The moment Clay turned off the car, theĀ startlingĀ sound of the car door opening sharply made Gavin flinch again.
āIāmāIāhi.āĀ Nines stuttered, raising his hands weakly the moment he met Claireās gaze.Ā āItāsāmyāIām so sorry, whatās...?ā
āOāki, doki,Ā Gavin.ā Claire patted her cheek gently. āPlease show signs of consciousness or weāll have to lift Nines off the ground next.ā
āMomāoh my god.āĀ Gavin stuttered nervously, as Clay and Claire laughed in response.
It certainly made the atmosphere lighter, andĀ GodĀ only knew Nines and Gavin desperately needed that. Gavin sat up properly in the seat, getting out of the car carefully with Ninesā help. Clay exited the car and opened the door for Claire, who let Gavin have his own small moment with Nines toĀ calm him down.Ā Ā Ā
āAre you really okay?āĀ Nines asked quietly, as Gavin nodded weakly.Ā āI can take you to the hospital if you need it, itās like a ten-minute drive.ā
āIām okay.āĀ Gavin whispered, raising his brows emphatically as he nodded.Ā āIām really okay,Ā itās not...I got sick and didnāt sleep and I think I just needed to sleep and I didnāt and Iāā
āItās okayāI know, I know...āĀ Nines mumbled, glancing over Gavinās shoulder to find Clay looking at him.
Like a snap of fingers in front of his face, Nines became aware of Claireās presence ā a reminder of what heĀ neededĀ to attend, andĀ yet,
āAre we sure that...Gavin doesnāt need to go to the doctor?āĀ Nines asked shyly, clearly unsure of his own words.
Hesitant to be ruining the first meeting with his mother-in-law, who he hadnāt even properly greeted.
āI think he should rest.ā Claire responded sincerely. āI think he should go to bed and sleep in some more.ā
āBut youāre not going to be here for that long.āĀ Gavin quickly let out, turning to his mother. āI want to hang outāI donāt want to sleep.ā
āMaybe some medicine will be enough to perk you up.ā Clay said. āDo you have a fever?Ā A cold?ā
Gavinās poker face made the three of them frown in confusion.
āGavin?ā Claire raised a brow in confusion.
āI think I just need to sleep.ā Gavin saved his dignity. āDefinitely just a power nap.ā
āAre you sure?āĀ Nines whispered, only for Gavin to nodĀ insistently. āAlright then...ā
Nines turned to his gate, opening it quickly.
āCome on in, please...ā
It was definitely not the first meeting they thought it would be, but in Claireās opinion, it wasnātĀ badĀ at all.
They walked inside Ninesā house, and Claire instantly took many discreet glances at everything. She couldnāt help but be amazed by this young manās home, the small garden, his car, the modern look of everything. It truly made her think a model lived there; she could recognize many brands on his electronics and even decorations. Claire couldnāt imagine having all of this in her early twenties, and for a moment, the realization that Nines wasĀ indeedĀ just twenty-two made her turn to him with renewed interest. She stayed quiet, sitting where Nines offered her to take a seat. Clay and him exchanged a few quiet words before Nines turned to Gavin instead. Claire attentively observedĀ the way her son looked when he talked to him, with an expression she had never seen before. Gavin lookedĀ shyĀ but worried at the same time, glancing at his mother who looked away every time he did. While Nines only looked concerned and didnāt look anywhere else, as if he kept forgetting that Claire was right there.
Not a bad first impression.
āOkay, Iāll go lay down a bit...ā Gavin said, as his mother nodded.Ā āJust a bit though.ā
āIf you come downstairs in ten minutes, Iāll take you upstairs myself.ā Claire said, as Gavin twisted his lips weakly.Ā āGavin.ā
āAlrightāokay, Iām sorry.āĀ Gavin mumbled nervously, glancing at Nines.Ā āIām sorry.ā
Nines quickly composed his face, just to offer a soft smile.
āDonāt be sorry, silly.ā Nines chuckled gently.Ā āWeāll be here, itās fine.ā
āOkay...āĀ Gavin nodded, holding his fingers nervously.Ā āI...okayāI think I should tell you though...ā
āWhat is it?ā Claire asked.
Gavin closed his eyes, trying to spare himself some dignity but knowing well deep down...it would backfire if he didnāt tell theĀ truth.
āI actually have really bad diarrhea right now and I feel kind of dizzy so maybeāyou know, yeah.ā
It would backfire in all directions, in a concerning amount.
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