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“You wanna get Chipper for dinner?” Will asked from the driver's seat, squinting an eye against the setting Sun over San Jose as they drove back toward the Marleau’s place where Will stayed (and Mack stayed half his time, with Will).
“You can, my stomach’s been hurting all day.” Mack replied from the passenger seat, face set in a neutral expression as he scrolled through something on his phone as Will was immediately looking in his direction with a confused look.
He had felt like something had been wrong with Mack all day but he hadn’t been able to pinpoint it. He had asked twice and gotten vague responses from Mack that he was fine and once that he was just ready to go home. He hasn’t said anything about not feeling well.
It had been a long day with a press conference after their practice followed up with some media stuff that a few of the sharks players had to get done which had included Will and Mack.
“Really? Why didn’t you say anything, baby?” Will asked as he kept driving but extended his arm out to get a hand on Mack’s thigh, squeezing comfortingly, shooting a sad look at Mack when their eyes met as Mack turned in his seat slightly toward Will, dropping his head to rest against the headrest with a small sigh.
“Was fine, it got worse only like an hour ago.” Mack shrugged with a slow blink as he let his arms cross loosely over his middle. Will moved his hand from his thigh, eyes still watching the road but glancing at Mack periodically, as he let his hand slip into Mack’s hair to scratch at his scalp softly before resting against the back of his neck, pressing into the tense muscles there.
“I’m sorry you don’t feel well, I wish you would’ve told me sooner.” Will shot a worried look at Mack, hating that he felt like he couldn’t tell him earlier for whatever reason. Maybe he had been embarrassed or just thought it was nothing to complain about, but Will wanted to be the person Mack felt like he could always complain to and he’d always be there to comfort him, no matter how small the issue.
“Really I was fine Willy, that’s why I didn’t say anything. I just feel a bit sick now so I don’t have an appetite.” Mack could sense that Will felt bad for not knowing but really there hadn’t been anything to know. It had been an annoying stomachache, nothing he thought much about until the thought of eating anything made his stomach curl uncomfortably.
“We can go home then, okay? Get you laying down.” Will went to turn his turn signal on to switch lanes but Mack stopped him.
“It’s fine baby, go get food, I’ll wait in the car. I don’t wanna deal with you being hangry.” Mack laughed softly and Will gave him a glare but stayed in the turn lane to go down the road toward Chipper. If Mack still felt well enough to chirp him, he guessed he had enough time to grab food to go.
Pulling into a parking spot, Will unbuckled, “I’ll be quick, you don’t want anything for sure?” Will asked as he started opening the door and getting out. He watched Mack push the button to lean his seat back so he could lay down, eyes slipping shut, arms staying tucked protectively around his stomach.
“Noooo Will, my stomach fucking hurts, hurry up.” Mack’s words didn’t have any heat behind them, he just didn’t feel well and was snippy, Will knew this. Will put his hands up in surrender jokingly as he shut the door and quickly made his way to the entrance.
The line was taking slightly longer than anticipated as he watched a seemingly new employee be guided through making bowls and burritos and Will shuffled in anticipation between his feet, periodically glancing toward his car in the parking lot, hoping Mack was okay.
He hated when Mack didn’t feel well. He wished he could take it away from him and go through it himself, knowing Mack hated it just as much as him. He was young, and although Will wasn’t much older, Mack still became a bit of a baby when he was sick, though Will would never tell him that. He found it cute, everything Mack did was cute, so he didn’t mind.
As he was finishing ordering his food he felt his phone buzz with a text and took it out to see who it was as they started packing up his food, pulling out his wallet as well to pay.
Macky❤️: how much longer, I’m feeling worse
Will cursed under his breath as he quickly swiped his card in the reader and grabbed the bag as he sped walked toward his car outside.
As he got closer he saw the passenger door was cracked open and he quickened his footsteps even more. He threw open the driver side door, Mack was still laid back in the seat, an arm thrown over his face, his foot pressed against the slightly open door next to him.
“Sorry they took forever, are you okay?” Will hopped into his seat, reaching back to set the bag in the backseat.
“I feel like I’m overheating, thought I might puke.” Mack whimpered out, answering Will’s question about the door being open. Will turned the car on flipping the AC to start blowing at Mack. Mack leaned toward his door to pull it closed, so that Will could start driving them home.
“Do you need a bag?” Will asked as he pulled out feeling uneasy with Mack feeling so unwell in the seat next to him. He couldn’t see his whole face, arm blocking his eyes and forehead, but his color was definitely off, pale against the dark seats.
Will was already reaching blindly to the backseat as he tried to drive quickly but safely home through the evening traffic when he heard Mack groan out a “maybe” which made him quicken his hand at shuffling through stuff in the back seat, fingers finding the flimsy plastic of an old target bag from the other week.
He pulled it to the front, both hands coming off the wheel for just a second to shake the bag open before thrusting it over in Mack’s direction, “here baby, try and get it in here if you gotta throw up.” Will was trying to pay attention to the road and watch Mack all at the same time and he filled with nervous energy, just wanting to get them home.
Mack finally took his arm off his forehead, eyes still squeezed shut with a grimace on his lips as he weakly reached for the bag which Will pushed into his hands.
