Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kip looked up from the scrambled eggs he was making when he heard the front door close softly, followed by a volley of light coughing. He paused mid stir at the sound as his boyfriend, Scott Hunter, turned the corner wearing a plain white tank top and shorts. One headphone was still tucked into his ear, phone in hand. His attention wavered from his phone to Kip instead, eyes aglow in the same affection that Kip had come to expect.

“Morning,” Kip greeted with a grin, looking back to his eggs. “Breakfast is almost ready. We got scrambled eggs and turkey bacon.”

Scott wrinkled his nose at the suggestion, something that he never, ever did when it came to Kip’s cooking. This was an almost everyday occurrence with Scott awakening at the crack of dawn to go for a run while Kip woke not long after to prepare breakfast. It was usually some sort of eggs and fruit, though he would sometimes throw in some various other protein as well, especially before a game. Scott devoured everything, Kip included more times than not.

“I can make you something else,” Kip offered quickly. Eggs were a stable, though the fridge was loaded with just about everything if Kip wanted to make something else. He had a little time before he needed to leave for work.

Scott seemed to realize what his expression gave away as he hurriedly came over to Kip’s side. Normally he would wrap an arm around Kip’s waist and pull him close, burying his face in the back of Kip’s neck as Kip only halfheartedly tried to push him away, often complaining about how sweaty Scott was. This time, however, Scott seemed to be keeping his distance.

“I’m sorry. I’m just not very hungry.”

Kip raised an eyebrow quizzically. He immediately switched the heat off on the stove, turning so that his hip pressed against the counter so he could look Scott up and down completely. “Scott Hunter isn’t hungry? Are you okay?”

Scott laughed good naturally, weight shifted foot to foot as he leaned against the counter. “Yeah, yeah. Must just be too full from last night.”

“That’s not how that works….”

Scott looked as though he was about to speak only to, instead, steal a sudden, broken inhale. His brows furrowed, lips semi parted. Kip eyed him curiously before Scott twisted away from his boyfriend and the food, collar of his shirt lifted over the lower half of his face. His breath gave a sudden hitch as his shoulders hunched and his body jerked forward.

“HrShs’Tchsh!”

Kip jumped at bit at the force and sound. He had heard Scott sneeze before, but not so viscerally. Scott kept his shirt raised over his face, unwilling to turn back around to face Kip. He stood there for a few more seconds before he sneezed again, this one even more intense than the previous.

“RHcs’TCHs’SH!”

“Bless you,” Kip exclaimed.

Scott finally dropped his shirt from over his nose, revealing slightly pink edges to his nostrils. “Ugh, thanks,” he grumbled, hand coming to scrub at his left eye.

Kip cocked his head. “Are you sick?”

“Me? No,” Scott scoffed. He gave a roll of his eyes at the mere suggestion. “Allergies must be acting up is all. Everything is fucking blooming out there.”

Kip had never known Scott to have allergies before. If anything, he was the one most susceptible with the entirety of summer leaving him with a scratchy throat and itchy eyes. Perhaps it was something he had overlooked, however unlikely. Kip tried to hold Scott’s gaze, but the taller man pulled away.

“I gotta get ready. Will I see you at the game tonight?”

“Do I ever miss a home game?”

Scott grinned, that goofy smile that Kip fawned over making an appearance. He reached a hand forward to rest it over Kip’s before pulling away.

A hollow feeling filled Kip ever so faintly. Scott never left without a kiss, or at least a small peck on the lips. Something was definitely off with him, that was for certain, but what it could be was still the question.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kip audibly gasped as Scott was thrown against the wall, the audience booing alongside his cries. The puck slipped across the ice with Scott’s opponent easily overtaking Scott’s pace. That wasn’t like Scott to be overtaken in either strength or speed. Scott seemed to shake his head to clear it before he returned to the fray, skates searing into the ice as he raced forward.

Kip could hardly focus on the actual game part of this game; he was too focused on Scott as a person instead of a player. He moved surprisingly sluggishly, missing easy passes and even missing a wide open shot, to which he was pulled off the rink not even a minute later to be replaced with a slightly younger player. Scott hardly seemed torn up about it, sitting heavily on the bench and burrowing his face into his elbow as his shoulders shook. If Kip didn’t know any better he’d think that Scott was coughing, at least that’s what it looked like.

It was only towards the end of the game that Kip realized just how poorly Scott must be feeling if he was playing as rough as he was. He finished the game on the ice, taking a few more hits without so much as a shove back in retaliation. Kip swore that he could see how hard he was breathing, accompanied by the amount of times he kept rubbing at his nose with a gloved hand. Even Kip could recognize the amount of sniffling Scott was doing, especially when his face was projected on the screen above them. It may escape everyone else’s notice, but not Kip’s.

By the time the game finally finished, Kip was chomping at the bit to get to Scott. They won, but barely, and he could see by the way that Scott hung his head as he made his way to the locker room that he knew he played like shit. Normally he may skate over in Kip’s direction or try and share a brief conversation before he hit the locker room. For him to leave without a word or acknowledgement let Kip know exactly how he was feeling.

While the rest of the fans filed out, Kip stayed in his seat, checking his phone periodically to see if Scott texted. No notifications greeted his eyes no matter how many times he refreshed, so he settled for playing a few rounds of Candy Crush instead as he anxiously awaited Scott’s emergence from the locker room.

