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Louis was sitting in a fifty minute long psychology lecture and his nose was positively stuffed. He couldn't breathe, and if he blew his nose now, everyone would look at him. His nasal cavity was so clogged he could swear he could feel it in his eyes, and his nose was managing to be runny as well. He wiped his nose on a tissue that he had lying next to him on his desk, and the girl next to him gave him an annoyed look.
His head was pounding and his legs felt like jelly and he was pretty sure it was nearly three thousand degrees in this room.
To put things simply, he had a cold, and he was absolutely miserable.
He snuck his phone out, hiding it under his desk, and the girl next to him gave him a look as if she was going to tell, but he simply glared at her. They shared another class, and he'd seen her with her phone out multiple times. If she was going to rat on him now, he'd do it to her later in the week, and she seemed to pick up on that, turning her attention back to their teacher who was at the front of the room.
He scrolled to his contacts until he reached his boyfriend's number.
To Harry: I am absolutely, completely, 100% miserable.
To Louis: Aw, Boo Bear. :( Come home. I'll make you soup.
Harry was a couple of years younger than Louis, but he had chosen to skip out on Uni and attempt to make a living in the music industry. As of now he just performed on street corners. But the local people seemed to like him quite a bit, and he brought home a lot of money in his little hat that he set on the ground next to him.
To Harry: Can't. I've got three more classes left after this one. You know Wednesday is my busiest day at Uni.
To Louis: Lou, you're ill. Come hooommmeee.
To Harry: I'm the one who's sick. Why are you whining?
To Louis: Because I miss you and I want to take care of you.
Louis could just imagine Harry pouting as he'd typed up the message.
To Harry: You're sweet. But I've got stuff to learn. Speaking of, I'd probably better go. Got twenty minutes of this lecture left.
To Louis: Fine. Just know that I'm crossing my arms and pouting at you.
Louis nearly chuckled in the middle of his lecture.
To Harry: Bye, Harry. I love you.
To Louis: I love you, too, boo.
Louis sat uncomfortably through the rest of his lecture and as soon as he was allowed to go, he ran from the room, finding a mostly out of the way corner in which to blow his nose, because he didn't really need the entire campus listening to him expel mucus from his nasal cavity. He then fixed his bag over his shoulder and headed out of the building, crossing the campus to where he had a nice little art class.
Normally his art class was his favorite, but today he was dreading it. All the paint and pencil shavings in the air would surely provoke his sneezing and he'd end up with a canvas covered in snot. Although, come to think of it, that could be worth something if it looked abstract enough.
He was approaching the building when he saw a head of familiar curly hair heading in his direction.
"Harry?" He asked, as he got within hearing distance of the younger lad.
"The very same." Harry smiled.
"What are you doing here?"
"Taking you home, obviously."
"I told you, Harry, I've got classes to get to."
"I already called your professors. You're coming home with me and I'm forcing you to rest until you're my cheery little Lou again."
Louis began to attempt at arguing again, but Harry had taken his hand and was dragging him off to the car, and he was too weak to fight.
"Harry." Louis whined. "I've got Art and History and a lecture about a woman's pelvic muscles or something like that. I need to go to class."
"Nope." Harry said, opening up the passenger side door and shoving him into the car. "You're going home. Your professors said you'll be fine missing the day, and if you feel like you've missed something worth knowing just ask them for some notes. I told them you felt terrible and they said they want you to get better. Nice lot for a bunch of Uni professors, really."
"Fine." Louis huffed, crossing his arms over his chest after buckling his seat belt.
"You're a strange one, Lou." Harry said, hopping in behind the wheel of the car. "You're the only person I know who's angry to skip school."
"What can I say? I like to learn."
"Learn how to get better and then you can go back to school." Harry joked as he headed back to their flat.
Louis huffed, but he knew that Harry knew he wasn't really mad.
They were home in less than ten minutes, and Louis was fumbling out of the car, his fine motor skills not working so well, the clogging of his sinuses having traveled to his ears, throwing him off balance.
Harry came over to his side, smirking, "Still wish you were sitting in art class right now?"
"No." Louis sighed, leaning into Harry who helped him to stay upright.
"Let's get you inside, sicky."
They made their way inside and up the two flights of stairs to the third floor where they lived. Harry plopped Louis down on the couch and told him not to move, coming back with a pair of sweatpants, one of Harry's own jumpers, a pair of fuzzy slippers that Louis thought he had lost, and a fleece blanket.
"You change. I'm going to go make you some green tea."
"But Harry." Louis whined. "You know green tea is my least favorite. Can't I have some yorkshire? Or at least chamomile?"
"Green tea's best for when you're sick, and that's what you're getting, Lou. Change into your comfy, warm clothes now."
He really would like to get warm. Despite how hot he had been feeling in the lecture hall, he felt absolutely freezing now.
Harry left him and went into their small kitchen area, and Louis shucked off his uncomfortable jeans and his button down t-shirt, changing into the much warmer, much cozier clothes Harry had brought out for him. He liked that Harry had given him one of his jumpers, because it smelled like Harry, which was comforting, and it was larger than one of his own, so Louis could curl up in it and practically hide from the world.
Harry came back a few moments after Louis had gotten settled on the couch underneath the blanket, and he had a steaming hot cup of tea in his hands.
"I put a small bit of lemon and honey in there. It should make it taste better, and that's what mum always did for me when I took ill."
