stuck with you
hi, I know it’s been a while, and I apologize, but I hadn’t been very motivated to write lately. but I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. This is such a huge pandemic I only felt it was appropriate for binuel to react to it so here it is. I only ever write at 3AM so apologies for the mess
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It didn't seem like a big deal at first, the pandemic. Although concerning, to both Manuel and Bia, it seemed like a vast and hopeful of being a calm situation. However, weeks go by, the virus stretched closer to Latin America, closer to Argentina. By the time it reached Buenos Aires, everything shut down, and put on hold, unlike anything they've ever seen before.
Manuel was hanging out in Bia's room, coming to her place after his shift at work, working on their duet for the Moondust disc release party on his portable keyboard. And Bia sat against her headboard, eyes closed, falling faintly asleep to the light touch keys sounding off. He kept looking back at her, fully rested with a smile on her face and he couldn't help but smile back. He pressed a kiss on her forehead just because he could now. And it was a wonderful thing he can now.
They're interrupted by the sound of both of their phones buzzing at the same time. Bia popped her eyes right open and looked at Manuel for a second before grabbing her phone and checking the notification. It was an email from Pixie, with the subject in all caps: COVID-19 FUNDOM CLOSURES EFFECTIVE 13/03/2020. Bia was in shock, she looked over at Manuel who shared the same reaction as her as they both scrolled to read the e-mail.
Hello Fundumeros,
We have been monitoring the status of the Coronavirus very closely and have been recently informed by the City of Buenos Aires that we have 6 new reported cases of the virus in Buenos Aires as of this afternoon. Thankfully none have been linked to the Fundom. However, as a result, we will be closing the doors of the Fundom indefinitely. I will keep everyone updated on the rapidly growing situation as it continues to arise and you will be the first ones to know when we will open back up again. Until then, I advise you to listen to the Disease Control Centers' orders and to practice social distancing as much as possible, sanitize and keep healthy, and if you have a fever or cough call a doctor immediately. Please stay safe and follow procedures. I hope to update you all very soon.
Thank you,
Pixie
Bia was on the verge of tears when she already feels Manuel's arms around her waist coming to bring her closer to his body. "Hey, hey hey. It's gonna be fine, alright? I know it's scary, but it's just for safety. You and I are gonna be okay", he whispers into her ears as she sniffles a bit into his shoulder. Over the past few days, they had been talking about the situation frequently. At the time, there was no danger to them or the city so they didn't feel the need to worry. Bia had told him she didn't see the big deal at first. However, as soon as it reached places like Brasil and Chile, that border them, is when she started to panic. And now it's completely overwhelmed her, too much to process all at once. For Manuel as well. He shared the same concerns, but he could not simply wrap his head around how fast the disease spread and made its way here.
She wraps her hand around the nape of his neck as she digs her face deeper into his shoulder. First the virus in general, and now her favorite place to be in the entire world isn't even accessible to her in these dark times. It was at least some balance in her life, to have that one piece of normalcy. If everything else were to close she would be ok as long as she had the Fundom. But now that's gone from her too. Now all she is confined to is the space of her apartment probably. And for who knows how long.
After a few minutes, she tries to catch up on breathing. Feeling her breaths against him, Manuel pulls away from her slightly to grab her face in his hands and lightly wipe away the tears on her face with the pads of his thumbs. He looks between her eyes and lips, with the little space left between them. But he doesn't kiss her. He just tries his best to crack a slight smile in hopes that he'd get one in return. And she does, the slightest bit. Any smile of his is just that contagious.
"You're not supposed to be touching your face by the way. Let alone mine," Bia whispers, following a soft giggle. Manuel rolls his eyes just a bit, can't but smiling and simply pecks her forehead briefly. "I'll wash my hands I promise," he tells her. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "We'll be back there soon. It won't go away forever. We can still make music and videos, you can still do your art. It'll just be different for a while. We just have to make do with what we can for the time being. I won't go away either, I don't want to be gone too long from your side,"
Bia had been smiling until his last sentence, which raised some concerns. "But what if you can't come over every day, or I can't go to the residence every day? We're supposed to be self quarantining, that'd be a dangerous health risk," asks Bia. Manuel bites his lip trying to think. Trying to have a regular routine with so many restrictions is not going very well. And it'll make things like hanging out together extremely difficult. Oh, how he wishes soon for this to pass.