It didn’t take long for the rink to clear out with only a few diehard fans hanging around, as well as Kip himself. The more time passed, the more restless Kip became. He regularly dropped his phone in favor of gazing about the rink and the tunnel, apprehension coiling in his gut. Thoughts racing, Kip struggled to keep calm as the minutes stretched on. He was just about to break down and call Scott when he finally saw the man trudging out of the locker room and walking around the perimeter of the rink.

Kip leapt to his feet and walked past the first row of seats towards the back of the arena to meet him. His heart hammed in his chest the moment he caught sight of his boyfriend with his duffle slung over his shoulders in a sweatshirt and sweatpants to match. His cheeks were slightly flushed, nose ruby red and raw around the edges. Scott sniffled liquidity before lifting the back of his wrist up to his nose, rubbing fiercely against the raw appendage.

“You look like shit,” Kip stammered.

Scott let out a laugh that turned into a cough, directed over his shoulder as though he was too tired to actually raise his arm to contain the outburst. “Thangks. Bakes be feel all warb ad fuzzy inside.”

Kip winced. “You sound it too. I’m surprised you can even breathe with how clogged up you sound.”

Scott gave another sniffle, possibly for show more than anything else. It led to another jarring round of coughs, this time causing the once sturdy man to lean against the wall to collect his bearings. His head bowed towards his chest, nose starting to run now that the congestion shifted.

Kip fished his hand into his pocket, beaming in relief as his fingers enclosed around his prize. He produced a handful of crumpled napkins and quickly handed them over, to which Scott reluctantly took to mop up the worst of the mess that dripped down to his upper lip. His brow knit tightly together the moment the rough material grazed the most sensitive areas of his nose, a faint watering of his eyes clueing Kip in to just how much that probably stung.

“Sorry. It’s from the pretzel that I got earlier. If I would’ve known, I would’ve brought something softer.” He shot Scott a knowing, slightly accusatory look.

Scott returned it with one of his own, though much less intense than normal. “You don’t need to fret over allergies.”

“You’re sick, Scott! You think you’d play that bad if it was just allergies,” Kip shot back, knowing the hit to Scott’s ego would be more than enough to push him over the edge.

Sure enough, Scott squared his shoulders as he straightened to his full height. His eyes lit in frustration, a harsh contrast against his flushed features and reddened nose. “Kip,” he started.

Kip raised a hand to cut him off. “Just admit it. How many coughing fits did you have tonight? You forget that even without that screen I notice everything about you, Scott Hunter. Now if you would just—“

Kip was abruptly cut off by Scott lifting the napkin back up to his face, eyelashes fluttering while his breath caught. Nostrils flaring, Scott barely had a moment in between his first hitching breath before he was almost thrown forward. “HRs’TCSHshSH!”

“Jesus,” Kip exclaimed as Scott blew his nose with a congested sounding honk into the folds. The napkin was almost useless afterwards, Scott tucking it into his pocket desperately. Kip frowned, Scott’s body sagging with the force of the explosive sneeze. Whatever energy he had left after the game seemed zapped away, leaving a shell of the man that was usually vibrating with excitement after games whether they won or lost. “How long have you been holding that back?”

In lieu of a verbal response, Scott flipped him off. It was answer enough for Kip, who came around Scott’s side and wrapped an arm around his middle. “C’mon, champ. Let’s get you home and in bed.”

Scott gave a halfhearted attempt to push Kip off. “Stop,” he groaned. “M’don’t wanna get you sick.”

“Oh, so now you’ll admit you’re sick when I’m possibly breathing the same air as you?” Kip reached back to grab Scott’s duffle from his shoulders. He gave a slight tug before Scott let go, Kip swinging the bag easily over his own shoulder. It was certainly heavy, but much easier for him to handle than it would be for Scott. Although the hockey player didn’t appear to have a fever, Kip wanted to keep it that way.

Kip was thankful that the rink was pretty much empty by the time he and Scott made their way to the parking lot. A sudden chilly breeze overtook them, a harsh shiver shaking Scott’s shoulders. He leaned ever so indiscriminately into Kip’s grasp, something he would never have done just a few months prior. The darkness of the parking lot, lack of cars, and illness were perhaps lowering Scott’s inhibitions too in a way that Kip wasn’t used to.

“What,” Scott suddenly asked, noticing the look on Kip’s face.

Thinking better about being completely honest, Kip gave a small shrug. “Just didn’t think that hockey players could get cold. You know, always being on the ice an all.”

Scott’s brow raised in response. He didn’t even dignify Kip’s remark with a response, though it could’ve had something to do with the awful cough that shook his frame. For a man so strong, Kip was surprised to feel him quake with each cough even when he turned as far away from Kip as possible when he did so. He didn’t protest when Scott pulled away to continue the fit into the crook of his arm, sweat streaked hair falling towards his face.

Kip lengthened his stride to catch up with Scott, shoulder lightly jostling the taller man. “C’mon, my car is right around the corner.”

Scott gave no complaint as he followed Kip the rest of the distance to his car, nor did he argue when Kip threw his duffle into the trunk before turning to the driver’s side door. Normally Scott would always offer to drive even in Kip’s car. It was something about normalcy or something he would always say. However, even Scott had to admit that he was in no condition at the moment to drive.

Kip leaped into his seat and turned on the engine before cranking the heat and adjusting the vents so it blasted on the passenger side. Truth be cold, Kip was just a tad bit warm now with all the layers he wore to the game, yet he could see the goosebumps sprouting along the back of Scott’s neck through his sweatshirt a mile away. Scott clambered into the passenger side and closed the door tightly before fishing out the wilted napkin from his pocket.

“Oh, wait!” Kip lifted the center console and brushed aside a folded map before bringing out a tiny travel pack of tissues. There were only a few left, but they may be able to last Scott until they made it back to Scott’s apartment.

