Gavin felt like shit. He'd had another round of chemo, and he felt worse than he did the first day. Emily had driven him like last time, but this time she hadn't had time to get his homework. He'd had to walk across campus for it this time. That had taken its toll all on its own.
He had given in to Zeke the night after throwing his guts up. He hadn't felt like fucking around, but the older man had been very persuasive. It had taken a long time for Gavin to come, but Zeke hadn't seemed to notice. His pleasure had wrapped him in a heavenly fog that he barely noticed when Gavin had gotten up to throw up again.
He'd called Anderson Reed to ask how long the side effects would last. The good doctor had told him everyone was different, but if he was already feeling the nausea, then he would probably be sick after every round. He reiterated the need to drink plenty of fluids and eat when he could.
Mostly Gavin was weak. It took a lot out of him to walk down the stairs. He was winded when he made it halfway down. There wasn't a bedroom downstairs for him to crash in so he had to make the fifteen-stair trek each time he wanted to sleep. He could sleep on the sofa, but he would be in the way of everyone. He just wanted some peace and quiet.
Zeke had cancelled their appearance at the event on Saturday. He had sent a hefty check as an apology. Gavin hadn't been too sick, but Zeke hadn't taken any chances. They'd stayed home and watched a movie. The popcorn hadn't tasted right, but he'd forced some down just to keep up the façade.
It was Saturday night, and his body was rebelling. He lay on the couch with his head propped up on his arm as he tried to keep his head from exploding. He had a severe migraine that was making him nauseated. It didn't help that it was a nice day out. He'd rather go out on a walk than be stuck in the house, but he didn't think he could make it.
His rescheduled birthday dinner was supposed to be that night. He didn't want to reschedule it again, but he didn't think he could manage it. He would have to answer a million questions so it was just easier to have the damned thing. He could suffer for a few hours then go to bed. At least Emily would be there to help.
He felt a heavy hand on his forehead. He opened his eyes and looked up as his head was massaged gently. Zeke stared down at him, his mouth drawn into a tight line. He sighed as he rounded the edge and sat down by his hip. His big hand trailed down to his face, and his fingers rubbed gently circles into his cheek.
"Are you still sick?" he asked.
Gavin nodded. "I think I caught a bug or something. I called Dr. Reed, but he's not available until Monday. If it doesn't let up by then I'll go see him."
"Alright. Do you want to cancel dinner tonight? We can have something simple."
The younger man shook his head even though it hurt him to do so. "No, I'll be okay. I'll just take a nap. Don't freak out if I don't eat too much."
Zeke sighed and leaned down to kiss him softly. Gavin smiled a bit when he pulled away. "I'll ask Mrs. Morgan to make soup and sandwiches for dinner. What kind would you like?"
"Anything is fine. Can it be flatbread with turkey and tomatoes?"
"Yes, it can be that." Zeke reached over him and pulled down the throw. He draped it across him, making sure to tuck in the corners so he didn't catch a chill. "I'll tell everyone to leave you alone so get some rest."
Gavin smiled and watched him walk away. He was being gentle and cautious, something he had never seen Zeke be. Usually he was coarse and very direct. He got what he wanted, and he worked hard to get and keep it. He was a very popular man who everyone wanted to be associated with, but most balked when the realized how demanding he was. Seeing him settle down because of an illness was refreshing but somewhat scary. What would he do when he really found out what was going on?
~~~~~~~
His friends had carpooled together. Emily and Katie had hugged him upon arrival. Jetson had shaken his hand and Davis had slapped his shoulder hard. When he'd winced, Emily had nearly tackled her boyfriend while calling him various names under the sun.
Since the second round of chemo, Gavin and Emily had discussed telling everyone. Emily wanted to let everyone know so they wouldn't do things like Davis had just done, but Gavin was unsure. He didn't want it to get around that he was sick because it may get back to Zeke. If he told everyone else without telling Zeke first, it would be worse for him.
Emily had asked what Zeke had over him. In reality, Zeke had nothing over him. They had no formal contract that stated what was between them, but Raoul Duquesne had made it very obvious that Gavin was to do whatever the billionaire said and wanted if he wanted to be part of the family anymore. It was part of his agreement with Zeke Daniels to bail out the company.
Zeke had treated him like he had any other lover he'd ever had. He had been moved in and the rules had been put in place. Gavin hadn't known what else to do but to follow them. He wanted to be admonished by his family, and if Zeke told them he was behaving well, maybe they would see and talk to him on a regular basis. But Gavin had found out two weeks ago that that wasn't going to be the case. So why was he still trying?
Because he didn't want to be another disappointment. He wanted Zeke to think he was worth it. Even before all of this had happened, he just wanted someone to want him, wanted someone to think he was worthy of the time and effort. His family obviously didn't think he was so he had to find it elsewhere. Zeke had taken care of him up until now, and he wanted to make sure he did it for a while more. He would be a kept man at least until he got a steady job. Then he would reevaluate his life after that.
