Adrian was getting his vitals checked by the nurse when Brody walked through the door the next morning.

"How's it looking nurse?" Brody asked from the door.

Jotting something down on the clipboard, she then held out a digital thermometer and stuck it to Adrian's forehead, "Everything seems normal, pulse rate and respiration rate are stable. His blood pressure seems fine as well."

The machine beeped and the nurse looks at the reading. "99.2°F, that's a little higher than we would like it to be. How are you feeling Adrian?"

Adrian shrugged his shoulders, feeling fine considering that he was stabbed multiples times a few days ago. "I don't feel any different, just kind of looking forward to going home."

"Hopefully it will go down slightly tomorrow, that way you should be fine to be discharged."

"Getting sick of me already?" Adrian joked.

The nurse laughed as she brought over a medical tray from the side. "I'm just going to show you how to take care of your wound and change your bandages, so you can self-administer when you return home tomorrow."

Adrian nodded as she peeled back the gauze pad that was on his stomach.

"Gross." Adrian let slip at the sight of the bloodied area on his body.

The nurse started to clean the area with soap and water, being careful not to cause any sudden stinging sensation that would hurt Adrian.

From behind her shoulder, Brody was leaning over so that he could see it all be done properly. The nurse turned her neck and looked over at the focussed Brody, still concentrating on what she was doing. "Can I help you?"

"Just learning how to do it for him when we get home."

Adrian blushed slightly when the nurse turned to look at him and gave him an candied, knowing look. "So sweet." She whispered to Adrian.

Adrian knew Brody heard that as Brody winked at him after that exchange, knowing that it boosted his boyfriend's ego.

~~~~~~~~~~

After the nurse taught them both how to take care of the wound, they were left alone in each other's company when Adrian noticed the bag that Brody brought in with him.

Pointing towards the backpack by the door, "What's in there?"

Brody walked in that direction and brought it over to Adrian's bed. Placing it down next to him, Brody unzipped it as he revealed the contents.

"I brought you your laptop in case you were bored. Thought we could finally watch Murder on the Orient Express together. Given that you probably have no intentions to read the book anyway, even though that the books are-"

"Always better than the movie." Adrian finished the sentence for him, happily remembering their time on the coach together.

Smiling softly at reminiscing the same memories, "Yeah." Brody sweetly replied.

Unravelling the charger from the backpack, Brody also unpacked some popcorn from one of the compartments, as well as strawberry twizzlers.

Excited by the food, "You're the best!" Adrian expressed, kissing his cheek when Brody passed him the food.

"Aaaannd, I brought you your favourite hoody, so you can be all comfy when you sleep." Brody took out the hoodie he grabbed from Adrian's drawer.

Slightly shaking his head, "Now you've been demoted to the second best now."

Shocked and puzzled, Brody laughed as he asked him, "What'd I do?"

"You brought me my second favourite hoodie," Adrian picked it up and explained, "This one is grey, my favourite one is that light yellow one."

When Brody snooped around Adrian's belongings to get him his stuff, he never saw such jumper. "But you don't own a yellow jumper, the only yellow jumper I've seen is-"

A light switched inside Brody's mind as he remembered the only time he's seen Adrian wear such outfit. "My yellow hoodie..."

Adrian shrugged as he looked at Brody all too knowingly, "Yeah, I know it's yours, and that's why I like wearing it. It's comfy, warm, and reminds me of you."

Brody was the shy one as Adrian's admission seemed to throw him off. He now had the biggest grin as he looked at his boyfriend. "You are just the cheesiest, and most shameless boyfriend ever."

"Yes I am," Adrian boasted, "Now, help me put it on please?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Halfway through the movie, the nurse came through the door carrying Adrian's lunch through.

When she saw that they were both concentrated on the screen, with Adrian resting his head against Brody's shoulder on the bed, her first reaction was filled with overwhelming sweetness at the image in front of her.

But then she remembered she had a job to do, rules and regulations to follow. Subtly coughing to get their attention, the pair turned their heads towards the door.

"I'm sorry but it really should only be the patient on the bed." She told them.

Adrian was quick to deflect the blame, "I didn't invite him up here," Adrian said, pointing at Brody who looked offended by the accusation, "It was all his idea."

"Real nice and mature of you babe."

The nurse shrugged her shoulders, offering a weak apology because of the rules at the hospital. "Sorry, patients only."

Brody pouted as he stood up from the bed and dragged his feet to the chair beside him, being looked down on with shame by Adrian who found his whole childish demeanour amusing.

The nurse served Adrian his lunch, revealing a cottage pie as she then left the room. At closer inspection, it looked like it was all mushed together, no steam coming off it as it was cold by the time he was served.

"She said it was cottage pie?" Brody asked. After Adrian nodded in disappointment, Brody said. "Looks kind of like beef stew, with grainy meat sticking out."

Adrian sealed his lips tightly as he nodded, "Yep."

"Well I'm off to get real food, I'll see you later." Brody told him deadpanned.

Adrian was astonished as he looked up to see Brody head towards the door. "You can't leave just like that!"

"You're right."

Brody turned back to give Adrian a big wet smooch on the temple.

"Now I'm off, enjoy your food!" Brody laughed wickedly.

Adrian began prodding his mushed food, cursing Brody's name under his breath as he left to get his own lunch.

"Jerk."

