Kiss Me

Part Fifteen

Henley

I knew it was going to be hard waiting. I’d say I was good at waiting, but who wasn’t when they didn’t have a choice. The talent of waiting was like the ability to change a tire. Most people can do it if they have to, but if someone will do it for you, that’s the way to go. I was just practiced at sucking it up and changing the tire myself.

He had been asleep for four days. That’s a long time if you’ve ever watched someone just sleep. But I was hanging in there. Most of the time. Sometimes. Sometimes I wasn’t. In those moments, when nobody was around I wasn’t okay. It’s not a manly thing to say, but you go fucking nuts just sitting there, thinking. And not knowing why it happened to him. Yet he's here. Although he died for a few minutes, he was still dead. It terrified the hell out of me that I almost lost him. I hated thinking about it, what it would be like if he didn't survive, yet the thoughts creeped up in there stopping my heart. I thought about it, if it was something I could really move on from. He's more precious than he knows and I'll tell him that for the rest of our lives. I won't ever leave room for doubt. I will make damn sure he knows how beautiful he is. How perfect he is, even with minor flaws. Because that's what it is to love someone. You see the perfectness in their flaws. It doesn't matter, but us.

"Henley," I smile hearing his voice, although it's just a whisper. Hearing it made me the happiest guy in the world. "Is...everyone coming soon?"

"Yeah, they will be here soon," I replied, taking his hand. "Real soon."

"Are you happy?" He asked.

Why would he ever need to ask me that? But he did. "I'm so happy beautiful." I reassured him.

"You look sad."

"I promise I'm not sad," Aya took a couple of cracks to his skull that night, one with thirteen stitches, as well as two broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone. And some significant bruising all over his body and some with definable finger marks wrapping all the way around his tricep. Also gashes to his legs from broken glass. He took the beating of his life and still, miraculously made it to mine. "When we leave the hospital, you're coming home with me, okay?"

"Okay."

"You know that letter you left me?" He nods, only slightly. "I put it in a frame. Because its special. "

"Your...so, soppy."

"Yeah, I guess I am. But you gotta love this soppy guy."

"I do. Very much." Hearing him say it again was music to my ears. I know I will never get tired of it. Not for the rest of my life.

The thing about Aya is I wanted to prove I woke up every day for him and my every decision bore him in mind. I wanted to be his best friend and know I was the one he counted on. For anything. I wanted him to live with me. Because there was only one thing I knew for certain. I wanted to be where he was, because those days were my favorites. Days without him I simply existed. My time with Aya were the ones I truly lived. Even being so short, it felt real.

Words started to fail me, I felt them get stuck in my damn throat. So I took a deep breath and scooted closer so I could lean my head gently on his chest, just hear his heartbeat. Its calming, soothing. "Who...who did this baby?" I asked in the most gentle voice, so he wouldn't panic. It made me sick. It physically hurt thinking about that night. His sleeping, tear-stained face. The blood. Holding in that kind of anger, for me, hell, for anyone, wasn’t healthy, but I had to think about what was best for him. Aya not talking was much different than him lying about it. I understood his reasons.

His hand brushed ever so gently through my hair. "A...regular." He admitted.

Fuck! Just hearing that made me wish he'd never go back to that place. Not because guys would drool over him, but if anything bad ever happened again. "I will always protect you, Aya," I choked and sat up to face him. "I promise."

I could only just make out a smile, underneath his strong bruising and swelling. "Thank you."

"You never need to thank me baby. I'm your man, it's my duty."

"I'm, your man too."

"I know."

His fingers tenderly brushed across my cheek. "It’ll be fine. We’re going to be fine."

"I want all of this to be cleaned up. All of the mess to disappear. I just want you," I confessed as I searched for clues on his face. Something reassuring. Something convincing.

"You have, all of me. You and I are tough, Henley," he struggled. I wanted to stop him from talking because it's painful. But I also wanted to hear what he had to say. "Even though it probably doesn’t feel or look like it, we were fighting to be together the whole time. And we’re so close. We’re so close," I moved closer to him, so his words would fill my heart. "Look at us. I’m still here and you're here too. There's no one to hide from. No one to tell us it’s wrong...or tell us we should be anywhere else. I’ve dreamed of us being like this. Together." His thumb ironed out my brow, releasing the tension I held there. Yet his whispered words held more truth than anything. He is here, me too. And we will get through this.

I couldn't hold back a deep groan and carefully buried my face in his chest. "You never cease to amaze me."

"Hey guys!" I flinched and Aya gasped from pain. I look at Matt who had this expression of pain. It's not like he'd not seem Aya when he was asleep. "Oh man, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Rightly so and I sat up giving him a daring look. "Keep your voice down idiot."

"Sorry," he mumbled and sat in a chair on the other side of the bed. "Hey Aya, you're looking better." He smiles.

Such a lie. Aya looks the same as he did a few days ago. It's going to be awhile before he's back to normal. "Where's the others?" I question.

"Getting stuff. I saw them not long ago."

"Right."

"....Henley…" Aya mumbled. I looked back at him. His eyes pooled with tears and I automatically started to panic.

"What is it? Are you in pain? Do you need a nurse? I can get her…"

He shook his head as his fingers found my balled fist. "I...I just want to say, I love you."

"I know. It's okay, rest up and think about when we get to go home." It was those types of thoughts, the happy ones, the excited ones, that diverted my otherwise livid mind. The thought of bringing him home. Looking after him. Being at his every beck and call. Maybe I should get a butler suit, for fun of course.

"You look like you're thinking something fun." Matt chides. He's obviously not wrong. There's so many fun things to think about, to imagine in great detail. But only when Aya is better of course. "Aya he's having naughty thoughts.'

"Don't be stupid," Then my attention caught when Aya giggled. He hissed from pain, yet he didn't stop the cute giggling. "Hey, be careful."

He waves his hand in some kind of hilarious protest. "Your, both so funny."

"Man, this is nice," Matt said with enough enthusiasm it made me chuckle. "Two stubborn dummy's finally coming together to make a smartish duo."

"Go home," I bit.

"Not on your life buttache. Anyway, I'm not here for you."

I sighed and flopped my head down next to Aya. I give up. Matt's dumbness is making me dumb. I should just let him get it out of his system. "I'll sleep until you're gone," my voice was muffled by the soft bedding. Yet his obvious hmph let me know he heard me loud and clear.

However, I was able to clear my mind for the moment, I felt a little peace. He was here in front of me, his hand against my back, and there was nothing that could possibly happen to him again. I wouldn’t let it. There wouldn’t be a next time he was treated like that. I’d rather die or rot in prison first. So, as I should, I let my mind drift off while I was still thinking about happier things. I concentrated on a perfect way to propose, and for the first time in over a week, I was sure I'd sleep well, safe in the knowledge that we are finally coming together.