“I know.”
“I’ll pull myself together again.”
“I know that too.”
They lay in silence for a while, stroking each other. Jared lapsed in and out of sleep, but Kyrone made sure to stay awake so that he would be there each and every time his lover needed him. Over time, Jared shifted position, so he was lying on his stomach over Kyrone, his head resting in the crook of Kyrone’s neck.
“You should sleep,” he said at one point, his voice slurred and drowsy.
“I will. When I know you’re okay.”
“I am. At least, I’m better than I was.”
Kyrone hugged him tight. “That’s good to know.”
He let himself fall asleep after that, not stirring again until light was filtering through the curtains. They were wrapped up in each other’s arms when he woke, facing each other, their legs a tangled mess. He couldn’t think of a nicer way of waking up after the storm they’d weathered the day before.
Around eight, he woke Jared with a gentle nudge and a kiss.
“It’s morning,” he said as Jared’s eyes flickered open. “Do you feel up to going into work today?”
Jared grimaced but nodded a fraction of a second later. “I should.”
“Faye will understand if you’re not.”
“I know, but I’ll only be there for the morning. I’ll cope.” He dipped his gaze. “I need to prove to myself I can, Ky.”
“Then I’ll do what I can to support you. I’ll make you breakfast while you shower. I’ve got a lecture at eleven, so I’ll get the bus into town with you.”
“Thank you.” Jared frowned. “Have you thought any more about whatyouwant to do?”
“A little.”
“And?”
“We’re focussing on you right now.”
Jared shook his head firmly. “Relationships are a two-way street. You’ve got big things going on too. Talk to me?”
Kyrone sighed and twirled his finger over Jared’s soft skin. “I’ve got an idea that this great guy gave me.”
“Oh?”
Kyrone pressed a kiss to Jared’s lips. “Let me look into it some more, to see if it’s possible. Then we’ll talk, okay?”
Jared’s lips quivered, but he nodded after a long, thoughtful pause.
“How’s your head?” Kyrone asked.
“Still hurting, but not as bad.”
“When’s your next appointment with the neurologist?”
Jared narrowed his eyes as though trying to remember. “In a month or so.”
“Could you bring it forward?”
Jared went stiff in his arms. “Do you think I need to?”
