football imagines <3

(22) my sick baby - reece james

"Reece..."

Grabbing the man's bicep and gently shaking him, you softly tried waking up your boyfriend. His eyebrows furrowed in his sleep, a confused look on his face and yet, his eyes remained shut. "Reece..."

You tried again, and by some luck, you got through as you saw his eyes fluttering open. He had oddly shaped eyes - smaller than the average man - and when he woke up, you could barely see his eyes.

It was something you would usually smile at but you were riddled with concerned.

"Hey, baby, you're heating up. Are you okay?" You asked, touching his forehead and it remained scorching hot. Reece hadn't registered his surroundings yet as he was just staring at you, a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"Huh?" He replied, voice hoarse from sleep.

"I asked if you were okay? When you hugged me in my sleep earlier, you seemed to be burning up and sweating but when I looked at you you were shivering."

He took all of your words in and sat up from his lowered position, mimicking you, he felt his forehead with his hand but he shook his head.

"I feel fine. Don't even have a sore throat, headache, nothing. Maybe, I was just having a nightmare, you know?"

"Are you sure?" You asked, not sounding too convinced at your boyfriends words. Holding onto his hand, you laid it in your lap as you looked at him again.

Reece smiled - not all that convincing either - and gently knocked his head against yours, "If I feel an inkling of cold symptoms, you'll be the first to know."

"Okay, but you have to keep your word."

He nodded his head in confidence, "I promise."

You knew that this was going to backfire but you semi-believed your boyfriend, if he said he was fine you won't convince him otherwise. Therefore, you could go to bed, happily, knowing that if he did, in fact, feel differently he would vocalise it to you.

*******

It didn't seem that long ago that you woke Reece up, in concern of being sick, because you woke to him rushing out from the bed and into the bathroom, emptying dinner from last night.

"Reece..." You called after him as you hurriedly grabbed your gown and slippers. Checking the time, you saw that it was 7 (on the dot) in the morning.

Reece was keeled over the toilet pot, his fingers gripping the seat tightly, as he waited for his stomach to empty itself.

"It's okay, love, I'm here now. Just let it out."

He nodded his head and lifted it to show you a smile before his face changed back into discomfort and he bent over the seat again. "There we go..."

Wetting a face cloth and settling it on his forehead as Reece leaned back against the tiles, you grabbed the mouthwash and poured him a small cup. He shook his head, and you understood that anything would make him feel nauseous, but he must also not love the taste of bile in his mouth.

"I know you're gonna hate it but you wouldn't want to go back to bed with vomit in your mouth, would you?" You asked.

He weakly shook his head and, hesitantly, took the cup. "Thanks." Mumbling, he downed the cup in one-go and spent, at least, a minute sloshing the liquid around in his mouth before spitting it out in the sink.

"Come on, do you think you can make it to the bedroom without help?"

He nodded, again, as he swiftly climbed to his feet and waited until you did too before he sluggishly walked back to bed and got back into it.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything." He said, burrowing under the blankets, looking at you.

"It's fine..." You kissed his forehead as you put the cold cloth back on his forehead and tucked him again. "No one knows exactly when they're gonna get sick."

"Now sleep, Reece. I'll get some things together so, hopefully, this doesn't stretch into being sick for a week."

"Yeah, I will." He whispered, falling asleep in a matter of seconds. That was a certainly record.

With a smile on your face, you gathered clothes from your closet and set on for the bathroom - before preparing to take care of Reece for the day.

It was a couple of minutes pass lunch-time when you heard a sneeze from upstairs, signalling Reece's wake. Pouring the chicken soup into a bowl and placing it on the stand, along with a glass of water + an energy drink, you made your way upstairs.

The door was slightly ajar, thank goodness, because it was easier to just push the door open with your foot. Reece's head snapped up at the noise and, soon, smiled at your figure. "I brought you something."

"You didn't have to bring me anything." He groaned, sitting up more so the tray could sit properly.

"Of course I did, my boyfriend is sick."

"Who says I'm sick?" Reece asked and you stared at him in disbelief. "Were you or were you not the man just throwing up his guts in our toilet?"

"Okay, fine. You win, this time." He receded, reaching to grab the spoon when you stopped him.

"Small bites, okay? Don't eat all the soup and drink all the water, at once. Your stomach may not be able to handle it, and you could get sick again."

He nodded his head in understanding, "And keep the energy drink for a bit later, when you are sure that the food and water is staying your stomach. It's there to restore the electrolytes that you lost while throwing up."

"Oh, you're so smart, Y/N." He poked your upper arm and you hit his hand in retaliation.

"It's not that I'm smart, I just had a lot of siblings and baby cousins that I took care of. These things are so easy to me now."

"Yeah, but that still doesn't take away how caring you are. Like I could've gotten these things myself, I think it's just a bug or something. But no, instead, you got up and spent whole morning cooking and preparing things for me."

"It's no problem, Reece, everybody likes being pampered when they're sick." You said, poking his cheek, his beard in response poking you.

"Yeah, well, you need to get sick soon so I can take care of you."

Laughing out loudly, as you walked into the bathroom and grabbed a couple of pain tablets from the cabinet to give to him, you tried calming your laughing fit.

"Why would you even wish it upon me to get sick?" You teased, handing him the tablets. He took it and placed it on the tray, next to his other goodies.

He, then, panicked realising the weight of your words and ferociously shook his head, "No, that's not how I meant it. That's not—"

"I know." You cut him off, as you prepared yourself to walk out, a giggle following from you.

"That's evil, Y/N. Why would you make me think I said that when I didn't even—"

Reece was so easy to tease that if you could make a living out of it, you'd be stinking rich by now. He's your dorky boyfriend, but hey, you love him that much, all the same.