Hello, Mr. One-Shot
Twink & Tea
by sakesushimaki
“What do you mean, you’re not coming in?” Cynthia squealed into the receiver.
….
“Well then, take some Aspirin or…”
…
“You mean, for real?”
…
“Okay, okay! At least I know that your vocal cords are still intact.”
…
“Yes, of course we’ll call you if something important comes up.”
…
“Get well, bye!”
Cynthia didn’t bother masking her grin after ending the call.
“What’s going on?” Ted queried, coming out of the staff kitchen and carrying his first steaming mug of coffee for the day.
“Brian’s sick.”
“And we are happy about that because…?” Ted shook his head bewilderedly.
Brian dealing with a hangover usually meant that his employees would get to suffer along.
“He’s really sick. You know, as in ‘can’t come to work’.”
“What?” Ted almost dropped his mug.
Aside from the cancer episode, Brian has never been known to be, let alone call in sick.
It goes to show that he is human after all, Ted thought.
“It’s nothing serious though, is it?” he asked, unable to keep specific memories from resurfacing.
“Just a ‘light flu’,” Cynthia quoted. “He says he’s woken up next to Justin often enough to recognize the symptoms. Apparently, he’s been feeling shitty for a couple of days already.”
“Now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve seen him anywhere on the weekend.”
Suddenly realizing the consequences of the situation, Ted gasped, “Oh my God, this’ll feel like a holiday! I’m gonna go spread the news.”
With a sip of his coffee, he headed into the direction of the art department, knowing that’s where the message of Brian’s absence would be taken best.
+
“Brian!” Debbie pounded on the door, getting antsy.
Just as she was gearing up for a third go, the heavy loft door was pulled open slowly.
“What?” a dizzy Brian growled, clutching his forehead with one hand and sounding not half as angry as intended.
“Why do I have to hear it from Teddy that you’re sick?” she accused. “Should I call a doctor? Are you sure it’s only a light flu? Have you taken your temperature? Are you-”
“Would you please not get worked up over this?”
“Don’t you tell me not to get worked up!” She pointed her cherry red-polished finger in his face. “This is the first time since you were, I don’t know, 20 or so, that you’re sick. I have every right to get worked up!”
“Deb,” Brian started to object but a cough betrayed him, causing him to stop.
“That’s it.” Debbie’s determination was evident in her voice as well as in the manner she slipped her rainbow-coloured mittens back on. “My shift ends at 5. I’ll run to the store afterwards and be here by 5:30.”
“Huh?” Brian rubbed his temples. Realization dawned on him and he immediately felt his headache intensifying. “Fuck! Deb,” he moaned. “Not the soup. Everything, just not that goddamn soup!”
“Shut up, it’s the best cure there is.” She zipped up her coat and petted Brian’s head before turning to leave. “I’ll see you later.”
+
“You know, there’s a reason why I didn’t pick up the first three thousand times you called!” Brian barked into the phone, followed by a coughing fit.
…
“No, Michael, I do not want you to bring me anything to eat!”
…
“Of course I haven’t told Justin! What the fuck for?”
…
“Christ, would you people just fucking leave me alone so I can get some sleep?” he shouted before hanging up on his best friend, his head pounding with force at the exertion.
The trip to the kitchen turned out to be nothing but a disappointment. Frustrated, he banged the kitchen cabinet shut. There was no point. Even though the bigger part of the ingredients was probably on hand, he had no idea how to mash them together.
All he wanted was a mug of that tea. Was that too much to ask for? That tea he referred to, had a significant back story.
It was pretty much the only thing he was able to keep down during his radiation marathon and it had thereby earned high marks on his list. From then on, whenever he had felt queasy or hangoverish, Justin would make him that tea. Not that Brian let on voluntarily that he wasn’t feeling too good, of course. Justin would just always have a notion, a somewhat spooky awareness of those things. He would simply go and prepare some of that special tea mix and leave it sitting on the counter without further ado. Brian doubted that the wire to transport that notion would reach to New York.
He never got to finding out what exactly Justin put in there or to which amount or combination, he just knew that it was a mixture of some generic leaves and herb shit Justin got long before the cancer episode actually. It also made a glorious comeback after the infamous yak shit tea was boo’d off the stage.
Frustrated and exhausted, he trotted back into the direction of the bedroom, once again pressing ‘ignore’ as yet another call from Michael lit up the display of his cell phone. He flopped down onto his bed, trying to bury himself in the sheets and thinking that Justin might be the only person he could stand right now. He sighed into the pillows, feeling the ache in his muscles subside a little.
No, he definitely would not mind having Justin here right now. He really wouldn’t. Justin would just be there, neither lecture nor fuss over him, and make him that tea.
But alas, no tea, no Justin.
