Chris couldn't remember the last time he'd managed to take more than a few weeks off at a time. This summer however he'd somehow become friends with his schedule, taking a good few months off. The idea of not doing anything however, wasn't something he was used to, or really wanted to do. In theory it sounded great, being able to sleep in, catch up with friends, spend more time with his pets and Darren, but having a mind that was constantly buzzing didn't really equate to the perfect summer he'd imagined.
Darren was still working, he had a few things on the go. There had been some time for the two of them to enjoy each others company but it really wasn't as much as Chris had envisaged. He wasn't one to need a fuck load of approval but somehow he found himself a little annoyed that Darren seemed to be spending 90 percent of his time working when they'd talked about how this summer was meant to be about the two of them.
Chris sighed from his position at the foot of the bed as Darren pecked him goodbye to go attend what felt like the hundredth event of the month.
"I'll be home by midnight okay? We'll do something tomorrow" Darren promised, squeezing his boyfriends shoulder.
Chris nodded at that, turning his head slightly to flatten down some creases in Darren's shirt.
"Don't have too much fun" he added, watching as Darren grabbed his phone and wallet and left with a quick goodbye.
Chris wasn't mad at Darren per se, he understood that there were events and opportunities that couldn't just be skipped. He understood that his boyfriend, not unlike himself was a bit of a workaholic only stopping when someone would physically force him.
It was hot in the apartment. Definitely too hot not to have the AC on, but with the batteries dead and none that Chris could find in the nearby vicinity the fan was the only option left. Darren wasn't home yet and honestly Chris wanted nothing more than to just down a few hardcore painkillers. He'd had what he was sure was a migraine since he'd woken up, only being made worse by the fact that he'd only gotten a few hours sleep the night before. The only thing that tended to help these migraines was sleep, and with the heat the way it was, it was practically impossible to take a decent nap, something he'd already tried a few times that day.
Chris debated texting Darren, asking him to pick up some migraine meds but decided against it, figuring he'd just try some ibuprofen and see if it did anything. Three more hours passed and his head was just throbbing worse than ever.
It wasn't long before Chris started feeling incredibly sorry for himself, turning the fan in the living room on high and curling up on the couch with both Brian and Coop. He groaned when the front door opened and shut loudly, massaging his temples as Darren's voice echoed through the house.
"Chris?" Darren's voice was softer this time and Chris was grateful he had the sense to keep the lights off.
"Hey. You okay?" he asked, gently sitting down beside his boyfriend and placing a hand on his knee.
"Yeah. Yeah. Just a headache" Chris mumbled, taking his fingers away from his head to run them through his hair.
Darren sighed as he reached out to put Brian down on the ground so he could scoot in closer.
"Migraine you mean?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Darren knew Chris hadn't had the best sleep and from past experiences he knew a migraine was just waiting to happen, especially with the LA heat.
The nod was all Darren needed to reach over for the air conditioner remote, frowning when nothing popped up on the screen.
"Batteries dead Dare" Chris uttered with a sigh.
"I couldn't find any spares anywhere"
Chris bit down hard on his bottom lip, glancing for a second at Darren as he fiddled with the batteries in the back.
"Baby" Darren cooed, dropping the remote, frowning as Chris dropped his gaze.
"Are you sure it's just a headache? There's migraine meds in our cabinet from the other month. And I'll get some more batteries"
Chris shook his head as Darren's hand ran through his hair.
"I just..my head hurts and I'm tired. And this summer was meant to be about us. And you're never home. And I know you have to work and go to events and I'm just shitty for saying all this because.."
"Chris..Chris. It's fine."
Chris shook his head as Darren moved his hand back from his hair and onto his knee again. It was a gesture that never seemed to fail in comforting him.
"Honestly. I kind of figured you were a little pissed with all that sighing and groaning when I went off to events. You're not that subtle honey" Darren responded, cracking a small smile.
"I'll cut down. I promise. I was planning to anyway. I just want you to do something for me okay?"
Chris thought about apologising, but ignored the thought and settled with a nod.
"Just…stay there. I'll get you some pills, I'll fix the air-conditioning and we'll go to sleep. That sounds good yeah? And then if you wanna talk tomorrow, we'll talk. But I promise you everything is fine."
Chris swallowed down past the lump in his throat and reached over to squeeze Darren's hand.
"Thanks" he whispered.
"Oh, Chris" Darren smiled sympathetically, thumbing a tear away from his cheek.
"I promise it's okay. You're just tired and I've been a shitty partner. But we still have 2 months of summer left and we can do whatever the fuck we want"
Darren grinned as he was awarded with a smile from Chris.
"Now. Pills and sleep?"
"Pills and sleep"