by Luna, David
“I do.” Their gazes met, and Asher nodded, sending another tear down his cheek. “I trust you.”
Thornton couldn’t help but kiss the boy’s forehead. “On three. One, two, three.”
He clenched his teeth as he watched fresh tears fill and fall from Asher’s eyes. When it seemed Asher couldn’t handle it anymore, he sobbed, eyes squeezed tight as Thornton carried him into his bedroom. He sat him down on the bed and wrapped the duvet around him.
He saw a large scar bisecting his pectorals and knew there was a story there but assumed it was related to his heart condition. He set it aside to think about later. He needed to deal with the pain Asher was feeling at that moment. Grabbing the pain pills beside the bed and the bottle of water next to it, he handed both to Asher and watched as he took the pills.
Thornton kneeled and began to softly rub Asher’s feet and lower legs, then his hands and forearms with the towel. Standing, he did the same to Asher’s hair, avoiding his injury and then gently patted his chest and back, satisfied he was dry enough.
Moving the blanket back around Asher’s shoulders, he wrapped it around in front, so he was fully covered. Thornton squatted and clasped Asher’s hands in his, squeezing gently. Thornton needed to convince him to come home with him, at least the first night or two. He knew he’d have to put up a fight, but he couldn’t leave Asher again. He just couldn’t.
Madi walked in, prompting a gasp of surprise from Asher. She held what smelled like hot chocolate, and Gigi followed with Asher’s slippers. Emotions were riding high, and a couple more tears slipped down Asher’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Madi. It’s so late for Gigi. I didn’t mean to—”
“Hush. You should have called, Ash.” She put the steaming travel mug down on Asher’s bedside table. “I would have come. I think you should come stay with us tonight.”
Thornton almost interrupted—wanting, almost needing Asher to come home with him—but he waited until Asher answered his friend. “I can’t do that. You don’t have the space, and I won’t take Gigi’s bed.”
Gigi knelt beside Thornton and helped Asher slide his feet into his slippers. The sweet smiles they gave each other melted Thornton. “Thank you, Gigi. I’m sorry you had to come all the way over here.”
Gigi nodded. “I was sad. Belle was singing my favorite song. But then Mom told me we were coming to check on you, and I was happy.”
Asher smiled and then looked up at Madi. “I won’t interrupt your lives. I just need more pain meds, and I’ll be able to sleep it off.”
She began to protest, but Thornton raised his hand to interrupt. “I have more space than I need, and I’d really like to be the one to help you, Asher.”
Asher shook his head, but Thornton squeezed his hand. “I wanted to take you home with me instead of leaving you here today, but I didn’t want to force your hand. If you won’t go home with Madi and Gigi, then, at least for tonight, come home with me. If you don’t want to stay and recuperate there, then I’ll find a dog sitter to take care of my puppies, and I’ll come and stay with you here.”
Gigi gasped and brought her tiny fists under her chin, vibrating with excitement. “Puppies! Mama, he has puppies!”
Madi smiled indulgently at her daughter and ran her hand over her daughter’s soft curls. “I heard. That’s exciting, isn’t it?”
Gigi asked Madi, “Can we go see them?”
“No, baby. It’s late.”
“But…”
Thornton couldn’t help but chime in. “How about if you’re good tonight, and you go right to bed when you get home, your mom and I can figure out a way for you to meet Beauty and Beast?”
“Mama, Beauty and Beast! Like my favorite Disney movie! We gotta go home right now. I gotta go to bed.”
As Gigi wandered out of the room on a mission—obviously ready to keep up her end of the bargain—the three of them laughed. Madi crossed her arms over her chest and spoke to Asher. “So, what’s it going to be? His roomy house or my mini apartment?”
Asher sighed, obviously unhappy about having to agree to either, but Thornton wasn’t giving in a second time. Just the thought of finding him in that freezing cold shower had him angry at himself all over again. Asher turned his exhausted gaze towards Thornton. “Are you sure I won’t be putting you out?”
