Under the weather hugs
Joe knocked on the hardwood door and could immediately hear the soft shuffle of feet on the other side. The door creaked open, revealing Taylor bundled in a cozy sweater, her nose red and her eyes slightly watery.
"Hey, you," Joe greeted, leaning in for a hug. He kissed her forehead softly, noting the warmth of her skin.
Taylor hugged him back tightly but soon pulled away, coughing into her elbow and then sniffling, rubbing her nose with her wrist. "Sorry, I’mb a little under the weather… snff… I thidk I’mb catchidg a cold or sobethidg… snff... snff..."
Joe rubbed her back gently, concern in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to go out? We could just stay in and watch a movie or something."
Taylor shook her head, giving him a reassuring smile despite her congested voice. "Id’s jusd sobe sdiffles... Sniffle... I’ll be fide."
She grabbed her coat, and they stepped out into the chilly air, the cool air hitting them full force as they started walking. As they walked around the park, Taylor kept sniffling stuffily between words, and wiping her nose with the back of her hand "So, how´s the movie?" she asked, her voice thick with congestion.
Joe glanced at her, smiling softly. "It was good. Busy, but good. We're wrapping up some scenes now, and it's coming together nicely. What about you?"
"Hhh...hhih...hhetxchew!! Snfl...ughh, I’ve beed doihg this the whole day... snffl." Taylor sneezed suddenly, pulling a travel pack of tissues from her purse. She dabbed at her nose, sniffling again.
Joe rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Bless you! Are you sure you don´t wanna go back? This chill can't be good for you right now."
Taylor shook her head, her voice determined despite her stuffed-up nose. "Yeah, I´mb fide.. snffl.. I wadt to get sombe coffee firshh... huhh...first... heehh...hhehiishOOoo!!! Snfl..." Another shiver ran down her spine as she pitched forward with another desperate sneeze, her hands cupped to her face. "Aahh...snfl...ahht'CHSHXT!!! ...Ughh."
“Woah.. God bless you!” Joe said rubbing his hand up and down her back as she sniffled and collected herself, as gently steered them toward a nearby coffee shop. “Let's go in and warm up a bit."
He pushed the door open and let her in first. They chose a small table in the corner, and a moment later, an old waitress came to take their order. Taylor started to speak, but a stuffy and sickly-sounding sneeze interrupted her. "Can I get a skinny carmell latte with sombe aldmond mbilk with... huhh..." Her voice turned into a breathless, hitching whisper as she squeezed the pink rims of her nostrils through the soggy tissue, eyes halfway closed. "Hhehh...snfl...ehh'chiiihew!!!"
She sneezed, and in an effort to keep from coughing, she didn’t blow her nose, which would have required a semi-deep breath. Instead, she just sniffled and massaged her nose in the damp tissue. The waitress, standing there with sympathy in her eyes, told her, "Oh my! Bless you sweetheart. That's quite the head cold you've got there! You should be tucked into bed right now."
Taylor nodded gratefully, "Exgcuse mbe.. Snffl” Taylor thanked her and finished her order, then Joe made his. Before the waitress could leave, Taylor sniffled congestedly and asked, “Cad we get sombe mbore napkings, please? snfl..." as she wiped her nose with the now very overused soggy tissue. The waitress nodded promissing she would be right back.
As they waited for their drinks, Taylor and Joe caught up on their days apart. He began to tell her stories from the movie he was filming. "So, we had this one scene where everything was supposed to go smoothly, but the props kept malfunctioning. It was hilarious. One of the guys tripped over a cable and almost took down the entire set!"
Taylor giggled, which quickly turned into a series of coughs. She sniffled wetly, reaching for her crumpled tissues. "I cad just picture that. Snff... sounds like a crazy day...snfl."
“Yeah, it was! It´s this one scene where the director wanted this dramatic rain effect. They had these huge hoses and it was just—” Joe paused, watching Taylor's eyes flutter closed again.
“Huhh… hheh… heht’CHOO! Huh… hhhehtSHOO!” Taylor sneezed into her tissue, then sniffled wetly. “Sorry, Joe. Snff. Go od...”
