Settling Down with the Alpha

Chapter 7

If he'd had known this would happen, Jak would have refused to go out with Dante. Actually he had, but the younger man had refused to listen. He'd said he'd only wanted to thank him for helping him study. Instead he'd gotten him drunk.

He hadn't been that drunk since the night he'd first slept with Reaux. That had been very traumatic and he'd refrained from drinking more than two unless he knew who he was going home with beforehand. Every time he'd empty his glass, Dante was refilling it. By the time he'd realized it, it was too late. His head was fuzzy and his body hot.

Jak hadn't driven. He'd been with Damian and his friend had dropped him off at the library. When he'd finished partying with Dante, he'd taken a cab even though the man had offered to drive. He wasn't going to get yelled at by Reaux for having another drunk man drive him home. That was no-no 101.

He stumbled into the elevator and pushed the fifth floor button. He wasn't all too sure he was going to get yelled at to begin with. For some reason he was certain he'd forgotten something but couldn't remember what it was. He was sure he would figure it out at the worst possible moment. That was usually his luck.

The doors opened, and Jak held on to the wall to maneuver down the hall. If he moved too fast, he would fall down. People were sleeping and he would wake them up. Then they'd have a lot more to deal with.

He found his apartment door and fished out his key. Somehow he managed to insert it in one go. Turning it, he pushed the door open and fell through it. The impact made his stomach turn. He managed to keep from vomiting as he stood up.

Jak used the bar to keep from falling again. He saw Reaux sitting at the table, his head in his hands. Two plates were set with a scrumptious meal that was undoubtedly cold. Even though his brain was foggy, Jak knew those were his favorite foods on those plates but he couldn't figure out why.

Reaux looked up. Jak saw something in his eyes, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was fleeting, there one moment and gone the next. He couldn't ask as he vomited all over himself. He started for the bathroom as his stomach roiled again. He hoped with each wobbly step he made it. He didn't want to make an even bigger mess.

He collapsed in front of the toilet just as his stomach roared to life again. He hugged the toilet bowl for several minutes until he was certain he was done. The porcelain was cool on his fevered skin. When he rolled over and sat against the vanity, Reaux walked into the bathroom and knelt down. He helped Jak out of his clothes and wiped him down.

"Are you mad?" Jak asked.

Reaux shook his head. "No, I'm not mad."

Jak's eyes became heavy. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Reaux's shoulder. His Alpha rubbed his back soothingly with a sigh before picking him up and carrying him to bed. Gently, he made sure Jak was comfortable. Once he was sure he was sound asleep, Reaux went back to clean up.

~~~~~~~

The smells of food made Jak's stomach turn. He nearly vomited in bed after he just woke up. That was followed by the splitting headache.

Jak remembered he had gotten drunk the night before, groaning at the sick feeling that followed. He rummaged in his side table drawer until he found a bottle of aspirin. Popping two, he grimaced at the bitter taste then got up.

He was fully clothed so nothing had happened. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth to rid his mouth of the foul taste. He figured he'd thrown up at some point last night. The taste of bile was worse than the grittiness of the pills. He hated throwing up, but he would rather do it than suffer.