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Rooster scrubbed a tissue against his reddened nose, grimacing at the feel. He couldn’t believe that it had only been two days and he already felt this terrible. His nose felt like it was on fire and his body ached with every slight movement. All he felt up to was laying in bed, and even that felt a little too much at times. He had refused to leave his bedroom, so not to accidentally pass whatever crud he had to Maverick or Ice. Maverick would be fine, but Ice….that was something Rooster didn’t even want to consider.
His plan was thwarted when he realized that his glass of ginger ale was empty. As much as he didn’t want to, he couldn’t rot around here all day, at least not without taking some more meds and getting something to drink.
With an audible groan, Rooster sat up with the heel of his hand pressed against his left temple. His nose threatened to run as he sniffled hard. The familiar buzz shot through his sinuses, and he hardly had time to burrow his nose into the collar of his shirt, breath hitching in his throat like mad.
“HrsusSH’Roo! Hrsh’SHs’Rhoo!” Rooster gave a brief pause, irritated eyes blinking quickly. It felt like grit had started to form in the corners and it took all of his energy not to scrub at them until they were raw. “HrsHSs’Shh’Roo!” The final sneeze left him quaking on his feet and he coughed heavily in the aftermath as he felt his sinuses drain down the back of his throat. He was disgusted at himself just thinking about it all.
Rooster barely had half the mind to reach for a nearby box of half used tissues and clamped them over his face. Blowing his nose hardly did any good as he remained clogged with his ears ringing. Grimacing, Rooster shoved the tissues in his pockets before reaching out for a small bottle of hand sanitizer. He knew it was futile, but he would be damned if he contaminated the rest of the house.
A surgical mask was the final touch to his look as he held his glass in his arm as he made his way to the bedroom door. He opened it slowly, the drawn out squeak louder than he cared for as it drifted down the hallway. Rooster waited to see if anyone heard before slipped out, open palms closing the door softly behind him.
Down the hallway he went, passing the familiar pictures. There were many of Maverick and Ice, of their wedding pictures or vacations to Venice or Greece. There were even a few of them on deployment as well, with their friends at a bar or at a painfully familiar house. It was a house that was no longer filled with such laughter, a place that Rooster hadn’t been in ages. He shook his head to clear those memories away as he turned left into the kitchen.
Rooster switched on the light and made a beeline for the fridge. He opened it with ease and found the ginger ale right where he had left it. He filled his glass almost to the brim before taking a generous gulp. It was the only thing that felt relatively alright on his throat. Water, he had ruled out the day prior when a small sip almost had him in tears. His military brain told him that he should power through, but it was Maverick’s gentle voice beside him that had assured him that whatever his body needed, he needed to give it while he was sick.
After taking a few more gulps, Rooster set the glass back down, mask hanging off the side of his face. His eyes were practically closed as his jaws parted in a yawn. How could he be so tired when it seemed like all he had done was sleep? Whatever the reason, he felt asleep on his feet and he feared it wouldn’t be long before he was forced to head back to his room.
“Roo?”
Rooster almost jumped up when he heard his uncle’s voice. It was unusual for Ice to speak now that his throat cancer was back. He had experienced so much treatment to that area, including a brief tracheotomy through the worst of it. He would text, or write out what he wanted to say. To hear him talk was almost as rare as hearing Maverick admit to following the rules.
“Uh….let me get out of here before you start walking around,” Rooster began as he pulled his mask back up over his face quickly and turned away from Ice.
Ice raised his hand to dismiss Rooster’s concern as he shifted forward, slippers skirting against the tile floor.
“What are you doing out here for late,” Rooster questioned, still deliberately facing away from his ill uncle.
Ice reached up into the counter on the other side of the sink and pulled down a tall glass. It was identical to Rooster’s own, as Ice had a thing about matching glassware. Maverick always gave him shit about it, but deep down Rooster knew it gave both of them a sense of normality that they hadn’t always had in their childhoods.
Rooster shifted sideways. “You should’ve asked Mav to get it for you. He never minds being woken up if it’s because of you.”
Ice show him a knowing glance, lips pursed. He then reached into the fridge and grabbed the ginger ale and poured himself a glass. He set the glass beside Rooster’s after taking a tentative sip, fist coming up to his mouth as he attempted to stifle some hefty coughs.
