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***Alexei's POV***

Staring at Seb as he lies in his bed is an endless task. Every movement, cry, shuttered breath brings me one step closer to breaking into tiny pieces. Yesterday morning, we were bantering just as we had our entire life. It felt good, natural. By lunchtime, after the fall, we had been on pins and needles waiting to see what damage was created by Sebastian's tumble in the garden.

"Don't cry Seb." I manipulate my fingers over the tears coming down Seb's Face.

"How are you feeling, babe? Don't cry. Please." I am exhausted, drained. This day has really taken all I had to give.

"Throbbing head." Sebastian admits.

"You took a hard fall." I remind Sebastian. I doubt he forgot but there is a possibility. I watch as Sebastian sadly rolls his eyes.

"Two steps forward, one step back." In an effort to reassure Seb, I quickly give a word of encouragement.

"Hurts. Too much." Seb barely breathes out.

"Yeah, they said you would experience a headache."  I feel even worse for my best friend than I already have. Hasn't he been through enough. He must be feeling the brunt of that accident in full force by now.

"No." Seb's statement confuses me.

"Here. It hurts here." Seb grabs my hand, dragging it across his heart. I immediately worry that more damage is present than we are aware.

"Babe, I know. I want to make it go away. I don't know how." I confess in a tortuous whisper. If I could take it all away, I would gladly trade places.

"Need him. Please. I will do anything." The plead in Sebastian's voice brings on the revelry. He misses Mark.

The sheer thought of Mark and Sebastian never reuniting, makes my heart ache deeply. I feel his pain in my bones.

"You're killing me Seb. Absolutely murdering me." I say as Sebastian lays his head on my forehead.

"I would do anything to bring him to you. I would give anything for you. Anything." I feel Seb's hot tears rolling down my cheek. Sebastian's hand reaches up to cup my neck. I climb into the bed with him. I need him to feel how much I love him. I would marry him here and now, fuck my preferences, if I could just make this all go away. I know that is a stupid thought. Desperation brings need for ridiculous solutions.

I let Seb hold tightly to me.

"I'm sorry." Seb's words vibrate over his trembling lips.

"Shut that pretty face. You don't need to apologize. I love you, Seb." I kiss his temple while holding tightly to his wrist.

"He's awake." Mrs. Angela sings softly as she walks back into the room. I smile slightly at the happiness she voices.

"Hi, Ma. Didn't mean to scare you." Sebastian's voice is small, almost feeble.

"Give an old woman a heart attack." Mrs. Angela playfully scolds her son. She is fit is a horse. There was no risk of that. I smile into Seb's hair, hiding my face before Angela thinks I am mocking her.

"Sorry." Seb turns his cheek away from me to give his mother his full attention. I continue to squeeze on him, grateful that we seem to have made it over another hurdle.

"Alex, you are smothering him. Off now. Go on boy." Mrs. Angela swats my butt. Causing me to start releasing my hold on her son. "Okay. Okay. Come get your love." I announce as I crawl out of the hospital bed.

"My baby. I love you. Please don't scare me so badly. I thought I lost you." Mrs. Angela takes my place, wrapping her arms around her baby. I am sure she brings him far more comfort than I. A mother's love moves mountains, mends wounds, and transcends time and space.

"I'm right here." I hear Angela whisper the promise.

"You just bought yourself a few more days here. Oh well. At least you're okay." Mrs. Angela makes light of the intense situation of the afternoon before laying kisses on Seb's cheek.

"I am." Seb assures his mama, attempting to sound stronger than is. We all know how weak the medicine has made him. Having a broken heart isn't exactly damage control.

"Thank God, you didn't cut yourself. Mess up that pretty head of yours. What you mean by throwing yourself on the cement like that? Could of hurt yourself for real. Boy, you went down like a drunk man chasing a fly." Mrs. Angela giggles causing Seb to let out a small laugh. The sound is a much-needed tonic to my anxiety.

"Yeah, couldn't see that far down. Figured I would get a closer view." I roll my eyes. At least Seb can joke about it. I am not there. I may never find this a humorous matter.

"What damage did I actually do?" Seb grits his teeth while asking the question.

"Nasty size lump and a few reset needles. They ran tests while you were out. No real harm done. You're a graceful fuck, thank God." I grin down at Seb while answering the question. He really is graceful, now. We have come a long way from broken sidewalks.

"All those years on the Catwalk." Seb brushes off my comment with a shrug of his shoulders and rest his head down further into the pillow. He can ignore my comment all he wants. We have come a long way.

Just as Seb begins to settle in, I hear the sound of that angelic nurse. Who is Gavin? I feel a need to know but do not have a good reason for wanting to know. It's a conundrum.

The nurse comes in slowly, his frame holds as if he has been defeated. I hope nobody gave him a hard time about the situation. It was Seb's first time out of the bed. There was no guarantee that it would go smoothly. It didn't.

"I wanted to check on you, Sebastian. I'm sorry." Gavin twiddles his thumbs and stares down at the ground. The abashment is absolutely adorable. I feel my pants start to tighten before realizing that Gavin has tears welling up. I want to comfort him. Being that I do not know the kid, the desire is errant.

"You did nothing wrong." Seb grab's Gavin's hand and pulls him towards Seb. Gavin shuffles slowly towards his patient and looks down on him. I feel a surge of jealousy that is baffling to me. I have no hold on that guy. But I want to.

