Tuesday again, date night! And his grocery shift was finally over! Ryan stored his apron and retrieved his things from his locker. All there was left to do was to catch a quick nap, then it would be time to hang out with Scott again. As difficult as this new addition to his schedule was, Ryan getting used to it. It was tough, but he certainly didn't run out of energy as fast anymore.
He checked the time on his phone. The "new text" icon flashed at the top of the screen. Who could have possibly texted him? Mick was bound to be passed out by now, having worked the same overnight shift he did, and Scott wasn't the kind to send stuff out of the blue on a work day. He tapped the notification.
SCOTT - [I have to cancel our date. I got strep throat.]
Ryan's spirit took a nosedive. Scott's sick? What was strep throat anyway? He did a quick search on his phone. Every hit indicated it was "painful" and "highly contagious." Was Scott okay? He dialed Scott's phone and was sent to voicemail after two rings. Almost immediately, he got a new text.
SCOTT - [Hurts to talk]
SCOTT - [Text instead]
RYAN - [Are you okay? Do you need anything? I'm still at the grocery]
SCOTT - [I got some steroid shots this morning. I'll be okay by tomorrow]
RYAN - [Not what I asked]
RYAN - [Do you need anything right now?]
SCOTT - [I PROMISE I'm okay. Taking it easy today]
RYAN - [Do you own a knife and a large pot?]
SCOTT - [...Why?]
SCOTT - [I do, but how is that pertinent?]
RYAN - [Text me your address]
SCOTT - [...]
SCOTT - [No.]
SCOTT - [I don't want you to catch this]
RYAN - [I'll get a mask]
RYAN - [Did you eat yet?]
RYAN - [My Nanna had this recipe she cooked whenever I had a cold. I make it almost as good as she did!]
RYAN - [I promise I'll be careful]
Scott took a long time to respond. The messages had been read, did Ryan overstep somehow? He sat at the break room table, waiting. He fiddled with his collar, waiting for the moving ellipsis to show Scott was responding.
On the other end of the line, Scott was having a terrible moral dilemma. He ABSOLUTELY wanted to see Ryan. His throat HURT and he was MISERABLE! And, it would be the first time his boyfriend was IN HIS HOUSE! On top of all that, Ryan wanted to cook for him! The thought of his boyfriend cooking for him was just... Was it all reason enough to chance Ryan catching this mess?
But, maybe if Ryan came over, he would be up for some cuddling? Heaven knows that was the one thing Scott was craving most right now. It would be SO nice to snooze on the couch, wrapped around Ryan like he was a teddy bear. But that was a terrible idea! They haven't even kissed much, would Ryan be okay with something like that? Never mind that, being in such close proximity was a surefire way for both of them to have strep. But Ryan was offering... It would be so nice...
SCOTT - [Fine. But I'm wearing a mask too.]
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Ryan was on a mission. Scott sent him his address, and he'd already calculated the best route. It should take him twenty minutes by bus to get from the grocery to Scott's neighborhood, then three blocks to Scott's building. He lived surprisingly close... Well, relatively close-ish.
Ryan sped around the grocery store, collecting ingredients for the dish he was going to make. It was nothing fancy, just some chicken soup. Considering the summer temperatures outside he opted for pre-cooked chicken. It might not turn out as good, but it was better safe than sorry. He took inventory of the contents of his shopping basket to make sure he didn't miss anything. It's been so long since he actually bothered to do any real cooking, it felt strange seeing the fresh vegetables staring back at him. Some of his co-workers gave him funny looks as he passed them by, as he wasn't usually one to linger in the produce aisles, but he didn't notice. The last stop was the pharmacy section. He needed a mask, and there was one last thing he wanted to get...
--------------------
The sound of knocking rung through Scott's apartment. He could hear the rustling of bags.
"Hey! It's me!" Ryan called from the other side.
Scott opened the door just a crack and thrust his hand out to Ryan. In it was a surgical mask.
"Don't worry, I've got one on already.".
Ryan eased the door open a little more and peered at his boyfriend. He was clad in a set of satin button-up pajamas, and a mask of his own. His hair stuck up in all different directions as though he hadn't brushed it yet. Ryan couldn't see his expression, but between his eyes and his knitted brows, his discomfort was evident.
"Can... I come in?" Ryan asked. He lifted the bags, "I have food."
Scott opened the door the rest of the way and motioned him inside. He took the bags, then wrapped Ryan in a long embrace.
