tarotgal

Part 7

David prepared Troy’s tea first, letting it steep for the longest. He didn’t really need the other two cups to be very strong. In fact, he wasn’t even expecting to finish his off. Warm tea always made him feel soothed and a little drowsy, even if it was pumped with caffeine. By the time all three cups were ready, David turned to find that Lucas had fallen asleep. So much for them taking shifts to watch over Troy tonight. David could hardly blame him, though; Lucas had had a physically exhausting day. He was surprised Lucas had made it as long as he had already, honestly.

Carrying the hot, steaming mugs over just as he had carried the glasses of water not a day ago, David walked over to the bed and placed them on the nightstand carefully, not spilling a drop. He handed the one with the teabag and spoon still in it to Troy. “I know you Englishmen probably think it’s a sin to keep the teabag in while you drink, but the longer this steeps, the better it works. It’ll coat your throat and help with the coughing. So drink it slowly to let it work its magic.”

David paused, looking down at Lucas. “I see my husband passed out the second I had my back turned. Poor baby.” David walked around the bed and leaned over, giving Lucas a soft kiss. Unlike a princess in a fairy tale, his eyelids did not flutter and he did not dramatically come awake. David really hadn’t expected that to work.

“eh-hehhhhh…”

With a startled “Ooop!” David came around the bed again. He took Troy’s mug, swapping it for a tissue from the box.

Troy’s face turned upwards, and he held the tissue up as well, a few inches away. His mouth dropped open and his eyes closed. “HUHShoooo! HEHPTchooo!”

“God bless you, baby,” David reached down and ran his hand over Troy’s head, stroking the back comfortingly.

“Bless you,” Lucas murmured, finally opening his eyes. He rubbed his knuckles at his eyes and pushed off from the bed, sitting himself up a little straighter. “S-sorry. Think I… nodded off a second.” He still didn’t sound completely awake. He shook himself and looked over at David. “Is the tea ready?”

“It is. It’s probably cooled off enough to drink by now, too.” David handed Troy back his cup before reaching past and handing Lucas his. The two were easy to tell apart; Troy’s herbal tea was a beautiful chestnut shade of brown while Lucas’ and David’s were darker black teas. As they all sipped from their mugs at virtually the same time, silence fell over the hotel room. Troy sniffled a little, and the sound punctured the silence with a stronger meaning than it might have ordinarily. David sat down on the edge of the bed but angled so he could see both men more easily. The tea was pretty weak, but it was nice and warm and comforting. He hoped the others thought so, too.

“heh! Sor-ehh!”

“Don’t apologize,” David said, taking Troy’s mug from him. “You’ve got a cold. You can’t exactly help needing to sneeze. And there are plenty of tissues.”

Troy needed them. He pressed three to his nose as he panted into them. “ehhh have to hehh Heh-EPTshfffff!” He paused for a second, gasping for breath, and David was about to bless him. But then Troy held up a finger indicating he wasn’t done yet. “eh-yehhh… ehhhhh… hehh Hah-EHKtchooo! Hehtchoo! Hihhshoo-Kshoo! Hehh-EHHshuhh! Hihhkshuhhh! Hhhh… ehhhh IHPTshuhhhhhh!” Desperately, he clamped the tissues around his nose and blew repeatedly until the terrible, wet gurgle went dry-ish. Then he coughed and lowered the tissues, seeming exhausted. “Excuse be.”

Lucas clapped, impressed, and David rubbed his arm. “God bless you, baby! That was… is that the kind of sneezing you’ve been doing all evening?”

“Yeah. Sniff!”

“Well no wonder you can’t sleep. You poor thing.” Troy gave a little shrug and another sniffle. David kept rubbing his arm. “The medicine’s got a decongestant and will help with that. And the tea should help you sleep. While you rest, your body can fight off this bug. You’ll feel better soon.”

“Sniff!” Troy lifted the tissues again to rub at his nose. “I already feel better.”

It was incredible how good that felt. David’s whole body tingled with pleasure at the idea that this man felt better thanks to him. He felt hot and raw and excited. And he wanted more, but he knew that three in the morning wasn’t the best time to have a discussion. He had to hold back. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have to stop helping. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.” David reached down and took the bunch of used tissues. He got up and dropped them in the little trash can, which was nearly full of them already. So he got the other little trash can from the bathroom and brought it over to the bed.

At the same time, Lucas got up. At David’s questioning look, Lucas explained, “I think the caffeine is kicking in. I’m feeling a little jittery and restless now. I thought I’d clean up, if you don’t mind.”

