•~* THE WARMTH OF HER CARE*~•
- chris sturniolo x female reader
-summery: chris had fever and all he needed was her
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Sof was peacefully sleeping, wrapped in her warm blanket, the world outside still dark and quiet. She was drifting deeper into her dreams when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Groaning softly, she reached for it, her fingers fumbling in the dark. Squinting at the bright screen, she saw Nick’s name flash across it—Chris’s brother.
Her heart sank. Nick didn’t usually call her this early unless something was wrong.
She answered quickly. “Hello?”
“Hey, Sof. I’m really sorry to wake you.” Nick’s voice sounded unusually serious. “But... Chris is really sick. He’s been like this since yesterday, and he’s not getting any better.”
Sof shot up in bed, fully awake now. “Wait, what? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Chris didn’t want me to,” Nick explained, his tone soft. “He didn’t want to worry you, but honestly, he’s gotten worse. I think he needs you.”
Sof’s heart squeezed. “Does he need any medicine or something? Has he been to a doctor?” She was already swinging her legs out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor as she searched for her shoes.
“He’s been stubborn about taking anything, as usual,” Nick said. “He’s just been in bed all day, barely moving.”
“I’m coming right now,” Sof said firmly, already grabbing her keys and slipping into her jacket. “Tell him I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, Sof,” Nick said, the relief clear in his voice. “He’ll be glad to see you.”
Sof hung up, her mind racing with worry. She rushed out the door without even thinking, her only focus on getting to Chris as quickly as possible.
When she arrived at the triplets' house, Nick and Matt were waiting at the door, both wearing worried expressions.
“How is he?” Sof asked breathlessly, her eyes darting between them.
“He’s been pretty quiet, just lying there,” Matt said, folding his arms across his chest. “He’s burning up.”
“He’ll feel better once he sees you,” Nick added. “He’s been kind of out of it.”
Without another word, Sof hurried inside and up the stairs to Chris’s room. Her heart pounded as she knocked gently on his door.
“Come in,” came a weak, muffled voice from the other side.
Sof pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside, her eyes immediately finding Chris. He was lying in bed, curled up under a mess of blankets, his face pale and flushed at the same time. His normally bright, lively eyes were half-closed, looking dull and exhausted. The sight of him like this made Sof’s heart ache.
“Hey,” she whispered, walking softly over to him and sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his back. His skin was warm—too warm.
Chris looked up at her and managed a small, tired smile. “Sof...”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” she asked softly, brushing his damp hair away from his forehead.
“I didn’t want to worry you,” Chris murmured, his voice hoarse. “Thought it would just go away...”
Sof shook her head, sighing. “You don’t have to hide things like this from me. I could’ve been here sooner.”
Chris’s eyes fluttered closed, and he nuzzled into his pillow. “Didn’t want you to see me like this.”
Sof’s heart clenched. She touched his forehead again, feeling the heat radiating from his skin. “You’re burning up, Chris. You’ve got a bad fever.”
“I know,” he mumbled. “Feels awful.”
“Come here,” Sof whispered, gently guiding him into her arms. Chris shifted closer, resting his head against her chest like a small, tired child seeking comfort. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as he let out a shaky breath.
For a moment, they just stayed like that, the room silent except for the soft sound of Chris’s breathing. Sof could feel the tension in his body, the exhaustion, and it broke her heart to see him like this.
“Why didn’t you let Nick call me sooner?” she asked, her voice soft as she stroked his hair.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” Chris whispered, his words muffled by her chest. “Didn’t think it was this bad.”
“You’re never a bother to me,” Sof said firmly. “I want to be here when you need me.”
Chris didn’t respond, just let out a quiet, almost inaudible sigh. Then Sof felt his body tremble slightly, and she realized—he was quietly crying.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” she whispered, holding him a little tighter. “You’re okay.”
“I just feel so… weak,” Chris muttered, his voice thick with emotion. “I hate this.”
“It’s okay to feel that way,” Sof reassured him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “You’re sick. You’re allowed to feel weak. You just need to rest.”
Chris didn’t say anything, just curled up a little tighter against her, burying his face deeper into her chest. Sof could feel the heat of his fever against her skin, and it made her even more determined to help him.
“I’m going to take care of you, okay?” she said softly. “Just let me help.”
Chris nodded slightly, too tired to respond. Sof carefully shifted him so he was lying back against the pillows, then got up and went to the bathroom. She grabbed a washcloth, ran it under cold water, and brought it back, sitting down beside him again.
“Here,” she whispered, gently dabbing the cool cloth across his forehead. Chris let out a small sigh of relief, his body visibly relaxing at the sensation. “That’s better, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Chris murmured, his eyes fluttering shut. “Feels nice.”
Sof smiled softly, continuing to gently cool him down, running the washcloth over his forehead, his temples, and down the sides of his face. She worked slowly, carefully, making sure he was as comfortable as possible.
“You need to take some medicine,” she said after a while, reaching for the bottle of pills on his nightstand. “This’ll help with the fever.”
Chris groaned, his eyes barely opening. “I hate that stuff…”
“I know, but you’ll feel better. Please, just take it for me,” Sof pleaded, her voice soft and coaxing.
With a small, reluctant sigh, Chris opened his mouth, and Sof carefully gave him the medicine. He swallowed with a grimace but didn’t argue any further.
“There, that wasn’t so bad,” she said with a gentle smile, brushing her fingers through his hair.
“Still tastes awful,” Chris muttered, his voice barely audible.
Sof chuckled softly. “I know.”
Once he had taken the medicine, she helped him lie back down, pulling the blankets up to his chin. Chris reached for her hand, squeezing it weakly.
“Do you need anything else?” she asked, sitting back down beside him.
“Just you,” Chris said softly, his voice so weak it was almost a whisper. “Stay with me?”
“Of course,” Sof said softly, lying down beside him. Chris immediately curled up against her again, resting his head on her chest like he had done before. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back.
“I’m here,” she whispered. “You’re going to be okay.”
Chris didn’t say anything, but Sof could feel his body slowly relaxing as he began to drift off. His breathing grew slower, steadier, and before long, he was asleep.
Sof stayed awake, watching over him, her hand still gently rubbing his back. She could feel the weight of his body resting against her, his trust in her to take care of him.
As she lay there, Sof pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head, whispering quietly into the stillness of the room. “I love you.”
And though Chris didn’t respond, the way he nestled closer to her in his sleep was all the answer she needed.
part 2
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i hope you enjoyed it and lemme know if you have any ideas or wishes for me to write.
lilsoftext<3
