The later you’re awake, the closer the friend. (Hollywood on Netflix)

[Comfortandstuff]

Hey, this is my first fan fiction I’ve been brave enough to post in a very, very long time, so I really hope you like it! 

This fan-fiction is inspired by Ryan Murphy’s latest netflix series, Hollywood. Takes place in the Golden Age, and is a truly spectacular piece on so many levels. Highly recommend it. That being said, the scene I used as a layout for this story is in the show, and may spoil it, even though it’s pretty easily suspected. It’s the end of episode 5 of the series that this little story mimics, expect it’s set after that original scene. I loved the little interaction that Rock and Jack had in the show, and wanted more so I decided to write it. I will tell you, my fetish is very comfort heavy, hence the name, so it’s kind of a slow burn. I try to go for quality, rather than just sneezing. But this is the only part, and I wanted to post it all together! 

Final note, the characters I’m using are based off the actors playing said characters in the series. As in David Corenswet, and Jake Picking. So, if you need imagery, look those two up! 

Alright! Without further ado, I hope you enjoy. :) 

———————————————————————————

 

Everything was so loud. 

 

In fact, Jack listened even more intently as to determine what sound was the most piercing.

 

The sound of the cold rain pouring against the window. The crackle of the recently lit fireplace. The shrill whistle of the tea kettle. It was all just so loud. 

 

But nothing, nothing, was as vociferous as the burning, lingering words of his wife. Well, ex-wife. 

 

I’m leaving you. The children are not yours. You are selfish. I don’t love you anymore. 

 

Those words were certainly the loudest. 

 

It had all just happened so fast. Not to mention, everything had been seemingly going so much better. Maybe even going well. Jack felt emotion course through him. An emotion so powerful, he couldn’t begin to label it. 

 

Was it sadness? Fear? Anger? Betrayal? Grief, even?

 

The truth was, it was the ladder. Pure and utter emptiness. It made him feel absolutely sick. 

 

“Jack?” 

 

He quickly blinked in an attempt to emerge from his state of existential thought, looking up from the floor to see Rock Hudson, holding out a cup of freshly brewed tea, with furrowed brow. 

 

“Oh, thank you.” Jack muttered gratefully as he accepted the steaming tea, plastering a tired smile on his face. He sniffled, and pinched the bridge of his nose to bring him back to the grips of reality.  “Sorry about that, I guess I kinda went away there for a second.” 

 

“Oh, it’s alright, you don’t need to be sorry. I do stuff like that all the time.” Rock offered kindly, doing his best to comfort the clearly distraught man. 

 

“Where’s Archie?” Jack asked, sipping his tea. Sure, he had met Rock, and they actually got along pretty well from the start, but he had come to seek the comfort of someone a bit closer. Considering Archie had seen him at both his highest, and lowest points, Jack trusted him. 

 

“He fell asleep while waiting for the kettle. He’s been working his ass off all day, making all those changes Richard is suggesting with the script. I think he’s run himself a little ragged. I could wake him up if you need him..” Rock started towards the bedroom, slowly. 

 

“Oh no, that’s okay, let him rest. I know it’s been tough recently.” Jack insisted, with a gentle wave of his hand. 

 

“Oh yeah, he’s been putting so much pressure on himself. Every night he comes home with darker circles than the night before.” Rock said, his face distorted with worry as he inched back towards Jack, eventually sitting down on the couch a respectable distance from him. 

 

“So, you two are.. Together?” Jack carefully prodded. 

 

“..Yes.” Rock shifted nervously, his stiffness illuminated by the orange glow of the fire. He didn’t know if anybody was allowed to be aware of their relationship quite yet, but he knew that Archie trusted Jack quite a bit.

 

“That’s amazing. Truly. I’m really happy for you. The both of you.” Jack assured Rock breathily with a hearty pat on the back, observing his tense shoulders. 

 

Taken aback, Rock smiled and relaxed. “Thanks, Jack. It’s not very often that people.. Approve of the situation.”

 

“Of course I do. Happiness is happiness, right? Love is love.” Jack uttered wistfully, with a smile that couldn’t overshadow the gathering tears in the corners of his eyes. Rock nodded with a knowing glance as he observed the glisten in Jack’s bright eyes, and the two sat in silence for a long moment before Rock finally spoke up.

 

“Listen, Jack, I-I know we’re not that close or anything, but from what I could see, tonight must’ve been really hard for you..” Jack shifted his watery eyes to the floor, and thumbed at his nose to give his hands something to do. “Just.. if you want.. or need to talk about it or if there’s anything I can do to help with anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

Jack glanced upwardly to once again meet the gaze of Rock. His deep brown eyes showed the soul of a genuine man, and his sad smile radiated the warmth that Jack craved. He thought of the way that his wife held him the night of George Cukor’s party. The night that everything seemed to get a little bit clearer, when in reality, the storm was brewing far too long ago to have been prevented then. He wanted nothing more than the feeling of her deep red nails on his back, and the scent of her soft hair penetrating his senses as he rested on her round stomach, housing his boys. His boys. 

