Something Beautiful (20 page)

Tristan told him that as far as she knew Gavin wasn't dating anyone, but he didn't really share his exploits with his family. "We only see him as much as we do because Laird insists -- and that will probably end once the baby comes. Gavin's made it pretty clear he doesn't want to be around children."

So he had to figure out Gavin's intentions on his own and he had to assume that it was just about the sex. Gavin had always wanted the newest toy, the most expensive car, the most fashionable clothes -- he was the same with his lovers, wanting the shiniest plaything he could find.

Dune had no intention of being his prize again. No more settling.

He took refuge in Micah. Micah was safely moved into the new apartment, and Dune split his time between there and his loft. Micah had a bed and a couch -- a gift from his friends so they didn't have to sit on the floor when it was his turn for movie night -- and a lot of electronics and video game boxes. It was very much a first apartment, but Dune loved it: it was like Micah, still taking shape.

Dune was surprised, really, that neither Micah nor Gavin had lost interest in him yet. Of course, Micah was getting regular no-strings sex, and it seemed to Dune that he was enjoying not having a boyfriend for the first time in years. He wasn't sleeping with anyone else, as far as Dune could tell, though he wondered sometimes whether there was more than raids and treasure-hunting going on in Micah's computer games.

Meantime there were other things to occupy him: his column, a novel that seemed to get shorter instead of longer each time he worked on it, and his fathers, who were not doing well though they said nothing about it to anyone.

"Has Leo mentioned any problems to you?" Frances asked him. "Any fights, even any little disagreements?"

"Not a thing. He hasn't told you what's going on?"

"He hasn't." She frowned. "I don't like it. It's not like him to keep secrets."

When Dune tried to hint about the problem, Leo changed the subject. When he came right out and said, "Dad, something's wrong, tell me what it is," Leo just smiled wearily.

"It's not a perfect world, son."

Dune tried confronting Adam about it: "What's going on between you and Dad?" but Adam was no more forthcoming with him than Leo had been.

"When you're together most of your lives, things come up. It's nothing to worry about."

But Dune worried about the hang-ups on the answering machine, Adam's increasing scarcity, and his mothers' clucking over Leo. "If you need us to stay in California, we will," he overheard Frances tell Leo, who said, "No, no, don't put your plans on hold on my account."

"I'm still the kid in this family," Dune had complained to Jamie when he related this conversation. "They still shelter me."

"People who remember you in diapers tend to be that way," Jamie said.

Chapter Eleven

A Saturday night in October and Dune was out with his friends, dancing with his beautiful Micah, losing himself in music. Micah had put in a lot of effort into his appearance tonight: he'd tamed most of the curl out of his hair and spread glitter over his cheeks and chest. His jeans were low on his waist, showing a sharp hip bone on either side of his belly, and his shirt hung onto his body by one button.

Dune looked into Micah's wide, blue eyes as they danced hip to hip, pleased with the happiness he saw there. Micah looked a bit pale tonight, though -- he always looked pale, but this was more than his usual "I never go outside if I can help it" paleness.

He put his hands on Micah's hips and the boy inhaled sharply. "What's wrong?" Dune said, moving his hands up Micah's sides.

"Nothing," Micah said, forcing a smile. "My stomach's been hurting a little."

"Do you need to sit down?"

"No -- I want to dance with you. Just, um, slowly."

Dune cooed and coaxed Micah's head to his shoulder. "We can dance slowly. No problem."

"Jamie and Ben are having fun," Micah remarked, his head on Dune's shoulder. "I don't think they've sat down once since we got here."

Dune looked at the two of them and smiled. "Jamie likes dancing. He just doesn't do it often. He needs to get Ben out of the house more."

"I'm glad you like going out. I mean, I like it when we sit at home and watch TV, too, but going out is...nice," he finished in a faint tone. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do."

They swayed in a slow circle, completely disregarding the beat of the music, and Micah said, "Dune?

 
I think I do need to sit down." He sounded defeated.

"Come on," Dune said gently and led him to the nearest empty booth. He slid across the seat and Micah tucked himself against Dune's side, sighing.

"I'm sorry. I know you wanted to have fun tonight."

"I have more fun with you than I do with most people I know combined. It's not a big deal if you're not feeling well. Do you want to go home?"

Micah shook his head. "Maybe I pulled something at the gym. I've eaten a whole roll of Tums and it still hurts."

"Poor baby. Where does it hurt?" He put his hand carefully on Micah's waist. "Here?"

"No," Micah said as Dune's hand moved, "no, no -- ah!"

Dune frowned. "That's not a good sign." He pressed his fingers a little harder, and Micah whimpered and pushed his hand away.

"Ouch," he said plaintively.

"Sorry, sorry. Does it feel like a pulled muscle?"

"No," Micah said. "It just hurts like hell."

"I think we should get you home," Dune said, worried, and he smoothed his hand over Micah's forehead, which felt warm and clammy. "I think you've got a fever."

"Dune," Micah protested, but he whimpered again when he tried to move and eased back against the back of the booth.

"I'll get Jamie and Ben and we'll get out of here. Okay?"

"Okay," Micah mumbled in a disappointed tone. Dune kissed his forehead and slid out of the booth, around the other way so Micah wouldn't have to move, and went onto the dance floor. He found Ben and Jamie -- Ben's head was easily visible above most of the other dancers -- and tapped Jamie on the shoulder. Jamie turned to him and grinned.

