“Shower?” Taylor asked.
Fletcher nodded. “Me first, handsome. Take care of these sheets before Mommy Gretch comes down to do your laundry,” he joked.
“Oh my God, Armstrong. I told you I do my own laundry. I’m a grown man!” Taylor protested.
Fletcher slipped back into his jeans from last night before grabbing the change of clothes he packed in his backpack and heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower. He really wished Taylor was the one in here cleaning him, but for the sake of keeping up appearances he knew they needed to shower separately and make it seem like they slept in separate beds last night.
He threw on some clean clothes after toweling off, gave Taylor a kiss and a friendly grope before heading upstairs.
* * *
“Why wasn’t I invited to the sleepover?” Cap immediately asked as Fletcher came and joined them in the kitchen. Gretchen handed him a bowl and pointed him in the direction of cereal, opting for some Cheerios.
“Because your scary wife said no,” Fletcher joked. Gretchen shrugged and nodded in agreement.
“He needs to help me pee,” she explained casually, pointing to her baby bump. She was already fully dressed with a full face of makeup. Cap was still in his pajamas. Red flannel pants and a black T-shirt that read “I’m Too Pregnant for This,” that Taylor bought him as a joke.
“Last day of work until I’m officially retired!” Gretchen announced to everyone. Marina and Caleb both cheered.
“Wow! Retirement already? You look pretty good for your age,” Taylor joked as he walked into the kitchen with wet hair. He looked too good, Fletcher thought.
Gretchen sent him a death glare as Taylor filled a bowl of cereal with strawberry Special K and took a seat across from Fletcher.
“I told Mommy and Papa that we were really good,” Marina told him.
“And I told Marina that I wasn’t so sure about that. I saw the two of them sneak candy from the pantry before you guys came back upstairs,” Gretchen said.
Taylor’s spoon clanked against the ceramic bowl as it fell out of his hand. Fletcher watched as he flickered his eyes to Gretchen with horror and dread evident in his eyes. The blood drained from Fletcher’s face as it all suddenly clicked in his mind.
“You…saw?” Taylor choked out, sounding like he had been the one who got caught stealing candy.
Cap cleared his throat. “We have cameras downstairs,” he said with a hint of conviction in his tone. “Cause of the time when Caleb broke the sliding glass door and we thought there had been a break-in.”
Taylor was frozen as he stared at Cap with a look of pure guilt on his face.
“Kids, let’s go. Your grandparents will be here to take you guys to the zoo,” Gretchen said abruptly. Marina and Caleb got up from the table and put their empty bowls in the dishwasher, clearly unaware of Taylor who looked like he had seen a ghost.
After Gretchen and the kids went upstairs, Cap looked at Taylor and Fletcher and shook his head with a knowing smirk. “You two are fucking idiots.”
Taylor was still frozen in place as Cap sat down at the end of the table beside them.
“Taylor, son. Take a deep breath. You need to breathe. Youlook like you’re about to pass out.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. They were fucking screwed.
“Taylor,” Fletcher said quietly, growing concerned about the fact that he did indeed look like he was about to pass out. When he still didn’t move, Fletcher stood up and let out a scoff as he walked around the table and put an arm on Taylor’s shoulder. Cap seemingly gave him a look of approval. “Babe,” Fletcher said a little more sternly.
Cap reached over and put the back of his hand on Taylor’s cheek before cursing to himself and standing up. “He’s clammy. I’ll get an ice pack,” he quickly said. Fletcher used his foot to pull Taylor’s chair out from the table. Cap handed him an ice pack and Fletcher held it to the back of Taylor’s neck.
It must’ve done something to shock Taylor’s system because he finally blinked, causing a singular tear to fall down his cheek.
“Fuck, Taylor. Hey man, it’s okay,” Fletcher assured him.
Taylor let out a deep breath. “I’m okay,” he told them. He reached up to place his hand over the one Fletcher still had on his shoulder and let out a deep sigh.
“How long?” Cap asked him calmly.
Taylor gulped as he looked at him. He wrapped a finger around Fletcher’s finger. “Since the beginning of May,” he answered, sounding a little unsure. Fletcher nodded at Cap.