 

But, none of it was real. They weren’t his boys. She wasn’t his wife. He was on the couch of another man as he sat, ashamed of who he had allowed himself to become. 

 

And with this, his lip began to quiver. 

 

Tucking his face into his hands with embarrassment, his elbows resting on his knees, Jack let out a soft whimper as he trembled with both sadness, and the chill of his wet clothes. Jack felt completely helpless in that moment. Alone, and heartbroken. Flustered, he began to attempt to regain his composure, when he felt a warm hand on his back.  

 

“I know it’s hard, it’s okay, you can cry.” Rock nodded, assuring Jack that his breakdown was not unwarranted. This made Jack tremble with an even greater intensity. After a quiet sob escaped his lips, Jack knew there was nothing he could do to stop himself, and he began to openly weep. 

 

Rock stared at him with empathy, tears gathering in his own eyes as he recollected his past heartbreaks. He wanted nothing more than to ease this man’s anguish, but he knew there was nothing he could do except rub comforting circles around Jack’s back, and note the wet state of his shirt.

 

“That’s it, Jack. Just let it out.” Rock felt the need to continue to make Jack comfortable with his emotional state, and lightly uttered statements like these. Jack, who was now sobbing freely, was so overwhelmed by the gentleness and kindness of Rock that he couldn’t help but want to embrace him. Though his wife was not there, he felt the need to be held and eased, and for some reason, he felt an immense trust in Rock. Wrapping his arms around the other man’s torso, Jack buried his tear-streaked face into Rock’s strong chest, praying that he would hug him back.

 

Without hesitation, Rock wound his own arms around Jack's quivering form, gripping him tightly and running his hand through Jack’s wet brown hair. Though Jack’s body wracked and convulsed with sobs, Rock was statuesque and strong. Jack felt safe in his arms. Comforted. He smelled like freshly pressed linen and hair gel, and he was incredibly warm whereas Jack was incredibly frigid. Jack was sure he could hang on to Rock for what seemed like forever, but it was necessary that he calmed himself down. 

 

Once his sobs were reduced to a few lone tears, and shaky breaths, Jack slowly separated himself from the embrace, sitting up and dragging his hands aggressively across his face to rid his eyes and cheeks of tears, and tend to his runny nose. His headache pulsed deep in his sinuses now, triggered by the long fit of crying. Rock sat patiently, with his hand on Jack’s back, secretly swiping the few fallen empathetic tears from his cheeks so Jack wouldn’t notice. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Jack muttered with a quick sideways glance at Rock, clearly ashamed of his outburst. 

 

“Please, don’t apologize.” Rock responded firmly, but genuine and kind as ever. Observing the present congestion in Jack’s voice, he leaned over to the coffee table to retrieve the tissue box. He plucked a couple and handed them to Jack, gently placing the box on the table to the left of him.

 

“Thanks.” Jack blushed, but gratefully accepted the tissues. 

 

“Yeah, of course. Let me go grab you some more tea, huh?” Rock suggested, already on his way to the kitchen. He could tell that Jack yearned for some privacy to put himself together. 

 

Jack blew his nose, softly as possible, and dabbed at the rogue tears still left on his face. Pocketing the Kleenex, he noticed that the congestion wasn’t quite gone. He shrugged, and gingerly massaged his aching temples. His whole body hurt, but his head was killing him. He was also freezing now that he was free from the heat of Rock’s sturdy embrace. 

 

As Jack began to notice how miserable he felt, his nose began to tickle. Though he scrubbed at his nose with two fingers, the itch could not be relieved. Swiftly grabbing the tissues from his pocket, he cupped them around his face and did his best to muffle the impending sneeze. 

 

“Hxxt! Huh-xcht! Hu-ppchttt!” The pressure in his face grew more painful, and Jack couldn’t help but quietly groan as he pawed at his still somewhat irritated nose.

 

“God bless you.” 

 

Rock was now standing in the entryway to the living room, holding Jack’s fresh mug of tea.

 

“Thanks.” Jack sighed defeatedly, punctuating his words with a cough into his fist. Great. Rock must’ve thought he was a complete mess. Crying, wet, and now sneezing. What could possibly make him look weaker?

 

“I know you’re wet, did you bring a change of clothes?” Rock hoped for transparency.

