Fic: Emotionally Compromised (Zach/Chris)
Title: Emotionally Compromised
Author: jenlynn820
Pairing: Chris Pine/Zachary Quinto (Star Trek 2009 RPS)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don’t know Zach or Chris and I make no profit from this work.
Summary: Chris passes out on set and Zach takes care of him.
Beta: eruberueth
Note: Written for the following prompt from trek_rpf_kink: A very sick and feverish Chris passes out on set during filming and Zach freaks out. ♥ and takes care of him duh. Major cookie bonuses if he faints while shooting that o-so-famous Vulcan strangling scene and Zach feels bad about it~
Note 2: Special thanks to my best friend eruberueth who talked with me about how cute the prompt was and came up with some of the dialogue to boot.
Word Count: 3398
Zach tightened his hand just a little around Chris’ throat as he bore down on him. Chris’ own hand was rigid around Zach, his fingers warm as they dug into Zach’s wrist. Zach kept the mask of rage on his face even as he watched Chris’ eyes roll back a little and waited for his cue to stop. It came seconds later when Ben said, “Spock.” Zach counted a few more beats and let the rage be replaced by shame and surprise. He backed off and watched Chris gasp and cough for a few seconds. Zach drifted away from Chris, letting himself feel the weight of what Spock had done.
“Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty. I hereby relinquish my command based on the fact that I have been emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ship’s log.”
A few more steps and JJ called cut. Zach exhaled, letting all the tension drain from his frame. It all came rushing back a heartbeat later when he looked to where Chris was still splayed over the console. Zach strode quickly over and held a hand out. “You alive down there?”
Chris let out a little laughter but it was weak and hoarse. Guilt smacked Zach right in the gut. Chris finally took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Zach could see the red marks on his neck from where he’d just been strangling his friend and worried now that he’d squeezed too hard. Chris let out a rattling breath and flashed one of his patented grins. “Still alive,” he said.
Zach smiled weakly in response. He studied Chris’ face and thought that Chris’ usually tan skin looked sallow, his bright blue eyes glassy. He saw beads of sweat close to Chris’ hair line. And despite the fact that Chris was acting like he was fine, Zach watched as his chest continued to heave subtly, as if he still hadn’t caught his breath. “You’re all right?” he said, not bothering to hide his concern.
Chris nodded. “Aren’t you sweet to worry,” he teased. “I’m fine,” he said, smacking Zach on the arm. “Is there water around here?”
Zach stepped to the side as Chris moved passed him in search of a bottle of water. He seemed okay now, moving normally, chatting with JJ as he swallowed water in a long gulp. JJ announced that they were going to try the scene again and Zach forced himself to take his eyes off of Chris and get back into Spock’s headspace.
They were quickly back in the same position, Zach perched over Chris, fingers tight around his neck, Chris struggling beneath him, gripping his wrist when all at once Chris’ head lolled to one side, his eyes fluttering shut right before his entire body went limp.
“Fuck,” Zach cursed, breaking out of character as Chris slid down the console and hit the ground with a thud before Zach could even react.
There was a flurry of movement as the set medic, JJ, and one of the other ADs rushed forward. It would have been easy to get pushed aside but Zach held his ground, kneeling right beside his now unconscious friend. The medic examined Chris quickly, made sure he was breathing, checked his pulse, elevated his legs.
“He’s burning up,” the medic said, not glancing at anyone as he continued to work on Chris, waving a small container of smelling salts under his nose.
Chris jerked a little as his eyes popped opened. He exhaled and Zach did, too, letting go of the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. “How are you feeling, Chris?” JJ asked.
Chris groaned. “Like I banged my head against the floor after someone tried to choke me to death,” he said, eyes meeting Zach’s as a small smile turned his mouth.
“Let’s get you to the exam room,” the medic said. “Feel like you can stand?”
“No promises,” Chris said.
“Let me help,” Zach offered, his voice sounding strange in his ears. The medic nodded and together they got Chris to his feet. It seemed like a huge mistake when Chris pitched forward and nearly took both Zach and the medic down with him but together they kept Chris upright and after a few seconds Chris regained his equilibrium.
“The room’s spinning, right? That’s a new feature for the bridge no one told me about?” Chris said, looking at Zach.
“Let’s go, slowly,” the medic said to Zach and Zach nodded.
“Come on,” he said to his friend, starting the slow walk to the exam room. They made it there with no more incidents and Zach was forced to let go of Chris when a nurse took over. He watched them help Chris onto the bed, folding his arms over his chest.
