“So optimistic, my Kitten. I love that.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Don’t you let him discourage you, Alain. He comes at everything from a skeptical angle.”
He nodded. He knew that. It didn’t matter. “He’s a cop. He’s… That’s not a friendly life.”
“Hello? Sitting right here.” Chou held a hand up in a wave.
“We know.” Isaac rolled his eyes and popped the last bite of his corn bread into his mouth. “Well, this was certainly a friendly dinner. I’m going to have to digest a bit before cobbler.”
“You want some now, Chou, or you want to wait?” He started clearing the supper dishes, waiting for Neil so say he was full.
“I think I’m full, Kitten. I’ll want some later, but right now I’m wore.”
Isaac stood, helping him clear the dishes. “I think he’s going to pass out. He was drowsy in the car,” Isaac whispered, disguising his words with a kiss on the cheek before Isaac went back for Neil’s bowl.
By the time the table was cleared, Neil was dozing, head bobbing. Alain took the chair handles, and Isaac nodded, staying close in case Neil jerked.
“Bed or chair, M’sieur?” he whispered.
Isaac answered quickly. “Bed. I know it’s early, but I’m going to climb in with him. You?”
He nodded. He could go do dishes after a nice nap. “Perfect, M’sieur.”
“Neil. Boy, we’re going to move you into bed.”
“Mm?” Neil lifted his head like a drunkard. “Bed, okay.”
“Okay, Alain.” They’d done this more than a few times, and together they got Chou up on the bed without much fuss.
Alain stripped Chou down, Isaac got him under the covers, and they both slid in with him.
“Oh…my bed.” Neil sobbed once, one tear escaping him. “Y’all.”
“My boy, in my bed.” Isaac lay so Neil could rest on his shoulder, and he scooched up behind to snuggle and help support Chou’s back and hip. M’sieur’s fingers slipped over Neil’s side and tangled with his. “Both of them.”
“Yes.” He kissed the back of Neil’s neck. “You relax, Chou. You’re home and safe, and you can rest now. We got you.”
Chou was out, and he waited for the sound of M’sieur’s deep, even breathing. Then he was the last one to fall asleep.
23
Isaac sat in the living room and sipped his coffee listening to the boys talk while Alain washed the dishes. He couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but he liked the tone. Neil insisting on helping, and Alain insisting he didn’t need help. Just like normal.
They’d gotten a late start—well, the boys had, he’d been up for hours—and they’d just finished a nice brunch. He’d spent his morning thinking about how to ground them all again. He could feel how out of balance they were, and it was understandable but not sustainable. Alain couldn’t just take care of them forever, and Neil needed to feel as if he were of service and useful again. Those were bigger goals they weren’t going to reach today, or even this week probably. He needed to start small.
If he handled this poorly he could end up with two boys in tears. If he handled it well, he could get the same result, just with slightly less trauma.
Well, sometimes he had to be the big, bad Dom.
He didn’t let the grin come out, but it was there, tugging at one corner of his lips.
He needed this as much as they did.
Neil walked into the room with the walker, face a study in determination as he headed for his chair. “Hey, Guapo.”
“Hello, boy.” He set his coffee down and stood. “You need a hand with that?”
“Maybe a little. I don’t want to sit too fast.” Neil smiled at him. “Inmychair, which is the good part.”