Stefan got out of his black Buick, grabbing the paper bag and walking into the apartment
building. His partner had been really sick, only just finding out about his condition the
other day when the blonde had collapsed from the heat during a case. After dragging him
to the doctor's, he had discovered that Cole had a virus, which had been exacerbated with
the heat and his insistence to continue work in spite of his ailment. With their captain's
orders, on top of the good doctor's advice, Cole was to stay at home until he recovered.
It had been nearly two days since he last saw Cole and he was growing concerned.
So, he had decided to pick up some of the essentials and peek in on his partner to at least
make sure he was still alive. He began the trek up the stairs until he reached the second
floor and turned left to find Cole's apartment, knocking on the starch white door. When
he didn't hear any response or footsteps, he knocked again. Cole was a stickler when it
came to manners and punctuality; so why wasn't he answering?
Stefan put his left ear against the door and listened for any movement, "Cole? Cole are
you home?" he called out, knocking once more. He heard a muffled cough somewhere on
the other side of the door, which signified that Cole was home. Assuming the worst, he
kicked his foot out, the door splintering as it swung open. "Cole?" he called out, dropping
the paper sack by the door as he walked further into the apartment, deciding on
investigating the living room first. He found Cole lying on the sofa, sound asleep, and
surrounded by paperwork. "Jeez Cole…" he sighed, chuckling at the sight.
Stefan walked back to the door and closed it, realizing that it was probably going to need
to be replaced since the latch hole was broken. He picked the sack back up and carried it
into the kitchen and set it on the counter before walking back into the living room to
check on his partner.
As he approached the couch he noticed that Cole was beginning to wake up, looking up
at him with bleary eyes. "Stefan…?" Cole mumbled groggily, "What are you doing
here?"
"I came to check up on you kid, how are you feeling?" Stefan smiled as he slipped his
hands into his pockets. Cole's eyes pinched shut as he struggled to sit up; sighing as he
rubbed his eyes with his fingers, "Why is the room moving?" Stefan raised a brow at the
question, "What?"
To Cole, the room was swaying as if it were smoldering but without flames. It was
unnerving. Stefan instinctively reached his hand forward and touched his palm to the
blonde's forehead, "You're really warm; have you been taking the medicine the doc gave
you?" Cole rested his head against the brunette's hand heavily, relishing the coolness of
his palm. Under normal circumstances, he would shy away from physical contact deemed
too intimate between men; but at this moment, he just wanted to cool down.
"Stay here, I'll be right back." Stefan pulled away and scurried into Cole's bathroom
across the hall, searching for the thermometer. He managed to find it hiding behind a
bottle of Cole's cologne in the medicine cabinet, taking it gingerly between his fingers
and walking back to the couch.
Cole saw Stefan approaching with the glass thermometer and changed his position so his
back rested against the back of the couch and his feet rested on the floor, opening his
mouth when his partner brought it close to his lips. He looked down at the floor
sheepishly as they waited a few moments.
He didn't understand why Stefan had decided to come see him; he could take care of
himself just fine. After a minute had passed, Stefan took the glass tube from his partner's
lips, wincing at the high numbers.
"That's a pretty high fever you've got there, Cole. Fortunately, it's not so high that you
need to go to the hospital." He walked back into the bathroom to rinse off the
thermometer before placing it back in the cabinet. "Alright, let's get you into bed for
some proper rest." Stefan grabbed Cole's arm and slung it behind his neck before
wrapping his arm around his waist and helping him stand up, nearly dropping to the floor
with the blonde when his sudden weight pulled on him. It became apparent that the other
man was unsteady on his feet, swaying and knocking his hip against Stefan's every so
often as they walked towards the bedroom. "Have you been sleeping on the couch this
whole time?" he raised an eyebrow at the pristine bed, the blankets and pillows
undisturbed. "I've had paperwork as of late." Cole murmured, nonplussed by the
accusing look he received from his partner. Stefan shook his head in disbelief; keeping a
firm hold on the blonde as he reached a hand forward to pull the covers back and help
Cole sit down. "The doctor said you need to rest." He sighed. "I haven't been out
jogging." Cole joked, a small smile tugged on his lips. Stefan chuckled, surprised to see
that Cole had a sense of humor after all. "Work will still be there when you get back. So
leave it alone for now." Stefan looked at the blonde pointedly, insisting that he leave
work where it belonged. "Alright, alright." Cole nodded meekly, appearing to relax with
the knowledge that his commitment to his job was put on hold. He wouldn't be able to
get anything done with Stefan guarding him like this anyway, so he didn't exactly have a
choice. He laid down in bed, choosing to keep his wrinkled slacks and white button-up
shirt on, and nodded in thanks with a shy smile when Stefan pulled the blankets up to his
chest. "We'll work on that fever of yours first; I'll get a washcloth, be right back." Stefan
walked into the bathroom and found a small towel under the sink; soaking it with cool
water and squeezing the excess out before taking it to Cole's room and placing it on his
forehead. A smile tugged at his lips when Cole sighed and closed his eyes almost
instantly. "Thanks, Stefan, it feels…amazing." He murmured.
