Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 09:02:25 +0000
From: Chris Salter <chezmoi_ou_cheztoi@msn.com>
Subject: How I Met Jake: Chapter 35

The usual routine: If you're underage, or offended by homosexuality, please
leave. If you're in an area where it's illegal to view such things, leave
leave LEEEEEEEEEEEEAVE!

Disclaimer: I don't know Jake Gyllenhaal, nor do I claim to know his
sexuality or private life. This work is entirely fictional.


Chapter 35:


The illness was starting to get to Chris. In the period of a week, he'd had
to take off 3 days of work just to sleep and stay home. Unfortunately, the
majority of his time at home had been spent with his head over the toilet
bowl.

Feeling slightly better today, Chris had agreed to come into work for a few
hours. Fearing he was contagious however, he decided he would spend the
entire time locked in his office working on his laptop.

"This is so much better," Chris commented as his shiny new laptop managed
to load his case files in a matter of seconds, rather than taking over 10
minutes to load anything involving images of crime scenes and fingerprint
scans.  It had cost him a pretty penny, but the bonus was he could charge
it to work, as long as he left it solely for work.

Fiddling about with his cases, he finished preparing his findings for the
DA and printed them out ready for filing. Task completed, he closed his
laptop and grabbed his jacket. It was slightly cool today and his fever was
messing with his personal thermostat.

Locking the office door, Chris strutted his way down the corridor, passing
Lana's office on the way. Knocking on the door, he stuck his head
inside. "I'm going to head off now; I'm beginning to feel worse."

"Away with you Germ Boy!" Lana shouted playfully as she brushed the hair
out of her eyes. "Get well soon okay, we can probably do without you for a
few days. It's better you stay off work, that way we won't get sick too."

Chris smiled, "You're right, I will see how I am tomorrow okay and give you
a call."

"See you!" Lana replied. "Oh don't forget to go to that soup place. You
will feel great when you try it."

"Thanks, I will. Have fun Lana." Chris then continued back down the
corridor, out the front door and towards his car.

Unlocking the doors, Chris hopped inside and sat in the warmth for a few
moments before starting the engine and heading out onto the street.

A while later he pulled up in a parking spot outside the restaurant Lana
had suggested, locking the doors, he made his way inside and joined the
queue. It took another 15 minutes before he was finally at the counter.

"Hey there, what can I get you?"

Surveying the menu several times, Chris finally decided, "Uh I guess the
chicken and mushroom soup."

"Sure, was that large or small?" The woman asked as she pulled out two
Styrofoam containers. One resembled a Super-sized Coke container; the other
resembled a small swimming pool.

"I guess just the small one," Chris replied before he thought about it. If
he was supposed to love this soup, he might as well get as much as he
could. "Actually, make that the large, to go."

Filling the container with several large spoonfuls of the beige liquid, the
woman then grabbed a cover and secured it before handing it onto the next
person in the line.

"That's $10 exactly." The man explained.

Reaching into his wallet, Chris pulled out a handful of cash and handed it
over. Taking the small plastic bag off the counter, Chris spoke up again,
"Danke," Before heading back to his car.

Jumping back behind the wheel, Chris yawned and started the engine. He was
so desperate to get home. He was cold, exhausted and all he wanted to do
was crash on the couch in his pajamas. Glancing at the stream of traffic,
he muttered, "Fuck this. I want Jake back!" Before indicating and pulling
out of the parking spot.

Pulling into his street, Chris slowly drove down the thoroughfare,
navigating the cars parked haphazardly along the sidewalk. "You my friend
must be lost." He whispered as he spotted a long black limousine heading
towards him. Finally pulling into the driveway, Chris searched for the
remote and unlocked the garage door.

Once open, Chris accelerated gently and navigated his way through the
bowels of the parking lot until he reached his lonely parking space he
applied the handbrake and switched the engine off. Picking up his soup
container, he then pushed the door open and stumbled his way out of the car
and towards the staircase.

"I'm here now!" Chris shouted through the door as he heard Boo Radley
jumping and yelping on the other side of the front door. Placing the
container on the ground, he unlocked the door and leaned down to quickly
cuddle the dog. "You're so cute!"

Placing the dog back on all fours, Chris then grabbed the container and
made his way back inside. Immediately pulling his shoes and socks off,
Chris padded his way towards the kitchen and placed the container on the
counter. Then heading towards the bedroom while simultaneously pulling his
shirt off, he padded into the bathroom and showered quickly.

Sufficiently warm and clean, Chris wandered out of the bathroom dressed in
his favorite pair of yellow striped pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He
still felt like absolute shit, so he was in no mood to fiddle with the
air-conditioner. The apartment was fairly warm and cozy, perfect for him to
curl up on the couch and watch a movie.

Pouring himself a large bowl of the soup, he then grabbed a spoon and a
bottle of Gatorade and padded towards the couch. Sitting down, he pulled
the faux fur rug over his legs and nuzzled his head into Jakes pillow.

