I brought sweets and new clothes home for my boy, who was where I left him, groaning on his bed.

"I did pushups," he said, an arm over his face. "Only made it to five before my elbows popped."

"Oh dear, I told you not to push it, yet you're covered in sweat."

"It's a cold sweat. I don't know why it keeps coming."

I frowned at that and brushed my hand over his head, sending magic tendrils to check up on him.

"Your body seems to be having an influx of hormones. I may have helped your bones and muscles catch up, but there are other secondary traits that need time to reflect that."

"Secondary traits?"

I grinned wickedly. "Well you see, a little boy's pecker isn't like a man's—"

"NOPE! Nope! I get it!"

"Good. I'll start a warm bath for you then. A soak should help with the soreness. Then you can have these scrumptious goodies—and look! I even got you some nice new clothes with my money muscle. You're gonna look so dapper!"

He just groaned and rolled away from me onto his side.

I let him. He was having a rough time, he deserved to have a free pass to some attitude.

Even so, I took a quick jog down out the door to the kitchen to check up on how he had eaten while I was gone. There, I met my favorite acne-friend maids, who, on hearing of my apprentices plight, offered to bring up some essential oils and Epsom salts to help with the soreness, for which I gave many much gushes of thanks. Anything towards the raising of my boy were brownie points to me.

But even once the bath was finished filling and scented oh so good, Gus didn't appear. I went to see how he was doing to find my concern well met, as he had only made it to the doorway between mine and his room before he had to clutch the wall, weak legs shaking. He kept his face averted as I got his arm over my shoulder to help him.

"Look at that! You're easily as tall as me now! Maybe even taller."

He did seem to cheer up a little at that thought and some strength seemed to return to his limbs enough for him to get himself into the bath.

"Let me know if you need help out, okay?"

"I'll drown first."

"I'd rather you didn't. It's not like I haven't seen a naked guy before."

"Is that supposed to help me feel better? Because it doesn't. Shut up."

"Rawr, fine."

I took it upon myself to hang up his new clothes in the simple wardrobe in his room. I had measured him before I had gone into town, but I still worried. I'd left in room for him to fill in, along with a good leather belt, but I already had plans to set aside a savings just for his clothes. I even got him a new set of boots, though they'd have to be broken in. Hopefully he'd let me heal his blisters for him. Gal, some of the technologies I had never thought to take for granted in this world. Or maybe I just took for granted that a god had made my boots.

Just as I was putting my own new clothing away and unlacing my boots, a footman came knocking at my door with the boxes holding my mermaid dress and accessories.

"The duke is wondering if you would like some tea in your room tonight, miss," he asked.

"That would be lovely. Could I have enough for my apprentice as well?"

"Of course, miss."

"Please tell him thank you for me."

The footman bowed out and I closed and locked the door with a smile. For some reason, Roman had made it a point to supply me with at least a cup of tea every evening, and sometimes during our get together before lunch, whether he saw me or not. I hadn't found any caffeinated side effects to the teas he served, so I wasn't sure if it was because it was a concern for addiction or else wise. But knowing it was a luxury only nobles and the rich could afford, and liking tea quite a bit, I couldn't bring the desire in me to turn him down.

Besides...it was kind of sweet.

Sometime later, after I'd gotten comfortable on my bed with said tea and some light crackers, Gus stumbled out with a towel over his head. His legs were shaking again, but he at least seemed to have managed getting mostly dressed. Mostly being on him, though only one of his buttons, the one to his pants, had been done, allowing me view of his white, bony chest.

"I...I can't do the buttons..." he said, very quietly.

I poked the rest of my cracker in my mouth, doing my best not to giggle. Or mention how cute he was trying to hide his red face beneath his towel.

I patted the empty side of my bed. It was big enough to sleep a family comfortably, after all.

"Come come, on the bed."

He hesitated, and I fully expected him to argue. But instead, he struggled over, turned, and collapsed back first on the bed, not even bothering to readjust so his legs were on all the way.

So, with a roll of my eyes, I got up to help.

"If you had just respected your limits like I said, you wouldn't be like this."

"I want to get strong now," he mumbled, arms splayed out and eyes closed.

"Strength is gained over time. If you've eaten the foods I told you to today—"

"Of course I did."

"Okay, then I'll see what I can do for you. After we get your beanstalks on the bed."

I heaved his legs onto the bed before he could protest, then pushed his hips straight.

"Stop touching me," he grumbled, like a child.

"Do you want your treat now? I'll feed you."

