#everyone needs a gentle olli matela to nurse them back to health

[poodlejoonas]

Olli - Honey Tea

For @bcfanweek​ Day 5: Olli Matela

Words: 1,350

Description: You come down with a summer cold and Olli comes to your rescue.

Notes: Olli Matela/Reader (gender unspecified)

Whatever that feeling was, it was uncomfortable as hell. You were bracing yourself for a long day at home because right now, you could barely be bothered to get out of bed. You felt feverish and achy, and the back of your throat felt like sandpaper. You felt this sensation creeping up on you over the last few days, but you brushed it off as nothing more than your body responding to stress.

Now you were paying for it in full force. It didn’t feel like COVID, and you were vaccinated recently, but it was unpleasant. You needed to do so many things that could make you feel better - make some tea, grab some tissues, take some medicine. But nothing you could do would give you the energy to get up long enough to do any of that. 

Half asleep and achy, you rolled over to your phone and scrolled through your contacts until you found “Olli 💌”. If anyone could help put you back together, it was your boyfriend Olli Matela. You��ve been together for almost a year now but you have yet to make the jump towards moving in with him. He’s been so busy lately that the thought of a stressful life transition was too much to deal with. But you understood loud and clear - his career was on its way up, and you couldn’t have been prouder of him.

But now, all you could hope for was that he’d pick up your call. The phone rang for a few seconds until his raspy voice broke through on the other end. “Kulta?” he started, sounding half-asleep himself.

You wanted to say something, but a cough pushed its way out first. “Olli, are you busy today?” You were taken aback at how rough your voice sounded.

“No, why? What’s wrong?”

“I think I’m sick and I can barely get myself out of bed.” A sentence that long had hurt to get out. “Can you come over? I’ll pay you back later.”

You could hear the sheets on his other end rubbing together as he sat himself up. “You don’t have to do that, I’d take care of you for free. Give me half an hour, I’ll be there.”

You smiled. “Thank you, my love. See you soon.” As soon as you ended the call, you began a coughing fit that put a cramp in your side. You couldn’t wait for Olli to arrive so you didn’t feel like you were suffering alone.

Olli already had a key to your house, which he used to get in today. He called out your name, but there was no response. He journeyed further into your room to find that you had already fallen back asleep, the exhaustion from barely being able to rest the night before putting you out again. Olli’s heart hurt at the sight of you looking so miserable, your face pale and covered in red patches from the pain in your sinuses, but you looked like you found some peace in your sleep.

He walked over to your bed, sitting down on the edge and rubbing your hair out of your face. It was clinging to your forehead with sweat, and he took a quick guess of your temperature. “Hey,” he whispered, leaning down to wake you up gently. “Do you have a thermometer?”

You opened your eyes slowly and smiled when you saw his angelic face hovering above you. “Yeah,” you answered. “It’s in the kitchen, top drawer by the sink.”

“Okay,” he answered with a smile, giving you a soft forehead kiss. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Olli?” you asked before he left the room. He stopped to turn around and greet you. “Can you make me some tea while you’re in there?” You then gave him instructions on how to make what you called your “sick tea”: steeped chamomile, warmed orange juice, honey, and cinnamon on top. He nodded with understanding and left the room.

You put your head back down to rest more as you could hear the sounds of him rambling around in the kitchen. It was a relief to know that he could come over on such a short notice to help you feel better. Olli was the perfect boyfriend, and dare you even say that he would make a great husband? But that thought was far off, and you would revisit the idea again in a couple years.

Olli returned a few minutes later, mug in one hand and thermometer in the other. He placed them down on the nightstand and helped you pull yourself up. “Temperature first, then you can have your tea,” he guided, pulling off the cap and bringing it to your mouth. He held your cheek as the numbers on the thermometer continued to climb and then finally come to a stop at 37.6 degrees Celsius. “Wait right here,” he requested as he walked towards your bathroom.

The water ran for a few seconds and then he returned, wet wash rag in his hand with water dripping down his arm. He sat back down beside you, holding the mug so you could take a sip before he dabbed away some of the sweat on your forehead with the rag. It was cool, but on your skin it felt like ice. You hissed with the change in temperature and Olli pulled back quickly.

“Too much?” he asked sympathetically.

You shook your head. “It’s fine, keep going.”

He continued to dab the cloth on your skin, looking lovingly into your eyes while he did it. A small smile crossed his lips, just enough to show his teeth and the gap that you adore. He pulled back once more so you could have a sip of tea before it got too cold. “Want more?” he asked, holding up the cloth again.

You shook your head no. “Later… tea?” He obliged to your request and held up the mug for as long as you wanted to sip. Olli was a patient man, but seeing him here now, doing everything he could to make you more comfortable, reminded you of why you fell for him in the first place. You wanted to cry, but it was also because your eyes felt like they were on fire.

“Lay back down,” he begged, helping you slide into a more comfortable position. “You look tired.”

You nodded. “Exhausted. I couldn’t breathe without being in pain last night and I only slept three hours. I was awake for no good reason.”

Olli slid onto the bed beside you, fingers still running through your hair. The motion and feeling on your scalp almost put you back to sleep on the spot. “I’m sorry, kulta,” he muttered quietly. “Do you have anything to help you sleep?”

You nodded. “Some NyQuil. But for now, can I have more tea?” The tea was almost cold, but you finished the last of it soon. It tasted better than if you had made it yourself, but maybe it was because Olli made it with love. 

He put the mug away and slid up to you, wrapping his arms around you and holding you tightly. The nerves under your skin made your entire body ache, but being in Olli’s arms brought the pain to a temporary halt. 

“Do you want to fall asleep soon?” he asked, his breath flowing through your hair.

“But I don’t want you to be bored when I made you come all the way over here.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I brought my laptop with me. Besides, you’ll need me when you’re not asleep, but you need to rest.”

Reluctantly, like an irritated toddler, you finally closed your eyes and laid your head beside his chest. His heartbeat was firm, calm, and music to your ears. Soon, you drifted into a comfortable sleep, all but your mind finally finding rest. You felt Olli leave your side but you were too tired to protest.

He leaned down once more and gave you a kiss on your cheek. “I’ll be in the living room, call me if you need me.”

Endnotes:

Literally based on a true story from last month.

I learned the “sick tea” recipe from when I was working in a coffee shop, so feel free to steal it next time you get sick because it works wonders. (If you don’t like chamomile or have any on hand, spicy chai works just as well.)