Thank God for canceled plans

Jonathan huffed to himself as he tied his tie, looking down at the text bubbles that were on his phone as he waited for his girlfriend to text him back. 

He was dreading this luncheon. It was yet another way for her to show him off like a prized pig she won at the county fair while women who had no interest in him beyond his tall stature, muscular physique and luscious eyelashes gazed and thirsted over him like hippos at a watering hole.

The text bubbles disappeared and he heard a very loud, guttural cough from the adjacent bedroom. He sighed again, locking his phone, tossing back the last sip of his whiskey and walking into the bedroom. 

There lay Daniel, his roommate and the best friend he could ever ask for, sick with a fever and bundled under two of Jonathan’s fluffy blankets. He laid horizontal on Jonathan’s bed, staring into the abyss of the TV that was playing and coughing into his tissue. His nose and face was flushed pink, his hair was greasy from not having the strength to wash it, there were tissues haphazardly scattered over the bed, a lukewarm mug of tea on the bedside table and a small eucalyptus candle next to it.

“That’s it, I’m not going,” Jonathan decided, undoing the tie he’d just spent the past ten minutes trying to perfect.

Daniel blinked slowly up at him, sniffling and shaking his head slightly.

“Jennifer is going to be so upset, you don’t want that-” His sentence was cut off by his coughing fit. 

Jonathan rushed to bring him the glass of water he’d sat next to him, pulling him up gently to take a sip and laying him back down.

“Jennifer will understand Dan, you’re sick and I’m not leaving you like this.”

Daniel groaned. 

“I’m fine Jonathan, she needs you more than I do.” Daniel tried.

Jonathan scoffed. He pulled the suit jacket off his arms, settling it over the chair by his desk and went to grab his phone. 

To Jennifer

Sorry darlin’, Daniel is really sick and he needs me, maybe some other time.

He tossed his phone on the bed and sat back down at Daniel’s feet.

“See, that was easy-” He barely got to finish his sentence before his phone lit up with a call from her. He sighed, running his fingers through his curly hair.

Daniel coughed again, kicking the vibrating phone over to Jonathan. 

“Hello?” Jonathan answered.

“Jonathan Elias! Canceling on me an hour before my sorority dinner is not acceptable!” Jennifer blared through the phone as soon as he answered.

He rolled his eyes. “Jen, Daniel is really sick, what kind of person would I be if I just left him here alone, he might need something!” Jonathan defended.

“Oh Daniel this, Daniel that, why am I not surprised? It’s always something with him. He needed you at his brother's wedding the week of the tea party. He needed you to help him with his dissertation the day I got my hair cut. What about when I need you Jonathan? These things are important to me and they should be to you, what are my sorority sisters gonna think if you don’t come? They’ll think I just let you do anything! I can’t have that!” Jennifer hollered to him on the phone.

Jonathan looked at Daniel. He was trying to sit up to get some water but Jonathan rushed to grab it for him, balancing the phone between his ear and his shoulder. Daniel sat up, unbalanced and took a sip of the water, he laid his head on Jonathan’s shoulder snuggling into his warmth. Jonathan wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his hair.

Jennifer was on the other line still yelling about the sorority lunch.

“Are you listening to me asshole?”

Jonathan frowned. “First of all, don’t call me that. Second, I’m not going, it’s decided. Daniel is my best friend and he’s always been there for me when I needed it so I’m going to be there for him. We can discuss this later, bye.” Jonathan hung up the phone without another word and set it down.

“You didn’t have to do that, she’s going to be really upset.” Daniel muttered from his place on Jonathan’s broad shoulder.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle sweetheart. Are you sleepy, did you want to try and nap?”

Daniel nodded. “I think the meds that you gave me might be kicking in.” He said with a yawn. 

Jonathan smiled fondly at him. He laid Daniel back down, shucking off his shoes and taking off his dress pants to change back into sweats.

