The Deal

37- Appreciate

"Jay!" Neil shouted from the bed. Lara appeared at the door with her hands at her hips.

"She's busy. Now what?"

"Lara can you come and cuddle with me?"

"No I've got homework."

"Lara does your dad have the second blanket over him again?" he heard JJ say. She walked into the room and sighed. Her hands were at her hips as she stared at him. "Neil."

"But it's cold."

"And you've got a fever. You can have only one blanket."

"No fair," he mumbled as he pulled away the second blanket. JJ walked to the bed. The tea towel was over her shoulder. "Go away."

"Okay. That just means Lara and I will go and eat lunch and you'll be here all alone. No one is going to check up on you and no one is going to make sure you take your antibiotics. Your chest infection is going to get worse and you'll suffer alone." She waited for a response but he pulled her by the arm and she landed on the bed with a scream. "Neil what on earth?"

"Shh." He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "Lara won't cuddle with me."

"Because Lara has homework." He placed his head on her chest and sighed. JJ motioned for Lara to come over and she rolled her eyes before climbing onto the bed. "We'll all cuddle for ten minutes because she needs to do her homework and I need to get the potatoes out the oven, okay?"

"Okay. I love you guys."

"We love you too, don't we Lara?"

"I guess," she said with a sigh.

* * *

"You sure you're up for it today?" JJ asked as she straightened his tie. She brushed over his shoulders as she looked up at him. His skin was pale and his nose red from wiping it with a tissue every two minutes.

"I'm gonna have to be. You know, you don't have to drop me off."

"I do. Because you're on medication and it makes you drowsy so I'm not letting you drive. I don't want the man I love to be in an accident." She leaned up to kiss him before standing back. "I'll check on Lara. You take your medicine." JJ walked into the kitchen to find Lara washing her plate. She kissed the top of her head as she walked by to the fridge. "You ready monkey?"

"Yeah. Just need to put on my shoe."

After dropping Lara off to school, JJ pulled out the bakery and began driving to Neil's work. He grumbled in his seat as she overtook a driver and she smiled. "You may hate my driving but right now it's the only thing getting you to work."

"Should have taken a cab."

"But does a cab driver give you a kiss at a red light? I think not."

"Whatever I do with my cab driver is not of your concern."

"Oh you're gonna be like that yeah? No more red light kisses for you then. Ever." Neil coughed before responding.

"I think forever is an extreme."

"True. I love kissing you."

"Do you reckon we could remain celibate for the remainder of our relationship."

"If our relationship is ending in three months then sure."

"You really think so? I mean I don't necessarily think we need sex to survive our relationship." He paused. "Well I don't. I think you would die."

"Does playing with yourself count as being celibate?"

"I'm just saying, a relationship is more than just having sex. We're intimate in so many ways. I'd rather have that any day."