Every Shade by Nora Phoenix

5

Matthew woke up slowly, his head pounding and his mouth so dry every breath hurt. And that wasn’t the only place he was sore. His whole body ached, including in places where he didn’t even know he could hurt. He licked his lips, but it offered little relief.

The only good thing was that he wasn’t cold anymore. In fact, he was sweating like a mother, and sometime in his sleep, he’d kicked off most of the covers, only a sheet remaining. His fever must have broken. The meds must’ve done their job, then.

The meds. Jace. Had he been dreaming Jace was here? But if it had been a dream, then how had he gotten back to bed? He turned his head, and his eyes found the travel mug on the night table. Not a dream. Jace was really here. How on earth was that even possible?

He pushed himself into a half-sitting position, the best he could manage with his non-cooperating muscles. “Jace?” he called out, his voice barely more than a croaky rasp.

But Jace must’ve heard it anyway because only seconds later, he hurried in. “You’re awake.”

“You’re real.”

Jace’s lips curled at the corners. “I am. Not a hallucination.”

Had he thought that? What had he said to him? Matthew couldn’t remember. “I can’t believe you’re here.” The broad smile on his face made Matthew’s insides all warm. Jace had been so worried about him he’d come all the way to… “How did you even get here?”

“I drove.”

“You drove from Maryland to here?”

Jace shrugged. “Took me under nine hours. It was fine.”

Matthew reached for the travel mug, but his arm felt like lead. Jace immediately stepped in. “I’ve got it.”

He took the mug and handed it to Matthew, who greedily drank until it was empty. “Gatorade?”

“Mmm. My mom always gave us that when we were dehydrated. It has essential minerals and a shit ton of sugar, so that helps too.”

“Huh. Smart.”

“My mom is pretty damn smart. She’s a doctor. A hematologist.”

“Wow.”

Not very eloquent, but his brain was definitely not firing on all cylinders yet. He opened his mouth to say something else, but a coughing spell had him all but hacking up his lungs until his eyes were watering.

Jace waited patiently until he’d caught his breath, then held out the glass of water. Matthew drank it, the cool liquid wonderfully soothing to his throat. “I think I have the flu.”

Jace looked serious as he nodded. “I think so, too. I called my mom, and she said the same thing. You have all the symptoms.”

“You should be careful you don’t get it.”

“I had a flu shot. I’ll take my chances.”

He should protest more, he really should, but at the same time, he loved that Jace was here. It was awkward as fuck, and three days from now, he’d curse himself to hell and back for giving in to this strange need to be taken care of, but he just couldn’t muster the energy to protest.

“Everything hurts,” he whispered.

Jace nodded in sympathy, his eyes soft. “I know. You can take your next round of meds. Give me a minute.”

Matthew could barely stay awake until Jace came back, but he dutifully swallowed the pills, then fell right back asleep again. He dreamed of Jace, who for some reason was his slave, sitting at Matthew’s feet, naked and catering to his every whim. All he had to do was snap his fingers, and there was pretty Jace, wrapping those soft lips around his cock. Mmm, yes, so good.

One more command and Jace bent over, spreading his legs wide and pushing back his peachy bottom, revealing a pink hole that was just begging to be touched. Kissed, licked, tongue-fucked. Eaten out until it was all soft and pliant and ready for Matthew’s cock. Fuck, he’d look even prettier with his hole stretched wide open, stuffed to the max with his cock.

He could dress up as a cop and make Jace the guy who got pulled over and offered a blow job to get out of a ticket… Or he’d be the emperor and Jace a slave who wasn’t allowed to say no as he was told to please his master. A Daddy, disciplining his boy with a good spanking. Mmm, Jace’s bubble butt would look luscious, all red and hot.

Hot. So hot. He kicked off the covers. Why was he in bed? Hadn’t he been fucking Jace? Pretty Jace with his slim, smooth body, begging for his touch. Begging for his cock. Jace, who was so willing and eager, so deliciously needy. His hand curled around his cock, which was like iron in his fist. It hurt, touching himself, his body fighting the effort, but he had to come.

“Matthew.”

Jace didn’t sound happy. Why not? Wasn’t he enjoying what they were doing?

“Matthew!”

His eyes flew open. He was on his back in his bed, his hand fisting his cock, which was throbbing and leaking precum. And he was naked, uncovered, the comforter kicked down. Oh shit. Oh shittidy shit.

He yanked his hand back. “Sorry, sorry. I was… I was dreaming.”

He scrambled for the covers, but he couldn’t reach them. He was so slow, so sluggish. Jace took mercy on him and covered him up, the boy’s cheeks fiery red. “You were saying my name,” he said, avoiding Matthew’s eyes. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have walked in.”

“I was…” I was dreaming about fucking you and getting all horny and jacking myself off. Yeah, that really didn’t sound good, did it? “Never mind,” he said lamely. “I apologize.”

God, how could he ever face him again after this? Maybe the gods would look down on him with favor and grant him acute amnesia when he woke up again so he wouldn’t have to remember any of this. So he could pretend he hadn’t been jacking off to super sexy dreams of his assistant. Again.

And if that didn’t happen, he could always pretend, right? Just flat out act like he couldn’t remember a damn thing. Couldn’t remember the dream he’d had, how eager and needy Jace had been, how much he’d wanted to…

Stop. For fuck’s sake, stop already.

This whole fever thing sucked. If he kept losing control of himself, Jace would slap him with a sexual harassment lawsuit.

“I would never do that,” Jace said, sounding positively indignant.

Had Matthew said that out loud, about the lawsuit? Oh fuck, what else had he been thinking out loud rather than in his head? He’d better start praying to his ancestors and whatever gods would listen right fucking now if he wanted to salvage this situation. Until then, he’d just pretend he was asleep. That had to work, right?