23. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

U lises sneezed. And then sneezed again. He couldn’t get sick on his first hopeful prospect. Please, gods, no.

He grabbed some tissues from the box in the living room and blew his nose. His body was always working against him. He was cursed. Someone had put a spell on him at birth, or maybe someone had hated his mother. Either way, there wasn't any other rational explanation.

Okay, there was one. His immune system was weak. Sickness was always around the corner. If he breathed the same air as someone with the flu or common cold, he caught it. But for Ulises he didn't feel like shit for a day or two. For him it lasted a lot longer.

If he were a shifter or even a vampire, he wouldn't ever get sick. And if he were a stronger warlock like Seryn, he wouldn't either.

He wiped his nose with a tissue when it started dripping.

Oh gods. Yuck.

Damn it.

Ulises' phone buzzed, indicating he had a message. He ignored it, pressing the button that would bring up his date's messages.

MagicMan365: I'm sorry but I'm going to have to get a raincheck for our date tonight.

BossMan7: Cancelling on me last minute, boy?

MagicMan365: Not a cancellation. Just a raincheck. Not feeling well.

BossMan7: Give me your address. I'll come take care of you.

MagicMan365: That's very sweet but no thanks. I'll be fine. It's just a little cold.

He didn't know the guy. The last thing he wanted was a stranger having his address. And besides, what sort of impression would he leave on a guy if he sneezed all over him.

Yeah, snot cool. And snot was what the guy would get.

Ulises blew his nose again, which made him cough for reasons that made no logical sense but nothing about his body made sense, so it was nothing new.

BossMan7: Get better soon. That's an order, boy .

An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. He didn't like being called boy by a man he didn't know. It was presumptuous of BossMan7 to refer to Ulises in that way. The Daddy Boy kink could mean different things to different people. BossMan7 didn't know what Ulises liked. Ulises liked to set boundaries right up front.

MagicMan365: I'd prefer if you didn't call me that until we get to know each other better.

He set his phone on the end table next to the couch and changed into something more comfortable. He decided on his pajama pants and a sweater since he was cold. He grabbed his favorite blanket from the end of the bed and his pillow and made a little nest on the couch, settling into a spoofy cop comedy sitcom he'd never seen before but had been meaning to tuck into for a while.

It was funny but not funny enough for him to keep his eyes open.

He wasn't sure how long he was out, but the sitcom was on another episode. His phone chimed again and then a second time.

The first message was from DaddyDragon3 talking about finishing his profile. It must mean he’d uploaded pictures. Ulises would look later, when he didn't feel so tired.

The second message he opened was from BossMan7, apologizing for being too forward.

The dating app thing wasn't working out. His only good prospect was Todd and that hadn't worked out either. Maybe DaddyDragon3 would prove to be okay.

He had gotten five text messages too. One from Easton asking if he was okay. Four from Izzy. All of them asking if he was all right. One of the messages from Izzy was actually from Todd. Ulises could tell by the difference in texting style.

He texted Easton first telling him that he was feeling under the weather. He had a head cold. Nothing more. He sent the same message to Todd and Izzy.

And then he opened DragonDaddy3's profile.

Oh my gods. That's… Damn it, Izzy.

Ulises' first emotion was anger. He grabbed his phone and went to the bathroom. He set his phone on the side of the tub before peeing and then began filling the tub for a bath.

By the time he undressed and got into the bathtub, he wasn't mad anymore. He was intrigued, although he didn't want to be. And maybe hopeful Izzy and Todd did like him enough to want to date him.

All he could think about was Izzy asking him not to die. It had been confusing at the time. Why would Izzy make such a plea? It didn't make sense unless he was concerned.

One picture was of Todd as if the profile belonged to both of them.

Ulises put the phone on the side of the tub and leaned back, closing his eyes. He felt a little spring of hope trickle to life. And then he felt stupid for feeling that way. He wasn't sure what to believe. The Izzy who’d broken up with him or the one who’d created a dating profile to talk to him. And Izzy had held him while he cried. Then again, so had Todd.

But what if he let them in and they broke up with him?

Ulises sighed. If he risked his heart only to have Izzy break it all over again, it made him stupid for having higher expectations. Right?

No, it was best to not get his heart broken a second time.