made him think about
things differently. It was way too soon to tel, but if Ian
were honest with himself, for the first time since Todd,
he felt optimistic about the future. Very scared, but
optimistic. Would he be able to make the leap?
Bily opened his eyes. He had dozed off and
didn’t know how long they had been in the tub, but
from the look of his fingers, it had been a while. Ian was
resting his head against the back of the tub with his eyes
closed. He couldn’t resist the urge to lightly pass his
hand over Ian’s ankle. Ian lazily opened his eyes, and
Bily, already wishing he hadn’t given into the impulse,
said, “I’m so sorry, Ian, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t,” Ian said. “I wasn’t sleeping, just
enjoying the moment, and besides, it actualy felt good.”
Looking at his hands and Ian’s toes, Bily said,
“We’re pretty shriveled. We better start thinking about
getting you out of here and get that ice back on your
ankle.”
“You’re the boss,” Ian said.
Bily gently moved Ian’s ankle from his lap and
stood. He took the towel he had placed by the tub and
dried his arms, back and chest, and then helped Ian to
his feet, never alowing any weight to be applied to his
ankle. With the same towel, Bily dried the top half of
Ian’s body, then stepped out of the tub. He finished
drying himself as Ian sat on the side of the tub once
again. Bily helped him stand and used the second towel
from the rack to dry Ian’s butt, crotch, legs, left foot,
and finaly, with great care, Ian’s bad ankle and foot.
Ian knew what was coming next and was totaly
prepared when Bily again lifted him with great ease and
walked back to the bedroom. He gently placed Ian on
the bed, propped up his head and back with the extra
pilows, and covered him with the comforter. After he
emptied the melted icepack in the bathroom sink and
refiled it with the extra ice he had brought up earlier,
Bily returned to Ian, puled the covers back, and softly
applied the last icepack of the night to the tender ankle.
He puled the covers back, kissed Ian on the lips, and
said, “Wel, this should hold you for a few hours. I’l be
right back.”
Thankful for the dimly lit room, Ian smiled at Bily
as he did the best he could to hold back the tear that
slid down his cheek. He silently watched as Bily
returned to the bathroom. Bily flipped the lever to
release the water from the tub, blew out the candles,
turned off the fireplace, and switched off the light on his
way out. He crawled into bed and slid over and
snuggled in next to Ian.
“Hey, cowboy,” Ian murmured. “What took you
so long?”
“Just doing my chores,” Bily replied.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too.”
Bily removed the extra pilows from behind Ian’s
back, and Ian slid down until they were face to face.
Ian gently kissed Bily and said, “Thanks for everything
today.”
“I wanted to do it,” Bily said. “I know this
probably sounds crazy to you, since we hardly know
each other, but something about you makes me want to
take care of you and keep you safe.”
Ian, with a lump in his throat for the second time
in ten minutes, raised his arm, and Bily scooted over
and laid his head on Ian’s chest. Ian wrapped his arm
around Bily and puled him in close, and that was the
way they slept.
Chapter 8
IAN woke around nine fifteen to the sound of thunder
and rain faling on the roof. He didn’t know why, as no
one but him had ever slept in his bed, but he instinctively
reached over for Bily. The bed was empty, and a brief
sense of panic filed him. Then the smel of fresh coffee
and bacon met his nostrils, and he smiled and exhaled
the deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He
was just about to attempt to get out of bed when Bily
tiptoed into the room with a breakfast tray and a bowl
of ice. He was already dressed, which told Ian that he
had gone out early to buy groceries for
things differently. It was way too soon to tel, but if Ian
were honest with himself, for the first time since Todd,
he felt optimistic about the future. Very scared, but
optimistic. Would he be able to make the leap?
Bily opened his eyes. He had dozed off and
didn’t know how long they had been in the tub, but
from the look of his fingers, it had been a while. Ian was
resting his head against the back of the tub with his eyes
closed. He couldn’t resist the urge to lightly pass his
hand over Ian’s ankle. Ian lazily opened his eyes, and
Bily, already wishing he hadn’t given into the impulse,
said, “I’m so sorry, Ian, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t,” Ian said. “I wasn’t sleeping, just
enjoying the moment, and besides, it actualy felt good.”
Looking at his hands and Ian’s toes, Bily said,
“We’re pretty shriveled. We better start thinking about
getting you out of here and get that ice back on your
ankle.”
“You’re the boss,” Ian said.
Bily gently moved Ian’s ankle from his lap and
stood. He took the towel he had placed by the tub and
dried his arms, back and chest, and then helped Ian to
his feet, never alowing any weight to be applied to his
ankle. With the same towel, Bily dried the top half of
Ian’s body, then stepped out of the tub. He finished
drying himself as Ian sat on the side of the tub once
again. Bily helped him stand and used the second towel
from the rack to dry Ian’s butt, crotch, legs, left foot,
and finaly, with great care, Ian’s bad ankle and foot.
Ian knew what was coming next and was totaly
prepared when Bily again lifted him with great ease and
walked back to the bedroom. He gently placed Ian on
the bed, propped up his head and back with the extra
pilows, and covered him with the comforter. After he
emptied the melted icepack in the bathroom sink and
refiled it with the extra ice he had brought up earlier,
Bily returned to Ian, puled the covers back, and softly
applied the last icepack of the night to the tender ankle.
He puled the covers back, kissed Ian on the lips, and
said, “Wel, this should hold you for a few hours. I’l be
right back.”
Thankful for the dimly lit room, Ian smiled at Bily
as he did the best he could to hold back the tear that
slid down his cheek. He silently watched as Bily
returned to the bathroom. Bily flipped the lever to
release the water from the tub, blew out the candles,
turned off the fireplace, and switched off the light on his
way out. He crawled into bed and slid over and
snuggled in next to Ian.
“Hey, cowboy,” Ian murmured. “What took you
so long?”
“Just doing my chores,” Bily replied.
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too.”
Bily removed the extra pilows from behind Ian’s
back, and Ian slid down until they were face to face.
Ian gently kissed Bily and said, “Thanks for everything
today.”
“I wanted to do it,” Bily said. “I know this
probably sounds crazy to you, since we hardly know
each other, but something about you makes me want to
take care of you and keep you safe.”
Ian, with a lump in his throat for the second time
in ten minutes, raised his arm, and Bily scooted over
and laid his head on Ian’s chest. Ian wrapped his arm
around Bily and puled him in close, and that was the
way they slept.
Chapter 8
IAN woke around nine fifteen to the sound of thunder
and rain faling on the roof. He didn’t know why, as no
one but him had ever slept in his bed, but he instinctively
reached over for Bily. The bed was empty, and a brief
sense of panic filed him. Then the smel of fresh coffee
and bacon met his nostrils, and he smiled and exhaled
the deep breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He
was just about to attempt to get out of bed when Bily
tiptoed into the room with a breakfast tray and a bowl
of ice. He was already dressed, which told Ian that he
had gone out early to buy groceries for
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