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“Oh my god,” Race breathed in deeply, as he stepped into the apartment, his arm slung around Albert’s shoulders, “it smells like home.”
The three boys around him laughed. He’d been in the hospital for just over three days, and had made it quite clear during that time how much he didn’t want to be there. He’d griped, whined, and tried to get up when he knew damn well he wasn’t supposed to. Almost the second his surgery ended, Race was up and moving around. He’d been so persistent and made it so bad that nurses had to be positioned in his room for almost twenty-four hours a day, ensuring that he wouldn’t get up.
“Missed the apartment, did you?” Elmer appeared over Race’s other shoulder, and pulled Race’s left arm over his shoulders, forcing Race to lean on him instead of Albert, giving the redheaded boyfriend a break.
“Just a little,” Race laughed bitterly. “Mostly, though, I hated the hospital room.”
Elmer touched his back gently, guiding him down the hallway and into the bedroom. The other two followed, anxiously watching Race’s every movement, biting their lips in preparation of a fall or a pained expression.
They were caught in the act when Race suddenly turned around.
“Hey,” he said, softly but sternly. “Would you relax? I’m okay.”
Albert and Spot let their shoulders drop, and their hands made the same separating motion.
“I might need some help the next few days, what with havin’ to be on bedrest and stuff,” Race continued, “but I don’t wanna be a burden. I don’t want to take away from your normal lives, I don’t want to be babied.”
Spot nodded. “Fine,” he shrugged. “Do you all have anything you need to do tonight?”
Albert and Elmer shook their heads, pursing their lips in mock consideration.
“Great. Should we watch a movie in bed tonight?” Spot had to put extra effort into frowning, or else he knew he would smile while he spoke. “Oh, Race,” he feigned surprise as he hit his head with his hand, “bed is where you’re going anyway, right?”
Race glared at Spot, but when he heard Elmer and Albert giggle softly, he couldn’t help but smile. “Assholes,” he shook his head. “Come on, then.”
He was followed by three triumphant and victorious boys, who promptly fell into bed and turned Netflix on.
There they stayed for nearly an hour, curled together underneath heavy covers. Pairs of feet with socks touched pairs of bare feet, and four hearts beat peacefully. Peacefully, at least, until Race tried to get out of bed.
“Wha’ the hell are you doing?” Albert threw his head back against a pillow in frustration.
“I’m hungry, so I’m gettin’ a snack,” Race explained, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. “Anyone want anything?”
“Y’know, I do,” Spot pushed the comforter off of him. “Race, what were you going to get? I’ll just get it for you.”
Spot’s voice was so firm and Race was so tired that he rolled back into bed and pressed his face into Elmer’s shoulder.
“Popcorn or somethin’.”
“Okay,” Spot smiled and stood up, shivering slightly at the loss of warmth. “Should I grab enough for everyone?”
His boyfriends nodded, and Elmer squeaked out a “yes please.”
Spot returned, moments later, with four bowls of popcorn. He climbed back under the covers and Albert pressed play on the remote. For a little while longer, until they fell asleep, the four of them were back to being peaceful.
-
Race was starting to get sick of his own bedroom. He’d been stuck, cramped, locked in one room for two days, and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it. Truthfully, there are only so many times one person can watch Buzzfeed Unsolved, and only so many times he could refresh Snapchat before he began to feel a little bored.
And this, he supposed, was the downside to having three boyfriends: one of them could always be watching you, making sure you were staying out of trouble. Had he only been dating one of them, or maybe only two, it would have been much easier to sneak around when one or two of them had to go to work. But with three people, they could work it out in shifts, so that Race was never alone in the apartment or in his room. Spot would go to work, and Albert would come sit with Race. When Albert left, in came Elmer.
At the very least, at the end of the day, all four of them would be in bed together. Knowing that everyone else was watching him, though, made Race antsy. It was like when he was in school, and he knew there were cameras and teachers focused specifically on making sure he stayed in line. It just made him want to fuck shit up.
-
And after days of waiting, so long he felt as if he’d lost track of time, Race couldn’t take it anymore. He was going stir crazy, insane with cabin fever.
Elmer was next to him, reading a book on his phone and humming to whatever song he had stuck in his head. It was slow and quiet, just like the warmly lit bedroom. Best of all, it made Race start to think.
Race’s brain whirred, turning over ideas and fragments of sentences in his mind.
He hadn’t dreamt up a plan this intense in years; he hadn’t needed to. He hadn’t had the time to, actually. But now he had the motive, the time, and all the resources he needed.
-
“Hey Al?” he asked, not five seconds after Albert had sat down in the chair next to the bed.
“Hey yeah?” Albert turned his head to the side sharply. “What’s up?”
