Wearing one of Y/N's heavy white hoodies, Wednesday used her hip to open the oak door. She had been down to the cafeteria to grab her lover some soup- particularly vegetable and shrimp soup. It was her perfect remedy for recovering from a cold.
"I got our soup." She called out to Y/N- her hands gripped onto the handles of a tray which in turn carried two steaming hot bowls of soup.
"I'll be there in a seco- ahh-!" Wednesday listened as he cut himself off with a loud sneeze- one enough to deafen if close enough.
She released a small sigh at the sound. She knew a warm shower wouldn't cure him but a small part of her had hoped it would. She hated him being ill- it made her feel inadequate, like she hadn't done enough to protect him. She knew that was pathetic.
Walking deeper into his dorm, she approached his bedside table where she planed to place the tray. Planed being the polarising word as she never made it to the small wooden table.
Instead, she was sent flying by a loose shoe on the floor which she rolled her ankle on- the soup was also made airborne as she braced for impact with the floor. Wednesday hit the floor with a thud and the bowls of soup followed, only it spilled all over her.
"Mierda!" She yelped as the hot liquids began to seep through the fabric of the hoodie she had borrowed and onto her skin. Scrambling, she pulled the hoodie off over her head. She ran her hands over the scolded skin on her stomach. She looked over the mess she had made- smashed porcelain shards, shrim and finely shop vegetables were scattered all across the floor boards.
She heard quick footsteps and the bathroom door swinging open. "Nes', are you alright?" Y/N called out but to no reply. He walked to the far side of his bed to see Wednesday on the floor, his once white hoodie in her lap.
"I-I-" Wednesday trailed looking up at her lover, then back down at the stained hoodie. Her lips trembled. "I'm so- stupid." She got out through gritted teeth before burying her face in her uneasy hands.
There is was again. The overthinking. The anxiety. The panic. Her breathing became short. Y/N had seen it enough to know it well. He took the hoodie from her lap and knelt down in front of her. "You're not stupid." He whispered as he lifted a finger, caressing her cheek before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hang on, okay?" He breathed as he stood up straight. He opened the windows to make way to the sound of owls, nightjars and the whistling breeze.
He moved a few steps to his right and to his record player. Behind him he could hear quiet sobs. Y/N began filing through his vinyls. He stopped on one which he pulled out and settled onto the record player. "How does Chet Baker sound?" He asked, even though he knew he wouldn't get a response. He lowered the needle and the gentle music started playing.
Y/N had done some research- not long after he and Wednesday started dating, on how to help people who get overwhelmed. There were mixed results on how to do it but one that caught his eye was essentially sensory overload- to force Wednesday to focus on something- anything other than her head.
He turned a dial to make the music a little louder before he approached Wednesday again. He sat down beside her with his back pressed up against his bed. He looked at her- the sports bra was wearing beneath his hoodie revealed her stomach and the red burns on her skin. Wincing at the appearance, he gently placed his hand on the burns. He could feel the heat radiating against his own hand.
Wednesday found the touch of his cold hand soothing against the burn. Taking a number of deep breaths, she tried to calm down.
He moved his free hand to her wrists, gripping them and gently pulling her hands down away from her face. "There we go, now I can see how beautiful you are again." He murmured to her before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Keep taking nice, deep breaths for me, okay?"
Wednesday nodded her head and again, slowed her breathing. Y/N hooked her chin with his finger and guided her her face to look at him. He then used the back of his finger to wipe away her loose tears.
It was odd- he was so lucky to be able to see her so vulnerable. If it were anyone else who had found her like this, they would already have lost their head. Everyone else saw her hard exterior- but not him. "It's okay..." He breathed, offering a smile with his palm rested under jaw.
"No it's not." Wednesday pushed out with a gentle shake of her head. Her cheek soon nuzzled into his hand.
"Why isn't it?" He asked.
"I ruined your hoodie... A-And the soup and the bowls." She responded, again on the verge of tearing up.
"Nes', you are all that matters." He murmured, his thumb caressing her smooth skin.
"That's a lie." She retorted.
"And why would I lie?" He questioned.
She paused for a moment in a moment of thought whilst her lips lagged behind. "I- I don't know."
He exhaled deeply and let his hand lower and skip into hers. "Everyone makes mistakes- even someone as perfect as you." He assured whilst giving her hand a squeeze.
Y/N spotted a hint of a smile come to her features at his words. "I.. I like this song..." She muttered.
"Me too." He responded before gently pecking her lips. "How about we clean this up and then we can have an early night?" He suggested, letting his thumb trace shapes on the back of her hand. "And we'll get a cold cloth on this." He added, taking his hand away from her stomach.
She nodded her head and took one last deep breath before pushing herself to her feet. Her skirt also seemed to have absorbed some of the soup.
"You go and take a shower, get a fresh set of clothes on and I'll make a start." He instructed. She nodded in response. "Take whatever clothes you want."
Again she nodded in response before disappearing into his closet- and then into the bathroom shortly after.
He released a small sigh. She could be hard work, but he really couldn't complain. He loved her beyond what words could describe- and whilst he would love it if she wasn't so easily overwhelmed, it was part of who she was and he loved her for that too. The sound of running water cut him out of his thoughts.
Getting to his feet, he grabbed his once pristine white hoodie and tossed it into the heaped washing basket in the corner of his room. He then rummaged under his bed and found a dustpan and brush. He then moved to route around in the draw of his bedside table where he found a trash bag. All he needed was something to soak up the puddle of soup on the floor.
He stopped outside the closed bathroom door and he knocked on the door. "I'm coming in for a moment." He called in.
"O-Okay." A timid voice called back. He pushed the door open and made a conscious effort to not look in the direction of the shower. Even from the corner of his eye he could see Wednesday was trying her best to cover herself up. His cheeks flushed pink as he made a quick approach for the toilet paper. He grabbed it and rushed out, closing the door behind himself.
Heading back over to the mess with his new supplies, he got to work- scooping up the porcelain, vegetables and shrimp and transferring it all into the bag. He then did the same with the toilet paper- laying layers down on the puddle, letting it get soaked up before putting the used paper into the bag. Soon enough, the mess had been cleaned up. He tied up the bag and threw it aside.
Just as he finished, the bathroom door opened up. Wednesday stepped out in a pair of baggy grey sweatpants and a green t-shirt which she had pulled up above her waist as she held a wet hand towel against her skin.
He admired her for a moment before grinning. "Someone's pushing the boat out today with the colours." He commented, nodding to her new found fashion.
"Shut up." She responded bluntly. Her eyes gazed down to where the mess had once been. Her features softened. "You already cleaned up?"
He nodded his head.
"I feel so....useless. You're ill and I can't even look after you- you just spend all of your time looking after me." She breathed.
Y/N opened his arms. "You can make me feel better by giving me a hug." He tempted.
Clearly his ploy worked as she soon moved into his arms, holding the cold towel up with one arm while the other wrapped around his midriff. The pair stayed like that in relative silence for a few minutes while they each swayed to the still playing music. Eventually, Y/N pulled away and leant down, placing a kiss on her forehead, then her nose and then he inched his lips towards her lips.
Wednesday let her eyes flutter shut as she puckered her lips yet their lips never met.
"Uhha- Ahhh-!" Y/N let out another billowing sound as he sneezed once again... All over Wednesday.
Slowly opening her eyes, she glared up at Y/N with balled fists. He laughed nervously as he placed a quick kiss on her lips.