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Techie hated getting sick.
It was to little surprise, with how often he’d been in the hospital when he was younger, catching all manners of sickness, his weak immune system hardly a good defense. But he still despised even a small cold now that he was older and his immune system a little better.
Then again, colds always had a way of making his life a little sliver of hell.
He groaned as he shifted, reaching for the tissues on his bedside table, the effort nearly too much for him. He cursed his body for being so susceptible to illness, even when he made sure to scrub his hands as often as he could, using sanitizer when he couldn’t. But it was still no use. Every so often, something got through and had him like this, laying in bed, utterly miserable even on just the first day of his sickness. The cold had only been a slight tickle in his nose the day before.
There was a soft knock on the door before it opened, Armitage peeking his head around it, that normal look of concern on his face, as it usually was when he was sick. Old habits die hard, he supposed; Armie had one of taking care of him when they were children.
“Are you okay? Need anything?”
Techie smiled weakly at his brother as he finally managed to pull a tissue out of the box. “‘M fine, Armie.” He appreciated the concern, but really, there was only so much one could do for a cold. There were medicines to help ease the symptoms, which he took diligently, but nothing could cure it. So here he was instead, lying in bed, willing himself to get better.
“Okay. Well, let me know if anything changes. I’m working from home today, so just yell for me or text me.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” They had this conversation every time: Armie taking off work for him, promising he could just work from home, even though Techie knew that there was only so much he could truly do no matter what he said, only to always end up fretting over Techie instead. But it never ceased to make him feel a little bad, even with his brother waving the worries away, always assuring him it was fine.
Armie just smiled that smile, the one he gave every time. “It’s no problem.”
After he left, Techie sighed, curling into himself under the covers, miserable and snuffling, even after blowing into the tissue he had grabbed. He really wished he wasn’t so affected by the common cold.
The next few hours were spent dozing on and off, playing simple games on his phone during those times he was awake, blinking blearily at the screen as he did so, eyes only just focusing on it.
It was during one of the times that he was barely asleep that it started to vibrate, going off in the pattern that signified a call coming through. That didn’t make sense. Armie wouldn’t call and...and…
He sat up quickly, perhaps too quickly as his head swam, fumbling for his phone, swiping up to answer it.
“Hey,” he said into it, voice perhaps too scratchy, though he tried to sound okay, like he wasn’t sick. He wasn’t sure how well he succeeded.
“Hey. I was just. Calling. Uhm. Are you...are we still going out tonight?”
Techie cursed himself. He knew it as soon as he’d seen Matt’s name on his phone, surrounded by heart emojis. In his misery, he’d rather forgotten that he was supposed to have a date tonight. (An actual date! He was still reeling a little bit from it even though they had gone on a couple by now.) One that he would now have to cancel, as he obviously was much too ill to even think about getting out of bed.
“Oh God, Matt, I’m sorry. I-I’m sick and I just...it’s just not possible. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. I’ve been dozing off and totally forgot. Uhm. If it’s no trouble can...can we maybe reschedule?”
A pause. Too long for Techie’s comfort, though maybe that was just because his sense of time was distorted due to the cold. That had to be it. It wasn’t that it was an actually long pause that had his insecurities prod at him. Right?
“That’s totally fine! Are you okay? I can come over if you want. Or pick up something from the store? Or is it like a serious sickness I--”
“Matt, I’m fine.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I just. It’s a cold. But they always hit me pretty badly. I’m fine though, I promise.”
“Okay. If you’re sure...I just. I can pick something up for you? Chicken noodle soup? Ginger ale?”
“Why would soda help me?”
Another pause. Longer this time, but not nearly as uncomfortable. Techie could practically hear the gears turning in Matt’s head as he thought about it. He grinned into the phone.
“I don’t know. That’s what my mom always gave my brother when he was sick.”
“Not you?”
“No, I don’t get sick.”
Techie pouted into the phone, even knowing Matt couldn’t see it. If only he never got sick. That would be a dream come true, wouldn’t it? He wouldn’t have had to worry about all the hospitable bills his parents had to foot, hadn’t had to worry about missing school all the time, being seen as the weirdo due to never being there and often being so pale and skinny when he was.
“Lucky you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to bring anything over?”
“I’ll be okay. Thanks though. Just...we’ll talk about rescheduling our date later, alright?”
