Together
Ch. 5 | Caleb’s Homemade Chicken Soup
Caleb/Xia Yizhou × You
— ♡ —
You immediately felt better when you walked through the front door of Caleb’s house.
You felt your shoulders sag in relief under Caleb’s hold as he guided you towards the couch.
“Get comfy. I'll go grab some blankets for you.”
You lazily flopped down on the end of the couch, burrowing deep into the cushions.
When Caleb circled around the couch with a pile of clean blankets, you eagerly reached up, only to be met with a stern look.
“Down.” He gently pushed you back into the couch, “Relax. I’ll take care of you.” He unfolded the blankets, and laid them over you one at a time.
One.
Two.
Three.
“Ah! Caleb! Don’t add too many!”
“You still have a fever. The more blankets, the better.”
You sighed, sinking deeper into the cushions.
“Wait here.”
You waited obediently. Where could you even go? If not for Caleb, you'd probably be crawling on hands and knees at the airport right now.
No matter how hard you tried to fight the drowsy and dizziness, you could only mange short bursts of strength before you were pulled under again.
Letting yourself sink deeper into the cushions, you listened to the sound of Caleb moving around the kitchen.
You could almost picture his exact movements as you began to fall into a haze of sleep.
There was the clacking of cabinets.
And the light thump as he placed ingredients on the counter.
Why are there so many ingredients?
“What are you making?”
You could hear the smile in his voice as he responded, “Something special.”
There was a small clang of metal and a splash of liquid before Caleb suddenly towered over you, pot in hand.
“Your fever is pretty high. This should help some.” With a flick of his wrist, a remote made its way toward you. “Watch something to help you relax while I cook, alright?”
“….Alright.”
He flashed you a smile, giving the top of your head a gentle pet before disappearing over the back of the couch, your eyes following him wearily.
At this rate, you doubted you'd be awake to eat when he was done—though you were certainly going to try. The thought of missing out on Caleb’s cooking was too sad to bear.
But even as the mouthwatering scent of dinner began to waft through the living room, you found your eyes falling shut, the blankets piled on top of you lulling you deeper into sleep.
—♡—
You awoke with a slight jolt, sweat slowly dripping down your forehead.
“Are you alright? What’s wrong?”
You glanced up at Caleb’s concerned gaze.
You opened your mouth, but slowly closed it as your mind drew a blank.
Already, the nightmare was forgotten, but the feeling remained. A shiver ran down your spine, and you were torn between pulling the blankets closer or throwing them off altogether. They were comforting, but hot. So hot.
Almost too hot.
You bit back a whine, well-aware of the gaze following your every move.
You took a deep breath and shrugged your shoulders, “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
Caleb’s brows drew together as he looked you up and down—scrutinising every detail. He crossed him arms, not taking his eyes off you as he spoke, “Well, dinner’s ready, pipsqueak.” A glint passed over his eyes, “I made it with extra special ingredients this time.”
At the mention of dinner, you perked up, and a gentle smile slipped onto his face.
You quickly moved to throw the covers off and make your way to the dining table, but a firm hand on your head kept you in place.
“You get to eat from the couch today. It’s better you don’t move too much.”
You blinked in confusion. Wasn’t it the opposite?
“But shouldn’t I—”
“Not after blacking out earlier. It’s best to stay still so you don’t hurt yourself.”
Oh. You had forgotten about that. Frowning, you looked up at Caleb, ready to argue. You didn’t like feeling weak or helpless.
“I—”
Caleb met your eyes with a knowing look.
“Hm, you were just overwhelmed? Is that it?”
You sighed. Of course, Caleb would see that excuse coming from a mile away.
Leaning back into the couch, you couldn’t help but cross your arms and sulk. You were supposed to be taking care of him, and now you were confined to the couch.
Caleb let out a soft sigh, and suddenly you were lifted off the sofa and into his arms.
“If you really want to eat at the dining table that badly, I'll just carry you there myself.”
Setting you down, he ruffled your hair, “Stay.” Then he made his way into the kitchen.
You weren’t happy not being allowed to walk on your own, but you couldn’t fight the tiny smile and soft blush from blooming on your face at the feeling of Caleb’s strong arms beneath you.
As he made his way back to the table, bowl of soup in hand, you thought he looked a bit better.
Maybe you could let him pamper you just a little bit longer.
“What are you smiling at, pipsqueak?”
“Nothing.” You looked away immediately, embarassed at having been caught.
Caleb’s hand caught your cheek, gently turning you back to face him.
“Come. It’s time to eat.” He held out a spoon to you.
You didn’t even bother to try and take it. You already knew what he wanted.
Opening your mouth, you fought back another blush at the smile on Caleb’s face.
“You’re being oddly obedient today.”
Your face went red, and you sputtered, the color on your cheeks and ears only deepening as Caleb gave a light chuckle at your expense.
“Careful,” He brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, and brought you another spoonful.
This time, you savored it.
All the tension in your body seemed to melt away. You closed your eyes, letting the warmth soothe you.
Suddenly, you felt better than you had in weeks. Maybe..there was nothing wrong with Caleb. Maybe he was just worried. Or, it was all in your head?
You felt yourself relax and lean into Caleb as he fed you, one spoonful at a time, gently petting your hair.
“Eat up, little apple.”
— ♡ —
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