F1, F2 & F3 : Finished

• Charles L •

✨KatieIsARoadie ✨

I sighed in frustration when I entered the apartment, grocery bags clenched in my hands. The apartment was a total mess, dirty pots, left out cups and discarded water bottles were apparently new decorations as they were simply covering the apartment. I had been gone a few days to meet my friends new baby, she had her son about a week ago and invited me up to meet the new baby boy. I was only supposed to stay one night but ended up staying for four nights as me and my friend realised we had so much to catch up on, and a bonus: more time with an adorable baby! My baby fever was instantly wiped out when I got back though, how could I look after a baby in the apartment and Charles, they'd both be as bad as each other!

"Charles do you mind helping me with the groceries?" I called out loudly, not knowing where he is but hoping he heard that.

I began putting things away in the fridge and cupboards, whilst clearing the pots and putting them in the dishwasher. After about ten minutes the shopping was away and the the dishwasher was roaring into life and I began to pick up the plastic bottles and shove them into the recycling, cursing Charles under my breath as I did so. After a wipe down of the surfaces and some lit candles the kitchen and lounge area was looking and smelling a lot fresher. I walked through into the bedroom, expecting to find Charles asleep, and that's why he didn't reply and come and help me, but the bed was empty. I flicked on the bedroom light and groaned, the bedroom was an even worse mess than the rest of the apartment. I swung open the spare room door, which housed the sim to find Charles shutting down his computer and sim.

"Oh I didn't hear you get back, did you have a good time?" He asked, his words dragging slightly,

"Yes, the baby is very cute, I had a great time until I got back here and had to act like Cinderella." I shot back, I felt slightly guilty because he was being nice but it wasn't fair to be welcomed to the apartment in such a state.

He looked at me and I instantly crumbled, I felt extremely guilty now. Charles looked very different. He had large, dark circles forming under his eyes that were juxtaposed to pale and dry looking skin. His eyes weren't as bright as usual and were clearly struggling to stay open behind his glasses. His hair was all over the place, knotted and twisted.

"I'm sorry it's just I've been ill and usually the team doctor looks after me but he's not here at the moment so I was just resting and let the place get this bad I'm sor-"

"Don't apologise for being sick Charles, you should have called me and I would have come home!" I said, taking his hand into mine,

"But you were having a good time and I didn't want to bother you." He replied, his voice croaking slightly.

I nodded and then my eye caught the mountain of plates on the floor by the sim,

"Was sim racing classed as resting during this time?" I raised an eyebrow at him. He grimaced before sheepishly nodding.

"Charles...how long has it been since you've slept because you're not exactly looking like a Giorgio Armani ambassador right now." I teased, leading him to the lounge.

"About three nights, I've been working out and going on the sim, I couldn't get to sleep because my head hurt so much."

"Did you ever think your head hurt because of how much time you spent staring at the sim screen?" I asked with a hint of boredom to his antics.

He scowled playfully at me before sitting on the sofa. I got him a large glass of water from the kitchen before sitting next to him.

"You stay here, do something that isn't a screen like read, I don't know or try to nap, I'm going to sort the sim room and the bedroom and then we can have lunch okay?" I stated my plan, Charles let out a relieved sigh and fell back onto the sofa.

"I didn't deserve you." He whispered,

"No you don't do you?" I quipped back with a smirk before getting on with my new chores.

•••

I beamed at my hard work, the sim room was back to a functioning gaming room without the clutter and the bedroom looked like a showroom, it was practically gleaming and the new bedding added a nice touch. The bathroom hadn't been that bad but I was on a mission and tackled it anyway with some hard scrubbing. The cleaning expedition had taken a total of two hours and I found Charles snoring on the sofa, I gently tapped him awake, feeling his burning temperate on my hand.

"Soup for lunch, that works for anybody when they feel ill.". I declared, he nodded and actually managed to help set up the table before he went a sickly green colour and I forced him to sit down. We ate the soup in a pleasant conversation though I felt anxious every time a pale green colour washed over Charles.

I washed the pots whilst Charles dried them, cleaning time and lunch time was over so now it was phase 3 of my plan, sleep time. Despite Charles just having napped I could tell he still needed actual and proper rest, not just gaming so lead him into the bedroom. He smiled at the new bedding and hugged me tightly,

"Thank you for looking after me."

"It's alright, you'd do the same for me Charles and we need you to be healthy for real racing."

He leant down but I quickly ducked under his arm,

"No kisses!" I exclaimed, he pouted and asked a barely audible "Why?"

"You're very ill and I don't want some snotty kiss of you!"

"Very flattering," he said sarcastically before dragging himself to his side of the bed.

He slid under the covers and smiled in appreciation at the softness of the bed.

I sat next to him and moved his hair from his eyes,

"Do you think you'll be able to sleep better?" I asked quietly,

Charles couldn't even answer as, finally, sleep was coming back to him. He began to lightly snore and I smiled softly, tiptoeing out of the bedroom and I to the lounge where I quietly watched TV. Content that Charles was going to be better....