“You can step out now, Zach,” the medic said.
“Oh, right,” he said. He craned his head to get a look at Chris’ face, maybe make eye contact but the other man didn’t look over at him so Zach turned and left the room. He took a deep breath once the door shut behind him.
“Hey, is he okay?” Zoe said, standing right outside the room along with Karl.
“I don’t know,” Zach said, looking down at his shoes.
“It’s probably exhaustion,” Karl offered. “He’s had a really full schedule this week.”
Under other circumstances Zach might’ve reminded Karl he wasn’t actually a doctor but all his humor had fled at the moment. “Maybe it was me,” Zach said.
“You?” Zoe said.
“He passed out with my hand wrapped around his throat, Zoe,” Zach said.
“Zach, you weren’t really choking him,” she said.
“No, but, maybe I squeezed too hard, I don’t know,” Zach said.
“I don’t think so,” Karl said. “He looked rough when I saw him this morning.”
Zach looked over at Karl now. “He did? What do you mean?”
“Run down. I asked if he had a wild night, he laughed, made a joke about how his wild nights would give me nightmares. I left it at that. Actors get worn out on movie sets all the time.”
Zach frowned. Now that he thought about it, Chris did seem off this morning. He was quieter than usual, nursing his coffee, zoning out while listening to his ipod rather than working on the New York Times crossword puzzle like he generally did on Fridays.
JJ rounded the corridor and stood in front of the little cast gathering. “How’s Chris?” he asked.
The three castmates shrugged so JJ went to the exam room door and knocked. “Everyone decent in there?” he said.
“You can come in, JJ,” the medic said.
JJ opened the door and disappeared inside only to reappear a few minutes later. “He’s fine,” JJ said. “It’s the flu. He told the medic he was feeling like shit when he woke up this morning but thought he could tough it out. We’re sending him home for the day. The driver’ll be around in a few minutes to take him. Luckily we have two off days ahead of us so everything should be fine by Monday. You all can go in one at a time, tell him you were worried, etcetera, then back to work, the day is young,” JJ said, patting Zach’s arm as he walked past him back down the hall.
“See? Wasn’t you,” Zoe said.
Zach wondered why he didn’t feel any better. “Yeah.”
Zoe shook her head in that affectionate way that Zach knew meant she thought he was being a silly little boy. “You go first,” she said, shoving him a little towards the door.
Zach said nothing more as he went inside the exam room. Chris was sitting up on the bed now, his shoulders slumped, his head hanging low. “Hey,” Zach said.
It seemed like it took a great effort for Chris to lift his head. “Hey, if it isn’t the guy that choked the life out of me,” he joked.
Zach’s gut twisted. “I’m so sorry…”
Chris laughed weakly. “It was a joke, Zach, relax. Didn’t JJ tell you? It’s just the flu. I didn’t want to slow the production down. I thought I could work past it. Guess I was wrong.”
“I’m sure me throttling you didn’t help,” Zach said.
“Maybe not. But it wasn’t why I fainted. You’re off the hook,” he said.
Zach opened his mouth to say something else but there was a knock on the door and a PA came in to tell Chris the car was ready to take him home. Chris tried to get up from the bed and wobbled a little. Zach rushed over and took hold of his arm, helping his friend steady himself.
“Thanks,” Chris said. “I got it.”
Zach reluctantly backed off. “Be careful.”
“Aren’t I always?” Chris said, offering Zach a grin as he shuffled out of the room.
Zach followed and watched Chris exchange a few words with Zoe and Karl before heading after the PA. Zach fought the urge to follow Chris to the car, make sure he got in all right. If he did that he might’ve gotten in along with him and followed him home.
The rest of the day felt excruciatingly long. Zach tried to force all thoughts of Chris out of his head so he could keep his focus on the work but it was a losing battle and by the time they wrapped for the day Zach felt panicky with worry. He ignored the feeling though, deciding he was being ridiculous. They wouldn’t have sent Chris home alone if he was in any serious danger.
After getting out of costume Zach went back to his house. He walked his dog and played with his cat and tried to ignore the gnawing at his gut. He didn’t even realize what he was doing by the time he was inside his kitchen, chopping vegetables and cutting up chicken to make his mother’s famous chicken soup. He had to skimp on the usual cook times, and used boxed stock and leftover rotisserie chicken but it tasted almost as good by the time it was being poured into a giant Tupperware container. It was like his body was moving of its own volition as he gathered up a few things and made his way out the door.