“Huh’RcSH’Hcsh! HrCSH’TcshSH!”

Or perhaps just the next few seconds.

Scott pulled the thin tissues from their confined packaging and cupped them over his nose, blowing softly. It hardly seemed to shift the rising congestion as Scott leaned back in the seat, hand lifted to massage at his sinuses.

Kip stretched out a hand and rested his palm on Scott’s knee, giving it a tight squeeze. “Hang in there. We’ll be home soon.”

A low hum was the only response that Kip received as Scott tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Kip gave Scott’s leg a final pat before resting both hands on the steering wheel and pulling out of the parking spot. He was extra careful to take things slow and steady in case Scott managed to drift off in the short time between the rink and home. Sleep seemed like it may be a scarcity that night, which meant any rest he could get now would be appreciated.

Kip kept the radio on low as he listened to some 80’s pop music, fingers tapping alongside the steering wheel. Periodically he would steal fleeting glances at Scott, watch the rise and fall of his chest until it was no longer safe to keep his eyes off the road for such a prolonged period of time. If Scott was sleeping, it wasn’t deeply as, despite his congestion, he never broke out into any such snoring even with his mouth gaped open to allow for easier breathing.

He looked so pathetic like this if Kip was being honest with himself. He had seen Scott injured a couple times before, but never sick. He was so regimented and conscious of his body’s needs that he remained in tiptop condition more often than not. Occasionally he would face the odd injury as any hockey player did. Illness, however, was never usually in the cards for him. It was good to know now that a simple cold could still land him flat on his ass.

They were almost home when Scott roused himself, or more like his runny nose did. A deep sniffle caused a fire of desperation to ignite deep within his nasal passages, painful as it was ticklish. The tissues from earlier were all but useless, as was Kip’s napkin from earlier. Scott swore as he patted his pockets for some sort of miracle before quickly determining that would not be the case. Left without many options, Scott was left to raise his hoodie up over his nose and mouth in a similar display from this morning. However, things has certainly escalated from then.

“Huh…heh…hih….HrCHS’tHcs’SH!”

The sneeze tore from Scott’s throat just as much as his nose, eyes jammed shut and body hunched with the force of it. Scott’s entire body seemed to tremble as he kept his hand placed over the collar of his hoodie to keep it from falling down. His face flushed deep crimson under the gray material, sniffling pitifully as he swallowed around the soreness in his throat.

“Bless you,” Kip explained with a sympathetic frown. “That sounded like it hurt.”

Scott opened his eyes blearily, sweatshirt never dropping so much as a centimeter from his nose. He didn’t answer verbally either, only twisted so that his head was rested against the cool glass window, body pressed so tightly against the door that it appeared he may be trying to become one with the object.

“Hun, you don’t have to keep your face covered. I’m not worried about catching this from you,” Kip reminded with a light motion Scott’s face.

Scott’s face screwed in distain, wrinkles stretches from his brow to the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. His body remained tucked against the passenger door, appearing much smaller than the facade Scott usually portrayed. If anything, Kip thought it looked as though he was trying to disappear.

“Dno,” Scott mumbled after a moment. “I dodn’t think I should.”

It only took a few more seconds of contemplation for Kip to put two and two together. There was the heavy congestion in Scott’s voice, the violence of the sneeze, and lack of tissues. Yes, it seemed Scott found himself in an embarrassing predicament, at least for the hockey star.

Kip smiled kindly, a look that lit up his eyes and often would melt Scott’s heart. “I’m not afraid of a little snot. Please, before you suffocate over there.”

There was some distinct grumbling and a feeble attempt of Scott rubbing at his nose through the thick material. Still, once he hesitantly lowered the collar of his sweatshirt down, wetness still showed under his nose right above his upper lip. A hand seemed to be his last resort to rub his nose dry, yet even the lightest of touches brought a burning pain to Scott’s chilled face.

Kip decided not to draw anymore attention to Scott’s predicament as he pulled into the parking garage. He was thankful he found a space so easily as even now that they were that much closer to home, Kip felt his stomach clench in worry. It was so unlike Scott to show any semblance of vulnerability that for him to see it now was jarring to say the least.

After the car parked and Kip switched off the engine, Scott didn’t move. He stared straight ahead, eyes listless.

“Scott?”

The haze overtaking Scott’s eyes only seemed to increase once Kip spoke, giving no indication that he even heard him. Hesitantly, Kip reached out a hand to brush against Scott’s arm, surprised when the dark haired man practically jumped at the light touch.

“Hey, it’s just me,” Kip soothed. “We’re home.”

It took a few more moments until Scott’s mind seemed to take in exactly what Kip said and what it meant. He gave his head a much needed shake and reached for the passenger door before Kip could say anything else. Kip was left momentarily dumbfounded before climbing out of his own seat and trailing over to the trunk to pull Scott’s duffle free. Scott was already halfway through the parking garage, coughing something awful towards his chest.

“Shit!” Kip struggled to throw the duffle over his shoulders before racing to catch up with his boyfriend, hoping to intercept him before he could make it to the elevator. “Wait up!”

Scott seemed to scarcely hear him, though he did stick out a hand to stop the door from closing. Kip was about to thank him when Scott twisted into his opposite arm that was raised halfheartedly over the lower half of his face. “Hrths’TcSHSH!” Scott took in another fleeting breath, only for it to be snatched from his lungs hardly a second later. “Hrtchs’TcSHSH!”

