Chapter 3 Brandon
brANDON
The first night after the procedure wasn't so bad. I slept most of it thanks to a leftover oxi pill I found in my medicine cabinet. I picked those up a decade ago on a trip to Mexico, and that was the sole survivor. I’d need to plan another trip down south soon to replenish my first-aid kit.
The gauze in my mouth was annoying as hell, but I managed to change it out a few times before I finally passed out on my couch with some mindless TV show playing in the background.
When I woke up the next morning, my jaw felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it, so I texted Frank to let him know I needed another day off.
Work would still be there the next day. The throbbing was constant and deep, radiating from where my wisdom tooth used to be all the way up to my temples.
I pushed myself up to sitting and immediately regretted it when a fresh wave of pain shot through my face. Moving was a bad idea.
My phone buzzed in my hand and an unknown number flashed on the screen. Normally, I wouldn't answer, but I was too delirious to make good decisions, so I swiped the screen to accept the call. "Hello?"
"Hi, Brandon! It's Sebastian from Dr. Weismann's office." His voice was bright and cheerful, like he'd been awake for hours and had already consumed an entire pot of coffee. "I'm just calling to check in and see how you're doing after yesterday."
Sebastian. The dental tech with the dinosaur collection and the gentle touch. The one who'd held my hand through the entire procedure like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I cleared my throat and tried to sound less pathetic. "I'm fine."
"Uh-huh." He didn't sound convinced. "On a scale of one to ten, how's your pain?"
"Maybe a six." I shifted on the couch and gasped. "Seven. Possibly eight."
"That's what I thought." There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line, like he was shuffling papers. "Dr. Weismann called in a prescription for some stronger pain meds if you need them. I can text the pharmacy info if you want to pick them up."
The thought of getting off the couch, getting dressed, and driving to the pharmacy made me want to puke. "Thanks, but I'm not really up for leaving the house right now."
"That's totally understandable." His voice softened, and I could practically hear the smile in it. "You should rest and just take it easy today. Watch some TV, drink lots of fluids, and if the pain gets worse, give us a call."
"Will do." I leaned back against the couch cushion and closed my eyes. "Thanks for checking in."
"Of course! That's what I'm here for." He paused for a second, and then added, "Feel better, Brandon. You were really great yesterday."
Before I could respond, he hung up, and I was left staring at my phone with a weird flutter in my chest that had nothing to do with the pain in my jaw.
I was great? Maybe he’d hit the nitrous already and wasn’t thinking clearly because I was anything but great. I was a fucking baby. It was embarrassing to think about, so I didn’t.
That visit was a one-and-done, so I probably wouldn’t ever see the sweet kid again. Unfortunately.
I tossed my phone onto the coffee table and tried to get comfortable on the couch.
The TV was still on from last night, playing some infomercial about a miracle blender that could apparently pulverize anything.
I grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels, but nothing held my attention.
Even though my jaw was killing me, I couldn't stop thinking about Sebastian. When I was at my weakest moment, he’d talked to me like I was someone worth caring for. And when my body moved before my brain could stop it and I grabbed his hand, he just held mine back. Not at all bothered by the grip.
At least, that was how it felt in my drugged-up state of mind.
A few hours later, I was still camped out on the couch, alternating between dozing off and watching whatever garbage I came across on TV. My over-the-counter pills dulled the pain to a constant ache that I could almost ignore if I didn't move too much or think too hard.
Then there was a knock at my door.
Groaning, I pushed myself up off the couch, moving slowly to not jostle my bones too much. Who the hell would show up unannounced in the middle of the day? If it was a salesman, I was about to lose my mind.
I shuffled to the door and yanked it open, ready to tell whoever it was to fuck off.
And then I froze.
Sebastian was standing on my front porch with a pharmacy bag in one hand and a plastic grocery bag in the other.
He was wearing jeans and a bright blue t-shirt with a cartoon T-rex on it.
That was cute enough, but the fact that his hair was a little messy like he'd been running his hands through it was icing on the adorable cake. “Sebastian?”
"Hi!" He grinned at me and held up the pharmacy bag.
"I hope you don't mind, but I figured you probably weren't gonna pick up your meds, so I grabbed them for you.
" He lifted the grocery bag next. "And I brought pudding.
Chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch. Pudding always makes me feel better when I'm sad or sick, and it’s on your approved list of foods for today… so I brought some."
I just stared at him, completely speechless.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and his smile faltered. "Is this weird? This is probably weird. I shouldn't have just shown up like this. I’ll leave. I just thought—"
"No, don’t." I stepped back and opened the door wider. "It's not weird at all. Just…unexpected. Come in."
His face lit up, and he bounced inside like an overexcited puppy. "Great! I wasn't sure if you'd want company, but I figured worst-case scenario, I could just drop this stuff off and leave."
I closed the door behind him and watched as he kicked off his shoes and headed straight for my kitchen like he'd been here a hundred times before. “And best-case scenario?”