Zach would have driven straight to Chris’ apartment but he had a few other things he wanted to do first. After several stops he found himself pulling in front of Chris’ building just as the sky turned dark. He parked the car and gathered everything he’d bought in his arms along with the canvas bag holding the container of soup. He struggled up the stairs and finally stood in front of Chris’ door. He knocked three times and waited.
Zach was worried Chris wouldn’t answer and envisioned Chris passed out again, sprawled on the bathroom tile, blood pouring from his head where he’d smacked it on the porcelain sink as he went down. The vision dissolved when Zach heard the gears of the lock click and the door was pulled open.
Chris stood before him wrapped in a blanket, wearing heavy grey sweatpants and a Berkley t-shirt. He looked pale and drawn. “Zach, what’re you doing here?” he said.
“I, uh, was worried,” he said. “Wanted to see if you’re okay.”
“I’m aces,” Chris said, moving away from the door and trudging over to the couch, sinking down heavily onto it.
Zach came all the way in and put his bags down, locking the door. “I wanted to, you know, apologize,” he said.
Chris laughed. “You didn’t do anything,” he said and then frowned. “Are those flowers?”
“Uh, yeah,” Zach laughed, taking the arrangement and bringing it over to Chris, placing it on the table.
“You got me flowers?” Chris said, face screwing up in a look of bewildered amusement.
“That’s what you do when someone’s sick,” Zach said. “I also got you some magazines…” he said, going over and grabbing one of the bags he’d brought with him. “This book you mentioned you wanted to read…” He was removing things one at a time now, piling them on the table in front of Chris. “Some crossword puzzle books. A few DVDs, uh, M&Ms, you like the almond ones, right?” Zach continued to pull things from the bag until it was entirely empty.
“What, no balloons?” Chris asked, his expression soft.
“I thought balloons might be overkill,” Zach said.
Chris chuckled. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“Oh, but I do have a card.” Zach held the envelope out to Chris who took it and opened it.
“You got the entire cast to sign it,” he said. “Uh, Zach?”
“Yeah?”
“Did they tell you something they didn’t tell me? Because I was told it’s just the flu and I’ll be back to work Monday. But if I’m dying I think I have the right to know.”
“No,” Zach said. “I just thought…” The words trailed off. Zach moved over to the sofa and sat down heavily next to Chris. “I feel awful.”
“You feel awful? Did you catch the flu from me?” Chris asked.
“I could tell you weren’t yourself but I didn’t think much of it. And then you’re passing out with my hand around your throat,” he said.
“Which isn’t nearly as romantic as it sounds,” Chris smirked.
Zach shook his head. “It’s not funny. Your eyes rolled back, you went completely limp. I was scared shitless.”
Chris frowned. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said.
“I don’t know,” Zach said, looking away. There was a long silence before he spoke again. “Did you eat since you got home?”
Chris shook his head. “I collapsed into bed and slept.”
“You need to eat,” Zach said. “I brought soup.” Zach was on his feet again. He took the canvas bag into Chris’ kitchen and removed the container. He found a pot to heat it up and returned to the living room with a bowl of hot soup a few minutes later.
Chris cradled the bowl against his chest with one hand and took a spoonful of soup with the other. He swallowed it and closed his eyes. “Shit, that’s good.”
Zach smiled. “My mom’s recipe.”
Chris opened his eyes and looked at Zach. “You made this?” Zach shrugged. “You made me soup. Huh.” Chris was smirking now as he took more spoonfuls into his mouth.
“I cheated a little. No time to make homemade stock. No time to cook the chicken in it, like my mom does,” Zach said.
“Yeah, but you made me soup,” Chris said, still sounding awed by the fact.
Zach turned away from Chris’ gaze, feeling heat creep into his face. “Uh, so, are you taking anything?”
Chris shook his head, bringing the bowl to his lips and swallowing the rest of the liquid before placing it on the end table. “I took some Advil when I got home but nothing since.”
Zach frowned and extended his hand, feeling Chris’ forehead. “Hmm,” he said. He shifted a little closer and their eyes met for a moment and Zach’s heart thumped. Chris’ eyes were still watery, the blue of them shimmering like they were bathed in silver moonlight. Zach breathed out and pressed his mouth to Chris’ temple.
“Zach,” Chris murmured.
