Chapter Text
Chris was shocked when Gordie wasn't already outside his house, impatiently waiting for him to arrive. Every morning before school Chris would show up at Gordie's house so they could walk to school together. He'd usually be late and get a lecture about waking up earlier from Gordie, but today the little brunette boy was nowhere in sight.
Maybe he thought today was Sunday instead of Monday. Or maybe Gordie simply slept in too late like Chris always managed to do. Whatever the case was, he wanted to find out.
The blond knocked on the Lachance's front door, expecting a frazzled and hasty Gordie speeding out the door so he wouldn't be late for school.
Unfortunately for Chris it was his father who answered.
"Oh. Hi. I'm just here to walk to school with Gordie." Chris glanced down at the ground.
"Sir." He added respectfully.
"Gordon isn't going to school today. He has a fever." Mr. Lachance said monotonously.
"What? Really? Can I see him?" Chris pushed himself up on the tips of his toes and peeked past Mr. Lachance's shoulder to see if it was true. There was no sign of his favorite boy with his backpack on ready for school anywhere in the house.
The silence egged Chris on.
"Please, I just wanna-"
"Just get to school, kid. I have to go to work." He said coldly. Sometimes Gordie's Dad really freaked Chris out.
He watched as the tall man got into his car and drove off.
He should go to school. That's what Gordie would want him to do. Chris on the other hand did not.
He let himself into the Lachance's home, walking right up the stairs and down the familiar hallway, into the little bedroom he knew better than his own.
Chris could only really make out a heap of messy chocolate hair underneath a sea of blankets, stuffed animals and pillows. At the side of his bed was an overflowing mountain of tissues in the trash. Chris stepped a bit closer, right at the edge of Gordie's bed so he could actually see him.
The tip of Gordie's nose was red, his cheeks flushed pink. He was wrapped up in his comforter, shivering like crazy, yet there was a fan on his nightstand blowing right in his face on the highest setting.
Anyone with eyes could tell the boy was sick, but the thing that really caught his attention was that Gordie was shivering. Chris did not like that.
He immediately removed his backpack and shoes, lifting Gordie's blanket up to slip himself in.
That seemed to stir the light sleeping boy awake. Gordie looked over his shoulder, blinking silently at Chris, most likely processing what the hell was happening and why he was even here.
"Chris no you're gonna get sick." His soft worn out voice peeped as Chris cuddled up behind him, warm arms wrapping around him.
"That's okay."
"No it's not okay," Gordie scooted away from him, his leg hanging off the edge of his bed.
"Please, Chris." Gordie's teeth chattered.
"No. You're cold." He said, dragging Gordie back against him by his wrists. Chris flipped the boy over as carefully as he could so they could face each other.
"Nuh uh it's hot in here." Gordie complained as his whole body shook.
Chris stared down at him, at his purple eye bags from the sleepless night before, which must've hit ten times harder since Gordie was sick. Luckily the redness of his nose seemed to be fading away for now. But looking past all his physical symptoms, Gordie looked sad. He almost resembled an abandoned little puppy.
Chris frowned and wiped a bead of sweat off Gordie's temple with his thumb.
"Hold on." Chris reached over Gordie's limp body and felt around on his nightstand before smiling.
"Got it. Look up." He tilted Gordie's head up, the brunette's eyes watching ever so closely.
"Stay there..." Chris mumbled as he gathered Gordie's flimsy bangs into his hand and tied them up in a ponytail with a hair tie.
"Don't move." He said softly and leaned over Gordie once more. Chris grabbed the glass of water he'd noticed earlier from his nightstand, which seemed to have been freshly made judging from how there were still a couple of ice cubes floating around.
He held the glass of ice water down onto Gordie's hot forehead, smiling when the boy's tense body relaxed.
"You're the best, Chris." Gordie said weakly.
"I know." Apparently he wasn't weak enough to not punch Chris in the shoulder.
Eventually Gordie melted into Chris's hold, his warm chest which had turned into a pillow for Gordie and provided security lulling him into a deep sleep.
Chris would switch between monitoring Gordie's nap and looking at the polaroid of him and Gordie clinging onto each other at the beach when they were around six or seven.
When Gordie woke up he headed straight for the shower. Of course he nearly collapsed on the way there from how dizzy he was from simply standing up, but he was okay.
Chris had stayed right in his spot on Gordie's bed, snooping through his stuff and looking out the window he had snuck through every so often. He made to keep an ear on the running water coming from the bathroom Gordie was occupying just in case.
Gordie soon came back into his room with one towel around his body and the other on his head. And of course, he was shivering.
"Did you take a super hot one?" Chris asked.
Gordie nodded as he pulled on one of Denny's old T-shirts that were rather ginormous on him, but perfect for sleeping in.
"Now I'm all soggy and cold."
Chris had to refrain from laughing at the poor thing. He could tell Gordie was upset by not being under scorching hot water anymore and being sick already sucked, so he kept his trap closed.
"Okay c'mere." Chris smiled and held his arm out.
The brunette immediately snuggled his way into Chris's hold, sighing happily as his main heat source eased him back to sleep.