The coughing didn’t slow and Rooster reached out for Ice’s drink at the same moment that Ice did. Rooster’s cup was pushed out of the way and slid from the counter in almost slow motion to Rooster. He helplessly reached out, the sleek surface of the glass slipping from his fingers and breaking as soon as it struck the floor.
Ice’s eyes widened in alarm, still coughing as he immediately reached down to help.
“No, no!” Rooster practically yelled at his uncle, causing his own lungs to seize as he coughed off to the side. He watched as Ice almost stumbled back at his tone, and wished that he could explain in as few words as possible that he just needed Ice to step back so he didn’t cut himself. The blood thinners he had been given weren’t fully out of his system yet, and Rooster didn’t want to risk it.
Without thought, Rooster reached out for the largest shard. He hissed in pain as it sliced easily into his thumb, hand drawn against his chest while he held it with his other. His teeth grit together as he lifted his thumb to his mouth and pressed his tongue against the deep scar.
“Brad-ley,” Ice rasped in alarm.
The sound of thundering footsteps echoed down the hallway as Maverick, hair spiked and eyes half closed. “What’s going on? Who’s hurt? Who’s bleeding?”
Despite the pain in his finger, Rooster almost laughed. Maverick always said the same thing whenever he was woken from a dead sleep. It was never usually revenant, but for the first time possibly ever, he wasn’t far off.
“It’s nothing, honey,” Ice began, voice practically a wheeze.
Maverick rushed to his husband’s side and pulled him farther from the broken glass. He gave Ice a small kiss on the cheek before turning to Rooster. “Oh, Roo. Let me see that finger.”
Part of Rooster wanted to object to Maverick mothering him so much, but he didn’t have the energy to. Besides, every word felt like it would encourage another cough, and he had already been too close into Ice’s space than he was comfortable with. Of course his overthinking things had caused this, and now he had woken Maverick, who had to deal with broken glass and a spilled drink.
“I can do it,” Rooster growled under his breath as Maverick seemed to expertly reach out and collect most of the shards without causing himself any damage. He tossed them into the nearby garbage before grasping at a nearby dishrag to clean up the smaller pieces, all while still keeping an eye on both Ice and Rooster.
“When I’m done here, I’ll look at that finger,” Maverick called over his shoulder as he shook the dishrag over the trash, tiny pieces of glass sprinkling into the trash. “Rinse it in cold water if you can manage.”
‘I can fucking manage,’ Rooster wanted to spit at him. However, he was able to keep his mouth shut as he rose to his full height and headed to the sink. The faucet switched on to full force with Rooster’s thumb slicing through the resulting spray. It stung, he would be lying if he said it didn’t, though it felt so much better than when he fierce sliced it. Rooster attempted to breathe through the pain, only to realize his mistake a moment too late.
“HRshs’SH’Roo!” Rooster’s head snapped to the side, barely contained in his shoulder. His eyes continued to blink rapidly, foretelling more was to come. “Hrsh’sHs’Shoo! Hrsh’sHsh’Roo! Hrsh’SHsh’Shoo!”
“Bless you!” Maverick mopped up the renaming water and tossed the rag into the sink. “Those sounded like they hurt?”
Rooster shrugged, rubbing his nose through the mask. It was a miracle it was still on his face at this point, and he was almost certain there was blood droplets on the bottom. Sneezing hadn’t done him any favors, and now his nose was running and still itchy. He just wanted to retreat back into his room and pretend this had never happened.
Maverick dropped his shoulders in defeat, knowing that Rooster wasn’t about to answer. The kid could be damn near stubborn when he wanted to be, especially when sick. Maverick didn’t want to butt heads with Rooster over something that could potentially be avoided.
A sudden ragged cough from Ice captured Maverick’s attention. “Woah, hold on.” He reached for the glass on the counter and handed it to his husband, helping steady his shaking hands as Ice brought the glass up to his lips. Ice only took a few sips before Rooster gasped and slammed his fist on the counter.
Both Maverick and Ice jumped, spilling some of the ginger ale down Ice’s front. Maverick took the glass and set it aside as he reached for some paper towels to start drying Ice’s shirt. Ice tried to push him off, but Maverick was insistent.
“What the hell was that,” Maverick snapped, eyes cold when he gazed at his godson. “I know you don’t feel well, Roo, but seriously maybe you should go and lay down. I’ll come in a little bit later for some new, possibly stronger, meds.”