“I promise you won’t be. I want you there so I can keep an eye on you. If you had someone else that could help you during the day over the next several weeks while you recover, I wouldn’t be pushing so hard. Though, I must admit, I would have asked regardless. I want to help you.”
Shoulders slumped, Asher nodded. “All right. But I’m not agreeing to anything more than the next couple of days.”
Thornton would just have to work especially hard to get Asher to stay until he was able to go back to work. He was going to have nightmares of what happened to Asher when he was on his own.
Madi leaned over and kissed Asher’s cheek. “Call me in the morning. Or else.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Madi leaned down to Thornton, who was still kneeling on the floor in front of Asher, and kissed his cheek as well. “Thank you for caring enough to call me. I’m glad he’s got someone like you to take care of him.”
“I’m glad he’s got such a wonderful friend in you, Madi. I’ll text you my address later. You can stop by and see him anytime.”
She smirked and tipped her head towards the front of the apartment. “You’ve gotten yourself into trouble with that one. She’s gonna constantly be harassing me to see those dogs.”
“The pups are great with kids. I don’t mind at all.”
They said their goodbyes, and Madi left the room. They could hear her talking to Gigi as they made their way out the front door. Asher made a move to get up. “I should get dressed and pack some things.”
Thornton reached up and clasped Asher’s chin, turning the boy to meet his gaze. “Asher, you can’t keep overdoing things. I won’t have you hurting yourself again. I need you to allow me to help you. God, I’m feeling so awful I left you alone today.”
“Don’t. Please. I made you go home. I’m too stubborn for my own good. I promise, I’ll let you help me. I’ve never been in so much pain as when I fell tonight in that shower. I was so scared, Thornton. I couldn’t get up. I thought I’d be there all night.”
Thornton brushed away a fresh tear as it slid down Asher’s cheek. “Jesus, Ash. You’re killing me. No more protesting, all right? Promise me, sweetheart.”
Asher’s cheeks pinked, but he nodded. “I promise.”
Thornton’s shoulders sagged in relief, and he gently dropped his head on Asher’s knee, still unable to get the image out of his head of a frozen, hurting Asher crying in the shower as he was being pelted by cold water. “I’m contemplating having Syed meet us at my place to check you over. I’ll probably let it pass until tomorrow, if you think you’ll be all right. But he’ll be coming tomorrow, no question.”
Waiting for a protest, Thornton met Asher’s gaze with steely resolve, but when Asher only smiled a sad, tired smile and said, “Okay. Thank you,” Thornton finally felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.
“Good. You’re welcome. The pills should kick in pretty quick. From the way your eyes are blinking drowsily at me, maybe they already have.”
Asher nodded but kept quiet. “I’m going to pack a bag for you with enough clothes to last a week. If we come back early and I stay with you instead, that’s fine. But I’d rather be prepared. Stay sitting up, and I’ll try to work as fast as I can. I’m afraid if I let you lie down, it will be too painful sitting you up again and getting you to the car. This way at least it’s less strain for you.”
Thornton made to stand up, but Asher reached out and clasped his hand in his much smaller, much colder ones. “Thank you. You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”
“I’m not amazing. I left you here to fend for yourself and nearly put you back in the hospital.”
The boy squeezed his hand. “Don
’t do that. I asked you to leave, and you were a gentleman and did what I asked. This was not your fault. If there’s fault involved, it lays squarely on my shoulders.”
Thornton stood, leaned over the boy, and kissed his temple. His voice was rough with emotion when he whispered, “Jesus, you scared me to death, Ash.” He knew he was going too far. Hell, that was the second time he’d kissed Asher, and he’d let baby and sweetheart slip out more than once, but he had no fucks to give at that point. Sighing, he got his head back in the game, straightened up, and glanced around the room. “Where should I start? Do you have a duffel?”
