William froze as Adathan gently stroked his hand. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, accompanied by a wave of nausea. Just how touch-starved was he? Adathan’s concerns weren’t even genuine. He was just doing what he’d been taught. If anything, he was walking on eggshells, trying to prevent another outburst from his “master.”
William really did have a long day, though.
“Everything tastes exquisite,” Adathan enthused as he let go of William’s hand.
“That’s great,” William said awkwardly, flipping through the channels until he found a stupid comedy show—the kind he watched when he was brain-dead after work. He’d lost his appetite, but he grabbed a small skewer of grilled shrimp all thesame, not wanting Adathan to feel self-conscious about being the only one eating.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
? Oliver:How are things?
William replied one-handed.
? William:Awkward. I suck at making conversation
? Oliver:I’m sure you’re fine. He must be grateful just to be with someone as kind as you.
? William:Please, we both know I’m a self centered asshole
? Oliver:I wouldn’t be your friend if you were.
? William:Admit it. You’re a magnet for self centered assholes
? Oliver:You’re just pretending to be selfish. It’s obvious to whoever pays attention.
? William:Maybe to you. You find the good in every human shaped dumpster fire
? Oliver:Not my fault I’m all-seeing. ;)
William cringed. Oliver had started making these kinds of jokes lately, and William never knew how to respond. It was a good sign—it meant Oliver was recovering—but William wasn’t yet ready to forgive the universe for what it had put him through.
? Oliver:Anyway, I’m reading the instruction manual now. It’s uh...
? William:Fucked up?
? Oliver:That’s an understatement. Have you checked it out?
? William:No, feels wrong to read it in his presence
It also felt wrong to be having this conversation in his presence.
? Oliver:Right. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, alright? I’m sure you’re doing great. He’s safe with you, and that’s all that matters. I’ll let you know as soon as I find something that can be of help.
William relaxed at Oliver’s words of encouragement. He even dared to hope. Oliver could absorb an extraordinary amount of information in one sitting. He’d figure this out in no time.
? William:Thanks man, I owe you big time
William leaned back and breathed a silent sigh. He watched Adathan reach for a canapé, his movements stilted and cautious as he brought it to his mouth. William wished he could tell him he was allowed to relax in his presence, but Adathan would probably just fake it to please him.
William lifted an eyebrow as he noticed Adathan’s wiggling toes. He’d undoubtedly been trained to mask his emotions from his face, but feelings tended to leak out in one way or another. The body always told the truth.
William’s intuition was confirmed when Adathan put sushi into his mouth and his toes immediately stopped moving.
Adathan didn’t like sushi.
William nibbled on his shrimp while he studied Adathan’s body language. He’d barely paid him any attention until now, busy as he’d been freaking out and awkwardly averting hisgaze.He wasn’t proud of himself. It was no different from the way people treated Oliver.
He needed to do better.