"Where are you boy?" Chris moaned as he waited for Boo Radley to come and
pounce on him as usual. Eventually he trotted up and jumped up on his
lap. "There you are baby."

Boo Radley responded by simply crawling his way up Chris' legs and flopping
on his stomach.

Flicking on the remote, Chris searched through the various channels. "Come
on," he groaned as he desperately tried to find something on afternoon
television. Finally, he settled on a random program about interior
design. He then turned his attention to grabbing the bowl of soup.

"It smells good, doesn't it baby?" Chris whispered to the dog on his
lap. Grabbing the spoon, he scooped up a small amount and shoved it in his
mouth. He smiled down at the dog and continued, "It's so good, now I just
need your dad here looking after me. Don't I?"

"How about we look after each other?" Came a familiar voice from behind
Chris.

Chris practically jumped when he heard the voice. He was sure he was home
alone.  Putting the soup bowl on the coffee table, he turned around and
spotted who was speaking. "Fuck! Danny, what the hell happened to you?!"
Chris asked as he jumped up and raced over to hug the other love of his
life. He was so happy to see him, but at the same time he was completely
shocked by his appearance. "Fuck, I love you, who the hell did this?"

"Jake did.....I told you he was jealous of me." Danny replied with mock
sincerity.

Chris froze and let go of Danny, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Danny smiled, revealing the blood blister on his lip. "It was Alex
actually. He fucking ruined my life."

Grasping Danny's hand, Chris led him towards the couch and sat him down
before kissing him on the cheek. "What happened, did you tell Jake, does he
know you're here?"

Allowing himself to surrender to Chris' loving care, Danny closed his eye
and leaned into Chris' warm chest. "A lot of things, partly he was jealous
of you, he started getting abusive, I tried to break it off and he fucking
attacked me. I didn't want to tell you....."

"Why not?!" Chris exclaimed. "I want to fucking kill him. How dare he
attack you, you're so lovely and sweet, how did you get out here anyway?"

Nuzzling into Chris' warm body, Danny explained, "It was all Jake. He came
back to my place, stayed with me. Alex demanded his stuff back, and Jake
was forceful and protective, then he dragged me to Boston." He sighed and
intertwined his fingers with Chris'. "I see why you love him so much."
Noticing the ring that was very familiar to him, he enquired, "Did Jake
give you that?"

"Yeah, he did." Chris replied as he gently stroked Danny's bruised
cheek. "How is he anyway?"

"Missing you a lot," Danny responded. "But he said he'd be back soon." He
paused for a moment, "I like your new bed, I'm sure Jake will love it. But
I hear you're moving in together."

Chris sighed and pulled the blanket over Danny's cold body, "Soon,
probably. But that would mean giving up this place we once had."

Danny giggled lightly as he pushed Chris over, making himself comfortable
on his chest.  "Then you will have a place with Jake, and wouldn't that be
better?" Completely safe and protected in his ex's arms, Danny asked, "So
why are you home so soon?"

"I'm sick; I've been spending a lot of time with my head in the toilet."
Chris groaned. "I really need to rest, so they've been calling me in late
and sending me home early. So now I'm here with my soup, blankie and now my
ex boyfriend." Grabbing the bowl again, Chris looked down at Danny, "Do you
want some?"

"Mmmmm maybe later." Danny murmured as he began to drift off in Chris'
arms.

Chris absolutely loved Danny, he was only wanting to protect him; he never
wanted to let him go. He looked so battered and bruised. It was impossible
to fathom anyone could want to hurt anything so sweet and cuddly. He was
like a warm and gentle teddy bear, not someone you would ever want to
hurt. Slowly finishing the remainder of the soup and the Gatorade, Chris
then turned the volume of the television down and he too succumbed to the
warmth of the apartment.

*** ******************** ********************************** ************

Several hours later Chris began to stir. Looking down, he noticed Danny was
still dozing on his chest. All he wanted to do was lie there until Jake got
home, but he felt the sudden desire to use the bathroom.

Gently peeling Danny off his body, Chris whispered to the stirring ex, "I
need to pee, but you can steal my grave."

"Mm thanks," Danny replied while his eyes were still closed. Immediately
after Chris stood up, Danny shifted so he was lying on his back, head on
the pillow and pulled the blanket further up over his warming body.

Padding his way into the bathroom, Chris used the facilities and washed his
hands before heading back towards the living room. He was feeling
incredibly hungry, so as he headed towards the kitchen, he made a small
diversion to kiss Danny on the forehead and grab his mobile.

Dialing Jakes number, Chris padded his way and waited for Jake to answer.

"Hey gorgeous, what's up?"

Chris giggled softly, "You're the gorgeous one. Why didn't you tell me
about Danny?"

"He didn't want to tell you, but I pretty much shoved him on the private
jet."

"The what?!" Chris asked.

"I wanted him to get out there and be safe with you. But I didn't want him
to be stuck on a normal flight, so I got my agent to hook me up. I hope you
don't mind."

