"excuse me, where's the nearest restroom?" And "my friend isn't feeling so well" for Jessy?
((Written with @sicklyfeels))
Even from his place at the other end of the large banquet table, Shinya could tell that Jessime was struggling. The young man’s face had been growing more and more pale as the dinner stretched on, and it was obvious that he was only picking at his meal without really eating any of it. He was still doing his best to smile and keep up with the conversations, but it looked to be a losing battle. Twice Shinya caught him dabbing the sweat from his brow when he thought no one was watching. When Jessime brought a cautious hand to hover over his mouth, Shinya decided it was time to step in.
There was no way to get to him without causing a scene, and the last thing that either of them needed was to draw too much attention to themselves. Thinking fast, Shinya drew his cell phone from his pocket, glancing at it briefly before pushing his chair back.
“Sorry, I’m afraid I need to take this,” he said to the people sitting near him. He stood, walking briskly from the room as he held the phone to his ear. Once he was out of sight from the table, he dropped the nonexistent phone call.
He waited for a minute, then made his way back to the table, still holding the phone. He moved to where Jessy was sitting, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
“I apologize, but I need to borrow Jessime for a moment.”
Jessy turned toward him, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What?”
“This call pertains to you,” Shinya said briskly. “It can’t wait.”
Jessy still looked confused, but he pushed his chair back and stood, following Shinya obediently as they left the room again.
“Who’s on the phone?” Jessy asked once they got into the hall.
“No one,” Shinya replied, giving Jessy a smirk. “It’s a ruse. I can tell that you’re sick, and knew you wouldn’t just excuse yourself.”
“Oh,” Jessy mumbled, a hand straying to rest over his midsection. “Um…thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s find you a restroom or something,” Shinya suggested. “You look like you’re going to be sick any second.”
Jessy nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”
Shinya rested a hand on Jessy’s shoulder, leading him down the hall in search of a restroom they could take refuge in for a while. Poor Jessy looked paler by the second, his steps getting more staggered and unsteady as they walked. Thankfully, a waitress was walking by, and Shinya flagged her down.
“Excuse me, where is the nearest restroom?” he asked.
Seeing Jessime, the waitress flashed them both a sympathetic smile. “Down this hall and to the left,” she said. Shinya thanked her, tugging Jessy in that direction.
The restroom came into view as soon as they turned the corner, and Shinya let out a relieved sigh. Unfortunately, as they walked towards it, another man stepped into view and began opening the door.
“Pardon me, sir,” Shinya called out. The man paused, one foot already in the bathroom, and turned to them as they approached. “I’m sorry,” Shinya continued, “but we need this restroom. My friend isn’t feeling well,” he added, gesturing towards Jessy. The man’s eyes widened, and he quickly stepped away with a nod.
“Thank you very much,” Shinya said, helping Jessy into the restroom and hoping the man wasn’t too inconvenienced. Jessy definitely needed the room more.
As soon as the door closed, Jessy took his place in front of the toilet. He crouched on the balls of his feet, one hand pressed into his stomach and the other pushing back his curls.
“I thought I’d be alright,” he muttered. “But these dinners are always so damned /long/.”
Shinya looked down at him sympathetically, hesitating a moment before he knelt down beside him. “Just try to relax. If you can’t make it back to the dinner, we’ll just leave. I’ll walk you to the car, then go back inside with some lie to excuse you.”
Jessy huffed out a sigh, shifting forward to lean over the toilet. “Whatever I’m paying you, it’s not enough.”
Shinya laughed a little, putting a hand on Jessy’s back. “I am very good at my job. Maybe you should give me a raise.”
Jessy opened his mouth to answer, but whatever quip he was about to make was lost as he gave a sudden heave. Shinya frowned, rubbing Jessy’s back comfortingly.
“You’re alright. If you need to throw up, don’t hold it in.”
“It hurts,” Jessy whined, his voice thick. He burped, lurching forward when that turned into another heave. Jessy’s back arched as he heaved a third time, this one managing to bring up a gush of vomit. Shinya continued to rub his back as Jessy coughed, drawing in a quick breath before he brought up another wave.
“You’re okay,” Shinya soothed, reaching a cool hand up to rest on Jessy’s warm forehead. “I’ve got you, Jessy.”
Jessy groaned, leaning into Shinya’s hand. “I don’t think I’m going to make it back to the dinner.”
“That’s okay. I’ll cover for you, and we’ll go back to the hotel so you can rest,” Shinya assured him, letting his hand linger at the small of Jessy’s back. Only for a moment. “...Wait here. I’ll go excuse us, then come back to take you outside.”
Jessy nodded, resting his forearms on the rim of the toilet. “Thank you, Shinya.”








