illicit affairs | Charlie Barber x Reader

chapter sixteen: under the weather

HAPPY 'IA' DAY!!! Here we are again! I hope you guys enjoyed our double feature last week!! We're back to only one chapter a week now, but that's okay! You guys will still be having IA Charlie content every week :)

As for this chapter, I SWEAR I didn't plan this particular chapter with me testing positive this week lol BUT I will say, this chapter has nothing to deal with covid... I figured I should point that out because personally, I can't stand when TV shows point out covid...

Okay, enough about that!!! I'm going to list my ko-fi link here in case you wanted to buy me coffee or donate since I haven't worked all week :(

https://ko-fi.com/spookydal_

Anyways!! I won't keep you guys waiting! Here is the new chapter :)-dal <3

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The worst thing in the world is to wake up with a scratchy throat. Okay, you knew there were other things that could top that but for you, it was the worst thing in the world.

Looking on the bright side, the first occurrence of this tragedy was during the weekend. That meant you had a couple of days to get ahead of it. Unfortunately, that meant you needed to stay home from work, missing out on all the tips you would have made.

There was a chance you could nip this in the bud, willing to miss work rather than your classes. Admittedly, your priorities needed sorting but who could blame you? Although working at the bar was helpful, nothing better secured your future like your classes did.

That was your motivation to stay in. You hydrated yourself and made sure to get as much rest as you could while studying. That's if you were even sick. Maybe you didn't bundle underneath your blankets enough, the cold air making your throat dry. Maybe you just needed some warm tea to help soothe it and you would go back to normal.

Throughout the weekend, you remained hopeful. You tried your hardest to keep your head up, waiting for your throat to feel better. That never came, unfortunately.

Come Sunday night, your throat was worse than before, taking you down along with a stuffy nose. It seemed that no matter how many layers you put on, you remained cold and shivering under the many blankets you were under.

You could barely make it through the day without running through a box of tissues. If anyone passed by your door, the only sign of life you would give them were your sniffles and sneezes.

There was no use anymore, totally succumbing to the cold that eventually won against you. Defeat clung onto your shoulders as you laid in bed, rarely getting up. It pained you to email your professors, informing them that you wouldn't be attending their classes for the next few days. You sent one to each professor, including Charlie.

You felt your stomach twisting in knots knowing that was the only form of contact you've had with him over the weekend. You felt worse feeling like there was a certain shift between you two lately.

Things were different and although you thought it was obvious, you hoped you weren't the only one to see it. Part of you felt like you didn't reach out to him for that reason. You were scared that whatever you were feeling was one-sided.

There was a lot that terrified you but right now, all you could focus on was getting some rest. When you felt better, you would reach out to him. That was the only thing to settle your nerves long enough for you to curl up with your blankets, passing out for the night.

Waking up the next morning, it wasn't the typical stay-home-from-school-Monday-morning you expected. Waking up with a hot cup of tea, you started your day going through your emails. As you felt the warmth traveling down your throat, you read each professor's response. It was the usual, explaining that they understood your absence but that it was expected for you to keep up with the course load.