“You’re still pretty warm,” Zach said, his voice a little raw. He forced himself to move back. “I’ll get you some more Advil.” Zach was off the couch in a flash. He went to Chris’ bathroom and found the bottle he wanted. He got a glass of water from the kitchen and handed them to Chris. He watched Chris swallow the pills. “So, I brought a couple movies.” He said, picking up the cases.
“Oh,” Chris said. “I was kind of going to go back to bed, you know, crash. I’m exhausted.”
“Right, yeah,” Zach said. “You should.”
Chris craned his neck and saw the DVD covers. “Is that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?”
“Yeah,” Zach said. “You mentioned you liked it.”
Chris smiled softly. “I love it. Were you going to watch with me?”
“That was the plan,” Zach said.
“Well, pop it in, dude. I’m sick of being in bed.”
“You sure?” Zach said. Chris nodded so Zach loaded the DVD into the player.
“Can you turn the lights off?” Chris asked.
“Yeah,” Zach said. He killed all of the lights in the living room so that the only illumination left was the glow of the television. He sat down beside Chris with a few inches between them and drew his legs up, folding them beneath him.
Zach wasn’t sure when it happened but partway into the movie Chris scooted closer and rested his head against Zach’s shoulder. Instinct took over and Zach laced his arm behind Chris’ back and pulled his friend to him.
Zach could feel Chris shivering. “You cold?” he asked.
“Chills, can’t get warm,” Chris said.
“Move for a second,” Zach said. Chris did and Zach positioned himself so that his back was against the arm of the sofa. “Come here.”
Chris raised an eyebrow but that was the only protest of any kind he made. He slid so that he was settled between Zach’s legs, head against Zach’s chest. The blanket was pulled over both of them now. Zach looked down at his friend, stroked his fingers through his hair, let his other hand move over his back, above the t-shirt. “Warm now?” Zach asked after a few moments.
“Mmm, warm,” Chris said, his voice low and sleepy.
Zach forgot about the movie and just watched Chris. He listened as his friend’s breathing slowed and felt his body go pliant against him. He continued running his fingers through Chris’ hair, rubbing soothing circles against his back.
By the time the movie was over Zach was close to dozing off, too. Chris yawned and his eyes opened. “Did I fall asleep?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Zach said.
A dopey smile curled Chris’ mouth. He groaned as he sat up. “Sorry,” he said. “God, I still feel like I was hit by a Mack Truck,” he said.
“You should get to bed,” Zach said.
Chris stood, leaving the blanket there and shuffling off towards the bedroom. Zach followed until he was standing by the edge of the bed, watching Chris strip down to his briefs. Chris looked over at him. “You don’t have to stay because you feel guilty,” he said. “You did enough. I forgive you. Even though it wasn’t your fault anyway.”
Zach swallowed against the tightness in his throat. “I want to stay because I want to stay,” he said.
Their eyes met for a few seconds. “Okay,” Chris said. He got into bed and under the covers. “You coming?”
Zach’s heart raced as he got out of his jeans and plaid shirt, slipping into bed in nothing more than his boxers and white tank top. He hesitated for a moment but then felt Chris’ hand against his. He inched closer and pressed their bodies together. He pushed his fingers through Chris’ hair. “I really am sorry.”
Soft laughter fell from Chris’ lips. “I’m not,” he said.
“What?”
“You wouldn’t be in bed with me right now if that hadn’t happened. We’d still be dancing around the issue, pretending we’re just buddies.”
Zach’s lips quirked in a smile. He met Chris’ eyes. “That would be a shame,” he breathed, his lips coming close to Chris’.
“I’ll get you sick,” Chris whispered.
“I’ll risk it,” Zach said and let their lips touch. It was the softest of caresses, the fever that wracked Chris’ body didn’t extend to the kiss as their mouths languidly explored and tasted for the first time. Their gazes were fixed together when their lips parted, Zach’s fingertips tracing against the scar on Chris’ cheek.
“God, I ache all over,” Chris breathed.
Zach arched an eyebrow. “Is that a come on?”
Chris laughed softly. “I wish.”
Zach brushed his mouth against Chris’ again and then kissed his forehead. “Sleep now. We’ve got time tomorrow for…”
“For…” Chris smirked, curling closer to Zach and closing his eyes.
“See you in the morning,” Zach murmured, holding Chris gently in his arms and waited until he was sure he was asleep before closing his eyes and letting himself join Chris in dreamland.
