Spilling Guts

Part 63 - Weekends

Will spent Saturday showing Jacob around Denver. Culinary hot spots and epicurean rarities in between quick trips to comic book and hobby stores and a few parks. Even a museum that featured sculptures made out of odd recycled materials like flip flops. Most of the destinations had been on foot via walking trails or accessed via pedi-cars. The exercise made each stop all the more worthwhile.

Will's mission; get his mind off of his episodes and keep Jacob's mind off his own diagnosis. At least for the weekend. Will spent a bit more than usual on eating out and transportation in one weekend than he would in a month, but he considered it a social investment.

"Is this vegan?" Jacob asked, twirling angel-hair pasta around his fork. The pasta was vibrant purple and fuchsia, dotted with pesto.

"No, yesterday with the curry fries was vegan. That's pasta colored with beetroot and turmeric."

"Yesterday? You sneak."

Will grinned. "How do you feel about pho?"

He also might have been reaching for outlandish dishes to encourage his appetite. It didn't help; half of the tiny portions he ordered cooled on his plate after each meal. He could mechanically eat, but after a while he stopped. And his mint tin needed a refill. His fridge soon hosted a small village of take-out boxes.

He begrudgingly accepted the ones that came in polystyrene.

As long as I don't have to dig through them again.

It had been a while since he was able to hang out with someone who knew him so well. Knew his quirks and lingo picked up through various fandoms. Maybe if he had lunch with Beni and Reese often enough, he could have the same thing with them.

Or Louis.

"Eating" with him is much different.

The weekend ended with a few doughnuts glazed with maple icing and sprinkled with candied bacon. Will made sure to buy an extra box to share with Beni and Reese on Monday.

"I think I found the real reason you stayed in Denver," Jacob said around a mouthful of pastry.

Between bites they talked; about protesting a new building developments back home and what kind of inventions Will was most excited about. The chicken-de-boner won for most terrifying. He didn't want to mention the more salacious patents he had seen while Upstairs.

When Will saw Jacob off at the airport on Sunday, their relationship still limped like an old dog, but no longer howled and licked its wounds.

Will hauled Jacob's luggage out of the trunk. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded, dressed down for once, no tie or vest. "I got better handle now than I did before. Michael knows and arranged a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. Thank you for the weekend. It meant a lot."

"You'll keep me updated?"

"Yeah."

And there were the tears again, brimming at the edges of Jacob's eyes; thankfulness, not sorrow, but still tears. Will nodded and opened his arms.

Jacob leaned into the hug. Touch between the two of them in public was easier now then when they had been dating. Perhaps it was due to Jacob not having to impress anyone. Or he no longer gave a damn. The warmth was still there in his smile, and Will felt better knowing they could still be friends if they wanted. They parted a little more whole than before.

When Will went to sleep that night, mouth warmed by tea and head drowsy by melatonin, he felt like he had accomplished something. Like a finishing detail on a costume or the final polish on a bookshelf. Good thoughts for a good night.

Will woke up Monday morning gasping for breath. Ears ringing, lips tasted of copper. He tapped the alarm off with a shaking hand, still an hour before he had to wake up. What had he dreamt? A gunshot, the sound of glass breaking...

He'd think better with a cup of tea. Mint this time. And maybe leftover rainbow pasta; something to brighten the morning.

A note held by the Yoda figure at his bedside read "TEST Today. Do NOT Eat or Drink!"

And any thought about breakfast exploded like a death star. "Shit."

The tea, and various leftovers in his fridge, would have to wait.