Chess

by Sean Michael

  He grinned. “You wanna go tell Rookie?”

  “Yeah. Then I think we should order a couple of pizzas and hang out, man.”

  “Yeah, sounds good. Maybe Knight’ll join us.” Bishop owed the man an apology for overreacting.

  “That would be cool.”

  He turned the shower off and grabbed a couple of towels, handing one to Jason before drying himself off.

  Rookie was closing the bedroom door, computer in hand, as they came out. “He says he’s tired and just wants to sleep.”

  Bishop shook his head. “He hasn’t eaten in too long. Jason has some fun stuff to share, then you guys can organize pizza and something easy for him to eat, okay? I’ll get him on board.”

  Rook nodded and kissed the corner of his mouth.

  Bishop went in, closing the door behind him. Knight was curled into the covers, hidden from the light. Bishop went over, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. He slid his hand along Knight’s arm. “I know you’re still awake.”

  “I’m tired, Bish. Just want to rest.”

  “I know but we’re going to have pizza and talk about putting in a sauna. We could do it here so you can drift off whenever you need to.” He kept rubbing Knight’s arm, the connection to his lover soothing.

  “No. I don’t want everyone in here. I’m okay, just sleepy.”

  “I’m sorry about earlier, Knight. I was out of line.”

  “It’s all right. You were scared. I get it.” Knight squeezed his thigh. “Go on and eat. I can hear your stomach growling.”

  “You need to eat, too. You can’t get better if you don’t feed your body.”

  “Later. I’m not hungry.” Stubborn man.

  Bishop leaned over to murmur in Knight’s ear. “What if I find you some crème brûlée?”

  “Oh…”

  He fought his smile at the single syllable. He knew his lover. “Consider it done. You can rest here until the food comes.” He patted Knight’s hip, smoothed the man’s dark hair. “I love you, baby.”

  “I know, Bish. I’m not angry with you.”

  No. No, and that worried him.

  “If it was me, I’d be pissed at me. I was totally out of line.”

  “I’m too tired to be angry.” That was honest at least, on Knight’s part.

  “Well, then, you get to snarl at me at a later date.” He’d give anything to have Knight back to his normal grouchy self.

  “Okay.” Knight nodded, curling into the pillows, hiding from him.

  “I’m going to wake you and carry you out there when there’s food.” He wasn’t going away, he wasn’t going to let Knight disappear on them.

  “Shoo. Go eat pizza.”

  “I’m coming back,” he warned, dropping a kiss on Knight’s cheek. “And making you be with us.” He wasn’t going to give up.

  He waited a moment for an answer, then got up and went to find Crème Brule so he could make good on his promise and get Knight out of bed.

  Chapter Five

  Rook brought Bishop and Jason beers while they worked on the sauna, then went to get Knight so he could come out and join them. It was lunch time and Knight was going to eat with them, damn it.

  Knocking on the door as he opened it, Rook went in. “K? You awake?”

  He didn’t get an answer. Knight was just a lump in the bed, a quiet, still lump. Rook was getting tired of this. And Jason said it wasn’t good, that Knight had to keep interacting, getting up, moving around, keep his mind engaged.

  “Hey. The boys are building us a sauna in the backyard.”

  “Cool. Have fun.” There was no emotion in Knight’s voice, not even annoyance at being disturbed.

  “I’ve got a latte for you.” He wasn’t going away.

  “I’m not hungry, Rookie. Thank you, though.”

  “Bullshit, you love lattes. You don’t need to be hungry to have one.”

  Knight opened his eyes, stared at him. “Don’t snarl at me.” Oh, Knight looked so sad.

  Rook sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped around Knight. Knight sighed, pressed close, eyes closing again.

  “I miss you, K. It’s like you’re in the coma again.”

  “I’m just tired. That’s all.”

  “You sleep all the time. Come on, you’re coming out to sit and watch Bishop and Jason get all sweaty.”

  “I’ll come out later. Really.” Knight’s cheek was on his thigh.

  “No, you can come out now.” He could be stubborn if he had to be. Like when Knight was being a butthead.