He smiled sympathetically. "Bless you. Anyway, the rain was more like a waterfall. The whole cast was soaked, and the director was furious because the scene wasn’t supposed to be that wet."
Taylor giggled, but it turned into a cough. She quickly covered her mouth with her tissue, then wiped her nose again. "Oh mby god! Add could you mbake it right?."
Joe chuckled. "Yeah, it was a mess. But it’ll make a great blooper reel."
Their drinks arrived, along with extra napkins. "Thagk you," she said to the waitress, who smiled kindly and walked away. Taylor grabbed a handful and blew her nose vigorously, her face scrunching up in discomfort.
“You really are having a tough time with that cold. Aren´t you?” he said gently.
Taylor wiped her nose one more time and nodded. "Yeah, I don´t kdow where id cambe fromb… snff… I was fide yesterday… Snff… I'b just glad I'b dot workidg this week."
They sat for a while longer, Taylor sneezing and sniffling, Joe talking softly about his work and making her laugh. Despite her cold, Taylor felt glad they had gone on this little date after not seeing each other for a few weeks. As she took her last sip, Joe looked at her with a gentle smile. "Ready to head home?"
Taylor nodded, sniffling again. He signaled for the waitress to bring them the bill. She walked over with a warm smile.
"Here's your bill, dears," she said, placing it on the table.
As Joe pulled out his wallet, Taylor's breath hitched again. "Huhh... huhh... HUH’ISHHOO! Snfl..." She quickly grabbed a napkin, blowing her nose with a grugly and stuffy sound. The waitress looked at her with sympathy.
"Bless you, sweetheart," she said, shaking her head slightly. "You really should be in bed right now, nursing that cold. And you," she turned to Joe with a mock stern look, "you better take good care of this poor thing. What were you thinking, taking her out while she's this sick?"
Joe smiled sheepishly, nodding in agreement as he handed her his card. "I know, we’re heading straight home after this.”
The waitress nodded approvingly. “Good. You make sure she’s warm and has plenty of fluids. And maybe some soup if you can manage it.” She winked at Taylor, who managed a weak smile.
“Thagk you,” Taylor said, her voice barely a whisper through her congestion.
Joe quickly paid the bill, leaving a generous tip as a token of gratitude for the waitress’s kindness. They both thanked her again and stood up to leave. Taylor making sure she grabbed a few napkins for the way home. Joe helped her with her coat, and they made their way to the door.
As Joe pushed the door open, a gust of cold air hit them, causing Taylor to shiver. Her breath hitched once more, and she sneezed violently, doubling over. “Huhhh... hehhh... heht’SHOO! Hheh... hehh... hheh’CHSHOO!!”
Joe rubbed her back soothingly as she sniffled and wiped her nose with a fresh napkin. “Bless you, Tay. Let’s get you home.”
Taylor nodded, leaning into Joe for support. They walked slowly, Joe’s arm around her shoulders, providing warmth and comfort as they made their way back to her house. "I'b really sorry for ruiding our date... snff." She told him as they walked wrapped around each other.
"Hey, you're not ruining anything," Joe reassured her, kissing the top of her head. "I just want you to feel better."
“I kdow.. I just.. Snffl.. We habe beed so busy lately ahd I wandted to.. snffl.. Uhhh...hh...hhet'tchshh!! ...Ugh, 'scuse be...hhh...hhtxchsht!!.. Snfl..”” Taylor doubled over and sneezed desperately into one hand; eyes squeezed shut. Before she'd even opened them again, she felt her boyfriend´s arm around her shoulders, and a warm kiss on her forehead. “Bless you love,” Joe murmured low in her ear, with another kiss for good measure. “Don´t worry about any of that. I´m just happy to spend time with you, I don’t care where. Come on, let's get you home.” He rubbed her back as she wiped her stuffy nose “'Kay,” Taylor agreed woozily, a weak smile spreading across her pale face as she allowed her boyfriend to steer her towards the warmth of the house.
------
Once they got home, Joe helped her out of her coat and guided her to the couch, spreading a warm blanket around her shoulders, as she reached for some tissues in the coffee table.
