“Talk to me,” he said, reaching for the man’s hand. “Tell me what just happened.”
Graham was rattled.
“We had unprotected sex. I’ve done stupid things. I didn’t protect you.”
There was both calm and worry.
Michael was protected.
Only, the last thing he wanted was to see Graham sick or dying of HIV.
They were all watching Chris Leonard fight for his life on a daily basis, and they knew the foe would win on that one eventually.
Tears filled Graham’s eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Michael didn’t want him to be upset. That he was more concerned for his wellbeing than anything was sweet. The fact this wasn’t blowing up in his face was even better.
They could work with this.
“Come here.”
He blinked back tears.
“I’m foul. You don’t want this,” he whispered.
Oh, contraire.
He absolutely did want him.
“How about you let me make that decision? That’s how we got into this mess in the first place,” he said, calmly.
There was something about the patience and peace in his voice. That was what had drawn him to D’Artangnan all of those years ago.
It was his cool, calm, collected nature under pressure. Basically, that he was a Marine, ready for anything. It gave Graham stability.
Instead of arguing, Graham did as he asked, and he laid against him.
They didn’t move for a while.
Graham was tucked into his body, and D’Artangnan was just holding him.
What Graham wanted was to go back in time in the worst way so he could not have sex with all the assholes he had in order to punish himself.
Finally, he spoke.
“I hope I didn’t just get you sick,” he whispered. “Because I’ve done questionable things.”
Oh, he knew.
They both had.
It wasn’t like Graham was the only person in this bed who had fucked around and found out. He’d slept with women, and he didn’t even like women.
That said a lot about his breakdown after he and Graham had fallen apart.
If he felt horrible about his choices, Michael dared Graham to prove he’d gone that low. For him, that was hitting rock bottom.
