My laptop is kinda on the verge of death and really struggles to access this site so I might have to fully migrate over to AO3. Updating on my phone is an option but not one I'd really like. (Doing it now and it's annoying.) My AO3 has slightly more content so check me out over there if you'd like, same username. Fair warning I am more unhinged over there but it's fine, everything's fine. Hope you lovelies enjoy! ~Shaymie


Molly

"...This isn't what I ordered."

Molly was normally never the type to complain about a wrong order, but Chase isn't the type to mess up an order. She should have known something was wrong when he slept in this morning. He never slept in. If anything, he didn't sleep enough, even with the medicine he took for his insomnia. She felt bad for visiting him so early in the morning every day but he said he didn't mind. He'd tell her if he didn't want her to come over.

"What...?"

"I ordered shrimp risotto. This is shrimp fried rice."

Looking at Chase's face made her feel a bit bad for calling it out. He looked... tired. His face was paler than normal and he had bags under his eyes. His gaze was unfocused, his eyes glassy as he looked down at the plate of (slightly overcooked) food. Molly bit her lip and looked around the bar. Angela was going to show up with Luke and Owen soon, and the three of them always ordered enough food to feed an army. Then there's the other regulars. Cain and Dale and sometimes Ramsey. If Chase was tired enough to mess up one order, there's no way he'd be able to keep up with all of theirs.

"Shit, you're right," Chase sighed, blinking heavily. "Sorry about that, Freckles."

"Never thought I'd see the day you mess up an order," Hayden barked out with a hearty laugh. "Better watch out or we'll hire Molly here to replace ya!"

Chase rolled his eyes. Molly knew that Hayden was only joking, but what if she did work at the bar? She's considered it before. Part-time, because there's no way she'd be able to work full shifts long into the night like Chase. But she could at least lighten his load during the busy early hours. She didn't have the same training he did (though Maya told her that Yolanda wanted to pick her up as a student), but she could cook.

She still felt bad for dropping out of culinary school after all the strings her father pulled to get her in. He had to call in a lot of favors with a lot of friends. She tried her best to make herself like it because she didn't want to waste her father's time and money, but she just couldn't like it. Her classmates were way too competitive, the teachers were too strict, and her schedule was too hectic. There's no way she would have been able to balance school and ballet without running herself ragged.

...Did Chase go to a school, she wondered. He said he learned almost everything he knew from his grandfather before moving here. They both practically grew up in the kitchen but he had an actual teacher. All she had was her mother's recipes and Kasey's guidance to make sure that she didn't burn the house down. It was tough at first. A lot of what she made came out either burnt or undercooked.

Their father was always happy to eat whatever she made, though, so the failures didn't bother her that much. They just gave her a reason to spend more time in the kitchen. It became a place of comfort for her. She'd cook every meal if Angela would let her. She didn't mind, really. She liked being in the kitchen.

So... It would make sense for her to work here.

She twirled a bit of hair around her finger and frowned as Chase took her plate back to the kitchen. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. She wanted to ask him to sit down and take it easy, at least until things started to pick up. She could see him working in the kitchen and just tell how tired he was. His movements were... off. She spent enough time watching him at work to know that.

While he usually moved around the kitchen with a sort of grace and fluidity, now he was awkward and sluggish. Molly normally tried to not make it obvious that she was watching him but her concern outweighed her potential embarrassment. Angela told her that she always worried about people too much. It's not her fault that so many people seemed almost determined to not take care of themselves. Who'd worry about them if they didn't worry about themselves?

It took Chase twice as long to prepare her food this time around. She didn't mind the wait at all, but during that time the bar had come to life. Angela was here with her friends and while they hadn't ordered yet, Molly knew first-hand how much work it was to cook for them. Some of the older men in town were also at their usual table. She's surprised by how active the bar could be for such a small town. Then again, she's never been to any other bars. Maybe all of them were like this.

She thanked Chase when he brought her food and glanced at the seat next to her. Now was her chance to ask him to sit with her. He looked even worse than he did earlier, his face flushed and a thin sheen of sweat on his skin. She's not really sure what possessed her to do it, but something made her lean across the counter and put the back of her hand against his forehead.

"Were you planning on working this whole night with a fever?"

