Disclaimer:Anything you recognise, including characters, belong to their respective owners.This is a work of fiction and does not represent reality, please treat it as such.
I'll Take Care of You
-x-
If you let me, here's what I'll do
I'll take care of you
Renee rolled onto her back, awoken by the unusual chill on her skin. Opening one eye, she glanced over at the digital clock on the nightstand. 4am. Why was she awake?
Reaching out, she discovered the reason. Her fingertips danced across the sheets where his big body was notably missing, still slightly warm which told her he hadn't been gone too long.
Squinting against the dark room, she sat up. It wasn't often he was out of bed before her, especially considering he was always achy in the mornings, but on occasion he was up watching his Apple TV when he couldn't sleep.
Glancing around, she saw that wasn't the case. A tiny slither of light was visible from the way the bathroom door was cracked.
"Jon?" she called in a hushed voice.
She clambered out of the bed, wrapping her arms around herself against the cold of the bedroom. She crept towards the door and tried calling for him again. When she got no reply, she pushed it gently. If he was using the bathroom, it wasn't a big deal, they had no boundaries any more.
She wasn't prepared for the sight before her though. Shielding her eyes against the fluorescently bright lighting, she found him asleep on the floor. At least she hoped he was asleep...
That thought frightened her and she crouched before him, putting a hand on his clammy forehead.
"Jon...wake up" she called to him, brushing the damp curls from his face. He was hot, his skin pale and sickly looking. The sight of him that way, coupled with his lack of response sent panic through her. Standing, she rushed into the bedroom to grab her phone.
Getting ready to dial for an ambulance, she tried one last time to rouse him. Wetting one of her muslin cloths she used to take off her make-up, she pressed it to the back of his neck.
With a low moan, his eyes finally opened.
Tossing her phone on the floor, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jesus Jon, don't scare me like that"
He blinked back at her, seemingly disorientated before diving for the toilet and throwing up.
Concern evident all over her face, Renee rubbed the top of his back as he emptied the contents of his stomach. It didn't take long to put two and two together, realising that he must have come in here to be sick and fallen asleep on the floor.
When he eventually calmed down, she passed him a cup of water to wash his mouth out with and grabbed the hem of his damp shirt, pulling it up and over his head. He was still far too warm for her liking, moisture making his sallow skin shine.
"Go get in bed" she ran her fingers through his hair. "I'll clean up in here and grab you a bowl in case you need to be sick again"
She watched him carefully as he hauled himself to his feet shakily and stumbled back into the bedroom, staying close in case he got dizzy. She wasn't sure if she could do much with his more than two hundred pound frame but it eased her mind to be nearby.
Satisfied that he was safely in bed, she retreated to the bathroom and cleaned up, grabbing a bowl for him and another cup of water. Setting them down on his nightstand, she headed downstairs, wishing she'd taken the time to put some socks on as the tile floor on her bare feet made her shiver. She'd spent enough time in his home now to know where everything was and she took a breakfast bowl from the cupboard and half filled it with ice cubes from his freezer, the ones he liked to keep his beer in. Filling the bowl to the top with water, she grabbed some medicine to bring his temperature down and carried them both up to him.
Jon never got sick. Never. He always joked he had an immune system of steel and she believed it. It was always her sniffling and whining about being under the weather. Now he was sick and she could see that it may not happen often, but when he did get ill, it hit him hard.
Dipping the cloth in the icy water, she draped it across his forehead. He flinched at the cold, trying to cocoon himself in the duvet. Renee knew she had to be cruel to be kind and pulled the blankets from his grasp, throwing them onto the floor. She got a whine in response.
"I know sweetheart, but you're burning up..." she whispered, feeling terrible for denying him any comfort when he was clearly feeling so poorly. The cloth on his head was already warm, his body heat quickly neutralising the cold. She took it off, dipping it back in the icy water and dabbed at his neck and chest with it. He shivered, his face scrunched up in discomfort.
Kissing his cheek, she pressed two pills into his palm and helped him sit up.
"Take these, they'll bring your fever down" she gave him some water to wash them down with.
"Thanks" he spoke for the first time since she woke up. His throat sounded sore and scratchy and she pouted, cupping his cheek and rubbing her thumb back and forth over his stubbly skin.
