Chapter 4:

After taking Dave to the bedroom Rich pulled the blanket's back and helped him into bed before he covered him up. Dave began to cough again so Rich went and got him a glass of cold water; Dave took a sip and spoke.

"Thanks man!"

"No problem, you rest and I'll go heat up some of that soup Smitty brought you okay?" Rich said smiling.

"Rich, you don't need to stay I'm okay really!" Dave said before he sneezed. "Is it me or is the room spinning?"

"It's just you buddy!" Rich answered smiling as he watched Dave cover his face with his hands. "You just rest I'll be right back."

"Okay, I think I'll just stay right here…at least until the room stop's spinning!" Dave said his eye's closed, as Rich left the room quietly.

When the soup was ready Rich put some in a bowl, then he poured some more water and put them on a tray before going back into Dave's room. As he went in, he could hear soft snore's coming from the bed and knew Dave was finally sleeping. So he put the tray on the dresser before he began tucking him in, while he did he watched him up close and smiled. 'Even sleeping he's gorgeous!' Rich thought to himself, and he fought the urge to kiss him afraid of what Dave's reaction would be…no it was safer to not tell anyone!

Later that evening as Rich was watching TV, Dave woke up and started coughing so Rich got up and grabbed the tray and went to see him.

"Hey, feeling any better?" Rich asked sitting beside him as he placed the tray on his lap. "Soup's nice and hot!"

"Wow, thanks Rich!" Dave said smiling looking at the tray that contained not only the soup, but also juice, Kleenex, and different cold medicines. "I wasn't sure if you were really here, or I dreamed it!"

"Nope I'm here!" Rich said smiling as Dave took a spoonful of soup.

"What time is it?"

"It's 8:30!" Rich answered checking his watch.

"Really? Rich buddy go home I'm feeling a little better already!"

"Nope, you need to rest! Now eat your soup and I'll be back to check on you in a bit."

"Stay please, I'd like the company!" Dave asked as Rich went to leave.

"Alright, but just until you finish your soup!"

"Deal!" Dave said smiling as Rich sat back down beside him.

"How's the soup?" Rich asked he couldn't take his eyes off Dave's mouth as he ate the soup, he longed to kiss him, Dave spoke coughing.

"It's good! You having some?"

"Nah, I'm not hungry I had a big lunch!"

"Rich, I feel horrible enough with my cold; don't make me feel worse by not eating too!" Dave said coughing.

"Alright I promise I'll have something…maybe some of that left over pizza in your fridge!"

"Really? I have other stuff you know; you don't need to eat my pizza!"

"Alright I'll have something else." Rich said smiling.

They talked while Dave had his soup, and then Rich made sure he took some of the medicine, before he lay down and Rich took the tray from him. He sat the tray on the dresser again before he started to tuck Dave back in, as he does Dave grab's his wrist gently stopping him, before he propped himself up on his elbow's. Their faces were inches apart, Rich froze as he looked into Dave's eyes and suddenly he kissed Dave, he lost himself in the kiss. Dave pulled away and began coughing which made Rich's brain come back to reality and he realized what he had just done, he spoke upset.

"Dave I'm so, so sorry! I don't know what came over me! I'm going to go, shit what have I done!?" Rich said as he quickly left the room.

"Rich! Wait please!" Dave called after him, as he got up too quickly and the room began to spin again. "Not good!" He said as he sat back down, he got up more slowly this time and made his way into the hallway as the sound of his front door was heard. "Damnit Rich!" He said coughing as he made his way back to his bed where he lay down, took his cell off the nightstand, and called Rich.