  If he needed help, he’d call for Bishop. He didn’t think he’d need to, though. He loved Knight. He would do the best thing for him.

  He kissed the side of Knight’s mouth. “I’m not going away, no matter how much you try to hide.”

  “I’m just tired.”

  He knew. Knight had said. Over and over and over again.

  “So come be tired on the deck. There’s this awesome chair out there and it’s got cushions and blankets and the view of those hard bodies is magnificent.” He would counter every objection until Knight came with him out of sheer frustration. Hey frustration was better than blankness, right?

  “I can’t. It’s too far.”

  “Is not. I’ll help you.” Rook could play this game all day long.

  “If I go out for an hour, will you all let me come back to bed for the rest of the day?”

  “If you come out and drink the latte, yes.” He wasn’t going to promise not to spend more of the day with Knight here in the bedroom, trying to feed him, but he could promise to let Knight come back to bed.

  “Okay. Fine. One drink and one hour.”

  Rook nodded, just beaming, and drew the covers off Knight.

  Knight needed a shower, needed to change clothes and shave, but he’d take getting the man downstairs in the sun. He encouraged Knight up and helped him stand. Then he wrapped his arm around Knight’s waist and they began the slow, careful journey to the backyard.

  It seemed to take forever, Knight breathing hard by the end of the hall and the bottom of the tiny flight of stairs.

  “You’re doing awesome, K,” Rookie encouraged. “Tomorrow it’ll be easier.”

  “I’m not getting up tomorrow.”

  “Of course you are.” That was Jason. “Your muscles are made to work.”

  “Oh, you’ve got our personal trainer hard on your ass now.” Rook squeezed Knight and kept moving. They were almost at the chair and Knight would enjoy sitting out in the sun, he was sure.

  They put Knight in the chair, the sun on him, cushioning his skinny arms and legs.

  Rook reached across to the table and handed over Knight’s latte. “It’s Hazelnut Vanilla.”

  “It smells good,” Knight admitted.

  And it had calories. Lots of them.

  “Don’t they look hot?” Rook asked, pointing at Bishop and Jason.

  Knight nodded, almost smiled. “Why are they building a sauna?”

  “For us to sweat in. And in the winter we can jump naked from the sauna into the snow—it’s supposed to be good for you.” He encouraged Knight to take a sip of his coffee.

  “Right…” Knight drank a bit, humming at the flavor.

  “It’ll be fun, anyway. And I’ll get to see everyone’s dangly bits.” Rook was looking forward to the sauna and refused to let Knight’s bad mood discourage him.

  Knight snorted, leaned back into the cushion. “You’re a nut.”

  “That’s why you love me.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Yeah, maybe it’s really because I’m sex on legs and can buy a mean Latte.” He was going to keep engaging Knight for the whole hour Knight had promised to stay out.

  Was that a laugh? A real laugh?

  It made him smile, inside and out to hear that. He slid his hand along Knight’s thigh, not being sexual or anything, just craving the closeness, the touch. Knight sighed, the sound sad, soft.

  “Talk to me, K.”

  “Wha
t do you want to talk about?”

  “Anything. Everything. Tell me how you’re feeling. Tell me what you want to do this summer. What you want for your birthday.” He just wanted Knight involved, the actual words didn’t really matter.

  “I’m not having any more birthdays.”

  Rook laughed softly. “I don’t think you get a choice.”

  “No?”

  “Nope. They’re going to keep happening and we’re going to keep celebrating them.” Rook loved birthdays, and ones for Knight who’d come so close to not having any more at all were going to be celebrated extra hard.

  “Huh.”

  Rook moved his chair even closer to Knights, cuddling up. “You want something yummy to go with your Latte?”

  “Hmm? No. I’m good.”

  “Okay. I’m totally bringing you soup later, though.” He so was.

  “Tell me you didn’t make it.”

  Oh. Oh, that was mean. Also, a joke, but still…

  Rook stuck his tongue out. Knight snorted and drank more coffee.

  “We got the soup at that new farm to table veggie place on Bloor. Pretentious food, but it’s good.” Frou-frou as hell, but you couldn’t beat it for delicious vegetarian.