He hurried to pack everything Asher asked for, his mind racing triple time when he saw the boy’s socks with cute little designs on them and then boxer briefs that were similar. Trying not to read too much into it, he continued to pack the rest of the boy’s clothes and a few extras, including any electronics he saw and toiletries he might need.
Taking the bag with him, he walked towards the front of Asher’s apartment to see if there was anything he should include and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was stacked on the coffee table in front of the couch in the family room.
His legs carried him the rest of the way but gave out on him. He nearly collapsed on the sofa, his heart rate kicking up. He had to swallow down his emotions as he gazed at what was in front of him. A stack of adult coloring books of all different kinds was there: animals, mandalas, flowers, rainforests, one with quotes in calligraphy, underwater scenes, geometric patterns, even one with fantasy-type creatures.
He picked up the ones that looked the most used and tucked them in the bag, adding a few of those that weren’t as well for variety. Next, he packed the large zippered pen, marker, and colored pencil case and the big box of crayons as well.
Knowing Asher was sitting waiting for him, he headed back that way, speaking before he got to the room. “I packed several of your coloring books and markers and stuff. Is there anything else you’d like me to pack?”
He saw Asher doing his best to quickly tuck something colorful under his pillow. Having moved too fast, the boy sucked in a breath and brought a hand to his ribs. Thornton got down on his knees in front of him. “Are you all right?”
“Mmm, I’ll be okay. I just twisted wrong.”
Knowing he was pushing too much too fast but wanting to make sure Asher knew he had nothing to be ashamed of, Thornton kept his gaze on Asher’s and reached to pull out whatever it was he had tucked under his pillow. Asher turned away and closed his eyes, embarrassment coloring his cheeks, but Thornton reached up and cupped his face, turning it back his way.
Thornton could tell the threadbare, crocheted, stuffed train in red, white, and blue was a beloved, old friend. “There’s no need for you to hide this away. There’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Not with me. Is this from your childhood?”
Still avoiding his gaze, Asher merely looked down at his lap and nodded. “Asher?” Finally, those eyes met his. He placed the train in Asher’s hands and watched as the boy’s nimble fingers reached for the most threadbare spot on the stuffy and rubbed it between his fingers. “My grandmother made him for me.”
“We’ll bring him, okay?”
When all Asher could do was nod, Thornton stood, pulling the blanket back over the shoulder that had been bared. He went back to the drawers where Asher kept his soft clothes and pulled out a pair of socks and some sweats, knowing and hating that it was going to hurt Asher no matter how gently he maneuvered him into them. He cursed himself again, realizing just how impossible it would have been for Asher to take care of himself in the state he was in.
“I’m going to forgo boxers for now, so I don’t have to jostle you twice to get them on before your pants.” He put the socks on first and then managed to get the sweats under Asher’s thighs without too much pain, finally lifting him just enough to tug them on the rest of the way, hating it when he heard Asher’s pain-filled, indrawn breath. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
Asher murmured that it was okay, keeping on his brave face, and Thornton looked back at the drawers full of shirts that he had no intention of making the boy put on. Pulling off his own sweatshirt that was at least three sizes too big for Asher left Thornton only with his long-sleeved tee. But he knew from earlier at the hospital that nothing Asher’s size would easily slip over the boy’s head and arms without entirely too much jostling.
Gingerly helping Asher put the sweatshirt on, he couldn’t help the jolt of satisfaction he got seeing the boy in his clothes, not to mention the pleasure he felt when he saw Asher hold the neck of the sweatshirt up to his nose and breathe it in, eyes closed, as if Thornton’s smell was an aphrodisiac to him.
Jesus. Get your head in the game, Thorn.
He put the slippers back over Asher’s socked feet and squatted down to meet the boy’s gaze. “Okay, this is going to hurt, but I want you to keep your hands in your lap like you did in the bathroom. Hold your train for comfort, all right?”
When Asher nodded and braced himself, Thornton picked him up, ignoring his own pain, and they headed down to his car. Relief filled Thornton when all was said and done and they were on the road, an exhausted Asher beside him where he couldn’t help but feel the boy belonged.
