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The morning sun peeked through the window. Usually it was soft and warm, but today it was…blinding. Harsh. A painful thing to wake up to. It felt like fire blasting through the blinds you forgot to fully close last night.
Damn, if it doesn’t hurt your overly sensitive eyes today.
Speaking of your body, your throat felt like it was scorching and dry as hell. You tentatively tried to swallow and instantly winced when it felt like sandpaper scraping the insides. And then there was your head. It felt like someone had smacked it with a sledgehammer about five times and maybe punched it twenty more times. There was this horrible ache, pulsing and throbbing throughout your head. There were so many more things that were wrong, like the stuffy nose and the wheezing cough building up in your lungs. Really, you were too tired to even think about it anymore, and just wanted to fall back asleep and hope the pain would magically disappear.
Unfortunately, your life isn’t that perfect, and instead you laid there for about 20 seconds, in your little world of pain and suffering. Another few more seconds in, you gave up trying to go back to sleep and decided you would at least get up from bed, and try to find something in the medicine cabinet for your pain. With a groan, you tried to push yourself to sit up.
…Only to freeze when you heard a soft grumble and a warm weight pressing closer to you from behind.
In the haze of your dizziness and fatigue, you had completely failed to register that the love of your life was currently in your bed, with his arms wrapped loosely around you. After your initial shock, you laid there, trying to recollect your memories, anything that helped explain how he was here, why he was here a few days earlier than he should’ve. You finally recalled what happened last night, how he had returned early simply because you hadn’t been answering his worried messages.
He had always been a bit of a protective partner, and for good reason…
You turned slightly, peeking over to gaze at your sleeping partner. 1x was dozing next to you, his long hair spread out in a messy pile. Usually it was kept carefully tied in a ponytail, or at least neatly untied, however it seemed that the hairtie had dropped sometime while asleep. You loved untangling his hair in the morning, combing it loose again and being able to weave your fingers through the silky strands.
Today though, you felt dull and exhausted. Maybe when you didn’t feel so ill…
…Back to the present. You felt HORRIBLE, everything was flaring up in pain, you were in agony. You tried to get up again, only to pause again as 1x mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and clung tighter to you, pulling you against him and cuddling you like some favorite teddy bear. He looked so innocently peaceful, a small smile curling at the corner of his mouth, occasionally letting out some contented noises. With 1x looking so soft and cute today, perhaps you could bear the pain just a bit longer. Your throat was also serving as an annoying reminder of the state you were in, though. Too bad you didn’t have any cough drops right now, or at least water…
1x’s presence was like a soothing balm to your sickness though, and you settled closer against his chest, breathing in his comforting scent. Having your eyes open made you more lightheaded…so you closed your eyes and let your head rest on him cautiously, afraid of waking him up. Being held like this was extremely calming for you, and exhaustion finally won over pain as you slipped back into a more relaxed sleep.
When you woke up again, presumably at least a hour later, 1x was still asleep next to you. You really couldn’t blame him, considering how late the two of you stayed up last night. Gazing at him absentmindedly, you lightly messed with his hair while gauging how extreme your pain was to consider waking him up. It was almost noon now, and the lack of food and water was not helping your current state. Sighing, you lifted your hand, ready to nudge him awake.
Before you could, 1x shifted again, this time seeming to finally wake up. About time…
His eyes cracked open, blearily blinking at you, realizing you were already awake.
“…Morning. You’re awake before me..? Did you sleep okay?”
He murmured, careful not to disturb the quiet peace of the morning.
“…”
You tried to respond, opening your mouth only to weakly cough, throat feeling as if it were on fire.
1x’s eyes widened, suddenly more alert and taking in your messed up, sickened condition.
He sat up, pulling you up with him gently and tentatively reached out to pat your back, awkwardly and unsure if it would help or make it worse.
After your coughing fit, you managed to choke out some words.
“I think…I’m a bit sick, haha..”
1x gives you an unamused look, sighing and reaches into his bag to pull out a clean bottle of water, dropping it on your lap.
“You don’t say. Why didn’t you wake me? There’s no way you could’ve slept through all that.”
