In Sickness and In Slightly Awkward Situations
Adrian woke up to the quiet hum of the hospital room, the scent of antiseptic in the air, and the undeniable warmth of Celeste still beside him.
For a moment, he didn't move—just took in the rare sight of her asleep next to him, her face softened by exhaustion.
She had taken care of him all night.
The thought stirred something unfamiliar in his chest.
Then, he noticed movement near the door.
His parents.
Adrian's stomach sank as he saw them standing just outside the room, his mother clutching his father's arm, both watching him and Celeste with what could only be described as pure parental satisfaction.
Ah.
Hell.
He was never going to hear the end of this.
Adrian subtly nudged Celeste with his uninjured arm. "Celeste."
She groaned, burying her face into his hospital gown. "Five more minutes..."
Adrian froze.
His parents stifled a laugh.
Great. Fantastic.
Celeste's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was Adrian's very close face.
The second thing she saw—
"Oh my God."
She jerked away, her face flaming as she scrambled off the bed, straightening her wrinkled clothes.
Adrian sighed. "Morning to you too, darling."
Then, Celeste followed his gaze—
And saw his parents.
Oh.
Oh no.
His mother's face lit up. "Celeste, dear!"
Adrian groaned internally.
Celeste, still clearly frazzled, tried to explain. "I—We—It's not what it looks like—"
But his father was already nodding approvingly. "Good. Very good."
Celeste opened her mouth, then closed it.
She looked to Adrian.
He shrugged.
His mother clapped her hands together. "We knew you two just needed time! Love finds its way."
Adrian glanced at Celeste, half expecting her to strangle his mother out of sheer mortification.
Instead, she let out a deep, suffering sigh. "I need coffee."
Then, as if the universe wasn't done making his life a joke—
Ethan burst in.
"Adrian, my boy, I knew you wouldn't die so easily!"
He held up bags of takeout like he had just returned from some great battle, a beaming grin on his face. "Figured hospital food sucks, so I brought the good stuff."
Celeste sighed in relief. "Ethan, you're a lifesaver."
Ethan smirked. "Anything for my best friend's wife."
Adrian tensed.
Before he could say anything, his father suddenly turned to Ethan with a knowing expression.
"So, Ethan," his father said, smiling. "What exactly is your relationship with Celeste?"
Celeste nearly choked on air. "Wait, what—"
Ethan blinked, then let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, don't tell me you think I—"
His mother tilted her head expectantly.
Ethan grinned, clearly enjoying this.
"I'm just a friend," he said, casually slinging an arm around Celeste's shoulders. "A very helpful friend."
Adrian's eye twitched.
"Helpful?" his mother echoed, intrigued.
Ethan smirked at Adrian. "Well, you were out of the picture for a while."
Adrian swore he saw Celeste turn slightly red.
His father nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. So, if they did divorce—"
Ethan raised a hand. "I'm not a homewrecker. But, hypothetically? Yeah, I might consider."
Celeste kicked his foot under the table.
Ethan yelped, laughing.
Adrian sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm banning you from my hospital room."
Ethan smirked. "Too bad. I already paid for the food."
Celeste was already opening a container. "Let him stay."
Adrian glared at her.
His mother, meanwhile, beamed. "Well, we'll leave you three alone. Celeste, dear, take good care of Adrian."
Celeste forced a smile. "Of course."
Adrian's father patted his shoulder. "Rest well, son. And take it easy."
When the door finally shut behind them, Adrian exhaled.
Celeste threw him a look. "At least your parents didn't think Ethan and I were having an affair."
Ethan snorted. "I mean, I wouldn't blame them. We did make headlines together."
Adrian shot him a look.
Ethan grinned. "Relax, Sinclair. I like my head where it is."
Celeste changed the subject. "Anyway, you should eat before you take your medicine."
Adrian didn't argue. He was starving.
They ate in relative peace, Ethan making light conversation while Celeste fussed over Adrian, making sure he didn't overexert his injured arm.
Then, after breakfast—
"Celeste," Adrian called as she was tidying up.
She turned to him, brows raised. "What?"
He hesitated, then finally said, "Help me to the bathroom."
Celeste blinked. "You can walk, can't you?"
"My right arm is out of commission," he pointed out, holding up his heavily bandaged arm. "And I don't trust myself to balance properly while I—"
He gestured vaguely.
Celeste's face went blank. "Oh."
Adrian smirked at her horror. "What's wrong? Afraid of a little helping hand?"
"I hate you," she muttered, but still helped him up.
Adrian leaned on her slightly as they made their way to the bathroom.
Inside, Celeste stopped at the sink. "Okay, you can handle it from here."
Adrian sighed dramatically. "I would—except my hand is useless, and I really don't want to call the nurse."
Celeste paled. "You can't be serious."
Adrian gave her a look. "Would you rather a stranger do it?"
Celeste groaned. "You are unbelievable."
Still, when he gestured expectantly, she squeezed her eyes shut, muttering curses under her breath.
Adrian bit back a grin. "Relax, Lancaster. It's just a pants."
Celeste scowled as she helped him undo his pants. "I swear, Sinclair, if you make one joke about this—"
Adrian smirked. "What, like how this is technically your first time—"
Celeste slapped a hand over his mouth. "Not another word."
Adrian chuckled but wisely shut up.
After the ordeal was over, Celeste practically shoved him back into bed, face burning.
Ethan, who had just returned, took one look at them and raised a brow. "...Did I miss something fun?"
Celeste shot Adrian a glare. "I want to strangle him."
Adrian, looking far too smug for someone injured, simply stretched out in bed.
Ethan smirked. "Yeah, that's marriage for you."
Adrian's grin widened. "Exactly."
Celeste groaned.
Ethan burst out laughing.