“Okay.”
Techie tried not to think of the disappointment in Matt’s voice. He wanted to see him but...he knew he’d probably end up getting Matt sick, even if he claimed to never do so. Even if he didn’t, his company wouldn’t be very interesting, given his tendency to sleep most of the time, and not very attentive even when he wasn’t. So he would just wallow in bed instead, thinking of the date they could have had, of the memories they could have made tonight.
Not thirty minutes later, he heard a knock on the front door. Odd. He didn’t think they were expecting anybody. Then again, it was hard to expect anything about Armie’s boyfriend, who would just pop up whenever he felt like it. He couldn’t begrudge the man for it, however, given how happy he made Armitage, his generally cold exterior towards anyone but Techie also melting around Kylo.
Accepting that he would just have to deal with Kylo being in the house as well, he contented himself with turning over on the bed, opening his phone to continue playing the silly matching game he’d gotten hooked on recently.
It was to his surprise, that it was shortly interrupted by a knock on his door. Techie turned back over, prepared to make his apologies to Kylo on his appearance, only to blink in surprise when instead Matt was standing there, looking a little bashful, holding a container in his hands.
“Matt?” He rasped out, cringing that his voice still sounded horrible, unable to hide it this time.
“Hey. Uh, I know you said not to...but...I came over anyways. I brought soup!” He gave a hopeful grin as he held up the container. Armitage, standing behind him, gave an eye roll and Techie tried not to laugh, seeing the slight quirk of a smile at his brother’s lips.
“Matt, really, you didn’t have to,” Techie told him as he struggled to sit up, pushing the covers off clumsily.
Armitage stepped forward, as if to help him, but Matt beat him to the bed, setting the container on his bedside table, careful to not disturb the copper wires lying there.
“Hey, it’s fine, you don’t have to get up for me. Just relax.” A hand brushed his hair, plastered to his skin by sweat, away from his face, fingers tracing along his jaw. Techie couldn’t help but lean into the touch, smiling, even as he sniffled.
“I appreciate you coming over, Matthew. Feel free to stay as long as Techie wishes. Keep the door open.” Armie levelled a glare at Matt as Techie’s face flooded with heat, embarrassed.
“Armie. Don’t scare him away,” he scolded, just catching the small smile on his brother’s face before he turned away, leaving the room.
Techie sighed, tugging on Matt’s shirt that hung in front of him. “I’m sorry about him,” he muttered, letting his forehead rest in that perfect little divot between Matt’s shoulder and neck, fingers still twisting around the fabric of the shirt. “He just...he cares by glaring and being scary.”
He could feel the chuckle more than hear it, the way his ears felt like they were stuffed full of cotton. A hand rubbed at his back, circling on top of the fabric of his own shirt. “It’s fine. It’s kinda cute, seeing how much he loves you.”
Techie smiled then, soft and small, even though Matt couldn’t see him. Perhaps because of that, having no need to worry how his reaction might by taken by someone else, not have to worry that his emotions weren’t “okay” or “appropriate”. He could just be him, when his face was hidden.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he mumbled as he pulled back, though he wanted nothing more than to just sit there, leaning against Matt, feeling warm, feeling cared for.
“I know. But I wanted to be.” Matt reached around to adjust the pillows behind him, moving them in a way that felt a lot better with him now sitting up instead of laying down.
“You’re going to get sick,” he couldn’t help but point out, raising his eyebrow in a way that he knew his brother would be proud of, especially coupled with the slight frown of his lips. Though, being Techie and not Armie, he couldn’t help the slight pull of a grin, not able to truly be stern with Matt. Some may say it was only because the two were in a honeymoon phase, but, well, they’d been friends for years before this, before finally admitting they were over the moon for each other, had been idiots for not saying so sooner. He’d never been able to be stern with him.
“I don’t get sick, remember?” Matt teased him, dropping a kiss to his forehead.
Techie couldn’t help but think how disgusting that was, sure to be sweaty and not exactly a pleasant thing to put his mouth on after he’d just been laying in bed all day. He appreciated it all the same, that little swirl of warmth inside him whenever Matt was around giving a little jump.
“Now, do you want the soup now or later?”
