Sick

            When Keiran woke, Lee wasn’t beside him. He sat up, momentarily disoriented     until he placed himself—the guest bedroom at Ben and Eli’s house. He caught his breath, shaking his head as he slid out of bed, shivering in the early morning cold. He toed into slippers and sought out one of Lee’s sweaters before he went in search of him.

            It was still early, and although Lee was an early riser he hadn’t thought he’d be up this early, especially when on holidays. And in someone else’s house. Keiran would have been perfectly content to stay in bed until sometime past noon if he could. It wasn’t as if his lover had to make breakfast or anything. He crept past the master bedroom, glancing inside when he saw that the door was open. Neither Ben nor Eli were in there, and he had a nagging feeling that maybe everybody had already been awake for hours and had left him sleeping.

            He heard sounds coming from downstairs and he made his way down, ready to chastise Lee for leaving him sleeping. What he saw made him stop though, halfway into the door to the living room.

            Eli was curled up on the couch, throwing up in a bucket—which in and of itself was disgusting—with Lee beside him, rubbing soothing circles down his back. He was pale and crying faintly, Keir noted with a frown as his stomach did a nauseous little jump of its own. Ben was nowhere in sight, and Keir hiccupped at the same time Eli started retching again. His stomach turned and he covered his mouth with his hand, but not fast enough to stop the bile that rose up his throat.

            Lee looked up at the sound of him retching and cursed. Keir turned and fled to the bathroom, embarrassed at the mess he’d made and not sure if he was quite finished. Lee left Eli to follow his own lover.

            Keir huddled near the toilet, sobbing. When Lee came in and settled on the floor near him, he crawled into his lap and clung to him, burying his face in his chest. Lee kissed his temple, holding him close.

            “It’s alright, Keiran. It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he cooed, and Keir hiccupped, sitting up and away, but it was just a hiccup and his earlier retching had just been him reacting to Eli’s puking. Lee tugged him close again.

            “You’re not sick, bunny rabbit. It’s alright,” he purred. Keir nodded faintly, snugged close.

            “L-Lee? What’s wrong with him?” he asked, still hearing distant sounds of Eli vomiting. He screwed up his face, trying to ignore the sound. “Where’s Ben?”

            Lee shifted slightly to close the bathroom door, knowing Keir was disturbed with hearing Eli. He rubbed his back gently, drawing his attention away from the noise of the living room.

            “I’m fairly sure he’s got food poisoning. That fish he had last night must have been bad,” he told him, running soothing fingers over his lower back. “He’s been sick since just after midnight, kiddo, and he hasn’t stopped throwing up. Ben went out to get some stuff—pedialite, soup and such. He asked me if I’d sit with Eli while he was gone.”

            Keir nodded faintly, hiccupping again. Lee didn’t let him move away, knowing Keir wasn’t going to be sick. He was working himself up to that point, but Lee wasn’t going to allow it.

            “Is he g-gonna be okay, Lee?” he asked quietly. Lee smiled faintly, amazed as always at his lover’s dual emotions—he cared about his friend while at the same time he was disgusted that he was getting sick.

           

            “Yeah, kiddo, he’s gonna be okay. He just needs to sleep and get some fluids in him. He’s exhausted and he’s still throwing up; he hasn’t been able to keep anything down all night.”

           

            Keir nodded faintly and gave a little shuddering sigh. “I’m glad I had lasagna last night. I told him not to get fish ‘cause the guy looked sketchy but he didn’t believe me,” he murmured. Lee chuckled, pulling him up to his feet.

            “Yeah, he was sketchy, babe. I’m sure he’ll listen to you next time,” he assured him, rubbing his back still. Keir leaned up on his toes to kiss the corner of his partner’s mouth and Lee hooked him close.

            “Alright, brat. Get back upstairs, please. Once Ben gets back, I’ll see about getting you some breakfast, but you’ve got a few hours left of sleep if you want. I don’t need you making yourself sick listening to Eli.”

            Keir sighed but he nodded and finally pulled away to head upstairs. He stopped when he caught sight of Eli again, still crying, bent over the bucket that he’d given up trying to hold onto and had set on the coffee table. He bit his lip and hurried up the stairs before his stomach flopped again.

            Lee tidied up the mess as efficiently as he could, keeping an eye on Eli on the couch. The younger man wasn’t throwing up but he was leaning over the bucket as if he couldn’t quite be sure and didn’t want to sit back in case he couldn’t move back quick enough. He looked up at Lee when he came back from taking the laundry downstairs, and he coughed, looking miserable.

