“I can’t get comfortable.” Tim whined, shifting in bed, trying to find a position he liked on his non-dominant side. His only other broken bone had been an ankle playing basketball his junior year of high school, just over 20 ears ago. He hadn’t liked it then, and he didn’t like it now.
He shoved one of the guest room pillows on the floor, partially angry that they had returned to Ethan’s, and not his, apartment. “Want my own bed.” He muttered, as Ethan bent to pick up the pillow.
“WhaAchoo!” Ethan sneezed in response. He’d started sneezing an hour ago, about 11:30, as they were getting Tim casted, a clear sign that on a Thursday night of a long week, he was overtired. He’d been sneezing since, and Tim knew he just wanted to go to bed. He swabbed his nose with a crumpled wad of tissues and sighed. “We’re here because it’s closer to the ER, closer to the clinic for me. I’ve got to be up in just over 4 hours if I leave from here. It cuts down to 3 if we go back to your place. I understand you want your bed, but I have to work in the morning and need sleep to function.” He finished his lecture by pressing his tissues to his nose and letting loose a loud “Hatchoo!”
“Bless you.” Tim grumbled.
Ethan set the pillow on the bed. “Now, what is wrong with this pillow? You need one to support your arm.” He reached for a fresh tissue to blow his nose.
“It’s too squishy.” Tim whined.
Ethan thought for a minute, then left the room, returning with the couch throw pillows. “Slightly firmer.” He commented, rubbing his nose. He placed one under Tim’s forearm. “Better?” He sniffled.
Tim nodded. Ethan was miserable; this position wasn’t too bad. Time to let his boyfriend get some sleep. He’d be up and sneezing again in a few hours as it was. “It works. Let’s go to sleep.”
Ethan looked at his watch. “I like that idea.” He bent to kiss Tim and pull the blankets over him, then turned towards the closet. “Gonn-nahtschoo! Ugh. Sorry. Sneeze.” He stated the obvious.
“I heard.” Tim grinned. “Try again?”
Ethan pulled the covers over Tim, then kissed him goodnight before crawling into bed. “It feels weird to be on the opposite side of the bed.” He noted.
“Yeah. Think that’s why I can’t get comfortable?”
“Maybe.” Ethan yawned. “I gotta go to sleep.”
“I know. Only way to stop your ‘sleepy sneezes.’”
“And get me though work. You’ll text Alex in the morning about your arm.”
“Yeah.” Tim’s turn to yawn. “I think it’s bedtime for both of us.”
Ethan snuggled closer. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, love.” Tim murmured.
“HahTshoo!” Ethan muffled a sneeze into the pillow.
“Bless you.” Tim sighed. “Say, Ethan, please tell me you switched our pillows around.”
Aggedy Ann 