Baked to Perfection (Clover and XiuLin)

[XiuLin]

'Why is he talking so much?' He thought to himself as he stared at the wall. ¨That's interesting.¨ He said with a sore sounding voice. He sighed again. He did not want to be rude by speaking his mind.

 

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'Why is he talking so much?' He thought to himself as he stared at the wall. ¨That's interesting.¨ He said with a sore sounding voice. He sighed again. He did not want to be rude by speaking his mind.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"I'm sorry if I'm a little talkative. I tend to be like that when I meet someone new." Ryou said. Whenever he met someone he liked, he would go through a short period of not being able to shut up around the person. However, with Xiu, he seemed more controlled than usual. He felt bad for making his friend uncomfortable, especially at such an early stage in their friendship.

[XiuLin]

¨No Ryou, don't be sorry. I am grumpy when sick. I just don't want to be a rude jerk to you.¨ He said to him before starting to chew his finger nails. ¨So how am I going to get well under your care? I have been taking alot of cold medicine. I have headaches, fever, mucus build up. It just over all sucks to be me right now.¨

 

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¨No Ryou, don't be sorry. I am grumpy when sick. I just don't want to be a rude jerk to you.¨ He said to him before starting to chew his finger nails. ¨So how am I going to get well under your care? I have been taking alot of cold medicine. I have headaches, fever, mucus build up. It just over all sucks to be me right now.¨

[クローバー (Clover)]

"Have you ever thought that it wasn't a cold?" Ryou asked. Headache, fever, and mucus build up were common of both the cold and the flu, and cold medicine wasn't working, so Ryou decided that it had to be the other. "Maybe it's the flu. After all, winter is when flu is most prevalent, if I've done my reading right."

"Maybe when I come home from work, I can buy you something for the flu and see how that works." Ryou suggested.

[XiuLin]

¨Could you please get it before going to work?¨ He asked. ¨I must seem so pathetic to not even know that.¨ He sucks up the liquid that was dripping from his nose as he goes to grab a tissue next to the chair.

 

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¨Could you please get it before going to work?¨ He asked. ¨I must seem so pathetic to not even know that.¨ He sucks up the liquid that was dripping from his nose as he goes to grab a tissue next to the chair.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"Actually, I remembered that I don't have to go in until a little after lunchtime, so would you like to get it now?" Ryou asked, checking his phone. He was always somewhat scatterbrained when it came to matters out of the kitchen. He'd always end up paying his rent the night before it was due or remembering to book a trip the week he had to leave.

[XiuLin]

¨Wait, you want me to go?¨ He quickly blows his nose. ¨But I really don't think I am well enough. I used up my energy with the shower I had before breakfast. As you can tell I'm barely fuctioning.¨ He looks at Ryou with wide eyes, spacing out as he sees him starting to fade away. He could only hear his voice now. Xiu tries to stand up but crashes to the carpet.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"You just wait right here. I'll get it for you. I'll be back in five minutes." Ryou said. "Please don't push yourself too hard when I'm gone, okay?"

Ryou gave Xiu a quick hug and left for the local pharmacy. He was thankful that it was only a couple blocks down from Xiu's house. He went into the store and immediately looked for cold and flu medicine. Thankfully, there was a sale on flu medicine, so Ryou stocked up on it, taking a lot of Theraflu tea and other medicines. He placed his mound of medicinal products on the check out conveyor belt and saw that the cashier was a handsome-looking man talking on his phone.

"Roger, you know I can't do this here. I'd have my cover blown. Oh, hold on. A customer is here. And he looks like exactly the kind of person I want. Lemme see if I can bring him to HQ." the cashier shut off his phone and turned to Ryou, smiling. "Hello there, young man. How are you?"

Ryou was slightly disconcerted at the cashier's openness, but welcomed it as best as he could.

"I'm fine, sir. How are you?" Ryou didn't comprehend the devilish smirk on the man's face.

"Me? I'm just fantastic~ I see you're stocking up for the season. You live around here?" the man said. "Oh, and I'm Shin."

"Nice to meet you, Shin! I'm Ryou." Ryou said. "Yeah, I actually do live nearby. Only a couple blocks away."

Shin scanned all of Ryou's items and put them in bags for the boy.

"The total is $78.98." Shin said. Ryou took out a credit card, swiped it and signed. Shin then handed him the bags. "Good luck battling the flu. I hope to see you again sometime~"

"Thank you very much! See you!" Ryou said, leaving the establishment.

When Ryou was gone, Shin called Roger again.

"That boy is a lot more interesting than I thought. He's also extremely oblivious. He'll never know what hit him." Shin spoke into the phone.

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Ryou came back to Xiu's house with flu medicine in his arms.

"Hey! I'm back. Could you try this one?" Ryou held up a bottle of flu medicine that looked like it was in the form of a cough syrup.

[XiuLin]

Xiu felt the hug, but he could not see Ryou. Was he under a fever induced dream? From what he could make out was a bright light of a front door opening, then the figure of a human body rushing out into the light. He groaned from the carpet.

 

His fever and other aches and pains would not stop as he waited for Ryou to return. When he heard the door slam open, his voice, and the thud of his knees on the ground beside him, only then did he will his weak body to roll over on his back. He opened his mouth for the medicine.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Ryou was a little scared at how ill Xiu looked. But he shook that fear away as he administered the medicine. He smelled it first and held his own nose, even if he wasn't taking it himself.

"It's going to taste a little bitter, but I'm sure that you'll feel better after taking it." he poured a spoonful out into the plastic cup and poured its contents into Xiu's waiting mouth, hoping he wouldn't kill his new friend trying to nurse him back to health.

