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“Jakey, I’m gonna die.”
“What? Albert, you can’t even die in this game. Do you suck that much?”
“No, Jake, I’m sick—“ Albert started before a series of violent coughs wracked his body.
Despite being all the way in Ohio, Jake still grimaced and inched away from his microphone.
“Albert? Are you okay?” Jake worriedly asked.
There was some more aggressive coughing and Jake’s heart panged with sympathy.
“Not really, Jakey,” Albert miserably sniffled, "I've been stuck with this stupid cold for like three days already and it won’t go away.”
“Whoa, really? You’ve been taking all your medicine, right?”
“Well….” Albert trailed off.
Jake barely withheld a sigh, but that didn’t stop him from saying, “Please tell me you’ve been taking medicine.”
“I try to! It’s just between recording and playing video games and watching videos, I just kinda…forget.” Albert sheepishly said.
I hate this idiot so much, Jake thought to himself.
Out loud he said, “I’ll make sure you remember to take your medicine, dumbass.”
Albert laughed and sorely regretted it when he started to cough again.
That conversation happened in a scrapped recording yesterday and Albert didn’t expect it to mean Jake would be standing on his doorstep, day bright, but posture and face disappointed. Albert gaped at him and tried not to think about how crusty he must look. Jake raised an impressive brow at him.
“Albert,” Jake said, “are you gonna move aside so I can come in? I thought hospitality was a big thing in the South.”
Albert dumbly nodded and hurriedly stepped away from his doorframe, making space for Jake and his suitcase. Jake grabbed his luggage and walked into Albert’s home.
“Go ahead and lie down on the couch.” Jake instructed Albert, nodding his head towards Albert’s large red couch.
Albert listened and reclined himself against the plush cushions, but he couldn’t help but comment, “You know you didn’t have to fly all the way to Florida for me.”
He said it lightly, but his heart hadn’t stopped fluttering once since he opened his door and saw Jake expectedly standing there.
Jake scoffed from where he was standing in Albert’s kitchen and tying his Kiss the Cook! apron around his waist.
“Obviously, I didn’t have to. But I wanted to. Now shut up and let me work.” Jake snarked back.
Albert was wise and kept quiet. The kitchen was positioned directly in front of his living room, so he could see everything Jake was doing from his spot on the couch. He alternated between petting his plush flamingo puppet, Bert, and kneading his hands on his embroidery pillows. The pillows weren’t very practical in terms of comfort, but Albert loved feeling the texture of the thread underneath his fingers. He never took his eyes off of Jake no matter what he was doing. Albert’s eyes watered a couple of times and he had to consciously remind himself to blink. Why should I need to blink when I can stare at my loving boyfriend, Albert glumly thought.
Meanwhile, Jake was extremely focused in the kitchen. His phone was propped up with a recipe on screen, and he looked so determined every time he went back to check on it. On the stove was a large pot already filled with boiling water. He opened up Albert’s fridge and took out whatever edible vegetables he had, and some fresh chicken breast. Jake consulted his recipe one more time, nodded to himself, and really got to work. Every so often he would discreetly glance over at the couch where Albert was laying and he remembered why he was doing all of this in the first place.
The most delicious smell was making itself at home in Albert’s house. Albert’s stomach had eagerly watched as Jake washed and cleaned vegetables, and prepped and seasoned the chicken. Jake was currently draining some spaghetti noodles, and it wasn’t long before he was adding that to the pot, too. Albert was transfixed as he watched Jake stir the pot. Belatedly, he realized that Jake was making him chicken noodle soup. My boyfriend is making me soup when I’m sick, Albert squealed to himself. His socked feet did a delighted wiggle. He continued to silently but loudly admire the firm set of Jake’s jaw, his focused eyes, and his steady hands.
It wasn’t much longer after that when the soup was finally finished. Albert saw Jake spooning a large bowl and prepared to lift himself out of the comfortable nest he made on the couch. Only for Jake to call out quite sternly, “Don’t even think about getting up, Albert. Keep your ass on that couch. I’m coming over with the soup.”
Albert kept his ass on his couch.
Jake carried over the steaming bowl of soup and saliva pooled in Albert’s mouth. He gingerly perched on the edge of the couch, angling his body towards Albert, and started carefully handing the bowl over to him.
“You’re gonna feed me.” Albert stated even if his face flushed red.
“Dude. I’m not feeding you.” Jake complained.
“Wow, Jakey. Here I am, dying right before your eyes, yet you can’t feed me? Your little princess?” Albert widened his eyes and pouted his lips.
Jake scoffed at him but Albert could see the tips of his ears turning red.
