Teddy hummed. There was no point confirming a fact so obvious. “You didn’t answer the question, Little Bird.”
Wren moved his fingers over Teddy’s like he was self-soothing. “I’m fine. Better now that you’re finally awake.”
Pieces started to come back to Teddy slowly, horror and trauma that he would rather leave forgotten in the deepest recesses of his mind. His hand started to shake. “How long has it been?”
“You were out for about four days,” Wren said. “They had to burn all the venom out of your system and you were in that machine longer than I was. They weren’t sure if you were going to wake up.”
Teddy could hear the tremor in his voice, and he stroked his thumb over his cheekbone. “Of course I was going to. I wouldn’t go anywhere you couldn’t follow ever again. I promised you too many things.”
Wren swallowed thickly, lashes fluttering down before he rallied with his usual bravado. “That’s what I told those stupid quacks.”
Teddy smiled, his eyelids drooping. “That’s insulting to ducks.”
Wren blinked, then smiled, then laughed. “You’re right. Ducks are much more intelligent than those guys. I’ll apologize to the flock when I see them next.”
“Mm.” Teddy kept playing with the hair around Wren’s ears. “How did you get them to discharge me from the hospital?”
“You didn’t go there in the first place. We told them that they had to come here and bring their equipment too. Especially if they wanted a hope of us not reporting their shitty establishment for faking you being there the first time around.”
“Areyou going to report them?”
“Of course.”
Teddy laughed, then winced, curling in on himself a little and yanking on some of the wires attached to him. Wren got to his knees to hover over him worriedly, making him lie back again. “Don’t push yourself.”
“Are you going to nurse me back to health?” he teased despite the pain.
“If you’re lucky. I’ve been told my bedside manner leaves something to be desired.”
“As long as you wear the uniform, I’m good.”
Wren narrowed his eyes. “You’re so lucky I can’t punch you right now.”
Teddy tugged at the bottom of his shirt. “That’s not a no.”
“Since when are you into role-play?”
He placed his hand over Wren’s stomach, spanning from hip to hip in a warm reminder. “It’s a new development.”
It was Wren’s turn to blush, pink and pretty and altogether too much for Teddy to handle. “The doctor said you should avoid any strenuous activity.”
“I thought he was a quack?”
“Language.”
Teddy laughed and let his hand drop to Wren’s thigh. In all honesty, the doctor might have been right. Teddy felt like a gentle breeze would knock him over right now.
Sensing the change in mood, Wren softened, pushing Teddy’s hair back from his face again. “Does it hurt? Do you need anything?”
“It’s manageable.” Teddy looked down at the tube in his arm. “Whatever they have me hooked up to must be the good stuff.”
Wren reached over and stroked down the tape for no reason, fussing over him like a mother hen. Teddy just stared at the side of his face until he noticed, blue eyes widening.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Teddy whispered. “You’re just beautiful.”
Wren huffed, shaking his head. “And you’re still handsome.”
