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Saying that Anthony felt terrible when he woke up would be an understatement.
No sooner had he opened his eyes than he felt his heart pounding and his body aching as if he had just finished a long hike. His nose was so stuffy that he could only breathe through his mouth. To top it all off, he shivered from head to toe.
He sat up on the edge of the bed with difficulty and shivered again when his bare feet touched the cold floor. He was about to get up and look for medicine when he was seized by a violent, uncontrollable coughing fit.
He fell back onto the bed, hoping it would pass, when he felt a soothing hand gently stroking his back.
Asa said nothing and stayed by his side, offering that simple touch which, though it didn't stop the cough, brought him some comfort.
Once the coughing subsided, Asa gently said, "Well, it looks like the flu hasn't spared you."
He kissed Anthony on the forehead, then pulled away abruptly. "Oh my goodness, Anthony, you're so hot."
Despite his pitiful state, Anthony couldn’t help but reply in a teasing tone: "My angel, I know I’m hot. It seems to me you told me that two nights ago and several times before that."
Asa rolled his eyes and said, "Idiot... This time, I'm not talking about that kind of hotness."
He placed both hands on Anthony’s shoulders, gently pushing him back and forcing him to lie down.
Too weak to protest, Anthony let himself fall back onto the pillows. He shivered violently again, which Asa noticed immediately.
He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it tightly around Anthony before kissing him one last time on the forehead and whispering, "I’ll take care of everything. We’re going to get you back on your feet. Okay?"
Anthony was already starting to doze off before he had even finished speaking.
"Wait! Don’t fall asleep just yet."
Asa hurried into the bathroom and then to the kitchen. He returned with a glass of water and a pill.
He set the glass on the nightstand, sat on the edge of the bed, and said in a soothing voice, "Anthony, my love, just take this. It'll bring your fever down. Then I'll let you go back to sleep. I promise."
Anthony nodded weakly. Asa put an arm around his lover’s shoulders to help him sit up and handed him the pill first, followed by the glass of water. Anthony obediently swallowed the pill and drank the entire glass of water, encouraged by Asa. He handed Asa the glass once he was done before letting himself fall heavily back onto the pillows, exhausted. Asa gently stroked his forehead in a hypnotic motion and stayed that way until Anthony fell asleep.
Asa watched him for a few more moments to make sure he was sleeping peacefully before heading to the kitchen.
When Anthony woke up, he didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. Apparently, it had been long enough for his fever to break and his aches and pains to subside. In the distance, he heard Asa humming softly in the kitchen. He sat up slightly, which triggered another fit of coughing.
The noise naturally drew Asa over. When Anthony finally caught his breath, he saw him sitting on the edge of the bed with a steaming cup in his hand.
Asa set the cup on the nightstand before helping Anthony get comfortable, propping his back against the pillows he’d arranged behind him.
Then, he headed to the bathroom and returned with a damp towel. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently wiped the towel over Anthony’s face and forehead. Anthony hummed with contentment.
Asa placed the towel on the nightstand, turned back to Anthony, gently brushed his hair back, lightly touched his forehead, and sighed with relief.
"So I’m not hot anymore?" Anthony asked in a hoarse voice.
Asa laughed softly and said, "Oh, you are, but this time in a good way."
Anthony started to laugh, but it turned into a fit of coughing.
Asa gently stroked his back and picked up the cup from the nightstand. He handed it to Anthony and said softly, "This is an herbal tea that my grandmother used to make for me when I had a cold. I don’t know if it works, but the warmth will at least soothe your sore throat."
Anthony clutched the cup with both hands and inhaled its scent. The hot steam cleared his stuffy nose a little. He wasn’t sure if it was the faint scent of the mixed herbs or the thought that Asa had made something for him, but holding the warm cup already brought him great relief.
He gently brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. The taste was pleasant, and he recognized notes of sage and eucalyptus. The warmth of the liquid flowing down his throat soothed the irritation caused by his cough.
"A recipe from Grandma Fell, I see?"
Asa smiled fondly. "Grandma was full of resourcefulness and believed in the power of herbs. I’ve kept a few tricks up my sleeve."
"Hmm, I would have liked to have met her."
Asa gently stroked his lover's face and said, smiling, "She would have adored you. Just because of the way you talk to your plants."
"Of course they need that attention."
Asa laughed softly and waited for Anthony to finish his cup of tea before taking it to the kitchen.
But Anthony held him back by the hand and asked, almost shyly, "Will you stay with me?"
Then, almost immediately, as if he regretted asking, he added, "Never mind. You don’t have to. I don’t want to make you sick."
Except that everything about his attitude said the opposite.
Asa set the cup on the nightstand, walked around the bed, took off his slippers, and climbed into bed. He moved closer to Anthony, slipped under the covers, wrapped his arms around his lover, and pulled him close to his chest.
"Weren’t you the one who told me never to hold back just because I think that’s what you want? That goes for you, too. It’s a two-way street. You want me to stay, so I’ll stay with you. The most important thing right now is you, and that you get better. Okay?"
Anthony didn’t protest, just let out a contented sigh. As he pressed himself closer to his lover’s chest, Asa whispered, "Try to sleep now, my love. I’ll stay with you."
Anthony hummed softly in agreement.
Little by little, Asa felt his lover’s body grow heavier against his own, and he felt Anthony's breath deepen and become regular.
Asa didn’t budge an inch, even when his arm went numb from being in that position. Nothing in the world could have made him move if doing so would have disturbed his beloved’s sleep.
His beloved Anthony, had given him so much in such a short time that Asa couldn’t have been happier to give him something in return.
He pressed a long, tender kiss onto his lover’s hair.
Of course, he would prefer him to be well and healthy, but this was still one of the most fulfilling things he had ever done.
Taking care of his beloved.
His precious Anthony.