“Bless you,” Kip exclaimed as he pressed their floor number. Scott finally took a step back to allow the doors to close. He rubbed at his nose through the thick material of the sweatshirt before lowering his arm with a jarring clearing of his phlegmy throat. It sounded like he was growing worse by the minute, which had Kip wondering just how long he’d been feeling this way until his body inevitably crashed.

Scott managed to meet Kip’s gaze through bleary eyes. “Thangks,” he responded with a forceful cough, one that left him bent over.

Kip longed to close the distance between the two of them, to bring comfort to Scott in anyway that he knew how. Something stopped him with Scott in his current state. Perhaps once they arrived back at their apartment he would be able to ease whatever thoughts were running rampant through Scott’s mind to help him really relax.

“I’ll see what cold medicine we have stocked. Maybe a decongestant too….and plenty of tissues.”

Scott forced a half smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. At the mention of tissues his nose gave an involuntary sniff that sounded as if someone’s boot was sinking into a pit of mud. No airflow was currently making his way through his sinuses, forcing Scott to breathe through an open mouth once more.

“Scott?”

The elevator dinged on the floor, yet neither of them moved.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kip continued, gaze steadfast and voice unwavering. “We’re going to get you feeling better, I promise.”

Chapter Text

“Do you feel up to taking a shower? The steam may help with that congestion,” Kip informed the moment the two stepped through the front door of Scott’s apartment.

Scott turned to look at Kip as though he sprouted two heads. “I dknow,” he began petulantly.

Kip’s eyes warmed. He dropped Scott’s duffle lightly on the floor to be dealt with later before taking a step towards Scott. Scott didn’t pull away even when Kip lifted a hand to brush his pointer finger lightly along Scott’s bearded jaw. His finger drew higher until his entire head lifted upwards, fingers spread through Scott’s hair to smooth the sweat laced strands. Scott’s eyes momentarily closed in bliss as he leaned into the touch, a much more vulnerable position than he would ever be comfortable displaying anywhere outside their apartment.

“Go,” Kip encouraged as he stood on his tiptoes to press a light kiss to Scott’s brow. “I’ll get the bedroom set up in the meantime.”

Scott wrinkled his nose at the direction, entire face drawn in a way that nearly left Kip giggling. “Dno,” Scott argued fervently. “Sedt be ub in the guesdt roob.”

“The guest room” Kip echoed. “Why the hell would you sleep in there?”

Scott stared at Kip as though it was obvious. “I dond’t wandt to gedt you sick, Kip.”

“Honey, we’ve slept in the same bed for how long now? Just last night even. It’s going to be inevitable if I’m going to catch this. Spending one night in the guest room isn’t going to change things,” he teased warmly, lightly bumping his hip against Scott’s.

“Still. Shouldn’dt take ady chances.” Scott’s tone didn’t offer much room for argument, so Kip decided not to engage. There would be plenty of time after Scott showered for them to continue this conversation. If he wanted to be stubborn about this, Kip would allow it to a certain extent. Something told him that when they were both snuggled under the covers of their bed that Scott wouldn’t have the wherewithal to complain.

Kip gave a dip of his head. “Go get warmed up. I’m surprised icicles haven’t started to grow from your nose.”

“Shudt up!” Scott pushed Kip lightly before turning to trudge down the hallway. He gave a brief pause in the middle, to which Kip thought he may have forgotten something. This was proved false as Scott doubled over with another throat scraping sneeze. “HRcSHS’TcshSH!”

“Bless you!” Kip called after Scott kindly. This seemed like it would be their life for the foreseeable future. Not a sneezy guy by nature, it seemed this cold had taken up residence in his sinuses and was giving him a run for his money. Kip would find it amusing if not for how worn out Scott seemed to be over it.

While Scott showered, that should leave at least fifteen minutes for Kip to raid the medicine cabinet to see what they had. Kip was slowly moving into Scott’s place, though he couldn’t recall if he brought any cold medicine with him in any of his various moving in attempts. Still, Scott had to have something. He may seen invincible to the naked eye, but the man had to have had a runny nose at least sometime in recent memory.

Kip located the cabinet in the kitchen in which Scott kept all of his over-the-counter medication. It seemed like an odd place for it instead of in the bathroom, but Scott had a meticulous system that Kip would rather not interfere with. His gaze darted around the various labels until he finally landed on Tylenol Cold & Flu. It wasn’t something that Kip would generally take, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Hopefully it would be enough to at least help Scott sleep if nothing else.

He also grabbed a tiny container of Vick’s that looked like it may have been from the 90’s. Hopefully these things didn’t have an expiration date.

Next on Kip’s list was making something for Scott to eat. He hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast, and Kip was willing to bet the rest of his day looked similar. Coaxing anything into him may be futile, but Kip would reminisce if he didn’t at least try. Something light in his stomach and not too heavy would probably be his best bet. He didn’t have enough time to really cook anything, so that left the possibility of canned soup if Scott even had any.

The pantry was an area of Scott’s house that Kip knew quite well. Then again, when he was surveying for ingredients, it was never cans of soup. Each shelf had Kip’s spirits sinking until he finally found an old can of chicken noodle soup tucked in the back corner. A quick check of the expiration date showed that it was still good, but just barely. It wouldn’t be the best thing Kip ever made considering he was only heating it up, but it would have to do.

Kip got to work pulling a small pot from the lowest most cabinet by the oven. Once he located a can opener and peeled open the top, he poured the contents of the can in. He turned the stove on medium heat and set the pot over the heat to warm up. Now he just needed something to go with it as a can of soup may fill Scott, but Kip was finding himself famished, the pretzel he ate earlier at the game long forgotten.

