Nerdy Things

Discarded sketch from yesterday's mermay drawing that I decided was too fun to not do something with - was almost done with the entire thing when i realized the finger guns would be a fun addition and then could not choose between the two poses! Enter @renmackree who suggested an animated gif because she has the hugest brain and is always right 😌❤️

Originally inspired by the same clown fish design but somehow during the sketching and lining it morphed more into something akin to a koi bc idk how fish ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

even after doing that i still couldn't decide between the two poses for the full image so you get both:

Josh packed up his stuff and gave his work station a solid Clorox wipe down before he grabbed his bag and left.

Since it was an odd time, traffic was kind. Still, in the twenty minutes it took him to get home, he’d managed to develop a full-blown fever. His face felt hot while the rest of him felt chilled. His head felt heavy and full, pounding with a pressure headache.

Instead of taking the time to put things where they belonged, he dropped his bag haphazardly in the entryway to his apartment and forced his shoes off without untying them. He was pretty sure if he bent down to do that he’d be dizzier than he already was. He had enough presence of mind to bring his Stanley with him to the bedroom and set it on the bedside table.

Tylenol was probably a good idea, but the medicine cabinet was all the way in the bathroom.

Maybe a nap would do the trick.

Josh took off his belt and dropped it onto the floor. Fully undressing and re-dressing seemed daunting, so he just undid the top few buttons of his shirt, unbuttoned his pants, and climbed into bed, shivering.

Josh woke sometime later to the sound of the bedroom door opening. He groaned, feeling disgusting and damp in his own sweat, both too hot and too cold. He knew he should probably be alarmed at the fact there was a person inside his apartment, but he didn’t have the energy.

“If you’re here to murder me, please make it fast,” he said hoarsely. “And do me the courtesy of disposing of the sex toys in the box under my bed. My best friend doesn’t need to see that when she comes to clean out the place.”

He heard a familiar, warm chuckle that let him know the chances of being murdered were zero.

“Don’t worry. I’d never let Maddie find your stuff,” Eddie said.

A relatively cool hand brushed over Josh’s forehead followed by the soft touch of familiar lips and the tickle of a mustache.

“You’re burning up, sweetheart,” Eddie said gently, smoothing his hand over Josh’s sweaty hair.

“Just hot for you-” Josh said, barely getting the words out before a coughing fit took over.

“Don’t flirt,” Eddie scolded playfully. “Have you taken anything?”

Josh shook his head.

“Alright, hold on…”

Josh let loose a pathetic sigh when Eddie left. He didn’t remember calling or texting him but he also barely remembered the drive home from dispatch at this point. It didn’t matter, he was just glad Eddie was there.

Josh listened to Eddie rummage around the medicine cabinet before he came back.

“Alright, handsome, can you sit up for me?” Eddie asked.

Josh opened his eyes and looked up at Eddie. He was still in his uniform.

“Did I call 911?” Josh asked.

“No. Maddie texted that she sent you home early,” Eddie said while he helped Josh sit up and adjusted the pillows behind his back. “I think she heavily suggested to Chim that I come check on you. He called someone in to cover and told me to leave.”

“You’re all so dramatic,” Josh rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help but smile that he had people in his life who thought he was worth making a fuss over.

Eddie picked up Josh’s hand and put two pills into his palm. “Take these, then I’m going to take your temperature.”

Josh took the pills obediently, washing them down with a couple sips of water. Then Eddie put a thermometer in his ear.

“You’re definitely sick if you didn’t argue with me,” Eddie remarked, then the thermometer beeped. He checked it with a frown. “102.”

Josh sighed and lay back against the pillows. Being upright was making him feel a little nauseous, so he closed his eyes.

“Think I can get you out of these clothes?” Eddie asked, undoing a button on Josh’s shirt.

“Is all the snot and phlegm doing it for you?” Josh smirked tiredly. “Kinky little freak.”

“Maybe,” Eddie said, humoring him while he put the straw of Josh’s cup up to his lips. Josh took a few sips. “I just think your work uniform is probably not the most comfortable thing to be sleeping in.”

“I’m too tired,” Josh said, whinier than he would have liked.

“Okay, maybe just the shirt?” Eddie asked, though he was already finishing unbuttoning it. He carefully took it off Josh’s arms, leaving him in just a plain undershirt.

“Kinda nauseous,” Josh admitted. “I gotta lay down.”

With careful, practiced hands, Eddie helped him lay back down, shifting the pillows carefully beneath his head before tucking the covers around him.

“You’re gonna feel a lot better once we get this fever down,” Eddie reassured him, stroking his hair.

Josh believed him. Eddie knew what he was talking about, of course, but it wasn’t just that he was a paramedic. He had grown to really trust Eddie more than anyone else.

He didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed showing this disgusting side of himself and he wasn’t ashamed to let Eddie take care of him either. He knew, even if it was inconvenient, this was where Eddie wanted to be. He didn’t doubt that for a second.

It had taken time to get to where they were now. There had been and would continue to be ups and downs. But once Eddie realized he loved Josh, he made sure Josh knew, every single day. He said he never wanted Josh to wonder and that you never knew when it might be the last time.

Josh took that to heart and he made sure that, even if they bickered and got bitchy and gave each other a hard time, Eddie knew he was loved too.

“Get some rest. I’ll be here,” Eddie said, then kissed his warm forehead again. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Josh mumbled softly as he fell asleep.

Josh woke a few times during his sleep, disoriented and hazy, throat aching and dry from breathing through his mouth. Every time he woke up Eddie was there next to him, coaxing him to take sips of water, gently soothing him back to sleep.