"How about I make you some tea?" Joe offered, heading to the kitchen.
Taylor sniffled, her voice muffled from under the tissues. "Thadk you. That sounds really good right dow."
Joe busied himself in the kitchen, soon returning with a steaming cup of tea. He handed it to Taylor, who accepted it with a grateful smile. She took a small sip, savoring the warmth.
"You really are the best," she said, her voice still thick with congestion.
Joe sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Am I?" He said playfully, leaning into her
Taylor nodded, pressing a small peck on his lips, which he eagerly returned, multiple times, making her giggle.
The living room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the TV screen as a movie played. Taylor nestled comfortably against Joe's side. She had been sniffling constantly, her nose clearly congested and runny. Every so often, she wiped her nose on her sleeve, the wet sniffling sounds becoming more frequent as the movie progressed.
The warmth and comfort of their position made it hard for her to move. "Hh...snff...Snffl..." She sniffled wetly, trying to keep her nose from dripping. Joe glanced down at her and saw her wiping her nose on her sleeve once more. He gently reached over to the table, grabbing the box of tissues. He placed it in her lap and pulled out a few tissues, handing them to her.
"Here you go, Tay" he said softly, a gentle smile on his face.
Taylor let out a small, embarrassed laugh and took the tissues. "Thadk you... sorry... snff," she mumbled, blowing her nose with a gurgling sound. She snuggled back into Joe, holding the tissues close.
They continued watching the movie, occasionally talking about the plot. Taylor couldn't help but sneeze a few more times, her nose seemingly relentless.
"Huh... HAH'tchoo! Snfl..." She sneezed into a tissue, sniffling afterward.
"Bless you, T" Joe said as the blonde girl sniffled and hitched again, raising her head woozily..
“Th-thadks,” Taylor sniffled, eyes barely open as she pressed the clean tissue firmly to her glistening nostrils, already trembling wide open again in helpless anticipation. “Uhh'tcheww!! *Snfl*...Hh—hhh—hhehiiishu!!! *Snfl,*” The blonde girl sneezed desperately, sniffled, and sneezed again, bobbing forward on the couch in helpless submission. “Ughh, snffl.. this sucks” She groaned softly, opening her bleary eyes and sniffling wetly behind the tissue, giving her nose a firm rub.
“I know baby, I´m sorry you feel bad” He tells her rubbing her back. She gives him a small smile and cuddles herself into his side again.
As the movie went on, Taylor's eyes grew heavy. She leaned more into Joe, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. After a while, she drifted off to sleep, her breathing soft and even. He gently shifted to make her more comfortable, letting her rest peacefully against him as he watched the rest of the movie quietly, careful not to disturb her. When the credits rolled, he looked down at Taylor, who was still sound asleep.
“Tay, hey, wake up,” he whispered softly, brushing her hair back.
Taylor stirred, blinking sleepily. “Huh? Whad’s... Snff... What´s going on?”
“You fell asleep baby,” Joe said gently. “Come on, let´s go to bed.”
Taylor sleepily protested, “We cad stay here... Snff... It’s fide.” she mumbled; her voice thick with sleep.
Joe shook his head, helping her sit up. “Come on, baby, you´ll sleep better in our bed. I promise”
Taylor nodded groggily, too tired to argue and allowed Joe to help her up, and they made their way to the stairs. As they walked towards the stairs, the chilly temperature change made her nose tickle again. “Wait.. I.. huhh” She paused, her breath hitching, and she turned to sneeze into her elbow. “Huhh... hhehh... hehh’CHOO! Hhehh... hheh’TSHOO! Snff, snff...”
Joe kept a steadying hand on her back. “Bless you, Tay.”
They made their way up the stairs, Taylor sneezing a few more times as they went. Finally, they reached her bedroom. Joe helped her into bed, tucking the blankets around her snugly. He took a tissue box from the bathroom and placed it on her nightstand, handing her a couple, which she gratefully used to blow her nose again.
“Thagk you, Joe,” she said, her voice a soft murmur as she settled into her pillow.