--
Techie stared at his phone, chewing on his bottom lip. He could do this, he could. It wasn’t like Matt was some stranger that had asked to go on a date. He knew Matt, had known him for years. It was just...now that the haze of his sickness had finally gone, everything that happened was...a little overwhelming.
Four days had passed since his sickness started. Four days of him being miserably bedridden, his weak immune system keeping him down with a cold longer than most. But every day had Matt by his side, bringing over soup, keeping him warm under the covers (the door, of course, still wide open for Hux who passed by every hour or so with a suspicious look on his face) as they watched movies.
It had been the best four days of being sick but...it was all so overwhelming, having Matt there most of the time, caring for him. It was...they were…They hadn’t even really given a name to this...whatever it was between them, had still been tentative in their relationship, new as it was. All that seemed to have been thrown out during his sickness, and now...now Techie was unsure how to progress from there. Were they...was it okay to call and see if they could go on their date now? Were they past that? Was Matt done with him now that he’d seen him so pathetic and low?
No, he couldn’t--he wouldn’t --think like that. They’d been friends before this...this new thing in between them. It wasn’t like Matt hadn’t seen him sick before just...just not so bad, not so up close. But surely he could get over that? But what if--
Techie suddenly pressed the call button, pushing those intrusive thoughts away. He could have this, he would have this so long as Matt was willing; he couldn’t let his brain get in the way of that.
“Hey!”
The brightness of the words spoken through the speaker had him smiling, even knowing Matt couldn’t see him. Maybe...maybe he was just overreacting. Well, he knew he was most likely doing so; it wasn’t like it was his first time overreacting to something it was just....even having known Matt for a while, everything with this was so new, it was terrifying him. He really, really did not want to mess this up…
“Techie?”
“Oh, sorry!” He inwardly berated himself for spacing out, too caught up in his own thoughts, something he did far too often. “I was just...you know…”
A chuckle sounded in his ear, Techie grinning even wider hearing it.
“I do. What’s up, though? Need more soup? You seemed to be getting better, but I can bring some over if you want?”
“Oh, no!” He almost wanted to hit himself for how quickly he said that--he must have sounded so ungrateful. “I mean, thank you for the offer. But, uhm, I’m feeling a lot better. I mean, my throat still hurts a little and I have a persistent cough. Otherwise, though, I’m a lot better, and uhm. If you can. Would you…would you want to go on that date we were supposed to have?”
Techie tried not to think too much of the pause. He kept himself anchored, hearing Matt’s soft breathing. It wasn’t the end of the world--he was just thinking it over, not trying to think of how to break it off easily. Right?
“Are you sure?”
His heart sunk, and he opened his mouth to apologize--
“Wait, don’t freak out. I say that only because you just recovered. I don’t want you to feel like you have to now. We can wait if you’d rather.”
His heart rose again, bubbling over with affection. It wasn’t that Matt wanted to wait because he didn’t want to go on it; he just wanted to make sure he was fine. It was sweet. Techie wondered again how he was even deserving of that, deserving of all the care Matt had shown him the past several days. He was so lucky.
“No, I....I want to. I know you’ve been seeing me every day and might be tired of me, but, if you...if you’re willing, I would like that. I want to...you know...be with you when I’m not horribly sick and disgusting.”
Techie could swear he could see the frown on Matt’s face, knowing he would make one at him saying that; he always had before, when he said something along that line of thought. It was good to have another outside voice--besides his brother--to remind him he wasn’t any of those things he sometimes thought.
“You’re not disgusting. But as long as you’re up to going out, I would love to. I...I’ve been looking forward to it.”
“I have too!” Techie rushed out, heart flipping again, excited that they shared that sentiment. It may have been expected that they might both have been looking forward to it, but that didn’t ruin the happiness that the confirmation of it gave him.
“I’m glad.” He sounded fond, happy. Techie wished he were there so he could see that lopsided smile, could trace it with his fingers…
“I can pick you up around 5? If that’s okay?”
“More than okay! What should--what are we doing?”
“Hmm, I was thinking I’d leave that as a surprise.”
“Matt!” Techie pouted into the phone, not caring that Armie was looking at him from across the living room, a quirk of his lips revealing his amusement.
“Yes?”
“You’re mean.”
“Hmm, maybe. But you still like me.”