“Please, Jakey?” Albert prodded further. “Your little princess is already so, so, so little….”
“Fine.” Jake grumbled, pulling the bowl back to himself.
Without a word, he spooned some soup and lifted it up to Albert’s mouth. Albert let out a smug hmph and happily ate the spoonful. Jake sighed fondly, and spooned more soup for him. Albert swallowed every spoonful and felt all the warmer for it.
Albert was pleasantly full by the time the bowl was empty. The broth had been fragrant, the chicken tender and soft in his mouth, and the vegetables flavorful. Completely perfect. He rested on the couch as Jake washed the dishes. He had tried to wash them himself, but Jake had firmly but gently pushed him back down. Sure, Albert was a bit sick right now, but he wasn’t completely weak. Still, he listened to Jake and only watched on as Jake cleaned up.
Albert hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch, so warm and full of soup, until Jake thrusted a hand into his face. He blinked until his vision cleared. Jake was holding medicine in his hand and holding a glass of water with the other.
“Here. Take this.” Jake instructed.
Albert took his medicine under Jake’s strict supervision. It was only after he drained his glass of water that Jake took it from him, refilled it, brought it back, and then disappeared somewhere in Albert’s house. Albert sipped on his water as he waited for Jake to return.
Soon, Jake came back with a thermometer in hand. He gently brushed away Albert’s bangs and placed a kind hand against Albert’s forehead.
“I don’t think you have any fever,” Jake muttered, “but it never hurts to check.”
Jake checked all three sides of Albert’s forehead and hummed approvingly.
“No fever. You’re just a bit warm,” said Jake, “but why don’t I get you a blanket? Are your socks fluffy enough for you?”
Albert definitely had a stupid expression on his face, but he couldn’t help it when Jake was so nice. His toes couldn’t help but wiggle as he responded, “That sounds nice. I…could use fluffier socks. They’re in my bottom drawer in my room.”
Jake nodded and set off.
He returned with one of Albert’s fluffy hot pink blankets and a pair of fuzzy pink socks. Jake silently kneeled on the ground in front of Albert and quickly changed his socks. Albert didn’t even have the chance to feel any discomfort when his new socks were already being slid on. Jake stood back up, threw the blanket over Albert and ensured he was completely tucked in. Albert didn’t think he'd ever been this warm even under the Florida summer sun.
“There. My little princess is all tucked in.” Jake stated proudly, chest puffed out like a cartoon rooster.
“Thank you. You’re my hero.” Albert sincerely complimented.
“I know I am.”
Without further ado, Jake squished himself next to Albert. Or he would’ve if Albert wasn’t already lying down. Like this, he was Albert’s impractically-shaped heat pad. He was also extremely close.
“Jakey, you’re gonna get sick.” Albert complained.
“No, I'm not. Only idiots get cold. And you only have a cough. Besides, if I get sick then I’m sure my little princess can nurse me back to health.” Jake widened his eyes and pouted his lips.
Albert laughed at him.
“That is so not cute.” Albert teased.
“Whatever. We can’t all be thirty and still be cute.” Jake grumbled.
“Jakey!” Albert gasped. “You’re adorable to me! And you’re only 50!”
Jake grumbled some more and settled more solidly across Albert’s body. He felt a bit like a mama bear protecting her cub. Especially when his taller body covered Albert’s and then some. Though, it did give him the perfect opportunity to secretly sniff at Albert’s hair. It didn’t smell flowery or fruity, but it smelled like Albert. Like home, Jake admitted to no one but himself. He reached down and pinched at Albert’s waist as revenge for spurring such a sappy thought. Albert predictably flinched and probably would’ve jumped up if he wasn’t currently being physically weighed down by Jake.
“You bitch! That’s no way to treat a patient!” Albert whined.
Jake muffled his endeared chuckles into Albert’s hair. He could feel Albert pinching him harder in retaliation but even the slight pain wasn’t enough to deter his laughing. Albert quickly caved and joined in on the laughter, even if his giggles were punctuated by coughs. Jake was too happy right now to even yell at him for coughing in the air like a toddler.
When both of their giggles quieted down, Albert whispered, “Thanks so much, Jakey. I love you.”
Jake smiled even though Albert couldn’t see it.
“You never have to thank me because I love you, too.”
They settled into a comfortable silence. Jake could feel Albert’s body relaxing under his and soon his obnoxious snores were flowing into Jake’s ears. He smiled again and his body loosened, melting into a protective goo that shielded his boy from any and all. They fell asleep together like that, cuddled close and heartbeats synchronized even through the thick blanket separating them.