“Oh, you know. I, uh,” Race faltered, but got his eyes back on his prize, “haven’t really had anything to drink yet today.”
Albert scoffed in disbelief. “Oh my god,” he shook his head, “I’ll go grab you a glass of water.”
Race downed the entire glass in no time at all, and Albert laughed at him.
“Thirsty?”
“Yeah,” Race tutted, “a little.”
“Why didn’t you ask for water earlier?” Albert leaned forward, so that his hands were on the edge of the bed.
Race shrugged. “Didn’t wanna bother anyone.”
“Race,” Albert rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “You aren’t going to bother anyone. We wanna help you, why else would we be doing what we’re doing?”
“To keep me captive in my own apartment.”
Albert laughed lowly and leaned back in his chair, trying to end the conversation. He didn’t like Race complaining, that much was obvious. But he also didn’t like when Race didn’t ask for things, apparently.
“But uh,” Race cringed as he started his next sentence, “in the case of you not really bein’ bothered by me asking for stuff, would you mind making me, like, a piece of toast? I probably haven’t had enough to eat yet either.”
-
By the time Spot came in to help, Race had asked Albert to get him another snack, another glass of water, and to help him use the bathroom.
“Hey, Tony,” Spot walked into the room. “Al, how’s it goin’?”
Albert smiled kindly at Race, but then turned to Spot with a serious look. “Make sure he gets whatever he needs, okay? I’m a little worried.”
The door closed behind Albert, and Spot sat down, throwing his old backpack onto the ground with a thud.
“What’s Albert got to be worried about?” he asked Race, his eyes tired but concerned.
“Well, uh,” Race fiddled with his hands, “I kinda just told him that I haven’t had anything to drink or eat yet today.”
“What?” Spot huffed. “Why haven’t you had anything to eat yet?”
“Well,” Race raised his shoulders, “I haven’t been able to do anything today, and I didn’t want to bother anyone by asking, so-”
“You’ve got to tell us this shit before-” Spot checked his phone “-two in the afternoon.”
“Is that what time it is? I haven’t really seen the time, like, at all today.”
Spot sighed angrily. “I swear to god, Race. What do you want to eat?”
“Like, a sandwich, maybe?” Race squished his face up, like he was thinking about it really hard. “Something with protein, for sure. I’m pretty hungry.”
Spot left, the floor shaking beneath him as he did his best to control his stomping.
-
Elmer found Spot and Race both in bed, Spot’s arm protectively wrapped around his boyfriend. Much as he wanted to, he didn’t leave them like that. Spot needed some time off from watching Race; Elmer knew Spot had work to do today.
“Heya,” he smiled at them, “can I cut in on spending time with Race, Spot?”
“Yeah, I should probably get on my way,” Spot rubbed his eyes with his fists. “But uh,” he crawled out of the bed, “make sure Race gets what he asks for, okay? I’m not sure he’s doin’ too well today.”
Race grumbled, “I feel fine,” he lifted his arms above his head. “I’m just trapped in here.”
Spot waved to Race and smiled at him, kissed Elmer’s cheek and squeezed his hand, and closed the door softly behind him.
“So why do you get whatever you ask for, huh?” Elmer sat down on the bed.
“Spot’s tryin’ to keep me happy. He thinks that if you all spoil me, I’ll let it go,” Race ran a hand through his mussed hair.
Elmer laughed and blinked. “Let what go, exactly?”
“The fact that if I could just walk around,” Race coughed for emphasis, “I wouldn’t be a burden on you guys. I have to eat, and I have to drink water, but I don’t like askin’ for you guys to get it. So, I kinda just didn’t ask for a while, and now Albert’s all worried about me, and so is Spot. If I could just move, I could-”
“Get up,” Elmer pulled the covers back from over Race. “I don’ like you complaining, so come on.”
“What?” Race acted surprised.
“Yeah, come on,” Elmer held out his hand, and Race took it. “You only really had to be on bedrest for a few days, and you’re recovering fine anyway, and if it’s really as bad as you say it is-”
“-It is.”
“Then I want you movin’ around as much as you wanna be movin’ around.”
“El, honestly, what would I do without you?” Race squeezed Elmer’s hand as Elmer helped pull him up.
“You’d still be on bedrest. Now get up.”
-
Spot and Albert were surprised to see Race walking around, but they couldn’t help but notice how much happier he was to be making his own damn sandwich. Who would they be to deny him that?
“Just take it easy the next few days, okay? I think you’ll be fine,” Albert fussed over Race as they sat on the couch and Albert held his hand, “but I just want to be sure.”
“Right,” Race laughed sarcastically, “there go my plans for extreme sports tomorrow.”
Spot glared. “Race, we’re serious. We just don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I know, but I’m fine, guys.”
“Yeah,” Elmer closed his eyes. “We know.”