"Thank you, Hazza." Louis smiled, taking the cup from Harry's hands.
He blew on the steaming hot liquid, cooling it just a bit before bringing the cup up to his lips and taking a small sip. Harry sat himself down on the couch next to his boyfriend, and Louis cuddled up to his side.
"You don't mind if I snuggle up with you like this, do you?" He asked, wanting to make sure.
"Why on earth would I mind?"
"I might make you sick." Louis said, sounding a little sad.
"I don't care about that." Harry said, shaking his head just a bit. "I just want you to be comfortable, love."
Louis let out a happy sigh and scooted closer to Harry, who wrapped his arms around him. He drank the entire mug of tea slowly, letting the hot liquid sooth his aching throat. He hummed happily, and Harry scratched his fingers soothingly over Louis' back.
When he finished his tea he set the cup down on their little coffee table and stretched a bit, fitting himself into Harry's side and draping his arms around him lazily.
"You're like a cat." Harry chuckled.
"Meow." Louis said quietly, nuzzling his nose into Harry's neck, taking in Harry's warmth.
"You're cute." Harry told him, and Louis grinned widely.
"I'm actually sick and disgusting."
"I wish I was your kind of disgusting all the time."
"You are." Louis said, slowly sliding down Harry's body until his face was resting against his thigh.
He stretched his legs out so he was lying down, and Harry began to rub soft, soothing circles into the skin of his back and hips and shoulders, and Louis could feel the ache that had begun to build up in him throughout the day dissipating.
He didn't know when it had happened, sometime between the start of Harry's little massage and when he'd started mumbling sweet words that all sounded like nonsense in Louis' jumbled brain, but he had fallen asleep.
He was quite disoriented when he awoke. He always got like this when he was ill. He had no clue what time it was or what had happened since he'd fallen asleep. He wasn't even sure what was underneath him at first, until he heard Harry sigh softly.
He sat up, leaning against Harry, his body weak with sleep and sickness.
"You seem like you got sicker after I brought you home." Harry commented.
"I blame you, Harold." Louis said, sticking his tongue out, causing himself to cough.
He quickly covered his face so that he wasn't coughing on his boyfriend, and Harry rubbed his back gently, trying to sooth his coughing to a stop.
When Louis ceased his coughing, he leaned his head onto Harry's shoulder and sighed, "I feel awful."
"You look awful."
"Oh, thanks." Louis said sarcastically.
"I meant you look like you're feeling awful. You know you always look perfect to me." Harry said.
"Nice save." Louis said, giving him a quick kiss on the jaw.
"I'm making you some soup." Harry said, grabbing hold of Louis so he could move without tipping him over. He then gently laid him down on the couch.
Louis sighed at the fact that he didn't have enough energy to keep himself upright and closed his eyes, his lids feeling heavy.
A few minutes later and Harry was back with a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup. He sat Louis up, letting him prop himself up against him, and then handed Louis the bowl. He ate it rather quickly, not having realized how hungry he was until food had been placed in his hands.
When all of the soup was gone, Harry took the bowl from him, taking it out into the kitchen and setting it in the sink. He then came back, sitting on the couch and letting Louis lie down with his head resting in his lap again.
"You know what we haven't seen in ages, Lou?"
"Hm?"
"Aladdin."
Louis smiled. He always loved to watch Disney films when he was feeling sick.
"Mind if I jostle you for just another minute and then you can stay still for the rest of the night?"
Louis shrugged, and Harry got up, popping the DVD into the player. He came back and resumed his previous position as Louis' pillow, and Louis nuzzled his cheek against Harry's thigh as the film began.
"I've always thought you'd make a great Abu, Hazza." Louis commented in a whisper as the film went on.
"I'm not sure if I should be honored or offended."
"Honored." Louis told him.
"I'd rather be Aladdin, though. Or Jasmine, so long as you were my Aladdin."
"Don't get cheesy now, Harry. I'm obviously the magic carpet."
"Are you?" Harry asked. "I'd always pegged you as more of a Genie."
"No way. He's the funniest, kindest bloke in the whole film."
"Exactly." Harry said, brushing Louis' fringe out of his eyes.
"You're still being cheesy, Hazza."
"I'm made of cheese." Harry grinned.
"Delicious." Louis chuckled.
"I'd say so."
"Shh." Louis hushed him as the reprise of One Jump Ahead started.
That had been one of his favorite parts of the film ever since he was young. He'd never really been able to place why. He thought maybe it was because all he really wanted to do in that moment was run through the screen and give Aladdin a hug.
He began crying, and then started to laugh at himself. Stupid cold, making him overly emotional.
"Louis, are you crying?" Harry asked, and Louis quickly wiped the tears from his face.
"No."
"You definitely were." Harry teased him. "Don't worry. You know I cry at 101 Dalmatians. Every. Single. Time."
"We're both such saps for classic Disney."
"One of the many reasons I love you." Harry told him.
"I only love you because you make me soup and have comfy thighs." Louis laughed, and Harry smacked him playfully on the hip.
"You love me because I'm perfect." He said, flipping his fringe out of his eyes and smiling widely.
"That I do, Harry. That I do."
"Feeling better?" Harry asked him, and as if on cue, he sneezed loudly, shaking the whole couch.
"Not so much." Louis sniffed, and Harry handed him a tissue which he blew his nose into. "But as long as you'll stay up and watch Disney films with me, I'll be happy."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."