Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Iago spent his time volunteering at the little archives researching the town, in general, and searching for Xander’s original house plans, in specific.
It took a week before he hit on them. The first bit of his time was spent with ‘training’, and then he had to figure out the damn filing system.
Filing system, ha.
There were boxes and boxes of papers and blueprints and newspapers.
It was wild, and more than a little crazy-making .
So he had set out to make a better system. He had to walk the line between pissing off the archivist and being able to work in the little building, but dammit, this was nuts. And so, he sorted.
Blueprints, newsprint, maps — the piles were high, but they were slowly becoming manageable.
And he crowed when he found a stack of documents about the row of houses Xander’s property sat on.
He just needed to find the right one. There had to be…
He frowned, the room suddenly too hot. Iago fanned himself with one of the maps, then got up to turn on the little ceiling fan. Whew.
That had been awful. The sudden flood of heat had made him queasy, sweaty, and damned uncomfortable.
He swallowed hard, then went to grab a water from the little cooler he’d left in the lobby area. No liquids were allowed in the actual archive, which was only fair.
He drank about half a bottle, but that was all she wrote, and he ended up hurtling for the bathroom.
Ugh. That was awful. What the hell had he eaten this morning? Could cereal go bad? The milk had been fine…
He rinsed his mouth out as well as he could, and then he called Mason. He needed a toothbrush.
“Hey, bud. What’s up?” He could hear the clicking and clacking of typing and of Mason’s trackpad, so he was probably editing.
“Hey, I need a favor. There’s no one here to cover me, and I need a toothbrush.”
The typing stopped. “What for?”
“To… brush my teeth?”
Mason snorted. “Hey, if Xander stopped by and made your breath less than fresh, then he can get you a toothbrush.”
He gagged. “Ew. God, no. Stop. I threw up. I have nasty mouth. Please, man…”
“Oh, shit. You okay?” There was a giant rustle. Sometimes Mason reminded him of a big bird. “I’m on my way.”
“Thanks, man. You are a lifesaver.” He hung up and got a paper towel wet with cold water to clean up his face.
Blah.
He sat on the little couch in the little foyer and waited for Mason, because he could crack open the door and get some cool air that way.
Thankfully, as tiny as the Junction was, it took Mason three minutes to get there, and he carried a toothbrush, paste, and a Sprite with him.
“Thanks, man.” He ran into the bathroom to brush, then he came back out. “I’m sorry. I just—I got so hot.”
Mason arched an eyebrow, then pulled out a thermometer meant for finding cold spots and looked at him through it. “You’re not running a fever.”
“Good to know.”
“Let me go check out the room in there, though, huh?” Mason high-tailed it into the main archive.
“I have to show you some blueprints anyway. I finally found what I was looking for.”
“Well, leave the door open. I don’t want you getting all ick again.”
“Trust me, I don’t either. Maybe it was the old ink or something.” He rolled his eyes at himself. “Whatever it was, I feel better now.”
Mason glanced at him. “You do? Let me do some readings.”
“Okay.” He could sit back and rest a minute. Maybe it had just gotten too stuffy. Who the hell knew?
His phone buzzed, and he glanced at it, seeing a text from Xander.
You ok?
He blinked. How had Xander known?
Why?
I just had a feeling
Huh. Are you a ghost?
Not that I know of
Good. I threw up. I’m fine now. Mason’s here.
Are you sick? Do you need me to come get you?
Oh, God. He melted inside. He just called Xander. “You’re so sweet.”
“Are you crying?”
“I don’t think so…” Was he?
“Baby, what’s wrong. What can I do?”
“I—” He sniffled. “I’m starving. Is that weird? I threw up, and I felt better.”
“How about I make some soup, and you and Mason come over for lunch? Or I can bring it to y’all’s place and feed Law too.”
“Oh, that would rock. I get to close the archives at noon. I’d like that very much.” He wanted Xander to give him a hug.
