Chapter Four – Damon

Oh, man, I feel like shit, my head pounding the second it left the pillow. That shouldn’t be happening. I only had two beers at the bar last night. My nose is runny, damn it, and I’m cold and shivering. I pulled the covers up and over my head. Yuck, I hate being sick. Stupid client. I tried to keep myself away from his coughing and spluttering kid. Not that I’m blaming the kid, poor little guy. I hope he doesn’t feel this bad. I do hope his dad gets it though – jackass. Who takes their kid out when they’re that sick. Selfish prick!

“Hey, Rhodes. Are you getting up? We’re going to be late!”

I threw the blankets off trying to sit up on the side of the bed while my head spun. Great, dizzy too.

“Jesus, you look like death.” Kelly, my housemate commented as he lazily leaned against the door frame eating a bowl of cereal.

“Yeah, well I feel like it,” I groused then violently coughed, I rubbed my chest trying to make sure my ribs hadn’t fractured. “Ever heard of knocking?”

“Door was open, it seemed redundant.” Kelly shrugged his shoulder as he kept eating his cereal. “You want me to tell them you’re too sick for work.”

“Fuck off. I can work.” I coughed again.

Kelly looked at me, skeptically. “If you say so, man. I’m leaving in thirty, with or without you.” He pushed off the door frame. I assume wandering back to the kitchen.

“I’ll be fine once I’ve had a shower,” I mumbled to myself.

Twenty minutes later standing in the living room with my bag, Kelly took one look at me and shook his head in disappointment. He picked up his keys waltzing healthily past me; the rate bastard. I begrudgingly followed him out of the apartment. I honestly don’t know how useful I’ll be today but I’m not one to shirk my responsibilities either.

<<<<>>>>

Yeah, I’m not okay.

A nice bonus I get when I’m sick is pleasant dreams. Weird right? Dreams that give me the warm fuzzy feelings of sappy love and all that shit. Some big manly man I am dreaming of love. This one is no exception, the complete sense of contentment filled my entire body. Cole was by my side with his arm around my waist and his free one pointing ahead of us explaining in detail the nature of the particular flower. We were at a tulip festival somewhere in Europe; one of the blond-headed countries. He looked so happy, his whole face lit up as he spoke. His arm squeezed me tighter when he lifted his lips to meet mine.

“Thank you for this, I love you,” he whispered into my lips.

“You’re welcome, sunshine. I love you too. I’d do anything to make you happy.” I pecked him on the lips, smiling affectionately at him.

He turned to me again, smirking, “Aww, and all I did is bring your car to you.”

What?

Cole jangled a set of keys in front of my face. What the fuck? He gripped my shoulder gently shaking me. We went from words of love to car keys. Seriously. What. The. Actual. Fuck?

“Damon, it’s me, Cole.”

My eyes fluttered open disappointedly to find my keys jingling in my face and Cole grinning behind them blinking at me. Damn it.

“Ugh! Go away, I’m dying.” I turned away from him because no doubt I was sporting some noticeable wood and I didn’t want him to see my disappointment from waking up. It didn’t matter to that bastard I was sick. Cole curled around behind me as the big spoon hugging me to his body, an arm wrapped over me firmly against my chest. I love how tactile he is with Tommy and me. I’m not so keen when it’s with others.

“You’re not dying. It only feels that way, ya big baby,” he mumbled into my neck. I can’t be sure, but I swear I felt him kiss me. I could definitely feel his breath on my neck, which in no way is helping my situation down south one fucking bit.

“You’re gonna get sick,” I grunted, putting my hand on top of his that lay on my chest. God, I wish this was real. That Cole was actually mine. I had such a need to lift his hand to my mouth and kiss it then pull him closer. Luckily, I don’t have the energy and won’t be humiliating myself today. Plus I’m pretty sure my nose is all drippy. Very sexy, I’m sure.

“I brought you some chicken noodle soup.” His voice was muffled from being buried in my neck.

“Churros?” I felt his body shake with silent laughter because it was vibrating through my back, plus my bed was bouncing slightly. “Yes or no, to the churros?” I asked grumpily.

He removed his hand from under mine slapping my hip as he pulled it back. “Yes, with churros.” He sighed. “How long have we known each other?” He asked, sliding off the bed. “I know the drill, soup and churros when you’re sick, salad wraps with beetroot when it’s hot, and curried sausage casserole when it’s cold, ya big weirdo. You stay here and rest. I’ll bring it to you.”

