tarotgal

Part 17

As it turned out, they did all three fit into the hotel’s shower at the same time. They also discovered that it was just as uncomfortable and technically difficult as Troy had claimed it would be. David ended up dragging Lucas out so that Troy could get the spray to himself for a little while and actually get clean. Then David wrapped Troy in a bathrobe and towel and held him while Lucas showered, until it was time for them to switch.

They changed and emerged from the bathroom just in time to hear a few bars of Queen’s “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy.” Troy dove for some clothes on the floor, rooting around through them to find his cell phone before Freddie Mercury’s voice cut off. He swiped his finger across the screen in a sort of looping pattern, pressed a button, and then relaxed to see an apparently familiar face fill the screen. “Oh, thank God. I was afraid I was going to miss the call.”

“You nearly did,” said the man on the other end of what was apparently a Facetime call, on speakerphone loud enough for both David and Lucas to hear. “I thought I might have my time zones wrong. Thought I might be calling in the middle of the night.”

“No, no. It’s morning.” Troy glanced over at David and Lucas for confirmation. Lucas checked his watch and nodded. Then his eyes widened and he dropped to the floor to start his morning workout routine before he completely ran out of morning to do it in. He went through the preliminary stretches, but still listened in intently as he moved on from them to push-ups.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t call sooner. I kept running late at work and when I was free it was, like, 4 o’clock am your time and then I’d get pulled away…” There was a sigh. “It’s no excuse, but I really am sorry.”

“It’s okay, luv.”

Lucas stopped in the middle of a push-up to look up at David, whose eyebrows were similarly raised. Love?

“How are you feeling? Still full of cold and completely miserable, I expect? Did you finally find some medicine that worked?”

“Yeah, I did. And I found two guys to take good care of me.”

On the other side of the room, David choked and tried to cover it with a cough. Lucas stood up and clapped him on the back, as if that could expel the surprise the same way as an improperly swallowed bit of food.

“The ones you mentioned in the last call?”

“Yeah.” Troy glanced back in their direction, smiling.

“Wait, are they with you right now?” Troy nodded. “Then hold your mobile up. I want to see.”

“Marcus…”

“Ah-ah. That’s an order.”

Troy did as he was told, turning around and extending his arm, aiming his phone at David and Lucas for a few beats. When he pulled it back, the man on the screen was nodding approvingly. “Good-looking blokes. Were you right about them?”

Sheepishly, Troy answered, “Yeah.”

“You have fun, mate?”

Troy grinned, glancing back at them again. “Oh yeah.”

“I’m glad… hey, are you trying not to sneeze?”

Troy had a finger pressed to the side of his nose, and his eyes were distant, unfocused. “Um…”

“Just let it out.”

Troy nodded obediently, raising his arm and aiming into the sleeve of the bathrobe. “huhh-URSHshooo! Hah-EHXXshhhhhhh!”

“Bless you!” chimed Marcus on the phone while David nervously held his tongue, as much as that hurt him to do.

“Thanks. Sniff!”

“Bet you’re looking forward to being back home after all this.”

Troy nodded. “Definitely.”

“Do you have some cough drops to suck on to relieve the pressure in your ears on the plane?”

With a smile, Troy replied, “They bought me five different flavors, apparently.”

“Well, that’s good. And do you have a ride home from Heathrow?”

“Yeah, yeah. Mick’s picking me up.”

“Good man. All right. Drop me a line to let me know you reached home safe.”

“I will, luv.”

“You promise?”

Troy’s cheeks flushed just a little, maybe not enough to be picked up by the camera phone, even. But Lucas and David noticed. “Yeah, I promise. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Troy pressed a few buttons on his phone then tossed it onto the bed. “Marcus gets a little overprotective and worried about me when I’m traveling,” Troy tried to explain. Then he turned, pointing a finger at David. “I’m pretty sure you owe me a ‘God bless you, baby.’”

Lucas dropped to the floor, resuming his push-ups as he held back his laughter. Self-consciously, David averted his gaze, looking down at his husband. “God bless you, baby.”

“That’s better.” Troy waited until David lifted his head to look at him once more before adding. “I’m going to miss that.” Troy walked over to the nightstand where the room service menu lay. “What do you say we order breakfast in? My treat this time. That way Lucas can get his morning exercises in, and we can put off braving the real world for just a little while longer.”

Though they all knew their time together would end, no matter what attempts they made to ignore it, all three of them were happy for an excuse to stay here in their little bubble. A warm breakfast in their bellies would surely make saying their goodbyes easier.