Work Text:
Xie Lian’s boyfriend was such a sweetheart. From the cute little notes he left him in his lunches to picking him up from work, he was always there when Xie Lian needed him.
So when Hua Cheng failed to pick him up one day, he couldn’t help but be concerned. With a frown, he texted his boyfriend. When he didn’t get a response within 20 minutes, he called a cab and went to his apartment. After knocking twice, he let himself in.
“San Lang?” He called. When nothing but silence greeted him, his concern grew. Each room he looked in turned out to be empty until he hit his boyfriend’s bedroom. Hua Cheng lay on the bed, and even in the poor lighting he looked paler than normal.
“San Lang?” He called again, softer this time. As he sat down on the side of his bed, he noticed that his breathing was ragged. “Oh, my love.” He murmured, reaching out to gently push his hair off of his forehead. At the touch, his boyfriend awoke.
“Gege?” Hua Cheng mumbled, cracking open his good eye. Xie Lian nodded, hand trailing from his forehead down to his cheek.
“You’re sick, my love. Next time call me and I can help take care of you.” He chided, though he couldn’t help the fond smile that crossed his face.
“No, I’m fine.” Hua Cheng tried to insist, and even went so far as to try and sit up. When the little color in his face drained and he swayed a bit, Xie Lian pushed him back down on the bed.
“You are not. So let me take care of you. I’ll order in some soup and other light meals, and we’ll just spend the next couple of days together as I nurse you back to health. Work won’t mind.” He added when Hua Cheng opened his mouth to protest. “It’s a perk of owning your own business.” He added with a wink. Hua Cheng sighed, smiling up at his boyfriend.
“Thank you.” He said. Xie Lian leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“You’re very welcome. I’ll be right back.” He said.
Over the next hour he ordered several light meals to keep them fed over the next couple of days. Feng Xin dropped off his laptop and a bag of cold medicine, as Xie Lian highly doubted that Hua Cheng had any in the apartment.
“Can you sit up for me, please?” Xie Lian asked as he entered the room with a food tray. It contained both of their bowls of soup, and bottles of medicine. Hua Cheng nodded, and then on shaking arms, he forced himself up. It broke Xie Lian’s heart, and if he wasn’t holding the tray, he would have gathered Hua Cheng into his arms.
He passed him a bowl and a spoon before working on putting together the first round of medicine. After Hua Cheng ate about half the bowl, he passed him the pills.
“Here, these should help with your fever and congestion.” He explained. Hua Cheng shot him a soft smile and he reached out to take his hand.
“Thank you, gege.” He said. Xie Lian leaned in to kiss his forehead before sitting down with his own bowl.
“You’re very welcome. After you eat, I’m going to run you a bath. That should help you feel a little better.” Xie Lian frowned a little when he noticed Hua Cheng’s hair getting precariously close to the soup. He gathered the strands into one of his hands and pulled it back over his shoulder.
“Will you join me?” Hua Cheng asked after a couple more bites. Xie Lian shook his head, chuckling a little when his boyfriend pouted.
“I need to stay alert in case you get dizzy, San Lang. But when you’re better, I promise we can share a bath.” He soothed.
Hua Cheng did end up in his arms, and Xie Lian adored him even more for it. After eating, he had started feeling dizzy again.
“Do you mind if I lean against you, gege?” He had asked. Xie Lian shook his head, turning a little so he could offer Hua Cheng his arms. As he boyfriend cuddled close, Xie Lian rubbed a soothing hand over his back. With his other, he moved his hair off the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry that you feel sick, beloved.” Xie Lian murmured. Hua Cheng shrugged, burying his face in the base of his throat.
“I think I need to skip the bath. I’m sorry.” Hua Cheng mumbled. Xie Lian squirmed a bit at the ticklish feeling of Hua Cheng’s breath fanning over his skin.
“It’s okay, I understand. We’ll just rest.” Xie Lian pressed a kiss to the top of his head and tightened his grip on him.
He held Hua Cheng like that for the next couple of hours. He turned on the TV and watched some tv show with the volume on low. Hua Cheng fell asleep soon enough, his wheezing snores an adorable side effect of his cold.
Oh how Xie Lian loved him. This passionate and caring man was so wonderful to him, that Xie Lian found himself elated to get a chance to give just a little bit of that back. With a content sigh, he pressed another kiss to his forehead before easing him back onto the bed. He rosed to his feet and took the dirty dishes to the kitchen first. After dumping them in the sink, he grabbed all of the pillows from the guest bedroom and made his way into Hua Cheng’s bedroom again.
It took some effort, but eventually he stepped away from the bed and proudly observed his hard work. Hua Cheng was now properly elevated, and his snores were softer now that he was elevated.
Xie Lian then went to work cleaning up after dinner and starting a load of laundry. He also reached out to Hua Cheng’s secretary and let him know that he would be out sick again. After all of that was done, he took a quick shower and brushed his teeth before going to wake Hua Cheng up for another round of medicine.
“Gege?” Hua Cheng slurred as he was shaken awake.
“Sorry, love, but it’s time for your medicine. Open up for me, please.” Xie Lian said softly. Hua Cheng’s mouth dropped open obediently, and Xie Lian carefully placed the spoon in his mouth. After he swallowed, wincing from the pain of his sore throat, Xie Lian gave him a straw to wash away the taste with water. “Now do you want me to sleep in a different room?” He asked. Hua Cheng shook his head, lifting up a hand and wrapping it around the bottom of Xie Lian’s shirt.
“No. Stay with me. Please?” Hua Cheng asked. Xie Lian’s expression softened and he nodded.
“Of course.” He leaned over to turn off the light before climbing into bed. After getting himself settled, he turned and tugged Hua Cheng into his arms. His boyfriend was already fast asleep, but he immediately snuggled in, a content sigh escaping him. A fond smile crossed Xie Lian’s face, and he buried his face in the top of Hua Cheng’s head.