You didn’t reply just yet, gratefully gulping the water while you thought about that. It was a bit stupid, huh…1x would be drastically more unhappy that you weren’t taking care of yourself compared to lost sleep. You opted to give him your honest answer, responding in a raspy voice yet teasing tone.
“Ah, you just looked too adorable when sleeping, how could I possibly bring myself to disturb it?”
He huffed at your response, turning away from you slightly. You could still see the faint warmth spreading across his cheeks, though.
“…Are you seriously trying to sweet talk me when you look like you might drop dead any second? Why are you even…urgh. Do you need anything? Painkillers?”
He didn’t wait for your answer, hurrying out of the bedroom, pulling up his scarf to conceal his somewhat flushed face. You could hear rummaging and rustling in the living room, and his footsteps. He returned a minute later, holding the storage box of all the medicine you had, and a bag of cough drops. 1x sets them down lightly on the bed, sitting back down next to you. He inspects the painkillers and cough drops carefully, eyeing them suspiciously.
“These look almost ancient. Can medicine expire? I should..”
He trails off, watching you pop them into your mouth without much of a second thought. You wash the medicine down with more water, before capping the bottle and leaning most of your weight against him lazily.
“I’m hungryyyy, X…”
1x stares at you blankly, processing the statement. He absentmindedly tugged you closer, rubbing circles on your waist, seemingly lost in thought. While you glanced at him, puzzled at the sudden silence, all he could think of was:
What the fuck do sick people eat?
“1x..?”
He stops spacing out, snapping back into focus, looking rather…caught off guard. His fingers still, twitching like he suddenly didn’t know what to do with them. 1x clears his throat, muttering.
“Sorry. Right. Food…I…there’s waffles in the freezer. Are you able to eat those?”
You tilt your head, confused.
“Why…wouldn’t I be able to eat them?”
1x blinks at your reply, not knowing what to say. Without uttering a single word he scoops you up, ignoring your quiet yelp and cradling you against him as he brings you to the kitchen. You’re set down on the stone countertop, watching as 1x sticks his head in the freezer, emerging with a bag of frozen waffles.
“Is four enough?”
You silently nod, not wanting to strain your sore throat any further. 1x shuffles over to the toaster, dropping the waffles in and sliding down the knob to turn it on. Observing him more closely, you noticed how his hands fumbled a bit with the toaster, humming with some sort of nervous energy.
…Odd.
1x never minded taking care of you when you weren’t feeling your best, nor was he ever this…awkward with it. Anxious? Flustered? You didn’t know.
You continued to ponder, the two of you waiting for the waffles to be done as you studied 1x. The medicine was definitely working, the horrible pain in your head dulling to become more bearable. You still coughed every few minutes, watching as 1x subtly winced with every pained sound that escaped your mouth.
After another minute or two, the waffles suddenly sprang up from the toaster, shooting up. Both of you jolted slightly, 1x considerably more than you. He plated the waffles, hissing under his breath as his hand made contact with the hot food. Typical him, always getting things done as quickly as possible…
1x sets the plate down next to you, opening the fridge door, this time pulling out some fresh fruits; strawberries, blueberries, and a banana. He washes the berries clean, carefully plucking the leaves off the strawberries and then cutting the red fruits in half. You watch the entire scene, observing 1x as he peeled the banana, afterwards slicing them into equal, even pieces.
He finishes it all by delicately placing the fruits on the waffles, spreading the amount evenly between the four of them.
It’s rather sweet, really, and you can’t help the small smile on your face when you see how much attention and effort he puts into preparing your breakfast. 1x notices it and quietly breathes out a sigh of relief, glad that he was at least doing something right. He holds up a small jug of syrup questioningly, glancing over at you. You let out a wistful sigh, shaking your head.
“I shouldn’t be having too much sugar…not when I’m sick..”
He nods, already mentally noting that for the future. 1x brings the plate over to the dining room, setting it down on the table. He then heads back to the kitchen, walking over to where you are and picks you up as well. You’re carried over to the table, expecting 1x to plop you down on a chair. Instead, he continues holding you and sits down instead, rearranging you so that you were now sitting on his lap, back pressed up against his chest. His arms slink around you, resting his chin on your shoulder. You don’t mind, always enjoying the amount of affection and love he gave you.