Joe smiled, brushing a stray hair from her forehead. "You're welcome, Taylor. Now get some rest and feel better soon."
Taylor smiled up at him, her eyes already closing. “Goodnight,” she whispered.
“Goodnight,” Joe responded, walking into the other side of the bed and watching her drift off to sleep.
------
Taylor woke up feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. Every muscle in her body ached, her ears were blocked up and pounding, her throat burned, her nose was completely stuffed up, and her head felt like it was full of wet cement. Blinking groggily, she realized Joe was not beside her, and a wave of loneliness and self-pity washed over her. She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly, feeling her nose begin to drip almost immediately.
“Snff, snff...” she sniffled congestedly, the sound liquid and deep. The tickle in her nose sparked again, and she rubbed it against the end of her sweatshirt, hoping to alleviate the itch. She got out of bed and shivered as a chill ran down her spine. Feeling cold and miserable, she sniffled again, her nose leaking once more.
“Hheh...snfl...” The tickle blossomed intensely at the back of her head, stopping her in her tracks. Standing in front of the bed, her eyes narrowed as her head fell back, and she cupped her hands in anticipation. “Aaah...snfl...ahhit'chhew!!!” She sneezed, her nose running. “Ughhh,” she sighed softly behind her cupped hands, blinking woozily as she sniffled again. The tickle persisted, less intense but building up quickly as fresh trails of discharge dribbled slowly down her lip. She sniffled again and reached for the box of tissues on her nightstand, snatching one and wiping it across her glistening nostrils just as they started tingling helplessly.
“Hhut'chshh!! Snfl....Hhehishh!!!” She wiped her nose on the soggy tissue, already reaching for another one as she sniffled miserably. She blew her nose once more and decided to go look for her boyfriend.
She trailed downstairs sleepily. She hadn’t thought to bring any tissues with her, so she just kept wiping her tender nose on the rough, increasingly damp cuff of her sweatshirt, and turning her face into her elbow whenever she sneezed. It wasn’t ideal, but she was just too sleepy to care.
As she neared the kitchen, she felt her breath hitch again, stopping her in her tracks. “Huhh... hehh... hheh’TSHOO!” she sneezed loudly into her elbow. Joe’s back was to her as he was making breakfast. He turned around, smiling sympathetically.
“Hey! Look who’s up!” he greeted her warmly, making his way over to her. He kissed the side of her head. “What are you doing out of bed, love? I was about to bring you breakfast.”
Taylor leaned against Joe, “I woke up all by mbyself,” she croaked miserably.
Joe cooed at her whiny but sweet comment and hugged her more tightly, kissing her cheek. “Aw, good morning, baby. How are you feeling today? Any better?” he mumbled into her neck.
She sniffled stuffily and shook her head. “Mby head is all fuzzy. I feel like I’mb stoned.” She wiped her wet nose on the end of her sweatshirt again.
Joe gave her a sympathetic look and noticed her face contorting as she was about to sneeze. He quickly grabbed some napkins from the counter and handed them to her just in time.
“Huhh... hehh... hheh’TSHOO! Hhehh... heh’CHOO!!”
“God bless you,” Joe said, holding her steady. “You should go back to bed, babe. I’ll bring you some breakfast in a minute.”
Taylor shook her head, her voice a congested murmur. “I don’t wadda be alone right now.”
Joe laughed kindly and kissed her hair a few times, noticing how she was shivering. “I don’t want you to get cold standing in the kitchen. Come on, let’s get you settled on the couch where it’s warm.”
Taylor nodded, her breath catching sharply in her chest. She sniffled and brought the crumpled napkins in her hand back to her face. “Aahh...aahishhhew!! Hhut'chheww!!! Ugh...snfl.” She groaned miserably, nuzzling her cold-stuffed nose through the damp paper and blinking dizzily.
“Come on, my love, let’s get you warm on the couch. Then we can get some medicine into you,” Joe sighed, stroking a few locks of blond hair back behind her ear.
A few feet in front of the couch, Taylor stopped abruptly with a quavering breath. Joe glanced over, seeing a trickle of snot leaking from her flaring nostrils as she brought both hands to her mouth in anticipation, her expression utterly tortured as her eyebrows knit together.
