A/N: I've been wanting to write this forever, and finally I can across another prompt off my list. It feels so good. :) I know it's probably not accurate to real life, but just pretend like it is, k? Enjoy and review! :)

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I don't want you alone if you're not feeling well." Sara's voice was barely a whisper in Tegan's ear and in the darkness of the night outside the Chicago arena they had earlier performed an opening set for The Killers in, Sara's hand rubbing soothingly on the small of Tegan's back, over her thick winter coat.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just going to rest anyway," came Tegan's scratchy, nasally reply. Ever since they arrived back in the freezing temperatures, she felt her health slowly declining and new it was only a matter of hours until it hit her straight on. She stepped away from Sara's touch and gestured with a tip of her head to the group of men, chatting away the minutes until a plan was formed. "Go celebrate with the boys and have fun."

Sara bit her lip, reluctant to let Tegan take a cab to their hotel room alone in the rather unfamiliar city, but she also knew how much Tegan disliked it when she disobeyed her. There had been numerous nights and mornings that Sara found herself feeling two inches tall from Tegan's harsh words piercing into her because she didn't listen to Tegan's vocalized wants, and instead did what she felt Tegan wanted, or should have wanted, but she knew better than to steer the course of tonights events in that direction.

"Okay, just call me if you need anything." Sara gave in with a sigh. She brushed her fingers softly against Tegan's knuckles in a warm farewell. It wasn't the twins preferred method of saying goodbye but it got the message across during moments like these, where their relationship had to remain a secret.

After parting in separate cabs, Sara found herself in a low lit club, surrounded by scantily clad women, dancing on every surface available. Normally she would let her eyes wander when she found herself in one of these joints, but tonight, she couldn't stop thinking about her sister, alone and sick, while she was with company and sipping from her usual Scotch on the rocks. It wasn't right for her to be having fun while Tegan was miserable but she suppressed the urges to go to her and swallowed another burning sip of the strong alcohol.

Not once did Sara's eyes unglue themselves to her cellphone as she waited for the buzzing and Tegan's name and picture, taken after their most recent birthday party where Tegan was beyond plastered and wouldn't stop making kissy faces at a fussy Sara trying to snap a somewhat normal photo, to pop on her screen. Her head hung low and her chin was propped in her elbow and the conversation around her was only background noise to her, and her distracted mind didn't go unnoticed by the band member, whom she considered like a brother, as it did with the rest of the party.

"Why don't you just go to her?" Ted knocked his knee against Sara's, nursing his own drink in the spot next to her in the crowded, private booth. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, waiting for Sara to reply. Neither of the girls had ever let him in on their secret but there was an understanding between them that their bond was something more than sisterly. Sara simply shook her head, not bothering to glance Ted's way, and flagged down a waiter, ordering another drink. She figured she might as well enjoy her time where she was if she had no other choice but to be there.

Halfway through her third drink, her call finally came from a sniffling Tegan. She rushed her to feet, instantly regretting the hurried action from the way she rocked on her unbalanced feet. She was no doubt buzzed, and the alcohol coursing through her was warm, but the weakened state of her twin sobered her up enough to hail a cab back to the hotel without so much as a wave to her friends and coworkers. She knew Ted would know where she had gone, and that no one would worry.

In the elevator, Sara impatiently pushed her floor number, over and over, muttering incomprehensible threats at it until the door finally closed, taking her up. Racing down the hall, she swiped her keycard in the door slot and entered the dark, quiet room. A light crept through the crack between the bathroom door and carpet, and she let herself in after a quick knock.

"Sara," Tegan croaked, curled up in the bath tub with Sara's too large, heavy Native print coat covering her colorless, fatigued body.

"Shit, Tegan." Sara dashed to the tub's edge and dropped to her knees. With the back of her hand against Tegan's forehead, sticky with sweat, she felt her heart rate increase and the panic set in by the rising heat she felt. "You're burning up. I'm calling a hospital."