Picking up a fork, you eat the waffles in peace, 1x still clinging onto you, a quiet purr rumbling in his chest. Almost like a giant, oversized cat. Everything was fine until he suddenly nuzzled your neck, then pressing little kisses to it. You dropped your fork, almost choking on your food.
“1x-!”
He grinned against your neck, pulling away from it and humming innocently.
“Hm? Something the matter, princess?”
You grumble halfheartedly, jabbing him with your elbow, too tired to do any real damage. Lifting the fork again, you take only one more bite before setting it down.
Leaning back against 1x, you decided you felt too nauseous to eat any more.
He takes notice, looking over at your half finished plate.
“Done eating? I could finish them for you..”
You eye him, looking back and forth between him and the plate of waffles.
“Aren’t you worried you might get sick?”
1x scoffs, pulling you as close as physically possible to him.
“Me? Sick? That’s something yet to ever happen..”
A pause, before he adds quietly in an undertone.
“It also means I don’t have any experience dealing with it…and why I’m not sure if I’m taking care of you right. What if I’m..?”
You turn to blink slowly at him, taking in his words. When it hits you, you can’t help but laugh a bit.
“That’s why you’ve been so nervous this entire time? Really?”
1x stares at you, not expecting you to be so amused by this. When you laugh, he raises both hands defensively.
“Hey! It’s not my fault you don’t take your own health seriously enough…besides, what if you died from sickness?”
You roll your eyes at him, chuckling.
“It’s a common cold, not the bubonic plague, 1x…”
He opens his mouth to protest, but you cut him off before he can.
“Shut up and let me feed you these waffles. Consider it payback from yesterday…”
He opens his mouth somewhat reluctantly, allowing you to feed him the rest of the waffles, bite by bite. The remaining food is eventually all eaten, leaving behind an empty plate. The metal fork is put down with a soft clink, and you move, intending to stand up.
Before you can, 1x notices something. A small smear of strawberry juice next to your mouth, almost going unnoticed. Without thinking, he lifts his hand to gently wipe it away, thumb brushing against your face lightly.
A confused hum escapes you, watching as 1x caresses your face. The hand slowly retreats, as if he doesn’t want to let go. The smeared away juice is visible on his fingers, before being quickly wiped away on a tissue.
…ah.
The sudden, soft intimacy is a bit too much for either of you to handle right now, and 1x moves you off his lap onto a different chair.
You pointedly ignore how his hands rest on your waist, lingering half a second too long.
…You also ignore how warm 1x’s hands are, how easily he switches from messing with you to treating you so gentle and sweet, how you miss his contact-
…Sickness does weird things to a person, huh.
1x stands up, busying himself by taking the plate to the kitchen. Sounds of the sink water turning on and hitting a solid surface can be heard, and the strong scent of lemon soap reaches you. The quiet tap of footsteps approach you, as he returns and lifts you back into his arms, carrying you so effortlessly like he was made for it.
A pause.
“What do you want to do now?”
Your answer comes almost immediately, tired and half jokingly.
“…Sleep for the rest of the day.”
He nods, taking you seriously and brings you to the bedroom. Not like you’re gonna complain, though..
You felt so drained of energy that every second spent in his arms coaxed you closer to sleep.
1x carefully lowers you onto the bed, resting your head on some pillows and tucks the blankets over you.
Sitting down on the side of the bed, he doesn’t dare get too close to you. After all, you probably needed peace to recover, no disturbances. You needed your own space. You needed-
“1xxxxxxxxx….I need you in bed with meeeee…”
He chokes, not expecting your blunt and shameless statement. His head turns fully to stare at you, a bewildered and dumbfounded look on his face. You now saw the faint blush color his cheeks in real time, which was ridiculously adorable.
“Why are you like this. I- You’re lucky I love you…”
With a lot of halfhearted complaining and grumbling, the blanket is lifted slightly as he slips into bed with you. Your head is pulled into his chest, as he hugs your entire body closer. Immediately relaxing against him, you settled down more comfortably as you drifted off into sleep.