Mack shook with nausea, feeling a cold sweat drip down his spine as his body fought against the overwhelming feeling of sickness. His stomach turned again and he had to sit up, hoping the change in position would be better on his stomach.
Will looked over at him as he sat up, elbows going to his knees, bag still clutched in one hand as he pressed his wrists to his forehead. Will reached over to rub a hand across his shoulder blades.
“Mm baby I’m sorry, we’re almost home, like 5 minutes.” Will hummed as he kept his hand tracing his back in the same soothing pattern over and over again feeling Mack’s back tense beneath his fingers.
Will knew it was coming, and he worried slightly when he felt a weak lurch in Mack’s back, eyes on Mack way more than they should be while he was driving.
The first wave came quickly after that and Will winced as Mack just barely got the bag under his mouth as his stomach contents made a sick splash into the plastic as he heaved.
“It’s okay, you’re okay, just breathe Macky.” Will whispered softly as he pulled into their neighborhood on autopilot. Mack coughed and retched again as more vomit filled the bag in his shaking hands.
He tried to take a breath which wasn’t the right move as the smell hit his nose and sent him rocking forward with a horrible sound as his stomach continued to give everything it had. Will pushed the button to lower his window, cool night air flowing into the car, hoping that helped even just a little bit to have some fresh air.
Just a minute later Will was pulling up to the guesthouse, pulling his key out in a swift motion as he twisted in his seat, hands reaching to rub Mack’s back through the last weak gags and heavy breathing as Mack tried to pull himself together, and calm his stomach.
Will ended up slipping out his door needing to be closer to Mack, rounding to his passenger side, as he stood right outside the open door, hand resting on Mack’s back, waiting for him to be ready to get out.
Mack finally sat up after a couple minutes, collapsing back against the seat, lips pressed tight as he tried to breathe deeply in through his nose and out through his mouth as his stomach struggled to settle.
“You okay, baby?” Will leaned in to grab the bag out of Mack’s hands, “can you make it inside?” He asked when Mack didn’t reply to his first question, which he realized was kind of dumb when he clearly was not okay.
Mack nodded his head against the seat as he finally opened his eyes, red and filled with tears from the strain or pain, Will didn’t know. He just stared at Will, not speaking.
“Stay” Will mumbled as he quickly stepped away to throw away the bag in the large garbage bin, making sure it was tied up tight. It sloshed against the plastic and Will grimaced as he put it in the bin before going back to the passenger side where Mack had turned his body, legs dangling out, waiting for Will to come back.
Will quickly grabbed his food from the back and then helped Mack out of the car with a hand low on his back guiding him to the door.
Inside Mack didn’t even make it to the bedroom, opting to fall onto the sofa in the main area as he curled up facing the back of the couch. Will watched him collapse there, shivering and ended up pulling his comforter off his bed, dragging it out to throw over Mack’s body.
Mack didn’t make a sound, but pulled the blanket around himself, tucking his nose into the fabric to breathe in Will’s scent, which always seemed to calm him. Will smiled softly at his sweet, sick boy and turned to the kitchen to quickly shove food into his mouth as his stomach growled with hunger.
He surprisingly didn’t lose his own appetite watching Mack be sick, and he was starving after the day they had.
As he finished, wiping his mouth on a napkin he heard Mack call out from the couch, “Willlll” he drew out the last letter in a pathetic groan.
Will stood up and rounded the edge of the couch as he ran a hand through his hair, “I’m right here, baby.” Will replied as he squatted down, leaning into the couch to wrap his arms around Mack in a hug.
“My stomach hurts again.” Mack mumbled out in a whine as he twisted and adjusted uncomfortably and Will pulled back as he slipped his hands under the blanket covering him to find Mack’s stomach.
He let his hands rest against his belly first, feeling Mack tense slightly at the touch, before relaxing a fraction as Will rubbed soft circles into the offending organ. Mack stayed curled up on his side, back to Will as he breathed through the pain and nausea.
Will didn’t stop rubbing his belly when he spoke, “wanna go get in bed hm?” He murmured against Mack’s shoulder before tucking his chin in the gap between his head and shoulder.
“Don’t wanna move.” Mack whimpered out and Will mumbled an okay as he stood up, hands leaving Mack’s stomach, making him whine at the loss of comfort.
Will was quick and efficient though as he drug the trash can over to sit next to the couch, water and Gatorade on the coffee table before lifting the comforter, “scooch this way, Macky.” Will instructed as he helped to move Mack slowly to not aggravate his uneasy stomach as he slipped to the back of the couch, making sure Mack was on the outside next to the trash if he puked again.
Will flipped the tv on to Home Alone, his own comfort movie, as he settled and opened his arms up to let Mack tuck into his chest. Mack grabbed Will’s free hand pulling it between them down to his stomach, lifting his shirt as he pressed Will’s hand there.
“Rub.” Mack mumbled into Will’s chest and Will just chuckled with a chirped “bossy” at the sick boy in his arms as his fingers glided over the smooth skin of Mack’s belly in a soothing pattern.
It wasn’t long till soft snores filled Will’s ears as he felt Mack’s breathing even, his body going lax against his chest but Will stayed quiet, steady hand not stopping against Mack’s stomach as he placed a soft kiss against the top of Mack’s head.
Mack would always be his baby.