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Zeke isn’t at school.
Two years ago, Tina wouldn’t have noticed this. Or, if she did notice, wouldn’t have cared. Two years ago, Tina would have probably been ecstatic to find Zeke missing from Jimmy Jr.’s side, the one place she really wanted to be at the age of thirteen.
In the transition from middle school to high school, however, her disdain for the loud boy had shifted into friendship. By the beginning of their sophomore year, Tina could confidently say that Zeke was her very best friend (her siblings aside, of course).
And now, after spending most of winter break running around Seymour’s Bay with him, Tina’s feelings from eighth grade have undergone a complete turnaround - seeing him laughing in the snow while he and Louise pelted Jimmy Pesto Sr. with snowballs had set her heart pounding. Every time he throws his arm over her shoulders, butterflies swarm in her stomach until she’s sure she’s going to throw up. In short, Tina is crushing on Zeke, in a can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t stop freaking blushing every time he looks at her kind of way.
So when, a week into the second semester of sophomore year, Zeke wasn’t waiting for her on the front steps of Huxley Monday morning, Tina notices . At first she figures he’s just running late - Cheryl is pregnant again and he’s been helping out with getting his little sister to daycare in the mornings. He’d been so apologetic that he couldn’t pick her up for school in the mornings anymore, but secretly she’d been relieved. Being in an enclosed space with him, so close but not allowed to kiss him like she wants…it’s a true test of Tina’s self-restraint.
She heads to class and thinks she’ll see him for bio second period, but no. The other half of her lab desk is conspicuously empty the whole hour and she does not like it, not one bit.
By lunch, Tina is genuinely worried about him. He hasn’t responded to a single text all morning, which is unlike him. By the end of the day, she is on the verge of full-blown panic .
She convinces Jocelyn to give her a ride to Zeke’s house - it’s on the blonde’s way so it doesn’t take much, especially when she mentions how she hasn’t heard from their friend since Saturday. He’s not the best at texting but everyone in their group knows he always answers Tina.
(She tries not to read into that too much, but it’s hard dammit.)
It doesn’t look like anyone else is home when Jocelyn drops her off; Zeke’s truck is the only one in the driveway, no sign of his dad’s much dirtier pick-up or Cheryl’s little Prius. She waits until her friend drives away before digging the hide-a-key from the pot by the door - she has a feeling not all of their friends know where it is and does not want to incur any anger from Zeke or his family by revealing the secret spot.
Tina lets herself in quietly. The house is dark, but she’s been there enough she can navigate back to Zeke’s bedroom fairly easily, only bumping into one wall and tripping over a basket of toddler toys in the hallway. Zeke’s door is cracked, a small sliver of warm light shining into the hall. She can hear faint strains of the Home Shopping Network as she gets closer (another secret only she knows; a guilty pleasure of his brought on by marathons with Cheryl during her first pregnancy).
The mystery of Zeke’s absence is solved as soon as she pushes open his bedroom door. Bottles of cold medicine sit on his nightstand next to a huge box of tissues. His trash can is moved to sit by his bed and, based on the smell emanating from it, full of his sick. The flu, Tina thinks, eyeing the mess of his usually neat room.
The boy in question is asleep, comforter tangled around his legs and sweat on his forehead. There’s a kitchen timer next to the medicine counting down for another 20 minutes - his next dose of medicine, she assumes.
That gives Tina enough time to tidy up a bit before waking him up, she decides. She starts with the trash can, gathering up the bag and taking it outside to toss it - no need to stink up their kitchen. She puts a new bag in, setting it quietly back in place next to his bed.
She finds some Clorox wipes in the bathroom cabinet and takes them to every surface in his room, including his phone and the kitchen timer. Said timer has just over five minutes left, so Tina raids his kitchen pantry, finding a couple of cans of chicken and stars soup in the back. She heats one up quickly, leaving the other on the counter for later, and walks it back on a tray to his room, coming in just as the timer buzzes.
He doesn’t react to the noise of the timer or her setting the tray on his dresser, even though the move makes the spoon clang against the side of the bowl.
She shuts the timer off and measures out a dose of the medicine, setting the cup down on the nightstand once full. She ducks into the bathroom for a washcloth, getting it damp with cool water. He’s still asleep when she comes back in the room, and she lays the washcloth on his forehead, gently wiping away the sweat that’s gathered there.