"Gavin. Don't. Don't you dare blame yourself. It happens." Seb does his best to console the guy as Gavin acts like he pushed Seb down.

Gavin nods slightly and bends down to hug Seb gently. Sebastian grabs Gavin's tiny little body tightly and holds him to Seb's chest. I start to wonder what it would be like to have that petite body in my hands. How would my large frame feel, wrapped around his little waist. My mind takes me to warmer places where that cherub is pinned to my bed, squirming while calling me Daddy. I grunt lowly before standing behind a chair, so no one notices my thick boner being constricted by my pants. Fuck.

"Thanks." Seb whispers. I am positive he is grateful that Gavin had enough where-with-all to control the situation with such finesse. We are all in his debt for his quick response.

"For?" Gavin's ringing voice is muffled because Seb is holding Gavin's head to his chest like a toddler, gingerly running his fingers through my boy's blonde hair. A swift idea comes to mind that maybe I should separate these two before my possessive side drives itself any further to the surface.

"I needed a hug." Sebastian chuckles before leaving a kiss on my little angel's head. The sound of Sebastian being happy is wonderful. His lips on that nurse, not so much.

"Anytime." Gavin whispers towards Sebastian's chest.

"Stop suffocating the nurse." I find myself gripping Gavin's waist and pull him away from Seb quickly. I don't know how I even got over to the bed, but I am not disappointed. Gavin giggles and I close my eyes as the sound dances vibrantly though my chest. I am in fucking trouble. Deep, trouble.

"Thank you, Gavin, for taking such good care of my best friend. I'm sure Mark will appreciate it too." I take the opportunity to show gratitude as I send Sebastian a warning glare. I will find fucking Mark Fletcher. Sebastian has a man.

Sebastian lets out another chuckle that makes me want to punch his already abused arm. This is not funny.

"Who is Mark?" Gavin questions.

"Sebastian's soul mate. He's taken. One hundred and ten percent." I nod my head because I just put a kabash on that shit.

Sebastian rolls his eyes like he knows something I don't.

"Oh, yeah. I think I have heard about him. Good thing I don't have a crush on you, Sebastian." Gavin emphasizes the you. What the fuck does that mean? Who does he have a crush on? Whose ass am I going to have to fight before I can even decide if I want this guy?

Sebastian throws his fist over his mouth while failing to hide his burst of laughter. I hate fucking secrets. They do NOT make friends.

"Why don't you take Alex down to the cafeteria and get me a muffin and some coffee." Suddenly, Sebastian makes me love him all over again. The opportunity to get to know this little cock tease is extremely appealing to me.

Seb stares at me, looking particularly smug. Yeah, yeah. If something comes of this, remind me to thank him later. I will send him a god damned edible arrangement.

"Yes, sure." Gavin snakes his way out of my grasp, causing the space where he was just occupying to grow colder instantly. I watch as Gavin sways his hips in front of me. I don't miss the opportunity to watch him saunter away. All the while I can't take my eyes off of THAT ass.

"Alex?" Sebastian calls out to me. Both Gavin and I turn to look at Sebastian.

"Skip the muffin. I decided I want a cinnamon bun." His smirk is so Sebastian.

"Got it." I throw my thumb up as I walk away. What did he just ask for?

"And quit staring at Gavin's ass." I can hear Sebastian holding back laughter. I can't bring myself to address it as Gavin goes cherry red. He's fucking precious. Delectable.

"You're a dick." I throw my middle finger into the air as I glare at my best friend. He did NOT have to bust me out like that. Unnecessary. Foul.

"And you want to plow yours into my nurse." Sebastian yells so loudly that I get embarrassed.

"We're going now." I yell as we head out of the room.

I follow Gavin down the hallway as a bunch of nurses start to giggle. I watch Gavin as he mouths something to the nursing station. I can't make out what they are saying but I have a gut feeling that I wouldn't approve. The way Gavin moves his hands gives me a good indication that he thinks he has some kind of prize behind him.

Far be it for me to correct him. Besides, I am not his Daddy. Yet.

"Where are we going?" I ask after a few minutes. I have taken the elevator to the main floor a few times, I think we may be going in the wrong direction. We should be going down, not up.

"Time will tell." The cherub nurse pops off at me. I have to hold my fist closed. I think the little shit deserves to have that ass popped. I'm not sure who he thinks he is talking to. Either way, I don't put up with sass.

Clearing my throat, I attempt to dissipate the authority I feel building up in me. I have no right to feel so secure with him when I haven't even found out his last name.

"Gavin, may I please know where we are headed?" I grit out the words, politely, between my clenched jaw.

"Alexei, may you please exercise patience? I do not wish to give you that information." Gavin makes an about face, causing me to skid my shoes across the tile floor. I am shocked as I damn near tumble on top of the guy.

My frustration is building with his attitude before I notice he is standing in front of me, hands propped up on his hips as if he is instilling some sort of manners into me. I will be a fool. That boy doesn't know who wears the pants in this dynamic.

As Gavin goes to turn back around, he winks at me. I swear my knees buckle. I feel the ground shift beneath my feet. I think the fucking earth just moved.

"Okay." I oblige. The softness in my voice scares me. Who is this guy? Who is Gavin?