“Okay, that gives me time to make it. You’re okay now?”
“Mason brought me a Sprite. I’m good.”
“Good deal. I’ll see you at lunchtime. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Me too.”
He hung up, then stayed in the doorway watching Mason, drinking his Sprite. “Any readings?”
“No.” Mason frowned. “Not at all.”
“Huh.” He sipped his drink again, feeling better all the time. “Xander is making us soup.”
“Yeah?” Mason grinned up from his perch where he was sorting papers. It was an addiction, and Iago knew it. “I love that for us. Feeling better?”
“I am. Did you see I found the blueprints for Xander’s place? I’m going to check them out so we can go over them.”
“Cool. I was about to ask if we could take these with us.” Mason rolled them up to put them in the tube sitting next to the desk. “I gotta be honest, readings or no, this place gives me the heebie jeebies.”
“That’s the energy of the archivist herself I think.”
His phone buzzed again, and this time it was Law.
You guys okay?
Heading home. X is bringing lunch. Found blueprints
Cool. cusoon
“Law?” Mason asked, and he nodded.
“Of course. You ready? I’ll lock up.” He wanted to go, drink his Sprite and see Xander, dammit.
“I am. I’ll come back with you next time and hang out.” Mason rubbed his back between his shoulder blades, and that felt good. He was super-tense.
What the heck was going on with him?
“You are like stone. Come home, man. Soup and rest, I think.”
He nodded, oddly emotional. Maybe he was hormonal. He wasn’t prone to that like, say, Sebastian, who’d had two babies, but he could get a little grr sometimes.
Stupid omega body. Sometimes he just wanted to be sure and stable.
Not that Xander was any better. Hell, last night, the man had been on a super grump about the restaurant and had snarled at a raccoon out behind his house.
A raccoon.
It had been a little bit scary — also, a little bit funny, he could admit that, once he’d figured out Xander wasn’t insane.
For a moment, though…
“Come on, bud.” Mason grabbed all the shit that needed to go with them, then let him lock up before turning to peer at him. “Did you drive or walk?”
“I walked.”
“I drove so I could get here super-fast. So, I’ll take you back.”
“Cool man, thanks.” He swallowed hard because just the thought of getting in the car was making him a little queasy again, but it would get him home faster and he could see Xander quicker then.
“I’ll turn the air on really good,” Mason told him, studying his face with concern.
“Thanks. I don’t think it’s contagious or anything. I’m not running a fever.”
“That’s all right. If you make me sick, I’ll make you pay.”
He had to laugh at Mason’s very serious tone, but that grin was so shit-eating. Ew. He didn’t want to think about eating shit.
He took another desperate swallow of Sprite to get that out of his face, then followed Mason to the car so they could get back to the house.
He thought about hanging his head out the window like a dog, but he decided that might end up backfiring on him if he got a bug or something in his mouth. So, he just opened his vent full blast and let the cold air blow right on his face, which was sweaty and gross.
“You gonna make it?” Mason asked when they were about two-thirds of the way back to the house.
“I sure hope so, but I’m not one hundred percent.”
“Okay I’m not going to whip you around, but we’re almost there.”
“I can make it.”
Iago just did make it. As soon as they got to the house, he had to jump out and run inside to throw up again. The only thing that came up that time was some acidy Sprite, but still, it wasn’t pleasant.
“Hey, are you all right?” Law met him just outside the door to the powder room on the first floor, his face creased in a frown.
Iago staggered over to collapse on the couch. “No, no, I am not all right.”
“Can I get you something? I’ve got some of that anti-nausea stuff that they gave Colton when he was taking all those hardcore painkillers. It’s still good.
“Can you just get me a couple of saltine crackers? My mom used to give them to me when I wasn’t feeling good, and they really helped.”
“Sure man, no problem.”