David didn’t mind at all. He took his spot on the bed back from Lucas and settled in. He drained the last of his own tea and set the mug on the nightstand, where it was scooped up almost immediately by Lucas and taken over to the counter where the coffee maker was. Lucas watched his husband go from one place to another in the room, picking up whatever was on the floor or any flat surface and finding a place for it. It seemed like Lucas had gotten his second wind.

The moment Troy finished drinking his tea, Lucas was there to collect his mug. Troy sniffed and thanked him. But, as he settled back against his pillows, trying to get comfortable again, he gave a little shiver.

David couldn’t help but notice. “Are you cold, baby?” He only had one blanket tucked around his waist.

“Just a little bit.”

David stroked his head and called out. “Lucas, baby, would you fill up the hot water bottle?”

“I’m on it!” Lucas called from the bathroom, the tap already running. David was never going to get tired of Lucas knowing him so well he could practically read his mind. What they had was so strong and so special. David couldn’t imagine having that kind of connection with anyone else, and before meeting Troy, he couldn’t have imagined sharing it either. He had no idea why this felt as right as it did, but he just couldn’t help wanting to fuss over the man and feeling so hot and worked up when he succeeded.

Lucas returned with the hot water bottle in hand, drying it off from the skin on his t-shirt before handing it to Troy. “There’s that. And I can do you one better.” Lucas flopped down onto the bed right alongside Troy. “I’ve got plenty of body warmth.”

Troy laughed as he hugged the red, hot water bottle to his chest. “Snff! Okay, I just gotta ask. What exactly is goidg od here? ‘Cause sniff all this,” he lifted a finger into the air above his head and made a circular motion with it. “This is dot dorbal.”

David reached down and hit Lucas’ shoulder. It wasn’t hard, and his hand glanced off, but it was enough to get Lucas’ attention. “Great. You just had to go and lie down next to him?”

Lying on his chest, Lucas pushed himself up onto his forearms to look up at David. “Well, what about you and all your ‘baby’ing?”

“It’s an instinctual reaction. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know that, but it’s not exactly ‘normal’ is it?” He lifted one of his hands, and did air quotes around the word.

David had never promised normal, but the fault here wasn’t just his. “It’s not like you were subtle about things either. You nearly put your arm around him just now.”

“Didn’t though.”

“I saw it twitch! Anyhow, now he thinks we’re creepy.”

“I did’t say that.”

David had almost forgotten Troy was right there, and from the startled look on his face, so had Lucas. Lucas quickly scrambled off the bed and David sighed, pulling back a little, trying to give Troy a little space. “I’m sorry, Troy. We’re both so sorry.”

Troy sniffed. “Add I’b codfused. I exbect guys I just beet to be dice add friedly. They dod’t usually sduggle ub to be or bagically dow when I have to sdeeze add hold tissues to by dose. Whatever this is goes way beyod beidg dice add friedly. So either this is sobe fetish I’ve dever heard of add all this turds you od or you two wadt be to joid you id a three-way. Which is it?”

David and Lucas shared a look of surprise. Even though they had agreed to be honest with Troy, David found it hard to come up with the words. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Troy in any way; the poor guy was ill and tired and miserable. Twice David started to say something and stopped, feeling ashamed and embarrassed but then ultimately relieved when Lucas spoke up for them. “It’s both,” Lucas admitted. “And we were going to tell you when you felt better.”

David added, “It didn’t seem fair to throw all of this at you when we couldn’t do anything about it anyway. We’d never proposition you for sex when you feel ill. We don’t even make love when one of us isn’t well.”

“It’s true,” Lucas agreed. “So until you felt better, we thought we could be subtle about our feelings.”

Troy laughed. “This is you two beidg subtle?”

Lucas nodded. “On a scale of one to ten, we’re kind of at a three.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, maybe a three-point-five.”

Troy looked from one of them to the other and back again. And when he licked his lips, David thought that visual might make him die on the spot. He was tense and vulnerable in a way he’d only experienced once before, when he had told Lucas about his kink. The stakes were much different now, but the idea of ruining all of this and hurting Troy instead of helping him was almost too much to stand. “All right,” Troy said slowly. David’s heart raced. “You show be your ted od the scale, add I’ll show you by cock. How’s that?”

Neither man spoke. Neither could move.

“Breathe,” Troy reminded them, and both let out the breaths they hadn’t been aware they were holding. Troy rubbed at his nose, sniffing again. “Is this the first tibe you’ve thought about obedidg your relatiodshib to subode?”

They both nodded.

