I had to be dreaming. No way would Bran say something like that with such a tender tone. I was so happy, I wanted to cry. Brandon didn’t help matters at all when he climbed into the bed next to me. He pushed me upright so he could slide behind me. As soon as he was situated, I flopped back.
“Can you be a good boy and drink for me?” He lifted the cup, pressing the straw to my lips. “You’re going to get sicker if you don’t stay hydrated.”
I tried, really, I did, but it hurt so bad. “Can’t, Daddy. Hurts.”
“You need to, baby,” he urged me. I flopped against him and he slowly rocked me. “Do you want a regular cup? That might be easier than a straw.”
“Do we have popsicles?” The cold would feel good on my throat. “Jayden bought some for Chase. I bet he wouldn’t mind if I have one.”
Normally, everyone was careful to not eat other people’s food, but this was a good reason for an exception. Chase would be madder if I didn’t have one. Probably. “Yeah, I’ll get one and then pick more up after my last class. I’d skip, but this is the asshole professor.”
“I’ll be okay,” I reassured him. I curled up under the blankets again. My bones and muscles ached from shivering. Daddy sat there with me a bit longer, running the tips of his fingers along the length of my arm. I was almost asleep when he slipped out from behind me.
I was vaguely aware of the rest of the guys moving around in the suite, followed by Brandon telling them they were on their own for dinner tonight. Great, now they probably thought I was dying. I peeked my head out from under the covers when I heard the door open, smiling weakly when Bran came back with three popsicles.
“I wasn’t sure which color you wanted.” He ducked his chin. “Jay said he’d stop by on his way to the kitchen to grab the extras.”
Three popsicles would be better than one, but I couldn’t eat all of them before they melted. I pointed to the orange one and Brandon ripped open the top, pulling it back before handing it to me. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“You’re welcome.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “Baby, I really don’t like how hot you are.”
“I’ll be okay,” I repeated. I could practically hear the gears grinding in Brandon’s head. He was going into Daddy mode, fast and hard. But I needed him by me, not out in the kitchen. “Maybe you could pick up some soup on your way home? I don't want you making something special just for me.”
I swallowed hard because my throat hurt but that made it even worse. Maybe Brandon was right, and I needed to go to the doctor. But that meant bills. I didn't want my mom having to worry about anything if I could avoid it.
“Whatever you need,” Brandon promised me. Holy shit. Maybe I really was dying. Brandonneveragreed to takeout when he was perfectly capable of making something that would taste better himself. Brandon smoothed his hand over my sweat dampened forehead. I flinched away when he bent down to kiss me. “Matty, if you’ve been sick this whole time, I've already been exposed to whatever it is.”
That made me feel even more like a steaming pile of crap. If I’d told him sooner that I wasn't feeling well, he could have crashed in Jayden and Chase's room or on the couch. Now, this ticking time bomb was inside of him too, and if he got as sick as I felt, I wasn't sure I’d be able to forgive myself.
“Whatever you're thinking, stop it,” he demanded. “Am I upset that you didn't tell me how bad it was? Oh yeah, and you can be sure we’ll be talking about that once your healthy. But don't you for a single second think I'm irritated because I am afraid of catching whatever you have. That's just a normal part of life for couples. What pisses me off is you didn't tell me so I could take care of you sooner.”
“I'm sorry,” I apologized weakly.
Brandon pressed a finger to my lips. “I'm trying really hard here, Matty. But if you want me to be your Daddy, then you have to trust that I will always be here to take care of you. That means telling me when something’s wrong so I can fix it.”
He reached for the sippy cup I had tucked between the mattress and the wall. I made grabby hands when he wiggled it in front of me. “Even if it's something like your sippy. Don't hide things from me anymore. It's going to take some getting used to you, but I don't want you hiding away inside yourself just to make me comfortable. Got it?”
I nodded because the thought of trying to talk anymore made me cringe.
“I need to get going, but I’m going to let Chase know what’s going on. If you need anything, text him.” No way in hell was I going to invite Chase into this petri dish. It was bad enough my guilt had to deal with exposing Brandon, I wasn’t going to risk anyone else.
I rolled on my side and gave him a thumbs up. Brandon pulled the blankets up to my neck. “Try to get some sleep, baby. Daddy will be home as soon as possible.”
My eyes drifted closed and I fell asleep with a smile on my face, despite how crappy I felt.Daddywas trying to take care of me.
A little while later I felt the edge of the bed dip. Opening my eyes took way too much energy, so I sort of flopped my hand around until it rested on Daddy's knee. I hummed when the backs of his fingers brushed against my forehead. I was glad he was home. Since he refused to leave the room so he didn’t get sick, maybe I could get him to snuggle me until I got hot and sweaty and wanted him away.
“Jesus, Matt, your burning up.” I grunted. Why did everyone think they needed to tell me that? I was fully aware that I was sick. It took me longer than I cared to admit to realize that it wasn't Brandon gently combing his fingers through my hair.
I cracked one eye open enough to verify I wasn't hallucinating. “Chase? You shouldn't be in here. You're going to get sick like me.”
“It's not like you haven't been all over the suite breathing your germs onto everything already. Besides, what sort of friend would I be if I let you be sick and bored?” He reached over the edge of the bed and pulled up a paper bag. “When Brandon told us how yucky you're feeling, I thought you might want some things to keep you company.”
He started pulling crayons and coloring books and some little picture books out of the sack. These weren't things normal friends bought for a buddy. These were something special from Ash to Matty. If I wasn't dehydrated, I probably would have started crying. It was the sweetest thing anyone had done for me.
“I always want to be little when I don't feel good,” Chase explained. “I thought maybe you were the same. If you don’t want them, it’s okay. You won’t hurt my feelings. I know not everyone is just like me.”
“I'm not sure what I am,” I croaked out. Chase held a finger in front of his lips, silently suggesting that I not talk too much right now. That was probably a good idea. Talking really hurt.