"Do you want me to call an emergency out-of-hours doctor or something?" she asked, sitting down on the bed beside him and wringing out the cloth again.
He shook his head. "I'm okay"
If she wasn't so worried about him, she'd have laughed at his bare-faced lie. He took the pills she offered and swallowed them dry.
"Go back to sleep" he mumbled. "You have to be up early"
"I will" she assured him, pressing a tissue to his runny nose. "I just want to make sure you're okay first"
"Thanks mom" he managed a joke.
"I'm not your mom, but I plan to baby you like a mom" she smiled, kissing his cheek.
"Love you" he mumbled, propping himself up with pillows and lying back gingerly.
"Love you more" she kissed his temple. "Wake me up if you feel that bad again okay?"
He nodded unconvincingly and she sighed, settling down on the now bare bed. She was cold but the heat emanating from Jon reminded her why it was necessary. He needed to cool down; she was surprised he wasn't delirious at that temperature.
- x -
She awoke to the sounds of retching and quickly clambered off the bed and into the bathroom.
Kneeling beside him on the hard floor, she pushed his hair back, watching the way his knuckles turned white gripping the seat of the toilet.
"I told you to wake me up" she sighed, massaging his head.
She didn't expect a reply and she didn't get one. He kept his head down, breathing erratically.
Reaching over, she turned on the taps of his big bath tub and made sure the water was running warm enough to be comfortable, but not hot enough to increase his fever.
He slumped back against the cabinets, wiping a hand over his face.
While the bath filled, Renee set about cleaning up. She opened a window and tracked down the few cleaning supplies he had in his home.
"Nae...don't..." he tried to protest as she started mopping up the mess on the floor. "I'll do it..."
"Jon..." she levelled him with a look that said 'don't even try it'. "You're in no state to clean anything and it's just a bit of vomit, I've cleaned up worse trust me" she stroked his head.
Helping him up, she pulled his underwear down his strong thighs and he stepped out of them. While seeing his body in all its glory always took her breath away, she wasn't thinking about anything other than making him feel better. He sank into the tub with a groan, immersing himself in the warm water as it soothed him.
"Lean back, I'll wash your hair" she kissed the back of his neck. Normally, he'd laugh at the suggestion. He only ever let her play with his hair after sex, when he was sleepy and compliant. As a result, she took full advantage as he dipped his head under the water.
Renee put a dollop of her favourite shampoo in her palm. It smelled like strawberries and vanilla, the scent making her sigh contentedly as she rubbed it into his soft hair. She massaged his head at the same time, letting her fingers work their way down his neck and across his shoulders.
He let out a groan, arching his back. "You're so good to me" he mumbled in appreciation.
"Of course I am" she nuzzled his damp skin. "You know why?"
"Because you love me"
"I do" she smiled, tipping his head back so she could rinse the shampoo out for him.
"I'm a lucky man"
Renee smiled brightly, craning her neck to kiss him.
"You really wanna do that?" he asked, reminding her that he had just vomited all over the place.
"Good point" she laughed, pressing her lips to the tip of his nose instead.
She continued massaging his neck and shoulders for a while, feeling his body going increasingly lax under her touch.
"Not fair that I'm the only one naked" he raised a brow when she stopped, moving around the tub to the front of him.
"Someone's feeling better all of a sudden" she smiled at his cheeky little grin. It was nice to see some colour in his face and the light back in his eyes.
"I'm hoping I've come through the worst of it now" he admitted.
"You scared me" she whispered, stroking his head as she perched on the edge of the tub.
"Yeah...sorry. I didn't mean to pass out like that"
"That's alright" she cupped his cheek. "Just glad you're okay"
He kissed her palm.
"I also love how you're letting me pet you like the adorable puppy you are right now"
He scowled. "It's just because I'm exhausted and dehydrated, don't get used to it"
"Well I better make the most of it then" she smiled, holding the sides of his head and running her thumbs under his eyes to catch the moisture beading from his eyelashes.
It was in that moment, staring right into her eyes, that Jon knew. There were moments before, when he'd caught himself thinking about events in the future and picturing Renee there with him through them all. But it was seeing the love and devotion in her eyes as she tirelessly cared for him at the expense of getting any sleep that really hammered the point home.
She'd make an incredible wife.
- x -
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