Monthly Bonus Content #1—Nate version (Patreon)

“Uhhhh…” My groan is as pathetic as expected but finished with a bout of throaty coughs that I don’t expect.

My throat burns as I try to get the coughing under control.

“Oh, [redactedpetname],” Nate coos as he enters the room with a tray. He places it down on the side table and crawls onto the bed beside me, drawing me closer. I shuffle my body under the duvet to snuggle next to him.

His warm comfort helps ease the tightness constricting my chest, and I take the first—mostly clear—breath I’ve managed in days.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was so bad?” he asks, a slight frown on his features punctuating the question. “I would have come home right away.”

“You were on—” another hacking cough, “a mission.”

“Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will ever prevent me from returning to you when you need me,” he states, running a hand down my cheek and swiping away a small bead of sweat.

My body shakes beneath his touch, and I wish it was from excitement, but a chill rushes through me as a sneeze builds.

I manage to grab a tissue just in time before looking back to him through blurry eyes.

His expression doesn’t flinch for a second, even though I know how I must look: bloodshot eyes, shiny, dripping nose, and not exactly looking radiant.

“You still going to keep to stick to that promise when I look like this?” I choke out, trying to add a laugh but it gasps out as more of a wheeze.

He cups my face to turn my attention back to him. “You are you, no matter how you look or sound. As long as this remains the same,” he places a hand over my chest, the touch helping to ease the pressure clogging my lungs, “then it doesn’t matter what changes on the outside.”

I blink a few times, my foggy brain taking a moment to process the words, before I lean into him with as much of a smile as I can muster. “You’ll make me think I’m hallucinating if you say stuff like that. You always seem too good to be true.”

A strained laugh echoes from him before he quickly glances away.

“Now will you try to eat something?” he asks, leaning over to grab the tray and place it on my lap. Steam curls up from a bowl of soup, a piece of fresh bread spread with golden butter beside it. A smile manages to perk my weary lips at the small posy of daisies in the corner of the tray.

“What is it?” I tentatively lean forward to sniff at the soup but can smell nothing through my blocked sinuses.

“Hearty vegetable soup,” he replies. “I made it myself. And you know how offended I’ll be if you don’t try to eat even a bite.”

I raise a brow. “Are you saying that just so I’ll eat?”

“Of course not. Would I deceive you in such a way?” A smile laces across his lips as he leans in to kiss my cheek. “Just a few mouthfuls.”

“Fine,” I mumble, trying my best to pick up the spoon with a wad of tissues in my hand.

He settles down beside me, watching each spoonful I force down.

When I can only five mouthfuls he takes it away, snuggles up beside me, and doesn’t move a muscle as I fall into a feverish sleep across his lap.

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Bit of themed bonus content this week as I have been really ill, ugh. But I let it inspire me for this scenario, hehe :D

Might actually do a series of these with each of the LIs looking after an ill MC! Would that be something you guys would be interested in?