Cole and I have always been close but were very close before I left for the Marines. I also know that it hurt him deeply when I joined up with the service. We stayed in contact while I was gone. He wrote to me at least once a week, I wrote back when I could. Every time we got to talk over skype it made me feel lighter, but also more focused and determined to come home in one piece. After all, some people loved me back home. He and Tommy have been my family for a long time. But Cole, him I’ve been in love with a little bit since the day we met in school.

I found the energy to pull myself up against the headboard and get comfortable. Cole, Tommy, and I had always been the closest of our group. Well, that’s not true, we all sort of formed our own little groups. It was always us three and now by extension Kelly too.

Kelly also has some weird protective thing with Preston. There seems to be some type of attraction that neither wants to acknowledge. Nobody ever says anything about it, not right to their faces anyway. We always seemed to throw around ideas on how to force them to see it, but… Cole, always the voice of reason steps in to remind us they’ll work it out on their own.

“Hey, slacker,” Kelly said, leaning on the door frame to my room munching on one of my churros. I didn’t hear the front door open when he came home, the stealthy shit.

“How was it after I left?” Okay, I didn’t actually leave work so much as the boss shoved me out the door into a waiting taxi so I didn’t pass along my cold to everyone. And I’m pretty sure I was useless. I hate being sick. “And that’s my Mexican donut asshole. Cole got them for me.”

He shrugged his shoulder ignoring my bitch about the churro, “Same old, same old.” He moved to the side to let Cole into to the bedroom. “Hey, what about me? Where’s mine?”

Rolling his eyes, Cole gave Kelly one of the bowls of soup he was holding stealing back the churro and brought the other to me with not two but now three churros. He then sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Thanks,” I said, smelling the heavenly soup, “you aren’t having any?”

Cole shook his head. “Nah, I’ve put the leftovers in the refrigerator all you have to do is heat it up.” I shoved one of the churros into his hand and glared until he ate it. With a nod of my head satisfied I dug into my tasty soup.

The three of us chatted while Kelly and I ate Cole’s offerings. God, it’s good stuff. “Did you make this Coletrain? It’s really good.”

He gave me a warm smile. “Yeah, I put it in the slow cooker this morning. Just in case you were still feeling like shit today.” He looked a little sheepish that he’d gone to the trouble just for me. “Kelly called this morning and told me you needed comfort food because you are diseased.”

“Thanks, shithead,” I told my roommate, who barely acknowledged I was talking to him.

Kelly lifted the bowl to his mouth, slirping the last of the soup down. “Fuck me, that’s good soup. It tastes homemade. Where’d you get it?” The ridiculous man asked Cole.

Cole and I looked at each other and laughed.

“What?” Kelly asked blinking.

“You’re an idiot,” I told him.

He casually flipped me off at the same time loud frantic banging came from the front door. Kelly raised his eyebrow at me. “You expecting anyone?”

“No.”

“Guys, let me in.” Rush yelled through the door.

“What the… hold your horses,” Kelly put the bowl on my dresser calling out while walking quickly to the door. We heard the door open and muffled hurried conversation. The front door slammed then Rush appeared in my doorway.

“Hey, guys. Sorry, but, um… We have to go, like now. Preston’s mom, my mom,” he said as if the thought just occurred to him, “was taken in a wreck this afternoon on the way home from work. He needs us,” Rush said frantically shuffling anxiously from one foot to the other. He looked lost with his red-rimmed puffy eyes and his gaze not really focused.

I threw the covers back getting out of bed looking for the first thing I could put on ignoring the way my head spun. Luckily I’d laid last nights clothes over the chair because I hadn’t been in them for very long. So I put on my jeans and button-down shirt. I took a moment to steady myself. Cole grabbed my and Kelly’s empty bowls taking them to the kitchen. Rush moved off and waited by the front door anxiously. “How is he?” I asked, approaching him.

“Not good. I had to get out of there.” Rush’s voice was strained and gravelly. Preston, Rush, and Raj were a tight-knit threesome. “Doll and Raj are with him at the moment. Dad’s almost catatonic, it’s a mess over there. We all doted on mom, we all loved her. I don’t understand Damon, how could she just be gone?” Rush broke down sobbing.

Thankfully, I managed to catch Rush before he collapsed onto the floor. I held him tight as Cole came rushing over. He slid his arm around my waist, laying his head on Rush’s shoulder rubbing his back soothingly, trying to comfort our friend. We both knew how much Preston’s family meant to Rush. After his parents disowned him, Preston’s parents dragged Rush into their family as if he’d always been one of them. He has to be hurting as much as Preston, but his first instinct wasn’t to worry about his loss, but his best friend’s loss. Loyal to a fault.

“Kelly already on his way?” I asked quietly. Rush nodded into my chest. “Good.”

<<<<>>>>

Tommy came into the kitchen as he was saying his goodbyes on the phone, he ended the call then tossing it gently onto the breakfast table.

