Theo And Reed's Family Secrets

Chapter Thirteen

Theo dressed quickly in a faded Spiderman tee shirt , faded jeans that had seen it's best days years ago and battered sneakers. Basically his gardening / yardwork clothes. Then he explained where he was going to Reed. Reed just smiled lovingly before giving him a supportive hug and gentle kiss. This was why he adored this man so much , he thought as he held him tight and breathed in his own Reed like musk. 

" Take your time , darling , " Reed said , " Nat wants to ask me questions about growing up with you in Sweet Flower. Don't worry. I won't be too honest. " Then he pinched Theo's ass swiftly. Theo blushed and Natalie laughed heartily. He then left them talking about old hometown days while Baylee watched an old school Bugs Bunny episode on the TV. 

Just as he got into his black Corvette and pulled it out the two car garage he saw one of his two best friends , Matt St. Austin , come practically running out of his own house across the street. Theo saw Saint standing pensively on their plant filled wrap around front porch. Saint watched Matt leave and then he went to sit on the rickety old porch swing like he was an old old old man. Reed was right , Theo thought. There was something wrong with Saint. For a second Theo remembered his own year long fight with cancer and how it was Saint who first pinpointed it. Then he shook it off. Saint didn't have cancer. It was probably something  tame and easily treatable. It had to be. Theo kept looking at Saint sitting on the porch. He had such a odd stiffness to his movements. Why had he never noticed that before ? After all the two families spent a lot of time together. 

Matt didn't look all that great himself as he jumped into the passenger seat of Theo's car. He pulled on his seat belt as per the law. It wouldn't do for the much loved First Gentleman of local DC to get a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt. 

" How's your better half ? , " Theo asked as he pointed the car towards their favorite meeting place in Dupont Circle.  

Matt sighed almost wearily. His hands covered his attractive lean face. Theo noticed they were trembling a bit. He wondered idly if Matt was still seeing his own therapist for his anxiety and panic disorder. 

" Sick. "

Theo briefly looked at his friend before returning his eyes back to the road. Matt then told him that when Saint had come back from supposedly working at city hall they had a little talk in their bedroom where little ears couldn't hear and immediately text Benji. Apparently he hadn't gone to city hall. He had talked an old colleague into running a battery of tests on him that very day. Including a MRI. Since Saint was who he was Theo wasn't really that surprised he was able to see a doctor on a weekend. He also wasn't surprised that the mayor already had a diagnosis. Things moved fast when you had the right clout and privilege. Saint's symptoms were because he had Multiple Sclerosis. Matt ironically laughed and said that both Saint's paternal grandfather and his dead mother also had had it. 

Theo was so shocked that he nearly ran into a really big and ugly pickup truck causing the driver to honk at him and give him the finger. " Shit. I'm sorry , Matt. For Saint. And for you. That's ..... that's really really shitty. Neither of you deserve this but who does really ? But you did want him to see a doctor ? Reed said that when he got in last night. Reed said you suspected something was wrong. Looks like you were right , Dr. St. Austin. " 

" I've suspected for a long time. Like after Christmas. I don't care about the damn MS. I mean I care about it. I don't know much about it besides it's not curable and scares me. Saint told me there's still not much real treatment for it even now. He can take medicine though. For pain. There's chemo. And steroids. And some other drugs. He mentioned physical therapy to help him once his walking gets really bad. Which he said he will. He could end up in a wheelchair. We'll need to build ramps at the house. So one day he can get around good. I need to price ramps. It's his hiding his symptoms from  me that piss me off ! He is my husband. The damn father of my kids. My best friend for years until we met. My partner in everything. We've known each other so long. Since we were six and my father came to work for his. With my cancer I told him right off even though he already had guessed from his magical medical skills. He was right there helping me fight the cancer. He claims he didn't tell me because he didn't want me to worry. He didn't want to panic me. Damn it ! I haven't had a panic attack in ages !  I'm stronger now. Aren't I ? "

Theo said , " You're the strongest man I know. "

" Then why can't Saint see that ! "

" Because , " Theo said , " he ,  like Reed , is a stubborn take charge man whose genetic code seems to be programmed with " pound chest , take care of helpless little spouse even if they are men like them " . Shades of Reed not telling me he was on  BP meds until he had a damn stroke and almost died on me. Yeah I forgave him but I'm still not completely over that one. That shit still pisses me off. "

" Why do we put up with it ? "

" Because we love their dumb asses. Because they put up with us. I've had so many near death experiences I wouldn't be surprised if Reed packed up and took off. Hell I'd probably join him if he did. He isn't getting away that easy. "

Matt smiled faintly. " Yeah. I do. I love him so much it scares me. I just can't lose him. "

Theo pulled into a parking space in front of Kelly's and decided his friend needed a distraction. And did he have a really good one for him ! 

" Well it seems like keeping secrets run in families. All families. " 

" What ? "

" Tell you inside , Matt. This requires a tall white chocolate mocha with extra whipped cream. I'm moving beyond tea these days. " 

" Good God. What did Reed do ? "

Theo sighed deeply. " It wasn't Reed. "