~~~~~~~~~~

After Brody left the hospital, he called Ashley to see if they wanted to meet up for lunch together.

Ashley was already waiting in the diner when Brody arrived at the booth.

"Hey Brody, glad you can finally make it on the agreed time for once." She joked.

Brody ducked his head as he apologised for the other times he was recently late for their meals, rare for him to ever make it on the exact agreed time.

Nodding her head, they were going over the menu when Ashley got a text message. "It's from Adam, he said he can't make it to lunch because Adrian asked him to visit."

"That's nice."

"Apparently Adrian was begging him to bring food with him," Ashley told Brody as she grimaced at the picture of Adrian's lunch he sent her, "What even is that?"

"Cottage pie," Brody answered, also remembering the slop of food on his plate, "Yeah it didn't look so great earlier."

A waiter appeared at the table, pencil and notepad in his hand as he asked, "You guys ready to order?"

~~~~~~~~~~

When Adam came into the hospital room, he opened the door to see Adrian was messing with his plate.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked.

Adrian still had his tongue out as he was concentrating on his plate. "Building a house with the mashed potatoes, what do you think?" Adrian asked as he presented his plate. "Leave the roof smooth or add tiles to it?"

Adam chuckled as he sat down, "Whatever keeps you entertained."

"Did you get the stuff?" Adrian asked as he gestured to the bag Adam was holding.

"You're making it sound like it's drugs Adrian." Adam then emptied the bag so he could give Adrian the food he brought over from home.

"It's packed like it's drugs," Adrian replied, referencing the tightly wrapped tin foil package of food. He opened it to reveal a ham and cheese sandwich.

Adrian bit into it and felt so much better at eating the real food. "Thanks Adam."

Adam gave him a little salute as he opened a tube of Pringles for them to share. "Did they say when you would be let out?"

"Tomorrow." Adrian mumbled with his mouth full of food. Adrian swallowed it down so he could be more clear. "They're still monitoring me overnight, just in case."

Adrian pointed at his empty mouth, indicating he wanted Adam to feed him as he opened it widely. "Aaaaah."

Adam grabbed 2 pieces from the tube and smooshed it into Adrian's mouth, sealing his hand around it so it wouldn't leave a crumbled mess.

Adrian protested as he whacked a laughing Adam's arm. "That's just immature." Adrian whined whilst chewing the food.

Adam popped another one in his own mouth, all too smug about it as he gleefully grinned back at Adrian at the childish behaviour.

While they were talking and eating together, Adrian looked at his phone and saw he got a message sent by Brody. He opened it up to see a picture attached. Adrian looked at the image with amusement, shock and bewilderment.

Adam looked at his face and asked him, "What is it? Nothing dirty or anything right?"

"That cheeky bastard..." Adrian muttered as he looked at the image of how Brody was teasing him.

Adrian went to flash his phone to Adam when Adam quickly flinched away from it, averting his eyes as he turned away. "I don't think I want to see what your boyfriend is sexting you." Adam joked.

"What?" Adrian asked astonished, "Of course it's not that, keep your mind out of the gutter Adam. Besides, we've never even done that before."

Adam looked at the picture to see a juicy bacon cheeseburger and fries with a strawberry milkshake.

"That jerk is teasing me with food that he knows I want to eat."

Adrian shook his head as if he met it with disappointment, ignoring how his mouth was watering at the image.

He then intended to snap a picture of his cottage pie house. Adrian added some Pringles to make up the roof as he then sent the picture to Brody.

