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Jesse furrowed his brows, now feeling even more conflicted at this.

It was all he’d wanted to hear for the past three years since the accident itself, but…

now? After what Nate had said in the bar?

Jesse didn’t really think it was a good idea for Austin to reach out to that guy with an olive branch.

After all, Austin was bi, and given Nate’s apparent attitude towards people like them…

it was only a matter of time before Austin just got hurt again, and that was the last thing Jesse wanted .

“Listen, Austin…” Undeniably, the unease in Jesse’s chest was starting to get more intense now. And it certainly wasn’t because of Nate… “You don’t have to rush into anything. No one can blame you for needing to take your time.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Austin told him. “But I dunno… I think I might be ready to try and— I don’t know, okay? I’ve just been thinking, that’s all I wanted to say. Uh, how’s Jamie doing?”

Jesse knew a topic-change when he heard one. But he wouldn’t have pressed the issue even if he’d wanted to, and right now he definitely didn’t want to. So he just accepted it with a sigh.

“He seems to be fine,” he reported. “He managed to get back into his safe form while we talked. Breathing looks good.”

Austin exhaled in relief on the line. “I’m real glad to hear that.”

Literally out of nowhere, the pangs in Jesse’s heart grew sharper and more frequent. Groaning, he pressed a hand against his chest.

“Jesse? Was that you, grunting and groaning like a caveman? Please tell me your seal isn’t wearing off now of all times!”

“I – I’ll be fine,” Jesse got out, though he knew his breathless tone was once again giving away the lie. “I can take it.”

“Fuck, this is why you two shouldn’t have run off to the damn coast!” Austin complained. “Our luck’s running out and now you’re both sick at the same time, and I can’t drive down there and take care of you!”

“Really, Austin, it’s okay,” Jesse told him. “I’ll just take an acetaminophen myself. After all, that’s what I packed that stuff for. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Like hell I don’t.”

“I just… need to rest a bit, that’s all. Look, it’s getting late, and we don’t all have the sleep schedule of a raccoon or a vampire or whatever it is you are.”

“…Both,” Austin decided. “I’m both.”

Jesse scoffed as he peeked through the freezer window again. Jamie still seemed to be fine. “Alright, well, I’m gonna hang up now, drug myself up and rest a bit,” he told Austin. “I’ll text you later, okay? ”

“Seriously though, Jesse, if you start feeling too bad, call somebody,” Austin told him.

“Who would I call? The hospital? Please. As if they could do anything,” Jesse said. “Any doctor trying to figure out what’s wrong with me would just be stumped and send me away with a ‘gee I don’t know’ and a two thousand dollar bill.”

“Yeah, but they can keep your heart from giving out, so I mean it,” Austin insisted. “If it gets too bad, and if Jamie doesn’t recover fast enough to put another seal on you, call an ambulance.”

“…Fine,” Jesse gave in. But he mainly was just saying it so that Austin would stop fighting about it.

Now that he knew how badly Jamie’s body had reacted to something as harmless as a simple pill, there was no way he could risk having any paramedics come in and find him with a fever (or however much was left of it), and take him to a hospital and pump him full of who knew what. That would kill him for sure.

So… after hanging up the phone, Jesse headed upstairs, swallowed a pill, and returned to the freezer as fast as he could. This time, instead of only checking on Jamie through the glass like he’d done before, he opened the heavy door and stepped inside.

The icy air bit at his skin, carrying a sharp, metallic tang that clung to his tongue.

With his breath fogging, he crouched next to Jamie, who was laying on his side, still bundled in the bed sheet.

He seemed to be sound asleep now. His skin that had shimmered with ice earlier was back to normal.

The white layer that had coated him was gone, as though his body had absorbed it completely, and his cheeks had regained their usual color.

Frost clung to his dark hair, glinting in the dim light like tiny shards of crystal.

He looked… peaceful. As if the freezing environment had soothed him, allowing his body to recover in a way Jesse didn’t fully understand.

He reached out, gently brushing over Jamie’s cheek. To his surprise, he felt warmth beneath his fingertips. Not the fevered flush from earlier—just a steady, reassuring warmth that defied the cold air around them. Carefully, he placed two fingers against Jamie’s neck, checking his pulse.

It was steady now, and strong.

Satisfied, Jesse stood and stepped back out, letting the heavy door swing shut behind him.

He leaned against it with a deep sigh. The cold metal pressed against his back, offering momentary relief to the heat radiating from his chest. Slowly, he slid down, his legs giving way until he was seated on the ground, his head leaning against the door as he allowed himself to rest.

But the pain in his heart didn’t ease. Jesse clenched his jaw, one hand clutching at his shirt as if he could will the burning ache away, and squeezed his eyes shut as his breaths grew shallow and uneven.

He was not going to call an ambulance.

He would put up with anything—as long as it meant keeping Jamie safe.