[XiuLin]

Xiu shallowed the medicine as he blinked looking up at Ryou. He reached for the other's hand, stroking his thumb on the top of it with a smile. ¨Thank you. Is my fever going away yet?¨ His voice sounding a little better due to the flu medicine. He placed the hand onto his forehead.

 

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Xiu shallowed the medicine as he blinked looking up at Ryou. He reached for the other's hand, stroking his thumb on the top of it with a smile. ¨Thank you. Is my fever going away yet?¨ His voice sounding a little better due to the flu medicine. He placed the hand onto his forehead.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Ryou placed his hand on Xiu's forehead.

"I think it had gone down a little. I think if you wait longer, it'll go even further down." Ryou said. "For now, you should relax."

Ryou looked at the time and realized that he had to be at work in a couple minutes.

"Shoot! I have to go to work! Remember to call the boss! I'll see you in a couple hours!" Ryou said, running to the guest room to put on his uniform. Once he was properly dressed, he ran out the door and to the restaurant.

[XiuLin]

Xiu laid on the carpet, relaxing as Ryou got ready for work. He felt a bit better after he left. He manages to get up from the floor and walks to the front door to lock it. He then grabs a blanket, a tissue box and curls up on the sofa to wait for him to come back.

[クローバー (Clover)]

--After work--

Ryou finished cleaning for the night (thankfully, no stray chicken tikka masala sauce flew onto the lights), and went back home. He was eternally thankful that Xiu's place wasn't too far from the restaurant they worked at.

"I'm home!" Ryou said, taking off his shoes and coat. He looked for Xiu until he found him curled up on the sofa like a cat, asleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. I'm back." Ryou said, playfully poking at Xiu.

[XiuLin]

Xiu slowly opened his eyes. He still let out a groan as he was poked. He sat up and stretched his back with a soft yawn. ¨Welcome back.¨ He said to him. His fever had gone down. He must have sweat while he slept.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"Oh, the boss talked to me. He said he heard about your sickness and hopes that you get better soon. And I do too! I kinda miss having you around the workplace." Ryou said with a smile. He then went to the kitchen to grab an apron. He returned to Xiu wearing said apron.

"Anyway, what do you want to have for dinner tonight? If it's all right, I can go check your fridge to see what I can make." Ryou said.

[XiuLin]

Xiu felt like he was very missed at work when he heard the other speak. ¨Sure, just check the fridge.¨ His belly growled as he spoke with him. He went to take another dose of the flu medicine Ryou had brought back that morning. He shivered slightly after he got it down. The taste of it was disgusting.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Ryou looked into the fridge. He saw a hunk of chuck steak as well as a few leeks, onions, and tomatoes. He also saw some beef broth on the top shelf.

Perfect! I think I'll make a beef stew for him. Ryou thought. He took the items he saw out of the fridge and laid them out on the kitchen table. Within 30 minutes, a beef stew was on the stovetop, simmering nicely and giving of a lovely aroma. Ryou knew some very fast techniques to prepare stews, having been in situations where dishes that normally took hours would have to be done in only minutes.

[XiuLin]

[sorry for the wait]

Xiu watched television as he waited on dinner. He smelled the aroma of the stew and came into the kitchen. He watches Ryou ladle a bowl for him. ¨Looks good.¨ He said as he was handed the bowl.

 

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[sorry for the wait]

Xiu watched television as he waited on dinner. He smelled the aroma of the stew and came into the kitchen. He watches Ryou ladle a bowl for him. ¨Looks good.¨ He said as he was handed the bowl.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Ryou served his friend before serving himself. He then sat down at the table and started to eat. The food smelled so good, he could hardly wait to start himself! The fist bite made him smile widely. His stew was extremely flavorful despite being a little rushed! What he really wanted to know was what Xiu thought of it.

[XiuLin]

Xiu began eating once they had sat down together. "Yum." He kept eating. "It's really good Ryou." He said to him. "So you miss me at work? Why is that?" He asked after he got another bite down his throat. He got up and got them something to drink and returned setting the drinks down on the table.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"I'm glad you like it!" Ryou said. "To answer your question, my coworkers are often too busy talking amongst themselves to notice me. They've been here for at least 6 or more years, so they already had a tightly knit community they could fall back on when someone was absent. Xiu, you're all that I have right now in the workplace besides the boss. I mean, some of the chefs are wonderful to work with, but they never seem to be able to make time for us to get together outside of work. I think you're the first person who has actually found time to try to hang out with me outside of work."

Ryou blushed a little at the last part. A lot of what he said was true. The workers that were there before him had five, six, sometimes seven, years of experience on him, and the veteran workers had formed their own friend group that Ryou hadn't felt like barging in on.

[XiuLin]

Xiu smiled. ¨Hmm...we are only part time. I guess we should stick together. I am glad I am your friend. Your a sweetheart for taking care of me. I don't know what I would have done without you.¨ He said as he took a break from eating and looked at Ryou, who was blushing.

 

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Xiu smiled. ¨Hmm...we are only part time. I guess we should stick together. I am glad I am your friend. Your a sweetheart for taking care of me. I don't know what I would have done without you.¨ He said as he took a break from eating and looked at Ryou, who was blushing.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Ryou smiled and blushed a little more. He didn't feel like he deserved all that flattery. He felt honored that Xiu was happy to be friends with him. He walked over to Xiu's side of the table and have him a big hug.

"Thank you so much, Xiu. I know you'll get better soon. I made that beef stew especially for you to help wash that horrible medicine down." Ryou whispered in his friend's ear.

[XiuLin]

Xiu wrapped his arms around Ryou's back and gave him a big hug as well. He held him there for a minute as he spoke. "I can feel myself getting better already." He said as he let him go. "Thanks, because it's a really great stew. I can go for another bowl." He said as he watched the other return to his chair. He got up to help himself quickly to another bowl.