"Youuuuuu have a sock monkey."

"…no. No, I don't."

"Yes you do." Ian giggles and drapes an arm over Gabe's shoulders. "You called it your "belov-beloved companion… mmm… you're warm." Ian isn't making any sense, and it's just beginning to bother him.

Ian is acting completely different from how he usually acts, that calm, bright personality is gone and here is this childish… thing in his place. And he's bugging Gabe.

He's sick, and Gabe somehow got roped into taking care of him. It's odd, Gabe thinks, shouldn't he be the one manipulating him? But Gabe doesn't say anything; he just lets Ian rest his head on his lap and rest. Let him rest and let the medication wear off. It shouldn't be too longer, he just has to wait a little bit, and Ian will move away and…

"Hey, hey Gabey…"

"Mm?"

"Will you… will you tuck me in?"

"What?"

"Tuck me iiiiiiin."

"…"

"Pwease?"

"Ian, stop acting like a baby."

Ian sits up and pouts.

"…please?"

Gabe lets out a strangled "yes" and stands up, walking over to his bed and picking up the Señor and holding him under his chin. He simply stares at the monkey, occasionally poking at his button eyes. He doesn't look at Ian. It bothers him to look at Ian, right now.

"Gabey?"

It feels really, really weird to be in the same room with Ian, this late, and with him acting this way. He shouldn't feel awkward, he can talk his way out of anything, and so he should always feel comfortable. But he doesn't. He wonders if Ian notices the slight flush on his cheeks and his furrowed eyebrows. Probably not.

"Gabbeeeeee-"

"Shut up."

Ian puts on the pouty face again and keeps staring, but he does just that. He doesn't say anything for a long, long time. Gabe just plays with the señor's hat, turning it in his hands. He needs a distraction. He's worried about so many things.

He's worried about Ian's sickness, he's worried about losing his temper, and he's worried about… worrying. He really shouldn't, Ian wouldn't care. Medicated or not. He'd just do that thing he always does, gives you that look with those eyes and you relax. It's pretty hard not to be calm around Ian; he just has that sort of aura.

He sends the Señor a telepathic message, asking him if he should apologize. Señor says yes. So, Gabe blurts out: "I'm sorry."

"Mm…?" Ian yawns and stretches and looks up at Gabe again, Apparently, he nodded off. Lovely.

"I'm sorry I told you to shut up."

"…you did?"

"…will you just- nevermind. Nevermind. Do you want me to help you get to bed now?"

"Mm… I kind of want to sleep on the floor. Too tired."

"No, that wouldn't be good. Nurse said you need to… hold onto my neck. Up you go." Ian leans on Gabe way too much, and it takes awhile to get him into bed but they manage. Ian plops down and grabs onto Gabe's hand. Gabe decides not to say anything for the rest of the night.

"Tuck me in."

Gabe has never been good at "tucking in" so he pulls the blankets up as far as he can, nearly covering Ian's face. Only his eyes can be seen, and it looks like he's grinning. He says something extremely muffled then, realizing Gabe couldn't understand him, jerks his arm back, pulling Gabe down to his face.

"Kiss me goodnight."

He promised not to say anything, so he doesn't, even then, not even when he's pulled down the blankets a bit and placed a small kiss on Ian's nose. Ian looks up at the brunette and glares.

"Well, that wasn't a very nice kiss."

Gabe grins.

"Shut up."

And kisses him again. Properly, this time. Or, at least, proper by Ian's standards. Or as properly as he can right after he broke him promise.

Oh well, Ian was fooling with his hand, crossing his fingers, anyway.

-end-