  “You’ll like it, Knight.” Jason looked over a pile of wood. “There’s kale and sweet potatoes.”

  “It’s ‘healthy’.” Rook did air quotes.

  “It smelled good when it came in,” Jason said.

  “I could go get you some and you could judge for yourself,” he offered.

  “Later.” God, Knight was stubborn.

  “Well then, finish your latte.” Liquid and there was protein in milk, right?

  Bishop came over, sat on the other side of Knight. “Hey, baby.”

  “Hey. You’re building something.”

  “We are. We may even be doing it right.” Bishop laughed, smiling at Knight.

  Rook watched his lover work. Jason hadn’t ever looked so happy, so ready, working out in the sun. He thought they’d have to find other projects when this one was done. He could watch Jason swing a hammer for days. And didn’t that sound dirty?

  He laughed.

  Bishop beamed at him. “What’s funny?”

  He grinned right back. “I was just thinking how much I enjoy watching Jason swing his hammer.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “You’re a perv.” Bishop’s eyes were dancing.

  He wriggled his butt. “I am. You’ve gotta admit, though, it’s pretty easy to make that naughty.”

  “And he’s beautiful.” Knight sounded so wistful.

  Bishop looked at their lover. “You want a pad and pencil?”

  “Nah. I’m okay.”

  “I’ll get it for you.” Rook jumped up and headed back in too quickly for Knight to protest again. Knight wasn’t going to be able to resist if the pad and pencil were in his hand, right?

  He went into Jason’s old room, grabbed the supplies and hurried back out again. Bishop was working again, shirt off, and both men were glowing.

  “Oh, damn, K. We are lucky, lucky guys.” He handed over the drawing pad and the pencils he’d found, and sat, all but actually drooling.

  It took a long time, but finally he heard it, the scratching of graphite on paper, and he found himself tearing up. He fought hard not to make a noise, not to let the tears fall. Knight didn’t want a fuss made, he knew that.

  Jason looked over at him, winked, then flexed. Rook moaned, licked his lips, his hand dropping to his lap almost without thought. His lover knew him, knew what he wanted, what he needed. God, it was hot.

  He let his legs fall open, and took long breaths, his cock just starting to perk with interest. Jason got back to work, muscles flexing and moving, nipples hard, sweat sliding down his chest. Rook whimpered softly, mouth opening—he wanted to taste.

  “They’re working, Rookie. Leave them alone.” Knight was smiling, though, eyes crinkled at the edges.

  “I’m just watching.” It didn’t count if the only one he was touching was himself, right?

  “You’re lusting.”

  He chuckled. “Semantics.” If he was watching, he was lusting. It was how it went.

  “They are beautiful, aren’t they?” Knight noted.

  “They take my breath away and make me need so damn much.” Rookie was in love, totally. With all three of these beautiful men.

  Knight chuckled, then picked up the coffee again. Excellent.

  Rook shifted, moving to lean his head on Knight’s shoulder. “We’re having an amazing spring, aren’t we?”

  “Is it just spring?”

  “Late spring, but it’s been warm like this for weeks.” Of course if Knight hadn’t been spending all his time hiding out in the bedroom, he’d know that.

  “Huh.” Knight shrugged.

  “I think we should get them to make you a studio area out here next.” He meant it that he wanted to get more projects for Bishop and Jase to do.

  “A studio area?”

  “Somewhere you can draw and paint and feel the sun on your skin.” He was making it up as he went, but he thought it was a great idea.

  Knight didn’t answer, but Rook got another smile from him.

  “You want a refill on that latte?” he asked.

  “No. No, I’m full. It was yummy, though. I’d forgotten how good they were.” Knight looked at him. “Next time, I might need decaf, though.”

  “Is it upsetting your stomach?”

  “No. No, my heart’s a little fluttery.”

  Rook wrapped his arms Knight and held him. “Just breathe, Knight.”

  “I am. I’m fine.” Knight settled, sighed and rested against him.

  “Are you happy you came out with us?” Rook asked.