"No! Just fix me!"

"Why? It's your fault."

"No it isn't. It's god's. He's an asshole."

I gasped. "Damascus! Where'd you hear that?"

He flopped his head over to me, who had returned to my spot on the bed, to give me a very dry look.

My serious look broke and my mouth twitched. "Let me rephrase: why is it god's fault?"

"He put me in the situation to be starved from the start. And then he put me with an annoying woman who insists on making a teenager her baby."

If only this brat knew all the headaches Nehcor let pass in the name of 'agency' and 'growth,' he wouldn't so freely blame all his sorrows on him. After all, it was his agency that he chose to have such a complex over being a child in the first place. If he had just let himself grow in, even though he wouldn't reach the full height of his genetics, which were looking to be at least over six feet tall, he would have still been a modest five foot ten at least. I could say that much with confidence, having gotten so familiar with his bones. It would have taken him longer, but still.

But then I had to be concerned over him being picked on by the other kids for being smaller than his age come spring, so maybe it was my fault to begin with.

So, since he verified that he had eaten the plant and meat based protein rich meals I'd planned for him that day, I set my hands on his still open pajama top and did what I could to heal the torn, overworked muscles and speed up their development. Again, it was a two-timed feet that included speeding up the digestive system as well as inciting muscle and bone growth.

I'd only gotten enough done to make it so he'd be up to normal functions again before I ran out of material. My head ached and my own body felt more than ready to fall asleep for a good ten hours.

I collapsed back onto my side of the bed with a puff of air. Crap, I still had to take a bath and getting into my pjs myself. Ugh. Why do I never plan these things?

"Think you can do your own buttons now?" I asked.

"Yeah," I could hear the whisper of his sleeves against the bed cover. "Thanks."

"You better be." I forced myself to roll over and gulp down the rest of my tea.

"...I'm sorry for being rude about it."

"You were sore, tired, hormonal, and miserable. I think it's reasonable to not expect you to be a saint. You're pretty grouchy without all that going on anyways."

"...Sorry."

I ruffled his damp hair as I passed by.

"Your treats are in the white box on the chest at the end of the bed." And because I couldn't resist how much he looked like a silver Oscar the Grouch(his hair had grown as well with the rest of his body and he looked ready to tackle the hippy life), I left a pecked kiss on his head. "We're cutting your hair tomorrow."

Thankfully, the bathroom also came equipped with a magical shower, so I was able to quickly wash down and drag my tired self back to bed. Gus had managed to work himself to the end of the bed where he happily munched on the piece of cake I'd gotten for him.

"Hey! You're leaving crumbs all over my bed." I wearily brushed some of them away.

"Oh."

"'Oh' is right, shoo shoo."

I didn't even bother to comb my hair. I pulled up the covers and made like a diver to some water.

"Lil', you're hair's still wet."

I grunted.

"Doesn't that bother you? You're going to get a cold."

What was he, Japanese? Who got colds from leaving their hair wet?

Next thing I knew, a towel was chasing me down my warm tunnel to attack my head.

"Stoooop."

"No. Look, your pillow's all soaked now, how can you sleep on that?"

"This bed has, like, a million pillows."

"Just sit up so I can dry your hair properly."

"Meeeeh."

But I did so, not even bothering to open my eyes. I'd just go to sleep sitting up, then. What a freaking mother hen. I was the adult here. Insult to my pride. Pah.

He was surprisingly gentle, though. It wasn't that far from the feeling of getting my hair washed at a hair salon.

Which just served to lull me deeper into impending sleep.

I felt myself tilt, but not for long. Something warm caught me. And then the head massage continued, so I slipped away farther.

Somewhere along the line, the towel turned to fingers, which gently drifted down, untangling snarls as they went. Really, the shampoo and conditioner Mary had gotten me was the best. That girl took her job as caretaker of my hair so seriously. It was great. I liked her. We should be friends. Cookies. We should have cookies together. I should share some of the conditioner with Milly, though she didn't need it. She had the most naturally gorgeous hair. Why hadn't anyone noticed that?

Something soft as puddy and warm touched my forehead.

"I'm going to lay you down now."

The pillow my head came to was dry this time. Fingers rearranged my hair around me so it wouldn't tangle around my neck.

Then the covers were pulled up and tucked around my chin and I was out.

I had forgotten to tell Gus that there was some tea left for him in the teapot on the coffee table. And some crackers. Nummy crackers.

___________________________________________

I wanna nap...