AHS Imagines

21: Sick day (Dandy Mott)

A/N: Request any characters you'd like to see on here! Idk which ones to post more of and I'm open to do any kind of non-neutral reader x character. I know a few people like Dandy so I decided to add him for y'all who like him.

Reader feels ill and stays home under the care of non-crazy Dandy Mott

I woke up in the, otherwise vacant, silk sheets feeling a terrible pounding in my head and an ache in my stomach. It was likely the most unpleasant way to begin a morning: alone, sick, and in pain. The warm sunlight streaming in through the uncovered window was the only bright part of my awakening. 

A light knock sounded from upon the door, Dandy striding in momentarily with a silver platter perched carefully on his hand. He smiled cheerfully and hummed the tune "'S Wonderful" from Funny Face  which he'd taken me to see almost a month ago. It delighted me that he remembered how much I enjoyed that song and I hated to spoil his good mood with my condition.

"Good morn-" He began, seating himself at the foot of the bed.

"Dandy, I'm so sorry but I don't feel well." I confessed. 

A look of innocent child-like surprise appeared on his face as he set the platter down at the nightstand. One of my hands was quickly enveloped in his and he brought it up to his lips to kiss it gently.

"Well then, the entire day is reserved entirely for anything you'd like to do and I'll make sure that you'll recover by the end of the day. Mother went out an hour ago but I can have Dora retrieve anything for you." He assured me.

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Dandy, but I'm not entirely incapable." I joked.

He insisted that I remained in bed and that I only needed to adorned myself additionally with my robe. The robe was actually a full dressing gown that was far too glamorous for any ordinary person to call a simple "robe" but I followed his request and uncovered the silver platter on the nightstand. Dandy left me briefly to have my breakfast while he ran some errands. 

My devoted caretaker brought me quite the delicate selection of items: a small porcelain dish of jewel-like grapefruit slices, gold-rimmed plate with a delicate portion of tarte tatin, a few currant-dotted scones paired with a stewed cinnamon-pear preserve, a soft poached egg topped with dill béarnaise, and a small steaming teapot of early grey beside an intricately-designed teacup. It was all fit for a queen, nothing I'd grown used to but was coming to enjoy. The amount of trouble that Dandy went to for pleasing me and the trouble Dora went through to complete these whims was enough to warm my heart then.

I was almost finished in the indulgence of breakfast when the young man returned, his hands behind his back as though hiding something. Dora shuffled along behind him, an amusingly irritated expression over her visage. No doubt, it was Dandy's urging and frantic worry over my decent condition that caused for Dora's clear annoyance at him. They both approached my seated position upon the bed and waited for me to finish sipping down the remainder of my tea. 

"Dora has brought a variety of the best medications pertaining to all kinds of ailments, choose whichever best matches your symptoms. They, unfortunately, each take about fifteen minutes to be in full effect, darling." Dandy explained.

"I don't mind at all, it's not a serious ailment anyways. But thank you, and thanks to Dora for fetching the medications." 

Dora smiled at the acknowledgement, knowing that her boss' son would never bother to unless I urged him to do so. She left the room to continue on with her daily tasks, the medications placed on one of the coffee tables. The room was already feeling a bit stuffy, having all the windows shut and not allowing the fresh air to waft in. After all, wasn't fresh air supposed to make one feel better? I started feeling a slight desperation to go out and sit in the gardens, get out of this room where I was just wallowing around. 

"Dandy, would you mind accompanying me outside? I think some fresh air would be a great help to me right now." I proposed.

"I wouldn't mind at all, just so long as you take one of the medications before we leave. I'll even have Dora make a lovely picnic spread for us if you feel famished at any point." Dandy said, looking me directly in the eyes before going off to accomplish his task. 

It was so refreshing to just do what felt right. No need to wake up at the crack of dawn to work in a small office with a demeaning boss then only return home once the Sun set and my fingers would be blistered from typing away on some rickety typewriter all day. Being with Dandy gave me the chance to enjoy life for what it was, and it wasn't the sole reason why I chose to live here in his family home. Despite his rare outbreaks of childish behavior, he was a gentleman raised to be most genteel and poised when in the presence of anyone. 

We met minutes later after I'd downed some headache pills and some stomachache pills. The checkered red blanket was placed over the short grass blades of the lawn, just beside the willow tree and the pink carnations. I sat elegantly over the top of the blanket across from Dandy and marveled at how everything Dora prepared was perfect. It was an instant relief from being indoors all morning. That feeling, paired with the delightful conversation of my companion made the illness vanish for the hour that we were out there for. 

"How are you feeling now, my dear?" He would ask periodically.

"Just fine, thank you. Much better out here under the warmth of the Sun and relaxing with you." I answered.

He would smiled proudly at himself, knowing that he was the main factor towards my improved wellbeing. Once we went back inside later on, the pain only slightly returned and I spent the day lying about on a comfortable chaise lounge, listening to whatever Dandy would read to me while sipping down cups of tea with ginger in it or sleeping away the illness. I felt much better the next day and accompanied his mother, Gloria, into town for a surprise in my gratitude towards Dandy.