15 Poor Jonny Boy

"What's wrong?" Jon finally broke the tension, trying to find out why they hadn't said anything in the past half hour.
"Hmm? Oh... Just... Thinking." Richie answered.
"About?"
"If I said too much?"
"Said too much about what? Jon asked. "You haven't said anything at all."
"Before dinner, when I said you loved me and you didn’t really respond to it." Richie explained.
"I was just waiting for my food."
"But you didn’t respond, so I figure I went too far again."
"Nope, just waiting for food, thinking about the pain." Jon explained, he really didn't think Richie had gone too far with anything, his mind was just elsewhere.
"Pain?" Richie asked confused about what he was talking, physical or mental pain?
"Told you my tummy hurts." Jon pouted.
"You never did tell me what I was supposed to do about that."
"Nothing."
"So helpful." Richie said, how was he supposed to help if Jon didn't even know how?
"What are you gonna do about it?" Jon asked, wondering if Richie knew better than him.
"Not a clue."
"Thought so. It's fine, I'll just die here." Jon laid down on the couch, away from Richie.
"Don't you go dying on me, I'd have to kill you if you did." Richie tried to joke.
Jon waved a hand, waving away Richie's comment or agreeing to it. "Fine, kill me when I'm dead."
"Oh stop being so dramatic."
"I'm dying." Jon complained.
"You are no such thing. It's not allowed." Richie still tried to joke.
"It's close enough." His stomach was hurting badly.
"Nope, not allowed."
"Well it hurts. Shut up." Jon said annoyed. It hurt.
"Do you want crackers or something?" Richie offered?
"No, just let me die." Jon denied the offer, not trusting food right now.
"Not an option."
"Make it one." He ordered.
"Not gonna happen Jon."
"Shush." He felt another sharp stab of pain.
Richie rolled his eyes. "Dying isn't an option. What did you do?"
"What did I do? I didn’t do anything."
"It happened before you ate, so you can’t blame the food."
"Sure I can, it made it worse." Jon complained.
"That’s what you get for eating that much." Richie pointed out.
"Shut up, go turn into a doctor or something." Jon complained.
"Best I can do is give you some ginger ale and crackers." He offered again, there wasn't much else he could do to help.
"I'm fine then." Jon said as he moved over and laid his head in Richie's lap.
Richie ran his fingers through Jon's hair. "Then just rest it away."
"Fucking burger."
"You’ll feel better later, hopefully." He really did hope so, now that he was sure Jon wasn't faking it he felt bad for him and he didn't like seeing Jon in pain.
"If I haven’t died by then."
"I wouldn't let you die."
"I'm not dying." Jon finally gave in.
"Good man."
"You could be sympathetic and agree that I'm dying." Jon complained, looking for some sympathy.
"You're not dying." Richie pointed out, the pain couldn't be that bad.
"It still hurts. Gimme your hand." Jon held up his to take Richie's.
Richie gave him his hand and said, "You know you're not dying."
Carefully Jon laid Richie hand on his belly where it hurt. "Why couldn't you have been a doctor?"
"Wanted to be in a rock band instead." Richie said.
"What an idea." Jon said sarcastically.
"I thought so, it’s a pretty good thing."
"Can you do something?" Jon asked carefully, not sure of what Richie would think about it.
"Such as?" Richie asked.
"Rub my tummy?"
Richie rolled his eyes but did it anyway. "Is this curing your man flu?"
"Shuddup and be nice."
"I’m sorry dear, I’ll stop making fun of you."
"Thank you." Jon closed his eyes.
"You're welcome." He was still gently rubbing Jon's stomach.

Jon stayed quiet, Richie's soft motions over his stomach was actually helping to ease the pain away. With his eyes closed he couldn't see Richie looking lovingly down at him.

After a few minutes Jon fell asleep and Richie continued rubbing and watching him, wondering how bad it could be.

When Jon woke up a little while later, he took a few minutes to enjoy the bit of closeness they were sharing, he liked it.

"That helped a bit."
Richie smiled at him. "Have a nice nap then?"
"Kinda. Still hurts but not as much."
"then I’d think we’ll just take it easy tonight then eh?" Richie suggested;
"What amazing, exciting plans did you have in mind otherwise?" Jon asked sarcastically.
"I didn't."
"Well then." Jon pointed out.
"I don't plan that far ahead."
"Good, I can lay here some more then. 'Cause it helps"
"I’m glad." Richie said honestly.
"I’m sure you are."
"If it’s helping you, of course I’m glad."
"What's the time?" Jon wondered.
Richie looked around for a clock. "Almost 8."
"Fuck, I'm old." Jon complained.
Richie laughed. "Don’t go saying that, that only makes me ancient!"
"It’s not even 8 and I want to go to bed."
"It happens sometimes." Richie said, not finding it a big deal at all.
"It’s way too early, it’s time to get on stage."
"Just about yeah." Richie agreed.
"Can we go to bed?" He asked anyway.
"If you’d like, of course."
"Okay." Jon tried to get up but wasn't succeeding much.
"Do I need to carry you?" Richie asked genuinely worried about him.
"It's not that bad." He finally managed to sit up.
"You sure?"
"Yeah... Why? Do I look that bad or something?" Jon asked worried.
"You just look like you might fall over when you stand up." Richie said, looking at his pale face.
"Catch me then."
"I’ll always catch you when you fall."
"How sentimental," Jon said, "you coming with me?"
"Of course I am. How else would I be able to catch you if I wasn’t there?" Richie got up and offered Jon his hand.
Jon took his hand a got up, wincing when it hurt.
Richie slipped his arm around him when he noticed the wince. "Woah now, are you sure you’re alright?"
"Totally, to bed and I’ll be fine." Jon waved it off, not wanting to admit to it.
"Are you sure you don’t want carried?"
"I’m fine, just help me upstairs." Jon said.
"Alright."

