Tim spent the day in bed, an exhausted Ethan allowing Dustin to fuss over him until supper time.
After supper, Dustin curled up in the living room in front of the TV, while Ethan joined Tim in the bedroom.
“How’re you feeling?” He asked, straddling the chair that had been left in there from last night.
“Surprisingly tired.” Tim laughed. “Usually steroids have the opposite effect.”
“Probably tomorrow. Once they’re in your system.”
“Yeah,” Tim coughed. “Breathing easier though.”
“Temp has stayed down, too.” Ethan had checked, just prior to dinner, and Tim was holding at 101.5, much better than the 103.9 of last night.
“Sit with me.” Tim patted the edge of the bed on the other side of him. “It’s gotta be more comfortable than the chair.”
Smiling, Ethan got up, and sat next to Tim, back against the headboard.
“Thanks for this morning.” He paused, and added softly, “and last night. You didn’t have to sit there the whole time.”
“You knew I was there?”
“I remember hearing you sneeze. A lot.”
Ethan shrugged. “I was tired. And worried.”
“You sneeze when you’re worried? Any physical or mental state that doesn’t make you sneeze?” Tim teased.
“I stayed becauseI was worried.” Ethan clarified, defensively.
Tim started to laugh, then pressed a tissue to his nose. “Hihhjiihhshoo, hihhyyihhshh!” A deep sniffle. “I remember almost sneezing on you, too.”
“Thanks for missing me.” This came with a wide grin. He rubbed Tim’s arm. “Man, we’ve had a rough start.”
Tim laughed. “Think it made us closer? Made things move faster?”
Ethan shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I think we’d still be feeling each other out. This much time together…was gonna make us or break us.” He paused, recognizing the expression on Ethan’s face. “Sneeze.” He teased.
“Atshoo!”
“Bless you.”
“We did have time to get to know each other…”
“When we were vulnerable.”
“Yeah.”
“I think we’d still be sixth date, seventh date, feeling each other out.”
Ethan nodded. “We’ve certainly sped up that timeline.”
Tim didn’t answer. Ethan looked over to see the tissues clutched in his fist. “It’s there.” He said, by way of answer.
Ethan looked at him, quizzically, about to as what was there when his question was answered.
“HuhhhShehshh, uhhhyessshoo…heyyyyahhshoo, ahhhrshhehhh.” Tim pitched forward, shaking the bed.
“Bless you.”
“Hate that, when they just sit, right down in your nose and don’t come out.”
Ethan laughed. “I wouldn’t know. I have to sneeze, it comes out, whether I want it to or not.”
“Usually signals more than two sneezes for me. The longer it tickles, the more I’ll sneeze.” He groaned.
Ethan rubbed his back. “It’s just the way you are. Wouldn’t trade you.”
“Wouldn’t trade you either. Watch TV? I mean, I’m gonna sneeze through it…”
“Used to it. Besides as bad as the ragweed’s been today and as worn out as I am, I will, too.”
“That’s ok. I’ve gotten used to yours, too.”
Ethan laughed. “The guy who questioned how that could happen…”
Tim shrugged; “it happened.” He went to wrap his arm around Ethan, then pulled away for a harsh double that left him coughing until he was winded. “I’m guessing snuggling tonight isn’t in the cards again.” He sighed.
“There’s plenty of time to come.” Ethan reminded him. “Plenty of time to come.
Tim turned the corner that night, and by the time they all had finished the Tamiflu, he and Dustin were ready to go back to their respective homes. But, there was a date schedule for Monday for the two of them, and a phone call that night, and text messages in between. As scared as they were to try something new, this relationship was most certainly not “doomed.”
Aggedy Ann 