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Peter woke up on the hotel room bed. He heard something on the other side of the room. He sat up, and padded over to Neal's side of the room.
Neal was nearly asleep, but tears had wet most of his face, and he was sniffing repeatedly, as quietly as a person could.
"Neal?"
Neal jerked in place, and immediately went silent. Peter sat down on the edge of the bed, and put his hand on Neal's arm.
"What's wrong?" Asked Peter.
“Nothing,” said Neal, stuffily.
“I thought you said you don’t lie to me,” said Peter, gently.
Neal turned over, and looked up at him, “nothing important.”
“It obviously is important, if it’s bad enough you’re crying,” said Peter.
Neal shrugged a little bit, “just a headache. I've always gotten them."
Peter gently laid his hand against Neal's forehead, "must be pretty bad. Are they migraines?"
Neal shrugged again.
Peter got up, got the ice bucket, and carried it into the bathroom. He wet a washcloth, and then folded it in thirds with ice in the middle. He carried that back to the main room.
Neal was on his back, one knee up, the other leg out straight. He had his right elbow across his eyes.
Peter came and sat beside him again. Peter put the washcloth over Neal's forehead.
Neal moaned, and lifted his arm, looking up at Peter, "that feels incredibly nice."
Peter nodded. He rested his hand on Neal's chest, over the soft fabric of his pajama shirt. Neal put his hand over his eyes, and tried to relax.
Peter rubbed his friend's chest, from the tip of Neal's sternum up to his collarbone, and back down. Neal's breathing calmed a little bit.
Peter looked out the window in the night, at the moon and city lights shining on a broad river, trees on either side.
"Mmh…" Neal whimpered a little, moving his hands to rub his temples.
Peter got up, and started the coffee maker.
"What are you doing?" asked Neal, quietly.
"Caffeine should help," replied Peter, as he shook the grounds into the coffee maker and started it. He had filled the water before going to bed.
Peter went to his bag and got out a bottle of ibuprofen. He went to the bathroom and got a cup of water.
Peter returned to Neal's bed. Neal's hand was back over his eyes, his chest shook with suppressed crying. Peter shook two pills into his hand, and put the bottle down.
He gently pulled Neal's hand away. Neal's eyes were red and wet with tears. Peter handed him the cup and pills.
Neal sat up to take them. The washcloth fell into Neal's lap. The ice had melted. Peter picked it up and folded it diagonally, laying it over the back of Neal's neck.
Neal groaned in relief. Peter rubbed the younger man's shoulders, as Neal sat with his eyes closed, body tense.
The coffee maker finished, Peter got Neal an insulated paper cup of coffee and powdered creamer. He returned to his friend's side.
Neal was watching him, squinting in the moonlight. Peter handed him the cup. Neal sipped from it and made a face at the hotel blend. But he kept drinking it.
Peter rubbed Neal's upper back, neck, and shoulders. Neal leaned into it, sipping the hot brown liquid. Between the meds, caffeine, and massage, Neal's body slowly grew less tense, as the pain receded.
"Thank you, Peter," said Neal, quietly, into the dark, "you really knew how to help."
Peter kissed Neal's temple, as the young man inhaled the steam from the cup of coffee, "Elizabeth gets migraines. Pretty sure that's what this is. You never went to a doctor?"
Neal shrugged, "my mom told me it was normal, and just to go to sleep. So that's what I've always done. It usually works."
"Well, yeah, sleep can often reset a migraine. If that was the only option it makes sense. But there are meds for them now…you've just been like, crying yourself to sleep in misery all the time since you were a kid?"
Neal shrugged a little, looking away from Peter.
Peter put his arms around Neal, who stiffened up initially. Peter buried his face in the side of Neal's hair, and murmured, "this is the last time that happens. Okay, bud? Next time you tell me right away. You're not gonna suffer like that on my watch."
Neal nodded, leaned hard against Peter. He cried a little bit, but not out of pain this time.