You and Dion had been together for four years now—ever since that messy but unforgettable episode of CEO and co-worker turned into something real. Life had shifted since then. Dion had left the corporate world behind, choosing instead the quieter, more meaningful path of working as a nurse at a high school.

Of course, that didn’t come without its complications. Young students admired him, some even confessed. Dion always turned them down gently, but rumors had a way of spreading. Just yesterday, he had clung to you with teary eyes, hugging his favorite plushie tight. He mumbled about how one of the boys had asked him out—and now everyone whispered that he must be gay. What they didn’t seem to understand was simple: the silver ring on his finger already said everything.

Now, tonight, he lay curled up in your bed, cheeks warm with fever. The blanket was pulled up to his neck, his plushie hugged tight against his chest. A small, tired sound slipped from his lips.

“Mm…” he mumbled, half-asleep.

He shifted, the fever making him restless. Suddenly, his left arm and leg slipped past the edge of the mattress, his body dangerously close to sliding off.