Clyde laid on the couch in his home feeling completely miserable.
Some hours ago, Clyde caught hold of a cold and felt awful ever since. His voice was now hoarse due to his coughing spree, his fatigue was as low as it was after he played a basketball game, and his head was pounding with a mean headache. He wore sweatpants and a normal shirt so he could feel better about laying around Clyde coughed again before turning on the first of the yearly college football Bowl games on his TV.
Within a few minutes, his phone vibrated off of his chest and fell to the floor. Clyde struggled turning to his side to pick it up, but quickly answered it when he saw the name on the screen.
“Darling!” boomed a lovely voice from the phone into Clyde’s ear. “I just finished the outfit I needed to work on all week! Are you ready for the New Year’s party tonight or are you still under the weather?”
“I...” Clyde stopped and coughed away from the phone, “I’m in no condition to go...”
“Oh, my. Your voice sounds absolutely dreadful.”
Clyde frowned. He didn’t have a choice sounding this dreadful. “If you want to go to the party tonight, go ahead. All I’m doing tonight is laying here watching football anyway.”
“And leave you alone again! The only reason I went to last year’s was because you asked me to go and...” Rarity didn’t finish her sentence as she giggled into the phone. Clyde smiled too as he knew she was talking about their first kiss, or the multiple kisses that soon followed after it. Her voice quickly returned after her giggles ceased. “So! If you aren’t going, then neither will I! Instead, I’ll help nurse my love back into perfect condition!”
It took a few seconds for Clyde to realize what she said. “Wait, so you want to come over?” He pulled the phone away from him again to cough.
“I’m coming over to nurse you back to tip-top shape. I’ll be over in a few!”
Clyde never opposed of having Rarity visit him at his house for once, but he didn’t want to get her sick. “The door is probably locked and I don’t feel like getting up...”
“It’s quite alright, Clyde. I know where the second key is. I only know because I still have it!”
“Oh yeah, that’s right...”
“I’m hanging up now, Clyde. I don’t want you to speak until I’m there, okay? I will help you feel better and will see you in roughly thirty-or-so minutes! Bye!” She made a kissing noise to him before hanging up.
Clyde threw his phone onto the floor and sighed. He hated being sick and it seemed like every winter he caught something to make him feel weakened for a few days. He especially hated being sick on the important days where he had to be somewhere or do something. However, he always felt better no matter what condition he was in when Rarity was near him so he hoped she could end his cold quickly.
~ ~ ~
Clyde must have dozed off, because soon he heard the doorknob turning. He looked at his phone and about thirty minutes went by since Rarity got off the phone with him. He remained watching TV as he heard the front door open and close. After a few footsteps, Rarity came into his view and looked down at him. She was wearing her “comfy” outfit, composed of one of Clyde’s hoodies and her favorite leggings. What caught Clyde’s eye was the fancy-looking tote bag that hung on her shoulder.
“Hello, darling! Are you feeling better?”
Clyde shrugged. “I just woke up from my nap. Hopefully since you are here now, I’ll get better soon so we can go to T’s party.” Rarity smiled at him and Clyde tried to, but a sudden cough stopped him. He sighed again and looked at her tote bag. “What’s with the bag?”
“Oh, this?” asked Rarity taking it off of her shoulder. “I decided to bring along some blankets and stuff for tonight in case you don’t get better. You can stay on the couch while I’ll sleep on the reclining chair.”
“You could sleep in my bed if you want,” stated Clyde weakly. “It would be way more comfortable for you than that chair, but of course you know that.”
Rarity’s face filled with worry. “But then I wouldn’t be able to take care of you throughout the night! I would be upstairs and what if you wanted a glass of water in the middle of the night? You might be too weak to pour it! Even worse, you might fall down and since your voice is damaged, I might not hear you!”
Clyde shook his head and chuckled. “What would I ever do without you?”
Rarity gave him an alluring smile. “Anyway, I’m going to use the bathroom, Clyde. Don’t get up and worry me!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be laying here... like I have been all day,” said Clyde with disappointment. He heard her elegantly run up the stairs. Since the staircase leading to the upper floor was behind his head from where he lay and towards the kitchen, Clyde wasn’t able to see if she took her bag with her. Of course, it didn’t really matter to him much as he only wanted to end this slight sickness.
He faintly heard the bathroom door from upstairs swing open a few minutes later. As the sound of Rarity walking down the stairs grew louder, Clyde noticed a clicking noise was becoming more clear as well. When Rarity finally reached the bottom floor again and walked in front of the TV, Clyde instantly felt his temperature rising.