+
The next time Brian woke up, it was caused by noise in his periphery. He pulled himself up a little and surveyed his surroundings. It had to be late afternoon already, if the dim light was to be trusted.
Was his hearing playing tricks on him or was that the distinct sound of Justin’s shuffle on the hardwood?
Sure enough, he saw a certain blond head taking shape through the blinds. He bit back the urge to grin in return as Justin flashed a smile from the bottom of the stairs.
“What the hell are you doing here? I thought your next visit isn’t due until next month. Besides, aren’t you supposed to get ready for your show?” His throat felt rough again and he closed his eyes for a second.
“I’m on nursing leave,” Justin shrugged.
“The fuck?” Brian’s head shot up too quickly, and he immediately paid the price. “Shit,” he muttered, leaning back against the stacked pillows, angry at the headache and angry that he even gave credit to the stupid joke.
Justin crawled onto the bed and sitting next to the grumpy Brian, he ran a hand through his hair. “Hello to you, too.”
“Go away,” Brian tried, not very emphatic. “You’re going to get it.”
“Wise as I am, I opted for a flu shot this year.” Smiling, Justin leaned in and pressed his lips to Brian’s.
“I don’t need you to take care of me, if that’s what you’re here for,” Brian grumbled while pulling Justin a little closer. He sighed and closed his eyes when he felt two warm hands surround his face, the pads of the fingers moving in slow, soothing circles on his temples.
“Relax, I’m just making sure that you don’t kill any of the people who want to help you,” Justin said and kissed the uncooperative patient once more, before tugging him down and settling his own body next to Brian’s. “Did you take anything?” he asked.
“An Aspirin when I got up in the morning and an Ibuprofen at around noon.”
Justin continued running his hand lightly through the thick hair and marvelled at the fact that this had to be the most comfortable and content he’d felt in weeks. In bed with his sick boyfriend. He was also grateful that Brian protested as little as he did. Judging by former, similar situations, they’d obviously made progress in that department.
“So, tell me,” he asked, stroking a stubbly cheek. “Who terrorized you already?”
Brian started mumbling drowsily, “Deb… fucking chicken soup. Mikey… million times… called…”
Justin wondered when Brian would realize that it was the same Michael who informed him of Brian’s illness, resulting in him taking the 2 p.m. flight out of LaGuardia. He’d already been having a hunch as to something not being quite alright, judging by the phone conversation two days prior. So, in fact, Michael had really only confirmed his conjecture. He’d been searching for a reason to shorten the time till his next visit anyway, so even this minor case of sickness served the purpose.
Deciding he’d stay right where he was, Justin grabbed one end of the large cover and pulled it up over his body, making sure not to steal any of the blanketing from Brian. He sat up to quickly arrange the pillows, but stilled his movements when an arm snaked around his waist. A whole body followed and Brian’s head came to rest on Justin’s midriff. Only seconds later, the wheezing sounds that indicated Brian’s sleep were audible.
“Alright, I hadn’t planned on sleeping anyway,” he sighed and stuffed another pillow behind his back before reaching over to the bedside table for a magazine.
+
The buzzing of the intercom tore Justin’s attention from an article. He untangled himself from Brian’s grip carefully and hurried to press the button that would unlock the entrance door of the building. He half-slipped on his shoes, deciding to meet Debbie or whoever it would be in the hallway rather than letting them in and risk waking Brian. He left the door ajar and was surprised to see not only Debbie, but also Michael and Ted coming up in the elevator.
“Sunshine!” Debbie hollered euphorically, impatient for the gate to lift up so she could bone crush-hug Justin.
After more greetings from Michael and Ted, Justin wanted to solve the matter quickly. “Guys, thanks so much for caring, but he just needs to rest and be left alone. I’m lucky I get to stay.”
Debbie pointed at Michael and the grocery bag he was carrying. “But I said I’d come by to whip up a quick batch of-”
“Thanks, Deb. But we both had our fill of chicken soup.”
Debbie wanted to protest but Michael stopped her. “Leave it be, Ma.”
“Really, Deb, I got it covered here,” Justin affirmed.
The rest was pretty easy-going. Michael explained that he just came by to see for himself if his best friend was doing okay and Ted stopped by to drop off some papers for Brian to sign.
With a promise of calling tomorrow to keep all of them updated on Brian’s condition, Justin managed to see them out fairly quickly.
Back in the loft, Justin proceeded into the kitchen where he got out a big pot and a strainer. He stood on his tiptoes, rummaging through an overhead cabinet, when a raspy
“Who was that?” came from the bedroom.
“Just a couple of well-wishers.”
“You sent them off?”
“Sure did.”
“Good,” Brian said, his voice morphing into a light cough. After a moment, he added, “You coming back up here?”
Justin smiled. “In a minute.”
“And Justin, would you-”
“The tea. Yeah, I’m on it.”
+++