His diagnosis had put all of that in jeopardy. If things kept progressing the way they were, he may not be able to attend his final semester. If he was this sick after every round, he was going to miss a lot of school. He wouldn't be able to keep up. So he had some serious decisions to make.
The first would be what he would do with his hair. He'd found several clumps that morning when he'd gotten cleaned up. Anderson had said the possibility of him losing his hair was high, but he didn't think it would be so soon. But they had decided on a three month plan with scans every month to check on the effects. He was bound to lose all his hair during that time.
"It's good to see you looking somewhat better," Davis said. He looked his friend up and down. "You don't seem as pale as you did the other day."
Gavin smiled. "I feel a bit better. I was telling Zeke the other day that I think I may have contracted a bug. If it's not better by Monday, I'm going to the doctor."
He saw Emily's mouth slip into a thin line. She didn't refute him, but she wasn't happy with his response. He understood, but until they could talk to everyone, she was going to have to go with it.
"Did I hear my name?"
Gavin turned as Zeke emerged from his office just off the foyer. He was dressed casually in grey slacks and a navy blue sweater. His hair hadn't been set like he normally did when he was getting ready for business.
He stopped beside Gavin and slid his arm around his shoulder. Without a second thought, he lightly kissed the side of his head. Gavin frowned at him. He knew what he was doing. He was staking his claim in front of the two men. He was daring them to do something he didn't like.
"It's nice to meet you," he said. He turned his laughing eyes to the other four college students in his foyer. "I'm Zeke Daniels. Let me guess. You must be Emily Ray and Davis Hill. I haven't seen the two of you in a while so I wasn't sure."
Emily nodded with a friendly smile. "That's right. It's been what? Since Labor Day last year? Right after Gavin moved here?"
Zeke smiled. "You have a good memory. Isn't that where the two of you met?" She confirmed it with another nod. "I'm glad a good party resulted in a good friendship."
He turned his attention to the other two. Gavin saw Katie all but drool at the sight of him, but Jetson was a little more hostile. That by itself was going to cause problems. Jetson had been very open in his pursuit of Gavin when he first arrived but had toned it down when Gavin had said he wasn't interested. Now that he knew Gavin's living situation and sexual preferences, there was no doubt he was going to renew his efforts.
Zeke looked between the other two with a curious look on his face. Gavin knew it was a lie. Zeke knew all of these people because he had undoubtedly done a background check on the two new ones. He was very anal in that aspect, but Gavin also knew he did some of it as a protective mechanism. On top of not wanting anyone to destroy his hard earned businesses from the inside out, he also didn't want anyone hurting Gavin with ulterior motives.
"You must be Katie Roberts, am I correct? Daughter of Cecil Roberts, the city Alderman?" he asked.
Katie all but beamed at the recognition. "Yes! It's so good to finally meet you, Mr. Daniels. My dad had said nothing but good things about you. He said you donated substantially to the Rotary Club last quarter to help finish the community park."
"I don't mind helping in the least, especially when it means more people will get to enjoy a beautiful park." He smiled mischievously. "But please. Call me Zeke."
His attention went to the other man. "And you must be Jetson James. Gavin has spoken so much about you."
Another lie but Jetson didn't seem to notice. He extended his hand which Zeke took. They had a small strength battle that only ended when Gavin pinched Zeke's back gently. The older man released his hand and tucked his in his pocket.
"Thanks for having us," Jetson said.
Zeke smiled and motioned everyone towards the dining room. "Dinner is ready. Mrs. Morgan made soup, salad and sandwiches for tonight. We were going to have a full-course meal, but Gavin hasn't felt well the last few days. He just wanted something simple. So if you would follow me."
He guided Gavin to the dining room with the others following closely behind. He held out the younger man's chair and pushed it in gently when he sat down. Once everyone was seated, he nodded to his assistant who then disappeared to retrieve their food. When he returned, great smells and steaming food came in on two large silver carts.
Gavin's stomach turned at the smells, but he hid it as best as he could. He was going to have to eat something or Zeke would take him to the hospital tonight. He would find out the truth after they ran some tests, and then he would really have to answer some questions.
Zeke watched Gavin closely. His face didn't give anything away, but he saw the movement of his throat. He was still sick and the food made him feel worse. He wanted to send the food and the people away, but he had insisted on having this. It might have been because they'd had to reschedule it once and he didn't want to do it again. Whatever the reason, Zeke knew he wasn't up to it, but he would do as the younger man asked.
He raised his glass of wine. "To Gavin. I hope this year is better for you than anything you have experienced before."
Gavin smiled. "Thank you."
Zeke noticed Gavin didn't drink any of his wine. He wasn't a big drinker to begin with, but he at least took a sip during a toast. He never wanted to be rude in social situations, but he didn't bother tonight. Zeke found it odd, but he didn't question it as the conversation started as soon as the food was set before them.
They talked about school and what the next school function would be. Winter intramurals would be starting soon, and Jetson wanted Gavin to join the basketball team like he had last year. Gavin politely declined, but the other boy started harping on how he was the best player on their team and how they could use his skills. Gavin had tried to decline because of how many hours he was taking this semester and that he barely had spare time for himself.
