“Different towhat?”
“To how you’ve mostly been since I metyou.”
“You’re going to have to explain, because that doesn’t make much sense.” Angelo set his phone aside and widened his legs to a straddle, leaning forward and testing his tired muscles. “But first, I want you to help me withsomething.”
“You’re asking forhelp?”
“Yup. I’ve spent all day relearning how to relax my muscles, and I’m worried I’ll forget it by morning. If I show you, it might stick in mymind.”
If Dylan saw through Angelo’s breeze-block-lined attempt at subtly, it didn’t show. He nodded absently and mirrored Angelo’s pose, legs spread wide, his elegant feet naturally pointed. Caught young enough, perhaps he’d have made a hell of a dancer. He certainly hadrhythm.
Angelo leaned forward, flattening his chest to the floor, and reached for Dylan’s hands. “Breathe in deep and let it go as you stretchout.”
“Does this count?” Dylan leaned down a fraction. “Because that’s about all I’ve got. I don’t bend like youdo.”
“How d’you know if you haven’ttried?”
Dylan winced as Angelo gently pulled him lower. “Sadist.”
“You usually like that side ofme.”
“Yeah, well. Maybe I’m in the mood for something moregentle.”
But he didn’t complain as Angelo coached him through the simple series of stretches. The routine was low impact?—an easy ask for a healthy body, but though Angelo’s flexibility had survived the ravages of ME, he couldn’t hold his arms and legs up forlong.
Dylan had less reach but far more stamina. Angelo stood beside him, guiding him, and coaxed him to hold the stretches as long as possible. “Breathe,” he whispered. “Longer on the exhale and your body will relax byitself.”
It took a while for the calm forced on Dylan’s body to filter through to the rest of him, but Angelo sensed the moment it had. Dylan’s shoulders dropped, his eyes fluttered closed, and his death grip on Angelo’s handsloosened.
He sucked in the first deep breath that didn’t catch in his chest and let it go with a low moan. “OhGod.”
Angelo rubbed his back, sliding his hands under Dylan’s softly worn T-shirt, losing himself in the smooth skin he found beneath. He wanted to pull Dylan into his arms and bury his face in his neck, sink his teeth into the tender flesh there. Maybe even ease Dylan’s sweatpants over his slim hips and then his own, and when they were both naked, chase away the shadows likely still lingering in Dylan’seyes.
But he didn’t move, save his hand still rubbing soothing circles into Dylan’s back. Even if he’d had the energy to jump Dylan, it was the wrong thing to do. Dylan needed a friend, and Angelo was too in love with him to be anything else right now. “Do you want to go tobed?”
Dylan opened his eyes, and as Angelo had feared, the crazed horror had faded, but the disquiet remained. “Bed?”
“Yeah. It’s late and you’reexhausted.”
“So areyou.”
“Actually, I feel prettygood.”
Another faint and yet wonderful smile brightened Dylan’s tired face. “Really? That’s awesome. I thought physiotherapy would make you worse to startwith.”
Angelo shrugged. “Yes and no. Iamtired, but I don’t feel like I’m going to die when I close my eyes. My legs hurt, but I trust them to hold me up. Little steps, Iguess.”
Dylan nodded slowly. “You’ve mellowed. That’s what’s different aboutyou.”
“If you say so.” Angelo reached out to brush Dylan’s hair off his forehead, but his hand lingered of its own accord, drawn to its natural place cupping Dylan’scheek.
Dylan turned to face him and leaned into the touch. Then he twisted his hands in Angelo’s T-shirt and yanked him close, kissing him with a ferocity that belied the Zen-like glow of the room but fit with the grungy beat and mournful vocals filtering out of the musicsystem.
Despite his best intentions, Angelo was gone. He held Dylan tight against him and kissed him back, fighting Dylan for dominance until he’d backed him into thedoorframe.
Dylan gasped and kissed Angelo harder, but the impact lanced Angelo’s treacherous body with just enough pain to bring him to hissenses.
He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to Dylan’s, panting. “We need to go tobed.”