“This.” He set the bags on the counter and started pulling out little pudding cups before lining them up in a neat row. "I wasn't sure what flavor you'd like, so I got a variety pack." He turned to look at me, his eyes bright with excitement. "What’s your favorite flavor?"
"Chocolate." I was still a little shocked to see him, but that quickly gave way to amusement and relief. Thinking I’d never see him again outside of the dentist’s office was a nightmare.
"Good choice." He grabbed two chocolate pudding cups and two spoons from my drawer like he knew exactly where everything was. "Let's get you fed and medicated, and then you can go back to resting."
“Okay.” I grabbed the pharmacy bag and pulled out the pill bottle. The label said to take one every six hours as needed for pain. I was a good six hours late, so I popped the cap off and shook out two pills. Before he could say anything, I tossed them into my mouth and swallowed them dry.
“First, you’re only supposed to take one at a time.” Sebastian shook his head and frowned. "Second, you're supposed to take that with food."
"I know." I grabbed one of the pudding cups and peeled back the foil. "That's why you brought me pudding, right?"
“I guess, but next time, just take one, please.” He handed me a spoon. “Don’t make me regret bringing you drugs.”
I scooped up a spoonful of pudding and let it melt on my tongue. It was cold and smooth and didn't require any chewing, which was exactly what I needed.
"How's it taste?" Sebastian leaned against the counter and watched me with those curious eyes.
"Fucking delicious." I took another bite and nodded toward the living room. "You wanna sit down? Watch a movie or something?"
His whole face lit up again. "Yeah! That sounds great."
We headed back to the couch, and I grabbed a blanket off the back to toss over my lap.
“Sorry about the mess. I spent the night out here.” My living room was covered in empty water bottles, wadded-up tissues, and a stack of fitness magazines I'd been planning to read for a year. “I’m not usually a slob.” I felt a flicker of embarrassment at the state of my home, but Sebastian didn't seem to notice or care.
“No worries.” He plopped down on the far end of the couch and pulled his legs up under him, clutching his pudding cup like it was the last one on earth. "So, what do you usually watch when you're home sick?"
I shrugged and grabbed the remote. "Whatever's on, I guess. I'm not picky."
"Want me to pick something?" He looked at me with those big eyes, and I knew I was completely screwed.
"Sure." I handed him the remote. "Knock yerself out."
He started flipping through channels, pausing on a cooking show for a second before moving on.
Then he checked out a nature documentary and a home-improvement show.
Finally, he stopped on a kids' movie channel, and his entire body went still.
"Finding Nemo." He gasped at his discovery. "It's just starting."
I glanced at the screen and saw the little clownfish swimming around a coral reef.
"You wanna watch this?" I smiled but couldn’t keep the amusement out of my voice.
"Do you mind?" He turned to me with a hopeful expression.
I couldn't have said no even if I wanted to. "Sure." I settled back against the couch cushions and took another bite of pudding. "I haven't seen this one in a while."
"It's so good." Sebastian curled up tighter on his end of the couch with his eyes glued to the screen. "And for the record, I have allergies that sometimes act up so…if you see tears, just ignore me." He winked when I turned to see if he was serious.
We settled in, and to be honest, I watched him more than I watched the movie.
The way his face lit up during the funny parts and his eyes got a little misty during the sad parts was endearing.
When he mouthed along with some of the lines like he'd seen this movie a hundred times, I wanted to get closer so I could hear his sweet voice instead of the sound from the TV.
He was so fully invested in the story that it made me wonder if this was a real part of him that he was sharing with me. I’d been around enough Littles in kink clubs to recognize the hints. And most guys weren’t giddy when they watched a cartoon if they didn’t have some regression tendencies.
As someone who experimented with domination and caretaking, my own Daddy instincts kicked in. “Can I get you anything, sweetheart? Maybe some more pudding or a cup of milk?”
“No, thank you.” He looked at me from under long lashes and leaned toward me until our shoulders were almost touching. Not quite, but almost.
Halfway through the movie, Sebastian shifted his weight and his shoulder brushed against mine. I expected him to straighten out, but he didn’t. He just leaned on me while I enjoyed the warmth of him pressed against my side.
By the time Nemo was reunited with his dad, Sebastian’s full weight was against me and his breathing had slowed down.
He'd fallen asleep on me.
I should have woken him up and told him it was time to go home. But I didn't. I couldn’t. Instead, I adjusted my position slightly so he'd be more comfortable and kept watching TV until the credits were rolling.
At some point, Sebastian let out a soft sigh and snuggled closer to me. That’s when I felt something shift in my chest. Something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Maybe the double dose of painkillers was making me sentimental, or maybe it was just how damn cute and sweet Sebastian was, but I knew I was in trouble.
Because I liked it.
I liked having him there and the way he fit against my side. His trust in me from the moment he saw me all anxious in that dentist chair made me feel like maybe I wasn't such a hopeless case after all.