Romeo’s stomach rumbled.“Did you remember to salt the water?”
Chad blinked.“Urm.Yes.I did add salt despite not knowing why...”
Romeo nodded, getting to his feet.
He waited until Chad had bolted from the doorway before tugging on a t-shirt, then following.
The first thing Romeo noticed when he stepped into the kitchen, were the packets on the side.He strode over, snatching up the medication.“What are these?”
“Painkillers,” Chad answered.He touched his head.“Despite what you think, I wasn’t faking it in the field.”
Romeo set the packets back on the side except for the one he recognized.
Temazepam.
The insomnia medication.
Chad watched him but didn’t comment.
“It’s nothing special,” Chad said, gesturing to the plate on the table.
Romeo put down the packet.
“Why is there only one plate?”
“I ate mine while you were upstairs,” Chad scratched the back of his head.“I thought it would be weird if we sat at the table together.”
“Weird in what way?”
Chad glanced at him.“I thought you’d spend the whole time glaring at me.”
Romeo cracked his jaw.Chad had thought right.
“Anyway,” Chad said, trying to squeeze by.Romeo turned his body, never letting Chad out of his sights as went to the door.
“I’ll be in the living room.”
He left.
Romeo closed his eyes.
He snapped them open again.
The meal was bland, missing seasoning, and parmesan, but the pasta was cooked through, and it satisfied Romeo’s rumbling stomach.Chad didn’t return to the kitchen.
Romeo loaded the dishwasher, if only to avoid having to make a decision about whether to join Chad in the living room or retreat upstairs.
He cleaned the table, the surfaces, but stopped short of filling up a bucket and mopping the floor.He knew he was being ridiculous.He couldn’t avoid this Chad forever but whenever he was around him the temptation to just end the torment by strangling Chad to death almost became too much.
Chad still hadn’t reappeared or left the living room from what Romeo’s keen ears had picked up.
The TV mumbled away behind the door, but he had no idea what Chad was watching.
He flung the dishcloth in the sink, then left the kitchen.
His heart stuttered when he opened the door and saw Chad asleep on the sofa.
The longing and sadness surged so fast it robbed him of breath.If this was his Chad crashed out like that, he would’ve walked over, eased Chad’s head up, then sat down so Chad could use his thigh as a cushion.He’d stroke Chad’s hair and trace his features with his fingers while he slept.
