Page 125 of His Boys to Protect

Skylar choked out a sob and covered his face with his hands.

“But let's try to find another way first,” Ward went on. “Okay?”

A tiny whimper sounded behind him.

Skylar looked up and held his breath. He coughed again and snatched another wad of toilet paper, wiping his face as he sniffed and straightened his shoulders. “I'm okay, Charlie. Really. I'm f–” He broke off and turned away, hiding his face.

Ward inwardly cursed. He sat down on the floor, leaning back against the wall, and hauled Skylar to his side. The boy came willingly, tumbling against him as sobs wracked his little body. Ward gestured for Charlie to join them. That boy hesitated only a moment before he sank down next to Ward and curled into his side, watching Skylar intently.

Help!Charlie signed.Fix!

“I'm trying, buddy,” Ward murmured. “Let's give him a moment, okay?”

Charlie whimpered, but then he sat quietly, letting Skylar cry himself out.

It was several minutes before Skylar showed any signs of stopping. The boy trembled, his chest hitching with every breath. “I'm sorry,” he finally whispered.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Ward murmured. He pressed a kiss to the top of Skylar's head. “You're under a lot of stress. You're allowed to be upset.” He tipped Skylar's head up so the boy was forced to look at him. “We will figure this out. Together, okay? One way or another, we're going to get you everything you need.”

“Hhnn,” Charlie added, nodding emphatically.

Skylar swallowed hard, then gave them a single nod in return. “Okay,” he whispered.

“That's my good boy.” Ward nuzzled Skylar's temple. “Now, it's Friday, which means we can't do anything until next week, anyway. So here's the plan: Tonight, we're going to take a shower, have some dinner, and relax. Tomorrow, we'll go to the clinic and get tested, so that'll at least be one less thing to worry about. Okay?”

Skylar hesitated only for a moment before he nodded.

“Charlie?” Ward asked. “You okay with that?”

The boy rolled his head.Test?he signed. When Ward nodded, Charlie signed something else.

“Sorry, buddy. I don't know that one.”

“That'sneedle,” Skylar translated with a sniff before wiping his face again. “Charlie hates needles.”

Ward rubbed Charlie's arm. “It's entirely up to you, little mouse. It's your body. Nobody has a right to tell you what to do with your body.”

Charlie's gaze wandered for a moment.No condom?

“For everything but intercourse, yeah,” Ward told him, “assuming all our tests are clear. At least until Sky has his surgery.”

The silence stretched while Charlie considered that. Finally, he nodded.

“We'll all go together,” Ward assured him. “We'll be right there with you the whole time. And we're going to be fine,” he quickly added before Skylar could say anything. “I'm sure of it.”

Skylar looked like he was going to argue, but the boy kept his mouth shut in the end.

Though the worry never left his face all weekend. Skylar had to get a more thorough test than either Ward or Charlie, considering how sexually active the boy had always been, so they wouldn't get his results for a few days. It left Skylar constantly anxious and jumpy. It was all Ward could do to try keeping the boy calm.

But a few days later, Ward came home from work to find Skylar more wound up than usual.

Charlie greeted him at the door, begging for a hug even before Ward got his boots off. When Ward looked past him, he saw Skylar pacing the living room, arms wrapped around himself and breathing hard.

Oh hell. The poor boy must have gotten bad news.

Charlie pulled back from Ward and covered his ears, then quickly signed,Loud.

“I know, sweet boy,” Ward murmured. “It'll be okay. We're gonna fix it. I promise.” He quickly took off his boots, locked the door, then headed in Skylar's direction. “Hey, kitten. It's okay. Whatever–”

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