With her hands on her hips, Rarity looked down at Clyde with a seductive smile. Her outfit from a few moments before was gone and she was now wearing her short white dress that she wore for Halloween last year during school trying to masquerade as a nurse. He realized that the clicking noise was from her high heeled shoes. The little hat with the red cross was the only missing piece of the outfit, but Clyde knew she didn’t have to wear it to make him understand what she was dressed up as again.
She sat down on the edge of the couch near Clyde and put a hand to his head. “My, you are on fire, darling.”
“It’s probably because you wearing that outfit again...”
Rarity smiled. “I just had to wear it again to make you feel better. Plus, I told you I was going to nurse you back to perfect condition. It was only the most logical choice to wear it tonight.”
Clyde didn’t answer, mostly because he didn’t know how to answer. Clyde’s one weakest was seeing Rarity in sexy and seductive outfits, as it made him extremely flustered as it would with any boy his age. Rarity knew herself this weakness a little after they began talking to each other through text messages so she always tried making him feel that way for fun. Instead of being used to it by now, Clyde always felt like he was that shy boy when he first saw her in the gymnasium.
“Can I get you some water, Clyde?”
“Please...”
She gave him a wink and briefly got up and made her way to the kitchen. Clyde soon heard the refrigerator open and close. The clicking began and Rarity stood over him with a bottle of water in hand.
“Thanks,” said Clyde hoarsely. He grabbed the bottle without looking at her to avoid being flustered again.
“Ahem.” Rarity frowned. “For tonight, you will address me as ‘Nurse Rarity’, darling.”
Clyde blinked. “What?”
“You are my patient and I am your nurse. It only makes sense.” She winked again.
Clyde blushed and quickly drank some water. “Rarity, I really–”
“Clyde. What did I just say?”
Clyde frowned. “Sorry. Nurse Rarity, I really don’t think this is all necessary. I only have a slight cold. I love you helping me, but don’t you think the whole nurse act is overdoing it?” He gave a weak smile after coughing into his sleeve.
Rarity sat at the edge of the couch near his chest again and sighed. “And here I thought you were going to feel instantly better if I wore this outfit tonight and took care of you.” She looked at him slowly and lowered her eyes. Clyde saw her smile slowly form into a sultry grin. “Besides, darling, I thought you always wanted me to roleplay as a sexy nurse.” She winked.
“T-That’s for something completely different! I-I...” Clyde’s face blazed red as he reached for the bottle of water on the floor to calm down.
“I know it is, I’m just teasing, like always,” cooed Rarity. She touched his forehead again and giggled. “At this rate, I’m going to make you sweat away this cold with all this suggestive talk.” She blew air into his face while he downed the water as fast as he could. Clyde threw the empty bottle of water to the floor. “Are you all cooled off now?”
Clyde coughed. His face was still warm, but it probably was because Rarity had eye contact with him. “For now... until you say something else.”
“Oh, Clyde...” she giggled. “Why would I ever do such a thing?”
Clyde shook his head with a laugh. He finally found the strength to look away from Rarity’s nurse outfit to look at the TV. He never really made much attention to college football, as he liked college basketball more, but every New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day had the big Bowl games on that he watched with his brother before he moved to Canterlot. Normally he would have been getting ready to attend Tyrone’s party like he did last year, but all he could do was stay home and get better. At least he had his favorite girl in the world and her flirty and seductive shenanigans to keep him company for the day.
“Would you like me to make you some soup, Clyde?” asked Rarity.
“If you don’t mind. I should have a can or two somewhere in the kitchen.”
“Don’t mind?” asked Rarity aghast. “I'm your nurse! It’s my duty to fulfill your needs! I’ll go make some soup!”
Clyde smiled at her. “Thank you, Nurse Rarity.”
“That’s much better,” said Rarity with a nod. “Since you are behaving like a good patient should, maybe the sooner I’ll wear this again when you aren’t sick.” She quickly kissed his burning cheek and giggled, before walking towards the kitchen again.
Eventually, Clyde was called to the kitchen to eat a bowl of soup. After laying down for almost half a day now, he had no problem with taking a small walk. There was enough in the can for both of them to have a bowl. After finishing, Clyde felt saddened watching Rarity eat her bowl because of his condition, but she didn’t seem to complain about it. He wanted them to go eat a more refined meal for the holiday before the party but wasn’t able to. With a frown, he put the bowl in the sink and walked back to the couch. He grabbed the game controller beside him and flipped on the output channel.
He felt a lot better now than he did before Rarity came over. His cough remained, but it was greatly reduced. His headache was gone, probably because he “sweated” it away, and his voice didn’t sound nearly as bad. He figured just a good night of sleep would purge the cough from his system and he would be fresh to start the new year.