  Knight just pressed closer, closed his eyes. Rook didn’t push, he simply held on. Tomorrow he’d push again, though, make Knight come out and spend time with him.

  Bishop was watching them, nodding at him.

  He kissed Knight’s cheek. “I think we should all sleep together tonight. I miss the puppy pile.”

  “Maybe. Maybe, I’m not so sore these days.” Oh, that wasn’t a no from Knight.

  He beamed at Knight. “It would be so good. And I promise not to get up in your sexy. Unless you want me to.”

  “I’m not very into sexy right now.”

  “That’s okay. I can wait.” He kissed Knight’s cheek. “I just want to be close.” It worried him a little, that Knight was so…not sexual, but Jason insisted it was normal.

  He just wanted Knight back, their passionate, energetic, crazy lover. He even wanted the snark, the teasing. More than that, he wanted Knight to be whole.

  For now he was going to accept that they’d been outside together for nearly two hours and Knight didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get back to bed.

  For now that was good enough.

  Chapter Six

  “Bishop? Do you have a minute?” Jason was worried. Bodies didn’t do well motionless and Knight was staying in bed five days a week. Then the illnesses had started. Colds, coughing, shivers. It was just weird.

  “Of course, what’s up?”

  “I’m worried about Knight. I…I think you might need to get him a shrink.”

  “A shrink?” Bishop frowned. “Really? You think there’s something wrong with him mentally?”

  “Well, I mean. He’s not getting up. He can’t get better if he doesn’t move around, re-enter life. It’s July. It’s been…” He calculated time, hating this, hating feeling like he was betraying Knight. “Almost five months.”

  “We’ve been trying to get him up, get him involved.” Bishop sighed, nodded. “We need help. Tell me what he needs and I’ll make it happen.”

  “I just… If he doesn’t start moving, doesn’t start getting dressed, living, we’ll have to get some help.” God, this was hard. But if Knight was too depressed to even get up, if his body wasn’t fighting sickness anymore, then something needed to be done. There had been a short
period of time where it had looked like he’d been turning a corner and bam. It was like Knight had just given up.

  “Okay, he needs a shrink. What else? Do we get him a nurse or physio who can bully him into doing the work?” Bishop looked upset, but determined.

  “I can, if he’d let me.” He wanted to. He was made for this.

  “Then let’s go make him. Come on. I’ve been handling him with kid gloves, maybe what he really needs is a taste of in charge Bishop. It always used to work for us.”

  Jason nodded, chewing on his bottom lip, just worried as fuck. He didn’t want to cause waves, but the physical therapist in him insisted that this was necessary. “I wouldn’t have said anything, Bishop…”

  “I know how you feel about Knight, Jase. You love him as much as any of us do. Come on, let’s go get him and you can tell him what he needs to be doing. I’ll make sure he does it.”

  “Okay.” He wished Rook was home, to act as a buffer. The thought made him frown. Hold on. He knew how to deal with a client, with a patient. He had to push aside the fact that Knight was his lover.

  They went into Bishop’s room, and Bishop went right over to Knight. “Hey, baby. It’s time for you to start with the physiotherapy. We’ve let you slack for too long.”

  “I’m tired. Tomorrow.” That was Knight’s answer for everything lately.

  “No, Jason says it’s not only time, it’s past time. What does he need to do, Jase?”

  “We need to get up, have a walk. Take a shower. Eat. But more than anything, you have to get out of bed, Knight.” That was the first step, and the most important one.

  “You heard the man, baby. Let’s get up and shower. We’ll hit the other stuff after that.”

  “Tomorrow.” Knight pulled the covers over his head.

  “That’s not going to fly anymore.” Bishop tugged the covers off Knight.

  Jason gagged, the scent of old sheets foul.

  “Let’s go, baby. I’m not taking no for an answer today.” Bishop got an arm around Knight, helped him up.

  “You two jump in the shower and I’ll strip the sheets.” Bleach the mattress. Boil the pillows.

  “You got it, boss.” Bishop gave him a wink. Knight didn’t say anything, just shuffled off with Bishop.