January thoughts

 "Just what did you put in the tea?" Chevy choked on the mint. Simon said it was just lemoned tea.

"Oh, it's mint tea," Simon told him he'd used a teabag of Lemon Lift and mint tea. "You said your throat hurt."

Of course, it hadn't stopped Chevy from going in to work. He did have his late-night weekend show. And many were out due to COVID so he kept busy with lots of programming and other matters to keep shows on the air.

"It's just a little dry, that's all." It didn't really hurt..until now, even his ears ached. Of course, the holidays were now a blur and maybe he'd been around too many of Simon's friends. He was beginning to think Simon had friends, everywhere. Simon really didn't need to be here, but he was. He'd made sure the master bedroom was in good shape. So was the furnace and all the bathrooms. Chevy even had his own bathroom.

Even so, he felt he was keeping Simon from something. He thought of all the fun he would be having with Declan right now, but Simon was here with him as if he needed to keep an eye on him. Simon stayed in the room down the hall. 

He was so close and yet Chevy felt untouchable. It truly was crazy these days. But it wasn't just that. He really wasn't the touchy-feely kind of guy, and he had a feeling Simon definitely was. They were such opposites and here they were together. Well, sort of. 

He winced. No, they weren't together. Chevy easily stayed away from him. He just didn't know what to expect. Chevy knew it would be horrible. It would be so clumsy. He was not a romantic guy. In fact, he'd never been kissed. And this was no time to be thinking about kissing with a COVID surge.

"Are you sure you're OK?" When Simon touched him, it was only his hand on Chevy's forehead. He got out a thermometer gun and took his temp then. He looked at the temp.

"What is it?" Chevy asked.

"You got a temp. It's a little high," Simon said.

"How high?" It sounded so dreadful.

"Look, I have this. I..I think we should use it," Simon told him.

Chevy looked up at him as if he didn't understand. Simon kind of smiled, but he looked a little sad with the take-home COVID test.

Chevy swelled a frown as Simon got the kit ready to use. He winced. Did he really want to do this? Why couldn't they just kiss and get it over with? But instead, Simon was ready. It was like a big cue tip. Chevy cringed. It only burned for a moment or two. Chevy's eyes filled with tears.

It wasn't long until Simon had the results. It was true. Chevy had COVID.