FIC - LoveSick

[xrockoutx116.livejournal.com]

title - lovesick
author - xrockoutx116, your resident fourth-seater worshipper
rating - 17+
pairing - brad/chip, and!FINALLY *drum roll* mutual greg/jeff!!!!!
summary - jeff gets angry as greg comes to terms

note - its a bit dramatic. i don't know, i like it. it's stretching it, but i think it works. :]

 

Jeff sat in his bed, seething. Who the fuck did Greg think he was?

 

He thought that just because he had been nice to Jeff this week, he could do whatever he wanted? He could go around deciding whatever he wanted? He could lead people on, break hearts and then choose to move out?

Jeff threw the covers back. It wasn’t fair. None of it. He had done everything he was supposed to. He was doing everything right. He was being the good friend and everything more. Yet he was the one being fucked with. He sat up, only to realize he’d done it a little too quickly. His head began to swim. Clutching his head in his hand, he swung his feet over the side of his bed.

 

Good for Greg. Get the hell out.

 

Jeff frowned. He was lying and he knew it. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t pretend to not miss Greg.

But still…he was just so angry. Greg had stormed in here and talked down to Jeff like he was a little boy. Before though, they had been equals. Greg was always coming to him when he needed help or advice. They were joking around and having fun the night before. Now, it was gone. Pick one or the other, god damn it. Jeff was not a child, and he knew it. He was not, was not, was not, WAS NOT a child.

Standing up, feeling his heart pound in his chest, his feet stumbled underneath him like always. Grabbing the table next to him to steady himself, he felt strange. Cold, almost. Yet he was sweating. His legs kept buckling.

 

‘Maybe a shower will help.’

His head was spinning and swimming. Something was wrong, and he knew it. He let go of the table to see if he could stand. He remained on his feet. ‘Okay, one step at a time.’

He took a few steps, but his head began to pound. He clutched it in his hands. The room around began to darken as the floor rose to meet him.


Greg sat at a table with Brad and Chip for dinner after they had finished work. They had finished, and were chatting about what had gone on this morning.

 

“Greg, you can’t keep running away from your problems like this. Haven’t you learned about what happened in the past?” Chip stated. “Jeff was right with what he said about Ryan. You leave him, and you’re acting just like Ryan.”

 

“I know, I know. It’s just – it’s just that he’s right, and I’m afraid of that. I do care about him. I don’t want to get close to anyone again,” Greg sighed, tracing the rim of his cup with his index finger.

 

Brad frowned. “Greg, you can’t keep living in fear like this for the rest of your life. Ryan may have broken your heart, but he didn’t break you. He moved on, and you should as well. You have a ki – someone in the house who is in love with you. He cares about you and he admitted it. You’re just going to leave him?”

 

Greg grimaced a bit. “I – I never think about things like that. I like keeping things far away. It makes it nice and easy.”

 

“For the love of God. Alright, let’s try something. I’m going to ask you a few questions. All I want you to do is answer them. Don’t think about them. Just answer them. Got it?” Chip asked, hoping this would uncover what Greg actually meant.

 

Greg nodded.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Greg.”

 

“What’s my name?”

“Chip.”

“What day is today?”

“Friday.”

“Do you have feelings for Jeff Davis?”

 

“Yes.” Greg clapped his hand over his mouth in shock. “What I meant was…”

 

Brad smiled. “What you meant was yes. You do have feelings for Jeff.”

 

Greg sighed. “You’re right, I do. God, I can’t keep lying to him anymore. Today was hard enough.”

 

“So you’re not moving out then?” Chip asked, a smile growing on his face. Greg shook his head.

 

“No. Not any time soon. Now come on, he’s had a good twelve hours to cool off. I’m going to have to face him sooner or later,” Greg said, a smile growing on his face.

 

Back at the apartment, Greg stood out side Jeff’s door, trying to maintain his composure. “Jeff, I need to talk to you. Jeff, there’s something I need to say to you. Jeff, I wanted to apologize. Oh, who fucking cares? I’ll just wing it,” Greg laughed as he stood in the doorway. He was a bit surprised, as he saw the bed empty, yet unmade. He walked into the bathroom, but it was empty as well.

 

Going down into the kitchen, he saw Chip and Brad getting cozy on the couch with Chip on Brad’s lap while Brad’s toyed with Chip’s buttons.

 

“Did you talk to him yet?” Brad asked, not taking his eyes off of Chip.

 

Greg rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I can’t find him. He’s not in bed, he isn’t in the bathroom, and he’s not down here.” His stomach began to drop. He couldn’t have upset him that he would leave…?

 

Chip got off of Brad and the two got up from the couch and followed Greg back upstairs. Greg, dread still hanging over him, walked back into Jeff’s room. He walked over to the bed, hoping for some sort of clue, when he saw him. Lying on the ground on the other side of the bed. Greg knew immediately something was wrong by the way his leg was bent.

 

He ran to the side of the bed, looking down. He crouched down, grabbing Jeff’s face in his hands. His whole body was soaked in sweat.

 

As Brad and Chip stood by the other side of the bed, Brad said to Chip, “Chip, go call 911. Tell them he’s unconscious.” Chip nodded and ran out of the room. Greg lifted Jeff into his arms with ease. As Jeff’s head flopped onto Greg’s shoulder, he began to say soothingly, “Everything’s okay. I’ve got you. Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay.”

 

 

The three men stood outside the room at the hospital, forbidden to enter. Greg leaned against the wall, feeling like he was unable to move. When the doctor soon approached, the three perked up.

 

“Are you Mr. Davis’ next-of-kin?”

 

They looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Greg spoke up softly. “We’re his roommates, if that’s what you mean. His parents I think are deceased and his sister lives in Europe.”

 

The doctor shrugged. “That’s fine. Concerning Mr. Davis, how long has he been ill?” the doctor inquired, beginning to look through the folder.

 

Brad spoke up. “Not very long. Maybe only about three or four days.” At this, the doctor’s head perked up.  “Doc, what’s wrong with him? We thought it was just the flu…but after this, it can’t be,” Brad continued, trailing off.

 

The doctor sighed, placing the folder underneath his arm. “Well, now that you say he was sick for such a short period of time, my guess would be that he had a very rare case of rapid-paced mononucleosis. Mono usually takes a couple weeks to hit. This takes between 3-7 days. All the same symptoms of regular mononucleosis, but it progresses much faster. It is commonly mistaken for the flu.”

“He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?” Chip prodded.

“We finally got his fever under control, as it was around 105 degrees. What was it the last time you knew of?” the doctor asked.

Greg thought back yesterday. “He was the one who took care of it, but last night it was high. Maybe 102.”

 

“Fevers usually don’t spike like that. My guess was something set it off, like a jump in his heart rate early today. Then, he passed out, and the fever only continued to climb. But yes, he will be fine in time. You’re lucky you got him in here so quickly though. A little more time, and he could’ve slipped into a coma, maybe worse.” The doctor began to walk away.

 

Brad and Chip released sighs of relief, clinging to each other. Knowing that Jeff was going to be fine brought calmness to them, but Greg was still hanging on to the final sentence.

 

‘A little more time, and he could’ve slipped into a coma, maybe worse.’

It would’ve been his fault. It was his fault for the spike in the fever. It was his fault for Jeff being unconscious. His fever had just kept going up as he laid there. If they hadn’t fought, he wouldn’t have been a long for such a long time. All of this was Greg’s fault.

“All because you couldn’t fucking tell him how you felt.”