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Brian parked his Jeep outside Deb’s house and turned in his seat. Michael had been staring at him for the last five blocks. “What?”
“Remember, you promised not to fuck him in my mother’s house.”
“I won’t.”
Michael gave him a skeptical look as he got out of the car and motioned for him to hurry up.
Lighting a cigarette, Brian told him to go inside, that he’d join everyone in a minute. He took a drag and leaned against the hood of his car, gazing at the house he’d spent most of his teenage years in. He wondered how much more fucked up he would be had it not been for Deb. A light turned on in Michael’s old room and brought him back to the present. He flicked away the cigarette butt and walked to the front door.
“Brian!” Deb greeted him with a hug and a plate of pasta. “Find yourself a seat, honey.”
Lindsay waved at him from the kitchen where she sat with Gus in her arms talking to Melanie and Vic. “Come and say hello to your son.”
“Hi sonny boy.” Brian carefully took him and breathed in his baby scent. “He’s getting bigger.” He shared a look with Lindsay and they both smiled.
“If you bothered to visit more often, that wouldn’t be a surprise for you,” Melanie mumbled.
“If you bothered to make me feel more welcome, maybe I would.” Brian kissed Gus’s cheek and sat in a chair with him in his lap, making sure his food was a safe distance from the curious little hands.
“Vic, can you put something together for Sunshine?” Deb asked. “He hasn’t eaten anything since last night.”
Em looked like he wanted to run upstairs and comfort him. “Poor baby.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Michael asked.
“He’s caught the 48-hour bug that’s making the rounds at his school,” Deb said. “I hope he’ll be back on his feet soon. We miss him, don’t we Vic?”
Vic nodded as he put slices of bread next to a plate of pasta and poured a glass of milk.
“I’ll take it.” Brian returned Gus back to his mom and took the tray from Vic, purposefully ignoring Michael’s attempts to stop him. He hesitated outside the bedroom door for a second but entered when he heard Justin sneeze. “Are you alive?”
“Barely. What are you doing here?” Justin croaked.
“Making sure you won’t starve to death.” Brian put the tray on the bedside table and handed him a bottle of water.
“Everything hurts,” Justin complained as he tried to sit up.
“I’ll get you some painkillers.”
“Allergies.”
“I know. Be right back.” Brian rummaged through the bathroom cabinet and returned with a small vial. “These won’t make you puke or die or anything, right?”
“Yeah, those are okay.”
Brian moved the desk chair closer to the bed and made himself comfortable, resting his feet on the bedspread. He studied Justin’s pale skin and the dark shadows under his eyes. The kid looked like he’d lost his fighting spirit but hopefully only for a little while. “How did this happen?”
Justin shrugged. “It’s going around.”
“Are you hungry?”
“A little.” He grimaced when a coughing fit wracked his body.
“Here.” Brian handed him a pill. “Take this.”
Justin took one, managed to swallow it, then fell back against the pillow.
Brian dipped the bread in the tomato sauce and held it out to him. Justin wrinkled his nose but took a small bite.
“Good boy,” Brian whispered. “One more.”
“Bathroom.”
“Can you walk there?”
Justin nodded and fought to free himself from the cocoon of duvets and blankets.
“Hold on.” Brian pushed them aside and helped him sit up. “Christ, you’re burning up.”
“Fever.”
“Your clothes are damp. We have to get you out of them.”
“I feel gross.”
“You have looked hotter,” Brian agreed and put an arm around him for support. “Okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Justin gripped Brian’s hand as they slowly made their way to the bathroom. He did a quick job of untying his trousers and stared at Brian who was leaning against the wall. “Would you please leave?”
“Just piss so we can get you back to bed.”
Justin frowned and pointed at the door. Brian gave a dramatic sigh as he stepped outside and only returned when the toilet flushed. Justin glanced in the mirror and grunted at his sweaty hair and red face. He looked longingly at the shower, then at Brian.
“Can you handle it?” Brian asked.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Brian undressed and stepped into the shower. He turned the water on and took Justin’s arm. “Hold onto me.” He reached for the soap and ran it over Justin’s shoulders and down his chest. “Still okay?”
“I’m fine. It feels nice.” Justin leaned against the tiles and closed his eyes. “Your hands are really strong.”
“Don’t get any ideas. I’m not fucking you in here.” Brian had expected some sort of protest but none came. “God, you really are sick, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been better. I haven’t...” Justin’s voice was so quiet Brian could hardly hear him.
“You haven’t what?”
“It’s stupid.”
“I’m sure it is, but tell me anyway.”