"Cutting in?"

"Micah's not feeling well so I want to take him home."

Ben draped himself over Jamie, resting his chin on Jamie's shoulder, and Jamie reached back to touch his face. "What wrong with him?" Ben said. "Has he had too much to drink already?"

"No, it's not that. It's something in his stomach. It hurts when I touch him here." He pressed his hand to his own left hip, and Ben frowned.

"That's not your stomach -- that's not even your intestines. That's, like, the appendix or the liver. We might need to take him to a hospital."

"Shit," Dune said and went back to the booth, Jamie and Ben following behind. Micah was no longer alone: Gavin had joined him, lounging on the seat while Micah tried to look like he wasn't unsettled and hurting.

"Dune," Gavin said cheerfully. "I was just saying hello to the kid, here. I'm amazed he can stay out this late on a school night."

"It's Saturday," Micah mumbled.

"Now is really not the time," Dune said wearily. "Come on, Micah. Ben thinks you need a doctor."

"Are you leaving already?" Gavin said. "The night's still young."

"Yes, we're leaving," Dune said as Micah obediently moved out of the booth and got to his feet. Dune put an arm around his waist to support him. "We'll have to talk some other time, Gavin."

"The party's just getting started," Gavin said.

"Some other time," Ben said pleasantly, "as Dune said." There was a muscle twitching in his jaw, though his tone was mild, and Dune smiled a bit as Gavin's expression faltered. It was so convenient sometimes, having a friend of Ben's size.

"It's probably nothing," Micah said, though he clung to Dune.

"We'll wait until a doctor gives the verdict, sweetheart," Dune said and smoothed back his hair to give him a kiss.

"I'll bring the Jeep 'round," Jamie said and darted ahead.

Micah leaned on Dune more heavily as they walked up the stairs that lead to the front doors. "Micah?" Dune said, and then exclaimed, "Micah!" when his knees buckled and he lurched to the floor.

"Jesus --" Ben said, rushing forward, and then he backed off as Dune lifted Micah in his arms. Other dancers paused to look at them and a few said, "Is he okay? Did he overdose?" but most went right back to dancing.

"He'll be fine," Dune said, feeing his heart speed up, and Ben moved in front of him to clear the way. "You'll be fine," he whispered to Micah, who just moaned in his arms, shivering.

"It hurts."

"I know, honey. We'll make it stop hurting as soon as we can." He followed Ben up the stairs and cuddled and kissed Micah reassuringly as Ben got their coats from the coat check.

Ben lay Micah's over him carefully with a soft, "Hang in there, kiddo," and Micah struggled to smile.

Jamie was waiting in the Jeep by the time they left Zebra, and Dune let go of Micah long enough to buckle him safely into the back seat. Micah whimpered again and reached for him, and Dune took Micah’s hand and kissed the back. "I'm right here."

For once Dune was grateful Jamie drove like a fiend. When they reached the hospital Dune carried Micah into the emergency room -- the attending nurse took one look at them and got Micah on a gurney at once. He was wheeled away, surrounded by nurses and a red-headed doctor who barely looked older than Micah asking him, "Do you remember your name? Do you know what day it is? What pills have you taken tonight?"

The door swung shut between admittance and the examination rooms, and Dune stood still, wanting to follow and knowing he couldn't. Jamie touched his back to reassure him. "They'll look after him."

"They think he's overdosed."

"Ben's telling the nurse what happened. They'll listen to him -- he looks like an authority figure. C'mon. Let's sit. They'll let us know what's going on as soon as they can."

Dune nodded and followed Jamie to the rows of hard plastic chairs off the admittance section. There was a TV on, playing some entertainment news show, and a woman sat staring at it and tearing a piece of Kleenex into the tiny pieces.

Jamie and Dune sat a row behind her and Dune leaned his elbows on his knees, letting his head hang. Jamie stroked his back, and after a few minutes Ben joined them and sat at Jamie's other side, taking his free hand. "I didn't know most of his vitals, but they let me fill out the paperwork, for now," he said.

"Thanks, Benjie."

"They're going to need to call his parents," Ben added. "They're his emergency contacts."

Dune swallowed. "He's not going to like that."

"Well, you know, he shouldn't have come out dancing if he wasn't feeling good," Ben said impatiently.

"If he hadn't he'd be home alone, moaning on the floor," Dune snapped.

"Hey!" Jamie said. "Stop that. We're all worried, but that's no reason to get pissy. All right?"

Ben nodded and muttered, "Sorry, Dune."

"Sorry, Ben," Dune said and rested his head on his hands with a sigh. "Explaining where he was to Ivy and Spencer isn't going to be any fun, that's all."

"I doubt they'll care that much about that," Jamie said. "They'll be more concerned with getting him the care he needs."

"They'll ask eventually."

"We'll tell them the truth," Ben said. "He was out dancing with us. We're his friends. We don't have to mention that Zebra is a gay club if it doesn't come up, but if it does, we'll handle it."

Dune nodded, then said, "Ivy wants Micah to fix me up with his sister," and Jamie snorted with laughter.

"Shiloh's very nice," he said, chuckling. "But not your type."

"Nope."

"She's still dating Aidan, anyway."

"I think this is his longest relationship ever," Dune marveled.