Disclaimer: Glee=Awesome, but most definitely not mine
Chapter Four: Pizza
What Kurt really did not want to do was move out of Finn's arms.It wasn't anything romantic or anything, he had been telling the truth when he said he no longer had those kinds of feelings about Finn, but there was something about Finn's strong, brotherly arms around him that made him feel safe and comforted. It was a nice feeling. And also one that was likely to get misinterpreted and completely freak Finn out. Kurt knew he had majorly overstepped his boundaries with Finn last year and was extremely lucky to have the relationship he had with his step-brother now. And that meant more to him than he would admit, and certainly too much for him to do something that might screw it up. He gently lifted Finn's arms away from him and sat up straight.
"Are you okay now, dude?" asked Finn.
"More or less," said Kurt. "Did you bring my laptop?"
"Yeah, it's right here," said Finn, reaching over and depositing the computer in Kurt's lap.
Kurt took the laptop, powered it up, and began going through his emails and facebook. Once Finn was satisfied that his brother wasn't going to keel over on him or something he propped his own laptop on his lap and started playing World of Warcraft.
*****WBATF*****
It was Finn's stomach that finally pulled him from the game several hours later.
"Dude, I am starving. What time is it?"
"Seven-thirty-two," said Kurt without looking up from his laptop screen, where he was currently watching an episode of House Hunters.
"No wonder I'm hungry," said Finn.
"Please don't tell me you are going to try to cook something," said Kurt, looking at him over the top of his computer. "I do not have the energy to put out the flames."
"You really have that little faith in my cooking abilities, bro?"
"You have no cooking abilities, Finn," said Kurt.
"I can make grilled cheese," protested Finn.
"So can an elementary schooler. And they don't burn it."
"I can make bacon."
"I taught you."
"Oh…right… How about I just order a pizza?"
"Good idea."
Finn pulled out his phone and dialed the number for the pizza place. ("Do you seriously have that number memorized? Oh my God, Finn, that is just sickening.")
"Hey, I'd like to order two large pizzas. One pepperoni, sausage, and Canadian bacon, the other"—he took the phone away from his ear—"What do you want, bro?"
Kurt gave him an incredulous look.
"Do you actually think I'm going to be eating pizza right now?"
"Oh…good point…" Finn put the phone back to his ear. "Scratch the second pizza. And I'll have a liter of coke. Oh, and some breadsticks. Yes…Finn Hudson…Card…Thanks. Bye."
Kurt raised his eyebrow at his brother. "Are you really going to eat all of that by yourself?"
"Um, yeah?" said Finn.
Kurt just rolled his eyes expressively. Finn shrugged.
"What do you want to eat, if you don't want any pizza?"
Kurt shrugged. "Maybe some toast. And some orange juice. And I could use another Pepto-Bismol. Maybe a couple Ibuprofen too."
"Sure thing," said Finn. He smiled at the smaller boy but his expression slipped into a frown. "Kurt, you look really bad. Maybe I should call the doctor or something."
"You don't call the doctor for the stomach flu, Finn," said Kurt. "I just need to eat some dinner, pop a few pills, and sleep it off."
"Okay," said Finn. "I'll be back up in a few with the toast and juice and stuff. Don't try to get up or anything."
"I wasn't planning on it."
*****WBATF*****
Finn returned about twenty minutes later, balancing the breadsticks and Kurt's juice and toast precariously on top of the pizza box, medicine and coke bottle tucked under his arm.
"Here we are," he said, setting the stuff down on the bed and sorting it out between what was his and what was Kurt's. He then proceeded to open the box of pizza, take a piece, and put half of it into his mouth in one bite. "'Oo sure 'oo don' wan' any?"
"Finn, that is disgusting," said Kurt, looking queasy. "And yes, I am sure."
Finn shrugged and swallowed. "More for me then."
Kurt managed to drink the glass of juice and eat half of the toast before he felt too ill to continue.
"Finn?" he said, his voice sounding small and pathetic in his ears.
It must have sounded small and pathetic in Finn's too because the bigger boy immediately looked up with an expression of concern.
"Kurt?"
"Can I go to bed now?"
Finn put down his pizza (his fifth slice), wiped his hands on his jeans, and touched a palm to Kurt's forehead.
"Dude, you're really burning up. How do you feel?"
"Bad," said Kurt.
"I'll bet."
Finn bent to lift Kurt off the bed, and then seemed to think better of it. He felt Kurt's forehead again and frowned.
"I'm gonna take your temperature again before you go to sleep, okay?"
"Okay."
Finn handed him the thermometer and he put it in his mouth, closing his eyes and letting his head sink into his palm.
"Um, dude?"
Finn hesitantly rubbed Kurt's shoulder. Sometimes the boy didn't like to be touched, and he never knew how Kurt would react to something.
Kurt raised his head when the thermometer beeped.
"I'm not going to bit your head off, you know," he said, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, um, I know, I just…"
"I appreciate what you're doing for me, Finn," said Kurt. "And really I'm not in any position to protest if I didn't."
Finn patted his shoulder and squinted down at the thermometer.
"Dude, it's 102.8. That's like, really high, right?"
"I guess," said Kurt. "Finn, I really just want to go to bed right now."
"I'm probably just overreacting or whatever," said Finn slowly, "but I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone when you're like this, even if it's just in the next room. I mean, your fever's not supposed to be rising like this, is it?"
"Then what do you propose we do?" Kurt asked tiredly.
"I think you should stay here tonight," said Finn. "Only…I'm not really, um, comfortable, sharing a bed with you. It's not that I think you'd do anything or anything, 'cause I know you wouldn't, and I don't have a problem with you being gay, you know I don't, but, well, you are…and I'm not…and I really don't feel comfortable sharing a bed with any other dude, it's not just you…"
"Finn, I get the point. I'm not offended. What I am is really, really tired, freezing, and kind of nauseous."
"Oh, right, sorry dude." Finn pushed the things that were strewn across the bed onto the floor and Kurt sank gratefully down into the mattress. Finn pulled the covers up over him. "I'm not going to sleep quite yet, but when I do you can wake me up if you need anything."
"Mmmhmm."
"I'll be in my sleeping bag on the floor. Try not to step on me if you get up to go to the bathroom."
"Mmmhmm."
"I'll try not to be too loud."
"Mmmhmm."
"And—"
"Finn."
"Oh. Sorry. Not feeling well. Sleep. Right." Finn touched his hand to Kurt's hair. "Goodnight, Kurt."
"Goodnight, Finn."
AN: Poor Kurt! & Finn is so out of his depth here, but he's an adorable caretaker anyway. Brotherly love=squiggles in SQ's heart :) No Blaine yet, but I promise he's be in the next chapter, even if it is just over the phone. If Furt brotherly love gives you squiggles in your heart too (or makes you feel anything at all really) then review! :D
-SQ
