I paced the floor, waiting for Viktor to get here. He was meeting with Maddox, and then he was coming here. Vito offered to pick me some ‘nicer’ clothing from his closet if I wanted them. 

“Does it look like I want to dress up? For what?” I said, crossing my arms. Continuing to pace. 

“Are you planning to walk a hole in the floor?” Vito chuckled. 

“No.”

“Did you take your medication this morning?”

“Yes, you know I did.”

“Do I? I didn’t bother to check.”

“Huh?” I said and turned to look at him. “You didn’t check?”

“No, why would I? You’re capable of taking your pills on your own. I would only check if your behaviour is not normal. But this might be because Alessio lowered your medication again.” 

After he took care of his mother last night, he came back and changed all my medications lower, but by then I was back in bed sleeping. Only reason I even knew he had been here was because Vito told me this morning when I woke up. The shit with Alessio's mother annoyed me, but emotionally took a toll, too. Vito let me sleep the rest of the day, only waking me for a snack and my night pills. 

"Probably. Higher dosage back to my normal dosage, chances are it's that. But again, check. What if I'm lying to you?" 

Vito chuckled, as moved to open the cupboard. "I doubt that. Lying isn't your thing. Brutal honesty is." 

I wanted to argue that point, but it was the truth. Lying wasn't something I was good at. I didn't see the point of it. The brutal truth got all the points across. 

“I don't see a point in lying.” I said, shrugging. 

“Exactly, that’s what I mean. If you didn’t take your medication, you would have said you didn’t.” Vito said, closing the door to the cupboard after looking. 

Changing the subject, I asked about his ribs, and he shrugged. “They are fine, a little sore, but well on the way to healing. Then I’ll have to head back to work again.”

“Ah, Yes work. Your proper job outside of playing my professional babysitter.” I chuckled, smiling. 

“Our babysitting days are ending, Ilya.” 

I paused. What the hell did he mean by that? Panic swelled inside of me, and as if he knew, he turned to me, getting my attention. “What I mean by that, Ilya, is that I think it’s time to give back some more of your life. Give the chance to be an adult, have a real chance at everything and everyone else has. Maybe a little different, but would you not like a chance to have a relationship, a partner?”

“A partner? No. Not if I have to give you up.” I replied, holding back the uncomfortable emotions. I didn’t want to talk about this right now. 

“Ilya, you’ve misunderstood. I'm not asking you to find someone else. I want you to find a partner in me. I enjoy your company, and I care for you deeply. Everyone can see it. I can’t handle the thought of someone else being a source of comfort and happiness for you. You were my only thought when I was missing. I worried about how you would handle it if I didn’t get out alive. When you came to get me, ignoring all the triggers there, to bring me home, I knew things would be different. And I wanted to ignore them. I wanted to keep you safe, even if that is from me.”

“A partner in you… You mean romantically?”

“I mean, anyway, that you will have me. Even if it's not the conventional romance because it won’t be for us.”

I bit my thumbnail, thinking it over, and Vito hummed. “Take all the time you need to think it through. What is a few more days or months added to the time we have already spent together?”

“Vito?”

“Yes?”

“I don't understand why now?”

“What do you mean Ilya?”

“You've ignored all my touches, attention and actions, until recently. What changed to make you sure you could be happy with me?”

“Being alone with your thoughts for a couple of days it really gives you a lot to think about,” Vito said. 

“You won’t regret being involved like that with me?” I asked. 

“Regret, no.”

“How long have you cared about me?”

“Like a lover might? I don’t know. But thinking about not being by your side makes me sick.”

“Alessio and Matteo said you weren't into men.” I said, sitting on the arm of the couch and looking at him. 

“I’m not. I don't have any feelings for any other men but you, Ilya. You’re different.” He replied. 

“That’s because you see me like a pet.” I mumbled, but loud and clear enough that he heard me. 

“Excuse me?” He said, his tone cold and upset. “Did you want to run that by me once more, Ilya?”

“I said, you see me like a pet. That’s why I’m different from any other male.”

Vito was upset. You could tell by his face. “Don’t insult me like that.” He snapped. He closed the space between us and he gave me a gentle shove back on the couch. The cushions absorbed the sound of me hitting them. He shoved the coffee table away with his leg before he climbed on the couch, hovering over top of me. 

“Don’t say that. I have feelings too.”

