Work Text:
Before Joe could get out of the door with an umbrella, Nicky stood in the hallway, swearing and soaking wet after a downpour that came out of nowhere.
"Oh, my poor Love," Joe said, filled with compassion in his voice between kissing Nicky's face. "Come let me help you out of the wet clothes before you get ill."
Nicky was too tired and irritated to put up any resistance, so he let Joe undress him.
"This has been a crappy 1st December," Nicky snarled. "First, I got fired, then my wallet got stolen, so I had to walk all the way home in the rain. I hope whoever stole my wallet is having a blast tonight."
Nicky noticed that Joe looked worried.
"Sorry," Nicky excused before kissing Joe on the cheek. "I didn't mean to unload my crappy day on you. It is the last thing I wanted."
"I know," Joe replied. "Take a hot shower, and we talk over dinner."
After the shower, instead of steering towards the kitchen, Nicky aimed for the bedroom and by the time Joe found him, Nicky was already sleeping. Joe tucked Nicky under the duvet before kissing him on the forehead. While Nicky was sleeping, Joe made sure that whoever stole Nicky's wallet couldn't misuse his credit cards. Then Joe went to bed too.
The next morning, Nicky wasn't hungry, which Joe saw as an alarm sign because normally Nicky was like a Hobbit, who demanded two breakfasts before 11 AM.
"Achoo, achoo," Nicky sneezed as he hid his face in the sleeve. "Achoo, sorry, achoo."
Joe placed a hand on Nicky's forehead and frowned. Joe knew that Nicky was a hot guy in every possible way imaginable, something anyone with a decent pair of eyes working could see, but right now, he was boiling.
"I'm not sick," Nicky said with a tired smile. "It's just allergies."
"I would have believed that if we were in May instead of December," Joe replied. "Be right back."
Joe left the kitchen while Nicky started to write an application for a job.
"Open your mouth," Joe said and held out the thermometer, but Nicky moved his head away. "Please, Nicky."
"Achoo," Nicky replied, grabbing another tissue and blowing his nose. "As I said before, I'm not sick. It's allergies."
"Open your mouth," Joe repeated. "Or else I call your Nonna. As I recall it, she doesn't ask nicely first as I do."
It was Joe's triumph card to mention Nicky's Nonna whenever he couldn't get Nicky to do something he refused to do.
"Using a sweet old lady to get what you want," Nicky muttered as he opened his mouth. "It isn't fair."
Joe winked before he looked at the thermometer. Then Joe showed Nicky the numbers on the thermometer.
"You're going to bed," Joe said. "You got yourself a fever and a cold."
"103,9 f," Nicky replied in a not-too-impressed tone. "We can talk about when it's 104 f!"
Nicky returned to typing his application, which made Joe close the laptop.
"Achoo," Nicky said. "I'm trying to find a job."
"It can't wait," Joe replied. "Bed now, or else you know what will happen next."
"Yeah, yeah," Nicky replied. "You'll call my Nonna."
"Exactly," Joe replied as he showed Nicky his phone. "And I got your Nonna's number on speed dial."
Nicky walked towards the bedroom, sulking with Joe after him. The moment Nicky lay down in bed, he could feel how heavy his head was.
"I'm not sick, Joe," Nicky said while sneezing when Joe came in with an extra blanket. "It's just..."
"Allergies," Joe replied as he tucked the blanket around Nicky. "Now, try to get some sleep. Dream of Christmas. You love to do that."
It took only a second, and Nicky was sleeping. Joe kissed Nicky on the forehead before leaving the bedroom. An hour later, Joe saw the shadow of Nicky heading towards the front door.
"Nicky," Joe said in a soft voice. "Where are you going?"
"I need to get a Christmas gift for you," Nicky replied and sneezed. "It's Christmas soon."
Joe caressed Nicky's cheek. Nicky was still boiling.
"Listen to me, Love," Joe said with a smile. "You got plenty of time to get me a Christmas gift."