“Stay.” Daniel muttered, half asleep, eyes closed. 

Jonathan turned to him, he’d just been about to leave the room to not disturb him.

“What?”

Daniel opened one of his eyes. “Please, I sleep better when you’re here.” he admitted with a quiet voice. Jonathan melted into a puddle, he’d do anything for this man.

“Of course sweetheart.” He said, shuffling back over to the bed and laying behind Daniel. He tucked himself in and wrapped his arms around him. Daniel hummed in approval, nuzzling into Jonathan’s chest.

Daniel was asleep in no time, turning and curling into Jonathan’s chest, practically in his lap and Jonathan didn’t mind one bit, he held him tighter. He stroked his hair, trying to help regulate his body temperature. 

He was so relaxed he didn’t even realize he was also falling asleep.

“What is the meaning of this?!” A voice screamed, startling Jonathan in his half asleep state. He blinked to see his girlfriend, the one and only Jennifer, sneering down at them with her arms folded across her chest.

“Jen what the hell? How’d you get in my house?” Jonathan asked, unwrapping himself from Daniel’s embrace, putting a pillow in his place for Daniel to hug before he got up, ushering Jennifer out of the room and closing the door.

She jerked away from him. 

“How’d you get in here?” He repeated, whispering.

“Oh why are you whispering? So your boyfriend won’t hear us? You canceled on me to cuddle with him, are you serious?” Jennifer asked, her voice still raised and shrill.

“Will you lower your voice and answer my original question. You just broke into my apartment! Or am I still dreaming?”

“I didn’t break in, you have a key under your mat, anybody could get in here! Now answer my question! What is with you and Daniel? Why is he a priority over me all the time?”

Jonathan sighed, running his hands over his face, this was a constant fight they were both having. 

In the 2 months they’d been dating, Jennifer made her disdain for Daniel incredibly clear from day one. She hated how close they were, how Jonathan always felt the need to be there for Daniel no matter what, how he’d drop everything if he got a call or text from Daniel, how he’d miss dates, social events or anything if Daniel so much as looked disappointed by his plans.

He guided Jennifer down the steps, out of earshot so Daniel could sleep.

“Daniel is my best friend-”

“At this point I could have that tattooed across my forehead with as many times as I’ve heard it-”

“And everything I do for him, he does for me ten fold. He’s missed several dates to take care of me when I was sick or stressed or needed someone, that’s what best friends do.”

“Spare me the theatrics please.” Jennifer scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Jonathan frowned. “You know, not for nothing but Daniel and I also do things that I like to do. He took me ax throwing last week because you said it was stupid and didn’t want to do that. He likes the barbeque food that you think is ‘too sloppy’ to eat. He also loves Star Wars, he’ll watch it with me as many times as I want and not complain like you did, he’s always there for me Jennifer-”

“So you admit it finally? After all this time and all my speculations from the moment I met the two of you and he looked at me like I had just stolen his puppy?!” She barked.

Jonathan’s frown only deepened. “Admit what?”

“He is in love with you!”

Jonathan blinked at her.

“I knew it, all this time I thought I was crazy!”

“Jennifer, he’s my friend-”

“And I thought well just because he’s gay doesn’t mean he likes every guy that’s ever in front of him,”

“Jennifer stop-”

“And then the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you, the way you to him,”

“Jennifer please-” Jonathan tried, his eyes wide as he sat down, processing everything she was saying. He thought back on the last two months. There had been nothing different about the way Daniel treated him.

“And I know he probably hates hearing about me and all the things we do,”

Jonathan thought about this too, the last time he and Jennifer were intimate, he was thinking about how cute Daniel looked in the sweater his mom had knitted him. He also thought about the slight wince that Daniel would give everytime Jonathan mentioned Jennifer, the way he’d listen with his eyes glazed over as if he were trying to hold back.

He thought about when he and Daniel talked, it always felt like just the two of them in a room full of people, in their own bubble, creating their own space, how close they always were when they talked. 

