No thumbs.
And me?Heath, darling, must I continue to work my thumbs raw on this ancient machine?It hums and thrums and beeps when I would rather that it sleeps.
User error, and I just set you up with a new one.Seriously.Look, I gotta go before either of them asks me what I’m doing on my computer, okay?
Also Raven now has my number, and he’ll call me if you do weird shit.
Don’t do weird shit.
??
Maxim sagged back on the couch, leaving the phone just within reach.He picked up his book, opened it to a random chapter, and started reading the well-familiar words without really taking in their meaning.In the end, he just sat staring at the page while his thoughts wandered to his own past, a past he kept close to himself, hidden.
The sun had rounded the building and settled into its early afternoon position by the time the elevator pinged, shaking Maxim out of his memories.
He turned to see Raven enter, walking like a mouse afraid to be caught stealing cheese.
“Welcome back, Raven.”
It took no more than that to scare him.Maxim saw it as if a shadow had fallen over the fledge’s face.He had no idea where the barb of fear had bitten into Raven’s mind.
“I—I was just…” He hugged himself, jaw working desperately as if the words were caught in his throat.
Maxim was on his feet, closing the distance between them within seconds.“Don’t be scared.”
Raven’s eyes were wide with fear.“I—I…”
Maxim forced himself not to move, not to hug Raven like he’d done last night.
“I will protect you from everything that aims to harm you in this world, but my power is nothing against these scars that hurt you.If there is anything I can do, I’ll do it.You just have to let me know what.”
Raven shivered but was able to shake off a fraction of the fear.He managed to look at Maxim.Then he came forward, let his arms drop out of the self-soothing gesture, and instead wrapped them around Maxim’s middle, slow and careful, as if he were testing shaky ground.
Maxim let it happen, feeling confused himself.When you feel alone in the world, all you want is a safe harbor.
Raven rested his head against Maxim’s chest.Maxim flexed the fingers of his right hand.
“May I touch your head?”
Raven didn’t react at first, and Maxim remained motionless.After a few moments, Raven nodded though, almost furiously so, his chin pressing against Maxim’s ribs.
Slowly, Maxim raised his hand and cupped the back of Raven’s head.He kept the touch soft, only enough to let Raven know that this was okay, for now.To let him know he was not being cast out over what had happened to him.
Then he waited and didn’t move, making himself an anchor.
Chapter 20
Ravenwaited.Hewaswaiting for something to happen, for Maxim to make a move.Or for Maxim to push him away, to get angry and put him in his place.He didn’t want either thing to happen, not really, but standing in the hallway of the penthouse, hugging like this, was like picking at a scab that had barely healed.You knew there was blood underneath, and still you dug in your nails.Still you had to see beneath the ugly mark as if the skin had closed already.Or you needed to feel that small pain to know the fall hadn’t killed you.
Raven knew he shouldn’t be doing this, that he should stop and apologize or do anything other than nothing, but he couldn’t.And Maxim barely moved.If not for the measured beating of his heart and his slow breaths, Raven might have thought him a statue.
He has his hand on my hair.He hasn’t moved his hand.It feels good.Maybe he…
Raven pulled away from thinking the thought through to the end.He relaxed.With that came a weakness in his legs from standing so long.
I have to end this, get out of this.Why isn’t he doing anything?What’s he going to think if I get a cramp and fall over in pain like the idiot I am?
Raven moved his head, feeling the soft fabric of Maxim’s light sweater brush his cheek.