“It’s the first time I’ve been sick since my parents kicked me out.” God, he sounded like a ten year old. He held his breath and waited for Brian to make fun of him. He wouldn’t put up a fight, though. Not tonight.
Brian rested his chin on Justin’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine.” He soaped Justin’s back down to his ass, then kneeled in front of him, kissing his stomach as he washed his legs.
“Brian?” Michael walked up the stairs to his room. Something was wrong. Brian had been up there too long. “Brian?” He stared at the empty bed, heard the shower running, and noticed Brian’s clothes in a heap on the floor. He’d promised! He was about to leave when he heard Brian’s voice.
“Lift your foot a little. Now the other one.”
What the hell were they doing in there?
“Okay, you’re squeaky clean. Want me to wash your hair?”
“Yes, please.”
“You’re not going to faint or anything?”
“No.” Justin coughed. “I don’t think so.”
“Lean against me and fucking tell me if you’re going to fall.”
“Yes, sir.” Justin giggled when Brian smacked his ass.
Michael quietly left and returned to the living room.
“Was Justin awake?” Deb asked.
“Yeah. Brian’s helping him take a shower.” He looked around and met everyone’s surprised expressions. “I guess Justin will feel better when he’s clean.”
“Oh, of course!” Lindsay agreed and started a long monologue about the last time she’d had a fever and how a shower made her feel like a new person.
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Brian fastened a towel around his waist, handed one to Justin and told him to sit on the toilet lid. “Wait here. I’ll change the sheets and open the window for a minute. You could use some fresh air in there.”
“Freezing.” Justin’s teeth chattered as he hurried back to his room.
Brian waited for him to lie down and wrapped the comforter around his shivering body, relieved when the blue lips turned to light pink. “Feeling better?”
“I’m hungry.”
Brian pulled on his clothes and sat by the bed. He reached for the plate. “Want more bread?” He broke off a piece and soaked it in the sauce. “You have to eat to get your strength back so I can fuck you again.”
They painstakingly made their way through a slice and had just started on the second one when Lindsay and Mel joined them.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Lindsay asked.
Brian turned to them. “Get out! You don’t want Gus to catch this.”
“He’s in the kitchen with Vic.”
“Doesn’t matter. You might get it and give it to him.”
Mel tugged at Lindsay’s sleeve. “He’s right, honey.”
“Bye, Justin. Get well soon!”
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“Is there more bread?” Justin looked at the plate in Brian’s lap.
“No.”
“I’d love a milkshake. It would be cold and sweet and feel amazing going down my throat.”
“Are you getting a hard-on thinking about a milkshake?”
“I think my hard-on is long gone. It’s dead.”
“I’m sure it’ll come back to life when you do.”
“It would be a terrible loss for you if it didn’t.”
Brian huffed out a laugh. “I think I’d find a way to deal with the situation.”
“Don’t count on it.” Justin grabbed Brian’s hand and pulled him onto the bed. “Will you leave if I take a nap?”
“I need a smoke.”
“It’s bad for your lungs, and it might make you impotent,” Justin mumbled before falling asleep with his arm around Brian’s hips.
Brian lay still until he was sure Justin wouldn’t wake up when he moved. When he finally stood up, his shirt was soaking wet from Justin’s newly washed hair.
“How is he?” Deb asked when Brian joined them in the kitchen.
“He’s hungry but he can hardly swallow anything.”
“I’ll make him soup.”
“Or bouillon,” Vic suggested.
“He wants a milkshake.” Brian put on his jacket. “I’ll go get one for him.”
“Don’t be silly. We’ll make him one!” Deb took out a mixer and waited for Vic to find the ice cream in the freezer.
“Did Michael leave with Ted?”
“Yep. And by the way, he walked in on you two showering.”
“We didn’t fuck.”
“He knows.”
Brian fiddled with the zipper on his jacket. “I changed Justin’s sheets and put them in the washer.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Deb hugged him tightly. “You’re a great kid.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“Are you leaving for the night?”
“Just going out for a smoke. I’ll take the milkshake up to him.” Brian squeezed Vic’s shoulder. “You have to be careful not to catch whatever the fuck he has.”
Deb held back the tears, once again reminded of how much Brian cared for them.
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Justin felt a surge of happiness when he woke up. Brian had stayed the whole night! He snuggled closer to him and peered at the clock on the nightstand. “Shit! Brian, wake up.”
“Huh?”
“You’re gonna be late for work.”
Brian pushed him away and sat up, only to fall back onto the bed.
“What?”
Brian took a hold of the mattress and scowled. “The room is spinning.”
“Oh, the same thing happened to me yesterday morning.”
“You don’t say.” Brian’s voice was barely audible.