"HuhhESHOOoo!! Sniffle." Taylor’s thin shoulders snapped forward with a violent, sickly sneeze that she barely contained behind her cupped hands.
“Here baby,” Joe said gently, passing Taylor the tissues from the coffee table. “Thadk you,” she grumbled, grudgingly accepting the Kleenex and blowing her cold filled nose thoroughly, too sick and exhausted to be embarrassed anymore about how loud and disgusting it sounded.
As they sat on the couch, Joe wrapped a blanket around Taylor, noticing her shivering again. He pressed his palm gently against her forehead, feeling the heat radiating from her skin.
“I think you might have a fever, Tay,” he said, concern evident in his voice. “Let me go get the thermometer.”
While Joe went to find the thermometer, Taylor snuggled deeper into the blanket, sniffling and trying to get comfortable. When he returned holding the thermometer Taylor gave him a playful look.
“You kdow... snffl... I thidk I like id whed you play doctor,” she teased, her voice congested and raspy.
Joe chuckled, sitting back down next to her. “Well, lucky for you, you are my favorite patient.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of her red nose, making her sniffle and wrinkle it.
“I would hope so,” she smiled. Joe leaned in again, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She sniffled as they kissed, and when they broke apart, she wiped her nose with a crumpled tissue.
“I dond’t wadt you to get sigck... snnfl,” she murmured.
“I don’t care about that,” Joe replied, his tone soft and reassuring.
“You should,” Taylor insisted, “id’s ndot fud, believe mbe.”
The thermometer beeped, and Joe checked the reading. “Yep, you’ve got a fever,” he said, caressing her cheek. “You must be feeling awful.”
“I’mb finde...” Taylor started to say, but a sneeze interrupted her. “Hehh... hhet'tchshh!! Snfl... hht'chxeww!! ... Cough, cough, cough...” she hastily turned her face into her elbow so as not to sneeze directly into Joe´s lap
Joe chuckled softly. “You surely sound fine,” he teased, handing her more tissues. “Bless you, baby.” He told her, placing a kiss on top of her bangs.
Taylor blew her nose loudly until the wet sound finally cleared a little. Joe rubbed her shoulders comfortingly as she drunk her tea. She sneezed constantly, unable to go five seconds without needing to sniffle, her nose perpetually running. They finally finished breakfast, and Taylor was blinking tiredly.
“You look exhausted babe” Joe told her gently “Why don´t you lie down for a while,” He got up and got another blanket for her.
“Would you lay dowd with mbe?” Taylor looked up at him with tired eyes.
“Of course,” Joe replied. He lay down beside her, stroking her hair. Taylor sniffled and tried not to sneeze on him, but eventually, a congested sneeze escaped.
“Hehh... hhht'shoo! Snfl...ughh.. snffl” she turned her head to the side and pinched her twitching nose lightly between her thumb and forefinger, shivering with the powerful force of one raspy, congested sneeze.
“Bless you,” Joe said, yawning and bringing the tissues closer to her.
“Thadks... sorry,” she mumbled, embarrassed.
“It´s okay, sweetheart,” Joe replied, hugging her gently.
Taylor wiped her nose again and, finally, exhausted, fell asleep in Joe’s arms.
------
When she woke up from her nap, she felt a little better. Her fever had gone down, but her voice was still thick with congestion, and she was still sneezing and sniffling constantly. They decided to play some card games, despite Taylor’s frequent need to pause for sneezing fits and nose blows.
They were both competitive, getting really into the game even though Taylor had to stop often. “Sorry, it’s mby turn... hehh... hehh’tshoo! Snfl... just a sec...” she said, blowing her nose before continuing to play.
Joe watched her with a mix of amusement and concern. “That cough is sounding bad,” he said after another fit of coughing interrupted their game. “We should get you more medicine.”
“I’mb okay, baby. Id’s just a cold,” Taylor reassured him, though her voice was hoarse and congested.
“You sound awful, Tay. I don’t want you to get any worse,” Joe insisted.
