so they'd continued being "just friends". They had finally broken up last February, but Justin was still unsure about his next move. He didn't want to jeopardize the friendship they had, but day by day it was getting harder to remain "just friends."

He let his gaze drift to the window again, watching the snow pile up against the window. It was strangely hypnotic, following the dancing of the flakes, and he let his tired mind drift along with them. He could feel his eyes growing heavier as he sat. He slumped down lower in his chair and rested his head on the back of the chair. It wasn't particularly comfortable, and wouldn't normally allow for sleep, but sitting there in the warm cafeteria, full of lunch and lulled by the pleasant dancing of the snow, Justin drifted off to sleep.

When Erika returned a few minutes later, she found him slouched low, long legs stretched out in front of him, head leaned back and mouth slightly open to allow him to breath. As she drew nearer she could hear him snoring lightly. She shook her head, smiling. Kneeling down beside his chair, she gave his knee a gentle nudge. He didn't stir. "Justin?" she asked softly, and nudged him a little harder. 

"Huh?" He jumped, startled, looking for the reason he'd woken up before his hazel eyes focused on Erika. "What?" he croaked sleepily. He sat up a little straighter in the chair and ran a hand over his face with a tired sigh. "How long was I asleep?"

Erika shrugged. "Maybe five minutes. I wasn't gone very long." She pushed a couple small packets into his hand. "I scored those from Chad. Make you feel better."

Justin squinted at the tiny package. "Erika, you're my hero." He tore open the first packet and swallowed the aspirin with a swig of lukewarm tea. He made a face. "Without a question, that stuff sucks once it's cold." He rubbed his eyes again. "What's this other one?"

"That's Dayquil," she answered. "Clear your head, at least, and it won't knock you out." She grinned. "I know how much you're looking forward to getting back outside."

Justin mirrored her smile, although not quite as enthusiastically. "Awesome. You're my personal savior." He swallowed the gel tabs with the last of his tea. "Mmmmm….. I feel one-hundred percent better already." He paused and held up a hand, drawing in an unsteady breath. "Heh-YISSHOO!" He snapped forward suddenly, the force of the sneeze surprising even him. "Hehp-TCCHHH!….ugh…." he sniffled, although is didn't have the desired effect as he could no longer really draw breath through his nose. 

"Bless you," Erika offered. "One-hundred percent?"

A sheepish smile crossed his face and he leaned forward to grab yet another napkin. "Well, maybe only fifteen. I guess I need to give the drugs a chance to work." He blew his nose, swiped under it one more time, then tossed it into the trash along with the rest of the used ones. "Shall we go?"

Erika straightened as he stood from the chair. "You lead, I'll follow." They donned the required gloves, hats, goggles and jackets. Erika wrapped an arm around his shoulders with a reassuring squeeze before leaving the bright warmth of the cafeteria to brave the frigid elements.