Zeke noticed he was getting unsettled. He ate in between the conversation, but it wasn't enough. And the more he tried to be polite about it, the more his friend nagged. Gavin didn't raise his voice, but he wasn't happy either. And to make matters worse, his face was turning paler and paler by the minute.
"I don't understand," Jetson harped. "You took twenty-two hours last fall and were able to play. Why is only taking twenty any different?"
"Jetson, just drop it, okay?" Emily said. "He said he can't play. Leave it at that."
"It doesn't make any sense. Dean Garner is taking just as many hours and he's playing."
"Would you stop nagging?" Davis demanded. He glared at his friend over the table. "He doesn't want to play. Leave him alone."
Jetson laughed and waved his arms around. "He lives in this big house with a full staff. He can have someone do the homework for him and read over it when he's done with practice."
"No, he can't," Zeke interrupted. Jetson looked at him with a nasty look. The older man didn't seem too fazed by it as he took a sip of wine. "He has to keep his grades up, and to do so, he has to go to class and do his own homework."
"What are you? The fun police?"
"No, but I am the man who pays his tuition. We have an agreement. He gets the grades while I cut the checks. If he can't do that, then the money stops."
Gavin's throat dried out. Zeke had never outright said anything about their arrangement in public before. He usually kept it between them, giving a generic answer about why Gavin was so well taken care of. This was the first time he put his wealth on display.
Tears threatened to spill, and he turned away to take a drink of water to calm his nerves. If he was going to spout off at the mouth about their arrangement when it came to intramural basketball, there was no telling what he was going to say when he found out how sick Gavin really was.
Zeke saw the effect his comment had on the younger man. He saw his brown eyes brighten as tears pooled in them. He swallowed hard and turned his head away. He couldn't look at him. Zeke couldn't figure out if he was upset that he had told them part of what was going on between them or the manner in which he'd said it. Either way, he was visibly upset. Zeke felt bad for saying anything, but he couldn't apologize because Katie cut him off.
"Did the two of you go to lunch on Monday?" she asked. Gavin looked at her. "I saw Emily pick you up at the science building on Monday, and you two drove off."
Gavin met Zeke's eyes across the table as Davis questioned his girlfriend. The once gentle blue-green eyes turned into a stormy sea. Zeke frowned deeply, a clear sign that his anger was about to peak. He hadn't known Gavin had left the campus and with Emily no doubt.
His vision tunneled at the anger that blazed in the depths. Zeke was angry. He was angry that he was finding out things that Gavin usually told him voluntarily. He usually asked permission to do things like that, but he had blatantly ignored it and had done what he wanted.
"It's not what you think." Emily argued with Davis as Katie apologized. "It wasn't a lunch date or anything like that. It was... Gavin!"
The man in question turned from the table as his stomach erupted. He barely made it to the potted plant in the corner before everything he had just eaten came barreling back up his throat. He coughed up tears and bile as he emptied his stomach. Something cool hit the back of his neck as he continuously vomited until he had nothing left.
Rolling to his side, he wiped his mouth and leaned against the wall. His lips quivered as he looked up at everyone as they stood around him. He tilted his head as he looked at Emily. She had slid beside him and had rubbed his back as he'd gotten sick. It was the entire reason he had asked her to come with him to his doctor's visits.
She pushed a sweaty curl from his face. Her hands shook as the same emotion he was feeling tore through her green gaze.
"You have to tell them, Gavin," she said. Her voice was thick with tears. "You can't do this alone."
"Tell us what?" Zeke demanded. Gavin could barely hold his head up, but he could tell by the tone in the older man's voice how angry he was.
Emily didn't back down. She took the wet napkin and wiped at Gavin's mouth. She dried his tears, running her thumbs over the soft skin under his eyes. Running her hand through his hair, her hand came back with several large clumps of curls.
"You have to tell him," she whispered.
"Is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on?!" Zeke shouted.
The young woman leaned her friend against the wall and shot to her feet. She stalked over to Zeke and shoved him. She was barely over five feet tall, but she moved him. The older man was appalled at being shoved in his own house, but he didn't lash out at her. She had information he needed.
"If you would get your head out of your ass, you would know how sick he is," she said. "Your stupid rules and requirements aren't going to mean anything if he can't get out of bed in the morning after his treatments."
"Treatments?" Davis interrupted. Emily turned to look at her boyfriend as he kneeled beside their friend. "What is going on, Em? What treatments are you talking about?"
"Gavin has chronic myeloid leukemia." She let it hang between them for a long, heavy moment. "When Katie thought she saw us going to lunch on Monday, what she really saw was me picking Gavin up for chemo."
Davis made a strangled noise and hugged Gavin. Katie sank beside him, eyes leaking tears as she apologized profusely. Jetson plopped to the floor utterly defeated.
Gavin looked at Zeke. The anger had dissipated from his gaze. What replaced it was shock. They watched each other for several minutes until exhaustion overtook the younger man. He sagged against his friends and let them fuss over him since he couldn't fight them.