~~~~~~~~~~

Brody laughed as he was impressed by Adrian's sculpture. He then started to cut his burger in half as they both started eating their food.

Ashley was nitpicking her food by the time Brody was halfway finished through his meal. Sipping her soda absentmindedly, she tried to wait for the right time to ask Brody something. Biting the bullet, "Brody I need your advice on something."

Brody let her ask as he grabbed some fries and popped them in his mouth. "Shoot."

Ashley looked around the table to make sure it was private between the pair. "So like, how do I let Adam know I want, more?"

Brody didn't understand the question as he continued eating whilst he asked, "What do you mean by more?"

Ashley leaned over the table as she whispered quietly, "You know, more..." She said as it lingered in the air.

Brody shook his head as he still didn't understand, "Still not following." He went to sip his drink when Ashley blurted it out loud.

"Sex god damn it!"

Brody wheezed as he choked on his drink, patting his chest to try and let it all out. "Do we really need to have this discussion now?" Brody asked as he coughed through it. "We're eating Ash!"

"Well if I don't ask now then it's going to be stuck in my mind all day." Ashley explained as she gave Brody a napkin to clean himself.

Dabbing his mouth, "Don't you have girlfriends to answer this for you? It's not the most comfortable thing for me to talk about your sex life."

Ashley did consider asking them, but she respected Brody's advice the most, knowing that he would be genuinely helpful when she asked him. "I don't feel so self-conscious when I come to you with stuff."

Brody understood this feeling as this was how it always was between them. Growing up together and looking after one and another, it was how their sibling relationship turned out. Any problem Ashley had, she would always turn to Brody first. Even when she had her first period Ashley asked him about it.

Brody wasn't particularly looking forward to this conversation but it had to be done. "So, when's the night?" Brody asked as he grimaced at his own question.

"This weekend, we're going to this indie festival I really wanted to see and the trip is going to be overnight." Ashley explained. "And I'm just worried, that I won't like, meet his expectations."Ashley admitted.

Brody gritted his teeth as he talked to her, knowing that this was an important discussion for them to share, despite how slightly awkward he felt talking about it. "And are you sure you want to go through with this? It's okay if you change your mind now, or even on the night."

"I am sure, we really care about each other and we both want it to be special. I know I'm ready at least. But the thing is, he's not exactly a prude." She explained gently.

Brody did recall how Adam used to be a big ladies man, then he seemed to settle that character down a bit when he first started to show an interested in Ashley. Even when he talked about it with Adrian, Adrian assured Brody of Adam's noble intentions and respect he has for Ashley.

Brody tried his best to explain everything rationally and realistically. "Every 'encounter' is different, and when it's with someone you really care about then you can feel it. It will feel like second nature, when you finally have that 'encounter'."

Brody tried to describe it as best as he could from his own knowledge and experience. "Adam's one of the better guys out there, don't stress over it too much and let nature takes it course. Just be open and receptive with each other and it will all be fine."

Ashley felt a sense of relief from the advice. "Thanks Brody, I know this conversation wasn't the easiest." She joked as they laughed together.

"Just like, make sure he wears protection. And there's never not enough lubricant. If you think there's enough, then add more."

"Got it," Ashley said out loud as she covered her ears. "Lalalala, conversations over now, lalalala."

Brody met that response by throwing one of his fries at her before covering his plate with his napkin, turned off by the food now.

==========