Once she was done eating and cleaning everything up, Rarity sat down on Clyde’s reclining chair to watch him play his basketball game. Rarity was never much of a gamer, but since Sweetie Belle and her friends had some knowledge of it, she at least knew why she never bothered with games. Most of the them were “too barbaric, inappropriate, or idiotic” for her. She didn’t mind sport video games, however, mostly because she knew people could actually be an athlete in life instead of a space-soldier that can travel to other galaxies or a murdering pirate assassin that can jump off buildings without dying.
Usually, whenever Rarity watched Clyde play, she had a habit of calling him out whenever he messed up or missed a shot just to tease him and make him focus more, but for that night, she let him play in solace. Clyde figured it was because he was sick.
Clyde eventually won the game and decided to turn on a movie for them instead letting her sit there. They decided on a comedy movie for once, instead of the usual romantic or romantic comedy genre. Rarity quickly threw a blanket around him before she sat down beside him on the couch. She gave him a smile and tightly hugged him and his blanket. Clyde felt so warm and content that his eyes began to give out on him.
~ ~ ~
Clyde wasn’t sure if the movie ended exactly around midnight or she turned it off, as he fell asleep shortly once the movie started. He believed he never even saw one part of the movie before falling asleep, only a preview or two of other similar movies. When his eyes were focused, he saw that the midnight event on TV and heard the people on TV get louder and louder in excitement.
“You’re awake!” said Rarity excitedly. “It’s only two minutes until midnight!”
“Really?” asked Clyde groggily. “Sorry I fell asleep.”
“It’s fine, Clyde.” Rarity gave him a smile. “You need rest, I understand that. I just hoped you would wake up to see the New Year!”
Clyde nodded and yawned. He noticed Rarity was still in her nurse outfit. “You’re still in that?”
Rarity looked over at him with a pout. “Why wouldn’t I be, darling? Unless... you don’t like it anymore.”
“What? No! I just figured you would be laying around like me at this time.”
She seductively grinned. “I could take it off for you right now since you want me to...” Clyde blazed red again as Rarity winked at him. “No, but I was going to go change back to the outfit I came here in after the New Year’s special is over.”
As on a queue, the countdown flashed on the TV and the two of them watched in silence. Last year Clyde knew what amazing event happened shortly after the clock struck midnight. As he wondered what he wished would happen in this new year, the TV flashed in bright colors and the people on it celebrated.
“Happy New Year’s, my love!” beamed Rarity, giving him a hug.
Clyde smiled in return. “I wish I could kiss you, but I’m still sick.”
Rarity frowned, but soon shrugged. “It’s alright, darling. We kiss all the time anyway. I’m sure we could both live without kissing in the next few seconds.” She turned away from him, but quickly giggled and kissed at his mouth. Clyde expected a quick kiss, but it eventually turned into a slow and passionate one. The kiss reminded him of their first kiss at midnight last year, but it also showed him how much better they both got at kissing each other. Rarity withdrew from him after a few minutes with a grin. “That was so worth it.”
“If you get sick, don’t blame me. I warned you.”
Rarity stuck out her tongue and giggled. “That’s alright. You know I have to feed my kissing desire whenever you are near, Clyde. But if I do get sick, then I can count on Nurse Clyde to take care of me.” She looked down at her outfit and laughed. “Although, you’ll probably need to find another costume. This won’t fit you.”
“Act like I would wear that,” said Clyde, trying to find humor somewhere in his weakened voice. He took a look at her bright blue eyes and couldn’t help to smile. “You know, I always wanted to kiss you while you were wearing that costume.”
“I know. And more,” purred Rarity causing him to blush. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at the ceiling, dreamily sighing. “This day marks our official first year of dating being a success, however, I believe we actually started unofficially dating after that movie in October.”
“You think so?” asked Clyde.
“Certainly! After that movie, we began talking to each other a lot more. I know you were too nervous to say anything, but I wanted you to at least ask me if I felt any similar feelings. Fortunately, we still managed to make it to the holidays without any problems and soon became a couple!” She turned and pecked him. “While this wasn’t an ornate New Year’s celebration, I still enjoyed taking care of you in a simple way to spend the night together.”
“I did, too. Thanks for being here with me, Nurse Rarity.”
Rarity giggled. “Of course, darling.” She quickly stood up and walked towards the staircase. “I’ll be back down after I change out of this. Don’t worry, though. You’ll see your sexy Nurse Rarity again, my love.” She dropped her flirty gaze and wink on him.
“I can’t wait,” stated Clyde with a large grin.
Clyde let the clicking heels noise wander upstairs until it ceased. He adjusted the blanket around him and put and pillow behind his neck to support his head. After crashing his head into the pillow, he began thinking about the new year.
It was hard to top last year’s compared to what Clyde had been through, but he had no doubt Rarity and himself could think of ways to improve their already strong and loving relationship.