“I don't know, maybe if we just go straight and back it'd be ok? It wouldn't be interacting with anyone else," Manuel points out. "And if anything, FaceTime exists...." his voice fades away, hurting knowing the potential of a few weeks being separated would kill him. "We don't know how long it'll be.....," Bia adds in a soft whisper.
Thoughts were interrupted when a knock comes to her door and waits a few seconds before opening. The two pull away from each other a bit before Alice is right before them. "I just got an e-mail from your school. It's canceled until at least the end of April," she says with a painful tone. Bia looks at her with an even more sullen look. School she doesn't mind much, but again, every sense of normalcy is being taken from her and it continues to put her off.
She nods at her mom and grabs Manuel's hand in hers before asking. "Is it ok if Manuel stays that night?" she asks in as sweet and sad of a voice as possible. Her mom looks at the two puppy-eyed teenagers and wears a sympathetic look on her face. "Let me talk to your dad, but for now yes, it's fine," Bia smiles wider as her mom shuts the door behind her leaving the two alone again.
Bia looks at Manuel a little more hopeful again. He wears a caught off guard expression, surprised at the recent interaction, But any opportunity to be with her closer is one he doesn't want to fumble with. "For now you're stuck with me I guess," Bia chuckles. Manuel returns the expression, only to lean into her lips for a slow and soft kiss. He leans his forehead against hers and rubs his nose with hers. "If there's anyone I'd wanna be stuck in quarantine with, it's you."
-
He sleeps in her bedroom. After determining Helena's old bedroom was far too disorganized to be habitable, and the couch being way too small for his body to even fit his legs on, and a slightly heated argument between Bia's parents, especially by her dad, they finally came to terms of him sleeping with her. They put a mattress on the floor by her bed for him, separate, of course. However, that didn't stop them from both sleeping on it.
Her bed was too small for two people, and she wasn't about to not sleep with her boyfriend when he was here. So she moved to the floor, surrounding herself with blankets and then his arms wrapped around her waist. And his face buried into her shoulder from behind. He snored a bit. And his nose tickled a bit on her neck. She would never in a million years complain about her current position, especially since it's all she ever dreams about. However, even with all of this, she finds it difficult for herself to fall asleep.
She turns over to face him, and in doing so causes him to stir. Bia immediately regrets it. He blinks himself awake to see her right in his view front. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that," she whispers sheepishly. He rubs his eyes. "Why are you still awake?" he asks.
Manuel then sees her face and instantly gets why. "You're worrying again aren't you?" he pulls her in tighter, swallowing her up in his arms. "I mean how can I not? Can you even process everything that's going on right now?" he hears her muffled voice. He holds back to let her breathe. "I guess I can't say that I blame you," he responds. He strokes his fingers through her hair, something that tends to calm her down a lot.
"It's just....... a lot," she says. She can feel his head nodding above hers. "I know baby, it is a lot..... But the best thing we can do is stay inside and try to ignore the outside world I guess. There's nothing else we can do," he attempts to comfort her. He presses light kisses to her temple, around her face. One to her jaw. He could do it all night if he could. "I know. I just feel helpless," She responds. "I just want the world to return to normal again,"
He looks her in the eyes, having a grip on her waist. "It will. This will be over. We just gotta wait," He leans in for a kiss. Only this time its longer, making it last. Followed by another. And another .... And another. She leans into every one. Melting into his addicting kisses. Losing a bit of control. It's just how crazy he makes her. But it's her that drives him this wild as well.
He left a few flutters on her neck before pulling up again. "But for now, if we sleep as long as possible, we can forget about the whole thing?" he tries, capturing another kiss from her lips. She nods her head, her eyes getting heavier from all the kisses he gave her. She can sleep more at ease now thankfully.
She turns back around and wraps his arms around her body again. Where he quickly buries his face in her back again. Leaving a few more fluttering kisses on her nape before resting on her shoulder, he just can't stop sometimes.
As his eyelids begin to droop again, he hears her faint whispers again. "Hmm?" he hums without lifting his head.
"I said I love you," she whispers. And although she can see him, she feels the corners of his lips turn up from behind her. "I love you, too"
They wake up entangled with one another, but a late morning with no worries of where to be. No interrupting parents yet. Just a peaceful morning with soft kisses and cuddles. Uncertain of the world outside, but certainly with one another at the very least.