Zane snorted.
He rolled his eyes and stepped over them to head for the
bathroom, where he took his time, brushing his teeth, shaving,
83
savoring the silence of the early morning. He fumbled in the
dark for the pile of clothing he’d left last night and grabbed
his pants to hunt for his cigarettes, remembering too late that
his lighter had gone missing. “Dammit.”
He was surprised when his fingers brushed the tip of the
lighter, though, stuck down in his jeans pocket. He dug it out,
and a piece of paper came wrapped tightly around it. Zane
scowled as he unrolled it and held it up to the sliver of weak
light coming through the part in the curtain to read the words
scrawled on it. It was a phone number and the name “Liam”
in smal , neat lettering.
Zane snorted. He remembered Liam’s hand at his hip. Had
the man pickpocketed him just to make an impression? He’d
certainly forced a memorable way of lighting his cigarette.
He’d stolen Zane’s lighter, then put it back with the number
around it. Impressive. And just a little flattering. Also creepy.
Zane glanced at Ty, smiling fondly as he thought about
just how riled his lover would get if he saw that note. Ty didn’t
consider jealousy a part of his emotional spectrum, but it sure
as hell was. Zane would always be more flattered by that than
a stranger’s number in his pocket. He balled it up and dropped
it and his jeans back to the floor. He’d smoke later.
He had to navigate his way through the tangle of
Sidewinder limbs on the floor to make it back to the bed. He
was a little annoyed that he wouldn’t be able to greet Ty in the
way he wanted, but he supposed he could sacrifice a morning
of groping for Ty to have some time with his friends. If they
ever woke up.
Kelly snorted in his sleep and tried to burrow his face into
Nick’s stomach, causing Nick to groan and push him away.
Neither man woke.
84
Ty tossed onto his side, echoing the groan. Zane
recognized the signs of a nightmare. Sometimes Ty woke
disoriented and dangerous. Other times he woke shaken and
frightened. And sometimes he dreamt of pain.
Zane lay back down on his side and scooted close to
Ty, hoping he might be able to get him to rest a little more
without having to wake him up from the nightmare. He
placed his hand on Ty’s back and rubbed.
Ty groaned again, a louder, more pained sound as he
rolled back toward Zane. He gasped in a breath, as if surprised
that he’d woken, and blinked blearily at Zane.
Zane frowned. Ty was damp to the touch, more than he
would have expected even in the warm bed. “You okay?” he
whispered.
“I hurt,” Ty answered, hoarse and sleepy.
“Is it your back again?”
Ty nodded. He reached down to his side, his elbow
jabbing Zane in the stomach as he did so, and curled up again.
“Feels like you’ve been sleeping on top of me.”
“I was sleeping on top of you.” Zane slid his hand against
Ty’s forehead, surprised by how hot Ty felt against his warm
fingers.
Ty rolled onto his back again, gasping as if his pain had
spiked. He kept his knees bent, curled up as if it hurt him
to straighten out. He immediately rocked back to his side,
not able to stay still, then mumbled something as he slid out
of the bed and staggered toward the bathroom in the dark.
He tripped over one of the men on the floor and stumbled,
causing Nick to cry out and lurch to his feet, ready for battle.
Sort of. But Ty disappeared into the bathroom before Nick
had gained his bearings.
“What the hell just happened?” Nick demanded.
85
“What is wrong with you gay people?” Kelly moaned, still
out of sight on the floor. “Why can’t you just sleep in?”
Nick looked down at him. “What?”
“Where am I?”
Zane sat up, torn between being amused and concerned.
He could hear Ty retching in the bathroom. He’d been with
Ty through allergic reactions, hangovers, and hospital stays,
but not an actual illness. Ty
He rolled his eyes and stepped over them to head for the
bathroom, where he took his time, brushing his teeth, shaving,
83
savoring the silence of the early morning. He fumbled in the
dark for the pile of clothing he’d left last night and grabbed
his pants to hunt for his cigarettes, remembering too late that
his lighter had gone missing. “Dammit.”
He was surprised when his fingers brushed the tip of the
lighter, though, stuck down in his jeans pocket. He dug it out,
and a piece of paper came wrapped tightly around it. Zane
scowled as he unrolled it and held it up to the sliver of weak
light coming through the part in the curtain to read the words
scrawled on it. It was a phone number and the name “Liam”
in smal , neat lettering.
Zane snorted. He remembered Liam’s hand at his hip. Had
the man pickpocketed him just to make an impression? He’d
certainly forced a memorable way of lighting his cigarette.
He’d stolen Zane’s lighter, then put it back with the number
around it. Impressive. And just a little flattering. Also creepy.
Zane glanced at Ty, smiling fondly as he thought about
just how riled his lover would get if he saw that note. Ty didn’t
consider jealousy a part of his emotional spectrum, but it sure
as hell was. Zane would always be more flattered by that than
a stranger’s number in his pocket. He balled it up and dropped
it and his jeans back to the floor. He’d smoke later.
He had to navigate his way through the tangle of
Sidewinder limbs on the floor to make it back to the bed. He
was a little annoyed that he wouldn’t be able to greet Ty in the
way he wanted, but he supposed he could sacrifice a morning
of groping for Ty to have some time with his friends. If they
ever woke up.
Kelly snorted in his sleep and tried to burrow his face into
Nick’s stomach, causing Nick to groan and push him away.
Neither man woke.
84
Ty tossed onto his side, echoing the groan. Zane
recognized the signs of a nightmare. Sometimes Ty woke
disoriented and dangerous. Other times he woke shaken and
frightened. And sometimes he dreamt of pain.
Zane lay back down on his side and scooted close to
Ty, hoping he might be able to get him to rest a little more
without having to wake him up from the nightmare. He
placed his hand on Ty’s back and rubbed.
Ty groaned again, a louder, more pained sound as he
rolled back toward Zane. He gasped in a breath, as if surprised
that he’d woken, and blinked blearily at Zane.
Zane frowned. Ty was damp to the touch, more than he
would have expected even in the warm bed. “You okay?” he
whispered.
“I hurt,” Ty answered, hoarse and sleepy.
“Is it your back again?”
Ty nodded. He reached down to his side, his elbow
jabbing Zane in the stomach as he did so, and curled up again.
“Feels like you’ve been sleeping on top of me.”
“I was sleeping on top of you.” Zane slid his hand against
Ty’s forehead, surprised by how hot Ty felt against his warm
fingers.
Ty rolled onto his back again, gasping as if his pain had
spiked. He kept his knees bent, curled up as if it hurt him
to straighten out. He immediately rocked back to his side,
not able to stay still, then mumbled something as he slid out
of the bed and staggered toward the bathroom in the dark.
He tripped over one of the men on the floor and stumbled,
causing Nick to cry out and lurch to his feet, ready for battle.
Sort of. But Ty disappeared into the bathroom before Nick
had gained his bearings.
“What the hell just happened?” Nick demanded.
85
“What is wrong with you gay people?” Kelly moaned, still
out of sight on the floor. “Why can’t you just sleep in?”
Nick looked down at him. “What?”
“Where am I?”
Zane sat up, torn between being amused and concerned.
He could hear Ty retching in the bathroom. He’d been with
Ty through allergic reactions, hangovers, and hospital stays,
but not an actual illness. Ty
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