Another trip to the pantry and then the fridge had him deciding on a simple grilled cheese. There was nothing fancy about it, though it was filling and quick to make as Scott would be out of the shower any minute. Maybe if he made it extra gooey and cheesy it would tempt Scott. Calories of any kind were needed at the moment to keep Scott’s strength up if he wanted to get over this head cold in a timely manner.

Kip wasn’t even sure how much time passed before he had two perfectly golden grilled cheeses prepared. He was just about to pour the now simmering soup into two separate bowls when he heard a thick cough echoing from behind him. Kip twisted to look over his shoulder to see that Scott had shuffled in, hair damp and nose just as bright red as before if not more so. In fact he was still rubbing it when he walked into the kitchen, long sleep pants swishing against the hardwood floors.

“Feeling any better,” Kip asked hopefully.

Scott shrugged in response as he crept behind Kip. “That smells delicious.”

Kip finished pouring the soup into their respective bowls, head thrown back as he laughed. He nearly shoved Scott’s bowl against his chest in response. “You can’t smell anything.”

“Well, it looks like it would smell good,” Scott amended.

“Go take a seat,” Kip sighed. “Do you want water or juice?”

“Orange juice, please. Vitamin C.”

Kip couldn’t argue with that. He grabbed two glasses and the orange juice from fridge to carry to the table. While Scott sat with his soup, Kip brought his own soup and their two grilled cheeses over. A quick detour back to the kitchen and he returned with spoons, one set at his own seat and the other for Scott.

“Thanks, babe. You didn’t have to do all this,” Scott murmured meekly, stealing a fleeting glance in Kip’s direction before dropping his eyes back to his meal.

Kip waved him off after he took a bite of his grilled cheese. “Don’t mention it. This is more for me. I’m starving!” He finished off another bite of his grilled cheese, practically melting as the flavors burst across his tongue. It was a shame that Scott probably wouldn’t be able to taste it.

Scott chuckled back as he stirred his spoon around his soup bowl. Chunks of chicken and carrot floated up to the surface, but Scott pushed them aside, scooping broth only to spill it back into the bowl. Kip noticed almost immediately, dropping his sandwich and waiting until he swallowed before commenting.

“You don’t have to eat anything if you’re not hungry. I just thought it would be a good idea to get something in your system,” Kip told him gently.

Jaw set in determination, Scott plunged the spoon back into the soup and brought a small sip to his lips. He swallowed with great effort only to reach for his glass and pour a generous amount of orange juice inside. He took a few steady gulps, eyes dropping back to the soup as he tried a few more tender sips.

Kip tried not to stare, knowing that Scott was likely to eat much less if he knew that Kip was so engaged in what he was doing. Kip tried to keep to himself as he ate, finishing off his grilled cheese in almost no time while Scott poked and pecked at his. It didn’t appear as though he attempted a single bite even as it looked like he wanted to. Kip supposed that as long as he was eating some of his soup he would count that as a win.

It didn’t take long for Scott’s sniffling to take over, the warmth of the broth doing wonders for his congestion. Unfortunately it just so happened to be at the table. Scott tried, in vain, to first rub the back of his wrist against his nose to curb the worst of the drips, though that didn’t last long as Scott suddenly fumbled for the napkin Kip laid out earlier, face aglow in ticklish misery. His brow knit in desperation, napkin clutched tightly against his nose and mouth, though he didn’t have time to push himself away from the table.

Two guttural, harsh sneezes tore free from Scott, zapping the remaining strength he had left with them. “HRtSH’TcSHsH! Hrchs’TCSHSh!” Kip could hear how productive they were, not at all surprised as Scott swore, abruptly excusing himself from the table. The feet of his chair scraped against the ground as he staggered to his feet, footsteps pounding against the hallway as he no doubt retreated to the bathroom.

Kip shook his head gravely as he finished off the rest of his grilled cheese and the last remaining spoonfuls of soup. Warm and full, Kip started to clear off the table. He doubted that Scott would want anything more when he returned, though he ended up covering the soup and grilled cheese for later. It wouldn’t take long to heat it up if Scott decided he was hungry again anytime throughout the evening.

Kip was wiping off the table with a washcloth when Scott returned, eyes watery and nose leaking like a faucet. A tissue box was tucked under his left arm, a few squares held at the ready incase his nose decided to revolt again. He appeared only slightly surprised to see that Kip already cleaned up the table and the dishes used to make dinner.

“I’m sorry. Were you still hungry,” Kip questioned.

Scott shook his head. “Dno, dnot really.”

The congestion was back, that much was evident. It seemed that even with a helplessly runny nose, Scott’s sinuses weren’t about to allow him to breathe either. He sounded downright miserable and Kip scolded himself for not picking up on it earlier. Maybe if he insisted this morning when he knew something was off when Scott first skipped breakfast, they could’ve gotten ahead of it before things escalated.

“Okay, well, you should at least take something for all this.” Kip already had the blister pack of Tylenol Cold & Flu open, the large greenish blue capsules ready to go. He scooped them up in his own palm before handing them off to Scott along with what remained of his orange juice from dinner. “You can swallow pills, can’t you?”

Scott shot him a baleful glance. “You’ve seen be in bed. Whadt do you thingk?”

If not for their current predicament, Kip may have blushed. Instead the comment seemed like it was deflecting more than anything else, his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched Scott toss the pills into the back of his throat and chase it with the rest of his orange juice. Scott set the glass aside in the sink, long sleeves lifted over his palm to wipe at his nose once more.

