Inked Flowers - Moxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter Four

Patton didn't take days off. The only time he missed work was when he was sick and that wasn't often. He didn't like missing work because he was the boss, but he also needed to make sure his employees weren't going to get sick because he was being a reluctant patient.

This was how he'd ended up being forcefully tucked into bed by his friend Emile. "I told you I'm fine," he said, immediately coughing to prove himself wrong. "You don't need to take care of me, Emile. You've got actual patients to deal with! Like Sloan and Corban! And Elliott? Shouldn't you be having a session right now instead of babying me?"

"I've been trying to tell you all morning that I'm clear for the day," the therapist told him as he pulled on the corners of the blanket to straighten out the wrinkles. "I'm not leaving so long as you have a fever, Mr. Valentine."

He sighed, smiling slightly as he relaxed into the covers. He knew there was no fighting Picani and his urge to help others. With an amazing intellect and compassion for others, Emile was the perfect blend of brains and emotions; it was a trait that made him an incredible therapist, even if he was a bit unorthodox in his methods.

"You know what you need? Lots of fluids," he said, nodding to himself as he headed for the exit of his bedroom. "I'll go make you some soup."

As the therapist was leaving, Patton noticed a little something tucked behind his ear. It was pink, white, and blue, colors he recognized to belong to the trans pride flag. His eyes widened a little in surprise; he'd almost entirely forgotten that Emile was trans, given it had been so long since he'd gotten all the surgeries and taken testosterone to change his outer appearance to match his identity.

"Hey Emile? What's that behind your ear?" he asked.

He paused and turned back to face the bedridden florist, his hand immediately flying up to the spot. "Oh, you saw that, huh?" he said bashfully, adjusting his glasses. Patton nodded to confirm. "Well, I kind of... Well, not kind of, I got a tattoo."

"That's awesome! Can I get a better look at it?" he requested, smiling brightly to show his encouragement and support.

Picani nodded as a smile of his own began to spread across his lips. He knelt down and turned his back to the bed, allowing him to get a good view of the patch of skin right behind his left ear. It was a little heart with the colored bands of the trans pride flag.

"It's great Emile!" he said. "What was it like? Did it hurt?"

"Oh, yeah, it did, but it wasn't unbearable," the therapist said, standing up from his position. "I got it done last week. The artist was super chill and supportive of it, which was lucky. I was worried I'd get some straight cis-male who was uncomfortable at the mere mention of 'transgender'. This guy was really sweet though, he could tell I was nervous and talked me through it."

Patton nodded with a wide smile. "That sounds nice, I'm glad it was a good experience for you!"

"Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo, Pat?" Emile then asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Cause if you were ever thinking about it, I'd highly recommend him."

The florist chuckled a little, leading to another small coughing fit. "I'll definitely have to think about it for a while before I even considering getting one," he replied honestly, clearing his throat. Picani handed him a glass of water for his throat. After taking a long sip, he put it down on the end table beside his bed. "I've never been a huge tattoo guy, but never say never!"