Your soft, sleeping face was rather cute, and 1x couldn’t help himself from letting his fingers trace over it again, cupping your cheeks in his hand. He breathed out a quiet sigh, fingers aimlessly wandering to your hair, smoothing it out. As his hand wandered, so did his thoughts.
He hated how you were sick, how you were in pain and how he didn’t know how to help you. Another problem that wasn’t easily solved.
Those thoughts broke off when you shifted, squirming slightly and looking uneasy. His hands instinctively went to your back, rubbing soothing circles, like it was second nature to comfort you. A habit he didn’t mind.
As you relaxed again, 1x had a sudden thought.
Food.
Eating food made people feel better, right?
Something warm and filling and properly cooked, not like those waffles you had for breakfast.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He wasn’t the most knowledgeable about treating sick people, but being hungry would definitely make it worse.
…What could he make?
He made noodles for you last night, but 1x wasn’t sure if you would be able to eat much today. You had barely eaten your waffles, looking like you would’ve vomited if you ate more than two of them.
He wanted to make a simple dish, something easy to make and consume, something that still would make you feel better.
The answer was simple, so simple that 1x was surprised he hadn’t thought of it sooner.
Soup, of course…
He hummed thoughtfully, stroking your hair while he tried to think of a soup that wouldn’t make him set the kitchen on fire to make.
You liked soup that were rich in flavor, he recalled. Like…tomato based soup. That could work. A rich, creamy and healthy tomato chicken soup.
1x moved to sit up, motivated with a goal to help you recover. When you whine unhappily in your sleep though, he pauses.
Glancing at you, his heart aches at the thought of leaving you here in bed, by yourself. Anything could happen to you in your sleep, after all.
That thought is pushed aside, focusing instead on how worse you would be if you starved. He carefully untangles his body from yours, replacing it with a large pillow for you to hug instead.
A soft and sweet kiss is pressed to your lips, before he pulls away and heads downstairs to the kitchen once again.
…
Thank goodness the fridge had essentially all the ingredients he needed. Guess that meant his assumptions were correct.
1x rummaged through the fridge, taking out whatever was probably needed to make the soup. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken breast, all the good stuff. He’d never tried making soup completely on his own, but he could probably pick it up quickly. You’d always claimed he had “a natural talent for cooking”, a small smile tugging at his lips upon recalling that memory.
The heavy pot was set on the stove, a blue fire crackling to life beneath it. 1x stared at the glowing screen of his phone, having searched up a recipe on how to cook the soup.
Step 1: Sauté the vegetables.
…The hell did that mean?
After conducting even more research, he eventually figured it out, adjusting the heat as needed and pouring a dash of oil in. Then came the garlic, cooked for a minute or two until the strong smell of it flooded his senses. After that were the onions, which had been washed and chopped.
Glancing at the next step, 1x realized he should’ve made the tomato broth beforehand.
…He should really start reading the entire thing through first.
With a sigh, the tomatoes were taken out of their plastic box, his eyes skimming over the label without really reading it. One particular section caught his eye, and 1x’s heart nearly stopped when he read over it a second time, desperately praying it wasn’t true.
…The tomatoes had expired a few days ago.
The other vegetables were still cooking, hissing and sizzling noises emitting from the pot. All that was background noise to 1x now though, something of low priority. He continued staring at the label, as if it would magically change to reveal that the tomatoes were still fine.
Expired food was no big deal to 1x. It tasted fine to him, and there wasn’t much harm that ever came out of it.
But with you…
You weren’t as…tough. You were hurt more easily; physically, mentally, whatever it was.
And right now, you were asleep, heavily weakened by sickness and exhaustion.
He wasn’t sure if expired food would have a drastic impact, but he would rather shoot himself than risk hurting you more.
Snapping out of his conflicting thoughts, the fire was quickly shut off. The onions and garlic were fully cooked anyways, and he didn’t want to cause more problems by burning down your kitchen. The tomatoes were immediately tossed into the trash without much of a second thought.