 

“No, I wasn’t really thinking straight when I left the apartment. I’m fine though, I’ll dry off soon enough.” Jack said plainly.

 

“No, c’mon, you can’t be comfortable in those wet clothes..” Rock gestured towards Jack’s white tank top, and black slacks. “Besides, I bet you’re freezing, and I can’t have a movie star catching a cold on my watch. I’ll go get you something more comfortable.”

 

Before Jack could stop him, Rock was jogging up the stairs for a set of pajamas. He took the opportunity to silently stifle a couple more sneezes, and blow his nose. It was clear that though Rock was making a huge effort, Jack was catching a damn cold. Guess the night could get worse after all. 

 

“Here you go, nice and warm.” Rock smiled as he rounded the corner, passing a pair of his pajamas to Jack. The pants were plaid with strips of maroon, navy, and gold, and the lightweight navy sweater fit right in. They were soft, and warm, and while Jack would typically refuse, there was no reason for him to be nervous at this point. His body couldn’t help but long for the comfort. 

 

“Gee, Rock. That is really nice of you, thank you.” Jack spoke from his heart. He wasn’t sure he had ever met anybody with such pure, sweet intentions. He had to remind himself that Rock and him weren’t old buddies that met in Elementary School. He slipped into the bathroom to change, and observed himself in the mirror. His brown hair was still damp from the rain, and his face was flushed, which made the dark circles under his eyes that much more jarring. The tip of his nose was a light pink, and though he had looked worse, it was clear that he was ill. Sighing, he pulled on Rock’s pajamas and let out a small chuckle at the looseness of the clothes. Jack was by no means a small guy, he was 6’4” afterall, but Rock did have quite a bit of muscle mass on him. 

 

He pulled the drawstring of the pants into a tight knot, and stepped out to see Rock setting up a bed for him on the couch. Feeling an impending tickle, he quickly turned away and flung his face into his elbow.

 

“Huxx-cht!” 

 

“Bless you.” Rock muttered absently, seemingly out of reflex, with his back still turned to Jack. 

 

“Hupt-chiew!” The sneeze was too powerful to suppress, and even caused Jack to bend at the knee just to stay on balance. Rock turned to face him as he sneezed a second time.

 

“Bless you.” Rock said, a sympathetic frown on his face. “You really are getting a cold, aren’t you?” 

 

“Oh, it’s probably nothing. It’s been a long night, that’s all.” Jack waved it off, swiping at his still irritated nose. 

 

“Yeah, no kidding. The universe is not on your side tonight..” Rock exclaimed, trying to make light of Jack’s clearly tough night. 

 

“I g-guess.. no- Hi-Tchoo! Ugh. I guess dnot.” Jack winced at the brimming congestion in his voice. 

 

“Ouch, bless you. Do you always sneeze in threes?” Rock asked, intrigued.

 

“Yes, actually it’s a running joke in my family. My brothers, my sister, and my mom all do the same. My dad always makes a big deal about having to wait to say ‘bless you’.” Jack smiled at the memory, a tad homesick. 

 

“That’s funny, my dad is actually the triple sneezer in my family.” Roy shared, giggling.

 

“Oh, but does he make a giant conundrum about sneezing?” Jack asked laughingly.

 

“Actually, yes! Whenever I’d get irritated with him for it, he’d always say ‘Roy, never trust a man who has a little kitten sneeze, because that sneeze has to go somewhere, and the men that hold in their sneezes are the murderers, and the rapists of the world.’ As if that would make me forgive him for blowing out my left ear drum.” Rock brought his hand to his left ear, aching at the memory. They both laughed, and then the room fell into a silence.

 

“Wait, Roy?” Jack asked.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Roy? Your name is Roy?”

 

“Oh, uh.. yeah. That’s my real name. Roy Fitzgerald. Mr. Wilson- he’s my agent- figured I should switch it up, make it more cool or somethin.” Rock revealed. 

 

“Huh.. Well, it’s really nice to meet you, Roy Fitzgerald. I think that’s a fine name.” Jack held out his hand, and Rock accepted, firmly shaking it with a smile. 

 

“Hey, thanks Jack, I think it’s a swell name too.” 

 

Another tickle began to grow in Jack’s nose, and all he could do was spin away and shield his face with his free arm while still grasping Rock’s hand with the other. 

 

“Huh-Chiew! Huh.. Hu-choo!” Jack sneezed with quiet force, but maintained what little control he still had and pulled his arm away from Rock. “Huh…” Jack stared into the distance, squinting with displeasure.

 

“Stuck?” Rock asked with concern. Jack gave him a small nod, still focusing on the sneeze at hand. Taking the extra time as an opportunity, Rock quickly plucked another tissue from the box on the table and pressed them into Jack’s hand. Jack accepted them gratefully, and finally bent at the waist, tissue in hand.

