A/N:

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. This is a work of fiction and any situation, actions, remedies that take place in the story are not applicable to real life.

Day 1: Part one

Adam was pacing in the room nervously.

He checked his phone. The pop-up notifications from his phone were doing nothing but increase his worries. Eric is supposed to come back from Milan and he hasn't heard from him since last night. Last night he sounded nervous and unsure, though Eric tried his best to hide fretting, Adam was seasoned in his tones. He knew Eric like the back of his palms. He checked his phone and some flights have been cancelled and the whole country is probably preparing for a quarantine.
Thoughts raced in his mind. All he could do was to think about all the possible worse case scenarios. What if Eric's flight got cancelled and he couldn't get out of the country? What if he actually had it - the disease, that can't be good. What if Eric had a mild fever or the common cold and they don't allow him at the airport. Eric always catches a cold easily whatever the weather. Adam cursed aloud worrying. Cookiejar, Baxter and Olaf, three of their dogs were in their resting places, raising their heads to listen to Adam.

At that moment he couldn't stop blaming Eric for going to Milan. Why did he have to be on another continent in the first place? So far away. It's not someone he can easily go and pick him up. Eric was doing well in New York as an assistant designer. They had made some friends over the years. A two-bedroom apartment and three dogs to share the space. Adam had been earning pretty well as a dog trainer and his ties with the rescue shelter. Two of their dogs were also rescues. Eight months back Eric took a new job at a company that was having their headquarters in Milan, Italy. Within three months of joining, he got this opportunity to travel overseas and work at their HQ for six months. It was October, the day before Halloween when Eric came back from work beaming. Adam had seen the sparkle in his eyes when he announced the opportunity. His eyes were sparkling then he had dimmed down a bit and told him that he wouldn't take this if he didn't want him to. Adam was always proud of Eric's accomplishments. He always gushing to others about how ambitious and determined his boyfriend was. Time to time Eric's own enthusiasm has inspired him, pushed him to be a better person. Eric was so passionate about his work that sometimes it was too much but even in his annoyance, he was proud. Adam knew he shouldn't and he wouldn't stop Eric from pursuing his dreams. But Adam's work had just taken off and was going well for the first time after so much struggle since they moved into New York, leaving the small town of Moordale. Adam had assured Eric that he would be alright, what was six months when he knew they were forever. It was finalized if Eric had to stay any longer than six months in Italy Adam would move in with him. It had been five long months out of six months.

Adam checked his phone it was 6:30 pm in the evening. If he had boarded the flight on time from Milan he should have reached New York airport by now. Adam wasn't sure if Eric would get a cab home because things were pretty shaken up there as well. People were fighting for toilet paper in the stores leaving the shelves empty, mass hoarding and food was becoming scarce. Adam really respected the retail workers who were putting up with these people, always calm and helping people. He was a retail employee once in Moordale during his school day. It was a job he that was ok but if people were being this stupid and annoying at his face he would have probably lost his shit as well. These retail workers were really appreciable. This strange country wasn't the only place going nuts like this, the whole world was in turmoil while facing this invisible threat, completely unprepared. There was a global pandemic threatening the whole world and it had started spreading the US as well. A highly infectious disease was wreaking havoc everywhere, there was no proper medicine to treat the virus and neither there was a known vaccine. Experts all over the world were confused about lethality. Heck, it seemed they couldn't agree on anything - whether to wear a mask, sanitize hands or not - there was no consensus. Even last week no leader was taking this much seriously, but the number of cases was rising and people were dying, more and more each day. Things aren't going particularly well in western Europe wither.

Adam couldn't imagine leaving Eric in a foreign country all by himself when everything was haywire. He would go there himself and bring him home if it gets to that. He couldn't comprehend why Eric had not called him since last night. If only he had called him once he wouldn't have been so worried. He picked his keys with a plan to drive to the airport. If Eric is there as scheduled, he would pick him up and bring him home. Or else, well he hadn't quite thought what he would do.
He opened the door only to find Eric standing slightly away from the door with two purple suitcases. He has a mask on his face and he was wearing a pink t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. It was obvious he left in a hurry wearing whatever was next to him. Adam felt a jolt of relief and happiness at once. Eric was at his doorstep after five longest months of his life. He wasn't aware of how his lips had reached a full smile seeing him there. He stepped ahead to hug him but Eric quickly stepped back quite a lot.

