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Felix gave him an exaggerated shudder. “I guess that explains the random walk-ins.”
Grinning, Dei leaned on the counter, trying to take a bit of weight off his leg. “What were they all askin’ for?”
Felix rolled his eyes. “Minimalist crap. No, I shouldn’t say crap. Stick figure cats are just not any fun for me.”
“Sorry, sugar,” Dei told him. “Maybe I should have you put me down on the books for somethin’ big and pretty with a bunch’a color.” When Felix blushed, Dei felt a surge of triumph. He was so fucking pretty with pink cheeks, and calling him sugar did that to him every time.
Maybe it wasn’t fair to flirt when Dei knew nothing could happen between them, but he couldn’t seem to help himself when it came to the shy artist.
“What would you get?” Felix eventually asked.
Dei looked at him for a long time. “Don’t really have a design in mind. You wanna come up with somethin’ for me?”
Felix’s flush deepened. “Are you serious? Like, you’re not toying with my emotions?”
Dei frowned. “I’d never, darlin’. You can go nuts with your design. I trust you, and I’m pretty sure I’ll love whatever you come up with.”
Oh, and there was a little shy smile to go with the pretty, soft color in his cheeks. Jesus, Dei wanted to take him in his arms and tell Felix what a good boy he was. He stiffened between his legs, and he’d never been more grateful in his life that no one could see a boner when he got one because Felix was the stuff of wet dreams. Dei took in a breath, then let it out slowly, hoping Felix didn’t notice how flustered he was.
Felix pulled the bags of food close like he was trying to find something to do with his hands. “I’ll see what I can do. Are you staying for dinner?”
Dei shook his head, feeling honest regret over his answer. “I’d love nothin’ more, but if I don’t get my leg off, I think what’s left of my femur’s just gonna walk right off my body whether I like it or not.”
Felix grimaced. “Yeah, go home. Um. Everything’s okay there, right?”
Dei opened his mouth, then shut it again, then changed his mind. “Could be better, could be worse. When you got some time off, shug? You’re just across the street. You should stop in and taste test some of the stuff I’ve been cooking up for Jer.”
“Yeah? Can I text you when I’m free?”
Dei started to say yes, then realized they hadn’t exchanged numbers, so he pulled his phone out and passed it over. “Text yourself for me so we both got each other’s contact.”
Felix smiled, a sweet, private little grin Dei didn’t see on him very often. “Done,” he said, passing it back. “If you need anything, please let me know. And if you think of anything you want in your design…”
Dei smiled as he tucked his phone away. “Like I said, darlin’, I trust you. Y’all have a safe night, okay?”
Felix nodded and backed up, and Dei forced himself to leave before he lost all resolve to do it and instead asked Felix if he could curl up in his arms and just sleep.
6
Felix woke with a familiar feeling in his temples, and as much as he wanted to be stubborn and ignore it, he knew better. A seizure was coming. Just one, if he was lucky, but he knew a cluster could easily happen. He sent a text off to Max and Paris, letting them both know he didn’t need a ride, and then he texted Zeke and told him that he was under the weather and was taking the day off.
Zeke, of course, called immediately, panicking and trying to DoorDash him soup, but Felix quickly talked him down because there was no telling if he’d be in a state to actually get food from the door.
“Seriously, I have food here,” Felix told him. “And this isn’t a chicken soup kind of under the weather.”
Zeke went quiet for a long moment. “Have you already had it? Do you need someone to sit with you?”
Felix felt an instant stab of annoyance, mostly because he needed to be observed in some capacity, and it was the last fucking thing he wanted. He took several breaths before he answered and swallowed pieces of his pride. “No, not yet, but it’s coming. I have aura, and I feel really funky.” His words sounded a little hollow, and he had to breathe to keep from panicking. He fucking hated this. “And I’m okay alone. You don’t need to worry.”
“Bullshit,” Zeke told him. “We’re all going to worry.”
Felix closed his eyes, knowing that Zeke wasn’t going to let it go. And rightfully so. He shouldn’t be doing this entirely alone. But he was tired of feeling dependent. “Compromise?”
“Go on.”
“I’ll do my best to send you a text before it happens. If you don’t hear from me in half an hour after that, send someone by.”
“I don’t like this,” Zeke said quietly. “What if you—”
