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"We left Tristan at home on the couch sick. He won't admit it, but it would be nice for him to have someone there to take care of him." Tristan's brother, Trevor, says over the phone.
"I'll go stay with him," Lex says, going to his bedroom to pack a duffel bag.
An hour later, Lex unlocks Tristan's front door, closing and locking it behind him, walking into the living room where Tristan is, in fact, dying on the couch.
Putting his bag down, Lex walks over to Tristan, kneeling by the couch.
"How you feelin'?" Lex asks, putting a hand on Tristan's forehead. "You feel like you're on fire."
"Why are you here?" Tristan asks sleepily, his voice raspy.
"Trevor asked me to come take care of you."
"I'm nineteen years old, I don't need someone to take care of me." Tristan retorts.
Lex laughs as he says softly, "No... but, wouldn't it be nice?" He drags a hand across Tristan's cheek. Tristan closes his eyes against Lex's touch, taking a deep breath which sends him into a coughing fit.
"Come on," Lex says, lifting Tristan off the couch.
Lex carries Tristan to his bedroom, pulling the blankets up over him in the bed, turning around to go and get a washcloth.
"Lex?" Tristan calls weekly.
"Hmm?" Lex hums from the doorway, stopping.
"Where are you going?"
Biting his lip, Lex laughs softly. "I'll be right back."
When he comes back, he has a washcloth, which he puts on Tristan's forehead, some medicine and syringe, and the thermometer which he sticks under Tristan's tongue.
Checking the thermometer, Lex draws the medicine into the syringe. "You have a little fever, but it's not bad..." Lex says, putting the thermometer on the nightstand. "Open your mouth." He pushes the medicine into Tristan's mouth, immediately following up with a water bottle.
Lex switches the lamp back off, moving a hand across Tristan's cheek. "You need anything else?"
Tristan shakes his head. "Where are you going?"
"Just downstairs," Lex says, leaning over the bed.
Tristan grabs Lex's wrist. "Stay," he whines.
Lex swallows, meeting Tristan's gaze.
"You need your rest," Lex says after a moment of silence. "Get some sleep, okay?"
Lex takes the medicine down the kitchen, marking off on a sheet of paper the time he took his medicine last, putting the bottle and syringe right beside it. He checks his phone, sending Trevor a quick update via text.
Lex stands in the doorway, looking in on Tristan, who opens his eyes.
"I didn't mean to wake you up." Lex says.
Tristan shakes his head. "You didn't,"
"Are you hungry?"
Tristan shrugs.
"I'll get you some soup."
🌡️
Hours passing by find Lex asleep on the floor beside Tristan's bed. Tristian tried to coax him into sleeping in the guest room, but Lex insisted on sleeping in the room, he tried to coax him into his bed so he wasn't on the floor.
It's two o'clock in the morning, time for Tristan's medicine, so Lex creeps into the hallway quietly to get both the medicine and a bottle of Gatorade.
"Time for your medicine," Lex says, shaking Tristan gently.
"Don't sleep on the floor," Tristan says sleepily as Lex draws the medicine into a syringe, ignoring the comment. "Seriously, Lex. It's not good for your back."
Yet again, Lex ignores the comment, sticking the syringe of Tristan's mouth, using the forehead thermometer (that they found after several times of the mouth thermometer failing).
"99.6°," Lex announces, handing Tristan the Gatorade.
"At least go sleep in the guest room if you're worried about getting sick." Tristan says.
"I'm not worried about getting sick." Lex replies shortly, crossing his arms. "If I was worried about getting sick, I wouldn't be here. I don't want to be too far away, in case you need me."
"Then lay in my bed." Tristan pleads. "The floor isn't good for your back."
Lex stays silent, grabbing the medicine and the syringe and heading back downstairs with them.
The truth is, Lex wouldn't mind sleeping in the bed with Tristan (not like that— get ya mind out of the gutter!) but he's honestly scared of what might happen. They've got a good thing going; they're friends, and Lex doesn't want to bring feelings into that.
"If you're not sleeping in the bed, then I'm sleeping on the floor." Tristan announces when Lex walks back into the bedroom.
Which leaves no option except to crawl in the bed beside Tristan.
"Not so bad, is it?" Tristan mutters.
Lex doesn't reply, laying on his side and looking at Tristan. Tristan grabs Lex's hand, playing with his fingers.
"You know you're probably going to get sick, don't you?" Tristan asks.
Lex laughs, shrugging. "I'll be okay."
"If you weren't worried about getting sick..." Tristan begins. "Why did I have to go to 'I'll sleep on the floor too' to get you in the bed?" Lex tenses; Tristan notices and decides to play a little game.
Tristan rolls over on top of Lex, one arm holding him up, and the other letting his hand trail Lex's jawline.
"Do I make you nervous?" Tristan asks, tilting his head to the side.
"I asked you a question, Lex." Tristan presses after a minute of silence. "Does this make you nervous?" Tristan moves his face closer, biting his lip. Lex closes his eyes, swallowing hard. This is not happening right now.
"Answer the question, Lex." Tristan purrs.
"Yes," Lex grits out, his voice barely above a whisper. Tristan smiles, his thumb moving across Lex's bottom lip.
Tristan knows he's provoked, he's just waiting for Lex to take control, because he can at any moment, take control, of the situation. He raises an eyebrow at Lex, as if to say 'what now?'
Lex takes a deep breath, mustering his courage, and flips them over, putting Tristan on his back.
Lex grabs Tristan's face with one hand, looking into his eyes.
"Tell me you don't want this." Lex says, pleading for Tristan to push him off, to say it was just a trick.
"I don't want to lie to you, Lex." Tristan mutters.
Lex's heart bursts in his chest.
Lex leans forward but stops, giving Tristan one last chance to hack out. When he doesn't, Lex closes the gap, kissing Tristan roughly.
Tristan's hands go to Lex's waist, fingertips touching his warm skin where his shirt has ridden up, then he slides one hand up Lex's spine, finding its way into the strands of his hair. Tristan tips his head up into Lex's kiss, Lex holding Tristan's face in one of his hands.
"Now you're really gonna get sick," Tristan mutters, his head still tipped up towards Lex's.
Lex laughs softly, kissing him gently. "Shut up,"
Lex falls asleep, his head resting against Tristan's chest, unsure how he's going to untangle himself to get Tristan's medicine in the morning. Oh well, he thinks to himself before closing his eyes. That's a problem for future Lex.
10/15/2022
