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“Honestly, baby, I feel fine.” Geoff insists.
He’s sitting up in bed, wearing one of Awsten’s hoodies. His pale, clammy skin shines in the dim lamp light that illuminates the otherwise dark room. It’s evening time, not quite late enough to go to sleep but too late to do anything other than sit in bed. Not that Geoff is well enough to do much of anything anyway.
Awsten whines against Geoff’s neck, shifting himself further into his partner’s lap. He feels awful. Not from the flu he just had, he has recovered from that. Now, though Geoff is sick instead because he refused to stop kissing Awsten. All three days when Awsten had his fever, Geoff kissed Awsten on the mouth like it was nothing, no matter how much Awsten protested. His protests weren’t exactly spirited, to be fair. He will never turn down an opportunity to kiss his Geoff.
Having cancelled his flight back to Los Angeles - and several rather important meetings there in the process - Awsten is determined to make Geoff feel better as fast as possible. So far that has mostly involved feeding and cuddling him, with a helpful side of apologising profusely every time Geoff coughs.
“My love, it’s not your fault.” Geoff coos for the thousandth time. “I knew what I was doing when I kissed you.”
“But it’s my fault for getting on a plane here instead of driving and catching this stupid illness in the first place.” Awsten mumbles. He pulls away from Geoff so he can look at his face. The poor guy is pale and sweaty, but he doesn’t look miserable like Awsten does when he’s sick. “I made my pretty boy ill.”
“Darling.” Geoff puts his hand on Awsten’s cheek. Awsten leans into it instinctively. “I am not about to complain about you staying here for an extra few days.”
“I guess not. This is nice, being with you.” Awsten traces a finger up and down Geoff’s chest while he thinks of a way to make Geoff feel better. He gets a stupid idea, and has to try very hard to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Hey, there’s something on your face.”
“What is it?” Geoff lifts his hand up to his face but doesn’t touch, eyebrows raised.
“Me!” Awsten exclaims.
He descends on Geoff, kissing his face all over. Geoff squirms under him, giggling and pawing at Awsten’s chest like he’s trying to push him off. He isn’t really trying, eventually resting his hands on Awsten’s hips instead so he doesn’t go tumbling off the bed with all his energy. Awsten keeps kissing him until Geoff laughs too hard and starts coughing.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Awsten holds Geoff to his chest until the coughing fit subsides. “Sorry, baby, I didn’t mean-”
“Shush.” Geoff wheezes as he recovers. “Stop apologising. I love you, I don’t care that you got me sick.”
“I care! I love you too!” Awsten mumbles, burying his face back in Geoff’s neck.
He loves Geoff so much, and the idea that he hurt him is unconscionable. It’s just the flu - they both did COVID tests to be sure - but Geoff is still sick. Awsten did that. What a horrible boyfriend he is. Maybe he should go back to Los Angeles and let someone better take care of the most perfect man alive.
“I know, angel. But I’m alright.” Geoff kisses him on the temple. “And I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” Awsten says again. He pushes himself off of Geoff and shuffles over to the other side of the bed. Ready to get up and do whatever his partner asks. “Look at this shit. You’re the one who’s sick and you’re still looking after me. Do you need anything?”
“Yes, I need my boyfriend.” Geoff drags Awsten back beside him, although Awsten would go willingly if asked. “Who is going to be leaving in a couple of days once I’m better, so I am going to cuddle with him as much as possible.”
“Wow, this guy sounds great. Is he hot?” Awsten asks as he cuddles up to Geoff.
“Very.” Geoff presses his face into Awsten’s hair. “Just stay with me, honey. Don’t think you need to do more than that.”
Awsten hums. “I can do that. I’m great at not moving.”
They stay in bed all evening, Awsten only getting up to get Geoff drinks, medicine and snacks as requested. Geoff can’t decide what he wants to watch, so Awsten chooses The Office. Later, Awsten suspects this was a ploy by Geoff to let him watch whatever he wanted.
Geoff is sweaty and gross, which Awsten would normally avoid, but he loves him too much to mind. He stays curled up against Geoff, kissing him whenever the urge takes him. Which is all the time, because Geoff is pretty, even while sick.
His blue eyes are still bright and beautiful despite his tiredness. He didn’t sleep well last night, tossing and turning with fever dreams. Awsten stayed up with him, petting his hair when he woke up confused and crying. This morning, Geoff is more coherent, although his fever hasn’t quite broken.
