“Because Zef is being precious, and you know Toni can’t handle that,” Gem said as Toni nodded miserably.
When dinner was ready, they all sat outside in the garden as Zef proudly showed off the human flowers they had planted and cultivated with Bryce. Gem and Rusty told everyone about their vacation renting a cabin in the Wrath mountains, and Jude announced that he’d officially been hired by an architecture firm in Greed.
“I’m gonna be his trophy husband,” Toni said proudly.
“Still not marrying you,” Jude said, not unkindly.
Unperturbed, Toni leaned in and kissed him, whispering, “I’ll wear you down eventually,” against his lips.
“When are you two heading to Montana?” Oliver asked, and Bryce perked up immediately, straightening his anti-migraine glasses on his nose.
“Two more weeks. I’m so excited. Our mare is hopefully going to foal while we’re there—”
“Which I am very excited to observe,” Zef interjected.
“—and we’ll watch the Fourth of July fireworks show, and Zef wants to go to Catholic mass with my parents.” His excitement waned slightly. “I think it’s boring, but I don’t mind going if you want to.”
“I am curious to experience one of your religious rituals,” they said, and Bryce shrugged and splayed his hands at the others.
“Well, there you have it. I guess we’re going to church.”
“Gross,” Jude muttered under his breath.
“If you see my parents while you’re there, give them a hug from me,” Oliver said.
“And give Nan a hug from me!” Gem added.
Zef adjusted their wide-brimmed hat when they felt the prodding of the vines slithering over the top. “We shall pass on all appropriate greetings and affections, though I shall leave the physical embraces to Bryce.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I got you covered,” Bryce drawled as he playfully tugged on their hair, making Gem and Toni simper embarrassingly.
The evening was still young when Bryce, who had grown more and more subdued, excused himself and went back inside. Under the guise of refilling everyone’s drinks, Zef followed him a few minutes later. He was not in the kitchen or living room, but the bathroom door was ajar. Through the crack, they watched him throw two pills back and chase them with water.
“Are you getting a migraine?” they asked, and he startled but didn’t turn.
Meeting their gaze in the mirror, he swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, I felt it start to creep up when we went outside, but I thought the glasses would keep it at bay.”
They could see the strain already in the tightness around his eyes and between his brows. As he stepped out of the bathroom, they smoothed a thumb over his forehead, then cupped his cheek. He nuzzled their palm and sighed.
“Can I do anything?” they asked, and he shook his head.
“I’m just gonna go lay down. Maybe I can fall asleep before it hits too hard.”
Following him to his bedroom, they pulled back his sheets and fluffed his pillow, wishing they could aid him in some substantial way, hating that they could not. They heard the clink of his belt and the rustle of his jeans falling to the floor, but they kept their back to him. Of course he would not want to sleep in his jeans, but the ease in which he undressed with them in the room made their wings flutter anxiously.
He crawled into bed in his undershirt and underpants, and they tucked him in, rubbing his shoulder and arm in comfort. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“Thanks, Zef,” he said with a wan smile.
They ran a hand through his hair before they took their leave, shutting the door quietly behind them. Back in the kitchen, they gathered drinks for their friends and rejoined the group in the backyard.
“Bryce is getting a migraine, so he went to bed,” they announced. “Please keep the volume controlled so as not to make it worse for him.”
“Does he get those a lot?” Oliver asked, and Zef see-sawed a hand.
“It is not uncommon. I think with the end of the semester coming, he is studying more and feeling a higher level of stress, which affects his sleep.”
“My mom got migraines,” Jude said as he typed on his phone. “She used this cooling mask thing that you keep in the freezer and then wear on your head. It doesn’t fix it, but it helps.”