            “Hey, kiddo,” Lee greeted, pushing his damp hair back from his forehead. Eli shuddered, letting Lee tug him back into the couch, and Eli settled against him, still shaking.

            “I’m gonna… pretend you’re Ben,” he whispered hoarsely, and Lee nodded, letting him rest against him, Eli curled up against his chest, between his legs. Lee pulled the coffee table close to make sure the bucket was in easy reach and draped the throw blanket over the young man, smoothing his hair.

            “Ben will be back soon, Eli. Try and sleep, okay?” He felt Eli’s weak nod against his chest and then the man shivered and snuggled close with a whine, one hand catching in Lee’s shirt. Lee hooked him close with one hand and watched the clock.

…

            When Ben returned, Eli had fallen into an exhausted sleep, shivering. He gave Lee a tired smile and Lee shifted Eli against Ben when the man had settled into the couch. Eli didn’t protest the move when he realized it was Ben he was cuddled against now; he let his lover hug him close.

            Lee got up to empty the bucket in the toilet, leaving Ben with Eli. When he came back, Ben had shifted them both so that he was more comfortably seated and Eli was stretched out, his head more or less pillowed in his lap. Lee set the bucket back within easy reach.

            “He stopped throwing up about fifteen minutes ago. I don’t think he’s got anything left in him, but he’s been going pretty steady. He only just fell asleep,” Lee told him. Ben nodded, his thanks evident in his eyes.

            “I picked up a bunch of stuff—chicken soup broth, ginger ale, apple juice, pedialite,” he said. “Do you think he should take something? Like gravol?”

            Lee settled into the chair with a sigh. “He can. It might help his stomach to settle.” Ben nodded, stroking Eli’s sweat-damp hair back from his face. His poor lover, he could feel how exhausted he was. He hated to wake him.

            “Hey, Eli, baby, can you wake up for me? I want you to take something, okay?” Eli moaned and cuddled closer, but at Ben’s persistence he eventually woke and shifted up shakily. Lee gave him a smile and went to get the gravol and a glass of pedialite. Eli gave it a glare but he swallowed the pills offered with a slow sip of the liquid. Ben soothed circles along his back, urging him to take it slow, keep it down.

            It was no use. Eli handed the glass off to Ben before he turned and vomited again, trusting Ben to hold him up as he limply clutched the table edge. He groaned and settled back against his lover, tears forming.

            Ben gave Lee an imploring look.

            “I have some suppositories, if you want to try it rectally, Ben. I give them to Keir when he’s sick and refuses to keep anything down… we can give it a shot? It’s painless and usually starts working pretty quickly.”

            Eli looked up at Ben with a frown, trying to convey his distaste but he only ended up looking miserable and pale and Ben simply leaned down to kiss his forehead. “Alright. We’ll give it a try,” he agreed.

            “Come on, Eli, let’s get back up to bed, okay?”

            Eli shakily stood, the blanket draped over his shoulders, and Ben collected him and the bucket to take back up to their bed. Eli moved along with him slowly, leaning heavily against him. Lee went to fetch his medical kit and he followed the men up to their bedroom.

            Eli moved closer to Ben when he saw Lee come in, shaking his head. Ben rubbed his back, making sure he stayed on his side. “Ben, Ben, I don’t want this. I don’t. I’ll keep puking, its okay, I don’t want this.”

            Ben smiled sympathetically as he watched Lee prepare the suppository, taking it out of its foil, denting the tip, rounding any sharp edges. He watched him put a glove on and Ben turned Eli towards him, tugging his pajama pants and his boxers down. Eli started sobbing, letting Ben position him with one leg slightly bent under him, still rubbing his back.

            “Ben? Ben, I don’t want this,” he murmured again, hiccupping. Ben stroked his hair back. “It’ll be okay, baby. It’ll make you feel better, trust me. Then we can try and sleep, okay?” Eli nodded, wanting to trust Ben but the feel of Lee’s hand on his hip made him sob harder. It was too intimate, too personal.

           

            “Ben! Please, I can’t!” he shifted away from Lee, and Ben caught him in his arms as he leaned over the bedside to throw up again. Ben closed his eyes, rubbing his back until Eli allowed him to pull him back up into his arms.

            “I can’t, Ben, I can’t,” he hiccupped, and Ben nodded faintly, exhausted himself. “Okay, its okay. I can do it, Eli; it doesn’t have to be Lee, alright? Shh, don’t cry now, baby. You’re alright.” Eli hiccupped again and snuggled closer until Ben extricated himself from his lover’s grasp and settled him back on the bed, positioning him on his left side, his leg bent under him.

