Paint Me Blue [bxb; mpreg]

Chapter Twenty Five

F. 12th

Payton stumbles out of bed and toward the bathroom, intent on taking a quick shower.

Reese peers at the time, yawning with a frown when he realizes it's only 5:41 in the morning.  His brows furrow when he hears the shower turn on, but he's too tired to question why Payton is up so early.  He turns onto his side and buries his face in Payton's pillow, scenting his boyfriend's faint smell.  He hums tiredly and dozes off.

But it isn't long before something wakes him up.  It's annoying and incessant.  Sounds like a vibrating phone.  With a grunt, Reese blindly reaches for it and answers the call without checking the caller ID.

"Payton, where the hell are you?  Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have my own employees ask for my own son, claiming that he's late to work?  It's rather humiliating to say my own son is late to the job I've provided for him.  Don't you think it's enough for me to give you a job, but now I have to cover for you?  How irresponsible are you?  Do you really think you can take care of a child when you can barely keep--"

"Please stop, Mr. Parker," Reese intervenes, voice hardening with anger.

"And you are?" The man demands impatiently.

"I'm Reese, I believe we met briefly a few weeks ago," Reese grits, "and I don't know what gives but you really have no right to talk to or about Payton like that."

"I talk to my son however I want and he is clearly irresponsible," the man growls.

Reese's brow furrows in anger, "Payton is tired, he has school to worry about and he shouldn't be receiving hell from someone who neglected him all his life."

"For your information," the man drawls, "he is my son and he does as I say.  It's enough that he got someone like you pregnant, the least he can do is maintain a job to cater to a freeloader and his child's needs."

Reese cheeks heat up, "Payton didn't tell me he was working, much less that he was working for you."

"Of course not," Elijah scoffs, "now I'm done chattering, hand the phone over to Payton this instant."

The younger boy heads to the bathroom with the intention of hanging up on Payton's father, "he's not going to work.  He's staying home and he's going to rest.  If anything, he should be at school instead of skipping just to please you and your ego."

"Look, you insolent child, give the phone to Payton immediately or else-"

Reese doesn't hear the rest of it.

His heart beats fast when he pushes open the door and finds Payton passed out cold on the tiled floor.  He nearly stops breathing at the sight, and he drops the phone in his haste to get to the unconscious teen.

"Payton?  Payton wake up!"  He cries.

Payton is burning up, body shivering uncontrollably as he burns with fever.  He's flushed and sweaty, lips pale and mumbling in delirium.  His breathing is shallow and the wheezing almost sounds painful.

"Payton," Reese whimpers, brushing the teen's hair back, "Payton wake up, please."

"Hello? Payton?  Reese?"

Reese looks at the discarded phone and he picks it up with trembling hands, voice shaky as as he begs for help.

"What happened?"  Elijah demands, papers rustling in the background.

"I-I don't know.  He, Payton, I don't know.  He won't wake up," Reese blubbers, "he's not waking up."

"Stay on the line, I'm on my way."

Reese nods despite the man not being able to see him.

He quickly sets the phone on loud speaker beside him and carefully picks up Payton's head, placing it on his lap.

He closes his eyes and begs for Payton to wake up, to be okay, "Please Payton, please, please, please."

Elijah steps inside the apartment and looks around in a panic.

He finds the boys in the bathroom.  He suppresses his fear and helps the pregnant teen up, making sure he's alright before focusing on his son.

Payton isn't reacting and he's so scared that he'll lose him.  That the last thing he said to his son, was what a disappointment he was for a stupid mistake in the bank's calculations.

He feels so guilty, so horrible, for not noticing how worn his son was.  For pushing him beyond his limits until he collapsed.

"Are you okay?" He asks the terrified teen cowering by the door.

Reese gives a small sniffle and a nod.

"Come on, were going to the hospital."

Reese follows behind him, with a t-shirt, sweats, and slippers on.  He barely feels the cold that surrounds him even as his body shivers in protest.  His sole focus is on Payton, guilt gnawing at him as well.  The last thing he did was yell at the person he loves who only wanted to provide for him and their child.