“Vito I–”

He set both his hands on the couch beside my head, one on each side. His left knee tucked between my hip and the back of the couch, and his other leg he was using for balance. 

“Don’t fucking say that, Ilya. If you were a pet, in the regular meaning, you wouldn’t be in my fucking bed. I can promise you that.”

“Regular meaning? What the fuck does that mean? Am I a pet to you in some other way that isn't normal?” I said, annoyed. 

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” I replied. 

“You know it’s not.”

“Vito! What one of us are you trying to convince here? You treat me like a pet, or you did until recently, and fuck, I like it. I fucking like someone having all the control and making sure I’m looked after, but when it's thrown in my face by others—--”

He pressed his lips to mine, and it took my breath away. Vito pulled away to look up, and I yanked him back down, pressing my lips to his, before he whispered. 

“Alessio and Viktor are at the door. Inside.”

Sitting up, I looked, and Alessio had a knowing smile, while Viktor looked annoyed. 

“Sorry if we showed up at a bad time.” Alessio said. 

“No. No. It’s fine—---”

“We aren’t done here, Vito. I have more to say to you on this matter.” I muttered, standing up and fixing my clothing. 

Vito went down the hall to the office to get something for Alessio, and Viktor crossed his arms. 

“So it is like that with him, then?”

“You have working eyes, Viktor. Tell me what you think.”

“I think you're making a mistake—--”

“I think if you like breathing, you watch your next words.” I said, not hiding my feelings, or sparing him my temper. 

“I see. It’s too late to change your mind.”

“You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”

“I only want you to get better.”

“Vito is helping me get better. He is one of the few people pushing me to get better.”

“I understand that, and I saw when you were home how attached to him you are.”

“Home. Hardly, that is your home. Mine is here.”

“Ilya. That is still your home, your parents, your—--”

“It’s not. I am a stranger to them. Viktor, I am not the same Ilya. I don’t know how many times you need to be told. I would break your neck in a heartbeat without a second thought if Vito asked me.” 

He pulled his hand through his hair and sighed. “So I guess asking you to come for your parents' anniversary is off the table?”

“He will be there. I'll make sure of it.” Vito said, coming back into the room. 

“Thank you for looking after my cousin, though I can’t say I am happy that things are progressing the way they are.” Viktor said. 

Before I could react again, I felt Vito’s hand on my back. 

“Careful with your words, you will upset Ilya, and I might let him bite you.” Vito hummed, passing the papers to Alessio, who used them to cover the smile on his face. 

“Where’s Lev?” I asked. 

“Doing actual work.” Alessio said. 

“Hm. I wanted to ask him to get me more cake. Suppose I could go get it myself.” I said before flicking my eyes to Vito. “Keys. I want cake.”

“My keys?”

“I can’t fit you, Viktor, and I in my car, can I? Or are you planning on riding in my trunk?” I replied. 

Viktor looked uncomfortable. “Relax, I didn’t ask you to ride in the trunk.” I muttered. 

“Is he always like this?” Viktor said, asking Alessio. 

“That depends. Today, Ilya is food motivated, or rather cake motivated.”

I might have been offended if Alessio wasn't telling the truth. Each day was different. But the medication change was also to blame, most likely. I went to change, stopping at the bedroom door. 

“You're coming too, Viktor. In case that wasn’t clear.”

Tossing on some nicer sweatpants and sweater, I left the room.

“He asked me to transfer the money to you. You rejected it. Have you told him at all that you didn’t accept his money?” Viktor said. 

“No, Ilya wouldn’t be happy with that. So I gave the money to Vito for Ilya. If he wants, or needs, anything.” Alessio said. 

I sighed, stepping into the room. “Why can’t you just accept my money?” 

“Your parents and Viktor have paid for everything. They, like you, refused to let me do it out of the goodness of just wanting you to be well.”

“Alright then. I’ll figure out some way to get you to take it.” I muttered. “Right now, though, I want cake. You can come too, if you're free, Alessio.”

“I wish, but I am up to my neck in paperwork. Lev would kill me if I skipped out on it for cake. But you could grab a slice for Lev and me. I’ll pay you back—-”

“No. I'll get you guys some cake, but I’m not taking your money. I’ll grab some for Matteo and Caio, too.” I muttered, wandering around the kitchen looking for my phone. 

“Your phone is on my nightstand.” 

“Thanks,”