What was he going to do now…?
He couldn’t just go out to buy more tomatoes from the market, leaving you home all by yourself. His mind was already wandering to horrific scenes, scenes in which he returned home to find an empty bed, scenes that involved so many worse things.
So that was out of the question.
First things first.
The wooden stairs creaked beneath the weight of his footsteps, as he made his way back upstairs. 1x wanted to check up on you, make sure that you hadn’t suffocated yourself with the pillow. And maybe kiss you again. Because it’d make him feel better.
The bedroom door had been left ajar, and he peeked in, exhaling a relieved breath when his eyes landed upon your sleeping figure. He cautiously made his way over to the bed, tiptoeing so he wouldn’t awaken you. You were still curled around the pillow, holding onto it tightly underneath the weighted blankets. Some hair was carefully brushed out of your face, a tender and loving gesture. He exits the bedroom, returning to the kitchen to go through his existential crisis.
Back in the kitchen, his hair was this close to being ripped out from stress. Pacing around in circles anxiously, 1x didn’t know what to do.
Desperate with no other idea, he stupidly searched up “What to do if I can’t go outside to buy food?”
…
Right, food delivery services existed. Any logical thoughts were completely wiped out when he was panicking, especially if it somehow involved you.
After fumbling around with an app he just installed, an order for a pound of tomatoes was placed. For six bux. God, this economy was horrendous.
Ten minutes later, the ring of the doorbell was sounding throughout the quiet house. 1x winced, praying it wouldn’t wake you up.
The door was opened to reveal a young adult, a male wearing a red outfit and visor. Probably around his twenties. They were holding a container of tomatoes, fresh and carefully packaged.
When they saw 1x, they gave him a bright smile, handing over the tomatoes.
“Good afternoon, sir! I take it that you ordered these?”
1x nods, taking in the vegetables and shoves some extra bux into the delivery boy’s hand, wanting to start cooking as soon as possible. The man’s smile didn’t waver, cheerfully grinning and stepped back.
“Have a good day!”
And with that, they jumped onto something that somewhat resembled a motorcycle, driving off into the distance. 1x watched the red vehicle for a second, before swinging the door shut, heading back into the kitchen with his newly acquired tomatoes.
The other vegetables had already gone cold.
Sighing, the fire was reignited, set at a lower heat. In the meantime, he rinsed the tomatoes clean, then peeled off the skin. A small cooking trick he had learned from you was to soak the tomatoes in hot water, which made it much easier to peel the skin off the generally soft vegetable.
…He missed cooking together with you already.
The skinned tomatoes were placed in a separate pot, which had been filled with some boiling water. The chicken was also added in, as well as some salt and pepper. Some of the onions and garlic were transferred over, 1x experimenting with the food. Who knows? Perhaps they would enhance the flavor if cooked together.
Fifteen minutes later, the chicken had been fully cooked within the soup. Now for the confusing part. He had to….blend the soup? Apparently blending it with coconut milk would give the soup its creaminess. Or at least he prayed it would.
1x removed the chicken, setting it aside. The remaining contents were poured into a large blender, and the milk was mixed in as well. Watching with mild fascination, he observed as the blender hummed and whirred, and the tomato soup slowly thickened.
The blender was stopped before the soup could become too thick, swirling the liquid a bit to make sure it was okay. Knowing you, you’d still somehow end up choking on it either way.
The soup was transferred back into a large bowl, chicken also added back as well. The remaining vegetables were tossed in, and 1x just stared at what he had created. It smelled nice, so hopefully that meant it was edible. A basil leaf or two was delicately placed on top, just to add some color and make it look pretty.
The kitchen was quite the mess, pots and bowls and plates everywhere. Not to mention all the food, half used vegetables and meat all over the place. Some had even fallen to the floor, scattered when he had been panicking over expired tomatoes.
…That could be fixed later, he wanted to get the food to you first.
He carefully held the steaming bowl in his hands, slowly climbing up the steps. The bedroom door was pushed open with his foot, as he navigated his way through, careful not to spill a drop. Depositing the bowl on a bedside drawer, 1x perched on the edge of the bed glanced over at you.
