Break Me (MxM)

-35-

The shouting got louder as we neared the training room. I couldn't figure out what it was our family members were fighting about. But as we entered, faces paled and bodies slammed themselves against the padded walls.

I stared at my family's faces and they all looked incredibly guilty for some reason. Trent was holding back the main guys in the fight, but he looked exhausted. Not that much time had passed since Papa had come and told me about this (maybe twenty minutes max), but it was clear that Trent wasn't feeling too well.

Papa silently lowered me to the floor and I heard a few hitches of breath near me. I glanced around and several of our men were blushing so hard that I was concerned they'd gotten sick. I walked over to them and squeezed their hands, asking if they were all right.

"You are such an angel, Teddy." whispered Hart, one of the older fellows in our family.

I smiled as I replied, "Not really. I just care about my family."

Hart chuckled. "You're too good of a kid for this world."

"No, not when I was bathed in it." I murmured with a smirk, then headed over to the crux of the commotion.

Trent looked so relieved to see me approach that he let his guard down. A punch was on the fast track towards his head, but I caught it. Everything stopped. Matthew was frozen as one of the two guys who were fighting until now.

Matthew's face paled when I glared at him. "Teddy, look, it's not what you—!"

"Matthew."

He silenced himself with his name and the hard tone it carried. Trent looked nauseated. I slapped a hand to his forehead and hissed.

"Trent, you're sick."

He peeled his eyelids open. "What?"

"You have a really bad fever, Trent." I said, taking his arm. "I'll have Caleb help you to your room."

"N-no, I'm fine."

"You're not. I'll come by with some soup if you can stomach it after I deal with our wayward family. You are to go with Caleb and get into bed. Is that understood?"

Trent weakly nodded, so I called Caleb over and explained. Our family member was happy to take Trent away, looking just as guilty as the rest of them. I sighed and rubbed my temples.

"Would someone care to explain what everyone was fighting about? And if not, at least tell me why Trent got sick and had his fever worsened by stress?"

It was dead quiet as I turned around. Johnathan bit his lip and looked away. He was the one who almost punched Trent.

I sighed aloud and approached them. "Guys, what happened? I am upset, but I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed."

Matthew squeezed his eyes shut. "That's worse," he murmured. "I'm sorry, Theodore."

My fingers reached for his own, making him flinch from surprise. I chuckled as I curled two of my fingers to lock them with Matthew's fingers. His bottom lip trembled when I lifted his hand and began to massage it.

"What happened?" I murmured, moving my thumbs over his palm.

"You're going to be so mad, Theodore." he breathed, and Johnathan grunted in agreement.

"Why do you think so?"

"B-because it was about you."

I paused, then looked up into his face. "What? Matthew, what are you talking about?"

My wide eyes looked over to Johnathan, who was blushing and biting his lip while he gazed at me.

"Wait..." I held up my hand. "Hold on, were you having an argument that turned into a fist fight over what type of outfit suits me better?"