"Are you sure?" Nicky asked, and Joe nodded. "Anyway, better be prepared, so I'm getting it now."
"You're sick, Nicky," Joe replied. "All you are doing today is going back to bed and sleep."
Joe took Nicky's hand and walked towards the bedroom.
"But the Christmas gift.." Nicky said as Joe forced him to sit on the bed. "I want..."
"You're a Christmas gift to me, Nicky," Joe replied as he handed Nicky two pills and a glass of water. "My life's best Christmas gift I'm still unwrapping after sixteen years together."
"Thanks," Nicky replied before swallowing the pills. "You have always been a slow unwrapper."
"I have to be," Joe replied as he got Nicky to lie down. "You're my life's best Christmas gift."
"Thanks," Nicky replied as he closed his eyes. "So are you."
Four hours later, Joe was making soup when he once again saw the shadow of Nicky leaving the bedroom. Instead of the front door, this time, Nicky aimed for the living room.
"Nicky?" Joe asked in a soft voice. "What are you looking for?"
"Your Christmas gift," Nicky replied. "Can't remember where I left it."
Joe smiled over having almost the same conversation once again.
"Listen, Love," Joe said as he took Nicky's hand. "You haven't bought it yet, but as I said before, you're my life's best Christmas gift."
"I'm?" Nicky asked, which made Joe nod. "Really?"
"Hmm, my life's best Christmas gift," Joe replied. "Now, I want you to take a hot shower before eating soup."
Nicky swirled Joe's shirt around his finger while trying to give a very seductive smile.
"Come join me so you can unwrap your Christmas gift," Nicky said with a pouty face before he sneezed. "I promise you a fun time."
"Once you're fever-free," Joe replied with a smile. "Then we can have all the fun time we want."
After the shower, Joe made sure that Nicky got back to a clean bed and gave him a bowl of soup.
"I hate having allergies," Nicky complained as he took a sip of the soup. "But this is a good soup. Is it pumpkin?"
Joe smiled over that Nicky still wouldn't admit that he was sick.
"No," Joe replied. "It's chicken soup."
While eating the soup, Joe massaged Nicky's feet.
"About your Christmas gift," Nicky said after eating the soup. "I promise it's a good one. It's something you always wished for."
"Hmmm," Joe replied, ready for a third round of the same conversation. "Can't wait to see it."
"I know it will make you happy," Nicky replied. "Very happy."
Joe got Nicky to lie down and tucked the duvet around him.
"That's good to know," Joe replied. "Want to give me a clue?"
"I think I will let you paint me naked," Nicky replied. "It's about time."
Painting Nicky naked was one of Joe's biggest wishes, but Nicky had refused for as long as they had known each other. But Joe wouldn't hold it against Nicky if he changed his mind once he was fever-free.
"Thanks, Love for your Christmas gift," Joe said. "Let's have that conversation once you are over your allergies."
"No, let's do it now," Nicky replied. "I can be sexy while I have allergies."
Nicky started to tuck in his t-shirt, but Joe stopped him.
"Later," Joe said, which made Nicky look confused at him. "I need to order special paper for my masterpiece, which will take at least a week before it's here, so why don't we agree that you will stay in bed until then? And while you wait, you can use the time practising the different positions for the painting."
"That is a brilliant idea," Nicky replied as he rolled over on his tummy before he sneezed again. "Is this a good position?"
Nicky stuck his ass in the air while shaking it. If you asked Joe, Nicky's ass was one of the many perks of being married to him. And it was an ass Joe wasn't going to share with anyone. Joe still remembered how it made Nicky laugh when Joe said that the first time they had sex.
"It's perfect," Joe replied and kissed Nicky, who was already sleeping, on the forehead. "Love you, Sillyhead."
For the next couple of days, Joe had a hard time getting Nicky to take a shower, take his medicine, drink or eat because when Nicky was awake, he wanted to practise the different positions for the painting and wanted to get it right for Joe, who had to reassure Nicky over and over again that it was more than perfect.