He’s getting better, which means Awsten will have to go home soon. When he called Lucas to ask him to cancel as many meetings as he could, he promised he would be home by next Monday. It’s only Wednesday now, but the next few days will go by fast if they don’t savour it. If Geoff gets better sooner, he will insist Awsten go back to Los Angeles. It’s not like Geoff wants him to leave, but he knows he has to. It’s the unfortunate reality of their relationship.
They have this understanding that neither of them would thrive in the other’s city. Awsten can’t do everything he wants for his career in Houston, and Geoff can’t stand Los Angeles for more than a few weeks. Long distance sucks, but they make it work. If it was anyone else, Awsten wouldn’t try so hard. But it’s his Geoffie, and he’d do anything to be with him. They spent too many years pretending they weren’t mad for each other; Awsten isn’t going to waste a second of their time together now.
“When I go home.” Awsten says, when Geoff is half asleep and leaning against him. “I’m gonna write a whole album about you.”
“Again?” Geoff mumbles, then giggles when Awsten rolls his eyes.
“I said I’d written a whole album’s worth of songs about you. You better hope none of our albums are exclusively about you. I would have concerns about the state of our relationship.” Awsten wraps his arm around Geoff and squeezes him tight.
“A whole album about me would be boring. There’s no angst there.” Geoff says, which Awsten would argue isn't true. Maybe Geoff didn’t spend seven years of their friendship having breakdowns to Otto about being in love with Awsten, though. “It would be twelve songs about how hot you think I am.”
“Well, stop being hot then.”
“I’m trying. That’s the idea of breaking a fever.” Geoff smirks at his own stupid joke.
“Oh, shut up.” Awsten shoves him gently, then immediately pulls him back against him.
Geoff giggles. “That was a good one.”
“Garbage, terrible dad jokes.” Awsten shakes his head. “If we ever have children you are going to get ten times worse.”
“Or better. Depends on your perspective.”
“My perspective is that your jokes fucking suck.”
“You’re still smiling.” Geoff notes, which is true. Awsten is grinning like an idiot at him.
“Because you’re my favourite boy in the whole entire world.” Awsten kisses him.
He doesn’t know much science, because he was always a band kid, but he’s pretty sure he can’t get his own illness back from Geoff. Either way, he loves Geoff too much to care. Even though he was mad about Geoff kissing him at the time, he completely understands wanting to kiss your significant other while they’re sick. It’s a comfort thing, for them and you. It defies self preservation.
Geoff slowly gets better over the next few days, with Awsten waiting on him at all times. Any tiny request he has, Awsten runs off to complete it. He apologises for getting Geoff sick a hundred times each day, even when Geoff begs him to stop, insisting it isn’t his fault. By Saturday, Geoff is better, and Awsten books himself a flight back to Los Angeles that night.
If he cries while he’s packing his suitcase, well, that’s not anyone else's business.
“Okay.” Awsten calls as he stands at the front door, booking an uber to the airport on his phone. Thanks to Geoff’s encouragement, he’s actually going to be on time for once. “I’m gonna have to go.”
Geoff has been elsewhere in the house for ten minutes. This is bizarre - normally they are all over each other for the last few moments they have together. Awsten tells himself it’s because Geoff is more upset than usual that he’s leaving, or something. Maybe he just doesn’t want to cry in front of him this time.
The RSD demon in the back of his mind rears its head, but Awsten quickly beats it back with a mental baseball bat. Geoff loves him. Geoff loves him. Geoff loves him enough to get sick taking care of him. Geoff is not going to leave him.
“Hold on!” Geoff runs down the stairs, dragging his suitcase behind him. He has his leather jacket, his boots and his sunglasses on, like he’s headed somewhere. “Okay, let’s go.”
Awsten stares at him. “Where are you going?”
“With you. To LA.” Geoff shrugs sheepishly. “I- I bought a ticket on your flight, like, an hour ago-”
Geoff doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because Awsten is busy kissing him. They stumble into the wall, Geoff pressed against it as Awsten tries to melt into his skin. It’s messy and full of teeth and Awsten might be crying, but it’s so perfect that neither of them would have it any other way.
Geoff pulls away first. “We probably won’t be able to sit together-”
“I love you.” Awsten tries to kiss him again.
“I love you too.” Geoff dodges him, trying to keep talking, so Awsten presses his face into Geoff’s chest instead. “And I won’t be able to stay for more than, like, a week-”
“That’s enough time to drive to Vegas and get married.” Awsten mumbles into Geoff’s shirt.
“But I just thought- what was that?” Geoff asks.
“Nothing. Come on, we need to go.” Awsten grabs Geoff’s hand and drags him out of the house to wait for the uber.