           

            Lee quickly explained what he had to do and Ben nodded, his hand on Eli’s hip soothing, feeling his fear. He put a glove on, lubing Eli’s entrance and his finger and the suppository tip. “Alright, Eli, baby. Breathe easy for me, okay? Relax, Eli.”

           

            Eli tried to relax, breathing shakily, and when Ben was satisfied that he was sufficiently relaxed, he inserted the suppository, pushing it in as far as he could. He brought his finger back out and laid his hand on Eli’s butt, pressing his cheeks together.

            “Alright, we’re done, Eli. Good boy, you’re okay,” he purred, and he slipped the glove off and Lee dealt with the rest as Ben settled on the bed, face-to-face with his lover. “Hold that for me, okay? Just relax and breath slowly, let it work,” he soothed. Eli, tears tracking his face, nodded and shifted against Ben with a quiet whine. Ben wound his arms around his waist, rubbing his back calmingly. Lee returned to grab his kit.

            “I’ll let you guys try and sleep. Eli, kiddo, try and hold that in, okay? Give it time to absorb and hopefully by the time you wake up, you’ll be feeling a lot better,” he soothed, and Eli gave him a weak smile.

            “Ben, I’ll keep Keir busy. If you need me, just call me, alright?”

            Ben nodded, hearing the door shut behind Lee as the man left, and he gave a sigh of relief as Eli snuggled close and started into sleep.

…

Keir looked up when Lee came in, frowning. “Is he any better now, Lee? I heard him puking again,” he whined. Lee smiled faintly, climbing into bed with a yawn. He stretched out, pulling Keir from his seated position down against him, and his partner wriggled under his arm and snuggled close.

“Ben gave him a suppository,” he said and Keir nodded, nuzzling Lee’s cheek. “Hopefully that’ll kick in and he’ll stop throwing up.  He needs to get some fluids in him before he dehydrates. I don’t think Ben wants to take him to the hospital and he shouldn’t have to if Eli starts drinking soon.”

Keir sighed. “You’re so good, Lee. I wouldn’t be able to do that, be around when he was sick. I can’t even be around when you’re sick. I’m sorry. I bet you hate that…I’m so useless. Poor Eli,” he murmured. Lee smoothed his lover’s hair back, kissing his forehead.

“No, you’re not useless, kiddo. I can manage on my own when I get sick just fine. And Eli has Ben and myself. He’s fine.” Keiran frowned, but he nodded as he nuzzled Lee again.

           

“I’m sorry I was sick earlier. I didn’t mean to make a mess…I hope Ben’s not upset.”

Lee shook his head. “Don’t apologize, sweetness. I got it all cleaned up and I haven’t even had time to mention it to Ben yet. But I’m sure he’ll understand.” Keiran nodded faintly.

“Do you think Ben would mind if we got some breakfast, Lee? I’m starving!” he whined after a moment. Lee chuckled.

“Nah. Let’s go down and eat something.”

…

Ben woke up a few hours later, Eli pressed close to his side still damp and sticky with sweat. He rolled away from the man with a yawn, padding into the bathroom to get a cloth, and when he came back, he wiped his face with the cool thing and changed Eli into some fresh sweatpants and a t-shirt. He didn’t wake.

Ben lay the sheets up over his exhausted form and went downstairs to make himself something to eat. It was almost three in the afternoon—he remembered giving the suppository just after ten-thirty; he’d slept a while. He spotted Lee and Keiran in the living room, Keir spread out on the couch with his head in Lee’s lap, watching reruns of Jeopardy. He detoured there first.

Lee gave him a smile when he saw him. “How’s Eli?” he asked. Keir stirred in his lap.

Ben settled on the coffee table with a little smile of his own. “He’s sleeping, still. He hasn’t thrown up again, which is good. When he wakes up I’m going to get him to drink something, but he’s out of it, right now.”

Lee felt Keir squirm away from him, sitting up with a yawn. He tried to tug him back down but the man got up and moved to hug Ben. Ben was momentarily confused, but he hugged the younger man back.

“I hope he feels better soon, Ben,” he murmured. “I hate being sick and I bet Eli does too, and Lee always takes care of me when I’m sick so I’m glad Eli has you guys to make him feel better because I threw up when I saw him throwing up and it was really gross and Lee had to clean it up and I didn’t mean to make a mess, but I did and I hope you’re not mad at me.” He stopped to catch his breath.