"No, don't." Tegan whimpered, sitting up. The little movement left her winded, forcing her to hang her head between her knees to take in deep swallows of the oxygen she desperately needed. Sara removed the jacket from Tegan's shoulders and found the she was stripped of her clothes, save for her sporty bra and boyshorts. Goosebumps erupted across Tegan's body immediately and she was taken over with uncontrollable shivering. Her teeth chattered as she begged: "S-Sara. . . give that. . . b-ba–"

Her words were cut off by the bile rising in her throat and she flung herself over the side of the tub to hug the toilet, like it were a dear friend she hadn't seen in years, as she retched into the porcelain bowl. Her whole body lurched forward with each upheave, and Sara tried helplessly to rub the tremors out, massaging her back and brushing her long out-of-control bangs every time they would fall back in place until Tegan's stomach was empty and she collapsed back into the tub, still feeling like Death but significantly better than she had five minutes ago.

Sara tried to keep her composure, and resisted the urge to call an ambulance and her mother to let her know she was positive Tegan was going to die right there in a random hotel bathroom. Tegan got sick often, an unfortunate side effect to being born prematurely, but the only time Sara could recall it being this bad was the time they traveled to India. Sara reminded herself that if either of them could survive that, Tegan would be fine. It did little to calm her and Sara took a deep breath, and with a small wad of toilet paper, she wiped the corners of her sister's mouth and helped her to her feet while wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her limp body from slinking back to the ground.

"Let's get you into a bed." Sara stepped over her coat, heading towards the doorway but Tegan held her back to bend over and scoop the thick material into her arms and hugging it to her chest, she let Sara carry the majority of her weight without fuss.

"Have you been like this all night?" Sara asked, drawing the bed and helping Tegan onto the fluffy sheets. Tegan shook her head and curled herself back into Sara's coat before Sara could tuck her under the sheets. Sara took a seat on the bed with her legs crossed and ran her fingers through Tegan's curly locks, looking at her curiously.

"Your scent makes me feel better." Tegan said like it was obvious. She snuggled her face into the fur collar where she could faintly smell the aroma of Sara's fresh shampoo from her short hair resting on it earlier while they went through long hours of being interviewed and photographed. Her stomach settled and the sweat forming on her body stopped. It never ceased to amaze her how Sara could make her feel so much better without even touching her or saying anything. Sometimes even her presence wasn't needed, all Tegan had to do was think of something she loved about Sara and it was like magic how her mood would lighten. Tegan let her eyes close to the thought of that and her breathing steadied into a slow even rhythm.

Sara smiled to herself, admiring how peaceful and young Tegan looked and spread herself out, lying parallel to her twin, like she were looking into a mirror. She placed an unexpected kiss to Tegan's forehead, and Tegan's eyes fluttered open, her hooded pupils staring into an identical set, and she smiled weakly. Even now, after years of expressing the real love they shared for one another, it was rare that Sara would openly be affectionate, unprovoked and for a moment, Tegan thought being sick wasn't so bad if it brought the side of Sara she craved most out from the shadows.

Sara knew what Tegan was thinking and she let her walls down, trailing her finger down Tegan's high, delicate cheek bone, and Tegan took the opportunity to turn her cheek to kiss Sara's fingertip. It sent a shiver up her spine like it did each time her lips touched any part of Sara. It made her feel like a teenager again, experiencing her first love and all of the wild emotions that came with it. She hummed, content, and was thankful it was her twin lying next to her and not her long term girlfriend, Lindsey, who was stuck in L.A. on a shooting assignment.

"Do you need anything? Something to drink? Eat? A massage? It can come with a happy ending if you'd like." Sara joked with a sly smirk, bringing about a gummy smile from Tegan, and an exhausted, playful roll of the eyes.

"I already have my happy ending." Tegan sighed, poking her hand out from her blanket of warmth and searched for Sara, intertwining their fingers when they found each other.

Sara squeezed Tegan's hand, and although she already knew what Tegan was talking about, she indulged anyway and asked, just because she enjoyed the way it made her heart skip a beat. "You do?"

"Yep." Tegan mumbled, bringing Sara's hand to her lips. She pressed her lips to the inside of Sara's wrist, where a circle of black ink was embedded. "It's you."