FicWad

That evening Ray got worse, it turned out he didnt have a cold but had some kind of fever. The medicine the pharmacist had given me killed off some of the symptoms for a while but when they came back, they came back with vengeance. He had begun to burn up and sweat like mad, he took off his shirt and pushed the covers down to his hips and we opened the window wide and although I was freezing Ray just kept rising in temperature. As the hours went by he got even worse, until when I went off to get some cold water for him, by the time I got back he had his eyes closed and wasnt forming coherent sentences. I began to panic and told him I was going to get the doctor, I dont know if he could hear or understand me, he just kept rolling his head side to side and groaning in discomfort. I grabbed my jacket and took one last look at him as I went to the door. He was bright red and looked terrible, I felt bad for having to leave him.
"I'll be right back Ray, I promise." With that I left the room, shutting the door gently behind me. I had no idea where the doctor was but the receptionist would tell me.
The recpetionist wasnt there, I rang the bell but no one came, so I ran out into the street and began walking down towards where the chemists were, after all, in all common sense the doctor would be in that direction right?
The wind was freezing and I pulled my jacket around me tighter, my hair was being fluttered behind me. I chewed on my bottom lip, drawing blood. Shit, shit shit shit SHIT. Where the fuck is the doctor when you need him?
"Gerard?" I turned at the sound of my name to see Frankie walking out of a pub, Bob beside him holding his waist.
"Frank. Fuck you dont know how glad I am to see you." I cried, dashing over to him, Frank smiled and blushed.
"Whats up?" He asked. Suddenly noticing my bloody lip and panicked expression.
"Its Ray, he's ill. I dont know whats wrong with him, I cant cool him down and I dont know where the doctor is." I was giving Frank a begging look and his jaw dropped a little.
"That sounds like something one of the girls back at Acacia had, its a fever going round, I know what to do dont worry. Take me to him - Bob, you dont mind if I leave do you?" Bob shook his head and kissed Franks cheek.
"Course I dont. I'll come see you next week or something." He smiled. Frank grinned and kissed him back before turning to me to take him to Ray, I gave Bob a fleeting look before dashing off down the street, Frank hot on my heels.

I hurried into the room, Frank walked passed me as I shut the door and pulled off his jacket, throwing it over onto a chair. He was wearing a shirt beneath the jacket and he undid the cufflinks to roll the sleeves up to his elbows, I noticed how strong his arms looked but quickly pushed it to the back of my mind. This was no time to think such things.
"Can you get me a bowl of cold water and a cloth? This is what the girl had, I recognise it exactly." He said, standing beside the bed and placing the back of his hand on Rays forhead. I nodded and grabbed a washbowl, running into the bathroom to fill it with cold water and to get a cloth. I could hear Frank talking to Ray in the room.
"Heya Ray, how you doing? Dont worry man, me and Gerard are gonna take good care of you. Your going to be fine." I walked back into the room and passed him the water giving him a funny look, why was he talking to Ray so normally, he noticed the look and smiled warmly at me.
"The key thing is to keep talking to him. The girl, Tammy, she said when she had it she was aware of everything but she just couldnt talk right and it was making her panic, its like being in a fit, you get dazed and confused and so if people talk to you calmly it helps because you know your okay. If you panic, he'll panic." I nodded and Frank dipped the cloth in the water, placing the bowl on the bedside cabinet and then sitting on the edge of the bed, dabbing Rays face with the cloth to cool him.
"Geez Ray you are burning up arent you?" Frank moved the cloth down to Rays neck and dabbed it along his flesh as I stood back and watched, feeling a little helpless. It took a long while but eventually, after much dabbing and helping Ray to drink cold water he began to cool down, his flesh turning a light pink instead of the hot red it had been. He still couldnt say much but everytime he tried Frank would hush him and tell him to just relax, try to get some sleep. The fever began to calm in the early hours of the morning and Ray drifted off into sleep, once he had I thanked Frank about a million times.
"Theres nothing to thank me for Gerard, its simple, just cool them down and help them relax. Fevers like this you just need to sweat 'em out, and get a lot of sleep." I nodded and smiled, before realising the time.
"I'm sorry for keeping you here so late Frank. Do you want anything, money or something for your troubles?" I asked. Frank laughed and shook his head.
"Its no trouble Gee. I could tell you were worried about him, I'm just happy to help." He smiled. I smiled and thanked him again, before yawning. I couldnt help it, I was tired. Frank grinned and patted the bed.
"Sit down, you look exhausted." I was glad to accept the offer and sat down beside him, brushing my hair out of my face. Frank was watching me with a small smile on his face, examining my features. I felt a little awkward and tried to start a conversation.
"So, how long have you and Bob been a couple?" I asked. Frank laughed and shook his head.
"Oh we're not a couple, we're just friends. Well... ya' know, he was a customer at Acacia and asked for me, but he wasnt like the others who come in there, he wasnt a pervert and he was sweet and kind, he tried to give me pleasure too and we ended up talking a lot. We've become really close and he's asked me to move in with him and stuff but I told him I'm not looking for a relationship. He's a nice guy and we hang out he's just... not my type I suppose." I was a little shocked but nodded anyway, I thought Frank would have jumped at the chance for a relationship, to have a reason to leave the whore house, or pleasure house or whatever he veiwed it as.
"I see. Well, he seems nice." I said, hoping not to fall into an awkward silence again. Frank nodded his agreement but he was paying a lot more attention to my face.
"So, you and Ray. Are you two just friends or -"
"Yeah. We're friends." I said, hoping not to be asked if we were gay again. Frank nodded and blushed a little.
"Oh its just the way you worried about him like that, I sorta wondered if you two were more -"
"No! No, erm...no we're not. Its just, he's been my best friend all my life so I care about him but I dont think I could ever be in a relationship with Ray." I gave an uneasy laugh before continuing. "It'd be way too strange, and we're both straight. I mean, I dont think I could ever be with a guy." Frank gave me an intrigued look and tilted his head.
"Really? Why not? I mean, you dont have to take if you get what I mean, you can be gay and not be bottom." I didnt like where this conversation was going, I didnt want to think about this at all.
"Yeah I know, but... isnt it weird? I mean... do you think being with a woman is weird and men normal, or -" Frank cut me off with a wave of his hand.
"I dont find either weird, I used to be like you and not like the idea of being with men but I didnt have a choice when I started working at Acacia, and I realised being with men isnt weird at all, infact in some cases its nicer. I mean -" Frank inched a little closer to me and began to whisper, leaning close to my ear and making my heart race. "Theres something delcious about the feeling of hard muscle against hard muscle, the way men curve in at the hips but only slightly, unlike women, the way they sound when they moan, the way there skin tastes and feels against your tongue -" He was so close now I could feel his warm breath on my ear and his hand was only a centimetre away from my thigh.
"Dont get me wrong Gerard, I dont enjoy the men who come into Acacia, because they're just there to have a good fuck, but people like Bob showed me how good it can be, I mean your straight so you enjoy sex with women, that doesnt mean you'd enjoy it with just any old woman who throws you on a bed and demands sex. You know what I'm saying?" I nodded, shaking a little and croaked out a yes. What was going on? My mind was reeling and he had me wrapped around his little finger, he took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned my head to face him. His hazel eyes were twinkling as he smiled at me. My breath hitched in my throat as he leaned a little closer, my lips parting slightly.
"Maybe... maybe to really know it isnt weird, you'll have to have an example." He whispered. I wanted to ask what he meant but I felt paralysed, and before I could force myself to speak or move or do anything he had closed the remaining gap and pressed his soft lips to mine.