āStop holding it down, sweetheart.ā with Bel and Romi?
It didnāt matter how much Bel tried to assure Romi that he was welcome in the apartment, or that the younger dancer had lived with Bel and his boyfriend for almost a year now ā Romi still didnāt feel comfortable being in the apartment alone. Even if he didnāt say so, Bel could tell how awkward he acted at the prospect. He knew it would take time for Romi to get used to things, to come to finally see himself less as an imposing guest and more as family. In the meantime, Bel could at least try to minimize Romiās stress as much as possible.
āIāve got some shopping to do,ā Bel announced, glancing down at where Romi was looking over one of his textbooks. āFeel like coming along? Youāve been studying for a while now. Might be time for a break.ā
Normally Romi would jump at the offer, but heād been quiet all afternoon. It was no wonder ā the poor kid had been working hard all week.
Bel smiled encouragingly as Romi closed his book and set it aside. āI just need to pick up a few things. Weāll be back in no time.ā
Romi was at least a little more talkative as they got off the bus and continued their way downtown. He told Bel about what he was studying, and listened as Bel outlined a new dance routine heād been working up.
Slowly, though, Bel began to notice Romi becoming quieter and quieter as they shopped. Before long, heād stopped talking altogether, only responding with a nod or a shrug when Bel tried engaging him.
āAre you alright?ā Bel asked finally, eyeing Romi over his shoulder as he sorted through a rack of clothes. āIf youāre bored, we canāā
āNo,ā Romi answered quickly, shaking his head. āIām not bored, really. Justā¦ā He blushed, making a face. āMy stomach hurts a little, thatās all.ā
Bel frowned, dropping the top heād been looking at. āDo you want to leave?ā he asked.
āNo, Iām fine, I promise.ā
Bel looked him up and down. Romi was clearly uncomfortable, but he looked alright. The flush from his cheeks could have been embarrassment as easily as a fever. But if he was really, truly sick, Bel also knew that heād never admit it at the cost of ruining their day out.
āIām done here anyway,ā Bel said casually, picking up his shopping basket. Heād found a couple tops he liked, which was good enough for today. He gave Romi an encouraging smile as they moved to the front of the shop, noticing the stiff way the younger boy walked as he tried to discreetly cradle his stomach. The sooner Bel got him home, the better.
The cashier smiled at them as Bel handed her the clothes heād picked out.
āDid you find everything you were looking for?ā she asked cheerfully.
āAbsolutely,ā Bel answered, returning her smile. She began to ring up his purchases, but when she looked up again, her smile fell.
āUm..ā she began, looking upset. Bel frowned before realizing that she wasnāt looking at him, but rather past him. He turned, following her gaze.
Romi stood behind him, a hand pressed tellingly to his lips. As Bel watched, Romiās body jerked, his cheeks ballooning out before he valiantly swallowed it back down.
āOh, goshā¦ā Bel took Romi by the shoulders, turning quickly back to the cashier.
āBathroomās back there,ā she said before he even had a chance to speak. He thanked her, quickly steering Romi in that direction.
āYou should have said something,ā he chastised gently. āI wouldnāt have made you come out with me if Iād known you were sick.ā
They burst into the thankfully empty restroom, and Romi let Bel guide him into one of the stalls. For a moment, they just stood there, Romi breathing deeply in an attempt to keep his composure.
āIām sorry,ā he said, his voice shaky. āI donāt know what happened.ā He swallowed. āI feel a little better now.ā
āAre you sure?ā Bel asked.
Romi nodded slowly before suddenly dropping to his knees over the toilet with an empty belch. Bel couldnāt help but chuckle as he crouched down beside him.
āThatās what I thought,ā he said gently, placing a hand on Romiās back. āJust take your time, weāre not in a hurry.ā
Romi said nothing. Bel rubbed a hand across his trembling shoulders, waiting for the inevitable. Sure enough, he felt Romiās body tense as he gagged once....twiceā¦before swallowing it back down again.
āRomi,ā Bel chastised gently. āStop holding it down, sweetheart. It needs to come up.ā He reached around and pushed Romiās sweat-dampened bangs off his forehead. āTrust me, youāll feel better once itās out of you.ā
Romi made a soft whimpering sound. For a moment, Bel worried that theyād be there all day as he continued to fight it. But suddenly Romiās stomach gave a deep gurgle, and he was once again leaning over the toilet. With a heave, he let loose a torrent of his half-digested breakfast into the bowl.
āThatās it,ā Bel praised. He rubbed a hand up Romiās spine, trying to help his body through the motions. Sure enough, Romi let out a soft burp before vomiting up another thick stream.
He heaved a few more times, each time bringing up less and less, before he finally stopped. He fell back, panting hard. His shirt was soaked through with sweat, and he was shaking like a leaf.
Bel reached up wordlessly and flushed the mess away before tearing off a wad of toilet paper and handing it to Romi. āHow do you feel now?ā he asked, giving Romiās shoulder a squeeze.
āBetter,ā Romi gasped softly, cleaning his face with the tissue.
āTold you,ā Bel laughed. He ran an affectionate hand through Romiās damp curls. āGive yourself a minute to breathe and make sure youāre done. Then weāll get you home.ā
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