When Josh finally woke up after having had a good amount of sleep, he looked over to see Eddie reading a book with one hand, his other hand on Josh’s arm, thumb stroking back and forth idly. He’d changed out of his uniform and into some sweats he kept at Josh’s place. It was dark outside and the bedside lamp was on.

“Hey,” Josh croaked.

Eddie closed the book and smiled over at him. “Hey,” he said, touching Josh’s cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Your fever’s down.”

Josh nodded a little, then shifted around to put his head in Eddie’s lap. Eddie scratched his scalp gently.

“Give me a rundown of your symptoms,” Eddie said.

“Congestion, obviously,” Josh said, exaggerating it so he sounded like Rudolph in the old stop motion Christmas movie when his dad covered his nose. Josh always thought that part was homophobic - some jock dad telling his son to shine less and fit in with the other guys. Eddie loved the movie though, so both Josh and Chris sat through it this past Christmas.

And yeah, they bitched the whole time.

“Obviously,” Eddie repeated.

“Sore throat, cough, chills,” Josh continued listing off. “A little achy.”

Eddie nodded along, then pressed his fingers to Josh’s neck, checking his pulse. He seemed satisfied by whatever it was.

“You feel like you can eat a little something? Pepa brought over some chicken soup I can heat up. Buck stopped by with some rolls that would probably be good with it,” Eddie said, his fingers soothing as they moved around Josh’s scalp. “He brought snickerdoodles too, but maybe we work up to those.”

Josh’s eyes filled with tears. He’d blame the illness for making him weepy. “People dropped stuff off?”

“Of course. You’re beloved.”

Josh let out a happy sigh. “I should get sick more often.”

“Let’s not put that out into the universe,” Eddie said.

Josh turned to look up at Eddie with exaggerated shock. “Superstitious? You?”

“If you have the energy to be an ass, you have energy to eat.”

Josh flashed Eddie his most charming smile, causing Eddie to shake his head and laugh. “You are so lucky you’re cute,” Eddie said. “I’ll be back with soup.”

Josh forced himself to get up out of bed and use the bathroom, still wearing his work pants, still unbuttoned. He looked in the mirror and frowned at what he saw. His eyes were rimmed red with dark circles hanging beneath. He was pale, except for the burning red cheeks. It was like bad stage makeup or that one time Maddie got a little blush-blind and showed up at work looking clown-ish. (He had done the decent thing, of course, and told her right to her face). His hair had seen better days, but he was going to blame Eddie for that one.

He had grand plans to change out of his work pants, but apparently the sass he’d given Eddie and the trip to the bathroom had stolen the last of his energy. He managed to get the pants off, but finding something else seemed too hard so he climbed right back into bed in his undershirt, socks, and underwear.

Eddie walked in with a steaming bowl of soup on a lap tray. He looked so cozy in his sweats and, as usual, stupidly hot. Josh was so glad he’d convinced Eddie to grow back the mustache within the first few weeks of them dating. He was hot without it, sure, but with it…damn.

The soup was delicious with rich, homemade chicken broth and lots of vegetables. He mostly spooned the broth up, each swallow soothing his throat and making his nose run.

“Tell me about work or something so I don’t have to hear myself breathing and eating. It’s gross,” he said, wiping his nose with a tissue.

Obligingly, Eddie told him about the calls they’d had before he left. It was fun hearing how things actually played out, since his job tended to end once help arrived and he rarely got the end of the story.

Eddie took his tray when he was finished, then climbed back into bed with him. Josh scooted over and cuddled up to him, then shivered.

“Baby, are you cold?” Eddie asked, then he lifted the bedding and noticed Josh’s bare legs. Eddie gave him a look. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was warm enough with the soup,” Josh said, then coughed, which sounded pathetic and not at all on purpose.

Eddie got up and instead of grabbing Josh some clothes from the dresser, he pulled off his own hoodie as he walked around the bed, leaving himself completely topless. He impatiently put it over Josh’s head and got him settled into it. It was still warm from Eddie’s body heat and smelled like him.

“Unbelievable,” Eddie muttered under his breath, still not over the fact that Josh was in bed, pantsless.

It really wasn’t a big deal, but then Eddie pulled his sweatpants down. Josh was kinda hoping he’d gone commando underneath, but he had on a pair of briefs.

“I’m into this sexy nurse stripper thing you’re doing,” Josh said, which would have been sexier if he hadn’t immediately sneezed.

Eddie’s mouth curved into a crooked grin. “Oh yeah?”

Josh grinned back, then immediately had to wipe his nose when it started running. Gross.

Eddie did a little body roll that was as goofy and embarrassing as it was sexy. God Josh loved this stupid man.

Once Josh had been sufficiently dressed, Eddie grabbed himself a pair of basketball shorts. He remained shirtless, which was very kind and generous of him.

When Eddie got back into bed with him, he handed Josh two more pills, which Josh took without argument. They shifted around to get comfortable, Josh wedged right up against Eddie, head on his chest and an arm around his waist.

“Wake me up if you need anything, okay?” Eddie said, rubbing Josh’s back. “I have popsicles or lozenges if your throat hurts, cough meds if that gets worse.”

Josh remembered the only time he’d seen Eddie sick. He had been the worst patient and kept insisting on getting his own things. Then he’d passed out on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night and Josh had called Chimney in a panic to come help.

Josh had given Eddie an earful when he came to and told him to stop trying to be so tough and stubborn. He’d reminded Eddie that he didn’t have to carry it all himself, that Josh was there to be his partner and share the load. It also happened to be the first time he’d seen Eddie cry.

“I will wake you up,” Josh promised. “I do not suffer in silence.”

“No you do not,” Eddie agreed then kissed the top of Josh’s head affectionately. “I love you. Good night.”