You hated cough medicine. Hated it. You didn’t understand how some people took it for fun. Supposedly, you could get high off of it, but no high could be worth the taste. So here you were, home sick with a horrific cough, just suffering through it. You had just woken up from a nap, well, coughed yourself awake, technically. You heard the door, that’ll be Steven. “Hey love, how are you feeling?” He was carrying a few grocery bags which he set down on the counter.
You groaned from the couch, pausing Parks and Rec (your comfort show) “I feel like shit” You said with a gravelly voice. “It hurts to talk” you cough again, feeling like your throat was being torn open.
“Oh sweetheart… I assume you haven't tried to drink any cough syrup…” Steven knew of your aversion.
“Nope” you whispered, trying to not irritate your throat. “I got all I need right here” You point to your mug with your home made medicine: Tea, honey, lemon juice, and a splash of whiskey, in a “World's best boss” mug from The Office. This home remedy is what your mom gave you starting in high school when you went on a cough syrup strike. Not enough to get you drunk, but enough to help with numbing the throat. Plus, it relaxed you.
As if your body was trying to prove a point that it wasn’t enough this time, you burst into a coughing fit, jolting your body to sit up and heave as you hacked up a lung. Steven was immediately by your side, patting your back as your body wracked and heaved, the force of the coughs nearly forcing you to throw up. When it ended, tears were in your eyes.
“It hurts…” you whined quietly, throat in pain.
“I know love, it sounds bloody awful… I got something… I thought maybe we could try it together…” Steven went to the bags he brought in and pulled out a bottle of V8 splash and brought over two cups, and cherry cough syrup.
“Steven, I can’t drink it…”
“I know darling, but I thought we could try this… This is something my mum used to do when I was sick… At least I think she did. Weird memories and all that. She’d mix the cough syrup in V8 splash and it wouldn’t taste it as much… Do you think we could drink it together?”
You look at the couch syrup and almost gag at the thought, but your throat hurt so, so bad, and you knew you weren’t going to sleep tonight as it is… “Can I sip it and see?”
“Of course, of course.” He poured two glasses, even putting cough syrup in his cup.
“You don’t have to drink cough syrup, Steven.”
“Oh I most definitely do. My poor, sick girlfriend won’t suffer alone. I’d take the cough if I could, but I can’t, so this is the best I can do.”
You look at the handsome man sitting next to you, dark curls and sharp jawline, stirring the drink. He really loved you so much. With all your insecurities, your deepest anxieties still couldn’t break through the feelings Steven gave you. He made sure to show you in all the big and little ways how you were oh-so-loved.
Steven handed you your drink, and you took a sip, gagging “I don’t know if I can do this…”
Steven thought for a minute, then spoke “Do you like the taste of straight vodka?”
You grimmanced, remembering your college days of drinking cups of just vodka “No, not anymore”
“Right, but what’s your favorite drink?”
“A screwdriver…” You could see where he was going here.
“And you can still taste the vodka, but you push past it for the end goal. Do you think we can pretend we’re chugging a mixed drink at a bar?”
You considered it again “*cough* Okay… Yeah I think so…*cough cough* I can try it.”
Steven smiled “Brilliant! Hold on, let me set the mood” to your enjoyment, Steven put on “shots” by LMFAO “You ready love?”
“Yeah.”
Steven held up 3 fingers, smiling broadly “3…2…1… CHUG!”
The two of you chugged your drinks as if shotgunning a beer, and before you knew it, the drink was gone.
You shook your head, trying to shake off the after taste, but you did it”
“Here” Steven poured you another cup of just V8 splash “To wash it down”
You gratefully took the cup and drank it, swishing the juice around your mouth to wash out the taste left over. After it was all clear, you snuggled into the couch, ready to nap.
“Oh no you don’t” Steven scooped you up and carried you into the bed, tucking you in and crawling in the bed to nap with you.
You felt Steven’s strong arms around you, pulling you in to him leaning over to kiss you. You pulled away “Steven no, I’ll get you sick!”
“Good” Steven nuzzled his face into your neck, breathing you in “A great excuse to spend the day alone doing shots” He teased.
Steven went in for a kiss, and this time you allowed it, deepening it just a bit before cringing. “Steven I love you, but you taste like cherry cough syrup”