Ben’s eyebrow rose marginally. Keir pulled away from him and clambered back onto the couch. “Its alright, Keir. Eli’s gonna be fine. And you’re right, he has both Lee and I to make sure of that. I’m sure he doesn’t expect you to be around when he’s throwing up—it is kind of gross.” He gave him a sincere smile, leaning close to ruffle his hair. “The amount of times Eli’s thrown up on the floor or the cat’s peed, it really doesn’t bother me if you made a mess,” he assured him. “I didn’t even notice.”

Keir smiled, flushing slightly, nodding as he was assured of the acceptance of his apology. Lee tugged him back down into his lap.

“I’m gonna grab something to eat, and I guess I’ll join you guys in here for a while if you don’t mind,” he said, getting up. Lee gave him a little nod and he finally went to make himself a sandwich and tea.

“Ben!”

Ben moved to the bottom of the stairs when he heard Eli’s shout and he gave the man a sympathetic frown when he saw him, huddled in a blanket, pouting, at the top of the stairs.

“Hi, baby. I’ll come up in a second, alright? Go get back in bed; I’ll bring you something to drink in a bit.” Eli watched him walk away, but he didn’t move to go back to bed so when Ben went back up, he was still sitting at the top of the stairs.

“C’mon, kitten. Bed, now,” he purred. Eli let Ben usher him back to bed, and he handed him the glass of pedialite. “Drink it slowly, please.”

Eli took a few tentative sips of the drink, watching Ben as he ate his sandwich. The prospect of food made his stomach lurch, but he didn’t feel as sick anymore and he kept the drink down. “I’m sick, Ben,” he whined, leaning against him, legs tucked under him, glass in hand. Ben smoothed his hair back, kissing his forehead.

“I know, baby. I know you are. Lee thinks its food poisoning, from the fish you had last night. It could be salmonella. But at least we got it under control, eh? Though I think you’ll be feeling pretty sick for a few days. Maybe not throwing up or anything, but weak and tired.”

Eli whined pathetically, leaning into his lover a little more, and Ben hooked him closer. He made him take another sip. “Can I sleep again?” he asked, and Ben kissed his forehead.

“Yeah, babe. Take a few more sips and then you can lie down a bit again.” He made sure he took another couple of sips and then Eli tiredly crumpled back into the blankets, letting Ben tuck him in and adjust him so that he was comfortable, too tired to care. He leaned down to kiss his temple, smoothing his hair back, and stayed with him until he fell asleep.

…

            Ben finished his sandwich and took the dishes downstairs to wash, leaving Eli’s glass, still more than half-full, on the nightstand. He left him with a cool cloth and the window open a crack to let the cool March air in. Lee had changed the channel to some soap opera or other for Keiran—one that Eli liked as well, Ben noted—and he had settled into the arm of the couch. Keir was busy drawing between his legs, his sketchpad open and pencil moving. When he saw Ben, he smirked and hid the picture.

            Ben dropped into the armchair with a sigh, closing his eyes.

            “He’s sleeping again,” he murmured. Lee nodded, smoothing circles over Keir’s shoulders. “He drank almost half of the stuff I gave him.”

            “That’s good,” Lee assured him. “Hopefully he can keep that down and then by tomorrow you can start him back on solids,” he said. Ben nodded faintly, hoping that would be the case. Lee groaned as Keir shifted off of him, with his sketchpad. Ben opened his eyes and watched him head for the stairs.

            “He was drawing a picture for Eli,” Lee informed him. “I think he’s just gonna leave it on the nightstand for him.” Ben nodded; he was fairly certain Eli would sleep through anything, anyways.

…

            Keiran crept upstairs, his sketchpad in hand. He pushed the door to Ben and Eli’s bedroom open and stepped in as quietly as he could. Eli didn’t stir as he moved to the bed and settled beside him. It was cool, but Eli had kicked the blankets off and was curled up on his side, making quiet noises in his sleep. Keir carefully readjusted the cloth on his forehead.

            “I drew you a picture,” he said softly, carefully ripping the page out of his sketchpad and setting it on the nightstand. Eli stirred then and he turned back, unsure what to do.

            “Ben?”

            Keir shook his head, frowning. “No, Eli, its Keiran,” he told him quietly. “I just came to see if you were okay. How’re you feeling?” he asked. Eli’s brow furrowed and he curled up more into himself.

            “Sick,” he whined. “I’m sick. And thirsty,” he added as an afterthought.