Mason brought him his Sprite, and Law went and got him some crackers. By the time he downed two crackers and a few more sips of his drink, he was feeling better again.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this,” Mason told him. “You’re usually really solid.”
“I know. This should be Law’s gig right?” Law tended to get really queasy if something weird happened during an investigation. It was how he reacted to hardcore paranormal activity. Iago was way more likely to get cold, not hot or sick to his stomach.
Law brought him a cool damp washcloth, which he put on his forehead and lay back on the couch. He dozed until there was a knock on the door.
“I’ll grab that,” Mason said, before he could even get the washcloth off his face. “I’m sure it’s Xander.”
He murmured his thanks before sinking back down because he felt weak and shaky and it was bizarre.
“Hey, babe.” He had no idea how long he’d been drifting when he felt Xander’s hand on his cheek, thumb rubbing up across his cheekbone.
He pushed up toward the touch. “Hey. Thank you, hmm?”
“You’re welcome. Did you try some crackers?”
“I did. It really helped. Now I’m kind of sleepy.”
“You want a blanket?” Xander bent to kiss his forehead.
“I just want to sit with you a second, please.”
“Okay.”
“I took the soup to the kitchen for when we’re ready,” Law murmured. “Mason and I are going to the office.”
“Thanks, guys.” Xander wrapped around him, holding him easily, humming under his breath.
They snuggled on the couch, and Iago dozed some more, his body feeling heavy and tired. He really couldn’t afford to come down with anything. He had to do a shoot in three days with the whole crew over in Animas Forks. Ghost towns were a hoot.
Xander stroked his hair, and he melted, his entire world feeling as if he could breathe again.
“Better? I can tell you relaxed.” Xander’s voice stayed low. Soothing.
“Yes. Thanks, Xan. I was needing you.”
“I’m right here.” Xander could be really sweet when he wanted to. And Iago loved how they vibed together like this.
“What kind of soup did you bring? I do love your soup.”
“Chicken noodle. Protein but easy on the tummy.” Xander stroked his hair off his forehead. “So, when did this start?”
“It just hit me. I was so hot and queasy and blorp.”
“Huh. Hauntings are usually cold. Was it super-hot in the archive?”
“I didn’t think so?” He shrugged as much as he could lying with Xander. “You could ask Mason.”
“Later.”
“Yeah. This is heaven.” He was stupidly in love.
“Mmmhmm. I missed you, baby. It was weird. You weren’t even gone that long.”
“We’ve gotten used to sleeping together.”
“We have.” Xander pulled back to stare at him, eyes so green, the little flecks of gold so pronounced. “How are you feeling now?”
“So much better.” Iago couldn’t stop his smile. “And hungry. The soup smells so good.”
“Oh, then we should get you fed.” Xander was watching him, clearly worried, but smiling too, just a soft look for his usually serious face.
“I’m sorry if I’ve worried you.” He reached up and cupped Xavier’s cheek.
“Hey, you don’t need to apologize. I’m here good or bad. I want to make you feel better, I promise.” Xander helped him sit up, letting him lean while he assessed his stomach’s readiness for food.
Yeah, he was starving, and the scent of chicken and garlic was heaven.
His mouth actually watered, so he nodded and smiled at Xander. “I’m ready. I’ll have saltines with mine just in case.”
“Cool. I did bring bread, though, if you want it plain.” Xander rose, then helped him to his feet.
“You spoil me.” He kissed the corner of Xander’s mouth. “Seriously. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. Okay, guys!” Xander called. “Come get some food.”
Law and Mason stampeded into the room, jostling each other.
“Feeling better, buddy?” Law asked.
Mason grinned. “He must be. He’s way less pale.”
“I am. I’m hungry. Like incredibly. Let’s eat!” He felt like he could totally get through the day, now.
They all sat down to slurp soup, and he felt better with every sip. It had to have been just some weird quirk.
But he was ready to get back to it now.
Even if “it” was another cuddle on the couch with Xander.