Justin brushed Brian’s sweaty bangs from his forehead. “Want me to get you anything?”
“You’ve given me plenty.”
“I think I’m almost back to normal. My throat feels okay and my fever must be gone because I’m not freezing or hot.”
“I’m fucking ecstatic for you.” Brian gingerly sat up and whimpered. His head throbbed like it was about to explode. “Painkillers,” he murmured.
“Coming right up!” Justin rushed to the desk and took a pill from the bottle. He hurried into the bathroom for a glass of water and returned to Brian. “Here you go.”
Brian winced when he swallowed it. “Wake me in thirty minutes.”
“Aren’t you going to call in sick?”
“I’m not sick.”
“Okay. Whatever.” Justin lay down next to him and picked up a comic book from under the bed. When Brian coughed in his sleep and slung a long leg over his, Justin pecked his cheek and burrowed into his pillow. He kept an eye on the time and after half an hour, shook Brian’s shoulder gently. “Feeling better?”
“The walls have stopped spinning.”
“They might start again when you least expect them to. You probably shouldn’t drive today, just in case.”
“I need a shower.” Brian stumbled as he leaned over to pick up his clothes from the floor. Finally admitting defeat, he managed to find the phone in his jeans pocket and called Cynthia. “Cancel my meetings,” he whispered when she answered. “I know! Believe me, I would love to make a presentation instead of being stuck here.” He noticed Justin’s pout and rolled his eyes at him. “No, I won’t be checking emails. I’m barely alive.” He hung up and crawled back to bed. “Is that one of Mikey’s old comics?”
“Please don’t tell him. I’m really careful with them.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
Justin kissed his lips. “Are you hungry?”
“Ugh, no.”
“I could eat.”
“What’s stopping you?” Brian wiggled his arm under Justin’s shoulders and drew him even closer. Moments later he’d fallen asleep.
Justin put away the comic book and snuggled against him, listening to his breathing until he drifted off. He woke again when Brian threw the comforter off them and pushed him away.
“I’m burning up,” he gasped.
“I’ll get the meds.”
“Give me four.” Brian held out his hand.
“One.”
“Three.”
“Two.” Justin handed him the pills and watched as he struggled to swallow them. “I’m sorry you got sick too.” Sensing that Brian was about to launch into a rant against apologies, he rolled out of the bed. “I really need to eat something.”
“Justin.” Brian cursed when he didn’t get an answer. He picked up a book from the floor and hurled it at Justin’s back to get his attention.
“Ouch!”
“Coffee,” Brian wheezed.
“Well, since you asked so nicely.”
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“Sunshine! Are you feeling better?”
“Hi Deb! My fever is down and I’m not coughing as much. But Brian got sick during the night, though. He’s kind of whiny.”
“Is he still up there?”
“Yeah. He wanted me to tell you to stay the hell away, that he’s not some little kid you have to nurse, and he’ll leave as soon as he can stand up.”
Deb grinned at Vic. “He’s adorable. I’ll make him something to eat.”
“He wants coffee.”
“Vic, make him an egg white omelette.”
“I don’t think he’ll be able to eat it,” Justin said.
“I’ll make it anyway.”
As soon as Justin returned, Brian sat up. “What the hell happened to you?”
Justin placed the tray of food on the desk. “They kind of went overboard with the food.”
“I expected nothing less.”
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When Debbie called Michael to let him know Brian was sick, he cancelled his lunch plans with Ted and swung by the diner to pick up a chicken sandwich for Brian. Once inside the house, he stopped in his tracks when he heard Justin’s voice coming from the bedroom. Considering how sick he’d been the day before, it wasn’t surprising to find him there. Michael peeked in the room and saw the mess of tangled sheets on the bed. He inhaled sharply when he noticed one of his comics on the floor.
Justin’s fingers weaved through Brian’s hair. “Need another painkiller?”
“Yes.” Brian pulled up the covers and rested his head against Justin’s chest.
“Here.” Justin held out a pill in front of his mouth.
“Come on. You’ve seen the amount of drugs I take on a Saturday night. What makes you think I can’t handle a handful of those? Give me at least five more.”
“Taking too many painkillers can severely—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. We went through this hours ago, remember?”
“Then why do you ask?” He handed Brian the water bottle and returned to his sketchbook.
Brian tossed the empty bottle in the trash can and curled up next to Justin. “Who are you drawing?”
“Molly.”
“You’re so fucking talented.”
“Thanks,” Justin whispered and kissed him. “Try and get some sleep.”
Michael swallowed hard and turned away. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Deb took him in her arms and hugged him tightly. He let her hold him for a moment, then waved goodbye to Vic before walking out the door and down the street.