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"It's homophobic that, in my hour of need, the love of my life is not only an ocean away, but living five godforsaken hours in the future!" Nicky wailed.
Or he tried to wail but then he started coughing. It really sold the sickly, wasting away mien he was going for.
He threw an arm over his forehead and turned his face towards the wall. Did the desk light really have to be so bright? Maybe he was turning into a vampire.
"Aaron," Nicky pleaded, voice cracking, "if I die, please give my eulogy. I don't trust Andrew."
"Oh my god," Andrew muttered.
"You're not going to die," Aaron replied. "You have the flu and an extra severe case of drama queen."
Nicky sniffed and wished he hadn't. The bedding definitely needed to be changed. But that would require getting out of his blanket burrito and that was a bridge too far.
"We can try calling Erik again," Andrew suggested. "I'm sure the Skype ringtone will wake him up eventually."
"Don't bother." Nicky rubbed his runny nose against the sheet and instantly regretted it. "I don't want him seeing me like this."
"He saw you wasted and throwing up after Pride in Atlanta," Aaron reminded him. "That was much, much worse. Now c'mon, I brought you soup."
Nicky groaned. "What happens at Pride stays at Pride!" He rolled over and eyed the large mug in Aaron's hands. "But God, the rave was awesome... so many men in leather and body paint..."
It had, in fact, been one of the best times he'd had, going out with his boyfriend, his cousins, Neil, and Kevin. There had been dancing and more shots than he could remember. They had stayed in a swanky suite at the Westin, not that he really remembered that part. Ah, well. Being sick from overindulgence was preferable to this.
Andrew, bless him, helped Nicky sit up and Aaron handed over the mug. Nicky leaned over it, enjoying the warm steam on his aching face. He couldn't smell it but it was obviously chicken noodle, from the can, which was actually his favorite.
Nicky sipped at the soup, the chicken and noodles so small and soft that no spoon was required. Aaron fussed around, throwing away wadded up tissues before taking away the empty water glasses.
Andrew was still messing with the laptop. He got it situated on his knees and gestured to the precarious stack of DVDs he'd brought in.
"Want to watch something?"
Nicky perked up. Like he would say no to getting carte blanche with the movie selection. He scanned the titles, pleased that they were all movies he'd bought, not Andrew's stash of personal faves. He could make Andrew sit through The Royal Tenenbaums or the Kiera Knightley Pride and Prejudice but Andrew was being nice so...
"Help me pick," he said, "The Fellowship of the Ring or Pirates of the Caribbean?"
Andrew side eyed him. "Did you intentionally pick the two longest movies?"
Nicky slurped down some more soup. "They're exciting adventure stories and I've been stuck in bed all weekend."
"Fine." Andrew opened the case of Pirates of the Caribbean and slid the DVD into the laptop. The laptop whirred in a worrying fashion. Andrew adjusted the screen so they could both watch.
Young Will Turner was being retrieved from the sea when Aaron returned, bringing a fresh glass of water and meds. He traded Nicky for the empty mug and Nicky obediently swallowed the pills. It was nice - and exceedingly rare - to have his cousins doting on him. It made Nicky feel a bit weepy and he dabbed at his eyes while they were both watching the screen.
The three of them sat in companionable silence, watching the movie. After a while Nicky started to feel sleepy, and he must have nodded off because when he woke the film wasn't playing but Andrew was still next to him, talking to the computer.
It took Nicky's sluggish brain a minute to realize Andrew was speaking German and that he was speaking to --
"Erik!" Nicky sat up too quickly and Andrew reached out to steady him.
"Nicky!" Erik was in bed, his hair mussed and his jaw scruffy. He looked tired and perfect. "Andrew has been calling me all night trying to set up a chat but I was dead to the world."
Nicky beamed at Andrew. Andrew rolled his eyes and handed over the computer before getting up and leaving, shutting the door quietly behind him on the way out.
Erik leaned towards the screen and gave Nicky a sweet smile. "How are you feeling, babe?"
"Gross and tired," Nicky said, "but better now that I'm talking to you."
"The boys are taking care of you?"
"Yeah," he said softly. "Can you believe?"
Erik grinned. "I always said they would come around."
Nicky laughed. "You said they didn't deserve me!"
"Well, I was right." Erik winked. "Looks like they're finally getting older and wiser. Maybe a little softer now that they have more people who care for them."
Nicky swallowed hard and nodded. Damn it, he was going to cry.
"Ah, love," Erik sighed. "I miss you so much. I wish like hell I was with you right now."
"Me too," Nicky croaked. "Me too."
They stayed on the call too long, until dawn broke in Germany and Erik had to get ready for work. Nicky fell asleep with the computer open, dark bags under his eyes but a smile on his lips.