“Well, thed, I’b hodored. That’s a big decisiod.” He reached a hand out to Lucas. Lucas hesitated for a moment then walked forward and took it. Then he extended his other hand to David. David’s whole body trembled, but somehow he forced one foot forward followed by the next, until his legs were pressed against the side of the bed. When his hand took hold of Troy’s, his skin tingled. But where sitting next to Troy and touching him had felt so natural a moment ago, this felt sort of awkward and strange. And he could visibly see himself shaking, even as Troy squeezed his hand. “It’s okay,” Troy said to them both. “It’s dot by first tibe.”

David tried focused on Troy’s warm hand and his reassuring smile, trying to draw strength and reassurance from them. But the smile faltered, the corners of his mouth twitching downward, his eyelids dropping. At once, David felt more like himself again. Unhindered, he reached over to the tissue box and pulled one out, pressing it right to Troy’s nose for him just in time.

“ehHJJshhoophhh!”

David’s voice broke as he replied on instinct, “God bless you, baby.”

Troy opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on David then nuzzling his face into the tissue and David’s hand. David gasped as the unexpected but nonetheless welcome sensation caused a rush of arousal to wash over him.

Pulling back, Troy smiled and squeezed David’s hand, then released it. “Ah. So you’re the one with the kidk. That bakes sedse.” Then he squeezed Lucas’ hand again. “Add you’re the ode who likes seeig what your guy cad do.” Instead of releasing Lucas, he gave a tug and pulled Lucas back onto the bed with him, face-down. He moved his body close. “You also like all this a bit bore thad you’re willig to adbit, huh?” He nuzzled at Lucas’ armpit then dove under Lucas’ arm. “Go ahead and hold me. I want to feel your strodg arbs aroud be. I wadt your warbth.”At once, Lucas slung his arm over Troy’s body and held tight. From that position, Troy looked up at David and sniffled. “I wadt your tissues. Add I wadt your care so I cad feel well edough to fuck the two of you.”

Still feeling raw, exposed, and aroused, David was amazed his reply came so easily. “Keep this up, baby, and I’m going to want a shower pretty soon.”

Troy grinned. “Cobe joid us id bed.”

He almost did just that, moving toward the bed, but then pulling back again. “No.” David looked down at the two of them, lying across the bed. His husband’s arm was wrapped around another man, and he wondered why he didn’t feel the least bit threatened by it. Both Lucas and Troy looked up at him now, though. Troy looked confused and Lucas wore a ‘what the fuck?’ expression, looking like he might kill David for refusing. “If we’re going to do this, I think we should do it properly. Everybody, get up for a few minutes so I can make the bed.”

Lucas’ displeasure softened into understanding.

He met Lucas’ gaze. “You keep hold of him, okay? Keep him warm.” Somehow, Lucas had become an extension of David, providing the care in David’s place when needed.

So Lucas nodded, smiling. “I love you,” Lucas said.

“I love you, too,” David replied.

“hehIHHShuhhhhh!” Troy sneezed.

David blessed him and handed him a tissue before getting straight to work making the bed. He smoothed out the sheets, stacked the pillows, and tucked in the blankets and comforter. Everything looked neat, crisp, and appealing. When it was all set, Lucas began shuffling them over, but David held out his hand. “Wait! Just a few last…” On the nightstand, he put a bottle of water, plugged his phone in, and placed the box of tissues. Then he went over to the table, where Lucas had unpacked their purchases from earlier that day. He rooted around among them and carried something concealed in his fist back to the bed. Feeling both silly and quite proud of himself, he placed a cough drop instead of a chocolate on each of the three top pillows.

“This is David getting a little bit closer to ten,” Lucas informed Troy, who chuckled.

“You dod’t see be coblaidig, do you?” He snuggled back into Lucas’ embrace.

Lucas kissed the back of Troy’s head. “C’mon,” he urged, nudging the man forward toward the bed again. Troy crawled under the covers, getting right in the middle of the bed. Both David and Lucas stripped out of their shirts and jeans, leaving them to get in wearing just their underwear.

And, for the first time since all this had begun, David felt a little self-conscious. He wasn’t nearly as built and muscular as Lucas was. Plus, his arousal was impossible to miss. He hoped Troy didn’t take it the wrong way, as an indication that David wanted to fool around tonight. He just couldn’t turn his kink off around Troy, and taking care of him felt almost as good to him as taking care of Lucas did. Quickly, he slid under the covers and busied himself collecting the cough drops so they didn’t find one stuck in their hair the next morning.