She frowned in concern at how warm his skin was. He can't work like this! She was just about to suggest he go home and rest when he stepped away and shook his head, hazy eyes narrowing as he grabbed the counter for stability and... insisted he was fine? He can barely even stand up straight!

"You're worrying over nothing, Molly. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal! A fever is a very big de— Hayden!" She waved down the bartender as he walked past after leaving Angela's table. He used to intimidate her a lot but she's learned that he's actually really nice. She didn't think there was a single mean person in this town. Well... except for Craig, but Ruth normally set him straight. Molly didn't spend much time around their family anyway. Angela took care of the seed shopping. Molly would speak to Anissa if they happened to cross paths in town.

Molly ignored Chase's protests and explained the situation, stubbornly insisting that he be allowed to take the rest of the night off. She even offered to fill in for him but Hayden just laughed and told her that he was joking earlier. He gave Chase the greenlight to go home and she decided to go with him to make sure he was okay. She didn't care if she was being too overbearing. It's better to be safe than sorry.

"We're not leaving until you eat, though." Molly sighed, but conceded. She'd hate to waste food that he worked so hard on. She picked up her fork and patted the seat next to her with her free hand. Chase raised an eyebrow. She huffed and patted the seat more assertively. She wasn't eating until he got off of his feet and rested for a bit and she made sure to tell him that. "You're so stubborn..."

"At least I'm not stubborn enough to try to work while I'm sick," Molly sniffed, taking a bite of her food as Chase slowly shuffled to a seat. She heard Angela let out a cackle behind her. Sometimes she forgot how easy it was to hear other people's conversations when the bar was quiet. There wasn't any music playing because Selena isn't working tonight.

"You would if Angela wasn't around to keep you in check." She laughed at that. He had a point. She didn't know how she would have handled the farm if Angela didn't come with her. Even helping with half the field was impossible at the start. Chase sat next to her with a heavy sigh. She could practically feel the heat coming from him and tried to eat faster, though doing so caused an odd feeling to bubble up in her stomach.

She had to remind herself that she's not the same person she was a year ago. Before, she'd force herself to eat so she could get rid of the food later. But eventually she started to dread the process of eating and would either speed through it or find excuses to not eat altogether. This isn't that. She hasn't purged in a year and she's not starting again. She's never doing it again.

She took a deep breath and slowed down.

No point in stressing herself out for no reason.

Hayden and Kathy got to work manning the bar and kitchen while Molly ate because Angela's table was finally ready to order. Luke had to convince Angela to order a regular amount of food since Kathy wasn't used to working the kitchen. Chase rarely ever took vacations or sick days. Even when Molly was at her most obsessed with ballet, she'd take some time for herself. Granted, most of her sick days near the end were self-inflicted, but still...

"Do you guys celebrate Halloween here?" she heard Angela ask. "I know you have your own festivals but like, Halloween is Halloween. You'd be missing out if you don't do something."

"We're not complete country hicks, Ange! Of course we celebrate Halloween," Owen laughed. There was a certain quality to his laugh that always managed to brighten Molly's mood. If he wasn't always so busy, she'd probably spend more time around him. He was always either digging in the mines or helping his grandfather out in the blacksmith's. "Why do you ask?'

"I wanted to know if I should start planning costumes or not. Like, should I order some online or ask the tailor for something custom-made. What do you think, Luke?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I want us to have matching costumes. I never got to do cute shit with Mikhail."

Molly hasn't even thought about what she was doing for Halloween. She normally did some sort of cosplay with Ash but that obviously wasn't an option this year. She wasn't going to see him until Christmas, and he said that he's bringing Cheryl on his next visit but he won't be able to stay nearly as long. She's surprised his boss was still giving him vacation time after how long he was here.

She was so lost in eating and listening to her sister's conversation that she wasn't paying much attention to Chase. She didn't hear how strained his breathing got or see how flushed his face was. She faintly heard him say that he was going to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. She only looked up when he put a hand on her shoulder and murmured that he didn't feel good.

And then he passed out.


"You're overreacting, Molls. He's fine."