"I'm so happy you came to see me." Scott's harsh grating whisper was slightly muffled by the mask.
Ryan returned the hug, rubbing Scott's back gently. "You don't have to talk. I'm sure it hurts. You hungry?"
Scott pulled away reluctantly and showed Ryan into the kitchen. Ryan was floored at the size of the place! Scott's main room alone was as big as Ryan's whole apartment! And there was a hallway going off that! It had a kitchen that separated with a bar that had marble countertops, and wood floors, AND a whole oven!
The living space was dominated by a huge sectional couch, had a television at least twice the size of Ryan's, and several bookcases full of games, movies, and knickknacks. Scott even had a cute little bistro set bumped up against the bar space. Ryan secretly wondered how much a place like this could possibly cost...
Scott put the bags on the countertop and started unpacking them. He already had the cooking implements laid out and ready to go, he was really looking forward to this. As Ryan started to wash the vegetables, Scott came across something he wasn't expecting, a box of medicated powdered drink packets. He held it up to Ryan questioningly.
"Oh, that? I thought it might help. I used to drink it as a kid when I had a sore throat. It works pretty well."
Scott checked the ingredients as Ryan began cooking. The drink had ibuprofen, vitamin c, and menthol mostly. It certainly seemed like it would help, though it wasn't a brand Scott recognized. He pulled a mug from the cabinet, filled it with water, and put it in the microwave. It was worth a try. He wished he could kiss Ryan for being so considerate. Instead, Scott hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Ryan's shoulder.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"You're welcome." Ryan kinda shrugged it off. Scott's given him so much since they met, it felt nice to give back, even if it was just a little. But still, it made him feel fuzzy inside. "Now come on, it's hard to cut these veggies when you're clinging like that."
Scott gave one final squeeze and set about preparing a drink packet, pulling his mask down past his chin so he could drink it. It didn't taste too bad, a bit like warm lemonade and honey, not too bitter. How did he not know about this before? It took the edge off his discomfort considerably. He slid into one of the kitchen chairs, hands wrapped around his mug, as he savored the godsend, humming appreciation.
"Is it working?" Ryan asked, pausing to look back over his shoulder.
Scott gave an enthusiastic thumbs up and Ryan went back to the task at hand. Whatever he was doing, it was starting to smell amazing. How did he get so lucky? He could hear the contents of the pot start to boil. He relaxed back into the chair, enjoying the "chop chop choping" sounds as Ryan prepared the last of the ingredients, and contemplated the steam rising from his beverage. Not quite how he expected their date night, or rather date afternoon, but this was nice.
Scott didn't mean to. He really didn't mean to. It happened completely by accident. He took a sip of the drink, and it went down the wrong way. He didn't even cough that hard, but while he was focused on the stabbing pain in his throat, the contractions of his stomach muscles produced something more than a cough. A certain squeaking trumpet-like sound escaped him. He froze. Why did he do that? Why did he have to do that? He turned quickly to Ryan, apology plastered all over his face. He couldn't believe he just ripped one in front of his boyfriend.
Ryan looked at him with a somewhat odd expression, almost as if he wasn't sure he heard what he thought he heard. He then broke into a grin, then chuckled. "Good to know you're human too," he laughed, "'cause I was beginning to think you might just be too perfect. Are you okay? You're face is priceless."
Scott hid behind his mug. "I'll live..."
How embarrassing! At least Ryan didn't seem to mind. It was bound to happen eventually, right? Scott consoled himself with that thought. He'd been trying awfully hard to come across as the perfect boyfriend. He really really really wanted to hold on to this relationship, since it was the first one he'd had in too long. Besides, if things continued going well, he might get Ryan between his sheets soon, and then there'd be a lot more than a bit of gas expressed in front of each other.
Ryan finished cooking, and they ate in silence out if consideration for Scott's throat. Scott thought the soup was downright fantastic, and had three portions all on his own. He didn't leave much for leftovers. He caught Ryan stifling yawns throughout the meal, only then remembering his boyfriend's work schedule. Forget what he was hoping to do, it simply wouldn't be responsible to send him home in such a state.
Omegas weren't allowed to operate vehicles by law, which meant Ryan had to rely on the city's transportation system. Scott didn't know what the distance looked like by bus, and if he had to, he could dress and take Ryan home himself, but he didn't want Ryan to go home yet...