~fin~
Author: jenlynn820
Pairing: Chris Pine/Zachary Quinto (Star Trek 2009 RPS)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don’t know Zach or Chris and I make no profit from this work.
Summary: Chris passes out on set and Zach takes care of him.
Beta: eruberueth
Note: Written for the following prompt from trek_rpf_kink: A very sick and feverish Chris passes out on set during filming and Zach freaks out. ♥ and takes care of him duh. Major cookie bonuses if he faints while shooting that o-so-famous Vulcan strangling scene and Zach feels bad about it~
Note 2: Special thanks to my best friend eruberueth who talked with me about how cute the prompt was and came up with some of the dialogue to boot.
Word Count: 3398
Zach tightened his hand just a little around Chris’ throat as he bore down on him. Chris’ own hand was rigid around Zach, his fingers warm as they dug into Zach’s wrist. Zach kept the mask of rage on his face even as he watched Chris’ eyes roll back a little and waited for his cue to stop. It came seconds later when Ben said, “Spock.” Zach counted a few more beats and let the rage be replaced by shame and surprise. He backed off and watched Chris gasp and cough for a few seconds. Zach drifted away from Chris, letting himself feel the weight of what Spock had done.
“Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty. I hereby relinquish my command based on the fact that I have been emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ship’s log.”
A few more steps and JJ called cut. Zach exhaled, letting all the tension drain from his frame. It all came rushing back a heartbeat later when he looked to where Chris was still splayed over the console. Zach strode quickly over and held a hand out. “You alive down there?”
Chris let out a little laughter but it was weak and hoarse. Guilt smacked Zach right in the gut. Chris finally took his hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Zach could see the red marks on his neck from where he’d just been strangling his friend and worried now that he’d squeezed too hard. Chris let out a rattling breath and flashed one of his patented grins. “Still alive,” he said.
Zach smiled weakly in response. He studied Chris’ face and thought that Chris’ usually tan skin looked sallow, his bright blue eyes glassy. He saw beads of sweat close to Chris’ hair line. And despite the fact that Chris was acting like he was fine, Zach watched as his chest continued to heave subtly, as if he still hadn’t caught his breath. “You’re all right?” he said, not bothering to hide his concern.
Chris nodded. “Aren’t you sweet to worry,” he teased. “I’m fine,” he said, smacking Zach on the arm. “Is there water around here?”
Zach stepped to the side as Chris moved passed him in search of a bottle of water. He seemed okay now, moving normally, chatting with JJ as he swallowed water in a long gulp. JJ announced that they were going to try the scene again and Zach forced himself to take his eyes off of Chris and get back into Spock’s headspace.
They were quickly back in the same position, Zach perched over Chris, fingers tight around his neck, Chris struggling beneath him, gripping his wrist when all at once Chris’ head lolled to one side, his eyes fluttering shut right before his entire body went limp.
“Fuck,” Zach cursed, breaking out of character as Chris slid down the console and hit the ground with a thud before Zach could even react.
There was a flurry of movement as the set medic, JJ, and one of the other ADs rushed forward. It would have been easy to get pushed aside but Zach held his ground, kneeling right beside his now unconscious friend. The medic examined Chris quickly, made sure he was breathing, checked his pulse, elevated his legs.
“He’s burning up,” the medic said, not glancing at anyone as he continued to work on Chris, waving a small container of smelling salts under his nose.
Chris jerked a little as his eyes popped opened. He exhaled and Zach did, too, letting go of the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. “How are you feeling, Chris?” JJ asked.
Chris groaned. “Like I banged my head against the floor after someone tried to choke me to death,” he said, eyes meeting Zach’s as a small smile turned his mouth.
“Let’s get you to the exam room,” the medic said. “Feel like you can stand?”
“No promises,” Chris said.
“Let me help,” Zach offered, his voice sounding strange in his ears. The medic nodded and together they got Chris to his feet. It seemed like a huge mistake when Chris pitched forward and nearly took both Zach and the medic down with him but together they kept Chris upright and after a few seconds Chris regained his equilibrium.
“The room’s spinning, right? That’s a new feature for the bridge no one told me about?” Chris said, looking at Zach.
“Let’s go, slowly,” the medic said to Zach and Zach nodded.
“Come on,” he said to his friend, starting the slow walk to the exam room. They made it there with no more incidents and Zach was forced to let go of Chris when a nurse took over. He watched them help Chris onto the bed, folding his arms over his chest.