“Okay, I’ve got the car service picking up Mr. Montgomery’s parents at the airport tomorrow morning and taking them to their hotel, and another one to gather Mrs. Montgomery’s brother and his family an hour later.” He scrubbed his hands down his face. “You sorted with the flowers, Coletrain?”

Cole nodded his head in confirmation, his chin rubbing his forearm from where it rested on the table. “Yep,” he answered with a sad sigh, “they’re being delivered in the morning and I’ve called in two casuals to watch the shop until after the funeral so me and Micah can get everything done.”

“Damon, you going with Rush to organize the funeral tomorrow?” I nodded my head in confirmation. “Have we missed anything?” Tommy asked as he looked at me, Cole, Raj, and Rush.

“No, I don’t think so,” Rush answered on a sob.

“Aw, Rush,” Tommy rounded the table lifting our friend into a standing position before he wrapped his arms around him, his eyes closed tightly. A tear leaked from his eye, he quickly swiped it away before replacing his arm back around Rush while he cried quietly into Tommy’s shoulder. “Shh, shh, we’re here buddy, we’ve got you,” he whispered.

Doll came into the kitchen causing all of us to pay attention wanting news on Preston and his dad who were inconsolable.

“I gave Mr. Montgomery a strong sedative and he’s sleeping for now,” Doll said pulling a chair out from the table sitting down wearily. “Preston refused but Kelly managed to talk him into taking a mild relaxer at least. He’ll be out for a little while but I wouldn’t think he’ll be back to peopling for a bit. Kell’s wrapped around him like a bubble of protection. I doubt we’ll be seeing the two of them until at least tomorrow.” He smiled softly. “Take a look at this, they’re so stinking cute together.” He showed everyone a photo of our friends. “Kelly’s so big he could carry Preston around in his pocket. The contrast in the color of their skin is mesmerizing. I love it.” He pulled his phone back taking another quick look at the photo before closing the app and putting it in his pocket. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. We’re all exhausted, I’m sure, but all we want is to be helpful and make this as easy as we can on our friends.

“Catering,” Raj blurted out loud, he looked sheepishly at all of us. “I’ll make sure there is catering for the wake, how many people do we expect?”

Raj, Tommy, and Rush started discussing the catering issue and I felt a weight on my shoulder. I twisted my head in that direction to find Cole’s hair in my face. I kissed the top of his head gently and wrapped my arm around his shoulder bringing him in a little closer. He sighed contentedly and my insides reveled in the fact that he was taking the comfort he needed from me. I turned my gaze away from Cole to find Doll relaxed in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head and legs stretched out in front of him with a small smile on his face as he watched me and Cole. I raised an eyebrow in question. But all he did was give me a quick tight nod and close his eyes again.

A little snore from Cole made me smile. “I better get this one home, do you think it will be okay to leave his bike here?” I asked no one in particular, then coughed dislodging Cole from my side as I turned away. I didn’t want to cough all over him or anyone else, I also want to go home my energy is depleting quickly and I need a hot shower and bed.

“Nah, it’ll be fine. I’ve got it,” Tommy said. “I’m staying here tonight in case they need anything.”

“I’ll stay too,” Doll said slowly sitting up straight in his chair, “I want to keep an eye on them.” Then he looked at me pointedly and asked for the fiftieth time, “Can I please check you over before you go?”

“No, I’ll be fine, promise. I’m feeling better,” I told the now many pairs of eyes on me.

“You’re a damn fine liar,” Doll replied.

“Aren’t you a headshrinker, how will you be able to help?” I teased.

“I also have my MD in general medicine, asshole.”

“Yes, sir.” I smirked. “Seriously, if I’m not feeling any better by tomorrow I’ll come find you. Okay?”

Doll sighed resignedly, “Fine, make sure you do. Don’t make me come find you.”

I saluted him as I helped Cole out of his chair. “Let’s go Coletrain. Time for bed. The next couple of days are going to be long and we need some rest.”

The little shit just grunted at me as he cuddled into my side, my arm automatically going around him as I walked us out of the house. I had to get out of there, the overwhelming memories of when each one of my parents died kept smacking me in the face. It was getting to be too much. I keep reminding myself it’s about them and not me as I tamp down those feelings.

“Night, all,” I called over my shoulder seeing that Tommy was now pulling Rush down the hallway probably to make sure he gets some rest himself. I’m sure Rush is feeling a little lost and lonely at the moment. But I know that Tommy will be the one making sure our friend has everything he needs.

Thanks for reading. I hope you liked the chapter even if a little sad for the boys. 
Stay safe and take care of yourselves. 
Joh