Chapter Seven
Asher
He felt a hand on his thigh and startled awake, unable to keep himself from crying out when his ribs protested as he sucked in a deep breath. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. We’re home. I’m coming around to get you, all right?”
He nodded and hummed his assent, concentrating on taking shallower breaths to ward off the pain. He couldn’t believe Thornton was real. Who did things like this? He’d packed for Asher; he’d even found his coloring books and his train stuffy, but instead of mocking him, he’d somehow made it all feel normal, which he knew it wasn’t. It was so very far from normal.
Then he’d carried him down to his car, which Asher knew had to be painful for Thornton as he’d been hurt in the accident, too. He’d gotten Asher inside it with very little pain and without tipping them both over as he opened the door with him still in his arms, which was a miracle in itself, and then gone up to grab the bag and lock up after them.
The car door beside him opened, and as much as he wanted to twist his body and step out, there was no way in hell he could do that. He’d completely overestimated his ability to take care of himself. He was an idiot, but he also abhorred taking advantage of people. He’d had enough of his parents doing that when he was younger to last him a lifetime. He didn’t want to be that kind of person.
As Thornton lifted him out of the car, he finally took in his surroundings. They were in the biggest garage he’d ever seen. It had four bays, making him wonder why Thornton was driving a rental to begin with, but he figured he’d have to find out why later on. The pain pills were making him woozy and sick to his stomach.
Oh fuck. No. Not now, not now, not now.
“I’m sorry. I… I think I’m gonna be sick.”
God, if he vomited on the man after everything he’d done for Asher, he was going to die. He sucked in as deep a breath as he could, closed his eyes, and willed the nausea to pass. Thornton sped up his pace, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting on top of a counter in some kind of gigantic laundry-mud room combination and handed a small trash can which, embarrassingly enough, he used immediately. And then again. And again.
Crying out from the pain in his chest when his ribs protested the violent use of the muscles surrounding them, he was unable to control his sobs and could only do his best to keep them as quiet as possible. It was only by sheer force of will that he got control of them before he couldn’t stop and was a pathetic puddle of agony in Thornton’s arms.
Jesus. Could things get any worse?
Thornton calmly rubbed his back, murmuring words Asher’s fuzzy mind couldn’t make sense of. When he was finally done and had nothing left in his stomach, he was able to tune back in. “I’ve got you
. You’re okay. It’s probably the pain meds making you sick.”
He shook his head, miserable, in pain, and weak as a kitten. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Have you had any dinner? Pain meds sometimes don’t settle right without food.”
The thought of that nearly had him heaving again, but he swallowed convulsively to keep it down as he shook his head. “Hmm mm.”
He was momentarily distracted at the clicking of puppy feet on the floors leading to the laundry room. Suddenly, two ridiculously cute, extra-large “puppies” were running around the corner together as if they were connected at the hip. It wasn’t until they got closer that he was able to see one of the puppy’s eyes were both gone. Shock had his own eyes popping wide, but he got distracted from asking about the blind pup when Thornton’s voice went deep and authoritative. “Settle.”
Something about that voice made him shudder, and he couldn’t blame the puppies when they sat on their haunches, faces turned up towards their master in what seemed a lot like adoration, tails thumping on the floor, excitement held in check by sheer force of will to obey. Hell, he wanted to obey Thornton in that moment, and he couldn’t understand why he was so affected by the man.
“Have you eaten anything at all since I took you home?” When he finally recovered enough to force himself to meet Thornton’s eyes, the concern in them nearly did him in. Caught out, all he could do was look down at his lap as he shook his head again.
He heard Thornton suck in a breath, probably in exasperation, and he couldn’t help but look up to apologize again, but the sadness and guilt marring Thornton’s face caught him by surprise, even though it shouldn’t have. And then he was apologizing for an entirely different reason. Disappointing this kind, generous, beautiful man broke his heart. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you upset. I—”