“Hey!” Kip snatched the tissue box from his boyfriend and pulled out two more tissues before shoving them back into Scott’s hands. “That’s what these are for!”

“Budt these hurdt,” Scott whined, the most real statement of how he was feeling that he confessed all day. As though noticing this, Scott’s cheeks immediately shone red as he looked away, nose crinkling with another mucus filled sniffle.

Kip pouted as he took the tissues back instead and folded them delicately. “I’ll make a list of things to pick up at the store tomorrow. Lotion infused tissues I guess should be one of them.”

Scott didn’t immediately react to Kip’s movements until the corner of the tissues grazed the delicate flesh on the left most side of his rounded nostril. He first flinched away until seeming to realize what Kip was doing. Whether it was exhaustion or true compliance, Kip wasn’t sure. Either way, he dabbed as delicately at Scott’s nose as possible, doing his best to back off when a sound of pain rolled in the back of Scott’s throat in the form of a tender groan. Kip was about to pat himself on the back for being at least marginally helpful when one too many touches fully ignited that sensitive tickle that had Scott suddenly ducking down into his wrist as though he too was as taken aback by the sudden sneeze as Kip was.

“HrCSH’TCSHSH!”

“Sorry,” Kip winced, forehead furrowed. “Too soft?”

Scott dropped his wrist and settled for sniffling pathetically instead of blowing his nose or dealing with it in any other manner. Kip would’ve commented on it if his latest offer to help hadn’t made things worse.

“You’re jusdt righdt.” Scott’s stuffed up voice replied. Although his eyes were watery, Kip still detected appreciation brimming in those emotion filled pools. It had Kip’s heart aching as he longed to pull Scott close in a tender hug. He knew that Scott would shy away, still claiming he didn’t want Kip to catch whatever this was. He settled for flicking his head in the direction of the hallway.

Scott stood rigid only for a moment. “You sure? The guesdt roob is—“

“Perfect for guests,” Kip interjected. They were not going down this road again, not on his watch that is. “Not for me. We are going to bed in our room, yes?”

This time a playful smile crept onto Scott’s face. It was reminisce of so many times where that kind of tone from Kip led to more. Scott was the one who took the lead too often, but Kip could be just as stern when he really wanted.

“Yes, sir.”

Kip jabbed a hand against Scott’s ribs before leaping right out of reach, not that Scott’s sluggish reflexes would be able to keep up. “C’mon, I think it’s time one of us got some rest.”

Chapter Text

Kip climbed into bed immediately after changing into boxers, forgoing a shirt. Scott insisted on sending a few emails, much to Kip’s dismay. He didn’t press him on it, knowing that there was no way that Scott would settle until he did. That left Kip some time to look over some assignments for next week, cataloging when they were due and how much time they would take. Usually he was someone that worked ahead if possible, but with Scott filling up what little free time he had, he was starting to complete the assignments on time like everyone else. They weren’t particularly difficult, though they were time consuming.

After updating his calendar with the new due dates for the week, Kip looked up when he heard Scott approaching, coughing harshly into the crook of his arm. He didn’t have the willpower to hold them back like he was doing at the rink, the awful, grating hacks sounding as though they were pulled right from his lungs. Scott was left almost gasping for breath in the aftermath, back rested against the wall to keep himself steady.

“Scott,” Kip questioned, ready to toss his laptop aside in favor of steadying his boyfriend if that was what was required.

Scott waved him off a second later. He pushed off the wall, tissue box still in hand, and hesitantly made his way over to his side of the bed. He sat down on the edge, legs hanging off the side with his back to Kip. He stayed there a while, shoulders hardly moving with each breath. Kip gave him his space until it turned downright excessive and Kip feared he may need and outside source to break him out of whatever this was.

Laptop set aside, Kip crawled behind Scott and wrapped his arms around his middle, chin rested on Scott’s left shoulder. He trailed a couple light kisses against the back of his neck, relieved that he didn’t feel any excess heat. Fevers and Scott were never a great combination no matter how much Scott always insisted that he could play through any ailment. That was not something that Kip wanted to put to the test.

Scott let out an incoherent mumble to Kip’s touch. It appeared that he was about to try and say more when his breath was snatched from him with a violent hitch. An expert at what this change in Scott now meant, Kip was quick to grab the tissue box and pulled out a few more tissues and handed them over not a moment too soon, untangling himself from Scott’s body to give him

“Hrtchs’TCHSh! HRcSh’TcShSH! HrtHs’TcSHSH!”

In lieu of blessing him for what felt like the tenth time, Kip rested a hand back on his shoulder and rubbed in comforting circles. Scott tossed the lifeless tissues into the nearby wastebasket in favor for a new handful, blowing his nose over and over again until it seemed almost excessive.

“Okay, okay,” Kip chided as he pushed Scott’s hand away from his nose before he could try again. “You’re gonna rupture an eardrum or something if you keep that up.”

Scott’s top lip curled in Kip’s best assumption of Scott’s version of a scowl. “I hate not being able to breathe through my nose,” he grumbled.

“That’s kinda the reality of having a cold, hon,” Kip reminded, unable to hide a small, amused smile. “It sucks for a few days and then you get over it. I know you don’t get sick a lot, but this is just typical. The rest of us have to deal with a stuffy nose and coughing spells usually at least twice a year.”

Scott turned away, coughing off to the side. “Don’t know how you mere mortals deal with this.”