Richie kept his arm around Jon, helping him to the stairs and to the bedroom, carefully Jon said down on the bed.

"See told you I was fine." Jon said.
"Only needed a bit of help." Richie helped him to lay down. "Need anything else?"
"A bucket?" Jon asked.
"Do you want a glass of water too?" Richie offered.

"Maybe."
"Ok."

Richie went to get a bucket and a glass of water while Jon waited and felt sicker. When he came back Richie put the bucket down beside the bed but close enough for Jon to reach.

"Water?" He offered the glass with straw.
"I'm fine now." Jon declined, still not trusting anything in his stomach.
"For now. Sip the water anyway." Richie advised him.
"No thanks."
"It'll help."

Jon leaned over and grabbed the bucket, lifting it up and he emptied his stomach's contents into it. Richie rubbed his back, wishing he could help more. When it stopped, Jon reached for the glass of water, anything to get rid of that disgusting taste. Richie's hand wrapped over his shaking one, stilling his motions so he was able to drink from the straw.

Jon drank and put the glass back down, then tried to get up.

"And where do you think you're going?" Richie asked him.
"Clean the bucket out."
"That’s what I’m doing, you’re staying put." Richie ordered him.
"But-"
"But nothing, I'm taking care of you, simple as that."
"Fine." Jon said and turned around on the bed, his back to Richie.

Jon didn't move at all as Richie went to clean out the bucket, then returned it to it's place beside the bed.

"Anything else you need?" Richie asked, getting on the bed on his side.
"You?" Jon asked.
"You've got me."

Jon moved closer to Richie as Richie hoped he could be a comfort to him as they cuddled. He rubbed Jon's back, hoping it would help.

"Much better." Jon said after a while.
"Want some more water?"
"Yeah maybe. Fucking burger." He carefully sat up again to reach the water.
Richie helped him again, seeing he was still shaking. "You were sick before you had the burger."
Jon drank a little. "Still the burger's fault."
"Alright, I won’t take you there for dinner again." Richie put the glass of water back down.
Jon laid back down on the bed. "Thought you liked that place?"
" I do, but it made you sick, and I don’t like you being sick so... yeah."
"Didn’t know that would happen and told you, feel much better now." Jon said honest, the pain was gone.
"Hopefully you’ll feel all better by morning."
"Im better now, just wanna lay here with you for a bit."
Richie held him close. "That sounds good to me." He kissed the top of Jon's head.
"That's all I get?" Jon complained.
"You threw up. I’m not kissing that no matter how much I love you."
"Well no, didn’t exactly mean that but alright." Jon tried to get up.
But Richie held him down. "Don’t get up yet. You don’t know if you’re done throwing up yet, so we’ll wait on that ok?"

"I’m fine, just wanted to brush my teeth."
"I know you do, but are you sure you’re fine?"
"Promise." Jon promised.
"Are you going to be alright getting to the bathroom yourself?"
"You can give me a hand if it makes you feel better."
"I just don’t want you hurting yourself." Richie said, he didn't want Jon to be hurting in any way.
"I can walk to the bathroom." Jon complained.
"Can you do it without getting dizzy and sick again? I don’t know. But come on." Richie helped him up.
Jon sat up without any problems. "See, fine."
"Not going to stop me from worrying and making sure."
"I know, you’re sweet."

He moved to the edge of the bed as Richie got off and offered his hands but Jon was stubborn and ignored Richie's hands, getting up on his own, then getting dizzy and having to grab onto Richie shoulder. Richie moved fast to wrap one arm around Jon and pick up the bucket with to other just in case.

"You know you don’t have to be strong all the time." Richie said gently.
"Was just a little dizzy and it’s not like I’m sick, I just puked."
"Because puking is a completely normal thing to do when perfectly healthy." Richie's sarcasm was very obvious.
"Doesn’t mean I’m sick, sick either, that burger was just no good on top of it. Fine now."

Richie helped him to the bathroom.

"Better safe than sorry." He said.
"Thanks but I promise that I’m fine... My tooth brush is kinda still in my bag, which is in your room...."
"Just hold still and I’ll get it. Which pocket?" Richie asked.
"I don’t know, somewhere in there. Can you get me something more comfortable to wear, I’m assuming you’re not letting me out of bed again now, or at least not out of the bedroom."

Richie returned with Jon's tooth brush and shorts for him to wear. Together they brushed their teeth and changed to go to bed.

Finishing first, Jon slowly walked back to the bed, Richie right behind him, staying close to make sure Jon was ok.

"Do you want the bucket by the bed still? Just in case?" Richie asked.
"I’m fine, really, just wasn’t a good idea to have that burger."
"I’ll put it there just to be safe anyway." Richie put the bucket there again and went to refill the glass of water too.

Jon moved to the middle of the bed, waiting for Richie to come join him again.

Richie made sure everything was in place, then went around to his side to crawl in.

"Going to give me some room so I don’t fall off?" Richie asked.
"Nope, guess you just have to get really close." Jon smiled.
Richie smiled, and cuddled right up holding Jon close. "I think I can handle that."
"I’d hope so and we’re not going to sleep yet, too early, we’re not that old."
"Definitely not that old." Richie agreed with a big smile.