            “You’re thirsty? Sit up, drink some of this,” Keir urged, snagging the glass off the nightstand. Eli tiredly sat up and drank a few sips of the liquid. He caught sight of the picture by the side of the bed and looked at Keir.

            “What’s that?” he asked.

            Keir smiled, grabbing the drawing to show him. It was a sketch of Ben, sitting up in bed with Eli curled against him, his face buried in Ben’s side. Ben looked both concerned and affectionate and Eli looked miserable and exhausted as Ben read to him. It was a beautiful drawing and Eli shakily handed it back to Keir.

            “I didn’t know you were sick in the night. I thought you’d had a nightmare and Ben was reading to you to help you sleep. I didn’t mean to look; I just saw it through the door when I went to pee last night. Lee reads to me sometimes, too, when I’m sick. Or he draws with me. I thought…I hope you don’t think it was rude of me.”

            Eli smiled faintly, shaking his head. “It’s beautiful, Keir. If you give it to Ben, he’ll put it up somewhere, I bet,” he said. “Thank you,” he added. Keir blushed, smiling at the praise.

            “I like drawing. I drew the kitty, too,” he said, opening his sketchpad to show Eli. There were pages full of numerous things he’d sketched since their last visit over New Years.

There were sketches of their dog, Chester, and Lee doing various things—from making dinner to sleeping on the couch. The newest set involved sketches of the house—the living room, with Eli and Lee playing cards at the coffee table while Ben tried to watch the news, dinner the night before, Ben turning to kiss Eli’s temple after Keiran had made a crack at him. The cat, stretching on the back of the couch, eating leftovers from Keir’s breakfast, sleeping on Lee’s feet the night before.

“Keiran, these are really good,” Eli murmured, turning the page. Keir grabbed it back, laughing. “You don’t need to see that,” he told him, flipping through the next few pages, flustered. Eli took the sketchpad back, but there was only one more picture of Lee and Eli on the couch, Eli throwing up in his bucket. Eli made a face and handed it back, shaking his head at the reminder.

“Gross. What were the ones before it of?” he asked with a teasing smirk, but Keir wouldn’t give up the sketchpad again. Eli didn’t fight long before he’d exhausted himself and he reached for the glass again, taking a few sips.

“Wanna stay up here for a bit?” he asked when Keiran returned the glass and the sketchpad to the nightstand. Keir smiled, nodding and Eli nestled back into the blankets. Keiran hesitated a moment before he leaned close and kissed Eli’s forehead like he’d seen Ben do and he cuddled close to him, pulling the blankets up. Eli smiled faintly, eyes closed.

“I’m sorry I got sick while you guys were here. We had so much stuff planned and we were gonna show you the city and take you to our favourite places, and then I had to go and ruin it,” he whined. Keir shook his head.

“No, you didn’t ruin it! Lee and I still had fun, Eli. And we’re still here for a few days, so its not like we’re not gonna have time for anything. You’re almost better already!” he said with a grin. Eli chuckled, nodding.

            “I guess so.” He sighed shakily, curling up a little tighter on himself. “Keir? When you’re sick, does Lee make you take those suppositories all the time?” he asked, blushing. “Ben gave me one today and it was weird. I don’t like them, and Lee was gonna do it, but I was scared and so Ben did it instead. Does he do that all the time?”

            Keir shrugged. “Not all the time. But most of the time he does. I don’t like swallowing pills…I have a horrible gag reflex. I can’t even…well, you know. Not that Lee cares, of course. But I can’t swallow stuff well. And I get sick if I even hear someone vomiting…I can’t help it. Its just so much easier for Lee to give it to me the other way, I guess.”

            Eli made a face. “I don’t like it,” he said with a whine. “It felt…weird. Not just that it was Lee doin’ it at first, but the whole thing…I don’t want Ben to do it again.”

            Keiran nodded. “I don’t know. It was weird at first, but I find it easier now. And Lee doesn’t make it awkward, you know. He’s good at that sort of thing. I mean, obviously it’d be kinda weird for you ‘cause he’s your friend and all, but he is a doctor, y’know, and he would have been totally clinical about it.” He nodded assertively.

            “I think it takes more trust…’cause you have to kind of give up your dignity and just let him do it, you know? But when I’m sick, I know I pretty much don’t give a crap anymore and I just want something to make it all stop. And if that means taking it up the butt and letting him have that, I am all for it.”