When he got no further response from the blonde, he realized that he must have fallen
asleep. Stefan quietly stepped out of the room and walked into the kitchen. To pass the
time, he decided to prepare lunch for the both of them. Dumping a can of Parnell's
chicken soup in a pot and leaving it to boil had been simple enough, stirring the mixture
occasionally. He decided to check in on Cole, stepping into the bedroom quietly and
slowly peeling off the washcloth. After soaking it in cool water, he touched the blonde's
forehead and noticed that it wasn't as hot, smiling in relief before reapplying the cold
compress. If they were vigilant, Cole could possibly recover within the week.
He wondered just how long he had been sick, how long he had been hiding it just so he
could work. 'Idiot…'
Stefan jumped when he heard a harsh sizzle coming from the kitchen, remembering that
the pot of soup had been left on the burner. He hurried back into the kitchen, removing
the pot from the hot burner and placing it on a cool one. 'Damn it, Bekowsky!' he cursed
himself. After pouring the soup in two bowls and making grilled cheese sandwiches,
Stefan walked into the bedroom and was surprised to see Cole awake and sitting up in
bed. "Hey, you're awake." He smiled as he walked further into the room, "You hungry?
I made us lunch."
"Oh," Cole's eyes widened in surprise, "You shouldn't have." He smiled sheepishly.
"Well, I'm not going to let you starve," he chuckled, "Come on, I'll help you." Stefan sat
on the bed beside Cole and wrapped his arm around his waist once the blonde draped his
arm along his shoulders, the two of them standing up together. "We're getting better at
this." Stefan joked as they walked into the dining room, earning a chuckle from his
partner. He slowly eased Cole down into the chair before moving around to the other end
of the table and sitting down, picking up his cheese sandwich and biting into it.
Seeing as how the soup was still steaming, Cole decided to eat his sandwich first; picking
it up and beginning to devour it. It was delicious, almost indescribably so. The warm
melted cheese that accompanied the crunchy-chewy texture of the toasted, buttered bread
was enough to elicit a purr from the blonde. Stefan took notice of the small noise that
came from the other man's throat, chuckling in amusement. "You like it, huh?" he
grinned. Cole froze and looked at Stefan like a deer caught in headlights, swallowing
with a small smile, "It's good, it's been a long time since I had one of these."
Cole was surprised that his partner could actually cook, even more surprised that he
would bother to cook for him when he could have just picked up some takeout.
Somehow, the thought of Stefan going through the trouble made the food taste all the
better; seemed to make him feel better as well.
He had known of Stefan's sense of humor and crass mouth; but now, finding out how
kind he could be made him realize why he was 'everyone's favorite Pole'.
"I'm glad." Stefan smiled, dipping a corner of his sandwich into the chicken soup and
taking a bite. He had to wonder if the blonde was eating well these days, judging from his
apparent appetite.
It wasn't long after the brief exchange that they were finished eating, cleaning their hands
off with their napkins. "That was great, I feel like I could go for a nap right about now."
Stefan stretched his arms above his head, popping his neck with a sigh. Remaining
seated, he scratched at his chin and glanced up at Cole, "So, just out of curiosity, when
was the last time you had your medicine?" he raised an eyebrow accusingly, folding his
arms across his chest as he leaned against the back of the chair.