Rooster started to shake. At first he wasn’t sure what was happening, as all the emotions he had stuffed so far down came rushing to the surface. He pulled his fingers back from the water now that it had stopped bleeding and swayed dangerously towards the corner of the kitchen. His back struck the counter and he dropped like a rock in a stream, knees tucked up to his chest as he started to hyperventilate and pull at the collar of his shirt.
Ice reached out towards Rooster, but Maverick held him back, eyes pleading. Ice reluctantly nodded as he took Maverick’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. Maverick then rushed to Rooster’s side, even as Rooster tried to push him off.
“Hey, hey, honey,” Maverick began as he smoothed Rooster’s hands down and grasped him loosely by the wrists. Rooster could easily pull free if he wanted to, but he didn’t even try. His head fell forward, almost colliding with Maverick’s shoulder. Maverick allowed him to draw in close as he desperately tried to figure out what had happened. Rooster was normally not so emotional, so to see him break down like this so suddenly was unnerving to say the least.
Maverick tried to pull Rooster’s mask from behind his ear, but the young pilot yanked himself away the moment Maverick’s fingers grazed the back of his head.
“Okay, okay.” Maverick put up his hands in a show of surrender, stealing a sudden panicked look at Ice over his shoulder before turning back to his godson. “Take in some deep breaths for me. Breathe. Breathe.”
Rooster felt unable to until Maverick rested a hand on his chest. It was a trick he had come up with when Rooster was little, and he was embarrassed to admit it still had the same effect on him now. He felt his body react immediately, heaving a giant breath until he felt his lungs would burst.
Maverick nodded his head in relief when he felt Rooster finally start to relax. He didn’t know how long this wave of relief would last, and wanted to capitalize on it as quickly as possible.
“Bradley, can you tell me what’s got you all worked up? That’s not good for your heart.”
“That was my cup, Mav. Mine! You gave Ice my glass and he can’t afford to be sick right now. He can’t!” Rooster’s voice rose in pitch until he started to cough again, this time struggling to contain them even with the mask. He appeared so withdrawn and fearful that Maverick was unsure if he could even help.
Maverick began to reach out his hand and cupped Rooster’s cheek. “It’s okay, honey. Mistakes happens. Besides, he’s getting stronger everyday. There’s no need to panic unless there’s something to panic about.”
Rooster gave a sluggish shrug.
Alarm bells instantly rang in Maverick’s mind. He turned his hand from Rooster’s cheek to his brow to feel the raw heat coming from his godson. “Tell you what, why don’t you go back to bed and I’ll be right there with some medicine, alright? Let me just clean up this kitchen and get Ice situated.”
It took all of Rooster’s strength not to immediately refuse. Every bone in his body needed him to stay and explain himself better, yet his mouth wouldn’t form the words that he so desperately wanted to say. Instead, all he could do was bow his head in defeat until he didn’t even realize that he was nodding until he felt his chin strike his chest.
Maverick leaned forward and kissed the top of Rooster’s unruly hair. “I’ll be there in a second, Baby Goose. I promise everything is going to be okay. I love you.”
Rooster managed a weak cough in return. He pulled himself to his feet with a hand rubbing at his eyes. He couldn’t even bare to look at his uncle as he passed, slipping by on shaking legs. Ice attempted to reach out for Rooster, but he slipped away before Ice could.
Maverick leapt to his feet and joined his husband’s side, elbows looped together. Maverick easily led Ice forward and down the hall to their bedroom. They didn’t speak, as no words were going to fill the voice. A turmoil seemed to befall their quiet evening and neither one of them were able to settle it. Heartbreak that Maverick thought that he was over by now rose back inside of him. Goose and Carole would know what to do for Rooster. But, they weren’t here.
By the time they reached the bedroom, Ice was already starting to remove his shirt. Maverick helped him with the last bit over his head before snagging a new nightshirt. It was an old one, the cotton still familiar and soothing. Ice pulled it over his head and slid his arms through before taking Maverick by the wrist and squeezing him tight.
“I know. I know.” Maverick rested his own hand over Ice’s lightly. “We’re going to be okay. All of us.”
