Chapter 15 #2
He throws away the trash, then takes a few minutes to straighten up the kitchen. I run my fingers absently through Parker’s hair while I watch Landon move around the apartment.
“How old were you when your mom was sick?”
He puts a couple of cups in the sink from the counter, then turns to face me. “Six.”
God, he was just a baby.
I continue watching him as he works on putting the kitchen back in order then as he pours a fresh glass of water. “They’re gonna need to stay hydrated,” he says, placing the glass on the table and grabbing the old one.
I’m awed by him. This is a brand new side to him, but no matter what new things I learn or what sides I see, I can’t help but want to know more. I can’t help but fall faster. The two most perfect humans in existence, and I get to make both of them mine.
I wake up to a muffled groan and realize I’m soaking wet.
“Ew. What the actual fuck?” Parker says, voice hoarse.
Good question.
I fumble around in the dark, looking for the switch on the lamp Parker has beside their bed. When I find it, warm light floods the room, and I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Everything is wet. The sheets, the blanket on top of us. My boxers. All of it.
“Landon,” Parker croaks, weak and so small and vulnerable that my heart nearly splits in two.
Landon shifts, then sits up. “Oh shit.”
Glancing around the room, I find the thermometer, then help Parker sit up and put it in their mouth. I cradle the side of their head, and they lean into my touch, eyes falling shut.
When it beeps, I pull it out and look at it. “Fever’s broken.”
Landon laughs softly. “Yeah, the puddle we woke up in is proof of that.”
Parker groans. “Ugh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Cotton Candy. It’s not your fault.”
“How are you feeling?” Landon asks softly.
Parker shifts toward him, then lets their head fall back against his arm. “Already told you. Black and gray.” Their nose scrunches up. “Kinda green too. Not jealous green, though. Different one.”
My heart skips a beat at the pure adorableness of that as Landon chuckles lightly. “No, Lovebug. I meant your body.”
Parker’s eyes pop open, and they look at Landon. “Oh. Better. Not great, but better.”
Landon nods. “Okay. Go shower off the sweat and tell us where we can find sheets and blankets to remake the bed.”
After pointing us to the closet, Parker shuffles out of the room and into the bathroom to shower. “I’ll go grab our extra clothes.”
When I get back with our bags, Landon has the bed stripped and is working on changing pillowcases, so I drop the bags on the floor and help him get a fresh sheet on.
When the bed is remade, I slip out of my boxers, letting them fall to the floor without much thought. Landon makes a choked noise, and I lift my head to look at him. He’s looking at anything but me, and if I didn’t find it so damn adorable, I’d probably be offended.
“You okay over there?” I ask, smirking.
“Uh-huh. Yep. Just fine.”
He’s blushing from his hairline all the way down his chest.
“You can look, you know,” I say softly.
With a deep breath, he turns to look at me fully. I can’t help but preen a little under his attention. His eyes start at my face, slowly trailing down my body. My cock plumps under his intense stare, but a hacking cough has us both jumping.
I turn around to find Parker, hair wet and a towel wrapped around them, standing in the doorway of their bedroom. “It’s a crime for you to look like that when I’m so close to death. It’s wrong, and it’s unnatural. Put some clothes on, I beg.”
“The dramatics are back. Someone’s feeling at least a little better,” I say, grinning as I reach into my bag and pull out a fresh pair of boxers.
After putting them on, I toss Landon his bag. He grabs some clean sweats out of it. “I’m gonna change in the bathroom. Be right back.”
Parker grabs a fresh t-shirt. It looks like it’s gonna swallow them whole, and when Landon comes back into the room, they step out.
I can’t resist anymore. I need to touch him, so when Landon steps past me to walk around the bed, I hook his arm and drag him back to me. He startles, his wide-eyed gaze settling on mine. I pull him flush against my body, then slide my fingers into his hair.
He melts. There’s no other word for it. He just fucking melts.
“What are we doing?” he asks after a few seconds of me just holding him.
“This? This is called hugging.”
“No fair. I want to be hugged.”
We break apart to find Parker standing beside us, a pout etched on their face. “Quick question, Cotton Candy,” I say. “How do you feel about ‘pretty’ as a compliment?”
The question seems to take them by surprise. “Do you think I’m pretty?”
I nod. “I do. Very much. Especially when you’re pouting like that, but I want to make sure it’s something you’re comfortable with.”
Parker nods slowly. “Pretty is good, yes.”
“Alright then, pretty baby. Come get your hug.”
They groan. “Pretty is fine. Not baby. Ugh.”
“What’s wrong with baby?” I ask, smiling, because by now I’ve learned playful outrage vs. I’m actually upset about this, Parker.
The only answer I get is a huff, but they do step closer.
Landon and I make eye contact over their head.
“This isn’t hugging,” Parker says.
I step forward and wrap my arms around them, pulling them flush against me the way I did with Landon. They fit differently in my arms than Landon, but no less perfectly, and I could do this forever.
“Lan too,” Parker says, voice muffled against me.
Landon steps up behind Parker, then sandwiches them between us. The three of us just stand there for a second, holding each other, while I breathe in the coconut scent of Parker’s shampoo.
Finally, they sigh. “I want to lie back down. But can we hug there too? Like horizontal, though. Horizontal hugging.”
Landon chuckles, and my heart nearly explodes. “We definitely can.”
The three of us climb back into bed, and as soon as Parker gets settled between us, Landon and I scoot closer. Parker rolls onto their side, facing Landon. I press closer, curling my body around theirs while they shimmy and shift until they have their face tucked against Landon’s throat.
When they finally stop squirming, they hum. “This is good. Very good. Purple again.”
Oh, my heart.
Landon’s eyes go glassy as he looks up at me, and I’m not sure I’m doing much better.
Parker’s almost asleep when they let out a little breath. “Lied before.”
“About what?” Landon whispers.
“The kisses,” Parker says. “Do wanna be kissed like that.”
My stomach flips wildly. “How about we talk about that when you’re not delirious from sickness, Cotton Candy?”
Parker hums. “’Kay. Lan too.”
“What?” Landon asks, fingers playing in Parker’s hair.
“Kiss you too.”
Landon’s breath catches in his throat as he whispers a near-silent “Okay.”
These two are going to ruin me.