41. Mathew's problem

The morning sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow through the windows, but inside Ethan and Adrian's home, chaos brewed.

Ethan lay in bed, his face flushed with fever, and his expression a mixture of discomfort and annoyance. Adrian was bustling around the bedroom, trying to care for his ailing husband, while simultaneously attempting to keep his own emotions in check. The sight of Ethan, usually so confident and strong, reduced to a grumbling, feverish mess made Adrian's heart soften—but also made him want to smack some sense into him.

"I'm fine," Ethan groaned, pulling the blanket over his head like a petulant child. "It's just a little fever."

"Just a little fever?" Adrian repeated, raising an eyebrow as he approached the bed with a bowl of steaming porridge. "You're burning up like you're trying to cook yourself from the inside out, Ethan."