Work Text:
When you finally managed to get home, you wanted to do nothing more than curl up in your bed and sob into your pillow. Everything that day had just been awful. You had woken up far later then you meant to, causing your morning to be sluggish and your mood grumpy. Your mothers were doing their best to cheer you up, but you just really weren’t in the mood for it, going as far as to snap at your ma. They backed down after that, understanding that you needed to be left alone. It didn’t make you feel less guilty about the whole incident, and you had to make a mental note to apologize whenever you got home.
Which brought you directly into your next point of contention. It was supposed to be a simple nine to five, typical of your morning shifts. That was, until your coworker flaked on their shift, leaving you forced to cover until closing time, adding an additional five hours to yours. In the rush out the door to get to work (and away from your shame of yelling at your dear moms), you’d neglected to grab your lunch and no one was available to bring it to you. You were tired, hungry, and beyond upset. Your only relief was the thought that you had the next few days off to do whatever you wanted.
Not even bothering to attempt a shower, you collapsed on your bed. Even with your stomach growling in protest, you refused to get up. Maybe, if you were lucky, the sheets would swallow you whole.
Distantly, you registered the vibration of your phone from under your pillow. Really, there was only one person who would message you so late. Not wanting to disappoint anyone else, you grab your phone and unlock it. There were a few texts from throughout the day, almost all exclusively belonging to your neighbor, childhood friend, and boyfriend Cove.
[9:23 am] Cove: I’m a bit late today, but good morning!
[9:23 am] Cove: I slept in..
[9:24 am] Cove: I know you’re at work, so text me whenever you can <3
[12:57 pm] Cove: I saw some really nice shells and picked one up for you. Matches your eyes and everything!
[3:02 pm] Cove: Just checking in. Love you.
You frowned sympathetically at that last one, practically feeling the way his brain was trying to concoct if it was possible you were intentionally ignoring him and what he did wrong in the last forty eight hours since you last saw each other.
[5:30 pm] Cove: I noticed your car isn’t back yet from work..
[5:30 pm] Cove: Sorry that was creepy I’m just a little worried ahaha
[6:15 pm] Cove: I stopped by your place and your moms said you’re having a rough day :( I love you. Text me whenever you’re feeling up to it and we can talk.
[6:17 pm] Cove: <3
Which brought you to the most recent text, a simple of inquiry of if you were okay with him stopping by. He must’ve heard you pull into the driveway. You thought about it, wondering if it was a good idea to have him over. Realistically, it wasn’t as though your parents cared if he snuck in at this point; not only were you an adult, but this had been an ongoing thing between the two of you since you were thirteen. If he was having a good day, you really didn’t want to bog him down, or snap at him when all Cove was doing was trying to make you feel better.
… Perhaps you were feeling a bit selfish. Despite all the doubtful thoughts, you texted him back.
[11:01 pm] You: Please come over.
It took less than five minutes before the tell tale knocking at your window signaled Cove’s arrival. Forcing yourself up, you opened the window, helping your green haired lover inside.
“You’ve gotten so quick at climbing, Spiderman,” you attempted to joke, though it fell a bit flat.
“Are you okay?” Cove asked directly, eyes wide and scanning over your exhausted form. Not seeing any external injuries seemed to cause some of the tension in his shoulders to drop, at least. “I was worried. It’s not- uh, normally you message me if you’re upset, so I just…” Cove makes a vague hand gesture, one that you weren’t exactly sure what it meant. “Yeah.”
“I had a bad day, and I guess I just feel worse than I usually do,” you responded, already feeling a bit silly. Really, bad days happened! You were an adult, for God’s sake! Frustrated tears pricked at your eyes, your inner voice turning cruel. Could you not just deal with it like a normal person? Did you have to go yelling at concerned family members and worrying your partner?
Immediately, Cove was stepping forward, wrapping you in a hug. It was so easy to melt into him, your face burying into his chest as you fought back tears. A hand is rubbing gentle, slow circles on your back. You both stand there, Cove holding you securely in the way he knew you found comforting and you hiccuping quietly against him. Once he felt that you’ve settled down enough, Cove pulled back to study your face.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Self deprecatingly, you laugh. “No. I haven’t eaten today, period.”
