“Fuck off.” Theo chortled, but he visibly relaxed and smiled “I still think you take rules too seriously.”
“So fuckingyouis following the rules?” I retorted disbelievingly. It was highly illegal, was what it was. Not that I could do much about my goddamnsexuality.I hadn’t chosen this. I felt like it made my life ten times harder than it had to be- I felt different, wrong, always afraid of being caught, of being killed, afraid I’d have to spend the rest of my life alone; I’d give anything to have just been bornstraight. Fucking someone as perfect as Theo was probably the only positive thing I’d ever gotten out of it.
“Good point.” He smirked “you’re good at that. Fucking.”
A rush of pleasure and satisfaction filled me “I’m glad.” I replied sarcastically, bringing the rim of my mug to my lips. I turned my head to meet his gaze, which I was delighted to find was already on me “So are you. For the record.”
“I know.” Theo winked “I’ve been told.”
“Don’t get too cocky.”
“Just the facts.” He shrugged nonchalantly, blowing me a kiss.
I was about to say more, mouth beginning to open around the words, but Stryker suddenly appeared in the doorway, somehow having come down the stairs in total silence.
“Hotshot.” Theo greeted, tone softening. I knew why.Stryker hadn’t exactly slept much last night, either. As a matter of fact, Theo had had to get up twice to grab him painkillers and another time for a hot water bottle when the pain in his side had almost reduced him to tears. He’d told me so in one long gush of complaining this morning when he’d spotted me, but I knew hewasn’t as bothered as he was making out. Probably because of the empathy he felt for the injured teen.
“Thought you’d be in bed.”
Stryker gave a small shake of his head “no.” He replied quietly, avoiding his gaze “I, uh…”
“It hurting again?”
“Hm.”
Sensing my gaze on the side of his face, Theo nudged my leg and glared. I smiled and nudged it back.
Stryker flopped down on the sofa, head in Theo’s lap and feet in mine.
“Good morning to you too.” I greeted, shifting slightly to get comfortable.
Theo flicked his forehead “you want something, S?”
“No, not hungry.” He replied in a mellow tone.
My attention drifted to his feet, feeling a tug of anxiety. I placed a hand on his ankle, frowning when, despite my gentle touch, the pressure left an imprint dimpling his skin. I did the same on his other ankle, frowning as I felt the heat of his joints.
“S, your ankles are swollen. You haven’t walked around much, have you?”
“Not unless you count a bathroom trip and a trip to the lounge.”
“Did you eat anything salty?”
Stryker shrugged tiredly.
I kept frowning. This didn’t seem good to me.
“Matt?” Theo asked “what’s wrong?”
I pressed a hand to Stryker’s forehead, immediately retracting it at the sizzling heat there. I hissed.
“Yeah, okay. How long has it been since you cleaned the wound?”
“Mh?” Stryker blinked “uh…recently.”
“You’re gonna have to do better than that.” I replied, lifting up Stryker’s shirt. Even Theo winced at the soaked through bandage.
When I peeled it away I almost gagged.
