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“I am nae sick.”
“Of course not, Merlin,” Eggsy says, trying his best to keep a straight face. His lover’s face is pale, except for the swollen red nose.
Merlin digs for his handkerchief just in time, blowing loudly into the fabric. “It is seasonal allergies.”
“I’ve heard they’re the worst. Maybe you should take something,” Eggsy says innocently.
“I will.” Merlin turns his head away from the table as he sneezes. He finishes his orange juice before adding, “I will be working from home today. I don’t have much going on, and I need to straighten up the office a bit.”
Eggsy and Harry exchange a look. “Eggsy, I do believe I heard Andrew say he’s expecting light business this week. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt for you to stay home today. I can think of a few things that need done around the house.”
“Absolutely not,” Merlin snaps. “The two of ye are as transparent as that window over there. Nothing needs done around the house, because Eggsy does his job perfectly. I dinnae need him to stay home and fuss over me. It’s ALLERGIES.” He glares at them and wipes his nose. “I’m going up to change into my house clothes. I expect the two of ye gone before I come back down.”
“We’ll leave when we’re ready,” Harry growls.
“I’m ready,” Eggsy says cheerfully. Harry glares at him. Eggsy ignores him and goes over to hug Merlin. “I’m sorry you’re suffering from…allergies and fatigue,” he says quickly when Merlin starts to grumble. “You know where all the medicine is, and I’m sure you’ll get a lot done in your office without us poking our heads in every five minutes.”
“You never bother him in his office unless he invites you in!” Harry exclaims.
“Shut…up…Harry,” Eggsy says through clenched teeth. He smiles up at Merlin. “Just remember to stay hydrated, yeah? You should always stay hydrated, no matter what you’re doing.”
“Yes…not just because ye are fatigued or have allergies.”
“That’s right.” Eggsy stands on tiptoe and kisses Merlin’s nose. “C’mon, JB…I’ll take you out once more while Uncle Harry finishes getting ready.” The little pug happily follows at his master’s heels.
Harry turns to Merlin as soon as Eggsy’s outside. “Allergies my arse.”
“Do be quiet, Harry. Aren’t you running late?”
“It’s a day that ends in ‘y’, of course I’m running late.” Harry puts his arms around his husband. “I hate when you’re ailing, Hamish. Can I do anything?”
“Yes, shut up about ailing and go to work. Leave me in peace and quiet.”
“You are a ridiculous stubborn old man.”
“Wait a minute.” Merlin takes Harry’s chin in his hand and tilts his head. “Why yes…I see three new grey hairs!”
“Fuck off.” Harry shoves him away and heads for the stairs.
Merlin goes upstairs and changes into a comfortable pair of trakkies and an old jumper. When he comes downstairs Harry is gone but Eggsy’s waiting by the door with his dog in his arms. “I told ye to get gone.”
“I know. I was just having a bit of a chat with JB.” Eggsy kisses the top of JB’s head and puts him down. “You’re a grown man.”
“Aye.” Merlin studies him suspiciously.
“And as much as I like to relearn your body with my hands and mouth as often as possible…” Eggsy nibbles along Merlin’s jaw. “…you know it better than anyone else. Just pay attention to what your body tells you. If it says you’re fatigued or thirsty, you rest or drink. Get me?”
“Yes, lad,” Merlin says, secretly appreciative of the boy’s understated manner of fussing. “Run along. If Harry arrives to work before you do the place might shut down.”
“Oh, that won’t be happening,” Eggsy says with a cheeky wink. “Might have hinted about a craving for blueberry pastries.”
“Naughty lad.” Merlin kisses his cheek. “Get along. I love ye.”
“Love you, too.” Eggsy hugs him and dances out the door.
Merlin closes the door and applies all the security measures. He then goes into the living room with JB on his heels. “Not a word to your master or Uncle Harry,” he orders before flopping onto the sofa and pulling a cushion over his face. “Bloody hell, my head feels like a balloon.”
JB tilts his head as he sits by the sofa and stares up at Merlin. Sometimes he is “Hamish” and sometimes he is “babe” and sometimes he is “you bald fucking Scottish arse” but most of all he is “Merlin” so that’s what JB calls him. The man who brought him home, the one with the long legs and shiny shoes, he is “Uncle Harry.” Sometimes he is just “Harry” or “husband” or “you fucking peacock,” but Dad calls him Uncle Harry.
Dad. JB loves Dad. Dad is the best. Dad made his head wet when they met the first time, but that was okay, because Dad needed him. Uncle Harry told him that when they came in the big moving monster. Uncle Harry said Dad was hurt, and that he needed a special friend to look after him and keep him safe. JB was little but he’s really good and looking after people, especially Dad. He loves Merlin and Uncle Harry but he REALLY loves Dad. He does all he can to make Dad happy, even though sometimes he messes up and leaves his toys out for Dad to step on him, or takes too long in the garden when it’s raining. But Dad always forgives him. Merlin gives him belly rubs, and Uncle Harry sneaks him treats, but Dad is wonderful.
And now Dad has given him a job. A really really important job. Dad said so. “I need you to do something for me,” Dad whispered in his ear when Merlin went up the Big Steps. “Merlin isn’t feeling good, and he’s too stupid to admit it to anyone. He doesn’t like fussing…but I think you can be super sneaky and fuss without him noticing, okay, JB? Make sure he rests when he’s tired, and make sure he eats and drinks lots of water.” JB frowns at that. He doesn’t have to share HIS food and water, does he? “You’re the best, JB, and I know you can do this job.” JB sits up straighter. It’s a job. Just like Dad and Uncle Harry and Merlin have jobs. “Be my good boy, okay?”
