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Beca could feel the sunlight creeping through the blinds even through her closed eyes. Slowly, she opened one eye in what could hardly have been even a squint and glanced across at the clock on her bedside table.
6:18am glared back at her.
She groaned. It was Sunday for Christ’s sakes. The sheets tangled beneath her limbs as she rolled over, extending an arm to reach for the warmth of her girlfriend. Her brow furrowed in confusion when her arm fell flat against the bed. Chloe was usually an early riser, but not on Sundays. No, Beca had fought long and hard to ensure her and Chloe’s Sunday mornings were spent curled up in each other’s arms, just enjoying each other's company.
Beca, extremely reluctantly, sat up and pulled an oversized band t-shirt over her head before walking out of hers and Chloe’s shared bedroom and into the main (and only) hallway of their tiny apartment. As she stood in the threshold of their living room, she saw her. Chloe, curled in on herself on the couch, her nose red and cheeks flushed, surrounded by a mountain of tissues.
As if sensing her girlfriend’s arrival, Chloe’s eyelids fluttered open. The contrast of her ocean blue eyes against her fever flushed face took Beca’s breath away. Even after having dated for two years and having known each other for about 4 times as long as that, Beca was still not immune to how the mere sight of Chloe could make her heart flutter, and her head completely clear itself of any other thoughts than the beautiful woman in front of her.
“Becs?”
Chloe’s raspy voice pulled her out of her trance. Realising she had just been staring at her girlfriend like a deer in the headlights, she walked towards her and knelt beside her, taking her hand as she inwardly kicked herself for not immediately jumping to Chloe’s aid.
‘Chlo what’s wrong?” She laid the back of her hand to rest against Chloe’s hot forehead. Chloe shivered at the touch.
“Nothing,” she said, sniffing despite herself.
Beca cocked an eyebrow. Chloe was nothing if not stubborn when it came to admitting she was sick. Once, a few months back, she went to work for a full 10 hour shift with a 39 degree fever and a headache many would consider a migraine. She managed to make it through the door, croaking something about disproving Beca’s ‘misinformed diagnosis’ on her ‘illness’ before promptly collapsing into her arms.
“Nothing? Really? Well, that explains you swapping our bed for that luxurious mountain of tissues you’re laying upon”
Chloe glared at her in response, but the effect was lost as her annoyance was interrupted by a sneeze.
Beca stood up. “Well seeming as though you’re completely fine, I thought we could go for a walk to that flower market you love. We’re never up early enough usually so this would be the perfect opportunity, don’t you think?” She extended a hand, leaving enough distance between her and Chloe that she would have to put in a bodily effort to reach it.
Chloe stared at it, then up at Beca who had a sly grin creeping across her face, and then back down. Beca could see the stubbornness within her eyes as she slowly pushed away her blanket, shivering from the sudden lack of warmth, and stood up to meet her. Chloe’s muscles ached, making standing up straight seem like a feat worthy of an Olympian to her. Finally, after a few painstaking seconds, she stood staring into Beca’s eyes, cocky achievement replacing discomfort on her face.
Beca’s face broke into a full smile. “Come on! You know, I’m really in the mood for a run today,” she positively beamed with the air of an evil dictator who knew they held the power. She started to walk away, interlocking Chloe’s hand with hers, leaving her no choice but to go with her or give in.
“Wait!” Chloe yanked a moving Beca back, wincing at the chills it sent through her nerves.
“Something wrong?” Beca asked, batting her eyelashes as innocently as she could.
“Fine, I’m sick,” Chloe mumbled as quietly as she could
“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that Chlo,”
“Fine, I’m sick!” she yelled, falling dramatically back down onto the couch in defeat. She pulled the blanket over her head, knowing that while it was all in good fun, she couldn’t bear to face Beca’s smug grin that she knew was waiting for her.
Beca waited a few moments before reaching for the blanket covering her sick girlfriend. Inch by inch she pulled it down until Chloe’s whole face was visible. Chloe stared into her eyes. She looked utterly miserable. She hated being sick. Her constant protests to illness were mainly in the hope that she could somehow convince her body she wasn’t really unwell.
Beca, deciding Chloe had had enough teasing for one day, leant forward and gently pressed a kiss into her forehead. “Don’t get too comfortable. I’m gonna make you some honey and lemon tea and get you enough cold and flu tablets to kill a small animal and then I’ll be back”. Chloe smiled, former annoyance forgotten at the warmth of being taken care of.
Five minutes later, Chloe was snuggled firmly into Beca. Her head lay against Beca’s chest, slender hands stroking comfortingly through red curls. Some awful reality-dating show played quietly on the TV in front of them.
“I can’t believe you threatened to go on a run when you knew I was this sick”. Beneath her, Beca laughed. “I can’t believe you even entertained the idea of going out when you knew you were this sick”. Chloe lifted her head to look at Beca. “I’ll give you this, you’re nothing if not stubborn Beale”. There was not a hint of anything but love and adoration within Beca’s voice as she said this. Still, Chloe felt the need for retribution for earlier. “And you’re nothing if not annoying Mitchell,” she teased back, a smile firmly planted on her face despite her statement.
“Hey!” Beca gasped in mock horror, doing her best impression of someone who was deeply offended.
Chloe giggled, leaning forward to press her lips to Beca’s. Beca turned her head away, still acting like she was wounded by Chloe’s comment. She started to giggle aswell as she continued to dodge Chloe’s kisses, giving in eventually as she let Chloe place a chaste kiss against her lips.
“You’re gonna get sick,” Chloe said
“If it means I can stay here like this all day, that’s fine by me,” Beca smiled at her girlfriend.
They lay back, cuddled in contented silence for a few minutes before Chloe started to feel herself drift off as a result of the cold and flu tablets.
“Hey Becs?” she mumbled sleepily.
“Yeah Chlo?”
“I love you”
Beca smiled. She pressed a kiss onto the top of Chloe’s head. “I love you too”.