“I do,” he replied warmly, trying to put as much feeling into the words as he could to make up for the lack of facial expression and body language that could show how much he felt for him.
“Well good. I’ll pick you up then. Uh, wear something comfortable. We’re not doing anything fancy.”
--
Dinner had been wonderful, a casual place, but still enjoyable, just the two of them enjoying a meal together, one that wasn’t soup and that Techie could properly enjoy now that his nose wasn’t obnoxiously stuffy. He was so glad that even after spending so much time with Matt lately, he wasn’t sick of him, wasn’t tired of talking, of being around him, sharing smiles and casual touches. And, if Matt’s smile was anything to go by, he felt much the same.
He was, perhaps, more excited by where they went after dinner. Techie was visibly bouncing in his seat in Matt’s car as they pulled into the parking lot, a wide grin covering his face. Perhaps it was silly, childish, but he’d always liked such things, liked going to the zoo or to science museums.
And he especially liked mini-golf.
“I take it this was a good idea?” Matt asked him as he opened the door for Techie, ever the gentleman, a grin on his face to match Techie’s.
“Good? Oh, Mattie, it’s a wonderful idea!” He couldn’t help but throw his arms around Matt, pulling him into a hug. It was perhaps the perfect idea, not the same idea of dinner and a movie (not that he would be upset by that, it was just quite similar to what they had been doing the past several days, though a bit nicer), but something different, something more, while also not being too out there or overwhelming.
While he was feeling loads better, Techie wasn’t sure he was really up to doing something more strenuous than walking around.
Picking up his chosen golf ball (yellow, of course, Matt choosing blue), he couldn’t help but grin over at the other man. He was just so happy to be here, in this moment, with him. Perhaps he was a bit more excited than he should be but...with everything, it really was ideal. They hadn’t exactly put a name to this new relationship between them yet but Techie hoped--hoped so much, hoped will every fiber of his being--that Matt felt much the same, that they could admit they were head over heels for the other, could take it one step forward. That Matt could actually be his boyfriend .
Just the thought of it had him grinning that much more, his heart flipping a little, seeing him grin back in return.
Another perk of this choice of date was perhaps being able to touch a little more than necessary.
“Are you sure you’re not just trying to sabotage me?” Techie asked Matt cheekily as arms circled around him, hands covering his on the putter.
There was a chuckle in his ear as he was guided to hitting the ball, which glided easily into the hole.
“Or maybe I’m just trying to sabotage myself,” Matt finally replied, pressing his lips to Techie’s cheek, relinquishing his hold, stepping back to record the score on the sheet.
He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, though fondly so, his infatuation too much for his slight annoyance (he could, after all, achieve a hole in one on his own, he was sure) to overcome. He also rather liked the feel of those arms around his, of Matt’s body pressed against his back, a little closer than necessary.
The next few holes went much the same way, Matt “helping” Techie with his game, he all too glad for the excuse to be in such close contact with him (though perhaps they didn’t really need the excuse, but they both enjoyed it regardless).
At the fourth hole, he noticed a strange sound at his ear, coming from Matt behind him.
“What was that?” He asked as their hands moved backwards.
“Nothing.”
Techie didn’t believe him, even though his ball fell easily into the hole once again, after two putts this time. He narrowed his eyes at Matt when he turned to record the score, but said nothing.
When Matt’s whole body jerked against his, sending his ball completely off course on the next hole, accompanied by the same sound, he turned to glare at him.
“Bless you.”
“Thanks,” was the reply, the man avoiding meeting his eyes.
“Matt.”
“What?”
Techie stepped forward to poke him in the chest, Matt looking down at him, a little surprised.
“You’re sick, aren’t you?” Why he felt the need to hide it, he didn’t know. There was something about some people that just didn’t want to admit being sick. His brother was similar in that respect, though he often just powered through his sickness when he had it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, looking back to the side again.
Now that Techie had noticed it, he wondered how he didn’t see it before...Matt’s eyes had seemed a little watery at dinner, plus the little sniffles he had given, so small that he’d dismissed it as nothing, same as the coughs. Perhaps he’d been too determined to have a nice evening out with his almost-boyfriend he had ignored anything that might have seemed off.
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
Matt rubbed the back of his neck, which had grown a little red from his embarrassment, apparently. “I don’t get sick.”