“And that one time he called you crying after a bad date and you just left and went to him like it was nothing,” Jennifer went on and on.

Taking care of Daniel was like breathing to Jonathan, he did it without even thinking about it. He loved doing it. He wanted to do it forever.

He wanted to do it forever. Fuck-

He stood up abruptly, looking at her scowled face.

He took a second to just look at her. Bright blue eyes, blonde hair, if Daniel had a sister, she’d be it and his father would have some major explaining to do. 

“And you know what the worst part about all this is? You haven’t denied a single thing I’ve said because you know it’s true. He loves you and you… you love him too don’t you?”

Jonathan let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and nodded.

Jennifer’s eyes widened. “You’re serious?! You’re in love with him?”

Jonathan blinked down at her. “I- I’m sorry for canceling on you last minute but I think you should go.” He told her, swallowing down his new realization. His palms were now sweating, he was vibrating with the need to get back to Daniel.

“I will when you-”

“Jonathan? What’s going on?” Daniel’s voice cut in. They both turned to see him standing at the top of the stairs, blankets wrapped around himself still, rubbing one of his eyes.

Jonathan’s face instantly softened as he climbed the steps to reach him.

“Nothing sweetheart. What’s wrong, did you need something? Tea? Water? Another round of meds?”

“Oh my God-”

Daniel just nodded, eyeing Jennifer. “Hello Jennifer, lovely to see you again.” He said, giving her a tight smile.

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Yeah I bet it is. Boyfriend stealer.”

Daniel frowned, looking at Jonathan who was looking at him with something new but not unfamiliar. 

They stared at each other for a bit, smiling softly.

Jennifer scoffed loudly. “I’m out of here, enjoy your life taking care of him Jonathan, I didn’t like you that much anyway.” Jennifer said on her way out. 

They watched her go, Daniel shook his head.

“All that over canceled plans?” Daniel asked, voice a bit hoarse.

Jonathan chuckled. “She actually just broke up with me, or at least I think so.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Oh no dear, I’m so sorry.” Daniel turned to wrap his arms around Jonathan to comfort him, Jonathan laughed even louder, hugging him back.

“What is so funny? People don’t usually laugh after they’ve been dumped, I know I don’t.”

Jonathan pulled him closer by his waist, smiling down at him.

“It was more of her reasoning that is making me laugh.”

Daniel looked up at him, red nosed and adorable. “What was her reason? You’re not high maintenance enough for her? Her sorority friends think your muscles are too big?”

Jonathan shook his head.

“She thinks you’re in love with me.” He told him, trying to hide his smile. Daniel’s eyes widened and he tried to step back. Jonathan could see the blush creeping up on his face.

“Jonathan I-”

“And she thinks I’m in love with you too, I was just too stupid to see it.” 

Daniel gulped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Jonathan tilted Daniel’s head up with a finger under his chin.

His cerulean blue eyes were shining, thoughts running so fast Jonathan could practically hear them. 

“A-and what do you think?”

Jonathan hummed, pretending to contemplate. 

“I could just show you what I think.” Jonathan said, staring at Daniel’s pouting lips.

“I’m sick,” Daniel muttered, their faces inches apart.

“I don’t care,” Jonathan barely finished his sentence before his lips were on Daniel’s. They were cold but so soft and inviting. Daniel responded to him instantly, wrapping his blanketed arms around Jonathan’s shoulders to bring him closer.

Jonathan broke away first, panting and flushed.

“She’s right just so you know.” Daniel told him, his arms still wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

Jonathan smiled widely. “Thank God for canceled plans then.” He said before leaning back in.

A week later, Daniel was feeling better and Jonathan was knocking at death's door.

Not really, he had a small fever and the sniffles.

Daniel shook his head while he brought his boyfriend some tea.

“I tried to tell you.”

“Oh shut it, achoo!”