“You can step out now, Zach,” the medic said.
“Oh, right,” he said. He craned his head to get a look at Chris’ face, maybe make eye contact but the other man didn’t look over at him so Zach turned and left the room. He took a deep breath once the door shut behind him.
“Hey, is he okay?” Zoe said, standing right outside the room along with Karl.
“I don’t know,” Zach said, looking down at his shoes.
“It’s probably exhaustion,” Karl offered. “He’s had a really full schedule this week.”
Under other circumstances Zach might’ve reminded Karl he wasn’t actually a doctor but all his humor had fled at the moment. “Maybe it was me,” Zach said.
“You?” Zoe said.
“He passed out with my hand wrapped around his throat, Zoe,” Zach said.
“Zach, you weren’t really choking him,” she said.
“No, but, maybe I squeezed too hard, I don’t know,” Zach said.
“I don’t think so,” Karl said. “He looked rough when I saw him this morning.”
Zach looked over at Karl now. “He did? What do you mean?”
“Run down. I asked if he had a wild night, he laughed, made a joke about how his wild nights would give me nightmares. I left it at that. Actors get worn out on movie sets all the time.”
Zach frowned. Now that he thought about it, Chris did seem off this morning. He was quieter than usual, nursing his coffee, zoning out while listening to his ipod rather than working on the New York Times crossword puzzle like he generally did on Fridays.
JJ rounded the corridor and stood in front of the little cast gathering. “How’s Chris?” he asked.
The three castmates shrugged so JJ went to the exam room door and knocked. “Everyone decent in there?” he said.
“You can come in, JJ,” the medic said.
JJ opened the door and disappeared inside only to reappear a few minutes later. “He’s fine,” JJ said. “It’s the flu. He told the medic he was feeling like shit when he woke up this morning but thought he could tough it out. We’re sending him home for the day. The driver’ll be around in a few minutes to take him. Luckily we have two off days ahead of us so everything should be fine by Monday. You all can go in one at a time, tell him you were worried, etcetera, then back to work, the day is young,” JJ said, patting Zach’s arm as he walked past him back down the hall.
“See? Wasn’t you,” Zoe said.
Zach wondered why he didn’t feel any better. “Yeah.”
Zoe shook her head in that affectionate way that Zach knew meant she thought he was being a silly little boy. “You go first,” she said, shoving him a little towards the door.
Zach said nothing more as he went inside the exam room. Chris was sitting up on the bed now, his shoulders slumped, his head hanging low. “Hey,” Zach said.
It seemed like it took a great effort for Chris to lift his head. “Hey, if it isn’t the guy that choked the life out of me,” he joked.
Zach’s gut twisted. “I’m so sorry…”
Chris laughed weakly. “It was a joke, Zach, relax. Didn’t JJ tell you? It’s just the flu. I didn’t want to slow the production down. I thought I could work past it. Guess I was wrong.”
“I’m sure me throttling you didn’t help,” Zach said.
“Maybe not. But it wasn’t why I fainted. You’re off the hook,” he said.
Zach opened his mouth to say something else but there was a knock on the door and a PA came in to tell Chris the car was ready to take him home. Chris tried to get up from the bed and wobbled a little. Zach rushed over and took hold of his arm, helping his friend steady himself.
“Thanks,” Chris said. “I got it.”
Zach reluctantly backed off. “Be careful.”
“Aren’t I always?” Chris said, offering Zach a grin as he shuffled out of the room.
Zach followed and watched Chris exchange a few words with Zoe and Karl before heading after the PA. Zach fought the urge to follow Chris to the car, make sure he got in all right. If he did that he might’ve gotten in along with him and followed him home.
The rest of the day felt excruciatingly long. Zach tried to force all thoughts of Chris out of his head so he could keep his focus on the work but it was a losing battle and by the time they wrapped for the day Zach felt panicky with worry. He ignored the feeling though, deciding he was being ridiculous. They wouldn’t have sent Chris home alone if he was in any serious danger.
After getting out of costume Zach went back to his house. He walked his dog and played with his cat and tried to ignore the gnawing at his gut. He didn’t even realize what he was doing by the time he was inside his kitchen, chopping vegetables and cutting up chicken to make his mother’s famous chicken soup. He had to skimp on the usual cook times, and used boxed stock and leftover rotisserie chicken but it tasted almost as good by the time it was being poured into a giant Tupperware container. It was like his body was moving of its own volition as he gathered up a few things and made his way out the door.