 

“Hptt-Chiew!” Jack sneezed wetly into the tissue, with a bit more volume than what he had expected. 

 

“There it is, bless you!” Rock said, referencing Jack’s third sneeze. 

 

“Ugh, thank you.” Jack coughed into his tissue, before stuffing it into his pocket with a small clear of his throat.

 

“You’re not feeling good at all, huh?” Rock exclaimed with sadness for his newfound friend. 

 

“..No, not really.” Jack admitted.

 

“Well, why don’t I let you get some sleep then? I can imagine you’re pretty beat. I could get you some medi-” Jack cut Rock off with a sneeze. “-bless you- some medicine, or some- bless you- some soup, or if there’s anything you want, I’m sure we’ve got it here somewhere.. Bless you.” Rock sympathetically offered, clapping Jack on the back as he sneezed a third and final time. 

 

“Sorry about that.” Jack apologized, pressing a hand to his forehead. He really did feel awful. 

 

“It’s alright, nothing you can help.” Rock said gently. Jack sniffled, and felt a cold hand placed on his forehead. “You’re pretty warm, I think you have a fever. Let me get you some medicine, and then you should get some rest. Sleep off that cold.” Rock suggested, as he walked to the medicine cabinet. 

 

“Medicine would be nice.. Although.. well.. Would you mind terribly staying awake with me for a little while longer? It’s late, I know, but I just- I don’t want to be alone right now.” 

 

Rock peered around the corner with the cold medicine in hand, and a warm smile. “Yeah, Jack. Sure, of course, I’d be happy to.”

 

“Thank you, Roy. You’re a really good guy, you know that?” Jack complimented him. 

 

“..Thanks. I try to be.” He said simply, his eyes thankful. 

 

Jack and Rock bonded as time went by, and the later it became, the worse Jack’s cold got. Rock continued to take care of him the best he could, blessing every sneeze along the way. They looked at the clock to see the time. 3:38 AM. 

 

“Well, I’ve loved getting to know you tonight Jack, but I think it’s time you allow yourself some sleep.” Rock suggested carefully.

 

“Yeah, I know.” Jack sighed, with a calmness that he hadn’t possessed hours ago. 

 

“If you need anything tonight, you know where to find me.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.. Hutchiew! Hu-xxt! Hi-chxt!”

 

“Bless you.”

 

“Thank you. Not just for the blessing, or the hundred you’ve given me tonight, but- for everything. It means more than I have the capacity to express right now.” Jack made eye contact with Rock, ensuring him that his words were true. Rock looked at him thoughtfully, and placed his hand on Jack’s strong shoulder. 

 

“Jack.. I know tonight was difficult, but let me say this… If I was the woman lucky enough to be your wife, I would recognize how loyal, talented, and how kind you were every night as we laid in bed and I would think, ‘I’m never going to let this man go.’ And, if your girl can’t see that, then it’s clear that you deserve someone that can. Because I’ve truly only known you for a couple of hours now, and I can say that you are one of the best men I’ve ever met. I mean that, truly.” Rock said, as he swept a single tear from Jack’s fever-ridden cheek. Jack knew that Rock wasn’t trying to seduce him, or convince him of anything. He was just a true friend. A real, incredible friend. 

 

Sniffling, Jack couldn’t respond. He could merely nod his thanks, and offer Rock a genuine smile. 

 

“Sleep well, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Rock said, standing up to head to the bedroom. 

 

“Yeah, you too Roy. Sweet dreams.” Jack offered, with a small salute. Rock smiled, and disappeared into the bedroom. 

 

Jack listened for the bedroom door to close, and then laid down to try and catch some sleep before dawn came. Though his head pounded, his heart ached, and he felt the farthest from well a man could feel, he knew he could rest easy. His friend, Roy Fitzgerald, would protect him. 

The End.

——————

Thank you again for taking the time to read. Don’t hesitate to let me know what you thought, and hey, if you want more content from me give me a holler! I’ll see if I feel inspired. ;) 

Best Regards 

 

 

 

 

[Sneezy123]

This is my favorite show!!!! Fantastic work! I love Jack so much!!! 

[nothin2sneeze@]

Aww this was very sweet, nicely done!

[Elle]

Oh this was absolutely lovely! Thanks for writing and sharing it!

[Comfortandstuff]

Aw, thank you everybody! I’m glad y’all enjoyed it, it was so lovely to write again. I’m thinking about doing more Hollywood content, but I kind of need some inspiration. Is there anything you may want to see? Relationships, scenarios, etc? I love writing with people in mind, it motivates me. Let me know! ❤️