Molly couldn't stop her frantic pacing around Chase's living room. Angela had carried him to the clinic after he passed out, where Jin diagnosed him with a simple cold. It was a relief to know that it wasn't anything too serious. After that, Angela asked if she could take him home and happily carried him to his house on her back, saying that she could tease him about it later. Molly once again found herself wishing she was taller and stronger. Angela made it look so easy.

No matter how hard Molly tried, she couldn't put on muscle. Weight's no problem but her body just couldn't do muscle. She's gotten stronger, but she can't carry heavy shipments around like her sister. She certainly wouldn't be able to carry Chase the way Angela did.

"I want to stay here," Molly said, tugging at the sleeve of her cardigan. Her cheeks grew hot as she looked towards the closed door to Chase's bedroom. "I just... wanna make sure he's okay. I'll try to be back in the morning to help out."

"Did you forget? It's going to rain tomorrow. I can make myself breakfast and feed the animals. You can stay here as long as you need to and make sure that idiot doesn't make himself sicker." Angela took a few steps forward and smoothed down Molly's hair. "Want me to bring your charger and a change of clothes? Actually, don't bother answering. I'll just pack you a bag."

"Thank you, Angie."

"No problem, Molls. I'll be back in a bit."

And now Molly's alone in Chase's house. It was odd being here in silence. Normally he left the TV on in the background or played some music on his speaker. He had a similar taste in music as Angela. They'd probably get along really well if Angela didn't always try to get under his skin. He also complained that cooking her orders was a pain and earned himself a furious glare from her when he asked if she was pregnant because of how much she ate.

Molly huffed and slapped her cheeks. Time to get into work mode. She took her cardigan off and draped it over the back of the couch. It would only get in the way. The house wasn't a mess, but she could see some things out of place. Dishes in the sink and some books off the shelf. Maybe he was reading them earlier and forgot to put them away? She couldn't imagine having the focus to read while she was sick. Then again, Chase was denying even being sick.

God, how stubborn can someone be?

She busied herself with tidying up around the house so she wouldn't get frustrated thinking about it. Angela stopped by long enough to drop off the bag but quickly left because she wanted to get back to the bar. She gave Molly a grin and a pat of the shoulder before she left, telling her to be careful so she didn't catch what Chase had. That's easier said than done. Her immune system wasn't really the best. Another thing she messed up with her bulimia.

She caught a terrible cold around this time last year. It felt like such a cruel slap in the face after all the work she'd done trying to get better. She didn't have much of an appetite, so the little bit of weight she managed to gain just... dropped off like it was nothing. She could only hope that wouldn't happen again if she did get sick. Just because she's having trouble getting used to her new body doesn't mean she wants to lose all the progress she's made.

Molly dried her hands on a towel and tied her hair back. Time to check on Chase. She's been keeping an ear out for him but it's been silent since they got here. She was used to being around Angela or Kasey when they were sick. They always turned into big babies, and it was a nightmare when they were sick at the same time. It didn't seem like Chase was like that considering he didn't even want her to know he was sick.

She's never actually been in Chase's room and didn't know why the idea of it was so intimidating. She's been in a guy's room before. Even before dating Ash, she spent a ton of time hanging out with him until his mother started being... not nice and they decided it was better for them to spend time somewhere else. She stopped really going to Mark's house when he started insisting she do things she wasn't comfortable with. Not that it really stopped him since he still kept asking for it.

Stop it, Molly. You're making a big deal out of nothing. Chase isn't a boyfriend. He's just a friend.

A friend that she... sometimes felt awkward around, but still a friend. That's normal, isn't it? Despite her apparent popularity back home, she didn't really have any friends. She's always been shy and nervous around people her own age. She spent most of her childhood hiding behind Kasey. Her father thought taking ballet would help her make friends but she'd been intimidated by how much bigger the other kids were than her. Talking to them got easier over time but she wasn't particularly close to anyone except Ash and Chelsea.

Somehow Chase was a mix of both of them, Molly noted to herself as she quietly walked into his room with a cool towel. A similar attitude to Chelsea but nowhere near as cruel as her. Caring like Ash, but not as overbearing as him. She wished he could be more open with his feelings. Or maybe she should get better at seeing through him. She spent so much time around him, it should be easy by now. But even when she could tell there was something he wasn't saying, she couldn't figure out how to get him to actually say it.