Zach would have driven straight to Chris’ apartment but he had a few other things he wanted to do first. After several stops he found himself pulling in front of Chris’ building just as the sky turned dark. He parked the car and gathered everything he’d bought in his arms along with the canvas bag holding the container of soup. He struggled up the stairs and finally stood in front of Chris’ door. He knocked three times and waited.
Zach was worried Chris wouldn’t answer and envisioned Chris passed out again, sprawled on the bathroom tile, blood pouring from his head where he’d smacked it on the porcelain sink as he went down. The vision dissolved when Zach heard the gears of the lock click and the door was pulled open.
Chris stood before him wrapped in a blanket, wearing heavy grey sweatpants and a Berkley t-shirt. He looked pale and drawn. “Zach, what’re you doing here?” he said.
“I, uh, was worried,” he said. “Wanted to see if you’re okay.”
“I’m aces,” Chris said, moving away from the door and trudging over to the couch, sinking down heavily onto it.
Zach came all the way in and put his bags down, locking the door. “I wanted to, you know, apologize,” he said.
Chris laughed. “You didn’t do anything,” he said and then frowned. “Are those flowers?”
“Uh, yeah,” Zach laughed, taking the arrangement and bringing it over to Chris, placing it on the table.
“You got me flowers?” Chris said, face screwing up in a look of bewildered amusement.
“That’s what you do when someone’s sick,” Zach said. “I also got you some magazines…” he said, going over and grabbing one of the bags he’d brought with him. “This book you mentioned you wanted to read…” He was removing things one at a time now, piling them on the table in front of Chris. “Some crossword puzzle books. A few DVDs, uh, M&Ms, you like the almond ones, right?” Zach continued to pull things from the bag until it was entirely empty.
“What, no balloons?” Chris asked, his expression soft.
“I thought balloons might be overkill,” Zach said.
Chris chuckled. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“Oh, but I do have a card.” Zach held the envelope out to Chris who took it and opened it.
“You got the entire cast to sign it,” he said. “Uh, Zach?”
“Yeah?”
“Did they tell you something they didn’t tell me? Because I was told it’s just the flu and I’ll be back to work Monday. But if I’m dying I think I have the right to know.”
“No,” Zach said. “I just thought…” The words trailed off. Zach moved over to the sofa and sat down heavily next to Chris. “I feel awful.”
“You feel awful? Did you catch the flu from me?” Chris asked.
“I could tell you weren’t yourself but I didn’t think much of it. And then you’re passing out with my hand around your throat,” he said.
“Which isn’t nearly as romantic as it sounds,” Chris smirked.
Zach shook his head. “It’s not funny. Your eyes rolled back, you went completely limp. I was scared shitless.”
Chris frowned. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said.
“I don’t know,” Zach said, looking away. There was a long silence before he spoke again. “Did you eat since you got home?”
Chris shook his head. “I collapsed into bed and slept.”
“You need to eat,” Zach said. “I brought soup.” Zach was on his feet again. He took the canvas bag into Chris’ kitchen and removed the container. He found a pot to heat it up and returned to the living room with a bowl of hot soup a few minutes later.
Chris cradled the bowl against his chest with one hand and took a spoonful of soup with the other. He swallowed it and closed his eyes. “Shit, that’s good.”
Zach smiled. “My mom’s recipe.”
Chris opened his eyes and looked at Zach. “You made this?” Zach shrugged. “You made me soup. Huh.” Chris was smirking now as he took more spoonfuls into his mouth.
“I cheated a little. No time to make homemade stock. No time to cook the chicken in it, like my mom does,” Zach said.
“Yeah, but you made me soup,” Chris said, still sounding awed by the fact.
Zach turned away from Chris’ gaze, feeling heat creep into his face. “Uh, so, are you taking anything?”
Chris shook his head, bringing the bowl to his lips and swallowing the rest of the liquid before placing it on the end table. “I took some Advil when I got home but nothing since.”
Zach frowned and extended his hand, feeling Chris’ forehead. “Hmm,” he said. He shifted a little closer and their eyes met for a moment and Zach’s heart thumped. Chris’ eyes were still watery, the blue of them shimmering like they were bathed in silver moonlight. Zach breathed out and pressed his mouth to Chris’ temple.
“Zach,” Chris murmured.
