Work Text:
"Chicken soup. Or, chicken and vegetable soup. There's more vegetable than chicken, the chicken in my fridge wasn't as fresh as I hoped so I had to chuck a lot of it, but vegetable is just as good, right? Healthy!"
TJ groaned from beneath the pile of blankets. "Colin, I swear to God, if you don't stop babbling--"
A coughing fit prevented him from finishing the threat, leaving him breathless and achy and miserable. And with a still babbling Colin.
"I'm gonna make you some tea too. I know, I know, you prefer coffee, but I'm not sure you should be drinking any coffee now. Not with that cough. I have Earl Grey and Lemon, which do you want?"
But before TJ even had time to let the question sink in through all the snot and muck in his head, Colin had already moved on. To abs, apparently.
"-- don't think they ever ached as much as they did then. Seriously, coughing is like crunches on steroids or something. Not. Good."
There was a thunk next to his head, and TJ guessed it was the aforementioned tea. Or maybe the soup. He would have to lift his head and open his eyes to look though, and that required way too much energy right now.
"-- called work and said I wouldn't be in, and I called your dentist and rescheduled your check-up to next week."
It took TJ a few seconds, but then Colin's words filtered through and took on meaning.
"You didn't go to work?"
"Oh man, you sound awful!" Colin sounded amused rather than suitably empathetic, but TJ had more important matters to address. Important enough to emerge from his nest of blankets and pillows and tissues and crack his eyes open to glare at his boyfriend.
"You didn't go into work?"
The amused grin slid off Colin's face and he shrugged sheepishly. "You're sick. The shop can do without me for a day."
TJ shook his head. "You're the only guitar expert they have, they need you."
Colin scoffed. "I'm not the only one, and you need me more."
They stared at each other in a silent standoff, neither one willing to back down. TJ felt awful making Colin miss work - and subsequently pay - and Colin knew TJ couldn't be alone being sick as he was.
Another coughing fit broke the stare down. TJ gasped his way through the painful coughs until the worst of it was over and he let himself sink back into the pillows with a sigh. "You should still go to work, I can manage."
He could practically feel Colin biting back the scoff and he knew he was being difficult, so he gathered all the energy he had to turn over onto his back and reach a shaky hand out towards the tea. "But if you're staying, could you hand me my tea?"
It was a shitty apology, but Colin thankfully took it for what it was. His face softened and he sat down on the edge of the bed. He ran a cool hand over TJ's forehead and through his hair, and it was the most heavenly thing TJ had ever felt.
"Oh, that's good. Cold. Keep doing that."
Colin chuckled, but didn't stop. "Oh, so now I'm good enough to keep around, huh?"
TJ let his eyes fall shut and cracked a tired grin. "Well, you're not doing a bad job taking care of me. You can stay."
Colin huffed, but TJ heard the amused smile in it. "I love you too. Now sleep."