He groaned quietly when she set the towel on his forehead. She didn't really know how else to try and lower his fever. He couldn't take any medicine or drink any water until he woke up. She felt antsy as she took a seat at his side. She wanted to be able to do more to help. She didn't like seeing him like this. He looked miserable, and she couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if he kept working.

With the way he treated himself, this was probably inevitable. He showed up to the bar super early to prep the kitchen and didn't leave until super late in the night. She could bet that he stayed even after closing to clean up, because he was like her and couldn't handle seeing his kitchen in disarray. Late work nights combined with a poor sleep schedule was just asking for trouble.

"You're such a hypocrite, you know," Molly murmured, brushing some peachy bangs from his face. "Always telling me to care about myself more when you do stuff like this. That's not very fair, is it?"

She paused and rested her hand on his clammy cheek. She's never noticed how long his eyelashes were. They're really pretty. He was really pretty. His face, his hair, his eyes... Her gaze drifted down to his lips. They were also... pretty.

"Mmm..." She jumped back as his eyelids started to flutter. When did she start leaning in? Was she trying to get sick? Her cheeks flushed, and she was grateful for the dim lighting in the room. Hopefully it hid her embarrassment. She twirled a bit of blonde-tipped hair around a finger and looked away. "Molly...?"

"E-Evening, sleepyhead." She hoped her voice didn't betray her and show her nerves. Chase has never asked her to leave but this might be an exception. If he was too proud to admit that he was sick then he might be too proud to be taken care of. She just made the decision to stay here overnight without even considering what he'd think of it. It would be embarrassing to go home after what she told her sister.

"...What happened? Why are you—"

"You passed out at the bar because you were too stubborn to admit you were sick. Angie had to carry you here. Jin said that you have a cold."

"And why are you here? I can take care of myself."

"Clearly you can't. Do you always do this when you're sick? Push yourself way past your limits because you just don't care what happens to you? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What if you passed out in the kitchen and hit your head? That's not something you can just take lightly, Chase!"

What's gotten into her? Lecturing him is the last thing she should be doing. Now he's definitely going to kick her out and she won't be able to keep an eye on him to make sure he's okay. She felt her eyes fill with tears. She had a tendency to get emotional easily, but it's not like that's a bad thing. Kasey said it just meant she had a good heart. She felt like she cared too much about people. That's how she ended up stuck with Chelsea for so long.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you this much. I'm not... used to people worrying about me. Nobody's ever worried about me when I got sick."

"What about your grandfather and brother?" She's been curious about his family life for ages but she could never find the right time to ask without it coming out of nowhere. She could only hope that he didn't move away from his brother because of some big argument or something.

"Gramps was always busy with the restaurant. Raeger would check on me when I got sick but he's seven years older than me. He couldn't be bothered to take care of a sick brat. Eventually it was simpler to not let them know I was sick." Chase sighed, turning his head to look at Molly. She hoped her face wasn't still pink but she doubted he'd tell her even if it was. His eyes still looked a bit glazed and unfocused. "You're the first person to actually sit with me like this."

"W-Well, then... I'll be the best nurse you've ever seen! You'll be back to normal in no time!"


"She's my sister, Peaches. I can take care of her just fine."

"She'll get even worse if she eats your cooking right now."

"Excuse me?!"

Molly rolled her eyes fondly at Angela and Chase's bickering. She could hear them all the way from her bedroom. Maybe she should have been a bit more careful when she was nursing Chase back to health because she stupidly caught whatever it was he had. Kasey and Angela have been taking care of her but Chase surprised her by coming over and insisting on cooking for her the way she'd done for him. Unfortunately for him, Angela got even more protective when she was sick.

Both of her siblings were on edge even though she wasn't anywhere near as sick as last year. She can get up and walk around on her own this time. She can keep food down just fine. She's really just tired. Other than that, she felt perfectly fine. A bit feverish, but fine. Not fine enough to work though. Jin made it perfectly clear that she was to rest until she was better. Luke was helping Angela with the fields until she recovered.

Molly yawned and settled back in her wall of pillows. Hopefully Chase and Angela managed to work out their issues by the time she woke up. She hasn't had that much of an appetite but she knew she had to eat to get better.

Nice to know Chase cares so much, though...