"six feet apart at all times!" Eric said breathing through his mask, his voice cautious.

"What's wrong?" Adam's eyebrows met in a frown. "You look like shit with that mask on."

Eric laughed a little which Adam could barely see behind the mask. He knew Adam always only makes these kinds of comments when he is upset or annoyed. And anyone would be if they couldn't hug their boyfriends after five months. He understood that and liked the kind of effect he had on his boyfriend.

"I am coming straight from the airport Adam. There is a deadly virus making everyone sick. I need to clean up before I can be near anyone." He said taking out a sanitizer from the outer pocket of the suitcase and poured few drops in his hand. "Now if you would move away a bit, can I enter the house please."

Eric was the same but something about him felt different. Adam couldn't pinpoint at it but something was not the same. And not in a good way.

"Why didn't you call me since morning?" Adam asked moving away from the door. Cookiejar had come behind to see who was the door. She barked twice seeing Eric entering.

"Cookie love, I missed you too!" He said tilting his head. Adam closed the door behind him. Cookiejar was trying to climb onto Eric but gently moved away, "Don't be a detty pig honey, I can't give you attention now." Olaf the little puppy was growling seeing Eric enter.

"He hasn't met you yet." Adam said picking him up. "Olaf this is Eric, no need to be threatened." He said softly with a smile and turned to Eric "I don't think I can train this one. He is a nutcase."

"Of course, since he is my back up." Eric laughed. Adam had gotten him after Eric left for Milan. It was their internal joke that Olaf was the emotional replacement for him. Adam didn't care but he laughed along every time this was brought up. "My cell phone died Adam. By the time I managed to get my boarding pass it dropped dead."

Adam didn't say much he just let a hmm out.

"I am sorry Adam, I did not mean make you worried." Eric apologized and paused for a bit, "It got so scary there. More than fifty thousand people are sick. Hundreds of people are dying in a single day. They will lock down the whole country from tomorrow. No flights in or out. I narrowly escaped man. Just got lucky."

Adam was hearing him. It had been really scary for him and Adam wanted to pull him closer and comfort him. He couldn't. Fucking virus. He thought. An unseen enemy keeping them apart.

"I am really glad you made it, though." Adam was never good with words. He tried his best to express the overwhelmed feelings running in his chest. "I was going to get you from the airport. Then you arrived."

Eric rolled his eyes, "You always worry about me."

Adam nodded slightly embarrassed being exposed. But can Eric really blame him? "I am going to take the dogs for a walk. You take care." He managed to say.

"I am fine, Adam" Eric said in an assuring voice. "We got to be in quarantine though, for the next 14 days. This means we can't get out of the house unless its an emergency. You can walk the dogs once a day but don't go too far."

Adam stared at Eric angrily for a solid ten seconds. "The fuck Eric" He finally began to say, "You travel the whole world and I have to stay at home locked up!" He said putting collars on the dogs.

"I am sorry Adam but I could be having the virus without knowing," Eric said as a matter of fact. The idea of Eric falling sick made him worry again. "Do you have a mask?" He asked to which Adam nodded again. "Wear it then," Eric commanded. Adam complied although he had that angry look on his face. "Do we have enough supplies? We can't go to the departmental store, absolutely not."

Adam assured him again that he had taken up supplies for two weeks. He wasn't hoarding more then they needed but he didn't prefer to go out in this situation either. Since social distancing was recommended, he had stopped going for his morning runs also, and he has been working out at home since.

"I will be back and prepare dinner. There are some mushrooms and eggs in the fridge. Hope you're not vegan now." He teased.

Eric rolled his eyes. "I can never leave my cheese". Adam blushed a little. Eric sometimes called him, his cheese with affection. He had heard it so many times in the past but it felt nice hearing from him. "and bacon." Eric added keeping it cool.

Adam smiled. Something hadn't changed. "Freshen up and take rest, okay?" He told him and Eric headed for the bathroom.

He headed out with the dogs.