In Sickness (Zach/Shaun) PG

[lilyleia78]

Title: In Sickness
Fandom: Shelter
Pairing: Zach/Shaun
Genre: Valentines, fluff, hurt/comfort
Warnings: None
Word Count: ~ 800
Summary: Zach's Valentine's plans are interrupted by the flu.
Note: Written for the shelter_diner 2011 Valentine's fest prompt Shaun and/or Zach sick on Valentine's Day.

In Sickness

Zach made it all the way through getting Cody off to school and himself back to the safety of the master bathroom before everything went to shit. The flush of fever and soreness in his chest that he'd been ignoring all morning hit him full force, limbs suddenly failing as he dropped ungracefully to the floor in a barely controlled fall.

Zach had no idea how long he lay there, though he suspected it was only a few minutes, before Shaun found him laying boneless on the floor, shaking, weak, and fighting sleep.

"Hey, babe, you alright?" Shaun asked, concern marring his usually smiling face. "You don't look so hot."

"M'okay," Zach answered, disturbed by how weak he sounded. "Dizzy," he conceded when Shaun raised one eyebrow in doubt.

Shaun crouched on the floor next to him, pressed a hand to Zach's forehead and slid it gently down the side of Zach's face to cup a cheek. Zach nuzzled into the coolness the palm offered, making Shaun smile. "So you decided the best course of action was to sleep on the bathroom floor?"

"Not sleeping," Zach protested, "just waiting for the feeling to pass."

"Come on babe, you're burning up," Shaun said, voice soothing but stern, "let's get you back to bed."

"Nnnn," Zach groaned as Shaun pulled him up, slipping an arm around his waist in support, "Valentines…Dinner…Gotta pick up..."

"Zach" Shaun said, bemused, "you're not making any sense, babe. Come on, bedtime."

"No, had it all planned out," Zach protested even as he let Shaun lead him back to their room. "There was gonna be," Zach waved one hand in the air weakly, "candles and wine and hand holding and shit."

Shaun laughed quietly. "Was there?"

"Yeah, and lots and lots of sex." Zach offered helpfully. Shaun gently pushed on the center of Zach's chest with two fingers and Zach obediently sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hmmm," Shaun pulled Zach's t-shirt over his head with a wordless hum and then knelt to strip off the sweatpants that Zach had so recently slipped on to wake his nephew.

"Gonna be awesome," Zach insisted, swaying weakly.

"It sounds awesome," Shaun reassured him. "I love it."

"Love you," Zach said, flopping down on the bed. "Wanted to show you, make today special."

Shaun maneuvered a limp Zach under the covers and then crawled in the other side and wrapped himself around his feverish boyfriend. "Everyday with you is special," he promised.

Zach, already half asleep, snorted. "Sap."

"I thought I was being poetic," Shaun protested, hand running soothingly up and down Zach's back.

"Shaun?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"I'm gonna sleep now."

Zach felt Shaun's smothered laugh in the vibrations of the pillow. "Good idea."

"But when I wake up I'm gonna rock your world."

Shaun nodded, and Zach could hear the smile in his voice. "You always do, babe."

Zach closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but he was achy and miserable. And although exhausted, sleep eluded him as he shifted restlessly under the covers.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," Shaun sang in a whisper, pulling Zach tightly against his side to still him.
.
"You sing that to Cody," Zach muttered into the space between Shuan's neck and shoulder where his head rested. "When he's sick."

Shaun shrugged, careful not to dislodge Zach. "My mom used to sing it to Gabe and I when we were sick."

"Family tradition," Zach observed, voice thick with unrealized sleep, "I like it."

Shaun kissed Zach's cheek. "You make me happy when skies are grey," he sang.

Zach forced his eyes to open and focus on Shaun. "Sorry," he apologized, interrupting Shaun's song.

"For what?" Shaun asked, confused frown making him look even more adorable than usual. Zach made a note to tell him that when he was feeling better.

"Ruining our first Valentines."

Shaun's face smoothed out and he sighed. "You are ridiculous, man. We can have romantic dinners anytime."

"And lots and lots of sex," Zach reminded him.

"Right," Shaun agreed, "but not until you're better. When you wake up we'll have chicken soup and orange juice by candlelight."

Zach's laugh turned to a coughing fit. Shaun patted his back through the attack and pulled him closer after it was over. "So not what I had in mind for tonight," Zach moaned.

"Hmm," Shaun hummed, "cheer up. If you're really lucky I'll give you a Vicks vapor rub massage later."

"Excellent," Zach muttered gloomily.

"Hey, in sickness and in health, right?" Shaun said it lightly, but he didn't fool Zach for a minute.

Zach snuggled in deeper to Shaun's side before answering. "To love and to cherish."

Shaun didn't say the last line, but Zach heard it anyway in the sweep of Shaun's hand against his back, the rapid beat of his heart in his chest, and the soft hum that finally sent him to sleep.

***

The complete list of my Shelter fiction can be found here.