            Eli laughed softly, shaking his head. “I guess I am glad I’m not throwing up anymore. I hate throwing up. And Ben didn’t get much sleep, ‘cause he was staying up with me, so I bet he’s glad I stopped throwing up, too. I guess if he wants me to take them that way again, I could do it…”

            Keiran nodded, smiling at him. Eli pressed the cloth to his forehead. “Ugh, I feel so gross,” he groaned, closing his eyes. Keiran frowned, knowing the feeling. He stayed with Eli until he started to drift off, and Ben came up to check on Eli.

He found Keir still in bed with his lover, half-asleep himself. Eli’s hand was over Keiran’s as he snored softly. Keiran stirred when Ben moved up to the bed, looking up at him. Ben smiled, leaning down to kiss Eli’s temple, smoothing his hair back. Eli moved into the touch with a sleepy moan and he replaced the washcloth, kissing him again.

Keiran yawned, slipping out of the bed. Ben hugged him as he passed him, sketchpad in hand. Keir leaned into the hug. “We were talkin’,” he informed him.

“Lee’s looking for you, kiddo. I think he got sick of cuddling me,” Ben teased, and Keir laughed softly, nodding before he took off for the stairs to join his lover back on the couch.

Ben took Keir’s place in the bed and snugged Eli close. His lover breathed shakily as he settled against him, fitting into the curve of Ben’s body familiarly. He nuzzled his chest, making a quiet noise of pleasure as he pressed his forehead to Ben’s shoulder, the cold washcloth between his skin and Ben’s shirt.

“Ben?” Eli mumbled into his shirt. Ben’s fingers tangled in the man’s damp hair. He kissed the crown of his head. “Yeah, baby. I’ve got you,” he purred. Eli sighed, winding one arm around Ben’s neck and pinning him there.

“Can you make sure I never eat fish again?” he asked him, very seriously. Ben chuckled, hooking his arm around Eli’s waist. “Yeah, kiddo. Never again,” he promised. “I guess there are some times when it’s good to listen to Keiran, eh? At least when it comes to food, anyways. I wouldn’t trust his judgement on much else,” he said with a teasing smile, smoothing circles over his lower back.

Eli shrugged. “Maybe some things, Ben. Some things. Food, and trust, and being clinical. Not swallowing, though. He’s got too much of a gag reflex.”

Ben’s brow furrowed. “What?” he asked, clearly confused, but Eli was already mostly asleep and only murmured “ask Lee about blow jobs,” and drifted back into sleep, warm and comfortable against his lover.

…

            Lee hooked Keiran close, kissing his temple as the younger man settled against him to draw again. He had turned it to a half-finished page—one of the ones he hadn’t been willing to show Eli—and started working on an unfinished piece of Lee, lying naked on their bed, his glasses askew as he slept, the sheets tangled in his feet, his book upside down on his stomach.

Lee looked over his shoulder at the page, smirking. Keir turned his face up to kiss his jaw when he sensed his lover was looking at the picture. Lee kissed his nose in return.

“Have you ever drawn me with clothes on?” he asked teasingly.

Keir scoffed. “Of course not. You and Ben are always naked in my drawings and Eli and I wear clothes,” he said, shaking his head. Lee kissed his temple.

“Okay. Just making sure. I guess it’s that whole Tops are so sexy thing, isn’t it? You and the authority, brat. I’ll never understand it.”

Keir flipped the page to show him the very last page, one he hadn’t shown Eli. He had drawn it while they were visiting, but the moment hadn’t taken place there.

It was a picture of Lee, fully clothed, glasses fallen down his nose as he watched Keiran, head pillowed in his lap, his hand in his hair. Keiran was staring back up at him, eyes wide in the drawing, one hand reaching to tug him down for a kiss.

Lee smiled, amazed as always at the attention to detail in his lover’s art. He ruffled his hair, kissing the nape of his neck.

“Why this moment?” he asked softly. Keir shrugged, closing his sketchpad and turning in his arms. He kissed his jaw, stroking his cheek.

“Because. You’re perfect,” he said softly. “And you’re mine and I felt like you were all mine then. Just you and I, at home, together. Nobody else. You don’t think its weird that I can’t swallow or give you blow jobs or that I need to take medicine rectally or that, um, I get sick easily. You just love me and I wanted to draw that.”

Lee nuzzled his cheek, kissing him fully. Keiran snugged close, arms around his neck, feeling Lee’s hands around his waist.

“You told Eli you couldn’t swallow, didn’t you?”

Keir shrugged one shoulder delicately. “Maybe?”

He felt Lee’s laughter rumble out of his chest, and he smirked.

Upstairs, he heard Ben laughing.