“Zeke,” she murmurs, cradling one cheek in her hand, “it’s time for more medicine, you gotta wake up.”
He shifts, eyes opening just a crack to squint up at her. One of his hands covers hers on his face and he pouts sleepily at her.
“Whatcha doin’ outta bed, T?” He wraps his free arm around her waist, pulling her on top of him. He rolls them so she’s on her side on the bed, face cuddled against his chest. “‘S too early to be awake baby.” He presses a kiss to the palm of the hand he’s holding before dropping it to wrap his arm around her.
Baby…?
She fights the urge to snuggle in against his t-shirt - he’s sick , she reminds herself, he doesn’t know what’s going on. People hallucinate all the time during the flu.
She resists, just barely, wriggling out of his hold and ignoring the frown that appears when his arms are suddenly Tina-less. His hands reach for her and he manages to latch onto her hips, tugging her back down against him until she’s sprawled across his chest.
“Zeke!” She pushes up by the heel of her hands, blushing at the way his pecs flex beneath her fingers. “Stop it! You need to take your medicine.”
He grins at her dopily, moving his hands to cradle her head and pull her face towards his. “MMkay, T,” he slurs out. “Gimmie my Tina kisses medicine.”
She flushed red, shaking her head and dislodging his hands. “Not kisses, Zeke. You’re sick. You have the flu. You need your actual medicine.”
“Don’ want tha’,” he argues. “Wan’ you.”
She sighs, brushing damp curls from his forehead. “Make you a deal - you take your medicine, and I’ll cuddle with you until you fall back asleep, okay?” She bargains.
“Wan’ kisses,” he repeats, pouting at her.
“One kiss,” she agrees and he beams at her. The joy on his face makes her heart hurt, he looks so happy she’s said yes.
She grabs the plastic cup off his nightstand and puts it to his lips, waiting. He obliges, opening his mouth to let her pour the syrup in. His face scrunches with disgust as he swallows and she bites her lip to stop from giggling at the expression.
Even though it's adorable .
“I made you soup,” she tells him, setting the cup back on the nightstand. “You should eat.” She goes to get up and is stopped by his arms wrapping around her waist.
“Noooo, don’ wan’ it,” he tugs her back down to sprawl across his chest. “Just wan’ you T. You stay.”
“Okay, Zeke,” she agrees, sighing as his hand began to stroke her back. “You don’t have to eat right now.”
His hand slips under her shirt, rubbing her skin in soothing circles and sending her heartbeat haywire. They lay in silence for a while, long enough that Tina is sure Zeke has fallen back asleep under the influence of the medication. She starts trying to extract herself from his arms, but it’s proving difficult - the boy is practically an octopus. She unhooks one arm and suddenly another appears around her again.
She huffs, freezing when one of his hands slips down to squeeze her ass.
“You promised,” he mumbles out, eyes still closed when she peeks. “I took th’ stuff, I get kisses.”
“You have to let go first,” she tells him, laughing quietly at his frown. “Can’t reach.”
He whines but lets his arms drop from her and thump on the mattress below him. She shakes her head at his dramatics, easing off of him. She stretches out beside him, flushing when she realizes he’s been watching her, eyes hazy but warm.
Tina arches up and presses her lips to the corner of Zeke’s mouth, the briefest contact before backing away. Zeke’s eyes are closed again, and he’s smiling, even as his muscles start to relax.
“Love you so much, T,” he mumbles out, words slowing as sleep begins to overtake him again. “Best wife ever.”
His breathing evens out while Tina sits in shock, trying to process what she’d just heard. Because what it sounded like, was that Zeke under the influence of cold medicine and a fever seems to think that they’re married.
And is…happy about it.
And maybe he likes her just as much as she likes him.
Zeke’s arm wraps around her again, tugging her against him as he mumbles her name. She sighs, closing her eyes and settling in for a nap.
She might as well - he’s pretty determined to hold her here and, well, she’s not exactly opposed to cuddling with her crush.
They can talk more later, when he’s not loopy and talking nonsense.
And, you know….kiss more later, when he’s not contagious and has brushed his teeth.
And while she’d never actually wish Zeke sick, and hates that he’s been suffering all day, she has to admit, as she falls asleep in his arms… best flu ever .