“Tay” came Johnny’s quiet voice from the bottom of the stairs. He’d changed into a pair of running shorts and one of Taylor’s T-shirts that had a cartoon picture of an ice-lolly with the wordsStay cool manprinted across the front.
He looked better; less tense and softer around the eyes.
Taylor rose, relief flooding his body at the sight of him, at home, in Taylor’s clothes. Exactly where he should be. Taylorcrossed the room and pulled him into a tight hug, his fingers finding the nape of Johnny’s neck and the other hand fisting in his T-shirt.
Johnny let out a soft breath, patting Taylor’s back. “Okay. Ow. Ouch. Ribs, Tay.”
Taylor grumbled, letting him go, but Johnny slipped his fingers around Taylor’s jaw and pulled their faces together. “Shower,” he said, nostrils twitching.
Taylor frowned. “Later.”
“I said shower.” Johnny blinked slowly, his eyes unmoving.
“And I saidlater.”
A little rumble emanated from Johnny’s chest, his eyes flicking towards William. “I want to talk to William on my own.”
Taylor pulled his jaw from Johnny’s grip. “JP, you aren’t kicking him out.”
Johnny’s nostrils flared, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m not going to kick him out. I just want to ask him some questions about his dad’s friends, andyouhave all the tact of a monkey crashing cymbals.”
Taylor studied Johnny’s eyes for any hint of a lie. When he found none he huffed and turned towards the stairs. “Nice T-shirt, by the way,” he said over his shoulder.
Taylor showered as fast as humanly possible before wandering into Johnny’s bedroom. He tugged a pair of boxers from his top drawer, some shorts and a dark green gym vest that clung to his chest and showed off his arms. Maman always said green was his colour, and he had to say he agreed.
Five of Taylor’s little painted orcs were lined up on Johnny’s windowsill, and he grinned mischievously as he took a couple and placed them under his pillow. By the time he got back downstairs, the cereal had been put away and both Johnny and William were standing next to the cooker.
“You have to cut with the grain of the meat,” Johnny said, pressing his uninjured hand over William’s as he awkwardly hacked at a slab of beef. “Like this.”
Taylor took the opportunity to dart outside and tug Johnny’s bedding off the line before running upstairs and bundling it into his wardrobe. After remaking Johnny’s bed with some of Taylor’s spare sheets, he trotted back downstairs, cracked his knuckles and smiled like everything was totally normal.
“Smells good, dude.” Taylor nudged William’s elbow, which earned him an annoyed growl.
He doubted William had ever prepared a proper meal in his life, and whatever Johnny had rubbed onto the meat smelled fucking divine.
“Get to work,” Johnny said, handing Taylor some skewers. “And when you’re done, start on the plantain.” He sounded irritated, but gave Taylor a small smile over the top of William’s head.
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Taylor sighed, picking up a few strips of meat. William looked at it nervously, his blue eyes widening. “Don’t worry, looks great,” Taylor said, smiling.
When they’d finished preparing dinner, Taylor gave William a spare set of clothes and sent him upstairs for a bath. “Roll the waistband up if the shorts are too big,” he called as William disappeared onto the landing.
When he was safely upstairs Johnny let out a long sigh and slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. “Jesus, he stinks,” he said, inspecting the bandage on his arm. “Didn’t the foster home give him a bath?”
Taylor tutted. “It’s not his fault. You should have seen the state of the house—that type of smell doesn’t come out after one wash.”
Johnny shook his head. “Fucking hell, Tay. What a mess.”
Pulling up the chair opposite, Taylor pressed his head into his hands. “I didn’t know what to do. I just panicked and before I knew it we were back home. I’m sorry I didn’t pick you up but my brain did that thing where it goes into a black hole and I couldn’t think about anything else.”
Johnny rested his injured arm on the table, and Taylor couldn’t help but stare at his fingers as they poked through the bandage. They looked angry and swollen and the strapping underneath was digging into his skin. Taylor leant forwards, turning his hand palm-side up and brushing his nose against the bruises. Johnny’s skin was clammy, and he could still smell the blood under his nails.
Before Taylor knew what he was doing he dropped to his knees on the kitchen floor and just hugged Johnny around the middle.
“Jesus, you’re a baby,” Johnny said, sighing as he patted the back of Taylor’s head. “You’re too big for this shit.”
“You said I was hot and scary,” Taylor murmured into his lap.
Johnny chuckled, carding his fingers through Taylor’s hair. “William said his dad’s friends live in a barn in the woods. He said there’s a curvy metal door with barbed wire and dogs patrolling the outside. Said one of them’s called Stan. He described some big drums in the back garden, but I’m not sure what he means.”
