Page 94 of Protecting his Life

Brett gently picked him up, but once he was in his arms, he walked quickly to the bathroom, leaving Felix on the floor by the toilet, resting against the wall. He hadn’t put the light on, thankfully.

“You thought of everything. You even put the bath mat down so I wouldn’t be cold,” he murmured, leaning closer to the toilet as his stomach rolled and pitched. He breathed through his nose slowly, hoping to calm the storm.

“I couldn’t have you uncomfortable now, could I?” Brett said, crouching near him.

How he knew that Felix couldn’t say because his eyes were still closed, but he must have some super sense or something.

“Here are some tablets,” Brett said, putting them in his hand. “I’ll hold the glass to your lips once you’ve put them in your mouth.”

Felix lifted his hand, clumsily getting the tablets between his lips, and then the cool edge of a glass rested against his lower one. He sipped slowly, the cold liquid nice to his parched throat. He swallowed the tablets and pushed away the glass.

“Thanks. Let’s hope they stay down.”

He finally managed to open his eyes more than a crack and saw Brett in the limited light spilling from the covered window. Brett moved to sit beside him, and Felix shuffled to rest his head against his shoulder.

“I do love you, you know,” he said.

“I know. I love you just as much.”

They sat in silence for a little while, Felix’s stomach still not sure if it was keeping its contents inside, until Brett inhaled deeply.

“We’re getting married, you know.”

Felix smiled, a huff escaping from his nose. “I thought there was supposed to be a question before that was agreed on.”

Brett moved a little, jostling Felix a little more than he would’ve liked, but then subsided. “I know, but you know I’m not very good with words. So how about…”

He pressed something into Felix’s hand. Something small, circular, cold. It caught on his thumb, and he gasped, opening his eyes again to focus as much as he could in the light.

“It’s a ring,” he stated unnecessarily.

“It is.”

Felix glanced at him, Brett’s eyes glistening slightly. “Do you have one?”

Brett smiled. “Depends. Are you going to say something?”

“Depends.” Felix smiled again. “Are you going to ask something?”

Brett pressed his lips against his temple and sighed. “Felix Jamison, will you marry me?”

“Yes.” Brett attempted to press his lips to Felix’s, but Felix slapped a hand over his mouth, catching Brett in the jaw. “No! I’ve not brushed my teeth!”

Brett laughed, the sound echoing around the bathroom. “That’ll teach me.” He rubbed his jaw. “Okay. We can seal the deal later. But first…” He took the ring from Felix’s hand and slipped it on his finger. “And…” He handed Felix a second ring, which he took and slid onto Brett’s hand. “They’re not wedding rings, they’re promise rings of a sort. Just for now.”

“Fuck, I love you.”

“I didn’t realise I changed my name.” Brett squeezed his hand. “Happy birthday.”

And even though Felix’s stomach twirled and twisted, and even though his breath smelt like the bottom of a bin, and even though they were sitting on the bathroom floor in their pyjamas, Felix was the happiest he’d ever been.

****