Cole looked up from his folded hands on the table, a sheepish smile tugging on his lips,
"Well, it was probably the day you brought me back home; at least that's the last time I
can remember taking it."
"Cole…" Stefan groaned at his partner. "The medicine makes me feel drowsy, Stefan, I
had paperwork to do." Cole lifted his hands in defense. "You're incorrigible. You know
that?" Stefan stood up and began to search for Cole's prescribed pills, smiling as Cole
chuckled at his expense.
"Where did you put it? I can't find it…" Stefan began opening cupboards, pulling
drawers open and even looking behind appliances to find the prescription. "I honestly
can't say." Cole frowned and rubbed his chin as he tried to recall where he left the bottle
of pills. Stefan gave Cole a curious look, a thought striking him and began walking into
the living room. The room was the only spot in the apartment in disarray; the sofa and
coffee table, and even parts of the floor, were all covered with folders, papers and coffee
mugs.
It took awhile, after gathering the paperwork in a neat pile on the table; he managed to
find the prescription bottle right under Cole's discarded jacket that laid on the arm of the
sofa, hidden between the seat cushions.
"So, you just dropped everything and went straight to work, huh?" Stefan grinned as he
walked back into the kitchen to get a glass of water for the blonde. "I have a tendency to
do that sometimes, yes." Cole chuckled, accepting the proffered tablets and glass before
popping them into his mouth and taking a sip, blinking in surprise when Stefan touched
his forehead. "It's nice that you're becoming more lucid now, how are you feeling?"
Stefan glanced at his seated partner curiously. Cole felt his cheeks begin to grow warm at
the contact, continuing to drink the water and dropping his gaze to the floor.
"Much better, thank you," he sighed, putting the glass down on the table.
"That's good to hear," Stefan smiled, reaching down to help Cole stand, "Come on, let's
get you back to bed. The more you rest, the better." Cole kept his right hand pressed
against Stefan's chest as the Pole kept a firm grip on his wrist, trying to keep his balance
as they walked. He wondered why he thought that Stefan's arms looked so good when his
shirt sleeves were rolled up like this; chalking it up to delirium that was brought on by the
damned fever. Stefan eased Cole down on the bed, noticing the discomfort etched in his
face. "Are you alright?" Cole waved his hand dismissively, "My back's a little tender, it's
fine." Stefan eyed Cole as he laid down on his back, swallowing his pride, "I can rub it
for you, if you want." He offered, sitting down on the bed beside the blonde. Cole's lips
parted, speechless, "Um, well, alright…" he murmured before rolling onto his side. As
soon as the brunette's fingers touched his back and began dig deeply into his sore
muscles, his bit his lip from the mixture of relief and embarrassment.
Once he found his rhythm, Stefan took his time rubbing his fingertips vertically across
Cole's spine, digging in a little deeper in between his shoulder blades. He grinned as Cole
jumped when he squeezed his sensitive hips, eliciting a bark of laughter from the blonde,
"Ticklish? Sorry." He laughed, moving his fingers to the middle of Cole's back, pressing
his thumbs down and rubbing in small circles.
Cole's eyes grew heavy as Stefan continued to massage him quietly; his eyelids sliding
shut as he relaxed into the touch. His partner was just full of surprises…
Stefan looked down at the blonde, his fingers ceasing as he realized that Cole must have
fallen asleep.
Before leaving, he leaned over and touched his partner's forehead once more to check his
fever, smiling in relief when it appeared to have gone down. As he was about to pull
away, he felt Cole grasp his left hand, grabbing his green tie and pulled him down until
their lips met. He blinked in surprise, his mind still processing what was happening up
until the point when his partner's arms encircled his neck.
He smiled wryly, returning the affection, cupping Cole's face and gently nibbling on his
lower lip.
Out of everyone he has ever cared for, Cole was certainly his best patient.
+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.
I wrote this back on December 19th 2013 when I found a prompt on the
LANoirekinkmeme asking for a fluffy story featuring Stefan taking care of a sick and
bedridden Cole. I adored the idea, so of course I had to write it!
I really enjoyed writing this story, and I a sucker for fluff, so I do hope to write more
sappy stories featuring these two in the future.
Lin