Pulling the refrigerator door open, Chris placed the remaining soup on the
third shelf before pulling out another bottle of Gatorade. "I don't mind,
it's just a surprise I guess."

"I took him up to Boston too; I see why you still love him."

Chris shut the door quietly, "I love you now, but Danny always has a space
in my heart."  Looking over, he saw Danny watching him. "I better go. Are
you coming home soon?"  He secretly hoped it would be within the next few
days.

"About another week or so." Jake replied mournfully. "I will speak to you
tomorrow, love you Chris."

Sighing, Chris finally said his goodbyes, "I love you too Jake. Speak to
you later."  Ending the call, he placed the phone on the counter and walked
back to Danny on the couch.

"Morning." Danny croaked as he looked over at Chris.

"You mean evening, right?" Chris responded as he sat down on the backrest
of the couch and gently touched Danny's face. "It's only 8."

"Sorry," Danny apologized. "I've lost track of the time."

Gently kissing Danny on the cheek, Chris ruffled his short black hair,
"They can really knock you out, can't they?" Thinking for a moment, his
stomach suddenly started grumbling, "Are you hungry yet?"

"Maybe a little." Danny yawned as he slowly got to his feet.

Grabbing Danny's hand, Chris led him towards the kitchen, "I'm so lucky, I
have both you and Jake in my life."

Danny smiled and hugged Chris from behind, "We both love you too."

"Take a seat, I'll make you something." Chris indicated as he pointed at
the counter.  "I've got some turkey in her somewhere.....Toasted Turkey
Sandwich okay?"

Danny nodded in excitement, "You know it's my favorite. Why the hell did we
break up anyway?"

"I don't know," Chris replied softly as he stopped slicing the
bread. "Maybe we're just meant to be soul mates, but not lovers."

Realizing he was heading down a path neither he, nor Chris wanted to
explore, he sighed.  "Jake is the luckiest guy in the world."

Chris blushed and silently went back to preparing the food for his
ex. Throwing the sandwich under the grill he silently toasted the bread and
pulled it out for Danny. After then putting it on the plate, he sliced it
in half and slid it over to him.

Grabbing the plate, Danny picked it up and slid off the bench. "Are you mad
at me?"

"What?" Chris asked. "I'm never mad at you Daniel. I just miss Jake."

"If you say so." Danny replied softly as he took a seat at the dining
table.

Watching Danny take a seat at the table, Chris emptied another serving of
soup into another bowl and threw it in the microwave. As it was cooking, he
paraded back towards the couch and grabbed the empty bowl and Gatorade
bottle.

"I think it's ready...." Danny whispered as he heard the beeping from the
microwave.

Silently, Chris padded back to the microwave, popped the door open and
carefully grabbed the bowl and padded he way to the seat Jake usually sat
in.

Once Danny was finished, he grabbed his plate and padded his way over to
the dishwasher. Loading it, he padded back towards Chris and ran his
fingers through his newly shortened hair. "I'm going to go to sleep I
think." Making his way towards the spare bedroom, he was suddenly
interrupted by Chris.

"You're not sleeping in there. You're going to sleep in my room okay?"

"Okay," Danny conceded. "Just let me get my stuff."

Chris shook his head, "Just go to bed, I'll bring your stuff in there
soon. I think I'm getting worse, so I need bed too."

"Fine..." Danny replied. Stumbling his way into Chris' bedroom, he closed
the door so it was open only a few inches.

Finishing with the remainder of his meal, Chris stood up and threw the bowl
into the dishwasher before turning it on. Grabbing his small bottle of
antibiotics, he downed them before grabbing Danny's medications and padding
his way into the bedroom.

Pushing the door open, he found Danny on his side of the bed. Partly irked
by the fact he wasn't able to sleep on his own side, Chris was slightly
glad that Jakes side would be untouched for a while longer. Sitting down
next to Danny, he gently stroked his bare, bruised arm and tried to wake
him up. "Hey, it's time for these apparently."

Murmuring and opening his eye slightly, Danny smiled weakly. "It feels like
I just took them." Sitting up, he took the glass from Chris' hand and took
the medications. He then closed his eyes and laid his head back onto the
bed.

Placing the glass on the bedside table, Chris padded his way into the
bathroom, rinsed his faced and brushed his teeth before padding back into
the bedroom. Pulling the crisp white sheets back, he curled up behind Danny
and held his trembling body close to his own.  "It's all going to be okay."
He whispered.

-36 soon-

Why are y'all wanting Danny to die? Hahahaha! What a strange morbid notion.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit pointless, but I
needed some mundane stuff before shaking things up a bit.

I love hearing from you guys! You're all so adorable! Drop me a line at
chezmoi_ou_cheztoi@msn.com but I'm not entirely sure my emails are going
through again, stupid Windoze! If not, try and contact me via the
group. http://groups.msn.com/HowIMetJakeCafe

Love you all!
Chris