Sweetener

Goodnight n Go

"Powers out, heats off" Pete said lighting a candle. "Well, what a way to welcome you into your new home huh?" He sat down next to me still keeping his sunglasses on his eyes. The wind blew hard outside, and we hard something smack into something else. I jumped a little landing myself into Pete. I looked up and slowly took his glasses off his eyes. He blinked at me adjusting his eyes to the dimly lit room. The scent of candles wafted through the air. "Don't be afraid, it's just a storm"

"I'm not afraid" I said defensively. The thunder blasted across the sky. I screamed and fell further into my boyfriend. "Okay, maybe I don't like thunder so much"

"Dogs are afraid of thunder, are you a dog?" he asked.

"Yeah, a nasty one so watch out" I grumbled. He smirked at me. Thunder, again. I hugged him tightly. He placed his hand on my back.

"Why don't you like thunder?" he asked gently.

"It's childhood rooted" I said quietly "My parents who sucked at being parents told me the thunder was a sign that lightning would strike me if I was bad. It's not that I'm afraid of thunder, I'm afraid of the memory. I used to cry for hours thinking lightning would hit me" It was cold. Freezing. I shivered in his arms and he held me tighter. He slowly pulled the blanket over us. My phone buzzed in my pocket so I freed a hand up to pull it out.

"Hi Bren" I said gently.

"Are you guys okay? Our powers out"

"Yeah same here, we're okay. How are you guys?" I asked gently.

"We'll be fine. I'll text you later? I love you"

"I love you too" I hung up and snuggled into my boyfriend again.

"I'm sorry" he said gently "You know about the thunder"

"It's a dumb fear" I whispered.

"I'll protect you from the thunder" he smiled and pushed a piece of my hair behind my eyes.

"I don't need any protection" I whispered.

"I know" he smiled widely "I still enjoy trying"

"I think I'm freezing" I said.

"Really? I'm fine" he said. "But, if you're that cold I have something we can do that might just warm you" I shivered harder. "Jeez Patrick you're really that cold?" He felt my head. "Your burning up, you're sick"

"No" I said "I feel fine"

"I think you're lying to me" he said. I sneezed a few times.

"Okay I woke up feeling eh, but it's nothing serious"

"I say by tomorrow you'll be full blown sick" he said gently. "Let's get you somewhere warmer"
We moved all the candles to his bedroom. Our bedroom. Yeah, ours. He had me get under all the covers, and even used his own body heat to warm me up.

"Better?" he whispered. I nodded slowly. I pressed my head against hist chest.

"I'm in love with you" I mumbled.

"I'm in love with you too" He said gently. "Get some rest sweetheart"

"Okay"
——
I woke up just as Pete predicted, full blown sick.  Pete walked into the bedroom in a jacket just as I opened my eyes.  He looked at me, took his sunglasses off, and smiled a small amount.

"Was I right?" he asked.  I nodded coughing.  "Well, the powers still out, but I bought us some food" he sat on the bed "For my sicky, some soup and I did get you your favorite hamburger in case you have an appetite later, you might not" He handed me some tomato soup in a bowl.  I blew on it gently and took a bite.

"Thank you" I said gently. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

"I got myself pizza" he said taking a bite. 

"How long do you think the powers gonna be out for?" I asked, my nose as stuffed as a teddy bear. 

"Hmm, I don't know.  I'm sure it'll be back on today" he said.  He stole the spoon from my hand and fed me a small spoonful of soup. "Is it good?"

"I can't taste much, but I'm sure it is" I smiled a little. He smiled back. "Someones knocking on the door"

"I know I'm trying to ignore it" He said. I chuckled. "Stay here" He handed me the soup spoon again.

"Okay" I smiled. I kissed his cheek as to not get him sick by swapping spit. He got up and left the bedroom leaving me with the soup and the sickness all alone. I went to turn the TV on, and remembered the lack of power so I grabbed the book I'd been reading. It didn't do much good for my headache, and I was saving the power in my phone since I couldn't charge it. The bedroom door opened slowly. Pete opened his mouth to speak, and suddenly the power clicked back on. "Aye!" I smiled widely "Guess you're magic"

"Your ex was at the door and threatened me" he said. My smile faded.  "I told him to go fuck himself" he sat down next to me "Might beat him up again"

"He's ridiculous" I whispered "I had a fuckbuddy in between one of our other breakups and he hounded him so much"

"I like that you chose me" he said "So many fuckbuddies and exes, and here I am.  We live together"

"You're special, but you knew that" I said.  I took another bite of soup "I'm not hungry" I handed it to him.

"I'll make you eat later" he said gently "For now get some rest" he cleaned the food off our bed "I have some, matters to attend to" He walked out of the room shoving his glasses on his face.  Oh boy.  What was he planning?
——
I woke up around three in the afternoon feeling a bit better and also kind of hungry. I wrapped the blanket around myself as I walked downstairs to find the hamburger I knew Pete stashed for me. He was sitting at his computer typing something.

"Hey" he said looking up at me "You're alive how do you feel?"

"Hungry" I mumbled. I pulled the food from the fridge and sat at the table with him. I munched on a french fry as he went back to his typing. "What'd you do?" I asked.

"Hm?" he asked.

"You said you had matter to attend to, what'd you do?" I asked. He smirked a little. "Peter"

"I only got your ex off our asses thats all" he said "Hired some guys to freak him the fuck out. I love being rich"

"Oh my god" I mumbled. I bit my hamburger without even warming it up, and realized my mistake of not warming it up. I made an absolutely disgusted face as I put it on a plate and in the microwave.  "Can I have details since Im sick and you feel bad for me?" I pouted my lip "And cuddles?" He smiled at me turning to face me.

"Yes, and yes" he said.  I smiled as my food beeped to let me know it was ready.  I sat on his lap this time instead of across from him.  "I hired some guys to go to his door like body guards and tell him if he messed with us again it'd be his life, then they served him with a restraining order"

"You're my favorite human" I kissed his cheek a few times while he chuckled.  "I'm in love with you"

"I'm in love with you too" he said.  I kissed his nose.  His face scrunched up adorably.  "Now I'm gonna eat" I held my hamburger to him and he took a bite.  I bite the other side happily.