“But you did. How long?”
“It...it started last night. Just a tickle in my nose. Just figured I had something stuck up there and it’d just go away….”
Techie couldn’t help but laugh a little, his grin growing wider at the bit of Matt’s lower lip he was poking out at the reaction.
“I’m sorry, it was just...nevermind. But...you got sick because of me, didn’t you?”
“I dunno, a bunch of people at school are sick too and…,” he glanced over at Techie and then shook his head, giving a rueful smile. “Well, probably, honestly. But it’s not your fault. I chose to come over there, you were already sick and couldn’t help it.”
He sighed, then, his shoulders dropping as all his indignation at Matt falling away, his eyes drawn to the fake grass below him. “I still feel bad. I could have, I don’t know, given you some other excuse and you wouldn’t have come over.”
A snort from Matt had him looking up over at him. “I’m sorry, babe, but you sounded completely horrible on the phone. I think I would have figured it out and come over, regardless.”
He could feel the heat creep up his cheeks as he blushed. Techie hadn’t thought he’d sounded that bad...he had really tried to sound like he was okay, like it didn’t feel as if he’d swallowed a cup of gravel. Apparently he was completely wrong, in that regard.
“Yes. Well. Then can...let’s go back to your place?” He couldn’t help but phrase it as a question, unsure if he’d even want him over, want Techie around while he was sick, especially being that he apparently “didn’t get sick”.
“But..the rest of the game…?”
He rolled his eyes with a smile. “You’re sick. It’d be better if you went home and relaxed for the rest of the night. Maybe for tomorrow, too.”
“Well...okay,” Matt relented. As Techie went over to collect his yellow ball, the other then called back. “But only if you’re there with me.”
Techie looked back at him and grinned at that, Matt looked at him with that little smirk on his lips, the one he always had when he knew he was going to get what he wanted. Which, of course, he was going to in this case.
“I suppose I can do that,” he told him, hooking his arm in Matt’s after he walked back over, pulling him toward the entrance, their mini golf balls and putters in hand. The guy manning the desk seemed confused as they’d already paid for their games, but still let them go with a shrug.
Back in the truck, Matt sighed after settling into the driver’s seat. “I’m sorry about this.”
“About what?”
“Just,” he waved his hands in a vague gesture, “this. This whole date thing. What kind of boyfriend am I, taking you on a date while sick?”
Boyfriend .
There was fluttering in his chest at the word and he couldn’t help the smile that crept upon his face. He also couldn’t help but leaning over, pressing his lips against Matt’s.
The grin Matt had after was nothing short of silly, both surprised and happy. “What was that for?”
Techie sat back, blushing as he picked at his jeans. “You said you were my boyfriend.”
“I...yeah. Should I...shouldn’t I have said that? Is that...too much?”
“No, not at all!” Techie shook his head, perhaps a bit more violently than he needed to, too caught up in his emotions over it, excited. “I want...that’s...yeah.” He reached over, intertwining their fingers together. “You’re my boyfriend.” It was perhaps a bit childish to get so excited over such a thing, especially as he was an adult, but he....he’d been wanting to say something along such lines for so long, had spent too long pining over his friend.
“Good. As long as you’re my boyfriend too.”
Techie laughed, leaning to kiss him once more. Boyfriends. They were boyfriends. The words kept running through his head on repeat.
“And boyfriends take care of each other when they’re sick, right?”
“Of course. Especially since you already did so wonderfully at it,” he replied, pulling back, his thumb rubbing the back of Matt’s hand. “This time, I’ll bring you the soup.”
“Good.”
“And as a bonus, we won’t have my brother passing by every hour.”
The look Matt gave him at that had Techie laughing again, the other joining in after a moment.
“But I’m still sorry for ruining our date.”
“Ruin it? It’s not ruined. I get to spend the rest of the night with my boyfriend. How could that be anything less than perfect?”
Techie leaned over once more to kiss him, plush lips pushing against his own, warmth blooming within him at the contact, that he was kissing Matt, kissing his boyfriend.
He tried not to pout when he pushed him away after a moment.
“Babe, you probably shouldn’t be kissing me. You might get sick again.”
Techie squeezed Matt’s hand as he settled back into his seat.
“Well. Then you’ll just have to take care of me again, won’t you?”