back, and Mack dropped the wet towel, wrapping the dry one around her. "K. Can you help me out of here? My legs are like Jello."
"Yeah," he said softly.
Offering her a hand like an old style gentleman, he eased her over the lip of the shower, then scooped her into his arms. Mack felt weak and unstable enough that she didn't even protest. Instead, she relaxed, and let her head rest on his shoulder as he carried her into the other room, laying her gently on the bed.
"You're not a problem, Mack, and you didn't get me involved in this. I volunteered." He pulled the blankets across her. "Now just stay there and let me get some clothes on?"
She nodded and tugged the blankets up to her neck, thankful for the warmth. Her eyes followed him around the room as he pulled open a drawer, then headed back to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind him.
He wasn't in there long, but Mack's eyes had started to feel heavy before she heard the door open again. Ryan stepped out wearing a dry pair of shorts and nothing else, but she saw the wet towels hanging over the glass wall of the shower behind him. He glanced over and smiled when their eyes met, then moved to her bag.
Chewing at his lip, he dug through her clothes, pausing a few times, before pulling out a pale green tank, and turned back to his dresser. He grabbed another pair of shorts, black with green edging, and came back to her side.
"Still feel like jello?" he asked.
"I'm better." Her eyes were locked on the tattoo across his right pectoral muscle. "Is that armor?"
"Yeah."
It looked like plate armor peeking through a rip in his skin, as if his body was hiding the knight underneath. Laying there, wrapped in nothing but a towel, in Ryan Sterling's bed, being pampered by the man she'd stared at for over a year, Mack couldn't think of anything more fitting.
"It's perfect," she whispered. "A knight in shining armor"
He chuckled and glanced away, rubbing at his face, but unable to hide the smile. "Yeah. So, I'm gonna go get your nausea meds and a drink. Put these on?"
She nodded. When he was halfway to the kitchen, the double doors to the bedroom still open, Mack sat up. She didn't even try to be graceful about it, just stepped into Ryan's shorts, halfway terrified that they would be way too small for her butt. Instead, they were perfect, nice and baggy, but not so much that they threatened to fall off. Next she grabbed her shirt, and pulled it down before sliding the towel away from her body.
"Trade you," Ryan said, holding out a handful of pills.
With a heavy sigh, she took them in one hand, passing the towel to him with the other before claiming the glass. He tossed it in the hamper in the corner, then sat beside her, waiting for her to finish the last of the kool-aid.
Half way through, she paused, cradling the glass in both hands. "How do I ever make all this up to you?"
"Kick the shit out of the cancer. That's it, Mack."
"Can I go back to work tomorrow?"
He shrugged. "We'll see. Colby has to take off early, so I'll let you hang out at least, how's that?"
She smiled and leaned over, resting her head against his shoulder. "Thanks. I hate feeling useless."
"Draw," he told her. "Paint, draw, what ever. I don't care if it's any good, but don't stop. And," he said, rubbing her stubble, "You want to dye this?"
She laughed. "Why? It's just going to fall out."
"Maybe red? I don't think yellow would work to well. Something wild and crazy for you and your punk hair."
"Yeah, and a tattoo at the back?" she teased.
He chuckled. "Flames for my hot chick." He tried to keep a straight face, but it didn't last more than three seconds, before the grin broke through.
"You're just trying to corrupt me!"
"Something like that," he said. "You trust me?"
She nodded, unsure of what he meant. Hadn't he just picked her up off the floor of his bathroom?
"I always wanted to try a henna tattoo.
"Yeah," he said softly.
Offering her a hand like an old style gentleman, he eased her over the lip of the shower, then scooped her into his arms. Mack felt weak and unstable enough that she didn't even protest. Instead, she relaxed, and let her head rest on his shoulder as he carried her into the other room, laying her gently on the bed.
"You're not a problem, Mack, and you didn't get me involved in this. I volunteered." He pulled the blankets across her. "Now just stay there and let me get some clothes on?"
She nodded and tugged the blankets up to her neck, thankful for the warmth. Her eyes followed him around the room as he pulled open a drawer, then headed back to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind him.
He wasn't in there long, but Mack's eyes had started to feel heavy before she heard the door open again. Ryan stepped out wearing a dry pair of shorts and nothing else, but she saw the wet towels hanging over the glass wall of the shower behind him. He glanced over and smiled when their eyes met, then moved to her bag.
Chewing at his lip, he dug through her clothes, pausing a few times, before pulling out a pale green tank, and turned back to his dresser. He grabbed another pair of shorts, black with green edging, and came back to her side.
"Still feel like jello?" he asked.
"I'm better." Her eyes were locked on the tattoo across his right pectoral muscle. "Is that armor?"
"Yeah."
It looked like plate armor peeking through a rip in his skin, as if his body was hiding the knight underneath. Laying there, wrapped in nothing but a towel, in Ryan Sterling's bed, being pampered by the man she'd stared at for over a year, Mack couldn't think of anything more fitting.
"It's perfect," she whispered. "A knight in shining armor"
He chuckled and glanced away, rubbing at his face, but unable to hide the smile. "Yeah. So, I'm gonna go get your nausea meds and a drink. Put these on?"
She nodded. When he was halfway to the kitchen, the double doors to the bedroom still open, Mack sat up. She didn't even try to be graceful about it, just stepped into Ryan's shorts, halfway terrified that they would be way too small for her butt. Instead, they were perfect, nice and baggy, but not so much that they threatened to fall off. Next she grabbed her shirt, and pulled it down before sliding the towel away from her body.
"Trade you," Ryan said, holding out a handful of pills.
With a heavy sigh, she took them in one hand, passing the towel to him with the other before claiming the glass. He tossed it in the hamper in the corner, then sat beside her, waiting for her to finish the last of the kool-aid.
Half way through, she paused, cradling the glass in both hands. "How do I ever make all this up to you?"
"Kick the shit out of the cancer. That's it, Mack."
"Can I go back to work tomorrow?"
He shrugged. "We'll see. Colby has to take off early, so I'll let you hang out at least, how's that?"
She smiled and leaned over, resting her head against his shoulder. "Thanks. I hate feeling useless."
"Draw," he told her. "Paint, draw, what ever. I don't care if it's any good, but don't stop. And," he said, rubbing her stubble, "You want to dye this?"
She laughed. "Why? It's just going to fall out."
"Maybe red? I don't think yellow would work to well. Something wild and crazy for you and your punk hair."
"Yeah, and a tattoo at the back?" she teased.
He chuckled. "Flames for my hot chick." He tried to keep a straight face, but it didn't last more than three seconds, before the grin broke through.
"You're just trying to corrupt me!"
"Something like that," he said. "You trust me?"
She nodded, unsure of what he meant. Hadn't he just picked her up off the floor of his bathroom?
"I always wanted to try a henna tattoo.
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