Ice managed a small nod, though his eyes remained troubled. Maverick wished there was something more he could say to make everything okay. However, he felt as much at a loss as Ice did, and he wouldn’t know more until he spoke to Rooster. He wasn’t sure he could make things better, but he would damn near try.
With one more longing look at his lover, Maverick pulled away from the bed and left the room, closing the door softly in his wake. He hadn’t made it far when heard thunderous coughs coming from Rooster’s room. His heart ached in sympathy as he stopped by the bathroom and grabbed the same blister pack of cold medicine that Rooster had been working through and filled up a cup on the sink with tap water. With the two objects in tow, he continued to Rooster’s bedroom.
When he drew close, he knocked lightly on the open door so not to scare him. “Roo, it’s Mav. You decent?”
The only answer Maverick received was a congested sniffle. He sighed to himself as he leaned forward to open the door further until he could slip through. He closed the door behind him and frowned when he saw Rooster’s hunched over form in a heap on the bed, blankets pulled all the way up over his head in an effort to disguise the fetal positioned man in the center of the bed.
“Oh, Baby Goose. What am I going to do with you,” Maverick murmured with a shake of his head. He couldn’t even express the love that he felt for his godson, and to see him suffering in anyway, shape, or form, nearly sent his own thoughts spiraling. “C’mon, Roo. I can’t help you if I can’t see you.”
Rooster let out a low moan and attempted to curl deeper into his cocoon of blankets.
“I have some meds for you. The sooner you take it, the sooner you may start to feel better,” Maverick encouraged as he sat on the bed before the lump with the glass of water balanced on his knee. “Or I suppose you could lay in here in misery for the rest of the day? That’s totally up to you.”
There was some grumbles from under the blankets until they flipped back to reveal Rooster’s head. He lifted his arm weakly and swiped the blister pack, popping two of the pills into his mouth. Despite how water felt on his throat, Rooster drained the glass and tried not to grimace as he handed it back over to Maverick.
Maverick set the glass on his nightstand and leaned back against Rooster’s headboard. “Now that we have that out of the way, do you want to talk about what happened in the kitchen?”
Rooster shook his head.
“Well, then is it alright if I talk and you just listen? Then I promise I’ll leave you alone.”
Rooster shrugged.
“I know you’re worried about Ice, and I am too. But he’s getting better. He’s feeling stronger and that will continue to get better every day. I know you’re worried about him getting sick and think that it’s all on you, but I promise it’s not. We’re here to take care of one another, and that’s just what Ice and I want to do for you. I know you think you need to watch out for us, but you need to let us help you for a change. Do you hear me, Rooster?”
Rooster’s shoulders began to shake once more. At first, Maverick thought that Rooster was merely coughing, but upon further investigation, he realized that Rooster was crying. He cried so softly that Maverick could only imagine how much strength he was putting into it. It had to be much more than his body could handle, and Maverick wished he could do more to help.
“Shh, shh, shh,” Maverick soothed as he rested a hand on the back of Rooster’s neck and rubbed at the tight muscles. “Oh, little one. I know you’re scared; hell we all are. But you don’t have to keep these feelings to yourself. We’re a family and we’re here to look out for one another. Everything is gong to be alright.”
“You don’t know that,” Rooster suddenly snapped, eyes narrowed and nose streaming. “You don’t fucking know that! You can’t promise that!”
Maverick was about to urge Rooster to be quiet when he broke into another round of exhausted coughing. The pilot immediately sprang into action and pulled Rooster close so he was sitting up, propped up against Maverick’s own shoulder. He set to rubbing at Rooster’s back until the fit finally receded, leaving Rooster practically wheezing as his chest shuddered with each breath.
“Okay, okay, I don’t know that for sure,” Maverick amended. “But what I do know is that we’re stronger together than we ever are apart. I’ll do whatever i can to make sure you’re okay. Do you believe that?”
Rooster’s have gave a tiny bob. His weight was still mostly on Maverick, though Maverick didn’t mind in the slightest. He continued to rub at Rooster’s back, willing peace to his godson. To see him worked up as much as he was worried Maverick to no end, but he couldn’t let that show to Rooster. There would be plenty of time to talk about it more when Rooster was feeling better.
“Can you stay for a little longer,” Rooster coughed after a few moments.
Maverick nodded. “I can stay as long as you need, Baby Goose. I’m not going anywhere.”