Haunted

Still Fallin

"Are you awake?" Brent was peeking into his and Maddox's bedroom.

"No," Maddox said, though he'd been awake for hours.

"Okay," Brent shut the door. Maddox rolled over and buried his face in Brent's pillow.

There were just 5 days before he and Brent were supposed to leave for Australia. The baby's room was done they just had to finish a few more things before they left. The most important one was the visit from the social worker who had to give permission for the adoption to go through as planned.

Everyone insisted the visit was just a formality, that they would pass without any problems. Up until the night of Cole and Adam's party Maddox had felt like that was true. Now that he and Brent were fighting, Maddox wasn't so sure anymore. Wouldn't any social worker take one look at them and just know they didn't deserve to be trusted with a baby?

"Are you jealous?" Brent had asked. Maddox hadn't been able to answer him right away, not fast enough to make Brent happy. He'd been too stunned by the question.

"No, definitely not," Maddox choked out the words but Brent was already shaking his head.

"It's always going to come back to this, isn't it?" Brent looked away. "Every time I think we're finally going to be happy."

"We are happy," Maddox sat up. "You know that, Brent, I'm not jealous, I swear."

"I said be honest," Brent stood up. "Don't just say what you think I want to hear, Maddox, tell me the fucking truth. You owe me that."

"I'm telling you the truth, Brent," Maddox would have gotten up if he hadn't felt so sick. "Weren't you listening earlier when I said I didn't want you with anyone else?"

"That's never gone both ways though, has it?" Brent shook his head. "You were always fine running off to be with other guys, it was just when I did it that you couldn't take it."

"Stop, no," Maddox argued. "We're not having this fight, Brent. I don't even know where this is coming from."

"Why else would you make us run off like that?" Brent asked. "I'm so stupid, of course you're jealous. I don't know why I even asked."

"I don't know either, because I'm not fucking jealous, all I want is to be here with you and only you," Maddox said. "I think I'm going to throw up," he tossed the covers off but didn't get up.

"You say that, Dax, but I just," Brent shook his head. "I don't know if I can believe you."

"I don't want whatever it is they're doing," Maddox ran his hand through his hair to push it off his face. "I don't even want them to be doing it, okay?"

"Really?" Brent moved the trash can over so it was sitting in front of Maddox.

"Yes, really," Maddox nodded. "And I seriously can't believe we're having this fight again. Especially right now," he was sweating but a cold chill ran through his spine and he picked up the trash can just in case.

"Me neither," Brent sighed. Maddox looked up at him, ready to cry but instead his stomach rolled and he had to bend over the trash can. "Here, I've got it," Brent insisted, taking the trash can from him.

"I don't want your help," Maddox protested between heaves.

"Too bad," Brent wiped a tear off Maddox's cheek.

When Maddox had finished throwing up Brent took the trash can out of their room. Maddox went to brush his teeth before he climbed back in bed. Even though he was pretty sure he'd just had too much to drink he was starting to hope maybe he would be too sick to go to Australia with Brent. At the moment the last thing he wanted to do was sit on an airplane with him for all those hours.