Kip laughed, head butted against Scott’s shoulder. He knew it wouldn’t turn into anything more, but he couldn’t stop himself from being playful with Scott when they were by themselves. There were no prying eyes or expectations they needed to keep up with. This was the one place that they could truly be themselves at, which Kip reveled in whenever they could.

“C’mon,” Kip encouraged as he pulled lightly at Scott’s arm. “Lay back.”

Scott hesitated, seemingly perfectly content at his upright position. He raised an eyebrow at Kip as if his hesitation meant more than he was saying.

Kip noticing immediately, hand lifted as he brushed a few stray, damp hairs from Scott’s forehead. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” He stopped himself before he could lean in for a light kiss, knowing how Scott would react. It had taken enough coaxing to have him stay in their bed together instead of banishing himself to the guest room or even the couch to keep himself away from Kip.

Scott briefly leaned into the touch, eyes drifted closed in bliss. His nose gave a hearty sniff, breaking him free of his peaceful thoughts. “Can’t believe that you’re actually here.”

“We’ve been living together for almost a year now. Did you expect me to just up and leave?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Scott fought for words, brow tented as he seemed to rack his brain. Kip waited patiently, unwilling to rush Scott into saying something he didn’t mean. “It’s just I’m used to doing this all alone. It’s…..nice to have someone to share even these moments with and not be pushed away even when I’m sick.”

Kip’s heart melted at Scott’s confession. Contagion be damned, he pulled Scott into a hug until the hockey player’s forehead was rested against Kip’s shoulder. Kip held him close, their breathing started to sync together even if Scott’s caught on each shaky exhale as his lungs debated whether or not it should turn into another coughing spell.

“I’m not leaving you ever, sick or not. I’m going to keep telling you that until you start to believe me.” Kip drank in the scent of Scott’s shampoo, eyes closed to truly savor it. If they could only stay like this forever, Kip would have absolutely no complaints. However, Scott broke away first, though it only took Kip a second to realize why.

“HtRhc’RcSHSH!” Scott kept the tissues clamped over his nose, a whimper tearing free from his sore throat. He groaned, jaw gaped as his eyelashes fluttered, face screwed up in ticklish misery. Kip hummed his own sympathy, adverting his gaze so that Scott didn’t feel self-conscious. “Hih….HrtcSh’TcSHsH! Huh….hih…oh you godda be kidding be.” Scott scrubbed upwards against his nose, nostrils still flaring in desperate need. Tears clung to his eyelashes in a way that made Kip’s heart ache when he noticed it.

“HrTCHs’tcShHSH!”

Kip was ready with a new bundle of tissues that he gathered while Scott was preoccupied. He pressed them into Scott’s hand, seeing the faint sheen of moisture that clung to the underside of Scott’s nose when he swapped them out. Scott blew his nose with a congested sounding honk, one that left him sputtering in the aftermath.

“I feel like ‘bless you’ isn’t good enough for that display,” Kip deadpanned.

Scott buried his face in his hands. He avoided touching his nose for obvious reasons, though a wet snuffle still broke through. “I dond’t thingk I’ve sneezed this buch in by endire life.”

“All the more reason to sleep.”

This time Scott didn’t argue. His body is too fatigued with the combination of the game and illness taking its toll on him. The medication may also be taking effect too, the nighttime Tylenol starting to lull Scott into a state where sleep might be something he could actually manage. Kip wasn’t naive enough to think that coughing spells or postnasal drip wouldn’t keep the hockey star awake. Hopefully he’d be able to rouse along with him to help soothe him back to slumber.

Scott bunched the pillow underneath his head and hesitated before he lays back. Usually he would hold Kip, head buried into the back of his neck to take in the other man’s scent. However, both of them figured that it wouldn’t be a good idea, though Kip honestly didn’t care. The only thing that he was worried about was the short hairs on the back of his neck may tickle Scott’s already much abused nose and cause a reaction. Scott was still dead set on not getting Kip sick no matter how may times Kip tried to point out how futile this was at this point.

“Roll over,” Kip instructed as he sat up beside his boyfriend, bunching his own pillow into submission. Scott shot him a baleful glance, one that Kip returned with one of his own. “Trust me, please?”

Scott did as he was told, body rolling with a great heave onto his left side to face the wall. Kip curled in behind him, arms wrapped around his middle and legs tangled together. Kip’s soft breath danced across the skin on the back of Scott’s neck, a shiver racing down his spine. Scott buried himself further down into the covers, a huff leaving his parted lips as he tried to incline his head farther on top of the pillow so that he wasn’t laying flat.

“Need another one,” Kip offered even as he made no attempt to untangle himself from his boyfriend.

Scott shook his head. “Dno, wouldn’dt be able to breathe either way,” he pointed out.

Kip couldn’t blame him for his sour mood. No one liked to be sick even when they had their partner to dote on them. Scott wasn’t used to that either, having someone to be at home waiting or caring for him. Even though they had been dating for a while now, Scott always seemed surprised when Kip did even the smallest thing for him. Being home when Scott came home from practice or games would always bring a smile to his face, even if Kip kept insisting that there was nowhere else he’d rather be. Kip would just have to keep reassuring him until he finally realized that Kip would be there for as long as Scott wanted him to be.

“If I stardt snorig jusdt—“

“Ignore you? Got it!” Kip gave Scott’s body a tight squeeze. He kept his arms around his abdomen just so he didn’t risk aggravating his already temperamental lungs with too tight of a hug. “Sweetheart, please, try and relax. I’m not going anywhere or going to ask you to go anywhere. We’ll figure it out together and adjust if we need to. Besides, you did get me those noise cancelling earbuds for my birthday.”