You seemed to not have moved at all, still peacefully sleeping comfortably with the pillow in your arms. 1x wouldn’t mind letting you sleep longer, but it was late noon and you needed food. And that the soup would be cold if left out too long.
He poked at the large lump of your body underneath the blankets, then lightly shaking your shoulders.
No use. You were out like a rock.
Guess that meant he had to resort to his secret weapon.
1x crawled closer to you, climbing up and over your body. He sat on top of you, resting his legs on either side of your sleeping figure, essentially straddling you.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he leaned his head down, letting his breath fan over your face. Still no reaction, although maybe your expression momentarily shifted.
With no other choice, he pressed his lips to yours, stealing most of your already short breath in a sweet kiss.
…
Something was tugging at your mind, a need to wake up. Blearily blinking open your eyes, you were met with the amused face of your partner. Why were you so out of breath?
Then you registered the weight, something pressing down on you, something heavier than blankets.
It took a few seconds to realize, and you could feel your face burning up, and not from sickness.
You push yourself up, half with an intent to shove him off you, unable to stand how hot the blankets suddenly felt.
…Too quickly though, it seems.
The sudden burst of movement was too much, and you immediately began coughing, almost flopping back down.
1x’s smug expression melts into a horrified one, instantly scrambling off of you like a startled cat. He settles down beside you, supporting your body up.
“Sorry, sorry-I didn’t mean to, I brought soup for you-“
The coughing subsides eventually, and you perk up at the mention of soup, already forgetting everything else that happened.
“…Food? For me? I suppose I am hungry..”
He visibly relaxes, nodding and bringing the bowl over. 1x sits up, pulling his knees to his chest and balancing the bowl on it, with one hand holding onto it as well. The other hand holds a spoon, absentmindedly swirling the soup around.
“I thought…maybe it’d make you feel better..?”
There isn’t a response, as you simply sit there with your mouth open, patiently waiting to be fed similar to a baby bird. A smile creeps up his face when he notices, spooning some soup out and feeding it to you.
The soup tastes wonderful, full of flavor and creaminess. It soothes your throat as well, the liquid warming every part of your body. You didn’t expect 1x to cook so well.
Speaking of your beloved, he was watching with large anxious eyes, unsure if you enjoyed it or not. Noticing this, you leaned closer to him and opened your mouth again, in silent demand for more.
His eyes lit up, gladly giving you more of the soup.
This process went on and on, repeating over and over.
Each bite of chicken was amazing, the chunks of tomatoes were rich and juicy, the onions were soft, everything was perfect.
God, you loved this man so much it hurt your heart.
The soup was finished considerably quickly, you didn’t even realize just how hungry you were. 1x set the empty bowl back on the dresser, pulling you into his arms.
You felt warm and happy, gratefully snuggling close to him. Chuckling, soft kisses were placed all over you, from your forehead to your throat. Being a person built on affection, it was hard to even begin to describe how lucky you were to have such a cuddly and attention giving partner like 1x.
In the span of half a day, the sickness had already noticeably loosened its grip on you. You were pretty sure that usually wouldn’t happen…just another benefit of 1x’s presence, probably. Another reason excuse to stay closer to him.
The two of you stayed in this quiet, restful peace, indulging in it for as long as possible. Something would probably go wrong eventually, something that would disturb the relaxed atmosphere that was built.
…Neither of you expected the ‘something’ to be 1x’s stomach, letting out a soft growl of hunger.
You turned to stare, trying not to laugh at the situation.
“Did you not make anything for yourself to eat..?”
1x shakes his head, a bit sheepish and embarrassed.
“I was a bit…preoccupied with preparing someone else’s meal first, you see..”
Unable to hold back a giggle, you take his hand in yours, shakily standing up.
“Well, what are you waiting for? I feel much better now, let’s go cook something together! It’s been a while..”
He affectionately huffs, allowing you to pull him up, other arm resting on your waist to steady you.
You both walk downstairs, past the living and dining room, outside the kitchen entrance.
…
“What the hell happened to my kitchen?”