“Hey,” Troy said, catching David’s attention. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

David nodded, though he didn’t feel all right any more. He was going to embarrass himself and fuck this up and Lucas was going to blame him for ruining something that might have been amazing and that would destroy his marriage and he was going to be devastated to have not been able to help more… his breath was racing, his heart was pounding, his chest was tightening. Was he having the beginnings of a panic attack? He hadn’t had one of those in years. Shit, he couldn’t even remember what he was supposed to do when he had one.

“Lucas,” Troy said. “Give your husbad a kiss before he falls abart od us.”

The mattress dipped as Lucas knelt on the other side of the bed, leaning over Troy and catching David’s cheeks in his hands. Even though he couldn’t catch his breath, Lucas didn’t hesitate to press a firm kiss to his lips. The sensation was so familiar and comforting it slowed down the jumble of thoughts in David’s mind and eased his worries. And just when David expected Lucas to pull out of the kiss, instead he deepened it. His tongue lapped at David’s mouth, and David felt himself transported, transformed, relaxed. His eyes closed. And he kissed back just as passionately.

The kiss seemed to last for days, both of them with extreme fatigue and caffeine and emotions running high. They clung to the simplicity of what they knew and what they knew worked.

When they finally pulled back, David’s breathing was ragged, but his heartbeat was starting to dip back down into the normal range again. He felt as if he could have kept on kissing his man all night, though.

“Fuck,” whispered Troy, and both David and Lucas looked down at him, forgetting he was lying in-between them in bed still. “Well, that was hot. Wish I… wish I felt well edough to… to…” He tried his best to hold back a small fit of coughs so he wouldn’t ruin the moment, his body shaking with the force of them. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and he lifted his arm, burying the lower half of his face in his sleeve. He coughed wetly and for much longer than he had before.

When the coughing finally subsided, David wiped the tears away with his thumb and then helped Troy blow his nose. “Do you want a few sips of water?” Troy nodded, and David helped him sit up to swallow. Then he eased Troy back down again.

David and Lucas knelt on the bed on either side of Troy, the covers half up. Neither was sure how to proceed.

Troy couldn’t help but notice. “After all this, are you guys gettidg cold feet?”

“No,” David said.

At the same time, Lucas replied, “Definitely not.”

“I bead, cad’t say I’d blabe you.” He coughed again. “I’b dot exactly a catch right dow.”

“That’s not it at all,” David said, brushing the backs of his fingers lightly against Troy’s cheek. “We’re so into you. I think we’ve established that pretty well already.”

He looked over at Lucas, who gave him a decisive nod before trying to explain. “We’re just not sure how to… do this.”

Troy opened one eye. “You guys dod’t sleeb? Well, that exblaids a lot about todight.”

“Listen to him, trying to be funny after all this.” Lucas gave Troy’s arm a playful, light punch on the arm. “We’ve just never slept with someone else. Why don’t you just tell us how you want us? The whole point is to get you comfortable enough to sleep.”

Both eyes closed again, Troy yawned powerfully. David felt relief at the sight, knowing that Troy was already getting sleepy. “All right,” he agreed.

And that was how Lucas ended up on his side, big spoon against Troy’s back. His arm wrapped around Troy from behind, hugging tightly. David lay on his side in front of Troy, in-between him and the tissue box he could easily reach when needed. Because it was still needed frequently, David kept a few tissues in his hand.

“hehh… ehhhh… ehIHGshphhhhh!”

David applied pressure and wiped his nose for him. Then he balled up the tissue and tossed it over the side of the bed. He knew he could clean that up in the morning. “God ble—” He stopped abruptly, raising another to Troy’s face in one swift movement.

“HAPTchhphhhh!”

This time, he waited a few more beats to make sure there were no more sneezes this time. Then he tried again, wiping and blessing.

“Thadgs. Snffff! Seebs I’ve got you right id the lide of fire. I abbologize if I accidedtally sdeeze od you at sobe boidt durig the dight.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, believe me.” He wiped again at Troy’s nose for him. “But I’ll do my best to catch your sneezes for you. You let me know if you need anything else.”

“I will.”

“You’d better.” He dared to move just a little closer and placed a gentle kiss on the bridge of Troy’s nose. Then David looked past Troy at Lucas lying there, snuggled up tight the way his instincts had been telling him to be all along. “You let me know if you need anything too, baby.”

“Just need sleep,” Lucas mumbled, face nuzzling into Troy’s blonde hair. “Goodnight, both of you.”

“Night,” David echoed.

“Gooddight,” said Troy, his voice slow and tired on top of being stuffy. “Add thadks.”

David reached over his shoulder and switched off the light.