Taylor smiled weakly. “You don’t need to worry so mbuch,” she said.
“That’s not possible,” Joe replied, his eyes filled with affection.
------
As the evening wore on, Taylor’s cold began to worsen. They continued playing their board game, but Joe noticed Taylor getting increasingly distracted. Her competitive spirit had waned, and she looked puzzled and a little disoriented when he told her it was her turn.
“Hey, Tay, it’s your turn,” Joe said, watching her with concern.
“What?” Taylor sniffled and looked up, startled. “Oh, sorry... snff... I didn’t realize,” she mumbled, her voice thick with congestion.
Joe observed her closely. Her eyes were getting smaller, her cheeks flushed, and she seemed unfocused. He could tell she wasn’t feeling well.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
“Yeah.. I’mb just tired,” Taylor replied, but Joe wasn’t convinced. She sniffled harshly a couple of times, trying to get some air through her nose. “Snfff... SNFF... snffff... uhh. I’mb so stuffed up… snff.”
Joe reached over and rubbed her back soothingly. “How about I get you some more tea? It might help.”
Taylor nodded weakly, and Joe went to the kitchen. When he returned with a steaming cup, he saw just how flushed and uncomfortable she looked.
“I think you’ve got a fever again, baby,” Joe frowned, moving one hand to Taylor’s forehead and pressing his palm flat against her clammy skin. It felt relieving, easing some of the pressure of her pounding headache, and Taylor sighed inadvertently.
“I dod’t have a fever,” she argued weakly, with another sharp sniffle.
“Yes, you do. And you need a tissue,” Joe said gently, reaching for a tissue as Taylor’s delicate nostrils began to quiver and flare, irritated by the clear, watery snot trickling sluggishly from her nasal passages down the divot in her upper lip.
“I’mb fuhh...fide...sniff!...” Taylor grabbed the tissue clumsily from Joe’s outstretched hand, pressing it firmly to her flaring nostrils as they fought to release the wet tickle lodged inside her head, making her breath hitch and her eyes flutter shut. “Uhhh...huh...uh'tchooo!! ... Snff... ehhISHOOoo!!”
The blonde girl snapped forward sharply at the waist, surrendering to two miserably congested sneezes, the damp tissues clamped over her nose and mouth to shield her boyfriend from the spray.
“Ughh, excuse be,” she sighed softly. She reached for the tissue box for a fresh tissue, finding it almost empty. “Oh, do we habe ady mbore tissues?.. Snff.”
“I’ll go find some more, but you need to take more medicine first,” Joe said, concern etched on his face. He quickly got up to find another box of tissues and a wet cloth for her fever. She protested weakly, saying she was already feeling cold, but Joe’s concern made her cave in. She let him place the cloth on her forehead, immediately shivering from the cold.
“Ughh... Id’s so cold... Snff... Snfff,” she muttered, her nose running. She sneezed congestedly into her soggy tissues. “Hhuh...uhtchOOoo!!! Ishhxiew!! Snfl...ah...snfl...ahhh...aht'chhhew!!!” Each congested sneeze brought a weak shiver.
Joe noticed her over-used tissues and opened the new box, snatching a few and giving them to her. “I’mb so sorry I’mb so gross,” Taylor said, grabbing the tissues and blowing her nose again, the gurgling sound just as wet as before, if not more so.
“Hehh...ISHHuhh!! Hih'HHTchuh!!! Snnfl...ughh, 'scuse be,” she chuckled weakly, unfolding the tissues once and blowing again.
“God bless you, baby! And stop saying that, you are not gross. You are just sick,” Joe told her gently, reaching for the tea cup he had brought a few minutes ago and she had yet to drink. “Here, drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
“Thadk you, love,” Taylor said, taking a sip. The warm tea felt wonderful on her sore throat and shivering body. “This is so good...”
“I’m glad you like it,” Joe said, smiling.
“I’mb sorry I’mb being such a baby... snff,” Taylor wiped her nose on her sweatshirt, feeling a bit embarrassed about being so whiny with Joe, who was being incredibly sweet and patient.