Kip could only imagine the look on Scott’s face at that comment. “Thadt’s dnot whadt they’re for!”

“I know, but consider it a bonus.” Kip giggled with his head rested back against Scott’s shoulders. It was usually the other way around, and Kip couldn’t help but realize how nice it felt to hold Scott. Sure, it was incredible when Scott held him too, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy this just as much. Maybe he would suggest that they could switch back and forth each night just to spice things up among other things.

Just when Kip felt like he was going to drift off, he felt Scott’s body spasm with another coughing fit. This one forced him to sit up ever so slightly, Kip’s arms falling from his place around his middle. Kip waiting patiently until the fit passed and Scott lowered back into bed, unable to ignore the soft curse that left Scott’s lips when he settled back down, a single tissue used to dab at the moisture that trickled from his nose.

“You okay?”

“Fugking sugcks.”

It was almost impossible for Kip to make out what Scott was trying to say through his congestion. It was a good thing he was fluent in Scott in all forms.

“Does it hurt to breathe?”

Scott gave an albeit tiny nod. That was all the confirmation Kip needed to wriggle himself from under the covers and start to shimmy off of the bed.

Instinctively, Scott rolled onto his back and reached for Kip, fingers snagging his wrist and holding on hard. His eyes spoke the words his throat was too sore to say, a flicker of fear lighting in his normally dark, intense gave.

Kip rolled onto his front and rested his own hand over Scott’s before kissing the back of his knuckles ever so lightly. “I’ll be right back. I have something that may help.”

It took a few more tantalizing seconds before Scott obliged, releasing Kip from his grip. His gaze didn’t leave Kip’s side of the bed as he heard his boyfriend shuffling about down the hallway, light peering from under their door. He didn’t need to wait long for Kip to return, a tiny jar held in the palm of his hand.

“Told you I’d be right back,” Kip exclaimed.

“Whadt’s thadt?”

Kip laughed. “Guess that tells me why you still have this from the 90’s if you don’t even recognize it. This is Vick’s, babe. It should help break up some of that congestion so you can actually breathe tonight.”

The prospect of breathing did sound enticing. Kip watched as Scott sat up straighter, head tipped curiously as he unscrewed the lid. Immediately the smell of menthol filled the room, stronger than Kip expected considering how old this stuff was. He scooped a generous amount with his pointer and middle finger, the glistening glob balanced on both evenly.

“Okay, lift your shirt.”

Scott raised an eyebrow, a look that Kip was growing used to. Normally this would be an invitation for more, if not for the fact that Scott couldn’t breathe through his nose and anymore exertion for the evening may send him over the edge.

Kip kicked out a foot until it collided with Scott’s shin. “Just do it and get your mind out of my pants!”

Scott reluctantly pulled his shirt up and off, discarding it across the room. While it hadn’t quite been what Kip meant, he would take it as he closed the space between them with the Vicks at the ready. Kip started to lather the thick balm over Scott’s chest rhythmically, concentrating on coating Scott’s chest evenly and concentrating on moving upwards over his neck. Scott’s Adam’s apple bobbed with an instinctual swallow as Kip moved his fingers around.

“That feel okay,” Kip questioned.

Scott nodded.

Kip beamed back before scooping a little more and positioned himself closer to Scott’s face, the dark haired man staring at him questioningly.

“Do you need to blow your nose first? After I put this on you may want to avoid touching your nose for a bit or you’re going to get the Vicks everywhere.”

“Oh.”

Before Kip could try and explain further, Scott grabbed even more tissues and tucked his chin towards his shoulder, away from Kip. He blew heartily, though not much congestion was able to shift. He rubbed upwards against his chapped nostrils before settling back down, eyes locked on Kip’s every movement.

Kip started to trace each curve of Scott’s nostrils first, careful not to press too lightly to prompt another reaction. He continued up to the bridge of his nose before finishing at the space between his upper lip and nose as that seemed to take the brunt of all the rubbing Scott had been doing. Kip rubbed the excess Vicks back onto Scott’s chest before screwing the lid back on and setting it on the nightstand for later.

“Better,” Kip chirped.

“Buch.”

He may not sound any better to Kip, but if he felt even slightly better, that was all that mattered. Kip couldn’t help but grin back at his boyfriend, reaching out to tuck a strand of his hair back into place. He looked so perfect like this and if not for his cold, Kip could only imagine what trouble they could get themselves into. That was a thought for another day as all Scott needed right now was rest and relaxation.

Kip was quick to switch off his bedside lamp and snuggle back down with an arm draped over Scott’s shoulders when the hockey star rolled back onto his own side. Kip rested his ear against his back, pleased that he didn’t hear the crackling of congestion in his lungs. If they could keep this localized to just his head then Kip would be grateful. A head cold was such a better option than pneumonia.

“Thagnk you, Kib.”

Kip almost laughed at Scott’s stuffy pronunciation of his name. “You don’t have to thank me. This is what boyfriends do. Besides, you’d do the same for me.”

“I dknow, budt thangk you.”

Kip felt as though butterflies were fluttering about in his stomach. Scott wasn’t given much opportunity to truly be vulnerable thanks to his job and professional persona. Having someone to take care of him in these moments was never in the cards before he met Kip. It reminded Kip just how much his presence was appreciated and needed.

“I love you,” Kip whispered against the back of Scott’s neck. “Get some rest and we’ll look at things fresh in the morning.”

“Love you too.”

It wasn’t long before snores filled the room curtesy of a very congested Scott. Kip could only chuckle as he allowed himself to drift off with the love of his life nestled surely in his arms.