What Happens on the Cruise

25. Shake It Out

Austin stumbled out of bed and into the  main suite toward the bathroom in nothing but his underwear, bleary-eyed and limping slightly. He was halfway across the room before he registered Kelsey sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.

"Shit! I forgot you were here. Sorry, Kels."

Kelsey averted her eyes. "I'll just not look."

Austin picked up the pace. After relieving himself, washing his hands, and splashing some water on his face, he peaked out around the bathroom door. "Coming through!"

"Not looking," Kelsey assured him.

He headed back into his room and dug out his onesie PJs. He'd hardly worn them since he and Tim had started sleeping together, preferring the intimacy of skin-on-skin contact.

Tim stirred as he sat on the edge of the bed to pull them on. "You getting up?"

"Yeah. Kelsey's awake. I thought I might go hang out with her for a bit."

"'Kay."

Austin leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Go back to sleep. Love you."

"Mhmm." Tim turned over, spreading himself across the bed, presenting a very tempting tableau.

Austin resisted the urge to climb back into bed and do wicked things to the other man. It was already decidedly weird to know that Adam almost always overheard them having sex. He couldn't imagine having Kelsey awake in the next room possibly listening in.

He limped out into the main suite area. "Mind if I join you for coffee?"

"That'd be great," she said, smiling at him. "Let me get you some. You should get off that ankle. Black, two sugars?"

"You don't have to fuss over me. I'm a grown-ass man, you know."

"With those pajamas?"

He chuckled, sitting down at the table.

"But honestly, Austin, you need to take better care of yourself. Why they didn't get you entirely off that foot and on crutches is beyond me."

"It's show business. You just have to power through the pain."

"Bullshit." She set a cup of coffee, two packets of sugar, and the bottle of ibuprofen down in front of Austin, then headed for the couch.

"Morning," Adam greeted them as he stepped out of his bedroom, wearing a pair of sweats and a plain grey tee. "You're up early."

"Sorry," Kelsey said, picking up a pillow, Austin's ankle brace, and the ice pack from the night before, now melted to plain water. "My body is still on Minnesota time. Adam, could you go get more ice?"

"Sure." Adam grabbed the ice bucket, dumped out the melted ice water, and headed out the door.

Austin tipped a couple of pills out into his hand. "I wonder if I could take more."

"I had a prescription for 800 milligrams every six hours," Kelsey answered. "It should be okay for you to take four."

Austin shrugged and shook two more out of the bottle.

As he downed them, Kelsey pulled out the chair next to him and arranged the pillow on it. "Okay, let's get your foot up."

"I wish you'd stop mothering me," Austin complained. "I just came out here to give you some company."

"Sorry, sweetie, I can't help it."

"You're going to make Tim and Rob jealous with all those endearments for Austin," Adam said from the doorway.