Meanwhile after Rich left Dave's room, he quickly raced down the stairs and grabbed his thing's, he could hear Dave calling to him as he did. He left the house, got into his car, and pulled away just as his cell began ringing. He looked at it and saw it was Dave so he ignored it letting it go to voicemail, but Dave continued to call and so once home before getting out Rich turned his phone off. He sat in his car for a few minute's letting the memory of what happened play over and over in his head, he was such an idiot! Why did he have to kiss him? Dave probably hated him, and he had ruined their friendship for good! He got out and went inside where he noticed his answering machine was flashing, he turned it on and there were two message's. He played the first one, it was Dave and as soon as he heard his voice he erased the message without listening to it, he did the same to the second one too. Feeling like such an ass he grabbed a beer from the fridge, went out onto his balcony, and sat, he closed his eye's remembering the feel and taste of Dave's lip's on his and sighed. If only he hadn't been so chicken all these month's Dave would know how he felt, and maybe if he let himself dream he might even have felt the same! Now he had ruined it and he just lost one of his best friend's…yep being in love sucked!

Three Day's Later…

Rich knew he couldn't avoid Dave forever, so he decided to go to work the next day and deal with whatever it was Dave would do or say to him. He was relieved to learn he was still too sick to come to work, and it gave him time to think about what to do. He was sick for two day's, and Rich knew that eventually he'd have to talk to Dave, and he tried to prepare himself. By the third day, Rich woke up feeling like crap, and knew he had caught Dave's cold. He called the warehouse and Scott answered, he told him about being sick and not coming to work, Scott told him that he wasn't sure if Dave was coming in either. Scott told him they'd stop by and check on him after work, and they hung up, Rich went back to bed after he took some cold medicine.

Meanwhile after Scott hung up, he told Smitty, about Rich and so they decided to call Dave to check up on him, as they did he walked in the door.

"Hello?" Dave asked answering.

"Dave its Scott!" Scott said without realizing Dave was standing right behind him. "How ya feeling this morning?"

"A little tired, but I feel better!" He said smiling at Smitty.

"Well Smitty and I were just wondering if you were coming into work today? Rich called in sick this morning!" Scott asked.

"Gee, I don't know Scotty I might have to take one more day off!" Dave said looking at Smitty both of them trying not to laugh. "My throat's a little scratchy!"

"Oh, okay then. Well we'll see you tonight after we see Rich." Scott said.

"Well, I guess I feel well enough to come to work!" Dave said.

"Really? Great see you soon!" Scott said excitedly as he hung up, as he turned around he saw Dave standing there smiling, he spoke to him.

"Hey, Scott!"

"Hey that was fast!" Scott said. "Welcome back to work buddy! We missed you!"

"Thanks, but you saw me everyday remember? You came to my house every night after work!" Dave said smiling.

"Oh, yeah! So you're feeling better?" Scott asked.

"I still feel tired, but I feel a lot better than I did yesterday! So Rich is sick now huh?" Dave asked as he sat down.

"Yep, he sounded as bad as you did when you first got sick!" Smitty said.

"Well, maybe since I already had it I should stop by and check on him?"

"What about us?" Smitty asked confused.

"Well, I'll go alone and if he's not too bad I'll call you and you can stop by." Dave suggested, he wanted to talk to Rich alone.

"Oh, okay if you think that's best?" Scott said.

"Hey, let's see if the invention I was working on before I got sick works?"

"Sound's like fun!" Smitty said as Scott agreed.

Later that afternoon, after a busy day at work Dave said goodbye to the guy's and left the warehouse, stopping at the store to pick up the same stuff they had picked up for him. Soon he arrived at Rich's house and after parking; he got out, grabbed the bags from the passenger's seat, and headed to the door. He knocked and waited; after what happened between them he felt that instead of walking in like he usually did he'd wait to be invited in by Rich.

"Dave?" Rich asked after he answered the door and found the man he had just been dreaming about as he napped on his doorstep he was confused.

"Wow, buddy you look like crap!" Dave said smiling.

"What…what are you doing here?" Rich asked before he sneezed.

"I heard you were sick and so I came to return the favour!"

"Favour?" Rich asked before he began coughing.

"Yeah, you took care of me and so it's only fair I return the favour! I brought soup!" Dave said as he held up the bags.

"You didn't have to Dave really!"

"I know! Now let's get you feeling better huh?" Dave said smiling.

TBC…

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