“You’re still pretty warm,” Zach said, his voice a little raw. He forced himself to move back. “I’ll get you some more Advil.” Zach was off the couch in a flash. He went to Chris’ bathroom and found the bottle he wanted. He got a glass of water from the kitchen and handed them to Chris. He watched Chris swallow the pills. “So, I brought a couple movies.” He said, picking up the cases.
“Oh,” Chris said. “I was kind of going to go back to bed, you know, crash. I’m exhausted.”
“Right, yeah,” Zach said. “You should.”
Chris craned his neck and saw the DVD covers. “Is that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?”
“Yeah,” Zach said. “You mentioned you liked it.”
Chris smiled softly. “I love it. Were you going to watch with me?”
“That was the plan,” Zach said.
“Well, pop it in, dude. I’m sick of being in bed.”
“You sure?” Zach said. Chris nodded so Zach loaded the DVD into the player.
“Can you turn the lights off?” Chris asked.
“Yeah,” Zach said. He killed all of the lights in the living room so that the only illumination left was the glow of the television. He sat down beside Chris with a few inches between them and drew his legs up, folding them beneath him.
Zach wasn’t sure when it happened but partway into the movie Chris scooted closer and rested his head against Zach’s shoulder. Instinct took over and Zach laced his arm behind Chris’ back and pulled his friend to him.
Zach could feel Chris shivering. “You cold?” he asked.
“Chills, can’t get warm,” Chris said.
“Move for a second,” Zach said. Chris did and Zach positioned himself so that his back was against the arm of the sofa. “Come here.”
Chris raised an eyebrow but that was the only protest of any kind he made. He slid so that he was settled between Zach’s legs, head against Zach’s chest. The blanket was pulled over both of them now. Zach looked down at his friend, stroked his fingers through his hair, let his other hand move over his back, above the t-shirt. “Warm now?” Zach asked after a few moments.
“Mmm, warm,” Chris said, his voice low and sleepy.
Zach forgot about the movie and just watched Chris. He listened as his friend’s breathing slowed and felt his body go pliant against him. He continued running his fingers through Chris’ hair, rubbing soothing circles against his back.
By the time the movie was over Zach was close to dozing off, too. Chris yawned and his eyes opened. “Did I fall asleep?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Zach said.
A dopey smile curled Chris’ mouth. He groaned as he sat up. “Sorry,” he said. “God, I still feel like I was hit by a Mack Truck,” he said.
“You should get to bed,” Zach said.
Chris stood, leaving the blanket there and shuffling off towards the bedroom. Zach followed until he was standing by the edge of the bed, watching Chris strip down to his briefs. Chris looked over at him. “You don’t have to stay because you feel guilty,” he said. “You did enough. I forgive you. Even though it wasn’t your fault anyway.”
Zach swallowed against the tightness in his throat. “I want to stay because I want to stay,” he said.
Their eyes met for a few seconds. “Okay,” Chris said. He got into bed and under the covers. “You coming?”
Zach’s heart raced as he got out of his jeans and plaid shirt, slipping into bed in nothing more than his boxers and white tank top. He hesitated for a moment but then felt Chris’ hand against his. He inched closer and pressed their bodies together. He pushed his fingers through Chris’ hair. “I really am sorry.”
Soft laughter fell from Chris’ lips. “I’m not,” he said.
“What?”
“You wouldn’t be in bed with me right now if that hadn’t happened. We’d still be dancing around the issue, pretending we’re just buddies.”
Zach’s lips quirked in a smile. He met Chris’ eyes. “That would be a shame,” he breathed, his lips coming close to Chris’.
“I’ll get you sick,” Chris whispered.
“I’ll risk it,” Zach said and let their lips touch. It was the softest of caresses, the fever that wracked Chris’ body didn’t extend to the kiss as their mouths languidly explored and tasted for the first time. Their gazes were fixed together when their lips parted, Zach’s fingertips tracing against the scar on Chris’ cheek.
“God, I ache all over,” Chris breathed.
Zach arched an eyebrow. “Is that a come on?”
Chris laughed softly. “I wish.”
Zach brushed his mouth against Chris’ again and then kissed his forehead. “Sleep now. We’ve got time tomorrow for…”
“For…” Chris smirked, curling closer to Zach and closing his eyes.
“See you in the morning,” Zach murmured, holding Chris gently in his arms and waited until he was sure he was asleep before closing his eyes and letting himself join Chris in dreamland.
~fin~