“Yup,” JB barks. He is always Dad’s good boy. Sometimes he’s even Dad’s BEST boy…but that’s when Dad wants to go into the room with Merlin and Uncle Harry, and then he shuts the door and JB can’t come in, even if Dad’s yelling. Dad yells a lot in that room, with someone called Master and Sir. But he always comes out okay, and Merlin and Uncle Harry are there with him, so he guess whoever Master and Sir are, they don’t hurt Dad.
So now Merlin is laying on the sofa and JB has to take care of him. Water. Dad said Merlin needs water and lots of it. JB trots off to the kitchen and looks at his water dish. It’s a magic dish because it’s always full, but he doesn’t think he can get it to Merlin. Plus, in his secret heart, he REALLY doesn’t want to share. He then remembers the Big Water Hole. He goes to the bin next to the fridge and sure enough, there is lots of water! He grabs one of the round white things in his mouth, pulls and pulls, and the rolling thing comes free, escaping across the kitchen floor. He growls and stops it with his paw. Stupid water, it only rolled in a circle! He grabs the white on the end and goes backwards, tugging it toward the living room. It seems to take forever; he’s only a little dog and the water thing fights back. But he finally gets it to the living room and nudges it in, panting for breath. The water starts to roll and he barks at it.
“Please, JB, dinnae…what’s that?” Merlin pulls the cushion away from his face and looks at JB. “How in the world did ye get that in here?” He picks up the water. “This bottle probably weighs as much as you do!” JB smiles and wags his tail. “Ye are the strongest pup in existence, I think.” Merlin turns the white thing and drinks some of the water. “Thank ye, JB. Good dog.”
“Arf,” JB says triumphantly.
“Now for some medicine and some work.”
JB trots after Merlin as he goes to the loo and gets something…apparently Medicine. Merlin then goes to his office, leaving the door open before sitting down at his desk. JB growls. He’s not allowed in Merlin’s office unless they say so…and they hardly ever say so. But he can keep a good eye on Merlin there, so he lays down with his head on his paws to keep watch. Dad said to take care of Merlin, and that’s what he’s gonna do. He absolutely will…not…fall…
“I do think ye might have the right idea there, Mr. Bauer.”
JB jumps up at the sound of Merlin’s voice right over his head. He wasn’t sleeping. He was simply resting his eyes. They were dry. He sits up and smiles at Merlin. “I’ve done enough work for the day, I think. But dinnae tell your Dad that. If he asks, I worked like a mule all afternoon.”
JB tilts his head. Merlin wants him to lie to Dad? He never lies to Dad. Well, he did lie once…when Dad asked who chewed a hole in his favorite socks. JB MIGHT have looked at Uncle Harry and sorta nudged the sock in his direction. It wasn’t HIS fault. The sock was too tempting. And it was already wearing in the toes, anyway.
JB looks up at Merlin and sniffs. He doesn’t smell right. He smells…off. He remembers what Dad said and goes running into the kitchen. “Do ye need to go out, JB?” Merlin asks. JB does, but that’s not what he’s doing. He jumps up and down in front of the refrigerator. That’s where the people food is. Merlin needs to eat, Dad said so. “There is nothing for ye in there, JB, ye know that,” Merlin says. He then pulls something from his pocket and shouts into it…and little wet droplets fall on JB, who shakes them out. “Christ, I hate fucking colds.”
JB gets an idea. He goes to the place where they keep his food and paws at the edge of the little door. He finally swings it open. No, nothing in there but his food. “How did ye…” JB ignores him and goes to the next little door. Yes. There. Cans of people food. He paws one out and it thuds onto the floor before he carefully nudges it with his nose and gets it rolling over to Merlin’s foot. Merlin picks up the can AND JB. “Well, what’s this? Chicken noodle soup?” Merlin laughs and JB licks his face. “Quite the little nurse, aren’t ye, JB? All right, I’ll have some soup, since ye went to all that trouble. But garden for you, first, and then perhaps a treat.”
JB all but flies from his arms and heads for the back door.
“He hasn’t been answering my calls,” Eggsy says unhappily as Harry unlocks the front door. “Or my texts.”
“Arthur wasn’t in today…perhaps he and Hamish ran away together,” Harry teases.
Eggsy actually stops walking. “Harry, that is the most disgusting sentence you have EVER put together.”
Harry laughs as they go in and hang up their coats. “I’m sure he’s just resting. Or ignoring you…because you were checking in on him.”
“I wasn’t checking in on him. I was…” Eggsy stops in front of the entrance to the living room. “Oh, Harry, look,” he whispers.
Harry comes to peer over Eggsy’s shoulder. Merlin is snuggled under a blanket on the sofa, and JB is curled into a ball by his face, one of Merlin’s long hands on his fur. “Well, it looks like we aren’t needed after all,” Harry murmurs, kissing Eggsy’s neck. “Perhaps we could go upstairs and…”
“I cannae believe ye, Harry,” Merlin mumbles without opening his eyes. “Attempting to seduce our boy while I am at death’s door.”
“You can’t seduce the willing,” Harry reminds him.
“And I thought it was just seasonal allergies and fatigue.”
“It is…or it was. Perhaps I have a slight cold,” Merlin says, his voice stuffy.
“C’mon, JB, leave Merlin be,” Eggsy says.
“Nae,” Merlin says, holding JB close. “He’s a better nurse than the two of you could ever hope to be. Kept me fed, kept me hydrated…and didn’t fuss.”
“That’s because he’s the best puppy ever,” Eggsy proclaims.
“I beg to differ,” Harry says, nipping at Eggsy’s neck before going upstairs to change.