Cove’s frown deepened further and his lips thinned. If you were doing better mentally, you definitely would have rephrased that. Another fresh wave of guilt washed over you, and you mumbled out, “Sorry.”
“What? No, no, don’t apologize!” Cove said with a small squeak, letting go of you to wave his hands in front of him. “I’m not mad at you, or disappointed, or anything like that! Promise. Just worried.”
You weren’t exactly the biggest fan of eating super late, especially if it wasn’t any sort of occasion, but Cove seemed determined to make it so you at least had something.
Sighing, you pushed yourself off your bed, feeling the soles of your feet throb in protest. It hurt to stand, though you tried not to show it too clearly on your face. If Cove noticed, he didn’t remark on it. Instead, he opted to stand in front of you, kneeling slightly.
“I, uh, wanted to give you a piggyback ride?” He mumbled, tilting his head to gaze at you. “I’ve been lifting a bit, so don’t even think about saying you’re too heavy!”
“Do you keep up an exercise schedule just so you can pick me up?” You teased, moving into position. Cove’s arms wrapped around you in a practiced, familiar motion.
“A little.” It was such a quiet admission, you almost missed it. Realizing it, Cove spoke a bit louder, “I mean, it’s good for surfing and other things. Like one way grocery trips. But, er, it would be dishonest to say it’s not so I can keep carrying you.”
Just like that, you felt your tear ducts start to kick back into overdrive as you nuzzled into the mop known as Cove’s hair. It was such a small thing, yet it meant the world. That, and your exhausted self wasn't exactly the best at holding back tears. He felt your shuddering frame against his back and used the hands holding onto you to offer a comforting squeeze. Carefully, he carried you downstairs to the dark, empty living room. Once there, he made his way to the kitchen, setting you down at a barstool. You didn’t have to tell him where anything was at this point, so you opted to lay your head down on your arms and close your eyes for a moment, content hearing the gentle rhythm of his steps and the clinking of silverware. It helped you stop crying, at least.
“Remind me to ask your moms to teach me how to make your favorite food,” Cove said, then huffed. “I’m just making some pizza rolls. Ugh, I hate opening bags like this. Especially when they’re frozen. It’s already cold and then it gets a bit wet, and the ‘tear here’ marks are useless at that point!” It’s such a simple rant about something that didn’t matter, but it made you laugh regardless.
“You should start a petition to change it,” you offered, raising your head. It seemed Cove ended up just using scissors. “I can see the headlines now. ‘Cove Holden destroys the tear here industry, what do we do next?’”
Cove laughed, pushing the plate into the microwave, hitting start, then leaning back against the counter.
“First, those false labels. Next, I’ll take over the pretzel industry. With you by my side, we’ll be unstoppable.”
The two of you laughed, and despite how horrible the day had started, it already felt like it was forever away. Cove was watching the timer on the microwave, ready to open it right before it reached zero. You were sitting at the counter, idly kicking your legs before spotting a stack of sticky notes just off to the side. Gently, you grab the pile, searching for a nearby pen. It wouldn’t be much, but at least until you woke up properly you could write a small apology to your moms.
“By the way,” you started as Cove set down the pizza rolls, then turned to grab the water cups. “What happened to that shell you mentioned earlier?”
“Shell?” It took him a moment, but he snapped his fingers as soon as Cove remembered. “Right! I totally forgot to bring that with me. I’m sorry, can I show you tomorrow? Unless you work.”
“I have a few days off, actually. If you want to come over for lunch, we can make a date out of it!” you said, smiling wide. That was probably the first time you had smiled all day. “If you want.”
“O-Of course I want!” Cove exclaimed. Quickly, he slapped a hand over his mouth, remembering your mothers’ room wasn’t too far away. Quieter, he added, “It’s a date. Let’s eat some pizza rolls.”
After partaking in your meal of kings and making sure the sticky notes were securely placed on the fridge, Cove carried you right back up to your room. You knew he still wasn’t allowed to stay the night, but Cove offered to lay with you until you fell asleep. As much as you tried to enjoy the warmth of his body and the security of his hug, you were out like a light in moments.
Maybe there would be more bad days not unlike today, but at least Cove was there for you. Likewise, you swore you’d be there for him, too. Whether you be across the street, across the country, or across the living room from one another, you’d both be there.