Joe leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You’re allowed to feel bad, Tay. It’s okay.”
Taylor smiled weakly, sniffling again as she leaned into Joe’s comforting embrace. They continued talking about friends, work, and upcoming events, with Joe’s gentle reassurances making her feel a little better despite her worsening cold.
------
“I’mb dot really hungry,”
“How about some homemade soup? Nice and easy on your stomach.” Joe tried again, determined to take care of her.
Taylor looked at him amused and laughed softly. “You’re godda cook for mbe? Real food?”
Joe grinned. “Yes, real food. You just sit tight on the couch, and I’ll take care of everything.”
“There’s ndo way, snfff,” Taylor said, shaking her head. “I wadda see it happendig or else I wod’t believe it.”
Together, they went into the kitchen, where it became clear Joe didn’t know where to start. Taylor, ever the controller, started gathering ingredients. Joe, seeing what she was doing, playfully grabbed her by the waist and forced her to sit down on the kitchen island.
“No, no, no, no,” he laughed, holding her firmly. “You’re not lifting a finger. You are sick, remember?”
She joked, “I dod’t wadt to get food poisodig od top of by cold.”
Joe grinned. “You can help me by just giving instructions, okay?”
“Fide,” Taylor agreed, her voice thick with congestion. And started telling him where he could find everything.
As they started cooking, Taylor sniffled and sneezed every few minutes. “All right,” she said, “first you ndeed to grab the... heh... uhhh... Hhuh...hhtchhxiew!! ...Snff... the cuttihg board.”
Joe followed her directions, occasionally glancing over to make sure she was okay. “Now you habe to be carefull, first put sobe of the.. hehh..” Taylor´s voice trailed off for a moment, eyes narrowing as she raised a hand halfway to her face, looking like she was maybe going to sneeze;
“The what?” Joe asked, oblivious of her girlfriend´s current dilemma
“Th.. theh.. hHehh..” she nodded woozily, too distracted by the unbearable tickly feeling in her head to continue with the recipe. She pressed a finger under her running nose and rubbed hard. “Sniff.. snfff” "Just odehhh...huhh..." Her brows knit together as if she were trying to remember something important “Heeh...hh-Hh Hh-hiiishOOoo!!! Snfl... snff.. excuse mbe”
“God bless you!” Joe says cheerfully, chuckling as he passes her girlfriend some tissues “You good there?” He watches as she blows her nose
“Yeah.. snff.. sorry” She mumbles kind of embarrassed, face behind her tissues.
“Okay.. now, where were we?” He asks as he turns to the pot again to resume his cooking.
Finally, after a while the soup was ready. Joe poured some into a bowl and handed it to Taylor.
“Thank you for being an excellent sous chef,” Joe said with a smile. Taylor laughed softly, “Thadk you, baby” She smiles lovingly at him.
He leaned in to give her a kiss, but felt Taylor's soft, hitching intake of breath against his lips as they kissed. Soon their lips parted, and Taylor gave in to another sick, stuffy sneeze.
“Aah'chshht!! Snfl,” Taylor shivered with the force of the desperate sneeze, tissue pressed firmly to her cold-stuffed nose to protect Joe, who pulled back just enough to avoid getting head-banged.
“Uhhh...snfl...sorry, baby,” Taylor sighed woozily. “I tried to hold id, but I...snfl!...I just coulded't help it.”
“It's okay, T. I like your sneezes.” Joe winked, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Oh mby God, dod’t say that,” Taylor giggled, blushing.
“It’s the truth,” he said charmingly, stealing another kiss from her lips and planting one on the tip of her red nose.
“You wod’t like theb so mbuch whed they stard combig fromb your own nose,” she teased, sniffling softly.
Joe just stood there looking at her with heart eyes and a smile. He couldn’t resist stealing another kiss from her cheek, making a soft “mwah” sound. Charmed by the notion that his boyfriend still thought she was cute when she was half-drowning in snot, Taylor joked weakly,
“I guess you really do love mbe, huh?”
Joe agreed, dropping one final kiss on his girlfriend's warm forehead. “I guess I really do.”
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